> Running In The Shadows
>  by Jest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Total Recall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia sits once more atop her throne, sister at her side, and lands before her in harmony. Years after the darker alicorns’ return, things had begun to change, Twilight had taken a more active role in politics. The eventual death of her friends weighed heavily on her, and she channeled those feelings toward a desire for change.

Suddenly the world shifted and Celestia was in court, arguing against some bill Twilight had put forward. It would remove some of the technological restrictions Celestia had put in place centuries earlier. She wanted to resist, but Twilight's coalition of landed nobility, with the backing of the burgeoning corporations was too much. An agreement was reached but it was only a half measure, something that would be stripped away in time.

Sure enough, only a few short years later, and with even more money behind her, Twilight returned to the negotiating table. This time she had the public on her side as well, leaving Celestia with little to do but give up, and give in. From there technology began to advance rapidly, and Celestia saw snippets of chrome flash before her eyes.

One moment she was standing in the castle, watching workers build a skyscraper taller than the ancient bastion she stood in. The next she was sitting atop the throne, watching as a pony with a shiny metal limb strode up and made some inquiry or another. The words and colors blurred together, in a violent storm that ended suddenly, thrusting Celestia onto the street.

Around her, buildings burned, ponies moaned in pain, and bodies littered the road like so much debris. Mansions that had stood for centuries were now ruins, their bloated insides spilling out, exposing the corruption within. Black crystals sprouted from the shattered mounds of stone and wood while pools of undulating greenish liquid pulsed quietly nearby. Even the clouds above bore the signs of corruption, as they spat angry purple lightning down on the world below. 

Though disturbing, there was no more unnerving a sight than the mare who stood before Celestia. Twilight was barely even recognizable from the young mare Celestia had begun teaching all those decades earlier. Gone was the tiny, inquisitive unicorn, replaced by an alicorn stained black by the heavy hand of dark magic.

Eyes, as black as coal emitted a greenish-purple mist so thick it trailed behind her like contrails chasing a speeding pegasus. Her horn, tall and magnificent was now twisted, curving slightly, sharpening and becoming almost blade-like in its appearance. Her coat had darkened to the point that it was almost black while her mane had become a mass of fleshy protrusions. Like serpents, they twisted about atop her head as if trying to find a more comfortable position on the mare’s scalp.

The damage done was not merely spiritual, however, as all over Twilight's body there were clear signs of damage. Bruises, cuts, and scrapes big and small covered nearly every inch of her, including several larger injuries. For one the alicorn was missing a foreleg, as well as a wing, and the majority of her cheek was completely gone, revealing pointed teeth.

Though warped in both body and spirit, Twilight looked up at Celestia with not malice, but confusion. Face contorted in a mix of pain and bewilderment she whispered a single solitary word.

“Why?”





Celestia lurched upward, banging her head against something hard and metallic. A hoof immediately went the delicate appendage adorning her scalp, a groan escaping her lips.

“I told you that falling asleep in here was a bad idea,” remarked a familiar voice.

Celestia turned to its source and for a moment saw Luna as she used to be. Young, youthful, and still recovering from her time on the moon, she was the Luna from Celestia’s childhood. Then the haze of memory faded and she saw the other pony for what she was now.

Her flowing ethereal mane was gone, its ethereal qualities robbed alongside her connection to the moon. Just as long, it now fell over one side of her face, exposing that half of her scalp had been cut as short as possible. Allowing for several strips of metal to be installed in her skull, each one sporting several different kinds of ports and wires that ran into her deck.

A deck that was clutched in two metallic black hooves that had split open to create a dozen digits that tapped away at the keyboard. The board itself was long, nearly a quarter of the length of the alicorn herself, and was nearly falling apart by the looks of it. It was patched so many times it was hard to tell what make or model it had once been, not like Celestia had the know-how to figure that out in the first place however.

Luna did, though she didn't seem in the talkative mood at the moment, distracted as she currently was. Her one unaugmented eye twitched back and forth, inspecting a hovering screen projected in front of half her face. The other side, partially hidden under a long coat of dark hair was illuminated by a blue light emanating from the eye cluster installed over where the other organic orb should be. Housed within a triangular metallic mass that went back to where her one ear should be, the mass of chrome almost covered the electrical burns beneath which had long since been covered in scar tissue.

The rest of her form was hidden away from sight, the high collar of her coat obscuring her mouth and neck. The rest of her was covered in a long, midnight black fabric that bunched at the shoulders and gained a metallic sheen. There it split into a triangle-shaped geometric pattern, adding a stylistic flare that was hampered somewhat by just how many times the piece of clothing had been repaired.

“You forget who I am again?” Luna asked without glancing in Celestia’s direction.

“No,” Celestia replied immediately, looking away. “I just… had that dream again.”

Luna acknowledged the remark with a grunt but said nothing immediately distracted by her work.

Celestia glanced about the cramped interior of the vehicle she was currently stuffed inside of. The metal box was long, angular, and had only one window, though she didn't look out of it, at least not yet. Rather she searched for a driver, a request to pull over for a moment forming on her lips, only to be dismissed.

The vehicle wasn't only missing ample headroom, and properly sized seats but also a visible driver. There was only two seats, and a stain-covered dash of clearly fake leather that likely hadn't been cleaned in weeks if not months. The entire thing stunk of spilled liquor and blood and had more mystery splotches than Celestia cared to think about. She also tried not to think about how the whole thing rattled like it was ready to fall apart and took most turns fast enough to throw her against the side of the vehicle.

Now growing queasy, Celestia tried to make her stomach stop spinning by looking out the window. Only to see not the much-altered city of Manehatten, but her own changed appearance looking tiredly back at her. Unlike her sister and student, Celestia herself hadn't changed much over the years, though even she could not resist change entirely.

A small dock could be spotted at the back of her neck, the port basically an antique at this point. Barely serviceable, anyone else would have done away with it and gotten an upgrade, but not Celestia. She had refused any offers to do so, and kept it simple, much like the rest of her armor as well her weapon.

A spear, older than most current nations lay on the ground next to her, its appearance so utterly plain that few who looked at it knew its power. Heavily enchanted, the haft was made of a light brown wood and was capped by a six-inch long blade that ended in an incredibly fine point. There were no embellishments, no runic arrays, or anything else to give away its true potential unless you were a capable mage. Then, the weapon hummed and radiated a warmth that could be felt from a fair distance, an effect similar to the armor Celestia wore.

The old set of plate mail may be antiquated in the extreme, but like most of the few items Celestia owned, it was heavily enchanted. Hidden beneath a set of brightly colored yellow and orange robes, only the suit’s gorget could be seen poking out of the neck hole. Together with her simple weapon, she looked to be a knight of old, or an amateur pretending to be one anyway.

Those with a more discerning gaze would be able to tell that she was more than that, however. They would spot the scars, both old and new that dotted her form, such as the scratch that covered one cheek in three long, red lines. Her shortly cropped mane hid little from view, and revealed many of the old wounds that she had gained which would never fully heal. Without the power that allowed her mane to float on an unseen breeze, Celestia had collected these marks of battle in considerable numbers.

“You just get uglier every day,” Celestia muttered to herself.

Stowing away that small amount of damaged pride, Celestia looked out the window, ignoring the grime that collected at the edges. Beyond the poorly cleaned glass whizzed the city of Manehatten, or at least a distant extension of the sprawling metropolis. Far from the mile-high skyscrapers, and dense urban landscape, there was little to mark this place as part of the ever-expanding city.

The only gift from Manehatten came in the form of the massive sixteen-lane highway they were currently speeding upon. Beneath them, half hidden by the enormous concrete pillars was what had likely been a distant town or village at one point. Absorbed by the sprawling corporate-dominated city, it was now a relatively quiet suburb notable only for being crime-riddled and where their destination lay.

Or at least Celestia thought that might be the case anyway.

“What exactly was the job again?” Celestia inquired.

Luna paused and turned to face her sister, tri optic array blinking in confusion.

“Don't tell me you really are getting dementia. I told you how important it is to play more games. They keep the mind sharp even at our old age,” Luna remarked.

“I…” Celestia sighed and took a breath. “You know what happens when I have that dream.”

Luna swiped a metal hoof over her keyboard, digits working furiously for a second before coming to a stop when a holographic image popped into view. The face was of their fixer, that much Celestia recognized right away, the stallion’s smug grin being uncomfortably familiar. He wore a white suit jacket, beneath which was an expensive-looking black vest embroidered with gold and sporting equally as lavish buttons. Under that was a red shirt with a popped collar, from which spilled three or so garish gold chains. His teal eyes were barely visible beneath his reflective silver-trimmed aviators, but they could not contain the glint of greed Celestia saw in his gaze every time she looked upon them.

“Rare Find needs us to get some dirt on a local low-level bureaucrat,” Luna began, flicking her hoof and causing a small, square government building to appear between them. “It's a simple administration building that at one point served as this village’s town hall.”

“Willowseed,” Celestia interrupted.

“What?” Luna replied.

“Before being absorbed by Manehatten it was called Willowseed,” Celestia answered.

“Whatever,” Luna muttered. “It's a suburb of Manehatten now, and its town hall is a satellite location for the Bureau of land management.”

“Question, why are we still working with this guy?” Celestia interrupted. “We know he's wrapped up in everything from illegal dog fighting to fight fixing.”

Luna sighed bitterly. “Because it's either this or become homeless… again!”

“Oh right,” Celestia muttered.

“Need I remind you that we are sinless vagrants that cannot get real jobs, or garner any extra attention? Or did you forget that along with where you are,” Luna angrily spat.

“I remember where I am,” Celestia retorted.

“I doubt that very much,” Luna muttered. “Either way you need to promise me not to attack him the next we meet him. The guy might be bottom-of-the-barrel scum but I will not go back to begging for food on some street corner somewhere.”

Celestia sighed heavily. “I know sister.”

“Good. Besides, the job shouldn't even involve any violence unless you end up blowing our cover again,” Luna continued, pointing to the three-dimensional map projected by her deck. “Security is almost non-existent, and our target apparently has a habit of forgetting his briefcase at work so it should be a simple matter to get what we need.”

“That is… good,” Celestia murmured.

