Fabrics of all sorts were flung in Celestia's face. With each piece of clothing she pulled off, it was replaced by another. She gave a roll of her eyes.
"Luna, calm down. It's only for one night."
The navy coloured alicorn turned around with a smug look. "I will nein, nada and not calm down. I want to make a good impression to my subjects!"
"We've been ruling Equestria for almost two hundred years. They all know us already..."
Luna stopped throwing both of their cloths everywhere to hold a blue silk dress in front of her. "I realize that. However, we live in the Everfree forest, not many ponies visit us, therefore not knowing us personally." Her horn started to glow, followed by her crown. She tossed it over on her bed and replaced it with a head veil, but she immediately took it off. "Ugh... if only Princess Platinum were here, she'd know what to wear..." The alicorn's ears drooped at the mention of that name. Celestia walked over to her sister and put a hoof on her shoulder.
"She may not be here, but it's good to know she would enjoy tonight's event, is it not?"
"I know..." Luna murmured. "Oh! Just got an idea!" She suddenly perked, taking her mind off of things. The Princess trotted over to the cupboard and shuffled her hoof in the mish-mash of clothing, then held out a golden silken dress. Celestia tilted her head.
"Err... I don't think you'd suit gold..."
"Oh no, not at all!" Luna chuckled, turning to her sister with a smirk on her face. "But you would!" The dress floated over to her, then in a bright flash, appeared on her body. She watched as her royal regalia, aside from her shoes was tossed on the bed next to Luna's crown. Celestia looked back at her sister with a blank look, and watched as she tapped her chin with her hoof.
"Hmm..." Luna mused, looking up and down her outfit. "Hold still." She ordered as she floated up to Celestia's height.
"What are you - OW!" She yelped as something tugged at her mane.
"Sorry!" Luna cringed. "I'm just trying to..."
Celestia waited for her to finish her sentence, however nothing came. Instead, just shuffling and pulling at her multicoloured an flowing mane.
"Aha! Success!" She announced, pulling a mirror in front of Celestia. What she saw widened her eyes.
"What did you do?" She tried to glance at her newly styled mane, yet it kept falling over her eye when she tried to angle her reflection so it was visible.
"I tied your crest and your forelock together at the bottom, and clipped some of your fringe more to the side so your eye is visible. I guess you still can't see properly though." A hoof lifted some of her fringe up to reveal more of Luna's grin. "Also, I added a braid, that's why it took so long."
Celestia lifted her own hoof and ran it down the back of her mane, feeling the braid for herself. "Oh! Thanks Luna."
"Oh, not a problem. Let's just hope you don't attract too much attention..." Luna gave a wink, making her blush out of embarrassment.
"Yeah yeah... so funny." She muttered through gritted teeth. "Now I think I should dress you up like a doll." Celestia then teleported in front of the closet, scanning each piece of clothing for Luna to wear. Then, a bright light appeared in the room. The two sisters turned to it and watched as a unicorn shape appeared.
"Starswirl!" Celestia blinked.
"Hello you two. Long time no see!"
"...It's been a day since we last saw you." Luna stated.
"Well, for me it's been three weeks." He retorted. "Looks like I got back just in time for the Grand Galloping Gala, however!" He glanced at the scattered dresses. "Really, what is it with girls and clothes?"
"Beats me." Celestia shrugged.
"Well, it's nice to see you Starswirl, but if you haven't noticed, we're getting changed!" Luna barked, starting to push the unicorn towards the door.
"...Luna, we don't usually wear clothes."
"Yes we do!" Luna pointed towards the royal regalia piled on the bed.
"...Oh yeah."
"Also, it's weird for a stallion older than us to watch us get dressed."
"We're hundreds of years older than him though..." Celestia raised a brow. Luna blinked.
"Well, either way, I better get to Canterlot to help prepare for the Grand Galloping Gala." Starswirl chuckled. "I'll see you two tonight." With that, he teleported off.
"I'm actually not sure if he's older than us or not..." Celestia glanced at Luna, who shrugged.
"He cheats though. He ages backwards when he travels back in time... or something." She trotted over to her big sister's side. "Now... what dress should I wear?"
---
As the two Princesses cantered towards Canterlot Towers, the ponies around them paused in their tracks, many bowing down in their presence. They tried their best not to feel awkward about it, and to keep their image formal. The few ponies that weren't lowering themselves as they trotted past them either were stallions - or maybe even some mares, it was difficult to tell - with their jaws agape and drooling, or high class ponies who didn't feel the need to treat themselves as 'peasants'.
