Adventures in the TARDIS

by Scroll

First published 5th of February, 2023

An extention of the adventures of Feather Wind, Stern Wing, and Vision's journey with eccentric Time Lord the Doctor and his adorable assistant, Derpy Hooves.

These stories continue the adventures of Feather Wind, Stern Wing, and Vision's journey with eccentric Time Lord the Doctor and his adorable assistant, Derpy Hooves. This is the sort of sequel to "Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn". More specifically, it is an extension of chapter 17, "Adventures in the TARDIS". While reading Sky Dancer is not required, these stories will most definitely have spoilers for everything before chapter 17 but not after that chapter because those chapters haven't happened yet in this timeline. This is a closer look at the years Feather recapped past for his daughter. However, these new stories won't be flashbacks anymore. Rather it will be told as if these events are occurring in the present tense.

Each of these stories will be told in its own arc which follows the formula of the classic Doctor Who series. When an individual adventure is complete, the next story will be told in its own arc. Some threads of these stories might have an over-arcing story, but otherwise, they'll have an episodic formula. Great effort is made to make this series feel like an authentic Doctor Who episodes insofar as characters, setting, events, and plot are concerned but they'll have an MLP twist.

Water World Part 1, Arival

Feather Wind stirs restlessly today because something feels unfamiliar. Instead of the cool crisp scent of the morning dew, the air is dry. Instead of resting on clouds, he's on a solid bed. The last time he checked, he was in nature. Was this his room in his father's mansion?

Eventually cracking his eyes open, he looks about himself and sees he is surrounded by darkness. To alleviate that, he ignites his horn which then emits a silvery glow. He then brushes aside his poofy, cloud-like mane with his small sky blue hoof. In doing so, he gets more confused to notice that he is in totally unfamiliar territory until he consults his memory which needs a moment to awaken and unfog. When it does so, it gradually tells him a tale so outrageous that it really is hard to believe.

But of the few bits of his memory he does trust, one of the most alarming news he recalls was that he fell asleep with his marefriend Stern Wing, but she isn't here now. In that case, where is she instead? Considering the fantastical story the rest of his memory is reporting, it doesn't feel safe to leave this to his imagination.

And so, with a minor groan of effort, he rises from his bed and explores his surroundings more. As he takes in the sight of this boxy room, it gradually appears more familiar as his memory returns. It doesn't take long for him to locate the exit of the room which he promptly uses.

Feather Wind also locates his cloak made of misty clouds. He floats it over to himself and drapes it on him as he makes his way to the exit. Doing so conceals his cutie mark of a white feather being blown in the wind which also has tiny magical sparkles within the wind.

The egress from the last room leads to a metallic hallway. The floor is a metallic grate of some sort that leads to a slightly lower drop beneath it. Looking to his left and then to his right, he notices that the right direction leads somewhere brighter and to a wider room. He hears other noises in that direction too, like a shuffle of hooves.

Deciding that is probably the best course, he lifts one of his short legs to begin his journey in that direction, but he freezes when he hears a very odd noise. Whatever it is, it sounds mechanical and perhaps barely functional since it sounds like the engine struggles to come to life. It sounds almost like it is wheezing. That noise crescendos on the fourth wheeze before fading away. When it does, a new noise picks up that is even harder to identify, but it kind of sounds like a laser-blasting sound. That sound, too, rises then falls.

“And voilà, ladies and gentlemen,” triumphantly declares a stallion in the next larger room. “We are here.”

“'Here' as in where, exactly?” Feather hears Stern Wing ask.

“When and where,” corrects an innocent-sounding mare with emphasis. “This super-duper wonderful place can go anywhere in time and space.” There is a brief pause before the mare giggles cutely before saying, “Hey! That rhymes.”

“To either question, the answer is . . . I don't know!” mischievously announces the stallion.

“What do you mean you don't know? You were the one fiddling with the controls just a moment ago,” reminds Feather's foalhood friend, Stern Wing.

“Right,” the stallion agrees, “but I set it to go to a random place in space and time on purpose with the criteria that it must be a place with gravity and oxygen.”

“Why would you do that?” Stern Wing exacerbates in a complaining tone. “If you do that, we'd have no idea what is out there!”

“Exactly! Isn't it fantastic?!” the stallion replies enthusiastically. “Imagine it. Absolutely anything can be beyond those doors. It will be a wonder to explore.”

“You're impossible,” Stern Wing growls. “Lest you forget, we have a young blind foal traveling with us now. I would think that would warrant a little extra caution on your part.”

“That it does,” the stallion agrees in a much more serious tone. “She's staying here. At least until I can determine the threat level out there.”

Deciding he's heard enough, Feather Wind ventures on into the next larger room. Doing so reveals a large semi-circular room with a weird sort of console in the center that has a large assortment of glass tubes, spinning wires, and do-hickeys above it that extends all the way to the roof. The stallion in question is still located there. He is a brown stallion with a darker brown mane. He has a cutie mark sporting an hourglass and he wears a green necktie. If memory serves, Feather Wind recalls this individual simply calling himself “The Doctor” and he claims he's the only one in the room not inherently a pony but rather some pretentious-sounding race calling themselves the “Time Lords.”

Then again, Feather Wind himself grew up with the aristocracy so he's somewhat accustomed to pretentiousness.

His large foalhood friend Stern Wing, who is a brown pegasus with darker brown wingtips and tips to her hooves and mane, is standing just outside of the rail surrounding the console in the center of the room. She has a cutie mark of a heart on a sturdy-looking shield which has wings extending off to the sides of the shield. Initially, she was glaring with her brown eyes somewhat accusingly at the Doctor but her expression softens when she notices her friend enter the room.

“Well good morning, sleepyhead,” Stern Wing greets softly before her expression grows confused. After that, she turns to look at the Doctor again as she asks, “Actually, is it morning?”

“I don't know yet,” the Doctor replies with a light shrug. “I haven't explored this world, space station, or rock formation yet. It could be that there is no distinguishable 'morning', as you eloquently put it, relative to this time and place. Furthermore, you'll find such concepts to gradually get more ambiguous as one continues to travel through time and space.” He looks at Feather Wind as he says, “So suffice it to say, he is early in his waking cycle.” He looks back at Stern as he offers, “How about that?”

“It does take some getting used to,” announces a gray pegasus with a shaggy, dirty blonde mane. She sports a cutie mark of a bunch of bubbles. Her light yellow walleyes make her especially distinctive. If memory serves, this individual is a former mail carrier from the future relative to Feather's native timeline. She said her name was Ditsy Do, but has accepted the affectionate nickname from the Doctor, Derpy Hooves. Everypony else here seems to accept that too, including Feather. “I think I'm still not accustomed to it,” Derpy goes on to say.

“Physically, I did not feel any motion sway as we traveled,” announces the youngest member of their new traveling family by far, a blind albino earth pony filly with a snowy white mane that has just a hint of ice blue in it. Her cutie mark is a single open eye in the center of a pyramid tip. Feather recalls her name to be Vision and his history with her is interesting because she is a blind, psychic foal who once gave her mother a prophetic vision that ended up saving Feather's life several years ago. Far more recently, Vision needed saving herself when she became a target of the very same threat that once almost claimed Feather's life, a psychotic and deeply twisted unicorn stallion by the name of Puppet Master who might no longer be alive anymore but rather a magically animated puppet of his own former body that is powered by a magic crystal hidden somewhere within the corpse. When Puppet Master assaulted the temple Vision lived at, he was far more overt in his assault that time and easily tore at anypony who physically stood in his way. Not only that, but he gruesomely animated their shredded corpses to make them sound like spooky ghost foals who cackled madly and kept insisting that they wanted to “play” with anypony they spoke to. It is the single most horrifying memory of Feather's existence and is among the reasons he's questioned his sanity lately.

There are other reasons he's questioned his memories and sanity too but, unlike Puppet Master, those memories lean in a far more positive direction.

“Yet still I know that we have arrived at a new location,” Vision goes on to say. “A different vibration permeates beyond the walls inverted universe.”

“Huh?” Stern asks Vision with a questioning wince.

“The TARDIS exists beyond the confines of normal space/time,” Vision replies. “It's like its own separate dimension. That's why we didn't feel ourselves traveling outside of this place.”

“Good on you for noticing,” the Doctor commends Vision with a very impressed nod at her for all the good that gesture did for a blind filly. “You're mostly correct. However, there have been some circumstances where external forces outside the TARDIS have affected the interior environment. Usually, when that happens, either something has gone wrong with the TARDIS itself or whatever external forces outside this place can travel through subspace.”

“I'm, ah . . . not understanding any of this,” Stern Wing announces in confusion.

“You and me both, sister,” Derpy affectionately agrees. “But hey! At least we get to go on an awesome adventure. Right?” Derpy cheers but then goes on to say more somberly, “That said, though, I'm staying here if Vision is. I won't leave a foal unattended here. We may be largely immune to the shenanigans that go on outside of the TARDIS, but I can't, in good conscience, leave a new, often sickly, and blind filly to roam around this place unattended.”

“Well said,” Stern Wing agrees with a very proud and respectful nod to Derpy. “But if you're staying here with her, then I'm going.” Stern Wing gives a stern look at the exit of the TARDIS. “Not out of some mad thrill for adventure, but because I want to remain prepared to defend my friends from any unforeseen danger.” Using her face, she nods to indicate the exit as she goes on to say, “Besides, it's more than just the occupants of this vessel that may need a helping hoof out there. The natives, too, could potentially use my services.”

“An admirable sentiment and one I fully endorse,” the Doctor commends Stern which wins her attention back to him. “That said, be aware that other complications might exist out there. Sometimes the natives might not welcome your help even if they truly need it. Sometimes it's because they are unaware of the danger or because of some silly and stupid pride or custom.” He applies a hoof to his chest as he says, “Usually I'm all for respecting most customs, but when lives are on the line . . .” he trails off.

Stern Wing nods at the Doctor and then seems to conclude his sentence with, “. . . action may be required.”

“Exactly,” the Doctor agrees. “The thrill of adventure is not my only motivation to travel. Sometimes what we do out there is also a worthwhile accomplishment in other important ways.” He nods to indicate Stern Wing as he adds, “And it's companions, like you, who have natural heroic instincts that are more than welcome to join me in my travels.” He tilts his head at her and turns his head slightly to his right as he aims his left eye at Stern more fully as he proclaims, “You may not always approve of my motivation to charge into danger, but whenever I do, it's because someone out there needs saving. When the moment of action is required, we do as we must.”

“True,” Stern agrees, but then she says, “But I thought one of the points of bringing Feather and I on your adventures is to charge his red crystal with positive energy, so why would you chuck a dart at a dart board blindly in this case?”

The Red Crystal! Feather Wind almost forgot it!

He looks down at his neck and notices it is missing. Thinking back, he recalls putting it safely in one of his saddle bags and that is back in the room he left. Notably, the very same magical tri-tip red crystal that houses the original soul of King Sombra. A wizard and sagely stallion within the crystal who prefers to call himself Crystal Sage now to distinguish himself from his dark counterpart. It is necessary for Feather to not only learn to attune himself to that crystal that houses the spirit of his ancestor but also charge it with large amounts of positive energy to counteract the negative charge crystals that Crystal Sage's dark counterpart employs. One of such crystals is hidden within the animated corpse of Puppet Master. If that dark crystal is not attacked with the right kind of energy, that psychotic villain might as well be invincible.

Not to mention that Feather Wind might also need that energy to contend with what basically amounts to his ancestor's magical ghostly clone.

Feather Wind isn't used to having that crystal around yet, but right now it suddenly feels irresponsible to leave it anywhere unattended. If Feather happens to encounter a situation where there is enough positive energy to be useful in absorbing into the crystal, then it makes even more sense to get used to carrying it around just in case. One never knows when a situation like that might appear in advance.

Except, maybe, for a certain psychic filly in their company. But, even then, she claimed she only experienced such visions in her dreams. It may also have something to do with Equestria's native moon. Vision gets nightmares about impending but also preventable disasters when she sleeps at night on that planet, but also receives good, or at least neutral, dreams when she sleeps in the day on the same said planet.

Which reminds him, Feather regards Vision as he privately wonders if Vision is still receiving psychic dreams now that they are no longer on their native planet. Even if the TARDIS happened to land on it somewhere within history, she said herself that the TARDIS is basically its own internal dimension separate from whatever transpires outside most of the time. That inherent fact might even be why it can move so easily through time and space. It is because it is not directly tied to it. The TARDIS, apparently, operates on its own rules of physics. Stepping in here is akin to stepping into a whole different world or, indeed, a whole new universe according to Vision which is sort of verified by the Doctor.

“Because it's fun,” the Doctor replies to Stern's question as if that simple explanation should be enough.

“Fun?” Stern reflects with a piercing and narrow stare. “You call placing our lives, and yours, in potentially mortal peril . . . fun?”

“Well, that and to challenge myself, my dear,” the Doctor replies. “That's how we all grow.” He looks at the exit as he goes on to say, “With my considerable degree of knowledge, intelligence, and experience, I wouldn't necessarily say we are in any unreasonable degree of danger. Whatever is out there, I'm fairly confident we can handle it.”

“Hoofle it,” Derpy corrects with a tired expression as if she's growing tired of correcting that statement over and over again.

For some reason, the Doctor giggles a bit at that statement before looking at his right hoof and saying, “Hoofle? Oh, you ponies crack me up sometimes with your horse puns. Then again, I suppose I can understand the logic of omitting a term like handlefor a species that never had 'hands' to begin with. Still, your terminology is so adorable!” he squees.

Derpy rolls her walleyes in exasperation.

“If it is at all possible, I would like to go, too,” Vision requests with a bit of a frown. “I lived my whole life stuck within the confines of my previous temple. Now that I'm finally out of it, I actually want to explore.”

“I find your courage and motivation admirable,” the Doctor replies to Vision. “But I am far older than I appear. Long enough to have gathered many regrets over the years. All of those are extra weights that I have to carry for a long, long time and a long time to come. As such, I do not wish to add to that burden unnecessarily by accompanying a pony so young and fragile in her health. As a psychic empath, you should at least be able to feel the sincerity of my words even if you don't fully agree with them.”

Vision sighs as she says, “I know. Sort of. But if you establish that it is relatively peaceful out . . . there . . .” Vision trails off as she slowly turns her head towards the exit.

“What?” the Doctor challenges her in sudden alarm. “What is it?”

In response, Vision is quiet for a moment as she unconsciously closes her eyes and tilts her head as if listening to something external to herself, but Feather suspects she's actually listening to something internal. One of her psychic senses, perhaps.

“I think I dreamed of this last night,” Vision eventually announces. “Déjà vu has struck me which, believe me, is very common in my life.” She opens her eyes, for what little good it does her, and turns her head in the general direction of the Doctor while also turning her ears in his precise direction as she goes on to say, “Water world. Prepared to get wet out there, my friends.”

The occupants inside the TARDIS are quiet for a moment as they each internalize her announcement.

“Storming too,” Vision eventually adds before turning her head kind of in Feather's direction before warning him. “You shan't be able to quell the storm with your internal talent, my friend.” She shakes her head. “This isn't our native world so the weather won't be as cooperative. There are, however, some ponies in it much akin to ourselves.”

“Spoilers,” the Doctor lightly and a bit playfully complains. “I can tell you're going to be an interesting one for me even if you don't leave the TARDIS.”

Vision turns her head roughly in the direction of the exit of the TARDIS for a moment before turning her head down, sighs, then says, “You're right. My fragile constitution would have no chance out there.”

“You're still getting psychic dreams in here?” Feather queries Vision. “Earlier, you told us your visions were tied to the Equestrian moon somehow on our native world, and the Mare in the Moon in particular.”

“That's true so I don't know where my visions are coming from now,” Vision replies to Feather. “But, for some reason, I feel even more confident in my visions than I usually am. The dreams were unusually sharp and clear, even for me. Even standing here now, it almost feels like I'm reliving it.”

“So your unconsciousness has made a connection to a new source,” the Doctor muses aloud as he rubs his chin with a hoof. “Fascinating. I wonder what that new source can be.” He returns his hoof to the ground as he goes on to say, “If you had these prophetic dreams last night, or what is basically the equivalent of 'night' around here in your sleep cycle, then it is unlikely to do with anything on this planet.

“But then again, who's to say your visions are limited to the confines of space/time in the first place? When it comes to psionics, it really is governed by its own set of rules which are not necessarily limited by the confines of third-dimensional reality.”

The Doctor lifts a hoof and taps it on the rail around the center console four times with a thoughtful expression on his face before he goes on to say, “It would be interesting to learn which new source you are channeling because that might help to determine how reliable these visions of yours have become. Depending on what it is, I may have other concerns as well.”

“Such as?” Stern Wing asks the Doctor cautiously.

The Doctor shifts his eyes to look at Stern Wing for a silent moment before tapping the rail four times again. After that he stands up straighter, sighs then says, “I don't wish to announce any further unverified conclusions yet. Let's just gather more evidence over time and we'll see where that takes us.” He grins as his eyes shift towards the exit of the TARDIS as he goes on to say, “In the meantime, adventure awaits us. Onwards and upwards, my friends.”

Author's Notes:

I haven't written for these characters in about five years. Coming back to them again feels as comforting and nostalgic as returning home to good friends.

I really hope you've enjoyed yourself so far and the rest of the story. Know that I plan on posting another part each Saturday until the entire arc is done and possibly then some. Questions and comments are perfectly welcome. I always enjoy having more feedback to refine my craft.

Part 2: Gathering Intel

“Aren't you forgetting something?” the Doctor asks aloud. When he does, Feather Wind and Stern Wing look at him to see who the Doctor was referring to. When they do look, they see the Doctor regarding Feather Wind.

“Hmm?” Feather Wind inquires for emphasis.

To answer that question, the Doctor gestures to his own neck as he asks, “The Red Crystal. You plan on bringing it, right? With it, you could capture positive energy at any potential moment. Since one usually can't predict what will happen in the future," he says with a slightly snide glance at Vision before returning his gaze to Feather with a more casual expression, "it's probably best to carry it around on hand at all times just in case."

“Hoof,” Derpy corrects.

The Doctor snickers a bit before shaking his head.

Derpy gives an exasperated sigh as she rolls her eyes but then regards Feather Wind brightly as she eagerly requests, “Please, allow me to fetch it.”

“Uh . . . you don't have to,” Feather Wind replies to Derpy with a confused blink, wondering why she so eagerly volunteering.

“Oh, it's no trouble at all! Here. Stay here. I'll go get it,” she says before racing off.

“And she's off,” the Doctor observes. “Quite a helpful lass she is.” He then regards Feather Wind and Stern Wing. “She's accustomed to delivering stuff, I suppose. Always likes to be helpful.”

Stern Wing regards Feather Wind to her right side and pretty far below her as she asks her foalhood friend, “Does she even know where the crystal is?”

Instead of answering, Feather just looks in the direction of the hallway Derpy went to a moment ago.

“Actually, do you even know?” refines Stern Wing's earlier question.

Feather continues to regard the direction Derpy took off. Slowly his lips take on a very subtle frown, but he wouldn't have noticed until his friend asks, “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Feather Wind looks up at Stern Wing. “Why do you ask?”

Stern Wing now frowns as she says, "I don't know. You looked a little spaced out there for a second."

Feather Wind's gaze, along with Stern Wing this time, snap in the direction of Derpy when they both hear the sound of stumbling then crashing furniture. After that, Stern Wing sighs before starting to trot along and says, “I'll go check on her.”

“No!” Feather Wind cries out in a startled voice. This freezes Stern Wing in mid-step for a moment then turns her attention back to him. In response, Feather Wind blushes in embarrassment a bit as he says, “I'm sure she's fine. Leave her be. Let her feel useful.”

“Useful?” Stern Wing reflects questioningly. “That's implying that looking after Vision in our absence is useless. If so, I object to your wording wholeheartedly.”

Feather Wind frowns further as he shakes his head and says, “It's okay. She'll be back in a moment. She wants to do this by herself, so please let her.”

Stern Wing grunts then says, “Fine. But, in that case, I guess I'll use this time to do something useful myself.” She regards the Doctor as she says to him, “I'm going to go scout on ahead. You two stay here until I tell you both that it's clear out there.”

“My, my,” the Doctor replies in surprise. “That's showing some initiative.

“Um . . . very well. If you insist.” The Doctor gestures to the exit with a grand sweep of his brown hoof. “Lady first,” he invites specifically to her.

In response, Stern Wing just nods in neutral acceptance and then proceeds to the exit. In doing so, this divides Feather Wind's attention between where Stern Wing is going and where Derpy went. He also glances at Vision for a couple of seconds as he realizes the little empathic foal is absorbing the emotions of everypony present, including that which others don't realize they are hiding or don't wish to reveal. At that moment it also occurs to Feather Wind that sensing others’ emotions might be somewhat akin to hearing a sound. Vision can pick it up everywhere around her, possibly even through solid objects and walls. When she does receive that information, she might not know how to process it. Just because she receives an extra layer of information doesn't mean she necessarily understands it. She is a foal, after all. There are likely many emotions around her that could overwhelm and/or confuse her.

When realizing this, Feather Wind privately wishes there was a way to shield her mind from unnecessary psychic intrusion.

Then Feather Wind privately wonders to himself what it must be like growing up constantly influenced by all these extra emotions around her and possibly getting confused about which ones are hers and which ones belong to others. It's more than likely there probably is a way to tell, but it takes time to develop that discernment. It's probably a learning curve just like everything else in life.

Feather Wind looks back at the exit when he hears Stern Wing open it a crack. There he sees Stern Wing pause for a cautious moment before very gradually opening it further. As she does this, Feather glances at the Doctor and notices him raise an eyebrow at Stern Wing, likely considering her behavior considerably more cautious than he's accustomed to seeing.

Feather Wind returns his gaze to the exit when Stern Wing opens the door enough to stick her head through, after which she promptly does.

“What do you notice out there?” Feather Wind checks.

“Crates,” Stern Wing answers. “Lots and lots of crates all around us. Pretty tall stacks, too. Some are about twenty feet high. Most of them are wrapped in either a tarp or some kind of net. They also look secure with ropes and ratchets.

“Um . . . I also smell the scent of the ocean out here. I think we're on a ship of some sort. Looks like a large one from what I can tell from here. The floor below us and the ceiling above us is made of metal. It looks kind of old and a bit rusty, but not enough to believe it's abandoned.”

“Decently thorough assessment so far,” commends the Doctor to Stern Wing. “What else?”

“The floor is a little wet, and it sways back and forth,” Stern Wing reports. “I hear the sound of crashing waves outside of this vessel, but I don't feel it at all from where I'm standing.”

“That's because-” the Doctor seems like he was about to explain something but Stern Wing interrupts.

“Stay here, you two,” Stern Wing orders. “I'll scout the perimeter a little further to see what else I can determine out there.”

Before either of them can say anything about it, Stern Wing steps outside and probably immediately regrets it for, when she does, she yelps as she falls away off to the right side.

“Stern Wing!” Feather cries out, startled, then gallops to the exit himself.

Just when he arrives at the door, however, he hears Stern Wing call from outside, “Stay inside!”

“Are you okay?” Feather Wind checks.

“Yeah. Just . . . give me a second,” she says as she flaps her way right back at the TARDIS. The moment she arrives, though, the environment seems to tilt in the other direction she initially fell away from. This causes her to miss the doorway despite flapping in the air, but this time she doesn't fall away as far because there is a large stack of crates on the other side to catch her.

Feather Wind peeks outside and notices the curious sight of Stern Wing trying to recover her balance while being pressed to the midsection of those crates for seemingly no reason.

“The TARDIS has its own personal gravity field,” the Doctor explains behind Feather Wind which prompts Feather to turn his right ear back to the Doctor. “It also extends a short distance away from the vessel. That's why we can be where we are without being affected by what is going on out there, but as soon as one steps beyond that field . . .”

“Then the natural gravity of the environment takes over,” Vision concludes. “Which, right now, the vessel we're on is heavily being tipped back and forth due to the violent storm outside.

“Hmm,” she scoffs. “I warned you all you'll get wet out there.”

Outside, it sounds to Feather like Stern Wing is recovering her balance and equilibrium, primarily by flying through the air and not touching anything.

“Are you okay out there Stern Wing?” Feather Wind repeats.

“I said stay inside! I mean it!” Stern Wing insists. “There actually is a moderately dangerous situation out here but I've got a hoofle on it now.”

“Yep, yep,” the Doctor says casually as he strides up to the exit of the TARDIS, peeks out himself, then leans on the right edge of the door frame as he announces, “That can happen sometimes. It can be so safe inside the TARDIS that it can lull you into a false sense of security.

“For instance, I remember this one time I had just exited the TARDIS and I barely had time to turn around before I got shot. It occurred right outside of this vessel. Not even a foot from this door.

“I perished not long after in a hospital which thus induced my seventh . . . No. Actually, it was my eighth regeneration. While not their fault due to their ignorance of my alien physiology compared to them, the doctors there made the erroneous but also understandable mistake of . . .”

The Doctor trails off as he looks at Feather Wind's spooked expression. In response, the Doctor shakes his head as he says, “The point is it is necessary to be cautious out there even right outside of this door. One never knows what exactly we'll find out there until we start exploring. I find the first few minutes of exploration to typically be the most crucial, especially if we don't know where or when we showed up. The very first thing we critically need to do at that point is to gather information.” He nods outside in approval. “And Stern Wing is doing precisely that out there. That mare sure is made of some sturdy stuff, too. That'll come in handy in our adventures, I'm sure.”

Both the Doctor and Feather Wind turn their heads and look behind them when they simultaneously notice Derpy stumbling back into the TARDIS' control room. She seems frantic at first, but the more she calms herself as she approaches, the more steady her balance becomes again. She stops a mere foot from Feather Wind and then extends her neck as she offers the dangling necklace with the tri-tip Red Crystal on it. The string of the necklace is otherwise held in her mouth. Apparently, after some sort of trouble, she managed to find it after all. While she offers it, Feather notices her left eye staring right at him with the kind sparkle of innocence in it, but the other eye was lazily drifting away to look off towards the upper-left corner.

“Ah . . . thank you,” Feather Wind tells her kindly as he accepts her offer by wrapping the necklace in his silvery aura magic and then floats it to secure it on his neck.

In reply, Derpy lifts her neck straight again and smiles kindly down at Feather Wind.

However, the moment Feather starts to turn his attention back out the exit, he pauses when he notices the disturbing sight of Derpy's smile fading and sadness twinkling in her eyes. This causes Feather to hesitate for a moment as he privately wonders what he did to upset her until it occurs to him that it has nothing to do with him specifically. Instead, it more likely stems from her desire to join them out there on this adventure, but unfortunately the blind and prone-to-sickness filly here demands a higher priority from her for the moment.

Feather hides a frown upon realizing that. He wishes he could think of something to help cheer her back up again. Maybe write her a poem later on?

Feather is shaken by these thoughts when Stern Wing returns. Feather Wind, the Doctor, and Derpy promptly back off to allow the large dark brown pegasus to return unhindered.

“What did you find?” the Doctor prompts the large pegasus.

“We're definitely in a . . . Oh hey! You got your necklace back,” she says directly to Feather Wind. “Nice. Be sure to hang onto it tightly this time.

“Well, anyway, as I was saying, we seem to be in a cargo bay on some kind of metallic vessel while it, in turn, is being rocked violently back and forth due to really intense weather outside. Giant waves are crashing on this vessel and I hear the groan and strain of the metal threatening to buckle. Maybe it already has a little bit. Some of the water has already leaked inside, but the natives here seem at least decently prepared for it. Despite the violent weather outside, the cargo seems pretty well secure. Nothing is tumbling out there that shouldn't except the water itself. Even there, the water is being drained off by some holes in the floor and grates off to the sides which appear designed to drain overflow. I wonder if that means they've dealt with situations like this plenty of times before.”

“Did you see anyone else out there?” the Doctor checks with Stern Wing. “Perhaps someone living?”

Stern Wing shakes her head as she says, “Not yet, but I might have vaguely heard alarmed cries outside this cargo bay. It's really hard to tell, though. If there is anypony else out there, their cries of alarm are easily being drowned out by the far more overwhelming noise of the storm outside.”

The Doctor cracks up a little bit at Stern Wing's description which causes Stern Wing to narrow her eyes questioningly and accusingly at him. After all, to her, she didn't say anything remotely funny. The situation seems quite grim to her.

“'Their cries were drowned out by the noise of the storm outside,'" the Doctor paraphrases with an emphasis to explain the source of his amusement.

Stern Wing looks taken aback at first but then it occurs to her what he must be referring to. When she finally gets it, she gives a disapproving shake of her head at the Doctor while trying to withhold a slightly amused grin on her face.

“Does it sound like the ship will buckle?” Feather asks in concern to Stern Wing.

“Maybe,” she replies with uncertainty. “All I know is it isn't buckling right now and the crew seems decently prepared. For all I know, this might be a common Tuesday event for them.”

The Doctor winces and shakes his head as he explains, “It seems they are prepared for this to some degree by the sounds of it, but you said the rusty-looking metal is being strained by the stress of the storm.”

Stern Wing shakes her head in confusion as she says, “I don't get it. Why is the storm this strong? It sounds to me like some weather ponies around here made some mistakes. Severe enough to get fired from their job.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Feather Wind notices an embarrassed flash of a frown on Derpy, but then he regards the Doctor when he shakes his head and speaks.

“This isn't Equestria, nor is it even your planet entirely,” the Doctor explains. “Even if it is, the weather wasn't always under the direct control of you ponies.”

“That's true,” Derpy confirms. “The Doctor and I once visited a few ancient times when the magic in ponies wasn't so refined yet, nor was the magic in the environment refined either. In fact, even in my native time, there are some areas that weather ponies cannot control. The clouds over the Everfree Forest, which borders Ponyville, is one such example.”

“I know of a few places like that as well,” Feather Wind adds. “The Frozen North is another example.”

Derpy brightens a little as she proclaims, “That is where the Crystal Empire is . . . or rather, where it will be in your native time. But, even then, it took a powerful artifact to tame that weather, and even that artifact sort of needs maintenance from time to time. Something about a festival and charging it. Something about crystals, I think, and a Crystaling ceremony.” She shrugs to indicate she can't add much more on that specific topic.

“Are you sure this isn't our world?” Stern Wing asks the Doctor with some clear doubt on her face. “You haven't even set a hoof outside the TARDIS yet.”

“But I have gathered some useful intel here, primarily thanks to you,” the Doctor counters with a nod of approval at the large mare. “Decent enough to start to give me a good picture of what we're dealing with here. I think I know which planet we're dealing with, too, or at least I know the human world equivalent. In this dimension, however, I suspect the natives have been ponified which leads me to conclude we're actually in a parallel version of the world I'm thinking of.”

“And what is that planet like?” Derpy asks the Doctor curiously with a touch of concern.

“'Water World' is a pretty apt description if my theory is correct,” the Doctor says with a nod to indicate toward Vision. “If this is the planet I'm thinking of then either ninety-seven to one-hundred percent of it is covered in water, not counting potentially numerous vessels like this. That is to say, the planet has very little or no actual natural landmass. If it does have any land, it's a mostly sparse scattering of islands primarily localized in a certain region on the planet. Only one decently sized continent has ever known to exist on this planet and it sometimes drowns out or re-emerges in other eras. That is why that continent is often referred to as a mythical 'promised land' by many natives of that planet's history. Many do not think it actually exists. Sadly, even when it is known to exist by a few elites, the knowledge tends to be hidden for selfish purposes.

“As for the natives of the 'lost' and 'mythical' continent itself, it has had many ups and downs across the planet's history. In some eras, it is an advanced and technological paradise, and other times it is a cesspool of greed and corruption. Whenever the latter is true, a cataclysm, typically in the form of a great flood, is usually just around the corner as if summoned by the natives' inner turmoil.

“That said, the planet is also far more well-known for its sizable fleets or artificial floating cities. In some eras of their history, they've even been known to make entire giant artificial landmasses.

“But surface dwellers aren't the only natives here. The planet predictably has aquatic races too, including sentient races. If they have been ponified as well, I'm curious to see exactly what form they took and if that has any cultural significance to their history.” He widely grins. “I'm quite excited to explore this place now. I can't wait to see what might have changed.”

“In the dimension you came from, you claim a certain two-legged species known as 'humans' were especially common?” Feather Wind checks.

The Doctor nods and says, “Correct.”

“And you think these predominantly humanoid races were replaced by an equal degree of quadruped races in this dimension?” Feather checks further.

The Doctor rubs the bottom of his chin with a hoof as he says, “I haven't been in this dimension for long, but I'm beginning to suspect so. It's as if, in this dimension, some intelligent designer, who was responsible for all initial creations, almost went with a two-legged race as a widespread default but then suddenly changed his or her mind and said, 'Wait a minute. Why not try a four-legged design by default instead? That might be cuter,' so that being went ahead with that alternative plan.

“Mind you, I'm not necessarily saying that such a being exists. I'm only using it as an example of the pattern I've noticed from each dimension's overall path in their natural evolutionary process. There seems to be a different frame of mind with each example. The more evidence I gather of that, the more certain my conclusions become. That's why I need to keep on exploring. Not just for the sake of fun, although that remains true too. I'm also doing this to gather a general picture of the changes at large. Doing so might be significant because it also means certain races I've known before might not exist in this dimension at all or may have been modified potentially heavily. That's probably both a good and a bad thing. I have known certain races that have been absolutely devastating, but an equal number that has been crucial in a beneficial way. If either example doesn't exist here or has been heavily modified, I need to know because that certainly adjusts my plan moving forward.”

“In what way?” Stern Wing checks cautiously before shrugging and admitting, “I can't hoofle too complicated of an explanation. I'm only asking about your plans in a general sense.”

“That depends on what I discover,” the Doctor announces very seriously. “I've known very important races that have existed before for good and for ill. Sometimes both. If either example has changed then it could have profound ripple effects across the history of countless societies. I don't mean to sound arrogant when I say this, but my race is one such example because we have been time and space travelers throughout much of our history and, as such, affected the history of many other societies. If they never existed here or they do but in some very different way then that discovery is significantly huge. Trust me, you don't even want to know how important that discovery will be.”

“Then let's just stick with the present moment,” Feather Wind advises. “We're here now. Let's see what we can discover. One hoof in front of the other. The start of any journey begins with a single step.”

“We already have discovered some important information,” Stern Wing reminds. “This ship is suffering from a very large storm right now. Large enough to be potentially dangerous.” She lifts a wing in a halting gesture in front of her chest as she says, “I'm not saying that as an excuse to hide in the TARDIS despite how wise that would normally be. Instead, I think it's something we need to keep in mind as we continue to explore. Violent storms are never a laughing matter to those being challenged by it. Nature is so much more powerful than any of us can be. Even you, Feather Wind, who can have a significant influence over the weather and sky. We need to keep that in mind because it is never wise to underestimate it.”

“Well said,” the Doctor compliments and agrees. “But that said, I'd count it as a blessing if that were our only challenge in this particular journey. In my many adventures, I have often encountered sentient antagonists and I have never been fond of the idea of having an intelligent enemy because that virtually guarantees that someone's feelings will be hurt.”

Stern Wing looks at the exit of the TARDIS anxiously as she says, “I know it's ironic for me to say considering we arrived here in a time machine, but we're wasting time here. We may be safe in here, but there are others out there who are possibly not.” She looks back at her companions. “So if we are committed to the righteous path of a hero then let's stop talking and get this done.”

“Or gather more intel at the very least,” the Doctor somewhat agrees. “Right then.” He looks at Derpy then points at Vision as he says, “She's definitely not going and it probably is a good idea for you to hold back as well. Stern Wing is very sturdy and strong for a pegasus and Feather Wind is a trained wizard who is also highly and very unusually well connected to weather for a unicorn, but you . . ."

He trails off, hoping she will connect the dots so he doesn't have to outright say it.

Derpy shakes her head as she says, “You don't have to say it, Doctor. I get your meaning, so go!” She nods to the exit. “Save the day, Doctor. Same as you always do.” She gives a soft and brave smile that belies the pain she is hiding inside. “While you do, I will be here to serve and cheer you on as best as I can, and I will take very good care of Vision while I am here. I promise you this, Doctor.”

The Doctor passes a very deep smile of appreciation back to Derpy as he confidently says, “I know you will.”

His smile fades away in favor of a more serious expression as he turns and regards Feather Wind and Stern Wing. He nods at them as he says, “Right. Venture on, my friends. May this be the first of many foolish adventures we'll share together.”

Part 3: Nature-al History

"Well, I'll be," the Doctor remarks in an amused tone not long after he, Feather Wind, and Stern Wing exited the TARDIS. "It really is a cargo hold we're in. Fancy that!”

"I told you we were," reminds Stern Wing as she clings to one of the cargo crates to help her not slip and slide all over the place as the ship heavily tilts in various directions. While she does that, Feather Wind clings tight on her back, and draped over his back, is his mystical Mist Cloak. As Stern Wing continues to regard the Doctor, she grows annoyed. "What? You didn't believe me?"

“Oh it's not that,” the Doctor quickly assures her as he, too, clings to the rope securing a crate. When he said that, Stern Wing's look at him shifts from annoyance to curiosity. He goes on to explain, “I'm only surprised because I've recently started to notice the TARDIS has landed in a storage area of some sort an inordinate number of times. If I combine this with every other time that the TARDIS has landed in some place other than storage, then that is, by far, the majority. However, when it comes to one specific category, it tends to be a storage facility of some type more often than not. Plus, this time, we arrived here after I deliberately set a random course with just a few conditions in place, and lo and behold. We land in yet another storage facility of some type.” While one hoof continues to cling onto a rope, another rubs the bottom of his chin as he gives the TARDIS a discerning look while he says aloud, “I wonder if there is a hidden message here that the old girl is trying to tell me.”

“You talk to your ship?” Stern Wing asks with a peculiar look at the Doctor. “Can you get any stranger?”

“Absolutely!” the Doctor replies immediately and enthusiastically.

Stern Wing rolls her eyes as she says, “I shouldn't have asked.”

“Never mind that. Does anypony notice anything else strange about this place?” Feather Wind asks aloud.

The Doctor snickers a bit due to the term, “anypony”.

“Like what?” Stern Wing reflects at her friend on her back as she turns her head to look back at him over her right shoulder.

“Look at all this metal we're surrounded by,” Feather points out. “Rusty metal in some places, but still! How did everypony on this ship get a hold of this much metal if they don't have any or very little access to dry land? A wooden ship would make more sense because at least it's possible to grow some trees in the middle of an ocean voyage.”

“An astute observation, my young friend!” the Doctor commends. “And one which I have a partial answer to. Besides some of the eras where they do have access to dry land, as rare as that may be, the natives also had some access to underwater mines via submersible ships and cities or they traded with their aquatic neighbors. At least, that's the story that I know of from the dimension of this world where I was originally from.”

“And it looks like they have some access to other materials, too,” says Stern. “Look at most of these crates. They are made of wood. It looks like much of the ropes and nets securing them appear to be made of hemp.”

“I guess that is a decent enough explanation for their access to metal,” Feather Wind says with a simple shrug. “This also tells us they have some skills in metallurgy, or at least some of them do.

"Are you sure this is an alien world, Doctor? Because, so far, I'm seeing a unusual number of parallels to our world."

“Alien worlds can still speak the language when it comes to common sense,” the Doctor replies. “If they have access to any kind of materials even remotely similar to the ones on your planet, it only makes sense they'd eventually develop techniques to utilize it. Also, just because you are in an alien world doesn't mean everything within it is wholly different. Some can be, though, and I'll do my best to steer clear of those which are utterly unsustainable to our kind. But just because I avoid those places for survival purposes doesn't mean they don't exist. The universe is very large, my friend, and all kinds of fantastical things exist within it.”

“Wow! That boggles my mind,” Stern Wing expresses. “Similarities aside, it's hard to believe that we really are on an alien planet. And, while the Doctor was an alien in our world, here we all are the alien visitors. There might be an intense reaction to that from the natives so it is best to remain on our guards.”

“But aren't you always on your guard, Stern?” Feather Wind asks casually. “That's kind of your thing.”

“Scoff if you like, but the one who tends to survive unexpected surprises is the one who remains prepared for them,” Stern Wing returns.

“I wasn't scoffing. It's just an affectionate observation,” Feather elaborates which causes Stern to blush for a brief moment, but she clears it a second later as she puts her serious game face back on.

“Be that as it may, I suggest we venture on,” Stern Wing urges. “I don't think we're going to encounter anypony that needs saving here.”

The Doctor nods in agreement with nearly as serious an expression as he says, "Agreed. Let's see where we might be more needed." To that end, he pulls out of his curious hidden pocket on his left flank his sonic screwdriver in his mouth. Somehow he fiddles with it before it shortly emits a curious, low-volume screeching noise. He turns his whole head with the device in his mouth as if to aim it in various directions.

“What are you doing?” Stern Wing asks curiously.

The Doctor finishes what he's doing first before spitting the device out of his mouth and onto his right hoof then says, "Scanning for lifeforms, and I believe I found some. Most of them are in that direction,” he nods in a direction they haven't explored yet, “but I'm much more concerned with the few I detected on the surface level of this vessel because they should be exposed to the elements.”

"Okay, seriously, is there anything that the device can't do?” Stern Wing exclaims questioningly. “You've used that thing in so many ways, I'm starting to think you're making it up.”

“Starting to?” Feather asks with emphasis toward Stern Wing.

Feather Wind notices a look of mischief sink into the Doctor's face as if to indicate the Time Lord grew tempted to give a joking answer for a moment, but instead decided to say, “What this thing does also depends on the skills of the one who wields it. A clever and skilled enough mind can do just about anything with any tool. The reason this thing is called a sonic screwdriver is because that is what the device was originally intended for. It used to be just a tool to screw or unscrew screws by using intermittent and variable frequency sonic vibrations. However, when I got a hold of it, I quickly realized its greater potential which made me think, 'Hey! In addition to using this for what it is designed for, why not also use this to break reality as well?' And so, with a bit of tinkering, a lot of practice, and some clever thinking, it has become an invaluable tool for just about any need. Let that be a lesson for you two. Always keep an open mind to expanded possibilities.

“Oh, and to answer your earlier question, the answer is; this thing cannot affect wood, unfortunately.”

“That's fascinating but we're wasting time,” Feather Wind reminds. “The larger number of collected lifeforms you detected earlier is likely in a lower and more secure deck of this ship which makes sense, of course. However, if there are also some on the upper deck during this intense weather condition then that is cause for concern. We should move to investigate that, and fast.”

“Agreed. This way,” says the Doctor as he crawls carefully in the direction where he detected some of the lifeforms.

---

The weight and significance of where they are did not fully hit Feather Wind until they exited through a door leading out of the cargo bay. Beyond that is the outside of this vessel. From there, they see a metal chain bridge that leads to another separate ship. The cross-section chains form the basis for the bridge and smaller nets close the gap between the chains. This provides a solid enough step for each hoof. Beyond this bridge, there are significantly larger chains in intermittent metal tubes which serve the dual purpose of keeping both ships from drifting apart and yet also keep them from smashing together. Based on how thick, old, and rusty those huge chain links are, this is obviously meant to be a permanent modification, meaning these two vessels are designed to never drift apart.

There are more of these things out there. A lot more. If seen from high above, it would have looked like a large fleet of square shape ships that are literally linked together like the patches on a square quilt. Altogether, it sort of makes a giant city floating together, but they are linked together in such a way that keeps them flexible. As such, each individual square can curve and bend over the waves instead of buckling by putting too much stress in the center.

More than that, though, Feather Wind is deeply affected by the weather itself. Not just because of the awe of its terrible might, but because he has a deep and intrinsic connection to nature and anything to do with the sky in particular. As such, he has learned to communicate with it on a level that is very different from verbal communication. It's more like a "knowing". Through that communication, Feather hears the song of the wind which, for him, does have a different pitch to it compared to his native world. For him, it is a much stronger indication that he is, indeed, in an alien world because the spirits in nature sing differently.

Not only does he hear and feel that song, but he quickly realizes that the spirit of the wind notices him noticing it and it is surprising that anypony from the mortal realm can hear it because very few others do. It feels to Feather Wind that the wind grew excited at that discovery and quickly became chatty as if it says, "Wow! You can understand me? That's awesome. Few others do. In that case, let me tell you about the entire history of this planet." Then BOOM! A bombardment of information suddenly crashes into Feather Wind as if the spirit of the wind on this planet couldn't wait for its entire story all at once.

“FEATHER WIND! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Feather hears Stern shout in concern loud enough to have a chance to be heard over the powerful storm, but since he is so dizzy and delirious because of what just happened, Stern Wing's voice sounds more distant and echo-y.

For a while, Feather just isn't strong enough to reply other than to continue to struggle to cling to her, but he does try a little (and fail).

It takes a moment for Feather to adjust to the huge download of information, but it later occurs to him that it isn't as heavy as it initially felt because the spirits of nature do not keep track of every single little insignificant detail like what bowl of soup an individual had exactly one thousand, one hundred and twenty-six years ago. Instead of that, it only cares about and is aware of itself and its job. The only time spirits of nature tend to notice the significantly more ephemeral mortals dwelling around them is when those mortals do something that significantly impacts nature directly, regardless if the outcome is positive or negative. Or both. As such, Feather Wind gets information about this planet from the planet's perspective which largely entails things like the cycle and flow of energy. Also, spirits like that tend to not keep track of time the same way mortals do so it's very hard to tell, based on the story given, the precise order of when significant events happened in the past. Instead of that, Feather Wind's mind could only frame it roughly in various types of eras in the past like the era of ice, the era of storms, the era of calm tropical waters, and so on. Altogether, the information is not different enough to overwhelm Feather in some significant, ongoing way. He basically got a synopsis of what happened and there is a simple flow to it like nature usually is if it isn't disrupted by something sudden, intense, and/or unnatural.

“Are you alright?!" the Doctor's voice blares through Feather Wind's mind with shocking clarity. It takes Feather a moment to realize that the Doctor just communicated to him telepathically. It also helped to clear Feather Wind's mind. He quickly regains conscious awareness and focus again. Upon doing so, he sees the Doctor's head veer back enough so Feather can see the Doctor's face, which means they touched foreheads a moment ago. Maybe that was how the Doctor facilitated such clear telepathic communication a moment ago.

“Yes. Thank you,” Feather tries to say but he quickly notices that the storm is so loud out here that it drowned out his voice, so he repeats himself except this time in a shouting volume. “YES. THANK YOU.”

"WHAT HAPPENED?" the Doctor checks. In doing so, Feather Wind can see not just concern in the Doctor's eyes, but also an urgent need to gather information. After all, what Feather just experienced might be significant, and informing the Doctor could affect his future plans.

“I, AH . . . I SPOKE WITH THE ELEMENTS OF NATURE, OR RATHER THEY SPOKE WITH ME,” Feather Wind answers.

“HE CAN DO THAT,” Stern Wing adds. “IT'S A SPECIAL TALENT OF HIS TIED TO HIS CUTIE MARK.”

The Doctor nods in partial understanding to Stern Wing (because the concept of cutie marks is so new to the Doctor at this point) then he looks back at Feather Wind and awaits the small pony to continue. As he does so, he prompts, “AND WHAT DID THEY SAY?”

Feather Wind shakes his head and chuckles a bit then shouts, “YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE THIS, BUT THEY TOLD ME THIS WORLD'S ENTIRE HISTORY.”

“ARE YOU KIDDING US?!” Stern Wing asks in astonishment.

“FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE,” Feather Wind elaborates at her then regards the Doctor again. “THEY DIDN'T SAY MUCH ABOUT THE MORTALS ON THIS PLANET. MAINLY THEY JUST TOLD ME ABOUT THE CYCLES OF NATURE THAT HAVE GONE BY.”

An interested look sinks into the Doctor's eyes. He takes a moment to digest the information he received. A moment later he realizes something and then focuses on the small blue unicorn again as he asks, "DID THEY SAY ANYTHING NOTEWORTHY ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR STORM?"

Feather Wind was almost going to say no to the Doctor, but then he thinks on that some more and eventually realizes the answer is actually yes. That little detail simply felt buried beneath all the other information they gave him. He takes a moment to focus on that particular set of information which shortly later makes him widen his eyes as he realizes something startling. He then focuses back on the Doctor as he shouts, "ACTUALLY, YES. THEY TOLD ME THE SOURCE OF THIS STORM IS UNNATURAL. IT'S LIKE THE ELEMENTS OF NATURE ARE BEING . . . OH. HOW BEST TO DESCRIBE IT? SORT OF LIKE . . . BEING TICKLED BY AN EXTERNAL SOURCE."

“EXTERNAL?” the Doctor reflects. “EXTERNAL LIKE OFF-WORLD?”

Feather takes a moment to reflect on that question before he shakes his head and shouts, "HONESTLY, THEY DON'T KNOW. THESE SPIRITS CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THINGS LIKE THAT. THEY FOCUS MORE ON WHAT IS, NOT WHY IT'S THAT WAY. THEY MAY ALSO HAVE A LIMITED CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND THINGS LIKE THAT OR TO EVEN TELL ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.”

"SORT OF LIKE FIRE SIMPLY REALIZING IT EXISTS, NOT THE FACT THAT IT NEEDS TO CONSUME SOME FLAMMABLE OBJECT AND OXYGEN TO EXIST," Stern Wing muses.

"BUT IT IS EXTERNAL," the Doctor reflects. "THAT MEANS SOMETHING IS CAUSING THE STORM AND IT ISN'T NATURE ITSELF." He looks across the chain bridge at the other ship. "IN THAT CASE, IF SOMETHING ELSE IS CAUSING IT THEN IT ALSO MEANS IT CAN BE STOPPED. WE SIMPLY NEED TO FIND AND DISABLE THIS THING. WE'LL HAVE TO REMOVE ITS FUEL SOURCE. THAT ALSO MEANS THAT, UNTIL WE DO, THIS CONDITION MAY REMAIN ONGOING.”

The Doctor then snaps his gaze back at Feather Wind as he asks, “HOW LONG HAS THIS STORM PERSISTED?”

“AHHHH … FROM NATURE'S PERSPECTIVE, NOT THAT LONG AT ALL,” Feather answers. “BUT REMEMBER. TO TIMELESS BEINGS LIKE THESE, IT MEASURES ENTIRE EPOCHS LIKE IT'S MERELY A DAY.”

"IN THAT CASE, WE SHOULD ASK ONE OF THE NATIVES IF WE FIND ANY," Stern Wing suggests then realizes something startling. "THAT IS IF WE CAN EVEN COMMUNICATE WITH THEM."

"OH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM," the Doctor promises. "THOSE WHO TRAVEL ON THE TARDIS ALSO GAIN THE BENEFIT OF SOME TELEPATHIC COMMUNICATION. AMONG THOSE IS THE BENEFIT OF LANGUAGE TRANSLATION. THEY ARE STILL SPEAKING THEIR NATIVE TONGUES BUT WE'LL HEAR WHATEVER WE UNDERSTAND THE MOST."

“OH!” Stern Wing blinks. “THAT'S CONVENIENT.”

The Doctor nods as he explains, “MY PEOPLE QUICKLY REALIZED THE INCONVENIENCE OF TRAVELING TO OTHER WORLDS WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF COMMUNICATION SO THEY QUICKLY DEVISED A MOSTLY FOOLPROOF WAY AROUND IT."

"MAKES SENSE," Feather agrees with a casual shrug as he passes a look from the Doctor to Stern but then he looks back at the Doctor as he realizes something else which prompts him to say, "OF COURSE, IF THAT'S TRUE, THERE MIGHT BE SOME ROOM FOR ERROR HERE. PERHAPS ONE SOCIETY INVENTED A WORD THAT HAS NO TRANSLATION IN SOME OTHER LANGUAGE BECAUSE IT NEVER OCCURRED TO THAT OTHER SOCIETY TO INVENT ONE. FOR INSTANCE, WHAT WORD WOULD THERE BE FOR 'SPACESHIP' TO A PRIMITIVE, STILL STRICKLY HUNTER/GATHERER SOCIETY?"

"EXACTLY," the Doctor agrees. "WELL PUT. THESE TELEPATHIC TRANSLATIONS FROM THE TARDIS CERTAINLY HELP, BUT IT'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR DISCERNMENT AND GOOD-OLD FASHION COMMON SENSE. ALWAYS KEEP THAT IN MIND WHILE YOU TRAVEL WITH ME."

“WELL, NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED, LET'S CONTINUE,” Stern Wing suggests then looks back at Feather Wind. “YOU GOOD FOR THAT?”

Feather Wind nods as he shouts, “GO AHEAD. WHILE YOU DO, I'LL TRY TO HELP BY RAISING A FORCE BARRIER AROUND US. THAT SHOULD KEEP US FROM BEING BUFFETED BY THE WIND, RAIN, AND WAVES TOO MUCH. KEEP IN MIND, THOUGH, SINCE SOMETHING ELSE IS CAUSING THE STORM, I WILL HAVE LESS INFLUENCE OVER IT MYSELF SO I CAN'T RELY ON MY CUTIE MARK ABILITY AS MUCH TO PROTECT US, OR OTHERS, FROM THIS.”

“THAT MEANS YOU CAN'T FLY EITHER,” Stern Wing realizes. “YOUR TALENT IS A COMBINATION OF LIGHTENING YOUR BODY WEIGHT, CONTROLLING THE WINDS, AND GLIDING WITH YOUR CLOAK. HOWEVER, IF YOU CAN'T CONTROL THE WINDS BECAUSE SOMETHING ELSE IS DOING IT INSTEAD, THEN YOU'D SIMPLY BE BUFFETED ABOUT BY THE WINDS FAR MORE EASILY IF YOU DARE TO LIGHTEN YOUR BODY WEIGHT NOW, SO DON'T DO IT.”

Feather Wind nods as he says, “AGREED, BUT THAT'S ALMOST A MOOT POINT. WITH WEATHER THIS INTENSE, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FLY EVEN IF I WAS BORN A NATURAL PEGASUS. AS FOR YOU, YOU'RE MUCH STRONGER THAN AN AVERAGE PEGASI BUT EVEN YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE OVERWHELMED BY THIS.”

“DEFINITELY,” Stern agrees. “I MIGHT ATTEMPT IT ONLY AS A LAST RESORT, BUT IT IS FAR TOO UNLIKELY TO SUCCEED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS SO I WON'T CONSIDER IT A RELIABLE OPTION EITHER.”

"I GUESS WE'RE ALL LIKEN TO EARTH PONIES NOW WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ABILITY TO FLY HERE," the Doctor figures. "WELP. THAT'S OKAY. WE STILL HAVE OTHER OPTIONS TO RELY ON. LET'S NOT CONCENTRATE TOO MUCH ON WHAT WE CAN'T DO AND RATHER FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN AND, INDEED, MUST DO." He looks across at the other exit and entrance on the other side of this chain bridge. "ONWARDS AND UPWARDS, MY FRIENDS."

Part 4: Preliminary Inquiry

On the upper deck of whatever this rig is, the Doctor, Feather, and Stern struggle to not slip and slide all over the place as they behold the violent force of nature playing out all around them. Off to their left side and over the rig, they behold endless waves that are the size of small to large hills, although that is very hard to see in the dark storm except for the occasional flashing of lightning briefly illuminating the area. The landscape shifts and crawls all the way to the horizon in every direction they can see. The sound of the crashing waves and thunderstorms drowns out almost any hope of speaking to each other if it weren't for one factor. It is at this moment that the Doctor's legendary and suspiciously useful sonic screwdriver once again helps out by somewhat muting the sound of the storm outside and creating an audible safe zone within the spherical force field that Feather Wind is creating around them. Thanks to the force bubble, they are not affected by hurricane-strength winds, stinging rain, and crashing waves. That force bubble cancels all of that inertia, leaving them completely immune within it other than the tilt of the entire ship and the slipperiness of the wet floor beneath. Thanks to the sonic screwdriver, they can even whisper to each other if they wanted to and still be heard.

In fact, if it weren't for the tilt of the entire ship or the wet floor, they could almost feel disconnected from the raging storm all about them.

Things being as they are, they are forced to hold onto something as they struggle their way across the upper deck while following sonic blipping noise from the Doctor's device that indicates the distance and direction of lifeforms on this deck. This eventually leads them to a small crew of earth ponies who are wearing what looks like bright life preserver vests, and from those vests, they are also tethered to something on the ship to help secure them. It is difficult to tell what they are trying to do on the upper deck but they are either shouting at each other or some device nearby them. They clearly seem stressed but it's not hard to guess why in general.

Feather, Stern, and even the Doctor to some extent feel surprised to find native lifeforms on this planet that look almost exactly like earth ponies back in Equestria. Here they are on some distant planet and they unexpectedly encounter something familiar.

Eventually, the new visitors get noticed themselves. At that moment it isn't just the TARDIS crew who are surprised anymore. When the two earth pony crew members spot them, they glance at each other in surprise as if to silently ask themselves, "Are you seeing this too?" Upon noticing each other's looks of equal surprise, they basically get their answer. After that, the one in a yellow vest, as opposed to the orange vest, waves for the TARDIS crew to approach them. They do so.

The surprise of the crew triples when the safe bubble catches up to them. They look around each other in utter shock at the near-perfect but a severely unexpected bubble of safety that now surrounds them before the one in the yellow vest glares at the TARDIS crew and shouts, "WHAT ARE . . .” he starts to shout but then everyone in the bubble painfully winces as the volume of his voice intensifies. Not only because of external factors being quieter, but the sonic screwdriver is also enhancing the voices within the bubble as if to compensate. It essentially sounded like he just shouted in a metallic acoustic tube which echoes a bit.

“You do not have to speak so loudly, Sir,” the Doctor informs them. “As long as we are within this bubble, we can speak normally.”

Once again, the two crew members glance at each other in intense surprise before the one in the yellow jacket, who seems to have more authority between the two, looks back at the three new visitors as he begins again, "What are you three doing on the upper deck during this storm? And who are you three anyway?”

“Clyde, look!” the one in the orange jacket says with wide eyes in amazement as he gazes in awe at Feather Wind on Stern Wing's back for some reason. “That one is a unicorn!” he says in a tone of awe.

Feather Wind and Stern Wing glance at each other in confusion, each wondering why that news would be regarded as so unusual.

"Holy shucks," Clyde says in near-equal levels of amazement.

The Doctor observes their reaction to Feather Wind carefully, transfers his glance between his companions for a moment, then looks back at the two bridge crew as he asks, “Is there somewhere safer we can discuss the matters at hoof?" he says with intense emphasis on the last word then gives a narrow-eyed and playful smirk back at Feather and Stern. "Yeah, I finally said it."

The Doctor doesn't get through to the two earth pony crew at first. They are still staring at Feather Wind like they are beholding a living miracle.

“Gentleman, if we may?” the Doctor coaxes again.

“Huh?” the one called Clyde asks as he shakes his head as if to clear it then blinks at the Doctor as if rising from a daze. “Oh, ah . . . sure. The bridge is just right over here. Follow me.”

“Ya know, you three shouldn't be up here without your safety harness,” the one in the orange vest lightly scolds but also with a tone of surprise. “It's very dangerous up here right now.”

“Oh really?” the Doctor reflects as he passes a droll look over to his left at the entire horizon full of endless ocean waves. “Thanks for the tip. We wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed that out.”

“You don't have to be snippy about it,” the one in the orange vest mopes. “I'm just doing ma job.”

“Come with us, and be careful,” Clyde instructs. “Hold on to anything ya can while you three follow us. It's just up on yon way a bit.”

They weren't kidding. The bridge was only a few minutes away. All they had to do is crawl back a few feet, climb a short ladder, then enter a small cabin that has tall, slanted windows on three of the four sides. The upper end of the windows extends about a foot further forward compared to the bottom end of the window. Here, there are also a few swivel chairs permanently attached to the floor. In addition, a lot of console controls and dials here that Feather and Stern hardly recognize the function of but it kind of resembles the center console of the TARDIS a bit insofar as it looks highly technical to them.

Once they are all in and the thick metal door is swung shut, the roar of the outside storm is considerably reduced in decibels even without the help of the Doctor's device. When he notices that, the Doctor puts the device away in his built-in pocket just above his cutie mark.

“Perhaps introductions are in order,” the Doctor suggests, the first to speak ever since they all climbed into this room. “I am the Doctor and these are my two companions Feather Wind,” he gestures to the unusually small blue unicorn, “and Stern Wing,” he then gestures to the unusually large brown pegasus.

The two crew earth ponies both glance in surprise at each other again for some reason then pass a curious look to Feather Wind as Clyde asks him, "Does this one speak for you?" he asks while looking at Feather Wind but tilts his head at the Doctor.

This situation has caught Feather Wind off guard and he also feels uncomfortable about it, but not in an entirely unfamiliar way. The way these two look at him reminds Feather of how low-born society used to view him and his fellow aristocratic peers, but unlike his peers, Feather was never comfortable with the treatment. By growing up in high society, he at least knows how to act around his fellow peers and fit in enough not to be teased about it too much, but he's always been shy at heart and far more comfortable in the wilds of nature rather than the rigid structure of high society.

But the way these two are regarding Feather goes way beyond that. They are acting like they are beholding a downright god or some similar overwhelming supernatural entity. More like a figure of legend that they didn't really believe in until now.

"Yes, I do," the Doctor confirms before Feather has a chance to speak. Not that Feather knows what to say anyway. The Doctor gestures to himself as he says, "It is my role and assignment on this mission to speak for the unicorn. You may address me with any questions, comments, or concerns about these two."

"Kleetus, check it out!" Clyde points at Stern Wing's wings. "That one is a pegasus! He's got wings!"

“You mean 'she' has got wings,” Stern Wing corrects with a bit of an offended squint to her face. “I'm a mare, thank-you-very-much.”

Now they look very embarrassed, especially the one who spoke. Clyde visibly flushes as he stutters, "Ma-ma-my ah-pah-pah-pologies, Ma'am. I was mistaken."

“About the gender thing. Not the wings, he means,” the one called Kleetus quickly adds.

“Yeah.” Clyde tilts his head at his companion but keeps his eyes locked on Stern Wing. “What he said.”

All of the sudden, Kleetus narrows his eyes as he asks accusingly, “Speaking of which, it is said that pegasi have the power to control the weather. Is that true? And, if so, did you cause this storm?”

“Kleetus!” Clyde snaps at his companion.

"What?!" Kleetus asks back. "I'm just asking. If we did something to offend them, mayhap we can discuss compensation and whatnot."

“Gentleman,” says the Doctor as he raises a hoof, “before anything else gets more out of hoof,” he says with another emphatic glance to his companions then resumes with a serious expression at the two worker earth ponies, “let me just assure you right now that we are not the ones responsible for causing this weather. As a matter of fact, the reason why we're here is to investigate what precisely has caused it. Perhaps you two can shed some light on this matter? Any information you can share would make our job here much easier.”

Because the Doctor said that, Kleetus and Clyde both look at each other for a moment as they both seem to realize something. They nod at each other confidently before they both look back at the Doctor and Clyde says, “If what you say is true and the unicorns nor pegasi are responsible for this, then it is probably the Alphalmians.”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing both wince in misunderstanding, but the Doctor didn't miss a beat by asking, “That's your aquatic neighbors, right? The ones you trade with?”

Kleetus and Clyde both nod as Clyde says, “The very same.”

The Doctor winces in confusion as he asks, “In that case, I'm confused. Why would the Alphalmians attack you all? If you get killed, the benefits of the trade they have with you all end as well and you provide services they cannot replicate. Plus, exactly how could they cause this weather storm?”

"The Orb of Storms, or so the legends say," Clyde answers. "That's an answer to the 'how', by the way. The King of the alphalmians, Afaminious, is said to be the one who wields such a powerful artifact that can have such influence over the weather."

“Assuming that is the cause, what motive would he have to use it against this facility?” the Doctor checks.

Clyde shrugs as he admits, “I honestly have no idea. It doesn't make sense to me either, because you're right. We provide a service for them that they cannot replicate and as far as I know, they've always found that useful.” He sighs for a moment as he says, “Now there are rumors of possible reasons, but I ain't fer believing a word of it. No siree.”

“What kind of rumors?” the Doctor checks again.

Clyde casts a much longer sigh this time as he thinks about it. There is a squint on his face as if merely attempting to recall the rumors leaves a bad taste in his mouth, but eventually he goes on to list, “Rumors that we stole some of his people, rumors that we tainted some of the stock we've given to him.” When he said that, he sounded especially offended at the mere prospect. “Rumors that they've always hated us for some reason so they always planned to kill us when they had gotten enough of what they wanted, rumors that a new king has taken them over and it is actually he, or she, that is the one using The Orb of Storms. Rumors that the Orb of Storms is malfunctioning and all of this is being caused accidentally.” He shakes his head. “The list goes on and on and, quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of hearing about it.

“Still, our situation has been desperate for quite some time and it's only growing worse. When ponies have reason to panic and that reason has been ongoing for quite some time, they just can't help but speculate why all of this is happening without basing their fears on any substantial evidence.” He shrugs. “When ponies are afraid, we see demons in every shadow. I'm tempted to call it an inherently racial flaw.”

“But you don't believe in any of these rumors?” the Doctor probes.

Clyde shrugs as he says, “I can neither confirm nor deny anything, and frankly, that's my problem. Until I see hard evidence leading towards any conclusion, I can't rule anything out and I prefer not to waste my time on any useless speculation when I got a crisis to deal with on my hooves at this very moment. For instance, I got a man stranded up on that radio tower up there and I can't do a thing about it right now,” he says as he gestures to a tower behind them that is made of an X pattern of many metal bars surrounded by metal squares. The tower is widest at the base and narrows at the upper tip.

“What did you say?!” Stern Wing asks as she pounces on that information immediately with intense seriousness. “There's somepony stranded up there?”

“Yes Ma'am,” Clyde replies to Stern Wing then looks at the Doctor. “He tried to repair that radio tower since, apparently, a large wave damaged it earlier. The thing is, if that radio tower isn't repaired, we'll never be able to radio for help and get resupplied after the storm passes. We did warn them about the storm earlier so they are holding their distance, but we'll need those supplies too eventually.”

“Why didn't you try to repair the tower after the storm passes?” Stern Wing asks a bit tightly.

"Because we were trying to brace it," Clyde answers her then shakes his head. "Storms this intense have happened before, but never for this long. We were trying to secure it with extra chains, cables, and wires to avoid the damage from escalating further, but the cables broke. That also ripped out the pulley system we used to get our man up there."

“Is there any other way up or down the tower?” Stern Wing checks sharply.

Clyde nods as he says, “Yes Ma'am, but it's suicide to try. We do have a ladder we normally use to go up and down from there, but with this storm . . .” He trails off as he nods to indicate it. There is a moment of silence before he turns back to Stern Wing and adds, “Besides, he's now injured, so even without this storm, he may not be able to hobble down from there anyway.”

Stern Wing looks down as she contemplates what has been said very carefully.

“Just how long has the storm been going on, Sir?” asks the Doctor.

“Several weeks,” Kleetus answers as he slumps his shoulders in despair. “Several very long, very grueling weeks.” He shakes his head. “It has never gone this long and still be this intense.” He then grows angry. “It simply must be those evil Alphalmians! They need to pay for what they have done to us! I promise that they will!”

“Easy there, tiger,” the Doctor coaxes. “We still don't know what is going on, which is what we're here to find out.”

"And once you do?" Clyde checks with the Doctor and then can't help but sneak a desperate glance at Feather Wind in particular.

“After that, we'll do what we do best in these kinds of situations,” the Doctor answers as he puffs his chest out in pride but also with a look of confidence and determination on his face. “We're going to save everyone!” He then widens his eyes as he realizes something before saying, “Oh! Excuse me.” He turns to and bows to Feather and Stern as he corrects with a cocky smirk, “Everypony.”

“I'm going to go out there and save that pony!” Stern Wing declares with sudden determination as she lifts her head. “Feather,” she turns her head to gaze back at her foalhood friend still on her back. “would you mind helping me?”

“Of course I will,” Feather answers right away. “I'm surprised you have to ask.”

Stern Wing flashes a warm and grateful smile at her unicorn companion before shifting a narrow stare at the Doctor as if daring him to object, and if he does, he'll have a fight on his hooves.

The Doctor looks back and forth between the two of them real quick as he seems to do some quick mental calculations in his head before he nods in agreement and says, “Go. You two can handle this, I'm sure.”

Stern's firm warning look shifts to a grateful one as she nods at the Doctor in approval and then looks at the exit. "Alright then. Let's move."

Author's Notes:

I know this will make no difference to those reading this author's note far into the future, but for those more diligently following and tracking the story now, I will be moving the post date of this story from Saturday to Monday from now on. However, there may be some exceptions. If I notice any upcoming Monday to be a holiday, I will post the chapter of that week to either a Sunday or a Tuesday if that is sufficient to dodge the holiday which is dead space time to post stories.

Furthermore, just in case it comes up, I will also not be posting any more stories, including this one, on the last two weeks of the year and the first week of the following new year. Not only is the holiday vacation time the worst time to post a story to draw in new eyes, but even current readership tends to drop since many people are too busy traveling and visiting family.

For more details as to why I am making these changes, refer to my blog Smart Post Dating which, in itself, is a reference guide to yet another blog post When is the best time to post a story? -- Answered with SCIENCE!

So today is the last post I will make on Saturday, February 25th, 2023. The next post will be on Monday, February 27th, 2023. The following post after that will be on March 6th, 2023 and so on until it is done.

And speaking of which, I currently have no fixed plans on how this story is going to totally end. Instead of that, there'll be lots of "episodes" that each focus on their own little adventure, and some of them may connect to larger overarching plots which will accumulate to something akin to the television Doctor Who series equivalent of a season finale. Even then, though, this story might just continue into the next "season" until some kind of final conclusion is reached where the companions of the Tardis, specifically Feather, Stern, and Vision, retire their journey with the Doctor.

There is a chance for other spinoffs though which I might post as their own stories. Stay tuned.

Part 5: Rescue on the Radio Tower

"HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO WORK THESE?" Stern Wing asks about their new hook harness after she and Feather emerged back into the stormy rain. As before, Feather creates a protective bubble force field around them. However, since the Doctor and his sonic screwdriver are not among them this time, they once again have to shout to have any chance to be heard by each other.

Feather closely examines what they are wearing and then notices a bunch of clip hooks extending from the ship at various points, each of which looks about twenty feet long. Concentrating on his magic, he levitates one of the clip hooks attached to a twenty-foot rope and brings it toward them. The object in question has to pass through a small hole opening in the field that he created for it. Once it is up close, he examines the clip hook and how to open it. Then he examines their vests and notices several rings that he could attach the clip hook to. Then he thinks about it for a while before nodding in satisfaction when he reaches a conclusion.

"THESE THINGS CLIP TO OUR VESTS TO TETHER US TO THE SHIP," Feather explains as he leans forward and shouts this near Stern's ear. "BUT WE'RE STILL SUPPOSED TO GRIP SOMETHING AS WE MAKE OUR WAY ACROSS THE SHIP. THIS IS JUST AN EXTRA SAFETY PRECAUTION. ONCE WE MAKE OUR WAY ABOUT TWENTY FEET OR SO, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE, CLIP IT TO OUR VESTS, THEN UNCLIP THE LAST ONE. WE JUST CONTINUE THAT PATTERN UNTIL WE GET TO WHERE WE ARE GOING."

Stern Wing appears to realize something, then she shouts, “WAIT A SECOND. I GOT A BETTER IDEA! FEATHER, UNCLIP US FROM THE SHIP FOR A MOMENT.”

Puzzled but also curious, Feather tilts his head at her questioningly but then proceeds to do so. With a little bit of trepidation, he unclips them both from being tethered to the ship. After that, he looks at Stern Wing and nods to silently communicate his compliance with her request.

As a test, Stern Wing spreads her wings on both sides to see how far she can stretch them within this force field. Upon doing so, she notices she can almost stretch her wings to her maximum length, but can't. The bubble is just a bit too small. Feather did that on purpose so they would not have to squeeze through any narrow openings across this ship.

"FEATHER, EXPAND THE BUBBLE A LITTLE MORE," Stern Wing requests.

Still confused, Feather complies anyway. Dipping just a little further into his magic, he expands the bubble. Stern Wing tests her wing room again and discovers it satisfactory this time.

“EXCELLENT!” Stern Wing cheers. “IN HERE, WE'RE NOT BEING AFFECTED BY EITHER THE RAIN OR WINDS AT ALL, NO MATTER HOW STRONG IT IS RAGING OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE. SINCE IT COMPLETELY CANCELS THAT INERTIA, IT LEAVES THE AIR WITHIN THE BUBBLE PERFECTLY CALM. SINCE THAT IS THE CASE, I MIGHT AS WELL FLY UP TO RESCUE OUR STALLION.”

Realizing what Stern Wing is up to in alarm, Feather cries out to her desperately, “NO! STERN, WAIT!”

Too late. Stern Wing hops off the ground and then flaps her wings as she usually does to fly. The problem with that in this situation is each thrust she makes on the air within the bubble reflects back at her. Since the calm air within the bubble is just as trapped, it bounces off the interior of the force field and reflects right back at them. Since Stern Wing is flapping using both wings, as pegasi are aught to do, the wind ripples back at them from both directions almost simultaneously. That ends up pushing them back and forth in mid-air and ultimately she cannot get any true useful thrust out of each flap, thus she inadvertently creates a whirling cyclone within the force bubble.

Crashing back to the ground, Stern Wing ends up directly on the ground with her belly touching the wet floor and her legs spread about her in an x pattern. Since Feather Wind manages to maintain the force bubble, the outside wind, rain, and even huge crashing waves continue to not affect them. However, since they are not grabbing or tethered to anything, they have no defense against sliding across the upper deck as the ship tilts back and forth. When that starts to happen, Feather reacts fast by floating a nearby hook clip on a rope within the force field and clips it to Stern Wings vest. That, in turn, prevents them both from sliding too much since he is still on her back.

When Stern Wing recovers, she coils a hoof around the rope they are now attached to and then uses it to pull herself back to the wall where there are many things to grip such as a rope net attached to many parts of the wall.

"I ADMIT IT; BAD IDEA," Stern Wing confesses. "I GUESS I DIDN'T THINK THAT ONE THROUGH. I'M NOT USED TO FLYING WITHIN A FORCE BUBBLE." She looks back at her companion on her back. "BUT I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD KNOW. YOU CONTROL THE WINDS AND GUIDE THEM INTO YOUR MIST CLOAK SO YOU CAN GLIDE IN THE AIR. HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DO THAT IF YOU'RE WITHIN A FORCE BUBBLE THAT CANCELS MOMENTUM BOTH WAYS?"

Feather Wind releases a sigh then shouts, “I ASSUME THERE WILL BE NO OBJECTION IF I ATTACH AND DETACH THE HOOKS TO OUR HARNESSES WHILE YOU CLIMB YOUR WAY TO THE RADIO TOWER?”

Stern Wing nods in agreement as she shouts, “GOOD IDEA.”

Feather Wind looks at the wall as he shouts, “I'LL DO US ONE BETTER. I'LL TAKE SOME OF THIS ROPE WITH US. THAT WAY WE CAN USE IT TO ATTACH THE STALLION TO US ONCE WE GET UP TO HIM. IT'LL BE ANOTHER WAY WE CAN SECURE HIM.”

Stern Wing repeats her nod and shouts, “ONCE AGAIN, GOOD IDEA. I'LL LEAVE ALL THE BRAIN WORK TO YOU WHILE I DO ALL THE BRAWN WORK.”

“THAT OFTEN WORKED BEFORE,” Feather agrees.

---

It's quite unnerving up here on the ladder of the radio tower, to say the least. Even without the storm, this thing is still on a ship. It would normally sway back and forth because the ship itself is not on a stable platform. Add to that, any degree of wind up a tall tower like this makes it so they can feel the sway even more, especially as they climb higher. That's ten times worse during a severe, hurricane-force storm. Both Feather and Stern can feel themselves being tilted by the wind and dips in the ocean which cause this tower to sway quite drastically back and forth. Feather Wind's force bubble is protecting them in about a three-foot diameter sphere around them, but it is not protecting the tower itself much. The tower continues to be pummeled by the winds and the waves. As that continues, they are additionally unnerved by hearing the stress and groan of the metal bars of the tower as they continue to cling for dear life.

Up here they have a better perspective of the storm all around them. It's actually hard to tell if it's day or night at all since the storm clouds are so thick. It seems so pitch black most of the time except for the brief illumination across the sky due to lightning flashes. Stern Wing and Feather Wind both privately assume that it is a dark and stormy night to nearly the greatest possible extreme while still not being instantly and totally fatal. It feels like the only reason they are alive right now is because of the precautions they took, and even then they are struggling.

Especially Stern Wing. Feather Wind isn't usually challenged too much up here to hold up the force field because any inertia of the wind and rain is canceled by the force field. Only the greater force of the waves stresses him for a moment as he briefly reinforces the force field enough to make sure it does not crack and shatter against the many tons of weight that crashes upon them. Meanwhile Stern Wing has to struggle to hold onto the ladder while the tower is being heavily swayed back and forth for multiple reasons. It's hard enough to just cling to the ladder itself under these conditions let alone try to climb it.

Feather Wind helps a little sometimes when it seems like she is struggling too much and he's doing it in multiple ways. In addition to the force field, he is lightening his body weight a little bit so she doesn't have to carry as much. He also summons a strong gust of wind to help deflect some of the weight of the incoming crashing waves. That not only spares him from using extra energy to reinforce his force field, but that action somewhat protects the tower as well. He doesn't need to see to do this either. Feather keenly feels the force of the weather around him since he's so much a part of it. All he has to do is listen to be aware of what is going on around him.

Lastly, Feather sometimes uses his telekinesis to grab her hook harness and then uses it to pull her in whichever direction that would cancel some of the momentum against her. The reason he doesn't use his magic to grab her flesh, though, is because unicorn magic stings and tickles which is why most of his race do not use it to lift themselves. They normally can't maintain their concentration with that kind of physical distraction. So, to avoid causing her any unnecessary distraction during this critical moment, he just uses his magic to grab and drag something she is wearing instead.

Feather Wind knows that Stern Wing has grown tired through her arduous climb up the tower. Despite everything he has done to aid her, this remains a severe challenge for her nonetheless, especially over time. Her muscles can't recover if she continuously uses them to hold on for dear life.

Due to the darkness of the stormy night, the only reason Feather Wind and Stern have any sort of continuous and soft light is due to Feather's horn. Having to concentrate on sometimes multiple spells at once, it is always glowing anyway. This provides very short ranged illumination within a small bubble of silvery light that barely covers their heads, shoulders, and the ladder they cling to. Still, it is enough for Feather to see Stern Wing wince in tight pain sometimes whenever the tower tilts severely which it keeps on doing at random. To help her cling on, she has hooked at least one of her forelegs around one of the bars of the ladder, particularly whenever the tower tilts quite a bit.

Noticing that tight wince of pain on her face hurts his heart to see, but he also lovingly admires her when he sees her fight through that haze of pain with overwhelming determination. He knows her well enough to know what her mind is locked onto during moments like these. Whenever anypony else is in danger and she perceives it, her talent within her instantly comes alive. Protecting others is exactly what her cutie mark is for. The reason she discovered it so late was that she had to wait for a moment of crisis to occur first before she could fully realize that, but those protective instincts were always a part of her even before that moment. Whether somepony is being verbally abused or physically pummeled, Stern Wing just cannot abide by the actions of a bully without doing something about it. Standing up for the little guy has always been a natural part of her, and this is exactly why she is so strong. Strong enough and endurant enough to be unusual for even most earth ponies. She's more like the rare example of the strongest and toughest version of the earth ponies. In addition to that, though, Stern Wing can also fly, walk on clouds, and potentially modify the weather if she has to.

But Stern Wing isn't just strong and tough physically. She also possesses mental fortitude enough to tough it out when things get rough. If she knows an innocent somepony is in danger, it doesn't matter how often or how hard any force tries to whack her down. Whatever it takes, she'll find the strength within herself necessary to struggle her way back on her hooves.

To Feather Wind, Stern Wing's giant wings always symbolically represented giant shields to him. He can't help but lovingly think that with the way she often uses them. That pained but determined look he keeps seeing on her face is always another reminder of why he loves her. She is just so strong and for all the right reasons. He knows she'd fight that hard to protect him too if she had to and she has proven that many times in the past including in social conflicts. As for nasty surprises, she usually catches them too because she often remains at least mildly alert at all times.

It's taken Stern Wing quite a while to fully realize how much she could trust Feather Wind in return. The little sky blue pony who is often timid, is physically weak due to unusually small size for his age, and had a typically pampered life of an aristocratic, scholarly lifestyle. Nonetheless, Feather has proven his worth to her enough to make her realize that she, too, has a strong ally at her back. Whatever shortcomings that he has, he makes up for with his magic, highly unusual ability to fly for his race, and a similar heroic instinct. Both inner and outer strength always comes more naturally for Stern Wing during times like these, but Feather Wind always manages to find just enough to fit their needs even if it is more of a personal struggle for him to do so.

With all of these current challenges combined, it felt like a much longer climb than it actually was. They are indeed delayed many times because of the tilt, but that didn't actually increase the distance she has to climb. It only increased the challenge of the climb due to fatigue in pretty much all senses of the word. Nevertheless, because of her overwhelming determination, strength, and strong support she receives from Feather, they finally achieve their goal.

The stallion in question is downright unconscious by the time they get to him. For multiple reasons, his health is a concern too but they did ultimately determine he is alive and relatively stable under the circumstances. His health is stable enough to make it possible to move him without killing or injuring him much further.

Like Feather did for Stern Wing multiple times tonight, he grabs the stallion's hook harness with his magic and also uses the same spell to unhook the stallion from being secured on this narrow platform up here. He transfers a hook to both the stallion's harness and Stern Wing's. That, in turn, tethers them to each other so even if her grip on him slips later, they have a backup to keep their hold on him. Feather coils and then knots the rope more tightly around them too so that the stallion cannot dangle a distance greater than Feather Wind's own force bubble.

As for Stern Wing, she hugs the stallion close by her side using a single wing. It's pretty rare for a pegasi's wing to be so strong that it can hold up the dead weight of an entire adult stallion on its own but Stern Wing is just that good, hence her name. The coiled harness also removed some of the stallion's weight and Feather Wind also uses his magic to lighten the weight of the stallion even further, thus reducing muscle fatigue on Stern Wing's wing enough to make it possible to overcome the challenge of climbing back down with the extra added weight.

It isn't as much of a challenge for Stern Wing to descend, but she's got the extra weight this time and there is also the stress of the metal tower to consider. It has been battered the whole time during and before the initial climb. The entire reason this stallion was up here in the first place was to reinforce this tower with extra cables, but that mission failed so the tower continued to suffer damage this whole time. One full, head-on huge wave crashing down directly upon this tower would likely have the potential to knock it down.

There are times when significant waves have threatened to crash upon them along the way up and down, but fortunately for these intrepid adventurers, Feather Wind is unusually adept and connected with the weather. Not only does that mean he can sense weather elements coming, but he can do something to at least minimize it, even if it means forming a temporary cyclone around the tower. Changing the weather fully can't be done as long as whatever force that is causing it persists, but he can at least add his own magic to the weather which either reinforces what it's already doing or helps to cancel some of the inertia.

In the end, just as they are nearing the bottom, a huge enough wave that Feather Wind can't fully cancel does indeed crash upon them. Considering the strain the tower already suffered through, this is finally enough to knock the tower down.

Thanks to Feather Wind's weather senses, though, he receives enough forewarning to plan around it. He tells Stern Wing to let go at a crucial moment as he issues an intense telekinetic thrust to shoot them off the tower entirely and towards a safer cubbyhole in the ship sufficient to shelter them from the worst effects of that particular wave. They have no chance to hear each other as the huge wave crashes onto the ship enough to cause a severe tilt in its own right. The fact that this platform is attached to the others around it is the only reason this one doesn't capsize completely. The wave does, however, knock the radio tower off the ship this time.

They remain in that cubbyhole for several minutes as Feather and Stern breathe very hard. It takes a similar amount of time for the adrenaline pumping in their system to level off enough to restore any decent amount of cognitive thinking.

“WELL DONE, FEATHER,” Stern Wing eventually shouts in appreciation.

“WE'RE NOT DONE YET,” Feather replies seriously. “LET'S GET THIS STALLION INSIDE THE SHIP. WE'LL HAVE THE DOCTOR TAKE A LOOK AT HIM AND SEE WHAT HE CAN DO. KNOWING HIM, HE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THIS WITH THAT REMARKABLE NOISY DEVICE OF HIS.”

Stern Wing both laughs and scoffs with a shake of her head due to that comment. She then looks about her for something to grab before they make their way back to the shelter.

Part 6: Earned Ancestral Trust

Kleetus and Clyde lead the Doctor, Stern Wing, and Feather Wind to the lower decks. Stern Wing continues to carry the unconscious stallion on her back to safely deliver him down there. This time Feather simply trots beside her close enough to include all of them in his bubble field, but he does tether himself to Stern using the hook vest just in case. In fact, they all do.

From the relative safety of the bridge, they did not have to travel far to reach the hatch leading to the lower deck.

Down in the lower decks there are other crew of the rig which includes some medical personnel as well as their supplies, but Kleetus and Clyde assures the group that those remaining supplies are running thin right about now and the destruction of the radio tower just made that worse because now they can't radio for help if/when the storm passes. When the Doctor asks why their supplies were running low, Clyde says he will introduce the group to another pony who can fill in the answer to that question better than he can. That same individual may also be able to tend to the injured and unconscious pony's wounds, of whom they since learned is named Bhereka.

Once they are through the hatch, Kleetus and Clyde continue to lead the TARDIS crew down a series of metal hallways and metal-grated stairs. Many of these passageways are fairly narrow, making it difficult, or sometimes impossible, for two ponies to cross each other side by side or go opposite ways. Much of the metal is stained with rust that usually trails down. Sometimes they see what is causing that rust right now in the form of dripping water at various points. For illumination, there are bulbs with flickering light embedded in the walls. Whatever is causing those lights is something Feather Wind and Stern Wing are unfamiliar with. They don't even know what the power source is.

Eventually Kleetus and Clyde lead the group to a larger room where there is a large gathering of other ponies. There are lots of cots spread out along the walls and some in the center of the room. In addition, there are other beds attached to the walls further off the ground that can fold up into the walls for more space when not in use. If they are in use, then a chain at the head and foot of the bed helps hold it in place in its folded-down position.

There seem to be thirty earth ponies in this room. Most of them are adults, but there is a few adolescent and foals here too who used to be galloping about wildly and playing some game, much to their parents' chagrin because of the storm tilting the ship every which way, but everypony pauses and observes the newcomers as soon as they step in. Some quickly grow alarmed due to seeing Bhereka's injured and unconscious condition then immediately rush in to further investigate. Still others are taken aback by seeing unfamiliar newcomers. This is made even more surprising since they definitely expected no arrivals during a heavy storm like this. What is triply shocking is discovering two of them are a mythical and never seen before race; a pegasus and a unicorn. When that fact becomes known to them, many of the ponies in this room regard Feather and Stern with awe and, in some cases, fear as well.

“Well, I'll be. There he is,” Clyde remarks in surprise as he regards an individual in a white lab coat. He is a very light brown coat stallion with a darker, short brown mane. This is an individual both Kleetus and Clyde expected to be on lower decks of the ship. “Doctor Waston! Over here!” Clyde calls across the room as he waves at the one in the white lab coat.

Originally the individual Clyde is calling to was kneeling and quietly conversing with another pony who looks a bit sick. When his name is called, he gazes sharply to his left at those who entered and at Clyde in particular, but his attention soon widens out and notices two things of note; the injured pony Bhereka and the unfamiliar newcomers. He widens his eyes which is made even more clear due to the magnification of the glasses Doctor Waston wears. He then regards the pony he was originally conversing with, probably apologizes to her, then makes his way over to the newcomers who, in turn, make their way to Doctor Waston.

“What happened?” Doctor Waston asks in concern when he arrives as he immediately starts inspecting the injured pony. Before anypony can answer, he also adds, “Set him on the cot right here,” he says as he gestures to an empty cot beside him. He turns to a younger adolescent mare beside him and says, “Fetch some warm, dry blankets and get me some water now.”

“Yes Doctor,” she replies then leaves to cooperate.

While they wait for that, Doctor Waston inspects Bhereka's condition through sight and careful tactile inspection. Doing so quickly reveals how wet and cold he is. Seconds later, the Doctor looks over to Clyde and nods to him to indicate Clyde should resume his explanation of what happened. Clyde proceeds to do so and, in the process, everypony around them also hears the explanation. They greatly lament the loss of the radio tower because it means a loss of hope to relieve their situation later.

“Everypony, calm down!” Clyde calls as he raises his voice above the group. “We can rebuild the tower eventually as soon as the storm passes.”

“But when is the storm going to pass?!” a panicked stallion asks. “It's already gone too long to be natural, and even if it passes, we're already very low on supplies as it is. I don't know if we can hold out while we wait for the storm to pass and then wait even longer while the radio tower gets replaced.”

“Relax. I can take care of that,” the Doctor calls out, which is the first time he spoke to this larger group. “The vessel I came in on is equipped with a large stock of food and medical supplies, among other things. I can give you that while me and my companions work to solve your core problem.”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing glance at each other because this is the first time the Doctor mentioned anything about having a large stock of food on the TARDIS, but they aren't too surprised to hear about that either. They already know there are some supplies in the kitchen but they aren't exactly sure how much. So far Derpy has been taking care of their breakfasts on the ship because she simply wanted to. Usually what she has made has emphasis on muffins in particular.

“You're the one they sent to bring us relief supplies?” asks a large dark-coat stallion with a deep baritone voice. “I'm surprised you made it through the storm through all this weather. And speaking of which, just who are you three anyway?” He then flicks an especially awed look over to Feather Wind and Stern Wing.

“We did arrive in a vessel but it's not exactly one most would consider traditional,” the Doctor supplies. “Suffice it to say it worked, we're here, and we can help. As for who we are, I am the Doctor and these are my companions-”

“Doctor?” Doctor Waston says in instant awe as he addresses and interrupts the Doctor. “As in Thee Doctor? The Time Lord Doctor?”

Feather Wind notices how the Doctor regards Doctor Waston in surprise as well as the Doctor asks, “You heard of me? Have we met before?”

Doctor Waston shakes his head as he uses a hoof to nudge his glasses further up his muzzle. Then he says, “No. I never met you personally, but you did rescue one of my ancestors. Ever since then, they passed on the story of that daring adventure along with the claim that the Doctor will one day appear and save us again during another time of need.”

The Doctor lifts a hoof as he says, “Whoa. Say no more, then, because the events you are describing haven't happened to me yet.”

“What?” Clyde asks in confusion. “Okay, what's going on here? And you.” He points to and looks at Doctor Waston. “You never told us about any of this.”

Doctor Waston opens his mouth and was about to say something until the mare he sent a moment ago returns with the requested items.

“Herewh ya gwoh, Dohctah,” she struggles to say because she's carrying some things in her mouth as she spoke and other things along her back.

“Set the blanket on the cot right now then put the water beside it,” Doctor Waston instructs her. “And thank you Mellony. That is very helpful of you.”

She cooperates with his request first before saying more clearly now that her mouth is clear, “You're welcome, Doctor.”

Doctor Waston regards Clyde as he rubs the back of his neck and says, “It's a long story, and if the Doctor doesn't want to hear it now, then I'll explain what I know to you later. For now, I'll just say it is a story that my family passed down between each other and, until now, that's all I thought it was because some of the elements told within the story are very fantastical and therefore very hard to believe. Until now, I didn't really give the story much credit.

“For instance, according to the story, the individual simply known as 'The Doctor' isn't actually the pony that the individual appears to be but rather an alien race known as The Time Lords. In addition to that fact, supposedly he travels in a small vessel that is small on the outside but bigger on the inside. More importantly is the fact that that vessel can teleport through time and space, so,” he shakes his head, “when this Doctor here claims the events I described haven't happened to him yet, he fully means it. What happened in our past will occur in his future. That's probably also why my family insisted on passing on the story about him. It is in preparation for this event.”

Doctor Waston turns his head to regard the Doctor. “While this is a shock for me personally, I guess my role in this particular story is quite clear. You have my vote of confidence, Doctor. I'll do whatever I can to support you in this endeavor. After all, whatever you do for us now will likely save us all in the end.”

“Do you really believe in him that much?” Clyde asks in a soft tone and very honest curiosity towards Doctor Waston.

In reply, Doctor Waston looks back at Clyde as he answers, “If he is the stallion that he claims to be, then yes. We can trust him because he has already proven his heroic intent a long time ago and he will prove it again during another time of need. Namely, now.” Waston looks back at the Doctor as he goes on to say, “Two things about the Doctor that I know of which are distinguishing characteristics is he has a picture of an hourglass permanently embedded on each side of his flanks. That same flank hides a hidden pocket, and within that pocket hides several fantastical devices. Of those, the most notable and frequently used one is some kind of tiny stick with a light at the tip. It also tends to make a lot of noise.”

Because of what Doctor Waston said and the way he said it, Feather Wind grows curious about something. In response to that, he scans the flanks of the other native ponies in the room which leads him to discover that none of them have cutie marks. Furthermore, he also privately notes that they have more muted, earthy colors rather than brighter pastel colors like green, purple, or his own sky blue color. This makes him realize why he might stand out to them even more besides being a unicorn or wearing obviously magical items like his Mist Cloak.

Thinking back to some books he read earlier on the subject, it is said that signs like these are indicative of one thing. If ponies are discovered with more naturally muted and earthy colors with no exception in sight and/or they are all missing cutie marks despite being adults then it is all a sign that they were born and raised in a low to nil magic zone. Furthermore, it is said that in any such zones, unicorns who go there and cast magic later discover that they technically can do so but they later find out that their rate of regenerating their internal magical energy is either slower or entirely arrested in such zones because the environment either has less or no magical energy to breathe in.

However, in this situation, at least so far, Feather Wind has discovered no such hindrance to recovering his own magical energy. It is neither accelerated nor slowed down in any way. Instead of all that, it just seems “normal” to him for some reason. Nevertheless, this may be a noteworthy fact to inform the Doctor of later on. Probably safer to do so during a moment of privacy, though, just in case.

There is also the claim that there is a magical artifact out there somewhere that can control the weather on a wide and epic scale. Even if the environment is currently a lower or no magic zone, the existence of a powerful artifact like The Orb of Storms indicates that magic either used to be much higher or still is very strong somewhere else on the planet and the Orb was probably forged there.

“All of this sci-fi whooey is going way over mah head, Sir,” Clyde says as he turns his head to look at the Doctor. “But one thing you need to know is if Doctor Waston vouches for ya, then you're okay in mah book too. Doctor Waston is easily the most trustworthy, compassionate, resourceful, and educated pony on this ship. If he says you're cool then you have my cooperation too, Sir. Besides, I owe you for saving my man.”

“Excellent!” the Doctor cheers. “That is good to know. Helping me will also go a long way to helping you as well. As long as you are all cooperative, things will go over smoother and faster.

“Alright.” He looks at Doctor Waston and says to him, “along our way down here, Kleetus and Clyde both mentioned something about food and medical supply shortage. In the short run, I believe I can help you all with some of the supplies currently in stock on my ship, and even if it runs out, I can simply use the vessel to go somewhere and somewhen else, re-stalk on more supplies, and bring them back here.” He nods to Waston for a moment as he adds, “'Teleportation' isn't exactly the right technical term for what my vessel does but I suppose, as far as you're concerned, the term is close enough. The more pertinent point here is the fact that I can give you all that you need to endure this trial for the moment and, if it turns out it's not enough, I can later get more supplies and it would only take a few seconds relative to your time. I could be out there for months or years collecting supplies and you all wouldn't know it because I can simply return to near the point I just left.”

The Doctor tilts his head at Doctor Waston as he goes on to say, “What makes me more curious and concerned at the moment, though, is wondering precisely why you've run out of medical supplies so soon. I know the storm has been going on for quite some time, but something tells me there's more to this story here.”

In return, Doctor Waston nods in agreement as he informs, “Indeed, there is. I don't know if either Kleetus or Clyde told you this, but there is also a sickness spreading across the ship. I have them quarantined in a lower deck in the hopes of slowing the spread.”

“Have you isolated the cause?” the Doctor checks.

Doctor Waston winces as he says, “Not precisely, but nonetheless, I have . . . or more accurately to say I had . . . an effective vaccine for it. It used to work to slow, or even to entirely halt, the development of the disease until-”

“-you ran out of supplies,” the Doctor concludes which earns him a nod of agreement from Doctor Waston. “I'm beginning to see the problem here, but tell me, Doctor, more about this vaccine. What precisely was it? And do you have any more samples of it? The reason I ask is to check if I could synthesize it either with the current supplies I have, or find it somewhere else out in time and space, or perhaps come up with a better compound.”

Doctor Waston squints as he thinks on this carefully before answering, “I think I have a little bit of the substance left but not enough to be much effect on the rest of my remaining patients. Instead of that, I've been treating them with other standard stuff like plenty of rest, water, what little food I can provide. I also provided some medicine to treat their symptoms but not the root cause of it. I, ah,” he pauses for a moment before leaning forward and whispering in the Doctor's ears, “due to the constraints of my existing medical supplies, I've been supplementing some of it with placebo for the less critically ill patients.” He then leans back and speaks in a more normal and publicly audible tone, “And I found that it does somewhat help relieve or reduce their symptoms.”

“And you've done very well for yourself by the sounds of it considering the constraints you were under,” the Doctor commends. “I'm proud of you for that, but that said, let's see what I can come up with if I get my hands dirty.” He nods to Doctor Waston as he requests, “Take me to see the other ill patients. If you do, I'll see what I can find out with my resources such as my trusty equipment. Case in point . . .” He trails off as he uses his tail to flip out of his hind pocket his sonic screwdriver. With it, he tosses it up into the air with a graceful flourish before catching it with his mouth. Once it is there, he uses it to emit a small sonic noise which also lights up the tip of the “stick”. In doing so, he also proved that he has the device Doctor Waston's ancestor's stories told him that the Doctor would have, thereby even further proving his identity.

“Um . . . very well,” Doctor Waston agrees with an uncertain squint at the mostly unfamiliar device. He heard about it a long time ago but this is the first time he is witnessing it personally and he still doesn't know exactly what it does. “However, before I take off, let me see to the needs of this patient first and make sure he's stable,” he says with a tilt of his head down to indicate the injured stallion Bhereka.

The Doctor spins and catches his sonic screwdriver to a hoof to clear his mouth before nodding at Waston and saying, “Agreed. Let's take care of him first.”

“Um, Doctor,” Stern Wing prompts the Doctor which ends up catching the attention of both doctors for a moment but she ends up holding the attention of the one she spoke to. With that attention, she asks, “What should me and Feather Wind do? When you go down to investigate the other patients, do you want us to come with you?”

The Doctor smiles at Stern Wing in appreciation for the offer then says, “I want you two to go back to the TARDIS and tell Derpy to gather whatever food and medical supplies she can and deliver them to the exit of the TARDIS. Probably just inside the TARDIS until a team of other ponies from here come by later to pick it up. After that, I want you two to rest. After the trial you've endured to pick up this stallion,” he says with a nod down to indicate Bhereka, “you two have not only earned it but probably need it. I want you two to recover your strength as soon as you can because I get the feeling you're going to need it soon. We're just getting started with solving these ponies' problems. Right now I'm still in investigation mode.”

Stern Wing glances at Feather Wind with a look of uncertainty for a moment before looking back at the Doctor as she says, “Okay, but what about you? Are you sure you'll be fine on your own without us?”

“The strain you two went through likely has taxed your immune system,” the Doctor says back. “It's cold and wet out there, all of which is likely contributing factor to these ponies' gradual decline in health. Declining morale is likely a contributing factor too.” He shakes his head. “I don't want to deal with the risk of you two getting sick as well, so I'm heading this one off at the pass by ordering you to rest. I think you'll be fine as long as we take this early precaution.

“As for me, in addition to the fact I haven't stressed myself out to the degree that you two have, there is also the fact that I have two hearts and, as such, I have a more robust constitution.”

“Really?” Kleetus asks in surprise nearby. “You actually have two hearts?”

In reply, the Doctor simply nods at Kleetus before resumes speaking to his companions.

“Don't worry. I'll use other precautions now and later to even further reduce the risk to my health. Meanwhile, the information I gather from them may help me to lead to a cure for their condition or at least take a step closer to it.” He smiles proudly as he says, “I'm not called The Doctor for nothing. It's time for me to get to work and prove my worth around here.”

“That sounds like a reasonable suggestion under the circumstances,” Feather Wind agrees. “And if we go to the precise destination you described, then you'll know where we'll be just in case you need us later. By then, we might be in better condition to help you as well.”

“Exactly,” the Doctor wholeheartedly agrees as he aims his sonic device at Bhereka and begins using it to scan the injured pony's condition.

“Before we go, there is another thing about Feather Wind that you need to know,” Stern Wing puts forward. “We'll go back to the TARDIS as you suggested, but while we're gone, you need to know that you can send a message to Feather Wind using the wind to deliver a message if need be.”

The Doctor freezes for a second before looking at Stern Wing questioningly and asks simply, “Huh?”

Stern Wing brightens as she asks, “Oh, you didn't know?” She re-thinks this and then verbally expresses, “Ah! I guess we haven't told you about this before. Sorry. I've known this for so long that I forgot about the fact that we haven't told you yet.

“Yeah. With Feather Wind's deep connection to the wind and sky and such, he has also developed the ability to send whispered messages to intended recipients through the wind. In time he later discovered that the same could happen in reverse if others simply say his name out loud with the intent of delivering a message to him. If they do, then they simply need to speak aloud what message they want to deliver and then the wind mysteriously picks up and delivers that message to Feather Wind.”

“That's assuming if either I or my recipient is at a location that the wind can blow within,” Feather Wind adds. “However, I must point out that, in this case, I think the message would be lost if it has to travel through a storm as loud as the one above us.” He nods to indicate the storm above them on the upper decks. “As such, I don't think a whisper would be sufficient and that is all this ability can deliver, at least so far.”

“Oh!” Stern Wing blinks at Feather Wind in surprise. “I didn't know that. As in, I wasn't aware of that particular limitation to the ability.”

“Still, isn't that interesting?” the Doctor asks in a giddy fashion akin to an excited child who just made a very fascinating discovery. “That's good to know. Even if we can't utilize that ability well under these circumstances, we're not always going to be surrounded by hurricane-force winds in every adventure we undertake. At least, I hope not. That kind of repetitiveness would be so boring after a while.

“Anyway, that knowledge might come in handy during our future adventures together.” He grins mischievously at Feather Wind as he jokingly asks, “What kind of data plan do you have with that long-distance service?”

“Ah . . .” Feather Wind regards the Doctor in confusion. “I'm not sure what you mean, but I can tell you that the 'data' I can send or receive is the whispered message itself.”

The Doctor waves Feather Wind off as he says, “Never mind. That's a stupid, inside joke that you'd probably wouldn't ever get in this dimension.

“Anyway, go ahead and return to the TARDIS to do as I instructed.”

“Ooo! Um, can I say something?” Kleetus asks as he raises a hoof.

“Go ahead,” the Doctor invites as he briefly gives the stallion his attention.

Kleetus lowers his hoof as he says, “If we're going to send ponies later to retrieve supplies from this 'Tar-dis' thing or what have you, shouldn't I, or at least one of our ponies, accompony with them to-”

“Whoa! Hold on,” the Doctor interrupts as he raises a hoof then asks, “Did you say 'accompany' or 'accompony', as in pony? The name of the race you are?”

Kleetus just looks confused. He, and everypony around him, always spoke the way they speak and didn't see anything strange about it. As such, he isn't exactly sure what the Doctor was asking about right now.

“Accompony,” Stern Wing answers. “He said accompony.” She then narrows her eyes at the Doctor as she says, “And I know what you're thinking.”

The Doctor literally laughs out loud and slaps his right hind knee for a moment before he slowly recovers and says, “Fancy that! You ponies are so adorable! I can't stand it! You're killing me!”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing develop a dry look while everypony else who was paying attention simply looks confused.

“Anyway, um,” the Doctor says as he starts to simmer down. At this point, he is even fighting to stabilize his mirth enough to get serious again. When he recovers about sixty percent of his serious focus, he says to Kleetus, “I see where you are going with this, and yeah. That's a good idea, my new friend. Yes. Go with them so they can show you where we left the TARDIS. You're going to need to deliver that information to the others so that you can later guide them back to pick up our supplies. By the time you go and come back to gather a bigger crew for that task, they should have some of the supplies ready at the doorstep for later pickup.”

“Forgive me for saying this, but I'd rather not invite a bunch of strangers we just met directly inside the TARDIS just yet,” Stern Wing advises. “Instead of that, we'll hoof them the supplies through the door when they later come back.”

“Always thinking like a security officer, I see,” the Doctor notes with interest. “I had that plan in mind anyway, so sure. Execute the plan exactly as you have suggested.”

Stern Wing nods at the Doctor both to acknowledge his request as well as out of appreciation for him accepting her refined suggestion for security reasons.

Part 7: Reflection

“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.

Part 8: A Moment with the Doctor

Being the more vigilant of the two, Stern Wing is naturally a light sleeper. As a result, she is more aware when there is a change in her environment. This isn't just a byproduct of being more in tune with her five senses either. She has a sharp instinct too.

When she cracks her eyes open to verify if that feeling of being watched is indeed true, she is greeted by the sight of the Doctor sitting nearby them and closer to the window. After her vision focuses more clearly, she notices him smiling upon them.

All of this stirs her more awake. Her movements, in turn, alerts and awakens Feather Wind. When he opens his eyes and his vision starts to focus, he gets the same feedback that Stern did a moment earlier.

“Aren't you two just so precious!” the Doctor squees as he beholds them affectionately. “I hope you two will forgive me for saying this, but am I crazy to imagine that when I asked you to take some time off to rest, I thought you'd do so in a place that is considerably more stable and dry than here?”

Since neither is fully awake yet, they do not answer the Doctor right away.

The Doctor looks behind him out the window for two seconds. This window is blocked by nothing but iron bars to prevent anypony from falling out of it. In particular, he gazes at the dark storm beyond the window as he contemplates what he knows of these two so far. After that, he gives a knowing grin to Feather Wind as he asks the young blue stallion, "It was your idea to come here . . . wasn't it, Feather Wind?” The Doctor sounded so confident with that question that it almost sounded like a statement instead.

The only reply the Doctor receives from Feather Wind is a sheepish smile which is telling enough to an individual as cunning, knowledgeable, and observant as the Doctor.

The Doctor gives a confirming nod as he says, “Very well, then. I will remember this about you and be sure to take such things into account in the future.”

Finally awake enough to speak, Stern Wing asks the Doctor, “Did you get any useful feedback about the sick patients in the lower decks of the other rig?”

The Doctor nods again as his expression sinks from amusement to serious. He then says, "Indeed. I did. What I discovered basically amounts to something equivalent to the Common Cold. The disease is actually native to this world and its inhabitants, but it is something so common that the average native has a pretty good immune system against it by the time they reach adulthood." He gestures behind him out the window as he adds, "However, under the strain of present circumstances combined with diminishing food and medical supplies, what normally is a nuisance has escalated into a genuine threat. The symptoms have grown more severe and the condition is spreading." The Doctor settles his back against the oval curve of the window as he stands up straight and crosses his forelegs across his chest. He continues. "If this keeps up, we can expect their symptoms to escalate. Eventually we might even start having fatalities. Things have not gotten that bad yet but this is definitely not an ideal path they're on."

“Why would Doctor Waston say he hasn't isolated the virus yet if it turns out to be something so common?” Feather Wind checks.

“Because of the severity of the symptoms,” the Doctor answers. “In truth, the information I attained merely verified what Doctor Waston has suspected for a while. The fact that the medicine he had was so effective in treating the condition further verified his theories.”

"Okay, then let's talk about the medicine," Stern Wing proposes as she rises to a straighter sitting position which is an indication, to the Doctor, that she is quickly growing more alert and awake. This is most likely indicative of how serious she regards this situation. "What is the medicine exactly and can we synthesize a suitable replacement using the resources we have access to?"

"The medicine in question was a kind of coral reef crushed into a fine powder and mixed with the medicinal applications of a certain seaweed," the Doctor informs them. "Both of which are more common in other regions on this planet. At a place with a more warm and tropical climate, there is another community, much like this one, permanently parked over a region that is teaming with all kinds of aquatic life. The Alphalmians are more common in this region too, and they are the primary ones to harvest these substances and trade them with the ponies on the surface. In turn, the Alphalmians get a lot of various things in exchange. For example, one of them is here,” he says as he points down at the floor. “This community is known as Salvage and there is a reason for that. Not only is this the better place to gather new raw metal ores from some sea caves below, but this place is also parked over a drowned city of considerable magnitude and technological advancement. In fact, it is too advanced for the ponies in Salvage, or any other community, to fully utilize. They have forgotten how to use such things and, quite frankly, they just don't have access to the same power source that their ancestors did. However, what these ponies do have access to is the various materials salvaged from the drowned city. This they use to trade with the rest of the world.”

“A drowned city?” Feather Wind repeats questioningly then widens his eyes in startled realization. “Oh! I get it! Salvage is parked over what used to be one of the rare landmasses of this planet. It must have a higher topography compared to the rest of the world.”

The Doctor flicks a point at Feather Wind as he says, “Ding-ding-ding. We have a winner, ladies and gentlemen. You, Sir, get a gold star.” The Doctor crosses his foreleg back across his chest as he continues. “Besides the landmass, there were other resources their ancestors used to have in this region aside from the land itself. For example, it had far higher than an average volcanic activity which was useful. They utilized other power sources too as their civilization continued before it got lost. Now their descendants are basically picking off the corpse of the old civilization.”

“So Salvage gains food, medicine, and probably also lumber from another region that has a more tropical climate,” Stern Wing reviews. “In exchange, Salvage gives the ore that they excavated. Maybe they also refine the ore or even process it into some useful product.”

“Exactly,” the Doctor confirms to Stern Wing. “Salvage is known to the ponies of this age as the best miners, salvagers, and metallurgists. So, not only do they have the most access to the greatest supply of metal on this planet in the current age, they are the best at refining it too.” The Doctor gestures behind him at the storm then recrosses his forelegs. “However, because of the storm, it has ground their trade to a halt. Also, because this has gone on so long, it is choking the life out of this community in more than one way.”

“Fortunately for them, we came by and . . .” Stern Wing begins but trails off when she realizes something. She then widens her eyes and cries out, “Oh SHOOT!” She snaps her gaze at Feather Wind beside her as she complains, “We forgot to tell Derpy to get those food supplies ready!”

