//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square // Story: A Summer Trip to London // by Hourglass //------------------------------// The next day the whole CHS gang met up in the lobby of the hotel. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna were already there waiting to brief them on what was to happen that day, they had two very special places to go to. Sunset was talking to Twilight at that time when they made it out of the elevator at level 1. "Twilight, have you been loving this trip here to London so far? Are you missing home?" Spoke Sunset. Twilight just shrugged and said. "I don't really know. I love London, I've always wanted to come here after reading a lot of books about it. But at the same time I do love living back home in Canterlot in my teenage life. I don't know what to tell you Sunset." Sunset patted her on the back. "Don't let it drag you down Twilight, just keep going. Your loving this trip so far, I don't want anything to ruin it." Snips and Snails at the time were trying to guess where they were going that day and this is what it sounded like: "Snips, I think we might be going to the Gherkin today, I overheard Vice Principal Luna talking about it last night when we got back from Westminster Abby." Snails recalled. "Nah, I think that we may be going to see some train stations today, I'm not sure but I think we might do it." Snips replied skeptically. Principal Celestia called for the attention of the entire group of people that were now forming a place to listen to the two of them. She started. "Everyone, we are once again splicing into two groups today, so if you want to be with your buddy stick close to them." At that, both Pinkie Pie and Derpy leaped close to Rainbow Dash and Photo Finish. Principal Celestia continued. "We are going to visit two places today with some alternating places at lunch. The two locations are going to be Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, one group will take a double decker bus from here to the Palace and another will take the Underground's Bakerloo Line from Waterloo Station to Charing Cross Station to look at the whole place including Nelson's Column and the National Gallery, be sure that you have your Oyster Cards ready." Vice Principal Luna continued with the list of both groups. "The groups are going to be split up like this for today: Going with my sister to Buckingham Palace are Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Sandalwood, Derpy, and Photo Finish. Coming with me to Trafalgar Square are Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, Rarity, Flash Sentry, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Micro Chips, Snips and Snails. We are all ready, let's go." Outside the two groups split up. Luna's group walked up the street towards the curved glass roof of Waterloo Train Station while Celestia's group crossed the street to a bus station to wait for a double decker to come along. The wait for the bus lasted for 15 minutes, then a bright red and new double decker leaned around a corner and came to a stop to pick them up. "Oh My GOSH! We get to ride in a double decker bus. IT'S LIKE A BUNK BED ON WHEELS!!!" Screamed Pinkie Pie. "Dash and I are riding up top, who's with me?" The whole group cheered and ran up the stairs to raid the upper level with Principal Celestia wondering what had just happened. "This is very nice to be riding up high like a 18-wheeler at this here upper level." Applejack spoke as the bus began moving. "I can get all zuh pictures that I vant. This will look good in zee Yearbook!" Photo Finish shouted as she began taking pictures all over the place. "ENOUGH...I go." The ride on the bus was o.k. with everyone. It careened smoothly down the street with cars bypassing it in the opposite lanes, the bus softly swayed from side to side as it traveled. But everyone didn't like the turns so much because the bus would lean so far that you thought it may have toppled over, thankfully the bus didn't topple over and in no time at all they had all reached Buckingham Palace. "Ohh why do we have to be down in the Underground again? It get's so hot in the train cars." Rarity whined when Vice Principal Luna's group was standing on the northbound platform of the Bakerloo Line at Waterloo Station. "Well put it this way," Twilight started. "Even though you can get hot and sweaty on the Underground, it still goes relatively fast and can take us anywhere." "Good point Twilight. I just hope I don't mess up my lovely new Union Jack t-shirt that I got yesterday." Rarity smiled as she showed it off to everyone. "That's Rarity for you." Silver Spoon groaned. "I'm with you on that Silver." Diamond Tiara said as she shook her head unamused. Headlights could be seen coming up the tunnel as the announcement blasted through speakers talking about the train's arrival. The train barreled into the station at 30 MPH and squealed to a stop as the air brakes hissed. "MIND THE GAP!" The speakers blasted the famous public transit quote through the platform as people got on and off the train. The CHS group got on as soon as the door closed. The train started speeding up as soon as it entered the tunnel, but this was one of the slower tube lines and the train only traveled at 30 MPH. It took a total of 10 minutes to get to Trafalgar Square. At Buckingham Palace, Principal Celestia's group was having a good time taking pictures and selfies in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial and trying there best to get the Royal Guards to break their serious stone face look. Once a tourist even tried to act like he was climbing the fence and the guard shouted. "Stay off the fence!" at him. They were having the best of times at the palace. Afterward they all walked up to Green Park Station and took the Underground from there to Charing Cross to meet up with the other group for lunch (transferring to the Bakerloo Line from the Picadilly Line at one of the stations when they did. The group at Trafalgar Square during the same time had some similar fun times. They climbed onto the backs of the great metal lions at the base of Nelson's Column, They all gawked at incredible works of art in the National Gallery, Derpy splashed around in one of the fountains, and Rarity even got to play her keytar with a street band that was performing. They all met up at a nearby pub with the other group to have lunch and to alternate locations. That evening they all returned to the hotel. Principal Celestia's group on the Underground and Vice Principal Luna's group on a Double Decker bus. They all shared with each other the great and incredible times that they had during the day and all headed back to their rooms after Principal Celestia called for curfew. They all went to sleep wondering what the next day would bring...