Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn

by Scroll

Chapter Seventeen: Adventures in the Tardis

Star Breeze yawned and stretched. She noticed that the texture she laid on was quite puffy so she was fairly certain it was a cloud. As she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a sight she didn't expect. The area around her was illuminated by a red filament. She looked around and noticed she was in an enclosure of red crystal.

“What the . . .?”

She looked above her head and noticed the exit was sealed with a thick cloud. Touching it, she realized the cloud was so condensed it would be solid to almost any creature, bugs for example. Still, she was able to push it open and emerge from her crystal tent. From the outside, she looked back and examined it. The structure was attached and stabbed from the ground which met together at two points. Both crystals shot up at a forty-five-degree angle, connecting with each other in the middle.

Curious, she looked around for her father. She eventually noticed him sitting high above on a cloud in a meditative pose.

“Good morning, Dad!” she called up there.

He broke his pose then looked down at her, after which he replied, “Ah! Good morning, Sweet Pea. How did you sleep?”

“Very well actually, but what is this thing?” She gestured to the crystal tent. “That wasn't there before.”

Feather Wind stood up then leaped forward. As he did so, the cloud he leapt from evaporated. He dove straight down until he was four feet off the ground. He curved along the ground until he was in front of his daughter, where he landed.

“No, it wasn't there yesterday,” her father agreed. “I erected it both to protect you while you slept and to make a point.

“Watch,” he instructed as he lifted a hoof to it. When that happened, the crystal hanging about his neck glowed red. A similar magic aura surrounded the crystal tent. A moment later both sides of the slanted crystal withdrew into the earth where they once came from.

“I didn't know you had access to crystal magic!” Star Breeze breathed in astonishment.

“I do with this thing.” Feather Wind pointed at the Red Crystal on his necklace. “This grants me your great grandfather's cutie mark talent while I wear it and channel my energy through it. He trained me how to wield it as well.

“The reason you haven't seen me use it before is because, lately, I have had no need to and, secondly, it's kind of a family secret. The reason I'm showing it to you now is because we've already reached the point of my story where it was introduced. Doing so is also initiating you into a family secret, and possibly also a family responsibility if you accept.”

“It will be my turn to take over the family responsibility of guarding it and using it to gather positive energy, correct?” Star Breeze gave an educated guess.

“Only if you wish,” her father replied. “If you don't accept this task and I can no longer do it myself, I shall find somepony else to pass it on to, but it must be passed on and it must be used properly. The crystal ponies of the Crystal Empire are depending on this to help bring them back.”

“If I use that thing . . . will I be able to use crystal magic too?” Star Breeze wondered with rising hope.

“You just might be able to. Crystal Sage said I could use this thing like a second horn. For those that don't have one in the first place, you might be able to use it as your primary horn. Through it, you can only use his cutie mark talent, but that's enough for basic telekinesis and other basic forms of magic as well.”

“When you used it, I noticed it had a red-colored aura, unlike your own silver one,” Star Breeze observed curiously.

“Yes.” Feather Wind nodded. “That was his aura color in life, and also King Sombra's before he got corrupted. After the corruption, Sombra's aura color changed to a mixture of black with hints of dark purple.”

“So if I use that like my horn . . . it will be red-colored too,” Star Breeze concluded.

“Very likely, but I have to point something out.

“If you accept the responsibility of using this crystal, you must realize it's only until it gathers enough positive energy to help bring back the Crystal Empire. After that, this crystal will be destroyed.

“Actually, no,” he corrected himself as he looked to the side. “I take that back.” He looked back at his daughter. “Changed is more the mark. This crystal will be altered in such a way that it will be beyond our reach but, in doing so, not only are we helping to bring the Crystal Empire back, but we will be aiding Equestria in another way.

“I'll get to the details of that later but, for now, all you need to understand is that, if you accept this, you are only borrowing its power until its primary purpose is complete. At that point, it will finally be time to close a chapter on one of our family's dark history. From there it will be time to open a new chapter which, hopefully, will be a better one.”

“Isn't great grandfather Crystal Sage still in that crystal? When it . . . changes . . . what happens to him?”

“Unknown, but most likely he will move on to a better form of existence,” Feather Wind figured. “Believe me, he's been prepared for that a long time ago. Crystal Sage is very much burned out on this life. He's eager to move on to the next stage of his existence. He's ready to rest in peace. The only thing holding him back is one last unfinished task, the safe return of the Crystal Empire. Only after that time will he finally be ready to move on once and for all and I, for one, have no intention to delay him his peaceful rest. If that is his will, I will not stand in his way. On the contrary, I'll do everything I can to support that goal, and I have for many years now.”

“Can I talk to him?” Star Breeze asked eagerly.

“You can try,” Feather Wind offered.

He had the necklace telekinetically float off of his neck using his own horn and aura. From there he floated it gently in front of his daughter.

“What do I do?” Star Breeze asked excitedly and nervously.

“Touch the crystal and focus your mind. Pay close attention to your emotions. That is most likely where you will sense him,” Feather Wind instructed.

Star Breeze did so, then inwardly called out in her mind, Grandfather? Great Grandfather?

There was no immediate response, but, eventually, she felt a warm and loving glow rise from within her. It felt very nurturing and protective. For some reason, she had the image in her head of him wrapping his favorite red scarf to her neck. She could almost feel it, like a phantom sensation. She smiled softly as she said aloud, “I think I feel him. He's sending me his love.”

Feather Wind breathed a sigh of relief. “I'm glad you got a response at all. For quite a long time, he's been very detached from physical plane matters. Instead, he was bracing himself to cross over into the next life.”

“I feel so warm and safe,” Star Breeze further reported. “He's so powerful, but also warm and kind.” Star Breeze closed her eyes and smiled warmly. After a while, she giggled a bit. “I feel a scarf around my neck. A red scarf.”

“His favorite scarf,” Feather Wind informed. “It was as symbolic and important to him as my Mist Cloak is to me.”

xoxo

Feather Wind waited until he and his daughter were finished with breakfast before announcing, “I spoke with your mother last night,” he announced before spitting out a few apple seeds from his mouth.

Star Breeze looked interested at her father. “Is she here?”

