So here we were, on our way back to Ponyville.

Best part about it, is that we were not in boxes that were horizontal. And that fucking headache was gone.

I looked outside and saw that is was near sunset, and I just couldn't wait to get in my own bed and sleep for a week.

But I knew that we'd not do that at all, because we were so damn close to Exalibur's completion.

And that was a step closer to home. And once we are home, I'm booking a three-week holiday to the Bahamas.

And it was coming up towards the end of January in Earth-time. I can guarantee that all four of us have now been declared as Missing Persons.

I just hoped that coming up with an explanation for our disappearance would be the hardest thing to do.

I looked over to the lads and they were fast asleep. I already had my sleep on the way here, so I was not really that tired anymore.

But then again, I wouldn't really call it sleep. I updated my CMQ Checklist and continued to stare out the window.

This was the time where I would die for a iPod with my tunes on it. I had a brief glance around the car we were in and it was much nicer than our previous one.

Comfier too.

Besides, our last one would transport criminals and dangerous fugitives.

I don't think it would ever expect holding four ponies that were originally from a entirely different planet.

Well, we're not even ponies, are we?

This journey was going to take an age, so I decided to let the lads sleep and I just gazed outside the window, watching the world pass by.

________________________________________

After a dull five hours of staring out of the window, the lads woke up about ten minutes before we pulled into Ponyville station.

"Wakey wakey, shitlords." I said a little loudly, waking them up further.

Armstrong and Barrel moaned as the awakened, where as Star just got up.

"We almost at Ponyville?" Armstrong asked, groggily.

"Nearly buddy, nearly. You guys feeling a bit better now?" I asked, sliding a croissant to the three of them.

Armstrong instantly dove for his croissant, followed by Star and Barrel.

"Yeah man, feel more relaxed and rested now." Barrel said, with a mouth full of croissant.

"I'm glad. Too bad I couldn't sleep on the way back." I grumbled.

Those five hours were so damn boring.

But Ponyville was on the horizon, and it felt damn good to not be wanted anymore.

"Guys, not being funny but we should apologise to the other Elements for what we have caused in our quest..." I said, staring out the window.

"Good shout, no idea what AJ thinks of us now." Barrel said.

"Yeah, don't go losing your damn job. And I'll make sure that you don't lose your apprenticeship, Armstrong." I said, looking straight at Armstrong half way through the sentence.

He looked at me sheepishly.

"Yeah... Hope she isn't too pissed that I bailed on her and then aided you..." Armstrong said, looking down.

"She'll be fine. I think..." I trailed.

Before I knew it, Ponyville station was in front of me.

"Ponyville's stop!" I heard the train conductor shout out from the station.

"Sweet, let's go home." I said, getting up and walking out the door.

We were greeted by some dirty looks as we walked out of the station, but we didn't give a shit.

We walked tightly just in case those dirty looks escalated into something worse. But as predicted, nothing was done.

We had to walk ten minutes to our small cottage on the outskirts and it was still covered in tape from when they were investigating.

Lazy bastards.

I unlocked the door and walked inside, where they have thrown everything around, looking for clues or incriminating evidence.

"Yeah, thanks for clearing up after yourselves, you messy pricks." I curse into the room.

I tut and sigh as I walk in, place a cushion back into our couch and sit down heavily.

The rest of the lads come in and don't know what to do or where to sit so they stood there awkwardly.

"I'd say we should get some rest and clear up in the morning, but I bet our beds are upside-down and we already had our rest on the way back." I sighed, looking into the very messy room.

"Fuck it, shall we just clean now?" Armstrong said, scratching his mane.

"I don't suppose why not." Star replied.

"Fuck! Excalibur!" I shouted, leaping to get up out of my surprisingly comfy seat.

I instantly ran for the back door, unlocked it with haste and ran into the gazebo entrance.

She still sat there.

Unfinished, but still intact. A wave of relief rushed over me.

I trotted over to the combo-spring lock on the bay doors, entered the code and held my breath.

If the Crystal Core was gone, the whole operation and quest is burned.

And I would have Sparkle's head on a pike outside my prison cell.

The bay doors rolled and clicked as the folded to reveal...

The Crystal Core, with all twelve crystals still installed.

"Oh thank fucking Christ." I sighed as I slid to my haunches. I was shaking with anxiety and fear.

I immediately started to calm down once I knew that Excalibur and her core was safe, and still in our possession.

"Is she alright?" I heard a shout from down the garden.

"She's here, core and all. Thank fuck. Gazebo is a fucking state though. You guys clean the house, I'll clean out here."  I said, staring at the mess before me from the comfort of the floor.

Oh boy.

