My Very Little Ponyficsby Lurks-no-MoreChaptersDerpy DeliversThe Morning AfterTwilight JellySlight Adjustment Is RequiredIt's About Trixie, This TimeThe Love Song of B. Macintosh AppleStarlight Glimmer vs. ERS ScammersOn the Moon Rainbow Dash Saves PinkieSeeds of DownfallLast Will and Testament of Starswirl the BeardedDerpy DeliversDerpy whistled tunelessly as she fluttered across Ponyville, doing her rounds. She had delivered some notes to Lyra and now her thoughts were on music. Most musicians were unicorns of course, but there were instruments for other ponies, too: drums and pipes and mouth organs. Images of fame and cheering crowds dancing in her mind, she swooped down towards the library. The heavy parcel had to be more books for Twilight Sparkle. Neither she nor her dragon friend answered the door when Derpy rang the bell. To be sure, she also knocked and looked in the windows. Nobody there, so she left the books on one of the balconies and carried on, wondering what it would be like to be the Princess' favorite student. Engrossed in her daydream, she almost collided with Cloudkicker, and only a quick and undignified dive saved both ponies from a crash. "Oopsie!" she cried over her shoulder, her bad eye wobbling worse than ever, and hoped that the other mare had heard. Focusing on her job again, Derpy headed across the town to the Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh's birthday was coming up and the stallion was getting letters and gifts from the far-flung Apple family daily. Wouldn't it be cool if she, too, had relatives all over Equestria and in foreign lands? She could write them letters, and someday visit them all! Derpy had read so many books on distant lands, but she'd never traveled far, herself. The last package was addressed to Zecora. Derpy swallowed as she eyed the Everfree Forest, rising dark and forbidding on the horizon. Maybe she could keep it in the post office until the zebra's next town visit? Yeah. That would be prudent. As she flew back, she was already imagining herself braving the dangers of the forest... Author's Note This one was an early attempt at exploring what makes our favorite wall-eyed mailmare tick. Here, I went with the idea that Ditzy / Derpy is a daydreamer, a Walter Mitty type who lives an ordinary life but fantasizes about being someone and something else. The Morning AfterTrixie woke up to someone poking her in the flank. She opened her eyes, squinting against the morning sunlight pouring in through the door of the garden shed where she'd spent her night. It was a white rabbit, glaring at her rather nastily. "Stop bothering the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she grumbled, shooing the rabbit away with her hoof. It scowled and poked her again, harder. With an annoyed huff, Trixie gathered her magic and pushed the rabbit out before closing the door again. Five more minutes, and then she'd head back to reclaim her possessions... Just as she was about to doze off, the door opened again. "Insolent vermin!" Trixie snarled, preparing to throw the rabbit all the way to Ponyville. Then she saw he wasn't alone, but had brought a yellow pegasus with him. "What the-?!" "eeeeeep!" "Whaddayamean, you slept through the entire Ursa rampage?" Trixie asked through a mouthful of oatmeal. After somehow forcing her to apologize to the rabbit, the pegasus, Fluttershy, had been kind enough to offer her a breakfast. "I'm a deep sleeper," the pegasus said shyly. "It must have been very frightening, although I wish I'd seen Twilight pacifying it. More tea?" Trixie almost spat out her oatmeal. "Y-you know Twilight Sparkle?" "Oh yes. She's one of my closest friends. Not that I have very many of them." An idea began to form in Trixie's head. "Say, Fluttershy..." "You realize Trixie's taking advantage of you, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as she helped the saddlebags, bulging with salvage, onto her friend's back. "She'll go right back to her tricks once she's out of your door." "Um. Maybe? But everypony deserves a little kindness. And when she leaves, she'll remember this, and maybe be nicer in the next town." Fluttershy smiled. "It's worth trying, at least." Author's Note Trixie, Fluttershy, and a little kindness. In case the ending is unclear, Trixie is sending Fluttershy to get her stuff from the town rather than face the locals, and our adorable yellow doormat is happy to help. Twilight JellyTwilight trembled with anticipation. She had dreamed of this for so long! Climbing on the table, the purple unicorn sat down on the plate. "You ready?" Trixie asked, her voice mocking yet husky with excitement. Twilight nodded, and the blue unicorn grinned. "Then let the Great and Powerful Trixie begin... da Magickz!" Their horns lit up with magic, blue and purple energies mixing in a display as sensuous as it was dazzling. Twilight let out a happy squeal as their combined power flow into her body. She was so lucky she'd found Trixie to help her with this! The fizzing, bubbling feeling intensified as she began to shrink. As the change sped up, her legs began to bend and buckle, losing their ability to support her weight. Her body was now glistening moistly and turning translucent. The shrinking unicorn was losing her shape now, turning into a round blob with only her horn retaining its form. Twilight was being jellyfied, and she was loving every moment of it! Very soon, there was nothing but a purple unicorn jelly on the plate, jiggling happily as Trixie picked it up and gave it a jostle. "You're adorably delicious now," Trixie cooed. "Trixie must have a taste!" Twilight-jelly's jiggles increased as the blue mare gave her shiny side a lascivious lick. "Mmm... grape and passion fruit," Trixie crooned. "Now, prepare to be eaten by the Great and Powerful Trixie!" The jellycorn's bubbly eyes closed with bliss as Trixie took a big bite out of her side. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" Twilight sat upright in her bed, cold sweat beading her forehead and her heart pounding. Satisfied that her body was blessedly solid and opaque, she flopped back. "Note to self," she sighed. "Never, ever let Pinkie make jello shots with Zecora's herbs again. Never again." Author's Note Don't ask me what this is about. I wrote it, and I'm pretty "WTF?!" myself. All I can say is that this is directly inspired by this image: http://don-komandorr.deviantart.com/art/Jelly-Sparkle-212998143 Slight Adjustment Is RequiredI sat on my haunches, looking nervously around, while Zecora read the note I'd given her. Her hut was... interesting, with all the masks and talismans and jars full of herbs and stranger things. I had just started a mental list of all the ingredients I could recognize, when she cleared her throat. "It seems that Solar Poppy tea is no longer enough for you. Well then, we'll just try something new," Zecora said. "Ehehehe... I, um, I've been drinking more than you prescribed, and may have built up a tolerance," I admitted, blushing. "It's so good!" She clucked her tongue but smiled. "It's the finest of teas, that is true. But we'll have to find you another brew!" Turning away from me, Zecora began to rummage through her collection of herbs and medicines, muttering in Savannic under her breath. It was probably a mnemonic of some sort, I thought. Or she might just be calling me a dumbass; Celestia knows I deserve that after the mess over my friendship report... "The essence of Worrywort might do the trick; it takes effect very quick," Zecora said, showing me a clay jar full of mottled green leaves. "Sorry, that's out of question. I'm allergic, you see." I'd tried Worrywort back in the college when I had fretted over examinations. It did take away my anxiety, but also turned my coat green and made me giggle madly for days! Zecora put it away and tapped her chin with a hoof. "I've got black lotus and dreamstraw, but those may be against the law..." Coming to a decision, she