//------------------------------// // Part 4 - The City // Story: ASMD // by Rokas //------------------------------// “...And that's why if anyone tells you a robot can't feel and scream in abject terror, they're wrong.” Celestia just smiled politely at the rough human known as “Riker”, even as she silently prayed the food would arrive soon. “I had no idea my sister had such... colorful friends,” she offered. A round of laughter from most persons in the luxurious booth met her remark. “Colorful doesn't describe it,” a woman previously identified as “Aryss” replied. “Especially Riker there; the man's known for 'conquests', if you catch my meaning.” I'm afraid I do, Celestia thought, as she noted Riker cast lingering glances over most every female in the restaurant. Including Luna and myself, the alicorn added, with a suppressed shudder. A glance to her sister showed Celestia that the younger pony was either completely oblivious of the attention, or was studiously ignoring it as she spoke with a human named “Jakob” about their tactics during the earlier battle. “...So if you aim up and left as I come in from their flank, we could catch them in a crossfire,” the navy-blue alicorn said, using her front hooves to represent the positions she was speaking of. Jakob nodded. “I can see that,” he said, but then held up one of his hands. “The problem is that it's hard enough timing a two-pronged assault, let alone one that relies on those temperamental lifts.” “They said that would be fixed in the next iteration,” Luna said, with a frown. “That's because they're shifting back to the old 'November' format,” Jakob replied. Then he blinked for a moment as something entered his mind. “Oh, right, you never played on that; there's no lifts to use there,” he explained. “But the lower course is all submerged in water and you gotta swim.” Luna shuddered at that. “Bah, one thing you hairless apes do better than ponies,” she said, with a sniff. “'Hairless apes'?” Celestia pointedly asked, hoping to avoid being dragged into another discussion with Riker. “Our ancestors were simian in origin,” Malcolm explained, from the head of the table. He paused briefly to sip on his beer, and then continued. “Though most modern biologists agree we had a detour through a semi-aquatic period, which is how we're so good at swimming when most apes can't stand water.” “And the whole smooth body thing,” Luna added. “It's really fascinating, 'Tia, the way their species evolved. Prey one moment, predators the next, scavengers and foragers always; they are a prime example of adaptability over specialization being a superior evolutionary path in the long run.” “I see,” Celestia replied, as she looked over the differing reactions around the table. Most of the rugged, coarse beings looked rather bored, and Malcolm was plain inscrutable. One or two humans, though, seemed almost proud of the praise Luna laid upon them. She pondered on that for a moment, but soon the long prayed-for food arrived, beared upon covered platters by several well-dressed waiters and waitresses who wound their way through the many occupied, mahogany tables of the richly decorated dining room. I wonder how such coarse beings chose such a nice, upscale place like this for their celebratory meal? Celestia mused as the wait staff politely handed out the orders, pausing only long enough to remove the covers from the various meals. Though I wish they hadn't, the sun princess thought, as her stomach twisted a bit at seeing the predominance of meat in the humans' meals. At least Luna warned me of it and helped pick out something more appealing. Celestia looked down at this and managed a faint smile of satisfaction to see that her salad had been prepared appropriately, with seven kinds of lettuce, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, and a dressing described as “Italian”. The addition of stale bread crumbs and shredded cheese were odd touches she was unfamiliar with, but Luna had insisted that they added a wonderful taste, and so the alicorn was willing to give it a try as she levitated a fork from her setting and dug into her meal. The others around the table had similar ideas, and all conversation ceased for a few minutes as the unlikely group of diners worked to sate their appetites. Celestia was immediately delighted to discover the new and unique flavors were indeed to her liking. I wonder if we can bring back more than just ourselves from this reality? she mused as she worked through the salad with the quiet dignity of her station. I would love to bring back recipe cards with some of the more palatable dishes if this is the taste I can expect. “So, Luna,” Jakob said, in between bites of his steak. “What's the deal with your sister, anyway?” Celestia brought her head up and gave the human a wry look as she finished a mouthful. “I