“Here we are,” Feather Wind announces aloud when they arrive in the cargo bay of the other rig. This announcement is for Kleetus's benefit in particular. When the three of them arrive inside, Feather Wind cancels his rain shield. “The TARDIS is located here, but if you'll pardon me, I need a moment to . . . Well, I'm not sure how to explain this. Just need a moment alone to digest what I've experienced.”
Stern Wing and Kleetus both regard Feather Wind in surprise, but not exactly for the same reason.
“What? So you want me to search this whole cargo bay by myself?” Kleetus asks incredulously. “I have never even seen this space vehicle so I don't even know what it looks like.” He looks up at Stern Wing, for even he, at average earth pony height as a full-grown adult, is not at her level of this adolescent pegasus mare either. “Unless you are going to show me the rest of the way.”
Stern Wing considers it. After all, Feather Wind did say he wanted to be alone. She ponders this for a moment then opens her mouth to speak, but halts then looks at Feather when he speaks first.
“Actually, my spell will guide you. Give me a moment.” Feather Wind closes his eyes and concentrates on a spell. As a result, silvery light emits on the tip of his horn. However, unlike a normal horn light spell, this one hovers away from his horn and then proceeds forward a second after its creation. Feather Wind imbued this particular spell to lead Kleetus on a very specific course through this cargo bay that Feather mapped out in his mind during the moment he cast the spell. From the lead, the silver ball of light hovers ten feet ahead of Kleetus and then waits for him to approach closer than ten feet before propelling forward again until it is exactly ten feet again. Rinse and repeat until either the spell delivers Kleetus all the way to the destination or about thirty minutes expire. The reason for the duration is that it is how much of his own magical energy Feather Wind invested in this particular spell. Had it been more or less, it would have affected the duration accordingly. In this case, Feather Wind assumes, given the relatively close proximity to the TARDIS at this point, this duration should be about double the sufficient amount of time to lead Kleetus there, especially since he's a native and more used to climbing in the ever-present tilt that the waves cause to the rig.
Opening his eyes again, Feather Wind nods to the silver ball of light as he says, “Follow that light. It will lead you to the TARDIS. In addition to that fact, it will also provide you illumination along the way.”
“Wow!” Kleetus gasps. “So that is magic. Is it, ah . . . friendly?” he asks cautiously.
Feather Wind silently regards Kleetus dryly with an expression that seems to ask, “Do you really think I'd create a spell that wouldn't be?”
Kleetus shrugs as he says, “Just asking. I'm not exactly familiar with this kind of stuff, you know.”
Feather Wind's expression shifts from dry to mystified as he asks, “You have never seen a unicorn before, but have you heard of them?”
“Well . . . yeah. According to legend, they are the ones who delivered us to this planet in the first place,” Kleetus informs them. “However, ever since then, they have been distant and aloof; seemingly not caring about the affairs of ordinary mortals. So much so that my people have wondered if they truly ever existed. It has been that long since we've encountered one. Supposedly the pegasi serve them too in whatever space vehicle we've come in. The pegasi are like angels serving the magical whims of the gods.” He waves a point at Stern Wing as he adds, “Between the two, the pegasi have been sighted more frequently as they have occasionally served the role of messengers of the gods. Sightings of them are still very rare, though. Rare enough to have been a story told by one's great, great grandpappy during an age when we have to wonder if they were going senile by the time they finally told that story.”
“Wow,” Feather Wind expresses as he looks away from Kleetus with a minor look of horror in the unicorn's eyes, then he looks back at Kleetus as he assures more calmly, “Well, if all of that is true, then know this: I am not like those unicorns. I didn't travel with them, nor have I ever been a part of their compony. Neither have I been part of their distant, aloof, and quite likely very arrogant society, although my past has some striking and, quite frankly, a bit haunting similarities.
“Instead of all of that, I came here with the Doctor on his TARDIS. I'm from a different world and probably also time as well, although I also now suspect I come from a world that you ponies were imported from.”
“Could be,” Kleetus accepts with a neutral shrug. “I don't know, and to be frank, it doesn't really matter to me where we once came from. We're here now so we need to make the best of things.” He shakes his head as he stares forward blankly. “Life is a struggle enough without trying to contemplate ideas that make my head spin. I don't need that nor do I want it. 'Just one hoof in front of the other each day' is all I say.”
