Prince Blueblood intends to challenge his auntie to a game of chess. He’s committed to the belief that it’s a thinking mare’s game, and that his auntie is the thinking mare.

Maybe this year, he’ll learn the truth.

Celestia knows he won’t.

An entry for the A Thousand Words Contest III
Cover art by AnotherDeadRat

Inside in the dark, you thought yourself safe. But with foreign light filling your comfortable void, another world is closing in. It seems you won’t be able to hide for much longer. You need to make a choice.

The question is: should you leave, willingly?

‘Yes. With me.’

An entry for the A Thousand Words Contest III

We just work here. And work. And work.

Look, it’s a long shift, okay?

But for ten minutes (or more), all is right in the world.

An entry for the A Thousand Words Contest III
and The Dialogue Only Contest
and The ‘Not-a-Contest’

The ill-written letters to Star Swirl invoked little sense. But his thoughts were blinded by the stress of our work. It was up to me to see the simpler, sensible answer, and to urge us to chase.

In truth, the most we had to work with was a profound bond. But as the earth pony saying goes:

"Hope slumbers in shallow earth."

An entry for the A Thousand Words Contest III

This story is a sister to Iridium

In Cloudsdale, as the Long Cold seeps in, a matron is doing all she can to hold faith, even as the very flock she’s raising falls apart around her.

In Pegasopolis, things will be better. They must.

The right to rule Equestria is granted to those with power.

The unicorn who seeks Man, is the unicorn who seeks power.

A guide to wings and rule. For unicorns only.

An entry for the A Thousand Words Contest II in the ‘Experimental’ and ‘Horror’ categories

Featherdust was the premier maiden to Her Majesty, Princess Celestia. To others, it was a position of great renown, and a higher honor than simply serving the princess.

Now, she has forsaken the sun, to serve only the moon.

Thanks to NorrisThePony.
An entry for the A Thousand Words Contest II in the ‘Drama’ category
An audio reading by StraightToThePointStudio, as well as a reading by Midnight
Recommended by PresentPerfect.

Show and tell: it’s a classic Ponyville Schoolhouse tradition.

Likewise, there’s a storied rumor of a mysterious cave on the edge of Saddle Lake, where baubles and trinkets are awarded to foals who manage the trek. But the Everfree Forest is no place for ponies, let alone foals.

Scootaloo has nothing to show. So she’ll gladly take her chances.

Reviewed ‘Pretty Good’ by Ghost Mike

”Little stories like these are how I fell into this Fandom, and the reason I remain.”
—IceHawk

This story is a sequel to Cypress Zero

For hundreds of years, the post-scarcity world of Equestria has served as a launching point for the stars. Beyond their green earth, interstellar relays and starships power the colonization efforts of all species. And in just minutes, the digital messages of little ponies can cover distances once considered impossible.

It makes the arrival of a physical letter all the more meaningful.

Especially to the most isolated pony at the heart of the Equestrian Core Worlds.

An entry to the Science Fiction Contest II.
No prior reading of Cypress Zero is required. But both stories are stronger together.

The world is dark. But the sun still rises.

The world is quiet. But the moon’s tides pull on.

The world is cold. But there is still warmth in Ponyville.

Placed fourth in the /PJ2023/ competition!