Princess Luna still feels alone, nineteen years after her return to Equestria . But when she finds a friend in an online game, everything seems better. She can be herself without worrying about what others think, and she can finally talk to another pony, even if he never knows who she really is.

Celestia is worried about her sister, especially right now. Upcoming peace talks with a powerful new nation mean that all the Princesses need to be completely ready. With her Luna so absorbed in a fantasy world, she wonders how she'll make it through the harrowing weeks to come.

Button Mash feels like a failure. He's still living at home, he still can't find work that can use his degree from the university, and he still feels alone. His friends are getting married, starting families, and thriving in their careers. On the plus side, he plays games regularly, and his best friend is a mare, even if she doesn't know his name. He hopes that his upcoming vacation to Canterlot might help his mindset.

But, unbeknownst to all of them, a sinister web within a dark plot threatens to ensnare Equestria... And Luna may be the only one able to stop it.

She may face it alone, or maybe she'll have some help from her knight in faded armor...

Cover art credit to yamashta. Link here.

Preread by -TGM- and Goldenwing

Edited by m1ntf4n, PheonixStarr, Wing, and the_Doc, and Swan Song, and Orion Caelum.

Follows canon up to about season 4 or so. I'm not sure when everything went off the rails, but it was originally as true as possible when initially written.

Link to the Discord chat HERE!

For years, Sweetie Belle has secretly been turning to video games for relief from her insecurities. Now a talented member of an elite team of gamers from around the world, she has come to rely on her new friends for companionship and support as she bears the rising pressures of her coming-of-age.

But when a sudden gaming cutie mark reveals her secret to everyone she knows, she's forced to contend with her uncertainties over what it means for her future, along with a fresh wave of bullying at school, jealousy from her childhood friends, and mounting expectations from her family.

As she takes her first unsteady steps into adulthood, she may learn she's not the only one hiding a secret, and that her journey to self-discovery isn't one she walks alone.

A story about how kids raised in the age of the Internet have come to rely on online communities to escape from society's expectations for them and achieve the best, most authentic versions of themselves.

You know, there is a story out there that would surprise most ponies. Not only is it older than life as we know it, but only one pony in all of Equestria knows it. It’s no story about some great evil beast, or a civilization that disappeared into nothing, though it involves both of those things. No, this is the story about the mystical Scarlet Fisher, or, more commonly known, Stargazer.

War is a rare occurrence in Equestria, but after over a century of peace, it has come again. To defend their home, ponies have answered the call to arms from far and wide. For one young pony, that decision may have come a little too easily. Will the weight of war prove too much for her, or will her new found comrades be the foundation she needs?

***

Originally created alongside this image.

I wish I had posted this earlier, but here is an incomplete visual list of the characters of The Line. For the characters not listed here, please consult the cover image.
You can also find a depiction of the standard armor suit here.

Sky Rhythm is a small pegasus pony living on the outskirts of Canterlot. Her family isn't like the rest, and nor is she. She is around 10 years of age and still doesn't know how to fly but that isn't because she is incapable of it, but because of her father. He never helps her in any way. Instead he finds joy in hurting her, and she has about had it.

One lonely night, Vinyl decides to use her old two-way radio to relieve the tedium. In doing so, she stumbles upon the voice of 'Adi,' who has a story so crazy Vinyl isn't willing to believe it.

But Adi is desperate, so desperate that Vinyl knows something really is wrong. Can her words help Adi overcome whatever is really happening? Even if she can instill hope in this stranger, is hope worth anything against seemingly insurmountable odds?

All Vinyl can do is sit before her radio and talk. Perhaps it will be enough.

Thanks to Mercury Gilado and Starlight Nova for pre-reading and editing.

Now featured on Equestria Daily!

Now with a reading by StraightToThePointStudio! It came as quite the surprise.

Cover Art Credit: HolyShmow

My unicorn parents called me a worthless mud pony. They pushed me every day to overcome my lowly status. When I woke up one morning with my cutie mark, I thought they would love me. I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

It was not destiny or enjoyment that led me to discover the cello and composing. My parents made that decision, deciding before I was born I would continue their family legacy of famous musicians.

They did not realize what that decision would cost them.

Special Thanks and Links:

Cover Art: Dreampaw. The inspiration for the story.
Dramatic reading of Act I-III by Malao567. June 2013
Reading with music by ObabScribbler. June 2014
Song: Hooks and Strings by Reverb Brony. May 2014

Style inspired by H.P. Lovecraft
TypeWriterError: Editor & Rating Board
Gage of Grandiloquence: Editor
The11thWonder: Pre-reader
Nharctic: Pre-reader
Breath of Plagues: My Pinch Editor.
ArgonMatrix: Bad Grammar Exterminator
Daemon of Decay: Advice, also inspired me to write fan fiction. Blame him!

This story is a sequel to Unmarked

Continuing the search for Havoc's locked away powers, Novell and Whisper must lead their friends on separate quests to both the wintry peaks of the Draconic Domain and Dromadary, the deserts of the Camels. Unprepared for her newfound role as leader, Whisper must brave a labyrinth of political intrigue and assassinations, while Novell is forced to put his diplomacy aside and stand his ground before the might of the dragons. All the while, the avatar of chaos schemes from the shadows, gathering deadly, new allies to bring about a world under his direct control.

The sands of Havoc's Hourglass diminish with each day gone by.