//------------------------------//
// Part 12: Unwelcome Reception to Unusual Visitors 
// Story: Adventures in the TARDIS 
// by Scroll 
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Feather Wind tries to fight back a wave of panic as he watches the giant pod bay doors slowly open. He feels this way because he knows that whatever lurks outside of this pod is probably trouble.

One thing that occurs that momentarily distracts Feather from his fears, however, is watching and listening to the sound of the water drip as the pod bay doors open gradually. At first, it is a heavy amount of water but it quickly thins. He watches the stream of water descend the ever-widening gap as about a quarter of the spherical wall lowers down to become something of a giant ramp. The streams of water reminds him of a waterfall at first. There is also something soothing about listening to the sound of the water splashing below.

Eventually the pod bay doors lower enough to gradually reveal a partial ring around of earth ponies waiting to greet the occupants, and there is something about their expression and stance which reveals that the occupants of this pod are not entirely welcome this time. Seeing them reminds Feather of what the Doctor implied that Vision said, and that somebody down here has something to hide. Feather's instincts are also ringing like crazy.

Then Feather marvels at those instincts as he looks back at Vision. He realizes that if even he can sense this, Vision must be sensing it so much more. What must it be like to somebody like that who can always sense a greater depth in reality? Lies and all falsehoods must seem like looking through a transparent glass mask that attempts to hide a pony's true feelings, but the attempt is all in vain around her.

Although the giant pod bay door that opens is spherical, somehow it flattens out when it finally does fully connect with the floor outside. When the first part of that door to touch the ground is done, the rest of the door somehow continues to lower until it flattens outside.

Of the procession outside, one particular pony, who has a hide that is so dark brown that it almost looks black, glowers at the newcomers with an especially grim attitude. When the pod bay doors fully open, he opens his mouth and almost takes a step forward, but the Doctor reacts quicker. Likely on purpose.

“Thank you all for welcoming us into your lovely little community here,” the Doctor greets brightly as he practically prances down the new ramp. “It's always nice to have so many caring and concerning escorts to show us around.”

The dark brown pony looks taken aback by the Doctor before glowering again as he says, “You misunderstand our intentions, Mister . . .” The rest of his sentence is left hanging as he waits for the introduction of the newcomers.

“Doctor,” the Doctor answers the implied question.

The dark brown stallion appears to wait for more of an introduction before looking confused as he asks, “Doctor who?”

The Doctor suddenly widens his eyes in delight then jabs a point at the dark stallion several times while he cries out, “Ah! He said it! He said the thing! Finally someone from this universe does it. You two,” he says with a gesture and look back at Feather Wind and Stern Wing, “simply accepted my name at face value.”

Feather Wind shrugs as he explains, “Well, that's because we've grown up to accept that a name like that can actually be somepony's name so there's no need to question it.” Feather focuses on the newcomers outside. “However, it appears that ponies in this world have a different naming convention for some reason.”

“Just 'The Doctor,' my fine old chap,” the Doctor says to the dark brown stallion. “I can tell you of a bunch of other frivolous titles I sometimes have but I see no need to get into that yet.”

“Ah . . .” the dark stallion pauses as he looks momentarily mystified. Eventually he just shakes his head and says, “Um, very well, 'Doctor'. Whatever your name is, it is irrelevant right now because that does not change the circumstances. The truth is you are unwelcome around here.”

The Doctor hears Vision gasp for some reason. First, he directs his left ear back at her and then his entire face. Doing so causes him to notice that Vision just realized something but fights to keep her mouth shut to avoid telling the Doctor more 'spoilers'. Regardless, her reaction alone already tells the Doctor volumes. This, combined with the reception they've received thus far, indicates to him that he's already encountered one of the main antagonists of this adventure.

The Doctor sighs as he looks away from Vision with a shake of his head. It dawns on him how different his adventures are likely to be if he continues to travel with her. This is going to take some getting used to.

“I don't know if you got the memo, but the main radio tower at Salvage got washed away,” the Doctor says as he lifts his gaze back at the brown stallion. “But that radio tower is only for long ranged communication. Something that intricate isn't necessary for the distance between Salvage and Allon. For you to already be aware that we were coming before we got here indicates to me that you have an informant somewhere up on the surface, but I wonder if your informant was thorough enough to also inform you that we are not ordinary inspectors and this is not some ordinary visit. Case in point,” he whips his head back at Feather Wind as he says, “Feather Wind, please make your presence known to this kindly old stallion who intends to block our way forward.”

Feather Wind got the hint, and although he knew this is going to make him very uncomfortable, Feather steps forward and then ignites his horn with a brilliant silver glow. In doing so, the semi-ring of ponies around the pod that was originally intent on blocking them are now awestruck instead.

“That is a unicorn?” one of the stallions asks when he finally recovers his wits. “Funny. I thought they'd be way . . . taller. I'm not the only one to think that, right? Is it just me?”

“Maybe they are all that short,” another stallion guesses with an uncertain half-shrug.

