Echo

by Valley Fjord

Chapter 5

Twilight spent the first half an hour of their break stetting up the three small mechanical devices in a row, a fourth object was also pulled out but she had left it on top of the saddle-bolt. With a practiced care she connected the three implements of her experiment together with small red and blue wires.

Once they were hooked up and turned on, Twilight lifted a small one ear headphone device and turned to Spike. With a wave of her hoof Spike filled his lungs and belched a string of fire straight up. The sound of his belch made 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 asked, keeping her voice low so it wouldn't come through the earpiece.

“Right.” Spike took another deep breath and looking up again he let out an entire ball of fire. The 'urrp' that came back this time was followed by three shorter echoed outbursts behind it.

Twilight clops her hooves together softly before depressing several buttons on the devices front. It whirled loudly then clicks, at that Twilight pressed one final button and listened intently. In her ear the sound of two belches followed by their echos was clear and crisp. Flipping off a switch at the side of the device that was connected to the headphone Twilight jumped to her hooves. “That was perfect!”

An annoyed groan came from Rainbow Dash before she turned away from the two, trying to stay asleep. A pink blush crossed Twilight's face from waking up her test partner, she lowered her voice “Alight Spike, lets get to the next test.” She pointed her hoof to a spot in front of her tools and, “If you could stand over there by the edge of the rocks.”

Spike jogged forward to the spot Twilight had pointed out as she turned the front of one device towards him. He smiles promptly when a round glass disk is pointed at him. “Okay, Twilight. I'm ready. What's this one do?”

“It's another recorder, it picks up light instead of sound so all I'll need you to do is make another gout of flame, but a bit gentler this time.” Twilight used her magic to work a dial surrounding the lens, turning it and aiming the lens until Spike showed up on the view finder that sat on her side of the device. “Ready. Now if you could just aim up I'll get a few pictures.”

The recorder came to life and whirled lightly. Spike did as he was told and released a small plum of fire into the air. The machine clicked off then back on with a louder grinding sound. It stopped and Twilight fliped another set of switches making the image of Spike letting out the same stream of fire replay itself on the view finder.

“Another excellent start up test.” Twilight said, keeping her tone as low as she could despite her excitement at her equipment working. Standing up, she looked over at the last of machines. A smile crossed her lips and she continued the direction of her turn until Rainbow Dash was all she saw. “The preliminary tests are all we can do without Rainbow. Spike, we're done for now so let's give her and ourselves some sleep.”

For all that Rainbow Dash could care, she was napping in a cold breeze, and slowly warming back up. At one moment she had heard Twilight cheering but after a few minutes all she could feel was that warmth. It made her coat feel like a pulling static charge was running across it, the sensation softened the chill in her wings and bones.

A dull thump landed in front of Dash and knocked her from the nap. Seeing a green and purple tail sliding under the blanket she smiled. 'Just trying to stay warm.' she stretched her wings out gingerly and felt Twilight at her back. Snapping her wings back 'Go back to sleep, go back to sleep.' Dash forced her eyes closed until she drifted back to sleep.

An electric jolt of static made Dash's eyes snap open, it was uncomfortable and her body gave out a clear sign that she hadn't slept well, she also couldn't feel Twilight at her side. Remembering where Spike had hidden himself under the blanket Dash rolled her hooves out from underneath herself in the opposite direction. An incredible heat greeted her in the form of a small wood fire that was burning some feet away.

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, was open and displaying the inner workings of machines 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 turned from the pages. “Two hours – and about fifteen minutes. Two books at once do make it harder to keep track,” a titer of laughter came from Twilight and she quickly covered her mouth and become 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.” Dash said while trying to fight back a yawn.

“Thank you for saying that Dash. I'm happy to be here with you too.” Twilight smiles softly then 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.”

Dash let out a full body yawn as she stepped next to Twilight. Her eyes faltering under half close lids locked onto Twilight. She had smiled at hearing Twilight's voice but her ears stop picking up what her friend was saying somewhere around 'happy to be here with you.' she had dropped down after hearing those words and let herself pass out on the spot.

A thoughtful sigh escaped Twilight's lips as she shifted closer to her friend to help keep the two warm.