This story is a sequel to Inscape

Penumbra seeks gainful employment. Hilarity ensues.

This is the third story in The Petriculture Cycle. The TV Tropes entry can be found here.

Artwork by Page Turner.

"Equestria's Guard: the Bravest and the Best. Do you have what it takes?"

So the advertisements say. When Rainbow Dash saves the life of Princess Luna, however, she quickly comes to learn that there's a lot more to the guard than what everypony knows. As she faces down threats to her friends, her Princesses, and her country, Rainbow will have to decide exactly who she is loyal to.

A Price of Loyalty story.

Magic, the most powerful of the Elements Of Harmony, it binds them together and helps keep stability over Equestria. Cut that off and what happens? What happens when the threads of friendship are severed, and the flames of chaos are rekindled? For Twilight, her existence's end is simply the beginning to something much bigger. How will she act in a world deprived of the harmony it once held as a creature that must thrive on the blood that Equestria has lost?

This story is a sequel to The Longest Night

As her twenty-first birthday dawns, Twilight Sparkle finds her simple life turned upside down. While her birthright forces itself into her life, Twilight also has to deal with the arrival of three Alicorns. No pony knows where they came from or what they want, and the Alicorns seem intent on keeping themselves and their purposes hidden. To uncover the truth, Twilight will set sail for distant, ancient lands with old and new friends.

Side-Stories: Velvet Sparkle and the Queen in Stone, Myths and Birthrights: Anthologiae, A Dream of Pride and Envy, The Castle Canterlot, by Honey Mead

TVTropes Page

Pre-readers/Editors: Honey Mead, WNA, Cerulean Voice
Cover art by Saint-Juniper

Comments Contain Spoilers

Twilight Sparkle has always admired Princess Celestia. Her fortitude, her wisdom, her eternal grace and love for all her subjects. Twilight has often fantasized about what it would be like to be in Princess Celestia's horseshoes. She never imagined those fantasies would come true.

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Events take place a short time after the Crystal Empire's return (early S3).
Proofreading from chapter three-onward provided by Daemon of Decay.
Cover image used with permission from TexasUberAlles, thanks!
Inspiration for Sunny Skies from PhantomFox.

For almost a year now, Trixie has been sending letters to Twilight. The only problem is, Twilight hasn't gotten a single one... until today. But now that she has, Twilight is left with more questions than she knows how to answer. Fortunately, she has a plan. Unfortunately, she doesn't know if that plan will work.

Featured on Equestria Daily
Reading by: WhoLandon
Reading by: PonyFicsOutLoud

A few weeks ago, Chrysalis and her brood attacked Ponyville for revenge against Twilight. During the fight, the final spells of the two collide and create a portal that they're sucked into. The Princesses with the help of the others manage to summon them back only to find... that the two are marefriends!? How the buck did that happen!?

Some Canterlot entertainers aren't just musicians... and some ponies fall in love with them anyways.

When one of Equestria's most popular cellists appears at Twilight's birthday party, it's just another gig for Octavia, but a shock for Twilight and the rest of the party-goers. She arrives, wishes Twilight a happy birthday, wows them with her beautiful music, wows them with her musical beauty, and doesn't leave until after everypony else has left. So when a few ponies suggest that this 'entertainer' might be more than just a musician... some eyebrows are raised, but nothing more. Twilight is beyond reproach, after all, and Octavia can earn her living however she wants. When she sticks around Ponyville, however, it becomes a slightly different story - Twilight is romantically-naive, after all, and Octavia is... most certainly not.

The romance of Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's protege, and Octavia van Clef, Canterlot's most famous entertainer.

Rated 'Teen'. Per FimFiction's rating guidelines, this story contains some 'more adult themes', but has no 'graphically adult content'. Rated primarily for sexually suggestive material, but also (in later chapters) alcohol use and adult language.

Princess Luna finds more than a friend in her sister's student, and Twilight Sparkle gets a chance to study the moon and stars far closer than she ever dreamed possible.

An ongoing series of slice-of-life snapshots. Expect a castle's worth of clop-free d'aaawww.

These stories are in continuity with The Rustic & The Romantic and If the Flight Suit Fits.

Now featuring cover art by the inimitable Cerraka (formerly xaztein / crenair)!

Almost all chapters originally written as separate entries for flash-fic blog Thirty Minute Ponies (TMP). I highly recommend a visit to TMP if you're looking for some of the best 1000-word gems in pony fiction. Many thanks to TMP for inspiring me to write!

Plan C - In which Cadance learns that Celestia is the chessmaster, and that her backup plans are the most fun of all.

Game, Set, Match - Twilight tries her hoof at arena combat. Victory or defeat, she's sure to end up a winner with this opponent.

Countdown - Luna swore she'd never do this again, but there's something about that little librarian from Ponyville that tests her resolve.

Twilight Hustle - Rarity's heard some steamy rumors about Twilight and gathers the girls to dish juicy gossip.

All the World’s a Stage - Luna had a wonderful evening with Twilight and sang her heart out about it. Oh, and she might have left the door open.

Every Morning After - Twilight and Luna shared a wonderful, magical night; unfortunately, immortal Princesses sometimes forget about thousand-year-old laws which could ruin the mood ever so slightly.

Names - Luna's had many more names and titles than "Mare in the Moon", and Twilight discovers which of them meant the most.

Great Minds Think Alike - Cadance and Celestia's plan for Twilight and Luna comes to a head, slightly off schedule.

Third Time's the Charm - Twilight's Nightmare Night costumes aren't cutting it. Now Luna's in town, and that may change her opinion on what makes a proper costume.

Monster - Ponyville's been through the ringer lately, but whose fault is it really?

Impossible - Luna's having a bad night, and Twilight came all the way to Canterlot to do something about it.

Early Observances - If you're going to interrupt Celestia's sleep, you'd better have a very good reason.

THAT Letter - Luna and Twilight have to tell Celestia how serious their relationship has become, and they decide to send a letter. Surely they couldn't disagree about how to make such a simple announcement - could they?

Your Turn - Twilight and her friends reveal some personal secrets, and Twilight's is life-changing.

Trembling Joyful Whispers- The Big Day is here for Twilight and Luna! Hear the congregation's comments as events unfold.

The Power Vested in Me- The Big Day is here, but Luna and Twilight are so very, very far from ready. Will their fears get the better of them?

Awkward - Twilight and Shining Armor have dinner with their parents along with Luna and Cadance. They'll probably wish they'd ordered takeout instead.

Absence - Luna deals with a thousand years of angst all at once; maybe she just needs a gentle helping hoof to make sense of it all.

You Were There - A quiet night between Luna and Twilight is almost derailed by a lesson in ancient mythology.

Between Sun and Moon - Luna reads a bedtime story with which she is all too familiar.

Postcards from the Edge - Twilight leaves to study abroad for three months; in her absence, Luna has a stack of mail to open.

Insert Princess T into Slot S - Twilight want to be Princess of Something. Careful what you wish for!

Ups and Downs - Newly-crowned Princess Twilight needs flying lessons. Careful whom you ask!

Amethyst Throne - Princess Twilight is pretty sure she's seen these petitioners somewhere before.

In the far north, where changelings live, change begins -- a single changeling breaks out of the collective mind, becoming an individual. The story follows the life and adventures of Chip -- a changeling that will bring upon a new era in the Hive.

Awesome image made by Foxena!