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.

Rainbow Dash's morning was pretty much ruined.
She tripped getting out of bed and landed flat on her face, giving herself an aching muzzle.
She forgot to buy her favorite brand of hay flakes at the store yesterday and had to eat plain toast for breakfast.
She found out she had to pull double-duty today and tomorrow on the weather patrol.
Oh, and she found a nearly-dead foal, broken and bleeding at the edge of Ponyville.

The rest of her day became a whirlpool of stress and worry but the colt woke up, thank Celestia.
Something's not right, though. Nopony can find his parents, he's not in the registers, and there's an unsettling look in his eye...

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YouTube reading by Fire Hearth

Chinese Translation by forgivenlove

Russian Translation by Likantrop

TV Tropes page, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Fed up with being the bridesmaid but never the bride, Spitfire confronts Soarin about his lack of proposals.

Cover by ZantyARZ on DeviantArt.

Chrysalis has been subjected to everypony Twilight Sparkle knows in order to get her to change her ways and adopt Friendship. But the former Queen of the Changelings has proven indifferent or worse to their best efforts. So Twilight brings in Dr. Jordan Peterson.

Set after Ending of the End. Sex and death tags only for references.

Disclaimer: I am not a clinical psychologist. I have no ties to Jordan Peterson, and make no claims that this is how he would treat/rehabilitate an individual. Also, be warned, the bonus chapter contains memes. Enjoy, for what it’s worth.

After living with Nightmare Moon for a while (due to extenuating circumstances), Anon starts to notice a few oddities in her behaviour. Ones he understands all too well, and ones that are fresh on the mind.

In an effort to help her before it gets any worse, he drags her out of Ponyville for a night to talk about life's problems. And maybe cuss out her sister once or twice.

A human living in Canterlot castle is given to Queen Chrysalis as part of peace negotiations between Equestria and the Hive. Celestia knew she shouldn't have let Luna finish the negotiations herself.

Cover art by jalm on Derpibooru.

Featured on 4/22/20. Thanks guys!

Now with audio readings by StraightToThePointStudio! Go check them out.
The Audio Reading Playlist

In the beginning, The Great Weaver brought together the world, from the mountains to the forests. Stitching it together, the Great Tapestry connects all living and nonliving things.

The Changelings found themselves especially connected to this Tapestry. Legend says that the first Changelings fell through the world as it was woven together, only to be caught on the First Weave beneath it all.

But what happens when something else is caught in the Weave?

Prince Phasmatodea, son of Queen Chrysalis, remembers what it was like before he hatched. He remembers being a human. He remembers dying. And he fully intends on avoiding another death.

But being gifted a new life does not matter when one failure, one false step, will lead to your untimely demise in the Changeling hive, for Prince Phasma must survive his toughest adversary from the start: Mother Dearest.

Cover art as of 1/18/21 by Nixworld

Using some changeling magic, and the fine art of method acting, Chrysalis will take control of Equestria in the most fiendish way possible. Can anypony possibly stand against her (without picking her up and giving her their soul)?

Art used (with permission) from Starstruckmana. (Source.)

Now with a Spanish translation by ZodiacalComet.

See This Blog for licensing.

(Set after Season 6, completely disregards season 7 when that comes around, due to the nature of this story.)

It has been several months since Queen Chrysalis retreated from her hive, disappearing into the horizon of the badlands. Relations between Equestria and the Changeling Kingdom have improved dramatically in that time. But Chrysalis is still on the loose, likely playing it safe and quiet, feeding on scraps wherever she can.
It is on one night, at the edge of Ponyville that Tone Shift, an earth pony she had snacked on before, finds her. She is wounded, starving and weak. Despite not remembering their previous encounter, Tone Shift decides to help her anyway, taking the former Changeling Queen into his home to nurse her back to health. With little other choice, Chrysalis accepts his offer to help, wondering what fate has in store for her.

Check out my reading of this story over on YouTube: LINK HERE!

(Sex tag is mostly for suggestive dialogue and jokes, as well as maybe mild sexual content later on.)

Having your housemate call the plumber is pretty normal.

Having a changeling show up as the plumber is significantly less normal.

Inspired by Admiral Biscuit's writing challenge.