“Welp, this is as far as we can go without flying through the sky,” the Doctor reasons as he gazes up at the tiny floating planet where he detects the other life form in this area. “Let's see.” He gazes forward at nothing as he rubs the bottom of his chin. “What are our options here? Well, two of you can fly, and one of you can also . . . Ooo.” The Doctor looks at Feather Wind with interest. “Feather Wind, back during our last adventure on Water World, you once told me you can deliver whispered messages using the wind across great distances. Just what is the range of that ability, and how well do you have to know your target?”
“Um, I ah . . . I'm not sure if there is a limit in terms of range so long as the message has the ability to travel in the wind. I think I can deliver messages all the way across a planet if I wanted to. However, the further the target is, the longer it will take for the target to receive the message because the message is delivered at the speed of the wind. If I accelerate the speed of the wind then it will get to them faster.”
Feather Wind pauses as he ponders for a moment, then says, “As for my knowledge of the target, I think I at least need to know their name or some basic description of them. It could be their cutie mark or maybe even some knowledge of their personality. I need to give the wind something to identify which target I'm trying to deliver the message to.”
Feather Wind looks around and then says, “That said, I don't think my wind and weather abilities will work here because this isn't the real sky, wind, and air.”
“Oh sweet Celestia!” Stern Wing exclaims with a shake of her head then bursts into a chuckle for a moment.
“What?” Feather Wind asks Stern Wing with a mix of confusion and slight annoyance.
Stern Wing lifts a wing towards Feather to encourage him to pause a moment while she takes a moment to recover herself. When she does, she shakes her head and then says, “Forgive me, but this is the second foreign world in a row that we've explored where you can't fly which just happens to be your most famous ability. In the first world, you couldn't affect the weather much because it was already too loud. In fact, it tried to download its entire history in your head in a few seconds.”
“Oh yeah. I remember,” Feather Wind recalls with a grin.
“Now here, in this world, you can't affect the weather because it is too quiet. How ironic is that?!” Stern Wing asks before she bursts out laughing.
Feather Wind shakes his head and chuckles for a brief moment but then corrects, “Actually, the problem isn't the fact that the weather is too quiet. The problem is it's not really there. It's like me trying to talk into an empty room.”
Stern Wing nods in understanding then says after she recovers again, “Point taken, but you gotta admit, that is pretty uncanny to run into a similar yet opposite problem twice in a row.” After she says that, she bursts out into another gut-busting laughter and also stamps her left forehoof on the ground.
“Can you just use your sonic device to deliver a message to the other pony?” Feather Wind checks with the Doctor while Stern Wing continues to laugh.
The Doctor shakes his head as he says, “Not at this range, I think. If I can amplify my sonic device somehow then maybe, but as it stands, I don't think it is likely.”
“Perhaps we can just go back and warp the TARDIS to the other pony?” Feather suggests instead.
The Doctor shakes his head as he says, “I don't think that would work either. I mean, technically, we could, but then we'd have to double back all the way to the TARDIS. By the time we do, I think the target will have moved on.”
Feather Wind grunts in frustration as he gives this problem serious thought. “Well . . . if I could still affect the weather and the wind, I probably could just loan you my Mist Cloak and use that to blow you to the other floating island/tiny planet.”
“Why don't I just carry you both to the other island?” Stern Wing proposes when she finally fully recovers and rejoins the conversation with a much more serious expression. She also wipes away a single tear from her left eye using a single feather of her right wing. “Especially you, Feather. You can lighten your body weight so that lifting you would hardly be any effort at all.”
The Doctor squints as he says with a doubtful expression, “Okay, but I can't do that, and I remember Derpy struggling to do something like this before. Usually, the best she can achieve is to give me more lift to my jumps or slow me down so that a fall isn't lethal, and even then it is a strain on her. Now still,” he lifts a hoof, “that remains a very handy ability. None of my other companions in the TARDIS could do that so I'm still grateful to have access to this.”
“Yeah, because most of your other companions were human, or at least humanoid,” Feather points out. “We're ponies so our physiology makes other options more and less possible.”
Stern Wing wipes her right hoof across the air and lifts both of her wings in a dignified stance as she says, “Yes, but that is Derpy. I am a much larger and stronger mare who is accustomed to much higher standards. Believe me, Doctor, I shall not let you fall.”
“Um,” the Doctor turns his head towards his left as he continues to eye Stern Wing nervously then says, “I get the logic of your claim, but if you're wrong, there could be very lethal consequences in this case. Are you sure you can do this?”
“Doctor,” Stern Wing says before stepping right next to him and looming over him. She gives a deadly serious expression down at the Doctor as she assures with iron determination, “we don't have time to argue about this since the other pony might depart soon. For all the love of Princess Celestia, I promise you . . . you will not fall!”
Stern Wing's steely gaze continues to bore down upon the Doctor. Eventually he sighs, shakes his head, then says, “Oh bollocks, my large pony. You can casually poke holes through a brick wall using that iron will of yours.”
