"Before I continue further, I would like to clear up some self-concieved theories and notions that have spread about me. I realize that yes, I was a deplorable and maliscious tyrant who ruled with an iron hoof and instilled a seemingly permenant fear of myself and my rule within the ponies. You have every right to believe anything that I say or simply brush it off for your own opinion. I was not suddenly waking one morning with the inclination to be evil and take over, nor was I corrupted by greed. There are ponies whose good nature are sullied and tainted by the idea of desire, but I make myself very clear when I say that I was taught to act better than that. What caused my fall into the dark portion would come from the fruits of my own hopes and dreams.
"My life with my sister was very well. There wasn't much of a separation between our ages, and treated one another like a pair of best friends. That is not to say our life was perfect. We had our disputes and arguements, but it took little effort to regain the harmony of our life. She was calmer than I, and had a greater concentration. Meanwhile, I was much more passionate and curious to the point of morbidness. I had a craving for knowledge that no hole could satisfy, or at least so I thought. I never knew what my studies would produce, but then again I had no slight clue as to what my destiny would hold. I had taken to reading every book I could lay my hooves on, while she busied herself with forms of aerial ballet and romantic poetry. Ivory also took great pleasure in the beautiful scenery of our Gemevean home; from the snow capped mountains to the lush, green fields of softly rolling hills in the valley of our home. You could say that we were harmoniously synchronized. Ivory would wonder in deep thought about the spectacular scenery whilest I would investigate the causes for them. The world around was a giant puzzle to me, waiting for their secrets to be divulged. Research, and an insatiable curiostiy were some of the very first few definitive aspects I knew about myself.
"My parents then begot our family a brother. I was his senior by seven years and by this point, my parents finally settled themselves into their hometown. We possessed many homes, but resided within Gemeva itself. Personally, I preferred to know very few ponies at the time for I disliked the noise of a crowd. Nevertheless, I fervently attatched myself to them. The closest schoolfriend I had was a unicorn by the name of Home Trade. He was the son of a merchant and, like his father, found the talent of his family. He adored trade and enterprise including the dangers it brought. He took great pleasure in the readings of the code of knights and romance. When we played together, he would try to make us act out plays that he had written himself. It was no surprise when his mark of destiny appeared as a parchement and inkwell.
"I firmly believe my childhood to be the greatest of any, for no other could've had a better one than I. My parents loved Ivory, my brother and I. They did not stand above us and order us with such strictness that even the most hardened soldier would find unable to breath. I had exposure to that life through the mingling of other families with my own, and took great gratitude in knowing that I was so loved.
"I will not spend too much time upon such memories of my childhood, for the knowledge of what something so simple and harmless weighs heavily upon my emotions that I cannot bring myself to be of reasonable disposition. It all went downhill from my intense curiosity of knowledge when, on a buisness trip with my father, we had stopped at an inn for the night. I found the teachings of Magicae Scientia in a tome on a bookshelf and took it up with indifference. I found the book to be utterly fascinating! I took it to show my father, to which he told me to use as kindling for a fire.
"I was already quite adpet with magic and understood the basics of how it worked, but never before that moment have I read anything beyond the subject. If my father took the time to explain that the teachings in the book were proven false by the late Starswril, a brilliant intellectual of the time, and had been replaced by the modern lessons that he himself discovered, I would have probably chosen a different path. The teachings I had read were an ancient science and if they were explained how they were out of date, then I would have tossed the book aside and would have been sated. However, because my father did not appear to know of the reasons, I read on with great ardor.
"On my return home, I took it within all my power to obtain as many books about the subject matter. Potio, and Magus are the first alchemical authors that I can recall. I read with intense delight and wonderment. They were to me my idols of worship and reknown. I had always found a certain inclination to the workings of nature and, even as far as unicorn standards, found great interest in magic. Imagine how I felt when happening across teachings that united both? It was more than glorious and fantastical. Despite this, I always found that books on modern philosophy to be unsatisfactory. Newton Apple was said to have stated that he felt like a young colt picking up shells on the edge of a sea of truth. Such were the feelings I harbored.
