The corridors of the servant deck are significantly busier, and the drones scoot over to the wall to avoid servants running around with stacks of clothes, trays filled with boxes, or simply trotting past them and passing on messages from their superiors. The good parts are that they've been here once before when 387 was looking for their cabins as well as the servants paying them barely any attention, so their progress is unimpeded.
Finally, they're in front of the door. There's just one problem - two cabins.
"Riiight," 10013 speaks out loud for the first time, "We were supposed to split up. Any ideas?"
*Crying face.* *Crying face.* *Crying face.*
Despite Smiley's strange mental communication, it only tilts its head when 20100 nudges it with its muzzle and its expression remains on the positive side.
"Is anything wrong, buddy?" asks 36658, "Did anyone smack you on the way here and we didn't notice?"
Smiley shakes its head and repeats its mental message.
*Crying face.* *Crying face.* *Crying face.*
"Do you... not want to split up?" 10013 takes a wild guess.
Smiley nods. Smiley shakes its head. Smiley points down the hallway.
"I'm stumped. Everyone up for following Smiley? We can figure out how to split up in the meantime."
A chorus of nods and shrugs later, 10013 looks at Smiley.
"Lead the way."
Smiley only walks two doors down and stops in front of it.
"That's the sliding room!" 99111 adds its two bits to the conversation of the veteran drones.
Smiley points at the door.
*Crying face.* *Crying face.* *Crying face.*
"Uhh, I don't think I want to eat more bubble brick," 99111 shakes its head.
10013 takes a deep breath, reaches up for the handle, and enters a small, tiled square room filled with lockers on the opposite end of which is an opaque plastic curtain currently drawn to the side, leaving a clear view of a classically white, black-striped zebra mare sitting under a shower nozzle who immediately looks at the drone. Contrary to 99111's previous visit, nothing gets thrown, so the clump of drones simply enter.
"Water! That's what Smiley meant. Running water," finally realizes 10013, before turning to Smiley, "You did, did ya?"
*Happy face.*
20100 pokes 10013's who looks away from Smiley before nodding towards the mare in the separated section of the room who is now watching them with an expression of keen curiosity. The drones wouldn't recognize it, of course, but the zebra's physical proportions are the perfect mix of shapely and thick that could make any stallion turn into a stuttering mess. However, contrary to the zebra who stopped them upstairs, this one doesn't sport any combat scars so she might not be affiliated with the militaristic group. Finally, contrasting with the guard zebra's short, black and white mohawk, this mare's long mane is a mix of grey and pink.
Faced with a stare of her pink eyes boring into its soul, 99380 hides behind 10013 and nudges the leader drone who takes a deep breath to steady itself.
10013, you're in charge here. Make High Score proud.
"Umm, hello, miss," 10013 starts, "We were told to get cleaned up but, umm, all the water is on the outside of this big ship. Smiley here thought this, uhh, could be the place where we could do it on the inside."
YOU ARE READING
They're... ON HOLIDAY?
Fanfiction[SEQUEL TO: They're EVERYWHERE!] Several years after the changeling invasion of Canterlot, queen Chrysalis gets an invitation to attend a cruise followed by a stay in a luxury holiday resort on an island belonging to the Griffon Empire. Supposedly...
