Silver Streak, Sunshine, and the rest of their friends were sitting on a train headed for Canterlot, the lot of them going to the capital city to visit Luna once more. Silver and Luna had kept in touch since they all came to visit last time, and one of the topics of their letters was the difference between the modern world and the one she was banished from, mainly how the ponies of today enjoy the night.
It was Luna’s curiosity about that topic that started this plan to show her the nightlife in Canterlot, to show her that the night is loved now more than it ever has been before. A thousand years ago, ponies simply went to bed at night after a long day of work, but in the centuries since things had grown much more active after dark. Truly it was the age of Luna, for there were now many who loved the night.
Most of them were dressed up for the nightclub scene, and all of them were ready to party. Sunny wore the same white dress and black boots she wore the first time they all went to the club together, while Silver elected to wear nothing. Mystic wore a black undershirt with a purple button-up shirt over it, and Jewel wore an orange tank top and black yoga pants, while Frosty had decided on a small red dress for the night.
“Do you think Luna’s going to have fun tonight?” Jewel asked Silver. “I mean, this will be different than anything she’s experienced up ‘til now, right? What if she doesn’t like it?”
“I’m sure everything will be fine,” he replied. “Yeah, it’ll be a new, unique experience for her, but I think she’ll enjoy it. At the very least, she’ll appreciate knowing that ponies really do enjoy the night now.”
“As long as we’re all together, I’m sure she’ll have a great time,” said Sunny.
It wasn’t much longer before they reached the station at Canterlot, where they noticed a small commotion caused by Princess Luna herself waiting at the station with a royal chariot pulled by some of her night guards. They went up to Luna, and all offered her a polite bow before Silver greeted her. “Luna, it’s good to see you again. I hope you’re as excited as we are about tonight’s activities.”
The princess smiled and nodded. “It’s good to see you all as well, and I am quite excited to experience this ‘clubbing’ you spoke of. Before that though, I thought it best that we go to the castle to have dinner together, as I assume none of you have eaten tonight?”
“That’s a good idea,” Frosty said. “Don’t want to do shots on an empty stomach, after all.”
Luna’s brow furrowed as she took that in. “What are these ‘shots’, and why would you not want to do them on an empty stomach?”
Frosty’s brow shot up in surprise, before a shark-like smile grew on her face. “Oh Luna, we’re going to have so much fun tonight.” Silver grimaced at that, hoping there weren’t any laws against getting the princess drunk…
“I’m sure we will,” Luna said, unaware of the mischievous thoughts running through the pegasus’ head. “Now, if everyone would board the carriage, then we’ll be off to the castle.” The bunch of them boarded the carriage, and the royal guards began pulling them along. It seemed unbelievable to think that just a few weeks ago, most of them wouldn’t have reason to even visit Canterlot, and now they were friends with a princess and were going off to dine at the castle!
It didn’t take the guards long to reach the castle, and everyone disembarked to head inside, following Luna as she made her way to the dining hall, where a small feast awaited them. Fine bread, salads, a large pot of soup, and a large bowl of punch sat on the table, all demanding to be eaten, and they each grabbed their plates to serve themselves.
When each of the plates was full of food and everyone had sat down to eat, conversation began as they ate. The princess began by asking, “So, how have things been in Ponyville?”
“Things have been going well,” Sunny replied. “In fact, Silver recently began working at my chocolate shop.”
“Oh?” said Luna, looking over to Silver. “And why is that?”
“Because Sunny was overworked, and needed the help,” he explained.
“It was getting to be more than one pony could handle,” Sunny admitted. “Especially since I had to restock the shop from scratch, which took a lot of time every day in my off-hours. Now that Silver’s working the storefront, I can focus on making my chocolates during business hours, leaving me to enjoy my free time again.”
“And I trust he’s been helpful?” Luna inquired.
“He’s been very helpful,” Sunny replied, “though I’ve made sure to set limits on how long he’s working at the shop every day. After all, I don’t want Silver to ignore his sculpting or studies just to help me with the shop.”
“I’ve tried telling her that she doesn’t need to worry about that, that I can sculpt and study whenever, but she refuses to listen,” said Silver. “The studying isn’t even that important anyway…”
Sunny frowned at him. “I’m not about to let you abandon your dreams just to help me with mine.”
