There is a secret in Equestria. A secret the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle doesn’t dare to believe. Like puppeteers pulling on marionettes, they have influenced Equestria for better and worse since the fall of Discord. So far they have been benevolent, but their potential for evil is vast. What’s worse, she doesn’t know their name. She doesn’t know their mission. All she knows for certain is one thing.

That they all seem to be zebra.

On one of her regular hunts for gemstones, Rarity discovers a treasure trove beyond her wildest dreams... and the lavender-scaled dragon who collected it. Despite a rocky first meeting, Rarity and Greenfire soon find themselves drawn to each other more and more. But the question remains: How did a young dragon end up in the Everfree Forest all alone?

An alternate universe story that puts our favorite purple dragon and his beloved fashionista into a slightly different situation. Art used with permission from the wonderful ArtisteFish!

Now with a TV Tropes page! Thanks go out to Poptard and whoever else might feel like editing it.

Fan Works
Climbing the Cliff by Pia-chan (from chapter 5)
Such a Pleasant Chat by Fukaï
Some Form of Tea by Pia-chan (from chapter 4)
Promo Animation by CMagic (mild chapter 6 spoilers)

Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's most prized and faithful student, is being sent to Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship.

And she's not happy about it.

Hear what Celestia has to say back! Check out the spinoff:
Responses To A Disgruntled Friendship Student by keaton-furman-prower

Still want more? Have a multiverse spinoff by MixMassBasher, my contributing writer for Seasons 5-9.
Letters From Across the Disgruntled Multiverse

Editing by Neko Majin C.

Disclaimer:
The following is a work of parody, and is protected as Fair Use under section 17 U.S. Code § 107 of US Copyright Law. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all affiliated characters are property of Hasbro Inc.

Princess Celestia, tired of the constant pressure that ruling a nation puts on her, decides to take a day off and let Luna take her responsibilities for a day, something the younger alicorn is more than happy to do. She disguises herself as a pink maned pegasus pony named Sunny Skies and decides to go walking around Canterlot without any supervision. Unfortunately for her, not all parts of Canterlot are as safe as the palace, and she finds herself at the wrong end of a gang of muggers, who decide to kidnap her for a ransom when they see how much money she has on her.

Luna freaks out.

Celestia thinks it's hilarious.

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

Featured on Equestria Daily 8/15/13

Go here for the French translation!

[img]http://i.imgur.com/CUBPvKI.png[/img]

Edited wonderfully by sqarishoctagon and Cloud Hop

Updated cover art by Dominatore

The Mane-Event, a popular stage show in Manehattan, has acquired a rare creature they intend to use as part of a new act. Their typical animal handlers prove inadequate for the new job so they invite Equestria's best to be the caretaker-- Fluttershy. Moving to a new city requires the inconvenience of finding a new place to stay, however. What fortune that Trixie, one of the primary acts of the Mane-Event, just so happens to have free space at her apartment.

And then the Element of Kindness lived with the Element of Egotism.

To Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia, it is a simple surprise visit to Canterlot. To the ponies of the Equestrian Civil Service, it is twenty-four hours of chaos, politics, weaponized dessert, politics, underhooved manipulation of media, politics, and things batrachian and tentacular. Who said bureaucracy isn't exciting?

Celestia wants Twilight and her friends to loosen up a little bit around her. Luna just wants to try the hard cider. During a surprise visit to Sweet Apple Acres at the tail end of cider season, Princess Luna has just a bit too much to drink, and when she makes a rather inappropriate joke, Twilight comes to the very uncomfortable realization that she has never seen Celestia excuse herself to use the restroom.