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!"

Not all humans who arrive in Equestria are friendly. Sometimes, they're total assholes.
Sometimes, they're trolls. Like these guys.

When you're two dudes who are cosplaying as Tobi and Yoshimitsu and are labelled Public enemies 1 and 2, sometimes, you just gotta go on a road trip.

Loosely inspired by F*ck it I'm having fun. Pic drawn by Genbu, who's kind of the coolest.

Edit: Huh, featured on 5 May 2014. Wasn't expecting this.

When a Necromancer is hurled into the place between places then escapes to another world at the cost of his life it is not the end. Being a Necromancer he returns to life with ease, but is skirting the edges of consciousness, and unable to truly wake as a mysterious figure uses magic to put him on the back of a horse to carry him away into the night.

To make matters worse the phylactery he used to save his own life recreated him as a member of the dominant race with... some errors. His injuries are still present and he's now in a much smaller body with his magic drained to nothingness.

So now he's horribly injured, held captive by an unknown force, in an unfamiliar body, in an unfamiliar world and completely exhausted. He's had worse days. He just can't think of any off the top of his head. So familiar territory then, nothing to worry about.

(Thank you again Tulip for the amazing piece of artwork.)

On Hiatus due to Life. Sorry.

What is it? Where did it come from? Nopony knows, not even Canterlot's top scientists. But what is known, is that Celestia needs the help of Twilight and her friends to figure out just exactly what this strange substance is. But after a dragon's little observation, and a shy pony's suggestion (and secret little ability), the Mane Six end up reaching Cloud Nine.

(Rated T for drug using, cursing, flirting, and stupidity...ing)

Twilight has just wrapped up synthesizing a chemical in her laboratory, but starts to have an interesting day when she accidentally doses herself with it.

All Twilight had to do was finish Starswirl the Bearded's final spell. She didn't have to become undead, seal her soul in the Elements of Harmony, or enlist her friends in an effort to fix everything... but you have to play the hand you're dealt.

Even if it's rotting off.

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Big ups to Themaskedferret for all her support on this story.

After a strange awakening, a concerning shower, and a rough scrubbing with a loofah, Twilight Sparkle finds herself with a new palette of colors. And she thinks she knows who’s responsible…

A collab with CosmicAfro! Check out his page!

Coverart provided by the wonderful ArgonMatrix!

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So this red and black alicorn fic got accepted into Twilight’s Library on 8/30/2014. Madness, I say.

Have you ever heard of a mare named Faust? She's an Alicorn, just like the Princesses, but not a princess herself. Some say she's a queen, some say she's their mother. The truth, well... she's really overworked. And with her duty as The Equestrian Archivist she has a pretty demanding job. But what happens when this overworked alicorn decides that she wants to take a vacation in Ponyville? Furthermore, what'll happen when she skips out on her job to take that vacation?

(My first story! A different take on Fausticorn, I've seen her given a general persona that just doesn't seem like what I saw in the original art. So here's my idea of what she might be like. Tags will be added as the story continues.)

HOLY.... F-Featured on December 21 2014! Thanks guys! That is amazing!

This story is a sequel to Upheaval: Breaking Point

Following the events of Breaking Point, Twilight Sparkle and her friends discover that Equestria's demise may not come from an enemy invasion, but from within. The Barrier Lands and the Heartland begin the slow and uneasy process of reuniting into a single Equestria, but this long-delayed joining is already in danger at its conception.

With Celestia's power in her grasp and her agents by her side, the wheels of Black Rose's plans for Equestria's future continue to turn. However, her brazen gamble has done more than just bring down a centuries-old barrier. Ancient powers begin to stir: the remnants of a dark period in Equestria's history, the immortal inhabitants of Celestia's homeworld, and a rising tide of darkness coming ever closer.

Twilight lives a comfortable, expected life with the security of being surrounded by her mentors and friends. As she grows into a model unicorn, a dangerous being takes hold of the volatile Brood and drives them to war, breaking a long period of peace. After years of preparation for a higher order, Twilight is chosen to ascend beyond that of a typical sorcerer in a mysterious plan to counter the impending conflict.

During her dark, trying mission Twilight will discover a caged soul and unknowingly set them free, gradually acquiring an affinity for the darkness as a result. As she struggles within deepening conflict, she must push on and fight for what she believes in. With manipulation, deceit, and betrayal storming around, will she be able to contain herself and protect those she loves, or will she succumb to the creeping darkness and abandon everything she stands for?

*Warning: Comments may contain spoilers.*