WARNING: This next chapter includes very dark, very upsetting themes of a controversial nature. Read at your own discretion. If I offend anybody, then I do apologize; it is not my intention to do so. Please do not spoil it in the comments.

Time passed by quickly for Twilight Sparkle as she wandered around the Star Garden, getting lost in its glittering depths exploring the tall matorolite grass and the chrysoprase lilies. It still amazed her the level of detail and craftsmanship that it took to construct the garden, leaving her to wonder if Sombra downplayed his involvement with its creation or if he merely added a few cosmetic changes as he claimed. Just thinking about the umbrum gave her an odd mixed bag of emotions. She was impressed by his skill with shaping crystals, touched by his kindness in showing her this garden and filling it with her favorite flower, intrigued by his mysterious nature and saddened by his apparently tragic past. When she asked him about his father, he became so cold and abruptly left. For reasons that eluded her, Twilight wanted Sombra to trust her as much as he wanted her to trust him. She once more gazed into the clear azure depths of the crystal fountain, wishing for an answer as to why she had these feelings for her captor and why should she even care. Because there's more to him than just an evil tyrant with dark magical powers and a kingdom of slaves.

The unicorn shook her head, wondering where in the hay that thought even came from. Seating herself at an onyx table, Twilight took a moment to look, really look at the enigmatic King Sombra. He captured her friends and kept them prisoner and yet refrained from torturing them and actually made sure that they were fed. He demanded her hoof in marriage or he'd keep his hostages locked up for all eternity and yet didn't touch her, aside from that tango dance that left her with an odd burning sensation in her loins. He maintains an entire kingdom that he preserves in a perpetual state of fear and misery yet he spared the children from experiencing the gloom and terror that the adults felt. He keeps her inside of a magical barrier away from her friends and family and yet lets her wander around, treats her to fancy dinners and rains gifts and complements upon her.

Just who are you, Sombra? Noticing how low the sun was getting, Twilight decided to save the answer to that particular question for another time. It actually turned out to be quite easy to find her way back to the castle as the garden was located behind a gate and high stone walls hidden away at the castle's rear. The Shadow Guards standing at attention at the front entryway gave her no trouble, not even moving a muscle or speaking a word as she made her way past them, just standing there in eerie silence as still as statues. Trotting up the stairs, she finally made it to her room just in time to find Amber finishing making her bed. The bluish-gray crystal pony turned and beamed.

"Twilight, there you are! I was beginning to think that you got lost! Is everything alright?"

Nodding slightly, Twilight sighed, "Yeah, I'm alright. Sombra showed me his Star Garden. I'm kind of beginning to think he's not...so bad. He just confuses me! How can he treat me so nicely and yet act so cruel to the rest of you?"

Amber smiled and patted Twilight's shoulder. "I understand. His Majesty is...well, he's rather complicated. He gave me and my husband a job when we needed work and we get to see each other every day."

"I've been meaning to ask about that. Why is it neither you nor Sand Arrow wear wedding rings? Can't you afford it?"

The crystal pony tittered and with a sigh, retrieved a small, pyramid-shaped prism from out of her apron, which gleamed a brilliant gold and orange in the light. "Wedding rings are more of a southern tradition. Up here, when two ponies are betrothed, they carve one another crystals, fill them with love and exchange them on their wedding day. It's much more personal than a golden band, but that's just my opinion." She stuffed the crystal back into her apron and clapped her hooves. "Now then, let's get you ready for dinner. The king doesn't like to be kept waiting."

As was the tradition, Twilight met Sombra in the grand dining room, this time wearing a sleeveless golden dress with puffed up shoulders and an ankle-high skirt. She'd decided to please him somewhat by wearing a pair of diamond earrings and a sapphire bracelet, which made her feel gaudy but brought a noticeable joy to his face upon seeing her wearing his gifts. Sombra wore a dark blue suit, this time without a cravat and kept his red and white fur-lined cape. The king bowed and gently kissed Twilight's hoof, behaving as though the incident in the Star Garden had never taken place. "You look beautiful, Twilight but that's hardly anything new." He magically pulled a cloth bundle from off the table and unwrapped it, revealing something that made Twilight's heart skip a beat: a pink and violet crystal tiara.

Twilight gulped back the lump that'd formed in her throat. "Where-where did you get that?"

"Oh, you like it? It was something else I was working on besides the garden. I can tell you don't like my other presents so I thought this time I'd give you something with a more personal touch. Funny enough, I got the inspiration from a dream I had a while back. Anyway, I think it'd look brilliant upon your radiant head."

Twilight couldn't think nor move; she allowed Sombra to place the tiara on her head and stood perfectly still as she felt its weight sink fully on her skull. How...how is this possible?! It was the exact same size, color and shape from the one in her dream, with absolutely no deviations whatsoever. He said he got the idea from a dream. How is it that we both dreamt the same thing? "Thank you," she mirthlessly stated, still in shock upon seeing it in the waking world.

"You're absolutely welcome, my beloved. Shall we?"