Luna smiled. “I’m glad to hear that you’re thinking of his needs just as much as he’s thinking of yours. I’ve no doubt that you two will have a strong and lasting relationship together.” She looked over to Mystic next. “And speaking of dreams, how are things coming along with your band, Mystic?”
He perked up at that, and swallowed his bite, before answering, “Oh, well, it’s going alright. We’ve been playing at various parties and a pub in Ponyville, but recently we’ve worked to spread beyond our town. Just last week we had a little show here in Canterlot, which went well. Still, we need more recognition before we can really start going for a record deal.”
She frowned, and said, “I wish I could help you with that, but sadly all the royals and upper-class ponies I know of are far more interested in classical music than rock ‘n roll.”
He waved a hoof dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, Luna. We’ll make it on our own, through hard work and dedication, and of course with our awesome tunes.” As it was, he preferred to have his band make it big due to their talent, and not simply because he knew the right ponies.
“Yeah, just you wait! Restless Harmony will definitely be the next big band!” said Jewel, confident in Mystic and his band. “You guys are too good to stay hidden for long.”
Luna chuckled at Jewel’s enthusiasm. “Of that I have no doubt. You’ll have to let me know when you have your first major concert, so that I can see your band play.”
Mystic grinned and nodded. “You’ll get the very first ticket, I promise.”
= = = = = = = = = =
After dinner was finished, the mares went with Luna to her bedroom, hoping to find something for her to wear to the nightclub, leaving Silver and Mystic alone in the hallway waiting for them.
Mystic chuckled to himself and sat down. “Best get comfy, Silver. If those mares spend as much time gossiping as they are looking for outfits, then we’re gonna be here a while.”
He snorted and nodded, sitting next to the other unicorn. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
- - -
Inside Luna’s bedroom, the trio of mares helped the princess find an outfit to wear to the nightclub. And of course, during the course of their search, they all gossiped as mares are prone to do. In particular, Frosty was telling them about how she teased Silver on his first day working at the chocolate shop.
“So he’s just sitting there, blushing up a storm, and I tell him that he made the rookie mistake of leaving the shop open,” she told them with a shameless grin. “So I flipped the sign to ‘closed’ and just walked out the door, and left him to stew for a while.”
They all laughed at the story, and Jewel stifled her laughter to say, “Oh j-jeez! *Hehehe!* C-candy colt! Sugar! *hahahaha!* I-I can’t believe you… *Hehe!* said that to him!”
Sunny was on the ground, laughing too hard to stand. Things were made clear by the story, and she said, “Oh wow! So… *snrk!* that’s why he was *hehehe!* blushing so much when I asked him… *hahahaaaaa!* asked him to put his uniform back on that… *gasp!* that night!”
When everyone realized what Sunny meant, they all blushed and laughed even harder, with Luna shaking her head. “Sunny, you *snrk!* didn’t!”
“I did!” she laughed. “He’s so hot in that uniform, Luna! I couldn’t help it!”
“Oooh, so he really did give you some sugar!” Frosty laughed.
Sunny grinned and nodded. “He did! He really did!”
- - -
Mystic and Silver heard the laughter, just as the pair of night guards standing at the door did too. The thestrals were able to hear the conversation through the door, though, thanks to their superior sense of hearing, and they struggled to maintain their composure as they kept glancing over at Silver.
Said unicorn felt his face burning. “I’m guessing they’re talking about me in there…”
Mystic smiled and nudged him. “Hey, don’t sweat it dude, it’s just mares gossiping about stuff.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Silver, though he wasn’t exactly comfortable at the thought of being laughed at.
A thought occurred to Mystic. “You wanna know something, Silver?”
“Hm? What’s that?” he asked.
“I think you’re really good for Sunny,” he replied. At Silver’s confused look, he explained, “You know, before you came along, she was always stressing out about the shop, even during the rare occasions she found time to hang out with all of us. “ He smiled, and added, “Thanks to you, Sunny’s happier and more carefree than I’ve seen in years.”
Silver chuckled and shrugged. “Even if you’re right, I’m sure I’m getting more out of the relationship than she is.” He looked thoughtful as he said, “I’m a stallion with a lot of baggage, even more than the rest of you know, and yet she accepts every part of me, loves every part of me.” He snorted and shook his head. “I don’t deserve someone as wonderful as her…”
Mystic nudged him gently, telling him, “Hey, don’t sell yourself short, buddy. You’re a good stallion, and you make Sunny so happy just by being yourself. I’d say you both deserve each other, whether you believe it or not.”
