Co-authored with Gideon020 Big thanks for his help with this story!

Buried in the stone beneath Canterlot, an ancient secret is about to be uncovered. One that will forever change Equestrias view on the places beyond the stars

Going far from the Galaxy we call home.
A faint gleam of hope and a promise of knowledge.
Farewell, Equestria, farewell, beloved ones
Bearing the fate of the Elements.
These ponies fight and the romance burns high
Somepony has got to do this
If we are the ponies they count on...
Going far from the Galaxy to space unknown.
A faint gleam of hope
The Space Battleship Yamato

Cover art made with love by Daniel DiCenso
Brutally edited by Metallusionsiamagic

During the Discordian Era, Chaos ran free, allowing many monsters to establish solid footholds. Footholds that were lost when Celestia and Luna cast down Discord and took his place as the rulers of Equestria. Now, many thousands of years later, the Elements of Harmony, the very same tools that struck down Discord, belong to six individual ponies. Six vulnerable ponies. An ancient draconic vampire begins his campaign of revenge, uncaring of who is caught up within it. His first target? The Element of Magic, student of Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle.

Art by Archonix Source is in the link, and he does do commissions.

During the battle with the changelings, a trapped Discord manages an undirected spell that reaches across universes to bring an agent of chaos to Equestria. What's brought back more than qualifies.

Steam! Gears! SCIENCE! A very confused Spark! And, eventually, really good coffee.

Here comes Agatha Heterodyne--MARE GENIUS!

All Private Shadow Heart wanted was to protect others, so she joined the Solar Guard in an effort to fulfill that dream. However, it seems as if her dreams are crushed when her first assignment is to babysit some self-important, arrogant Night Tribe noble.

However, events quickly disabuse her of that notion as she is thrust into a world of political intrigue, espionage, and piracy.

Oh, and to top it all off, the princesses themselves have charged her with taking down an international sapient trafficking ring.

It must be a Monday...

The Dark tag is there for some more mature themes and a grittier depiction of the evil being confronted by our heroes. (namely the pirates and the slavery ring.) I don't subscribe to describing gruesome scenes of death and destruction, but the fact that there is a slavery ring automatically earns this story the dark tag in my book.

Also, the alternate universe tag is there because this is a far more seedier and troubled Equestria. All characters and events from the show still happened and are depicted as such, but there is also a distinct presence of pirates, griffin warbands and slavers, which have never appeared in the show.

The setting is just after the Canterlot wedding episode, but before Discord is set free again.

MLP:FIM and related characters are owned by Hasbro and Faust.

I only own my name.

Coverart by Esuka, on Deviantart at: http://esuka.deviantart.com/art/Cumulus-331391259

Behind her calm and happy mask Celestia is a lonely alicorn. Once betrayed by a past love she has resigned herself to be alone forever.

But when a new love in the form of an old student is presented can Celestia let go of her sad past and take hold of a happier future?

And will the events happening around her be enough to make her realize that happiness has always been within her grasp.

Twilestia Shipping

Rarity's family name is in shambles, and her fortune is nonexistent. To return what her father squandered, she and her good friend Pinkie Pie turn to piracy, commandeering a magical airship and kidnapping the princess's personal student.

When Princess Celestia learns of Twilight and Applejack's abduction, she doesn't agree to pay the ransom. No, she hires the sky's greatest tactical mind, the Daring Swordspony Rainbow Dash, and her sidekick, Fluttershy. As the two groups engage in a game of cat and mouse, more dangerous threats hang on the horizon. Aztec Curses, angry gods, and a mysterious figure known only as the Derp Pirate Roberts.

Will the six Elements of Harmony be able to gather the seven pieces of eight, or will the world fall to utter chaos, and rise up as an empire of anarchy and piracy?

Now with its own TV Tropes page thanks to Cleverpun: TV Tropes

This story is a sequel to Shut The Blinds

At the request of Twilight Sparkle, Spike goes on a hunt to find answers about the events that led up to the incident that left Rainbow Dash blind.

Sequel to "Shut The Blinds". It's not necessary to read that first, but it might be a good idea.

Twilight gets a feeder to study birds.

She also bought a ton of seeds for it.

While she's frustrated at the fact her supply seems to be disappearing into thin air, she's about to realize that she has a much bigger problem on hoof.

A thief.

I guess that's what I've always been. I've spent my life plundering ruins, seeking out the relics of ancient times, dodging traps and outsmarting incompetent villains... and collecting the hefty finders fee, to boot. It's been a great ride, wouldn't trade it for the world. But I'm not the young filly I used to be. Maybe it's time I hang up the helmet. Maybe.

But not without one last job. I've got a lead on the greatest find in history: The fabled Crown of Harmony, worn by the Pony Queen before she vanished, eons ago. Somepony doesn't want it to be found, though.

Somepony who knows why.

(I kinda setup my own rules on changelings logic. So if there are any other changeling stories that have different logic, I won't follow it.)
[2nd POV] A changeling is a mindless slave, and was only born to serve Queen Chrysalis. It does not have feelings, so it does not feel remorse. A changeling cannot think or choose for itself, as it is not sentient. It only moves without question, and only constantly feed off of the love of ponies. Since it is not sentient, it cannot be befriended, cannot learn to communicate, and cannot feel love. Its sole-purpose is to feed off love out of every pony alive.
But... that doesn't seem to apply to you.
The day you met that one unicorn, was the day you began asking, questioning your own existence.
Ever since the fall of Queen Chrysalis, she was nowhere to be found. Your siblings can't seem to do anything without her guidance, and slowly, each one of your siblings begin to die out. As an endangered changeling in hiding, you use your newly discovered free-will and wits to try to find out the answer to your question. Trying to solve it before you die. "Who am I now?"
(I guess now that i think about it, I just made changelings the equivalent to zombies. And you are a.... Sentient zombie?)
On hiatus for the moment. Until I get my shit together, this story is going to just linger there for some moments.