- Airship
Canterlot. The capital city of Equestria and home to her most brilliant minds. It’s architectural majesty is unparalleled by any other city in the land, with twisting spires of marble, gold, ivory, and other precious materials. The inhabitants of this city are just as equally gilded in fine materials and jewelry to show off their sophistication, even the poorest of the citizens were dressed in fine clothing of the latest fashion. Everyone lived quietly here, wealthy or not.
Well, most of them.
A golden blur shot through the streets of the towering mountainside city, weaving in and out among and above her fellow ponies on the streets below. Loose articles of clothing such as top hats, silken scarves, and feathered jewelry were sucked into the vacuum of wind created by the speeding pegasus, earning her some shocked looks and glares from many residents out for their mid-morning strolls.
“Sorry!” she would call out whenever she would narrowly avoid a collision with other airborne pegasi, which was much more often than acceptable.
In her wake was left a crowd of disheveled ponies picking up whatever they had dropped from this unruly ‘ruffian’.
Within several minutes of her haphazard flight, the golden-maned mare arrived at her destination; The Canterlot Airship Port. Zeppelins and airships were docked everywhere upon the cliff-side structure, tethered by cables as thick as a Royal Guard’s leg. Nearly every kind of aircraft from military-grade transports to cruise liners the size of manors to strange crafts engineered in faraway lands. Merchants, travelers, and the occasional guard were seen there; milling about, bartering, meeting with friends and admiring the airships.
The copper mare shifted her saddlebags - which were stuffed with a few snacks and some bits - and began searching.
“Where is that ship?” she wondered to herself as she flew between other beings such as pegasi and griffons. A ticket to the airship named the ‘Halitarius’ sat snugly in one of her saddlebags, giving her the privilege to attend a return cruise to the griffon homeland. After all, even with their ability to fly and walk on clouds, a pegasus can’t traverse the distance of an entire ocean. Besides, she was a traveler, and the prospect of relaxing whilst on an adventure sounded like a good deal.
When she caught sight of the Halitarius, she instantly recognized the zeppelin. It used to be a royal’s airship, but whoever had owned her in the past had decided to sell her to the current captain several years ago, no one knew why though.
The sides of the zeppelin had intricate designs of gold which shimmered in the sunlight, with her name woven into the decorative markings on the side of the under-hanging cabins. The cabin decks themselves were much larger than the average airship, allowing more passenger and cargo space. After all, she was a luxury cruise ship.
A ramp was extended from the belly of the zeppelin, bridging her with the port. Two muscular stallions wearing dark suits with tinted shades stood at the bottom of the ramp, guarding the entrance to prevent any would-be stowaways. Good security is always necessary when someone is paranoid about their property.
When the pegasus mare approached, they barred the ramp from her.
“Ticket and name, please,” one of the pair droned as the other, a unicorn, levitated a passenger list from his suit coat. The copper mare gingerly plucked the ticket from her saddlebags, and placed it gently on the stallion’s outstretched hoof. He replied with a gruff, “Thank you ma’am,” before snipped the ticket, returning it to her. He then asked, “name?”
The mare smiled, “Amber. Just Amber.”
The stallion with the list scanned it, nodding to acknowledge she was listed, and the guards stepped out of her way. “Thank you miss, your cabin number is on your ticket. The luggage you had shipped in earlier is waiting in your room. Enjoy your flight!”
The earth-pony guard flashed her a smile, prompting a smile back from Amber. She smiled, thanking them, and winked at the earth-pony before happily trotting up the carpeted ramp.
The interior of the Halitarius was as elegant as her outer hull, perhaps even more so. Simple, yet elegant light fixtures hung on the walls, which were a clean, white color. The wooden floors were polished to an incredibly shiny state, so well that you could see your own reflection in the dark wood. A soft red carpet stretched down the center of the hall. The walls were lined with an elegant golden trim, furthering the feeling of the fact that this airship was as fancy, or fancier than most hotels. After all, the Halitarius did once belong to royalty.