Silver smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Mystic.”
- - -
“No… no… nope!” said Frosty as she looked through dress after dress, the few Luna owned all so formal and stuffy, all meant for fancy parties or official functions, and not for anything like clubbing. “You have absolutely nothing fun to wear in this closet!” she complained.
“Well excuse me if I haven’t spent the last thousand years updating my wardrobe,” Luna snarked at the pegasus. “And even if I had, I would only ever need to get dressed for special occasions. I don’t have anything simple or loose-fitting such as what you’re all wearing.”
“Aw, but dressing up is part of the fun!” Jewel said. “Getting out on the dance floor, showing off and cutting loose, it’s just so much fun!”
“My regalia will have to do,” said Luna.
“I guess…” Frosty sighed.
“Silver didn’t dress up either,” Sunny told Luna, “so it’s not as if you’ll be the only pony without. And you really don’t need to dress up to have fun, okay?”
Luna frowned and nodded. “I’m sorry if I’m being a bit short. I admit, I’m nervous about this outing you have planned.”
“What? Why?” Frosty asked as she closed the closet.
“I just… I don’t wish to make a fool out of myself,” she admitted. “It was bad enough scaring everyone in Ponyville that Nightmare Night, but at least they all respected me. If things go bad tonight, if I make myself a laughing stock, then nopony will respect me, or look up to me.” Her ears folded at the thought. “I cannot bring disgrace to the crown…”
Sunny placed a hoof on Luna’s shoulder, causing the princess to look to her. “Luna, you shouldn’t worry about that. The whole point of tonight is to just go out there and have fun with us, no matter how silly you might look.”
“But what about the modern dancing there? I don’t know any modern dances!” Luna lamented.
Sunny smiled, and told her, “I’ll teach you how to dance, okay? It’ll be simple, and you won’t have to worry about looking silly.”
“And look at it this way; you can’t dance any worse than Princess Twilight,” chimed Jewel.
Luna’s brow furrowed at that. “Twilight Sparkle is a poor dancer?”
Sunny snorted, bringing a hoof to her mouth. “To be honest, watching her dance is like looking at a train wreck. I know I can help you dance better than that, at least!”
Luna chuckled and sighed. “Alright, I shall trust you.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll stick together, and I promise we’ll all have a fun time,” said Jewel. “So, are we ready to go then?”
They nodded to each other, and headed to the door. Outside in the hall, they found Mystic and Silver chatting quietly, until they glanced at the group of mares leaving the room. “Nothing to wear, huh?” asked Mystic.
“I don’t have any clothing that is appropriate for this activity,” Luna replied. “At any rate, I was told it wasn’t required.”
“It’s not,” Silver told her. “So, where are we going?” he asked Sunny. She had been to Canterlot more than anyone else in the group, so she knew where to go for fun.
Sunny grinned as she thought of the perfect place for them to go. “I assume that your guards know their way around the city?” she asked Luna.
“They do indeed. Just tell them the address, and they’ll take us wherever you want to go,” Luna replied.
“Excellent,” she said. “Let’s go then.”
The princess nodded and led them through the castle to the royal carriage, where Sunny gave the royal guards directions to her favorite nightclub in the city, and soon they were on their way.
= = = = = = = = = =
The nightclub, called Serenity, looked bright and colorful from the outside, shining like a beacon to all the bored night owls of Canterlot. The front of the building featured neon lights of pink and purple built into notches in the walls, the colors flashing intermittently, and the sign hung glowing above the purple double doors.
“Welcome to Serenity,” Sunny said to the group. She lost count of how many times she visited the club during her stay in Canterlot, when she was earning her culinary degree there. Days of hard work and study gave way to nights of fun here at this nightclub, and she couldn’t wait to show it to everyone.
“I’m not so sure about this,” said Luna nervously.
“What’s wrong now?” asked Jewel.
“Well… Just look at the guard at the door,” she said, motioning to the bouncer looking nervously at the princess. “If I just stroll in there, I’m going to cause a panic. At the very least, everyone will be too tense in the presence of royalty to relax and party.”
“I doubt it,” Sunny replied. “If everyone gets nervous, you just have to tell them that you’re there as one of them, just a pony wanting to party, and tell them how happy you are that they’re enjoying the night.”