took a little glass vial and gave it to me. "I suggest some dried frog pills. The taste is foul but they cure many ills." I sighed. "Dried frog pills it is, then. Thanks, Zecora." Author's Note Twilight visits her friendly striped purveyor of psychiatric pharmaceutics & potent potions. This is the only thing I've written where Zecora has a speaking part; her rhyming is too much for me! The dried frog pills, of course, are a "Diskworld" reference. It's About Trixie, This TimeA powerful surge of magic woke Trixie up from pleasant dreams of fame, fortune and a certain purple unicorn in a maid's dress. She opened her eyes and saw a sphere of bright, silvery-blue light hanging in mid-air. It filled her cramped garret with showers of sparks and a wind that made Trixie's mane flutter. She had just enough time to say "What the hay?" before it exploded. When her eyes cleared, Trixie saw... herself, only wearing silver-rimmed spectacles, a slightly singed rune-embroidered cloak of midnight blue, and the most magnificient wizard's hat she'd ever seen, encrusted with jeweled stars, moons and suns and topped by a long silver tassel, currently on fire. "Trixie!" she heard herself say in her best showmare's tone. "I am you from the Future!" "That's impossible!" Trixie blurted. "Nopony can-" "Do not doubt the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she snapped, then looked sheepish. "I learned the spell from Twilight Sparkle. But that's not important! What's important is that you must go back to Ponyville, make up with Twilight, and become her apprentice and marefriend! And don't give me that look, I remember the scrapbook I kept. And the poems." Trixie blanched. "You really... Trixie will... but won't she... can we?" "Yes, yes, nay, and oh yesss," the older Trixie said, grinning broadly. "Now, the fate of Equestria is in question, so listen closely! The riddling zebra is a villain, trust Zecora about him. Discord knows how to open the vault, so you have to convince him to help. Don't let Luna try the Sovereign Rune alone! And most importantly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders mustn't-" There was another flash of magic, and Trixie was gone, leaving Trixie blinking in the sudden darkness. Suddenly, she smiled. Her life was about to get interesting! Author's Note Trixie, time travel, Trixie, and a dash of Twixie. Obviously inspired by "It's About Time" with a bit of "No Time To Explain". The Love Song of B. Macintosh AppleWith apologies to T.S. Eliot Let's go, y'all and me, To Ponyville in the evening, under the sky That the pegasi have cleared away; Let's go, through the pony-crowded streets, Passing the couples by Thinking of restless nights in my upstairs room Lying awake beneath the homespun bedsheets With faint scent of lavender Leading to an overwhelming memory... Oh, don't you ask "What is it?" Let's just go and make our visit. The purple plums in the market, piled high, not from here The ruddy peaches with soft fuzz that tickles my muzzle Licking my lips, just the corners of my mouth, Lingering, watchin' the foreign fruits from all over the place Then Ah fall back, turn my back to them; can't let AJ see. Ah slip around the market place, make a sudden leap, And seeing that she's busy sellin' the apples we love and grow I turn around the corner, and sneak away. In the library the mares come and go Talking of friendship. There's sure gonna be time For the big red pony that slides along the street, Casting glances at the big green tree growing there There's gonna be time, there's gonna be time To prepare my face to meet the faces Ah meet; There's gonna be time to think and read, And time for all the works and days of hooves That kick and drop an apple in your baskets; Time for apples and time for me, And time to change my mind again And lose my courage again and again, Before the day's up and it's too late again. In the library the mares come and go Talking of friendship. There's surely gonna be time To wonder, "Do Ah dare?" and, "Do Ah dare?" Time to turn back and return to the farm, To fix the fence, to not think and clean the barn (They're gonna say: "How he's working himself hard!") My shiny red coat, my green apple mounted on my flank, My yoke plain and modest, but kept nice and polished -- (They're gonna say: "But how silent he always is!") Do Ah dare Disturb the princess? In a minute there'll be time For decisions and revisions that a minute's gonna reverse. For Ah've known them all already, known them all: Have known the silences, the nods, the shyings away, Ah've measured out my life in "Ee-yups" and "Nopes". Ah know my voice dying with a dying fall Beneath the music from a higher sphere So how can Ah presume? And Ah've seen the eyes already, bright and clear -- Her eyes that fix you in a panicked state An' there Ah am flabbergasted, pinned by her horn Pinned by the thought of magic that's plain to all Then how should Ah being To spit out all the little confessions of my days and ways? And how should Ah presume? And Ah've seen her already, seen her there-- Hooves that are laquered and small and neat (Glossy, like finest plums, looking good enough to eat) Is it the rustling of her feathers That fills me with fear? Wings and a horn, that make me feel so bare And how should Ah presume? And how should Ah begin? Should Ah say, Ah've gone at twilight through narrow streets And watched the light that pours from the windows Of a lonely princess in her library, reading at her desk?... Ah should've been a pair of dragon claws Scuttling across the floors of silent trees. Wouldn't it have been worth it, after all, Wouldn't have been worthwhile, After adventures and the dragons and the gem-studded caves, After the villains, after the rescues, after the parties that trail long into the night -- All this, and so much more? -- Ah can't really say what Ah mean. But if chance or magic threw me into the patterns of her life: Wouldn't it have been worth while If she, settling on a pillow or writing a scroll, And turning towards me, should say, "Thank you for your help, Mac; Thank you, Macintosh, I needed you." Nope! Ah'm not some prince, nor was meant to be; Not even a hero, just a common stallion Good to have around, hard workin' too Help the princess, if she needs an easy tool, Obedient, happy to be of use, Silent, polite, and dutiful; Full of high thoughts, but almost mute; At times, indeed, almost unnoticed-- Almost, at times, a Prop. Ah grow weary... Ah grow weary... Gonna wear my fetlocks long and unshorn. Shall Ah taste a plum? Do Ah dare to eat a peach? Ah shall be an Apple, and walk upon the fields. Ah've heard the alicorns singing, each to each. Ah don't reckon they'll sing to me. Nnnope. ... But... Ah've seen her, trotting with her friends Her mane an' tail fluttering and blown back Like a common pony herself, laughing and playing. Ah've lingered too long in the chambers of my heart Maybe Ah'll make an offering, and get to watch Twilight eat a peach, and know that Ah love her. Author's Note Dare I write about Twilight eating a peach? Of course! Starlight Glimmer vs. ERS ScammersIt started when the phone rang. Starlight Glimmer and Trixie looked up from their afternoon tea. Trixie had decided to visit her friend at the School of Friendship, and since Starlight had no scheduled counseling sessions that day, they were now taking a "Friendship Tea". It was the result of one of Twilight's teaching projects, Starlight had explained as she pushed in a trolley with a steaming teapot, some cups that Trixie was highly familiar with, and a broad basket piled high with pastries and delicacies associated by the various more exotic friendship students at the school: griffon scones, seaweed sandwiches, Yakyakistani mushroom jerky, and more. Mouth full of her third scone (with raspberry jam and clotted cream), Trixie watched as Starlight magicked the headset over to her. "Counselor Glimmer, how may I help you?" she