Upon her return to Ponyville, Applejack learns Big Macintosh crossdressed at the Sisterhooves Social to help his little sister Apple Bloom. Obviously, Applejack knows Mac's behavior doesn't mean he has gender issues. If anything, it just shows how much he cares for his little sister.

However, something else happened while Applejack was away that can't be so easily dismissed.

It's time to talk.

Written for The Writeoff Association's "Illusion of Choice" contest.

This story is a sequel to Smoothing the Knots

Princesses Celestia and Luna take tea under less than ideal circumstances: house arrest for psychiatric care following Luna's revelation about the her use of the Tantabus to torture herself.

Ever the thoughtful sister, Celestia tries to help Luna open up about her addiction to guilt and suffering in order to understand why Luna isn't happy now that the pain has finally left her. But Luna has a very different topic she wishes to discuss.

Princess Twilight Sparkle has been losing her mind. She lives plagued by nightmares and hallucinations.

Discovering she's not alone, Twilight realizes Equestria may be in great danger. She seeks counsel with Princess Luna to discover the truth about her nightmares. However, Luna warns Twilight the knowledge she seeks will come at great personal cost.

Twilight Sparkle would give up anything to save Equestria, but how much will she sacrifice just to learn the truth?

Special thanks to Bradel for his editing advice.

Discord isn't quite used to this "multiple friendships" thing yet. He has a lot left to learn, so Twilight Sparkle thought it would be a great idea for her friends to join Discord and Fluttershy for tea this week.

As eager as Fluttershy's other friends are to teach Discord about friendship in groups, they might have a thing or two to learn themselves.

Written for The Writeoff Association's "I Regret Nothing" contest.

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle are on a mission in the deep sky, far from the comforting ground of Equestria, when disaster strikes. Together the two ponies fall into something from which there is no escape.

On an unrelated note, this story features a black hole.

Written for The Writeoff Association's "Great Expectations" contest. Preread by bookplayer.

As everypony knows, Pinkie Pie can do impossible things. She can hover in midair without wings, play ten instruments at once, and even go days without breathing! Clearly some kind of magic is at work, but what could it be?

Pinkie decides it's finally time to tell her friends the whole, unvarnished truth.

Written for The Writeoff Association's "The Best Medicine" contest.

Princess Twilight Sparkle invents a new way to travel between universes. On the maiden voyage with her best friends, something goes wrong.

Her discovery resurrects a secret from her past, one she has only shared with Princess Celestia. When Twilight learns of the price required to return things to normal, she is left with an impossible choice.

Written for The Writeoff Association's "Closing Time" contest. Preread by Axis of Rotation.

NOTE: I'm aware of Trotsworth's pony names. I chose not to use them.

After a tragic accident claims the lives of Fluttershy and Big Macintosh, Twilight Sparkle begins to grow distant from her remaining friends. She locks herself in her castle and spends her life working on a cure for aging in the hopes her remaining friends can be saved.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie comes up with an idea for the best surprise ever. For three years she works in secret on a surprise for Twilight Sparkle. But Twilight's gift won't be revealed until the last of her friends has passed away.

What kind of surprise could possibly make up for the loss of your best friends?

This is a collection of classic zen koans retold with Friendship is Magic characters.

Koans are small questions, poems, or stories used in Zen Buddhism to bring about enlightenment in the reader.

Rebooted April 2018. I'll remove this message once we're caught up again.