Feather Wind shook his head. “No. I spoke with her over the wind so you can imagine how delayed that conversation was going both ways. She says she'll be busier than she thought, and will be held up for at least another week.

“In the meantime, she bid me to give you a message.” Feather Wind bent over and kissed his daughter on the top of her head. “Happy birthday again, Sweet Heart.”

“Aw!” Star Breeze blushed as she rubbed the top of her head. “Thanks, Mom . . . and Dad for delivering the message.”

“She hopes you are enjoying your time out in the forest with me as I tell you my history,” Feather Wind went on as he sat up straight again. “I told her you probably were. Was I accurate with her?”

“Of course!” Star Breeze said brightly.

“So,” she paused as she bit into an apple. After she swallowed it, she resumed, “what happened to you and Mom next back in the past?”

“I can tell you I awoke in the TARDIS after I came back from my vivid dream with Crystal Sage. As my eyes cleared, I saw that swirling architecture above the console of the TARDIS, which made me realize they had to drag my unconscious body back to the machine. I apologized for that.

“In case you were worried, Vision made a full recovery after a few days. The Doctor's medical assistance greatly sped up that process.

“I told them about my trip into a virtual world locked inside the crystal and my subsequent meeting with Crystal Sage as well as the deal I made with him. My friends agreed that seemed like a good plan for now but it required two things, mainly time. It required time for me to attune myself to the Red Crystal and time to gather positive energy as well as store it within the crystal. Both were necessary to use the crystal effectively, so the Doctor immediately claimed he knew exactly where we could go to gather such energy.”

Feather Wind took a deep breath as he looked skyward. He leaned back with his forelegs held behind him to prop him up at a fourty-five degree angle.

“My adventures in the TARDIS . . . how can I possibly sum up that?” Feather Wind wondered aloud. “There are far too many tales to recount during this point of my life. Far too many to remember and, even if I did a brief summary of each adventure, it could still take weeks to describe them all.

“I think the details of this point of my life is better suited as bedtime stories spread throughout your lifetime. I'll leave it at that as something for you to look forward to.

“But, for now, I'll give you a few examples of some of the adventures I had in this time and space machine as well as give you an idea of the social progress I made with my companions during the trip.

“First of all, let me describe to you what it was like to travel with the captain of the TARDIS, the Doctor.

“Maybe, by now, you have some idea of his odd idiosyncrasies and his eccentric genius. I can't tell you how many times, in the beginning of our adventures together, I had to slap my hoof hard on my face and drag it downward due to how embarrassed he made me with some comment or blunder of his that made so many social situations we entered awkward at best, and dangerous at worst.

“Every single time he fooled me into thinking he was a complete and utterly mad idiot, he later proved that he had this ingenious plan all along and that every action and word seemed carefully calculated.

“The truth is, he's even more incredible than that because he doesn't need to plan that far ahead. He can think so fast on his hooves that he can make it seem like he planned whatever he was doing for weeks when, in fact, he came up with it on the spot.

“I later came to suspect that the chaos around him caused him to grow accustomed to this during his many centuries of adventuring which forced him into the habit of adapting quickly on his hooves.

“Most of that time was spent in another dimension where he had an entirely different form that moved standing upright on two legs, not four. Celestia only knows how they managed to keep their balance in such a form but he assured me they managed it somehow.

“The Doctor never ceased to be amazed and amused with a pony universe and, in general, he liked how innocent it was in comparison to where he came from but, that said, we had some rough scrapes plenty of times over the years.

“The Doctor . . . how can I best describe him?

“One thing I can say about him is his appetite for adventure seemed insatiable. He never ever stopped for more than a few days before growing antsy and restless. He seemed honestly addicted to a fast pace in life which most other ponies would eventually find exhausting. I know I did at times.

“Speaking of which, I don't recall him ever sleeping. Maybe having two hearts gave him the stamina he needed to remain awake indefinitely. Either that or he slept in another timeline. He did have a time machine, after all.

“I remember the times I awoke while sleeping in the TARDIS and I noticed him prancing into the TARDIS while wearing a fancy outfit. During those times, it occurred to me the stallion just never quits. Even while we sleptsleep, he goes off onto more crazy adventures. In other words, he was having more adventures behind our backs!

“Considering the scope of the dangers he faced on a regular basis, I recall growing concerned about the adventures he had while we slept. In response, he told me not to worry about it, that he 'restrains' himself to tamer adventures while his companions sleep like dancing with famous celebrities and such.

“I just had to shake my head at this bewildering, amazing, and sometimes infuriating pony. It was because we cared for him so much was why we sometimes got so upset with him.

“We see him saving lives every single day, or at least try his hardest to. Many, many times he selflessly risked his own life to save anywhere from one individual to entire galaxies, and each time we always had to question whether this would be the big one that would finally take him out for good.

“His personality tended to be generally friendly and excitable but, once in a while, I saw glimpses of how much time had been a burden to him. This was especially common when he needed to make the tough calls, as usual. During those times, I saw glimpses of just how old he really is, and that time has not always been so kind to him.

“He failed to save lives sometimes, including dear and trusted companions on his journey. All of that loss piles on top of his hearts, forever adding more and more weight to it, and the Doctor does indeed care about us enough to leave a deep scar when he loses us.

“Usually his companions retire in one way or another, whether they wanted to or not but, once in a rare while, they just die. Living life on the constant edge of danger, it becomes an inevitable possibility eventually.

“Moving from one time to the next, from one place to the next, eventually formed a pattern in my mind. It seemed to indicate that the Doctor was desperate to keep on galloping. That it wasn't just his interest to explore, it was also some fear of stagnating.

“I don't know why, but he kept on moving as if he was unable to stop. It got so much sometimes that I just stayed in the TARDIS so I could read or write while my friends went off into yet another potentially deadly adventure. Normally I'd do anything to protect them but when it dragged on and on and on, it got too exhausting to keep up with constantly. My trust that my friends could hoofle it was also another factor in those decisions.

“I learned, at a later date, the Doctor had a policy when it came to burned-out companions. Normally he dumps them back in their native world and timeline to basically take a vacation in real life before swinging back several days to several years later to check on us again and see if we're ready to resume adventuring with him. It made me realize that if we ever dared to set a hoof in his time machine again then we were essentially signing a contract, a contract that said, 'I've had enough rest for now and I'm ready to resume adventuring at breakneck speeds'.

