Twilight discovers the true purpose for the Canterlot Royal gardens, much to Princess Celestia's annoyance. Knowing her student will seek answers with or without her permission, the Princess gives Twilight a new subject to study, the story of five of the garden's occupants, their connection to Nightmare Moon, and the dark days of the War of Night.

Warning: Comments are encouraged, but spoilers are present in the comments.

Fic is currently undergoing a very slow revision. Revised chapters will have a (R) in the title.
I've also added chapter numbers for a bit more ease of navigation. Mostly on my part.
This is a project that I will slowly be working on Bringing my first major story up to snuff. I shall also be fixing plot holes and clearing up some issues that certain parts have that may contradict the lore later on.
This will only be worked on sporadically unfortunately as I need to be in certain mind sets to do this.

Original story was posted in 2011.

Tags: Action, Historical, Sad, Humor, Roller Coaster, Violence, Singing, Some Romance

Part 2 is here.

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/71261/stories-in-stone-memories-of-twilight

WOOOT featured on Jan 5th 2015 at 2:47 am, 4 years after it's initial publishing!

Twilight Sparkle has too much magic, and it will take her decades to learn to control it. Her spectacular loss of control during her entrance exam only proves that fact. She is a danger to herself and others.

After Sunset Shimmer’s disappearance, Princess Celestia needs a new student to bear The Element of Magic to defeat Nightmare Moon. With all of Equestria at stake, Twilight Sparkle…is not the pony she needs.

Princess Celestia seals Twilight Sparkle’s magic with the distant promise of one day teaching her.

But there are two diarchs of Equestria. Amidst a lucid dream, an offer is made.

“Hello, Twilight. Would you like to be my student?”

Cover art provided by Lafiir.

When Rainbow Dash suddenly proclaims her love and adoration for a certain 'Miss Sparkle' and tells her friends the story of how the unicorn 'fixed' her, the girls are hesitant to take the situation at face value. However, even they can't deny it when the facts begin to build into a case against Twilight. Twilight claims innocence but her words sound like hollow excuses and obvious lies. The four of them are left wondering if Twilight Sparkle is truly the hero she once was or if she has finally allowed her true nature to show: the nature of a heartless psychopath.

[ Spoilers in the comments... So many spoilers... ]

[ 'Miss Sparkle' occurs a few months before Twilight's ascension, early in the spring of Twilight's second year in Ponyville. According to my version of the chronological timeline, the only episodes of the first three seasons that have yet to take place are (in chronological order) "Wonderbolts Academy", "Just for Sidekicks", "Games Ponies Play", "Spike At Your Service", "Keep Calm and Flutter On" and "Magical Mystery Cure". ]

[ The cover art was made by the oh-so-generous tehmisiu. Thanks again! ]

[ 'Miss Sparkle' placed first in (Incoming spoiler of story-ruining proportions!) Blundy's TwiDash Framed Challenge! Thank you all so much for your support! ]

[ To top it off, Twilight's Library found it worthy of being added to their shelves. I'm at a loss for words as I write this, and I probably will be when you read this too. Just... Thank you. Thank you all so much. ]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/m9vLrr7.png[/img]

For almost a thousand years, the immortal Nightmare Moon has reigned over Equestria as Empress. To the average pony, Nightmare Moon is an overarching enigma whose rule is absolute and whose wrath is terrible. But to Twilight Sparkle, who as an orphan has never known her parents, the Empress is something else entirely. When the young unicorn is brought under the royal wing as an apprentice, she learns a great deal more about the supposed tyrant than she ever knew. But as Twilight is introduced to life with her new mentor, she is thrust into a world of political intrigue, conspiracies and secrets. Secrets that were never meant to be revealed. As allies and enemies plot against the very peace of the nation, will Twilight fall prey to the perils of her new position? Or will she prosper and find in Nightmare Moon the mother she never had?

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My eternal gratitude to my editor, LordOfTheWrongs, without whom Night's Favoured Child would not be the story it is today.

