Las Pegasus - blimp ticket center
20 minutes later
Cassandra sat on a low bench disguised as a pony with pale white fur, electric blue hair, and bright blue eyes. She had a black spine for A cutie mark.
Original, I know
She had sent Owl ahead to inspect the city and find a library or something to find a map.
Meanwhile, she stayed on the ground, watching as ponies of all sizes and colors purchased tickets from several different booths, the ponies selling them were all unicorns that would zap the ticket with magic before handing it over to the pony who purchased it.
It seemed that she wouldn't be able to hitch a ride if she just stole a ticket from a booth, she needed to rob someone.
And so she sat, waiting for her chance to snatch the ticket from a pompous fat stallion that stood a few yards from her, chatting with some gold diggers. He could always afford to buy another.
A break in the crowd opened up and she strode forward, shifting into a tiny filly when nobody was looking.
Using the fat stallions ego and self compliments as a distraction she snatched the ticket from his expensive looking saddlebags and vanished in the crowd, reappearing at her previous spot on the bench as a full-grown mare.
The blubbering idiot never even noticed, she'd have to thank Eugene later for teaching her how to rob someone blind.
She searched the area again, looking for the line to the blimp when shouting from one of the booths caught her attention.
"What do you MEAN I CANT BUY A TICKET?!"
The yellow unicorn huffed behind the counter. "Exactly what I said you griffin. I don't have a ticket for you, only PONIES. Why don't you go fly to Las Pegasus?"
The dark griffin fumed. "I'm paralyzed in the wings, you idiot!"
The brown maned unicorn scoffed. "Not my problem you can't fly griffin."
Cassandra frowned deeply, she had met several racists personally, and heard a few stories from her father about people who committed hate crimes. Back when she was traveling with Rapunzel, Lance had told her some of the things that people said to him during his life.
Everything about these types of people made her blood boil, how they thought they were better, their character, their fragile superiority complex, it was revolting.
But such people were usually easily tricked or appeased, making them easy to manipulate.
Cassandra smirked and adjusted her cloak, making her disguise's eyelashes darker and mane flawless in its waves. She could play him, she's done it before in Corona she could do it again in pony land.
Cassandra sauntered up to the stall and proper her hooves up on the counter. All she had to do was to pretend to be shallow and easily amused. "Hey there handsome, mind telling me how much a ticket costs?"
The female griffin next to her looked appalled. "Why you- I was here first!"
The unicorn stallion ignored her and leaned against the counter in a way that he obviously thought was attractive. It made Cassandra gag internally. "For you? Let's say 15 bits."
The griffin became red-faced, which was a feat in itself considering the plumage around her face was bright red. "Disgusting!" She screamed while turning away. "Absolutely DISGUSTING!"
Cassandra giggled and ignored the griffin as well. She could pretend. "How generous of you. You wouldn't happen to have the same deal for a griffin ticket too?"
The unicorn immediately frowned. "Well I'm not sure, why do you ask?"
Cassandra brushed her mane out of her eyes with a hoof, fluttering her eyes softly. "Well my dear friend Lilly is a wonderful griffin, she was just born with downy feathers and can't fly." She lied, twisting the story she had heard from earlier.
The unicorn's frown didn't disappear completely, but it did become softer. "Well if it's to help a friend of yours I wouldn't mind helping you with a discount."
Cassandra put 15 golden bits on the counter and slid them to the yellow stallion. "Then one griffin ticket, please."
He chuckled and handed over the ticket. "You know I'm on break in about two hours, how about you and I meet at the Golden Rose?"
Cassandra giggled and hid her face behind her mane. "I'll be waiting."
With the ticket in hand hoof, she walked away and tried to find the red and black griffin.
She spotted a dark feathered tail and followed it to its owner who was walking out the door.
Moving quickly she weaved through the crowd and walked beside her, extending her hoof. "Here, take it."
She paused and looked up at her with a frown. "I don't want your charity pony."
Cassandra snorted. "It's not charity, it's your ticket. That idiot was being a racist asshole, he had no right to deny you this."
She eyed the price of paper in her 'hooves' carefully. "Why should I trust you? You were just flirting with that- that- ughh, that infuriating pony!"
Cassandra chuckled. "Honestly? You can't trust me, you don't know me. But are you going to let that stand in your way? Besides the only reason, I didn't just steal it was because I needed him to zap the ticket with magic."
The griffin grabbed the offered ticket and smiled lightly, a weird thing to be able to do with a beak. "Really? You know what, your not that bad for a pony."
"Say, -" She looked up at Cassandra. "what's your name? Sprinkles or some shit?"
Cassandra laughed, recalling how weird the names were in pony land. I mean really, 'Cast Iron' was a horrible name. "Name's Cassandra, yours?"
"Anemone."
A loud buzz sound came from a small stage, a pegasus held something in his hoof to his mouth. "Alright everypony get in line, the blimp is ready for passengers."
Anemone began walking away. "Well, it looks like it's time to go." She glanced at Cassandra. "You coming?"
Cassandra smiled and followed her. Glad that she met someone that wasn't screaming in fear at the sight of her. "Yeah, I'm coming."
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I'VE BEEN ROBBED!" A certain fat station shouted as he was dragged away from the blimp by rough-looking ponies, a pair of mares giggled at his situation.
Cassandra burst into laughter, making her friend glance at her. "What's that all about?"
Cassandra managed to stop her laughter and answer Anemone. "I'll explain on the blimp."
