"Learning to trust your instincts is a valuable lesson to learn."

Mere months after the events of "A Canterlot Wedding," the memories of cold shoulders and dismissals remain fresh in Twilight Sparkle's mind, which causes her to question her ability to face the next task that Princess Celestia bestows upon her.

Alone, she must find a way to protect an entire empire. She's afraid and unprepared, but when a mysterious stallion lends a hoof to her success, she soon discovers a friendship that threatens to blossom into something much greater.

(6/9/2016): Made it to the "Featured" page again! You're so awesome, guys!

(( "Of Magic and Masquerades" is the first story in the Crucibles of Harmony series. It is an alternate take on "The Crystal Empire," with some alternate events from Season 3 and minor Twilight/Sombra shipping. ))

Wastelands. Dystopias. Playgrounds for megalomaniacal villains. Each time Starlight forced her into a new world, it was just another variation of Tartarus that she was glad to leave behind and forget about. Unfortunately, thanks to over thirty timeline jumps, Starswirl's spell has gotten worn and frayed, forcing her to stop in this latest world to repair it. Fortunately, things seem relatively peaceful. Unfortunately, Twilight soon finds out the reason for that peace is...complicated.

For most ponies the day they get their cutie mark is the day everything changes. That was especially true for Twilight Sparkle, as the day she got her cutie mark was also the day Princess Celestia took her on as a student, she gained a new little brother and started on the road to her future.

It was also the day she became a dragon.

Custom cover artwork by Elza Fox
Editing and so much more by Klamnei

Fourth main installment in the Tutelary Spirit universe. Recommended reading order: Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, and Friendship.

Many ages after the original adventures of the Elements of Harmony, a young soldier tells his story of when he met the Element of Kindness. And this story, like many of the stories about the Elements of Harmony, entails Kindness herself imparting a lesson of friendship to the one who needs it most.

Cover image belongs to Midnight6 -6 -6

Hello, again!

Many ages after the original adventures of the Elements of Harmony, a certain dragon has his own role to play in the world. Strengthened by what they see as lacking, he stands apart from his own kin as they look upon him with both the fear and respect of one completely devoted to the destined task that he had been hatched for.

Cover art belongs to Minerea.

Third main installment in the Tutelary Spirit universe. Recommended reading order: Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, and Friendship.

In an urban metropolis, many ages after the original adventures of the Elements of Harmony, a young unicorn finds the Element of Generosity. And as the living embodiment of her Element, Generosity, like the rest of her friends, is always willing to guide and teach a pony of Equestria.

Cover image belongs to Soul-Soar.

Second main installment in the Tutelary Spirit universe. Recommended reading order: Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, and Friendship.

Many ages after the original adventures of the Elements of Harmony, a hybrid mare crosses the countryside, searching for the Element of Honesty. And just like the rest of her friends, Honesty is no longer just a simple bearer of her Element anymore.

She is her Element.

Cover image belongs to turnipBerry.

Cover Art belongs to https://sushiihamster.deviantart.com

The duty of a King is to be there for his subjects. To guide, and rule them with fairness, and compassion. To lead them into a bright, and beautiful future in peace and prosperity. He must care for them as if they were his own, and protect them with his life. Those are the qualities of a pure king. But there are a few exceptions to this principle: and that is King Sombra. The nefarious unicorn who fell to the dark powers, and became an evil despot who conquered the Crystal Empire, and enslaved the ponies who lived there, before his 1000 year imprisonment in the Frozen North. His return 1000 years later may have brought about a second reign of hate and fear, with his slaves trapped in his iron grip for all time. That is, were it not for the efforts of eight ponies, and a small baby dragon who brought back the Crystal Heart, and used the power of Love inside to restore the empire, and vanquish the evil king once, and for all.

But this was not the end of the story itself.

The duties of a prince is to his people. To guide, and rule his subjects with fairness, and compassion. To treat them as his own, and protect them with his own life. And Prince Shining Armor, husband to Princess Cadance, and Former Captain of the Guard, is a pony who would give his life to protect everyone: whether it's his own family, the princesses themselves, AND his newfound subjects. While he still isn't quite sure about his place as a Prince, he is as sure as he can be that his place remains with his beloved wife.

But now that love must be put to the test. Ever since Cadance, and his sister found the secret study of King Sombra, something strange has been happening with Shining Armor. He feels.........unsafe at times. As if something were always following him. And he swears he hears a voice in his head. Worse still are these compulsions which threatens to take him over. What could this all mean? Is Shining Armor perhaps suffering from the strains of the recent events in his life? Or is something else at work here? Something insidious, and dark. Something which seeks to use him in order to see its return to power. The only question remaining is this:

Can Shining Armor stand against this evil? Or will he succumb to the Darkness within>

Tirek's brother Scorpan never really accepted his brother could wander so far off the good path. Deluded and crazed from missing him, he has one simple goal: break his brother out. To do that, he will need magic beyond anything he's seen before. DARK magic.

With the discovery that Sombra is not only the lone survivor of the Umbrum race, but may not have been completely destroyed, he sets out to locate what remains of Sombra's horn. From this he is able ressurect the former tyrant and keep him captive. Day by day, draining his magic. But thats just the start. He has other plans for the Umbrum pony's magic abilities...

When a passing bird finds its way into the cave, it delivers this news to Fluttershy. On Celestia's orders she and the others go to find Sombra and try stop Scorpan's plans.

But the Sombra they bring back to Canterlot isnt the former foe they once knew. Lost and afraid, his mind fractured by Scorpan's torture, Sombra seems out of thier reach. Now they have to race against an incoming doom to try and heal the broken King before it reaches Canterlot.

But how will things fare when Discord gets invovled? Can his unorthodox methods break Sombra's nightmares into dust and get him on his feet, or will the unicorn finally lose hope?

This story is a sequel to Avocation

Life in Ponyville has been relatively quiet recently, which is somewhat surprising, given that the town's librarian tried to usurp the Equestrian throne only a few months ago. Aside from the appearance of a grumpy pegasus who set up shop as a cloudsmith, the aftermath is so unnoticeable that most ponies aren't even aware that the incident happened at all. Unfortunately, all that's about to change, thanks to the return of a certain revenge-obsessed showmare....

This is the fourth story in The Petriculture Cycle; reading the first three stories, which begin here, is highly recommended.

The artwork was provided by Page Turner, and the TV Tropes entry can be found here.