After a long grueling morning workout followed by a short flight, the newest cadets make the mistake of breaking formation. Their instructor promptly makes sure they'll remember not to break their bearing next time.

Just a (very) short story I wrote to go along with my art. (here)
not my usual stuff but had like 20 free minutes at work so...

Another average rainstorm marks another average day in Ponyville. Creatures predictably flee to their shelter of choice to escape the cold drizzle. A predictable routine in this microcosm of Equestrian. Yet, even amongst the mundane, each day is unique for its own reasons... In Carrot Top's case, she just happens to find herself sitting across from an actual fire breath, a mass of scales and muscles, that could crush a pony easily, dragon. No need to panic, hopfeully...
Just another average day...

While this is technically a follow-up to That time Carrot Top fell into a rut it is not needed to read this story.

Life is full of all sorts of potholes. Some bigger than other, some deeper than other. Some potholes' falls hurt, other might even completely break you. Some potholes, however, can change your life.
So, what is a mare to do when she finds herself falling into one?

Equestrian society has finally began to expand out from its terrestrial home, and as a result they have created the Pathfinder. A next generation deep space scouting and research vessel to make a path forward for Equestria. While the Pathfinder crew expected set backs they didn't expect a crash landing on an oceanic alien planet that was under quarantine by a long dead advanced alien race.
With the Pathfinder now destroyed and the crew scattered, and likely dead, a sole changeling and his chipper A.I companion, are forced to try and find a way to cure the illness plaguing the planet and escape.

Yes this is a spin on Subnautica but its also not a one to one retelling. Updates for this will be sporadic at best, as I will mostly be writing this to relax from What you Need. Also given that I lack an editor for this side project expect mistakes, my apologies in advance. Also expect semi frequent rewrites of prior chapters.

The world is full of so many things. Things of both wonder and terror, but even still these moments create beauty. For nothing ever again will be the exact same as that event, or site or sound. It is this reasoning that has captured so many minds and hearts over the years. Minds and hearts that wish to, if nothing else, capture that beauty of the world though so many different means. Though for one specific changeling, he must now come to grasp with what truly gives something its beauty he seeks to capture.

Phoenix, a college drop out with no motivation or drive beyond trying not live on the streets, is set to ship off for the military till a chance encounter changes his fate. When he is offered a way to turn around his life, by going to Equestria of all things, he agrees believing it to be a nothing more than a joke. Upon opening his eyes he soon realizes that he truly is in Equestria but as a filly.
Placed into a life he didn't want, hes forced to confront his own flaws learning what he never could on Earth.

Inspired by:
Anon3mous1 Greenhorne's Trust once Lost
Minalkra's Oh to be old again
and most substantially by Boopy Doopy's Mind over Matter