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!"

This story is a sequel to Empress Rarity's 250th Birthday

“We are friends, are we not?”

The Empress’ two hundred and fifty-first birthday is just a few days away, yet there is little cause for celebration as Rarity’s Empire is crumbling before her eyes. Bad luck somehow meets her at every turn, and there’s a grim shadow looming over any hope for her nation and her crystal ponies. With a powerful darkness locked within her own mind, will the voices in her nightmares tear her apart? Or can she learn to rely on those she once called friends before it's too late?

Welcome to the sequel to Empress Rarity’s 250th Birthday.

This story was designed with new and old readers in mind. I have made sure to carefully place information to touch on the important facts to remind those that had read the first book of what happened, and to let new readers know what is going on in this one. Not everything is going to be explained from the last book at once, but it will be eventually covered.

So it is not necessarily a requirement to read Empress Rarity’s 250th Birthday, but it is highly recommended.

The group for the story: Birthdayverse.
Credit goes to Autumnschild for the editing.
Cover art is done by, and belongs to ifthemainecoon.

This story is a sequel to Trixie Lulamoon and the Horrendous Hypothesis

Enter the Dragon is an in between story and is recommended reading.

Princess Twilight Sparkle has a school for gifted foals. Some of them are fantastic. One of them had a Horrendous Hypothesis. All of them will be learning Princess Twilight Sparkle's curriculum for friendship.

An entry in the Weedverse.

Wut?

Family portrait

The stupid goes flying right out of Sumac's head.

Majestic!

After the incidents with Both MoonDancer and Starlight Glimmer, Twilight decides to organize a three day retreat for her Canterlot friends and the unicorns she has helped redeem.

(Takes place and written before Season 6)

Okay, first off, you don't get to call me Flurry Heart. Not unless you have special privileges which are only afforded to those who are related to me and/or are national heroes. Or, I guess, if you're that guard that mom sends after me...

Point is, I'm Skyla. Got it memorized? SKY. LA.

Now these are the stories of how I earned myself that name. And a few other titles. And look, maybe mom and dad say I'm just going through a phase, but I say PHASES ARE FOR WIMPS. This, is who I am!

And the only reason I'm using Circus-Cinnamon's photo is because I can't find any other photos with how I really feel on it. I mean seriously, crystal ponies, I'm yelling half the time, is it that hard to take an angry picture?!

Now that Earth and Equestria have made contact, lots of ponies dream of visiting Earth, and while tourist visas are hard to come by, a few lucky students each year can participate in a foreign-exchange program.

Silver Glow is one of those lucky ponies.

She thought she was prepared for Earth, but can you ever be fully prepared for a truly foreign exchange?

Link to the dramaturge