Twilight didn't get out of bed for breakfast. She wasn't able to sleep, not after seeing that. She wanted to know more about Silver Stream, a stallion who probably died defending his son. She wanted to know more about the Ateus, more about the twisted monsters who brought shame on her kind.

How did he do it? How did Sombra grow from that malnourished little colt into the beast of a stallion he was now? Twilight couldn't have done that. She doubted any of her friends could. If she had survived what he had, she'd want revenge against the entire species. Sombra was stronger than that. He didn't attack them, didn't blame them for everything that happened, and he even saved a filly's life when he didn't have to. He was working with two doctors to try and figure out why the male birthrate was so low, either directly or indirectly helping pony kind. She couldn't do that.

She wanted to know. But she couldn't ask. Twilight didn't want to look at his face. In her mind, Sombra was a small colt crying in his father's forelegs. His entire world out to hurt him save for that one spot against his father's chest. How he'd grown from that to what he was now she didn't know. He'd studied magic with the greatest in history, he knew more about Ateus than all of Equestria and was strong enough to be tolerant of his tormentors.

"Twilight?" Her chest tightened. Spike was worried about her, but he shouldn't be. She couldn't handle the guilt she was feeling. "Twilight, let me in. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong." Silver Stream had said something similar, and it forced the scene back into her vision. She didn't want to see it, but she envied it as well.

It had been a mistake. That mare, Twilight, shouldn't have seen anything. He hadn't meant to snap. When he'd gained enough control to end the memory link, she'd lost some of her colors. From what he understood, that was a bad thing. Ponies, no matter how much an eyesore, were naturally pastel. If they weren't, then it meant that something was wrong.

He couldn't do anything about it either. He couldn't just walk through town. Or could he? The door to his abode wasn't locked, and knowing equine princesses as well as he did, she probably lived in a castle. One with poor taste. He didn't even need to walk. He could turn into a shadow, or better yet, transport himself into the shadow zone. It wasn't a pretty sight, but Sombra could handle it.

Sombra stood in the middle of his room, his horn bubbling with dark magic. Runes appeared on the floor, then merged into a black pool. It looked like liquid onyx and smelt like the cherries for some odd reason. He took a deep breath and walked in. It was only a few seconds, but it felt a lot longer. When he was in the shadow zone, he climbed out of the pool that disappeared behind him.

The air was foul and rotten, yet still smelt of cherries. The shadow zone was a perfect replica of the light zone, but it had very different inhabitants. In this place, dark magic ruled. In this place, Grogar replaced Celestia. The goat probably knew that Sombra was here, but the goat was probably only going to watch him. And besides, there were a lot more things to worry about than his old teacher.

Nightmare Forces. Skiadigo. Gorgons. Poltergeist. Scylla. Ophiotaurus. Erinyes. Dybbuk. Rakshasa. Ifrits. Pishacha. Chupacabra. Ningen. Those were just a few creatures Sombra knew were native to this mirror dimension. There were also the rotting souls of those who were banished here. These creatures didn't have dark magic like Sombra. As he was a living shadow, he was immune to a lot of the *toxins* here. Those toxins mutated creatures from the light zone.

If a pony came here, they would melt into a disfigured monster that would never die. And would be left in pure agony. Maybe Sombra should send the Crystal Empire here? That would be good. It reminded him of something Grogar once said.

"The longer they live, the longer they suffer."

His eyes narrowed, and a toothy grin appeared on his muzzle. That was what he was going to do. He'd banish the empire into the Shadow Zone. Grogar would be very happy to test spells on them. Everyone won in this scenario. Now that he had an idea of how he was going to get revenge, Sombra could walk to Twilight's house. It would be wise to avoid walking through the hospital, so Sombra opened the window and jumped outside.

Ponyville looked like a ghost town. He expected it to look like this, and he expected there to be some unsavory monsters floating around. A couple of Nightmare Forces were already floating above and around him. They were only curious, and they would be wise to stay that way. The Nightmares weren't dangerous to Sombra. They were, in fact, rather harmless unless they were outside the Shadow Zone.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Princess Luna, the fool that she was, followed him here once. She was able to resist the toxins because of her dark magic. But that was all. Nightmare Forces swarmed her like piranha to a carcass. Sombra might have helped one of them worm its way inside of her, but he wasn't admitting nor denying it. When Sombra learned about Nightmare Moon, he swelled with pride. Once a Nightmare Force was inside of you, you could never get rid of it. They merged with your soul, and they became the demon on your shoulder.