“And if that doesn’t relax them, you could always offer to buy everyone drinks,” Frosty piped up. At Luna’s curious look, she explained, “Well, getting drunk is a big part of the fun, and everyone enjoys free drinks!”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Luna. She took a deep, soothing breath, and nodded. “I’m ready, let’s go.” She led the way past the bouncer, who bowed to the princess, and soon they found themselves in the belly of the beast.
At the center of the room was a large dance floor, the floor panels lighting up in different colors while flashing multicolored lights beamed down from above, blinking with the steady beat of the electronica that was being played. The DJ played on her controller at the back of the dance floor, and a ways behind her was the bar, filled with bottles of all kinds of alcohol.
The tables and booths were split between two floors, with curving stairs leading to the second floor split on both sides, looking down upon the dance floor. For a moment, everyone was too engrossed in the music and the mood to notice the newcomers, before the DJ looked up and noticed the princess, and immediately fumbled at the controls in her panic.
The music suddenly cut out, everyone wondering just why the music had be shut down, until gasps and murmurs were heard from the crowd as everyone saw Princess Luna, and they all bowed to her. Not a single one of them had any idea why the princess of the night was at the club that night, and not one of them would dare ask her.
Luna sighed, worried this would happen, but she took Sunny’s advice and spoke up. “Citizens of Canterlot, please rise. I do not wish for your adoration; tonight, I am simply a pony, wishing to experience the nightlife with all of you.”
She felt emboldened as the ponies slowly rose to look curiously at her, and she continued, “It makes me so happy to see so many of you enjoying my night. Centuries ago, the night was seen only as a time of rest after a hard day’s work, and now it seems that the night is viewed as a time to celebrate.”
Everyone seemed at ease, and Luna smiled as she remembered Frosty’s advice. “And to make sure that the celebration continues through the night, all drinks shall be paid for by the crown!” Everyone in the nightclub cheered at that news, and several ponies went to the bar to make good on the princess’s generosity.
“Let’s go find a table,” Sunny told them as the music began playing once more, and she led them up the curved stairs to find a table on the second floor, overlooking the rest of the club. They all sat down, and Luna smiled and waved at a few ponies nearby who raised their drinks to the lunar princess.
Frosty grinned proudly. “See? I told you ponies like free drinks! And speaking of which, we should get this party started right. I’ll be right back!” She got up and headed down the stairs, going straight to the bar to get some drinks. She soon returned, followed by a unicorn mare who carried the drinks on a tray with her magic.
“Our finest whiskey,” the server told them as she passed everyone a shot glass. “Shall we send a bill to the castle in the morning?” she asked Luna, wondering about her offer to the entire nightclub.
“Indeed,” answered the princess, glancing to the small glass before her.
“These are shot glasses,” Frosty explained as the bartender left. “Hence why we call drinking hard alcohol ‘doing shots.’”
Luna chuckled, “Ah, I see now. Well, shall we have a toast, then?” She looked around at the group, and they all smiled and nodded, though Silver looked warily at the shot glasses floating in front of him. “To friendship!” she declared.
The rest raised their glasses to friendship, before downing their drinks. Silver, not used to such hard alcohol, sputtered and coughed, the stallion stomping a hoof on the table as he felt it burn on the way down. Sunny reached a hoof over to pat his back gently, while Luna licked her lips. “A fine drink!” she declared, and glanced over at Silver. “A tad strong for our aspiring wizard, though.”
“I *cough* think I’ll stick to my cider…” he replied hoarsely.
“I guess that means more for the rest of us then,” said Mystic, having enjoyed the flavor of the fine alcohol.
“So what did you want to do, Luna?” Sunny asked while rubbing Silver’s back.
Luna looked around the nightclub, taking in the sights and sounds. “It seems my two choices are drinking or dancing,” she observed.
“Not necessarily,” Frosty said, glancing at the ponies around them. “Another thing to do at a nightclub is to pick up a pony for a night of fun.” She turned her gaze to a stallion who passed by, her eyes glued to his rear. “Sweet Celestia, would you look at that—“
“And that’s more of a solo activity,” Sunny said, quickly cutting off that train of thought. “I’m sure Luna would prefer to do something all of us can enjoy, right?”
Luna nodded, her cheeks tinged pink. “Yes, and I don’t think it would be proper for a princess such as myself to go on the prowl for stallions.”
