After Planet Aether has been brought to peace and stabilized, Samus Aran doesn't get much rest when she's sent to reconnoiter a nameless planet on the edge of Galactic Federation space. Ostensibly, she was supposed to determine the size of a Space Pirate operation that was mining Phazon on this planet... and mark the place for a quick strike by Federation forces if it came down to it.

But when things become much more complicated beyond what her mission brief had stated, she may find that her fate and those of some unlikely allies may be intertwined. The battle that rages on the ground in a fight for survival and duty may have Samus questioning herself when a new front in an undeclared, nameless war is opened... in her mind.

-This is in no way related to Metroid Equis. No required reading, no relation, nothing. Pretend it does not exist.
-Takes place between Metroid Prime 2 and Metroid Prime 3. Metroid Timeline can be found here.
-Art by Pridark, sourced to her DA. Full picture is there.
-Story assumes very basic knowledge of Metroid universe, but I'll be doing my damndest to make this as accessible as possible.

This story is a sequel to XCOM: Ranger

With the fate of her friends on Earth hanging in the balance, Twilight has to hunt myths to figure out a way to cure Sunset and save Templar Laetitia.

Taking Daring Do as her guide—and accompanied by a ragtag team of griffons, a Skirmisher-turned-breezie, and Rainbow Dash—Twilight must travel across the lands at war with the Storm King, to reach Ancient Fleece, find a lost city, and obtain the legendary sword of King Disc Ovis: The Algae Photis.

Cover art created for this story by the talented: LateCustomer

Before you read: This is a side-story to XCOM: Ranger.

I will provide all possible information needed for those that do not have the time—or inclination—to read the other story to still be able understand this one. It's a LOT of info, however, and I'm not just going to dump it all in one go. The backstory will emerge as the story progresses.

Unhappy that her future as a member of the monarchy is denied by Celestia, Sunset Shimmer escapes through Starswirl's mirror into another world, planning to take it over to prove once and for all she was fit to rule. What she didn't expect—besides a species change—was to arrive in a world already conquered.

TvTropes Page (Just created! Needs Help!)

Art (Will contain spoilers)

Sunset Shimmer - Bloody Sunset

Spoilers Ch. 11+: Angel - Angel and Sunny
Spoilers Ch. 18+: Princess - Comic
Spoilers Ch. 121+: Alejandra Acevedo - Flying at the speed of death
Spoilers Ch. 161+: Apple Bloom - Bloom
Spoilers Ch. 180+: Food - Sunset's Party Dress
Spoilers Ch. 185+: Fugue - Fugue by Rametep
Spoilers Ch. 197+: Exhausted

(Art is always welcome!)

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE STORY: TIMELINE

"It's not easy to be the bad guy. Sometimes you've got to raise towers of iron and magic in a testament to your power. Sometimes you've got to blanket the land in black flame just to uphold idle threats. And sometimes you've got to remind a filly that she is grounded - that's right, I mean you, missy. Don't give me that look, you've got homework to do."
- Excerpt from An Interview With Lord Ironblood.

Forgath Ironblood is a man who values power and might. He spent untold years developing his dark magics, and years more using ice and iron and balefire to claim and rule his domain. But it didn't last; a group of bold and plucky rebels broke into his inner sanctum and unleashed a magic he was unprepared for, a magic that cast him into the void between worlds. At that point, he was no longer their problem and the peasants rejoiced.

The world he fell into, however, was another story. It was a world rich in magic. A world full of innocents. A world he could bend to his will and carve a new domain out of.

He never knew what hit him.

Idea adopted from Whiskylullaby, as seen here, written entirely for the fun of it.

Chapters are dated for the reader's convenience; BNM for "Before Nightmare Moon", and AB for "After Banishment".

Ragar the Ageless has seen many things in his non-life. He has seen fields of cotton candy, the wails of the soon-to-be-dead chanting in chorus. Once he even saw a unicorn. Well, there are a lot of those in Equestria, so maybe that one was less noteworthy. But still, he's seen a lot. Now he wants others to see him in all his glorious evil. The only issue is he's not so good at it.

** EDIT **

Well crap, featured with every chapter. I feel all special and stuff. So let me give you all some love. You're all wonderful people, trees or whatever internet capable folks have been reading.

Dang, look at all those likes. I'm feeling the love. Thank all of you for enjoying my wonderful trip through insane necromancy.

Many Thanks to Locke_Jaw for his wonderful artwork that is my new cover.