Mistle-what? An innocent question on an otherwise normal Hearthswarming Eve sends you on a short journey of introspection with your best friend. The closer you get towards discovering the truth about yourselves, the less sure you are of what exactly the holiday tradition of “Mistletoe” actually means, and you begin to wonder whether the innocence or question that sparked it all was actually there to begin with.

Special thanks to DE_K for editing!

Featured on 11 March 2021 - Awesome! Thanks for all the attention! Though I think you made Dash blush...

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.

Luna discovers a lone member of the Royal Night Guard stationed beneath her private balcony. As a question becomes a conversation, as an evening becomes a week, and as an annoyance becomes a friendship, an unfortunate truth looms large in her mind: nothing is ever as it seems, neither in dreams nor reality.

Comments contain spoilers
Edited by PresentPerfect and Grand Moff Pony

While holding her Night Court, Princess Luna receives the news of a friend's passing. Struck by the sudden death of one of her most precious friends, she becomes overcome with sadness and in her grief remembers when they met and the lessons they taught each other.

A story of friendship, magic, and making unlikely friends in places you would never expect.

Jessica finds herself flung into a world she has little concept of. Everything is strange and new to her, but worst of all she cannot communicate with the native inhabitants. A world of monsters and sapient ponies, griffons and other assorted beasts is no place for a human girl.

How will Jessica cope? Without an understanding of their language how will she make her way in the world, will she even be able to ever communicate with them? Why was she even brought into the world and is there even a way for her to get home?

(Thanks to Tulip for the Cover image!)

(Also now apparently has a Tv Tropes page in the making. )

Now has a re-telling in progress focusing on the Equestrians' side of things, A Stranger Among the Voices

This story is a sequel to Dear Princess Sunbutt

When Anon takes the liberty to inject his particular brand of humor into Twilight's friendship lessons, Celestia feels the need to respond, more often than not.

A somewhat unofficial sisterfic to 2Merr's Dear Princess Sunbutt

There may not be a response to every letter, and letters 1-11 were taken from my comments in said sister-story.

Please support 2Merr's story too if you like this one. This is written with encouragement of the original author.

(Note: Picture used without permission from Derpibooru. Upon request it will be promptly removed.)

EDIT: Apparently someone's done a reading of this and its sisterfic over on Youtube! Why does nopony tell me these things.

Anon takes over Spike’s job of transcribing Twilight’s friendship reports. He does exactly what you’d expect.

Companion fic containing Celestia’s replies up to Letter 120 - To: Anon, From HRH Sunbutt written by Snow