“We should be able to get in the back, sneak up the stairs to the second story, and get into his office with little issue,” Luna remarked. “After that, we grab his briefcase, break into his terminal, download what we need, and slip out before anyone even spots us.”

“What kind of security do they have?” Celestia inquired, peering a little closer. “I would expect at least a few guards even here.”

“Williams and Steel security as well as a handful of cameras, but all of those are facing the street or are in the lobby,” Luna answered. “I don't expect much more than a couple of old-timers in need of a paycheque or maybe a newby trying to get into corpo security. Like I said this is not a high-priority building, and Williams and Steel aren't exactly heavy hitters.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “How far away are we?”

“Few minutes. Gonna drop near a bar in the area, and we can walk the rest of the way,” Luna replied, tapping her deck a few times and dismissing the three-dimensional image. “Should be enough to shake any suspicion, plus if we get paid we can stop by for a drink before heading home.”

“Augh Luna,” Celestia whined. “You know how I feel about your drinking.”

“And you know I feel about your complaining,” Luna spat back.

Celestia bit her lip, forcing down the retort that had been building in her throat.

“Let's just focus on the job,” Celestia conceded.

Luna snorted, and looked away, quickly getting lost in whatever she was working on. Leaving Celestia to sigh mournfully and go back to looking out of the lone window available to her. For several minutes they remained in that awkward silence until swerving down an off-ramp and descending into the sprawl below.

From there it wasn't long before they approached a long, squat structure made primarily of cinder blocks. The front was simple, a single door sitting between four windows, each of which bore metal bars that went over the top of as many air conditioning units. The exterior had a simple sign simply saying ‘bar’ or at least Celestia assumed as much, as only the B lit up.

Illuminated only by the flickering light of a half-broken street lamp was a quartet of ponies standing outside. Just from a glance, Celestia could tell that they were regulars as they were stumbling already despite it barely being ten o clock. Stuck between two three-story apartment buildings, the bar emptied directly onto the cracked sidewalk. With barely any parking to speak of, Celestia was glad for once, that they had hired a taxi.

As Celestia finished her inspection, the car slowed down and eventually came to a complete stop. The moment this happened, she picked up her spear, pressed the release for the door, and stepped outside once it responded by swinging up into the air. Standing outside, Celestia couldn't help but grimace in disgust, the smell of exhaust and distant pollution staining her nose.

“Thank you for your patronage,” announced a robotic, monotone voice.

Luna grunted, and stepped outside, strapping her deck to her back in a single fluid motion.

“Well, that was the last of our money. We had best hope this goes smoothly otherwise we’ll be walking home,” Luna remarked bitterly.

“We’ll handle it,” Celestia replied.

“We better,” Luna spat.

The dark alicorn kept walking, forcing Celestia to trot after her lest she is left behind. Together they continued down the street, passing by the drunks Celestia had seen earlier.

“They ain't bad,” remarked one voice.

“They got the theme down pat, and are pretty big too, no fake wings though so points off for that,” added another.

The quartet chuckled to themselves for a few seconds before one of them unexpectedly puked his guts out onto the ground. That prompted Celestia to pick up the pace slightly so she walked next to her sister.

“Hear that, we got theme down pat,” Celestia offered.

Luna snorted. “Sometimes I hate how it became such a trend to dress up like us.”

“There is strength in legends, a shame we’ve become one ourselves,” Celestia added.

“I’m just happy we don't have to spring for any expensive mods or plastic surgery. I rather enjoy my face, blemishes and all,” Luna remarked, a hoof running over the sensor cluster grafted over one of her eye sockets.

Celestia could barely contain her disgust, but at least resisted the urge to say anything. Instead, she distracted herself by inspecting their surroundings.

Traffic was infrequent but fairly common, with most cars being the same metal coffins that had transported the sisters to the ass end of Manehatten. Cheap, nearly indestructible, and produced in masse, they were the chosen method of transport for anyone on a budget. Despite their repulsive appearance and AI driver, they at least allowed her to travel the city quickly since they had to keep their wings hidden.

The other people they passed by were mostly drunks, beggars, or thieves all of whom gave the sisters a wide berth. Celestia caught snippets of whispered remarks directed at them, with most murmuring that they looked like shadow runners. There were also a few remarks about their physical appearance which Celestia regretted ever hearing but thankfully they were in the minority. Even then, runners were not so uncommon that they caused a commotion, and garnered only passing curiosity from most.

Such whispers vanished completely after they ducked down a side passage and turned into a dimly lit alley. Celestia’s right hoof twitched, her instincts telling her to pull forth her spear and ready herself for combat. She stowed that urge and instead walked with her head held high, doing her best to exude an intimidating aura.

She wasn't sure if it worked, but either way, no one bothered them, though more than a few observed their passage. A trio of street rats sitting on a dumpster watched them go, and further on a working mare puffed on a cigarette as the sisters passed by. Other than that, Celestia saw no one, though she was almost certain that there were others observing their passage.

That all ended when they got close to their target, as a tall concrete barrier hid them from sight. Behind those towering walls were the nicer homes of the bureaucrats and government employees. Their desire for privacy allowed the sisters to make the last jaunt of their travel in silence and without a single pony spotting them.

“Alright it's just up ahead, lets's wait here a second,” Luna whispered in a low tone.

Celestia nodded, and slid behind a dumpster piled high with bits of debris from a construction site. Luna knelt down behind a discarded couch rotting on the other side of the alley, her bionic eye cluster remaining glued to the building down the way. Larger than any they had passed by, it was blocky, and imposing, built in a brutalist style that made it as ugly as it was uninviting. Wide, and squat, it loomed over the rest of the neighborhood like a massive tombstone marking the death of the village it had once been the center of.

A few minutes passed, and just when Celestia was about to ask what they were waiting for, the back door opened. The steel door clanged into place, allowing an elderly stallion to step outside and light a cigar. He then puffed silently on the thing, gaze distant, uncaring as to who or what may be lurking in the shadows.

Celestia noted that although he had a gun, as well as a uniform, he had no body armor to speak of and the weapon was old. It was a sturdy firearm and a decent caliber but likely hadn't been fired in years. That wasn't the focus of Luna though, as she only had eyes for the small square of plastic dangling from a lanyard around the stallion’s throat. Simple, with only a magnetized black strip, it looked about as old as the male who carried it around.

After a few minutes of silence, the stallion pulled out a case, clipped the end of the cigar, and placed the remainder of his smoke in the box. He then tucked it into a pocket, and turned back around, kicking out the block which had been holding the door open. A moment later and the door shook slightly, the guard likely making sure that it was closed before going back to his patrol.

“Come on,” Luna urged.

Celestia nodded and followed after her sister as she hastily crept up the concrete steps. Kneeling down next to a card reader beside the door, Luna pulled out not her deck, but a black velvet bag. Fishing inside, she retrieved a key card much like the one the guard had been holding a moment earlier, only hers had several black bars along the back.

A quick swipe later and Luna stepped back, watching the door with hushed anticipation. It took a moment, but the door clicked, and Luna hastily pulled it open, stepping in.

“Stay quiet, and let me handle this,” Luna whispered.

Celestia nodded once more, though she wanted to assert that she could indeed help and did not need to be coddled. Those emotions were stuffed down deep in her chest, buried under the reminder that they may end up homeless or hungry again. With that in mind, Celestia crept silently after her sister as she worked her way into the building, her hoof steps rendered inaudible due to the carpeted floor.

The hallway they were walking down was simple, and not overly long, turning sharply to the left after a dozen feet. Along the way, there were two doors on either side and one at the end, all closed and locked with the same key card method as the back entrance. Celestia wasn't sure where she should be going, but Luna was confident so with the younger sister taking the lead, they moved onward.

Down the hall, and immediately to the right, pushing open a heavy metal door. Beyond lay a concrete corridor of stairs that lead up, the space quiet save for the hum of the fluorescent lights. Luna closed the door quietly behind them before swiftly trotting upward, careful to not let her hooves make a sound.

Celestia did the same, the larger mare doing her utmost to replicate her more stealthy sister’s movements. Thankfully the task wasn't terribly difficult, and soon they had reached the second floor. Luna once more took the lead, peering out a crack in the door at their surroundings, and after a few seconds, ushering Celestia out after her.

Together they moved into a wide open office space in the shape of a zero. In the middle was a wall of windows that overlooked a courtyard of some kind. It also allowed the sisters to see the conference spaces on the other side, as well as the identical row of cubicles directly across from them.

Luna gestured to her right before motioning for Celestia to stay low while she continued leading them. Celestia did as her sister asked, keeping her neck bent and hoof steps quiet as they trotted past a break room. Pausing at the small lunch room beyond, Luna listened carefully before once more pressing onward.

This repeated several times before finally, they had worked their way to their target, a corner office that bore the number twenty-two directly above it. The door was closed and locked with simple means, but the careful application of a bobby pin remedied that issue. Luna stepped inside, waved Celestia in after her, and pushed the door closed once her sister was safely standing next to her.

“Is this it?” Celestia whispered.

Luna nodded and gestured to the office desk sitting a few feet away from them. Like most things in the building, it was fairly low-tech, a simple conglomeration of plastic and metal. On top of the cheap government furniture was an old computer complete with a monitor as big as a pony’s head.

“This stuff is ancient,” Luna whispered.

“It's not that old. I remember when…” Celestia frowned. “I suppose they are rather antiquated.”

Luna snorted and sat down on the dusty office chair. She then hooked her deck up to the tower and began clicking away. Her face darkened almost immediately, and she scowled angrily at the flickering monitor.

“It's older than I thought. This is going to take a while. Try and find the guy’s briefcase,” Luna exclaimed, gesturing in Celestia’s direction.

The other mare rolled her eyes before starting to look around the rather cramped office space without destroying anything. Behind Luna was a wall of windows, flanked on either side by small bookcases that came a quarter way up the wall. Checking out the first one of these sparsely populated spaces, Celestia found that they were completely normal.

There were small trophies, awards for perfect attendance, a diploma from a school she had never heard of, and a few pictures. What few books there were about management, business, and real estate laws in Equestria as well as abroad. Everything was old, and aged and the central figure in the pictures looked easily about seventy or possibly more.

