The first clone was most definitely not having fun.
The fun abruptly ended when Pinkie realized that this trip was going to be all business and no pleasure. Sitting in a room and listening to delegation issues and grievances? That sounds so... boring! she thought as Luna started trotting towards the staircase. Realizing she was forging ahead without her, Pinkie hurried along to catch up.
"Now, as thou are surely aware, our knowledge of customs are… more than a little dated compared to modern day Equestria." The princess looked up at the ceiling for a moment, as if lost in thought.
Oh great, now what? Pinkie wondered as she trotted beside Luna.
"We do not wish to make a… What’s the term?"
"A faux pas, Princess?" Pinkie mused as she glanced up at Luna, who met her gaze and raised an eyebrow.
“So, that is what they’re calling it these days? Intriguing. Anyway, we are afraid of making a… that, so, this is why we asked Twilight to come along with us. We were planning to make her our arbiter,” Luna explained as they turned a corner and made their way down the main hall towards the front gate. At the same time, the second clone and Sunburst were heading the opposite way.
“Doth thou know anything about Maretonian culture?” the princess asked as the first clone shook her head so fast it became a pink blur. When the world stopped spinning, Pinkie looked around for a moment. She could’ve sworn she saw two other ponies in the hall with them. She gave the area a cursory glance, then shrugged and returned her attention to Princess Luna.
“So, uh, you told me why we’re going there, but not what we’re going there for. If I’m going to be your assistant, shouldn’t I be super duper prepared for what I’m dealing with here?” Pinkie mused as she pronked along, trying to mask her distaste for the situation. Luna sighed and turned to her again.
“Verily, thou do speak the truth. We shall explain it the best we can.” The princess raised a hoof to her chin and tapped it thoughtfully. "My sister said that she wanted to hold a meeting with the Duke of Maretonia to discuss trade opportunities and attempt to collect on owed tariffs. We decided to leap at the opportunity and told her that we wanted to go in her stead." When no objections came, Luna's gaze settled on the ceiling once again. "We have decided that we want this trip to be an attempt to assuage our sister’s fears. We wish to show her that we are just as 'in the know', as the young ponies say, as we say we are.”
Luna coughed softly into her silver horseshoe before continuing, "A-anyway, the reasoning behind our choice aside, we won't bore you further with the details. As far as our meeting is concerned, it won't be a simple in and out affair. Maretonia's Duke is notorious for his ability to negotiate. We will need to be cunning and observant.” Pinkie opened her mouth, but Luna raised a hoof to forestall any objections. “Our time runs thin, Ms. Pie. We must make haste to our transport, lest it leave without us. Any further questions can be asked aboard the vessel.”
Eventually, the two arrived at the airship outside the city. Much to Princess Luna’s relief, the galleon was still dry-docked. However, she noticed the propellers on the rear of the vessel spinning up in preparation to embark. In a moment of clarity, she looked down at Pinkie with one hoof raised. “We shall not make it on time, Ms. Pie. Quickly, grab our hoof with thine.” No sooner than Pinkie grasped Luna’s hoof, the world distorted around them. Colors bled into each other, and Pinkie’s vision swam. Shortly after, an intense pressure bore down on her body that stretched and contorted like rubber. The whole ordeal took only a few seconds, but to Pinkie it felt like an eternity. When she regained her senses, she found herself and Luna on the deck of the galleon.
Meanwhile, the second clone and Sunburst were getting settled into their cabin for the long trip ahead. Pinkie parted the blinds to glance down at the deck of the airship. When she saw who was on it, she hastily shut the blinds and chewed her lower lip in silent panic.
Hey, me?
Yeah, me?
Please don’t tell me I saw who I just thought I saw.
Afraid so, me! Looks like they’ll be traveling on the same boat as us, me.
CODE PINK! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, ME! I REPEAT, THIS. IS. NOT. A. DRILL!
Pinkie’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and she turned to bolt out of the room. She made it to the door when Sunburst came out of the bathroom, a worried expression on his face. “Um, Pinkie? I heard what I assumed was frantic hoofsteps, so I came out to check up on you. Is… is everything alright out here?” Pinkie’s body froze as her mind started running a mile a minute, trying to come up with a suitable answer. Eventually, she sucked in air through her teeth and put on her best, yet slightly forced, smile.
“Uh… yep, yep! Never better! The… the sun was just in my eyes! Yeparooni!” Pinkie punctuated her sentence with an awkward chuckle as Sunburst trotted past her and noticed the blinds were shut.
“Oh come now, Pinkie. I’m sure the sun isn’t that bad. Let’s just open these up and–“ Sunburst was about to part the blinds when Pinkie reared up and interposed herself between him and the window.
“W-wait! The sun’s just a teensy weensy bit glary right now… so, maybe we should wait! L-let me check to see if it’s okay!” Pinkie pushed Sunburst away and turned to the window.
“Please be gone, please be gone...!” she muttered frantically to herself as she opened the blinds a crack to see if they were still there. Her head darted back and forth as she scoured every visible inch of the deck. When there was no sight of Princess Luna or the other clone, she opened the blinds again. “Okie dokie! There we go, one set of open blinds!” Pinkie made her way past Sunburst as he rolled his eyes. She hurried out of the cabin and down to the deck to search for the other clone.