“Honestly, that's exactly how he acted. If you ever get the chance to set a hoof in the TARDIS, you better be ready for action, otherwise he'll leave you in your native timeline and check back on you again later unless you make it absolutely clear that you're done with him for good and, even then in an emergency situation, he might come back anyway.

“Even if you want to relax and retire in a peaceful life, what can you do when another race of exterminating aliens show up and invade the place? He cares about you too much to leave you hanging if he noticed the danger so he'll come back and save the day whether you like it or not unless, somehow, you prove that you can hoofle the situation without him. If you do, then I think he might actually complain to you that you are no fun anymore, though I suspect he would also have some pride for you in his hearts.

“In this case, however, our situation was a little unique. Dumping me off in my native timeline gave King Sombra more time to advance his plan, and we weren't prepared to face him yet because either I had not mastered the Red Crystal and its subsequent crystal magic or we hadn't gathered enough positive energy to properly be prepared to face him or his lackey. Because of this, the Doctor adjusted his normal policy with me, Stern Wing and Vision, and that was to allow us to remain in the TARDIS if we so chose while any other pony ready and willing to join him on his adventures stepped outside those amazing doors with him.

“Either that, or dump us off on another timeline that seemed relatively peaceful.

“Derpy's timeline, for example, was pretty good for that one, but even it had the occasional problem of rampaging monsters that try to wreck Equestria.

“On the other hoof, it was remarkably prepared to face such threats when they arose on the rare occasion. It was easier to relax when there were other heroes already in that timeline ready and willing to face those dangers head-on instead of us.

“So . . . there you go. In such situations, it was easier to just meld into the background and enjoy the show from there.

“Another thing I can say about the Doctor is he shows his age well when it came to knowledge. He could tell from the gravity of an area or lifting a hoof into the wind what time era it was and he was pretty on point with that.

“When it comes to navigating the TARDIS, however, I can't tell you how often he lands off target, much to his chagrin and embarrassment. With just one digit off, we could land exactly a century off when he intended for us to land or more. Every time that happened, I rolled up my sleeves, figuratively speaking, and realized something or somepony in this timeline needed saving because I started to notice a pattern that when these supposed 'mistakes' occur it was, in fact, on purpose due to the will of the TARDIS which the Doctor assured me was conscious and alive, and it was aware of a far higher reality than the rest of us. Because of that, it knew when we needed to be rather than when we wanted to be.

“As for my other companions, I can tell you that your mother was well suited to this lifestyle. She was healthy, strong, brave, kind, and a natural guardian. It wasn't just the wonder of exploration that gave this lifestyle such allure for her. She was honestly pleased with the fact that the danger of the situations we frequently found ourselves in gave her another chance to prove how much of a hero she could be, and it was not out of vanity or hope for reward either . . . it was out of earnest concern for those in danger. She was happy to be there to save lives. She was happy to be so important and helpful. Every time this happened, she gave the adventure her all.

“She had never been a heavy thinker but sometimes she was capable of surprising insight or sudden bouts of incredible wisdom.

“When all else failed, usually her determination helped us to win the day. With every ounce of blood left in her body, she kept on standing to defend whatever was important to her. She fought especially hard for the weak and helpless. If she encountered others who could fight then she welcomed them to it. She gladly accepted comrades-in-legs if they proved they could hoofle it, else the burden fell on her sturdy shoulders.

“She honestly didn't mind but, like the Doctor, a compassionate heart grows very weary with repeated failures but your mom . . . she never gave up. Even when all else seemed bleak and hopeless, she fought on anyway even if she didn't think she would win. Fighting is exactly how she hoofles despair, but it's how she hoofles bravery too. No matter what she faced, I think she always kept thinking that there was always a chance, no matter how bleak the situation seemed.

“During our adventures through time and space, your mom and I also had occasional opportunities to pursue romantic interests with each other, except we often did it in very exotic locations and situations.

“For example, we'd sit across from each other in a diner and have ourselves a hay-burger while we wistfully glanced to our side at an asteroid field beyond the window of our restaurant that encompasses the ring of an alien planet that the diner we sat in happened to be in orbit of. Outside, we'd see the Doctor laughing hysterically as he surfed between those asteroids on a space surfboard. We'd see that and we're forced to shrug on how the unusual had become our new usual.

“Vision was an unusual companion for the Doctor in several regards. To begin with, he rarely invited a young foal on his journey due to him knowing how dangerous it was and how unlikely somepony that young could survive. Add to that, Vision was quite a sickly foal as well and, on top of that, she was blind to boot.

“He was initially quite reluctant to keep her on his journey. He kept inventing excuses to bring her to safe places where she might be able to grow up in peace. If she still wanted to join him after that and she was in better health then he might have been more willing to bring her along.

“Derpy was the primary reason Vision remained. She did not want to abandon the foal to some nameless timeline, and Vision was at risk in her own world and timeline because it was proven Puppet Master went after her once and might do so again once the monster fully realized how false of a lead the Doctor put him on.

“Eventually the Doctor set to work to resolve the issue in several other ways. He treated her to skilled medical professionals who had access to magic and technology rare in other worlds. With their help, he hoped to improve her natural constitution. Stern Wing also helped in that regard by having the young filly do some healthy but safe exercises in the TARDIS.

“By the way, that thing turned out much bigger on the inside than I initially thought. In theory, it is an endless universe on its own, and it could reshape itself depending on its needs.

“Beyond that, the Doctor also invented this weird version of a sonic screwdriver that could be worn as glasses for Vision, but these glasses did not function the way normal glasses do. Instead of improving vision, these glasses instead communicated a sonic pulse to her brain which she learned to translate into visual-like images. It was basically an advanced version of sonar vision.

“This strategy had some pros and cons.

“The cons were she still could not read, could not distinguish any color and could not see to any distance beyond one-hundred feet, although there were potential environmental variables that could shorten or lengthen that range.

“The pros were she could see like she could hear. She could literally see three-hundred and sixty degrees around her which also included the X, Y and Z axis, creating a perfect, one-hundred foot radius sphere of perception around her. If you were anywhere within that bubble of perception, it did not matter if you hid behind a trash can. Due to the bouncing echoes around her, she'd still notice you.

