This story is a sequel to Lingering Shadows

He broke her heart once already. Luna learned her lesson when Sombra last tried to manipulate her, and she wants nothing more than to forget about what happened and put it behind her.

Sombra cannot forget, nor does he want to. Regretting what happened between them, when the chance to make things up to Luna comes from some very unexpected sources, he takes the opportunity and wants to try to court her properly.

But once bitten, twice shy, as they say. Will the two ever find happiness with one another?

I have to offer a huge thanks once again to everyone who read the previous story, Lingering Shadows, and encouraged me to go ahead with my idea for a sequel. Apologies for the wait, but here you have it at last. I'm going to try to get on a regular update schedule of at least 1-2 chapters a month with this one.

A huge thank-you to Kelisah of deviantART for graciously allowing me use of her artwork as a cover piece for this story!
8tracks playlist: https://8tracks.com/yoru-the-rogue/midnight-radiance

"Learning to trust your instincts is a valuable lesson to learn."

Mere months after the events of "A Canterlot Wedding," the memories of cold shoulders and dismissals remain fresh in Twilight Sparkle's mind, which causes her to question her ability to face the next task that Princess Celestia bestows upon her.

Alone, she must find a way to protect an entire empire. She's afraid and unprepared, but when a mysterious stallion lends a hoof to her success, she soon discovers a friendship that threatens to blossom into something much greater.

(6/9/2016): Made it to the "Featured" page again! You're so awesome, guys!

(( "Of Magic and Masquerades" is the first story in the Crucibles of Harmony series. It is an alternate take on "The Crystal Empire," with some alternate events from Season 3 and minor Twilight/Sombra shipping. ))

Based on Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper."

Twilight Sparkle is stressed with her new role as a princess and wishes she could go back to being a regular old unicorn.

Dawn Cracker, a unicorn living with her indebted father, wishes she had the life of a princess.

When the two meet, they discover they look a great deal alike and (of course) decide to switch places. What chaos will become of this?

After a terrible storm sweeps through the Everfree, Fluttershy finds the weakened but still powerful King Sombra on her doorstep. Unable to resist his dark magic, she finds herself trapped by a spell that forces her to aid him, protect him, and heal him until he is strong once more, all while keeping his revival a secret from her friends. Unwilling to risk bringing her friends into the situation and endanger them, Fluttershy decides on a riskier tactic

If she could reform Discord, why not the Tyrant of the Crystal Empire. After all, with his spell keeping her from betraying his presence, it might be her only hope. Can she kill the Dark King with Kindness? Or will the ancient sorcerer once more stretch his shadow across Equestria?

Author: "I reserve the right to potentially bump up the rating depending on where this goes."

Edit: Wow, Featured Box twice? I guess people really like Sombrashy. 7/15/2016
Edit: Featured again! 9/3/2016

Coverart by the magnificent Evehly

Searching for any records King Sombra may have left behind, Twilight learned of the shadowy king's tragic past. However, she also discovered his horn, in which his mind and remaining power were contained. Determined to learn how to use his Dark Magic for Good, Twilight brought Sombra back to Ponyville with her. After all, what could he possibly do as a horn? ...Or will he stay that way?

Edited by Darth Vendar and Myrkur
Inspired by Issue #1 of FIENDship is Magic
Gore tag just to be safe.

Edit 06/15/23: Now in the top 2K stories on the site, by rating! Thank you all!

Unsettling dreams are starting to worry Princess Luna. She is positive these dreams hold an ominous portent for all of Equestria, but there is only one stallion who knows for certain the answers she seeks. King Sombra has been imprisoned again in Shadow since his defeat and the shattering of his body, but he is no less cunning and ruthless. And as Luna tries to interrogate him over time, she finds there is a softer side to the unicorn king, one nopony has seen before. But Celestia fears for her younger sister, warning Luna against Sombra's advances. Is the once-tyrant truly starting to court Princess Luna...or is she simply being used as a pawn in his plans to regain power?
~~~
Cover art by the amazing MickeyMonster, who has permitted me use of it for this fanfiction, as this image inspired me to write this story in the first place.
Edited and proofread by my girls TheOneBehindYou and LabyrinthineMind.

8tracks playlist: https://8tracks.com/yoru-the-rogue/lingering-shadows

Featured August 16, 2015 on Equestria Daily!

Twilight could not have been more ecstatic to have a magic student of her own. Not only was Entropy kind, but he completely understood and even shared her love of learning. An entire month working alongside him was a dream come true. But when admiration turns into something else, she may be unprepared for the consequences.

Discord despises the thought of an entire month as a pony. No chaos magic, and he has to keep his true identity a secret. Stuck with the insufferable know it all Twilight Sparkle was a fate worse than death. Or was it? As time passes, the once tiresome mare had become almost pleasant to be around. Could he actually be falling for her?

[AU for excessive headcanon that doesn't quite jive with canon]

Cover by the ever-talented CarniverousCaribou and colored by my friend Toonebs.

The entire story takes place in my own universe and continues the summer after What Changes May Come ends. Elements from that story as well as my parallel fic An Honest Life are included here. There is no need to read either to enjoy this one, though I encourage you to check them out. Essentially the events are canon until the middle of season 4.

This is one story I never thought I would be able to write. I had been wanting to compose a Twicord fic, but had no idea how to get a good setup. The idea for this fic came from SageBrony07 who's also been instrumental in the idea for many of the chapters.

I can't say thank you enough to Nomad_Sigma as well. He's been such a big help with the last leg of the story, editing my ramblings along with being the best idea man a girl could ask for!

Prereading for certain chapters provided by Nomad_Sigma and SageBrony07. Proofreading by
Smaug the golden, TemplarBrony, The Forgotten Comrade, and viewers like you.

It takes an army, that's all I've got to say.

As a bad date with Flash Sentry goes wrong with Twilight. Shining Armor got Captured by the Dragon Kingdom of Draspaina. In exchange for his freedom, one of the Princesses must be a bride for the young dragon ruler. Twilight Volunteers, for her brothers freedom. Will Twilight feel like a slave to the Dragon ruler or will she fall for him?

General Grievous, Supreme Commander of the Separatist Droid Army, conqueror of star systems, and slayer of Jedi. And... stranded on Equestria?

This can't end well.

TV Tropes page.

Now featuring a dramatic reading by LimeyPony!

A three arced story that begins slowly as partially Comedy and Slice of life and rotates more towards Adventure and Dark in later chapters.

Some school fillies have to deal with school crushes. Others with bullies. Sometimes they have to deal with both. But no filly has ever had to deal with an Evil Tyrant being bound to their shadow and have the power to control their every action. This, of course, seems to be no big deal for Sweetie Belle who seems to even enjoy the stallion's company. Though the feelings aren't mutual. The small filly reminds the old king too much of a filly he used to know... Though it's strange the only place he'd seen her before are in these strange dreams of his. Recollections of a past he can't remember.

Perhaps Sweetie Belle will awake in him that version of himself before he was a Tyrant. Before he was labeled evil. A time from when he was a father. Perhaps she will help him forgive.

First featured on 9/4/2014!

The cover art was sketched by me and colored by the very talented Midnight Sonare