Love the Night Life (Anon x Luna)

>You step lightly down the main thoroughfare of Manehatten, eyeing the town hall with a little unease.

>"I still don't understand why you dragged me along to this." You turn to the white unicorn trotting at your side. Rarity sighs heavily.

>"Because you've simply been moping so much lately, Anon. We've been worried about you." She sniffs, looking off from you. "Honestly, the way you stay up into those awful hours... It's no wonder you oversleep so much."

>You wince recalling the tongue-lashing Aloe and Lotus had given you earlier this week for just that. Not to mention how some of your friends had visited, enquiring why you'd become like this.

>And you didn't know. Life in Equestria was good for you in every way you could imagine. Only lately you'd been, true to Rarity's word, up late most nights, restless and irritated. So you'd been roped into attending this Midnight Ball.

>'The first Equestria's seen in almost a thousand years!' Rarity'd proudly proclaimed. Being stuck in among the stuffy ponies of this city wasn't your idea of a good time but then the girls had been quite insistent. Maybe you could slip out later and head to a club.

>"... Princess Luna will be in attendance and you wouldn't want any slip ups in front of her!" You slowly come back to reality, catching the last of what Rarity's been saying. Princess Luna?

>Oh yes, you knew of her. Mostly she'd been seen on the times where you met with Princess Celestia to discuss your integration into Equestrian society. Her sister had mostly been uninvolved but all the same had been genuinely warm when you'd met her.

>More to the point she'd expressed her own interest in your acclimation. Maybe you could find a chance to talk to her.

 

>Manehatten town hall is as uninspired as much of the architecture of the city. Even the decorations seem drab, especially when you cast your mind back to the kinds Pinkie Pie would use in her many parties.

>Rarity, perhaps catching your mood, gently bumps against you and shoots a smile. You force one yourself, not wanting to spoil her night. You can just envision your own experiences: listening to dry ponies mindlessly chattering about minor political quibbles and high class gossip.

>But inside it's not quite as you expect. True enough, there's plenty of ponies demurely talking in small groups but there also looks to be some younger ponies, more animated in moving about.

>Maybe you'd been too hasty in judging what's ahead of you. You see a small group of ponies laughing and make your way over, listening in.

>No, you'd been right in expecting what you did. Despite their age they're still clearly caught up in the politics, debating who's going to come out in top after the latest faux-pas of some lesser official.

>You turn aside from them and spot Luna, seated and talking to an older, respectable looking stallion. She nods now and then but her boredom is fairly plain to see.

>You mull over the idea of just approaching her but quickly set it aside, reminding yourself of her position and how you'd probably just embarrass Rarity and yourself if you were to do so.

>"Ano~n!" A cultured voice calls out. "Would you be so kind as to come over here? There's somepony I'd like you to meet."

>You look about and spot Rarity, holding a hoof up to catch your eye. Stopping to fill a glass with punch, you walk over and nod to her as well as the mare she stands next to.

>"This is Madame Caress, I was just telling her about your idea."

 

>"My... idea?" You stare at Rarity blankly before glancing at the auburn mare.

>"Yes! You know the one about... ah, using unicorn magic for..." She trails off, looking at you expectantly

>"Oh! That idea. Well, I... I'm not sure if, uh, Miss Caress would be interested." You take a sip of the punch, wincing from how bitter it is. Another thing Pinkie would've gotten right effortlessly.

>"-Madame- Caress happens to operate a chain of spas across Equestria, Anon, so I'm sure she'd love to hear of it." Does she really need to grit her teeth like that? You couldn't have embarrassed her.

>"Right, right. Well, if you don't mind a lengthy explanation..." You take another sip.

>"Oh not at all!" Her accent is more refined than Rarity's. The mare daintily shakes her head. "The way Miss Rarity speaks of you I'm sure it's nothing short of exceptional!"

>Speaks of you? You can either be very glad she's spoken well or very nervous that she's gilded your ideas too greatly.

>There's nothing for it, though, than to just start off and explain. She seems interested enough at first - your idea was to use unicorn magic to simulate the usage of your hands in massages. Hooves are alright but they can't come close to the dexterity and precision of fingers.

>As you continue outlining your proposal her smile grows more and more strained. Finally she politely informs you that while it is a simply wonderful idea, no unicorn would be willing to use their magic in such a fashion. She spares a quick glance to her own horn before shuddering.

 

>"I'm sorry, Anon, I really did think she'd go for it." Rarity sits by your side as you watch the party goers from against a wall of the hall.

>"It's alright, I'm sure I'll find someone who'll support me." And there's that feeling of irritation again. Maybe this is the cause of it - trying to innovate and being shot down so often. "Listen, I'm going to... get some more punch. Want some?"

>"No!" She holds up a hoof. "Dear Celestia, I'm beginning to wonder what they put in this ghastly stuff." She grimaces at her own glass.

>You'd rather not just stand to one side the whole evening, even though you're not sure what you can do to occupy yourself. Maybe you can slip out soon enough.

>Your hands move slowly to refill the glass, thoughts of the rancid stuff keeping you from doing it with any delight.

