Twilight awoke the next day feeling very well rested. She looked down at the side of the bed, Spike was waiting for her there.

"Hey Twilight," said Spike. "You sleep ok?"

She stretched her limbs as she climbed out of bed. "I'd say I slept pretty good," Twilight said. "Whatever was in that stuff Random gave me looks like it worked."

"Yeah...About Random..." Spike rubbed the back of his head.

"What is it, Spike?"

"He's gone!"

Twilight rounded on the dragon, "what do you mean gone?"

"He's not in Ponyville anymore," came a small voice from overhead.

She looked up to see Whisper floating there holding a letter. Twilight took the letter, "what's this?"

Whisper crossed her hooves and looked sternly at her, "open it on the train. By the way, it leaves in ten minutes."

"Train? What train?" Her brain slowly started to wake back up as she remembered...

"The Train?!" She exclaimed, "that's right I need to get to Canterlot before somepony else gets attacked. I need to get ready, I need to pack a bag, I need to send a letter to the Princess, I need to..."

"Calm down, Twilight," reassured Spike. "We already have you all packed up and ready to go."

"But you need to be on that train," Whisper continued. "Get going."

Spike and Whisper herded the sleepy alicorn toward the front door, only giving her five minutes to make the train by the time they got her out the door.

Twilight was out of breath by the time she boarded the train, only making it with seconds to spare.

"You really cut that close princess," said the train attendant. "Please have a seat, we'll be moving shortly."

She made her way to one of the open seat, thoughts still racing as she thought over what the day might bring. She dreaded that she might be heading off to face another soul stealing monster like Smokey Vines. Maybe with being in the capitol, she could at least get some extra protection.

Twilight practiced one of her calming breath exercises as she looked at the passing scenery. She reached down to her saddlebag to see what Spike had packed for her.

It was a lot of the stuff she normally packed. Plenty of writing materials and a snack for the road, she did miss breakfast. Clover's book she had been reading lately and...Random's letter. She had almost forgotten about it in the rush to get out the door this morning.

She pulled the letter from it's envelope and caught the ring that she almost dropped when pulling out the letter. The ring was a smooth piece of black metal with inscriptions on both the inside and outside of the metallic surface.

"I wonder what this is for?" She asked herself as she set aside the ring and looked at the letter.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,
Hopefully this letter finds you well and you've fully recovered from your ordeal the other day. Do be careful when you head out to Canterlot today, I don't want to find out you've run off and gotten yourself hurt again. On the topic of getting hurt, you've clearly learned what happened when you try to push runic magic too far. Don't try to use that kind of spell to look at something a city away again, please. That being said, I know I can't stop you from pushing yourself when pursuing what you believe is right and while that is a noble pursuit, you must always be vigilant and exercise caution.

With this letter you'll find a black ring. I forged it out of a piece of the Alicorn Amulet. Don't worry, it's completely safe. I've already attuned it to the magic cluster out at the Apple family farm and if you place it on your horn, you will just need to channel a small amount of magic into it to find what you're looking for.

I'll already be in the Crystal Empire by the time you get this letter. I'm running low on reagents for my potions and there a wonderful shop I've heard of out this way. Plus, I've always wanted to see the northern lights and now seemed like as good a time as any to check them out.

Sincerely,
Random Fact.

Twilight looked at the ring again. This would make tracking down whoever was hiding in Canterlot a lot easier. Hopefully she could catch him before somepony else got hurt.

Luna lifted her head up from the side of the bed, sheets soaked from the tears running down her face.

So...where are we now?

She looked up at the sleeping form, his golden fur was matted with dirt and grime. A Bandage was wrapped around his head, obscuring most of his face.

"How is he, Luna?" Came her sister's voice from the door.

Luna looked over to see her sister, Celestia, standing in the doorway. Her pink mane billowing behind her as she looked at the pony sleeping in the infirmary.

"He still sleeps," said Luna as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "We would think him dead if he wasn't still breathing. What of the Crystal Empire?"

"Still no trace of it," said the solar princess. "We've sent countless scouting parties, hoping to find something, but it's like the city never even existed."

"We wonder," said Luna, lowering her head and trying to fight back tears. "If we had respected his wishes and not interfered, would everything have turned out for the better."

