Princess Celestia has trained her three apprentices, Sunset, Trixie and Twilight, to become the newest generation of the Knights of the Realm, protectors of Equestria. Their abilities and morals are unquestionable, and they're also perfectly willing to become the heroes Equestria needs. However, something had to give, and in the process of turning them into the future Legendary Heroes, those three ended up becoming particularly eccentric in their methods and quirks. This is the start of a very silly era of heroes.

October 2019 Edit: The story's rating has been changed from E to T.

Twilight was always fated to be the savior of Equestria, along with her friends. But fate can be so easily altered. What happens in one alternate realm when instead of marrying a unicorn, Twilight's mother had instead married an earth pony, resulting in her daughter being hornless? Without her magic, Twilight's future and destiny are far less certain, as is the destiny of all of Equestria.

However, destiny is not so easily set off course. When the princess of the night returns, can one little earth pony hope to be the one to help her damaged heart?

Now with a TV tropes page! Thanks to redandready45.

Twilight Sparkle, a ward of the crown ever since she accidentally turned her parents into plants, is dispatched by Queen Celestia to the small hamlet of Ponyville; the Unicorn has expressed fear that an eldritch Alicorn of the past will arise there. And when Twilight Sparkle fails to defeat the fiendish NightMare Moon in the two Queens' former palace of Concordia Arbos, the planet is plunged into night on one side and day on the other. With only shards of rock to her name and a band of ponies at her side, she sallies forth to bring back the Sun. She will traverse field and mountain, desert and labyrinth if she needs to. Will she be able to solve the mystery of the Elements of Harmony? Who was NightMare Moon, and what evils come to Equestria apart from her everlasting night? And why does Queen Celestia believe that making friends takes priority over everything else for Twilight...?

Can be found on TV Tropes.
Has a YouTube reading by our own Alchemystudent.

The Elements of Friendship, Book I: Harmony
The Elements of Friendship, Book IS [interlude one-point-five]: Bonds
The Elements of Friendship, Book II: Chaoskampf
The Elements of Friendship, Book IIS [interlude two-point-five]
The Elements of Friendship, Book III
The Elements of Friendship, Book IIIS [interlude three-point-five]
The Elements of Friendship, Book IIII

[This story has been rewritten, link to it is here ]
Canterlot is getting ready for the wedding of the century, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is marrying the Captain of the Royal Guard and part of the draconic royal family will be in attendance. In addition to helping prepare the most high profile wedding Equestria has seen in living memory, Celestia has tasked Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the Elements of Harmony with befriending the future queen of the Dragon Empire and her entourage, the first Sorcerer the Empire has ever had. One thing is certain, this will be a wedding that nobody ever forgets.
(New description has be made by none other than DoomManta)

(Story has been inspired by This picture) Go check out the person who did it Zig-Word

New cover art is drawn by http://akerabronzpaw.deviantart.com/ It may say a different name but same person.

Note to all: This story has been made before the season 6 ep 5 "Gauntlet of Fire" was made but may have some details about it. ;)

Also this story got Featured, a lot... thanks everyone xD

The most wanted mare in Equestria, Twilight Sparkle is the greatest thief in the world. As she follows in the hoofsteps of her grandmother, Twilight Twinkle, she's joined by friends and chased by family, all while trying to make a few bits!

An alternate universe fiction where Twilight Sparkle never entered Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. At least, not without a set of lockpicks. Gilda is her closest ally and friend, and a skilled marksman with her crossbow. And of course there's Rarity Belle, who can wrap Twilight around her hoof with a wink and a smile - and usually picks her pockets in the process. With friends like these, Twilight keeps one step ahead of Shining Armor and tries to get her hooves on all the bits she can carry.

____________________

Special shoutout to Ampris for the cover image. Check her out on twitter at @AmpDragoness - careful, some of her art is NSFW.

Failing once in her attempt to take Canterlot and failing again in her attempt to take down Twilight, one would think Chrysalis would have cut her losses and let things be, but the queen has once again appeared, this time in broad daylight with no disguise and no army. Her weapon of choice? Diplomacy.

Now Twilight is having to deal with the changeling queen, but surely putting up with her antics will be worth the knowledge she's willing to provide about her mysterious race and the potential undiscovered agents still within their midst...right?

Takes place before Magical Mystery Cure and diverges from there.

With thanks to MisterGunpowder for proofreading and editing.

Revision History:

05/09/2015: Chapter 1 updated with millions of little corrections.
05/20/2015: Chapter 2 revised and edited with another million small and large corrections.
06/12/2015: Chapter 3 given a thorough editing and revision.
06/23/2015: Chapter 4 taken to the gutter and edited twice to be sure.
07/14/2015: Chapter 5 thoroughly brutalized with the editing stick.
08/03/2016: Chapter 6 finally edited. Yes, I'm still alive, dammit.
09/29/2016: Chapter 7 fell out of the editing tree and hit every editing branch on the way down.
10/26/2016: Chapter 8 has emerged from the editing emergency room.
11/17/2016: Chapter 9 found and edited. No casualties reported.
11/30/2016: Chapter 10 treated for whiplash after lightning fast editing.
12/22/2016: Chapter 11 edited. Chrysalis shot first.
01/17/2017: Epilogue edited. Time to hit the cider.

Tragedy strikes the Sparkle estate one winter evening and Twilight finds herself cold, alone, and far from home.

Fortunately she stumbles across two fillies who may have more in common with her than she realizes. With no place else to go, nopony else to turn to, and no clear way back home, Twilight decides to stay with the fillies and their caretaker while she tries to piece together the mysteries of what happened to her family and why.

Bonds will be forged.

Secrets will be unraveled.

And a great journey will be undertaken.

Additional tags: Sad, Slice of Life (I don't care if it contradicts the Adventure tag, things are gonna get Slice-of-Life-y)