//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: T.R.O.T.T.E.R. Shadow of Everfree 
// by DancingOnTheAshes 
//------------------------------//

Twenty years ago, Equestria changed forever.

Nopony knows the source of the Event or why it happened... some say that an object crashed onto Equestria, others speculate that something awoke deep within the crust of the planet... no matter the reason for the origin of the Zone; the area was soon ringed with fencing and magical barriers to contain the spread of the magical anomalies that it birthed. Royal guards now patrol the perimeter, stopping anypony from entering the forbidden area with all but lethal force.

The area within this perimeter is filled with death traps, both pony placed and generated by the zone itself, magical anomalies, magi-mutated creatures, treasures, and nightmares. Taking a single hoofstep is potentially lethal, and ignorance is the major cause of death.

Yet, even with these things to consider, the Zone is host to hundreds of pony, griffin, and diamond dog inhabitants, all illegal trespassers and all there for different reasons. Some are there for fame, some for fortune, and others because they have nowhere else to go... except further in.





This story is entirely fictional, and based on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games and the 1979 Russian film Stalker. I am, as of writing, reading the novel Roadside Picnic, the source inspiration for both the movie, and the original 2007 game.