beg your pardon,” she said, evenly, but with a hint of irritation. “But I'm right here.” “Yeah, that's kind of my point,” Jakob replied, seemingly oblivious. A faint smirk tugging at the corner of his flat mouth, however, told everyone at the table that he was deliberately being obnoxious. “I mean, Luna has this sob story of being a castaway in the multiverse or whatever you wanna call it, then you show up a decade later in the middle of a match?” He shook his head a bit at that. “Just seems really strange, that's all.” Celestia blushed at that, and then shifted on her bench seat. “There were complications,” she explained, calmly. “The method of Luna's departure left our frames out of synch; only a week passed for us back home, while ten years passed here.” The diners at the table all stopped their meals at that, and then silently looked to the two alicorns. Celestia maintained a regal bearing, while Luna simply looked down and used her telekinesis to push around portions of her meal. “It was a bit longer than that, actually,” the night princess said, quietly. Every head snapped to her at that to stare at the younger pony at her odd declaration. Celestia noted the blush growing on her sister's cheeks, though, and decided to avert her eyes for a moment to let Luna recover. Instead, she glanced down to her sister's meal, and then froze in shock. “Luna, what are you eating?” she asked, her voice quiet. “Uhm,” Luna replied, blushing even more furiously now as she tried to tuck her muzzle as far down as it would go. “It's called 'Chernobyl Chicken'.” “Chicken?” Celestia asked, incredulous. “As in, the small, flightless bird?” “Yes,” Luna softly replied. A change seemed to come over her just then, and she straightened herself up and then brought her gaze to meet her sister's eyes in a silent, polite, but firmly defiant expression. “It is the blackened breast of the animal with a thick coating of strong spices served on a bed of spinach and romaine lettuce and a lovely sauce,” she politely explained, as if discussing the weather. She paused for a moment, and then raised an eyebrow. “I believe the sauce is a vinaigrette.” A moment of silence met her, and Luna frowned as Celestia continued to just stare at her in shock. An idea sparked in the younger mare's head, and without breaking her gaze, she used her telekinesis to spear a piece of chicken, and then slowly brought it up to her mouth. The widening of Celestia's eyes made the night princess want to burst out laughing, but she kept herself stoney as she opened her mouth and then popped the morsel in and began to chew. “Right, that does it,” Celestia said, as she placed her fork down and then stood up from her haunches. The automated bench seat sensed this and lowered her section into the floor so that she could leave without disturbing the other diners, and for a moment the white pony was grateful for the unfathomable, yet useful device. “I need some air,” she added, with an imperious look. “I shall be out on the balcony.” With that, she slowly backed up into the space between the booth seating left for such exits. Unfortunately, the space was set up for humans and other bipeds, and so Celestia had to take an embarrassing amount of time to slowly back up and twist her lengthy pony body before she could turn and head out across the dining room. No one at the table said a thing as the elder pony left; even the hardened, borderline sociopaths of the Tournament knew when to back off. Everyone watched her go, though most returned their attentions back to their meals quickly enough. Jakob, however, looked to Luna again, and then raised an eyebrow. “If she reacts that strongly now, I can't wait to see how she handles Artemis.” Luna's eyes flashed at that, and she gave the human a death stare. “I shall deal with that soon enough,” she darkly said. “Until then I don't want anyone here to so much as breathe a word about her to my sister,” the alicorn added, in a tone that threatened pain for disobedience as she glanced around the table. “Fair enough,” Malcolm interjected, as he calmly sipped his beer again. “Doesn't pay to get involved in family affairs, anyway.” * * * * Celestia ignored the wide-eyed looks she received from the various patrons and staff of the restaurant as she carefully picked her way to the balcony. Although the alicorn hadn't been there before that evening, Celestia could easily see the surprisingly large, wide outdoor area through the glass walls of the main dining room, and the doors leading out to it were easy enough to identify, even for an extra-reality traveller. A quick use of her magic pulled them open and gained the princess access to the outdoor dining area, and she quickly made her way to an unpopulated corner of the rectangular structure so she could look out and over the safety barriers upon the