No, that's not a typo -- it's the 50th Anniversary of the Wonderbirds, the greatest sci-fi movie series in Equestria. Rainbow Dash just wants to buy a ticket to the marathon -- but Pinkie Pie wants to go into SPACE...
No, that's not a typo -- it's the 50th Anniversary of the Wonderbirds, the greatest sci-fi movie series in Equestria. Rainbow Dash just wants to buy a ticket and watch the movie marathon -- but Pinkie Pie wants to go into SPACE... because... The Wonderbirds... are... UP!
Written in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and also in honor of the countless comic strip, movie, and television characters that kept our childhood dreams of space travel, adventure, and scientific discovery alive.
"The Wonderbirds... are... UP!" -- Nellie Hoofstrong, in "Wonderbirds II: From Equestria to The Moon"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Glancing about, Rainbow Dash cautiously approached the Ponyville Bijou theater. There didn't seem to be much of a line to get in yet... which suited Rainbow just fine. She just wanted to buy her ticket and get inside, before anypony she knew spotted her.
Bits in hoof, the cyan pegasus trotted over to join the line.
"Hey, Rainbow! Whatcha doin'?"
"Gyah!" Rainbow nearly bolted for the sky. She got control of herself and looked round... to find Pinkie Pie standing in line right behind her. "Pinkie? What are you doing here?"
The radioactively pink pony beamed like a lighthouse. "Silly! I'm here for the all-day Wonderbirds 50th anniversary movie marathon. Aren't you?"
"Well, uh... sure! But I didn't know you were a fan, too."
"Sure I am! I only found out about the movies a couple weeks ago, but I'm definitely a fan. Yes, indeedy! I wanna go into SPACE!" She paused, looking puzzled. "Of course, I'm not quite sure where space is... but it all looks so cool in the movies, and I wanna GO! Me and Gummy both!"
She held up her pet alligator. Gummy hung limply in her forehooves, with his usual indifferently comatose expression.
"Uh... right," Rainbow replied. "Well, you came to the right place, Pinkie. Eighteen straight hours of non-stop Birdie awesomeness!"
"Birdie?"
"It's what fans call themselves. Of course there are the posers who try to show off by calling themselves Birders..." Rainbow blew a derisive raspberry. "But for the cool fans, it's always Birdies!"
"Okie, dokie, lokie! I'm a Birdie! Yay!"
"Cool!" Rainbow grinned. "So... which character do you like best? My favorite's Nellie Hoofstrong -- obviously! The strong, capable, fearless commander... and the first pony to walk on the Moon! I always wanted to be like her. I mean, she's just so cool, so awesome, she's like..."
Rainbow suddenly ground to a halt. She grimaced, glancing around and scuffing her mane with a forehoof.
"Eeeh, yeah... she was, like, an inspiration to me..."
"What's wrong, Rainbow? You make it sound like that's a bad thing."
"Well, it's just... you know!" Rainbow shrugged. "These movies are kid stuff. Fantasy! Awesomely cool fantasy, but still... they're not real."
"They're not?" Pinkie looked astonished and hurt. A little of the curl went out of her mane and tail.
"Of course! Everypony knows the Sun, Moon, and Stars are just astral phenomena, which Celestia and Luna are in charge of. You can't actually land on the Moon. It'd be like trying to land on a soap bubble. Even when Princess Luna was imprisoned up there, ponies say she was in the Moon, not on it, because there wasn't an on for her to be on. There's no such thing as infinite space, or airless vacuum, or weightlessness, or rocket ships, or other planets. It's all just made-up stuff... Applewood film magic."
"Awwww..."
"But even so..." Rainbow continued, becoming starry-eyed again, "I could never get enough of the Wonderbirds movies when I was a filly. The adventures... the tech... the challenge of training for deep-space flight... landing on other worlds... yes!"
"Me, too!" Pinkie brightened up again. "Oooh! Is that why you dress up as an equuinaut for Nightmare Night?"
"Eeeyeah, it's... basically stealth cosplay for me."
"Neat! Well, what I love about the movies are the special effects! All those planets and moons and stars and things... and the bug-eyed monsters. Bleargh! Hee-hee-hee! Can't get enough of it!"
"Um, right..." Rainbow hesitated. Having a friend she could actually talk about this stuff with was an unusual experience... and a pleasant one, she was discovering. On the other hoof, this was Pinkie Pie, who was not generally known for being discreet. Unless...
"Hey, Pinkie... can I tell you something kinda personal?"
"Sure!"
"You can't tell anypony else. You Pinkie-promise?"
"Sure do! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Pinkie willingly ran through the motions as she said it.
"Okay. See, when I was a filly, I wanted to actually go to the Moon, just like in the movies. Just like Nellie Hoofstrong! I wanted the whole deal: the hard training, the rocket launches, flying through space, the works! I wanted to be the first pony to actually land on the Moon, and walk around on it."
"Oh, wow! That's so awesome!"
"Yeah. But then my parents clued me in that it's impossible, that the deep-space stuff in the movies was just make-believe. And, well... that was pretty much my first major heartbreak. I moped around for like, weeks after that. My one big dream as a filly... and I never even had a chance at it."
Pinkie's sorrowful expression would have melted the heart of a glacier. "That is so sad, Rainbow! Nopony should have their dream snatched away like that!"
Rainbow shrugged. "Well, whatcha gonna do? It was a lesson in being realistic. And I got over it. I started following the Wonderbolts instead, since they're real and I had a shot at being one someday." She sighed. "But ya know, deep down I've always wanted to be a Wonderbird... and be the first pony to walk on the Moon." She glanced up at the marquee of the theater, at the movie posters to either side of the door. "And every now and then, I go watch the Wonderbirds films again, just to relive the dream." She shrugged again, wincing. "Yeah, so... the movies are basically a guilty pleasure for me."
But Pinkie wasn't about to let it go that easily. "Just because it's impossible, Rainbow, doesn't mean it's wrong!" she declared. "And if you want it that much, then we're gonna make it happen! There's gotta be a way!"
"Uh, Pinkie? Lovin' your optimism, but like... how?"
Pinkie thought hard. Then her eyes lit up. "We ask the Princesses!"
"Ask them what?"
"If they wouldn't mind making the Moon and Space and rockets and stuff be real, just for a little while. Then you could fly to the Moon and land on it, and you'd be the first pony to walk around on it! Simple!"
Rainbow opened her mouth to say this was the silliest thing she'd heard all year. And then shut it again... for two reasons. First, this was Pinkie Pie, and with her, silly was just the prize in the box. And second... because it was such a crazy idea that in a perverse sort of way it might turn out to be perfectly reasonable.
"Well..." Rainbow allowed, "I suppose it never hurts to ask. But seriously, Pinkie, if the Princesses wouldn't even move the Sun and Moon for Twilight's Friendship Festival, why the hay would they go to even more trouble just for me and my fillyhood dreams?"
"Because Twilight's a Princess, so she has her own magic to sort things out. But we're the Princesses' subjects, making a bona fide petition for their assistance. And if it's not impossible, they've gotta help us! They've just gotta!"
"Uh... us?"
"Of course, silly! I want to go into space too! So count me in! There's not a moment to lose. We should march right on up to the Palace and make our needs known!"
"Sure, Pinkie. Awesome plan. And I'm totally there. But... can we watch the movie marathon first? I kinda took the day off from weather duty to go see it. And there's an interview with the pony who played Nellie Hoofstrong that I've been seriously looking forward to."
Pinkie blinked, realizing that they'd reached the head of the line. "Oh, yeah! The movie marathon!" Then she shook her head fiercely. Random parts of her body were spasming uncontrollably. "Nope! My Pinkie-sense is soundin' off! Ears are floppin', knees are twitchin', eyes are flutterin'! There's a doozy of a door about to open, and it's got our name on it. No time to lose, Dashie... let's go!"
Grabbing hold of Rainbow's hoof, Pinkie set off running down the street, hauling Rainbow bodily after her. Rainbow tried to struggle but found herself dealing with earth-pony strength combined with Pinkie's sugar-crazed, one-track mind.
"Pinkie! Where the hay are we going?" Rainbow glanced despondently at the theater marquee rapidly disappearing behind them.
"To catch the next train to Canterlot! Which leaves in two minutes! That's why we've gotta hurry! If we're gonna make this happen, we've got to move now, Rainbow! We can't just stand around, hooves on the ground, because..."
Taking a deep breath, she reared and punched the air excitedly.
"The Wonderbirds... are... UP!"
Then she took off for the train station again at top speed, hauling Rainbow along with her.
Rainbow sighed in exasperation and settled for flapping her wings to lift off from the ground, allowing Pinkie to tow her along like a living kite...
... and all the while trying to pretend that they didn't actually know each other...
"Well!" said Princess Celestia. "It's certainly a most unusual request!"
Rainbow had no idea how Pinkie Pie had managed to swing a private audience with the Sun Princess. Apparently Her Highness had only just decided to take a short tea-break herself, and didn't mind sharing it with friends. Rainbow and Pinkie were seated on comfortable cushions in a small audience chamber in the Royal Palace of Canterlot. And Princess Celestia herself sat tall and proudly radiant on her own cushion in front of them.
But given the bemused look on Celestia's face, Rainbow was beginning to think it had been a wasted trip. She cleared her throat uneasily. "Yeah, well. We just thought we'd ask. Sorry to have taken up your time, Your Highness..."
"Oh! Please don't misunderstand me." Celestia gently laughed. "I totally support the idea!"
"You do?" Rainbow stared. "Seriously?"
"Absolutely. It sounds like a fascinating project, one that could bring together ponies from all walks of life in a common goal. And given that I always encourage my subjects to follow their dreams, no matter how extreme or unusual, how could I possibly say no?"
"Yay!" Pinkie squealed. "So when do we get to go into SPACE?"
"Well... there's just one problem. I would have no difficulty with my part of this, since I merely manage the Sun. But Princess Luna is in charge of the Moon and the Stars. Mostly because she has the head for the math. I'm clearly the diplomat of the family. Luna would bear the brunt of the effort in maintaining the astral transfiguration spell for that long, so you'll need to persuade her of the value of your request to gain her support."
"Okay... sure." Rainbow said, a little stunned. She was still processing the fact that they'd gotten this far. "Uh... have you got any suggestions?"
Celestia looked thoughtful. Then she smiled deviously. "If you'll take my advice, the way to Luna's heart is definitely through her pride -- and her predilection for formality and drama. Your best route would be to put your petition to her directly... at her Court of the Night."
Rainbow and Pinkie looked at each other nervously.
"Okayyyy..." Rainbow hazarded, "is there a form we need to fill out for that?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Don't be so nervous, Dashie!" Pinkie said, stotting gleefully. "We've been here before."(*)
Rainbow peered up at the towering oaken doors, in the torch-lit stone passage deep beneath Canterlot Mountain. Beyond those doors was the massive cavern where Princess Luna held her Court of the Night. And from the other side of the doors came a raucous, howling, roaring clamor, as if Tartarus itself had broken open, and all of its incarcerated fiends were about to come barreling through the doorway at them.
"Yeah, well... that was when we were with Twilight, helping her be Luna's Acolyte. And then it was all six of us together -- seven, counting Spike. But this time it's just the two of us."
"Sure, but it's Princess Luna! She's our friend!"
Rainbow glanced uneasily at the pony guards standing to either side of the doors: Luna's dragon-winged, glowing-eyed, fanged nightmares, who basically looked like they could bite through a tree.
"I sure hope so, Pinkie."
A regal voice spoke from behind them. "Ah, I see you're both here early. Excellent! Sorry I was delayed. Some last-minute paperwork upstairs."
"Princess Celestia?" Rainbow stared at her.
"Yay!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "You didn't mention you'd be here with us!"
"But of course! This will require a joint decision by the Two Sisters. And I must admit that for some time now I've been wanting a legitimate reason to pay a visit to Luna's Court, just to see how she's been getting on."
As she spoke, the massive doors swung steadily open before them. Beyond, they saw the familiar torch-lit cavern, its distant ceiling lost in shadows and stalactites high overhead. In the center of the chamber the huge bonfire roared endlessly, its arcane flames casting flickering, dancing shadows over everything. And to either side of the red carpet that divided the chamber was a growling and shrieking audience comprised of all the races and species of the Night, from dragons to diamond dogs, from gargoyles to yetis, from Morirohin to manticores, all trying to outdo each other for sheer raucous, thought-destroying volume...
It was like a raver's fever dream.
Around and above them all, squads of dragon-winged, lantern-eyed nightmares kept attentive watch, swooping in whenever the larger or noisier creatures threatened to get unruly.
There were more of the nightmare guards lined up on either side of the massive dais at the rear of the chamber, standing stiffly and proudly at attention. And beyond the dais, past the velvet curtains at its rear, there was only gloomy, shadowy darkness: the deep, suffocating darkness of full, moonless Night...
... because Princess Luna loved making an impressive entrance.
"Follow a few paces behind me," Celestia warned. "And when we reach the dais, wait before it, your heads lowered, until she calls upon you."
Without hesitation, Celestia stalked through the doorway, head held high. Rainbow and Pinkie waited for a moment as requested, then trotted after her. They followed her down the carpet, circling around the bonfire in the center, and came to a halt a few paces behind her, with their heads lowered.
Celestia herself moved to stand at the base of the ramp leading up toward the dais.
And from the shadows at the back of the dais, Princess Luna stepped forth. The Princess of the Night was in her element, tall and regal, coldly aloof, her ebony armor and crown polished to a brilliant sheen.
Striding to the head of the ramp she came to a halt, gazing about imperiously at her subjects. Her armored forehoof came up, then swept down, striking a metal disc embedded in the stone before her with a piercing crash, which echoed about the cavern like thunder.
She brought her hoof up and slammed it down again, then once more.
Utter silence fell.
She reared proudly, wings spread and horn gleaming, calling out in full Royal Voice:
CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA -- YOUR PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT HAS ARRIVED!
