An ancient war machine is awakened by an enemy strike- but can it figure out what's really going on, or will it destroy the world first?

Inspired by Legacy

Many thanks to LostArchivist for help with editing and ideas!

Rewrite began 3/17/19.

Wait a minute. I'm featured? I wonder when that started...

Cancelled 9/19/19. It's just... too broken. I may rewrite at some point.

Initializing....
Source Code Identified......
Playback Audio Feed......Operation: World Jump 2463197......Subsection; Mission Parameters......

.........Um, hello, my name is Doctor Daniel Phillips, and I am the lead scientist overseeing the Gateway Project, one of the most cutting-edge technologies in existence today. With it, we can open wormholes to worlds far beyond the reach of conventional space travel, and even into other dimensions if we can work out the right frequency. As of late we have discovered over a dozen habitable worlds that have been slated for colonization, but as of yet no signs of intelligent life. Yet I hold out hope that one day we might find such a world, however remote, and put our best foot forward in opening relations with our new galactic neighbors. Yet not all of the planets we find are poppies and roses, so instead of sending in humans to explore them, we have these little babies.

Oh, right, you can't see me because this is an audio-only feed. My mistake. Well, I guess I'll just have to explain it to you. These cybernetic wolves, known in our group as the Mech Hounds, are outfitted with the most advanced computers in the world, along with some of the most cutting-edge robotics and weapons money can buy. Now right at the moment we only have a dozen of these little critters, but don't let that fool you. Each of these little babies carries enough firepower to level a small town, although it would take them a couple days to do so if they were working alone. They also have the programing to work out almost any situation in a matter of seconds, although they still have many of the logic problems that most computers face when confronted with something that does not fit within the established parameters of their programming. Yet, regardless of their possible shortcomings, they do the heavy lifting upon initial exploration where humans cannot, dealing with threats as they see fit in order to assess the habitability of a planet for human use. I could tell you more, but that would be breaking protocol.

So, without further ado, I'll turn you over to our logistics specialist, who will be happy to tell you all about how these little babies are going to change the world, or rather, worlds, that humanity has come to call home.................

End Audio Recording........

This is a story that delves into the boundary between life and machine, where AI is something that has only been dreamed of, even with the most advanced computers available. Then again, these machines have never encountered magic before, so who knows what might happen. I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out for yourself.

Unable to recall why she's here, Twilight is told she has experienced a 'Game Over'. Then she is asked to start over. With eagerness she accepts.

Now with the ability to see reality in a way that can make Celestia envious, Twilight finds her life has quite literally started over.

Will she change the time line? Will she prevent the worst events she has ever experienced? And will she actually bother to level up Luck?

Unrelated to Prior Works - New Story, New Setting

“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” ― Arthur C. Clarke

If you send a message to the stars, you just might get a reply. If one person can hear you speak, so can others. Some who hear your cry will extend a hand in friendship. Some will hear and think only of what they can gain by force.

Rainbow and Pandora learned this when Pan’s nightly chats his interstellar pen pal lead a fleet of interstellar pirates and slavers to Equestria. Where they found Rainbow’s friends.

Neither of them are happy about it. Both will try set things right, or die trying. Even if that means being lost forever in the void between stars.

Featured on: Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 6:46 am UTC

There comes a turning point in every civilization where the future is dictated by the smallest decision.  Be it the will of a king or the cascade of changes by a commoner, it rarely matters the source, only the outcome.  So it was that, shortly after banishing Nightmare Moon, Celestia envisioned a world that could have accepted, loved, and embraced her now lost sister; an Equestria that had to cast off the simplicity of agrarianism and stanch traditionalism.

Instead of relying on the old ways as a bedrock for the six tenets of harmony, Celestia pursued this vision by lauding the advancement of magic and technology.  Over the centuries, cities of marble and stone were replaced by steel and glass. Family farms commercialized, business and trade expanded the world over, and the streets brimmed with cars.  The nobility long since traded away the power backed by titles for influence via companies. Megacorporations now dominate the skylines of every Equestrian city, yet Celestia still holds fast to the reins of true power.  Her word is law.

Even centuries after Nightmare Moon’s banishment, harmony is still in the bedrock of Equestrian society, yet one must dig to find it under so much soil and refuse.   There have always been those that chafe against the law and give lip service to harmony. Be they the rich and powerful figureheads of industry, or the scum of the underworld, there are always things these ponies in power need done discreetly, or at least deniably.  Sensitive matters such as these are often handed over to a class of professional criminals as diverse in their skills as they are in their ideologies. The Shadowrunners.

Note: As with my Beyond Equestria story, I am taking a lot of elements from the Shadowrunner series, but it will be written so that anyone unfamiliar with Shadowrunner can understand what's going on and enjoy the fic.

[Third Person]

Commissioned by Canary In The Coal Mine.

After losing his last living relative, Carter Arvil, former CIA Agent turned real estate agent, is approached by a mysterious woman who offers to sell him a magical kingdom. Assuming the woman is simply a little unstable and selling a magical pony styled theme park aimed at little girls, Carter accepts the deal. A deal which immediately takes a turn for the unexpected as the offer was exactly what it said on the tin and comes with several major strings attached.

Like having to be a pretty pink pony princess.

Cover art by https://egophiliac.deviantart.com/

Featured for a frankly astounding amount of time!

Star Kicker is the newest member of Princess Luna's royal guards, and she has a lot to prove. After all, she has to show once and for all that she's better than her stuck-up skunk of an older sister. Fortunately for her, Luna is eager to give her the chance.

In the desert kingdom of Selerika, the tomb of one of Luna's old friends has been robbed and a priceless artifact stolen. Luna is determined to recover it, and who better to bring along than a unicorn whose special talent lies in finding lost things? It's a dangerous adventure full of mortal peril, but that comes with the territory of being a royal guard.

Vinyl Scratch accidentally discovers a technology that already exists, but understanding how it works leads to a greater understanding of the Horrendous Hypothesis.

An entry in the Weedverse.

[Third Person] Alternating Perspectives

In a world shaped by the powers of magic and steam, where every nation is ruled by immortal god-kings and god-queens, there is an era of peace never before experienced by mortals and immortals alike. People grow, live, and die all without ever being attacked by bandits. Major wars are a thing of the past, with only small local skirmishes occurring in more primitive sections of the world. International trade allowed wizards and engineers to tame the world so all may experience a little luxury.

To many, life couldn’t possibly be any better. For those living on the far northern borders of Equestria, that peaceful world is but a fantasy. In the northlands, wild animals still roam the woods, even venturing into cities and towns. Farmers whisper of crop-destroying monsters lurking in the dark. Local sheriffs keep a wary eye on the sky, ever watchful for the first sign of a griffon hunting party. Wizards regularly ward the area around local communities, fearing the dark magic cast within these lands long ago might one-day resurface.

This is the world Tractor Pull grew up in. This is the world the young stallion longs to escape. To the southern lands of peace and plenty. All he needs is a chance. A chance which unknowingly comes to him when he meets a mare in a snowbank one frigid winter’s night.

Featured on: 4/11/2018 at 7:26 AM UTC

More than a thousand years ago, a small filly flipped a coin, trying to decide which princess to give a precious flower to. Because the coin came up heads, the flower went to Celestia, starting the division that ultimately led to Nightmare Moon. But... what if the coin had come up tails instead? Read on, and learn the answer, my friends...