Celestia adopts a human boy as her son. He grows and changes over time, but one thing remains the same: His burning envy of Twilight Sparkle.

EDIT: Featured?! WOW! Thank you so much everyone!

Deep in the heart of the Everfree Forest, close to the Castle of the Two Sisters, a tomb sits in secluded silence, buried under the surface. Inside is a world that is alien to the ponies of Equestria, with technology so foreign and strange.

Celestia travels to a far corner of her kingdom to investigate a rumor about a colt with strange, illicit cutie marks. She meets Radish Root, a boy whose marks make him an anomaly in the fabric of Equestria, a mystery to himself, and an outcast among society.
When Radish joins the Royal Guard just prior to the return of Nightmare Moon, he finds his life being complicated by all the changes coming to Equestria. His marks will lead him into adventure, intrigue, and trouble... but will they ever lead him to answers?

Proofreader: Slavenger Karl
Cover Art Gallery
Table of original characters
A reader is translating this story into Spanish. Check it out here.

In Manehattan there is a strange ape-like creature that is being held in a lab. Its injuries bear the distinctive marks of illegal sport hunting by exotic game poachers.

What's strange is that there's an entire section in books on natural life about this creature designating its kind maned apes. What's even stranger is that there are accounts throughout Equestria's history about maned apes turning up.

The maned ape, given the moniker Big Red by the scientists holding it, is given over to the crown and transferred to Ponyville for safe keeping. The Mane 6 comb through Equestria's historical texts and oral account to try and find where the maned apes come from.

This is an HiE story that starts in Season 1 shortly after Apple Buck Season.

EDIT: 6-8-2022 Featured! Woo-hoo!
18-202023 Featured! Woo-hoo!

This story is a sequel to Anon’s A Villain Because Of A Bet

Anon was doing great in retirement, but then aliens come along and they’re definitely sure he’s still evil. Oh well, what’s one more rodeo?

Well, not that simple. This time, our villain Anon will have to prove he’s the most villainous of villains in order to take on these new challengers. And how do we determine a villain’s prowess? With a competition of course!

When Twilight and Rainbow Dash are invited on an expedition with Daring Doo, the two are beyond overjoyed. A tomb has been discovered, it's definitive features beyond the comprehension of Ponykind. Who knows what adventure will lay behind it's doors. Fame? Fortune? Death?

Secrets will be uncovered. Revelations will be made. But most of all, the trio will realize that some things... are better left buried.

Will be three chapters in total.

3/14/24 Still Alive Edition

There's only one pony in Ponyville that the Mane Six have never met. Pinkie Pie has never thrown him a party, Applejack has never sold him a mug of cider, and Twilight has never seen him check out any books. And as far as that unicorn, Lapis Print, is concerned, that's exactly how it should be.

Lapis can't risk them knowing where he lives, what he does for a living, or even what his name is - if he gets his way, the Mane Six won't even know he exists, and nopony in Ponyville will miss him once he's gone.

It should be a piece of cake - after all, it's not like the biggest magical power in Equestria is about making sure everypony looks out for each other, right?

(Rated Teen for language - mental cursing mostly.)

A few weeks have passed after Nightmare Moon's defeat and Princess Luna's freedom and she has returned to Equestria to rule once more by her sister Celestia's side. However, a mysterious young griffon is discovered, and the questions about this young unknown griffon grow as Celestia and many others try to find out how and where he came from.

No solid answers come and communicating with the young griffon is going to be more of a challenge then they could believe.

(The one rule is revealed in Chapter Six. If you wish to be spoiled, reveal the spoiler, but if not, read to Chapter Six. Also, if there is a better way of wording this, please let me know.)

The one rule is: Letting someone hold the Griffon's (Young one's) plush and returning it to him is for him to have absolute trust in someone without the need for words.

Chapter 1: Proofread by Truthseeker
Chapter 2 to 4: Proofread by Katarina Mau
Chapter 5.5: Checked over by Mr_Mopey
Chapter 65.5, 75.5: proofread by Akira Dragonborne
Chapter 99.25 to 100.75: Collaboration with Goldfur
Chapter 99.25 to 100.75: Proofread by Goldfur

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