city. Here Celestia had to pause, as her brain finally started to register the sheer scale of the architecture around her. Things have been insanely hectic from the very moment I arrived here, the mare thought, as she looked up at the immense towers that reached into the air on all sides. Yet I cannot help but feel mortified that I haven't really taken the time yet to truly look at this strange place. Something stirred in Celestia's heart at that, as she looked down into the growing gloom of twilight to the city streets thirty stories below. Electric lamps, signs, and signals already filled the arriving night with a constant glow, and throngs of beings—humans mostly, but Celestia could make out a few other species in the mix—moved through the streets on foot or in numerous mechanical conveyances. The strong flow of traffic gave off a strong impression of life and vitality, even amidst the stark desolation (by pony standards) of the city's utilitarian décor. Storefronts made entirely of glass radiated brilliant light onto the sidewalks and streets, and small glowing lights dotted the crowd, denoting the use of some personal device or another. All in all, it was an alien sight. And yet it is so utterly familiar, Celestia mused, as she thought back to the various cities of Equestria. She felt the stirring in her chest again, and the alicorn blinked as she recognized the old, nearly-forgotten feeling; wanderlust. How long has it been since I really felt like just trotting away from it all and simply travel? she asked herself. She thought for a moment, and then shook her head. Far too long. Yet, how could I ever entertain such thoughts, when so much rests upon my back? A sigh escaped her muzzle at that, and Celestia found herself suddenly grateful that none of her subjects could see her at the moment. What good is a melancholy leader who mourns for her lost freedom? “Celestia?” The single-word question sounded behind her, gently breaking the alicorn out of her reverie. She turned her head back and saw Luna slowly walking over, a conciliatory expression upon her face. “Are you alright?” Celestia looked at her sister for a moment, and then offered a faint smile. “I'm fine,” she said, and then turned her head back around to look out over the city once more. To some this would be a dismissal, but Luna knew well her sister's quirks, and so she continued to walk forward until she was able to sidle in next the the larger pony and join her in looking over the edge of the balcony. A moment of silence passed between the two, though it was brief as Luna spoke up. “I forget how difficult this place can be, when you're not used to it,” the younger princess said. “And you haven't even had a quiet moment to think about it until now, have you?” Luna asked, as she looked over and up at her sister. Celestia returned the look, and then made a brief, wry chuckle. “No, I suppose I haven't,” she replied, and then looked out once more. “Just like myself,” Luna said, and then echoed her sister's chuckle as Celestia once again swung her head around. “I'll tell you the story soon enough,” the younger pony explained. “But believe me when I say I understand perfectly what you're going through.” “Do you?” Celestia asked, with a raised eyebrow. “Then why that bit at the table?” Luna rolled her eyes. “Because you were getting high and mighty on me,” she replied. “That approach may be effective on our subjects, 'Tia, but I still remember when you were afraid of alfalfa.” “I was not afraid of alfalfa,” Celestia retorted, as she turned her head up in a mild pout. “I simply did not like it. Still don't.” “You were afraid of it,” Luna repeated, with a grin on her muzzle. “Or shall I prove it by getting a dish of it from the kitchen here and see you scream like a little filly at the 'alfalfa monster'?” Ccelestia snapped her head down at that and gave her little sister a harsh glare. “You wouldn't,” she said, in a low voice. Luna's grin widened into a full smile. “I would,” she teased. Then the smiled faded, and she sighed. “But I think my consumption of meat is enough of a shock to you now,” she added. “Indeed,” Celestia dryly stated, and then looked out over the city again. “How can you even do that?” she asked, as her eyes idly traced over the moving lights below. “Things are different here in ways that aren't immediately obvious,” Luna replied, as she leaned her body against her sister's side. The armor she still wore kept them from feeling each other's heat, but the touch was comforting nonetheless. “There is a definitive barrier between sapient and non-sapient beings, with the latter more often than not merely being controlled by base instincts; no emotions or thought,” the younger alicorn explained. “The few that have even rudiments of intelligence are often brutal and borderline psychotic by sapient