It's been nine long months since Applejack had conceived her baby. The day had finally come where she could give birth and bring a new life into the world. It's a time of celebration for all her friends and family.

However, she is not as quick to join in the celebrations. A nagging feeling dwells within her that things won't go as planned. Memories of her mother passing during giving birth to Apple Bloom plague her mind and she can't help but feel that she won't survive the birth. It's a gut feeling. And her gut feelings are never wrong.

At peace with her possible passing, she allows herself to be transported to the hospital to experience the miracle of life... and death.

Sorry that there is no cover art, but I couldn't find anything suitable, plus I was too lazy to make one of my own. If anyone has seen anything, post it in the comments or PM me and I'll gladly place your name in the description as thanks!

Love doesn't always find a way.

Note: I am aware that this is poorly written. You're probably better off just skipping this and reading The Three Notes, which is slightly better and stands well enough on its own.

Twilight's friends try to matchmake for her to help her handle stress better. They hook her up with Big Macintosh. This won't lead to any problems, will it?

Cover pic by kwark85.

Featured on 7/10/2023! Thank you so much!

Rumors and gossip can cause pain more severe than any crash. Big Mac sees first hand the effect it can have on ponies one night in the orchard when he stumbles across a distraught Rainbow Dash.

Sooo, this is weird but I have a crush on my cousin. I mean he’s not really my cousin, he’s like my 17th cousin 20 times removed or something so I guess it isn’t that weird but it’s still a little bit weird. Oh! I’m Pinkie Pie by the way. This is the story of me and Big Mac.

Big Mac’s, well, big. He’s like super tall and he spends all day pulling carts around so he’s got the biggest muscles. Don’t get me wrong, that’s nice and all but that isn’t why I like him. Call me a romantic fool but it was always his smile. When you see his smile, really see it it’s the biggest and happiest smile in all of Equestria.

Ponykind has many legends.

They tell of terrifying monsters, fearsome beats, and crippling illnesses. The Mare in the Moon, Daring Do and Ahuizotl... They are all based on realty, though some are more fanciful than others. Ponies everywhere enjoying re-telling them to friends over a mug of cider, or to young fillies too restless to fall asleep. Still, one story is rather taboo in Ponyville. It tells of a sickness that cannot be cured. The reason only brave colts whisper it to each other in dark alleyways is because it is too close to home. The sickness has visited Ponyville before.

The Apple Family is all-too-familiar with this sickness, known too many as the dark plague. Several years ago, many ponies died in a deadly epidemic. The Ponyville chapter of the Apples was very nearly disbanded by the fearsome killer, and it still managed to orphan Big Macintosh and Applejack. Now, old nightmares are rising from the black pits of the past. Applejack, the bearer of Honesty and most dependable pony around, has fallen ill. Though few realize it, she is in very grave danger. No pony magic can cure the dark plague.

Desperate to keep her family together, Apple Bloom and her friends have vanished into the Everfree Forest, to seek the aid of a herbalist. Perhaps the skills of a zebra can save her sister. What they do not know is that there is but one race that can stop the Plague. A race that is only spoken of in legend and myth. A race that has not been seen since Princess Celestia was but a filly...

Winona just went into heat. Most of Ponyville's dogs are following Apple Bloom around. The Crusaders see no correlation between those two events. None whatsoever.

But as long as there's a fresh chance to earn a mark, who cares about cause and effect? And consequences? Oh, those never happen.

Well, certainly not because of anything the Crusaders do

Ever.

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Two Saiyans... the mightiest warriors in all the galaxy, (Minus one particular male individual from the planet Krypton.) are making their way to Earth to gather the legendary Dragon Balls, but their greatest threat doesn't come from earth's defenders of the vastness of the cosmos... it comes from a funny little thing called filler and amidst this filler one of the two needed to go to the bathroom... on a planet full of creatures that they never thought possible...

As a disclaimer I have never done drugs and I don't drink... (Shocking given the fact I'm Irish-Catholic and a Marine.) This was written completely sober... which begs the question what the hell would go on in my mind when I AM on something?

A long time ago, my family moved to Appleloosa, and we ain't had no luck since. We tried growing apples, but our orchards just never took right. Now, the bank's gonna repossess unless we can get some bits together real fast.

No, we ain't never been lucky, but in that ring, I don’t need luck. I’m one win away from saving our farm, and Granny says that tonight I’m fighting some fancy unicorn named Blueblood. I hear he's real fast, but there ain’t no way I’m losing with so much on the line.

This ain't gonna be pretty. In fact, I can just about guarantee it’ll be real, real ugly.

Edited by Pascoite.

Additional help from SongCoyote, Steel Resolve, Dragonas77, Skeeter the Lurker, Seether00, and RainbowBob

Cover image by viwrastupr

No, we're not talking about physics. We're answering Coolbauch's question of what happens if Graves and Rarity just friendzoned each other? Set as a non-canon set of stories in The Journey of Graves universe, we set the marshal free so he can get it on with all the fine ladies. Or lads. Whatevs.

Short one shots that come as they will. After all, you can't rush love.