Completely unfazed by his words, Stern Wing continues to give the Doctor an intense, focused, and passionate stare.
“You are the very definition of strength in every sense of the word,” the Doctor continues. “So shoot. Let's try it!” the Doctor decides excitedly.
Stern Wing lifts her head higher as she says, “Very well, then. Feather,” she whips her gaze towards him, “climb on my back and lighten your body weight, but not all the way. You know the drill.”
To assist him, she lowers a wing so he can use it as a bridge to scale to her back. He proceeds to do so then bites on her mane in addition to grabbing hold of her neck using his forehooves.
“As for you, Doctor, just hold still and enjoy the ride,” Stern Wing commands him.
Following that statement, Stern Wing practically pounces on the Doctor which makes him go “oof”. Stern Wing collects his entire body within all four of her legs like a clenching four-fingered hand and then she powerfully flaps her wings to take off into the sky using the momentum of her wing thrusts alone. Several strong whooshes of wind are projected from her wings as she takes off into the sky.
“Whah! Ha-ha-ha! This is fantastic!” the Doctor exclaims ecstatically like an excited child once they are up in the air. He tries to squirm about enough so he can view the forested land they just took off from. “We're flying! We're actually really flying and I'm being carried off by a pegasus of all things! Whah-ha! I just never know what I'll encounter on my adventures!”
“Stop squirming, Doctor!” Stern Wing orders him firmly as she looks down and glares harshly at the Doctor within her four legs.
“Yes Ma'am!” the Doctor replies, instantly cowed by the sheer intensity of her command. His eyes shrink to the size of pinpricks during that time.
Together, they make their way to another floating island/planet that is half sandy beach and half ocean water. Along the way, Feather Wind notices that there is light in their surroundings, but there is no sun to explain this anywhere in this apparently infinite open sky in every direction. Not only that, but there are no shadows anywhere either. It's as if the “air” itself is the light source.
When Stern Wing lands upon the shore of the sandy beach of the other island/planet, she safely and gently deposits the Doctor. As for Feather Wind, he just hops off of her back himself. Since he temporarily lightened his body weight significantly using the magic of his cutie mark talent, he floats gently on the sandy beach.
Ahead of them, they see the curious sight of a yellow unicorn stallion in an embroidered black robes that have some gems built into it and glowing magical lines tracing between them. His mane is a bit shaggy but only off to the sides of his head because he is totally bald at the top. He seems to be curiously and intently examining some glowing, holographic window in front of him that displays a lot of 2-D moving screens, words splayed around it, and some graph charts.
“I thought I would rank higher,” the yellow stallion mumbles to himself. “But my opponents are scoring higher than I thought they would. Hmm.” He rubs his bottom chin with a thoughtful expression. “I'm going to have to get really serious with the next few shots.”
In an attempt to gain the yellow stallion's attention, the Doctor clears his throat. It seems to have no effect. The yellow unicorn outright ignores all of them. Because of that, the Doctor clears his throat louder. When he does, the yellow stallion grunts in annoyance and then says aloud, “Computer, mute the ponies adjacent to me.”
“What?!” Stern Wing bristles as her fur and feathers stand up straight. “Did he really just try to shunt us?”
“This situation seems to require more direct measures,” the Doctor realizes then approaches the yellow stallion who continues to be busy analyzing the data on his floating holographic window until the Doctor becomes too intrusive by waving a leg in front of the other stallion.
In response, the yellow stallion finally looks directly at the Doctor with a growl of annoyance before ordering aloud, “Computer, delete these annoying and intrusive ponies.”
For a moment the TARDIS adventurers flinch in alarm when they hear that command, but a moment later a disembodied feminine voice says nearby them, “This system cannot comply with your previous command.”
Annoyance shifts to surprise as the yellow stallion demands to know, “Why not?”
“The ponies in your vicinity are not produced by this system,” the disembodied voice explains.
“What?!” the yellow stallion exclaims in astonishment. “You mean to tell me that they are real?”
“Affirmative,” the disembodied female voice confirms.
The TARDIS trio mutually glance at each other, each wondering how to take this recent string of news.
“Oh!” The yellow stallion widens his eyes in amazement. “In that case, I withdraw my recent orders to mute them.”
This time there is only a tweeting, digital reply from somewhere in this area. To the TARDIS trio, it might be an indication that the yellow stallion's recent request to mute them is successfully withdrawn.
“Okay, so if you three are not computer programs, just why are you here and interrupting my game?” the yellow stallion asks the trio. “And how did you get here anyway? This is supposed to be a closed program.”
Feather Wind and Stern Wing, especially the latter, are barely following this conversation. They just look at the Doctor and hope he can provide an intelligent response to this confusing conversation.
“I take it you had something to do with that giant golden comet?” the Doctor inquires of the yellow unicorn.
