Another day was coming to a close, and it came time again for me to bring out the moon. As I walked onto the teres, I saw that Celestia was still there finishing up her duties. She turned around, only giving me a weary passing glance as she headed back into the castle.

"Celestia," I called after her before she had gone completely inside. She turned and looked at me. I could see the weariness in her face and the emptiness in her eyes that came from overworking herself. "Would you please stay a spell and watch the moon rise with me? It is going to be a gorgeous night, and the crickets are already playing a wonderful symphony."

She sighed. "I'm sorry Luna, but not tonight. It has been a long day, and there are some things I still must attend to." With that, she turned and entered the castle for the night

I sighed in return, and relented. It had been about six moons now since our battle with Discord, but things still weren't the same, especially with Celestia, and I was beginning to doubt that they ever would be. Celestia still blamed herself for the havoc discord wrought on the kingdom, and since then, she had totally thrown herself into her royal duties.

Before discords attack, we were both busy, and had many time consuming obligations, but we always found time for one another. However, since the attack, Celestia was working almost nonstop. I wondered how much longer she could keep going like this. She had been working herself to the bone for some time now. I suspected she was doing it to somehow forget about, or compensate for the guilt she felt. Celestia seemed to be unraveling just a little bit with each passing day.

I could see that she needed help, but I too needed help. Without my sister around to confide in, I had no one but the moon and stars. As much as I love them, they had never been much for talking. And just like how Celestia was slowly unraveling, I was too. It was like a rift was growing between us, and that separation was throwing us out of balance.

I lifted the moon, brought out the stars, and made sure the dreams of our citizens were safe and peaceful. Everything seemed so quiet and still that night. In fact, it was almost too quiet. That all changed though, when a couple of Pegasi guards found an unconscious, and badly injured crystal pony outside the everfree forest just before dawn.

I rushed to find Celestia as soon as I got word about the crystal pony. When I finally found her, she was with the crystal pony in a visitor sweet that had been transformed into a makeshift infirmary. The pony hadn't yet regained conscious when I arrived.

"Thank goodness you are here Luna." Celestia said in a relieved, but still anxious voice. "Something terrible must be going on in the crystal empire. Just look at her coat."

I couldn't help but to gasp a little when I did. Normally crystal pony's coats were bright and luminescent, sparkling like well, crystal when the sun hit them. her coat however, was dull and clouded, and the normally vibrant colors were now muted and dingy.

"I'm afraid you are right sister. I have heard of this happening to crystal ponies when strong negative emotions take hold, but, till now I have never seen it with my eyes."

Suddenly, the crystal pony's eyes fluttered open, and she looked panicked. she looked around the room frantically till she spotted me and my sister. "My baby! You must help my baby!" tears welled up in her eyes. "The king, he took her from me." She tried to get up, but as she tried, she winced in pain and collapsed with a groan. That was when we noticed a jagged red crystal lodged deep in her side.

Celestia gasped and turned to a guard. "Go send for a medic pony immediately!" the guard galloped off to find help. She then turned to again face the injured pony. "You can't mean that king Sombra did this, can you? By all accounts, he is a much respected and generous leader. Our parents were even invited to his coronation, just before they..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

"Sombra is a monster," she spat, then winced in pain again. "The information you have been told about him is a lie. He is a tyrant, and an oppressor. His reign has been nothing but terror for us since he claimed the throne." she cried out a little in pain, and we saw the crystal flash black and grow a little.

I felt an icy chill run through my body as I realized there was something far more sinister going on here. "He used dark magic, didn't he," I whispered in a hoarse voice. She nodded weakly. The crystal grew again, and again she cried out in pain. When it stopped, I saw her begin to tremble from the pain and fear she felt.

Celestia stepped closer and used her magic to wrap a blanket around her. "Please, you must tell us why Sombra took your child."

Her voice was considerably weaker now, and it had a slight tremble. "He, he believes that she is the child of prophecy, the destined ruler of the empire." She looked up at us again with earnest eyes. "Promise me that you will do everything you can to save my baby, will you?"

Celestia's eyes began to moisten. "I promise."

With that, a medic pony and his assistant rushed into the room and began examining her. "Don't worry your highnesses, we will take care of her. I must insist you leave now though."

"We understand." Celestia said. We then went out of the room.

Immediately after the heavy wooden door shut I let out a frustrated groan. "I knew that snake Sombra was bad news." I hissed. My mind instantly went back to the first and only time we had met face to face. It was so very long ago now. He was just a young colt just beginning to grow into his juvenile body. He was handsome for a colt of his age, and quite brilliant, but there was something off about him. He seemed cold and unfeeling, like he had a heart of ice. He did little other than practically devour every book on anything magic, even though he had no horn or magic of his own.

I looked over at Celestia, and I was surprised to see anger crackling like fire in her purple eyes. She looked back at me and said, "I don't know how Sombra got ahold of dark magic, but he will pay for all that he has done." She said it with a fierceness that was frankly terrifying. It was so unlike my sister to get angry, especially to this degree.

"We should call the counsel immediately. This matter will only get worse if we wait."

"Agreed. If what the crystal pony said is true, we will not be able to defeat Sombra on our own."

We worked tirelessly for the next hour while we were waiting for the captions of the three pony races to arrive. We put the best blacksmiths on making Celestia and I armor incase it did come down to the an all out battle. Celestia worked hard on a letter to Sombra demanding an explanation, and if there was truth to these unjust actions against his subjects, if he did not cease, than we would have no choice but to remove him from the throne.

When all the captains had gathered, we explained the situation to them and asked them if they would support us should it come to force. After we heard out their thought and ideas in the matter, a decree was sent throughout Equestria to prepare for war with the king of the crystal empire.

A/N Thank you everyone who has read and commented so far. Your feedback is extremely encouraging. Unfortunately, I will be unable to update in the month of march, but I promise that I will post a new chapter within the first week of April. For your patience I promise that I will make it the best chapter yet by far. Sorry I can't post more at this time, but I still hope you enjoyed this chapter. pleas still comment because I LOVE to hear from my readers. Till next time cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. the next chapter will be epic.