Caramel wasn't always a Changeling, but he's going to become one. And he's going to do it for the sake of his very special somepony.

Pancake Oregano Crackpot III is a strange pony. He is a pegasus who only has one right wing, a glass left eye, and a small room at a home for "special" ponies. What exactly happened? How did Crackpot lose his wing, his eye and his mind? (Heck if I know.)

This fic is based on the "Ask Crackpot" Tumblr by RomanRazor.

EDIT: Featured on Equestria Daily.

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One of Equestria's greatest traits is tolerance. Every pony, whether Unicorn, Pegasus, or Earth, is accepted for who they are, and have their own parts to play in keeping Equestria running.

But what if an Earth pony decided he didn't want to play his assigned part? What if he wanted to rise above everyone else and become an Alicorn? Such a thing is possible... but the path to fulfilling one's dreams is never simple. Risks must be taken. Sacrifices must be made. And the question is always asked: How far would you go to get what you wanted? And would you be willing to pay a terrible price to get it?

Derpy Hooves is secretly a changeling.

Nopony particularly notices, or cares.

(New 9/15/19: Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi! Thank you!)

At 3:15 AM, Adams woke me with a loud knock on my front door.
"Put your boots on," he said when I answered. "There's a biblical monster in my house."

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A Visual Companion, by the author
Interview with the author, from the Royal Canterlot Library.
Audiobook by Robin Jacks and Wubcake.
Audiobook by Scribbler.
In-depth analysis by the Heroic Tales cast.
Literary Analysis by ScarletWeather.
Special thanks to GaryOak.
Reviews:
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Dusk Shine's dreams are haunted by a strange mare who looks remarkably like him. He wants nothing more than to meet her, but has no idea how.

Twilight Sparkle cannot help but feel that something is missing, and only somepony she cannot see and cannot find knows the answer.

Both of them are about to learn a powerful secret of their worlds and the magic that surrounds them. Neither will like what they find.

Hopes. Dreams. Aspirations. They're what everyone survives, and even thrives, on. What happens, then, when hopes and dreams are dashed? When something so monumentally destructive and life-changing occurs, and dreams, hopes, even ponies' lives are thrown into turmoil, where can solace be found? When somepony's entire world comes crumbling around them, who can they turn to for support? What can they do when everything they once had is shattered?

When Twilight was young, she used to sit on the balcony and look down at the statues in the royal garden. At the strange creatures of fur and armour and feathers and horns, and just...wonder on them.
And out of all of them, out of the unique draconequus and the rare Cyclops and the terrifying Invention Monkey, one particular statue always caught her eye.
Four...blocky, for lack of a better word, knights. Frozen in perfect formation, their heads hidden deep within the confines of their helmets. Each one stuck in the same pose, for as long as she'd known them.
And beneath them, engraved into the stone they were a part of, was a simple message.
"Wake us when something fun happens or Celestia stops being a bitch, whichever comes first."

Now with tropes page, all thanks to Eyeshield. Good work, buddy.

In the middle of the night, Princess Cadence and her husband are woken by the news that a Changeling drone has been captured. The creature is alone and unaggressive, showing no wish to attack or change shape. Its fate is decided without much difficulty--as an obvious reject of the Swarm and a threat to Cadence's people, it must be destroyed.
But this is no ordinary drone. It can speak, and appears to be separate from the hive mind of the Swarm. It claims to have been sent as an ambassador--Chrysalis, queen of the Changelings, wants to forge an alliance with Cadence's kingdom.
But why now? Why send this strangely intelligent drone? And how will Cadence's people react to learning that their rulers are harboring a Changeling?

WARNING: Contains an OC, much headcanon speculation, and possibly violence/gore further in.

(Image courtesy of the talented Hero, my good friend and artist.)

Twilight writes to Princess Celestia for an explanation of an insidious issue Shining Armor told her about... but she ends up finding a secret that will change her life forever.

Short and thoughtful, with just a little pinch of humor to liven things up.
Simulcast en Espaniol
Many thanks to my proofreaders and pre-readers, Kolth, Sky Warden, and Colt, all from MLP Forums.