“Eh, suit yourself,” Frosty replied with a shrug. “Though if you’re feeling nervous about dancing, then we could go to the bar to load you up with some liquid courage.”
“That sounds best,” the princess replied, and the two of them got up to head to the bar.
“Hey, wait up,” Mystic called as he went to follow them.
With that, there were now three ponies sitting at the table. “I can’t believe ponies enjoy drinking that stuff,” Silver said with a grimace at his shot glass.
Sunny giggled. “Well the point is to get drunk, sweetie. Anyway, while they’re enjoying the bar, shall we go dancing?”
“Sounds good to me,” said Jewel, and Silver nodded as well.
The three of them left the table and headed down the stairs to the dance floor, heads bobbing to the beat of the music as they made their way there. Sunny smiled as they reached the dance floor, eager to have a dance or two with Silver while Luna was occupied.
= = = = = = = = = =
Luna, Mystic, and Frosty all sat at the bar, where Frosty told Luna, “So, the key thing here is to pace yourself. Too much too quick, and you’ll get really drunk, and that’s the way you ruin your image.”
Luna shot the pegasus a flat stare. “I am a centuries-old ruler of Equestria; I believe I know how to handle my liquor.”
She smiled sheepishly. “Ah, yeah, right… Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. I know you’re only looking out for my wellbeing, and I appreciate that,” the princess replied. “Bartender! What do you have to offer your princess of the night?”
“We offer a variety of neat and mixed drinks, your highness,” the bartender told her. “Just tell me what you’d like and I’m sure I can get it for you.”
She nodded. “Well then, another round of your finest whiskey, if you please.”
The bartender nodded, and went to work, his horn glowing as he brought a bottle from behind him while a few shot glasses lifted up from below, and he filled all three before putting the bottle back. The trio drank their shots together, well on the way to a delightful buzz, before Luna ordered a couple beers for her and Mystic, while Frosty ordered an appletini for herself, the three of them wanting something to sip as the hard alcohol worked through their systems.
“It seems a lively place,” Luna observed as she looked around at the other ponies at the bar, drinking and chatting and enjoying themselves. “If such places existed a thousand years ago, then I certainly wouldn’t have turned against my sister…”
“Hey, don’t think about that,” Mystic told her. “We’re here to relax, not to think about our mistakes.”
“And I’m sure a princess like you could do with some relaxation,” Frosty added.
“Indeed,” Luna replied, sipping her beer. “You have no idea how stressful it can be, helping the citizens of Equestria with their nightmares every single night.” Granted, most of those nightmares dealt with fears and issues that her citizens were dealing with, which required little more than a talk with those affected, but she still had to fight more than a few horrors as well.
“I’m sure everyone appreciates your effort,” said Frosty. “I know when I was a little filly, there were times I wish I could have had a princess protect me from my nightmares.”
“I guess we’ll be the last generation to suffer through nightmares, huh?” Mystic pondered.
“Well I can’t be in every dream at once,” Luna replied, finishing off her beer. “Still, most ponies shouldn’t have to worry about more than the occasional nightmare anymore.”
Frosty grinned as she finished off her appletini. “Speaking of nightmares, are you ready to face yours?” she asked the princess, motioning to the dance floor behind them.
Her ears folded, and she sighed. “I suppose I must. Wish me luck?”
The pegasus chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll need it, but good luck anyway.”
“You can do it, Luna, just relax and have fun,” Mystic told her.
Luna nodded and got up, as did Frosty. “Are you coming?” Frosty asked the stallion.
He shook his head. “Nah, not yet. I’m just gonna sit here and enjoy another beer, but I’ll be around soon. You two go have fun.”
They nodded, and walked together toward the dance floor, where Luna spotted Sunny, Silver, and Jewel already there. Sunny noticed the pair of them standing nearby, and she motioned them over. Luna nodded warily, and made her way with Frosty through the crowd to reach the trio.
“Well, I’m ready to learn modern dancing,” she told Sunny.
Sunny grinned. “Alright, I promise it’s not going to be hard. The important thing to remember is to just move along with the beat of the song, okay? As long as you do that, then you’ll be fine.”
Luna nodded, her ears flicking as she listened to the music. “Move with the beat…”
Sunny demonstrated, doing a simple dance while Luna watched. “As long as you do that, then you’ll be fine. I’ll teach you some simple dance moves to get you started, but in the end the key is to just have fun, okay?”
