Applejack’s birthday is coming up. She can tell by her calendar. She can tell by the bitter chill in the morning air that brings a slight ache in her bad knee. And she can tell by her marefriend’s shifty behaviour. Every year was the same: Rainbow Dash would poke and prod, in her cute and not-so-subtle way, trying to weedle information out of her, and Applejack, in turn, would drop hints about what she wanted that year. It was a game they played, one that Applejack gladly participated in, just to see that happy grin on her marefriend’s face as she opened her present and told her it was just what she wanted.

Except this year is different. This year, Rainbow isn’t poking and prodding, she’s acting smug and aloof. Like she knows something Applejack doesn’t. There’s an excited energy about her, one she hasn’t had in a long time, not since she made Captain of the Wonderbolts.

No, this year, something is very different. A difference that’s confirmed when Applejack finds a box on her doorstep one morning. A box addressed to her. From Rainbow. It contains a riddle. The first of many. And she has only six days to solve them all.

Well, Applejack was never one to back down from a challenge.

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Cover art by John Joseco.

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Entry for, and winner of, the 6th AppleDash competition.

The Summer Sun Celebration was never typically associated with second chances, not until Twilight Sparkle and her friends discovered the Elements of Harmony and used them to cleanse the jealousy from the heart of Princess Luna, at least. On that fateful night, two seconds chances were granted:

One for Luna herself, that she might seek forgiveness from her sister and the citizens of Equestria for her actions.

The other was for Princess Celestia, that she might once again find some measure of happiness after a thousand years of loneliness.

Some years later, however, another mare hopes for a second chance of an entirely different nature. She knows she doesn’t deserve it. She knows it’s stupid to even ask.

So why the hell can’t she just let it lie?

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Written for the 4th AppleDash contest, under the categories "Second Chances" and "A Special Event". Second place finisher.
Edited by Craine. Sorry for keeping you up until stupid o' clock, buddy!
Cover art by bakki. Used with permission.
Sex tag for author safety, nothing actually explicitly mentioned.

Competition. It drives us all one way or another. Whether it’s to be the fastest flier, the best team, the greatest magician, to steal a land in jealous fury, or simply to beat that other pony to the stall for the last carrot; competition is in all of us.

Some claim that a competitive nature is healthy, and keeps a pony sharp and fit. Others claim it drives ponies apart and should be avoided as much as possible.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack don’t care about any of that. They just don’t want the other to win. Theirs is an unending game of friendly one-upmanship, a constant striving to prove their superiority to one another for no other reason than they can.

Neither of them thought it would ever bring about romance in their lives.

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Written for (and winner of) the 3rd AppleDash competition. Prompt by bookplayer.

Thanks to my friend, Radoh from the Escapist, for making some small, but very good, points.

Cover art by nekokevin.

“I have done nothing but teleport bread for three days.”
“Vhere?! Vhere haff you been sending it?!”

When you're enjoying a quiet morning's reading, one does not expect to be suddenly assaulted with bread. Nor, in the space of a few seconds, does one expect it to happen again. And again.

Once the deluge of loaves has finished, Twilight Sparkle can't help but do a little magical probing…

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Image taken from the video that inspired this fic. Clicky-click.

Twilight Sparkle is lonely. She didn’t realise it for the longest time, but when she met her friends, she began to understand she was lacking something in her life. Over time, she further understood that friendship was not all there was to knowing other ponies. And every year, a particular day comes around and reminds her of her romantic situation.

Even now that she's a princess, Hearts and Hooves day manages to remind Twilight that, once again, she is without a very special somepony. But, unbeknownst to her and those that will be involved, the end of this Hearts and Hooves day will herald the start of something wonderful for the new alicorn. Something strange and altogether new.

In fact, one could go so far as to say it will be quite curious.

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Written for the 2014 AppleDashLight competition.
3rd place! Woohoo!

Cover image used with the kind permission of RatofDrawn.

Pre and proof-read by:
bobdat
Craine
Tchernobog

Applejack and Rainbow Dash have been marefriends for a year now and they couldn't be happier. So why does Applejack seem worried one evening after the two have shared a wonderful picnic?

Written for the 2013 AppleDash contest.

Spider, spider, on the wall
Come on down, before you fall
Can't you see that wall's been plastered?
Come on down, you silly spider...

Author's note: Rated Teen for two instances of moderate and strong language, respectively.
Cover is courtesy of Pinkamena of The Escapist's MLP group.

Being Captain of the Wonderbolts certainly makes life easy. Everything a Pegasus could ever want is available in bucketfuls: Money, fame, glory, a good team and anything else on tap.
Spitfire has been riding this metaphorical high for years. She lives fast, but well. From the outside, she appears to take her gifts and lifestyle for granted, but those few close enough to the golden pony know her as one of the kindest, most thoughtful ponies around.
So why doesn't she have a special somepony yet? Even though her celebrity status affords her many suitors of both genders, all of her relationships have failed sooner rather than later. This has gone on for some time, but is all about to change due to a chance meeting with a certain mare in a Canterlot nightclub...

Author's Notes: Written for TAW's 2012 shipping competition. Rated Teen for alcohol consumption and minor sexual references.

A thousand thank-you's to Tchernobog for allowing me to use Mood Wings as a reference for pegasus wing-language; and for pointing out an error in my narration technique. Go give the dude some love.
A shout-out should also be made to futzi01 of deviantart, whose upload of the canon map of Equestria I used as reference for several things.
Also, thanks go out to Epidemiix and Chrono212 of the Escapist for giving me feedback while I was writing.