“Relax,” the Doctor bids as he gives them a brief calming gesture before recrossing his forelegs. “It's been taken care of. Fortunately for you two, Kleetus managed to find the TARDIS using the spell you created to guide him there,” he says with a nod of appreciation to Feather Wind for that. “Well done. Once he got there, he simply knocked on the door and eventually got Derpy's attention. Vision was also able to tell Derpy that this pony had no hostile intentions before Derpy even opened the TARDIS doors.”

Stern Wing expels a sigh of relief before saying, “Oh good. I'm glad it all worked out. And, ah . . . sorry we dropped the ball on this one. I guess we really were very tired.” Stern Wing tilts her head at the Doctor as she then asks, “What about you? Aren't you going to need some rest soon?”

“I have two hearts,” the Doctor reminds them. “As such, I have a more robust stamina. That includes needing virtually no rest at all.”

“Really?” Stern Wing asks as she looks taken aback.

“I can rest,” the Doctor goes on to say. “And I have done so in the past, especially if something else artificially induces it. Under natural conditions, however, I can go on for a very long time. In fact, it's been my observation that I can actually outlast the majority of other Time Lords back when they used to be a more common thing. I believe that is because I have an especially hardy constitution even by the standards of my race. The most likely cause of that is my vigorous adventuring lifestyle. I don't sit around for the majority of my lifespan like most of the others do. Instead, I'm always traveling to and fro. Encountering and beating many kinds of diseases and sampling all kinds of various foods. I work very hard through many trials and struggles so I really have earned my peak health condition.”

“Well that is good to know,” Stern Wing says with genuine interest. “That may come in hoofy plenty of times now and in the future.

“And, ah . . . speaking of now . . . what is the plan now, Doctor?”

The Doctor releases a slow breath as he looks over his shoulder out into the storm for about three seconds before looking back at his companions and saying, “I did say that the coral reefs and special seaweed that produces the cure they need are more common in other regions of this planet, but it is not entirely absent here. We need to cultivate some of that to produce the cure that these ponies need now.”

“There is a catch, isn't there?” Feather Wind figures. “If it was that easy, they would've done it by now.”

The Doctor nods as he commends to Feather Wind, "Very astute of you, Feather. I've come to expect that from you.” The Doctor sighs before he goes on to say, "Yes. There is a catch. First of all, there isn't as much of that stuff in this region. Secondly, simply getting to it is harder to access, but they can do it with the technology they currently have. If the Alphalmians were here then this could have gone easier. Thirdly, unlike the tropical region, the area that these ponies need to access to get to this stuff is guarded by a giant beast much akin to a shark which you two might have at least a passing familiarity with.”

“I have never seen one, but I read about them,” Feather Wind informs the Doctor. “They can be very dangerous.”

“Okay, well take that concept and imagine that it is the size of a whale,” the Doctor goes on to describe. “In addition, it has a really thick hide and it can generate an electric current around its body to shock its prey into easy submission. Toss in about twelve tentacles on it, six long ones on each side of it, then what you got there is a worthy contender for the title of an apex predator as well as a serious problem on our hands.”

“Yikes! That sounds scary,” Stern Wing agrees. “Is it intelligent? Can it be reasoned with?”

“The answer to your first question is yes, but barely. It does have intelligence but is not advanced enough to develop tools or a language. It is animal intelligence. As for your second question; can it be reasoned with?" He shrugs, "Well, that depends if you have something it might be interested in. Fortunately for these ponies, the creature, which the natives call a Tatavax, by the way, isn't generally interested in hunting these ponies down, especially when they dwell in their metal machines. The Tatavax has no interest in the taste of metal. Curiously it rarely hunts them even if they are swimming in the ocean unless the ponies venture close to the Tatavax's hunting ground. The Tatavax is a very territorial species. Not only does it vigilantly guard its territory to guard its food supply, but such a region is also where they lay their young and where they grow up in their early years. The Tatavax is just defending its nest, basically. If the ponies leave it alone, it leaves the ponies alone.

“Unfortunately, however, these ponies are driven into a corner now because of the persistence and sheer power of this storm. Without the ability to get more supplies from the other regions, this is now the closest, if not the safest, option to get more of that medicine.” The Doctor shrugs. “But we only need to cultivate enough to help these ponies with their current crisis. If we get a handle on that then it buys us important time.”

“Couldn't you just time travel to a time when those resources were, or will be, more plentiful?” Stern Wing suggests. “That might be easier than going through this giant shark-like creature.”

"That actually is an option," the Doctor agrees with an approving nod to Stern Wing. "One we might resort to eventually. For the moment I'm just seeing what we have access to right in front of us. If we can find a way to safely deal with the problem in this era then I favor that, but above all, I won't let these ponies die. Not if I can help it.”

“Do you think you can deal with the Tatavax?” Stern Wing checks.

“That's also a possibility," the Doctor informs. “And one I am currently leaning on because I think I have a non-violent solution for dealing with it.”

Stern Wing develops a dry look as she asks, “Does it have something to do with your sonic screwdriver? Same as usual?”

“Sound does pass through water very well,” Feather Wind realizes. “Perhaps you can tune that device to emit a frequency that either pacifies it, drives it off, puts it to sleep entirely, or at least stuns it long enough to cultivate the medicine.”

“My thoughts exactly,” the Doctor agrees with another approving nod to Feather Wind. “To do this, I'll need to find the right frequency to achieve one of those results. I, of course, would much prefer an option that harms the creature to the least degree. Of those, putting it to sleep is my favorite.

“However, in addition to needing to find the right frequency, I'll also need to develop a method to amplify my sonic device.” The Doctor shakes his head. “By itself, my screwdriver is a very useful tool, but I'm afraid it isn't strong enough for this particular task. That creature is huge so I'm going to need an option with a little more oomph to it to expect favorable results in this case.

“But eh. Don't worry about it,” the Doctor assures as he gives off a dismissive wave. “A task like this is well within the capabilities of my ingenuity, and I appreciate the challenge involved.”

“Okay.” Feather Wind lifts a hoof to signal for attention. “Let's say you do manage to accomplish that and we get the supplies for the medicine these ponies need.” He shrugs. “What then? That doesn't solve the underlining problem here. We already know this storm is unnatural so we should expect it to continue if we do not solve the root cause.”

“Kleetus sounded convinced that the Alphalmians are the most likely cause of the storm," Stern Wing reminds. “He says this largely because they can do this with an artifact known as The Orb of Storms.” Stern Wing tilts her head a bit in the Doctor's direction as she says, “I am curious to hear your opinion on this, Doctor, primarily because you have access to more knowledge than we, and maybe even the natives, do.”

The Doctor looks down as he sighs before saying, “The Orb of Storms. Huh. I heard of that device before. It even went by that name before in the other dimension where ponies used to be humans. The name Alphalmians is also familiar to me. I'm curious to find out if they have the same form and abilities that they had in the other dimension, or if they changed too.” He looks back at them. “I'm not entirely sure my knowledge can be reliable in this case, but it's also too accurate to be dismissed.

“The thing is, according to what I remember about the Alphalmians before, they are an exceptionally peaceful aquatic race. They are not capable of an advanced form of linguistic communication insofar as sound is concerned, but they still are capable of producing sound. As a matter of fact, they can produce hauntingly beautiful music under the water. This is especially true if they do so in a choir or if they sing in an especially acoustic environment.” He nods at Feather Wind as he goes on to say, "We already established sound travels well underwater, and this is a highly intelligent species that figured that out a long time ago. While their mouths, throats, and tongues cannot produce many sounds that we can, they have a keen voice for pitch and they can produce sounds at a much higher and lower frequency than nearly any other species that I know of. They can also switch between the various frequencies very fast. Sometimes even my sonic screwdriver can't keep up with them, and they do this biologically! That is extremely impressive.

“But the sound isn't actually their primary method of communication, especially at shorter range. Instead of that, they are telepathic.” He nods to them again. “Empathic and telepathic. When it comes to communication, they are like Vision is on steroids. They can actually communicate vast stores of knowledge in an instant and directly give each other their memories using their telepathy. Can you imagine how much knowledge a race like that can hold when they can share it that easily? Even their young can quickly catch up to the knowledge of the adults using a method like that. In addition, they have even learned to store telepathic messages in crystals which they can later access. To them, that's their form of writing and reading.

“There are many reasons why they are so peaceful. To begin with, their empathy and telepathy make it so that they feel whatever harm they cause to others which naturally makes them disciplined. For the same reason, they also feel encouraged to spread peace and joy. They consider it one of their primary purposes in life. They love to serve and promote harmony to a far greater degree than I have ever encountered even during the most peaceful and joyous days in Equestria. Individuality isn't as keen in a society that can simply share all of their memories that easily.

“In addition to all of that, there is the symbiosis to consider with the ponies. Why would the Alphalmians attack the very race they are benefiting from? By harming the ponies, this race would only be harming themselves in more ways than one and this particular race is unusually wise and mature enough to fully understand the consequences of such an action." He shakes his head. "It just isn't in their nature to do something like this.”

“For every rule that exists, don't you always eventually encounter an exception?” Feather Wind checks with the Doctor.

The Doctor sighs and closes his eyes in an almost pained sort of way before nodding and admitting, “Yes, and that goes both ways.” He looks at his companions again. “Even among the vilest race I encounter, I eventually find a virtuous one. Likewise among the kindest and most loving of races, I eventually encounter a cruel taskmaster. I'm not saying that this is the case yet, but I at least acknowledge the possibility.

“Yet, even from a logical standpoint, this situation doesn't make any sense.

“Consider Kleetus's argument. He thinks the Alphalmians are guilty simply because the Alphalmians have the means to accomplish this storm at all, but on the other hoof, according to my memories of them and quite likely the majority of the native ponies who encountered them, they discovered that the Alphalmians very likely wouldn't want to do this. So you have the means to do it on one hand but a lack of motivation on the other. That doesn't add up.” He shakes his head. “Something is not right here and I intend to find out what. To that end, I eventually plan to confront them to at least get their side of the story. If, in doing so, I discover that there is a problem that I can solve then I will proceed to do so.”

“But how will you contact the Alphalmians?” Stern Wing checks. “You said yourself that they aren't as common in this region. I don't know why, but that's what you said.”

The Doctor nods as he says, “True, but do you want to know what else I know?” Without waiting for an answer, he goes on to say, “I know that Doctor Waston said I helped one of his ancestors in the past, and I am a Time Lord. I don't want to sound cocky when I say this, but there is a tendency to leave an indelible mark upon history by the time I finish with an adventure.” He waves at his companions. “That is strong enough of a mark for the Alphalmians to have noticed, and once they notice something, they can pass on their history to a greater degree than most. Because of that, I don't think I have to approach them. I think they'll come to me instead. When they do, I think they'll be quite eager to explain their side of the story either to assure me that they are innocent of this crime or to explain why they had to do what they did. Either way, I intend to listen to them and do whatever I can to help.”

Stern Wing looks off to her side as she thought of a suggestion that might help with that aspect of his quest, but there is a reason she's also reluctant to offer this. Since the Doctor notices her expression, however, he prompts her, “What is it?”

“I, ah . . . I got one idea that might help with that aspect of your quest,” Stern says as she looks back at the Doctor. “But I'm not sure if it is a wise idea.”

“Spit it out anyway,” the Doctor encourages.

Stern Wing winces as she says, “Well, you said that this race is highly empathic and telepathic.”

“Yeah,” the Doctor confirms.

“I don't think either of those facts guarantees that they'll tell us the truth,” Stern Wing expresses. “If they are so good at reading others, that probably means it's hard for them to fib to each other. After all, they are all equally empathic. They'd probably sense if they were telling a lie to each other.” Stern Wing shakes her head. “Under normal circumstances, however, it may be easier for them to get away with fibbing to another non-empathic or telepathic race.”

“I see,” the Doctor says as he lowers his eyelids a bit. “So you were thinking that maybe I should invite Vision to join me when I see the Alphalmians in order to verify if they are telling the truth or not.”

“Maybe, but she's also a sickly and blind foal during an adventure where it is difficult for even the natives to stay healthy,” Stern Wing expresses with a wince. “I got to admit, I feel torn over this issue.” She shakes her head. “To say nothing about potential balance issues. She wouldn't be able to see any of the nets she could grab to help secure her or some other obstacle that could swing in her way. If we resort to this option then she'll need to be very carefully supervised. That's advisable for any foal in general but especially so for a foal this unusually vulnerable.” She half shrugs as she adds, “But can we afford to ignore this option either when so many other lives are also at stake?”

The Doctor grunts in frustration and turns about. He now faces the direction of the window leading out to the raging ocean storm beyond. He is quiet for quite a while before he turns his head enough to speak over his left shoulder at his companions. “It is pretty rare when I invite other children to join me in my adventures in the TARDIS, especially as a long-term thing. Now I am perfectly content to use that ship to deliver them out of danger and I have done that with Vision in this case. Had I not done that, she may remain a target of a creature we cannot kill yet or even slow down that much. Her mother requested for us, and you in particular Feather, to keep her safe. It was an option you didn't expect but nevertheless is a good one. I was more than happy to help you deliver her safely from harm.”

The Doctor turns to look back at them even further as he goes on to say, “But you have to be aware of something. My journey in the TARDIS has delivered me towards danger many times now and many forms of it too. By having her stay long-term, that risk gets multiplied as the journey continues. In this case, I didn't choose this time or planet, but even if I did, I can't control what we encounter within it. Even in the most peaceful and hospitable places, danger tends to have a way to find me and that puts anyone I travel with at risk as well. Add to that, Vision truly is the most vulnerable and fragile companion I have ever had."

Now the Doctor turns to face his companions fully as he goes on to say, “Inviting young children to the TARDIS may be very rare but it has happened before. There is one young lad in particular that stayed with me for quite some time. I tell you now that sometimes there are kids out there who are so incredibly talented, it fools us into thinking that they might be capable of keeping up with us full-grown adults. That is a fallacy, however, and I learned that the hard way.

“I'm telling you,” he shakes his head, “this kid was so bright, he could almost keep up with my intellect. In addition to that fact, he was brave, just, and had a strong moral compass. Whatever he did, I had confidence that he'd do it for the right reasons. He was a treasure to behold. It tantalized me to consider how much greater his potential would be as he grows up. If he's this talented as a mere child, then how much greater will he be when he fully matures? Sometimes I thought he had a chance to surpass even me, and in some ways . . . he did.”

The Doctor looks down for a moment as his face gets clouded with memories, some of which are clearly painful. He closes his eyes and winces in pain as he swallows hard. It takes him a while to compose himself. When he finally does, he opens his eyes and regards his companions again as he speaks.

“I have had many companions in the TARDIS before. Most of them were human and there is a reason for that. Humans have a . . . a kind of destiny about them which eventually grows into a legend. Spread out into the furthest corners of the universe, many other races have been deeply affected by them enough to at least have heard of them. I actually remember overhearing a conversation between two non-human individuals in a remote corner of the universe and a very distant time. One of them asked the other, 'Have you ever heard of the humans?' The other replied, 'Of course I have.' The first asked another question. 'Do you think they really exist?' The other replies, 'No, I don't, for no single race can possibly exist with a legacy that great. With all the trials they've endured, the history they affected, the sheer extremes of both bad and good actions, and a basically unstoppable glory . . . no. They can't be real. It sounds too fantastical to be true.'

“Inwardly I cracked up when I overheard that, but it also left me with an even deeper sense of purpose. I had traveled with them and encountered them often enough to confirm that most of those legends were true and then some. That is why I fought so hard to protect them. Perhaps what was even more important was to guide them, and for them to guide me.” He shakes his head. “I would not be the man I am today if it weren't for the lessons I gained through traveling with and observing humanity. By knowing that they would be the source of so many other cosmic legends and actions that ripple and spread to the farthest corners of the universe, I knew it was extremely important to guide them on a righteous path as best I could because, if I succeed with that monumental task, I could ultimately make the whole universe a better place too. What better way to do it than to influence the source that influenced so many others? There have even been some legends that say that they were the predecessors of the Time Lords as well, and if that is true then it means everything the Time Lords have ever done, for good and for ill, is simply another step in the unstoppable legacy that is humanity.”

He pauses again for another moment as he sighs, then goes on to say, "And as I said before, one of the companions I traveled with was a child. The fates of my former companions are many and varied. I have lived a very long time and lived very vigorously during that time. That is why they ended up in many various directions in the end, but occasionally . . . and despite my best efforts, I will add . . . they die.”

The Doctor closes his eyes again and squints in pain. This time he also cries a bit.

“That boy . . . was one of them,” he finally squeezes out. “It was a heroic sacrifice. He didn't just save the rest of my crew. It was far more than that, but I still remember how pain stabbed my hearts back then. That boy looked up to me and this is the fate I led him towards. Like any child would at least on an unconscious level, he did it to seek some approval from a parental figure. I helped to raise him. I tried to protect him . . . and I failed!”

The Doctor whimper for a moment. Seeing that, both Stern Wing and Feather Wind almost approach him to give him a comforting hug, but he lifts a hoof to halt them and then quickly tries to simmer down.

“I'll be fine,” the Doctor assures them. “I've carried this pain in my hearts for a long time now. I'll . . . endure . . . and I've almost finished with my point anyway.”

The Doctor takes another moment to compose himself before he continues.

“My point is there many reasons children are so rarely invited on my ship. Adults have more fully matured in many important ways. They matured physically and mentally so they can endure more punishment and solve more problems. They have matured emotionally so they can better endure greater mental stress. Above all, they are old enough to more fully realize the value of their choices. Unlike most children, adults tend to be more independent. They can accept the responsibility for their actions since they had more time to grow into it.

“But children, no matter how talented they appear to be, may indeed be ahead of their time in a vast variety of ways, but most likely not in every category that matters. They are still dependent. They are still looking up to adults for guidance and being cared for. They don't tend to have a good grasp on mortality yet so they can be more willing to charge straight into danger heedless of the risks. They are still being shaped during the most critical period of their lives when they are still trying to figure themselves out, the world around them, and their place in it.” He shakes his head. “And inviting them into the TARDIS greatly complicates that development because suddenly they have to contend with the challenges of many worlds and times when they were still struggling to find their balance with even one world. In a vast majority of cases, that is not a good baseline to start with. I'm not saying challenges should be entirely discouraged and there can be some value that this journey can offer them, but in the end . . . they are significantly more likely to be overwhelmed than an adult would, and trust me . . . you do not want to know the torment of seeing such incredible and largely untapped potential come to a sudden end. When that happened to me, it felt like an important part of the whole universe died with him on that tragic day. At least it was for a worthy cause but that can still feel so hollow next to the sheer magnitude of that kind of loss.”

After another moment of silence, this time feeling necessary in a respectful sort of way, Stern Wing eventually checks, “In that case, what are you going to do with her, Doctor? As you know, you can't return her to her native time and home without putting her back in severe danger, so what's the best alternative considering everything else you just told us?"

The Doctor casts a long sigh as he bonks his head several times on the rim of the oval window behind him. By now the splash of ocean mist drenching his body has long ago disguised the tears that yet linger on him as well.

“I don't know,” the Doctor eventually expresses with partial defeat. “I just don't know yet, but I can assure you of a few very important things . . . and that is I'm working on it and I shall not give up until I find a good solution for this precious little one.”

Part 9: Vision of Doom

An intense crashing sound, followed by strong shaking, disturbs the balance of the Doctor, Feather Wind, and Stern Wing. As they yelp and collapse to the ground, cracks spread in the glass, tubular tunnel that they are in. Because of that, water starts to leak into the tunnel as a result of the vast ocean that is beyond it.

“What was THAT?!” exclaims Stern Wing as she tries to get up again but another crash and shaking put her right back down. When that happens, cracks spread in the glass even further.

"Oh NO!" Feather Wind cries out in alarm and then immediately gives a pushing motion with his forehooves as he creates a force field in front of the cracked glass to reinforce it. That, in turn, relieves some of the pressure off the glass as well as halting the leaks.

“Doctor, what's going on? Are we under attack?” Stern Wing asks fearfully.

“Clearly the answer is yes. The question is . . . by what? And why?” the Doctor replies as he rises to his four hooves shakily.

Outside the clear glass, they see an unusual and greatly alarming sight. Many kinds of aquatic sea creatures are just ramming themselves into the underwater base they are in, sometimes at suicidal speed even for the creatures. Some of them explode into an aquatic balls of blood and guts, but the facility they are in took some damage as well. That in itself is scary enough, but the sheer amount of sea creatures attacking the facility is alarming in the extreme. At this rate, the whole base will collapse within minutes and likely kill everyone who is inside since there is a lot of pressure out in these deep ocean depths.

That, and the ponies can't breathe underwater.

“The sea creatures have all gone berserk!” Stern Wing reports in alarm after she scans the carnage.

“And their target is really specific!” Feather Wind adds with a grunt of effort as he struggles to fortify his force field after the glass gets struck by several more sea creatures outside. “None of them are attacking each other. They are all aiming only for this base!”

“This doesn't make any sense! Why would they all do this?” the Doctor cries out in near panic but he is clearly struggling to maintain his wits. “Think, Doctor! Think! What am I missing? There has got to be something.”

The Doctor paces back and forth frantically with three hooves while the fourth hoof, his left forehoof, repeatedly taps his head four times with the head of his sonic screwdriver as if doing so might induce faster wit in him. While he trots back and forth, his other three legs are splashing in the water that is quickly collecting below them.

“First of all, what is out there that possibly could do this?" the Doctor asks himself aloud then proceeds to answer his own question as if he is another person talking back to him. "Well, Doctor, you marvelously handsome devil, one of the things that could cause mass hysteria in animal life on this scale, especially while underwater, is a bi-polaric, crystalline oscillator device. Such a thing can send out huge waves of psychic energy just like a tuning fork that is struck.

“But such a thing is way ahead of the technology level of this current pony society. Even if they did have such a thing, why would they wield it against themselves?

“On the other hoof, such a thing is quite likely within the means of the Alphalmians except, again, they would have no motivation. They wouldn't do this. It simply isn't in their nature.

"But who else could possibly control such a device? Under most circumstances, it would have to be wielded by someone with telepathic abilities.”

"Ah . . . DOCTOR!!!" Stern Wing cries out in alarm as she beholds a massive body closing in on their side of the facility. Unlike many others, this one isn't coming at them directly. Rather than that, it is about to side-swipe the underwater facility.

Seeing this as well, Feather Wind widens his eyes to an extreme degree as he cries out, “YOU TWO, GET BEHIND ME!”

Almost out of pure reflective instinct and because of the intense urgency in Feather Wind's voice, Stern Wing and the Doctor proceed to do so without much thought. That's good because they did not have time for much thought. Just as those two get behind Feather Wind, the small blue unicorn stretches his force field in front of him from a curved second layer of a window pane to a full circular bubble around them. Just as he does that, the huge body outside rams into the facility from its side and shatters what is left of the glass tubular tunnel completely. The next thing they know, they are tumbling outside as the rush of water current comes in to claim them and then sends them spinning outside.

When they start to settle, Feather Wind's intense grunt of strained effort gradually rises into a pained scream. He is constantly shaking and almost suddenly sweating a bucket full because of the extremely tense amount of effort he has to exert just to hold this bubble intact and keep out all the highly pressurized water because of the depths they are in.

“He can't hold this for much longer!” Stern Wing warns the Doctor.

The Doctor doesn't pay attention to any of that, though. Instead, he looks below them in horror as the underwater facility they were in is being crushed, rammed, and flooded in many directions. Bursts of air from many pockets around it explode into the water and then rise to the surface.

“I failed!” the Doctor says with numb shock. “I can't believe this! I failed!”

In remorse, he closes his eyes and bonks his head once against the critically spreading cracks of Feather Wind's desperately formed force bubble.

But, before the bubble collapses, they hear a giant, low-pitched gurgling sound around them. That is their only warning before a giant mouth closes in on their position. A mouth that has an arrow-shaped horn above and below the mouth that is as thick and as strong as a tower. Such a bony cartilage, due to its massive size and strength, could likely easily shatter through the hull of any wooden ship if this creature rammed it at full force and most likely greatly damage a metal ship as well. As the maw approaches them, it sucks in the water nearby them which draws them in. They briefly scream in a panic until the bubble collapses which suddenly silences them for good.

---

Vision wakes up from her nap drenched in a cold sweat. As her wits quickly return to her, she contemplates how familiar waking up in this fashion is.

Her eyes are now wide open, but she sees absolutely nothing around her. That is somewhat ironic to her considering she would visually “see” perfectly fine in most of her dreams only to awaken from them and be denied sight altogether. It is only because of her dreams that her mind can even fathom what “seeing” is like at all since she was born blind.

One curious difference about this nightmare, in comparison to most of her others, is Vision personally knows the subjects of the dream well this time. Often in the past, she has had nightmares of many other individuals and societies that she never met before. It was a great talent of her mother, as well as the other monks at their former temple, who figured out how to properly interpret these dreams and know who to warn in order to prevent these visions of doom from coming to pass.

But now Vision is all by herself in this room. There is no pony else she can rely upon to properly interpret and act upon these vivid prophetic dreams.

Which makes her realize it is all up to her from this point forward.

Vision gets out of bed and struggles to find her way outside of the room.

---

“Good morning, Sleepyhead!” Derpy cheers when Vision arrives in what the young filly assumes is the main console room of the TARDIS. That's good because it means she's that much closer to the exit of this place.

Also, Vision privately notes how tired the former young mail delivery pony sounds at this precise moment. For some reason, she must have gone through a heavy exertion recently. Noting that actually makes Vision pause for a moment and tilt her head curiously in the direction she suspects Derpy is. While doing that, the ears on top of Vision's head swivels about to try to determine the other mare's more precise location.

“Are you okay?” Vision asks in concern. “You sound like you need some rest yourself.”

“Yeah! No kidding!” Derpy agrees. “I've just finished going back and forth, back and forth delivering food and some medicine to other ponies at the exit of the TARDIS. I even let some of them in to help me out even though I wasn't supposed to. I'm used to delivering a saddlebag full of letters in the past, but this much cargo and so many trips later . . . I'm exhausted.”

Vision hears Derpy just collapse on the spot she's at. She also gives a strained sigh at first but it shifts to a relaxing one in the middle of that sigh. There is also a plopping sound as the mare's body collapses on the floor, but Vision can't tell exactly what pose or position the other mare is in.

Vision scrunches her face. That is not good to hear. She may need Derpy to soon guide her out into that dangerous and wet world just outside of the TARDIS.

“Honey, what's wrong?” Derpy asks with sudden and sharp concern in her voice. Vision can feel waves of concern emanate from the other mare. “Please tell me! I'd like to help however I can.”

“I need to go,” Vision answers as she turns her head to where she suspects the exit of the TARDIS is. “I have to join the others.”

"What?!" Vision thinks she hears either Derpy rise again or at least sit up straighter. "But Honey . . . you'll get sick out there. You'll catch a cold! It's very wet and chilly outside. Brrrrr!" Vision can almost hear Derpy shuddering out there. Frankly, it is kind of adorable even to this little foal.

“Nevertheless, I have to do this,” Vision insists. “I either go out there and risk getting sick, or wait in here while our friends die.”

“What?!” Derpy screeches in sudden and intense alarm. “Wait! Hold on, hold on. Time out here. Back it up a second. What do you mean our friends are in danger and are going to die? Did you have another prophetic dream of that happening?”

“Yes,” Vision answers in a tone heavy with the weight of finality.

“Oh dear,” Derpy moans with worry. “What am I going to do?”

“I know what I am going to do," Vision replies. "I'm going to go out there and help them. I used to have a bunch of monks and my spell-casting mother to help me spread these warnings out into the world, but now it is just the two of us. I know there are many risks involved, but quite frankly, if we felt fully unprepared to face them, we have no business being in the TARDIS at all with the Doctor. Adventure is the name of the game while here. We have to be brave, step up, and do what is right or there will be heavy consequences.

“Look . . . I know it's very scary for you to face these challenges out there and that is for many reasons. You're scared for me too and, believe me, I get that and I even appreciate that to some degree. However, if you want to protect me then that also means protecting that which I value, and that includes my new friends out there. They need us, Derpy, and they are lucky to have us to help them overcome this dire warning.

“Something you need to keep in mind is my psychic visions can be prevented, but they will definitely happen if no effort is issued to stop them. At least, that's what the other monks told me. I don't know. This is the first time I participated in the adventure myself.”

There is silence between them following Vision's statement but, in the air, Vision can feel the electric charge of raw emotion as she can feel Derpy struggling between morality and courage. Both sides are giving her a noble message and yet they also somewhat conflict with each other in terms of what is the best course of action moving forward. Derpy cares about the fate of her friends very much but that includes Vision as well. If Derpy does decide on supporting Vision's argument, then it means putting a foal who is very vulnerable at grave risk. Not only does it seem like it might be difficult for the Doctor to forgive Derpy for that later, but quite frankly it might be difficult for the young mare to forgive herself if Vision gets hurt.

Because Vision can feel that internal dilemma pushing and pulling within the other mare, Vision realizes she's going to have to make another push to convince her friend.

“Fate and destiny are often a very tricky thing to decipher,” Vision begins again. “Especially with the extra complication of free will being tossed in the mix. That's the X-factor. The wild card is always there. Destiny is like a river that we swim within. We can either swim with the currents, against it, or do nothing and let it drag us. The choices we make can help us avoid obstacles we can foresee in the river or we can blindly crash into them. I'm giving you a warning of what is incoming on the course of the river we're currently on. It's up to us what we decide to do with that information. Ultimately what will happen in the future is whatever we decide to happen.

“And look . . . the Doctor himself may have chosen this planet and time at random, but the TARDIS didn't. Like me, it sees the big picture too and it knows when and where we are supposed to go.

“And Derpy . . . fate didn't just choose them to wrestle with this challenge. We are here too . . . so ultimately this is a fate we all share. So are we going to take it relaxing on this river while our friends get washed over a waterfall into the spiky rocks down below, or are we going to get off our lazy flanks and go help them? You can fly, Derpy, so you definitely have an alternative to prevent your friends from falling to their deaths. It's up to you to choose whether or not you'll use that power, though."

“Geez, Vision. Are you really just a filly?!” Derpy exclaims in surprise. “You're lecturing me, a full-grown adult, in a way that heavily reminds me of the Doctor himself.”

"Um," Vision blushes a little because of this compliment. "Well . . . I am kind of used to doing whatever I can to help prevent a nasty fate." Vision firms up again as she asks, "And I'm willing to do whatever that takes. Are you?"

“Stop growing up so fast!” Derpy complains with a bit of a playful tone. “You're making me feel very nervous and inadequate.”

“Help me save our friends first and then you can lecture me about maturity,” Vision bargains.

“Okay-okay! Geez. Cut me some slack, will ya? I'll do it,” Derpy assures. From what Vision hears next, now she's definitely certain that Derpy has risen fully to her four hooves. "But you have to promise me something. Promise me that, no matter what, you'll immediately obey me the moment I request something of you because, whenever I do that, I'm only looking after your well-being and it's likely to help you avoid that which you cannot foresee. Whatever happens out there, I'm still going to try my hardest to keep you safe. You're precious to me.”

“So are they,” Vision counters and then insists, “Don't forget that. As long as you keep that in mind as well, I'll cooperate with you because yeah . . . I feel your affection for me too so I know I can trust you. I know you're being sincere about your concern for my well-being, but there other factors to keep in mind as well.”

“I know! That's why I'm agreeing to take you along,” Derpy retorts. “But not until you promise me. Do you?”

Vision grunts as she realizes Derpy is waiting for a more concrete answer. To speed things along, Vision just silently nods her agreement to keep the promise itself as ambiguous as she suspects Derpy will allow at this moment. After all, there may come other circumstances in the future where Vision may need to extend the risk to herself to prevent even greater harm from befalling others. Realizing that possibility is very real, Vision wants to keep her options as open as possible by necessity.

“Alright. In that case, I'll go get some warm gear and a raincoat,” Derpy decides. “If we're going to do this then let's be as prepared as we can be while we have these resources still available to us.”

Part 10: Into the Depths of Truth

“ . . . Four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . . Dive!”

Right after that intercom announcement, an artificial sounding horn issues. After that happens, all occupants within the giant yellow pod can feel their bodies lurch upwards for a moment.

“Here we go again,” Stern Wing comments as she holds tight to a metal rail around the outer perimeter of the pod from the inside.

Feather Wind and Stern Wing watch with some fascination, and a bit of concern, as the giant spherical pod they are in, which has massive amounts of cargo space behind them, dives into the ocean. They watch this out from one of the many porthole windows built around the pod. The primary reason for their concern is the huge waves still crashing about due to the storm. It shouldn't knock the pod off the giant and sturdy metal chain that the pod is attached to which is also lowering the pod towards the ocean, but the waves could knock the pod sidewards for a moment when it is struck.

Fortunately for them, the moment they hit the water it isn't too rough. The pod shakes for a moment which briefly threatens their balance, but when the pod sinks below the waves, things become much more steady within.

“We should be much more stable from this point forward,” the Doctor announces nearby as he lets go of the rail while still viewing outside. “Most of the kinetic energy of the storm is on the surface. We should be able to-”

As if to contradict him, the pod violently rocks to one side for a moment then quickly shifts back. Doing so threatens the balance of anyone inside. Shortly later Feather Wind and Stern Wing pass the Doctor a dry, “Really?” kind of look.

“I did say most of the kinetic energy,” the Doctor reminds. “We're still close to the surface and this pod is attached to the chain that is still being affected by the storm above.”

“Speaking of chain, Feather, come take a look at this,” Stern Wing invites excitedly as she goes to another porthole which reveals the giant chain traveling upwards on this side of the pod. Both of them know they'll find an identical thick chain like this on the other side of the pod except that end is still because they are traveling down with it. The chain, they know, continues all the way to the aquatic base these ponies have far beneath the surface. A base known to them as Allon.

Allon, which is a small section of the sunken underwater city that the ponies salvaged and renovated to serve as their base of operations under the water. It is there that they deliver all the rest of the scrap metal they gather from the sunken city. Allon also gives them access to one mineshaft that they don't have to dive underwater to get to and, as such, has been their primary revenue for rare ore.

“Amazing,” Feather Wind marvels after he leaped onto Stern Wing's back to be tall enough to have a clear view to look out the porthole. In fact, she is so tall, he has to stoop a bit to see out the porthole once he is on her. “Do you know how much weight water has, Stern Wing? Or how much pressure there can be in it if we sink deeper?”

“No, but I get the feeling you're going to tell me,” Stern Wing replies casually.

“Actually, our scholars largely don't know,” Feather Wind informs her. “But they do know it is considerably more than it is on the surface. They also know that the pressure gets worse and worse as we sink deeper.”

“Then why aren't we being crushed by it right now?” Stern Wing wonders aloud.

“That would be because of the pod itself,” answers one of the laborer stallions who happened to hear their conversation nearby. Looking back at him, they notice he is a mostly brown-coat stallion but he has patches of white sploshed in some places. Most notably around his left eye. “More specifically,” he continues, "it is because of the hull of the pod. There are actually two such hulls. The one on the outside and one on the inside which is called the 'pressure hull'. That thing is very reinforced and is the primary reason why we're not being crushed to death. Yes Sir.” He knocks on the inner wall three times. “As long as this thing holds, it keeps the water out and the air inside. With that barrier in place, the air inside won't be affected.”

“The pressure of water, or even the air, is also different from world to world,” the Doctor adds as he trots nearby. “So even if you can identify how much pressure a certain amount of depth gives underwater in one world, it doesn't provide you an accurate answer on another world and that is because of the density of the liquids from world to world as they could be made of different stuff. The gravity of the planet is also a factor.”

“If gravity is different on other planets, you'll be sure not to take us to those with gravity too heavy or light, right?” Stern Wing checks cautiously.

“If we ever need to, I'll be sure to bring the appropriate precautions,” the Doctor assures. “Gravity isn't the only factor that can determine suitability though. There are many others to consider, like temperature, atmospheric composition, or, as we discussed,” he gestures above, “air and water pressure. If I were to throw you into a gas giant, for example, you would not long withstand the overwhelming pressures those planets can exude.”

“Ah,” Stern Wing passes Feather a questioning look for a moment before directing it to the Doctor. “Gas giant? What is that?”

Feather Wind and the nearby laborer also listen for the answer.

“It's a type of giant planet that has no solid surface area,” the Doctor answers. “They can be made of many kinds of things, but they are primarily just giant balls of gas in space which have collected together so much, its own gravity keeps it from escaping into space.” He winces slightly as he says, “Think of them as something akin to giant balloons in space except it doesn't have a tangible surface. If you fall into one, you'll just keep falling until you are either crushed by the pressure or torn apart by the storms that may be within it. That's if the gas itself doesn't melt your lungs or something.”

“Lovely,” Stern Wing says sarcastically. “Since outer space seems so cozy and inviting, it is a wonder why many more civilizations aren't exploring it.”

“Just getting to it can be quite a challenge,” the Doctor replies more seriously. “Let alone surviving it once you are there.

“But still, take it from someone who has been traveling within it for almost a thousand years. As dangerous as it can be, it is full of wonders for those intrepid enough to venture through it.”

“Remind me again, why are we traveling down to this underwater base?” Stern Wing checks as she looks out the porthole to see the giant chain that continues to travel upwards. During that time, they are also occasionally hearing a “click-click-click” sound from somewhere above them.

“To get some samples of the medicine needed to cure the ponies up on the surface,” The Doctor answers. “I'm also being thorough by turning over another stone.” The Doctor looks out the porthole too. “Perhaps it is a long shot, but I am also hoping that, by being down there, I can get a hold of more information about the Alphalmians or for them to contact me. Failing that, I can at least uncover more information about the going-ons of these ponies' operations under the surface. That is a critical part of their revenue up there at Salvage. Who knows? It might also be somehow related to the source of the motivation for whatever antagonist is causing the storms up above.”

“Do you think the storms are artificial?” the mostly brown coat laborer asks who is still nearby and still listening intently to their conversation so far.

The Doctor turns a curious eye towards that laborer as he ponders for a moment and then he asks, “I'm sorry. We haven't been introduced. My name is the Doctor and these here are my faithful companions, Feather Wind and Stern Wing.” When the Doctor said that, he gestured to each pony in turn.

The laborer grins for a moment before extending a hoof and says, “The name is Ashwin. Ashwin Cobberfield.”

“What an interesting name,” Stern Wing muses aloud. “Does it mean anything?”

“Ah . . .” Ashwin gives them a curious look. “I don't know what you mean by 'mean' anything. Should it? As far as I know, it's just my name. Plain and simple.”

“How did your parents come up with it? Were they inspired by anything in particular?” Stern Wing continues to probe because she's trying to find some common ground between their two cultures. This society should be an extension of their own back in Equestria, after all. She just wants to know what their thought process is in this case.

In partial answer to Stern's question, he just shrugs as he regards her with uncertainty but then suddenly focuses and gets much more serious as he regards the Doctor. “I repeat, do you think this storm is artificial? In particular, do you think the Alphalmians are involved?”

“That's a fairly specific question,” the Doctor observes.

Ashwin shakes his head as he explains, “I just hear it from so many of the other guys out here and those who work on the surface. Alphalmians this and Alphalmians that. Blah-blah-blah. The whole shebang. A lot of the ponies around here think they are to blame for the storms simply because they might be capable of it.”

The Doctor's expression toward Ashwin turns shrewd and discerning. Eventually he says, “Before I tell you that, I would like to gather your opinion on this whole affair. Something tells me you might not have a popular opinion on this for some reason.”

“And before I tell you that, Doctor, let me ask you this; have you ever met an Alphalmian before?” He then looks at the rest. “Have any of you?”

“I think I have,” the Doctor answers. “Or perhaps something similar. If memory serves, they sort of look like a cross between a jellyfish and a squid, except their head is where the butt would be on a typical squid. They are translucent and luminous. They cast off a natural bioluminescence that, quite frankly, seems otherworldly to behold. They are quite beautiful, and not just physically.”

“So you have seen them,” Ashwin says to the Doctor with a smile of approval. “Have you heard them too? The music they make in the depths of the water?”

The Doctor nods as he says, “Yes, indeed, I have. It is very enchanting.”

“Wow.” Ashwin regards the Doctor in awe. “Now there is an understatement.”

“I've seen their capital city too,” the Doctor kind of brags. “Imagine tall stalks of what kind of look like mushrooms and coral reefs, except they also shimmer with natural bioluminescence which also prismatically shifts. While one is trying not to get hypnotized by that sight, there are also many kinds of colorful fish swimming about in their city. Incredible and unearthly music also swims through the depths of the whole city. It truly is a marvelous sight to behold.”

“Are you serious?” Ashwin asks in surprise. “Are you sure this wasn't just some telepathic memory they implanted in your mind?”

“No,” the Doctor assures as he shakes his head, but then he pauses as he thinks on that question more, then says, “Well, actually, that too but I've been there as well to verify that the memories they share of that place are indeed genuine.”

“I envy you then, Doctor,” Ashwin marvels at the Time Lord. “You must be part fish too to survive the depths of that water or breathe underwater. Also,” he tilts his head, “they don't just invite anypony into their beautiful capital city. Both for their own sake as well as their potential visitors, they are quite sensitive on this subject.”

“It has become abundantly clear to me that you also speak from experience,” the Doctor realizes. “So I take it you are not a proponent of the theory that the Alphalmians are the cause of the storm?”

“Actually, I share my brethren's opinion that they might be responsible,” Ashwin finally answers.

“Really?!” the Doctor asks in genuine surprise. “I certainly didn't expect that opinion from someone who clearly has some experience with them. They are one of the most peaceful, wise, and mature races I know.”

“Nevertheless, all races have their limits, Doctor,” Ashwin says with a flash of anger across his face. “And theirs is reached. However, unlike my fellow ponies, the thing that is vastly unpopular about my opinion is the fact that I may share the opinion that the Alphalmians could have caused this, but if they did, then we deserve it.”

All of a sudden Stern Wing, Feather Wind, and the Doctor all glance at each other in equal levels of alarm. After that, they look back at Ashwin as the Doctor encourages him, “Tell us more. Just why do you think the Alphalmians are responsible, and what motive do you think they have to do this?”

For once, Ashwin appears reluctant to answer, yet another part of him seems clearly tempted to tell them anyway. He is torn. Amidst that reaction, he is clearly very bitter and upset about something.

But this group gets distracted by a startled yelp from someone feminine elsewhere in this giant pod. Luring their attention, they see a very familiar gray pegasus mare with messy yellow hair get dragged away from her hiding spot behind a few crates near the other end of the pod. One detail that is new about her, though, is she is wearing a heavy raincoat.

“Derpy?” the Doctor exclaims in surprise.

As they continue to observe this encounter from a distance, they witness yet another get dragged away from behind the crates. Unlike the older mare, though, this white filly is much quieter and she doesn't struggle that much. She, too, is wearing a heavy raincoat.

“And Vision,” the Doctor realizes as his shoulders slump. “That's just perfect.” He then scans among his closer companions then looks at Ashwin before pointing at the brown stallion as the Doctor says to him, “Stay here. We are not done with this conversation,” the Doctor says insistently. “And you two,” he points back and forth between Feather Wind and Stern Wing, “stay with him. Make sure he does not take off.”

“Where would I go anyway? Into the water?” Ashwin asks the Doctor incredulously.

“Just stay put! I mean it!” the Doctor insists again stubbornly over his shoulder as he rushes off to save his other companions and to find out why they are here against his orders.

“Let go of me!” Derpy cries out frantically as she squirms and struggles against a couple of other stallions that are somewhat roughly manhandling her, primarily because of her struggle and the fact she is panicking so much.

As this continues, a spark of hope alights in her eyes when she notices the Doctor rushing over to their position. Because of that, she struggles to lift a hoof as she cries out, “DOCTOR, HELP ME!”

“Doctor?” one of the gray coat stallions echoes as he continues to hold Derpy moderately roughly but also turns to regard the other approaching stallion. To that stallion, this one calls out, “HEY DOCTOR. THIS ANOTHER FRIEND OF YOURS?”

“Yes, she's with me,” the Doctor confirms upon arrival. “And do as she says. Let go of her now!” he demands very insistently.

“As you wish,” the worker stallion replies then lets Derpy and Vision go immediately. That same stallion also says to the Doctor, “You should have told us we'd have more compony aboard this pod. That might have settled some misunderstandings in advance.”

“I would have told you had I known they would come,” the Doctor assures as he glowers at Derpy which causes the shy little mare to shrivel visibly. “Trust me, gentleman, this was not part of the plan and I would very much care for an explanation.”

“Dah . . . Doctor, I'm sorry!” Derpy stutters a bit as she cries a little. “I deh-didn't mah-mean to upset you or anything. I was jah-just trying tah-to do the right thing.”

“Which is what, exactly?” the Doctor asks as he softens his expression considerably since he very much feels deeply moved and concerned about her emotional outburst. “Please, Derpy, help me to understand what's going on here. Why did you two leave the TARDIS where I told you it's safe?”

Derpy looks down in shame as tears from her eyes drip down to the floor. At this very moment, she feels too weak and ashamed to look him in the eyes anymore.

“It was my idea,” Vision speaks up.

“I beg your pardon?” the Doctor asks as his gaze shifts to Vision and a bit of an icy look and tone returns to him.

“This was my call,” Vision insists bravely. “Derpy is only here to help me find you and continue to protect me out here.”

The Doctor's eyes at Vision suddenly widen as he realizes aloud, “You had another prophetic dream, didn't you? Something to do with me and my companions out here I take it?”

Vision nods at where she suspects the Doctor is but she's a little off-target. She also simply says, “Yes.”

“Prophetic dreams?” a grizzled old stallion with a long bushy beard asks nearby. “The heck she talking about?”

“It's a long story,” the Doctor assures the other workers nearby. “We don't need to get into it. At least not here and now.

“And, frankly, don't you gentlemen still have a job to do?”

“I hear ya,” the grizzled old stallion says with a nod of understanding as he takes the hint. “Come on, boys. Let's get busy.” He nods his head elsewhere to indicate precisely where they should get busy, which is noticeably away from here.

The Doctor waits until they are gone and out of earshot. When that happens, he regards Derpy sympathetically and says, “Derpy, come here.”

Feeling very sensitive right now, Derpy hesitates to cooperate at first, but when she sees the Doctor's very soft expression toward her, she eventually complies. When she does, he hugs her from the front side by wrapping his forelegs and neck around her back and neck.

“I'm not mad at you, Derpy,” the Doctor soothingly assures her.

“You're not?” Derpy asks with a cracked voice but also with an inflection of rising hope.

“Yes. I am not mad,” he reassures. “Just . . . surprised, I guess, and more than a little concerned.

“Derpy, you know how fragile her health is and I know how much you care for her. I thought this arrangement would work out.”

Derpy closes her eyes and settles her face against his neck as she says, “It did, Doctor, but then she told me you might die if we didn't come and save you and . . . and . . . Oh Doctor! I just can't lose you! You mean so much to me.”

“And you do to me as well,” he reflects warmly.

Derpy sniffs then puts on a pouting expression as she complains, “It also hurt me to be left behind. I . . . I know I get so scared sometimes out here but I'm even more scared to be away from you, Doctor. I didn't know what might go wrong.

“And then, when Vision promised me that you would have a dire need for us, I just couldn't help myself.”

“That's because you have a lovely and compassionate heart,” the Doctor assures her proudly. “I am more than proud to have you as one of my companions. Privileged, even.”

“Oh Doctor! Thank you!” she cries out very gratefully in what she tries to put some volume into, but it ended up sounding like a meek little squeak instead.

“There, there,” he reassures her as he pats her back. “It's alright. Everything is going to be fine. I will save the day. Same as always. I promise you this, Derpy. I Pinkie promise. Cross my hearts, and hope to fly.”

“Stick a muffin in your eye!” Derpy finishes with a playful giggle.

“Ain't that the truth?” the Doctor replies affectionately with a snicker of his own.

They take a moment to settle and calm down with each other. Eventually the Doctor pulls back. When he does, Derpy does so as well cooperatively.

“So what's all this about a vision of doom?” the Doctor asks as he transfers his look back and forth between filly and mare, but his focus is on the filly a little more since she's the one he primarily expects to answer the question.

“You need us, Doctor,” Vision assures with incredible confidence for a filly her age. “The TARDIS sent us all here, not just you, Feather, and Stern. You all have a role to play in this affair, but so do we.”

“Care to shed some light on this affair?” the Doctor challenges her.

“Well, for one thing, I know you've been talking to the one who secretly has and has been using The Orb of Storms against his own fellow ponies,” Vision assures.

The Doctor's eyes explode widely in shock at Vision. He then passes that same expression over to Ashwin Cobberfield. The same pony who recently expressed some bitterness about his race for some reason.

“Oh damn it!” the Doctor curses in frustration as he paces away in random directions. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! You really like to spoil my fun, don't you, kid?” he complains in frustration.

Vision purses her lips but otherwise bravely holds her silence.

The Doctor growls in frustration then curses again, “Damn you, kid! Will you please shut up about spoilers and let me solve my own mysteries? Believe it or not, I'm pretty darn good at it and like to do it myself. I had already suspected him of something akin to that. I would've reached that conclusion eventually.”

“The real reason I'm here is to prevent your death,” Vision assures. “I won't apologize for doing the right thing. When I receive a vision of the future, it is usually a dire warning that must be acted against to prevent it. The universe needs you, Doctor, for plenty of more adventures to come. Likely to a greater degree than you know. I am here to make sure you get a fair chance to fulfill that destiny.”

“I know, and trust me, I understand that,” the Doctor assures the young filly. “But please, please, please, for the love of all the stars, also give me a chance to solve my own mysteries. I need that experience, too, to grow. You can't just cut straight to the answers like that. That's not fair to anyone and, quite frankly, it feels like cheating to me.” He points at her but realizes, a second later, she can't see that anyway; as a result, he lowers his hoof back to the floor again as he says, “Don't get me wrong. I appreciate what you are trying to do here and why you are doing it. My death is not a fate I welcome either. I very much wish to continue my adventures for as long as possible. That way I get to explore more and help those in need. I also know there is very little else you can contribute to this group and I get that. There is only one thing you can really do here and I know it doesn't sound fair for me to tell you to shut up about that. It's just . . .”

The Doctor trails off with a sigh as he tries to figure out a way to explain this more tactfully and effectively. He actually has to remind himself that he's talking to a child because she certainly sounds way more confident, firm, and mature than she actually is. Kind of to a scary degree.

“I'm sure that . . . there is a moment . . . when your advice and assistance is required,” the Doctor begins as he looks back at Vision. “Sometimes maybe I won't reach the answers we need fast enough or sometimes there is more at stake than even I can handle. I assure you that saving lives remains my top priority. That is far more important than protecting my ego. If I make the wrong decision and there's no other choice, then yes. Please speak up about what you know, but as a seer, learn to use your talents to guide you into knowing when those right moments have come. Learn to discern when to speak up and when to maintain your silence. There is wisdom in both paths, and I think you can be wise and mature enough to learn the difference. Pick your battles carefully. Can you do that for me?”

“I . . . I will try, Doctor,” Vision promises with the weakest confidence she's ever displayed so far. “But in this regard, please be patient with me. It will probably take some time for me to fully learn that role. I am still young and I am learning.”

“Fair enough,” the Doctor replies evenly. “That's all I ask. In return, I shall strive to be more patient and calmer about this. I shall withhold my frustration as best I can because I understand that this is still a learning experience for you. Believe me, I have never had a companion quite like you before. This is going to be quite a learning experience for us all.”

“As well it should be,” Vision agrees with a slow but deep nod that almost resembles a bow. “Such is the point of our existence. Without growth, we shall know the greatest pain of all . . . stagnation.”

“I'll take your word for it,” the Doctor replies. “And believe me, I can sympathize.

“Well then. Since the two of you are here anyway, you might as well make yourselves useful. To that end, please proceed to tell me anything you can about the vision you foresaw. Together, we shall do our best to make sure that future does not come to pass.”

Part 11: The Orb of Storms

Water World

Part 11

The Orb of Storms

“Well isn't that interesting?” says the Doctor as he returns to Ashwin, Feather Wind, and Stern Wing along with Vision and Derpy accompanying him. “I just got a tip that my timetable in this adventure is thinner than I thought, so I'll get straight to the point. Ashwin,” the Doctor calls to the worker stallion. When the Doctor secures that stallion's attention, the Doctor then asks rather bluntly, “where did you hide The Orb of Storms?”

Feather Wind, Stern Wing, and Ashwin are all shocked by that question. Likely Ashwin most of all. Feather and Stern both give sharp and sudden surprised gasps over to Ashwin.

“Who . . . who told you that?” Ashwin asks with a guarded expression and stance.

“Ashwin . . .” the Doctor begins but trails off for a moment as he looks straight down, takes another step to be right in front of Ashwin, then gazes up above the Doctor's head and slightly to the left because of the Doctor's tilted head. From that position, the Doctor gives the worker stallion a hard stare as he slowly repeats, “. . . where . . . did you hide . . . The Orb . . . of Storms?” the Doctor asks with frequent pauses in his question to put more weight on each word he spoke.

At first, Ashwin's expression is aghast, but then it sinks into depressed acceptance as he asks, “How did you know it is me who has it?”

“Because you just confirmed it by asking me that question,” the Doctor replies matter-of-factly.

Ashwin widens his eyes as he looks momentarily aghast again, then looks down with a stunned and almost numb expression on his face as he asks them, “Who are you ponies?”

“If you were paying attention earlier, you would've noted that I've already answered that question. At least, as far as you need to know for now,” the Doctor replies but then widens his eyes in realization. “Except for my new companions. I forgot to introduce them. Behind me to my left,” he gestures to the gray pegasus mare, “is Derpy Whooves, and to my right,” he then gestures to the little white blind filly, “is Vision.”

At first, Ashwin does not regard them. He is still looking down, feeling depressed. Eventually, though, he does look above his head to regard the two new companions. What he saw surprised him enough to look at them more fully because something is off about both of them so he wanted a more careful look at them to confirm if what he saw is accurate, and indeed, something is strange about both of their eyes. In the case of the older mare, only one of her eyes is staring right at him. The left, in this case. However, her other eye is eerily gazing in another direction. If both of those eyes work, it is mind-boggling to imagine what she is actually seeing between two inconsistent perspectives.

As for the smaller filly, her eyes seem to be obscured by a milky white filament. That visual detail seems to suggest that that little one might be blind entirely, and didn't the Doctor just tell him that her name was “Vision”? Because, if so, that is strongly ironic.

Ashwin almost asks about those two newcomers' visual condition, but then decides it might sound too rude to ask so he shut his mouth seconds after opening it. Besides that, there is a much more important issue to address.

“It's safe,” he answers simply.

“Why would you use The Orb of Storms against your own fellow ponies?” Stern Wing asks with rising fury. “And against yourself, too. You're a part of this community as well. Surely you must be aware that you're also destroying yourself.”

“I don't care,” Ashwin says quietly and bitterly.

Stern Wing's eyes flare and her fur stands up straight as she starts to roar, “YOU DON'T-”

“Stern Wing, please. Let me handle this,” the Doctor calmly requests as he holds up a hoof to Stern Wing.

Stern Wing almost complains about that request, but when she gazes back at the Doctor, she notices him giving a soft and pleading look. There is also a hint of confidence in his eyes that seems to assure her that he knows what he's doing. So, instead of complaining, she just whips her gaze away and closes her eyes in a huff.

“Thank you,” the Doctor replies gratefully to Stern Wing then turns to re-address Ashwin. “There are many things I am wondering about in this situation. I'll admit that motive is one of my questions, but I got a few theories in that regard as well. Right now, what I want to know the most is how you even got The Orb. It should have been in the Alphalmians' capital city and guarded by no less than their king himself as well as his most elite guards, not to mention the entire population of the city because they are telepathic and empathic. They share a very similar mindset and values and one of those is to guard The Orb. If anyone tried to sneak into that city to steal The Orb, it would be too easy for any of those citizens to sense that intention and they have the motive to work to prevent that. Add to that, their city is located very deeply underwater where no average species from the surface could even endure the water pressure let alone the fact that there isn't much air down there. What few places do have air is where they permitted it to be, primarily for honored guests who won the trust of those who can scan very deeply into the minds of others.

“So, considering all of that, how did you get The Orb? How did you even use it, for that matter? It should require at least a minor form of telepathy.”

Ashwin shook his head as he says, “I did not steal it. I have never been to the city at all, in fact. The only reason I have any memories of it is because I gained it from one of them. The Princess, in this case.”

“Oh! I see,” the Doctor says as his expression alights with realization. “Now The Princess could get access to The Orb, but again, her people would sense anyone's intentions to steal it. This still doesn't make complete sense. Besides, why would she want to steal it and give it to you anyway?”

“There are ways to shield their minds from being scanned,” Ashwin informs them. “She told me that herself. First of all, it requires an awareness that their minds can be scanned and an intention to prevent that. After that, it requires something about the right visualization technique and . . . I don't know. I'm not an expert on these things, but what I do know is using that technique while being directly observed is still suspicious among her kind because they know that they should be able to sense anyone who is there, and if they can't then that already indicates they have something to hide and might be up to no good. To get The Orb out, she couldn't be observed at all. She had to be sneaky.”

“Okay,” the Doctor accepts with a confused wince of one eye, “but again, why give it to you? This is a race that can sense others' intent very deeply. She should have no motive to give The Orb to someone who would intend to use it to harm anyone else.”

“Exactly,” Ashwin agrees as he looks back at the Doctor sharply. “She didn't hoof me The Orb to harm my kind but rather to protect us.”

“Huh?” the Doctor, and his companions (with the exception of Vision), all look taken aback. “Okay.” The Doctor shakes his head. “You lost me there, so explain this more clearly. How is using The Orb to conjure a deadly storm protecting your people?”

Now it's Ashwin's turn to look confused as he asked, “Pee-poll?”

“Your kind,” the Doctor clarifies. “Your race, basically.”

Ashwin continues to regard the Doctor a little strangely for a moment since he is wondering why the Doctor would choose that foreign word to begin with or how he learned it, but then Ashwin shook his head and decided to get back on topic.

But, before he speaks, he carefully observes the other ponies in the background. Because he does that, the Doctor glances over his shoulder at the others too. They both notice that the other ponies in this room have gathered together in one corner and speak quietly amongst themselves. Sometimes they also glance over to this group as if to suggest that they are talking about this group. They look a little weary as if nervous about what this group might be discussing.

“We're in danger just by discussing this,” Ashwin quietly warns those around him. “I think you are all in danger by just talking to me.”

“We'll deal with them shortly if we have to,” the Doctor assures as he turns back to Ashwin. “For now it is important to get my facts straight, so continue with your explanation.”

“Do they know you have The Orb of Storms?” Stern Wing asks aloud while subtly gesturing back to the other group with a flick of her right wing back at them.

“I don't think so,” Ashwin answers with a little uncertainty. “But that doesn't matter to them. What is more important to them is I'm not involved in the plot to kidnap, sell, and enslave some of the Alphalmian population and they don't want you to know about it.”

The group, with the continued exception of Ashwin himself as well as Vision, gives a collective gasp. The Doctor then says, “Okay, now that is pertinent information!” the Doctor says in approval. “And now we're talking about good motivation for an Alphalmian to do something unusual, but if she still had to sneak The Orb of Storms away from her people, then I suppose it means she still didn't have a popular opinion. My guess is using The Orb itself is what they would've opposed.”

Ashwin shrugs as he says, “When it comes to the motivations of her kind, I can only guess. I know what they are generally like but that doesn't mean I can guess what they want and why they want it with precision. What I do know is she was determined to rescue her kind and hoofing me The Orb of Storms was kind of a backup strategy just in case she fails.” He looks down gravely. In fact, he looks like he's downright grieving. “And the fact that she hasn't responded or called to me after this long leads me to conclude that she's failed in her mission. Worse, she's probably been captured, too.”

“Of course,” the Doctor says with a sigh as his eyelids droop half way. “It's practically in the job description for a Princess to be easily captured. I just hope we end up searching the right castle when we finally do go searching for her.” The Doctor regards Ashwin again. “But that still doesn't explain why she'd . . . um . . . 'hoof' you The Orb in the first place. And by the way, Alphalmians don't have hooves in the first place so the term is a bit of a misnomer.”

Ashwin waves a hoof dismissively to disregard the last thing the Doctor said and instead says, “While it is true that the storm is choking the life out of my kind, it is doing something else important as well.” He focuses on the Doctor as Ashwin asks the green tie stallion, “You have heard about the fact that the storm is delaying relief supplies from coming here, correct? Shipments that would have provided us with a fresh new stock of food, medical supplies, and lumber. In exchange, we provide them with refined metal ore. Sometimes we also supply finished products using said ore.”

The Doctor nods as he confirms, “I am aware of this.”

“Well,” Ashwin tilts his head a bit, “there is something else that the storm is keeping at bay, but unlike the first example, the second does intend us harm.”

“Oh?” the Doctor asks with sharp intrigue.

“And, whatever it is, it is something too powerful for us to oppose,” Ashwin informs them so quietly, he is almost whispering this. “Whoever they are, I suspect they are after the captured Alphalmians. In exchange, we are receiving some critical supplies for when . . . um. Well, the mines have had problems lately. I don't know exactly know what the problem is and this is not supposed to be public information. On top of that, I think some of my kind are accessing technology we never could have invented. Among that, I think one of them is helping my kind to capture and secure the Alphalmians in the first place. I suspect that, whoever is coming for the captives, they are not from this planet.”

Feather Wind widens his eyes in realization then looks at the Doctor as he asks the taller stallion, “Do you think it might be the unicorns and the pegasi? You did say earlier that they were capable of space travel and that they delivered these earth ponies to this planet in the first place.”

The Doctor shakes his head as he regards Feather in return before he says, “I don't think so. At least, not if this world follows the pattern of the other dimension that I know of. Not only are the unicorns probably not responsible for this, but they should be doing the opposite and guarding this world against extraterrestrial interference.”

The Doctor notices that the others, minus Vision, seem confused, so he explains further.

“That's the point of bringing the other earth ponies to this world,” the Doctor explains. “And the humans in the other realm. If this dimension follows the same example as the other dimension, then the unicorns planted the earth ponies on this world on purpose to observe how the earth ponies interact with the rest of this water world and, more importantly, observe how they interact without any outside alien interference. Watching the earth ponies develop here in this world is kind of a social and science experiment. To them, it is important to observe this development while also protecting their project from external interference and making sure that such influence doesn't taint the results. To the natives here, at least the earth ponies, the unicorns may seem remote and aloof, but the truth is the unicorns are actually paying very close attention.

“Unlike the other dimension, however, one curious difference here is the unicorns seem more interested to provide occasional advice and warnings if the earth ponies are on a very obviously self-destructive path. After all, if the earth ponies die, then the experiment ends and all future data they would have collected remain permanently out of their reach. As such, they have occasionally sent in the pegasi to act like spiritual messengers but the real purpose of their visit is something like, 'Hey! I'm here to warn you that if you continue on this path, it's going to lead to your deaths.'”

“I see,” Feather responds with an intrigued expression. “In that case, I take it that means that those who used to live in the drowned city below probably didn't heed those warnings?”

“Most likely,” the Doctor concurs then looks confused again. “But if all of this is true, the unicorns should have worked to prevent this other external influence. Furthermore, I happen to know that, in the other dimension, what is equivalent to the 'Alphalmians' are aware of this experiment and some of them are in contact with those who guard their world. In this case, it seems clear to me that at least one of the Alphalmians was aware of this plot and that race can easily spread their information. If the Alphalmians were aware of this external interference then the unicorns should be tipped off about it too, so why aren't they stopping this? Is the communication between their two species cut off? Are the unicorns perfectly aware of the interference but can't stop it for some reason? Or is there corruption within the unicorn society? A sect of them that turns a blind eye to this interference?

“Whatever the case may be, I have decided that I'll pay the unicorns of this world a visit next and find out what's going on with them from their side of the story.”

“You can do that?” Ashwin asks the Doctor in awe. “Just drop by in front of the throne of the gods like that whenever you want?”

“I am a man of many talents,” the Doctor informs smugly. “Such is within my power.”

“So, the only reason you are using The Orb of Storms is to prevent this other race from coming and interfering?” Stern Wing checks with Ashwin.

“I have some personal and vindictive reasons for using The Orb too,” Ashwin tells Stern darkly and honestly. “But that is not why The Princess gave me and taught me how to use The Orb. The Orb was only meant to be a safeguard just in case she failed in her mission. As long as the storm continues, then it is too strong for even this other race to approach us. In other words, it's keeping everything at bay.”

“Um, clarify something for me,” the Doctor requests as he looks down for a second, taps his noggin on the side of his head with four hoof taps, then regards Ashwin again as he lowers that hoof back to the ground. “So the plan was to use The Orb to keep this other race at bay if The Princess's mission fails. A sufficient enough time passes and it has become clear to you that she has indeed failed, so you use The Orb as planned. In doing so, it is choking the life out of this community but it is also keeping this great evil at bay. However, with all the damage that the storm is causing, as well as the diminishing supplies, it should be clear, by now, that this strategy is not sustainable even if it also has a good side effect, so here is my question; what comes next? The storm has successfully delayed the arrival of this other hostile race. Great! But if this continues, there'll be no pony left to guard in the long run, so the next step to more permanently solve this problem is . . .?” He trails off as he gives a swirling, inviting gesture to Ashwin to encourage him to finish that sentence.

Ashwin looks down with a defeated sigh before admitting, “I don't know. I just don't know. To be honest . . . I've kind of lost hope here.”

The Doctor casts a long sigh that kind of also sounds like a frustrated grunt. While he does that, he looks down, shakes his head, wipes a hoof down along the bridge of his snout then reaches forward to rest a hoof on Ashwin's left shoulder before expressing, “My dear friend, you are sooooo lucky that we have come here.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it,” Vision mumbles quietly under her breath. Since the Doctor still overheard her, he looks back and stares at her silently for four seconds then turns to regard the rest of his friends.

“Okay! I have decided,” the Doctor announces. “By now, I have collected some really good and relevant information about this latest adventure. This includes some information that I've gathered from some rather cheating sources, but hey! It still appears accurate and I'll need to react accordingly. So . . . here's what we're going to do,” he declares as he rises on his hind hooves and then falls forward to stomp his forelegs on the ground hard. “Step one: We are going to find this Princess of the Alphalmians and rescue her. Step two: We are going to use The Orb of Storms and get the artificial storm to end.” This statement he says very emphatically to Ashwin in particular.

“Gladly,” Ashwin replies enthusiastically. “I love her, Doctor, and I would do anything for her. If you can free her, I have no reason to continue to use The Orb of Storms except for one thing.”

The Doctor nods in agreement as he says, "Right. Step Three: We deal with these foreign intruders and get them to knock the heck off of their nefarious schemes around here. We'll also give them adequate pressure to convince them that returning the Alphalmians they already stole is in their best interests.

“Finally, we have step four; pay the unicorns a visit and find out what is going on from their end of this deal. Once we do that, we provide whatever assistance is necessary to course correct their little ship and then it's onwards and upwards through all the rest of time and space, and voilà! That'll all wrap up this adventure in a neat little bow, making it all ready for Hearts Warming Eve.”

“Sounds like a tall order to me filled with a lot of ifs,” Feather Wind observes cautiously. “For now, it sounds like a general plan, but I advise we all continue forward carefully.”

“What? Me? Cautious?” Stern Wing asks Feather Wind sarcastically. “Perish the thought.”

In response, Feather Wind snickers a bit.

“Well, whatever you all are going to do, you better do it soon,” Ashwin warns as he looks out the porthole window of the pod. “We're almost to the underwater base of Allon.” He looks back across at them. “And I know somepony down there is guilty of kidnapping the Alphalmians. Whoever they are won't take too kindly to you all snooping around down there. Not when they actually do have something to hide.”

“I expect we'll be done with this adventure in short order,” the Doctor assures pretty confidently. “With all the information I've collected so far, it's almost time for me to go to 'go mode' towards the end of this story. Aside from that, I have access to some new assets that I usually don't have in my previous adventures. As a result of these new trump cards, I can cut straight to the answers I need and dig these problems out at the root. I've been plenty formidable enough on my own in the past so, for any antagonist who remains in my way from this point on, I kind of feel sorry for them.”

Part 12: Unwelcome Reception to Unusual Visitors

Feather Wind tries to fight back a wave of panic as he watches the giant pod bay doors slowly open. He feels this way because he knows that whatever lurks outside of this pod is probably trouble.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Doctor,” the Doctor answers the implied question.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Part 13: It's a Trap!

Right now, it's very difficult for Feather Wind to adjust to this constant shock of “Encountering Something Not Even Similar To What He Has Experienced Before”. What gets to him even more is the fact he seems to be the only one to notice this.

In the Doctor's case, that makes sense. This isn't new to him or, at least, he has experienced something like this before. As a result, he can stride into a new environment like this underwater base and still seem so casual about it.

This makes sense to the natives too. To them, what they are surrounded by has always been that way for them. This is their world so there's no reason to treat it as beyond the ordinary. It's everything else out in the universe that might catch them off guard.

But looking back at his other companions like Stern Wing, Vision, and Derpy, it feels strange to him that they are not in as much awe about what they are encountering as he is. Does this mean they are failing to grasp the situation as deeply as he? Or maybe it just means their focus lies elsewhere for the moment.

Derpy and Stern Wing, for example, both seem on edge, but they are reacting to it in vastly different ways. Out of all of the TARDIS's companions, Derpy seems to be closest to being charmed by what she sees. She seems to at least occasionally look at something and appear to think, “Oh, this is neat!” But she senses tension in the air, too, and that is causing her to be very worried. However, unlike Stern Wing, Derpy isn't facing that fear with much confidence despite being a companion of the Doctor longer. It's like it lingers in her mind, “We're in danger and we might fail the challenge we are about to face. It isn't necessarily going to be the worst-case scenario. In fact, with the Doctor, avoiding the worst case is rather likely. However, I still worry about how good it will turn out. Tainted victory is a rather likely option. Like I'll probably survive along with a bunch of the natives too, but will they all survive? And what about those of us especially fragile like Vision here?”

For Stern Wing, she actually is very deeply ingrained in her element down here. It isn't necessarily “fun” for her to be in danger, but moments like that she regards as important. Because of that, she remains on high alert. Probably even more than usual. For her, there is this determination and unwavering confidence that the worst-case scenario can most definitely be avoided but it will be because of dedication and hard work. Because of that ultra-serious mode, she's not casually looking around at her environment thinking, “Ooo! That's pretty.”

No.

Rather than that, she's scanning for good ambush spots for her friends or any potential enemy. She's keeping herself aware and alert that there might be a trap around every corner. She's looking at the rivers of lava that they are passing and considering how it could be used in a tactical battle rather than a means of ore refinement as it is actually intended for.

Vision is even harder for Feather to explain. Perhaps because he doesn't know her as well? But the young foal seems to strut about as if slightly in a daze and yet there is an unusual level of confidence in her that doesn't seem at all normal for a foal her age. She's behaving like she's aware that she's a character in a story and that that story will play out however it's meant to. It's like she's surrendering to it and trusts that process. She probably isn't an all-knowing figure even if she does, perhaps, know more than usual. Rather than that, her self-confidence might stem from her perspective and attitude in how she regards the unknown.

Vision is visually blind and that fact is very clear to all that observe her. She would have made many more mistakes had she not been so carefully guided. Derpy, at the very least, keeps a wing wrapped protectively around the young foal not only to protect the filly but to also guide her. Even with that, Vision still stumbles into Derpy sometimes or has jerked in a direction that would have led the wrong way, but that wing kept on guiding her steps.

All of that makes sense, but why isn't she more emotionally bothered by what they are going through? That is something Feather can't put his hoof on yet.

As for himself, Feather is soaking everything in. For him, it isn't just about the awareness of the danger, it's about everything else too. The awareness of the vast dark ocean that exists beyond metal or glass walls. Out there is an incredible amount of pressure and coldness, yet there is beauty in it too that he'd have a hard time explaining to others. It's also rich in history. That environment out there used to be empty air. Wind used to pass through this valley that everypony breathed in.

As for the more local environment, there is a very stale and artificial quality to it. It also seems old and perhaps dangerously close to needing critical maintenance. There is the sight of rusty walls and the near-constant sound of dripping in the distance. Up on the surface, the cause of such dripping could have been excused as merely the weather, but down here it has a more ominous quality to it. It suggests a leak that might get far more severe if it is ignored for too long.

For all that, the technology around them also appears pretty stable, and for good reason. More than once they felt minor earthquakes down here and that is because this section of the drowned city has an active volcano in the middle of it. Geologically, it provides a strong hint why this valley may have sunken at one time, but he's been told the exact opposite. That this valley is, if anything, rising, but it can't keep up with the higher ocean levels of the warmer periods of the planet just yet. Someday it might break to the surface even when the planet is as flooded as it can possibly get, but that day has not come yet.

In the meantime, some of the lava has been channeled down here in really tough metal tubes and collected in giant bowls. Any fire, if hot enough, can melt things like steel, but the ponies here are channeling something that the environment naturally provided for them so they don't have to try as hard to produce it artificially. Maybe that lack of necessity is also why they don't know how to make a fire that hot artificially. They are just working with what they got and not innovating much beyond that point. It's like a pony living from paycheck to paycheck. It's just enough to survive and nothing extra.

As for the ponies themselves, Feather Wind isn't observing a vast population down here. Considering the large amount of space they've been trotting through ever since they arrived, the pony population is noticeably rather sparse. They have accomplished a lot while down here, but there are also multiple signs that indicate that what they have accomplished stretches across a vast amount of time. Because the personnel they are working with is so little, the grand work that they have accomplished can only be explained as a multi-generational project. That also explains why many things are in poor maintenance. They just don't have much pony power to spare keeping everything they have in tip-top shape. Instead of that, they are digging ever deeper into the earth for more ore or scrapping out the corpse of the sunken city around them. They are doing this through many kinds of underwater subs and smaller, almost pony-shaped vehicles which have extra appendages for either digging, drilling or grabbing.

In the contextually rather rare instance when they do pass another pony, the general attitude that Feather has observed is a mix of surprised curiosity and guarded for some reason. They kind of react like they have a secret to hide, or perhaps are concerned that the newcomers may cause them harm. In any case, it is not opening and welcoming expressions they are passing to the group, although their attention lingers stronger and sharper at either Feather or Stern in particular. That isn't just his horn or Stern's wings that make them standout. Feather Wind's natural hide color as well as his mystical Mist Cloak has also drawn their attention because the cloak looks like actual clouds consolidated into the shape of the cloak. It spills mist from it and sometimes flashes with tiny amounts of lightning.

It took Feather a while to notice there is another reaction among the natives, and it is particularly common among the younger ones. Beyond just regarding the newcomers in fear and awe like the others, there is also a sense of hope in a few of them as if regarding the newcomers as potential saviors from . . . something.

All of this tells Feather that, whatever is wrong down here, everypony that lives here is in the know about it. No pony, not even their youngest foals, is reacting like they are ignorant of some potential danger. Rather than that, there is a sadness and weariness to them all. They are miserable and they seem concerned that things might get worse, but a change is a change. That can include the possibility of a change for the better, but the adults lived with despair for so long that it felt pointless to hold on to hope for this long.

Feather Wind also noted how some of the natives glanced at their escorts as if to suggest the others would have been more forthcoming about what was going on if not for the company they are keeping. Being as alert as she is, Stern Wing probably noticed that too. Naturally the Doctor is as well because he's used to being observant. Vision probably also detected it but on a psychic level instead.

It takes Feather a moment to realize that, of this group, that only leaves Derpy remaining who is likely ignorant of the hidden glances of the natives. It fits her character, too, based on what Feather has observed from her. Recent trends may have trained her to be more alert than usual, but her walleyes put a natural hindrance on her anyway as well as an adorably ditsy personality that usually results in her being happily oblivious. As he understands it, she comes from a time when Equestria has been in peace, for the most part, for a thousand years. Even when the occasional crisis shows up, some other heroine swoops in and saves the day. That leaves the day-to-day living of the mail pony happily serving her community as best she can. She didn't have to worry about big-picture stuff until she started traveling with the Doctor regularly. Even then, that seems relatively recent for her based on the way she's acting.

It may be that she'd have a hard time describing exactly how long she's been with the Doctor because they keep time hopping for as long as she's been with him. Time starts to lose all meaning when that pattern continues often enough. In thinking of that, Feather Wind can project a prediction for himself as well. Someday he'll be like that too if he remains with the Doctor.

“This is it,” Vision suddenly announces while they are crossing through a glass tunnel which provides a clear visual inspection of the dark ocean around them as well as occasional oceanic vehicles traveling within it with headlights of some sort. “This is the glass tube that shattered at the end of my last prophetic dream.”

The Doctor activates his sonic screwdriver to send a sonic pulse within the tunnel to the one he privately wishes to communicate to. To that individual pony, he sounds loud like he's speaking through a metal tube, yet everypony else around them can't hear a thing.

“How close are we getting to the source of the psionic disturbance?” the Doctor surreptitiously questions Vision in concern. “Also, how well are you?”

There are multiple reasons for the Doctor's concern. Vision was raised as a very sheltered foal in the temple she came from. She was kind of a religious icon there, but more so was her mother. Her mother was the unicorn who was the public face to deliver the warnings that her daughter gave her. Their culture knew that Vision was the actual source of those forewarnings, but most other cultures didn't know that. They thought the psychic visions were coming from the mother directly.

In any case, Vision isn't used to this much physical stress. They already traveled quite the distance down here in Allon and, of all of them, Vision is clearly the most winded by it.

But aside from that, they are marching steadily towards what essentially is a psychic bomb. If that bomb goes off, all the local animal life down here in this ocean, which includes some very formidable kinds, is going to go berserk and target the source that caused their rage. The Doctor knows he needs to disarm it before that happens and it is the main reason he's in a rush right now.

But to find it, his best resource is also his most fragile one. The closer they get to the bomb, the more it'll likely exude psychic pressure on the one pony here who is most sensitive to it, so that is a catch twenty-two. A lot of creatures he has encountered heavily underestimate how dangerous a psychic attack can be. It can lead to many hostile side effects which include being fatal. There can be even worse fates than that as well.

“I'm fine,” Vision assures with as much confidence as she can muster, but the Doctor does notice her grimacing a bit.

“Also,” Vision adds after a moment. “beware, Doctor. This is the location where our escorts will choose to ambush us.”

As soon as Vision said that, to him at least, the steel metal doors they crossed to get into this glass tunnel in the first place shuts on them then locks. The one ahead of them isn't open either.

The Doctor groans in frustration before whirling about and regards their escorts wearily as he complains while switching off and stowing away his sonic screwdriver, “Really? You're going to do this now? And you've been so helpful to us up to this point.”

The dark pony who led the escort team, which they since learned is named Foreman Chovix, presses a button on his end of the door to open an audible channel to speak with the Doctor and those now trapped with him. When Chovix does speak, there is an audible crackle to his voice which signifies some flaws in the tech he is using.

“You should have listened to me, Doctor,” Foreman Chovix says with a voice and expression heavy with regret. “I told you to return to the pod you came from for your benefit, too. Now you forced my hoof, and believe me . . . I take no pleasure from what I'm about to do.”

With that, he releases the button that opens the intercom from his end. He then glances at somepony to his left that the TARDIS crew cannot see then nods sadly to that pony. Seconds later, he regards them sadly again as water starts to flood the tube they are in. In particular, it rises from the floor through a metal grate and starts to flood the surface below the grate. Eventually it will rise enough to be above the grate.

“He's telling the truth, Doctor,” Vision quietly informs the Time Lord. “He doesn't want to do this.”

The Doctor turns his eyes, but not his head, to regard Vision for a silent moment as he contemplates the implications of the tip she just gave him then nods to her in appreciation for that. After a moment, he recalls the fact she can't see his visual nod so he says to her instead, “Thanks for the tip.”

“And why, for pony's sake, would they deliberately design a glass, underwater tunnel to be able to flood any victim within it?” Stern Wing asks in confusion.

“The means they are using to flood this tunnel is designed to drain water from here,” the Doctor answers immediately. “They have simply reversed the pressure in order to flood this tunnel instead.”

“Shall I use my barrier magic to block the flood?” Feather Wind offers somewhat casually. “If I do it now, it won't be that difficult to hold it.”

The Doctor thinks about that for a moment as he glances at Vision again, then shakes his head as he looks back through the small square and thick window on the large steel door which leads to the foreman beyond. The Doctor then says, “No . . . at least for now. I want to explore other options first.”

“How about I simply open one of the doors, then?” Feather counter offers as he looks back and forth between both of the doors that trap them in this tunnel. “They are not accustomed to unicorn magic, including basic telekinesis. I could spin the wheel locking the doors shut then simply open them.”

“No. Hold off on that as well,” the Doctor instructs. “Don't reveal any of our abilities yet when it might not be necessary to do so.”

“Um . . . Doctor, that water rising below is very, very cold,” Feather Wind warns grimly. “And Vision . . .” Feather trails off as he eyes the young filly in concern.

In response to that concern, Derpy lowers to her knees and bids Vision, “Honey, climb onto my back right now. Please.”

Vision does not hesitate. She immediately turns to her side and climbs onto Derpy's back. Once there, though, her balance is a little shaky as she searches for her equilibrium which is challenged again when Derpy rises.

“Hold tight to me,” Derpy bids after she rises. “Bite on to my mane if you have to. I won't let you fall.”

As if to make sure of that, the gray pegasus tucks her wings up a bit as if to create a minor wall on both sides of the young filly on her back.

“Thank you,” Vision whispers quietly to Derpy.

“Whatever you're going to do, Doctor, you'd better do it fast,” Stern Wing encourages as she eyes the rising water level below them in concern.

“You don't have to tell me twice,” the Doctor agrees as he trots his way to the door they passed a short while ago. When he arrives, he stands on the other side, gives a hard look to the foreman beyond the door before reaching and pressing the intercom button on the Doctor's side of the door without looking at it.

“First of all, I want to tell you that I believe you when you say you don't want to do this,” the Doctor begins to the foreman. “I don't even think you're doing this of your own free will necessarily. You know something of what's going on down here and, whatever it is, both you and your people regard it as unfortunate. I want to make it clear to you, even at this very moment, that we only came down here to help.”

The foreman shakes his head with regret on his side of the window then glances to his left for a moment, reaches for the button on his end, then looks back at the Doctor off to the right side of his face as he says, “You just don't understand the circumstances that you are meddling with and that I had to deal with before you got here. Believe me, the lot of you dying right here, right now, might be a more merciful fate compared to what we'll continue to go through.”

“I don't understand? Then explain it to me!” the Doctor emotionally encourages. “Don't just kill us off, especially when you know that it's wrong! If you explain your side of the argument well enough, I might even join you in your cause. Did you even consider that?”

Once again, the foreman shakes his head as he says, “Perhaps that could have been a viable option at one point except for one thing; you brought a unicorn down with you into the abyss, Doctor, and current circumstances make that particular scenario . . . complicated.”

“Then tell me this!” the Doctor demands as he pounds the thick metal door when he said the word “tell”. After that, he goes on to ask, “Are the unicorns directly responsible for your current crisis? Yes or no?”

The foreman knows the answer to that immediately, but he appears to pause a moment to contemplate if there is any point in telling the Doctor that or not.

“You're trying to kill us right now,” the Doctor presses when he sees that the foreman is on the edge of whether or not to tell the Doctor that information. “You owe us at least that much.”

“What good would telling you now do?” the foreman reflects. “You who are about to die.”

“Let's just say I don't like going to my grave without straight answers,” the Doctor responds. “Especially if those circumstances were responsible for causing my death and that of my friends. One of whom is a foal, by the way, just in case that isn't clear to you yet.”

The Doctor appears to have struck a nerve with the inclusion of that last fact. Chovix looks behind the Doctor at the foal in question. While he does so, the Doctor leans out of the way a bit just to ensure the foreman gets a good look at one of his victims.

Seconds later, the foreman looks at Feather Wind directly, shakes his head, then focuses back at the Doctor as he says, “No. The unicorns are not responsible for our current crisis. At least not directly. Those who are directly responsible have to sneak through the blockade high in the sky.”

“Really?” the Doctor checks. “That's great, then! That means those who put pressure on you are regarded as unwelcome by those they fear to have the power to stop them.” The Doctor shrugs. “So all I have to do is inform the unicorns about this little leak. Once they get that tip, they can put an end to those who pressure you for good.”

“Unfortunately, it's not that simple,” the foreman says sadly. “Because the services they provide are also needed. Without them, the situation we suffer from above will get so much worse.”

"Your civilization is dying right now!” the Doctor cries out with another angry pound. “What can possibly be worse than that?”

“Not much, I'll admit,” the foreman agrees. “In fact, that is the worst-case scenario here, but still . . . we have to solve the storm crisis somehow without blocking our crucial benefactors.”

“Benefactors?” the Doctor reflects. “So these guys are also paying you?” The Doctor lifts a hoof. “And let me guess . . . the payment that they demanded are the lives of the missing Alphalmians, correct?”

“You're unusually well informed, Doctor,” the foreman says as he narrows his eyes. “In this case, however, it's not too much of a mystery how you found out that particular fact.

“You know, I was content to allow Ashwin to merely complain as he has, but now he's involving strangers from who knows where. In doing so, he has graduated from a nuisance to a threat.”

“If you take out Ashwin, then believe me . . . you'd only be shooting yourselves in the hoof,” the Doctor firmly assures. “He's only trying to do what's right.”

“And you think I'm not?” Chovix reflects bitterly then shakes his head. “You think I'm the villain here? You who just arrived in our world then immediately claim you have the moral high ground?”

“What would the Alphalmians you kidnapped say?” the Doctor asks as he raises an eyebrow at the foreman.

“You have no right to judge or condemn us,” Chovix stubbornly insists. “You don't know what we've been through.”

“No right to judge or condemn you, you say?” the Doctor shoots back as he glances down at the water rising from below before looking back at the foreman and continuing. “Then come over here and try saying that to my face on this side of the window. Let's see how well you can justify yourself then.”

“This isn't about me!” the foreman argues as he finally pounds his side of the door. “It's about all of the pony kind in this world. We'll all perish if we don't hoofle this carefully.”

“Why?” the Doctor immediately asks in an almost demanding tone.

The foreman growls in frustration as he looks down for a moment then sharply snaps his gaze back at the Doctor as he asks, “You really want to know?”

“Yes,” the Doctor insists simply.

“Fine then!” the foreman agrees with another pound at the door. “We discovered a toxic gas in the wing of the most promising section of our ore mine,” he explains. “I lost a lot of good ponies down there and we had to collapse that section to avoid spreading the toxic gas.” He shakes his head. “On top of that, a lot of our machines we needed to salvage the rest of the city were breaking down. By then, we just lost access to the ore we could have used to refine and replace the broken parts we needed, so we were stuck both ways.

“But then, in our darkest hour, salvation unexpectedly came to us from the stars above. A race that came to us in these giant metal suits and not only claimed they had the means to help us, but they also proved it. But, in exchange, we had to do a favor for them. One I'd be unwilling to do under most circumstances, but they caught us in a particularly desperate moment.”

“Did they say the name of their race?” the Doctor checks with a softer voice and expression.

The foreman shakes his head as he says, “No, they didn't, so we just got used to calling them the Iron Suits.”

“Does your whole community down below know about this?” the Doctor probes further.

“Probably,” Chovix answers with a sigh of regret. “It's a small community down here, Doctor. Rumors fly fast. It's an even smaller community after I lost some of my best miners to the toxic gas.”

“How long ago did that occur?” asks the Doctor.

“Long enough to know for sure they could not have survived down there,” Chovix assures.

That answer causes the Doctor's expression to grow grim because that was part of the reason why he asked. After a while, he eventually asks, “Did it ever occur to you that the problems that caused you to so desperately embrace their offer was likely because they caused it in the first place?”

Chovix sighs and bumps his head on his end of the door once, then regards the Doctor solemnly as he admits, “To be honest, yes. That has occurred to me because their timing was unusually perfect. They came just after we had to collapse the most lucrative branch of our mine and while we desperately needed replacement parts for our other salvage machines. Without both, our entire operation here grinds to a halt. If we cannot produce any more ore by any means, then we have nothing to trade for supplies from other colonies.” The foreman shakes his head as he goes on to say, “Nevertheless, despite suspecting that they might have caused this whole affair, we were driven to a desperate corner at that point so we had to give in to their demands.”

“Perhaps, at the time, it might have seemed that way,” the Doctor partially concedes. “I still espouse that a clever enough mind can find an ideal solution through almost any problem, but I digress. Right now your options are more open than they used to be, but that's starting to change. You're about to kill the very ponies who can save you from this whole mess.”

“Sorry, Doctor. I truly am, but I cannot take that chance,” the foreman argues. “Too much is at stake here, and I don't believe that you'd be powerful enough to oppose what we're up against.”

“Tell that to the unusually persistent and aggressive weather on the surface,” the Doctor points out. “You don't seem to have a solution for that and neither do your new benefactors, but I do.”

The foreman looks surprised at that declaration then narrows one eye suspiciously as he says, “You're bluffing.”

“You're new benefactors haven't shown up ever since the storm didn't let up, have they?” the Doctor asks. “You think that is a coincidence? At the same time, you've been attacking the Alphalmian race. A race known to have some influence over the storms, and you just gave them the incentive to use it.

“DAMN it, man! Think this through! Use your brain for once,” the Doctor encourages. “You don't trust me and I get that, but can you trust the Iron Suits more than I? They provided conditional services during a highly suspicious moment. I, meanwhile, wasn't hiding in the shadows as they have. I even came with the support of one of the unicorns, a race that is known by your people to guard you against influences like this. I came to you all openly with open arms. Or . . . forelegs or what have you. Furthermore, one of your most trusted citizens vouched for me. Have you ever heard of Doctor Waston?”

“Of course I have,” Chovix answers softly. “He's the most educated and respected pony I know.”

“It is a pony like that which tried to assure the others that both my crew and I are on the up and up. I'll also bet you anything that Doctor Waston did not give the Iron Suits his thumbs up in approval. Hell, he probably doesn't even know about them entirely. You made sure of that, and so did the Iron Suits. That is because they know they are operating on this planet illegally so of course they would like to keep their operation here clandestine.” Upon seeing the foreman's immediate confusion with that last sentence, the Doctor clarifies, “They like to remain a secret.”

“Doctor, I don't mean to interrupt your conversation with our potential killer, but it's getting pretty darn cold back here!” Stern Wing complains in the background.

When Stern Wing said that, the Doctor turns his head halfway back to her but not enough to glance at her over his shoulder, then he shifts his eyes back to the foreman and asks, “You hear that? You're about to kill your saviors here. I came at you out in the open and I did it through official channels. I'm not hiding behind any iron suits but rather showing up with my open face. The only thing that I am asking you to do is to save us from destruction. In return, I'll do the same.”

“Why?” Chovix asks with suspicion. “I mean, besides wanting to be spared from being killed right now, what's in this for you ultimately?” He shakes his head. “You have nothing to gain by sparing us.”

“Au contraire, my young friend. There is much I stand to gain from this,” the Doctor assures. “But it isn't something that is going to cost you anything. I just like to explore and have fun with other sentient lifeforms such as yourself. That's more of a challenge for me if you're all dead. Believe me, chatting with corpses gets rather boring quickly.”

The Doctor pounds the door as he says, “Look, any way you look at it, the situation you're in isn't sustainable. The Iron Suits haven't shown up ever since the storm started. That either means they can't get to you or no longer wish to. Either way, that means they have abandoned you. In the meantime, I'm here and wanting to help and I've asked for nothing in return except for you to stop killing us and to allow me the honor and privilege to help you all.”

“And why would that be a privilege for you?” Chovix asks skeptically.

“Because I am the Doctor!” the Doctor declares dramatically. “Saving others is what I do. You can even say it's practically a byproduct of my cutie mark. A mark of my destiny.

“Now, with all of that being said, by all means, please be a smart old chap and STOP KILLING YOUR SAVIORS!”

Foreman Chovix just continues to stare at the Doctor while considering the situation very hard.

“PLEASE!” the Doctor begs desperately with another pound at the door.

Chovix casts a long sigh as he looks down and shakes his head, then looks back at the Doctor as he says, “Don't make me regret this, Doctor.”

“I can assure you I have no such motivation to do so at this time,” the Doctor promises.

With another reluctant sigh, Chovix looks over to someone to his left and nods to that pony once again. Shortly after that, the pressure pumping water into the glass tunnel pauses and then reverses its flow.

Part 14: I Am the Doctor

After another long while of trotting, the TARDIS crew, the foreman, and six of his other cronies arrive at the large foreman's office which has two layers to it. The lower part at the entrance and a raised platform further off to the right side from the entrance. Light ignites in the room with flashing, fluorescent lights. Doing so reveals the clutter in the room that those entering will need to carefully circumvent. There are also dozens of windows along the far side of the wall away from the entrance that stretches up and curves back partially along the roof. Beyond displays an ocean so black that the lit interior mostly make these windows better for reflection of those standing inside the room. There is a cross-network of steel I beams visible along the roof too which provides a very steampunk atmosphere.

“It's here, isn't it?” the Doctor asks Vision beside him, but this time he asks that openly. Upon seeing Vision wince in heavy distress, he takes it as a strong sign that they are very close to the source of the psychic disturbance.

“Yes,” Vision answers with a pained strain on her face. “It's somewhere close by. I can feel it.”

“What exactly are you looking for?” foreman Chovix asks. “Perhaps I can help you seek it out.”

The moment Chovix asks this, his local cronies look at him with concern because they are still not certain they should trust these new strangers. After all, their whole race on this planet is at stake. This is a very big gamble for them.

Chovix notices their glance of concern and he returns it with as confident of a nod as he can muster, but in truth, he is very concerned as well and very much aware of the degree of responsibility that lies on his shoulders with this decision.

“Something that will soon annihilate you all if I don't defuse it,” the Doctor answers as he lifts his sonic screwdriver. The device emits a high-pitched but overall not too painfully light buzzing noise. A light ignites at the tip of the tool as well. Using this, he waves it about the room in various directions. As he does so, the pitch of noise from the device changes when he aims it in various directions. Using that strategy, he homes in on something towards the back of the room on the raised platform off to the right side of the entrance.

“Annihilate us?!” the foreman gasps. “What exactly do you mean, Doctor? Are you saying our benefactors also gave us some kind of bomb or something?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” the Doctor says as he roams towards the raised platform. From there, he continues to wave the metal stick about which seems to home in towards what appears to be a globe of this planet in the far back corner. The Doctor approaches it while spinning his sonic screwdriver with unnecessary style then puts it away on the right pocket of his flank.

As the Doctor approaches the globe, he notices some of the foreman's cronies gasp in shock and then almost jerk into motion to stop the Doctor from approaching something sensitive, but the foreman makes a sharp whistling sound to signal for their attention. Once he has it, he shakes his head in disapproval, thus silently informing them that they should allow the Doctor to examine this.

“Are you sure?” one of the cronies asks in distress and uncertainty.

Instead of answering that question, Chovix looks back at the Doctor and swallows hard while he obviously tries to muster his own confidence.

All of this basically confirms to the Doctor that he has, indeed, found something important in this adventure. That, in turn, reaffirms his own course of action. He examines the globe carefully and then soon realizes that the upper half of the globe can be unscrewed and removed. The Doctor proceeds to do so. When he does, it reveals a curious-looking alien device hidden beneath which looks like a series of violet crystals clustered in the center of the device and complicated tech surrounding it, especially compared to the standards of technology he has observed from these ponies thus far.

“I knew it,” the Doctor declares triumphantly as he continues to examine this device. Shortly later, he pulls out his sonic screwdriver again and proceeds to aim noise at the device. No pony else can easily tell what the Doctor is doing now, but he is scanning it to help him verify certain theories of his as well as figure out exactly how to manipulate it later. The information the Doctor later discovers because of his scan causes him to look down, sigh, shake his head, then twist his head to his left side to regard the foreman. Once he locks eyes with the stallion, he asks, “Do you have any idea what kind of dangerous tech you've been meddling with here?”

“I only know enough to use it,” the foreman answers. “Which is basically too-”

Foreman Chovix cuts himself off when he hears somepony else approach his office. He looks back at the entrance and notices that it is Ashwin Cobberfield. Two of the foreman's cronies stop Ashwin from entering the office.

“That's okay, Chovix,” says the Doctor. “Let him in. He brought something with him that we're going to need to solve our current crisis.”

Those that stopped Ashwin at the door look back at Chovix to see if the foreman agrees with the Doctor's recommendation, to which Chovix nods his confirmation. Upon doing so, those that blocked Ashwin initially by lifting their forehooves now lower the appendages back to the floor and thus remove themselves as an obstacle to Ashwin's entrance. Ashwin then proceeds to enter while giving this group a strange look because they are behaving quite differently than he remembers. He regards the Doctor especially long with a questioning look as if to silently ask, “Are you sure we can trust them?”

The Doctor nods at Ashwin as he says, “Go ahead, Ashwin. Pull 'it' out.”

Ashwin does not cooperate immediately. Instead, he gives a final suspicious glance at the rest of the ponies in the room, particularly those who work here down in Allon. This ends with Ashwin giving the Doctor another nervous but also hopeful glance as if to say, “I hope you know what you're doing.” After that, Ashwin turns his head into the saddlebag off to his right side and fishes for something with his mouth before pulling out a crystal orb that has what appears to be a tiny stormy cloud trapped within it. The storm cloud flashes silently to those who observe it.

Those that work in Allon gasp at the sight of this device. One of them even asks, “Is that the . . .?” He trails off with uncertainty as if afraid to finish asking that question.

To answer the question, Ashwin lowers his head to the floor and carefully spits out what he's been holding in his mouth. To keep it from rolling away, he then applies a hoof directly on top of it. After that, he lifts his head to gaze at his fellow workers with a bit of tight fury as he answers, “Yes. This is The Orb of Storms.”

“You had it?!” Chovix asks Ashwin with shock and fury. “You had it this whole time, and you used it against your fellow ponies?!”

“Yes!” Ashwin growls in anger. “Because I can't be proud of being a race that is willing to capture and sell another race so indiscriminately.”

“Indiscriminate!?” Chovix asks with rising fury. “You knew what we were up against! How we were backed into a corner and we had to do what we did.”

“That doesn't make it right,” Ashwin argues back. “How is it justice to be willing to impose misfortune upon others but conveniently be willing to deflect it from ourselves?”

“CONVENIENT?!” Chovix shouts back. “THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING CONVENIENT ABOUT WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH. WHAT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH.”

“Enough of the blame game!” the Doctor demands. “Don't you see? None of that is going to solve our problem now. Everyone here had their own personal reasons for believing that what they've done was for the best, but right now we need to move past all that and get what needs to be done, done. To that end,” the Doctor regards Ashwin directly and nods to him. “Use The Orb of Storms and cancel the weather up on the surface.”

Ashwin flashes the Doctor a cautious look as he reminds him, “If I do that, you are aware that another problem will come and replace the storm, right?”

“That's why you did it?” Chovix asks Ashwin incredulously.

Now it's the Doctor's turn to whistle to signal for attention to the foreman. Once he has it, the Doctor simply shakes his head before turning his attention back to Ashwin and says, “I'm well aware of that and I plan on dealing with that problem next. For now, one step at a time, please. You ponies can't sustain yourselves as you are right now so we might as well get this over with.”

“If necessary, you can use that to summon the storm back,” Feather Wind reminds Ashwin. “So go ahead and drop it now. We're not out of options later if you do.”

“We're going to have a long discussion about this later,” Chovix assures Ashwin tightly.

“I plan on confessing what I've done to everypony once this gets settled,” Ashwin returns. “While I am at it, you should do the same. We all deserve to surrender to our communities' judgment once this is done.”

Finally, the foreman's expression towards Ashwin softens a bit as he admits, “That's the plan.” Saying that evokes immediate and sharp concern from the rest of the foreman's underlings around him to which he quickly assures, “Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility for all this. You were all acting under my command so I won't surrender any names beyond my own.”

“That's admirable of you,” Stern Wing tells the foreman with approval. “That is the way a proper leader should behave.”

“I don't need you to tell me that!” Chovix barks in sudden and sharp anger at Stern Wing. “Whether you approve or not of my past or future actions are irrelevant to me. I know my duties and I shall follow them.”

“And on that note,” begins the Doctor to the whole room before he nods at Ashwin specifically. “Ashwin,” he says with encouragement.

Ashwin takes a deep breath to summon his confidence before sitting down, lifting The Orb of Storms between his hooves, then for all intents and purposes, appears to meditate after that.

“Did you disable the psychic bomb, Doctor?” Derpy asks the Doctor in concern.

“As I said, one problem at a time, my faithful companion,” the Doctor tells the gray pegasus in a reassuring voice. “I know what I'm doing.”

“Okay, Doctor,” Derpy tells him back while raising a thin smile. “I trust you. I just want everypony to stop being in pain or in danger is all.”

“I share that goal as well,” the Doctor returns to her. “Now, everyone, a moment of silence please while Ashwin completes his task.”

That's exactly what happens next. Everyone remains on quiet standby while Ashwin finishes using The Orb of Storms. Four silent minutes later, Ashwin opens his eyes and he is the first to break the silence.

“It's done,” Ashwin assures. “The storm should be dissipating right now.”

“Excellent!” the Doctor cheers.

“Can you verify that?” Stern Wing asks Feather Wind beside her.

“It's not as easy to do so down here in these depths, but I can try,” Feather Wind offers.

“How would you be able to tell?” one of the workers asks the light blue unicorn.

“Oh trust me, he has his ways,” Stern Wing assures confidently.

“So do we,” Chovix returns evenly then looks at one of his underlings who has the whitest hide. “Chalman,” he says which gathers that stallion's attention, “I want you to tell Shtoliz to radio our contacts up on the surface. Ask if the storm is indeed dissipating.”

“If it is, Shtoliz might get the memo before I even get there,” Chalman guesses.

“Either way, report back to me whatever the result is,” Chovix orders.

Chalman nods and says, “Yes Sir,” before taking off to do as ordered.

“In the meantime,” Chovix begins as he eyes Ashwin narrowly.

“You're not getting this orb from me,” Ashwin growls as he stands up and backs off a bit with the orb in one of his hooves.

“I wasn't planning on taking it,” Chovix quickly assures. “After all, you're probably the only one in this room who is somehow trained to use it anyway.”

“That's what happens when we engage the Alphalmians more peacefully,” Ashwin partially explains.

“No doubt,” Chovix agrees. “Because they are the only ones who could have given it to you and trained you in its usage. As a result, you are an indispensable resource at the moment and therefore I'm not letting you out of my sight. On the contrary, you're going to stay here and help me confront what is coming next. I want you to see the Iron Suits for yourself just so that you know exactly what I've been dealing with all this time.”

Ashwin suddenly looks partially confused as he asks, “Iron Suits? Is that the name of the slavers you contacted?”

“Sort of,” Chovix answers Ashwin before shaking his head as he says, “They never declared what their name is, so that is what we've been calling them in the meantime. The reason for that shall be obvious to you soon.

“More to the point, I want you here in case whatever happens next goes south. If it turns out the Doctor can't hoofle them then perhaps you can use that orb.” Chovix then looks questioning as he asks, “Is it possible you could summon a storm to attack a specific target? Something like a spaceship, perhaps?”

Ashwin's expression softens from guarded and accusatory to uncertain as he answers, “Probably not, especially if I can't see it. This orb can only help me affect the weather in a general location.”

Ashwin's answer causes Chovix to be very thoughtful.

---

“Sir,” Chalman gasps as he returns to the office. Once there, he tries to speak, but he keeps wheezing instead.

“Take your time,” Chovix commands his underling. “Catch your breath. Just breathe.”

Chalman nods at Chovix in understanding then closes his eyes as he forces himself to breathe. At first he is doing it quickly, but he deliberately tries to slow his breath.

Observing this, an idea suddenly pops into Feather Wind's mind. An experiment that he never really tried before. Knowing how well he is connected to the wind and sky, Feather Wind attempts what he considers a slightly risky move by intensifying the air pressure around Chalman in such a way that it might squeeze oxygen closer to Chalman. Thus, while the other stallion attempts to catch his breath, Feather Wind tries to see if he can enrich the quality of the oxygen itself directly around Chalman.

Air is hard to see, though, so it is difficult to tell if Feather's experiment is working. The only result he can tell is feeling stronger air pressure on his own skull. It's probably worse for Chalman so Feather releases the air pressure some. In the end, Feather gains no idea if his experiment helped to enrich the oxygen itself, but he definitely succeeded to intensify the air pressure at least.

“Better?” Chovix asks after a few minutes' pause.

“Yes Sir,” Chalman verifies.

“Then report,” Chovix orders.

“Yes Sir,” Chalman repeats and then says, “Good news. The weather has indeed relaxed up on the surface.”

“Told you,” Ashwin lightly taunts.

“There's more, Sir,” Chalman adds after he casts a brief glance back at Ashwin when that stallion spoke. He then focuses back on his boss as he adds, “They are now here too, Sir.”

“The Suits?” Chovix double-checks.

Before Chalman can answer, he pauses when they all hear an usual sound pick up around the office. It sounds like something large is approaching them from outside in the dark ocean which makes a rhythmically repeating "wow-wow" that no ordinary tech of these pony's age could possibly make. Moments later, something even more spectacular happens when a giant metallic spaceship gradually becomes visible outside the foreman's office windows. As this ship appears, there is a wavy quality to it as it gradually gains visible solidity. When it fully becomes visible, some can notice there is a vague egg shape to this giant vessel. It is particularly rounded and fat on what appears to be the bottom decks. Smaller bubble shape bloats lie on top of the fattest part of the ship and it narrows out into an oval curve at the top. Many lights are visible through the other vessel's porthole windows. In addition to that, unusual-looking lights are beaming out from the ship that seems to shift across a rainbow spectrum of light. Those lights also appear a bit wavy because of the giant ship stirring up motion in the ocean water.

“Yes Sir,” Chalman finally confirms after it has become abundantly obvious that the Iron Suits have indeed arrived.

To Chovix's credit, he gives a completely serious and non-sarcastic nod of understanding and acceptance to his underling as if saying, “I have received and understood your report, and I'm glad to have received it.”

“I hope you understand that it is my every intention to be sure that these guys walk away empty-handed,” the Doctor warns Chovix.

“Duly noted,” Chovix confirms as he looks back at the Doctor. “And it's up to you to give them an incentive to leave empty . . . um . . .” Chovix suddenly looks confused. “You did say empty hoofed, right?”

The Doctor snickers for a moment then waves Chovix off as he says, “Basically, yes. Same difference.”

“I think he actually said something about empty han-ded?” another one of Chovix's underlings says with a confused squint to his face.

“That's just the Doctor's quirky nature,” Derpy assures with a playful giggle. “You get used to it . . . sort of. Eventually.”

Outside, the Iron Suits vessel continues to get closer and closer. Pretty soon it becomes impossible to see the upper or lower end of the other ship because it is too close. Moments later, Allon shakes a bit as the other vessel collides with the underwater station. More giant metallic sounds soon follow as the other ship docks and secures its position.

“They are coming here?” the Doctor checks with Chovix as the Time Lord points down to their current position.

“Yes,” Chovix confirms. “More specifically, through the secret passage behind you.” As the Doctor checks over his shoulder, Chovix adds, “It's behind the bookshelf.”

Curious, the Doctor spins about and approaches the said bookshelf. He aims his sonic screwdriver at it and it emits a small buzzing noise as he waves it about the bookshelf for a few seconds. Five seconds later, the device extends, revealing a new compartment in the center of the device. The Doctor glances at it for a second before looking back at the bookshelf with a nod as he says, “Yes. I see. Very interesting.”

“That was their idea,” Chovix goes on to mention. “They didn't feel comfortable marching through our station in public, but nevertheless, most of my staff knows something about them because their vessel is quite noticeable, as you can see. Well, at least as you can see now.”

“A cloaking device,” the Doctor realizes as he looks out the foreman's windows at the other vessel that is now too close to see anything other than a giant wall and a few porthole windows. “That somewhat explains how these guys can pass right through the unicorn's blockade around this planet.”

No pony else in the room entirely followed along with the Doctor's terminology, particularly around the word “cloaking device”, but they somewhat got the idea based on context clues.

Several minutes later, they all hear the sound of marching from those who must be traveling with thick metallic boots. Shortly later, the bookshelf slides off to the side along with another thick steel door behind it. From beyond that, the TARDIS crew, as well as Ashwin, got their first look at this visiting alien race. This race stood upright on two pretty thick legs. They only stand about five feet tall. Based on what they can see of this race's suits, they are very broad and rounded in the shoulders. Their faces jut forward from the rest of their head to something that kind of resembles an ant-eater, but the resemblance stops there. They also have thick arms and thick hands. There is the sound of steam occasionally hissing as it escapes their suits at various points. To those who observe this, it quickly becomes apparent that this race is wearing an environmental suit so they can preserve whatever condition they need to live down here. In addition to that, the suits look pretty durable from a physical standpoint as if they are meant to endure punishment from possible combat. There are large boxes placed in their chest area which have many dials, switches, and gauges. Flexible tubes extend from the box on their chest that each arc back to their helmets from the left and right side. For their eyes, they all have what appears to be a pair of reddish-tinted tiny windows in their helmets that is too opaque to see anything beyond from the outside looking in.

“Klaxians,” sighs the Doctor as his shoulders lower wearily. “I should have known.”

Those in the room barely hear some quiet, wheezing sound from within one of the suits. Moments later, a robotic-sounding voice box booms in a slightly echo-y tone as if it is speaking through a metal tube. The question that the Klaxian in the lead asks is what one might assume to be a translation of what the one within the suit asked a moment ago, and that is, "Cho-vix, why are there ex-tra in-tru-ders in your of-fice right now? We thought we had made our feel-ings quite clear on this ma-tter a long time ago.”

“You might be able to tell that there have been some complications since our last visit together,” Chovix says back to the lead Klaxian. “For instance, you might have noticed the unusual storm that has only recently dissipated?”

“In-deed. The weh-ther ah-nom-ah-ly proved to be quite the in-con-venience for us,” the lead Klaxian agrees. “As a re-sult, and as you can well ee-mag-ine, this has put us quite be-hind sched-u-le. So, if you don't mind, we would de-spense with the pleas-an-tries and swift-ly move on with our trade ah-gree-ment.”

“Well . . . you see . . . there is a problem with that too,” Chovix replies a little nervously but he clearly tries to muster up his confidence mid-sentence.

“We are not in-teres-ted in fur-ther de-lays or ex-cu-ses,” the Klaxian says back in annoyance. “Do you have our new sam-ple or not?”

“He does, but you will not be receiving it this time or any other from this point forward,” insists the Doctor as he boldly steps up and makes his presence more known.

“Who is this? Who dares to speak to us so bol-dly?” asks the flat, echo-y, and robotic sound of the Klaxian's voice translator.

“I'm glad you asked. I am the Doctor!” the Doctor announces boldly.

