Princess Twilight has seen some strange things in the past few years. She made the best friends a mare could have, she had some amazing adventures, became an alicorn princess, saved the world a few times, and got a palace to call her very own. Yet for all that, the strangest has yet to come.

There are new strangers in Ponyville. That's not too odd, but they're not ponies. They're human! But they're not like any human Twilight saw on the other side of the Mirror. Their magic isn't like anything she's ever seen, either. She'd love to learn more, but there's a problem. These humans could give Fluttershy lessons in keeping out of sight.

Dealing with snooping aliens was not exactly what Twilight had planned to put on top of her royal agenda.

I started writing this back before Season Five. It's not a new idea, not hardly, but no matter how many first contact stories I sifted through, always it was from the alien perspective. The pony perspective would come to the fore only rarely, and usually only with sizable external influences.

This story takes the idea of an alien observation team but is entirely from the locals' standpoint. What do you do when there's an alien science outpost next door?

Humanity is finally reaching out beyond the solar system in search of habitable planets. A disaster aboard the SSC Quasar causes the crew to abandon it, fleeing in the escape ships. Now, after years in stasis, the escape ships crash on an unknown world.

Lieutenant Cassandra Campbell's plans were simple: find the other crashed ships, search for survivors, and try to find a way to get a distress signal back to Earth in hopes of a rescue. Not long after her arrival, one of the consoles in her ship starts flashing ‘Protocol D’ in large, red letters. Now she has to figure out what it means, while trying to cooperate with the local citizens.

****** Extremely long hiatus, possibly permanently. ******

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Editing: Level Dasher : Chapters 1 - 14
Pre-reading/Editing: Admiral Biscuit : Chapter 12 - 14
Pre-reading Busstop : Chapters 10 - 13

(R1) = Updated April 07, 2015. A Slight revision and re-editing of previously posted chapters. See blog for details. (A re-read is not required)

Thank you so very much to all who have helped me with my story.

Old Coverart by xxMarkingxx

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Come down to the Crystal Empire and get your perfect partner today!

*Must be over 18 or accompanied by a legal guardian to qualify for a session. Offer not valid for residences of the Kingdom of Griffonstone.

3/14/24 Still Alive Edition

There's only one pony in Ponyville that the Mane Six have never met. Pinkie Pie has never thrown him a party, Applejack has never sold him a mug of cider, and Twilight has never seen him check out any books. And as far as that unicorn, Lapis Print, is concerned, that's exactly how it should be.

Lapis can't risk them knowing where he lives, what he does for a living, or even what his name is - if he gets his way, the Mane Six won't even know he exists, and nopony in Ponyville will miss him once he's gone.

It should be a piece of cake - after all, it's not like the biggest magical power in Equestria is about making sure everypony looks out for each other, right?

(Rated Teen for language - mental cursing mostly.)

Twilight and Applejack walk through the orchard in the darkness just before dawn, as the rancher describes a strange happening on one of the hills at the edge of her property.

A commission for a benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous, and wondered what conversation might take place under these circumstances. Thanks to you for this story <3
Slight spoilers for the tags: All of them are for one specific part of the tale when he lifts his hat. You'll know what I'm talking about when you hit it.

Edit 3/17/21: Holy shit guys, we didn't think a cowboy would go over so well Uh, I guess if enough people want it I can continue writing this pro bono? Yeah, let me know
Edit 3/19/21: Well hell, after three days, two hundred likes, and staying on the front page for this long, I guess you guys want more of this one. Changing from Completed to Incomplete

Rainbow Dash was never into dresses, make-up, or styling her mane, but it's not like she gets mistaken for being male or anything. At least, not until she wakes up in a world where she's the closest thing to a stallion her friends have seen in months.

A bit RGRE? Mostly for comedy, really.

If you haven't heard of RGRE, the story might actually work a little better, but here's a definition anyway since it was requested: RGRE stands for Reverse Gender Role Equestria. Basically, females are the dominant gender. Causes, consequences, etc. vary from story to story.

What would you do if you've gone where no mare has gone before, and have no idea how to get back?

Rainbow Dash found herself alone in a strange, magicless world governed by entirely different natural laws than Equestria, ruled by a race who thought themselves the only sentient species in the universe...

This story is a sequel to Like Clockwork

It has been approximately three years since Cozy Glow passed into the tender loving care of Paul the human and she has, in spite of these dire circumstances, done quite well for herself. Indeed, it may be fair to say she has thrived, becoming if not a wholly normal teenager then at least a more well-rounded and settled one. She is happy.

By contrast Paul has, if anything, regressed. The man who felt his life had not amounted to much and what little remained would amount to even less has instead thrown himself - in his own way - wholeheartedly into trying to set up Cozy for her own life, with very little thought given to what is left of his own. While she moves forward, he has slipped backwards, and the gulf widens or so Cozy fears.

The situation is untenable, both sides have the best of intentions, and mistakes are made.

Pretty hilariously stupid mistakes.

(Also the only story of mine ever to have been pre-read (in places) beforehand by someone else. How exotic!)

When Twilight and Rainbow Dash are invited on an expedition with Daring Doo, the two are beyond overjoyed. A tomb has been discovered, it's definitive features beyond the comprehension of Ponykind. Who knows what adventure will lay behind it's doors. Fame? Fortune? Death?

Secrets will be uncovered. Revelations will be made. But most of all, the trio will realize that some things... are better left buried.

Will be three chapters in total.

Twilight and her friends know the routine. The Cutie Map summons one or more of them by making their cutie marks glow and flash. They come to the castle to answer the summons then depart to some distant part of Equestria to solve a friendship problem. They've all done it many times before.

But whose cutie mark is that? It's not anypony in Ponyville. Or anypony Twilight's friends have met.

What's a pony to do when one morning their cutie mark starts glowing, and they have no idea why?