Equestria After

The shuttle started to shake as the descent into the planets atmosphere began. All five ponies were present and accounted for, sitting in the cockpit looking out, and seeing nothing but a dark cloud layer below. "See anything over there?" Swift Flight asked as the ship drew closer and closer to the dark mass.

"Nothing but clouds and more clouds," the mare sitting in the passenger seat next to him said as she peered out her side of the window. "Lucky! You got that radar display back up yet?!"

There was a clinking noise like something fell on the floor and a grease covered Lucky Gear came out from a room behind us. "They should be now, Skarlet," he said trotting up the the front of the cabin, leaning over Swift pulling a lever.

"Hey!" Swift voiced in annoyance, "Get off of me. I know what switch it was and I didn't need your help," a display panel came to life off to Swifts side. "All righty, we're entering the Mesosphere... now," he looked over at the altitude indicator, "50 miles above last calculated sea level and dropping, we should be landing in minutes, buckle up everypony," Lucky Gear took a seat behind Swift. And behind Lucky a pony Swift still didn't know, but heard her referred to as Heart sat and buckled up the seat. Then Skarlet buckled up to his left, and behind her another mare that had been referred to as Kass during mission briefing sat and readied for landing.

"Enter Stratosphere in 3... 2.. 1." Swift announced over the rattling of the ship as it dropped into the clouds. "We're in. Lucky," Swift called behind himself, "Hit the switch I pointed out for exterior fans,"

Lucky leaned up a bit and flipped a switch and the shuttle started jumping around more then it already was, then the surrounding area outside the craft cleared as the fans blew away cloud, but revealed nothing but more cloud around them. "According to the indicator, we're no more then a mile off the ground," Swift called out. And as he did a bolt of lightning struck the space shuttle. Then another, and another.

A bolt struck suddenly somewhere atop the shuttle and a blaring alarm started wailing in the cabin as a red light dropped from the ceiling and spun around. "Whats happening!" Swift heard one of the voices from behind him call out above the siren.

"I don't know!" Swift said, moving the control wheel around, "The wheels moving but the ship isn't!" Swift risked a glance at the altitude and found it was rapidly decreasing. "Hold on to something!" the shuttle continued to plummet downward. "Four thousand feet!" Swift called out, "Three thousand...! One thousand!" the ground appeared below them and Swift was slammed forward, hitting his head on the consul and getting instantly knocked unconscious.