After a short, probably confused pause, the Klaxian then asks, “Doc-tor who?”

“Thee Doctor, actually,” the Doctor announces. “If you haven't heard of me then, I promise you, you soon will, for there is unlikely any greater force that you have reckoned with. I am the last of the Time Lords that I'm aware of. There are some who have called me Time Lord Victorious, and to my enemies . . . I have also been known as The Oncoming Storm!”

The Doctor's recent declaration stirs greater interest, and perhaps even alarm, among the gathered Klaxians. This time they discuss something amongst themselves and, when they do, their voice translator does not pick it up. They are barely audible to anyone outside of their artificial suits, but one can guess that they can easily be understood by each other, possibly because of some built-in intercom system within their helmets. After a quick and possibly also heated debate, the lead Klaxian asks, “You said you are Thee Doc-tor? Time Lord Doc-tor? He who pi-lots the Tar-dis?”

“So you have heard of me. Good!” the Doctor cheers rather aggressively. “Then you know I am not an individual to be crossed lightly and that I am an individual that always keeps my word. With that in mind, gentleman, I hereby make unto you this pledge.” He nods back to the rest of the ponies behind him. “These ponies here, and in any other world as well, are under my protection and I shall not allow you to harm or corrupt these innocent ponies any further. Furthermore, I hereby also demand the immediate return of every Alphalmians you ever stole to be returned to their rightful planet here, or there shall be consequences.”

“You do not scare us, Doc-tor,” says the lead klaxian. “For we have heard of you. No weh-pons or arm-a-ments of any kind, nor in your ves-sel. You tra-vel the stars uh-ter-ly de-void of any re-spect-ful ah-ffen-sive or de-fen-sive qual-lit-ies. Mean-while, we have sub-stan-tial might in our tech. You can-not beat us.”

The Doctor pauses a moment as he just stares at the klaxians. Eventually he slowly looks among each of his own companions one by one then scans among all the rest of the ponies standing in the room. Without exception, everyone in the room seems to wait with bated breath to see what the Doctor says next. During that time, tension clings to the air within that deafening silence.

“Well . . . that's certainly true,” the Doctor concedes as he looks back at the Klaxians. “At least about the part about weapons and armor and such. I do not have those things, but it's also true I don't have them by choice. It's further true that I don't require them either, for I will tell you what I do have. I have a time and relative dimension in space machine. I have a nifty tool that can do anything my clever mind can fathom. I have well over nine-hundred years of experience trouncing bullies like you into submission. I also share the company of some of the most marvelous companions these universes have ever seen, and each of them is formidable in their own right. They are brilliantly shining stars who stand by me loyally because they are my friends and . . . as some of them like to say and clearly demonstrated, there is such magic in that friendship. All of that stands loyally beside me.

“And do you want to know why some call me Time Lord Victorious and/or The Oncoming Storm? Those titles have largely been awarded to me by others who were foolish enough to cross me or my friends. They lie strewn across many worlds broken and shattered, and in the wake of my passing, they could only utter either one or both of those titles.

“Heed my warning, oh dangerously ambivalent one; you are about to join a legacy of the vanquished who wear that title with overwhelming shame. 'If only I did not cross the Doctor,' they cry out in misery.”

The Doctor closes his eyes and looks straight down as he pads up next to the lead klaxian who, meanwhile, has done or said nothing else as if possibly stricken with terror, but their faceless masks make that hard to tell. Meanwhile, the Doctor does not say another word until he stands directly in front of the lead klaxian.

“Among all of my vanquished foes, there is another pattern that is common among them,” announces the Doctor as he stands directly in front of the lead klaxian but he still has his eyes closed and his face aimed downward. “A piece of advice they would give to all others who are unfortunate enough to earn my angry eyes upon them, and that is one word in particular.”

For dramatic tension, the Doctor pauses again before suddenly lifting his face and opening his eyes to give a focused and narrow angry stare at the lead klaxian.

“Run!” the Doctor announces with focused anger.

Right after the Doctor said that, a red alert emergency beeping noise emanates from their suits. When the lead klaxian answers it, he demands, “Re-port.”

“Sir, men-ny ah-qua-tic life-forms are now ah-tack-ing our ship!” announces the crackled and static-sounding klaxian (presumably) at the other end of the line.

“What?!” the lead klaxian asks in horrified shock.

“We suh-fered some hull dam-age and they are con-tin-u-ing their ah-sault,” the one on the other end further reports. “Your or-ders, Sir?”

From the sounds of the outside, this appears to be no bluff. Everyone standing in the room can now hear numerous banging sounds out there and they are growing louder and more frequent as time goes on. Since the other vessel is so close, however, it visually conceals everything else out there.

“Your or-ders, Sir?” the one on the other end of the line repeats after a five-second pause.

“Pre-pare for de-par-ture,” the lead klaxian finally answers.

“Aye Sir,” confirms the other one on the line.

The lead klaxian turns about then gestures for his five escorts to fall back. In unison, they do an about-face, although somewhat clumsily, then proceed to more waddle away since they lean so heavily from side to side as they venture away. The lead klaxian starts after them a few dozen steps in the same manner, but once he's beyond the thick steel door of the hidden passageway, he pauses a moment to turn back to the Doctor and announce to him, “I will re-mem-ber this, Doc-tor!” the lead klaxian promises in a somewhat threatening tone for a flat, robotic voice box.

“Oh yeah?” the Doctor reflects. “Well, unfortunately for you, I will remember you as well. Take heed from this moment forward. Wherever you go and whatever you do, even if you venture to the farthest corners of the universe in time and space, you'll find that I have already arrived there, more or less, ten days ago and I've been using all that time to arrange the local circumstances to be as unfortunate for you as possible. So, whenever you find that the local authorities are unusually well prepared to engage you, whenever you find that your cargo hold full of ill-gotten gains is suddenly empty, and whenever you find what you thought were ironclad deals with potential customers and clients suddenly, and mysteriously, back off from you . . . take a moment to fearfully peek over your shoulder because all of these are a sign of The Oncoming Storm! For as long as you keep the stolen Alphalmians from returning to their native planet in an uninjured state, then you are only keeping a target forever plastered on your foreheads. Remember that, too!” the Doctor barks sharply and very harshly. It is rather close to a hardcore growl.

The lead klaxian's gaze lingers on the Doctor for two seconds longer than wheels about to waddle away in a hurry. Each of his steps makes a loud clang-clang noise. Soon after that the giant steel door slides to a close. Following that, the bookshelf then slides back to hide the steel door again.

Long after the klaxians have departed, the rest of the room remains in spooked silence. Even Stern Wing and Feather Wind have never seen the Doctor angry to this degree.

It honestly is the Doctor himself to break this tense ice. He does so by releasing a long breath then suddenly snaps back into the semblance of his old cheerful self as he says with a roll of his head, “Weeeell . . . now that that unpleasantness is taken care of for the time being, it's time to address some other urgent concerns. Namely this thing.” The Doctor nods to the psychic crystal device that was hidden in the globe in the room. “This bomb is now unleashed. I have tweaked its energy to target the klaxian ship for the time being, but even after they take off, the hostile psychic energy of this thing is projecting will still be there and the now berserk sea life will need a new target for their rage unless we can disable this bomb.”

“Uh . . . yes! Disable the bomb!” Derpy encourages. “I'm strongly in favor of the 'disable bomb' option. I absolutely do indeed concur with that option. Wholeheartedly!”

“Well said, my lovely and faithful companion,” the Doctor says as he flashes her a fond smile which soon sinks into a serious frown. “But, unfortunately, I cannot do this on my own. Now, with my sonic device, I can at least tweak this device, but to disable the hostile energy itself while it is in the middle of explosive projection, the pain and anger it is producing must be quelled.”

Derpy tilts her head cutely at the Doctor as she asks with a bewildered blink and a mismatched gaze of her walleyes, “What do you mean, Doctor? How can we quell the hostile energy?”

The Doctor taps the psychic device in question with his sonic screwdriver four times to indicate it as he explains, “This device was given to the native ponies here to serve as a trap for the Alphalmians. In particular, it sent out a, more or less, false psychic distress call, or rather to say it is sort of a recording of other Alphalmians who went through real pain. Once this device captured that psychic 'recording', it projected it upon command within the waters of this planet. That kind of energy can be detected at an impressive distance. Once another Alphalmian heard that distress call, they came in, one by one, to rescue their wayward companion, little realizing that the one that the psychic imprint is gained from had already left the planet a while ago. Once the others are lured by this trap, this device then sends out an intense dissonance psychic frequency to stun the minds of these would-be rescuers and they end up captured as well.

“However,” the Doctor turns to the group, “crystals like these are natural harmonic resonators and receivers of psychic, and perhaps even magical, energy. In short, the distress call recording imprinted upon this device is not the only psionic energy it captured. With each Alphalmian it lured here, it captured their resonance frequency of pain as well. Over time, this device has been capturing more and more waves of hostile psychic energy and it just can't contain it anymore. It's sort of like an overflowing cup or more like a dam that is about to shatter.”

“Okay,” Derpy says with a mist of tears in her eyes because of the pain the Doctor describes. Wrestling internally to control her emotions, the gray pegasus asks, “So now that we have established what it is and why it is causing all these problems, how do we solve it?”

“Be that as it may, this device is little different from a crying and wounded child,” explains the Doctor. “If a real child was hurt and wounded in front of you, how would you go about soothing such a being? What is the most effective way you can think of? Case in point . . .” He trails off as he nods toward Vision. When Derpy looks, she grows startled to notice how distressed and haggard Vision looks.

All this time, Vision has been enduring the intense waves of hostile psychic energy of a device radiating from nearby. Until now, her mental fortitude held out for the most part with the intense inner strength and mental discipline she gained from the monks she grew up with. Her feats are especially impressive considering her youth, but now the source of the hostile psychic energy has burst and is sending out even more intensive waves of hostile psychic energy everywhere. For the moment most of that energy is concentrated upon the desperately retreating klaxian ship, but eventually, that vessel will escape and the energy will still be there. That hostile energy will need a new target unless the pain can be healed at the source.

“VISION!” Derpy cries out, startled, as she wraps her wings protectively around the young foal who is now shivering with exhaustion and pain. “I'm so sorry, Honey, for not noticing your distress!” Derpy weeps over the foal.

Vision wants to reply that was the point. She tried her best to endure this mental torture quietly so that she would not be a more obvious liability to the others than she already was, but now the pain had grown too strong for her to entirely conceal. It is taking all of her remaining mental fortitude to avoid screaming in raw agony.

“Oh Doctor, what are we going to do?” Derpy wails over Vision.

“What did your mother do whenever you were in pain?” the Doctor reflects.

The question momentarily takes Derpy aback. She pops her eyes open since she is so surprised he asked at this moment, but then gives his question some serious thought a second later. After a short pause, she answers, “She sang to me soothingly.”

The Doctor flashes her a knowing grin as he says in a cocky way, “Singing, huh? Now that can produce some pretty darn soothing psychic energy. It's too bad we don't have a sonic amplification device so that we can . . . Oh wait! We do!” The Doctor proudly, almost to the point of being smug, lifts his sonic screwdriver and ignites it. The tip visibly lights up. A moment later, his expression dramatically shifts to tenderness as he encourages her, “So sing, my faithful companion. Sing your lovely heart out. Pour all your love and tenderness into each note of the song. Sing to express the fullness of your wish for all to be well.”

“Um,” Derpy blushes in embarrassment but there is resolve that hardens in her eyes, too. If doing this can help others in any way, especially those that she loves, then she can't contain herself for much longer anyway. “Okay, Doctor,” she says in a small and meek voice, but there is hidden steel in there as well. “If you think that is best.”

“I do, my lovely companion,” the Doctor reassures soothingly. “Now pour your heart out. Let the magic within you flow through us all. Meanwhile, on my end, I'll do my best to carry your voice high enough to soothe what needs to be healed. What needs to be heard.”

Derpy takes a moment to gather her composure and sort of sink into a trance as she remembers the song that was once sung to her by her own mother as well as the tender feelings those memories evoked. She captures that feeling and brings it to the forefront then adds her own love in her heart to this moment.

When all that happens, magic projects from lips in the form of the following lullaby.

“Stars and moons

and air balloons

Fluh-ffy clouds to the horiiiiiii-zon

Iiiiiiiiiii'll wrap you in raaaaaaaain-boooooows

and rock you to sleep agaaaaaaaaaain.”

The others in the room, really without exception, sink into a trance themselves as they hear not only Derpy's soothing voice but enhanced to a near ethereal quality along with a slight echo to it thanks to the Doctor's sonic device amplifying her angelic voice. It's hard to describe to most who are hearing it, but regardless, the song, along with the genuine love and affection behind it, melts their stress away.

She continues.

“Teh-ddy bears of Pink.

“Ducks . . . and lambs of whiiiiiiiiii-ite

Don't you cryyyyy dear, I'm here now

Iiiiiiiiii'll be your niiiiiiiight-liiiight.”

A short pause, then she continues.

“Stars and moons

and air balloons

Fluh-ffy clouds to the horiiiiiii-zon

Iiiiiiiiiii'll wrap you in raaaaaaaain-boooooows

and rock you to sleep agaaaaaaaaaain.

“Smiiiiiles to cure the frowwwwns.

Twirling and tumbling in laugh-ter.

Some-day life will alwaaaaays be . . .

happily ever ahhh-ahh-af-ter.

“Ne-ver more will the stor-ums come,

to destroy your lit-tle worllllld.

Ne-ver more will the wah-ters rise,

til the mountains no longer touch the skiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies.”

Another short pause and this time a little longer, but she eventually resumes again.

“Stars and moons

and air balloons

Fluh-ffy clouds to the horiiiiiii-zon

Iiiiiiiiiii'll wrap you in raaaaaaaain-boooooows

and rock you to sleep agaaaaaaaaaain.”

She repeats the last stanza, but much slower and tenderly this time.

“Iiiiiiiiiii'll wrap you in raaaaaaaain-booooooooooooooows

. . .

and rock you to sleeeeeep agaaaaaaaaaaaaain.”

From this point on, her song fades off and she hugs Vision more tightly but also gently. She nuzzles her muzzle tenderly on top of Vision's head as tears drop down her closed eyes.

Vision is now peacefully asleep.

The other occupants within the room remain quiet as they gradually recover their wits. That even includes the Doctor who has to sniff and wipe away his own tears before he looks over his shoulder at the psychic device that is now emitting a much slower and soothing frequency. He waves his sonic device as he raises its pitch to double-check the results. Sure enough, he discovers, to his relief, that the hostile energy that was built up within this bomb has successfully been defused with love. It sounds corny to him, but it also makes sense to him in a way and he won't argue with positive results.

And that is not all. Not only did the hostile psionic resonance of this crystal gets successfully defused, but it also freed the mind of the one who was originally feeding negative energy into this crystal. A mind that, until now, could not escape that trap, but now that it is gone, freedom awaits.

Outside, light begins to pick up which soon draws the attention of anyone within the room who isn't blind or downright asleep. When those that can look, they behold a wondrous sight, especially for those who are not accustomed to this.

Outside, a luminous jellyfish-like creature elegantly drifts into their sight. A creature that looks like a cross between a jellyfish and a squid. As told to them earlier or observed before, black eyes are at the butt of this creature which actually makes it a head. Down below, long beautiful tentacles swish and sway gently as the angelic-like creature more floats than swims into view.

Aside from that, soothing waves of warmth and gratitude drift into the minds of all within the foreman's office. This is doubly true for Derpy, to which this angelic creature was freed because of her soothing song, and Ashwin gets some special messages as well. Love is communicated within that message, but other important messages are too. Messages which bring him to tears but he also nods in confirmation and understanding of that silent but warm communication.

As for Vision, she's communing with the creature in her dreams on levels nobody else in the room, not even the Doctor, can fathom.

Chovix actually bows to the noble creature. His heart is filled with regret but also some resolve. Certain promises are made to the creature to make amends for what he has done. As for his cronies, they bow too shortly after their leader does, but no particular special communication is passed between them other than general love and warmth.

Special attention is also devoted to the Doctor. Between them, whole memories are being passed back and forth as if to catch up between old friends. This is actually the first time the Doctor is encountering this being in this particular universe and this linear timeline, but that isn't the case in the reverse. She's met the Doctor before and secretly tells him what he needs to know to prepare for certain aspects of his future journey. Camaraderie is also shared between them in a way that transcends all time. A timeless and special moment shared between them that will have a lasting impact on them both.

When it ends and the Doctor returns from his timeless trance, tears are shed in his eyes. He almost mindlessly drifts towards one of the office windows and reaches a hoof to touch the glass. On the other side, the Alphalmian princess reaches the tip of one of her gentle and glowing tentacles right back to touch the other side of the glass. Because they are both telepathic to some extent, another moment of warm energy passes between them. In doing so, they both feel energized almost as if they arose from the grips of one of the Doctor's regeneration cycles.

“I will,” the Doctor promises the noble creature to some unspoken request. He does this so quietly that it's almost a whisper. “I promise.”

Part 15: Onwards and Upwards

Feather Wind turns about on some kind of soft surface before he fully realizes that the surface is a bed. If that is true, then it means the reality he just experienced a moment before was a dream.

Feather Wind's eyes pop awake and then blink tiredly. As his waking memories flood back to him, he recalls how the last time he awakened on this bed, he was confused and delirious.

But not this time. This time he awakens more fully aware that he is on the TARDIS. Along with that knowledge comes the realization that this ultra-strange reality he's been waking up to lately is very gradually becoming the norm. Becoming that which he expects to find when he awakens. That, in itself, is already a strange feeling.

As he rises out of bed and the silky bed sheet slides off of his upper body, Feather Wind dwells on the triumphant moment yesterday when he got out of the submersible pod and looked up to a clear purple sky. That, at first, struck him as strange, but then he recalled that he was, indeed, on an alien planet. Something in the atmosphere, the ocean, or the alien sun caused a different hue in the sky, but that feeling of strangeness soon passed back then as he took a deep, clean breath in. Magic and a feeling of oneness with the air flooded into him. Moments later he also realized a subtle feeling of gratitude flooded his system as well. For several weeks the sky was tickled and agitated into a raging state, and finally, it had a chance to relax. There was freedom in that. Freedom to be what the sky naturally wanted to be.

Feather Wind soaks in that peaceful feeling of gratitude and triumph again as he did that previous day. It feels and felt so good to know that all of their challenging efforts had paid off in the end. The world did become a better place again because of their efforts, and that is a very great feeling!

Feather Wind's ears above his head perk up then shift to his left when he notices more noise pick up outside of this room. Curious and excited, he climbs out of bed and moves to investigate.

---

Upon arrival at the TARDIS's main control room, Feather Wind discovers that it is the Doctor that has returned. When he sees that, more memories come flooding into the adolescent unicorn's mind. Principle among this is an explanation of why the Doctor wasn't here until this moment. While everyone else was exhausted from their latest journey, and Vision was already asleep, the Doctor kept on going. He, once again, credited his unusually robust stamina to the fact he had two hearts.

Aside from that, the Doctor made the claim he still had a few loose ends to tie up in this adventure. Chief among them is to return to Allon shortly so he can finish the task of gathering the medicine needed to help cure these ponies.

When the Doctor said that, those of his companions that were still awake voiced their concern for him, but the Doctor assured them that he could probably easily handle the rest. Now that he knew one of the Alphalmians was around, and their princess no less, the Doctor felt confident that they could quell the rage of the tatavaxs guarding the coral reefs where the medicine would be. Once that is secure, all that is left is to distribute it among the sick ponies who need it.

Judging by the goofy grin the Doctor is wearing on his face now, Feather Wind can already assume that the Doctor has, once again, returned triumphantly. Feather didn't really expect any less considering the scope of challenges that appeared to be left, but like everyone else, there was at least a thread of concern that the Doctor was going about the rest of this alone. Still, it appears that everything has, indeed, worked out in the end.

“So how did it go?” Stern Wing asks the Doctor with an affectionate pound on the Doctor's back using her left wing.

“Um,” the Doctor pauses a moment to consider his answer then says with a nod, “pretty good, actually. Of course, things could be better. The sick ponies are going to need more time to recover their health but, armed with the medicine they need to do that, Doctor Waston and I are confident that they should make a full recovery.

“The fact that the radio tower has collapsed is a bummer, but the extra food supplies we gave them from here, along with the extra medicine they secured from under the ocean, should tide them over long enough to build a new radio tower. Once that is complete, they can radio the rest of the ponies to signal that the storm has finally passed and that is now safe to resume trade.”

“I'm glad to hear that our efforts helped here, but Doctor . . . we needed those food supplies too,” Stern Wing points out. “I have no objection to what we used them for in this adventure, but I hope it is the plan to re-stock our supplies again. Not only for our sakes but for the sake of others we might encounter later who might be under similar constraints.”

“I know, and we'll soon address that,” the Doctor assures. “There are plenty of destinations I know of where we can safely re-gather supplies. Among them, I know of some cultures that owe me a few favors, or at least they did in the previous universe.” He lifts a hoof and twists it from side to side as he says in an iffy way, “There might be some valuable opportunities among that. That could also give me a chance to check on some old friends. If they have been ponified as well, then I really look forward to catching up with them.” He lowers his hoof back to the ground as he goes on to say, “It may be that I'll have to build a rapport with them again, but as it has possibly become clear to you all by now, I don't shy away from a challenge.”

“What about the collapsed wing of the mine?” Derpy asks the Doctor in concern. “Chovix said he could no longer access one of the most important wings of his mine shaft due to discovering lethal pockets of gas. That was the very circumstances that originally encouraged him to cooperate with the klaxians. Also, what will happen to Chovix and Ashwin now, and what do[/i ]you know of the klaxians anyway? Are we going to chase them down next and pester them to return the Alphalmians they stole?”

“Whoa! Easy there, girl. One question at a time please,” the Doctor encourages. “First of all, there's no easy answer to every problem we encounter. It is likely going to take time to work around the problems they encountered in the mine shaft. I passed a few suggestions that may help eventually, but even then will take time to fully come to fruition.

“But considering the need in play, it is likely Chovix and his cronies will be sentenced to community service, not jail. That is because his services are too invaluable right now. Chovix was telling the truth that he doesn't have the personnel to spare considering the crisis he was under. That same logic can easily be understood by everyone else in Salvage. It may take a long time for Chovix and his crew to fully earn the trust back of the rest of the community, but they are committed to doing precisely that and they have the means to do it. With dedication and hard work, they should be able to accomplish whatever they set their minds to.

“As far as our role in this affair is concerned, it is not a wise policy, in general, to bog ourselves down solving every tiny little problem that we observe other societies having. We should instead concentrate on the big crisis that they can't handle. Once that is quelled, it is typically time for us to mosey on unless we have some other purpose to tie us to the same place and time. That includes fun, by the way. I want to make that clear to you all right now. Solving a crisis is not the only reason I'd want to linger somewhere. If there is a really fun-looking theme park in the area, for example, I may want to stick around to check it out even if no danger is involved.

“As far as my knowledge of the klaxians is concerned, what I will tell you all now that they are traditionally space pirates essentially. In most systems that they operate in, they do so illegally. They are merchants too, but a particularly dirty kind. Not only does that mean they are willing to sell off immoral goods, but they'll do it with rip-off prices if they feel they can get away with it. They're not above arranging external circumstances to fall into their financial favor as well. If they think it would benefit them to sell weapons to both sides of a war, for example, then they would do so with no hesitation even though they know it would continue to drag out the war and make it far more bloody for both sides.

“I generally can't stand most of them. They are among the worst lifeforms I have ever encountered. Not the most powerful or dangerous, mind you, but well worth the negative attention they earned from me simply because of the sheer evils that they have wrought into the universe and with very little redeeming qualities to boot beyond a few very special specific individuals who have helped me out in the past.

“Like anyone else I have encountered, they are at least manageable if you know what buttons to press. Money talks very well in their society, for example, and that is their biggest weakness as well. If I want, or need, for them to fear me, then I need to threaten their wallets and bank accounts. There is usually no surer way for me to get their attention than that, but exceptions exist for anything, everywhere, and everywhen.

“As for my intentions to chase them down to make sure they maintain some incentive to return the Alphalmians they stole, the answer is an emphatic yes. I have absolutely no intention to revoke the ominous promise I gave to them because I genuinely can't stand bullies and slave traders. I know the Alphalmians they took did nothing to deserve this fate either, but that's beside the point. For me to be me and uphold the principles that I hold dear, I simply must punish them until they relinquish that which they took from this planet.” He shakes his head as he then adds, “I made a promise to this effect anyway. Not just to the klaxians, but to the Alphalmian Princess as well.”

“Much like everything else you have encountered, this particular scenario isn't likely to go as smoothly as you hope, Doctor,” Vision warns from within the same room. “It was difficult to sense their emotions through all the turbulent chaos that I was suffering at the time, but I picked up this much at least. Doctor, the moment you promised their leader that you would not relinquish your pressure against them until they return all the Alphalmians they stole unharmed, I felt their leader momentarily panic. The most likely reason is that he already considers that option too late. It is very likely that they sold some of them off, and as for the 'unharmed' clause of your condition, what if some of them are already dead? If that is true, then it makes it impossible for him to return that which he stole in a sound condition.

“Whatever the case may be, he ended that encounter with a determination to harden his resolve. When he realized that he may have no choice but to consider you an enemy because of the circumstances that already pin him to a corner, he was trying to find the courage within himself to plan around what he must.”

“Yeah, well . . .” The Doctor trails off for a moment as he looks down and briefly rubs the back of his neck. When he looks back at Vision, he resumes. “That happens sometimes. Sometimes it is too late to save someone because the harm already occurred before I arrived, or occurred during my adventure despite my best efforts. I am formidable, but I'm not perfect. I can only do the best I can.

“To that end, I'll continue to apply my best efforts to get those Alphalmians back eventually. It could be quite a while for us to finish that quest personally, but we have a time machine so it's at least possible to go where we need and when we need to achieve the best odds of success.

“That said, there usually aren't many options to undo a situation once it occurs. I cannot mess with my own history, for example, once I applied myself to a particular adventure. If someone dies during the course of an adventure then that sort of becomes a fixed moment in time, at least for me. I can't go back in time and save them again further into the past if that would also result in negating the very reason my attention was brought to that adventure in the first place. Timey-wimmy shenanigans pervade throughout much of my life, but there are rules that I have to follow as a Time Lord. That's not just for my own sake, but for the very integrity of the whole universe and all of time and space, believe it or not. I learned firsthand what happens when I try to undermine the integrity of a fixed point in time. Trust you/me, there are indeed consequences that even Time Lord Victorious cannot ignore.

“Thanks to Chovix's report to me, I now know there are a total of six Alphalmians that he sold to the klaxians from this planet. That information was also verified by the Alphalmian Princess. If there are any more taken from this world, then both Chovix and the other Alphalmians are somehow unaware of it.

“So . . . okay. There are six out there that I need to find. Going after the klaxians themselves is still probably a good start, even if they already sold some or all of them to other clients. I might at least be able to wrestle a contact list from them. Using that, I can trace my quarry down and otherwise do my best to secure the Alphalmian's safety. While I am at it, I might as well make a firm impression on the bad guys involved. They need to be taught that there are consequences to their actions as well. I'll make sure of that.”

“Speaking of which, I never heard you lay down the law so hard on anypony else before,” Feather Wind comments. “I didn't know you were capable of so much anger. I thought you sought peaceful resolutions to every conflict and that no pony is beyond forgiveness.”

“That is actually true, in a way,” the Doctor counters. “I am always hopeful of a path to redemption even if I don't think it is very likely. There is always that desire nonetheless. I do generally always seek a peaceful resolution to every encounter, but I have to take my knowledge of what I'm dealing with into account. While I might hope for some peaceful solution, that may be a sentiment that the other party doesn't share. Whenever that is the case, I'll have to adjust my tactics to minimize damage as much as possible but I'll have to balance that out with the odds of success. What value is there in committing to some effort if it ultimately proves futile? To speak the same language as other bullies in the universe, sometimes it requires me to give them a bloody nose every once in a while just to ensure that I at least have their attention and respect. If I can't prove that I can be a threat against them at some level then that could also close off potential opportunities for them to listen to me later. I'll need their attention if I'm to have any chance at a negotiation, so it sometimes becomes necessary to step outside our own comfort zones in order to give us a fair chance at success in whatever endeavor we happen to face at the time.

“Also, when dealing with somebody that been rescued, they may feel the need for retribution rather than justice. There is a fine line to walk between the two that is also worthy of consideration.

“Furthermore, we have to always be open to the possibility of adjusting our tactics as the situation gradually unfolds. I often find that adaptation is typically key to success.”

“Point well taken,” Feather Wind accepts with a reluctant nod. “It's too bad we have to get aggressive every once in a while. I have always wished that the universe could be more peaceful.”

The Doctor suddenly looks apologetic as he says, “Speaking of which, I promised myself that I would later apologize to you for calling you out when we first arrived at Allon. I used your heritage as a unicorn to impose negotiating leverage in an attempt to non-violently circumvent an obstacle we faced at the time, but doing so has hurt your feelings. I know you generally don't like focused attention on yourself from strangers so, for that, I apologize.”

Feather Wind looks back at the Doctor as he gives a faint grin while saying, “That's okay, Doctor. I'm not going to lie to you by saying I wasn't wounded at the time, but I would have been far more hurt by resorting to a violent solution instead. In your place, I might have done the same. It at least follows my general intention even if I couldn't think of it at the time. The reason I trust your judgment, Doctor, is because I also trust your general intentions. You and I are much akin in that respect. The main difference is you have significantly more experience in affairs like this than I. I'll adjust to this lifestyle eventually, I think, but in the meantime, I may rely on your insight very often.”

“And on that note, I'm curious about something, Doctor,” Stern Wing speaks up to the Time Lord. “Considering the fact that this is the first adventure that Feather Wind, Vision, and I have participated with you off our native planet, how did we do in your fair assessment?”

“How did you do?” the Doctor reflects which earned him a nod of confirmation from Stern Wing. When she does that, the Doctor looks down as he reflects on her question before looking back at her with a small smile. “In my, admittedly, very long life span and throughout the various cycles of each of my regeneration, I have been blessed with many fine companions. Companions that I have not only enriched by showing them all that time and space has to offer, but it is simultaneously a time when they have enriched my life in return. I said it before and I'll proudly say it again. The companions that I have traveled with in my lives have affected me very deeply just as I have affected them. I would not be the man I am today were it not for those valuable lessons, and the exciting thing is that I have found every single individual I traveled with to be wholly unique. As a result, I learn a new lesson from each one which is then carried on into all of my future journeys. All the wisdom and experience you see in me now is the byproduct of all who came before you. If you appreciate what you see in me, then thank them as well, for they are still very much a part of my mind and hearts. You will be too. We shall all grow together.

“Up until this point, starting with Derpy in particular, I have mostly traveled with a species that have largely called themselves humans, but they have been known by other names in other worlds. Their influence and spread are that legendary. That is why I kept such a close eye on them and traveled with them for so long. They were inherently capable of anything. From the best of what the universe has to offer and simultaneously the worst. Results vary from time to time and world to world, but that general rule usually stuck except, over time, they mostly evolved for the better. I might have had something to do with that.

“No. Scratch that. I had something to do with that general path line towards their higher state, but the fact remains that they were responsible for their own improvement too. With every encounter I make, there are always at least two sides to the coin. A vast variety of choices that we sculpt together, and together . . . that makes for a legendary story. I was proud to play some part in that. I always have been and I always will be.

“Now, with ponies, I am noticing a similar pattern here as I had with humans. There seems to be that same inherent quality of destiny and legendary potential. Beyond the fact that ponies are quadrupeds and humans have mostly been bipedal, the strongest difference that I have observed is the more innocent nature of the ponies. That can work both for and against them. They also seem to have a naturally higher morality in general.

“For example, had I encountered this same adventure but every pony was replaced with a human counterpart, then the odds are strong that at least one of Chovix's underlings would have betrayed him and sided with the klaxians in the end purely because of their own sense of insecurity and fear. However, in this universe, there is a stronger sense of camaraderie and harmony that naturally seems to pervade even the most basic of pony instincts. A 'follow the herd' mentality if you will. Humans didn't lack that quality, but overall they were naturally a blank slate and, as such, they had an equal chance to be inherently anything. That, in turn, made them much more unique. As such, it is never wise to judge any individual by the standards of the race as a whole. Being exceptions to any rule actually was, in itself, the most common pattern about them.

“Now, because of the more inherent innocent qualities I have observed in ponies but mixed with that same infinite potential that I have observed in one other race, I feel a little more protective of ponies here. In them, I see a spark of something very precious and I'm quickly developing a pet peeve towards anyone who attempts to corrupt that innocent spark like the klaxians tried to do in this world. I do think that the pony race, as a whole, will eventually mature beyond that innate innocence and child-like wonder. However, until then, I feel driven to protect them especially carefully because there is a special quality to that. That is why, for as long as they need me to, I will uphold the promise I made. You ponies are now under my protection. When other races heard such promises from me before, they eventually learned to rightfully respect and/or fear that bold declaration. That is a big deal and I'll spend eternity, if I have to, proving why that is so.”

The Doctor pauses a moment as if to gather himself again for what he is about to say next. When he is ready, his face beams in a brilliant smile that is so bright and proud that he is nearly in tears. His face actually scrunches up for a second as if it is painful to even attempt to reveal how proud he is of them all.

“And you are all so brilliant!” the Doctor cries out with nearly overwhelming emotion. “You are like brilliant stars ever shining against the backdrop of an otherwise eternal night. Such shining examples you are of the best of pony potential. It not only fills me with hope but gratitude to see. Thank you! Thank you all for this overwhelming privilege to travel with you, even if it is but a moment in the vast stretch of time and space. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I cannot possibly say it enough.”

Driven to tears by his words and display of powerful and raw genuine emotion, Derpy waves at all of her friends here to collect together using her wings as she says, “Hugging. It is time for hugging now!”

The group gladly acquiesces. They collect together and reach wings and hooves across the backs of each of them and they bunch up together to share a happy, warm, and deeply affectionate hug. Vision needed a little guidance towards the group but, once she had physical contact with any of them, she is pulled into the group without fail.

“Wherever we go and whatever we do on our journey together, I want you to know how much you all mean to me,” the Doctor very gratefully restates as they continue their hug. “I'll do everything in my power to protect you as well, for if I lost any of you . . . then I'll lose a precious part of myself.”

“Well said, Doctor,” Feather Wind agrees while his own voice is a bit shaky with emotion. “Very well said. I'll have to write a new poem immortalizing this moment of affection we are sharing soon.”

“Actually, why don't you try to capture this energy right now in the Red Crystal?” Stern Wing suggests.

“Because I still need to learn how to attune myself to the crystal,” Feather Wind answers. “I wasn't given the time for that yet. We just dove into this adventure.”

“I'm sure you will,” the Doctor assures Feather as he is the first to break off from the group. The others do so as well a second later. After that, the Doctor then gallops up to the TARDIS's controls and declares once there, “And now then, we are off to boldly explore where no pony has gone before. Strap yourselves in as we launch to yet another adventure. Onwards and Upwards, I say!”

“But there are no seat belts to strap ourselves into!” Stern Wing complains. “And, actually, there should be! That is a very good idea.”

The Doctor merely flashes Stern Wing a playful wink before he boldly yanks a switch back that launches them off into yet another of their amazing adventures together.

Author's Notes:

That is the conclusion to the first arc of this story, but stay tuned. Next week will be proceeding with other arcs and intermissions. It is much akin to starting a new episode of Doctor Who or more like a new storyline of the old classic Who.

I'd also like to give a head's up about the TARDIS Intermission chapters that are coming up since their format is somewhat different. Those chapters are when the crew may or might not even leave the TARDIS at all. Instead, the crew mainly focuses on some downtime activity. If there is any adventure to be had, it is strictly between each other. This is during a time when they are still getting to know each other. Reading that will inform the readers more about these characters as well. Not every chapter is about them rushing headlong into another adventure. Sometimes they need downtime to recover from the last one or prepare for the next. When they do so, they'll do so in their own unique way. Shows like Doctor Who usually skip this, but I like to display these moments to show what they can be like when they are not always running for their lives. It reveals some character development individually and as a group. Sometimes it also explains some new ability they gained, a tactic they discussed, some major new decision reached, or a goal established.

With all that said, I'd like to know what you all think. Please share your thoughts in the comments, and I hope you'll all enjoy as as the Adventures in the TARDIS continues.

On a different note, today also marks the day I received good news about getting a voucher for section 8. I set an appointment to receive it next Wednesday, May 17th. With that in my hands, I'll be moving to my own place after staying at the place I am at for nearly twenty years. For me, this is the longest time I ever spent in one place. I'll see what happens next.

So . . .

TARDIS Intermission: Trot In Encounters

Feather Wind trots into a room in the TARDIS that is new to him. A quick assessment of it reveals to him why his foalhood friend, Stern Wing, would be so interested in this room. It is filled with none other than a bunch of exercise equipment. This basically means that this is a gym.

Feather Wind sits down as he quietly observes his foalhood friend doing bench-presses with her forehooves while simultaneously lifting heavy weights that is tied to her wings. The barbell she is pushing up and down, which is tied to and secured to her forehooves, does not look all that impressive at first. They look like small iron balls attached to the ends of an iron bar but the balls have glowing numbers off to the sides of them. Feather has been told before that the device can make themselves heavier or lighter depending on what its settings is.

What Stern is doing here would normally be considered very dangerous without a spotter, but there is a safety feature with this equipment where it can shift its weight to nothing if it collapses down on the pony too fast. At that point it could crush down on her neck with nothing more than the weight of a feather. It almost exactly resembles his own magical talent to lighten his body weight.

Feather smells her sweat in this room which he finds very mildly intoxicating, but it is the sharply focused look in her eyes that really makes him swoon. She is pushing herself with titanic but also focused determination. It is incredible for him to see.

It also strikes him as overkill. Stern Wing was already so powerful before. She was good enough to be a really good player in a professional sport, and unlike Feather's own previous attempt to join the Wonderbolts (and notably the very first unicorn to attempt that), Stern Wing actually made it to the major leagues. She was the best of the best. The kind of pony who already cast a long shadow. It seems strange and daunting to Feather how hard she's pushing herself now to become even stronger. With that much of a lead above and beyond every other pony kind, it almost feels outrageous how she's pushing herself even further.

But Feather also knows why she's doing this. On their last mission, which was notably the first new planet that Stern and Feather had ever traveled to, she had to push herself very hard trying to climb up a radio tower which was in danger of being washed away while it was pounded by a harsh, hurricane-force sea storm. She did that to help rescue a stranded earth pony at the top. Feather was there to assist her as much as he could, and ultimately they did succeed. Just barely in time, too, for that tower did get washed away when they neared the bottom.

That moment is probably playing in Stern Wing's head over and over again. How she succeeded against an enormous challenge with just barely enough strength and stamina to spare. Succeeding in a critical mission is fine, but she probably wants a much greater degree of strength and stamina in preparation for the next equivalent challenge. For her, it probably feels more comfortable entering a challenge like that with more leeway. Perhaps, next time, this extra training will again result in being just barely enough despite all this extra training.

This is so much more important to her than scoring points in a game of professional league Puffball. Lives are on the line out here, and Stern Wing has always been the kind of pony to take issues like that ultra seriously.

Stern Wing's diet was already pretty strict too. That makes a lot of sense for anypony in a professional league sport. Doing stuff like that probably is considered standard practice for anypony who plans to remain competitive with and against other players who have standards equally high.

These days, however, have shifted Stern's destiny to something more akin to a war soldier, police officer, or fire fighter. The kind of profession and lifestyle that specifically drives her towards danger on a regular basis. It's not enough for her to be strong enough to defend herself or her friends. She has the drive and determination to defend anypony she perceives as helpless in that situation. In her eyes, this is precisely why she has to be so strong. This is her cutie mark destiny. It is who she fundamentally is.

Feather hadn't read too many stories of comic book style superheroes before but he had a few friends and acquaintances who read such things at his father's school, the Silver Horn Academy, which is an elite and high class institution for education and magical practices. From there, those few friends and acquaintances, who love to talk about such obviously fictional superheroes whenever they had the chance and inclination, describe such beings as overwhelmingly powerful just because. The reasons they are that strong doesn't seem as important as what they do with that strength. In Feather's eyes, such beings sound like mere wishful thinking of the writers and readers of the story. A wish that they, too, can be that powerful and invincible for no reason in particular. If that were true, there would be no reason to fear anything else in life as well. To have the kind of hide where magical hornbeams bounce off of them or the strength to blow through an iron wall with ease. In other words, to be unstoppable and unmovable. To be a force so powerful that one can easily, and almost effortlessly, achieve their dreams regardless what oppositions foolishly attempts to stand in their way.

But, in Feather's eyes, Stern Wing stands as the best representative of what such superheroes could look like if they actually existed because what she is doing right now is a path towards making such unrealistic standards look like it might actually be possible. She was already born a pony so innately ahead of the curve in terms of size, stamina, and strength. In this case, “strength” is in terms of physical, mental, and emotional. Stern had started with a baseline that was very high but, for her, that still isn't enough. She pushes herself even further with intense and refined training.

In real life, most individuals who are that gifted usually are more lazy because they've always been so far ahead of the curve already that it didn't seem necessary to try so hard to remain ahead, but not Stern Wing. She applies herself very strongly because the reason behind that goal is so incredibly important to her. If all of this effort can save even one life than it's already worth it to her.

She does all of this not for fame, not for glory, not for riches, but because it is right at the core of her being. As long as others are saved, that's enough. She couldn't care less about the credit unless, somehow, it might result in helping her save yet another life.

This feels wholly unreal to Feather, yet Stern is among the best representatives of the kinds of ponies who are ideal for a role like this. Under that perspective, Stern doesn't appear so random in being picked for a journey like this. After all, the captain of this vessel is intelligent and knowledgeable to a degree far beyond the standards of any average pony.

But for Feather himself, despite all of his unusual talents and training, he never felt like he is an individual special enough to warrant a destiny like this. Honestly, he's always been a pony still searching for precisely what that destiny should be. So far he found it best by being in wild and virgin nature, yet still that wasn't quite enough. Something was missing and he was in the middle of trying to figure that out when, all of a sudden, he got swept up in this grand adventure.

In this, Feather feels insecure, like he might not be good enough for this, but with Stern? There simply is no question of that. Not only is she worthy, but she'll continually push herself in an effort to further ensure she remains worthy. For that reason, he doesn't know how he can possibly be more proud of her.

Feather Wind's train of thought snaps back into focus with present reality when he hears, then sees, Stern Wing set the barbell back on the bar above her, unstrap her hooves from the bar, then proceeds to sit up. She also dislodges the weights off her wings then uses her right wing to fetch and pull a towel which she then uses to wipe sweat off her face. Only after doing all of that, then draping the towel over her neck, does she finally turn to address her foalhood friend.

“How is Vision?” Stern Wing asks in concern.

“Still sick, I'm afraid,” Feather honestly reports. “We all knew she had a naturally frail constitution to begin with given her sheltered history in the monastery she was raised in. Sure enough, she fell ill after traveling through a planet in the midst of a heavy storm and then trotting many miles in that aquatic ocean base.”

“She knew the consequences of her actions and accepted them,” Stern says bluntly as she turns and sits on the workout bench to face her foalhood friend even more. “Perhaps we should count our blessings. Her later illness notwithstanding, it may be that she honestly did save our lives by warning us of her prophetic dreams.”

“That seems likely,” Feather agrees with a slight twinge of sadness in his voice. “She saved my life, or maybe I should say our lives, before by warning her mother of the impending attack on the Orchard's farm which we later then went to also rescue. She told her mother who then told Princess Celestia who then sent the Wonderbolts out to the farm and they finished off the remaining threats. I owed her my life, Stern Wing, so it's not like this situation is too difficult for me to believe. Regardless of how things would have turned out, I'm glad she helped.”

“But for now, as long as she remains sick, the Doctor plans to keep the TARDIS parked on . . . wherever the heck we are?” Stern double checks.

“Yes because he is attending to her health personally,” Feather explains. “He's not called 'The Doctor' for nothing.

“Aside from that, I think he wants to be focused when we finally do launch onto our next mission. Knowing Vision is sick probably would have been too distracting if he resumed right away.

“I also think the Doctor has a point. Because we have a time machine here, we don't need to rush into things before we're fully ready to commit to it. I think the Doctor's policy is wise in this case given the circumstances involved.”

Stern Wing gives her friend a strange look as she asks, “Why are you telling me that as if I might disagree with you?”

Feather's eyes momentarily enlarge because he is startled by her reaction. When he recovers, he says, “I didn't mean to imply that you might disagree with me. I just wanted to explain our situation clearly and concisely.”

Stern releases a small breath as her hard look at her friend relaxes. She dabs herself with the towel that's still draped over her neck then uses her left wing to reach for, then pull, a sports bottle to herself. From it, she drinks her fill but does not gorge on it, likely because of the advice her professional sports coaches told her in her past.

“Very well. I understand the situation,” Stern Wing says when she's finished drinking from her sports bottle. “Be that as it may, that means we have some extra time on our hooves. You can see how I chose to spend it now and it's likely even clearer to you why I am doing this. For now, my question for you is . . .” she pauses a moment as she more fully focuses on Feather Wind “. . . what will you do to pass the time?”

“Exercise seems a little productive to me,” Feather Wind replies, “but it feels daunting to even imagine trying to catch up with you.”

“Then don't,” Stern replies bluntly. “Don't get me wrong. I have no objection for you to use any of this equipment to make yourself stronger, but the idea of doing this to catch up with me seems absurd to try. We're all on our own individual levels and we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Quite frankly, I'd be disappointed if you did catch up to me because it also means you probably devoted much less time refining your own strengths. You can do things that I can never do. Versatility tends to keep us more prepared for any potential situation. Don't forget that.”

“That sounds like a good suggestion to me,” Feather Wind agrees.

“Take it as you will,” Stern Wing invites. “In the meantime, I need to get back to my training.”

“Before you do, indulge one last curiosity of mine,” Feather requests. “Just how far do you intend to push yourself? I'm just wondering what standard is in your mind when you realize enough is enough.”

“Now there is an inherently flawed question,” Stern Wing says as she rises off the workbench. “What makes you think there is some standard I can reach that will encourage me to ever stop? My life is a journey, Feather Wind. I don't ever plan to stop getting stronger until my life is completely done.”

“Touché,” Feather replies in a tone of acceptance as he rises to his four hooves himself. “Well, I'll let you get back to it, then.”

---

Derpy Hooves uses her muzzle to nudge the door open which leads into Feather Wind's private study room. In doing so, she's taken aback to notice how dark it is in that room save for a few lit candles around the desk he's working at. From there, Feather is bent over just a bit at the desk as he looks intently at whatever he is writing. His horn glows a soft silvery light. As that happens, she can hear the light scratching sound of his quill writing something on a parchment on his desk.

Still at the door, Derpy takes a moment to pause and admire the young stallion because she always adored intelligent ponies. That's one reason, among many, why she finds the Doctor so attractive as well.

At the same time, though, such ponies made Derpy feel grossly inadequate because she felt like the farthest thing from an intelligent mare. That might even be why she's so attracted to such stallions. Opposites attract, as they say.

Since he looks busy, Derpy doesn't want to disturb him. Already her cheeks burn with shame. The whole reason she cracked the door open without knocking was to avoid the risk of disturbing him just in case he is busy, and now it seems she confirmed the fact he is. Best to leave quietly now.

In an attempt to do precisely that, Derpy reaches forward with her teeth in order to bite down on the door handle then use it to close the door. However, when she tries, she ends up leaning too far forward which throws off her equilibrium. Instead of biting down on the door, she ends up falling down on her face with a startled squeak.

“Huh?” Feather asks as he looks up from his desk then looks back over his left shoulder at the open door. “Oh! Derpy. Are you okay? Here. Let me help you.”

Feather Wind uses his magic to lightly grab on her hide and use it to steady and pull her back onto her four hooves. In the process, Derpy's cheeks burn with hot embarrassment. At that moment she is glad that the interior of this room is presently so dark.

“Um . . . thank you,” Derpy says in a small and timid voice then speaks up louder. “You didn't have to do that, and I'm sorry for disturbing you.”

“Trouble not at all, milady. You're fully welcome to come in at any time. Please come in right now,” Feather encourages.

“Um . . . are you sure?” Derpy asks in a small voice again.

“Uh … what was that? I'm sorry. I didn't hear you,” Feather expresses back.

Derpy burns brighter beet red, but she shakes her head fiercely in an attempt to clear her head then speaks again after she musters up greater amounts of courage. “Uh . . . I asked if I might be disturbing you. I don't want to do that.”

Feather smiles lightly as he replies, “As I said before, you're always welcome to come in with your innocent and bright smile. What can I do for you?

“And please, come in and shut the door.”

“Um . . . okay.” Derpy fully steps in then proceeds to do so. When she does, she more fully realizes how dark the room is until it brightens for some reason. She turns about to look back at Feather then notices how he uses his magic to somehow intensify the candlelight almost as if they are a lantern that he can adjust the brightness of. Derpy smiles at him as she blushes a bit and says, “Um . . . you know that there is a light switch in here, right? You could have used it to brighten the room for you.”

“I'm aware of that,” Feather assures as he gazes softly at one of the candles. “This is just an old habit of mine. I used to do this a lot back at my father's mansion. I often used candlelights like this while I stayed up doing my studies in my room. I find the soft flicker of gentle candlelight relaxes me.”

In response, Derpy simply smiles more brightly.

The two of them pass a couple of moments in silence before Derpy trots up behind Feather then peers over the small, sky blue stallion's shoulder at the work on his desk. While she does that, she asks, “What are you writing?”

“A journal, mostly,” Feather Wind answers as he gazes down at his own work wistfully. “You see, I haven't learned to attune myself to the Red Crystal yet and I need to do that before I can use it to soak in positive energy around any moment that I may encounter it. Until then, I was hoping I could use this journal to capture some of those feelings of my latest adventure. That way, when I later do master my attunement to the crystal, maybe re-reading this journal will help me to recapture the feelings I had back when these moments were fresh. Perhaps that'll be enough to summon and capture some of the positive energy I felt at the time.”

“What a clever idea!” Derpy expresses brightly.

“We'll see if it works,” Feather says as he rubs his chin with his left hoof. “Until then, this is all I can do to prepare for that moment. Aside from that, this is something I've grown used to doing as I grew up. My father considered it good practice to do what our family is best known for; spellcasting and record keeping.”

“You're really amazing!' Derpy says admiringly along with a shy blush.

“You really think so?” Feather asks as he looks back over his left shoulder with his golden eyes at her. Deciding that wasn't enough, and since doing that hurt his neck a bit (especially to maintain), he then turns about in his seat to more fully face her.

“Oh yes! As a trained wizard, you're simply amazing! Also there's all that incredible weather control you can do and you don't even need your horn for that. Plus there is your writing.” She looks down at his work. “I wish I can do that.”

“Really?” Feather asks in delight. “Do you want me to teach you? Because I can.”

“Oh no.” Derpy vigorously shakes her head which causes a brief rattling sound. Her strong denial of that suggestion actually confuses Feather Wind. “I could never be as good at writing as you are.”

“Why? Because you lack a horn?” Feather Wind guesses.

“That's only part of it,” Derpy says with a shy blush. “I could be decent with my mouth writing except for one thing; I'm kind of cross-eyed and that messes with my depth perception. I've tried and tried before but I just don't seem to be any good at this.”

“Really?” Feather asks while raising a questioning eyebrow. “And yet you've taken to the services of a mail carrier pony in your time?”

“I've had some trouble with that too, to be honest,” Derpy admits with an ashamed blush. “Even reading is somewhat troubling for me, but I struggle with that less compared to my writing. Trust me, I've had many years to get used to my limitations. I know who I am.”

The two of them are silent for a moment before Feather Wind offers, “Well, if you ever change your mind about this, come and let me know.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I doubt I'll change my mind,” Derpy replies a bit despondently.

“You shouldn't sell yourself short. I think you're plenty talented enough,” Feather says as he turns about to face the desk again. He ignites his horn and uses it to float his quill up from the ink bottle. “Writing can be a lot of fun, too. I think it feels good to have one's thoughts locked on paper. A record for all time to see.”

Instead of arguing with him, Derpy decides to tactfully change the subject a bit by mentioning, “I heard you write poetry too. In fact, you later get a bit famous for that. At least, that is what the Doctor told me.”

“Which means I'll definitely not die until then,” Feather Wind realizes shrewdly. “That's good to know, I guess. It also means I'll eventually become famous for my work. Nice to know I'll one day be regarded that positively, but I won't use that as an excuse to get lazy about it in the meanwhile. That's probably why my work will eventually be noteworthy. More than likely my future work will secretly be inspired by the journey I'm taking with the Doctor as well.”

“Oh shoot! I said something stupid again,” Derpy pouts. “I think the Doctor told me that in confidence. I wasn't supposed to say that, especially not things about your future.”

The quill floating across Feather Wind's work suddenly halts when he realizes something alarming. More than once he has noticed Derpy putting herself down in some subtle ways and this is starting to become a noticeable pattern.

Feather Wind looks at, then frowns at, his work when he realizes he had accidentally paused his quill strokes at that one spot for too long and it's caused an inkblot, but his father taught him a spell to later fix this even if the ink dries. As such, he floats the quill back into the ink bottle then fully turns to face Derpy as he now addresses what he realizes is a much more pressing issue.

“Derpy, look at me,” Feather encourages with a very slight edge of firmness in his voice. Because of that, she eventually cooperates but it clearly is a struggle for her. When they finally have full eye contact, he asks her, “What's wrong, Derpy? Please tell me.”

“I don't . . . I . . .” Derpy somewhat stutters and breaks away eye contact in the process.

“Please look back at me, Derpy,” Feather requests.

“Um … okay,” she says in a small voice as she struggles to look back at him again.

“Now, again, tell me what's bothering you,” Feather encourages.

As she maintains eye contact, Derpy's eyes start to glisten with tears. Her chin starts to wrinkle with pain and quiver a bit. Eventually she can't take it anymore. She screws her eyes tightly closed and bows her head.

“I just . . . I just hope that you and Stern Wing have many wonderful adventures together with the Doctor,” Derpy says with a wildly unsteady voice. “I truly mean that. I hope you'll all be happy together.”

Feather Wind's eyes silently widen at Derpy as many pieces about the gray pegasus start to click into his mind. He realizes that she's worried that he and Stern will replace Derpy as a companion on this ship. The reason for that fear is pretty evident to him too. She clearly regards the two of them as vastly superior and more talented.

More than that, Derpy was likely teased harshly during her foalhood about her walleyes which she clearly seems insecure about. The reason for that is not only getting teased about it, but for the fact that she has, indeed, made many clumsy mistakes across her lifetime because of it. Time and time again she's gathered reasons to feel inadequate. Reasons to feel hopeless and powerless. Reasons to feel insecure and depressed.

Yet Derpy's many smiles he's seen seem genuine too. Was she just being brave or was she honestly happy as well? She has floating bubbles for a cutie mark which seems to perfectly fit her normally bubbly personality. As such, he doesn't think she's faking being ditsy or happy. There has got to be many instances when both was true, but sometimes those traits have drawbacks.

Just like anypony. They all have weaknesses. Even the Doctor. Feather Wind hasn't been around that long but he's seen enough to know there is a lot of weight on the old Time Lord's shoulders. Weight caused by the accumulation of regrets across these centuries. Why would they be there if the Doctor was always perfect? And he's an alien despite current appearances. That means being imperfect isn't a trait exclusive to ponies. Everypony has regrets, so it's disheartening for him to realize that she thinks her faults are greater than anypony else's.

Feather Wind sighs, leans forward, collects his forehooves together then presses them beneath his chin.

Speaking of flaws, one of his is his confidence. Much in life is new to him. He does have a gifted mind and it means he can see deeply at whatever he does observe, but he also has a very sensitive heart. That makes him feel really anxious about hurting anypony else's feelings. Right now choosing the right words feels especially important and he can't help but worry that he'll fail this test. If he does, he might lose a dear friend from this journey. That feels intolerable to him, but what can he say that has a good chance to prevent that? Knowing he is already starting with a dangerous baseline with her undermines his confidence even further.

Thinking back to their last adventure together, he can see the pattern which led Derpy to her current conclusions. Because they have a blind filly who is prone-to-sickness among their company, Derpy felt obligated to remain behind to take care of Vision. While the kindly and innocent gray pegasus felt that duty was important, it nevertheless hurt her to remain behind because she wanted to go too. Feather Wind knew that by looking at the pain that was in Derpy's eyes at the time. Part of him didn't want to acknowledge that because it felt distracting to maintain his focus on that issue when there were dozens of other critical issues he had to pay attention to back then.

Part of him must have hoped this issue would solve itself while he was on the journey because he had no idea how to deal with it afterwards. This issue was probably made worse by all the tales of what he and Stern did during the journey which Derpy must have thought she could not handle. If she felt she couldn't handle it and she saw others who seemed to handle it easily, her self esteem must have got flushed for it.

And the Doctor, someone she strongly looks up to, agreed with her plan for her to remain behind and watch after Vision while his more “useful” companions joined him on that journey.

Feather Wind squeezes his eyes shut as pain clenches him as well. During that time, he dwells on the many moments when he, too, felt he was inadequate. There were lots of reasons he felt insecure too. He still struggles with that, so it's easy to imagine why somepony else might look to him with envy.

The thing is, how can he convince her otherwise when her reasons are so understandable to him? He doesn't agree, but he at least understands her.

He slowly cracks his eyes open when he starts to realize the virtues of telling her the truth.

Then he focuses his kindly golden eyes on Derpy as he asks her, “Would you like to read some of my journal entries?”

“Um . . . huh?” Derpy tilts her head in confusion. “Wha . . . what do you mean? Why would I do that? I don't want to intrude upon your privacy.”

“It's not intruding if I invite you to,” Feather points out.

Derpy purses her lips in a pouting expression as she asks, “What would that prove?”

“It would prove nothing, but it would also give you evidence that I, too, often feel insecure. Thoughts like that circulate in my mind and heart all the time.”

“Rah . . . really?!” Derpy asks in surprise. “Bah-but you're so powerful ah-and strong and rich and talented and-”

“Do you think all of those reasons equates to perfect confidence?” Feather interrupts. “Pretend, for a moment, we switch places and bodies or something and you suddenly acquire my body and all of my talents and knowledge. Now it's you that has my mage training and talent for manipulating the weather. With all that power under your control, do you think you can face the world feeling invincible? Or are you still so concerned about the welfare of others that you might fear that this power could be used in the wrong way and therefore get somepony hurt?”

“I, ah . . . haven't thought of it that way,” Derpy admits.

“With great power comes great responsibility,” Feather Wind lectures. “My uncle taught me that and my father too, in his own way. I think the reason they said such things like that was a warning to be mindful, but I took it to heart in a somewhat detrimental way. I sometimes fear my power because I'm afraid that it might hurt others if I'm not careful. I care about that a lot.”

Feather Wind leans back enough so he can prop his head up by a hoof, the elbow of which rests on his desk behind him. From this position he continues to regard Derpy.

“Power is a double-edged sword. It is as capable of harming as it can do wonders. It can attract others as well who might want to exploit me for that power. Many have tried. Some have succeeded. There are also those who tried to hurt me and tear me down to their level out of jealousy, pure spite, dark ambitions to control me, or outright fear of me. Again, some of them have succeeded, at least at the time.

“The only time I have ever enjoyed my gifts fully, or at least to the greatest degree so far, was when I was alone in nature for a bunch of moons. Back then, I did not have to worry about being judged by others. It was just me and nature, and nature has a natural way of balancing things out. Those who properly attune to that find their own natural equilibrium.

“But in pony society, or any other for that matter, there are a lot of complex issues to contend with. Some hoofle it easily and brashly. I've encountered more than one of those at the Wonderbolt Academy, but I'm not like them. I second guess myself all the time. I feel insecure with or without any power. None of that removes the same core issues that lies within myself. I care for others . . . perhaps to an unhealthy degree.

“I'm not sure, but it also seems wise to have some checks and balances with all of my power. Great power could also mean having many and/or strong options to solve a potential problem, but then there is the pressure of trying to find the best option among those presented. That also means there is a worst option among them, and it's up to me to figure out how to avoid that. The possibility of failure always plagues my mind no matter how gifted I am and that alone limits my fullest potential.”

“I haven't thought of that either,” Derpy realizes. “It's funny how two ponies, who have almost opposite backgrounds, can also lead to the same thing. Ponies who feel emotionally insecure about ourselves.

“Oddly, though, you telling me this makes me feel a tad bit better. Thank you. I also deeply appreciate the fact you truly care about me so much.”

Feather smiles at her very lightly as he says, “I just want to make sure you know that you're not the only one to feel this way. Perhaps we reached the same conclusion for different reasons, but what we have in common is enough for both of us to feel validated in our own ways. Both of us are searching for the best possible answers in our lives. We are searching and worried what will happen if we don't find it.

“They key thing I think we have in common, despite everything else that seems to make us different, is how much we care for those around us. That's fundamental because it affects how we view and feel about everything.

“I don't think you have to worry about being replaced on this ship, Derpy. Rather than that, I rely on you to help me get through this journey. Power has nothing to do with it. Rather what I need, or I should say what we need, is a supportive and understanding friend who genuinely cares for us. Everything else will feel more trivial if we can feel secure in at least that one bit of knowledge. That alone takes practice, but we'll keep at it one step at a time.

“So how about it, Derpy? Will you do that for me? Will you be here, as my friend, for every step of our journey so long as we need each other? If you do, then I promise that I shall do likewise. Heck, I'd do that anyway regardless because I have to always be honest with my own feelings and passions.”

Derpy stared at Feather Wind in silent shock for several moments as his words slowly sank into her brain and heart. When it does, a smile explodes brightly on her face as she enthusiastically promises, “I will!”

---

Stern Wing searches for her friend, Feather Wind, in every room she can think of. She searches through the most obviously places first, of course, but when that proves fruitless, she goes down the list of suspects until she eventually realizes the front door and exit of the TARDIS is slightly ajar. That definitely isn't a place she'd think to check first.

After she notices that, she grows greatly alarmed because, out there, it can be anything. No pony has scouted the local terrain around where the TARDIS landed to her knowledge which means, if Feather Wind is out there, he's alone with no backup in unchecked territory. The environment alone can be hostile on some planets let alone the lifeforms that may exist out there.

“What does he think he's doing?!” Stern Wing mutters angrily under her breath as she marches her way to the exit of the TARDIS. “He should know better than to venture out without backup. He should have at least informed one of us.”

“He did,” somepony says behind her which causes Stern to pause then look behind. There she notices the Doctor fiddling with the controls of the TARDIS for some reason, but it seems he's doing it with an absent-minded attitude as if doing this just to pass some time.

“He told you he was going outside?” Stern Wing checks with the Doctor.

“Indeed, he did, and I did not land on this planet as randomly as the last,” the Doctor assures her as he looks over his shoulder and gazes at her softly with his confident blue eyes. “There isn't many sentient lifeforms out there and those that are there aren't much of a threat to the likes of him.”

“So they are not likely to be a threat to him, but still could be?” Stern Wing double checks.

“Go outside and check on him yourself if you really want to,” the Doctor invites. “I know you will anyway.

“And, for the record, there isn't anywhere I can take you all in time or space where I can perfectly ensure your safety. Threat levels greatly vary from different times and places, but I never once met something that is absolutely immune to any potential threat. That's just the nature of the existence we share as mortal beings, my dear.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Stern Wing accepts. “Given those facts, I'd appreciate being included in the loop when it comes to my friends in the future, especially if they get exposed to the security risk of whatever may be outside this vessel.”

“He told me about his departure along his way out of here,” the Doctor reminds. “At the time, I saw no reason to go out of my way to make sure everybody aboard this ship is aware of that fact, but if you wish, I can make a more concerted effort next time to at least inform this ships security officer,” he says with an emphatic nod to Stern Wing.

“Indeed. You do that,” Stern Wing replies curtly. “Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check after my friend.”

“As you wish,” the Doctor absently says dismissively as he returns his focus to the TARDIS controls.

Once at the door, Stern Wing pauses there, looks back at the Doctor, and requests of him, “If Vision's status changes, I'd appreciate being notified of that too.”

“Will do,” the Doctor promises with the same attitude. “Until then, I shall do my best to induce a positive change for the young girl.”

Stern Wing nods in agreement then steps outside.

---

The first thing Stern Wing notices when she steps outside the TARDIS is the cool, crisp air. There is daylight out there too, but greatly shaded by the gray skies above. She notices mist not only nearby the vessel, but in many spots out in the surrounding valley. Shortly later she realizes that they are resting upon some mountaintop in a heavily forested environment. The trees themselves don't look all that alien to her either. Part of her even wonders if this is, indeed, Equestria. But, if it is, she isn't exactly sure where within it.

Feather Wind isn't far from the vessel. In fact he is, more or less, only a few paces from it. However, he isn't touching the ground. Instead of that, he is sitting up straight in a meditative pose on top of a cloud just a few feet off the ground that he probably created himself.

Although, judging from the fog in various parts of the environment, there exists a possibility he merely hopped on to one that was already present.

Nothing about the local environment appears immediately threatening. Now that she is witnessing it, her instincts aren't crying out danger either. More of the opposite, in fact. Everything out here feels still. Calm. Relaxing. About the only activity out here is what sounds like avian life somewhere out in the distance and a bit of rustling through the trees caused by the wind, or perhaps even caused by Feather Wind himself.

Just in case, Stern Wing takes off into the air to do a quick perimeter check. That's easier to do from a bird's eye perspective. In doing so, she mostly just verifies her earlier findings. Plenty of things might be hidden from her sight among the vast array of trees, or the fog, which stretches across every horizon even from high above. All appears calm in the area, especially within the immediate vicinity of the TARDIS which was her primary concern.

Stern Wing lands back in front of the TARDIS about two minutes after taking off. She glances over her shoulder at the open door of the small, blue, and mostly rectangular vessel. For security reasons, part of her is tempted to shut the TARDIS doors, but then she and Feather might be trapped out here. Besides, the Doctor is immediately within the room adjacent to the main exit and entrance. For as long as that remains true, those within the vessel should be safe enough for the time being.

It's actually Feather that is her primary concern right now, for he is out here exposed to all the elements. Before she showed up, he was alone at that. That's definitely one issue she plans to rectify.

On the other hoof, she does not wish to disturb her friend either. Since that is the case, her course is clear. She'll stand guard nearby and maintain a vigilant watch.

At first she thinks she should remain still near the TARDIS exit, but that quickly starts to grow too boring. Since that is the case, she instead opts to patrol the immediate perimeter a little from the ground level this time. That, at least, affords her an opportunity to get a closer look at her environment. As she does that, she gradually realizes that, potential threat levels aside, this place is rather beautiful.

More to the point, this seems like the kind of place Feather Wind himself would be the most comfortable in. Her friend may have been raised as an aristocrat, but at heart, he's always been more akin to a true druid. Places like this, with pristine nature, was always where he really belonged. The stillness, the timelessness that can come from such places . . . Stern Wing can kind of see the potential appeal of that. Personally, she prefers the hustle and bustle of pony society, but once in a while it's nice to get back out here in raw nature for the difference, the beauty, and the challenge.

The ears above her head perk further up, more especially alert, when she hears the relatively quiet sound of thunder rolling across the sky. Sometimes it gets louder and more prominent as the roll continues, but it generally is pretty steady and calm.

Around that point her innate pegasi senses for weather alerts her to the fact it is going to rain soon. She focuses up in the gray skies and realizes that should have occurred to her quite a while ago. When it finally does, she grows curious if her friend realizes that as well. Most likely the answer is yes. In fact, his senses for the weather is far more keen than any average pegasi because he can directly communicate with the weather. It talks to him on some level she cannot fully understand. It's probably just a feeling for him. He claims the messages of the wind become especially clear to him as he breathes it in. It's as if there is a message built within the oxygen itself.

Since her curiosity is not abating, she quietly trots around her friend in order to gaze at him more from the front side. In doing so, she sees what she most expects. His eyes are closed and his mind appears distant from here. Where his mind is instead, she can hardly guess, but he does appear very relaxed. That's good.

She almost returns to her post at the front of the TARDIS, but before she fully takes her first step, something about Feather Wind changes. She sees him gradually lifting his muzzle until it totally aims up into the air. At first she wonders why until she can feel the light pitter-patter of raindrops gradually picking up. When that happens, she lifts her own muzzle into the sky and closes her eyes to protect herself from the raindrops. She also unconsciously spreads her wings as if to expand the surface area of her body and catch even more of the raindrops.

She takes in a deep breath. Rich oxygen fills her lungs and invigorates her with life and magic. Peace starts to settle within her as well and, for a brief moment, she even drops her guard a bit. It's just nice out here.

More thunder rolls across the sky which drifts her consciousness back up to the surface. She's more alert again, but still relaxed.

The sound of different, deeper breathing tips her off to a change in the status of her friend. She gazes upon him. His eyes are still closed, but he's breathing in much more deeply and a bit more loudly. Since she's not entirely sure what that means, she continues to remain observant.

“It's nice out here . . . isn't it?” Feather Wind eventually asks as he slowly opens his eyes while the rain continues and he still gazes up into the sky. “I'm telling you, Stern . . . this is the life for me.”

“It is nice,” Stern Wing somewhat agrees. “And I appreciate the fact you have a deeper connection to the weather than anypony I know. Even other pegasi. They may fly through the sky, but you are the sky.”

Feather Wind takes in another very deep intake of breath then slowly releases it. Stern Wing hears every second that it continues until his breath abates.

“How are the others? Any change that we should note?” Feather Wind checks as he finally looks at her directly.

“Stable,” Stern reports. “Including Vision for the most part. The Doctor sounds confident she'll make a full recovery, such as it is, but then there is the question of what to do with her afterwards.”

Stern Wing momentarily gets lost in a trance when she sees Feather Wind gaze upon her with a look she hardly ever sees from him, and that is a look of serene calmness. At that moment it feels like he isn't just Feather Wind but something more as well. Something grander.

“Life will always find a way, Stern Wing,” Feather Wind calmly assures.

“I, uh . . .” Stern pauses for a moment as she swallows a gulp before continuing. “I'll take your word for it.

“In the meantime, I'd like you to promise me something. The next time you decide to venture out of the TARDIS in new and uncharted territory, please have the courtesy of alerting me first.”

A smile grows on Feather's lips that is a mix between serene and amused. It slightly annoys Stern to see as if he's looking upon a young and innocent child, but it also fascinates her to see because it seems to give him an otherworldly quality as well.

“My apologies, Stern. I shall be more mindful of that in the future,” Feather promises.

“Be sure that you do, or I'll have cause to worry,” Stern replies with a cheeky frown. Four seconds later she releases her frustration with a long exhale of breath as she sweeps her gaze across the landscape before saying, “But, as you've said, it is nice out here. However, I'm a little concerned about the weather. We should probably return inside the TARDIS before too long. We don't wish to compound the Doctor's problem by getting sick out here ourselves.”

“The weather can never harm me, Stern,” Feather Wind calmly assures which draws her attention right back at him. Shortly later he adds, “But that said, you won't go back inside until I do. Am I correct?”

“You know me well enough to answer that,” Stern Wing replies. “For as long as you, or anypony else I can perceive might be in danger, I'll be there and alert.”

“Let's go back inside, then,” Feather concedes. He pushes himself up with a hoof on the cloud below him. He floats up as if in low gravity, but she can tell he simply lightened his body weight. As he floats up, the cloud below him dissipates which leads Stern to think that he did, indeed, originally form that cloud. After that, he gently floats back to the ground. Along the way down he uncrosses his hind legs then lands on all four.

“I can enjoy the weather through the open door just as well,” he compromises.

“While you do that, how about a nice hot cup of coco?” Stern Wing offers. “I can make us a cup in the kitchen. I'll even add marshmallows.”

Feather Wind smiles at her brightly in appreciation as he says, “That sounds wonderful. Thank you.”

Author's Notes:

This is a little different, isn't it? A low-key slice-of-life type of chapter/episode. Get to know the characters during their downtime activity when they are also getting to know each other better. This better helps to establish who they are, how they treat each other, and what they have to bring to the table on their next adventure. The reason Stern Wing remains so strong, and perhaps stronger later, is she kept exercising. Feather continued with his writing and communing with nature, and Derpy feels a little out of place, especially with her own role in consideration of the inclusion of her new friends. These are character-driven chapters that drive the story forward through interpersonal relationships. The best ones usually are.

But let me know what you think.

Here is some nice music that I kept thinking of which helped to inspire the end of this chapter where Feather Wind mediates out during the light rainstorm and Stern kept vigilant watch nearby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-pQ-MvtMLw&list=PLTLIGuJopyrJaN7zCJzo8tERgFq9KKfsN&index=8

Hollow Paradise Part 1: Doing Our Part

“And we're here,” the Doctor declares with a nonchalant, triumphant attitude as soon as the TARDIS they are riding within is done making its weird noises.

“How can you tell?” Stern Wing feels compelled to ask from outside of the center control rails.

“Uh . . . because the engine has stopped which means we rematerialized outside,” the Doctor answers while giving Stern Wing a confused blink.

Stern Wing uses her brown left wing with a darker brown tip to wave the Doctor off dismissively as she elaborates, “I'm not talking about the sound of the engine and whatnot. I'm talking about your certainty of where we are.

“Look, there are no windows to this vessel that I can tell and, from where I'm standing, there is only one entrance and exit to this place. With all of that being the case, how can you be so certain of where and when we are? You have no outside references to help guide your course.”

“Oh. That is what you mean,” the Doctor realizes with an amused chuckle. “Look, Stern Wing, you can't be thinking so third dimensionally when it comes to a vessel like this because this vessel does not travel through traditional time and space. Even if there were a window we could roll down and physically see what is beyond, all we'd see while in mid-transport is a wormhole tunnel. Transportation like that is akin to a magical gate in your world. It skips the space in between, so there's no point of reference we could gather if we could see on the outside.”

“Then how do you know where and when we're going?” Stern Wing presses. “Because all I see is you tweaking and pulling a bunch of levers, wires, and doohickies. How does that translate into knowing where and when we ended up?”

The Doctor sighs as he presses his right hoof on the bridge of his muzzle. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts before turning back to Stern Wing and answering, “The exact specifics of how I handle these controls would take too much time to explain and you wouldn't likely understand it anyway, but let me put it this way. Every spot in time and space can be calculated down to a very specific number. It's sort of like coordinates on a map except in four dimensions which include an X, Y, and Z axis. Just add time to the mix and there you go. I don't need to see outside this TARDIS because it wouldn't help me anyway. Instead, I have to plot a course to a specific spot by first working it out in my head,” he points to his head for a moment, “and then I use the TARDIS controls to deliver us to the spot that I desire.”

The Doctor lifts a hoof as he cautions, “I must warn you that this is a greatly oversimplified explanation but it gets the job done. In reality, there is more complexity in determining a specific spot because that spot has to be calculated on a universal level. The latitude and longitude of a specific planet aren't going to cut it when the whole universe is thrown into the picture. A different but somewhat similar method to chart our course has to be made. Add to that, there are all sorts of variables like gravity and time/space anomalies. A black hole, for example.”

The Doctor trails off when he notices Stern Wing's brain really seems to be fried. She is barely focusing on anything at all because of how confused she is.

“Go on. I'm listening,” Feather Wind prods. When the Doctor looks at the small sky-blue unicorn stallion, he notices that that pony has a much better grip on what he is explaining. It doesn't appear that even the small wizard is totally following this, but he is to some degree and he wants to learn more.

“And answer me this,” Feather goes on to say. “Just what is a black hole?”

“A very powerful spacial anomaly,” the Doctor answers. “One which is so strong, it can bend the fabric of space and time. As a matter of fact, something akin to that is precisely how these vessels like this travels. Knowing that, it also stands to reason that other spatial anomalies like it may skew us off course if I don't factor it in. Things like that are among the issues I mentally calculate when I plan a course.

“Look, you don't need all the details right at this moment. I'm just trying to explain that there are factors out there that are variables I have to account for.”

“I see,” Feather Wind says with a very thoughtful look. “I believe I partially understand.”

“That makes one of us,” Stern Wing expresses with a dizzy expression. Her eyes are actually spinning.

“You and me both, Sister,” Derpy says with just as dizzy of an expression. “I must have heard the Doctor try to explain it half a dozen times to me already, and I still don't understand it.” She shakes her head which makes a rattling sound before smiling at Feather Wind proudly. “If you can even partially understand it then you must be a really bright pony! Go you!” Derpy cheers.

For that complement, Feather Wind blushes shyly but also feels flattered.

“Ah . . . thank you,” Feather Wind expresses a bit lamely. His expression gets more serious again when he looks back at the Doctor and says, “I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain for more details about this later. If I can understand this well enough, perhaps I can, one day, hoofle the TARDIS controls myself, at least enough to deliver us out of potential danger. As it stands, I feel nervous that you're the only one aboard who knows how to hoofle it. At least one backup pilot would be more ideal. Mathematically doubly so.”

“Now that would be quite a challenge for you,” the Doctor says with an intrigued expression towards Feather Wind. “I have to say, not many of my past companions have made that offer, and fewer still have ever been able to handle it.”

“Has anypony . . . Um, I mean, anyone ever done so?” Feather Wind checks.

“Yes, but most of them were fellow Time Lords,” the Doctor answers. “And many of our race are trained to handle such things.”

“You said 'most' of your former companions, who hoofled the TARDIS, were fellow Time Lords. That implies that is not an absolute prerequisite,” Feather Wind shrewdly points out.

“You are a sharp one, Feather Wind,” the Doctor says with a proud grin. “I'll give you that, but that said, there are other issues you may have to contend with. I brought you aboard this ship not just to give you a joyride. That is true too, but you have a more focused objective here. You need to charge the Red Crystal with a sufficient amount of positive energy before you'll be ready to face the challenges that are left in your native timeline. Now I'm technically willing to try to teach whatever you can handle as long as it does not distract you too severely from your primary objective.

“And by the way, not everyone who handled these controls proficiently was a companion of mine. Some of them were, more or less, downright enemies who stole the TARDIS. One, in particular, comes to mind several times over.”

“Enemy Time Lords?” Feather Wind reflects nervously. “That sounds gravely alarming.”

“Well, back in my home dimension, hardly any of them are left,” the Doctor informs. “And they weren't all bad. I even had my granddaughter in here at one time. She was proficient with the ship and she wasn't an enemy.”

“Sounds like there's a story behind that,” Feather Wind notes with an intrigued expression.

“Indeed, but that shall be a tale for another time,” the Doctor decides as he makes his way down from the elevated center console. “Right now it is time to add to our story and we have some business to take care of here.”

Finally, Stern Wing refocuses from her dizzy expression and directs her attention back to the Doctor as she asks, “I take it we've landed on the planet of the guardians of Water World?”

“Ah . . . yes, except our destination isn't a planet, it's a moon,” the Doctor elaborates. “Furthermore it is an artificial moon if the other dimension serves as any indication.”

“Artificial?” Stern Wing echoes. “You mean it was hoof-built?”

“Precisely,” the Doctor answers. “One hundred percent of this moon isn't natural. From its surface to its core, this moon is completely constructed. Think of it as akin to a giant, spherical space station. Since it has become a stable satellite of another planet as well, it is also a moon.”

“A space station?” Feather Wind echoes. “That means that anypony can also roam the inside of this 'moon'. Fascinating.” He looks down with a fascinated look. “That would mean the occupants on this moon dwell in considerably more space than just the surface of this structure. If the entire core is also inhabitable, then that would considerably extend their options.”

“It's even more than that if my knowledge of the other dimension equivalent is accurate,” the Doctor mentions. “But let's not waste too much time discussing this here. We have a new world to explore.”

Derpy sighs as she lowers her head sadly before she says, “Sadly, I'm going to have to sit this one out as well.” She lifts her head with a more determined expression as she adds, “Vision still isn't well so I'll stay behind and take care of her.” She now gives a brave smile bright enough to cause her to momentarily close her eyes as she says, “So you all go on ahead without me and without worrying about Vision. I'll take good care of her.”

“And speaking of Vision, I should give her one last look-see before I depart,” the Doctor decides as he looks in the direction of the hallway leading towards the rest of the ship. “Final adjustments might be necessary to secure her health, so if you'll all excuse me.”

The Doctor trots his way out of the console room and into the hallway. Feather Wind waits till he is out of earshot before he turns to address Derpy and says, “That's not fair. Let me take care of Vision this time. You go on ahead with the Doctor. We'll take turns.”

“What?! No!” Derpy exclaims in alarm. “Absolutely not!”

“It's fine, Derpy. I do not mind one bit,” Feather Wind calmly assures the suddenly distraught gray pegasus mare. “While I help to take care of Vision, I can also work on attuning myself more to the Red Crystal. I need that practice and . . .” Feather Wind trails off when he sees Derpy continually shaking her head frantically.

“No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO! I forbid it!” Derpy insists while continually shaking her head and stomping one hoof each time she said no, and with greater intensity with the last three words. “You're far more useful to the Doctor out there than me.”

“Derpy, no,” Feather Wind moans sadly as he gazes at Derpy with a guilt-stricken face. “Please don't say that. You're plenty useful to-”

“PLEASE DON'T PATRONIZE ME!” Derpy screams insistently then relaxes a moment later with guilt on her face too as if she regrets raising her voice, but she also still looks determined mixed with sad. “We all know it is true. You're a very bright, resourceful, and accomplished wizard who can control the weather and sky with your cutie mark talent alone, and I'm a clumsy and ditsy mail delivery pony who has four left hooves and a feather for a brain. We don't need to spell it out any more than it already has been established. Let's just drop the subject and get on with our lives. You're much more useful to the Doctor out there. End of story, and I don't want to compound my sadness over that fact by continuing to debate this. You're going and I'm staying, and that's final!”

The three of them have an uncomfortable moment of silence before Stern Wing breaks it by saying, “I really hate to admit this, but Derpy has a point.”

For saying that, Feather Wind passes his foalhood friend a hurt look.

“I know you're a sensitive pony, but you're also smart. Think this through,” Stern Wing encourages her friend. “Derpy would actually be safer in here as well and we absolutely need somepony to take care of Vision right now. She is a blind foal under the best of circumstances, but now she's ill to boot. As for you and me? We're used to working together as a team, and I'm an obvious choice as well because of how big, strong, tough, and determined I am.” Stern Wing shakes her head as she goes on to say, “I'm not saying any of this with the intention to be a personal attack. I'm simply looking at the facts, and you need to do that too.” Stern Wing flashes a much more sympathetic look to Derpy for a moment before looking back at her small friend nearly the same way as she says, “For the moment, at least Derpy knows that you do have sympathetic fealings for her. For now, that will need to be enough, so get your head in the game and focus! As a trained wizard, you, above all, should know the value in that.”

“We all need to focus on what's best for the team,” Derpy agrees. “And, right now, I'm the most expendable one here.”

This time both Feather Wind and Stern Wing wince in pain at her wording, but Feather is the only one to voice that.

“I beg you, Derpy, never ever say that in front of us again. No pony aboard this ship is expendable, and I'm very sure that the Doctor would agree with me. That was a very poor choice of words, Derpy, and I want you to know that it hurt me.”

Derpy looks meek as she says, “Okay. I'm sorry. I take that one back. I really didn't mean to hurt either of you.” She starts to smile even as her yellow walleyes shine with tears as she says, “And I do deeply appreciate your feelings for me. Really I do.” Her kind smile shifts back to a determined face as she says, “I promise you, all I want to do aboard this ship is be helpful, and right now this is the best role I can see in front of me. I'm accident-prone wherever I go, but at least here the damage is more contained. I'm not putting anypony else's life at risk. What's more, I can actually be helpful to Vision, and you know I have plenty of motivation because I deeply care for the little filly. Let me have this one. I'm proud enough knowing I can at least be useful to you guys in here, and I will feel safer knowing more powerful and competent companions are securing the health and safety of the Doctor. And yours too, of course.”

Feather Wind winces as he says, “Look, it's not as if I can't see your point, but is this the arrangement we're going to have for every adventure we're ever going to have aboard this ship? I know you want to be with the Doctor too.”

“I want to be useful to him because I know he's out there, saving lives,” Derpy argues then shakes her head. “That is so much more important than my personal feelings. If I remaining here, in the TARDIS, gives us the best chance to accomplish that, then I'll proudly hold my place here. This is something I can do. Don't take that away from me when I have hardly any other good alternative. This isn't just for my sake. This isn't just for Vision's, and it isn't even about all of us in this ship. This is also for the sake of anypony you meet out there who needs our help! I will not tarnish the odds of success by any degree when a pony's precious life is at stake. That's too important to let our personal feelings stand in the way. We all have to make this sacrifice.” Derpy's chin quivers with pain as she says bravely but also sadly, “It's for the greater good of us all.”

“Feather,” Stern says softly as she gently applies a hoof to his shoulder. “Let this one go. You can't win this. I know what determination looks like and I know the value of pony lives. When those issues are in play, you cannot argue a mare off of her determined stance. It's like threatening a foal when his or her mother is present. You just don't do it and still expect to win.”

“Okay, fine. You two win,” Feather submits in a lamenting tone. “Maybe this doesn't have to be permanent anyway. Other opportunities may present themselves later. In fact,” his own eyes grow more determined, “I shall endeavor to design such opportunities whenever I see a remote possibility.” He focuses more on Derpy as he asks, “If I can provide a useful alternative, will you kindly reconsider your stance and join us out in our adventures together?”

Derpy's hurt yet also determined look quickly shifts to thoughtful as she mulls over his words before smiling brightly and says, “Um . . . okay! Sure! If you can provide a reasonable and ideal solution to our problem, I'll consider joining you all then.”

“I mean it, Derpy,” Feather Wind says firmly. “You better keep your word at that time.”

“That's still a ways off,” Stern Wing points out. “We can't predict the future. Well, with the possible exception of Vision, but that said, we can only deal with the here and now. There's nothing wrong with forming goals, but keep your focus on the present because this is when your focus is needed the most.”

“I'll do my duty. Don't either of you worry about that,” Feather Wind assures with steel in his own voice. “You all matter to me too so I won't deliberately do anything stupid that'll jeopardize our lives or any others. In fact, the reason why I wanted to settle this issue here and now is because I know I'll need it to help me focus better later on.” He shakes his head as he says, “I know I can't be in the game one hundred percent if I also know that I have a reason to feel guilty. My magic is drawn from my emotions in addition to my concentration, and if I am experiencing something that emotionally drains me then it will affect my spells as well. I, at the very least, need some hope to give me the strength to carry on.” He looks forward at nothing with a determined focus. “As long as I have that hope and goal in mind, I have something to shoot for and keep me focused.” He looks between the two of them again. “And I need you two to be aware of the fact I am not spilling empty promises here. I mean it when I say that I'll pounce on any chance that will solve this problem to the satisfaction of us all. Even Vision.”

“Well,” Stern Wing says as she narrows her eyes and glances at Derpy for a second before focusing back on Feather with the same expression. “Like I said before, having goals is fine, but let's be clear about what we're dealing with here. Vision isn't simply just a frail and blind filly, she's also a filly. Only natural time can solve the latter problem. That'll take years to solve. Years that will also add to our own time if we spend it with her. There may be some workaround options given the fact we have a time machine on our hooves, but somepony is going to have to bite the cork in the bottle and sacrifice their time to help raise her somewhere that's relatively safe. That's the only way she'll ever join our journey on even footing. Even then, she still may be blind and frail unless we come up with some innovative solution for that too.”

“Under normal circumstances, I'd often call my native home reasonably safe,” Derpy proposes. “Ponyville is a very pleasant community. There's hardly any cops there but they don't really need them as much either. As a small community, practically everypony knows each other's name and they prance about typically with a happy skip to their step. It is plagued by the occasional monsters, especially since we're parked next to the dangerous Everfree Forest, but in my native time, my home is also defended by the legendary Elements of Harmony. I know you two aren't aware of what that means exactly, but trust me. Our town practically has a bunch of real-life superheroines defending it and Equestria at large.”

“That might actually not be a bad option to consider,” Stern Wing agrees. “I haven't seen her native home and time yet, but if it produces ponies as naturally compassionate as Derpy here, I'm already leaning heavily on this option.”

“Oh. Thank you!” Derpy says gratefully to Stern Wing along with a very shy blush.

“We should at least check it out sometime before we fully commit to this,” Feather Wind advises seriously. “I'm sure the Doctor won't object to this either at some point.”

“Ooo! I would love to show you all my native home of Ponyville!” Derpy expresses very cheerfully. “It'll be great! I can show you my parents and my friends and Sugar Cube Corner and . . . ooo-ooo! Sweet Apple Acres! You'll just love it there. I know it.”

“You're probably right about that,” Feather Wind agrees. “I'm already on friendly terms with the Orchard Family who have later renamed to the Apple family somewhere along the way.”

“I'm guessing their focus on apple production in Ponyville probably had something to do with it,” Stern Wing surmises.

“That is my assumption as well,” Feather Wind agrees again.

“Granny Smith still lives there, and you know her,” Derpy mentions. “You can just ask her about things like that. I'm sure she'd have a tale, or two, to keep you compony for a while. Trust me, she's famous for that.”

“And reveal the fact we're time travelers?” Feather asks skeptically before shaking his head. “I'd rather avoid freaking her out if at all possible, especially at that age.”

“That said, most of the other citizens of Ponyville don't know us,” Stern Wing points out. “If we're avoiding Granny Smith because she might actually know us and freak her out, we don't have that excuse with anypony else. Plus, even with Granny Smith in the picture, that still wouldn't be a problem with Derpy and Vision, or even the Doctor, I suspect. She only knows you and me, Feather.”

“True,” Feather agrees then looks at the hallway as he hears, then sees, the Doctor return. Feather then flashes Derpy and Stern another glance as he says, “We'll finish this discussion later. Right now we need to focus on our current mission.”

Both mares nod in agreement.

“How is she, Doctor?” Derpy checks with the brown-coated and green necktie-wearing Time Lord stallion.

“Stable for now, but I did have to tweak her medication a bit,” the Doctor reports. “She's still running a high fever so I'm very grateful to you for staying here and looking after her. She'll have to be monitored closely.

“That said, I recommend lots of water and plenty of bed rest. She's mostly settled on the latter, although it is fitful bed rest.” The Doctor sighs in regret as he shakes his head. “Quite frankly, the poor little filly can hardly handle anything else right now. Fortunately for her, this is precisely what she needs to recover. I may recommend a change in her diet and more exercise when she is stronger, but for now, it is bed rest that'll keep the doctor away.”

“I'll keep a close eye on her. I promise,” Derpy vows. “So you all go on ahead knowing she will be fine.”

“Wasn't she coughing earlier?” Stern Wing checks with the Doctor. “You don't think she's contagious, do you?”

The Doctor shakes his head as he says, “I think she's well over that hurdle now. Even when this illness was fresh, the treatment I gave her should have kept a good lid on that particular issue, so those treating her should be fine.

“So then,” the Doctor continues as he tightens and adjusts his green necktie, “if you're all done with your heated little debate here, let us be off! To adventure, my friends!”

“You heard us?” Stern Wing asks in amazement.

“No, but I don't have to,” the Doctor answers. “The story is clearly written on all of your faces, and speaking of which, Derpy,” he focuses on her, “please attend to your patient. Monitor her closely. I also left a device by her bedside which you can use to contact me just in case things go south. Be warned that I may not be able to immediately respond, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can. You have my word on that, and in the meantime, you can at least be assured that I'll be alerted to your situation.”

“Yes, Doctor! Right away,” Derpy says seriously then hops up and actually flies into the hallway just to get there more quickly. As predicted by most, however, she has an accident down there when her wing clips the wall several feet down the hallway. From there, she crashes and tumbles several feet, but then quickly calls out, “I'm alright! I am oh-kay. Just . . . being me again.”

The Doctor scoffs with an amused snicker but then narrows his eyes slightly at Feather Wind as he observes the young stallion viewing the hallway with concern.

“Feather Wind,” the Doctor calls out to the young unicorn which draws the blue stallion's attention to him. With it, the Doctor says, “Be aware that Derpy made her choice. We have to respect that, even if we partly disagree with it. Keep in mind that the best thing we can do for her, right now, is to hold our heads high. The less we seem to feel guilty about her decision, the less reason she has to feel guilty in return.”

Feather Wind widens his eyes at the Doctor.

“Now then, shall we?” the Doctor proclaims in a sudden chipper tone. “Onwards and Upwards, my friends.”

With that, the Doctor trots his way out of the TARDIS.

Stern Wing almost follows, but she hesitates when she notices Feather Wind isn't following yet. Instead, he just has his eyes wide open with an amazed expression followed by an embarrassed one. He then shuts his eyes and rubs the bridge of his muzzle.

“What is it? What's wrong?” Stern Wing asks her friend in cautious concern.

Feather Wind casts a long sigh before lowering his hoof back to the ground, shaking his head, and cracks his eyes open before saying, “One of these days I am finally going to learn to stop underestimating the Doctor.”

“Uh,” Stern Wing winces, “what do you mean?”

Feather glances at Stern for a second then looks out the now open exit of the TARDIS as he says, “Earlier, I thought the Doctor was being callous on how accepting he was of Derpy's decision. Little did I realize he was thinking at least ten steps ahead of me as usual. When am I ever going to learn?”

“Um . . . I don't have the answer to that question right now,” Stern Wing replies, “but I do know that you're the brightest pony aboard this ship aside from the Doctor. If there is anypony who surely will learn what he needs to know, it's you.”

Feather thinks about that compliment for a moment before flashing Stern a side grateful smile as he says, “Thanks. It's good to know you think so highly of me.”

“And for good reason,” Stern assures. “You're one of the most amazing ponies I know.”

“Well,” Feather returns his gaze to the exit as he says, “we better get a move on and join the Doctor out there. We can work on all of these other problems later. For now, as you said earlier, we should focus on what's in front of us.”

“Indeed,” Stern agrees as she looks at the exit as well. “Let's move.”

Part 2: Empty Chalice

When Feather Wind and Stern Wing step outside the TARDIS's doors, their breath is taken away by the sight of a gigantic forest all about them. For some of these trees, they cannot even see the top at all. Some branches are closer to the ground, however, and they gasp again when they see the leaves of the gigantic trees shift colors before their very eyes. Most of the leaves shift colors within four seconds apart from each other, but a few of them are doing their own thing.

Down below and a few feet away from them, the Doctor is just standing about with his sonic screwdriver in his mouth. The device is busy making noise and he is slowly turning his head. He seems to be scanning for something. However, the look on his face indicates some minor frustration as if he is failing to find what he is seeking.

“What's wrong, Doctor?” asks the ever-cautious Stern Wing. “Is something amiss? Something we need to be on guard against, perhaps?”

The Doctor keep scanning for a few more seconds before spitting out his sonic screwdriver into his left hoof. He continues to have a flustered look on his face as he says, “No. It's just that . . . Well, maybe, but first I want to check something.” He snaps his head and gazes back at Feather Wind as he asks, “Feather Wind, what do you detect about the local environment? Can you speak to the air here like you can on any other world?”

Reminded of that, Feather Wind closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in. He holds it for a few seconds to let the message of the air really sink in but then pops his eyes open as he realizes something alarming.

Noticing her friend's alarmed expression, Stern Wing quickly asks, “What is it? What's wrong?”

“I, uh . . . I can't really explain this one. I have never felt anything like this before!” Feather Wind exclaims in unpleasant surprise.

“You're not getting anything from the air, are you?” asks the Doctor with an educated guess.

“Ah . . . no! I'm not! This is the first time the air I breathe has been dead silent.

“Ah . . . hold on. Let me examine this a while longer. Maybe I'm just not familiar with the language of the air on this world,” Feather suggests.

“Take your time,” the Doctor encourages. “We're not in a rush for the moment,” he adds with a thoughtful visual scan of the environment. “I want accurate feedback. If taking more time to examine this place improves our odds of gathering reliable information, then I'm all for it as long as no sudden urgency pops up.”

“In that case, while he does that, I'm going to patrol the local area,” Stern Wing proposes. “I suggest we do this together on two fronts. I'll take to the skies and get a bird's eye view of our situation, and you patrol the ground within sight of Feather Wind. Make sure nothing happens to him while I am gone.

“Oh, and just in case you do run into trouble, use your sonic device to project a noisy signal of some kind. Maybe the shrill cry of a bird or something like that. If you do, I'll come diving back and back you up as soon as I can.”

“Sounds like a reasonable proposal, but you be careful up there too,” the Doctor cautions her then waves to indicate the upward direction with an uplifted and spiraling hoof. “There are a lot of branches to be caught in up there, and we still don't know if anything dangerous lives up there as well.”

“I can be dangerous too if I want to be,” Stern Wing assures with a confident grin. “Don't worry about me too much. If anything does take me out up there, then they really earned it.”

“Just be back in a few minutes,” the Doctor requests.

“I'll try, but I don't have a watch,” Stern Wing points out.

“Then I'll send an audible signal either within two minutes or when we run into trouble,” comes the Doctor's refined proposal. “That will also help you zero in on our position unless you find your own way back to us first.”

“Sounds good,” Stern Wing agrees before crouching down and then leaping upward with a big flap of her large wings. With that, she shoots off into the sky.

---

Two minutes and thirty-eight seconds later, Stern Wing lands back on the ground near the Doctor and Feather Wind. Feather Wind already arose from his meditative focus and the Doctor stopped issuing the sonic scream the moment he realized Stern was fully aware of where they are.

“Okay, let's compare notes,” the Doctor proposes. “Who wants to go first?”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing look at each other with a mutual questioning look. They soon realize they have a stalemate in that regard so Feather nods to Stern Wing invitingly and with a questioning look as if to say, “You want to go first?”

Stern Wing nods then says, “You're not going to believe this, but this is incredible! We seem to be on . . . um . . . I can almost describe it as a tiny island floating in the middle of a vast empty sky, but it's more like we're on a tiny planet because the landmass we're on is spherical. I also spotted several dozen of these floating tiny planets and each of them seem to have a vastly different environment on them. Some of them are desert, some of them are the arctic, others are the ocean, and still others . . . I don't even know how to describe them. Lots of neon and artificial lights. That's about all I can tell you.”

“Wow! That's . . . unpredictable,” Feather Wind says with wide eyes in amazement then narrows his eyes as he goes on to say, “But that might partially explain what I'm getting.”

“Which is?” the Doctor checks with Feather.

Feather Wind shakes his head as he says, “For the first time in my life, the air is dead silent to me. I searched and searched and breathed deep, but every breath I took felt hollow somehow. It's like it's not really there. That we're not really breathing air. I keep getting this very odd sensation like we should be suffocating right now due to being in an airless void, but we're not. I'm thus getting conflicting feedback.

“That's not all. I'm not feeling anything from the local environment either. Not the trees, not the earth, not the life in the forest. Nothing! About the only thing I can feel is magic, and that particular category is unusually abundant. I feel like if I cast any magic, my magic will replenish in this environment unusually fast due to its thickness, but something feels off about it as well.” He shakes his head. “I don't know how a substance like that can feel so strong yet empty at the same time. It's like I'm beholding a beautiful and bejeweled golden chalice that is totally empty of anything else, including air.”

Feather and Stern both grow curious when they see the Doctor nodding in neutral acceptance before he finally says, “Thank you both for that information. That's about what I expected to hear.”

“What's going on, Doctor?” Stern Wing presses the hourglass cutie-marked stallion. “You seem to know something about our confusing situation. Would you care to explain it to the rest of us?”

“Certainly,” the Doctor agrees in a light tone. “The short version of it is we're in an artificially produced environment. Nothing feels real to you,” he says with a nod to Feather, “because nothing here is real. Rather, it is a simulation. A solid illusion. It has sound, texture, taste, color . . . everything it takes to fool your five senses that this place is real, but it's not. It's a projection made solid with very sophisticated force fields and other kinds of advanced technology.”

“Which is what you encountered before!” Feather Wind realizes. “In the other dimension predominately run by humans, this world in that dimension ran on a similar principle, didn't it?”

“Very similar, except for one thing; the power source,” the Doctor points out with a lift of a hoof. “Back in the other dimension, the simulation was supported by a computer that ran everything, and before you ask, a 'computer' is basically a thinking machine that can produce quantum-level calculations, store and retrieve a huge amount of data darn near instantly as well as process and scan a bunch of things. Think of it like an advanced artificial brain.

“Anyway, back in the other dimension, I managed to hack into and edit this computer by using my sonic screwdriver. By emitting a certain sonic frequency, I was able to tap into this machine, especially when I did it near one of the environment's hidden projection nodes which is the cause of simulating everything else you see here. I had hoped to use this access to acquire certain kinds of data, but this system runs on a different power source and therefore the sonic frequency I used before is no longer valid here. I think, eventually, I can learn to attune to the new type of frequency, but it will take me some time to figure it out.

“I do know of one local sample I can try to scan to help me figure it out, though.

“Hey Feather, cast a spell for me, would you? Anything non-hostile will do,” the Doctor requests of the young wizard.

“Anything non-hostile?” Feather echoes as he ponders that, then nods with a dim smile as he says, “Okay. I think I got it. I'll go for something simple.”

Feather Wind closes his eyes and concentrates. One second later a light projects from his horn which shines as a silvery ball. He has it float off his horn and hovers a foot in front of him. Feather Wind then pops his eyes open and looks at the Doctor as he asks, “Does this help? I can make it stronger if you want me to.”

“No. That should be fine,” the Doctor says back as he aims his sonic device at the sphere and then activates his device. “I only need to compare the magical energy of your signature versus the energy of the local environment. By comparing the difference, I might be able to get a mental picture of what I'm dealing with here faster.”

“Strange you never thought to scan his magic before,” Stern Wing muses aloud.

Once the Doctor finishes scanning Feather Wind's ball of magic, he nods to the young stallion in appreciation then proceeds to aim his device outward at the rest of the environment then scans it again, only this time he's armed with a sample to compare it to.

While the Doctor does that, Feather Wind muses aloud, “A simulated environment. How interesting. That means they can produce whatever they want at any moment, or at least whatever these com-pue-ters are able to replicate. If these thinking machines rely on data to produce anything, then they will need a real sample of some type before being able to simulate anything else.”

“A simulated environment on a moon?” Stern Wing asks. “I wonder how far this technology goes, and I don't strictly mean in terms of raw power. I wonder how widespread this tech is on this moon. Imagine if this technology was prevalent across the entire moon, including within it.”

“If the other dimension is any indication, that's very close to the truth,” the Doctor mentions while still busy scanning. “Here, they don't build houses or buildings or cave systems or swim in real lakes. They rely on their simulations to produce absolutely everything, and the projection nodes are implanted across this entire world, including within it. There are only a few spots where the projection nodes aren't, and those are places the residents can't go anyway like into solid walls or in machines taking up space to produce other things. For example, their computers will take up space or their power generators.”

“Power generators?” Feather echoes questioningly.

“Magic on this world isn't produced in the same way as it is on your home planet, or even the Water World we recently left. Instead of flowing about the environment and being produced by every living thing that is there, it is produced by one or more giant machines that just spew it. From there, that energy is channeled into whatever device is useful to the residents here. From there, those devices take that energy and shape it into some specific form, including the air you're breathing. Apparently, it is real enough to sustain us, but let's get one thing straight here. It isn't actual air any of us is breathing, but pure magical energy that is simulating air . . . and everything else, for that matter.

“While I'm on the subject, I should mention that if that power source were to totally stop and they had no backup to replace it, then everything in this environment that is simulated will suddenly disappear along with anything else that relies on this energy to function. At that point, we'd see this moon's true form which, if memory serves, is a metal spherical moon with a large gridwork of pyramid-shaped projection nodes.

“Oh, and if the simulation totally stopped with no backup, we'd be suffocating too . . . apparently.”

“Huh. How interesting,” Feather Wind says with an ironically bored expression, then he looks at Stern Wing the same way as he adds, “The residents here can produce anything they want at any time. They can have instant gratification to any wish, basically, as long as they attempt to fulfill that wish on or within this moon. If they can perfectly control what they experience, then there'd be no need to fear anything they produce provided the machine that is producing the simulation does it properly and safely. In other words, this place is a Hollow Paradise.

“However, you may think this is strange of me to say, but I'd much prefer to live in the Water World we just left rather than here. The Water World may have been a much more challenging environment to live in, but at least it was real. Real ocean. Real sky. Real sea life. Real ocean rigs. Real magic. It had depth and substance to it. It actually mattered.”

Feather sighs then shakes his head before going on to say, “It may be that my magic may replenish much faster here, but I'm kind of afraid to have my magic replenished by the synthetic magic that is produced here. If I rely upon that too much, what if I start to become fake, too?”

“I know what you mean,” Stern Wing agrees. “I didn't notice this at first as keenly as you did, but now that I know this place is fake . . . I'm not comfortable here anymore. Initially, I was fascinated because I thought this was real, but now . . . I don't know. I don't feel like I really have a true purpose here. If the residents are indeed perfectly secure in their synthetic environment, then good for them, but that also means they don't need a heroine like me and I can get out of here.” Stern Wing twists her hips to aim her cutie mark, which is a giant shield with wings off to the side and a heart in the center of the shield, at Feather Wind. She also points to it.

“I got this cutie mark due to my passion for protecting others. As a side effect, I think it is also trying to lead me to places where I am needed,” Stern says while looking at Feather at first, but then aims her flank away from him again as she visually scans her environment.

“However, here, where everything can be perfectly predictable and by the numbers, I don't think I am needed here.” Stern looks back at Feather. “Not to mention this probably isn't the best place I can grow. I need to keep up my strength to prepare for future challenges in other worlds and periods.” She shakes her head. “And I don't think I can do that here. It's too safe and I don't wish to become complacent.”

“If you two wanted to stay here, I wouldn't stop you,” the Doctor mentions as he keeps scanning in different directions approximately every five seconds. “But know this; I wouldn't stay here myself. As a matter of fact, I generally can't stand stagnating in any place for too long. I spent too long constantly being on the move. That's the 'normal' for me and it has been for a very long time now.”

“Really?” Stern Wing asks the Doctor with interest tinged with a bit of sadness. “Then that means you feel you can't settle anywhere and raise a family and whatnot.

“But . . . you mentioned earlier that you had a granddaughter so does that mean you used to be settled at one time?”

Right after Stern Wing asked him that question, the Doctor finally stopped scanning and put his device away in the hidden pocket just above his hourglass cutie mark. He then grins at Stern Wing as he says, “You don't expect me to answer all of your questions, do you? I think I prefer to keep some things a mystery, but I won't stop you from hypothesizing all you want. If you're very observant, they can even be educated guesses.”

“I don't understand. We're on the same team, so why keep secrets from your fellow team members?” Stern Wing wonders.

“Is that what happened to you when you were on a sports team?” the Doctor reflects questioningly. “Did every single member of your team spill their whole life story, including their deepest and darkest secrets, just because you were all on the same team?”

“Ah . . . no, but we didn't feel compelled to withhold that information either,” Stern Wing answers. “We kept our environment feeling open and friendly because we each needed to trust each other. Telling our life's story, while not required, was an available option to us. We didn't have to, we get to if we wanted.”

“Well, that is fine for you and your former team. I respect and commend you all for it,” the Doctor expresses to Stern Wing. “But as for me, there are secrets about my past that would be dangerous to know. Some of them are dangerous to me already but at least I can handle them.” He shakes his head. “I see no reason to spread that danger unnecessarily. It's not because I don't trust my companions, it is because I refuse to endanger them when it isn't necessary.

“If, for some reason, it does become necessary to share some or all of my secrets then I shall do so, but not until then. As a pony who appreciates the need for security, I expect and request for you to respect that.”

Stern Wing smiles at the Doctor softly as she says, “Very well, Doctor. As you request. I shall-”

She is interrupted when they all notice a bright golden streak zoom across the sky, momentarily brightening their immediate area before it fades into the distance.

“What was that?!” Stern Wing exclaims in shock.

“We already established that this environment is synthetically produced, right?” the Doctor reminds. “Well, that also means someone is here to request this in the first place. My guess is we just saw a sign of the player of this game.” The Doctor grows a daring grin as he goes on to say excitedly, “So let's go check it out!”

Part 3: Tetrahexcimal

“Welp, this is as far as we can go without flying through the sky,” the Doctor reasons as he gazes up at the tiny floating planet where he detects the other life form in this area. “Let's see.” He gazes forward at nothing as he rubs the bottom of his chin. “What are our options here? Well, two of you can fly, and one of you can also . . . Ooo.” The Doctor looks at Feather Wind with interest. “Feather Wind, back during our last adventure on Water World, you once told me you can deliver whispered messages using the wind across great distances. Just what is the range of that ability, and how well do you have to know your target?”

“Um, I ah . . . I'm not sure if there is a limit in terms of range so long as the message has the ability to travel in the wind. I think I can deliver messages all the way across a planet if I wanted to. However, the further the target is, the longer it will take for the target to receive the message because the message is delivered at the speed of the wind. If I accelerate the speed of the wind then it will get to them faster.”

Feather Wind pauses as he ponders for a moment, then says, “As for my knowledge of the target, I think I at least need to know their name or some basic description of them. It could be their cutie mark or maybe even some knowledge of their personality. I need to give the wind something to identify which target I'm trying to deliver the message to.”

Feather Wind looks around and then says, “That said, I don't think my wind and weather abilities will work here because this isn't the real sky, wind, and air.”

“Oh sweet Celestia!” Stern Wing exclaims with a shake of her head then bursts into a chuckle for a moment.

“What?” Feather Wind asks Stern Wing with a mix of confusion and slight annoyance.

Stern Wing lifts a wing towards Feather to encourage him to pause a moment while she takes a moment to recover herself. When she does, she shakes her head and then says, “Forgive me, but this is the second foreign world in a row that we've explored where you can't fly which just happens to be your most famous ability. In the first world, you couldn't affect the weather much because it was already too loud. In fact, it tried to download its entire history in your head in a few seconds.”

“Oh yeah. I remember,” Feather Wind recalls with a grin.

“Now here, in this world, you can't affect the weather because it is too quiet. How ironic is that?!” Stern Wing asks before she bursts out laughing.

Feather Wind shakes his head and chuckles for a brief moment but then corrects, “Actually, the problem isn't the fact that the weather is too quiet. The problem is it's not really there. It's like me trying to talk into an empty room.”

Stern Wing nods in understanding then says after she recovers again, “Point taken, but you gotta admit, that is pretty uncanny to run into a similar yet opposite problem twice in a row.” After she says that, she bursts out into another gut-busting laughter and also stamps her left forehoof on the ground.

“Can you just use your sonic device to deliver a message to the other pony?” Feather Wind checks with the Doctor while Stern Wing continues to laugh.

The Doctor shakes his head as he says, “Not at this range, I think. If I can amplify my sonic device somehow then maybe, but as it stands, I don't think it is likely.”

