//------------------------------// // Of Nightlights and Soundwaves - Part 1 // Story: A Rising Moon // by Metal Squirrel Chaos //------------------------------// Of Night Lights and Sound Waves By: Metal Squirrel Chaos Part 1 It was rare for a mortal to directly witness a struggle between two divine beings. “We will not! Thou cannot make us!” “Yes I can! And yes you will!” It was rarer still that such mortals would survive witnessing such a clash. “We won’t...give in to your...tyrannical demands!” “You will...do this...if it kills me!” So for the Royal Night Guards Morningstar and Equinox, tonight had started out pretty well. What with them not being incinerated and all. They both agreed, silently, that they were probably just lucky the Princesses of Day and Night had decided on a shoving match instead of any actual show of godlike power. “I’m not your slave, dear sister. I can...do what...I want!” “Be that...as it may...you need this!” Celestia and Luna pushed against one another as hard as their large, magically supercharged muscles would allow, horns glowing as they clashed against one another, sending off sparks and arching energy bolts. The two sisters, co-rulers, and arch rivals glared deep into her sister's eyes, seeing the soul of their sibling in their own reflection. To be anywhere near this clash of titans was to put yourself in the hooves of fate. But in the end, age and size (and weight, but no pony without a death wish would say such out loud) won the night for Celestia. With a hard shove of finality, the eldest sister pushed her younger sibling out of the giant doorway to Canterlot Castle, onto the large staircase that separated the city from its most distinctive feature.. The servants and nobles who were brave enough to watch the clash from a distance leaned in to listen in to this monumental, and dangerous, occasion. Morningstar and Equinox both rushed to their princess’ aid, lifting her from the ground and allowing her to stand. Her eyes were flashing madly as she gazed at the Solar Sylph. “Celestia,” she hissed, “you have gone too far this time.” “Perhaps, dear sister, I have finally gone far enough,” the Alabaster Alicorn refuted with no regret in her voice. “This can’t go on, Luna, and you know it.” “Can’t go on?” The Midnight Maiden raised an eyebrow. “What can not go on? We have done nothing wrong.” “That’s the problem, Luna,” Celestia sighed. “All you do every day is have dinner with me, attend Night Court, and then sit on that watchtower and gaze down at the ponies below. Do not think I miss the longing in your eyes.” She shook her head. “I thought after Nightmare Night you would be ready to actually go and walk amongst your subjects. Make friends!” “Walk amongst them?” The younger frowned. “You speak as if you do so constantly.” “I do, Luna.” the eldest retorted. “I walk amongst the people every day. It is an important part of my relationship to them, as well as a part of my mental well being.” The Dark Princess stood for a moment, thinking her words over carefully. “You just...go out into Canterlot and talk to people?” Celestia nodded. “I would recommend Doughnut Joe’s shack for when you get hungry.” Luna scoffed. “Be all that as it may, we simply do not have the time, sister.” The alicorn of the Night walked back towards the castle entrance. “We have many important-” only to be met with a wall of invisible force. Reeling from the impact, Luna nursed her now sore muzzle. “Ow!” “No you don’t, sister.” Celestia said from the other side of the unseen obstruction. “Your duties will be held until tomorrow.” As Luna shook off the stun, she prepared to give her older sibling a death glare that would have turned a normal pony to stone, only to step back as Celestia began to rise into the air with powerful wing beats, her eyes shining brightly. “Princess Luna!” the Queen of Blue Skies declared, “we hereby banish you for this one night from the Royal Castle, so that you may walk amongst your own people, during your own time, and MAKE SOME FRIENDS ALREADY!” Celestia bellowed the last words in the Royal Canterlot Voice, expressing the seriousness of her words. There was a flash of light, and the ward around the castle became visible. A powerful anti-personnel shield, often used in restraining orders, that only targeted one individual pony. “You can’t do this, sister!” the Starlight Sorceress hissed as she banged her hooves against the impenetrable field. It did not budge. Curses, she thought, she always was better with Ward spells! “I just did,” Celestia let a playful grin spread on her face, before relaxing it to her more understanding, motherly facade. “Please Luna, just for one night. I’m sure your guards will be happy to show you Canterlot nightlife.” Equinox looked to Morningstar, both ponies sharing the same look of nervousness about them. Neither guard wanted to be roped into this argument. “Ugh!” Luna moaned as she withdrew. “Fine, we shall partake in the...Canterlot nightlife for this one night. But when