In the midst of Equestria's most recent age of peace, just after Princess Celestia puts the finishing touches on her latest gift to her subjects, Twilight Sparkle appears with a strange question about an obscure beast. It's obvious that something else is bothering Celestia's most faithful student, but what?

Times are a-changing in the lands of the Diamond Dogs, and not for the better. Beset by the dangers of the surface world, their newly-established above-ground kingdom of Diamondia is in need of aid from friendly neighbors. Luckily, they just happen to be within a little over a week's journey of the most friendship-loving beings in the world! Surely the most loyal of canines and the friendliest of equines can work something out with only a minimum of misunderstanding, culture shock and inadvertent acts of war, right?

(Originally written for Equestria Daily's "Outside Insight" summer fanfic contest, but it's not going to be completed within the time limit or the word limit.)

Yellow sun; wet, green planet; barren, dust-ball moon. When I saw the images from the surveyors, I knew instantly that this was the place where I'd set up my hermitage.

The captain told me there were intelligent creatures on the planet, but she doubted they would venture beyond the atmosphere for centuries. That meant I'd have the moon all to myself for six standard months before her ship came back to resupply me.

Six months of peace and contemplation with only the Increate and the sound of my heartsbeat to keep me company. No distractions, no neighbors, no mad aliens with their endless demands.

Solitude. Silence. Paradise.

Or so I thought.

(Kudos to Lunae Lumen for correcting the Latin in the title)
(Added AU tag due to the IDW comics)

Twilight Sparkle finds herself granted permanent possession of the Element of Magic under unusual circumstances. Following instructions from Princess Luna, Twilight and Pinkie Pie begin experimenting on it to test an ancient pony belief; that as Discord is a spirit of chaos, there are spirit beings that represent and embody harmony as well.

It works, but if Twilight and Pinkie expected them to be as friendly and helpful as Discord was cruel and destructive, they're about to be disappointed.

(This fic takes place sometime after the events of Wonderbolt Academy but before Keep Calm and Flutter On.)