Now with added TVtropes!

A different take on alicorn ascension. Sixteen years after arriving in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle is excited to have invented a brand-new kind of spell, but it will come with consequences she cannot possibly anticipate. Meanwhile, threats in shadows around the world conspire to overthrow the Solar Throne. With her world turned upside down, she will have to come to terms with the role that fate has dealt her while straining to keep Celestia in power.

Now with a TVTropes page! Please show it some love! Also check out the official side stories, Designing Intrigue, and Love and Barriers! (With even more in my stories page!)

(Please Note: This story was started before any season three information was available. All episodes in season three and later are non-canon for this story, which also means there's no Crystal Empire in this one. In addition, the promotional map released close to the beginning of season three was also not available and is not compatible with this story. While the OC tag is active because there are OCs in the story, they're really just supporting characters. The focus is on Twilight.)

Also be sure to check out the Rites of Ascension Expanded Universe Group! We're working to develop the resources needed for other authors to try their hand at writing stories set in the Rites Universe!

The Book Two cover art was created by the amazing Silfoe! The original cover art can still be found at Violet Squiggle's deviantArt page.

Author's Notes, including proofreader's credits, can be found here!

"This is 100% Approved by Twilight's Library!"

This story is a sequel to The Code's Apprentice

Sequel To : The Code's Apprentice

The land of Equestria has been changed forever.

New monarchs sit upon the thrones of the Sun and Moon, the once almighty power of Harmony overturned to make way for a new Diarchy of Balance. Political unrest and turmoil have engulfed the land, and at the very center of it all, Princess Celestia - renamed Tia Sunbeam - seeks atonement for the crimes she committed in the name of Eternal Harmony.

With much of her power sealed away, Tia must live amidst the citizens of Ponyville as the world changes all around them. As Ponyville works to rebuild following the struggle between student and teacher, they must cope with the edicts of a new government determined to bring equality to all creatures, beliefs, and ways of life - even those that were long since banished to the dark places of the world.

Tia Sunbeam will struggle with her own deeply held convictions on the way the world should be, versus the way it will now become. She will face a truth she has long since denied, and realize the true meaning of Harmony. And perhaps, most importantly of all... She must make some Friends.

Cover art by SinSays at http://sinsays.tumblr.com/ - Go spend some money with her! :D
Oh, and go check out my new side story - Rise - It's going to become relevant here!
(character tags are not comprehensive! Some are being kept secret! ;3)

All of Equestria is united in celebration for the return of their beloved Princess Nightmare Moon. But when Celestia and everypony else recieve her she's skeletally starved, filthy, and very nearly dead. Meanwhile, while everypony's eye is turned, a lusty Blueblood pursues Twilight Sparkle, intent on adding her bloodline to his own so his family might step closer to godhood. (Alternate Universe, there never was a Princess Luna)

This story is a sequel to Lines and Webs

For four long years, Celestia's apprentice Twilight Sparkle, once a model pony and a hero among heroes, has waged a bitter and secret struggle with her onetime mentor. Though she works from the shadows, directing her forces from the Old Capitol in the Everfree Forest, Twilight Sparkle is unable to gain any advantage,

Likewise, Princess Celestia finds her once-faithful student far more cunning and elusive than she had anticipated, and even now searches for a way to bring Twilight Sparkle's rebellion to its knees.

It is a game of greys, of knives in the dark and of poisoned wine, where pawns are moved and traded and exchanged for greater advantage, all the while drawing both sides nearer to the conflict which shall tear Equestria in two.

At the center of this conflict is a new pawn, one who only wished to see the truth for herself. Drawn into a deadly game whose rules she does not understand, Sweetie Belle must learn to survive in a world where all is darkened, and nopony can be completely trusted.

Because when gods play chess, all pieces are expendable.

A nation will crumble, old enemies shall return in the most unexpected ways, and regardless of who is victorious, only one thing can be certain.

Nothing shall ever be the same.

Followed by Stormsinger.