WARNING: The following chapter deals with themes of a mature and frankly upsetting nature, such as spousal abuse. Viewer discretion of this chapter's content is advised and sorry if I offend or upset anyone.

The umbrum-changelings rained down upon the Crystal Kingdom like meteorites, attacking anything or anypony in their sights, their bloodlust matched only by the viciousness with which they pursued this goal. Some sped around the kingdom on insect wings while others shifted into shadow forms, flying or slithering around towards their prey. While the civilians fled for cover, Princess Celestia led the charge against their new foes, blasting at them with vigor in her single-minded task to protect the innocent. The Element bearers, now reunited, teamed up to hit, shoot, strike and beat the hybrids together. Sombra rushed past the septet and towards the black cloud that soared towards the vacant castle, his only objective being the death and/or complete annihilation of the monster fleeing him.

He flew up to the tallest tower, joining the stallion that overlooked the mayhem with the expression of one enjoying their favorite movie with a tub of popcorn. It didn't matter to Sombra how in the name of Tartarus Erebus was even alive. I put that bastard in the ground once. I can sure as hell do it again.

"Enjoying the view, son? I know I am."

"Don't call me that."

Erebus turned, his expression one of mock hurt. "Sombra, why would you say that? You know it hurts my feelings."

"The prerequisite for feelings is that you first need a heart," Sombra growled, his horn blazing with purple light.

"Which you impaled me through, as I recall."

"And I'll do it again!"

Erebus' face split to avoid a magic bolt and reformed. He cackled and fired off a few magical beams of his own, watching with delight as Sombra rolled to avoid them and then focused his father's horn, encasing it in several black crystals. "Deja vu, isn't it?"

"Hardly," Erebus sighed as little purple and black lights glowed around each shard and slowly pried them off.

Sombra stared at his father with horror. "But...how...-?"

A black spike shot up from the floor, stabbing Sombra's left shoulder and pinning him in place. Erebus causally strolled around Sombra, a deep rolling laugh echoing in his throat. "How did I get around your pesky anti-magic crystals? Simple: I've spent the last thousand or so years inside your head. There's very little I don't know about you." The spike widened, pulling at the tender flesh as Sombra bit down to prevent himself from screaming. "All of your strengths...all of your weaknesses...all of your...fears. There's no surprising me. Not this time."

It hit Sombra like a bolt of lightning. "That night in the catacombs. You whispered some sort of spell, didn't you?"

"Yes! A soul transference incantation if you want to get technical. It slipped a tiny fracture of my soul into you, where it took me a long time to plant roots and grow. I drained the Darkness, locked it away and took its place. And you were never the wiser." Erebus leaned forward, his teeth bared in a sadistic grin. "What's the name of that mare of yours? Oh yes. Twilight Sparkle. I'm going to make you watch as I fuck her and maybe even put a foal in her womb. How does that sound?"

"Rahragggghhhhhh!" The spike shattered as Sombra launched himself at Erebus, their bodies morphed into streams of darkness that chased one another around the tower and above the castle. The eye-gouging thought of Twilight being violated by his father, her legs spread open as he groaned in ecstasy filled Sombra's vision with red and he fired dark magic bolt after bolt at Erebus. "Don't you dare touch her! I'll kill you, you son of a bitch! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

A tendril caught Sombra around the throat and squeezed, filling his eyes with spots as he struggled to breath. Erebus pulled Sombra close, roaring with mocking laughter as he did so. "Kill me? Have you forgotten that you already tried that?" He then lit his horn with a hellish red glow and touched it to Sombra's own. "I think it's time that I showed you something."

It was as though a vice had been slipped onto Sombra's skull and been tightened, an incredible pressure building up in his forehead as his world went white. He was falling, spiraling out of control of the nothing before a memory flashed before his eyes, one that he'd forgotten or remembered incorrectly. He was eleven and was in his room crafting something out of clay, the smell of the semi-wet substance as pungent as it was that very same day.

"Mother, are you alright?"

