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.

Advances in science and magic had detected the Anomaly – a star in the heavens that was unlike all the others in the night sky. Intense research had only served to deepen the mystery. Although Equus had a vibrant space program, going forty-two light years to investigate had been considered impossible until now. The Cosmic Lotus program was born, and over a hundred crew-members of multiple species were sent into the void to discover the unknown. After a journey of years, what they would find would both amaze and terrify them.

The prequel to this story is the "Ad Astra" arc in the story – "Life, Love, and Death in the House of Path".

This will be a crossover story with my "Chakat Universe".

Research log #579

It's been over one and a half years ago since the last activation of the device, though the magical signature hasn't changed it seems... weakened, to such a degree that the re-activation is impossible.

As described in the notes of research log #249 any attempt at providing the device an artificial source of magic to power failed, the device simply needed more energy than even the combined magical power of both Princess Luna and Celestia were capable of providing. You must be wondering now, I've already described these circumstances in previous logs so why bring it up now?

Simply said I'm out of options, every attempt of reactivating the device have failed and I'm only left with a single choice. I'm going to have to reverse engineer the device in an attempt to understand the mechanics with which it operates...

...At the risk of maybe never being unable to reconstruct it later.

I'm so sorry Fluttershy, I never should have involved you or any of the girls in the exploration of this structure. I hope that if we ever see you again you can find it in yourself to forgive me.

-Twilight Sparkle

In the true sense of Mass Effect, this story will be CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure) giving you the reader the choice to decide the action of our protagonist.

I hope you enjoy!

Every chapter past chapter 27 was edited by gerandakis

Necromancers. Sickly ponies bathed in cloaks of darkness, bringing ruin to all who fall under their shadow, terror to those who meet their gaze. Ripping the dead from the grave and conscripting them to their army of evil and conquest. Woe to the towns that dare draw their interest.

Such are the legends.

This is a story about one of the kindest ponies I know.

---

Now on Equestria Daily!

Now with a sequel, From Dusk to Night.

Beta Reader Special Thanks:

Blissey1
Clever Pun
Japanese Teeth
Pannic
Meta Four
Sereg
Connelly
Invidlord
Jezendar
TerribleTransit

Jak never found it unusual that he had a unicorn brother. Shining Armor had been there his entire life, as far as he could remember. Sure, Daxter often made a point of just how strange it was relative to everyone else in the village, but then again Jak himself was different from the rest of the villagers.

He never questioned that he looked somewhat different from everyone else. Never questioned that he was raised by Samos the Sage, alongside Samos' daughter Keira, whom he kinda-sorta liked and who kinda-sorta liked him, even if Samos himself didn't like that. Jak, by nature, wasn't the sort to question things.

Shining Armor, on the other hand - or hoof - had lots of questions, but no answers.

...yet.

Part of the PWNY-verse.

Crossover idea suggested by Keyblade Hero.
Cover art by Sanyo21