As soon as the next day came around Celestia and Luna left quickly. They took a train half way then flew the rest. First they scouted the Crystal Empire and saw what the King has done with only a month. They were hovering around the city, scoping out the dangers of it.

"What happened here?" Luna was shocked at the appearance of the empire.

The empire has dark colored crystals everywhere, the once clear blue arctic sky was now dark and cloudy.

"Look down there Luna."

They saw that the Crystal ponies coats were not shining anymore. The ponies were chained to each other forced to do the King's every order. The Crystal Heart no longer had any use since they couldn't power it with broken spirits.

"Who do you think is responsible for this Tia?"

"Let's check the tower, maybe the one responsible may be there."

They casted a spell making them invisible for only a limited amount of time. They flew to the tower. The King walked out to the balcony with two other ponies behind him. They were a few yards away from them, to the right and a few feet above them. Tia and Luna whispered to each other.

"I knew it. Lacoden and Garren are responsible."

"Luna we don't know that for sure."

"It's the most logical reason why they're here."

Lacoden heard a few faint words and thought it was nothing, she kept on hearing it she suspected something she stood silent listening.

"Tia why can't we just stop them now?"

"We don't know what they've done with the heart. We just have to wait."

"We can't do anything? Again?!"

"Lower your voice they might hear us."

Lacoden smirked."Found you." Lacoden launched a petrifying spell toward the general direction of the sounds and hit Luna. Luna started to fall and the invisibility spell broke and Garren and the King saw them. Celestia saved Luna from her fall and started flying away from them, Garren followed behind. Tia took Luna the the highest roof she could find. She looked into her sister's eyes and saw that they were open and she was still.

"Luna I'll help you, just hold on." Tia was scared for her.

Garren reassured her,"She's just petrified, in an hour she'll be fine."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Don't you remember neglecting our home in a time of need?"

Tia said under her breath,"We didn't care for anyone else that time." She raised her voice,"Things are different now, we can reunite our nations."

"That is not going to happen. Everyone that lived there.......ARE DEAD!! You can't have a nation with no one in it! You know what we did when myself and Lacoden regained our strength and we discovered our power? We slaughtered the griffons living there. The children, moms, dads, entire families wiped out by us, like they did to our families and friends."

"There must be a reason for their killings though. Right?"

"We were just minding our own business then suddenly a whole flock of those beasts attacking us, unprovoked. You wouldn't know, you came after the damage has been done. Lacoden came to me after she saw her family get torn to shreds. Shadow and Dawn were lucky, they still have each other. I lost my son. Everytime when we took our revenge I made all the sons watch their fathers fall under my blade, then I killed them. Shadow now helps a nation that didn't help ours, because of what? His morals? He ruthlessly mashed the griffon that killed Starflare until there was nothing left, but red pulp and feathers. I don't know why he helps you. Sure you helped his daughter, what else does he owe you? I don't think I would ever find out. "

"He forgets the past, you can hold all the grudges you want. It won't solve anything. You will not succeed in taking our kingdom."

"I never said anything about taking it." He was circling Tia and Luna,"Do you know something really amusing? Lacoden could have easily killed Luna, she spared her life so that she can see her beloved home destroyed."

"You can't destroy our nation."

"Really? You don't remember those Changelings, I have a whole army of them. I also have a spy on the inside. I gave my weapon specifications to a small foal I saw wandering around the Everfree Forest. I have planned our attack for years."

"Why are you telling me this? You planned this for so long, why do you want me to know this?"

"Death is more frightening when you see it coming. I will not kill you, it's not in my taste to kill a princess. Instead I will bring you inside to meet the King who created this, paradise."

Garren flew to the castle leaving Celestia to carry her sister. The King and Lacoden were no longer on the balcony, they moved into the King's chambers. The chamber was plastered with dark crystals, even the throne was made from dark crystals. There was a staircase in front of the King. Celestia didn't want to find out where it led to. She set her still sister gently on the floor.

"So you are the one responsible?"

"Princess it's a honor having you in my presence."

