Chapter 5
Twilight spends the first half an hour of the break stetting up three small mechanical devices in a row, a fourth object was pulled out and left on top of the saddle-bolt. Twilight carefully connected the first three implements of her experiment together with small red and blue wires.
Once they were turned on, Twilight takes a small one ear headphone device and turns to Spike. With a wave of her hoof Spike fills his lungs and belches a string of fire straight up. The sound of his belch makes the earpiece hum out 'urrp...rp' the recording picked up an echo so small that Twilight told herself that it might have just been from the storm in the distance.
"That was good, but can you try for a bit more volume?" Twilight asks, keeping her voice low so it won't come through the earpiece.
"Right." Spike takes another deep breath, looks up again, and lets out an entire ball of fire. The 'urrp' that comes back this time is followed by three shorter outbursts behind it.
Twilight clops her hooves together softly and flips off a switch at the side of the device that's connected to the headphone. "That was perfect!"
An annoyed groan comes from Rainbow Dash as she turns away from the two and tries to stay asleep. Twilight's blush at waking up her test partner is pink and full.
"Alight Spike, lets get to the next test." Twilight says at a much lower tone. She points her hoof to a spot in front of her tools and, "If you could stand over there at the edge of the rocks."
Spike jogs forward to the spot Twilight had pointed out and smiles promptly when he turns and sees a round glass disk pointing at him. "Okay, Twilight. I'm ready. What's this one do again?"
"It's a recorder, all I'll need you to do is make another gout of flame." Twilight says. She uses her magic to work a dial surrounding the lens, turning it and aiming the lens until Spike shows up on the view finder that is on her side of the device. "Ready. Now if you could just aim up I'll take a few pictures."
The recorder comes to life and whirls lightly. Spike does as he's told and belches fire into the air. The machine clicks off then back on with a louder grinding sound. Twilight flips another set of switches and an image of Spike letting out the same stream of fire replays itself on the view finder.
"Another excellent start up test." Twilight says, keeping her tone as low as she can despite her excitement at her equipment working. Standing up, she looks over at the last of machines. A smile crosses Twilight's face and she continues the direction of her turn until Rainbow Dash is all she sees. "The preliminary tests are all we can do without Dash. Spike, we're done for now. So let's let Dash get some sleep."
For all that Rainbow Dash could care was simply that she was napping, and slowly warming back up. At one moment she had heard Twi cheering but after a few minuets all she could feel was warmth. It makes her coat feel like a pulling static charge was running across it, the sensation softens the chill in her bones. A dull thump knocks Dash from her nap, but seeing a green and purple tail sliding under the blanket she quickly closes her eyes and drifts back to sleep.
Dash's eyes snap open, her body gives out a clear sign that she had been sleeping comfortably. Remembering what side Spike had hidden himself under the blanket, she rolls her hooves out from underneath herself in the opposite direction, an incredible heat greets her face. A small wood fire was burning some feet away but still close enough to warm her.
Twilight sat calmly in front of the fire, the two books she brought spread out before her. The first of the two, 'Aerial Physics', was opened again to the pages about high altitude flight. While the second book, titled 'Dynamic Studies For Recording Wildlife', is open and displaying the inner workings of a machine similar to the ones Twilight had brought with her.
Despite the concentration she knew she had put into the books the moment when Rainbow Dash moved up closer to her she turns from the pages. "Two hours – and about fifteen minuets. Two books at once do make it harder to keep track," a titer of laughter comes from Twilight and she quickly covers her mouth and becomes more serious. "I'm certain the time hasn't gotten away from me."
"That's fine, we're already here and late, you giving me a few extra 'Zs' couldn't make me feel any different about being here with you."
"Thank you for saying that Dash. I'm happy to be here with you too." Twilight smiles softly and points a hoof next to her and the fire, offering the space to Dash. "I have everything set up that I can, all that's left is for you to do a few test flights before the real thing."
Rainbow Dash lets out a full body yawn and steps next to Twilight. Her eyes faltering under half close lids lock onto Twilight. She smiles at hearing Twilight's voice but her ears stop picking up what her friend is saying somewhere around 'happy to be here with you.' she drops down after hearing those words and passes out on the spot. A knowing sigh escapes Twilight's lips as she scoots closer to her friend to help keep her warm.