“Later on those sonic glasses were improved to become sonic lens permanently grafted on top of her eyes and, with this device, she learned to wield it in every way the Doctor used his own sonic screwdriver except she had a similar device built on top of her own otherwise blind eyes and, due to inexperience, she was not quite as proficient with its use as the Doctor.

“When it came to her other abilities, the Doctor acknowledged her as the first truly psychic companion to travel with him on a regular basis and it did change the scope of his adventures very much. While her visions of the distant present, past, and future were limited to her dreams and very often beyond her control, Vision was empathic while awake and made murder mysteries a virtual moot point whenever she was around. The Doctor called her a, 'cheat code' that made his adventures too easy sometimes. There were times he angrily scolded her for spoiling a surprise and encouraged her to let him figure a mystery we had on our hooves all on his own.

“However, there were other times he begged her for answers, especially when lives were on the line and he could feel himself losing options in a hurry. This was an asset he rarely had access to before, especially that frequently and it came in hoofy many times.

“Later on she developed an interest in martial arts. Stern Wing did at the same time and agreed to assist the young foal in learning it while studying it herself. In the beginning, Vision struggled with these lessons very hard but, as her health improved, she picked the skill up faster and faster. She proved she had far more than a mere knack for it.

“During the second year of our stay in the TARDIS, she became one of our deadliest combatants, including me or the Doctor. When her limbs became honed and sharp, she proved she had an awesome advantage when it came to hoof to hoof combat. Her sonar vision gave her an all-around vision of the local battlefield which she learned to attune herself to sharply, and she also had the advantage as a psychic empath which warned her when and how a potential opponent would strike.

“In time, she later refined her abilities to get a very reliable sixth sense for any kind of danger in the immediate future, whether it came from a creature, object, or environment. After that, she proved almost untouchable since she had the ability to dodge your attacks a split second ahead of time, and she could also exploit openings in your defenses a split second ahead of time as well, thus giving her an edge both offensively and defensively.

“But she also gained an interest in medical pursuits and did so in several ways. This was an interest the Doctor gladly encouraged, especially since she had access to a sonic screwdriver anyway. He taught her some skills personally, and she also learned from audiobooks projected to her head using her glasses. She also learned from a few other ponies she met during the journey.

“But, one day, she developed a very unusual method of learning. In time she became more and more empathic with the TARDIS itself and, through that psychic bond, the TARDIS became a quasi-mentor for her. Remember, that was a mentor aware of reality from a higher perspective.

“Due to that bond, Vision learned a meditation technique in which she could channel her psychic visions at will without needing to go to sleep first. Not only that, but she had far more control where those visions took her, though they were often guided by the TARDIS at first.

“Using this method, she learned other skills from alternate reality versions of herself studying with various other mentors, and she could later revisit those visions as often as she wanted to.

“I should also mention that her psychic visions did have one limitation . . . she could not see into her own past or especially into her own future, but she could see in to her alternate past or future and learn from that.

“Using this method, she learned from other alchemists and healers like Mage Meadowbrook and a zebra named Zecora who lived in Derpy's time.

“The TARDIS also helped to inspire other discoveries related to time and space. For example, eventually Vision learned to brew a concoction which would allow her to transport herself to whatever time or place she projected her visions to during her meditations. In effect, she learned how to simulate the advantages of the TARDIS except she could only do it for herself, she needed certain ingredients for this potion, and she needed time to brew it.

“Using this power, she projected herself to certain times and places where the ingredients used to be much more common. She gathered them in a special item the Doctor gave her, a Time Lord technology that had extra-dimensional space in a pair of saddlebags which she used to store her alchemical ingredients.

“It was also where she later installed a mechanical hoof glider to project from the pair of bags to use to fly with my assistance. Since she was still mostly blind in the air, she actually depended on my guidance while in the air but it helped us escape many emergency situations.

“Towards the end she learned to brew other potions that made her ridiculously overpowered. For example, she learned to brew a potion that temporarily sped her natural timeline. In effect, she moved at super speed. While the rest of the world was moving at a virtual crawl to her due to the potions effect, she not only had time to completely dodge your attacks but counter it with a thousand hoof attacks that are each aimed with very precise medical precision. Through that technique, she could both harm or heal you.

“She had other potions which thickened her hide to the texture of stone or a potion which caused accelerated cellular regeneration. At that point, even if you did manage to scratch her, she could heal it in seconds.

“The potions were temporary though and she did have to gather the ingredients and needed time to brew them so she did not pull it out in every situation but, if it was needed, it often made the difference between life and death.

“Some of those potions had hostile side effects as well but, if the end result was her opponents unconscious on the floor and she's still standing, it could be worth it, especially if she had other potions to aid in her recovery later.

“On a personal level, Vision was very much pleased to travel with us in the TARDIS. She was glad to help ponies in need more directly than she used to, and she enjoyed the places we visited. She used to be a very cloistered pony so exploring the universe was a breath of fresh air for her. Never again did she want to be confined to a single place. No matter how challenging the journey was for her at first, Vision was very motivated to improve just so she could explore it more.

“I think, out of all of us, Vision improved the most during the journey. Going from a sickly blind foal to an untouchable bad-ass who had the ability to both see and travel across time and space in her meditations, had expert martial arts, had advanced medical knowledge, useful utilitarian potions, had access to a sonic device with nearly limitless applications, and had a pair of extra-dimensional saddlebags which could store a surprising amount of stuff, I would say for sure she improved a lot.

“Now Derpy . . . how can I put this? If the Doctor was the head of the party, Derpy was most certainly its heart.

“She felt like a sister to me. I mean no offense to the mare when I say this, but she felt like a younger sister to me because she honestly was kind of ditsy and innocent, but that was why we all loved her. Just because I compare her to a younger sibling despite actually being older did not mean I love her any less.

“Derpy had a smile that could light up the whole room and, in this regard, she reminded me of my mom sometimes. Whenever she cheered us on, I honestly felt very invigorated.

“I remember when her singing actually lifted the spirits of a whole army on the brink of despair. She helped us to gain an inner strength that allowed us to fight on when all else seemed hopeless.

