I walk proudly down the path toward the elevator on the side of the gantry tower. Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts are standing on either side with a hoof above their eyes in salute. I get on the elevator and ride to the top. I walk across the bridge into the white room. After waiting for everything to be primed for me, I am led by a worker to crawl through the hatch. I am strapped to my wings, and then the hatch is buttoned up. Had the lights and display not come on inside my helmet, I would be in pitch darkness. I hear Twilight call out to her operators in Mission Control, telling her to give a go or no-go for launch.
**
"All right flight controllers, listen up. Give me a go/no-go for launch.", she says to everyone in the room.
"Booster"
"Go.", says Applejack.
"Surgeon"
"Go.", says Fluttershy.
"Guidance"
"Guidance Go.", says Daring Do.
"Recovery"
"Recovery is go", says Rarity
"CAPCOM"
"Go, Twilight.", says Spike
"Launch Control, this is Twilight Sparkle, we are go for launch."
**
My radio was automatically switched to hear the workers at Launch Control. They began the countdown till I would take off.
"T-Minus: 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, go for main engine start.", says Thorax.
I feel vibrations as the boosters begin releasing fuel that is about to be ignited.
"Five, four, three, two, one, IGNITION!", says Thorax.
The vibrations intensify as the fuel is ignited. For a little bit, I only feel the vibrations, and then I feel the rocket start to move.
"You have cleared the tower.", Spike says.
"Copy that, I've cleared the tower.", I reply.
Just then, the controls inside my cockpit light up and Twilight tells me that she will radio when to detach the main engines and when to open the shroud that surrounds me.
Four minutes later...
"Rainbow, this is Twilight. You are clear to jettison the main engines."
I acknowledge her order and flick a switch that fires bolts to separate the engines. She radios me again twenty seconds later to open the shroud. I flick another switch and the shroud breaks open, exposing me and my wings to the beauty of space. At the same time, small boosters push me forward and away from the rocket. Moments later, my wings begin to deploy and lock in place. Once they are set, I press the button to power them up and I start feeling the vibrations.
"Wings are powering up.", I radio to Canterlot.
Once my wings are completely powered up, I extend my front hooves out to engage the warp drive. I feel the engines kick in and I am blasted forward at tremendous speed. Stars and planets shoot by me as I zoom through.
"I feel like a million bits! This is so beautiful!", I crow over my radio.
"We can see it all. Yes, space truly is beautiful.", Twilight replies.
Soon, the time comes for me to return. I drop out of warp and then use small boosts to turn myself around.