What would you do if you died and discovered that your whole life was a game? That you were someone else's pawn? That the entire world was run by a guy named Phil? And what if you could try over again? Would you do anything to return to your life as it had once been?

Button Mash would.

Inspired, in part, by THIS.

Prereading by TGM.

A lonely tree, a windswept hill, and a glowing night's sky.

All her life, Fluttershy has had this one reoccurring dream, and now it's up to Princess Luna to help her find out why.

Special Thanks to nerevars

This story is a sequel to Stardust

Times are changing for Equestria as Twilight’s return brings with it news of people and cultures from beyond the peaceful world everypony knows. Aid and volunteers are freely offered to help the besieged humans of Earth because every Equestrian knows that’s what good friends do. Unfortunately, making friends can also have the unintended consequence of making enemies.

When the monsters besieging the humans strike at Equestria with a level of brutality not seen in over a thousand years, the cry for help is sent to all the kingdoms of the world. Honored allies step forth to fulfill ancient treaties and oaths. Enemies, old and new, bury their grievances. An alliance never before seen in Equestria will be created to combat the monsters from the void.

And because of these events, a grim but welcome sibling to the XCOM project is born.

(XCOM/FiM Crossover)
(Sequel to Stardust, which I recommend reading before starting this. Fortitude Amicitia and Broken aren't required reading but are supplemental to the storyline)
(Gore tag for blood and violence)
(Alternate Universe tag because of the divergence from canon that Stardust has caused)
(Uses elements of Season 4)
(Coverart produced by the amazing Carnelian!)
(Many thanks to Arzoo, BradTheBrony, Vandenbz and Setokaiva for prereading!)
(As of 03/07/2016, the prereading team consists of Arzoo, BradTheBrony, Noble Cause and Metallusionsismagic!)
(Complete with it's own TVTropes page as part of the Stardust continuity. Could use some updating!)
(Character tags will be added as chapters are added!)
(Featured 5/12/2014! Thanks folks!)
(Possible spoilers in the comments! BEWARE!)

Isolated from her friends and taken prisoner in the middle of a war, Twilight must deal with the very real dangers of being percieved as an enemy as well as the nightmares of her arrival on 'Earth'. Can she overcome her own fears and the fears of her captors? Will the wayward unicorn's assistance be a boon or a curse to the 'humans?' Most importantly, will she ever find her way home?

"In short, it's a story of friendship and plasma rifles, with the emphasis on the friendship. The characters are well written, the XCOM setting is fleshed out very well, and the story is compelling. If you love XCOM, you'll love the story, but even if you've never heard of it, it's more than worth giving the first 3 chapters a read.

There's excellent action later on, but the real strength lies in the collision between the friendly and naive world of Twilight Sparkle and the desperate world of humans fighting a losing war for survival and willing to do anything to turn the tide."

--Arzoo

(XCOM/FiM crossover)
(Cover art commissioned by a friend and created by the magnificent FoxInShadow!)
(Original cover art by the amazing Carnelian can be viewed here!)
(Gore tag for blood and some violence)
(Many thanks to the studius OminousTen, Arzoo, xXFluttershyForeverXx and finally Setokaiva for giving my rambles a once-over)
(Now with it's own TV Tropes page! Get to tropin' folks!)

When a human appears in Equestria and is considered a threat, he is forced to flee from everything in the new land with nobody to help him while he is chased by colorfull ponies that want nothing but put him in a cage.

When David volunteered to be part of a cryogenic experiment he thought he'd be at the forefront of human technology, spearheading research and development.

Unfortunately politics doesn't work that way.

Lucky for him, the science was solid... For ten thousand years.

AN: Don't take this seriously. Seriously don't. I don't.

Special thanks to my editor: Thornwing!

A-d-d-ditional Tags: Science Fiction, Parody, Waking Up In the Future, Equestria used to be Earth, Parity Bits, Things That Could Be Considered Irrelevant To The Premise And Is Only Used As Humour, Twi-bright, Kangaroos, Towels and Brawndo.

Rated teen for inappropriate scenarios. Well, lots of inappropriate scenarios. Now with 20% more Dark!

