Hi there, my name's Abel, I'm the new changeling on the block.
Been living in Ponyville for three years. Been here a year before Twilight and managed to make a name for myself as a darn good accountant that goes by the name of Balanced Books.
Even got along with each of the Bearers pretty well. Well enough that Twilight decided to invite me along for her brother's wedding.
Getting past that shield the first time wasn't fun. Figuring out the plot behind the wedding, also not fun.
Did I happen to mention that any and all changelings who are NOT a part of Chrysalis' Hive Mind have a VERY good reason to hate her? Me moreso than most?
Yeah, that was torture.
Now all I have to do is explain to the bucking princessess about my true nature and pray to, well, them, that I'll be allowed to return to my life as Books.
Wish me luck, my interrogator is here.
Cover art provided by jjamess10

TVTropes page yay!A human arrives with a house in Ponyville. The Mane Six, and Princess Luna must deal with this new arrival. But not everyone agrees how it should be handled, not everyone agrees on what danger it represents, or the benefit it can be to Equestria.

The inhabitant must also deal with the new rules and conventions of this new world it knows nothing about, as well as the mystery of its appearance, and the incongruities of its arrival.
TVTropes page yay!

In an Equestria that predates the return of the princess of the night, in a time when princess Mi Amore Cadenza has just got her cutie mark, and subsequently her alicornhood. In an era so close to our time, yet so far in the past. An earth pony not native to Equestria stood in front the princess of the sun. His scars are many, standing proud as testament to the fierce battles he fought. However, if there was any pride in his past, he was not showing it. Instead he was bowing, begging for asylum. And his reasons were none too clearer, a filly in his shadow and a foal on his back.

That was the start of the legend known as the colt of the castle. After many years since that day, it became custom to find a young earth pony colt moseying around the castle with no watcher over him. He would stroll about aimlessly among the greatest and the brightest of Equestria, be they guards or scholars, always listening, always learning, and forever sharing whatever knowledge came across his pass.

However that leisure lifestyle of his will soon be shattered when a certain filly moves into the castle as Celestia’s protégé after hatching a dragon egg then turning the hatchling into an adult with a blink of an eye, a filly under the name of Twilight Sparkle.

Some clarifications before you start:

If it wasn't clear enough in the description, yes, this story takes place before the event of the series and will end before the beginning of its events. Because of that it did not warrant an AU tag in my opinion.

I was struggling between adventure and slice of life, but chose adventure because of the nature of the events are too over the top for slice of life.

I am still unsure if a tragedy tag is needed or not.

What inspired this story was the thought: "what would make a child to reject all forms of friendship in a world such as mlp?" Season 1 episode 1 Twilight was adamant that she did not need friends after all, what made her reach that conclusion, but still accept other friends quite readily?

Finally, I'd implore you dear readers if you dislike my story, I'd be very grateful if you told me why as well

Cover Art done by the amazing mix-up You can be dazzled in all of it's glory.

Elias Bright is a survivor. He has survived the end of the world. He has survived the deaths of his family. He has survived the death of all that he has built. On the run from a past that haunts him to his core, he finds himself in Equestria, a land of tranquility and peace. Elias now has a choice. Does he give up the only life he has known, that of a survivor, and settle with the ponies of Equestria, or will his past deeds come to drag him back into the dark past he has tried to bury?

Idol Hooves holds a special place in Equestria. He's probably the only exiled changeling to serve in the Royal Guard, or at least, that's what he expects, as exiles don't really broadcast that fact. However, it's well known that Princess Celestia loves all of her little ponies, and her guards perhaps more so, and that makes it one of the best ways for a changeling to discreetly feed.

But how does a changeling even get there, let alone get exiled in the first place? For that matter, why would it ever go to Canterlot? Set a number of years before the series proper, before Luna’s redemption, Idol details how he was exiled, the ponies he’s met, and the series of misadventures that led him to joining the Royal Guard, and should continue a good ways into the series, as something of an alternate perspective.

Soon, he’ll have to deal with a boisterous new princess to serve and a royal wedding in the works bringing a third to power. Will his old instincts bring this new life crashing down around him? What precipitates Chrysalis’s ill-fated assault on Canterlot? Is it really so wrong for a changeling to enjoy good craftsmanship to an obsessive degree?

New cover art provided by the fantastic Carnifex

And a TVTropes page here.

And an Ask Blog of questionable canonity!
Out of Idol Curiosity

Fanart by Norad2! Major thanks! Short For a Royal Guard

Art by Egophiliac of Idol and his Daring Duckie Please don't tell him what that brush is meant for.

Rating updated to (T), it's a bit darker than (E)
Comedy Tag added as well
And changed the character tags a bit.

It's the oldest chocolate shop in Equestria, the very first -- and on this night, it's also out of business. The final treats have been sold, the vultures have already begun to circle the equipment, and the proprietor polishes the remains out of pure habit while wondering what to do with her life. But that question will have to wait, as she has one more customer to take care of.

The very first.

(A stand-alone, no-prior-reading necessary part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.
Cover art by Pikamander2.

Twilight Sparkle always thought that friendship (and by association, magic) was the strongest force in the universe. But what happens when she finds something even stronger?

This story brought to you by my patreon supporter: Josephi Krakowski

Cover Art provided by the illustrious Mix-up (who is also open for commissions and always a great pleasure to work with)

Baked Bean is but one of the thousands of tourists in Canterlot, and he's looking for some inspiration to help launch his writing career. To this end, he pays a visit to the Royal Gardens, but while there he quickly and quite accidentally invokes a long-forgotten law that will completely upend his life and thrust him into the spotlight...

As Celestia's husband.

And all this because of noses.

As seen on Equestria Daily!

With an audio reading by Fire Hearth Studios!

Cover art graciously provided by the Right Most Awesome Backlash91!
Original cover art provided the Right Most Awesome Sipioc!

Proofreading and prereading services provided by Georg, Sipioc, and Moon Fire!

Fan Art for this story can be found right here!

A most worthy review by Cyonix!

This story is a sequel to The Face I'll Wear

Dear Small Pony Book,

Hello. My name is Thorax. I am a changeling formerly of the Badlands Hive, ruled by the terrible Queen Chrysalis. Nowadays, I am fortunate to call the Crystal Empire home, and their Royal Family my friends.

Since I'm rather new to living in pony society—without orders to infiltrate, of course—my new friends have been doing their very best to help me get acclimated to this strange, alien way of life. To this end, Princess Cadence has instructed me to tell you of my experiences so that we might use this as time to reflect together. However, I do find it strange. How am I to discuss my day to day interactions with a book? Especially one without a name? You can't not have a name, that would just be rude. So, I will just have to figure one out for you.

I'm not sure why Cadence is laughing at that, or why Shining Armor is groaning. This is a very serious issue.

These ponies are strange. But I don't think I'd have them any other way.

A little thing for me to fiddle with when I'm bored. Updates will likely be sporadic. Tagged as a prequel/sequel to The Face I'll Wear because it will explore some of the same themes and will show events before and after the story.

Preread by Timaeus.