Celestia strolled slowly, and seemingly aimlessly down the road, the pony acting more like a tourist than a shadow runner. Her outfit reflected this, as she wore a tie-dye shirt one size too big for her large frame to comfortably fit inside of. The mare had no weapons, armor, or anything like that, just a pair of bulging saddle bags, and a very old camera she’d occasionally point in random directions.

She exuded the nervous energy of a pony who was in a new city alone for the very first time. Despite this, no one stopped to give her directions, though a few ponies seemed to be eying her up as an easy mark. In turn, Celestia watched them, the pony silently thankful that she had yet to have a run-in with any snake oil salesman.

“Pretty clean given the area,” Celestia murmured to herself.

Her gaze swung up to the right, to the large overpass that hung over the area like an enormous wall. Imposing, grey, and topped with so many cars that their passage could be heard keenly even where Celestia stood, it was a black mark on an otherwise pleasant spot. Though perhaps pleasant wasn't the best word for it, Celestia thought to herself, as it was still a slum.

Still, it was hard not to see that it was better than even the block across the four-lane road to Celestia’s right. Here there was more hoof traffic, more businesses, less litter, and even a present neighborhood watch that could be spotted on occasion walking through the crowd. The various street vendors seemed much more relaxed as well as if they didn't expect to be robbed at any minute like in most other areas of the city.

The block itself wasn't overly large, its square shape curved on one side to conform with the overpass. Buildings almost reached that towering concrete road in the sky but stopped just short of hitting that unseen barrier. Even still, that meant that they reached about seventeen stories tall at their largest, so they were far from tiny.

Dense, with little room for winged creatures to fly between the buildings, the area had a unique feel to it. Mostly built for entertainment, there were also a few residential buildings and some commercial, though just enough to support the locals. It was clear that this district was devoted to nightlife, as a few hotels could be spotted amidst the cluster of towering steel and glass ascending toward the heavens above.

“Wait,” whispered an electronic voice in Celestia’s ear. “This is the spot.”

Celestia dutifully stood still, raising her camera up and snapping a picture of a hotel sign. “What are we looking for anyway? I’m a fair distance from the club,” Celestia whispered.

“You’re following a lead. Besides, you saw that place. It's a fortress, and without a lot of backup, some bigger guns, or our connection to the celestial bodies, we’ll need to wait until they open in a few days before we can really case the joint,” Luna replied.

“Then why am I walking around the entire block?” Celestia inquired.

“I told you I’m working on a lead,” Luna retorted somewhat angrily. “Just stand around looking like a lost tourist for a minute longer.”

Celestia sighed, and lowered her camera, wincing briefly when the bright noonday sun flashed in her eyes. “Stupid Sol. If I was in charge of you I wouldn't make it so bright,” Celestia cursed under her breath.

As she waited, Celestia looked around once more, this time keeping an eye out for anything strange. Luna was on to something, but what that may be escaped Celestia at the moment. The alicorn was about to give up trying to close this gap when she noticed something off.

About halfway up one of the closest buildings, was a camera with a distinct red eye that was pointed right at her. While the others continued to either slowly pan back and forth or remained pointed in a stationary direction this was fixed on her. Stepping to the right revealed that it was following her, the tiny black box manually tracking the alicorn.

“There. Got it,” Luna’s voice announced. “Nearly every building in the whole block is monitored by the same camera system.”

“Speaking of which,” Celestia began. “I think one of them is watching me.”

“Ignore it. You haven't done anything yet,” Luan dismissed. “Just get back here, and take the long way. See if you can't lose your tail.”

“I don't know if I can do that. It's stuck on pretty good,” Celestia replied.

Luna groaned in disgust. “Just don't get followed. This is already one hard nut to crack.”

“Yeah I’m on it,” Celestia exclaimed.

The alicorn put away her camera and began walking in a new direction, her mind plotting out a winding course that lead back to Luna.

Celestia stepped through the rooftop access door and carefully pushed it closed behind her before locking it with a simple spell. With her escape secured, she made her way across the rooftop, heading towards a large air conditioning unit. Along the way, she passed various pipes, ventilation shafts, and chimneys that cluttered so much of the roof that there was barely enough room to walk.

Stopping next to the large, industrial-strength air exchanger, Celestia cleared her throat.

“Don't bother with the call,” remarked Luna’s familiar voice. “I heard you coming all the way back at the stairs.”

“But I was so quiet,” Celestia whined.

“Quiet for you is still a herd of crashing elephants for me, now come here and sit down before someone spots you,” Luna replied.

Celestia pouted but did as she was told, trotting around the corner and plunking down next to her sister. The young alicorn was still furiously working at her deck, though she paused long enough to give Celestia a nod.

“Which do you want? Good news, or bad news?” Luna asked.

“You know me, bad news first,” Celestia declared.

