Tirek. Discord. The Changelings.

The ponies have faced all these threats, and triumphed, but things could have been handled better. Princess Celestia knows this better than most. She knows that to face threats even greater than Tirek, greater than Discord, the ponies need allies. They need friends to turn to when the chips are down and the mad gods and cruel tyrants are on the horizon

She and Princess Twilight Sparkle travel to the Griffon Kingdom to meet the Griffon King. They seek to negotiate a formal treaty, something more than a rudimentary "You stay in your yard, we'll stay in ours." If the Changelings invade, or Tirek is once more a threat, it will not only be the ponies standing against them, but the griffons as well. It's only logical, after all. The griffons and the ponies share a border. They share ideas. They share refugees and concepts and cultures. And there haven’t been any major hostilities since the Pony-Griffon War. That was almost a thousand years ago.

It is logical to enter an alliance, but politics aren’t always about logic. Sometimes they are about past crimes, mistakes, and tragedies. Sometimes, past grudges simply can't be let go.

(Rated Dark and Teen for some disturbing content, though nothing too heavy or overt)

Coverart from Pie on furAffinity

In the magical land of Equestria, two alicorn sisters raise the Sun and the Moon every day to give the world a night and day cycle, basic for the survival of life. There are also two alicorns who rule over two very core aspects of life and harmony itself. Those are Love and Friendship. While not as ancient as the two sisters, all princesses are essential to the world's balance.
This balance is also sustained by the hard-working ponies, who make the seasons change and manage the weather to fit their needs, so everypony has enough food and water, and every animal is also attended to assure that any of them are caught in the changes of seasons.

But what about the planet itself? What about Mother Nature?
This is the question that Gaia asks when she arrives to this foreign world. After so much work her son persuaded her to take a long vacation in Equestria, saying that she needed one and assuring her that he would be in charge now, and she must take a break. But what can a several billion-year old alicorn possibly do to pass her time in this land?

(SimEarth/MLP Crossover)
(Timelife of Gaia's life 'till the start of the story)

After the Battle of the Bands fiasco, Adagio has to live with the shame of losing all of the sirens' powers.

The problem is... she's not sure that she can.

Edited by Cerulean Voice!

Cover art by WX42, used with permission!

Added to Twilight's Library on 12/22/2014

No one's important. No one's special. Except for the princesses.

Blueblood's always known this. He's always accepted this. He'll never be special. He'll never do anything important.

But now he has to. There's too much at stake.

He knows he'll fail, but he has to try. Because...

Princess Celestia writes a report to her teacher on what she has learned about mortality.

On EQD Sept. 7, 2012.
Hungarian translation by Shidotoku
Spanish translation by SPANIARD KIWI

Charis is an earth pony philosopher with no cutie mark who has a desire to see the world through a perspective other than her own. She keeps pestering Discord to become his student, much to Discord's annoyance. Every day she asks, and every day, he says "no."

Until one day, he changes his mind and takes on a magic-less earth pony as his protege. Now that he has relented, the draconequus is delighted with his student, realising something has been missing in his life.

Discord, now reformed, now has the Princesses watching him, waiting for him to corrupt the innocent earth pony filly.

Eventually, he does something far worse.

Edit: Featured! 6/11/14

Ever wondered why you never see Scootaloo around her parents? The reason is quite simple, really. It's because she's scared.

Really scared.

Author's Note:
I am a bad person.
I should really stop publishing everything that I write.
Also, here is an obligatory warning that pretty much spoils most of the story. Read it at your own peril: NOT FOALCON.

(Image source and story inspiration.)

Twilight was supposed to gather the Elements of Harmony the way Princess Celestia planned it: meet the embodiments of the Elements while running errands in Ponyville, team up with them, discover the meaning of friendship, and then defeat Nightmare Moon. It was all so simple.

Too bad she really underestimated Twilight's ability to screw things up.

Additional Character Tags: Octavia, Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia, Shining Armor, Princess Cadance

Edited by WorkbenchManiac: chapter 7-25, 27 onwards
Edited by docontra: chapter 26 onwards

Derpy just wants to bring ponies their mail. She's not trying to save the world.

It's funny how things work out sometimes.

My "More Most Dangerous Game" entry (7th place). Thanks to Axis of Rotation and AugieDog for editing. Drawing of Derpy is by Celebi-Yoshi. Wasteland by lindbalk. Reviews by InquisitorM, Titanium Dragon, Burraku_Pansa, and Pen Stroke.

Being subtle isn't Rainbow Dash's strong suit. At all. So when Applejack asks her point blank what she thinks of Rarity, she doesn't hold back.

Not her best idea.

Pre-Read by: SapphireColors | LoneUnicornWriter

Reading by LandonWho