________________________________________

"Ugh, finally finished!" Barrel said, sweeping the last parts of the floor.

"Yeah, only took us two fucking hours. To clean up a mess that we didn't even create. The wankers." I retorted, throwing the last bag of debris outside.

"Well, it looks spotless now." Barrel replied.

And he was right. It was flawless. You could eat your dinner off the floor, it was that clean.

I always took pride in a clean house.

I walked back outside and looked at the now, great looking garden, with the gazebo workshop looking fantastic.

And inside, was looking even better. Except from the tools they robbed from me earlier.

Never mind, I could now focus on finishing the Core and install it, finishing Excalibur.

But since it was about midday, I thought we should pay some of the Elements a visit and apologise to them. Or try to, anyway.

I walked back inside to see the lads sitting on the couch, having a rest. I also joined them, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"We should apologise to some of the elements. I don't want you guys to lose what you have got with some of them." I said plainly.

"Yeah, hopefully I don't lose my job." Barrel replied, staring at his hooves sheepishly.

"And I don't wanna lose my apprenticeship with Rainbow either." Armstrong muttered afterward.

"Well, why don't you guys go and apologise to them, and me and Star can crack on with what we need to do?" I muttered.

"Sounds good man." Armstrong said, albeit a little blunt.

"Hey.." I said, gaining their attention once again.

They stopped on their way out the door and they both looked at me.

"I'm sorry again. For everything we have caused and had to endure." I muttered, with a hint of sadness in my voice.

And I really was sorry. We had to endure a shitstorm since we have been here. I just hope that we can get Excalibur functioning properly so we can look for a way home much faster.

And if not find it, research it and create our own path home.

Because Equestria was starting to become unbearable.

They nodded and walked out the door, shutting it behind them. It was now just me, sat on my own in the living room.

I take it Star was still cleaning his room, so I didn't disturb him. And I didn't have a Element to apologise to.

Because Sparkle would get nothing but a certain finger from me...

If I still had fucking fingers.

I got up and walked outside towards my gazebo to check on what was needed next.

I looked on the table with the checklists and blueprints I created and I scanned through them thoroughly.

Every checklist was checked off.

Except two things.

Spacesuits and fitting the Crystal Core.

Well, I had the ability to do one of those things right now.

I spent the next twenty minutes making more tools that I needed for fitting the core and after I had reinforced them, I was ready to go.

"Star!" I shouted towards the cottage.

A few seconds later, he popped his head out of one of the windows we had facing the gazebo?

"Yeah? What's up?" He shouted back.

"Come and give me a hand with this. It's time to finish what we started..."

________________________________________

"Come on you bastard!" I shouted at the last pipeline, as I tried to screw it in at an awkward angle whilst holding the screw adjacent to it.

I'd either drop the screw at the last minute, or the pipeline would not line up with the thread properly until I did drop the screw. But I couldn't do one or the other. It needed to be nearly simultaneous.

"Can I let go of the core now?" Star strained, as he held up half of the core with his magic as I was led underneath it, securing it.

"Not.. Just.. Yet..." I said, straining with concentration.

A few seconds after I said that, I felt the thread screw into place. Realising my opportunity, I tried my hardest to get the screw in before I lost my grip.

Thankfully, I managed to guide the screw in and it was screwed in.

"Yes! Pass me the other three screws!" I said, holding my hoof out.

Star obliged, but strained a little more as he had to support a pretty heavy crystal core and pick up three small objects and levitate them to me.

But he did well, and I got my screws. I moved as fast as possible to secure what was left of the last pipeline.

"There! Last pipeline is in! Can you slide me the shell?" I asked, shimmying over slightly so the protective shell that also supports the core could fit.

Star flicked the shell towards me with his forehoof and I quickly pushed it into place so the bolts and holes aligned perfectly.

I secured all twelve nuts and screwed them as tight as I could.

"Alright, you can let go now!" I said, pushing myself out from underneath Excalibur.

Star released his spell and gave a sigh of exhaustion.

"Thank fuck for that." He said, rubbing his head.

"Sorry man, that last pipeline was a bastard to fit properly." I replied, brushing grease and sweat off me.

"So, is that all?" He asked, looking up at Excalibur.

I also turned around to face it.

"I certainly fucking hope so." I said.

"Shall we start it up?" He grinned.

"No, not yet. We are kinda in the middle of a populated area. And I call myself an optimist. Can't help to be careful though. I'll wait until the other lads are back from talking with the Elements and then we can test it." I said, lowering Excalibur off the jack.

"I doubt it's going to explode." Star sighed.

"Even so, the lads would love to see it's maiden flight, if she does one." I replied.

"Sounds fair enough." He replied simply before trotting off back indoors.

