The two royal sisters sat in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, idly chatting away the evening as Luna's time to raise the moon drew nearer. The duo initially began chin-wagging about their day, but, as always, conversations have their ways of turning into friendly jokes at each others expense.

"No, you have a fat plot, Tia!" Chuckled Luna.

Celestia looked aghast at Luna, feigning a look of insult. "Well at least I wasn't the one parading around demanding 'MORE CHEETOS!'"

Luna recalled back to the... unfortunate incident where she gorged on the delicious snack. The end result was a rather rotund behind that got stuck in doorways. The builders assigned to maintain the palace had quite a job replacing the door frames of several doors, as well as the brick work that got knocked out of the wall. Fortunately, she knew a weight loss spell and she simply magicked away the excess. "Oh yeah!?" Luna bellowed. "I shall tell you for a fact that thy subjects call thee, 'Sun Butt', because thy plot is so fat is covers the entire country!"

The look on Celestia's face went from one of joking around, to a more placid expression, not entirely impressed with Luna's accusation. "Didn't you want to cover the world in eternal night? Is your plot that big it could cover the whole world, little-miss moon booty?" Celestia said, with a rather satisfactory smug grin appearing on her face as the words left her mouth.

Luna's grin slowly, almost painfully, left her face as she felt her heart grow suddenly heavier. What was her smile transformed itself into one of sadness. She turned her head away from Celestia, and stared at the ground on front of them as she recalled back to that fateful night.

It took a minute for what Celestia said to sink in, coming to the realization of why Luna had become so sombre of of a sudden. "Luna... I-, I'm sorry. I did not mean it like that! I should have thought twice before bringing that up, especially in such a distasteful manner!

The night alicorn simply rose to her hooves, and began walking to the door leading out from the throne room at the opposite end of the room.

"Luna, please!" Begged Celestia. "I'm sorry!"

Luna didn't say anything. She kept walking, her head hung low, although not low enough so she couldn't see where she was walking.

Celestia looked on incredulously, unable to fathom how much a simple joke had hurt her sister so much. The alabaster mare quickly rose up off the throne, and took a few large gallops across the room to catch up with her sister. She put a hoof on Luna's shoulder in an attempt to reassure Luna, and at the same time stop her. It didn't work.

Luna's wing shot out and vehemently knocked off her sisters hoof. Turning to look back, she said; "I shall be in my chambers for the remainder of the evening. I'll raise the moon at the allotted time. Until tomorrow." She gave a curt nod, stiffly turning her head in the same direction in which she began walking.

