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.

Princess Luna still feels alone, nineteen years after her return to Equestria . But when she finds a friend in an online game, everything seems better. She can be herself without worrying about what others think, and she can finally talk to another pony, even if he never knows who she really is.

Celestia is worried about her sister, especially right now. Upcoming peace talks with a powerful new nation mean that all the Princesses need to be completely ready. With her Luna so absorbed in a fantasy world, she wonders how she'll make it through the harrowing weeks to come.

Button Mash feels like a failure. He's still living at home, he still can't find work that can use his degree from the university, and he still feels alone. His friends are getting married, starting families, and thriving in their careers. On the plus side, he plays games regularly, and his best friend is a mare, even if she doesn't know his name. He hopes that his upcoming vacation to Canterlot might help his mindset.

But, unbeknownst to all of them, a sinister web within a dark plot threatens to ensnare Equestria... And Luna may be the only one able to stop it.

She may face it alone, or maybe she'll have some help from her knight in faded armor...

Cover art credit to yamashta. Link here.

Preread by -TGM- and Goldenwing

Edited by m1ntf4n, PheonixStarr, Wing, and the_Doc, and Swan Song, and Orion Caelum.

Follows canon up to about season 4 or so. I'm not sure when everything went off the rails, but it was originally as true as possible when initially written.

Link to the Discord chat HERE!

(This story is sci-fi, and somewhat different to regular FIM stories.)
Aneki's world was small. It was spherical, and it only took a day to gallop from one side to the other. She had been taught nothing existed outside the sphere, but she wasn't so sure about that. Perhaps her world was a bottle, a container in which ponies had fled to live. A time would come when she gained the opportunity to investigate these things first hoof, if she lived that long.

Bringing a lost empire into the modern age is stressful enough, but for a pair of young lovers, the weight can be difficult to bear. Fortunately, their love is stronger than ever. Their vows to one another the solid foundation of their marriage. There is nothing he wouldn't do to protect her from harm, nothing he wouldn't do to show his love. But, whether he is Captain of the Guard or Prince of the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor is her stallion, first and foremost. Her beloved. For the one who captured her heart, Princess Cadence will protect him from that which would harm his spirit—whether he knows it or not.

Editing and prereading done by The Albinocorn, Bad_Seed_72, Foals Errand, Meridian Prime, and Zodiacspear

Artwork originally done by Silfoe/RoyalSketchbook and used with permission.

"My name is Lyra Heartstrings, and you will not remember me. You won't even remember this conversation. Just like with everypony else I've ever met, everything I do or say will be forgotten. Every letter I've written will appear blank; every piece of evidence I've left behind will end up missing. I'm stuck here in Ponyville because of the same curse that has made me so forgettable. Still, that doesn't stop me from doing the one thing that I love: making music. If my melodies find their way into your heart, then there is still hope for me. If I can't prove that I exist, I can at least prove that my love for each and every one of you exists. Please, listen to my story, my symphony, for it is me."

Cover pic by Spotlight: askspotlight.tumblr.com

Now has a sequel, One Year Later

After a vigorous day of organising and sending reports to Celestia, Twilight notices Spike is feeling a little ill. He slowly grows more and more cold, before finally falling into a coma that Twilight fears is her own fault.

Going to the Princesses for help, Twilight eventually is brought before an Elder Dragon and comes to the realisation that she may have failed as a caretaker, a friend and as an older sister.

~~~
*EDIT* Okay, okay. You guys win - I'll write an additional chapter or two. I've marked this story 'Incomplete' for now. Follow up chapter has been done. If you want more, let me know. I'm sure there are a few other characters I could write a chapter on (Except for the dragons, of course)

*DOUBLE EDIT* Okay, wow. I seriously didn't expect this to take off as well as it has. This is honestly probably one of the best days of my life. I'm so glad and happy that you've all enjoyed the story.

A terrible new day rises when a tragedy, foreseen only by Celestia but preventable by none, occurs right in the middle of Canterlot, turning Twilight Sparkle's world upside-down. Now, all of Equestria is looking to her to hold the broken nation together, all while she tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

Coverart used with permission from: metalpandora

Old coverart may be found here.

A/N: Yes, the title was based of the Dragonforce song of the same name, you may stop postulating about it now.

Rarity's family name is in shambles, and her fortune is nonexistent. To return what her father squandered, she and her good friend Pinkie Pie turn to piracy, commandeering a magical airship and kidnapping the princess's personal student.

When Princess Celestia learns of Twilight and Applejack's abduction, she doesn't agree to pay the ransom. No, she hires the sky's greatest tactical mind, the Daring Swordspony Rainbow Dash, and her sidekick, Fluttershy. As the two groups engage in a game of cat and mouse, more dangerous threats hang on the horizon. Aztec Curses, angry gods, and a mysterious figure known only as the Derp Pirate Roberts.

Will the six Elements of Harmony be able to gather the seven pieces of eight, or will the world fall to utter chaos, and rise up as an empire of anarchy and piracy?

Now with its own TV Tropes page thanks to Cleverpun: TV Tropes

More popular than the "Celestia's Homecare" omnibus, better selling than "Fifty-Three More Things to do When Trapped on the Moon", and more controversial than the infamous "Cupcakes", how does the story of this remarkable book differ in a universe full of... pony?

After escaping the destruction of Equestria at the hands of some big ol' meanies, Pinkie Pie leads her friends on a series of baffling, mind boggling and downright nonsensical adventures through a galaxy where harmony is in short supply, but aliens, monsters and chaos are most definitely not.

Gasp! As they meet strange alien creatures!
Cry! As emotional torment assails our characters!
Groan! As the Author includes yet another 4th wall break!

And most importantly, DON'T PANIC