asked. A series of expressions passed across Starlight's face -- surprise followed by annoyance, followed by sudden glee that made Trixie sit up straighter. She'd seen Starlight grinning like that before, and it had always meant something interesting was going to happen, although the ponies it was about to happen might have used other words. "Is it one of those annoying tax scammers?" Trixie asked through her scone. Starlight nodded. "Excuse me for a second," she said, muting the microphone. "Trixie, could you please open that cupboard and push the sheet-covered trolley in there over here? And use your hooves instead of magic! It's a delicate set-up." Seething with curiosity, Trixie hurried to do as Starlight had asked, pushing the trolley next to Starlight's desk and the remnants of the Friendship Tea. At a nod from her friend she pulled the simple white dust sheet aside with a dramatic flourish, and looked on what had been beneath. Starlight's mysterious set-up had started its life as a simple speakerphone screwed into a piece of plywood. Around that had grown a complex network of of crystals, silver wire and electronic components that looked like the result of a phone exchange having an one-night fling with a magic circle. Here and there on the plywood base were multicolored annotations in Starlight's hornwriting, along with a number of warning runes in angry red ink around some of the crystal capacitors. "Trixie doesn't even recognize half of these symbols," she said in awed voice. "What are you going to do to that poor scammer?" "You'll see," Starlight said. "Oh, that was nothing, sir. Please, could you explain again the penalties for tax evasion?" She took the headset off and carefully placed it on a stand over the speakerphone, then plugged in a couple of wires. Immediately, an eerie hum rose from the crystals, and the speaker crackled to life. "...ven years in prison, ma'am," it said in a bit tinny but perfectly clear stallion's voice. "Uh-huh," Starlight said, as her horn lit up with magic. "Now, before we continue, Mr... Collector, was it? Legit Collector? Could you please describe your cutie mark to me?" "What? My cutie mark? Ma'am, I don't see-" "Indeed. You'd better take a good look of your flank, because you won't be seeing your mark again," Starlight said, her voice getting a little strained as the coruscating aura around her horn grew brighter and brighter. Then she released it in a brilliant blast aimed at the speakerphone. Trixie's eyes widened as she saw the spell spiral in, flowing through the silver circuitry until every curve and angle was sparkling with turquoise light and the crystals blazed with power. Then there was a series of sharp pops and a tinkling sound, and the light faded, leaving bits of the board smoking and one crystal cracked right through. Before she could ask if the spell had worked, there came from the speaker a scream of absolute, existential terror. "MY CUTIE MARK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MARK! I- I CAN'T- NOOOOOO!" "I would take this as an opportunity to consider a new career, preferably a more harmonious one where you won't be trying to scam innocent ponies in the name of the Equestrian government," Starlight said in her best empathetic counselor's voice, before cutting the terrified yelling with a flip of a switch. "Starlight... what in Tartarus did you do to that poor idiot?" Trixie asked, feeling equally impressed and concerned. "Because as much of a criminal pain in the rump he was, I don't think-" "Oh, don't worry," Starlight interrupted her, managing to look both smug and bashful at the same time. "I just gave him a temporary cutie mark agnosia! For the next half an hour or so, he can't see any cutie marks, including his own. The effect breaks down faster the more ponies there are around him, though, and if there are any with serious destiny potential, it can unravel in seconds. It's a salutary scare, nothing more, I swear!" Trixie smiled in relief. "That's good to hear. I mean, Trixie knows you're reformed, but that did look, and sound, pretty terrifying! But... Uh." Her expression turned concerned. "Does Sparkle know that you've been experimenting with telephone-assisted long-distance mind-affecting sorcery involving cutie marks?" "Um, well. Not exactly, no," Starlight said, looking sheepish. "I did mention to Twilight that I was interested in the thaumaturgical security of telephones, seeing as how they are new and untried technology, and she did agree it was something to look into. But between her duties as the Princess of Friendship and the Headmare of the school, not to mention her own experiments, I thought it would be, um, more convenient for everypony if I just presented her with the final results." Trixie nodded. "That sounds very wise; always better to ask for forgiveness than for permission, when Sparkle's involved. And don't worry, I won't be blabbing to anypony! Though..." She got a thoughtful look on her face. "Can you add me onto the paper you're going to write? It would look good in Trixie's CV!" Author's Note Obviously and consciously inspired by BronyWriter's Hello, This is not a Scammer, I Promise It's an awesome story, and if you haven't read it yet, go do so (if only to give you a better sense of the context). Do not taunt happy fun Starlight Glimmer! On the MoonThere was a stark, clean beauty to the Moon that even the finest astronomers of Equestria scarcely dreamed of. The bare mountains and rocky hills rose to unimaginable heights, their knife-sharp peaks stabbing at the starry black sky. Below, the ink-black shadows reached across the silvery sands, soundlessly stirred by the solar winds, untouched by the hooves of any living thing. The Moon was not a dead world; it was a world that had never succumbed to the messy temptations of life, and the equally messy complications of love. It was pure and cold, alone and proud of that loneliness, looking down at the blue-green jewel of its sister world with arrogant disdain. Let the Earth keep its seas and forests, its clouds and volcanoes, its teeming inhabitants. The Moon did not need any of them. The Moon did not want them! The unicorn astronomers had watched the Moon from afar through their telescopes and drawn maps of its surface, giving fanciful names to the mountains and the craters, and the dark lava fields that gave the Moon the appearance of the Mare in the Moon. One of the largest craters, conveniently located, had been given an especially imaginative name by one of these cartographers: the Mare's Eye. Some observers claimed to have seen a dark speck in its center, almost like the pupil of this cosmic eye, but few agreed with them. Even those who accepted the existence of this dark spot considered it nothing more than a deep chasm, or maybe the shadow of the crater's central mountain. If any of them would have been transported to the Moon, to see the Mare's Eye with their own eyes before they succumbed to the lack of air and bitter cold, their minds would have been changed. There was indeed a mountain, and a chasm before it, but those were merely the background for the dark castle. Vast beyond the comprehension of a pony mind, its pinnacles rose far above any mountain of Earth, while the foundations of its walls and terraces lay deeper than the trenches of Earth's seas. There were towers the size of Equestrian cities, balconies the size of battlefields overlooking bottomless drops, and stairs, wide as highways, that zig-zagged their mountainous way up and down the endless levels of the castle. Yet despite the titanic scale and dark majesty of this obsidian-dark citadel, it was nothing but a nightmarish reflection of another place, a jealous echo of the living castle of a living goddess. Only shadows flitted along the endless corridors and gathered in the empty rooms where a thousand years of moondust had covered the black floors with silvery glitter. Dark flickers of wings glided