“I understand,” Luna replied, glancing about nervously at the other dancers, several of which were watching the lunar princess, wondering what she would do. “Lead on, Sunny.”
- - -
As Sunny began to teach Luna about following the beat, Silver couldn’t help but smile as memories came flooding back of their first time together at the club, and how she taught him to dance after everyone else went home.
In a way, it had been their first date together, even before their relationship blossomed. He’d gone there with everyone else, not knowing what to expect, and no idea how to dance. When the others left the two of them alone, they could have simply sat there to chat, or called it a night themselves, but instead Sunny took the time to teach him how to dance, and turned it into a memorable night.
And here she was, teaching Luna to enjoy herself on the dance floor just as she taught Silver all those weeks ago, while he was using her lessons to dance along with the music. She’d tried encouraging him to cut loose, to just do what felt right, but he was still too nervous to do much more than some basic movements with the music.
And speaking of moving with the music, he noticed Luna swaying her hips with the beat, shaking her rump from side to side. His cheeks reddened as he gazed at the firm royal rear, only now realizing just how fit the lunar princess was.
- - -
Sunny noticed Silver’s gaze, glancing over Luna’s shoulder at the stallion, and she snickered. “Hey Luna, I think you’ve already picked up an admirer…”
She looked curiously at Sunny, who smirked and nodded her head in Silver’s direction. The princess glanced behind her, noticing Silver gazing at her swaying hips, and she simply smirked and winked at the stallion, causing him to sputter and look away as his whole face turned red. Luna turned back and giggled with Sunny at the poor stallion’s discomfort, deciding to leave him to stew while they continued their lesson.
“You’d best be careful, Sunny; such wandering eyes could lead your stallion astray,” Luna teased.
“Oh, I have my ways of keeping him loyal,” she replied with a wink. “Besides, he loves me too much to ever think of going after somepony else.”
“Indeed,” said Luna. “You’re a lucky mare, Sunny. Silver is a fine stallion, and I can tell how devoted he is to you.”
Sunny blushed. “Yeah, well, I love him too much to let him go, either.”
Luna smiled. “I hope you remember that through the tough times. After all, I could certainly do worse for a royal consort…” she added with a grin.
Sunny’s jaw dropped, before she glowered at the princess. “Yeah, real funny Luna… Anyway, let’s get back to it! So, now that you’ve got a feel for the beat, let’s try some basic moves.”
“I’m ready,” she nodded.
- - -
Meanwhile, as Luna learned to dance, Frosty smiled at Silver as she watched him move with the music, trying to forget the way he embarrassed himself. “You’re pretty good, Silver!”
He smiled at that. “Thanks! Sunny taught me a few moves a while ago.”
“She taught you well,” said Frosty. “Come on and dance with me, and I’ll show you some new moves!”
He nodded, eager to learn and hoping to impress Sunny. “Okay, how do we do this?” he asked.
“Just follow my lead!” she told him as a new song started up.
= = = = = = = = = =
A couple hours later, Silver and Frosty were sitting at their table overlooking the dance floor, watching as Luna put Sunny’s lessons to good use as she danced to the blaring electronica. Everyone seemed to enjoy having Luna there, and not just because she was paying for the drinks; as they hung out and talked with the princess, they realized that she was just another pony like them, not some perfect, untouchable goddess. She was quickly making friends as she bonded with ponies on the dance floor, chatting freely with everyone who came by.
“I guess Jewel was worried about nothing, huh?” said Silver as he sipped his cider. He was glad to see that Luna was enjoying herself, and happy that Jewel’s earlier concerns were unfounded.
“I’d say so…” Frosty replied, watching as their other friends danced with Luna. She noticed a unicorn stallion coming into the nightclub, wearing a camera around his neck. “Well, would you look at that, seems we’ve got company,” she said, pointing a hoof to the pony in question.
“Hm?” Silver asked, looking at the pony Frosty pointed out, and his eyes widened. “Wait, is that a reporter?”
“I’d say so,” she nodded. “Looks like our little get-together has attracted some attention.”
“Do you think we should stop him?” he wondered, getting out of his chair. Luna was a princess, and could take care of herself, but that didn’t mean that he wanted to just leave her to the mercy of the press.
“I don’t think it would hurt for us to get down there, just in case, but let’s see where things go before we do anything drastic,” she advised him as she got up, and the two started heading down the stairs.
