Twilight was always fated to be the savior of Equestria, along with her friends. But fate can be so easily altered. What happens in one alternate realm when instead of marrying a unicorn, Twilight's mother had instead married an earth pony, resulting in her daughter being hornless? Without her magic, Twilight's future and destiny are far less certain, as is the destiny of all of Equestria.

However, destiny is not so easily set off course. When the princess of the night returns, can one little earth pony hope to be the one to help her damaged heart?

Now with a TV tropes page! Thanks to redandready45.

Starlight Glimmer had a painful fall, but she is more than determined to finish what she started. The message of Equality needs to spread across Equestria, and she knows just the mares who can help her...no matter how many years it takes.

But she soon finds out that raising six fillies that still represent the Elements of Harmony is easier said than done.

Based on Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper."

Twilight Sparkle is stressed with her new role as a princess and wishes she could go back to being a regular old unicorn.

Dawn Cracker, a unicorn living with her indebted father, wishes she had the life of a princess.

When the two meet, they discover they look a great deal alike and (of course) decide to switch places. What chaos will become of this?

(The Human tag only comes up in later chapters with only one villain and a few minor characters.)

Nightmare Moon, the personal student to the good King Sombra, learns about the return of the dreaded Eternal Twilight. When she tries to warn him, he sends the young alicorn and her dragon assistant Smog, to a small town where she is to supervise the preparations for the Crystal Heart Celebration.

There she befriends five individuals: Sunset Shimmer, Gilda, Trixie, Chrysalis, and Discord. Together they redeem Eternal Twilight and turn her back into the kind Princess Sparkle. And it looks like things will be fine from then on...

But no prophecy could prepare Nightmare for what challenges await. Powerful foes will seek to break apart her new friendship. And an enemy that Nightmare knows nothing about seeks to obtain the revenge she has been plotting for years.

Will the magic of forgiveness and the power of friendship triumph?

*Featured on June 23, September 12, November 9, November 23, December 26 2014, February 7, and July 15 2015!*

It was 1825, and it's been a year since Ludwig van Beethoven had premiered his Ninth Symphony. One evening as he did his daily walks in the Austrian countryside, a surprise storm forced the composer back into his cheap, rented room. Where a mysterious shadow whisked him away to Equestria, taking everything, including his music along with him.

Holding Ludwig captive against his will, the shadow tells him that if he ever hopes to see all he knows and loves in Vienna, he would have to give him something in exchange. Something priceless that only he could give. The shadow demands that he'll give Beethoven one year to compose his Tenth Symphony, or give up all hope that he will ever return home.

Please keep in mind, this story is partly edited. Only between chapters, 54 to 61 is edited by Circut Breaker.

