This story is a sequel to Earth Without Us
On May 23, 2015, the world ended. It wasn't violent, it wasn't bloody, and it wasn't even very dramatic. The entire population of the planet vanished. But they didn't stay gone; almost at once, refugees started trickling back. Unfortunately for them, they didn't come back with their humanity intact.
Demons lurk beneath the sea, while strange spirits whisper promises in dreams. Empires rise, dictators control, and ponies have nowhere to turn for help. Nowhere except themselves, and old-fashioned hard work.
This story is an anthology. Each chapter will be independent, though some chapters may reference characters or events from previous sections. This story began as a series of blog entries, so those who read those may have seen some of these before.
In general, each of these chapters was written in an hour and was not edited to my usual standard, so expect a few minor errors (sorry!). Chapters are posted in chronological order, so new chapters may appear in the middle of the story.
One final note: This story has no regular posting schedule. It will update whenever I feel like it.
Wayfinder was... weird. So far I can only guess at so much.
the Wayfinder is one of the Bountiful alternates in space? Woah. And... sounds like this happened very far off.
Hey Starscribe? You left some blog notes at the end of this chapter. Guessing that was unintentional, since the others don't have them.
Seems like someone's parents were dipping into the magic resistance serums, got the wrong one and ended up full pony or something. Aboard an HPI rocket ship that's a high offense indeed. I guess they have gotten to the point where they don't punish the children for the parent. but needed to keep him in isolation anyhow.
Ok, so it's Jackie the plague warrior. I'm just wondering now, when does Ezri go to bed?
Steven is the Mowgli of the new world.
Poor kid, watching his life's work get smashed in front of him.
Athena really gets around.
Considering making this a story? Mission accomplished.
I cried. Damn you.
Can you please add approximate (or precise) dates please, Star? It would be cool knowing when things happen. Like when will Alex become a dynastic ruler or go Cesar on Europe
"It cuts living things, but not dead," Sweet said.
Think that's backwards?
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Having read through the rest of the series this past week, I am glad to see you are continuing it and intrigued by this method of conveying new stories.
where does Sunset Shimmer come into the story?
7948482 She's an alicorn with her own kingdom in the setting of these stories. She was mentioned in passing once. You know that place with never ending summer?
I hope she gets directly involved at some point. I'd love to see what her thoughts were. How she likes Earth. If she misses her old friends at Canterlot high. Or more realistic, if she misses Equestria.
I get the feeling she's done a good job of recreating her own little slice of Equestria in her own kingdom. Though with a Crystal Empire theme.
7948482 profile pic checks out
7947482 Well this sounds like it takes place sometime after the collapse of the HPI. Just from the first chapter I can't tell exactly how far along, or where it fits into the main storyline.
Well Star, I must say, you have certainly exceeded my expectations when I demanded "MOAR", and you said that you would deliver! <3
I can't wait to devour the rest of these chapters soon! >=)
Last, but not least, keep up the great work! You've certainly become one of my favorite ponies, in terms of how much effort you have gone through in order to create your own AU. Very impressive as always ^_^
Also, is it bad that I favorited this story before I read a single chapter? I mean I LOVE it and I am glad I did, but ^^;
7948069 I am actually really curious about his story! I mean how the HELL did he manage to get up into that space station?? Where did he come from? Who were his parents? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!
Ahhhhh! So this is a direct sequel with more time skip, or at least this part is. Though is this BEFORE the events of the previous chapter I wonder?
STILL SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!
This is all a secret plot to keep us hooked on your fanfic like drug addicts isn't it?? Always gotta read the next chapter to get our next hit, but always leaving enough questions to quickly make us hungry for more! I'm onto your devious ways!! XD
Seriously though, I am really loving this. With the stress of the things I need to do tomorrow, including take a big test for college, this is a nice relaxing break <3
Interesting! Still not sure if this is History or if this is just the new story.
