Sombra stood in a large room, the crystal walls and floor shining. The setting sun outside the windows cast an orange glow on the room. Sombra’s red eyes looked up at the older ponies sitting in the thrones above him. They each looked down on him with a condescending superiority. In return, he shot them an annoyed glare.

“Sombra,” said an old stallion. He was sitting on the highest throne in the room. His grey brows furrowed as his cold eyes looked at the black-furred stallion. “Do you understand why you were brought before this council today?”

Sombra didn’t blink as he stared into the stallion’s ice blue eyes. “No, High Councilor. I do not.”

The High Councilor’s gaze did not soften. “You were accused of researching and practicing dark magic by several observers.” He leaned forward. “What say you?”

“I know nothing of any dark magic,” said Sombra, “I was practicing magic, but it was a very simple spell. A foal could learn how to do it.”

“Lies,” said another member of the Council. The black-haired mare sat in the fourth highest seat in the room, and she was glaring at Sombra. A scar curved upwards from the corner of her mouth which would have made it look as though she was giving a devilish grin, if she hadn’t had a look of utter contempt on her face. “Three civilians stated that Sombra used a spell to attack one of the Crystal Guards. All of the witnesses state that Sombra fired lightning from his horn and electrocuted the guard.”

“Thank you, General,” said the High Councilor. He looked down at Sombra again. “Well?”

“Well what?” asked Sombra.

“Show some respect!” growled the General.

Sombra shrugged. “In all honesty, General Stormwalker, you have to earn respect in order to be given it.”

“You little bas-” began the General, rising from her seat.

“Order!” said the High Councilor. “We will have order!” Once the General had reluctantly sat back down, the High Councilor turned back to Sombra. “What do you have to say now that we’ve heard reports from these witnesses?”

Sombra shrugged. “I do not deny that I attacked the guard. But the spell I used was far from dark magic. It was a simple spell our mages use to help the Pegasi add lightning to storm clouds. I could teach you, if you want.”

The mare on the third highest seat, middle-aged and blue-haired, sighed and said, “Sombra, please don’t make this worse for yourself.”

Sombra flinched and bowed his head towards the mare. “Apologies, Master.”

“Grand Magus,” said the High Councilor with a glare, “We must keep this professional. Sombra is a criminal now, no longer your student.”

The Librarian bowed her head. “It won’t happen again, High Councilor.”

The mare on the second highest seat, her red mane streaked with grey, spoke. “Even if the spell was not dark, the intent certainly was. Had the other guards not apprehended you, you would have killed him.”

“It is true, Chancellor,” said Sombra, nodding to the mare, “My intent was to kill him.”

The Grand Magus groaned, putting a hoof to her face.

“This is your third infraction,” said the General, “We have been lenient with you before, due to the fact that your previous two offenses were minor altercations.”

“And for the fact that you are one of the most talented mages in the Crystal Empire,” added the Chancellor.

“But no longer,” said the High Councilor. “This has gone on far enough, Sombra. I don’t know why you’ve chosen to throw away your position with the mages, but-”

“Of course you don’t know,” snarled Sombra. His deep voice raised, echoing off the crystal walls. “How could any of you know? Locked away in the castle or your offices all day! You turn a blind eye to the misery of your subjects!”

“We will not listen to your lies in this court!” said the High Councilor.

“Lies?!” yelled Sombra. “The first guard I attacked had stolen money from a shopkeeper! The second was attempting to force a mare into his bed! This last one was about to beat a colt to death in the middle of the street!”

“You dare to sully the name of my guards?” yelled the General.

“I dare!” yelled Sombra. “I dare because, under your watch, the guards have become corrupt and greedy!”

The General’s face turned red as she screamed at Sombra. “Each and every one of my guards has more honor than you, scum!”

“Honor,” sneered Sombra. “Tell me, was it honor that gave your Captain his position? Or was it his performance in bed?!”

“YOU INSOLENT-” yelled the General.

“ENOUGH!” yelled the High Councilor.

