Twilight Sparkle has been abandoned.

After an expedition into the badlands is torn to tatters by an unprecedented monster attack, Twilight finds herself stranded in a hostile environment with no safe way back home. With no supplies and no survival training, It all seems hopeless for the scholarly unicorn until she is discovered by a type of creature she has never seen before. A changeling named Thorax, a native of the badlands.

With Thorax's knowledge of the environment, he is Twilight's best chance of getting home safely. And by that same token, perhaps Twilight is the best chance the timid, pacifistic drone has of discovering something he has lived his entire life without.

Set well before the Season 2 Finale.

Cover art was drawn by me.

This is a spiritual successor to The Bug in The Herd, and The Bug in The Basement.

Edited by Mister Hypothetical.

No important political meetings to attend? Check! No letters to answer? Check! A magical and child-safe gift for Flurry Heart that she's sure to love? Check!

Her schedule was clear. Shining and Cadence were off on vacation. She'd prepared all her materials. Twilight Sparkle was more than ready to spend a fun-filled weekend babysitting her favorite niece.

But she wasn't prepared for King Sombra's return. Nopony could prepare to be trapped with him inside a storybook of fairy tales.

And nopony's ever ready for an unhappy ending...

Proofread by: Alicornpriest

Winner of November 2017 NaPoWriMo: Goal of 50k smashed!

Now Featured on Equestria Daily - First hit the Featured Box on April 28th!

Twilight takes a bath to forget.

Second place in GaPJaxie's Happy Stories Speedwriting Contest, where it was conceived and written in 60 minutes.

Now with a reading from StraightToThePointStudio!

One thousand years ago there were six pony races: The Earth, the Pegasi, the Unicorns, the Crystal, the Shadhavar... and the Dragonponies, the Longma. With bat wings, draconic eyes, and reptillain frills these creatures were told about in myth and legend as tricksters and monsters. The demonic minions of the bogeymare Nightmare Moon. But this lost race has returned, a menacing force appearing far to the north. Twilight Sparkle decides to investigate and ask the Princesses about the details, but she soon finds herself responsible for an empire of monsters, worshipping Twilight as the successor to the Mare in the Moon. How will she handle the pressure?

When the Windigos attacked, the ponies had to find a way to put an end to the distrust and anger that fed the frozen fiends. The unicorns found a way. No more earth ponies, no more pegasi, no more problem.

A thousand years later, Princess Twilight Sparkle thinks that her ancestors may have made a mistake. Fortunately, she knows a way to test her hypothesis. She names that way 'Rainbow Dash.'

After his violent defeat, the former tyrant King Sombra has managed to claw his way back from the land of the dead and has returned to Equestria to seek revenge on Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony. However, the Emperor of Darkness is no fool. He knows that he cannot simply seek retribution on the Main Six or the Princess of Day, so he waits, gathering intel on his foes, learning of their weaknesses. When the time is right, he will strike. Can our heroes overcome King Sombra's plot for vengeance?

Sequel: The Return of the King

*Note: This story takes place in my official headcanon universe, not in the one for Shattering a Heart of Darkness

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.

An alternate ending to the evil ending to Kiss of the Dark by Soothing Stone. King Sombra survived the attack from princesses and fled his castle with the Queen of Shadows, his wife Twilight Sparkle. This is the story of how they rebuild their empire and overthrow Celestia and Luna.

To restore their family heritage. Pitch and Sabre have one mission in mind. To rehabilitate their forefather. The master of darks arts, Sombra.

However, they doubt that they only can make him good again as there’s more to him then they hoped. Namely, his first act upon freedom is to ensure the Crystal Empire with fear and kidnap Princess Twilight Sparkle.

While Canterlot watches the Crystal Empire intensively. Surely the famed Princess of Friendship can help Pitch and Sabre reform Sombra?

Princess Twilight Sparkle has overseen peace and prosperity throughout Equestria for as long as ponies can remember. During a quiet evening, Twilight tells the tale of her many adventures to her latest student and how she remembers her friends long passed.

But she can't tarry too long, for she has a long-overdue meeting to attend.

*Takes place a couple of centuries after the end FIM*

Edited by the absolutely fantastic Helping Hoof who helped tremendously in getting this story together.

Art is owned and created by kurogewapony All credit for it is belongs to them.