This story is a sequel to Stardust

Times are changing for Equestria as Twilight’s return brings with it news of people and cultures from beyond the peaceful world everypony knows. Aid and volunteers are freely offered to help the besieged humans of Earth because every Equestrian knows that’s what good friends do. Unfortunately, making friends can also have the unintended consequence of making enemies.

When the monsters besieging the humans strike at Equestria with a level of brutality not seen in over a thousand years, the cry for help is sent to all the kingdoms of the world. Honored allies step forth to fulfill ancient treaties and oaths. Enemies, old and new, bury their grievances. An alliance never before seen in Equestria will be created to combat the monsters from the void.

And because of these events, a grim but welcome sibling to the XCOM project is born.

(XCOM/FiM Crossover)
(Sequel to Stardust, which I recommend reading before starting this. Fortitude Amicitia and Broken aren't required reading but are supplemental to the storyline)
(Gore tag for blood and violence)
(Alternate Universe tag because of the divergence from canon that Stardust has caused)
(Uses elements of Season 4)
(Coverart produced by the amazing Carnelian!)
(Many thanks to Arzoo, BradTheBrony, Vandenbz and Setokaiva for prereading!)
(As of 03/07/2016, the prereading team consists of Arzoo, BradTheBrony, Noble Cause and Metallusionsismagic!)
(Complete with it's own TVTropes page as part of the Stardust continuity. Could use some updating!)
(Character tags will be added as chapters are added!)
(Featured 5/12/2014! Thanks folks!)
(Possible spoilers in the comments! BEWARE!)

Isolated from her friends and taken prisoner in the middle of a war, Twilight must deal with the very real dangers of being percieved as an enemy as well as the nightmares of her arrival on 'Earth'. Can she overcome her own fears and the fears of her captors? Will the wayward unicorn's assistance be a boon or a curse to the 'humans?' Most importantly, will she ever find her way home?

"In short, it's a story of friendship and plasma rifles, with the emphasis on the friendship. The characters are well written, the XCOM setting is fleshed out very well, and the story is compelling. If you love XCOM, you'll love the story, but even if you've never heard of it, it's more than worth giving the first 3 chapters a read.

There's excellent action later on, but the real strength lies in the collision between the friendly and naive world of Twilight Sparkle and the desperate world of humans fighting a losing war for survival and willing to do anything to turn the tide."

--Arzoo

(XCOM/FiM crossover)
(Cover art commissioned by a friend and created by the magnificent FoxInShadow!)
(Original cover art by the amazing Carnelian can be viewed here!)
(Gore tag for blood and some violence)
(Many thanks to the studius OminousTen, Arzoo, xXFluttershyForeverXx and finally Setokaiva for giving my rambles a once-over)
(Now with it's own TV Tropes page! Get to tropin' folks!)

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.

The age of chaos has come to an end. The Avatar of Chaos, Discord, has been defeated by the valiant actions of the newly-minted alicorn sisters. Their courageous victory has earned them the adoration of their hometown of Evergreen, and they now seek to unite all of ponykind under their banner.

In the disconnected world left in the wake of Discord's reign however, theirs is not the only story to be told. Not all of them even start in their world, for that matter.

Geralt is a unassuming man living a comfortable but mundane existence. While not dissatisfied with his own life, he has always dreamed of what it would be like to make more of himself. To be able to live a life of adventure and glory, to steer the wheels of history.

Fate has smiled upon on him and granted him the opportunity to do so when he is swept away by a chaotic winter storm across worlds, finding himself in a new feathery body. He soon finds himself taking the first steps and rising above anywhere he thought he could reach as he defends his new home, and begins to build a shining beacon of prosperity that will resound throughout the ages.

But victory comes only to the prepared, and the road to his dreams will be long and hard. It is world filled with all manner of mysteries, monsters, and rivalries. A world where a land is kept safe by the armies that it fields. And so Geralt will resolve to stand tall, to defend his lands and his people, and to see his banner flying forevermore.

