Before the Throne

Sombra before he yoinked the throne + a couple of the horses in his life back then: his (now dead as shit) marefriend/fiance Viola Runegale, and his (adoptive and also dead as shit) mother Daisy Lane.

The lore I have rattling around in my brain regarding Sombra's backstory and the events leading up to his rule over the Crystal Empire is significantly different from the IDW comics so... keep that in mind pls n ty UwU.

The overview:

Sombra was separated by his biological parents when he was a colt. Left alone in the snowy wastelands of the Frozen North, he found his way to the Crystal Empire and lived mostly tucked away in a small village as a reclusive orphan.

A couple of prior run-ins with mortal ponies showed him that being seen as an umbrum in his new environment was dangerous, so he opted to take on a less alarming form. Since umbrums can't mimic the refractive qualities of crystal ponies, Sombra instead took on the appearance of a standard unicorn in an attempt to better "blend in" with the empire's citizens. Many crystal ponies don't take too kindly to foreigners though, so he was subject to plenty of harsh treatment regardless.

"Tough as nails, Daisy was. Rearing a colt on one's own - a colt as troublesome as I was especially - is no easy task. At times I wonder if I had done enough in expressing to her my gratitude." - Sombra

Daisy Lane was a common mare that took Sombra in during his pre-teen years - initially as a temporary transaction where he'd help her around her home and business in exchange for food and shelter. But then months turned into years and then next thing ya know oops she's basically Sombra's mom now. Funny how that works.

"My mother thought me a fool for pursuing her. She often described Viola to be 'more trouble than she's worth.' I'm certain many ponies could have said the same of me, had they known what I truly was." - Sombra

Sombra and Viola Runegale met in their early-mid teens. She was pushed into working for a brothel from a young age as a means of helping provide for her family. Her refusal to abandon her profession was a constant source of tension in her and Sombra's relationship, and the possibility of swaying her if he could prove his ability to provide for her and her family was a major reason for Sombra's pursuit of higher societal status.

Umbrums intrinsically possess a level of physical strength that far surpasses the strength of a mortal pony, and those stemming from royal bloodlines have a capacity for magic that can compete with alicorns. These traits (along with him just being a gaslighting gatekeeping girlboss) helped him immensely throughout his early adulthood in landing him various militaristic roles for the aristocracy, and even eventually catching the attention of Princess Amore herself.

I N H A L E S thank you for coming to my TED Talk. There's a whole ass ocean of AU lore taking up real estate in my dome but I hope you found the lil' spoonful of sauce presented here interesting.