This story is a sequel to Long Road to Friendship

It is a new year for Sunset Shimmer; a fresh chance at real happiness with her five best friends and her girlfriend. But Sunset is constantly troubled by her uncertain future, and haunted by the consequences of her past.

For her battle against Princess Twilight has drawn forth ancient forces with eyes on the last bastion of magic: Canterlot City.

As darkness closes in, Sunset must find her light and guide her friends to defend their world against old rivals and legends best left forgotten, all while dealing with their ever-looming futures.

But when graduation comes, what will Sunset Shimmer do? For she is still a stranger in this world, with or without her friends, and the road before her guarantees nothing.

Of course, with the universe conspiring against her, it'll be a miracle if she even makes it that far...

Story plot edited by HenryAnthonyCourtler
Pre-read by DrakeyC
Wonderful cover art designed by HanasakiYunarin!
Text added by Amber Spark!
The page of Spectacular Tropes!
Presenting the French translation!

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.

This story is a sequel to First Meeting

Years have passed since Octavia Philharmonica and Vinyl Scratch first met on the platforms of Canterlot Station. In the short time that they spent together, they became the best of friends. Then they separated, both of them returning to their homes, meeting one another with less and less frequency as time went on. Within a few years, they had only memories of each other, impressions of the fillies that they used to be.

And then they met again, in the hallways of the Canterlot Conservatory.

After the invention of radio, DJ-P0n3 (aka Vinyl Scratch) holds the first Equestrian talk show with her co-host Octavia. Octavia quickly finds out her superior is very eccentric, leading their broadcast to be constantly derailed, yet somehow remain popular. These episodes were recorded for historical significance and transcribed. These are the Vinyl Scratch Tapes.

[Update 1/25/13]: Fully updated to contain all of season 1 and 2, correcting a vast oversight on the part of the author. Sorry it took so long to update it fully on Fimfiction, guys.

Octavia: Prodigy. Virtuoso. Artist.

And, no matter how much she wants to deny it, Pie.

I miss you. Please come home. I'll be waiting for you.

Originally written for Equestria Daily's Writer's Training Grounds #3.

Cover art swiped from Spittfire Art.

This story is a sequel to Syncopation

Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Philharmonica. There's nopony in all of Equestria that doesn't know these names. They are the pinnacles of their genres and the peaks of every genre in between, but it wasn't always this way.

When they first met, Octavia was fresh out of the Canterlot Conservatory and Vinyl was the only member of Syncopated Records, a new music company created by Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur de Lis. They have grown since then, overcome trials both as individuals and as a company, but Fancy Pants still has greater plans for his company. Plans to expand, to become bigger names, to be known not only in Canterlot, but in all of Equestria! In order to do this, the musicians of Syncopated Records, Vinyl, Octavia, Harpo Parish Nadermane, and Lyra Heartstrings will travel through the princessdom, playing their songs and trying to make their own mark in music.

But it will be difficult. They'll have to be more than a company and more than a music group. They'll have to work together, getting used to their off-beat attitudes until they can work as one.

Syncopation must meet with Synchronization.

After putting on the Element of Magic, Sunset Shimmer was shown just how much of a monster she really is. But that wasn't all the Elements did to her.

Sunset has now been forced to serve penance by answering any question truthfully and by doing anything asked of her, whether she wants to or not.

And she really doesn't want to.

Until all of the hatred in her heart is gone, Sunset is at the whim of her peers, unbeknownst to them of course. Can her new "friends" help her down the road to redemption?

If not, there's always that other Twilight Sparkle she keeps running into.

Current editor: Nomad_Sigma
Guest editors: Cerulean Voice, Flint Sparks, Starlight Nova, and Sholan
Extra thanks to Icarus_Gizmo, JustAnotherTimeLord, and HenryAnthonyCourtler

Cover art customized by Amber Spark!

Now with it's own TV Tropes page!
Posted on EQD June 25, 2014
Wanna read it in French?
Or, read the E-Pub version here or the online version here
Now available in print format!

Octavia and Harmonia Philharmonica were on their way to Manehattan, ready to fulfill their duty as granddaughters and visit Nana. Vinyl Scratch and her brother Long Play were traveling back home from a concert in Canterlot, the first that Vinyl had ever attended. Pure serendipity facilitated these pairs' first meeting.

(Inspired by the pure adorableness that is the cover art)

An influx of weather duties has left Rainbow Dash more overworked and exhausted than ever. With no funds to go on a proper vacation to blow off steam, Rainbow is trapped in a endless cycle of waking up, going to work, and going to sleep.

When Rainbow's responsibilities make even flying no longer fun, Twilight offers to let her stay at the library for an all-expenses paid staycation. Though a little unsure, it doesn’t take much convincing from Twilight for Rainbow to change her mind. Expecting to just find some peace and quiet for a few days, Rainbow finds that and much more.

My (extremely late & winning) entry for the Third TwiDash Group Contest.

Editing done by The Abyss and DarqFox

Cover art by Rossby Waves

NOTE: We've actually taken this story's concept and given it a massive makeover. Check it out here!

Two worlds. Two friendships.

However, sometimes it takes another Rainbow Dash to say what one can't.

Now with a dramatic audio reading by Goombasa! Thanks, dood! :D