"Perhaps," answered Celestia. "Unfortunately we shall never know."

So the Empire is no more.

A contingent of guards walked up at that moment and saluted to Celestia. "Your Highness," said one of them. "Per your orders, we are here to escort the prisoner to await trial."

"Trial?" Luna perked up at the words, "what's the meaning of this, sister?"

"Proceed captain," she told the guard. "Luna, please come with me."

Celestia left the room in silence with Luna storming in behind her. "SISTER! What is the meaning of this?! What hast thou done?!"

Oh no.

Celestia turned on Luna, a fierce look in her eyes, "I've only done what a good ruler should do! The ponies are angry, Luna. The war with Sombra took many lives and we never brought him to justice." She took a few deep breaths before continuing. "We respected his wishes and tried to let him handle the situation on his own. But when he came back here half dead and the last words from his mouth before falling into a coma was 'it's all my fault', we couldn't just sit idly by."

"But why is he standing trial?" Luna pleaded with her sister.

"When we stood at the front of our army, sister," continued Celestia, ignoring her sister's question. "And his student Onyx stood at the head of a slave army and declared himself King Sombra, our options became limited."

"Sister! We would appreciate it if thou wouldst stop dodging the question!" Shouted Luna. "And why art thou telling us this?! We were there!"

Celestia gaze was unwavering, "when the losses were mounting and we were forced to end the war by banishing Sombra to the ice, and he ended up taking the whole city with him...Someone needed to be held responsible."

Luna gasped, tears in her eyes, "sister. Thou can't mean? How can thou think of doing such a thing?"

"It's already done, Luna," a single tear rolled down her face despite her stalwart expression. "All the noble houses have already agreed it's the right move to make. His trial will start once he wakes up but...it's not looking good for him. I know you two are close but...I'm sorry, my hooves are tied."

Luna sat alone in the dark, crying in her room. How could her sister do such a thing? She didn't even talk to her before rending judgement on her closest friend, someone for who she felt...Was this her fault? Could she have done more to influence the court? Does her sister not trust her?

So now it begins.

"What's that?! Who goes there?!" Luna shouted at the room.

Luna whipped around trying to find the voice in the room. "Enough games! We are not in the mood! Show thyself!"

We know how this drama plays out. We don't wish to see it again.

Luna forced herself awake and sat up in her own bedchambers while gazing out at the morning sun. She'd only been asleep for a few hours when the dreams started again. She stood up and made herself presentable before leaving the room, she needed to speak with her sister.

As she made her way through the halls of the castle, she noticed a surprising increase in the number of guards on patrol this morning.

"Guard!" She stopped one of the passing patrols, "what is the reason for the increase in the guard this morning? Is Canterlot under attack?"

The guard gave Luna a stiff salute, "as per the orders of Princess Celestia, the guard has been increased fourfold today and we have standing orders to detain any suspicious characters."

"I see," said Luna, thinking of what might have happened. "At ease soldier, continue your patrol." The guard saluted and went on with is patrol.

The increased guard was prevalent through the rest of the castle ground as she made her way to her sister's office.

As she entered, her sister jumped a bit, her rainbow mane was bedraggled and she looked like she hadn't slept.

"Luna!" Celestia almost spilled the coffee she was drinking she jumped so bad, "you startled me. What are you doing awake so early?"

"Coffee, sister?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "Thou usually takes thine mornings with tea. Art thou feeling well?"

"No," admitted Celestia, "I'm not feeling the best. I've been in a panic since I got Twilight's letter last night."

"Thy student sent thee a letter? And this letter is reason for concern?"

"She believes that another attack is going to happen soon, here in Canterlot." She waved the letter on her desk. "I've been up all night doing everything I can to keep my little ponies safe. Twilight's supposed to be in on the next train to help us search as well."

"I see," said Luna, a stony expression on her face.

"What's bothering you, Luna." She said placing her cup back on the desk.

"I had a dream," she said averting her gaze. "About some of the events that lead to Nightmare Moon."

"Luna..." Celestia stood up and started moving around her desk to wrap her sister up in a hug.

"Specifically about the unicorn that was to stand trial in the wake of the Crystal War." Luna stared straight into her sister's eyes, freezing her in place.

