Long before the war, the lands of Equestria were knitted together with a blanket of steel rails and wooden cross-ties, tracks that stretched to connect every major and minor settlement across the country. Even after the destruction wrought by the balefire bombs and megaspells, the tracks that tied Equestria together remained vital, and as the world recovered from the apocalypse the technologies needed to bring such a massive form of transportation and communication came with it. While the trains that ran following the megaspells rarely carried similar cargo to those that ran prior, the payments for the irreplaceable service still flowed, for better or worse. Those who held strong objections to hauling the newer commodities of a post-apocalyptic world rarely lasted long in the railroad business, and even for those who managed to avoid pulling those trains, it's most always ultimately delaying the inevitable...

Set during roughly the same canon as Gamma Deekay's Fallout Equestria: Long Haul, recommended reading to understand a few of the nods and moments seen, and a few locations as well!

[Complete! With TVTropes apparently!]
Also, apparently, an animated trailer.

In a world of brass and steam, Twilight Sparkle had thought she had made a life-changing discovery with the invention of the telescope. For better or worse, she was correct.

Now her discovery has not only changed her life, but the lives of those she seeks out in her desperate attempt to contact the only other creature as lonely as Twilight herself.

It all would have been much simpler, but it had to be the one Twilight could only call The Mare on the Moon.

Decidedly not within walking distance, then.

[Featured on EQD before story was meant to be submitted. 4/03/2015]

[Editing team: Southpaw, Wolfvenom, Maskedferret, SwanSong and BluePaladin42, without whom this story would be a fraction of its current state.]
[Special thanks to Novel-Idea for the updated cover]

This story is a sequel to The Dresden Fillies: False Masks

It's been a while since the girls have seen their good friend Harry Dresden. Discord escaped, Luna attended her first Nightmare Night, the Royal Wedding was crashed by hordes of changelings, and Pinkie Pie threw a statistically improbable number of parties. They tried inviting Dresden, but between his new job and new apprentice, he always claimed to be too busy. The solution was obvious; if he couldn't come to his friends, they needed to go visit him. Besides, they say Earth is lovely this time of year. What could go wrong?

Everypony in the club? Yes?
Good. On with the synthesizers.
Octavia, "Call me 8-B3AT", Melody runs the sound-desk; every night hundreds of expectant ponies lend her their ears and every night she delivers, her masterful hooves spinning complex electronic beats on the mixing boards of La Maison Nuit: Canterlot's most popular, and most exclusive, nightclub.
But tonight there's an extra pony in the club, a friend of the owner, apparently, but acting far from ecstatic. One morose mare taking in nothing more than scotch and soda is not something Octavia is ready to tolerate.

Between sets it's time to lift the shades, drop the hood and party down.
Nopony's going to be unhappy on her watch, and she took lessons from the Party Pony herself.
Oh yes.

CyanAeolin (on deviantart) is responsible for the wonderful cover art which was the inspiration to write this thing in the first place. And I must agree with him: Octavia is best pony.

Edit: Wow, front-page feature. Thanks for the support you guys!

This story is a sequel to The Sword Coast

The shadows of the past plague the present.

Twilight Sparkle stands on a precipice, one false step from a dark destiny. Months ago, she set out to find her foster father’s murderer. After she defeated the Black Knight, she was hailed as a hero, but what she remembers most is the lives she took. On the path of strife, she discovered more about herself than she ever expected.

With her friends by her side, Twilight sets out for Canterlot, seeking the villain responsible for the death of her father and the crises that plagued the Sword Coast. On the way, a sadistic spellcaster interested only in power intercepts her and promises to unlock her potential. In the aftermath, Pinkie Pie is taken captive by the secretive wizarding order that rules Canterlot.

Twilight’s journey takes her through the doors of a prison and into the depths of a forgotten place. She encounters horrors made from nightmares and soul-stealing beasts raised from the black of the Abyss, but what she fears most is the monster within. How far will she go to save her closest friend?

Featured on Equestria Daily
Cover by Bluest Ayemel
"I love this fic. Keep it up!" – Sethisto (on the EQD page)

Side stories: Tales of the Sword Coast

Warning: Comments contain spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

Ivory spires that put to shame the mountain they're grafted to. Thousands of lives perched on a slab of iron bolted to the side of a cliff, with an artificial sun doin' its best to warm the shadows underneath. Then there's the cybertech changin' the face of ponykind, rubbin' right up against magic the likes of which the world ain't seen for centuries. This, all of this, is New Canterlot. A magical place, in the dangerous way. Everythin' you ever dreamed of, and everythin' you ever feared. For what it's worth, good luck out there... I think you're gonna need it.

Setting inspired by Shadowrun, for both of you who care.

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!)

Captain Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Certainly her dream job.
Well, dreams and reality are two very different things.

Especially when our newly minted captain has to deal with an empty roster, budget cuts, the first non-pegasi cadets, and the pressure of finding out your best friend is now your boss, let alone a princess.

If that weren’t enough to make her quit, her three wing commanders might. Cloud Kicker is a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen; Surprise makes no sense; and Lightning Dust is, well, Lightning Dust.

Meanwhile, Scootaloo arrives at the academy, ready and raring to prove she’s got what it takes to be an elite flyer. Pressure mounts as Scootaloo aims to make her hero proud.

Now on Equestria Daily
Editors: ping111
NotMurphy
Georg

Thanks for pre-reading go to:
John Perry
Distaff Pope
SolidFire
nygiants93
Eakin

Cover art used with permission by GSphere

There was only one explanation. For all of it. All of the strange, erratic behavior. Her irrational fear of the sun. Her nocturnal habits of locking herself in in the dark and closing all the blinds. Wearing her sunglasses everywhere, even inside! It was time to invest in some silver, garlic, and a wooden stake.

This story is a sequel to Stardust

When Equestria’s newest member of royalty asks for aid to be offered to her friends from abroad, the best and the brightest volunteer to serve. Captain Steel Song of the Dusk Guard are immediately mobilized to help XCOM defend their world from the enemies that besiege them. However, their first joint operation with the humans takes a turn for the worse and they quickly find themselves fighting for their lives against the full force of the monsters that threaten Earth.

(Stardust/Dusk Guard crossover)
(Coverart provided by a friend of Viking ZX!)
(While familiarity with both stories isn’t required, it is recommended)
(Many thanks to Arzoo for pre-reading!)
(All screenshots can be found at XCOM.wikia.com)
(Featured on 3/13/2013. Thanks everyone!)
(Now has it's own section on TVTropes as part of the Stardust series!)