Applebloom just wanted to spend a day with her friends, crusading for her cutie mark. Instead, she found something even deeper and more troubling about herself. Turns out she's not even a member of the Apple Family by blood. In fact, she's not even truly native to Equestria! She's an alien! An alien robot no less!

Now Applebloom will have to deal with the reality of her origins and try to cope with them and her newfound abilities as she moves towards her future; a future that just might never come to be if her new foes have anything to say about it. Decepticons are, after all, a monstrous cabal.

Now, it's up to Applebloom to light Equestria's darkest hour.

Cover image credit goes to Inspectornills

It's winter in Ponyville, and Diamond Tiara is queen of the Hill. Can the Cutie-Mark Crusaders cast her from her snowy fortress?

Twilight has been having her study sessions with the Cutie Mark Crusaders for some time, and has been remarkably pleased with their progress. And kind of worried, as they keep getting better and better. She might be a princess now, but TEACHING THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS? She'd rather not become their formal mentor. Yet.

A letter is sent out, and Princess Celestia gets a call for help. And, an opportunity is born. After all, why not? After a thousand years, perhaps it is time to do something else, just for a bit. She does have a rather wonderful younger sister who hasn't been ruling a land for a thousand years, and who has been studying how to rule for the past four rather intensely. So, teaching three fillies undercover? Sounds like fun.

And Luna. She's wanted to be as respected as her sister so much that she once went mad over it. But now, she's simply being handed the power that she once coveted for so long and no longer wants. What kind of a world does she live in now that her highest desire has been so casually granted?

With all of this, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Arcs:

Escape: When Celestia hears the call, she jumps at the chance to teach again, especially three fillies who might surpass her grandest student. But first she's got to escape her own identity...
Examination: So you want to find out what a filly does? Time to test her silly, so long as you don't taunt the Happy-Fun Filly.
Excitement: So, you've found the Happy-Fun Filly. Great, but the other two need help as well, and Scootaloo has this ~Great!~ idea for how to use her new-found magic...
Encouragement: Cometh the Bubbles, and a whole load of new headaches as they find out just what being a Happy-Fun Filly really means...
Exaltation: Where's Luna been this whole time? She can't be very happy about being left in the lurch holding Equestria. She could really use somepony to talk to.
Exercise: 'Sunbeam' is looking to teach the Happy-Fun Filly more, but first she needs to start taking care of the wagon-tire she keeps around her middle so that certain Unfun-Time Fillies don't interrupt her. And there's this big draft stallion looking for help...

Ever wonder what the CMC's collective juvee incident file would look like?

How about what it would do to the pony who had to record it?

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Audiobook reading by Fan Of Most Everything.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders cut the tails off their sisters. It goes well. Sort of.

Find this story and more in a print copy! Just click these words here!

Apple Bloom takes a shortcut on a joint project for Twilight time. This poor decision inadvertently leads to a discovery about herself that will change her life forever.

The sequel to this story: Sweetie Belle and the Quest for Knowledge is now available!

When Sweetie Belle finds a mysterious artifact of a now lost civilization, how will she come to terms with the wealth of knowledge it provides? It says it can be ignored, it says it will never try to influence her, but can an artifact of such power really be so harmless?

Book I of III

Prologue and Chapter 1: Thanks to TheOtherSideOfFluttershy for pre-reading and editing.
The whole story: Thanks to RaylanKrios for editing.
Chapter 4: Thanks to AuthorGenesis for editing.
Epilogue:
Thanks to Malefactory for editing.

For Sweetie Belle, having a babysitter is not that big a problem, especially when her babysitter is the element of magic herself. When Twilight devises a spell to help her with her apparent problems, however, both of them will have to learn a lesson that won't soon be forgotten.

Now has a sequel called Sizable Differences

Enjoy.

"Living here in Ponyville
Fighting villains from afar
You've got to find first gear
In your giant robot car"

When the CMC stumble across a giant mecha from another time, another place, another reality, their latest quest for their Cutie Marks takes on epic proportions. Between getting to class, dealing with an angry alien that's somewhat friendly, dealing with an angry alien that is distinctly less friendly, and anything else the heavens can throw at them, you'd think things were hard enough. But they still have to be home by bedtime.

...at least piloting a giant robot makes it easier to get certain bullies to shut up. Ponies dig giant robots too...when its weapons aren't pointed at them.

Now where - and what - was first gear again?

Creative Consultant: The_Whovian16

A minor injury leads Apple Bloom to learn that she and the other Crusaders aren't like normal ponies. Not having their marks has always been their common bond, but as the trio uncover their unique nature, it becomes clear that their lives are intertwined on a much deeper level. As they learn the secrets of their shared past, it leads to revelations about their friendship, families, and their long sought after talents. What they discover and accomplish along the way is beyond what anypony would have thought possible.

There is now a sequel! Three Wishes: The Hole In The Sun

And a (more or less) standalone Christmas Special set between this and the sequel. Cinder Claws: The Caribou Legend Of Kol-Klor

Big thanks to totallynotabrony, Dusk Watch, AugieDog, and Piquo Pie for prereading and editing help!