Rated Teen because that's when we teach kids about reproductive biology. Comments have spoilers, and that's partially my bad. Sorry.

Leading Equestria for a thousand years alone required sacrifices. There are only so many hours in a day, even for the one who governs how many hours there are in a day. A choice to do one thing is a choice not to do a countless number of alternatives. A mortal pony would have to compromise. An ageless alicorn? She could simply wait.

With retirement came the chance to finally chase all those deferred dreams. And if one should prove more difficult than expected, well, there were ponies who could help with that. Plenty of mares had... difficulties with these things, and doctors helped them every day!

Why should she be any different?

I had no idea what to use for cover art. Sorry about that.

This story is a sequel to Leading Causes

Twilight Sparkle has more than a little anxiety about Spike's upbringing. In the wake of the Molt and the Sludge fiasco, those anxieties are clearer and stronger than ever. Like any good caretaker, she took advantage of an opportunity to learn more about dragons, including their needs and, most importantly, their vulnerabilities.

What started as a casual conversation about death for Smolder spiraled out of control into a full-fledged princess freakout, one that she is in the middle of. When it becomes clear that her teachers are completely hopeless when it comes to dragons, it's up to her to take Spike under her wing and teach him what they can't, one lesson at a time.

After a surprising number of requests for a sequel to "Leading Causes", I finally came up with something of a quasi-anthology of Smolder's lessons to Spike. While I do have a fair number of ideas, expect sizable gaps between updates.

Rated for academic descriptions (but no depictions) of death, and possible future scenes of hunting and fishing at a level slightly too mature for an E rating. Warning tags may be added later if I, or any commenters, feel they're needed.

Dragons are something of an enigma to Equestria. Those who do live within the borders are largely reclusive, either building their hoards or sleeping away the decades. So far as dragons who are active in everyday life in Ponyville go, Smolder represents a 100% increase in the population.

Twilight cannot let this opportunity slip her by. Enough time has passed for it to not be a diplomatic faux pas to sit Smolder down and grill her for much needed details on her species, not only for the sake of science, but for the benefit of the young dragon in her personal care. Naturally, the topic of death comes up.

Twilight handles that about as well as you might expect.

Discussion of death is largely academic and intended to be comedic but I've tagged it teen to be safe. No actual death or scenes of violence are shown so I didn't think the death tag itself was needed. It's also tagged for comedy as that was my intent, but only you can tell me if it's actually funny or not.

Now with sequel: Growing Up Dragon

Spike is growing up, a little bit at a time. It has its upsides. He can carry Rarity's luggage more easily, he gets to have a bigger bed, he doesn't fall asleep all the time, and, hey, wings are pretty cool, too!

Unfortunately, part of growing up is outgrowing things you used to take for granted. Alicorn Princess or not, Twilight's still a pony, and ponies weren't built with carrying adolescent dragons in mind.

Something random that popped into my head while rewatching some of this season's episodes. It could be read as something of a tie in to my previous story, "Seven Hour Bubblebath", but it can be read as a standalone story as well.

Dragons are remarkably resilient creatures. Perhaps the most dramatic example of this is their ability to bathe in molten rock as casually as a pony might relax in a hot tub. The temperatures involved would burn a pony before they even got close enough to touch it but dragons are made of sterner stuff.

For a dragon living among ponies this means it can be difficult to feel warm.

Long before moving to Ponyville, Spike struggles with this problem when Canterlot slips into the grip of winter. Eventually he braves the cold of the world outside his basket in search of warmth.

But it's Twilight who will be faced with the collateral damage.

A random standalone story that popped into my head the other day. Set a few years before Twilight and Spike move to Ponyville and before Spike becomes Twilight's assistant.

This story is a sequel to Royaltea

There are two things that can be said about Discord with reasonable certainty. First, he will spread chaos wherever he goes and, second, he will be at Fluttershy's on Tuesday for tea. It's an arrangement that nopony else knows whether to take seriously or not, to the point that many in Ponyville doubt it even happens. So far as most of them know, Discord isn't wreaking havoc and the wielders of the Elements (and the Elements themselves) are to thank for it, end of story.

The truth is that the reigning in of Discord rests less on the Elements and more on one mare having the nerve to be his friend in the only way she knows how: with patience, kindness and consideration. It's an idea just crazy enough to work.

--

Follows on from my previous story Royaltea. This is planned as an anthology of short stories and scenes based around Fluttershy's friendship with Discord, specifically in the form of their weekly tea parties. Chronological order may or may not be followed from one entry to the next.

During the first conflict with Discord after his 1,000 year imprisonment, each of the ponies who wield the Elements of Harmony were forced to match wits with the Master of Chaos. All of them found that they were sorely out of their depth.

Except, perhaps, for one.

After Discord is imprisoned, Celestia takes each of the ponies aside to hear their stories. Fluttershy is the last one called and is a little nervous about the meeting. With a little encouragement from a friend, she is able to join the Princess for a cup of tea and describe her encounter with Discord. It might prove to be a rather fateful discussion.

--

Planned as the first in a series of related short stories based on Fluttershy as she shares tea with Discord and possibly one or two others.

Updated description and image generously provided by: Tranquil Serenity

Friendship is a recent addition to Trixie's life, which means there is much about it she has yet to experience. With Hearth's Warming just around the corner, the talented stage-pony is resolved to accept Starlight's offer to spend the celebration with her, once this invitation inevitably comes her way.

After all, being the good friends they are, there's no way The Great and Powerful Trixie wouldn't be invited. And Trixie is altogether above begging, at least that much is certain.

Piggybacks off of the Season 6 episode "A Hearth's Warming Tail". Loosely tied into my previous story "Dance, puppets, dance!" but neither one requires the other, and could theoretically fit in either order.

Trixie's experience with the Alicorn Amulet has left her just a little bit more bitter. Searching for an outlet to express her frustrations, she decides to go back to a town that once shunned her in pursuit of long overdue vengeance.

Others might call her plan just a little bit petty. They would be wrong. Trixie doesn't do anything "little".