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!"

Far, far away from the Equiss system, the queen of blades is readying the launch of her newest weapon. A ship designed to infest an entire planet in secret, readying it for the eventual zerg invasion and softening up even the hardest target, Korhal. Unfortunately for the queen of blades, the untested zerg biotechnology is more difficult to master then she thought and the infestation ship vanishes after launch.

Untold eons later Twilight Sparkle is preparing for her entrance exam for Celestia's school for gifted unicorns only to stop when she sees a star fall into her new treehouse. The young pony sets out in the middle of a storm, intent on seeing this fallen star for herself.

What she finds inside will change not only her destiny but the destiny of all on Equiss prime.

Make sure to check out the sister story to this one.
Trigger warning, parasites. Starcraft Crossover!
Updates twice a month!
The story so far!

Rainbow Dash's mom receives a letter about her daughter's heroism in combat. Now she sits, shaking and trying her best to keep it together as she reads the letter at the kitchen table with tears coursing down. Her daughter was a hero. Was. You see, Captain Rainbow "Danger" Dash of the 91st Wing...isn't coming home.

EDIT: I was contacted and a brony (Seal2001) did a translation of it in Chinese. It's beautifully done and I think it deserves some love. You can find it in the following link
https://fimtale.com/t/10016/ta-shi-ying-xiong

Shining Armor has become an alicorn for some reason, and with no explanation available ponies assume ascendancy is sexually transmitted. Much to Twilight's irritation.

No actual sexually explicit content here, but there are references and some minor bad language.

This was a request for a patron, and was veiwable earlier for said patrons. Head over here if you want a chance of getting a story like this for just 5$!

Brought to you by the donations for my mom! (Find out more about that here.)

Celestia has held off telling Twilight Sparkle about her immortal biology for years.

And now that she's told her successor about it... she'll wish she hadn't.

Special thanks to Toriandthehorse, for being a wonderful proofreader, editor, and friend.

Now with a Russian Translation by Nogood (who despite the name, is a good pony).

Now with a Korean Translation by B1ackSteel! Thank you again!

Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends have faced endless troubles while ruling Equestria. There's never been a challenge they could not conquer.

But the end of the world has come, and nopony can stop it.

Contains narrative that jumps ahead into the future, several original characters, a despondent princess, probably some crying, and the magic of friendship.

A huge thank you goes out to Semillon, who beta read this story and provided some invaluable critiques.

The mind is an odd thing, sometimes capable of changing a person's entire worldview with the shift of only a few key details. However, sometimes these shifts are far more widespread than they should be.

Celestia has noticed such a thing, and she is slightly worried. Thankfully, she has no shortage of old friends, and one of them offers a possible solution to her problems.

She's just left wondering one thing:

Who exactly are these "Phantom Thieves"?

Contains spoilers for Persona 5

Twilight Sparkle's wildest dreams have just been met, and exceeded. Due to an unexpected magical outburst during her entrance exam to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, the Solar Princess herself took an interest and took Twilight on as her personal student.

This was a pleasant shock for Twilight and her family. However, a few months later, a less pleasant shock would reach Twilight in the form of Celestia returning to Canterlot with a new daughter, a freshly adopted pegasus filly named Rainbow Dash. As the two get to know each other, Twilight can clearly see something eating at the self absorbed and competitive filly's mind.

To make matters even more confusing, Princess Celestia is now hiding something. Twilight dares not question it, but it is quite clear that Celestia isn't being wholly open with anypony about her decision to adopt some random orphan.

Could the answers have something to do with the cryptic dream Twilight had the night before she met Rainbow Dash?

**Apparently, this was featured on August 12th, but I slept through that brief window. All the same, I am flabbergasted and humbled!**

Cover Art by the wonderfully skilled Novaintellus

Now with a TV Tropes Page.

Twilight Sparkle is dead.
Twilight Sparkle is only slightly inconvenienced by this.

The sudden and unexpected loss of Fluttershy was one of the most tragic events to have struck Ponyville in living memory, and most of her friends have struggled to accept the fact that she is gone.

It's a good thing Discord isn't like most of her friends.