The opening of the Empire has also meant the reintroduction of the species who live there. It's been over a thousand years since Equestria has been through this particular migration -- more than enough time to forget how hyper-territorial, angry, unreasoning, and just plain foul these travelers are. But it's finally the right season again, and that means Ponyville is about to get a refresher course in dealing with the second-worst thing to ever come out of the North.

...well, maybe first.

(A stand-alone, no prior-reading-necessary part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group: new members and trope edits are welcome. )

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

This story is a sequel to We're the Same!

Behind the scenes of season 6, the Organization of Reformed Evil Villains (OOREV) has been going strong! The club's been meeting regularly in their new location at President Discord's chaos cottage and they've managed to keep their club a secret still...even if their club discussion does get off topic sometimes...or a lot.

(Of course, Celestia's now very curious about Luna's whereabouts during the evenings she sneaks off, and the sun princess is also worried that Discord's mad at her for some reason because he hasn't been around to prank her lately, but all that's a potential source of fun misunderstandings that we'll tackle later).

So with OOREV going so well Discord decides to add to the fun by decreeing the next meeting has a 'Share the Reform' theme. Everyone must bring a guest who has been villainous in the past! Clearly this is a good idea that could lead to no weird/awkward/unexpected consequences.

Oh, the shenanigans there will be...

Prologue and Second Part take place between S6 finale and S7 premiere.

The year is 3053, the galaxy has been divided into 5 great houses in what is known as the Inner Sphere. These houses have been locked in an eternal struggle for dominance for thousands of years. All of that changed in the year 3050, when invaders from outside of known space began a push towards Terra from Galactic North.

However, in the southern regions of the galaxy, a small Periphery nation known as the Magistracy of Canopus, who's interests are far from galactic conquest, is under attack by the forces of House Liao. Leading their defense is a woman known to those outside of her close circle of friends as "Phoenix." who appeared in the middle of a battle some five years prior.

Titans of Steel and Honor is a MLP/Battletech crossover that's been on my mind for some time.

This is the core story of the Camaraderie-verse.
Reading order:
Camaraderie is Sorcery, Season 1 (Ch. 0:0 - 1:27.4)
Lady of Love
Camaraderie is Sorcery, Season 2 (Ch. 2:0 - 2:27.3)
King in the North
Camaraderie is Sorcery, Season 3 (Ch. 3:0-3:14.3)
The Other Side of the Mirror: Vol. 1
Camaraderie is Sorcery, Season 4 (Ch. 4:0- )

Maps of Equestria
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4

What if Equestria wasn't all sunshine and rainbows? What if the lands were wild, untamed, and ruled by powerful (and corrupt) nobles in the names of distant kings and queens? What if magic belonged not to every unicorn, but only to the privileged (and persecuted) few?

Camaraderie is Sorcery is a dark fantasy retelling of the story of Friendship is Magic. In this Equestria, the land is divided into kingdoms hungrily eyeing each others' lands and resources. This is a world where peasants are born, work, suffer, and die without their overseers shedding a tear. It is a world where bandits and monsters occupy both the wild places and the civilized ones (but in different forms). This is the world where Twilight Sparkle lives. Cant'r Laht, a shining city perched on the edge of a mountain with more nobles and mages than it knows what to do with, has been Twilight's home her whole life. Now, as the one thousandth summer solstice of the Fourth Age approaches, she will leave Cant'r Laht and depart for the tiny hamlet of Ponieville, where five companions await her. These Brave Companions, as the ballads will come to commemorate them, are already bound by destiny, though they do not know it yet. For who would ever imagine that a sorceress, a farmer, a Hunter, a blacksmith, a druidess, and a baker would ever become comrades with the strength to stop the end of the world?

Author's Note: I drew inspiration from several dark or realistic fantasy sources for the world of Camaraderie is Sorcery, but the most influential was the world of Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher novels and CD Projekt RED's video game series of the same name.

Following a Changeling attack that scatters every resident in Ponyville, Applejack holes up in her family home with only Apple Bloom for support. The doors and windows have been boarded shut. A thick fog covers everything in sight. Soon the first visitor comes to her door.

Now the only question is whether they're actually who they say they are.

Edited by spigo.

"Every normal pony must be tempted, at times, to spit on her hooves, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.”

Over brunch, Twilight Sparkle lines out her plans to turn to a life of villainy. For the most part, her friends are all for it.

It makes sense in context, honest.

After a tragic paper cut accident leaves Twilight Sparkle dead and buried, the townsfolk of Ponyville are soon horrified to learn that even death can't put a stop to Twilight's nefarious appetite for knowledge.

Best way to learn, you ask? By eating your brains and gaining your knowledge, of course.

Wait! So Rarity's being impersonated by a changeling? And Twilight too? And... the rest of the Elements of Harmony?

Okay. So what's the big deal again?

UPDATE: labeled as complete. I really can't think of anything else to add to this story. The second chapter will remain as a bonus.

Ever wondered what Sunset does for a job? Mechanic, maybe? Computer analyst, perhaps? How about a waitress at a sushi bar?

Wait... what was that last one?

Silly little thing I came up with after the reveal of the "Sunset Sushi" Mini (which is utterly adorable!}

When Twilight suggests she and Rainbow Dash visit an old crime scene, Rainbow leaps at the opportunity. Murders, mystery, drama, action -- who doesn't love that? It's sure to be a riveting story for the ages.

Sadly for Rainbow Dash, bad puns ensue.