it is over, Celestia, we are going to have a long talk that you will not enjoy.” The Morning Mistress gave a nod. “I understand, sister.” Immediately, her muzzle spread into a wide grin. “Have a good time!” *** “I cannot believe the indignity of all of this!” the Star Defender spat as the three of them walked, her two most trusted Guards following along, shooting one another knowing glances as the trio walked into the true city of Canterlot, just beyond the palace walls. Both Night Guard ponies were now without their armor, feeling that two armed guards would make the populace a bit uneasy. However, Luna had insisted on them retaining their bat-like form, so both ponies now walked openly marked by the Night herself. Morningstar continued to enjoy the look. “I mean to simply throw me from my own home,” Luna spat again. “For no reason other than I don’t get out enough. Who ever heard of such things?” I mean-” The Night Princess stopped walking at the same time she stopped talking, something that caught both of her companions off guard. “Something wrong, Luna?” Morningstar asked as he turned back, leathery wings flapping in a bit of agitation. “No...I...” The Midnight Maiden stared outward ahead of her at the city as if seeing it for the first time. All over were ponies, busily moving about even though the sun had long ago sank behind the mountain. Few seemed to notice the Princess just yet, most too wrapped up in some business or other. “I didn’t know...” the stunned Ebony Alicorn watched a happy couple walk across the street, before disappearing into a convenience store. “I never knew...I sat on that tower watching and I didn’t think to look straight down...” “Maybe you should have,” Equinox let slip, breaking his silence. Morningstar silently cursed. Darn it Equinox, you couldn’t have kept your mouth shut for another half hour? Now I owe Shadowflame fifty bits. “You are right, Equinox,” The Dark Lady spoke again, starring as two younger ponies, one colt and one filly, sneaked through a window while laying kisses against one another. “Much has changed in a thousand years.” “It was probably the Night Lights,” Morningstar pointed out, hoof indicating the large white orbs that were suspended above the ground on long stone pols. They were set every twenty feet over the street, shining brightly to illuminate the road. “After they were invented, ponies could see even in the darkest nights, so nightlife became more of a thing. Far more reliable than your standard candles.” Luna wondered, briefly, if her dear sister had anything to do with their invention. Though both sisters had great knowledge of magic, they had both agreed to let their dear little ponies figure out and invent most of the complex magics themselves. Still, Celestia was not above cheating if she thought it necessary, especially for the sake of others. “Guards,” she suddenly called her companions. “Please direct us to the most...how did that expression go...happening place in town, if you would?” “Well,” Morningstar thought for a moment, “there’s this club I like to go to after an especially long night.” “No,” Equinox said. “Oh come on,” the slightly younger guard frowned, “it’s not that bad of a place.” “It’s no place for her,” the normally quiet guard spoke again, setting a new high record. “Silence!” the Seamstress of Stars called. “We are intrigued, Morningstar. Take us to this place of relaxation.” The guard in question grinned his fanged teeth wide at his partner, before taking a polite but unnecessary bow. “Just this way, my lady.” With that (and a heavy sigh from Equinox) the three night walkers blended in, as much as they could, with the rest of the night crowd. *** The doors of the Nightlight were slammed open, causing the entire building to quake a little more than it already was. To most ponies, this would have jarred them from their business of choice and had them staring toward its source, but for the crowd that had gathered, this was just another sound to the endless bass that shook the whole street. Luna stepped into the club with all the royal dignity she could muster, followed by her two constant companions. All around her, she saw the ponies dancing to music that she had never experience before. Sharp pangs of impossible and electronic sound were mixed with hard, fast drum beats, a pounding rhythm that spoke with an emotion. What emotion it conveyed was up to the listener alone, but it’s intensity would not be ignored. It was made to be heard. Princess Luna liked it. At the west wing of the building was a bar, housing half a dozen current patrons in various states of inebriation. Some ponies were tipsy enough to tilt, while others had only begun to enjoy their night. The DJ booth was situated far in the back of the main room, protected by what Luna could identify as shatterproof glass. He or she would be quite protected, which struck the night princess as odd. Why would the conveyor of such music need protection? A squint at the booth told her nothing, for