I took Pinkie down into my lab, and let her leap out of my arms. “So, what are you gonna work on, Acey?” She said quickly. “Are you gonna work on some laser tag gear for Rainbow Dash? Are you gonna make a vest that fits for her?” She gasped, getting an idea. “You should totally have me model the vests for you! I like the vests! With all the gizmos, and flashing lights!” She made some sounds with her mouth that sounded like a series of explosions, and giggled. “They’re pretty! I bet I could turn into a walking party wearing one!”
I laughed. “You already are a walking party, Pinks.” I said, moving over to the counter top, and reaching for a drawer. “Actually, I do have something you can model for me.” I told her, which caused her to dart up to me.
“Oh, really?!” She exclaimed, before she started bouncing. “I wanna see! I wanna see!”
I waved for her to stand still for a second, as I pulled open a drawer, and took out a gold choker set with a string of lights. I knelt down, and put it around her neck. The lights activated, and began flashing in different multicolored bulbs. I stood up, and we both admired the device.
She blinked, before looking up at me with a smile. “Ooh! Ooh! Is this something you’re gonna be using for laser tag? Is it a targeting thingy that tells you whether or not you’re hit?”
I shook my head. “Actually, it’s a decorative choker, and nothing more. I had some gold amongst the materials some of my mine-bots brought back, so I decided to smelt some of it together, and lace it with some lights and circuitry.”
Pinkie looked back down at it, confusion crossing her face. “So, what DOES it do?”
I knelt back down to her level, and gazed into her eyes. “It makes a filly like you even lovelier than you already are.” I told her, putting a hand on her neck. “And it’s all yours.”
Pinkie blushed, and brought up her tail to hide her face. She giggled, and suddenly launched herself at me, throwing her arms around my neck. “Why are you such a sweet guy?!” She asked, hugging me, before pelting me with kisses all over my face. “I-never-got-such-a-pretty-gift-before!” She told me, punctuating each word with another kiss.
I couldn’t help but laugh, as I tried to meet her lips with mine. She kissed me on every inch of my face, before landing a big, sloppy, wet one right on my mouth. We both started laughing, and cuddled each other in a warm embrace. She then pulled away quickly, and looked at me with a cocked eyebrow. “This still doesn’t mean I’m ready.” She told me.
I blinked. “Now where did that come from?” I asked. “Of course I’m not just giving you gifts to get you in bed with me, if that’s what you’re insinuating.” I gave a laugh at the ridiculousness of the sentiment. “I respect your rights as a mare, Pinks. I’ll be right here, whenever you’re ready.” I assured her, stroking the side of her muzzle.
She sighed, looking upon me with thoughtful eyes. “I know. I’m just…nervous, y’know?” She began pacing, still maintaining the conversation. “I’ve had lotsa friends over the years, but never a coltfriend. I’m…I’m still having a hard time believing I’m in a meaningful relationship. I’ve been there for other girls who have had bad relationships, and I’m always there to make them smile. They feel like they’ve been treated as used goods, like their coltfriends didn’t want them for anything other than their bodies.” She frowned, taking a seat, and looking down at the ground. “Don’t get me wrong, I sympathize with them, I just…don’t wanna be like them, y’know?”
“Pinkie, come on, now.” I said, coming up to her, and hugging her around the neck. “Do I seem like the type of guy who’d do that to anyone? I love you, Pinks. And I mean it when I say that. I will always love you.”
She smiled, tilting her head into mine. “Thanks.” She turned to me, wrapping her arms up around my shoulders. “I do wanna be with you, Acey. I just…need a little more time.” She told me.
I nodded. “Take your time, I ain’t going anywhere.”
*******
A blob of lava fell down onto the Rockidile. I gave the bot a roll, and the lava slid off the heat shield of the cockpit. I had detected a large amount of precious metals that I could both sell and use in future projects a good distance away from Ponyville. The only problem was, it was in an active volcano. Forgetting the fact that the average Mine-bot can’t withstand such temperatures, only a single unit could easily mine it without causing too much unnecessary stress to the volcano to set it off. So I said what the hell, a perfect opportunity to test out the Rockidile. So far, it’s a huge success. The shields are more than capable of withstanding the temperatures at the core, and all systems seemed to be functioning. Mind you, I wasn’t stupid about this expedition. I had to maintain contact with someone on the outside. And John was the perfect candidate.
“How’re you holding up, Doc?” John asked, appearing on a monitor to my right. He and Applejack were continually monitoring my systems on their end, making sure I had functioning systems. Rarity should’ve been there, too. I idly wondered where she was.
“Oh, y’know. I’m just having a little cookout.” I joked. “All green on my end. How ‘bout you?” I asked.
“Reading green across the border.” John responded, looking at me grimly through a monitor. “You do realize, doctor, that when a normal scientist hears that there are precious metals inside a volcano, their first reaction isn’t ‘oh, hey, let’s go swimming through the magma to get it.’” He informed me.
I chuckled. “Well, it’s a good thing that I’m anything but normal, otherwise this would never work.” I let out a mad cackle, as a wave rocked the machine. “Whoa!” I said, looking to my right. “Did you see that?! Haha! That one nearly buried me!” I said excitedly.
“Hey, Doc!” Applejack cut in, looking at me disapprovingly. “Couldja take this seriously fer a sec? Ah don’t wanna explain ta Pinkie why her coltfriend is burnt an’ buried like one a’ Big Mac’s holiday dinners!”