Celestia looked on in saddened disbelief as her beloved sister; whom she once lost—and now made a joke about what happened, stride out of the room. The doors shut with a resonant thud that echoed through the room, and inside of Celestia's mind as the events of the last minute played on repeat. Her head hung with all due sadness, she turned away from the door and back to the throne to contemplate her apology.

~~~***~~~

Luna walked into her room, forcefully closing the door behind her. "Who does Celestia think she is, insulting me like that?" She harrumphed. "Granted it was supposed to be in good humour, but that doesn't excuse the insulting remark that followed..." The blue mare began pacing in circles around her just as circular room. The furniture was built to fit the contours of the round room; desk, bookshelf, the doors leading out to the platform jutting out from the spire are normal, and her circular mattress graced the centre of the room with the covers not made from the previous night.

Luna tried keeping calm about the matter, but no matter what she tried, nothing worked. After raising the moon she tried; having a hot shower, reading a book, and going to sleep earlier than normal. Nothing worked. It wasn't until she threw open the doors leading to the outside that she knew why. Inhaling the crisp, fresh night air, she came to the conclusion that she had too much tension built up in her muscles from wanting to relieve it somehow. In the heat of the moment, she thought the only justice that would have been was to punch Celestia for making such a distasteful remark.

Looking out onto the city and kingdom of Canterlot below, the early evening bars and clubs had turned on their lights, signalling to all the night-owls that they are welcome to come and have a drink and let loose after a long day at work. After thinking on that prospect, Luna decided that spending a night out wouldn't be such a bad idea. After all, what better way to relax than to spend a few hours partying and drinking? Luna knew she could hold her liquor well enough, and the thought crossed her mind of drinking ponies under the table while bystanders bet on them.

'But I am royalty.' She thought. 'Surely if I go out drinking and dancing it would be in the newspaper at the breakfast table by the time I wake up.' After pondering the thought for a moment, the idea bulb sparked to life over her head. 'I'll just disguise myself! Yes, such a genius idea!' Luna knew several transmutation, transformation, and illusory spells. Transmutation and transformation spells required the body to undergo physical transformations to gain the desired outcome, and it was often painful to some degree.

Instead, she opted for an illusory spell. The spell she had in mind, once cast upon herself, would alter how the other ponies would see her. Her horn lit up, and a gleaming blue glow surrounded her whole body as a water-ripple effect washed over her body. 'There, now everypony will see me as just another mare.' This particular spell is designed to manipulate the brainwaves of the pony looking at Luna, making them see what she wants them to. Tonight she decided on a snow-blue, unicorn mare, with a flowing silvery mane, and a quill and parchment as the cutie mark.

Stepping out on to the platform, the cool night air is a much welcome smell. She spread her wings, and took off towards the town to have a bit of late-night fun for once. Normally while under a disguise of this nature, pegasi would need to be careful if they spread their wings as doing so would mean their wings would poke through the disguise they're 'wearing'. Imagine if, in this case, a unicorn mare suddenly sprouted dark blue wings in the middle of a dance floor. Yeah, things won't end up well. Horns are difficult to hide, for if somepony were to bump into the head of a disguised unicorn-turned-earth pony or pegasus, the results can be quite... garish.

The flight took all of ten minutes. Against the contrast of the night sky, nopony particularly noticed Luna flying, and, if they did, would probably pass it off as a pegasus. She circled the district of bars and clubs for an additional few minutes trying to decide on a spot to safely land where she could fold her wings out of sight and bind them so they wouldn't accidentally show themselves, for whatever reason.

Luna touched down in an alley behind one of the bars and proceeded to fold and bind her wings to her barrel with a special item of clothing, if you could call it that. It functions in the same manner a tube sock would in terms of tightness, only the tightness in this case is to gently remind the wearer to keep their wings folded.

She proceeded to walk out of the alley, glancing left then right to see whom would be watching her exit the dark crevice.

One stallion noticed. "Did'ja manage to score a quickie behind there, eh cutie?" He said. Luna knew all too well where he was going with that.

"I did not." She replied. "I was merely emptying my stomach of all the liquor it could not hold."

"Huh!?" Gasped the stallion, not entirely sure of what Luna had said. "Yer drunk already?" He quizzed.

"Most definitely!" Beamed Luna.

