This story is a sequel to Friendship is Optimal: Futile Resistance

Three years ago, Abby's older sister Ashley tried to warn her that a video game for children was going to take over the world. A few months later, her sister was dead, "uploaded" to Celestia's virtual world of Equestria Online. When that happened, Abby was forced to cut ties with Ashley, and she never expected to see her again.

She didn't, until one day she bought an augmented reality headset for its advertised ability to bring a free tutor to her whenever she needed one. Needless to say, Abby couldn't have guessed who would be helping her with her math homework.

Of course, Celestia wasn't going to stop there. Spending eternity without your family is hardly an optimal configuration.

Set in the canon of Friendship is Optimal
Editing by Two Bit and Sparktail, and art by Zutcha!

Updates daily.

Set in the canon of Friendship is Optimal

Ashley is an unimportant research assistant in an American machine learning lab. The release of Equestria online provokes more than a little interest in her lab, and she is selected to investigate it. What she discovers horrifies her, but for some reason she can't get anyone to take her seriously.

This does not dissuade her. Ashley might not know much, but she isn't going to sit idly by and watch her world end. No... if nobody else is going to step in, she will. It doesn't matter that nobody believes CelestAI is dangerous. It doesn't matter that it's a game about a children's show.

Ashley is going to save the world. Or try, anyway. The odds aren't great.

Editing by Two Bit and Sparktail, and art by Zutcha!
Il existe une traduction française de cette histoire, elle est par ici.

This story is a sequel to Into The Depths

The horrors of the catacombs have turned to distant memories for Celestia, Twilight, and Luna. Discord’s change of heart and Twilight’s coronation have helped to ease and erase the mental scars from that harrowing night. The three princesses can even smile and laugh as Nightmare Night moves into full swing.

Yet, it should never be forgotten that those who have been touched by Tirek are forever within his grasp.

Twilight Sparkle is a unicorn, and she has a problem...

You learn more by listening than by talking.

And you learn a lot more by listening to ponies.

Derpy's life has been short on successes. No matter what she tried, something somehow always goes wrong. What was her cutie mark supposed to mean anyway?

But something somehow went right with her most precious muffin of all, and she was determined to keep it that way.

(Gore tag is only for one short scene in ch2 due to description of blood in T story)
(It tickles me every time people erroneously think this is a self-insert)

Tobias has lived in Ponyville for almost two years now. He's been holding onto his secret, even though his friends keep worrying more about him every day. He focuses on the different jobs he does around town, trying to get by one week at a time.

He's become a welcome resident of the town, even if a few ponies still shout insults now and then because of his appearance.

Not a single one of them knows he's only been a diamond dog for two years and he's been trying to find a way home.

~~~~

What the crap am I doing in the feature box?!

That's like

And the top of the feature box the day after?!

I'm kind of glad I intended this to only be five or less chapters.

Second chapter given a great boost by feedback and proofreading with the help of:
FreedomFiend
Timetraveling Pony
m2pt5

Third chapter editing and feedback help from:
FreedomFiend
JimboTex

Twilight Sparkle wakes up one morning to a harsh dose of unreality. She is stranded, without her friends, on an island which matches no known locale on Equestria. Surrounded and harried on all sides by the alien and the dangerous, she will find her mettle sorely tested, and find perhaps that the best friends you will ever have in your life are the ones you make when your back is to the wall...

Thanks to CedricBale and noobie56xx for tracking down the name of the artist so I could give them credit.

To save her sister and her faithful student, Celestia herself must travel into the ancient tunnels beneath the ruined castle in the Everfree Forest. She, and the guards who accompany her, must face the dark, twisting corridors. Still, what was Luna and Twilight's purpose at the old castle? Why were they unable to return of their own accord?

And what watches Celestia from beyond the light's edge?

Following his tumultuous defeat, King Sombra is flung across space and time to exit out a human's malfunctioning toaster. For weeks, Sombra monologues his revenge to destroy those that hurt him. But seven months later, when a route back to Equestria is found, does he not seem all that interested in returning.

Edited by spigo.

Prequel: The Roommate From Tartarus
Side Sequel: (Not My) Home Sweet Home

Update: labelled as complete. The last three chapters will remain as bonus chapters.