This was accompanied by a crack of lightning, a crash of thunder, and a roar of approval from the crowd before her. Luna smiled confidently, accepting the accolades.
Then she raised a hoof for silence.
IT IS OUR PLEASURE THIS NIGHT, THAT WE SHOULD BE ATTENDED BY OUR SISTER, PRINCESS OF THE SUN, THAT THE TWO SISTERS MAY JOINTLY HEED THY PETITIONS AND RENDER JUDGEMENT!
Another roar of approval followed this proclamation, even louder than before.
Celestia gazed calmly up at Luna, and raised her own Voice in response:
SISTER! SUMMONED WE COME! HAVE WE THY LEAVE TO APPROACH?
Luna gestured imperiously with a forehoof.
IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO WELCOME THEE TO OUR COURT, SISTER! THOU SHALT JOIN US!
Celestia mounted the ramp, turned, and took her place beside Luna, standing as tall and proud and coldly stern as her sibling, accompanied by a tumultuous shrieking and roaring from the audience. Seeing the two of them standing side-by-side, imperious and unassailable, one could imagine this was how the Princesses' Court might have looked, a thousand-plus years ago.
Then Luna's gaze swung down to the ponies bowing before her.
AND WHO BE THESE BRAVE AND WORTHY SUPPLICANTS, WHO COME BEFORE US IN OUR COURT?
"Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow shouted, immediately wishing she had the Princesses' Royal Voice spell to add some extra oomph. "We're here to ask Your Highness's indulgence and assistance in a task that will demand great skill and daring of us."
BRAVE SUBJECTS, THOU HAST OUR ATTENTION AND INTEREST! STAND FORTH, AND MAKE THY PETITION KNOWN! WHAT MANNER OF TASK?
"We wanna go into SPACE!" Pinkie Pie blurted out, unable to contain herself.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Stick with the script, Pinkie!"
"Oops! Sorry, Dash!"
Rainbow pressed on. "Uh, right! We ask Your Highness's consent and assistance in making it possible for Pinkie and I to make a rocket expedition to the Moon... exactly as it's shown in the Wonderbirds movies... with full technical detail and realism."
If Princess Luna was surprised by the request, she gave no sign of it. She appeared to take it completely seriously in fact, and eyed them skeptically at length.
THIS IS NO MEAN FEAT, she finally replied. SUCH A JOURNEY WILL BE MOST DIFFICULT AND PERILOUS, EVEN WITH THE BEST WILL AND FORTITUDE. IT IS NOT TO BE UNDERTAKEN LIGHTLY. ART THOU SURE THY WILL AND ABILITIES ARE SUFFICIENT? IS NOW THE TIME TO ATTEMPT SUCH A DIFFICULT GOAL?
Rainbow replied carefully and deliberately, using the wording that Princess Celestia had suggested:
"We choose to go to the Moon," she said, "not because it's easy, but because it's hard. The challenge is one we're willing to accept, one we're unwilling to postpone, and one in which we intend to succeed!"
Luna stared dourly at them. Then she looked to Celestia. AND WHAT OF THOU, SISTER? DOES THIS VENTURE MEET WITH THY APPROVAL AS WELL? ART THOU PREPARED TO HOLD BACK THY SUN FOR ITS DURATION?
Celestia nodded. WE APPROVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY, SISTER. AND WE ARE PREPARED TO HOLD BACK OUR DAY, FOR AS LONG AS IS REQUIRED.
Luna eyed her doubtfully. Then she turned to gaze equally skeptically at the two ponies waiting before her.
Her eyes narrowed.
Rainbow looked nervously at Pinkie Pie. "I don't think she's gonna go for it, Pinkie," she whispered. "Well... at least we tried."
"Wait for it..." Pinkie said sagely. She nodded towards Princess Luna.
Rainbow looked back up at Luna herself.
And stared in disbelief.
Princess Luna was suddenly wearing a classic Wonderbirds bubble space helmet, with an opening cut into the front, both to accommodate her horn and also to permit her to use the Royal Voice without deafening herself.
THY REQUEST IS MOST AGREEABLE TO US! WE SHALL TRANSFORM OUR MOON AND OUR NIGHT SO AS TO MAKE THY JOURNEY POSSIBLE. HOW COULD WE NOT TAKE PART IN SUCH A GRAND AND VALIANT UNDERTAKING? AFTER ALL...
She lifted a forehoof proudly.
THE WONDERBIRDS... ARE... UP!
Her armored hoof crashed down upon the steel plate -- once, twice, thrice. A great roar of approval rose up from the creatures of the Night, and washed over a gleeful Pinkie Pie and a truly astonished Rainbow Dash.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Later, as the two of them made their way back up to Canterlot proper and their guestroom at the Palace, Rainbow shook her head in amazement.
"I just can't get over that, Pinkie. I mean, who woulda guessed Princess Luna would turn out to be a Wonderbirds fan?" Rainbow couldn't quite bring herself to refer to Princess Luna as a "Birdie"... at least, not out loud anyway.
"Wellll..." Pinkie Pie looked mildly guilty. "Somepony might have happened to send the Princess a care package, containing a tray of fresh-baked moonpies, a selection of Wonderbirds comic books and memorabilia, ... annnnd free tickets to the Wonderbirds Midnight Marathon that was playing at the Canterlot Bijou last night..."
Rainbow goggled at her. "You?"
Pinkie Pie smiled mischievously. "That's the wonderful thing about guilty pleasures... they're so easy to share!"
Twilight Sparkle stared at Rainbow and Pinkie in disbelief. "You're going to what?"
It was the next morning, and the Element bearers had all gathered in the map room in Twilight's castle. With them were Spike, Starlight Glimmer, and Princess Luna.
Pinkie beamed. "Be the first ponies to pilot a rocket into space," she repeated patiently, "and land on the Moon, so Dash can be the first pony to walk on it."
"Uh, Pinkie..." Twilight said, "Princess Luna was up there for a thousand years. If any pony counts as being the first on the Moon, she does."
"Actually," Luna gently corrected, "I was imprisoned within the Moon, as part of its astral signature. Neither I nor the Moon were corporeal for that time. So in point of fact, I never set hoof on it."
"But Dash and I are gonna GO there, for realsies!" Pinkie enthused. "Princess Luna will make it a real place, so we can go!"
"But we need your help, Twi," Dash explained. "Princess Luna has agreed to power the overall trans-figure-whoozit spell..."
"Transfiguration," Twilight dryly corrected.
"Yeah, that. But to make the spell work, we need to dope out, uh... a whole lot of technical stuff..." She waved her forehooves vaguely, glancing hopefully at Princess Luna.
"Indeed," Luna said. "As I understand it, the whole point is for the journey to be as realistic as possible. So we shall need a detailed physical and technological basis for the reality we desire, in order to properly summon it. Given my... ahem... absence over the past millennia, we shall need the advice of a pony more deeply versed in modern science and its discoveries. And further, once the spell is invoked it cannot be altered, only cancelled, so it will be necessary to be as complete and thorough as possible in the spell's construction."
"And we immediately thought of you, Twi," Rainbow said proudly. "If any pony can science the hay out of this, it's you!"
"I'm flattered, Rainbow. Really." Twilight eyed her. "But if the point is to walk on the Moon, why can't Luna just teleport the two of you there? Once she's made it corporeal, that should be easy enough."
"Because it's not about getting there!" Rainbow pounded the table. "It's about going there... training hard for it, making the journey, facing the risks, proving we've got what it takes! Following the example of one of my greatest fillyhood heroes..."
"... a fantasy movie character."
"Twi!" Rainbow stared at her in frustrated disbelief.
"Relax, Rainbow. I'm not opposed to the idea." Twilight said. "If it means that much to you, I want to help. We all do. Right, everypony?"
There were willing nods around the table.
"It just seems, I don't know..." Twilight shrugged. "... a little excessive and roundabout, going to all this effort and trouble..."
"You know, Twilight..." Starlight said cagily, "the physics of this is actually pretty interesting." Picking up a quill in her magic, she sketched a quick diagram on a piece of scrap paper. "If we assume that we redefine Equus as a sphere, with the Moon another sphere orbiting around it, then gravity has to behave entirely differently. It won't be a rectilinear, pervasive field like we're used to... it has to operate as a polar field, drawing objects to a point, say at the center of the planet. And that would imply objects have some property, call it 'substance', that this force acts on..."
Twilight stared at the diagram, her eyes lighting up. "Hey, right! And given the polar nature of the field, it would act on this 'substance' in inverse proportion to the square of the distance. Which means air would tend to collect around the surface of the planet. Which would leave..." Twilight's jaw dropped, her eyes went wide. "... an airless vacuum! Just like in the movies!"
"And rocket engines..." Starlight said, "they might operate like larger versions of Trixie's fireworks... although we'd want to provide a means to control the rate of fuel flow, to make them manageable."
"And..." Twilight realized, "if a spacecraft was up high enough, and moving fast enough, it might be possible for it to fall right around the planet, and never actually hit it... and that means that to anyone on board, falling at the same rate as the ship, it would seem like there was no gravity on board at all... wait a second..."
Twilight grabbed a quill herself and began scribbling equations involving disturbing numbers of tensors and Cristhoofle symbols. In short order both she and Starlight were buried in calculations, muttering intensely to each other.
Applejack chuckled, watching them. "Ah think we've lost 'em for a bit. We should leave 'em to it, let 'em come up for air in their own time. Maybe we should work out some of the other details while we're waitin'... like who's doin' what?"
"Well, I call being Commander and Chief Pilot... obviously!" Rainbow looked smug. "And naturally I'm gonna want my favorite co-pilot along. (*) How about it, Spike? Ya up for the adventure of a lifetime?"
"Awww!" Pinkie looked crushed. "I wanted to be co-pilot!"
"You can be mission specialist," Rainbow told her. "That means you're in charge of running experiments and stuff."
Pinkie brightened up immediately. "Okay!"
Twilight looked up at the mention of experiments. "That's a great idea, Rainbow! I can plan out a schedule of experiments for Pinkie to run, both onboard and when you land on the Moon. After all, even if reality will go back to normal when this spell terminates, we should try to learn as much as we can about the reality we're constructing, for future reference. Like they say... more data is good data!"
"You got it, Twi!" Pinkie said. "And don't forget Gummy! He can be the ship's mascot!" She held the alligator up proudly.
"All righty, then," Applejack said. "Sounds like we got ourselves a crew. And we're gonna need space clothes for them to wear." She looked at Rarity. "Ah'll bet you can design some proper, stylish space duds for everyone, sugarcube."
"Already on it, A.J.!" Rarity had been busily sketching on a piece of parchment, and she held it up. "Voila!"
Rainbow eyed the result in disgust. "Rarity! We're going to the Moon, not down some runway! So lose the sequins and feathers. We're gonna need something practical, rugged, and air-tight. Look, I'll loan you some copies of the comic books. That'll give you an idea of what we're looking for."
"Comic books?" Rarity looked briefly discomfited, then she noticed Spike looking at her, and shrugged. "Oh! Er, well... if we must, we must."
"Umm..." Fluttershy said nervously, "is there anything I can do to help?"
Rainbow thought briefly. "Sure! You can be Capcom. That's the pony on the ground who's responsible for relaying messages to and from the crew, and making sure nopony forgets about us up there. It's usually a fellow equuinaut, but you're a fellow pegasus, and that's good enough for me."
"Oh! Sure, I'd be happy to do that!"
"All right," Applejack said. "And we're gonna need somepony on the ground runnin' the show. Kinda like the ringmaster at the circus. Ah figured that'd be Twilight, but Ah got a feelin' she might be tied up working the spell-castin' end of thangs."
"Well, why don't you do it, A.J.?" Rainbow said.
"Me? Shoot, Ah wouldn't be no use! You could fit what Ah know about space on a postage stamp."
"But you're good at keeping ponies organized," Fluttershy pointed out. "Getting them working together as a team. We'll have ponies managing all the complicated details, but we do need somepony like you keeping track of everyone, making sure we're not going in different directions."
"Wayall... if y'all think that'll work, Ah'm game to give it a try. Any other roles we should assign while we're at it?"
"One thing I would suggest," Luna said, "is our proposed crew has members of the pegasus and earth pony tribes... we should consider adding a unicorn crewmember as well, so that all three tribes are represented."
"No argument here," Rainbow said. "The Wonderbirds always had a spellcaster on the crew. But who's it going to be?"
"Cain't be Twi or Starlight," Applejack said. "We'll want them here, makin' sure nothin' goes wrong with the spellwork."
Starlight looked up from her calculations. "And Trixie's out of town, doing her magic show."
Rarity suddenly realized everyone was looking at her.
"Oh, uh... me? Ah... well, I'm really not sure about that. It sounds rather dangerous..."
"It'll be fine, Rarity!" Spike looked up at her. "We'll have Twi and Starlight designing the spell, Celestia and Luna running it, Rainbow and me co-piloting, and everpony down here pulling for us. It'll be an adventure!" He put out a claw to touch her hoof. "And it'd be really great if we could share it together... please?"
"Oh!" Rarity stared at him, and then smiled warmly. "Well... ahem, I suppose if I am going to be designing space clothing, it'd be only fair to be able to try it out myself. I tell you what, Spikey-wikey... I'll go along, but only if I can pass the physical exam... or whatever it is. I imagine the requirements for a mission like this one would be quite strict!"
"Hey, yeah!" Rainbow said. "I totally forgot. We're gonna need to line up a training regimen, so our crew is in top shape and ready to go." She looked thoughtful. "And I think I know just the pony to talk to about that..."
"Alllllright, newbies!" Spitfire growled. "You think you've got what it takes to be Equuinaut Candidates? Well? Do yah?"
The flame-maned pegasus paced back and forth along the line of crew ponies... and dragons... and alligator mascots. They were all standing alongside the runway at the Wonderbolts Academy, wearing the simple gray flightsuits that Rarity had quickly run up for each of them to wear during training, while she completed their actual space gear.
