Crystal Clear

Sombra walked onto the stage wearing his sinuste grin, absorbing all of the audience's applause, the glow of his eyes especially bright today. He walked with the smug confidence and commanding authority that came from the experience of a leader. As he sat down, he straightened his suit and poured himself a glass of Forbidden Fruit.

"Welcome…" Sombra said, smiling maliciously at his viewers. "On the last episode, I've talked about the differences between the princesses and I in terms of leadership; she's doing the godly fairy-princess thing, I was the evil king - You know. The classic story. Even though it wasn't happily ever after for me, would I do it all again?

Of course I would. You see, I knew how to play my part well. I held the throne for a solid millennium. Looking back, that wasn't bad. Discord couldn't even hold the throne for at least an hour." Sombra paused to look into the camera mockingly. "Taking over the world twice means nothing if you lose your power in the time it takes for me to make a sandwich."

Sombra sat back in his chair and took a sip of wine, taking in the laughs of the viewing ponies.

"I digress." he continued. "Being the bad guy can lend itself to some perks. The first one being your freedom in costume choice. You couldn't dress in such tough-looking armor or devilishly stylish red and black. Besides from attire, you could get away with the whole fire-and-brimstone style. I don't know about you about I couldn't personally trust a hero who walks around with fire on his face, wears a skull on his chest, or dresses in all black and talks with a voice like I do.

I would like to introduce my first guest - somepony's who's embraced the villainous perks and prestige."

Three spotlights fell upon a mare. She was garbed in sharp-looking, plated armor that covered her cutie mark. Draping her back was a blood-red cape. Her whole head (besides from her mint-green horn) was covered by a helmet that had two draconic horns protruding. She took her seat, sitting on the edge, leaning against the back of the sofa.

"Thank you for coming today." Sombra said.

"Thank you for having me." the unicorn replied.

"Tell us what's your name?"

"Uhh…"

The mare's eyes darted back and forth trying to quickly come up with something.

"Stratocaster!" somepony called out from the audience.

"Silence!" yelled the villainous mare. "Oh yeah. That's my name by the way. Stratocaster."

"Well, Stratocaster, all of us villains are nothing without our ambitions. What do you want so much that it makes you chase after it from the dark side?"

"Forever., I've been fascinated the knowledge of the lost civilizations and ancient creatures. Ultimately I just would like to learn more about these to add to my potential and maybe one day begin a new society. Other days, when I'm not doing that, I'm handing down judgement on those who deserve it."

"I see… That's respectable. So have you accomplished anything recently?"

"I recently led a campaign to disrupt the local market."

"Oh yes, that. Well, we've done a little homework and we've actually found some footage of that."

The display screen behind the two showed a video of Stratocaster kicking a fruit stand in Ponyville market square as the owner repeatedly, yet calmly, asks her to stop it.

The laughter of the audience made Stratocaster blush beneath her helmet.

"Stratocaster," Sombra said. "Shouldn't somepony with your knowledge have a higher potential than… that?"

"I do! And I would like to demonstrate. Can we bring a security guard here?"

"Sure thing."

Sombra motioned for an armored pony to step onto the stage. Stratocaster pulled out a carrot and dangled it in front of his face.

"Sit." Stratocaster commanded. And, entranced by the carrot, the guard did so. "Lay down." The guard did so. Stratocaster sat on his back. She waved the carrot in front of his face and he walked around the stage. After she was rewarded with cheers, Stratocaster got off the guard and fed him the carrot.

"Wow." Sombra said. "That was actually impressive."

"-And mind control is only the beginning of what the great and powerful Stratocaster is capable of."

An enraged Trixie stood up in the live audience and tossed a water bottle at Stratocaster, soaking her cape.

"Don't steal my catchphrases, nag!" Trixie called out.

Everything became quiet. Seeing the shock that Stratocaster had on her face, he leaned forward.

"Use your agressive feelings, mare…" Sombra whispered. "Let the hate flow through you…"

Stratocaster horn suddenly burned with a green aura as she levitated the blue unicorn from the stands onto the stage. She lowered her to the guard who was just finishing munching on his carrot.

"Take her away." Stratocaster commanded. The guard did so.

The spectators applauded as Trixie was carried off, dumbfounded.

"If you want, you can go backstage and dry off."

