A damaged robot pony, unlike anything ever seen in pre-industrial Equestria, is found in the orchard. Before it collapses, it says only two words: "Twilight Sparkle..."

Twilight fixes the mechanical mare and gives her a new directive: "Make friends." Now a robot must learn what it takes to be a good friend and, while she's at it, what it means to live...

Featured on Equestria Daily (11/22/15) and The Goodfic Bin! (3/20/16)!
Featuring illustrations by Colby Green (Illustration Gallery found HERE.)
Editors: GaPJaxie,The Knight Templar, GenerousGhibli, E3gner, and Reese.
Technical Consultants: Artichoke Lust and JFalk.

Now with its own TV Tropes page!

Sunset Shimmer is having the worst day of her life. She used to be important. She was the personal student of Princess Celestia. She was a future leader of Equestria. She was the kind of mare that everypony envied.

Today, it's all crashing down around her.

Alternate Universe: What if Sunset Shimmer hadn't gone through the mirror?

[Complete! With TVTropes apparently!]
Also, apparently, an animated trailer.

In a world of brass and steam, Twilight Sparkle had thought she had made a life-changing discovery with the invention of the telescope. For better or worse, she was correct.

Now her discovery has not only changed her life, but the lives of those she seeks out in her desperate attempt to contact the only other creature as lonely as Twilight herself.

It all would have been much simpler, but it had to be the one Twilight could only call The Mare on the Moon.

Decidedly not within walking distance, then.

[Featured on EQD before story was meant to be submitted. 4/03/2015]

[Editing team: Southpaw, Wolfvenom, Maskedferret, SwanSong and BluePaladin42, without whom this story would be a fraction of its current state.]
[Special thanks to Novel-Idea for the updated cover]

I used to be a human, but then I pissed off a wizard. Now I'm stuck in "Ponyville", in a land called "Equestria", and with no apparent way back home. I'm also pretty sure that I've just replaced somepony. I'd rather not have to answer any tricky questions, so I'm better off trying to be this unicorn whose name has been forced onto me.

My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm not a pony.

[Rated Teen for extensive use of vulgar language and sexual references.]

[Cover art made by richhap on deviant art. Unamused Twilight, go figure.]

[Brybrythesciguy is working on a cool audiobook of this story right HERE. The characters' voices are even simulated with an AI! I definitely recommend giving it a listen!]

Twilight Sparkle is reading a book she can't seem to put down. It's not even a very good one, as the author keeps on writing directly to the alicorn. For three days now this is all she has done, as her friends desperately try and find her. Oddly, the author of the book knows more about Twilight than most... even if their only goal appears to be her death.

Everyone knows Fluttershy is the kindest, most gentle, loving pony in all of Equesteria. What they don't know is that she's also a killer. To protect Equestria from the true monsters, Fluttershy has learned how to kill, to be ruthless, all in the name of protecting her friends from harm.

This is the story of Fluttershy, and how she learned to be cruel.

Twilight Sparkle has too much magic, and it will take her decades to learn to control it. Her spectacular loss of control during her entrance exam only proves that fact. She is a danger to herself and others.

After Sunset Shimmer’s disappearance, Princess Celestia needs a new student to bear The Element of Magic to defeat Nightmare Moon. With all of Equestria at stake, Twilight Sparkle…is not the pony she needs.

Princess Celestia seals Twilight Sparkle’s magic with the distant promise of one day teaching her.

But there are two diarchs of Equestria. Amidst a lucid dream, an offer is made.

“Hello, Twilight. Would you like to be my student?”

Cover art provided by Lafiir.

Ponyville is seen as a quaint little town by those who live there, and for Twilight Sparkle, it has all she needs with her friends by her side. When a stranger that she is familiar with comes into town, she finds herself questioning as to what to do and how to accept a secret they have held from her since they meet.

Sometimes, friendship is tested by what your willing to see as truth or lies. But how can one trust those who live with using masks to hide both lies and truth?

EDIT: Please note, the original story will not be continued, please refer to this blog post for updates on the future of the project.

Twilight Sparkle has never felt so lonely. After what happened at her brother’s wedding rehearsal she can’t but question her friends’ worth, and once she starts doubting one part of her life, second thoughts about the rest soon follow.

Some dilemmas can’t be solved alone, but luckily for her they don’t have to be as she meets an unusual new friend who encourages her to "go another route" and help her purge the very sin that Twilight experienced from this world.

Now, she works towards a new goal. Pretending nothing had changed she goes on with her everyday life, but secretly gathers new allies for her cause. Finding them is however just the beginning.

This is an alternate storyline that takes place during season 3, starting from the season 2 finale. This story assumes you are caught up with the show at these points. If you have not watched the season 2 finale or season 3, I suggest you watch those or at least read a summery before reading this story. This project ignores season 4 and Rainbow Rocks.

Special thanks to Corwin Freiss, former co-author of the original story.

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