I rolled my eyes. That statement told a story right there. “Jeez, AJ. Lighten up a little. The situation’s tense enough as it is.” The Rockidile continued swimming through the magma, erring ever closer to the deposits. “It helps a person cope to laugh in the face of danger.”
“That’s just it, Doc.” John replied. “You’re in a very dangerous situation. The second you step outside the cockpit of your machine, you’re going to be cooked from the inside out! Need I remind you that you’re mining some metals that MIGHT be useful to you in a volcano that can go off at the first sign of too much disturbance!”
“That’s what the Rockidile is made for!” I countered. “Precision mining in dangerous environments! It’s the perfect opportunity to test what could be my greatest invention! I’m not gonna get out in the middle of a looking-to-be successful test run!”
“Well how in tarnation are ya gonna mine the stuff?!” Applejack asked. “Yeh don’t have a drill or a pickaxe, ‘er anythin’ like that!”
“Get with the times, guys!” I mocked. “My Mine-bots, as well as the Rockidile here, use particle beams to move the rocks and get the minerals! Particle beams are higher precision than drills, and don’t require repairs after every use! I have more than enough fuel to keep my energy levels up! After the beams cut down the ores, the Rockidile will catch ‘em in his mouth, and store them for future deposit in the refinery! This bot was made for this kind of situation!”
John huffed, leaning back in his chair, and shaking his head. “I give up. There’s no arguing with that one.”
“Ah know.” Applejack agreed, sharing a huff of her own. “It’s like tryin’ ta tell Pinkie why she cain’t use that cannon o’ hers ta reach the moon!”
John harrumphed. “Two of a kind, they are.” He said, looking at Applejack with a smile.
Applejack looked back at John, flashing her own smile, and adjusting her Stetson. I chuckled. “Y’know, if you guys wanna get intimate, you can go ahead and shut off the monitor.” I teased with a smile. “It’s okay, I won’t judge you.”
John coughed, his cheeks reddening. Applejack tilted her hat and looked away to hide the embarrassment. “Uh…we…we aren’t…” John began.
“Look, Johnny, I don’t care if you are, I’m just messing.” I explained. “You should know by now, I tease you and Geo because I’m a pal, right?”
“Oh, yeah.” He said, taking a breath.
I shook my head, deciding to change the subject to cure the awkwardness. “Where’s Rarity? I thought she was with you guys?”
“She had to run interference.” John told me. “Pinkie was coming to the lab today, but Rarity told her you weren’t in. So she took pinkie into Ponyville. I assume they’re still hanging out.”
“That’s another reason ah don’t think much a’ you goin’ an’ doin’ all this dangerous stuff behind her back.” Applejack chastised me. “Now ah kin keep a secret so long as you don’t do her no wrong, but if Pinkie asks me where ya are, ah’m a gonna tell her the honest truth!”
I goose necked at her, and wiggled my head around. “Okay, mom!” I said with a puff, before facing forward. The monitor blinked at me, catching my attention. I grinned. “I’m at the deposits!” I exclaimed. “Disengaging safeties on the particle beam!” I began flipping switches, and tilting the joystick to get a feel for it.
John began monitoring his end. “Particle beam is online, and looking functional.” He nodded at me. “Alright, ready to fire.”
“Firing.” I replied, aiming the nose of the Rockidile at the deposits, and pulled the trigger. A beam of purple energy lanced out, and began blasting away the chunks of ore. The jaw of the Rockidile opened, and began catching the chunks. I peeked at the monitors. Everything seemed to be in order. “Looking good.” I said. “I’m already at ten percent capacity.”
“Pay close attention to your monitors, Doc.” John reminded me. “We don’t want an accident happening because we got too careless.”
“Don’t worry, I got an eye on ‘em.” I said. The mining lasted a total of twelve minutes, but it felt more like two to me. I was having the time of my life. The best thing about being a scientist is when you get to taste the fruits of your labor for yourself. And right now, it tasted like victory. Time flew by, and I was at ninety five percent capacity, when a wave of static washed through my systems. “I got static on my end.” I said, checking if everything was okay.
I saw John shake his head. “Nothing wrong, here.” He replied. “Maybe you should cut off, and head back.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, let me just-“ I was interrupted by falling rocks, followed by a glow of red mist that disappeared as soon as I saw it. The rumbling shook me, and I was suddenly glad that I installed seat belts in the Sorou-mobile. I bent my head down, praying for my life, thinking ‘Aw, jeez, maybe John was right, this WAS stupid.’ when the rumbling suddenly stopped. I looked up, and saw that the cockpit was buried. Fortunately, I still had transmission with John and AJ, who were yelling out at me.
“Doc?! Ace?!”
“Doctor Sorou, y’alright?!”
I shook my head. “I’m fine, guys.” I heard their sighs of relief, as I appraised my situation. “It looks like there was some sort of cave-in.”
“Take this as a sign that you should get back to the lab. Can you move?”
“No problem.” I replied. “I’ll just mine my way out, very carefully.” I fired the particle beam, and forged a tunnel going straight up. I sighed in relief to see that was undamaged. I pressed forward to move.
And didn’t budge. “Uh oh.”
“Uh oh? Doctor, what’s wrong?”
I checked my systems, and cursed. “My legs are damaged. All of ‘em. The Rockidile ain’t going anywhere.”