Celestia slowly collapsed to the ground, shaking, as she wrapped her wings around herself, "I'm not particularly proud of that moment in my life. I spent a long time blaming myself for being so weak, for not standing up to the court that day," she looked up at her sister with tears in her eyes. "For hurting the two of you."

Luna stepped in front of her sister, causing her to flinch when Luna knelt down and wrapped her up in a hug. "The thousand years I spent on the moon were a blur to me due to being trapped in a nightmare. I can't imagine what it was like, having to live through all those long years with the burden of those memories."

"It wasn't easy," said Celestia. "I had my own mental break shortly after you were banished to the moon. Daybreaker, some took to calling me. I walked the land as the living embodiment of a vengeful sun, locking up anyone who opposed my rule and any criminals were then dealt with...harshly."

"Sister," Luna looked aghast at her sister. "You never told us of this. What made you stop?"

"Somepony was caught stealing in a small village," Celestia broke into tears. "During that time I didn't care how large or small the crime was, so I summarily executed him in front of the whole village with my favorite method. As I watched his body burn away to ashes, I felt something strike at my side and I turned to face who would dare strike at their ruler, fully intending to add them to the pyre."

"Celestia," consoled Luna, holding her closer. "You don't have to tell us any more if you don't want to."

"No..." Celestia's breath caught in her throat as she wiped away tears, "I need to finish." She took a deep breath, "it was a small colt that had swung his wooden sword at me. The toy had caught fire when it hit me, singeing the colt in the process. His mother ran forward and she pushed him behind her. She pleaded with me to spare the child, that he was only seeking to avenge his father. She..." Her voice cracked, "she offered her life to me if I would spare him."

"What did you do?" Asked Luna.

"Something in their eyes got through the armor I had built around myself. I don't know if it was the fear I saw in their eyes or the realization of the monster I had become. I...I fled. Just took wing and flew away. Found some secluded corner of the world to be alone." Celestia chuckled a bit, "I hoped to spend the rest of my life there. It wasn't hard, I could move the sun just as easily there as I could in Equestria. I didn't yet realize how long lived we became upon becoming alicorns, if we even have an end to life."

"What made you return?" Luna was tearing up as well at this point.

"One day, I had a visitor," she said. "An adventurer or something, come to slay the monster of the mountain if I had to guess." Celestia took another deep breath, "well to make a long story short, it was that colt. He had spent the last fifty years tracking me down. When I realized who he was, I just laid down and begged him to take my life."

Luna gasped, "sister!"

"The blow never came. He just sat down and looked at me, seemingly lost in thought. He told me about all his travels over the years, seeking out the monster that killed his father. He told me about the things he had seen and the adventures he had lived. And then he told me about the pony tribes back in Equestria, how they had started quarreling and warring with each other again. He talked long into the night, didn't even pause when I stopped to lower the sun and raise the moon. I don't remember when I fell asleep, but by morning he was gone."

Celestia settled into a more comfortable position, "I flew down from the mountain that day. I don't know if I was hoping to find the adventurer or if I just wanted to be around ponies again. When I arrived back in Equestria, the tribes were indeed fighting amongst themselves again. I sought out and eventually found representatives of each tribe. It took the next fifty years getting them to work together and build what would eventually became Canterlot. By that time, my potentially immortal life had become far more apparent to me and I resolved to make the best of it. I never did find out what became of that adventurer or if he had even existed in the first place. It may have just been my own guilty conscience reminding me to take responsibility for the mess I made by leaving."

"Doest thou feel better now, sister?" Asked Luna.

"I do. I've carried that weight alone for so long," she looked over at her sister with puffy red eyes. "Do you think less of me now?"

"The way I see it," said Luna. "Thou hast been treating your life since then as your atonement for past wrongs. Do you feel that pony society would say you've done a good job of ruling since then?"

"I'd like to think so," confessed Celestia.

"Then let that be enough," Luna slowly blinked her eyes as if in reflection. "Now, I believe you said that you were expecting miss Twilight Sparkle on the next train?"

"Oh, right," she perked up. "It should be arriving soon. I should really get down to the station."

"You should really look in a mirror, sister," Luna chuckled. "Thou art a mess."

Celestia conjured a small mirror and took in her features. She really was a mess. Her mane was all over the place, she had bags under her eyes, and her eyes were really red and puffy from crying. "I don't think it would be wise to be seen like this in public.

