Chapter XIII
An Answer
Vinyl stared out the window of the Astronomy Room, gazing upon the vast diorama of stars. She counted off the seconds in her head, licking her lips in quiet anticipation.
“Twenty seconds,” Adi said over the radio sitting innocuously on the table.
Vinyl glanced at Luna, who stood at her side. The princess watched the same scene with a small smile. She turned her eyes back to the sky, scouring for any indication of her target.
“There.” Luna pointed in the distance. A second later, a new light appeared, shining like a star in its own right as it drifted swiftly across the sky.
Vinyl’s lips turned up in a grin. “I see you, Adi.”
Adi’s voice was proud. “Pretty neat, huh?”
“That’s one way to put it.” Vinyl traced the ship’s motion with her hoof, trying to imagine that the little moving light was actually a spaceship. It boggled her mind, and she’d already learned so much. “I can’t believe you’ve been orbiting Equestria for two weeks and this is the first time I’ve seen the ship.”
Twilight’s voice rose from the radio. “Fifteen minutes, Adi.”
Adi’s response had a professional tone to it. “Acknowledged. Everything’s ready on my end.”
Luna left Vinyl to watch the passing light in the sky, approaching the table. “Are all the ships in position?” she asked.
“Yesterday’s storm blew a third of our vessels off course,” Twilight replied. “Some of them still haven’t made it back to their proper places, but what we have will be sufficient. I seriously doubt we’ll have any trouble picking up Adi once her drop pod hits the surface.”
The light passed beyond Vinyl’s vision over the horizon, making its way east. Sighing with disappointment, she turned and approached the radio. Sitting opposite Luna, she said, “I still don’t get why you can’t just grab her. It sounds so much simpler.”
Luna sighed. “Maneuvering a small ship at distance is a very different thing from controlling the sun or the moon, Vinyl. They are huge objects millions of miles distant, their motions are of incredible speeds above the comprehension of most, and the sheer difference in mass is beyond description. Attempting to pull The Journey down to the surface using the same magic might end up smashing it like an egg against a brick wall, and that’s a gross under-exaggeration.”
“Yeah, your sister said the same thing,” Vinyl grumbled, “although she compared it to a snowglobe the size of a bit hitting a concrete barrier with all the force of a hundred Sonic Rainbooms.”
“I question her numeric accuracy,” Luna said, “but that’s certainly an appropriate image.”
Adi’s voice chimed on the radio. “Don’t worry, Vinyl, the drop pods are designed for this kind of thing.”
“I’m not worried,” Vinyl replied, scratching behind an ear, “I just don’t get the physics and magics behind the reasons not to do it. Guess I’m too dumb.”
Twilight’s voice rang over the speaker. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re not dumb, Vinyl, you just haven’t the experience of Equestria’s rulers. If they say we can’t do it, I think it’s best we believe them.”
“This will work,” Adi said. “I’m not going to sit up here until I’m old and grey and crazy waiting for some magical alternative. I’m ready to do this.”
“Ten minutes,” Twilight chirped.
“Alright, I’m moving into the pod. Give me a minute.”
Luna leaned over the table. “Sister, are you there?”
“Sorry, Luna,” Twilight replied, “she’s in flight. She wanted to be ready to catch the pod as soon as it enters the atmosphere.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Luna asked with a taut frown. “We don’t know exactly where the pod will breach. What if it is right above her?”
Twilight responded, “That’s what I said, but she insists she’ll be okay. I’m inclined to believe her.”
Luna’s frown didn’t fade, but she said nothing else.
Adi’s voice returned. “Okay, I’m in the pod and the seals are all closed. Let me go through all the safety checks on this thing, then we’ll be set. Shouldn’t take more than a minute with how many times I practiced.”
“Take it slow,” Twilight said. “Now’s not the time to make a mistake because you’re excited.”
“Got it,” Adi replied, her tone mildly frustrated.
Vinyl kept glancing out the window, as if she expected to spot Adi’s ship among the stars for a second time. She almost couldn’t fathom that in a few short minutes Adi’s pod would be touching down in the Everfree Sea on the other side of the world. A thrill of energy ran down her spine and she had to fight not to run in place.
“I’m here.” The door to the astronomy room opened to reveal Flash Sentry, without his usual armor. “I’m not too late, am I? Please say no.”
Vinyl’s eyes lit up and she hurried to him. “You’re just in time! Adi’s prepping for launch as we speak.”
“Five minutes,” Twilight called.
“Thank goddess.” Flash accepted Vinyl’s hug before the two sat at the table side by side. He gave a brief bow to Luna. “Princess.”