There was no sign of the briefcase, however, so Celestia continued on until she reached a filing cabinet. Opening the top drawer revealed only rows and rows of data discs carefully secured in plastic containers. The second one held her prize, a simple black briefcase with a combination lock, and a soft, faux leather exterior.

“Found it,” Celestia whispered.

Luna nodded at her sister before turning back to the computer, glaring intently at the screen. Celestia was about to ask what else she might do to help, only for Luna to grin unexpectedly and step away from the computer.

“Got it,” declared the young sister. “Now we just need to get out of here the way we came.”

“That's it?” Celestia inquired.

“Don't jinx it. We still gotta get out undetected. The info we got will be worth a lot less if we are discovered,” Luna retorted.

Celestia sighed, and stepped aside, allowing her younger sibling to take the lead once more. Which was something the other mare did immediately after she had tucked her deck on her back and secured it in place. With that done, she slipped back into the hallway and hastily began moving back the way they came, head bent low the whole way.

As they moved Celestia couldn't help but wonder if something was about to go wrong. When no alarms blared, and no one shouted for them to put their hooves up, she began to relax. Then Luna stopped suddenly and gestured toward one of the cubicles nearby.

Both sisters slipped under the cheap particle board divider, their larger bulk barely fitting under the desk. Now confused, and with her head unpleasantly close to her sister’s butt, Celestia’s anxiety returned. She gestured back the way they came with a confused look on her face, asking without saying what they were hiding from.

Luna pantomimed the action of someone walking towards them before holding a hoof up to her lips. This didn't sit well with Celestia who gestured to her weapon, asking if she should do something about the guard. Luna drew an invisible line across her throat before shaking her head, telling Celestia not to kill the fellow. Celestia replied by rolling her eyes and pointing down to the butt of her weapon, not the pointy bit.

Again Luna shook her head, glaring hard at Celestia. Though Celestia didn't like it, she sat tight, trying to ignore the awkward position they were currently in.

A few seconds later she heard the sound of hooves coming closer, the noise accompanied by whistling. The guard himself drew nearer and nearer before walking right past them without slowing down at all. Only when he was out of earshot did Celestia relax, though Luna evidently did not, the mare shoving Celestia aside and slipping out of their hiding spot.

Picking her head up off the ground, Celestia untangled her limbs and scrambled to catch up with her sister. They met back up at the staircase, where Luna paused, listening for a few seconds before opening the door. They repeated this same slow and steady tactic a few times and were back at the same alley entrance they had used only a few minutes earlier.

Once outside, and out of sight of the building, the two alicorns stopped for a moment next to a dumpster. Luna pulled out her deck, and after ensuring the info was still there, turned to Celestia, who waved the briefcase. The younger mare then looked around, only relaxing once she made sure that they had not been noticed or followed.

“Finally. A job that went exactly as planned,” Luna muttered.

“Uh Luna, are they our contact for the handoff?” Celestia asked.

Luna followed her sister’s hoof to where, just down the alley, there were a dozen ponies walking towards them. Wearing mostly black leather, and wielding improvised weapons as well as the odd firearm, the group made it clear they were there for the sisters. At their head was a slender mare wearing a black motorcycle helmet adorned with a shiny spike, and holding a nail-filled baseball bat.

“No, no they are not,” Luna replied.
> Ancillary Justice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Looks like the tip we bought was good,” remarked the motorcycle helmeted mare. “You got some real antiques with ya, and that cyberware should go for a decent amount. Once we pry it out of that pretty little skull of yours.”

The dozen ponies snickered as they fanned out, nearly surrounding the sisters.

“Oh I’m going to enjoy killing you,” Luna remarked while pulling out a pair of short daggers.

“No killing,” Celestia harshly retorted. “They may be morons but they don't deserve to die.”

“I’m going to skull fuck you until your brain is mush!” yelled a rather unhinged stallion wielding a jagged knife.

“Can I at least kill him?” Luna asked.

Celestia sighed. “Fine, but make it quick.”

“I don't think you two seem to understand the situation you’re in,” declared the helmeted mare. “Let's change that!”

The pony charged forward, swinging her baseball bat at Celestia’s head with all the strength she could muster. This move was telegraphed so hard and so early that Celestia was able to duck, before lining up a buck to the mare’s midsection before it even had a chance to connect. The pony stumbled back, wheezing as the breath was forced from their lungs and their legs began to tremble.

The rest of the thugs attacked a moment later, hoping to take Celestia and Luna off guard by hitting them all at once. Celestia stepped to the right, forcing the group to rearrange themselves lest they run into one another. Without the flanking support he had been anticipating, the lead attacker found that the tall mare was impossible to pin down.

The towering golden armored pony ducked or sidestepped his flurry of swings before striking him with the butt of her spear. The blow to the head was enough to send him sprawling to the ground, his eyes rolling around in their sockets like loose marbles. This further entangled those following in his footsteps, though not a taller mare wielding a rusty nine-millimeter pistol who emptied the magazine in Celestia’s direction.

As a glimmering golden shield held back the barrage of bullets, Luna was running circles around her own opponents. Though easily the second largest pony present the former princess of the night was the most dexterous, easily weaving around her foe’s swipes. After a particularly strong overhand smash of a sledgehammer missed, Luna brought the pommel of her dagger down on the back of the mare’s neck.

The moment she hit the ground unconscious her friends trampled over her to try and reach Luna. the lone gunmen used this moment to unleash every bullet his pistol could hold at the decker, hitting one of his companions in the process. Luna was completely unharmed, the mare having rolled to the side the moment the weapon was leveled in her direction.

The inexperienced shooter didn't seem to know how to compensate for the muzzle climb, as only the first two shots were anywhere close to the target. After that, it downed the previously mentioned ally, a dumpster, the road, and a distant street sign, producing a loud twang noise. He didn't get a chance to reload as before he could even begin fumbling with the magazine release, a pair of floating daggers bludgeoned him on either side of the head.

Celestia wasn't quite so lucky, as her gun-wielding pony was at least able to keep his target center. He did not, however, have much more sense when it came to conserving ammo as he simply dumped every bullet into Celestia’s shield. When that didn't work he seemed too confused and surprised to do anything, allowing the alicorn to slam the butt of her spear between his eyes.

Before she could retract the weapon, two more of the thugs were upon her, each attacking from a different side. The one to her right wielded a claw hammer while the other had a much more dangerous pick, both probably stolen from the same construction site. Knowing one was far more dangerous than the other, Celestia turned to her left only to immediately sidestep a surprisingly fast strike aimed at her head.

While the simple claw hammer banged uselessly off her armor, Celestia reached up and grabbed the pick axe mid-swing. The stallion tried to overpower his foe but was surprised to find that she was far stronger than him. Overpowering the male, Celestia pulled him forward, her forehead meeting him halfway there and striking him with enough strength to leave him writhing on the floor.

The claw hammer mare lurched forward, attempting to strike Celestia’s face but was intercepted by a flying spear. Wielded by Celestia’s magic, the weapon’s butt struck the mare in the side of the face with enough force to send her to the ground. As she joined her fellow, Celestia turned to the pistol-packing thug who had finally figured out how to reload his weapon.

Luna chuckled as she danced out of the way of the knife-wielding stallion’s range.

“That's the best move you got? Swing wildly while your eyes try to bulge their way out of your skull?” Luna mocked.

“No I also have this!” he screeched.

The stallion drew a second knife before leaping at Luna, forehooves over his head. The move was desperate, and slow, giving Luna more than enough time to deliver an attack of her own. Stepping forward, Luna caught the male mid-fall with her head before flicking him backward with enough force to send him flying.

The earth pony’s flight ended abruptly when his head collided with a cement wall, leaving behind a red smear as he sunk to the ground. While he fell, the final two of Luna’s attackers pressed forward, one with magic and the other with the advantage of height. The pegasus stallion struck downward with a knife taped to a stick, while the unicorn charged their horn for some manner of attack.

Luna easily sidestepped the pegasus’ flurry of jabs before cutting the broom handle that served as the spear’s haft in half. Looking down in confusion, the pegasus wondered briefly what happened to his weapon before he wondered something new. Namely how the unicorn he was fighting had leaped ten feet into the air and struck him in the jaw with enough force to make him bite the tip of his tongue off.

Celestia didn't give the pistol thug a moment to aim his gun, however, and with a blast of magic, superheated the metal weapon. He clung onto it for only a second before screaming and throwing it away, the antique service weapon exploding as its ammo detonated all at once. He was about to get a spear to the dome when a mare with a nail-filled bat came from behind, striking Celestia on the back.

The alicorn released a grunt before incinerating the upper half of the former sports equipment with another quick spell. She then reared back and launched a powerful buck at the helmeted mare’s midsection. The attack struck true, but the unicorn was able to erect a small barrier, though it did little to actually help her.

Steel shod hooves crushed through the magical wall, and then her chest with enough force to leave her ribs cracked. There were other injuries, but none were more pressing than getting the wind knocked out of her for a second time. As she lay there wheezing, and trying to refill her lungs, Celestia held the final gunman against the ground while casting a more complicated spell. His struggles were in vain as well as brief, the alicorn’s magic putting him straight to sleep. 

Luna disrupted the spell that was about to be fired at her by using her telekinetic field to throw the busted broom handle at the caster. The miscast caused a twisting ball of energy to explode out of the tip of their horn, the multihued spray of strange colors undulating in the air for a moment before dissipating. While the attacking unicorn struggled with a now-splitting migraine, Luna closed the distance, and grabbed them by the throat, quickly choking them out.

As the last of her thugs hit the ground, the motorcycle-helmeted mare managed to breathe once more.

“Die, you freak!” she shouted while reaching into her jacket.

Withdrawing an old policeman’s revolver, she squeezed off all six of the shots at Celestia. Each one was carefully knocked aside with a small shield that existed just long enough to send the bullet off course. While deflecting the rounds, Celestia strode up to the downed mare until she loomed over the fallen pony.

“Are you ready to give up?” Celestia asked.

“How the hell did you do that? Shields can't deflect bullets of this caliber,” the mare muttered.

“They can if you aren't weak,” Luna retorted.

“Yes though that hardly matters at the moment,” Celestia paused, and grabbed the mare by the collar, hefting her up to eye level with the alicorn. “Tell me who you bought this tip from, now.”

