A pegasus woke in the woods. He was lost, injured, and had only the vaguest of dreams for memories; nightmares of a Canterlot engulfed in shadow and flame, of an invading swarm lead by one great and terrible dark figure. As he begins a new life, the dreams continue to taunt him. Will he ever find out who he was? And if he does, can he -- and his newfound friends -- accept what he finds?

(Credit also goes to Mekhazzio for help with editing)

TV Tropes page

Book cover art by viwrastupr

A single changeling is blamed for making Chrysalis' plan to take over Equestria fail. He's banished and thrown out of the hive, ending up somewhere far away.

Luckily, he ends up not too far from a certain well-known village, where he can feed to his heart's content.

Needless to say, not everything goes according to plan.

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Now with a French version, courtesy of Wansdich, here.
Fanart! Check it out here. And even more here!
Now in ereader-friendly PDF version, by Starflower Hooves! You can view and download it here.
Featured on Equestria Daily!

There is a hidden village deep within the untamed forest surrounding Neighagara Falls. Should one ever journey to this village, those who live there will welcome them for a simple price: love.

When the village accepts a new family from Cloudsdale, a not-quite-altruistic pair of changeling siblings offer a young filly friendship and a chance to find her place in the strange village she hopes to call home.

New cover art done by Arcticwaters.

After Chrysalis failed to conquer Equestria, she was shamefully stripped of her title of "Queen of the Changelings".

Their people now leaderless, the Changeling race now finds itself in a unique situation. In the struggle for power, one Changeling seizes the attention of his people. Can he overcome his nature, and the nature of his people, to lead them into a better future?

In the far north, where changelings live, change begins -- a single changeling breaks out of the collective mind, becoming an individual. The story follows the life and adventures of Chip -- a changeling that will bring upon a new era in the Hive.

Awesome image made by Foxena!

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.

Den is a pegasus vice captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard. Echo is a high class infiltrator of the reviled changeling race. Can their love flourish in an Equestria under threat? Which bounds are stronger love or loyalty? What dark designs lurk in the backdrop? Romance, adventure, and the search for universal truth!

We now have a Wiki Page! Pay a visit!

Executive Editor- the awesome BitAcoustic
Editor- the wondrous The 11 Wonder
Art by yours truly!

Character Cast
Dented Armor “Den”
A pegasus with a penchant for reading, an intellectual, he is the new model of an Equestrian officer matching brains with brawn. Love and loyalty compels him however soon he will find the two under conflict.
[img]http://xcaliberproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Dented-Armor-Avatar.png[/img]
??? “Echo”
A changeling who survived Canterlot, her role may have been more than that of a simple soldier in the events preceding and those that will come after. She carries the burden of people’s plight and the secret dream of all changelings.
[img]http://xcaliberproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Larvi-Echo-Avatar.png[/img]
Blueberry Frost “Blue”
An earth pony whose steadfast resolution and stubbornness won her an officer’s position. She tackles problems and foes head on.
[img]http://xcaliberproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Blueberry-Frost-Avatar.png[/img]
Amorpheus
Answering directly to Queen Chrysalis, Amorpheus is fiercely loyal and devoted to his people. Entrusted protector and guardian of Echo he wishes one day to see her fulfill her role.
[img]http://xcaliberproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Master-Amorpheus-changeling-avatar.png[/img]
Reagle Hawkmor
Heir to the Griffin Kingdom, he embodies the pride of his people as their warrior prince. His noble inclinations though may come counter to the direction of his nation.
[img]http://xcaliberproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Reagle-Hawkmor-Avatar.png[/img]
Zaza Zakar
A Zebra mare, she is Reagle’s partner in battle and outside of it. From the Zerker school of combat, she is deadly opponent. She is the more level headed of the odd couple.
[img]http://xcaliberproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Zaza-Zakar-Avatar.png[/img]
Reagle and Zaza have their own story. Zig Zag LoveClick to visit.

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/a257ad5165644b1f79354634dfdee284/tumblr_mqo61uYbwk1rj6vd5o1_400.png[/img]

Novel Tale is an author that's been living in Canterlot for about ten years now. That's a pretty good track record for a changeling. He's even included a changeling character in his latest book, and his fans have been loving his take on such an obscure mythological creature, especially his biggest fan, Twilight Sparkle. Things are looking up!

Then an army of changelings from another hive attacks Canterlot.

Now all of ponykind knows that changelings are real, and his readers are sure to realize that the changeling in his book was too similar to the real thing to have just been based on a myth...

earlier chapters have been revised as of 7/19/13 to be more inline quality wise with the later chapters.

Featured on EQD 10/5/13!

Let it be known that there will be extensive changeling world building in the chapters to come.

cover image courtesy of ackdari.

Much thanks to Nyerguds for proofreading and to all my fellow tropers on the TvTropes pony fanfiction thread for helping me develop this from a vague idea into an actual story.