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!"

When they began to read the ancient book Twilight and Spike only had the slightest of ideas what it could possibly be about. As the illuminated inks revealed to them an image of Princess Celestia locked in combat with a massive dragon and his sons they realized that the song written upon the aged pages was telling of a long forgotten battle...

... and that the Celestia they know and love is capable of things they dare not imagine.

Inspired by the image "By Celestia's Might" by John Joseco.

It's over. She's been with Celestia for years. She's absolved Luna of her crimes. She's been instrumental in defeating Sombra, and has revealed a Changeling invasion. She's even helped in reforming Discord. And now, her time is over. In the time that she's had, she's tried to do her best. She's tried so hard to live up to what other ponies expect of her.

And they were happy with how she was shaping up.

They wanted her to succeed.

Now all they want is to see her dead.

Story has been pre-read or otherwise edited by these fantastic ponies people:
Blood Lord
Ecstatic
seeker9709
PsyonicG

Twilight's caught a special type of flu, and it's up to none other than Princess Celestia to nurse her through it. A special, tender little moment follows in this most unexpected of circumstances.

This was a requested challengeish story to get Brony19 to finish his story Good Vibrations. Hopefully he thinks it is good enough to finish his story.

WARNING THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS: Kissing, 2 mares, funny moments, subtle references, D'awww moments, and no sex

Princess Luna faces a philosophical quandary that challenges the very concept of Equestria's cuboid storage devices.

Ever since she burst into flames trying to discover Pinkie Pie's sense, Twilight has had terrible feelings constantly tormenting the back of her mind. Nightmares show visions of her burning everything she has ever loved to the ground, and she is enjoying it. Desperate, she searches for anything that can help clear all of these terrible thoughts. Twilight then discovers that a unicorn whose coat was white and hair writhed in flames tried to destroy Equestria in the past. To her horror, she learns that she is destined to be the reincarnation... and there is nothing she can do about it

Featured in the group Authors Helping Authors

Special thanks to Thardoc for editing this along with several other of my stories.

This was inspired by the amazing story 'Inner Demons' by SapphireLibra3.

Artwork belongs to Tsitra360.

I have no idea how long I've been here, this gap between the seconds. It could be minutes, days, ages, I can't tell. I can never tell.

Maybe that's for the best.

The sun never rises, but it never sets. The clock never ticks, and I never rest. I never hunger, nor thirst. I certainly never tire.

It makes it much harder to tell the time I spend here...

Yet it never feels like none at all...

Princess Luna knows a thing or two about nightmares and dream magic. Her duties at Night Court have become tedious. With the help of some forbidden power she reaches out to a certain Element of Magic for the companionship and knowledge of modern Equestria she desires. But while Luna is distracted and Celestia sleeps, an old evil returns with plans both dire and terrible and a new evil plots under their noses.
(Story takes places roughly between season 2 and season 3, so post-changlings, pre-Sombra)

Cover image by JJ at lovetomorrowlove.tumblr

Canterlot... For centuries, Canterlot was the shining gem of Equestria, the pinnacle of pony society. Now, it’s a reminder, a bleak and monolithic warning to the world. 

Changed by the chemical and technological poisons that plague the mountain, an abomination of nature, I wander the greatest disaster Equestria has ever seen. 

... I will escape eventually, and when I do, I hope my friends still see me as Twilight Sparkle, and not the monster that hides among the ruins.