“She was not just good at lifting our spirits when we were down, she also improved our spirits even when we were feeling good. She enhanced our lives positively no matter what we were feeling before.

Another thing I need to mention about her is that, while she certainly wasn't the smartest member of our party, of which the Doctor easily dominated that category hooves down, Derpy actually made up for that shortcoming with a very unusual trait, and that was her uncanny luck.

“Luck is . . .” Feather Wind paused a moment as he tried to decide how to phrase then, then went on to say, “A very fickle thing and this was no exception with Derpy. However the party had to acknowledge, the Doctor included, that Derpy's luck to cause some bad or good things well exceeded the natural laws of probability. Often her clumsiness caused her to stumble upon something that sometimes got us in trouble but that same trait later got us out of it if none of the rest of us solved the problem already. This happened so often that this particular trait was almost considered reliable. With super luck on our side, we didn't need strategy. In fact, luck actually works better when it is used blindly.

“Another thing I have to say about her is one of the strongest contributions I personally gained from Derpy was she helped to fill this Red Crystal with positive energy very frequently, and there were times I had to tap into that power to help save our lives which, indirectly, came from Derpy.

“Ponies often underestimate the mare since she's so cross-eyed, klutzy and ditsy but, at the end of the day, she lifts our spirits enough to help us find enough inner courage and strength to press on. She was deeply compassionate and sometimes held back the Doctor's anger with just a sad look to him which, in turn, reminded him he should be kinder instead. Her innocence brought out in each of us a strong nurturing instinct for her.

“For instance, there was this one time we noticed that she got trapped in a painting and she could only move if no pony was looking at her. I vividly recall her look of terror with her small eyes and a small mouth that sucked into itself. She had a look that cried out for help.

“The moment I saw it, I said goodbye to myself at any chance I'd have to rest until Derpy stopped being miserable, and I was already tired by then but there was no way in Tartarus I could sleep while knowing she was in any kind of pain.

“You'd be surprised how often she inspired the best out of all of us, and she did it so effortlessly. Quite simply, she was a joy to be around.

“Occasionally I saw instances of more than just inner strength from her, like this one time . . .” Feather Wind trailed off. He placed a hoof on his face, suddenly a little embarrassed to resume.

“What? What?” Star Breeze prompted eagerly. “Tell me, tell me!”

Feather Wind grinned, then chuckled, then shook his head. “Well . . . we'd been all over many interesting places and times. Sometimes, to recover from a particularly traumatic experience, the Doctor would lead us to what he considered to be relaxing places but still had an exotic edge to it.

“I, ah . . . it's a little embarrassing to admit this one, but there was this one time he took us to a pleasure planet that reversed the gender of any creature who set a hoof on it, assuming they had one to begin with.”

Star Breeze's eyes slowly grew wider and wider at the thought of this. She looked both amazed and amused by this announcement.

“It had something to do with the radiation emanating off the planet which was refined by some technology. Within minutes of exposure, that radiation reversed our sexual chromosomes. It was supposed to last no more than two minutes after we ceased being exposed to the planet.

“Now the Doctor was thrilled by this, since it was his original idea.”

“You mean her now,” Star Breeze corrected with an amused grin.

“Ah, yes . . . her.

“Actually, I should add something about the Doctor at this point. He could recover from potentially fatal injuries unless both hearts are shot simultaneously or killed again during the next phase of regeneration, but that regeneration has a price. It would permanently change the appearance of the ones affected, and not just physically. It would change their personalities as well. He said that, when this occurs, his race could potentially change genders or even apparent species. He could become a unicorn or pegasus next time, or even a griffin, dragon, sea monster, or jiggling ball full of tentacles. Potentially anything.

“Given the fact he grew up with this possibility in mind, the idea of switching genders wasn't as big of a deal to him but the Doctor is an adventurer at heart so, of course, he'd explore something to the fullest given the opportunity.

“I remember how she laughed and said it was finally her turn to tease the guys.

“Beyond changing her attire though, which took her hours by the way, honestly the Doctor changed the least of us. She was still this silly filly with zeal and insatiable drive to explore. She was still very intelligent and wildly eccentric. This golden opportunity may have thrilled her but, personally, I didn't see much of a difference beyond the gender, of course.

“Your mom also threw herself into the new role with gusto. Her attitude was similar to the Doctor in that respect except, for her, I actually did see a stronger change. It wasn't too much. Like I said before, she was already quite the tomboy so this chance allowed her to express it more fully. For her, it was all in good fun.

“At first I would have told you that Vision's change was the least of all of us. Her reaction was much more neutral than the rest of us. She did not care about the change. She could not see it anyway. Changing genders did not grant her vision so she could not see the changes any better than she could before but, over time, she noticed empathic changes in some of her companions, including herself. She-”

“He,” Star Breeze corrected.

“-did grow a little stronger, healthier, and more confident.

“What disturbed her, though, was she also grew a little less empathic during this time. To put that into context on how that would emotionally affect Vision, it would be like one of our senses, such as sight, growing dimmer during this experience. For her, that was quite jarring in the long gallop, so she was pleased when the changes later reversed again.”

Star Breeze rolled her eyes, growing tired of correcting these pronouns, so she decided to just let it go from then on.

“While it was an educational experience for her, Vision was glad to change back later on.

“Now Derpy, on the other hoof . . . oh my Celestia! The change was astounding!

“At first she panicked. It took a lot of coaxing to convince her this was just a temporary change and it would go away as soon as she left the planet. As she steadily calmed down, she grew more receptive to Stern Wing's suggestion to have a guy's night out.

“When Derpy finally did embrace the changes, it was quite dramatic . . . and not entirely in a good way. She became much more aggressive and assertive. Confidence wasn't the half of it. She actually became a little bit cruel! I honestly didn't expect that from her under any sun.

“While we were on the planet, it was suggested by others who worked there that sometimes visitors who came there have years of pent up frustration all bottled up inside of them because they perceive it as culturally inappropriate to fully express themselves wherever they came from. So, when they came to a planet like that and finally had a chance to release some of the pressure, it occasionally could explode out violently. They assured me it was therapeutic to let her let it all out while she could, and they had certain programs in place that allowed her to let it out more safely without severely endangering any other pony around her.