The white mare rubbed at her pregnant belly, a soft smile lighting up her pretty face. "Nicky's just been kicking again. What are you working on? Knowing you, it's got to be a masterpiece."

Young Sombra held up the pendant with pride. "I made this for you, Mother. It's just like your cutie mark!"

Lumen gently took the clay pendant from Sombra's hooves and clasped it over her heart. "It's so beautiful! Thank you, Sombra. I'll treasure it forever! Now why don't you make something for Nyx?"

"Lumen! Where are you?!" Erebus burst in the door, his chest heaving with rage. "There you are. Get to my bed chambers. I need some stress relieving. Those idiots in the marketplace are making my head ache." Lumen Morningstar, however, slowly rose from her rocking chair and folded her forelegs. "Lumen, did you hear what I said? Move it!"

"No. I'm spending time with our son. The doctor said that I need my rest for the baby."

"Did you say...'No'? Did I hear you right?"

Despite the stiff, fear-filled way she held herself, Lumen refused to move a muscle. "You did."

Erebus stepped forward and raised a hoof to strike her but then changed his mind, instead turning his body to face Sombra. "Well, if you need your rest, then so be it. Sombra here can take your punishment. Can't you?"

"No! Not my son!" Lumen screamed and scurried in front of the king, her horn slashing at Erebus' face. He yowled in pain, blood dripping down his face as she moved in to embrace Sombra protectively. The stallion swiped at the blood and glared at the mare through one eye while Lumen stood her ground, slowly moving Sombra behind her.

"You little bitch!" Erebus grabbed Lumen's foreleg and, ignoring the still-bleeding gash in his face, wrenched her away from their son and began to drag her towards the door. "You've defied me for the last time, Lumen!"

"Mother!"

"Sombra!"

Frantically, Lumen tried to twist her way out of Erebus' grasp, her hooves digging and kicking at the floor. Sombra ran over to Lumen's outstretched hoof, trying with all of his might to pry her away. With a disgusted groan, Erebus flung out his forearm and Lumen went flying, her head connecting with the bedpost with a sickening crack! All sound faded out as time seemed to stand still. A pool of blood seeped from underneath Lumen's head, her crystal-blue eyes wide and vacant.

Light exploded before Sombra's eyes, his head throbbing as his heart pounded in his chest. He was back above the crystal castle, hoards of umbrum-changelings buzzing through the skies and a leering Erebus floating triumphantly above him.

"You? It was you?" A volcano erupted inside of Sombra, filling him with a white-hot fury he'd never known before. The image of his mother-who, as it turned out, adored him-lying dead in a pool of her own blood clouded his thoughts. "You killed mother? You killed Nicky?!"

"You know," Erebus clicked the tongue, "You really should let these things go. Get over it."

Sombra thrashed and snarled, trying desperately to get out of his shadowy bindings but to no avail. It felt like his life was a lie up to this point. His mother had loved him, him and his soon-to-be sister and he'd been duped into believing that she never gave a damn about him, that she killed herself to get away from her shitty life, away from him. More memories came flooding in, memories of racing through the Star Garden, of being tucked into bed and sung lullabies to. Secret birthdays and private Hearth Warmings just between the two of them. His hatred for Erebus intensified, his horn blasting at his father, who merely used his tendrils to push Sombra's head up and his horn away from him.

"I think it's time that I did some real parenting," Erebus grunted and Sombra failed to contain a scream of agony as hundreds of dark spikes penetrated his body, his father's constrictor-like form slowly beginning to crush him. "Sombra...you're grounded." He released his hold and Sombra went tumbling through the air, colliding with the castle's northwest roof and towards the ground. Mercifully, he blacked out before he hit the surface.

Author's Notes:

Yeah...this chapter got DARK. And don't worry; it's the last one like that.

FYI: This takes place in an alternate universe independent of the show and is thus not a part of my official headcanon. I will do a story detailing King Sombra's past in the near future but sadly, none of this will be included in it.

Man, I am somehow both loving and hating how villainous Erebus turned out. Aren't you?