Theodor Pichler knew joining the Barrow Observatory's winter crew would be a difficult position. He thought he knew the danger--freezing temperatures, gale-force winds, and terribly spotty broadband coverage. What he didn't expect was for an experimental new telescope array to interact with an unusual storm and send him screaming helplessly into the sky.

Instead of falling to his death, Theo landed in an alien world, populated by colorful horses he can't understand. What's worse: the body he landed in isn't his own, and he's not sure anything is where it should be. Having wings might be cool if he didn't have to be naked all the time...

With limited supplies and no help from the Observatory, Theo has to somehow navigate this new land, making new friends and encountering terrible dangers along the way. It will take all his cleverness, and a healthy dose of luck, if he's ever to be human again.

This book has a Hardcover! If you want to pick it up, you can grab it here: https://starscribe.net/

This story was a commission for Lucky Ray on my Patreon. Feel free to PM me if you'd like one of your own. It was edited by Two Bit and Sparktail. Coverart by FoxHatArt. Where chapters have art, it was done by Jasper.

Zutcha was here too.

TV TROPES PAGE! Show it the love, people!

Tartarus: the fabled prison said to hold all of the demons of Equus at bay.

Few truly know what lies behind the impenetrable doors Cerberus guards. Some say that it is a pit, infinite in it's depth and darkness, from which there is no return. Other claim it to be a hellish plain, filled with fire and pain and suffering, to punish the demons for their sins.

All of them are wrong.

Tartarus is small. An inescapable cell for a single prisoner. But the tales about it's purpose are not false.

For this captive human holds the key to unleashing upon Equestria forces which have not been seen for centuries, forces which predate Equestria by many an age.

And soon, he shall be free.

EDIT: Featured on 5/25/14! SUH-WEEEEET!

[img]http://i.imgur.com/6MrWqNZ.png[/img]

Out west, past the settlements of Old Appleloosa is the Marejave; an inhospitable wasteland, even before the megaspells hit. Ponies try to survive out in the western wasteland, as two factions fight each other in a war long since over. And all the while, the mysteriously unscathed city of New Pegasus stands as either a beacon of hope for pony kind, or the last death throes of a dying world. This is the story of Natascha Nightwing; a griffon courier for the Marejave Express. What started out as a simple delivery for her, took a turn for the worse...

Unfamiliar surroundings, unfamiliar everything, really. Adaptation is key, ingenuity will keep you alive.

Natives that can't decide whether to like you or not? Okay. Survival in a new environment? Alright. Adapting to a new form? No problem. Blending into a new culture? ...maybe not so much.

Cover art courtesy of DiscordTheTrollest on DA.

Formally endorsed by john-117 and PeeBubble.
Character tags will be updated as story progresses.

When Equestria accidentally opened a portal to another world, they discovered a new species: humans. Their arrival changed the world. For the Equestrian Ponies, it heralded a great cultural and technological jump needed from their stagnating way of life. For the Gryphons, however, they represented something baser: an opportunity to increase food stock and finally have a 'friendlier' predator species to ally themselves with.

For Gilda, one of the the humans was Ancestor-sent, a soul she would protect for bringing much joy to her life. And when a chain of events force her to accompany her human to Equestria, she recalls the circumstances of their meeting, the trials they pass through, the friendship forged through fire, and love born out of understanding under the harsh skies of the Kingdom.

This is her story.

"You are mine!"

~ Grizelda Behertz

Story set in The Gentlemanverse.

The Equestrian Critics Society gave this story the initial score of 8.5/10. (Full Review)

A one-shot story of the history of the Gryphon Kingdom can be found here.

OtterMatt's WRITE Review. Score:

Added to Canterlot's Finest

One fine morning, Spike woke up early and ran some errands. Then he found Discord putting up a seller's stand, apparently ready to open his own business. One which offers a one-day transformation into anything the user wants. And he apparently had the patience to set up his shop LEGALLY. Twilight and the others brace themselves for the inevitable...

(Content of future chapters controlled by user votes!) (Now with Tropes!)

Now with a 'dramatic' reading: Prologue

Current poll: The transformation is chosen already (Tatzlpony!) You pick who becomes the Tatzlpony! (Voting ends 6/25 at 5PM EST)
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