“Good evening, Flash.” She gave him a warm smile, but quickly turned her attention back to the radio.
“Flight checks done,” Adi said. “Heya, Flash, welcome to the party.”
“Hey, Adi,” Flash replied as he draped a wing over Vinyl. “Ready to join the herd?”
“You bet I am.”
“After four years? I can’t imagine.” Vinyl grinned and leaned against Flash. “I can’t wait to greet you in the flesh. For real, this time.”
“Yes, you’ve said that a dozen times already.” Adi’s laugh had a giddy quality to it.
Twilight spoke up. “One minute. I’ll start the countdown at thirty seconds, okay?” Silence. Vinyl, Flash and Luna shared curious expressions. Just as Vinyl was about to speak up, Adi gave another weak laugh.
“It’s happening. Oh God. V-Vinyl… it’s finally happening.”
A grin spread on Vinyl’s lips at that excited tone. “I know. I know, Adi.”
“This is incredible,” Adi continued, seemingly more to herself than her listeners. “I’m going to be free of this ship. I can h-have a home again.” Another laugh. “Why do all these emotions hit at the most critical time?”
“Starting the countdown,” Twilight called. “Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…”
“Calm down, girl,” Vinyl said, though her smile had only spread. “You can explode after you’ve pulled that lever.”
Adi barely managed to respond amid her giggles. “It’s a… It’s a button.”
“—twenty, nineteen…”
Luna’s voice was commanding. “Concentrate.”
“R-right.” Adi sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t want to miss the window.”
“Don’t worry, Adi, you’ve got this,” Vinyl said, “It’s just a button.”
“—ten, nine—”
“Just a button,” Adi whispered.
“—eight, seven—”
The three ponies leaned over the radio, ears perked.
“—six, five—”
“One little button, and I can have a home.”
“—four, three—”
Vinyl began rubbing her hooves together. Flash gave her a squeeze.
“—two, one… launch!”
Silence. Vinyl’s heart pounded. She’d stopped breathing. It seemed like a silly response; it was just a button. Even though she told herself that, couldn’t bring herself to pull air back into her lungs. Not until—
“Pod disconnected.”
Vinyl heaved a gasp and collapsed against Flash, who wobbled from the sudden weight shift. Her chest swelled, her heart pounded against her ribs and her grin came back in full force. “You did it, Adi! You’re coming home.”
“Yeah… I did it.” Adi let out a deep sigh. “This is it. There’s no going back.”
“Okay, Adi.” Twilight’s voice was encouraging. “If our calculations are correct, you’ll be entering the atmosphere in four minutes. Set your entry vector.”
“Already on it,” Adi said, but her voice came out as a hoarse whisper.
Vinyl sat up straight, her eyes on the radio. “Adi, you okay?”
“Y-yes.” A sniff rose through the speaker. “I just can’t believe I’m here. H-hold on, I need to work.”
“Sorry.” Vinyl clamped her lips closed, accepting a comforting nuzzle from Flash. She glanced to the curiously silent Luna, who watched the radio with an expression reminding her of a hawk. The princess's manner unnerved Vinyl, but she didn’t dare say anything. Instead, she turned her attention back to the radio.
“Alright, everything’s set,” Adi said. “Now it’s just up to the machine and God.” Static began to rise up from the speaker. “Vinyl… this is it.”
“Yeah.” Vinyl chewed her lip and pressed against Flash. “This is it.”
Adi’s voice became a whisper. “Y-y’know, there’s still a good chance—”
“You’ll make it, Adi.” Vinyl leaned forward once more, trying to force as much confidence into her voice as she could. “Don’t think about the odds.”
“‘Don’t think about the odds,’ she says.” Adi chuckled, a weak sound that barely made it over the growing static.
“Two minutes to radio blackout,” Twilight announced.
Adi spoke up, her voice at last regaining its confidence. “There’ something I have to say, Vinyl.”
“You can say it when we meet face to face.”
“That might not happen.”
Vinyl’s stomach clenched, and she reached over the grab the small white radio between her hooves. “It will.”
“In case it doesn’t,” Adi continued, “I want you to know that I’m happy. I-I’m so happy right now.”
“I know,” Vinyl whispered. Her pulse rose with the volume of the static. “I know you are.”
“No, you don’t.” A sob broke through the speaker. “You helped me find hope. It’s the most precious thing anyone’s ever done for me. Even if I die now, it’s happening on my terms, and I’m not afraid.”
Adi began to weep. “Th-thank you, Vinyl. Thank you for g-giving me my life back.”
