Rarity has a secret hobby that she'll never tell a single soul about ... until her friends come barging in.

A lighthearted and touching story about secret freedom and following your dreams ... with the help of your friends.

Cover image vector custom made for this story by Thak.
My thanks to him for creating it, and my apologies for taking so long in doing so.

Audio reading by CaptainBron3y.

When I awoke in this horrifying and multicoloured world, I thought my life was going to be pretty bad, but I never imagined it would get this bad. Being locked up in a cage, taken from town to town amusing the folk that live there and having a beast of a ringmaster is a living nightmare.

Funny thing is: I'm an insomniac.

This story is a sequel to The Dresden Fillies: False Masks

It's been a while since the girls have seen their good friend Harry Dresden. Discord escaped, Luna attended her first Nightmare Night, the Royal Wedding was crashed by hordes of changelings, and Pinkie Pie threw a statistically improbable number of parties. They tried inviting Dresden, but between his new job and new apprentice, he always claimed to be too busy. The solution was obvious; if he couldn't come to his friends, they needed to go visit him. Besides, they say Earth is lovely this time of year. What could go wrong?

Meet Lisa, the slender woman. After being sent to Equestria by a weird course of events, well, lets just say there's a new monster in the Everfree. What adventures could possibly unfold as Lisa embraces what she has become? A savior, that looks like a demon.

Hey everyone! I'M WRITING A NEW STORY!!! Reason? Well, you'll find out. I will say that this story will be heavily connected with A Displaced Machine and A Displaced Dragon.

Wow we got featured pretty quickly! 8/3/15!

When Twilight comes back from her week long visit to her brother's house, she finds out that everything has changed. Canterlot High is babbling about some magic girl from another world, but Twilight knows better. There's no such thing as magic, or portals into other worlds.

Right?

EDIT: Wow. Never expected the feature. And by the way, thank you for anyone who commented with a consructive criticism. I'll be reading as many as I can and keeping them all in mind for the future chapters as well as going back to edit the past ones periodically. Enjoy the story!

EDIT 2: Went into the first chapter and tried to fix up the 'Twilight did X' issue that many people commented on. (Thank you to those who did.) Hopefully it is a bit more readable now.

EDIT 3: After fan feedback on a massive error I made where Princess Cadence was an out of control lunatic, I rewrote the Twilight meets Twilight scene so that it flows better and actually stays in character. Thank you for anyone who made a comment about this, I am listening to your feedback and writing my future chapters accordingly. (If there are any more of these, I'm going to keep these in a changelog in a blog post.)

Applebloom just wanted to spend a day with her friends, crusading for her cutie mark. Instead, she found something even deeper and more troubling about herself. Turns out she's not even a member of the Apple Family by blood. In fact, she's not even truly native to Equestria! She's an alien! An alien robot no less!

Now Applebloom will have to deal with the reality of her origins and try to cope with them and her newfound abilities as she moves towards her future; a future that just might never come to be if her new foes have anything to say about it. Decepticons are, after all, a monstrous cabal.

Now, it's up to Applebloom to light Equestria's darkest hour.

Cover image credit goes to Inspectornills

NO LONGER BEING UPDATED! Stories will continue in Past Conditional!

Present Perfect's Award-Winning Platefic, aka The Zebra Manuscript, aka "Where Do Fillies Come From?" (Beyond Random): There is really no explanation for this.

The Nether Apple (Dark, Human): I once ran a Tumblr called Ask the Nether Apple, with all of two posts, a spinoff of the better Ask the Derpmuffin. I wanted to post the introduction story here for posterity. Not pony-related, and knowledge of Ask the Derpmuffin is recommended.

It Was a Bright and Sunny Day in Ponyville (Random, Adventure): An exercise in mocking purple prose and the 'weather report' opening. It is a single, grammatically correct sentence that takes 500 words to accomplish what happens in the title.

Twilight's Guts (Dark, Random): Twilight awakens covered in her own entrails. How did that happen?

The 6th Step (Human): I overcome my fear of heights with the help of some friendly ponies in my head. A true story.

Movin' on Up (Random): The walls start shakin', the earth is quakin', Dr. Whooves' mind is achin' and what the bloody hell is actually going on?

A Very Nasty Habit (Random): Chrysalis is confronted by a Councillor worried about her health. How did changelings get those holes in their legs, anyway?

The Call of Carrothulhu (Dark, Crossover): Carrot Top's garden hides many wonders, but some were never meant to be pulled from the earth.

Blue, Green, Purple, Pink (Dark): My mane is lovely, don't you think? So many colors, swirling, never ending, constantly shifting, always in my field of vision. Help.

