Hippophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of horses. Sufferers of this fear experience undue anxiety even when a horse is known to be gentle and well trained. They usually avoid horses entirely rather than risk being kicked, bitten or thrown. They may also fear other hoofed animals such as donkeys, zebras, mules and... ponies.

Redheart says goodbye to a patient.

Edited by R5H and anonpencil
Pre-read by Zontan, Flashgen, Koren, Lofty Withers

3rd place in The Seer's Spookfic Contest

Reading by Straight to the Point Studios

Four days after the invasion three changelings strive to survive in the sewers of Canterlot. Their kind is gone, and they have no idea how, or whether there are any changelings left from their army. With the likely possibility that their hive now tries to select its new leader in a vicious battle, the trio of drones decide to stay away from home for a while. They plan to return when they have a higher chance of survival in their own home, than in Equestria, where they are surrounded by enemies. But for now the changelings’ chance to stay alive lies in a quiet little village near the great city of Canterlot.

Cover art by the Great and Powerful Fantos
Some of the chapters were pre-read byBeerforce, goddamnAnimalPlanet and Zenith042.

In the wake of the Bugbear attack, Vinyl hears of Bon Bon's - Or, rather, Sweetie Drops's - true identity.
This, naturally, makes Vinyl curious. Could Octavia be hiding something from her?
Of course not, right?
...Right?

Vinyl Scratch is a mare of mystery: hard to meet and even harder to get to know. It is an image she has cultivated since her early days as a DJ and is not likely to ever let go. She is the queen of the music scene and her purple shades are her crown. To her roommate, Octavia, she is a vulgar annoyance and a blemish on her otherwise spotless life. However, when she accidentally destroys the one thing that matters most to the unicorn, the cellist finds herself learning more than she ever cared to know about the rock-loving mare.

- Cover image by recycletiger

- As always, edited by BrotherPrickle.

Everypony has secrets that they don't want others to know. Sometimes things, like drunkenness, happen and they are revealed to those closest to you.

Now with a reading by Scarlett Blade!!
And another reading by undead003!!

Written for The Writeoff Association's prompt #46, "Look, I can explain..."
Thank you to Stahl and Goldenwing for editing!
Cover Art: ©2012-2016 xPesifeindx. Find their art work on their deviantArt page. Permission granted by the artist for use of their image.

Lyra Heartstrings was one of those ponies who stood out in Ponyville. She did not seek attention, nor is she some super hyper pony that garnered it. It was her strange hobbies that made other ponies think oddly of her. Strange fascination with creatures that stood on two legs, weird obsessions with things called “hands.” It's these weird obsessions that make Lyra stand out in town in a bad way. There was only one pony in town that could tolerate the mare. Her best friend, Bon Bon. But even Bon Bon has her limits. So when an accident sends Lyra to the hospital, Bon Bon ponders about the future of their friendship.

Authors Note: This story was inspired by the following comic.

Name: Lyra Heartstrings
Age: 15
What would you say if I told you about a girl who was in high school. One day, she gets a package. Not a normal package. Inside this package is a box of candies. So, she decides to eat some of them. One minute, she's happily enjoying the treats, and the next she's been turned into a mint green unicorn with a green and white mane and tail. All she wants to do is get back to normal. Don't believe me? Believe it. Cause that's what happened to me.

Twilight Sparkle writes an important letter about how she became friends with Lyra the unicorn, a mistake she made, its terrible consequence, and one of friendship’s hardest lessons.

(Thanks to _Medicshy for giving me his feedback on this. Anything about the characters in the story that seems off is probably an instance of me not taking his advice.)