My name is James Clark, and I am a Private Military Contractor. No, not Mercenary. Yes, there is a difference, but that's beside the point.

Ok, where was I? Ah yes, I was just entering my office in Downtown Houston one afternoon to hear a job offer. When I got there, I found a beautiful, robe-wearing woman waiting for me. Now, in this day and age, most people would find that strange. I didn't for two reasons.

1) In this line of work, you run into a few crazies. If I had a dollar for every nut-job I turned away, I could buy a small European country.

2) It was Halloween. Hell, I was on my way to a party dressed in a replica suit of Veteran Ranger Armor from Fallout: New Vegas, complete with gas mask and real riot gear I borrowed from a friend on the SWAT team. I was gonna win the costume contest for sure!

I'm getting off topic, aren't I? Anyways, this weirdo offered me a job without going into much detail. No location, no objective, not even a dollar amount The only thing I got out of her was the promise that I would be saving thousands, if not millions of lives.

Every instinct told me to turn the job down, and yet I still accepted it. Maybe the idea of playing hero again had its appeal.

God, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

[Psychological Grimdark]

This story was directly based off 'Awoken': Wooden Toaster and H8 seed's spirited successor to the Rainbow Factory.

Food for thought, folks. I wrote this story on my own time and Obab later added extra material, three years later, when she converted the story into her audio production. She did not participate in the original production (if that was not clear already). If you read the story below you'll see the original, untampered text!

***

The decline into darkness had been easy enough... but when a high ranking Rainbow Factory employee begins to loose faith in the program and attempts to leave, things get out of hoof.

Having lived the majority of his life in the twisted building known as the Rainbow Factory-climbing up the brutal ladder and eventually becoming an Orchestrator-a lone colt finds the atrocity's he's committed in his past coming back to haunt him in his waking hours.

Driven by the need to return to normal society and the thought of redemption, he devises a risky plan that will ultimately decide the very fate of the Rainbow Factory as it's come to be known.

***
A long list of special thanks and mentions...

Thanks to Aurora Dawn for essentially creating the world I based this story in.

Thanks to Wooden Toaster and H8 Seed for the awesome song
Thanks to Fiasko0 on Deviant art for making the picture for the song (which I snatched)
Thanks to xzenocrimzie (Starlight Sparkle) for working with me to get the story out and into public
Thanks to wandered D for the tech support (he knows what I'm talking about)
Thanks to SrPeachFuzz on YouTube for accidentally bringing the story to everyone's attention
Thanks to my brony friend Josh for helping me get the story from my head, and into an outline
Thanks to both Truesoul116 and OhOhJackarias on YouTube for their excellent readings
Most importantly, every brony out there that has read, liked, faved or commented! Without you all, this would of never happened!

*Audio books are up!

Another really great dramatic reading!

If you're looking for a dramatic reading

If you're looking for a clear and professional reading

All three of these readers were totally awesome! Thanks guys.

Now translated into:
Polish by Dolar84
Spanish by Moonlight Fan

One night, an amazing display lit up the sky over Ponyville. A comet, brighter than any in living memory, was making its way through the sea of stars. The residents of the town gathered en masse to witness the spectacle. As was the tradition for such an occasion, many ponies made a wish on the celestial body, hoping that maybe, just maybe, some of them might come true...

This is a realistic view on how shipping would actually happen in the show. Almost every pony has been shipped with everypony else, but this is what would actually happen if two ponies ever attempted at a relationship.

...

No offense to any shippers, even though you shouldn't take any. If anypony would like to see any other shippings done on this fic, just leave a comment. Maybe I'll write it if I feel like it.

Twilight and her friends have faced several villains, but were they really that evil? Sure, Nightmare Moon wanted eternal night, Discord likes to mess with ponies, and Queen Chrysalis and king Sombra both wanted power; but no one ever killed anypony. No one ever stood against Equestria that couldn't be reformed or sent away with a bit of love and happiness. No doubt the main six can defeat true evil, but at what cost to the friendship that they need to fight it with?

The characters in this story are protected by OCRA

Thank you McPoodle for editing the first chapter.
I found a new editor their name is Starlight Nova.

Octavia has hit rock bottom. After the Gala and being forced to play that song, she was cast out by high society. Now she must gather the shreds of her pride, only to have to swallow them to work under the only pony that seems willing to hire her. Now it's time for her to make a name for herself all over again, and she's determined to make it no matter what, even if she has to start over from Scratch.

What would you do, if you met a pony who was at once your brother, and yet not? Applebuck wishes to reunite with his 'Cousin JayJay', and braves the dimensional divide to reach his goal. But being a small foal, how will he deal with a world in which everything is flipped? His friends, his family, and even... himself?

This story is a sequel to Only Got 100 Years To Live

Celestia has dropped a bombshell on Twilight. Her, growing wings? How can a normal--well no, she's no longer a normal unicorn: Normal unicorns get old; she hasn't.

What is she, then?

"My life has run its course; I've planted my hooves firmly on the ground and ridden the ups and downs to my greatest potential. I've loved, I've hated, I've cried, I've laughed... but most importantly, I've overcome."

A simple life, floating on the wind.

Brace down and buckle up as you are taken along on the wicked rollercoaster ride that is Vinyl's life. Stand beside her as she first learns of her talents as a musician. Hold her hoof as she braves whatever life throws at her while buskering on the streets of Manehatten. Cry with her as she faces old fears and overcomes new ones. Cheer and revel in her marriage and success. Laugh wholeheartedly at her comedic small mistakes and happenstances.

Most importantly however, understand the rocky and twisted road that shaped the DJ we have all come to know and love.

My life was simple. I used to be a cellist, of Canterlot's pride and nobility, and a very happy pony with where I was. I should say I landed myself here; it was nopony's fault I agreed with Vinyl on this ludicrous idea. I will, however, blame Vinyl for the guards outside. And for my doctor. And for Princess Luna.

That's all on her.

So, in the off chance that we don't get out of this room in (literally) one piece, my name is Octavia, beginning log: one.

[Log Note: Click on the "initializing" for the formatted GDocs version, which is highly suggested.]