“I’m not saying the codex is fraudulent or anything like that,” stated a purple unicorn with a striped violet mane as the door opened, and she took a few steps inside, flanked by the green-eyed mechanical equine she kept as her personal assistant.

She was grateful that the Council session had gone as well as it had, but knew that their minor victory was overshadowed by the enormity of the challenges that her kind now faced. One of these issues in particular had been nagging at the back of her mind for the better part of the day, which she shared with her assistant.

“I mean, since everypony’s knowledge of the galaxy only comes second-hoof from Equestria’s databanks, most of the entries have really proven useful for filling in the gaps. But with all that’s happening, we can’t exactly expect the Institute not to censor anything we tell them. On that note, I was wondering if maybe you could maintain a personal record of what’s going on. Something so that after all this is over, we can all have an impartial view of the events as they actually happened…”

The cybernetic changeling drone’s expression remained blank as it looked to his latest “owner,” giving no indication of what was transpiring in his digital brain.

“…Do you think that you could do that, Forty-Two?” the unicorn finished, showing her assistant a hopeful smile.

The synthetic Changeling Class mech facing the Madam President of the newly-recognized “Equestrian Herd” blinked, the green light emanating from his crystalline eyes winking out briefly to simulate a wholly organic reaction.

Literally in the blink of an eye, the operation was done. The mech’s optics turned back on after the momentary power diversion and the image of the lavender hued unicorn stood before him, her expression curious as she awaited a response.

“Oh…” the drone known as Forty-Two of Fifty shrugged his shoulders, the servos and gears eliciting a slight whirring as they did so. “I’m sure I can throw something together, Twi.”

“I know you can get it done. Take all the time you need.” Twilight Sparkle nodded, letting out a sigh as she considered the events of that day. She trotted slowly over to the couch of the small Presidium apartment she had been allowed to use for the duration of her business with the Council. “I still can’t believe that Councilor Sparatus voted against us.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons, Twilight.”

“Like what? Why would he possibly vote against the rest of the Council in granting our people endangered status?” The Madam President planted herself in the seat, a cross look on her face. “I’ll tell you why: He thinks that because we honestly believe in the Reaper threat, we’re either dangerous, or crazy. Or both.”

Twilight let out a dejected sigh. “Granted, the rest of the Council except for Anderson thinks the same thing, but Sparatus is only doing this out of spite.”

Accessing Citadel Department of Transportation records

Search parameters: Councilor Gladior Sparatus - registered vehicles

...

Search complete: 1 result

“Nassaria 9000 XL Personal Luxury Shuttle, Registration Numeral: 102938, Color: Gold. Registered under Councilor Gladior Sparatus. Estimated value: eight hundred thousand credits.”

“It’s probably because of the Commander...” the unicorn continued while Forty-Two listened patiently. “The Council doesn’t exactly approve of Shepard right now, or his ideas. And given how readily we support him, it’s not surprising that Sparatus would choose to get at him by going through us.”

“Twilight... are you familiar with the human concept of ‘karma’?” the mech interrupted her, causing the horned equine to lean up from her resting position and give the mech a curious, suspicious look.

“Yes... Why?”

The mech’s luminescent eyes shifted slightly, giving off the appearance of acute amusement as he terminated his connection to the extranet.

“Just curious.”

Author's Notes:

Author’s Foreword

And so begins the tale of Twilight Sparkle and the Equestrians as they enter the universe of Mass Effect.

This story is a direct sequel to Mass Effect 2: The Equestrian Equation, requested by popular demand by you, the fans.

As before, the readers shall direct the course of the story, although there will be a few differences between Shades of Twilight and Equestrian Equation which will be as follows.

The Setting

Shades of Twilight takes place during the interim between Mass Effect 2 and 3, chronicling the trials and tribulations of Twilight Sparkle and the Equestrian Herd as they try to adapt to life in the greater galaxy. The majority of this story will take place on the Citadel, and the scenes will jump from time to time as we expedite the passing of weeks or months to focus on the most important points of the tale.

The Rules

Mass Effect: Shades of Twilight is an interactive story in which readers will designate the path the Equestrian Race by majority vote. In order to try and maintain a steady post rate, the voting period will be reduced to three days from the day of publishing (as opposed to a week as it was with Equestrian Equation). At which time I will tally the votes and announce the winner in the comments.

I also appreciate a certain amount of commentary along with the vote choice, as I tend to thrive on the feedback of readers and what they think of the story. Don’t think your opinion doesn’t matter, as it’s possible that, with enough support, additional options could open up, and the consequences of certain choices might be altered.

If you are not sure if you have made it in time for the voting, PLEASE check the chapter comments for a finalizing vote tally. Until I post the tally, you may consider your vote valid. After it is posted, voting is officially over.

Choices, Assets, and the Codex

Throughout the story, Twilight, as the undisputed leader of the Equestrians, will be confronted by two types of story altering options which you, the readers, shall decide on: Choices and Directive Decisions

Choices are the immediate decisions that will decide the course of the story and be made at the end of each chapter, having an instant impact on events that can affect everything from how the Equestrians are perceived by other species, to whether some ponies live or die.

Directive Decisions shall be peppered throughout the stories and logged by Forty-Two as requiring Twilight’s approval, decision, or dismissal. From mediating disagreements between herd members and aliens to influencing what direction certain groups shall take within the Herd. These decisions do not have an immediate effect, however, over time the results will become apparent both in the story and in the assets available to the Herd as these decisions bear fruit.

It is important to understand that unlike Shepard, Twilight’s Choices and Directive Decisions are not bound by the moral restraints of “Paragon” and “Renegade.” That is to say: Just because a choice seems morally more upstanding does not automatically make it the best choice. And by the same token, a harsh or more confrontational approach does not always lead to poor results. As a leader to her people, Twilight must be able to be both kind and firm when required.

Both Choices and Directive Decisions will be logged in the Author’s Notes of each chapter for clarity and review.

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Assets will function much as they do in Mass Effect 3, keeping track of the victories, failures, and status of the Equestrian Species as they attempt to consolidate themselves. As in life, not all outcomes can be easily predicted and good intentions will not always lead to benefits for the Herd.

Assets will be tracked at the bottom of the Codex Blog, which is described below and shall have an impact in both Shades of Twilight and Mass Effect 3: Harmony for All, the planned follow-up to this story.

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Forty-Two of Fifty, The Madam President’s personal assistant mech, has established the Equestrian Codex for members of the Herd to access at their leisure. This shall be an evolving project maintained by Forty-Two throughout the story with specific updates grouped by the chapter they appear in order to avoid unintentional spoilers.

New readers are asked to please read up to the relevant chapter before delving into that section of the Codex, and reading further entries may result in spoilers, so be warned before going in too far.

As a parting message I simply ask:

Please comment early and often.
If you favorite, PLEASE click the “Like” button as well. There’s no reason not to, it’s literally right next to the thing.

Enjoy.