At the main entrance, Celestia and Luna met up with the three royal representatives - three generations down from Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead. There was Princess Wysteria of the unicorns, Chancellor Kimono of the earth ponies and Sargent Star Catcher of the pegasi. The three ponies nodded to the two alicorns, as they did back. Wysteria was a lavender pony with a darker purple mane that flicked over to one side. Kinona was similar, however both her coat and mane were darker than her unicorn companion. Star Catcher was a lot different - she was white with a mane with different shades of blue streaking through it.
Soon enough, the two mares made it inside to the main hall, where the actual event would take place. That's when Celestia heard a squeal from her little sibling.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh I'm so excited!" Her eyes grew wide and gleamed with enthusiasm. Celestia just gave an amused huff.
"Somepony please watch over my sister before she faints."
On cue, unexpectedly, three guards rushed to Luna's sides in a heart beat. The white alicorn blinked.
"...I was being sarcastic."
The guards stared at her, then shrunk back to their original positions. Luna glanced both left and right in confusion.
"Hi Princess Wysteria!" The dark coloured alicorn grinned as the lavender pony trotted through the hallway. She turned to see who had called her name, and stopped when she saw Luna waving a hoof at her.
"Greetings Princess Luna. The Gala's starting in three minutes, just though I'd alert that of thou."
"Thou?" Luna echoed. The unicorn nodded.
"Yes, that is how we, royalty, address others."
"I know that, but we don't have to use the Royal Canterlot Voice with each other!" She said.
"...Oh. Okay then." Wysteria smiled awkwardly.
Celestia looked at the two as they began their conversation, then at another doorway. Keeping her eye on it, she stalked over to a guard.
"Excuse me, is that the door to Canterlot gardens?" She asked the stallion who nodded.
"It is, your majesty."
The Princess gave a smile in thanks, then trotted happily back to Luna and Wysteria, who had also been joined by Star Catcher and Kimono.
This is going to be so fun!
---
"This is so not fun..." She murmured, drawing imaginary circles on the ground. Two hours in, and the Gala had just been... tedious. She hadn't known what to expect, but she expected more than... this. Being away from her home had isolated her from Canterlot culture - or at least, her subjects culture. Canterlot had been here before the founding of Equestria - once known as just 'Canterlot Mountain: Home of the alicorns'.
Now, it didn't have as many buildings as it does now, since alicorns were more into natural environment (including her and Luna), but some of the traditions stayed, like the Royal Canterlot Voice. But gosh, she didn't expect them to be upgraded to be so...up-tact.
Celestia looked around the room, looking for some excitement. She couldn't spot her sister in the crowd, nor was she going to try. It would take too long. Instead, she tried to go for another available option. Her eyes scanned across the mares, stallions, and decorations made for the party, until...
The gardens... Her magenta eyes paused as they reached the door she had totally forgotten about. At some point, she was planning to go and look at the beautiful scenery outside, because if anything, the gardens of Canterlot Towers would be a wonderful thing to observe, but it had slipped her mind.
Celestia stood back on her hooves, straightening her dress back into its original shape, and began to canter towards the exit. Dodging ponies around her wasn't too difficult, however it wasn't easy with the amount of ponies that there were. Eventually, she found herself standing out in the open, away from her slow moving subjects.
And the garden in front of her was indeed beautiful.
She took her time as she roamed through the silver outlined grass, onto the pathway that led her through a hall of trees. Fireflies provided more light than needed, while the soft whisper of a faint breeze drifted past her ears, weaving through the swaying branches.
She didn't make a sound as she made a full lap around the moonlit area, and finally settled down under a tree that was nearer to the door that led her back inside. She stared at it, but refused to move from her spot.
As loneliness began to take its toil after a while, a small sparrow hopped over to her in curiosity. Celestia smiled, gently holding a hoof out for it to bounce onto.
"Hello little guy..." She murmured. "I know you can't understand me, but I hope it's okay if I talk to you..."
The sparrow tilted its head, but stayed and listened.
"It's funny... you must feel so small compared to the world around you, and I'm the co-ruler of it all." She lifted her head to the stars. The small bird copied. "I personally think it's harder being the one who watches over everyone. They all look up to you, waiting for you to say the right thing, so you know it's going to be hard to say something that you think, or even know, they'll say 'no' to." She brought her eyes back to the little creature. "I don't think you realize you have the easy job."
The sparrow looked as if it wished to reply, but before it could do so much as tweet, it whipped its head to look over her shoulder. It stood in place for another heartbeat, then it flew off. Celestia watched it go.
She couldn't help but look back and see what it was that had chased it off. Shock flooded through her as she spotted two yellow eyes glaring at her.
