Once I am lined up to fly back to Eqqus, I begin powering up my wings again and then shoot into motion. Everything seems to go smoothly for about one-third of the way back, but then I run into a mass of magnetically charged gas clouds. This ends up releasing an EMP as I pass through, which disables my warp engines. My radio and my main power core are protected from magnetic interference, so I can still communicate with Mission Control. However, without my engines working, I will not make it home. I need real help now.
"Mission Control, this is Rainbow. I have a problem. I ended up running through a mass of magnetically charged clouds. My engines are disabled from an EMP. What do I need to do in order to restore power to the warp drive?", I radio to Twilight.
"Detach from the engines and access the power box behind where you are strapped in. You will remain tethered to your ship. Then, you need to reset the main power grid for the wings. There is a switch that will allow the engines' power grid to function in unison with the auxiliary power grid in your suit. This auxiliary power grid will act as an emergency battery that will protect your engines from magnetic interferences.", she instructs me.
I follow Twilight's instructions and unclip myself from my main restraint. I remain tethered because there are lines that connect me to my wings in case I would have to carry out repairs mid-flight. After getting myself free, I locate the power box and then reset my wings' power grid. Once it is working properly again, I switch it over to work with the auxiliary power grid in my space suit. After getting strapped back in, I power the engines back up and then continue warping back to Equus. I reach orbit in two and a half hours, and then my engines shut down automatically due to having used all of their power. Twilight informs me that Luna and Celestia are already on the recovery ship in the ocean to pick me up. She switches me over to them for a minute so I can get some in formation about re-entry.
"Rainbow, atmospheric re-entry is the most dangerous phase of any space mission. Your life is in grave danger once you start to penetrate the atmosphere. If a heat shield is damaged in any way, the extreme temperatures will vaporize you in mere seconds. Also, you will feel some massive g's as you drop closer and closer to the ground, so it's okay to pass out. If you do go unconscious, we will revive you after we get you on board.", Celestia says.
I acknowledge what she has said and then she switches me back to Mission Control. I fire my small boosters to enter the atmospheric corridor and then I allow gravity to take over. I am fully aware that the plasma that will form around me is going to induce radio blackout, so I do not try to make contact when it does. As I descend further , I begin to feel weary and then my eyes slide shut. I am awoken slightly after what seems like hours when in reality only three minutes have passed. What wakes me up is a sudden jolt when my parachutes catch me and slow me down abruptly. I can see the water coming closer as I float down toward the Celestial Sea. I splash softly into the water and then I start to float back up. As I float up, I slide out of consciousness again.
When I wake up, I am in the medical bay of Celestia and Luna's recovery ship. I am no longer wearing my space suit. Instead, I am in a hospital gown, and I am breathing on an oxygen mask. Once the ship arrives at port, I am led off the ship and I meet with Twilight to discuss how warp drives could be modified so that they are protected from magnetic pulses all the way from the start. After the meeting, I am given a medal of courage for not giving up to make it back to Equus, and then I join Twilight and everyone else who is working to build Equus' first starship.