"You think you've got what it takes," Spitfire went on, "to fly higher, farther, and faster than any creature in history? You actually think you've got the moxie to get all the way to the Moon and back, in just three days? Just seventy-two hours? Huh? Do ya?"
She was suddenly nose-to-nose with Rarity... who drew back, wide-eyed. "Well, let me be the first to tell you, you don't! And it's gonna take a lot more than good looks to get by around here, lady!"
"Errr... uh... yes, ma'am!"
Spitfire swung round and resumed pacing, snorting angrily.
Rarity glanced at Rainbow. "She is on our side, isn't she?", she whispered.
"Sure, this is just her way of saying hello." Rainbow winked. "Just roll with it!"
"No talking in ranks, Crash!" Spitfire swung round and marched over, to glare at Rainbow, eye to eye. "And don't think I'm gonna go easy on ya, just because you're a Wonderbolt. I'm gonna lean on you the hardest! Because I know you can take it!"
Rainbow saluted. "Ma'am! Yes, ma'am!"
Spitfire nodded, then looked to Rainbow's right. And blinked, and looked down... at Spike. The dragon saluted, stiffly and fiercely. "Co-pilot Spike, Ma'am! Ready for duty!"
Spitfire almost smiled... almost. "Ya got spunk, kid. And I hate spunk. It can get ya killed. I need dedication, quick thinking, and responsibility. You're gonna be Crash's wing... uh, creature." She waved a forehoof vaguely then recovered. "And you're gonna have to be ready and able to do everything she does. Everything! On short notice! And BACKWARDS!"
Spike's eyes went wide at the sudden fusillade of shouting, but his salute didn't falter. "Ma'am! Yes, Ma'am!"
There was a snurfling sound. Pinkie Pie had a hoof pressed to her snout, trying vainly to suppress giggles.
Spitfire swung on her, glaring angrily. "Something you find amusing, newbie? Something you'd care to share with the rest of us?"
"Of course!" Pinkie nodded. "I thought I was the Element of Laughter, ma'am! But you're an expert -- it's hysterical!" And then she finally gave it up, dissolving in helpless gales of laughter.
Spitfire looked as if she was going to bite her whistle in half. She stepped closer to stand nose-to-nose with Pinkie Pie, her stare blazing hotly enough to burn through steel. "You think all this is some kind of a joke? You think ponies putting their lives on the line, risking it all is funny? You think none of this matters?"
But Pinkie just smiled back, completely unfazed. "Oh, not at all! It's incredibly serious, ma'am. And risky. And scary. And I love the way you're helping us not think about it, by keeping everyone focused on training and the mission, and by acting all mean and scary yourself as a distraction. That's the work of a true master of the art of Laughter! I'm lovin' it!"
Coming to attention, Pinkie snapped off a respectful, serious salute. "Mission Specialist Pinkamena Diane Pie! Reporting for duty! Ma'am!"
And then her face broke up again. She covered her mouth with her hooves and resumed giggling merrily.
Spitfire cast a doubtful glance at her, then at Rainbow. "You sure it's a good idea bringing this one along, Crash?"
"Uhh... actually, she brought me along, Captain. And Pinkie may be a little random at times, but I trust her. She keeps us all going whenever the going gets rough."
"Well, that's good news!" Spitfire snarled. "Because it started getting rough the moment you all stepped onto this field!" She glared around at them all. "You're gonna work hard! You're gonna train hard! You're gonna make Equestria proud! More than that, you're gonna make me proud, newbies!"
"Ma'am! Yes, Ma'am!" they choroused.
"All right, then!" Spitfire nodded. "Non-pegasus crewmembers, start showin' me what you've got! Gimme fifty laps around this field, starting right now! GO GO GO!" Her whistle shrilled.
Pinkie, Rarity, and Spike jumped at the sound, glanced briefly at each other, then raced off together, with Pinkie scooping up Gummy as she passed him.
Spitfire watched them go. Then she shook her head. "Gonna be honest with you, Crash. You've got your work cut out for ya with this crew."
"I know, Captain. But I'm sure we'll pull it together... with your help."
"Don't worry, you'll have it." Spitfire waved over the other Wonderbolt officers who'd been standing nearby: Soarin, Fleetfoot, Blaze, and the rest. "We've gone over our flight training program, picked out the evaluation methods that seem most applicable to spaceflight. Plus, we've brainstormed some custom tests, and a few surprises for ya. You wanted hard? You're gonna get hard. I'll make sure everyone on your team is up to snuff. Trust me on this!"
"Thanks, Spitfire. I really appreciate everyone taking the time for this."
"Not a problem, Crash. As of now, Project Moonshot is officially the Wonderbolts' top priority."
"Oh... I guess Princess Celestia must've sent you a letter or something."
"Nope. This comes straight from the top. And the buck stops right here." She pointed to herself proudly.
"Geez, what makes it such a big deal for you guys?"
Spitfire eyed Rainbow sternly. "Ya know, Crash... you haven't exactly said why this Moonshot deal is so important to you, either."
Rainbow grimaced. She knew that look. She was going to have to come clean here. It would only end up hurting more otherwise. "Well, it's because when I was a filly... I loved watching the Wonderbirds movies. And because of them... well, I wanted to go to the Moon, and be the first pony to walk on it. Even though that's impossible. And then Pinkie Pie somehow found a way for it to be possible. And I ask you... seriously, could I pass up a chance like that?"
Rainbow shrugged, blushing. "That's the whole stupid truth. You can go ahead and laugh now if you want."
Spitfire just raised an eyebrow. Then she waved over a staff pony, and fished in the pony's carryall for a moment. She came up with a large, flat block of clear lucite, and tossed it to Rainbow, who belatedly caught it. Embedded in the block was a strip of newsprint. Looking closer, Rainbow could see it was a cartoon strip... a Wonderbirds cartoon strip.
"Used to collect those," Spitfire said. "When I was a filly and they still ran the strip in the funny pages. And then one day I made the mistake of showing my collection to some of the other kids at school. And they laughed and made fun of me. Said the Wonderbirds were just for little kids." She sighed angrily. "And I was stupid enough to listen to them. I took my entire collection and burned it. About half an hour later I came to my senses and regretted it, but it was too late. And they weren't printing the strip any longer, so I was HOL.
"But then I came across one last strip I didn't burn, because I'd been using it as a bookmark in my journal. This one." She tapped the block. "So I kept it as a reminder... to have no patience with idiots who just don't get what makes the Wonderbirds movies so special."
Rainbow stared at her. "You're a Birdie, Spitfire? Geez, I thought I was the only one around here!"
"We're all Birdies in the Wonderbolts, Crash." Spitfire glanced around at the other officers. "We just keep it to ourselves. It's a private vice for the in-crowd here... because you don't find out until you ask."
"Really? Soarin', Fleetfoot? All you guys?"
The others were nodding happily. Spitfire smirked. "What you think we're watching, in those late Friday officers' meetings? It ain't health and safety films, that's for sure! I mean, the Wonderbirds were freakin' named after us! Why wouldn't we be fans? And something else, Crash... where d'ya think the look of our modern-day performance flight suits came from?"
Rainbow looked stunned, staring at the blue-and-gold skin-tight suits that Soarin' and the others were wearing.
And then she nodded, seeing it.
"The helmets would have been a bit much," Spitfire admitted. "But it just means we can cosplay on the job and nopony's the wiser."
"Wow! That is just... totally cool, Spitfire!"
"We're so glad you approve, Crash." Spitfire was suddenly solemn and fierce again, and she fixed Rainbow with her best drill-sargeant's glare. "And we got no time to waste. So get after your team. Ride 'em hard, and keep riding 'em! We'll run you all through the gauntlet, the toughest, fairest drill we can manage. And then we'll just see if you've got what it takes."
Rainbow snapped to attention, and saluted. "Yes, Ma'am!"
"And remember, Crash," Spitfire growled. "We're the most hardcore Birdies there are. You're livin' our dreams here, doin' everything we've always wanted to do. You screw this up... you disappoint us... and you'll never hear the end of it. Trust me on that, too!"
Spitfire was smiling as she said it, but Rainbow still felt nervous.
Rainbow had to admit, Spitfire was true to her word.
It wasn't easy.
First there was the early rise every morning, and the daily calisthenics, which had them worn out and sweating before the day had even started. And only then did they move on the actual qualification tests. These ranged from simple tests of skill and coordination, all the way up to all-out physical endurance challenges.
One of the first of these was the Dizzitron, as a test of the candidates' resistance to disorientation and nausea. Spitfire had the contraption's launch lever carefully roped off in order to avoid accidents, but otherwise pushed the wheel's rotational speed up as far as each pony could take it.
Not surprisingly, Pinkie Pie was easily the most resilient. Whirling around with her forehooves in the air, giggling like mad, she continually begged for the speed to be increased, even when it was already pushed to maximum. And Spike, too, was a rock. His low center of gravity meant he didn't experience much disorientation, even when the device was cranked up to higher speeds. Yet even so, Spike was a little wobbly on his feet when they finally unclipped him.
To Rainbow's annoyance, she found that even with her previous experience with the Dizzitron, she wasn't nearly as resilient over longer periods as she'd thought... possibly because previous to this she'd only had to endure the spinning until the launch lever was pulled.
But at least she didn't come in dead last. Spitfire kept Rarity whirling around until her piercing screams shifted from mere shock to fear, and then to abject, bawling terror. Only then did she call a halt. Spike helped Rarity get down from the device and stagger over to a tree, where she sat in its shade and rested quietly, until her eyes stopped whirling.
After the Dizzitron, Spitfire moved them to a centrifuge that the Wonderbolts had built specially. It was basically a chair on a long pole that could be whipped around in a circle at high speed. And again, Pinkie was easily the champion. She could blithely take G-forces that would have crushed a unicorn or pegasi flat. And Spike, with his rugged dragon build, easily matched her.
Rainbow and Rarity were, surprisingly, nearly tied on this one -- possibly because the Dizzitron experience had made the fashion pony determined to try to tough this one out. Rainbow was surprised at her own weak showing, and reasoned it was because she simply hadn't pushed herself before. Her flying routines were normally based on maintaining control in difficult maneuvers, rather than simply pulling excessive G's.
Next was the hyperbaric pressure check, where each pony was put in a steel container in which air could be pumped in, or pumped out. Pinkie handled this easily: she simply swelled up like a balloon or shriveled inward like a prune, taking as much pressure change as they dared inflict in her. And Spike just sat there blithely, apparently unaffected aside from reporting that it made his eardrums pop.
Rarity came out slightly ahead of Rainbow on this one, finding the experience unpleasant but bearable. But Rainbow found that too much pressure made her feel uncomfortably constrained, and too little gave her a splitting headache.
Then they started the zero-G training, which came in two parts. First, they suited up in full diving gear, with helmet and air supply, and were lowered into a pool of water, to test their ability to operate with the encumbrance of the suit and helmet and the sluggish resistance of the water. Here all four crewmembers were fairly matched, since it was mostly a test of endurance, tolerance, and above all patience with the difficult working conditions.
The other part was skydiving. Spitfire had each candidate repeatedly taken up in a balloon to stratospheric heights, and then dropped overboard, with two chase Wonderbolts shadowing them on the way down. There were two further safeties below in case of emergencies, as well as Rainbow herself, fretfully waiting close to the ground as a last-ditch backup.
Being a pegasus, Rainbow had no fear of heights, and handled the plunge herself with ease. She even worked in a few of her favorite aerial routines once the drop portion had been completed. Pinkie enjoyed the drops immensely, repeatedly begging to be allowed yet another do-over, and having to be refused on the grounds that she streamlined herself so well on the way down the chase ponies had difficulty keeping up with her. Spike basically dropped like a stone, eyes shut and teeth clenched all the way down, but was determined to go again as often as they let him. And strangely enough, even Rarity seemed to have little difficulty with the repeated drops, once she'd nerved herself to let go of the balloon's railing... though only as long as "that gallant Mister Soarin'" was kind enough to catch her at the end.
And finally, there were the surprises Spitfire had promised... like being woken up in the middle of the night for a timed test of finding six buttons that had been hidden somewhere in the crew's bunkroom while they slept. Or having the hyperbaric chamber suddenly start filling with water, until they located a switch that would shut it off. Or having to complete a jigsaw puzzle... in teams of two, dangling upside down over a cliff edge with one hoof tied behind each trainee's back. "And if ya lose a piece," Spitfire warned, "don't come cryin' to me to fetch it for ya!"
Rainbow had always thought Spitfire a bit of a sadist at heart, but she was quickly coming to realize the Captain was something far, far worse: a sadist with carte blanche, who always had a perfectly good reason for whatever torment she was inflicting on them.
While the crew were all busy with training, Twilight and Starlight had been hard at work crunching numbers and crafting the physics and engineering that would serve as a basis for the multi-stage rocket they would use. The rocket itself was currently under construction too, by rather bemused construction ponies, at a launch pad set in a clearing out beyond the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres. And launch operations were being monitored from a control room set up in an audience chamber in Twilight's Friendship Castle, the windows of which looked out in the general direction of the launch pad.
The construction ponies were also busy at work on the spacecraft proper which would ride atop the rocket. Rainbow had immediately exercised commander's prerogative and dubbed the craft the Pegasus, even though it actually consisted of two parts: the Command Module, which would be used for the flight to and from the Moon, and the Lunar Excursion Module, which would take a two-pony crew down to the surface.
After a number of discussions -- or heated arguments depending on who you talked to -- Twilight and Rainbow had worked out a straightforward control layout for the two parts of the craft. And that meant that a mock-up of the controls could be built for the pony/dragon/gator crew's training work, while they waited for the actual ship to be made ready.
And here Rainbow finally began to feel a bit of an advantage. With her flyer's capacity for grasping the physical rationale behind each control, from thrust to guidance to environmental management, she could easily compartmentalize the panel, whittling it down to the one or two buttons or levers she needed to deal with at any given time.
