This story is a sequel to Shipping and Handling

Magic is limited only by the strength of the mind and the passion of the heart.

After the events of "Shipping and Handling", young Dinky Doo sets off to begin her first term of study at the most prestigious magic school in Equestria, Celestia's Academy for Gifted Unicorns. The adventures that await her there will exceed even her wildest expectations, and a cast of colorful new characters will be by her side to share in them.

(This story is the sequel to "Shipping and Handling". It's highly recommended you read that one first!
Occurs during Season 3 of the show: After the Crystal Empire but before Alicorn Twilight.)

Ponies tell themselves many stories.

Tales of great towers spun from the air itself; legends of those who could bend the heavens to their will; myths of cities that live forever on the edge of memory.

Often, the stories themselves bear little resemblance to reality; the truth is found between the lines.

In the spirit of Cold in Gardez's Lost Cities challenge.

Proofread by Not_A_Hat.

Celestia is not invincible. Strong, yes. Ageless, assuredly. Magical, undoubtedly. But not invincible.

The Princess of the Day has been attacked, and she did not escape unscathed.

While Luna fights against the mortal fear gripping her subjects in the wake of the assassination attempt, the enemy runs free. Twilight Sparkle must assemble a team to bring the pony to justice. Few ponies can be trusted, and fewer still can be expected to succeed.

But the kingdom has heroes: The Knights of Harmony. Ponies who have stood against evil and won, who fight to make Equestria a safer place. Each is an expert in their particular field, masters of their trades, but they have yet to work together.

An adventurer past her prime.

A tinkerer with too much time on his hooves.

A spy whose primary instinct is to lie.

A dishonored soldier with an axe to grind.

As they delve into the origins of the assassin, they find that Equestrian history still has secrets long buried. Can the knights come together as a team before she finds her next mark?

It started with a Nightmare: a corrupted monarch, a desperate sister, and a fragmented kingdom left in their wake. Saddled with the burden of protecting Equestria alone, Celestia chose to be strong enough not to. Instead, she found another way: three mortal ponies, the most magically gifted of their generation, to stand by her side as defenders of the realm.

For a thousand years, they've been everything Equestria needed them to be. Scholars, guardians, warriors, heroes—or, as Celestia prefers to call them, Angels. And if their inaugural achievements are any indication, her latest nominees for that illustrious order might just be the best ones yet.

Provided, of course, they don't blow up half the kingdom proving it.

An alternate universe retelling of the events of Friendship is Magic. A non-zero number of changelings were harmed in the making of said account.

Special thanks to CouchCrusader and totallynotabrony for their editing assistance.

It is the longest day of the year, and something has gone wrong. Canterlot is in ruins, Celestia is an out-of-control god flying west, and it's up to Twilight Sparkle and her friends to save Equestria. But with the Great and Powerful Trixie playing a reckless wild card, do the girls have what it takes to set things right?

Flitter doesn't like most ponies. There's hardly anything in the world Flitter likes, very few which she can even remotely tolerate, and only a couple which she truly loves. Fluttershy is not in the last two categories. Flitter sees Fluttershy as weak, and weakness disgusts her.

But when you're trying to help someone you love, you'll look for help in a lot of places -- including the cottage of the weakest pony in the world.

And for those willing to listen past their pain, it might be the place where they start to learn what true strength is.

(This story takes place about five moons before Triptych and well after On The Application...)

Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Audiobook production by ObabScribbler.

An Optimalverse story.

CelestAI creates worlds. Perfect worlds, perfectly suited to satisfying the values of the pony living in them. Every pony is different, so every world she crafts is its own work of art.

And every piece of art tells a story.

The wheel of time turns, as destiny and history clash together.

Fifty years into the future, Sunset Shimmer is Princess Twilight Sparkle's most faithful student. She is smart and eager, but doesn't always think things through. Her life had been perfect, right up to the End of the World.

With a ruined future, Sunset travels into the past to alter the course of history. With only her mentor's cryptic word to go on, Sunset and the Elements of Harmony must solve the riddle of the Dark Regalia and stop the mysterious Vesper Radiance from rising to power. But the further Sunset goes, the more she feels like she's been through it all before.

Is destiny set in stone, or can Sunset shape her own future? Only time will tell.

Featured on Equestria Daily 6/16/13
Gratefully edited by JustAnotherTimeLord, Icarus_Gizmo, Cerulean Voice and Bad_Seed_72

The Sunset of Tropes page!

A series of notes sent to a young changeling in the field by her superior, and a glimpse into the minds of a race whose views on friendship and love are at once totally alien and disturbingly easy to recognize in ourselves and those around us.

*****

My extreme gratitude to Pascoite for going over this story with a fine-toothed comb, and for helping me make it what it is.

Cover art by the incredibly talented Nelvakre, used with permission.

Now available in Spanish, courtesy of SPANIARD KIWI.

Twilight and her friends are approached by Princess Luna who presents them with a set of questions that trigger a long and perilous journey.

Did you ever stop to wonder what became of Trixie, Gilda and Blueblood after your encounters? What did these episodes truly mean to you? What role will they yet play in the lives of the Elements of Harmony?

Last, are these questions as relevant as the journey towards the answers? Who will benefit from seeking these answers - you, them, or I?