It wasn't until the next day that Rune awoke to find himself in a small room. It looked more like a medical wing than a bedroom. Looking around, he saw nopony about. The room had very little furniture, only a few nightstands, a dresser and a few beds. Laying back, Rune thought about what happened. Despite the obvious disadvantage, he defeated that Bru pony, and is now recognized as a Children of the Night. But as his mind went back to the Trial, Rune's mind went towards the moment he was in Bru's mind. Although his mind was a tough read, Rune was able to penetrate deep enough into Bru's mind to see some of his plan. Closing his eyes, Rune tried to remember what he saw. Brief and swift images flashed in Rune's mind, but Rune couldn't make them out.

"Rune? Are you awake." Calligraphy asked, opening the door and cutting off Rune's train of thought.

"Oh hey Calligraphy." Rune responded, noticing Calligraphy walk in without Dusk or Nightwing with her. "Where are the others?"

"They're waiting in the Council Chambers, waiting for your decision." Calligraphy answered.

"Decision?" Rune asked, then felt a hit smack on the head by Calligraphy's hoof.

"Yes idiot. Decision." Calligraphy hasn't been this angry with Rune since he was a colt. "You passed the Trial and now the fate of the Children depends solely on what you decide. Don't mess this up!" It wasn't even a second that Rune got out of the bed that Calligraphy quickly gave Rune a sudden hug. This kinda surprised Rune but at the same time, this isn't the first time Calligraphy smacked him only to hug him. He used to get those quite a lot as a colt. "I'm just glad you're alive Rune, that Trial could've killed you."

"I'm fine now Calligraphy." Rune smiled softly, hugging back. "Let's head to the Council."

Calligraphy and Rune made it down the hall and not even a few feet from the door did they run into Comet, who didn't look too happy.

"Councillor Comet." Calligraphy nodded. "Have all assembled?"

"All but Councillor Bru." Comet answered, trying to hold back the anger in her words. "He is still bedridden and I am to speak for him."

"Very well." Calligraphy nodded and walked into the Council Chambers with Rune, Comet only walking in slowly after.

The interior of the Council room was a large room, with torches illuminating along the wall and in the center was a massive round table. Eleven of the total Council sat along the table's edge, each Councillor's seat had a carving of an astrological zodiac sign. Greene's seat had a carved lion, Nightwing's had a carving of twin ponies holding hooves; Comet walked past Calligraphy and Rune and sat in a seat with a carved pony with a snake wrapped around it. Dusk, the only other non-council member, stood quietly behind Nightwing. Calligraphy, making no noise walked over to her seat, which had a carved measuring scale on it, Rune simply stood behind her. Looking around, Rune also noticed that there were two chairs that were empty, one had a carved scorpion, most likely Bru's seat; while the last seat had a carved ram on it but it was covered in dust and comb webs, as if no pony has sat in that chair for years.

"Calligraphy?" Rune whispered. "Why is that seat so old and worn?"

"We don't speak of why." Calligraphy whispered back calmly, but if Rune saw her expression, he;d never believe her. Calligraphy, only for a moment, held an expression of anger, remorse, and sorrow, all at once.

"It seems we have all gathered." Green began the meeting. "Now we shall begin our meeting." There was silence in the room, several Councillors looked amongst themselves and at Dusk and Rune. "Dawn Rune has passed his Trial and has been chosen by the Oracle and the Goddess to choose our fate." Greene than glanced over to Rune. "What is your plan?"

Rune stepped forward, he cleared his throat and gathered whatever thoughts he had. "Councillors, I feel it is time we do reveal ourselves to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

There were a few gasps in the group. A few Councillors were more shocked that Rune address Celestia by name rather than "Sun Tyrant" and Luna rather than "Goddess".

"It seems you will have to elaborate." Greene requested.

"I plan to." Rune said clearly. "So hear me out."

As Rune began to explain his plan, possibly the first thing he's ever talked about that he actually thought about before speaking, Comet looked out of the only small window in the room and saw that the false sky's Moon was setting soon. It was almost time for her to play her part.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Bru walked among his troops, there weren't as many as there would of been had he won, but he would make do. He saw the determination in their eyes and their devotion to him. Bru has been planning for this assault for years, but never could convince the Council. This rare moment of excitement had him thinking of the first time he tried to convince the Council to march to war, he had almost all of them convinced, except for the pony who sat in the ram chair. That Councillor turned him down time and time again. Thinking about how he had that pony taken care of brought and even rarer smile of excitement across Bru's face. Composing and looking back at the troops, Bru began his own speech.