Spike, as Twilight's assistant, likewise could handle any amount of detail, by simply categorizing things and remembering what category came next. He and Rainbow made a game of it, testing each other as they ran through the checklists Twilight had provided for the launch, navigation, docking maneuvers, and the final landing and takeoff on the Lunar surface.
Pinkie Pie by contrast found the control panels both baffling and very distracting. She kept wanting to flick whatever levers made lights go on and off, and had serious difficulty simply waiting for the right moment to operate the next control on the checklist. "It's just as good to do it now, right?" she would ask, plaintively. "Just so I don't forget later?"
Thus, she and Rarity focused more on the experiments that Twilight had arranged for them to run. And here Pinkie Pie was on much more solid ground... once she started thinking of them as cake recipes. "A drop of this, a twist of that, let it simmer for two minutes, then squeeze it onto this test strip... ha! Green! Wonder what that means? Oh, well, what's next?"
And throughout this process, the Sun and Moon were raised and lowered, the Day came and went, the Night fell and the Stars twinkled, just as they had for thousands of years. Just astral phenomena... just lights in the sky.
Rainbow watched her bizarre crew come together, finding their strengths and weaknesses, and readying themselves for a mission that would change all that...
... and hoping, beyond hope, that they were all up to it.
A few days later, Rarity had completed her work on their actual space suits. The results were impressive. The suits were skin-tight and brilliant white overall, with gold chest flashing and silver fetlock and neck rings, just like in the comic books... although there was also that distinctive Rarity touch, which gave them an air of style, of class.
Out of an excess of zeal Rarity had arranged a public fitting and presentation of the results at her Boutique in Canterlot. And the store was jam-packed with ponies, many of them parents with small fillies and colts in tow.
"Commander Dash? Can I have your autograph please?"
"Sure thing, squirt!" Rainbow used her teeth to grab a pen from her suit pocket, and scribbled her name on the young pony's leg-cast. Rainbow waved as the colt hobbled away to show his parents.
Then Rainbow turned to look at Rarity, sitting next to her. "This is unreal! We haven't even been to space yet, and we're already famous! I haven't signed so much stuff since I first got into the Wonderbolts!"
"Well!" Rarity fluffed her mane with a forehoof. "It's nice to know our efforts are appreciated." Then she extended the hoof to admire the fit of her own suit. She'd custom-fitted a suit for each of them, including a smaller version for Spike. She'd even designed a miniature suit that perfectly fitted Gummy... although the alligator seemed more inclined to try to eat it.
"Excuse me, uh... Commander Dash?" said a hesitant filly.
"Sure, no problem," Rainbow said, automatically reaching for her pen. "Where do I sign?"
"Do you know Nellie Hoofstrong?"
Rainbow abruptly came to a halt. The pen dropped from her mouth.
Then she grinned broadly. "Don't I, though! Isn't she, like, the coolest?"
"Yeah..." The filly looked bashful. "I really like her. I just... wish I could tell her that in person."
"I hear ya, kiddo. And you know what?" Rainbow put a suited forehoof on the filly's shoulder. "Next time I see her, I'll be sure to mention you to her. What's your name, by the way?"
The filly whispered it, in a voice barely above a squeak. But Rainbow caught it nontheless. And in response to the filly's wordless gesture, Rainbow gladly signed her autograph book, with both her own name... and Nellie Hoofstrong's.
The filly stared at it, wide-eyed. And then she leapt up to hug Rainbow. And then raced off to show her waiting parents.
Rainbow just stared after her, smiling wistfully.
Rarity clucked her tongue. "I know you're trying to make the children happy, Rainbow. But it's not really right to lie to them like that."
"It's not a lie!" Rainbow replied testily. "I was a fan of the Wonderbirds myself before most of these kids were a gleam in their parents' eyes. And Nellie Hoofstrong was my hero too. I know her as well or better than anypony in this room. And you know what else, Rarity?"
"What?"
"Look around, at all these fillies and colts. I just realized... they're Wonderbirds fans! They're not here to see us. They're here to see the Wonderbirds... or at least, the next best thing to them." She pointed a hoof. "That little filly, Rarity? That little filly is me, when I was her age. Desperately wanting to meet Nellie Hoofstrong, her hero. Wanting to train with her, and fly away with her to the Moon and the Stars." Rainbow stared around at the young ponies, anxiously holding their parents' hooves, trying to work up the nerve to approach the spacesuited team before them. "That's what we are to these kids, Rarity... their heroes made real. We're not just going to the Moon for ourselves. We're going for them... to live their dreams, to be their dreams..."
Rainbow suddenly looked afraid. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"And I really, really hope we don't screw this up for them!"
"We won't, dahling," Rarity reassured her. "We'll just go to the Moon. And then we'll get back safely. And then... well, I suppose that's it, really!"
"Yeah, Dashie!" Pinkie said. "You'll see, we'll make it happen!"
"Absolutely," Spike agreed. "We won't let you down, Rainbow!"
"Thanks," Rainbow said. "But that's not enough. We gotta give these kids something more. We've got to give them their dreams, show them their dreams are real, even if the movies aren't. Show them their dreams are important, and not something to be taken lightly!"
"All right, then," Rarity said. "What do we do?"
Rainbow thought quickly. "Okay, look. I'm Nellie Hoofstrong, commander and explorer. Rarity, you're Madame Huru, unicorn mage and Mistress of Mysterious Powers. Spike, you're Buzby Parsec, bravest co-pilot alive, who can fly anything with a throttle!"
"Ooh, ooh!" Pinkie was bouncing with excitement. "Me next! Do me!"
"Pinkie... you're Engineer Hoof Wrench. You can fix anything!"
"Yay! I can fix anything!" She paused, looking baffled. "Huh? How do I do that?"
"Yes, I mean really, Dash!" Rarity looked offended. "I know how much these characters mean to you. But we can't possibly pretend to be them!"
"I'm not saying we should. Just think of us as their real-world ambassadors. If the kids asking for autographs ask about them, or want someone to pass on a message to them, or want their autograph instead of ours, then that's what we give them. We give them what they want from us: their heroes, live and real and talking to them. And if there's any hard questions, let me field those, since I know the movies so well. Just be the characters these kids came to see. That's all we have to do for them!"
The others nodded, and they all set to work. And with each autograph, each whispered question, each look of amazed wonder, each squeal of delight, Rainbow could tell it was the right thing to do. And it wasn't only the children who were smiling as a result.
For a few brief hours, there in Rarity's shop, the Wonderbirds lived again, adored by their fans, young and old...
... or at least, close enough so it didn't matter, really.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Thank you, Commander Dash," Celestia said. "Now, would you mind giving our distinguished guests a brief overview of the design and function of your spacecraft?"
Considering Rainbow had only recently been given an engineering walkthrough herself, this was a tall order. Especially trying to figure out on the fly how to discreetly dumb it down to suit the patience of the griffon and dragon ambassadors standing beside Celestia.
The ambassadors were already staring at her attentively and expectantly, so she pulled it together and started talking. "Sure, Your Highness! Well, as you can see it's a multiple-stage rocket... which you can think of as being like a small pony, standing on the shoulders of a large griffon, both standing on the shoulders of an even larger dragon."
The two ambassadors nodded understandingly... and just a little smugly. Rainbow gave herself a mental pat on the back and then went on. "So, at launch, the dragon gives us a huge boost to get everything off the ground. Then the griffon gives us another boost to put us into orbit. And from there, the spacecraft on top fires its own engines, and makes the journey to the Moon and back."
"And what is it that's up there, on the Moon?" the griffon grumbled. "What's so important you feel you have to go to all this trouble?"
"Well..." Rainbow bit her lip. The truth probably wouldn't go over so well here. "It's for science... and we're developing all kinds of cool technology as part of this project... and yeah, it's kinda for the pride of doing it, I suppose."
The ambassadors still looked unconvinced.
"Perhaps," Celestia suggested gently, "we might ask one of the ponies building the spacecraft for his view. Excuse me, ah, Iron Girder, wasn't it?"
The leader of the earth-pony construction team nervously shifted his work helmet to his other forehoof and cleared his throat. "Uh, yes, Your Highness?"
"If you would, what does this project mean to you, personally? Why are you working so hard for its completion?"
"Well, I dunno!" Girder thought about it, and then shrugged. "I suppose it's for my kids, really. See, they're huge Wonderbirds fans, and..."
"Wonderbirds?" The griffon interrupted, looking surprised.
"Yeah, they're really into the movies. I wish they still made 'em, the kids love 'em so much. They get all excited about space travel, and science, and exploration and... well, like that. Anyway, working on this project, I get to go home every night and tell the kids their father's been working on building a spaceship, just like the one in the movies. Just like the one Nellie Hoofstrong rode to the Moon." He grinned self-consciously. "And you should see their eyes light up at that! Makes me real proud, being able to bring their dreams to life like this!"
The griffon was nodding understandingly. "The younger griffons at home are much the same way. Beats me what they see in this sci-fi stuff! But it gets them excited about learning and improving themselves, and making something out of their lives, so I can't fault them for that."
"I agree!" said Sharp Gem, the amethyst-hued dragon. "Once we finally understood the point of sitting around watching movies, instead of actually doing things, we really got into those historical films about the battles between the dragons and the Yaks. But I should bring home some of these Wonderbirds films, too. It'll help us better understand pony culture."
"Seriously?" Rainbow goggled, unable to contain herself. "The Wonderbirds?"
Celestia gently laughed. "Commander Dash, you need to understand that trade with other nations is about more than just resources and technology. It's also about ideas, about imagination, about the kinds of dreams that help pull a society forward, give it a goal to pursue collectively that makes the day-to-day worth bearing. And one thing Equestria does well is making those dreams tangible... as entertainment. In short, we are a net exporter of dreams, through our books and plays and movies. History, fantasy, science fiction... it's all Equestrian culture, and thus is of intrinsic interest to our neighbors in other lands."
"Hadn't really thought about it that way," Rainbow admitted. She smiled. "So I and my crew are kind of cultural ambassadors, huh?"
"Indeed you are," Celestia said proudly.
"No one'll argue with that, missy." The griffon snorted. "Provided you can actually get this boondoggle off the ground!"
"Well," Celestia replied smoothly, "to do that, we'll need to complete its construction. Which brings us back to the trade discussion we were having earlier. You can see now why we're so interested in arranging trade for titanium and other metals from the Griffon Kingdom, and for hydrocarbons and other propulsive materials from the Dragonlands. We are building dreams here, both for our citizens, as well as for yours. And with your nations' help, we'll be able to complete the project well ahead of schedule."
"You make a strong case, Princess," the griffon allowed. "I'll be sure to mention it to the grayfeathers back home. For a project as important as this, we should be able to arrange a mutually beneficial trade deal."
"And I'll make sure Dragon Lord Ember knows of it as well," said Sharp Gem. "Given you have a dragon of your own on the flight crew, and with such an important role, I'm sure she'll see it as a matter of national pride for us to provide whatever support we can."
"I'm grateful to you both," Celestia said. "Now, let's continue our tour with a visit to Princess Twilight's castle, so that you can see how the flight will be monitored and managed."
She led the ambassadors away, but not without casting a pleased smile in Rainbow's direction.
And Rainbow just stood there, unable to take it in. "The Wonderbirds..." she whispered, "... as cultural exports."
Then she shook her head in disbelief.
"Those guys must really be hurting for entertainment back home..."
Finally, they felt they were ready. Finally, Launch Day was scheduled.
And finally... Launch Day arrived.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rainbow and her crew, fully suited up, clambered through the side hatch of the Command Module and took their places: Rainbow and Spike in the pilot seats by the controls, and Rarity and Pinkie in the rear seats. Pinkie hugged Gummy nervously, then carefully tucked him into the small webbed hammock positioned between the rear seats. They each buckled themselves in, and Rainbow and Spike ran through the pre-flight checklist.
And then... they waited.
That was something the movies never showed... how much waiting there was in a launch...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the Mission Control room in Twilight's Castle, the flight controllers were all at their stations. Most of them were Wonderbolt officers or staff who'd volunteered for the task. The exceptions were Princess Twilight at the Spellcasting station, Nurse Redheart at the Surgeon's station, and of course Fluttershy as Capcom.
At the Flight Director's station in the rear of the room, Applejack looked left and right, checking everyone was in place. "L minus one minute, and holdin'," she called out. "Anyone who don't need to be here, clear on out."
"I hope that doesn't include us," said a regal voice behind her.
Applejack glanced that way then snapped alert. "Attention, ya'll, Princesses on deck!" Then she turned and started to bow to Celestia and Luna.
Celestia waved her hoof. "There is absolutely no need for formality, Applejack. We're only support crew today. You are in charge here."
"As you say, Your Highness." Applejack replied, and then turned back to the controller stations. "Okay, Twi. Let us know when you and Starlight are ready."
"Starlight," Twilight called into the radio mike at her station, "how do things look out there?"
"The rocket's fueled and ready," came the reply from the launch pad bunker. "Crew's aboard. The weather pegasi have finished and moved to recovery safe points. Final leyline check... all quiet. No magic anomalies to report. I'd say we're good to go, Twilight!"
"Thanks, Starlight." Twilight swallowed, and then looked to Celestia and Luna. "Ready for the transfiguration baseline."
Celestia nodded. She shut her eyes. Her horn lit up. Her wings spread.
And outside the windows, the sky grew orange, then red, then faded to the normal gentle purple of the night sky as the Sun slipped below the horizon. Around the room ponies lit lamps at their stations to provide light to work by.
"The Sun is in abeyance," Celestia reported. "Whenever you are ready, Luna."
Luna nodded, and shut her eyes. Her horn blazed, her wings spread.
