The following takes place between 8:00pm and 9:00pm

Jack had his gun pointed up high. That loud voice didn't make him cover his ears. He watched it gracefully land on the grass. It stopped flapping its wings and folded them. It walked into the spot where the moon was brightest. It turned from a black creature with white eyes, to a gorgeous blue Alicorn. Jack lowered his gun. "A winged unicorn?"

"I am Luna, princess of the night. Royal sister of Princess Celestia and I'm an Alicorn." Luna spoke in her normal voice.

Jack placed his gun back in his holster. He can definitely see Luna is Celestia's sister. He quickly spotted her cutie mark, mane and tail. "How did you know me?"

"Word spreads everywhere in Equestria. One of my personal royal guards told me of your arrival."

"Wait, you're supposed to the rule the night. Why were you there in the daytime?"

Luna smiled. "Celestia and I rule Equestria together. Just because one of us raises the sun and the other raises the moon, doesn't mean we're limited by the day and night."

"What if one of you couldn't raise the moon or sun?"

"One of us will take over from there."

Jack rubbed his ears. "I think my ears are ringing."

"My deepest apologies. I was using the royal Canterlot voice. Most ponies have gotten used to it, despite being an old way of speaking."

"Do you take over while Celestia is absent or away?" Jack was curious in seeing how Equestria works with two rulers.

"Absolutely. My sister and I agreed to rule in each's place in case some pony needs one of us." Luna turned around searching. "Where is Celestia?"

"She went off with ESCT along with Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy."

"They left you behind? Why didn't they bring you?"

"That's what I want to know." Jack changed the subject. "What you said earlier, you're an Alicorn?"

Luna thought Jack already knew after meeting Celestia. "An Alicorn is both a unicorn and pegasus combined."

Jack knew nothing about Celestia. He thought he can learn more from her sister. He heard leaves rustling, he placed his hand on his gun. Luna heard the noise too. She moved in closer to Jack. She made her horn glow, waiting for an attack. They stood in one placing, searching around whoever's hiding.

Another rustle made Jack fire his gun. A loud screaming unicorn fell on the ground. His cutie mark is an Upsilon. He attempted and escape with a limp leg. Jack wrapped his arm around the unicorn's body. He dragged him to Luna. He lifted the injured leg, the bullet created an exit wound.

"You hurt that unicorn." Luna almost raised her voice.

Jack carried the unicorn like he's holding an antique porcelain animal. "This unicorn's working for the same organisation that plotted to kill your sister."

Her eyes shrunk and her mouth gasped. It's like she's going to charge and impale Upsilon. She refrained from doing so. She didn't want to kill an equine mercilessly.

Brave Lance and Dark Spear raced feeling exhausted. They heard the gunshot after arriving back.

"Princess Luna." Dark Spear removed his helmet and bowed.

Luna focused on her sister, not looking as cheerful as she was. "Celestia!"

Celestia ran faster than Luna. She needed some pony near her. "Oh Luna, it was awful."

Luna heard her sobbing. It's the first time she feared for her safety. She felt Celestia squeezing in closer. She watched her wings cast over her. Luna did the same, yet she doesn't know why Celestia want to shield her, when she's the one Sect tried to kill.

"Should we give them space?" Brave Lance asked to Dark Spear.

He stared silently at Brave Lance. They didn't bother speak.

"We should go back to Canterlot," suggested Luna.

Celestia agreed. They spread their wings and flew back home.

"This was a hard blow for the princess," sympathised Applejack.

"What do we do now?" Twilight asked to Brave Lance.

"We better keep on finding the rest of Sect," he answered.

Rainbow Dash landed near brave Lance. "Why did you leave Jack Bauer behind? He could have been helpful."

Dark Spear decided to answer her. "It appears the unicorns used their magic to find them. And we forgotten about him."

Jack noticed Dark Spear's embarrassment. He didn't care at all.

8:30pm

Sigma waited patiently in the Canterlot Garden. There wasn't any pony around. He had to search around, making sure that no pony, who isn't from Sect from entering. He watched the guards marching from above near the castle. He watched Luna and Celestia in one of the stain glass windows.

Alpha approached from a different entrance. He observed both princesses and Sigma. "They're beginning to know our existence."

Sigma didn't turn around, he knew Alpha's behind him. "We know it's not just those ESCT sneaks. Celestia's saviours are catching on."

"Saviours? That's an understatement." Zeta dropped in followed by Epsilon.

Alpha expected Beta to arrive. He didn't think those two will appear. Zeta and Epsilon were skilful and crafty.

"Beta told us to come. He's preoccupied right now," explained Epsilon.

Alpha glanced at the castle. "He's with the princesses?"

"It's confidential. He told us that he's coming in close to Celestia's and Luna's minds." It wasn't a good reason to Epsilon's knowledge, it's the best way he could interpret.

Alpha knew Beta isn't like him. He sees him like a duplicate than an original. He sees most of Sect as a mix of strong and weak changelings.

"Any word on the crates?" Zeta asked.

"Haven't heard about them during my shift. Most likely they'll arrive on schedule. Did hear that a human came to the post office, after the ESCT arrived. Correct me if I'm wrong, he's the one who killed Mu," Epsilon explain.

Sigma wanted to know Beta's intent. He just stood up and left. He shapeshifted into one of the royal guards. Alpha didn't tell him to stop. Zeta couldn't think about why he let him go to the castle.

"Why are you letting him go to the princesses?" Zeta raised his voice.

"I don't like the idea of Beta going undercover behind our backs. We have to follow orders that are given to us."

"But aren't you the leader?"

"Don't think Sect needs one."

There wasn't any need for stealth. Although Sigma had to search around for the princess' bedroom, he's reluctant to ask any of the guards. He waited for Beta to exit the room. He watched him leave, just before stopping.

"Sigma?" surprised Beta.

"Listen to me," informed Sigma. "It's nice you're doing nice eyeing on them. Less you know, it's not your job to enter Canterlot and finish the job. We have to finish the mission and not a single backfire should distract us."

Beta felt his frustrations pounding his head. He thought all ponies of Sect can choose their tasks freely. He started thinking Sigma's intimidation is an example of preventing any pony from going ahead.

"I wasn't planning on killing them, if that's what you're thinking," grunted Beta.

Sigma saw Beta as a nuisance. "Both royal sisters know of our existence and are helping ESCT. That failed assassination already alerted them."

Sigma walked around Beta, just to prevent him from re-entering the bedroom. Despite the door closed, Luna leaned against the door, listening on the conversation.

"Don't try pulling a stunt again, we will make ESCT's job easier," warned Sigma.

"You're not serious. Why don't we just confess and everything will be at peace?" said Beta.

Sigma revealed his changeling horn. He couldn't take it anymore. "It's at times where a difficult job just became easier."

Beta watched a green bolt fly into his eyes. He no longer stood on his hooves. He watched everything around him disappear. Sigma left the corpse behind while he departed.

Celestia's still shaken from seeing a changeling die. Her memories of her trapped in a cocoon, during Shining Armour and Cadance's wedding, didn't haunt her at all. Celestia curled up in her bed. She tried to sleep, she had trouble keeping her eyes closed. Luna climbed on the bed. She lied next to her to keep her company.

A figure watched them from outside the window. It vanished quickly while the princesses weren't looking. It looked as though it knew it's the figure's fault.