Staff shuttled baggage carts into people’s rooms, zooming in and around the corridors while appearing calm and unrushed. They hefted overstuffed suitcases as though they weighed nothing, as well as showing lost patrons to their rooms and assisting them with whatever they needed.
Amber gazed down the hallway and read room numbers to figure out where her own cabin was. Following the doors down to her room, she took a turn around the corner and passed two crew members who were lugging a bag the size of a fully grown pony in the opposite direction.
After several more minutes of searching, Amber finally located her cabin. Even for a standard room, it was still extremely lush and comfortable.
The gold trim of the hallway flowed into the room, still bordering the walls, but that was where most similarities with the hallway ended. The walls were a light, sky-blue color and the room had a plush carpet which her hooves sank into. The light fixture on the ceiling resembled the symbol for Celestia, primary co-ruler of Equestria, and almost illuminated the room as well as her sun did.
The bed was anchored to the floor as a precaution to prevent it from sliding around the room if the ship experienced extreme turbulence. Fresh sheets and blankets were draped over the fluffy-looking mattress and pillows, creating an inviting feel for any tired creature which might lay eyes upon it. The rest of the furniture was made out of the same dark wood as the floor of the hallway and kept a simple, modern feeling throughout.
Amber’s luggage was sitting off to the side of the door, leaning up against small closet lined with coat hangers. Across from the bed was a second door which opened into a bathroom with standard commodities; a bathtub, a toilet, and a sink complete with fancy soaps and a full-body mirror. A rectangular window in the wall across from the doorway gave an amazing view of the sky rushing past outside.
Amber dropped her saddlebags at the foot of the bed, and noted the room key on the nightstand. She trotted into the bathroom and nosed the light switch on, flooding the bleach-cleaned room with light. She stepped before the mirror and stared at the image it reflected of her: a young, slender pegasus mare who had an unusual coat of copper which shimmered in the light. Her wind-blown mane and tail were a golden blonde, semi-longish and somewhat unkempt. Her violet eyes stared into herself, admiring her sleek, streamlined shape perfect for high speeds.
She struck a pose as though she was about to bolt across the starting line for a race. Upon doing so, her eyes wandered to her cutie mark, the symbol which defined her for who she was: A white feather dancing in the wind. To most other ponies it signified flight, but to her it signified speed and freedom. From what she had heard from other ponies wherever she travelled, they believed that she belonged in the Wonderbolts: High-speed aerial stuntponies, performing daring tricks and shows for the public’s enjoyment.
She didn’t want to join their fancy group though. All she looked for in life were opportunities to make others smile and laugh alongside her and spread what she could only describe as a ‘golden feeling’ among everypony. After all, what was life without experiencing true happiness? She had made it her goal in life to be friends with whoever wanted to be, to be there for them. That’s what friends are for, right?
Exiting the bathroom and feeling playful, she made a flying leap onto the bed. A squeak of surprise was made as she sank into the depths of the overly-plush mattress as the sheets folded up on her. She scrambled to free herself, but the blankets and covers wrapped around her and refused to let go. Realizing how tangled she was, she laughed at her predicament and attempted to roll off the bed in a ball of blankets.
After flapping and kicking for a minute, she managed to wriggle her way out from the bedding. She stood up, looking at the mess of fabrics on the floor, and decided that she might sleep on the couch.
~0~
Wispy white clouds drifted past the windows of Halitarius’s viewing deck. The sight amazed the earth-bound folk with how close they were to the ceiling of their world. But then again, they weren’t like the sky-born pegasi who had grown accustomed to life among the clouds.
Halitarius’s viewing deck in itself was a marvel to behold to both pegasi and earth-bound ponies alike. An absolutely tremendous glass window occupied the forward-facing wall of the room, and wrapped around to the sides to offer a panoramic view of the open sky. Fanciful decorations adorned the room as well from intricately designed pottery, to simple lights lining the walls.