“And you, Master,” said Sombra, turning to the Grand Magus, “You should know what I’m saying is true. You took me off the streets when I was a foal; you know how bad it can be out there.”

The Grand Magus shut her eyes. “Sombra, please…”

“And you two,” said Sombra, turning to the Chancellor and High Councilor, “You're supposed to rule this empire, but you’ve allowed the people to get to the point of starvation!”

“We are doing all that we can,” said the Chancellor calmly. “The winter was harsher than anyone anticipated. Everyone’s suffering from the food shortage.”

“And yet,” said Sombra, “I’ve never missed a meal here in the castle and the guards seem to grab any scrap of food they can find, even if it’s out of someone’s hooves! How can you be our leaders, when you care nothing for your people?!”

“Enough, Sombra!” shouted the High Councilor. “This has nothing to do with the people or the guards. We are here today because you have proved yourself willing to take someone’s life! For your crimes and slander, you will be banished from the Crystal Empire!”

There was silence in the court room.

And then Sombra began to laugh.

“Do you think I’m going to let you get rid of me?” asked Sombra, his burning red eyes moving from one council member to another. “Do you think I will willingly go and let this farce of a government continue?” Sombra stood tall and said, “I have been preparing for this moment for years. I have plans for the future of the Crystal Empire, and you are not part of them!”

“Enough of this!” yelled the General. She rose into the air, her wings spread wide, and dove towards Sombra.

Sombra chuckled, a red glow forming around his horn. Crimson lightning shot from his horn, striking the General in mid-dive. The mare convulsed in the air and missed Sombra completely. She hit the floor with a sickening crack and did not get up again.

Sombra turned to both the Chancellor and the High Councilor, who were attempting to rise from their chairs. He shot lightning towards both of them. It struck the two and slammed them backwards, causing them to slump back in their thrones.

Before Sombra could turn to face the last surviving council member, a wave of magic struck him and sent him flying towards the wall. He slammed into it and slid to the floor.

The Grand Magus had gotten out of her throne. Her blue mane was blowing up as she gathered her magic. Her horn glowed bright blue as she faced Sombra, who got up.

“Don’t you see, Master?” asked Sombra. “With them gone, we can guide the Crystal Empire in the right direction! We can make this kingdom become great once again!”

The Grand Magus was silent for a long while. When she finally spoke, it was a low murmur. “You are no longer my student, and I am no longer your master. You have shown yourself as nothing more than a common murderer. And,” she continued, her voice rising, “As long as I stand, you will not take the Crystal Empire!” Blue fire shot forth out of her horn, straight for Sombra’s heart.

The black-furred stallion fired his own blazing red flames. The flames met one another in the air and both Unicorns fought with all their might to push them towards the other mage.

Sombra’s eyes widened as the flames pushed closer and closer to him. He poured more magic into his spell, but it only slowed the flame’s advance.

“You cannot win!” shouted the Grand Magus, as she struggled to push her flames towards Sombra. “In all the practice duels we’ve had, you’ve never won against me!”

Sombra gritted his teeth. He could feel his energy draining. He had to do something, or else he would lose.

He focused. He focused on his hatred for the corruption in his empire, his anger at the council for their blindness, and his sorrow at dueling the mare in front of him.

Something happened. While focusing on his grief and anger, Sombra felt a well of untapped energy. He drew from that energy like a starving man, fueling his magic.

His flames, once fiery crimson, were changing into pitch black fire. Sombra opened his eyes, his burning irises now surrounded by sickly-green sclera. Smoke flowed from his eyes as he pushed his dark fire towards his teacher.

The Grand Magus’s eyes widened and she attempted to scream before the flames engulfed her.

She failed. There was only a sharp gasp before she was lost in black flames.

Sombra watched the burning corpse and fought the bile rising in his throat. The glow around his horn faded and smoke stopped flowing from his eyes, which, while not as pronounced as it had been, still had a faint green-ish coloring to them.

He heard yells from the guards outside and turned towards the door, reaching into that well of hatred again.

He would lead the Crystal Empire.

He would restore it to glory.

No matter what the cost.