“Oh, that? Well if that's what you want to know, just watch. It's just about my turn anyway.” The yellow stallion peeks at the holographic window. In doing so, he apparently confirms something which causes him to nod in acceptance. He then trots away from the transparent window and draws closer to the shoreline of the beach. He then calls aloud, “Computer, reticle target, please.”
As a result of his command, a glowing and golden ornate sigil appears before him. It looks like two squares. One is right side up and the other is turned at a forty-five-degree angle. Both squares overlap each other. Within the squares, there are three circles, each with a few lines extending off of them. Because of those lines, every pony here can tell those circles are spinning in various directions as if adjusting for something. The center circle shows a zoomed image in the direction the entire sigil is being aimed at. There are a bunch of symbols that change all around and within the circles and squares as if to indicate changes in that which is being viewed.
“Mallet,” the yellow stallion calls aloud. Due to that, an image of a solid mallet appears and floats in thin air. A magic aura soon surrounds both the new tool and the yellow stallion's horn. In this case, both are enveloped by a mint-green aura. Notably, however, one of the gems on his robe is also glowing the same color, and that gem is mint green as well. “Okay. I just need to aim and adjust my target, and then . . .” The yellow stallion licks his lips as he gives the sigil sharp focus. After a while, he swings the mallet back using his magic and then slams it into the sigil. As a result, a giant and brightly golden comet launches away from the sigil and shoots off into the vast open sky.
The yellow stallion looks back across the newcomers and asks them, “Do you really mean to tell me that none of you are familiar with the game Tetrahexcimal?”
In response, the TARDIS trio shake their heads but then the Doctor proclaims, “But I think I'm beginning to get the gists of it. Basically, you create this reticle sigil and then use it to aim at where you want. I suspect you're not only trying to hit the other floating planets here but actually intend to ricochet off of them into several more of those planets before the comet loses all of its momentum.”
“Correct!” the yellow stallion cheers. “I need the comet to bounce off certain planets in a certain order. I have to hit A before I can hit B then C. The final goal is to shoot the comet through a rainbow ring. The thing is, I have to do all of this with the minimum number of shots possible.”
“So Tetrahexcimal is basically just a grander version of Cricket,” the Doctor realizes.
“Ah . . . maybe?” the yellow stallion says without recognition.
“And I take it that window is displaying the stats of the other players of this game?” the Doctor asks as he looks at the holographic window.
“Ah . . . yes. That and it allows me to see the progress of my own game. For instance,” he concentrates for a moment. His horn glows again, but curiously with a red color this time. As a result of his spell, one of the screens on the holographic window displays the comet he just shot away from this position. The image follows the comet as it shoots through this air space. A lot of information is being displayed around the moving image, but Feather and Stern can't make heads or tails of that information.
“See?” The yellow stallion waves at the holographic window. “This displays my progress in this game along with the stats of the other players off to the side.”
“And each of these 'other players' is off in their own little world of this game, correct? None of them are physically here?” the Doctor checks as he looks back at the yellow stallion.
In response, the yellow stallion nods as he says, “Correct, which is why I'm so confused about why the three of you are here bothering me. I'm supposed to be the only player in this version of the program. It's a private instance.”
“Forgive us for this intrusion. We didn't stumble upon your game intentionally,” the Doctor says to the yellow stallion. “Rather than that, we just arrived here.”
The yellow stallion winces as he asks, “May I ask how?”
“You certainly may,” the Doctor invites. “And I am happy to tell you. We warped here, from off this world, in my vessel which is known as the TARDIS. That stands for, 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space.'”
“Off this world? You came from off this moon? Seriously?” the yellow stallion asks skeptically.
“That surprises you?” the Doctor checks.
“Yes because of the shield around this world,” the yellow stallion responds. “How in the world, or rather off this world, did you manage to penetrate that?”
Instead of answering that question, the Doctor responds with another question of his own. “Would you like to see my ship?”
“Ah . . .” The yellow stallion looks numb for a moment, but he focuses again when he blinks and shakes his head. He then says to the Doctor, “I think you'd better. This is starting to sound much more serious than my game. Here.” He looks at the holographic window again. His horn glows red again. This time Feather and the Doctor notices a different gem light up on the stallion's robe. This one looks like a ruby gem.
In response to the spell the stallion cast, the holographic window goes away and is replaced with what seems to be a laser line simulation of their local environment. One area in particular flashes red. The stallion looks at the others as he says, “We are here where the red flash is. Now tell me, where is your ship?”
“Very close by, actually,” the Doctor answers as he approaches the holographic, 3-D grid map. “We were on an adjacent planet with a forest terrain. Specifically, the ship is located here.” The Doctor points at the correct spot on the grid map. Now that area flashes yellow in response.
“Alright then. I should see this for myself,” the yellow stallion decides before he calls aloud, “Computer, transport us to the yellow flashing area the other stallion indicated.”
“Affirmative,” the disembodied voice affirms before they are all engulfed by a brilliant white flash