Little Shadow

Black was all he saw.

Nothing else came to mind except for the darkness.

What a damn shame it was...

The foal groaned and slowly opened his eyes, he took a glance outside seeing it was now midnight. Did the shock really make him knock out for that long?

He blinked and touched his horn lightly, preparing himself for another slap of violent energy though his head -- nothing. It just simply glowed.

Little Shadow looked around cautiously seeing there was light emitting from outside, two hooves were in the way giving the hint someone was outside. He frowned softly and hopped off the bed. This place was now a hell.

Everyone says he used to be a ruthless tyrant that put so many at risk during wars... Mining... Just things he couldn't comprehend to why they would think of such things about him. Maybe it was true? Maybe he was just a grown stallion now stuck in a colts body.

He slowly walked around, there was no trace of his once glorious armor he loved dearly.

Suddenly a guard knocked on the door and opened it slowly, Little Shadow simply gave him a glare.

"The princesses and the elements wish to speak to you." The guard said firmly, stiffening up his posture when he saw the colt just give a glance at his horn and then the wooden floor.

Little Shadow nodded and went to the guards side, he took a deep breath in through his nostrils and took a step forward, bracing himself for another shock of pain but it didn't -- he then remembered it would only happen if he was to leave the room without an escort.

The two ponies walked, Sombra catching an angry glare by a guard who held the door open for them both.

There was a large room with four thrones for the alicorns he supposed.

He took a look around, suddenly feeling the same tingly sensation in his eyes after catching a glance of Celestia.

She is a liar. A deceiver- his musing about the princess was cut off when he got a shock through his head. He whimpered and flattened his ears trying to relax, the ring around his horn sensed anger and hatred towards those and he would get a shock if he was not being polite, even mentally.

Celestia sighed and sat on her throne, followed by Luna, Cadence and Twilight Sparkle.

They gave each other sympathetic looks and nodded, the elements of harmony stood next to the guards watching every move from Sombra.

Cadence frowned remembering the first time she saw the small little colt running into the castle, scared to death. She sighed and closed her eyes, "You were brought here for the truth, Little Shadow."

The foal took a glance to his side seeing a specific blue pegasus mare was glaring at him, "Which is?" He looked away quickly.

"Of what and who you are."

Little Shadow nodded and shrugged, "I know. I'm an umbrum."

The alicorns looked at each other once more and Cadence piped up again, "No. No. You don't quite understand.. You ARE an umbrum but who are you exactly?"

There was silence from the foal as he gave an uncertain look. Who was he really? Was he just some regular umbrum child or was he that evil king everyone had been discussing about? He coughed, finally deciding to speak up "I... I don't know."

Cadence sighed once more "You are an umbrum king named Sombra... You are not 'Little Shadow'... I found you when I was taking a walk through the castle in the Crystal Empire. You were scared. I'm not even sure how you found your way back to the empire... Last time in your 'past life' you were defeated twice, the second time you were blown to bits by the crystal heart and everypony believed you were dead. We are still undergoing how you actually got back..."

The foal stayed silent for a moment and stared at the floor, he twitched and tilted his head to the side for a moment and moved it back to its regular center placement, "Why couldn't any of you tell me the truth for once?"

Celestia stared at the colt, "Because we didn't want to cause panic and hurt within you, Sombra."

Little Shadow or now known as Sombra once more shook his head "You have inflicted more pain today on me than any other sad day I have existed."

Luna gave a look at Celestia and sighed, the princess of the night stared at the colt who had purple mist viciously escape his eyes now, "We only wanted the best for you, Sombra."

Sombra gave a menacing glare towards the princess and snarled, "You failed miserably at it then." His words cut deep in her like a knife and another shock of pain was delivered into his head.

The once former king snarled again and reached his hoof up to his horn and tried taking the ring off, he was desperate to get it off and just continued to get shocked repeatedly.

Twilight stared at the foal desperately trying to get the ring off, she gave Celestia a look and sighed seeing she was just watching him suffer.

He ended up breaking down and still trying to get the ring off, he fell to the floor and began to cry. There was no one there that would want to comfort him, not even Fluttershy for she was too scared of what he might do, he lay there and sobbed.

Shining rolled his eyes and blew his mane out of his face, watching the little king cry.

Twilight sparkle eventually got up off her throne and walked to the colt, "Sombra. It's alright." She placed a reassuring hoof on his shoulder softly.

Shining armor tensed up in fear of his sisters life, he slowly walked up close to the two ponies and the guard who stared down at the colt.

"It..." He got another shock and hissed at the pain, "It's not alright..." He glared at the princess.