Waiting for Rarity (Sad): Rarity is off pursuing her dreams. What does this mean for her friends?

War Comes to Equestria (Dark): Celestia has spent countless lifetimes honing Equestria into a peaceful haven for her little ponies. So when an ambassador from the griffins casually speaks of war, it is understandable that she might become a tad... peeved. Inspired by The Descendent's excellent story "A Cup of Joe". Somehow.

The Lamentation Chain (Sad, Random): Five souls find themselves caught in a common thread of sadness and longing on the eve of the new year.

The Heart Holds Grudges With Gravity (Random, Crossover): Applejack and Rarity have had a long-standing feud since before Twilight even knew them. The time has finally come to settle the score.

Burdens of the Throne (Random): The Princess of Love was angry...

The Summer of the Giant Moth (Random): When a giant moth roosts on Applejack's barn, she learns to appreciate the things we have or something, I dunno. Contains the phrase "tremendous death fart". More than once.

Rusty in the Giddyup (Comedy, Romance): Notably uptight noblepony Persnickety finally meets the mare of his dreams. But she's not exactly what she seems to be...

A Chance Encounter on Route 66 (Slice of Life): After a breakdown in the middle of nowhere leaves her stranded, help comes to Wild Fire straight out of a past she wanted to forget.

Pareidoilia, or the Importance of Crochet (Sad, Slice of Life): Pinkie Pie tells her granddaughter about the five greatest ponies she ever knew.

Somepony Still Loves You, Trixie Lulamoon (Human): I end up in Equestria, which is weird, because Equestria isn't real, I'm not a pony, and I didn't really want to come here in the first place. Also, the ponies are dicks. Don't go to Equestria, kids, it sucks.

No Jobs Tonight (Human, Sad): My name is PinkPartyPony and I live in a Corrugated with my best friend Pinkie Pie. I'll tell you about her and me and what we do together and my Box Friends and strawberries.

Handy-Dandy (Random): Flying around at the speed of sound one day, who should Rainbow Dash run into but the Great and Powerful Trixie? But little did she expect, the unicorn has a revelation that will blow her mind!

Mowe (Dark, Comedy): Applejack was a fat baby, and her parents are dead.

Bat for Lashes (Adventure): Roughing it does not mean bringing an eyelash curler, at least not to Applejack. After all, it's not like she'll ever find herself embroiled in an eyelash-curling emergency out in the wilderness... Right?

Rainbow Dash Gets a Big Ball of Lame Stuck in Her Throat (Comedy, Random): And it kind of sucks!

No Harm, No Waterfowl (Comedy, Random): Beaten, humiliated and humbled, Trixie has been brought low and understands the horrible things she's done. Now, in a wildlife reserve miles away from civilization, she has found peace. But it is a fragile peace, ready to shatter when a flock of ducks arrive from afar.

The Eye and the Web (Slice of Life): An old seer is summoned to Ponyville to perform her last seeing.

And a Smile Means Friendship to Everyone (Random, Slice of Life): Fleur holds a press conference to talk about just what she did to revolutionize children's entertainment.

A Tsundere Diamond Tiara Schoolyard Romance Story (Random, Romance): Diamon Tiarda has a secrets she doesnt actually not never hate Apple Bloom but don't tell nopony shhh. I wrote this for Jake the Army guy because.

The Brony Princess (Human, Crossover, Random): Katelyn's life is awful: school sucks, her parents are idiots, and her only solace is watching My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. So when she's whisked off to a magical kingdom full of talking equines, things start looking up. Except it's not the kingdom full of talking equines she was hoping for... (Will not be finished.)

A Blackout in Ponyville (Random, Crossover): Blackout -- a giant, evil robot covered in guns and blades -- visits Equestria to see one particular pink party pony. Hopefully he won't squish any of the organics. A crossover with Transformers: Animated that will likely not be understandable to anyone unfamiliar with the show.

Vinyl Scratch Drops the Title (Teen: Sex, Random, Comedy): During the decannual Main/Background Exchange Day, Vinyl Scratch ends up sorting books with Princess Twilight Sparkle much to her chagrin and eternal boredom.

Love Means Never Having to Say You're Hungry (Romance, Dark): Rainbow Dash has a problem with Pinkie Pie.

Lines (Comedy, Slice of Life): A time-displaced warrior from Equestria's distant past ekes out a living in modern Manehattan. All she wants is coffee, and all the motor-mouthed unicorn at the computer store wants is to sell her the latest in Equestrian technology.

The Shortest Breakup Fic Ever (Romance, Comedy, Random, Sad): Two ponies discover they have irreconcilable differences. (Reading by AShadowOfCygnus!)