As long as you were a creature of darkness, they couldn't hurt you. Sombra cackled, pleased that he had already passed his revenge on Luna. When he got the chance to shove it in her face, her reaction would be all the better. It was amusing to know that Sombra could unleash a whole horde of Nightmares on Equestria, but he wouldn't. But he doubted they would believe him.

When Sombra got his revenge, they wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. They had nothing to fear from him. After the empire was gone, he didn't plan on sticking around. Sombra saw a large crystal castle and correctly guessed that it was Twilight's. What was it with ponies and crystals?

Suddenly the Nightmare Forces scattered like frightened fish in a river. Sombra hadn't seen them act like that before, not unless a certain someone was nearby. His hearts quickened when he smelt cinnamon. Hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when he felt a familiar presence.

"Ah. Sombra, it is so good to see you again." Grogar was here. Sombra turned around and was eye to eye with the goat of legend. There wasn't a living or dead thing that didn't know Grogar's appearance. Sombra suspected the goat implanted his image into everything so he wouldn't have to introduce himself. Lazy, but effective. A faint aura of red flowed from Grogar's piercing red eyes, the color of freshly spilled blood. Sometimes Sombra swore they pulsed like a beating heart. "It's been a while since we last conversed with one another. What brings you to my realm?"

"I'm just passing through," Sombra answered honestly. "I snapped, and a pony saw one of my memories. I'm going to try to fix her before anything happens. I have enough blood on my hooves as is." Grogar smiled. Thanks to his sharp underbite, it made Sombra more nervous than before. There weren't many who could stand hoof to hoof with Sombra in a fight, and Grogar was one of them. Neigh, he was one of the few Sombra wouldn't even try fighting.

"Princess Twilight Abigail Sparkle," He stated calmly. Of course, Grogar knew. He knew almost anything. "She's quite the fascinating mare. I was tempted to take her under my horn, but I couldn't. She's still Celestia's student, and she's very possessive. When Twilight wishes to search for new pastures, my gates will always be open for her." Not only did Sombra have to try to fix her, but had to warn her that she'd caught Grogar's attention. "So, how do you plan on helping her, exactly? Pony minds are very fragile when confronted with the truth." He wasn't sure yet. "True, some handle it better than others. But the same can be said for spicy food."

"I swear you're the embodiment for gluttony." Grogar merely shrugged. The Umbrum shook his head, looking away from the goat. "I... I don't know yet. But I have to try something."

"You don't have to. You want to," Grogar said, his tone as calm as ever. "You have to breathe. You have to eat. You have to sleep. These are all things you *have* to do." Sombra sat down, looking down at his hooves. "You want to avenge your friends and family. You want to be free of the shackles still clinging to your hooves. You want to help Twilight. It's very common for people to muddle *have to* and *want to* when it comes to action. Sometimes, they're one in the same."

"Can you stop? You're not my teacher anymore. I made it very clear."

"The student does not dictate when class ends or starts." Sombra's lips peeled back a little in frustration. "What I am trying to say, is that you often confuse the two. You don't *have* to help Twilight. Just as you didn't *have* to save Scootaloo. You don't *have* to help those two doctors. Those are just recent instances where you have confused having with wanting."

Grogar was as terrifying as he was confusing. When you first met the goat, you'd never think that he was what others said about him. When you thought about evil, you think of a monster. A madman who did everything under the book to torture all there was that existed. They wanted world domination, power, slaves, an empire, and things along those lines. Some books depicted evil as an eye in a tower, a red devil, a politician, a comic book villain and so on.

But Grogar?

He already had the world in his hoof. He already had power. He technically had slaves and an empire of monsters in the Shadow Zone. Grogar was a blue goat necromantic who was addicted to cinnamon and listened to every kind of music there was. He was patient, had standards, and he didn't lie.

Grogar was grey. He has been white, and he has been black. Grogar worked in many shades, some dark and some light. If you gave Grogar two options, he would give you a third. No matter the reason for those options. He also gave good advice. Sometimes Grogar would give a lecture, a speech, a saying or a quote. You never knew what you were getting. And you had to be careful what you were asking for because Grogar didn't hold back. If you asked him how best to kill a kitten, he'd tell you to stamp on its head. He'd say that with a straight face.

Once, Sombra had asked Grogar why people defended villains? Grogar said seven words in response.

"One man's villain is another man's hero."

"How am I supposed to differentiate the two?" Sombra asked, his ears listening to the goat carefully as he also sat down.

