"I knew it!" Pinkie said happily, bouncing in a circle. "I totally called it! But nopony believed me!"
"I believed you." Fluttershy replied quietly. "...kinda..."
"Fighting Sombra all by yourself?! Why didn't you call us? I'm sure we could have made time for something as big as-"
"It's okay Applejack, I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys... I just, well, I thought that Sombra was a family problem."
"That still doesn't mean you couldn't call us!" Rainbow said, crossing her hooves. "We took on Sombra before."
"I know, I know." Twilight smiled. She honestly should have seen this coming. Her friends had a legitimate reason to be upset. "It just felt like something I had to do myself. Don't worry girls, I promise, the next time I plan on confronting a legendary evil I'll let you all know."
"All is forgiven darling, I'm always happy to get a free train ride to the Crystal Empire! I'd come more often, but these long-distance train rides really gnaw at the pocketbook, you know?"
"Didn't I get you girls permanent train passes?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Only to Canterlot." Rarity said. "Which is in and of itself one of the best gifts ever, but still."
"Heh, I'll talk to Cadance and Shiny, we'll see what we can work out." She smiled. She would always appreciate these girls.
It didn't take that long for them all to find out. Twilight's sudden disappearance had been labeled off as a family emergency by Dash, but even the rainbow Pegasus didn't know much about the situation until Spike sent out a letter. Until then all sorts of gossip had been suggested for something that suddenly would call Twilight to the Crystal Empire with so little warning. (And one of Pinkie's theories wasn't that far off.)
The event had garnered some publicity. After all, it would be the first time all four Princesses would act together to enact Equestrian law, not to mention the defendant was a legendary monster from Equestria's history. Twilight arranged for her friends to get a free pass up to the Empire, and a short spat had started over why they had to mail a letter before they found out about the danger Twilight might have been in.
By now, multiple news organizations from all over Equestria had shown up, all wanting to record the "case of the century". Twilight couldn't walk two feet before some news crew or another ambushed her. Already she had to apologize and promise to pay for for eight separately owned cameras that had flashed just a little too closely to Twilight in her guard's opinions.
"Princess Twilight, do you support King Sombra's release? Did you really protest against his banishment in front of Celestia?"
"What? No- I mean, I think he deserves to be punished for what he did to the Crystal Empire but banishment is too-"
"Princess Twilight! The public wants to know, what's your opinion of the Crystal Empire? Is it true that you masterminded the tragedies 1000 thousand years ago?"
"What?! No! How could I even-"
"Princess Twilight, Princess Twilight!!"
"What?"
"About your views on eternal night-"
"How does that have anything to do with the court proceedings?"
"Er-"
"Please keep questions focused on the events at hoof!" Twilight said, exasperated.
"...What are your favorite Canterlot eateries-" She sighed and gestured upward, taking off and dashing as fast as she could back to the palace. She stopped in midair, staring at the festival proceedings and the massive crowd of all races, even including a small group of Longma near the back of the crowds.
She landed on a palace balcony and went inside, quickly shutting the doors after the last of her guards followed her into the opening. "Finally, some quiet..." She frowned. "I suppose the next part will be the hardest..." She levitated a book on ancient and modern law to eye level and quickly went over some last details.
"Princess. You'll do fine." Crescent offered, along with a small smile.
"...I know." She smiled back, turning back to the books and staying absorbed in the pages until a Crystal guard came to the room.
"Ah! There you are Princess Twilight. The trial is going to begin in half an hour. The Crystal Prince suggested that you wanted to speak to the monster before the proceedings..."
"Oh! Thank you! I almost forgot! Please." She gestured for the guard to lead the way.
Sombra was sitting patiently, staring at Twilight expectantly. "Hello Empress,"
"Hello, Sombra... are you ready for your trial?"
"Of course, I have nothing to be worried about. There's nothing the Crystal Ponies can do to me. And anything else that happens will be by thy will." He said, a small smile forming.
"...All the same... I want you to be ready. Also, no scheming, got it? I want you to tell the complete truth, and please be respectful to the other Princesses."
"...Do you acknowledge them as above you, Princess?" Sombra asked, his eyes narrowing.
"...I know I'm supposed to say that we all work as equals, but honestly, Celestia and Luna, even Cadance, are all far more experienced than me. I think they're good rulers, so yes. I respect them, and acknowledge them being better than me in their ability and experience... Not to mention I'm good friends with all of them, was practically raised by one of them, and I'm related to one of them."