And the sky outside suddenly fell to black, the black of infinite space, empty and cold. Within it, stars appeared. But these were not the familiar, friendly twinkling smudges of light... these were hard, sharp points, vastly distant. Into the deathly black sky the Moon arose... but again it was not the familiar softly glowing disc everyone knew. This Moon was ancient, its mottled and pock-marked surface speaking of a tumultuous havok wreaked upon it eons ago. And beneath their feet, they felt the very world itself shift, change form. Somehow the hooves guessed, the mind knew, that they were no longer on an endless flat surface, but were clinging to a small, fragile sphere, hanging unsupported over a yawning chasm of infinite depth and blackness that extended far, far below...
Luna took a steadying breath. The shimmering gleam of her horn flickered, then settled down to a calm baseline glow, maintaining the spell.
"'Tis done," she said, simply. "The Moon awaits its visitors."
Twilight consulted briefly with Starlight, then nodded. She turned to Applejack. "Spellcasting reports ready for launch, Flight."
Applejack tried to remember what she was supposed to do next. She decided breathing again might be a good first start.
"All righty, then," she called out. "All stations! Gimme a go/no-go for launch...
"Retro!"
"Go!"
"FIDO!"
"Wuff!"
"Wynona! Y'all get down from there! I repeat, FIDO!"
"Go!"
"Guido!"
"Go, Flight!"
Applejack proceeded through the station list. Each reported ready.
"Surgeon!"
"Go!"
"Capcom!"
"... um... we're all go here, Flight!"
"A simple 'go' will do ya, Fluttershy," Applejack chided her.
"Oh... sorry!"
"No harm, no foul, sugarcube." Then she turned to the final countdown checklist. "All stations, we are go for launch, and the clock is running. L minus one minute and counting. Final crew check, Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy turned to her microphone. "How are you all doing over there, Rainbow?"
"Bored!" came Rainbow's grumpy reply. "And ready to go! Enough with the formality already! Let's light this candle!"
Fluttershy giggled. "Everything in its time, Rainbow!"
The clock ran down without issues. They reached the last few seconds, and could hear the distant roar of the igniting engines.
"3... 2... 1..." Applejack called out. "L Zero! All engines full!"
And a blaze of warm light flooded the windows like sunlight, even though the skies were still deathly black overhead. Applejack checked her instruments, then checked with her eyes through the windows as a pillar of flame rose smoothly into the night sky.
"Liftoff! We have liftoff, ya'll! "
"Rainbow?" Fluttershy called nervously into her mike. "Do you read me? Are you all right up there?"
"Awww, yeah!" came Rainbow's exuberant response, over the thundering roar of the rocket's engines. "Equestria, we are on our way! The Wonderbirds... are... UP!"
The tense stillness in the control room broke into cheers and the stamping of hooves as the controllers applauded with abandon. Then Applejack called for order, and everyone quieted down.
Because there was already yet another checklist to work through...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The massive first stage fell away, splashing harmlessly into the Celestial Sea, where griffon metalsmiths would recover and recycle it. It was followed shortly by the second stage. And then, once they'd established orbit and swung round to the appropriate transfer point, Rainbow tugged the lever for the burn that sent the Pegasus roaring away from Equus, heading for a distant point where -- assuming Twilight's math worked out -- they would meet up with the Moon as it swung by.
"Burn complete, Equestria," Rainbow announced. "We're headin' out. To the Moon or bust!"
"Celestia's Sun looks so different from up here." Rarity said. "It's so bright! Uh... but of course, it's quite lovely!" she hurriedly added, as she discreetly drew down the shade on her window.
"Whee!" Pinkie spun Gummy in the air, amused almost beyond words by zero gravity. "It's just like the balloon trip to Yakyakistan, except we're the balloon!"
"Oh, dear..." said Rarity worriedly.
"Here we go..." Rainbow muttered.
"Anypony up for a game of I Spy?"
"Pinkie! We're not playing that!"
"Oh, come on! It'll be fun! I spy, with my little eye, ..."
She peered out through her window, at the vast, star-filled blackness beyond.
"Uhhh, yeah..." she said quietly. "I got nothin'... sorry...."
She was silent for so long that Rainbow turned to look. Pinkie had caught hold of Gummy and was hugging the alligator tightly in her forehooves, a small, frightened look in her eyes.
Rainbow exchanged a glance with Rarity, who nodded and put a comforting hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "Well, hey," Rainbow said brightly, "that just means we gotta work with what we remember. Like, how about this: I spy, with my little eye, something food-related that starts with 'M'..."
Pinkie brightened up immediately. "Oooh, yeah! Is it... marshmallows? Is it... marzipan? Is it meringue? Is it marmalade? Is it mangos? Is it macadamias? Is it..."
Pinkie managed to keep herself occupied with guessing for several minutes. Rarity and Dash were both astonished at just how many edible things there were starting with 'M'.
When Rainbow finally picked Pinkie's lastest determined guess as the right answer, Pinkie cheered loudly, completely over her fear. Then, with Rarity's assistance, she dove industriously into the checklist of in-flight experiments that Twilight had prepared.
Nodding with satisfaction, Rainbow turned to Spike. "Co-pilot, you got the conn. I'm gonna catch up on the mission log we're supposed to be keeping here."
Spike nodded. "You got it, Rainbow!" Even though there was pretty much nothing for Spike to do until the lunar insertion burn, the dragon conscientiously set his face in an attentive scowl and studiously checked every gauge in sight, one at a time, in rotation.
Best co-pilot ever, Rainbow thought to herself. Then she found the mission log-book Twilight had provided, grabbed her pen in her teeth, and tried to figure out how to make Nothing So Far sound sufficiently official and heroic.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Okay, Pegasus," Fluttershy said, "you're go for the EVA."
"You sure about this, Pinkie?"
"Hey, you get to walk on the Moon, Dashie! So I get to walk in SPACE!"
"Okay, but no funny business out there. You start going yo-yo on me, and I'll reel you right back in!"
"Rodger dodger, y'old codger!"
"And do remember, Pinkie," Rarity warned, "Ambient magic is low out here, and getting lower the farther we go, so don't count on your Pinkie-sense to warn you of trouble."
"Not to worry, Rarity. Got my eyes wide open for this one!"
Still feeling doubtful, Rainbow checked everyone's helmets were on tight, and the safety tether was clipped in place on Pinkie's suit. Rarity checked the smaller tether hooking Gummy to her as well.
And then Rainbow signaled Spike to run the pumps, depressurizing the CM's cabin. Undogging the outer hatch, Rainbow helped guide Pinkie and her alligator through it.
"Woo hoo!" Pinkie called. "This is amazing, Dashie!" She giggled. "Look, Gummy! We can see all of Equestria from up here!"
Rainbow was startled when Pinkie's helmeted face suddenly appeared at the window -- on the opposite side of the ship, upside down. "Hey, Rainbow! Hi, Rarity! Hey, Spike! How ya doin? Can I borrow a cup of sugar?" She giggled again.
"Uh, Pinkie, you're supposed to be testing the reaction jet, right?"
"Yep! Got it right here." Pinkie held up a hoof, to which the pistol-shaped jet was clamped. "Hang on, Gummy!"
But Pinkie wasn't listening. "Baroom!" She clapped her other hoof to the jet, triggering it full blast. Immediately she began orbiting the ship, at ever-increasing speed, with Gummy slinging round at the far end of his own tether. "Wheee! Ha ha ha!"
"Pinkie! Aw, geez!" Rainbow shouted. "I knew this was a bad idea!" She had nightmare visions of Pinkie wrapping the full length of her tether around the ship and then slamming into it at high speed. Or of the tether snapping, sending Pinkie and her pet hurtling away into the blackness.
However, after only a couple of orbits it became clear that wasn't happening. Just enough of the party pony's bizarre earth-pony magic seemed to be operating. Her tether wasn't getting any shorter, and it held securely as she slung around the spacecraft, orbit after orbit. Pinkie went round and round, picking up speed and cheering merrily, until the jet pistol's small cartridge finally ran dry.
"Awww..." she said, disappointed. "But at least we know it works, right Dashie?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. But Pinkie, how the hay are we supposed to pull you back in now?" Pinkie was still whipping around the ship at high speed.
"That's why I brought... a spare!"
Producing an extra cartridge from a suit pocket, she slapped it into the pistol, and then fired it again to reduce her speed. Orbiting slower and slower, she finally came to rest, right in front of the open hatch again.
Rainbow had no difficulty reeling her back in. "What the hay, Pinkie?" the pegasus demanded. "I thought I said no funny business out there!"
"Uh huh, and then you said I should behave like a yo-yo, and then you'd reel me in!"
"But... I... wait, what?" Rainbow stared at her, not sure if she was serious.
Pinkie grinned. "Round the world, Dashie! Big time!"
Rainbow stared at her, and then groaned in exasperation. Then she gave it up, and moved to shut and dog the hatch, while Pinkie settled Gummy and herself in their seats, still giggling madly.
The Moon's surface swept into view before them, as Spike used the jets to gently spin the Pegasus' dual craft into alignment.
"Wow..." Rainbow breathed, staring out through the CM's windows. The meteor-blasted, crater-pocked surface was so close she could practically taste the moondust.
Then, belatedly remembering she was supposed to be professional here, she called out: "Okay, Equestria. We're oriented for best reception. Heading into the Moon's radio shadow now."
"Roger that, Pegasus," Fluttershy replied, her voice already fuzzy with static. "We'll all be right here, waiting for you."
"No sweat, Fluttershy," Rainbow replied, smiling. "Talk to ya in a few."
The radio fell silent, as they passed around the far side of the Moon. It was unnerving, in a way, being this isolated from everyone and everything they'd ever known. Yet on the other hoof, everything had gone so smoothly that it felt like just another part of the mission, just another part of the job, a job they could all be proud of.
Rainbow glanced around at the her crew, saw them smiling back, obviously feeling the same way.
No matter where we are, Rainbow thought, we're right here, together. So we're never alone. Yeah, a bit sappy and philosophic, but that's what made the Wonderbirds so great, wasn't it? They could make you feel unashamedly happy, and get away with doing it, because they were supposedly only for kids.
Spike was conscientiously watching the clock, as the final minutes ticked away.
"Should be back in contact any second, Rainbow..." he said. Then he happened to glance up, through the windows.
"Hey, look!" he called. "There's Equus!"
They peered out through the windows, at the limb of the Moon's horizon ahead -- and a small blue-green sphere slowly emerging from beyond it. Like Moonrise -- only it wasn't the Moon...
That's home, Rainbow thought. Every place we've ever been, everyone and everything we've ever known. All on that tiny blue marble... woah...
Spike already had the camera out, and was grabbing a couple pictures of the rising planet. Then he glanced at Rainbow. "Sorry, I know it's not on the schedule and we don't want to waste film..."
Rainbow put a hoof on his shoulder. "No worries, Spike, go right ahead. Somehow I get the feeling this'll be more important than just about anything we're gonna bring home. Everycreature back there should have the chance to see this."
Spike kept snapping, as the radio hissed, and Fluttershy's worried voice became audible: "Pegasus, this is Equestria. Do you copy?"
Rainbow grinned. "Right here, Equestria -- safe and sound. And you should see the view from up here!"
"Roger that, Rainbow," Fluttershy replied, relieved. "Take some pictures for us, huh?"
Rainbow and Spike exchanged an amused glance. "Already on it, Fluttershy!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
With the final burn completed, and the spacecraft safely parked in lunar orbit, they began working through the checklist for crew transfer to the LEM.
"Okay, we're ready," Rainbow said. "Stand by, Equestria. Transferring power to the LEM."
Spike tugged the appropriate lever.
Something went clunk.
"Uh..." Rarity looked around nervously. "What was that? Was something supposed to go clunk just now?"
"Is something wrong, Rainbow?" came Fluttershy's worried voice over the radio.
"Not sure, Equestria," Rainbow replied. "We just heard a strange noise up here. It might be nothing, but..."
And then there was a louder BANG. The command module lights went dark. The internal fans fell silent. There was a worrying hissing noise. Rainbow felt the beginnings of a disturbingly familiar headache... "Equestria, the power just went out! And we're losing pressure somewhere!" She grabbed a flashlight from a wall bracket and cast the beam about, quartering the module's interior. "We gotta find that leak, and plug it fast!"
"I'm on it, Rainbow!" Pinkie lunged with a hoof and tore the top sheet from Rarity's sketchpad.
"Pinkie!" Rarity shouted.
Pinkie industriously shredded the sheet of paper into confetti-sized fragments, and then tossed them merrily into the air around her.
And then she realized the fragments of paper were all drifting in a specific direction -- forwards, towards the hatch to the LEM. "Pinkie, you're a genius!"
Rainbow was about to dive for the hatch herself, then she glanced around worriedly at her crew. "Helmets on, everypony, just in case. And check that your suit mikes are working."
"Rainbow!" Spike called out. "We're starting to spin! The leak must be acting like a jet! Should I use the thrusters to counter it?"
"Not yet, we don't want to waste fuel. Let's find that leak first. Just stay on the instruments, and watch our air pressure."
"Right, Rainbow!" Having pulled his own flashlight from its bracket, Spike used it to locate the pressure gauge. "The pressure's definitely dropping."
"I know, I'm feelin' it." Rainbow winced as she slotted her helmet in place. Checking that the others were similarly suited up, she dove for the hatch. Seeing no indications of damage to it, she nevertheless cautiously undogged it and tugged it open. It opened easily, so there wasn't a vacuum behind it. And a quick glance around the LEM's interior didn't show any obvious holes.
Confused, Rainbow drew back... and then noticed that there was a loose panel to her left, towards which Pinkie's paper fragments were drifting -- and there were fitful sparks of electricity coming from behind it.
With a cautious sweep of her hoof, she knocked the panel free.
"Equestria," Rainbow said, "there's a puncture in the CM's hull, behind the panel below the environmental controls. We must have had an overload and a blowout."
"Pressure's still dropping, Rainbow!" Spike called. "It's down by a quarter now!"
Rainbow thought fast. "Rarity, can you still put up a barrier spell to plug this leak?"
"Oh! Certainly I can, Rainbow, but I'll need line of sight for that."
