After reconciling with Rainbow Dash and feeling bad about how she treated Fluttershy when they first met, Gilda invites Fluttershy to attend a massively popular Griffin holiday to apologize. This holiday is the only thing, besides the Idol of Boreas, that brings Griffins together. What Gilda forgets to tell Fluttershy is the name of the Holiday.

A story I came up with after three days of no sleep and four cans of Monster while listening to my Weird Al playlist. Enjoy my insanity.

As far as Goldengrape and Greta were concerned, all they did last night was meet in a diner, chat for a bit, then walk to the nearby carriage bus stop.

But somebody out there really wants everyone to believe that they also murdered someone.

Judge's pick in the May 2023 Pairing Contest.

First featured by 5/28/2023.

Captain Galen and his for-hire crew were well known for taking odd and dangerous jobs. Be it mapping dangerous areas to taking emergency distress calls, the crew had seen it all. After a solid two weeks of back to back work, the crew looked forward to dropping off a captured criminal and getting some rest. An urgent request interrupts their plans however, and they are tasked with kidnapping a Princess to keep her out of murderous claws.

But all is not what it seems, and before the dust settles relationships will be forged and tested as the foundations of kingdoms are shaken to their roots. What started as a odd yet straightforward two-week job now has no end in sight, and there are no safe harbors from the storms of war that loom on the horizon.

Highly recommended reading for continuity hints and therefore spoilers for (Gallus and Silverstream Adventure): Stream of Silver, Heart of Gold & Prison of Ice with Silver Keys
(In the description of the first chapter, the key points will be summarized for those who don't wish to read the other stories)

Other Spoilers: Seasons 1-8, MLP Movie, the comic 'The Stormy Road To Canterlot' (And others), and chapter book 'Beyond Equestria: Fluttershy Balances the Scales
Tag Info: Violence/Death/Gore tags for plenty of fight scenes both large and small.

This story is a sequel to We don't go to Sub-Level Five

With the nightmares of the Silos behind them, Astral and Sassi begin to adapt to a world that lacks any understanding of the horrors now buried underneath glass and stone. The only creature in their life who can serve as a confidant is Arcane. However, the chaos-unicorn is busy learning to adapt to a world and society now alien to him. But they have each other, and their lives start to settle into a form of pleasant normality.

As life in Equestria and the Gryphon Empire continues on, Twilight and Tanzil are forced to confront troubles both within and outside their borders. Sometimes peace is but a thin, false veneer over chaos, and the two rulers quickly discover that their budding relationship may be the least of their troubles.

When a familiar horror emerges from the shadows, Astral, Sassi, and Arcane are forced to confront a terrorthat looms not only to engulf their new home, but all of Equestria and beyond. With their nightmares no longer confined to their minds, the three ponies desperately try to save who they can from the oncoming storm. When faced with some threats, all you can do is run and pray that it doesn't find you.

But for the two Thestrals, a unicorn, and their friends, they're sick of running. And they've got lots, and lots of ammunition.

Spoilers for We Don't Go to Sub-Level Five, Timeless, Sunspots, and Cure for a Toxin

Gallus is really bad at buckball. Like, really bad. Which wouldn't be an issue if it weren't for the fact that the other team also has a male griffon on it. Which is making this 'friendly game' feel more like a life-and-death competition.

Maybe Ocellus can help him figure out what's going on.

Preread by the wonderful TheManFromAnotherTime!

Tomorrow, it should've been summer. Instead, it's winter. Everything he knew was gone. Everything he was was gone. So... what now?

Happens in the Ponies After People universe.

А здесь можно найти перевод на русский.

READ THIS INSTEAD

Has been republished ((again)) so I can submit other stories without waiting for the dreaded approval waiting time. Or I'm delusional, and that's not a thing. I was not. It really does work like that.

If you want to know why it was originally taken down, read the blog. ((Also my profile's comments. This shit is cringe))

244 likes 17 dislikes before the shameful snap I made ratings visible again 'cause ppl are still reading this for some reason.

New story of similar theme coming soon, so hold 'yer horses. But this time without the cringe. Hopefully.

Takes place in an alternate universe where princess Platinum, commander Hurricane and chancellor Puddinghead begrudgingly works together in threat of annihilation by the windigos to form Equestria without their advisor's intervention. However, not everything is sunshine and rainbows, as the desperate union continues to be plagued by ethnic strife between the three tribes, and constant border raids/skirmishes from their new neighbours begin to breed a culture of mistrust and paranoia.