across the parade grounds and vague pony-shaped forms lurked around the grand gates. In the central tower, where the mistress of this palace of shadows brooded, the darkness grew deeper, becoming almost palpable. Here, voiceless shapes stirred in the dark, and black memories gathered to dance to the tunes of silence in lightless ballrooms. In the libraries of darkness, a thousand grudges given life wrote down the endless dreams and nightmares in black ink on black pages. In the throne room, lit by the Earthlight pouring in through the vast windows, a court of phantasms rustled and murmured in the echoing silence, awaiting the will of their creator to stir and give them purpose and substance. Ignoring her imaginary servants, the Nightmare Moon lay crouched on her throne-like divan, her wings folded and horned head lowered. Exiled to the Moon, trapped between dream and wakefulness, time had no meaning to the dark mare. On one level, the years and centuries of her imprisonment had passed in mere moments; on another, she had dwelled for subjective ages on the slightest insults and injuries from her past, stoking the fires of her bitterness and envy. Whenever she would drift deeper into sleep, her shadow subjects would resume their play, living out scenes of a world of eternal night where only her will mattered and where all things loved and praised her, even as they feared her. Slowly, the Nightmare Moon stirred, and her court of dark dreams retreated into the shadows they had risen from. A green glow flickered in her half-lidded eyes, and her wings twitched, the black feathers fanning out. Something was happening; something was coming. A tremor went through the entire dark castle, as her mind shrugged free of the net of dreams and memories that she had woven for a thousand years. "Celestia..." she whispered into the silence of the Moon, and the walls of the room shook with the sound of her voice. Her time had almost come, she could feel it. The magic that bound her to the Moon was fading fast. "Soon... Soon, dear sister." Author's Note An old, old story about what Nightmare Moon's exile might have been like. The original on my dA included lyrics from Leonard Cohen's First We Take Manhattan, only adapted for Nightmare Moon -- "First, I take Ponyville, then I take Canterlot!" Rainbow Dash Saves PinkieRainbow Dash Saves Pinkie It was a sunny day in Ponyville, and Pinkie Pie was hopping in the park. She was the happiest pony in Ponyville, but she had a secret. "La la la!" she sang. "I have a secret that nopony must know, not even my very best friend Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash was doing totally awesome flying tricks below her cloudhouse. "Hi Pinkie Pie," she shouted when she saw Pinkie going past. "What's up down there?" "Nothing!" Pinkie said. "I'm going home and not doing anything interesting there!" she said and went home. This made Rainbow Dash curious, so she flew after Pinkie and hid herself outside Pinkie's window. She looked in and saw Pinkie looking at somepony's picture and sighing. "It is so sad, but I cannot tell anypony that I love Rainbow Dash!" Dash was so surprised that she forgot to flap her wings and fell down. Pinkie looked out and saw her on the ground, and went "Gasp! My secret is out! I cannot bear the shame!" And she went downstairs, took some cookies and candy and stuff with her, and ran off to the Everfree Forest. She went past Zecora's house and the bushes where the cockatrice was, until she came to an old bridge. But when Pinkie hopped on the bridge, it broke, and she fell into the chasm! But just as she thought she'd hit the ground and die, Dash swooped in and saved her! "I love you, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie said happily. "I love you too, Pinkie," Dash said. And then they kissed. Three excited fillies turned to look at their flanks. There was no sign of a cutie mark on any of them. "I guess we're not destined to be romance writers," Sweetie Belle said in a disappointed voice. Her friends sighed and nodded. Author's Note Do I have to explain about this? I'm poking fun at fics that are shipping for shipping's sake, usually with secret crushes and misunderstandings and all sorts of other soap-operatic dramatics. Using CMC's to do it seemed like a fun idea! Seeds of Downfall"Leave me. I wish to be alone for a moment." Her attendants bowed and backed out. Celestia cast a spell, isolating the room from rest of the pavilion. Almost time, she thought as she looked at the moon through the window. She felt the surge in magic before she saw the shadow vanish from the face of the moon. Sighing, Celestia lowered her eyes. Behind her, in the darkest corner of the room, something was taking shape. "Welcome back, Luna," Celestia said, finally turning to look at the presence. There was little of her sister in that fierce, gaunt form. "Don't call me that!" the dark mare hissed. "That name means nothing to me any more! I am Nightmare Moon!" "As you wish, sister. Will you accept my friendship and rule the night again by my side?" "Never!" Nightmare Moon's voice dripped with hate. Celestia sighed again. "What if I abdicated, leaving you in charge of both day and night as the sole and unquestioned ruler of Equestria?" The green eyes narrowed. "Do you think you can bargain with me, sister? You've grown foolish." A third sigh. "I feared it would come to this, but I had to make the attempt..." The dark mare reared, prepared for an attack that never came. A cruel smile spread on her muzzle. "Do you care so much about these foolish, mortal ponies? Very well... submit, and I won't destroy them out of hoof!" Celestia lowered her head. "As you wish, sister." The darkness washed over her, banishing her into shadows. Nightmare Moon stood alone, surprised at how easy it had been. She had won! Yet... why had Celestia smiled at the last moment? Did she know something? She pushed the niggling thought away. It meant nothing! Now, it was time to greet her new subjects... Author's Note What, exactly, happened between Celestia and Nightmare Moon when she returned from her exile in the Moon? Here's one possibility. Last Will and Testament of Starswirl the BeardedTo Clover, my foremost apprentice. A year and a day have passed without my return from my quest to plumb Time's depths. Therefore I set out my last will here and appoint thee to execute it with thine usual skill and sedulousness. Let no pony say that they have not received from me what they deserve! To my sister Starbright and her family, I bequeath the mundane wealth I have accumulated, save for the portion in the red chest of my strongroom. That is to be left to my servants and apprentices per instructions therein. To my second greatest apprentice Silvertine, I bequeath my tower and the peak upon which it stands, and everything in the tower save for what I mention here. He is to honor my memory by continuing his study of magic and taking on apprentices to teach the arts and sciences of magecraft. To Burnheart the Red, I bequeath the Grand Ruby in my chamber of curiosities, in memory of our youth. May its beauty and magic warm her smoldering heart and taste sweet in her mouth. To thee, Clover, loyal, noble and wise, I bequeath my letter of recommendation to the Unicorn High King, who I warrant is in need of a court mage and a tutor for his bratty daughter. Finally, I foresee that thou art destined for great things. Therefore, I gift thee my workbooks, and my last spell written therein: the Sovereign Charm of Ascending Destiny. It is unfinished by me, for despite all of my power and wisdom I fear I lack some essential understanding. It is my hope that in thy fullest power thou findest a way complete my Great Work, or safeguard it for another pony to come who can so do. Fare thee well. Thy master, Starswirl Barbatus Author's Note A brief look at the origins of the journal and the unfinished destiny spell we saw in "Magical Mystery Cure".
