"The Table of Juries. This should be worth the while." Vanta whispered as he escorted Sombra to his seat.

"Let's make it worthwhile for them." Sombra whispered back, cooly glancing at the enormous screens that manifested six enormous faces. Most he shared a great deal of indifference with.

Vanta took his place at Sombra's left. As every soul began settling in their places, so did the atmosphere of eager yet difficult anticipation.

Sombra shifted in his seat and pulled the little microphone closer to himself before he began, "I'll give the opportunity of carrying this assemblage to the Table of Juries. Please." He offered an open palm towards the giant face across the table.

The first member who decided to speak was a dark skinned woman, with striking ocean eyes and long sleek hair of the same color. She wore a boldly shaped bright aegean suit and spoke in an aged and professional voice. The name 'Chrysalis' was written at the bottom of the screen.

"It has come to our attention that you have information about the secret experiments conducted beneath one of Nimbus White's remaining establishments."

"Yes." Sombra said.

"And what can you conclude from this information?"

"Nimbus White can no longer be deemed accountable for his position as watcher of Canterlot City. As evidence suggests, he clearly authorized his godson, Rave Shackles, to proceed with these heinous experiments. And it is also clear that it resulted in an unprecedented development that would potentially threaten not only our authority, but the very foundation of the institution itself."

All eyes exchanged meaningful looks after the statement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will not tire myself in repeating this; Nimbus White needs to be brought forth to judgement for his inadequacies and insubordination and I would like the Table of Juries to appoint a more responsible successor to replace him immediately." Sombra said.

"We are obliged to accept your request," Chrysalis said. "However, we cannot let you proceed with the sentencing hearing yet. And I must also mention that we are one convict short to settle this issue. Rave Shackles is not here."

Sombra caught the sight of Vanta trying to loosen the tie around his neck.

"Vanta Black," Chrysalis called. Vanta returned an attentive nod. "Do care to shine a light on this issue."

"We never found him." Vanta said, his brows furrowed in a self-castigating grimace. "He vanished along with the eighty eight test subjects. I believe he must have used the tunnel system built beneath the establishment. The structures were already blocked by the time we arrived and were very cleverly concealed from all our surveillances. As a result, we have no way of tracking him nor the test subjects unless they decide to show up in broad daylight."

"All we managed to retrieve was the data stored in this drive." Sombra added, raising the small object in front of his face.

"And what does this data tell us?" Chrysalis asked.

"It tells us what to expect from these test subjects. My apprentice encountered one of them and witnessed first hand their true capabilities."

"Can you elaborate on these capabilities?"

"They're blank slates. Reanimated corpses with enhanced strength, speed and accelerated healing capabilities, and they're under the control of one man. That man being Rave Shackles himself." Sombra answered.

The person who decided to speak up next was a gruff and older man who lacked the professionalism of the previous woman. His face was tall, and dark ash was his complexion, complimented by a snowy and voluminous hair that resembled the mane of an arctic fox. His intense navy eyes peered from the large screen, earning only Sombra's relaxed attentiveness. The person's name was Storm King.

"And with him loose, there's no way of telling what he might do with his creations but if I should assume the worst, I'd say that he's up to no good." He said. "And that is exactly the reason why we can't let you kill Nimbus White. We still need him to talk."

"With all due respect, Storm King, we've already conducted a thorough investigation with the convict." Sombra retorted through his teeth.

Another person spoke up. A younger man with a foggy color of a complexion and a blue bowl cut hair. With his physical stature alone, he was unimpressive and lacked the presence that was expected of a figure of authority. But that did not stop his ego. The young man's name was Stygian.

"Are you sure that an hour of investigation is enough? I mean, for all we know, you could just be condemning him for other reasons." He mock with his rankling assumptions.

"Nimbus White confessed that he did authorize the experiments as It was a decision he made out of fear of the consequences that might befall him after the delayed transaction, not to mention the following incident that ultimately threatened his authority over Canterlot City. He also confessed that he's never seen the experiments himself even once and he has no knowledge of Rave's current whereabouts. Either Nimbus is fabricating a daring lie or we have another rogue element in our hands that we should be putting all our attention to. But if he is lying, well then maybe I should admire his foolish efforts of putting up a masquerade to save his godson's hide. Unfortunately, I know him too well. And I know that he would never go to such lengths."