Rainbow nodded, and motioned her over. "Pinkie, you bring the patch kit, and lend a hoof."
"Rodger dodger!" She already had it in her hooves as she followed behind Rarity. Rainbow quickly made room for the two ponies, and passed Pinkie the flashlight.
Rarity peered into the open panel. "I see the leak... one second." Her horn shimmered weakly. "There... got it. But I won't be able to hold it long. There's very little ambient magic to work with out here. We need a patch now, Pinkie Pie!"
"One patch comin' up... hot off the griddle!" Pinkie reached in with a hoof and slapped the sealant-smeared metal disc in place. "Got it!"
"Spike," Rainbow called, "how we doing on pressure?"
Spike examined the gauge at length, and then sighed in relief. "Pressure's holding steady, Rainbow. Should I bring us back up to normal?"
"Let's wait a bit, until we figure out what else is busted. The lights are still off."
"It's a bit messy in there," Pinkie said, peering around inside the panel. "Looks like the spatula drawer back home. But nothing looks really broken... aside from this one big squiggly part here."
"Lemme guess," Rainbow sighed. "It'll be the one thing we don't have a spare for."
"It's jammed into a cable bundle," Rarity said worriedly, "and throwing off a lot of sparks. It might be what's shorted out the lights. I could try using my magic to move it, but... should I?"
Rainbow looked startled. And then remembered it was her call. "Fluttershy, could you put Twilight on the line?"
"I'm here, Rainbow... what's up?"
"We've got a broken metal part behind the same panel, and it's shorting a cable. I need to know whether it's safe to move it. Wouldn't want to find out the hard way it's the only thing holding the ship together right now."
"Hold on, Rainbow, they're bringing me the specs for that panel now... okay, is it the main condenser baffle?"
"Uhhh..."
Pinkie spoke up. "Would that be a long, really twisty pipe, Twi? That twists back and forth, like the heating element in an oven?"
"Yeah, that's it, Pinkie. And which cable is it shorting? Is it the one leading to the secondary bus manifold?"
"Is that the thing down the bottom that looks like a spatula... only with four handles?"
"Umm... exactly. Okay, that means it's safe to move it. It's shorting power but thankfully it's not shorting the main bus. But there's a larger problem... without that condenser, you're not going to be able to maintain temperature control in the CM... and it's gonna get cold in there pretty quickly."
"You're right, Twi!" Spike called out. "The temperature in here is dropping already!"
Rarity gave a nervous laugh. "I was wondering why I was starting to think about my fall line..."
"We're in our suits, Twi," Rainbow said. "So we're good for the moment. Can we replace this condenser thingy ourselves?"
There was a pause from the other end. "It's not clear, Rainbow. According to the construction ponies here, it's going to take more than a little engineering work to rig up a replacement."
"But we can do it, right?"
Another pause. "It... might be better not to take the risk. We should consider cancelling the spell... and bringing you all back home..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the Mission Control room, all eyes were on Twilight as she said this.
Rainbow's voice immediately came on the radio in reply. "What the hay, Twi? You mean give up? Just like that? Because of a busted pipe?"
"I know what this means, Rainbow," Twilight said, anxiously. "And I wouldn't suggest it if we knew that's all it was. But we don't know what other damage might have occurred. And we can't tell what else might go wrong if the internal temperature drops too far. Our first priority here has to be everyone's safety."
"Twilight, we can make this work!" Rainbow pleaded. "I say we stick it out, see what we can do. If things actually do start going south, then..."
"... then we might not have time to act, like we do now," Twilight objected, "before someone is hurt!" Twilight was trying to maintain a calm, collected tone -- and failing. "By then it might be too late! Or you might be in the Moon's radio shadow again, and we wouldn't be able to help you!" She got a grip on herself, and spoke with deliberate calm. "Look, I'm the Spellcasting lead, so it's on me to make the call here." She sighed. "I think we should end the spell and bring you back."
"No."
Everyone in the room turned to look at Luna. Including Celestia, who raised an eyebrow.
"Sister? It is an appropriate decision, after all. We should bring Rainbow and her crew back safely."
"We might easily bring them back," Luna declared sternly, her horn softly glowing as she maintained the spell baseline. "But the pony we bring back would no longer be Rainbow Dash. She would be a pony who has failed to achieve a lifelong dream. Worse yet, she would never have even the possibility of discovering whether she might actually have succeeded, in spite of the risk."
Celestia considered it. And then simply nodded, remaining silent. And Luna gazed levelly, almost challengingly, at Twilight. While Twilight was nominally in charge of Spellcasting, only Luna could actually bring the spell baseline to an end.
And she clearly wasn't about to.
Twilight bit her lip. Then she turned back to the radio. "All right, Rainbow. Let's replace that condenser first. And then let's see what else we need to fix..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Yay!" Pinkie cried.
"Celebrate later, Pinkie," Rainbow reminded her. "We still don't know whether we can actually replace this thing."
"Don't you worry, Dashie! I'm Hoof Wrench!" Pinkie declared proudly. "I can fix anything!"
"Pinkie..."
But the party pony wasn't listening. "Twilight?"
"Right here, Pinkie."
"I'm your hooves. Just tell me what I need to do." Pinkie held up her own forehooves like a surgeon. "Talk me through it. Like with the experiments... spell it out to me like cake recipes."
"Okay, Pinkie. First, we need to get that broken condenser out of the way."
"I'll get that." Rarity charged her horn with the little magic that was available, and used it to gently lift the condenser and pry it loose.
The sparking stopped, but the lights still remained off. "Probably just a tripped breaker," Twilight said when they reported this. "We'll deal with that in a bit, once the condenser problem is solved. Hold on, Pinkie. The construction ponies here are debating something. Okay, here we go. Is the existing condenser salvageable?"
"Don't think so, Twi. It's got a lot of cracks in it."
"Okay. We'll need to make a replacement. What's that? Oh good... thanks, Iron Girder. Pinkie, there's some metal conduit tubing under the right-hand control console, which is the right length and thickness... but we'd need to form it into the right shape."
"Oh, hey! I can do that!" Spike said. "Of course... it means taking off my helmet," He glanced worriedly at the temperature and pressure gauges. "But it's only going to get colder in here, so better to do it now, right?"
Rainbow nodded. "Don't worry, Spike. I'll take the conn, and I'll keep an eye on ya to make sure you don't pass out or freeze. Pinkie, pass me that busted condenser."
"Here ya go!"
Rainbow returned to her seat, even as Spike dove beneath his console. He came up with the length of metal tubing he'd pulled loose. Then he carefully unscrewed his helmet, and shivered a little at the advancing cold.
"Let me know if we need to try raising the pressure," Rainbow warned.
"It's a little thin," Spike agreed, "but with the oxygen from my suit I should be good." Tuning his firebreath, he began using it to soften and gently shape the tubing, using the broken one Rainbow was holding as a model.
"Pinkie," Twilight said, "while Spike's doing that, let's work on cleaning up any other damage in there. To the left of where the condenser was, there should be a compressor assembly..."
"Cake recipes, Twi!" Pinkie reminded her.
"Oops, sorry! It'll be a gray cylinder with three bundles of wires coming out of it."
"I see it. It looks fine."
"Okay, to the right, there'll be a brown box with a bundle of wires coming out of the top."
"Oooh, that's got a hole on one side. I didn't see it before because the condenser thingy was in the way. It must be what blew out in the first place."
"Not to worry, Pinkie. That's just a transformer. You do have a spare for that. It's in the patch kit."
"I've got that, Twi," Rarity said. "Pinkie, you pull out the broken one... but do check it's not live first!"
"Okie dokie!" Pinkie pointed with a hoof. "Here, use your magic to hold this wire thingummy out of the way. Gotta get some leverage on this to yank it out..."
Rainbow waited tensely, monitoring the temperature and pressure gauges, while Spike shaped the tubing and Rarity and Pinkie worked on the cleanup work. Then Rainbow helped a very chilly Spike get his helmet back on, while Pinkie and Rarity worked on installing the replacement condenser.
"Okay," Rainbow said at last. "Pinkie, you keep an eye on the new condenser, let us know if it's about to bust loose on us again. Rarity, you're on the fuse panel, in case anything trips. Spike, you're on the control panel, report any environment changes. Annnnd... I'll just hang out here in the middle, and worry enough for all four of us."
Once everyone was in position, Rarity reset the flipped fuses... and the lights and internal fans came on.
"So far so good," Rainbow breathed. She nodded to Spike, who gingerly fired thrusters to cancel their spin and put them back in the correct orientation. And then he retoggled the LEM power transfer. This time, it worked perfectly: they could feel the vibration of fans starting up in the LEM, beyond the forward hatch.
Pinkie nodded proudly. "The new condenser's holding, Dashie!"
"Nothing else tripped on the fuse panel," Rarity reported.
"O...kay..." Rainbow said. "Spike, how we doing on environment?"
"One second... yeah... uh huh... yep! Temperature's coming right back up. Everything else looks normal, though the air pressure's still low."
"Okay, bleed enough from the reserves to bring us up to ninety percent, just until we're reasonably sure we're back to normal."
Spike did so. And then the four of them looked at each other for a long moment.
And smiled.
"Equestria... I think we're back on track here," Rainbow said. "So... we'll continue with the LEM transfer checklist."
Fluttershy's voice came over the radio. "It's so wonderful to hear that, Rainbow! We're all relieved down here. Oh, and Twilight says she's sorry for trying to overrule you."
"She was just doin' her job, Fluttershy. As a flyer, I can respect that. Let's stay focused on the landing. Having gotten this far, I'm not turning around now!"
They took an extra orbit, just to be sure the repairs were holding.
Then Pinkie snagged Gummy and tucked him into his pocket on her flight-suit, and she and Rainbow floated through the connecting tunnel into the LEM.
"Thanks for agreeing to mind the store up here," Rainbow said to Spike. "I mean, this way we won't have any worries about having a ship to come back to, right?"
"No problem," Spike replied. "It's your show, Rainbow. Yours and Pinkie's. Thanks for inviting us along, letting us be a part of it."
"Best co-pilot ever," Rainbow said, holding up a hoof.
Spike gladly bumped it, and gave her a thumbs-up.
"And you take care down there, Pinkie!" Rarity scolded her. "Don't let Gummy wander off. And don't forget Twilight's experiment list. She'll never let us hear the end of it if we come all this way and then miss something."
"Relax, I got it covered, Rarity. See you when we get back. And we'll bring you back some Moon cheese!"
"There's no such thing, dahling. That's just a story."
"No it's not!" Pinkie dug in a pocket of her suit, and pulled out a package of string cheese. "See? I'm bringing this with me, and when we get back, it'll be cheese that's been on the Moon. Soooo... Moon cheese! Yay!"
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "The thing that frightens me the most is one day finding out that she's been the brains of this outfit all along." She waved a hoof. "See you two on the flip side!" Rainbow motioned for Spike to shut the CM hatch, and then shut the LEM side of it.
And then she floated over to belt into place next to Pinkie at the lander's controls.
She stared at the controls... at her own hooves on them. Just like Nellie Hoofstrong, about to land on the Moon.
This was it. This was what it was all about. And she wasn't going to let anyone down.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Pegasus, this is Equestria, you're go for final descent."
"Okay, Equestria, we're closing with the surface... thirty feet... two and a half down... landing lights on... faint shadow... four forward, four forward... drifting to the right a bit... okay, down a half..."
"Thirty seconds, Dashie!"
"Forward drift... forward... annnnd... contact light! Okay, engine stop... engine arm off... engine safed... and... geez... that's it. We're here."
"Yay!"
"Uh, Equestria... Friendship Base here... the Pegasus has landed!"
"We copy you down, Rainbow! You've got a roomful of ponies about to turn blue here. We're breathing again... thanks so much!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Come on, Pinkie! The clock's ticking! And the whole world's listening in for this!"
"All set, Rainbow!" Pinkie checked that her suit was sealed tight, then gave her bubble helmet a satisfied thunk with her hoof. Then she held up the spare helmet in which she'd safely corked Gummy so he couldn't wander away.
Just to be sure, Rainbow double-checked the seals on their suits, and the regulators in the backpacks. Then, taking a deep breath, she threw the switch that pumped away the air in the LEM.
She pulled open the hatch door, and backed out through it. Sliding down the ladder, she reached the flat landing pad at its base.
And paused, her mind awhirl with emotions: the need to complete this phase of the mission on schedule and without a hitch; astonishment at suddenly finding herself here at last, after so much work and anxiety. And no small amount of trepidation... after all, how could a project so complex, so insanely daring, so capable of catastrophic failure in any number of ways, nevertheless have gone so right, putting her here at last... about to set hoof on the Moon...
"You get stuck down there, Rainbow?" Pinkie called over the suit radio.
"Just... livin' the moment, Pinkie," Rainbow replied, a little breathlessly. "Okay, I'm going to step off the landing pad now..."
She struggled to remember the exact words Nellie Hoofstrong had used. She wanted this moment to go right...
She reached out a hindhoof, and set it down onto the soft, crumbly powder of the Moon's surface.
"That's... one small step... for a pony," she said, hoping the radio mike was picking her up clearly. "One giant leap... for everycreature!"
"We copy that, Rainbow," came Fluttershy's soft voice over the radio. "Congratulations! We're all smiles and tears down here."
"You're not the only ones..." Rainbow replied quietly.
She took a few experimental, bounding steps, moving away from the LEM. This is it, she thought frantically, we made it! No matter what else happens, we made it here! I'm walking on the Moon. That's... soooo awesome...
And then she looked around, at the grey, rolling emptiness around her... miles of it in every direction, right up to the strangely close horizon... and utterly devoid of life. Nothing moved out there, nothing breathed. Just endless gray dust and rock, and knife-edged shadows.
Feeling suddenly alone, Rainbow swung back towards the LEM.