Sombra nodded, a smile spreading across his lips. "My memory has mostly left me, only the most important parts were saved by my magic and survived my darkness and my madness... I remember my loyalty for Nightmare Moon. I remember my devotion. You're her heiress, she was your teacher, correct?"
"Actually, Celestia was my teacher..."
"......................Ah." He frowned. "I will tell the whole truth during my testimony, and will give proper respect to the Princesses... anything else... Princess?"
"...Not for now."
"Then, might your loyal servant rest?"
"Oh! Uh, sure...... Sombra?"
"Yes?"
"You said that your memory was mostly gone... can you remember why you did what you did to the Crystal Ponies?"
He smiled, revealing his fangs. "Simple revenge for abandoning the Night, at first. And then, once they properly feared me, I just conditioned them and carried out my fury without any reason that I can remember. I became a slave to my emotions, and enslaved the Crystal Empire in return."
Twilight narrowed her eyes, frowning. "Rest up Sombra... we'll see where you'll serve your sentence soon enough."
He grinned, lying back. They wouldn't be able to do anything to him. The Crystal Heart, more destructive than the Elements of Harmony, and just as potent, just as ancient, wasn't able to kill him. In fact- he flexed his foreleg, before making a quick strike at the ground, leaving a deep imprint -he was even stronger than before. He was truly immortal now, he could feel it. His magic levels, while useless without his horn, were higher than they had ever been. His body stronger, his mind... well, his mind was keen, if broken. You can't exactly have a sharp mind without a few jutting edges, right? He giggled slightly at his own joke before frowning. Maybe he was overestimating his mind. But it didn't matter. He was a Windigo now, a force of nature. He had sealed himself to Twilight, another immortal, another force of nature. And even if he had to spend a million years on the Moon, just waiting, it would be nothing, in the long run.
He couldn't believe his luck. Fate obviously liked him, he supposed. Not only did it allow him to recover from his death, it had given him back his people, his city, a new Empress, young and impressionable, it had removed his loneliness. His transformation had left him better than he was before, and it had even conveniently taken his memories of his old life. Only the names and emotions remained. A few vague images. It had taken away the Crystal ponies' memories as well.
With so little evidence, it was likely he wouldn't even be given that serious a sentence, maybe a few decades in Tartarus? Maybe a century or two on the Moon? He could handle it, no sweat. He had braved years of ice and darkness, and then months of light and the pain of rebirth. He would be fine, no matter what happened.
"This is what you've done to the Crystal Ponies?! You monster!!! Is this Nightmare Moon's legacy?!"
"HAHAHAHA!!!" Roared Sombra. "Princess Celestia, we meet at last, finally, I can have my revenge!! I will begin a new Dark Empire, with me as the King! I've taught my Crystal Slaves what it means to abandon the Night Empire to its doom... what I will teach the rest of Equestria, those who actively poisoned Nightmare Moon's work.... I will do a thousandfold worse. No 'horrific' punishment you could ever devise will compare with the average life of every Unicorn, Earth Pony, and Pegasus after I've conquered them!!!"
"...You're even worse than Nightmare... aren't you? You both fell into darkness... but her eternal night wasn't nearly as horrible as the future you desire." She frowned, turning down her horn. "Banish in the light, shadow."
Sombra didn't have time to open his mouth before the light engulfed him, raging through his being, leaving him a crumbling mass. Celestia watched with some regret as he disintegrated, turning toward the city, about to proclaim their freedom, and she watched in horror as the buildings all turned a sick shade of black, he turned back toward the mass of darkness, what she thought to be smoke and charcoal, but was now clearly just a mass of pure shadow. She stared as the buildings shook, and the Crystal Ponies began screaming.
"Y-you're too powerful for me... Celestia... Sun-Hag!" Sombra gasped, his body trying to rebuild itself from it's shadow form. "...But I will not allow you to have my people. I will never allow the Sun-Hag to rule over any Lunar race!" And with that, the city disappeared. It was simple as that. Sombra began laughing, and Celestia stared into the space where the tower had been, where the Crystal Heart had been.
"...No..."
"I've sealed them all away, with their noble brethren..." A maniacal look passed over his faith. "I am now the sole inheritor of the legacy of the Night. I'm... I'm alone?" He whispered.
Celestia narrowed her eyes, screaming as a rainbow of lights shot forth from her horn, wrapping around Sombra, still in his shadow form, and phasing him deeper and deeper, grabbing the threads of his still-cooling sealing spell and tying it to the chains that were pulling him down, to the center of the earth. She left him there, as a shadow, frozen in the ice, in the deepest, darkest, depth of the world. Chained to his own curse.