Exotic vines and flowers sprang from flower beds placed in quarters around the center of the room, even a few tropical birds lived in the artificial habitat. Fake vines painted gold trailed their artificial tendrils up the walls, enhancing the feel that this deck was a hanging garden like the ones in the floating city of Cloudsdale.
Amber sat in solitude at a café table off to the side yet still encompassed by the massive window. Sipping a glass of cider, she stared off at the clouds, lost in thoughts as to what the land of the griffons was like. A dozen or so other ponies were in the room with her, but most were of the earth-bound variety enjoying the view. They chatted with their friends and admired the tropical plants, as well as gaping at the expanse of sky that sat before them. They all were reveling in the experience of such a luxurious flight, but she paid them no attention as flight was a common thing for the copper pegasus.
A light tap on her shoulder jolted her from her thoughts and she swung her head to see a crimson-colored stallion standing behind her with a glass of cider balanced on one wing. His spiky white mane contrasted with the scarlet of his coat
He smiled charmingly at her. “Mind if I join you?” he asked, a slight country accent flavouring his rich voice. Amber swore she could feel the tips of her ears begin to glow red.
“No, not at all, please,” she replied, the stallion flashed her that sparkling smile again. He tilted the wing with the glass of cider, flawlessly managing to slide the drink onto the table next to her own.
“You looked kinda lonely, so I thought I might come over and get to know you,” he said, pulling up a chair. He winked at her before sipping his his cider.
Amber stifled a laugh at how this pony acted, and said, “Well, I don’t mind meeting new people.”
Several awkward minutes passed between them, occasionally punctuated by one sipping their chilled drink. Without warning, the stallion suddenly smacked himself in the face. “Oh geez! I’m sorry, where are my manners?” He shook his head, then held out a hoof. “I’m Red,” he introduced. Amber looked quizzically at him, accepting his hoofshake.
“Well,” she said, “I can see you’re red. What about it?”
He shook his head, “No, my name is Red!” he explained, his face turning an interesting shade of maroon.
Amber hid a laugh with a hoof, managing to reply, “Well, my name is Amber. Not too different from Red. Well, the name’s description.” She smiled at him, and he beamed back.
The pair sat there for some time, sipping their drinks until Red broke the silence.
“So, uh, Amber. Where are you from?” he asked, keeping his eyes trained on her.
Amber put her glass down, and said, “Cloudsdale. Although, my family moved to Canterlot when I was little, but when I got older I started traveling. What about you?”
Red looked out the window. “Well, I guess you could say that I’m from Maregan. It’s a small town, out around Salt Lick City. It’s a dull place, so my brother and I moved to Ponyville, to stay more connected with some friends.”
Amber raised an eyebrow, “Ponyville? Geez, Maregan must have been really boring for you to think Ponyville is exciting. Although, there has been some weird stuff going on around there recently.” He nodded in agreement.
Several minutes of them chatting about the airship and travel passed until Amber asked, “Do you think that we’d be allowed to fly out there?” she gestured out the window, pointing at the clouds. “I’ve heard that ocean-made clouds smell amazing and are much more comfortable than the ones inland.”
Red began to nod, his eyes glazing over. “They are, but ya' know,” he began, “It’s never a good idea to fly in thick cloud cover with an airship this huge nearby. I did something like that once and I’ll leave it at ‘I’m glad that my brother is a unicorn.’” He subconsciously rubbed his neck. “Besides, the captain of this ship has his policies, and he’s an earth-bound.” He muttered something under his breath, but Amber didn’t quite hear it.
Red stood quickly and excused himself, looking troubled, “I’m sorry to cut this conversation short but I have some things I need to attend to. Although, ah’ll be at this fancy dinner-thing tonight in the main hall,” he winked at her, and called over his shoulder as he cantered away. “I hope to see you there, Amber!” She caught a quick grin from him and looked quizzically after him as he walked away.
When he was gone, she whispered to herself, “Well, he’s an interesting one.”