Tia thought,"Please Luna I need you to wake up."

"Princess, I believe we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Lacoden."

"I heard of you. You are the one who killed my stallions."

"Not all of them." Lacoden created a smoke-screen and when it was clear she saw a wing-less Pegasus.

It was wheezing,"Prin...princess. I'm sorry."

Tia ran over to the tired Pegasus and leaned over,"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Are you sure? He is the reason why our spy has been so cooperative. I kept him alive to be used as leverage."

"How do I know this isn't just one of your Changelings?"

"We wouldn't stoop down that low. If you want to make sure, Changelings have a serious allergic reaction against sulfur. I'm sure you know that."

"That is true. How will I know if you didn't cast a spell to make the Changeling not be harmed."

"I will dispel the magic around him, why don't you do it to make sure."

Celestia casted her spell, then Lacoden threw sulfur dust on him. Nothing happened.

"There you have it. You have found out that one of your stallions is still alive. Canon do you care to tell the princess who our spy is?"

"You can tell me."

"Her name is-"

Lacoden finished for him,"Dust."

"Garren I have a question for you. Who did you give your weapon designs to and why?"

"I want to have fun killing. You can't have fun killing someone who can't defend themselves. She works with Wrench in the foundry."

"Wither. How?"

"When I found her she said her village has just been attacked by a gang of thugs then I gave her a scroll before I told her the way for shelter. Those scrolls contained my designs."

Luna was beginning to move, she opened her eyes and saw Lacoden. She tried to get up to get her back but the spell was still wearing off. She tripped. Celestia whispered something to her, Lacoden only heard part of it,".................down..........the....King.....arctic...north........over one thousand years." She could have warned the King of their plot but, she found it more amusing to see him fall.

The King spoke,"I shall take your land next princess."

Garren and Lacoden didn't like that idea. Celestia and Luna jumped up. Celestia shouted,"Now Luna!"

They used their magic on the King, the King tried to counter but, Garren and Lacoden took back their gift and let the King be defeated, he shouted,"Why?!"

Garren replied,"Their land is ours to destroy." Lacoden teleported herself and Garren to an unknown location.

Celestia and Luna continued to shower the King with their spell, after a few minutes the King was defeated and banished him to the arctic north.

"Are you sure that can keep him contained for a thousand years big sister?"

"Maybe even longer. We took all his power so he won't have a way to break out, we have sent him deep to the north where there a no resources or animals to break him out, plus I added a spell that will keep him in a very deep hibernation for 200 years by then he will have no power whatsoever. The area where we sent him, it contains crystals that drain the energy from anyone within a few yards."

The castle started to shake.

"What's going on?" Luna asked frantically.

"I don't know. Let's get out of here!"

"What about the Crystal Ponies?"

"We can't do anything for them right now."

They left the Crystal Empire and looked back at it. It was starting to become transparent. They watched in awe, wondering what was to be of the the proud empire. A few moments later the empire disappeared into thin air.

"NO!" Luna screamed, she flew with Celestia by her side to the place where the Crystal Empire used to be. Not even the enslaved ponies were able to escape.

Garren was behind them,"He casted a spell during the first week of his reign to ensure the Crystal Empire was to be his just in case he was defeated. He designed the spell to last as long as he needed to regain his power. I let you two defeat him for I did not want him to take our revenge." Garren flew away. Celestia and Luna were too sad to chase him down and by the time they could move he was long gone.

Celestia said,"This action is unforgivable. We shall retaliate with as much power as we can have. This may take a long time but, we have to train troops anyway."

"When do we begin?"

"When we return we will rally up the frontier and any other allies willing to risk their lives to assault them."

"Their location is unknown and we don't know how much forces they have with them."

"We will find out."

They both moved sluggishly to the train station, where they got on a train to try and rest before they got back. This train ride was the longest one they have ever had. They sat up at night because they could not sleep at night. They had a large amount of guilt hanging over their heads. When they arrived back to the frontier they saw that their kingdom was safe and sound. They gathered the R.A.K. only to tell of of what horrid things that had happened.