After being revived by Twilight attempting to use dark magic, King Sombra goes to war with Celestia. His army is losing due to the Elements of Harmony, and he knows he must dispose of them if he wishes to win. Taking a shine to the princess of the night, King Sombra constructs a plan. His first action is to lure the powerful Princess of Friendship into his domain...

AU Notes: There is an uneasy alliance between ponies and griffons; Ember is the Dragon Lord, but Spike never made his second trip to the Dragon Lands; changelings do not change form when showing friendship and Chrysalis is slightly less bloodthirsty.
Diverges from canon story between '28 Pranks Later' and 'The Times They Are A Changeling'.