Derpy DeliversDerpy whistled tunelessly as she fluttered across Ponyville, doing her rounds. She had delivered some notes to Lyra and now her thoughts were on music. Most musicians were unicorns of course, but there were instruments for other ponies, too: drums and pipes and mouth organs. Images of fame and cheering crowds dancing in her mind, she swooped down towards the library. The heavy parcel had to be more books for Twilight Sparkle. Neither she nor her dragon friend answered the door when Derpy rang the bell. To be sure, she also knocked and looked in the windows. Nobody there, so she left the books on one of the balconies and carried on, wondering what it would be like to be the Princess' favorite student. Engrossed in her daydream, she almost collided with Cloudkicker, and only a quick and undignified dive saved both ponies from a crash. "Oopsie!" she cried over her shoulder, her bad eye wobbling worse than ever, and hoped that the other mare had heard. Focusing on her job again, Derpy headed across the town to the Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh's birthday was coming up and the stallion was getting letters and gifts from the far-flung Apple family daily. Wouldn't it be cool if she, too, had relatives all over Equestria and in foreign lands? She could write them letters, and someday visit them all! Derpy had read so many books on distant lands, but she'd never traveled far, herself. The last package was addressed to Zecora. Derpy swallowed as she eyed the Everfree Forest, rising dark and forbidding on the horizon. Maybe she could keep it in the post office until the zebra's next town visit? Yeah. That would be prudent. As she flew back, she was already imagining herself braving the dangers of the forest... Author's Note This one was an early attempt at exploring what makes our favorite wall-eyed mailmare tick. Here, I went with the idea that Ditzy / Derpy is a daydreamer, a Walter Mitty type who lives an ordinary life but fantasizes about being someone and something else.
The Morning AfterTrixie woke up to someone poking her in the flank. She opened her eyes, squinting against the morning sunlight pouring in through the door of the garden shed where she'd spent her night. It was a white rabbit, glaring at her rather nastily. "Stop bothering the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she grumbled, shooing the rabbit away with her hoof. It scowled and poked her again, harder. With an annoyed huff, Trixie gathered her magic and pushed the rabbit out before closing the door again. Five more minutes, and then she'd head back to reclaim her possessions... Just as she was about to doze off, the door opened again. "Insolent vermin!" Trixie snarled, preparing to throw the rabbit all the way to Ponyville. Then she saw he wasn't alone, but had brought a yellow pegasus with him. "What the-?!" "eeeeeep!" "Whaddayamean, you slept through the entire Ursa rampage?" Trixie asked through a mouthful of oatmeal. After somehow forcing her to apologize to the rabbit, the pegasus, Fluttershy, had been kind enough to offer her a breakfast. "I'm a deep sleeper," the pegasus said shyly. "It must have been very frightening, although I wish I'd seen Twilight pacifying it. More tea?" Trixie almost spat out her oatmeal. "Y-you know Twilight Sparkle?" "Oh yes. She's one of my closest friends. Not that I have very many of them." An idea began to form in Trixie's head. "Say, Fluttershy..." "You realize Trixie's taking advantage of you, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as she helped the saddlebags, bulging with salvage, onto her friend's back. "She'll go right back to her tricks once she's out of your door." "Um. Maybe? But everypony deserves a little kindness. And when she leaves, she'll remember this, and maybe be nicer in the next town." Fluttershy smiled. "It's worth trying, at least." Author's Note Trixie, Fluttershy, and a little kindness. In case the ending is unclear, Trixie is sending Fluttershy to get her stuff from the town rather than face the locals, and our adorable yellow doormat is happy to help.
Twilight JellyTwilight trembled with anticipation. She had dreamed of this for so long! Climbing on the table, the purple unicorn sat down on the plate. "You ready?" Trixie asked, her voice mocking yet husky with excitement. Twilight nodded, and the blue unicorn grinned. "Then let the Great and Powerful Trixie begin... da Magickz!" Their horns lit up with magic, blue and purple energies mixing in a display as sensuous as it was dazzling. Twilight let out a happy squeal as their combined power flow into her body. She was so lucky she'd found Trixie to help her with this! The fizzing, bubbling feeling intensified as she began to shrink. As the change sped up, her legs began to bend and buckle, losing their ability to support her weight. Her body was now glistening moistly and turning translucent. The shrinking unicorn was losing her shape now, turning into a round blob with only her horn retaining its form. Twilight was being jellyfied, and she was loving every moment of it! Very soon, there was nothing but a purple unicorn jelly on the plate, jiggling happily as Trixie picked it up and gave it a jostle. "You're adorably delicious now," Trixie cooed. "Trixie must have a taste!" Twilight-jelly's jiggles increased as the blue mare gave her shiny side a lascivious lick. "Mmm... grape and passion fruit," Trixie crooned. "Now, prepare to be eaten by the Great and Powerful Trixie!" The jellycorn's bubbly eyes closed with bliss as Trixie took a big bite out of her side. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" Twilight sat upright in her bed, cold sweat beading her forehead and her heart pounding. Satisfied that her body was blessedly solid and opaque, she flopped back. "Note to self," she sighed. "Never, ever let Pinkie make jello shots with Zecora's herbs again. Never again." Author's Note Don't ask me what this is about. I wrote it, and I'm pretty "WTF?!" myself. All I can say is that this is directly inspired by this image: http://don-komandorr.deviantart.com/art/Jelly-Sparkle-212998143
Slight Adjustment Is RequiredI sat on my haunches, looking nervously around, while Zecora read the note I'd given her. Her hut was... interesting, with all the masks and talismans and jars full of herbs and stranger things. I had just started a mental list of all the ingredients I could recognize, when she cleared her throat. "It seems that Solar Poppy tea is no longer enough for you. Well then, we'll just try something new," Zecora said. "Ehehehe... I, um, I've been drinking more than you prescribed, and may have built up a tolerance," I admitted, blushing. "It's so good!" She clucked her tongue but smiled. "It's the finest of teas, that is true. But we'll have to find you another brew!" Turning away from me, Zecora began to rummage through her collection of herbs and medicines, muttering in Savannic under her breath. It was probably a mnemonic of some sort, I thought. Or she might just be calling me a dumbass; Celestia knows I deserve that after the mess over my friendship report... "The essence of Worrywort might do the trick; it takes effect very quick," Zecora said, showing me a clay jar full of mottled green leaves. "Sorry, that's out of question. I'm allergic, you see." I'd tried Worrywort back in the college when I had fretted over examinations. It did take away my anxiety, but also turned my coat green and made me giggle madly for days! Zecora put it away and tapped her chin with a hoof. "I've got black lotus and dreamstraw, but those may be against the law..." Coming to a decision, she took a little glass vial and gave it to me. "I suggest some dried frog pills. The taste is foul but they cure many ills." I sighed. "Dried frog pills it is, then. Thanks, Zecora." Author's Note Twilight visits her friendly striped purveyor of psychiatric pharmaceutics & potent potions. This is the only thing I've written where Zecora has a speaking part; her rhyming is too much for me! The dried frog pills, of course, are a "Diskworld" reference.
