Supreme Overlord of the Dominion of Equestria.
Wonderful title isn't it?
Capture the Country, Marry the Princess, Take over the world.
Sounds like an Adventure story doesn't it?
Well this is no story.
How do I know? Well I'm not stupid for one.
All those other dolts that came before fell into too many simple traps.
They're all so easy to avoid.
That's why I work to rule.
The rules.
The Rules of an Evil Overlord.

Quiet mornings before school starts can be lonely, but peaceful. For some people, they're a good time to just breathe and prepare themselves for the day ahead. Fluttershy and Adagio Dazzle find themselves doing this in the same place at the same time, in their own ways.

Based on a picture that was a little too big to be the cover art, but cute enough to inspire some shipping anyway.

Now comes with actual cover art courtesy of SkycatcherEquestria!

Comments may contain spoilers!

Now comes with Trope page!

This story is a sequel to Syncopation

Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Philharmonica. There's nopony in all of Equestria that doesn't know these names. They are the pinnacles of their genres and the peaks of every genre in between, but it wasn't always this way.

When they first met, Octavia was fresh out of the Canterlot Conservatory and Vinyl was the only member of Syncopated Records, a new music company created by Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur de Lis. They have grown since then, overcome trials both as individuals and as a company, but Fancy Pants still has greater plans for his company. Plans to expand, to become bigger names, to be known not only in Canterlot, but in all of Equestria! In order to do this, the musicians of Syncopated Records, Vinyl, Octavia, Harpo Parish Nadermane, and Lyra Heartstrings will travel through the princessdom, playing their songs and trying to make their own mark in music.

But it will be difficult. They'll have to be more than a company and more than a music group. They'll have to work together, getting used to their off-beat attitudes until they can work as one.

Syncopation must meet with Synchronization.

Everypony enjoys myths and ponytales, even if they know such things aren't real. Alicorns fighting against a spirit of chaos? An ancient princess trapped in a library under a tree, waiting to be found? Quite enchanting and fantastic tales yes, but nonetheless as fictional as Daring Do and other such stories. At least, that's what Rarity used to think.

She doesn't anymore.

Dedicated to Annuska for being as amazing a writer as she is a friend.

Now a physical book!!!
Patreon!
Based on an old oneshot.
Chapter Art by Arctic Waters // Graphic Design and Typography by Swan Song.

Twilight, seeing that her friend needed a little bit of companionship, decided to help him get a date.

But boy, did he aim a little too high for her taste.

Now, her and Spike need to help this putz of a human snatch a date from one of the most undateable beings on the planet, Princess Celestia.

Needless to say, they're doomed.

Cover art used with permission by Lydia-Rawr

Warning: Story will contain horrible romance clichés, cutsieness, and all around silliness.

You have been warned.

Celestia has a dangerous creature held in the deepest of Canterlot's high-security dungeons. It can create ponies (with full backgrounds and histories) with it's strange and often-times prophetic powers. The Princess does her best to keep it under wraps, but its only a matter of time before it's "creativity" will get out of control.

It has been one of the closest guarded secrets of Canterlot's royalty. Deep in a specially constructed dungeon, surrounded by warding spells and powerful magic barriers, exists an enigma. Within a cage that could only be described as something out of a nightmare, it waits and watches all of Equestria. A creature that cannot age, is immune to disease, does not thirst nor hunger, and resists all injury. But, it also holds secrets and knowledge that could safeguard the kingdom. Its powers are frightening, but it is civil enough for debate when patience permits.

Princess Celestia has sought counsel with the creature before, enduring it making deal after deal for its services. The Princess walks a fine line when dealing with it, knowing full well anything could give it an advantage despite its imprisonment. She has had to go back on her word in these dealings, and from this a deep animosity between them has been born. It is a necessary evil as she is convinced this is a being capable of untold evil far and above anything Equestria has ever dreamed of. So long as it remains within the confines of its cell, her kingdom is made safe. So much magic has been woven to ensure that, there is little chance of escape.

So long as the magic holds, there is no danger. So long as the cage remains strong, the nameless creature stays enthralled in his cavernous dwelling. If that were to change--if the magic failed--not even the wisest could say. But one thing is assured, it does not bode well for Equestria.

This story is a sequel to Princess Celestia The Changeling Queen: Stories Behind the Mask

At the Royal Wedding, Chrysalis and the Changelings were revealed to all of Equestria.

But another mask was torn away that day. A mask born for a thousand years. A mask created on one promise. A mask, that has become synonymous, fused, to its bearer.

A mask that when ripped off, causes Twilight, her friends and Luna to question everything they ever knew about the one pony, one very important pony.

At the Royal Wedding, the meaning of the phrase 'Princess Celestia' changes forever.

NOTE: Chrysalis is NOT Celestia!!! That'd be impossible to pull off.

Credits to: Plainoasis for the design of the cover art
Note 2: Original cover art here: https://angelea-phoenix.deviantart.com/art/Contest-entry-Changeling-Celestia-337023552

Pre-read/edited by Zervziel,
Blankscape,
FinalFan,
Courage Fire
Aurora Borealis

Side Stories to this can be found: here.

An audio-reading on youtube up to Chapter 21 is up by StraightToThePoint Studios. I'm aware there are others but this is the nearest complete one: [embed]https://youtu.be/X3eMW673CSY[/embed]

There are also 2 print versions of Princess Celestia:The Changeling Queen. Nonexistent Publications run and Ministry of Image's run.

Contribute to the TV Tropes Page (thanks to Babs_Seed72 for getting it up)

This story is a predecessor to Operation Homecoming

We are S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s: Scavengers Trespassers Adventurers Loners Killers Explorers Robbers. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the most dangerous place on Earth, is our home. Radiation, killer mutants and deadly anomalies are just another day at the office -just another day in the Zone, as we say. We get by, day after day, by scavenging gear, trespassing and exploring in forbidden areas, seeking for new adventures, all on our own; we kill for money, loot or survival and sometimes rob each other. Well, not everyone does the robbing part, that would be the Bandits' job.

I named myself Strider. I am a free stalker and I do not even know what I am doing here, not that I care anyway.
My name is Vano. I'm a free stalker and one of Strider's rare friends. It's a peculiar predicament, trust me.
My name is Celestia. I'm a free stalker and just want to get back home. Well, I wanted. Maybe I still do.

This is our story.

First time writing a story ever. Constructive criticism and comments are appreciated and encouraged, just don't kill me in the process. Romance is a sub-plot thrown in there for exercise and because it's popular, apparently. I made the cover art. I was bored and felt like drawing something.