Vinyl smiled, even as she felt tears in her eyes. “You… you’re welcome.”
The static began to overpower Adi’s voice. “—you don’t believe…Christian God, but I do. So…vor and pray. We’ll see…gain, that’s a pro—”
“Adi?” Vinyl shook the radio gently. “Adi?”
“Radio blackout,” Twilight said, her voice solemn. “She should come back in two to four minutes.”
Vinyl stared at the radio, tears streaming down her cheeks. She could do nothing else; just sit there and stare that the small white box between her hooves. Her breathing came in a long, quiet rhythm as the static reverberated through the air.
Flash squeezed her with his wing. “It’s okay, Vinyl. She’ll make it.”
“I know,” Vinyl whispered. “I… I know she will, but…” She licked her lips and cradled the radio. Her hooves were shaking.
“We must have patience,” Luna said, her tone neutral.
Vinyl waited, and waited, and waited some more. “T-time?”
“Forty-seven seconds so far,” Twilight answered.
That was all? Vinyl hunched low over the table, the shaking extending to her entire body. “This will work. This will work. Oh please, tell me this will work.”
“It’ll work,” Flash whispered in her ear before nuzzling her.
Luna remained silent. Her quiet manner was almost painful to Vinyl. The static continued unabated.
Vinyl pressed tight against Flash, her heart pounding in her ears. A silent prayer worked through her lips; a prayer to Celestia, to Luna, to the Goddess, even to Adi’s nameless god. It took all her willpower not to call for the time again.
“That’s two minutes,” Twilight said. “Adi, can you hear us?”
Nothing but hissing, horrible static.
“Adi, this is Twilight,” she pressed. “Speak up if you can hear me.”
Vinyl closed her eyes even as she swayed her ears to the radio in her hooves.
“Adi, this is Twilight, come in.”
“She’s okay,” Flash whispered in Vinyl’s ear. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”
“Adi, if—”
Vinyl’s eyes shifted to the radio at Twilight’s sudden silence. The static continued on for what seemed like an eternity. Vinyl didn’t dare breathe.
Twilight’s voice finally rose from the speaker.
“Goddess have mercy...”
Three days of travel on Equestria’s fastest train was not enough time for Vinyl to prepare. Even so, she now stood at the edge of a commercial dock in San Latigo. Her head craned back as she attempted to take in the entire ship. Somewhere up there… She bowed her head and chewed her lip.
Flash draped a wing over her withers. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
“Y-yeah…” She sucked in a deep breath and raised her head high. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
He worked his lips, appearing to wage an internal battle, but at last he nodded. “Come on, then.”
They moved along the dock, their hooves clopping loudly against the thick wooden planks. Vinyl tried to keep a steady pace, but her hooves shuffled and her head steadily drifted lower. Flash watched her from the corner of his eye, lips in a taught line.
The docks were largely deserted in this area, and the sunlight was held back by drifting clouds. The sound of the waves and ever shifting waters filled Vinyl’s eardrums and an unfamiliar scent wafted through her nostrils, salty and fresh. When at last they reached the boarding ramp, Vinyl paused.
Flash looked back, concern fresh on his face. “Vinyl?”
She raised a hoof, staring at the threshold before her. She opened her mouth to suck in a few breaths, hoping it would calm her churning stomach. It helped… a little. With one last, long exhale, she began to climb.
The ramp felt disturbingly flimsy, and Vinyl was glad for the tall rails. She kept her eyes on her hooves, not daring look up lest she see it before she was ready. The end of the ramp came far more quickly than she anticipated, and she stepped shakily down to the deck. Flash was there to keep her stable, and she leaned heavily against him.
“Vinyl, you’re here.” The purple hooves of Twilight appeared in her vision. “It’s good you could make it. Do you… want a moment?”
Vinyl said nothing; she was too busy trying to keep her breathing steady. After a few long inhales, she asked, “Where is it?”
Twilight’s tone was solemn. “Right in front of you, if you look up.”
Licking her lips, Vinyl closed her eyes and forced her head to straighten. With a lone leg, she pushed Flash aside. It took a long time for her to muster her courage, but at long last she had it, and her eyes opened.
Three large hunks of wreckage sat atop of the deck, the metal along their edges stretched, warped and ugly. They were spaced far enough apart from one another to let a pony pass through, but in positions that suggested an attempt to decipher their proper form before the… failure. When looked at together, there was a distinctly conical shape to them. Black streaks marred their metallic surface.
Vinyl felt her legs drop out from under her; Flash barely managed to keep her from hitting the deck.
“Vinyl!” Twilight knelt before her. “Are you alright?”
