Celestia has often looked to the furthest edges of her kingdom when watching for dangers. Sometimes, she may even journey there, just to make sure things are on the up and up. Today, she goes to, of all places, the former village of Starlight Glimmer. But it is not the mare herself she has come to see, but the village's newest resident, who is not as unfamiliar to her as might first appear.

Warning: the following story is currently unedited and contain m/m shipping.

Months after Sombra had surrendered to the Crystal Empire, Cadence and Shining decided if it's possible to reform one of the most notorious villains in Equestrian history. At the same time, Shining starts to get suspicious when the ex-king asks for paper daily but never see what he does with it. Deciding to investigate, he finds the remains of a manuscript that, after cleaning the ash with a spell, he finds that it turned out to be a novel written by Sombra in which gives him a window into his thoughts and feelings towards him.

A late birthday present for TheVClaw. I'm sorry for not getting this out on time, but I hope you like it.

Evil is as evil does. Therefore, King Sombra is a monster, and there's no debating it. So when Sombra is discovered alive it should be obvious that he's up to nothing good and needs to be taken down... So why isn't he doing anything? Twilight Sparkle is sent in to try to answer this question by talking to him, while she also tries to determine what the future will hold for the ex-king. Is there even a chance for Sombra's future? Or is the shadow of his actions destined to destroy him?

Cover art by Flam3Zero used with permission.

Does King Sombra like rock crystal candy? What happens when a lonely lumberjack finds an amnesiac villain on her doorstep during a snowstorm? Will the power of friendship overcome Sombra's desire for revenge? Read on to find the answers to all these questions and more.

Written for the Everfree Northwest 2014 pre-con writing contest.

As featured on Equestria Daily.

The night that Cadance discovered the ghost of King Sombra lurking in the Crystal Palace should have been the worst of her life. Her greatest enemy is now lingering in her own home... and she knows that she's going to get to the bottom of this.

There hasn't been anything going on in the palace for a long time, and the tyrant's ghost will only prove to be a problem... won't it?

Reccomended by PresentPerfect in his spoiler-filled review! There is a reading by Lotus Moon for the pre-EQD version! An entry for Jake The Army Guy's Horse Words Extravaganza, where it ended up being an honorable mention. Now has a spoiler-filled review from the Reviewer's Cafe that you can read here! Also featured on Equestria Daily! Selected as one of 40+ stories to read for 2019 Shiny + Cadance day on Equestria Daily!