//------------------------------// // Episode 10: Burning hearts and flaming volcanoes // Story: Evanstallion: Neon Friendship // by Short-tale //------------------------------// “Oh gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” rambled Rainbow as she flitted and flew around the store. She looked like a foal in a candy store as she looked at one bathing suit after another. Or like Pinkie at any given moment.   Cheese Sandwich watched her while trying to shake the memories of Pinkie Pie. He hadn’t seen her since the elevator. His focus reconvened as Rainbow said,“We’re going on a class trip soon to the beach.” “I figured,” said Cheese dryly,” that’s why we’re bathing suit shopping.” “Aww,” teased Rainbow Dash,” what’s wrong? Don’t think you can resist me in a bathing suit? Ha ha.” “Sorry Rainbow Dash, but this party pony has room for only one in his heart,” he dramatically emoted by placing his hoof on his chest. “Still stuck on Pinkie, huh? How is that going?” “Every time I think I’m getting close she pushes me away.” “I know the feeling. What do you think of this?” she asked and displayed a slim two piece that tastefully revealed nothing but hinted at a whole lot. “Looks cute. Is that to turn Fluttershy’s head?” “Yeah. And anypony else that has eyes.” “How is that going?” “Humph. She’s so lame and wishy washy and lame. She said she wanted to kiss me but every time I bring it up she turns red and slinks away. Now it feels like she’s avoiding me.” “From what Twilight tells me that is her MO. She’s afraid of ponies.” “I don’t get it. What’s to be afraid of? If you want it, go for it. If it doesn’t work out, then at least you tried, right?” “Spoken like a true pony that has never been in a serious relationship before,” Cheese said, shaking his head. “Still doesn’t make it any less true,” Rainbow Dash argued blushing in frustration. “Things get complicated when feelings are involved, Dashie. There can be real hurt that doesn’t go away if it doesn’t work out.” “Still sounds stupid and over complicated to me. You should just throw it all on the line and try the best you can to get it work out.”  “I wish it was that simple, Dash.” Cheese sighed and wished he could go back in time.  **** “Whaddya mean we can’t go?” demanded Rainbow Dash. Her hair stood up and her eyes shot flames. Pinkie immediately placed a pair of sunglasses on her blue face to stop the fire.  “What if an angel attacks while you're gone, silly?” Pinkie said, ruffling her prismatic mane. “I mean I could always hang a giant out to lunch sign on headquarters while you're gone, but Twilight says that won’t work. So the only thing we can do is wait until they come back.” “This is so lame and not awesome. Why can’t we just find the angels and beat them first?” “Cause they don’t have an address listed. I know. I looked.” “Aren’t you gonna say something, Fluttershy?” pleaded Rainbow to the yellow pegasus. “I’m not too fond of the ocean actually,” Fluttershy admitted. “Awww, you’re afraid of everything,” whined Rainbow. “No wonder you’ve been avoiding me.” Fluttershy shrank further behind Pinkie. The truth of the awkwardness between them stung. She didn’t want to keep hurting Rainbow by prolonging her decision. She wished her mind would make up itself. The truth be told she didn’t really understand why she hesitated.  “Well we don’t have a beach but there is a pool. We could have a pool party!” shouted Pinkie. “Um, don’t you have to work?” reminded Fluttershy. “Yeah, Twilight says I can’t skip paperwork again. Of course she also says you two have to study and that your grades are all wonky.” “What!? No party, no beach and now we have to do egghead stuff!” moaned Rainbow, throwing her hooves up. “This sucks!” “At least we can do it by the pool,” Fluttershy tried to sound cheerful. A stern look from Rainbow Dash quieted the little yellow ray of sunshine. Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice the small tinge of hurt that passed over her face as well. *** Rainbow Dash stood in the bathroom and gazed at herself in the mirror. She turned this way and that admiring the way her new swimsuit hugged her curves. She hoped that Fluttershy looked as good in her bathing suit.  If Fluttershy continued to hesitate then Rainbow would force an answer. She couldn’t avoid her forever, and with the way she looked now, Fluttershy wouldn’t want to avoid her. The swimsuit was much more revealing than her dance outfit had been. She was glad she didn’t show everything after all. She giggled and pranced out of the changing room. “Hey Fluttershy,” Rainbow cooed,” what do you think of my bathing suit?” “Umm, it’s nice,” Fluttershy mumbled into her hair and turned red. Rainbow was so forward. Fluttershy had a hard time concentrating on her homework with her prancing around.  “You like it. I can tell by your face. Wait, why aren’t you wearing your bathing suit?” “Pinkie says we should study,” she replied.  “I can’t believe you are seriously working on egghead stuff while I am right here. Hello, swimming. In bathing suits!” “I don’t want to let Pinkie, our teacher and Twilight down.” “What are you working on? “Rainbow asked, pushing in closer. “Maybe I can help speed things along.” “I’m working on thermal dynamics. Something about heat and expanding and oh my,” she gasped as Rainbow Dash sat in front of her. Fluttershy tried to shift back but Rainbow was too quick and plopped into her lap.  “Yeah, I remember something about this in flight school,” said the blue pegasus with a cheeky smile as she squiggled her flank. “It essentially means that if things get hot they grow and if they get cold they shrink.” “So I if I scooch back and forth in your lap that will warm us up,” she smirked. “As my rump warms up will my cutie mark get bigger or smaller? Fluttershy?” Rainbow looked back to see Fluttershy’s mind had left her blushing body in shell shock. “Guess you couldn’t handle my heat, heh heh,” the speedster shrugged but felt a little sad sting. “I’m going to cool off in the pool.” Rainbow could feel her face heating up from her failed wooing. She shook off the uncomfortable feeling and took to the air. She flew in a loop and dove into the pool. She struck the water at ludicrous speed and enveloped the entire complex with pool water. A third of the pool was emptied all over the sides.  Maud, who had been keeping clear of the strange couple, looked up from her granite inspection. The sheet of pool water wrapped around her and she found herself sopping wet.  “Did you see the size of that splash?,” shouted ecstatically Rainbow Dash. “Now that’s a job well done.” Maud calmly walked to the pool edge and looked at Rainbow. Her expression was unreadable but intense.  “Wh-what do you want?” asked Rainbow, a little nervous. Though nothing within Maud visibly stirred, something told Rainbow that this pony could take her out without much trouble.  “That was... intense,” the sopping wet Maud said flatly. “Perhaps the water might be better in the pool.” She turned and walked back to her spot.  Rainbow shuddered as she turned. She didn’t want to get on that pony’s bad side. She glanced over to Fluttershy who was desperately trying to dry her notes.  “Oh no,” Rainbow groaned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin your notes. I know! I’ll blast them dry in a second.”  Rainbow leapt into the air with a flap of her wings. She stretched her wings out to grab the maximum air.  “Nooo,” shouted Fluttershy, putting out a halting hoof. “I mean. Thank you for the effort but this requires… delicacy. You go back to swimming. Thank you.” Rainbow lowered herself to the ground with a huff. She trotted away with a sad backwards glance.  She’d overdone it again. *** “I just got this report,” Twilight informed her pink companion. “The dragons found something in their nearby volcano.”  Twilight turned in her swivel chair by her desk to find Pinkie inches from her face.  “Ooh, a guessing game. Is it cake? Is it cookies? Is it fudge? Ooh is it fudge cake? Is it,” Pinkie continued to guess. “Pinkie!” interjected Twilight. “They think it might be another angel.” “That is a terrible surprise, Twilight. It’s supposed to be something fun and happy.” “But Pinkie, this gives us the opportunity to take the fight to them.” “Fighting isn’t fun,” huffed Pinkie.  “This could be good for us. A chance to get on the offensive for once. That way the angels stop destroying Ponyville3.” “Oooo. Yeah, I guess that would be good,” concluded Pinkie. “But what if instead of fighting it we capture it and try to teach it to be on our side. Then it could battle other angels instead of us.” “Umm, I’m not sure that will work,” Twilight said, wondering how Pinkie got her ideas.” But we could capture it and study it. We would need an Eva down there in the volcano with a vibrational matrix cage. That would be the only thing that could neutralize the AT field.” “Yeah, we could get the Evas together and the pilots and have a true party.”  “Or capture the angel.” “Yeah that.” *** “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, my gosh,” freaked Rainbow Dash. “We get to dive into hot lava and fight an angel there. I am totally in.” “We’re not actually fighting it,” corrected Fluttershy. “We’re just supposed to capture it.” “Well yeah, but we could end up fighting it. It could break the cage and get really big. Then it’ll be an awesome fight to the death,” fantasized Rainbow Dash. “You can sign me up for that job.” “That’s great,” gushed Pinkie. “We needed a volunteer.” She looked at Dash like a snake looks at a mouse. A mouse that was excited to go into a live volcano.  “This is going to be awesome!” *** “This is not what I signed up for,” Rainbow Dash protested. She stood uncomfortably in her entry plug suit. She looked enormous as her suit had been filled with fluid. Every step she sloshed back and forth. “Oh Dashie, this is just a temperature controlled cooling suit so you don’t melt like a fudgesicle,” explained Pinkie. “It’s just like the one your Eva is wearing.” “My Eva?!” Rainbow Dash gasped, “what have you done to my Eva?!” “Just filled it up with super cold buttercream,” stated Pinkie Pie flatly. “What?!” “Oh, Pinkie Pie is just kidding,” explained Cheese Sandwich arriving amongst the two mares. “It’s more of a super cold lemonade kind of substance.” “Well I do like lemonade,” pondered Rainbow,” but this doesn’t seem like a chillaxing type activity. So what are you doing here, Cheese?” “Oh, I was the one that brought the coolant from my giant punch pool. And of course I get to see you in your first solo mission.” “I’m sorry it’s turning out to be so lame,”whined Rainbow. “How am I supposed to look awesome in this?” “I think you could look awesome in anything if you believe it,” Cheese Sandwich said winking. “She’s not your type, Cheese,” accused Pinkie. “No, I am not hers,” explained Cheese. “But I think I could be yours.” “Oh really, mister smarty mcsmarty-pantserson. What makes you think that?” Pinky coyly asked. “Your mane is telling me again,” he snorted. “Curse you, mane! Why have you turned against me?” the party mare whined. “You brought your coolant. Now you can go.” “But I am also here on behalf of the dragons,” reminded Cheese. “They said they’re on standby if the plan goes south.” “What does he mean? I thought I was doing this plan,” demanded Rainbow Dash. “Well, you are,” said Pinkie. “And we are all confident it will go well, but the dragons were a little scaredier and said they’d melt us all to death with their laugh fire if the angel starts to emerge.” “Gee, thanks,” moaned Rainbow, feeling some discomfort in her stomach. Get it right or be incinerated by dragons. This was definitely not what she signed up for. Cheese snuck up to the despondent pilot. “Were you able to make any progress on your “project”?” “Well, I definitely caught her attention,” the speedster declared. “I almost drowned her in the process though.” “Did she notice the swim suit?” “How could she not notice? I was wearing it.” “What are you two chatting about over there?” inquired a suspicious Pinkie Pie. “Well, good luck to both our projects,” Cheese said and gave her a hoof bump. He then stood up and turned to Pinkie. ”Just wishing Dashie luck on her mission.” “Well, we better get started,” deflected Rainbow trotting to her Eva. “Yeeeaaah,” drawled the suspicious Pinkie. She squinted her eyes at both of them. Cheese gave her his biggest disarming smile. She shook her head and left. **** Unit-02 rose up covered in the same bulbous suit that Rainbow wore. It sloshed and squished as she moved the Eva into position on the volcano’s edge. She found the top swarming with dragons and Unit-01.  “Rainbow,” said Fluttershy through the intercom. “ I just want you to know I have been considering your question. And I think..” “Not now Fluttershy,” injected Rainbow. “I’m sorry about your papers, and I really do want your answer, but right now I have to focus. I don’t want to throw off my flow right now. You can tell me about it when I get back.” “What if...” mumbled the timid mare.  “I’ll be back. You can tell me then.” “Everypony ready?” asked Pinkie.  “Ready,” affirmed the various teams. “Eva launch,” she screamed loud enough that the dragons nearby took off like a group of startled birds. Unit-02 tried to soar into the volcano but was horribly off balance. The Eva didn’t fly so much as plummeted. Rainbow’s Eva smacked into the lava with her legs and wings out. “Ooo,” cried a red dragon. “Belly flop.” “Not the prettiest launch but it works,” shrugged Pinkie. “Are you ok?,” asked Fluttershy with great concern. “Oh… yeah... no problem,” Rainbow winced. “I can’t even get a cool start.” The Eva began to sink into the lava. It had a large metal cable wrapped around its waist and a team of dragons held it. They released the rope slowly, letting it descend. “Keep going,” instructed Rainbow through the intercom. “Further, further, a little further. Wait, I think I see something.” Rainbow peered through the murky lava. The sweat beaded across her face as she swam her Eva closer to a strange dark mass. She slowly approached and gasped as she beheld a large flyder-looking skeleton in a massive egg.  “I think I found it,” Rainbow confirmed. “How are you doing in there?” asked Fluttershy. “No sweat. Heh heh. Ok, a little sweat but I can handle it.” Rainbow wiped the sweat off her brow. She pressed a button on the side of the leg pistons and the cage opened.  “Opening trap,” the sweaty pegasus informed. “Now to get this annoying thing inside and get out of here. It’s hot.” Rainbow concentrated and pushed her front hoof pistons forward. Unit-02 swam over and easily placed the monstrosity in the small cage. “Got it,” the second filly smirked in satisfaction. “C’mon, Fluttershy, how amazing am I?” “Pretty amazing,”admitted Fluttershy. “Maybe when we get back I can show you...” she stopped talking as the cage began to twist. “Wait, the embryo is moving. I think it’s hatching.” The embryo started to wriggle and move. Rainbow could feel the cage expand and strain.  “Oh no, oh no,” worried Pinkie Pie as she watched the monitor. The box ripped open and a large flyder beast erupted from it. Its massive legs shot forward and it hissed somehow under the lava. “Horseapples, it broke out of the box,” Rainbow spat. ”Looks like we have move to that back up plan.” “Which is?” asked Fluttershy as she felt sweat pour down her own brow. “I kill it,” Rainbow sneered as she gritted her teeth. “Come on you big dumb—whoa!” The angel swam at Unit-02 and wrapped its long spindly legs around it. It began to pull the Eva further in. The dragons started to stumble as they desperately tried to hold to the cable.   “Hey, hold on to me up there!” shouted Rainbow as she felt the Eva swing wildly. Her mouth went dry at the thought of being dropped further into the volcano. She tried to think of what to use to get the angel off. Then she remembered.  ”I’ll use my razor wings!” Unit-02 swung its wings into the angel. They pounded uselessly against the angel’s AT field. Rainbow tried to leverage them against the thick skin of the angel to pry it off, but felt the wings begin to buckle against its might. “My wings are having no effect!” The angel began to pull the Eva further into the depths of magma. The dragons felt their bodies skidding through the dusty terrain.  “I gotta hit it hard now,” panicked Rainbow. “The angel is native to the lava,” suggested Fluttershy. “It might be using the lava’s heat to expand around your wings. Think cold.” “The lemonade,” Rainbow remembered. She sliced into the Eva’s hoof with a wing tip and stuffed it into the angel’s mouth. “Drink this, you big jerk.” The angel’s mouth filled with frozen gallons of lemonade. The sugary drink flooded its gaping maw. It began to shrink as the frozen liquid caused the angel’s body to quickly contract. Soon it was so small that Rainbow easily batted it away with her wing.  The tiny angel sped past the cable and sliced it, then dissolved into nothing. The dragons suddenly fell back as the cable went slack.  The Eva dropped further into the volcano's depths. Rainbow watched helplessly as the severed end of the cable drifted through her vision.  “Sorry, Fluttershy,” she lamented. “It looks like I was wrong. I’m falling fast.”  “Rainbow Dash!,” cried Fluttershy. She quickly grabbed the severed end of the cable and jumped into the volcano head first. She couldn’t let her friend melt down there. She needed to help.  “Fluttershy, you can’t stay in there for very long without the lemonade,” shouted Pinkie. “Fluttershy did what?” shrieked Rainbow. “Turn back! It is way too hot for you.” Fluttershy could feel the intense heat immediately. Her entire body burned and writhed as she tried to swim to Unit-02. She didn’t know where Rainbow Dash was, but knew she had to save her.  She took a few seconds, closed her eyes and concentrated, and she could feel Unit-02 close by. It suddenly felt like the connection to Rainbow was palpable. She followed the feeling. Her eyes teared from sweat and pain. She felt every nerve screaming at her.  Fluttershy finally saw the battled Eva in the murky depths. She quickly wrapped her legs around the it and shouted, “I’ve got her. Pull us up, now!” The dragons swarmed the cable’s end and all began to pull. Step by dusty step, inch by sweaty inch, the cable began to rise. The dragons put all of their gigantic weight into pulling.  Their efforts finally brought the two hugging Evas out of the lava pit. Unit-01 was blackened from the extreme heat. The cable had sheared into the Eva’s muzzle and all its joints were melted in place.  “Just can’t keep your hooves off of me huh?” Rainbow said, smiling smugly. She received no response. “Fluttershy?”  The little yellow savior had finally succumbed to the extreme heat. Her consciousness faded.  “Fluttershy!” screamed Rainbow as she pulled the emergency escape hatch on her entry plug. She flew out and soared straight to the same hatch on Unit-01. The suit shifted and wobbled uncomfortably in the air but she ignored it. She placed her coolant infused hooves on superheated metal and was able to pry open the hatch.  