“Holographic rooms, for example.

“I have to say, of all the years I had ever known Derpy, this was by far the most dramatic and sudden change in her. All of a sudden she was intensely competitive.

“This thrilled your mom.

“In Derpy's case I can't say her sense of innocence survived the transformation, nor was she adorable anymore. She acted like a stranger that kind of resembled Derpy.

“I don't know if it's my imagination or not, but I vaguely recall even her cutie mark altering a bit. Maybe the normally white bubbles of her cutie mark turned red or something. If there was any truth to this, it turned back when she regained her normal gender. Thank Celestia!

“For once, I actually wanted to keep my distance from Derpy during this time. This new persona of hers challenged my perception of her a bit too sharply and, besides, I was struggling with my own changes.

“Now as for me, my timid nature returned with a vengeance. All of a sudden most of my confidence flew out the window. I still had all this knowledge, talents, and spells I could cast but I felt painfully shy at the time. I grew keenly aware how the world might be judging the altered me and I felt very uncomfortable about that.

“Deep down, I was also kind of fascinated by the changes but I would have preferred to explore this more in privacy. Outward exposure made me burn with embarrassment.”

Feather Wind chuckled. “Your mom did not help with the issue. Actually, she couldn't wait to get me all dolled up with makeup and dresses. She forced me practically into a fashion show with all kinds of pretty and frilly dresses. I've never been so embarrassed in my life.”

Feather Wind stopped as he gave a sharp narrow stare at his giggling daughter.

“For some reason, I'm having such an easy time picturing you as a girl!” Star Breeze squealed in amusement, then she looked suddenly thoughtful. “Come to think of it, I can also easily imagine my mom as a handsome stallion. Maybe you were both born the wrong gender.”

She grinned at her father mischievously as she asked him, “I'm curious . . . if those changes had been permanent, would I have been born from you instead of her? Would I be a unicorn instead?”

“It's very difficult to answer that question since that's not what happened,” Feather Wind pointed out.

“True,” Star Breeze agreed wistfully with a sideways tip of her head, then she smiled again with vicious pleasure while her eyes shifted back towards her father as she bade, “Continue.”

Feather Wind tapped his hooves together. “I had the distinct impression your mother was extracting some kind of revenge with me, but not against me specifically. More likely against some imagined slight in society. At that moment I simply became too convenient of a target to pass up.

“She later apologized a bit but she still can't help but laugh at the memory to this day. She appreciated that I was a good sport and cooperated despite my discomfort. I actually had this sickening feeling she enjoyed it so much because of my discomfort. I think she found it adorable.

“As for me . . . I love her enough to forgive her for that. She had to live as a girl her whole life so I endured it for a few weeks for her sake. I didn't think she thought of that fact as a burden. I never thought she was uncomfortable with her own gender and, the truth is, she seemed glad to return to it afterwards, but the way she behaved herself while on that planet and the way she treated me lends credit to that pent up frustration theory the residents of the planet warned me about. It's honestly surprising what you'll discover in your loved ones when their hidden selves have a chance to come out and play.”

“I hope this experience wasn't entirely unpleasant for you,” Star Breeze said sympathetically while laying a hoof down on top of her father's lap.

Feather Wind shook his head. “No. In the long gallop, it was an enlightening experience for me, and I couldn't wait to write it all down in a new poem when I was done.

“For me, it was just so jarring to be thrust into the opposite role and so heavily pushed in that direction by most of my friends, your mother and the Doctor in particular. I endured it for their sake, and I secretly found it pretty fascinating. No longer did I have to wonder what the fabric of those dresses would feel like on my hide or the weight it applies.

“When I saw myself in the mirror after they were done, I must admit I did look pretty cute. A small and petite little girl, while your mother on the other hoof turned out to be a tall, broad and very masculine-looking stallion.

“In a very strange way, this experience helped to deepen my bond with your mother and vice versa. Each of us tasted what it would be like in the other horse's shoes. That caused us to appreciate each other all the more.

“It was difficult for me to be attracted to your mother when she became a stallion, and I'm sure it felt just as odd for her to kiss a girl.

“When all was said and done, we had a good laugh and learned to appreciate being ourselves all the more. While attraction could have been an issue, I promise you that this experience did nothing to erase my love for her. I'm sure she felt the same way.

“As usual for any of our 'vacations' with the Doctor, some kind of danger almost inevitably turned up eventually. In this case, it was an escaped convict from another planet who fled to this planet to escape the punishments of his local society due to a technicality. According to their society's laws, changing genders like that technically constitutes a brand new individual. Until that new individual breaks yet another law within their society, they considered her legally untouchable.

“Now, because of that, she fought her way to and held those who operated the machine that enhanced the planet's radiation hostage. She forced them to intensify the radiation of the planet in order to try to induce a more permanent change of everypony on the whole planet with the very specific intention to permanently protect her new gender and thus remain immune to the laws of her planet even if she left that planet.

“While clearly a massive overkill strategy considering her true agenda, it was fascinating, infuriating, and seemingly ridiculous how close her evil plan nearly worked.

“Meanwhile the police force from her native world that chased her to this planet set up a blockade to keep her from leaving the planet which, in turn, blocked everypony else.

“We could have left on the TARDIS because it can basically teleport but the Doctor, being the brave heroic fool he usually is, barged past the 'No Entry' sign in blatant disregard of it (which he had repeatedly done many times before and since as well) and hacked his way through it with his sonic screwdriver.

“I should mention, while that device was a technological marvel capable of seemingly infinite variety of things, the one thing the Doctor used it for the most was getting past locks.

“In other words, it was a glorified lockpick.

“As usual, he helped save the day and get the machines back to their normal settings but, by then, the previous ramped up settings had already done some damage. What should have taken two minutes to reverse our genders back to normal after we stopped getting exposed to the planet instead took two weeks.

“Or, at least, it would have been.

“The Doctor found a way to vibrate the residual radiation off of us with his sonic screwdriver, which we all did except for the Doctor himself. He let the ride continue for as long as it lasted and, because of that, it was his idea to have a girl’s night out on another planet.

“This was fine by me because it left me alone to write my thoughts down in the relative safety of the TARDIS. By then I had plenty of ideas that I just had to get out of my system.

