Have you ever seen a pony that just seemed out of place? Perhaps some mannerism, some behaviour that just struck you as odd? Some piece of clothing that didn't seem quite right? perhaps a coat or mane whose colour just seemed flat-out weird. A strange build, a strange voice, or maybe they were perfectly normal, except that you swear you just saw the exact same pony not five seconds ago somewhere completely different?

Of course you have. Everypony has encountered an Outsider at some point. But never up close, it's always at a distance, and they're always gone before you have the chance to challenge them.

But sometimes the rules get broken. Sometimes fate gets distracted for a moment, and a lone unicorn mare gets to see something that she was never meant to see.

Twilight Sparkle's day is about to get very weird.

FAQ and Supplemental Materials (Potential Spoilers for new readers)

Featured! Twice!
...I really don't know what to say!

Special Thanks go to Horizon for initial proof-reading, editing, and signal-boosting, provided as a prize for spotting an Easter egg in his story Hard Reset II. Seriously, it's an awesome, brain-warping story and you should go read it right now.

Thanks also go to my editors for putting up with my atrocious grammar and spelling errors - Ganelon, Ephraim Blue, BronyWhooves, Commonancestry, Princess Autumn Forest, and Morning Sun

Cover art credit goes to EMedina13 and tamalesyatole. I am looking for more appropriate art, so If you think you can do better, let me know.

Sometimes your passions are at odds with one another. In some cases, they're so at odds with one another that you need to hide behind a different name just to be yourself. Living two lives is hard, and in the case of Photo Finish and Rainbow Dash, it's about to get harder.

Rated Teen for mild cursing, alcohol, and mild adult themes.

Thanks to my good friend Falkon for edits, MelodicMarzipan for the awesome cover art, and everyone who has pestered me to work on this story since I had the idea back during Season 2

Hey look, someone reviewed my story!

A changeling gets a very risky and clever idea.
Pretending to be an advanced magic doll left as an anonymous gift in front of Twilight Sparkle's home.
It's so audaciously stupid there is no way it's not going to work.

WANTED:

The newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle has set up a bold new initiative to discover new magic, and is sending out an open call to the unicorns of Equestria to apply for her research team. No experience in magical theory or research necessary. Enthusiasm and out-of-the-box thinking a must. The Equestrian government is not responsible for any physical, emotional, or magical trauma experienced during the course of the project or the application process.

Cover art by Page Turner

The magic of friendship flows through every creature, big and small. They just need a little push in the right direction. Tired of living under their masters' neglect, insanity or just plain monotony, the pets all desire (in one way or another) to take life in a new, more exciting direction.

When a mysterious curse is laid on the Elements of Harmony, turning the bearers into pets and their pets into ponies, the misfits embark on a dangerous trek to break it. What was originally meant to be a quick trip around Equestria turns into a harrowing journey that expands from the comfy suburbs of Ponyville to the forgotten ruins of an underground kingdom to the biting tundra of the north, all filled with odd characters, laughter and an evil that has lasted for generations as the pets each embrace their inner hero. Because as we all know: the greatest of legends always start with the smallest beginnings.

Story Theme: Matthew Perryman Jones - Swallow the Sea (Pt. 2)

*Guys, I appreciate every bit of feedback I get, but can you do your best to be constructive? I'd like to know what I did right, what I did wrong, and where I can improve so that this story could be at its best.
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Thanks go to the beautiful MrJoshy, Rainbow Bob, Vexy, Astrocity, Skeeter the Lurker, and funkyferret for editing and reviewing.

Credit for image and title go to Shawnyall and Equestria-Prevails

When a dark enemy begins hunting the young wizard Twilight Sparkle, the walls of the fortress library of Candlekeep cannot protect her. Not even her mentor, the archmage Star Swirl the Bearded, can keep her safe. With a price on her head and the shadow of death on her heels, her only hope for salvation is the Magic of Friendship. Perhaps, with powerful allies at her side, she can find answers and uncover the truth about her destiny.

(This story is inspired by the Baldur's Gate CRPG series by Bioware, but you do not have to be familiar with BG to understand its events)

Featured on Equestria Daily
Cover by Bluest Ayemel
"I love this fic. Keep it up!" – Sethisto (on the EQD page)
"From it's fantastic character development of Twilight and fast pace and exciting action, The Sword Coast is an excellently written and well thought-out story." – Amy Clockwork

Side stories: Tales of the Sword Coast
Sequel: Shadows of the Crystal Empire
Warning: Comments contain spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

My unicorn parents called me a worthless mud pony. They pushed me every day to overcome my lowly status. When I woke up one morning with my cutie mark, I thought they would love me. I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

It was not destiny or enjoyment that led me to discover the cello and composing. My parents made that decision, deciding before I was born I would continue their family legacy of famous musicians.

They did not realize what that decision would cost them.

Special Thanks and Links:

Cover Art: Dreampaw. The inspiration for the story.
Dramatic reading of Act I-III by Malao567. June 2013
Reading with music by ObabScribbler. June 2014
Song: Hooks and Strings by Reverb Brony. May 2014

Style inspired by H.P. Lovecraft
TypeWriterError: Editor & Rating Board
Gage of Grandiloquence: Editor
The11thWonder: Pre-reader
Nharctic: Pre-reader
Breath of Plagues: My Pinch Editor.
ArgonMatrix: Bad Grammar Exterminator
Daemon of Decay: Advice, also inspired me to write fan fiction. Blame him!

This isn't where I belong. I left all this behind years ago, moved on with my life. But a mare from my past brought me back, and now she won't let me go. So I'm stuck here, trying to make the best of it with ponies that don't understand me, don't even like me. But when something moves in the darkness, and when things go wrong in the cold, dead night, they'll turn to me to try to set things right.

Why? Because once a police pony, always a police pony.
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This is a spin-off story to 'Why am I Pinkie Pie?!', and will contain spoilers for that story, but it's not necessary to read that story to understand this one.
Cover art by the talented Conicer
Need more Cinnamon Swirl? Merlos the Mad wrote a fanfic of this story!

There is now a side-story: A Hard Day's Nightmare Night

It has been more than one hundred years since Celestia banished Nightmare Moon. While Equestria has enjoyed a century of relative peace and prosperity, there are still lingering tensions between the three pony tribes.

Shadow Kicker, a proud warrior of Pegasopolis, must navigate the treacherous noble court of Canterlot and address the concerns and wounded pride of her own tribe in a desperate effort to prevent matters from coming to open warfare.

After Princess Celestia appoints Twilight Sparkle and her friends to be ambassadors to Earth, they decide to introduce themselves to the humans by appearing in a horse show, but they need someone to get them ready. They call on Megan, the legendary warrior who guarded ponykind in days of yore. Megan has banished or slain countless demons, but can she convince the ponies to hold still long enough for her to braid their manes?

This crosses over with G1, but should be accessible to all.

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Featured in The Royal Guard.

Now with its own TVTropes page!

Editing and fact-checking by Horsegirl123. Additional editing by Portmeirion.

Big thanks to Trinityinyang for the cover art!