"Uh, sorry about that, everypony." The radio DJ said as the static faded. "We're having some technical difficulties here because some signal from Earth got crossed with ours. We're working on tracing exactly where it's coming from and dealing wi-"

Kssshhhhht!

"I don't get it." Princess Luna said as the static returned. "The only way a signal from Earth could interfere with an Equestrian broadcast is if someone set it to intercept ours on purpose. Who would do that and why?"

"I couldn't even begin to guess." Princess Celestia replied. "All I know is that it's ruining Flashback Tuesday."

For several minutes, the strange static continued to interrupt what was supposed to be a fun radio broadcast with popular old tunes. Once in a while, the DJ could be heard cursing in the background but soon the static would take over again. After another few minutes, the static would be joined by a new squealing sound and soon after, the sound of someone or somepony's voice began to cut in and out. The voice was too chopped up to hear properly but the patrons in the doughnut shop including the princesses were curiously staring at the radio as they tried to listen more closely.

Kssshhht! "He...o? Ca...any...ony...hea...e?" Kssshhht!

"The hell's going on here?" Pony Joe gasped as somepony's broken dialog could be heard on the radio."

Kssshhht! "I haven't go...mu...time. I've been stu...ere for s...any years! If anypony can h...I'm broadca...rom the Chern...wer plant in Prip...kraine..."

"Are you hearing this, sister?" Luna asked as she listened closely to the strange broadcast. "Tia?"

Instead of answering, Celestia continued to listen closely. Not only did this odd signal catch her attention as something to break up the monotony of the day, she couldn't help but think that she may have heard this voice before a long time ago. She just simply could not put her hoof on where though. If the voice were to have been obstructed by less static, then perhaps it could be more easily identified. The only thing anypony could pick up from what they were hearing was that it was a male whom of which sounded very stressed out.

Kssshhht! "Somep...elp me, I'm st...live! I don't kn...urvived this but the rad...on has tur...into a...ster! I've suffered here f...so long! I just want to se...iends and fami...gain before it's too late..."

After a few moments of this mysterious male in distress fading in and out on the radio, he gradually came in more clearly and got across his point that he was in desperate need of help. Still though, most of his dialog was broken and several words were nearly impossible to make out. The last comment from the frightened individual however, could not have been more clear.

"My nam...ius Hoo...ov! Please! I can't take this anymore! Somepony get me out of here!"

Finally the radio went completely silent and not even static could be heard from it. All the patrons of Pony Joe's Doughnut Shop, the princesses included simply did not know what to make of the whole thing that they had just heard. For what seemed like an eternity, everypony just stared at the radio to listen closely in case anything else would come from the strange interference. After a few clicks and a small amount of static, the device appeared to return to normal working order.

"Wow...okay, that was weird." Vinyl Scratch said as the Canterlot station's signal took control. "Sorry, folks. It all seems to be over now. Whatever that was is off our airwaves now and we're trying to figure out what the deal is. Looks like we can go on with Flashback Tuesday though! Coming up by request, Earth's one and only Prince! Rest in peace, buddy. Now, let's go crazy!"

"Oooh! This is my jam!" Luna beamed as her favorite song started playing. "Celestia,why don't we play music like this at the Gala?"

"We, uhh..." Celestia stuttered as her thoughts were still on the strange interference. "We...used to."

"Well, that certainly was a bit odd." Princess Luna said as she and her elder sister trotted down a busy Canterlot street towards the city park.

"Uh huh." Celestia quietly replied.

"Are you alright, sister? Tia?"

Most of those who heard the strange broadcast either shrugged it off as a hoax or just simply a compilation of gibberish. Princess Celestia on the other hoof was still thinking about it and very deeply at that. Though the dialog was difficult to hear, the words that could be heard kept echoing through Celestia's mind.

"He used the word 'somepony'" Celestia thought to herself. "So he's a pony trapped somewhere on Earth? He also said something about years. Years as in plural, not singular. He's been trapped for that long? When they find out where that signal came from, somepony really should look into that."

"Celestia!" Luna said as she stood in front of her sister blocking her path. "What's gotten into you?"

"I'm sorry, Lulu, I just can't stop thinking about that broadcast." Celestia replied.

"*sigh* Just my big sister thinking with her big heart again. It did sound like that pony was in trouble so of course you'd want to try and help. You really are a saint, you know that?"

"Aww, thanks, Luna. Look, I'm just a little concerned is all. He sounded like he was in terrible distress and..."

"And what?"

"Promise me you won't think I'm crazy."

"Of course."

"That voice...I've heard it before. It sounded so familiar."

"That so?"

"Uh huh."

"I don't think you're crazy."

"Thanks, Lulu. Thanks for everything you've done for me today."

"And I'd do it all again. So what shall we do regarding the pony in distress?"

"Let's head to the radio station. Maybe we'll be able to tell us where the signal came from. That'd be the first step in rendering aid to somepony in need."