“A good philosophy to live by,” Stern Wing cheers in agreement. “Keep it simple.”
“So I just follow the light? Right?” Kleetus checks as he glances back at Feather Wind.
Feather Wind nods in confirmation as he adds, “It won't proceed until you do, or thirty minutes have passed. This spell will expire either when it successfully leads to the TARDIS or the magical energy I invested in it runs out, but you should get there from here long before that in my estimation.” He looks at Kleetus as he further adds, “But just in case that does happen, call out to us for help. We'll come and show you the rest of the way in that case.”
“Alright. Thankee Sir,” Kleetus says with a nod of appreciation before proceeding to follow the magical light.
After Kleetus leaves, Feather Wind wordlessly glances at Stern Wing who silently conveys she's welcome to join him if she wishes. After that, he proceeds away.
Stern Wing waits patiently and quietly nearby while her friend stares out an open window that shows the raging ocean storm outside that is only occasionally lit by a passing lightning flash. When they arrive there, she notices Feather Wind's mane take on the only other form it does whenever it is affected by the winds. Instead of looking like puffy clouds, his mane is blown straight in whatever direction the wind is going.
Stern Wing knows that her friend is a very deep thinker and feeler. Because of that, if he doesn't occasionally take little moments like this to himself and contemplate how his recent experiences can be integrated into his life, he'll be more and more off balance as he stumbles forward. Feather Wind, she knows, is a very sensitive pony. A true poet at heart who is typically far too innocent to easily hoofle the challenges he faces daily.
And, she has to admit to herself, their recent experiences were far more challenging and unusual.
“Look at that out there,” Feather Wind invites when he finally speaks. As a result, Stern Wing's ears perk up as she becomes even more alert now that she knows he's finally ready to speak to her, or at least aloud to himself. “Think about it. No matter how far we travel out on that horizon, we will never encounter our native home of Equestria. It's mind-boggling to also realize it never was out there to begin with. All this time, this is and was a wholly different planet that's complete with its own independent history. All along, it existed somewhere out there in its corner of the galaxy. I wonder if any of the natives here, too, ever wondered if there could be other worlds out there as well, just like some of us have contemplated.”
They both fall silent again for about another minute. During that time they both just drink in the atmosphere and privately contemplate what that means to them. While that occurs, he continues to stare outside this open window. He occasionally gets splashed with ocean mist because of it, but he doesn't mind or even seems to notice at all. His thoughts lie elsewhere.
“The spirits of nature here have told me that these native ponies weren't always here,” he eventually goes on. “They cycled on in nature from time immemorial. Always busy and content doing their own thing and never saw the need to even contemplate other possibilities in reality. Until a new situation confronts them, the existence of other things doesn't enter their minds.
“But when the ponies here eventually did arrive, the spirits of nature didn't know what to make of them at first. Across all that time, the ponies have served a variety of roles. Sometimes they complement the cycle of nature, sometimes they defy it, and sometimes . . . Well, how do I say this? Um . . . it seems to me the pattern shows that they were highly disruptive at first until they later adapted. It's like a foal finding its cutie mark. Until that happened, they were stumbling about to and fro while struggling to find their place in the world. Eventually they found it . . . until the world's climate changed again. At that point, the old ways were no longer working anymore so the ponies struggled and lost their way again.
“Meanwhile, all this time, there exists another sentient race that are true natives to this world. Most likely they are the Alphalmians. If you ask me, an aquatic race evolving and developing in a world composed almost completely of water makes a lot of sense. Their relationship with the ponies has had ups and downs across these many thousands of years. Overall, it kind of resembles the rise and fall of the tides. It comes in waves. How apropos.”
They fall silent for another two minutes this time before he speaks again.
“Something Kleetus told me reminds me a lot of my own past. You might remember that I used to feel quite stifled in it. I was a poet. A dreamer. My father kept telling me, 'Get your head out of the clouds,' but I couldn't help myself. Above all, I felt called to do something that seemed utterly impossible. The wind called for me to join it. No matter how absurd it seemed, deep down, I always wanted to fly. The freedom of it all always had such a powerful allure to me. I always felt it was my destiny even when it was impossible to explain how.