An obnoxious chuckle bellowed throughout the room which belonged to a large man with the skin of scarlet. Like Storm King, his hair was white, voluminous, and tied in a neat ponytail. His small eyes were beedy and yellow, and a large ring hung between his nostrils. The man's name was Tirek.

"Oh, please. We all know why you're so damn eager to punish him, Sombra. And I understand the initiative in bringing him forth to us. I understand. But you clearly are letting your emotions get the better of you." Tirek barked barbarically.

"And what does that suppose to mean?" Sombra said, masking his sneer with a forced grin, his voice as calm as a stale pond. The subtlety of this action immediately alerted Vanta who was prepared to intervene anytime.

"Ten long years of bloodlust." Storm King said. "We're the ones that kept you away from him, and we will keep you away from him until we finally settle this. And we can't settle this if you try to lay a hand on White before we can even find Shackles."

The green in Sombra's eyes grew more venomous and antagonizing. "If my so-called bloodlust towards Nimbus White mattered to me more than honoring The Court's constitution, then I would have killed him a long time ago when I had the chance. But I did not. I earned my place among you because I did not encourage my animosity even when temptation demanded it."

An uncomfortable silence crept in. It wasn't until Vanta decided to break the unbearable tension that settled within the room.

"I believe we should proceed with the matter at hand."

The look on Sombra's face told everyone that he was done for the night. "I will let the Table of Juries and the rest of The Court continue this discussion without me." He announced with the least of eagerness. "But first things first, I want all six Juries to take charge in retrieving Rave Shackles. Every single one of your best trackers and hunters, from the Changelings Coven, Shadow Society, Clan of Khaos, Centaur Mandate, Storm Fellowship and Dazzle Family are expected to participate in this endeavor. None of you shall rest until Rave Shackles is finally found."

Everyone felt the icy tone in Sombra's voice. A reminder that he was sitting levels above all of them.

The next member who decided to speak up was an eccentric, and rather chaotic looking gentleman, with wild vermillion eyes and a stylish goatee. He adorned a brown pinstripe suit to match his flaxen complexion.

"There is one other thing we have yet to mention, Sombra." He said demurely.

Sombra was ready to get out of his chair, but remained slumped down to it. "What is it, Discord?"

"There's the matter of Sunset Shimmer…"

Sombra flexed his jaw before standing up from his chair. "She's currently detained in her cell as of this moment. Rest assured that she will not be liable for any sort of endangerment. If it should please every one of you, her blood will be served at the right time. Now, please continue."

And with that, Sombra walked out of the hall.

He was so eager to retire for the night, but circumstances did not allow him to. The first thing that greeted him upon entering his office was the image of Twilight sitting behind his desk with a lit cigarette in hand. It was a sight that definitely caught him off guard.

"Good evening, my dear." Sombra greeted her, as if unbothered by the circumstances.

As Sombra walked closer to his desk, he saw the pack of cigarettes he confiscated from her sometime ago. It was half empty, accompanied by used cigarette butts sprinkled across his desk.

Sombra sighed, exhaustion consuming his mind. "I know that I will not be receiving any gratitude after what I put you through tonight. And you know you can't expect me to apologize for it."

No answer. Sombra sighed again. But he was determined to push through. He walked around his desk and stopped as he reached the right side of his chair. Slowly and cooly, he plucked the cigarette from Twilight's fingers and let it fall to the floor, putting out the ember with his shoe.

Twilight shifted in her seat, trying not to get overwhelmed by the old man's looming presence. He wasn't angry. Disappointed, definitely. But how could he be disappointed after what she just achieved tonight?

Sombra walked towards the bar section near the large window and poured himself a glass of whiskey. Twilight watched him carefully, how calm he was in the middle of all the pressure that had been boiling up since he was told to attend the meeting.

"Well?" Sombra urged. When Twilight still battled with herself, he initiated the conversation to save her the trouble. "If you're curious as to why you weren't included in that meeting, as urgent as it was, let's just say certain parties wouldn't be too appreciative of a new blood's presence."

Twilight frowned. "Certain parties?"

"The Table of Juries, my dear." Sombra clarified, taking a sip of his whiskey. "I'm sure you've heard of them."

Twilight thought for a moment then nodded. "Yes, I've heard of them. They're the 'extension' of The Court. You've mentioned them to me once before."

"Yes, I have." Sombra said. "And I know you've endured quite enough tonight, but I just have to remind you that there will come a time when you'll have to face them personally. And when that happens, just be sure to never cower from their criticisms."