"Pinkie! Get a hoof on! And bring the camera! We need a group selfie out here, right now!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
They ran through the subsequent mission steps with only a little hoof-holding from Ground Control: collecting the contingency samples of lunar dust and rock... taking photographs... setting up a small Equestrian banner and a plaque which together denoted not conquest or territorial claim, but peaceful cooperation...
"Let me take a moment to describe this to ya," Rainbow said to her radio audience. "First, there's the Sun, Moon, and Stars. And under that two large circles, showing all the lands of Equus. Underneath that it says Here ponies from the planet Equus first set hoof upon the Moon. We came in peace for every creature of our world. It has the crew members' hoof- and claw-prints, and the official signatures of the four ruling Princesses of Equestria."
"That's wonderful, Dash!" Fluttershy said. "What? Oh, of course. Go ahead, Your Highness!"
And then suddenly a different voice could be heard over the radio. It was Princess Celestia.
"Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie..." Celestia's voice was somehow so strong and clear, she could have been standing right next to them. "...we cannot tell you how proud we are of what you and your crew are doing. Creatures all over this world, I'm sure, join with Equestria in recognizing what an immense feat this is. It inspires us to redouble our efforts to bring peace and friendship to all of Equus. For one priceless moment in the whole history of our world, all creatures on this world are truly one: one in their pride in what you have done, and one in our hopes that you will return safely to us."
"Thanks, Your Highness. It's an honor and a privilege for us to be here."
"You've certainly earned it, Rainbow. And we'll look forward to seeing you in Horseshoe Bay on Thursday."
"Um... Hello, Dash. It's Fluttershy again."
"I could tell by your voice, Fluttershy."
"Oh, right! Um... the next item on your list is collecting the remaining lunar samples..."
"Just one second, Equestria," Rainbow said, sighing. "I have to go stop Pinkie Pie from using Gummy to see if she can bowl on the Moon..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Faster than Rainbow would have believed possible, they'd gotten through all the post-landing checklist items.
"That's it," Fluttershy said over the radio. "And you're way ahead of schedule. Uh, what? Oh. Twilight says unless you can think of something she missed, you've got five minutes to just hang out and enjoy the scenery, before we need to start the pre-launch checklist."
"Thanks, Equestria," Rainbow said.
"Okay if I go play a bit, Dashie?" Pinkie asked.
"Sure, knock yourself out, Pinkie... I mean don't actually knock yourself out, but just... aw, heck, just take it easy, all right?"
"Roger dodger, you old codger! Whee!"
Pinkie began stotting happily in slow motion, bounding away across the landscape, kicking up small sprays of dust wherever she landed.
Rainbow was halfway tempted to join her, to spend these last few minutes in a filly-like gambol over the dust plains. But somehow, her heart wasn't in it. She was feeling inordinately solemn in fact. She stared up at the blue-green disc of Equus hanging in the sky above them, and around at the gray landscape of the Lunar surface. She extended a forehoof, drawing her suited hooftip through the powdery regolith. She played with the dust for a while, digging channels, pushing it into little hillocks, making a little imaginary Lunar city...
... and suddenly sighed loudly.
Pinkie came to a halt, and looked across at her. "What's wrong, Dashie?"
"When we leave here, Pinkie, and they cancel the spell... all this..." Rainbow waved a hoof at the lander, the flag, the rolling gray landscape all around, "... will disappear. Everything will go back to normal, nothing but an astral signature, just a big light in the sky. We'll have a few rock and dust samples, sure, but this place, everything that we saw and did here, will be gone."
Rainbow said nothing for a while, breathing heavily, tears in her eyes. Then:
"We'll never be able to come back here again."
No one said anything for a while.
Then Fluttershy spoke up. "Oh, uh, what? Oh, sure! Excuse me, Dash. Princess Luna would like to say something..."
A pause, then Luna's dour voice came on the line.
"Commander Dash, canst thou hear us? Is this thing on?"
"Uh, go ahead, Your Highness... we copy."
"Indeed," Luna replied dryly. "Commander, a spell is but a capturing of truth and algorithm. And once written, a spell may always be invoked again, at near-zero cost."
"But we've done what we came to do, Your Highness! We came, we saw, we walked on it. End of story. We're done here."
Luna sounded amusedly disgusted. "Rainbow Dash, thou art not nearly old enough for that level of ennui! We have learned much from all of this. About teamwork, about the resilience of ponies... and of the other creatures who inhabit this world. And about what can be accomplished if we merely put our minds to it. We are in no sense done yet. You are not leaving this place forever. Quite the contrary: you have brought this place into being, into existence, simply by by wanting it, by travelling to it. Is this not a grand magic trick, in and of itself?"
Rainbow nodded. Then she remembered that Luna couldn't see her.
And then she remembered too, that Luna was maintaining the spell baseline -- in essence, the very ground beneath Rainbow's hooves. And even with that burden the Princess remained kind and patient enough to reach out and gently haul Rainbow out of her own self-imposed gloom.
We don't deserve rulers like them, Rainbow thought. We really don't.
"Yep... I suppose it is," she said aloud. "Thanks for reminding me of that, Your Highness."
"Thou art welcome, my little pony. And we feel it safe to say that others will one day stand where you stand now. We shall return to this Moon, someday. But for now... it is time for all of you to come home..."
She paused. And when she spoke again, her voice was slightly muffled, as if she was turned away from the mike, looking across the room.
"... before my sister blows a gasket, trying to hold back her Sun..."
"Well..." Rainbow said. "We sure wouldn't want that, Your Highnesses!"
She took a moment to sketch one last channel in her Lunar dust city. Then she stood up. "Okay, Pinkie! Playtime's over. Time to pack it in!"
"Awww... just five more minutes, Dashie? Hee hee hee! Juuussst kidding!"
They returned to the lander, shut the door, and repressurized. When they removed their helmets, Rainbow noticed an odd, gunpowdery odor... and realized it was from the Moon dust still clinging to their suits.
Huh, she thought. The Moon actually smells like something. Never would've figured that.
She made a mental note to add it to the log, and then she and Pinkie strapped in at the controls.
"Crew!" Rainbow called. "Report readiness for ascent!"
Pinkie checked that Gummy was snug in his pocket on her suit again.
"Ready, Dashie!"
"Annnnd... GOODNIGHT, MOON!" Rainbow hauled down on the throttle. The ascent module's rockets fired, kicking them in the rear and sending them soaring back into the darkness of space.
Shortly thereafter, they redocked with the command module.
"Hey gals, welcome back!" Spike said, pulling open the connecting hatch for them.
"Hiya, Spike!" Pinkie darted past him, caught the edge of her seat with a forehoof, and gracefully flipped over onto it... upside-down. "Whee! I'm gonna miss weightlessness! It's like a trampoline that never quits!"
"I'll just be happy to get my hooves on the ground again," Rarity groused. "After all this time floating about up here..."
"Hey, yeah..." Rainbow said, as she and Spike transferred the containers of Lunar rock and dust to the CM. "What have you two been up to, all this time?" She elbowed Spike. "All alone up here together?"
Spike and Rarity both stared at Rainbow, then at each other. Then Spike blushed, and Rarity sniffed delicately. "I'll have you know, Rainbow Dash," she said archly, "Spikey was a perfect gentleman the entire time!"
"Oh, yeah... I'll just bet he was!" Rainbow doubled over, laughing so hard that she flipped in midair, and only narrowly avoided braining herself on the edge of her seat. Then, shamefaced, she and Spike had to hustle in order to get the ship battened down, the hatch sealed and the LEM jettisoned, and the burn fired within their exit window, putting them on course back home.
For most of the rest of the day they peered up through the windows at the steadily approaching blue-green sphere. Rainbow caught up on mission log entries, Spike tended the instruments, Pinkie worked through her return-flight experiment checklist, and Rarity busied herself with her notebook, jotting down sketches for an entire new line of Moon-inspired evening wear.
They hit atmosphere early, at the near edge of their impact window. They waited tensely, squashed in their seats by the deceleration, as flames licked threateningly about the windows, and thunderous roaring and banging sounded all around them. They splashed down on the dot, in the middle of Horseshoe Bay, in the salmon-hued light of early dawn. And as the hired tenders closed on their position, a glorious, blinding glare flooded through the capsule windows... for Princess Celestia was finally, finally able to raise her Sun once more.
When Rainbow yanked the release lever that threw open the hatch, allowing them to exit and be collected by the rescue team, she paused just for a moment to look up at the sky, at the pale white disc of the Moon.
Once again, it was a flat, astral signature in the blue dome of the daytime sky, no more corporeal than a reflection in a bucket of water. And then it sank steadily, as Luna tucked it carefully away below the horizon, where it belonged during the day.
Rainbow sighed.
She knew she was never going to see it quite the same way, ever again.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
They returned to Canterlot, to the Royal Palace, and a hero's welcome.
It wasn't quite like the Throne Room scene at the end of Wonderbirds IV: The Last Hope Of Equestria, which Birdies generally agreed on as the series' high mark for uplifting pride and stirring grandeur.
It was better.
The Audience Hall of Canterlot was packed, with nobles and common ponies alike. The guards stood at full attention, saluting. And Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight Sparkle stood on the throne platform, waiting with regal pride. Accompanied by the stirring notes of Equestria, My Home, being played by the Palace's official orchestra and chorus, the crew of the Pegasus marched down the red carpet together, then assembled before the ramp leading up to the platform, and stood waiting.
And then Celestia did something she very rarely did.
She led her fellow Princesses down the ramp, to stand on a level with the heroes of the day. As one the royals bowed their heads, warm smiles on all their faces.
CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA, Celestia called out in full Royal Voice, as the Princesses raised their heads once more, IT IS OUR GREAT PRIDE TO BESTOW UPON EACH OF THESE VALIANT EXPLORERS OF DEEPEST SPACE, THE EQUESTRIAN ORDER OF MERIT, FOR THEIR DETERMINATION, COURAGE, AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FURTHERANCE OF SCIENCE.
The Chief Steward approached with a velvet cushion, from which each of the four Princesses drew medals with their magic and bestowed them upon their recipients.
RAINBOW DASH! Celestia intoned, COURAGEOUS AND STALWART COMMANDER OF THE PEGASUS, AND THE FIRST PONY TO WALK UPON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON!
MADAME RARITY! Luna shouted, EXPERT DESIGNER, AND MAGE EXTRAORDINAIRE!
PINKAMENA DIANE PIE! Cadance called. MISSION SPECIALIST AND ENGINEER... TOGETHER WITH HER EVER FAITHFUL COMPANION, GUMMY! she added, as Pinkie held up her pet to receive his own tiny medal.
AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST... SPIKE, THE BRAVE AND HONORABLE! Twilight called out, smiling with barely contained pride as she settled the medal about his neck. STALWART CO-PILOT, AND EVER-FAITHFUL ASSISTANT TO EVERYCREATURE!
WE DECREE A DAY OF CELEBRATION IN THEIR HONOR, Celestia concluded. LET THESE HEROES BE SHOWN EVERY DEGREE OF GRATITUDE AND GENEROSITY OF WHICH WE ARE CAPABLE, FOR BRAVING THE UNKNOWN, LIFTING OUR EYES TO THE STARS, AND REPRESENTING ALL THAT IS BEST AMONGST THE MANY SPECIES THAT SHARE THIS WORLD! HONOR THEM, FOR THEY ARE THE TRUE WONDERBIRDS AMONGST US!
As the assembled crowd willingly cheered and stamped in adulation, Princess Celestia leaned her head closer to the five equuinauts. "And if there is anything you personally need or want," she said. "You have only to make it known to us, and it shall be provided, as token of our gratitude and pride."
"Well..." Rainbow said, scratching her mane nervously. "There is one thing we really ought to do... just for old time's sake, while it still counts..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Ponyville Bijou's main theater was empty, save for three ponies, a dragon, and a toothless alligator, all seated together in the front row. By special request of the Princesses of Equestria, the Wonderbirds 50th Anniversary Movie Marathon was being given one final and private showing.
And Rainbow found herself watching it with an uncomfortably critical eye.
"Ya know, I always thought that spacewalk scene was a bit wonky. You can see the wires and everything. Sheesh! I used to like this stuff? Seriously?"
"Shhhhh!" Pinkie Pie whispered. "Don't spoil the illusion!" Then she buried her snout messily in her fifth tub of buttered popcorn.
"After all, Rainbow," Rarity added. "These movies are just fantasy... light entertainment..."
Spike looked up at her. "That wasn't the way you sounded when that Applewood exec was talking with you about starring in that Wonderbirds remake they're planning."
Rarity ahemmed uncomfortably. "Oh, well. It was all very flattering, Spikey, especially the way they want to re-work the characters to look like us. But when I saw the scripts, I didn't see much in it. It was all just spaceships and rayguns. It completely missed the point of the original movies and comics."
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, that's for sure!"
"And like I said," Rarity went on, "the original movies were created as fantasy, mere entertainment, nothing more... and rightly so. It's what they were made for. It does them a disservice, really, taking them too seriously."
"Yeah, right... fantasy... right."
Rainbow shook her head. The other ponies weren't flyers. They just couldn't understand what it meant. To know that it could be real -- that it had been real! That they'd all actually been up there...
... having that merciless yardstick, to eternally measure one's dreams by.
Rainbow exchanged a wordless glance with Spike, and the two of them nodded companionably to each other. Co-pilots understood these things, at least.
And Rainbow kept thinking back to Luna's words, up on the Moon...
Someday, they would return there...
They had to...
Because...
The Wonderbirds... are... UP!
The End
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro. No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.
Obviously, this story is based on actual events leading up and during to the Apollo 11 landing, but it also references a number of other space-related events and icons. As a thank-you to everyone who's been following along so far, here's a bonus chapter to mark the actual anniversary of the lunar landing, which discusses the references in the story (both to actual events and fictional sources).
The Wonderbirds...are... UP!
The story's title is obviously a reference to the Thunderbirds catch phrase ("Thunderbirds are GO!").
It's also an in-story reference to MLP's flying team, the Wonderbolts... who are themselves inspired by the real-world Blue Angels / Thunderbirds flying teams.