Music for this fic are, in chronological order:
- Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight Sonata) 3rd Movement.
- Bagatelle in F minor.
- Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor Op. 13 "Pathetique" 2nd Movement.
- Für Elise.
- Rondò alla ungherese, quasi un capriccio Op. 129 "Rage Over a Lost Penny".
- "Music to My Ears" by DJ PON-3.
- Concert Etude #4 for solo cello by Bukinik.
- Cello Sonata in A Op.69: Allegro, ma non tanto, 1st Movement.
- "The Old Grey Mare" Variations in the style of Beethoven. Improvised by Richard Grayson.
- Salve Regina (Cello solo, arranged from the Gregorian Chant by Tomoyan).
- Symphony No. 1, 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 1, 4th Movement.
- Symphony No. 2, 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 2, 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 2, 4th Movement.
- Piano Sonata No. 17 "Tempest," 3rd Movement.
- Symphony No. 3, 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 3, 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 3, 3rd Movement.
- Symphony No. 3, 4th Movement.
- Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight Sonata) 1st Movement.
- String Quartet op. 135 (Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo).
- Nocturne No. 20 in C# minor by Chopin.
- Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58.
- Symphony No. 4, 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 4, 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 4, 4th Movement.
- String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: II. Presto
- Beethoven - Rondo a Capriccio REMIX by TPRMX
- String Quartet No. 14 in C# minor, Op131. Allegro (7th Movement)
- Piano Sonata No. 29 "Hammerklavier," Op. 106: 5th Movement
- The Spectacle (Razzle Dazzle) from season 5, episode 24.
- Symphony No. 5 in C minor.
- Piano Sonata No. 1, Ops 2. 2nd Movement (Adagio)
- String Quartet no. 15 op. 132. 3rd Movement: Molto Adagio.
- Nocturne in Eb Major. Op. 9 No. 2 by Chopin
- String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130. 5th Movement: Cavatina
- "The Swan," for violin and piano by Saint-Saens.
- Symphony No. 6, 1st Movement
- Symphony No. 6, 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 6, 3/4/5 Movements.
- Turkish March, from "The Ruins of Athens," arranged for solo piano.
- Violin Sonata No. 9 (Kreutzer), 1st Movement.
- "Mark Yonder Pomp of Costly Fashion," arranged by Beethoven.
- Violin Concerto In A Minor, 1st Movement by Vivaldi.
- Native American Music & Chants by Phil Thornton.
- "Oyate Miye" (War Song) by The Native Tribes United.
- "Lakota Lullaby" by Robert "Tree" Cody.
- Auld Lang Syne by Beethoven.
- Cello Sonata in D Major No. 5, Adagio.
- Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor Op. 1 No. 3: IV. Finale (Prestissimo).
- Violin Romance No 1, Op. 40.
- Egmont Overture.
- Symphony No. 7: 1st Movement
- Symphony No. 7: 2nd Movement.
- String Quartet: Große Fuge, op. 133
- Missa Solemnis: Kyrie (excerpt).
- Missa Solemnis: Gloria in excelsis Deo
- Missa Solemnis: Gloria; In gloria Dei Patris
- Missa Solemnis: Credo; Et incarnatus est
- Missa Solemnis: Credo; et vitam venturi sæculi
- Missa Solemnis: Sanctus; Benedictus
- Piano Concerto No.6 in B flat, K.238. 2nd Movement: Andante un poco adagio by Mozart.
- Choral Fantasy for Piano, Orchestra and Choir.
- Coriolan Overture
- Symphony No. 8: 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 8: 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 8: 4th Movement.
- In fourore iustissimae irae, RV 626. By Vivaldi.
- Symphony No. 9: 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 9: 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 9: 3rd Movement.
- Symphony No. 9: 4th Movement (Ode to Joy).
- Piano Concerto No. 1, 2nd Movement: Largo, Romance by Chopin.
- Piano Concerto No. 5, "The Emperor"
- Bagatelle No. 3. Op. 126.
- Reconstructed Largo from Oboe Concerto in F Major (Hess 12)
- Symphony No. 10, Unfinished (Reconstructed by Barry Cooper)
- Beethoven's Last Thoughts (reconstruction from the sketches of Ludwig van Beethoven)

What is a pony? If asked that question the average citizen of Equestria would probably respond with a confused look and a mention of the three pony tribes. A particularly astute pony might reply with four tribes, remembering to include the Thestrals. A pony of a scholarly disposition may also add a list of characteristics as well - manes, cutie marks, some form of innate magic, hooves, vegetarian diet, etc. This is the answer that would have been received for thousands of years, from before the unification of the three tribes until very recently. Until the failed Changeling invasion. With the reveal of something so foreign, yet at the same time so familiar, what it means to be a pony is no longer quite so clear and obvious. And while professors and philosophers argue, another question is forgotten in the uproar: What if the Changelings weren't the only ones who were hiding?

* Always looking for proofreaders if anyone's interested!
Current Proofreader(s): Icarus_Con_Queso

All feedback/corrections welcome!

Shortly after a changeling drone leaves her egg in the human world in a last-ditch effort to save it, a young man named Eventide Oath finds himself struggling to decide what to do with a newborn changeling nymph. He has no idea what it is, where it came from, or anything else about it. But with a little help from a good friend, he commits himself to take care of the little guy. Who knows? Maybe the small, bug-like equine will be just what he needs to make his life a little bit brighter.

(Inspired by the original premise and opening chapters of "I Am A Pet Changeling," with some smaller sources of inspiration coming from the anime movie, "Wolf Children."
This story is also the spiritual successor to 'The Bug in The Herd,' which was the first multi-chapter Fanfiction that I wrote that I also managed to see all the way to completion.)

Now with a reading!

(Cover art provided by the absolutely wonderful AureliaCharmCutiees. Go and show her some love!)

Editing now provided by Mister Hypothetical!

Featured on 8/7/2018, the same day I posted it! Glad to see people like it!