This story is a sequel to What I Am

With the invasion repelled, and both planets in the process of rebuilding, there has come a moment for our heroes to stop and take a breather, and reflect upon the events that have led them to this point, and to investigate the nearly forgotten fragments of the past. One such fragment holds secrets that are easily revealed, however, mysteries that have been hidden for centuries behind an ancient tongue, and are finally within the grasp of the Royal Sisters to uncover.

At the special request of the sisters, as well as the curiosity of their new human allies, the last record of the old pony that the sisters had once called teacher are finally translated, and his last words have finally been revealed for all to see.

Yet, their shared history is not a happy one, and even though his story ended on a fair note, a dark shadow loomed over his last remaining years. Starswirl saw many things that others could not, and though he did not live long enough to prevent the tragedies of the future, his warnings still echo from the dust.

These are his writings. The last testament of his life.

Exactly what it says on the tin, this is the account in the book that Celestia showed Alex in What I Am, and ties directly into that story. It is a bit of a spinoff, yes, but it will have importance to the story as a whole, and will be very short (only around 6-7 chapters at most), so it will not be that big of a detour.

This story is a sequel to What I Am

Much has changed since that fateful day when the remnants of the old Krin Empire attacked our two worlds.
They crashed so many ships onto Earth, destroyed our cities, killed millions, and collapsed several governments in an instant, all as a diversion from their true objective, which was the blatant mass abduction of the citizens of Equis. Lives lost, families broken, and cities burnt to the ground, all to fuel the Krin war machine and their mad quest for power and vengeance against the snakes that had wronged them.

However, that's not the end of the story, or our involvement in its unfolding. A darkness is growing in the depths of space, and even though the snakes have done their best to assure us that they will take care of it, there are so, so many on both of our planets that choose not to listen to them.

And how could I blame them? After all, every time I look in the mirror, I'm reminded of the horrors of the Krin Empire, and more importantly, the promise I made in that accursed tank that remains unfulfilled. They came for us, they struck first, and I'm not about to let that go unpunished.

Yeah, sure, it's hard for me to do it right now, since I'm just a diplomat to the people of Equis, and we don't exactly have a fleet outside of the few ships we commandeered from the krin, but trust me when I say that both of those are just temporary inconveniences.

After all, it's rather difficult to keep a monster like me behind a desk, especially not when there's a perfectly good war brewing throughout the galaxy, and that's not even counting the other humans and ponies that are all chomping at the bit, ready for some good, old-fashioned payback.

The only problem with that, though, is that, somehow, deep down, I feel like we've already lost. Call it a hunch, or a premonition, but something deep inside is telling me that we messed up when we let the general's ship get away. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but somehow, I don't think so.

After all, I know better than anyone what the krin are capable of. We might be coming for them, but that doesn't mean the reverse isn't also true. They're coming for us, too.

The only question is: Who's going to be ready first?

Given that we've only just obtained (stolen) ships capable of spaceflight, I don't think it's going to be us...

This is the beginning of the next set of books in this series that I'm tentatively calling the Soul of the Milky Way.
The title up for change, as well as suggestion. Not only that, but the title of this story, as well as the set it belongs to is also up for change and suggestion, so feel free to leave them in the comments. If you're just starting with this one, please don't. I mean, you can if you want, but there's a lot here that you won't get if you haven't read the trilogy that predates this new set of books. They are, in order:

What I've Become
What I've Done
What I Am

They're quite good, if the feedback I've gotten is anything to go by, so if you haven't read these by now, please go and do that now. Don't worry, this story will still be here when you get back...

A regular human Alex gets transferred to Equestria. Desperate to return home at first, he notices himself changing. The time comes for him to decide for Equestria destiny. Will he conform? Which path will he choose? Are Celestia's fears justified? What about the hopes of Luna and Fluttershy then?

Here is the story of a human, despite being an alien in Equestria, not being an outcast, a doormat or a toy for ponies. His misery comes from inside, painfully at first he accommodates. Equestria changes him, and time will come to return the debt.

The Equine anomaly, it sits on the edge of Federation space, largely unexplored due to the severe instabilities in the local subspace. Of those who have entered, many have reported seeing a blue equine watching their dreams.

