On a cold January evening...

...Princess Twilight Sparkle sits beside her mother's bed, watching as the elderly Queen Celestia passes her final evening. Tomorrow, she'll be Queen, and a nation will look to her to unite them in their mourning. However, the burdens of her new position may prove too much to bear.

...Ms. Sunset Shimmer laments within a Canterlot townhouse. It's a foreign setting in an already foreign land. She's a girl born to the slums of Neigh Orleans, thrust into the upper crust of Equestrian society. All because she fell in love with Twilight Sparkle, starting what might be Equestria's most controversial relationship.

...Prime Minister Fancy Pants drowns out another late night behind a wall of gin and tobacco. The labours of running a nation are heavy upon him, and are made no easier by the progressive rhetoric spewed by Celestia's heir. May the gods save Equestria, and his liver, if she ever ascends.

The events of this evening will set in motion a year of deception, alliances, politics, and romance.

Editing was done by Rose Quill, I would like to thank her so much for the help. I couldn't have done this without her.

The lovely cover art is done by Miudraws. Many thanks to them for making this for me. I truly appreciate it, and you all should go check out their stuff, it's incredible.

Written for Oroboro's Sunset Shimmer shipping contest.

"But the purpose of this story, and something it does very well, is to humanize people who are normally larger-than-life. And the politics, it must be said, are gripping, the drama carrying the story and rising to a strong emotional climax in the final chapter." - PresentPerfect, Recommend on December 8th

The rite of the phoenix is one of the most celebrated moments among the sun-gazers of Solaria. For with the hatching of a new phoenix, comes the ascension of a new phoenix-born: a mortal chosen by the phoenix to be its new life partner and guardian. Only those with both strength and purity of their inner fire can draw the attention of a hatchling phoenix, so only the best of the best can ever hope to be chosen.

To one young orphan girl named Sunset Shimmer, she could only dream of witnessing the ascent of one of Celestia's chosen. As the day approaches, she learns that she will be able to, as she has been selected by the crown as one of the girls to serve at the event.

Little did she know that this would be the seminal event of her life, and change her fate forever.

Original story was entry into FanOfMostEverything's Imposing Sovereigns II contest. Entry type: Coronation - Other.

Cover art by me.

Featured Oct 12th, 2019.

Featured EQD July 22nd, 2020

The guards are scared to say it.

Sunset Shimmer has returned to Canterlot.

And the Princess is furious...

Not in continuity with my other stories. Just something that popped into my head one day.

Spell Nexus (mentioned only) is from Past Sins, by Pen Stroke

All of Sunset's hard work in college is finally nearing its end. As she's sitting in her dorm room on yet another lonely Friday night, she has to wonder what she might have lost along the way.

Princess Twilight Sparkle writes letters to her former mentor.
Her friend, Spike, would rather she didn't.

Princess Celestia has hosted the Grand Galloping Gala for hundreds of years, the grandest party in all of Equestria and said to be without peer—and has hated every year of it. Now that her sister has returned to her, she hopes to share this painful royal duty. Shame for her that Princess Luna wants nothing to do with the Gala, or any of the other princesses for that matter. Luna is going to have to use all her wits and skills to stay one step ahead of her sister and be anywhere but the Gala.

A stand-alone Winningverse story.

What does it mean to be immortal? Celestia has lived for too long. Her memories are old. She has seen many ponies, and many places, and many times, and many stars, and many dreams. She wakes one night to find she does not know the ponies and the stars of today from the ponies and the stars of any other day she has lived. She no longer knows what was real and what was only dreamed.

She desperately searches for the one pony she knows could not have been a dream.

It’s not every day you discover that your friend is in an adventure novel, but that’s exactly the situation Sunset Shimmer and Kukri Doo find themselves in when Puzzle Piece, Freeport’s foremost problem solver, makes an appearance in the latest Daring Do book. They only naturally ask Puzzle about it, and uncover a truth far stranger than fiction: a tale of adventure, intrigue, tyrant lizards, the mysterious dromaed people, and the fabled City of Giants.

A Freeport Venture prequel.

Sunset Shimmer isn't like the other Freshman in Canterlot High School. While so many others explain away the strange things that happen in their town, she knows better. There's an entire world out there, a world of magic and incredible creatures, one that she's determined to reach.

Careful study and preparation brings her to the portal in front of her school, at the last moment of its opening. Sunset doesn't have a clue what might be waiting on the other side, but she's sure it will lead her to the magic she's always wanted.

No matter what it costs.

Updates Tuesdays.

This story was sponsored by my glorious enablers Bitera and Sparktail, who also did the editing. I know I don't deserve it. Want one of your own? Drop me a PM. Cover by Zutcha.

This story is a sequel to The Witch of the Everfree

Saddle Arabia is a land of mysteries and ancient legends, and Sunset Shimmer sees it as a great place to escape from her mistakes for a while. What caused her to flee Equestria, and can she find a way to prove herself and win back the favor of the ponies she wronged?

More importantly, can she avoid starting a war?

I'd like to thank all my followers, fans, and patreon subscribers. Without all of you, I'd be worse off in every way.