Celestia walked away from the dungeons sighing heavily at the fact that she had been left with no choice. She had to silence Red Flames, his arrogant tongue was getting the better of him and she had enough of it.
"Red Flames had it coming to him," Celestia sighed as she collapsed onto her bed. "I don't like to use the silencing spell, but what was I supposed to do? Let him bad mouth innocent ponies that suffered under Blackheart's reign of terror? No, that's something I won't tolerate, not as long as the guilty are on trial."
Just then, the sounds of knocking were heard and Celestia called for the source to come in. It was Luna as she approached her sister's bed.
"Any more news on the bombing?" Celestia asked her sister. "Is anypony else alive?"
"We are not sure at this time, sister," answered Luna, sighing heavily. "There is no question in either of our minds that those loyal to Blackheart are expressing their displeasure through violence. Have you said your peace to Red Flames?"
"I have and he continued to mock this whole trial," said Celestia. "And in doing so, I was left with no other choice. I had to silence him…permanently."
Luna's eyes widened in disbelief. In her mind, she thought her sister had done the unthinkable.
"It's not what it looks like, sister," she interjected, stopping Luna from thinking any darker thoughts. "What I did was remove his ability to speak and nothing more. And I can assure you that I will do the same to anypony else who dares to mock us and this whole trial as a whole."
"That is a relief," gasped Luna, brushing some sweat off of her face with her left front hoof. "For a moment, I thought you had carried out the execution before the sentence."
"Do you think I would end this trial like that?" remarked Celestia, looking over towards her sister. "Not quite. Blackheart and his associates need to face the consequences for their actions. What's more is that everything, everything that they had ever done must be revealed to all."
Nodding in agreement, Luna sighed and was just about ready to leave when another knock was heard at the door. The sounds made both sisters realize that something was urgent. Luna raced to the door and opened it, showing one of her guardsponies on the other side.
"What did you find?" she demanded as the guard bowed to her.
"A spy of Blackheart's," answered the guard. "He was spotted trying to flee on the midnight express. We've brought him down for interrogation. Do you wish to question him?"
"Yes," said Luna, icily as she made her way out of her sister's bedroom. "Bring me to him."
…
Following her night guard, Luna was led down to the interrogation chambers of Canterlot Castle. Upon arrival, Luna saw several of her guards looking at a pony who was tied down onto a rack with his front and back legs stretched out. The pony was in pain, but Luna didn't seem to care.
"Do you know why you are here?" she asked, looking up at the captured spy. "Well, do you?"
"I...I am here…" gasped the spy, the pain of being on the rack getting to him. "…be…because I aided…in bombing…a building in Canterlot…tonight."
"And is partly responsible for several deaths," Luna said, angrily, storming over to the prisoner. "And unless you start talking about the whereabouts of your comrades, these ponies are going to put you through such measures that you may not even come out alive!"
"I don't…care…if you kill…me," sneered the spy. "…Blackheart…will be…freed…and both you…and…your sister…will…be displayed…."
But, before the spy could finish his threats of death, Luna smacked the spy across his face.
"SILENCE!" she bellowed. "Your threats will get you nowhere and your friends can't help you now! You have a choice: talk and give us the whereabouts of your friends or die!"
The spy said nothing and Luna motioned for several of her guards to take the spy off the rack. They brought him over to a board and placed a black mask over the spy's face. Then, another guard took a jug of water and held it over the spy's head as they held him down on the board. With a motion of "yes," the guard poured water onto the spy's covered face. The spy screamed as the water poured through the mask.
"Your friends," said Luna, circling around the spy like a hawk. "Where are they going to? Tell me and I will have my guards stop this act upon you! Where are your friends going to? Whom are they targeting next? WHOM ARE THEY TARGETING NEXT?!"
The gargling that the spy was making didn't seem to faze Luna at all. In fact, it made her even more determined.
"You lie to me and I hurt you," she growled as she forcefully removed the mask and the spy coughed up water out of his mouth. "This is what defeat looks like, my friend. You know its all over and no matter what you try is going to get your beloved leader free."
Exhausted from her attempts to get the spy to talk, Luna stepped back and the spy winced slightly before he gave Luna his undivided attention.
"They are going," he gasped, moaning and groaning in pain. "To the Crystal Empire. They are to capture Prince Shining Armor and Princess Flurry Heart and use them as leverage to free our leaders that you hold captive."
Realizing what was happening, Luna left the dungeons and climbed to the top of Canterlot castle. Flicking her horn, she sent out a warning to the Crystal Empire about what Blackheart's followers were going to do next.
…
At the Crystal Empire, Blackheart's followers got off the train and were just about to exit the station when they were ambushed by several of the Crystal Empire's guards.
"STOP! DON'T MOVE!" they ordered and before the followers could defend themselves, the Crystal guards overpowered them and they were soon captured, their plot to free their leader foiled.
A little while later, the flickering of lights from the Crystal Empire showed Luna that the perpetrators had been captured.
"Excellent," said Luna to herself. "Equestria can sleep a little safer tonight now that Blackheart's followers have been captured before carrying out anything else. I must inform my sister of this at once!"
…
So, Luna informed her sister of what had happened as the sun rose the next morning and the next day of the trial had begun…