The two walked together and entered the blimp, sitting next to each other for the ride and enjoying conversation.
Once the blimp took off a group of royal guards entered the building and headed straight upstairs to the office, towards the manager's door.
The leader of the group knocked until a brown mare opened the door. "Can I help you?"
The guard grunted. "Yes you can, my team and I need to take the next flight to Las Pegasus."
The mare frowned. "This is a private company, I'm afraid you have no power to use our services without paying like everypony else."
"On the contrary, -" he began, pulling up a scroll with his magic. "I'm afraid a can."
The mare tried to rip the scroll from his magic, but he relented. "Can't you see the seal!"
The mare put on some glasses and saw the royal seal on the ribbon. "Very well, enjoy the next flight boys." She said roughly, pulling the door closed.
Satisfied the guards went back downstairs and waited for their next flight.
"I can't believe that worked"! One shouted, receiving a punch to his helmet.
"Shut up! Wait until we're in to celebrate, alright?!" Another whisper-shouted.
The next flight came 15 minutes later and the group quickly boarded, their leader bullying other passengers out of their seats.
Little did that group know that the mare was very aware of their little trick and was about to send a message to her boss. After all, a royal letter could usually only be opened by the pony it's meant for, and its ribbon didn't so much a twitch when she touched it.
Which could only mean that these stupid guards had no idea who they were messing with.
White Tail Woods - White Tail Village
Present time
Shining armor was not happy. He was going to be with his wife for once when Celestia sent him to check out some 'disturbance' in White Tail Village.
If it was so important then why couldn't they just check it out themselves?! It wasn't right that they could just TAKE his time with his wife away, as a Princess he barely got to see her anyway! Why for the love of Equestria, could they not just send somepony else!
Alas, here he was, in the middle of the woods, waiting at the train station for the mayor of the town to come great him, as per his orders.
She was late by thirty minutes, and that number was steadily growing.
Shining grumbled to himself. "If she's not here in the next 15 minutes we're leaving."
One of the guards next to him stared uncertainly. "Uh, Sir? But the Prin-"
"Oh, will you shut it! My wife's a Princess and I'm the Captain of the guard! Don't question my authority again!"
The guard immediately stood straight, looking fearful into the distance. "Sir, yes Sir!"
Yes, Shining Armor was definitely not happy. Perhaps if he wasn't so sleep deprived as well he would not have snapped so hard at the guard.
Honestly, could this not have waited until morning at the very least?
A mare who didn't fit his written description of the mayor came running down the road, tears running from her eyes and staining her pale yellow coat.
She skidded to a stop before the group and paused to catch her breath.
Shining narrowed his eyes. "Is something wrong? You look distressed."
The mare shook her head, taking in a huge gulp of air before answering. "No, I'm fine. Princess Luna is waiting for you at the town hall."
Shining raised a brow, surprised. "Wait, Princess Luna is here?!"
"Yes now, can we get going? The town's in a bit of a crisis..." She trailed off, staring directly behind Shining Armor.
Shining glanced behind him before starting at the mare with confusion. "Are you sure you're okay?"
The mare shook herself out of a trance and nodded, sweat starting to drip from her chin. "Just fine now follow me please, you'll understand everything shortly."
The group followed her down the cobblestone path, feeling uneasy with the mare's demeanor.
Shining Armor kept trying to ask what was wrong but she would just tell him not to worry, or that everything would be explained shortly.
It really set everyone on edge, it was almost like one of those horror stories. All they needed was for someone to start screaming.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
"Oh no not another one..." The mare mumbled softly behind a hoof.
Yup, now everything was set, the guards were terrified and ready to run home.
"What do you mean 'not another one'?! What was THAT?!" Shining yelled, turning to the mare. It would appear that his stress began to fuel his discomfort with the situation.
The mare looked at him with sadness. "We have to hurry, come we must go to the town hall, she will explain much better than I can."
She moved to sprint but Shining stopped her, trapping her in a pink bubble. "No, I want you to tell me what going on NOW!"
She turned to him and began to shrink back, her eyes trained on something above him. "M-Monster..."
The guards glanced around and looked back at her, confused.
Shining Armor swallowed uncomfortably. "But there is no monster."
She lifted a hoof to the sky. "Monster. Monster! MONSTER! MONSTER!"
They watched with horrified expressions as she began to shriek, her pale coat and blue mane turning red, leaving her as a terrified statue.
Shining and his guards were stunned, starting at the frozen mare with fear.
What just happened?!
Luna suddenly appeared at Shining Armor's side. "I-"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
Everyone looked at the two guards that hugged each other, screaming at Princess Luna.
She merely raised a brow. "Well that is strange, you two should not have been affected yet."
Shining sputtered. "What do you MEAN? WHY are you here, WHAT is going on here, WHY did you make me come here?!"
"Ah, did you not receive the letter?"
"WHAT LETTER?!"
Luna smiled slightly. "I can see that you are very similar to your sister Shining Armor, you two almost sound the same when you freak out."
Shining lowered his ears. "Oh please, I'm not that bad."
Luna sighed. "Of course not. Anyways I require your assistance Captain, if you would follow me."
The group entered the town, each feeling sick at the sight of so many other ponies also dyed red and petrified like the mare who greeted them.
Luna looked solemnly on the scene, extending a wing to gesture at one pony in particular who did match Shining Armor's description of the mayor. "This is why you are here Captain, to help me investigate what is going on, why this is happening. And to make sure nopony leaves or enters."