Equestria is a land of magic and harmony, a peaceful realm ruled by immortal and benevolent monarchs. At what cost is this possible?

Following the discovery of a strange and powerful device, Twilight Sparkle is whisked away to the edges of a land she thought she knew so well. Here, surrounded by ponies whose very existences have been kept secret, she must contend with vicious enemies, hostile allies, and the truth.

Chapters 1-16 edited by KiltedKey

"They've got your little brother."

Those are the words that begin Snowflake's testosterone-filled rampage through Equestria to the gates of Tartarus... and beyond. Only with his cousins, Cloudchaser and Flitter, do they have any chance of rescuing Featherweight from the forces of Evil.

What if, instead of going to Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle left Canterlot to go to the Pony Mesa Research Facility?
What if, instead of fighting off Nightmare Moon, she fought off a Resonance Cascade?
And what if, instead of meeting her friends in preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration, she instead met them in the aftermath of the Resonance Cascade?

This is the story of Twilight Sparkle, as she takes on the role of Gordon Freeman from the original Half-Life, and the friends she meets along the way.

Thanks to HiveLordLusa for the picture.

"We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes."
— Paul Laurence Dunbar

It started as a normal Equestrian morning, but doesn't it always? The princesses are frightened, and in Ponyville, a creature from a forgotten race walks into town. His kind hasn't been seen in over a thousand years, but even then he's still far from what he appears to be.

Arc 1: The First Day

Author's Note: Hey guys! This is my first story, so constructive criticism is more than welcome. I'll take this moment to say that I own nothing but my main character, the plot, and a few surprises which will appear later. All other characters and linked music are NOT mine. A word on music. At times I might offer two links to a song. The first is the OFFICIAL version, the second is the closest approximation to how I feel it is sung in the story. Just warning you, because I know some people hate covers. This story is rated teen for occasional language, implied sex, and gruesome imagery (mostly late in the story and in flashbacks). Now with technical out of the way, I wish you all happy reading, and I hope you have fun.

Edit: Bug the writer! He writes faster when you do.

Twilight isn't having a very good day. An experimental spell blew up in her face, an army of changelings is attacking Canterlot, and she just died. Yet somehow, it looks like it's going to keep going downhill from here.

Given the chance to correct what's gone wrong, Twilight swears she's going to fix all this even if it kills her. Which it will. Frequently.

Cover art by Pixel Prism
Spanish Translation
Series TV Tropes page

After Dashie's disappearance, her dad ("daddy") desperately tries to find a way to get her back. He tries everything, but nothing seems to work. After months of research, he finds a solution. Or rather, the solution finds him. He realizes that his life is pointless without his daughter. A visitor from another dimension? Why not? The plot thickens...