Twilight wants to know what happened to Starswirl the Bearded, but nopony who knows will speak. How many wounds is Twilight ready to reopen to get her answer?

In a string of theories, I concurred this one while working late at night. I don't intend to make it extremely detailed, but more-so as a way to explain some things about a couple of the most mysterious ponies ever mentioned.

Thanks to the following for finding errors:
Starlight Nova

EDIT: As I'm sure some of you have read the comics- namely the 'Fiendship Is Magic' series- you know that the story behind Sombra is different. I had written this beforehand and will just leave it up for others to read.

A millenium in exile on the Moon took its toll on Princess Luna's memory. When she was restored by the Elements of Harmony, not every single memory was returned perfectly intact to her. A select few - the most guarded - were left where she had placed them centuries ago, locked away deep within the realms of her mind, while others returned in tattered shards, too incomprehensible to understand. On one very specific night, Luna discovers the fragment of a peculiar unicorn horn impaled in the snow. When she makes contact with the faded being residing within, the last remnants of the unicorn known as Sombra, these guarded and errant memories from a thousand and one winters ago suddenly return to her.

Everything becomes clear again. An Empire on the brink of destruction, peril, moments of great joy and sadness, love, betrayal, sinister Nightmare forces, and a would-be king whose fall help set yet another of equal tragedy in motion.

A first person, dual-narrative account of the final weeks leading up to the Crystal Empire's fateful disappearance, the coronation and downfall of Sombra, and the rise of Nightmare Moon.

When lost in a blizzard, Cadence finds a frigid Sombra, and learns that they had lives before Equestria- and they knew each other. What will be uncovered as Cadence sees the light in Sombra- and how it went out.

A changeling sets up a secret shop inside of Ponyville. He can be anyone you want him to be. The crush you wished felt the same way about you. The boss you want to just scream at. The parent you hoped would return someday. The friend that's now your enemy.

He can be anyone you want him to be. Just don't ask him to be himself.

Now with a youtube reading. HERE!

If you haven't read New Reign, please do so. This is only a side story, created separate from the rest of the story because I didn't want to add the Gore tag to New Reign.

If you insist on reading this without first reading New Reign, some backstory, but not enough to give spoilers to people who still want to read New Reign.

A group of 40 guards entered a warehouse, prepared for anything... or so they thought. This is the story of the Maripony Massacre, where 39 guards and their captain enter... but only one comes out.

Special thanks to TripleRainbowDasherXXX for requesting this side story.

Fanfiction Trailer

Fanfiction Playlist

A special thanks to ajvasquezbrony28 for helping me proofread chapter 5 and onwards!

After King Sombra's defeat in the Crystal Empire, the Dark Magic inside of him made him materialize. Making a castle of his own, far away from the Crystal Empire, he plots his next move, he concludes that he needs to raise an ally and searches for a student throughout all of Equestria for the next nine years. He then finds an ally in a foal from the Ponyville Orphanage...the filly he chooses is named Heart's Desire, a newcomer who is described by many as being unskilled, untalented, illiterate and uneducated. Sombra chooses her because he sees a greater magic inside her, what this magic is...he doesn't know. But decides to take advantage of this opportunity, and she is then ripped away from everything she knows is sane and is forced to live with him in his castle in the Arctic North of the Crystal Mountains and forced to be his student in the art of Dark Magic. She refuses constantly out of her fear of the cursed king and tries fervently to avoid him. But when the magic inside her somehow is able to protect her from Sombra's manipulating magic and is slowly taming and bringing the real Prince Sombra back, the father/daughter bond between them begins to form and grow. But the question remains: Can the innocence of a foal bring out the good in a king whose heart has been cloaked in darkness?

Official Poster

Cover: Gleaming Ember

Nightmare Darkness and Downunda Thunda's Cover

Chapter starter picture: Emkay-MLP

Prologue inspired by the canon of the animation A Tale of One Shadow by NatasiaSolitude

I understand that this story might not fit into everyone's headcanons, personally, I'm just here to tell a story. One that I feel you will enjoy; if you feel that this is something that might not be your cup of tea, I must ask that you don't fill the comment section with how much better your headcanon or somebody else's headcanon is. You are allowed your opinions and stories and I'm allowed mine, if you do decide to sit down and read the story and/or follow it, I hope you enjoy!

My DeviantArt Page!
My YouTube Channel!
My Ask FM!
My Tumblr!
My Wattpad!

"Sombra?"
"What?"
"I'm pregnant."
"...What."

Pinkie decides to prank Sombra on April Fools just to poke some fun at him, but her plan backfires when his reaction isn't what she thought it'd be.

When Sombra, ex-ruler of the Crystal Empire, is discovered alive and well, Twilight has her hooves full keeping the tyrannical king in check. Instead of the original plan of throwing him in a dungeon or banishing him to Tartarus, Celestia decides to go with the plan that worked out well enough for Discord.

To reform Sombra.

Pinkie takes the job, and gets right to work in helping Sombra become a better pony. Will Sombra finally change from his old, wicked ways and reform? Or will he instead strangle the annoying, pink menace known as Pinkie Pie?

Thanks to the awesomely talented Mickeymonster for letting me use his art! Check him out for even more spectacular artwork!

This story is a sequel to The Cake Batter Incident

After being revived by his dark magic, Sombra finds himself in Ponyville, under the care of Pinkie Pie, his assigned reformer. However, with a strange voice in the back of his head and Pinkie's odd allure, Sombra finds himself feeling something that hasn't been felt over a thousand years...

Will he be able to overcome the trials that come with being Pinkie's "friend"? And how will he prepare for what's to come?

Coverart by: Sutexii

This is inspired by RainbowBob's Feeling Pinkie Mean, the first SombraPie story to grace this site. Give proper credit where needed and go favorite his series, and a follow wouldn't hurt, either.

The following stories correlate to "The Not-So-Normal Adventures of King Sombra and Pinkie Pie" during Chapters One and The Intermission in this order:
Sombra VS Hearts and Hooves Day
A Crown For My King
Sombralicious
April Fools!
Pink Is Your Color
The Best Form of Flattery

The following stories correlate in between The Intermission and Chapter 12 in this order:
Tough Scales
Can't Sleep Alone
Same Love?
Overprotective

The following stories correlate between Chapter 27 and the Epilogue in this order:
Different Perceptions
Demolished
Last Resort

And check out the sequel!
Meeting The Family

When a blizzard descended upon the Crystal Empire, everypony felt their fear of the unknown return. Twilight and her friends were instantly on the next train, and found the Crystal Empire almost as if it had never been saved in the first place. Fortunately, the crystal ponies were standing strong against the onslaught, and their city was not in danger.

That did not mean Twilight was not in her own danger, as she walked the short distance to the protected part of the capital.