I looked all around to make sure that all of the outside panels were secure and airtight.

The bay doors fold in and out correctly as they should, and the passenger doors swing open without fault.

It was all looking great. All we needed now was spacesuits and to test the ship, without killing any of us, any inhabitant of Ponyville or any single life form in Equestria.

Woohoo.

And if Sparkle tries to stop us, I will fly this thing up her ass and crash land with her still on the outside.

She'd probably love that, to be honest.

I got back out of Excalibur and walked back inside.

When I walked back inside, I realised that there was an Element that I had yet to apologise to.

I had an idea to make up for what had happened, so I walked back into the gazebo, removed the magically-driven transformer I built, placed it on a trolley and wheeled it outside the cottage.

Before I set off, I ran back inside and grabbed the leftover cash I had from the construction of the Excalibur.

After that, I ran back outside, shutting the door behind me.

"I'll be back later, Star!" I shouted, knowing that he'd hear me through his open window.

Fifteen minutes later, I slowly approached the Carousel Boutique with wishful thoughts.

If I couldn't make it up to Rarity, we'd have to spend extra time finding a oxygen and personal space spell and combine them.

And that sounded like a complete ballache.

I walked up towards the door and knocked three times. I backed up a considerable amount and awaited those familiar lock clicks.

As usual, I heard them, but a certain Crusader answered the door.

"Hey Circuit!" Sweetie Belle shouted with a smile.

"Hey Sweetie, is your sister in? I need to have a word with her." I asked, with a friendly smile.

"Sure! Let me get her for you!" She said, with a cute voice crack mid-sentence.

I waited patiently for a few seconds as Sweetie Belle ran from the door, shouted upstairs and ran up the spiral stairs to speak with her sister.

I then saw Rarity walk down the stairs through the glass on the door. I took a deep breath and waited.

She opened the door and was instantly not impressed with who she'd seen at her doorstep.

"Rarity, please don't shut the door, let me apologise. I can explain my actions." I said, before Rarity could slam her door in my face.

Rarity cleared her throat and stood stoically and waited.

"All the events that happened, the explosion and the market scare was all so I could complete a project of mine. I know that sounds selfish at first, but it is so me and my friends can achieve our Cutie Marks. Without them, we don't believe we can fit in anywhere. So I beg for your forgiveness. I am truly sorry, Rarity." I said, without raising my voice to make it as serious as possible.

Because I really was sorry. And she could be a crucial part in our quest.

"We promise that we will not endanger anypony else's lives or cause any harm to anypony. We have nearly finished." I added on, since Rarity was giving me a chance to speak.

She simply looked at me and mulled over what I had just said to her. I could practically see the little cogs behind her horn turning.

"Hmm, apology accepted, I suppose." She said, with slight vagueness.

"As thanks, I want to present you with this." I said, motioning over my transformer.

"What does that doo-hickey do?" She questioned, opening her door slightly.

"I call it a transformer. You can power it with magic. And it produces an incredible amount of effort out of the other end. So anything for sewing, ironing, stretching or anything else you may need it for, it can be used for it." I said, wheeling it towards her.

She inspected it slightly and when wheeled it inside the door.

She was just about to close the door when I interrupted again.

"One more thing, Rarity..." I asked.

"Yes?" She said through the crack in the ajar door.

"Do you know how to make a fabric that is so tightly woven, not even air can pass through it...?" I asked, with a slight smirk on my face.

________________________________________

Three hours and two-thousand bits later, we had four suits that could survive in a vacuum. We made Rainbow and Armstrong try them out and they worked perfectly. I could make us helmets and oxygen tanks or magically enchanted masks for it.

But we were nearly ready, all we needed to do now was test the damn thing. But it needed to be away from everypony else.

I walked home with the four suits in a box and let myself in.

Luckily all four of the lads were sat inside too, all doing their own thing.

"Guys! I got things for you!" I shouted across the house so we could assemble in the living room.

A few moments later, we were all sat in the living room and I unwrapped the box.

"Armstrong, you know what this is." As I chucked his suit at him, which was one of the two suits that would fit a Pegasi.

"Barrel, here is yours. It is a spacesuit. I know it looks a little like spandex, but it is space-worthy. Just need to make up some helmets." I said, throwing Barrel his suit.

"Did you say... Spandex?" Barrel muttered, looking at his white spacesuit.

"This is Rarity we are talking about here." I said with a raised eyebrow.

"Very true." Barrel replied before looking back at his suit.

"Star! Here's yours." I said, throwing it into midair before it was enveloped in Star's magical aura and levitated over to him.

"Cheers. I suppose I'll have a unique helmet due to me having a damn horn." Star muttered.