“I-I don't know his n-name,” she stuttered. “I just saw what he looked like when he called my boss.”

“Well, what did he look like?” Celestia demanded, giving the mare a shake.

“He was a really shady-looking guy. Reflective glasses, a bunch of gold chains,” she professed.

“Smug grin, white suit, black vest with a popped collar?” Celestia inquired.

“Yeah that's him, how did you know?” murmured the thug.

“Call it a good guess,” Celestia dropped the pony to the ground with a thump. “Gather up your peons and get out of here before the cops come.”

“You're not going to kill us?” muttered the thug.

“That would be pointless, you are already beaten,” Celestia retorted.

“But leave your wallets, credit chits, and any expensive jewelry you may have on you!” Luna interjected.

“We are not robbing them,” Celestia shot back.

“At least make them leave their weapons behind,” Luna whined.

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Just leave any guns, knives, ammo, or whatever you may have on you in a heap. Then get out of here.”

“Y-yeah sure,” murmured the mare before hastily scampering away.

The rest of the bruised and bloody ponies emptied their pockets onto the street. Switchblades, stolen police batons, spare ammo, and other random weapons or bullets were chucked haphazardly into a pile. Which Luna kept a close eye on before scooping it all up and tucking the mass into a bag.

“Well then, besides that little speed bump I’d say we did a bang-up job,” Celestia proclaimed.

“Not quite,” Luna retorted, gesturing back to the government building nearby.

Celestia followed her sister’s hoof to where alarms flashed in the windows, and shapes hastily moved about the interior.

“What? We didn't trigger any alarms,” Celestia muttered.

“Third window from the right,” Luna replied.

Celestia looked back, this time following her sister’s instructions, to find that one of the windows on the second floor was shattered.

“How-” Celestia began.

“When you were deflecting her bullets,” Luna answered.

Celestia cursed under her breath. “Maybe if we transmit the data fast enough we’ll still get the full amount.”

“You better hope so because otherwise, it's coming out of your half of the pay,” Luna declared, already pulling the deck, and splitting her hooves into a bunch of smaller digits.

Celestia peered over her sister’s shoulder, watching as the other mare sent the data off to a secure server through a flimsy connection. It was nearly halfway through completion when a new icon popped up, one that resembled an antique phone. Beneath this symbol was the name Fixer, with a slash next to it followed by Rare Find.

“Is that him? Ask him why he was trying to kill us,” Celestia whispered.

“Of course, I’m going to ask that now would you be quiet?” Luna hissed back. “And stop breathing in my ear, at least go to the other side.”

Celestia huffed but did as she was asked, recoiling enough that she wasn't breathing on the back of her sister’s head. Once she did this, Luna straightened out, and hit the icon, allowing a small digital copy of the rather flamboyant stallion to appear above the deck’s surface.

“Hey sugarflanks,” he opened with a grin. “Looks like you got my-”

“Save it, you prick,” Luna interrupted. “Why did you tell some punks that we were good loot pinatas?”

“I didn't say that,” Rare Find replied, still smiling. “I just knew they were desperate for a few bits, and that you were likely to fuck up and make my info basically worthless so I hedged my bets.”

“But we’re working for you!” Celestia hissed.

“And look what that’s got me. Half of whatever measly police force calls that hole home is likely on its way to your position by now,” Rare Find replied, gesturing to the building behind Luna.

“That's not an alarm, it's just uh… a passing car,” Celestia replied, stepping in the way of Rare Find’s view.

“Besides, we got you everything you wanted quick, and relatively clean that's gotta be worth something,” Luna offered.

“Despite what you may think I am an honorable stallion, and will hold up my end of the bargain,” he held up a forehoof. “If, sugar lips here apologizes for calling me a prick.”

“Just give me the money already so we can leave,” Luna muttered.

“Nope. I need that apology first. My feelings are hurt, wounded even,” Rare Find declared, placing a hand over his heart and grimacing in an exaggerated fashion.

“I… I’m-” Luna began.

“You're a repugnant piece of slime who isn't worth our time,” Celestia interrupted. “Furthermore you compensate for your tiny penis by wearing a gaudy amount of gold. In addition you pay large zebra stallions to hang around you because you have the self-esteem of a thirteen-year-old filly.”

“Wha-what?” Rare Find muttered, his glasses falling down his face.

“Your a shrimp dick coward who knows everyone hates him but you trick yourself into believing that it's jealousy we all feel towards you when it's really pity,” Celestia continued. “You're a child pretending to be a crime lord, and your cardboard mask slips the moment anyone ever tells you what you really are.”

“You, you take that back!” Rare Find shouted.

“I will not, and furthermore you like to think you have a nose for opportunity but the truth of the matter is your greatest skill is knowing which bums to roll. At best you'll spend the rest of your life on the bottom of another organization’s totem pole, and at worst one of your pay-for-play friends will curb-stomp you in an alley because you think using slurs makes you look cool!” Celestia yelled. “So take your money, and shove it where your personality should be!”

The former princess then mashed her hoof against the board, hitting the end call button out of sheer luck. As Celestia got her breath, Luna picked herself up off the ground and threw the deck on her back once more. Celestia wasn't quite sure what her sister was feeling, but it looked like a mixture of appreciation and irritation.

“You know that's coming out of your cut of all this junk,” Luna remarked, hefting the bag of weapons they had acquired.

“That's fine,” Celestia replied with a shrug. “I couldn't watch as my sister apologized to that slime-sucking puddle of sapient piss.”

Luna smiled. “You have been watching those movies I got you.”

“I may have watched a few of them in order to keep up with modern vernacular,” Celestia admitted while blushing slightly.

“Well we better start hoofing it back home, or else the next movie we’ll be seeing is in prison,” Luna replied.

Celestia shrugged. “That's fine. It's a beautiful night.”
> Metropolis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia hummed idly to herself as she strolled down the street, a hood hiding her identity from what few passersby cared to look her way. This already small number shrunk as she turned down an alley and trotted towards a distant staircase leading into the earth. The food she had purchased less than an hour earlier bounced along her sides, occasionally tickling her nose with the scent of fresh vegetables or fruit.

Though less than savory individuals watched her passage, Celestia didn't falter for a moment. Exuding an aura of absolute confidence was the easiest way to stay safe and if that failed, well she never went anywhere completely unarmed or unarmored. Sure enough, none of the bored thugs or idle gang members gave her a second look, going right back to their conversation or game without missing a beat.

With the dirty back alley shops behind her along with the general sprawl of the city, Celestia descended down the steps. Though the entrance to the underground looked like what one may see when entering the subway, this was far from the entrance to a public transportation hub. This was made evident by the fact that at the bottom of the steps the tunnel turned sharply to the left, while before her a sign welcomed her to ‘Happy Hills Homes’.

After taking the prerequisite turn, Celestia entered a round tunnel with a flat bottom angled just sharp enough that she didn't slip but couldn't walk comfortably. In the distance she saw that the old sewer pipe split off left and right, a dozen branching paths going down the old streets. There the old brown stone walls and ceiling gave way to newer darker grey rock as well as wider tunnels big enough to have walkways on either side.

In the center of these wider tunnels were tents, tarps, and other drapings creating what looked like a mix between a refugee camp and an open-air market. Ponies and other creatures moved about comfortably, their forms illuminated by the same harsh yellow lights installed when the sewer had first been built. Though since then the sewage had been drained, the walls pressure washed and the smell mostly banished.

The stink remained but it was distant enough that Celestia could ignore it after a few minutes of acclimating to it once more. What she could never get used to was the noise, even up the tunnel as she was now. The clamor of many bodies, conversations, and business echoed off the walls, the poor acoustics making it almost deafening.

Even though the aroma was pungent, and the sounds cacophonous Celestia still couldn't help but feel like she was home.

Proceeding down for another minute the tunnel evened out and opened up into what had been a small wastewater treatment plant. Here the large central space had been filled with an apartment building that more closely resembled a giant insect hive. Other structures were built next to it, or along the walls of the room creating a strange mishmash of grates, walkways, and interconnected houses.

Where there had once been monitoring equipment there was a weapon store, where there had been a pump there was now a barbershop. Built primarily out of cheap recycled metal, and prefabricated parts, the place was rickety but serviceable. Additions made by the residents were everywhere, from the many neon signs to the even more ramshackle add-ons to the buildings constructed by the original owner of this place.

Near the entrance to the wider area, a sign noted that this was what the original developers had wanted to call ‘The Hub’ though it had been crossed out. Now it was called ‘The Pit’ and the ‘proudly developed by Rook Construction’ simply said ‘FACISTS’ in all caps. There were expletives added to the sign but Celestia didn't bother taking note of them.

Rather her gaze fell upon the many creatures who took refuge down here in one of Manehatten’s strangest developments. As she looked upon the great many faces that could be seen peering out windows, sitting at a table, or walking about she thought of this place’s past. She recalled quite distinctly Manehatten’s problem with their sewer, and how one particular segment was overbuilt in the extreme.

The walls had been reinforced with magic, and much of the actual water treatment had been done underground. Not content to simply ensure that it lasted to the predetermined seventy-five years, it had been built to last. Making it so expensive to remove that it had been left to molder until eventually filling with transients and other less reputable individuals.

Once more the topic of its destruction had come up, to no objections whatsoever. The new sewer had been built years earlier, and it was only this segment that was left in the way. The entire city block was ready to be cordoned off for the purpose of pulling out the sewer when along came an enterprising business pony.

When he offered to build houses below ground he had been laughed at, though they grew quiet when he stated his desire to purchase everything. It was a silver bullet solution and one the council jumped on it immediately, to initially fantastic results. Over time the developer would slowly sell off more and more of the real estate to the locals that had moved in.

Until they owned nothing, pulling out of the development entirely and forcing the citizens to figure out the utilities. So they had, with a private power company taking over the electricity needs, a cooperative handling waste and water. It wasn't long before the entire place was self-contained, creating a tiny city under Manehatten.

Celestia couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Though it wasn't the prettiest, or nicest smelling of places, nowhere else was the spirit of freedom and cooperation more present. There were still some dark spots, but it wasn't hard for the ancient alicorn to overlook such mild blemishes in her new home. Especially when there were so many nice things, like the ‘Noodle Kaboodle’ that advertised two-bit noodle bowls served twenty-four hours a day.

