As they were launched, Night Dance felt himself being pushed back into his seat. He didn't dare look out any of the windows, instead opting for firmly squeezing his eyes shut.
"Dear Celestia!" His Commander cried as they were all shoved into the back of their seats, the rest of his crewmate's cries were drowned out by the roaring engine sending them far from home.
Iron Hoof scanned the cabin they currently resided in, and saw that pretty much everypony was as stunned as him, Rose Ribbon the most. She was squished into her seat, her wings pressed against the inside of her suit, pushing desperately for freedom. She was shaking somehow, or was the shuttle shaking her? Were they shaking?
Yes, yes they were.
Iron Hoof's eyes snapped shut as he waited for alarms to indicate system failure. There must have been too much wind resistance, or was the wind itself simply too strong?
The end never came.
The shaking stopped, and he listened to the several clicks of the shuttle as it advanced through the phases. He listened as they connected with the E.S.S (Equestrian Space Station), and he listened to Night Dance's gasp.
Slowly opening his eyes, they drifted to the window. Stars stared back at him.
They'd done it.
A big purple stallion stood in Ponyville townsquare amongst the crowd of ponies, watching the big screen that hung on the side of town hall as it showed a big shuttle launching into space.
Candy Apple smiled. Had it not been so long ago when he'd been helping his dad Big Mac and his mom Sugar Belle, when he'd pushed his tiny cart around the small town of Ponyville? The tiny town that had expanded so greatly within the last few years?
"Dad, why're yah cryin'?" A tiny filly with a pink coat asked.
"They ain't tears of sadness, honey, they're tears ah joy." He replied, hugging his daughter close.
"Today is ah day nopony will forget."
"Please! One at a time!" Luster Dawn yelled out over the crowd, her wings outstretched.
Eventually the crowd quieted down, however, many reporters had their hooves held high, questions they needed answered. Luster Dawn looked around the crowd, picking out some reporters to answer questions.
"Stallion with the faded brown cap?" She asked.
"Record Weaver from Equestrian Times, you've stated many times that our ponies will be headed to space, but you've never stated when they'll return, do you have an estimate?" The faded blue stallion inquired.
"Our astronaut's should return from their journey in roughly 2 years, bringing with them anything they may find along their way. However, they may return sooner or later than the 2 year estimate, we have no sure way of knowing currently."
"Next, pale blue mare near the back?" Luster asked.
"Dawn Muster from PonyVille Central News, What is your organization hoping to find in space? Isn't it just an empty expanse?" Dawn questioned, spreading her wings to push some of the crowd away.
Luster grunted in annoyance. Why had she been put in charge of answering the questions?
Snowfall giggled as she jumped around the inside of the E.S.S, the low gravity causing her to float and bounce everywhere. Iron Hoof watched as several of his team did the same, however, he didn't scold them. Why should he? They'd just accomplished something amazing.
Night Dance struggled to move, his wings fluttering uselessly as he tried to fly his way through the cabin. Rose Ribbon giggled as she watched the pitch black stallion doggy paddle into several walls in an attempt to move anywhere. She carefully floated over to him, trying to dodge the wings flying this way and that.
"Use the walls to help you move around, wings won't do anything here-" She was promptly hit in the face by a stray wing.
"I'm so sorry!" Night Dance called out as the force from the wing sent him flying back. Rose giggled and went to catch up with him.
Twilight rested on a hill, a gentle smile on her face.
"I wish you guys were here to see it. It was amazing, a pretty big accomplishment of science if you ask me." She asked the five gravestones that stood on the hill, each marked with their own cutie mark.
"Probably a pretty egg-head move, if you ask me." She giggled before turning to the sun.
"After a hundred years, it never gets any easier." She muttered, lowering the sun over the horizon.
"Lowering the sun? Or them?" Came a voice from behind her.
Luster Dawn trotted up to her, sitting down right next to her. She put a supportive wing over Twilight and offered her a sheepish smile.
"Both I suppose, I really do miss them all." Twilight leaned on Luster Dawn, frowning slightly.
"Well, I think they'd be incredibly proud of you." Luster replied quietly, earning a small smile from Twilight.