Spike narrowed his eyes and moved away from the colt seeing he was staring at his painting with a slight smile on his face. His ears flicked as he stared at Spike who quickly ran away to the princesses.

"And then me and m--" Twilight was quickly interrupted as she felt a claw poke her back hoof, "What is it spike?" Spike didn't say anything but just pointed at the room Sombra was in, "he's painting a picture of himself as a shadow form." He looked up at Twilight.

Celestia perked her ears and a sudden rush of motherly instinct ran through her body, she quickly trotted over to the room he was in and walked in.

She tilted her head seeing Shadow was staring blankly at his new painting with a smile on his face. Celestia sighed and lowered her head "Little Shadow. What is this drawing?"

Sombra looked up at her and smiled more "It's darkness." He pointed at it while still looking at her.

Celestia sat down besides him and took the canvas off the easel and put a fresh one on the holder, "How about me and you paint a picture together? That isn't darkness, a happy picture." She smiled and picked up a paintbrush and gave another one to Little Shadow.

The colt blinked and nodded, beginning to paint along with Celestia.

Luna walked in the room quietly and instantly saw the canvas that Sombra recently painted on, she picked it up carefully and took it with her to the throne room and examined it.

She shook her head seeing how detailed it was, he really wasn't lying about this darkness... To him it seemed so vivid at least.

-/-

Celestia continued painting with Little Shadow, they eventually painted a picture of a castle. Sombra mainly adding more of the detail to it. She smiled softly and let him paint while still watching him just in case.

She looked outside seeing it was starting become afternoon. She hummed and looked away.

"Mom?" He asked and looked at Celestia, she blinked and flicked her ear, looking at him... This was the first time he called her 'mom'.

She at least took this as making progress with him.

She smiled and perked her ears "Yes?"

Little shadow furrowed his brows "Am I family?" He perked his ears and tilted his head.

Celestia nodded and smiled more "Yes, little one, you are apart of the family.." She nuzzled him gently, "Don't let any other pony tell you other wise."

Little Shadow smiled "Even if I am different?"

Celestia blinked and nodded again, "Of course Little Shadow.." She was confused why he got the idea already that he was different.

"Ok.. Because some ponies were talking and talking, saying I was not a pony." He went back to painting. He blinked and pinned his ears back, looking back at Celestia "What am I if I am not a pony?"

Celestia felt her heart pang as she looked down at the ground, she couldn't lie of what he was, she coughed and looked at him "You're an Umbrum."

The small colt nodded and looked away, going back to painting again.

-/-

Eventually it was time to go and Celestia ordered her carriage again and took off to the castle with Luna and Shadow.

Shadow was confused what an umbrum was... He wanted to know soon.

They all arrived back at the castle after a decent amount of flying through the air on the carriage. Luna had allowed Little Shadow to sit on her back while they walked into the castle, she was slowly getting used to him.

Luna let him down on the ground and went to go raise the moon, as well as Celestia lowering the sun. Sombra was left in the hallways... Alone.

He sighed and walked around, he blinked seeing a painting of a king that looked like him. He tilted his head and tried to look like him, intimidating. He let out a giggle seeing how fun it was to pretend.

Little Shadow pranced around the hallways and giggled more but forced a straight face "I am a king!" He chuckled cutely "I am King Shadow!" He smiled and bared his little fangs.

He stopped pretending seeing a guard walk past him carrying a filly that seemed to have gotten into the castle.

Little Shadow tilted his head and walked over to the guard and tapped him on his hind leg "Let her go." He frowned and the guard did as he was told and let the filly go.

"Hi" He smiled but she quickly blinked and stared at him.

"You're not a pony, are you?" She asked curiously, walking around him and examining his features. Little Shadow shook his head proudly "No. Mom says I'm an umbrum." He flicked his ears, "Everypony says I'm weird."

The filly giggled and hugged him "That's okay! I'm weird too."

Little Shadow smiled widely "I'm Little Shadow, who are you?" He blinked waiting for a response from the little filly.

"I'm Rosehope." She answered "Aren't you Sombra though? I saw you in the newspaper." She tilted her head.

Little shadow flattened his ears "Sombra?... I thought I was little shadow though.. Mom and everypony else calls me little shadow."

Rosehope shook her head and giggled "No. You're Sombra."

Their conversation was interrupted when Celestia walked into the room they were in and blinked "Little Shadow who i--"

Sombra frowned and stared at her "I thought I was Little Shadow not Sombra..." The filly nodded in agreement as Celestia choked on her own words.

"Where did you get the word Sombra from?" Celestia asked as Sombra glanced over at his new friend, "Rose told me my real name. King Sombra, right?" Rose simply nodded.

Celestia flattened her ears, she felt like she failed at being a mother-like figure. All because of this filly... Luna walked in and blinked "What is all this commotion?" She asked.

Sombra frowned more "Why did you lie?..." He asked softly, the guards quickly escorted Rose out of the building.

Celestia stuttered "Little Shadow, please, don't be upset." She cooed and walked towards him, the colt moved away from her and flicked his tongue out "I bet you even lied about that magical heart too..." He felt tears swell in his eyes.

"I-I bet... I'm...the m-monster everypony hides a-away...from..." He sobbed and ran away from the princesses, locking himself in a room.

Luna felt her heart pang and stared at Celestia "You lied about the crystal heart?..." She asked quietly, Celestia ducked her head and nodded.

-/-

Sombra slammed the door behind him and sobbed, he rubbed his eyes and sniffled "I don't need them..." He said to himself and choked on his words realizing what he said.

He looked around the room and saw little jewelry and such. He sniffled again and walked around.

Celestia and Luna quickly ran to the room Sombra was in and knocked on the door desperately "Little Shadow please come out." Luna called out for him, there was no answer from the colt.

He flattened his ears sadly and shook his head hearing Luna's call for him. "I never needed them..." He whispered to himself and touched a piece of armor for a guard. The moonlight projected into the room, giving it a slightly creepy feel to it, Sombra didn't really care.

Celestia on the other side of the room sobbed quietly and knocked on the door again "Please little one, come out."

Sombra was busy looking at the necklaces and such, golden armor and shiny crowns. He smiled seeing a prince crown that seemed to fit his head, he furrowed his brows and used his magic, shakily taking the prince crown off the holder and placed it on his head.

Sombra did a happy soft squee and wagged his tail, now he was a real king even if the crown was for a prince.

He looked around for a cape of some sort. Luna quickly used her magic and slammed the door open, the colt had a small kings cape on and frowned. He looked away from Luna and grumbled.

Luna walked over to the colt and placed a hoof on his small shoulders "Why did thou run away?" She asked softly.

Sombra looked up at Luna and bared his fangs at her for a moment "You both lied to me..." He pouted "I'm King Sombra like Rose told me..."

Luna sighed and shook her head, looking over at Celestia who's eyes were red because of her sobbing.

"But you're Little Shadow to us, okay?" Celestia weakly said.

The colt blinked and looked at Celestia, she walked over to the small colt and took the crown off his head "We don't want you to be a king just yet..." She ruffled his mane softly with her hoof and sniffled.

"But... Rose said..." Sombra was about to continue but Luna interrupted his sentence "It does not matter what Rose or what any other pony may say, you're still our little shadow." She smiled down at him.

He perked his ears and hugged Luna's hoof, and looked up at his mother-like figure; Celestia.

"I'm sorry, mom.." He ran to her and hugged her, nuzzling her hoof. Celestia smiled weakly and picked him up with her arm and hugged him back,

"It's okay, my little shadow..."

Author's Note

Yaaaaay forgiveness