"Pracitice makes perfect, but only if you put in enough effort, and are patient." Grogar didn't lie, but he didn't always give clear answers. "I didn't become master of necromancy in a century, dear student. Things take time. Sometimes they take longer than you wish, but that's something nobody should change."

Grogar also knew time travel magic, that's why he said should and not can. Sombra hadn't seen him use it, but Grogar once listened to a song by someone called PON-3. Ten centuries before she had even been born. If that wasn't time travel, Sombra wasn't sure what was.

"I don't want this to be about me. I'm here to help that mare, not get lectured." Grogar merely raised his brows. "You aren't my teacher anymore. I'm saying that loud and clear."

"It's a little difficult to help others when you don't want to help yourself." Sombra stood up and glared at him. Grogar shrugged it off like water on a duck. "I know you better than you know yourself, Cuervo. I know what you plan on doing after you have succeeded in avenging the fallen Ateus. Know that if you carry it out, I'm going to be there. I doubt I need to explain why." The Umbrum scowled.

"You aren't taking that from me. That's my choice, not yours!"

"What about those other Umbrum?" He'd forgotten about that. Sombra didn't have a way to get to the Umbrum, not while the Empire was as it was. He didn't even know how to get them out. "I'm able to do it, but then your mother would've died for nothing." Sombra's chest tightened as he started to pace. He wanted her death to mean something. He didn't want her death to be in vain, but how? How could he save them? "That little blue wrench in your mediocre machine? That's me."

"Take out the R," the Umbrum groaned, rubbing his eyes. "How am I supposed to help them?"

"Get rid of those pesky equines for starters. If you open a portal, I'd have a field day with them."

"I was planning on sending them here."

"Even better! All the ponies come here, I can have a PonyQ, and you can free your people. Everyone wins!" He didn't bother encouraging the idea. Could he send those ponies here? Sombra had seen what Grogar was able to do. He almost felt bad for the ponies. Almost.

"Good for you." He rolled his eyes. "Back to the Umbrum. How do I help them? I'm not even sure where they are. Not specifically." The goat appeared to be contemplating. Whether or not it was about that PonyQ was anyone's guess.

"Use the Shadow Zone." As if reading Sombra's mind, Grogar continued. "Even after you leave, Nightmare Forces will be following you in the Shadow Zone." He didn't know that. "They're drawn to you, my student, and that's just you on your own. I doubt they will be able to resist herding around their location."

"You've been tracking me." How else could Grogar know this? "How else would you know they follow me?"

"I have a spell that allows me to see a *shadow* of the light zone beings." Grogar's eyes flashed for a millisecond. Then they were surrounded by ghosts. They weren't ghosts, but they were translucent enough to appear to be. "I can watch all I want, and nopony ever notices. An Ateus might be able to sense me, but just barely. You don't because I shield myself from you." That was very disturbing to learn. How long had Grogar been watching him? Did he ever stop after Sombra left? "Draconeqi and Wendigo, and some Zebras are not as easily fooled."

Sombra watched as ponies went about their daily lives. They didn't even know that two of the most powerful magic users were amongst them. Grogar suddenly got up and started walking, so Sombra followed. He had no idea that he could use the Shadow Zone like this. Grogar had much left to teach him, it seemed. Grogar headed for a strange building that looked like a pastry. It was like the Gingerbread House tale that Silver Stream read to him when he was little. Instead of a witch, there was a necromantic inside.

It was a cake shop. Of course. One of these days that goat was going to choke on cinnamon. Grogar was checking the pastries, smelling for cinnamon. Sombra raised a brow at the pink pony rushing around. She looked familiar. He could've sworn he had seen a mare like that before. He couldn't forget such bright colors.

"Are we able to hear what they're saying as well?" Grogar grunted. It was a silent, of course, from the goat. Sombra watched as the pink mare quickly hurried her customers out, but let five ponies inside. An earth pony, two pegasi, and two unicorns. One of which was Starlight Glimmer. "Could you add audio?"

"Next time you ask, say please." When Sombra looked at Grogar, he looked like a blue mutant chipmunk. He couldn't look at him like that, so he decided to pray that there never would be a *next* time. "What? They have the best cinnamon everything in here!"

Sombra sighed but ignored him. He walked to a chair and sat down, watching the mares. His ears twitched in irritation as he tried to figure out what they were saying. They appeared to be irritated and uncertain. Probably because of him. He was very good at becoming the center of attention, even when he didn't want or deserve the spotlight. He was a magnet for attention.