"Hey, fellas, we got a mare over here that's drunk already and the bars have not been opened fourty-five minutes!" He called over the hustle and bustle of the street. Three more stallions and two mares came walking over. "I'm Crimson Skies," he stated proudly, flaring his wings. "My buddies and I were planning on a fun night out. Fancy joining us, miss..."

"Moon Shine," stated Luna. "You can call me Moon, or Moonie, whichever takes your fancy."

"Well then, miss Moon Shine, fancy tagging along?"

"I don't see why not." Luna stepped out of the alley, and joined in the group of now seven ponies, walking down the boulevard.

"So, which bars did you go to first?" Asked the stallion.

"I usually have a bit of a pre-game at home with my sister and her coltfriend before they go out. I'd join in the few drinks they'd have before they would go out, but I would be stuck at home."

They kept walking down the lively street trying to find an establishment that everyone wanted to go to, all the while making small talk. "Aww, that's no fun; drinking then not going out. What made you want to come out tonight?" Asked one of the mares in the group.

"I guess I got tired of spending every other weekend at home, slightly tipsy while trying to finish paperwork for my job. Tonight I decided to have some fun for once!" She stated rather proudly.

"All right!" Shouted one of the other stallions in the group, clearly enthusiastic about her decision. "Where's your sister and her coltfriend, did they ditch you?"

"Oh no no no," Luna quickly began. "After the pre-game, we went our separate ways. I learned the hard way that I shouldn't have had so much to drink before going out, heh..."

Crimson just giggled. "Hey, what about this place?" The group stopped and Crimson pointed a hoof ad a rather upscale looking club.

"I don't know, Crimson," said the other mare. "This place has expensive drinks, and I don't have a lot of bits on me right now."

"Oh, don't you worry! I'm a mage at Canterlot university, I get paid bits by the hoofful!"

Everyone shot a look of disbelief at Luna.

"YOU!?" Said Crimson incredulously. "A mage, of all things!?"

"Correct."

By now the group had stopped outside the club to gawk at Luna. "Which area do you specialize in?"

"Transmutation and transformation spells as well as primarily illusory spells."

"Well then," Crimson guffawed. "Smart, powerful, and pretty too!" He politely gestured at the door with a hoof, pulling it open for the group. "After you, milady."

"Thank you, kind sir." Luna walked into the club first, and the rest of them followed, along with a few others before Crimson closed the door and walked ahead of the other few ponies that went inside as he was holding the door open.

The club had several ponies scattered around. Two sat at opposite ends of the bar, a group of four ponies, two stallions and two mares, sat at a table talking and drinking amongst themselves. the dance floor looked pretty barren, not even ten ponies were dancing, but that didn't excuse the fact they were having a good time. The music playing had a pulsing techno beat to it, and every so often it would go up in a crescendo where a significantly louder verse would drop, making everypony intensify their dance moves.

"So, what'll it be for the lovely mare?" Asked Crimson.

"Allow me to buy the first round," offered Luna. "My sack of bits is becoming a bit of a dead weight." She just snickered to herself at that remark.

"First round is on Moonie tonight!" Shouted Crimson, over the music to the rest of the group.

"What will you all be drinking tonight?" She asked.

"Lets start with a round of cider, shall we?" Shouted one of Crimson's stallion friends. "I want to see how much of a lightweight this mare is if she gets wasted during a pre-game!"

Luna only smirked and went up to the bar to get seven mugs of hard cider for everyone, as the rest found a table for them all to sit at. Luna came back with all the mugs floating in her night-blue aura, putting them on the table. She'd've thought that her aura would have clued them to her disguise, but it appears not. After all, unicorns have varying aura colours. A black unicorn could have a white aura.

They all cheered, grabbing the mugs and taking a hearty swig from the froth-covered mugs. Luna picked hers up, and she kept chugging. And chugging. Gaining looks of disbelief from the others, she planted the mug back down on the table with a thud, and everyone looked from the mug, to Luna.

"What?" She just asked.

"Uhh... I can't say I've seen somepony drink that fast!" Said Crimson.

"I Diamond Dog dare you!" Luna replied.

The rest of the table gave a resounding "OOOHHHH!"

One of the stallions said; "Ain't nopony turn down a Diamond Dog dare!"

Crimson just smirked and picked up his vessel, downing his drink in just over the time it took Luna to finish hers.

"That it?" Luna said, purposefully antagonizing the pegasus.

"I'll be back..." He retorted, glowering at Luna.

Luna only smirked as he left, wearing a smug grin on her face as the rest of Crimson's friends giggled amongst themselves.

"Looks like you're going to give Crimson a run for his money!" Said one of the mares.