Twilight looked over at Celestia who seemed to be still bitter about her guards death.

Sombra had a hard time keeping his eyes open and rubbed his face quickly in frustration, he took one last glance at Celestia before knocking out once more on the cold floor.

Twilight flinched seeing he started twitching, he looked over at Celestia and pointed down at the colt with her hoof "Princess, I'm sorry to say this but... Sombra doesn't need ANY of this! It's torment... He's suffering.." She looked back down at the colt who's breathing was now slow and shallow.

Shining stared at Twilight and blinked, not believing what she said "Twily. This is King Sombra. He killed a guard recently and needs to be disciplined for his actions!"

"That gives no right to make him suffer like this! He's already gone through enough suffering in his other life." She stated and looked around the room and then back at Sombra who was now completely unconscious.

Shining armor groaned and moved away from his sister, not wanting to argue with her knowing it would turn into a heated debate.

"Celestia, I politely request you take the ring off of his horn-"

Celestia simply shook her head, "No, Twilight, I'm sorry but I cannot. He killed a guard, injured another and cannot be trusted further more. I tried to guide him to a rightful path but it seems that I cannot."

Twilight felt her heart drop hearing her say that and desperately looked at her friends who all sighed.

"I agree with the princess, dear..." Rarity said softly.

Fluttershy sighed quietly and nodded at Rarity's sentence.

The rest of her friends gave a look at the princess meaning they all agreed with her.

Twilight frowned and sat down next to the small colt and ran her hoof through his mane, "Then I'm the only one that says he shouldn't go through this at all." She smiled seeing that the mini Sombra gave a light smile after she ran her hoof through his mane.

Cadence sighed and stared at her hooves, she was unsure of what to do, a part of her told her to just let Sombra get the lesson he deserves but then again -- just as Twilight said, he didn't need this type of suffering and torture.

Luna shook her head and flattened her ears, "Although I do agree with you, Twilight, he has taken a life away from this world, please think about that thoroughly."

Twilight sparkle nodded "I have and that doesn't change my opinion that he shouldn't go through this mental and physical suffering." She sighed.

Celestia signaled the guards to take Sombra back to the room he was in before, they instantly took him away from Twilight sparkle as he went completely limp in their hooves.

She watched them take the young Sombra back to the room as she looked back at Celestia.

"I don't want this as much as you do, Twilight... I truly don't... But I must, it's to keep my citizens safe." Celestia said as the guards that carried Sombra out left the room.

The purple alicorn stood up and simply nodded, she kept her ears flattened and just let out a sigh.

-/-

The guards placed Sombra on his bed and walked out, one of course, staying outside the room.

Eventually, the small colt woke up and groaned, rubbing his forehead. His eyes were dry from crying and his head throbbed with pain.

He shifted and was immediately greeted with pain that shot down his spine. He screamed in agony and twitched. The guard outside seemed to not care about his cry of agony.

Sombra tried moving slowly this time and the pain didn't hurt as much. He sighed and rubbed his face gently with his shaking hoof.

He knew why he was hated.

He knew every single reason why he was despised.

The colt stared blankly at the colorless wall. In a way, he felt like he could relate to it. Unable to speak what he must, dull and used as a punching bag sometimes.

He sighed and forced his eyes shut, not even wanting to think about his comment about the wall -- it only made him feel worse about himself. His ears rang and pain surged through his body at the easiest movement.

So he was a king before?... A evil one for that matter...

Defeated by that heart his mother warned him about...

But by who? Who even dared to defeat him?

He blinked, getting an idea, that dragon. The dragon on the stained window, THAT'S who defeated him. But how? He didn't even seem like a grown dragon for that matter anyways.

Sombra let out an annoyed puff of air and curled up, the pain was slowly dying down and he was thankful for that at least.

His attention was soon focused at the sound of the door opening slowly and in came a white alicorn with a long graceful flowing mane and tail. Sombra took a look over to see who it was but let out a grunt once he just saw the white coat.

"Little Shadow-"

He immediately cut her off "Don't call me that. I am Sombra after all, remember?" He sighed and nestled under the blankets.

Celestia simply nodded, "I do remember but you're still Little Shadow to me." She said softly, earning at least a roll of his eyes... It was better than no reaction at all at least.

The white alicorn lit a candle and placed it on the night stand and walked over to the small colt.

"What is it?" He grumbled and stared at her.

Celestia shook her head and looked at him, "You do know why you have that ring on your horn right?" Sombra just nodded in response.

"Alright then..." She sighed and lit up another candle.