“But then, one day, I did discover my cutie mark when I finally really listened to nature. I flew. I became as light as a feather which then blew on the wind. Freedom at last, and finally a true confirmation of who I am. From that day on, my new name was Feather Wind.
“When I returned home later, my relationship with my father changed in important, fundamental ways. He saw my new cutie mark on my flank and he had some proof of my new, and very unusual, abilities for a unicorn. It was at that point he finally realized my head was meant to be in the clouds. That's who I was. That's who I always was and he could no longer deny it.
“On the other hoof, he also had a point that one's individual talent and destiny didn't have to be the only ones we can acquire. He had a point that there is value in being somewhat grounded and connected to the world at large as well as the society that dwells within it. He told me, or rather reminded me, of the importance our family has to the legacy of Equestria. We are unusually talented wizards, teachers, and most importantly, we are the record keepers. We both create and preserve the most tangible form of memories our race can possibly forge. Through our work, we remain connected to our history so that we can learn from them. Because of that, we don't have to repeat mistakes of the past as often and we can also capitalize upon the triumphs of our forebears. That really is important.
“Since, by then, I finally achieved a great step in my ultimate dream anyway, I didn't feel as anxious about being side-tracked toward other pursuits. The sheer uncertainty of not knowing who I was before made it virtually impossible to fully concentrate on my studies, but after I unlocked my cutie mark and more fully realized who I was, it no longer felt as urgent to me. Discovering my destiny more fully became something of an inevitability at that point. I knew, by then, the fuller implications and potential of this new talent would develop naturally over time. During that time, I could also pursue other things to eventually broaden my list of options even further.
“Aside from convincing me of the importance of acquiring more knowledge and the things we can do with it, my father also had a point that our ability to master wizardry is also special to me.”
At that moment Feather Wind creates another spherical light. Like before, it floats down from his horn. He gazes upon it with foal-like wonder as he hovers a hoof on each side of the ball of light as if he is physically holding an intangible force. In his eyes, he looks like he treasures that which he beholds.
“To my father,” Feather Wind goes on. “magic is just a science and a tool. It is a discipline. It is structure. It is logical and repeatable. To him, it is almost ordinary. It is the glue that holds our society together. Magic is like breathing air to him. It's what we are so he didn't see a reason to regard it as anything too special.
“I have to admit, too, that he's so darn good at it that there had to be some inherent value in his way of thinking. As a system, it works for him. Casting magic is like following a recipe in a cookbook. It's just formulas and numbers. As a teacher, that line of thinking gave him a stable platform to rely upon. As long as his students follow that same system in the way he teaches it, he was convinced they could be just as successful potentially.
“However, to me, magic is a thing of beauty and wonder. It is an art. It is living energy. It is the essence of existence beyond that which we can fully grasp. It's like a taste of a potentially unlimited reality. I always found the depth and mystery of it all tantalizing. When I hold magic in my hooves, some deep part of me never forgot to treasure and marvel at it. Within it holds the keys to unlocking deeper potential. It's like a song. Something about it stirs my soul and always beckons to reveal greater secrets in the depths beyond. As a result, I feel I cannot ever take it for granted. It's just too precious. I don't think of it as a tool. I think of it like a cherished friend.”
At that moment Feather Wind pulls the energy ball into his body with the same motion as if giving it a warm hug. When that happens, his body reabsorbs the energy. This causes his body to glow for a moment in shimmering light. It is somewhat dazzling for Stern Wing to behold.
After a deep and content sigh, Feather Wind slowly opens his eyes and lifts his head. His forelegs are also lower to rest on his lap.
“My unusually wise uncle, Ramadon, once told me that magic is actually drawn from two primary components of the caster,” Feather Wind continues. “He says the mind gives the spell structure. Without that, it won't really do anything. One can only summon it and, without putting it in a container of some sort, it'll just flash almost uselessly.
“However, he also said that the heart of a pony, as in their individual emotions, is akin to fuel for the fire of magic. Without that, there is no energy to summon in the first place. At that point, it doesn't matter how strong the caster's concentration is. Without that fuel, there is nothing there to shape at all.
