Flurry Heart's Return to Equus

All of the members were quarantined before the launch in order to decontaminate them and as protection against all pathogens. After two weeks, the weather conditions were ideal for a launch to be safely carried out. Everyone was assisted in getting their space suits on and they were sealed shut and pressurized with filtered air.

"Is everybody ready?", inquired Cadence.

Everyone said yes and they were led to two helicopters outside. The rotors were already spinning when they were led outside. Once the doors were closed, the helicopters left the landing pads and set off for the North Luna Ocean. When they reached the launchpad, it was already dark, due to the fact that they had left Canterlot in the late afternoon. The launch was going to be done at NIGHT. Lights shown all around the shuttle and reporters were waiting to take pictures as the crew was boarding. The helicopter doors were opened and everyone got off. Cameras flashed, crowds cheered, and fireworks exploded overhead to commemorate the crew embarking on this quest to bring Flurry Heart home. The crew met the pad workers in the white room right outside the shuttle. This was different than a regular white room because it was also an airlock. The outer door was closed and ultraviolet lights came on to kill any germs. Then the airlock was repressurized to that of the shuttle's interior. After this, the inner door was opened and then the main hatch was opened so everyone could enter the cockpit.

On the cockpit's floor were ridges that acted as a ladder. The crew members used these ridges in order to climb up to their seats. The workers were wearing harnesses and tethered themselves near the seats to help everyone strap in. Mickey and his friends did not know how this type of seatbelt worked, because it had four separate straps that hooked into one central point. Ocellus explained how this worked before getting into her own seat. Each of the straps had to be fastened in to its own spot on the middle buckle and then the workers would tighten the straps. The center part had a quick-release handle that would turn side to side in order to release the straps. Once everyone was tightly strapped in, the workers left the ship and sealed the hatch shut. It was the moment they had all been training for. In a few minutes, Mickey would count down and Gallus would throw the switch to ignite the main engines and send the ship into space.