The two-story metal shed had a big metal square cut out of it, allowing a table to protrude out into the crude street. A metal stool sat waiting for an occupant while the rest of its brothers were filled with a quartet of strange characters. A minotaur, a kirin, a gryphon, and an earth pony were in the midst of devouring several bowls of noodles with varied levels of gusto.

Stepping up to the one available seat, Celestia looked over to the always-grinning elderly unicorn working the stall. Behind him was the rest of his house, several children, an elderly mare, and a younger-looking stallion going about their business.

“Ahh if it isn't the angel of the pit,” remarked the unicorn stallion. “The usual, I presume?”

“You got it, two bowls, one extra spicy, one plain,” Celestia replied with a smile.

“Alright now you better not overpay again!” shouted the unicorn while waving a wooden spoon. “You insult my food!”

“If anything it's a compliment. As your food is worth more than just two bits,” Celestia shot back.

“That's not how this works. Just don't let it happen again. My old heart wouldn't be able to take the insult,” yelled the cook before throwing another batch of noodles into the boiling pot.

Celestia chuckled and settled into her seat, intent on waiting quietly for her order to be done. Unfortunately, the world seemed to have other plans for her.

“You some kinda rich Shadowrunner or somethin?” asked the minotaur gazing down at Celestia.

“I live down here, what do you think?” Celestia replied.

The minotaur chuckled. “Fair.”

“The noodles are good,” added the earth pony between bites.

That got a rumble of agreement from the kirin and the griffin though neither would stop eating long enough to voice such agreement aloud.

Celestia smiled, and turned around in her seat, watching as the various inhabitants filtered past the small out-of-the-way shop. Though most were poor, they seemed optimistic, and Celestia enjoyed the general atmosphere of harmony. Most wouldn't be able to see past the grime, the poverty, and the crime, but Celestia had a bit more experience than most when it came to pony-watching.

“There you are. Now tell that sister of yours to come back down to the shop sometime. She still hasn't paid off her tab,” declared the surly voice of the old stallion.

Celestia spun back around, scooping up the noodles and depositing four bits in one swift motion.

“Thank you kindly,” Celestia exclaimed. “Say, you wouldn't happen to have a spare set of chopsticks by chance, would you? My last pair broke.”

“It's because you're too big!” declared the chef. “Stop taking those muscle drugs, they aren't good for you!’

“I’m not, just got a lot of earth pony in me,” Celestia exclaimed.

“You could have a little more if you want,” remarked the earth pony customer.

The rest of the patrons chuckled.

“You couldn't handle me,” Celestia replied without flinching.

“Oooooh,” mirrored the customers.

The earth pony just chuckled and went back to his noodles.

Celestia however, was watching elsewhere, namely the shopkeeper who was digging around in his pots and pans in search of chop sticks.

“Psst, c'mere,” Celestia whispered, gesturing to one of his kids, who hesitantly walked over to the towering alicorn. “Here, hide this in your dad’s sock drawer.”

Before the kid had a chance to ask what it was or why, Celestia had already dropped a hooffull of coins in his open forehooves. The child was then hastily but gently pushed away by Celestia, who was swift to sit back up like nothing had happened.

“Here ya are,” declared the shopkeeper. “Now don't break these. They don't grow on trees you know!”

“Actually they do,” Celestia cheekily shot back.

“You know what I meant!” yelled the chef.

Celestia chuckled as she walked away, noodle bowls floating alongside her as she walked further into the pit. After a few short minutes of maneuvering through the crowd and ensuring her food didn't spill she stopped in front of an opening. The tunnel had once been air duct, and was now only a few feet deep before curving straight up likely all the way to the surface.

Just big enough for a young mare and her dog, the pair stared up at Celestia with big, watery puppy eyes. Though Celestia’s stomach rumbled, she could see how the other pony’s cheeks were sunken and her ribs were visible. It was clear who needed it more, and so after a moment to make sure she didn't hand over the extra spicy bowl, she lowered the noodles.

“Here you are,” Celestia whispered, handing over the chopsticks she had gotten a few minutes earlier. “Take care little one.”

“Thanks miss,” murmured the other pony before hastily digging into the bowl.

Celestia smiled faintly before continuing on, walking over to a small side tunnel and slipping inside, her head bowed. It wasn't long before she reached a large metal barrier not unlike the bulkhead of a warship. Nearly as thick as one, with enough steel to protect a bank vault, it would prove an imposing barrier to most.

To Celestia however, it was a simple matter of placing her hoof on the central part before grabbing the wheel and giving it a spin. She then pulled it open, and made her way inside. Once home agin she took a moment to pause and kick the door shut behind her. Her gaze immediately began moving about the area, searching their domicile for any sign of her younger sister.

Though a whopping three stories tall, the cylindrical space wasn't overly wide, and worse still the sound of running water was present. Various drainage pipes emptied into a circular space that ran around the edges of the first floor of the space. Thankfully the liquid was relatively clean as it didn't make the place stink any worse than it already did.

Pushing down her annoyance at the smell, Celestia looked at the four pipes that jutted off from the first level. Each was about eight feet wide, and about fifteen feet deep before abruptly ending at a brick wall. They all served various purposes, a kitchen, a dining room, a bathroom slash bathing area, but more important none contained Luna.

“Dammit,” someone muttered from above.

Celestia floated the groceries over to the kitchen before shedding her disguise and extending her wings. After a moment to enjoy the simple sensation of freedom, the alicorn flew up to the second floor, where she spotted her target. Luna was sitting in her quote, marecave, and was scrolling through what looked like a long list of names.

“Any luck with jobs?” Celestia inquired, gliding over to the tunnel with noodle bowl still in hoof.

“No,” Luna grumbled. “The junk those thugs had on them will keep us in rent and food but not for much longer.”

“Speaking of which,” Celestia offered, extending her hoof.

Luna sat up in her chair. “Did you get the usual?”

“See for yourself,” Celestia countered.

Luna dug in immediately, a moan of pleasure escaping her lips the moment the flavor hit her tongue. “Oh thash sho goob,” Luna muttered.

“He asked you to pay your tab again,” Celestia offered.

“I will when I can,” Luna retorted before shoveling more food into her mouth.

Celestia frowned while looking around, trying to figure out what her sister had been up to in her absence. As usual, Luna’s space was a chaotic mess of wires, screens, mechanical devices, and boxes of spare parts. There was just barely enough space for Luna’s ‘throne’ as she called it, and a bit of room for Celestia to stand behind her.

“Are all those names fixers?” Celestia inquired, pointing up to the screen directly in front of them.

Luna gulped. “The red ones are those that have turned us down.”

“That's a lot of red,” Celestia muttered.

“We aren't exactly well-liked, or have a decent reputation for that matter,” Luna remarked dryly.

“What about that one? Mr Wu?” Celestia pointed out. “Why did you skip him?”

“Because he was that guy you nearly skewered a few years back,” Luna replied.

“I almost stabbed a lot of people over the years. You’re going to have to be more specific,” Celestia retorted.

Luna sighed. “The one with the brothel. He was giving his mares that new red eye drug to get them addicted so he wouldn't have to pay them in anything but drugs.”

“Oh… right,” Celestia scowled. “Maybe we should skip him.”

“Too late. Already calling him,” Luna interrupted.

Celestia’s scowl deepened, and though she wanted to angrily demand her sister hang up, Celestia bit her tongue.

After a moment the screen lit up and the static image of a scowling pegasus stallion greeted the sisters.

“What do you two want?” demanded an angry, gravely voice.

“Actually it's more about what you want,” Luna countered. “You see we’re looking for work and were hoping you’d have something for us.”

There was a moment of silence before the image flickered and the male’s voice returned.

“Let me get this straight,” he began, voice low. “You tried to kill me, after failing a job and now you want me to employ you?”

“That's about the long and short of it, yeah,” Luna stated.

“No!” he yelled. “Why in the hell would I do that? If you two idiots hadn't fucked everything up I’d still have my star earner, a new batch of girls, and a year's supply of red eye!”

“Hey, now, that's not fair. We didn't burn all your drugs. That was actually an accident,” Luna retorted.

“A happy accident,” Celestia added.

“Oh great, that psycho sister of yours is there too, great. As if my day can't get any worse,” murmured the stallion.

“Wait, worse? So you do have a problem in need of fixing,” Luna pressed.

“Augh, I’m not giving you the job. If I wanted someone to fuck everything up for me I’d call the guard on myself,” murmured Mr. Wu.

“Well I mean surely we would be one step up from-”

“Hold on a second,” interrupted the pegasus. “Wait, what happened?”

There was a moment of silence followed by furious whispering which was proceeded by several seconds of utter quiet.

“New plan,” he offered suddenly. “I’m sending you over the details for a new club that just showed up. We’ve lost a lot of talent and a lot of business to it. Find out what the hell is going on over there, and if you can, get back my new star earner. Swift Kick.”

“What's so unique about this place that you’d give the job to us?” Luna inquired.

“Because my usual list of skull crackers all haven't come back from this place,” he retorted. “Noone I’ve sent over to spy on the place has returned, even that damned Black Cat vanished after I hired them.”

“The Black Cat?” Celestia whispered.

“Really successful and well-known netrunner and decker,” Luna replied. “Was responsible for the dot com crash of ninety ninety.”

“Oh,” Celestia muttered.

“Exactly. At this point, I don't care who figures out what's going on over there. And if you don't come back, hey two birds one stone and all that,” remarked the pegasus, chuckling dryly.

“Do you know anything about the owner?” Luna asked.

“Apparently he's ex Bishop,” the pegasus exclaimed in a low, almost fearful tone. “Supposedly he was a higher-up who left suddenly after stealing something really important.”

“Wait, he stole from Bishop and lived?” Celestia demanded.

“Apparently what he stole was something so illegal that even killing him over it isn't worth the risk. Going after him like that would be an admittance that he has what they shouldn't have made,” exclaimed the pegasus. “My money’s on some kinda new weapon, or maybe net tech. Would explain why everyone I sent over got black bagged.”

