The hive is in celebration. The invasion goes well, and soon all Equestria will surely fall. The victorious changeling soldiers will be covered in wealth and glory, and poor young Thorax fears the war will end before he can enlist.

It does not.

It’s the week before the Canterlot wedding and tensions are high, even more so for the changeling love collectors. With the results of the wedding, life is going to change drastically, regardless of the outcome.

For one co-owner of the Sweet Roast Cafe, wife to a loving stallion, and undercover changeling, Sweet Leaf can only hope this change is kind.

Edited by Cursori, Fade, and Lingo

Preread by 63.546.

Cover art by lilfunkman.

Five hundred years after the Discord's first defeat, a lone unicorn scientist makes an interesting discovery. Across Canterlot, over the last few centuries, accident rates have increased in the area around the Royal Palace. His work is ridiculed by his peers, but comes to the attention of the Princesses, who know exactly what is happening: Discord is waking up. With Luna and Celestia, he concocts a plan to stop the Lord of Chaos forever.

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Cover art butchered from UnderwoodART's render of the stained glass in S02E01.
This story is based on S1/S2 (Discord was never released and reformed) and sits within my Soot-Covered World canon, but is stand-alone. No knowledge of the other books is required.

All thanks to ascendant, NoeCarrier, turol, KMCA, Caliaponia and billymorph for their prereading and editing over the life of this story.

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!"

In a world full of magic, mere words can pose a deadly threat. When simply reading a sign can instantly infect the unwary, and cases start to turn up all around Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle casts the only spell she can find that can give her the time she needs to find the cause of the plague. But then she has to figure out how to stop the epidemic... without being able to read.

Editing provided by Spabble
If you like this, try Rainbow Typhoon
Audiobook on YouTube and for download on SoundCloud
Spanish version translated by MIkimoco
Russian version

After Pony Magazine declares Twilight Sparkle to be the most eligible bachelorette in all of Equestria, Twilight finds herself buried under a veritable mountain of bouquets and love letters from all corners of the country. Enlisting her friends to separate the chaff from the wheat, each of them try to find a letter from an admirer who might be worthy of Twilight.

But the others are skeptical of Rainbow Dash's choice - a hastily written poem that came with a messy bouquet that somepony hoof-picked and threw together at the last minute. There's no way something like that could have come from a pony worthy of Twilight's love, right?

There is now a Spanish translation of this story, courtesy of Spaniard Kiwi

Luna and Celestia are not like you and I, or at least that is what we tell ourselves. They do not talk to those such as us, who are mere mortals who quickly pass on by them. At least, that's what we tell ourselves. Until one day, my Lady spoke to me.

I will never forget that night. Even though I want to forget it.

Edited by the ever lovely MaskedFerret.

Luna discovers a lone member of the Royal Night Guard stationed beneath her private balcony. As a question becomes a conversation, as an evening becomes a week, and as an annoyance becomes a friendship, an unfortunate truth looms large in her mind: nothing is ever as it seems, neither in dreams nor reality.

Comments contain spoilers
Edited by PresentPerfect and Grand Moff Pony

Cloud Kicker might just have the wildest life of any pony in Equestria. That may just be why Princess Luna wants Twilight Sparkle to study the insanity that is Cloud Kicker's life for a sociology report. Unfortunately for Twilight Sparkle, she is going to have to survive the circle of jealous friends, paramours, enemies, crazy co-workers and disappointed family members that surround this crazy pony. Will Twilight Sparkle be able to complete this assignment before it spins out of control, or will she be reduced to a neurotic mess?

A Winningverse Story.

Amethyst Star used to be Ponyville's top organizer. Everything from balancing the Mayor's schedule, Nightmare Night, and even Winter Wrap-Up were dropped on her desk. When the mess ups and the mistakes started to pile up, however, she was only too happy to pass the torch to the new resident librarian.

But, with Cranky and Matilda's wedding under her belt, she can't help but wonder if she threw in the towel a little too early . . .

Good thing there's a pair of friends, dancing around their feelings for one another, that could use a little matchmaking. Amethyst just might be the perfect mare for the job.

Cover art by the illustrious Rossby Waves.
Edited by Jondor and Melon Hunter.
Preread by auramane, Crystal Wishes, and Carabutt.
By special request, pre-preread by Tchernobog