“Personally, I guess I've always kept both components in mind and heart. My father's discipline helped me to give my magic potentially very solid and useful form, but the way I have always felt about magic meant it has become so much more. That is so very hard to explain. I guess that's always been the symptom of raw emotion. Without logic to give it structure, it's just a feeling we can't describe. To me, it is a kinship, a warm companion, and a promise for more mysteries to steadily be unveiled. It is the excitement of discovering new plateaus beyond every horizon. That raw and pure allure just keeps drawing me ever onward.”
He sighs again in deep contentment then settles down as he continues to gaze forward out the window. During that time, another moment of silence passes between them before he speaks again.
“Although I did not achieve what I was initially after by joining the Wonderbolt Academy, I nevertheless found value in the experience. My flying skills did get refined beyond anything I had ever done before, and my methods baffled our drill instructors. They didn't know what to make of it or how to teach something so utterly unique. They had to rely a lot on feedback from me to even begin to get an idea of how to fit me into this tight and cohesive unit. That's something I gradually came to understand as my time there continued, and despite all my misgivings about the experience, there is something I found precious about learning to work so tightly as a team.
“I always felt like there was something inherently wrong about disciplining the pure element of the wind like that, yet I still find great value in the experience as a whole for multiple reasons. Without that experience, I wouldn't have realized the greater depth of my potential with my cutie mark talent. Also, there's something noteworthy and a special way one can grow from exploring the wrong path. Such a thing guides and teaches the individual pony. It sort of lets them know where their boundaries are. If that can be discovered, then their true destiny can develop more structure and momentum. Once that happens, very important self-confidence gradually ensues.
“When I moved out into nature during the next phase of my experiment in self-discovery, I fully anticipated that I would find flaws in it. By leaping from one extreme to the other, I figured there was a good chance I would miss my mark again but also ultimately get a better guide to zero in on the perfect target. By abandoning all of society and all its structure, I was alone out there. No goods or services, including emergency services.”
“That was one of the things that concerned me the most,” Stern Wing finally pops in. “You remember how I insisted upon daily wind-delivered reports, right? It was because I wanted that constant assurance that you were alright. By keeping general track of where you were as well, I could move in and rescue you just in case your health later deteriorated for some reason.”
Feather Wind regards Stern Wing calmly in a manner that seemed to wait to see if Stern Wing was finished with her point. When it later seemed like it was, he looks forward out the window again and continues.
“To my surprise, I found my place in raw nature far more easily than I had initially anticipated. I mean, I was born and raised among the aristocracy. We are so accustomed to always having plenty of goods and services available at our beck and call. So much so that most of them grow, at least subconsciously, to rely heavily upon it. By being raised with that continual mentality of, 'always far more than we need in life', the sheer idea of not being with any of the luxuries our station can provide in a society like that feels pretty much unfathomable to them.
“But I guess I've always been the odd one out among my peers. I figured I could never really fully explain it, especially as a foal, but it was always there. A calling to something beyond anything the walls of our mansion could provide. Because of that, the luxurious and heavily fortified walls didn't feel like shelter to me. It felt like a cage instead.
“But out there, within the bounds of virgin nature, something clicked within me. I've always accepted that I Am the Wind incarnate, and finally I went to the place where its natural equilibrium was present the most. The cycle of nature and the joy of simply being swept up within it. Timelessness ensued. The concerns of society melted away. I became simply another part of it, like a living pure element of nature. It definitely has its own vibe to it. In that, I found an important aspect of myself. The only real flaw of it all was the ever-building loneliness. That was the only thing that signaled I was just a bit off target with this experiment.
“But then you came for a visit and it basically confirmed something I already knew. By then it was hard to talk because I hadn't done it in so long. I didn't even know how long it had been until you told me. You were the only one who was loaded with stories to tell. By listening to it, it revealed to me, to a greater degree, the differences between being lost as a pure element of nature and the comparatively fast-paced pony society normally runs. The day-to-day differences that usually always provided some detail that they never encountered before.
“It felt strange to me, yet still, I was glad for your compony. Being with you and sharing your existence revealed an emptiness within me that finally got somewhat filled.”
Feather Wind pauses as he looks up before going on to say, “But then an apparition of Vision's mother showed up thanks to a spell she cast, of whom I mistook for Vision herself at the time. She told me that her daughter was in danger back at her temple and that I was the only one who could respond fast enough to matter.”
“I remember,” Stern Wing confirms.