He watched them and watched as they became more and more irritated. Angry, even. Starlight, who he should talk to as well, was trying to stand up for him.

The yellow pegasus appeared to be the timid type, so she respectfully stayed out of the fight. The shy pegasus didn't seem confrontational, but he could see she had a fire inside of her. It was only a few embers, but even a single shining ember could burn down a city. It just needed the right environment to flare to life.

The white one was trying to find neutral ground, which Sombra also respected. She looked to be the aristocratic type, and perhaps materialistic, but she was trying her best not to take sides. That wasn't an easy thing to attempt, let alone do. She was pleasing to the eye, but Icandy can be just as bad as regular candy.

Grogar didn't seem to understand the last part. How he wasn't a blob of blue lard, Sombra never knew.

The pink one made it look like she didn't understand, but you should never underestimate people, especially those who expertly pretended to hide their intelligence. He could tell that she was paying attention. Every now and again, she glanced in Sombra's direction. It appeared that she knew Sombra, or Grogar, was here. Fascinating. She was paying more attention to them than her friends, but only Sombra seemed to notice. She was going to be an interesting one if they got the chance to talk.

Gaypride Fag was a mystery. Well, not really. Scootaloo talked about Rainbow Dash, but Sombra would always call her Gaypride Flag. Anyway, she was harder to decipher. It looked like she was both against him and for him. Whether or not that was good, Sombra wasn't sure and didn't care. If she didn't want to like him, it wasn't going to affect his life. You can't please everybody.

The last one was the apple pony. She had a Stetson hat, so he naturally assumed she was a very grumpy pony. She had taken the role of devil's advocate. He didn't need audio to know what she was saying. Her familiar green eyes and expression were enough to prove that she didn't believe this. Or she did but didn't want to.

"Who are these mares?" Sombra asked quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

"Starlight Glimmer Angelos, Fluttershy Summers, Rarity DeLaCruise, Pinkamina Diane Pie, Rainbow Dash Blitzen, and Apple Jackson Grayson." Those didn't sound like pony names. "Ponies only use their full names on legal documents. They're better known as Starlight Glimmer, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack."

"Why did you tell me their legal names?"

"In case you wanted to learn more about them in the Royal Archives. Celestia has a file made the second a pony is born. That's why I sometimes call her Princess Sun Stalker." Sombra rolled his eyes. He didn't need to know that, but he appreciated the information anyway. "Keep rolling those eyes. Perhaps you'll find a brain back there?"

"What did I do to deserve being insulted like that?"

"You aren't thinking." Sombra glared at the goat. "Now that I have muddied the pond that was your plan, you don't know what to do. After you have avenged your friends, what then? Even after I've given you a reason to not go through with your first plan, you can't comprehend the idea that you can move on. No, not comprehend." The goat paused. "You don't want to accept that it's possible that you can move on."

"Since when were you a psychiatrist?"

"When you've become as old as I, you tend to take every different occupation under the sun as a pass time. I've been a janitor, a space captain, a doctor, a warlord, and a psychiatrist. I've had so many friends and families that I can't possibly name all of them within your lifespan. In many ways, I'm very much qualified to be your psychiatrist." Grogar took a few steps in front of him, grinning. "Also, what kind of teacher would I be if I neglected my student's health?"

"That's a long way of saying that you're old."

"And?"

"And you don't care about my health."

"I wasn't talking about your physical health." A cake suddenly appeared in front of the stallion. One that wasn't from this little pastry shop. The cake was obviously for a carnivore. The biggest give away was that instead of cherries on top it had eyeballs. "Believe what you will, but everyone has the capability of surviving the greatest of trauma. In this era, people are much more knowledgeable about the mind. You'll find someone who'll be able to help you." Sombra sighed, rubbing his eyes. "You're just afraid that you won't know who you are if you do manage to move on. It's natural to fear the future, especially when you didn't plan on having one."

"I would argue with you, but that'd just prove your point further." He felt depressed again. Sombra looked at the fleshy pastry before him, sadness burning his eyes. "My nightmares are a part of me. They make the few good times I've had even better... They fuel me. Who am I without all of this simmering rage inside?" He didn't want an answer to that question, even if there was one.

"That's not for me to decide." That was both an answer and not an answer. It didn't make him feel any better than before. He ate the pastry, his melancholy souring the otherwise sweet taste. "I want to resume lessons with you. It'll be a good outlet for all of that hatred burning inside of you, and there's still much I want to teach you. I don't take students very often, and I don't fancy taking another for a long while."

