King Sombra has been a recurring cycle of evil and tyranny on the Crystal Empire for over a millennia. With every defeat he grows more hateful and stronger. However, when a young heir comes up with the most absurd solution, it just might have a chance to stop the cycle. But will it? Follow along as two polar opposites clash and discover their true desires.

King Sombra isn't totally destroyed by the Mane Six's blast in Canterlot, but he's banished back to the Frozen North and is severely weakened. Determined to take revenge, he's eventually imprisoned by Princess Celestia and has a choice to make: reform himself to use his magic for good, or be turned to stone.

Takes place during Season 9, just after Sombra's defeat. Also assumes you've seen Season 9 so beware of spoilers!

2/18/2023 - This made it to the featured box on the day it was posted I'm SHAKING??? I'm so grateful aaaaa

3/6/2023 - Featured again!!!

Two brothers, born within darkness. But as one lingers within the shores of the dark sea and mingles with the light, the other descends into its darkest depths.

But both are mere pieces to an even larger puzzle...

Cover sauce: https://www.deviantart.com/skyeypony/art/Run-935690201

On a cold winter day, before Luna’s banishment, the royal sisters found a tiny newborn Pegasus filly orphaned in the forest outside Canterlot and decided to raise the foal as their own. Luna and Celestia, who was grieving the recent loss of her stillborn colt, threw themselves into caring for little Cadance. Now, after Nightmare Moon’s defeat and Luna’s return, Cadance struggles to reconnect with the moon princess that she calls her adoptive aunt. Rated T just to be safe.

Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow find an old comic book while cleaning the Crystal Brighthouse one day, a book documenting an account of the last time King Sombra was destroyed, this time for good. However, the book also details how a teenage Flurry Heart was somehow able to reform Sombra in the process and give him new life...

NOTE: This story follows the in-universe explanation of the IDW comics being written by Spike in the universe of MLP.

Cover art is by the super cool Skyey-Pony.

https://www.deviantart.com/skyeypony

Shining Armor doesn't know much about his origin. Where he came from, who his birth parents were, how he ended up being found on the edge of the frozen north; heck, he didn't even know the name of his species until he was in the Guard Cadets. Personally, he didn't care much to find out more: He loved his parents, his sister Twilight, and especially Cadence.

Now, ripped away from his family and the support of his nation, he's gonna have to learn... Quickly.

A new life for King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis to start discovering their true selves after being in a rehabilitation program for so long by a mysterious orgenization and gaining their sense back.

Flurry Heart, like everyone else in the Crystal Empire, knows that along with the Hearth's Warming traditions shared with the rest of Equestria, the alicorn known as Kris Kringle, with the special talent to know who's naughty or nice, travels from home to home during Hearth's Warming to hand out presents.
What she needs to know is whether Kris Kringle's mind can be changed.
Thus, she embarks on a quest, sleep depriving herself to prepare for Kringle's arrival. It's that mixture of Hearth's Warming fear and sleep-deprivation that allows Sombra access into her mind to harvest that fear to reform. With Auntie Luna staved off by the wards Flurry Heart set up herself, it's up to her to send Sombra back to whence he came.

Sex tag is there for an innuendo early on. Don't worry, this story's PG-13.

Written for Frazzle2Dazzle for Jinglemas 2022 with the prompt,

Sombra and Flurry Heart, with no romance.

Hope you found this enjoyable, my man. I had more of a blast than I expected writing it. Merry Christmas.

A lone guard arrives on the eve of Celestia's liberation of the recently enslaved Sire's Hollow in a last ditch effort to save his childhood friend.

If only said friend wasn't the pony that had conquered the town.

Entry for the M/M Shipping Contest!

Well, that was certainly unexpected. What made Quibble feel so miserable? He spends time at a bar to drink until the numbness hits. As fate would have it, Sombra arrives unexpectedly. Everypony is scared. All they can do is watch in horror as the King approaches! But Quibble... He isn't budging.

This is my entry for the M/M Shipping Contest!

Cover art is from me. (The art doesn't match the story content. I couldn't write all that I wanted) Will continue this next year after the contest, I do want to write about Windigos asking Alice and Bori to save the holiday season using Sombra’s and Quibble’s growing relationship

If it's your birthday today— HAPPY BIRTHDAY!