It's About Trixie, This TimeA powerful surge of magic woke Trixie up from pleasant dreams of fame, fortune and a certain purple unicorn in a maid's dress. She opened her eyes and saw a sphere of bright, silvery-blue light hanging in mid-air. It filled her cramped garret with showers of sparks and a wind that made Trixie's mane flutter. She had just enough time to say "What the hay?" before it exploded. When her eyes cleared, Trixie saw... herself, only wearing silver-rimmed spectacles, a slightly singed rune-embroidered cloak of midnight blue, and the most magnificient wizard's hat she'd ever seen, encrusted with jeweled stars, moons and suns and topped by a long silver tassel, currently on fire. "Trixie!" she heard herself say in her best showmare's tone. "I am you from the Future!" "That's impossible!" Trixie blurted. "Nopony can-" "Do not doubt the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she snapped, then looked sheepish. "I learned the spell from Twilight Sparkle. But that's not important! What's important is that you must go back to Ponyville, make up with Twilight, and become her apprentice and marefriend! And don't give me that look, I remember the scrapbook I kept. And the poems." Trixie blanched. "You really... Trixie will... but won't she... can we?" "Yes, yes, nay, and oh yesss," the older Trixie said, grinning broadly. "Now, the fate of Equestria is in question, so listen closely! The riddling zebra is a villain, trust Zecora about him. Discord knows how to open the vault, so you have to convince him to help. Don't let Luna try the Sovereign Rune alone! And most importantly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders mustn't-" There was another flash of magic, and Trixie was gone, leaving Trixie blinking in the sudden darkness. Suddenly, she smiled. Her life was about to get interesting! Author's Note Trixie, time travel, Trixie, and a dash of Twixie. Obviously inspired by "It's About Time" with a bit of "No Time To Explain".
The Love Song of B. Macintosh AppleWith apologies to T.S. Eliot Let's go, y'all and me, To Ponyville in the evening, under the sky That the pegasi have cleared away; Let's go, through the pony-crowded streets, Passing the couples by Thinking of restless nights in my upstairs room Lying awake beneath the homespun bedsheets With faint scent of lavender Leading to an overwhelming memory... Oh, don't you ask "What is it?" Let's just go and make our visit. The purple plums in the market, piled high, not from here The ruddy peaches with soft fuzz that tickles my muzzle Licking my lips, just the corners of my mouth, Lingering, watchin' the foreign fruits from all over the place Then Ah fall back, turn my back to them; can't let AJ see. Ah slip around the market place, make a sudden leap, And seeing that she's busy sellin' the apples we love and grow I turn around the corner, and sneak away. In the library the mares come and go Talking of friendship. There's sure gonna be time For the big red pony that slides along the street, Casting glances at the big green tree growing there There's gonna be time, there's gonna be time To prepare my face to meet the faces Ah meet; There's gonna be time to think and read, And time for all the works and days of hooves That kick and drop an apple in your baskets; Time for apples and time for me, And time to change my mind again And lose my courage again and again, Before the day's up and it's too late again. In the library the mares come and go Talking of friendship. There's surely gonna be time To wonder, "Do Ah dare?" and, "Do Ah dare?" Time to turn back and return to the farm, To fix the fence, to not think and clean the barn (They're gonna say: "How he's working himself hard!") My shiny red coat, my green apple mounted on my flank, My yoke plain and modest, but kept nice and polished -- (They're gonna say: "But how silent he always is!") Do Ah dare Disturb the princess? In a minute there'll be time For decisions and revisions that a minute's gonna reverse. For Ah've known them all already, known them all: Have known the silences, the nods, the shyings away, Ah've measured out my life in "Ee-yups" and "Nopes". Ah know my voice dying with a dying fall Beneath the music from a higher sphere So how can Ah presume? And Ah've seen the eyes already, bright and clear -- Her eyes that fix you in a panicked state An' there Ah am flabbergasted, pinned by her horn Pinned by the thought of magic that's plain to all Then how should Ah being To spit out all the little confessions of my days and ways? And how should Ah presume? And Ah've seen her already, seen her there-- Hooves that are laquered and small and neat (Glossy, like finest plums, looking good enough to eat) Is it the rustling of her feathers That fills me with fear? Wings and a horn, that make me feel so bare And how should Ah presume? And how should Ah begin? Should Ah say, Ah've gone at twilight through narrow streets And watched the light that pours from the windows Of a lonely princess in her library, reading at her desk?... Ah should've been a pair of dragon claws Scuttling across the floors of silent trees. Wouldn't it have been worth it, after all, Wouldn't have been worthwhile, After adventures and the dragons and the gem-studded caves, After the villains, after the rescues, after the parties that trail long into the night -- All this, and so much more? -- Ah can't really say what Ah mean. But if chance or magic threw me into the patterns of her life: Wouldn't it have been worth while If she, settling on a pillow or writing a scroll, And turning towards me, should say, "Thank you for your help, Mac; Thank you, Macintosh, I needed you." Nope! Ah'm not some prince, nor was meant to be; Not even a hero, just a common stallion Good to have around, hard workin' too Help the princess, if she needs an easy tool, Obedient, happy to be of use, Silent, polite, and dutiful; Full of high thoughts, but almost mute; At times, indeed, almost unnoticed-- Almost, at times, a Prop. Ah grow weary... Ah grow weary... Gonna wear my fetlocks long and unshorn. Shall Ah taste a plum? Do Ah dare to eat a peach? Ah shall be an Apple, and walk upon the fields. Ah've heard the alicorns singing, each to each. Ah don't reckon they'll sing to me. Nnnope. ... But... Ah've seen her, trotting with her friends Her mane an' tail fluttering and blown back Like a common pony herself, laughing and playing. Ah've lingered too long in the chambers of my heart Maybe Ah'll make an offering, and get to watch Twilight eat a peach, and know that Ah love her. Author's Note Dare I write about Twilight eating a peach? Of course!