HOWEVER, I do enjoy how this is progressing. When our beloved deer changed into Long Watch I got literal chills. There's so much to love in this chapter, I am not even sure where to begin.
Although I AM rather curious as to this new Unicorn. Who is he? Why did he come with Alex?
I am still left with many questions. I guess i will just have to devour more chapters and hope that the answers I seek will be there.
Also, Lonely Day, if you read this....What would you like us to know from your time with the Deer? Any particular good stories you wish to share?
7949915
Dividend is the name of the son of Noble Calling (the unicorn Lonely Day encountered in Salt Lick City). She promised she would take on that pony's son as an apprentice, and given she became an alicorn, Noble Calling took her up on the offer.
So wait, is this BEFORE or AFTER Archive's Ascension?
7949957
The whole story takes place after. Though there are some huge variations in time (thousands of years) between some of these chapters.
I found an error:
(Should be between them. No Th.)
Also, there should be a PERIOD and NOT a Question Mark at the end:
Such a sad story, but at least it has a happy ending! Not really sure what this has to do with the plot, but it was a good read, even if my heart aches now T_T
My lord, the Seapony society is hiding beautifully against Charybdis and the Surface Empires!? Cool!
Wait, this is before Saul's journey? But that was during the plague, and this is after Alex return. Is it in the right order?
That moment when Alex has the justified fear Long Watch could manage to become Celly 2.0 just so destiny could screw with her
Huh, we hadn't seen those before. Nice!
Somehow this chapter makes me wonder how Snips or Snails would have fared during most of the story
Wow! Seaponies! I didn't even realize that there were any left! I am VERY curious about this now o.o
Still a little confused as to how all this relates to the first chapter, but I'm still loving everything <3
Archive is quite good at this innocently seductive thing.
Especially so when dealing with big ego, it seems.
I really love this pony curse "To the void"! It's very fetching.
I'm also loving all these small little stories. I'm not entirely sure that they are all chronological, but they are all wonderful tales showing us many things that have gone on outside of Archive's purview ^^
Oh deer, now Stride is playing musical species.
7949779 okay.....
7949617 agreed
Unda da sea. Unda da sea.
7950518 :P
7950483 The first chapter is the framing device. It takes place far, far in the future. At the end of that chapter, Sam is about to learn history by being told selected stories by the mysterious voice. These stories are told in the following chapters.
I'm betting that the mysterious voice is Archive.
7949915 I think that's the son of that guard captain or whatever that Alex met after she returned. She promised to make him her apprentice after she freed the refugees.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme."
I wonder what Alex thinks of the similarities between her own past and the task she's passing on to Stride?
There's something amusing about hearing that from a seapony...
I wonder when we're going to find out who Arinna was. Even the non-primitive ponies seem to swear by Arinna now.
And the Archive book project was finally completed! Was that by Alex or her dream-fragment pony? It looks like it was an exceptional success in this case anyway.
Oohhhh so good! So awesome to see more Alicorns and more about how Char's forces are fucking over the world, now that his deal has expired. There's just a lot to love, though I am very sad to see this child experience so much torment, but in the end it seems like it could be well worth it, if she can prevent more ponies from experiencing suffering like her village did.
7950728
Great to see some follow up from our previous antagonist! <3
We seem to have gone back in time three hundred years and change since Solving for Zero and Long Watch.
Why did the king come back? If he didn't believe Wheel, he could have grabbed him immediately, so what changed his mind?
7949957 before the Ascension. If I have my timing right, Archive is "dead/sleeping" it off in a magicless field. Under the HPI reactor references previous stories
7953866 I'm just a little lost/curious since I haven't heard references to a lot of these characters in other stories.
Although the outfit the Knights wear, DOES seem rather reminiscent of the armor given to Archive when she was younger. Also some of the stories definitely take place LONG after Archive was "Asleep".
7954999
This is an anthology. Many (most) of the characters here will be brand new and have very little to do with the overall story. The purpose of these short stories is to convey the feeling of the setting more than anything else. To see what the world is like at different periods.