Ten years ago: the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the goddess of knowledge and power occurred. One year later, Spike the Dragon disappeared. Twilight Sparkle was broken. With the help of her fellow princess and bearers, as well as all of Equestria, she seems to have accepted the loss of her best friend.

On the nine year anniversary though, she, three other Bearers and Luna make a trip to the Western Badlands. Their mission? To get to Blackwater City, and arrive at an international political convention. However, things are turned upside down when they find out that their escort across the Badlands is the "Dragon Outlaw", Spike. However, he is not the same innocent child as before. Even though he is still biologically a child, the harsh world of the Badlands has forced him to grow up fast. Can Twilight help bring him back to her, or have the Badlands claimed his life as it has so many others? After all, once an outlaw, always an outlaw.

To be inserted into Equestria, it's a dream come true for anybrony!

Meet the ponies!

Have super awesome magical adventures!

Use foreknowledge to avoid all those silly pratfall moments without screwing things up and causing irreparable harm to the Mane 6...uh...hopefully!

And all for the low cost of possessing Princess Luna, denying her any real freedom or the ability to move on with her life since she's in your head and you're walking around as Nightmare Moon!

Yeah...there had to be a catch in there somewhere, didn't there?

King Sombra came from an old age, a time where darkness and evil were prevalent across the land. The Princesse's power and influence were weaker in those days, for the land of Equestria was divided amongst many kingdoms of lesser Princesses and Princes. But out of all their ruling neighbors, The Four Shepherds held the most power of all, even threatening Celestia and Luna's kingdom. However, all of that changed when they vanished for a thousand years, ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity. Until that is, when the Crystal Kingdom reappeared, along with one of the Shepherds. King Sombra, however, was thankfully vanquished swiftly, but the following peace of his defeat would not last as long as anypony might think. A new force sets its eyes on the recently coronated Princess Twilight Sparkle, one that seeks to restore a lost heritage and remind the land of who is the true owner of the night. For when one evil is smitten, another appears in its place. And King Sombra was only the first in line.

Set before Season 4

Note: Dark tag is meant for Light Dark

Special thanks to my editor Ladrian for his diligent and superb work. I wish I had him when I first started this story because maybe then the early chapters would have been much better.

Special thanks to Stanku for revisions and prereading this story. It would be at a much worse state had it not been for his detailed opinions to each and every chapter, and letting me know where I can improve.

10/2/2014 : Woah... it's on the featured list... *cue squealing and fist pumping* THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!