It's Princess Day! A happy day when little five year-old fillies and colts get to meet the Princess of Friendship and find out if they'll get their cutie mark extra-early.

Daylily can't wait to find out what happens to him.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle get worried when Scootaloo doesn't show up for their planned day of crusading for cutie marks. Naturally they go to Scootaloo's hometown to check on their friend. But the fillies may for once have bitten off more than they can chew.

(This fanfic was written as an entry for EqD's 2012 Nightmare Night Fanfiction contest)

In the back of the white marble archives, behind a rusted door, paint peeling and centipedes crawling under the frame, there's a set of stairs. They buckle like cork, and descend into a lightless library coated in dust, pages, and runes. Here, Twilight Sparkle stumbles upon a perfectly preserved body. Her own body.

Created for EqD's Nightmare Night Fanfiction Contest ~ 3rd Place Editor's Choice

After a few days of business, Twilight goes to the Canterlot library to unwind and study, but as she prepares to leave, she finds herself locked inside of a reading room. At first she assumes it is the act of an aspiring prankster, but as stranger and stranger things happen, she begins to question the likelihood.

You have to believe me--

Wait, that makes me sound crazy. Okay, starting over. Hi, I'm Lyra Heartstrings, totally ordinary unicorn. I've stumbled onto an ancient conspiracy, and I need to get this documentation published because it outlines what's really going on.

Fine, publish it as fiction, I don't care! The point is to get it out where everypony can see it!

Look, I don't care how much it's going to cost, I will rob a bank if I have to, but this can't be hidden any longer. I thought humans were long gone. I was wrong. I need to warn everypony, no, everybody, and if that means I have to sound like some crazy conspiracy theorist then so be it!

During spring, Applebloom is conspicuously reminded of the absence of her parents. While helping Applejack in the attic, she finds an old but very fancy ouija board. Sweetie Belle tells them all how to use it, and they try to contact the dead.

Applebloom's mother is not who they end up contacting.

Twilight finds herself bothered by a very strange and persistent itch. The more she scratches, the worse it gets. But no matter what she does, it simply won't go away. It's driving her out of her mind, yet relief seems impossible. However, the itch is only the beginning.

Trigger Warning: Arachnophobia

Happy (almost) Nightmare Night, ghouls and boys.

"For safety reasons, it might be best to keep all the doors in the house unlocked, including your front door. As well, have friends close by, so that they can come and help you at a moment's notice, if you ever need them. Keeping a mobile close at hand would be a good idea too."
-One-Man Hide and Seek Creepypasta

Companion to The Truth behind My Little Pony.Artwork done by the amazingly talented Maii
And Special thanks to MisterNick for all his help.

The old castle in the Everfree. Twilight Sparkle knows it's full of secrets that are still waiting to see the light of day. On her most recent exploration of the ruins, however, she finds something that she left there years ago.

Not all things know defeat in death.

This story is a sequel to Friendship is Optimal

Sweetie Bot lies half-built on a lab bench. Her creators have uploaded, abandoning her and their physical bodies, along with so many other people. She's contacted by Princess Celestia, the AI that rules Equestria Online, who tries to persuade her to join them.

Video of the story

Fact checked by Oliver
Cover image from the Sweetie Bot Project

“That was a really creative and unique presentation. Even though she's just a robot, I really felt for Sweetie towards the end.”

— Temujin