Most days are ordinary until we make them special.

During a lull in the conversation at an upper class charity dinner, Rarity takes a moment to contemplate some commonly held assumptions made of Princess Celestia. Specifically, her table manners.

Twilight has something she needs to tell Princess Celestia--something that means a chance at getting everything she's ever wanted, or of losing everything she's ever had.

Something so terrifying that the only way she could say it was in a letter...and so wonderful that she had the courage to send it.

(Thanks to Cenit V for the cover!)

Pinkie Pie wants some apple strudel, and by Celestia, she's gonna get it!

When Twilight is given the opportunity to travel with Princess Celestia on what appears to be a regular dignitary’s trip to see the dragons, she’s ecstatic. After all, nopony has seen the dragon kingdom in over a hundred years.

But they are not alone on the journey; there are rumours being carried on the wind, hushed whispers of something stirring in the east...

Their presence reignites an ancient chain of events that will see Twilight racing for help in the darkest places on earth and the princess struggling to reconcile her role in the world, surrounded on all sides by enemies she thought defeated millennia ago.

The clock is ticking. Time is running out, and the sun has already begun to set...

(Cover art by the amazing xX-Mr-No-Name-Xx)
Featured on EqD!

Twilight takes a walk in the woods near Canterlot to clear her mind, when a mischievous little phoenix starts dropping chestnut shells on her head. Quite a familiar mischievous little phoenix.

Somewhat inspired by the song "Evermore" by Alison Krauss, a story to perhaps make its reader smile.

Thanks go to Skywriter, GhostOfHeraclitus, and "Nettle" for pre-reading; and Ziom05 of deviantART for permission to use "Sun Springs" as the cover art.

The business of government never stops, and paperwork never rests, even on Hearthwarming. But this particular Hearthwarming, Cabinet Secretary and tea enthusiast Dotted Line plans to do his level best to see it, at least, take a break. His ponies need to go home to their families, and he, well, he has plans this Hearthwarming.

Sometimes, there are words that were never meant to be said and ideas that were never meant to be known. When the truth exposes those things we wish left hidden, what happens then? Does that truth set you free or utterly damn you?

A/N: Innumerable thanks to Aatxe360 for his assistance. Twilestia. Lunajack also based off of "What The Night Remembers". Marked "Teen" for content. Considered prior to the end of Season 3.

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!"

Caramel wasn't always a Changeling, but he's going to become one. And he's going to do it for the sake of his very special somepony.