"Children of the Night." Bru began, every pony became quiet and listened. "Or rather, the "True" Children of the Night. You all know that we have suffered under the Sun Tyrant for countless centuries, since the eve she banished our Mother away. But now even though the Goddess has returned to us, she has not come back to us. Why is that? It is because she doesn't know we are alive. She has never forgotten who we are but the Sun Tyrant would have her believe we have died off. Will we allow this to continue?"

"NEVER!!!!" The crowd cheered.

"Now come my Brothers and Sisters!" Bru turned towards the false Moon as it set slowly towards the entrance. "Come now Children and let us regain our Mother and fell the Sun Tyrant. And those who would see us under the reign of the Sun's tyranny, let them rot in the prisons of their own fear and cowardice!"

The soldiers cheered and shouted louder as they followed Bru beginning his march. It wasn't until that Bru and his sizable militia reached the edge of the city. Gesturing his troops to gather in the boats, Bru raised his horn and fired a blast of a dark green and black mass of energy sky ward, until it struck the false sky with a loud crash and sticking to it.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

At the same time of Bru's speech, Rune had finished his. The Council was quite moved by Rune's notion. This was definitely something Rune could never think of again.

"It seems that we have reached an agreement." Greene saw the expressions in the Council. "We, the Council of the tenth generation Children of the Night decree that-"

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A loud noise sounded, as if the false sky was truck with something hard and fast. The shocked Council looked towards the window. Some even ran to it to see what happened.

"What happened?!" Greene demanded.

"The sky was struck by something." The aqua unicorn stallion, with a darker blue maned who sat in the seat with a carved pony holding pony holding a pot.

"A ball of magic I believe." The brown earth mare, with a small twin purple mowhawks who sat in the seat with a carved bull.

"What's happening?!!" Nightwing snapped, rising from his seat.

Comet couldn't hold back her excitement anymore, her laugh was a maniacal mixture of pleasure and entertainment. "It's too late traitors!" Comet rose from her seat, along with the red unicorn mare with no mane sitting in the seat with a carved crab, and another indigo unicorn stallion with his mane covering his eyes who sat in the seat with a carved pony holding a bow.

"Councillor Comet, Councillor Pulse Wave, Councillor Burning Soul." Greene demanded an answer. "What is the meaning of this!!?"

"A farewell present." Comet, Pulse, and Soul bowed. "Bru has the right answer for how the Children should live and you will all rot with your poor choice."

Nightwing jumped at Comet with his rear leg ready to send her flying, only to have Pulse's and Soul's horn light up and the three ponies vanished. Not skipping a beat, Nightwing ran straight out the window and flew to the only place he figured those three would go. Turns out Nightwing was right, it was only a couple minutes before he saw the three ponies joining up with Bru. In his haste, Nightwing failed to notice that Bru's magic had long began it's effect. Quickly, countless tendrils of black vine-like magic twisted and gnarled in all directions until they struck the ground. Between the gaps of these tendrils, a dark green, yet clear screen closed the gaps. The gap Nightwing was flying to at top speed was close to closing.

"Bru Tality!!!! Nightwing shouted, flying as fast as he could, only to feel the sudden impact of the screen strike him. The impact didn't hurt as if he struck a solid object at high speeds. It felt more like he fled headlong into an electric current, the force sent him flying back towards the city, crashing into the small building. The last thing Nightwing saw before blacking out was Bru's triumphant smile.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"What happened?!" Calligraphy demanded.

"There's a massive barrier over the city!" A Councillor said. "Like a giant bird cage."

"It's too late." Greene uttered, his eyes were terrified and his hooves were shaking. "We're all trapped here."

Calligraphy wasted no time, she grabbed Green by the beard and slammed him on the table. "YOU KNOW SOMETHING! EXPLAIN!"

Everypony was very shocked by Calligraphy's action but nopony stopped her.

"Bru has taken his forces and marches to wage his war." Greene explain in his fear.

"Bru would dishonor the Trial's results, and the Oracles!?" A Councillor stated.