"No it would not, dear sister. Thy time would be better spent attending to thine appearance." She held her head high, "fear not. We shall head to the station in your stead and await Princess Twilight Sparkle. Besides, we think it would do her more harm than anypony else to see you like this. Like many others, she sees you as a symbol of strength."

"You're right, Luna. Thank you."

"Think nothing of it," said Luna. "Thou does not have to carry thy burdens alone anymore."

The train pulled into the station and Twilight stepped onto the platform. The first thing she noticed was all the guards, it was like her brother's wedding all over again.

"There you are, Princess Twilight." Luna called to her as she stepped forward.

"Princess Luna!" She shouted as she ran over.

"How fare thee? We know thou recently suffered an ordeal and we did not sense the presence of nightmares from thee this previous night."

"Random gave me a sleeping draft and put me to bed," explained Twilight. "I would've been here last night but he insisted that I get some rest after I...overdid it on a new spell." She flinched, remembering why she was hurting last night.

"This is the second time we've heard of this Random coming to your aid," Luna inclined her head in interest. "He seems to be a rather reliable individual. Maybe we should enlist him in our search, his aid would be most valuable."

"Oh," said Twilight as she reached into her saddlebag. "That reminds me. He did give me something to help us in our search." She pulled the black ring out of her bag, drawing Luna's gaze instantly.

"Twilight..." Her breath caught in her throat. "We read about this. Isn't it the current custom to exchange rings with one thou seeks a romantic encounter with?"

"Huh?..." She pondered for a moment before turning beet red. "What?! No! I mean yes, it is the custom, but no." Twilight sat down and played with the ring between her hooves. "I mean...he is smart, and kind, and not too bad to look at..." She looked up at the lunar princess, and noticed her holding back a laugh. "Luna?!"

"Haha, we apologize Miss Sparkle," chuckled Luna. "We could not resist the opportunity to have a lark at thine expense."

"Very funny," Twilight scrunched her nose as she looked away, blush still apparent. "Now if we can get get back on topic." She held up the ring in her magic. "Random made this ring, it's got runic inscriptions that'll allow the wearer to track what it is currently attuned to."

"Interesting," mused Luna, eyeing the ring. "May we see it?"

Twilight passed the ring to Luna, who inspected it in her magic, before taking on a very astonished expression. "Twilight Sparkle..."

"Yes?..." Asked Twilight.

"This is artifact level work," she said with all lack of mirth as she passed the ring back to Twilight. "I don't know if we could find a jeweler or enchanter alive that could reproduce this kind of work. If this 'Random' is really capable of this kind of work, we will indeed have to meet with him once everything calms down."

Twilight held up the ring with newfound reference, "it's that well made?" She pondered as she settled it on her horn.

"If it works as well as it appears its made, you could either buy a castle with it or secure a position as court mage." Explained Luna.

"You're not joking are you?" Twilight looked at her with a stark expression.

Luna shook her head, "we do not jest about this. So, Miss Sparkle. Does it work?"

Twilight followed the instructions in the letter and flowed a little bit of her magic into the ring on her horn. Suddenly her vision sharpened, showing every detail of the world around her. She focused a little harder and tiny threads became visible in her sight, leading into the city.

"I think it's working, Luna." Twilight breathed slowly as she took in the city in a surprising amount of detail that she hadn't seen before.

"It does indeed seem to function," said Luna while bending over to look at Twilight's face. "Art thou aware that you have runic script circling your eyes at this moment?"

"I do?" She blinked a couple times, trying to see the script at the corner of her vision but to no avail.

"You do indeed," said Luna. "Now, doest thou see what we're looking for?"

Twilight looked through the city trying to find the form from before. It didn't take long and she once again found a pony shaped out of the light, who immediately turned to face her.

"I found him, Luna," she said. "It's different though, when I drew a circle to find him before, he could see me as well. This seems to be one way."

"If thou can point him out," Luna said. "We can apprehend him now. There are plenty of guards on which we can call, it shouldn't be too hard to apprehend him."

"I think we can, yes." Said a determined Twilight.

Twilight pulled a few effects from her bags before teleporting them them away. They ran through the streets once she was free of that burden, a small contingent of guards followed behind them.