standards, save those that have been fully domesticated.” “Domesticated?” Celestia asked, with a glance down to her sister. “Aye,” Luna replied, and then sighed. “'Tis a word referring to the process by which wild animals are selectively bred and controlled over multiple generations until they are under the control of a sapient species,” she explained, and then frowned. “And you've been here for only a few hours and already I'm slipping into old speech habits.” Despite the mild discomfort she felt over the concept of domestication, Celestia couldn't help but chuckle a bit at her sister's last sentence. “I don't think you'd be yourself if you didn't throw in a few archaic terms now and then,” she teased. Luna razzed her sister for that, which elicited another chuckle. “Oh come now, Luna, it's cute the way you use antiquated language,” Celestia teased. Again, Luna rolled her eyes. “You and the humans both think I'm cute,” she muttered, good-naturedly. “You know they generally behave towards me as if I were a living doll?” “Oh?” Celestia asked, with another quirk of her eyebrow. Luna closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes. They think I am adorable,” she said, and then lifted her muzzle up to display her smug smile. “That's because they haven't shared a bedroom with you,” Celestia countered, and then smiled as Luna deflated a bit and then shot the elder pony with a glare. “I'm pretty sure it was your snoring that inspired father to create the 'royal voice'.” “Humph,” Luna lightly grunted, with a pout. She opened her mouth to reply, but a flicker of light from below caught both ponies' attention, and they glanced down to see a small cluster of humans aiming cameras up at them. “Ah, seems we are drawing attention,” Luna said, and then gave her sister a look. “Probably your mane and tail; you stand out like a Skaarj, but in a nice way.” Celestia gave her sister a tired look. “No more references I won't get, please,” she said. “Fair enough,” Luna replied, with a faint smile. “But seriously, you should consider cutting your magic back. The flow to our respective astral reservoirs is lower here and it pays to conserve energy. Also, sometimes it's good not to stand out too much.” A frown crossed Celestia's muzzle at that. “Why would that be a concern?” she asked. “You know how back home, the paparazzi would follow fashion models around?” Luna sked back, and then waited for the confirming nod. “Now imagine that they have cameras that can pick up the broccoli stuck in your teeth from the horizon.” She paused at this, and then grinned evilly. “Or in your case, the cake you're stuffing yourself with from orbit.” “You're never going to let me live that down, are you?” Celestia groaned. “That one little foal gets lucky when I'm on a break and suddenly all of Equestria thinks I'm some sort of cake devouring fiend.” “But, you are a cake devouring fiend,” Luna snarked. Now it was Celestia who razzed her sister. “At least I don't have a holiday where little ponies bribe me with candy,” she countered. Luna laughed at that. “Ah, Nightmare Night, I had almost forgotten about that,” she said, and then sighed wistfully. “The humans have a holiday called 'Halloween' that matches it almost perfectly, only without the giving me candy part.” She said the last sentence with a smirk. “Still, it's quite fun, especially...” her voice caught at this for a moment, though Celestia barely had time to glance over before Luna continued. “Especially for the little ones,” she added, her expression now troubled. “Luna?” Celestia asked, concern creasing her features. “Are you alright?” “Yes,” Luna replied, and then offered a wan, but sincere smile. “I was just reminded of something, that's all,” she explained. Her earlier cheerfulness returned soon enough, however, and Luna backed away from the balcony's edge. “But we can talk about that soon enough. For now, do you want to go back and finish your meal?” Celestia watched her sister for a moment to make sure Luna wasn't trying too hard to avoid whatever had her concerned, but realized that whatever it was, Luna wasn't desperate about it. “To be frank, Luna, your friends scare me,” Celestia flat out admitted, and then sighed. “I'd much rather get some rest before we attempt to return back to Equestria.” A sudden wash of emotion ran over the night princess' face, and Celestia blinked in surprise at the panic that had briefly been revealed. Alright, that has her concerned, the elder pony thought. “Rest... aye, that sounds good,” Luna said, after an awkward silence. “Methinks that Malcolm and the team can certainly keep until the morrow, at the least.” The second backslide of of her sister's language made Celestia's ear twitch, and she turned to fully face the younger alicorn. “There's something bothering you,” she stated. “What is it?” Luna