The dinner proceeded without further incident, with Twilight maintaining as calm a demeanor as possible while she spoke at length about her childhood, her time at the Canterlot Academy, moving to Ponyville, gathering the other Elements of Harmony and defeating Nightmare Moon, all which Sombra listened to with rapt attention. There he was, the Conqueror of the Frozen North, leaning forward and hanging onto Twilight's every word while perching his chin upon his hooves like a schoolcolt with a crush on his instructor. Is he really the same black-hearted monster Celestia warned me about? It pained her to even consider doubting her teacher and friend, but Twilight was beginning to think that Celestia hadn't told her the full story about Sombra or his brutal rise to power. Perhaps, it was time to ask him.

"Um, Sombra-..."

"Yes, my dearest?"

Twilight twisted uncomfortably in her seat. "It's just that every time we've dined together, you've had me yammer on and on about myself. While I'm flattered that you want to get to know me...I feel like this should be a two-way street."

"Pardon?"

Oh yeah, that's right. He wasn't around to learn that idiom. "Do you think you could talk about yourself for once? What was it like growing up? How did your parents meet? Did you have any siblings? What was your mother like?" Silence dominated the dining room. Sombra's scarlet eyes widened at this, his chest rising and falling quickly. The room suddenly became darker as the lights dimmed all around them, throwing shadows over the umbrum's face.

“Let me tell you a story,” Sombra finally said, his face an inscrutable mask as his horn flickered to life. The shadows around the room leapt onto the wall to the left of them, congealing into a swirling black whirlpool; it was like staring into the surface of a pond. The likeness of a unicorn mare appeared, mixing potions and handing them out to various grateful ponies. “There was once a young mare, who was known as a skilled enchantress and healer. Ponies came from far and wide to seek her aid in curing their ailments. Wealthy or poor, it didn't matter to her and if you couldn't afford her elixirs, she was so virtuous, she treated you for free.” Twilight could tell that she liked this mare already.

The shadows reformed to show the mare being propositioned by many different stallions, each one of them bearing gifts while hearts floated above their heads. “Aside from her kind heart, the mare was renowned for her great beauty, earning her many, many suitors but she turned them all down.” The shadow-mare was then alone, picking flowers when a large stallion with a curved horn appeared. “One day, a dark king arrived, giving her jewels and promising to make her his queen if she agreed to marry him.” With a snap of her head, the shadow-mare refused, putting up a hoof as the shadow-king stared at her open-mouthed.

“The mare, however, was not fooled by the king’s pretty words or extravagant gifts, instead seeing into his black heart and feeling disgusted by his disingenuousness.” Sombra began shaking, his voice becoming darker and more somber. “Unbeknownst to the mare, the king was a prideful, vindictive creature…” The shadow-king’s mouth opened in a soundless roar as he flew at the mare and tackled her, the two swirling around as the shadow-mare screamed in silent terror. “-…And would not take ‘No’ for an answer.”

Twilight’s hoof flew to her mouth, her mind completely floored by the revelation. “You mean…he-?”

“Yes,” Sombra answered quickly, his eyes alight with hatred as he looked away. The shadows shifted again, this time showing the king and the mare, only the mare was now wearing a crown and staring sadly down at the ground. “The king took the mare back to his castle and made her his queen-…” The next scene depicted the mare, now with a swollen stomach, lying on her back as the king pulled a struggling infant from between her legs. “Eleven months later, she gave birth to a colt. No matter how much she tried, the mare could not bring herself to love the child, not when he so closely resembled the monster that had stolen her innocence and joy.” The shadow-infant floated into the air, growing and becoming a smoke-like being, his maw opened to reveal sharp fangs as it cackled soundlessly.

In that moment, the pieces all fell into place. “You. You were that colt. And you were born as a result of ra-…” Twilight stopped, recognizing the shame written on Sombra’s face. She recalled how angry he was when she asked him why he didn’t force himself on her or use mind control. “You didn’t want to become your father. That’s why you wanted to woo me, why I had to come to you willingly.”

The umbrum said nothing, his pained face telling the whole story. The shadows vanished from the wall and the room became bright once more, though the heaviness of Sombra's story only made it seem that much more darker. He exhaled sharply through his nostrils and rose from his seat, his face now much older and full of sorrow. "Now you know how I came to be, how my parents met and what my mother was like," he said defeated in a hollow tone. "Yes, I am the bastard child of a forced copulation. It would be so easy for me to take you to my bedchambers and violate you...but then I'd be no better than him. I'd run the risk of becoming an even uglier monster than I already am and what if you became pregnant? Then I'd be responsible for siring another unholy bastard and claiming another innocent mare's virginity. Even I'm not that cruel."

A new emotion wormed its way into Twilight's heart: pity. "What happened to your mother?"

"That's enough story time for tonight," Sombra replied with a bow. "Good night, Twilight."

Author's Note

So...um, yeah, Sombra's "origins" are very, very, very, very messed up, hence the warning before the chapter. Now his mental process and some of his personlity traits are becoming much more explainable, aren't they? This was a very hard chapter to get through, not just because of its subject matter but also because I found myself sympathizing with Sombra and feeling genuinely sorry for him.

Some of you may hate me for this so it pains me to say that this won't be the only chapter dealing with such a heavy subject. As I said, Sombra's had it rough.

Next chapter: Twilight and Sombra have a falling out and her life is put on the line. Please keep reading; I'd like at least some people to stick around.