Anon followed behind Javelin as the unicorn led him toward the booming music and cheering ponies at the Riviera. Neon lights beamed from the windows as ponies danced and partied in full view of any passer-by's that might walk past the club. Anon raised his brow at the sight before turning back to look at his night guards.

"So, do you guys just-" Anon paused, upon noticing that there was nobody behind him.

Anon blinked owlishly at the disappearance of his guard detail before turning back to Javelin and tapping him on the wither.

"Hey, uh, Jav? Where did they go?" Anon asked, looking back behind him once more.

Javelin looked over his shoulder and shrugged, "They're night guards. Staying out of sight is kinda their thing. They said they'd be out of sight, out of mind while we're here, so I guess this is just par for the course with them." He said, dismissively.

Anon pursed his lips before shrugging himself and following Javelin to the front door, and the line that was already spilling out of the building. At least thirty ponies stood between Anon and Javelin, and the club. Javelin stood on the tips of his hooves to get a better view over the line, but couldn't make out anything due to the taller earth ponies in front of him.

"I can't see anything... you're tall, how many ponies are in front of us?" He asked, looking up to Anon.

Anon squinted as he looked over the line before responding, "I dunno, maybe a couple dozen. Why?"

Javelin waved a hoof in dismissal, "Bah, screw that. We're not waiting that long, come on." He said, before pushing his way around the line.

"Wait, Jav!" Anon called as he quickly hurried after the stallion.

"Hey!" A mare shouted.

"Watch where you're going!" A stallion jeered.

"Hey no cutting!" Another stallion called as Javelin reached the front of the line with Anon coming in right behind him.

The bouncer, a tall earth pony mare, eyed Javelin and Anon with a raised brow, "I assume you have a reason for just cutting the line like that, 'cause if you don't, your flanks are going right to the very back." She deadpanned.

"Not to worry, I have a permit," Javelin announced, before pointing at Anon, "He's the new consort of the princesses and he's looking for some fun here. Let us in now, please."

The mare looked Anon over as he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and looked at anything other than the bouncer sizing him up.

"Hmm... I do remember seeing that in the news. That true, mr... uh, sorry, can't say I recall your name." She offered with an apologetic shrug.

"Uh, Anon, and it's fine. Really, you don't have to-" Anon started, only for Javelin to cut him off.

"Keep talking because there's a line behind us and it'd be a shame if they had to wait any longer than they already have to so we'll just be on our way, okay thanks bye." Javelin hastily chimed in before trotting into the door and magically dragging Anon behind him.

"JAaaaaaaaaaaaavelin!" Anon cried as he was quickly yanked inside, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Whew, that was close." Javelin breathed a sigh of relief as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

"What gives, dude? Anon indignantly questioned.

"Bro, every mare and stallion behind us was giving us a death glare. I had to get you inside before they jumped us. I may be good, but I'm not 'take on three dozen ponies at once' good. Even with your night guards, I doubt that'd end well." Javelin shook his head.

"Well maybe they were giving us such dirty looks because we just showed up and you totally abused my new title to cut the line?" Anon crossed his arms.

Javelin sheepishly chuckled, "Well... you gotta admit, it did work. Besides, what's the point of being royalty if you can't enjoy a few perks every now and again?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"No?"

Anon pinched the bridge of his nose, "Jesus, Jav. Alright look, from now on, let's not go around trying to get free handouts and shit because of what my title is. I already feel weird enough accepting the position in the first place, I don't want to get a rep as the douchey alien that just takes advantage of his status to get free stuff."

Javelin held his forelegs up in surrender, "Alright, alright. Just this once." He agreed.

Anon nodded, "Good. Now, let's go see what all the hype is about. If the line to get in was that long outside, there must be a good reason."

"Oh you have no idea." Javelin grinned as the duo headed into the main foyer.

As they progressed, the muffled sound of music quickly grew in both volume and intensity, filling the air with deep base and hypnotic techno music that drew them closer. Anon and Javelin rounded the corner, finding themselves in the main room of the club, and were immediately blinded by bright pink neon lights and iridescent blue lights that shifted to red, yellow, green, and back to blue with each passing second.

