Some people say that Celestia and Luna are useless. That they lounge in the castle while delegating all their responsibilities to hard working, underappreciated, exceptionally well-read students. That even when faced directly with threats to kingdom and country, they fold like cheap origami and wait to be rescued.

These people are correct. But there's a very good reason for it!

[Rated Teen due to a dark scene early on to set some backstory, and occasional comedic death]

Cadance isn't Sombra. But Sombra's leadership is all the crystal ponies remember, a ruler they had to love at all costs, with the final payment being their own lives. And as they gradually come to see their new Princess as leader instead of savior, too much of that residual fear is being transferred to her. They praise her, adore her, refuse to correct her no matter what she does -- because they live in terror of the consequences for doing anything else. They have yet to find their own voices, and may go on repeating hers until Celestia and Luna switch shifts. So how can she make them tell her when she's wrong, see that there's nothing to be afraid of, and take the next step in coming back to themselves once and for all?

Forbidding them to do anything other than criticize her should do the trick, right?

...right?

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group -- but can be read as a stand-alone, and no knowledge of the other stories is required. New members and trope edits are welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

She's an ally of justice!
With powers of the sun, she smites villains that plague this world and rescue those who fell victim to their evil ploy!
She is

Magical Girl Sunny!

No matter how much she denies it, she is Sunset Shimmer.

...unless, it's not her? But then, who is she?
---
Set in between Friendship Games and Legends of Everfree.
Edited by the ever helpful docontra.

The chapter titles do not reflect the content- it's not an anthology of anime parodies (no, really, it isn't).

Libraries have a way of accumulating excess reading material. Periodicals pile up. Ponies who fail to sell off their own books at stable sales decide donations are easier than just waiting for the next go-round. And of course, a truly dedicated librarian will be adding tomes at every opportunity, until the shelves are full -- and then some. There's a cure for this situation, and Twilight's been avoiding it for a few years.

Time's up.

(A stand-alone, no prior-reading-necessary part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group: new members and trope edits are welcome. )

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Sunset Shimmer has finally rebuilt her life at Canterlot High. She has friends, she's in a band, people like her, everything's going great...

And then out of nowhere, she turns back into a small talking unicorn.

Now, with the help of her friends, she has to figure out why she's suddenly a pony in a human world, and whether or not she can become human again...or will have to leave her new life and go back to Equestria.

(Cover art vector sources: Elsia-pony, TheShadowStone)

Now with a TVTropes page!

This story is a sequel to Freeport Venture: More Equal than Others

Sunset Shimmer had grand ambitions upon becoming Freeport's only magus, most importantly helping out the citizens of Freeport itself. When she hears of an outlying farming community in danger from a horde of undead, she knows she has to help them. Even if they can't pay her fees, it's the right thing to do.

However, this new challenge might be too much for her to handle. These zombies are unlike anything she's ever seen, and an old enemy is mixed up in the middle of all of this. Sunset has no idea what dark secrets the undead horde hides, or the danger posed by the necromancer behind it.

Prequel: Age of Kings, A Long Way to Fall
Sequel: The Lost Connection

Part of the Bloodlines Continuity

After defeating the Dazzlings and freeing Canterlot High School from the threat of eternal strife, the girls finally seem to be able to wind down for the winter holidays.

With less than a month left until school lets out, Sunset Shimmer finds herself being followed around by shadowy individuals who know of her otherworldly origins. As the year draws to a close, Sunset's only hope of making sense of it all may be a mysterious new transfer student...one who is very good at avoiding her.

-Equestria Girls/Assassin's Creed crossover-

Thanks to Cinders of War for the cover!

[img]http://orig14.deviantart.net/14d3/f/2015/270/4/8/achievementleapsm_by_drawingaccount-d9b2ud9.jpg[/img]

Featured on 1/19/2016, 1/26/2016, 2/15/2016, 3/13/2016, 5/25/2016, 5/31/2016, 6/21/2016, 6/22/2016, 6/28/2016, 7/4/2016, 7/9/2016, 7/19/2016, 7/24/2016, 8/6/2016, 8/28/2016, 9/11/2016, 9/21/2016, 10/1/2016, 10/9/2016, 10/16/2016, 10/23/2016, 10/27/2016, 10/30/2016, 11/4/2016, 11/6/2016, 11/10/2016, 11/13/2016, 11/17/2016, 11/20/2016, 11/24/2016, 11/27/2016, 12/1/2016, 12/4/2016, 12/9/2016, 12/15/2016, 12/18/2016, 12/22/2010, 12/26/2016, 12/29/2016, 1/1/2017, 1/5/2017, and 1/7/2017!

What happens when a pony doesn't actually like the cutie mark that they receive? Perhaps one more embarrassing than most?

Well, that's when Starlight Glimmer's special talents come into play.

UPDATE: labeled as complete. I really can't think of anything else to add to this story.

As the Princess of Friendship, the only thing Twilight Sparkle loves as much as books, reading, books, making new friends, books, spending time with her friends, and...books...

...is spreading the magic of friendship. And one easy way to do that is to introduce your friends to each other.

In need of a weekend away from the castle before heading out to the Crystal Empire to spend time with her family, Twilight decides to take a little vacation to the human world...and brings three of her newest friends along.

After all, if Princess Ember, Moondancer, and Starlight Glimmer are all Twilight's friends, surely they'll get along well with each other and with Sunset Shimmer!

Right?

(Cover compiled from various source vectors.)

And you're not gonna believe what happens next!