DAiE Ch. 4 P. 3 - The Flying Machine

>Feeling the torque wrench click, you pull it off the bolt.
"...and then he asks me, 'What the fuck is a samoflange?!'"
>Pinkamina bursts out laughing.
>You are Doctor Anonymous.
>And right now, things are awesome.
> Pinkamina's proving to be a surprisingly fast study. Over the past few days, you've been helping her fix one of her favorite projects, the flying machine.
>It had been repaired once before, you can tell that much. Pinkamina hadn't cared to talk about it.
>But now?
>Now it was looking better than ever, you suspect.
>You pull off your grimy gloves, and quickly slip a new pair on.
>Pinkamina gives you a puzzled look.
"I keep several extra pairs. In case of glove emergency."
>She giggles.
"Y'know, I think it's ready."
>Her blue eyes look up at you. Then back to the machine. "Mmm.. no, it needs one more thing."
>The pink mare hurries off into the workshop, only to return with a can of paint and a brush in her mouth.
>"She needs a new look."

>You are Applejack.
>And right now, you are plum scared out of your mind.
>It's not that you don't trust Pinkie.
>Or the Doctor. Well, maybe you don't trust him so much.
>But it's not that. It's the instructions that he's rattling off at you.
>"..and this blah blahs the blahblah..."
>And the fact that you can't understand half the words he's saying.
"Uhh.. Doctor? Pinkie?"
>Pinkie looks up from the mechanism below you, a wrench in her mouth. "Mhmfm?" "Yes?"
"No offense, but... I'm not understandin' a word of this, Doc'."
>He gives you a deadpan stare. Pinkie, however, jumps up to your rescue. Her hoof pointing at different levers and switches. "Forward. Back. Up. Down. Left. Right. Hover."
"...oh. Well, why din'n' you say so?"
>Just deadpan from the Doctor.
>Then he pulls out something that looks like a saddlebag, and hooks it on to you.
"Wh.. what's that?"
>"It's a parachute - a safety device. If anything goes wrong - which it won't - just jump off the machine and pull this cord. It'll slow your fall to a speed that won't hurt you."
>Well! That certainly helps you feel better about this.
"An'... not that I don't wanna help, but why do ya'll need me for this again?"
>The Doctor grins.
>"You're the control."

>You don't like the sound of that at all. Pinkie hops up into your vision again. "All set! Just throw the up lever and start pedaling!"
"Ah... ahlright, ya'll. Wish me luck!"
>You reach a hoof up, and push down on the lever. You hear something click behind you.
>Here goes nothing.
>And you start pedaling.
>The blades above you start spinning. Slowly, at first. They slice through the air like a knife through apple pie.
>But as you pedal, it starts to build up speed. You look to the two of them. Pinkie's grinning widely, and Anon raises his hand, one of his fingers extended towards the sky.
>What the buck does that mean?
>Then, the machine starts to wobble.
>You leave the ground.
>Up, and up, and up.
>Pretty soon, you can see the whole of Sweet Apple Acres beneath you.
>Pinkie and Anon seem so tiny from up here.
>Oh Celestia you're up high.
"Uh... what do I do now, ya'll?!"
>Pinkie shouts something up to you.
"What?"
>She cups her hooves around her mouth, "Go forward!"
>You swallow your courage.
>And throw the lever.

>You are Rainbow Dash.
>And right now, as always, you're awesome.
>You're just flying. Chilling, maxing, relaxing all cool.
>You suddenly feel the need to play some sort of ball-related sport, but you shrug it off as you hear a strange sound approaching.
>"YEEEEEHAAAWWW!"
>What the buck?
>You turn towards the approaching sound, only to barely catch AJ speeding past you on some crazy contraption.
>"HOWDYRAINBOWDASH"
>Her voice dopplers past you.
>Applejack? Flying?
>Dear sweet Celestia, wingboner!
>...wait.
>Wingboner? While flying?
>...
>...DEAR SWEET CELESTIA, WINGBONER. WINGBONER.
>Your begin to plummet as you compeltely lose control of where you're flying.

>Buck buck buck!
>Stupid sexy Applejack!
>Stupid flying machine!
>There's no way you can pull of a landing without any control. You try to tilt yourself, but gravity's got ahold of you now.
>Instead of turning, like you meant, you get hit by a gust of wind traveling against you and you start to spiral.
>The world blurs around you.
>Earth, then sky.
>You close your eyes, and clench your teeth.
>The landing is gonna hurt.
>But the landing never comes.
>Something grabs you. An arm. It hold you close.
>The whipping sound of metal cutting through air, the squeak of greased axles, and the ticking of gears turning above the sound of air rushing past you.
>You open your eyes.
>Applejack grins down at you, one arm wrapped around you, the other pushing and pulling on various levers.
>"Howdy, sugarcube."
>oh dear sweet celestia wingboner

>You are Doctor Anonymous.
>And right now, you are fucking ecstatic.
>She's flying.
>And damn well, you might add.
>Of course, you achieved flight for a school science project.
>That wasn't your goal here. What's more exciting is that the machine works.
>And it worked before, when you had Pinkamina test it.
>When you had disabled a vital component.
>Some might call that irresponsible. Or dangerous. Or even heartless. But you call it science.
>After all, you can't let the subjects know who's the control and who's the experiment.
>Unless of course, they don't understand what that means.
>You chuckle to yourself, clapping as Applejack lands the craft, a madly blushing Rainbow Dash in hoof.
>"Wooowee! That was some rush, Doc! Pinkie!"
>"Y... yeah. S-some rush." Dash stammers out.
>"Whoooo! Go Applejack!" Pinkamina shouts out, hopping and waving her front legs in joy.
>Applejack sets Rainbow Dash down. Who stands there, frozen for a few seconds, before pulling her into a deep kiss.
>"WHOOOOO! GO APPLEJACK!"