The bar on the first floor was filled with ponies buying, drinking, and pouring drinks of every brand and variety Anon could think of. Vodka, gin, rum, cider, beer, jaeger, whiskey, and even magically enhanced drinks that glowed brightly against the contrasting neon lights poured from the bartenders taps as more and more ponies practically threw their bits onto the bar.
Before Anon could observe any more, his attention was pulled to the single helix staircase leading to the second level sitting just next to the bar, and the mares ascending with what appeared to be saddles on their backs.

Before he could ask questions, Anon felt Javelin tug on his jacket with his magic, and he looked down to see what the stallion was looking at. Javelin pointed to the far side of the room, leading Anon's eyes to a sight that made him step back in amazement. The dancefloor, in the center of the room and right in front of the DJ's booth, was filled with every race of pony, griffons, minotaurs, and even a few donkeys. The music pounded against their ears as the dancefloor itself lit up in every shade of color from the rainbow with each beat, almost like a pulsing heart that drove the dancers on.

The mare behind the DJ booth, a white unicorn with an electric blue mane and a pair of magenta tinted shades that reflected the spectrum of color present in the room, bobbed her head along with the music as she adjusted her mix tray. Heavy, synthetic beats boomed through the building, almost making the walls shake as the speakers blared. Anon found himself entranced by the music as Javelin bobbed his head alongside him.

"Come on! Let's go get a drink!" Javelin called out over the music, gaining Anon's attention.

Anon looked down to Javelin and nodded as they turned to head over to the bar. Several mares with glow stick rings around their hooves and necks passed by, along with a few stallions in more than questionable get-up that made Anon crease his brow. Before he could ask questions about the borderline BDSM-y outfits of the stallions, Javelin pulled him over to the bar with his magic and pointed to two empty stools on the corner.

As the duo entered the bar area, the sound of the music immediately dampened to a level quiet enough to talk normally. Anon looked up to see a barely visible aura of magic lining the ceiling and floor around the bar. He shook his head in disbelief before Javelin pulled him over to the empty chairs and they took their seats. Immediately, a pair of mares looked over in their direction. The pegasus of the pair quickly trotted over to them and leaned over the bar, next to Javelin.

"Can I get you a drink, you sexy colt?" She asked in a husky voice.

Javelin leaned onto the bar himself, his muzzle coming just a few scant inches away from hers, "Can you get me two of the lava flows, cutie?" He salaciously inquired, with a teasing wink.

"I think I can do that." She purred before trotting over to grab one of the bartenders.

Javelin looked over to see Anon giving him a curious, yet amused look.

"What? You gotta take advantage of the free drinks, dude. Besides, she's not really my type." Javelin shrugged.

"Well I'd hate to be the one to break it to her, 'cause you sure made it sound like you were interested in more than drinks." Anon chuckled.

Javelin shook his head, "Eh, I didn't agree to anything, I just asked for a drink. If she thinks it's gonna go further than that, then that's on her."

Anon laughed, "Oh, you are such a tease. Saving yourself for Ms. Inkwell, are you?"

Javelin immediately blushed, "N-no! I'm just... selective. Once you're married to a mare, or even worse, in a herd, you have a lot of responsibility to them." He defended.

"Oh yeah? Like what? Make sure they're plowed every week? Sounds so horrible." Anon joked.

"More like every day. You missed most of last Estrus season since you were still cooped up in your house, but just you wait. In a few weeks, these mares are gonna be so horny, they'll be throwing themselves at, or on, quite literally anything with a penis. I try to keep my life manageable, thank you." Javelin explained, holding up his hoof in a defensive manner.

Anon scoffed, "Oh I'm sure it's not that bad. You're just overexaggerating." He dismissed.

"Dude, trust me, I'm not kidd-" Javelin began, only for two drinks to slide across his field of view and stop just in front of his hooves.

"Hey there, stud. Got you your drinks. Now, how's about you drink those down real quick and we go find somewhere private?" The mare asked, her tone dripping with lust.