One such raiders were the 'savage' eastern griffons; whose origins were hidden by the impassable eastern mountain ranges which cut the Equus continent into two. Wild tales and speculations came out of the mysterious eastern lands, as even the coasts were lined with mountains; seemingly to protect its vast riches from outsiders. Little did they know, the eastern lands did not hold vast riches nor fertile lands, but was a chaotic and violent collection of warlords, counties, dukedoms and kingdoms; all fighting for so long to the point that their original casus belli had been lost or forgotten due to time.

There was no creature in Equestria who could stabilise the isolated region; many griffons having fallen attempting to unite the vast lands. Luckily, the next ones wouldn't be Equestrian. (Yeah, you know where this is going)

Enter Bismarck and Mauser; the former having been forced into retirement by the boisterous Kaiser Wilhelm II, and the latter continuing to refine his rifle designs, and eventually witnessing his Gewehr 98 becoming the standard issued German rifle. The latter was a realist and an extremely gifted statesman; whilst the former was an inventor whose name would label the infamous "Mauser" small-arms company.

Can they unite the fractured eastern lands? Can they create a unifying identity to rally the apethtic citizenry? Can they fix the agricultural and economic strife? Can they turn their divided lands into a unified superpower? Of course they can.

* Erwin Rommel (Griffon)
* Winston Churchill (Changeling)
* Franklin D Roosevelt (Changeling)
* Queen Victoria (Changeling)

Disclaimer: First time writing. Writing on a phone. Harsh criticism is fine, just don't be unreasonable. Historical accuracy is thrown out the window to fit the narrative. Realism is also thrown out the window (goodbye immersion). Totally not a Gary Stu story with all the modern weapons (pretty much just a 'civilised' vs 'uncivilised' situation). The pony civilisation is not a fairy tale utopia. Lots of death. Research_all and add_equipment are used liberally. Victoria 2 (and hopefully soon Victoria 3) are referenced frequently (mostly in comments).

Cover art link: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Otto_von_Bismarck_by_N.Repik.jpg
(The image is free to use, and requires no permission nor request to use) (If you're a dum-dum and asking if I made the cover art, "ofc I didn't make the covert art.")

Featured 06/27/21 ("The world must've gone terribly wrong for something like this to happen...")

When news about a new restaurant that serves meat opens up in Ponyville, there's a bit of mixed reception. On one side, you have creatures like the students and other visitors to Ponyville that'll be happy to have some food like chicken and fish to eat again. On the other side, there are the ponies who aren't fond of having animals being eaten.

For the Sixth Annual Equestria at War Writing Contest...
and an Express Ticket to Horse Hell.

The year is 1023.

The world burns. Harmony has been forgotten in the fires of war. Guns, tanks, planes... technology outpaces magic and cruelties hitherto unknown are daily occurrences. One of them is Chiropterra, the last remnant of Nightmare Moon's rebellion. A thousand years ago, her loyalists fled across the sea to Zebrica, and their offspring have built a millennia-long legacy on fear and suffering. The beleaguered Hippogriffs of Aris have been pushed back to their home islands, as they were decades ago under the Storm King.

But no longer. Equestria and the Crystal Empire have withstood the invasion of Queen Chrysalis at great cost. They have rebuilt, and now the Princesses turn their eyes to their last mistake. Across the ocean, the Griffonian Empire, reforged and reformed, sees an opportunity to thaw relations between three species.

The greatest expeditionary force ever assembled, bearing weaponry never used before in war, descends upon north Zebrica to end the long night of terror. Two of the leaders find themselves at one of the first landings: Flurry Heart, the Crystal Princess and heir apparent to the Crystalline Throne, and Grover VI, the constitutional Kaiser of the Griffonian Empire. They are barely adults, and this is their first war.

Everyone wishes they took it seriously.

From the moment the shield and lightning bolt appeared on his flanks, Flash Sentry knew it was his destiny to join the Royal Guard, but that wasn't always his dream.

Flash is on a much-needed vacation, and has taken his first trip back to Cloudsdale in years. With old friends there to greet him, it almost feels like his previous life was waiting for him to show up and resume it, and the memories as he retraces his adolescent hoofsteps are overwhelming.

A lot of things haven't changed. But he has. He isn't the foal glued to his guitar with stars in his eyes anymore. He's found his purpose. He's moved on.

But is that entirely a good thing?

An entry in the Flash Sentry contest.
A standalone entry in the Eventide Verse.
Also check out author Patreon, Ko-Fi and commissions.