“Perhaps we can just go back and warp the TARDIS to the other pony?” Feather suggests instead.

The Doctor shakes his head as he says, “I don't think that would work either. I mean, technically, we could, but then we'd have to double back all the way to the TARDIS. By the time we do, I think the target will have moved on.”

Feather Wind grunts in frustration as he gives this problem serious thought. “Well . . . if I could still affect the weather and the wind, I probably could just loan you my Mist Cloak and use that to blow you to the other floating island/tiny planet.”

“Why don't I just carry you both to the other island?” Stern Wing proposes when she finally fully recovers and rejoins the conversation with a much more serious expression. She also wipes away a single tear from her left eye using a single feather of her right wing. “Especially you, Feather. You can lighten your body weight so that lifting you would hardly be any effort at all.”

The Doctor squints as he says with a doubtful expression, “Okay, but I can't do that, and I remember Derpy struggling to do something like this before. Usually, the best she can achieve is to give me more lift to my jumps or slow me down so that a fall isn't lethal, and even then it is a strain on her. Now still,” he lifts a hoof, “that remains a very handy ability. None of my other companions in the TARDIS could do that so I'm still grateful to have access to this.”

“Yeah, because most of your other companions were human, or at least humanoid,” Feather points out. “We're ponies so our physiology makes other options more and less possible.”

Stern Wing wipes her right hoof across the air and lifts both of her wings in a dignified stance as she says, “Yes, but that is Derpy. I am a much larger and stronger mare who is accustomed to much higher standards. Believe me, Doctor, I shall not let you fall.”

“Um,” the Doctor turns his head towards his left as he continues to eye Stern Wing nervously then says, “I get the logic of your claim, but if you're wrong, there could be very lethal consequences in this case. Are you sure you can do this?”

“Doctor,” Stern Wing says before stepping right next to him and looming over him. She gives a deadly serious expression down at the Doctor as she assures with iron determination, “we don't have time to argue about this since the other pony might depart soon. For all the love of Princess Celestia, I promise you . . . you will not fall!”

Stern Wing's steely gaze continues to bore down upon the Doctor. Eventually he sighs, shakes his head, then says, “Oh bollocks, my large pony. You can casually poke holes through a brick wall using that iron will of yours.”

Completely unfazed by his words, Stern Wing continues to give the Doctor an intense, focused, and passionate stare.

“You are the very definition of strength in every sense of the word,” the Doctor continues. “So shoot. Let's try it!” the Doctor decides excitedly.

Stern Wing lifts her head higher as she says, “Very well, then. Feather,” she whips her gaze towards him, “climb on my back and lighten your body weight, but not all the way. You know the drill.”

To assist him, she lowers a wing so he can use it as a bridge to scale to her back. He proceeds to do so then bites on her mane in addition to grabbing hold of her neck using his forehooves.

“As for you, Doctor, just hold still and enjoy the ride,” Stern Wing commands him.

Following that statement, Stern Wing practically pounces on the Doctor which makes him go “oof”. Stern Wing collects his entire body within all four of her legs like a clenching four-fingered hand and then she powerfully flaps her wings to take off into the sky using the momentum of her wing thrusts alone. Several strong whooshes of wind are projected from her wings as she takes off into the sky.

“Whah! Ha-ha-ha! This is fantastic!” the Doctor exclaims ecstatically like an excited child once they are up in the air. He tries to squirm about enough so he can view the forested land they just took off from. “We're flying! We're actually really flying and I'm being carried off by a pegasus of all things! Whah-ha! I just never know what I'll encounter on my adventures!”

“Stop squirming, Doctor!” Stern Wing orders him firmly as she looks down and glares harshly at the Doctor within her four legs.

“Yes Ma'am!” the Doctor replies, instantly cowed by the sheer intensity of her command. His eyes shrink to the size of pinpricks during that time.

Together, they make their way to another floating island/planet that is half sandy beach and half ocean water. Along the way, Feather Wind notices that there is light in their surroundings, but there is no sun to explain this anywhere in this apparently infinite open sky in every direction. Not only that, but there are no shadows anywhere either. It's as if the “air” itself is the light source.

---

When Stern Wing lands upon the shore of the sandy beach of the other island/planet, she safely and gently deposits the Doctor. As for Feather Wind, he just hops off of her back himself. Since he temporarily lightened his body weight significantly using the magic of his cutie mark talent, he floats gently on the sandy beach.

Ahead of them, they see the curious sight of a yellow unicorn stallion in an embroidered black robes that have some gems built into it and glowing magical lines tracing between them. His mane is a bit shaggy but only off to the sides of his head because he is totally bald at the top. He seems to be curiously and intently examining some glowing, holographic window in front of him that displays a lot of 2-D moving screens, words splayed around it, and some graph charts.

“I thought I would rank higher,” the yellow stallion mumbles to himself. “But my opponents are scoring higher than I thought they would. Hmm.” He rubs his bottom chin with a thoughtful expression. “I'm going to have to get really serious with the next few shots.”

In an attempt to gain the yellow stallion's attention, the Doctor clears his throat. It seems to have no effect. The yellow unicorn outright ignores all of them. Because of that, the Doctor clears his throat louder. When he does, the yellow stallion grunts in annoyance and then says aloud, “Computer, mute the ponies adjacent to me.”

“What?!” Stern Wing bristles as her fur and feathers stand up straight. “Did he really just try to shunt us?”

“This situation seems to require more direct measures,” the Doctor realizes then approaches the yellow stallion who continues to be busy analyzing the data on his floating holographic window until the Doctor becomes too intrusive by waving a leg in front of the other stallion.

In response, the yellow stallion finally looks directly at the Doctor with a growl of annoyance before ordering aloud, “Computer, delete these annoying and intrusive ponies.”

For a moment the TARDIS adventurers flinch in alarm when they hear that command, but a moment later a disembodied feminine voice says nearby them, “This system cannot comply with your previous command.”

Annoyance shifts to surprise as the yellow stallion demands to know, “Why not?”

“The ponies in your vicinity are not produced by this system,” the disembodied voice explains.

“What?!” the yellow stallion exclaims in astonishment. “You mean to tell me that they are real?”

“Affirmative,” the disembodied female voice confirms.

The TARDIS trio mutually glance at each other, each wondering how to take this recent string of news.

“Oh!” The yellow stallion widens his eyes in amazement. “In that case, I withdraw my recent orders to mute them.”

This time there is only a tweeting, digital reply from somewhere in this area. To the TARDIS trio, it might be an indication that the yellow stallion's recent request to mute them is successfully withdrawn.

“Okay, so if you three are not computer programs, just why are you here and interrupting my game?” the yellow stallion asks the trio. “And how did you get here anyway? This is supposed to be a closed program.”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing, especially the latter, are barely following this conversation. They just look at the Doctor and hope he can provide an intelligent response to this confusing conversation.

“I take it you had something to do with that giant golden comet?” the Doctor inquires of the yellow unicorn.

“Oh, that? Well if that's what you want to know, just watch. It's just about my turn anyway.” The yellow stallion peeks at the holographic window. In doing so, he apparently confirms something which causes him to nod in acceptance. He then trots away from the transparent window and draws closer to the shoreline of the beach. He then calls aloud, “Computer, reticle target, please.”

As a result of his command, a glowing and golden ornate sigil appears before him. It looks like two squares. One is right side up and the other is turned at a forty-five-degree angle. Both squares overlap each other. Within the squares, there are three circles, each with a few lines extending off of them. Because of those lines, every pony here can tell those circles are spinning in various directions as if adjusting for something. The center circle shows a zoomed image in the direction the entire sigil is being aimed at. There are a bunch of symbols that change all around and within the circles and squares as if to indicate changes in that which is being viewed.

“Mallet,” the yellow stallion calls aloud. Due to that, an image of a solid mallet appears and floats in thin air. A magic aura soon surrounds both the new tool and the yellow stallion's horn. In this case, both are enveloped by a mint-green aura. Notably, however, one of the gems on his robe is also glowing the same color, and that gem is mint green as well. “Okay. I just need to aim and adjust my target, and then . . .” The yellow stallion licks his lips as he gives the sigil sharp focus. After a while, he swings the mallet back using his magic and then slams it into the sigil. As a result, a giant and brightly golden comet launches away from the sigil and shoots off into the vast open sky.

The yellow stallion looks back across the newcomers and asks them, “Do you really mean to tell me that none of you are familiar with the game Tetrahexcimal?”

In response, the TARDIS trio shake their heads but then the Doctor proclaims, “But I think I'm beginning to get the gists of it. Basically, you create this reticle sigil and then use it to aim at where you want. I suspect you're not only trying to hit the other floating planets here but actually intend to ricochet off of them into several more of those planets before the comet loses all of its momentum.”

“Correct!” the yellow stallion cheers. “I need the comet to bounce off certain planets in a certain order. I have to hit A before I can hit B then C. The final goal is to shoot the comet through a rainbow ring. The thing is, I have to do all of this with the minimum number of shots possible.”

“So Tetrahexcimal is basically just a grander version of Cricket,” the Doctor realizes.

“Ah . . . maybe?” the yellow stallion says without recognition.

“And I take it that window is displaying the stats of the other players of this game?” the Doctor asks as he looks at the holographic window.

“Ah . . . yes. That and it allows me to see the progress of my own game. For instance,” he concentrates for a moment. His horn glows again, but curiously with a red color this time. As a result of his spell, one of the screens on the holographic window displays the comet he just shot away from this position. The image follows the comet as it shoots through this air space. A lot of information is being displayed around the moving image, but Feather and Stern can't make heads or tails of that information.

“See?” The yellow stallion waves at the holographic window. “This displays my progress in this game along with the stats of the other players off to the side.”

“And each of these 'other players' is off in their own little world of this game, correct? None of them are physically here?” the Doctor checks as he looks back at the yellow stallion.

In response, the yellow stallion nods as he says, “Correct, which is why I'm so confused about why the three of you are here bothering me. I'm supposed to be the only player in this version of the program. It's a private instance.”

“Forgive us for this intrusion. We didn't stumble upon your game intentionally,” the Doctor says to the yellow stallion. “Rather than that, we just arrived here.”

The yellow stallion winces as he asks, “May I ask how?”

“You certainly may,” the Doctor invites. “And I am happy to tell you. We warped here, from off this world, in my vessel which is known as the TARDIS. That stands for, 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space.'”

“Off this world? You came from off this moon? Seriously?” the yellow stallion asks skeptically.

“That surprises you?” the Doctor checks.

“Yes because of the shield around this world,” the yellow stallion responds. “How in the world, or rather off this world, did you manage to penetrate that?”

Instead of answering that question, the Doctor responds with another question of his own. “Would you like to see my ship?”

“Ah . . .” The yellow stallion looks numb for a moment, but he focuses again when he blinks and shakes his head. He then says to the Doctor, “I think you'd better. This is starting to sound much more serious than my game. Here.” He looks at the holographic window again. His horn glows red again. This time Feather and the Doctor notices a different gem light up on the stallion's robe. This one looks like a ruby gem.

In response to the spell the stallion cast, the holographic window goes away and is replaced with what seems to be a laser line simulation of their local environment. One area in particular flashes red. The stallion looks at the others as he says, “We are here where the red flash is. Now tell me, where is your ship?”

“Very close by, actually,” the Doctor answers as he approaches the holographic, 3-D grid map. “We were on an adjacent planet with a forest terrain. Specifically, the ship is located here.” The Doctor points at the correct spot on the grid map. Now that area flashes yellow in response.

“Alright then. I should see this for myself,” the yellow stallion decides before he calls aloud, “Computer, transport us to the yellow flashing area the other stallion indicated.”

“Affirmative,” the disembodied voice affirms before they are all engulfed by a brilliant white flash

Part 4: Lawful Authority

“This looks like a, ah . . .” The yellow stallion gives the Police Call Box a quizzical look. He maintains that expression as he rubs the bottom of his chin then gives up as he admits, “Well gosh darn it, I don't know what the heck this is.” He looks to the Doctor. “And you say that this is your spaceship?”

“Yeah? And?” the Doctor prompts while a mischievous grin steadily grows on his lips as if he's hoping for a specific response and he senses he's close to it.

“Isn't it, ah . . .” The yellow stallion gives the TARDIS another puzzled look. He's silent for a second as if considering how to phrase his next words. In the end he asks, “Isn't this a bit small to be a spaceship?”

“Oh really? Is that your opinion?” the Doctor inquires as his smile grows. “Don't get me wrong. I get where you're coming from, but what would you say if I told you it's surprisingly roomy on the inside?”

“I'd say you're full of shit,” the yellow stallion replies bluntly as he looks back at the Doctor. “Even if you had a holographic simulation in there to make it seem as big as you want, it would be, nevertheless, still that,” he nods to indicate the ship, “in its actual size.”

The Doctor just bursts into a chuckle.

“Still, let's say you're right and this is your spaceship,” the yellow stallion goes on, “how did you get through our protective shield? Were you invited to be here?”

“I'm sorry, what shield is he talking about?” Feather Wind inquires of the Doctor.

“This moon, and the planet it orbits, is protected by a barrier that prevents physical transport. It also serves as a sort of sensor. If anything tries to penetrate it, then those who are running security on this moon place will be alerted to the attempt,” the Doctor calmly informs Feather Wind. He instantly simmers down from his chuckle in order to do so. “This serves the dual purpose of protecting the natives here on this moon but also to prevent unauthorized access to the ocean planet below. The earth ponies planted down there are supposed to be monitored without extra-terrestrial interference. That includes the ponies here who originally planted those earth ponies down on the planet below.”

“For what purpose?” Stern Wing asks curiously.

“That, I'm not sure,” the Doctor replies. “That means the natives here from the other dimension either forgot that as well, or weren't forthcoming about it. I suspect the general populace is no longer aware of why they did that, but the answer is buried in their own data system. That's, ah,” he looks at Feather Wind, “their own version of record keeping.

“Based on the way things turned out, however, I can stab a few guesses. I suspect, given the evidence presented, that this civilization survived an alien invasion of some kind. They might have also assimilated the alien tech of their invaders into their own culture and that caused an unnatural bump in their technological evolutionary process. They couldn't help but to be curious, and at one time, they were probably also desperate.”

“That makes sense,” Feather agrees.

The Doctor shakes his head with a slightly sad expression as he goes on to lecture, “But I have often observed that any culture that receives a sudden shock evolutionary bump in some kind of tool, no matter what form it takes, it often also entails some growing pains to go along with it. Wisdom needs time to catch up to their new knowledge level. Before that happens, they'll make a lot of regretful mistakes. It's like giving a dangerous weapon to a child. Until they grow up, they may accidentally use it irresponsibly.”

“That also makes sense,” Stern Wing agrees as well.

“So that is what probably happened here. They toyed and experimented with their new tech, likely during and after they ousted their previous would-be conquerors, and it resulted in making a lot of mistakes. When they later realized it, maybe they started to wonder how their culture would have turned out if it had not been interfered with in the first place. To answer that question, they set up this experiment. Put pony life on an alien planet and see how they evolve on their own this time without external interference. Once the guardians here see the results of that experiment, then they can get a better idea of how they,” he points at the yellow stallion, “also would have turned out. It's kind of an experiment of self-reflection.

“To tell you the truth, my own people did something like this several times over. They, too, had a god complex and liked to interfere with all kinds of crazy experiments until they were wiped out by . . . um . . . Let's just say it was a long period of unpleasantness that I'd rather keep behind me.”

“Time Lord Victorious?” Feather Wind repeats what the Doctor had once declared as an alternate title on the recently departed ocean planet. “The Oncoming Storm?” Feather Wind squints at the Doctor as he asks, “You sure that god complex is just limited to your own people?”

The Doctor smiles a little shyly as he replies, “We all have our own various backgrounds and roots. If you think I am arrogant, then you haven't seen anything yet. You haven't seen my people during their heyday.”

“I'll take your word for it,” Feather Wind accepts as he passes his look from the Doctor to the yellow stallion. Meanwhile, the yellow stallion was looking back and forth between each pony who spoke and tried his best to follow the conversation. Based on the look on his face now, he wasn't completely successful.

“Um,” the yellow stallion scratches his head. “Did the little blue stallion just say 'Time Lord'?”

“You've heard of them before?” the Doctor asks with sudden sharp interest to the yellow stallion, of whom the TARDIS trio still does not know the name of.

“I suppose you can say as myths and legends,” the yellow stallion answers. “To be honest, I've never given it much thought before, but if you're bringing it up now and one of you is even claiming to be one of them, then I'm quickly growing to suspect that all of this is above my pay grade.”

“So there is a currency in this world?” Stern Wing wonders aloud. “What kind exactly?”

“Actually, no,” the Doctor corrects. “The natives here have free and unlimited energy which they use to power,” he waves a hoof above his head in a circle, “all of this. Since their most critical needs are met in an unlimited supply, it means all of their services here are totally free. There's no point in having a currency system when they have an infinite supply of everything they could ever want or need.”

“Ah . . . then . . .?” Stern Wing says with a tone of confusion.

“On this world, the expression 'above my pay grade' strictly means 'this affair should be handled by someone of higher authority.' Do you get what I'm saying now?” the Doctor checks.

“Uh . . . partially,” Stern Wing says as she rubs a hoof on the side of her head in continued confusion.

“Everything here may be free, but there are still various levels, or tiers, to their society,” the Doctor lectures. “Higher level tiers are in charge of larger and larger amounts of authority and power. Tasks like that are relegated to those who best qualify and want the job. Nobody here, in this world, has to work a day in their life. They can just play all day, every day, in computer-simulated environments just for fun.

“However, if they actually want extra responsibility and power and they are willing to work for it, then there are various positions available in their society that need filling and they don't always trust such tasks to some holographic avatar. For some critical roles, they want real people on the job.”

“And speaking of which, I think it's high time to call in some of those authorities,” the yellow stallion decides. His horn glows red. A holographic window pops up and floats nearby him. To it, he says, “Computer, contact the Law Enforcers. Have one materialize to my current position.”

An instant later, a pony in some kind of sleek-looking black body armor materializes beside them. This pony, who seems to be an earth pony by the looks of the individual, is wearing a helmet that completely conceals the wearer's face. Instead of that, that helmet has a digital screen that displays a virtual face that is glowing and very obviously fake, but still gives the viewer some general idea of the wearer's expression.

“Officer Hawkly, reporting for duty,” the male police officer seems to say, but the helmet also distorts his voice slightly to sound a bit echo-y and digital. He looks at the yellow stallion as he asks, “How may I be of assistance to you, Citizen Chumely?”

“These three here,” the yellow stallion named Chumely uses a hoof to indicate the three others standing here as he goes on to say, “claim they came from off-world. The longer I listen to them, the more I am convinced they have an unauthorized entry here. Also,” he nods at the blue box beside him, “they claim that this is their spaceship, and he,” he nods to the Doctor, “claims to be a Time Lord.” He shakes his head. “I don't really buy into that crap, but they made that claim anyway. Perhaps they even really believe it themselves for some weird reason.”

“I see,” Officer Hawkly says as he then looks upon the TARDIS crew. “Please state your names for the record.”

Feather Wind almost speaks up, but he pauses when he sees the Doctor lift a hoof. That, in turn, draws the blue unicorn's attention.

“Before we get into all that, there is something I'd like to explain to my companions, if you don't mind. It will take only a moment,” the Doctor requests of the officer. “During that time, we'll remain right in front of you so you can continue to monitor us and record anything we say.”

“As you wish,” the officer accepts with a neutral nod.

The Doctor looks between Feather Wind and Stern Wing as he explains, “Alright, one thing you need to know about our new friend here is he's synthetic too. He's a holographic program that is controlled by the computer which runs this whole system.”

“Com-pue-ter . . . the thinking machine thing,” Feather Wind recalls.

“Right. That thinking machine runs pretty much all of this. That now includes this new police officer,” the Doctor further explains.

“Really?” Stern Wing asks skeptically. “They trust themselves to be enforced by a fictional character that doesn't actually exist?”

“A fictional character who is programmed to be a perfect police officer, at least according to this society's standards,” the Doctor mentions. “All the laws of this society are uploaded into his database which he runs smoothly and efficiently. As a program, he can't be corrupted either unless one can hack the program that is running him. Barring that, he's immune to greed and bribes, nor can he be intimidated. His behavior will always be one-hundred percent governed by the scripts he is provided with.”

Feather Wind looks impressed as he says, “Well, I guess I can see some advantages to their strategy here. Since we're talking about an imaginary character anyway, those that have designed him can make up any rule they want about him.”

The Doctor nods as he says, “That's not all. If negotiations fail, which they can be very good at despite being technically emotionless, then they are also programmed to be as strong and as fast as they need to be to overcome their assailants provided it does not exceed the limitations of the computer system running him or the strength of the holographic emitters creating him. He can also call in backup by creating potentially unlimited number of clones of himself. Since every clone of him is run by the same program, they can coordinate themselves perfectly without having to say anything to each other. They are also all aware of anything that even one of them spots. It is like a hive-mind mentality.

“This character is also programmed to be physically unbeatable by most standard methods. That means such characters will either dodge your attacks, allow your attacks to pass right through them, instantly heal themselves of any damage inflicted on them if you somehow manage to damage them, or make themselves so solid that you can't physically damage them in the first place. If fact, if one were to try when they use the latter strategy, you're more likely to damage your own hoof or the tool you tried to use against them.”

“Powerful, invincible, unlimited backup, perfectly coordinated as a group as if they were all the same individual, and immune to any emotional weaknesses,” Stern Wing recounts. “I'm beginning to see the appeal too, but I still don't like it. I'm not comfortable with the idea of being shoved around by a character who doesn't actually exist.”

“A cop who can do his work tirelessly and effortlessly,” Feather Wind realizes. “If they don't have any true emotions, then they can never get bored and/or complain about their job either, so it won't even occur to them to betray their masters.”

“They can simulate emotions very well, though, if they determine that it assists their odds of success,” the Doctor adds. “Such as with negotiations. They are programmed by some of the best negotiators and diplomats that have ever existed, and people who are that good at their job typically teach that it is important to establish a rapport with their subject. Well, these synthetic cops can do that well enough to succeed in any average setting at the very least.”

“And carrying a big stick doesn't hurt their chances either,” Stern Wing realizes.

“Which is why I wanted to point this out first before we answer any questions,” explains the Doctor. “I wanted you both to know what we're dealing with. Keep everything I said in mind as we deal with him.”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing nod at the Doctor simultaneously. Feather Wind further adds, “We'll follow your lead.”

The Doctor nods at his companions in return then turns to address the holographic police officer Hawkly.

“Forgive me for the delay. I was just clearing some things up with my companions to make sure they understand precisely why it is important to cooperate with you,” the Doctor says to Officer Hawkly. “To that end, I'll further add that my name is the Doctor, and these are two of my companions, Feather Wind and Stern Wing.” When he introduces his companions, he gestures to each in turn.

Officer Hawkly nods to the Doctor as he says, “I thank you for your cooperation so far. I also think it is insightful of you to explain your situation to your companions to further ensure their mutual cooperation.

“Now, if you don't mind, may I have your permission to ask you a few questions?”

The Doctor nods as he says, “You certainly may, and I shall endeavor to answer them to the best of my ability provided I determine it is safe to do so.”

“A wise and worthy precaution, no doubt,” Officer Hawkly commends. “Now then, Mister The Doctor-”

“Just Doctor, actually,” the Doctor interrupts with a correction.

“Very well,” Officer Hawkly agrees with a nod. “Doctor, then. Now Doctor, do the three of you indeed hail from off this world?”

“We do,” the Doctor confirms.

“How recently did you arrive in this world?” the officer probes further.

“Two hours, thirteen minutes, and sixteen seconds,” the Doctor answers. “I could mention the milliseconds but it would no longer be accurate by the time I finish the sentence. And by the way, that is according to your chronology system. If you wish, I can rephrase my answer by the standards of any other chronology system of your preference which I am aware of.”

“That will not be necessary at this time, and I once again thank you for your continued cooperation. It is most appreciated,” says Officer Hawkly with well measured politeness.

“The Doctor doesn't have an hourglass cutie mark for nothing,” Stern Wing quietly snickers to Feather Wind beside her. In reply, Feather Wind agrees with a very emphatic nod.

“So suffice it to say, the three of you arrived very recently. As in, you arrived this very day,” Officer Hawkly double checks.

“Correct, Sir,” the Doctor agrees with a nod.

The digital eyes of Officer Hawkly narrows slightly as he asks, “And is this your first time visiting our world?”

“It is indeed, Sir,” the Doctor confirms. “Although I have visited another very similar to this one.”

“Interesting,” Hawkly says as his digital eyes widen back to normal. “And are you, indeed, a Time Lord?”

Chumely regards the Doctor for the answer to that question too, apparently very interested as well despite his dismissive claims earlier.

“I am indeed, Sir,” the Doctor answers. “To my knowledge, potentially the last of my kind unless you have evidence to the contrary.”

“And this is your vessel, the TARDIS?” Officer Hawkly asks as he regards the blue box.

“Now that is interesting,” the Doctor notes aloud. “I indeed mentioned the name of my ship to Chumely here, but not to you.” The Doctor narrows his eyes slightly. “I take it I've been on this artificial moon before?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. However, for you, it looks like that has not occurred yet in your space/time,” Officer Hawkly figures. “The last time you came here was not your first time, but since it was your first time with us, you had to apply for your visitor's visa. Since this was not your first time visiting our world, you were able to apply for the visa very easily since you already knew the answers to the test questions, and I can assure you that not much has changed on that front since your last visit. That visa is still valid and on file for you even on this day with one exception; if this truly is your first time visiting our world, then you'll need to re-apply for the visa all over again.”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa. Time out here,” Stern Wing says as she crosses her wings in front of her in an X pattern then refolds them on her back. “Visitor's visa? Test questions? Re-apply? All of these issues sound important, but I'm afraid I'm not following.”

Officer Hawkly seemingly looks at Stern Wing with the digital eyes of his helmet as he says, “All visitors to our world here must submit to a medical examination to determine if they are a medical threat to the rest of our citizens. If they pass, they may move on to the next step of the visitor's process. If they fail, they'll temporarily be put in quarantine while we address the issues that they are suffering. At that point, with the consent of the visiting patient, we will also do our utmost to cure the afflicted pony of whatever condition they are suffering if it is within our power to do so. Curing them prevents them from becoming a public safety hazard, after all.”

“Makes sense,” Stern Wing agrees with an impressed nod. So far she likes the sound of this. “And this service is free?”

“Not only is it free, but it is also downright required,” Officer Hawkly answers. “Unless the visitor decides to withdraw their request to visit our world. They may leave anytime they wish, but they may not advance upon our population until they are deemed safe to do so.”

“I actually deeply approve of this!” Stern Wing says brightly. “This is a wonderful policy to hear! I say that for the sake of your citizens as well. I wouldn't want to be a threat to your populace either. If there is any way I can further ensure that, then I'm all for it and I'm greatly comforted by the knowledge that is the standard policy around here, for it means it probably is safe to approach any other visitors to this world, at least on a medical front.”

“Indeed,” Officer Hawkly confirms. “I am greatly relieved that this meets with your approval, Madam Stern Wing.”

“Madam Stern Wing?” Stern Wing echoes with a bit of a smile. “Ooo! A girl can get used to this.”

“What is the next step?” Feather Wind asks Officer Hawkly. “You said that a medical examination was the first step. I take it some kind of test is the second? A step that applies for a visitor's visa?"

“Once you are deemed fit for the general public on a medical front, the next step is to provide you all with information that informs you of all the laws that apply to visitors to our world,” Officer Hawkly goes on to explain. “You may take as much time as you need with this, but you will have very limited access to our world until you pass your test when applying for a visitor's visa. To pass that test indicates a proficient level of knowledge about the laws of our world so that you are aware of what they are and hopefully you'll also follow them.”

“To ensure visitors can't claim ignorance as an excuse for breaking the law,” Feather Wind realizes. “This actually makes a lot of sense too. This is a very reasonable request as well.”

Stern Wing nods in agreement at Feather Wind then says, “Which also means that any other visitor we encounter with the visa is equally aware of the laws. They might still break it, but they'll do so knowingly and probably aware of the consequences too.”

“Indeed,” Officer Hawkly confirms then looks at the Doctor. “However, there is an extra provision for you since there are extra notes already attached to your pre-existing file. With your consent, Sir, a certain member of Parliament has expressed an interest to see you as soon as you successfully earn your next visitor's visa.”

The Doctor's ears perk up and his eyes widen with interest as he says, “Really?! Oh, this is getting quite interesting then, isn't it? So the very authorities that I want to see on this moon also want to see me in return? This is fantastic! This will make my job much easier here. I might even finish the primary objective of my mission on this moon faster than anticipated.”

“So he really is a Time Lord?” Chumely asks Officer Hawkly in shock.

“I'm not at liberty to discuss private information with you,” Officer Hawkly says back to Chumely. “You're free to draw your own conclusions, if you wish, so long it adheres to the law.”

“Holy Smokes!” Chumely says in astonishment as he eyes the Doctor in amazement.

Stern Wing ignores Chumely as she raises a wing and interjects to the officer, “I've got a question.”

“And I'll do my best to provide you with an answer so long as it is within my knowledge and within the bounds of the law for me to answer your question,” Officer Hawkly replies to Stern Wing then nods to her. “I shall certainly hear you out at the very least, for it is my solemn duty to serve and protect the best interests of the public. That includes our legal visitors.”

Stern Wing refolds her wing as she asks, “That's precisely what I wanted to ask about. What if one or more of us wanted to make it an extended stay here? What if we wanted to live here? Is that option at all possible according to your laws?”

“Thinking of living here?” Feather Wind checks with his friend.

“No, but I am curious what my options are anyway,” Stern Wing replies to her friend. “After all, whatever answer he gives me, I'll know that also applies to other visitors too unless there are special exceptions for some reason.”

“To answer your question, there are different kinds of licenses, visas, and certificates you can apply for depending on your intention and the duration of your stay," Officer Hawkly answers. “All of which will be provided on the pamphlet we are going to provide for you, but I'll answer your question right now as well since I am happy to serve. You can apply for an extended visitor's visa or a business license if your intention is more business-related rather than recreational and thus that is the reason for your frequent, repeated visits. Or, if it is indeed your intention to stay permanently, then you can apply for a citizenship certificate. To do that, you must apply to the Citizens Bureau to apply for that. Among the steps necessary for that are interviews, psyche evaluations, lineage testing, medical examinations, and above all, an entire school session dedicated to educating would-be citizens on all the ins and outs they need to know to be functioning members of our society.

“So, in other words, yes, Ma'am. It is possible to get such a thing, but it is a more lengthy process because it is a more permanent request of us.”

“That's all I wanted to know. Thank you,” Stern Wing says in satisfaction.

“Confirm, you are still the captain of this vessel?” Officer Hawkly asks the Doctor.

“Basically, yes,” the Doctor answers.

“Then I am legally obligated to inform you that your vessel will be temporarily impounded pending your re-acquisition of your visitor's visa because the vessel is currently here illegally. However, if, at any time, you express your intention to leave our world without completing the visa process, your vessel shall be returned to you so long as you do nothing else with it other than leave.”

“Ooo, um, there is one issue with that,” the Doctor warns.

“Which is, if I may ask?” the officer checks.

“Um, can I ask something real quick?” Chumely asks as he raises a hoof.

“Certainly, Citizen,” the officer happily replies to the yellow stallion. “How may I be of service to you at this time?”

“Can I go?” Chumely checks. “All of this is more than mildly fascinating, but I was having a game with some of my chums. They might have completed their turn by now and are eagerly waiting on me.”

For the first time, the digital eyes on the helmet squint a bit as if to indicate regret. The officer answers that question by saying, “I regret to inform you that you have come into contact with these presently unlawful visitors before they had a chance to have a medical examination. As a result, you are legally required to subject yourself to an examination as well. This is for your benefit too, of course. We want to make sure that your health remains in the clear. In this case, it is unfortunate, but you may have to postpone or forfeit your game with your friends because a more critical issue involving public safety has arisen.”

“Darn it,” replies Chumely glumly. “Well . . . I should inform my friends of that at the very least. Let them know that I'll have to forfeit the game and they should go on with their turns without me because I came into contact with unchecked, alien visitors, one of which is an actual Time Lord,” he says with another amazed look at the Doctor. “At least, now, I'll have an interesting story to share with them later on.”

“Thank you for your cooperation, Citizen,” the officer says to Chumely brightly. “It is most appreciated.” He looks back at the Doctor. “Now back to you. You said there are other issues that should be considered with regards to impounding your vessel?”

The Doctor lifts a hoof as he says, “I don't mind you impounding it as long as I can get it back either way, whether or not I pass this visiting visa test.” He puts his hoof back on the ground as he goes on to say, “The issue, here, is the fact the vessel isn't empty. I still have two more companions aboard it.”

“Then they will need to submit to a medical examination as well and apply for a visitor's visa if they wish to remain in our world for any length of time. Failing that, they shall not be permitted to exit this vessel under any but the most urgent of circumstances. For example, if their lives were threatened aboard that ship for some reason, then we shall do our best to secure their health and safety even without the visitor's visa.”

“A medical examination?” Stern Wing says aloud. “And you will cure whatever problems you'll find for free? Wait a minute! That's perfect!” Stern Wing snaps her gaze at the Doctor. “Vision is currently sick. Maybe these ponies can help her. After all, they seem to have access to some pretty advanced tech, and you just can't beat their asking price for this service. Not unless somepony else offered to pay us for the same benefit.”

“Best case scenario, maybe they'll even find a way to improve her crippled health permanently,” Feather Wind realizes in amazement. He then looks at the Doctor as well as he asks, “If you think they can be trusted, then I think this option is worth strong consideration.”

Realizing her friend has a point, Stern Wing regards the Doctor again but this time much more cautiously rather than excitedly as she asks, “How about it, Doctor? Do you think the risk to Vision's health is very minimal on this planet?”

“Excuse me for offering a correction, but our world isn't a 'planet', it is a moon,” Officer Hawkly corrects.

“Pardon me. You're right. My mistake,” Stern Wing accepts apologetically.

“I think we can risk it,” the Doctor says with an edge of caution in his voice. “If serious trouble would befall us on this world for any reason, Vision herself may be able to give us a sufficient warning. As it stands, we're far more likely to gain from cooperation with this authority rather than not, and, for me, that is a rare treat. I came to this world to get some answers and, so far, things couldn't possibly be better. I wish I had some wood to knock on right now just in case, but for the moment, we have very good momentum building here and I do wish to capitalize on it. Besides that, if they can indeed help Vision in any way, so much the better.”

Author's Notes:

in this chapter, I figured Officer Hawkly's stiff and civil demeanor feels authentic for a synesthetic AI program. I'm actually pretty proud of the presentation here for that character. Has a aura of authority about him which draws attention and eats up the scene even if he isn't being intense about it.

I'm curious, though, that while you read this chapter, if you felt a layer of tension in this chapter despite the holographic cops civil and reasonable demeanor. After all, if that program gets aggressive, he could suddenly do a lot of damage. Also are the ones who programmed him trustworthy? Maybe paradise isn't all that it seems. Look to the Alliance in the show Firefly for a good example of that.

Part 5: The Day the Doctor Cried

The TARDIS crew, which now includes Derpy and Vision, are transported to a medical facility that, like almost everything else in this world, is virtual. That includes some of the personnel that works there. Likewise, Officer Hawkly remains on standby to insure a smooth transition of the new visitors towards a lawful status in this world. Since he is a computer program, he doesn't have to be sent anywhere else nor does he have a family whatsoever, or any kind of recreational lifestyle. As a result, he can remain with them on standby potentially indefinitely. Even if he is needed elsewhere, the computer that is governing him can simply create another copy of him and run it elsewhere simultaneously to the creation of the first, and so on. Since the same computer is controlling the potentially multiple copies of that virtual character, they can talk to many individuals simultaneously and it is all being added to the same database.

Most of the TARDIS crew are sent to a holographic doctor for a medical scan to make sure their health is clean and to clean it if need be. Curiously enough, only the Doctor himself, as well as Vision, are the exception because they receive a visit from one of the few real doctors in this virtual hospital. As a matter of fact, those two see the same doctor at the same time because Vision isn't split from the company of the Doctor. That is true because he registered himself as her legal guardian. As such, he is allowed to be present with Vision during her medical examination.

The virtual waiting room of this “hospital” is a white room with very sparse furniture. It seems to have a window, but it's more akin to a computer monitor or a television screen because the image displayed can be changed to anything the patients want. Many options for other kinds of furniture, décor of the room, or even the architecture can be changed to suit the whims of those waiting within it. If multiple ponies are waiting there, any changes are typically set by the last pony who requests a change in the room. If they cannot agree, then one or more of them can transport themselves to their own copy of this room, for this world has plenty of room to make as many private instances of anything that anyone wants.

Aside from Officer Hawkly, the Doctor and Vision are alone for quite some time in this virtual room after each of their other friends were transported off with some other virtual doctor one by one. Each time another holographic doctor showed up to claim another member of the group, it seemed to be the same individual. That is why the Doctor thinks it is noteworthy when he and Vision finally get a visit from a different doctor, and she's female this time.

This doctor is an egg-white unicorn mare who is wearing a white lab coat. She has an auburn mane neatly tied into a bun and her tail is neatly brushed straight. Her eyes are rich blue which is visible behind the tiny pair of holographic screens floating a mere inch in front of each of her eyes. They sort of look like glasses except they have no stem whatsoever. When she appears, she is sucking on a lollipop. After she appears, she trots towards them but her vision is initially unfocused as she reads virtual words displayed on her holographic “glasses”.

“Let's see. What do we have here?” this doctor queries as she approaches them. “Ooo! This is interesting. Two off-worlders. We don't see too many of those every day. And their names are Vision and . . . the Doctor?”

The Doctor grows intrigued to notice that this doctor suddenly gains much more interest in her patients and likely him in particular. The way she said his name sounded like she is familiar with him.

Oddly enough, something about her is familiar to him too.

“You heard of me?” the Doctor checks.

“Ah . . .” this new doctor trails off as if she isn't certain what to say. She looks like she is beholding something potentially incredible, but for that same reason, she's reluctant to believe it.

Deciding to change the subject, she reviews the information she has on them then says aloud, “It says here you are registered as this little one's guardian?”

“Yes. That's right,” the Doctor confirms while he puzzles over, in his head, precisely why this newcomer is so familiar to him.

“It also says here that she isn't well,” this doctor continues with a sudden note of concern. “She's coughing and is having high fevers. Oh dear. This simply won't do. Let's get you all better.”

“In the meantime, I will remain on standby in case you need me,” Officer Hawkly informs the Doctor. “Unless you request for me to accompony you.”

“Ah . . . no. That's quite alright. I believe I can take it from here,” the Doctor tells the virtual officer.

“As you wish,” Officer Hawkly politely acknowledges.

“In that case, let's get you two to the examination room,” the new doctor decides.

“Ah,” the Doctor lifts a hoof. “Before that, can you tell us your name, please?”

The doctor's blue eyes widen, startled, when she suddenly realizes that her patient here has a point.

“Oh shoot. I didn't introduce myself here, did I? How clumsy and impolite of me. Please allow me to rectify that right away.” She nods to the Doctor as she says, “Hello. My name is Doctor Kelly Saddler. A pleasure to meet you mister . . . um . . . Is your name really just 'the Doctor'?”

“It's not my birth name, but it is the name I have chosen to go by,” the Doctor answers then blinks to himself. He wonders why he just admitted that fact to a total stranger he just met. That is very unlike him.

“Your chosen name? I see,” Doctor Kelly says in a tone of interest. “And I assume it's the same story with Vision here?”

“Ah . . . no. That is her actual birth name,” the Doctor answers but he, and the other doctor, both lose focus on each other when they both see Vision cough.

“Enough of this,” Doctor Kelly decides. “Let's get this little one all better right away.”

---

The Doctor is impressed, relieved, and a little disturbed by the ease with which this new doctor's tech and magic remove the affliction on Vision. This is done after Vision gets scanned by a floating spherical robot that looks to be the size of a grapefruit. This floating droid split itself apart which reveals what at first looks like a camera, and it probably is as well, but it is also a multi-phasic tool. A virtual, holographic tool materializes in front of the eye of the “camera” which it uses to scan Vision with green glowing laser lines.

“I have removed the disease from her system,” Doctor Kelly informs the Doctor in this white glowing room which has no other furniture in it other than an operating chair that Vision is currently on. Just two feet ahead of her is a transparent, virtual copy of her body with the hide stripped away. Several virtual copies of her innards are on display instead, and that spectrum shifts to various modes while a transparent, virtual window displays more information off to the side.

“But there are additional problems in this little one that will need further treatment,” Doctor Kelly goes on. “Her heart and respiratory system are pretty weak. Some of it is from the damage of the coughing and fever and I can clean that up right now, but fixing the other problems will require more long-term treatment.”

“Such as?” the Doctor checks. “Will it require surgery?”

“Nothing that invasive,” Doctor Kelly answers. “I suggest injecting her with medical nanites.”

The Doctor is guessing that, if Vision was awake at this time, she would have wondered what Doctor Kelly is talking about. As it stands, however, the Doctor himself is far less confused.

“That sounds pretty invasive,” the Doctor somewhat objects.

“It's the best solution I can come up with to avoid long-term damage and very little medical risk to her,” Doctor Kelly informs. “It would take a few days to flood her system with self-replication to be enough to be very helpful. After that, they'll gradually start to repair whatever damaged tissue they find as well as strengthen what's already there. Her immune system, for example, will be put through training not unlike a military boot camp. And, when there actually is something in her system that shouldn't be there, the nanites will intelligently inform her immune system where the problem is and how to defeat it.

“The nanites will basically transform her body into a smart body that works approximately ten times more efficiently. Mind you it will not replace her basic body needs like eating, breathing, drinking and the like, but they will make everything about her body run significantly more efficiently. She'll still need cardiovascular exercise to strengthen her heart and her diet will have to be carefully monitored, but provided that is the case, the nanites will considerably improve the results of the effort. Ten times zero is zero, Doctor, but ten times one, which represents the bare minimum effort needed to improve her health, is ten. For every amount of effort above that, the results are greatly multiplied.”

“Color me impressed,” the Doctor says with approval. “My crew and I have been worried and debating about what to do with this child considering her fragile health. What you are proposing sounds too good to be true, but if you can really pull it off, I'd be a fool to completely reject it out of hand.”

“'Hand', Doctor? You have strange terminology,” Doctor Kelly reflects.

The Doctor smiles at her as he responds, “Consider it part of my charm.”

“Which is not lacking in other ways,” Doctor Kelly notes with a sideways glance at the Doctor as she blushes slightly. “You seem pretty well informed for a visiting alien. Have you encountered tech like this before?”

The Doctor sighs as he brushes a hoof through his mane and says, “Actually, yes. Well, sort of.” He puts his hoof back on the ground and then goes on to say, “The magic component of this tech is new to me, but other than that, some of this has a passing familiarity with my own culture. I wonder if what you have is somehow a byproduct of that.”

Doctor Kelly is silent for a moment before she asks, “Do you mind if I scan you now? I'm supposed to do that anyway unless you intend to leave this world now.”

“Go ahead,” the Doctor invites as a somewhat shrewd look sinks into his eyes. He knows what she's about to find out and he wants to study her reaction carefully.

“Thank you,” Doctor Kelly says back in appreciation before looking at the floating droid. Moments later, it spirals around the Doctor and starts to scan him with green laser lines. The Doctor knows it is doing more than just that.

Moments later, a new holographic double of the Doctor materializes in the room. Using her magic, Doctor Kelly shifts the focus of the holographic double to one element in particular. The Doctor narrows his eyes in victory when he notices that she immediately tries to find out how many hearts he has. The results displayed do not surprise him, but it somewhat surprises her.

“I knew it,” Doctor Kelly says in a tone of awe. “You're really him. The Doctor! The Time Lord. The traveler of the TARDIS. It really is you.”

“So you have heard of me,” the Doctor figures.

“Yes, but I didn't think I'd actually meet you,” Doctor Kelly goes on to say before she retracts that statement a bit by saying, “Well, not completely.”

“What do you mean?” the Doctor asks in mild alarm. “You expected to encounter me in pieces?”

“No. I didn't really expect to encounter you at all despite gathering some evidence that I would,” Doctor Kelly replies.

The Doctor widens his eyes in sudden interest as he asks with a bit of intensity, “What do you mean by that?”

“You really don't know?” Doctor Kelly checks with him. In reply, the Doctor just shakes his head. For some reason, that answer seems to disappoint her. Shortly later she says, “Then I'm not sure how much I should say. I can't even be certain if the evidence I gathered is real, but if it is and you don't know what I'm talking about, then the things I know pertain to things you haven't done yet. Accordingly, maybe I should keep it to myself.”

The Doctor casts a long sigh and then looks about the room. When he looks back at her, he requests, “Can you make a new chair for me?”

“Certainly,” Doctor Kelly replies then her horn glows golden brown. When it does, a force field the size and shape of a beanbag chair materializes behind the Doctor except a wedge is cut out of it to make a seat, with a backrest, in this floating sphere.

The Doctor proceeds to sit on it and then says to Doctor Kelly with an upraised eyebrow, “I noticed you didn't request for a computer on this world to create this chair, so I take it this one of your personal spells?”

“It is indeed,” Doctor Kelly answers before creating one of her own. She adds hemispherical shapes floating above her seat that is connected together which collectively sort of acts like armrests.

“About your response, I'll admit that I am uncomfortable with any information that might pertain to my future, but in this case, I sense something important going on here so I'll have to beg you for more details. Not too many details, mind you. Just enough for me to gather the gists of where and what you gathered your information from. I want to know how you reached this conclusion that the two of us were meant to meet.

“The reason I ask is because what if you're right? What if some future version of me gave you these clues because we really are meant to meet? If that is the case then it means this encounter is noteworthy to me too because, in the future, I'll know that you'll tell my past self about these clues which will be my hint that I'm meant to pay careful attention to you.”

“You really think that might be the case?” Doctor Kelly asks cautiously.

“We won't discover anything if we make no effort to explore,” the Doctor argues. “I say some risks are worth the plunge.”

Doctor Kelly sighs then says, “Alright, but I'll try to keep myself vague to avoid too many spoilers for you.

“Basically, I am a history buff because I have some interest in the subject. While reading through history, I discovered your name multiple times, including within our own society's history. I became somewhat of a fan of yours based on what I read. The journey you take and the things you do once you get there . . . I admire that. I really do.”

She pauses as she looks down to take a moment to collect herself, then looks back at the Doctor as she goes on to say, “But as my research of you continued, I gradually found clues that indicated something more than what casual research would normally convey. What I found were little clues here and there in the annals of history that have special meaning for me, and me specifically. Things like initials of those I know hidden within famous works of art or the first letter of each line in a book being a code word that not only I'm meant to solve, but only I would understand it.”

“I see,” the Doctor replies with a very intrigued expression.

“The first few times I discovered this, I thought it was amusing but I ultimately dismissed it. At the time, I figured it was nothing but a coincidence. As one with a scientific mindset, I didn't want to leap to any improbable conclusions so I waved it off.

“But the thing is . . . it kept on happening. Every time I made more research, I'd find more clues that no pony else would notice. Later on, it occurred to me that, since you have a time machine, it is possible that you could travel to each of these moments to implant these clues for me to find, but then I thought to myself, 'Why? Why would the Doctor, a legendary Time Lord and the last of his kind, be so interested in me? I'm nothing special and to entertain the notion of otherwise is just a pointless ego trip.'

“So, in the end, I still brushed it off and stopped doing any research about you.

“But funny enough, the clues continued relentlessly. Things like the songs I hear other ponies playing in my vicinity had special meaning for me that only I would understand and it made me think of you. Strange . . . um . . . 'synchronicity' is the only apt word I can think of for this relentless phenomenon. I believe in the concept of coincidences but when they keep on happening, any reasonable scientific mind would start to wonder when one notices very unusual reoccurring patterns happening. There is some remote plausibility that you could have caused it too but it's the motive I could never pin down. Why me? What is so special about me? Until I get a good explanation for that, I could never fully accept this.”

The Doctor just stares at her when she falls silent. During that time, she is attempting to analyze him in return for some hint on how he's feeling. Eventually she prompts, “What do you think, Doctor?”

“As I said, I get uncomfortable whenever I experience interference from my future self, but it has happened before. I even encountered future versions of myself before. Often it is when I will be in another regeneration cycle. As such, the future version of me may have a different face and there tend to be other differences too, including psychological, but it is me. It's annoying as heck to receive these spoilers on how I will turn out but sometimes we run into a situation that is so urgent that it requires multiple versions of me to solve.

“Likewise, whenever I encounter a past version of myself, it still feels annoying. Now I have to tip-toe around him and be very careful what I do or say around him or, potentially, even 'her' someday.”

“You can actually change your sex when you regenerate?” Doctor Kelly asks with fascination.

“It doesn't seem to happen to my race often. We're often settled upon one gender or apparent species at a time, but if our perception of ourselves changes drastically, then our transformation can be equally drastic. For instance, until recently, I wasn't a quadruped, and I'm still getting used to that fact as well as having hooves instead of hands.

“It's not just our sex that can change, but our apparent species as well. I say 'apparent' because we don't actually change what race we are, but we can simulate vastly different appearances.

“Our psychology works on a similar level. It can change some too, but the core of our being tends to remain the same such as our most important goals, vows and values.”

The Doctor looks down for a moment then looks back at Doctor Kelly as he continues, “My point is that this phenomenon isn't unheard of in my lifetimes. In fact, this is actually a gentler approach compared to direct encounters with myself. Those are really problematic, but as a time and space traveler, one can eventually run into clues of their future or past selves more and more often as the journey continues. The more our influence spreads through time and space, the more we may note familiar patterns, and sometimes those patterns might have intentional meaning. If it is the latter, then it's especially important to pay close attention. If I really did go through all the trouble of making sure this encounter happens, then it must be for a very important reason.

“The problem here is we're both equally in the dark about this. This is potentially orchestrated by a future version of me or even us, but neither of us knows why for the moment. In that case, I think our best strategy, for now, is to carefully pay attention to our surroundings and see if it leads us to any further clues.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Doctor Kelly agrees. “In the meantime, I have a patient with me in this room that I already improved the health of, but to go any further requires more treatments to make a more significant change for the better for her.”

“Couldn't the nanites do that themselves?” the Doctor checks.

“They can, but it is still recommended for the patient to be monitored by a trained physician,” Doctor Kelly informs. “I say that because sometimes there are multiple options for improving one's health or risks involved that the nanites have no way of knowing. For example, external factors outside the body such as walking into a cloud of smoke which happens to have something within it that the patient is allergic to. If the nanites were informed of that before it happened, they could've taken steps to counter that threat in advance.”

“I see,” the Doctor acknowledges with a nod. “And nobody else I know of on the TARDIS is trained for such things. I suppose I come the closest to understanding this, but even I'm not totally familiar with this tech.”

“Aside from my ability to care for Vision, I see nothing special about me in particular,” Doctor Kelly points out. “Especially since you could easily substitute for me.”

“Not in this case,” the Doctor argues. “Every patient is different, and so too are their needs. I'm not totally out of options when it comes to improving her health or restoring her sight, but in this case, my best option is to seek out other resources beyond myself and the TARDIS. Maybe I can be trained to use the tools of other advanced tech that could help, but I'd need to get to those tools first. Her needs here are forcing me to be somewhat innovative."

“I'm sure you can hoofle it,” Doctor Kelly says confidently.

“Perhaps,” the Doctor half agrees. “But I've learned it's not always wise to shoulder the burden on my own completely. Relying on the talents of others can be a great asset.”

“So far you said you haven't planted those clues yet about our meeting into history. Despite that, why would somepony as amazing as you be interested in little old me?” Doctor Kelly checks curiously and with a slight edge of hope in her voice. “Why would you even trust me? According to you, this is our first meeting for both of us. At least with you, I have some evidence of your heroic deeds in historical records, but for you . . . I'm just some pony you met.”

The Doctor looks down as he gives her words serious consideration. After all, he has already noticed how he's been a little unusually open with her. Why does he trust her so much?

To answer this question, he closes his eyes and plunges very deeply into his mind. By now, there are a lot of records in his head to keep track of. Some of them did fade away, especially between regeneration cycles, but as old and as dusty as some of it is, everything is still in there. A Time Lord never totally forgets anything. It's just that some information may be more important than others so they have more prominent access to that knowledge. Likewise, some are less important or less likely to be used, so that kind of knowledge rests in some dark corner instead.

For some reason, though, that's exactly where his instincts lead him in this case. Something old. Something practically ancient. Something within his life, but far, far back into it. Something very close to the beginning of his life.

Something back in Gallifrey!

The Doctor's eyes pop open with shock when he finally makes the connection.

“What?” Doctor Kelly asks in alarm when she notices his reaction. “What is it?”

“It can't be!” the Doctor cries out as he buries his face in his hooves.

“What?” Doctor Kelly requests again urgently.

“No! No! No! It can't be!” the Doctor insists frantically.

“Why her?” he wonders in his mind. “After all this time . . . why does it have to be her?”

The Doctor squeezes his eyes shut as he starts to cry. The pain of this loss from so long ago was mercifully buried and mostly forgotten, but suddenly, when he made this connection, the wounds return, fresh as new.

At this moment, reason and logic are rebelling against his hearts. Reason tells him one thing but his hearts tell him another. In fact, this time his emotions insist what he suspects is indeed the case, though his emotions offer no plausible explanation for it.

Here he is . . . almost a thousand years away from this memory of this person, long after he lost his home and his people, and now he's not even in the same universe anymore. Everything here has been ponified or some similar quadruped equivalent. It feels silly and absurd, but not in a boring way. Nevertheless, all of this serves to confirm he is very far from home.

And yet here is this doctor with her face (pony features notwithstanding) combined with her personality and capabilities. All of this points to one individual.

The one he loved dearly with all of his hearts.

The one he lost so long ago which evoked a pain that honestly, and very likely, led him to every other phase of his life later on.

The Doctor burst into a sob. He just can't help it. It came out too suddenly to stop, not to mention its intensity is too strong to stop.

The Doctor has endured the pain of this loss for almost a thousand years. During that time, other losses had occurred as well which were buried on top of this pain. In all that time, he tried to endure with a brave face.

“Not now,” he'd insist to his desperately crying hearts. “Others still need me. I have to be there for them and focus on their problems instead.”

But that pattern kept on going. Eventually it became his personal norm. He lived with his pain for so long that he simply accepted it as part of himself deep in his subconscious. He forgot what it is like to ever lack this pain. Somewhere along the way, he just accepted that he was the secretly tortured traveler who wore a brave smile on his face to hide his pain.

Very often the smile isn't entirely fake. There is plenty of reasons to truly enjoy his life, but beneath it all, it has a very tragic foundation. That has been true for so long that it became the only way he could define himself.

But now here she was again. In the flesh right in front of him. She isn't exactly the same, but neither is he. Both of them have gone through many changes in the interim, but his hearts passionately insisted she can be no one else.

With that realization, centuries of pain and loss suddenly pour out of him like a tidal wave or a dam that breaks. He would never do this in front of anybody else other than her.

But with her . . . he can hold nothing back. All of his secrets. Everything he truly is.

Even his true name if necessary.

His sob briefly pauses when he feels her lay a gentle hoof upon him. He looks up through tear-streaked eyes and sees her gaze upon him in confusion but also deep sympathy. Like him, she's a true healer at heart. When she sees someone else in pain, all she'd ever want to do is help.

So he collapses into her chest and does something he would never do in front of anyone else.

He pours out everything!

Part 6: New Opportunities

When the Doctor arises, he soon realizes that he must have passed out from sobbing too hard. It had been such a long time since he last did something like that.

The Doctor awakens in a new holographic room designed just for him. Doctor Kelly isn't there, but she did leave a holographic duplicate of herself which gives the Doctor a message to explain her absence and the fact she created this room for him to see to his needs. She also left him with plenty of information to help get him started on whatever he wants to do within his present legal limits.

To that end, the Doctor decides to finish getting his visitor's visa. When he does apply, he finds the laws do have a lot of common sense for the most part. Of the few laws that are a little more unique to this culture either involve their advanced technology in some way (and not every culture would indeed have that), or it involves the sacred duty of the race, such as taking care of and not interfering with the earth ponies down below.

That last one is noteworthy to the Doctor because that teaches him that the duty of this race towards the world they orbit is such common knowledge that even visitors to this moon are required to know this.

In any case, the Doctor passes his test with ease. Now armed with a digital certification as a legal visitor to this world, the next order of affairs quickly makes itself known. Close to the same place that shows the Doctor's new legal status and visa certificate, the Doctor receives an e-mail that reminds him of the interest of one of the members of Parliament to see him. If the Doctor accepts, he only has to push one virtual button on a holographic screen to not only accept the invitation, but to also transport him to a waiting room where he'll wait until the member of Parliament is ready to see him. This the Doctor accepts with no hesitation.

---

While the Doctor waits in a new, undoubtedly holographic room which is surrounded by windows in this circular room and has a circular couch on the lower center floor, he sifts through a transparent holographic window to review any data about this society that interests him. Among that information is various types of music. He plays them while doing his research.

The view out the windows made him seem to be in a tall tower that affords a view of a highly technological, seemingly planet-wide city that includes many lines of flying vehicles. When the Doctor first got here, this view fascinated him for a brief moment, but not for long because he knew it isn't real. Besides, he had been to other worlds where views like this are actually real.

While the Doctor waited, he also kept track of precisely how long he is waiting because he knows that can be a negotiation tactic sometimes. By keeping track of that, the Doctor can gauge the mindset of his new would-be host.

When the dual sliding glass doors open, the first ones to trot through are a pair of pegasi in regal-looking red armor. That armor covers every inch of them, including their face. Held in their right-wing appears to be some kind of plasma rifle. Noticing that detail causes the Doctor to wince in disdain a bit.

Once these guards trot in, they spread apart and flank both sides of the still-open door where they take their guarding stances.

The next individual to trot through is a bright red stallion with a very short black mane and tail, both of which are neatly trimmed. He has a small goatee on his chin. His eyes are golden brown and artificially glow slightly. His left eye is covered with an apparatus that has lots of lenses on it. When he regards the Doctor, that apparatus clicks through a few types of lenses as if he is trying to size up the Doctor in various ways.

The newcomer wears a golden chest plate and a long red shiny cape with a golden fan-like collar vest behind his head. The outfit is complete with a tiny golden cap at the center of his head which stretches back over his neck. He has golden plates on each of the front of his hooves which extend up to the first bending joint. They give each of his steps a bit of a metallic clicking sound.

To top it all off, the impressive and imposing motif is complete with a regal-looking staff that floats near his presence all by itself. It has a glowing red sphere at the top which whirls with a cloud within. The sphere is clutched by an image of a golden griffon talon.

That outfit, in particular, captures the Doctor's interest because that is actually a very close design to something the leaders of the Time Lords once wore, pony physiology notwithstanding.

After the Doctor takes in his own moment to size up this approaching individual, he stands up from the circular couches below and bows as he says, “Prime Minister Kratus Garivalidi, it is quite an honor for you to be graced by my presence.” The Doctor rises from his bow and gives the Prime Minister a coy look which, in turn, freezes the Prime Minister in surprise for several reasons.

The Doctor continues.

“You have kept me waiting for seven hours, forty-seven minutes, and sixteen seconds according to your time. You're obviously wanting to put me on edge as well as indicate that you're an important and busy man. Then, when you finally do show up, you do so in the royal regalia of my own people which even further serves to present your image of self-importance while simultaneously trying to advertise to me that you have had contact with my people before. I thank you for that information, Mister Prime Minister. I've been wondering if my people still existed in this universe.”

Prime Minister Kratus pauses for several seconds since he is so caught off-guard by what the Doctor had already said. Then he looks at the holographic window the Doctor had been studying. When he regards it, the apparatus over his left eye clicks through several lenses to take a closer look at that window and do it in several ways. Doing so makes him realize that the Doctor had been spending some time researching the various members of the current Parliament which includes the Prime Minister.

“I see you've done your research,” Prime Minister Kratus notes in an attempt to regain control of this conversation. “I suppose that comes as no surprise from you, Doctor.”

“And I see you're a pompous prick who likes to inflate his value as a first impression, but you and I both know you could have delegated your tasks more smartly and shown up to this meeting much sooner.

“Do us both a favor, Mister Prime Minister, and dispense with the bull crap. It does us both a disservice,” the Doctor warns.

“That's a pretty obstinate tongue you have there, Doctor,” the Prime Minister accuses with a wince of disgust. “I must say, I did not expect that from the legendary and only surviving Time Lord.”

“Surviving?” the Doctor echoes with alarm. “The other Time Lords are gone?”

Prime Minister Kratus's expression softens as he says, “That which we can tell. You might be the last of the Time Lords.”

“Because of the Time War?” the Doctor checks. This time the Prime Minister just nods. The Doctor's eyes then widen in shock as he exclaims, “That was the would-be conquerors of this society! It was my people that tried, and failed, to take you over! That would also explain how you got a hold of some of our tech.”

The Doctor looks away as his intense shock doubles again when he realizes something else extremely alarming.

“And it was I who will rescue you all from my own people. Ergo, I will participate in this universe's version of the Time War!!!”

The Doctor collapses on the couch behind him in a sitting position. His head rests over the top edge of the couch, staring up at the ceiling in horrified shock.

“By all the stars, NO! No, no, NOOOOOOO!” He covers his face with his forehooves. “I thought I was done with all that mess! The Time War! Bloody hells! Someone kill me now.”

At this point, Prime Minister Kratus is completely spooked and mostly lost. This meeting isn't going how he planned at all so far. Several things the Doctor said just went over his head, especially the term, “this universe's version of the Time War.” He is well aware of the existence of the Time War because his own people partially got caught up in it, but what other version is out there? Does it mean it will return again?

“Pony universe, you failed me! You're supposed to remain innocent!” the Doctor wails.

“Ah . . . should I come back another time?” Prime Minister Kratus asks nervously. The cool and regal mystique he was hoping to go for in this meeting seems to be shattered now. That leaves him uncertain about how to proceed which means a large part of his mind is calling for a tactical retreat and then later reassessing the situation. “You seem to have some issues to work out.”

“Wait a second!” the Doctor pops his eyes open as something else dawns on him, but this time it is a good thing. “What if it still is more innocent? Can I still arrange the war so that both sides are chucking apple pies at each other instead of laser blasts?”

Prime Minister Kratus says nothing because he has no idea what to say. He's barely following this conversation anyway, so that leaves him just observing in uncomfortable silence.

“No! I'll do it one better! I will make sure the war is settled that way!” the Doctor firmly decides. “The last time the War just dropped on my lap, but this time I have forewarning. Given enough prep time, I can arrange any circumstances in my favor! I have a time machine, after all, and plenty of time to use it. Whatever it takes, I'll make damn sure this war won't go down like last time.” The Doctor narrows his eyes as his grin grows. “This time I am Time Lord Victorious! I am, once again, the last one standing when the dust settles. If I'm to face the war again, then this time I'll do it on my own terms. This time I will remain The Doctor!”

“I can see that this is a bad time for you,” Prime Minister Kratus decides with an uncomfortable voice. “I'll arrange for a different meeting sometime later.”

The Doctor widens his eyes and then snaps his gaze back to his host as he exclaims, “What?! Oh no. No, no. I prefer we settle our issues between us now. It's obvious that you have an agenda with me and, quite frankly, the prospect is mutual. I wanted to see a member of this government body too. You are perfect in this regard.”

“Are you sure you're ready for this?” the Prime Minister double checks. “Because I can come back later.”

“No, no," the Doctor insists as he continuously shakes his head for two seconds then waves at part of the circular couch ahead of him. “Please. Why don't you sit down and make yourself comfortable,” the Doctor invites as a statement even though his sentence was technically phrased like a question. “Whatever issues we both have with each other, I'd rather settle them now so I can move on with my journey with a clear conscience. The realization I had a moment before is, I'll admit, deeply personal to me but I'll settle all of that later.”

“Very well. If you're sure,” the Prime Minister says cautiously then moves to sit across from the Doctor. “And I'll admit, I have been looking forward to this meeting greatly. The last time you rescued our society, you said you would one day return when we need you again, but you didn't specify exactly when that would be. Regardless, my people have been looking forward to our reunion for quite some time and, to some extent, we have been preparing for it.”

“In what way, if I may ask?” the Doctor asks.

The apparatus on the Prime Minister's left eye clicks through a few lenses before he asks, “Before I answer that question, would you care for a spot of tea? It may help you relax.”

The Doctor grins as he says, “If I visited your society before, you might have what my favorite tea is on file.” He sighs pleasantly then shakes his head and wipes a hoof in front of him back and forth several times. “That's okay. If I am to have tea, I prefer the real thing. Not all of this holographic nonsense.”

Finally, the Prime Minister has a chance to grin smugly as he says, “I thought you'd say that, so please . . . have a treat on me.”

The glass doors open and a pony maid enters who is levitating a covered silver platter. This she delivers to a white-lit coffee table in the center of the room as if the table is the center of the bullseye of this circular room. Once the platter is there, the lid is levitated off which reveals a glass pitcher and two saucer cups. She pours some brown-looking hot tea into each of their cups then levitates the cups towards the both of them.

“It is real tea,” the Prime Minister assures. “Not everything in our world is synthetic, and we had plenty of time to prepare for your arrival.”

After he says that, the Prime Minister levitates the cup to his lips and takes a sip. As he does so, the apparatus on his left eye changes lenses at the Doctor again for some reason.

“Real tea, huh?” the Doctor says with interest. “Well, in that case, don't mind if I do.”

The Doctor bites into a silver spoon and uses it to stir his tea first. Doing so causes more steam to rise from his cup. Once that is done, he spits the spoon aside and then grips the cup between his hooves carefully. The Prime Minister observes how the Doctor handles the cup not that proficiently even for an earth pony. It's as if the Doctor isn't used to being a pony at all.

Still, he manages to deliver the cup very carefully to his lips and takes a few sips. After he does, he settles back into the couch and seems to greatly relax.

“A taste of home!” the Doctor says with a smile. “Ah! This brings me back. If only we had crumpets, we'd be all set.”

The Prime Minister looks surprised at that request before saying, “If you wish, I can make those arrangements.”

“Perhaps later,” the Doctor says as he very carefully tries to return the teacup back to the saucer on the coffee table. Once again, this takes quadruple the time it normally would for any other average earth pony.

“Tell you what,” the Doctor says as he settles back on the couch after finally returning the tea to the table. “I'll take you up on your offer in a different way. If I make a list, could you deliver some special food items to the TARDIS? I'm afraid we used up a bunch of supplies on the old girl in one of our other recent adventures. As it so happens, it is the planet your moon is orbiting around.”

“You were there recently?” the Prime Minister asks in a bit of alarm.

“Indeed, and that is what I've come to talk to you all about,” the Doctor brings up. “I'm sorry I didn't have a visitor's visa at the time, but even if I did, I would need to be granted special dispensation to be there legally. That's actually one of the issues I came to address with you. The other is to inform you that some of the natives on the planet have been taken.”

In utter shock, the Prime Minister spits out the tea he has in his mouth and floats the cup back to the table in a hurry as he asks, “Excuse me? Did you just say some of the natives of the planet below have been taken?”

The Doctor nods as he says, “More specifically, they have been taken by a race known as the Klaxians. They are space pirates and dirty merchants who traffic both legal and illegal goods, or even legal goods acquired illegally. I know their ships are also armed with cloaking devices which may serve to explain how they were able to penetrate your defenses undetected. I can't explain how they penetrated the planet's force barrier but they seem to have their ways. Perhaps if I offer more knowledge about their tech, maybe you can use it to devise a counter strategy and prevent more thefts.”

“We'll do more than just that!” the Prime Minister says in anger. “I want a complete inventory of everything and everyone they took. Armed with that knowledge, we'll seek them out and make sure they return that which they have stolen.” The right eye of the Prime Minister widens back to a more grateful expression as the apparatus on his left eye clicks through a few more lenses again. “That said, we would also appreciate any knowledge you have on their technology. If we can understand their tech and adapt ours to detect theirs, we can at least prevent future thefts.”

“It would be my pleasure because that is one of the biggest reasons for this particular visit,” the Doctor informs. “Nothing would make me happier than to ensure that you are armed with the knowledge you need to prevent more thefts. That, in turn, will further secure the natives down below.” The Doctor tilts his head as he says, “However, when it comes to tracking down the rest of the Klaxians, are you sure you don't want my help? I can do it for you, or perhaps we can work on this together.”

The Prime Minister cuts a hoof across the air as he says, “That's quite alright. We've inconvenienced you enough.”

“Inconvenience? On the contrary, it would be my pleasure,” the Doctor corrects.

“Please don't. These people are our responsibility,” the Prime Minister counters. “And frankly, I find this whole affair embarrassing. We are the ones who should have prevented this mess in the first place, and we are the ones who should clean it up. Besides, I've got many resources at my disposal so that should be enough to take care of this issue once you've given us a full report of everything you know of these despicable Klaxians. We also want to make sure that we deliver the justice that they deserve for this theft. By doing so, it sends a message to all other would-be thieves. Even if they temporarily get away with a crime, we'll know eventually and meet out justice swiftly and assuredly. We want every other society to know we can hoofle this issue on our own without relying upon the Doctor all the time. You saved us once. Please allow us the honor of showing you how much we've learned.”

“Well, if you're sure,” the Doctor relents in a tone of reluctance. “I should give you contact information anyway just in case you change your mind or if I encounter any more relevant info.”

“Now that would be appreciated as well,” the Prime Minister says with a nod of acceptance and appreciation.

The Doctor settles into the couch a little further as he lays both of his forelegs on top of the couch and then he asks, “Well, that settles the main issue I wanted to present you with. What did you want from me?”

Prime Minister Kratus casts a long sigh before he says, “After you told us about the theft of some of those we're meant to guard on the planet below, I feel almost too embarrassed to make any other request of you.” He looks at the Doctor and then says, “A big part of the reason our people decided to undertake this responsibility was actually to prove to you that we could do it. We knew you would return one day and that was one of our ways to prepare for your arrival. The goal was to prove that we are ready to take the next grand step for our society, and the method to accomplish that is something only you can lead us to do.”

The Doctor looks intrigued as he asks, “Pray tell, what do you mean by that? What can I show you that you haven't already accomplished?”

The Prime Minister settles back onto his side of the couch now as he says, “It's taken us a long time to learn how to use the tech of the Time Lords. We never could understand all of it so far, and those that we did succeed to reverse engineer, well . . . you see the results all around you.” He gives a grand, sweeping wave of both hooves all around them. “When we adapted what tech we did understand, we did it our way. That was a long process and longer still to fully utilize and master. As we gradually stepped into a larger role in this universe, we decided we wanted to become what the Time Lords used to be during their most noble days. They once heralded themselves as guardians of the universe and over time in particular. They were sort of like time and space police, if you prefer.”

“I'm well aware of the role the Time Lords attempted to take,” the Doctor assures with a bit of an offended tone.

“Forgive me. I did not mean to sound like you wouldn't know,” the Prime Minister says apologetically.

“What is your point?” the Doctor presses.

“Well,” the Prime Minister gazes forward and pauses in silence for six seconds before looking back at the Doctor and says, “among some of the tech we couldn't crack yet, but we still have in our possession nonetheless, is other TARDISes.”

The Doctor instantly widens his eyes in intense shock as he exclaims questioningly, “Are you serious?!”

Prime Minister Kratus nods as he says, “We have quite a number of them. For the moment, I'll keep the exact number we have classified, but if you agree to help teach us how to pilot them, or even how to open the darn things in the first place, then I'll appoint you the Fleet Commander of the whole fleet.”

The Doctor slowly looks down as he digests this latest bit of shocking news.

“I hope it is not lost to you the sheer magnitude of what I am requesting,” Prime Minister Kratus presses. “I think now you know what I mean when I said I want you to guide us into the next evolutionary step of our society. We'll take over the prior duties of the previous Time Lords, only we will do it better under your tutelage.”

Still feeling numb, the Doctor lifts his shocked gaze back to the Prime Minister.

“What I need to know is if you accept this unspeakably important task I am offering you,” the Prime Minister goes on.

“Wow!” The Doctor rubs both sides of his head. “That's a lot to take in.”

“You're the last of the Time Lords,” the Prime Minister reminds. “At least, that which we're aware of. Who knows? There might be more of your people hiding somewhere in time and space, but for the moment, you're the only one we can turn to. Furthermore, you might be the best one we can turn to anyway. The other members of your species tried to conquer us ruthlessly. While they were trying to use us against an even more vile race, the fact remains they didn't give us a choice. You did, and we have never forgotten that.

“Quite frankly, we've looked up to your heroic example ever since. We tried to demonstrate that by guarding this planet, and it humiliates and infuriates me to no end that we managed to botch up the one job we had that we were hoping to use to prove to you that we are worthy of the task I am offering.

“But, then again, perhaps I can turn this around in my favor and say that this failure on our part proves all the more that we need your guidance. Please, good Sir, guide us with all of your mighty and wonderful experience.”

“I'll need time to think about it,” the Doctor responds.

The Prime Minister nods in acceptance as he says, “Understood. Take all the time you-”

The Doctor interrupts by suddenly declaring, “Actually, no. I take that back. I don't need time to think about it because I have already reached a decision.”

“Oh?” the Prime Minister asks with interest and a small shade of worry. “I pray, do tell.”

The Doctor focuses his gaze back on Prime Minister Kratus as he says, “I'll do it . . . but I have several conditions.”

“Oh?” the Prime Minister repeats as he lifts the one eyebrow that is not covered.

“I'll give you a full list of details of my conditions at a later time, but the most important one I need you to agree with right now is I get to train the future captains and pilots of the crafts,” the Doctor proposes.

“I see.” The Prime Minister strokes his small goatee. “Very interesting.”

“You wanted the benefit of my wisdom and experience anyway,” the Doctor reminds. “So this is my way of granting that request. To start with, for any candidate that I think might one day be worthy to pilot such legendary crafts, I'll first need to test and train them by inviting them to be companions of mine on my TARDIS. Using that, I'll introduce them to many things that are out there in time and space. While doing so, I'll teach them what they need to know to handle situations like that.”

“So it is on-the-job sort of training,” the Prime Minister realizes.

“In my humble opinion, Sir, that is the best kind of training,” the Doctor insists. “I'm sure you'd put them through theoretical lessons and plenty of holographic simulations, but none of that can prepare them for the real thing better than the real thing. I'll still be there to hold their hand . . . or hoof, as it were . . . in order to keep them from being overwhelmed too much.

“However, you need to know, Sir, that even if I take them to the safest planets I can think of, the unexpected can happen at any time. To properly prepare them for this journey, they need to experience that firsthand.

“I'll be there with them through the first few legs of the journey. If they continue to be worthy after surviving many trials and tribulations, then those who 'graduate' from my class will be offered their own keys to their TARDIS. From there, the new captains will recruit and train others as their companions. Those who prove worthy of their crew might graduate and get their own keys. And so on.”

“Interesting proposal,” the Prime Minister muses. “Okay. I am on board with this. How many of my ponies do you need to get started?”

“It is true that I have one in mind already who is from this world,” the Doctor says back, “but I have to warn you that I could find worthy talent anywhere and anywhen.”

“Whoa! Wait a minute!” Prime Minister Kratus gives a pushing motion toward the Doctor. “I didn't say we'd open our doors and give these keys to other aliens. That defeats the point of this project. I'm trying to show that we are worthy candidates to replace the role of the Time Lords themselves. To do that, we, the Magi, have to be the ones to accomplish this role ourselves.

“Besides, if we hoof this role to some other race, they may not prove as trustworthy with such a dangerous and important power.”

The Doctor shakes his head as he says, “It is true that that is the way the Time Lords handled issues like this, and that is also why they ultimately fell.”

“Huh?” Prime Minister Kratus asks with a confused blink of his right eye and a few clicks through more lenses on his left eye.

“Their arrogance was their downfall,” the Doctor elaborates. “Do you want to follow that example too? Or do you want to copy the tactics of the One Time Lord who actually survived the whole Time War?”

Prime Minister Kratus's expression shifts from confusion to thoughtful, then he nods at the Doctor invitingly as he says, “Please continue.”

The Doctor shakes his head as he says, “In the whole of their society, they thought along the same lines as you right now. They thought of themselves above everyone else. The only ones who are truly worthy of being the ultimate guardians of time and space. They dismissed all others as primitive and stupid savages. Because of that, they kept others at a distance as if that would help to reinforce their own ego and superiority complex.

“But I, meanwhile, took a much closer look at those we were supposed to guard. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled through all the muck that others were going through. Because I did that, I understood them better, including their values that most of the other Time Lords overlooked.

“I repeat, most of them overlooked this, but not all. Fortunately for me, my own teacher was much wiser and more humble. He taught me what it takes to be a true guardian and hero to the universe. For that to happen, you simply can't hold yourself as high, mighty, above and separate from everyone else. Instead, you got to be there as one of them. You have to lift them up and teach them to be better while simultaneously opening yourself to learning new lessons from other 'mortals'.

“Because I did that, because I was personally there to suffer through all the trials and tribulations of my many varied journeys, I was far more capable and adaptable in the Time War. The other Time Lords still looked down upon me for the way I lived my life as well, yet they couldn't deny my usefulness when all the chips were down either.

“When they got desperate and were finally scared for their own lives, many of them threw away their own morals and principles by saying things like, 'We must survive by any means necessary. No evil is too great. No tactic is too extreme. As long as we come out on top in the end, then the end will always justify any means necessary.'

“Well, I'm telling you now, a true hero doesn't think like that. A true hero is always ready and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice themselves if that is what it takes to protect others, and for the life of me, I WILL NOT assist anyone who upholds the values of my own people without really understanding the value of that which they guard.

“Even now, you hold yourselves as liken unto gods orbiting the planet down below. Some of them worship you, and you've taken no steps to correct this. On the contrary, you've only encouraged this perspective by sending 'angels' in the form of the other pegasi to declare your divine decree. As such, you follow the example of my people all too well, and that will lead you to your doom in the end.

“But if you follow me and my example, the One Time Lord who survived when all is said and done, then I would lead you down to the planet itself. I would introduce you as a fellow mortal being who cares for their welfare and are willing to suffer with them if that is what it takes to help them.

“You don't get stronger by putting stamps on paperwork from an executive desk from a distance, you get stronger by actually being there with the people who go through these trials. I dare you to face other enemies of mine, like the Daleks, and threaten them with stamped paperwork and say, 'I have legal authority over this land. Be gone, you cretins, for you are trespassing on our lands.'

“If that tactic actually works, then this universe is far more different than I thought earlier. In this case, I would approve, but one usually stands a better chance of survival by actually going through many dangerous situations and learning how to survive in them in the first place.”

The Doctor waves a hoof outwardly as he goes on to lecture, “Out there, in all the vast periods and space, there are many races that have gifts and talents you can easily overlook if you're never there to personally observe them, but I have. There are so many diamonds in the rough out there, and every single race is usually good at something. Some special talents and some unique ways to survive any danger they encounter. It may be different from us, but that is a good thing. It means that, collectively, we are varied and adaptable, especially when we learn to work well together. By learning from them and figuring out how to utilize their talents to the utmost, you maximize your odds of success during any encounter you could make.

“So the bottom line is, don't be the crushed and defeated fools that most of my people were. Instead, follow me . . . and I'll show you a much better way.”

During most of the Doctor's speech, the Prime Minister has a thoughtful look on his face. Sometimes he was nodding too. Now that the Doctor seems to have reached his conclusion, he says, “I tell you what. Go out there in time and space and train any recruit you think is worthy. If they pass all of your tests and thus graduate as next-level candidates, bring them back to us for a final evaluation. If they pass our tests as well, then we'll give them one of our keys to the many TARDISes we hold. Does that sound fair?"

“Any recruit? Even other races?" the Doctor double-checks.

“Yes indeed, good Sir,” the Prime Minister confirms. “You are the last of the Time Lords. There must be a good reason for that. Likewise, there must be a good reason your people failed and perished in the end. We certainly don't want to follow that example too closely. As I said before, I want you to lead us to the next evolutionary step in our society. If that is what it takes, then I'd be a fool to just dismiss you out of hoof. I'm at least willing to give these other races a chance and you have significantly more experience finding worthy talent out there compared to us. That's precisely one of the qualities we wish to even out. Teach us how to find talent like that too by bringing such worthy candidates back to us. The more you do so, the more we'll realize the pattern that keeps on resulting in a winning combination. We're here to learn from the past mistakes of our predecessors. Together, I believe we can forge a much brighter and more stable future.

“So what do you say?”

The Doctor stands up and offers a hoof as he says, “I say yes. As a very experienced adventurer, I'm willing to give any promising future a chance.”

The Prime Minister stands up and meets the Doctor's hoof with a bump of his own as he says, “Then we have an accord.”

Part 7: The Tortured Survivor

“She's here, Doctor,” Stern Wing announces as soon as Doctor Kelly Saddler teleports within the vicinity. From Doctor Kelly's perspective, this is the first time she is meeting Stern Wing, Feather Wind, and sees the TARDIS.

“Welcome,” Feather Wind greets pleasantly. “My name is Feather Wind and this is my long foalhood friend, Stern Wing. Vision, I've been told, you already know as well as the Doctor here.”

From a sitting position in front of the blue rectangular box, the Doctor slowly lifts his head and starts to smile at Doctor Kelly as he asks, “Are you sure and prepared for this?”

Faced with that choice again, Doctor Kelly closes her eyes as she reminisces on recent events.

---

Not more than ten minutes ago, Doctor Kelly was in an office at her private home. She sat on a floating force sphere with a wedge cut out. All around her were dozens of holographic windows which she sifted through with a glance, moved the window, or spun about on her floating seat. As she did that, she was sucking on a lollipop as she often did while doing a lot of critical thinking.

Then, all of a sudden, the Doctor appeared.

“Pardon the intrusion, but I have come to make an urgent request,” the Doctor told her after appearing.

“Wha . . . ? Doctor? What are you doing in my home? Also, how did you get here?” she asked him.

“There's not much time to explain,” the Doctor replied. “But suffice it to say, I'm not really standing here. You are talking to a computer program that I have devised. One whose exclusive purpose, for the moment, is to extend to you an important invitation.”

Doctor Kelly widened her eyes at the holographic version of the Doctor. He just laid on her so many bits of information to process, she didn't know where to start.

Since he said that his time was limited though (which is an ironic statement for a famous time traveler in her estimation), Doctor Kelly decided to tackle what seemed to be the most important issue during that moment.

“What invitation?” she asked but already had an idea what he might say.

In reply, the Doctor approached her and then extended a hoof that passed through some of her holographic windows. With that gesture, he said, “Take my han- . . . Um.” Then he winced as he withdrew his hoof and stared at it for a second then offered it to her again as he corrected himself by saying, “Take my hoof.”

“And if I do?” Doctor Kelly checked.

“If you do then I will show you endless wonders,” the holographic version of the Doctor promised. “I will also reveal to you precisely why you're so important.”

“So you figured all of that already?” Doctor Kelly asked in an impressed tone.

“Not entirely, but I'm getting there,” the holo Doctor replied. “And we can figure out the rest together. I've got some promising leads, though, and I'd be happy to share them with you as soon as we get someplace more private.”

“More private than my own home?” Doctor Kelly reflected.

The holo Doctor lowered his offered hoof a bit as he said, “Don't do that. You're brighter than this. Surely you must know that any true privacy in a fully synthetic environment is just a facade. Everything you do and interact with here is done within and to another computer program, and that computer can record and track everything you do. The only reason we have any temporary privacy right now is because I replaced us with another program that shows you just sitting here, minding your business, and the Doctor never showed up. Not even a holographic version of him.”

“You're eventually going to need to explain to me how you did that,” Doctor Kelly stated.

“Gladly as soon as we have enough true privacy to make that explanation safe,” the holo Doctor explained. “Oh, and by the way, that's precisely why I have limited time here. I can only fool the computer system for so long before it starts running additional self diagnostics. Also, the real version of me is about to take off from this world soon.”

Doctor Kelly leaned back in her seat. The spherical ball she sat on tilted back while still hovering off the ground. From that position, she said, “You ask a lot of me, Doctor. This is my home. I'm well established here.”

“I can deliver you back near the same time you left,” the holo Doctor offered. “To the rest of this world, only a few seconds will have passed.”

“And during those 'few seconds', I could be gone for years on very dangerous adventures,” Doctor Kelly pointed out. “Let's face it, Doctor. You can offer no guarantees that I'll ever return home alive.”

The holo Doctor lowered his hoof back to the ground as he admitted, “That's true. I can offer no safe guarantees out there, but the same can be said here. This place may seem safe, but it is slowly killing all of you.”

“What do you mean?” Doctor Kelly asked in alarm.

“Not physically, but in mind and soul,” the holo Doctor elaborated. “Static environments offer no real growth potential. You all need to thrive more on something more real. I can show you that.

“Come on, Doctor. You saw the signs in history that you are meant for something greater than all of this. The reason history calls to you is that you are meant to be there, and surely there must have been at least one time when you looked up upon the real stars and felt you are meant to be up there as well. That there is so much out there for you to explore, and there is. By all the stars, I swear to you that there is. Let me show you.” He lifted his hoof again. “Come with me. I ask this of you.

“No. I beg this of you,” the holo Doctor requested much more urgently as he actually bent on his knees while still offering up a hoof with a hopeful and pleading look in his synthetic brown eyes.

Doctor Kelly was stunned. The Doctor, one of the most legendary individuals in history, was (sort of) right before her very eyes and begged her to join him. He seemed convinced her presence on his journey is very important for some reason. The only question was what.

And she had to admit, his offer was very enticing. Issues of potential worthiness aside, it did sound exciting. As a pony with a heavily scientific mind, she was always fascinated by the idea of going out there and scanning and collecting samples of all kinds of things spread throughout time and space. All of a sudden, that offer was being extended to her and it felt too good to be true. She couldn't believe it.

But as she observed the holo Doctor as he kept staring at her earnestly, she gradually realized how enchanted she felt by him and his offer. Almost in a daze, she finally reached back and touched his hoof. With it, he used that touch to pull her onto her, at first, three hooves then eventually all four.

“Alright, Doctor. If it's that important to you, I will go,” Doctor Kelly accepted. “I wanted to further monitor and guide Vision's health anyway. I might has well do that for all the rest of you since I'll be with you all too. Just give me a few minutes to gather some important things and make a few preparations.”

The bright smile that grew on the holo Doctor's face lit up her soul, and then he said to her enthusiastically, “Brilliant!”

---

Doctor Kelly Saddler opens her eyes as her mind focuses and returns to the present. From there, she says, “As ready as I'll ever be, so let's get this show on the road. Or space or what have you.”

“Brilliant!” the Doctor cheers then stands up. “That sounds like a capital idea, so now, then, I think I should give you a more proper introduction to our last companion, and a very old friend of mine.”

The Doctor turns to the TARDIS itself, pulls out his key, unlocks the door, then opens it. From there, he steps inside, sidesteps off to the side a bit, turns back to the entrance then bows as he gives a sweeping gesture back to the rest of his vessel.

“I think, this time, you should be next to step inside,” Feather Wind proposes to Doctor Kelly.

“Prepare to have your mind blown!” Derpy declares cheerfully.

With a final glance at the rest of those still standing out here, Doctor Kelly returns her attention to the entrance of the TARDIS and then does approach it to step inside. When she does, what she sees, smells, hears and overall experiences takes her breath away.

The idea of something being bigger on the inside is not too novel to her. Her kind, the Magi, had access to some Time Lord technology a long time ago. Besides, by being raised in a computer simulation pretty much all of her life that can take any form she wants, a concept like this loses its novelty.

But, despite all of that, what really blows her mind is knowing that all of this is actually real. That this is the real TARDIS and she is standing beside the real Doctor. Holographic emitters aren't equipped in this ship to her knowledge, so whatever she sees after she steps through that door has to be real unless this entire ship, and everyone here, is just another simulation.

“Is this all real?” Doctor Kelly asks in amazement. “Am I really standing inside here?”

As if in answer, the Doctor just smiles at her then turns his focus as he observes the rest of his companions step inside and join them inside the TARDIS. When Doctor Kelly notices that as well, she steps inside further to get out of their way and make enough room through the entrance.

Derpy is last to enter so she closes the door with her tail.

“We're taking off soon, I presume?” Feather Wind asks the Doctor after his gaze transfers from the now-closed entrance to the Doctor.

“Very soon,” the Doctor confirms as he already makes his way to the TARDIS controls. “Like, right now soon.”

“That's pretty soon!” Derpy agrees with a delightful blink of her yellow walleyes.

“Very well,” Feather Wind says in a tone of acceptance. “Be that as it may, I'd like to inform you all that I did manage to pass the test for the visitor's visa on this world and I did it on the first try.”

Feather Wind grows suddenly alarmed when he notices that statement instantly made Derpy seem depressed.

Since Stern Wing does not notice that yet, she follows up that statement by declaring, “As for me, I didn't pass on my first try but I got it on my second.” She shrugs. “After all, it was mostly common sense stuff. Also, after I reviewed the test results of my first failed test, I had a pretty good idea of the pattern they were looking for. Not everything registered in my head, especially when it came to their alien tech, but I got it enough the second time to pass.” She then looks at Vision as she goes on to say, “And, as I understand it, Vision was downright exempt from the test because she's a minor.”

Stern Wing then looks at Derpy and asks the gray mare, “And how did you do?”

Right after Stern Wing asked, she finally notices Derpy starting to break down into tears.

“I . . . I didn't pass!” Derpy declares in huge shame as she closes her eyes, bows her head, and her face scrunches up in shame. “And I tried! I tried so hard! I swear I did! Really I did!”

“Shh-shh-shh,” Stern Wing hushes Derpy as the tall mare approaches the smaller pegasus and drapes a large brown wing over the gray mare. “It's okay. None of that matters now. We're leaving that world anyway.”

“You don't understand!” Derpy wails as the TARDIS engine starts up for ignition. “I really, really tried and I failed five times in a row! I studied and I tested and I studied and I tested. I could never get it right!”

Tears drip from Derpy's tightly closed eyes and onto the floor.

“I really am just a big, stupid feather brain,” Derpy says in a tone of sad acceptance. With eyes still closed, she shakes her head as she says, “And it doesn't matter what planet we go to next. That inherent fact will still be true about me.”

When Stern Wing uses her wing to pull Derpy even closer for a tighter hug, the bubble cutie mark pegasus turns her face into Stern's chest and wails.

“I'm so sorry you're stuck with a useless companion like me,” Derpy apologizes in a muffled tone due to her face being half buried into Stern's fur.

After the TARDIS engine cools off and is followed by the fading laser blast sounds, the Doctor steps down from the TARDIS's controls to approach Stern and Derpy. When he arrives, he taps Stern on her shoulder to get her attention. Once he has it, he says, “Please step aside. It's my turn.”

Stern nods in very serious acceptance then releases Derpy before stepping aside. Once that happens, the Doctor takes Stern's place by stepping in front of Derpy, but she does not meet his gaze because she is too ashamed of herself.

A brief moment of silence passes in that tense fashion before the Doctor requests with a bit of a hard tone in his voice, “Derpy, look at me.”

It is a struggle for her to cooperate, but she eventually does. When their gaze meets, she grows surprised because he is smiling warmly down at her. She expected him to be angry at her, especially since his voice earlier had a slightly firm edge to it.

“Do I look like someone who is ashamed of you?” the Doctor asks her with a beaming proud smile down at her.

“Ah . . . no,” Derpy mopes with a slight edge of confusion in her voice as if she's convinced he should be.

“I have invited very few others onto my ship,” the Doctor informs her. “Of countless individuals I have met, only a very select few I consider special enough to offer this privilege, and Derpy . . . you are one of those individuals.” He strokes her right cheek softly with a hoof and brushes aside a bit of her mane. He also tucks it behind her right ear as he says, “And I don't care what some other societies' standards are. You may have failed to get a visitor's visa from them, but as far as I am concerned, you earned a permanent residence in my hearts.

“You are not the stupid one, Derpy. They are for not realizing and acknowledging your brilliance. The measure of one's worth is not only in pure academics. Very few others can match the quality of your Bright Eyes!” he says with a smile at the reminder of her nickname.

When he said that, she starts to cheer back up again.

“And Derpy,” he strokes a hoof gently under her chin, “I don't ever want to hear you put yourself down again because you don't deserve it, and none of us do either. I'm sure every one of us can agree with that,” the Doctor says as he sweeps his gaze across the others, which is met with confirming nods, including the blind filly.

“I . . . I'll try, Doctor,” Derpy promises with very little confidence.

“Now come on. Let's see that bright smile instead,” the Doctor encourages as he smiles back at Derpy. “Come on.” He reaches a hoof around her to deliberately tickle her. “Where is that smile that you're so famous for?”

Having successfully reached and stimulated some of her ticklish spots, Derpy giggles brightly and playfully before she sighs and gazes at the Doctor with very deep affection.

“I love you, Doctor,” Derpy declares in a tone of a happy, drunk-like daze but then soon strongly blushes when she realized what she said and the fact she said that in front of the others here. For a moment, she looks away shyly again, but when her gaze sneaks back to his face with one eye, she beholds him continuing to look at her very warmly before he pulls her in for an affectionate hug. Within that hug, she takes a deep intake of his scent which dips her into an even deeper happy/drunk daze.

There is a long period of silence between all those standing there until the Doctor and Derpy finally pull apart. A little reluctantly on her part.

“I hope you all enjoyed yourselves on that last world as much as you could because, from now on, we have some serious work to do,” the Doctor announces seriously as he slowly trots to the TARDIS exit.

“Yeah. I noticed you were in a bit of a rush towards the end there,” Stern Wing agrees. “Also you have invited a new companion. Not that I'm complaining, but I would care for an explanation.”

“And you shall have it,” the Doctor agrees before throwing open the TARDIS doors. Beyond that point, he gazes at the vast emptiness of space aside from the stars within it. He's silent for a while as he sweeps his gaze across the various constellations out there. He can identify every one of them, but for him, this moment symbolically represents much more.

“As I told Derpy just a few minutes ago, I don't just invite anyone onto my ship,” the Doctor begins when he finally speaks again. “Every one of them has some special quality about them. Some special, tantalizing potential that I feel drawn to nurture. I dare say I even have a fondness and attraction for the underestimated, underappreciated, and the downtrodden, because, to me, that is a mistake the rest of society around them makes. Sometimes even the individual makes the same mistake. They say things like, 'You are worthless,' 'You are a feather brain,' 'You are a burden,' and other such crap like that. So many people out there try to bury the brilliant light that shines within us. Whenever I see it, I feel compelled to do the opposite of such short-sighted individuals. I seek to uncover the diamond in the rough.

“I always have.

“I always will.”

The Doctor turns about and sweeps his gaze across his current companions for a moment before he steps aside and gestures out the open door which leads into outer space.

“How many of you have gazed up at the stars and wondered about your place in the universe? How many of you wondered what might be out there for you to explore?

“Exploring the inner and outer universe is ultimately the same journey. It's self-discovery. It is a reach to uncover deeper hidden potential. I've seen it time and time again, so I know what I'm talking about.”

He looks out at the stars himself and then nods toward them.

“This is the bridge,” he tells them. “This is the link between us all. All that is out there is what we share together. All of time and space . . . everywhere! That whole thing that seems to divide us is, in fact, what unites us.”

He looks at them again as he says, “It is existence. It is life. That is so important. That is so meaningful.”

“Wow, Doctor,” Stern Wing says with a proud smile and mist in her eyes. “Are you actually trying to get us all into tears? Because, if so, keep going.”

The Doctor's serious expression lights up a bit with a soft smile at her as he says, “I'm trying to make a point. I've encountered many out there who did not realize their own worth in one way or another, but the most remarkable thing I have discovered in my journey is that I have never encountered even one person who is worthless. Everyone has their place in this universe. This grand design of life. This journey. This story. We are all living it together. Every one of us is writing another page in this book. Even those who read it are part of the journey.”

The Doctor pauses a moment as he gazes upward while collecting more of his thoughts, then looks back at his companions as he continues.

“The word 'paradise' can come in many forms, and it has many meanings to each individual. That meaning can even change across their lifetime. Another word that can often be associated with it is 'complacency', and sometimes also the word 'lies'.”

“I assume you're going to elaborate on that point,” Doctor Kelly guesses with enough confidence to make her assumption almost sound like a statement.

“Indeed I will,” the Doctor confirms. “I originally came to that world to investigate why some individuals from the planet below, the Alphalmians, were allowed to be stolen.” He pauses a moment as he sighs briefly, then goes on to say, “While it is true that those who did the actual kidnapping have cloaked ships, the fact remains the so-called 'guardians' of that world should have noticed and done something about it. For the longest time, that is exactly what they did, but recently something changed.

“To my fortune, the Prime Minister of the Magi wanted to meet with me not even a day after we arrived on that world. I wanted information and so did he. That was a mutual, beneficial arrangement, so I complied. He had me wait for over seven hours for that meeting and he didn't have to.” The Doctor grows a smug smile. “But that's fine. That gave me more time to prepare for that meeting as well as other things.”

“Is that when you made the holographic version of yourself?” Doctor Kelly asks. “And how did you do that? You know you were being observed that whole time, right?”

“Allow me to introduce you to another longtime companion of mine,” the Doctor says as he pulls out his sonic screwdriver. “This is my sonic screwdriver. It might seem primitive compared to most of the tools in your world, but I assure you it is capable of a surprising amount if put into clever hands.

“Now I have been to another world like that before but the magic component prevalent in this dimension threw me for a loop for a bit. However, give me seven extra hours of prep time, then it is only the foolish who underestimate me.”

“You found the right frequency,” Feather Wind realizes with a cunning grin. “And you did it while being openly observed.

“Wow, Doctor. You are such a devious genius."

For that compliment, the Doctor bows to Feather Wind.

“Yes,” the Doctor confirms. “I've been searching for that frequency ever since we arrived in that world. I had my sonic screwdriver scanning the energy signature all around us the whole time. When I found it, I got to work putting that knowledge to good use.” He nods to Feather Wind as he adds, “As you stated earlier, Feather, when it comes to imaginary characters, it is the creators that make up all the rules.” He gestures out of the TARDIS as he goes on to say, “From now on, I have a new digital spy working for me in that society. A copy of me who also has his own sonic screwdriver, albeit a holographic version of it. With it, that copy of me can keep on hacking for whatever other kinds of information that might be useful and send it to me.”

“Brilliant, Doctor!” Derpy cheers but then grows confused. “But why all the subterfuge?”

“Because someone in that world is responsible for allowing the thefts of the Alphalmians, and I believe I met one individual with enough power and authority to make it possible,” the Doctor answers.

“The Prime Minister,” Feather Wind realizes. “And the residents of that world were expecting you to return for a long time now. Since that is somewhat public knowledge, it could naturally fall into the hooves of neigh-do-wells as well."

The Doctor pauses for a brief moment in amusement on how Feather Wind phrased that before he nods and says, “He sought to put me on the defensive immediately by having me wait and then enter the room in a grandiose way. I have seen his type plenty of times before, including from my own people. I'm far too experienced and educated to fall for that trick anymore. His plan backfired, though, since all that extra time gave me more time to prepare for that meeting.

“Once the meeting actually took place, I countered his efforts by pretending to realize that the Time Lords do exist in this dimension, and so does the Time War. When I wailed over that fact, that put him on the defensive and off balance. Ever since then, I had firm control over our conversation.”

The Doctor lifts a hoof as he declares, “But the most important blunder he made during the conversation was pretending he was ignorant to the theft of the Alphalmians. That was a huge mistake on his part because I know for a fact that the Alphalmians used to have regular contact with the Magi. They are highly telepathic, after all, so they use that ability to keep the ocean planet's guardians in the loop. That was until the Alphalmians started to notice the theft of their people. They tried once to alert the Magi to that fact and they were awarded with a bunch of red tape for their efforts. Ever since then, the Alphalmian's society realized that their former guardians have now become corrupted somehow. As a result, they decided to keep their silence about any further complaints to the Magi, lest they tip off the true culprit to their suspicion as well.”

“So somepony was allowing the theft, and it is the Prime Minister himself?” Stern Wing asks with righteous fury then smacks her left wing into her right in a manner that reminded the Doctor of when humans used to smack a fist into an open palm as a sign of anger and/or determination. “In that case, we have to go back there and kick his flank now.”

“Not yet,” the Doctor denies with a shake of his head. “He's got too much of a home-field advantage there for the moment. Furthermore, we don't know how far his reach extends. He probably has many accomplices under his rule.”

“He's the elected leader of our world. That makes a lot of sense,” Doctor Kelly agrees. “Somepony with that much power and authority can find plenty of places to hide their crimes.”

“In that case, what is our game plan?” Stern Wing checks with the Doctor. “I'm sure you have one.”

“Instead of going after him now, I'd rather go and collect evidence of his crimes,” the Doctor proposes.

“That's exactly what I expected you to say,” Doctor Kelly figures. “We can do that by seeking out the stolen Alphalmians ourselves. Also, does the race that stole them directly normally carry manifests of such things?”

“Typically, yes,” the Doctor confirms. “After all, they like to keep track of what they stole themselves. Keep in mind, however, they normally are a criminal organization. They've been in the ringer a few times so they won't just leave evidence like that lying around in public. It probably exists, but it'll take some effort to uncover.”

“But now they have a Time Lord on their flank!” Stern Wing cheers aggressively.

“And the rest of us,” Feather Wind adds. “Whatever it takes, we'll make sure they pay for their crimes and the innocent Alphalmians are returned safely to their home world.”

“We also need to find out what members of my species, or at least Prime Minister Kratus, had to gain in this affair,” Doctor Kelly suggests. “I don't want to sound callous, but there is a chance that might end up more important. We'll free the captives of course if we can, but finding out what certain dirty members of my race are up to could be crucial as well.”

“Agreed,” the Doctor says with a nod to Doctor Kelly. “The motive just might be very important here. I've sized him up in the meeting I had with him and I can already tell that is an individual with grand ambitions. Whatever he's playing at, there is a chance he might cause greater harm in the long run if his plan totally succeeds. If that is the case, then I'll need to stop it.”

“Just what did he want from you anyway?” Feather Wind checks with the Doctor. “He's the one who called for that meeting. I doubt it was just to say hello.”

The Doctor sits on the floor and crosses his forelegs across his chest as he says, “Now that is the very interesting part. He claimed that he has access to a number of other TARDISes like this one, but he didn't specify how many.”

Vision is the only one of the Doctor's companions who didn't widen her eyes in shock like the rest of them did. Feather Wind also exclaims, “Are you serious?!” He calms down as he asks in a more measured tone, “Do you think he is telling you the truth?”

“I'm pretty sure he only told me that to distract me, but it might also be true,” the Doctor replies. “This society survived and overcame an invasion from the Time Lords, most likely with my help.” He shakes his head as he goes on to say, “It's not unreasonable to believe that the very race who tried, and failed, to conquer the Magi would also have access to TARDISes at their disposal. That is the preferred method of travel for my people.”

Everyone is quiet for a moment until Doctor Kelly asks, “So what are you going to do?”

“I agreed to help him figure out how to unlock and use them, but in exchange, I am the one who gets to train the would-be pilots and captains of those vessels.”

“Are you sure that's wise?” Stern Wing asks cautiously.

The Doctor grows a devious grin as he says, “That would actually give me more an advantage than it would him. Not only because I secretly realize he has nefarious intentions and can thus plan circles around him, but it would also give me access to more vessels like this as well as trusted former companions to pilot them.”

When he said that, he gives an emphatic look to Doctor Kelly in particular and she noted it which causes her to quietly gasp a bit, but nobody on the ship heard that except for Vision.

Even if the blind filly didn't hear that, she felt the Magi Doctor's feelings along with everyone else on the ship. Thus, the quiet psychic filly, who is patiently holding her place in the background, just might be the one who is learning the most in this encounter.

The Doctor then narrows his eyes as he goes on to say, “Ultimately I plan to raise a whole coordinated fleet of TARDIS users in order to circumvent and minimize one of the most bloody wars I have ever suffered which exists in this dimension as well, but so far I don't know the details too much and that gives me leeway to write my own version of that story. To do that, I'll need to prepare for it, and for that, I need a whole lot of resourceful allies by my side. We'll spread our influence all over time and space so we can arrange critical circumstances to be in our favor.” He shuts his eyes in pain as he says to himself quietly, “Maybe this time I can save them all, or at least more than I did before. This time, too, I'll do it as myself: The Doctor. ”

The Doctor pauses a moment as he looks out the door to open space again. After thirty seconds of quiet contemplation, he looks back at his companions as he says, “Remember when I said that I realized the Time Lords themselves were the would-be conquerors of this society?”

“No,” answers Derpy.

“Actually, he did,” Feather Wind corrects. “It was during this conversation.”

“Oh,” Derpy says with an embarrassed blush.

“So the Time Lords really do exist in this universe,” Feather Wind points out as he looks back at the Doctor. “At least, now, you know.” He grins a bit. “But they probably have been ponified too.”

“Yeah,” the Doctor says sadly. “And, unfortunately, the Time War also exists in this dimension.”

“What is the Time War?” Derpy asks.

“Pray you never find out,” the Doctor replies as he narrows his eyes at Derpy. “The brief version of it is the Time War is a war mostly between my people and another enemy of mine known as the Daleks. This is an oversimplified version of an explanation but that just about covers the basics. This is the strongest, bloodiest, largest and most vicious war I've ever been a part of.

“Let me give you just a small example of what I'm talking about just so you can get a glimpse at the sheer magnitude and horror of that war. Be warned, this is not for the faint of heart.”

“You do not have to worry about me, Doctor,” Vision assures who physically has the weakest heart of them all. “I can take it.”

The Doctor pauses a moment as he looks down and collects his thoughts, then lifts his gaze forward again as he informs his companions grimly, “There was this one world that got conquered by the Daleks which they were using as a staging operation to mass produce a certain weapon then deliver it from that strategic location. It was a massive thorn on the side of the Time Lords, so the solution they decided upon, despite my most vehement objection, was to aim a massive temporal canon at the entire planet in order to wipe it out of existence.”

The Doctor's crew is spooked into silence.

“And I don't just mean they destroyed it,” the Doctor says with a brief shake of his head. “No. If only they were at least that merciful.

“No. Instead of that, the planet was hit with a super weapon of the Time Lords that unraveled the fabric of its target's existence. Entire timelines were severely altered to accommodate this change so that that planet never existed for anyone, anywhere, in the first place.

“The Time Lords themselves, including me, stood immune to the temporal change because we resided in a pocket dimension outside normal time/space, but everyone within the normal universe when that planet was hit was affected.”

Just telling this story is causing the Doctor's blood to boil. Both of his hearts are beating fast in his chest now. Sweat is pouring down his face and he's growing dizzy as he starts to hyperventilate, which is very rare for the Doctor.

“Can you imagine it? Countless innocent civilizations and victims were caught in that crossfire, including some who were not even on that planet because they had someone in their ancestry that came from that planet or was affected by them in some meaningful way. All of that just GONE!" the Doctor suddenly shouts at the end. “Even the ancestors before all this started suffered from that blow as they, too, were wiped from existence along with everything on that entire planet and others affected by them in any way whatsoever.”

The Doctor rolls forward on his knees because he's now too dizzy to stand anymore. He continues to breathe very rapidly which finally snaps some of his companions out of their horrified stupor in order to approach and attempt to comfort him. Doctor Kelly is the first to arrive followed by Derpy then Stern Wing. Feather Wind remains too stunned and numb to barely comprehend anything anymore, and Vision holds her ground surprisingly well physically and emotionally.

“There weren't even corpses to bury,” the Doctor struggles to say. “No ashes. Nothing. Not even their memory lingered enough for anyone to mourn. They were erased from existence. The ultimate insult and denial of one's personal freedom and fate.

“And for what? One little strategic outpost of a conquered world? A world that was filled with victims to begin with? A world that needed our help. They cried for our help, and what did my people do? Callously denied them and stomped them out of existence for simply being in the way.

“Oh, how the mighty had fallen. The guardians of time and space sank to become the very tyrants they once opposed.”

Suddenly, the Doctor struggles to rein in his emotions until Vision spoke.

“Doctor,” she says. He looks at her. She has her face in his general direction as she says, “Let it all out.”

The Doctor looks down, closes his eyes in a tight wince, and shivers in pain. Still, though, he struggles to contain himself.

“Doctor, let it go,” Vision advises again. “Everypony aboard this ship can hoofle it.” She nods at him. “It's finally time.”

The Doctor's emotions are in such raging flux right now that he can barely contain it. With him pushed that far to the edge, he looks about himself at the others for advice. He gets a nod from each of them even if they don't fully understand his pain.

For him, the most meaningful nod of confirmation is from Doctor Kelly. For some reason, her confirming nod hits much closer to his hearts than the others, but part of him knows why. If she is who he thinks she is, he cannot lie or deny her.

So the Doctor faces his pain as his courage holds on by a thread. So much pain and torment circulate this memory alone, but there were many others like it spread across the Time War. Enough trauma to easily ensure PTSD of any survivor.

That's the way the Doctor always saw himself ever since the Time War passed. Notably, a war that the Daleks technically won when all was said and done because some of the Daleks survived and rebuilt their empire. The Time Lords weren't so lucky.

Meanwhile the Doctor, the one survivor of the Time War of his people, lost his home as well as everyone he cared about within it. There are so many names etched on his hearts because of that. Good people he refuses to forget no matter how much that knowledge tortures him.

That's what he's been ever since the Time War. Not the glorious victor that he sometimes pretends to be, but rather the tortured survivor.

The last of the Time Lords.

With that thought, an explosion of pain erupts from his chest. This time he cannot contain it. He has crossed the event horizon.

The Doctor roars at the top of his lungs with that explosion of pain and anger. Moments later, he roars beyond the top of his lungs. His voice became multi-tonal and more voices join his roar as he continues. In addition, a blast of energy erupts from his body. The energy that normally would only show up to save his life from complete termination, but this time his body can't tell the difference between the pained roar and him being in actual death throes.

Instinctively and wisely, the rest of his nearby companions back off the moment they saw the golden explosion of energy radiating off of his body.

The sheer horror of his scream sank deeply into their souls which is precisely why he tried so hard to fight this before. He didn't want to hurt his friends badly enough to potentially drive them insane with grief, but this time he could not help it. It just came out too strong to fight back anymore.

Yet just outside, in the vast emptiness of space, everything remains completely quiet despite the sheer intensity of his roar or the fact that the TARDIS doors are still wide open.

More and more voices join the Doctor's scream. They each echo, making it sound like more than there actually are. First, it sounded like ten voices, then a hundred, then thousands. After that, everypony in the TARDIS had no way to tell how many there are. The voices join in a single cacophony that is more like a constant, screeching note of a song. It is like ringing in the ears times a thousand.