Those were his last clear memories.
On second thought, he had underestimated Celestia before. She could have a spell that could remove his immortality... or perhaps find some weakness in his new form. He found himself feeling nervous.
And Luna... he remembered his devotion to her... but no details. He couldn't remember anything about her.
Mi Amore... oh dear Moon, Mi Amore. When she first entered the Empire he had been so furious with her and her husband, he fought as hard as he could against the field for days straight. Every blow he landed was like a blow to her very mind. She knew and felt how much he hated her. She wouldn't have any mercy for him... and in the end, he didn't even know how strong she was. He couldn't underestimate Alicorns... Mi Amore wouldn't be able to kill him, but there were other punishments. Hadn't the power of love wiped out the ancient Windigoes?
And Twilight Sparkle... she feared him. Even after he pledged his loyalty, she had softened up and tried to make it easier for him, he could tell, at least a little. She knew the other three Alicorns well, and trusted their judgement more than her own. She was disgusted with his past actions... even the Shadhavar bodyguard with her, the Captain of something or other, was disgusted by him.
He blinked. He was in far more danger than he thought.
"...I believe... I may have misread the situation..."
"So... you're my client?"
"...Yes..." Sombra said, narrowing his eyes at the pegasus. He had hoped that Twilight or Luna would assign a more sympathetic attorney, a Shadhavar or a Longma, but he supposed that one versed in modern law would be preferable.
"Heh, I must say, I'm honored I was chosen... not every day you're contacted by Celestia to work on a case that will be famous through all history... the first time all four Princesses will act on the law, the first court case between all three 'empires'..."
"You were chosen by Celestia?"
"Yes, actually."
"..I do hope that you aren't going to surrender your case just because the Sun-Hag is paying you." The pegasus stared at him for a few seconds. In mainland Equestria, there are a few things you just don't see ponies doing. At the top of that list is insulting Celestia. It's not that it was against the law or unheard of, it was just something nopony would do.
"Uh... No. I always strive to find the truth of the matter. No matter what. No matter who's paying, who's on the stand, who's supposedly guilty or not, or who's my client. I try to find the truth." He pauses, pulling out several files. "Which begs the question, how much of those terrible legends are true, and how much is fiction?"
"I can't say, honestly." Sombra says, shrugging. "When I was murdered by the Crystal Heart my brain was destroyed, and before then I went through fairly.... traumatic... experiences. I'm pleasantly surprised I can still speak, let alone remember many fragments of my past. I'm not going to be the best source of information for you."
"Hmm... well, anything that could help with your charges or with the case would be good to know."
"...Alright, I do remember declaring war on Equestria, on attacking the field, on destroying buildings more than once, I remember ordering around terrified ponies in chains, and a vague sense of fury that surrounded it all."
The pegasus shuddered slightly. "Is... is there anywhere I could search for more information? Do you have any possible other culprits or ways the situation could possibly be an accident?"
"My dear, feathered lawyer, it was not an accident. I believe myself to be guilty on all accounts. I think your job would be to ascertain exactly to what degree I am guilty, and then try to make sure I get off with the least serious punishment that fits that level of crime."
"...Ah...."
"I have committed crimes against equinity. And I will accept punishment for that. Your job is to only make sure my punishment is not too extreme, I'd suggest you start by searching the library records Mister... Mister... you haven't really told me your name..."
"...Wright, Ace Attorney." He said, offering his hoof.
Sombra waited patiently as the crystal clock ticked away the moments. He wondered if he used to pace when he was waiting. Or if he was once impatient. Is impatience a side effect of ambition? He knew true patience now. He had grown out of the ground, feeding on the light that pained him and the ice he was attached to. He had the patience of a tree. He watched the clock silently, going through his memories. It would be easy enough to merely not mention anything incriminating. If they decided to read his mind- they weren't allowed for ethical reasons a thousand years ago, but who knows how morality has changed over the years -he could suppress the little incriminating evidence his memory held.
"Prisoner, the trial is starting." He grinned.
"Good."
"The case of Sombra v. the Crystal Empire will now begin." Celestia began. The case was a whirlwind of activity. Crystal Ponies flocked the stands, there were news teams taking photographs and recording every word. The two lawyers, Wright, the attorney, and Crystal Clear, the Crystal Pony prosecutor, had begun a verbal battle of "OBJECTION"s, "HOLD IT"s, "WAIT"s, and "TAKE THAT"s. They had managed to find every single bit of information in the Crystal Archives that could have possibly been useful in the situation, and were presently debating the authenticity of a record barely connected, but somehow deeply connected with the case.