“I should also mention, as a final thought on this chapter of my life, that on that planet, they celebrate both genders to its greater extremes.” Feather Wind pushed both hooves outwardly from his chest in a V formation. “Fashion shows, spas, hardcore sports teams, gyms, you name it. They had it all so their customers could explore their new gender as fully as possible, or at least had the means to do so. Nothing was insisted upon, but it was generally encouraged to explore the opposite side thoroughly in order to have a satisfying experience. They had so many potential social rules and options on that planet that it made each gender feel like an entirely different species.

“One last thing I will say about this is I asked the staff at the planet what happens when a hermaphrodite comes to the planet. If there was a pony who had both or neither gender, what would happen to them?

“Their reply was that they were generally affected less by the experience but they also said it was very rare to be completely neutral between the two extremes. If either side was even slightly stronger then that planet would reverse it. In the rare case when a pony is totally gender-neutral, or perfectly balanced between the two, then they were encouraged to explore either side as much as they wanted. That's all.”

“Sounds fascinating! Do you think I would make a handsome stallion?”

“To me, you will always be beautiful, my sweet, regardless of your gender. I think it's important for you to appreciate what you are, however. If I had the chance to take you to that planet, I might consider it if only to help teach you that you are perfect just the way you are.”

“Huh.” Star Breeze looked thoughtful, then asked as she looked back at her dad. “Any other interesting planets you visited like that one, Dad?”

“Let's see.” Feather Wind thought on it, then grinned as he nodded. “Yeah. I can think of another planet I would call really exotic.

“You see, on this planet, we were not the only time travelers. Far from it. On this planet everypony had the ability to travel through time. All they had to do was pay a fare and step onto this train that would accelerate faster than the speed of light. Since it had a fixed track, it could only travel through time and other places on their planet, but not off-planet.

“Apparently they had this technology for quite a while on their planet, and they continually expanded the tracks further and further into the past. They literally gave all their future technology to their past ancestors. They also openly traveled back and forth between the various timelines.

“Not only could they visit another timeline, but they were also even welcome to stay there if they passed a test and get a license to remain in that timeline. It was like getting a new citizenship certificate.

“Because of the way this society worked, their families got really complicated. Your aunt could end up your great-great-grandmother, for example. I also heard of cases where ponies time-traveled to the past in order to raise their own younger selves and, in return, they recall being raised by their future selves. It was mind-boggling there.

“I asked the Doctor if cases like this was supposed to cause a temporal paradox. He said yes very strongly then immediately suggested we all turn right back around and leave on the TARDIS before we get too mixed in the complicated tapestry this planet had.

“But,” he sighed, “as usual, there was a problem. Apparently there really was a paradox on that planet that caused the TARDIS to feel ill. As a result, it couldn't leave the planet, not on its own.

“Somehow the ponies of this planet found an unnatural way to solve their temporal paradoxes. They said they had some machine to fix this. Go figure.

“Anyway, it also turned out that the ponies of this world never invented a means to travel off the planet no matter how far forward in time we go. It just remained illegal to leave the planet, apparently. They thought that if they ever left the planet then they would disappear from existence and anypony connected to their timeline forwards or backwards in time might also disappear or at least be affected somehow, and this odd relationship they had with time just might make them right.

“The only way we finally managed to escape that planet was by securing passage on another alien spacecraft. First we had to track down the time and the place that occurred in history then we showed up with the TARDIS in tow. It felt both strange and funny to lug around a time machine onto yet another time machine, the temporal trains in this case, in order to chase down the visiting aliens on that planet then beg them for passage on their ship. It took some convincing, but we managed.

“Once we escaped the planet's atmosphere, we also left the temporal sphere of influence of that planet. As a result, the TARDIS recovered from its illness and could thus take-off wherever and whenever after that.

“Come to think of it, that was the first time that I know of when the Doctor was not eager to explore a new place. As soon as he realized what was happening, he couldn't wait to leave. Maybe it offended his Time Lord sensibilities or laws somehow. I don't know.

“On and on this went, adventures throughout all time and space. We faced down many terrible monsters. We encountered fantastic marvels. We had the experience of a dozen lifetimes in a few short years.

“I should also mention how I was affected by this journey. I have been blessed with many mentors during my time. My father, my uncle, Sky Dancer, the Wonderbolts, the Orchard family, Nature itself, Crystal Sage, and finally also the Doctor. I had a bright mind and so did Vision, so we both grew up very fast during our experiences together. Together we were an odd family, but still good.

“From the Doctor, I learned the real meaning of bravery and self-sacrifice. I learned about adventure. I learned about many new places across time and space.

“It was amazing to step into the past and personally witness things I had only read about in history books. It made me realize that none of them were ever just words in a book. These were real ponies at one time with rich and deeply meaningful lives. It was so fascinating to witness it come to life, then there was the future.

“Different times had different feels to it, but there is one being who kept intruding upon our journey multiple times. In fact he did it so often that I could almost call him our final and yet irregular guest companion in the TARDIS.

“Huh. I suppose I should mention him now, but I will say I don't think it's safe to say his name out loud else it might summon his attention because I think he can hear it. What I will tell you is that this is a fifth dimensional reality bender of pure chaos and disharmony. No matter where or when we go, he had the ability to pop in with no warning. He typically changed everything in reality and he usually did it in very odd ways.

“For a while, he had a generally antagonistic relationship with the group, but he didn't really intend us serious harm and he always rewarded us if we passed his little game without too much hard feelings. To him, it was all fun and games.

“He made Derpy very uncomfortable even though she knew him the longest, and your mother downright hated his guts.

“At first the Doctor disliked him as well because this being seemed to put the lives of his friends in danger but, when he realized it was nothing but harmless fun, the Doctor warmed up to this being a bit.

“Both Vision and I were the only ones to actually like this being, and he rewarded that affection with extra positive attention. For example, he'd suddenly teleport us to some fancy party where the three of us were guests of honor. I also had some deeply fascinating philosophical conversations with him a few times. For example, he was a proponent to the theory that chaos was the ultimate determinant of everything within the perspective of a single, fixed reality. On the other hoof, if that perspective was backed off to include all realities simultaneously then it showed order instead of chaos because, from that perspective, absolutely all possibilities are a reality and they always will be which results in consistent and predictable results but only if able to see this extremely large perspective.

