Princess Celestia stormed out into the castle's grand hallway, nearly colliding with her sister, Princess Luna. "Ah, Tia. We were not expecting to see you up and about this late. You are usually the 'early to bed, early to rise' sort." Celestia gave her a tired look. Luna glanced past her into the small dining room where the two guards were busy cleaning up the stallion and collecting paperwork while the other staff tended to the table and mess on the floor. "Oh, was that tonight?" Luna asked. Celestia only nodded and continued walking with Luna astride her. "Another 'puker' we see," Luna commented. Celestia sighed in frustration. Not as her sister's inquiries, but at the situation itself.

"I don't know what it is," she said.

"Do not take it personally. We are sure that it is not anything revolting about you, sister. Rather the stallions simply lack the control of their anxiety." Luna said matter-of-factly.

"That's just it!" Celestia said. "I hate that they are anxious around me! I just want to have a normal relationship with somepony."

"Tia! You wound us!"

"I mean other than you, of course," Celestia said.

"What of your student, Twilight Sparkle?"

"She is a good friend. But even her behavior is... reserved around me. And she's always so eager to try to impress, as though she still feels that she is being tested." She shook her head. "I just want somepony who acts around me as an equal. At least for a night!" Luna listened patiently. It was not often that her elder sister complained of a problem that she could not solve herself. Luna felt privileged to offer her advice.

"Perchance our new ally, Discord?" Luna asked, trying to keep the smirk from her face. Celestia cut her eyes at her. "He certainly seems to have no difficulty displaying a comfortable familiarity around you." Celestia scoffed. If it was one characteristic Discord lacked, it was subtlety. And he made no attempt to mask his feelings toward the alabaster alicorn in the past. But of late, it seem that he has become quite taken with Fluttershy. Although as she understood it, it was a romantically unrequited affection.

"Nothing about that draconequus is normal," Celestia said. "I want a normal relationship. I'd even take a one-night-stand at this point for pony's sake. Do you have any idea how long it has been since I-" Celestia blushed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be complaining about this sort of thing to you. I'm sure it has been longer for you with your... time away, and the difficulty of re-acclimating to modern times." Luna just smiled. Celestia recognized it. That look that her sister had. That certain I-know-something-you-don't-know look. "Luna?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you? Since your return?" Celestia asked. Luna only smiled wider. It was a testament of truth that needed no words. "But, but how?"

"Tia," Luna said smugly, "Surly you are familiar with the mechanics of the act. You see, when two ponies love eachother-"

"You know perfectly well what I meant!" Celestia snapped. Luna, for her part, was thoroughly enjoying herself.

"You of all ponies should know by now that we are the expert of all activities nocturne," Luna said, raising a coy eyebrow, "Particularly when it comes to regarding the carnal delights of the flesh."

"That's a very flowery way of describing promiscuity." Celestia growled.

"She said, after verbally hoping for a, 'one-night-stand'." Luna mocked.

"Touchè." Celestia grumbled. They continued to walk together, outside into the castle courtyard gardens. "May I ask who it was?"

"You may." Luna said, leaving a long pause. These little conversational jabs annoyed Celestia to no end, much to Luna's personal pleasure.

"So?" Tia pressed. "Who was it?"

"I don't know." Luna answered.

"You didn't even know his name?" Celesta asked incredulously.

"'His?' You presume too much." Luna replied.

"Hers then! Stallion, mare, I don't judge your preference. But you slept with a pony and you didn't even know her name." Celesta said, incredulously.

"Slept with? What an inaccurate euphemism for the act. You can be assured that nopony was sleeping."

"Luna-"

"Her name, his name."

"Don't play the pronoun game."

"Their names." Luna said, coy as ever.

"Names!? As in plural!?" she asked in astonishment. Luna said nothing, basking in the moment. It was not often that she saw Celestia surprised by anything. But the concept of her younger sister consorting with multiple anonymous sexual partners was apparently one of them.

"We can not believe that this surprises you." Luna said.

"I just- I never even knew. Never even suspected!" Celestia said, still reeling from the revelation.

"Tia, you have been our sister for over a millennium. You know us better than any other pony by far. But the things that you don't know about us, we could just about squeeze into the Ghastly Bucking Gorge!" Luna said. Celestia was quiet for a long while. Luna hadn't meant for the comment to slight her so deeply. But Celestia couldn't help but feel guilty for letting things slide back to the way they had been before Luna's banishment; with Celestia overseeing the day and the 'important' things, and Luna raising the moon and doing little else. Worse so, she had been failing to spend the time she had promised with her little sister. Celestia had always put the welfare of the realm first, at the sacrifice of all else. It was no shock that Luna's activities of late would escape Celestia's notice.

"You're right," she sighed. "I've been taking you for granted again. And I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to not having to do everything myself."

"You needn't carry Equestria on your shoulders. Princess Twilight has always been there in times of trouble. And the realm can take care of itself when it must. You do our subjects a discredit with your lack of faith. They are stronger than you may believe."

"I know they are," Celestia said. They took a pause in their stroll through the castle garden, stopping by the fountain. Tia sat on the stone bench. Luna joined her and they just listened to the water for a while.

"We did not mean to make this talk quite so serious," Luna said, breaking the lull in the conversation. "You had asked us for advice and we made you feel guilty."

"It's alright. I'm just glad to be able to talk with you."

"We are too," Luna said. Celestia shifted in her seat a bit. "Are you tired?"

"No, I'm actually wide awake," she said.

"Well, if you're still curious about the 'how' of our... nocturnal activities," she trailed off. Celestia looked down at her hooves.

"I am," she admitted. "How do they get past the idea of who you are?"

"There is a... an establishment that can suit your need."

"But Luna, you and I are the two most recognizable ponies in all of Equestria. How can you possible find somepony that doesn't know us?"

"Anonymity is a wonderful thing, sister. You need only be somepony else." With that, Luna stood and her form shimmered. She grew taller and her fur turned black as soot, and her eyes turned to slits. She had transformed into her Nightmare Moon form.

"Last year, on Nightmare Night, Twilight Sparkle helped me use this form to understand the fun in frightening ponies. After her battle with the changeling invasion, she was able to learn more about their magic. So after a discussion, we were able to modify it." Luna's form shimmered again. She was now shorter than her normal height. Her fur was a pale, dull blue. Her mane and tail were a flat, sky blue. They lacked their former twinkling shimmer and billowing, hanging limply at the mercy of gravity once more. Her wings laid flat against her back, appearing to dissolve into her fur. When it was over, she looked like a common unicorn.

"But your Cutie Mark..." Celestia pointed out. It had remained unchanged.

"The spell has its limits," Luna said. "Nothing a bit of fur paint can't conceal. And you'll need a mask as well."

"A mask?"

"Yes. It is a masquerade after all. Not everypony can make themselves look completely different like this, you know. They all wear masks. We can have one made and teach you the spell," she said. Celestia thought about it for a moment. Briefly. More briefly than she would care to admit.

"Yes."