“Ask about the missing talent,” Celestia whispered.

“Yeah, so what's this about missing talent?” Luna inquired.

“Me and the other club’s best and brightest keep getting snagged by this new place,” exclaimed Mr. Wu. “They just disappear for a week then show up at this club. Weirder still they are suddenly clean.”

“They took a shower?” Celestia murmured.

“No, you idiot. They dropped the drugs cold turkey,” snapped the pegasus.

“That doesn't sound too bad,” Celestia declared.

“It's weird. Some of these ponies have been hardcore users for longer than they’ve not been on the stuff,” remarked Mr Wu. “That's not a habit you just kick in a week, even if you get some hardcore supplements.”

“Okay that is kind of weird,” Celestia admitted.

“Which is why some of the other owners have been looking into this place too,” added Mr Wu. “They seem to think that there is a changeling at work or maybe even dark magic.”

“Impossible,” Luna exclaimed.

“Then explain everything I’ve told you,” retorted the male.

“Hmm, I think we should look into this,” Celestia declared.

“Same. But what's the pay like?” Luna asked.

There was a pause before suddenly a number appeared on screen.

“How does that look?” asked the pegasus.

“That is a lot of zeroes,” Celestia pointed out.

“That ain't all from me mind you. A bunch of the other clubs have put out bounties to find out the info,” Mr. Wu answered.

“Alright we’re on it,” Luna proclaimed.

“The club itself is closed at the moment but you might want to start scoping it out sooner rather than later,” offered the stallion.

“Appreciated. We’ll get it done,” Celestia stated.

“See to it that you do,” Mr Wu replied.

The screen went black.

“Ready to make some real money?” Luna asked with a smirk.

Celestia nodded. “Let's see what's really going on down there.”
> Dominion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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?”
> Synners
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Think there’ll be a line?” Celestia whispered.

Luna snorted irritably. “Probably. Let us hope that it is not a long one.”

“Even if it is, we should at least be able to ask the other clubgoers a few questions,” Celestia replied.

“Just keep your eyes open, and your back to a wall. I packed a little get-out-of-jail-free card, but I really don't want to have to use it,” Luna exclaimed, patting the side of her outfit in emphasis.

“What is it anyway? You didn't answer when I asked earlier,” Celestia inquired.

“An E.M.P, and a big one,” Luna whispered back. “It would probably knock me out, but you’ll be fine since the only chrome you have is shielded.”

“Good thinking,” Celestia remarked.

“Again, let's try not to need it. It's expensive, and a one-time use,” Luna repeated.

“I got it. Say, do you think we might be a little overdressed?” Celestia asked.

Luna glanced down at what her sister was wearing, and taking note of what she was not wearing. The dress she wore was white, went down to her knees, and was cut so that more of the right side of her body was exposed. It was also made up of many small white squares all sewn onto a black under mesh just barely visible between where these squares met. She also had no visible weapons on her, though Luna recalled that Celestia had kept a small dagger hidden on her person.

“I don't think so,” Luna answered.

“I suppose the correct question is if your attire is correct for this event,” Celestia countered.

Luna stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and gasped in disgust. “What do you mean, I would fit in perfectly at a high-end establishment,” Luna stated.

Celestia raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her sister. “You’re wearing your ‘going out on a job’ get-up. Only you didn't bring any guns or weapons with you. I think.”

“Nah, I had to leave room in my secret compartments for the bomb,” Luna dismissed. “And your missing the obvious.”

Celestia cocked her head slightly and stared a little closer at her sister. “You uh… put on makeup?” Celestia half asked, half stated.

“What, no. I mean I did, but that's not what I’m talking about,” Luna retorted, lifting a forehoof up and waving it all around for Celestia to see. “I put on those nice boots that I’ve been saving for a fancy outing.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “They are kind of nice, the silver really goes with the rest of your ensemble.”

“Why thank you, dear sister,” Luna concluded.

Celestia stifled a chuckle and continued marching alongside her sibling, making their way deeper into the strange district. Above them the moon shone brightly, its light obscured by only the odd flying creature or distant airliner. Its illumination was aided by the many shops, stalls, stands, and apartment buildings that surrounded the two mares on all sides.

Bright flickering signs advertised a variety of services even at such a later hour. Ponies and other creatures called out to the pair, attempting to sell their wares or offer a discount on some hotel. Celestia ignored all of these, especially the young wiry looking stallion that was trying to get the two ‘hot mares’ to take up his offer to get a room at the love hotel he worked for.

Though annoying, Celestia had long gotten over the embarrassment that came with others assuming she and Luna were partners. It was simply nice to know that even though Equestrian society had devolved in many ways, at least they were still accepting. This set Celestia’s mind wandering, the alicorn considering the wider, negative societal tendencies that had cropped up in recent decades.

Luna, seeing her sister’s eyes glaze over, subtly stepped forward, guiding the absent-minded alicorn to their destination. Which lay at the end of the street, the open castle-like gates inviting them into the freshly remodeled club. The former princess’s mind immediately went to what manner of security she could see from outside, starting with the bouncers standing out front.

They were tall, taller even than the alicorn sisters, though it wasn't by much. There were three of them, one to stand on either side of the entrance while another stood front and center. This final stallion was the one who checked for weapons, identification, or other contraband, leaving his fellows to stand there in stony silence.

They were like the royal guards in a way, Luna thought to herself, the notion being backed up by their strange garb. A mix of a clean black suit, with a gorget sticking out of the collar, and steel-shod shoes adorning their hooves. The pair on either side also wore helmets that encapsulated their entire heads, the dark boxy protective gear being a blend of both old and new.

That same mixture of both old and new was everywhere that Luna looked, from the club to its guards, to the design of the buildings. It was a fine combination that didn't feel like it was trying too hard to resemble a bygone age. In times past, Luna would have contacted the architect and commissioned them herself, but that couldn't happen for multiple reasons.

“The line isn't long at all,” Luna murmured. “Maybe coming at nine-thirty was a bit over-eager of us.”

“I thought the grand opening party began at nine?” Celestia countered.

“Well yeah, but no one shows up then,” Luna answered.

“Ahh yes, fashionable lateness. How disappointing to see that such a trend is still as prevalent as ever,” Celestia murmured.

The pair walked over to the back of the line, taking up a spot behind a pair of effeminate young stallions that barely looked old enough to drink. Though Celestia felt an almost overwhelming urge to ask how old they were, she bit back that urge. Settling in for the long haul, Celestia glanced over to her sister and opened her mouth to speak, only to hesitate.

Luna raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“It's just…” Celestia sighed. “I wanted to apologize for the other night.”

“Save it,” Luna interrupted. “It's over, it's done with. Let's leave it in the past for once.”

“But I-”

Luna shot her sister a glare, silencing her in an instant. “Please Tia, for once in your life, just let it go. Okay? Can you do that just one time?”

Celestia sighed. “If that's what you want.”

“It is,” Luna stated firmly.

The air after that was tense, with Luna pulling out a small, miniature deck that she used to play games on. Celestia had no such distraction, so she let her eyes and mind wander. A few minutes later, and after several short series of awkwardly shuffling forward, they had reached the front of the line.

“Identification,” barked the security guard in a slightly robotic tone.

“Right here,” Celestia replied, pulling out her I.D.

Luna did the same, extending her hoof so as to allow the stallion to see them both.

He stared at one for several seconds, and then the other before nodding confidently.

“Do you have any weapons or outside food or drink on your person?” he pressed.

“No, we do not,” Celestia answered.

“Please stand still for a brief pat down,” the security guard ordered.

Celestia and Luna did just that, allowing the male to pat them down from horn to hoof. In the end, he didn't seem to find anything even after giving Luna a bit more attention out of the two of them. Stepping back, he looked them up and down one final time before gesturing toward the club with a hoof.

“Go on in,” he offered. “But remember not to bother the entertainers, and obey any commands given by the security staff.”

“We will,” Celestia declared.

The former princess then smiled faintly and stepped forward, her still sour-faced sister falling in behind. As they passed between the gate the pair felt an electric-like field pass over them. Thankfully after they finished passing through no alarm bells sounded, and no one moved to stop their progress.

Celestia made a mental note to thank her sister for spending so long on their personal enchantments. Designed to ensure that their wings would be not only invisible but impossible to even mentally comprehend. The magic itself was far outside of Celestia’s wheelhouse though she knew it made even computers unable to perceive their wings. The enchantments had clearly held even under intense scrutiny, as ponies would be moving to bar their passage otherwise.

“That was a little higher tech than anticipated,” Luna muttered under her breath. “I sure hope my spell work is enough.”

“You don't know?” Celestia hissed back.

Luna shrugged. “They haven't tried to stop us yet, have they?”

Celestia seethed silently, the mare biting her tongue in order to hold back the retort she wanted to utter. Knowing that such pointless escalation would only draw them more attention, Celestia resisted the urge no matter how hard she wanted to speak. Instead, she simply followed her sister past the double doors, the coat check slash security outpost, and into the building proper.

There, Celestia was greeted with a bar area to her right, a game area to her left, and an arch-filled hall before her which went deeper still. There was a healthy population of ponies, as well as other creatures milling about, though the majority hovered around the bar not buying anything. The pool tables were also occupied and had a fair few individuals hovering nearby, watching or betting on the players.

This kind of thing may have been considered low class to some, but Celestia’s love of the game was common knowledge. Even to this day, Celestia had seen at least one of the tables in the most expensive of nightly entertainment locations. It was a nice sight and made Celestia tempted to challenge someone but she resisted that urge, focusing on Luna.

Her sister was doing the same thing Celestia had been doing, eying up the room. Though while Celestia was observing the gaming area, Luna had eyes for the bar and the bar alone.

“Be aware of our limited budget,” Celestia commented.

“I am as aware as a thorn in my hoof,” Luna replied. “Now, why don't you see what else this place has to offer while I see if I can't make a new friend or two.”

Celestia bit her tongue and nodded, giving her sister one last weary glance before trotting deeper.

Passing through the golden arches, Celestia noted that there were more scans passing over her. They didn't seem to bring up anything, as she was allowed to continue unimpeded to the back half of the club. Where the first half looked more like a bar, this part was undeniably the nightclub this establishment claimed to be.