Though her legs buckled, Vinyl managed to plant her hooves back to the deck and force herself up. “I’m… I’m okay. Just a little shock, th-that’s all.”
“We should have waited,” Flash said, tone harsh. “You’re not ready for this.”
“I’ll never be ready, Flash.” Vinyl stumbled forward, her eyes locked on the sad remains of the drop pod. She hesitated for only a moment before stepping between two of them. Another couple steps and she was already in the middle of the wreckage. She sat and cast her gaze slowly around, taking in the twisted wires, dark panels and burnt walls. Despite herself, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine her friend sitting inside this thing.
“She came so close,” a familiar voice said. Vinyl glanced over to see Princess Luna sitting between two of the metal chunks, her expression sad. Celestia stood a respectable distance behind her. “She was right there. Perhaps we should have used our magic like you suggested.” The princess bowed her head low. “I am sorry, Vinyl.”
“Sorry?” Vinyl took another look around, a small smile forming on her lips. “No, don’t be sorry, Princess.”
Luna raised her head, an uncertain expression on her face. “But we are responsible, are we not?”
“It doesn’t matter who’s responsible,” Vinyl replied. Through all the pain, a warm sensation made itself known in her chest. “I once told Adi that her story isn’t a tragedy. I stand by those words.”
Luna cocked her head. “I don’t understand.”
“She died, true. But… she died with hope in her heart. I remember your question, Princess: ‘Is the hope worth the trouble?’” She stood and looked around at the wreckage. Despite the tears pouring down her cheeks, she had a warm smile when she looked back at Luna. “It is. It really is.”
“Vinyl?” She turned to find Flash approaching her. Her smile broadened at the sight of his uncertain expression. As soon as he was close enough, she buried her head in his chest and held him close.
She looked to Luna out of the corner of her eye. “Adi was happy, regardless of the outcome. She died happy.
“Her story isn’t a tragedy,” she finished, settling on her haunches and rubbing her cheeks. “She… she overcame her fear and loneliness and despair. She won. This?” She gestured to the wreckage, then turned back to Luna with a sense of pride. “This is a victory.”
Luna approached, her smile warm. “I think Adi would be glad that you believe that way.”
Vinyl’s smile faltered, her eyes dropped to her hooves. “I say all that. I m-mean it. Even so… I wish I could have shown her Equestria.”
“I think you showed her enough,” Flash said, nuzzling her. “I’m proud of you, Vinyl.”
“As am I.” Luna sat and gazed into Vinyl’s eyes. “I believe all of Equestria is proud. Without you, Adi would probably have died alone. She had us. She had you. What you have done is nothing short of a miracle, and I know Miss Longstaff is grateful.”
Vinyl’s cheeks were soaked again. She rubbed them and fought down the urge to sob. “I’ll m-miss her, but… but I’m grateful. For everything. I’ll cherish the past two years. I’ll cherish her.” Sucking down a calming breath, she looked up at the wreckage once more. “W-what will happen to all of this?”
“We’ll study it,” Luna replied without hesitation. “Twilight is already assembling a team for that purpose. In the end, it will probably be made into a memorial.”
“A memorial.” Vinyl considered this, then regained her smile. “A memorial to the human who risked it all for hope. I like that.”
“The Journey is still in orbit,” Luna added solemnly. “We hope that we might find a way to access it. Perhaps, with some study, we can find some way to bring it down here. There’s no telling what we can learn from it.”
“I understand.” Vinyl rubbed her hooves together and took another uncertain look around. “If I may, I think I know a good place to put the memorial.”
Luna’s eyebrow rose. “Is that so?”
“Yeah.” Vinyl looked up hopefully. “There’s a cemetery outside Canterlot. I know a good spot near a willow tree that’s open.”
Luna stared at her for a while, as if considering this idea, then smiled warmly. “I’ll look into it.”
Vinyl nodded, then pushed away from Flash. She looked to each of them, rubbing her eyes once more. “C-can I have a moment? Please?”
“Of course.” Luna nodded.
“Take all the time you need.” Flash turned to follow the princess out.
Left alone, Vinyl examined her surroundings. All the twisted metal, the burned fibers, the cracked glass. Slowly, she walked to the center of the three pieces. Closing her eyes, she saw Adi’s dark face and bright eyes, her pleasant smile. It was a beautiful sight. She sat down and raised her head, opening her eyes to stare at the sky where the three pieces seemed to point at the endless universe between the clouds. Tears formed rivers down her cheeks, but this time she didn’t mind them.
“Hello, Adi,” she whispered with a smile.
“Welcome to Equestria.”