"Lead the way, sis."

"I'll set a few tracks to play back to back while I take a quick break." Vinyl Scratch said over the microphone for the entire city of Canterlot to hear. "Looks like I got a couple of royal visitors here and I don't wanna keep 'em waiting. Don't you sexy ponies go anywhere!"

After her brief announcement, the DJ then flipped a switch, setting her off the air, removed her headphones and joined the princesses outside of her studio.

"Hey, what's up, you two?" Vinyl casually greeted. "We aren't sure exactly where that whacky signal was coming from but we've narrowed it down to somewhere in Eastern Europe on Earth."

"Incedible!" Luna replied. "Then we are that much closer to discovering the whereabouts of the pony in distress."

"Once they can pinpoint the exact location..." Celestia began. "...then the necessary steps can be taken to begin a search and rescue."

"I think we can handle that." Vinyl said. "We got some people poking around and soon, they'll get it figured out."

"Excellent. Oh, do you happen to have a recording of that incident?"

"Yeah, we record every minute we broadcast. Hang on a sec, I'll get you a tape."

As Vinyl Scratch went back into her studio to prepare a cassette, Princess Luna thought some more about why her older sister would go so far as to ask for a recording of the broadcast. She was glad that Celestia was not spending her day sulking but taking it upon herself to investigate a distress call rather than leaving it to the authorities who were already on the job would simply cause her more stress that she did not need.

"Is this going to be a new obsession of yours, tia?" Luna asked. "I hope this doesn't end up like the time you took up that part time bar tending job."

"Lulu, I told you." Celestia began. "That voice sounded familiar. I just feel like I need to know more about it. That and...well, Vinyl said it was coming from Eastern Europe. What if..."

"What if what?"

"N-nothing. That was all I had."

"Here's the tape." Vinyl said as she hoofed a cassette to Celestia.

"Thank you, Miss Scratch. While the authorities on Earth search for the exact location of the signal, I'll see if I can put some more pieces together. Let's go, Lulu."

After speaking with the DJ, Celestia and Luna made their way back home to the palace. Other than lowering the sun in her sister's place to make way for the moon, Luna planned to continue relaxing and making sure Celestia was doing the same. When they arrived however, Luna would soon be disappointed as Celestia immediately went to her private study in search of her tape player and headphones.

Soon, Celestia had all the things she needed set on her desk including the tape player, a pen, and notebook. As she waited for information regarding the recent interference, Celestia repeatedly listened to the recording from the early afternoon into nightfall. After listening to it a few dozen times, she had everything the pony in question wrote down and felt that she was ready to fill in the blanks.

"Hmm, let's see..." Celestia said to herself as she filled in the first few words she heard from the recording. "'Hello, can anypony hear me?' Seems simple enough. I'm stuck on the second line though. Unless..."

Celestia continued to write down what she felt best filled in the blanks. Once she got a little further, she lifted the piece of paper up to take a good long look at it.

Hello? Can anypony hear me? I haven't got much time! I've been stuck here for so many years! If anypony can hear me, I'm broadcasting from the...

"Damn..." Celestia said under her breath. "Broadcasting from the what? It cuts off at 'chern'. Hmm, okay I'll skip forward a bit. Wait...power plant! Okay, that makes sense. What's next? 'prip' and 'kraine'...Wait a minute...Eastern Europe...Ukraine! Okay, let's go back to 'chern'."

Celestia had put several of the missing words together but for nearly half an hour, she was stuck on that one particular part that came before "power plant". In the back of her mind, she had an idea but felt that it would be nearly impossible if at least a highly improbable long shot.

"Okay, I've got to be losing my mind here." Celestia huffed to herself out of frustration. "I'm coming up on forty-eight hours without sleep and there's no way it would come from a place like Chernobyl. He said he was sending this out from a power plant, nopony can set hoof inside the Chernobyl Facility and live more than a few minutes! Let alone years! Wait, I think he was giving his name too."

The weary princess then decided to skip a few more lines down towards the end where it appeared that the mystery pony was trying to say who they were. So far, the only things Celestia knew that this individual was a male pony trapped at a power plant in Ukraine who's name was...

"Okay, I have officially lost my mind." Celestia said as she uncorked a wine bottle and poured herself a glass. "It's the date that's getting to me, nothing more. Radius has been gone for thirty years and he's in a better place. I need to take my mind off this whole thing."

At this point, Celestia was very tired and knew that it would be in her best interest to turn in for the night. After polishing off her second glass of wine, she poured herself a third. Just as she began to work on it, she heard five firm knocks on the door of her study. Normally she would hide her drink before allowing somepony to enter but on a night like tonight, Celestia was simply not in the mood to impress anypony else.

"Come in." Celestia answered.

Without hesitation, the door opened revealing a dark blue Pegasus guard. Celestia was more relaxed now that she had two and a half glasses of wine in her so instead of asking what the guard wanted, she simply waited for him to speak first. She simply was not in a hurry for anything.

