It isn't easy being the only changeling in Canterlot High — fitting in is difficult, starvation is a real issue, and the fear of getting caught is always present. To make matters worse, Bug Bee has more to worry about than just himself.

Winner of the EFNW Scribblefest 2016 "Pinkie" Award

Special thanks to Malefactory and m1ntf4n for editing.

This story is a sequel to Substitute Teacher

Canterlot. Like every shining beacon, it has its dark spots. Sixteen 7-52-1 is the heroine Canterlot deserves, but doesn't know it needs.

Blatantly based on a well known Team Fortress 2 promo, rated T for mild violence.

This story is a sequel to The Trial of Faux Pas

This is not a story about tolerance. This is a story about caution.

When Cheerilee gives her class the assignment to set up a little business, Apple Bloom and her friends set out to sell apple juice. Everything looks like it'll go smoothly, until the new kid in town starts selling a drink that's insanely popular with the help of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

And Apple Bloom doesn't like it one bit. She thinks Lyra and Bon Bon have adopted a poison mixer out to brainwash Ponyville.

And no, it's not just because he's a changeling.

A/N: Yes, this is the sequel to Trial of Faux Pas, but the prologue pretty much tells you everything from that story you need to know. It's not required reading and it won't offer spoilers to this.

Note: this story has both comedic scenes and dark themes. However, since neither of these dominate in the story, they are not added as tags. This is meant to be occasionally funny, but the subject matter can get pretty dark, a little darker than what we've seen on the show.

The scenes in this story are not meant to remind you of racism, but apparently they might. This is not the author's intent nor is it the author's problem. If the notion of racism among ponies makes you uncomfortable, either avoid the story or finish it.

You have been warned.

Also, avoid comments for massive spoilers.

Chauffeur is a pony suffering a grievous streak of misfortune spanning throughout his life. Up to now he has lost his job, his family's respect, and his house. And, wouldn't you know it, a swarm of ravenous changelings sweeps across Canterlot with him stuck dead at the center of their attack. Things can't possibly get any worse than that, right?

Well, after awakening following the swarm's attack, he finds himself in a dark and foreboding place. That place happens to be where said changelings make their home. Now he lays in the care of a changeling drone named Lacewing, who had taken pity on his plight. Because of Lacewing's efforts to conceal him from her brethren's hungry jaws, Chauffeur quickly discovers a peculiar change with himself has also occurred...

Changelings were always considered to be mindless, emotionless bugs. But three changelings will change those stereotypes when they find themselves captured for research. Twilight needs to take care of these changelings if she wants to or not, but she'll find out that there's more to a changeling than meets the eye...

Edited by the wonderful Shamanim and the amazing Chrissy.

Cadance? Sigh. I should have seen this coming. I shouldn’t have fallen in love with a mare I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have become best friends with the mare I loved. And now, I can’t do anything but watch her get whisked away by my other best friend.

Even within your best of friends, there are things that you do not know about. Things that may hold truth as to why Shining Armor can dance even though he knows he can't. Changelings? Perhaps.

The male changeling Vinyl Scratch studies in Canterlot High. Unorthodox may it be to leave the hive, but granted permission from the queen, he studies there and befriends Shining Armor and Cadance.

However close he may be to them, he lives a life of lies. Can s/he withstand the pressure it is to do it? To live a double identity- a pony on the outside, a changeling within? He's Vinyl Scratch- the changeling within.

Rated T for coarse language.
Edit: Added [Romance]

This fanfic is dedicated to the men and women who serve to protect our freedom. It is dedicated to the poor souls who lost their lives on the fields of Verdun, the Somme, Gallipoli in the First World War, to those who saved us from tyranny in World War Two, and many others who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
These people are soldiers of the Free World. As such they live, and as such they die.

Scootaloo never knew her parents. When she was very young, she was left in the care of her uncle, who took care of her. But one day, she finally meets her father.

Inspired by this fanart: https://that1andonly.deviantart.com/art/Surprise-Scootaloo-347308063
Its author, THAT1ANDONLY, kindly gave me permission to use his piece as a thumbnail. God Bless him.

NB: The show is probably going to address the subject of Scootaloo's family, so this story is going to get the AU tag sooner or later.

Novel Tale is an author that's been living in Canterlot for about ten years now. That's a pretty good track record for a changeling. He's even included a changeling character in his latest book, and his fans have been loving his take on such an obscure mythological creature, especially his biggest fan, Twilight Sparkle. Things are looking up!

Then an army of changelings from another hive attacks Canterlot.

Now all of ponykind knows that changelings are real, and his readers are sure to realize that the changeling in his book was too similar to the real thing to have just been based on a myth...

earlier chapters have been revised as of 7/19/13 to be more inline quality wise with the later chapters.

Featured on EQD 10/5/13!

Let it be known that there will be extensive changeling world building in the chapters to come.

cover image courtesy of ackdari.

Much thanks to Nyerguds for proofreading and to all my fellow tropers on the TvTropes pony fanfiction thread for helping me develop this from a vague idea into an actual story.

Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle. My brothers are Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Guard, and a dragon named Spike that I hatched when I was little. I have five friends that help me wield the Elements of Harmony, artifacts that protect Equestria from evil. I have a few other friends that are less important, but still great ponies nonetheless.

One catch, though. I am also a changeling Queen, and the friends and family I just mentioned are all my subjects, and children as well. They don't even know it, but everything's working out alright, so no reason to tell them! After all, it's not like a giant wave of love energy could suddenly reveal all the changelings in Canterlot, right? Right?

Part 1, Revelation: Twilight Sparkle meets an old enemy that reveals a secret she's kept since she was named.

Part 2, Recollection: The Elements of Harmony try to get to the truth of the matter, changeling Queens begin their game of chess, Queen Citlali takes her Hive and runs from Canterlot.

Part 3, Reformation: Queen Citlali begins to grow her hive, Whitetail Hive takes some time to get used to the news, Princess Cadance dreams of a dark creature.

May 11-15, 2017: Featured for the maximum time... whoa.

Pinkie Pie has mystified Discord for a long time. How is it that she can regularly break the laws of physics, be everywhere at once, and never run out of energy? In many ways, she reminds him of his own abilities. That gets him thinking about things, and a lightbulb goes off in his head.

This brainstorming gives Discord a rather interesting theory, one he's eager to find out if it's correct. If so, it would delight him to no end. Of course, he has to put his theory to the test, in the way only a draconequus can.

It might be a good idea to pray for Pinkie's safety right about now.

Edited with the help of Salnalus.