The surface isn't safe anymore.

In the ruined depths of Canterlot, a team of brave salvagers discover six mares, long forgotten but miraculously preserved. Though these mares cannot remember what happened to their world, they possess powerful magic that hasn't been seen for centuries.

Now the Elements of Harmony are thrust headlong into a world beyond recognition. Twilight and her friends must dive into the sunken remains of history to determine what happened, but Equestria isn't the harmonious land it once was. Before they can focus wholly on the past, they may first have to survive the present.

It isn't going to be easy.

Audiobook by Skijarama!
Original Soundtrack by Noc!

Special thanks to Doccular42 for the original concept, and M1ntf4n for editing!

Join the Empty Horizons Discord!

Big thanks to dA artist fantazyme and reader jeffh4 for making this fantastic rendition of Rarity at Mr. Rich's party!

On the fence of whether to read? Check out the Rage Review or hear PaulAsaran's thoughts!

Spike longed for years to have a family of his own. With Twilight's help, he applies for adoption.
Can he succeed in the trials of parenthood?
Can his daughter survive the life of royalty?
Can the royal coffers endure the doting of three zealous aunts?

Set seventy years after the end of Season 3.

Featured on Equestria Daily!
Cover art by EZTP also featured on Equestria Daily! [#3]
Additional supplemental art provided by MelonDraws, spokenmind93, EZTP, EifieChan, Ayemel, and Ninny, with more to come in the future.

Edited by the amazing Shahrazad

*Note*: [Sex] tag added for the use of innuendo and mention of the topic in later chapters. No 'on-screen' content included.

This story's update frequency is incredibly sporadic, but I promise, no matter what happens, no matter how long it takes, this story will reach completion. (Update 12/28/22: YES, I PROMISE I'M STILL WORKING ON IT!)

After realizing her dream of earning her cutie mark—in the company of her best friends, no less—Scootaloo’s life should have been on an upward course. Instead, she sees herself on yet another crusade, one which will lead her to question her friends, her family, and what it means to love, and be loved. — Takes place immediately after "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" (S05E18).

New to the story? Start with the Recap Chapter!

Chapters 1-36 written by jowijo. Chapters 37+ written by myself. Information here.

(Need more? Scrapped chapters)

Editors:
Dreams of Ponies (21-36)
Level Dasher (36)
brokenimage321 (1-23;31)
Eruantalon (21 & 22)
JackRipper (26, 29, 31)

Prereaders:
I Thought I Was Toast (31-37)
TheGreatEater (1-24)
Krack-fic Kai (37)
jowijo (37)

There are 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, and humanity is determined to explore every one. We send probes, probes with the blueprints to reproduce human explorers upon arrival. Uninhabited worlds the galaxy over can be colonized and populated, until after many years they too can join the vast throng of interstellar civilization. But if a probe is very, very lucky, it will land on a populated world instead. Equestria is one such world.

Even so, it's far from perfect for colonization, not with an environment lethal to human life. But each probe is resourceful and armed with the greatest machine intelligence mankind has devised. If placing a human mind into a newly manufactured human body won't work, it will just have to get a little more creative.

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

This story was written at the behest of Canary In The Coal Mine, who is sponsoring it on my Patreon. As usual, cover by Zutcha. Editing by Two Bit and Sparktail.

Fantastic prereading help from: Chyre, Danger Noodle, Doctor Disco, and Doggyshakespeare (who also did the Esperanto translation). Thank you all for helping to make this story more readable and more consistent for everyone.

My sister and I are nothing alike. She's a model, I'm a stunt flyer. She wears fancy clothes, I wear flight suits. She travels the world, strutting down runways and pouting for cameras. I make tornados for a living. Her name is Runway Project. I'm Lightning Dust. Totally different ponies.

So why does everypony have trouble telling us apart?

And what does she mean, she's here to stay?

I saw this character design and absolutely had to write a story about this chick. Cause DAYUM.