"Why? Are you going to take it off?..." He asked somewhat happily but his happiness was erased when she shook her head once more. He frowned and looked away.

Celestia hummed "I only came to talk, you seemed lonely."

The colt rolled his eyes and scoffed "I'd rather be alone and not be bothered by you or any other pony."

Celestia frowned hearing him and nodded, staring down at her hooves hearing the pain and truth in his voice -- he really did want to be alone. She was only bothering him.

"Very well." She bowed her head "I'll leave." With that, she walked out of the room and left Sombra alone.

-/-

Sombra sighed, he had to get out of this hell hole once and for all even if it meant he would be suffering all the way through with endless shocks.

Unless...

He grunted and got up off the bed, looking through the drawers and closets for something that would pry the ring off his horn.

Eventually he gave up and began to rub the ring on his horn across the wood of the bed trying to slide it off his horn, he was of course greeted with the worst shock of all but survived through it.

He had muffled his cries of agony with a pillow while getting the ring off.

Surprisingly enough, it worked.

He panted and threw the ring on the bed, he pulled out a piece of paper beginning to write to Celestia and Luna.

Sombra sighed and placed the ring next to the letter, he personally didn't care about bringing anything, it's not like he had anything left anyways.

He tested out his magic and smiled seeing he was able to levitate the paper, he placed it back down and quietly walked over to the window, opening it and flinched hearing it creak but the guard seemed not to notice.

Sombra was lucky enough to have a room that wasn't so far away from the ground. Just having to slide down the roof and jump down from there unless there was another way to get down. He honestly didn't care, he would do anything and everything to get away from the castle.

He slowly took one step out and took a deep breath in, letting his hoof touch the roof of the castle. Sombra placed another hoof and eventually fully stepped out of the room. The once former king hummed quietly feeling the wind blow against his fur, he slowly slid down the roof quietly and eventually met the part where he had to jump. It wasn't a big jump but he didn't have much good of a landing spot.

There was only a small bush, he took that opportunity and just jumped down, landing in the bush which at least didn't make him get as damaged.

He winced feeling he had got a few scratches from the sharp fall but he paid no mind. The little colt slowly moved out of the bush and began to gallop down to the exit of Canterlot not even looking back.

He had nothing to look back to anyways...

-/-

The foal eventually came to the same exact spot where he first left to go see his real mother. He simply took this path, trying to get away from the castle as far as possible.

Sombra looked around, trying to look for anything that would catch his eyes. A cave was spotted clearly. It was away from the castle and he took it just for him.

The colt came to a halt and looked inside, he let out a whistle to hear if anything would make a noise or snap. Nothing.

He hummed and walked in, curling up in a small ball and watching the night slowly fall and the sun rising. Sombra in a way felt bad for leaving the castle but maybe he'll return sooner or later to pay a visit to Celestia and Luna. He didn't really know.

The stars fell with the moon and the sun shimmered up into its place.

Sombra shivered at the sudden breeze of cold that shoved itself into the cave he was in but he soon felt comfort with the coldness.

He slowly... Slowly... Drifted into a peaceful sleep. A type of sleep he never really had since that horrible thing was presented on his horn.

-/-

Luna came running into her sisters room with a small note and Sombra's ring.

"SISTER! Sombra has left once more!" She showed the letter and ring to her sister, Celestia stayed there flabbergasted. How did he even take that ring off? Was it not properly sealed correctly on his horn?

Celestia gulped and took the letter from her sister and began reading what was written.

'Dear Celestia and Luna.

I have decided to leave for the obvious of reasons. I cannot live like this anymore. I just can't... Maybe I used to be a evil king but I have emotions and I don't think you both see them.

You will not hear from me and I have specifically ensured that you won't.

I'm fed up with everyponies lies to me, their mockery and such I guess. I figured out who defeated me, that dragon really helped that princess make a heart, right?

Remember, it's really pretty.

I might work myself to become a better king than how I presented myself to Equestria the first time.

Who knows.

Maybe I'll end up dead or something.

From,
King Sombra'

Celestia felt a tear trickle down her cheek after reading the last part of his letter.

'Maybe I'll end up dead or something.'

It swirled in her head as she placed the letter aside and forced her eyes shut. She really did mess up this time. The way he worded everything made him seem like he was a king already even though he was just a colt.

He suddenly changed his choice of vocabulary after the meeting with his mother...

Luna closed her wings and shook her head, "Sister, what shall we do?..." She stared at Celestia who was trembling.

"I don't know sister..." She sighed and tried to calm her nerves, "We just have to wait until his arrival once more..."