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.

Celestia's morning has been difficult enough, between hearing Twilight's confession of love, and then breaking her heart as gently as possible. Mere moments later, her private chambers are rocked by the shockwaves of a time-traveling spell. This marks the arrival of Celestia's alleged lover from five thousand years in the future, Princess Twilight Sparkle—or as she insists on Celestia referring to her, Glitter-Flanks.

Armed with thousands of years of knowledge of which buttons to push and how to make her squirm, Glitter-Flanks has traveled back to this date for one singular purpose: to establish the closed time loop that sets the two of them up as a couple.

Princess Twilight Sparkle discovers a centuries-old mystery hidden in the Royal Archives. Her investigation leads through layer after layer of deception and misdirection, setting her hooves on a path that seems to be leading to a mysterious secret. Along the way, she learns that some friendships can be very, very strange.

Book 1 of the Alicorn Adventure series.

AUDIOBOOK by VisualPony
Featured at the Royal Canterlot Library
TV Tropes Page (Courtesy of Sandtalon)
Goodreads Page (Courtesy of Facedeer)
Equestria Daily Page

WARNING: Major spoilers in the comments. Takes place several months after the end of season four. (Not a Da Vinci Code crossover, BTW!)

Do you see a dark tag? No, you don't. Not dark. Well, okay, there are a couple of dark-ish bits, but that's all. Not enough to warrant a tag. Speaking of tags, there really ought to be "Badass Twilight" and "Friendshipping" ones.

Sequels and side-stories (and more) can be found here Offprint and AO3, and a hardbound two-volume set of all that can be ordered from The Ministry of Image.

My editor for the first edition of this story was Gogito, and I can't thank him enough for all the hard work he did. My editor for the revised version was PresentPerfect, and he did a terrific job of getting the story into excellent shape.

The Well of Eternity a place lost to time, is the birthplace of Equestria's various deities. King, a mortal man from Earth slips between the cracks that separate worlds. Landing in the unforgiving badlands of greater Equestria, he aimlessly wanders through the unforgiving terrain. Eventually enslaved by diamond dogs, for ten long years he labors under their cruel whips, eventually escaping his captors only to become lost in the depths of Equestria's vast underworld. Dying of thirst, the man spies the Well of Eternity and drinks his fill. Its waters more than quench his thirst; a metamorphosis occurs and changes him, for good or ill none can tell. What fate shall befall this man, the Great Slave King?

Book one of four, book two can be found at The Book of Water: The Marriage of the Slave King

TV Tropes Page: The Great Slave King: Special thanks goes to gentlereader Abstract Indigo

Cover art by PoisonSt.

When Celestia went on sabbatical into the west, she promised Twilight it would be only a couple of months. A year and a half later, the sun resists control, the country is in ruins, and her teacher is lost in the wilds. Twilight has become the apostate, her faith in her teacher and her teachings waning. In the wake of tragedy, her resentment blossoms into fury and she vows that something must be done. Shadows gather around Canterlot, and old things that should not have been awakened are on the move. The Student goes west, her hope restored by friendship and righteous fury.

The night, at long last, is passing.

Diablo Crossover.

The Archangel of Justice destroyed the Worldstone to spare Humanity the corruption Baal infected it with. The force of its death knell shatters Mount Arreat and sends Tyrael hurtling across the endless planes of reality. He falls upon a world untouched by Angel or Demon, far from the sight of the High Heavens. So far, in fact, that he fears he will not be reborn from the Crystal Arch.

Wounded and near death, hope appears in the form of two strange creatures bearing the power of night and day.

Tyrael now faces a time of recovery as his power slowly heals within a body fashioned for him by his saviours. Justice Incarnate tastes for the first time the life of a mortal, and it is a strange, confusing experience .He has been left in the care of one Twilight Sparkle to learn of this world.

After all, where better to find peace and harmony than Ponyville?

Act I - The Root of Evil
Act II - ????????
Act III - ???????
Act IV - ???????

[Cover image used with full permission of the owner. Go on, go have a look at Chagial's stuff.]

A flip of a coin. A twist of fate.

Twilight Sparkle, younger sister of Princess Celestia's personal student, Shining Armor, grew up listening to her brother's bygone dreams of joining the elite of the elite: The Royal Guard.

Now, fresh out of the Academy, this young mare is ready to prove herself equal to the deeds of the great soldiers she read about as a filly. Too bad the princess she ends up protecting isn't Celestia.

During the entrance exam to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight completely loses control of her magic. Celestia tries in vain to calm her down, but having no other choice she's forced to use a shrinking spell on the filly in order to tone down her dangerous surge of power.

After the exam, Celestia takes the tiny Twilight as her personal student to teach the young unicorn control over her powerful magic, making sure that she will pose no threat to other beings.

Will tiny Twilight be able to step out into a world designed for someone far larger than her? And will her size impede her in the trials of life as princess personal student ?
Side stories: "My Little Twiny April Foals Day" and "My Little Medic"

[img]https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/109x149q90/138/zvuu.png[/img] [img]https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/136x137q90/843/7m25.png[/img]

Sub-autors:
Kydois (Audience <3!)
Georg

Editors:
kingtiger666
Ultra1437
Frozen Ice King

Pre-reader:
Rated PonyStar

This story is a sequel to Wild Card

Back by popular demand, Ace continues his misadventures across Equestria and surrounding lands. Along the way he must deal with Black Brew Smugglers, the Equestrian authorities, an old foe returning and his quickly dwindling supply of tobacco. At the end of the day though, there remains only two important questions:
Can he get away with this?
and
How much fun can he have whilst doing so?

Part of the Chess Game of the Gods universe
Cover art is by the ever-awesome Kaze1121

In the wake of Chrysalis' failed invasion, a different hive breaks tradition and steps into the light to open relations with Equestria. The ever eager scholar, Twilight Sparkle, uses this truce as the perfect opportunity to learn more about this enigmatic race. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, she will learn all there is to know about what it means to be a changeling.

But will Twilight lose herself in the hive, or will she regain what she has lost? Only time will tell.

Featured on 9/24/13

My first featured story! You guys are awesome.

Story readings and cover art by Luminescent Skies: Click here for some audio novel treatment

My Editor in Chief: Cloud Hop