It has been a little over a year since the Crystal Empire returned. The darkness left behind the insane king is slowly starting to fade away into the past, leaving a bright future ahead; a future gilded by the promise of the princess’s own foal. Rest assured, the feeling of joy in the empire is all but palpable.

Still, where there is light, there must also be a shadow, and the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. While King Sombra might be gone, he was never a pony to disappear quietly. Last time he left the empire with a curse. This time…

He left them with a piece of history the crystal ponies would rather forget.

Suddenly, the foal’s birth goes from being the most anticipated moment the empire’s history to the most dreaded one. So begins a race against the clock, with the life of Cadence’s unborn daughter hanging in the balance.

[This story draws inspiration from the game Darkest Dungeon, but not as much as to be considered a crossover. No knowledge about that game is needed to understand this story, but those who do know that game might recognize some things.]

There is now a sequel: Brave the Ulvenweald