"Fine. As long as we're done. I want to head back there and make a mare pay."

Stratocaster walked off grinning wide. Sombra took another sip of Forbidden Fruit.

"You see, you can’t quite pull off such an assertive persona as a hero.” He said. “Sometimes I feel that heroes are the weird ones. Hear me out. They all have to name themselves Something-Mare or Super-Thing like it's something new. Some of their other choices can be questionable too. How exactly does firing lasers at dark gods is supposed to advocate the values of love and unity anyways? Do you know that Shining Armor’s great go-to Plan-B is to throw his wife? I don't get it. Maybe it’s marital stress getting to him.

Too much stress can make ponies do strange things. It’s important to just sit down and relax every once in a while. I would like to introduce a pony who’s understood this and gotten into a career that takes care of this universal problem.

Everypony… Flora Peace.”

A mare who was the color of aloe leaves with the mane the color of sunflowers trotted up the gradual staircase, smiling wide. She sat down and shook Sombra’s hoof shyly.

“So, Flora, I understand that you’re an aromatherapist?”

“Yes, Sombra.” Flora replied meekly, a little nervous being in front of so many ponies.

“How long have you been in the business?”

“Oh. I’ve been treating ponies for about seven years now ever since I’ve treated one of my brothers. It felt so nice to help and relief stress that I studied and earned my cutie mark.”

“One of your brothers?”

One stallion with a the same coloring as Flora, yet a more wild mane and eccentric energy stood up in the stands drawing the attention of a camera-pony who turned to him.

“Yeah! That’s me! Bananas!” said Bananas, starting to dance. “B-A-N-A-N-A-S!”

Flora was relieved that the cameras were pointed away from her at the same time she wished that they hadn’t fell on Bananas. That was short-lived as the cameras went back to the two on stage, Flora’s face covered by her hoof as she groaned.

“So you said you have more brothers?” Sombra asked her.

“Yeah. We have a big family. I’m one of eight ponies among my siblings.”

(“Bananas!” cried out Bananas)

“Wow…” Sombra said. “Hearth’s Warming must be a disaster.”

Flora said absolutely nothing, instilling some unease in Sombra.

"What?" he asked.

"That wasn't funny." she answered with a hint of hostility in her tone.

“You know Flora, one of your customers knew you were here today and she practically begged to see you.”

“Which one?” she asked, sitting up.

“A certain courier griffon who was not pleased.”

Flora brought her hoof to her face and groaned. Sombra took notice of this resentment in her and chuckled slightly.

“For those of you who don't know,” he said “Flora had a bad day at work to say the least and the griffon walked out with a soreness in her wing. She had to take a couple of days off. I know sometimes you can make a mistake… Sometimes you can make a huge mistake, but I'm not here to judge... That’s what she’s for.”

The crowd “oohed” when they saw a griffon storm on to the stage, steam practically flowing from her beak.

"You!…" the griffon the audience knew as Gilda said pointing at Flora who looked at her. "I got a bone to pick with you... What kind of masseuses are you?!" Flora remained unexpressional. "I don't know how you're going to make ME pay after I lost work!… Say something!…"

Flora got up out of her seat.

"Shut up, you 5-piece meal!" Flora yelled.

Taken back by this sudden outburst, Gilda took a step back, eyes widened.

"I told you to keep still! I told you I've never massaged a griffon! You can go back and you can go take it up with some else, right now!"

Gilda scoffed and turned around away from the mare.

"I ain't here to start something on T.V…." Gilda huffed (much to the disappointment of the studio crowd). "I'm still getting paid, right Sombra?"

At the “P” word, Sombra motioned for a guard to take her away to the back, resulting in an unconscious security pony. Several more had to run onto the stage and take away the rampaging Gilda, her curses made inaudible by the audience’s hollering and the censor bleeps thrown in, of course.

Sombra stared at the green mare, mouth agape when his manager made his gesture signaling the end.

“Well, I personally wished we had more time today,” said Sombra turning to the cameras “but that just isn’t going to happen. On the up side, I think I may have a candidate for an apprentice in mind, and I know who’s going to come back on the next episode… But you’ll have to tune in next week, peasants. Good night. Hail Sombra!”

“Hail Sombra!” the crowd called back.

The music played and, giving the viewers one last look at Bananas’s dancing, the screen faded away to reveal the credits.