hesitated for a moment, but then soon nodded. “Aye, there is,” she admitted. “But I don't want to talk about it here. Let's fly to my suite and I'll explain everything after we arrive.” A silence hung between the two sisters as Celestia considered the strange behavior of her sister. It was mercifully brief, however, as she could see the worry in Luna's eyes, and Celestia felt her heart ache that she might cause such discomfort in her sibling. “Alright then,” she said, and then suppressed a sigh of relief as Luna brightened up. “But is it even safe to fly through here?” the elder pony asked, as she turned to eye one of the flying conveyances as it flittered through the artificial canyons formed by the city's towers. “Safe enough,” Luna replied, a she stretched out her wings. This seemed to catch the attention of the many diners on the balcony, and they turned to look at the two ponies with curious expressions. “Most of the helicopters and antigrav vehicles have anti-collision devices to keep them from slamming into each other, and so long as we keep our eyes open and try not to fly right in front of any of them, they should avoid us as well.” Celestia listened patiently to her sister's words, and then nodded. “I suppose so, if you've been here as long as you say you have,” she said, as she started to stretch her own, significant wings. She froze in mid-stretch, however, as something Luna said percolated into her mind. “Which makes me wonder what you meant, back at the table,” Celestia added, as she turned to give Luna a hard look. “What was that about it being longer than ten years?” Luna brought up a foreleg and coughed into her hoof. “Again, I'll explain when we get to my home,” she replied. “I promise you, 'Tia, everything will be clear there.” The sun princess could only frown at that, but she nodded her head in assent. “Very well, then. Let us be off.” “Indeed,” Luna said, and then grinned as she kicked off of the balcony and snapped her wings down, launching herself into the air. “Come on then, 'Tia,” the dark alicorn jeered, as she hovered several meters into the air. “Unless those cakes have made you too heavy to fly?” Celestia smirked at that, and her reply was to kick herself into the air as well, her larger wings propelling her easily up to her sister's altitude. “Lead on, then,” she said, with a smile, as Luna's enthusiasm started to infect her. Luna smiled back, and then shifted from hovering to fly forward. “Try to keep up then!” she hollered over her shoulder, before she dove for the ground. Not to be outdone, Celestia turned and dove without any further encouragement and raced after her sister. Luna flew a daring course, taking her down almost to the level of the streetlights lining the motorways, but for the first time in a long time, Celestia threw her sense of caution to the wind and dropped to the same height, gaining speed as she fell, her legs stretched out in typical pegasus fashion to reduce her forward profile. She slowly started to catch up to her sister, but Luna abruptly snapped her wings straight out and then cut a hard left turn to follow one of the cross-streets. Celestia felt adrenalin kick in as she saw how buildings and intersections narrowed the angle of approach with their ruler-straight geometry, and briefly she wondered if she was going to end up splattering herself along a building whose sign proclaimed it as a bank. Fortune favors the bold, a voice whispered in her brain, and the alicorn could only grin as she felt her youthful recklessness return. Now confident, Celestia flapped her wings harder to build up speed, faster than even her sister had taken the same turn. Unlike Luna, however, Celestia not only threw her wings straight out for the maneuver, but also trimmed her feathers just a bit to roll along her long axis so that she ended up with her wings perpendicular to the ground. She rode the centrifugal force through the turn, her momentum fighting against the large span of her wings and balancing out just enough so that gravity looked the other way for a moment. Celestia straightened out and rolled back upright as her turn completed, and she couldn't help but let out a whoop of excitement. I haven't been able to do something like that in centuries! she thought, as she spied Luna glancing back at her from only a few dozen ponylengths away. There are always so many fussy guards and prissy nobles to keep placated so they don't have an aneurysm, but for once I don't have to worry about them. A weight seemed to lift off of her back with that quiet revelation, and Celestia could only grin as she poured on the speed. Luna glanced back a second time, and a look of surprise washed over her face. It was soon replaced by a sly grin, however, as the younger alicorn returned her attention forward and then turned to the left just a bit