King Sombra survived his defeat, but just. By the time he returned to form, Twilight became the newest princess of Equestria and the Crystal Empire was restored to its former glory.

He cannot take over Equestria the same way he tried before, but he has a card up his sleeve. Twilight won't see it coming, and Sombra might gain a powerful ally in the process.

And it will all begin...with a book.

Edits on Chapter 1 done with the help of TempesttheDragnix.

Major props to InuHoshi-to-DarkPen for letting me use this. That artist is really good.

The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony failed to stop Sombra in time from getting into the Crystal Empire and acquiring the Crystal Heart. Now the Crystal Empire is ruled over by a tyrannical unicorn, that will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Equestria is on the brink of war, and the only ones who can stop the evil king of the Crystal Empire, are six mares. Those six mares are the Element Bearers, but can they use the elements while one of their own is missing and in fact within their enemy's grasp?
------------------
This story is a pickup from Pat_Hoof_5000, with his generous permission of course. I aim to finish what he started.

Collab with the awesome pony known as LightningBass94

That Romance tag isn't there for the reason you probably think it is.
Also, this story was added into groups that it no longer fits into. It was added to these groups by the previous author.

Sombra,waking and again finding himself inside the ice cold prison finds he has not been locked up alone...

A tale of friendship, love, madness, heartbreak and of course, the darkness inside us all that waits for just the right moment to consume us.

Twilight seeks out Sombra's horn after his defeat to study it but quickly finds herself studying with him once she finds the horn. Despite Sombra safely residing inside his own horn, Twilight learns that he is slowly dying.

How will Twilight behave once she learned of Sombra's fate?

The original cover art was done by a friend of mine, Ablaze Emblemier.

The redone cover art was drawn and colored by, Elu.

Thank you both Ablaze and Elu.

This story is a submission to the Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord writing contest.

This story is a sequel to CoH (Book One) : Of Magic and Masquerades

After the chaotic debacle in the Crystal Empire, and a week's respite, Twilight secrets Sombra away to his new home in the Everfree Forest. The Castle of the Two Sisters is vacant, decrepit, dark. It's the perfect place to hide the former tyrant.

While she plans to continue her tutelage under her new friend, however, a metaphorical wrench is thrown into said plans when Ponyville makes a new and sudden addition to its town guard.

"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. ))

Twilight Sparkle has decided to snuggle Sombra. She told Shining Armor about this, and, of course, he had to ask "why?"

The answer was something he fails to grasp.

Twilight does her best to reform King Sombra, but things don’t go exactly as planned.

Edited by ROBCakeran53 and Alcatraz

Twilight Sparkle, the famed Alicorn Princess, after 3 years, grows tired and restless one fateful night. Going out for a late-night flight, she found plenty more than what she asked for, finding a home to stay at for good.

Deciding to find a wife, King Sombra arrives in Ponyville and finds the perfect mare: Twilight Sparkle. But how in Tartarus' name is he supposed to win her heart? Charlie Daniels, help him out!

This was inspired by an apparent cut scene from the episode “Slice of Life,” where King Sombra would’ve gotten into a musical duel with Octavia Melody a la The Devil Went Down To Georgia. So, I just ran with that idea and rewrote the lyrics to make it a Twibra story. Enjoy!

Now with reading by Lotus Moon!