My name's Frog. It's a strange name, I admit. It had a lot to do with my choice of profession, but that's not really what this story is about, although it's at the heart of it. This story here is about how I started being a blues man, and how I stopped being a blues man.

Y'see, years back, I made the biggest mistake of my life, and everything followed on from there.

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.

Deep in the Royal Library is a book. A terrible book that is said to send whoever reads it mad. A book so dangerous that it has to be hidden away and secured with chains to prevent it from ever being opened.

A book which has just been accidently checked out by Spike on behalf of Twilight Sparkle.

The Star In Yellow is rising once more, and only Rainbow Dash and Spike can save Twilight before it's too late. Ideas live forever. Ponies do not.

This fic is loosely inspired by the 19th century story 'The King In Yellow'.

With Twilight away in Canterlot, Spike is left to his own devices. But Ponyville isn't the busiest of towns and before long, boredom begins to creep.

So to cheer himself up he decides to go spend time with his friends. Five stalwart companions whom he has known through thick and thin.

But Spike soon begins to realise that really, those are Twilight's friends. Not his.

In fact he starts to wonder whether, since he moved to Ponyville, he's actually made any friends at all...

(*2nd edition. Based on feedback, the final chapter and epilogue have been added-to to better reflect the contributions of the CMC.)

One normal and completely average morning, everything went wrong. Rarity arrives at the Castle of Friendship to pick up Spike for their weekly gem hunting trip, only to find that Spike has locked himself in his room and Twilight is working herself into a frenzy in the library. As she tries to piece together what happened that morning, and mend a damaged friendship, she'll make a number of startling revelations.

Some of them bigger than others.

Cover art used with permission of Kilala97.

Thanks to The Albinocorn for proof reading.

Twilight Sparkle flagrantly abuses her Come-To-Life spell, and learns a little bit about love in the process. Also, puns.

Now with actual cover art, thanks to the generous SuddenlyFerrets!

Now with a Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi!

Shining Armor learns the most important tactical lesson of his life.

Audio version! https://youtu.be/YgDr0Xc6rN8

Now with a Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi!

Rarity's gotten herself in a rut, and to get out of it, she needs to design something so unique, so unmistakable that nopony could ever miss it. Her friends deserve that much. But nothing's free, of course.

First-place winner in the Write-Off Association's contest "The First Step."

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Big Mac needs to talk about some things.

This does not come easily to him.

Three days ago, the moon eclipsed the sun at midday before setting soon after. Three days ago, a series of explosions rocked the Castle of the Two Sisters and the surrounding village. Three days ago, Princess Luna disappeared without a trace.

Ever since then, the sun has remained fixed in the sky, and all of Equestria has already begun to wither in the resulting heat wave. Princess Celestia refuses to leave her chambers, and the only one who could reliably bring her forth, her sister, is nowhere to be found.

What will it take to bring Celestia back to reason and stability back to Equestria?

Thanks to JeffCvt and Alphacat for editing!