"What could you want to teach me?" Sombra asked. The pastry had a sweet aftertaste, lifting his mood a little. "I know magic. Dark magic that nearly nobody else knows. A lot of it is only useful if in battle..."

"Perhaps cooking pancakes that don't get up and walk away?" The Umbrum felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "You're in a brand new era! You haven't even looked at the night sky yet. There is so much to see and much more to learn. You can get a job, your own home, make new friends, maybe even start your own family?"

"I can do that?" The goat nodded. "I guess it wouldn't be entirely bad learning more."

"Splendid." Grogar walked to the door, nodding towards it. Sombra got up and followed him, glancing at the arguing mares. They were going to be busy for a while. The goat walked out of the building with confidence, something Sombra tried imitating. Deep down, he was fighting to keep all of his feelings under control. As he had a plethora of them, it wasn't an easy task. "You should cry more often." Sombra looked up at him, confused. "Nobody enjoys crying. Some despise it. It burns, it makes you tired, and you probably won't feel better afterward. But it's important. You need to let out your inner pain before it consumes you. You're trying so hard to control your feelings that you're not thinking about what it's doing to you."

"I've cried enough rivers. To let any of my feelings out of my control is a danger to others and myself."

"Go into a desert and trash it. Use some of the spells I taught you. Go into the Shadow Zone and trash something. Fight monsters. Write a disturbing poem or book. Try sparing against someone. Any of these can be of use to you." Grogar rose a brow as an idea came to mind. "Start hunting those who escape justice?" Sombra's ears twitched. "Despite what Princess Sun Stalker claims, Equestria has a rather gnarly crime problem. A lot of places, Manehatten for instance, is riddled with monsters in pony skin. Because Sunbutt is in denial that her precious ponies can do any wrong, they often escape the justice system. Or lack thereof."

"It sounds very appealing, I'll admit. What if Celestia catches on to what I've been doing? I doubt she'll let me get off killing her pets."

"That's for you to figure out. I can't solve all of your problems for you, that's not the way of the teacher." Sombra walked next to him, feeling less anxious than before. "It doesn't matter how you kill them. They're scum. Torture them maybe? Release all of that bottled hatred within. I'd pay to watch."

"I don't want to end up like the Crystal Ponies."

"Then set rules for yourself. Form a limit that you will not allow yourself to cross. Those without limits are the ones who'll be punished by you. And if you go too far or if it starts to affect you, I'll step in. I don't want you going insane, that'd ruin all the time spent on you."

He had a goal now. He had a purpose after the ending of the empire. He was going to slay the monsters who didn't deserve the air they breathed. But what would he do with the bodies? He couldn't eat them. Ponies were unhealthy and addictive. Maybe he could sell parts of them? No, not sell. He wouldn't do it for financial gain. Sombra could give parts of those cretins to hospitals. Yes! That was what could do. He could harvest their organs. Not only would the monsters die, but he'd be saving others in the process!

"Thank you." Hopefully, this wouldn't blow up in his face. "How much do I owe you for sharing your questionable but accurate wisdom?"

"I want ten cinnamon buns every time you come to see me."

"And I want your imminent diabetes to catch up with you. We can't all have what we want."

"I'm Grogar. I get everything I want."

There was another knock, another call of her name. Like all the others that preceded it, Twilight ignored it. How long had she been lying in her bed? She didn't know, and she didn't care. She felt anger, regret, and other feelings she didn't understand and scared her. Twilight thought about her family or lack thereof. She seldom saw or heard from Velvet Sparkle or Night Light. Did they not love her? It felt like it.

What about Cadence and Shining Armor? Did they know about the Empire? If they did, why did they protect such monsters? She prayed it was a spell like Chrysalis'. Shining wouldn't hurt anyone, would he? What was going to happen to Flurry? Was she going to lose her wings as well? So many questions that ran through her mind, all making her melancholy worse.

Her ears twitched as she heard a strange sound. It was reminiscent of Chancellor Neighsay's portal spell but different. And was that the smell of cherry she smelt? No. It couldn't be. Her mind was playing tricks on her.

"What a depressing room?" Said a very familiar voice. Twilight begrudgingly turned, and her purple eyes widened. It was Sombra. He was standing in her bedroom with a strange portal behind him. "About time we found the right room."