During this time, within that golden explosion of energy, the Doctor's face continually and constantly morphs into the shadow of other victims who suffered in that war, including others who were erased from existence. Only the Doctor remembers them now. Only he suffers the pain of their loss, yet at this moment they seem to join him somehow like the last shout of pain from their ghosts.

Nobody in the TARDIS can tell how long this goes on. By the time the Doctor is done, everyone is fairly numb, yet Vision curiously remains the only pony left standing. In fact, she's the only one who seems unaffected by the outburst even though she should be the most affected considering her empathic abilities.

But she acts like she expected this. As if this moment is necessary and a fixed moment of time.

The Doctor collapses on the ground, very wiped out, but he struggles to hold on to consciousness just a little longer because he's not finished with his points. Outwardly he appears to be unchanged, but internally, he would no longer be the same after that moment.

“None of you know . . . the sheer magnitude . . . and the horror . . . of that war,” the Doctor declares between desperate gasps of breath. “And I pray you never do. And I swear . . . by all the power that lies within me . . . NOBODY will ever know horror to that degree again.”

The Doctor collapses.

The TARDIS crew, with the curious and ironic exception of Vision, need a week to recover after that. During that time, they are stranded in space because the one pilot they have is out cold.

Author's Notes:

So this is the conclusion to the Hollow Paradise arc. It's shorter than the last one, I know. This one had a focused and simplified objective and the TARDIS crew got lucky because the other side of this issue wanted answers as well. The two just met in the center and thus the conclusion was quickly reached. The Doctor's brilliant mind, as usual, gathering more than is intended to reveal, so onward their journey continues.

With that, the TARDIS crew gain a new companion, for the time being, which has strong sentimental value for the Doctor for some reason, and the crew gain a more focused objective for the rest of their quest as well. Obviously the Doctor, and those who follow him on his journey, will continue as it usually does and for all the normal reasons as well, but now there is an extra layer to it. He has a new goal; to minimize the bloodshed of the Time War and "ponyfiy it" as close to the level of innocence as he feels this dimension should have.

But, of course, if he ever succeeds with that goal then it has also already happened long ago. If he is able to get some of his retired companions to be pilots and captains of their very own TARDIS, then the shadows of their journey shall be felt throughout the story. That also includes some of their enemies too, because some of them are time travelers as well.

So I invite you to picture that because it is likely your own mind can carry that conclusion beyond what I will write. That story alone can cultivate into his own universe of stories like Marvel Cinematic Universe of separate heroes that occasionally gather and collect into a single epic story, that of the Time War. While it is unlikely that I'll ever finish that story, this is it's start and I wanted you all to know the general direction it is heading. The Time War likely should be it's very own novel or novels, but that is also the culmination of multiple stories before it. From now on, all those who follow the Doctor with that objective in mind is spread all throughout time and space trying to do things that will ultimately soften the blow of the Time War, and meanwhile there are others on the other side of the conflict trying to agitate it.

I invite you to use your own imagination or even write your own story that uses this plot-thread as a launching point. Is any of your OC's future companions of the Doctor? Perhaps also some future incarnation of him? Think about it. Feel about it, and if possible, I'd love to hear back from you about your ideas for this as well as your opinions about this story so far.

As the Doctor likes to say in this version of the story, Onwards and Upwards, my friends. May the legend of the Doctor and the crew of the TARDIS never die in one form or another.

TARDIS Intermission: Stranded in Space Part 1: Confidential Secrets

“Just set him gently down right here,” Doctor Kelly advises as she gestures to the Doctor's bed. Cooperatively, Stern Wing does so by rolling the Doctor off of her back and gently down her right wing which she has extended and touching the Doctor's bed. When the Doctor settles on the bed, he groans a bit which also stirs him slightly awake. Feather Wind draws on his magic to pull the covers over the Doctor then tucks the blankets into the bed.

“Nice going, Stern Wing,” Doctor Kelly commends the large brown pegasus. “You really are very big and strong.”

“Thank you!” Stern Wing says pleasantly seconds before confusion takes a hold of her face and then she asks, “I think?”

“So this is the Doctor's room,” muses Vision as she also steps into the room.

“It can't be much of a sight to a blind filly,” Feather Wind notes aloud as he regards the small white earth pony with hints of blue. “So what is it, exactly, that fascinates you about this place?”

“You mean besides some of the sounds and the smell? Or the fact that this is the first time I stood here while awake?” Vision checks with a light shrug. “For me, what fascinates me about this room the most is the feeling of psychic energy from some of these objects.”

“What? Really?” Stern asks as she widens her eyes at Vision. “You mean you can get empathic impressions from even objects?”

“Sure if it has a lot of emotional investment,” Vision explains. “Clearly there is a bunch of objects in this room that is thick with sentimental value for the Doctor.” Her head and ears move about as if scanning the room before she says, “Although I think the emotional energy I am detecting from some of these objects isn't just from the Doctor.”

“Huh.” Feather Wind regards the Doctor. “It is true that this pony, or I should say 'pony', has had a very long and adventurous lifestyle.”

“I've traveled with the Doctor longer than any of the rest of you,” Derpy brings up. “And, in all that time, I have never seen him do something so utterly fantastical and alien as he did in the TARDIS control room just a few moments ago.” She shakes her head. “Any illusions I had that he is just an average stallion is gone now. Clearly he is more than he seems on the outside.” She regards Doctor Kelly with her left eye but her right lazily drifts off. “What's wrong with him, Doc? Can you help him? Will he be okay?”

“I'm not very familiar with Time Lord physiology yet but I assure you that's going to change soon,” Doctor Kelly assures. “I've already done a medical scan of him back at the hospital on my world. I'll take a look at that data again and see what I can scrounge up with it. In the meantime, he seems relatively stable. I recommend plenty of bed rest and water because it is rare for a physician to go wrong with that one.”

The Doctor groans again as his eyes slowly open.

“He's coming to!” Feather Wind alerts his friends.

Due to that alert notice, Derpy shoots next to the Doctor and scoops up one of his hooves then rubs it against her left cheek. During that time, she eye (not eyes) him in heavy concern as she asks him, “Oh Doctor, are you alright? Please say something to me! You're scaring me!”

For saying that, the Doctor both smiles a bit but also slightly winces as he says groggily, “Take heart, my faithful companion, for I am the Doctor. You haven't seen the last of me.”

“It's good to hear from you again, Doctor,” Feather Wind says in relief. “Do you know what happened to you? Has this ever happened to you before?”

The Doctor is quiet for a moment as he just breathes and attempts to regather his strength before he finally answers, “No. Not exactly, but I have gone through something like this about a dozen times before.”

“I take it that it has something to do with your Time Lord physiology,” Doctor Kelly assumes. “If you can, I'd appreciate any feedback you can offer me about that. The more I know, the more I can competently treat you.”

“Derpy, I'll be fine,” the Doctor reassures as he gives her hooves, which is clasping one of his, a gentle pat by reaching his other hoof to hers. “Please have faith in me, just like I have faith in you.”

“I'll try, Doctor,” Derpy promises as tears roll down from her golden, sunny eyes. “I promise I will.”

“Doctor Kelly's assessment is most likely prudent in this case,” the Doctor says to all of his companions. “After what I just went through, rest is, most likely, what I need right now.”

“Doctor, is this that 'regeneration' thing you told me about earlier?” Derpy asks with a questioning tilt of her head. “But I thought you told me your voice and appearance changes and whatnot when that happens, but you seem to be just the same other than being really tired.”

“Yeah,” the Doctor agrees with a questioning inflection on his face. “This is something new, but very similar to my earlier regeneration cycles.

“I, um, I think that I . . . ah . . .”

The Doctor trails off when he launches into a hacking fit, but it settles seconds later almost as suddenly as it came. On the final cough, golden sparkling energy shoots out of his mouth. When the Doctor's eyes crack open to see that, he regards it with a curious mix of fascination yet also recognition.

“Well. Isn't that interesting?” the Doctor asks with a curious tilt of his head.

“What was that golden energy?” Derpy asks with lingering concern. “Are you sure you're going to be fine, Doctor?”

“Um . . . huh?” He looks at Derpy then nods. “Yes-yes. I'll be quite alright. I just need some bed rest. I've been through something like this before. It always means I'll need more time to fully recover.”

“In that case, all of you please get out,” Doctor Kelly politely commands. “If rest is what he needs then it is best he doesn't get disturbed from it.”

“But you'll stay here and monitor him?” Feather Wind guesses at Doctor Kelly.

“For the moment, yes,” Doctor Kelly answers. “At least long enough to be certain that he's stable and I also like to set up some spells and equipment.”

“Very well, then,” Stern Wing accepts as she stands very erectly. “If that is what he needs then that is what he shall receive. The rest of you, out. Out.” Stern Wing spreads her brown wings with darker brown tips as she uses them to wave the rest of them out of the room. In doing so with such large wings, she stirs the air in the room somewhat even with very gentle flaps.

“Rest well, Doctor,” Derpy bids as she's ushered out of the room. “Recover soon! If you do, I'll make you muffins as a reward!” she bribes brightly.

“Make it English muffins and you have yourself a deal,” the Doctor bargains.

Derpy winces in disgust as she says, “Ew! Those impostor muffins? Well, um . . . if you say so. Sure. I'll make you some.”

“Then I'll look forward to my expedient recovery,” the Doctor says with as bright of a smile as he can muster within his exhausted condition.

Five seconds later everyone else, besides Doctor Kelly, leaves the room. When the rest are gone, Doctor Kelly uses her magic to close the door. In the process, something glows within her white lab coat with the same color as the magic radiating off her horn.

“It's good that they left now, for there are a few things I wanted to talk to you about privately. I guess now is my chance,” says the Doctor to Kelly.

“As long as you don't push yourself too hard,” Doctor Kelly says as she turns about and returns to the Doctor's side.

“These things are important. I have to tell you them before I pass out because I might remain down for a while.” The Doctor sighs as he recalls, “Before I opened the doors to the TARDIS when we first arrived on your world, I recall Feather Wind mentioning that he wished that at least one other pony could pilot the TARDIS.” He shakes his head. “He had no idea how difficult a request that is to accomplish, but I can see his point, especially now.” He frowns. “For while I am down, the rest of you shall be stranded in space. Now I assure you, that was not part of my plan . . . but these things happen just the same.

“Fortunately, before we took off from your world, we got resupplied with some medicine and food, both of which we used up on the ocean world that your world orbits. Because of these supplies, the lot of you should be good for whatever length of time I remain down. It'll be boring but otherwise safe as long as you all stay inside the TARDIS during that time. Ships like this are very hard to penetrate without the key. That was something Prime Minister Kratus learned a long time ago.”

“Hence the reason he needed an actual Time Lord to show him how to open those things, and your kind is a very rare commodity in the universe these days,” Doctor Kelly figures.

“There might be more of my kind out there, but for the moment . . . I'm the only one we are aware of. That'll have to do for now.”

The Doctor's expression brightens as he changes the subject by saying, “By the way, I noticed how your people have glowing gems on your person whenever any of you cast a spell. Have you noticed, yet, that isn't the case with Feather Wind?”

“I have noticed,” Doctor Kelly answers. “That observation basically verifies something we have in our historical records. It was said that ponies back in our original world had different methods of spellcasting. Methods that were much more complex to master compared to our Magi gems. To us, we just attune ourselves to each gem and it is the gem that shapes the spell we are trying to cast. All we really do is supply the energy for the spell. In my home world, our technology often does even that for us. We are capable of mass-producing these gems and they can be simple to attune to, but it depends on how powerful the spell is. To master the stronger ones takes lots of our energy to cast each time and plenty of practice unless we have a device that does that for us.”

“Feather Wind's method of spellcasting doesn't rely on an external object, like a gem, to cast, so his magic is harder to steal,” the Doctor informs. “The trade-off is his method requires years of study to perfect. Whatever spell he's mastered is very hard to take away from him, but learning any additional spells will take about as much effort so there are pros and cons to both methods.

“The reason I bring this up is because Feather Wind is in a unique situation that is similar to yours in one regard. You see, he actually has one magical gem that is not unlike a magi gem. However, the energy within it is probably not as refined and 'fixed' as the magic gems in your world are. Moreover, some of the energy in the gem he has is downright sentient. Specifically, it houses a portion of the soul of the one who created that gem. His name used to be Sombra, but he since calls himself Crystal Sage now to distinguish himself from his dark counterpart that still plagues Feather's home world. In fact, that's basically why he, Stern Wing, and Vision had to leave their native world and timeline.”

“I sense a story behind that,” Doctor Kelly figures.

“Get the rest of the details from the others. I'm sure they can fill you in on that,” the Doctor advises. “In the meantime, while I remain down for the count, I have a request.”

Doctor Kelly lifts a hoof as she says, “Let me guess. You want me to train Feather how to attune himself to this crystal?”

The Doctor nods as he confirms, “Correct . . . if you can. He needs to not only learn how to attune himself to that gem, but also charge it with plenty of positive energy to not only prepare himself for the challenges that yet lingers in his home world, but to also eventually use that energy to save an entire civilization that is stuck in a dimension Crystal Sage refered to as 'limbo'.”

“Really?” Doctor Kelly asks with fascination.

“Again, you can get the rest of the details from the others. In this case, I'd recommend asking Feather himself. He'd know most of the details in this particular regard.

“Another thing I want to bring up with you is keeping the information about the injection of nanites in Vision's system to yourself and Vision herself.”

“I normally do keep information like that confidential between me, the patient, and you in this case because you are assigned as her legal guardian.

“In this case, however, you piqued my curiosity. Any particular reason you want this to remain a secret from the others?”

“They wouldn't fully understand what it could mean for Vision so it may raise some concerns,” the Doctor explains. “Also, while it is harder to put my finger on this, I get the impression details like that are not known to the future version of them. I don't know that for sure, but I got some hints about that fact. I want to protect this secret just in case it is important for this fact to remain unknown to them.”

“Well, I can certainly do that barring an emergency,” Doctor Kelly compromises.

Doctor Kelly leans forward towards him as she says, “Now let's talk about you and what you're going through. Tell me everything that you can about this.”

The Doctor turns his head on top of his pillow to look straight up as he says, “In this case, I'm partially in the dark about this too. What I have gone through resembles a regeneration cycle that I've been through about a dozen times before, but for once it isn't triggered as a death prevention method. Also what I went through in the TARDIS control room was significantly stronger than most of my past regenerations.” He shakes his head. “All of those faces and voices that went through me . . . I can't explain that. It felt like countless other individuals were screaming with me and through me. That's new.” He looks back at Doctor Kelly as he goes on to say, “Another thing that is different is my face and voice didn't change in the end. I can hear that fact for myself, but I have yet to see myself in the mirror.”

“Do you want one?” Doctor Kelly offers.

The Doctor closes his eyes briefly as he shakes his head then opens his eyes again as he says, “Not yet. It's a struggle enough to remain awake right now so I want to get a few things off my chest first before I go down.

“In this case, I'm not completely aware of what has happened to me, but it greatly resembles my regeneration cycle and that is important because my people only have a limited number of times we can do that.”

Doctor Kelly suddenly looks alarmed as she asks, “In that case, how many can your people go through and which number are you on?”

“My people can go through twelve regeneration cycles, and if what I went through recently counts, then this cycle is my last one,” the Doctor informs grimly.

Doctor Kelly settles back in her force chair with a blank look on her face as she digests that latest bit of news.

“If I'm right, then I might not be able to regenerate again,” the Doctor goes on. “If that is the case, that is more information I don't want you to share with the rest of my crew. It will make them more concerned.”

Doctor Kelly's eyes focus back on the Doctor through her floating, holographic lens.

“Promise me you won't tell them,” the Doctor pleads.

“I am sworn to uphold doctor/patient confidentiality anyway,” Doctor Kelly informs. “If you don't wish for me to share this information with the others, then I shall not.”

The Doctor looks up again as he says wistfully, “It's really quite a shame as well. I have some big plans recently and I'd probably need a lot of time to accomplish them. So much to do . . . and maybe not enough time to do it. I may have a time machine myself, but my own clock keeps on ticking. I need to at least get the ball rolling on certain important goals before I pass on. So many are depending on me for that.”

“Like the Time War?” Doctor Kelly recalls. “You claimed that is important.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” the Doctor assures as he looks back at her. “But you will . . . or at least I think you will get a small idea in the years to come. My most important goal in this affair is to blunt the impact of the Time War. I already went through a version of it before. I am determined to make it more innocent this time, at least as much as I can. If I can do that, then many lives throughout the whole universe might be spared a very grim fate.”

“I'm with you on that one completely,” Doctor Kelly tells him seriously. “On this endeavor, you have my total support.”

The Doctor smiles brightly as he says, “Thank you.” His smile fades a bit as he says, “Now on to the next issue. While I am down, I want you to take care of my crew.”

Doctor Kelly smiles at the Doctor, touched by the knowledge that is among the Doctor's final thoughts before he goes down. Any good captain would feel that way.

“I can certainly do that on a medical front. That's my job,” Doctor Kelly tells him.

He shakes his head as he says, “That too, but I mean more than that. While I am down, I want you to guide them. They'll need to look up to someone for leadership.”

Doctor Kelly winces slightly as she asks him, “Why do you trust me so much with a task like that? We recently met.”

In response, the Doctor simply gives a knowing smile.

“Why do I get the feeling you are withholding some important information from me?” Doctor Kelly wonders aloud. “Does this have something to do with all those clues implanted into history? Things that only I was meant to notice?”

The Doctor continues to hold that knowing smile as his consciousness fades away.

“Oh fine! Be that way!” Doctor Kelly pouts. “Protect your secrets if you must.”

Doctor Kelly's frown softens gradually into a gentle smile of her own when she watches the Doctor sleep peacefully. He looks like such an angel when he sleeps like that.

On a whim, Doctor Kelly bends down and kisses the Doctor's forehead.

Stranded in Space Part 2: Personal Values

“How is he, Doctor?” Stern Wing asks in concern as she, Feather Wind, Derpy, and Vision all regard Doctor Kelly as she enters the TARDIS control room. In Vision's case, she merely turns her ears on top of her head in Doctor Kelly's direction. Two seconds after Stern Wing asks this, Stern's eyes lower halfway as she grows an amused grin while saying, “Doctor. I'm so used to calling the Doctor that because that is his only name, but now we have two doctors on this ship so that name might get a little more confusing.”

“Resting,” Doctor Kelly answers when she approaches, then stops, only a few feet from the rest of the group. From there, she uses her magic to reach into her right lab coat pocket and pulls out a lollipop then sticks it in her mouth. “Stable and recovering from what I can tell,” Doctor Kelly goes on. “He is only partially aware of what happened to him, but he doesn't sound too concerned about it. In fact, he's more concerned about the rest of you. Accordingly, he asked me to help take care of you all.”

“Around here, we all take care of each other,” informs Feather Wind with conviction.

“That's right,” Stern Wing agrees with a firm nod.

“What's that you got in your mouth?” Derpy asks with a curious tilt of her head as she regards Doctor Kelly with her walleyes.

“Oh, this?” Doctor Kelly asks as she floats out the lollipop from her mouth for a moment, twists it in midair, then shoves it back into her mouth as she answers, “It's a lollipop. My lab coat pocket can create another whenever I want. Do you want one?”

That question immediately brightens Derpy. This causes her to say excitedly, “Yes. I want a lollipop!”

“Then a lollipop you shall have,” Doctor Kelly decides as she floats another out of her lab coat pocket then levitates it over to Derpy who gladly accepts it by leaning her head forward and snapping it into her mouth. From there, she sucks on it and then shuts her eyes as she gives a happy squee. “Any of the rest of you want one?” Doctor Kelly offers to the rest of the group.

“Sure! I'll take one,” Stern Wing happily accepts.

“Me too,” Vision chimes in.

“You really can just keep magically conjuring another one?” Feather Wind asks curiously. “And is this another hologram or not?”

“Yes to your first question and no to your second,” Doctor Kelly answers as she floats another lollipop to Stern and Vision.

“Mmm-mmm-mmm mmmm! Yummy! I got me a lemon flavor!” Derpy cheers as she spreads her still backwards bent wings a bit, happily flaps them, then folds her wings again as she looks at the rest of her companions. “How about the rest of you?”

After sticking hers in her mouth and gaining a discerning look, Stern Wing answers, “Mine tastes like cherry flavor.”

“I can't identify mine,” Vision informs after she sucks on her lollipop for a few seconds. “I suspect it's some kind of fruit flavor that is not native to my homeland.”

“Want me to give it a lick and see if I can identify it for you?” Derpy offers the small white filly.

“No,” Vision answers with a disgusted frown.

“How about you, Feather? You want one?” Doctor Kelly offers the blue unicorn.

Feather Wind does not answer, but he does regard Doctor Kelly thoughtfully. He clearly seems tempted to accept.

“Oh come on, Feather! We're not on the Scroll family estate anymore. You don't have to keep upholding noble pretenses,” Stern advises her friend. “Just accept one already. No pony here is going to judge you.”

Since Stern put it that way, Feather Wind blushes in shy embarrassment. He then passes that look to Doctor Kelly along with a childish yearning twinkling in his eyes, yet he still can't bring himself to actually request one. Seeing this expression causes Doctor Kelly to grin as she floats another conjured lollipop over to Feather Wind as she says, “You're a pony after all, Feather. Just like the rest of us. Here. Take it and enjoy it.”

“Um . . . thank you,” Feather Wind says shyly under his breath.

“Oh Feather!” Stern says cheerfully as she slaps his back with a wing. “Don't ever change.”

“That's such useful magic! I'm so jealous!” Derpy says with a bright smile that belies her own words.

“Well, for as long as I am around, it's a resource the rest of you can continually avail yourselves too,” Doctor Kelly offers. “I find they help me think so I suck on these often.

“And speaking of magic,” Doctor Kelly then looks at Feather Wind as the stem of the lollipop in her mouth switches from the right to the left side of her mouth. “The Doctor told me that you were trying to attune yourself to some kind of magical crystal? Is that true?”

“Indeed,” Feather Wind confirms as the expression on his face returns to normal. “And I take it he brought that point up to you because your kind uses some kind of gems a lot for your magic? I noticed that several times during our visit to your world.”

“Yeah! I noticed that too,” Stern Wing concurs. “What's up with that? That is a very unusual method of spellcasting. I'm especially surprised that the actual color of your horn magic changes depending on which gem you are channeling.”

“From my perspective, it is your method of spellcasting that is far from the mundane,” Doctor Kelly says to Feather Wind. “Except for the fact that I've studied history far more than the average mare in my world. Based on that, I learned that the method of spellcasting for our kind, particularly while we were still in our original home of Equestria, was exactly like yours. Back then, most of our kind could use certain kinds of magic commonly, especially telekinesis and light, but anything beyond that was increasingly more uncommon because it required years of arcane study. Compared to that, our method of spellcasting is much more streamlined, easier, and vastly more common.

“However, the more advanced the spell, the higher quality gem it must be infused in. Not only is that increasingly rare, but it is more and more difficult to attune to and cast.”

“Do you always need those gems to cast spells?” Derpy asked with a confused blink and an adorable tilt of her head.

“Yes,” Doctor Kelly answers. “Even for very basic spells like telekinesis or computer interface control. As for the energy for the spell, it can be supplied by some of our techs, or it can be supplied by us directly. If we use the latter, our magic tends to quickly regenerate unless we cast a very advanced and high-level spell that we're not accustomed to casting. In that case, it might knock us unconscious whether we succeed or fail at the spell.”

“Um . . . well, in any case, you can teach me how to attune myself to a magic gem?” Feather Wind asks hopefully. “I've had guidance on that subject from one other. This mentor happens to be the spirit who is actually within the gem itself. He advised patience and diligence after he gave me a few pointers, but I wouldn't mind guidance for me out here in the real world too. You might even teach me a method that never even occurred to him, in which case he might be curious about your methods as well. Knowing him and his interests, that is most likely the case.”

“I would actually like to see him sometime,” Doctor Kelly expresses with interest. “A chance to meet an ancient wizard who actually specializes in crystal magic sounds really enticing. Something tells me his expertise in science might be quite different from ours, for ours relies heavily on our technology as a crutch. With it, though, we've taken our civilization quite far.”

“Then I'll try to arrange a meeting if I can,” Feather offers. “But he claims only members of his family, my family, can attune themselves to this crystal.”

“If that's true, I'd like a chance to at least scan the crystal,” Doctor Kelly counter proposes. “Every magic gem has its own resonance frequency. I've got equipment to help me scan for that. Armed with that knowledge, it can help a pony properly attune to each crystal. I'll master this yet, and I'll do it with science!”

“That sounds very interesting. Thank you. I can use all the help I can get,” Feather Wind says to Doctor Kelly gratefully.

“That crystal isn't the only thing aboard this ship I want to take a look at,” Doctor Kelly brings up. “I could use a tour of this ship and I need to be assigned a room of some kind. Preferably one that might also double up as a medical office.” Doctor Kelly floats her partially dissolved lollipop out of her mouth and then uses it to sweep a point across all the ponies gathered here. “The Doctor asked me to take care of all the rest of you. For me, the best method of doing that is, again, with science. I already have some medical records of you all from when you were scanned back in my world. I'd like to keep that updated. Specifically, what that means is, from now on, I'd like to give each and every one of you another quick medical scan before we depart on each new place we visit. I also want to scan you after we're done visiting each place to make sure you don't bring anything unwelcome aboard this ship.”

Stern Wing smiles as she says, “I'm glad you said that! The Doctor has medical knowledge as well but he's been far more reckless with his health and ours lately. In contrast to that, I'm glad to see somepony aboard this ship who finally takes our health seriously. In that regard, you're kind of like me, except instead of being a stickler for security, your passion is medical science.”

Stern Wing turns her body to the side to display her cutie mark on her left flank. When she does, she says, “As you can see, I got a cutie mark of a winged shield with a heart in the center. This represents my passion and talent for caring about matters of security. I like to keep others safe and I will go to any lengths necessary to defend others who are helpless.”

Feather Wind brightens as he says, “Ooo! Speaking of cutie marks, what is yours, if you don't mind sharing? I'm quite curious what my kind from another world might have, but so far you kept yours concealed beneath a white lab coat, or do you have one at all?”

Doctor Kelly floats her lollipop back into her mouth, sucks on it for a few seconds in silence, then says, “I've read about cutie marks on our original home planet, but my kind does not get cutie marks, nor do the pegasi, nor do the earth ponies on the ocean planet that ours orbits.”

“Really? That's a bit surprising,” replies Feather Wind. “Now don't get me wrong. On the ocean planet that your world orbits, that kind of makes sense because magic there was thinner, yet oddly enough the rate of my magic recovery wasn't affected.

“However, in your case,” he says as he floats his own lollipop out of his mouth and briefly uses it to point at Doctor Kelly, “you come from a world that is very thick of magic. In fact, it is considerably more so than even our own native world.” He snaps the lollipop back into his mouth then looks corner-wise up with a slight squint to his face as he says, “Although, in the case of your world, the magic there was generated artificially.” He looks back at Doctor Kelly. “Perhaps those conditions aren't conducive to cutie mark awakenings even if the magic in your home world is thicker.”

“Or it could be cultural awareness, or lack thereof,” Vision proposes which draws the interested attention of the rest of her companions back to her. She doesn't see that, but she senses that. Because of the curious sensations she feels aimed at her, she elaborates, “Think about it. What if all of you were born in a world that never told you that you could have a cutie mark awakening? What if no pony in your world ever had such a thing as far as they know? In that case, it might make it much harder to have such an inner personal discovery even if you're otherwise physically capable of it. The perception of the society we're raised in can easily shape our own individual strengths and limitations.”

“She might be right,” Derpy agrees with a blink. “I think she has a good point.” Derpy looks back at Vision with both eyes but the left lazily drifts away. “Gosh, Vision, you're such a wise little filly! I'm so proud!”

“Well, I know enough about cutie marks to understand their cultural significance in our distant past,” Doctor Kelly brings up. “Which also means understanding that can help me understand the pony who is wearing it. Since I also have a degree in psychology and can assist you all as a therapist as well, then that is yet another service I'll not only make available to you all, but highly recommend you visit me at least once a week. I'd at least like to establish a baseline for you all so that I can later tell when you start to stray from it. That will also help me to optimize your mental health, for that can be every bit as critical as your physical health.

“Furthermore, in addition to regular checkups once a week, I'll try to make myself available to you all if you return from a particularly traumatic mission. If that happens, steps should be taken to help restore then later re-optimize your mental health.”

“I'm so glad we added you to our team!” Stern Wing beams. “For I'd very much like to keep all of us hale and healthy as much as possible both physically and mentally, for a tip in either or both categories is a security risk. I'd like to keep us on in tip-top shape as much as ponyly possible.”

“Then I'm glad we're on the same page,” Doctor Kelly says with a grateful grin.

“In that regard, me and Stern were given a medical checkup by a holographic doctor in your home world,” Feather Wind reminds. “Are you sure you have that data?”

“Even if I don't, I can just scan you again with my magic,” Doctor Kelly proposes. “That won't be as simple as relying upon my droids, but I suppose I can rough it while out on this adventure. I plan on doing that regularly anyway.

“Oh! And like I said with another therapy session if you have a particularly traumatic experience, I'd like to express the same condition for another medical examination. In addition to a medical scan before and after a mission, time permitting, I might also like to make another during the mission if we go through something that causes our health to be particularly questionable.”

“Like swimming through the sewers and whatnot?” Stern Wing proposes.

“Exactly,” Doctor Kelly confirms with a nod of agreement. “Or we are roaming through an area where there are others who are sick. You know.” She shrugs. “Just use our common sense when making those judgment calls.”

“I noticed how you were the only real doctor who checked up on us when we first met,” Feather Wind brings up. “As I said, me and Stern were examined by a holographic doctor. I take it that means real doctors are more rare in your world?”

“There are several reasons why,” Doctor Kelly says. “First of all, education in my world is largely optional beyond certain basics like knowing the laws of our society, how to speak and read, and use our basic tools and resources. Beyond that, we are taught of the available options that we can learn, but it is up to us to pursue them individually if we want. No pony in my world has to work a day in their life. If they do, there is no reward for it other than the satisfaction of the work they do and sometimes other perks depending on what the job is. Given those facts, it greatly diminishes the available pool of real ponies who choose this profession or any other for that matter. As a result, we often have holographic substitutes, especially for critical and/or dangerous professions.

“Not only that, but I often found patients actually preferring my holographic peers because they are programmed to be perfect for their job which includes never tiring or complaining about it. As holograms, they are also immune to any infections that can afflict biological creatures.” She points off to her side while continuing to regard them as she says, “Those holographic peers don't need the experience to be nearly perfect for their job either. They are always instantly available on demand and they never needed the education that real doctors go through. Instead, they are just uploaded with all the information medical science has ever uncovered. They just instantly 'know' all of that so they tend to be far better at their job. Even if they encounter a totally new disease or virus, they can diagnose then treat it better than almost any mortal pony.

“And, although they already come equipped with so much knowledge that they don't need experience, they get more experience anyway because every single one of them is adding to the same database. Whatever any one of them knows, they all know, including new knowledge that they encounter.

“On top of all that, they are customizable to the individual patients. If the patient does not like the clothes the doctor is wearing or the hide color, or species, or gender, or voice, or inflection, and basically almost anything else, then the patient can change those settings and they can save them so that the customized doctor of their preference is the one that keeps visiting them each time. With that much empowerment on the side of the patients, it's not a wonder why they tend to prefer my holographic colleagues.

“The only ponies who tend to choose me, or others like me, is because they want somepony more real. Somepony they can make a greater emotional connection with and can be more certain to care for them in return. For some, that is enough to make them accept a version of a doctor with less training, experience, education, and lack of customization.

“I've noticed that it is my psychology training that tends to be the highest in demand. When it comes to their physical health, most ponies tend to prefer as close to true perfection as our society can muster, and only the holo doctors can provide that. Add to that, the holo doctors tend to be efficient and quick. The patient just goes in and out of the hospital all better in no time.

“However, when it comes to therapy, some prefer a true emotional rapport with their healers because it is an especially emotionally vulnerable time for them, and something just doesn't feel right about a holo doctor who simply hasn't ever experienced such hardships themselves. They can understand their patients from a scientific perspective and that can be good enough to treat some of the patients, but they cannot truly identify with their patients and vice versa. How can any of us identify with true perfection? The holo doctors don't have true emotion either. That matters to some ponies.”

“Well, speaking for myself, I can confidently say I fall into the latter category,” Feather Wind brings up. “If I'm going to be treated during my most vulnerable moments, then I want it to be by a pony who truly does have my best interests at heart, including from an emotional perspective. To the holo doctors, I'm just a 'thing' to be treated swiftly, but to a true healer . . . I am a friend that they genuinely care about. As such, they are more likely to go above and beyond the call of duty if that's what it takes to help me. As such, I trust the latter category far more.”

“Agreed,” concurs Stern Wing.

“You said it,” Derpy also agrees.

“Well I'm glad we're in agreement that I can be useful to you all,” Doctor Kelly says. “Now then, how about somepony prove their usefulness to me by showing me around the ship?”

Stranded in Space Part 3: Getting Settled

“What?” Derpy asks, perplexed, during the middle of giving a tour of the ship to Doctor Kelly. Early on in that journey, within the first hallway of it, the TARDIS crew already encounters an anomaly, and that is a new room that wasn't there before.

“It's a door,” Doctor Kelly answers while giving those around her a confused blink. “You all still use those, right?” She straightens herself. “Although I'll admit, in my world, 'doors' are merely unnecessary aesthetics. A symbol of an outdated design when we live in a synthetic world that can be customized at any moment. Furthermore we typically-”

Stern Wing interrupts by raising a hoof as a signal for Doctor Kelly to silence herself. When she does as she listens to Stern Wing instead, the large brown mare explains, “Yes, but this door wasn't here before. It's new.”

“Oh!” Doctor Kelly replies with a surprised blink. “Really? Are you sure that this environment isn't synthetic too?”

With a glance at the others here, Feather Wind is the first to answer by saying, “I think we're beginning to wonder that too.”

“I told you all a while ago that the TARDIS is its own internal dimension,” Vision reminds, although this is the first time Doctor Kelly is hearing of it. “And it is governed by a sentient entity that exists beyond the bounds of space/time. As such, she was aware that you would arrive among us before you even decided to join us.” Vision attempted to point to Doctor Kelly when Vision said the word “you”, but ends up pointing between Doctor Kelly and Derpy instead. Nevertheless, the ponies around Vision are aware of what she meant from context clues alone. When Vision lowers her hoof, she adds, “I think this is the Heart of the TARDIS's way to tell you, 'Welcome home'.”

“Then what you mean to say is, this is my room,” Doctor Kelly realizes.

“And it also means we should be alert for future changes,” Stern Wing says cautiously as she lifts an eyebrow. “I was actually considering patrolling this place and draw a map for the benefit of newcomers as a precaution, but that is beginning to seem pointless if this place can change itself.”

Derpy giggles sweetly before saying, “I guess it's never a dull day in the TARDIS. Even in here we can have an adventure.”

“I still think we're generally safer in here than whatever exists outside the TARDIS itself,” says Feather.

“Being lost can be a form of danger,” Stern Wing argues. “One I had hoped to minimize, but now I'm beginning to wonder.”

“This change was evoked because of the new crew member who joined us,” Vision reminds. “We can probably expect further changes based on similar circumstances. I make no promises, but that might generally be a safe rule of hoof.”

“Well,” Feather Wind says with a blink, “we can continue standing here and blink at this new door like a bunch of idiots, or we can venture inside and get some of our answers.” He looks at Doctor Kelly as he goes on to say, “Since it seems likely that this new room is for you, perhaps it is best that you give us a tour of it.” After he says that, he uses his wind magic to deliver a whispered message to Stern Wing which asks her, “How much do you want to bet that this new room is going to be a blank white room with holographic projection nodes?”

That question causes Stern Wing to crack up for a few seconds before she turns her head about to nod and wink at Feather Wind in agreement.

“Don't mind if I do,” Doctor Kelly agrees as she channels her magic through one of the gems she is wearing which causes her horn to glow orange. This she uses to turn the doorknob to the new mysterious room. Once it is open, she trots inside. The others shortly follow, but Derpy lingers behind to carefully guide Vision through the threshold just to make sure the little filly doesn't accidentally bump into the wall instead. After all, this room is new, so Derpy is being extra careful that the beloved little filly doesn't hurt herself in the attempt to follow them.

Sure enough, as predicted, what exists in the new room is blank white walls, floor, and ceiling with a bunch of pyramid-shaped projection nodes all over the place, but they appear to be under an invisible floor they trot upon. Together, all of the projection nodes make a very fixed, grid-like pattern in this room.

What does surprise Feather, and everyone else for that matter, is the sheer enormity of the room, for they really can't see the opposite side of the wall ahead of them. It seems like the other side of this room stretches on to infinity.

“Oh wow!” Derpy gasps as her flank plops down to the ground, now officially too stunned to stand up straight. “I guess somepony around here is getting preferential treatment. This room is even bigger than the Doctor's!”

“Okay, this is the last time I'm going to be surprised how much the TARDIS can make itself bigger on the inside,” Feather Wind decides. “Maybe this room really does stretch on into infinity. At this point, I'm not wiping anything off the table anymore.”

“Well . . . this room could certainly use a mare's touch when it comes to decorations and furniture,” Stern Wing criticizes. “But then again, I know what those projection nodes can do. That said,” she looks at Doctor Kelly, “I assume that means anything created in here can't actually leave this room?”

“Unless projection nodes exist out there as well, then you are right,” Doctor Kelly answers. “That or one of us carries a portable projection node outside of this room, and it has to be a real one.”

Doctor Kelly smiles when she beholds all of this. In satisfaction, she turns to the others as she says, “This is perfect because this means that this room can serve other purposes besides being my own personal living space. It can also serve as a hospital, clinic, therapist room, gym, and training room for all sorts of scenarios that we can imagine. Plus, since it is so big, we can compartmentalize each section for various purposes without disturbing our neighbors.”

“You really think it is safe for us to wander about a potentially infinite size room?” Stern Wing asks cautiously.

“That's just its potential,” Doctor Kelly says with a glance around the room. “How we choose to utilize it is the more important thing. What it does and how it looks depends upon the functionality we assign to it.” She looks back at Stern Wing. “So we'd only be lost in here if we actually want to be lost.”

“Hey, everypony . . . what's that?” Derpy asks as she curiously tilts her head while staring in a certain direction. When the others attempt to follow her gaze (with the obvious exception of Vision), they eventually spot one detail about this environment that is different from the rest. Due to the distance, it didn't stand out before, but after they spot it, they primarily notice it because every other direction is so uniform. The contrast helps it to stand out despite the distance.

“Let's find out,” Feather Wind suggests as he begins to approach it. The others shortly follow after him. Once again, Derpy lingers behind to guide Vision along by gently applying a gray wing across Vision's back.

“Wow! It kind of does feel like we're really going on an adventure!” Derpy cheers at first then mopes as she adds, “I just wish the Doctor could join us too.”

“Wait a second! Hold on. Everypony stop!” Doctor Kelly instructs. When they do, they look at her (if able). Once she has their attention, she says, “There might be a smarter way to hoofle this. Let me try something by interfacing with the computer here. Give me a moment.”

Doctor Kelly closes her eyes. Magic glows from her horn. This time it is a golden/brown color. Moments later, the mysterious objects ahead of them seems to come to them.

“What happened?” Derpy asks with a confused blink.

“It seems it worked,” Doctor Kelly says in satisfaction. “I can interface with a computer generating this environment. Using that, I simply collapsed the distance between us and . . . Well. Lookie what we have here?”

“Spherical mirror balls?” Feather observes questioningly.

“Not just that. These are droids,” Doctor Kelly explains. “In other words, artificial life forms. They are sentient tools that are designed for various purposes. I have things like that back at the hospital I work at, except they are actually holograms of droids. That's why I didn't bring them with me here. Besides, they belong to the hospital anyway.”

Doctor Kelly approaches and examines the pair of silvery spheres.

“But I get the feeling that these two are real, despite being presented to us in a holographic projection room,” Doctor Kelly declares. “Hold on. Let me examine the specs of these two.”

Doctor Kelly's horn glows golden/brown again. A gem of the same color glowed on her lab coat at the same time. A faint magical line can also be seen tracing up from the gem to as close as it can to her horn as her coat can permit. During this time, a holographic window opens up in front of her. Doctor Kelly reads it fast. Moments later, she conjures a floating spherical ball made of force but with a wedge cut out of it where she can sit. She sits down upon it. When she does, it floats her about fourteen feet above the others. More holographic windows spread three-hundred and sixty degrees all around her as well as above and below her. Altogether, she now looks like she's in an invisible column that is only visible because of the many holographic windows that now surround her. Her eyes are quickly darting around her to the various other windows. Sometimes she spins about in her spherical chair to accommodate her to look in those various directions.

“Now there is something you don't see every day,” Stern Wing says with a confused blink.

“What are you talking about? It 'looks' the same to me,” comes Vision's rather rare snarky reply.

“Oh ha-ha,” snips Stern Wing back to Vision.

“Interesting,” says Doctor Kelly as she leans back in her seat while collecting her forehooves just below the edge of her muzzle. The lollipop she is still sucking on switches sides in her mouth during this time. “It seems I was a bit mistaken. These two droids are not only real, but they are, in fact, more advanced models than I have ever worked with before.”

Doctor Kelly's right eye looks down at the pair of droids off the right rim of her eye. When she does that, the pair of silvery spheres float off the pedestals that they were originally on. When that happens, the pedestals fade away and therefore confirm that at least the pedestals themselves were holographic. The pair of droids float up to the level Doctor Kelly is on then spiral around her. Both of them split apart which reveals what sort of looks like a kind of camera in the center, except it is more like a projection node. They create various other tools on top of that camera-looking thing. Doctor Kelly examines this for a few seconds then goes back to reading the myriad holographic windows spread around her.

“Isn't that dizzying?” Feather Wind asks up to Doctor Kelly.

“Hmm?” Doctor Kelly looks down at Feather Wind. “What do you mean?”

“All of those holographic windows around you with that dizzying amount of information,” Feather replies. “Doesn't it overwhelm you?”

“Oh no,” Doctor Kelly assures as she goes back to her eyes darting among various windows. “This doesn't overwhelm me at all because this is what the inside of my own mind looks like all the time.”

“Well, I am getting dizzy just looking at all that,” declares Derpy as her eyes and head swirl. “Whoa! I'm soooooo dizzy!”

“Then you should sit down before you fall again,” Stern Wing advises cautiously.

“Don't mind if I do,” Derpy agrees as she proceeds to do so.

When she sits down, Feather Wind's look transfers from Derpy to up to Doctor Kelly. Feeling curious, his horn glows silver as he lightly envelops his body with a silvery aura while also lightening his own body weight simultaneously. As a result, he requires very little magical strength to float himself up to near Doctor Kelly. From there, he tries to read what he can on some of the various holographic windows surrounding Doctor Kelly, but from his perspective, the ones closest to him appear backwards. From there, he just floats there shyly. He does not want to float within her invisible column until she invites him first.

“Can you actually read any of this?” Doctor Kelly asks with curious skepticism as her eyes focus on the small, floating sky-blue mage.

“It's hard to tell from my perspective,” Feather Wind notes which is as close as he's come to asking permission to enter her column so far.

Lucky for him, it works in this case.

“Then come inside and take a look,” Doctor Kelly invites.

“As you wish,” Feather Wind complies as he floats within the spinning column of holographic windows.

“Want me to create you a seat?” Doctor Kelly offers.

“No thanks. I can create my own,” Feather Wind replies as he creates a small real cloud right next to Doctor Kelly by condensing the moisture in the air to one spot. Once that is done, he gently floats down to rest on top of it. On the cloud, he sits on his flank while his forehooves rest straight between his hind hooves. From there, Feather Wind attempts to read the information on some of the window screens.

“I thought only pegasi could sit and walk on clouds,” Doctor Kelly notes curiously. “That's how it is with my kind if the clouds are real. I read it was that way back in our original home world too.”

“That's usually true, but I'm a special exception,” Feather Wind says while he continues trying to read some of the information displayed off the various holographic windows. “I share a unusually intense connection with the wind and sky. As a result, not only can I sit and lay on top of them, but I can create and/or dissipate them as well as I just demonstrated.”

“I see.” Doctor Kelly looks forward while a new holographic window just opens up. Unlike the others, this one floats a bit closer. On it, it displays only one image, and that is a picture of a white feather being gently blown by a magical breeze, as evidenced by the magical sparkles that linger within the wind.

“So this is your cutie mark,” Doctor Kelly notes with interest. “This image not only represents your magical talent, but essentially also symbolically represents who you are as an individual pony.”

“This is so,” Feather Wind agrees with a soft voice. He nods to the window displaying the image of his cutie mark as he adds, “I even changed my name the day I discovered my mark. Before that, I used to be known as Quill Scroll of the esteemed Scroll family.”

“Wow.” Doctor Kelly props her head up on a hoof. The elbow of which now rests on a row of hemispheres, the flat end facing up to make a makeshift armrest. She does this as she continues to regard her elevated companion with interest. She even says, “You're going to make a very interesting companion.”

Feather Wind grins a little as he continues scanning among the various images. He says, “Funny. The Doctor said the same thing. Almost word for word.”

“Anyway,” Doctor Kelly's face continues to face toward Feather Wind but her eyes shift to her left to return her attention to the window displaying his cutie mark as she asks, “can you actually read any of these?”

“Somewhat,” Feather Wind answers. “But I sense there is more than meets the eye here. I'm feeling very distinct magical patterns from these windows. It's like there is a second layer to the messages here. A message that is buried within the magical pattern itself.” He regards Doctor Kelly curiously as he asks, “Is this so? Did the Magi create a language out of the energy patterns of magic itself?”

“Honestly, yes, but I'm very surprised that an outsider, like you, has even noticed that at all,” Doctor Kelly says with a very impressed tone. Her eyes shift back to him to stare at him beyond the upper rim of her own holographic glasses. “You are a very impressive specimen, Feather Wind. I look forward to diagnosing you further.”

“Uh . . . thank you?” Feather Wind asks while giving her a mildly disturbed look. He is pushed further from his comfort level by the look of an excited wicked gleam in her eyes.

“Very impressive indeed,” Doctor Kelly reiterates. “And don't worry. It won't hurt.”

“You wanted to study the rest of us too, didn't you?” Feather Wind reminds in an effort to deflect the subject off of him exclusively.

“But of course,” Doctor Kelly agrees. “I want a detailed physical and psychological profile of you all so that I can render better assistance later.”

“Hey, um, Doctor Kelly, I have a question for you,” Stern Wing calls up to the still floating doctor between the spiral of holographic windows.

“Yes?” Doctor Kelly responds down to Stern Wing.

Once Stern Wing notes that she has the floating doctor's attention, Stern Wing uses a wing to gesture at their surroundings as she says, “This is how this room looks like by default when we all came in here. It seems to me you already started influencing this, but so far the only changes you made were to shorten the distance between us and those floating droids then create that seat and all of those windows. My question for you is this.” Stern Wing focuses on the doctor. “Do you plan on creating something more elaborate here than all of this plain white?”

“Does this disturb you?” Doctor Kelly checks with Stern Wing.

“Only a little,” Stern Wing answers. “To me, this is a blank canvas. It's like unfulfilled potential.” She tilts her head. “And yet, the hospital we were delivered to was kind of like this as well. Just this white and very sparsely decorated waiting room. I find it strange that a society that can create any image they want tends to settle for simple patterns like this.”

Doctor Kelly's eyes dart about as she says, “The exact decor of each place in my world tends to be whatever purpose that place is designed for. If it is a park, you'll tend to see lots of green grass, plenty of flowers, and open skies. Individual homes tend to be highly distinctive. It might not even appear to be a traditional home at all. For some, it might be just a glowing sleeping bag hovering a foot off the ground, and up above is what looks like an open, starry night sky.” She looks back at Stern Wing. “By default, however, most places in my world tend to start like this. Just this white, blank, and empty room waiting to be customized however each individual pony wishes. Because that is the default, many of my kind got used to it, especially in public places.” Her eyes dart about again. “I actually prefer this aesthetic in my personal home beyond specific furniture and decorations I added. To me, a white room is calming. It's easier for me to concentrate in such environments.”

“I can understand that,” Feather Wind partially agrees. “For me, I tend to prefer a dark room when I concentrate on my studies which I keep lit with a soft candlelight. It helps me to avoid distractions. However, I have also practiced concentrating on my studies, or my spells, during busy and noisy environments on purpose for training reasons. That is so irritating to me, but because of it, it helped to strengthen my concentration. That's actually standard practice for students of a certain year who train in my father's prestigious magic academy.”

“Yeah,” Derpy says with a smile. “I remember when I trotted into your room during one of your studies. You did do it in a dark room even though you could have used a light switch in there.”

“To each, their own,” Feather says down to Derpy.

“I think we should all leave and let our new friend settle in,” Stern Wing decides.

“Wait! Weren't we just giving her a tour of the TARDIS?” Derpy reminds as she looks back up at Stern Wing with one eye.

“Something tells me her focus is on other priorities at the moment,” Stern Wing observes. “If she wishes, we can conclude the tour later.” She looks back at the exit. “For that matter, maybe I should patrol the TARDIS again. See what else might have changed.”

“Um . . . okay,” Derpy says with uncertainty as she stands back up. “That okay with you, Doc?”

Doctor Kelly does not answer. She is too distracted reading the various windows that spiral around her.

“Believe it or not, that's your answer,” Vision informs. “I think Stern Wing has the right of it. We should go.”

“Will you please stop sounding so mature all the time?” Derpy lightly, but also playfully and proudly, complains to Vision. “You're a foal. You should act your age once in a while by doing . . . well . . . I don't know. Something silly. Be a silly filly.”

“One of these days, I'll likely surprise you,” Vision predicts. “In the meantime.” She gestures back to where they came from.

“Let's go,” Stern Wing decides then calls up to her stallion friend, “You okay up there?”

“I'll probably join you shortly,” Feather tells Stern. “If you're out on patrol and get lost in the TARDIS because something else did indeed change, I'll send a wind message to you in order to help pinpoint your location.”

“Sounds good,” Stern Wing agrees. Then, with a gesture with both of her wings, she gestures towards the exit and then begins trotting in that direction. Vision and Derpy soon follow.

Stranded in Space Part 4: Memories of a Crystal Kingdom

“And there we have it,” Doctor Kelly declares as she beholds a holographic screen displaying the information they just scanned for. “The resonance frequency of your so-called Red Crystal.”

“Which tells us what, exactly?” Feather Wind asks her. “I'm sorry, but I'm not so accustomed to this kind of information.”

Doctor Kelly uses her magic to float the Red Crystal itself closer to her hooves as she continues to sit on her floating, spherical chair and suck on her lollipop. More information scrolls on the inside of her holographic lenses while she stares down at the Red Crystal.

“Why, this information tells us no less than the magical frequency of this crystal itself,” Doctor Kelly explains. “Every magical object has one. That is what makes it magical. If it is magical, then it'll have energy radiating off of it that has a specific frequency. Understanding that is tantamount to understanding our D-N-A codes.”

“So the basic genetic codes that make up our bodies,” Feather Wind rephrases.

“You heard of that?” Doctor Kelly remarks in surprise with a lift of her left eyebrow as she eyes Feather Wind with interest. “That doesn't seem like the kind of knowledge that would be common in your time.”

“It isn't common,” Feather Wind confirms. “I just happen to be a member of the Scroll family who are scholars among the social elite of Canterlot, so we not only have access to some of the greatest repositories of knowledge in our world, but I also happen to like reading in general.” He shrugs. “Runs in the family, I guess. The Scroll family have the sacred duty to preserve knowledge for pony kind. In order to do that, we must preserve a healthy respect for it, too.” He nods. “Knowledge is power, and my family knows that well and takes that seriously.

“I write too, by the way. Mostly personal journals and poems.”

“Wonderful! I'd like to read some of your work someday,” Doctor Kelly cheers. “In doing so, I can get a basic psyche evaluation of ponies of your social class from your native world and time.”

Feather Wind briefly closes his eyes as he nods while saying, “With pleasure.” He opens his eyes and returns his gaze to Doctor Kelly. “In the meantime, how does knowing the energy signature of this crystal help us to attune to it?”

“It's sort of like finding the keyhole to a door,” Doctor Kelly says as she looks back at the tri-tip Red Crystal between her hooves. “That kind of information allows us to proceed far more efficiently. The next step is communicating to the crystal using the resonance frequency that we just identified. That would be like creating the key necessary for this keyhole and then inserting it. My kind, the Magi, are experts at this. Learning to detect and project resonant magical frequencies is so refined for our kind that we have learned to use it as another type of reading and speaking language. Some of our kind call it, 'Magic Tongue'.”

“Fascinating!” Feather Wind commends with delight. “Do you think you can teach me this Magic Tongue?”

“That depends on how well you can sense and project magical energies,” Doctor Kelly answers. “The ability to detect magical energies is equivalent to being able to hear this language. The ability to project very fine and detailed types of magical frequencies is equivalent to learning how to vocalize this language. It's second nature to us Magi, but it may also be an evolutionary skill. My guess is you technically can learn this language, but it would be much harder for you and you'll never be as good at it as an average Magi.” She lowers the crystal to her lap as she gives Feather Wind a frank look. “But even if you do master this language, it would do you no good other than to speak to others who know this language.” She blinks as she realizes something. “Oh! And learning this language would help to train you to identify other magical frequencies in detail. That, in turn, could teach you more about it. Knowledge like that could even tip you off if the magical energy you detect indicates the presence of danger or not, like sensing and properly identifying a magical trap. Normally a magical trap is meant to be hidden, but if you speak the right language, you'd realize that a certain magical signature is publicly telling you, 'I am a magical trap. If you pass within six feet of my magical glyph, I will drop a fireball down on top of you and anypony else nearby you.'”

“That could be very useful to know,” Feather Wind affirms. “I assume sensing and speaking this magical language is significantly more possible for a unicorn like myself, and especially one who is a trained wizard. In that case, if I can refine my skills to be even more useful for my friends, then I'm all for it. It'll be another way for me to contribute to the health and safety of the party.

“Add to that, gathering information would always be useful. Even if it's not a dangerous trap, like the glyph you previously mentioned would spring healing energy instead of a fireball, that's still useful to know, especially if there are other limitations we should be aware of like this 'trap' can only spring on this spot once a day. Knowing that, we might try to mark the location it is at and save it until it would be most useful to us, or sell this information to anypony else we might encounter who are friendly to us.

“Knowledge is power, like I said, and my family has always considered that sacred. Accordingly, I would be very much honored if you would teach me.”

“Spoken like a true wizardly scholar. You are, indeed, a very interesting companion, Feather Wind,” Doctor Kelly commends. “As such, you convinced me. Time permitting, I'll teach you what I know. I bow to your logic as well, for I am among those 'friends' that you spoke of. Learning how to protect me better can only serve to my benefit in the long gallop.”

“To the benefit of us all,” Feather Wind refines.

“Indeed.” Doctor Kelly looks at then lifts the Red Crystal again. “In the meantime, I'll put my focus on this new project. Give me a moment while I project the kind of frequency this crystal is emanating. In doing so, it'll be my way of saying 'hello'. Once I establish more of a rapport with it, I can consider myself officially attuned to this magic crystal.”

“Alright,” Feather Wind accepts then falls silent.

Doctor Kelly then gives the Crystal a focused stare as she projects the kind of energy that this Crystal is radiating. However, after a few seconds, a potential problem occurs to Feather Wind. In alarm, he widens his eyes and then opens his mouth to warn his companion of something, but it is too late. The Red Crystal flashes as it absorbs her mind.

---

“Oh my! This is . . . unexpected,” Doctor Kelly remarks as she beholds her new environment. She spins about as she takes in her surroundings. In doing so, she notices that she seems to be in an entire city that is apparently made of crystal, but seemingly different types of crystal as well. That accounts for each color she is observing.

The city also appears to be nighttime, yet there is a curious light that permeates the area at the same time. Not only is there a swirl of rainbow colors above her, but every crystalline structure all around her, which is pretty much everything (including the ground she's on), seems to absorb some of the light projected above and reflect it back, albeit more dimly.

Doctor Kelly's mind goes numb for a brief moment because she isn't certain how to process all this.

Fortunately for her, a guide soon appears.

“Doctor Kelly! Are you okay?!” Feather Wind cries out in alarm as he suddenly appears out of thin air.

“Where, um . . . where exactly are we now?” Doctor Kelly asks in stunned surprise.

“We're inside the crystal,” Feather Wind explains as he gently floats down to the ground as if he has the weight of a feather. “Or, at least, our minds are. Our bodies are still in your room in the TARDIS.”

“It absorbed our minds? Really?” Doctor Kelly asks Feather Wind in fascinated surprise. Magi gems where she comes from usually don't do this.

“I'm so sorry I didn't warn you before you attempted to attune to this crystal,” Feather apologizes. “By the time I recalled it can do this, it was already too late. To be fair, though, I wasn't certain it could do that to you as well. The first time I came here, the one resident spirit who dwells here said that only members of his family can enter this place. That happened to me the first time I touched this Crystal. At the time, I was in a frozen lake and drowning.”

“Oh.” Doctor Kelly blinks in surprise. “My-my. That wasn't ideal.”

“Fortunately for me, time is relative here,” Feather explains as he examines his surroundings as well. “Relative and customizable. Time can run as slowly or as fast as we want to in here relative to the time flow outside of this crystal.”

“I see,” Doctor Kelly says with a fascinated blink as she resumes her visual scan of their surroundings.

“Something else you should know is that, while in here, we are just a mental construct,” Feather explains. “That means we didn't enter with our corporeal bodies, nor are we limited to our physical constraints thereof. For example . . .”

For the next several seconds, Feather Wind keeps teleporting about her. Sometimes he appears in mid-air and hovers there for a second. He ends this demonstration by teleporting in front of her, except he was in her form for two seconds before shifting back into his own.

“See?” Feather Wind asks. “Since only our minds are in here and not our bodies then we can do whatever we can imagine while in here, but only within this place.” He gestures about. “Similarly, the rest of this environment is made of the same stuff. None of this is real and can be changed on a whim, but it is based on a memory of a place that once actually existed in our world.”

“Okay,” Doctor Kelly says with a nod of acceptance. “I can hoofle those facts. After all, that's not too dissimilar to the holograms we can project on my home world.” She focuses on Feather Wind. “But there are several things you said that have claimed my curiosity. For starters, you said that the appearance of this place is based on the memory of a place that once actually existed?”

“Correct,” Feather confirms.

“Then what is the name of this place? Is this from your home world? And why does it exist no longer?”

Feather Wind sighs as he looks about then gestures about them as he introduces, “Behold the memory of the Crystal Empire of the Frozen North on Equestria which is on my home planet, or at least this is how it used to look about nine centuries before I was born. Currently, or at least in my time, the city is no longer there, nor would any pony find a trace of it anymore. According to the one spirit who dwells in this place, the true Crystal Empire is trapped in limbo because of a spiteful curse and last resort of his dark counterpart who once ruled this beautiful city with a cruel iron hoof.”

Doctor Kelly lifts a hoof as she requests, “Whoa. Wait a minute. Slow down here. You should probably trot me through this from the beginning. After that, I request you to take me to the one spirit who dwells in this beautiful yet obviously forlorn place.”

Feather Wind nods in agreement and then proceeds to explain to her how a dark magic infused crystal, which was discovered in the fringes of the Crystal Empire, cursed a pony named Sombra which later divided him into two. The good half lost the battle between them and then encased the last of his essence in this crystal while his evil clone, now in possession of his original body, terrorized and laid claim to this city and thus ousting the original benevolent queen. He also explained how his family, the Scroll family, are among the decedents of Sombra's bloodline.

After that explanation, he teleports them both to the guardian and lone resident spirit within this crystal.

---

The next location they appear in is a crystalline cave. Both of them are immediately taken aback by how beautiful this cave is. Swirls of color dance, reflect, and refract within this cave.

Ahead of them, they see a lone stallion floating above the ground with forehooves outstretched to his side. A stallion who has a gray hide, black mane and tail, and has a cutie mark of a tri-tip red crystal. As he floats there, his horn glows crimson. The only article of clothing he is a wearing a long scarlet scarf.

Floating in the air along with him is nine other crystals that surround him in a circle. The colors of those crystals are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple, golden, and finally radiant white. Each of those crystals are emitting a harmonic note of a song at a certain frequency range. They are singing together at the moment Feather Wind and Doctor Kelly appear, but their song fluctuates as it continues. Sometimes certain crystals almost go silent while still others pick up in volume, but none of them ever hum solo that Feather or Kelly notices after they appear.

Both visitors do not know what is going on, but they deduce some kind of magic ritual is being performed before them. As such, they politely hold their silence until whatever this is is done.

It takes a while for this to conclude, during which time they are both subjected to hauntingly beautiful and very otherworldly music. When it finally concludes, each of the nine crystals gently floats down and spread out. They seem to merge with the walls around them. The gray stallion, too, also gently floats down in the center of all this.

“Thank you both for not interrupting,” the gray stallion says as he rises from his trance. “Now then,” he turns his head about to look back at them. In doing so, they can both see his crimson eyes and black sideburns on his head. “What can I do for you both?” He narrows his eyes. “And we have a new visitor, I see. This is most auspicious.”

“Indeed,” Feather Wind confirms. “Allow me to introduce a new companion who recently joined us in the TARDIS, Doctor Kelly Saddler, and Doctor Kelly, I formally introduce to you the lone resident of this crystal and the true, original soul of Sombra who now calls himself Crystal Sage.”

Doctor Kelly is startled for a brief second when Crystal Sage suddenly appears in front of her and now fully facing her direction. From there, Crystal Sage gently scoops up her right hoof and kisses it before saying, “Milady, I bid you welcome.”

“Oh! Such a gentlepony,” Doctor Kelly remarks.

“I beg your pardon if you find any of this unsettling,” Crystal Sage apologizes with very refined politeness. “I wasn't expecting extra compony. Least of all from a fair maiden.” He nods at her. “Indeed, you have the honor and distinction of being the very first mare to ever grace my compony in this crystal.”

“And you seem to be a pony from a very cultured background. Nobility, perhaps?” Doctor Kelly guesses. In answer, Crystal Sage closes his eyes as he nods and bows to her. “Interesting coincidence. Both of you hail from the same family bloodline, and both of you happen to be nobility as well in your native cultures.”

“I'm sure we have other branches of our family across the centuries who hail from all trots of life,” Feather Wind surmises.

“And speaking of lineage, that should be the only reason you're able to join us here,” Crystal Sage notes.

Doctor Kelly squints one eye as she says, “Now in that regard, I can't be sure yet. It is possible, but I'll need to do a detailed analysis and comparison of Feather Wind and my DNA. There may be many centuries and entire worlds dividing us, though, so I'm not sure if I'll reach any definitive conclusion. In the meantime, I can tell you that my method of entrance may have less to do with my genetic structure and more to do with science.”

“Oh?” Crystal Sage asks with a fascinated uplift of his left eyebrow while still regarding Doctor Kelly.

“I hail from a different world but our lineage can be traced back to Equestria,” Doctor Kelly informs. “In my world, we have developed very advanced technology which is based on magic, crystals, and reversed engineered tech of the Time Lords, our would-be conquerors were it not for the Doctor's future endeavors to save us from this threat.”

Crystal Sage chuckles in amusement before he says, “Prior to my meeting with Feather Wind here and his subsequent encounter with a legendary alien simply known to us as 'The Doctor', I have not spoken the words, 'timey-wimey' before. However, ever since this encounter, those pair of words have been spoken with a noticeable degree of frequency that I personally find as amusing as I also find them disturbing.”

Both Feather Wind and Doctor Kelly both erupt into a chuckle fit for about four seconds. After that, they calm down followed by Feather Wind stating, “That seems to come with the territory and the nature of these types of adventures. As we continue our trek among the stars in a time and space machine, I'm guessing terms like that may increase in frequency.” He shrugs helplessly. “That's just the way it goes.”

“Well, in any case, how may I be of service to you two?” Crystal Sage offers again.

“Her arrival in here was just an accident,” Feather Wind explains. “She was messing around and trying to attune herself to this crystal using methods and tools more known to her kind. While doing that, I recalled, too late, how this crystal has been known to absorb minds before. Such took place before I could warn her about it. When it happened, I touched the Crystal myself to follow her down here, explain things, and if necessary, show her how to leave this place.”

“But while here, I became fascinated by at least a dozen things,” Doctor Kelly chimes in. “For starters, in a way, this is my very first glimpse into my kind's original homeworld, albeit nine centuries out of date relative to Feather's native time. Nonetheless, I felt drawn to discover more. The fact that everything in this city is made of crystal piqued my curiosity too. After all, my kind, the Magi, are quite adept at crystal magic as well, but something about this place feels a little more . . . Oh. What's the word?”

“Authentic?” Feather Wind offers.

Doctor Kelly winces as she says, “More like archaic, but in a fascinatingly beautiful way.” She applies a hoof to her chest as she goes on to say, “Unlike most of my peers, I actually enjoy studying history and other foreign cultures. The other world in our own history especially fascinated me. Understanding that may help us to understand and connect with a deeper meaning within ourselves. All of this is very different from what I am used to.” She gazes around in wonder. “And I want to learn more about it.”

“Then you have come to the right place, Milady, or at least as close as we have access to,” Crystal Sage declares politely. He tilts his head and winces slightly as he goes on to say, “One thing you said that has piqued my curiosity, too, is the further development of crystal science. Well,” he turns to his left side to display his cutie mark then uses his tail to gesture to it as he says, “As you can see and surmise by my chosen name, I have some expertise with crystal science.”

“That beautiful display with the hovering and glowing singing crystals fortifies that opinion as well,” Doctor Kelly says with deep fascination as she gazes past Crystal Sage to where he used to be. She then focuses her attention back on him as she asks, “What was the purpose of this ceremony, if I may be so bold as to ask? Forgive me for saying this, but it seems significantly less scientific than I'm accustomed to.”

Crystal Sage turns his head to look back at where he was as he says, “That is pretty hard to explain.” He looks back at her as he fully turns to face her again. “But suffice it to say that my knowledge of the depth of crystal science requires a certain degree of refinement and attunement to remain this adept. As you can see,” he waves a hoof behind him, “all crystals have their own resonance frequency and that means they each have their own soul. A different color in a rainbow or a note to a song. Joining them as they sing together helps to increase the depth of that understanding. To master the crystal is to know its essence. You have to see yourself as One with it.” He nods back to where he was. “The ceremony you saw was a way for me to expand upon that knowledge, understanding, and communion.”

“That's so fascinating because it's so different from my own culture,” Doctor Kelly says with a smile.

“How does your culture attune themselves to the crystals, if I may be so bold as to ask?” Crystal Sage reflects questioningly.

“Crystals are great repositories for data and energy storage,” Doctor Kelly begins to explain. “We simply program them with a very digital and organized system which we use to commune with them. It is highly technical and, compared to your method, far more mundane.” She looks past him. “Judging from what I have seen, your method seems far less reliable, I guess . . . because our methods rely on a tried and true system.” She looks back at him. “It's very formulaic. Once we got the formula down to a system that works, then it always works as long as we follow every step that leads to success.

“On the other hoof, your method seems far more engaging and, well . . . for a lack of a better word . . . beautiful. I have never seen anything so enchanting, and I have lived for almost three hundred years.”

“Really?!” Feather Wind gasps. “Can all of your kind get that old and/or older?”

“Actually, our physical lifespan isn't much different from yours,” Doctor Kelly explains to Feather. “Except we have a method to artificially youthen us using a regeneration pod. It is like a bed that has a case that covers us. Then, while we lie there for the next nine hours on average, the pod bathes us in energy which youthens and rejuvenates our cellular structure but also leaves our minds intact,” she says as she points at her head three times. “In fact, that is exactly what governs our maximum lifespan. Not our physical growth because we can keep on fixing that, but rather our physical brain's total capacity to acquire more information. Eventually, when we start to hit our limit, which is around four-hundred years on average, then we start to develop a series of mental problems that, collectively, we call 'Centennial Psychosis'. When that happens, we no longer qualify for another regeneration cycle.”

Doctor Kelly gazes forward at nothing as she goes on to say, “The true limit of our lifespan has more to do with the degree of knowledge we've acquired rather than our regeneration cycles. Those who have ravenously devoured as much knowledge as possible, like me, tend to live shorter lives because we're filling up our brains' total capacity faster. I probably don't have much time left accordingly, but that said, our brains' true total capacity varies from pony to pony.”

Doctor Kelly looks back at Feather as she resumes.

“On the other hoof, those who lived very simple lives and generally avoided learning as much as possible could, on average, live much longer lives as long as they maintain a certain health balance, for there is such a thing as too little knowledge as well. The brain needs some workout to function properly.”

Doctor Kelly rubs the back of her neck for a moment before dropping that hoof back to the ground and goes on to say, “One of the longest recorded ponies in our history lived for a total of seven hundred and thirty-two years. During that time, he mostly spent it just meditating. He kept things simple, avoided overstimulation, and in his twilight years he made the claim that what he lacked in worldly knowledge he more than made up for in spiritual knowledge.”

Following that statement, Doctor Kelly gives an innocent shrug as she says, “As you said before, to each, their own.

“As for you,” she continues as she looks back at Crystal Sage. “I can tell there is an air about you that marks you as far more mature than any of the ponies I recently traveled with save for the Doctor. Compared to you, me, and the Doctor, the others are downright adorable to me. They feel like foals to me and they are compared to our maturity level. Seeing them partially awakens my maternal instincts, but I restrain that with a certain degree of caution and common sense that I have gathered over these centuries.

“You, however, I can look upon more as a true equal, for you know the depths of the weight that much time can put upon an individual mind.”

“The weight of time is not always a kind thing,” Crystal Sage says wearily. “Much of that time I have spent longing for true rest from my guilt and my burdens.”

“True, but it still has matured you to a level these young ones cannot understand yet. Maybe not even ever,” Doctor Kelly proposes. “Regardless of how you feel about the time you've spent, I still think there is a lot of honor and dignity in that. You've come this far. Be proud of that.”

Crystal Sage smiles at her tiredly but softly then bows to her as he says, “Milady, thy wisdom and compassion doth serve you well. Consider this old soul flattered to be graced by thy presence.”

Stranded in Space Part 5: Open Space

“Feather Wind? Are you out here?” calls out Vision's voice. In doing so, she rouses Feather Wind from his meditative focus. He opens his eyes as he relaxes his trance connection with the Red Crystal. As a result, the crimson glow around the Red Crystal gradually dims again as it hangs out in front of him while it floats in this zero-gravity environment. Similarly, his mane is floating about in a manner he had only encountered on one pony before, and that was Princess Celestia. As his eyes focus, he drinks in the view of the endless sea of stars alight all around him except straight down where the sidewards view of the TARDIS obstructs further star gazing in that direction. Feather then leans forward and gazes down into the sideward view inside the TARDIS and its still open doors. There he sees Vision standing at the threshold of the vehicle from the inside.

“Yes. I am out here, Vision. Watch your steh . . . Um.” Feather Wind rethinks his words. “Scratch that. Vision, I'm warning you that if you take one more step forward, you will be outside of the TARDIS and in a zero gravity zone.”

“I know. I'm aware of that,” Vision assures. “So . . . a little help?”

“You wish to join me out here?” Feather Wind surmises.

“Yes,” Vision answers simply.

“Okay. Be warned that my magic is a little ticklish, and the sensation of being in zero-g may take some getting used to,” Feather Wind cautions before grabbing small portions of her body, particularly the tips of her hooves which has the least number of nerves, and uses it to guide her out of the TARDIS. Once there, zero gravity takes a hold of her. To her credit, she does not utter a peep. Now that she's weightless, he easily guides her forward, around, and to the side of the TARDIS so she can sit on it as if it is a bench in outer space.

“Okay. I'm guiding you to the side of the TARDIS beside me. Once there, use your hoof to latch onto the vessel,” Feather Wind instructs. “If you don't, you could float off into space, although I would rescue you and pull you back well before you cross the air shield here in that case.”

“Alright,” Vision says simply.

With that, Feather Wind gently sets her down directly beside him. Once he does that, she touches the TARDIS and thus latches onto it with a magical, magnetic-like grip.

“It feels funny having my innards float freely,” Vision remarks calmly.

“I know. It's a strange sensation at first,” Feather Wind agrees. “It almost feels as relaxing as floating in water. Both of our manes and tails are, indeed, floating about like such.”

“So . . . you really like open spaces, huh?” Vision guesses. “It wouldn't surprise me if a pony with a natural affinity for the open sky might feel claustrophobic in the TARDIS after a week of floating in space.”

“Well . . . yes and no. It depends.” Feather Wind chuckles softly in amusement before he says, “Funny. I said something similar with Doctor Kelly in my private therapy session with her two days . . . Well. More like two sleep cycles ago. Days and nights seem awfully ambiguous when we're just floating out there in the middle of outer space.

“Anyway, as I was saying, I told her then, as I am telling you now, my comfort level with narrow or open spaces largely depends on what I am doing. If I am studying, reading, or writing, I actually prefer enclosed, quiet, and dark places with a soft flicker of candlelight. Maybe some relaxing music too, especially instrumental.

“But whenever I'm not doing those things, I suppose I do tend to prefer open spaces in general. And wow . . . it doesn't get much more open than this.”

Feather Wind takes in a deep, savoring breath as he stares out into the endless sea of stars and glowing nebula clouds.

“I really wish you could see this,” Feather laments softly. “It is such a beautiful sight. On our home planet, stars like this are only visible at night, not accounting for Celestia's sun. However, in that world, and likely many others with an atmosphere, the stars twinkle which is basically an intermittent pulse and a very slight sparkle. Out here, however, the lights of the stars are totally steady.

“And it's quiet out here.” He closes his eyes and savors this experience. “Oh so very quiet.”

“You were working on your attunement to the Red Crystal out here,” Vision remarks. “I sense you made a lot of progress, for the Crystal was communicating back.”

“Yeah,” Feather agrees as he slowly exhales a breath. When he finishes that, he goes on to say, “Doctor Kelly taught me a new strategy on how to understand the attunement process. It's not unlike the sonic harmonics of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, except the energy is magical. There is a very steady hum to the energy of Crystals. It feels slower, yet it also kind of feels like a heartbeat. That is how I can best describe it.”

“I'm well aware of that,” Vision conveys. “I've communed with crystals before too, back in my homeland. Sacred crystals we use for all kinds of ceremonies.”

“Oh yeah!” He expresses as he looks at the white filly beside him. “I keep forgetting that you're a religious icon back where you came from. Both you and your mother. Out here, ever since I set hoof in the TARDIS, time has felt wonky. Some memories of my past feel distant and sometimes they feel close. The feeling with the same memories can change over time as well. It's so weird.”

“I wonder if the Doctor would have called it, 'Temporal Psychosis',” Vision muses.

“If not him, then it certainly sounds like something Doctor Kelly might say,” Feather muses with an amused chuckle. “Oh, that reminds me, how was your session with Doctor Kelly?”

“It was good. Productive,” Vision answers. “We learned a lot about each other. Doctor Kelly was especially interested in my psychic abilities. She wanted to record and document that phenomenon. She also asked me a lot of questions about my homeland. I told her whatever I could and isn't a secret for any reason, but I also warned her that I was a very sheltered pony at the time. Not exactly by choice, but I can understand why my culture was very careful with how they treated me and what they exposed me to. Many also feared that too much exposure might taint my abilities somehow. The system they had worked so they were nervous to tamper with it.”

“Many of them gave their lives up to defend you and your mother when Puppet Master attacked the temple. I keenly remember that,” Feather assures with a shudder. “I can't question their dedication. You were just that important to them.”

“You shared this information with Doctor Kelly as well, didn't you?” Vision guesses.

“We touched on it a little. I also know she's aware of the incident,” Feather informs her. “But she advised me to go slower because she knows this is a very traumatic experience for me. I still have nightmares about those ponies' shredded corpses which Puppet Master animated and made it seem like they were singing some chilling nursery rhyme. That and that echo-y, ghostly foal laughter. It haunts me still.”

“I was there too,” Vision reminds.

“Yeah, but you didn't see those corpses. Sometimes I envy your blindness.”

“I see in my own way,” Vision assures.

Feather looks back at her as he asks, “Is that how you made it to me? It didn't sound like anypony escorted you to me this time.”

“I followed my empathic impressions to you,” Vision tells him. “Besides that, I have a keen intuition inside the TARDIS for some reason. It feels like my psychic sensations are magnified in there, especially with anything specifically pertaining to the TARDIS itself. I can just 'feel' my way around the ship. I'm learning to know it as if coming to understand an aspect of myself.”

“You did say the perspective and existence of the TARDIS is timeless,” Feather reminds. “And your psychic senses can see through time as well. Maybe there is a correlation there. It's like you're a kindred spirit with the TARDIS.”

“That may be,” Vision casually agrees as she playfully kicks her hind hooves intermittently as she sits on the edge of the TARDIS. Sometimes her hind legs swing inside the TARDIS since the doors are still open. “Anyway, I feel I don't need to see the stars when I can feel your wonder of it. Besides that, I have seen the stars, sometimes, in my dreams.” Vision pauses for a moment before she adds, “I have even seen from within a star. To feel its warmth. Its radiance. Its light. Its love.” She smiles. “That is truly spectacular.” She tilts her head to the side. “I get the impression that the wonder of gazing upon them from the outside feels nowhere near as sensational as knowing what it is like to be a star.”

“You are such a marvel, Vision,” Feather says with a smile. “You're right. You do have a unique way of looking upon the universe. Both me and especially Stern Wing and Derpy feel cautious around you, but you make up for your hoofycaps in very unique ways. Ways that likely lead to the maturity that Derpy sometimes complains about. Likely that is hard to help, though, for you see much deeper layers to the universe than ponies do with their naked eyes.”

“You wrote a poem about that, didn't you?” Vision suddenly realizes. “Similar to me, you see pretty deeply into the world as well. I sensed that about you a long time ago. You don't just trust your eyes. You feel deeper than that. I wonder if that's a common trait among good artists.

“It's the same with your magic and your attempt to connect with the Red Crystal. You experience everything as something that is beyond mere visual form. You sense the deeper layers of truth and you trust it. I suspect you couldn't connect to the winds and the sky as deeply as you have if it weren't for those innate traits.”

“You may be right,” Feather Wind agrees with a soft grin of his own. “I tend to look beyond the mundane. That, I think, is more than just a unicorn trait. At my core, that is just me. It is who I am.”

“Trust your instincts, Feather,” Vision advises. “There is more wisdom buried within it than your intellectual mind, as formidable as that is too, can ever know. You don't need to seek the answers when you can simply be them instead. It's a matter of perspective, and many tend to underestimate those gifts.”

Vision breathes in deeply for a moment before she says in a wispy way, “It's consciousness. That's all existence really is, was, and ever shall be.”

“The monks at your temple taught you these things too?” Feather Wind guesses.

“I'd say they introduced me to these concepts, but knowing that knowledge and being that knowledge I did on my own. They showed me the door and I trotted through it. When I did, I never really returned from the other side of that door. I just kept on going. I explored the nature of existence by feeling it. Much like you tend to study more easily in the quiet dark, my life has ever been that from day one. Without seeing the distractions of the three-dee world, I learned to 'look' beyond it. I pierced the veils and experience deeper layers of truth. That is my purpose, Feather. That is what my cutie mark represents. So important is that knowledge and guidance for this journey that entire prophesies have foretold my coming in my home culture. Prophesies exist not only to prepare the world for my coming, but to help teach the world that there are layers to existence that transcend time. That already is an inherent lesson. My mere existence is meant to teach something important.”

“You are such a fascinating little filly, Vision,” Feather Wind marvels. “I feel honored by your wisdom and guidance.”

“And you don't just treat me like a little filly. Unlike the others, even the Doctor in his own way, you sense the truth and respect that. That part of you bows in humility. For that reason, Feather, you are wiser than you know.”

“That's the nature of wisdom, I think,” Feather Wind muses. “It's not about what we know but rather a calm awareness and acceptance of our ignorance. To empty our minds of worldly clutters and let more brilliant rays of truth shine through unobstructed.”

“That's why you meditate,” Vision informs. “That's the small part of you trying to channel your greater, higher self. Being as connected to nature as you are, you have the advantage of already sensing a natural rhythm. It is sometimes cluttered by worldly concerns, but that is why you keep coming back out here to open spaces and the quiet. In silence, you are centered. It is the roots of nature that keep anchoring you back to that center even if you occasionally stray from it.”

Just then, both of them sensed activity pick up in the Red Crystal. The crystal starts to hum, particularly in an empathic and magical sense.

Both of them sense that, but Vision understands it better.

“The wheels of fate are turning,” Vision announces mysteriously. “The next chapter shall soon begin. We are about to enter a central node to our existence.”

“I only partially understand,” Feather warns.

“Good,” Vision commends. “To understand that, you must abandon your worldly knowledge to embrace a larger truth.”

They are silent for a moment as the Red Crystal continues to hum.

“Come,” Vision says she lets go of the TARDIS. “The Doctor has awakened, as soon we shall all bear witness to the next crux of our journey.”

Feather just stares forward blankly as he absorbs this information numbly before shaking his head and reminding himself that Vision had just let go of the TARDIS and is now starting to float off into space without a shred of concern. To save her from straying too far, he grabs them both with his magic and then guides them safely back into the ship.

Stranded in Space Part 6: My Little Detour

--7 Months Ago--

Derpy was the first to burst out of the TARDIS. This caused her to burst into bright daylight that her yellow walleyes weren't immediately accustomed to. As a result, she winced tightly and had to shield her eyes with one of her gray pegasus wings. As she stood there and waited for her eyes to adjust, the Doctor also steped outside the TARDIS, turned about to shut the door, then roamed out into the paved streets of this city to meet her.

The details sank in gradually for both of them, especially Derpy. Beyond sight, the first thing she noticed was how hot and arid this city was. As for sound, there was a considerable population in the local area which caused a large amount of hustle and bustle. This wasn't just a highly populated city, this is one of the premier merchant capitals of the world. As a result, much of the activity they are hearing involves merchants hawking their wares, customers and merchants busy haggling, some music being played by various street performers, and just general conversation of everyone roaming the streets.

As Derpy's eyes adjusted, the Doctor noticed her noticing the busy streets all around them which included a great deal of hoof traffic. Some of them were dragging merchant carts with them, a few were guards on patrol, and most of them were visitors to the city.

“Where are we, Doc?” Derpy asked the Doctor excitedly.

“Neighbriais, the merchant capital city of Saddle Arabia,” the Doctor answered. “This is fifteen years ahead of your native timeline.”

“Whoa!” Her eyes widen in wonder. “So this is the future! That's so cool!” Then she winces and looks at the Doctor. “Wait a second. I heard of Saddle Arabia, though I've never been there before. So this means we're still in my native world?”

“Yes Ma'am,” the Doctor confirms as he tips the fedora hat he is wearing (for style and to help shield his eyes from the blazing sun) further down the edge of his brow. “I figured I'd just wet your toes a little by keeping most of your adventures more local and gradually broaden your way out from it. Before I introduce you to fully alien worlds, introducing you to wider territories within your own world might help you to adjust somewhat.”

“Wet my what now? Tows? What would I be towing right now and why would I ever want it to be wet?” Derpy asks with a curious tilt of her head. “Doctor, have I ever told you how weird you are sometimes?”

“Quite frequently, actually,” the Doctor says as he passes her a charmed smile under the edge of his hat. “That's actually one of the things I adore about you, my new quadruped companion.”

“You trot on four legs now too, Doc,” Derpy reminds. “No more homo-sappy-ents for you, my little pony. You're just going to have to get used to it.”

“Indubitably,” the Doctor agrees. “And I must say . . . this is an interesting challenge for me.”

“And my goodness! Look at all this wonderful stuff here!” Derpy squees. “The sights! The sounds! The colors! The music in the air! All of those neat fabrics and nicknacks.”

“Well, as I said before, this is one of the merchant capital cities of your world if I am led to understand correctly,” the Doctor reminds.

Derpy burst out in a delighted laugh then raced off to explore with the energy, vim, and vigor of an excited youth. She looked so happy that the Doctor could easily imagine cartoonish and/or anime symbols around her to indicate her happiness such as bouncing musical notes above her head, especially when she's prone to sing anyway.

It was such a delight for the Doctor to witness. This was one of the primary reasons he includes at least one companion on his journey. It's not only for safety reasons since it would be wise for at least one ally and friend to look after him on his many dangerous journeys, but having a companion, especially a female companion, helped to fill the hole in his hearts that was there ever since his granddaughter, Susan, left him and his journey.

In no way did he blame Susan for her choice. She had her own life to live, after all, but the reason he brought her along on his journey in the first place was for the sheer delight of showing someone he cared about the universe and to educate her about the ins and outs of space and its history. He wanted to mentor someone, and when Susan left, that purpose he had in his hearts temporarily left him as well until he realized that he could fill that gap again with various companions he invited on his journey.

Whenever he witnessed their youthful exuberance, like Derpy was expressing right then, it helped to remind the Doctor of what that feeling of being young was like again. It was such a long time ago for the Doctor himself, and the only way he tends to reclaim that feeling these days was vicariously through his far more youthful companions. That energy of young joy sparks a reminder in his own soul that he finds quite necessary to try to keep alight, else he could emotionally fade into a gray and dull existence. An adventurous spirit was hard work to maintain after this long. He found that the best way to keep it alive was to share it with someone who was witnessing these things for the first time. Witnessing that sparkling wonder in their eyes helps to keep his own mind, hearts, and soul afloat from drowning in despair.

There was so much over these centuries that tried to weigh the Doctor down. That burden was so hard for him to carry. Moments of shining levity, like this, help to rejuvenate his soul much as his regeneration restores his body and crafts it anew.

But the Doctor reminded himself that, as a very emotional companion, Derpy's mood could swing the other way just as strongly. Fear, in particular, he noticed she was prone to. However, in the Doctor's opinion, that was not always a bad thing. Indeed, that emotion existed in a mortal world for a very good reason. In proper doses, it could promote survival. The Doctor relied on it himself on many occasions. It reminds one of the importance to slow down once in a while and carefully take in their surroundings because there were signs of danger within it. Fear also helped to give the Doctor, and many of his former companions, that little extra push whenever they needed to run from danger all too frequently in his journeys.

He also discovered that courage can moderate fear as well but it needs the proper motivation to be there. He found that motivation depends on one's personal values. For whom, or what, do they care about? Why stand their ground? Why be brave? If there was no answer to these questions, the best default was to run. However, if there was something important at stake that was a danger to someone, then other options may need to be considered.

Just then, something irritated his eyes as a light was shone directly on him. Wincing tightly, he then directed his attention to what was causing that. In doing so, he observed something startling and wholly unexpected. Across the busy street and to his right, he saw a mare wearing a sexy dance costume indicative of a gypsy-style belly dancer except for the pony design. In this case, it is a translucent black dress with silver trims and sparkles within it. Her outfit was complete with a veil over her face.

That in itself was not what caught him off guard about her. What did catch him off guard was the fact that she winked at him, and blew him a kiss, then when she turned to leave, there was a pattern spread on her open shawl that had a very distinct pattern on it made with tiny mirrors that, collectively, took the shape of a single letter/word he had seen nowhere else in existence except for one very distinctive place for him, and that was his home of Gallifrey.

A word that had his true name!

“What the hell?!” the Doctor exclaimed in shock.

Just then, he saw the other woman scamper away. Her silky outfit, especially her shawl, fluttered in the air as she took off.

“Wait!” the Doctor called as he raced after her. “Wait just a bloody minute!”

She did not. The Doctor privately acknowledged there was a good chance she did not hear him over all of this hustle and bustle. For a brief moment, he even considered using his sonic screwdriver to enhance his voice. After all, he considered getting her attention that important at that moment.

The problem with that strategy, however, arose when she rounded a corner and thus he lost a visual of her. He still could use his tool to bounce sound off of various objects and thus deliver the message around some corners, but by then, he knew he'd be firing it off blindly. As this continued, he knew there would be ever-escalating odds he'd aim that sound on the wrong spot until he managed to locate her again.

While he galloped, a troubling thought occurred to him. One of several, in fact. Among them was how that pony could have a symbol in his native Gallifreyin, and with his name, no less! Not only should that letter/word be unknown to the rest of the universe, but that word, in particular, should be unknown by the vast majority of his own people. He could only think of a small handful that would know such a thing, and if that person does have that knowledge, she may be in great danger.

But, on top of that, he did not fail to notice how chasing this new mare delivered him specifically away from Derpy. That was very troubling because his new companion was very new to his journeys. As a result, he wanted to keep a close eye on her, especially since she seemed so accident-prone. Things can turn south for her very quickly and the Doctor wanted to be there to be on top of issues like that, but right then he was being led away from Derpy as if that was the entire point.

As he ran, he debated the possibility that the mare's shawl could be made of something akin to his psychic paper. Maybe the image wasn't actually there and was simply telepathically projected as if it was there. She could know that she is wearing something akin to psychic paper without realizing exactly what the Doctor saw on it. However, if she knew that it was like psychic paper then she also knows that what the Doctor saw on it would entice him to follow her, and that was the bait to this trap.

“Forgive me, Derpy, but I can't afford to ignore this,” the Doctor mumbled under his breath.

As the chase continued, the Doctor kept barely spotting her just before she rounded another corner. This quickly made the Doctor realize that he was definitely being baited. She had enough of a lead ahead of him to ensure she could round another corner before he did, but she actually waited for him to catch up just to afford him another glimpse of her just in time.

Eventually trailing her led him mostly outside of the city. In the outskirts of Neighbriais was a section beyond the main walls of the city. There were so many tents gathered there that both natives and visitors alike called it “Tent City”, which was a bit of a misnomer because there was a bay of water in the area where thousands of small boats crowded. They, too, served residential, recreational, and/or business purposes.

Once there, the Doctor noticed how this mare waited for him to catch up somewhat before venturing into one of those many tents. This one was a white, Arabian-style tent with a bit of pink at the tip.

At first, the Doctor found it comforting that this area wasn't too isolated, but then again, he might later lament having too many witnesses about who could also be in potential danger.

The Doctor paused when he reached a hoof forward to brush aside the canvas tent flap. The moment he touched it, he sensed something all too familiar about the energy of this tent. He could not quite put his finger on why exactly yet, but he couldn't ignore it either. Some gut instinct inside him told him that this tent was far more than meets the eye.

Without further adieu, he entered the tent.

The first thing he noticed that was off about the inside of the tent was the fact it was bigger on the inside. Technology like this (or possibly magic) wasn't too uncommon among his own native people, but it was exceedingly rare beyond that.

The inside of this tent was spacey and filled with pillows around the outer rim. The scent of incense rushes to claim his nostrils which helped to induce a calming aroma. Some of the outside illuminations managed to penetrate the walls of the tent, yet there was also this crawling light along the inside of the tent walls which he could not find an inside source to explain. What would normally be a single pole to hold up the center of the tent instead looks like a giant column on the inside. The Doctor actually went down three steps from the entrance before he reaches the main floor of this . . .

. . . this . . .

One unusual, metallic, and echo-y sound he hears within the tent helps to confirm what his impressions already were, and that was the fact that this “tent” was actually at TARDIS as well. A TARDIS which the chameleon circuit apparently still worked.

Either that, or it was stuck in this form which was oddly appropriate for this environment.

Within this tent, he finally found the mare he was chasing but there were two more here as well.

When the Doctor got a closer look at her, he realized that she was just a little bit under middle age but approaching it. She had a very mature body but was not quite old yet. She had fairly thick eyebrows and thick lips. Her coat was very dark white, or more like ivory. If she were human, the Doctor would have thought her to have a Spanish descent. She was standing very near the entrance of this “tent” and was therefore the closest of the three when the Doctor initially entered.

Across from the Doctor at the other end of this “tent” was a lone mare who sat on a bunch of pillows. She was mostly white with a hint of blue. Even from a distance, one of her most distinctive traits was the fact she was obviously blind, for her eyes were covered by a milky-white filament.

The third mare stood closer to the center of the room and very near the giant pole. From the Doctor's perspective, this other mare stood towards the left side of the pole he was facing. This mare had a mostly black hide but with many dots of white strung throughout. Her mane and tail also have a rainbow hue which sort of reminded the Doctor of the various hues some skies take during sunrise and sunset.

All three mares appeared to have recognized the Doctor on sight. The white one was very calm about it. The black one with white dots appeared downright giddy to see him, and the third mare, of whom he was originally chasing, whips about to slap him hard on the face with her tail. This action forced his face hard about to briefly face the direction of the exit/entrance again.

“I'm not sure if I deserve that,” the Doctor complains under his breath. He whips his face back at the gypsy-outfitted mare to give her a piece of his mind, but she shocks him again by tackling into his body, which forces him against a tent wall, as she plunges her now open lips into his in order to seize him with a forced kiss. As she does this, the Doctor's eyes explode widely open.

“Missy, do we need to reach for the spray bottle again?” the black one with a rainbow mane asks irritably. “Bad girl!”

After being pinned for four straight seconds, the Doctor's mind finally thaws enough to muster his strength which he used to push the sexually assaulting mare off of him.

“Bloody hells, woman! What's gotten into you?” the Doctor complains at the mare who assaulted him.

Twice.

“Keep your skirt on, why don't ya? Where I come from, what you've done to me is usually considered impolite,” the Doctor informs her in continued annoyance.

“Oh, Doctor . . . Doctor . . . Doctor. We are way past polite greetings at this point, especially after all that we've been through in our mutual past,” the ivory mare said while she sexually licks her lips and then lightly touches them with a hoof as if savoring the sensation. During this time, her eyes gleam at the Doctor with strong wicked recognition.

“I'm sorry, but am I supposed to know you?” the Doctor asks with frustrated confusion.

“Yes and no,” the ivory mare answers as she lifts a hoof mirror with a hoof, sits down, then lightly fluffs her mane to get it back into shape. “There is much we've been through together.” She looks back at him and winks wickedly. “But this is the first time you've encountered me in this form.”

The Doctor widens his eyes as he asks, “You're a fellow Time Lord? Or, excuse me, a Time Lady?”

“Call me Missy,” Missy requests as she lowers her mirror again. “Although, I suppose, you would be much more familiar with me with my other name I have hounded you with for centuries as we continued our little tête-à-tête. Back then, you would have known me as the Master.”

The Doctor's jaw dropped. At that point he was openly gawking at Missy.

“Oh, my dear old frenemy . . . you are so adorable when you're flabbergasted! What a rare and delicious treat for me. I fricken love it!”

“You're . . . No! It can't be!” the Doctor insisted with a shake of denial.

Even more wicked amusement sunk into Missy's eyes as she said, “Search your feelings, old Time Walker, and you'll know it to be true!”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at Missy as he asked her, “Is that quote a deliberate reference to Star Wars?”

In answer, Missy just playfully rolls her eyes to her left and then right.

“Wait!” The Doctor widens his eyes again. “So you are, or rather were, Thee Master from the other universe. The more humanoid-looking universe.”

Missy smiled at the Doctor wickedly again until she realized something startling which caused her to momentarily widen her eyes for a second before narrowing them in anger at the Doctor as she said in a warning tone, “Don't say it.”

The Doctor starts to shake with glee and he starts to squee.

“Don't say it!” Missy more strongly insists.

“Why Missy . . . you're so adorable as a pony now!” the Doctor gushes.

“GOD DAMN you, Doctor! You said it to me again!” Missy snaps then pouts. “I fricken hate you, and have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? Spoken from the horse's mouth, I'd wager.”

The Doctor launched forward and seized Missy into a hug. This caused Missy to growl in annoyance before she mumbled under her breath, “Why didn't I see this coming too? You did this before as well shortly after I regenerated into this form.”

“Really?” the Doctor asked with interest as he backs off enough to look at her face again. “So some future version of me will witness that?”

Missy nods with a more neutral expression before she said, “It was during a moment we hatched a scheme together. A plan of yours that came together well enough in the end.

“Ooo. By the way, that reminds me. There is a certain small blue unicorn you'll meet in the future. You're going to have to play a trick on that pony which, when I later found out about it, I must admit I was surprised and annoyed, but I've since come to appreciate the devious nature of it. I didn't know you had it in you, Doctor. I approve!

“At least, I do now.

“Anyway, the trick is this; whenever you are around this pony and you go into deep thought about . . . well . . . any old something. At that time, knock on something four times.”

“Knock on something four times?” the Doctor asked as he releases her and gazes at her in confusion, but two seconds later he widened his eyes briefly as he asked, “Oh! Does this have anything to do with that four drum beats you once heard in your head? That endless and continual drum beats?”

Missy nods as she said, “Something like that, although that no longer plagues me ever since I crossed over to this pony universe.”

“I'm glad to hear that,” the Doctor said with relief. “As I understood it, that was a ploy from our people to drive you insane which eventually tried to result in a nefarious scheme of their own.”

“I'm not their puppet anymore!” Missy growls in anger. “From now on, I set my own destiny.”

“As it always should have been,” the Doctor said proudly.

Missy narrowed one eye at the Doctor as she cautioned, “Don't get me wrong. I'm not your puppet either. I'm following the lot of these two, which I know is somewhat similar to your own journey because it serves my purpose. I still look after only for number One in my book. These two are just lucky that their goals align with mine somewhat.”

“Goal?” the Doctor questioned with a blink.

“Future stuff,” the black pegasus mare explains a bit. “It's actually not that bad. Personally, I find it just a tiny bit disturbing, but ultimately not that harmful.”

“She still has many dark ambitions,” the blind white earth pony mare at the other end of the tent said. “But I possess psychic empathic abilities. Enough to sense and curtail some of her dark ambitions. After all, I have some leverage here.”

“Such as?” the Doctor questioned the white mare. “Oh, and by the way, who are you two?”

“I am a mare who will be a companion of yours in my youth,” explains the white mare. “My name is Vision and you will encounter me, and I to you, when I was just a filly. From there, I'll continue to provide wisdom and guidance for you until I later stray on my own path with a TARDIS of my own. Behold.” She lifts both of her forehooves in an arc to gesture about the whole place.

“Wait. I'm not sure if I want to know about this future stuff,” the Doctor mildly complains.

“Fear not, Doctor, for you will use a technique to suppress these memories after this encounter,” Vision goes on. “That is, until a certain time when you unlock a deeper aspect of your potential. It will be a moment when you explode with regenerative energy which is usually tied to and help you to recover from your death, but there is something different about that moment. Namely, you didn't die that time and the explosion of energy was much stronger than usual for you.”

“You witnessed it personally,” the Doctor realized then shrugged. “Well, relatively witnessed.”

Vision nods as she said, “In a manner of speaking, yes, but what I lack in sight, I make up for with my inner, psychic eye. When you flare with regenerative energy during that moment, in my perception, you blazed like the sun. Quite frankly, it was glorious to behold even though it was triggered for a largely negative reason.”

“If that is so, how did you not go mad?” the Doctor asked with worry. “There are good reasons why I try not to reveal too much.”

“My mind and spirit are quite fortified. Don't worry about me,” Vision assured. “In fact, back then, I was the only pony left standing in the TARDIS control room when you were done.”

The Doctor shook his head with a look of confusion as he said, “I don't understand. If I didn't die at that moment, then where did that energy come from? What is the source?”

“The full answer to that question will reveal itself in time,” Vision assured. “For now, I'd like to point a few things out.

“Doctor, when you first woke up in this pony universe that you recall, did you happen to notice that you did not cough out or expel regeneration energy?”

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak for a moment but then froze when he realized Vision had a point. Granted, the TARDIS was dark during that moment, but that should have made the regeneration energy stand out all the more. He just went from a British, and sometimes Scottish-sounding gentleman then shifted into a pony just after his last life died.

But it's true that he wasn't expelling regeneration energy at the time. That was odd.

“You'll seal your own memories after this encounter until the right time,” Vision informed. “But that was not the first time you did that since coming to this universe. You did that once before, and that was the true first moment when you recently regenerated. Back then you had all the signs, and back then you had your first true adventure in this universe. An adventure in which you had your first taste of this universe's version of the Time War.”

The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat as his blood grew cold with horror.

“But, this time, you resolved yourself by deciding you'd face the Time War on your own terms,” the black pegasus explained. “Oh, by the way, my name is Star Breeze. I'm the future daughter of two companions who will later join your journey. When they retire from that journey, I later get born then grow up hearing tales of your heroism, beginning on one of my birthdays.” She smiled brightly. “I've been enchanted with you and your journeys ever since.” Her smile dimmed a bit as she went on to say, “When I first saw the TARDIS, I thought it was you piloting it. I was disappointed to discover it wasn't, but I still got my wish to trek among the stars anyway. That, and I still met you in certain moments like this one.”

“Um . . . Wait. Give me a moment to process here,” the Doctor requested as he lifted a hoof. “There's a lot of bombshells you're dropping on me right now.”

“And there's more to come,” Missy put in. “This time, because of what you've done and will do, you and I aren't the only survivors of our people anymore.”

“Really?!” the Doctor asked with astonished delight.

“If you were to face the Time War again and do it on your own terms this time with a lot of preparation, isn't this a goal you'd attempt to achieve?” Missy pressed. “And by the way, in this specific regard, your goals and mine are in alignment. I want to rule over the Time Lords, but they have to be here in the first place for that to happen. That, and they had other resources that I found useful. I want to see them restored.” For once in a rare while, a soft and fond look sinks into her eyes as she said to the Doctor, “Not to mention certain zones are deeply sentimental to you and me, and I'm not afraid to admit that. Places like Gallifrey and other people who were lost along with it.” She straightened her head. “Part of me was proud of the fact that you and I were the last of the Time Lords before, but the cost of that egoic boost is still too high. I'd gain more by ensuring that which was lost gets restored.”

“Thank you . . . Missy,” the Doctor said with misty eyes.

“I'm not doing this for you,” Missy assured. “I have my own reasons.”

“The explosion of regenerative energy, which will unlock this memory, will stem from a different source,” Vision explained. “Namely, when you crossed over into this pony universe, you will somewhat and eventually succeed with some of your goals when it comes to saving your kind. To accomplish that, your people will recognize the fact that, quite frankly, you don't have enough time to accomplish what you need to save those that you will save. To rectify this, some of them donate extra energy to you in order to increase the number of your cycles.”

For a moment, the Doctor was too stunned to speak, but when he later recovered, he asked, “By how much?”

For the first time, all three mares glance at each other. The Doctor noticed a look of uncertainty in them all. That alone gave the Doctor his answer.

“We're not certain,” Missy eventually said to the Doctor. “Suffice it to say, it's enough to partially accomplish your goals with the war.”

“The three of you keep saying that word. Partially,” the Doctor notes a bit morosely.

“You remember what we were up against in the Time War before,” Missy reminded. “An enemy that powerful and widespread is still too strong to completely accomplish all of your goals. Even with all of your preparations, this is the best you could accomplish. Remember; the enemy develops time-warping technology as well. Anything you can do to prepare for the war, they can do as well.”

“It's so good to finally meet you in person, Doctor,” Star Breeze said gleefully. “This isn't the first time for me, but the first time I met you, I possessed my father's body from the . . . Well, we don't need to get into the details. Just know that I was still a little filly at the time.” She waved at him. “And you had your own personal policy when it comes to foals so that stimulated a certain action of your own as soon as you realized what was going on and likely also recalled this conversation warning you that it will happen.”

“Okay,” the Doctor accepted with a nod. “I'll keep that in mind when I recover these memories again.”

“It won't be long,” Vision assured. “In the meantime, just know that you have a long journey ahead of you. Longer than you can fit into a single lifetime which is why you'll be given extra time.

“But while you travel out there and do what you normally do, know that you'll have other allies out there who will watch your back. Help them as they will help you. We're all united for a certain cause. A purpose we are sworn to uphold and protect. Together, we will make a brighter future than the worst of your past has ever endured. Through that effort, we'll keep this universe cleaner and more innocent.”

The Doctor slowly looked across each of them. As he did so, he became more and more teary-eyed, especially when his eyes settled on Missy last. She, above all of them, he recognized the most at the time.

“Thank you all,” the Doctor expressed gratefully.

---

The Doctor slowly opens his eyes back in the present. When he does so, he notices he's back in his room on the TARDIS.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” greets Doctor Kelly's voice beside him. He looks to his right and sees the peculiar sight of a floating, mirror-like and spherical droid. “Wakey wakey eggs n bakey.”

“Ah . . .” the Doctor regards the droid in confusion.

“Just in case you haven't figured it out yet, this message I'm playing for you is a recording,” announces her voice from the droid. “This droid will also send a signal to alert the real me that you have awakened. Accordingly, expect me to show up relatively soon as soon as I finish whatever business delays me for the moment.”

“How considerate of you,” the Doctor said with a blink.

“In the meantime, I have scanned your vital signs with this droid,” her recording goes on to announce. “You seem stable and recovering from what I can tell, but I don't know much about the regeneration of your kind. This may prompt a further interview with you to enhance my knowledge of it before I can label you officially in the clear.”

“Noted,” the Doctor accepts.

“Until then, I advise you to take it easy here in your room,” her recording continues. “Allow me a chance to interview you and do a final checkup before you leave this room.

“While I am on the subject, I did my best to take care of the others for you on the ship. At this point you have been down for,” the voice suddenly sounds much more robotic as it goes on to say but still in her voice, “Seven days, nine hours, thirteen minutes, and eight seconds.”

The Doctor lifts an eyebrow. That kind of precision with time is worthy of a Time Lord.

“They are fine,” her recording continues back in her normal tone of voice. “We're all just waiting and anxious for you to get better. After all, we need you to pilot this craft.”

“Okay then. I'll thank you when you get here,” the Doctor decides as he crawls out of his bed.

For about three minutes, the Doctor pauses as he mentally goes over his recovered memories. There was a lot to unpack in there. A lot of important information which leads to later plans. Some of those plans get adjusted as a result of this new knowledge.

Extra regenerative energy donated by his people. Now he can't be certain just how many cycles he has left. It's very likely beyond twelve at this point, but every single one of them might be his last. He can be relatively certain it'll be enough to accomplish at least some minimum standards of his goals. There's no point in the donation if it's not enough, and his people will have the benefit of hindsight by then.

His recent emotional outburst about the War must have triggered some of this latent energy. If his body is indeed carrying extra at this point, then it's no wonder why it might occasionally erupt unexpectedly like this. Quite frankly, this means his body currently is holding on to more of this energy than his race is normally designed to contain. That's noteworthy, but he can't rest on his laurels about it. He'll have what he needs to fulfill his goals, but maybe no further.

Time will tell the rest.

Back in this recently unlocked memory, he realized that they never said that some of his future companions will be Feather Wind and Stern Wing at all. All they did say was those two are the parents of Star Breeze, and Missy warned him that the Doctor will need to play a special trick on Feather for some reason. He assumes the exact reason will be clear later on.

When he thinks back on it, though, he realizes he already started to fulfill some of the prophecies. Off and on, the Doctor already has been knocking on some object four times when he thought deeply about something. Apparently, Feather was meant to notice that and later lead him to some important conclusion. Missy also said that there will be another encounter sometime in the future to accomplish some other scheme. Whatever this knocking thing has to do, it likely has something to do with that.

The Doctor looks at one of his bookshelves in the room. He finally gets off of his bed to go to it. Along the way, he recalled the fact that the younger version of Vision recently said to the others that she sensed a lot of sentimental energy from various objects that the Doctor has in his personal room. Indeed, there are a lot of such objects in his room such as a time-preserved celery stalk he often wore in his fifth incarnation or a multi-colored long scarf worn by his fourth incarnation.

On the bookshelf was a book he purchased on the day he and Derpy went to Neighbriais for the first time. A book with a title that ceased his attention at the time and had since captured his imagination. A book that seemed to be a message for him.

A book that Feather Wind will write later on after he retires from his adventures in the TARDIS. It is a themed book of poetry, one of many, but this one, in particular, the Doctor found he couldn't ignore. The title of the book is, “Across the Sea of Stars.” Within it, it has a lot of poetry about space and travel. The Doctor could not help but notice how apropos it is to his own journey.

The poems are more than just a description of other worlds and spatial phenomena. More to the point, it is a poetic description of what it feels like to actually be standing and witnessing moments like that. The poems carry the reader on a fantastical journey. One which is filled with wondrous discoveries both within and without.

The thing was, though, the Doctor eventually noticed that Feather kept on describing, in great detail in some cases, worlds, cosmic events, and actual spatial phenomena that really do exist. Natives of Feather's world probably thought that the writer has a very good imagination, and he does, but the descriptions in that book were too accurate for the Doctor to ignore. As the pattern continued, he gradually realized that Feather Wind probably was meant to be a future companion of his. When the time came to pick up the small, sky-blue wizard, Stern Wing was an unexpected but very pleasant bonus.

At the back of the book was a small biography of Feather Wind that helped the Doctor to later zero in and learn more about one of his future companions. Along the way, the Doctor later learned that Feather Wind has to be returned in order to fulfill important fixed moments in time. Moments that will eventually build up and facilitate the return of the Crystal Empire.

But the dedication at the back of the book sealed the deal for the Doctor in another way. It said, “To my beloved wife, Stern Wing, and my daughter, Star Breeze, for making my life complete. Without them, I would not be the pony I am today. I also need to thank my many wonderful friends who helped me to fulfill the best of my potential and carry me through this life-changing journey. To me, their glowing, radiant hearts have always been bigger on the inside.”

HINT-HINT!!!

A poet warrior Feather certainly is and will be, but the author of that book sounded ten times more confident of himself than the version that is currently on the Doctor's ship. Obviously the “journey” that Feather spoke of in this book is a reference to his own vessel. The Doctor was clearly meant to find this book, and it is the reason that the Doctor later started eyeing Feather Wind seriously as a potential companion.

Fixed and important timelines may surround this particular pony, which is why the Doctor would back off from such individuals normally, but the hints in that book were just too clear. Plus the Doctor has a time machine on his hands. He could afford to give Feather a limited, whirlwind tour of space and time then return him to his native world and time so that both he, and his family, could fulfill the purpose they are meant to accomplish.

As it turned out, it became downright urgent to remove Feather, Vision, and Stern from their native world and time until they are ready to face the bad guys waiting for them there. The Doctor didn't find that out until he came there to snatch up Feather. In doing so, he saved the lives of these three ponies and they have returned that blessing a hundredfold ever since.

As for Vision, he now realizes he had badly underestimated that little filly. All the signs of greatness were there, but he ignored them because of her youth, her weak constitution, and the fact she was blind.

Nevertheless, Vision is one of the few on his journey that is in it for the long haul. She'll never “retire” from this lifestyle, apparently. If anything, it only escalates further. She actually manages to become a captain and pilot of her own TARDIS.