"Yeah, I'll have to scratch one up for you." I said back, looking at my own suit.

"Oh joyful." Star said with a exasperated sigh.

"And about testing Excalibur's maiden flight, we need to take her out into a middle of a field so if shit does go Pete-Tong, nopony else will be atomised." I said, folding my suit back up.

"So that means dragging it, because we cannot fly it away. More joyful activities." Armstrong droned across the room.

"Yep. Such fun." I replied with the same amount of enthusiasm.

"When? Tonight?" Armstrong asked.

"Probably, once we chill out for a little bit. Because I am fucked right now." I said, sighing.

"Sounds like a decent plan. I'm going for a cup of coffee. Any takers?" Barrel said, getting up.

"Not me thanks, I'm going to crash out. Wake me up in three hours or so." I said, getting up and trudging up the stairs.

"No worries man, see you in a bit." Star said, not looking up from his suit.

I continued walking up the stairs, walked into my room and collapsed on the bed. It wasn't long before I had completely drifted off.

I liked being gifted with falling asleep easily.

________________________________________

"Come on Circuit, it's been three hours." I heard as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

"Huh... Wha..?" I muttered, waking myself up.

"You've been napping for over three hours, I reckon it's time we try it out." Barrel said to me, flying off my bed.

"Ugh... Cheers man. Let me just wake up a minute..." I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

Barrel landed and then walked out the room, back downstairs. I sat up and stared at the wall in front of my bed.

It was time. And I was pretty damn nervous about it.

I got up and I instantly felt the nervousness reaching my legs. I was shaky.

I walked out my room to see the lads loading up for what looked similar to camping.

"Fucking hell, what did you guys organise?" I asked, climbing down the stairs.

"Excalibur is on a platform with wheels. All we need to do is pull her out of town, and we can fire her up." Armstrong said.

"It really is time." I muttered to myself.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and took a moment to look at the four of us.

We were really getting ready for this.

"Alright, let's head out." I said, walking out the door.

I opened the door to see that it was mid-evening, so hardly any ponies would be wandering or flying around at this time.

I looked to the left to see Excalibur, hidden underneath a huge tarp, on top of a large platform with wheels installed. Followed by four ropes that can be tied around each of us and pulled.

"Right, Barrel and Armstrong, you guys take the two outer ropes. Me and Star will do the inner ropes. I take it you have already found a adequate enough location to test it?" I asked.

"Yeah, already marked out and cleared. Just follow my lead." Star said, grasping all four ropes and tying each one to us.

Once we were ready, Barrel and Armstrong took flight and gave steering support. With me and Star leading the pull, we tugged with all we had.

Eventually, we got the wheels rolling and a little bit of momentum behind us.

And boy, was she fucking heavy.

Star would nudge me or point in a direction if and when we needed to adjust our course.

And it took a hell of a long time to get Excalibur to the location we were using to test her.

Once we were there, Star untied all of us, and ripped the tarp off Excalibur.

He told us to stand back as he focused all of his magical energy to levitate Excalibur off the platform and onto the ground softly.

"There. She's all yours." Star said, stepping back with the lads.

My heart was in my mouth. I walked towards Excalibur and slowly approached the passenger door. I pressed the code input and waited as the door dropped open slowly.

I stepped inside and looked back at the lads.

"If this goes fuck-up, it was a pleasure travelling to hell with you all." I said before pressing the button to raise the door.

They all stared and smiled at me. Expecting a miracle. I didn't even know what to expect myself.

I heard the doors click shut, and the green light become lit. I took a deep breath and creeped to the cockpit. I took a seat and looked at the makeshift navigations I had in front of me.

I pressed the ignition button, twisted it and held it in place.

With my feet, I pressed the throttle pedal while holding the the ignition button in.

Bwooooom. Bwooooom.

Nothing. So I tried again.

Bwoooom. Bwooooom.

I released the ignition button and clicked it back in at the same time I pumped the throttle pedal.

Various clicking sounds followed before a louder version of before.

BWOOOOM. BWOOOOM.

A few attempted later, I thought I should click the ignition and pump the throttle repeatedly.

What I heard then, shook me to my very core.

BwoooOOOOOOM!

It gradually got louder and gained a higher pitch before various clicking sounds followed it's silence.

One final this sounded before I heard a distinct hum from underneath me.

The lights lit up. The lads were running in front of the Excalibur, throwing their hoofs in the air and they looked like they were cheering.

I looked at the ground from the cockpit and it realised, it was moving.

Excalibur was moving.

She was flying.

We had finished her.

I felt a rush of excitement flood through me as I screamed and shouted in celebration.

Cutie Marks, here we come.

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