Anon eyed the mare with a raised brow. Her eyes almost appeared to be fully dilated, and her soft yellow coat was noticeably blushing red around her cheeks, ears, and chest. She stared Javelin down like he was a piece of meat, and she was a starving wolf, ready to pounce after weeks without food. Anon quickly felt a wave of concern wash over him as she lingered, just a little too close for comfort, next to Javelin as he took a sip of the first drink.

"Now that's the good stuff. Thanks." Javelin smiled, before pushing the other drink over to Anon, "Here, this one's for you, dude."

"So, you wanna head upstairs?" The mare questioned, her hungry eyes glued to Javelin's flank as she bit her lip in anticipation.

"In a bit. I'm here with my friend after a long week. You can find me easy enough, just come grab me a bit later into the night." Javelin purred, nuzzling his cheek against her chest fluff.

The mare moaned softly at the unicorn stallion's touch, and her wings extended to their full span before flapping excitedly a few times. She nickered softly before shakily nodding and stepping away. The blush on her face and chest was much more noticeable as she stepped into more direct light.

"A-alright, stud... I'll find you later." She said, licking her lips in anticipation.

The mare stared at Javelin for another moment before walking back off to the other side of the bar, leaving the pair alone.

Javelin quickly turned to Anon, "Dear Celestia she almost got me. Another few seconds in her scent and I would've been hers." He admitted shaking his head to clear his senses.

"What? What do you mean? Are you alright? She didn't drug you or anything, did she?" Anon questioned, looking into Javelin's drink, and then his own.

"No, no. Nothing like that," Javelin shook his head, "She's in heat. Must've gone in early. Wait, you're telling me you couldn't smell her?" He asked.

"I mean, I smell a lot of things in here, but I couldn't really pick out a particular scent coming from her... maybe some mango, but otherwise, no." Anon shrugged.

Javelin shook his head in disbelief, "Bro, how can you not smell her estrus? That mare was practically waving it into our faces with her tail." He asserted.

"I didn't really notice it. I mean, my nose isn't as sensitive as yours is, so that's probably why." Anon shrugged yet again.

"Well that must be nice then. She almost got me raring to go right here and now. Gonna have to watch that one. That's the type of mare that's liable to follow you home and force you to stick it in her." Javelin shivered, downing more of his drink.

"Yet you still flirted up a storm with that mare and are still drinking the drink she gave you." Anon deadpanned.

Javelin paused mid-sip to look over at Anon, then back to his drink, and then back to Anon again before putting the glass down on the table, "Well I'm not gonna say no to a free drink. I'm not crazy. Besides, she already put it in front of me, what am I supposed to do? Not drink it?' He scoffed.

"Whatever man, you do you. Anyways, this club seems pretty legit," Anon replied, before taking a sip of his own drink, "Just know that if I got the roofied one, you're gonna have to carry me back to your place... god damn this shit is good."

Javelin laughed out loud, "Dude, you're so paranoid. This is one of the most highly respected clubs in Canterlot. There's security all over the place, and thanks to you, we kinda have a high profile, no offense. We're being watched by like, thirty different bouncers, bartenders with a panic button right under hoof, and undercover guards that watch this place for exactly what you're talking about. Relax and live a little." He explained, dismissively waving a hoof.

Anon leaned back in his stool, his eyes slowly tracing across the room to find that there were in fact, several pairs of eyes on both him and Javelin. Beyond the bouncers and bartenders, several ponies from all over the club were starting to notice the lone human and the unicorn stallion next to him. The feeling of all the eyes suddenly on him made Anon squirm slightly in his seat and adjust his collar nervously.

"Alright, I guess you've got a point. So what do you want to do now? Usually when I go to a club, I'm trying to pick up girls, but I'm already interested in Sunshine, so I'm not really here to get laid or anything." Anon responded, looking back to Javelin.

"Well we can head upstairs and see if there's a VIP section where we can totally abuse that rank and status of yours again?" Javelin teased, giving Anon puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah, fat chance of that." Anon rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Alternatively, we can go out on the dance floor. I'm sure everypony in the building is eager to see what a human dances like. Not really sure how you even can with those legs of yours. They totally bend the wrong way." Javelin thought aloud, his gaze shifting down to Anon's knees.

"My legs bend perfectly fine for a human, thank you. You ponies are the ones with two pairs of legs that bend in opposite directions." Anon shot back.

