Rainbow over Griffany: RotE Episode 7

by Dream Volt

It's a fish

It was a fish. A big pink fish. The metal part we'd seen plenty the last few days while fixing it up. Rarity did a good job. Even my room was sorta cool. She and Twi set up a cloud catcher frame too, so I even had a cloud bed. I don't know why Fluttershy sleeps on a mattress when she doesn't have to, but she's always been weird for a pegasus and getting stranger. Still, compared to Pinkie she was normal. The zeppelin was normal enough below the fish. I mean it was painted pink too, but it had two engines on the end of little wings sticking out the sides, some windows in the front, and was about the size of a house. I then looked up at the attached balloon again.

"We really should have known."

"Yes, I suppose so." said Twilight. "Actually the shape is quite streamlined, the fins don't really stick out and…"

"Yea, it's aerodynamic. I know that sorta stuff really good Twi."

"Really well."

"Huh?" I looked down to look at Twi

"Never mind."

I looked back tot he balloon. "It's still really odd. I mean making it a fish had to be a bunch more work right?"

"Of course. Though a proper zeppelin really shouldn't be a pure balloon, but have a support frame. Blinkie simply reinforced the balloon with an advanced polymer mesh and…"

I held up a hoof and Twi stopped talking. She was cool like that. "This is going to be really boring if you continue, isn't it?"

"I don't think so, but you do prefer to read things since you don’t have to wait right?"

"I guess. You've given me way too many books already though. Anyway, we really should get going. I mean if Blinkie's thing doesn't work we're gonna be really late right?"

"Yes, but the idea is sound, and extremely simple. Yes it requires a unicorn to activate the device, but most airship captains are unicorns anyway."

"Yea, there are a bunch of controls. It's so much easier just to fly as fast as you can and let somepony else make the decisions."

"Of course the magic link setup is rather ornate, and…" Twilight blushed. "I don't mean to brag but I'm not sure there are that many other unicorns that could manage to help her enchant it properly."

"Eh, who cares. I mean ours works right?"

Twilight sighed. "Dash, if this works properly it could revolutionize travel. Instead of pulling or otherwise indirectly generating thrust with a team, one pegasus could move an airship at their maximum speed regardless of mass or wind resistance."

"Okay, so that's good I guess, but unless they're as fast as me is it really a big deal? I mean it's a little boring so I haven't got all the way through it, but that book on jets is really interesting. Sounds like they'll be really fast."

"That's true, but multiple options are better than merely one and…"

"Bla, bla, bla. I get it. So I can't tell, is it done yet?"

"Now listen here you lazy rainbow-haired…" Began Applejack

"Ooop, later Twi. I just remembered something I gotta do."

I flew off, Applejack glaring up at me. I don't leave my friends hanging, but not only does AJ not really need me to lug around all our stuff, but she can barely even feel the load and I sure can. Besides even though she thinks it's just an excuse I really do plan to go all out once I'm sure this is working right and the blimp is right behind me. Of course I'm not really sure how fast I'll get tired. My stamina is better than most pegasi, but it still has some limits. I guess if I was a little more honest about that sorta thing more often she wouldn’t be doubting me.

Comments

[BenRG]

Ha! Blinkie Pie strikes again! This time with a magical turbofan-powered airship. It also sounds like it uses a magical control interface that directly hooks its pilot and engineer into the structure and controls rather than using clumsy manual controls.

This could push forward Equestrian aerospace by several generations... or reduce Rainbow and Twilight to brain-damaged cripples fused into a pile of metallic scrap. Still, progress always comes with risk! Let me check to ensure that you're properly strapped in!