before corkscrewing up and to the right in a half barrel roll to take another street. Celestia followed with another one of her high-G turns, and soon she was only a short distance behind Luna. “You're certainly doing better than I'd expect from someone who rides a chariot!” the younger alicorn shouted over her shoulder. “I don't let them drag my flank everywhere,” Celestia countered. “Now, are we getting close to your place, or shall we fly above these buildings and tear a hole in the sky?” Luna laughed at that, even as she slowed her pace a bit; a move Celestia matched. “I would dearly love to, 'Tia,” the younger pony said. “But we're almost there,” Luna added, and then gestured forward with a hoof. Celestia returned her attention forward at that, and she blinked as she made out a massive, circular tower standing in the middle distance, and growing closer with every passing second. The roads, normally a razor-straight grid pattern, swung wide around the tower, though Celestia noted a few actually entered the apron-like base. The building's edifice was a mix of wide glass panels, gray-painted concrete walls, and several large, open areas that looked as if someone had scooped out part of the tower's exterior and replaced it with public gardens. A few rolling doors were sited at various points as well, and Celestia received a clue to their purpose when one opened up to release one of the flying machines that the humans loved to use. “Pay attention, now,” Luna teased, as she angled herself upward. “Don't want you to run into the wall.” “Oh, really?” Celestia asked, as she quickly moved to regain her position at Luna's side. “Who was it who carved half of Ghastly Gorge after trying a sonic rainboom?” Luna blushed at the reference, and she shot her sister a glare. “That was ages ago.” “Only two,” Celestia countered. “I believe the buffalo tribes still call it 'Coyote's Blunder',” she added with a grin. “I hate that name,” Luna replied, and then started to accelerate. “Fine then, miss smarty pants, let's see how you handle my usual route,” she added, and then aimed for one of the large greenery-speckled openings. Celestia followed of course, and as they drew close she could see more details emerge. The gap they flew towards had a smaller opening in the back, through which water flowed along an artificial riverbed, supporting various landscaped plants along its sides before pouring over a small lip to create a pool in the middle of the park area. The interior walls facing the parkland and the false creek had windows placed here and there, and Celestia was ready to swear that she saw various small animals skittering about at several points. Scarcely had she finished this assessment when the elder princess realized her sister wasn't slowing down. “Luna?” Celestia asked. “What are you doing? Where are we going?” Luna shot a grin at the other alicorn before she once again returned her head to the forward and upright position. “Just follow me, and try not to hit a window,” she said, and then dove for the opening at the back of the park alcove. She's mad, Celestia thought, as she noted that the space seemed far too small to safely fly through. The voice from before whispered into her ear, however, and soon her apprehension was partially replaced by eagerness. The younger pony reached the tunnel first, of course, and deftly raced down its length. Celestia was only a half-second behind and fit into the tunnel as well, though she felt the tips of her wings brush the dwarf trees along the side of the artificial creek from time to time. It did not dissuade her, however, but instead gave her another burst of giddiness at doing something that her little ponies would all faint dead at if they could see her. I think Twilight Sparkle would literally combust, Celestia mused. I really should talk to her about that sometime; smoking is bad for your health. She giggled a bit at the joke, but soon pushed it out of her mind as the walls and floor of the tunnel shifted, becoming sterile and metallic as the creek bed straightened into a simple trough. Up ahead she could see the exit, with water spurting up in a fountain that blocked the view out before it dropped to feed the creek. Celestia didn't have any time to think on it, however, as Luna continued to move forward, flapping her wings eagerly. I hope this isn't one of her pranks, the elder pony thought, just as Luna burst through the spray. I suppose I'll find out in a second. Celestia gritted her teeth as she reached the fountain, and then passed through it. The spray was too weak and the passage through it too quick to really soak her feathers, and so her flight wasn't impeded in the least, which was fortunate as Celestia needed a moment to take in what she was seeing. The whole thing is hollow, the sun princess thought, as she looked up