Feather Wind lowers his head and gazes forward again. He then leans forward and releases a heavy sigh before saying, “And then she told us, and me in particular, that the threat which plagues her temple was the same which haunted the Orchard's farm a few years ago. I have never encountered a pony more frightening than he so far, but that's the point. He's deliberately designed to be scary so that he could gather fear energy for King Sombra. King Sombra . . . the disembodied spirit of a tyrant that still floats somewhere out there and is gathering energy from multiple sources for nefarious purposes. It also turns out that my family is from a lineage that stems from him. That is why he sought me. That is why he sent his agent, Puppet Master, after Vision. Sombra was simply exploiting another avenue to gather more information which could later lead to another large leap in his dark design.”
Feather Wind pauses again as he closes his eyes. After a moment of silence, he says, “I still have nightmares about that horribly animated puppet. Behind that, I can distantly sense the hooves that pull Puppet Master's strings. Ultimately he, too, is a victim.”
Feather Wind glances at Stern Wing for a moment. In doing so he notices he still has her rapt and lovingly patient attention. Secure in that knowledge, he looks out the window again.
“There is much I didn't expect in that adventure. I didn't even expect that adventure at all. After the horrors we suffered at the Orchard farm, there was a part of me that always felt something important was unfinished, but it eventually drifted away and a sort of normalcy gradually returned . . . but then he reared his ugly head again and I was once again confronted with that dark past. Just like the last time, too, you just happened to be there to get the message, and once again you got swept up into my wind currents of destiny. For that, I feel . . . guilty.”
“Why?” Stern Wing asks with a minor tone of alarm.
“Because look at what this adventure has taken from you,” Feather Wind answers right away. “Your friends aside from me, your family, your career as a professional player of Puffball. Geeze, Stern Wing, you were that good! You not only kept up with other ponies who had cutie marks specifically for either that sport or others like it, but you surpassed them. You did that back when you didn't even have a cutie mark at all.
“Powerful and beautiful. That's what you were and still are to me. You dominated the skies like no pony's business. It was incredible to behold. You seemed like you really enjoyed it, too. There really seemed like you had a sense of purpose as you worked to win those games, and often because of your efforts, your team was more successful than most. You really could've gone all the way.”
After a brief moment of silence, Stern Wing chipped in with a request. “Can I talk now?”
Feather Wind regards Stern Wing questioningly as he says, “Of course you can, Stern. You are always welcome to do so. I'm not even sure why you think you need my permission.”
“It's not permission I'm requesting, exactly. I just don't want to interrupt your train of thought,” Stern Wing explains.
Feather Wind smiles and then nods at her in silent understanding.
“Anyway, I think you need some clarification here,” Stern Wing begins. “First of all, while you weren't a completely good fit with the other Wonderbolt Academy students, I think you've been there enough to at least understand something about team spirit. There is no 'I' in teams like that. It rather is a 'we'.” She points to herself as she says, “I have always understood that, only I learned to a greater degree as I continued my games with my fellow teammates. Practice makes more perfect than anything. Working together as a unit also fits that bill. I was very aware of my strengths and talents but I didn't allow them to get to my head. Neither did our coach. She knew what she was talking about and I seriously took those lessons to heart. I knew that any talented pony who tries to dominate the spotlight is ultimately a detriment to us all as a team. I had to be willing to set my ego aside and be an equal team player instead. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Instead of putting all the focus on myself, I supported my team. I passed the cloud ball to them even when I easily could have scored a goal. I knew they needed the practice. Sometimes that decision cost us a few points and even the game as a whole, but I sincerely believed we won a greater prize. If everypony on the team has a fair chance to feel included, our ultimate potential pools into one. When we're strong as a whole, we're far more ready to meet any challenge head-on. I have always felt it was important to realize that and I also figured you knew about that too on some level after your experiences at the Academy. Despite all of your problems there, I was proud of you for that because I figured you carried something with you that ultimately made you a much better pony on the inside.
“I still think I'm right.
“But you need to know something else as well. In all that time I played the game in my earlier years, I still never got my cutie mark. I was still very great in the game because of my natural talents and also because of my general attitude towards it overall. However, in all that time, deep down, I've always known that even if I'm great at the game and even if I really enjoyed it, Puffball was always just a hobby to me. It was like a pit stop along the way toward a greater destiny. I didn't know what it was and I suppose it's fair to say that I was more patient with its arrival than most other ponies would have been in my place, but that's where I was.