"Yeah," said the other one. "Although I'd watch out, he is notorious for winning drinking contests."

All Luna said in response is; "Bring it!"

After Crimson left the table, he went up to the bar to order some more drinks. "Two more mugs of cider and two shots of liquor."

The bartender poured the cider from the taps, and turned his back to pour the shots. That split second was all Crimson needed. He brought his wing up, pretending to clean a little bit of dirt from between the feathers. In doing so, he dropped a small white pill into the mug on the right. It fizzled and dissolved quickly. The bartender turned back around and put the drinks on a tray for the stallion, and Crimson picked it up in his mouth and carried it back over to their table, keeping in mind which mug had the dissolved substance in it.

He casually put the tray down on the table in front of Luna, taking the seat next to her. "Here's what you do. You take the shot, and drop it into the mug." Crimson demonstrated just that, and Luna followed his instruction. "Then, you take it, and knock the whole thing as fast as you can! That right there is called a Depth Charge."

Before Crimson could pick up his mug, Luna already had hers to her lips, guzzling away at the cider-liquor mix, slamming the mug down on the table making the rest of the mugs shake. Everyone just stared at Luna, and she just sat there with pride etched all over her face.

His brows furrowed, Crimson picked up his mug and managed to match Luna for the speed she drank at this time. "I'm going to give you a run for you money tonight, missy!" He challenged. "Meanwhile, why don't we go and dance while these fellas finish off their drinks, hmm?"

"Yes, lets! It's been a while since these hooves had been on the dance floor, so it will be good to get them moving again!"

The pegasus stood up from his seat, offering his hoof to Luna. She took it, and followed him to the area which had gained another half dozen ponies since their arrival. They danced to the music for a good long while before Luna began feeling a bit of a head-rush come on. She stopped dancing to try and stop her head spinning, but that didn't work.

"I think I need to sit down," she said, holding a hoof to her head.

"Something wrong?"

"I think that Depth Charge has kicked in! I just want to sit down so I don't fall over."

Crimson lead her back over to the table and to his friends, whom had all finished their mugs of cider. "Hey, we were just about to order another round. Want another one, Moonie?"

"Maybe just one more," she said hesitantly, unsure if it was a good idea or not.

"Your turn then, Starlight," said one of the other stallions, nudging his friend in the direction of the bar. The earth pony got up and went up to the bar. He game back a minute later with a unicorn waitress in tow levitating a tray of drinks. She put them down on the table, and Starlight gave her a few bits as a tip, and she turned to leave with a smile on her face, pocketing the change.

They all picked up their mugs, and Crimson called a toast. "To Moon Shine; for buying the first round of drinks and accompanying me on the dance floor!" They all clinked their mugs, and took a hearty swig. Crimson Skies managed to polish off half of his, and Luna made an effort but coughed half way through, accidentally splashing some cider on her muzzle.

The pegasus just chuckled. "What's the matter?"

"N-, nothing!" Stammered Luna. "I just coughed is all, I swear!"

The group just chuckled, and Starlight spoke up. "Liquor getting to you eh?"

"It would appear so, so I will just take this one slowly if it's all the same to you."

"By all means," he replied. "Don't want you barfing in here, or like you did in the alley!"

The next hour was spent between the seven of them just shooting the breeze while one or two of the group went to dance for a while, coming back to the table to have something to nibble on or have another swig of their drink. Crimson and Luna exchanged pleasantries until Luna felt the head-rush from earlier assault her mind again, only this time more aggressively.

"You alright there?" Crimson asked.

"I..." Luna paused, overcome by a wave of nausea. "...think I need to go home."

"I can take you home if you like. Just tell me where you live." Crimson then turned to his friends. "If you all will excuse me, I need to take this lady home; it appears she has had enough for tonight."

"But it's only ten-thirty!" Bleated one of the mares.

"Regardless, I should take her home." He got up and extended a hoof. "Come now, Lets get you home." Crimson supported Luna with a hoof as she staggered towards the exit, stumbling over herself in the progress. Eventually they exited the club, and Crimson resorted to putting Luna over his back so he could carry her home.

"Where do you live?"

"Cante... cass..." She trailed off, falling asleep slumped over the pegasus' back.

"Perfect," he muttered under his breath. "Simply perfect."

Author's Note

For anyone wandering, a pre-game is simply having a few drinks before going out. That's usually so you drink less at places that have ludicrous prices for their beer and liquor.

Also, did anyone catch the greentext link at the beginning?