at the interior. Like the outside, the inner walls of the tower was speckled by various windows, many of which were glowing with light as the twilight continued its fade into night. Celestia then had to blink as she realized that the light was the same as outside, and she glanced up to gaze upon a huge, transparent dome covering the tower's interior space. “You like?” Luna asked, as she slowed down to match pace with her flabbergasted sister. “The humans love their climate control as much as we do, though I rather think the plastisteel dome is a bit over the top, myself.” The sheer, unmitigated atrocity of a pun impaled itself upon Celestia's mind, and she snapped out of her awe to give her sister a glare that would have stopped a dragon in mid-air. “Don't make me banish you to the moon again,” she threatened. “For a pun?” Luna merrily asked, with a sly grin. “Shall I call you Tyrantlestia then?” Despite herself, Celestia had to smirk at the old nickname the nobles had laid on her fifteen centuries prior. “Perhaps, dear sister, perhaps,” she teased. “Now, as impressive as this is, where are we heading?” “Up,” Luna said, and then turned to the side. “Follow me, there's always a thermal from the beach we can ride to the top,” she added, as she pulled ahead. “Beach?” Celestia asked, and then glanced down. Below, at the bottom of the cylinder was more parkland, with a small but respectable lake taking up a good portion of the surface. A wide beach of sand lined one side of the lake, and it was the space above this to which Luna led her. A glance forward allowed Celestia to catch the moment Luna entered the thermal, and was shoved upwards. Thus prepared, Celestia steadied her wings and was properly braced when the strong updraft launched her higher. The two sisters flew like this for a period of time in the darkening gloom, silent as they concentrated on catching the thermal over and over again. Finally they were near the top, and Luna turned to lead her sister towards a balcony that seemed to run the entire circumference of the inner wall. Both princesses deftly landed upon it, and then spent several moments to catch their breath. It was Celestia who broke the silence. “I must admit, this is an amazing place,” she observed, as she turned to walk back to the safety railing and look down upon the parkland a hundred stories below. “It reminds me of Canterlot, in a way.” “Aye, 'tis why I moved here,” Luna agreed, as she walked over to join her sister. “The parks, the rivers and waterfalls, the grand architecture, it's all so reminiscent of home. Though the humans do favor their geometry to be a bit more precise and less whimsical,” she added, with a grin. “Comes from lacking magic.” Celestia started at this, and she turned her head to give Luna another incredulous look. “Are you pulling my tail?” she asked. “I know I was teleported earlier today, and those vehicles that fly! You cannot tell me that's not magic.” Luna chuckled at that. “Perhaps I should explain,” she said, and then turned to walk along the balcony, though not without first motioning with a wing for Celestia to follow. “As you know, what we call 'magic' is actually a method for manipulating the physical laws of the universe,” Luna explained, as her sister fell in place beside her. “For us it occurred naturally, but for humans and most other sapient species in this reality, they had to uncover the secret with advanced science and research that took centuries. As such, their science, their cities, their very culture and society is built around more easily accessed methods of environmental manipulation. “Now, they have some advanced science that lets them recreate what magic can do, in some cases,” Luna explained, as she moved towards a pair of glass doors set into the wall, closing off a well-lit, clean, carpeted corridor beyond. The two doors slid apart by themselves as the alicorns approached. “Take those doors, for example,” Luna continued, as the two sisters emerged into the hallway. “They use nothing more than a motion sensor to trigger an electric motor via circuitry.” “I see,” Celestia found herself saying, once again, though this time she did have a genuine interest. Perhaps more than recipe cards should be brought back with us, she mused. Luna's chuckle broke the elder pony from her thoughts. “I know, I prattle on, but my point is that humans have only recently been able to utilize the same kind of forces that ponykind has been using since time immemorial,” she said, as she increased the pace to a trot. “But what humans have done since time immemorial is to be clever at manipulating their environment, to the point where they tamed their homeworld. A world, mind you, that makes the Everfree Forest look tame in comparison.” “Now you must be joking, my sister,” Celestia observed, as they passed by