This means he'll have to change his strategy about the little filly from now on. Instead of trying to get rid of her, he'll need to prepare her for her destiny. More than likely she'll be cooperative one hundred percent after he changes his gears with her. She probably already realizes that this is her destiny. The Doctor was just too stubborn and thickheaded to realize it.

Well no more. That ends today.

Using one foreleg, the Doctor hugs Feather Wind's future triumph close to his chest. Feather did write other popular books during his time in Equestria, but very few captured the imagination more than this book did. It led to all of them being here. This is a great blessing for him so of course this book has become one of his most sentimental treasures.

They'll all band together in some shape and form to help the Doctor fulfill his grand personal quest. Even if they aren't there to suffer the War directly, they may ultimately play some small part in it and it's the culmination of all of that combined effort that will lead to whatever degree of success they will have, and already accomplished.

It's destiny. It is a matter of will and a matter of time.

Author's Notes:

This chapter came at me unexpectedly when I first wrote it, but it's ended up one of my favorite chapters of this particular arc. A chance to see the adventure from the Doctor's perspective and understand a little more why things have happened the way they happened as well as hint at more things to come.

There is also some snippets here from some of my other stories I've written for this site such as Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn and My Little Detour, of which this chapter shares the same name. This is to show all of it is building towards one overarching arc since these stories share the same universe together.

Stranded in Space Part 7: Knights of the Hourglass

“There he is!” Feather Wind exclaims when the Doctor and Doctor Kelly both enter the TARDIS control room together. “He's up.”

“I told you he would come, and I know you believed me,” Vision remarks. “So don't act all surprised now.”

“It's good to see you back on your hooves,” Stern Wing tells the Doctor warmly.

“How is he?” Derpy asks Doctor Kelly. “I assume you checked on him before the two of you came here.”

The Doctor regards Doctor Kelly as she sighs then says, “I did detect a lot of residual energy of what I would normally call magical energy, but apparently is regeneration energy natural to his race to help them recover from a death blow. That energy was stronger earlier but appears to have stabilized now.”

“But why did it trigger in the first place?” asks Stern Wing. “As best as I can tell, the Doctor didn't suffer a death blow unless shouting at the top of his lugs counts.”

“There are extra factors in play here that I wasn't aware of until recently,” the Doctor informs as his look transfers from Kelly to across all the rest of his companions. “This particular instance isn't a regeneration in the traditional sense. Instead, it's more like a burn off of excess energy that I had stored in my body. Apparently it got there sometime shortly after I arrived in this pony universe.

“That's not all. Fragments of my memories from an earlier time have returned to me that helps to explain some of this experience. Apparently it was a memory I sealed from myself until the proper time. That time is now to some extent.”

Everyone falls silent for a moment as they digest what is said. During that time, the Doctor looks at and then approaches the TARDIS controls. He takes that step up beyond the rail surrounding the console. From there, he affectionately pats it.

“The memory I have unlocked has also helped me to realize a deeper meaning of a proclamation, and recent goal, of mine,” the Doctor goes on after the long pause. “Ever since I learned that the Time War exists in this pony universe too, the wheels of my mind kept on turning. Some goals and plans came into especially stronger focus when I learned that the Magi has, in their possession, an unusual fleet of TARDISs.”

The Doctor gazes up at the contraption in front of him which continues all the way up to the ceiling.

“There is something important you all need to keep in mind when it comes to time travel, though,” the Doctor goes on. “and that is if something is ever going to happen in the future then it already has happened from the perspective of some other timeline. That's important to note because it means the results of our future actions can already be felt. That, in turn, helps us to achieve our goals in the first place. A causality loop is thus formed.”

The Doctor spins about and then approaches the rail leading beyond the center console. From there, he props his forehooves up on top of the rail as he continues to gaze down at the rest of his companions.

“That is why every one of you needs to make an informed decision here. I initially drew you in to help keep me company in my adventures and, in exchange, I show you what is out there in all of time and space.” The Doctor scans across Feather Wind, Stern Wing, and Vision as he adds, “For some of you inviting you here had a more specific purpose. I also did it to save your lives and to prepare you for what you left behind.” He looks across them all again. “Ultimately, all I really intended was for us to have fun learning and exploring together, but my purpose out here has since gained more focus and a large-scale goal. In pursuit of that goal I, and anyone who volunteers to join me, may assist me to whatever degree that they can. As such, we may feel the shadows of the Time War as we continue to prepare for it.” He lifts a hoof. “But beware. Those the Time Lords fought against also had access to time and space travel in order to keep up with their enemies. If we continue this journey with the purpose of helping to refine the outcome of that War then we can also expect the shadows of the Time Lords' enemies to also try to get in our way. That might come in the form of hired thugs, conquered slaves, deceived fools, cowed cowards, or even the Daleks themselves.

“So you need to know that, if you choose to continue this journey with me, it may also be with a commitment to a larger purpose with its own slew of enemies and allies who are each fighting on opposite sides of this goal. I run into incidental villains and obstacles all the time in many worlds that I visit, but if the enemies of the Time Lords get involved, or even the Time Lords themselves in a hostile way, for not every one of them wanted peace, then you need to know that we could also be the target of a focused assault at any moment. An organization that specifically targets and attacks us, and maybe those dear to you, just to keep us from reaching our goal.

“With all of that in mind, from now on, I'm going to have to ask you all, and every would-be companion that might join me ever on into the future, if you and they are willing to commit to a purpose this grand. I don't plan on avoiding the fun stuff and generally trying to enjoy the journey as much as possible, but the shadows of one of the greatest conflicts I have ever known may be felt here and there, so what do you think about all of this?

“Keep in mind that I would not blame any of you for wanting to back off now if you think this is a whole lot more than you have willingly signed up for. In that case, I'll accommodate you with the safest option I can think of. It's your life, your choice, and I shall always respect that. I also want you to be aware that I'll always value you personally no matter what you decide from here on. Furthermore, if you ever change your mind about this in the future, just let me know.”

The Doctor looks at and addresses Derpy directly as he says to her, “Derpy, since you are the first of my present companions to join me, I'll ask you this question first. After being informed of everything I have said here, do you wish to continue your journey with me while aware of the enhanced risks involved?”

The Doctor falls silent as he waits for his answer. Derpy gazes about and notices that everypony is now paying her focused attention. Probably also Vision in her own way. When she realizes this, she blushes shyly for a second, but then shakes it off as she puts more focus on the Doctor's question. She pauses for a moment as she considers her feelings and words carefully before looking back up at the Doctor initially with both eyes but the left eye lazily drifts off.

“When you first told me that you were a time traveler, I got excited. I don't know why I believed you so much at first other than seeing your cutie mark, but there was this shade of doubt in me as well. You exhibited plenty of other signs that made me think that you might be crazy too, and for a short while there, I stopped taking you seriously until I noticed how committed you were to saving lives.

“Then, as the journey continued, you opened my eyes to many wondrous possibilities and with the promise that there would be many more to come. All of that excited me and made me feel special. Continuing my journey with you gained intense allure for me even while knowing there would be danger involved.

“Danger, but also an important purpose. Whenever I faced that danger with you, it often resulted in something vastly more positive than it would have been had we not intervened. I grew proud of myself for that reason. Finally I, the most klutzy and ditsy pony in Ponyville, who used to feel so worthless for so many reasons, am privileged to be offered the chance to be part of this grand journey. I couldn't believe it. I often wondered what it is about me that you found so valuable and special.

“But whatever it is, I decided for myself that I would remain committed to helping you no matter what that entails because you, Doctor, are now among the most important ponies I have ever known. I . . . I . . .” she heavily blushes shyly. “. . . I love you and . . . and . . . I want to be a part of your life as much as I can be.” Her blush fades as she gets a more determined look. “You're important to me so I want to remain by your side and help you as much as possible no matter what you may face.” She shakes her head. “Knowing there is extra risk involved doesn't change anything because I know it will only enhance our purpose too. Both always go hoof and hoof with you. That's what I learned in this journey and I'm proud to remain a part of that.

“So, uh . . .” she shyly swings her right forehoof back and forth for a second. “There you go. That's my two bits on this issue.” Her shy smile seems to convey that they can move on to somepony else now.

“Thank you for sharing that and for making your feelings clear with honesty and integrity,” the Doctor expresses back to her. “And for the record, as I said to you before, you are all very dear to my hearts as well.” He then focuses on Feather Wind next. “Feather?” he asks in a way that clearly implies it is the small blue stallion's turn next.

Just like Derpy did before him, Feather also looks around at the others gathered here and notices how their attention is focused on him now. Like Derpy before him, he also feels shy about that fact, but at least he expected it and was somewhat mentally prepared for it. Also, like Derpy before him, he closes his eyes and examines his thoughts and feelings carefully before opening his eyes and addressing the Doctor.

“There is much about this journey I did not expect. For me, it feels random like it came out of nowhere. I was still in the middle of trying to figure myself out as well as my purpose in life. I'm sure everypony in here with a cutie mark can appreciate the implications of that struggle on some level or another. Figuring out one's self is never easy.

“But wherever I go and whatever I do, I feel determined to pursue my destiny with authenticity. It's very important to me to fully be who I am and whatever that may entail.”

Feather Wind pauses for a brief moment before he sweeps his gaze across them all as he tells them, “Years ago, I followed cries on the Wind and discovered that a family of farmers were under attack by a force that had a hidden mastermind among the bunch, but it turns out the true source of the threat was even higher than that and my family was even connected to that threat.” Feather returns his gaze to the Doctor, this time with a sidewards look, as he goes on to say, “Before I launched myself to follow that call, I was scared. Part of me couldn't believe what I was about to do, but I did it anyway. I didn't really even fully consciously think about it. I just followed my instincts which I later discovered is so like me. A pony so deeply connected to nature would also innately follow its natural equilibrium. It took me a while to realize I can follow my destiny without any clear conscious plan. Following my heart was what led me to discover my cutie mark in the first place. I trusted it even when it told me something that seemed unlikely to be true. Ever since, I learned it may be my destiny to defy the seemingly impossible on a regular basis, for it seems to happen to me over and over again.

“Before I met any of you, who would have thought I'd ever become swept in a journey like this? That, too, many would have thought to be impossible, but here I am. Standing here as if I'm meant to be a symbol to represent that nothing is impossible.

“But ever I have been a feather drifting in the wind. I'm a smart pony too and capable of advanced plans, but in the end . . . this is always what I end up being. Just a Feather in the Wind.

“Destiny is its own wind of sorts, and the wind has ever been something I've naturally been well connected to. More and more, I've learned to trust it and it has led me here so far. There must be an important reason for that.

“Plus, I have this.” He telekinetically floats up the Red Crystal for emphasis. “In there marks the stains of my family's history. A family that has become well known to be sacred keepers of that history. But here lies hope for a change as well. This is the last of Sombra's true essence. This is the last that he could preserve after all that he had suffered through. I always innately respected others who try to be authentic with themselves. To that end, I'm fully willing to commit to helping him to fulfill his last wish; the return of the Crystal Empire into a state of freedom, and freedom has always been an innate theme of my life. Ever shall the Winds blow free as they desire. That is it's nature, and that is who I am.”

Feather Wind stops floating the Red Crystal.

“Thanks to Doctor Kelly, along with the inward guidance I had from Crystal Sage all along, I believe I am now proficient enough with this Crystal that I can start to use it for the purpose we had intended it for. I'm sure there is plenty of room to improve my connection with this crystal. I have plenty of time with that later, but elements of the Earth, like where this Crystal is born from, doesn't mesh with me as innately but I'm learning and I'm bound to get better.

“As for this journey,” he looks around the TARDIS, “I trust it to lead me to wherever I am meant to be. It may be more than I ever expected before, but when one is adrift in the whimsical winds of fate, one has to eventually surrender to it.”

Feather Wind focuses back at the Doctor as he goes on to say, “In my time of need, you came to save me.” He winces slightly as he asks, “How could you possibly believe that I wouldn't return the favor during your time of need?” His eyes return to normal. “Besides, I fully endorse the purpose you're trying to aim for. Minimize the scope of a very violent war? I'd be proud to be a part of that even as I wrestle with my fears at the same time. To me, it's worth the struggle. It's worth it and I trust you, Doctor, because I know you are a good pony at hearts. Anypony who is like that I am both happy and proud to call my friend.”

Feather Wind then casts a final nod as a non-verbal signal that he is done with his speech and sharing his thoughts about this specific issue for the time being.

The Doctor acknowledges that nod with a nod of his own before focusing his attention on Stern Wing.

Stern Wing passes a grin back at Feather Wind for a moment before looking back at the Doctor as she says, “It's Feather Wind here that is the poet who can come up with pretty and heroic-sounding speeches on the fly. Anything to do with 'flying' has ever been his forte no matter how unlikely it may seem at first.

“But me? I'm a far more simple mare who has a much greater focus on her destiny. I don't overanalyze myself or my destiny. As such, I'll keep this simple and brief.

“I am a guardian. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts about that. This journey gives me a chance to fulfill that role to a greater extent and I'm perfectly willing to be a part of that. You, Doctor,” she nods to the Doctor, “wish to do whatever is in your power to minimize a very bloody war. Translation: You wish to save lives. I can get behind that fully committed. As such, I'll back you up with any degree of strength that I have in me to help you to accomplish that goal.

“I am also a pony who is very loyal to her friends. Whenever I learn that my friends might be in greater danger, I don't back off. Instead, I just grow even more determined and resolved.

“That's all you'll get from me, Doctor. I am who I am, and that's all that I am. Take it or leave it.”

Stern Wing gives a firm nod to show that she is done as well.

“Very well,” the Doctor accepts then turns to Vision. “Vision, since I know you can't see me and my non-verbal cues, I'll just straight up tell you it's your turn now.”

Vision blinks once then says, “Feather and I are a lot alike in some regards. Ponies who can sense the winds of change. Perhaps one difference between us is I'm more willing to guide fate. That has ever been my purpose as a prophet else there would be no real reason for that foresight.

“Like Feather Wind, though, I am content to settle into my fate even as I guide it. The future is just a series of choices. I reveal what the options are and it is we who decide what to pick from among the options. Any future I can reveal can be avoided. The astute may realize that has ever been the theme of this journey. Nothing is fixed. Not even the past. All of time is mutable. All of time is a choice. I'm here to remind all of you of that fact so that you can properly respect and lay claim to your sovereignty in its entirety. Absolutely all of what is thought to be impossible is a record meant to be broken. Ultimately it all comes down to will and intention.

“And Doctor . . . you have made your will and intention quite known. For as long as you hold to that resolve, the future you wish to claim shall be yours. Time bends around our wills, Doctor, not the other way around. If you continue to hold to this course then of course you're going to run into more and more signs of it. If you suddenly changed course, then you'll find more and more timelines that run parallel to that new decision. That's how all of this works.

“Your hearts, and will, is a powerful draw, Doctor. It's like a vortex that drew all of us here. You attracted like-minded individuals who would have chosen to support you of their own free will. Accordingly, it's almost moot to ask us what our intentions are from this point forward because you've only ever attracted those who would agree with you anyway, at least whenever it comes to your most important goals and trusted companions. I understand why you value free will, but I want you to also realize what you are really dealing with here.

“Keep asking the others here if you don't believe me. In the end, they are all going to tell you the same thing. The same applies to everypony you will recruit.

“As it is willed, so shall it be. That has ever been the way of things.”

Now Vision falls silent.

Derpy mopes as she says, “It's hopeless to ever expect you to act your age, isn't it?”

“I believe I will surprise you no matter what your expectations are of me,” Vision says with a grin. “I think it's because, deep down, that's what you really want.”

Derpy shrugs as she says, “You may be right.”

“My turn, I take it?” Doctor Kelly checks as she floats a new lollipop into her mouth. “You seem to be going in the order your companions joined you, after all.”

In answer, the Doctor just nods at her.

“Well then. Let's see.” Doctor Kelly pauses a moment as she thinks about it. Unlike the others, though, she is acting way more casually about this.

“Being here was quite a shock for me too even though I got some forewarning about this,” Doctor Kelly expresses when she finally begins. “Issues like worthiness have been juggled in my mind. No matter how gifted or useful I clearly seem to be, part of my mind kept thinking that there could be somepony else out there more worthy than even me, so why me? Why was I chosen?”

Doctor Kelly looks at the Doctor.

“Helping those on this ship from a medical and psychological front was a given considering my prior talents, education, interests, and intentions. If I had a cutie mark, it likely would be a Red Cross or Pole with Twin Coiled Snakes or something of the like. What I am is clearly established and it is not a useless role on this ship, especially considering the frail condition of one of the members here.” She tilts her head. “Yet I also seem redundant because there was already a Doctor aboard this ship. His name is the Doctor because he is a doctor. Is my presence here an indication that this particular specialty will come in especially high demand? If so, then I'm glad I'm here.”

Doctor Kelly straightens her head as she says, “Another reason I seem to be here is to bear witness to your accomplishments, particularly in one regard, and that is the return of the Alphalmians to Water World. As a Magi, it is our sacred duty to guard the natives of that world. The fact that some of them got kidnapped anyway shows cracks in our defenses. Cracks that might have been there on purpose for some reason. For as long as I am here, I may bear witness to what really happened and then later share that testimony with my fellow magi perhaps.

“As for this Time War thing . . . I suppose my kind has always been a part of it. Ever since the Time War, the Doctor saved us from his own kind. That's likely the first of many to follow that pattern. We're already living in a reality where some of the Doctor's intentions come to fruition.

“On top of that, we just happen to have a fleet of hidden TARDISs at our disposal?” Doctor Kelly adopts a doubtful look. “Coincidence? Maybe, but we're talking about time travel here. Any possible fate we can imagine could have been engineered, and the Doctor's mind is capable of especially brilliant designs. He's already proven that time and time again. On top of that is the many varied talents of every companion he recruits from now unto all of eternity for all we know. Time Lords began their existence already capable of toying with something that many societies in the universe are already convinced is impossible to toy with to begin with, but we have always existed in a reality where this race can do this and others like them.” She floats her lollipop out of her mouth and points it across them all as she says, “I think the important thing to grasp, here, is precisely how that power is used.” She floats the lollipop back in her mouth. “Power, in any form, can be used to abuse or save lives. Time travel must, then, be regarded as a double-edged sword. It can be used for good purposes or bad purposes. The intent of various lifeforms in the universe has always been varied, so we can expect this to be no different. If you want to assume the role of a hero then realize that you'll be up against others with opposing viewpoints. In reality, that has always been true regardless if you meet the challenge or not. If you don't do it, somepony else will.”

Doctor Kelly looks down for a moment as she regathers her thoughts before looking forward again and resuming. “With all of that said, I don't mind being a part of that. I always valued history anyway. It would be very interesting to see it come alive. Likewise, I may encounter those who wish to both abuse and protect history. I'd like to think I fall in the latter category. I don't know why, but that feels like a role I'd naturally settle in.

“And I know I just joined this journey but I already feel too committed to feel satisfied just trotting away from it now. I want to see how this story ends. For me, at the very least. I also feel like we're doing something important, and I don't believe I'm the only one that sees it that way.

“There certainly can be far less important ways to spend one's life. Many, even most, of my kind are content to settle for that. Just fritter their lives away in ultimately trivial pursuits. Speaking for myself, however, I'd like to die someday knowing I've done something meaningful with my life. I may not see how that ending will be at this point. I'm not a seer.” She says with a brief glance at Vision. “But I am content to follow this story to the very end, come what may.” She looks at then nods to the Doctor. “So, in other words, just for the sake of clarity, I'm with you, Doctor.”

“Very well, then,” the Doctor says with a tone of acceptance. “You have all made your intentions quite clear. I can't say I'm surprised either given what I know of each of you so far, but I hope you understand and respect why I gave you this educated choice upfront. Before now, it was all about aimless wandering and perhaps getting caught up in a few overarching quests, but this has grown to something so much larger than I had imagined until recently. If we are going to do this, then we have become an organization with a united purpose. As such, what should we call ourselves from now on?”

“You mean something to signify what our purpose is as an organization?” Feather Wind checks.

“Aye,” the Doctor confirms with a nod.

“Well, we seem committed to becoming guardians of time,” Stern Wing points out. “I'm down for that.”

“True, but it's more than that,” the Doctor refines. “This is more than just protecting history from being abused. We have an active as well as reactive role in this story of ours. We are trying to form a specific version of history through our own actions and intentions. What name can we give ourselves to signify that purpose?”

“Well, if we're going to be involved in a war, however remotely, then it seems to me we've taken on the role of a warrior somewhat,” Doctor Kelly muses.

The Doctor winces as he says, “I've never been comfortable with the idea of warriors and soldiers because both of those roles support a war. I'm trying to oppose it, or at least minimize it.”

“But you are okay with the role of a guardian, correct?” Stern Wing checks. “If not, then why did you recruit me?”

“Of course I am,” the Doctor confirms. “Champions. Heroes. All of that. That I fully endorse.”

“How about a Knight, then?” Feather Wind proposes. “That conjures up words like a guardian and gallivant heroes. They can be warriors too if need be but they tend to have a more refined purpose than that. A knight is a symbol of something greater than themselves.” Then he grows a wide smile on his face. “I got it. How about we call ourselves the Knights of the Hourglass?”

“Knights of the Hourglass, huh?” muses the Doctor. “Huh. It has a nice ring to it. Well played, my warrior poet.” He looks across them all. “But that is just my opinion. If we're all going to be called something then I want it to be something we all agree with, so what do the rest of you think?”

“I'm down for that,” Stern Wing agrees. “I've come to expect anything Feather to come up with to have a nice ring to it. In this case, it sounds distinguished too. If I'm going to represent something, I want it to be something that would clearly show others where I stand. This is good enough for me.”

“I think it's excellent,” Derpy cheers.

“Works for me,” Vision accepts with a neutral shrug.

“Good as any, I suppose,” Doctor Kelly also accepts. “If we stick with this, then we can expect other future travelers with the same purpose to announce themselves by that as well. That's just something we need to keep in mind, then.”

“Knights of the Hourglass then!” the Doctor decides as he spins about to face the TARDIS controls. “Very well. With our united purpose and name in mind, it is time to continue our journey together. Onwards and Upwards, my friends!”

Necessary Respite Part 1, Doctor's Orders

The Doctor stands alone in the TARDIS control room. From there, he has a blank stare at the TARDIS controls. It is a blank expression which hides the livid fury within him.

Failure! Utter and complete failure!

The Doctor wonders, to himself, how all of this went so wrong, so fast. This was Doctor Kelly's very first mission outside of her home world, too. He only hopes this doesn't give her the impression that devastation like this is commonplace for him.

The Doctor closes his eyes and bows his head as he mulls over what happened and what might have gone wrong.

Well, to begin with, the Doctor already knew he was entering into hostile territory for this mission since it began in one of the fleet ships of the Klaxians. The primary goal was to secure that ship's manifest. He was hoping it might provide a clue on what happened to the kidnapped Alphalmians. It honestly was a long shot. He was initially firing at this in the dark because this was his first attempt to secure that information, but at the very least he was hoping for clues that might narrow down his target to the correct ship that could help him find and deliver on his promise to the Alphalmian Princess.

The Doctor already knew, too, that he could find other victims of the Klaxians who got captured into slavery. He knew that, but he did not expect to find this universe's ponified version of the Ood race. Once again he encounters them victimized into a slave role. This is honestly becoming a disturbing pattern that the Doctor has noticed about this particular race, even in a universe off.

It's interesting to note that the Ood race is also highly telepathic, just like the Alphalmians. It seems like someone is highly in the market for telepathic slaves around these centuries. Whoever these individuals or organizations are have already fallen far out of favor with the Doctor, but what is important to note here is the possible reasons for targeting races like this. In the wrong hands, power like this might do a lot of damage, to say nothing about the psychological damage to the enslaved races themselves.

What are they after? The Doctor feels compelled to know even if part of him dreads the answer.

In any case, he can't afford to ignore this.

The Doctor realizes that the problem started before they even set foot outside of the TARDIS during their last mission. Doctor Kelly brought up the fact she brought six crystals she called Warp Stones. To use them properly, the stones would have to be set upon any level, flat surface then activated. In doing so, the stones would create a teleportation circle upon that flat surface. From there, they have the power to teleport anyone within the circle to another teleportation circle as long as the other circle is already set and known to the user. These Warp Stones, according to her, are known to be especially accurate as long as the user teleports themselves to another preset teleportation circle. To do this, the user must hold an image of the distinct pattern of another circle in the users mind. Then, while standing within the pattern of a teleportation circle, they simultaneously energizing the circle their standing upon with magical energy. The Warp Stone itself can even be included in the warp, but in that case, the user can't warp back if there is no longer a teleportation circle there.

Doctor Kelly wanted to leave one of the Warp Stones on this ship permanently and then carry at least one other Warp Stone on their later adventures. That way those on an away mission always had ready access back into the TARDIS for whatever reason so long as the other Warp Stone can be placed on a flat and level surface and the user provides enough magical energy to power the teleportation circle. The Warp Stones themselves can be pre-charged with one charge as well, but if used, the stones would have to be recharged to use that function again.

Doctor Kelly also planned to leave one of her two floating spherical droids, Bit or Byte, with Vision so that they could communicate and monitor the young filly's status from a distance. That much was accomplished just fine.

The problem here is the TARDIS itself. The Doctor knew that this ship, and others like it, came equipped with formidable physical as well as dimensional defenses. The ships are nearly impossible to just throw open the doors and invade because the ships exist within their own quantum dimension, and that dimension has additional defenses to deflect interdimensional intrusion unless the right method is used to penetrate that defense. That's the whole point of having a TARDIS key.

Right off the bat, the Doctor knew Doctor Kelly's experiment would fail and he warned her of that in advance. In the back of the Doctor's mind, though, he was also thinking that there might be a way to design a bypass for this system. A way to attune each of the Warp Stones so that they could be able to penetrate the TARDIS's defenses. With a drone left behind to monitor Vision and a Warp Stone brought with them as well as one left behind in this ship, Vision would always be a simple warp away no matter how far the crew goes outside of this ship. That would also mean that every other resource left inside the ship remains accessible despite any distance they travel from the ship.

The Doctor realizes that he should have devoted more time to focus on that project and invent a bypass method before this mission even started. He had this resource in his hands already. It would have afforded him a critical tactical advantage not only for this mission, but for others ongoing.

But no. That's not what happened. The Doctor charged into a hostile Klaxian ship unprepared, and it cost him dearly this time.

Fortunately, his own crew is safe, but the Ood . . .

The Doctor initially figured he would have all the time in the world necessary to solve this problem. It wouldn't be easy for him. He knew the Klaxians wouldn't give up their “cargo” without a fight, and indeed, they didn't. As soon as he and the Doctor's crew were detected, plasma energy balls got fired at them from multiple directions. What made this worse was they occasionally had to pass through hot and steamy narrow corridors. For a high-tech society, the Klaxians sure love a steampunk motif for their ships. Not only did this make it difficult for his crew and him to dodge some of those plasma blasts, but the walls and pipes in the halls were hot to the touch. And, of course, that doesn't bother the Klaxians because they like it hot. That's one of the main points why they wear their environmental suits when they go off their home world and ships.

Maybe the final nail in this coffin, however, took place after the Klaxians suddenly removed themselves as a threat. The Doctor should have been wary of that fact, but at the time, he mainly celebrated the fact he had one less obstacle in his path. Not being shot at felt very good back then and it made it so much easier to get to the bridge of the ship. Once he got there, he figured he'd have the ship's manifest in his hands as well as access to the main controls of the ship. He could at least unlock the Ood from their cells there or maybe even steer the entire ship towards some lawful authority and they could take care of the Klaxians as well as their former slaves.

It seemed like such a good plan at the time. Get to the bridge and he could checkmate this entire adventure so it no longer mattered what the Klaxians were up to themselves.

Boy was he ever so wrong! It turns out the Klaxians had evacuated the ship through their various escape pods and then steered the ship into a collision course with a local planet. Probably a planet that they had just recently kidnapped the Ood from. That also means that anyone in the impact area of the downed ship was also taken down.

Talk about an epic failure for the Doctor and his team!

“Hell-oh, Doc-tor!” the Doctor recalled that the Klaxian commander of the ship taunted him via a holographic projection on the bridge of the ship. “Do not try to in-ter-fear with the steer-ing of this ship with your son-ic de-vice. You will find it quite im-pos-eh-bal to use a dam-aged de-vice at this junk-ture.”

“You'd crash this entire ship just to get back at me?! Are you INSANE?!” the Doctor shouted a the holographic projection of the commander in horror.

“I bring you a mes-age from high ca-mand,” the Klaxian commander went on. “Thanks for your war-ning, Doc-tor. We re-mem-bered it and made sure to make the ah-pro-pre-ate per-cah-tions for your next ah-ri-val.” He nods tauntingly. “Enjoy the ship while you can. I'm sure it is well earned.”

“STARS BLAST YOU!!!” the Doctor shouted at the top of his lungs as he smashed the holographic projection node with a hoof hard enough to shatter it into sparks. Curiously it released a lot of steam as well for some reason. “I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS! I SWEAR IT!”

“Doctor, we need to go!” Derpy had cried out fearfully as they all watched this ship plunging through the atmosphere of an alien planet through the bridge's large front-view port. Heat started to noticeably arise on the nose of the ship as it dove. More and more violent rocking on the ship gradually also climbed.

For a moment, the Doctor just stood there as he seethed with fury but also tried to mentally calculate a vast array of possible options to salvage this operation. He had already tried to take control of this ship with his sonic device but, as promised, critical components of this ship were already deliberately damaged beforehand. He really didn't have sufficient time to repair it from there.

“DOCTOR, COME ON! LET'S GO!” Stern Wing cried as she made her way to the exit of the bridge but waited for her friends there. From there, she ushered them past her when they caught up to her.

Fortunately for the Doctor, Doctor Kelly insisted on healing the Doctor's leg injury caused when he smashed the holographic projection node. She did this with a healing beam from her drone, Bit, which greatly accelerated the natural healing rate of whatever target the beam happened to be aiming at. That was useful intel for the Doctor so he vowed to privately remember that asset.

As it turned out, it was wise for Doctor Kelly to insist upon healing the Doctor because he needed to make a full sprint back to the TARDIS. If only he had access to the Warp Stones at the time. Maybe he would have had enough time to save some of the Ood along the way back to the ship.

The Doctor remembered his treacherous journey back to his own ship. Not only because of the violent rocking of the ship increasing, but pipes of steam burst along the way back. Sometimes they had to dodge around or pass through the darn things. Meanwhile, explosions full of metal shrapnel burst all around them. On top of that, mechanical monstrosities of what looked like brass spheres with spider legs and a single nose armed with a plasma cannon kept firing at them as they made their way out of the ship. Feather not only blocked some of those attacks but also the jets of hot steam they encountered as well. Stern Wing once flew forward and violently tackled one of those machines then threw it at another while she screamed in determined rage.

It was difficult to notice this until they made it back to the TARDIS, but the Ood had started a vibrating song. From there, the Doctor paused for a moment then looked back because he finally noticed the lovely song of the Ood.

From what he could tell, it sounded like the Ood was celebrating their impending release of their spirits from their mortal coil. They accepted death gracefully, peacefully, and with joy in their hearts. They sang in unison and great harmony as a naturally telepathic race often can.

At that moment, the Doctor wanted to ask the Ood for their forgiveness, but their song did not hold even a hint of malice in it. It sounded like they had already forgiven the Doctor, and his companions for their failure to rescue them even before it occurred to the Doctor to ask for it. The Ood might have even forgiven the Klaxians for their transgressions in this affair.

Their peaceful acceptance of their deaths made the Doctor feel all the more guilty. The only consolation he could possibly think of was the Ood would gain their freedom back . . . in a way.

“COME ON, DOCTOR! LET'S GO!” Stern Wing cried out from within the TARDIS.

With heavy pain and fury in his hearts, the Doctor whipped his head back in the direction of the TARDIS and charged right on in.

---

Back in the present, the Doctor smashes both of his hooves onto the TARDIS control console and then leans heavily into it. His shoulder blades on his back flex and he lowers his head.

While it may have been extreme, the message of the Klaxian commander is clear to the Doctor. The intent of this trap likely truly was meant to kill the Doctor and his crew, but on the off chance that any of them survives, the Klaxians wanted it known that they are often surrounded by those that the Klaxians would consider mere commodities, but the TARDIS crew would consider hostages and the Klaxian's are aware of that fact. This execution was staged to prove a point, and that is that the Klaxians are indeed willing to go that far again if the Doctor, and/or his crew, ever dare to make a move on another Klaxian ship, base, or territory. With that in mind, the Doctor needs to consider his next move carefully to avoid any further collateral damage.

It is rare for the Doctor to be this furious at anyone, but this time he is including himself. So many mistakes had piled up with that last mission. So many better plans he should have come up with. He is so angry at himself for his failure and his arrogance. Once again, it is others that paid the price, except he would too in his own way. Burdens like this just collect on his hearts ever onward. He has centuries, maybe even millennia, to torture himself over this recent failure, and why not? He's already done things like this many times over with other events before this one.

“Doctor,” speaks up Doctor Kelly's voice in the room. To acknowledge her, the Doctor peeks back at her over the edge of his right shoulder blade. From there, she can only see the upper half of his right blue eye that is currently very tiny. He is just too livid with fury to speak, so instead, he just looks at her to signal that she has his attention as much as he can give it at this moment. With his attention, she tells him, “the crew needs a relaxing vacation after that last mission, including this ship's captain.”

The Doctor just continues to stare at Doctor Kelly silently.

“Doctor's orders,” Doctor Kelly insists as she floats a new lollipop into her mouth. “I mean it. This is a necessary respite after so much psychological damage was caused in the last mission. I suggest you keep that in mind when charting our next course.

“Actually, no. I take that back. I don't suggest it. I insist!”

The Doctor slowly looks away from her and back to the TARDIS controls. From there, he closes his eyes and bows his head. He tries to think of a suitable location and time. One pops into his head almost immediately.

The Doctor opens his eyes again and then starts working the controls. As he silently does so, he has to mentally exert quite a bit of effort to compel himself into this action. Right now he is so depressed that it is making him feel lethargic, but he forces his limbs to press on anyway. He reminds himself that doing this is for the sake of his crew, and he'd do anything for them.

“Thank you,” Doctor Kelly expresses quietly behind him.

The Doctor feels like it is he who should be thanking her instead. After all, she is just expressing a kind and professional opinion about the status of him and his crew. She's the only one brave and strong enough to step up to the Doctor and insist upon this action on behalf of all of their mental health. His love grows for her because of this, but right now he finds it so difficult to express considering the fury he is recovering from.

When the Doctor makes a final yank of a lever, the TARDIS groans into action. Because of the noise the machine makes, it alerts the rest of his crew that they are on their way again. As a result, the others gradually file back into the TARDIS's main control room.

“Where and when are we now?” Stern Wing asks in a tone of annoyance as if she was recently awakened from a beautiful dream. She is, therefore, very groggy and irritable for the interruption. On the other hand, she feels compelled to ask because wherever and whenever they are might pose another security risk. She wants to be prepared for that.

The Doctor forces moisture back into his throat and then answers, “Relax. We're someplace relatively safe this time. Because of that, all of you can go. Even Vision, but I still strongly recommend supervision in the latter case. There might not be too many threats out there in this time and place but I'm sure there is still plenty of things a blind filly can bump into without guidance.

“Also, if any of you do go, I highly recommend Derpy takes point on this one. As for myself, I'll remain in the TARDIS for a little while while I work on something. Anyone who doesn't wish to go out there may remain here if they wish.” The Doctor looks at Doctor Kelly as he requests of her, “I'd like to borrow your Warp Stones for a little while. See if I can tinker with them enough to ensure they can bypass the TARDIS's defenses. I want to be more ready next time.”

“You got it,” Doctor Kelly agrees with an accepting nod.

“You want Derpy to take point wherever and whenever we are?” Feather Wind reflects questioningly and then widens his golden eyes as he realizes something. He then looks at the Doctor as he asks, “We're in Ponyville, aren't we?”

Upon hearing that theory, the others, except Vision, widen their eyes in pleasant astonishment. Just like that, the mood of the crew just lit considerably already.

In response, the Doctor just cracks a smile at Feather Wind a bit then gestures to the exit of the TARDIS invitingly.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Derpy gushes excitedly. “I can't wait to show you all my native hometown of Ponyville! You're all going to adore it! I promise!”

“We did want to check this out anyway,” Stern Wing says as she looks at and raises a left eyebrow at the exit of the TARDIS. Her expression remains otherwise very serious. “After all, this might be a suitable refuge to leave Vision for a while while she grows up.”

“I assume I get a say in this?” Vision asks.

“Of course you do,” Stern Wing instantly agrees as her eyes shift back to the filly. “That's why you need to check this out as well.” She shakes her head. “We won't commit to this plan unless you also approve.”

“Eh,” Vision thinks about it for a moment before shrugging and saying, “Fair enough.”

“You need to take it easy as well,” Doctor Kelly insists to the Doctor.

“Knowing the rest of you are safe is relaxing enough for me,” the Doctor expresses back. “Doing something to help ensure that safety in the future will also go a long way to ease my mind.

“Besides, I'll be able to join you all out there too in a way.”

Feather Wind squints as he asks, “What does that mean?”

“You'll see,” the Doctor replies with a coy smile. “Go on out there and see for yourself.”

“How close are we in the town?” Stern Wing checks with the Doctor.

“We're within it, so pretty close,” the Doctor answers.

“Someplace private, I hope?” Stern Wing probes further. “The residents of this town and time might be peaceful, but materializing in the middle of a busy street might disturb some of that peace so I hope you kept that in mind.”

“No place is perfect, but I'm reasonably confident our materialization spot won't raise too much of a ruckus,” the Doctor reassures. “If necessary I can later move it again.”

“I'll leave Byte here again so that we can communicate with you while we're gone,” Doctor Kelly proposes.

“I approve,” the Doctor agrees.

“Why name it 'Bit' and 'Bite'?” Derpy asks in confusion. “As far as I can tell, they have nothing to do with food . . . or do they?”

Doctor Kelly shakes her head at Derpy as she says, “No. Not 'Bite' as in b-i-t-e, but 'Byte' as in b-y-t-e,” Doctor Kelly explains. “The term has more to do with a specific quantity of digital information rather than a morsel to eat. In this case, a 'bit' is a smaller quantity of 'byte'.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhh . . . I still don't get it,” Derpy admits with a confused blink of her walleyes.

“Yes. I can see that,” Doctor Kelly replies in a tone of acceptance.

“Oh wow! I just realized something interesting,” Feather Wind remarks with a minor grin. “As a breed, all of us are evenly split now. Two earth ponies, two pegasi, and two unicorns. Mathematically, this wasn't even possible until Doctor Kelly joined us.”

“Oh yeah! You're right!” Derpy realizes in amusement.

“Eh, well . . . technically I am a Magi, not a unicorn,” Doctor Kelly corrects. “Physiologically there are some differences. For instance, us magi are evolved to require less sleep per day. We can also sense and project magic far more easily. We use Magi gems to cast magic, and we live significantly longer, although that is by artificial means.”

“Less sleep, huh?” Feather Wind reflects. “But your world has far more thick and artificial magic. Maybe that has something to do with it. Furthermore, now that you left your home world, perhaps you'll find an increased need for sleep?”

Doctor Kelly lifts an eyebrow, intrigued, as she says, “You know what? That's a very good point, Feather Wind. Thank you for offering it. I should conduct a science experiment to see if that is the case. This could make a wonderful contribution to science.”

“On the subject of breeds, I am a Time Lord,” the Doctor points out. “So do I still count?”

“Eh.” Derpy sits down so she can lift both of her bent forelegs in a large shrug as she says, “Semantics.”

“Well, whether you're staying or going, everyone out!” the Doctor orders. “I need a moment of privacy to think about some things and work on a few projects.” He looks at Doctor Kelly again. “With those Stones, of course.”

“Bring your Red Crystal too!” Derpy requests of Feather Wind. “Ponyville is a wonderful place to capture good vibrations.”

“And if you do, I want to study that crystal in action,” Doctor Kelly brings up. “That information could also be useful.”

“Ah . . . speaking of which, are you bringing one of those droids with you?” Feather Wind asks Doctor Kelly cautiously.

“But of course! I always wish to bring one of my beloved pets because, with them, I could gather so much information and data samples,” Doctor Kelly answers.

“That might raise alarms in Ponyville,” Feather Wind cautions.

“Not in stealth mode, it won't,” Doctor Kelly argues then nods to one of her droids. “Watch.” Before their very eyes, one of the droids split open, creates a tool on its nose, then fades from sight. She smiles smugly as she brags, “Both of them can create a holographic projection node. Using that, it can create a projection not only to add something, but also omit something that was already there. Anypony who looks at it will only see a holographic projection of the background while the droid hides itself behind that wall of illusion.”

Smoke starts rising from Derpy's ears due to her confusion. This causes the same sound as a kettle rising steam. She also starts glowering in frustration at how this conversation brought up confusing subjects for her multiple times. She's starting to get upset about how often this is making her feel dumb and left out.

“Suffice it to say it can't easily be detected now,” Doctor Kelly reiterates for Derpy's benefit.

“Again, out,” the Doctor reminds insistently.

Part 2 Tick Tock Time Turner

One thing that is immediately apparent to the TARDIS crew is, as soon as they open the front door of the ship, they hear the sounds of ticking and clicking. As a result, some of the crew, like Feather Wind, glances behind him at the Doctor to see if this result is expected. The Doctor, in turn, doesn't seem to pay his crew any attention but at least this means he doesn't look alarmed. Even from back there, he should be hearing this too.

Outside of the TARDIS, the environment is heavily shaded but not totally dark. For those who step outside, it takes the crew a moment for their eyes to adjust. As their eyes wander (for those who can) and take in their surroundings, one thing they notice that is alarming is the silhouette of some other unidentified pony almost immediately ahead of them. Upon noticing that, Derpy screams, startled. Doing so provokes this mysterious stranger to also shout in startled fear, but now the crew can tell, based on this pony's voice, that they are dealing with a rather familiar-sounding stallion.

Stern Wing instinctively leaps into action by charging ahead of the group and then spreading her wings to defend those behind her. As for Feather, he creates a light off the tip of his horn to help illuminate the situation. However, given his short stature and the fact he's now behind Stern Wing who stepped forward and spread her wings, the stranger is still concealed in shadow until Feather steps around Stern a bit in order to spread his horn light upon this new stranger.

Upon doing so, the crew is taken aback to see the Doctor before them who is shielding his eyes from the sudden brightness in the room.

“Doctor!” Derpy exclaims in surprise.

“Derpy?” the Doctor asks ahead of them. “Confound it, girl. You didn't have to scream! You almost gave me a heart attack.”

Derpy blinks her walleyes at the Doctor and tilts her head as she says, “But I thought you decided you wouldn't leave the TARDIS right now.”

“Actually,” speaks up Feather Wind as he glances over his shoulder and into the TARDIS, “the Doctor is still in the TARDIS.”

“Then you must be . . .” Derpy begins but then gasps in astonishment before declaring. “Oh my Celestia! We're in the future!”

“Ah . . . what?” the familiar-looking stallion ahead of them blinks in confusion.

“Is a future version of me out here too?” Derpy asks in a tone of awe as she moves forward and gingerly rubs both of her forehooves on this stallion's cheeks. “Speak, Oh Future One of the Doctor.”

This stallion narrows his eyes at Derpy as he asks her, “Have you gone mad?” He slaps her hooves away fairly gently. “Derpy, it's me! Time Turner. You know me. We've even grown up in this town together.” Then he applies a hoof to his bottom lip in a thoughtful pose. “Although it is true we didn't know each other that well back then.”

“Huh?” Derpy tilts her head in confusion as she sits down.

“Don't you remember? We agreed that the TARDIS can park itself here, in my place of work and residence, to avoid being conspicuous outside,” Time Turner reminds then narrows his eyes. He also puts his hoof from his bottom lip back to the ground. “Just how long has it been for you since we last made that agreement?”

“Oh! Um,” Derpy looks to her side and thinks back. The answer she is looking for quickly returns to her the moment she checks. This makes her blush in embarrassment, close her eyes, and rub the back of her neck with a hoof. “Oh. Now I remember. Oops. My bad.” She opens her eyes again and lowers her hoof from behind her head. “But in my defense, it has been a while for me and I've been through a lot since that time.”

“Could somepony please fill the rest of us in on this situation?” Doctor Kelly kindly, but also a bit insistently, requests.

“Oh! Sure,” Derpy agrees as she stands back up again. Time Turner offers a hoof to help her rise again which she accepts then gives him a grateful nod before turning back to face the rest of her friends. “I'm just being a silly goof again. Time Turner here is a true resident pony of Ponyville who happens to resemble, sound like, and even behave like the Doctor. They even have the same cutie mark. One important difference here, though, is he is not a Time Lord but a true earth pony.”

“Looks, sounds, and acts like the Doctor but he isn't?” Doctor Kelly reiterates questioningly then narrows her eyes in doubt. “I find this hard to believe.” She widens her eyes back to normal again. “But then again, I've already seen some pretty strange things in the short time I've joined this crew. Maybe weird just comes with the territory of the Doctor's journey in the TARDIS.”

“I'd drink to that if I had something to drink,” Stern Wing agrees.

“Wow! The Doctor sure has a lot of neat and new companions traveling with him,” Time Turner notes in surprise. “And who might you all be?” He then blinks in stronger surprise when he regards Vision. “And he even brought a foal with him?”

“I foresee I am going to get that response a lot,” Vision predicts.

“And a blind foal at that?!” Time Turner realizes with even greater surprise.

“I can explain,” Derpy promises as she turns to face Time Turner. “But it's going to take me some time. It's been quite a while for me since I last came here to Ponyville.”

“Speaking of time, where are we?” Stern Wing asks as she looks up and notices a dizzying array of whirling wooden gears above crisscross wooden beams that serve as the only true barrier against the deadly hazards even further above. The architecture above them seems to narrow from the four walls to a single tip somewhere beyond sight.

“You haven't guessed? We're inside the Ponyville Clock Tower where I live and work,” Time Turner answers. “It's also where I tinker with a few inventions.”

“So this is Ponyville,” Feather Wind says with a nod then grows thoughtful. “Huh. I think I now realize what the Doctor meant when he said he might join us outside, in a way, despite remaining in the TARDIS himself.”

“He is?” Time Turner asks with a blink of surprise and a small shade of concern in his eyes. “Is he alright?”

“Actually, no. He's not,” Doctor Kelly answers. “Physically we're mostly fine thanks to my fastidious treatment, but mentally? Well . . . let's just say that is precisely why the Doctor delivered us here next. He seemed to believe we might be safe and relaxed here.” Her ears flick above her head along with a flinch of annoyance on her face. “But apparently he doesn't intend for us to actually sleep here with all that racket above us.”

“Oh, one gets used to it,” Time Turner says with a glance above him before looking back and flashing Doctor Kelly a grin. “In time,” he adds mischievously.

After a few seconds of awkward silence from the group, Derpy is the only one to crack up with a giggle due to Time Turner's recent comment.

Stern Wing lifts a hoof in front of her lips, clears her throat to signal for attention, then returns her hoof to the ground as she introduces, “Well, anyway, to address the important question you posed for us a moment ago, I am Stern Wing and this is my dear foalhood friend, Feather Wind.”

“It's an unexpected pleasure to meet you both,” Time Turner greets happily.

“And this little one is named Vision,” Stern Wing continues as she uses her right wing to gesture back at the young white filly. “She, Feather, and I both hail from the same world and time period.” She focuses her eyes back on Turner from Vision. “Which is Equestria but about one hundred years ago.”

“Oh!” Time Turner blinks in surprise. “That would be very close to the founding of this town.”

Feather Wind nods as he says, “In fact, I first met the one you all call 'Granny Smith' when she was still just a yearling. I've had a few more encounters with both her and her family later on. I've even known the Orchards, later calling themselves The Apples, after they already moved into this area.” He nods emphatically. “They already had their early harvests of Zap Apple as well.”

“Well, if you're talking about one hundred years ago, the family, as a whole, have a whole host of family names across that time,” Time Turner informs them. “Some of them still call themselves the Orchards. There are also the Apples and the Oranges.

“Believe me, their family is pretty big and they are spread out all over the place across Equestria and maybe even beyond, yet they still gather from far and wide for various family reunions if they can manage it. That's not just an old family tradition, but quite likely a promise they made to themselves quite a while ago.” He lifts a hoof as he lectures, “Information like that can be found out on Founders Day which celebrates the founding of Ponyville.” He looks corner-wise up as he squints a bit. “I think there is even a museum to that effect?” He then looks down and rubs the bottom of his chin. “Or am I thinking of the Apple Family historian, Goldie Delicious?”

“Well, be that as it may, my name is Doctor Kelly Saddler,” Doctor Kelly introduces. “I'm the most recent recruit among this bunch. In fact, I've only participated in exactly one other mission since leaving my home world. Also, unlike the rest of you, I don't hail from Equestria or even this world entirely. Instead, I come from what I can safely assume is a far-distant future relative to this timeline. I live on and within an artificial moon that can simulate anything and anyone.”

“How fascinating! I'd love to hear more about you, your kind, and your home world,” Time Turner says with excited delight.

“Well, that would take time,” Doctor Kelly says with a grin. “In the meantime, may I have your permission to scan you with a device that could provide me with a whole bunch of medical data about you? I wish to have a comparison between you and the Doctor.”

“Scan me with a device?” Time Turner emphasizes with a deeply intrigued look. “Is it some kind of advanced tech you have in the future?”

“To put it bluntly and aptly, yes,” Doctor Kelly answers.

“Then please do!” Time Turner excitedly invites. “That way I'd get a chance to see it for myself. If you haven't guessed from some of the clutter around here,” he gestures across the floor to various components and devices that are indeed scattered across the floor. “I fancy myself an inventor by hobby. Devices which help to prove that science is the real magic!”

Doctor Kelly lifts an eyebrow as she gazes at Time Turner in approval then says, “If what you say is true, then by all means . . . continue your work. It is likely ponies like you are the cause of the more advanced future I grew up in.” She nods at him. “I also have a healthy respect for science as well.”

“Then I am most delighted to make your acquaintance!” Time Turner says to Doctor Kelly in delight.

“Likewise,” Doctor Kelly loosely acknowledges as she glances away from him at what, at first, appears to be empty air until a spherical device drops the hologram it is hiding behind and switches the device on its nose to a scanning contraption. From there, it hovers around Time Turner while projecting green laser lines up, down, right, and left of him. While it does that, Time Turner regards it with foal-like delight.

“Amazing! Incredible! I simply must take it apart and examine how it works!” Time Turner says in delight.

“You'll do no such thing,” Doctor Kelly objects. “But I can show you design schematics for it if that will suffice.”

“Absolutely!” Time Turner gladly invites.

“Though I must warn you, this might be too technical for a pony of your time,” Doctor Kelly warns.

“I shall not be swayed!” Time Turner insists. “You're likely right and I shall not well understand such advanced marvels, but to merely behold it in all of its technical glory might be akin to a euphoric, almost religious experience for me.”

“So be it,” Doctor Kelly says in a neutral tone of acceptance. “And . . . done.”

Finished with its scan, the droid reverts the device on its nose back to a holographic projection node and then vanishes from sight again.

“Later,” Doctor Kelly promises as Time Turner passes her a sad, puppy-dog-like expression. “For now, we actually came here to relax.”

“And I have wanted to show them around Ponyville for quite some time,” Derpy adds. “Care to join us? It would be nice to show them around town with another fellow resident.”

Time Turner thinks that over for a brief moment before he boldly declares while puffing out his chest, “Very well. I shall gladly escort you all to whatever else you wish to see that is legal for me to show you. While we do that, perhaps you can fill me in on some of the details of your adventures since you last departed.”

“It's a deal, Doctor!” Derpy expresses very brightly but then looks startled, then embarrassed, as she realizes something. “Oh! I mean . . . Time Turner.”

“You all can call me the Doctor if you wish,” Time Turner invites. “But it might be less confusing if you reserve that terminology for your Time Lord friend whenever I am around.” He then straightens. “Well then . . . shall we depart?” he offers as he gives a gesture to the stairs leading to the lower level of this Clock Tower and his personal home. “Time awaits no pony who lacks a time machine.”

“Sure!” Derpy accepts so brightly that she briefly closed her eyes. “Let's go.” She then trots on towards the stairs but then pauses as she looks back at Vision. “Oh! Um,” she trots back to Vision and drapes a gray wing over the filly. “Stick close to me. There are many odds and ends in here which you can stumble on, not to mention the stairs up ahead.”

“Oh goodie,” Vision says dryly. “I also look forward to getting a good listen of Ponyville.”

“I'll describe it to you too,” Derpy decides when she realizes Vision has a point about the young filly's inability to get a visual look at the town.

“I'd, ah . . . like a few moments with Stern first,” Feather Wind requests. “We'll catch up in a few moments. I promise.”

“Oh! Um . . . sure,” Derpy accepts with a bit of surprise in her eyes. “We'll just be downstairs.”

“It's safer and quieter down there anyway,” Time Turner mentions. “That's my actual living quarters.”

“Then let's proceed immediately,” Doctor Kelly says with minor eagerness. “So much the better to get away from all this noise up here.”

“As you wish, Milady,” Time Turner accepts. “Follow me.”

The others proceed down the stairs and out of sight of those remaining behind.

“What's sup?” Stern Wing checks with her friend after the others leave.

Before he answers, Feather Wind trots up to the face of a giant clock except he's viewing it from the inside. As such, it appears backwards. The majority of the light spilling in here is coming from the other side of the clock in addition to the light of Feather's own horn and that which is spilling out the still-open TARDIS.

When Feather is next to the base of the inside of the giant face of the clock, he sits down and appears to marvel at it for a moment.

“Something is on your mind. I can tell,” Stern Wing announces as she trots up then settles next to him. “Lay it on me.”

“We're in the future, Stern,” Feather finally announces.

“Yeah,” Stern accepts with a shrug. “That was true with several of the prior worlds we visited too.”

“But this time we're in Equestria,” Feather points out as he still gazes at the inside face of the clock. “And Ponyville in particular. It is a town that doesn't exist in our time yet, but it soon will.”

“Your point?” Stern Wing prompts.

Feather Wind looks down with a sigh. He closes his eyes and then says, “Vision said that her prophecies of the future are guaranteed to happen if no pony does anything to prevent it. She also said she doesn't only foresee disasters but she doesn't need to say anything about the good or neutral futures. There is no harm in saying nothing and just letting them happen on their own accord.” He opens his eyes. “It's only the bad futures she gives forewarning about.”

“True,” Stern agrees after a short moment of silence passes between them.

Feather looks to his right at Stern Wing sitting beside him as he says, “However, in our case, I don't think we should rest on our laurels here. If we encounter a possible miserable fate then of course we'll work to prevent it. If, on the other hoof, we encounter a good future, as we are likely to encounter out there, then I want us to make a pledge right now. I want us to promise that we won't blindly accept it or take it for granted. If we see a bright future out there then I want to make sure that we have the gumption to ensure that this future comes to pass, at least for our own part in its history.”

“Of course,” Stern Wing accepts with a neutral blink. “That had always been my plan. I'm perfectly aware that the top of a building can't be built without its critical foundation, and I've always lived by that motto anyway. No matter what I encounter out here in time and space, I'll always be me. If I see a future I actually do want to come to pass then I shall not be lazy about it and do the work necessary to bring its fruition.” She grins slightly. “I figured that goes without saying.”

“I just think it's important that we're very clear on this point,” Feather Wind explains. “We're not part of this timeline. We're just visiting it, and I dare not do or avoid anything that might jeopardize Derpy's existence or any of her friends. She means too much to me to dare to take that risk.”

“We're responsible only for our own lives regardless,” Stern Wing reminds. “Right now we're using our freedom to visit one possible future of Equestria, but that ultimately changes nothing, I think. When we get back to our time, I'm still going to live my life to be the best that I can be. Visiting here isn't going to change that for me. I advise you to stop overanalyzing our situation and just enjoy this experience.” She takes in a deep breath and then expels it before adding, “After our last adventure, I certainly do think we could use the vacation.”

“And I think it could be a much more fulfilling one compared to Doctor Kelly's world,” Feather says as he looks back at the inside of the giant clock's face. “I mean no offense to her when I say that, and I already cherish her as a friend.”

“Well . . . she left her home world too,” Stern Wing notes aloud. “Maybe that says something about her own opinion of her world.”

“She grew up in that world,” Feather points out. “She has every reason to feel like that kind of reality is normal for her. It's everywhere else that she has to get accustomed to.”

“Right, and now she's out here doing just that with us,” Stern counters. “Again, I think you shouldn't overthink it. Just enjoy this moment with your friends. Live this moment as if it is our present because, in this time, it is precisely that.”

“'When in Fillydelphia, do as the Fillydelphians do,'” Feather quotes.

“Precisely!” Stern accepts.

Feather Wind smiles at Stern Wing very fondly as he says, “Stern Wing . . . I need to tell you that I love you so much.”

“Alright. Get in here,” Stern Wing orders as she uses her giant left wing to pull Feather Wind in close for a shared hug. The size disproportion between them made it kind of feel, to her, like she's hugging a tiny toy.

Part 3 Tour of Ponyville

A mysterious quadruped cloaked figure observes those exiting the Clock Tower across the street with a triumphant grin. Not only are the newcomers across the street expected, but even expected to arrive at this precise time. The grin especially deepens when the cloaked figure observes Derpy and the Doctor exit the clock tower. These are just the ponies the cloaked figure needs to see.

The mysterious cloaked figure almost steps out of the shadows of the alleyway across from the Clock Tower, but then the cloaked figure observes something else that the figure did not expect, and that is even more newcomers exit the Clock Tower besides Derpy and the Doctor. Specifically, there are four unexpected extras; a small white blind filly, an egg white mare in a white lab coat and oddly glowing and floating glasses. Eventually two more join the scene. Two more ponies with strong height differences. A tall and large brown mare pegasus with darker tips at her wings and hooves, and a much smaller blue unicorn stallion who seems strangely familiar to the mysterious cloaked figure, but the figure can't place the blue stallion yet.

From across the street, the mysterious cloaked figure can't make out the cutie marks of all the newcomers yet, but the blue stallion is wearing a pair of saddlebags with a larger image off to the side. That picture shows a rolled-up scroll.

The mysterious cloaked figure ponders the image of the rolled-up scroll for a short while. That seems familiar to the cloaked figure too. Perhaps even too familiar. In the right social circles, the image of a rolled-up scroll can be as common to Equestria as an hourglass cutie mark.

There's something else noteworthy about the unknown newcomers across the street. All of them, except for the blind filly, Derpy, and the Doctor, are gazing around themselves in wonder. This makes it obvious that the newcomers have never seen Ponyville before. The interesting thing about that is that they have this reaction even though they didn't enter this town from the train station or the outer border of Ponyville. Instead, they are acting this way when they stepped out of the Clock Tower itself, implying that was their very first entry point into this town.

There's only one explanation for that that the mysterious cloaked figure can come up with.

Given this recent string of observations, it gives the mysterious cloaked figure pause. There might be a danger in approaching these new, unknown newcomers. The mysterious cloaked figure needs more information now. The figure decides it might be best to follow them for a little while and gather more information. That might change how the figure approaches them later on.

When the mysterious cloaked figure observes the others venturing on, the figure eventually, and stealthily, tails after them.

---

For the most part, to Feather Wind, exploring Ponyville felt just the same as exploring any other town for the first time in his native time. The only difference is this awareness that he does have some historical connection to this town. Also the terrain is a little familiar.

To Feather, there seems to be a haphazard design to the town which clearly shows there was no organized planner behind it. Instead, it seems more like some pony in history came into town, picked a random spot, then claimed it as their own. From there, that pony (or ponies) built a home or shop there over time and that was it. As a result, most roads that run through the town, which isn't much, are crooked. They just zig and zag all over the place. There also isn't much logic to the pattern of these homes or shops. There isn't much of a dedicated business or residential district. Instead, a shop might exist beside a home, followed by another home, followed by a shop that is also a home, then nothing at all after that. A pony would have to venture north, south, east, west, or somewhere in between to get to another built structure. If one does, the next building might be all alone with no other building directly adjacent to it.

As a result of all of this, a newcomer to this town can get very confused about where everything is, and could take quite a while to eventually learn all that. Paid tour guides should be much more common in this area except for the fact that this town isn't too large overall.

That said, there is one main street running through the center of the town. Every facility and shop that this town has that specifically caters to visitors is here and it has some organization in terms of theme to this section. Any visitor that came and went from this town is most likely thinking of this one street in particular. All the shop windows face this main street. Behind those shops is where buildings have this scattered design again.

There are a lot of rivers that fork through the town. Multiple bridges are built to compensate. The newcomers are told that most of these rivers fork from a single source. One of them feeds into a nearby lake which is Ponyville's largest local body of water.

This honestly doesn't shock Feather Wind. He had seen other towns with a similar design and for similar or exactly the same reasons. This especially tends to be a pattern with small pony towns and communities. However, larger cities are almost always far more organized with most of the districts dedicated to one purpose or another. It can change over time, but there still tends to be a rhyme and reason to it.

Architecturally, most of the buildings were fairly similar such as the thatched rooftops, but that similarity often includes some kind of unique flair to each building. Being unique in some way is exactly what they had in common. Some buildings took this concept quite a bit further by adding some obvious themes to it such as Rarity's shop, the Carousel Boutique, which is somewhat designed like a carousel. There is also Sugar Cube Corner which has an extra room built on top that looks like a giant cupcake. Feather suspects that the extra room was built later as if it was an afterthought or later addition.

Then there is the Golden Oak Library. That “building” is especially unique because it is the only one which is grown from the ground rather than constructively built. It, in fact, was a natural tree that later got carved out and converted into a home.

Since it is a library, it is also one of the destinations Feather is most personally interested to explore, but since it is also run by one of the legendary Elements of Harmony, Feather also felt wary of it because significant historical events may revolve around that particular mare. Even though it is a mare from his future, he still wanted to be careful how an individual that important is approached.

That is why Feather kept his silence about exploring that particular building further even though part of him wanted to. He even caught Stern glancing back at him once as if expecting him to object about moving on from that particular building. In doing so, she notices him ducking his head and being shy over this issue. When she sees that, she frowns slightly because she thinks her colt friend should be more assertive.

This seems like a very pleasant community with bright colors and happy citizens. As Derpy promised, most of the natives seem very friendly here.

Another area that fascinates Feather is the outskirts of Ponyville which has a farmers' market. This section of town doesn't have any permanent buildings for the most part. Most likely this was how the town originally looked before some decided to set roots here and construct more permanent buildings. The farmers' market instead has lots of tents and wooden stalls. Some have also set up shop in the back of their wagons or put items for sale on a blanket. In any case, it is something the sellers here can quickly and easily construct and then leave just as easily.

Something noteworthy about the farmers' market here is multiple things.

For one, they don't just sell produce here. There are non-edible goods that are also for sale and/or services.

For two, what is sold here isn't necessarily something that is sold in town in more permanent buildings. They can be, but there is a tendency to sell items here that aren't sold in town regularly. Random sellers come in and out of this section of town so one never knows what is being sold here unless a pony ventures here every single day, although Feather is also informed by Derpy that this market tends to have significantly higher business during weekends and holidays.

For both residents and visitors, this random factor can make exploring the market rather fun and potentially profitable because one never knows what will be sold here. It changes every day. Rare deals might be discovered here as well which either take the form of a product hardly ever sold here at a marked-up price, or common goods sold at unusually low prices.

As a result of all of these factors, the farmers' market tends to do very well for the sellers. It seems the demand is just a bit higher than the supply ever is on average. Part of the reason isn't just because of the residents and visitors, but also because the sellers are often buyers as well. In fact, it can be even more important for the sellers to explore this market for goods they aren't selling themselves (unless they are exploring or attempting to undermine the competition) because the sellers often come from distant and remote locations. Locations that don't have regular access to any shop. Most of these sellers are farmers themselves who specialize in certain types of crops. They keep what they need and then sell off the rest at markets like this. In return, they use the bits they earned to turn right back around and start becoming a buyer themselves for other goods that they need for their farm, including other produce that they don't grow or don't grow often.

All of this makes Ponyville the focal point of widely spread and more isolated communities such as single family farms. Markets like this are too distant for them to make every day so they tend to do this more like once a moon, or even once a season. Ponyville just happens to be the center of all of this where everyone consciously or unconsciously agreed to gather.

Once again, this is a common pattern for most of Equestria except in larger cities.

Ponyville occasionally gets merchants and goods from very distant locations. For those merchants, this is most likely just a pit stop along the way to either many locations across Equestria, which is usually more common, or a specific destination that is distant from where they started. Ponyville is where they offload some of their goods, get re-supplied for their journey, then off they go again. It is times like these why Ponyville gets access to exotic goods rarely sold in this area.

In Feather's estimation, it is Sweet Apple Acres that was the initial draw for this town, especially for one very rarely sold goods in Equestria, Zap Apple Jam. However, it was later that the train station really put Ponyville on the map. Ever since then, the town saw much more hoof traffic of all kinds. That's when the momentum of this town took a dramatic upswing.

Most likely it is a similar story with plenty of other very small communities that picked up into a town level of success or higher. The trains really brought Equestria networking together on a more regular basis and are, in fact, the greatest invention that Feather is seeing since his native time.

Observing this is making him feel like he's getting an unfair advantage. This is the kind of information that his father might kill for. Early investment in this type of business could make his family significantly richer, but there is a good chance that it took quite a while to pay off. The cost of the railroad tracks alone probably took decades to eventually become profitable, but when it finally did, early investors probably gained more money than they knew what to do with.

These days, however, Ponyville is enjoying a new wave of fame and fortune for an entirely different reason. Much more recently it has become known as the home of the greatest heroines of the current age. Heroines that could potentially access one of the greatest magics of all of Equestria. That kind of information turns heads and makes Ponyville a center focus because all six of these heroines just happen to live here and nowhere else, although most of them lived elsewhere in the past. Only Rarity and Applejack are true natives born and raised here.

“Ooo! This looks fun!” Derpy squees in excitement which shake Feather from his recent train of thoughts.

“Huh?” Feather asks Derpy questioningly then observes her looking at a certain dark tent with excitement. That tent has a sign in the front that says, “Madam Pinkie Pie.”

“Wait. Pinkie Pie?” Feather asks with a squint. “Isn't she one of the Elements of Harmony in this timeline?”

Derpy nods in confirmation as she says, “Yes indeedy! Specifically, she's the Element of Laughter and the town's most famous party planner.” She tilts her head as she goes on to say, “The thing is, one usually encounters her far more either in Sugar Cube Corner, shopping around for party supplies, or actually at a party she helped to organize. This,” Derpy gestures to the tent, “is a rather rare service from her.” Derpy then smiles brightly. “And one I wish to partake of right now.”

Feather squints one eye as he asks cautiously, “Are you sure it is wise for us to do so? Pinkie is one of the ones who is often wrapped around important events in this timeline.”

“I'm surprised you asked that,” Stern says aloud to Feather. “I thought we discussed this. That we should live in the current time as if it is our present. While we're here, we shouldn't be afraid to partake of . . .” Stern trails off when she realizes something, then snaps her gaze at Feather as she says, “Oh! That's why you didn't insist for us to visit the Golden Oak Library.”

“What?!” Derpy regards Feather in minor alarm. “If you wanted to visit the library then you should have told me.”

“I just . . . I didn't . . . I . . .” Feather stutters then trails off as his cheeks burn with embarrassment. “I . . . have no excuse,” he relents, thus giving up on trying to explain himself.

“Well, we can always go back there later,” Time Turner proposes. “In the meantime, we're here right now,” he says with a gesture to Pinkie's tent.

“Being such a well-known mare in this town, is there any particular reason Pinkie's predictions here are especially trustworthy?” Stern Wing asks cautiously.

“If you ask me, I think this whole thing is ridiculous and unscientific,” Time Turner scoffs in disdain. “The hocus-pocus nonsense is mainly for the entertainment of the uneducated.”

“Hey! If there is one thing that Pinkie is especially well known for, it is how to make any event fun,” Derpy says in Pinkie's defense at Time Turner then says to them all, “Also, Pinkie has a famous reputation for predicting certain things. No pony knows how she does it, but it's too accurate to afford to ignore it. If Pinkie's tail is twitching, for example, it is best to find shelter soon because something is going to fall.”

“That sounds really unscientific,” Doctor Kelly observes with minor disgust.

“I know. Right?” Time Turner enthusiastically agrees.

“But plenty of ponies swear by it,” Derpy promises. “Even Twilight, one of the town's most famous scientific skeptics, was convinced of this due to too much repeated evidence.” Derpy shrugs. “So Pinkie setting up shop to predict other things of the future doesn't seem that far off.”

“That's funny because, technically, me, Feather, and Vision are visiting from the past,” Stern cracks up. “Seeing all of this is seeing the future for us. With access to a time machine, we could go even further into the future, and already have, and experience other things that could enable us to make other reliable 'predictions' about the future.”

“Thus verifying if Pinkie's predictions are accurate or not,” Feather adds with a grin.

“Well I still think that is facetious logic,” Time Turner argues. “Look. I can predict the future too if I wanted to as well. For instance, I predict a certain pony with an hourglass cutie mark is going to kick a bit of dirt on the ground.” Time Turner proceeds to do so then sarcastically gasps as he places a hoof on his cheek and says, “Oh look! My prediction came true! Gasp!” He then lowers his hoof back to the ground and drops his eyelids halfway with a dry look. “Looks like I'm a Great and Powerful seer as well. Maybe I should set up my own shop about this.” He waves at Pinkie's tent. “Apparently anypony can do this.”

“Oh come on, Doc!” Derpy cheers with a gentle nudge to Time Turner with a bent knee. “It's all in good fun! You got to get into the spirit of things.” She shrugs. “Besides, what if she's right? The knowledge we gain could end up important.” She narrows her eyes and looks off to the side. “There are certain things that I would like to know about my future.”

“Look, if any of you want to waste your bits here, be my guest,” Time Turner invites. “I guess it could at least be a kind of emotional support for a while there. On the other hoof, though, if you ask me, even if these predictions did come true then where's the fun in that? Would you really feel satisfied knowing everything that is going to happen?”

“I get by,” Vision announces casually. “And I can't predict everything. Just some things.”

“Point taken,” Stern Wing agrees with a gesture to Vision while regarding Derpy. “We already have a genuine psychic right here among us.”

“Oh please,” exacerbates Time Turner with a roll of his eyes. “So I guess you're going to claim you're a psychic too?”

“Actually, there might be something to the gifts of this little one,” Doctor Kelly points out. “And besides, knowledge of the future can be quite ambiguous to those who trot through time.”

“I'm not claiming to be anything,” Vision argues. “I am what I am regardless of anypony else's opinion of me. I don't require external validation to do what I do.”

Time Turner's expression towards Vision shifts from skeptical to a small shade of respect due to her comment.

“What do you feel from this one now?” Stern Wing asks Vision curiously. “The one in the tent, that is. Pinkie Pie.”

Before Vision answers, she steers her right ear in Pinkie's direction which is a clue that Vision is now focusing on that particular pony. She doesn't say anything for a few seconds. She just concentrates. Eventually she says, “I feel bubbly, happy energy from the one in the tent known as Pinkie Pie,” Vision announces. “It's very similar to Derpy's energy, actually, except Pinkie's is more steady. Derpy's energy sparkles and pops in and out, much like her cutie mark. With Pinkie Pie, however, it is a similar level of uplifting energy except it shines more than sparkles. It is more constant.”

“Ooo! Neat,” Derpy cheers, then nods after a few seconds. “That sounds accurate too.”

“Are you seeing these images in your head?” Time Turner asks with mixed skepticism and intrigue. Even if he doesn't believe what Vision is saying, he still wants to know how she perceives it.

“No,” Vision says with a shake of her head. “It's more of a feeling I get in my chest.”

“How can you tell that isn't just your own feelings?” Time Turner probes.

“Lots of practice,” Vision answers. “I've been this way my whole life. Frankly, I don't know any other way I'm supposed to live.”

“Nothing you feel from the one in the tent feels dubious?” Stern checks with Vision.

Once again, Vision pauses as she inwardly explores the answer to that question before eventually shaking her head. “No. What I am getting from that one is a genuine and intense interest to get her customers to smile. Beyond that, I sense no plots from her of any kind. It's as if she's generally accustomed to avoiding plans aside from her parties which she's willing to plan out in extremely meticulous detail.” Vision shrugs. “It's just who she is and what is important to her.

“I can promise you all this. I can't vouch for the accuracy of her predictions per se, but if you leave her tent without a genuine smile at least once, she will take it as a mark of personal failure and may likely hound you for it until she can get you to smile. All other objectives will be temporarily forgotten until then. It's as if there is only room in her head for one thought at a time. That, or no thoughts at all. Just pure and totally random, but often also fun, whimsy.”

“Eh. Well, it sounds harmless, I suppose,” Stern Wing accepts with a shrug. “Aside from that, I'm kind of curious to see one of the future Elements of Harmony. I want to size her up and determine for myself how safe our future really is and why.”

“I advise caution on this regard,” Time Turner warns the group. “Certain traits about her are common enough to be predictable, but Pinkie likes to specialize in surprises on occasion. As a result, be careful about judging her at face value. There is much beneath her surface that most have given up trying to figure out. It has become a popular adage around here, 'It's Pinkie Pie. Don't question her.'”

Stern Wing lifts an eyebrow at Time Turner as she says, “Well, now I'm even more interested to meet this mare.”

“We came here to relax and gather information,” Doctor Kelly reminds the group. “This seems like a harmless diversion and might even be insightful.”

Time Turner sighs as he gives up then gives a lame gesture towards the tent. He also says invitingly in a halfhearted way, “Well then . . . go ahead. After you.”

---

The interior of Madam Pinkie Pie's tent is quite a bit darker than it is on the outside primarily because of the thick and dark curtains and/or blankets being hung on the inside of the tent. Illumination is caused by a bunch of lanterns with glow bugs in them. Despite the darkness of the materials lining the walls, they are also a bit shiny, thus increasing the illumination just a bit.

“OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoo!” “Madam” Pinkie Pie chants as soon as they all enter her tent with a playful, mystical-sounding voice. Pinkie is wearing a coiled turban hat with a jewel in the center. She is waving her forelegs around a crystal ball at the center of her white cloth table directly in front of her and low to the ground. “Wel-come to the Tent of the Mysterious and Enchanting Madam Pinkie PiEEEeeeEEEeee!” Pinkie greets while holding that waving inflection to her voice. “All who enter . . . Behold as I . . .”

Pinkie blinks as she trails off while regarding her guests in surprise then says as she suddenly drops her wavy mystical sounding voice, “Wow! There sure is a whole lot of you entering here.” She tilts her head curiously. “I see a whole lot of new faces as well.”

As Feather Wind regards Pinkie's expression, he notices how a delightful smile is growing not only on Pinkie Pie's lips, but also sinking deep into her eyes. At that moment, he realizes that the wheels in Pinkie's mind are turning. She just gained a new excuse to plan a party soon.

Due to reputation, primarily from Derpy, Feather was well aware of this tendency from Pinkie Pie, but this is the first time he, and some of his friends, is observing this first hoof.

“Ooo!” Pinkie Pie's eyes widen with sudden delight when she notices something among the group that really captures her attention. A moment later, Pinkie Pie suddenly ducks under her clothed table which has her “mystical” crystal ball on. One second later, she pops up directly in front of Doctor Kelly and most definitely within the doctor's personal space. Pinkie is still wearing her turban hat with a gem in it. At that moment, Pinkie's eyes briefly extend out of her eye sockets in a cone-shaped fashion as if to point at Doctor Kelly's face as Pinkie says, “Neat! Your glasses are glow-ee-ee.”

Doctor Kelly flinches and looks taken aback as she says, “Yeah. Well ah . . . they are magical.”

Feather Wind lifts an eyebrow as he realizes that is actually not a lie.

“Let me see!” Pinkie cries excitedly as she somehow grabs Doctor Kelly's normally intangible holographic glasses and puts them on Pinkie's own muzzle. When she does, she gives “ooo” and “ahh” sounds as she looks around her own tent with the holo glasses on. During that time, Pinkie Pie's eyes look unusually large on the other side of the holo lens which is strange since that doesn't happen to Doctor Kelly's eyes. “Everything looks all funny and digital-ee!” Pinkie squees in excitement as she views around the tent.

Doctor Kelly winces as she asks, “Digital-ee? Do you even know what that means?”

“I have no idea!” Pinkie admits with her same upbeat attitude. “Here.” Pinkie Pie impossibly grabs the intangible glasses again and puts them back on Doctor Kelly's face. Then Pinkie ducks which somehow makes her disappear only to reappear behind her mystical table again.

“Welcome to Ponyville!” Pinkie Pie very brightly cheers behind her table again while spreading her pink forelegs outwardly in a high-angle V formation. “Friends of yours, Derpy and Doc?”

“More hers, actually,” Time Turner announces. “I'm just showing them around town. Same as Derpy here.”

“You all arrived here just today?” Pinkie asks as she lowers her forehooves to rest on her table, but her enthusiasm remains as high. Seeing it already makes Feather Wind smile because Pinkie's youthful enthusiasm is deeply infectious.

“Just today, in fact,” Time Turner informs casually. “During their stay, I'm having them stay with me in my Clock Tower.”

“Wait. Hold on,” Doctor Kelly objects as she raises a hoof. “We just came in here with the implied promise of getting entertainment from a psychic, so why are we feeding her all of this hoofy information? Shouldn't it be her who 'mystically' tells us this?”

Pinkie Pie slams her forehooves on her table, sits up straight but also leans back, and gives a very dramatic gasp that lasts three seconds. During that time, Pinkie's eyes explode hugely wide and her bottom jaw drops to a degree beyond what medical science can explain. She then points at Doctor Kelly with a forward jab of her left forehoof as Pinkie declares, “You know what? You're right! And when you're right . . . you're right!”

As if reminded of that fact, Pinkie suddenly snaps back into “Madam Pinkie Pie” mode again by lifting her forehooves, hovering them, and waving them around her crystal ball as she resumes speaking in her wavy voice. “Gaze into the Crystal Ball of Madam Pinkie Pieeeeee! Madam Pinkie Pie sees all! She knows all!”

“Then you don't require any education,” Stern Wing snickers under her breath. “You already know everything. Must be nice?”

“I . . . I'm getting something!” Madam Pinkie gasps as she straightens dramatically again. “I seeeeeee . . .” She leans forward and squints at her crystal ball at first, but her eyes widen in astonishment again as she dramatically declares, “. . . a party!” She gazes above her ball at the group again. “A party thrown in honor of all of you newcomers to Ponyville!”

Time Turner slaps a hoof onto his left cheek as he says sarcastically, “Oh wow! Really? I'm sure none of us saw that coming.”

“Yep!” Pinkie beams happily as she leans back and folds her forehooves across her chest. “That's what I see. A big party thrown in your honor.” She then slightly squints one eye and tilts her head at Time Turner as she asks, “Will your Clock Tower be an okay location for the party? You got plenty of room there.”

“Ahhhhh . . . I suppose it's fine as long as we keep it to the first floor,” Time Turner bargains. “There's a lot of whirling gears on the upper floors, you see, and it's quite noisy up there besides.”

“No kidding,” Doctor Kelly glumly agrees.

“Great!” Pinkie cheers then asks, “See you all there tonight?”

“Are you sure you can arrange it that fast?” Time Turner asks a little skeptically.

Pinkie closes her eyes and smiles brightly as she cheers, “Oh. I'm sure I can manage.”

“I'm surprised you're not throwing a surprise party,” comments Derpy.

Pinkie opens her eyes at Derpy then gestures to her crystal ball as she says, “Well DUUUUUH! I just told you about the party in your future with this crystal ball here. It's not meant to be a surprise party. Silly.”

“Have you ever been wrong before?” Stern Wing asks Pinkie with a cocky smirk.

Despite the playful way Stern phrased that, Pinkie looks like she honestly gives that serious thought. She looks cornerwise up and taps her bottom lip for a few seconds with a squinting expression before she declares, “No. Not usually.” She looks at Stern Wing with a more normal expression. “Especially when it comes to parties.” She sits up straight and holds her forehooves on her table at a diagonal angle. “Because parties are serious business!”

“If you say so,” Stern casually accepts. “You do you.”

“Don't worry!” Pinkie's cheerful expression pops back in. “I will!” She points at Stern. “That's a Pinkie Promise.”

Part 4 History Enchanted

“Well,” Stern Wing comments as she exits Madam Pinkie Pie's tent. “That was both predictable and surprising at the same time.” She looks back as she watches her friends exit the tent as well. She focuses her next question at Derpy in particular. “Is that normal for that mare?”

“Pretty much,” Derpy confirms with a casual shrug.

“Pretty much all the time,” Time Turner confirms more firmly. “But all of us who grew up in this town with her are used to that. I may not personally understand or approve of how easily she breaks the laws of physics, but if there is one thing I most definitely can say in that mare's favor, it's that she's really good at her job. Lifting the spirits of all those in Ponyville is a personal mission for her.”

“OH SHOOT!” Derpy gasps in unpleasant shock which momentarily puts her friends on edge. “I forgot to tell her to bring muffins to the party.” Derpy slaps her face with a hoof. “How could I be such a feather brain about this?” Derpy spins about to face the entrance/exit of the tent behind them. “Excuse me for a moment.”

Derpy was about to enter back into the tent but her face gets shoved right back outside not only because of a very extended pink hoof but a muffin that is carried on top of it.

“Here you go,” the largely unseen Pinkie offers from beyond the tent entrance/exit. “For you, and don't worry! I know what to bring to a party to make sure all my friends smile! That's another Pinkie Promise.”

“Oh goodie! Thank you!” Derpy squees as she accepts the offered muffin with both of her wings. She then brings it immediately to her mouth and scarfs down a large bite. Magical, floating bubbles appear around Derpy's head as a visual gag to show how much Derpy's mind is now floating in pure bliss. The underside of her eyes blush red as an additional sign of that.

“Okie-dokey-lokey!” the still unseen Pinkie cheers as she withdraws her pink hoof back into her tent. “See you all tonight! Please look forward to it. You won't be disappointed.”

The whole TARDIS crew, plus Time Turner, is suddenly silent for four seconds before they all erupt in a mirthful laugh. Some of them don't even consciously know why they did that at that moment and would later categorize it as a brief moment of temporary insanity, although there is no doubt that Pinkie would personally interpret that as a personal badge of honor.

“Well,” Time Turner says as he starts to calm down again and wipe a happy tear away. “Now that that brief moment of insanity is over, do you all care to resume the tour?”

“You all go ahead. There is something else I want to check out myself,” Feather expresses.

“Sweet Apple Acres?” Stern guesses wisely.

“Bingo,” Feather confirms with a proud nod to his foalhood friend.

“Well, we can make that the next destination for us all,” Time Turner offers.

“No,” Stern Wing objects as she looks back at Time Turner. “I think he wants to be more alone on this one. I've noticed that crowds, like this,” she uses her face to gesture around them, “eventually starts to overwhelm him. I think he just wants to withdraw to someplace quieter.” She looks at Feather. “And familiar.”

“True that,” Time Turner says as if he just realized something. “This whole town is very new to the four of you time travelers.”

A passing mare by the name of Carrot Top pauses in her trot for a second as she gives Time Turner a curious look for that comment.

“Aren't we all traveling through time?” Time Turner explains to Carrot Top to help explain his earlier comment. “Time waits for no pony and all that.”

Carrot Top blinks at Time Turner then shrugs carelessly before casually proceeding on with her day.

“You should probably keep comments like that on the down low while we're all in public,” Stern Wing sternly and quietly advises Time Turner.

“Point taken,” Time Turner agrees while he fidgets nervously with his green bow tie.

“Do you think you can even find Sweet Apple Acres?” Derpy asks Feather in concern.

“Don't worry. I'll ask the wind,” Feather assures.

“I'm sure there is some world and timeline out there where a comment like that makes sense,” Time Turner says as he lifts an eyebrow at Feather Wind.

“Just in case, I'll go with you,” Derpy offers then suddenly gets shy as she amends, “if . . . if you don't mind, that is.”

Feather shakes his head as he says, “I don't mind at all. I'm perfectly comfortable, and even elated, for you to join me.” He gives a casual smile at Derpy then follows that up by looking at Stern Wing, but that smile dims a bit when he notices a look of concern in Stern's eyes. “Something wrong?” he checks with Stern.

“Um . . . no. I'm sure you two will be fine,” Stern reassures but she continues to hold a guarded expression on her face. “You two be careful. Don't drop your guard too much even around here.”

“Ah . . . sure,” Feather says with a mystified and slightly disturbed blink.

Stern Wing steps forward then kisses the top of Feather Wind's mane before she steps back and says, “I'm sure you two will be fine, as I said. Just be careful, and I'll see you two later.”

“Well. Shall we?” Derpy offers as she gestures in the correct direction with a wing.

“Sure. Let's go,” Feather accepts as he trots in the indicated direction.

As they proceed, Derpy shortly later asks, “Also didn't you say earlier that you didn't want to run into any of the Apple family at this time? Especially Granny Smith?”

“I'm not planning on visiting the Apple family and especially Granny Smith,” Feather explains to Derpy as he continues. “I just want to visit the farm itself and see how much it has changed, or hasn't changed as the case may be.”

Feather pauses for a brief moment when the wind brushes up against his head and a whisper is carried with it.

“The reason I advised caution is because we were being followed by some cloaked pony,” Feather hears Stern's whisper in the wind. “Perhaps we still are. Somepony was tailing us earlier. I'm still sure you two will be fine as long as you remain on your guard. However, if your status changes then let me know via the wind if able.”

This is the first time Feather heard anything about this and he didn't notice this himself. For a brief moment he wonders privately why Stern kept this to herself until now, but then he figures she wanted the others to enjoy themselves and not panic while she secretly remained alert for this possible threat. For as long as Stern kept this to herself, the one following them shouldn't be tipped off about the guard pony being alert about this either. However, since the party is now being split up a bit, Stern finally fessed up and stealthily offered this tip to at least Feather Wind.

“Thanks for the tip. I promise I'll remain alert,” Feather Wind whispers then allows the wind to carry that message back to Stern.

---

Along the way to Sweet Apple Acres, Feather Wind doesn't notice anypony tailing after them. That doesn't mean there isn't anypony there. There are a lot of trees to hide behind in this area.

Indeed. A lot. Far more than Feather is accustomed to. This farm has obviously expanded across these one hundred years significantly. Last time he checked, this family just had a few orchards immediately around the Orchard's new home. Now their orchards sprawl across many hilltops all across this landscape.

“Are you serious?!” Feather Wind asks in shock when Derpy informs him how many Apple family members live at this farm permanently. “Just four ponies are living at this farm? And two of them being so old and young that they can't help buck any of the apples down from all these trees?! So what you're really telling me is only two farmers are left to buck all of these trees?”

“Apple Bloom and Granny Smith both help out on the farm in their own way,” Derpy assures. “Chores and quality assurance and all that.”

Feather squints an eye at Derpy as he asks her, “Didn't Time Turner say earlier that the Apple family is very large?”

“Yes,” Derpy confirms. “If you don't believe me, time travel to one of their family reunions.

“However, that family is spread out a lot all across Equestria. They are mixed up in all kinds of things now, but they come back to the farm about once a year. Sometimes more, but it also depends upon what else they're caught up in. The bond of this family is still very strong, though. That promise to come back once in a while drags them from all corners of Equestria. This farm is still their focal point.”

Feather looks down as he thinks back. He remembers when the Orchard family got chased off their original farm by a small hoard of goblins. If it was only their house and barn that got burned down, they could have recovered. However the goblins poisoned the land as well, and a strategy like that was way beyond the normally dim-witted and kind of insane little buggers. It was only later that Feather learned that the attack was driven by Puppet Master which was Feather's first, albeit distant, encounter with that insane sociopath. Years later Feather further learned that the whole thing might have been secretly masterminded by King Sombra.

What followed after that tragedy was something that Feather never forgot, though, nor would he wish to. Despite the loss the Orchards had suffered, there was something heroically endearing about how they stuck together and cheered each other up. It was so hard to smile back then, but they kept on trotting and they kept on singing. While Feather's younger self temporarily joined them just to make sure they remain in the clear about that which attacked them earlier, the Orchard's insisted he was part of the family during their initial trek. As such, they insisted that he join their songs.

As far as Feather knows, Granny Smith is the last pony left who remembers that initial trek besides Feather Wind himself. What he observed about earth ponies back then dramatically shifted his perspective and gave him a healthy respect for the culture. They were so strong both inwardly and outwardly. To imagine family roots like that taking root here in Ponyville and then growing into all of this!

A proud tear trails down Feather's face and chokes up his breathing a bit.

“You okay?” Derpy timidly but also kindly asks beside him.

“Yeah. I'm fine,” Feather assures as he bends his head and wipes the tear away with his bent left knee. He then gazes upon that tear for a second before trotting on. “It's just that . . . being here, at this farm, is bringing back a lot of memories for me. Some of them are good, and some of them are bad. Mostly all of this reminds me how strong and loyal this family is to each other. How much they care for one another. I was not entirely alienated from this kind of culture during my upbringing but you can imagine how different it can get among Canterlot elite even during my time.”

Derpy remains quiet for that comment because she doesn't know what to say. There are many things in this world that go way, way above her head. She is sympathetic to Feather even if she doesn't fully understand where he's coming from.

“Strong family. Strong roots,” Feather goes on. “Strong enough to help forge all of this.” He looks around the giant orchard, almost in awe. Derpy has a feeling, though, that Feather meant far more than just the farm. After all, she just told him that this family has spread out all across Equestria. That means this family's influence upon this world has spread just as far. So many amazing stories are out there because of it, and all of it started here on this humble little farm in Ponyville.

In thinking of that, Derpy's own eyes start to tear up since she's beginning to understand the sheer magnitude of what happened here. There is a lot about this that she used to take for granted, but now she's beginning to feel the weight of it by traveling beside another pony who was a part of this history.

It's all connected.

“I love this future, Derpy,” Feather says with a proud smile and tears glazing his own eyes. “I'm so glad to see how brightly things turned out here, and I promise I'll do whatever I can to make sure that this world is forged from my own little corner of it. I won't take any of it for granted. I can't. It's just too important.”

“Listening to you say that about my home, the world I grew up in, I . . . I'm so moved, Feather,” Derpy expresses to Feather very emotionally. Mostly happily.

“Everywhere I look, I see a story begging to be told,” Feather goes on. “A poem waiting to be born. A history as alive and as rich as the trees that are all around us. Savor it, Derpy. It's all so meaningful, alive, and special.”

At that moment, as if on cue, the wind suddenly picks up. It is potentially caused by the blue stallion beside her, but he isn't acting like it. He does, however, seem to expect it, for he pauses in place, closes his eyes, and breathes it in deeply as the wind passes the two of them.

As requested, Derpy closes her eyes and spreads her wings just a bit as she savors the wind that passes through them. Like Ponyville and its history, the wind is something else she used to take for granted. However, ever since she started traveling with another pony who has such a deep connection to it, her own appreciation for it takes on a whole new dimension of depth in her soul. It feels like rediscovering something deeper about a thing she previously overlooked. That certainly makes this moment feel magical and special to her.

The wind blows through her mane and ruffles through the gray feathers on her wings. All around her, she hears the sizzling sound of the wind drifting through the many branches of the apple trees. Because of that, she can also smell the apples in the breeze. It feels like a gift to her. A sacred gift. It's like a reward for simply being alive at this moment.

Derpy slowly opens her wet walleyes. She feels so enchanted at this moment that it almost makes her dizzy.

“I love how you view the world, Feather,” Derpy expresses quietly but very emotionally. “You're almost as enchanting to me as the Doctor in your own way. He helped to open my eyes to many possibilities and impossibilities spread out in all of time and space. It feels incredible even though it also makes me feel smaller and smaller.

“But you help to remind me how sacred my own roots are. How much joy is waiting to be noticed in my own home. I almost feel ungrateful for not noticing it before.” She frowns as she looks down. “Too busy moping over the others teasing me about my crazy eyes or my lack of balance, I suppose. I wasted so much time feeling sorry for myself.”

Now it's Feather's turn to remain quiet but also very present beside Derpy. He just stands there and listens to her, watches her, and cares for her very deeply.

“You have very kind eyes, Feather,” Derpy says as she looks at him with a smile. “The gentle soul behind them feels almost otherworldly. Thank you for being my friend and for just being you.”

“To you as well, Derpy,” Feather replies. “Right back at you.”

A sudden whimsical thought snaps into Derpy's mind. It entails an opportunity that she just now realizes she should have taken advantage of a long time ago.

“Feather Wind . . . let's go for a fly!” Derpy cheers in an enchanted voice. “I just realized we've never done that together yet. The very thing that is most dear and sacred to you is something we haven't shared yet.”

“You sure?” Feather checks with that same kind and gentle eyes, but it is brighter now with elation.

“I'm a pegasus, yet you make me feel like I never truly understood the sky before,” Derpy expresses then shakes her head. “At least, not to the degree that you have. I want to see it for myself. A true glimpse into the depth of your world.”

“You've always been welcome to join it, Derpy,” Feather says with a soft and gentle smile.

“Yeah, but now I finally noticed that. I acknowledge it,” Derpy returns. “With you, a flight probably feels ten times more enchanting. I want to experience that at least once in my life. It's on my bucket list now, and we already have an opportunity to cross it out.”

“Then let's fly, Derpy!” Feather expresses brightly as the winds suddenly pick up again. “To the skies above and even the stars beyond. May no gravity, or any limitation, ever impede our unlimited freedom.”

“Yes!” Derpy cheers. “Let's.”

Derpy spreads her wings as Feather Wind floats his Mist Cloak out of his saddlebag. He floats the opening in the hood through his horn and tucks each of his hooves into four corner pockets of the Mist Cloak. Once he does that, he yanks the magical cloud cloak tot while lightening this body weight. The wind catches within his cloak and propels him to sail up like a kite except he isn't tethered by a string.

Together they fly free in the skies above Ponyville. The whole landscape sprawls around them from this much higher bird's eye view. This affords them a much broader perspective, but they also savor their view at the level of the sky. Playfully they dance and swirl around other clouds in the sky. The wind coils around those clouds and twists them into a higher column. Sometimes they also plunge into it like sinking into cotton candy or just lift a hoof as they fly under it. Doing so causes bits of clouds to spiral behind them as they fly onward.

Down below and hidden among the various trees of Sweet Apple Acres, the mysterious cloaked figure continues to watch them.

Part 5 Nexus of Destiny

Seeing Equestria from high up, the landscape does not appear that much different to Feather Wind for the most part, but in the local area, seeing Ponyville is a clear sign that he isn't really in his own world.

Or, rather, he is, but it is not his native time.

Scanning over the horizon, Feather realizes he'll see more of the same across the rest of Equestria. That the land, water, and sky are mostly the same, but there are far more communities out there now. In fact, the population of Equestria has likely been enjoying a recent bump for about the last twenty to thirty years, and the most likely culprit of that is the railroad system. Many communities are trading and traveling more than they had in centuries. Because they are interacting more, more ponies are meeting each other and one thing leads to another. Next thing they know, a new yearling is born.

There isn't much about this new time Feather has to complain about, but it also makes him feel a little alienated and homesick. He does not even feel tempted to explore Canterlot itself and find out how much it has changed too. If that happens then he might feel like even more of an outsider in his own world.

Feather eventually excuses himself from Derpy and explains that he needs to spend some time alone. This request surprises her at first. She almost complains until she recalls something Stern once told her, and that is Feather occasionally needs some time alone to decompress himself. After being stressed in a crowd like the ones in Ponyville, even though it was clear no pony intended them harm there, Feather still needs some time to himself to help him cope.

So Derpy accepts and says she will rejoin the others before flying off. Feather thanks her before he departs.

Feather Wind closes his eyes and just lets the wind carry him without any conscious control over it. He enjoys the flight itself and allows that to soothe his spirit.

But eventually he notices the landscape getting more familiar again. In time he realizes that the wind has carried him back to the same cliff he once flew off from for the very first time in his life. At this location, the winds tend to be more energized and active. In a way, it feels like returning home.

Feather Wind lands at the edge of the cliff again. His Mist Cloak settles down, but his mane continues to be blown straight in various directions. Ahead of him are forested mountains. Then he turns around to gaze off the edge of the cliff. This cliff leads off to a very steep drop. In that direction, the significantly lower landscape is dotted with many lakes, but otherwise the terrain is mostly flat plains.

Until this moment, Feather Wind didn't really feel like he had truly returned to his home world. So much about Equestria had changed over these one hundred years. More knowledge is acquired. Some pivotal technologies have severely altered the way many societies interact with each other and it seems like this may be only the beginning. There is more communication and trade in this world. All in all, ponies kind of live closer together.

But nature itself seems largely unchanged. This cliff, as well as the landscape behind and ahead of him, is totally familiar. The feeling he gets from the winds here is also very familiar, yet he is also getting this “welcome back” sensation as he breathes in the wind and feels it brushing through his mane and hide.

There's a new story in the winds now. He can feel it. A story that he hasn't been fully a part of himself, but to the winds, the story has already been told. So, in a small way, even nature recognizes he isn't fully where he belongs. Despite that, he still feels the most comfortable here.

Feather Wind closes his eyes and breathes in deeply. As he does so, he channels some of the positive feelings he is feeling at this moment into the Red Crystal for the very first time. He's attuned to it enough, by now, that there is a decent flow of energy between him and the crystal. Using that connection, he has some of that energy flow into the crystal.

With that, a new legacy is born. The first drop of energy into this bucket. It will need significantly more for it to fulfill its destiny, but it feels iconic to him that all of that should start up here. Right back to where his true journey in self-discovery was born.

The place where he discovered his new name and cutie mark.

As he continues to dwell on that, some dark thoughts also sink into his head because it reminds him why collecting this energy is so important. Not only is it to be helpful in eventually returning the Crystal Empire, but he'll need it to defeat one of King Sombra's otherwise immortal and invincible servants.

There are a lot of things in this time that remind him of his dark past and most dangerous nemesis so far. In a way, the clicking and tick-tock sounds of Time Turner's Clock Tower is one of them, for it reminds Feather of a chilling nursery-sounding rhyme that Puppet Master created which sounded like a bunch of spooky and ghostly foals.

“Tick-tock

Goes the clock

Into the here on af-ter . . .

“Tick-tock

Goes the clock

Until we're smashed to bat-ter.”

The ghostly foals started laughing again as if they relished the idea of their own demise. The laughter rose to a fever pitch. It sounded like the crowd was thickening over time.

Feather Wind shudders as he shakes his head. That moment still eats away inside of him. It reminds him of the kinds of horrible monsters that exist out there.

But the Doctor and Derpy came on that same adventure. Since then, Feather has seen some other things that might not be as scary as what Puppet Master conjured in Vision's former temple, but the other threats had a similar level of danger. If not for himself, then for others.

Feather Wind slowly cracks open his eyes as he contemplates destiny itself. A destiny that brought him to this cliff on multiple occasions long ago, and now he is here again. He didn't influence the winds to carry him here. Instead, these seem like a nexus point where the winds and destiny converge.

The Winds of Destiny.

Those same winds had eventually carried him much further than this. Beyond this whole world and into the vast and unlimited confines of time and space. Up there, he senses he's starting to get embroiled in a much larger conflict; the Time War. Whatever role Feather, or his friends, have in that affair, however distantly, it still feels significantly important to him at this moment.

Feather wonders, to himself, if this was what destiny was preparing him for or if, somehow, events will grow even larger than this. That's hard to imagine, but not long ago, where and when he is now was hard to imagine as well. He could conceive of this possibility but didn't think anything like this was actually going to happen.

In many ways, he has been blessed with many great mentors, great power, and wonderful friends. Among them, one of them has the means to carry him through time and space. Another has the ability to see through time and space. Is that just a coincidence?

But then Feather recalls something the Doctor recently said and that is, when it comes to time travel, whatever will happen has already happened in a future timeline. If that future includes the ability to travel into the past, then they can sculpt the past in such a way that it causes itself.

But Time might be more than that, especially when it comes to the Time War. That war might be a conflict of ideologies from multiple timelines clashing against each other. Each version is more like a possibility that is trying to become more “real” than the other. The Doctor himself is one of those narrators who is trying to take control of this story and write his own version of it. A version better than the one he suffered from in the past.

All of this causes Feather to more deeply question the nature of reality. What he has seen ever since he stepped into the TARDIS made it seem like Feather Wind saw only a thin veneer of reality before. A reality that almost every pony he has ever known didn't question and wholeheartedly accepted as normal, but now that feeling of normalcy is beginning to feel like a facade. It's as if the normal, average day-to-day living is actually just innocence and naivety.

Was Feather “chosen” for some larger role in the universe? And, if so, by whom? For what purpose? What goal will ultimately be accomplished?

If any or all of this is true, this doesn't make Feather feel arrogant in the slightest. If anything, it actually makes him feel scared.

“Normal” is not a bad life. At least it usually isn't. It is routine. It is a sense of confidence in at least some basic concepts, but the realities he has started to see “out there” has turned his world upside down. Feather feels like he is struggling to find his new balance and equilibrium within this new reality. Every time he tries, though, he can feel the rules change again and he gets knocked back down. If this continues, he starts to wonder if it's even worth trying to establish any sense of normalcy anymore.

The general theme of his life seems to be to prove that nothing is impossible. There was a time, earlier in his youth after he discovered his cutie mark, that that role felt like an honor. It was somewhat embarrassing too because it made him the center of attention in some social circles, but it helps to broaden the minds and perspectives of other ponies, and it felt like a good thing at the time.

Now, however, he feels himself being plunged into the totally unknown. In it, he has very little assurance that things will eventually turn out well. There is some mention of future books Feather will publish someday so that means he has to live until then, but very little is promised beyond that. If every one of his other friends got killed or corrupted somehow then that still isn't a future he wants to see. There is plenty of incentive still here to struggle to make sure things turn out better in the long run.

Seeing this timeline helps. There are so many changes here that it somewhat unsettles him to experience, but overall, it is better here. He doesn't feel much of a connection to this time as if he isn't meant to be a part of it, but it's still nice to know well things will turn out. This is a future worth fighting for. Seeing it is like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel or the dawn of the next brighter day. He realizes that he may need to keep this knowledge and experience in the back of his mind when facing future struggles. If all of those struggles eventually cause this reality to happen, then it is nice to know it will all be worth it.

A rustle in the grass and dirt alerts him to the fact he is no longer alone up on that cliff. First, he directs his ears, then his head, back at the newcomer behind him. When he does, he notices a mysterious cloaked figure standing shortly behind him. Upon noticing that, he widens his eyes when he recalls that Stern Wing once warned him that they were being followed back in Ponyville. He really didn't expect this person to continue following him all the way out here, but if this pony did, then he or she is most likely a pegasus.

“Who are you?” Feather Wind asks the newcomer in a guarded way as he turns to fully face the cloaked figure. “What do you want?”

“I'll start by telling you what I don't want from you,” the mysterious cloaked figure says to Feather Wind in a voice that clearly sounds feminine. “What I don't want is your fear. To that end . . .”

The figure trails off as she finally pulls the hood of her cloak down. This reveals a beige face. She has reddish/purple eyes. Her mane is a mix of various shades of black, white, and gray, and yet she doesn't appear old or even middle-aged. That is just her natural mane color.

“Who are you?” Feather Wind repeats cautiously.

“A friend who has a message for the Doctor,” the mysterious mare answers. “More like something to deliver, actually. Also, I have a request for him. I need his help with something.”

“You know the Doctor?” Feather Wind asks with a lift of an eyebrow.

“I met him before,” the mare assures. “He seemed to have a healthy respect for history back then which is why I'm kind of surprised to see you here.”

“Why would that surprise you?” Feather asks as he narrows his eyes a bit.

“Because I know you don't belong in this time,” the mare answers. “You're probably not the only one, either. The Doctor struck me as normally more careful and selective about his traveling companions, but selecting one who has an important and, most likely, still unfulfilled destiny in history strikes me as unusually reckless of the Doctor.”

“Well . . . let's just say there were extenuating circumstances in my case,” Feather explains. “And not just in my case either.”

“I would appreciate more of an elaboration on that later, but for now, I came to deliver a message,” says the mysterious and adventurous-looking mare. “I need to see the Doctor both to deliver something to him and to make an important request.” She nods at him. “Can you help me arrange a meeting with him?”

Feather's stance relaxes slightly as he says, “I suppose I could. He's in Time Turner's Clock Tower.”

The mare nods as she assures, “I'm well aware of that. I am also aware of how impenetrable the TARDIS doors can be without an invitation.”

Hearing this mysterious mare mention the word “TARDIS” relaxes him slightly more. She at least has enough knowledge about that to reveal how familiar she is with this subject.

“Can I count on you to invite me into the TARDIS sometime tonight?” the mare asks hopefully. “The issues I have to present to him are urgent. He may have a time machine himself, but the clock is ticking in the present. If not acted upon soon enough, lives will perish.”

Feather Wind widens his eyes slightly, alarmed to hear her say that. He then nods at her as he assures her, “Sure. I will do what I can.”

“Excellent. Then I'll see you tonight.” The mare then crouches and spread her wings which then indeed confirms she is a pegasus.

“Wait!” Feather calls out as he holds up a hoof toward her. Fortunately, she does wait and lifts herself back to a normal standing position. “I need to warn you that there will be a lot of activity in the Clock Tower soon. We had an encounter of the Pinkie variety recently and she's made it her mission to form a party to celebrate the newcomers in Ponyville. She's also chosen to do it at that location tonight.” Feather turns his face a bit to the side and views the mare more from his left eye. “If you wanted your presence to be unnoticed in Ponyville for some reason, it might be more challenging to do that soon if you also want to see the Doctor during the party.”

Feather notices the mare looking down more thoughtfully.

“The party will mostly be held on the first floor, though,” Feather Wind adds. “And the Doctor, plus the TARDIS, is on the upper floor where it is too noisy for a normal celebration.”

“Well . . . it's not as if I'm unaccustomed to taking some risks,” the mare mentions. “Honestly, this obstacle is pretty tame compared to what I normally go through.

“Well, anyway . . .” the mare marches up beside Feather and starts to get ready to fly off the cliff.

“Before you go, tell me this. By what name shall I introduce you to the Doctor?” Feather asks the mare with a shrewd expression on his face.

Seeing that makes the mare copy his expression as she replies, “Tell him that an ally of the Time Walkers wishes to see him.”

With that, she leaps off the cliff and zooms off into the distance. Feather's yellow eyes follow her as she flies away.

Part 6 Welcome Party

Feather Wind has only a little bit of trouble finding his way back to Ponyville because the town is still so new to him and because it got dark before he even started. He just lost track of the time up on what he personally calls the Wind Cliff.

Since he is seeing the terrain from high above, even under darker conditions, it affords him a wide enough perspective to find obvious landmarks. From there, he is gradually able to zero in on his primary destination. Once he does find Ponyville, which has some lights on by then since it got dark enough, Feather is able to find the Clock Tower itself fairly easily since it is one of the taller structures in the town. Aside from that, the task is made even easier when he hears it go off. That is how he can tell that he arrived by 7 PM.

Feather Wind does not land directly in front of the Clock Tower, though. Instead, he lands in a dark open space to avoid drawing too much attention which is something he tends to do even in his own time. At this time, he does not wish to be delayed by having to stop and answer curious and/or alarmed questions about how he is able to fly despite being a unicorn. There's also a chance that he still might be famous as Equestria's first flying unicorn. If that is still known, then he might have yet another question asked of him; how in Celestia's name is he still alive and so young after all this time?

Once he lands, he floats his Mist Cloak back into his saddlebag and then ignites his horn to create a light. He uses it to carefully watch the ground for potholes and ditches along his way to the Clock Tower since there isn't even a road on the path he is taking.

Before Feather even arrives at the Clock Tower, he can already hear quite a large crowd chatting within the Tower and some outside of it. It's as if there are so many invited guests that they couldn't fit them all in the Tower so the party got extended outside the Tower as well. To that end, party streamers and tables full of food are generally in front of and near the Tower entrance. Another thing Feather hears is really generic-sounding party music. That last part surprises Feather a bit because it means Pinkie invited an entire band to the party too just for a group of strangers she met today.

Since there is more lighting near and within the Tower, Feather has his own horn light fade away. He frowns a bit as he reduces his speed to a slow trot. He did not entirely know what to expect before he saw this party, but the very big crowd here makes him uncomfortable. He rarely liked to be the center of attention and, unfortunately, because of his rare and once famous skills, he had become such an individual more often than he cared for. He remembered the days when paparazzi and journalists hounded him down for an inside scoop, especially when he was also a member of a prestigious noble family in Canterlot to boot.

Here, Feather isn't as likely to be the focus of attention for the same reasons as before, but he is one of the newcomers into town and basically one of the guests of honor. This makes him feel very squeamish right now.

In previous parties he's attended before, most of them were among the Canterlot elite. In addition to being nervous about being the center of attention, sometimes that attention was especially snooty and even a bit hostile sometimes, likely because of jealousy but they never admitted that. Not all elite were like that, though. Some of the students at Silver Horn Academy, as well as the school faculty, were pretty easygoing and easy to talk to. Parties among lower-class citizens were rarer for him which is a double-edged sword for him. On the one hoof, they often seemed like nicer citizens, and on the other, the culture shock made him more uncertain about how to approach these new social cues. As a result, he does what he usually does; withdraw and keep his head down.

In thinking of that, this reminds him of one of the students at Silver Horn who once talked about inventing an invisibility spell and also heard that such a spell already existing somewhere in the annals of history. They half-joked about putting in the effort to either research this possibly pre-existing spell and/or put in the effort to invent it from scratch. Their motives for such research weren't noble, but they weren't sinister either and made no effort to hide it which, again, made it sound like a half-hearted joke. Feather brushed it off at the time, but there were many times since that moment he found himself wishing he went through with that research after all. Moments like this are such a case. If he had that spell memorized, he could use it to sneak into the TARDIS and not have to deal with being the focus of so many strangers.

Feather makes his way into the Clock Tower while trying his best not to draw attention or be conspicuous, such as making an obvious attempt to sneak about. Instead of that, he trots into the Tower as if he doesn't have a care in the world, but in truth, he feels uptight and really nervous somepony is about to stop and talk to him.

For all of Feather's efforts, he does make it inside the Tower itself but he gets almost immediately ambushed by Pinkie Pie herself who slaps a party cone on top of his head probably more roughly than she really intended.

“There you are! There's the last guest of honor! Welcome to the party!” Pinkie Pie greets. “I hope you enjoy yourself. I've invited practically all of Ponyville who had the time to join. There's punch and cakes and sweets and . . . Ooo-ooo! Later on we can play a game of Pin The Tail On the Pony! How does that sound?”

“Kind of . . . overwhelming,” Feather admits with a squint of discomfort.