Hearing that stings Feather Wind's feelings. He has been teased by others before about that even in his home world. Some of the snooty and arrogant rich peers at the Silver Horn Academy come to mind as well as some of the fellow recruits at the Wonderbolt Academy. He had also been mistaken for a downright foal at many shops he visited that weren't accustomed to Feather's presence and unusually short stature. At least, in their case, those innocent shopkeepers didn't intend any direct offense. It was just a silly little mistake.

But here, in this world, the awe in the voices of those who are beholding him is on a whole different level. They are reacting like they are beholding a god and it's amusing to them that this so-called 'deity' is less than half their average height. This causes a clash of reactions in them as if part of them thinks that Feather Wind should be a marble statue on a pedestal to be worshiped with awe from afar while another side of them privately snickers and wonders how far they might be able to punt this tiny and pathetic-looking unicorn.

As for Feather Wind, he feels overwhelmed by being the center of attention to those who regard him in awe mixed with disgust. 

Tears start to burn at the edge of Feather Wind's eyes so, to hide that, he changes the focus of his magic from projecting light off his horn to a telekinetic grip on the hood of his Mist Cloak. Using that, he pulls it over his head and inserts his horn through the hole at the top of the hood. He lowers the hood enough to conceal his face if he angles his face down enough. From that point, all the others can see is the horn sticking through the top of the hood and the almost disembodied look of his mouth sticking forward. Feather realized doing this could be regarded as a 'power' move by the others which preserves a sense of mystique to him, but all Feather Wind really wanted to do is hide how hurt their reaction made him.

The Doctor understands Feather Wind's true feelings which causes him to regret exploiting Feather Wind like this, especially since he already knows Feather Wind doesn't like to be the center of attention normally because he's too shy, but a unicorn has very special significance in this world and the Doctor wanted to prove that he has an authority figure with him high enough that these ponies can't afford to ignore or block him even if they are highly motivated to do so. It is a non-violent strategy to get them out of his way, but the Doctor vowed to himself privately that he will apologize to Feather for this later.

What Stern Wing does next even further illustrates the Doctor's point. She steps forward in front of Feather Wind and spreads her wings protectively as if to indicate, “I am his guard. If you want to get to him, you're going to have to go through me first.” That honestly is a role they've come to expect from pegasi in this world anyway. To be subservient to the unicorns but otherwise still too god-like for ordinary 'mortals' to oppose. They probably also think she has supernatural strength, agility, and endurance. While, in truth, those expectations are too high, she is indeed way stronger and tougher than an average pony of any breed. That alone almost supports the myth they have about her race.

But the true reason she stepped forward like that is to show emotional support to her friend. She knows he's hurt and she knows why. To show he's not alone and to reveal her love for him, she now stands in front of him and blocks his sight of the others with her wings. They can no longer see him either, so he isn't suffering from that visual inspection anymore.

“Thank you,” Feather Wind whispers quietly then has a tiny breeze blow that message to Stern Wing's ears alone. In response, Stern Wing nods quietly and subtly to help illustrate the fact she got the message, but her stance remains firm and resolute in front of her friend.

“I assume I've made my point?” the Doctor checks with those who originally intended to block them. “We are indeed not ordinary visitors to your facility and this is not a casual inspection either. Rather than that, we are the natural consequence of the current crisis. The weather has been raging above for far too long and it is clear to us, by now, that such things are not produced by ordinary means, so we have come down to your planet to find out what is wrong and why this has all happened. In addition, the Alphalmians, who have chosen to be our emissaries of their own free will, have been unusually quiet lately. That reason alone is enough to summon our concerns over this situation so we cannot afford to ignore this any longer. Something must have happened to them and we intend to find out what.”

The Doctor trots down the ramp and stands directly in front of the dark brown stallion. In fact, he deliberately stands uncomfortably close. The Doctor looms above the stallion, especially since the Doctor is still standing on the slightly elevated height of the ramp. From that position, the Doctor just silently stares down at the stallion which causes the dark stallion to shrivel a bit.

“Um, it's, ah . . . not safe around here,” the dark stallion informs in an obviously desperate excuse to keep them at bay.

The Doctor just continues to loom over and stare down at the stallion.

“We haven't prepared all the proper security precautions and . . .” the stallion's voice trails off as he looks above him uncomfortably at the Doctor who is still staring down at him as if the stallion were a mere insect being viewed by a powerful god above.

Eventually he sighs in defeat, lowers his shoulders, then gestures into the facility as he reluctantly says, “Welcome to Allon.”

“Fantastic!” the Doctor says in sudden remarkable cheer. “I knew you'd see things our way.

“Very well, then. Onwards and upwards, I say. We'll just make a quick round of the place to help verify your innocence and then be on our way, or we'll help you solve a problem that you might have accidentally overlooked.”

With that, the Doctor trots past the bewildered stallion. As if that is a signal, the others in the pod shortly do so as well.

The dark stallion grunts in frustration then gives a quick, dark, and meaningful nod to some of the others here to indicate they may need to move on to plan B.