Rarity has risen to the highest stretches of the fashion business and high society, but she's found that not all is as it seems. In the corners of cocktail parties all over Equestria, dark conversations are found. Eventually, Rarity can take no more of this, and begins reporting back to Celestia in secret while delving deep into a world she had no idea was so intertwined with her life's goal.

How much of herself is she willing to give up to protect the throne and, more importantly, Twilight Sparkle? The life of a spy is a dangerous one indeed.

A canon story in the Rites of Ascension Expanded Universe! Artwork by Violet Squiggles. Author's Notes, including proofing credits, can be found here.

When the peace of the idyllic world of Cloudsdale is interrupted by rising crime, and a lonely office worker's best friend is mugged in the street, he finally decides that enough is enough. With nothing but his wits, a suitcase with personal effects, and years of experience in the accounting department of a large investment firm, he launches himself headfirst into the stupidest possible thing he could do - quitting his job, and waging war on the underworld.

Yeah. This is gonna work out just fine.

Fueled by courage and armed with technology and a van, the tornado ponies are on Earth to both study tornados for the benefit of humans and gather data to improve predictions. Dusty's a grizzled veteran of storm-chasing, and the ponies were born for it, but neither pegasi nor humans can totally predict where a tornado will go or what it might do.

A story for Ponyville Ciderfest's Scattered Pages

This story is a sequel to Long Road to Friendship

It is a new year for Sunset Shimmer; a fresh chance at real happiness with her five best friends and her girlfriend. But Sunset is constantly troubled by her uncertain future, and haunted by the consequences of her past.

For her battle against Princess Twilight has drawn forth ancient forces with eyes on the last bastion of magic: Canterlot City.

As darkness closes in, Sunset must find her light and guide her friends to defend their world against old rivals and legends best left forgotten, all while dealing with their ever-looming futures.

But when graduation comes, what will Sunset Shimmer do? For she is still a stranger in this world, with or without her friends, and the road before her guarantees nothing.

Of course, with the universe conspiring against her, it'll be a miracle if she even makes it that far...

Story plot edited by HenryAnthonyCourtler
Pre-read by DrakeyC
Wonderful cover art designed by HanasakiYunarin!
Text added by Amber Spark!
The page of Spectacular Tropes!
Presenting the French translation!

Stress levels were already high, with Twilight directing her first royal Hearth's Warming pageant and unexpected snowstorms escaping the Everfree. Then the changeling army arrived.

Now, with Queen Chrysalis holding Ponyville hostage and the clock ticking on suspiciously pointless negotiations, it's up to Rarity to match wits with the invaders and save the holiday. However, as she digs ever deeper into the queen's tangled plot, what she learns could force her to choose between her friendships and her conscience.

Off-season note: This is a Hearth's Warming story like Die Hard is a Christmas movie (but with espionage instead of explosions). Don't skip it just because the holiday's over.

Critical praise:

"A high-tension thriller where nothing is what it seems." — Titanium Dragon (rating: "Highly Recommended")

"An entertaining ride from start to finish … watching all the pieces fall into place is fantastic." — Present Perfect (rating: "Highly Recommended")

"Props to horizon for an intricate web of deception. Most writers have difficulty with crafting mysteries … this one, however, had me completely fooled from beginning to end." — PaulAsaran (rating: "Why Haven't You Read This Yet?")

"It’s a rare mystery and thriller that can keep things tense and make the mystery actually tough to guess as you go along, while still feeling like a natural conclusion. ... The end result of layers unveiled and red herrings contradicted makes it sing." — Ghost Mike (rating: "Really Good")

Second-place winner in the "Behind Closed Doors" December writeoff, now expanded and revised! Featured on EqD! Rated "Recommended" by MLPmatthewl419!

Big thanks to Titanium Dragon for post-Writeoff editing assistance.

Comments contain spoilers!

Twilight Sparkle accomplished something incredible, something not even the great Starswirl could manage. But ascension into the ranks of Equestria's princesses is not without its difficulties. Before she can take her place as princess of Friendship, Twilight must travel to the underworld and make a ceremonial offering to Death in exchange for her immortality. Twilight is more than a little surprised to discover the identity of the pony under the hood.

After years living in Ponyville and getting to know her friends, Twilight always assumed they were exactly what they seemed: a group of friendly and ambitious ponies. But as it turns out, the sort of pony who saves Equestria and decodes the ancient mysteries of Starswirl is likely to attract ponies a tad more interesting.

Updates on the 3rd or 4th Friday of every month, then daily until that section is complete.

Editing by Two Bit and Sparktail. Cover by Zutcha.

It's Halloween and Sunset Shimmer and the others are looking forward to having a good time. However, when Twilight offers to make their costumes look more realistic, they get more than they bargain for when they actually transform into their costumes! Now, Sunset is the most brilliant unicorn wizard in existence, Rarity and Applejack have switched perspectives, Pinkie has become psychotic (in a bad way), Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are sporting fangs and fur, and Twilight must keep her alter-ego from reasserting itself! Can Sunset and Twilight reverse the spell before midnight when the spell becomes permanent and they all remain trapped in their altered forms forever?

My entry in the FlutterDash Contest: Nightmare Night, What A Fright!

Now has a TVTropes page.

What would you do if you were not you?
If there was another you in your place?
Would you accept it, or would you do whatever it took to be the one and only you?
Whichever you'd do, of course you would: you're you, after all.
And any other you would do the same.

An entry for the Category Three Horror Contest

With special thinks to ScreamQueen for prereading, and feedback!

- CLASSIFIED -

At the request of Dr. Quest Colton, the following data logs and observation notes have been compiled about the case study surrounding Subject 1 and the highly infectious anomoly that now plagues ponies in the hundreds. It is the doctor's hope that these files will eventually help us find a cure before all of Equestria suffers this horrific end. Subjects 2, 3, 4, and 5 are also presenting troubling afflictions and will be recieving case studies of their own. Princess Twilight's sudden death could not have come at a worse time for us all.

(Thanks to VladiVoices for the amazing art!)

Hope you enjoy my first MLP Infection AU :)
Here's a link to the Youtube adaptation of this story:
https://youtu.be/l1DKuq5hjWk

The law exists to protect Equestrian citizens, and must be enacted in a fair and even manner. Prince Blueblood knows this; he's accepted punishment for his numerous minor disturbances of the Equestrian legal system, without ever trying to slip out of it.

Fluttershy is in violation the law. Ergo, she must be brought to justice. That's just logic.

Now if only he can get the captain of the guard and his annoyingly lackidasial aunt to cooperate...

Made for the eighth FTP competition. Cover art by hwaho.