Cheating the Cycle of Life- A Padded Pony Collab

The discovery of King Sombra's diary was a great discovery, Twilight was completely and utterly sure of it. The only thing that she had to do was to find a calligraphy expert that could help her identify Sombra's writing and keep the diary's existence a secret at the same time.

After days upon days of research for such an expert in the Crystal Empire and surroundings, Twilight had found one, a stallion called Burnt Feather and living inside a wine cellar-turned-home of Sombra's Summer Residence.

"How can I serve my Highness?" He said while slowly leading Twilight down the wooden stairs of his house's entrance. Twilight patted her saddlebag, so to check if she still had the book, before finally jumping off the staircase and going behind the stallion through the dusty shelves that once contained the finest and most precious wines of all of Equestria.

"You see... I think I have found one of King Sombra's diaries, but I am not quite sure if it's really his writings..." Twilight said. Burnt Feather scoffed, as he lead Twilight into his living-room studio covered in ink, quills, ink pots and empty glass bottles.

"Many claim to own such a piece, few really do." Burn Feather said. "Anyways, can I take a look, your Majesty?"

She nodded, as she pulled the book out with her magic, taking great care in setting it on the floor, so that the stallion could pick it up. Burnt Feather swiftly lifted it up to his eyes, opened it at the third age and then produced a pair of bronze pince-nez glasses, which he then set on his muzzle.

A few minutes of silent reading later, the stallion shook his head and put away his glasses, throwing the book away, much to Twilight's shock.

"What?!"

"The diary's is a fake. A well-done fake, but still a fake," Burnt Feather said.

"How's that possible?! It was in a protective case in the hidden staircase, sure it must be true!" Twilight said.

"I don't know, the calligraphy does not match Sombra's at any stage of his life. In fact, it looks closer to Empress Cadence's. Maybe she left it there?"