Appledashery

by Just Essay

Ballin'

The spires of Shindig Tower split the rays of the setting sun, casting crimson bands of light across the thick platforms surrounding it. The bridges connecting the foundation of the skyscraper to the rest of Philanthropy had been drawn, and ponies in blue uniform were patrolling the outer balconies, their eyes trained to the adjacent walkways and courtyards dangling from the immense iron chains.

Far below this—far below all of this—three concrete stories dangled in darkness. Sporadically placed kerosene lamps were the only things to light the basement levels of the megastructure which—quite literally—extended below the surface platform of the tower. Here, the uppermost basement floor bore wide entrances with runways for uniformed ponies to land their gyrocopters. With the onset of evening, the daily shifts were changing, and several fliers dove down into the ravine only to ascend back up and make a landing on the looming platforms.

All of this, Epcot and Rainbow Dash observed from a faraway crag of rock set within the ravine walls.

"Now I see Shindig's problem!" Epcot grinned. "How can you make a properly-running City of Tomorrow without a true foundation?"

"If you ask me, the rug's been pulled out from underneath her since day one," Rainbow muttered.

"Hmmm?"

"Never mind..." Rainbow sighed, squinting at the gyrocopters as they approached the upper level beneath the platform. "I'm just thinking aloud, is all."

"Golly..." Epcot blinked. "It's not often that I feel stumped by a mortal!"

"You've been hanging around me too much."

"Heehee! And how could that possibly be a complaint?"

"Shhh!" Rainbow ducked low, and she yanked on Epcot's fuzzy mane so that the chaperone would do the same.

Two gyrocopters soared so closely overhead that they blew at the hidden mares' tails. The curved right, arced left, then flew in for a gentle landing.

"No doubt they have guards up the wazoo in that place," Rainbow muttered. "It's not that I'm afraid of headbutting a whole lot of them—I just don't want anything nasty to happen to our friends before we have a chance of saving them."

"Your predilection towards caution is most meritable."

"Yeah, and sometimes you're purple as buck."

"And just what conclusion are you pontificating, exactly?"

"Epcot, help me out here," Rainbow grumbled. "How can we get inside the building without the guards seeing us fly in?"

"Well, it's been a long time since I've ever had to stage a stealthy infiltration of a facility," Epcot said. "And by that, I mean I've never had to."

"Grnnngh..."

"But, I imagine we have two options," Epcot said. "Either we take our sweet precious time and look for an opportunity to present itself, or we choose to go about this hasty with a lot of risks."

Rainbow tilted her head up. "Or..." She smirked as a few shadows passed overhead. "We do both at once."

"Buh?" Epcot buh'd.

"Shhh!" Rainbow gestured. "Ball up. And follow my lead."

Comments

[viofriedsevey]

Ballin'

fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/282/5/3/gangsta_rainbowdash_by_lcpsycho-d4ccgdc.png

[Lightning Bearer]

Buh'in'.

[zaponator]

Ooh, a two-pony sneaking mission? Different!

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5799438 Yep.

And I get the distinct feelin' that things are about to come to a very abrupt head, and very soon.

In other words, Shindig and Son's Day of Reckoning is nigh.

And, as I've said before, in various ways, it's name is Rainbow Dash.

[Sheendough]

5799071 They see me ballin', they hatin'

[Salad king]

Nothing yells stealth better than a rainbow mane.

[Mister Saxon]

5799628
She could dye it green <_< >_>

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

Balls to the wall.

[viofriedsevey]

5799578 Patrollin' they trynna catch me flyin' dirty

[Leftover of Saikano]

Ballin' is the name of my dwarf character in an upcoming fantasy story.

[Salad king]

5799818 shhhhh, I'm not that far into it yet.