As an agent of S.M.I.L.E., I've always had one goal: Keep Equestria safe from the dangers that the general populace shouldn't know about. It's something not anypony can do, and that's precisely why I do it. The threats I face are fierce, and I don't always come home with a clear conscience. However, in my heart, I know that what I'm doing is for the greater good.

At least, I thought I did.

"Zecora? As the Mayor of Ponyville, I owe you an apology."

A double entry in the May 2024 Pairings Contest and the Dialogue-Only Contest.

"The first time I came back, I thought it was a miracle. By the fifth or sixth time, I knew it was a curse."

Death is a reasonable fear, but it is also a constant reassurance. A promise that no matter how bad things get, they will one day end.

That promise was broken, leaving Rainbow Dash to pay the cost.

A very last minute entry for the 2024 SciFi Contest III.

Special thanks to ScreamQueen and Rb for prereading and valuable feedback.

General content warning: Some depictions of blood, death, and debilitating injuries, but no graphic descriptions. Some existential horror.

Anon feels like there's no need to get up today. He's been feeling a lot of things actually, and that's why he has been spending most of his time in the library lately.

But today he won't be able to stay put, because at the incredibly important festival they've set up a mystical tent, that even magic itself compels him to visit.

Anon makes prosthetics, but despite the words of others, he isn't happy with them.

Just a little short story I made while working on another fic. Not sure if I'll do more, but if there's enough interest, I have a few ideas for where to go with it.

Edit: This was initially intended to be a short story where it ended after the first chap, but I've since added more at the request of commenters. I plan to continue adding chaps, but I guarantee nothing. Let me know what you think.

This story is a sequel to The Hermit

It has been a couple of months since Sunny and Zipp were stranded in the Everfree Forest. Their encounter with Anon still weighs heavily on Sunny's mind, so it comes as a pleasant surprise when he arrives in Maretime Bay one quiet morning.

However, although he is eager to speak to Sunny and Zipp again, Anon begins seeing more similarities between the past and the present than he is comfortable with. As a result, Sunny, Zipp, Pipp, Izzy, Hitch, and Misty find themselves under a great deal of pressure to do something that Anon doesn't seem too keen on explaining fully.

What is it that has Anon, immortal spouse of the long-deceased Celestia, so anxious? What is he trying to accomplish?

And what is he so desperate to hide from Sunny?

Sunset Shimmer and Twilight find themselves in the company of old enemies.

They whisper and slowly, they're taking matters into their own hands.

This story did not explode! What a relief and/or letdown.

Part of OPERATION CRACKFIC STORM 2024 ( group | stories ).

Thanks to Silk Rose for coming up with the idea, writing chapters 22 and 9, and developing the code; thanks also to Meadowsys for general code help.

Thanks to IrradiatedPirateBooty ( tumblr ) for the awesome character art.

And thanks to everyone in the comments who stuck around for the final countdown!

About 15 years after Twilight takes over as Ruler of Equestria...five immortal alicorn princesses sit around a table in a retirement village and eat cake.

(Okay, maybe Celestia is eating most of the cake.)

Cover art credit

Rated T for a LOT of innuendo/sexual dialog. You have been warned.
Flurry Heart is a teenager in this story.
This is NOT canon to my other princess stories, A mane fit for a princess and Twilight Sparkle orders hayburger delivery

Featured 5/18, 5/19, 5/20/20...
EDIT: Featured at #1 on 5/18/20...! Thanks so much you guys!