“He had the ability to shift back and forth between all of those possibilities at will and he also had the ability to drag others along with him, willing or not.

“While capable of looking at all other realities, he said he generally preferred not to in order to keep things a surprise. Fun and games were his way to keep his immortal self entertained.

“He also warned us not to visit certain times and places his past self would reside in because, back then, he was less 'reformed', as he put it, and would, therefore, be more merciless and greedy with his new toys. While he always did enjoy games, he said his past self had a tendency to cheat so it was unlikely the game would really be fair.

“That being offered to shield us from the perception of his past self if we happen to visit those times for one reason or another, but he warned us that protection could only extend so far because his past self was just as powerful.

“Changing topics a bit, another thing I would also like to mention is, throughout most of that time, Crystal Sage was silent in the Red Crystal. The most interaction I got out of him was when I visited him within the crystal, and he used that time to teach me more about what he knew. He also welcomed me to his library which he said was not real but an accurate copy of the real thing which had been added to over the years.

“In all my years while traveling in the TARDIS, there was only one time he came out to interact with the rest of us and, even then, he was very reluctant to do so because he had to possess my body to do that, something he swore he'd never do. But, during that time, we encountered something deeply personal to him that got his attention. We visited the future, you see . . . near Derpy's time, in fact . . . and we visited the Crystal Empire after its return.”

“Oh wow! So the plan does eventually succeed!” Star Breeze said in amazed delight.

Her father nodded as he said, “Correct, but don't allow this information to encourage you to be lazy. Just because I discovered this one reality does not mean it's guaranteed for us. Again, a future like this can only occur if we do the work that will one day cause this reality to manifest. I look upon this experience as an encouraging sign and an interesting experience. Nothing more.

“Anyway, back to what I was saying, while we were exploring the city, it came to our attention that there was a special event going on at the time. The rumor was a special representative of the Equestrian Games was paying the city a visit in order to evaluate its potential to be the host of the Equestrian Games, an honor the Crystal Empire never had before.

“That information was just backdrop though compared to one other very important fact that we discovered. We encountered Angel Song, the nickname for the pony I gave for the one that sang that song when I first met Crystal Sage since he never said her name back then.

“For the sake of his privacy, I won't say what her real name is now either, but we did encounter her at last within the city.

“Both your mom and I practically begged him to take over my body and go talk to her. I actually gave him temporary permission but he was still reluctant. Instead, he said he was content to see her trotting about again. I asked him, 'Are you sure she's content? Maybe she feels incomplete without you instead.' He replied to me, if that were true, he could do little about it since he was dead. I retorted that was not entirely true because he could talk to her right now through me.

“Eventually we persuaded him. This was an issue very dear to his heart, after all.”

Feather Wind paused there for a second as he collected his thoughts, then resumed. “Again, for the sake of his privacy, I won't speak too much of what happened between them. What I will say is he cheered her up a bit but she already seemed a lot better than when he last saw her. She gained her color back and even had a crystalline texture to her that was also slightly transparent. She wasn't the only one like that either.

“More importantly, she could speak again but tended to be very shy and quiet when she did so as if afraid of being overheard or offending anypony for . . . whatever reason.

“Through my body, Crystal Sage said he was a newcomer to the city and, to a point, that was true. It was my first time there, after all.

“He asked her for an escort through the city. She said sure.

“I don't think even she consciously realized why she accepted, nor was it likely that she realized how unnecessary the escort actually was. Crystal Sage did not lie to me. He really did know that city like the back of his hoof. He could have potentially pointed out hidden secrets within it if he wanted to, but he chose to hold his tongue about that and instead entirely pay attention to her at the time.

“There was probably something in my eyes that drew her in to me.

“She showed us around and they had a nice and pleasant conversation together.

“One thing I will mention is that, towards the end of this encounter, the new princess of that empire announced proudly to her subjects that the Crystal Empire was officially accepted into the Equestrian Games as a host. Her subjects were overjoyed and, for the first time, I witnessed them bow down and project a brilliant flash of energy which got soaked up in the crystal ground then sucked up into the spinning Crystal Heart in the center of the city which then spewed out the top of the castle as a brilliant rainbow shine.

“Something very important changed in Crystal Sage on that day as he witnessed that. It was something he saw many times before but it had been almost a thousand years for him, and it was something he thought he might not ever see again. His heart exploded with joy to see it once again, then his heart settled with peace. He had personally witnessed proof that I would keep my word. Both me and whomever I pass the Red Crystal to.

“In Derpy's time, the Empire had already returned. They did indeed shower the world with brilliant rays of joy.

“Ever since then, all the melancholy of his many painful years of regret melted off of him.

“Through my eyes, he cried in joy. Upon seeing that, Angel Song asked in concern if he was okay. In response, he hugged her, then quietly whispered into her ear that he wished her well with the remainder of her life.

“As he withdrew, I saw her wide, astonished eyes shining with liquid as well, though I doubt she consciously realized why she felt that profound in that moment. Even in the event that she recalled her former lover, it was very unlikely she realized he temporarily possessed me during that tour though perhaps, deep down, she sensed the truth.

“Ever since then Crystal Sage has been much quieter. He drew great comfort and joy knowing that the Crystal Empire would one day return along with all there that he cared about.

“Ever since then, he seemed much more ready for death except for one last unfinished business, but at least, while he waited, he knew for sure his plan could someday succeed. He had seen a glimpse of it in the future, and it was good. In it, he said his goodbyes in his own way.

“I learned a lot from the Doctor, his companions, and the journey itself, but there eventually came a time when I started to feel myself stagnate a bit. It's not that I didn't appreciate all that he had done for us, but the journey felt a little overwhelming at times and, in an odd way, it also held me back because all of us kept looking to him for leadership. All of us kept on looking at him for all the answers because he very often had it. It placed a burden on him that I did not feel was entirely fair.

“Deep down I started to want to grow on my own path. Only then could I feel like I finally became an adult.

“But one day, unexpectedly, it finally happened.”

Author's Note:

Here's a picture made by a friend of mine, Dice Warwick. Featured here are Feather and Stern.