Griffon Taxi Airlines
Several hours earlier.
Twilight opened her eyes as a groan came from the taxi airship she and her friends currently resided in. she turned towards her night stand, extending her darkly tanned hand towards the handmade fob watch that she received as a birthday gift from Apple Bloom, Applejacks younger sister and engineer apprentice. Twilight opened the watch and looked at the time.
6:33
Damn time change. She thought to herself as she put the watch back on the nightstand. She hated when she crossed time zones; she was either too late or too early for anything important, though the extra time didn't go to waste as she used it to work on her studies. This was not one of those times. In the right time, even the most dedicated student would hate being interrupted in the middle of their sleep. Twilight flipped her pillow to the cooler side before laying her head down again, hoping to wake up at a better time than this. Before closing her eyes, she looked at the letter she had received from princess Celestia days before, explaining her reason for the ride on the airship. She put the thought aside for a better time to think about and went back to sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, it had barley been fifty-five minutes. Better than earlier. She thought as she sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. She looked around her room, and it was very plain and anticlimactic, for lack of a better term; the walls were just yellow and pale yellow horizontal stripes that blended with each other, with the outer view porthole as the closest thing to a portrait. She looked to the right side of her bed and saw the bottle of apple cider that came with the room. She considered it for a bit before deciding against drinking her breakfast this morning and instead leaned to the left towards the mini fridge that was installed in to the night stand next to her bed, and pulled out a bottle of orange juice. It was when she began drinking from it did she notice the price card that was in front of it.
3.25$
If it were anyone else, they would have ruptured a blood vessel, but of course being sent on a special mission from Celestia, all expenses were paid. But the price was still outrageous as it is.
Twilight swung her legs off the side of her bed and let out a relatively big yawn, then walked towards her bags. She took of her nightgown and put in her bag and pulled out fresh clothes. After putting on her white button up blouse, and purple skirt, began combing her black and purple streaked hair. Once finished she gathered her things, thankful that the taxi will finally land in a matter of hours, and after two days of being stuck on a tiny zeppelin. Twilight stepped out of her cabin and walked down the hall until she came to a large opening that led to the taxi's lounge. She walked towards a table and set her bags down before going to small buffet where there was a small assortment of sliced bread, breakfast muffins, and cereals. After making her choice of a bagel and blueberry muffin, she walked back to her table where she saw someone already sitting there. He looked a little older than thirteen, and had on a purple undershirt and denim overalls that had a few tears in to the, and on his head was a mop of messy green hair that was held back in a ponytail on this day.
"Morning Twilight." Said spike, her constant companion and assistant, as well as her mechanic for her moped that she rarely left behind.
"Good morning spike." she responded as she sat in the seat in front. "How was the trip?"
"It was terrible." He said.
"Why?" Twilight asked, confused at his statement. "You love flying on airships."
"Yeah I do love riding on these. But the taxi ships are too common to be much of an eye catcher for me and any mechanic enthusiast." Spike sipped on his apple juice, before continuing.
"Still, riding this thing would be worth it once we get to the Infinity!" spike finished excitedly, but then remembered their reason for their trip. But before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a wave of dark blue hair and a blindingly white dress.
"Twilight, aren't you just excited about our trip?" Rarity asked her friend. "Oh I have been dreaming about this for ages, and now it finally came true." She continued before being stopped by Twilight, who had her serious face on.
"Rarity, we're on an escort mission from the princess, not a vacation." Rarity let her face go sour, and then sat on the seat next to spike, which caused him to blush furiously.
"Twilight," she began. "are you aware that we are headed to the Infinity, the most famous luxury airship of its class on its fiftieth anniversary, and all you can think about is the scientist and her sister that need to be safely brought from one side of Equestria, to the other unscathed to be hidden in some hole in the ground?. Is that correct?'
"Correct. And it's not a hole, it's a bunker." Twilight answered. Rarity pouted, then got up and before leaving, she magically produced a dark blue package, and tossed it to Twilight, who caught it.
"When you're ready to have fun on this job, put that on, and meet me at the ball room of our section." With that she left.
"I'm just gonna, uh." Spike said, sliding from his seat while awkwardly deciding on an excuse to do with the dress maker.
"Just go." Twilight said finally saving the young mechanic some loss of dignity.
When he was out of earshot, another voice called out twilight. "She's right you know." twilight turned towards the voice. At the table across was a blond woman in her late teens, her hair done up in a ponytail with a pair of denim pants and a yellow flannel shirt with its sleeves rolled up. Her most distinguishing feature was her left arm, at least what was supposed to be her arm. Instead there was a mechanical brass arm which ticked and click as it moved, something she received courtesy of a tractor incident a few years back.
"What do you mean Applejack?"
"I'm saying she's right; we're going on a luxury airship on its fiftieth anniversary no less, but all you can think about is the mission we've been assigned."
"What are you getting at?"
"Remember the incident when you put a love charm on one of your old dolls?" twilight sat back down as the memory came back to haunt her. "You have to let loose every once in a while, especially when an opportunity like this presents itself."
Twilight looked at her plate as she took in applejacks words.
"I'll leave you to think about it." Applejack said, flicking her brass arm and producing a small knife from her wrist, using it to cut her bagel. "Also, you should think about Rarity's offer." Retracting the knife after spreading some cream cheese, she took a bite from her bagel and proceeded to have her breakfast.
"But I do let loose every now and again." Twilight mumbled to herself as she levitated a muffin to her mouth.
On the other side of the taxi lounge is a bar area where shelves with gins and spirits from around the country where the taxies have traveled, and where some travelers decide to drink their breakfast. Sitting there was a trio of friends, two young men, and a young girl, all of them appearing to be in their late teens, having a shared breakfast plate of what was available.