- - -
Tall Tale, a reporter for The Canterlot Chronicle, had come to Serenity when he heard chatter on the street of Princess Luna herself visiting the popular nightclub. He didn’t think much of it, having assumed it was just some baseless gossip, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a story if it turned out to be true.
He was quite surprised when he saw Princess Luna, there on the dance floor, just dancing the night away with all the other ponies. He quickly took out his camera to snap a photo of the princess, seeing it as the perfect shot for what would certainly be headline news for his paper. I didn’t think that Princess Luna even knew about nightclubs, let alone attended them! he marveled.
He let his camera hang around his neck, and a notepad and pencil levitated from his saddlebag as he trotted through the crowd toward Luna. Little did he know that he had four sets of eyes on him, ready to protect the princess should he be anything less than respectful; beyond two of her friends standing near the dance floor, there were also the two royal guards standing near the doors, watching for any sign from Princess Luna that the stallion should be removed from her presence.
“Excuse me, princess? I have a few questions for you!” he called out to her over the music. “Would you mind giving an interview for The Canterlot Chronicle?”
Luna perked up at that, and smiled, nodding at the stallion. “I would be happy to. Come, let us sit down somewhere so you may ask your questions.” She looked to Jewel, Sunny, and Mystic, and motioned for them to follow her as she left the dance floor and headed for their table up above, away from the loud music.
Frosty and Silver followed along as well, and the five of them gathered around the table while Luna and Tall Tale sat down for the interview. The latter cleared his throat, and said, “Thank you for this opportunity, your highness. My name is Tall Tale, and I was hoping to find out what brought you to a nightclub like this.”
She smiled and motioned a hoof to the others. “My dear friends told me that ponies of the modern age celebrate the night, and I wished to see it for myself. They were kind enough to lead me here, so that I could see that the night is truly appreciated.”
He wrote down her response, and looked up from his notepad. “Your friends?” he asked, looking about the ponies all around them. “And you are?”
“Allow me to introduce them,” she said, motioning to each of them in kind. “This is Silver Streak, Sunshine, Frostfire, Strawberry Jewel, and Mystic Spiral. They’re all my dear friends from Ponyville.”
He nodded to each pony in turn, and made note of them. “It’s nice to meet you all. So, Princess Luna, what do you think of the nightlife so far?”
She smiled and answered, “So far, it has been most entertaining. I’ve enjoyed learning modern styles of dancing, and listening to this ‘electronica’ that is playing. It fills me with joy to see ponies truly enjoying the night now, to know that the night is no longer viewed as simply a time for sleep.”
“And will this become a regular activity for you? Going to nightclubs such as this?” he wondered.
“I don’t believe so, no,” Luna replied, shaking her head. “As much fun as I’m having, I still have my regular duties to perform. Plus, this wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without my friends to join me.”
“Of course,” he replied, writing that down. “Thank you for your time, your highness. If you don’t mind, I wish to stick around for a while, get a few more photographs before I start on my story.”
“That would be fine, under the condition that you send six copies of your photographs to the castle,” she told him. “I would like something to remember this night by, as I’m sure the others would as well,” she added, looking around at the others to see most of them nodding in agreement.
“I will be sure to do that, your highness,” he told her, giving a small bow before leaving the table and the group.
“Well that went better than I thought it would,” said Silver, watching the stallion walk away. “I was worried he might be disrespectful.”
“Toward a member of the crown? Never,” Luna replied, getting out of her seat. “Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think I’ll head to the bar for another drink. Perhaps something fruity…” she pondered as she headed down the stairs.
“I could do with a refill myself,” Frosty said as she followed the princess.
Silver looked to Sunny and smiled. “Are you up for some more dancing? Frosty showed me a couple new moves, and I want to see what you think.”
Sunny grinned. “New moves, huh? Sure, let’s see what you got.” She gave him a hip-bump before heading down the stairs, hips swaying with every step.
Silver blushed at the sight as he followed, wondering if she was just teasing him, or if perhaps she was trying to keep his straying eyes on her…
- - -
The next couple hours were spent drinking and dancing the night away, and the reporter took a couple more photos before leaving the nightclub to write his story. Before he left though, he took a group photo at Luna’s request as a memento of the night, one they would all cherish.