various, richly-decorated doors set into the sides of the corridor. “An entire world that is worse than the Everfree?” “Believe it, 'Tia,” Luna replied. “I've read the histories. Brutal predators, unfathomably virulent diseases, scarce resources, hardly any naturally arable land, and weather that would make a pegasus faint upon seeing it.” She paused to shake her head at that, though the two alicorns remained at a trot. “Their most successful religions have painted themselves as offending the Creator to warrant such a world, and sometimes I wonder if that is not true; it would certainly explain a few things.” Celestia had nothing to say to that, and so she remained silent and pondered on what her sister had said. Thus, the two ponies remained in quiet thought as they came to a set of double doors set near the tower's outer walls and stopped before them. “And here we are,” Luna said, with a sheepish grin. “Your home?” Celestia asked, and then waited as she received a nod. A glance to the end of the corridor showed that it terminated a short distance away, capped off by a large pane of glass that gave an excellent view of the city beyond. “Why did we fly into the middle of this tower if you live near the outer wall?” The sheepish grin turned smarmy. “Because this way I could show off how well I've done for myself,” she smugly replied. “And come on, wasn't that a fun flight?” Celestia huffed in exasperation at her sister, though soon enough she had to smile. “Yes, I suppose it was... somewhat enjoyable,” she allowed, as she imperiously raised her muzzle and closed her eyes. “If you like that sort of thing.” She anticipated a chuckle, and instead got a rather hearty laugh out of Luna. Confused, Celestia looked back down to her sister and found the smaller alicorn warmly smiling up at her. “Is something the matter?” the elder pony asked. Luna shook her head. “No, 'Tia,” she said, and then quickly moved forward to wrap her forelegs around Celestia's neck in a hug. “I've just missed you, that's all,” she added, her voice cracking slightly. Celestia felt hot tears soaking into her coat, and she suddenly found herself hard-pressed to contain her own emotions. “I've missed you, as well,” she said, as she settled on her haunches so she could return the hug. “I know it hasn't been as long for me, but every day without you was a day without the sun.” “I'm so sorry,” Luna said, as sobs started to emanate from her muzzle. “I should have listened to you, I should have waited for the review, I shouldn't have made you come here to save my sorry flank.” “You didn't make me do anything,” Celestia replied, as she patted her sister's back. “I wanted to do this, Luna, I wanted to find you and bring you home. I waited a thousand years to get my sister back, and I wasn't going to let some pony-snatching reality take you away from me again.” Luna didn't reply to that, at least not verbally. Instead she cried and sobbed into her sister's neck and mane, releasing a decade's worth of pent-up emotions. Celestia recognized it for what it was, and she wisely remained silent as Luna cried herself out. They remained like this for a time that neither would fully remember the duration of. It seemed like hours, and when Celestia finally looked out the corridor's window on the city again, she saw that night had fallen completely, broken only by the artificial glow coming from humanity's gleaming towers and the streets below. Soon enough, however, Luna's sobs died down, and the younger alicorn gently pulled herself away from her sister and stood to take a step back. “Th–thank you, 'Tia,” she said, quietly, as she looked up with bloodshot eyes. “What else is an older sister for?” Celestia asked, with a smile, as she stood up herself. “Besides eating cake?” Luna replied, and then shared a chuckle with her sibling. Her expression once again turned dour, however, as she glanced over to the doors set into the wall. “But I'm glad this happened out here, before we got inside.” “Oh? Celestia asked, confused. “Why is that?” Luna bit her lip, and then looked back up at her sister. “Because there's someone you need to meet,” she said, and then turned to face the door as she lit up her horn. Her magic worked a panel set into the side of the entrance and pressed several buttons in a rapid-fire sequence, upon the completion of which a tone sounded. “And I can't have her see me crying like that just yet.” Celestia frowned, and then opened her muzzle to ask the obvious questions. Before she could, however, Luna opened the doors with her telekinesis, revealing a luxurious set of rooms beyond. And just as this occurred, a small shape rocketed out of said rooms and tackled Luna hard, sending them both to land in the middle of the corridor. Shocked at this, Celestia could only watch as the new shape uttered a singular cry: “Mommy!”