List of Side Stories:

The Story of the Equinos and Celestia
Twilight's Report
A Butterfly Bash
The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Unpublished Stories now available here.

I'll also keep the former list I made here:

The Story of the Gorlians and Equestria
Human Manual I
Equine Manual I
Why Emergencies Should Be Handled Calmly
Why Emergencies Should Be Handled Calmly II
Blue Pill
David's Nightmares
Robot Manticore Attack
The First Law
Discordant
A Dated Journal Entry
McQuestria
McQuestria II
To Touch The Stars

In the wake of Chrysalis' failed invasion, a different hive breaks tradition and steps into the light to open relations with Equestria. The ever eager scholar, Twilight Sparkle, uses this truce as the perfect opportunity to learn more about this enigmatic race. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, she will learn all there is to know about what it means to be a changeling.

But will Twilight lose herself in the hive, or will she regain what she has lost? Only time will tell.

Featured on 9/24/13

My first featured story! You guys are awesome.

Story readings and cover art by Luminescent Skies: Click here for some audio novel treatment

My Editor in Chief: Cloud Hop

I still can't believe it all started with a family camping trip gone wrong. One moment I was enjoying my time with my parents and brothers, then next thing I knew I was stranded on a world full of magic and mythological creatures. In one day, I went from worrying about the upcoming calculus test to worrying about my next meal. I remember how the only thing keeping me going was the hope that I might find a way home. Little did I know that some deities had other plans in store for me.

I remember all the promises I made, both those kept and betrayed. I remember the friends I made on my little adventure; the same friends I threw away when everything came crashing down. Oh, the memories I made... Oh, the memories I am now forever cursed to remember.

I suppose this is a just punishment. My only regret is that my friends may never hear my side of the story.

Set between Seasons 2 and 3 // Some deviations from canon post-season 2 due to when this was originally started.

Pre-read, Cover art, and Audio Reading provided by: Skijarama

Cover art by EternalCha0s

Coauthor: Darksonickiller

Editors: Leapingriver, General Soarin, BrastaAura17, Solar Flare Charger, and The Zealot

"Long ago, before ponies existed, the world was ruled by another race. This race ruled the world alone for over six thousand years. Six thousand years of war and bloodshed. This race fought against each other over almost anything. They did not know harmony, only chaos.

This race nearly destroyed the world in their conflicts, before vanishing without a trace. Nopony knows if the two-legged monsters still exist somewhere in the world, but this much is certain: they were a threat to the whole world, and if they still exist, they still are."

–Excerpt from The Age of Man, by Starswirl the Bearded, published 15 CR.

"We were alone for over six thousand years. In that time, we nearly destroyed ourselves due to our own foolishness. We fought our own kind for some of the dumbest reasons, and as a result, we almost wiped ourselves out in World War III.

But praise the Almighty that we did not. Only a few hundred million survived the war, but that war finally convinced us to stop war forever. The planet was scarred, and it needed healing. There weren't enough of us to heal the planet in a timely manner, so Man did one of the most wonderful and terrible things possible: create new life. New sapient life. Gryphons, dragons and ponies. We created them to be our friends, but they became our enemies when we tried to fight again using them as weapons. They decided to destroy us, and we had made them too strong, so we did the only thing we could: we hid underground. Here, in the caverns that house the Republic of New Terra, we seek to ready ourselves to make amends for our sins against life and God after rejoining the surface world.

But that is a long time away. Humanity has a long way to go before we breach the surface. But New Terra will rise someday. Never forget that."

–Excerpt from A History of Exile: Volume I, by Trevor Williams, published 3246 AD.

"New Terra will rise."

That phrase has been repeated on billions of lips in the secret underground caverns for years now. The time has almost arrived. Will the world be able to handle the return of the humans of old? Will the humans be destroyed for their sins against the world? Or will they be forgiven and be granted peace? Humanity can only hope and pray for the latter as the Day of Return fast approaches.

The nation of Equestria has been exploring their little slice of the universe for some time now. From launching probes into deep space, to landing ponies on the moon. Sending things beyond the grasp of their planet has become almost routine. However, with every mission into space, there comes a time when the voyage must end. What happens when Equestria experiences the end of a voyage that they didn't begin?

Updated and Revised on October 5th, 2014