This story is a sequel to The New Blood

Years have passed since the Crystal War ended. Twilight Sparkle visits an old haunt to spend some time catching up with her friends. Then comes the question of who picks up the tab.

This story follows the alternate universe canon wherein Equestria fought in a state of Total War against Sombra's Crystal Empire. The New Blood is set in the same universe during the war, with some character overlap.

As a Memorial Day Tribute, this story is dedicated to all those who have served, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. For any veterans living with trauma, I've placed a link here for the veteran helpline. There is no shame in needing to talk to someone.

Folks were kind enough to submit this to the Royal Canterlot Library. Thank you to everyone responsible for adding it. I'm grateful that you found in it something meaningful.

My Little Pony and its contents are the property of Hasbro, Inc. and its affiliates. Please support the official release.

Raven is a good, simple mare who has lead a good, simple life. With that life comes worry and dreams, but never has she known pain or suffering.

She simply has a friendship, a secret, and somepony she loves more than anything.

But that pony is a shadow.

Takes place sometime in season two, at some point after 'Luna Eclipsed'. Proofread by NorrisThePony. Buy this story! Contribute to the TVTropes page!

Princess Celestia has finally decided to introduce her two prized pupils to each other, hoping that together they'll finally start to appreciate the beauty and magic of friendship. Sunset may be proud and brash, and Twilight might be obsessive and oblivious at times, but surely they'll get along fine, right?

They'll go above and beyond that in time, but the road they'll take to get there is a rocky one.

Written for Oroboro's Sunset Shipping Contest: Changing Seasons

Cover art by Novel-Idea
Original Sunset and Twilight image by Sikander-MLP

Featured on September 1, 2017!

Updated 10/27/17: Minor edits to existing chapters; 3 new chapters added (Reconciliation, The Twilight Zone, Sowing Seeds)
Updated 11/27/17: Cover art added!

She didn’t like cats.

She didn’t have a cat.

Nevertheless, there was a cat. One morning it was there, right on the edge of her front stoop.

Now in Chinese! Translation courtesy of hehelover
Now with a reading by AShadowOfCygnus!

Leave it to Twilight Sparkle to create the greatest spell of the past century – and then want to destroy it.

It's too dangerous to use, she says. It's too tempting. It can't help you the way you think it can.

Well, Starlight Glimmer knows a thing or three about temptation. She'll prove to Twilight that this spell – this magnificent book – is too important to destroy. That it can help ponies.

She just has to survive using it, first.

Second place in the May 2018 WriteOff.

Cover art is "Reformed" by Okaces.

Rainbow Dash can't wait to start the awesome day she has planned for her and Applejack. She's so eager she's already parked herself right outside the Acres, bright and early.

But geeze, what's taking AJ so long?

Skystar never got a chance to make friends. Pinkie’s determined to show her how.

Clearly, this will involve swing dancing.

Concept inspired by just how adorable Pinkie and Skystar are and a conversation with Corejo and DwarvishPony in Cynewulf's Discord Server! You can find a copy of the conversation in this blog!

Covert Art: Little-Tweenframes
Cover Text & Section Break Design: Novel Idea
Pinkie Pie Cutie Mark: BlackGryph0n

Cast: Pinkie Pie & Lady Skystar
Co-Starring: Ambassador Novo & The Canterlot High Seven with Principal Celestia & Vice Principal Luna

Beta Reader & Editor Credits!
Ebon Quill - Author, Cackling GM, Audio Director & Quest Designer on The Manehattan Project
Little Tinker: Bouncy Cheer Pony, Master of Systems at Poniverse & Scripting Engineer on The Manehattan Project
Beltorn: Commenter-at-Large on FimFiction
JayMan155: Artist & Author Extraordiane!
Cursori: Reader of Many a Pony Word
Heartshine: Smol Pegsus, Big Heart

Special Thanks!
Rose Quill: Brilliant Swingin' Lyricist and the one who perfected the song "My Kind of Crazy!"
Aragon: Brilliant Synopsis Engineer
Monochromatic: Brilliant Synopsis Tailor

Word Count: 30,000 words
Version: 3.0

Five years of cheap thrills in the big city have left Sweetie Belle in bad debt with dangerous ponies. Forced to pay up, she returns to Ponyville to seek money from an estranged sister she loathes with a passion.

Featured on Equestria Daily October 6, 2015
Non-spoiler review by Paul Asaran

For centuries, ponykind thought Princess Platinum's splendorous silver crown lost for all time, but it has been found. Twilight Sparkle, the self-proclaimed Princess of Thieves, has tracked it down to the long-fallen Diamond Dog kingdom of Erebark, and means to enter the mountain to retrieve her kin's lost heirloom and settle scores with Princess Celestia.

Unfortunately, there are one or two details she didn't realize going into this mess. Namely, that she'll need to steal from the gilded gallery of one of the mightiest dragons ever to walk the land.

Oops.

Preread by RossbyWaves, Cynewulf, Timaeus, Undome Tinwe, Brasta Septim, and Beltorn.
Special thanks to the aforementioned six for enabling and encouraging this story, along with a few other friends in the most exalted and dedicated purple girlfriends chat server.
Artwork brilliantly done by Lilfunkman.

Following her tragic death by yet another villain of the week, Twilight Sparkle finds herself facing something all alicorns eventually uncover.

The continue screen.