//------------------------------//
// Chapter Zero: Luna's Worry 
// Story: MLP Infection AU: Frostbite 
// by Kor Dust 
//------------------------------//

"Why is it cold.. We are so cold.."

Luna, ever vigilant of her nightly watch over the Dream Realm, could not help as a chill ran down her spine at those words.

"We are so cold.. We are sorry for being so cold.."

Try as she might, Luna could only hear those soft words repeat again and again, the source of which remaining hidden within the Realm which Luna patrolled so thoroughly.

She felt sadness and pain within those words, fear mixed with worry, as they repeat every so often with a chilly aura from each word, yet she could never find the door which they emanated from. And with each repetition they grew softer and softer until they could be heard no longer.

Luna could normally find any door to any dream of any sleeping pony in the land, be it within the grip a nightmare or the soft tranquility of a gentle dream. Tonight gave her pause and a moment of concern as several doors seem to have disappeared since her watch the night before, an occurrence which rarely happens outside of select special occasions, yet no news of any deaths or disappearances were posted at any point that week. She figured they must have moved to another location within the Dream Realm, an event that happens every so many moons. Even so, just the mere thought gave the young alicorn a mince of worry for her ponies should it be true that a few on her watch have disappeared from even the Dream Realm, if nothing worse.

After several moments of hesitation, Princess Luna's horn glowed and within moments she finds herself back in her royal chambers, soft moonlight streaming in from the open balcony with soft blankets of snow along the railings and outer stretches of the balcony. She stepped out of bed and towards the balcony, standing beside the open doorway looking out over Equestria as stray clouds were seen in the night sky, some clouds obscuring some twinkling stars but never the moon. A look of soft worry was on her face as she looked out towards Ponyville, thankfully bathed within the calming light of her moonlight. Something was wrong this night, it itched deep within her stomach, yet she knew not why.

Seeking solace with her dear sister, Luna's horn glowed once again as she found herself within the opposite bedchamber of her sister Celestia, already awake and standing out on her balcony overlooking Equestria with Luna standing within the doorway behind her.

"Sister? You are still awake at this hour?" she asks, curiosity as her tone masking her worry for their subjects.

"You feel it, don't you, Luna. There is a chill in the air that I cannot explain." Celestia says without turning to face her, still leaning over the snowy balcony railing.

"Sister, the only cold I feel is from your balcony, it is wide open and you are standing outside in nothing but your nightgown. Please, come inside and close the door." Luna says, watching her sister stand outside with the wind softly ruffling the hems of their nightgowns.

Several moments pass as Celestia stands silently on her balcony overlooking the kingdom, a look of worry on her own face, before sighing and walking to Luna, closing the door behind her as they stepped to Celestia's bed and sat upon it.

"Is there something worrying you, sister? Are you cold? I can go grab another blanket should you require it." Luna says in an attempt to do something other than think about the cold words from the Dream Realm.

"I.... Yes, that would be alright, Luna. I would not like to catch a cold this year, unlike last Hearthswarming where I had to stay locked in my room instead of participating in the festivities, watching as all my little ponies played and bounced in the snow with their cups of hot cocoa and their scarves flying in the wind around their necks.." Celestia says recalling last years festivities with a bit of sadness, as for most of the events she was indeed stuck locked within the castle, mostly her tower, as others played about below and in the courtyard on that faithful day, Luna even participating in some with the younger fillies and colts not even half her size.

Without a moment to spare her sister nods and leaves the room to go find a spare blanket, leaving Celestia to sit and ponder as she thinks back to the voices she heard during her sleep and how chilly each one sounded as they descended further and further into what felt like a cold winter's night without so much as Luna's calming moonlight to lead where they went. Something about them sent chills down the older sister's spine, like they are a warning of what's to come without so much of a hint as to what. Time will only tell as neither princess brings it up again that night in other to not cause any undue anxiety in the other for something that may be nothing of concern to the other.

Meanwhile, in a town in a blind spot from Canterlot, ponies are beginning to come down with a mysterious illness that appears to be at first the common cold, as these specific ponies are outside for most of the day, however they are a little aggressive towards others depending on how long they worked outside and how cold they were during the waking hours of the day. Some ponies comment it among their families and friends as they go about their evening and nightly activities, attempting to not cause a blown gasket with some of the mares and stallions that are abnormally hostile towards others with a more noticeable cough and fever as they were outside the most. Others attempt to tend to their afflicted loved ones as best they can yet they cannot help but feel concern for them, thinking something must going around as the temperatures begin to plummet during the wee hours of the night, a sign of something worse to come if they are not careful this cooling Hearthswarming Week.