"When I found myself old enough for higher scholastic learning, I bade fond farwells to my family, promising to write constantly and quickly. As much as I loved my family, I felt my heart ache at saying goodbye to my sweet Ivory Towers. She grewever more graceful and illustrous as the years had gone by. Her frame was svelt and her stride was as elegant and natural as a butterfly riding the breeze. Her wings of the purest white showed no sign of flaw or blemish. I could not say my goodbye as i could not look into her eyes without becoming lost within their luster.
"I left for the college of the local area, Ingotstock. There I was met with a most unwelcoming air as my fellow classmates had already formed groups of friends. I did not mind nor care about being dissallowed to join with them, for I preferred solitude with the exception of my family. Things only seemed to get worse for a period as a proffessor whose name I forget denounced all that I had learned. I can remember his stature, for he was stout and had a look of superiority glewming in them. Oh how those would change... they would soon come to look upon me with pride and envy.
"I digress. The professor, let's call him Snooty, reviewed my letter of application and requested an interview. Snooty asked quite immediately what my prior learning was, with which I replied with the names Potio, and Magus. The proffessor scoffed and even began to laugh. He then told me quite rudely that I must take this class on the sheer reson of ridding myself of the teachings of ancient foolishness. The nerve! I attened his courses, but sought to challenge him at every turn much to my classmates amusement. They did not share my knowledge and believed in it so passionately.
"One day, as I can best recall, I left the classroom in a furious rage before being confronted by another proffessor. By this time, word has spread amongst the faculty of my madness causing several teachers to try and cure me. However, this unicorn's stance was different. He regarded me with a look that buyers of produce made when trying to pick one stalk of celery over the other. He offered a chance to learn in a way no ther student could, to which I responded cautiously, "I am not mad." He smiled and laughed as though it were a joke.We walked the grounds of the school talking of the weather and the seasons and other things. At first he made a small reference to the sciences of magic, but grew into a discussion that I rather enjoyed. Before I realized, I agreed to his private tutorings under a happy disposition.
"Thus started a the change in my days of learning. I was rapidly grasping concepts left and right of subjects my class could barely fathom. My study grew into research and that research soon became the talk of the university. I had created better spells and tools to help the understanding of magic all the greater. I even continued my research as I took the throne-"
"Stop," a regal voice interrupted sternly. The solar princess let out a long sigh and rubbed her temple in deep thought. "I've... heard enough."
"I am not finished yet, princess-"
"I said, enough," Celestia commanded with a glare of warning. Sombra had shut his mouth and slowly tilted his eyes down towards the table. A faroff gaze soon filled his expression.
"... I will return tomorrow," she said softly just as the door of the cell creaked open. "We will continue then."
Sombra did not respond as his demeanor became one of complete despair. As the magically created table disappeared, Celestia left the cell, leaving the sconces to die out on their own accord. The alicorn's hoofsteps were heavy as her mind was working overtime. Out of the corner of her eye, Princess Luna leaned against an empty cell with a regretful look upon her face.
"I... I am sorry, sister..." Luna mumbled while looking up to her older sister. "It... it was within my right to question you, but at the same time, I should have trusted-"
"I forgive you," Celestia interrupted, walking up to her sister. "I apologize, but there is much to be done."
"O-of course," Luna replied, shaking her head and tortting along with her sister. "We have already made the proper paperwork out and have planned for the miscreant's trial."
"Excellent. Now we can deal with a current issue," Celestia said absent-mindedly.
"What issue?"
"I'm not sure yet," Celestiareplied while moving a bit quicker. "What Sombra has told me... wasn't what I was expecting..."
"Do not trust him, sister," Luna warned with resentment. "He hath a tongue of silver that poisons like lead."
"I know, Luna," she said with a tone hinting at exasperation. "He's revealed something that has changed the game completely."
"So the game hath begun already?" Luna asked a little snidely. "Well, what shall be our next move?"
"Send a message to the Crystal Empire," Celestia said while taking flight. "Tell them to start looking."
"For what?" Luna asked while struggling to keep up with her sister. "Did they not find everything of Sombra's evil?"
"I hope they did not," Celestia called out with a small smile playing on the corners of her mouth. Within her mind, a plan was hatching...