Twilight Sparkle has been called to Canterlot on royal business: a university's archeology department needs help with a tricky project. All very routine and hum-drum for her... but for Rainbow Dash, it's a chance to get an inside view of the exciting and fast-paced world of ancient history! But how much does she really know about the field? A chance meeting with a larger-than-life pony teaches her about the difference between reality and imagination.

Update: This story is followed by a full-length sequel. Check out The Death of Daring Do: Engine of Eternity"!

Chapter 24: In progress.

I’ve been in Equestria for over 1500 years, and the memory of what I did to Luna and Celestia is still there, like a dull ache that will never go away. As an immortal, I’m going to have the next few thousand years to get used to it. Despite that, only thirty years have passed back on Earth. I wonder what’s become of Luna since we traded places. Is she alive? Dead? Married with kids?

My name’s Catherine, and you’re probably wondering what I’m babbling on about. If you’ll bear with me, I’ll start where it all began.

Tags (character and otherwise) will be updated as necessary. Rated teen for strong themes.

Character Sheet. (Work in progress.)

Cover art by Silfoe
High-resolution
Textless version

Edited and Proofread by:
Journeyman
thesaviour711
Greenback
Jay the Stormtrooper
Requiem17
Samaru163
Flammenwerfer
This list will be added to as people help. This includes single chapters and mutual favours.

Creative discussion and constructive criticism are welcome.

All OCs belong to me unless otherwise specified. Any likeness towards other characters and names is purely coincidental.

Update Features (D/M)
2017: 24/05, 24/06, 15/11, 19/12
2018: 21/02, 15/03, 9/04, 17/5, 4/6, 23/7, 29/08, 18/9, 26/10, 14/12
2019: 9/03
2020: 9/03
2022: 26/01

Shining Armor has been living a lie.

Many see him as powerful and brave.

Yet deep inside is a soul who is playful wishing for true freedom.

Coming across a ancient tome, how could he pass up the chance to live as how he always saw himself?

A simple carefree night turns his life upside down, Gleaming Shield wants to live her own life and the pull to break free is becoming too strong.

Can Shining Armor balance a life between two parts of himself?

Or will He and She lose everything?

Cover Art belongs to The talented and wonderful Marenlicious.

-------------------
Made Popular on 7/2/16.
Featured on 4/12/17*6/19/18

This story is a sequel to My Little Heartbreak: Heartbroken

It's a week later, and Twilight is nagging Heartbreak into learning more about herself and what her special talents really are! Heartbreak shows herself to be the artistic type but with learning to be a pony and contending with ponies curious about the new mare in Ponyville, it's a rocky start that is leaving Heartbreak feeling more than drained of her ability to express herself. Let alone learn how to use a pencil with her mouth. Perhaps Zecora can help with a special brew she calls "Creativi-Tea"? Or will this just going to lead to a lot of Insani-tea?

Lyra Heartstrings, transformation specialist and social worker for those who believe they were not born ponies. These are her therapy sessions, both in group and in private.

With a little gentle guidance, these lost souls can rediscover the joys of being a pony, and let go of their foolish ideas. What sorts of trauma would drive anypony to throw away their identity?

The Canterlot Exchange, ten thousand humans and ponies pass through its doors every day, on their way to destinations all across Earth and throughout Equestria. Some are wide eyed migrants, others are only passing through, or on their way to find the most exotic holiday of their lives. They are mavericks, heroes or just everyday travellers, but every one has a story to tell. These are just a few of the tales I've gathered from the Canterlot Exchange.

With thanks to Luna-tic Scientist, Lord of Dorkness and docontra for their help pre-reading.

Winner of the Transformation group 3000 Member Celebration Contest!

When it came to matters of the heart, Anthony just couldn't win. In his path, a rainbow coloured trail of broken hearts were left. With the final relationship he had, his strange exes decided they had enough. Now crashing through the universe and robbed of everything that makes him who he is: Anthony has been abandoned, branded and renamed by his exes. Find out how a pony named HeartBreak has to learn -her- place in this new world.

This story is a sequel to Celestia Sleeps In

After the accidental discovery of humans, Celestia tasked Lyra with learning about Dale's culture and Dale's language. Two meetings later, a misunderstanding caused Dale and a Coast Guard woman to be inadvertently transported to Equestria. With the two humans hospitalized and communication limited at best, the Equestrians just want to heal them, while back on earth the Coast Guard wants nothing more than to determine what happened to one of their sailors.

Each night I’m trapped in the dark, immobilized. I hear whispers as they operate on me: they say I shouldn’t be alive. Twilight refuses to tell me about the operation. Sometimes she can’t look me in the eye. What did they do to me?

Nothing used to scare me: I kicked a dragon in the nose, defeated gods of chaos and hatred, and control the weather. Now I feel broken. My memories have shattered, I feel wrong, and I’m afraid to tell anypony how scared I am.

I can’t even do the rainboom anymore. Who am I? I’m no longer the best flyer in Equestria, yet everypony assures me I am. Why won’t they tell me the truth?
↓↓ Credits

Special Thanks:
Dreampaw the artist. Best cover art.
Editors:
ArgonMatrix - Fixed 128 errors in chapter one alone.
Animus - who is awesome and for hire.
BronyWriter - The only author to punch Celestia in the face, and live.
Jaestring - Artist, Editor, and Female all in one.
Abcron - European editor, which means his time zone and my actual sleep schedule are aligned perfectly!
The Parasprite. Need I say more?
Selbi - If your editor isn't German, you aren't trying hard enough.
OctaviaHarmony - His avatar is as sexy as his editing.
RenegadeTimelord - Doctor who?
Akumokagetsu - Awesomesauce.
(Wow, a lot of editors came and went.)

I used to be a human, but then I pissed off a wizard. Now I'm stuck in "Ponyville", in a land called "Equestria", and with no apparent way back home. I'm also pretty sure that I've just replaced somepony. I'd rather not have to answer any tricky questions, so I'm better off trying to be this unicorn whose name has been forced onto me.

My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm not a pony.

[Rated Teen for extensive use of vulgar language and sexual references.]

[Cover art made by richhap on deviant art. Unamused Twilight, go figure.]

[Brybrythesciguy is working on a cool audiobook of this story right HERE. The characters' voices are even simulated with an AI! I definitely recommend giving it a listen!]