Starlight Glimmer vs. ERS ScammersIt started when the phone rang. Starlight Glimmer and Trixie looked up from their afternoon tea. Trixie had decided to visit her friend at the School of Friendship, and since Starlight had no scheduled counseling sessions that day, they were now taking a "Friendship Tea". It was the result of one of Twilight's teaching projects, Starlight had explained as she pushed in a trolley with a steaming teapot, some cups that Trixie was highly familiar with, and a broad basket piled high with pastries and delicacies associated by the various more exotic friendship students at the school: griffon scones, seaweed sandwiches, Yakyakistani mushroom jerky, and more. Mouth full of her third scone (with raspberry jam and clotted cream), Trixie watched as Starlight magicked the headset over to her. "Counselor Glimmer, how may I help you?" she asked. A series of expressions passed across Starlight's face -- surprise followed by annoyance, followed by sudden glee that made Trixie sit up straighter. She'd seen Starlight grinning like that before, and it had always meant something interesting was going to happen, although the ponies it was about to happen might have used other words. "Is it one of those annoying tax scammers?" Trixie asked through her scone. Starlight nodded. "Excuse me for a second," she said, muting the microphone. "Trixie, could you please open that cupboard and push the sheet-covered trolley in there over here? And use your hooves instead of magic! It's a delicate set-up." Seething with curiosity, Trixie hurried to do as Starlight had asked, pushing the trolley next to Starlight's desk and the remnants of the Friendship Tea. At a nod from her friend she pulled the simple white dust sheet aside with a dramatic flourish, and looked on what had been beneath. Starlight's mysterious set-up had started its life as a simple speakerphone screwed into a piece of plywood. Around that had grown a complex network of of crystals, silver wire and electronic components that looked like the result of a phone exchange having an one-night fling with a magic circle. Here and there on the plywood base were multicolored annotations in Starlight's hornwriting, along with a number of warning runes in angry red ink around some of the crystal capacitors. "Trixie doesn't even recognize half of these symbols," she said in awed voice. "What are you going to do to that poor scammer?" "You'll see," Starlight said. "Oh, that was nothing, sir. Please, could you explain again the penalties for tax evasion?" She took the headset off and carefully placed it on a stand over the speakerphone, then plugged in a couple of wires. Immediately, an eerie hum rose from the crystals, and the speaker crackled to life. "...ven years in prison, ma'am," it said in a bit tinny but perfectly clear stallion's voice. "Uh-huh," Starlight said, as her horn lit up with magic. "Now, before we continue, Mr... Collector, was it? Legit Collector? Could you please describe your cutie mark to me?" "What? My cutie mark? Ma'am, I don't see-" "Indeed. You'd better take a good look of your flank, because you won't be seeing your mark again," Starlight said, her voice getting a little strained as the coruscating aura around her horn grew brighter and brighter. Then she released it in a brilliant blast aimed at the speakerphone. Trixie's eyes widened as she saw the spell spiral in, flowing through the silver circuitry until every curve and angle was sparkling with turquoise light and the crystals blazed with power. Then there was a series of sharp pops and a tinkling sound, and the light faded, leaving bits of the board smoking and one crystal cracked right through. Before she could ask if the spell had worked, there came from the speaker a scream of absolute, existential terror. "MY CUTIE MARK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MARK! I- I CAN'T- NOOOOOO!" "I would take this as an opportunity to consider a new career, preferably a more harmonious one where you won't be trying to scam innocent ponies in the name of the Equestrian government," Starlight said in her best empathetic counselor's voice, before cutting the terrified yelling with a flip of a switch. "Starlight... what in Tartarus did you do to that poor idiot?" Trixie asked, feeling equally impressed and concerned. "Because as much of a criminal pain in the rump he was, I don't think-" "Oh, don't worry," Starlight interrupted her, managing to look both smug and bashful at the same time. "I just gave him a temporary cutie mark agnosia! For the next half an hour or so, he can't see any cutie marks, including his own. The effect breaks down faster the more ponies there are around him, though, and if there are any with serious destiny potential, it can unravel in seconds. It's a salutary scare, nothing more, I swear!" Trixie smiled in relief. "That's good to hear. I mean, Trixie knows you're reformed, but that did look, and sound, pretty terrifying! But... Uh." Her expression turned concerned. "Does Sparkle know that you've been experimenting with telephone-assisted long-distance mind-affecting sorcery involving cutie marks?" "Um, well. Not exactly, no," Starlight said, looking sheepish. "I did mention to Twilight that I was interested in the thaumaturgical security of telephones, seeing as how they are new and untried technology, and she did agree it was something to look into. But between her duties as the Princess of Friendship and the Headmare of the school, not to mention her own experiments, I thought it would be, um, more convenient for everypony if I just presented her with the final results." Trixie nodded. "That sounds very wise; always better to ask for forgiveness than for permission, when Sparkle's involved. And don't worry, I won't be blabbing to anypony! Though..." She got a thoughtful look on her face. "Can you add me onto the paper you're going to write? It would look good in Trixie's CV!" Author's Note Obviously and consciously inspired by BronyWriter's Hello, This is not a Scammer, I Promise It's an awesome story, and if you haven't read it yet, go do so (if only to give you a better sense of the context). Do not taunt happy fun Starlight Glimmer!
On the MoonThere was a stark, clean beauty to the Moon that even the finest astronomers of Equestria scarcely dreamed of. The bare mountains and rocky hills rose to unimaginable heights, their knife-sharp peaks stabbing at the starry black sky. Below, the ink-black shadows reached across the silvery sands, soundlessly stirred by the solar winds, untouched by the hooves of any living thing. The Moon was not a dead world; it was a world that had never succumbed to the messy temptations of life, and the equally messy complications of love. It was pure and cold, alone and proud of that loneliness, looking down at the blue-green jewel of its sister world with arrogant disdain. Let the Earth keep its seas and forests, its clouds and volcanoes, its teeming inhabitants. The Moon did not need any of them. The Moon did not want them! The unicorn astronomers had watched the Moon from afar through their telescopes and drawn maps of its surface, giving fanciful names to the mountains and the craters, and the dark lava fields that gave the Moon the appearance of the Mare in the Moon. One of the largest craters, conveniently located, had been given an especially imaginative name by one of these cartographers: the Mare's Eye. Some observers claimed to have seen a dark speck in its center, almost like the pupil of this cosmic eye, but few agreed with them. Even those who accepted the existence of this dark spot considered it nothing more than a deep chasm, or maybe the shadow of the crater's central mountain. If any of them would have been transported to the Moon, to see the Mare's Eye with their own eyes before they succumbed to the lack of air and bitter cold, their minds would have been changed. There was indeed a mountain, and a chasm before it, but those were merely the background for the dark castle. Vast beyond the comprehension of a pony mind, its pinnacles rose far above any mountain of Earth, while the foundations of its walls and terraces lay deeper than the trenches of Earth's seas. There were towers the size of Equestrian cities, balconies the size of battlefields overlooking bottomless drops, and stairs, wide as highways, that zig-zagged their mountainous way up and down the endless levels of the castle. Yet despite the titanic scale and dark majesty of this obsidian-dark citadel, it was nothing but a nightmarish reflection of another place, a jealous echo of the living castle of a living goddess. Only shadows flitted along the endless corridors and gathered in the empty rooms where a thousand years of moondust had covered the black floors with silvery glitter. Dark flickers of wings glided across the parade grounds and vague pony-shaped forms lurked around the grand gates. In the central tower, where the mistress of this palace of shadows brooded, the darkness grew deeper, becoming almost palpable. Here, voiceless shapes stirred in the dark, and black memories gathered to dance to the tunes of silence in lightless ballrooms. In the libraries of darkness, a thousand grudges given life wrote down the endless dreams and nightmares in black ink on black pages. In the throne room, lit by the Earthlight pouring in through the vast windows, a court of phantasms rustled and murmured in the echoing silence, awaiting the will of their creator to stir and give them purpose and substance. Ignoring her imaginary servants, the Nightmare Moon lay crouched on her throne-like divan, her wings folded and horned head lowered. Exiled to the Moon, trapped between dream and wakefulness, time had no meaning to the dark mare. On one level, the years and centuries of her imprisonment had passed in mere moments; on another, she had dwelled for subjective ages on the slightest insults and injuries from her past, stoking the fires of her bitterness and envy. Whenever she would drift deeper into sleep, her shadow subjects would resume their play, living out scenes of a world of eternal night where only her will mattered and where all things loved and praised her, even as they feared her. Slowly, the Nightmare Moon stirred, and her court of dark dreams retreated into the shadows they had risen from. A green glow flickered in her half-lidded eyes, and her wings twitched, the black feathers fanning out. Something was happening; something was coming. A tremor went through the entire dark castle, as her mind shrugged free of the net of dreams and memories that she had woven for a thousand years. "Celestia..." she whispered into the silence of the Moon, and the walls of the room shook with the sound of her voice. Her time had almost come, she could feel it. The magic that bound her to the Moon was fading fast. "Soon... Soon, dear sister." Author's Note An old, old story about what Nightmare Moon's exile might have been like. The original on my dA included lyrics from Leonard Cohen's First We Take Manhattan, only adapted for Nightmare Moon -- "First, I take Ponyville, then I take Canterlot!"