>"Thou dost find the punch as appetising as we do?" There's a gentle laugh following that from behind you. You recognise the voice and turn to see Princess Luna standing there, a half empty glass levitating next to her.

>"G-Good evening, your highness." You stammer out, following it with a quick bow.

>"Please don't." She murmurs quietly. "Thou dost not follow such protocol with us in private, we wish thee to extend that to the public."

>True enough, when you'd met her in Canterlot one of the first thing's you'd been asked to do was forego all the stuffy protocol. You'd been more than glad to, too.

>"So..." You take a quick glance around. "Great party."

>Luna scoffs before moving in a little closer, sitting down next to you. "Party? We were beginning to wonder if one could call it that." She sighs, her eyes glazing over slightly. "We remember well the warm revelry at such balls. At least when our sister intervened. It seems ponies of this age are as stuffy as ours..."

 

>You look over to her as she trails off quietly. Was she still upset over the thousand years imprisoned on the moon thing? Of course, how couldn't she be.

>"I wouldn't say they're all like that." You go to take a sip of the punch but think the better of it, setting it down. "Ever been to a nightclub?"

>"Night... club?" She asks slowly, a small smile dawning on her as she enunciates the word 'night'. "We are still unfamiliar with some modern terms, wouldst thou explain?"

>She's never heard of a nightclub?! "Sure! It's like this - no, scrap that, it's nothing like this. Imagine a hall a little smaller than this, loud music, great drinks, ponies having fun, laughing, dancing..."

>Luna's face immediately brightens upon hearing that. "A real Midnight Ball! That is the kind we remember well! Oh how we would love to sample such an event."

>Partying with a Princess? That does sound fun. You're about to ask her if she wants to skip out on this when a voice calls her off from within the crowd. Politely excusing herself, Luna moves back in, ponies parting quickly for her.

>You watch as she goes, the crowd closing the hide most of that view. You take another quick sweep over them, back to the punch and tasteless hors d'oeuvres and make up your mind. You'll apologise to Rarity later and find some way to make it up but right now you can't handle this.

>Emerging from the town hall the night air is crisp and cool. You undo the top button of your shirt and stop at the railing of the stairway leading down from the entrance.

>You start off down one street, not really knowing or caring where you're going, just hoping you can find somewhere to take your mind off things.

 

>Luckily that doesn't take long and you find a café that's still open at this hour. There's no one about except the proprietor and you're almost glad of that. He gives you the name of and directions to a good club, though.

>"Ah, we've found thee!" Strange, that almost sounded like Princess Luna. "This does not look like the night club thou described, though."

>"Probably because it's not." You mutter and stop yourself from saying more, remembering who you're talking to.

>"Thou art upset?" There's clopping of hooves against the tiles of the floor as Luna moves to sit next to you. "We had heard thee expressing such a sentiment to our sister."

>You stare into the empty mug below you. "Ever get the feeling that you're not being listened to?"

>There's a long pause before you get a response. "Our sister still enjoys the greater voice in the political arena. We have been... away for so long, it appears our ponies forget that we are co-rulers." She sounds more than a little bitter as she speaks.

>You both sit in silence for minutes longer as you contemplate what to say. "Aren't you going to be missed?"

>"Hardly." She scoffs. "Old stallions that nop0ny listens to complaining to us, that's what our night has been." She pauses once more, looking pointed down at her hooves on the counter before continuing. "Perhaps... thou might show us the -better- parts of our night."

>It'd be easy to just blurt out that yes, you'd love to spend a little time with her at a nightclub but you have to keep in mind just who this is.

>Or do you? She's content to put aside her position, can't you do the same?

>"You know, I just heard of this great night club." Luna smiles widely at that.

 

>Walking along the streets to the club she tells you of how she's enjoyed your visits to Canterlot but bemoans how your schedules don't allow you to meet more often. She might just have to mention it to Celestia.

>You can't find any objections to that idea.

>As you near the club you hear the heavy bass pumping seemingly out of the ground. Luna's eyes widen as she picks it up.

>"What... what is that sound?" One of her hooves is tapping against the cobblestone as she asks.

>"The music of the night, Luna." You say softly. "It's a lot louder down in the club, so I don't blame you if-"

>"We shall not be denied in enjoying this!" She cries, darting off before stopping. "Art thou not coming? Thy company would be most welcome!"

>The volume of the music picks up as you reach the club, the bouncer hastily standing aside as he sees just who wants to get in. Luna seems to trot down into it in time with the music and you find yourself captivated by her movements.

>Inside, she's stopped, looking about with wide, wondrous eyes.You tap her side and lead her over to the bar. Drinks here are guaranteed to be better than the swill back at the town hall.

>But Luna quickly downs hers, motioning for you to follow her out onto the dance floor. What ponies take notice of her don't bow or jump back but cheer at her, offer to buy drinks, ask if she'll be back...

>The Princess looks far more at ease with this, as she responds to each one as best she can, the smile never leaving her.

>You're not entirely sure what the rest of the night's going to hold for you but you know that for the first time in a while, you can truly enjoy the night.