The Canterlot Gardenparty was in full swing and Luna clearly felt the nauseating effect this social function had on her. She had been greeting guests and acquaintances for some time now but the sheer amount of boredom was getting to her fast. She could have stuck with Twilight and her friends, but Celestia had insisted that a princess had to show she was there for all her subjects and not just those she already called friends lest she be suspected of favoritism. Luna had decided not to point out that she’d love to mingle with her little ponies, maybe in that snack bar over at the old marked that made those wonderful hay chips?
And so Celestia had thrown her to the wolfs, or rather to the cronies and toadies. After her return Luna had rejoiced at everything that had not changed in the last thousand years but she really could have survived to lose those.
Right now she droned out a group of ponies, what were the names? Jet Set, Old Money and Fast Lane? They had talked for fifteen minutes about gossip from Canterlot’s high society. Not only had Luna already heard all that from her sister, Rarity and that nice Fleur de Lis in the first place, but those at least made it sound halfway interesting. She tried to stifle a yawn, but failed utterly. Jet Set got a real good look at her uvula before she remembered to put a hoof in front of her mouth.
“Oh my, Princess Luna. are we boring you?” Jet Set asked.
“You have to forgive my sister. She woke up extra early today to prepare for the party and it seems she lost a bit too much sleep.” Celestia had appeared in the group and hugged Luna under a wing before the younger alicorn could say a single thing. “Let’s go sister, we should see if we can find you a stimulant.”
As the pair reached the buffet Celestia took a plate with a piece of cake and poured her sister a coffee. Luna downed the paper cup fast and took a refill instantly. “Thanks for the save Tia, I was just about to be unprincessly honest and direct.”
“Well, we can’t have that”, Celestia grinned, “I doubt Canterlot’s elite and aristocracy could survive to learn its real level of importance. But the charities help to pay the bills and free food is free.” Celestia took another one of the hors d'oeuvres and ate it with delight.
“Maybe I should return to the Ponyville group,” Luna looked back to the table where Twilight and her friends had been when she had left. “Now where are they? Don’t tell me they managed to slip out from this dreariness.” Then she spotted Rarity in a group of ponies. The fashionista seemed to have the time of her life. A second later Luna found Rainbow Dash, then Applejack and Pinkie Pie. They all seemed to have found some group of ponies to talk to. Even Fluttershy was chatting away with a pony over there. And Twilight talked with Cadence and her brother.
A dejected look stole onto Luna’s face. “Maybe I should fly over to Ponyville. The foals there seemed more interested in actual conversation then these ponies."
Celestia tapped a hoof on her jaw, “Funny you should mention that. Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash brought a group of fillies over. I think they are playing somewhere in the castle now. What do you say, we send for them, you raise the moon in half an hour and then you can spend the evening with them. We both cleared our schedules for tonight after all. It would be a waste to just go to sleep early.”
“Maybe they would like to see me raise the moon? I haven’t had a audience for quite some time,” Luna thought about this for a moment. “I should inform their chaperones about this.”
Celestia watched as her sister got up and strolled over to Rarity, then to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Luna returned with a wide smile and bid her good night. A good half hour later Celestia felt the well known tug of the sun as it reached the horizon. A little push and it slipped over and the night started. She had already told her student to look out for a special raising of the moon tonight and Luna delivered a perfect presentation. Celestia could feel how much her sister enjoyed this and as the night sky was complete she send her own feeling of delight to her sister.
It was in the small hours already when the party ended. The princess of the sun had already retired to her private rooms and was about to get up again to raise the sun when a slightly worried Rarity knocked on her doors. The three foals were nowhere to be found and neither was Luna. Celestia reached out to her sister and found her in her observatory. She offered to accompany Rarity and after a short walk both found the way up one of Canterlot Castle’s highest towers. The sound of laughter could be heard even outside the doors and just as they stepped inside Celestia heard her sister, “... and that’s why they are called minotaurs.” Another round of laughter rose up.
“Oh darlings, you are still awake? It’s almost morning,” Rarity’s voice held just the slightest hint of reproach.
“Not almost,” Celestia stepped to a window facing east, her horn glowed a golden shine and the sun started to rise. "Good morning, my little ponies.”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders night owls! Yeah!” Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell shouted, clapped their hoofs in a threeway high-hoof and were just a bit disappointed as none of them got a cutie mark for all-nighters.
“Ah well,” Apple Bloom offered, “We had a great time, even without our marks. Thank you Princess Luna, this was the best night ever.”
“Yeah, you are the coolest princess! Its the first time we actually stayed awake the whole time,” Scootaloo agreed.
Sweetie Bell smiled, “And you tell the funniest stories! If we got to spend every night like this, I wouldn’t mind if you made it last forever.”