"I'm sorry to bother you your maj-" The guard began before being cut off.

"Meh, don't worry about it." Celestia interrupted before taking a final gulp, finishing her third glass. "The way I'm feeling right now, nothing in the whole world can bother me."

"Ah. I'm glad you're feeling well, your majesty. Ahem, anyway, there is a phone call for you from a leader from Earth. We have him on hold in the main hall."

"Okay thanks a lot. Hey, Blue Streak?"

"Uh yes, Your Majesty?"

"You're so helpful, you know that?" Celestia's buzz was really starting to show and her guard was fully aware of it.

"Oh, why thank you, Your Majesty. That's very kind of you to say."

"I appreciate everything you and the rest of your squadron do for my sister and I. You guys are the best."

"Again, thank you but you still have a prime minister on hold. He said the matter is of utmost importance."

"Right, right, let's go. Trot with me will you?"

"Of course."

"Hey, about my sister..."

"Yes?"

"She thinks you're pretty swell."

"Oh?"

"Do you like her?"

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I don't think you're really yourself right now. Besides, she's taken quite the liking to the fella who runs the doughnut shop. Just a bit further and we'll be at the phone, okay?"

After a minute or so, Celestia and her guard were approaching a wall mounted telephone that had someone quite important waiting for her on the other line. Though she was quite tipsy from drinking her wine a little too fast, Celestia knew she needed to keep her composure and be careful of what she said. After all, she was the face of the nation of Equestria and as such it was her duty to represent her homeland in a polite and professional manner.

"Hey, what's up?" Celestia said as she answered the phone, mentally kicking herself for her lack of professionalism.

"Hello, Your Majesty." The man answered with a thick Slavic sort of accent. "First off, allow me to apologize for calling you at this hour but I'm afraid this matter cannot wait. My name is Volodymyr Groysman, I'm Ukraine's new Prime Minister."

"Oh? What um...What can I do for you, Mister Prime Minister?"

"Well, I'm calling regarding a radio signal that intercepted one from your world."

"Of course! So it did come from Ukraine! I did some digging and I was able to make out some of what the individual was saying."

"Ah, so you and I both are on the same idea then. Good. Now, I truly am sorry for bringing up a touchy subject but I also understand that you lost somepony close to you in our nuclear accident thirty years ago, yes?"

"Thirty years ago on this very date. It's been hard but I've been able to manage and thank you for the condolences. But tell me, what, if anything do those two things have to do with each other?"

"Princess Celestia, I don't know how else to say this so I'll just come out with it point blank. We've traced the signal's precise location. It came from the abandoned city of Pripyat...hello?...Your majesty, are you still with me?...hello?"

"Y-yes, I'm still here, it's just...wow."

"Ah yes, I completely understand that it must be hard for you, bringing up a sour memory like this but-"

"Oh it's not just that, Mister Prime Minister, a lot of things have been on my mind today. Not only was this the day the stallion I wanted to marry was taken from me but now a radio broadcast with a voice that reminds me of his comes along and now you tell me it's coming from the very place he died!"

"Your Majesty, please calm yourself! Forgive me, I had no intentions of causing you stress but we have listened to the same recording several times and judging by the being's use of the word's 'anypony' and 'somepony', we think that tells us what species he is. Lastly, we've gone back and looked at every last record and bit or surveillance footage. Doctor Radius Hoofenschtov was the only Equestrian citizen and pony in the entire city of Pripyat and ergo the only one at the Chernobyl Power plant that night."

"Mister Prime Minister...what are you trying to say?"

"Before I tell you, I want you to promise me you have somepony for support with you. Oh, and maybe a paper bag too."

"Okay, fine. Blue Streak, please go get my sister and bring her back here."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Guard replied before bolting away to retrieve the younger princess.

"Alright, I have my sister coming to join me. Now please, I need to you to tell me what's going on! I don't even know anymore!"

"I really admire you ponies." The Prime Minister sighed. "I feel terrible about putting this stress on one but...Your Majesty...We think Doctor Hoofenschtov may still be alive."

"Tia!" Princess Luna shouted as she shook her unconscious sister. "Wake up! I need to know that you are alright!"

"Wha!?" Celestia gasped as she sprang awake.

"Good Lord, her pulse is going through the roof!" A yellow unicorn who was a nearby doctor said. "Here, take this paper bag. Deep breath's now, Your Majesty. There you go, everything will be fine."

As Princess Celestia hyperventilated into the bag in order to calm herself, it occurred to her that she fainted over the news that the leader of Ukraine had given her. After a few more minutes of using the bag and her sister gently rubbing her back, Celestia's breathing finally slowed down enough for her to think rationally.

"Sister, dearest, what's wrong!?" A concerned Luna asked.

"Lulu?"

"Yes, Tia?"

"I'm going to need a hell of a lot more wine if I'm going to deal with this shit."