Stallions had always been little more than a commodity in Equestria. The practice of castrating the undesirables stretched back millennia. Princess Luna had never viewed them as much more than strongbacks and breeding stock for mares. This was before her banishment. After her return however, she noticed that the laws of castration were much more liberal. But, she did not think much of it then either.

Obviously, society had found it necessary to have even less stallions around. It was strange at first, but she got used to it. Though, she had to admit, it made the court eunuchs much more pleasing to the eye when they didn't have any deformities. And the inbreeding of the noble families had often resulted in a steady influx of gelded colts to fill the courts.

She was, however, growing concerned as she stared out he window at ashes of Ponyville still descending from the sky. A stallion had done this. They were base creatures. How any of them be so clever?

"Princess?" a maid inquired as she watched the alicorn rush to from the window to open her dresser. "Is something the matter."

Luna didn't answer her. She just began pulling out what she believed would keep her warm in cold weather.

The maid came closer. "Uh, Princess? Are you preparing for a trip? Can I help you?"

Luna turned upon the mare, glaring angrily. The maid cried in shock and then bolted from the room.

Luna returned to her work. "Sister is going crazy. I've got to get out of here."

Just as she was pulling a fur hood over her head and throwing wool scarf around her neck, she heard a knock on the door.

"Luna? Are you alright? the maid said something was wrong," came the singsong voice of her sister from the other side. What was wrong with her? An Equestrian city had just been blown up. How could she sound so... so... relaxed.

"N-nothing's the matter, go away please," Luna said in as calm a voice as she could muster as she hurried to the window and began undoing the latch.

"Luna? Open this door. Open this door right now."

"Just a minute," Luna shouted back, throwing open the window and taking a step onto the sill.

The door came flying off its hinges, causing the blue alicorn to stumble. Looking back she saw the smiling face of her sister in the doorway. "Oh. Were you planning on going somewhere, Luna?"

Picking herself back up, Luna smiled nervously. "N-no... not really. Just... testing out a new wardrobe. H-how do I look?"

"Like a colorblind clown," Celesita said, narrowing her eyes. "Luna. What's going on. Are you planning on abandoning me? Your ponies?"

"Oh, screw it," Luna groaned, ignited her horn and sending a blast at her sister. "Don't follow me."

Celestia had simply sidestepped the blast and watched as Luna took flight. She didn't move one inch to try and stop her either. Instead, she just stood, there, smiling. "Oh, you silly filly. Where do you think you're going?"

"S-someplace cold," suggested the maid from earlier. "I noticed she putting on warm clothing, so she must be heading north to... gaggck..."

A golden aura encircled the maid's throat as she was lifted on the ground and brought face to face with the sun princess. Her legs kicked futility against the air as she was slowly strangled to death. With a quick twist and snapping noise, the maid's neck was broken and her body was let drop to the floor.

Celestia grinned as she turned and left the room. "Luna. What have you done? Why would you murder an inoccent maid?"

The Crystal Empire, crown of the north, haven from the cold, and home of the crystal heart. But these facts mattered little to Luna as she crash-landed in the city square after days of nonstop flying. Weakened from hunger and no sleep, she only spoke a few words before passing out.

"I must speak with Cadance."