"Bru is the future of the Children." Greene stated. "Or at least I believed he was. He promised that so long as I supported him, I would have a seat with the new generation of Children. But he has abandoned me."

"We have to stop him." Dusk stated.

"Impossible." Greene stated.

"Explain! Now!" Calligraphy grabbed Greene again and slammed him hard against the wall, knocking his chair out of the way.

"The bird cage is made to keep the Children inside. Nothing can leave." Greene muttered.

"Maybe the Oracle could-" A Councillor suggested but Greene interrupted.

"It is too late." Greene said.

"What could that-" Calligraphy asked but then realized the answer. "Rune?!" Calligraphy turned but Rune was already gone.

Rune galloped as fast as his hooves could carry, heading straight to the Oracle's chambers. "Please be okay." Rune said to himself.

Upon reaching the chambers, Rune's fear was realized. The door was half way open, but the inside was a mess. Chairs and tables were flipped and tossed across the room. Water was soaking most of the floor. It looked as though somepony tried to fillynap Midnight and she put up a struggle.

"MIDNIGHT?!" Rune looked around but couldn't find her.

"Rune?" Dusk and Calligraphy called but found Rune in the room and saw its condition.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Back at the boats that Bru was using to travel away from the Lunar Kingdom, Bru sat along with Comet, Pulse, and Soul.

"Hard to believe what's about to happen." Soul chuckled a bit.

"It is necessary." Pulse stated, taking a calm breath and looking at Midnight, who was bound by tight ropes. "I am sorry Oracle, but I feel it is Bru who can lead us, not this Rune character."

"Too bad for Greene." Comet teased. "But that's what happens when you turn on us."

"He was still an honorable Councillor and Children." Bru stated, standing up as if holding a eulogy. "He could've been saved but chose to rot with the old ways. Now comes the new era of the Children."

Midnight said nothing, only stared at the ponies in a state of subtle anger, but in her head, she was terrified.

"Please don't be so upset Oracle." Pulse tried to relax Midnight. "Know in your heart, that we are doing this for the future of the Children."

Midnight looked away and said nothing.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"We have to save her!" Rune suggested to the remaining Councillors, pacing back and forth.

"How?!" A Councillor asked. "We've tried for hours, Bru is at Canterlot by now, there's no way to break the barrier."

"There is." Nightwing said, walking into the room, bandages on his head and limping as if he sprained something. "We awaken the Owl."

"ARE YOU MAD!!!" Almost everypony exclaimed loudly.

"I'll have to agree with the others." Calligraphy nodded. "We don't even know why the Owl has been silent for years and you know just as well as the rest of us that it's forbidden."

"So is ponynapping your Oracle to declare war I bet." Rune snapped rather rudely.

No pony could answer, they only had an expression of uncertainty.

"Let's go to the Owl." Rune said, gesturing the Nightwing.

Nightwing, Dusk, and Rune left the room. It was only a couple minutes before Calligraphy followed after, leaving the rest behind. A few twists and turns around the halls and up several flights of stairs before the ponies reached a large stone door. Engraved on the door was the image of a large owl with several smaller ponies underneath.

"This is it." Calligraphy gulped in a nervous state.

"Let's do this." Rune lifted his hooves and pushed hard on the door.

Dusk, Nightwing, and soon enough Calligraphy pushed on the door with all their might. After a couple minutes, the door slowly budged, the sound of heavy stones rubbing against each other. The doors soon opened, slowly, cobwebs breaking between the space that was growing larger and larger. When the door was fully open, the ponies looked ahead. Despite being outside, at the top of the tallest tower, it was dark, almost impossible to see anything. As their eyes adjusted, the group saw a massive metal cage, made of what looked like a darkened silver. But it was inside the cage is what shocked them. Slowly, a dark mass lifted itself up inside the cage, making almost no noises. Nightwing and Calligraphy fell to the ground in fear, bowing so low, their faces were almost in the ground. Dusk, and Rune felt a sense of fear as well; Dusk's legs went weak and wobbly, while Rune couldn't stop looking at it. The mass in the cage slowly turned what looked like its head until the shape of a large black owl's face stared at the ponies. Rune's gaze was transfixed by the Owl's cold, yellow eye. Suddenly, Rune's sight vanished, and all went blank.