[One-Shot]

Princess Luna, purged of the Nightmare the day before, has officially been welcomed back into power and into the alleged loving embrace of the populace. Though in quite a weakened state from the whole ordeal, she cannot seem to sleep anymore come the evening.

So, she decides to take a walk. She may very well find more than a mere cure for her sleeplessness.

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!"

A collection of silly, bite-sized skits where the characters crush the fourth wall into dust to talk about the world of Rites of Ascension, all while poking fun at each other. Learn about the ascension process, cored weaponry, and more!

This is a NON-CANON Rites EU "story." (The characters break the fourth wall completely, so of course it has to be non-canon.) Art by my lovely and amazingly talented wife, Violet Squiggles! You do have to have read Rites of Ascension to really understand this one. You're going to be seriously lost if you start here. That being said, you do not need to read this story to understand what's going on in Rites. This is to add to something already whole (and maybe get a few laughs), not make up for shortcomings elsewhere. Also, I thought it would be fun.

Also, as this is non-canon to Rites, I can go back and change things if I like. Generally, this will only happen if something hasn't been explained in the canon stories yet and has to change for them. Hopefully I won't ever actually have go do that, but if I do, I'll point it out in the chapter.

Celestia discovers a lingering trace of Nightmare Moon's soul still lodged in Twilight's mind—a survivor of the lingering effects of the Element's magic.

Faced with the threat of gradually losing her friend to Nightmare Moon's evil influence, Celestia realizes the only way to save Twilight is to let the storm of dark magic take its course all at once.

And yet, as Nightmare Moon's corrupting magic tears away at Twilight's forgiveness and understanding, and Twilight begins dredging up unexpressed doubts once kept controlled, Celestia must face a lifetime of confrontation her student has kept covered.

It is going to be a long night for both alicorns.

This story was written for the Tenth Bimonthly Twilestia Contest. It placed somewhere.

Long ago, the founders of Equestria built a magical portal on sacred ground, hiding their greatest secret on the other side. Generations of leaders stepped through the portal so that they might emerge as the equal of their forebears.

Celestia and Luna were the last to enter. For a thousand years, the portal lay forgotten, its purpose lost.

Luna thinks it is time that Twilight learn what it means to rule.

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

Every morning, Princess Celestia wakes up in terrible pain, and every morning, she chooses to endure it. Until one blissful day grants her the blessing of feeling normal.

Few things in her life have ever frightened her so much.

6th-place winner in the /fic/ write-off "Look, I Can Explain..."

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Reading by Skijaramaz

Now translated into Russian.

Being a princess is stressful, but your peers and friends can certainly help.

That was what Twilight had in mind when she invited Luna over for tea one afternoon. A relaxing, friendly meeting between two fellow princesses where they can commiserate and share their experiences. An invitation to a stronger friendship than they had before, offered to a pony displaced in time.

What she got was an uncomfortable assertion about her relationship with her number one assistant, Spike. One that she is having difficulty refuting.

A hidden museum rests in the Canterlot palace, by law open to the public, by practice closed to visitors. Within its walls lie treasures of opal and gemstones, salt and wood. Shelves filled with untouched scrolls line the walls.

It is here that Luna pays her respects to Equestria's fallen heroes. Why, then, is it against her sister's wishes?

A special thank you to ShadowBlades for his input during the writing of this story. He's also credited with the pre-read. Cover art by ladynoob. Please check out her work!

Princess Celestia has it all. She is the diarch of a young nation with a sister who loves and respects her as an equal. Her ponies worship her sun and adore her presence. The nobility works for the growing nation. The nation works towards a brighter future for the generations to come.

With a distant eye upon a distant world, her consort is away to watch over a planet as much like Equus as it is different. They are sister worlds and Starswirl the Bearded has gone to study its lone intelligent species while his Sun Princess groans under the burden of bearing her first child.

As nervous as she is excited, Celestia counts the days, hours, minutes, and even seconds until the time she can hold her foal in her hooves. Oh, how she awaits the day! What could possibly go wrong?

Rated Teen for a disturbing scene.

This will be the first story I've attempted without an OC! Please! Stay in your seats! There's no need to be alarmed! I was not harmed in the writing of this one-shot!

All comments and suggestions welcome.

Sometimes, it's very quiet in the castle...

Set before the events of the show. Now has a review (with spoilers) by the Reviewer's Cafe! There are four readings of the old version of this story too, one here, another here, here, and here! Cover art by MagnaLuna.

Now readable in Russian here, and here thanks to Doof Ex Machina! Also has a spoiler-y review you can check out here.

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