This story is a sequel to The Best of All Possible Worlds

In school, everypony learns about the official history of Equestria, the acts of heroes and villains that made the world what it is today. But at home, everypony learns another, secret history, about how their family and theirs alone is at the center of Equestria's history, and how without them, the world will fall apart. This Hearth's Warming Eve, Twilight Sparkle and their friends will share their secret histories, and in this way discover that the bonds between them reach back far earlier than Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom.

This is a follow-up to my earlier story, "The Best of All Possible Worlds". That story was set centuries in the past, while this story is present day. If you're wondering where the humans came from, see another side story that is otherwise unrelated to this, "Parade Coverage". Despite that, I expect that this story stands alone. The story's set in an alternate-universe Season Three that branched off early in Season Two.

This story is a sequel to The Best of All Possible Worlds

For generations, humanity has dreamed of discovering intelligent life out in the stars. To say that ending that search in downtown Pasadena was a surprise would be an understatement.

Princess Luna had herself a simple mission: Track Twilight Sparkle and her friends through a malfunctioning portal to Earth, and get them out without being noticed. Luna had no desire to establish permanent relations, or even to stay and talk. After all, both princesses were convinced from previous experience that humans were nothing but trouble.

It appears that both parties have much to learn about each other.

Present-day follow-up to "The Best of All Possible Worlds". "Alternate Universe" tag is because it pretty quickly diverges from Season Two continuity.

The royal court of Canterlot welcomes its newest member with open forelegs: the human philosopher Voltaire, from Earth.

On Earth, Voltaire is known as the greatest enemy of tyranny in the history of literature, and a legend in his own mind.

On Equestria, the court betting pool is giving him a week before the Princess banishes him to the Moon.

Note: This story doesn't have sequels per se, but there are a couple of short follow-ups set in the present day ("Parade Coverage" and "Secret Histories"), and a prequel of sorts in "At the Inn of the Prancing Pony".

TV Tropes page.

This story is a sequel to What I've Become

It is highly recommended that you read What I've Become before you read this story, since this is the second story in The Humanity Within Trilogy, and you will be lost if you just plunge into this without any preparation.

Also, this story already has a sequel: What I Am!

Things have been turning up roses for me lately. I'm no longer fighting to survive, I have people that I can turn to, and I have my face back, all because of the kindness shown to me by strangers.
But will they continue to help me once they find out what dark secrets haunt my past? Will they shun me for the evil deeds that my abductors forced me to do while I was in their service? Will they continue to protect me from the monsters that destroyed my life, once they realize what kind of monster I really am?
How does one forgive a murderer?
WOOT! Feature the day it came out! (how did that happen?) 12/1/2014
Edited by Malefactory. He is fantastic at this kind of thing!
Proofread by Cantankerous. He's freaking amazing.
Also proofread by PhiliChez.
Cover Image done by the very talented PaintSplotch! You can find his FimFic account here.
And here is his DeviantArt Account!

This is the first book of The Humanity Within Trilogy. Its sequel is What I've Done.

I wasn't always like this, a monster, running through the woods on an alien planet. I was once a man. I had dreams, a girlfriend, and a great job.
Then They came. In the middle of the night, They scooped me from my home, and... changed me.

Now I'm a beast, a demon the like of which the world I've become stranded on has never seen before, scraping by on the fringes of society, hiding from the natives, and doing my best to avoid notice.

After all, who could ever be friends with a monster?

Cover Image done by the very talented PaintSplotch! You can find his FimFic account here.
And here is his DeviantArt Account!
Now 100% approved by Twilight's Library!
Mad props to my prereaders:
ThatPonyWithASword.
Admiral Applejack.
JXWheeler

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!)

Lovely new cover art courtesy of Dilarus.

Octavia Melody is in a bit of a spot. Life on the Manehattan Space Station isn't easy for most ponies to begin with, but when your BitCard balance is zeroed out and you're living meal to meal? It starts to feel like things couldn't get much worse.

The problem is that that sort of thinking only invites more trouble.

When Octavia suddenly finds herself stuck in the middle of a plot that could destroy the whole of the Grand Equestrian Empire, the source of her next meal is going to be the least of her concerns. Now she must find the Elements of Harmony, unravel the secrets of the Empire, save the universe, and, just maybe, find a way to make some friends.

Quick thanks to my group at the Artist/Writer Collab panel at BABSCon. Without us bouncing ideas around, this story wouldn't be happening!

Also want to thank my stable of pre-readers/editors. So yeah, thanks to The P-Man, Alun Aleriksson, Jack of Most Trades, and Sir Alex. Y'all are wonderful.

Featured on Equestria Daily 12/10/2014! Couldn't have done it without all of my lovely pre-readers, and, of course, my lovely readers.

What happens, happens. I think that is one of the rules of Causality as stated by the late, great Douglas Adams. It is a pretty important rule and I use it to guide me through life, no matter what goes on in it. So, when I was driving to an out of town job and found myself in another world, I did my best to take everything in stride.

I would be the first to say the adjustment is not easy. Especially, when the first thing you do is make yourself a pony distrusted, disliked and defamed by some national heros. Thinking about that, I think I have to invoke another Douglas Adams quote. "Don't Panic."

--

This is the result of me getting bored one day and starting writing. Now that I got a bit of it done, I wouldn't mind honest opinions, and flame away if you feel the need. I have thick skin.

As you might notice, there are a few chapters with a box at the top. These are the ones that my editor and I went through again, and hopefully improved. I'll refrain from changing plot but spelling, grammar and flow are all up for grab. Especially for the early chapters.

This isn't where I belong. I left all this behind years ago, moved on with my life. But a mare from my past brought me back, and now she won't let me go. So I'm stuck here, trying to make the best of it with ponies that don't understand me, don't even like me. But when something moves in the darkness, and when things go wrong in the cold, dead night, they'll turn to me to try to set things right.

Why? Because once a police pony, always a police pony.
~~
This is a spin-off story to 'Why am I Pinkie Pie?!', and will contain spoilers for that story, but it's not necessary to read that story to understand this one.
Cover art by the talented Conicer
Need more Cinnamon Swirl? Merlos the Mad wrote a fanfic of this story!

There is now a side-story: A Hard Day's Nightmare Night

A crossover story between My Little Marriage and Project: Sunflower. The story takes place after Chapter 30 of Project: Sunflower and before Chapter 22 of My Little Marriage. Contains minimal spoilers for both stories. Co-written by Merlos the Mad and Hoopy McGee.
~~
Two completely different worlds, two very different women:

Mary Morris is an ordinary wife and mother who woke up as a pony one strange day. Since then, she's been struggling to retain her sanity and deal with her new body, all while hoping to find a way to change back.

Erin Olsen is part of a project to investigate the newly discovered world of Equestria. Using advanced nanotechnology, she was turned into a pony in order to better fit in with the local population.

After a test of new world-traveling technology goes wrong, these two meet up and have sandwiches.
~~
This story is a collaboration between Hoopy McGee and Merlos the Mad.
Pre-reading, editing and general suggestions given by Ludicrous Lycan and Firebirdbtops
Original art by Conicer and modified (text and Santa hats added) by Merlos the Mad.