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!)

In the aftermath of her battle against Tirek, Twilight Sparkle is unwell. She wants more. She needs more. And she is afraid of what others might think of her.

But even in the midst of her growing despair that she has betrayed everything she stood for, she learns something about friendship and what it means to be an alicorn.

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!)

A mysterious “World Circus” has come to Ponyville; though, not all is as it seems. When Twilight learns the motives behind the grandeur, she finds only death and despair lying within its machinations. But somewhere in the illusions and fabricated realities lies the truth she so desperately must find to save herself and the world as she knows it.

[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]

When Fluttershy received her certification as a fog specialist, she only wanted a plausible excuse to write off the expenses associated with her ground-based house on her taxes. However, when an accident in Cloudsdale sends a blanket of industrial-grade clouds rolling towards Ponyville, Fluttershy suddenly finds herself in charge of coordinating the response, mostly because she's the only fog specialist in the area. Can our heroine step up to the challenge at hoof, or will she risk facing the wrath of the Equestrian Revenue Service?

Artwork by Page Turner. Now with a TVTropes page!

Wilfred Xavier Manning is an exemplary clerk. However, he is somewhat less qualified to deliver invitations. Especially when the recipients are six of the strangest girls he has ever met. Such a minor detail means nothing to a man with Wilfred's sense of duty, yet still waters run deep. There is more to each girl than there appears, and if Wilfred is brave enough, there may be more to him as well.

Story image by: NanyJfreak

She's the original. She won the paint-watching test, fair and square.

So why do the townsponies keep avoiding her? Why do all her friends keep whispering around her? And why does Twilight keep insisting that she isn't any good at baking or throwing parties?

She's the original. The best Pinkie. She won the test, fair and square. She's not some copy, not anymore…but perhaps being a copy would be easier than being herself.

Featured on Equestria Daily

Comments contain spoilers.

Partially inspired by Quadrophenia by The Who. The [Pinkie Pie] and [Other] tags together represent Pinkie Pie's clone.

Editing and prereading thanks; Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi, CDRW, Sereg, JapaneseTeeth, MidnightRambler, and especially Nonagon. If you liked this story, be sure to check out their pages too!

Now I'm to begin
The life that I'm assigned
A life that's been used before
A thousand times
—The Who, "905"

When Twilight receives one of the original journals of Starswirl the Bearded from Princess Luna, she can't wait to try the spells inside it, but the book's magic turns out to be a bit more than Twilight can handle, as her reckless experimentation leads to her accidentally bringing her reflection to life. At first, Twilight decides she quite likes the idea of having a copy around the library. But seeing herself from an outside perspective makes Twilight realize there are some parts of her personality she doesn't care for, forcing her to confront her issues.

Written in the same format as the show, save that it is longer and addresses somewhat sadder themes. No objectionable content or OC characters, focuses heavily on the mane cast.

Special thanks goes out to Pascoite and PavFeira, the two editors who somehow managed to withstand my childish scribbling long enough to make them readable. Couldn't have done it without you!

Twilight Sparkle enjoys her friends' visits. They only want to help, after all. But when the line between dream and reality blurs, she must decide whom to believe, the ones she's known for so long, or the one she mistrusts the most.

"Are you afraid of the good you might do?"
Anonymous old peasant woman to Madeleine, Les Miserables.

Second-place winner in the /fic/ write-off "Sweet Music."

Featured on Equestria Daily!