“And then it happened. At that farm, while all those goblins were busy burning things and laughing with insane evil glee, I found my purpose as I stood up for those who were in need. I put myself on the front lines of danger and raised my wings defensively and almost unconsciously. All I could think about at that moment was how important it was for me to be there. I would not let that danger pass me. I would not allow it to hurt these innocent ponies. No matter what it took, I would stand as a wall.
“As a result, you need to know something important about me that I discovered within myself on that day. Later I lay bleeding at the hospital and recovering from multiple fractures, but I have never felt more proud of myself. I have never felt that inwardly fulfilled. Just as you felt a thrill on the first day you flew, I laid back on that hospital bed and simply thought that, because of my efforts on that day, lives were spared. I am strong. I can take the punishment. The Orchard family might not have been so lucky had I not intervened. That is such a sacred gift, and I knew, in my heart, I had the power to do it again. And again! And again! Each time another life is saved. Each time the value of my existence is doubled again. Because I live, because I exist, and because I was there in time to make an important difference, other lives continue. I look upon these facts and I realize, in my heart, I don't even care about the credit. I can take it or leave it. What is more important to me is lives were saved.
“I love Puffball. I love my teammates, and of course, I will always love my friends and family . . . but being out here, in this place and time, feels far more important to me than anything I have ever done. We're here to save lives, Feather Wind. That is an incredibly powerful and important gift. I also get the sense that the TARDIS is naturally drawn towards places and times when we are needed the most, so just imagine it! Strewn throughout all of time and space are countless little moments when somepony desperately needs a hero. The journey of the TARDIS allows me to fulfill the inner depths of my potential over and over again. No longer is it necessary to simply wait and vigilantly scan my surroundings. Instead, those moments are now drawn to us or we go to them.
“So please, Feather, I beg you, do not demean me by claiming or feeling guilt or shame over me being here when this is otherwise my proudest and most important moment. I think we are all driven to where we need to be by a vast variety of circumstances. I feel even better about this because I get to do this with one of my most cherished friends who also coincidentally complements me in nearly every possible way. You are strong in the areas I am weaker at and vice versa. Together I think we can make an unstoppable team. The destiny of your family legacy led you here, but it led me here too. Do you think it's just a coincidence that I happen to be strong and unusually well-prepared for adventures like this? To that, I say no, Feather Wind. I say no. I will always say that proudly and strongly too.
“I don't know what tomorrow will bring but I'm content to wait to find out. For now, I'll concentrate on what is in front of me. One hoof in front of the other every single day. You can overanalyze and worry about various possibilities to your heart's content, but personally, I choose to narrow my focus to whatever purpose seems most important right in front of me. If I see anypony innocent in danger, I'm going to be flying forward to help however I can. While I do that, I hope you'll have my back too because, despite your inner struggle with your confidence, you are incredibly good at this as well. I wish you wouldn't doubt yourself as much, but I'm still content to let you be you. Whatever that is, it's working somehow. I think we'll always find ourselves scraping by or better.”
Feather Wind just stares at her as if trying to decide how sincere she is. Eventually his expression sinks into a loving smile toward her. It is an expression she quickly returns.
After that, he settles himself against her body, particularly at her neck area. He wraps his own head around her neck almost as if to hug it. In return, she wraps her giant wings around his tiny body and pulls him closely next to her. When she does so, she feels a chill from his tiny body that he was surprisingly good at hiding until now, yet their close proximity in this intimate moment gradually warms that away.
For Feather Wind, this moment makes him recall when they got stuck in the middle of another storm. Fortunately for them, they found shelter in a cave nearby where they waited out the storm. He used a hornbeam to heat a rock nearby both for warmth and light, and she used her body to hug him close to share body heat. Something was intoxicating to him about smelling her wet body during that moment.
Feather Wind realizes that she is often very symbolic of moments like that. She always like this warm and cozy shelter that juxtaposes sharply with harsh and dark weather like this. No matter how hard a storm rages just outside the cave, he knows he's always safe with her sufficiently enough to nod off into peaceful rest. All the storms of the world cannot harm him in her protective and loving embrace.
This moment proves to be no exception.