Now the Enterprise has been sent to investigate. Peaceful contact with what is believed to be a powerful telepathic lifeform is the primary goal, but when they enter the anomaly and take a look around, there is a lot more on one small world than anyone could have predicted.

Betazed, a lavish and beautiful world. Filled with singing waterfalls, lush fields, vibrant jungles, home to billions of people. All of that beauty, culture and history, and it could all come to an end.

Diplomacy is an endless game of chess. Faced with imminent destruction, the flagship of the federation has been summoned, but can this ship and its crew save the planet? Or will the home world of Deanna Troi be lost forever? With time running out, Picard may need to take chances, risks, and make a Knights Gambit.

Wow! Featured in four hours! Thank you soooo much!

I just saw that I forgot to give attribution to those who helped with this story, starting with Kitsy-Chan for helping the basic storyline and helping to make it into a 3 dimensional story, kalash for editing, and can't forget Hart's Fire, mocha, and so many others for input on this story as I started and continued it!

Art by Andrew Gavrilov

Twilight is looking to hire guards for her castle. Derpy is looking for a new job. Lightning Dust is trying to find a way forward after her falling out with the Wonderbolts, and Flare Warden is just trying to get a position far far away from her brother.

Immense thanks to Fylifa for countless hours of editing and proofreading.
Cover art by Anchorxx

Jedi Padawan Lyra Heartstrings has been with the Jedi Order for a long time. Away from Equestria. Away from home. She cannot go back. Not because the Order is preventing her, but because her home is an undiscovered planet. There are no records of its existence, and the Republic and the Order are clueless of its whereabouts. She’s alone.

But after years of solidarity, the Force gives her a golden opportunity. One that would unravel the mystery missing homeland. She’ll have to traverse through a war-torn galaxy to reach her goal, but anything is worth the risk when her deepest desire is at stake. A chance to find Equestria. Her home.

A young human girl runs away from home with her best friend, and finds herself much further from home than she ever expected. Her arrival in Equestria will cause ripples that affect ponies from the lowest to the highest.

Meanwhile, a young Nocturne mare begins an epic quest to earn the right to clean Princess Luna's porcelain throne.
Be sure to check out the Continuation. "How to Train Your Batpony" Not a Clopfic!

Let me extend thanks to Georg for letting me play with some of his characters and situations, and for proof reading and contributing some really good lines here and there.

Secondly, I would recomend reading some of his stories to better understand the jokes and situations that pop up in my story. Most especially I would advise you read A War of Words - The Opening of the Guard and possibly Genealogy (or the mating habits of Nocturnes Pegasi) (which is very long)

A continuation of “Jake and the Kid”
Warning.
You really need to read that story first.

Goose Down wanted to be a Guard Pony more than anything else in her life, just like her Father, numerous uncles, and six big brothers. Unfortunately she was small, a Nocturne Mare, and, oh yes, had a phobic fear of the open sky.

Combined that with her mistake of getting in the wrong job application line at the palace and ending up a maid, things look very dim indeed in regards to realizing her dream.

On the plus side, she works for the Princess of Dreams. So maybe, with a little help from her friends, and a very different type of princess, she will manage to achieve her heart’s desire.

With a few minor modifications.

Proofed and contributed to by Georg, who also graciously allowed me to steal some of his better characters. Georg really needs a co-writer credit on this. He contributes so much during his pre-reading that the stories simply would not be the same without him.

Be sure to catch his Nocturne stories, especially Diplomacy by Other Means.

Tempest Shadow would be the first pony to tell you she's not worthy of friendship. All she deserves after a life spent helping the Storm King conquer and pillage is four walls, bars, and solitude. But she's getting a new life in Ponyville anyway, at the side of Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.

Tempest Shadow isn't a friendship kind of pony. She's not a party kind of pony. She's not a happy kind of pony in the least. So what could there possibly be for her in Ponyville? More than she thinks, as it turns out. Come join her as she discovers what she's truly meant to do, what she's truly worth, and who she's truly meant to be with. Her life is going to change far more than she ever would have expected.

A serial that will update as individual stories are completed. Incomplete until the whole thing is finished, but the reader is urged to keep up with uploads. Individual stories may also be comedies or adventures. Warning tags may be added as necessary. Find more stories here!

Cover art by Firimil!