“Well. We aren't getting in there. That's for sure,” Luna stated, gesturing to the club less than a few buildings away from them.

The small cluster of structures more closely resembled an old-timey castle, which fit the name as it was called ‘The Gleaming Heights Club’. With ivory columns, an outer wall that looked like it was taken from an earlier era, and a veritable wall of security it certainly looked to be a fort. A point driven home by the many, many cameras and guards that could be seen observing their surroundings.

Armed, armored, and present everywhere Celestia looked, there was no obvious method of entry. The roof was patrolled and watched, the walls without crack or defect, and the back end even more heavily guarded than the front. This secondary entrance was the only one of the two which was big enough to allow trucks or vehicles to pass through it. It was here that the onsite apartment and administration building they had been told of was located.

“Their security is top-notch,” Luna exclaimed. “They got weirdly expensive security, and hoof traffic in the back end is nearly non-existent.”

“The workers don't bring in outsiders, or leave?” Celestia asked.

“Not that I’ve seen, and I’ve been up here for an entire day at this point,” Luna muttered bitterly. “So nabbing one when they go out might be off the list of avenues of attack.”

Celestia frowned. “If there is no way in on the back or front, can we go under? I know that some places still have the hookups in place for the old sewer.”

“Not this place,” Luna replied. “They are an almost perfectly enclosed system. Half the power generation is done on-site, their security system has no remote access nodes. It's locked down better than that bank we robbed a few years ago.”

Celestia’s frown deepened. “So what do we do then? Tell Mr. Wu we have to pass on the job.”

“We already took the advance remember?” Luna retorted. “We have to see this through.”

“Then what do we do?” Celestia pressed.

“We wait,” Luna remarked. “Once the place opens in a few days we’ll be able to case the joint from the inside, and see about getting some dirt on the people that work there.”

“If that's what it takes,” Celestia grimly concluded.

“It seems so. Unless you have a better idea,” Luna half asked half stated.

“No,” Celestia admitted. “The only way in that I can think of involves far more collateral damage than what I’m comfortable with.”

“Like what? Car through the front entrance. Maybe fill it with explosives first,” Luna offered.

“Either that or hitting it with a fireball big enough to register on the Richter scale,” Celestia countered.

Luna chuckled. “Sounds expensive. Let's stick to casing the joint first. Maybe there's a way in through the front.”

“Let us hope,” Celestia muttered.

Celestia swallowed a mouthful of reheated, formerly canned stir fry she had originally reconstituted the day earlier. The taste wasn't bad, the blandness having been smoothed over by a bit of sauce she had procured from the market. She was about to go back for the next bite when she noticed that Luna had stopped to take a sip of her drink.

“So, what have you been working on while we wait?” Celestia inquired, glancing across the table.

“Some programs, mostly games,” Luna admitted with a shrug. “They don't pay much, but at least I can get my bot back up and running in time for the club reopening.”

“Oh? Is it the one with the helicopter blades and the three eyes?” Celestia asked.

Luna grinned. “That's the one. I haven't been able to get that one in the fight for a while, but with the advance and a bit of side cash we should have some close-range air support.”

“That's a relief,” Celestia murmured. “Going in there without much in the way of backup isn't exactly a great idea.”

“Mmhmm,” Luna grunted, her mouth full of food.

“Say, why don't you join me for some meditation after this?” Celestia offered. “Brushing up on your casting couldn't hurt. This does seem like it's going to be a hard job.”

Luna paused, chewing slowly and silently for several seconds before finally swallowing.

“I suppose it couldn't hurt,” she finally declared.

“Excellent. I shall get everything ready,” Celestia proclaimed, rising from her seat and walking out of the kitchen.

“Hey, are you going to finish that?” Luna asked.

“No, go ahead,” Celestia replied without turning around.

The former alicorn of the sun trotted away, heading over to an ill-used pipe room on the third floor. It barely took any effort to fly up there, with Celestia having done the same movement thousands of times at this point. Once her hooves hit stone, she continued walking, her steps quickly becoming silent, the sound swallowed by a heavy carpet.

The same slightly antiquated old throw rug covered the ground and went up the sides of the walls, where it met more rug. These sections of carpet had a variety of colors, designs, and patterns, none of which were close to one another. They were also stitched together haphazardly and adhered to the wall through magic so that no section of pipe was visible.

Several large fluffy pillows were piled at the back, alongside a small table, all of which Celestia dragged into the center. There she arranged the table in the center, with a pillow on either side though she didn't stop at just that. Next, she opened one of the drawers and produced a candle which she lit, and placed upon the table.

“Perfect,” Celestia whispered to herself.

Settling down with her back legs crossed before her, and her forehooves pressed together, Celestia started to meditate. She didn't have to wait long before the sound of wings broke her concentration and Luna appeared. Smiling faintly, Celestia gestured to the empty spot, which Luna took somewhat cautiously.