Luna was glad that her friends introduced her to the nightlife, and she was happy to leave behind the stress of ruling—if only for a night—to dance and drink with them. Eventually though, they were all tired out from the night’s activities, and the princess bid her subjects farewell before they got back on the royal carriage and headed back to the castle.
= = = = = = = = = =
They all stepped out of the royal carriage when it reached the castle gates, except for Frosty who was carried in Silver’s magic. The pegasus had taken advantage of Luna’s generosity, and was passed out from all the alcohol she had been drinking through the night. Mystic and Jewel weren’t much better as they stumbled alongside the others.
“Why didn’t we go back to the train station?” Silver wondered.
“Because it’s late, and most of you are drunk,” Luna replied. “Besides, letting you rest at the castle is the least I can do for all the fun we had tonight.”
“I can’t,” Jewel whined. “I gotsa think ‘bout… about the preggos! Pregger ponies need me…”
The dark alicorn chuckled. “You can’t help your patients if you’re exhausted and hungover. Relax, Jewel, your patients won’t blame you for missing a couple appointments.”
Jewel giggled softly. “Those foals are soooo cute…” She looked to Mystic as he walked next to her, pouting. “Hey, Mystic, when’re you gonna give me a foal…?”
The whole group just stopped, Luna, Sunny, and Silver looking at the pair while Mystic just stared wide-eyed at Jewel. “W-wuh?” was his only response.
“I wasn’t aware they were dating,” Luna muttered to the others.
“They’re not,” Sunny giggled, amazed at just how amorous Jewel got when she was drunk.
“I wanna baby, gimmie a baby!” Jewel demanded, prodding the stallion.
“Ca-can’t this wait until… uh, morning?” he asked, his face red and his mind quickly cleared of its alcoholic haze.
Her brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed as she took a good, hard look at the unicorn. “Hmm… I guess so… But we’re gonna talk ‘bout this, buster!” she added, prodding his chest with a hoof.
“Y-yes ma’am,” he replied. Silver, Sunny, and Luna all giggled at the show, and Luna motioned them to follow her as she led them to their various rooms. Silver carefully tucked Frosty into her bed, while Mystic and Jewel stumbled their way into their own rooms, and then he went into another room with Sunny.
Soon enough, Silver and Sunny were snuggled up together in a bed in one of the castle’s guest rooms. He felt tired, and worn out from the night of partying, but something was bugging him and he knew he couldn’t fall asleep while it hung over his head. “Hey, Sunny?” he whispered, cuddling her from behind.
“Hm?” she murmured tiredly.
His ears folded, and he said, “I-I just wanted to say, I’m sorry for looking at Luna like that. It was wrong of me to look at another mare that way…”
“Hey, hey…” said Sunny as she rolled around to face him. “You don’t need to apologize for that, sweetie. It didn’t bother me, and honestly I was looking at a few handsome stallions myself.”
“O-oh,” he replied, worriedly.
She noticed his concern, and reached a hoof up to stroke his cheek. “You know why your looking didn’t bother me? Because I know you love me, and you wouldn’t leave me for a pretty face.”
“Of course I wouldn’t,” Silver replied, shaking his head.
She smiled and kissed him softly, before telling him, “Well I love you too, and you can trust me when I say I’m not going to just abandon you either. It’s normal to look at other ponies, what’s important is sticking around and staying true to each other, got it?”
“Got it,” he replied with a smile.
“Goodnight, my love,” she whispered, sharing a kiss with him which he happily returned.
“Goodnight, Sunny,” he replied as they snuggled close and dozed off.
= = = = = = = = = =
The next morning, Princess Celestia sat at the head of the table in the dining hall, sipping her tea, eating breakfast, and reading the front page of The Canterlot Chronicle, the headline of which read “Princess of the Nightlife” and featured a picture of her sister dancing in a nightclub. She knew that Luna was going to go visit a nightclub for the first time, accompanied by her friends from Ponyville, and it made her glad to see that she had apparently enjoyed her night.
If it had been me visiting a nightclub, it would have been looked at as a scandal, she thought with a derisive snort. Funny, I don’t remember ever signing a law stating that it was illegal for me to have fun… After centuries spent ruling over Equestria as its lone princess, it was hard for anyone to see her as anything less than a goddess, which made it that much harder for her to just relax like any other pony.
Fortunately for Celestia, there were now three other princesses helping to run Equestria, so perhaps she could finally find the time to relax. Perhaps I could spend some time with Twilight and her friends… she pondered.