In the waning days of the Crystal Empire, three young students come together in an unlikely alliance: a King, a Princess... and a Queen... who has little reason to like either of the other two...

Given how readily King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, and Radiant Hope teamed up as allies in the Siege of the Crystal Empire, what might have happened if they'd actually formed that alliance a long time ago?

Note: as usual, I treat the comic storylines as an excellent starting point and reference, but not as absolute canon.

Cover art by Bonaxor of deviantART.

What makes somepony evil? How bad can you be before you're too far gone? ... Then again, what makes a hero?

Follow the villains of Equestria in a story of light and darkness that spans a thousand years, in this seemingly unconnected series of events. Seemingly.

Flim and Flam: Past. Welcome, one and all! This, comrads, is an oppertunity! See the famed Flim Flam Brothers as lovable scamps selling their wares and learning the biz.

Trixie: Future. Given an invitation to the Golden Oaks Library, the Great and Powerful Trixie must once again face her biggest and most fearsome rival. Only this time, over tea.

The Shadowbolts: Present. After their celebratory flight show for the Summer Sun Celebration, the Wonderbolts were ready for a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, we know something they don't. This is the night Nightmare Moon was fated to return.

The Diamond Dogs: Past. These mines once contained a proud and fruitful society. Once, that is. These days, a few gems in the wall won't get you too far. The bold and noble leaders of this great mine, Fido, Rover, and Spot, have some explaining to do if they don't want a revolution on their paws.

Ahuitzotl: Past. Every nemesis is only as good as his hero. A.K. Yearling writes a prequel to the Quest for the Sapphire Stone about how she first met the dreaded Ahuitzotl and how they both became who they are today.

Iron Will: Past. Iron Will wasn't always the legendary self-help guru. Once, he was just a little minotaur lost in a maze, trying to find his little brother.

Diamond Tiara: Note: Written before Crusaders of the Lost Mark, it doesn't match up with canon. Past. Once upon a time there lived the King of low, low prices and his daughter, the princess. Also, Randolph, the butler.

Gilda: Present. Griffonstone needs a leader. That much is clear. When the leader of the griffons is called to an international war summit, Gilda, of all griffons finds herself getting invited.

After the Umbrum's defeat, Sombra and Radiant Hope set out to find the shards of Princess Amore, but the former King is still tormented by guilt. Along the way, he and Hope grow closer - even starting a family. Along the way, Sombra discovers that the journey of redemption is never easy, but that the destination makes it worth it.

(Picture belongs to Eeveewhite97 on DeviantArt, who gave me the inspiration for this.)

EDIT: Now with a sequel!

"I would say I was the king of darkness or former king of the crystal empire. But now, I am In a predicament where I have been transformed back to an infant, lost all my powers, and now sit next to the world's first alicorn baby."

"And to make matters worse, I must re-live my life from an infant without the blessing of my powers. Did I ask for this? NO! Do I want to go through with this? Absolutely not! Do I have a choice on the matter? Nope!"

What if Cadance hadn't stepped in and stopped Twilight from thinking about using time travel to spare Spike a little embarrassment at the Equestria Games?

Nothing good.

Flung into the frozen north, his family cursed at the talons of a mad god, the mercenary Somber Tunes wishes only to die. And yet.... he cannot...

The cultists thought they couldn't go wrong with a resurrection of King Sombra. They'd get a cool ruler, rad hallucinations, and he'd probably chain them up and whip them! It was the perfect plan...

Until the police showed up, hit the Dark Lord of Crystals with a paralysis spell, and dragged him off to court.

"All rise, Princess Celestia presiding..."

Inspired by the utter hilarity of naturalbornderpy's 101 Interesting Facts About Draconequi.

In the war against King Sombra and The Crystal Empire, there have been a great many ponies who have earned the title of hero. Some have shown toughness and a relentless spirit. One such hero is Rainbow Dash. Not even the loss of her wing or her best friend could stop her from fighting for Celestia and Equestria.

But how far is she willing to go? How much is one pony willing to sacrifice if it means an end to the war?

(Based on the Crystal Empire war universe of Cutie Re-Mark. Also shows one possibility of what may have happened to Twilight Sparkle in this universe.)

Before King Sombra enslaved the ponies of the Crystal Empire; before Nightmare Moon attempted to block out the sun forever; there were only Luna and Sombra. In a time when Equestria’s peace after Discord’s defeat is shaken, and when alicorns once again come under attack, two unlikely ponies come together beneath the pale moonlight. In the darkness their love blossoms, but so does an ethereal evil that bides its time, waiting to strike before the dawn.

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Sequels:
Shadow of the Moon
In Your Dreams: Luna's Farewell

Cover art done by the amazing Nalesia on Deviantart. Please check out the artist's gallery. I couldn't be happier with this piece.

This story is a sequel to In Want for a Wand

On his search for Twilight Sparkle, Darren Houndslayer discovers King Sombra's horn and unwittingly resurrects the tyrant. He soon wonders if it might be better to reform an evil king instead of killing him for good. Darren struggles to find his place as a former Death Knight in pony society - but he finds himself confronted with his past by a young colt who develops dark powers that are disturbingly alike to Sombra's...

4th installment of the Twilight Goes To Dalaran series.
Knowledge of World of Warcraft is not necessary to understand the story.
WARNING: Spoilers in the comments!