“Did you bring your focus?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah,” Luna replied, chucking a small copper-colored lump of rock on the table. “Say hello to Moony.”

Celestia smiled. “Hello, Moony. So glad of you to join us.”

“So, how do we do this again? It's uh, been a while,” Luna muttered.

“Just relax, and center all your attention on your focus,” Celestia began. “Oh and get comfortable first. It may take a while to find that connection again.”

Luna grunted and fell into a more, loose, relaxed position than Celestia with her legs spread and forelegs on her knees. She then began to stare at the hunk of rock, though she seemed a bit distracted. Seeing this, Celestia turned her attention back on her own focus and extended her senses towards the flame. She sought out that ancient connection to fire, and through it, the sun which illuminated the city above her.

For a moment there was nothing, only the quiet trickle of water in the distance, and the softly flickering candle. Then, all at once, her mind opened to the fire, and she felt its heat rush through her form. In an instant, any lingering discomfort from the cool air of their sewer home was banished, replaced by the comforting warmth of the sun.

Celestia couldn't help but sigh in relief, easily grasping the connection and holding onto it. Before her, the fire grew tall and straight before bunching together suddenly, becoming a perfect sphere. Like the sun itself in miniature, the flame undulated chaotically, throwing off small licks in random directions.

“Gah, this is useless,” Luna muttered bitterly.

Celestia blinked, only now aware of the fact that she had been meditating comfortably for almost an hour without blinking or moving.

“Now Luna you must be patient. It's been some time since you have meditated and it will take up to even an hour or more to connect to the moon,” Celestia cautioned.

“Augh why do you always have to sound like mother when you lecture me,” Luna exclaimed, gesturing dismissively at her sister. “At least use a tone other than quiet disappointment.”

“Apologies,” Celestia replied. “I still go into teacher mode sometimes.”

“Whatever. I don't think this matters much anyway,” Luna retorted.

“Come now. A bit of a boost to your magic, and a deeper connection to the moon would be good for you,” Celestia encouraged.

“I beg to differ. Not all of us were blessed with such a pliant and understanding partner,” Luna shot back.

“Sol is far from pliant or understanding,” Celestia explained. “He is a raging inferno of passion that is nearly impossible to some days. Though he was irritating at times I do miss the connection that was taken from me.”

“From us,” Celestia quickly corrected.

“I’m glad for it,” Luna stated. “Now at least I can sleep in without having to wake up with the birds.”

“You can't say that. Selene has been your companion for eons,” Celestia proclaimed.

Luna rolled her eyes. “They may have emotions but they aren't thinking beings. Besides, it's nice being alone in my head. Selene’s constant jealousy was draining, to say the least.”

“Still. Even you must admit that you should have been allowed to keep such a connection,” Celestia offered. “It was your birthright after all.”

“So was ruling as part of an absolute monarchy, but that didn't last for more than a few hundred years,” Luna shrugged. “Not like I’m particularly fond of that time period much, to begin with. Once everyone came to appreciate my night almost more than your light ruling felt a bit empty.”

“Well I’m glad that ponies have come to understand that both night and day should be appreciated equally,” Celestia admitted.

“Yeah and now I have a different kind of magic,” Luna declared, tapping her cybernetics. “Seriously, these bad boys are better than that old true sight spell we used to use to sneak out of the house at night.”

“I still can't believe you didn't get something less conspicuous,” Celestia muttered in disgust. “Seriously it looks like you have a bunch of security cameras strapped to the side of your face.”

“Here we go with the fricking luddite crap again,” Luna exclaimed, throwing up her forehooves. “What next? Are you going to tell me that using bots is a crime against nature, or that I should tear my chrome out and beg for forgiveness?”

“No I wouldn't be so crass though you should consider the harm that replacing more of your body will do to your soul and magic,” Celestia retorted.

“Oh, that's just a theory. The Lambda system is adaptable, especially in us alicorns. Why I bet if I tried I could beat you in a magical duel,” Luna declared triumphantly.

“Please,” Celestia spat while rolling her eyes. “Even when you were nightmare moon you couldn't win a straight-up fight against me.”

There was a moment of silence before Luna knocked the table to the side.

“Of course, you would bring that up!” she shouted, turning away from her sister. “Whenever you’re losing an argument you pull out your trump card, reminding me of the worst time of my life!”

“I didn't mean it like that,” Celestia yelled back while stomping out the small fire started by the candle.

“Your right, it was just an accident that you brought up the one fucking topic I told you we can't talk about,” Luna shouted, spreading her wings. “I’m going out. Don't look for me.”

“Hey wait, what about the job?” Celestia demanded.

“I’ll be back, enjoy the quiet,” Luna exclaimed.

Celestia cursed. “Luna don't you dare go to that bar again you know what happens when you start drinking!’

Celestia paused her stomping to listen, only to be met with silence.

“Luna?”

Author's Note

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