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.

After staying away from her friends for years, Fluttershy is stunned to discover Rainbow Dash on her doorstep looking injured and asking for sanctuary in her escape from someone she won't name.

Full cast audio reading with special word from the author can be found on my YouTube channel here, starring TheLostNarrator, Illya Leonov and Starryflame.

"YOU ARE NOT THE REAL PINKIE PIE!"
"You probably shouldn't even exist."
"You're only a clone, you don't HAVE any feelings!"

Who was she to believe? She was barely a day old, and already she'd seen the disappearance of her mirror images, all but her. Was she just a clone? A disposable unfeeling analog?
What would happen if she became her own pony? If she became real?

Is it possible for one of the Pinkie's, the only copy left behind, to develop? To become an entirely different pony to the one that she was modelled after?

Oh, and before I forget, thanks to the amazing WerewolfNobody for the (At one point) cover art!
Featured on Equestria Daily!

This story is a sequel to Thrown Abroad

After the events of Thrown Abroad, Suncloak the changeling is happily living in Ponyville. Well, sort of. He needs the love of friendship to stay alive! Luckily, there's plenty of ponies who would want to be friends with him. But let's not forget about other changelings here...

You know, this would be a lot easier if the whole concept of friendship wasn't so needlessly difficult.

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Amazing cover art by Wolfeh! Find her Tumblr here!
Fanart!
To be found on Equestria Daily here!

She's the original. She won the paint-watching test, fair and square.

So why do the townsponies keep avoiding her? Why do all her friends keep whispering around her? And why does Twilight keep insisting that she isn't any good at baking or throwing parties?

She's the original. The best Pinkie. She won the test, fair and square. She's not some copy, not anymore…but perhaps being a copy would be easier than being herself.

Featured on Equestria Daily

Comments contain spoilers.

Partially inspired by Quadrophenia by The Who. The [Pinkie Pie] and [Other] tags together represent Pinkie Pie's clone.

Editing and prereading thanks; Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi, CDRW, Sereg, JapaneseTeeth, MidnightRambler, and especially Nonagon. If you liked this story, be sure to check out their pages too!

Now I'm to begin
The life that I'm assigned
A life that's been used before
A thousand times
—The Who, "905"