the glass was also tinted, and she could not see whoever was playing these sick beats. The main attraction of the club was the dance floor. Sitting in the middle of the huge room, it contained dozens of patrons who had long ago reached the limit of their interest in self image preservation. They danced with abandon, slaves and yet masters to both the music and their own emotions. Well over twenty ponies were shaking their groove things to every blare of the bass. Though the club itself was not what most ponies would call “high society”, it still radiated a sense of class about it. The deep blue shag carpet that surrounded the dance floor,and the multicolored lights flashing from one end of the spectrum to the next in a constant pattern defied their stereotypes and instead conveyed the feeling that this was a place for ponies who knew, with no question in their minds, what a good time was. “Are you alright, princess?” said a voice that almost seemed far away. When she looked, Luna saw that it was the voice of Morningstar, a concerned expression masking him. “You seemed to zone out for a moment.” “We-I am fine,” she corrected herself. “I am just...overwhelmed a bit.” “What?” Morningstar nearly shouted, trying to convey over the drums as the beat and tempo began to speed up. “What did you say?” “I said,” she spoke louder, “that I am fine and you needn’t worry.” “What in a hurry?” he asked, again not hearing his normally quite loud Princess. The altered ears of both guards were twitching erratically. Bat hearing did not belong in loud nightclubs, that was for sure. The Matriarch of Night growled, not use to being misheard. She took a breath and raised her voice. “WE SAID WE ARE QUITE ENJOYING OURSELVES!” The Royal Canterlot Voice echoed through the club like a thunderbolt. It was only as it radiated through the building that Princess Luna noticed she had, for only a moment, completely drowned out the music. Suddenly, the active machine that was the Nightlight came to a screeching halt. Ponies ceased dancing, and the music came to a stop with a loud scratch, as everyone turned their head toward the entrance. Many jaws hit the floor as ponies beheld their Starlight Sorceress. Luna herself winched as the entire crowd turned to face her, most of their expressions marked in confusion, while others were marked with fear. Even the most inebriated of ponies was glancing at her, aware completely of the gravity of the situation. “We should go,” spoke Equinox by Luna’s side, both him and Morningstar now hunched down in a defensive stance. “Who dares?” came a voice. It came from everywhere, as the music had before, shaking the room with it’s own intensity, though the speaker had obviously not yelled the words. “Who dares drown out my sound with her own?” The Queen of the Moon blinked in confusion. Had she just been...challenged? “Who dares speak to your princess in such a manner?” she shot back at the faceless entity of sound. At that moment, there was the sound of magic, and then the sound of grating as some hidden machinery came to life. All eyes turned to the back of the club, to the DJ booth, as the tinted glass began to rise, revealing the booth itself. For a moment, Luna saw a pair of red dots staring at her. But as the glass rose, the red dots were revealed to instead be a pair of dark violet shaded glasses, hiding the eyes of their current owner and wearer. Said wearer, and obviously the DJ of the club, was a white unicorn whose mane was striped with two colors of electrical blue, and kept in a fizzled style that showed off her wild side. Her mark was hidden from view for the moment, but it was obvious to any who saw her what this mare’s talent was. “So,” the unicorn spoke after a few moments, letting the glass ascend fully, “you want to drown me out then? Think you can make louder sound than me? Prove you can bring the noise and we’ll see.” Luna glared at this young upstart. She did not like being challenged. “As the youth of this generation say, bring it on.” The DJ grinned ear to ear. Though Luna could not see her eyes, she could feel their expression. Confidence. “I think I may like you, Princess. Let’s see if you can bring the thunder as well as DJ-Pon3 can.” With that, the strange mare magically began to work at the huge magical machine she was sitting in front of. “I’ll start you off with something more your speed,” she snickered. With a single flip of a switch, the speakers burst to life. What came from them was not the usual powerful beats that had come before, but a steady string of soft music. The patrons of the club began to moan and mutter amongst themselves as the music spread, slowly gaining momentum. This was not the music they had come to dance to. However, before any of them could think to leave the club in a huff, a new sound joined the music from the speakers, harmonized perfectly. All heads turned toward the source, and were collectively stunned still and silent at what they were witnessing. Princess Luna was singing.