Star Bright (Original Version) [Adventure]: A young mare goes off into the Everfree Forest, seeking a way to come out from under her mother's shadow.

The Totally, For-Real Shortest Breakup Fic Ever (So Long as You Don't Look at the Character Count) [Romance, Sad, Random]: Pinkie has a tearful confession for Rarity about Rainbow Dash. (Reading by AshadowOfCygnus!)

Kiss of the Sea Queen (Adventure, Romance): After accidentally being turned into seaponies, Twilight, AJ, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy get swept up in the political strife of their underwater cousins. (Will not be finished.)

"Speak, Butt, and Enter" (Random, Adventure, Butts): Daring Do finds out just why she brought Ditzy along on her latest adventure when they come across a strange inscription outside a lost temple.

Matter Was I, If It Would (Random): In the wake of Princess Twilight getting a nifty-keen crystal tree castle, Pinkie has to ask Twilight a very difficult question. Or it might be a very silly question, I'm not sure.

Sunset Shimmer Plays Baseball (2nd Person, Romance, Comedy, Random, Equestria Girls): Fresh haircut, chocolates, flowers: you're all set for your first date with Sunset Shimmer!

Underneath It All (Random): As the Ghost of Hearth's Warming Future, Luna was awfully... tall.

Rainbow Dash and Fluffle Puff Try to Play an MMORPG (Random): They fail miserably.

Friendly Fire (Adventure, Random, Sad): In a ruined city, hunting for a lost relic, Twilight and Fluttershy smell something burning.

That's Amore (AU, Random): Starlight Glimmer needs to figure out how to pass five friendship lessons at once. Surely pasta will help!

That'll Do, Pig (Teen: Sex, Comedy, Equestria Girls, Random): Sunset Shimmer has something very important to say.

I'll Show You "Apple Brown Betty"! (Random): Rainbow Dash takes a dump on Applejack. They can't all be winners!

Daring Do and the Compact of Doom (Comedy, Equestria Girls, Random): Daring Do gets ready for another rousing treasure hunt, with all the things a brave adventurer needs to succeed!

Applejack Kicks It Up a Notch (Comedy, Random): Bam! Applejack is here to make everything spicier! A spiritual sequel to Things Rainbow Dash Doesn't Like.

Things Fluttershy Is an Expert In (Comedy, Random): Pretty much just Fluttershy yelling at ponies. Spiritual sequel to Things Rainbow Dash Doesn't Like.

Apple Slices (Sex, Drama, Sad): Golden Delicious, feeling trapped by his cozy, provincial life, goes in search of greener pastures. What he finds is a unicorn.

A noble earth-pony family, fallen somewhat on hard times, is killed in a mining accident. They leave behind a single male heir, who is in sore need of a guardian, and of protection. Celestia takes the young pony under her wing and delivers him not to ponies - not earth, unicorn or pegasus - but to a dragon, an ambassador, an old friend of hers.

Playing a game which may just be deadly to the uninformed, the dragon decides that the one path open to him to ensure the safety of his charge and to carry out his sworn duty, is to adopt.

Ruby has a nice life. Her family is rich, she is just as proper as anypony in Canterlot, and she can have almost anything she wants. Anything besides not receiving odd stares and respect for her and not her position.

This is the story of Ruby Gorget and her journey through life.

Princess Luna still feels alone, nineteen years after her return to Equestria . But when she finds a friend in an online game, everything seems better. She can be herself without worrying about what others think, and she can finally talk to another pony, even if he never knows who she really is.

Celestia is worried about her sister, especially right now. Upcoming peace talks with a powerful new nation mean that all the Princesses need to be completely ready. With her Luna so absorbed in a fantasy world, she wonders how she'll make it through the harrowing weeks to come.

Button Mash feels like a failure. He's still living at home, he still can't find work that can use his degree from the university, and he still feels alone. His friends are getting married, starting families, and thriving in their careers. On the plus side, he plays games regularly, and his best friend is a mare, even if she doesn't know his name. He hopes that his upcoming vacation to Canterlot might help his mindset.

But, unbeknownst to all of them, a sinister web within a dark plot threatens to ensnare Equestria... And Luna may be the only one able to stop it.

She may face it alone, or maybe she'll have some help from her knight in faded armor...

Cover art credit to yamashta. Link here.

Preread by -TGM- and Goldenwing

Edited by m1ntf4n, PheonixStarr, Wing, and the_Doc, and Swan Song, and Orion Caelum.

Follows canon up to about season 4 or so. I'm not sure when everything went off the rails, but it was originally as true as possible when initially written.

Link to the Discord chat HERE!