Immediately after passing through that final arch Celestia was buffeted by the music which so far had been at a tolerable level. Outside it had been a dull throb, the bar had been audible but not overpowering, but here it was like a wall of sound. Evidently, there was some manner of tech or magic that ensured that the pounding bass didn't escape the confines of the nightclub proper.

After a moment to gather herself from the sudden shock, Celestia took a step to the right and began looking around. The closest and most prominent feature was a circular, slightly raised dance floor that had a few disinterested dancers on it. Further inward, and also on the right was the second bar, as well as a few tables surrounded by luxurious white leather chairs.

Several large pillars stretched from the floor to the three-story tall ceiling, near the top of which hovered a couple of clouds. Anchored to the columns, they served as private tables for those who were capable of flight. Celestia noted that they must have gotten a cloud sculptor to do the work as there were even chairs formed into the clouds.

Tearing her gaze away from the vaulted ceilings, and surprisingly adept craftsmanship on display, Celestia looked to the left. On the lowest floor there were several rooms each with a different number on them. They looked to be private rooms, and peeking into one of the open doors Celestia noted that was indeed true.

Styled after the old tea rooms of Canterlot Castle, they had fake windows displaying an impossible view of the city. Around three of the walls, there were plush white and gold cushioned seats, while in the center was a raised circle with a pole at its center. Next to the door was an end table and a bell, likely to summon more drinks, or whatever else the individual may desire.

Then the door closed, and Celestia turned her attention up to where some stairs lead up to the loft-like second floor. Walking up to get a better view, Celestia noted that it was much like the rooms below, only here they weren't nearly as private. At the center of the three pillow-filled pits was another raised section with a pole on it, only here it didn't go to the ceiling but rather a low hovering cloud.

Two out of the three were occupied, with groups of individuals laughing, drinking, and watching as a stunningly beautiful creature danced before them. Celestia noted that the two that had customers had a sort of shimmering golden field over the pits. Lighting her horn, and brushing her aura over the barrier, Celestia was able to tell that it was a noise-filtering field. There were other spells, and enchantments also placed on it, but Celestia didn't bother inspecting them further, as she didn't want to raise any suspicion.

Turning away, Celestia placed a hoof on the metal railing and looked out over the nightclub.

“Where to start?” mused the mare. “I suppose the bar is as good as any.”





“Well that was a waste of a disturbing amount of bits,” Celestia muttered to herself, pausing to splash water in her face.

Thankfully the bathroom was relatively empty at the moment, save for of course, the servant at the exit holding a heated towel. It was luxurious, of that Celestia had to admit, as they kept the same style of new and old even in the toilets. Despite that, it had begun to grate on Celestia, who couldn't help but think that it was almost satirizing the type of architecture she so loved.

Despite that, she focused herself inward, her internal clock telling her that it was nearly midnight. The realization that she had spent several hours, and several hundred bits to have achieved nothing soured Celestia’s already foul mood. She wanted to leave, to give up, but unfortunately, her curiosity had been sparked, so that was no longer an option.

Her musings were interrupted by the bathroom door bursting open and Luna appearing. The sisters immediately locked eyes, with Luna grinning from ear to where her other ear should be.

“Tia!” Luna called, stumbling over to the elder sibling. “I have made so many good friends tonight.”

“Did you get any worthwhile information?” Celestia asked in a low tone.

“You can't rush friendship, Tia,” Luna admonished, lightly hitting her sister on the shoulder. “You should know that. I’m pretty sure it was one of Twilight's lessons.”

“It was, but that's not the point,” Celestia countered.

“Oh, but it is. That's why we’re here. To make friends, special friends,” Luna pressed, squeezing Celestia’s shoulder with each utterance of the word ‘friends’. “Did you make any friends Tia?”

“No, I haven't,” Celestia bitterly remarked. “It is hard enough to speak with such loud music and what few people I have… you’re not listening at all, are you?”

“Oh sorry, I was just looking at this cool mare in the mirror,” Luna murmured, leaning over the sink. “She's got this wicked-looking eye thing and… oh wait, that's me!”

“Luna, how much have you drank?” Celestia whispered, in a low, harsh tone.

“Pfft not that much. We still got like, two, three hundred bits,” Luna retorted.

“You used three times as much as me! That was supposed to last us all week,” Celestia shot back.

“Pfft it's fine,” Luna exclaimed. “We’ll bust this nut and have money for months!”

Luna giggled. “Heh, bust this nut.”

“Augh,” Celestia groaned. “Did you at least test out the security in here?”

“I did! It's amazing! I feel like I’d have an easier time breaking back into the Canterlot Castle internal system!” Luna loudly exclaimed.

Celestia winced. “Alright, just don't spend all our money, and see if you can't find out anything actually useful.”

“Pfft, I can totally do that,” Luna declared, only to frown. “Right after I pee.”

Celestia watched as her sister took off at a trot, disappearing into an open stall. With Luna gone, Celestia was left relatively alone once more, her gaze going to the mirror and the alicorn within.

“If she can have a little fun, then so can I,” Celestia muttered to herself.

The alicorn gave her hooves one last wash before turning around and walking away. She paused just long enough to accept the warm towel, giving the mare an appreciative nod before departing. A short jaunt later and she had returned to the three pillow-filled pits on the second floor of the nightclub.

Two were occupied by rather large groups of mixed-race individuals while the last was empty. Save for the dancer himself, the slim-hipped young stallion, smiling and bobbing his head to the music. Spotting a free spot, Celestia trotted over, plunking down on a pile of the plush ivory white pillows.

“Hiya, my name’s Sweet Escape, what's your’s?” asked the stallion.

“Celestia,” stated the alicorn.

“Haha, so I can see!” he exclaimed. “You do a better job than most, but I don't think she had quite so many scars in the books.”

“If you got as old as her you’d have a few,” Celestia replied.

“True,” he admitted. “Now be aware that it costs two hundred and fifty bits for a half-hour time period. Anyone else may join and tipping is not required, though it is encouraged if you think I did a good job.”

“Sounds good to me,” Celestia declared.

The alicorn pulled out a credit chit and leaned forward, tapping it against the glowing display at the base of the pole dancer’s podium. There was a momentary pause before it flashed green, and beeped in what Celestia hoped was a positive manner.

“Alright, you’re all set and it looks like you even have a complimentary drink on the way,” remarked Sweet Escape.

“Why is that?” Celestia asked nervously.

“Oh, it just seems as though this account has spent over nine hundred bits tonight. It's a part of our promotion for our grand opening,” Sweet Escape explained.

“That makes sense. Carry on,” Celestia dismissed.

“Can do, pretty lady,” Sweet Escape purred.

As the pole dancing stallion began to warm up, Celestia reclined into the pillows, wiggling her butt until she found a perfect spot. Just when she was finally comfortable, a server arrived and lowered their hoof until they revealed a fruity beverage sitting atop it. Celestia took it and with a nod, dismissed the server, who slipped away soundlessly.

“Oh and feel free to adjust the exterior noise levels, air conditioning, and whatnot in the terminal doo hickey,” Sweet Escape remarked, pointing down to the pad that Celestia had tapped her card on a minute earlier.

Celestia leaned forward and found that the noise level was at a fifty percent reduction, which made sense since they were able to talk. She lowered it even further before flicking through the light settings and settling on one where a trio of spotlights focused on the small stage.

“Ooh, I like this one. Makes me feel like I’m on the big stage all over again,” Sweet Escape remarked with a giggle.

“You were an actor?” Celestia inquired.

“Always a dancer,” he replied while mounting the pole and spinning around it. “Before I merely danced as part of a musical. Now I somewhat paradoxically have greater creative freedom.”

Celestia hummed quietly to herself, reclining in the seat and merely observing the show.

It was immediately apparent that Sweet Escape truly was a dancer at heart, as he made sure to work the beat of the song into his routine. The song itself wasn't interesting to the alicorn, as it was a bass-heavy pop song whose lyrics were nearly inaudible. While he moved Celestia couldn't help but size the young, waifish stallion up, her eyes roving rather hungrily across his form.

Starting at the bright pink mop of hair that was his mane. The curly mass of almost uncomfortably pink defied gravity, barely moving as he twisted and leaped. His equally bright teal eyes sparkled with a small hidden joy that Celestia count help but find endearing. His fur was a soft eggshell white, and his tail was cut short, much like his mane. Rounding out his appearance was three small teal stars emblazoned upon his flanks and the similarly colored thong that hugged his curves.

“Say,” Celestia exclaimed. “You wouldn't be able to tell me anything about who owns this place by chance. I admit my sister and I have a bit of a running bet over this place’s sudden appearance and rise to prominence over the local fair.”

Sweet Escape tipped his head backward, back leg extended skyward. “Oh, and what do you have your money on?”

Celestia shrugged. “I’m undecided, though I’ve been leaning towards some kind of corporate attempt to get into the business. Most establishments such as this one have at least some kind of connection to organized crime, but this location is sparkling clean. In more than one way.”

“I suppose that's not too far off,” Sweet Escape deflected.

“I don't want you to get in trouble or anything. I’m just a bit of a gossip I admit,” Celestia muttered, the mare doing her best to look embarrassed.

Sweet Escape giggled. “Well you’re closer than most I’ll give you that, but I don't think it's quite that simple.”

“So you do know something,” Celestia exclaimed, leaning forward.

“I don't know much, but maybe if you come back again sometime my lips may loosen,” Sweet Escape remarked somewhat teasingly.

“I’d love to but money’s a bit short and I was kinda hoping you may be able to tell us more so my sister and I could get a job here,” Celestia awkwardly replied.

“Really? Don't tell me those bulging muscles of yours are used to a pole,” Sweet Escape teased.

“No, that would be my sister. I’m more of a throw people out when they start getting a bit uppity kind of mare myself,” Celestia answered.

“Well, in that case, I could say that-”

“This seat taken?” barked a voice.

Celestia blinked and looked over to find that a large earth pony mare had stepped into the pit. She had the bearing of a shadowrunner, with both forelimbs having been replaced by massive chrome legs far wider than most ponies could achieve naturally. She also had studs, input jacks, and two metal horns grafted unto her skull that made her resemble a ram. 

