Equestria doesn't exist. The mortal races of ponies have yet to devolve from alicorns. Gods battle for the control of this young world, using mortals as their champions. Tirek the Destroyer, a being of evil incarnate, is bent on control, that he may relish in the horror and death of the world's races. Lauren Faust, a god who takes the shape of an alicorn, is forced to accept a game proposed by Tirek to save the planet.

To the leader of a dying human race lost in space, Faust comes with an offer. Megan, that very leader, will become a representative piece for the alicorn in a bid to save her planet, Equis, from Tirek . If Megan is victorious against him and his forces, the humans can settle on the planet, saved from a slow death among the stars.

If Megan fails.... Well, there won't be a planet to live on.

[Takes place 20,000 years prior to the Chess Game of the Gods]

The physical realms are so weird. So, I come here and I have to have a "body", which needs me to put things like oxygen and water inside of it from time to time, only for it to release the same air and water afterwards! This is so crazy. It also seems that trying to "say" my name by "talking" is impossible, so I have decided to call myself Guffaw to save time.

At least this "Discord" guy has been really helpful. He told me about the world I'm in and he even said that I could play the "best game ever". I wonder if I will have to create a new universe by breeding frogs like in that dimension that was soooo fun to watch? What, I have to go to a giant floating island and fight all the other players until I'm the last one alive? That sounds like...

FUN!

[Takes place in the Chess Game of the Gods universe, 20000 years before the current events.]

I have been living on this mountain in exile for over a thousand years. Everyday, I wish for my fellow dragons to stop their relations with the Alicorns, who will bring about the ire of the creators. These equines have denounced the Elder Tongue; a language of Power, Gratitude, and War.

I have had a mate. I have had children. I watched them grow into fine dragons and return to T'Rell-Vadriz; the "Land of Glittering Scales."

Now, I have a chance to right the wrongs of my kin and help them fall in favor with the creators again. And it shall be done, even if I have to become a Piece for a blaspheming Alicorn.

Which would you like first; the insult of the injury?

[Takes place 20,000 years before the current Chess Game of the Gods universe.]

Sometimes, a man really needs to get into fights more often. Unfortunately, circumstances can kill you off.
Meet George MacDonald, a veteran who really needs a drink and a fight; not necessarily in that order.
When you represent the God of War, sometimes you'll get the fight earlier than expected.

I've always loved nature. Loved taking care of animals, hiking through the woods, swimming in the creek behind the house, all of it. 'Course, I can't say I ever expected to become part of it. Well, I did, meaning stuck six feet under as worm food, but definitely not as a living, walking tree man! Now I have to fight just to keep living - or whatever this is called - and protect the forests of this crazy, messed up place from demons, trolls, ogres, and other lovely critters. Not quite what I had in mind when I headed off to college!

[Part of the Chess Game of the God's prequel universe, set 20,000 years before the current universe and the show itself (canon, approved by 7-4)]

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, humans were suddenly all over the freakin' place.

Legends said nothing but horrible things about them, and that the only way to deal with a human was to make them no longer be a human. First contact showed otherwise, and cooler heads prevailed. The newly-organized Transmogrification department was gutted, with most of the agents sent to work elsewhere. Many government employees were organized to help the humans settle in; the best and brightest got to work at the extremely challenging job of calculating multiversal exchange rates so that human cash could be traded in for bits.

Now, for the first time ever, you can see what it's like to work at the Conversion Bureau.
(Don't forget to upvote if you fave!)

This is by far my most popular story, so... thanks, everyone!

OCCASIONALLY, WHEN RELAXING BETWEEN MONSTER TRUCK RALLIES AND ROCKET LAUNCHES, TWILIGHT "SCREW IT" SPARKLE RELAXES WITH A BOOK BY THE WARM FIRELIGHT OF OTHER LESSER BOOKS. LITERALLY, A BOOK, AS ONLY HER OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY CAN SURVIVE THE SCRUTINY OF A GOD AMONG GODS-WHO-SUBSEQUENTLY-BECOME-MEWLING-WHELPS-BEFORE-HER-EYE-SEARING-GLORY.

THIS IS HER STORY.

AS IF YOU'D READ ANY OTHER.

(DUE TO A SURPRISINGLY APPROPRIATE WORDCLOUD, COVER ART NOW EXISTS. YOU MAY REJOICE.)

A game is being played. A dreadful, chaotic foe decided to leave a lasting impression. Now, anything with the power or ability to bridge dimensions is dropping a champion in or around Equestria. In the incomprehensible mess of rules enforced, the first is the clearest - the champion had to once be human.

Of course, even the best laid plans fail. When you rip open pathways between dimensions, stuff you didn't want is going to fall through.

Equestria is barely three years old, and already danger threatens the fragile peace forged between the pony tribes. Monsters stream out of the Forest Ever Free on a daily basis, and now a prophetic dream foretells of even greater chaos that will befall the land.

It's up to Star Swirl the Bearded and his team of manly, heroic, eminently bearded (and strangely familiar!) stallions to brave the dark and murky Forest Ever Free in search of their one hope for salvation. Along the way, they'll learn more about the history of the land they've claimed as their own, not to mention each other. But as their unintended friendships grow, the forest will try its best to drive them apart.

Can they withstand the epic trials before them? Can they save Equestria? Will Star Swirl be known forevermore as the creator of Equestria's first beard-restoring spell? Journey a thousand years into the past and discover Equestria's epicest, beardiest history lesson ever!

Story tagged Dark for increasingly epic violence. Cover art by M. D. Quill! Accepted by The Royal Guard!

An aspiring rationalist gets punted into Equestria - and instead of being turned into a cool griffon, or powerful dragon, or even a standard pony... discovers he is now a milk-cow, part of the herd.

Part of the Chess Game of the Gods crossover.