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!)

I found her, she was hurt. She says she's not from here, I show her a map and she says she's no where here. I believe her, for starters, she's different. Not like that, in appearance, like for example; wings.

I don't know what to expect, but I think something's finally happening in this hellhole.

A/N: this isn't GildaxDash shipping, no fear, just read the. Fix :3

A/N: This story DOES NOT have Alicorn Twilight in it, I started this when she wasn't op as hell, and personally I think for stories like this, it's just too hard to write a story where your characters best bud is a f*cking princess, so yea. No Alicorn Twilight, I'm personally fine with the new Twilight, but in this story, we're pretending like that never happened lol

There are people who live life and enjoy it's ups and downs;
regardless of how high or how low their journey takes them.

Vasili Anatolyevich Maksimov is not such a person. He has lived an exceptional life in a very short time in every sense of the word. It has been both exceptionally traumatizing and exceptionally rewarding. He rose from the depths of an abusive childhood that has left him in possession of a brilliant, if not deeply broken mind to touch the much valued reward of invention and comradeship. Only to find such treasures ring hollow in his jaded world view as his past is always on the tail of his today filling his life with pain.

Events beyond his understanding have trapped the broken misanthrope to a world so much like his own and tie the disaster he considers his life to those of six mares, each one loyal, kind, generous, honest and full of laughter; whose inherent nature may have the magic needed to mend his damaged self once and for all.
Now with Editors! From Chapter 2 Forward!

Open Author's Letter
Finding Home, Discovering Life is an HiE (Human in Equestira) story, the ponies are Anthropomorphic just to let you know. Despite my description of Vasili "Vas" Maksimov above, you will notice the sad tag has been left out, that's because it is my goal to make this a story about hope and healing triumphing over inner darkness and deep emotional scars; it's also why I left out the tragedy tag. The Sex and Gore tags are there because I want to take the story into adult situations that will deal with everything from Vas's child abuse to an exploration of a budding relationship across species and the very real issues that may arise. Finally, while at this time there is no fate of the world adventure planned for this story yet it still has the Adventure tag, I for one can't think of any greater adventure than discovering a whole new world.

The story is a challenge to myself. An exercise in character development, world building and vocabulary. As always I don't have an editor, but I love feedback positive or negative, so feel free to leave it.

I hope you enjoy "Finding Home, Discovering Life"
P.S. Cover Image is by the very talented SuperSheela over on Deviantart.
Great Buffalo of Mark Ruffalo! Featured day one! Thank you all! Your awesome! I hope I can keep you entertained!

Septimus isn't the luckiest guy. A musician that didn't quite make it in his dream career, he works part time as a sound technician. He's not terribly appreciated, and nobody cared enough to ask after him. The only thing keeping his life together is his nightly Parkour runs, free running his troubles away for a few hours.

But things get a bit interesting when he's visited by a mystery mare he hasn't met before, and can't seem to look at either, all on a Moonlight Promenade.

The day music died so did my career. I can't say I'm mad, but damn, it could have waited till I was prepared to stop making music. Well, I'm not ready to stop. I have to do something to get back on the public's good side. Something...crazy...something... drastic..something... idiotic...something involving a sunglasses wearing, pony DJ.

For the longest time, I'd considered the word "universe" to be accurate when describing mankind's plane of existence. While I was under no delusions about us being the only sentient race in the cosmos, I, like many others, believed that the way our universe worked and the way physics behaved were the only way things could be done; after all, we had never experienced anything else, and everything we knew about the way our universe worked and the laws of reality revolved around our specific set of physical laws.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, as the case may be), we were very wrong about our choice of how to name our reality: "universe" was largely inaccurate, since there appeared to be more than one...and both forces and creatures considered to be of myth and legend existed in another plane of existence, too far away to ever touch until now.

Rated T for adult language, use of alcohol, and implied sexual situations and mild sexual descriptions.

A/N: Obviously, I do not own the image used. Source can be reached by clicking on the button in the bottom right corner.