When bad things happen, we get past them and move on. But what if the thing that happens is really bad?
Money Shot tells the tale of the time a terrible tragedy befell his marefriend, Lily, and how she overcame a great loss.

A special story written for Hearts and Hooves Day.

Featured on EQD Mar. 23, 2013
Dramatic reading by Obab Scribbler
[img]http://i.imgur.com/fZr5857.png[/img]

This story is a sequel to Avocation

Life in Ponyville has been relatively quiet recently, which is somewhat surprising, given that the town's librarian tried to usurp the Equestrian throne only a few months ago. Aside from the appearance of a grumpy pegasus who set up shop as a cloudsmith, the aftermath is so unnoticeable that most ponies aren't even aware that the incident happened at all. Unfortunately, all that's about to change, thanks to the return of a certain revenge-obsessed showmare....

This is the fourth story in The Petriculture Cycle; reading the first three stories, which begin here, is highly recommended.

The artwork was provided by Page Turner, and the TV Tropes entry can be found here.

Derpy Hooves is secretly a changeling.

Nopony particularly notices, or cares.

(New 9/15/19: Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi! Thank you!)

"I can't wait to tell you about my new school! Jeepers, where do I start? So, first day ---"

So what did happen on that first day?

Babs meets a fellow blank flank and gets her out of a tough spot. Too bad Applejack never gave her the chance to tell Apple Bloom about it.

Featured on Equestria Daily.

For most of Applejack's life, she didn't know what she was. True, she understood who she was well enough.
But ponies don't change shapes, nor do they get strength from love.
Applejack never thought too hard on it... until the events of a certain wedding brought about some harsh realizations.
Now, with Equestria still reeling from the surprise attack, will Applejack manage to come to terms with what she is? Will she even be able to keep her secret safe?
For if the royal guards don't get her first, the conspirators in the shadows just might...

Image provided by Heilos -

Zecora, the zebra shamaness has lived in the Everfree Forest for some time, but has never gone beyond except for the sake of finding roots and herbs for her potions that her woods cannot supply. But upon making friends with young Apple Bloom and later Twilight and her companions, she has taken it upon herself to travel beyond for a time. Stopping at Sweet Apple Acres for a minute to speak with Applejack, she catches the eye of Macintosh. The stallion falls for Zecora at first sight and then does something very poorly thought out to prove himself to her...

After Princess Celestia appoints Twilight Sparkle and her friends to be ambassadors to Earth, they decide to introduce themselves to the humans by appearing in a horse show, but they need someone to get them ready. They call on Megan, the legendary warrior who guarded ponykind in days of yore. Megan has banished or slain countless demons, but can she convince the ponies to hold still long enough for her to braid their manes?

This crosses over with G1, but should be accessible to all.

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Featured in The Royal Guard.

Now with its own TVTropes page!

Editing and fact-checking by Horsegirl123. Additional editing by Portmeirion.

Big thanks to Trinityinyang for the cover art!

Meet Cyr. He's one of the last of his breed: A Changeling Behemoth, living battering rams that are selected and mutated from the worker caste of the Hive. Aged from centuries of labor and service to his Queen, he grows disgusted and weary of the Changeling's plots and malevolent attempts to feed on love, especially after his capture during the Canterlot wedding. Thus begins a new (and possibly more enjoyable) chapter of his existence.

Humanity has grown to control most of the Sol system, and looks to distant stars for further expansion options. When probes discover an uncannily-earthlike planet at a vast distance, the Solar Government takes on a project larger than any before it.

A colony ship, carrying over seven thousand people, the Eclipse is constructed. Thanks to its translight engine, it is capable of making the journey within two decades. The expedition is launched with high hopes, its crew made up of the best and brightest, setting out to prove that the vastness of space was no longer an insurmountable obstacle, that landing on distant worlds full of life was no longer just a pipe dream.

What happens when this colony ship's crew arrives at their destination would forever change humanity's outlook on the rest of the universe, as well as what could be deemed possible. Supernatural beings, energies unexplainable, and most importantly, sapient organisms all populate this mysterious, fertile world. In all of its extensive preparations, is the Eclipse versatile enough to tackle the task assigned to it? Or, more importantly, is its crew?

Featured on Equestria Daily 1/1/2013.

Pre-read by Stringtheory and Milo. Proofread by Erumpet and Demetrius. Thanks! Contains some hard and some soft sci-fi elements.

Luna has had enough of Celestia's games, and has found the perfect means of revenge. Using a long-forbidden spell, she transforms her sister into little more than a small filly, all so she could pull the greatest prank ever. Unfortunately, she soon learns that before you fool around with dangerous magic, you really need to read the fine print...

A sequel can be found here.