Twilight was surprised. She hadn't exactly expected that she would be doing the lawyering, but the position of judge wasn't as... important, as she had originally thought. The judgement would only occur after the verdict was given by the jury. Until then, she and the other princesses were only there to observe and keep order.
The jury itself was another matter. As it had been determined to be a court case involving all the equestrian races, the jury of eleven ponies was made up of two of the Earth, Pegasus, Crystal, Longma, and Unicorn races, with a single Shadhavar acting as the eleventh jury member. Hopefully this would ensure fairness in the final decision.
"The Prosecution would like to call Gold Vein to the stand." Clear said, clearing away the archives section. "Gold Vein has agreed to undergo a treatment that will clear up some of his memories from before the curse took hold on the Crystal Empire. This is unfortunately, a temporary treatment." Clear stated, motioning for Gold to begin speaking.
"My name is Gold Vein... I'm twenty-seven years old and I work in the mines south of here." He began.
"Now then, Mr. Vein, now that you have had the memory reparation spell applied to you, we'd like you to give testimony to the conditions you lived in under the defendant's rule."
"...I'll try, mister prosecutor." The stallion said, straightening himself up slightly. "The memory spell seemed to clear the fog that was in my mind of those times, slightly... How do I begin..."
"Try to think of a few details, ones that specifically pertain to the defendant's crimes, and that could be proven, if possible. Injuries, physical damage to the city, anything that would still have a lasting effect."
"Alright... from what I can remember, I was working in the same mines I do now, though I was worked far harder, and I seemed to be doing different work everyday... I remember spending hours upon hours of constantly picking at the rock looking for gems, without breaks, and being deathly afraid of ever stopping until I heard the bells sound."
"Why were you afraid, mister Vein?"
"...I think if I were to stop, I would have been dragged off somewhere, and not come back out..." He shook his head, his face pale. "I don't remember exactly where, but I remember my friend, I think her name was Sun Dial, collapsed while working and the shadows drug her away..."
"These 'shadows', they were connected to Sombra?"
"Yes... they looked like him... except they were made of smoke. They had the same eyes, the same horns, except they could change and shift their shape..."
"The court is well aware that those things are easily within Sombra's capabilities." Crystal Clear announced. "And that among the many missing ponies that disappeared during the time our memory was blocked out, there was included all three mares named Sun Dial in the Crystal Library's records." He nodded to Gold. "You may continue."
"Thank you... besides the shadows in the mines, I was forced to wear chains at all times outside, and my house was empty... there wasn't much food, and whenever I was hungry I had to contact one of the shadows for food... and the shadows didn't always give the food. I remember that anyone who carried a Sun flag was taken by the shadows..."
The testimony continued on for almost half an hour, and by the end of it the Earth, Unicorn, and Pegasus judges had also started to glare at the icy creature sitting in the defendant's seat. Twilight glanced to the side and saw that Cadance and Celestia both had expressions more grim than she had seen on either of them in the past. Wright made a decent effort trying to disprove the shadows had been created by Sombra, but the former tyrant merely shrugged when asked, stating he could have easily created something like them but didn't remember or care.
Soon enough though, it became clear that most of the rumors were true. At least the more tame ones. But then again, if any of the more extreme rumors surrounding Sombra's reign were true, there'd be no witness alive or sane enough to prove it. And the majority of what Sombra was accused of was proven within a reasonable doubt.
Sombra seemed perfectly happy with the results.
Finally, Sombra himself was called to the stand.
"State your name, age, and occupation for the court." Clear began.
"King Sombra, centuries, and prisoner."
"Your name isn't 'king'."
"It is my title." Sombra replied smugly.
"I didn't ask for your title."
"You should have."
"And if possible, the court would prefer a more accurate age."
"Does what happened before my death count? I hope it does, because I haven't done much after it."
"You- yes. It counts."
"In that case, should I count the centuries I spent imprisoned in the ice? I notice that your other 'witnesses' didn't, but then again, they don't remember any of what happened between their sealing and release." he chuckled, darkly. "Though, to be fair, I don't remember all that much more either."
"The defendant will cease his rambling or he will be held in contempt by the court."
"I already am."
Clear sighed, nervously looking at the former Shadhavar. That voice terrified him, though before now he couldn't ever remember hearing it. "I would like your testimony to what you were doing during the incident with Gold Vein, during what we believe to be in early february."