Rainbow Dash Saves PinkieRainbow Dash Saves Pinkie It was a sunny day in Ponyville, and Pinkie Pie was hopping in the park. She was the happiest pony in Ponyville, but she had a secret. "La la la!" she sang. "I have a secret that nopony must know, not even my very best friend Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash was doing totally awesome flying tricks below her cloudhouse. "Hi Pinkie Pie," she shouted when she saw Pinkie going past. "What's up down there?" "Nothing!" Pinkie said. "I'm going home and not doing anything interesting there!" she said and went home. This made Rainbow Dash curious, so she flew after Pinkie and hid herself outside Pinkie's window. She looked in and saw Pinkie looking at somepony's picture and sighing. "It is so sad, but I cannot tell anypony that I love Rainbow Dash!" Dash was so surprised that she forgot to flap her wings and fell down. Pinkie looked out and saw her on the ground, and went "Gasp! My secret is out! I cannot bear the shame!" And she went downstairs, took some cookies and candy and stuff with her, and ran off to the Everfree Forest. She went past Zecora's house and the bushes where the cockatrice was, until she came to an old bridge. But when Pinkie hopped on the bridge, it broke, and she fell into the chasm! But just as she thought she'd hit the ground and die, Dash swooped in and saved her! "I love you, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie said happily. "I love you too, Pinkie," Dash said. And then they kissed. Three excited fillies turned to look at their flanks. There was no sign of a cutie mark on any of them. "I guess we're not destined to be romance writers," Sweetie Belle said in a disappointed voice. Her friends sighed and nodded. Author's Note Do I have to explain about this? I'm poking fun at fics that are shipping for shipping's sake, usually with secret crushes and misunderstandings and all sorts of other soap-operatic dramatics. Using CMC's to do it seemed like a fun idea!
Seeds of Downfall"Leave me. I wish to be alone for a moment." Her attendants bowed and backed out. Celestia cast a spell, isolating the room from rest of the pavilion. Almost time, she thought as she looked at the moon through the window. She felt the surge in magic before she saw the shadow vanish from the face of the moon. Sighing, Celestia lowered her eyes. Behind her, in the darkest corner of the room, something was taking shape. "Welcome back, Luna," Celestia said, finally turning to look at the presence. There was little of her sister in that fierce, gaunt form. "Don't call me that!" the dark mare hissed. "That name means nothing to me any more! I am Nightmare Moon!" "As you wish, sister. Will you accept my friendship and rule the night again by my side?" "Never!" Nightmare Moon's voice dripped with hate. Celestia sighed again. "What if I abdicated, leaving you in charge of both day and night as the sole and unquestioned ruler of Equestria?" The green eyes narrowed. "Do you think you can bargain with me, sister? You've grown foolish." A third sigh. "I feared it would come to this, but I had to make the attempt..." The dark mare reared, prepared for an attack that never came. A cruel smile spread on her muzzle. "Do you care so much about these foolish, mortal ponies? Very well... submit, and I won't destroy them out of hoof!" Celestia lowered her head. "As you wish, sister." The darkness washed over her, banishing her into shadows. Nightmare Moon stood alone, surprised at how easy it had been. She had won! Yet... why had Celestia smiled at the last moment? Did she know something? She pushed the niggling thought away. It meant nothing! Now, it was time to greet her new subjects... Author's Note What, exactly, happened between Celestia and Nightmare Moon when she returned from her exile in the Moon? Here's one possibility.
Last Will and Testament of Starswirl the BeardedTo Clover, my foremost apprentice. A year and a day have passed without my return from my quest to plumb Time's depths. Therefore I set out my last will here and appoint thee to execute it with thine usual skill and sedulousness. Let no pony say that they have not received from me what they deserve! To my sister Starbright and her family, I bequeath the mundane wealth I have accumulated, save for the portion in the red chest of my strongroom. That is to be left to my servants and apprentices per instructions therein. To my second greatest apprentice Silvertine, I bequeath my tower and the peak upon which it stands, and everything in the tower save for what I mention here. He is to honor my memory by continuing his study of magic and taking on apprentices to teach the arts and sciences of magecraft. To Burnheart the Red, I bequeath the Grand Ruby in my chamber of curiosities, in memory of our youth. May its beauty and magic warm her smoldering heart and taste sweet in her mouth. To thee, Clover, loyal, noble and wise, I bequeath my letter of recommendation to the Unicorn High King, who I warrant is in need of a court mage and a tutor for his bratty daughter. Finally, I foresee that thou art destined for great things. Therefore, I gift thee my workbooks, and my last spell written therein: the Sovereign Charm of Ascending Destiny. It is unfinished by me, for despite all of my power and wisdom I fear I lack some essential understanding. It is my hope that in thy fullest power thou findest a way complete my Great Work, or safeguard it for another pony to come who can so do. Fare thee well. Thy master, Starswirl Barbatus Author's Note A brief look at the origins of the journal and the unfinished destiny spell we saw in "Magical Mystery Cure".
