Fleetfoot was flying low to the buildings in the Canterlot slums, ever so quietly, unwilling to wake to ponies within. It was 12:03 in the morning and even the guards where sleeping a there posts. Shining Amor would be appalled at how the castles security had diminished since he had left. Still that had severed Fleet foot's purpose wonderfully. If she hadn't bumped into Spitfire everything would have been perfect. She would have had a solid alibi. Still "Taking a Trip around the Town" would make just as much sense as to why she was sneaking out.
Spitfire was still mulling over the Wonderbolts deasion . It was a lot to think about. Having kept up all of the team a at least one point or at least those who know the whole truth. Fleetfoot should have known this but she had somehow managed to make a rookie mistake. Her Master would know be pleased. He may be understanding but not pleased.
Thoughts of seeing her Master almost distracted her from finding the inoculate marker. 4 cider bottles arranged in a square with three black and one white. To an outsider it would not mean much but to those in the know it would mean a place to rest ease amounts allies.
Thinking of her past lessons with her Master, Fleetfoot did a quick reconnaissance of the area. Noting nothing that would raise any suspicion, she landed softly. The house was in an ok condition, a few cracks in the windows and weeds in the garden. With the training that she had received Fleefoot knew better that to judge a place on how it looks on the outside. She was a specially not picky as to having spent a year more or less without sleeping on a bed a all.
"Come inside, it's cold." Said the voice from the opened door, beckoning Fleet foot in. "My name is Moon Dancer and I have no idea what we are doing."
Fleetfoot shook her head as she entered the house. Every wall was covered in books as was most of the floor. The whole collection look well used. Fleetfoot was in ore of what she saw. Knowledge was one of the greatest weapons of all, best used to avoid violence.
Realising that she wasn't moving Moon Dancer gave Fleetfoot a quick shove jolting her into moving on. "We are already late as it is we need to get moving. You can come back later to read a book or two when you are done." Fleetfoot's only reply to Moon Dancer's words was a small shrug. Moon Dancer continued to walk to a small side room which was empty except for a small package and a A4 folder. "Well what now?" questioned Moon Dancer at the door's entrance.
"How long have you been one of us?" Replied Fleetfoot doing her best to keep her voice as neutral as possible.
"A little under 4 days."
"Ok, a quick rundown of how this should go." The irritation was more that obvious in Fleetfoot's voice. Pulling Moon Dancer closer and looking her in the eyes, she continued " Step 1: You place the package in a safe house. Step 2: You leave a message as to where the package is. Step 3: You go home without asking questions. I have no wish to be able to tell people who you are. It's not that I don't like you, but you cannot give away a secret you don't know." Fleetfoot slowly gave Moon Dancer a hug. Once Moon Dancer was close enough Fleetfoot placed her muzzle up to Moon Dancer's ear and whispered barely audibly and filled with nothing but guilt and sadness, "I have already lost enough friends and allies to those who didn't follow the all the security protocols, and I-- I do not want to add you to that list. The List of the Dead"
Moon Dancer was stunned for only a moment but that was all the Fleetfoot needed to enter the room and lock the door. Moon Dancer went to the kitchen to finish making herself some tea. She had to think. The group was dangerous, that much had been made clear to her from the beginning. But they where doing the right thing. If they failed then there would not be enough Bits to go around in the next budget.
But that was this problem, what of the next one and the one after that. Moon Dancer had to think this though properly. Did she what to stay where she was. Keeping an eye on the goings on of the next gen magic or did she want to go deeper. To stop all the evil that she could. On one hoof she had a safe, easy job with little risk, in the other there was more danger, more hate, more unhappiness with a greater chance of death. A much greater chance of death.
The whistling of the tea pot sounded her decision. There was no need for her to thing about it anymore. As her father had always told her, if not me then who? All that Moon Dancer had to do was tell the ponies that she was going full in. She was going to be one of the hero's that people never hear of. A Watcher in the Night. But first she was going to enjoy her cup of tea. Picking the kettle up in her hooves, she used her magic to turn the gas off.
Fleetfoot came bursting into the kitchen, with a dark look on her face. The lights in the room glowed that little bit less, polished metal lost its lustre, the shadows grew that little bit deeper. Fleetfoot herself looked different, with a long black coat that covered her entire body from mane to tail. The hood was pulled back ever so slightly to reveal a change in mane and skin colour. It was the same as when Princess Luna had returned. A small crystal hung around her neck barely visible inside the coat, just sticking out that little bit. In her hoof she held the A4 folder. As Moon Dancer looked at Fleetfoot her eyes betrayed as emotion that she could just not pin down. She was torn between anger and betrayal but was that all the other pony was feeling, wondered Moon Dancer.
"Did you open this?" Asked Fleetfoot slowly, as if trying to kill Moon Dancer with her words. "I need know now, if you did and if so why?"
Moon Dancer slowly pored her cup of tea. Her hooves didn't stop shaking until she placed to kettle down. "Yes I did open it. I was ordered to do so. It contained both of our instruction's in it. We are an Exelcer team. You do know what Exelcer means right." Said Moon Dancer, never letting her eye's of the other mare's. Feeling better that nothing was going to happen after a few moments of waiting she continued with a little confidence, "It means emergence in Sagjin. I think that it means that we do not have a lot of time to wait around. If you don't mind I am about to drink my tea and move on. We all have our part to play."
"That explains everything. Sorry, this mission is not the only thing playing on my mind." Said Fleetfoot the relief pulsing through her body at the mention of Exelcer.
"Umm, if you don't mind we really need to go. You have work to do and I have to get back to Twilight's Tower. I have to be ready to work as a teacher's aid tomorrow. Wait, no, sorry. Today and you have a noble to stop." said Moon Dancer as she sheepherder out Fleetfoot from the kitchen to the front door. "I also have a way of burning the instructions if your done with them."
Before Fleetfoot could even respond Moon Dancer had already levitated a block of fire wood over. Receiving a single nod from Fleetfoot, Moon Dancer melded the instructions with the fire wood. "You really need to go now. Madame Melody does not like late comers. Also do not forget to pay her 30% of what you make or more if you would like to be forgotten."
Fleetfoot took off like a arrow out of a bow, heading strait for the Blue Light District*.
Moon Dancer watched as Fleetfoot became a bluer in the sky, then headed back inside with the white cider bottle. A few minutes latter she was ready to leave having packed up all her stuff only to hear an all to familiar crack. Her hoof on the door she only waited for the CRASH. Heading upstairs she found the broken book shelf. It had been held together by nothing more that magic and luck.
"Great, now today just got a lot longer."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Just before moonset
"Hi Moon Dancer, did you fall asleep fixing a book case again?" asked the Earth Pony.
"Hmm, what, what did you say?" replied Mood Dancer in a half awaken state.
"I said, did you fall asleep fixing a book case again?"
Moon Dancer only nodded in reply.
"Work was pretty interesting last night. We had a Luna look-a-like come in and get ripped off. Gave The Madame more than 50% of her Bits."
"Plowen Fields, if she did that, are you allowed to talk about her? Your boss might get a little angry with you. You can't afford to live here."
"Yes mam. Still I need to pay your tutoring bill soon. Better that than letting my ex-boyfriend steal the Bits anyway."
"You really should tell his family about your foal. I am shore that they would help take care of her. You could stop being a Lady of the Night then."
"You better get going if you plan to make breakfast. And um, if you see Misty could you teller that mummy loves her dearly and is trying to get time off work to visit her."
"I will try Fields, I will."
Author's Note
*Red light district