In the far reaches of Canterlot Castle, high above in the towers lived the archmage. Everypony knew her, yet few had met her.
Twilight Sparkle sighed, having teleported away another noble seeking favors before reaching the top of the stairs for the second time today. They never learned. As the archmage, she already dealt with political squabbles far too often without inviting them into her home. Aside from personal favors for Celestia, she did what was required of her position and then returned to seclusion and research.
The nobility grumbled that no archmage should be a commoner, and Twilight’s disrespect toward them proved it. Each and every time they were forced to bow to her, they hated what they saw: the position, the status, the deference.
Was she not powerful? Was she not great?
Twilight, now reading through dusty scrolls and long forgotten tales, wrote in her notes — notes gathering dust of their own. A brief thought flashed through her mind.
Am I not powerful? Am I not great?
And then Twilight picked up The Tale of the Royal Pony Sisters.
Defunct side stories told in Across the Boundary. They can still provide a little context, but when in doubt, the main story here is canon.
Cover art provided by Lafiir
31 Chapters:
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Prelude - Creativity [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Nov 11th, 2020
8,346
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Chapter One - Archmage [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Jan 24th, 2021
11,796
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Chapter Two - Preparations [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Mar 23rd, 2021
11,959
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Chapter Three - Welcome to Ponyville [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Mar 23rd, 2021
8,207
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Chapter Four - Unexpected Complications [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Oct 22nd, 2020
11,190
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Chapter Five - The Dishonest [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Oct 22nd, 2020
7,575
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Chapter Six - Distractions [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Mar 4th, 2021
15,411
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Chapter Seven - From Bad to Worse [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Jul 18th, 2020
5,053
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Chapter Eight - The Dream World [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Feb 12th, 2021
15,532
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Chapter Nine - Meet the Party [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Jan 25th, 2021
8,114
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Chapter Ten - The Great and Powerful [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Oct 23rd, 2020
12,063
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Chapter Eleven - Shifting Dynamics [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Mar 25th, 2021
12,197
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Chapter Twelve - The Great Bearer Hunt [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Oct 23rd, 2020
11,917
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Chapter Thirteen - As the Night Passes [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Jan 25th, 2021
4,705
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Chapter Fourteen - Coming Together [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Jan 25th, 2021
14,451
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Chapter Fifteen - The Wayward Students [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Nov 7th, 2020
9,601
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Chapter Sixteen - Falling Apart [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Aug 16th, 2020
9,958
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Chapter Seventeen - Rarity Takes Canterlot [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Feb 12th, 2021
13,743
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Chapter Eighteen - Picking Up the Pieces [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Nov 4th, 2020
11,678
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Chapter Nineteen - The Molt [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Nov 23rd, 2020
8,664
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Chapter Twenty - Movie Night in Canterlot [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Nov 18th, 2020
10,270
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Chapter Twenty One - The Phantom Thief Strikes! [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Nov 24th, 2020
9,337
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Chapter Twenty Two - Aftermath [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Dec 20th, 2020
12,882
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Chapter Twenty Three - Guilt [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Jul 1st, 2021
9,253
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Chapter Twenty Four - The Many Trials of Moon Dancer [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Jan 28th, 2021
13,117
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Chapter Twenty Five - One Last Hurrah [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Feb 16th, 2021
6,729
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Chapter Twenty Six - Through the Looking Glass [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Apr 4th, 2021
18,764
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Chapter Twenty Seven - The Solstice (Part One) [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Mar 28th, 2021
7,320
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Chapter Twenty Eight - The Solstice (Part Two) [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Mar 30th, 2021
9,324
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Chapter Twenty Nine - The Solstice (Part Three) [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Mar 31st, 2021
9,076
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Chapter Thirty - The Solstice (Part Four) [Fimfiction.net] [Cache]
Apr 5th, 2021
8,650