Out of sight and out of mind, a dark figure contemplates the past and the impending future.

Side story and minor prequel to The Lost Element

Written in a burst of inspiration

Available in paperback.

THIS STORY IS BEING REWRITTEN. THEREFORE IT IS NOT COMPLETE.

My name is Seth Rogers. I'm a simple college student trying to get a degree so I can land a good job. However all of that goes out the metaphorical door when I encounter a strange man adorned in half-plate armor. Before I know it, I'm in an unknown land filled with ridiculous looking ponies colored every shade of the rainbow. Or all of them, in one case.
...
I want them to stay as far away from me as physically possible.

This is a Human in Equestria story with shounen elements. The twist is this: the main character, a bitter and troubled young man who doesn't believe in kindness or friendship, experiences the very same lessons that we have in the process of watching this incredible show. Can the ponies we all know and love help Seth become a better person?

Another thing that I must point out is that the show does not exist in the human world. Stay tuned, as character development is the goal of the whole story.

Book I: The New World: Chapters 1-7
Book II: The Meaning of Friendship: Chapters 8-19
Book III: To Canterlot: Chapters 20-33
Book IV: The Royal Wedding: Chapters 34-57
Book V: Forgotten Memories: Chapters 58-86
Book VI: The Return of the Crystal Empire: Chapters 87-End

There is now a Sequel: A Wilting Flower

Cover Art by https://chapaevv.deviantart.com/
Illustrations by icecapers
Edited by Castwing, Schadenponi, Brave-Hooves, Insidiaphilia, scaredofbs, ScootalooFTW, and Vayne Hellslinger

Feel free to come join us and keep up to date on all story news at https://discord.gg/YzuSAEC

After escaping the Changeling gladiator arena at the cost of a friend's life, Equestria's lone human is attacked and befriended by Twilight Sparkle. This begins a long, strange, and confusing adventure to return home, and discover why he even arrived.

Complete, and edited twice... but If you see something I missed, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd leave a comment.

Cover art made in Blender.

You've watched every episode at least twice. You make regular pilgrimages to Hot Topic for pony stuff. You post regularly on MLP fanfiction sites. And you have a crush on Fluttershy.

In short, you could not be more of a brony if you tried.

So what happens when the Mane 6 suddenly materialize in your bedroom...and they're not very happy to see you?

Special thanks to Espeon_in_the_morning, RDTwin, The Lost One, JarheadHME, and TinkerStrike, for pre-reading and editing!

EDIT: By Steinbeck's mustache, this fic has been featured!

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!)