It's also a reference to every heartfelt catchphrase from a television or movie series, from Star Wars' "May the Force Be With You" to Galaxy Quest's "Never Give Up... Never Surrender" -- that repeated phrase which starts out sounding hokey, and by the end of the story has taken on a life and meaning of its own for the fandom.
The Movie Marathon
Pick your favorite multi-episode serial/series: Space Patrol, Tom Corbett, Captain Video, Flash Gordon, Buck Rodgers, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. The "Wonderbirds" are simply a reference to that one favorite sci-fi book, TV, or movie series that you recall most fondly from your childhood, and would willingly stand up for even today, based on how it fired your imagination when you were a child.
And if you haven't sat up all night in a theater movie seat, watching sci-fi film after sci-fi film, and then walking out bleary-eyed into the sunlight, wanting to sleep all day like Princess Luna, then...well... you haven't done that. But it's worth doing, at least once.
Birdies/Birders -- Trekkies vs. Trekkers, the debate about which is the "preferred" name for the fandom is eternal, except for one thing: the thing the other fans call themselves is always less cool somehow...
Nellie Hoofstrong -- this is a straight-up ponification of Neil Armstrong, though the character also represents the main hero of any space expedition, real or imaginary: the heroic, larger-than-life captain/commander figure.
A meta-reference here is the disappointment many of us felt when parents/family/friends told us that "that sci-fi stuff" is a waste of time, because it's made up and not real. Of course it's not. But our dreams are real, and the things that fire our imaginations are no less valuable, simply by being fantasy.
Oh, and by the way, in writing this, I fully expected someone to be silly enough to try to remind me: "Hey, dummy! You know spaceflight and the Moon landings are real, right?" Look, I lived through this stuff, so I know it's real. The point is to ask: what if something so essential to what we think of as "the modern world" was in fact fantasy-movie material, to the point that parents would warn their kids not to get too wrapped up in it? What if something as concrete as a trip to the Moon was impossible... unless you have an alicorn Princess or two willing to lend a hoof? And how would it change the ponies' perspective on themselves and their world, if it was suddenly made possible, by royal fiat?
A Royal Petition
Rainbow's "We choose to go to the Moon," response to Luna's question is, obviously, a reference to JFK's announcement of the space program. Whether you view it as a stirring call to action or political sleight-of-hand to draw attention away from issues at the time, it's important to remember a time when an American President could actually commit the country to a project like this, and have it then become a reality... not like the "jam tomorrow" promises we get today of landings on the Moon or Mars, which are forgotten almost as quickly as they're announced.
Crew Assignments
"If any pony can science the hay out of this, it's you!"
This is a reference to "The Martian", though put through the family-friendly laundry a bit.
"... and that means that to anyone on board, falling at the same rate as the ship, it would seem like there was no gravity on board at all... wait a second..."
You gotta love Twilight: from zero to General Relativity in ten seconds flat!
Rainbow Dash is Neil Armstrong, and Spike is Buzz Aldrin during the trip to the Moon, then he switches over to being Michael Collins during the landing itself. And Pinkie Pie? She's channeling the lighter side of all the early astronauts, from Mercury to Gemini to Apollo. Rarity doesn't represent a specific astronaut here, but in a sense she represents the progressive, inclusionary nature of Equestria's space program. And Gummy... he's Gordo the squirrel monkey, Laika the dog, and all the other animal test pilots who've helped pave the way (willingly or not) into space.
Fluttershy as Capcom -- I was looking for some role that everyone's favorite butter-colored animal-lover could handle, so what better position to give her than the astronaut on the ground who relays messages to/from the capsule? And who also serves as a kind of ground proxy for the concerns of the astronauts in space, having personally been there before.
And Applejack is Gene Kranz, the Flight Director for Apollo 11. Her no-nonsense approach and Southern twang seemed perfect for the role (even though Kranz was actually from Ohio originally).
Space Training
The Wonderbolts seemed perfect to manage the intensive training program undertaken for any spaceflight. And many of the tests involved are true to life, like the centrifuge, the hyperbaric chamber, the underwater suit training, and the "zero-G" flights, though astronauts use an airplane flying a parabolic arc to simulate zero-G (which in physical terms is essentially the same as sky diving, except the plane is doing it with you...)
"Everything! On short notice! And BACKWARDS!"
This isn't space-related, but I thought it was a good gag. There's an old saying: Ginger Rogers had to do everything Fred Rogers did, but on short notice... and backwards... in high heels.
"Embedded in the block was a strip of newsprint. Leaning closer, Rainbow could see it was a cartoon strip... a Wonderbirds cartoon strip."
This is a reference to an actual incident from Ray Bradbury's childhood. It was Buck Rogers comic strips, and he tore them up, but basically the point is the same: you can be cool to others, or true to yourself -- and the latter is usually the saner option.
"And they weren't printing the strip any longer, so I was HOL."
Horseapples Out of Luck, of course. What did you think it stood for?
"We're all Birdies in the Wonderbolts..."
This is totally made up, but I thought it appropriate that a professional flight team like the Wonderbolts would take to heart a fantasy reference to themselves.
"Rainbow had immediately exercised commander's prerogative and dubbed the craft the Pegasus..."
Yeah, I know the CM was called Columbia, and the LEM was called Eagle for Apollo 11, but I allowed Rainbow's ego a small amount of license here, in order to avoid an unnecessary multiplicity of names.
Heroes and Ambassadors
This chapter, more than any other, is what I wrote this story for -- to show that the astronauts were not just test pilots or space-jockeys, but also ambassadors of our dreams... and there are reasons for going to the Moon that somehow never get into the official budgets and reports, but are nevertheless just as important.
"This is unreal! We haven't even been to space yet, and we're already famous!"
This is from the early Mercury program, where the astronaut candidates had this experience, of being talked up in the press long before they ever went to space.
"Okay, look. I'm Nellie Hoofstrong, commander and explorer. Rarity, you're Madame Huru, unicorn mage and Mistress of Mysterious Powers. Spike, you're Buzby Parsec, bravest co-pilot alive, who can fly anything with a throttle! ... Pinkie... you're Engineer Hoof Wrench. You can fix anything!"
I made up most of these names on the spur of the moment, but my primary source was the Filmation cartoon series Fantastic Voyage, which had nothing to do with Isaac Asimov's novel of the same name apart from the conceit of shrinking a crew of explorers and their craft to microscopic size.
"Buzby Parsec" is a reference to Busby Birdwell from Fantastic Voyage, and also a punnish reference to Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story.
"Madame Huru, Mistress of Mysterious Powers" is a reference to "Guru, Master of Mysterious Powers" from Fantastic Voyage, and also a sound-alike callout to Commander Uhura from Star Trek.
and "Engineer Hoof Wrench" is clearly Scotty from Star Trek, but also the miracle-working mechanic from any series, like Tech Sergeant Chen from Galaxy Quest, or Kaylee Frye from Firefly.
"We give them what they want from us: their heroes, live and real and talking to them."
When you're a kid, this is why you go to Sci-Fi conferences: to meet your heroes from the screen in person... and then you discover the very different, very distinct personalities of the actors/actresses who portray them, and it's kind of an eye-opener.
"Sure, Your Highness! Well, as you can see it's a multiple-stage rocket..."
Rainbow here is any engineer, trying to figure out how to explain the miracles of technology to the holders of the purse-strings. (Thankfully, this is a children's show, so I could avoid the really old joke about asking how astronauts go to the bathroom in space.)
"And what is it that's up there, on the Moon?"
The eternal question: why waste money on space, when there are so many problems here on the ground? One answer is an expression variously attributed to Faraday or Ben Franklin: "What use is a newborn baby?" There's always a debate over the cost and value of a space-program, and in particular of sending human astronauts when remote landers could do the job, but the thing to remember is that it's not a zero-sum game. Investing in space is a way of convincing ourselves that the impossible is possible -- that all the other problems are solvable too, given the will and the dollars.
There's a line from the series Babylon 5 that sums it up nicely: "See, in the last few years, we've stumbled. We stumbled at the death of the President, the war, and on and on. And when you stumble a lot, you start looking at your feet. Well, we have to make people lift their eyes back to the horizon, and see the line of ancestors behind us, saying, "Make my life have meaning." And to our inheritors before us, saying, "Create the world we will live in.""
After all, if you're going to ask people to "think of the children", you'd better be ready to invest in something truly worthy of those children's dreams...
"The Wonderbirds..." she whispered, "... as cultural exports."
Yeah, China and India are catching up to Hollywood, and the tail is beginning to wag the dog in China's case, but for a while now, we've been exporting culture to willing consumers in other countries. And you never know what people from another country will take to heart from your culture. (Don't believe me? Read up on the peculiar Swedish tradition of Kalle Anka.)
Launch Day
"That was something the movies never showed... how much waiting there was in a launch..."
True story. Spaceflight is very dull, then really exciting, then very dull. Some things never change.
The "Spellcasting" station is obviously made up, but the other flight controller stations are true-to-life. And I couldn't not do the Wynona joke for the FIDO station, it was too good to pass up.
"Let's light this candle!"
A reference to Alan Shepard, first American in space, reacting to having sat in his Mercury capsule for hours waiting for launch, after delay after technical delay.
The flight time to Equestria's Moon is somewhat abbreviated compared to an actual lunar flight, but that was because I didn't want to force Celestia and Luna to remain awake (or trading off the spell baseline) for upwards of a week.
"Okay, but no funny business out there..."
Spacewalks in the Gemini space program were serious business, but also thrilling for the astronauts involved, which sometimes led to a bit of high spirits and clowning. Pinkie's just acting out what any self-respecting astronaut might like to do, if they knew they could get away with it...
Breathless
"The radio fell silent, as they passed around the far side of the Moon."
Michael Collins, alone in Columbia during the lunar landing, reported being struck by the solitude of being out of radio contact, but was actually more concerned about the safe return of his fellow astronauts.
"Hey, look!" he called. "There's Equus!"
One of the two iconic moments here: the first sight of Earthrise over the Moon's surface, which was the origin of the "big blue marble" perspective of our planet. And indeed, taking that iconic photograph wasn't on the official schedule, but the astronauts did it anyway, to our eternal benefit.
"Something went clunk."
And here's the other iconic moment. Well, I couldn't get away without having some kind of Apollo 13-like near-disaster here. But the point wasn't just to put our heroes in peril, it was also to point out that risk (and tragedy) is part of the game, and we can't back away from it. We have to accept it, and push through it, since facing and surviving it helps define us as individuals, and it's part of what makes the journey worth taking.
As a side note, the cause of the Apollo 13 incident was a rupture of an oxygen tank during a routine "cryo-stir" operation on the outward leg of the flight. Since I wanted the Pegasus's emergency to take place in lunar orbit, I assumed for the sake of the story that the Equestrian ship's design requires a transfer of power from CM to LEM, e.g. to "wake up" onboard systems and get the craft ready for separation. This doesn't reflect the actual engineering of the Apollo spacecraft, it's a fictional conceit.
The Mare on the Moon
"Thirty seconds, Dashie!"
This is pretty much a straight transcript of the Apollo 11 landing, with a few minor liberties to translate it to "pony-space". The thirty seconds reference is Buzz Aldrin letting Neil Armstrong know that they have thirty seconds of fuel left before the no-return point where they'll have to abort.
"That's... one small step... for a pony,"
Another endless controversy: whether the "a" was simply lost in transmission. Not taking a side here, I simply allowed for that possibility for the sake of the narrative.
"Let me take a moment to describe this to ya..."
This is pretty much a straight retelling of the Neil Armstrong's description of the plaque on the Lunar Lander's descent stage.
"Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie..."
... and this is President Nixon's congratulatory call to the astronauts. Note that I'm saying nothing about Celestia's politics here, she's just the closest analogue to a President that Equestria has.
"We'll never be able to come back here again."
After 47 years, we still haven't gone back, and Rainbow is basically expressing the sadness of that fact, the sense that things this grand get done once, and never again. Hopefully we'll have the will and means (governmental or commercial) to correct that within our lifetimes.
This was something noticed by the astronauts who landed on the moon, and is an interesting case in point of something that wouldn't have been noticed by an automated lander not specifically designed to detect it. It might seem a small thing, but little observations like this, put together, are where big discoveries come from.
"Annnnd... GOODNIGHT, MOON!"
Yeah, that's a reference to the children's book. I needed something appropriately Rainbow Dash to say at this moment.
"What have you two been up to, all this time?"
Poor Rarity... roped into this entire spaceflight mainly so we could have this one gag.
"They waited tensely, squashed in their seats by the deceleration, as flames licked threateningly about the windows, and thunderous roaring and banging sounded all around them."
The tensest part of spaceflight is usually landing, because it's the one time you really have to trust that physics works. Remember the Space Shuttle? Which basically became an eighty-ton glider during re-entry and landing, so it had to get it right the first time?
"Once again, it was a flat, astral signature in the blue dome of the daytime sky, no more corporeal than a reflection in a bucket of water."
This is a reference to an old Zen koan, "No Moon, No Water". The reflection of the Moon in the water is a metaphor for the illusion of understanding that we normally walk around with. It's not until the bottom falls out of the bucket, and the illusion drops away, that we find ourselves lifting our eyes to the actual Moon itself, and really understand what it was we were missing all along.
"It wasn't quite like the Throne Room scene..."
I was specifically thinking of the scene at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope, but any space mission ought to have an appropriately regal ceremony like this to conclude it.
"the Wonderbirds 50th Anniversary Movie Marathon was being given one final and private showing."
It's not quite a proper Mystery Science Theater 3000 reference, but it's close.
"... having that merciless yardstick, to eternally measure one's dreams by."
We all have to live with the fact that a journey to the Moon isn't just an aspiration, it's an historical fact... and hope that it won't remain solely in the history books forever!
And that's it. Thanks for reading, everypony! For now... this is Commander Rainbow Dash... blasting off...
