In an effort to learn more about the nature of reality, Twilight Sparkle - Crown Princess of Friendship for two decades - casts a summoning spell. It doesn't backfire, at the very least.

...But it also doesn't go quite the way she expected it to.

Rated Teen for mention of - but lack of descriptions for, and precisely no use of - genitalia, as well as what might be considered gratuitous amounts of flowery-but-foul language. Characters other than those tagged may be mentioned, and if they take part in the story beyond that they will be added to the list.

Inspired by TD the Alicorn Princess by BronyWriter.
Concept refined with help from Eak, who is most definitely not to be confused with Eakin - though the latter has been a consistent inspiration to some degree or another ever since I found their work.

You've heard of the multiverse hypothesis, yeah? The one that says that our universe is just one of an infinite number of alternate realities, all separate from one another in any number of ways?

Well, Equestria is one of them. How do I know that? I accidentally discovered a hole between our two universes while I was on my way home one afternoon, thanks to little more than the whims of fate, and over the course of the next few hours I was alternately impressed and scared beyond the capacity for rational thought. Fortunately, by the time it was all winding down I'd earned an open invitation to return whenever I felt like doing so. Instead of getting drunk and forgetting the incident entirely, though? I made the choice to follow up on it.

My reasons are complicated, like most anyone's thoughts tend to be, but the short version is this: Equestria can learn from humanity, and humanity can learn from Equestria. Why not visit from time to time?

The Road Less Traveled is intended to be a series of short stories that depict how one man discovers just how powerful friendship can be. It's not much to look at right now, and it's probably rife with technical errors, but the idea just wouldn't leave Eak and myself alone, so here it is. Rest assured, the two of us do have a plan for this particular story universe.

Unfortunately, I am quite possibly the World's Slowest Writer. Hopefully your patience will be rewarded.

Rated Teen for the occasional bit of foul language, as well as the presence of alcohol and cigarettes. Character tags will be added as they appear.

07/25/2015: On Hiatus. Sorry folks, the inspiration's just not flowing. Should've done this sooner, but I'm an optimist.