After yet another failure to get their cutie marks, the Cutie Mark Crusaders return to their clubhouse in low spirits and no ideas to test out
But after an incident involving a song with a mysterious magic to it, Sweetie Belle finds fate thrust upon her that no one expected.

Note: This has no correlation with the novel by Rosalyn McMillan which I have not, and probably will not read.
And yes, the cover is drawn by me.

In the far reaches of Canterlot Castle, high above in the towers lived the archmage. Everypony knew her, yet few had met her.

Twilight Sparkle sighed, having teleported away another noble seeking favors before reaching the top of the stairs for the second time today. They never learned. As the archmage, she already dealt with political squabbles far too often without inviting them into her home. Aside from personal favors for Celestia, she did what was required of her position and then returned to seclusion and research.

The nobility grumbled that no archmage should be a commoner, and Twilight’s disrespect toward them proved it. Each and every time they were forced to bow to her, they hated what they saw: the position, the status, the deference.

Was she not powerful? Was she not great?

Twilight, now reading through dusty scrolls and long forgotten tales, wrote in her notes — notes gathering dust of their own. A brief thought flashed through her mind.

Am I not powerful? Am I not great?

And then Twilight picked up The Tale of the Royal Pony Sisters.

Defunct side stories told in Across the Boundary. They can still provide a little context, but when in doubt, the main story here is canon.

Cover art provided by Lafiir

After an ill-conceived stunt by Princess Celestia goes horribly wrong, and Twilight truly realises the ramifications of her recent apotheosis to Goddess-hood, she goes for the only thing in her life that's ever given her relief – the bottle. But when she finds out that the divine are unaffected by mere mortal liquor, she must track down and brew the booze of the immortals themselves; The Ninety-nine Nectars of Princess Luna.

Pre-reading and editing by Luna-tic Scientist
Cover art shamelessly stolen from wikipedia and crudely edited in Paint
"I don't know what NoeCarrier is on but he needs to stay on it." - herdlesspony, Reddit.
"The whole thing is quite bizzare (sic), really." - Pharohman777, spacebattles.com.

Lyra shares far, far too much information with Big Macintosh about her love life.

Written for EQD's Writer's Training Grounds #011.

(Audio version by Pony Tales.)

You think you know this story. You don't. One night at Berry Punch's bar, two jilted ponies strike up a conversation over some hard cider. The rest is drunken history.

Approved by Twilight's Library!

Sometimes, things work out better than expected. Sometimes… they don’t. And sometimes you need a little help to make it all work out in the end.

The Mage. The Farmer. The Daredevil. The Party Pony. The Animal Caretaker. The Fashionista. They're always there. What spirit takes on each role can change. Some combinations work out even better than the world where Twilight Sparkle became an alicorn. Some combinations work out much, much worse. Princess Luna guards the places between - and so do all the other Princess Lunas. When one calls out for help, another responds.

Xenophile sociology applies, and a version of Lero did get found in the Everfree in both of these realities, but don't plan on seeing HiE.

Rock Quarry and his wife Silver Shine have a problem: they cannot conceive. They have tried everything from prescription fertility drugs to unicorn magic, but nothing worked. So, with no other options, the decide to adopt.

It turns out to be a little crazier than they thought.

Inspired by the Monty Python sketch Four Yorkshiremen.

Princess Luna finds more than a friend in her sister's student, and Twilight Sparkle gets a chance to study the moon and stars far closer than she ever dreamed possible.

An ongoing series of slice-of-life snapshots. Expect a castle's worth of clop-free d'aaawww.

These stories are in continuity with The Rustic & The Romantic and If the Flight Suit Fits.

Now featuring cover art by the inimitable Cerraka (formerly xaztein / crenair)!

Almost all chapters originally written as separate entries for flash-fic blog Thirty Minute Ponies (TMP). I highly recommend a visit to TMP if you're looking for some of the best 1000-word gems in pony fiction. Many thanks to TMP for inspiring me to write!

Plan C - In which Cadance learns that Celestia is the chessmaster, and that her backup plans are the most fun of all.

Game, Set, Match - Twilight tries her hoof at arena combat. Victory or defeat, she's sure to end up a winner with this opponent.

Countdown - Luna swore she'd never do this again, but there's something about that little librarian from Ponyville that tests her resolve.

Twilight Hustle - Rarity's heard some steamy rumors about Twilight and gathers the girls to dish juicy gossip.

All the World’s a Stage - Luna had a wonderful evening with Twilight and sang her heart out about it. Oh, and she might have left the door open.

Every Morning After - Twilight and Luna shared a wonderful, magical night; unfortunately, immortal Princesses sometimes forget about thousand-year-old laws which could ruin the mood ever so slightly.

Names - Luna's had many more names and titles than "Mare in the Moon", and Twilight discovers which of them meant the most.

Great Minds Think Alike - Cadance and Celestia's plan for Twilight and Luna comes to a head, slightly off schedule.

Third Time's the Charm - Twilight's Nightmare Night costumes aren't cutting it. Now Luna's in town, and that may change her opinion on what makes a proper costume.

Monster - Ponyville's been through the ringer lately, but whose fault is it really?

Impossible - Luna's having a bad night, and Twilight came all the way to Canterlot to do something about it.

Early Observances - If you're going to interrupt Celestia's sleep, you'd better have a very good reason.

THAT Letter - Luna and Twilight have to tell Celestia how serious their relationship has become, and they decide to send a letter. Surely they couldn't disagree about how to make such a simple announcement - could they?

Your Turn - Twilight and her friends reveal some personal secrets, and Twilight's is life-changing.

Trembling Joyful Whispers- The Big Day is here for Twilight and Luna! Hear the congregation's comments as events unfold.

The Power Vested in Me- The Big Day is here, but Luna and Twilight are so very, very far from ready. Will their fears get the better of them?

Awkward - Twilight and Shining Armor have dinner with their parents along with Luna and Cadance. They'll probably wish they'd ordered takeout instead.

Absence - Luna deals with a thousand years of angst all at once; maybe she just needs a gentle helping hoof to make sense of it all.

You Were There - A quiet night between Luna and Twilight is almost derailed by a lesson in ancient mythology.

Between Sun and Moon - Luna reads a bedtime story with which she is all too familiar.

Postcards from the Edge - Twilight leaves to study abroad for three months; in her absence, Luna has a stack of mail to open.

Insert Princess T into Slot S - Twilight want to be Princess of Something. Careful what you wish for!

Ups and Downs - Newly-crowned Princess Twilight needs flying lessons. Careful whom you ask!

Amethyst Throne - Princess Twilight is pretty sure she's seen these petitioners somewhere before.

Persistent pesky powerful pony Princess pursues perturbed pretty purple pupil.

Alliteration is the least of Twilight's problems.

Winner of the Third Bimonthly Twilestia Contest.

After a long, long time during which their students have proven themselves over and over again, the Princesses decide they are ready to learn the final secret of Equestrian royalty - succession.

Thanks to Deathirst for use of his pic as cover art.