"Well they certainly work for running fast and dancing." Javelin chuckled.

Anon turned around in his bar stool, resting his elbows on the bar and looking out into the crowd of dancing ponies across the room.

"Yeah, not really seeing any impressive dance moves here. Just some bobbing and weaving, maybe some side-steps, but nothing crazy like what I've seen people do on Earth. I mean, I've seen dudes spin on the tops of their heads and do backflips as part of a dance routine." Anon commented.

"Well, duh? This isn't a dance routine, it's a club for ponies to get drunk, hook up, and have some fun dancing together before they go home to continue to hook up," Javelin replied, shrugging, "If you want to see an actual dance routine, then you'd have to go to a show."

"Like those times ponies just randomly break out into song in the middle of the street? 'Cause that's happened like, three times since I got here and each time I'm totally lost. One time I was right in the middle of it and they all kinda looked at me at one point like I was supposed to continue the song." Anon responded.

"Eh, not sure about that. I've lived here my whole life and never seen that." Javelin dismissed.

"If you say so. Sure was awkward." Anon dropped the subject.

Javelin grabbed his drink and slammed the rest of it back before slamming the glass onto the table and shaking his head, "Alright, let's get out onto that dance floor." He declared.

"What? Right now? Are you sure?" Anon questioned, a nervous look crossing his brow as he looked back and forth between Javelin and the dance floor.

"Hay yeah, right now. Gotta show you that we ponies are the better dancers. Now let's get out there." Javelin nodded toward the stage as he hopped off his stool.

"Wait, Jav, what if we headed upstairs first?" Anon asked, hastily stepping in front of the stallion with a nervous grin.

Javelin eyed Anon for a moment before his eyes lit up in realization. A supremely smug look quickly spread over his face as he leaned toward Anon with the smuggest, widest grin he could muster.

"You're afraid to go out on the dance floor, aren't you?" He asked, already well aware of the answer.

Anon sheepishly looked away, "Well, no... it's just... been a while since I did any dancing." He awkwardly chuckled.

Javelin trotted up to Anon's side, "Aw, come on, dude! You can't tell me you're actually scared to go out there and dance! Nopony cares if you look like you've got three left hooves out there, they're just there to have a good time." He offered, dropping the smug grin and placing a reassuring hoof on Anon's knee.

Anon looked down to Javelin with a frown, "I want to believe you, I really do... but I'm just not sure if I'm ready to go out and dance myself, just yet. You remember what I said about crowds, well unless I've had a lot of alcohol, it goes double for dancing." He shivered.

Javelin rolled his eyes, "I remember, but come on, dude! It'll be fun! Besides, I need somepony to watch my back in case that pegasus sneaks up on me again. She's liable to get pregnant if I'm not careful and I'm not ready to be a father yet!" He pleaded clasping both hooves together in front of Anon.

Anon sighed, "You're the one that was reciprocating. Look, I'm sorry, man. Maybe next time, but for now, I just want to kind of chill out and enjoy the music for a bit. Hell, maybe if I get a few more drinks in me, then I'll be down to dance with you out there. I do tend to get more lively when I'm drunk." He relented.

Javelin pursed his lips as his eyes slowly migrated back to the bar, "Hmm... so what you're saying... is that I need to get you more drinks?"

Anon laughed, "Maybe, dude. Here, why don't you go ahead and dance a bit or whatever, and I'll get started on the drinks. Maybe once I've had five or six, then I'll be willing to go out there and make myself into a laughing stock." He joked.

Javelin nodded, apparently satisfied with the arrangement, "Alright, dude. I'll be back in probably like, twenty minutes or something. You'd better have at least five or six empty glasses next to you and a slur in your speech." He asserted, before turning tail and heading toward the dance floor.

Anon chuckled and shook his head as he reclaimed his seat at the bar. He grabbed his drink and polished it off before looking to the bartender and waving to get their attention.

"Can I get another one of these?" He asked.

"Certainly, sir. Would you like to open a tab?" The barmare asked.

"Yeah, sure. Just put it under 'Anon'." Anon replied.

"Of course. I'll have that for you in a second, sir." The mare replied before mixing the drink.