>When Rainbow Dash finally pries herself off Applejack, the orange mare has a big, stupid grin on her face. "W.. wow, Dashie, I..."
>She looks over to you. "Th.. thanks, ya'll. I think Rainbow an' I need to go have a... talk." She turns back to the technicolor-maned mare, blushing almost as much a Rainbow was and smiling.
>You nod, and guide Pinkamina away, even as she still cheers.
>"Oh, man, Doc! Did you see it?! Rainbow was all like 'aaa im falling' and Applejack was like "ZOOM VROOM I'LL SAVE YOU!' and I was all like 'AAAAAAHHH SAVE HER!'"
"Yes, yes, I was there, Pinkamina."
>You can't help but smile at the mare's antics.
>"So... I think Applejack and Dashie are gonna be special someponies now. It's about time they mared up and rutted already!"
"Pinkamina!"

>"Pssh! Whatever, Doc. There's been enough tension between those two to rip a bungee cord. They both need it."
>Always frank, she is.
>Change of subject time!
"So... what about you? Do you have a special somepony?"
>She freezes up, even as she's walking.
>Maybe not the best subject choice.
>"O-oh... no. No, not really."
>She looks away. Is she... blushing?
"Pinkamina?"
>Suddenly she turns back to you. "I've got an idea! Why don't we go celebrate at Sugarcube Corner?"
>Oh hell yes. Sugarcube Corner means Pinkamina's baking.
"Race you there."
>She gasps, looking up at you with narrowed eyes. "It's on, silly filly."
>And you're off.

>Dear science, you ate too many cupcakes.
>Wait, what the hell are you saying? You can never eat enough of Pinkamina's cupcakes.
>You laugh at something she was saying. It's a bit fuzzy now. This is your fourth glass of cider.
>You're not even sure when she broke out the cider. But damn is the stuff strong. You suppose it needs to be, to get ponies drunk.
>The laughter between the two of you dies down. Pinkamina speaks up. "Y'know, Anon. I really wanna thank you for helping me fix the flier."
"Oh, not at all, Pinkamina, it wash my pleashure. I owed you anywaysh."
>God your diction is terrible when you're drunk.
>"No, no, really really thank you. I -*hic*- really really mean it. Seeing somepony else being able to use it... meant a lot."
>This mare, always looking to help other ponies.
"N-... no problem, Pinkamina."
>"Celestia damnnn it, I can't get you to call me Pinkie even when youuu're drunk!" She pokes a hoof into your chest playfully, and laughs. You can't help but laugh with her.
"Sh.. shorry."
>When you stop laughing, she gives you a serious look, her blue eyes staring into yours. "Doc'..."
"Yesh?"
>"I've had a lot of fun spending time with -*hic*- you."
"Well I have, too, Pinkamina."
>"You... you just, get me. I mean, I've got a lot of friends, and all, but... there's always some kinda distance. Like I say or do some things they can't understand."
>Suddenly, your gut wrenches. Are you feeling... guilt?
>You are. You feel guilty for endangering her earlier.
>But that was science. Science is... it's too important to worry about things like that, right?
>Right?

>Nevermind. She's waiting on you to say something.
"It's... not much different for me. When my classhmates were studying basic arithmetic, I wash studying thermodyanmicsh."
>You pause, and look the pink mare.
>Something in your chest turns oddly. It's hard to breathe. What is going on?
"Nobody really understood me."
>She snorts, and look back to her cider glass. "Yeah. Sometimes, I don't..."
>"Sometimes I don't even understand myself."
"Sometimes, I don't even understand myself."
>You look at each other. She's blushing. So are you.
>It takes what seems like hours for her to break the silence.
>"...jinx!"
>You both burst out laughing.
>"Excuse me?" "Anyp0ny here?"
>Two voices call out into the dim lights of the shop. Without turning, Pinkamina waves her hoof dismissively. "Sorry, everyp0ny. We're closed."
>"Oh, we're not here for a pastry, my good mare."
>"We're here for a business deal. Something about a... flying machine?"
>You turn, and Pinkamina gasps quietly.
>You don't know these ponies, but something tells you you don't want to.
>They're giving each other the most devious of smiles.
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120129070356/mlp/images/6/6c/Flim_Flam_brothers_smiling_at_each_other_S2E15.png

>"Flim 'n' Flam. I thought you got run outta town after that Super Squeezy 300 Thingy incident."
>The pony with no mustache gives her a glare. "The Super Speed Cider Squeezy 6000 was no INCIDENT. It was a marvel of science. And we here that you've got a similar little marvel locked away somewhere here in Ponyville."
>Pinkamina rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I do. What do you want?"
>"We'd like to know how much you're asking for it? We're looking to purchase."
>You frown. Both you and Pinkamina snap at them. "It's not for sale."
>Their smarmy, pseduo-charming smiles take a sinister turn. "Well then, my dear mare and... whatever you are." "How much to see it destroyed?"