Princess Twilight Sparkle discovers a centuries-old mystery hidden in the Royal Archives. Her investigation leads through layer after layer of deception and misdirection, setting her hooves on a path that seems to be leading to a mysterious secret. Along the way, she learns that some friendships can be very, very strange.

Book 1 of the Alicorn Adventure series.

AUDIOBOOK by VisualPony
Featured at the Royal Canterlot Library
TV Tropes Page (Courtesy of Sandtalon)
Goodreads Page (Courtesy of Facedeer)
Equestria Daily Page

WARNING: Major spoilers in the comments. Takes place several months after the end of season four. (Not a Da Vinci Code crossover, BTW!)

Do you see a dark tag? No, you don't. Not dark. Well, okay, there are a couple of dark-ish bits, but that's all. Not enough to warrant a tag. Speaking of tags, there really ought to be "Badass Twilight" and "Friendshipping" ones.

Sequels and side-stories (and more) can be found here Offprint and AO3, and a hardbound two-volume set of all that can be ordered from The Ministry of Image.

My editor for the first edition of this story was Gogito, and I can't thank him enough for all the hard work he did. My editor for the revised version was PresentPerfect, and he did a terrific job of getting the story into excellent shape.

After Kion discovers his new destiny as leader of the Lion Guard after experiencing the Roar of the Elders for the first time, he assembles his friends Bunga, Fuli, Beshte, and Ono to be a part of his team, but his father King Simba did not approve of his decision leaving his son downcast that his father doesn't see that he is taking his new role and responsibilities seriously.

As soon as Kion wanders off on his own he discovers a magical portal that leads him to a new world where magical ponies that include unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies exist in with his best friend Bunga tagging along for the ride. There they meet Twilight Sparkle, the protégé of Princess Celestia, who arrives in Ponyville to prepare the Summer Sun Celebration. There they would also meet Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie along the way.

However, a new threat is on the rise as Nightmare Moon, the villianous mare from a book Twilight has read about prepares to plunge Equestria into an Eternal Night as she abducts Bunga. Seeing the world and his friend in danger, Twilight and Kion together, along with their companions journey to the old Castle in the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony in order to stop her as Kion attempts to prove to his father that he is worthy of his position as the Lion Guard's fiercest, rescue his friend, and help Twilight save Equestria.

For as long as anypony can remember, an area of land has been cut off from the rest of the world due to an eternal storm that has never shown any mercy. But now the storm has weakened and an envoy from that land has come to Equestria seeking a Queen for their land. A Queen for their kingdom of thestrals.

Join Twilight and Spike as they journey into a new land that no Equestrian has ever laid eyes upon. There Twilight will be tested like never before. Will she succeed and make new friends or will this land be her undoing...

Set just after the end of season 3 and before season 4.
Cover art done by roninfang please check out his profile if you want a commission

Edits done by both sadron and Alchemik

First featured 5/19/18!

After a surprise attack along her favourite patrol route, Princess Luna crashlands into the Everfree Forest, battered and broken. Outside the walls of the sanctuary of the strange pony that rescued her, the dangerous denizens of the Everfree lurk. Forced to remain in hiding while her sister secretly investigates, how will she cope under the mysterious canopy of the Everfree and without the luxury of her castle?

There is a thin line between a princess and a wild forest pony, thinner than a zap apple stem. Now it's up to Luna not to cross it.

Featured on 4/5/2019 and 7/4/2019

Edited by MV, additional editors and pre-readers are tagged under the chapters they helped with.

Gilda only wanted the humble things in life. Cheap rent, copious bits, the respect of her peers, the occasional juicy field-mouse.

Being captured by the Equestrians and dragooned into the Territorials wasn't quite what she'd dreamed of, but at least the rent was free.

And the rats were nice and plump.

This story is a sequel to Monsters

You might think that Equestrian nights are but serene exhibitions of Luna's work on the sky. You may believe that you can just lay out on the grass and admire the beautiful stars as a warm evening breeze caresses your mane. And you would be wrong.

Equestria is a magical place, and where there is magic, there is chaos. Dead rising from their graves, inanimate objects coming to life, strange apparitions making your foal cry in her room... sounds familiar? No? Then I'm doing my job right.

I'm Twilight Sparkle, and I work the Night Shift.

This follows canon up to the end of season 2.
Check out the Fanart Repository for lots of awesome Night Shift art!

Featured on Equestria Daily.
Winner of Stories Back from the Read 2013.
One hundred percent approved by Twilight's Library!
Special thanks to Nonagon and Wise Cracker.

Two decades after the banishment of Nightmare Moon, her shadow still lingers. Princess Celestia has been left to tend the Twin Thrones alone and protect us all from those who would see Equestria crumble. Our enemies take many forms: some would tear the world down with their claws, others with their smiles. They are monsters all the same.

I have had many names, and I have been many things. Today I am Swift Sweep, and I work for the Equestrian Bureau for State Security.

Special thanks:
NCMares (DeviantArt) for the gorgeous cover art.
Octavia Harmony: primary beta reader and editor throughout the many months of production.
PaulAsaran: for great help with and feedback on plot development and initial story drafting.
Kleora, Cerulean Voice, Nonagon: for further help with editing and story development.

(My interpretation of Vdrake77's Idol Hooves during the Canterlot wedding)

*Edits for the first two chapters kindly provided by Airy Words!

Idol Hooves is the only changeling in the entire Equestrian Guard, and has been proudly serving for over a decade (while disguised). His enlistment buddy and friend, Shining Armor, the current Captain of the Guard, is finally taking the next step to officially becoming Princess Cadence' s personal guard, 24/7.

With most guards being reassigned to the wedding, Idol (by Luna's demand) is given the temporary assignment to be Princess Luna's personal gaurd due to a shortage in the Night Gaurds numbers.

Now, after another all-nighter looking for potential threats and with Idol's persistence, Luna finally agrees and turns in for the day. With Idol Hooves being the sole guard watching Luna's door, a promise was made that could ruin Eqauestria.

Princess Luna will get her well deserved rest, and nothing short of Princess Celestia herself will wake the deathly tired princess.