"I'm finally glad to be out of that damned studio. I thought you'd never loosen up Shadow." Said the girl, her ruby red hair tied in a ponytail, her white blouse tucked in her black skirt.
"Well we all needed a break anyway violet." Said the man next to her with a Trotish accent, his short black hair under a black fedora that went well with his three piece suit. "Plus I was exhausted."
"You're always exhausted." Said the last one of them; He resembled the first boy, only his skin was a darker tone, and his hair was in a stubby ponytail with a blue streak through it, and he had no accent. The sleeves of his button up shirt were rolled up, and he wore a black vest over it.
"Shut up Donnie. Plus I'm not the one who falls asleep while developing some very important film." Said shadow as he took a bite out of a bagel.
"That happens one time, and you never let me forget it." Donnie replied irritably, but quickly recovered his composure. "But that doesn't matter right now. Not to mention it's the perfect time to test out my dragon model sky hook." He said excitedly.
"I thought those things were banned." Violet said in confusion.
"They banned people from selling them. Plus there are some who can make their own." Shadow said.
"That's a very big loophole." Violet said.
"I know right?" Donnie said excitedly, as though he were showing off am impressive device he made.
"Besides should enjoy the simple pleasures, especially with the turmoil that's been going on." Shadow said.
"You mean the underground war that's been happening in front of our noses?" violet said.
"Quiet," shadow warned in a low whisper. "You don't want the same thing to happen to you like those reporters. The one who got the news out barely got away." He said referring to the story where the investigative reporter had lost half his toes before miraculously escaping.
Then a loud ring suddenly rattled through the ship, startling all the passengers.
"Attention everyone, this is your captain speaking," boomed the intercom. "We will be arriving in Los Pegasus within the hour, so we ask you to please pack up your belongings. We will not be responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged items. Once again we thank you for choosing Griffon Taxi airline."
"It's about time." Said Violet as she picked up her travel bag, as well as her camera equipment.
"Infinity here we come." Donnie said picking up his bag and camera case.
"How original." Shadow said sarcastically, which earned him a solid punch in the arm from Donnie. "Let's just get a move on." Slinging his bag on one hand and his camera in the other.
"Now who's being original?" Donnie said.
"Keep talking, I have a metal camera case that can supposedly survive a hundred foot drop. Want to help me test it out?" Shadow viciously replied. The three of them remained silent until they had left the airship, and then picked up a cab to take them to the luxury airship boarding station.
"Taking an airship to go on a different airship. How poetic." Violet said as the cab continued to their destination.
Meanwhile, the group of six had departed the ship and were now standing out on the street looking for the geneticist they were assigned to protect.
"Where is she?' Rainbow Dash said, moving her rainbow hair away from her face that the wind was blowing in.
"I was told she'd know who we are." Twilight said.
"And you were told correct." They heard a confident and affirmed voce say. They turned to see a very pretty young woman, she looked to be in her mid twenties, her black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a simple dress with a matching bowler hat. "Jean Scarlet." She introduced herself. "Canterlot University's head geneticist. And this is my sister Rose." She indicated to a girl in her early teen who bore a striking resemblance to her, except that she wore her hair down, framing her face and features."
"hello." She said with slight nervousness.
"And I'm pretty sure you know who we are." Rainbow Dash said with egotism.
"Yes I've heard of the six of you. And not to be rude, but can we move on, this trip is somewhat important." She said hurriedly.
"Okay, we understand." Said Twilight. "so how do we get to the platform? Do we walk?" Twilight asked.
"Well you most certainly don't need to walk." She said with a smile that suggested smugness. She indicated to the street behind them. Parked on the sidewalk was a black, elongated vehicle.
"you hired out limousine ?" Rarity asked with a mixture of disbelief and adoring eyes.
"Oooohhhh, is it like one of those party busses? Because I've always wanted to use one of those but now I can have a party in a car." Pinkie Pie rambled at the speed of a bullet breaking the sound barrier.
"Is she always like that?" rose asked Fluttershy, who simply shrank back bashfully not wanting to sound like she was bad mouthing her friend.
"Well, I believe we all have something to do." Rarity said after Pinkie Pies ear splitting tirade. "now lets all get in the limmo and head on with our assignment." She said while urging in Fluttershy before her, her eagerness betrayed by her voice.
Once in the car, everyone had wandered to do their own thing. Pinkie looked through the part function of the vehicle, bringing out bursts of confetti, or a sound track that shortly broke the silence, Rarity was knocking back some of the champagnes that came in the car alongside applejack and trading anecdotes like anyone having a drink would, spike simply sat next to applejack, admiring Rarity from a distance that seemed almost cute, Fluttershy sat with rose exchanging mutual comments about each other, Rainbowdash stayed in her seat, fidgeting and wanting to get up and move, leaving Jean and Twilight sitting together in deafening silence. Finally it was Twilight who broke the silence.
"so you're a geneticist? A highly unlikely subject for targeting."
"It's actually more common than you think."
"What do you mean?"
"Well in the field that I work on is rather controversial and it brings up a lot of arguments. And quite often it can go a little too far.
"Oh I get it." Twilight said as the pieces began falling in to place. "so they target you solely out of blind hatred."
"In simple terms yes."
"And what is it you've done that's causing such an uproar?" Twilight asked in earnest.
"that's private I'm afraid." Jean said. Then the car came to a halt. "Looks like we're here." Jean said as she stepped out of the limmo. When everyone had come outside, they looked up to the massive ship floating above them, its top resembling large skyscrapers like a city floating in the sky, among the buildings were twisting railway carrying large boxes of supplies through the ship. The juggernaut altogether looked simply amazing.
"lady's," said spike, looking up on the ship in admiring aw. "I give you, the Infinity."