"I have no idea. But I probably did it."
"Please try to focus."
"It would be impossible. Honestly, I barely remember anything of it, just flashes of my time in the Empire." He said. "I remember destroying buildings, I remember feeling proud and intensely angry, and I know that the fear the sl- the Crystal ponies looked at me with was well-deserved. I plead guilty."
Wright slammed his head against the Crystal table he was sitting at, letting out a long sigh. He had just spent over an hour trying to prove with the barest of clues there was a slimmer of a chance something other than Sombra could have been responsible. Twilight winced at the sheer sound of the impact, and the Shadhavar among the jury put his hoof to his forehead with a less impressive, but still resounding in the current silence of the courtroom, sound.
"...Well." Luna said eventually, as the Crystal Ponies began cheering. "Do you have any further questions for the defendant, mister Clear?"
"Sombra, you admit to all crimes accused of you?" the prosecutor asked.
"To a less severe degree than most of you suppose, but yes."
"Then that's all I need, your honors."
"Then the jury may leave to make their verdict." Luna concluded, slamming the gavel.
The jury wasn't gone long. "The jury finds the defendant guilty." One of the Crystal pony members said proudly, the others nodding their assent solemnly.
Sombra turned toward the four Princesses. He debated internally what to do next. He wanted to live of course, but he was no longer allowed to put himself first. He had made an oath in blood to the Nightmare. If she decided he deserved to die, then he would allow her will to be carried out. He smiled a little internally, not that that was likely. The new Nightmare seemed horrified by the idea of capital punishment, or murder in general. She was horrified with his acts, but she wouldn't let him die. He attempted to subtly connect with the crystal he had sent into the roots of the Empire, but he couldn't make a connection. His magic was still too weak. He was in the Princesses' hooves.
Celestia nodded, stepping forth. "Under old Crystal Law, you would be executed." Celestia began, frowning slightly at the cheering of Crystal ponies. "Under old Night Law, you would be executed." The cheering continued, though it was dying out as they slowly realized that by listing these punishments before hand, and the emphasis on 'old', they weren't likely about to happen. "Under ancient Equestrian Law, you would be executed. But this is a different age than the one your crimes occurred in. The three Empires are ruled differently, by different ponies, than they were in that age." She looked at him. "Even you yourself seem like a completely different pony than the one of legends."
Sombra said nothing. Celestia turned back to her former student, her young niece, and her sister. Her equals, now. "Fellow Princesses of Equestria, the defendant has a guilty verdict. How do you sentence him?"
"Banishment to the Moon. Indefinitely." Luna replied.
"...Banishment to the Moon." Cadance agreed. "Forever. Permanently."
Twilight looked over the Crystal ponies. They looked at the Princesses, pleading, and at Sombra, with anger, a triumph. "...Banishment to the Moon..." She agreed as well. Out of all the punishments listed, Luna assured it was the most equine. And Sombra honestly deserved it. Certainly as much as Nightmare Moon did.
Celestia nodded, turning back toward the Shadhavar. "Sombra, you are hereby sentenced to banishment to the Moon for life."
Sombra smiled and bowed. "Thank you for your most merciful judgment, Princesses." He looked toward Twilight. "Nightmare Twilight, if I may say a few words before somepony carries out my sentence? A last request?"
She looked to Cadance, who nodded, and then to Luna, who simply shrugged. "You may." Twilight finally said.
"There may come a time when you need your most powerful mage, when you need an immortal champion, or when you need advice to do what you cannot do and the other Princesses won't dare tell you to do. There may be a time when you find the Night Empire at a great war, be it with ponies, or another race. And know that I will survive, I will thrive, and I will win for you. And that I am immortal, and I am loyal. If you ever decide that the Empire has a need for the great King Sombra, if you ever decide you need the Crystal Empire on it's knees in seconds...." He gave a wide, shark smile. "You will know where to find me."
And suddenly any remorse she felt for banishing him was lifted. He was still as dangerous as ever, and he still held all the evil thoughts. He would do it all again, if he had to. "Sombra, you are permanently sentenced to banishment to the Moon. Do not try to escape." Twilight ordered, her face becoming grim.
"I'll be waiting for your call, my Princess." He said happily.
The Elements of Harmony were brought forward, and each of Twilight's five friends took their positions and began channeling their elements. Twilight removed her crown and dawned the Element of Magic. She felt the influence of Celestia and Luna's magic, guiding the Elements' beam into a banishment spell. And with a knowing, almost relieved and assured smile, Sombra was gone.