Though she wore a heavy leather jacket that looked like it had seen many fights and scuffles, Celestia could still see her fur. Dark brown, and patchy, it contrasted greatly with what little of her bright red mane remained uncut. Her slightly sickly green eyes betrayed a hidden threat of violence which Celestia couldn't help but be disgusted with.

“No, do go ahead Bull Rush,” Sweet Escape offered.

From the tone of his voice, and the subtle stiffening of his body language Celestia could tell that he had less than pleasant interactions with this mare in the past. And judging from the way that Bull Rush flopped gracelessly into the pillows, and tapped a card against the machine, she didn't care. Forelegs extending in either direction, Bullrush took up as much space as possible in a transparent attempt to intimidate Celestia.

The alicorn was completely unbothered and made a point of smiling politely at the new arrival.

“The more the merrier,” Celestia offered.

“Well, that's great, just great,” Bull Rush declared. “Now why don't you go ahead and give mommy a show. She's had a real hard day.”

Bull Rush then leaned forward and tapped the tip button, though she only tipped the minimal amount the machine would let her.

“Of course,” Sweet Escape replied.

The stallion then mounted the pole once more, ascending slightly before launching into a more elaborate but slightly lethargic routine. Though the athleticism on display was interesting, Celestia felt her gaze drawn over to the new arrival. Who wasn't even looking at the dancer, but rather Celestia herself, a glare on the two-horned earth pony’s face.

“May I help you?” Celestia asked.

“I’m just wondering why you’re still here,” Bull Rush remarked with a shrug. “I’m trying to unwind after a long day with a dear friend of mine, but then there’s you.”

“I wasn't aware that I was no longer allowed to be here,” Celestia replied, her tongue filled with fake ignorance. “Sweet Escape, you wouldn't happen to be kicking me out, are you? I thought I still had a few more minutes.”

“You still have twelve more minutes, ma’am,” Sweet Escape exclaimed.

“Oh, but it would be real nice of you if you left early. After all, I would really like to catch up with him in a more private setting,” Bull Rush stressed.

“I think I’m going to wait out the last of my time if you don't mind,” Celestia dismissed.

Bull Rush scowled. “Come on lady, fuck off already.”

“Why would I do that?” Celestia inquired, glancing about dramatically. “I didn't think I was being kicked out.”

“You’d leave because of what would happen if you didn't,” Bull Rush pressed.

“And what would that be?” Celestia replied.

“Bull Rush I don't think-” Sweet Escape began.

“Shut it, slut,” Bull Rush interrupted, standing up in the pit and glaring down at Celestia. “This is between me and the moron who’s never heard of me.”

Celestia stood up as well, though she didn't rise quickly, making a show of the fact that she wasn't intimidated.

“I’ve heard of plenty of muscle-headed fools in my day you’ll have to do more to differentiate yourself from the rest of the rabble,” Celestia shot back with a smirk

“That's it. I’m gonna force-feed you those pretty white teeth of yours!” Bull Rush shouted.

The earth pony cocked back a mechanical hoof and attempted to punch Celestia in the head with the metal limb. The cold unyielding steel did not meet Celestia’s soft face however, rather it impacted the alicorn’s iron-like hoof. The two mares pressed their hooves against one another, one with a grin on her face, the other with a startled, confused expression.

“What, how did you do that?” muttered Bull Rush.

“You need not replace your limbs in order to turn your body into a weapon,” Celestia answered.

Bull Rush didn't manage a retort before Celestia launched a punch of her own, striking the other pony in the chin. Knocked to the ground, Bull Rush hastily got back up and tried to take another swing, only to miss by a wide margin. Avoiding the clumsy attack, Celestia stepped into her opponent’s guard and hit the other mare square in the nose.

The augmented mare saw red, and charged a second time, this time with her head down, and her artificial horns leading the way. With a furious scream of anger on her lips, she attempted to gore Celestia but hit the same thing she had last time. That being air, as Celestia had already leaped to the side, avoiding the clumsy ramming attempt with ease.

Still mid-dodge, Celestia twisted her body and struck the other pony in the back of the head with a resounding crack. Bull Rush immediately hit the ground, her body going limp and skidding across the floor for several feet. She came to rest at the booted feet of an irritated-looking bouncer that was glaring out from under his ornamental helmet.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave ma’am,” he declared in a stern, no-nonsense tone of voice.

“Wait, she didn't do anything wrong,” Sweet Escape interjected.

“We saw it all on the cameras. Though she is only defending herself fighting is still against the rules,” He retorted.

“Don't worry about it, dear,” Celestia exclaimed. “I was on my way out anyway. Oh, and I had a lovely time. You are quite a skilled dancer you know. I would have loved to see you on the big stage.”

“I, um… thank you,” Sweet Escape muttered.

“Ma’am,” interrupted the guard.

“Of course, lead the way,” Celestia offered.

The bouncer nodded and did just that, stepping over an unconscious Bull Rush who was still laying sprawled out on the ground. More security guards were appearing from seemingly nowhere, and moving to where the fight had just taken place.

Celestia followed after the bouncer quietly and without complaint, her mind wandering while her hooves stayed straight. A few creatures glanced her way as she passed, but most weren't even aware of what had just happened due to how quick it had been. Celestia didn't care one way or the other and merely perked up as they entered the bar, her mind going to Luna. When she didn't see hide nor hair of the blue mare she began to wonder what had happened to her, but she brushed those thoughts aside.

Stepping outside, Celestia diligently followed after the guard until he had left the club premises entirely. There he stopped, turned around, and looked up at Celestia with an unreadable expression.

“Management thanks you for your assistance, though you will still temporarily be banned from the premises for the next twenty-four hours,” he announced.

“Understandable. I do hope Sweet Escape is alright,” Celestia replied.

“I am sure he is just fine,” stated the guard before he trotted hastily away.

Leaving Celestia to stand there in the alley, watching as various creatures filtered in and out of the club.

“I guess I should find Luna,” Celestia muttered to herself.

The alicorn dug a hoof into her dress pocket and produced a small antiquated phone. After hitting the button labeled ‘dearest sister’ the device began to ring. A muffled corresponding ring then came from somewhere nearby, prompting Celestia to spin around in place.

“Luna where are…” Celestia frowned.

Clicking end on the call, Celestia trotted over to a pile of garbage at the edge of a nearby alleyway. She then reached a hoof into the mass and pulled out a slightly dazed blue alicorn.

“Huh, what? Oh hey Tia, what's happening, dude?” Luan exclaimed happily.

“I’m just wondering why you were lying in a pile of garbage,” Celestia countered.

“What?” Luna muttered, glancing down. “Oh uh, just takin a breather ya know? Gotta pace yourself.”

Celestia’s glare increased in intensity, making Luna wince.

“Okay so maybe I ran out of money and maybe I made a bit of a scene but can you blame me, I was robbed!” Luna exclaimed, throwing up her hooves.

“You were not robbed. I just used the money,” Celestia countered.

“On what… you don't drink more than like one an hour,” Luna declared.

Seeing that her sister had sobered up ever so slightly, Celestia dropped Luna to her own four hooves.

“A dance,” Celestia answered. “And it would have been a wise investment had some bull-headed moron not interrupted my information gathering.”

“Hah. So you got nothing,” Luna accused.

Celestia scowled. “It would seem so.”

“So uh,” Luna paused to remove a banana peel from her shoulder and toss it aside. “What now?”

“I don't know,” Celestia admitted. “That was our only real lead and we can up pretty empty-handed. If we had a larger advance we may be able to go back on another casing mission but I’m not sure if that would even be worth the effort.”

“Fuck it,” Luna declared. “Let's grab a nice bottle from the Silver Still and drink til we forget this ever happened.”

“Augh Luna would you…” Celestia paused, raising a hoof. “One moment.”

Celestia turned around in order to face where the sound of pounding hooves was coming from. Not heavy enough to be from Bull Rush, Celestia wondered if one of the guards had forgotten something. Only for a familiar face to appear, only this time he was wearing a bright pink puffy coat.

“Oh good you’re still here,” Sweet Escape exclaimed.

“That we are. Did I forget something?” Celestia asked.

“No, nothing like that,” Sweet Escape hastily replied. “I just wanted to give you this.”

The male extended a hoof, offering up a small silver card that bore no writing or visible marking.

“What is it?” Celestia inquired curiously, turning the bit of metal around curiously.

“It's an invite,” Sweet Escape explained. “The boss saw what went down, and wanted to give you the chance to interview for a job. Plus if your sister wanted she could try out for a dancer.”

“What?” Luna muttered.

“We appreciate that,” Celestia declared. “Seriously. This would help immensely.”

Sweet Escape smiled. “Just come around back in two days at about two in the afternoon. Someone will be waiting for you.”

“Thank you kindly. You won't regret this,” Celestia proclaimed.

“I sure hope not. The boss seemed really intrigued by you two, though one more than the other,” Sweet Escape replied with a smirk.

“Hey, what's that supposed to mean?” Luna demanded.

Celestia stepped in front of her sister. “What she meant to say was that she thanks you for the opportunity and we will see you then.”

“Great, I look forward to working with you!” Sweet Escape offered, stepping back and giving the pair a wave.

“The feeling is mutual,” Celestia stated.

“Hey, you wouldn't happen to actually be a stallion by chance, are you?” Sweet Escape asked.

Celestia blinked. “Um, no. Why?”

Sweet Escape sighed in disappointment. “No reason, good night.”

He then trotted off, leaving a confused Celestia and a grinning Luna behind.

“I don't understand,” Celestia murmured.

“He wanted to bone you, or more accurately he wanted you to bone him, but it turns out you don't have a bone,” Luna interpreted.

“What are you… oh,” Celestia chuckled. “He's not my type anyway.”

“Oh you’d totally take him for a spin,” Luna countered.

The pair began to walk down the alley together, one stumbling the other sure-footed and confident.

“Absolutely,” Celestia admitted. “A fling as they say is one thing, but you know my parameters for a partner.”

“Ahh yes, your immortal fetish. I remember,” Luna muttered.

“It is not a fetish,” Celestia hissed.

Luna rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m getting too sober for this shit. Let's just go home.”

“Finally,” Celestia murmured. “Something we agree on.”