Luna closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled slowly, trying to keep her temper in check. Circe's eyes changed to a blood orange hue as she set her jaw. If Luna was angry now, Circe was slightly afraid of how her mother would react to her next revelations.
"That isn't even the worst part," she said with a sigh. "Celestia has made sure that her government starts indoctrinating and training foals to fight and die for her cause from the moment they're born. I found a book of nursery rhymes and little songs that are required to be taught in every preschool. Every single foal is implanted with a tracking and mind control device as soon as they leave the womb. They do not belong to their parents; it is understood that every foal is Celestia's property. The thestral population is incredibly small now. As soon as you were banished, Celestia rounded up all of your guards, including my dad, and killed them all by genocide. Their race has been minimized significantly." Circe swallowed hard, knowing she would break down if she said another word. Luna's stoicism crumbled as her tears began to flow.
"Your... your father," she sobbed, "my beloved husband, Ares. I... of course, I knew that he would not be alive upon our return, but to know that such a brave warrior, my most loyal soldier, the love of my life, a war hero who fought so valiantly in so many battles, died at the hooves of my own sister... I have no words." Luna's voice was thick with a mixture of pure devastation, grief, disgust, and rage. Her heart shattered, and she fell to her knees, curling up into a ball. The lunar princess' body shook violently as she sobbed uncontrollably. After a few minutes, she raised her head to look at Circe, her eyes wide with fear.
"She will stop at nothing to get rid of you," Luna whispered to Circe. "You must return to the moon, my little one; you will be safe there. Let me get rid of Celestia alone. I will not allow you to endanger yourself, Circe. Your princess orders you to go back to the moon at once." The young mare's face hardened as she lifted her chin in defiance.
"No," Circe replied, looking her mother squarely in the eyes. "Celestia's government cannot be toppled by you alone; your last attempt to overthrow her was a massive failure, to say the least." Luna's jaw dropped, and she stood in stunned silence for a few long seconds, then she glared.
"Circe," Luna said in a voice that was dangerously low and soft, "you will listen to your mother, or I will have no choice but to send you back to the moon. I only just got you back, sweetheart; please don't force me to make a decision that will be painful for both of us. I refuse to allow you to put yourself in harm's way, my most beautiful night. If I were to lose you, I would never be able to live with myself." Circe set her jaw, planted her hooves firmly, and stared Luna down, never breaking eye contact with her mother. Finally, Luna looked down and chuckled, shaking her head.
"You really are your mother's daughter," she sighed. "There is no question of where you got your stubbornness. Very well, you may fight alongside me, and we will win; we will need to form a huge army, but in the meantime I will gather as much information as possible from my sister. Thanks to my position, I obviously have unquestioned access to every bit of Equestria's intelligence info, including top secret government documents. You, my dear, will try to find ponies who may secretly support our cause, starting with my guards. Now, go. In noctis restarum veritas. In luna restarum pax."
"'The truth rests in the night. Peace rests in the moon,'" Circe translated. "What a perfect motto." She kissed Luna on the cheek and galloped off, casting a spell to hide her identity.
"It should go without saying that no details of our conversation should be shared," Circe told the first Royal Lunar Guard she saw. "Your discretion is of paramount importance. Are you in favor of the formation of a New Lunar Empire with Princess Luna at its helm? Would you be willing to sacrifice your own life in order to secure the foundation of such an empire?"
"Absolutely," the guard replied without hesitation. "Most ponies in Equestria live in fear of Princess Celestia. Princess Luna is exponentially more popular among the masses, though nopony would dare say so publicly. While Princess Celestia is only feared, Princess Luna is truly revered, respected, and loved. Many of us can see through the propaganda because the majority of Equestrians have personally met Luna in their dreams at least once. She is a therapist, confidante, and protector to everypony, and her genuine kindness, gentleness, and strength are evident in everything she does. Yes, I would gladly fight and die for my commander-in-chief, Princess Luna. I took an oath upon my life to protect her. It is the greatest honor of my life to serve Her Majesty as a Royal Lunar Guard, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that my sentiments are shared by all of my comrades in arms. I am a staunch monarchist, as are the vast majority of my fellow guards. What do you need us to do?"
After confirming that Luna had the undying support of her guards, Circe sent them to suss out the intelligence officials who were vocal supporters of Luna, promising safety for them as well as for their families. Talk of an uprising began to stir. Circe knew that it wouldn't be too long before assassination plots were orchestrated. Everything was moving apace, and the time for action was close at hoof.