“That's the spirit!” Pinkie cheers as she nudges Feather with a bent knee to Feather's right shoulder. “But you'll get used to it after a while once you mingle a bit. I guarantee that everypony here is super-duper fun!” She closes her eyes as she beams very happily. “I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself.”

“I'll take your word for it,” Feather expresses without any true enthusiasm.

“Of course!” Pinkie cheers, apparently completely oblivious to his discomfort. “Now get out there and introduce yourself. I'm sure you'll have lots and lots of fun.” Then she starts bouncing on her hooves to hop away from him while she sings casually, “La-la-laaaaaaa!”

Feather Wind looks up and notices the shiny green party hat that was literally slammed on his head is currently concealing his horn. That makes him wonder something. Some hats are too short to do that if it doesn't have a hole to stick the horn through and thus hangs off the tip somewhat which often gets uncomfortable for a unicorn eventually. Other times the hat is much longer and there is plenty of empty space between the tip of the horn and the top of the head accessory. To test this, he curiously taps the tip of the party hat with his hoof. In doing so, he notices that there seems to be a half-inch gap between the tip of his horn and the top of the cone-shaped party hat.

“There you are,” greets Stern Wing as she approaches Feather Wind with a serious expression on her face. “Come with me,” Stern requests then drapes a wing protectively over Feather because she knows he gets uncomfortable in large crowds.

“Ah . . . no thanks, Stern Wing,” Feather says as he brushes off her wing.

Stern regards him in surprise as she asks, “You're not uncomfortable in here?”

“Well, I am, but please don't make it that obvious,” Feather replies. “That makes me even more uncomfortable.”

“Oh. Gotcha,” Stern acknowledges. “That's probably your father's conditioning in you. He taught you to always hold your head up high no matter what social situation you find yourself in, but at least you aren't snobby about it while you're at it.”

“My father never pushed me that far,” Feather informs her. “Truth be told, he never tried. He does have some arrogant pride but it is well-tempered with a dignified poise. He always told me to have a firm presence but also be approachable, at least to the right ponies.”

Stern frowns slightly as she shakes her head then says, “That's one thing I never liked about the upper-crust society you grew up in. So many labels they put on ponies as well as rules about what is right and wrong to approach as well as how to do it 'properly.'”

“Hey! I'm with you on that one. You know that,” Feather assures. “But that's the kind of society I grew up in. I did my best to cope.” He frowns. “Above all, I hate any idea that restricts freedom.”

An uncomfortable moment of silence passes between them while they are surrounded by a lot of other noise. Pretty much at the same time, they both take a deep breath and then make a deliberate effort to change the subject.

“Feather, come here. There's something neat I want to show you,” Stern invites with giving a come hither gesture with her right wing at him.

“What is it?” Feather asks curiously as he moves to follow.

“More evidence that we're in the future,” Stern answers as she continues to lead to the opposite wall from the entrance.

“Oh?” Feather asks while feeling very intrigued.

“Take a look at this,” Stern invites as she gestures to some weird box on a table. It has a black spinning thing at the top and some kind of mechanical arm extended above the black spinning thing. Behind all of that is a twisted cone-like tube that appears to be the source of all the music in the room because that music is loudest at this point.

Feather gives the device a puzzled look as he figures, “Some kind of magical device, I guess.”

“That's what I thought at first, too, but then I noticed everypony else's reaction to it,” Stern points out. “If this was a magical object, then you'd think there would be more of a reaction to something that rare, but no. Everypony is reacting like this thing is perfectly normal. Almost mundane. Maybe I wouldn't go as far as to say it is common per se, but it seems ordinary enough for everypony not to bat an eye at it.”

“Oh. You're right,” Feather agrees as he observes the others more carefully. “Good eye, Stern.”

“I've trained myself to be vigilant,” Stern explains.

“It shows,” Feather commends.

“This device is called a phonograph,” Doctor Kelly explains as she trots up next to them while levitating a cup full of purple liquid. “Also later known more commonly as a record player.” She grins softly at the device. “Neat. This is the first one I've ever seen in action. At least one that is real.” She then floats her cup closer to her lips and takes a sip.

“You've actually seen these devices?” Stern asks curiously.

“I read about them and seen holographic simulations of them,” Doctor Kelly answers. “See, this is the kind of stuff I like to see when I travel with the Doctor. History coming to life.” Her eyes dart about. “That, and everything else around here.”

“I haven't even traveled in this world's past yet and I already agree with you,” Feather tells Doctor Kelly. “I've studied history as well, but of course that is relative to my own time. I look forward to seeing the things I read about come to life.”

“What do you two think of Ponyville so far?” Stern asks her two companions curiously.

“A quaint and cheerful little town,” Doctor Kelly answers. “I sincerely mean that. Everything from the sights, the sounds, the smell around here, the attitude of the villagers and even the feeling of magic or the taste of the food. It all feels so cozy here. It's like settling next to a warm and cozy fire while drinking a cup of hot cocoa. It's just pleasant in ways that is kind of hard to describe. I also appreciate the experience from a sociological and archaeological standpoint. I've even documented some things that our history text might have gotten wrong, but I'll have to double-check that.”

“Oh yeah! The magic would be very different for you,” Feather recalls as he regards Doctor Kelly. He slightly cocks his head curiously as he then asks, “Do you like it so far? Do you find it uncomfortable or . . . what?”

“I remember you told me that you felt uncomfortable with the magic of my home world,” Doctor Kelly recalls then shifts her eyes at Stern. “I can let that private information slip because he already told me that he told you that information. In fact, he said that to you all before he even met me.”

“I'd still like an answer to my question if you don't mind,” Feather presses with a reminder.

“Certainly different,” Doctor Kelly says as her eyes slowly scan across the room. “Not uncomfortable. Just different. It's sort of like tasting brand new food or smelling a brand new scent. It feels kind of exotic to me . . . sort of.” She snaps her focus back at Feather as she adds, “Weaker, too.” She shakes her head. “It's not really a bad thing yet. Again, just different. In fact, I'm kind of glad it is weaker so that the new sensation doesn't overwhelm me.”

“Do you think it is having any adverse effect on your health?” Feather checks with concern. “Because, if it is, that might be a big problem. I get the feeling that the type of magic in your world is the one that's exotic compared to most of the rest of the universe.”

“You're probably right there,” Doctor Kelly agrees. “And, so far, I am experiencing no hostile side effects. Believe me, I've been keeping a close eye on that.”

“I believe you,” Stern assures very seriously and sincerely.

“Me too,” Feather also agrees.

“I'm glad you two trust me. I shall endeavor to remain worthy of that trust,” Doctor Kelly promises.

“See that you do,” Stern warns a little firmly with a slight narrowing of her eyes.

Doctor Kelly did not comment on that reaction. Instead, her gaze lingers on Stern for a moment before turning her attention to the approaching gray pegasus mare, Derpy.

“Hey guys! Are you all having fun?” Derpy asks brightly. “Because I sure am!”

“Speaking for myself, that warms my heart to see,” Feather says to Derpy with a soft smile at her. “You deserve all the happiness you can muster.”

“Thank you!” Derpy squees cheerfully. “You too, Feather. You're such a nice stallion.”

“He is,” Stern agrees with a proud and loving smile down at her stallion friend.

“You seem to have settled in well,” Doctor Kelly observes as she regards Derpy. “Such is to be expected. You have grown up in this town and with all these ponies.”

“Not all of them,” Derpy corrects as her eyes scan about, but not entirely in the same direction. “A few of these faces are new to me.”

“Huh.” Doctor Kelly looks forward blankly as she floats her cup closer to her lips. Before she sips it, though, she comments, “I stand corrected.”

Stern widens her eyes a bit as she says, “You know, it just occurred to me that we haven't seen your home or family yet.”

“Oh shoot!” Derpy exclaims as she slaps her face with a hoof. “I knew I was forgetting something. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why am I always so dumb?” Then she looks about as she adds, “Well, my parents are here somewhere. They are currently watching over and fawning over Vision.”

“Please relax,” Feather coaxes in a soothing voice. “We can see them later if not tonight.” His smile brightens as he adds, “In the meantime, I'm glad to hear that Vision is being looked after and that your folks already care for her so much.”

“Come to think of it, I should check with work too,” Derpy recalls as an eye looks off to her side. “Now that we've returned to my actual time period, time is advancing here and that means my responsibilities have as well.”

“So you're taking a vacation from the Doctor's adventures by returning to your work in Ponyville?” Doctor Kelly asks Derpy with an upraised eyebrow and a gleam of amusement in her eyes behind her holo glasses.

“At this point, a sense of normalcy might be very relaxing for me,” Derpy figures as she looks back at Doctor Kelly. “With the Doctor, things are exciting but also hectic. It might be nice to return to something more routine. You know? Besides, I do enjoy my job.”

Doctor Kelly puts her left hoof on Derpy's right shoulder as she says, “I know exactly what you mean.”

“Speaking of the Doctor's hectic adventures, I got your message about the one who was tailing us earlier,” Stern says to Feather. “But I save those details until we have more privacy.”

“Pardon me?” Doctor Kelly asks Stern with minor alarm. “Somepony was tailing us?”

“We'll discuss that later,” Stern says quietly. Almost too quietly to be heard over the noise of the surrounding crowd. She then lifts an eyebrow as she adds, “That said, I'm sure you had your invisible little floating thing scanning all kinds of things. Among that might be the one who was following us.”

“If your droid didn't scan her earlier then now is your chance,” Feather says as he regards then nods at the front entrance. “There she is.”

Stern and Doctor Kelly look to where Feather indicates in mixed alarm, but Derpy regards that direction in outright confusion.

The cloaked figure Feather saw earlier is there with a beige hide and mix of black, white, and gray mane/tail. She is wearing glasses this time and appears much more unassuming.

“That's her?” Stern Wing checks as she continues to regard the newcomer. She also regards everypony else's reaction to the newcomer.

“That's her, but the glasses is new,” Feather informs.

“Derpy, is she anypony you recognize?” Stern checks with the mailmare.

“Ummmmmm . . . Well, she's no pony I met before, but I got to admit she does look a tad bit familiar,” Derpy answers while holding her confused look. “I'm not sure why.” She scratches her head. “Where have I seen her before?”

“Perhaps a celebrity?” Doctor Kelly suggests. “This town seems small enough in population that most ponies would know each other's name, and look how fast Pinkie organized this party to make newcomers feel welcome. If you had attended a party like this with and about her before, then you should be more familiar with her. Instead, you seem to have passing familiarity with her so perhaps a newspaper article? Are there magazines you like? Do you have a favorite author?”

Derpy looks a little sheepish as she admits, “I, ah . . . have some trouble reading.”

“And you work as a mail delivery pony?” Doctor Kelly then shakes her head. “That's ironic.”

“A lot of ponies sign letters with a picture or stamp of their cutie mark,” Derpy somewhat explains. “I don't have too much trouble with those.”

“More acute visual memory? Huh.” Doctor Kelly looks thoughtful. “I need to give you all a more thorough examination.”

When the mare in question spots them, she trots across the room to meet up with the group.

“Take me to the Doctor,” the mysterious mare requests upon arrival, but it almost sounded like a demand.

“So you claim to have met the Doctor before?” Stern probes.

“I have,” the mare assures. “Not sure if he's met me yet.”

“What is his cutie mark?” Stern asks quickly.

“An hourglass,” the mare answers just as quickly. “The top and bottom parts are golden and it is filled with brown sand.” She then gives a coy grin as she adds, “You can't miss it, though. It's honestly one of the most common cutie marks in the world. I've already seen nine of them in this room alone.” She looks about. “That, and a suspicious number of cream-colored mares with a mix of blue and pink mane.”

Intrigued, Feather Wind starts to scan the other ponies in the room and gradually comes to realize that this mysterious mare has a point with her last remarks.

“Name two of his odd quirks,” Stern continues to probe.

“If he's being honest, he claims to be an alien called a Time Lord,” the mare instantly responds. “He also seems greatly amused by some pony terminology. He keeps insisting that his hoofs are something called 'hands'. There is a hidden pocket just above his cutie mark. He claims he can regenerate if he is ever killed, but it will greatly alter him.” The mare flashes Stern a daring smirk. “Shall I continue, Oh Fastidious Interrogator?”

Instead of answering, Stern narrows her eyes. The mare copies her. Stern narrows her eyes tighter. The mare copies her. Stern leans her head forward and stares down at the smaller mare. The mare matches Stern's resolve except she stares up at Stern. The two of them continue this hard stare for ten seconds at each other before Stern finally relents by straightening her head, widening her eyes back to normal, and even smiles as she says, “Oh wow. I like you.”

“Shall we continue, then?” the mare invites. “Lives are on the line while we dawdle down here.”

“Are you serious?!” Stern asks in great alarm. “Sweet Celestia! You should have started with that dire warning.”

“In hindsight, I think I agree,” agrees the mysterious mare in glasses.

Part 7 Destiny Comes Knocking

Loss.

Now that is a word and sensation the Doctor has become all too familiar with. After nearly a thousand years of life, it has become more like a thousand years of experience with death.

He also finds the word “hero” to be overhyped and sensationalized too. Most people imagine a townwide celebration where the “hero” marches down the streets as a rain of confetti pours down on him and/or her. They imagine statues being erected to help immortalize the people's saviors. All of these things do exist, but often not entirely for the reasons anyone would imagine when they picture themselves as a hero. Parades and statues are more for the people who chose to join the celebration. If they saw themselves as victims of something that needed a hero to recover from, then they are still recovering from that grief. They are trying to recover their sense of hope. To regain their will to live on and to believe that the future has a chance for happiness as long as the symbol of their savior is still around.

But a true hero does these deeds because such an individual knows it is right. Just do the deed and back off. Let the people decide for themselves however they choose to respond to it.

Being the one who takes the risk and faces the danger does not guarantee victory. Instead, it can end up more like the Doctor's last mission.

The Doctor cannot blame himself for the attempt to do good, but it is harder to forgive himself for his failure because it is others who ultimately paid the price. That, and he can conceive of several options that would have improved things in hindsight.

But the Ood accepted their deaths in a manner that the Doctor finds gravely unsettling. It also reminds him of the time they warned his last life that “his song is dying out”.

Yeah. The Ood warned his last life that he was dying soon, and for some reason, he believed that race back then. Maybe it was because he sensed the end coming as well. He has seen the signs from other places too, and it felt like punishment incoming for trying to defy a fixed timeline. His race had always warned against that, but then he survived the Time War (in the human universe anyway) when the rest of his race did not. It made him think there was a chance to successfully defy any reality. That he can do whatever he wanted because he is Time Lord Victorious.

What a joke, and he was the punchline.

For the longest time after the Time War, the Doctor truly believed he was the last of the Time Lords. In a way, it was true because the other survivor was hidden even from himself.

But that's the thing. The Master survived too. Against all odds, both the “hero” and the coward found a way to survive and endure the impossible. When the Doctor first made that shocking discovery, he once thought to himself, “Okay. Now we're up to two, but that's it. It's just us now. We're the only ones left . . . right?”

There is something oddly epic about that. The one Time Lord who was the Doctor's primary nemesis turns out to be the only one to survive other than himself. It feels like fate. It feels like he's a fictional character written to have a set destiny by those who might find their lives entertaining, and yet again he finds himself potentially the last of the Time Lords with one other very notable exception. Not only is the Master (or Missy as this case may be) the other exception, but it is the exact same individual from the human universe. This isn't a dimensional copy of him/her, it is him/her. What are the odds of that? Not even C-3PO is likely to be able to calculate that.

The future version of Vision also warned the Doctor that there is still more going on with this story then he is currently aware of. The last words the Doctor remembered saying in his previous life was, “I don't want to go” and then his consciousness got washed away by an overwhelming stream of energy. The next thing he knew, he was recovering in the TARDIS and was about to discover a very intense surprise. Not only did he regenerate away from a humanoid form this time, but he came to discover that quadrupeds have basically replaced all humanoids in this universe as the primary default. Vision said, though, that there is more that the Doctor is not remembering. Something else happened between these two moments. Something important that explains all that is currently happening.

If it is a deliberately self-sealed memory, usually the Doctor feels content to just let the memory slide and let it be because he's aware that he wouldn't seal his own memories without a good reason, and it is usually set to unlock itself at “the right moment”.

However, in this case, there is a lot that relies upon that one critical bit of information. Something that may help to understand his fundamental purpose in this universe and why everything had to go through these incredibly drastic changes. For once, he can't help but be curious and concerned about that. He feels compelled to scratch at the likely wooden walls brought up in his own mind which seals very important treasure on the other side. He keeps on telling himself, “If only I knew.”

The Pony Universe is a pleasant surprise for him, but it clearly still needs a hero at times. It seems like all of his greatest enemies followed him here in one form or another, and they are chipping away at the cracks between all this friendship and harmony. If they are ignored for too long, they'll find their way to the heart of all of this peace and love. Once there, they'll either destroy it or corrupt it. He already vowed not to allow that to happen and he fully meant it.

The cycles of his various lives feel a lot like many other mortal lives. He has the majority of his memories through each one and his most solemn promises firmly etched in his hearts, but there are enough changes between each life that strongly reminds him of a mortal life. A period of “newness” at the beginning of each one that almost feels like he's exploring the universe with fresh new eyes, and in a way, that's true. New eyes, new ears, new taste buds, new subconscious body language, new inflections to his speech. There tends to be a period of confusion for him as he tries to explore not only the external universe but himself as well and what he has become. It takes a while for each life to get settled. To find their own style and their own special “song”, as the Ood had so eloquently put it.

But where there is a beginning, there is an end. His last life mourned that loss especially strongly. He didn't want to go. There was so much more he could have experienced.

Which returns his mind to loss. Each time one of his lives died, it did feel like something precious is lost. It always seemed like a step closer to true permanent death as well. Each Time Lord can regenerate only a limited number of times, and his lives held desperately onto something precious because he seemed to be the last for the longest time. Once that fire dies out, the Doctor will be no more and the rest of the universe will have to endure that loss too. The next time it needs a hero as epic as he, will the universe suffer tragedy instead when he's no longer around to protect it?

But that's the point behind the idea of forming the Knights of the Hourglass. Not only is it recruitment to help him recover from the most devastating wars he's ever endured, but he also wants to leave a legacy behind just in case there comes a point where the Doctor can no longer be around to defend the universe anymore. In hindsight, he's been way too lax about that most critical of duties. If he is to have any chance to truly take that final rest in peace someday, he needs to know he's leaving behind champions to take his place. The need for such things has been proven too often. That really should not have been ignored.

In a way, he has already done that. The Doctor was blessed with many companions over the centuries, and each one left a legacy of their own. Even if they died for whatever reason, those they saved endured. That heroic example inspired others too. In time, some of them collected together in one way or another. The formation of the Knights of the Hourglass is simply a more organized example of what he's been doing for centuries.

The Ood have a much more mature perspective when it comes to life and death. To them, it is an aria that rhythmically cycles. Birth leads to life which leads to death and then rebirth. On and on it goes. The Ood value the necessary changes that are evoked in each cycle, much like the Doctor's own regeneration. Not everything changes. With the birth of every child, some legacy of their birth parents endures. That genetic code is passed on to the next generation and a new story is born much akin to the birth of a new star.

Life is brilliant!

In the end, the Doctor knows that is all everyone is. Since they are just a story, the best outcome one can hope for is to make it a good one.

The Doctor tightly winces and flinches in sharp annoyance for a second when there is a knock on the front door to the TARDIS. He turns his head which is otherwise resting against the rail of the steps leading up to the TARDIS center consoles. Annoyance quickly gives way to curiosity. Whatever this is, it might be important. Right now it feels so hard for him to get up and interrupt his train of thought. Doctor Kelly Saddler believed they all needed this vacation to take their minds off the recent tragedy they suffered, and right now it really feels like she's right.

But fate is knocking on his door once again. All he can really do is groan and then get up despite himself.

Instead of answering the door first, though, he goes to the TARDIS controls instead. From there, he spins a monitor about and activates it. Within that screen, he views those just outside this door. In doing so, he notices most of the ponies outside are familiar save one. Vision is missing from this group too. It's almost as if this stranger has replaced the young white filly.

The Doctor lifts an eyebrow at this sight in fascination then passes that same expression to the front door. After that, he regards the center console again, presses a button, then looks back at the front door as it opens because of the button he pressed a moment ago.

“I'm surprised to see you all back so soon,” the Doctor remarks as he trots his way to his companions and new guest. “I'm especially surprised to see you all back here without Vision and with a new mare in her place.”

“I have my parents looking after Vision,” Derpy explains as she trots into the TARDIS. She is also the first to do so among the bunch. “They adore her and I can tell they have lots of questions hiding in their eyes. Fortunately for me, they've been very patient with me.”

“Vision is downstairs along with the rest of the party,” Stern Wing adds as she enters the TARDIS.

“Party?” the Doctor echoes questioningly.

“Yeah. We had a close encounter of the Pinkie variety,” Feather explains while he enters the TARDIS. “And one thing led to another. I'm pretty sure you're well familiar with this particular pattern.”

“And it is taking place downstairs in this Clock Tower as we speak?” the Doctor double checks then pauses for a moment to listen. After two seconds, he nods. “I see. It seems like that is

“A decent amount of Ponyville is down there,” Derpy informs. “I think it's great. It gives all of you a chance to mingle and get to know them. Ponyville is not just a place. It is where the town's most important treasure lies, its ponies. I think this is a valuable opportunity to prove to you all that I spoke the truth about them all along. So, not only do you have my word that they are friendly, but some of you have experience, now, to back up my claim.”

Feather Wind glances at the new mysterious mare who lingers outside for a moment before turning to regard the Doctor as he says, “Well, anyway, we have a new guest among us who claims to know you. I am curious if you know her in return. So far she's only introduced herself as an ally of the Time Walkers.”

“For him, I'll take my introductions a few steps further,” the newcomer says as she steps into the TARDIS. When she does, Doctor Kelly follows shortly after. “Greetings, Doctor,” the mare says with a polite nod to the Time Lord. “My name is A.K. Yearling. I am the author of a famous adventure novel series sold here mostly in middle and northern Equestria. However, what most ponies don't know is . . .” Miss Yearling trails off for a moment as she dramatically rips off her cloak. This finally reveals what has been hidden beneath. In this case she is wearing a green-colored vest shirt with a darker green trim as well as a pocket at the chest. She is also wearing a pair of saddlebags where she stuffs the cloak she took off as well as her glasses. In its place, she pulls out a very worn-looking egg-white safari hat with a green and brown stripe and a bunch of arrow holes off to one side. This she slaps on her head then slides a hoof on the edge of the hat with dramatic style. Her cutie mark is also visible for the first time which looks like a compass with a background of a green circle and a lighter shade of green between each of the golden foreground compass points.

“. . . I am secretly also the story's main character,” Yearling explains with a daring grin. “You can call me Daring Do if you like.”

Derpy gasps in shock which causes Feather Wind to silently take note of.

“I take it you read some or all of my stories?” Daring asks Derpy curiously since it seems the gray pegasus seems to recognize the daring adventurer. “Or heard of them at least?”

“The latter,” Derpy replies when she calms back down. “I can't read very well because of . . . Well . . . You know.” Derpy suddenly blushes in shame and embarrassment because of her moderately obvious visual handicaps.

“I see,” Daring replies simply and tactfully decides to leave that issue at that. Instead of that, Daring turns her reddish/purple eyes at the Doctor as she gives him a shrewd look. “Based on the way you are regarding me, I can tell that this is our first meeting for you. However, my prior experience with you has taught me a lot of things about you. For instance, I know that, for every second that I stand here, you are already gathering a tremendous amount of information about me.” Daring smiles and even blushes at the Doctor which not only demonstrates recognition and admiration but also reveals a bit of a crush for him.

The Doctor is quite accustomed to seeing an expression like that aimed at him. She's also right about the fact he is gathering information about her quickly despite this being their first meeting for him. For instance, from the fond look she passes him which also has a slight twinkle in her eyes, he can tell that she has met him before, but for her, it was a long time ago. Furthermore, while he can tell she is every inch the professional adventurer that she claims to be now, that wasn't always true. There was a time when she was much younger and far more vulnerable. A time when she needed a hero far more desperately than she does now. When she got rescued during that time of need, deep affection for him grew in her heart which is too strong to entirely hide now. More than likely she also looks up to him as a pony that she idolizes. All of her years of hardcore and heroic adventuring might have been inspired by him at one time.

Interestingly enough, she doesn't appear to recognize his other companions nearly as much.

The more he stands there and observes her, the more his next course of action becomes clear to him.

“Indeed,” the Doctor agrees with her. “It is a pleasure to meet you again for the first time. This time you have the advantage.”

“That is a gap that is quickly closing, I'm sure,” Daring figures as starts to regain her composure.

“And you said you are an ally of the Time Walkers?” the Doctor asks seriously.

Daring grows more serious as well then nods at the Doctor as she says, “Yes. I have worked with them numerous times in the past in secret. It's not just you that I met before.” Daring takes a deep breath, holds it, then lets it out before adding, “In fact, on their behalf, I have a message for you.”

Daring Do turns her head and dives into the saddlebag on her left side. Using her face and mouth, she sifts through her stuff for a moment before fishing out a letter with her mouth. With her new prize, she turns to face the Doctor again then nods at him as a signal that this letter is for him.

“Huh. Usually it's my job to deliver letters around here,” Derpy announces with a silly and lopsided grin as she continues to regard Daring with shining walleyes. She ends up hanging the tip of her tongue out of her mouth after that sentence. Most likely that is not intentional.

“Is that so?” Daring replies with a small bit of interest at Derpy after the Doctor took the letter from her mouth. “Then I thank you for your service. I rely on it myself a lot here in Equestria.”

Still feeling uncertain how blasted ponies grab things with a hoof, the Doctor takes the letter from Daring's mouth using his own mouth and then places it on the floor. When he applies a hoof on top of the letter, he notices a slight bump within it. Keeping his hold on the letter with a very gently applied hoof, he tears off the top of the letter with his teeth. He then tries to fish out the small object out of the letter by attempting to squeeze it out. He succeeds slightly but relents when he realizes he might be damaging it. He then lifts his head and scratches it with a hoof to his mane as he gives the letter on the ground a puzzled and frustrated look.

Feather Wind rolls his eyes and then uses his magic to float the letter off the ground. He also floats the object inside of the letter out of it. Once he does, he gives the object a puzzled expression. The object in question is a tiny black thing with a silver thing sticking out one end of it. It is an inch and a half tall and only a few centimeters thick. Feather can't identify the material of the main body of this object, but the tip appears to be made of some kind of metal.

“What is this?” Feather asks the Doctor curiously.

“It appears to be a flash drive,” the Doctor observes aloud. “For reference, it is an object that stores information on it digitally.” He looks at Doctor Kelly. “Perhaps it is more familiar to you? Something tells me it might be made of a different material than it is in the human universe.”

Doctor Kelly nods as she says, “I can give it a scan and see what I come up with.” She then looks at Feather Wind. He nods at her. She then grabs hold of the object telekinetically and then secretly has her quasi-invisible drone scan the levitating object.

“You said you also had a mission to propose to the Doctor?” Stern Wing reminds Daring. “Or at least you implied it. You said lives are on the line.”

“Right.” Daring nods at Stern then regards the Doctor again. “I can't give you all the details yet, but I need your help and the capabilities of this vessel. There is a plague spreading in this world during this time and the cure for it is now extinct. However, since you have a time machine on your hooves . . .” She trails off now that her message is strongly implied.

“Right, but do you know when to go?” the Doctor checks with Daring.

“I have a pretty good idea where we can start,” Daring replies then steps up and whispers something into the Doctor's ears. The Doctor responds by nodding.

“I also couldn't help but notice your lack of regard for the internal dimensional expansion of my vessel,” the Doctor remarks with a minor frown.

“Next time, Doctor,” Daring replies with a fond look at him. “For you, that is.”

“Understood,” the Doctor says with a nod as he trots his way to the TARDIS controls. “Right. In that case, if you're all ready, Onwards and Upwards, my friends. We set off into another adventure, and this time we're bringing another professional adventurer with us.”

“We're going to leave Vision here?” Derpy checks with minor concern.

“She'll be fine here,” the Doctor replies without looking back at Derpy. Instead, he continues his way to the TARDIS controls. “I trust the citizens of Ponyville and your parents to keep her safe. Besides, to them, I'll make sure we're not gone long.”

“Oh. Okay,” Derpy replies with a bit of a frown as she looks out the exit of the TARDIS doors. An exit that closes itself when the Doctor presses a button on the TARDIS controls.

Shortly later, the vessel groans to life.

---

Downstairs, amid the party all around her, Vision's ears perk up when her keen hearing detects some of the sounds of the TARDIS taking off. She then directs her face up in the direction she hears the noise. She has a brief frown for a second, but it is soon washed away with calm acceptance.

Vision turns her attention back to the other ponies doting around her.

Author's Notes:

For the moment, this is the last arc I managed to finish before my inspiration waned after I received a letter from Section 8 saying I've been cleared to proceed to advance the process towards finding a new home. I had mixed feelings about that back then which was the end of March of 2023. On the one hand I could get cheaper rent then the place I was living at and it wouldn't require anyone else to be alive for me to keep these benefits other than remaining alive myself, but it also meant moving away from a place I've grown accustomed to living at for 20 years. That is the longest time I've ever lived in one place by far. I'm now currently living at the new place, but once a story grows this cold for this long, it is hard to pick it back up again.

In any case, thank you all for following this story so far. I sincerely hope you gathered some value from this experience.

I've completed a total of 10 chapters of the next arc so far. I'm not certain if I'll ever finish it. If you're okay with resuming into an incomplete story, then I invite you to proceed. In doing so, you may at least get some idea where I was going with this.

I will say, though, that although it is a direct follow-up to this chapter, it doesn't feel like it and the format of the presentation of the story drastically changes as well. I've even debated whether it should be it's own separate story, but I ultimately decided I'll just let it continue with this one. That way I won't have to try to get someone else to draw for me new concept art for it.

Daring Do and the Lost Continent Part 1: One Last Look Around

The very pleasant sound of chirping slowly stirs my eyes awake. The fact that I've been asleep before this moment barely registers at the edge of my consciousness Instead of that, I merely marvel at the comfort of my bed and the pillow beneath my head.

The chirping continues. It eventually dawns on me how close by it is. I crack my eyes open slowly at it. Blurry images greet my eyes first before it starts to come into focus. As my eyes do so, I gradually start to notice the soft flutter of my white curtains as they gently blow on the breeze of my open window. Beyond the threshold of those curtains is a tiny red bird who apparently decided to perch on my windowsill and serenade me with it's glorious morning song.

An audience of one. It really does feel as if this bird came specifically for me.

I can't help but crack a small smile at it. What a pleasant and adorable little creature! I feel blessed.

I also still feel tired.

With a pleasant sigh, my eyes drift back to sleep.

Meanwhile, the bird keeps tweeting. The music the creature gives is so much more pleasant compared to the last noise that attempted to wake me up. I know. The sound of the alarm clock is so much more shocking on one's nervous system. It makes me wish that ponykind had invented an alarm clock that simulated such pleasant-sounding tweeting instead. A cuckoo clock perhaps comes the closest, but it isn't really the thing I have in mind.

My mind starts to drift, but for the first time, I furrow my eyebrows as I contemplate something that bugs me a little bit. Why was that alarm set earlier? What did I want to wake up for? Whatever it was, it might be moot now because the light shining on my face, aside from the small shade of the curtains, is brighter than usual. Truth be told, I don't usually sleep in this late.

That strikes me as odd. Why is today, of all days, a break from the pattern? Usually I'm fastidious because I like to play it safe. Always on time for my college classes. Always prepared for every exam. If there is one thing a pony can't accuse me of, it is being lazy, so why is this day so difficult to get out of bed?

Well, for one thing, I graduated college now. A certain level of tension used to be required to stay on top of everything in order to maintain my grades, but now that is over. I'm finally meeting the next phase of my life, which is . . .

. . . is . . .

. . .

When it hits me, my eyes explode open with red cracks in it. The very next second I bolt into a sitting position.

“Oh my Celestia!” I exclaim at nopony in particular other than maybe me or perhaps even Princess Celestia.

With sudden urgency, I yank my previously forlorn and neglected alarm clock then stare at it. What I see deepens the red cracks in my eyes as the face of the alarm clock, which depicts a sidewards mare extending each of her forelegs to be each arm of the alarm clock, confirms the harsh reality I now find myself living in.

“I'm late!” I cry out in panic. “I'm late for a very important date!”

The next few minutes is a blur to my mind. Most likely because I'm moving in a blur. In the back of my mind, I marvel at that too. Prior to this moment, I didn't know I was capable of moving this fast. That also makes me worried that all this haste is coming at the expense of accuracy. What if I'm doing something improperly? What if I'm not packing something important? After all, the next journey I shall embark upon, unless I'm too late, that is, shall see me across the seas to strange and unknown lands. In other words, this is my last chance to pack!

Oh dear! Oh sweet Celestia! How could this happen? An appointment has never been this important in my entire life!

As I continue in a rush of motion, which provokes a curious cock of a head from the bird who previously greeted me so kindly this near afternoon, a jumble of images form into my head. My mind is not awake enough to organize this information too efficiently, but one explanation it does provide is the importance of this meeting is precisely why I couldn't sleep last night. As Celestia as my witness, boy I sure tried, but no prior event ever caused me to be this excited and tense before. If the team I'm about to meet (unless I'm too LATE, that is) succeeds in the goal we're setting out for, then we're about to make a monumental contribution to history previously unmatched.

We'll boldly go where no pony has gone before!

And this will be my first adventure, too. That concept alone is hard to settle on let alone imagine how significant the thing we're trying to accomplish is.

No wonder I couldn't sleep last night!

But, as a result of all of this, I'm paying for it this morning and near afternoon. So severe is this blunder that it might cost me my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An opportunity that could define my career for now and ever onward. A legacy so grand that it, alone, might stand the test of time. The only thing that could possibly match the greatest accomplishments of the past is being known as the first to rediscover it.

That's among the jumble of images that rush through my mind. I now recall that, among the many myriad of thoughts that kept me up last night, is the idea that my name could appear in history books too. Perhaps even a name that is downright required to be known in order to pass history lessons, just like other names I had to study in the past. I don't normally consider myself anywhere near this conceited before either, but the fact of the matter is, if we accomplish the goal we're setting out to do today, then this possibility could honestly become a solid fact. Learning to accept that concept alone had already overwhelmed me last night.

What a vicious irony! The excitement and anxiety I couldn't avoid as a result of what I'm about to embark upon may, in itself, specifically be the reason to prevent all of this!

For a very brief moment, I dwell on the fact that if I indeed miss this most critical of appointments then at least the source of my anxiety shall also go away. All that would be left is an empty life of mediocrity and . . .

. . . and . . .

Well . . . no. If I'm to be honest with myself, my previous goals really aren't that bad. A calm and quiet life of study is nothing to scoff at. Not much is out there preventing me from just continuing the path I previously trot.

However, in this case, it isn't just my life that is on the line. The service I am hired to offer may be of critical importance for others who will also be on the journey. I'm not the only one who can do this, but I also can't afford to ignore or undersell the role that is meant for me. While it may be a remote possibility, my absence alone could ensure the death of the other team at the most extreme but also plausible possibility. I don't know if I could live with myself if I just keep staring off into the horizon and wonder if those who got sent on without me will ever return and see their families again. The guilt of that scenario could eat me alive. That was yet another concept that kept me up last night.

Before I can fully process all of this overwhelming information, I find myself bolting out the door with my saddlebags stuffed full of gear that I think I'll need.

But I only make it a few feet beyond my door before I pause despite myself because another possibility occurs to me. There are also many possible consequences to successfully making this all important meeting. Because of it, I feel compelled to look over my shoulder at the door to my apartment. Next thing I know, I not only return to it, but do so unusually slowly. I'm practically dragging my hooves on this one.

When I make it back into my studio apartment with only one window showing the outside world, it dawns on me that there is a chance I may never return here again. Every single second I drink in this moment may be the last time I ever get to savor this.

As I slowly look across my room and the modest amount of stuff I collected, it occurs to me that there isn't too much here of intense sentimental value. By necessity, especially on the budget of a former fastidious college student, it didn't leave much left to get heavily attached to. Even the room itself I can take or leave. Affording even this studio apartment was quite a chore in a city this grand. My memory tells me I had to keep moving because of budget reasons in the past, mostly because of other roommates who occasionally flaked out on me at various times in the past. I almost got used to a life of uncertainty. As a result, I didn't have the time to get too deeply attached to each place.

But some of the things I have within this room are special to me yet I can't afford to keep carrying them during this venture. Among such things are my college doctorate degree as well as some photos strewn across my desk of the various memories I collected during my college years and my foalhood before that. Everything there is an important glimpse into the story of my life so far. It's hard for me to imagine how insignificant these deeply sentimental things could be to some other pony who comes and clears out this room because it is clear, by then, that I died on the journey I'm about to undertake. Who else could look at these photos and still feel the same level of weight and significance that I do?

To that end, I trot close to and attempt to scoop up one photo in particular on my desk using my right beige wing, but it is only then that I notice it is unexpectedly injured. It almost feels like a pulled muscle, but the truth is I most likely slept on it for too long last night.

So, instead, I reach for the same photo with my left wing and this time I succeed with no problem. Within the photo, I see myself as a young filly on the back of my now deceased grandfather. He also has a beige colored hide and wings. He even has the same reddish/purple eye color as me. He looks so much like me that I seem to be an identical twin were it not for a few factors. One; he's clearly way older than me. Two; he is the opposite gender. Three; his unfurled and uncharted map cutie mark which is a curious but not identical match to my compass cutie mark. Finally four; while his mane and tail used to also be a salt and pepper mix, this photo captured him during the years when his mane/tail is far more salt rather than pepper.

In the photo, I am on his back and tightly embracing his neck in happy glee that is so bright, one of my eyes is squinted almost totally closed. In return, my grandfather is returning that look with a much more calmly mature sort of love. He's not a little tyke anymore who beholds the world with the same level of foalish wonder like I do in this photo. Instead of that, he was a stallion that has already been out there and seen many wonders. This was him in the twilight of his life and looking back at one who is so young with deep affection and love. Maybe seeing my smiling face was a reminder to him what it felt like to be young again. A feeling that otherwise abandoned him so long ago.

My grandfather was a professional adventurer. One of very few of that caliber. It is very rare for a professional adventurer to be that old and retire at that age. A point where they have more room to look back at their prior adventures rather than look forward to them.

Because of my parents, however, I have mostly lived the straight and narrow path. My mother must have grown up with such anxiety in her life wondering if her father would ever return alive on his frequent adventures. It is likely she also didn't appreciate his frequent absence. In his later years, it seems he agreed with that assessment too and made up for it by spending as much time with his family as he could. That was perfectly fine with me because it meant spending more time with me, too.

But as a result of my mother's upbringing, I wasn't allowed, or rather to say I wasn't encouraged, to pursue the same path that my grandfather did. In fact, both of my parents are college professors which helped me to get some critical discounts and other less frequent opportunities. I took maximum advantage of that not only to make my parents proud of me, but also because I enjoyed this path itself. The next best thing to exploring the world myself is reading about it, and it certainly is far safer. When was the last time a non-magical book had outright taken a pony life? I'm not referring to the skills that the book attempted to offer (such as assassination and the like), but literally the book itself. One of the most humorous books I have ever read on a dare was about how to wield a book itself as a legitimate form of martial arts.

The closest thing my grandfather was ever allowed to do with me that resembled his former adventuring career was going out camping. That was the one thing my mother actually encouraged, likely because she had such fond memories of that herself. I, in turn, used to find it scary and annoying to go out there and rough it in nature. In time, however, I grew to appreciate it too. After that, I grew to love it. The stars in the night sky had never looked so bright as they do away from the lights of the city, nor the glow of the moon with the shadow of a mare's face on it. My grandfather once showed me waterfalls made of rainbows, high misty mountaintops, wild birds chirping in the forest, riding down a river on a canoe, sharing stories around a campfire, enjoying camping food that we've occasionally gathered ingredients for in the wild, and so much more!

Tears blur my eyes as the photo I am holding in my left wing starts to shake. In the process of staring at it, my focus shifts to my own reflection in the glass. My reddish/purple tear-filled eyes start to squint in pain. My lips curl into a bittersweet smile/frown. Seeing this photo deeply reminds me how much I miss my grandfather and all those happy memories I made with him while out camping. The happy smile I am seeing on my own filly face in the photo is just another reminder of what I lost.

I close my eyes, lower my head, and hug the photo to my chest using my left wing. I take a moment to sob even as the back of my mind is urging me that I need to get a move on soon.

“Please watch over me, Grandfather,” I pray to the photo. “I've never been on an adventure on the same level as the ones you had before. It feels so deeply ironic that the very first one I may embark upon already surpasses the greatest legacy you've ever had. An entire lost continent, Grandfather! Every single thing we may discover on it, or anypony else for that matter, shall be an extension of that initial discovery. Not only that, but rumors abound that a great civilization was lost upon it. One with knowledge and technology that far surpasses our own.

“I know my parents wanted me to trot the straight and narrow path, and I have for the most part so far. My first adventure might be my last even if I survive it. I'm just not sure if I, or anypony else, can ever top this one. About the only thing that could exceed a standard this high is discovering and going to an entirely new planet. As a result, I might be content to retire my adventuring career after this first and last glorious hurrah.

“But just imagine it. It was you who inspired me to do this and give me courage to explore the great unknown. Everything I'll discover is, in a way, just an extension of your journey because, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't even contemplate this path. The path that, if I'm being wholly honest, is something part of me longs for even as I still wrestle with my fear of it sometimes. You taught me why bold adventures can be worth it. You taught me that the worst thing in life to neglect is not its quantity but its quality. Amazing to think you actually had both.

“And . . .”

I trail off as I start to sob and shake harder. What I am trying to say next is so hard to squeeze out at this highly emotional moment for me, but considering what I am about to embark upon, I have to say it.

“I . . . I really hope I'm making you proud of me, Grandfather!” I whimper. “Everything you taught me, everything you tried to inspire me to do, it all comes down to this. This discovery could change the world, Grandfather. Please watch me! Please soar with me. Please follow me every step of the way as closely as you can. I want you to witness this too, Grandfather, for I wouldn't be there if it weren't for you. You deserve the credit every bit as much as I ever will.

“And Grandfather, even as I strive to surpass your greatest legacy . . .” I pause for a long moment as a daring grin spreads across my face before I go on to say, “. . . try to keep up!”

Author's Notes:

Part 2: I'm Late!

When I scrambled out of my high rise apartment building, I had to squash down any flares of embarrassment about the all too frequent comments like, “Hey! What's your hurry, lady?” In the elevator, I was downright antsy as I impatiently watched the arrow gradually sink down to the first floor. Part of me wanted to curse everypony who stopped the elevator's progress by either getting on or off of it, but I squashed those flares of resentment too. It's not their fault that I'm late. Instead, I kept kicking myself for not considering the stairs an option. Normally I'd also consider leaping off a balcony and simply fly to my destination, but with my right wing injured . . .

Well, I'm fine now. Now that I made it to the trolley, I finally feel like I can relax this morning. In this city of Manehatten, the trolley is reasonably fast. After all, in this city, it gets priority with any cross traffic. The only stops it really makes is a bunch of mini stations and the grand station. The latter is where I am going because that is also where the train station is. I just need to get to one of those trains by 12:15 Pm then I'm good.

I grin as I regard the front of the trolley car and notice that it is being pulled by no less than eight strapping stallions. On the whole, a trolley isn't much different from all the other taxis in this city. The main differences are much more passengers are being pulled, this service is cheaper and even downright free for some residents such as seniors. The trolley also plunges through any cross traffic because alerts are given before the trolley even arrives. On the other hoof, the trolley also keeps stopping at specific points and that can't be negotiated where as taxi's would have delivered fewer ponies (typically one to four) to a specific spot of the city streets chosen by the passenger. So, on the whole, both methods have their pros and cons. It just so happens that one of the stops of this trolley is the main train station.

I think I have less than fifteen minutes to get to the train station. It can be done with this transportation system even if it keeps making various stops. I might as well relax as best I can.

When the trolley arrives at the next stop after the one where I got on, I notice a very faded blue senior mare step onto the trolley with a bit of assistance from the conductor. It is at that moment I glance around and notice that all the current seats of the trolley are taken. I frown when I notice this. I then look back at the old mare and see her search the rest of the trolley for an empty seat behind the thin white veil attached to the forward end of her hat which has lovely looking flowers on it. Because I'm paying attention, I notice a ghost of a frown on her face too when she also notices that no empty seats are currently available. The conductor also notices this. It's not his job to insist other passengers relinquish their seats to this old mare, but this situation clearly bothers him too. He even appears reluctant to resume the journey until this situation reaches a satisfactory conclusion.

I also notice, to my unpleasant surprise, that nopony else is paying attention to this situation. Instead they are looking about, impatiently looking at their fore ankle watches or pocket watches, reading the newspaper, or gossiping to an adjacent passenger. No pony else is aware of, let alone cares about, the plight of this old lady.

I give a lamenting sigh. This is actually pretty typical of the big city life, but I can't pretend that I don't care either. I, at the very least, noticed this situation and I'm going to do something about it if no pony else will.

“Excuse me, Ma'am,” I call out as I rise from my seat. In doing so, I draw the attention of not just the old lady, but the majority of the passengers of the trolley too, at least for a brief moment. I swallow down my embarrassment of that too then gesture to my now empty seat as I kindly invite, “You can take this seat, Ma'am.”

“Thank you, young lady!” the old mare expresses with a sudden bright smile. “How kind of you.”

To that end, the old lady makes her way to me and I even help her into my previous seat. With a brief glance at the conductor, I notice him smile at me in approval and even gives a subtle appreciative nod at me before he turns to whistle at the rest of the stallions to resume pulling the trolley cart. When they do so, there is a brief lurch of motion as the trolley resumes. To help me maintain my balance, I reach up and wrap my left forehoof on a metal ring attached to a rail on the roof that is specifically designed for this purpose.

I take a moment to observe the reaction of the rest of the passengers. Most of them immediately return their attention to whatever else interested them the most, but there is a few who also give me non-verbal signs of approval for my noble sacrifice before they, too, return their attention back to something else.

In a way, I basically do the same thing. My mind sinks back into my excitement mixed with heavy anxiety about the journey I'm about to undertake. What will we encounter when we reach the uncharted continent? Will we even get there safely across the ocean?

The entire reason this continent was undiscovered before is because a brand new navigation method has recently been developed which is dubbed a “marine chronometer”. Such a device is said to be the most accurate clocks ever developed by ponykind so far and thus a brand new technological marvel. With it, navigators can finally determine not just our latitude, but also our longitude for the first time in pony history by comparing time from one point in space. Now that it is possible to determine exactly where we are on a map as we cross the ocean, we can find our way to a rumored lost continent as well. We're making history on this journey in far more than one way.

Once we actually get to the new continent, it will be my turn to shine for the purpose I am hired for on this team. Specifically, my role in this affair will be to chart that new land, for I am a professional cartographer. It was the one profession I majored in college which also met with some approval of my parents. It seemed like a compromise between a scholastic lifestyle and hardcore adventuring. I guess, in a way, the path to adventuring never truly left my heart ever since my camping trips with my late grandfather.

This is an exciting prospect for me. Everywhere we'll go on this lost continent, we'll be the first ponies there in known history. The maps I'll make along the way will also be the first in history as well. It will pave the way for future waves of explorers. When I finish with this initial exploration, my maps will be worth a fortune for posterity value alone. Even if better maps are made later, my maps will still be known as the first to chart this brand new continent. No pony else in history will have the chance to ever break that record because there can only be one “first” in anything. First edition maps penned by me will likely become museum pieces in their own right. Now that is a very charming thought. One day a piece of work by me will become an object to inspire somepony else, just as other museum pieces have done for me. It's a full circle and the perfect ending to my first, and probably last, adventuring career. If this is also to be my last foray into the great unknown, then it is best to leave it with an everlasting and important legacy.

“Oh COME ON!” exclaims a suddenly frustrated business pony as he regards a certain direction. The way he said it draws my attention. “They have to to this now of all days? I'm already late to my business meeting.”

Feeling alarmed by his frustration, I regard the direction he is looking at then my eyes explode widely when I notice the one type of event that could possibly stall a trolley car to a grinding halt, and that is the fact that the street we have arrived at is closed for the moment because of some kind of parade. Not only is the parade itself in the way, but a large crowd of excited ponies who are here to cheer on and enjoy this rare event.

“Oh yeah! I remember!” a nearby purple mare expresses as she turns to regard her adjacent green mare passenger. “I did read in the newspaper something about this parade that was going to be held somewhere. I just forgot the location and the date for it.”

“Alright folks!” calls the conductor as he turns to face us. “End of the line for the moment unless you want to wait between twenty and forty minutes.”

“Forty minutes?!” cries the snazzy and downright arrogant-looking business pony as he suddenly stands up in a huff. “Do you know who I am, Sir, or how important it is for me to arrive at my business meeting on time? I have to be in Biston in two days time which also means I have to get to the train station in less than twenty minutes. How DARE you insinuate that any further delays are necessary.”

“Calm down, Sir,” requests the nearby purple mare to the arrogant and furious business pony. “The parade is not his fault, and there was a newspaper article about this at least two moons ago. Maybe longer.”

Red cracked eyes suddenly snap at the purple mare as the now belligerent business pony shouts, “YOU DARE ASK ME TO CALM DOWN?! YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE NO IDEA WHOM YOU ARE DEALING WITH. I am Cream Toony, and I will NOT be talked down to by some insipid and stupid little girl who-”

A large red stallion suddenly stands up and slugs the belligerent business pony dizzy who recovers a second later but, by then, he's on the floor. The red stallion looms over the suddenly whimpering business pony as the red stallion says, “Ay! 'ow 'bout ya show a lit'ol respect for yon lit'ol lady why don'cha, ya fiery little wise crack'ah? Ain't no room on this trolley for such blatant lit'ol outbursts. That's for bloody true.”

Despite being intimidated, Cream Toony seemed like he was going to make another belligerent outburst until he noticed most of the other ponies on the trolley applaud the large red stallion. Realizing he'd have no backup if he complained, Mister Toony instead ducked his head, kept quiet, probably seething with hatred and plotting revenge later.

The conductor clears his throat in such a way that is obviously meant to gather attention. When he has it, he says, “Be that as it may, this trolley will not be continuing until the path is clear. The rest of you can do whatever it is you wish to do with that information. If you wish for refunds, I can provide it; otherwise, just hang tight and wait for the roads to clear. That, or enjoy the parade itself while we wait. There are also some good shops nearby.” He points up. “I actually know the proprietor to the local Ice Cream Parlor. I'm sure I can convince her to give us a discount while we wait for the road to clear.”

“Ooo! That sounds de-licious!” agrees a green mare as she licks her lips in anticipation.

I bolt out of the trolley.

---

I'm not even consciously aware how and why this is happening. All I do know is I feel desperate and am suddenly on the move. I charge on through the crowd. I charge through the streets with the parade and dodge one of the float cars. As I plunge at and through the crowd on the other side of the street, I think I hear a police whistle somewhere behind me. In desperate denial, I dismiss the police whistle. It's probably for somepony else, I force myself to be convinced of.

In the back of my mind, I am shocked livid by my actions. I've never acted anywhere near this impulsive before, but my whole career is on the line. Maybe other ponies lives too. If I'm not there to do my job . . .

I can't afford to think about that. I don't have time for that. I'm late!

Okay. New plan. Climb to the top of the tallest building around me then leap off from the top. My right wing might not be in good enough shape to give me much thrust or lift in its injured state, but maybe I can at least hold it straight while I glide through the air from a great height? Maybe? Hopefully? Oh please, oh please, oh please let this desperate gamble work!

Shocked but committed, I leap up and grasp a ladder on the side of a tall building. Since I'm holding it, my body weight helps to pull it down. When that is accomplished, I race to climb it as fast as my limbs can. This helps me to reach a metal bar platform which leads to yet another ladder which leads up exactly one story of the building with each layer. With a quick glance up, it looks like I got twenty-four more stories to scale up to reach the top then I'm good.

On the whole, it does look like this is one of the taller buildings in the city for the moment. There are some that are higher and a few that are much higher, but this should be good enough to get me most of the way to the train station.

I have to make it!

Down below me, I hear the sound of a police whistle draw closer. This evokes a brief grunt in frustration but I continue to ignore it. I can't allow myself to realize that the whistle might be directed at me. I have to keep climbing. I have got to catch this train!

“HOLD IT, LADY!” the cop yells up frm way below me when it seems clear the whistle isn't gaining any attention. “I SAID HOLD IT!”

The cop isn't talking to me. It must be sompony else. Somepony else who just happens to also be in this area which means I need to remain alert for the criminal that this cop actually is after, but I can't allow myself to be delayed by this other criminal either.

By the time I scale up to the eighth story, however, two things become abundantly clear to me. One; this is taking too long. I need to be at the train station in just a few minutes and I'm only a third of my way to the top of this building! Two; I'm exhausted! It is taking way too much energy to maintain this pace and I simply can't do it all the way to the top. If I slow down now because I'm forced to, it will delay me even further.

There has got to be another way to do this!

Down below, I hear the cop scrambling desperately after me and . . . . Oops! I mean at some other criminal but the cop sounds winded too. With a bit of concern, I glance down at him as the heavyset cop scales up the ladder four stories below me but it is clear from his slow movements there is no way he's going to catch up.

But my glance down helps me to spot something else fortuitous. There is a clothesline hanging between this building and another. There isn't many clothes on it for the moment. That isn't important to me, though. What I see instead is a desperate chance!

I forcefully squash down the explosive panicking voice in my head that cries out, “THIS IS CRAZY!!!!” and instead leap off the rail from the eighth floor that I am on. I even use my good wing to shoot myself down faster at the clothesline. Down below, the cop sees me and freezes in stunned panic because it looks like I've just committed suicide. Instead of that, though, I get caught in the clothesline which stretches it down eighteen feet before springing back up and launching me at high speed back up. I compress myself into a tight formation in order to make myself as aerodynamic as possible.

To my pleasant surprise, my plan succeeds better than I hoped. Not only do I make it to the top floor, I exceed it by the equivalent of two more stories before I finally lose all my upward momentum and start to crest back downwards. Before that happens, I spread both of my wings as far as I can, but doing so causes me to wince in tight pain because of my pulled muscle in my right wing. I still succeed, but it is torture for me to hold it straight while all my weight collapses onto the air and I glide my way slowly downward.

But whatever. This may delay my wing from healing, but I am airborne nonetheless. I can't turn. I can't thrust myself faster. I can't achieve more lift unless I get lucky and catch an updraft, but the possibility of a downdraft exists as well. Not as likely in this city because of the way the wind tends to work as a result of the design of this city, but it can happen and I need to be careful. Odds are any altitude I lose will not be recovered later so I have to preserve it until I get to the train station. If need be, I can dive at it from there.

Something else I keep in mind is the cops have pegasi too. The one that chased . . . um . . . the other criminal clearly isn't one himself, but there are other pegasi who actually are on the force. I don't want to be conspicuous in the air and get “pulled over” during my glide. I can't afford the delay.

Besides, in my medical condition, I'm not sure if such a thing would be safe.

For a brief moment, I quell the screaming panic in my mind by absorbing the details of the sight around me as I glide through the city. I didn't often dwell on this before, but what I'm doing right now is something two-thirds of the entire pony race can't enjoy unless they ride in a pegasus chariot or hot air balloon or the like. Still, there is a simple pleasure in knowing that this flight is guided by my own wings and I could choose to fly in any direction that I want if it weren't for my wing injury. Of course I know it will heal someday and probably pretty soon. When it does, I'll regain full control over my flight in the skies.

Manehatten is a jungle of towers all around me. It's kind of pretty to see my reflection, and the rest of the city, gleam off various windows on the buildings around me. In one of them, I see a another pegasus wiping some windows clean of a building. When that pegasus notices me in the windows reflection, she turns about and gives me a pleasant wave hi with the hoof that isn't holding a dripping scraper. She's bobbing her head to music playing on her earphones too so I'm surprised she wasn't distracted enough to notice me pass by in the reflection of a window.

Anyway, I give a pleasant wave back to her as I glide past.

Brrr! It sure is cold up here. It seems likely most unicorns and earth ponies wouldn't realize how cold it tends to get as elevation increases. Logic might tell them that but that's different from actual experience.

I heard of other pegasi who develop thick hides as a result of frequent trips up into the cold sky. And, obviously, no other race tends to be as acclimated to higher climates than the pegasi, especially those who live in Cloudsdale. That city stopped nearby three years ago as this city performed its mandatory tornado duty in order to give Cloudsdale its needed reserve of rainwater. In the aftermath of that duty, I got to spend a few days in that legendary city and marvel at the sites. That was fun! I took lots of pictures at the time to help preserve the memory. I actually rode in one of the rainbow waterfalls once even though I wasn't supposed to. I keenly remember a group of pegasi crossing their forelegs across their chest, shook their heads no at me simultaneously, and gave me a harsh stare for that little stunt but I otherwise got off with a warning, probably because the foal within them secretly agreed with me.

Anyway, since my right wing is so injured, I use my left to guide me off the path of gliding into other buildings that would have been in the way, but that also guides me off the path I need. In the end, it looks like I'm not going to make it all the way to the train station. Instead of that, it seems like I'm going to land in . . . (sigh) . . . the circus. Normally I'd be all over that, but today is not a typical day for me.

Besides, technically, I land in this area illegally. I was supposed to pay at the front entrance, but this is where my glide happens to take me. Well, ultimately, that's okay. I'm about to leave anyway. I'm not here to enjoy the sights despite how much part of me kind of wants to.

Once again, I am forced to restrain the quiet and mousy librarian I normally am as I charge my way through the circus. In doing so, I dodge between the legs of a passing elephant with far more agility than I've come to expect from myself. If I had more time, I'd pat myself on the back for that little stunt followed by screaming into a pillow!

I parkour my way back and forth between two large stacks of crates in order to quickly gain some height again then launch off the top for another glide but shorter this time since the height is not nearly as high as that twenty-four story building.

As I glide along, I reflexively catch a ball to my left side that is pitched at me hard then spin around to toss the ball to my right. In doing so, I manage to hit some kind of bullseye and accidentally course-corrected the ball at its intended target. In doing so, a stunned earth pony, who was busy taunting the crowd ahead of him until a moment ago, gets dunked into a small rectangular cube of water with clear glass around it so that this splash is well visible. After I pass, there is a second of stunned silence followed by an erupting cheer.

I look back at this scene while raising a curious eyebrow and shrug as I look forward again. When I do so, I widen my eyes as I see I'm on a collision course with a young filly who is swinging a hammer down at a platform that could shoot a cork up a certain height. If it reaches the top, it could ring a bell and the filly might win a prize. Today, however, the filly is getting more than intended.

In panic, I reflexively protect my face with my forehooves. In doing so, I don't notice that I actually land directly on the hammer during its downswing. Because of that, I accidentally added more weight to the swing. As a result, this swing made by a tiny filly actually makes it all the way to the top and rings the bell. This is followed by yet another cheer but this time for a different reason. When I hear that, I peek over the edge of my forehooves to explore my local situation and finally notice what has transpired around me.

“Here you go. Here is your prize,” triumphantly declares a carny as he hooves over a large stuffed and pink fluffy unicorn doll to the filly who swung the hammer. The child's eyes widen in delight before she embraces her new prize tightly as she enthusiastically declares, “It's so fluffy!!!”

I can't believe everypony is just going along with this!

Um . . . well . . . alright then. Glad I could be of service. Now, it's time for this little pony to exit stage left.

I race on and make my way out of the circus.

Part 3: A Strange Stranger

I am gasping for breath by the time I arrive in the train station. A lot of other ponies are giving me dirty looks as I bump into some of them because of how unsteady I am due to my exhaustion. I don't think I blame them either. I'd at least give another pony a weird look if I saw somepony else doing the same thing as I am doing right now. As of this moment, I have to fight to not think about it or I'd just die of embarrassment!

There is a brief moment of relief for me when I see the smoke stacks rise from the various trains up ahead, but I grow alarmed again when I notice the one I need is just about to take off. I inwardly scream in frustration when I notice that! There is no way I've come this far only to fail now! Can't a mare finally catch a break?

I catch up to the train just as the last train attendant steps into the train himself in order to shut the door.

“Noah! Stah . . . Don't!” I cry out desperately as I scramble to leap into the train while it is already starting to move. The train attendant looks about and glowers down at me. I try to speak, but I'm so out of breath right now that I soon realize that this is impossible. As an alternative, I fish into my forward shirt pocket and hoof him my ticket for this ride. His expression softens to curiosity as he takes the ticket and examines it more closely. Not only does it have my name on it, but it also has the time and date for this very train.

After examining it, he looks down at me and raises a curious but otherwise condescending raised eyebrow expression at me that seems to non-verbally ask, “Yours, I presume?” The only answer I can give to that is a nod followed by a begging expression. The train attendant sighs and rolls his eyes in disgust. Then he gives me a narrow-eyed expression which seems to tell me, “I could get fired for letting you on the train this late, you know? I hope you appreciate this.” Almost reluctantly, he lowers a hoof to help me onto mine. When I finally stand on my three legs unsteadily, I give him a grateful nod. He gives me a “whatever” expression then steps aside and gestures into the train, inviting me to pass him up and continue my way inside. When I do pass him by with a final sheepish grin to him, he, in turn, finally shuts the door leading out of the accelerating train.

---

It's a miracle how I finally make it to the door of my mostly private room in the train. I'm so dizzy and exhausted by then that I really can't figure out how I made it, but I finally slide open the door which leads to a pair of wooden benches facing each other and a single window in between them. If we have carry on luggage, we can store them in a compartment above the seats.

This is actually first class in this train. The only thing that could get better than this is private sleeper cars or renting out the entire caboose.

When I step in, or rather collapse inside, I'm surprised to notice one other pony in here. I thought I'd get this room to myself. That's what I was told earlier.

“My goodness,” says the only other occupant in the room, which is a brown stallion in this case who is wearing a brown coat over a white dress shirt which has a red necktie. He is also wearing a black bowler hat. There is a silver chain leading somewhere inside of his brown overcoat to a pocket on the right side of him. He kneels down and reaches a single hoof down to me to help pull me up. Feeling like beggars can't be choosers, I accept his hospitality even though part of me is dying of embarrassment. I was really looking forward to a moment with myself alone so I can finally recover from all this mess this morning and afternoon.

“You look like you crawled through a minefield,” notes the stallion as he helps me to my seat. Along my way to my seat across from him, I happen to catch his pretty sapphire eyes. It is at this moment it clicked in my head that this stallion is actually pretty handsome.

“Just . . . late,” I wheeze out.

“Take your time,” the stallion invites me kindly while standing before me. “You're here now. That's what is important.” He tips his bowler hat and winks at me as he asks, “Right?”

In reply, I simply nod then wince tightly as pain shoots through my right wing. I hiss a bit which is all I can do to keep from screaming. I pull my right wing in front of me and attempt to massage it lamely and unskillfully.

Seeing what I am doing, the stallion before me asks, “May I?”

I look at him in surprise. I didn't expect him to ask let alone possibly be skilled at this. Since I am now curious and feeling a little desperate, I silently nod at him in acceptance.

Wordlessly, he slides himself next to me to my right, scoops up my right wing, and for the next unknown number of minutes later, my mind swims between agony and bliss. The longer this goes on, the more my experience leans on the latter. Whoever this is, he really is good. Lucky me!

Huh. Finally some good luck! Thank Celestia!

“There you go. How's that?” he asks when he's done. After he asks, I pull my wing close to me. In doing so, only a small amount of pain registers in my mind when I bend it or straighten it.

“Much better,” I reply which is also when I notice I finally caught my breath enough to speak fairly straight again. “Thank you. Still hurts a little as I bend and straighten it, but otherwise it feels fine.”

“Try going easy on it for a few days,” the stranger recommends as he moves to sit across from me and, from there, turns to face me again. “I did what I could to reduce strain on the muscle and wing ligaments. It should take the edge off for now, but you still need a few days to fully heal. After that, you'll be soaring the skies again soon. I promise.”

I nod at him in appreciation as I say, “Thank you again.” My gaze lingers on this handsome stallion. Part of me feels tempted to ask why he is here. I could have sworn I was supposed to be alone in this room. Did I come to the wrong room? Or did he?

I take a moment to check my train ticket again then look at the number above the entrance to this room. In doing so, I verify that I am in the correct room. That's good. I don't need yet another reason to feel so embarrassed today.

Then the days events hit me again. My eyes widen with horror at what I have done. That cop most likely was whistling for me. What have I done? Am I a fugitive now? This is nowhere even close to the lifestyle I normally live! What has gotten into me today?

“If you don't mind me saying, you look like you've had an interesting day,” the stranger across from me observes in what seems to be amusement.

“Tell me about it,” I agree with a roll of my eyes. “You have no idea!”

“Probably not,” the stranger partially agrees. “But I'm sure all of us has had, 'One of those days' kind of deal.”

I widen my eyes a him as I ask, “One of those days? One of those days?!” I nearly screech the last word. “Again, I insist that you have no idea because you don't know me and what I'm normally like. What's transpired today isn't even close to how I normally act or do.”

“You have done something more daring than you normally do?” the stranger asks with a shadow of a grin.

“In a word . . . yes,” I agree. “But that's because I'm driven to desperation today. Something is about to happen to me that made me too nervous and excited to sleep last night. Boy, did that ever cost me this morning.”

“Important events can often do that,” the stranger replies. “Believe me, I know that feeling. My life has carried me quite far as well, but the interesting thing about it is it never really gets boring.” He applies a hoof to his chest as he admits, “I confess, there is some attempts to keep spice in my life, but I am pleased to report I've had some success with that.”

I grin slightly as I say, “Well, whatever you've gone through, I doubt it compares to what happened to me today.”

“You're likely right,” the stranger agrees. “Every journey is different.”

I shrug a bit which causes me to wince as pain shoots through me because of my right wing again, but the pain fades in seconds. I then nod at him as I say, “I'm sure you're right, but the scale of what I'm about to face is very likely beyond what you could imagine.”

“Oh?” the stranger asks as he raises an eyebrow and grows a ghost of a coy grin.

“I'm about to venture into an entirely new and formerly lost continent!” I exclaim in astonishment.

“Really?” the stranger reflects while wearing the same expression. “If this is so, that'll be quite an accomplishment.”

“No kidding!” I agree. “You know, I've read a lot of adventure stories before. In college, I actually majored in literature.”

“Well good for you!” the stranger cheers at me in such a way that it feels really authentic. “Stories are important. We need them to light the fires of our imagination as well as keeping a record of our lives.”

“Oh! Totally!” I enthusiastically agree. “You know, I hope to be a published author one day. Until then, I try to read what others have written and use it to help inspire me.”

“You seem to be a very smart young lady,” the stranger observes cunningly. “Sheltered and very educated, but brimming with passion. I suspect you'd like to do more than you've done before. To boldly go where no mah . . . Um. Excuse me. Where no pony has gone before.”

I sink into my seat a bit as I release a deep sigh before I finally admit, “Maybe that's true, but I'm not sure how well I'd hoofle it if I had to. What's more, it wouldn't meet with my parents approval. Especially my mother.”

“Why is that?” the stranger asks across from me.

“My mom had an adventuring father before,” I answer. “Thus she grew up with a mostly absentee father. One she had to worry about and wonder if, every time he left, he'd ever come back home again.”

“Oh. I see,” the stranger says in realization. “Well . . . that makes sense then. I'm sure an experience like that would leave a deep impact on the psyche of a growing young woman.”

I nod as I say, “I can understand that too somewhat, but because of that, I think I grew up somewhat smothered. Part of me longs for more freedom, yet another part of me feels nervous to venture too far from the nest. You know what I mean?”

The stranger nods as he pulls out an object from his side coat pocket using the silver chain. It turns out to be a silver pocket watch. I lift an eyebrow at the sight of that. Such a tiny and highly technological device isn't common in these lands. Those who do have it are either very rich or an avid collector. I wonder which of these categories the stallion falls within. Judging from his attitude, it is hard to tell. He doesn't strike me as stuck up at all in a way the wealthy sometimes can be, but they are not all like that. I met a few who can be more like this guy. Someone who is charming and seems a bit of an intellectual himself. I could easily imagine this guy to be a wealthy college professor at some prestigious academy.

“Indeed I do,” he eventually agrees after examining the time on his pocket watch then returns it back to his brown coat pocket. “Leaving the old homestead can be quite a challenge, especially in the beginning. The young boy I used to be couldn't possibly imagine the wild adventures he'd go through when he grew up. If I had a chance to tell him and if he believed me, I suspect it would spook him. There's a time in each of our lives when we fear monsters hiding under our beds. A young and innocent time when we looked upon the world with wonder but also with a deep sense of vulnerability. That seems pretty normal to me.”

“I never thought this would happen to me,” I confess to him then privately wonder to myself why I'm being so unusually open and honest with this guy. In fact, telling him about soon exploring a previously unexplored continent was already crossing the line. That was supposed to be a secret. That's why I'm on this train and taking to a more hidden port away from Manehatten.

Still, since I have come this far, a strong part of me wants to continue for some reason. I don't know why, but I feel like I can trust this guy. Aside from that, telling him about my recent stresses is making me feel better.

“There might be a part of me that wanted this,” I go on. “I've read a lot of books about other adventurers. Most of them are fiction, but some of them were real. More like biographies or autobiographers of adventurers or retired adventurers. As I read them, whether they were fiction or not, excitement grew inside me. It's also been a pity to me that so many of the protagonists I read are all male. That made me long to finally find one that features a female protagonist, even if I have to write such a story myself.”

“We all write about what we know,” the stranger points out. “Field research can be very helpful in such a profession. Going out there and sampling the kinds of things your character would go through helps establish authenticity to your potential work. It is not strictly necessary, I think, but I find myself with a healthy respect for those authors who do go through with that extra mile.”

I smile at this stranger as I tell him, “I wholeheartedly agree! I love the kind of authors who can make their work feel real. Like I am actually there on the journey with the characters I read. I want to know what the temperature in the air feels like. I want to know what the itchiness of the sting of insects feels like as they explore wild jungles and hidden forbidden temples. Make me feel the adrenaline rush as they slide under a collapsing door. Make me hear the whistle of poisonous darts as they wiz by centimeters from my face. Put me in the action, authors.”

“Well you are about to go on a great journey, are you not?” the stranger reminds me. “It's one thing to read about other adventures. It's quite another to actually be there.”

“You sound like you speak from experience,” I observe.

“Aye,” the stranger agrees. “Lots and lots of experience and I mean that both ways. Being in adventures myself but also writing about them or reading about them. I, too, grew up enchanted about such stories. I, too, didn't think anything like it would ever happen to me. Instead, I grew up going after intellectual pursuits such as being a student and then a college professor.”

“I knew it!” I declare triumphantly. “I knew you had that vibe to you. A pony with a sophisticated and highly educated past.”

He nods again then goes on to say, “I found I quite enjoyed it. To expose young minds to new knowledge and watch as their horizons expand. To watch as their potential grows. I have fond memories of just slinking back into the background as I watched my former students move on into greatness that I've always known they had inside of them. By knowing that I had some part in helping to unlock that potential just fills me up with such endless satisfaction. That I made my mark upon the world through my students. That's such a wonderful way to make a contribution to the universe.”

“Universe?” I reflect questioningly. “Don't you mean university?”

“I know what I said,” the stranger replies as he narrows his eyes at me very slightly. “And I meant what I said.”

Who talks like that? Most ponies I know talk about their influence in, at most, all of Equestria.

Then it hits me. I'm about to venture beyond Equestria entirely. Whatever else I do or accomplish out there, I can't give direct credit to this land while I am there. We ponies are in such strong habit in talking about Equestria that I soon realize this will be quite a change for me. Terms like, “How in Equestria . . .?” such and such wouldn't really fit in this case.

Once again, I privately marvel how easy it is to talk to this guy. I doubt he realizes how valuable it is too. This helps put my mind at ease.

“Well,” I say as I look down, “you do have a point about this adventure possibly helping to establish some authenticity to any of my future novel characters. That is a part I am looking forward to.” I look back at him. “To help me do that, I plan to write a log often about what I encounter. My official job is to be a cartographer in these new lands, but I plan to go one step further and write about my personal experience as well. Someday that journal alone might be worth a fortune.”

The stranger smiles softly at me as he says, “I can see the advantages of being a pegasus when it comes to a profession like that. Just park a cloud high above whatever terrain you plan to draw.”

“Exactly!” I agree with an enthusiastic swing of a foreleg. “I doubt I'll be the only pegasus on the journey, but being a pegasus can certainly help me get a 'bird's-eye-view' of the situation wherever we go as long as it is not too stormy up there.”

“And even if it is, your kind is among the best to handle it,” the stranger agrees.

I give him a strange look.

“Hoofle it,” the stranger corrects himself with a dazed blink as if he can't believe he just said the other thing a moment ago.

I continue to wince one eye at him for a second then widen both eyes back to normal as I say, “Be that as it may, I'm glad actual professional adventurers are also being hired for this journey. Not only because I look up to them, not only because I can use them as potential models for my future stories, but to help keep me safe during this journey. In no way do I plan to become a professional adventurer myself after this, but while I am on this journey, I plan to learn everything I can to help keep me alive and to know what my fictional adventuring characters would know. The kinds of tips that they might give somepony else that they'd encounter. I'll also pay attention to the attitude they present while giving those lessons because some character I might write could be the same way.”

“You may do whatever you wish with your life,” the stranger expresses. “It's your story, but remember; just as you were surprised about taking this journey now, be aware that such things could happen again. You didn't expect this, so why should the rest of your life be predictable with this one and only exception?”

“I can't predict the future,” I express with a shrug. “I can only make plans for it while remaining aware that they can change. Even if I have to venture in new and uncharted territory, I'd at least like to make a new chart as I continue. I may not be able to see into the future, but I can see into the present and the past. With that in mind, I'd like to create something that helps make the path I trot more clear later on. That way I can at least backtrack with some clarity.”

“In that case, believe it or not, you're already thinking like a professional adventurer,” the stranger expresses. “Lots of ponies can be an adventurer, but a professional one knows there is a difference between being brave and being reckless. The good ones pave the way for all those who follow in their footsteps. If you are the first to venture into new territory, be mindful of where you step and how you choose to proceed. There is nothing wrong with fulfilling an inward need for a thrill, but a professional adventurer realizes there is something they can accomplish beyond just that. That they can venture out there with a driven purpose. Learn from your failures and the failures of others too. I guarantee you'll encounter some of that as you continue on this path. One important distinction about this profession verses another standard one on dry land is sometimes you get only one chance to make a mistake while out in an adventure.”

“I know,” I agree with a solemn nod to him. “If I start seeing pony skeletons, or that of other animals, in the area that I am exploring, stop and pay especially close attention to the environment. Something there killed these others, and if I'm not careful, I could become the next warning sign for others.”

The stranger gives a blank stare at me for a couple of seconds before looking down, leaning forward, then looking back up at me as he says, “This is why I'm telling you that you are a very bright pony.” He shakes his head. “Sometimes we don't know what we're capable of until we go through an experience like this. In a way I envy you. It's been a long time when an adventure felt totally new to me. There's nothing quite like that first experience.”

“I plan to survive this in order to write about it later,” I promise him. “Come what may.”

“Only fools are fearless,” he expresses at me with a very serious expression. “It could be ignorance or arrogance that keeps them brave. Whatever the case may be, the end result typically is their death. Personally, I say fear is your friend that is attempting to warn you of the danger around you. Don't let it blind or paralyze you, but pay attention to it nonetheless. Fear is your friend if you let it be. There is wisdom in handling that carefully.”

I wince one eye even as I grin at him then tell him, “You're one strange pony. You know that?”

The stranger leans back into his seat, looks out the window to his right side, and says, “Yeah. I get that a lot.”

Part 4: Introductions

I have to say, I really didn't expect a pony I just met on the train to be this courteous to me. He actually paid for a carriage ride and gave me an escort all the way from the train station to the dock. Some suspicion arose within me for a brief moment because of that, but he's been nothing but a fine gentlepony to me. I don't know why, but my instincts kept insisting that he is a pony that can be trusted. Maybe it is his easy-going nature. Maybe it is because he's easy to talk to. Maybe it is because he has fascinating things to say.

Or maybe it is because I'm attracted to him, but if that is the case, this is most likely a vivid example of sapiosexuality, or in other words, one who is attracted to intelligent beings.

When I feel the carriage we are riding in come to a stop, disappointment sinks into my heart because this means I'll now have to part with this fascinating stranger I met on the train.

“Um . . . well . . . we're here,” I tell him as I squirm shyly.

“It would appear so,” the stranger agrees across from me in the carriage.

“It was, ah . . . It was great talking to you,” I resume as I blush like a schoolgirl crush.

“Indubitably,” the stranger agrees again with a faint amused grin for some reason. “I hope to do this again sometime.”

“Me too!” I agree with a bright smile which fades shortly later. “But I really can't be certain when that will ever happen. I might not even return from this trip alive.”

“Don't say that,” the stranger says disapprovingly with a slight shake of his head. “Always make survival your goal. Believe in that. The longer you live, the more of this fabulous journey you will undertake. Take it from me, from one traveler to another, it's all worth it.”

“Thank you,” I say with a shy smile. “I will try.”

“Don't just try. Do,” the stranger insists. “Do daringly.”

With that, the stranger leans to his side and opens the carriage door. From there, he gestures out of the carriage.

I don't wish to prolong this goodbye. I simply nod at him then climb my way out of the carriage without looking back. That takes so much resolve in my heart, but this is the way it has to be. One chapter of my life has closed and another must take it's place.

That chapter looms out in front of me. I'm here! I'm finally here!

For a brief moment, excitement and anxiety well inside me again when I behold the dock that has the ship The Intrepid before me. It is a two story steam engine paddle boat craft I usually encounter on rivers. This thing is meant to cross Celestial Sea, but it isn't driven by giant sails. All I can think about in that moment is it better have enough coal for a round trip, but that said, at least the wind and ocean currents won't be as much of a threat.

This actually strikes me as a cruise ship. Almost like a hotel on water. I can see a bunch of doors leading to separate rooms strung all round the outside of the ship beneath both roofs of the duel layer ship.

As I stare upon this, I have to wonder why this vessel is chosen for this legendary journey.

“Careful, you fools!” complains a light brown stallion with a dark mane and tail which has a streak of white through both. He has a easily visible cutie mark of a yellow pony skull with gems in the eyes. He is wearing an egg-white shirt and has a white polka dot bandanna around his neck. I immediately recognize him on sight as Doctor Caballeron. Another shy blush rushes to claim me. I have been expecting him and this is a meeting I was looking forward to. “These sah-plies are very del-oh-kit,” Doctor Caballeron goes on to explain to the apparently clumsy dock worker with a very distinct Ponish accent.

“No they're not,” returns a very gruff looking dock worker. “They are not delicate. See?” He kicks one of the wooden crates hard to demonstrate its durability, and indeed, there isn't the slightest dent on the crate.

Nevertheless, the dock worker's demonstration clearly irritates Doctor Caballeron. He almost goes off on another roaring rant, but he restrains himself with intense effort then goes on to explain more calmly, “Fine. Ah-greed. They are not del-oh-kit, but they are impordant so STOP KICKING DEM, YOU FOOL!!!”

Before I know it, I race ahead to meet up behind Doctor Cabelleron and skid to a stop from there. Either the gallop of my hooves or the sound of me skidding to a stop alerts the doctor of my approach. At first he looks back at me in annoyance, but when he sees me, his mood immediately brightens into delight.

“Well, well, well,” says Doctor Cabelleron as he turns to face me. “A fine young lady graces my presence . . . no?” He flashes me a very rogue'ish, charming smile.

Fighting against my blush, I attempt to speak, but he steals my breath away again when he scoops up my left hoof and kisses it charmingly. Following that, I start to black out. The next thing I know, I am staring up into his blue eyes as he is staring down at me.

“There is no need to faint before me, mademoiselle,” announces the debonair doctor as he gives me bedroom eyes. “My exploits hov been most exceedingly exaggerated, I'm sure.”

“B-buh-buh-but you're Doctor Cabelleron!” I stammer excitedly. “The discoverer of Serenity Valley! The one who re-discovered the Temple of Ahak-Teetlet! The one who discovered the long lost Snarkenstone! You're a legend in the archaeologist circles!”

“Please, Madam, I am juz a humble excavationist,” Doctor Cabbelleron insists as he helps me stand up straight. “Please . . . juz call be Doc-tar Cabbelleron.”

“Then from one Doctor to another, I bid you welcome,” says a familiar stranger behind me. Upon hearing that, I whip my gaze about then widen my eyes as I witness that the same stranger I met on the train, who then gave me a carriage ride here, has also followed me to this point.

“Really?” Doctor Cabbelleron expresses in delight as he also beholds this new stranger. “It is good to encoun-tar annodar fellow educated gentlepony such as myself. So you too, Sir, have a doctorate in . . .” Cabbelleron leaves the rest of that sentence hanging as he waves a hoof to invite the stranger to finish the rest of that sentence.

“Yes,” the brown coat wearing stranger replies.

Doctor Cabbelleron lifts an eyebrow as he asks, “Excuse me?”

“I was just answering your question,” replies the stranger. “Whatever the rest of that sentence was going to be, the answer is yes.”

Doctor Cabbelleron holds his confused expression as he asks, “So . . . ahh . . . basically . . . you . . . ahh . . . have a doctorate in everything? Even evil?”

The stranger merely grins in amusement then removes his hat and places it on his chest as he says, “I think formal introductions are now in order.”

When he says that, it suddenly occurs to me he never introduced himself to me on the train. I widen my eyes as I further realized I never introduced myself to him either, or to Doctor Cabbelleron.

“My name is Smith,” introduces the brown coat and black bowler hat wearing stranger. “Doctor John Smith.”

“Pleased to meet you, Sir,” greets Doctor Cabbelleron as he extends a hoof that Doctor Smith promptly shakes. “And I am Doc-tar Cabbelleron.”

“I know,” Doctor Smith assures as he continues to shake Cabbelleron's hoof. “I heard you when you were introducing yourself to this nice young lady.”

“And I am Keystone!” I eagerly and hastily put in since I feel so embarrassed that I didn't say that earlier. “Agate Keystone.”

“Agate Keystone?!” exclaims some gruff sounding pony from nearby. Hearing him draws my attention to another fairly large nearby pony who was coiling a rope around a hoof. By the looks of it, he was nearly finished when he overheard me and decided to speak up. Initially his back is to us, but then he turns about and I get a good look at a very old but exceptionally well built stallion with a chiseled jaw and a five o'clock shadow spread on it. I still can't see his eyes yet because his safari hat is tilted too far down. He is wearing a khaki shirt with two pockets on each side of his chest and a dark brown leather coat worn over that. He has large and tough looking saddlebags on each of his hips which has some decent bulge to both of them.

“You know of this young miss?” Doctor Cabelleron asks this new individual curiously with apparently some recognition of this stranger as far as I can tell.

“That depends,” answers this tough old stranger before he asks me directly “Do you have any relation to Fourwind Keystone?”

I widen my eyes as I answer, “Yes. He was my grandfather. How did you know him?”

“Agate Keystone,” the new stranger repeats as if tasting the word, then goes on to say a phrase I haven't heard spoken since the days my grandfather was alive. “A magical keystone needed to unlock a gate.”

The moment I hear that, I gasp as I realize that this new stranger must have known my grandfather.

This new stranger lifts his head, and thus the edge of his safari hat as well, enough so that I can finally see this stallion's hazel eyes. He is giving me a very piercing stare with his old and wrinkled eyes that is still filled with so much strength that his gaze causes me to unconsciously shrivel a bit.

“Your parents wouldn't approve of your presence here, little miss,” the grizzled stranger warns gruffly.

There is a moment of awkward and uncomfortable silence that passes between us all before Doctor Smith asks, “And I take it you are the legendary dungeon explorer Tanon Burrows, right? I heard that Fourwind Keystone was an old partner of yours.”

“Tanon Burrows?!” I gasp in astonishment. “I heard you retired!”

“Yes. I did,” Tanon agrees as he tilts his head back down and thus concealing his eyes from sight again. “But the opportunity offered here was too good to pass up. The discovery we're about to make is a once in a lifetime, and I can't afford this opportunity to show up my old partner.”

A fond look sinks into my eyes. This is the first time I ever met Tanon directly, but I heard he continued adventuring for a few years after my grandfather retired. Eventually Tanon also settled down but not with a family. Instead, I heard he continued adventuring on a lesser scale as a park ranger.

Before all that, Fourwind and Tanon were good partners through many of their earlier adventures. One is a unicorn, which is Tanon, although his hat conceals that fact, and the other is my grandfather Fourwind. Together, they both made one legendary discovery after another.

“You shouldn't be here,” Tanon insists again as he tilts his head and lifts it up just enough so that only his left eye is piercing at me.

“I can't afford the loss of this opportunity as well,” I proclaim as resolute as I can muster. “I'm the right pony for the job that I was hired for.” My knees are shaking, but I go on to say, “I'm not my parents and they don't live my life for me. I'm a grown mare now and I make my own decisions.”

“You do realize precisely why they didn't want you to trot this path?” Tanon asks as he continues to give me a hard gaze with one eye which seems to gleam under the shadow of his hat. “There is no guarantees of anything, but the trials we'll face will very likely be life threatening. Are you prepared for that?”

“Oh please. I am Doc-tar Cabbelleron!” Cabbelleron brags. “I helped to uncover many sites and-”

“I wasn't talking to you, Sir,” Tanon says tightly and firmly as his burning gaze now pierces at Cabbelleron. Despite the intensity of that stare, I am surprised to see how effective it is to the archaeologist I look up to so highly. Tanon is, apparently, intense enough to cow pro explorers even at his very senior age.

I give a hard gulp as I gather my resolve then give Tanon a piercing stare of my own as I declare, “You have no right to judge me or my worth in this venture. I earned my right to be here by being a brave and highly educated pony. Fourwind showed me the ropes in many of our prior camping trips before he passed away, and yes . . . I know that's not the same thing as what we're about to embark upon, but he still inspired me. I feel his passion for exploration burning in my heart and I will not be bullied into submission over that fact. I am here now and I'm going on this trip, and that's final! Take it or leave it, Sir, but I'm going either way. The rewards and consequences of that act are mine and mine alone. Know that you are free from any responsibility for me during this trip. I can hoofle myself.”

Tanon returns his hard and silent stare back at me for a few seconds as if trying to test my resolve. I meet that gaze with equal measure. Eventually he sighs as he turns away then says, “So be it. Lay on the hay you make.”

I give a hard gulp. My gaze continues to remain firm, but inwardly I am still shaking.

“He does care for you,” Doctor Smith assures me as he turns to look at me softly. “He just has his own way of showing it.”

“I know,” I reply just as softly as I finally relax my guard and give a heavy sigh.

Part 5: What We Brought

I am having an unbelievable time on this ship. Doctor Caballeron, a pony I secretly (or perhaps not so secretly) look up to is showing me around this ship as if I'm somepony special. Why? I feel like I am a last minute addition for a job that admittedly is important where we are going and I do happen to have a knack for it, but it seems to me a thousand other ponies could have been chosen in my place. Why I was picked specifically for this mission is already beyond me, so it blows my mind even further that somepony I look up to is treating me as if I'm the celebrity here. I'm not complaining, but it is difficult to accept.

Getting a better tour of this ship is useful knowledge to me since it has come to my understanding that we'll be here for at least twelve whole days, but very likely quite a bit longer. When I see the shores of our beloved home of Equestria sink below the horizon, it steadily dawns on me that we are now standing on the closest thing to visible landmass in every direction across every horizon, and it just happens to be artificial and moving. As a result, it is useful to get a lay of the “land”, as it were. To know what resources it has and what it doesn't have. To know which rooms are important and which are frivolous. To know what personnel we carry with us because, out here, we essentially have become our very own country. The only one we can rely upon potentially for the rest of our lives out here, however long or short that will happen to be.

As we continue the tour, Doctor Cabbelleron regales me with many stories of his past adventurers in exploring old ruins. These are stories I would have paid good bits to hear and I have in the past. Some biographies have been written about him before and I proudly own most of them. He seemed rather flattered when I told him that which made him even more determined to almost arrogantly brag about his past exploits. I don't mind this in the slightest. When a stallion, or any pony for that matter, has made as many discoveries as he has, they deserve to be cocky about it. I'm actually very glad he's so willing to speak to his publishers, ghost writers, and me about his exploits because otherwise it would have remained hidden.

“What do you think will actually be out there?” I ask Cabbelleron beside me as we roam the starboard side of the lower deck of the ship. To our right is doors leading to various rooms, mostly bedrooms, and to the left is white wooden columns which support the deck and roof above us. Beyond that is the vast ocean which is now illuminated with a pinkish hue due to the Celestia sun sinking on the horizon to the west.

“You mean tha new conten-ent we are abow to discovor?” Cabbelleron asks me with his ever enchanting accent. Then he shrugs. “Well . . . part of the point of being a legendary archaeologist is the willingness to go out there and discovor what is ow there.” He chuckles for some reason. “It makes it tha much more fuhn fo me az well az po-tentially prafa-tahble.”

My smile at him fades a bit as I ask, “But there is the thrill of knowing that we'll share this discovery to the rest of Equestria too, right?” My excitement picks back up as I say, “Think of all of the contributions we'll make to museums!”

“What?” Cabbelleron blinks at me questioningly then waves me off as he says dismissively, “Oh. Yes, yes. Of coreworse. All of that as well.”

I gaze out to the ocean to my right as I savor the ocean breeze that passes us before declaring, “Someday some other colt and filly will behold those pieces we'll bring back and be inspired by it as well, just as some of the things you have discovered has done for my own life.”

“You're really into this,” Cabbelleron notes with surprise mixed with delight beside me. “Are you sure you havon't chosen the wrong profession before? Perhaps you might be destined to be an archaeologist yo'self.”

“No,” I say a bit despondently as I turn my head forward then lower it as I close my eyes. “I wouldn't know the first thing about being a professional adventurer myself, and my parents would probably have a heart attack at the mere thought. Even now, I didn't tell them that I would be going on this venture.”

“Baht tha way you stood up to old Tanon Burrows clearly deh-mon-straights at least some interest and talent in this field,” Cabbelleron tells me encouragingly. “Perhaps you're more into this than you thought.”

“Interest?” I reflect as I lift my face forward again and open my eyes. “Sure. Talent? I doubt it but we'll see. If it turns out I do have a knack for this as well then that should be useful at least for the duration of this voyage. The only thing I might care to see more than making this grand discovery is to one day return from this voyage and go back home safe and sound.”

“Bah!” Cabbelleron gives me another dismissive wave. “Safety is overrated. It tis tha adventor-is, tha bold, that even-tually return home with a tale or two worth telling.”

“It's easy for you to say that,” I remark as I look back at him. “You're good at this job, but think about all those other ponies out there who didn't return from a trip like this and they are never going to.”

Doctor Cabbelleron winces in apparent disgust as he says, “Halfwits, all of them. They nev'ah had tha true passion to be a real adventurer. Glory and riches await for dose who make dat leap o' faith and return boldly.” He half shrugs. “Perhaps with a trinket or two tah prove his adventures 'nd his worth. Wit'out that, there'd nev'ah be those museum pieces which so inspired you.”

“That's true,” I agree thoughtfully.

“If it 'as to be somepony, it might az well be us,” Doctor Cabbelleron concludes with another simple shrug.

“Boss,” speaks a tan colored stallion with brown tail and presumably same color mane but it is concealed under a hat with a white stripe across it. His face sports a five o'clock shadow similar to Tanon's. He also wears a red scarf. When he gains our attention, this stallion nods elsewhere as if to silently convey that they have business to discuss in private.

“Somepony you know?” I ask Cabbelleron beside me while nodding to indicate the stallion that just addressed us.

“Biff,” Cabbelleron introduces with a bit of a tired sigh. “This venture should be worth it but there sure are heavy expenses. One of tha investors, tha highest in fact, sent some of 'is ponies wit me to . . . well, officially to guard me but also to make sure everything runs smoothly. To that end,” Cabbelleron faces me and gives me a graceful bow. “I must, unfortunately, deprive you of my compony for tha moment. Pardon me while we have business to discuss.”

“Oh!” I blink. “Um . . . of course. Take your time and thank you for the tour,” I express to Cabbelleron gratefully.

“Baht of course, Mademoiselle,” Cabbelleron replies dashingly. “Until we meet again, adieu.”

Once again, he scoops up one of my hooves, my left in this case since he's standing to my left side, and kisses it charmingly before he departs. As he leaves, I detect the slightest trace of annoyance to his mood as if he resents this interruption to our tour. If that is true, then it might be noteworthy that he is departing from my side reluctantly for some reason. Either because he doesn't wish to leave me, doesn't wish to attend to whatever business this other pony has in mind, or both.

As I watch them leave, I privately note that while Doctor Cabbelleron is dripping with debonair charm, I'm getting less comfortable vibes from this Biff stallion. I don't know what it is. Maybe his poise. Maybe his mannerism. Just something which indicates to me that he might not be the safest or wisest pony to encounter in a dark alley.

Then I dwell on what Cabbelleron said earlier. He said Biff is here to be a representative of an investor for this trip. That raises some questions which, for some reason, makes me a bit uneasy.

“Be careful of the compony you keep,” warns another unfamiliar stallion from somewhere nearby. I end up looking over my left shoulder to locate this one. There I see an aging white unicorn stallion who has a bit of bulk to him but clearly not as much as he would have had in his youth. I get the impression he used to have a golden mane and tail, both of which is now heavily bleached into silver for the most part. Only hints of it's once glorious golden hue remain. After a moment of examination, I also note something else about him that was initially subtle, and that is the very firm stance and expression in his face. He stands with confidence and vigilance that both suggest formal training sometime in his past.

“What do you mean?” I ask this new stallion curiously with just the hint of alarm.

Then it suddenly occurs to me that I haven't encountered many other mares on this ship.

“That stallion who nodded to indicate for Cabbelleron to follow him,” this white stallion says as he nods to indicate where they took off. “Officially he's one of three henchponies to be Doctor Cabbelleron's bodyguards, but secretly they are actually hired to oversee to the will of the largest investor of this ship, one Colonel Panders.” This stallion narrows his eyes in the direction the other stallions went off to. “And the Colonel is noteworthy because of some shady history behind him.”

“What?!” I cry out in alarm mixed with horrified disbelief. I turn to face this new stallion fully. “That's impossible! Doctor Cabbelleron would never stoop to work with a pony like that.”

“Not everything is included in a pony's own biographies,” this stallion warns as his sharp gaze returns to me firmly. “Often what becomes public knowledge is an edited version of their own personal story. It's not always to their benefit to be completely honest with the public.”

I wince at this pony as I say, “That's a rather cynical view of reality. And just who are you to claim such expertise in these matters?”

“Forgive me, my lady, for not introducing myself earlier before I spoke on such matters,” the white stallion expresses as he gives me a formal bow. Once again, he seems to have a lot of practice in this as if he's had formal training. “My name is Straight Arrow and I am a former retired Royal Canterlot Guard. I used to serve under the glorious wings of Princes Celestia for a whopping twenty-eight years before I retired.”

“Oh wow!” I gasp as it clicks in me why his poise and mannerism seems so regal and disciplined. “I, ah . . . I didn't know.”

“Well now you do,” Straight Arrow announces as he rises from his bow. “I hope I have made my position a bit more clear to you.”

“Are you sure about Colonel Panders and the fact he's the main financial backer of this voyage?” I ask in a slightly spooked tone.

“We, of the former royal guards, are often in communion with local law enforcement officers in order to safeguard the Princess and to know who to watch out for,” Straight Arrow explains. “One of them was and is Colonel Panders. He's made quite the mark among crime syndicates for a very long time. Now he's risen to be influential enough to be his own crime boss. In fact,” he taps the deck we're standing on, “The Intrepid is secretly owned by him, or rather one of his subsidiary componies. They try to hide it, but there are enough clues to follow for the vigilant and determined.

“Now, mind you, crime syndicate families like the one the Colonel leads are not always into shady business. They have legitimate business too like a canning compony or two hotels and casino's in Los Pegasus. It's noteworthy, however, how mysterious some of their financial endeavors are. Some of the things the Colonel owns could not possibly be affordable entirely by legit means. Shady dealings must have been made in the shadows as such ventures are often done.

“Now, I heard that if you were to actually meet Colonel Panders in person, he'd be oozing with strong Southern charm which makes him seem like a jolly and civilized gentlepony, but he's also the kind of pony who maintains that delightful charm while ordering his henchponies to shatter kneecaps right before his very eyes. Do not be taken by his disarming smile for it hides a very dangerous and cunning wit.”

I get the chills as I stare at Straight Arrow wide eyed. Eventually I recover my own wits enough to ask, “Then why are you aboard this ship? If the one who provided the main financial backing for this venture has such a shady history, how and why are you involved?”

“Some of that information is classified,” Straight Arrow informs me very seriously. “But what I can tell you is what me and two other former royal guards aboard this ship are hired to provide is security during the voyage. Colonel Panders hired thugs, Biff, Withers, and Rouge, are essentially hired for the same thing, but what my former team and I provide is more formal training. We're also the only three unicorns aboard this ship with formalized training in combat magic such as hornbeams, barrier magic, and the like.”

“Ooo. That could come in hoofy,” I note with interest.

He nods as he says, “Indeed. I also patrolled this ship and took a census of those aboard this ship. To my surprise, I discovered that most of the ponies aboard this ship are earth ponies. Only twelve of us are unicorns, and of those, only three have formal training in combat magic. Tanon Burrows, for all of his skills with adventuring, is only capable of basic unicorn magic but he takes that quite far.

“I was far more surprised, and alarmed, to discover that you, Miss, are the only resident pegasus aboard this ship at this time.”

My eyes explode wide with shock and I exclaim, “What?!”

Straight Arrow narrows one eye at me as he says to me, “That seems like a massive oversight to me considering the journey we are undertaking, but it is what it is. Your role in this affair just might be far more important than you realized earlier.”

I gaze down with shock. If what Straight Arrow just told me is true, then I'm the only one that can provide an aerial reconnaissance of any area we explore. I'm the only one who has a chance to remove inconvenient weather. I'm the only one who can trot and rest on clouds. Perhaps most importantly, I'm the only one who has a chance to save somepony else's life if they fall down a cliff unless a unicorn is trained in the right spell or really strong with their telekenetic magic.

Personally, I consider myself an above average flier but nothing to brag about. Nothing really amazing. I just happen to push myself a little harder with wing training than most ponies. That's all.

Before now, I never considered myself as somepony special specifically because of my flying abilities. One-third of the rest of pony kind can do that as well. That's not even counting other races that can do it too.

Now, however, I may be shouldering the responsibility of the only pony aboard who is capable of doing this. That is, assuming, whenever my wings are not injured. I feel pressure growing on my heart when I realize that I'm now the only one capable of even having a chance to face aerial combatants on their level. Since I have no formal fighter training to speak of, it seems gravely unwise of me to face such a thing totally alone.

We're about to encounter an entire unexplored continent. It's hard to fully imagine what we might encounter there, but it seems safe to assume we could encounter aerial threats at least a few times. I'd feel so much more secure about that if there was at least one other pegasus for the team to rely upon, especially if that pony had some formal training to hoofle it. But nope! It's just me. That's so much pressure.

It's not like we have any other backup either. All we have aboard this ship is all we're ever going to have on this voyage aside from what we might encounter later, but there is no telling what that will be at this time. Right now, we can't count on anything beyond what we've brought with us, and apparently I am just learning that at least three other ponies aboard this ship was hired by a mob boss.

“Um, those three that are hired by Colonel Panders,” I say as I look back at Straight Arrow with a minor look of desperation in my eyes, “they can fight, right?”

“I'd say it's pretty safe to assume that,” Straight Arrow agrees with a nod.

“In that case, if we encounter something dangerous where we're going, we can at least trust them to defend their own lives and to do it reasonably well. At least, better than any average civilian, right?”

“Right,” Straight Arrow agrees with another nod. “That said, that doesn't mean they'll necessarily be driven to defend you. I suggest you bear that in mind.”

“Right, but if they are busy defending themselves, then whatever is attacking them is busy too and therefore too busy to attack anypony else. If we're lucky, they'll also defeat the threat. If that happens, then that former threat can't threaten anypony else.”

“That's one way to look at it,” Straight Arrow agrees somewhat wistfully.

“Regardless of their past, we may be thrust into a very unusual situation going forward,” I reason. “Under the right circumstances, they may actually be trustworthy.”

Straight Arrow shrugs as he says, “That's always possible, but it's important to remain prepared for any situation. That's why I'm warning you right now. I'll do my best to protect you and I'd do it with all sincerity, but there are limits to what I can do, especially at my more senior age and we can't count upon what else we might encounter in the future. As an innocent civilian, I felt it was my duty to inform you of that.

“One should also consider exactly what those henchponies secretly hired for? A financial backer from a crime syndicate has an interest in the discovery of a previously uncharted lost continent. I don't think it is wise to dismiss what his true motives are.”

“But you are here too and can report your discoveries as well,” I remind him.

“In a nutshell, that's basically why I am here,” he informs me. “But there is no guarantees that I, or anypony I previously worked with, will survive this trip.”

“On the off chance that you don't and I do, is there anypony you want me to inform of something?” I offer kindly.

Straight Arrow lifts a hoof and wipes it back and forth as he also gives me a shake of his head before saying, “No. I shan't involve an innocent civilian in military matters beyond warning you of the potential danger aboard this ship and my intention to do my best to protect you. Beyond that, I can offer no guarantees. As for my official mission that I can't talk about, I'll hoofle it myself if I can.”

“Shouldn't we warn Doctor Cabbelleron of this as well?” I ask in concern. “Because he's obviously not aware of whom he's dealing with.”

“One can never be too certain of what a pony's knowledge and intentions are,” Straight Arrow warns. “It's best to withhold that kind of information for now. If the doctor is innocent, warning him now might also tip the Colonel's henchponies. After all, Cabbelleron works with them more closely and they, in turn, watch him just as closely. If it turns out the doctor is guilty, then warning him tips him off about our knowledge and suspicions. There's no advantage to us for doing so at this time. I still plan to protect the doctor regardless, but I think it is otherwise best to keep our cards close to our chest for now.”

I frown. I don't like that answer but I also understand what he means by it. Part of me hates to agree with his reasoning. I don't want anything bad to happen to the good Doctor Cabbelleron.

“What if I encounter any useful intel? Should I offer it to you?” I offer since that option has a chance to enhance his mission. If that happens, maybe it will be easier to protect everypony else who is innocent somehow.

“Discreetly,” Straight Arrow replies cautiously. “And only if doing so does not put you in any further danger.”

I nod in understanding. I'm not completely comfortable with the news I just received, but at least this is a start towards a noble plan.

Part 6: A Dark and Stormy Night

“In here, Miss,” directs the exceptionally young sailor stallion in a white and blue striped shirt who seems as young as he possibly can be and still be called an adult. He says this after throwing open a double door then gestures into the significantly dryer interior of the mess hall in the middle of the lower deck. When I step through the threshold, I am soaked. Once inside, I spare a glance over my shoulder at the dark and stormy night. I hear the storm out there but rarely get to see it until the lightning flashes. When that happens, it reveals the choppy waters of the ocean all around us.

“Thank you, kind Sir,” I say appreciatively to the young sailor who guided me here. “But why are all the passengers being directed here? Couldn't we just stay in our rooms?”

“Cap'n's orders,” the sailor explains as he tips up his white cap a bit. “All passengers are being directed to the mess hall for their safety until the storm passes.”

“So it was more dangerous for us to remain in our rooms?” I double check.

“In a manner of speaking,” the sailor answers with a slight roll of his eyes. “Or better to say the passengers would be safer here. The guest quarters all around the deck, you see, is closer to the ocean storm because they are on the outer ring of the ship. We have no guarantees the passengers might not suffer some flooding in there. The odds of that still aren't that strong in that case. Honestly, this storm isn't even that bad, but this mess hall is more centralized away from the storm. Plus, the Cap'n believes it is best to keep all the passengers visible here so we can make sure you're all safe.”

I scan about the mess hall. I notice that the lighting isn't that strong in here. Glow bug lanterns appear to be the only light source, and even then it seems to be used sparingly. I understand that normally the mess hall would be closed at this late hour. Fewer glow bug lanterns also means not needing to feed as many of the tiny little critters, but they would be glowing in all dark conditions regardless of the hour.

The mess hall has four rows of double benches with a table in the center, each row consisting of twelve of these tables. There is also intermittent cushy seats along the walls of the mess hall.

In addition to a few of the glow bug lanterns is a window which displays the deck beyond but this mess hall is quite a bit lower so only the hooves of other ponies crisscrossing the deck beyond is visible. Of that, I notice some sailors out there rushing back and forth in a bit of a frenzy. The sight of this makes me very nervous.

“Are you sure this storm isn't that bad?” I ask with concern.

“Aw, it's alright, Miss. This storm hardly packs a wallop. Of that I can assure you,” the sailor nearby me promises as we slowly pace further within the mess hall. After hearing that, I shudder to imagine a storm he would consider severe if he thinks this one minor. His confidence does give me some reassurance, though. I'd certainly dread to imagine the ship sinking this far out into the ocean. Our fate would certainly be quite grim in that case.

“Shouldn't you be out there helping the other crew with it?” I check as I nervously look back to the young sailor.

“This is my post for the moment,” the sailor assures. “I'm to watch after and see to the needs of the passengers.”

“Mademoiselle,” calls out the familiar voice of Doctor Cabbelleron. I locate him at the very back of the mess hall where there is more cozy furniture which includes a coffee table between them. Upon locating him, I venture towards him.

“If you don't mind, I have a few questions for you,” I say to the sailor as I make my way to the back of the mess hall.

“Yes, Miss?” the sailor asks as he vigilantly scans among the other passengers to see if any of them might need his services.

“Earlier today, I did not see any pegasi flying in the sky to move these storm clouds into place, so what gives?” I ask. “This doesn't seem scheduled at all.”

The sailor flashes me a quizzical look as he returns my question with a question of his own. “If there were other pegasi out there ready to move this storm into place, then where would they land upon the completion of their duty? Remember, we're out in the middle of the ocean, and storm clouds themselves are dangerous to land upon.”

“I see your point,” I acknowledge. “But how can the storm be here if there are no pegasi to put them there in the first place?”

“The weath'ah has a mind of it's own out on these parts,” Doctor Cabbelleron answers since he happens to be close enough to overhear my question as I approach him. “That actually seems to be dah norm outside the bounds of Equestria. In fact, the more I read ancient tablets and scrolls from other civilizations that once came beyond the bounds of Equestria, the more I realize that it is actually Equestria itself that is the odd one out in this regard.”

When I sit in the love seat across from Doctor Cabbelleron, he stands up, pulls a wool blanket off another table, then approaches to drape the blanket over me. I think the reason he did that was because he saw me shivering as I approached. Little does he know that that reaction is mostly out of fright.

However, after he drapes the blanket on me and the warmth of that blanket seeps into my hide, I start to shiver less. It is at this point I start to wonder if maybe I really was cold before, or perhaps there is something psychologically comforting about this blanket that makes me feel somehow safer and therefore I start to shiver less even if the source is fear.

“Thank you,” I express with quiet affection to Doctor Cabbelleron.

“I fancy myself a gentlepony, Madam,” Doctor Cabbelleron explains as he returns to his seat across from me. “There is no way that I can get comfortable until I see to the comfort of a lady first. It's just my thing.”

“Sir has a point,” the sailor says behind my seat now. “The weather outside of Equestria does indeed appear to have a mind of it's own, and that often seems to be the case beyond the boundaries of Equestria.”

“Early records of the Mighty Helm, among others, also attest to this,” Doctor Cabbelleron adds as he looks over his seat, notices a maid passing by with a silver platter full of drinks which smell like cider. He swipes a cup as she passes. She notices that but doesn't mind. Apparently that is the point of her carrying this around. The cider, in this case, is poured into an elegant looking wine glass.

“Weather moving on it's own. How strange,” I muse aloud. “But still, I wonder, should I go out there and do something about this? I am the only pegasus aboard. Maybe I should push it out of the way.”

“You don't work with weather teams of pegasi do you, Miss Keystone?” Doctor Cabbelleron asks while aiming one eye at me. That same eye also lifts his eyebrow. He tips his wine glass at me slightly to indicate towards me but not enough to spill his drink. “There are three errors with that question you just made.

“For one, it's basically a moot point for weath'ah pegasi to attempt to move weather that moves on it's own. At best, they'd only temporarily delay it.

“For two, you'd need an army of fliers out there to make a significant difference. That storm is spread across the horizon and it is affecting these choppy waters accordingly. Poking a hole through the storm in one spot would be insignificant at this point, especially since that hole would close itself up a few seconds later anyway.

“And for three, any professional weath'ah pony would tell you it is downright dangerous to attempt to change a storm during a storm. The rain would weigh your wings down. The winds would buffet you away, and the lightning might downright kill you. If you were to have any chance to affect the storm during a storm, it is best to approach it from above. But,” he shrugs, “since there is no openings in the sky visible, especially during the night, then there is no safe way to get above the storm so it is best to ride it out.”

Doctor Cabbelleron looks at and swirls his drink while his other foreleg rests on top of the couch behind him. He then brings the wine glass to his muzzle and inhales the aroma with a savoring expression before opening his eyes narrowly at me as he says, “Trust me, Mademoiselle, it is best to leave these matters up to thah professionals.”

Upon saying that, Doctor Cabbelleron finally sips then savors his drink.

“I'm afraid I must agree,” agrees the sailor. “Remarkably, I think you're the only pegasus aboard the ship anyway and you're just a passenger. You're not even a professional weather pony, right?”

“I'm afraid I don't have any experience with that profession,” I confess, “but I read a little bit about that.” I shake my head. “So far, the only times I heard about weather phenomenon like this is over the Everfree Forest near Ponyville and the Frozen North. Are you two really trying to tell me that this might be the norm all over the world beyond Equestria?”

“I can't say for sure,” admits the sailor. “I just work here. I only know what it's like across the ocean during the few moons I worked aboard this ship.”

“And even then, this is the first time we had the means to measure longitude,” Doctor Cabbelleron informs after another sip of his drink and a satisfied sigh. His right eye snaps in my direction as he then says, “As our hired cartographer, I'm surprised you're not already more involved with that process. We may have an idea where we are relative to the point where we left, but when we find the new continent, we'll need to mark it on our new navigational maps.”

“I could help with that and I was planning on visiting the ships navigator tomorrow,” I inform. “Last I checked, I had permission for that.”