"It's not my fault this castle has over seventy janitor closets! Even I don't have that many! She doesn't even have any staff. Not unless she has a fetish for janitors." Twilight didn't recognize the voice, but she felt afraid for some reason. "I'll see you next week. Bye!" then the portal closed, leaving Sombra with her.

"Who was that...?" Twilight asked. Sombra shook his head with a sigh and walked towards her, his dual colored eyes scanning her bed.

"Someone I pray you never meet." Sombra didn't like what he was seeing. Her colors rivaled his, and that wasn't good for a pony. They were supposed to look like diabetic diarrhea on a greeting card, not this. "I bet you're wondering why I'm here. Well, I'm fixing my mistake. You weren't supposed to see what you saw. Judging by your coat, I might have emotionally scarred you." So much for wiping her memory.

"No, it's ok," Twilight sighed. She didn't see the stallion right now, only the colt. The little foal, or whatever a baby Umbrum was, that was crying in his father's arms. "You let me see the truth... I'm just struggling to deal with it right now."

"Really? I couldn't tell." He put a hoof on her chest, feeling her heartbeat. Ponies averagely had a heart rate from thirty-two to thirty-six beats per minute. Twilight's was twenty-five. He was going to have to keep a careful watch on that. "Judging by your smell, you haven't moved from this bed, have you?" She shook her head. "Twilight, it's been two days."

Sombra kept eye contact with her, noting that they were dull. She was depressed and lethargic. He pressed his hoof a little further against her chest, feeling her dry skin. His horn glowed as he slowly made her mouth open then looked inside. Thick, and most likely sticky, saliva. She was dehydrated. He'd seen this in enough equine Ateus to know the signs.

"Two days...?" His horn flashed with magic as he brought a cup of water before her. It had a straw to make it easier for her. He poked the straw against her lips, and she wisely took a sip. That sip grew into gulps until it was all gone. She thanked him, much to Sombra's well-hidden pleasure. "I didn't think it had been that long?"

"When you've been through something traumatic, time doesn't feel the same." He brought a chair over and sat on it. "I'm sorry for what you saw. I usually have my feelings under control, but my control slipped. And because of that, you dehydrated yourself. You could've died if I hadn't decided to come and apologize." Her ears dropped at the thought of it. She never thought that she could die. Twilight never considered the possibility that it could be done by her actions either.

"I should be the one apologizing." She wasn't wrong. "I had no idea that ponies were capable of something like that."

"We're all capable of evil. I won't lie and say I'm entirely innocent, but I'm better than others." His teacher ate a kitten once because it pissed on his carpet. When Grogar got mildly annoyed at something, living or dead, it was nightmare inducing. He feared what an angry Grogar could do. "Nobody is truly innocent. It just depends on severity."

"I guess that's true..." She looked at his scars, her frown yet to lift. "But what I saw? It got me thinking about my life." She looked back into his eyes. Before this, the sight had disgusted her. She could see more than just the colors now. He had a genuine concern for her, and she didn't feel like she deserved it. "Everything has been handed to me. Even my friends. When I think about what Grover did for you, I realized that none of my friends would go that far. None of them would risk their lives to get me a cupcake."

"Twilight, it's a good thing that your friends don't have to do what mine did. We come from two very different worlds, mine being cruel and yours being loving. It isn't fair to compare both yours and mine." His were dead. She should be grateful that hers were still around.

"I know." She moved a hoof and pressed it against his chest, feeling both of his heartbeats. His fur was soft, much like a kitten's. "But I can't help but compare my family to yours. My dad never loved me the way yours did." She had a dysfunctional family? Well, that just made things worse, didn't it? "I wanted to have a dad like Silver."

"I wanted my mother to be alive. Seldom do I get what I desire." She cringed away, causing the Umbrum to sigh. "You need to sort yourself out Twilight. I have a gut feeling your pals are going to come at me with torches and pitchforks if you don't." He bit onto her covers and ripped them away. "You're having a bath first. I've smelt worse, but you stink." He magically transported her onto his back, a large grin on his face. "I'll bathe you if I have to."

"You wouldn't!" The mare squeaked, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Resistance is futile. Bubbles and soap are inevitable!" When he was younger, a Draconequus called Arisu said that to him. He didn't know what it meant, but it made him feel a little better. All he had to do now was find her bathroom and then wash that stink off of her. He wasn't going to tell her about Grogar or his plans while she was in this condition.

He'd tell her later.

Author's Note

Grogar was so much fun to write.

Here's a pic I found, and it's perfect.

But writing with Grammarly isn't.