Octavia Four-Strings Melody was a mare with many tastes for the finer things in life.

Fine wine, red of course.
Fine music, given that she plays it on her cello.
Fine parties, just like anypony born into a wealthy and noble family.
And like any other mare, a taste for fine stallions as well.

But when that taste goes awry, can Octavia find the stallion sent after her by Celestia herself, or will she be caught and burned alive just like the rest of her kind?

< Coverart and inspiration from this artist: Link >

What if things had gone a bit differently for Twilight Sparkle? What if she had settled down, gotten married, had a foal? What if that foal had been the death of her? What if that foal had gone on to help forge a new Equestria, a new paradise for all within? What if, after all this, her daughter, an Alicorn, had settled on a throne alongside Celestia, and began to make the world perfect?

What if you didn't want to be perfect? What if you ran, hid in any scrap of shadow you could find? What if you lived your life from the outside looking in, watching others prosper while you starved? What if you could do nothing but watch as others disappeared, never to be seen again?

And then, after all of that...what if they found you?

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Immortal rulers of Equestria, shepherds of the Sun and Moon, and arguably the most powerful beings in existence.

Even they are not immune to the dreaded rivalry that comes between sisters. Feeling her sister has gone soft over the millenia spent alone, Princess Luna challenges Princess Celestia to the one and only Iron Pony Competition.

Which sister will come out on top?

Now with fanart! By Soulite1110

Crimson Brush opens her new store in the small town of Ponyville. Most ponies wouldn’t think there's anything unusual about a store that sells hairbrushes, but it doesn’t take long for some to find out that well-kept manes aren’t all Crimson is promising...

((Contains spanking and possibly explicit scenarios, but no actual sex.))

Note: As of 2013-06-19, chapters 1-6 have been edited and revamped by Triskelion. While the stories themselves are much the same, he has done wonderful work to fix mistakes, and make the stories a bit more engaging and insightful.

“I love how the use of spanking is more than a fetish and rather a conduit for ponies to get lacking discipline into their lives and feel better for it.” – J_Steelwing

When Twilight, a very gifted young unicorn, goes to the Summer-Sun Celebration, she is awed by what she sees. She studies magic through books at first, but then she realizes that she should formalize her education. Unfortunately, the formal education system is a trying experience for a gifted filly.

This was written before the season 2 finale

On the night before Nightmare Night, Pinkie's week long visit to her sisters, Inkie and Blinkie, outside of Nowhere, Equestria is nearing a close. With their parents out of town, they have the farmhouse all to themselves, and Pinkie is ready for an epic farewell party. Yet at this time every year, spooky things tend to happen in Nowhere... when the fog rolls high in the eventide.

And is this the only reason Pinkie's sisters wish her to leave early?

~Meant to be spooky, not gross and gore-filled. No, you don't need to know anything about Courage the Cowardly Dog to enjoy this. Come yonder! Any 'crossover' characters are ponified - as in - having existed in Equestria since birth.

Recommended Listening: Dear Esther - The Whole God Damned Soundtrack

Error checked by mah numbah one hombre, -TGM-.

You managed to uncover a dusty old journal of some nameless pony. Most of the leather bound book had been torched in the fire, it was burnt to a crisp. Only a few of the pages are legible...

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!"

There is a secret in Equestria. A secret the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle doesn’t dare to believe. Like puppeteers pulling on marionettes, they have influenced Equestria for better and worse since the fall of Discord. So far they have been benevolent, but their potential for evil is vast. What’s worse, she doesn’t know their name. She doesn’t know their mission. All she knows for certain is one thing.

That they all seem to be zebra.

After Celestia humiliates her at a dinner, Luna storms off and ends up snooping around in her sister's room. There, she stumbles upon the journal Celestia kept immediately after the banishment of Nightmare Moon.

Cover art by bunnish on dA.
This story now has a reading by Craft Arts. Go check it out!
Featured on Equestria Daily on August 22, 2013.