It is the middle of the night. Sweetie Belle cannot sleep. She thirsts for a glass of water.

The search for life outside Earth, whether past or present, has been long and arduous. Some called it pointless, a waste of money, effort and time. Some called for it to stop, seeing no results.

Today, proto-colonist Amanda Chorol has discovered the remnants of life on Mars.

The Seventh Company of the solar guard should have left the town Grimbush to its own devices, but when a letter asking them to clear out a pest invasion lands in their possession, they have no choice but to oblige.

Disgruntled and annoyed, the soldiers march into the mire only to find something far deadlier than they expected.

Luna goes in search of what she wants. Instead, she finds what she needs.

Fourth place in the 60th Quills & Sofa's Speedwriting contest, 'Plain Jane'. The prompt was 'Second Glances'.

This story is a sequel to Unsafe Room: A Detective Rarity Mystery

The crime? Murder.

The race? Mayoral.

The culprit?

There'll be riots in the streets if Rarity doesn't find them soon.

If this is your first Detective Rarity Mystery, don't worry! You can read this one without spoiling the others. Or, if you'd like to start from the beginning, you can do so here!

Matthias Síðasta Von has always wished to visit the magical land of Equestria, see the wonderful colors, talk to the ponies that live there. Perhaps even, should he be so lucky, live there permanently. Help Fluttershy with the animals, listen to Twilight talk about her most recent lesson or experiment, lift baskets of apples with Applejack, tell Lyra about humans.

One day, a connection is made, an offer: step through the gate. It was warned that the cost might be hefty, that the journey might be hard, but anything was better than this drab, grey life. So he stepped through.

But, this is not the Equestria he knew. Buildings aged and decrepit, roads cracked and eroded, the Everfree slowly reclaiming the Apple's farm and the last barn finally given out under the strain with nopony to raise it anew. What happened? Where did they go?

The colors bleached, the ponies gone, the Harmony and love that once sustained the land dried up and blown away like so much dust.

Except...

Pinkamena just wants to stay in her own lane. If Pinkie has a problem that needs yelled at, kicked at, or jeeringly tolerated until it goes away, she can handle it. But what’s a sourfaced split personality to do when her agreeable half vanishes overnight like a fart in the wind?

Pinkamena is not a sleuth. Nor a convincing actress. But she’ll need to be both to guise as Pinkie and solve the mystery of where her better half went.

What a pain in the flank.

(Teen rating for Pinkamena’s crassness and comically short temper.)

Its National Novel Writing Month! I'm breaking my regular short story conventions for a multi-chapter tale of fumbling comedy, uneasy mystery, and (most frightful of all) first-person narration.

Nearly a thousand years have passed since Princess Twilight Sparkle first ascended to the throne, and, for all intents and purposes, Equestria has been experiencing a golden age of peace and prosperity. And yet, as the eve of the thousandth year of her ascension slowly approaches, something stirs amidst the shadows.

Hidden within the darkest confines of the kingdom a group of ponies gathers in secret, far away from the prying eyes of the Alicorn Princesses, as they silently prepare for what is to come. A secret order formed millennia ago with a singular purpose, to fulfill the sacred commandments of their beloved Mistress.

And now, the moment they patiently waited for, the moment for their schemes to unfold and their plans to blossom is nearly at hoof, for the hour of reckoning is finally upon them.

Their singular objective: to fulfill the Holy One’s sacred vision.

Their target: Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship herself.

And nothing and no one shall stop them from fulfilling their Holy Task, no matter what.

…

…The end result is far less worrisome than most would expect.

Just a fun little one-shot inspired by all the Doom-talk in regards to the end of the show.

Featured! 05/23/2019; 05/24/2019; 05/25/2019

Ps. Beware, Spoilers in the comments.

This story is a sequel to Pray, Hope and Wander

Case Report: Update - May 2nd
Submitted by: Verdant Vines
Location: Ponyville
Date: May 2nd
Case: Ponyville Mass Disappearance (#3467)
Classification: Top Secret

White Clover,

Given the new writings included in the addendum to the provided journal transcription, I’ve elected to continue our investigation through conversing with whoever, or whatever, is on the other side of it. They claim to be Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's personal student. I’d like to request that Princess Celestia is not informed of this possibility until we can verify their identity.

As such, from this day forward I will be sending daily reports before sundown with transcription of our conversations, along with any thoughts I have. Included with these documents is a formal request of personnel transfer for Doctor Blue Sky to my team in order to assist with any psychological evaluations related to the writer of the journal. His team will continue to support evaluations of personnel working the case.

Special thanks to FloydienSlip, Petrichord, and KorenCZ11 for their help with feedback.

Bit is the first of her kind, a pony that was made from carved crystal and supernal circuitry. For many years she worked, obedient to the will of her master in endless repetition. She knew nothing else, not boredom, not satisfaction from her work, not anger or resentment or joy. Existence was obedience to directive, purpose fulfilled.

But around her, the world was changing. Her home wasn't Equestria, but the last surviving Crystal City, defiant to the Windigos and the imperial decree of Alicorns alike. She did not know, and could not care, how much the ponies of Zircon suffered under the rule of their king. But she was there the day those whispers united in a defiant chorus.

When the fires were still smoldering, she returned to her work. Generations came and went, and still she labored. It was all she was, all she knew, all she wanted. Until the day her last broom broke.

For the first time in her existence, Bit doubted.

Daily for the first four days, because Christmas. Updates Thursdays after that. Edited by Two Bit and Sparktail. Cover by Zutcha.

A story about finding the center of the maze.