"Discord?" She gasped, as the draconequus floated out of the shadows. "Wha... what are you doing here?"
He gave a chilled grin, swerving around her like a snake to make his way to the front of her.
"Am I not aloud to visit my favourite pony?" He set his paw under her chin, which calmed her instantly.
"I just didn't expect to see you here." She said, resting her muzzle on his. "Here especially."
Discord gave a confused pout. "Why's that, dear?"
Celestia looked up, making eye contact with him. "Tonight's just been... ugh."
"Ugh?"
"Ugh." She repeated. "Boring. Tedious. Tiring. A lullaby."
Discord blinked. "Such a shame. You look..." He coughed, muffling the next word. "...beautiful."
Celestia stared at him, a blush growing on her face, along with a smile. "Seriously, you don't even have to try." She giggled, turning away to hide her flushed cheeks, despite hiding not being an option.
She looked back at the doorway. "I'm just really disappointed. Me and Luna were so excited..." She lay her head on his chest, shivering with pleasure as his talon ran through her ethereal mane. "In fact, I think it's mainly because that I feel like I have to be so formal to fit in." A pout appeared on her lips. "How frustrating."
A chuckle escaped from Discord, followed by a white flash. The light forced Celestia to shut her eyes, only opening them once she was sure it was dark again. She and the draconequus had appeared in front of a window, themselves being hidden by a hedge that had grown in front of it. She turned her head back to Discord, awaiting for an explanation.
A smirk was spread across his face, as he looked back to her. "I think I can manage to... liven things up a bit." He stroked his chin, raising a brow at the slow-dancing ponies. Celestia stayed silent.
Discord lifted his lion paw, getting ready to snap his fingers.
"What are you doing?" The Princess asked.
"Oh... just making the dance floor more entertaining!" He grinned, finally snapping his fingers. Celestia held his gaze for a few more moments, until a crash caught her attention from inside Canterlot Towers. She swung her head around, seeing the floor had changed it's appearance. Instead of being a checkered floor, it was blue-ish, a few bubbles being created as ponies began skidding ungracefully across the room.
Discord stopped himself from bursting out with laughter by covering his mouth with his two front limbs, however he couldn't stop himself from snickering.
"Holy chaos, that kid has bubbles!" He kept his hands in place, but pointed a single talon to a pony who was drifting across the floor on his belly, with bubbles piled on his muzzle.
Celestia tilted her head. "...Did you turn the floor into..."
"Soap? I did indeed!" He lowered his limbs from his mouth and turned his head to face her, expecting at least a giggle from the mare. But to his surprise, she wasn't. She had no reaction. He tapped his chin. "Okay... not very creative I suppose." The draconequus frowned. "What about..."
After another sound of a pony slamming into the wall, along with a couple of confused screams, Discord gave another snap of his paw. "An old classic!" He grinned. Celestia blinked as she saw familiar pink clouds appear scattered around the room. Ponies began to slip into them and get stopped in their tracks by the stickiness of the pink fluff, causing them to fall flat on their face. Each time it was repeated, Celestia cringed.
"Discord..."
"Yes, I know. You know that old trick, and it's not funny." He pouted. "And comedy depends on the elements of surprise." Another snap. Another cringe from Celestia.
Discord, this time, couldn't control his laughter. "Pshh... Tia... look! Haha!" As he fell on his back, Celestia turned her head. Her eyes widened as she recognized a familiar pony connected to strings which hung from two wooden crosses. They acted like a puppeteer, treating the blue mare like a puppet.
Ponies around tried to regain their balance on the slippery floor, so that they could attempt to help the controlled mare. A light blue unicorn with a long pink mane, soaked in soap, was the first to get on her hooves. She attempted to pull at the strings with her magic, but was immediately pushed away by the puppet.
That puppet was her sister.
She turned to Discord, her eyes piercing through him with rage.
"Discord, stop this." She commanded. Discord's laughter faded as he heard the seriousness in her voice. His smirk was replaced with a frown. He stood up on his goat leg and reptile foot, and with a single snap, everything returned back to normal. His ears drooping, he turned to his friend, who was still glaring at him.
"You went too far." She hissed. "I did not at all find the abuse of my subjects funny, and certainly not you turning my little sister into a puppet!" She didn't care about being heard, she was just so irritated.
The draconequus blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Hey, I was just trying to lighten tonight up. I was doing you a favor!"
"Ponies getting hurt or controlled isn't funny!" She retorted.
"It is to me!"
"Why?"
"Because revenge can be hilarious!"
Silence.
Celestia looked at the ground, before shouldering him out of her way. No words were spoken as she retreated.
This left Discord alone, in Canterlot.