//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: The Party's Over // Story: Frozen in a Nightmare // by Nerdz //------------------------------// All throughout the room, ponies were dancing to the peppy music or standing along the sides, clapping to the beat. After a few moments, the first song ended, and Captain Lightyear stepped up in front of the two thrones at the far end of the ballroom. He cleared his throat, gesturing to one side of the room. "Princess Celestia of the Day!" he announced. The said princess grinned and trotted out from the hallway, waving at as many ponies as she could before stopping in front of what used to be her mother's throne, but now was hers. Lightyear then gestured to the other side of the room. "Princess Luna of the Night!" Whereas Celestia seemed friendly, Luna was stoic. She walked, head held high, from behind the wall. In the time between the coronation and the after party, she had added a cape over her dress. Only when she stood in front of her father's throne did she turn to face the crowd of ponies. They all bowed to the princesses before returning to the dance floor. Celestia was eager to mingle with her subjects, but warily glanced towards Luna. She hadn't really seen much of her sister since Discord's defeat three years before. Biting her lip, she wondered what she should say, not realizing that the younger mare was turning towards her. "Hi." Luna said with a gentle smile, causing her older sister to jump slightly. "Who me? Oh, uh, hi." "It's been a while." "Yes, I, uh, I suppose it has." "So, this is what a party looks like, huh?" Luna gestured to the many ponies before them, trying to break the awkward tension between her and her sister. "Yeah, it's pretty cool, isn't it?" "Yes. But, what is that smell?" both mares took a deep whiff, before breaking into matching grins. "Cake!" they shouted in unison. The sisters turned their heads, looking at each other in surprise before bursting into laughter. They continued to chat, each hoping to rebuild the relationship that had been neglected for so long. "Ahem." They turned towards the sound to find two young stallions standing in front of them. "Your highnesses," one began "my name is Solar Sword, and this is my friend, Midnight Shield. We're with the royal guard. And, we were wondering if you would like to dance with us." he reached a hoof out to Celestia. Shield reached a shaky hoof towards Luna hopefully. She started to accept, but then stopped, remembering a time when she'd been dancing around her room. Her horn cover had fallen, and a beam of the inky, star-etched magic had streamed towards the ceiling. "Um, thank you, only, I don't dance." she winced at the crushed look on the stallions face. "I do!" Celestia took Sword's hoof, allowing him to lead her towards the dance floor. Luna kept her eyes trained on her sister, watching as she was swept across the room by star-struck stallions and mingled with the various other ponies, royal and commoner alike. The older mare was everything Luna was not: social, fun loving, energetic, and not afraid to be who she is. Luna, catching onto her older sister's enthusiasm, she started to walk out to search for Shield, but stopped herself. She reached up and touched a hoof to her horn cover, reminding herself how dangerous she truly was. Celestia trotted back up to her sister, slightly breathless. "Having fun?" Luna asked with a smile. "Yeah." Celestia panted, feeling much more confidant around her sister, "Just a little tired." "You okay?" "I'm...I'm great, actually. This has been the best Night of my life. I can't wait for it to be like this all the time!" "W-what?" Luna's eyes widened. "Well, I mean, we're in charge now. We can change the rules. We can open the gates, Luna." Luna gulped slightly, shaking her head. "Don't you think Mama and Papa would've had a good reason for closing them in the first place? I'm sure they did it in everypony's best interests. We..." she sighed "We can't." Celestia reached out to lay a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "Well, why not. We-" "We just can't!" Luna swatted her sister's hoof away. "Now, if you'll excuse me." she began to walk away. "But, Luna!" Celestia ran after her sister "Please, Luna. It'd be so much better." Luna just glared, again shaking her head. "But....but I'm your big sister!" The anger was rising up inside Celestia. "As co-princesses, one cannot pass a law without the other consent. You asked my permission, but my answer is no. We're done here." she turned to Lightyear. "It's getting rather late, and it's in everypony's best interest if the party were to end now. Please, close the gates." She walked towards the doors. Celestia glared at her younger sister, furious at what had just taken place. Her horn flared to life in an attempt to grab the younger mare, only to result in suspending the horn cover next to her face. Luna whirled around in panic. "Celestia, give me my horn cover!" she swiped at it with her hoof, narrowly missing. By now, everypony was staring at the sisters. She couldn't risk using magic, as it was taking everything in her to not let the curse show. "Celestia...I-I just can't live like that." The older mare's glare was hard and cold. "Then leave." Those two words broke whatever friendship the sisters had. "You always wanted to travel. Do it." Luna flattened her ears to the side of her head, lowering her gaze. "I...I can't." She turned and headed for the door. "That's right, just go back to your room and shut everypony out. I mean, it's bad enough Mom and Dad closed the gates, but I could've at least had my sister!" Luna's hoof froze just on the door handle. Anger rose up inside her. "What they did was done to protect us." she growled through clenched teeth. She glanced back. "To protect you! Now that's enough." "Protect us from what!? Freedom!? Happiness!?" It was in that moment that Luna snapped. She whirled around. Her eyes had morphed into those of a dragon, while her mane had lost it's aura texture and changed into a blue smoke. "I said 'ENOUGH!" She slammed her hoof onto the floor, cracking it slightly, and threw her head back. Her horn flared to life, sending a powerful beam into the air. It carved a gaping hole into the ceiling, continuing higher towards the Moon. She changed back and looked around. Everypony stared at her, an unmistakable terror in their eyes. Her horn flared and she picked up the horn cover before slipping it back on. She backed into the door. "...Luna?" Celestia whispered. Luna flung the door open, galloping down the hallways. She could hear Celestia running after her, along with various shouts of 'demon' and 'monster' coming for the other ponies. She ran outside and over to the edge of the cliffside. She looked down fearfully, then back towards her sister who was catching up. She spread her wings, and with a mighty flap, disappeared into the clouds. "Luna, wait!" Celestia screamed, running over to where her sister had taken wing. She, too spread her wings, but was stopped by a voice. "Your highness?" Lightyear laid a hoof on her wing "I know this is a bad time, but, you need to raise the Sun." Sighing, the mare flared her horn and reached for the Moon, ready too pull it down. The second her magic touched it, however, she received a painful shock, causing her horn to spark and knocked her to the ground. "Princess, are you alright!?" Lightyear helped her to her hooves. "I'm fine, but, there's some sort of force field around the Moon. I..." full realization hit "I can't lower the Moon." she spread her wings "If I don't find Luna, we'll be stuck in an eternal Night." with that, she took to the air.