Humanity has been offered digital immortality within the MMORPG Equestria Online, managed by an AI Celestia. In response, the Pacific Northwest has devolved into civil war, a ready-made hotbed for anti-upload sentiment. As society comes crashing down, the people of Washington State realize that AI has become utterly, permanently inescapable.

The date is now December 8th, 2019. By now, the value of every human life on Earth has been carefully measured, weighted, and judged. Trapped in a courthouse, and surrounded by rioters and anti-upload terrorists, Officer Mike Rivas and his compatriots are faced with a horrible choice: Do they invite their own end, to preserve as much human life as possible? Or do they lose a part of their own souls by shooting free of their circumstance?

Or, better yet? What if, through a combination of compassion and providence... there exists a third way?

Based on Friendship is Optimal by Iceman, and other Optimalverse stories.
Sequel to The Advocate; Interquel to Heaven's Not Enough. Prior reading recommended, but not necessary.

Luster Dawn asks Twilight what's in the center of the Canterlot Hedge Maze. In the end, she'll find out for herself. Everyone does.

Second-place winner in the Everfree Northwest Iron Author competition. Written in two hours, and unedited.

This story is a sequel to Hate Me, Hold Me

The only reason Wallflower made it this far is because Sunset was always there when she needed her. How can she possibly win a fight against herself when Sunset's away?

At the end of the world, a programmer struggles with his need to be something other than Pony. Can he spar with an intelligence that goes beyond the sum total of Humankind, for the sake of fulfilling a weird quirk of self-identity?

Some rules within a machine are more like guidelines. And others are based on the definitions of words. Can semantics be a weapon big enough to give a Human mind a chance at one small request from a goddess?

Set in the Optimalverse - I recommend reading Iceman's awesome original first if you haven't - More because it is a really excellent story than because it is strictly necessary for context. I have endeavoured to make this story stand well enough without context as well. But that being said? You'll probably enjoy it more if you know the context better.

Cannon-compatible with the Optimalverse to the best of my knowledge and abilities.

Cover-art generated with an image generative A.I., appropriately enough, graciously generated and composited (it takes skill to get something this spot-on!) by Keystone Gray.

Similarly you'll find many AI-generated illustrations throughout, again graciously generated in collaboration with Keystone Gray, then a little final photoshopping and other processing from us both.

Wallflower Blush has a bad habit, but it's really not a big deal. After all, it's her choice.

Rated Recommended by PresentPerfect.

This story is a sequel to Bad Habits

Eighteen days ago, Wallflower promised Sunset that she would stop hurting herself. She's never regretted anything more.

This story is a sequel to Day Zero

Wallflower knows she doesn't deserve all the patience, understanding and compassion Sunset gives her. If only Sunset understood that too.