"I take it they're not used to outsiders." Twilight remarked.

"Well, my dear, everything that built The Court was founded by long lines of covert supremacy. So naturally, its descendants would find it offensive if a new blood was to partake in their inherited power." Sombra explained.

"But you're not offended by me being part of it." Twilight said.

"Why would I be when I'm the one who put you in your place?"

"A point in time, you must not have been."

Sombra was admittedly stunned by the girl's straightforwardness. But he wasn't offended. He merely appreciated the wit. "Yes. You guessed correctly."

"So, you're not one of them."

"I am. But unlike them, I wasn't born with a pre guaranteed place in their high table." Sombra admitted. "No, I had to earn it. And someday, you'll earn yours." He added with a smile. Now, Twilight sitting in his chair seemed almost fitting.

"And have you ever once cowered from their criticisms?" Twilight asked with a growing curiosity, that distracted her from the troubled thoughts of earlier.

"No." Sombra said. "I admit that I'm too proud to be bothered by their collective envy."

"So it's not always about respect." Twilight drearily stated.

"We're left with professional courtesy. If there's such a thing." Sombra smiled.

Silence settled. Neither of them could decide if it was comfortable or not. Sombra finished his whiskey, secretly probing on Twilight who fiddled with her hand endlessly. He took a minute to carefully pick the right words if he was to engage in another conversation.

"Remember what I said to you before." He began with a casual, purposeful smile with an equally purposeful tone.

Twilight snapped out of her bubble. "Sorry?"

"Fear." Sombra clarified. "People in our stature are expected to always hold onto their fears. You know why that is?"

"To keep us in line, like you said. It's what separates us from the monsters." Twilight responded.

Sombra smiled, acknowledging her answer. He put his hands behind his back and paced around the room. "It's funny how we are always told to conquer fear, but never to embrace it. If we were to conquer fear itself, what would that leave us then? If one does not fear failure, would they even strive to succeed in the first place?"

Twilight had no idea where their conversation was heading. "I believe they wouldn't."

"I always believe in acknowledging one's fears and accepting them without being conquered by them." Sombra said. "What you did tonight was admirable but I couldn't help but notice something else."

Twilight slightly shifted in her seat. "What did I do?"

"Nothing you did wrong, my dear. Nothing you did wrong." Sombra assured her. "You told me you were afraid of being lured back in by her, yes? You were afraid that she would embody the past you once cherished. Well, that moment did come to pass. And you didn't shatter. You accepted the fact that she was once a part of your history and you decided that she should remain that way."

"I suppose I did."

"You certainly did." Sombra said. "Seeing you just finished half a pack of cigarettes, I couldn't help but interpret it as you being very distressed after your confrontation at the cemetery. And doing it inside my office, sitting behind my desk, I'm not saying I'm offended by it. But I am surprised."

Twilight swallowed.

"Fear is something that I very much tolerate, my dear." Sombra continued. "I even encouraged you to hold onto it, because that's how the best of us strive in this life. Not to be conquered by fear, but to fully accept it in order to endure it. What I see now is not fear. It's an unresolved grudge. Now that's something I don't tolerate."

"I'm not holding any grudges against you." Twilight quickly said.

"I never said you were." Sombra calmly corrected. "Though, I know that as of this moment, it's only reasonable if you are. But that's besides the point. I know I said that not everyone in this world is dictated by what they deserve and I'm not asking you to show mercy or forgive Sunset Shimmer. I'm merely trying to illustrate the consequences that might lead you if you let yourself be consumed by your hatred."

"You let me shoot a man in the head for the same reason. And you say that the hatred I feel is a problem?" Twilight countered with a scoff, frustration boiling up inside her.

The calm in Sombra's voice dissipated. "That man, that very man who abused you and ravaged you in your most vulnerable times was different. He didn't feel guilty of his atrocities. He was a dog who took his chances for granted and never changed his ways. And worst of all, he had a choice. Remember, I let you shoot him because that was justice and it was justice that you deserved."

The outburst brought Twilight back in her lane after, not out of fear but out of respect towards the man.

Sombra heavily sighed, running a hand across his hair and smoothened his beard. "Now, I can see where you're coming from. I truly do. Like you, I once held a strong hatred towards someone I once cared for."