Anon nodded before resting his elbows on the bar and twiddling his thumbs as he waited for his drink. A few moments passed in peace before he saw a mare take the seat next to him in his peripheral vision. Anon pointedly ignored the mare for almost an entire minute before she tapped on his shoulder, forcing him to turn his head to see the soft, sky blue coat of Nightshade as she smiled back at him.

Anon stared in shock as the bartender returned with his drink and deposited it right against his hand. The ice cold feeling broke him from his shock and he shook his head clear of his surprise before addressing the gorgeous mare properly.

"N-Nightshade?! What're you doing here?" He asked, a surprised, but happy smile forming on his face.

"Oh I was just in the neighborhood and heard that a particularly interesting creature was visiting this club. My curiosity piqued, I just had to come see what all the fuss was about." Nightshade beamed, before looking down to Anon's drink.

Alright, Luna. We can do this. Just like we rehearsed in our room. 'Anon, I apologize if my sister gave you the wrong idea, but neither of us are looking for a relationship right now. We would both absolutely love to be your friend, if you would still allow it.' Nightshade thought to herself.

Anon, following her eyes, looked at his drink, and the swirling vortex of white and red as the magic inside the drink continued to stir the mixture without any kind of outside intervention.

"I think it's called a 'lava flow'," Anon explained, pushing the drink toward Nightshade, "Wanna try it?"

Nightshade shook her head, "Oh, I couldn't possibly take your drink, Anon. It's yours." She declined.

"I just got one for free before this one. Besides, I'm planning on drinking a lot of these tonight." Anon pushed the drink even closer.

Nightshade looked as if she wanted to protest further, but quickly shook her head and levitated the drink to her lips with her magic, "You know what, after the day I've had, I think I can accept this little reward." She said, before taking a sip.

The sip quickly turned into a large gulp as Nightshade's eyes widened at the flavor and she continued to drink, downing almost half the drink in a matter of seconds. A worried look quickly crossed Anon's eyes before the drink was placed down on the bar and a deep blush creeped up Nightshade's face.

"Oh... oh dear. I-I'm so sorry, Anon. I did not mean to take so much of your drink, I just... it was so good." She apologized, an adorable pout forming on her lips.

Anon choked back a laugh at how quickly the mare went from bliss to downright depressed, and encouragingly pushed the drink toward her again.

"Here, don't even worry about it. I've got a tab open, and more bits than I know what to do with," He offered, before turning to the bartender once more, "Hey! Can I get another Lava Flow!?" He called.

"Sure thing!" The bartender replied.

"A-anon, you don't have to do that! B-besides, there's something I need to tell you that you really should hear before you're drunk." Nightshade pleaded, pushing Anon's drink back toward him with both hooves.

Anon laughed, "Now I'm not sure exactly what kind of day you had to warrant downing that much alcohol in one go, but since I'm here to celebrate, and I like you a lot, I want to buy you more. Besides, talking with you will keep me off the dance floor, so it's a win/win." He replied, dismissively waving his hand and pushing the drink back toward Nightshade.

Nightshade froze, "I-I know you like me... that's... why I came to talk."

"Well fire away then. I'm all ears." Anon gave a wide, happy smile to the soft blue mare.

Nightshade stared into Anon's eyes, finding a gentle warmth and excitement positively radiating off of him. After a few moments of silence, she looked away, down to the floor.

Buck, I can't do it... Nightshade cursed in her mind.

"Nightshade?" Anon pressed, placing his hand on her wither. His thumb instinctively drew little circles in her fur, making the unicorn blush.

"I-I... just wanted to say that I... y-you... really like me?" She asked, her ears burning as her cheeks heated up even more.

"Well of course I do! You and Sunshine are like, the only mares that have been nice to me since I got here. At least, with the exception of ponies that were working and it was their job to be nice to me." Anon shrugged.

Nightshade found her gaze drifting anywhere in the room except for the man sitting next to her, that is, until the bartender brought him his next drink. Anon slammed back almost half his drink as well and looked down at her with a warm smile.

"There, now, tell me how your day was."

Author's Note

I think you'll all really enjoy the next chapter. I think its the funniest one, personally.