The second filly found her friend’s crumpled form in the plug and quickly lifted her out. Only once she noticed that her roommate was still breathing did she remember to breath herself. A small sliver of light blue shone through the pale yellow eyelids.  “Fluttershy? Fluttershy! Don’t quit on me now,” bemoaned Rainbow Dash. “I want to hear your answer. I do. I need you to hang in there.” “Rainbow?” croaked the small bundle. A weak yellow hoof reached out and touched Rainbow’s cheek. “I’m sorry I took so long. When I jumped in the volcano I knew. I knew that I knew even before then. I will go out with you. I was just scared. I never did this before.” “Shh, it’s ok. Don’t tell anypony else, but I’ve never had a girlfriend before either. We’ll go slow, ok? So it’s not so scary.” “Thanks.” The dragons arrived on the sizzling Eva bodies. They had their medic kits and began working on Fluttershy. They picked her up out of Rainbow’s hooves and flew her to the medical tent. Rainbow tried to follow but had a hard time taking off with the excess weight of her suit. She sighed. It had been too close. For once it was Fluttershy that had beenfast enough. She waddled her way off the Eva to the tent to get thestupid suit off. For as cold as it was it felt totally uncool. *** “Hot Springs Party!” shouted Pinkie as she jumped into the hot springs. The Brimstone Hot Springs were a well known place of relaxation. They were warmed by the same volcano that Rainbow and Fluttershy just returned from. Pinkie thought the springs would be just the place for the returning pilots.  Rainbow found Fluttershy in the foyer. She looked tired but unhurt. The speedster approached, uncertain how to proceed. Somehow, Rainbow had never envisioned what to do if she said yes. “Well, it’s not the beach, but it’ll do,” the blue pegasus began. “Thanks for the save back there. I owe you one. So do you want to, umm, join me in the springs?” Rainbow felt her cheeks redden but didn’t bother hiding it. “Oh I don’t know,” stammered Fluttershy looking down, blushing herself. A small smile crossed her lips. “It’s ok,” Rainbow assured,” no pressure.” Fluttershy nodded. She considered going back to her room but she felt she had to do something different with her new girlfriend. She took Rainbow’s outstretched hoof and followed her into the springs. The changing area seemed fraught with danger. There were mares around them casually undressing. Fluttershy shook her head in bright embarrassment. “This was taking it slow to Rainbow Dash?”she thought. Her face turned into a tomato when she considered what Rainbow would think normal speed was.  “I know we just started dating,” Fluttershy quietly began,” but I’m not sure I’m ready to be... naked in front of you.” “Don’t worry. There’s a bathing suit area. I’ll go get changed first then you can find me out there when you’re ready.” “Oh. That sounds… nice.” Fluttershy felt her cheeks beaming with the sudden fear lifted. She found a stall to change behind and found a bathing suit amongst her things. She timidly emerged to find Rainbow in the steam-filled water already, leaning back in her two piece swimsuit. Fluttershy noticed how well it hugged her curves for the first time. She swallowed hard.  Rainbow noticed the little mare awkwardly standing at the water's edge. Fluttershy wore a practical one piece that did nothing but cover her. She sighed. She would have to teach that filly some tips on turning heads. Rainbow motioned her over. Fluttershy shuffled her way through the water and sat next to Rainbow.  “See, this isn’t so bad,” Rainbow said. Fluttershy nodded.  “Oh no, thermal expansion,” the second filly joked as she opened her wings, then wrapped one around Fluttershy’s body and pulled her close. Fluttershy’s eyes went wide but then she calmed. She found the wing comforting and let the warmth wash over her.  Suddenly the warm water found her way to her face as a large splash exploded in front of them. Pinkie emerged from the depth charge with no bathing suit on whatsoever. “Hello, everypony,”the party pony shouted. ”Enjoying yourselves?” “We were,” grumbled Rainbow.  “Aww, I didn’t mean to interrupt your snuggle fest. Hey, nice swimsuits. I didn’t think you needed them here.” “You don’t. I think Fluttershy would feel more comfortable with them though.” “I still have my hedgehog suit if you want me to wear that.” “It’s ok,” squeaked Fluttershy while she tried to look anywhere else, but suddenly she noticed the scar on Pinkie’s chest. “Pinkie, where did you get that scar?” “Oh this old thing,” Pinkie said and made a raspberry sound. “I got it at an event called the 2nd impact.” “Wait, the 2nd impact?” gasped Rainbow.”As in the 2nd impact, 2nd impact?” “Why does everypony say that? Yeah I was a little too close to the blast. It’s healed up good now though.” “Wow,” sighed Rainbow Dash, ”I would have never guessed that.”  The mares relaxed in the spring throughout the evening.