Sombra continued pacing, feeling the locket inside his shirt as if it was his precious beating heart. For a moment, he looked nervous. But he found his courage later. "I never mentioned this to you before because I always found the subject to be very delicate, but now, I guess sharing this with you would do no harm."

Twilight saw vulnerability in Sombra's eyes. A new sense of openness she did expect to see. It was surprising to look at.

"I had a little girl once. You two would have gotten along very well." Sombra started, hardly ever looking back at the girl.

"What was her name?" Twilight asked carefully, suddenly enraptured by the story.

"Her name was Umbrae." Sombra smiled melancholically. "She was so young and was barely out into the world. But even that, she was the one person in my life that made me believe that I deserved more than… than 'this'." He said, gesturing to the shadows. Twilight didn't need to ask. She understood.

"You see, Twilight, I was willing to leave all of this behind just so I could be the father who could walk under the sun with his daughter. But doing so would mean I'd also have to abandon the ones I've spent a long time in the dark with. Light and dark. These two things are not meant to cross. Another universal dictation that enslaves us all." Sombra stopped in front of the fireplace and stared at the flames with a deep look in his eyes. "You remember Nimbus White, don't you?"

"Yes."

"He and I were… well, you could call us 'brothers-in-arms'. I was just a petty con man then when he found me. That kind of life was not easy to live through, and most certainly not very easy to leave behind. While I longed for more than the life in the shadows, he had dreams that were bound by the shadows. Sure, we both shared the same goals, same ambitions. We were brothers and vowed never to harm each other. But when Umbrae came into my life, that's when I believed that I had something much better waiting for me outside the shadows."

"So you left?"

"I left. In Nimbus' words, I betrayed everything we stood for. He believed that it was foolish for me to think I deserved the light in the first place, then go on pretending like the shadows never existed. And I understood his frustration. I abandoned him. Willingly."

Twilight didn't say anything and she could tell that Sombra was having a difficult time trying not to break.

"Ten years ago, five gang families fought over the eastern territory of Canterlot, which is now called Barbatos' Paradise. Nimbus was one of the gang leaders before he took complete control. I didn't know that then because I was long gone from that life. I was driving across the city with Umbrae sitting in the passenger's seat. All of the sudden, we were caught between the crossfire. Everything happened so fast, I didn't even remember the car tumbling over. And just like that, Umbrae was gone. The first face I ever saw as I came out of that car with her in my arms was Nimbus, just standing across the road with a big gun in his hand. At that moment, I truly blamed him for what happened."

Both of them allowed a short silence to settle in as the weight of the sky grew heavier on their shoulders. Twilight stood from her seat and walked away from the desk to accompany Sombra by the fireplace.

"I wasn't sure if it was fate or karma that brought me back here. Maybe neither. Maybe it was just my curse. Maybe Nimbus was right all along. I do not deserve the light and the good that comes with it. I was born in the shadows, and in the shadows I am destined to remain."

"What did you do?" Twilight asked.

"I made Nimbus surrender a portion of his proceeds once a year, every year, until his services are no longer needed. That's it."

"How… how do you manage that? You know he's the reason why she's gone. No money in the world can ever make up for it."

"At some point, that's what I wanted to believe. I wanted to blame him because it was easier to do so. But I realized that sometimes a man has to reflect upon himself. Blame himself for once in a while. Confront his very own demons and learn to live with them. Dance with them even. I had every chance to feed my contempt with revenge in the guise of false justice. But I knew killing Nimbus White would never bring me the peace I wanted. Never."

Twilight nodded reluctantly. "An eye for an eye makes the world blind, is that it?" She said emptily.

Sombra responded with a weak chuckle.

"Did you ever find peace?"

Sombra glanced back at her, his eyes sharing the warmth of the fire. "Yes. Yes, I did." He said in a way that made the weight in the room vanish.

Twilight looked away out of disapproval. "Sombra. Look, I'm not your–"

Sombra raised his hand. "You're my apprentice and I've made it my responsibility to properly prepare you until you're ready to go on without my assistance."

"By lecturing me about hate?" Twilight humored, at the same time, trying to fathom the look in Sombra's eyes and why she suddenly had the urge to deny them of her own vulnerability.

"Hate eats away the best of us and it will do the same to you if you let it. I found my peace. It's your duty to find yours."

Twilight merely gave a small, unsure nod.

Sombra watched her walk away and out of his office, leaving him pondering alone for the rest of the hour.