//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: A Long Night Out. // by ManeShadow //------------------------------// "This party is going to be so awesome!" Rainbow Dash yelled out in excitement, trotting down the dark streets of Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle was feeling overwhelmed by all the attention after the Princess Coronation, congratulations were to be expected, from family and friends alike, but she and her friends have been invited to over 25 different parties and events all across Equestria. She decided to simply attend a party being hosted in Canterlot, and she invited Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash to come along with her. The invitation was formal, it looked like it was inviting them to a fancy Canterlot dinner party. "I still think we should have gotten better clothes for this, we are the guests of honor after all, we should look the part" Rarity said, trailing behind the group, trying not to accidentally step in any puddles. "Rarity, the dresses are fine the way they are" Twilight replied back, she looked over to the rest of the girls "You all agree, right girls?" A collective agreement came from the group, Rarity just sighed and continued walking. Twilight picked up her pace slightly, not wanting to be late. After about 10 minutes, the group finally arrived at the Canterlot Clubber. The grand building they were expecting turned out to simply be a medium sized pub. The condition of the building made it look like the oldest building in Canterlot. Twilight could hear loud music through the walls of the building, and bright colorful lights decorated the entire front of the building. Pinkie Pie was the first to comment on the building. "This place doesn't seem like a place to hold a fancy party." Pinkie said, slightly confused, but satisfied none the less. It was obvious by the look in Pinkie's eyes that the place looked like a great place for parties more of her style. Applejack turned to question Twilight, but before she could, a large colt came outside to meet them. "Ah, the guests of honor. Glad you could make it! Come on inside!" The colt spoke in a voice that didn't seem to reflect living in Canterlot, or any sort of high society class. It was rough and deep. But Twilight lead the group inside anyway, they stopped by the front desk and observed the surroundings. "This isn't exactly what I imagined when I saw the invitation." Rarity said, disgusted by the overall state of the building. "Lets just make the best of it..." Twilight said back to her friends "Because I have a feeling it's going to be a long night." The party goes fine at first, Twilight was buried in conversation by curious ponies, Applejack managed to get a new buyer for her apple products, Pinkie Pie dominated the dance floor, and Rarity and Fluttershy simply stayed away from the party crowds. Twilight manages to break away from the adoring crowds of ponies as she realizes that Rainbow Dash has been missing for nearly an hour, She rallies up the group to go look for her, but before they have to look too far, they find Dash sitting on a bar stool in another room, with a glass of red wine with a slightly, for lack of a better word, dopey look on her face. Twilight goes up to her to talk. "Hey Twi! How you enjoying the party?" Rainbow says to Twilight in a slurred voice, with slight pauses in between some words, she attempts to raise her glass to Twilight as if to toast, which results in her dropping the glass onto the floor. "Rainbow...How much wine have you had?" Twilight asks, she was getting slightly worried by now, Applejack couldn't help but to chuckle. Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight blankly for a few seconds, and then with a slight hic said; "A little." Rainbow started laughing at seemingly nothing, and then slowly got up to get another bottle of wine. Dash turned back to the group, who were still staring at her. "You girls want some?" Twilight instantly replied with "No!" and had expected the rest of the girls to do the same, but they thought about it for a little bit, and then agreed to, all except for Fluttershy. "Hey! What are you doing?" Twilight shouted at them, her wings expanded in fury, knocking over a bottle sitting on a table. smashing it to bits. Which turned a couple heads towards them. "Normally I wouldn't agree, but I think on this occasion I will have a couple glasses, after all, what's the harm?" Rarity said as she joined Dash at the bar. By this point, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had already joined in as well, Twilight wasn't sure what shocked her more, that her friends were actually doing this or that Pinkie Pie had actually agreed to an alcoholic beverage, Twilight stormed off, as Fluttershy tried to catch up to her. "Twilight, are you feeling alright?" Fluttershy asked her quietly. Twilight let out a frustrated sigh and turned to her fuming, Twilight turned around and practiced Cadance's breathing technique, and turned back around. "I'm fine Fluttershy, I don't know why that bugged me so much, I don't really have the right to say what my friends can and can't do." Twilight paused, and finally said "I just want to go home, back to Ponyville" The party continued on for another two hours, Twilight and Fluttershy stayed away from most of the other ponies, and Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash drank wine, told jokes and stories, and had a real good drunken time. Twilight excused herself for a slight moment to check on the others, Rainbow Dash was telling an incredibly personal story that even Twilight had never heard before, and Twilight sat down at the bar next to them, and was instantly pestered by her friends to have just a couple sips. Twilight refused at first, but something inside her just made her want to relax and loosen up a bit. "Fine...Just a couple sips."