“You certainly do,” announces another stallion that none of us noticed sitting nearby until now. When we look, we see that it is Doctor Smith. “That's actually why I've been invited onto this trip. I didn't invent the marine chronometer itself, but I am very familiar with it's operation insofar as how to use it and repair it if need be.” He sips his own glass of cider, nods at it approvingly, then goes on to say, “It would be quite accurate to say I have some experience when it comes to measuring time. One could even say that I am something of chronological device myself.”

“Really?” Doctor Cabbelleron asks with fascination.

“My cutie mark is an hourglass,” Doctor Smith mentions as if that might explain his situation.

“Say no more, then,” Doctor Cabbelleron says as he lifts his wine glass to Doctor Smith as if to toast the other doctor. “I met plenty of other ponies with that particular talent. It's no exaggeration to say they have some talent when it comes to matters of time. A pony with a mark like that probably invented the chronometer in the first place.”

Doctor Smith grins as he says while raising his own wine glass to toast back, “Well, it was only a matter of time.”

“Indeed,” Doctor Cabbelleron agrees with a brief chuckle of amusement. “Knowledge and science shall not be halted. It is our quest . . . Neigh. I say it is our destiny to master new horizons of knowledge. No mountains are too high and no ocean is too vast to cross. Where there is a will, there is a way, and where there is a way, there is some pay.” He chuckles to himself with a dark glint in his eyes. “The intrepid shall ever be the first to reap such glories. How appropriate the name of this ship is therefore.”

“You enjoy being famous, don't you, Doctor?” I ask Cabbelleron.

“Well,” he gives a half shrug to me. “I must admit, it has it's charms. Can be a conversation starter with the ladies, for instance,” he says as he tips his glass at me again.

“Hey, are you okay?” I hear one of three of Doctor Cabbelleron's henchponies ask another nearby. The one who asked is the largest of the three. He is a very dark gray stallion nearly to the point of being black. He also has a bright orange mane, tail, and sideburns. The one he's speaking to is a very light gray stallion nearly to the point of being white. He is wearing a black and purple cloth collar around his neck and is wearing sunglasses despite it being nighttime. That pony appears to be very ill and occasionally throwing up into a wooden bucket.

“I suppose it had to happen to somepony,” remarks Cabbelleron's final henchpony who is a tan colored pony wearing a fedora hat whom I know is named Biff. That pony is sitting across from the large dark gray pony. Both of them are playing cards with each other while occasionally looking down at the floor where their other ill companion is. “Even a normal ocean voyage can test some ponies stomach, much less an ocean storm. Quite frankly, I'm surprised more of the passengers aren't ill by now as well.”

I grin at those three. Despite the nasty rumors I heard about them earlier and especially about their employer, something seems especially cozy about observing them here tonight as we attempt to take shelter from a nasty storm outside. Perhaps it is because of the mutual threat that we're all facing together. I'm not sure why, but it makes me fear them less. Right now I even feel compelled to save them if they were in danger as if convinced doing so might end up saving my own life later on since they'll still be around to protect me. Regardless of their past, we're in this particular danger together tonight and that sort of gives me a “enemy of my enemy is my friend” kind of vibe.

I hope this feeling lasts ever onward into the future.

“Tell me something, Doctor Cabbelleron, if you don't mind,” I say as I regard my idol again. “Of all the discoveries you haven't made yet, which one do you hope to uncover the most?”

Doctor Cabbelleron lifts an eyebrow at me as he asks me, “You mean besides the lost continent?”

“Actually, including the continent if it counts in your eyes,” I say with a small bright smile at him. I fully expect him to say that is precisely what he looks forward to the most. Since Doctor Cabbelleron has always been a shameless self promoter, it wouldn't surprise me to learn he'll later insist the entire continent should be named after him.

“My greatest undiscovery, huh?” Doctor Cabbelleron asks as he beholds his own reflection in his wine glass with a cocky grin. “The one that got away so far. The Legend that I continue to chase.”

“Yeah!” I confirm with a bright grin since I'm really looking forward to hearing more on this subject.

I witness as deep wicked cunning sinks into Doctor Cabbelleron's eyes as he continues to stare at his own reflection for a moment before lifting the drink to his lips, takes another sip, then gazes at me sharply above the edge of the cup as he says, “Believe it or not, the greatest discovery that I am chasing isn't the lost continent itself, but it might be contained within it.”

“Oh?” I ask with further rising fascination. “What could possibly be greater than the legendary lost continent?”

“The key to everything!” Doctor Cabbelleron answers as a wicked smile grows on his lips. “The Legendary Blue Box.”

“Blue Box?” I reflect questioningly.

“Do you really think it exists?” Doctor Smith asks Doctor Cabbelleron. Apparently Doctor Smith has some idea what Cabbelleron is talking about, unlike me.

“Oh believe me. It's real!” Doctor Cabbelleron confirms with emphatic enthusiasm. “The legendary Blue Box which is said to be the key to unlocking all of time and space. Imagine this tall blue box apparently made of wood. It seems to have very little depth to it but outside appearances can be quite deceiving in this case.”

I notice Doctor Smith taking a sip of his drink while narrowing his eyes at Doctor Cabbelleron slightly. I then look back at Cabbelleron myself as I ask him, “Are you saying it is bigger on the inside? How is that possible?”

Doctor Cabbelleron shakes his head as he says, “No pony knows, but it keeps cropping up in many important historical events. Many claim to see a mysterious blue wooden box that appeared as if out of nowhere, but wherever and whenever it appears, it is said the storm of trouble isn't far behind.”

“Like the storm we're having outside right now?” the nearby young sailor asks as he looks out a window with a bit of a grin.

“It can be but usually not that literal,” Doctor Cabbelleron answers. “Instead, I speak more of intense storms of destiny! The kind of legendary events that spiral around it. Wherever such events crop up, be on the lookout for the Blue Box! It might just be somewhere in the area.”

“Why would a Blue Box appear in such areas?” I ask Doctor Cabbelleron.

“Again, no pony knows for sure, but the legends say that the Blue Box can appear and disappear at will.” Doctor Cabbelleron gives a cunning smile. “It is even said that this Box can warp through the fabric of time and space.

“Why would multiple cultures across multiple epochs keep describing the same thing in the same way over and over again? There is a pattern to the surrounding events during the time the Blue Box appears, too. Perhaps it is because the Box causes it somehow, or perhaps it is in response to the events itself.”

“If any of this is true, which do you believe?” Doctor Smith asks Doctor Cabbelleron.

Doctor Cabbelleron pauses for a moment as he considers his response before saying, “Well, according to the history text that we have discovered, the occupants of the Blue Box appear largely heroic but this story isn't entirely consistent. History is written by the winners, you see, and their opinions can be all over the place depending on the stakes involved. One pony's hero is another's villain. It's all largely subjective.”

Doctor Cabbelleron leans forward again as he says, “But the important thing to note, here, is the capabilities of the Blue Box. Imagine, instead of uncovering old and forgotten ruins, we can see them during the cradle of their civilization! We could witness these ponies while their empire was still alive! Imagine all the history text we could uncover if we could interview the writers themselves. Many historical records could have been lost over time for a vast variety of reasons, but if we could see and hear the civilization ourselves, we could confirm or deny many things.”

“An interesting theory,” Doctor Smith responds surprisingly casually. “And if you could uncover this legendary Blue Box and use it, where and when would you go with it?”

“Oh,” Doctor Cabbelleron swirls his drink again. “All kinds of times and places, I'm sure. Indeed, it would take a lot of time to decide. Time which could be quite ambiguous to a pony who has access to a time machine.”

“That sounds incredible!” I marvel then go on a little nervously, “And also a little scared. If anypony had control of a device like this already, such a pony could use it to meddle with time to a great degree. Possibly causing irreparable damage.”

“Define irreparable,” Doctor Smith challenges. “It seems to me that if anyone did actually have a power like that and accidentally destroyed all of time and space with it, then could we possibly exist right now to discuss this? To that, I say we're living proof that if this Blue Box does exist, it seems to already be in the hands of someone who knows how to use it responsibly.”

Several of us wince questioningly when Doctor Smith mentioned the word “hands” and “someone”, but none of us seem to have either the courage or the motive to bring it up.

“Be that as it may, that is a good point,” Doctor Cabbelleron agrees. “If such a devise was ever going to be used to unravel the fabric of the universe from the past, then it already would have happened by now and yet here we are.” He waves his wine glass around to indicate everything around us. “Discussing this casually during a dark and stormy night while we press onward to adventure and great discovery. Given the Blue Box's disposition to appearing and disappearing wherever and whenever it wants, I am not saying there is a guaranteed chance we'll ever encounter it but the odds are higher during important and climactic events. The journey we're on just might qualify. It wouldn't even surprise me of the one who runs that vessel is aboard this ship even as we speak.”

“Then lets pretend such a pony is aboard this ship,” Doctor Smith proposes. “In that case, hypothetically speaking, what would you say to such a pony?”

“That I'd like a ride?” Doctor Cabbelleron shrugs. “Also, if I discover that Blue Box without any pilot and the thing is unclaimed, then I call dibs.”

Doctor Smith raises an eyebrow at Doctor Cabbelleron for a moment then gazes forward with that same expression as he says, “Well, in that case, if I ever meet that pilot, I'll be sure to pass on the message.” Then he sips his drink again.

Part 7: Discovery

As soon as I open the door leading into and out of my room, it quickly dawns on me that there is a crucial difference between hope and expectation. I may hope that something exciting will happen to me, but that doesn't necessarily match my expectation when I have plenty of experience to draw upon that showed the evidence is strong this day will be much the same as most of the previous ones. On a true adventure, though, one can never be too sure and I'd never know exactly what the day will bring until I open my door.

Such as the immediately apparent fog that I notice after I gaze beyond my now open room. Fog that is so thick, it has somewhat penetrated the ship. Not within any enclosed area of course, but it has affected the deck of the ship that is exposed to the open ocean.

I feel my heart skip a beat and my breath freeze for a moment. In the back of my mind I'm also thinking, “Ooo! I need to remember my initial reaction so I can write that in tomorrow's journal entry.”

This is certainly unexpected, but the second thing I start to notice shifts my reaction from surprise to creeping fear because the ship sounds too quiet. I also don't see anypony trotting past my room. For a brief moment, I start to panic about the idea that I might be alone out here.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, though. I know that initial impressions may not always be what they seem. To confirm if I am really alone out here or not, I need to start venturing out there and exploring this ship some more. As I do so, I'm not really expecting to find that I am indeed totally alone. My rational side, in particular, insists that it is highly unlikely I am alone for no reason.

I decide to venture out into the main deck and use my tail to close my bedroom door behind me. My room faces the starboard side of the ship. From there, I decide to explore towards the bow of the ship. After all, I know there is the most open space in that direction. The entrance towards the bridge of the ship is also possible in that direction.

As I continue, my irrational panic starts to steadily creep up further as I explore on and hear nothing else around me other than my own hoof clomps on the wooden deck and a bit of the ocean splashing on the ship.

Eventually, however, I get flooded with relief when I finally do spot one pony out there. In this case, it just happens to be Doctor John Smith. He has his right hind hoof propped up a bit off the ground and onto a the lower end of the rail surrounding the ship. He is also leaning on the rail with his right fore hoof laid across the rail. He seems to be gazing out into the ocean fog around us with a discerning and contemplative look which I secretly find a bit attractive about him.

“I'm glad I found you,” I say to him as I trot up next to him. “I know this is going to sound crazy, and I hope you won't laugh, but until I saw you standing here, there was a part of me that felt panic for a moment over the possibility that I might be alone on this ship for some reason.”

“Your circumstances are certainly not that dire yet,” the Doctor says as he continues to scan out into the fog for some reason. “But there are other reasons to be concerned right now.”

I feel a bit of the fur on my hide stand up when he made that last statement. It also compels me to ask, “Like what?”

“Well,” he says as he stands more erectly, “there is good news and bad news. First the good news. Early this morning, we saw some seagulls. They don't tend to venture that far from dry land so that is a sign that one is nearby.”

“Good news?!” I ask incredulously. “Are you kidding me? That is blasted great news because it means that we've done it! We will arrive at the lost continent today!”

Doctor Smith glances at me as he flashes me a brief grin then looks back out at the fog as he says, “True as long as we live to continue the journey.”

I furrow my eyebrows as I ask, “Why the doubt?”

“Well, just look out there,” Doctor Smith invites as he nods out to indicate towards the fog. “This is the bad news. The fog rolled in not long after we spotted the seagulls. That's great because it means we might reach landfall today, but doing so while we're unable to see what is out there carries with it substantial risk. For example, we currently have no warning to help us avoid rock formations an the like. If we crash into things like that then down we'll go.”

“Oh!” I widen my eyes. Now I'm spooked.

“Back in Equestria,” resumes Doctor Smith as he uses a shoulder to indicate the direction we came from, “phenomenon like this isn't as much of a problem because, there, we'd have Light towers and fog horns along the coastal harbors. Out here, however, on a lost continent, there is unlikely to be such a thing. Even if there is, they can't see our approach under these conditions either and there is no foreseeable reason, at the moment, for any natives to expect our approach. That's assuming it has intelligent life to begin with and they just happen to be around here enough to observe all of this.”

“Is this why everypony else is being so quiet? They are too busy scanning and listening for potential obstacles out there?” I guess.

Doctor Smith nods as he confirms, “Pretty much. Yeah.”

A cold sinking feeling settles down into my chest as I digest this latest bit of frightening news. All of a sudden my earlier elation over the fact we might reach landfall today backfires into a frightening possibility. I want to reach landfall, sure, but I don't want this boat to sink while we're at it. If it does then, even if we survive by swimming onto that land, we may be stuck there unless we can use that land's materials to build us a new boat as well as gather enough supplies for the return trip. We used steam power to get us here. If we can't build a similar engine for the return trip, we'll have to rely on sail power and that is a whole different game. I hope our navigator kept track of things like wind currents as we sailed out here. We might need to know that for our return trip. That would be useful information anyway for possible future voyages later.

As our present situation rolls over in my mind, it occurs to me that there is one thing I can do to help somewhat.

“In that case, I have an idea,” I announce as I stand more erectly as well as gaze out into the fog with focused purpose. “And since I am the only pegasus aboard this ship, then only I can do this. I'll fly around and scout the local territory. See if I can spot any potential danger out there from higher elevation. Since I can also affect the weather, maybe I can even clear up some of the fog a bit.

“Excuse me.” I then crouch down then leap up and flap my wings. Before I can get beyond the rail of the ship, however, I am somewhat painfully pulled back down to the deck of the ship by my tail. I exclaim “Ouch!” then snap my gaze back to Doctor Smith. After that, he spat out the hair of my tail then continued spitting for a few more seconds as if trying to expel any residual amount of hair he bit into.

“What did you do that for?!” I ask him accusingly when it seems like he settled a bit.

He holds up a hoof to me has he tries to hack out the last few bits of my tail hair then gives me a bit of a piercing glare as he tells me, “Think this through. It is possible that you might be able to spot potential trouble out there if you view this area from a bird's eye perspective, but what about the next step? How are you going to return and report that back to us when this ship is still lost in the fog? If we can't see what is out there, then you may not be able to spot this ship as well even from the level of the sky. Plus there is the fact that any potential danger out there may also be hidden in fog so that could make your scout attempt potentially useless.”

“Oh!” I blink and feel spooked again. He does bring up a good point. I then gaze down at the floor as I give this a lot of thought, then look back at him as I suggest, “Well . . . how about this, then. After I spend a few minutes scouting out the area from above, I fly down lower and attempt to call back to the ship? When I hear a call back, I can use that to home in on this ship's exact position.”

“Eh . . . possible but very unfeasible,” Doctor Smith replies. “To be heard on this ship and heard back, you'd have to fly very low into or even within the fog. At that altitude, you might accidentally crash into the ship. It's far more likely you'd not find us at all. This fog might stretch beyond the horizon for all we know. When you have to search an area that big and come across it without the ability to keep track of your progress as you try to find us, the odds of finding us again are very remote. If you leave, chances are strong you'd not be able to return to us unless the fog breaks. If that happens, we'd be able to see around us anyway. Also, if you can't return to us, then any information you'd have gathered is moot. Considering all of that, it is best you stay with us even if it runs the increased risk of plunging this ship into something that might be able to sink us.”

I frown. I hate to admit it, but he does bring up some good points and I can't think of a way around it for the moment. Also, in truth, I don't really want to venture out there by myself.

“In that case, what do you suggest we do? Or I do?” I check with Doctor Smith since he seems to be chalk full of bright ideas.

“Be patient and vigilant,” Doctor Smith recommends. “Look out there for any noteworthy signs. Anything at all, but do it from this ship.”

I frown at him slightly. I was hoping to hear of a safer and more surefire option but I also realize that our current situation puts some constraints upon us. That might be the best option we have left considering everything here.

So that's what we do. We continue to wait and watch with a baited breath. During that time, the fog continues to hold.

Until it doesn't.

I think I hear the sound of seagulls about three seconds before the fog peels away almost suddenly along with a blast of headwind. As I gasp at the sight, I accidentally breathe in a bit of ocean water as a wave splashes hard against the bow of the ship and sprays ocean mist. I choke a bit then shake my head. My vision clears a moment later then I look off the bow of the ship again. My eyes need a few moments further to adjust to the sudden intensity of the daylight. After that, what I see causes my eyes to explode wide.

Ahead of us we do, indeed, see land. Boy, do we ever see that land! That cliff face by the ocean is so tall, the ocean waves that crash against it can only scale up one percent of it. Those are huge waves, too!

I don't know how long we all just stand there in silence. All I know is I could barely even think until I am shocked back into my senses when I hear a large roar of cheer explode all across the ship. It actually makes me wince for a second then look back. I can't see all of the ponies here from the bottom deck. Some of them are above me on the second deck. I didn't even know any of them were standing there during the thick fog. It almost feels like they were suddenly there. Now that the fog is clear, I can finally see them raising both forehooves in a great cheer, or hugging each other, or giving each other high hoof bumps. Their energy is infectious and I soon find myself smiling as well.

Looking back at the land ahead of us, all of a sudden it feels like we're on another planet. We were in a world full of fog moments ago and now the sun gleams off the ocean waves. Clouds loom over the extremely tall sea face cliff which makes it seem like the cliff extends ever further high into the sky. Up above, I see some seagulls following along with the ship. I even spot one of them looking down at us then cock its head at us in a very curious, bird-like manner as if thinking, “Hey! That thing wasn't there before. Where did they come from all of a sudden?”

When I see them, it suddenly dawns on me how incredible and important the ability to fly really is. Seeing them also reminds me that I can do that too, and it might be important for me to do that soon. As wondrous as this sight before us is, there is still the risk of sailing into shallow rocks between us and the land ahead of us. Now that the fog is clear, it'll be easier for me to see any of that as well as this boat.

“Excuse me for a moment,” I announce as I spread my wings. I glance at Doctor Smith for a second to see if he has any objections this time. After all, I don't want my tail pulled again so soon after my last experience. When I look upon him, I notice him nodding at me in approval this time. That makes me feel safer, so I nod back at him to acknowledge his approval then leap off the ship with a mighty flap. I curve sharply up then arc back around to glide my way back at the bridge on top of this ship. In this direction, the ship is coming toward me anyway so I meet up with the bridge fairly quickly. Once I am there, I flap and hold my place off to the starboard side window.

“Captain,” I call a bit loudly to make sure I am heard inside the bridge from the outside, “I'm going to go off ahead and see if I can spot any further danger between this ship and the land ahead of us. I'll come back and report my findings later.”

The captain is a distinguished looking gentlepony in a dark purple double button coat. He has trimmed white mane, short tail, and a beard. He looks out the starboard side window at me for a second then lifts an ear at another pony who approaches the captain from his left side. Based on this second officer's uniform, I assume this is the captains first officer who says something to the captain for a moment which causes the captain to consider something. After seven seconds he looks back and nods to the other officer before looking back at me, approaches the window, and calls aloud which is slightly muffled behind the glass, “You're not a part of my crew so I can't give you any direct orders, but I am responsible for your safety. It's also true that you're the only one who can do this service aboard this ship at the moment and right now I can't afford to ignore any opportunity which can increase the safety of this ship and anypony aboard.” He nods at me in approval. “Do as you feel you must, Miss Keystone, but please make it brief. No more than an hour tops.”

I salute the captain as I call to him, “Yes Sir,” then I take off towards the new land. In doing so, I'm charging headlong into the headwind. Because of it, I beat my wings hard in order to ascend in altitude. I'm hoping the winds at higher elevation won't be such a hindrance against me.

Along the way, I rise above a flock of seagulls. In doing so, one of them squawks at me. Based on the expression on the bird's face, it seems curious about something. I shrug then fly on ahead.

Still flying into some headwind, I have to wince my eyes tight. It's also a little difficult to breathe when the air is passing by me so fast, but I manage it enough so that this is not too dangerous. Being up here in these conditions reminds me why professional pegasi fliers tend to wear goggles.

I also spare a moment to look back at my beige wings as I flap in the air. Then I gaze at the vast terrain around me as the boat continues to shrink due to the escalating distance and height. Waves in the ocean grow smaller and seem to slow down in time a bit.

Once again, it hits me hard how important this ability is during this mission. Normally this is something I take for granted because one/third of the rest of my race can do this too. It's common enough so that most ponies think nothing of it, but out here I am the only one who can do this. Being an aerial scout is not an official job of mine, but when no pony else that we brought with us can do this, then this ability takes on a whole new dimension of meaning and importance.

I'm not a professional adventurer but there is a few on the ship who are. I'll likely need them most desperately during the course of this whole mission. If there is anything I can do that they can't, then it feels important to me that I perform that ability for them to the best of my ability. After all, for every one of them that dies, it diminishes my odds of survival as well.

I carefully scan below me for any potential obstacles, particularly any along the path line of the ship. Of that, the closest thing I spot that has a chance to be a threat is also wondrous to behold, and that is a pod of whales. From this height, I can actually see their massive forms under the water as long as they are at least close to the surface. Some of them break to the surface with their midsections to blow jets of water above them. The last thing of them I usually spot is their tails as they majestically dive back into the water. In one particularly awe-inspiring case, I see a whale shoot up above the water with so much momentum that about eighty percent of its body rises above the water. From there, it arcs to its side then ends up crashing back into the ocean with a huge side splash. In this case, the whales right fin is the last part of its body to be above the ocean before it fully submerges again.

It is very likely my imagination, but right now, it feels like the pod of whales is giving us a friendly greeting. Almost every single one of them has a good chance to sink our ship if they came at us really aggressively, but from up here, I am getting way friendlier vibes from them. This sight makes my eyes water while a smile spreads across my lips. Right now it feels so wonderful to be here and alive.

Then I look ahead of me again at the gigantic cliff that looms ahead. It occurs to me that I don't see a safe area for us to approach this landmass yet because there is no ocean shore. Maybe we can take rowboats up to this gigantic cliff but we'd probably end up smashed against the rocks and the waves. As it is, I see some huge waves plume as much as forty-five feet above the ocean. Again, from this height and distance, the waves seem slower as it crashes into the cliff, shoots up, then showers down as this huge cloud of mist. Despite all of that, it is equivalent of a creature rising no more than two inches off the ground when it is compared next to a pony. The cliff face can probably barely even feel the ocean waves.

The captain did say to return in about an hour. I'm flying into headwind for the moment but it is calmer at higher elevations just like I thought it would be. If the winds continue in this direction, I realize that I can make it back to the ship faster later on. It takes perhaps fifteen minutes to fly towards the land from the ship. I might be able to return in five minutes as long as I fly lower and rejoin the wind currents at its strongest point. I decide to keep that in mind for my future calculations as to when I should return.

Within the time I have left, I spot one potential entry point onto the landmass. At first it looked like it was within a sea cave except, when I flew within it, I noticed it is actually exposed to the sky from within. It looks like water must have eroded the sea cave roof over . . . shoot. I can't even guess how long from here, but perhaps a more important discovery is a small area that is the closest thing I found to a beach within the allotted time I am given for this scouting mission. Behind that beach, though, we'd still have to scale up a cliff that looks to be at least a mile high. It's wet in there too, at least towards the bottom quarter of the cliff. There is also three giant waterfalls I see pouring down into this area. That might have been part of why this sea cave roof eroded. From certain angles above, I actually see rainbow mist between the three waterfalls. Those waterfalls might make the cliff near it slippery, but it also means we probably have a source of fresh water as we make our climb. Of all the ponies here, I can probably accomplish that task of refilling our canteens with any of those waterfalls the safest.

Before I return, I ascend high enough to finally be above the cliff face. What I see beyond appears to be a massive jungle. A cloud of mist obscures about seventy percent of it. In the distance further inland, I see tall spiky mountains rise above a collection of clouds which hover around those spikes like a crown on a king. On one of those mountains I see another waterfall that is so huge that I can easily see it from this distance. It is like a white line drawn down an otherwise obsidian colored mountain.

There is a strong part of me that wants to park a cloud near this area and start drawing this terrain in order to begin my map making work. After all, that is my official job for this mission, but for now, I need to get back and report my findings.

Author's Notes:

For me, one of the theme songs that inspired me to write this scene, especially during Miss Keystone's flying journey to the new land and beholding the wonder along the way, I thought of this song, particularly after the 1:22 mark. Maybe you'll agree that it fits?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYNKVKUGHmE&list=PLFlLzKECbcINXr18Xnitf-geIgC-ujzUU&index=5

Part 8: First Camp

Having finished with today's journal entry, I skim over it before shutting it.

In summary, today's events mostly centered around scaling the massive cliff beside the open ceiling sea cave. It took the majority of the day just to cover that. During that time, I lingered around for about half of that time trying to vigilantly watch as the others climbed just in case any of them needed me to save them from a lethal fall, but the way they were tethered to each other as well as several security pitons along the way eased the threat of the journey. It became abundantly clear, as they climbed, that this party is decent to great professionals and I didn't need to worry.

So, instead of all of that, for the latter half of their journey, I just sat on a cloud and started to get to work drawing this terrain on a preliminary map. I also scouted a wider range of the territory around us just to get wider scope for my new maps I am drawing.

Towards the end of the day, the others finally scaled up the mountain then ventured further inland. I joined them on the ground level and it is there we made a few discoveries. First off, it is a jungle with frequent rain showers. Secondly, just about everything in this new world made us feel like tiny bugs. The trees are significantly bigger than back in Equestria. Local fauna appears to be so as well. Even the insects and terrain (such as that sea cliff we scaled) are substantially bigger.

As we continued, Doctor John Smith made the observation and hypothesis that the air is thicker in this new land. There is a lot more oxygen and carbon dioxide on this continent. Larger trees produce more oxygen which in turn produces larger animals and insects who breathe out more carbon dioxide. The soil is likely much thicker with nutrients too. This environment can sustain larger everything because there is more to feed, drink, and breathe here.

Speaking of Doctor Smith, I keep getting privately surprised how far he has followed me on this journey. Encountering him back in the train might have been a coincidence other than the fact he had to go to the same place at the same time. Beyond that, he seemed like he was primarily here to watch after the marine clock, so why did he follow onto the land?

I think I'm not the only one to wonder that but, unlike me, some of the others actually asked. I don't know what Doctor Smith said in return, but he showed the one who asked some kind of credentials on a folding piece of paper that has a backside of a leather case. Doctor Smith also seemed so skilled with his words that pretty soon he had the whole party, with the exception of me, convinced that he belonged here and nopony ever questioned him again.

Based on personal observation, Doctor Smith seems like he might be the most educated and experienced among us which is really unexpected to me. If Doctor Smith really was that good and he always was, how come I never read or heard of him before? And yet, despite his education and experience, he still explores this world with almost childlike wonder that's more indicative of a younger adventurer.

Speaking of younger adventurers, I learned there are three more hired for this party for that role other than Doctor Cabbelleron, Tanon Burrows, and maybe also Doctor Smith. Those three are Leg It, Toolshed, and to my great delight, the last professional adventurer is finally another mare named Doctor Grazey Venture.

Those three, Leg It, Toolshed, and Doctor Grazey Venture do appear to know each other and have worked with each other before. Their attitude about this adventure is also noticeably quite different from the other veteran adventurers like Tanon Burrows. That unicorn acts a lot more tough, rough around the edges, ultra serious, cautious, and seems to want social distance from the others as if afraid to cherish yet another individual that he may later lose. At his age, he has much more experience to look back upon which, in turn, taught him why such caution is generally necessary while out on an adventure like this.

The three younger adventurers are at the opposite end of the spectrum. Instead of having many triumphs under their belt, they keep excitingly talking about the discoveries they will make and what they will do precisely when they get famous. Leg It and Doctor Venture is especially chatty about this with each other and I even think they might have a romantic interest for one another as well. Their language style is just a little too familiar with each other and yet also too intimate to suggest a family bond.

Toolshed, on the other hoof, I'm beginning to wonder if he can talk at all. He has never said a word as far as I can tell. Instead of that, he likes to clean and calibrate his many tools that he is carrying for this adventure whenever he gets a chance to do so. He's really organized with those tools and seems to go over them, inspect them, and do upkeep with them in an almost ritualistic way.

There is a total of eighteen ponies who are venturing into this new continent. They include myself, Doctor Cabbelleron and his three henchponies who I since learned their names to be Biff, Withers (who was the sea sick pony), and the largest one Rouge. There is also Doctor John Smith, Tanon Burrows, the three former royal Canterlot Guards Straight Arrow, Terminus and Trump card, the three adult adventurers Leg It, Toolshed, and Doctor Grazey Venture.

The final five ponies don't seem as educated as the rest. They are moderately skilled laborers who seem to have a background in railroad construction and mining. Somepony like Doctor Cabbelleron prefers not to get his hooves too dirty and instead directs others where to dig and how to dig, plus he can more easily identify a found archaeological object once it is discovered thanks to his hefty education. It is these remaining five earth ponies who are more likely to be the ones doing the direct digging as soon as they are told where and how to do it. They are not the thinkers, they are the doers. They are the ones who make progress tangible as soon as somepony else comes up with the ideas. They are the ones carrying the most supplies of this party like a bunch of pack mules, and they are proud to do it. I can easily imagine any one of them lugging a taxi carriage in Manehatten by themselves with great speed and distance covered without breaking a sweat. If we actually find any ancient ruins which needs digging on this new continent, then we are going to need these five ponies. Until then, they serve us by carrying the majority of our stuff.

I grow alert due to nearby movement within the tent. I look about in the light of the lantern full of glowbugs and see what looks to be a giant caterpillar the length of my legs and twice as thick. As soon as I see it, I scream, startled, then crawl backwards away from the bug within this fairly big and shared space pavilion tent.

“What? What is 'appening?” Doctor Cabbelleron asks as he races up to me to check on me. I frantically point at the giant caterpillar with a shaky hoof. Doctor Cabbelleron follows the direction of my point and soon spots what I am pointing at. Upon seeing it, he grins at it gently then passes me the same expression as he asks, “What? It is just a harmless caterpillar.”

“How can you be so sure?” I ask with worry. “We've never been to this continent before. For all we know, it shoots acidic webs from its mouth or tail.”

Doctor Cabbelleron shrugs as he eyes the giant caterpillar casually as he says, “Eh, I suppose you have a point. One can't be too careful when we venture into new territory.” He reaches back into his belt then bites into a machete that he has been using all evening ever since we arrived on top of this land.

Upon seeing his new tool, I reach a hoof to touch his right foreleg. Once I have his attention, I look at him pleadingly as I quietly cry out, “No! Don't kill it.”

Doctor Cabbelleron sighs as he rolls his eyes then approaches the bug with the machete still in his mouth. I almost object again until I notice Cabbelleron approaching the little bug with a gentler tactic. Instead of whacking and cleaving the bug in two, he gently thrusts the tool forward until the bug crawls upon his machete on its own. Once it is on, Doctor Cabbelleron races to the exit of the tent then whirls his head to fling off the bug from his machete. The caterpillar presumably lands somewhere outside in the heavy rainstorm safely.

Doctor Cabbelleron then sheaths his machete back into a belt on his waist before turning back to me and asks with a shrug, “Better, Mademoiselle?”

I relax as I express gratefully, “Thank you for getting rid of it without killing it.”

A few others in the tent then applaud Doctor Cabbelleron as well, including two of his own henchponies. Some of those in the tent are applauding him sarcastically, others are doing it seriously, and still others just roll their eyes then resume whatever activity they were doing before. In any case, Doctor Cabbelleron bows to those applauding him and apparently enjoys the attention.

“It is true that we must be cautious,” Doctor Cabbelleron agrees as he approaches me again. “We are practically in a whole new world, you see.”

“Trust me, I am very much aware of that,” I assure him. “And I'm so grateful to be doing this with all of you professionals to accompony me. I'd feel so lost here without you guys.” I glance at Doctor Venture. “And gal.”

Doctor Cabbelleron nods as he lays down in a compartmentalized tent cove beside me. Once he fully settles on the pillows there, he tells me, “It is most impor'dant that we all stick together and listen to my direction. It is I that shall be the one to see you all through this. Of that, I can assure you.” He pulls out a carrot from his nearby saddlebag, brings it to his mouth, then takes a bite out of it with an audible crunch. As he chews on his bite, he waves the rest to indicate to me then says after he swallows, “You have chosen your role models very wisely, Mademoiselle.”

“You didn't give me much of a choice,” I argue back to him. “After all the fantastic discoveries you made, I'd be a fool not to look up to you.”

“Mademoiselle, please! Flattery will get you everywhere,” he assures me humorously before taking another bite of his carrot.

“Humble you are certainly not, good Sir, but you have the skills to back up your boasts so I guess I can't call it too annoying,” I claim. “Besides, in this situation, I rather find it comforting instead. Your confidence helps to give me confidence.”

“Well, experience can only carry one so far,” says Doctor Cabbelleron as he looks at the remaining fifty percent of his carrot. “After all, none of us has ever been to this continent directly.” He looks back at me. “Though I read some texts of ancient societies who made the claim they once came from a place like this, or knew others who did. That's something but not too much to rely upon. When it comes to venturing into new territory, there is a system that the wise exercise as they pursue a goal like this. It may not work all the time, but a tried and true system is better to rely upon rather than none.”

“And I don't have a system yet,” I mention. “That's why I prefer to stick close to others who do.”

“I must say, Miss Keystone, you hoofle yourself rather well in this situation,” Doctor Cabbelleron tells me with a proud grin.

I narrow my eyes at him as I ask him, “Are you kidding me? Did you see the way I reacted to that giant caterpillar?”

“Yes. I did,” Doctor Cabbelleron replies with an unexpected serious expression, then half shrugs. “We could have done with less screaming, but a foolish pony would have let curiosity override good judgment and said,” he swings both of his forelegs together to the side of his face as he says in a cutesy way, “'Oh look at the cute little buggie! Let's keep it!'” He looks back at me seriously as he drops his forehooves from his face again as he goes on to say, “Then they'd try to hug it and it ejects poisonous spikes into them and down they go.” He shakes his head. “Out here we have no antidote for a poison we have never encountered before. The wise try to err on the side of caution.” He nods to me proudly. “And you did that without any direct training. You have good instincts, Miss Keystone. I must say, you might have a knack for this if you did get some good training.”

I blush at him shyly but I also feel flattered. I then look above us as I hear loud thunder roll across the sky.

“New territory indeed,” Doctor Cabbelleron says as he also looks up. “With weather doing whatever the Celestia it wants, it could be quite a challenge to predict it.”

“But we can gather some logical assumptions based on our surrounding environment,” I say as I look back at Doctor Cabbelleron. “This is a huge jungle. There are some trees here that can match the height of a fifty story building. They would have been skyscrapers back in Manehatten. Trees and plants like that would require a lot of water, not to mention the big fauna around here as well.”

“At least this means we'll not likely die of thirst,” Doctor Cabbelleron figures. “The water seems pretty clear as well. I took a few samples and preliminary tests indicate that it is drinkable. I'd like to run it through a few more tests before we can be certain. After all, we can't be sure if there isn't some diseases within the water that we have no immunity to. That's another thing to watch out for in brand new territory.”

“Wow!” I marvel. “It makes a pony think how much we take for granted back in Equestria, right? Back there I would have been resting in a constructed home, but here we're resting in a durable tent instead. This portable shelter is certainly better than nothing and we can set it up anywhere where there is enough flat space. Still, sometimes I can't hear my own breathing through all this rainstorm and the flapping of the tents due to the wind makes me a little nervous.”

“Aye, but it should hold baring any major external interference,” Doctor Cabbelleron assures while he gives the tent an appraising eye. “And until we get back to the ship and/or Equestria, this is probably all we can count on for the time being.”

I shiver with fright as I hear another loud thunder roll across the sky. I then shake my head as I say, “I'm so glad all you guys are here to help me through this.”

Doctor Cabbelleron flashes me a sexy and cocky grin as he arrogantly assures, “Do not worry, Mademoiselle. We shall keep you safe from harm.”

“It might not be wise to make promises you can't keep, but I still appreciate the sentiment,” I express back to him.

“Well,” he half shrugs, “you can at least be certain of my good intentions.”

I cock my head at him as I ask him, “Why? Why are you so kind to me?”

“A proper gentlepony always treats a lady with the utmost respect,” Doctor Cabbelleron replies with a dignified pose. “Besides, you're one of my many adoring fans and I'd find it most distressful to let one of those down. It is most damaging on my self esteem, you see.”

I flash him a coy and cunning smile as I say, “Oh! I get it. This is simply one of your ways of protecting yourself and your own ego.”

“I shall not deny that,” Doctor Cabbelleron agrees as he shakes the remainder of his carrot at me. “But you can benefit from my selfish intentions nonetheless. It is wise to hide within my shadow which I will do my best to keep clear from too many obstacles. I'm not afraid of a challenge, mind you, else I wouldn't be here. That said, I don't need to invite more danger unnecessarily.”

“Famous last words of those who said the opposite of that,” I figure. “Especially those who meant that. It's one thing to be brave. Quite another to think one is invincible.”

“What if you could be, though?” Doctor Cabbelleron reflects. “What do you think it does to a pony's mindset if they actually could achieve immortality in some way?”

“Maybe there's less to reach for?” I theorize. “The hallmark of an adventurer is to seek risks in order to challenge one's self. There's something to lose. There's something to gain. There is reason to be excited about finding what's out there. If one became immortal and knows it, maybe that pony would plow through any challenge in their way with reckless abandon. So much so that that pony actually becomes a danger to his or her own allies unintentionally. I'd even wonder if such a pony would really care about others anymore. That pony might feel like they don't have anything to risk that really matters, so their actions carry through with that mentality. I think that situation is very dangerous even for that ponies would-be allies.”

“Do you ever wish it could be so?” Doctor Cabbelleron checks with me.

“I suppose I'd be lying if I don't think about it, but I think it has more cons than pros.” I tilt my head at him curiously. “What about you, Sir? What do you think?”

“Me?” he reflects then scarfs down the rest of his carrot before going on to say, “I completely agree with what you said.”

Part 9: Welcome to the Jungle

It is fascinating how, even in the broad daylight, it is still pretty dark on the floor of this jungle. That is because the trees around us are so tall and its branches/leaves are so spread out, it obstructs most of the daylight from reaching the ground. Nevertheless, the difference between night and day remains very clear. The daylight might be dimmer here, but the nights seem blacker than black.

And that is just our lighting situation. Our sound situation is another story. The sounds of the jungle around us rarely gives us even a second of pure silence. Instead of that, it is often filled with the sounds of fauna ranging from strange sounds of various insects, reptiles, unidentified mammals, and above all, exotic birds. Whether we spot any of these creatures or not, we are often surrounded by the sounds of them day and night. They are especially active during the day. The only time we get any silence from these creatures is during a heavy rainstorm, and only a heavy rainstorm. A light and moderate rainstorm happens with moderate frequency. During those times the noises of the creatures get reduced.

In other words, we are constantly surrounded by the sounds of either the jungle creatures or the weather, and all of that is just from our external environment alone. We're making a few sounds of our own to add to the local environment. This is particularly true of our three younger hired adventurers. Tanon scolds them for that several dozen times and made the claim that they should be more alert for danger instead, but such ridicule largely seemed to go over their heads. They are simply too excited to remain quiet during the journey. They are either talking about what they are discovering at this very moment, theorize what they might soon encounter which is largely held in a positive light, or how much they'll bask in glory upon returning to Equestria after this momentous achievement. I'm not even kidding when I say those three fully expect an entire parade to be held in their honor at least once even on the streets of a very busy city. Considering what we're doing, I can't reject that possibility either.

During our journey, I often feel as giddy as an excited schoolgirl because of the close proximity that Doctor Cabbelleron frequently remains. Not only does he stay close to me, but he often gives me much desired attention. In particular, he puts an especially strong emphasis to educate me further with details about some of the things we are encountering today. During this journey, I learn that most of what we encounter isn't something he's ever run into before, but that does not necessarily mean he's completely ignorant of it. This is particularly true of the flora around us. What is most personally interesting to me is his claim that some of this flora used to exist in Equestria and other lands our ancestors migrated from. That is already a vital clue that this new continent, at least in our local environment, is like a throwback to some ancient world.

Unlike our three other excited younger hired adventurers, though, Doctor Cabbelleron is far more quiet about his lectures to me and he also seems at least moderately alert as we continue our exploration. Between his reaction in conjunction with Tanon and Doctor Smith, I conclude that is probably the wisest policy during this situation. I hate to say it, or even privately think it, but all of that seems to reveal how much of an amateur those three other younger adventurers are.

We all halt when Tanon Burrows, who is in the lead, stops while lifting a foreleg to his side in an sidewards L shape. For once, even the three chatty adventurers suddenly grow quiet when our lead guide seems particularly alert for something. Feeling curious, I venture a little closer to Tanon. I notice Doctor Cabbelleron also follow me along with his three henchponies. Doctor Smith was already close to Tanon.

Tanon bends down and puts his head on the ground while twisting his head to his right side. He also stabs one of his pair of floating machetes into the earth then cups the hoofle with both hooves and applies his left ear at the stem of the machete. When I see that, I grin a bit since I feel proud of myself because I knew why he is doing this.

After fifteen seconds of this, Tanon sits up in a straighter position as the expression of his face grows even more serious and grim. Before now, I did not know if that was possible.

“You hear it too, don't you?” Doctor Smith asks Tanon quietly. I wouldn't have heard that had I not ventured so close to them. “Something large is stalking us.”

“I've seen several signs of it earlier,” Tanon admits as he floats his wide brim pith hat off of his head and uses it to fan himself. “I smelled large droppings in the distance, saw prints of large creatures in the earth, snapped twigs and branches indicative to the passage of a large creature. Judging from the evidence I've gathered so far, I estimate that we have a creature roaming about the local area which stands about eighteen to twenty-five feet high and weighs seven to nine tons. I think there is a total of three of them about this area and they are not always roaming together. Chances are strong we are being hunted right now.” He glowers back at our party and certain ponies in particular. “We're certainly leaving a wide enough trail, scent, and sound for them to follow.”

“Okay, fine,” the purple pony stallion, Leg It, accepts with a shrug. “But it's not as if we're unprepared for a fight either. If worse comes to worse, we've got crossbows and machetes to-”

“And your plan is to actually attack a creature standing eighteen to twenty five feet high and weighs nearly nine tons?” Tanon interrupts. “Do you realize how thick of a hide a creature like that would likely possess just to maintain its own body weight? And even if you can somehow pierce its thick hide, our weapons would be akin to toothpicks to these creatures.”

“Weapons and spells,” Leg It reminds. “Also we are equipped with a great deal of more intelligence than these creatures.”

“Prove it by actually not being an idiot for once,” Tanon growls.

“Hey-hey!” calls out Doctor Smith. “Fighting among ourselves isn't going to alleviate the situation. Instead, I say we keep all of our options on the table, including running.” The brown coat stallion wearing a darker brown coat scans about the area carefully. “Perhaps into something too small for this creature to follow us into.”

“That works for me too,” agrees Doctor Grazy Venture. “But that means we'll also have to identify some place we can flee to which the creature cannot follow us. Most ideally, it should also be someplace large enough for us all to fit inside.” She gazes up. “Failing that, maybe we can scale these trees instead. If these creatures are up to twenty five feet high, then we simply need to climb higher than that.”

“Get down!” Tanon suddenly orders then crawls along the ground until he rests his back against one of the trees. Instinctively, the rest of us follow, but some of us wonder why until we, too, hear and feel the vibrations in the earth. Shortly later, we see a large and mostly erect creature break through a nearby line of trees with some vines and foliage between those trees, but this creature broke through that with ease. This curiously two legged creature has almost humorously small fore claws, but it also has a large head and elongated snout. It has especially large carnivorous jaws. This creature looks like it can chew through a horse carriage with ease. Failing that, this creature can certainly crush a carriage with its own body weight. It is followed by a long tail that swishes low to the ground almost to the point of dragging it. The hide of this creature is dark gray and leaning on dark brown in some parts of its body.

“Well I'll be,” Doctor Smith mutters quietly as he peers at this creature from behind a thick bramble of vines. “Hello beautiful. Funny to see you around here too.”

“HOW CAN YOU BE SO CASUAL AROUND A CREATURE LIKE THAT?!” Leg It nearly shouts in panic. Because he did that, the long snout of the tall, two-legged creature snaps its gaze in our general direction.

“Be quiet, you fool!” quietly complains Doctor Cabbelleron to Leg It. “You'll lure the creature right to us!”

While we've been talking, quietly and otherwise, the large creature starts stalking closer to us to find out what it heard earlier in this vicinity.

“Oh boy,” Doctor Smith mumbles with a sigh. “Here it comes.” Then he shouts, “RUN!”

All at once, the majority of the herd flee away from this giant creature. Behind us, the creature snaps its gaze to follow us before opening its huge jaw and issuing a terrible roar that has the apparent volume of hundreds of lions roaring at once. Following that, it starts charging towards us and quickly picks up speed.

When I quickly glance over my left shoulder with wide eyes, I happen to catch a glimpse of the three very old retired unicorn guards nod grimly but dutifully at each other before deliberately turning about then charging right back at the tall creature. I widen my eyes even further at this when I see those three split apart from each other and shoot hornbeams at the creature from three different angles, the effect of which only slightly singes this giant creatures hide. It does, however, stall the giant creature to a halt as it whips its head back and forth in an attempt to identify this new and very unfamiliar threat to it. It seems to try to analyze this new situation with animal-like intelligence.

That is the last I see of this encounter before I round the corner of another giant tree then keep galloping on in a panic.

Part 10: Decisions

Perhaps I should have expected an earth pony stallion named Leg It to be able to race so far ahead of the rest of us that we'd lose sight of him. Even after the heavy lifters in our party dumped most of our gear just so they can run faster, no pony can keep up with Leg It.

While perhaps I should have expected that, I must admit that I had no way to predict that Leg It would also find us after proceeding so far ahead that we lost sight of each other. But, when he did return, he tells us that he may have found shelter that can offer us protection from whatever large carnivorous creature we have discovered. He tells us to follow him. Since none of us take that much time to more fully evaluate our situation, we just proceed to do so.

Leg It leads us under the trunk of a very tall tree. The roots of this tree is so thick, they would have qualified as most average tree trunks back in Equestria in terms of length and thickness. There is a gnarled look to them that thrusts the rest of the tree up off the ground. Either that, or some creature dug out a hole beneath this tree at some time.

In any case, it is large enough to fit the whole party within, but we do have to duck and squeeze ourselves past some narrow openings along the way in. Once inside, my hide crawls upon sight of how many large insects are down here as well. It may offer us protection from the large predator for the moment, but I really think I can't sleep down here personally.

We take quite a few minutes to catch our breaths with the curious exception of Doctor Smith. He alone looks like he did not break a sweat which is quite surprising since he doesn't look like the kind of stallion who can keep up with a professional sports pony. He seems more like a nerdy professor so his stamina in this situation feels really unexpected. In hindsight, however, I start to more fully realize how nothing about this stallion is what he seems. He's been constantly surprising me left and right.

And then he does it to me again right now.

“You all stay here and catch your breaths,” Doctor Smith says as he starts to venture towards the exit. “I'll find our stragglers and lead them to our position as safely as I can muster right now.”

“Wait a minute! What stragglers?!” Leg It exclaims in startled surprise.

“You mean we're not all here?” Doctor Venture wonders as she scans those who are here and appears to do a head count.

“Straight Arrow, Terminus, and Trump Card are missing,” I inform this group with more confidence than the majority of us are expecting. “I know because I saw them wheel about and deliberately try to stall the creature from chasing the rest of us.”

My declaration stuns the majority of the group who suddenly stare at me with unblinking eyes.

“The good news is it seems they succeeded,” I go on to announce. “The bad news is . . .” I trail off because I lost strength telling them the bad news.

“The bad news is they are not here,” Doctor Smith finishes for me. “Which is precisely what I'm going to change if I can.”

“Then I'm going with you,” Tanon announces as he floats up and loads a bolt in his crossbow.

“Me too!” Leg It quickly volunteers. “It's my fault that we got in this mess in the first place. If I hadn't-”

“You're right. It is your fault!” Tanon agrees with harsh accusation. “And that is exactly why you are not going. I'm not giving you another chance to screw up again as severely as you have before. Right now we can't afford more set backs like that again.”

Leg It frowns as his ears fall flat. He visibly winces at Tanon's harsh accusation, but he goes on to argue, “And that is why I need to fix this! I can't-”

“Are you aware that those three are probably dead because of you?!” Tanon growls harshly. “Do you hear me? DEAD!” Tanon shouts which causes the whole party to flinch. “All three of those stallions are way past the prime of their lives, and they had to face that gigantic creature with just the three of them. Only if we're lucky will we find any shred of their corpses to bury, and I refuse to escalate the danger any further by allowing incompetent green legs to tag along. Stay here where it's safe. You've done enough damage.”

Every word Tanon threw at Leg It is like a punch to the face. By the end he looks truly devastated.

Likely because of Leg It's reaction, Doctor Smith takes a step towards the other stallion and says, “Right now there is something useful you can do for us here.” Leg It looks up at Doctor Smith with a desperate look of hope. “Stay here so you can look after the others here,” Doctor Smith proposes as he nods to indicate every other pony here.

“We're not helpless Senior,” announces one of our heavy laborers. This brown coated stallion sports very bushy mustache but no other facial hair at all. He takes a step forward to announce his presence as the one who just spoke and looks at the rest of us meaningfully. “We're all used to heavy lifting and labor. Pretty much all of us could deck and take out any average pony.” He scans among us then nods to indicate Doctor Cabbelleron's henchpony Rouge who is the largest of those three. “Except maybe you, Senior,” this worker stallion amends. “You probably could out deck all of us.”

Rouge looks surprised by that announcement. He then takes a closer look at the rest of us gathered here. What he sees eventually causes him to close his eyes, nod his head, and wear a faint proud smile in agreement.

“All that said,” the worker stallion goes on to say as he scans among all of us again, “none of us could have done a thing against that creature. That remains true. This shelter,” he gestures above, “is the only thing protecting us right now.” He then nods towards Tanon and Doctor Smith. “And you amigos still can't do anything to that creature, so why go?”

“There is something I can do to that creature,” Tanon argues then shakes his head. “But it wasn't an option for me before. At the time, my job was to secure the safety of the group here. Now that that is done, I can more easily concentrate my efforts on the next task.”

I swallow a lump in my throat before clearing my throat then going on to announce while desperately trying to squash the panic I feel welling within, “Allow me to come too. I want to help.”

“But you're not even an adventurer,” Doctor Venture argues with a look on her face and expression in her voice which both points to genuine concern.

“Yeah, but she is a pegasus,” Doctor Smith announces. “And the only one in this party we have. That just might give us some vital options against this creature we might not otherwise have access to. In this case, I say the risk is worth it as long as she is willing.” He nods to me proudly as he goes on to say, “And I admire your bravery, Miss.”

“We don't need her,” Tanon argues but with a considerably softer expression than the one he gave to Leg It. It's more like he's stating a fact rather than trying to deliberately hurt the feelings of yet another pony. “I have a way to deal with that creature and it would be easier if we limit those who are involved.”

“But you have to admit, an aerial scout might come in handy,” Doctor Smith counter argues to Tanon. “She could also lure the creature away from us, or those stallions, using a method none of the rest of us have access to. I say having access to those options is too good to refuse right now.”

I am surprised to see a look of pained reluctance from Tanon. It is only then that it occurs to me that he might have a personal objection to me coming. I am the granddaughter of one of his best friends after all.

“I . . . I can do this!” I cry out insistently after I recover from a slight stutter. “I want to do this. Let me help you. If you find any of those stallions alive, you might need my help to carry them back anyway. I understand the need to keep the party smaller for the sake of tactical mobility and stealth, but we'll have to consider what happens next after we find them.” I point to Doctor Smith as I say, “Having a pony with medical expertise makes sense. After all, we might not find any of them in tip-top shape.” I then point to Tanon, of whom I am still talking to for the sake of convincing him. “You also makes sense because you're our most senior explorer and claim to have a method of dealing with this creature. As for me, I should go because I have the ability to fly. We should also bring-” I go on as I look at Doctor Cabbelleron, but I cut myself off when I see that stallion sit down, lift both of his forehooves, and shake his head no.

“No. I absolutely refuse to go,” Doctor Cabbelleron insists.

I can't believe what I am hearing! Doctor Cabbelleron is among the most experienced adventurers in this party and one who made some of the most important discoveries among us. As a result, it didn't even occur to me that he'd refuse until I witnessed it right before me.

“I will, however, stay here and watch after those who remain,” Doctor Cabbelleron amends as he closes his eyes and gestures to himself with a graceful flourish. “We'll need somepony here who can take charge and keep those remaining here from panicking. That shall be my role.”

Hearing that calms me down a little. It's hard to deny a surprised and numb sense of disappointment that Doctor Cabbelleron refuses to accompony me after it took so much courage for me to volunteer, but he also does have a good point. If we're going to split up, having a pony here with a cool head on his shoulders probably would be very useful. Those of us who are going will probably feel better about it if we can feel more certain that those we are leaving behind will be safe.

“That's a good idea,” Doctor Smith agrees. “We need to keep the party who is going light and agile, and it would be better to leave somebody here who has a good head on his shoulders.” He nods to Cabbelleron. “Keep the others safe and organized till the rest of us get back.”

“Are you sure you-” Leg It began nearly with a begging expression but Tanon's harsh glare at the stallion silenced the rest of Leg It's sentence. As a result, Leg It returns to a moping expression for he looks genuinely guilty for putting us in the situation we are facing so far.

Noticing this exchange makes me feel numb inside. Only in this moment does it occur to me that I've been looking up to every professional adventurer in this party in the same way I once looked up to my parents and grandparents during a time when I was still a filly. I once looked up to all adults, really, as if they were infallible because they knew more things about the world than I did. Back when I had so little knowledge of my own to command, I absolutely relied upon every adult around me to know what was best for me and it took many years to notice that some adults disagreed with each other. Only at that time did I start to question the validity of an adults claims. If they all have the correct answers in life, then how is it possible for any of them to disagree with each other? The moment any argument came up seemed to automatically mean one of them had to be right and the other wrong, but if both were adults, how can I tell which is which? It was only then that I became disillusioned to this idea that absolutely all adults are infallible.

It is only now that I start to realize that that same youthful idealism I once had towards all adults lingered in my perception of professional adventurers who have some real field experience. I guess I figured it was because I knew, by then, with each of them armed with approximately the same amount of experience under their belts, that they would all inevitably reach the same conclusion as to how to properly survive out there with this kind of profession.

But no. In the real world, both wisdom and experience of each individual adventurer greatly varies. The stories I've read, both fictional and non-fictional, are always written by those who survived the experience or at least imagined the experience. For those who didn't survive the experience, their tale is downright silent. As a result, the rest of the world has less of a chance to learn from their failures. Overall, it makes the profession itself seem safer when we're only hearing it from the side of the winners.

Reality is a much harsher mistress, though. Until Tanon had said it, it didn't consciously occur to me that those three elderly former guards who stayed behind voluntarily may, in fact, be dead.

When I think of that, I harden my resolve to find out. Dead or not, I have to know. I just can't live with the idea that we abandon them without even checking. Even if we find only one survivor among the three, that one survivor may save the rest of our lives one day. After all, despite and because of how elderly they are, they have access to techniques the rest of us lack. Now that we're out here on this lost continent all alone, we're the only ones we can count on to save each other. The death of each one of us diminishes the odds of success for all the rest.

Besides all that, this is just the right thing to do. I feel it in my heart.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was made on 5/10/2023. The next one I wrote was many months later. Frankly I thought the story was dead in the interim. All of this started because I got a note from Section 8 housing authority that I may qualify for government housing assistance. That was very nice, but also meant leaving the place I was at for 20 years and deal with all of the issues of finding and moving to a new place. The creative muse was hard to spark during that time, but I since settled into a new place since then and managed to write a few more chapters so far.

Part 11: Tactical Assessment

What am I doing here? I'm no adventurer! Dear Celestia, if my parents found out about this then they would kill me! I can't believe I am doing this.

On top of that, it is so disheartening that Doctor Caballeron did not accompony us. I subconsciously counted on that until he negatively surprised me by refusing to come. It is comforting to know that somepony that competent is looking after the others, but didn't he once swear that he would protect me? Am I just imagining that?

I'm sure learning a lot about adventurers today, though. Not only can they be incompetent, but there is also a major difference between an adventurer and a hero. They can be one in the same, or they can be direct opposites. Right now I'm not seeing much of the latter but I heard they exist. Selfish adventurers who venture out into the field for some nefarious reason. Perhaps they seek out some artifact in order to use it to oppress the rest of pony kind in some shape or form. They appear rather often in fictional stories. If only their existence were confined to such things. As for me, I may be an example of the former; a heroic fool who has no business being here because I don't have any real skills to support my presence here. Sure I can fly, but that is it. Is that really enough justification for me to be here?

All I was supposed to do during this journey is be the map maker. When venturing where no pony has explored before, that makes sense. As it turns out, however, there is a bunch of giant monsters around here and my role has evolved far beyond what I had anticipated. I suppose that's true for any of us. Perhaps pure necessity pushes the limits of us all.

Speaking of which, Doctor Smith seems unusually calm in this situation, especially for a pony who seems to be nothing but some college professor. Yet now, from the way he trots and scans his present environment, he actually acts like he's done things like this for ages. I really don't know how many times this unassuming pony is going to catch me off guard. Even if I start to expect that, I highly doubt that is going to relax my intense surprise about him anytime soon.

Tanon, of course, is a pony I expected to be here the most, but the one thing about him that does surprise me is I expected him to put up significantly more of an objection to my presence. After all, he's the one who objected for me to accompony all of these stallions as far back as where The Intrepid was once docked. That was back in Equestria where we started! If he objected to me that much back then, I fully expected him to double down and absolutely refuse my presence during this rescue mission, but nope! He actually accepted my compony without much of a fight. In fact, he objected to Leg It even more, and Leg It is an experienced adventurer! It boggles my mind that somepony like Tanon Burrows would rather accept an inexperienced civilian like me over a fellow adventurer.

“Miss Keystone, stick close to us for now,” Doctor Smith advises which draws me out of my stupor. “You may be able to fly, but there is a lot of branches and vines up there in those trees. When you do take off, you'll have to navigate it carefully.”

“I thought of that too,” Tanon agrees as we continue to backtrack our way to the ambush site. “When you do go, you'll have to pay attention very carefully. Aside from that, the creature we faced might not be the only threat against us out here. Other threats might also linger up in the treeline as well. Try to remember, out in these lands, we are the aliens.”

“And you need to keep a sharp eye out right now,” Doctor Smith advises further. “I know it's easy to get lost in your head right now, but now really isn't the time for that.”

I blink as I realize they are right. Accordingly, I shake my head then narrow my eyes as resolve sinks into them. I can't afford to question my presence right now. I'm here now and might as well make the best of it while I can. I may be inexperienced, but that is changing right now. I best not underestimate the value of that.

“As for you, my large old friend, I am curious about what you brought that makes you so confident that you can face down this large beast,” Doctor Smith remarks, this time to Tanon.

Tanon flashes Doctor Smith a grin as he floats out of one of his pouches a stick of dynamite which hovers in his tingling golden/brown magical aura.

“Oh jolly good show, that!” Doctor Smith commends. “You really are prepared for a serious adventure, my friend.” He then narrows his eyes slightly as he goes on to say, “I can also see why you hesitated to use them while we were fleeing from the creature. It would take time to arm those, not to mention aim them properly.”

“I suspect my crossbow bolts would just bounce off that creatures hide if we encountered it again,” Tanon mentions. “That said, it can make for a useful dynamite delivery system if the range is not too extreme. My plan is to shoot one of these things with a lit dynamite stick into the creatures mouth if it dares to roar or attempt to bite us even once.”

“Bit of a tricky shot, but you could probably manage it if we were within, say, about forty feet,” Doctor Smith figures. “How many of those do you have anyway?”

“I brought fourteen with us and the tools to make more if we encounter more suitable materials for it,” Tanon reports.

“Well,” says Doctor Smith who then pauses while he rolls his head. I can hear a few neck cracks while he does that. Eventually he goes on to say, “I'd rather not use them against the creature if we can help it. Like you said, we are the foreigners to these lands, and the creature has just as much right to life as we do. That is where the wings of Miss Keystone may come in handy. If she can lure the creature away from us safely, we may be able to rescue the other stallions without a hitch.”

“You're remarkably confident of her abilities,” Tanon mentions to the Doctor with suspicion. “Why is that?”

“Part of it is a tactical assessment,” the Doctor replies. “She can do something the rest of us cannot, and right now that could be a very important distinction. Aside from that, I sense she has a lot of potential in this field. Don't pretend to deny it. You sense it too.”

Tanon grunts as he scans about us before he declares, “Well I think, for the moment, we should adhere to our own advise. Let's stop gabbing and pay more attention to our surroundings ourselves.”

“That's the right of it,” Doctor Smith agrees. “I just wanted to be clear where we stand.”

“We're standing in unknown and obviously hostile territory,” Tanon reminds sharply. “So here's a silly idea: Let's pretend that actually matters and take this seriously.”

“Which is the way you take everything?” Doctor Smith inquires. “That certainly has its place, but in my experience, an adventurer who never makes light of his or her situation accumulates too much stress to have a more permanent place in such a profession.”

“I suppose you would know,” Tanon comments mysteriously. I don't think I'm the only one caught off gaurd by that comment, although when I regard Doctor Smith next, I notice he's more intrigued rather than confused by that recent statement.

“To each his own, Doctor,” Tanon adds with am emphatic glance at the Doctor. “I made it to a ripe old age doing this profession. Trust me when I say I met many others who didn't make it this far. Doing what I do in the way I do it has brought me to this point. You may have a different tactic and I'm sure that works for you. In the meanwhile, I remind you all that we need to keep quiet and pay attention.”

“I have been paying attention,” Doctor Smith assures. “I see we've been following our own tracks so far. It should lead us to our abandoned supplies very soon. After that . . .” He trails off.

“After that is our retired guard ponies,” Tanon finishes as he looks forward with a nod. “Or what's left of them, anyway. We may also encounter that large creature again, or another just like it, so pay attention.”

Doctor Smith frowns slightly at Tanon before regarding me and asking, “What about you, Miss Keystone? What is your tactical assessment of our situation?”

“You're asking me?” I ask with a very surprised blink.

“Why sure. Your opinion can be just as valuable as any of us,” Doctor Smith assures. “And I want to make sure that you are paying attention too. What have you learned so far?”

“Well,” I pause a moment as I carefully regard them both. Tanon spares only a brief glance over his shoulder at me while I do that. Despite his own advise, he seems equally curious what I have to say. The fact he actually values my opinion at all also shocks me.

“Well I . . . I do agree we need to pay careful attention,” I mention with shaky confidence in my voice. “The more we gab on, the more our voices may attract other dangerous predators. That's exactly what happened with Leg It, so I feel it is important we learn from those mistakes. Out here, we can't underestimate anything because it is all foreign to us. We shouldn't uphold the same standards we have in Equestria and apply it to these lands.”

I see them both nod in subtle agreement with what I just said.

“I think we should also be prepared for multiple scenarios we may encounter,” I venture on with slightly growing confidence, largely because of the positive feedback I received from them a moment ago. “For instance, the former guard stallions. If we encounter them all dead, it might be wise to pause and consider our next course of action. I guess it largely depends on how much of them is left for us to find. I know that this may sound cold, but I say if we encounter only sixty percent of them left or less and they are obviously dead, we abandon them immediately because the scent of their rotting bodies will be like a magnet for other predators in these lands.”

“A wise assessment,” Tanon remarks in approval which immediately causes a glow of pride to light up in my soul.

“And if we encounter any of them alive, well then . . . As much as I welcome that, I also have to admit that is when our mission gets complicated because it is very unlikely they are all in a perfectly sound state. Even if they are, we need to keep in mind that all three of them are very old stallions.”

“True,” Doctor Smith agrees. “We should also keep one other thing in mind. Those three very likely have used much of their magic to distract and delay that creature. Based on what I have observed of unicorns who push their limits with their magic, it makes them terribly exhausted, at least until they have a chance to rest some. At their age, it may take a while.”

“And in the meantime, we have at least one dangerous predator on the prowl who may have gained a taste for pony flesh,” Tanon adds. “Given our size compared to it, I doubt it would be satisfied with just one little nibble. If they are still alive, they very likely took shelter somewhere. I say that's the best case scenario. Let's be honest, it is absurd to expect them to have totally defeated the creature.”

“I agree, which means the creature likely remains on the prowl,” puts in Doctor Smith.

“Then at that point we have up to three very old and potentially injured stallions to deal with,” I add. “I say bandage them up immediately and do whatever you can to eliminate the smell of their blood in the air unless the creature is in their immediate vicinity. If it is, I'll try to distract it and lure it away while you two take care of the stallions. If you can find shelter that the large predator cannot chase you into then so much the better. Meanwhile I'll try to lose the creature somewhere in the forest. I'll make sure to lure it quite a distance away from the rest of you before resorting to an option like really soaring high into the air. After that, if I can't find my way back to the rest of you, I'll try to meet up with the others. Does that sound reasonable?”

“In that case, it might be best if we take a brief moment to mark our territory along the way,” Tanon realizes before he floats out his machete then slashes and X pattern on a nearby tree. “Look for these and other signs of our passage in the lands. Broken twigs, hoof prints. Anything you can find that sets you on our trail.” He looks above. “The sun is also above us at a forty-five degree angle. Note the pattern of the shadows around us. You can use signs like these to backtrack your way to the rest of our party, but keep in mind the shadows move as the day continues. Eventually the shadows will swing the other way. As long as you keep that in mind, you can still use them to guide your way back.”

“I also have a compass, and I'm not just referring to my cutie mark,” I note aloud. “I wouldn't be much of a cartographer without it.”

“Those can come in hoofy, but remember that such tools is not always infallible,” Tanon Burrows warns me. “A compass relies upon magnetics of the planet. As long as the magnetic energy of the local area is fairly neutral, those tools can be quite reliable if you know how to use them properly. However, if the energy in the vicinity isn't neutral, that changes things so it is important to learn to rely upon other context clues too.”

“And just in case you don't have a compass, there are ways to construct one on the fly if you have a few basic and common materials,” Doctor Smith mentions.

I nod at the Doctor as I tell him, “I'm aware of that. I read up on it.”

“Then it's important to put them into practice when applicable,” the Doctor replies.

“By the way, if I make it back to the others before the rest of you, what should I tell them?” I ask my two traveling companions.

That question causes my two companions to totally stop as they regard each other as if silently debating their answer. I privately note how even they are not prepared with an immediate answer to that question. Eventually it is Doctor Smith who ends up answering the question as he regards me.

“My best advise is it's your call,” says the Doctor. “When you do make that call, consider what you have observed up to that point. It might be best to send another rescue party to help all the rest of us or not. I can't give a more detailed advice than that until I find out more of our situation such as our large predator friend and the condition of our wayward stallions.”

“You can't plan for everything in a serious adventure,” Tanon adds to me as he gives me a serious look. “Sometimes the best thing we can do is stay on the tips of our hooves as well as keep our ears and eyes open.” He then glares at the Doctor. “As well as keeping our mouths shut when it is dangerous to do otherwise.”

“Alright! You win,” Doctor Smith accepts as he stands up on his hind legs and raises his forelegs in a gesture of surrender. Upon doing so, I note how quickly he starts to lose his balance as if he's surprised how unaccustomed he is to that. After that he lands back on three of his hooves while using the fourth to gesture on ahead of him as he says in a friendly and polite manner, “Lead on, my friend.”

As if to be an example, Tanon just nods ahead and proceeds forward without another word. He keeps a sharp eye out and swivels his ears above his head in a careful assessment of what is around him. Along the way, he floats his loaded crossbow at the ready as well as his machete, the latter of which he occasionally uses to mark his territory around him in some way, typically with a cut X pattern on some tree or to slash some vine out of the way.

Part 12: More at Play

Seems like for the umpteenth time I learn there is a major difference between reading about an adventure, regardless if it is fictional or not, and actually being in one. I'm just glad I'm not the only one here who has a reaction to the arrival at the site of where a massacre took place. I feel like retching when we see pony blood spread about the area and the sight of a single old pony leg just lying in the ground. While the reaction of my companions isn't as severe, they still prove that even professional adventurers aren't immune to normal pony emotions. They just hooffle it better. In this case the Doctor just lowers his head and sighs. Tanon Burrows also lowers his head, closes his eyes, grabs his pith hat off of his head and presses it to his chest with a hoof in a brief moment of memorial.

“This is the jungle alright,” Doctor Smith acknowledges sadly. “I suppose this isn't much of a surprise considering their age and what they were up against, but I still hate to see it.”

“Not much left by the looks of it,” Tanon notes as he replaces his hat to his head. “I can see where each of them have largely been consumed. The thickest pool of blood is in two spots. That is where the creature must've eaten them.”

I perk up as I ask, “Just two?” I look at Tanon with a sense of hope. “Does this mean there could be a survivor?”

“So far it does look like it,” Tanon replies with a shrewd and discerning look as he crouches down and examines the tracks around this area carefully. He's quiet for about nine seconds as he scans about the area before saying, “Looks like the majority of the conflict took place around this area,” he says as he gestures with a hoof to indicate approximately twenty feet radius around us. “They were spread out at first, but the old guards quickly gathered together in one spot for some reason.”

I perk up even further as I recall, “Straight Arrow did tell me that they had some formal training in combat magic. Specifically, he said they could do horn beams and barrier magic.” I squint with a look of uncertainty as I roughly guess, “Maybe they gathered together to join their horn beam attack? Perhaps they discovered they didn't have enough power separately to have any effect on the creature.”

“Or more likely they gathered together to reinforce their barrier magic,” Doctor Smith surmises with a discerning expression. “I'm not too familiar with unicorn magic, being an earth pony myself, but if I had to guess, I'd assume cooperative magic is easier to accomplish if unicorns are gathered in close proximity to each other?” When he finished his question, he gives a lifted eyebrow questioning inflection to Tanon.

In reply, Tanon shrugs a bit as he says, “One would assume so, but don't think the mere fact I'm a unicorn also means I'm educated in the ins and outs of cooperative combat magic.” He looks at the Doctor. “But it makes sense, though. If two unicorns combine their magic to levitate a single couch, for example, it should take approximately half as much effort for each of them. Horn beams and barrier magic might be the same way.

“Anyway,” Tanon looks back at the local ground as he goes on to say, “this is the story the earth is telling us right now. They were spread out then they gathered somewhere in this area. Whatever they tried to do, it did not stall that creature for long.”

“But by the looks of this area, only two of them were consumed,” the Doctor adds with another visual scan about this area. He then shakes his head. “I can't be too sure how hungry that creature was when it arrived, but little ponies would make a paltry meal to a creature that large. I doubt that thing would stop with just the two of them if it had the chance to finish them all off.” He tilts his head and then gives me a questioning and hopeful expression as he asks me, “Was it possible any of them were trained in teleportation magic?”

I shrug as I reply, “Straight Arrow didn't mention that any of them were trained in that spell, but I suppose it's possible.”

“Very few unicorns are trained in that spell,” Tanon cautions. “As far as I know, only well trained wizards tend to cast that spell. These were just retired Royal Canterlot guards.”

“Seems to me the security of the most esteemed estate in Equestria could benefit abundantly with fully trained wizards in their Royal Guard staff,” Doctor Smith figures. “Plus, I know for a fact that some of the most prestigious magic unicorn academies is in Canterlot, so that city has ready access to the greatest supply of such talent. It wouldn't even surprise me if Princess Celestia herself personally sponsored some of them in exchange for some years of service guarding her castle from potential intruders. After all, it would make sense to have some preparation against potentially other wizard trained magical intruders.”

“Shh,” Tanon shushes as he examines the terrain more carefully. At this point he also expands his search radius. Two minutes later he announces, “One of them did escape, at least briefly, in this direction.” He then shakes his head. “Despite the fact that this pony's tracks does skip about fifteen feet, I don't think this one teleported. When this pony landed, he slid along the ground about another eight feet. That pony rose back to his hooves somewhat unsteadily. I can tell because the tracks here are somewhat uneven.” He pauses again as he examines the tracks in this new area more carefully before resuming to announce, “The giant creature did not pursue right away. Too busy munching on his companions for a moment but that didn't take too long. Meanwhile this other pony retreated off to . . .” Tanon trails off as he follows where these tracks take him. As he does so, the two of us follow.

“Take a wide berth around these tracks,” the Doctor advises me as we follow Tanon. “At least for now. Let's not disturb these clues until we're done with them.”

“Gotcha,” I acknowledge before hopping into the air and flapping my wings to hover about fifteen feet off the ground. From that new elevation, I follow the others here.

“Clever girl,” I overhear Doctor Smith quietly mumble under his breath.

“The giant creature did eventually follow the one that retreated,” Tanon reports from ahead of us as he pauses another moment in a new area, examines it carefully, then moves on. “At this point the survivor is alone. This pony kept on going to . . .” he trails off again as he gazes ahead and sees a base of a tree that is partially uplifted, just like the one the rest of us hid under not long ago. The opening under this tree is much smaller, but it could easily fit one pony. The gnarled roots of this tree is partially rubbed off. Even I can see some teeth marks in the upraised roots as if the giant creature attempted to gnaw at this area not long ago.

Upon seeing this, Tanon races ahead for a moment and shines his golden/brown horn brighter, which in this case casts much less illumination than normal simply because of the brownish color. Regardless, he reacts as if he spots something important under the tree. He then quickly looks at us and the Doctor in particular as he announces, “Doctor, come here quick. You have a patient in here.”

“Oh thank God!” Doctor Smith breathes with a sigh of relief then races ahead. I have the same reaction at first until it occurs to me with a wince of confusion, “Thank who?” I look at the Doctor strangely as I wonder who this God person is.

“It's Straight Arrow,” Tanon announces as the Doctor passes him up and crawls under the tree.

“Is he okay?” I ask in anxious concern as I land just by the entrance and exit to this little hiding spot.

“He's alive,” the Doctor announces from within, “though barely conscious. I'll need a few more moments before I can give a more thorough report.”

“It wouldn't take much to injure a pony that old,” Tanon announces grimly. “But at least he's alive. We should count our blessings.”

“How old are these tracks?” I ask Tanon with concern. “Can you tell?”

Before answering, Tanon pauses to examine the area again more carefully. About thirty seconds later he announces, “About twenty to thirty minutes. There is still some saliva on these gnawed roots. It didn't have time to fully dry yet.” He flashes me a narrow-eyed grim look. “Which means the creature might not be far from here. I recommend you patrol the area a bit from above.” He points upward with a hoof. “Use the tree branches as cover. That way, even if you are spotted, you'll have some barrier between you and the creature. If you hide above forty feet, it is unlikely the creature would be able to reach you anyway even if it did spot you.”

“I'm on it,” I reply while casting a final worried look at the little nook under the tree before spinning about and flying off. As requested, I fly off into the branches of the tree and crawl about them in order to explore this area stealthily. Because I am so concerned about spotting that giant creature returning to finish off its little snack, I am shocked to instead spot several other creatures closing in on this area instead. In general configuration, these new creatures vaguely resemble the one that attacked us insofar as they also walk upright on their two hind legs. They also have long tails trailing behind them and extended snouts on their faces. Just like the larger creature, they also have short fore claws, but they also appear a bit longer for some reason. Because of their strong resemblance to what attacked us I, at first, mistake them for baby versions of the creature that attacked us, but then I notice their hide color is more brownish instead of gray, and there are other things about them that set them apart. Curiously, some of them are upholding spears in their fore claws. The tips of those spears are pointing outwards while the back sometimes rests near the shoulder that is holding the spear. They are also closing in on our group in an almost perfect circular pattern between them which demonstrates strong coordination with this group. All of this suggests that, while the creature that attacked us earlier was a dire threat largely because of its gigantic size, these creatures are a threat because they seem to be higher life forms mentally and there is more of them.

For a brief moment I an caught by indecision. There is no way I can get to my companions and warn them to escape fast enough before this new group closes in on us from all sides. If I say nothing, this new group won't spot me, but it also means my companions will have no warning, and these new creatures seem to be approaching with hostile intent. They are trying to sneak in and some of them are doing so with spears at the ready.

Eventually I shake my head as I argue that I need to get over myself. My companions have to be warned, even if that means alerting these new creatures to my presence as well.

Those that approach us actually hesitate for a moment when I glide down to meet up with my companions. I even see them glance at each other in intense surprise. There's even a tiny bit of awe to their reaction as if they just spotted something of religious significance. While I think that reaction is interesting, it doesn't stall me from doing what I have to do.

“Look alive!” I warn my companions as I land nearby them. “The creature that attacked us doesn't seem to be here, but something else, or rather some things else, has taken its place.”

“I'm well aware,” Tanon replies even though it doesn't seem like he is. He's still staring into the cubbyhole under the tree. Now that I've landed close to him, however, I also notice one of his ears aiming back at those who are closing in around us. Upon seeing that detail, a glow of pride lights within me which reveals as a small proud smile outwardly. By Celestia, I love hanging out with true professional adventurers.

“How many of them are there?” Tanon asks me quietly.

“More than a dozen at least,” I report to him. “Fourteen to eighteen I think.”

“Did you catch that, Doctor?” Tanon quietly calls within the tree.

“I did,” Doctor Smith replies, “and I can assure you that this patient is in no medical condition to be moved in a hurry.”

After Doctor Smith says that, he starts to crawl out. While he does that, the other creatures that were closing in on us finally arrive, but not all of them are immediately visible. Apparently some of them held back and are hiding around the base of the tree. Spotting me seems to have changed their tactics somewhat. Maybe they are wondering if any more of us are hiding somewhere, so they decided to hold some of their own members back in preparation for an even further reveal.

Yeah. These creatures are obviously far more intelligent than the first creature we encountered. They are probably even intelligent enough to have their own language with each other.

Closer examination reveals more details that I missed earlier. Their hind legs that they are standing on appears just a bit wider than the large creature proportionate to their overall shape, and for some reason they each have one curved clawed toe that appears it could do a lot of damage to us if they leap upon us. I also notice that their irises are yellowish and their eye pupils are sidewards like a snake or a cat. Some of them also appear to be wearing constructed items like a necklace of teeth or a rounded headgear that has a plume of colorful feathers on it. Now that I'm examining them this closely, there seems to be a tribe-like motif to them in their appearance and mannerisms.

I am also greatly relieved to see that they are not attacking immediately, and for some reason, they are regarding me with a small shade of reverence. They are still holding up their spears cautiously, but they appear really reluctant to attack me in particular. Rather than that, they appear to regard me with both curiosity and even a small shade of hope for some reason.

Then they speak to us in a language we might not be able to mimic let alone understand. There is a lot of growls, gurgles, clicking and hissing sounds to their language. It is also clear to me that these sounds seem far too complex to be just random sounds.

Next, to my utter shock, Doctor Smith nods in understanding and speaks back to these creatures in the same manner they communicated with us.

“You can understand them and speak their language?!” Tanon asks Doctor Smith with intense surprise as well. In response, Doctor Smith simply lifts up a hoof to silence us while he awaits a response from the creatures we are currently engaging.

These creatures appear caught off guard by that fact as well. They glance among each other in a moment of shock before one of them looks back at the Doctor and says more in their curious language, although there appears to be a questioning inflection to this creature's mannerism this time and it is aimed directly at the Doctor. If I had to guess, it probably asked something along the lines of, “You can understand us? Really?”

Doctor Smith nods once in confirmation to whatever question the creature asked and then proceeds to speak again in their native language. Several sentences apparently go by in this manner. During that time, the Doctor gestures among the rest of us once during his apparent explanation of some kind? A little later on he also gestures into the cubbyhole under the tree in a similar way. When he does so, most of the creatures we are engaging spare a quick glance into the cubbyhole before looking back at the Doctor as they listen to the Doctor ramble on further about something or another. While he does that, Tanon and I spare a brief look at each other. When we do so, we both give an innocent and confused shrug at each other. This is a very unexpected development. Natural pony throats does not even seem capable of making some of the sounds the Doctor is making right now. This actually seems so unusual that I'm tempted to call this magical instead.

When Doctor Smith is finally finished explaining whatever it is he was saying, these tribe of creatures appear greatly intrigued by what was said. They spare a moment to turn among themselves and have a private conversation of their own, probably about what Doctor Smith just said.

“Care to fill us in, Doctor?” Tanon requests behind our increasingly mysterious brown earth pony stallion.

“They were wondering what we were doing here,” Doctor Smith explains as he turns to face us, “so I proceeded to give them that explanation with just a bit of modification to our story. They do appear to recognize our species a bit but not at a personal level. We're more like a legend they speak about over a campfire. Something they never expected to actually encounter.”

“But they have heard of us?” Tanon double checks with the Doctor. “If that's true, then we might not be the first ponies to have come here after all.”

“Or they have migrated from some area where we were more common,” Doctor Smith offers with a bit of a half shrug. “I'm not sure yet. I'll need to speak to them further to refine our information.” He nods to them briefly awhile still looking at us as he goes on to say, “While they do not seem to expect us, they at least partially consider this a good omen of some kind except I can sense an edge of caution and almost . . . Well, I guess you can say that, in a way, they are a bit offended by our presence while at the same time amazed. Maybe they consider this territory sacred, or perhaps it is the creature that attacked us that they revere. I'm not sure yet but I have detected a few hints that we did something wrong already.”

“How is it possible that you can speak their language?” I ask Doctor Smith in utter astonishment. “Pony throats don't seem capable of this, and even if we can, where could you possibly learn this? We just arrived at this continent a little over a day ago.”

“I can explain that later,” Doctor Smith replies. “For now we have more pertinent issues here.”

“As unexpected as this is, this situation is quite fortunate,” Tanon announces between us quietly. “They can talk, their willing to talk to us, and one of us is capable of communicating right back at them. If we can secure their cooperation, not only can we avoid a fight with them, but we might be able to secure their help in other ways. They are intelligent locals, which means we could at least win some more information about this local land. I'm sure they are more than willing to educate us about this place if it also means informing us what we did wrong, if anything, and how to avoid offending them again in the future.”

“I agree,” Doctor Smith replies with a nod at Tanon Burrows. “Maybe we can also get their help with our injured friend here.”

“You think he'll make it?” I ask Doctor Smith with worry mixed with hope.

“If he's handled carefully, then yes,” Doctor Smith replies to me. “I suspect that these people have a medicine shaman among their tribe, but considering the way they regard us with a sense of hope, I further suspect there will be a price in exchange for their generosity.”

“Whatever it is, it would also give us more information,” Tanon mentions with a nod. “In the long play, that'll ultimately serve us. If there is a problem in these lands that they want our help with, it would also help us to be aware of it.”

“Has anypony ever told you how weird you are, Doctor?” I ask Doctor Smith with a perplexed face. “At this point I'm starting to wonder if you're an alien or something.”

In response, Doctor Smith gives an amused and cunning grin as he says, “Oh trust me, I get that a lot.”

Author's Notes:

Well it is the last day of the year. I hope everyone has a happy new year.

Part 13: Primitive Alliance

Dear Diary,

I hardly know where to begin with you. There's so much to say since my last entry. There was our first camp on this new continent, roaming about in the jungle and encountering this very large creature which chased the majority of us away but the three former Canterlot Guards held back to cover our escape. I later discover that Terminus and Trump Card lost their lives to that giant two-legged creature.

I'm . . . going to have to pause a moment and reflect on that one. Honestly, I've been trying to process that aspect alone ever since I encountered evidence of some of their shredded remains. The closest thing I had ever come to encountering death before is the death of one of my former pets and the remains of a dead woodland creature. On this day I can say it was shock and horror that sank into me, but ever since then, I've been surprised by how numb I feel. I expected grief or perhaps something much worse. I didn't know either of these ponies very well but I do know they were old, what their old profession was, the fact that they are among the very few unicorns we had in our entire party, and they were honorable and brave enough to cover our escape to the bitter end. Straight Arrow's life hangs in the balance too. He may die as well before the end of this night.

Why aren't I feeling more about this situation? I know I'm not heartless and I've been smothered in grief with related topics on this before. I don't know what it is, but out here it just doesn't feel important enough to warrant my attention yet. It is as if my heart is wounded but temporarily and voluntarily turned to stone as if realizing I absolutely need the reprieve for the moment. That my heart is deciding to cry later, but for now, I need to avoid distractions to help avoid any further deaths.

When did I get so practical? Right now, I know, this helps, but emotions aren't like a switch. One cannot just turn them off or on whenever it is convenient. In both my own experience and my observations of others, most ponies are stuck with it either totally on or off, or if it is somewhere in between then it tends to hold in that mode for them. Dramatic shifts like this is highly unusual, but I suppose the one situation where I would expect it the most is during an emergency.

I remember my grandmother once told me, “You'd be surprised what a pony can endure when it becomes absolutely necessary.” Back then, because I was a young foal, I just instantly took her at her word. As I grew up, I began to question the validity of adults, including that saying as if asking to myself, “Is that really true? Was she right?” Now it seems I'm beginning to discover that maybe she was indeed right, at least in my specific case right now.

There should be many other issues to emotionally process right now as well, such as looking up to adventurers such as Tanon Burrows who actually has given me some small signs of approval. Enough to give some professional advise of his own to me as if recently convinced that maybe I can be taught. That maybe I might have a knack for this after all.

As for Doctor Smith . . . where do I begin with him? Not to mention his mysterious confidence in me. I really don't know why, but that pony, more than any other pony, has been encouraging me to take big leaps and put on big girls pants or skirt. That's certainly not the only thing about him that I find mysterious. Really, I am not sure where to begin with that pony. Part of me is worried I might run out of ink before I finish all of my thoughts about that particular stallion. While it is true I brought plenty with us on this trip and I do know how to access more if we retrieve our abandoned supplies, there is also the anxiety hanging over my head that anything we use up here is potentially irreplaceable.

Another thing I find unexpected and, frankly, even aggravating is Doctor Caballeron choosing not to join us when Tanon, Doctor John Smith and I went to look for our missing survivors. I know he had his reasons and my rational side can't help but agree with him. Frankly I'm surprised enough that I volunteered to go.

Still, there is some irrational side of me that feels a bit abandoned by Doctor C. I know it's not his fault, but he doted on me ever since this trip started. I guess somewhere along the way I grew into the habit of always expecting him to remain with me no matter where I chose to go, but I have to keep in mind that Doctor C. is a professional adventurer. He's been over situations like this enough to know when he should press forward and when is wise to back off. A proper measurement of one's personal abilities and knowledge of our limitations is probably what keeps professional adventurers like him alive when all others die around him or have already died facing the same thing long ago. It's the survivors that ultimately tell the story, and the reason he is able to do that is because he knows when to back off. The fact that I pressed forward probably shows how much of an amateur I am at this, but at least in my case I have a valid excuse.

Anyway, we never did encounter that large creature again. Thank Celestia! But we haven't dealt a final blow against it either so it remains on the prowl. A creature that large might need to feed often too, but then again, there might be other lifeforms in the jungle that aren't carnivorous but they are large as well and thus able to sustain the large carnivore long enough so that another encounter with the same creature does not guarantee it will attack again. I have to keep in mind that these creatures are not evil, they are just driven by very basic survival instincts.

Speaking of carnivores, we encountered another that resembles smaller versions of the one that attacked us, only this tribe is far more numerous and considerably more intelligent. Intelligent enough to wield basic tools, craft and wear some kind of tribalistic ornamentation, and speak their own language. They are, without a doubt, the most intelligent species we have encountered that is native to this territory so far.

Oddly enough, Doctor Smith can somehow communicate with them which makes absolutely no sense to me. To my knowledge this is the first time he set hoof on this continent as well. It wasn't possible for him to get here before now because it required a brand new navigation method to help us navigate our way here this time. How could he have learned a language from a land where no pony has gone before?

My best conclusion to this mystery is he must be wearing a magical item or something that helps him translate any kind of foreign language. That's the only logical explanation I can think of, and it does make sense to craft and bring such an item if he were expecting to go on a trip like this. If such is the case, I wonder if anypony can wear and use it. If he indeed has such an item and he dies, we cannot afford to abandon an item that valuable. Out here we could use all the help we can get.

Well, in any case, he managed to convince this tribe of hunters to lead us back to the rest of their village. Tanon and I are currently alone in one of their huts that is mostly constructed of something at least akin to bamboo and palm tree leaves, although a pair of these creatures are guarding outside. I get the distinct feeling that Tanon and I are not welcome to roam the village just yet. They have no reason to trust us to that degree a this time, although Doctor Smith is probably currently working to change that with them.

Wow! I just realized it is true what some ponies say that writing things down can be therapeutic to a stressed pony mind. I guess, for me, it is this idea that I feel comforted and more secure to know my thoughts and feelings are locked in paper somewhere. A record for others to see and help to verify my existence and purpose in life. No matter what happens to me, I live on through somepony else reading my work. Right now it feels important to embrace any psychological comfort I can get.

---

Part of me feels annoyed with the return of Doctor Smith because I feel like I haven't finished putting my thoughts down on paper. It feels as if I barely scratched the surface of all the things I need to put down now not only because of the degree of importance but also because it is possible I might forget those details later.

On the other hoof, what the Doctor has come back to report might be of vital importance as well and this; therefore, makes me very interested in what he has to say.

On the way in, Doctor John Smith pauses a moment to say something to the guards of our hut. Based on the way he's acting, he seems to be answering some question the guards had for him.

I turn my attention to regard my roommate in this hut, Tanon Burrows. Until now, it seemed like he was sleeping. His back was to me, he was lying on his side, and he was being very still while here. Not once, however, did I hear a peep from him during that time such as snoring. Now that the Doctor is back, though, Tanon just instantly gets up as if he was awake and aware the whole time. Perhaps he was only semi asleep? It would make sense to me why a professional adventurer who survived this long has habits that kept him alive during a dangerous adventure.

As Tanon gets up I notice something I wasn't aware of before. Tanon stretches and I hear a lot of bones crack because of it. He occasionally painfully winces at it too but he otherwise takes it like a champ. It is then that it reminds me just how old this stallion is and, during his life, he probably survived some harsh adventures on top of that. As I regard him with a thread of pity because of his painful awakening which might be commonplace for him these days, I also start to wonder if I'll be like that someday if I survive to his age, even without the harsh adventures.

Both of our attention turns to Doctor Smith simultaneously when he enters our hut and crouches down nearby us.

“So what did you discover?” Tanon asks with a heavy croak to his voice. Like the rest of his body, his throat wasn't prepared to give him one-hundred percent yet. These days maybe his body is never prepared to go that high anymore and therefore sets a new standard of “normal” for him.

“Quite a bit, actually,” begins Doctor Smith's report. “First of all, I've established that this race calls themselves the Silurians.” Doctor Smith waves a hoof at Tanon for a moment as he goes on to report, “I've actually encountered members of this race before, but not this exact breed of them.”

“So Silurians are something like ponies,” Tanon figures aloud. When he said that, his voice seems more steady this time. There is still some croak in it but it has dropped by about sixty percent this time which means he's recovering. “Like, for example, unicorns,” he gestures to himself, “pegasi,” he gestures to me, “and earth ponies,” he concludes as he gestures to Doctor Smith.

“Something like that,” Doctor Smith somewhat agrees.

“Wait a minute,” I broach. “You've actually encountered members of this species before? Where and when? Also is that when you learned their language?”

“Miss Keystone,” Tanon says to summon my attention. When he has it, he just regards me as he shakes his head no but there is a glimmer of understanding in his eyes too. As scoldings go, this one is a particularly light form of it. It's as if he's non-verbally saying, “Believe me, I fully understand why you asked that, but right now I need you to just shut up and listen.”

That lightly admonishing look made me feel like a foal again, but I appreciate how he seems to have warmed up to me somewhat as if partially regarding me as a near equal. Not somepony who is at his level yet but acknowledges me as having the potential someday.

When we both return our attention to Doctor Smith, Doctor Smith resumes his report by saying, “Now Silurians are simply the name of this race. This particular tribe calls themselves the Tuk-Tuk and it is lead by a chieftain named Sissmalez who is actually a female chieftain.” The two of us listeners simply give a neutral nod in acknowledgment. Doctor Smith resumes, “They do consider this territory sacred and they are sentimental about it.”

“They seemed to have partial recognition about us,” Tanon notes. “Did you ask about that?”

Doctor Smith nods then says, “Yes, but to them, they regard us as legends that they didn't actually expect to encounter during their lifetime. They said their culture encountered members of our species many centuries ago and haven't encountered us often since, but there were unverified rumors here and there of sightings of us since then. From what I gathered, including from the occasional pauses from the chieftain as if she was reluctant to say more, ponies had a mixed history with them before. My guess is some of them were good to them and some were bad.”

“Makes sense,” Tanon agrees with another casual nod.

“But whatever they did, it was important and marked a pivotal shift in their society,” resumes Doctor Smith. “This culture used to be members of some larger tribe, and that tribe used to have access to very advanced technology. Technology that still exists today but this tribe deliberately avoids it. They consider it taboo as if blaming it for the corruption and downfall of their ancestors.”

“Oh.” Tanon looks taken aback. “Maybe I should hide my crossbow around them, then,” he figures.

“Perhaps, but something tells me the technological level they are talking about is way above that. Something like creating portals through distant locations and times,” says Doctor Smith.

“Gotcha,” Tanon says with another nod. “But you said they used to be part of some larger tribe. I take it this other tribe is still using this technology?”

“Again, perhaps, but this other tribe is a member of a different species. Some kind of snake-like sentient species with arms and hands. They call them the Naga,” Doctor Smith reports. “The Naga are very much in favor of using this ancient and advanced technology, but for some reason they don't have nearly as much mastery over it as this tribes ancient ancestors. Maybe the original power source was more abundant back then or the details on how to use that technology has eroded over time. In any case, the Tuk-Tuk consider this tribe of Nagas to be very dangerous and evil with further ambitions to match.”

“Right,” Tanon accepts with another nod but this time also a very deeply thoughtful look.

“This tribe of Nagas the Tuk-Tuk consider a blight in this land that's too powerful to remove,” Doctor Smith goes on. “So, instead, the Tuk-Tuk have protected themselves by being on the move and in hiding.”

“How is Straight Arrow?” I ask Doctor Smith in concern.

“Being cared for by their tribes shaman,” Doctor Smith answers. “Who is convinced Straight Arrow will eventually make a full recovery under their care. Their method to accomplish this is holistic medicine with perhaps a dash of magic.”

“Sounds legit,” I instantly accept. “Many kinds of plants can have magical qualities. When properly mixed, it can have highly medicinal effects.” I smile. “Anyway, I'm glad to hear that he'll make a full recovery.”

Doctor Smith nods at me briefly then shifts his eyes to Tanon as he goes on to say, “The chieftain has also told me that other members of our tribe have also been spotted, and their status has changed in an alarming way. This tribe of Naga have somehow discovered them and captured them. They are currently leading them to their old temple where this tribe expects they'll either be used for sacrifice to their dark gods or put to work as slaves.”

“Oh no!” I cry in alarm. “We have to help them!”

“Agreed,” Doctor Smith replies immediately. “And the Tuk-Tuk are willing to help us to a point. They're willing to lead us closer to the vicinity of their old temples which the Naga have since made into their home.”

“Why would they be willing to help us?” Tanon checks. “Did they ask for some service in exchange?”

“Not yet,” Doctor Smith answers. “I get the feeling that rescuing members of our tribe would already be considered a service because if our team remains there, they'll either be put to work towards some dark agenda or be sacrificed in such a way that it basically accomplishes the same thing. Either way, this tribe does not wish to see the Naga further empowered.” Doctor Smith shrugs. “Helping us may also be a way for the Tuk-Tuk to believe they are repaying some ancestral debt. I also get the feeling that, while they are fascinated to see us, they also want us to leave as soon as possible.” He shakes his head. “And there is less of a chance of that until we rescue the other members of our party.”

“I wonder how they got captured in the first place,” I wonder aloud. “Maybe they went looking for us after all.”

“Or maybe they simply got discovered where they were,” Tanon proposes. “The Tuk-Tuk did say that this Naga is using ancient and advanced technology that this tribe has long since abandoned. Who knows what those devices are capable of?”

“But we are in agreement that we'll commit to find out?” Doctor Smith checks as his eyes shift back and forth to the both of us.

“There isn't much of an alternative,” Tanon figures. “I've been hired to guide and protect this party anyway and I take my duties very seriously. Even if I abandoned that duty, there isn't much else I can do without their help. We'll need them to use our ship to get back to Equestria. If we do this, not only does that mean the Naga lose the resource they nefariously gained, but it also means we have additional incentive to leave this continent. It sounds like this tribe would consider this a plus.” Tanon nods with a grin. “If the Tuk-Tuk are telling the truth then it means I now trust them. I needed to know what their motivation was first before I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Now that I know what is 'in it' for them, their motivations are understandable enough to count on.”

“I agree,” I put forward. “It's nice to know we have some allies in these new lands too even if there are some conditions attached to it.”

“And they've apprised us of another threat in these lands as well,” adds Tanon. “One which sounds vastly more dangerous than the giant animal we encountered. As powerful as that creature was, it is lead by simple motives. As long as it is fed, it isn't much of a threat.” He shakes his head. “However, not only do we have to contend with this Naga tribe to rescue our people, but there is their motivation to consider as well. If the Tuk-Tuk are telling the truth, then what if the Naga try to use our people to accomplish some grand nefarious end? Whatever it is, there is a chance that it'll be a threat that could follow us back in Equestria. For example, what if it is a means to have the moon block the sun everywhere on the planet? Finding out what this other tribe is trying to do might be of paramount importance as well. Depending on what it is, it might be necessary for us to do more than just rescue our own people.”

“I agree with the reconnaissance strategy at the very least as well as the rescue of our people,” says Doctor Smith. “Pretend, for the moment, that the Tuk-Tuk are telling the truth.” Doctor Smith shakes his head. “That doesn't mean they have the whole story. It only means we're getting the Tuk-Tuk's version of it. It's possible the Naga don't have some evil agenda and this is all just a case of misunderstanding. That's why we need to find out before we commit to some further strategy.”

Tanon nods in agreement as he adds, “As long as it is within our means to accomplish.”

“Do you think you can communicate with this Naga as well?” I ask Doctor Smith hopefully.

“Well . . . there is one way to find out,” he replies with a daring grin.

“What about Straight Arrow in the meantime?” I probe further.

Doctor Smith drops his grin as he says, “Straight Arrow is in no shape to follow us right now. He'll need some time to recover and the Tuk-Tuk have agreed to tend him while we're gone.”

Tanon winces as he says, “You can also look at it this way. As long as Straight Arrow is here, the Tuk-Tuk have a hostage to manipulate us. Even if they never threaten him directly, that doesn't mean they have to continue to attend him either.” Tanon brightens as he goes on to say, “But in a way I consider this situation ideal. Since the Tuk-Tuk have some leverage over us even after we leave, it gives this tribe an incentive to trust us as well. That, in turn, makes them more cooperative with us.”

“Brilliant deduction!” Doctor Smith commends to Tanon proudly. “You are a credit to your profession, Sir.”

“As long as he stays here, that'll keep Straight Arrow from any further danger as well,” I figure.

“So everyone here has some chips in the pot, so to speak,” says Tanon. “It's good to know where everyone stands so far and why they do so. For now, I say we agree to their terms. We'll allow Straight Arrow to remain with them under their tender care. In return, they'll guide us closer to this other tribe so we can rescue our people and make sure the Naga do not use them to accomplish some evil end over there. Once we've done that, we agree to leave this continent in peace after returning to recollect Straight Arrow. Hopefully, by then, he'll be in better shape to travel. At that point the Tuk-Tuk can escort us back to our ship to verify the fact that we left as promised. During that time they'll also guide and protect us from any other threat that may exist here.”

Doctor Smith nods as he says, “That sounds like a plan.” He then looks at me to see if I agree as well.

“I agree that sounds like the best plan for the moment,” I say. “We need to move quickly but also cautiously. While the rest of our people remain in the clutches of the Naga, our people might be in danger even if the Naga otherwise have innocent intentions for them. Sheer ignorance might cause them to accidentally harm our people. Maybe by accidental exposure to some disease or something.”

“That threat could swing both ways,” Tanon realizes. “All of us could carry diseases that we're each immune to but the other is not because it's totally foreign to the other side.” He regards the Doctor as he goes on to say, “At least we have a trained medical professional on our side, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't react with all due caution mixed with haste.”

“If we're in agreement, I'll tell the chieftain our decision,” Doctor Smith decides as he finally stands up again.

“Are you going to ever tell us how and when you met the Silurians and learned their language?” I check with Doctor Smith. “You seem knowledgeable to a highly unusual degree.”

“I'll tell you later. I promise,” Doctor Smith tells me with a very sincere look in his eyes towards me. In return, I just nod in acceptance. I don't have much other choice right now anyhow.

When Doctor Smith leaves, presumably to do what he said he'll do, I return my attention back to my diary. There very much is more to report to it now.

Part 14: Spark of Youth Before the Twilight

“Where is he going?” I ask with worry while I watch our Silurian guide wander off beyond the light of our campfire on this hilltop. It does not take long for my view of our guide to get swallowed up in the shadows of this starry night.

“Scouting, I believe he said,” Doctor Smith answers as he stirs up our campfire with a stick. A spray of embers billows up as a result of his efforts and seem to be carried up further by the column of smoke.

“Scouting for what?” I nervously ask my two remaining travel companions.

“Nothing you need to worry about, I'm sure, or else our guide would have said so,” Doctor Smith calmly assures as he looks over to me. “We're not anywhere near the forbidden temple yet. I'm sure our guide is just keeping an eye out for standard fanfare within this jungle.”

“You should get some rest,” advises Tanon as he uses a floating rag to wipe his gear. “You'll need your strength for tomorrow.”

“So will the two of you,” I return a little more calmly as my gaze shifts back and forth between these two stallions.

“And rest we shall,” Doctor Smith assures. “We'll just keep watch a little longer my darling. You can be sure of that.”

I yawn and stretch my wings as I gaze downward with a bit of a nod. Eventually I say, “Okay. I won't argue with that much.”

I trust these two anyway.

I lay down on my bedroll. I feel only mildly disturbed by the fact that we're not sleeping in a hut or tent tonight. We're out here on this hilltop exposed to the starry night.

As I grew up while I was a filly, I went through experiences like this with my grandfather Fourwind. I recall I used to be nervous about that at first, but his presence helped to sooth me and assure me that everything would be alright. That I was well protected. As a result, I was eventually able to just relax and enjoy the experience back then.

This moment is similar except I've already learned there indeed are very threatening things out in this jungle. Two of our party already died because of such a creature. I can't blame myself for being more nervous after an experience like that, but with these two, I sort of feel like I'm a foal again and protected by very capable professionals. It's weird how this all works out.

My consciousness very slowly drifts down. Considering how exhausted I am, I likely would have fallen asleep quite a bit faster if only I felt safer, but that stubborn exhaustion is slowly claiming me anyway. That is why I don't know how long it has been when I finally hear my two companions speak to each other. The moment they do, my ears perk up and I almost turned about to look at them, but something stilled me this time. I decided instead to just listen for once. Aside from that, what they speak of immediately intrigues me.

“I know who you really are,” Tanon broaches in an offhoof manner. “I don't know why you decided to hide it this time. You haven't always done so in the past.”

In reply, Doctor Smith scoffs for a moment before he says, “Well . . . you're an archaeologist among other things. It doesn't surprise me that you've heard of some of my adventures and encountered evidence thereof. Well done, Sir, for putting it all together though. Bear in mind, however, that some of the adventures you read or encountered somehow might be some that I haven't done yet, so I'd appreciate it if you just leave it at that.”

“I don't recall them all off the top of my head,” Tanon says back. “So have no fear from me when it comes to spoilers in your life. I just remember enough right now to establish the general pattern about you and your Box. It's enough to know that this adventure fits the pattern. It doesn't really surprise me that you'd join an expedition where ponykind ventures out to a lost continent for the first time in recorded history. Heck, part of me even expected this. Exploration typically isn't the only pattern when it comes to you, however. Usually there is something else epic involved within the adventure itself, and my guess is these Naga fit that bill in this case. I guess you're here to save the world again.”

What in Celestia's name are these two talking about? I wonder.

“Believe it or not, no. I did not come specifically because of the Naga,” Doctor Smith replies. “If there is something that needs to be done about them then of course I shall do as I must. Honestly, a great deal of the heroism I've done before is just something I've stumbled into. Timey-whimmy stuff happens to me all the time while I ride into new adventures on the old girl. Perhaps greater credit should be given to that.”

“Well . . . if it isn't the Naga, then why are you here?” Tanon asks the Doctor, perplexed.

“Again, this may be difficult to believe, but I tell you the absolute truth, Sir, when I tell you that my original purpose for coming into this timeline is for her,” he says and probably indicates towards me.

Me? Why me? And what does he mean by the phrase “timeline”? Is he a time traveler?

Now I'm beginning to wonder if everypony with an hourglass cutie mark is part of some secret time travel society.

“Her?” Tanon asks, sounding as perplexed as I feel right now.

“Yes Sir,” Doctor Smith confirms. “It's very important for her to fulfill her full potential in this world, and I'm here to see to it that that potential is sparked. So much is at stake with that one that I'm here to ensure the ball gets started. I'm not here to take the spotlight this time, though. That's why I didn't present myself with my traditional name. Really I'm here just to offer a little encouragement.”

“She's that important, huh?” Tanon asks in a way as if he just realized something.

“Surely you've seen it too. That glimmer of greatness she has,” Doctor Smith figures. “She just needs a little encouragement to coax it out. Believe me, Sir, once she realizes what her full potential is, she'll be unstoppable. Arguably more important than that, though, is exactly what she does with that potential. Things that need to be done. Let me just put it that way.”

Oh my Celestia! Does he really mean that?

Why do I feel like crying?

I hear Tanon give a long winded sigh before he says, “Apple certainly didn't fall far from the tree in this case. Seeing her in action these past few days heavily reminds me of good ol' Fourwind. I just can't help it. I see that similar zest and potential just ready to burst out of her. Fourwind before her was like a living, breathing deus ex machina. Whatever needed to be done got done. I see what you mean when you mention that potential to be 'unstoppable'. I know because I've seen it before.”

“Runs in the family, I guess,” Doctor Smith figures in what sounds to me like he's somewhat amused by that fact.

“No kidding,” Tanon agrees with a chuckle, before going on to say, “Although, in this case, it seems to have skipped a generation.”

“It happens all the time,” Doctor Smith assures. “I've seen that plenty of times too. It's almost as if a family bloodline needs a generation to pause and relax before getting right back on that saddle and kicking it back into high gear.”

Tanon gives another long winded sigh before he says, “Well, I'm glad I get to be a part of something like this one last time. Having her travel with us almost feels like I'm nurturing Fourwind's old spirit within her. Helping her feels like it helps me repay many debts I've accumulated over . . . Gosh. Half a dozen decades it seems. I've lost track of how many times good ol' Fourwind saved my life and encouraged me in far more than one way. By helping her in return, part of me feels somehow . . . I don't know. More complete, I guess.”

“'One last time'?” Doctor Smith reiterates then says, “Oh don't be daft, man. I'm sure there are plenty more adventures in those old bones of yours. Believe me when I say I know what it is like to adventure as an old man. Don't let my current appearance fool you. I'm much older than I look.”

“I know, but that is because of what you are,” Tanon figures. I wonder what he means by that statement. “But I'm not like you. None of us ponies are. When we get old, that puts a time limit on our life that is way easier to feel. In my case, it is a terminal illness.”

I think I'm not the only one shocked to hear that announcement. Doctor Smith is noticeably quiet too for a moment, but he is the first among us to speak again.

“I'm sorry to hear that. I really am,” Doctor Smith says sympathetically. “If you wish, I do have some equipment I've been hiding for this adventure and perhaps some of that can . . .” When Doctor Smith trails off, it's easy for me to imagine it is because he is observing Tanon shake his head. I feel doubly confident of that after what Tanon says next.

“It's just my time, Sir,” Tanon assures. “I've accepted that.” He sighs again before he goes on to say, “Having said that, now you know for sure that I'm not on this expedition for anything like money. I won't be taking that on my next adventure.”

“Then why are you here?” Doctor Smith asks in a way that sounds like he already knows the answer. He's just asking to see if Tanon confirms it.

“I'm here because I recently realized something important about myself,” Tanon answers. “Shortly after I learned that my time in this life is now short, I did a lot of reflecting upon my life as you may well expect a pony in my position to do. In my case, however, I didn't just look back. I also looked forward and thought about how I wished to spend the rest of my life, as short as it may be. When I did that, a strong part of me cringed at the very notion of spending the rest of my days peacefully wasting away in some retirement home where I do nothing but reflect on my good old glory days. I hated the very notion that reflecting back on my life was the only value my life had left. Instead of that, I much prefer to die as I had lived, as an adventurer and explorer who accomplishes very meaningful things in his life. I wanted every last second of my life to actually count for something important. When I caught wind of this adventure, it felt like an invitation being sent to me by my late and great partner.

“One last adventure. One last glorious hurrah. Indeed, even, the greatest discovery I have ever made so far.

“I really don't expect to survive this adventure and that's alright. Maybe I could have lasted years in that retirement home but that is not me. That's not who I am. I'd rather have a few moons on a meaningful quest rather than living years reflecting on the fact that I'm now nothing more than a glorious has-been. It actually feels liberating to know that because it means I can afford to push myself to any limit this time. Pushing myself beyond the brink is only slightly accelerating what will soon happen anyway. If I am to face my end, then I'll do it on my own terms.

“Perhaps far more important is what I accomplish with this time. If my sacrifice ends up saving the life of another then facing my end comes with tremendously more meaning for me. It feels like I'm passing on the torch that I'm simply incapable of holding anymore no matter how much I want to. To find an actual worthy successor of my legacy, as well as Fourwind, actually feels like an act of providence to me and helps me to face my end in even greater peace. It's much easier to accept my end knowing that I'll be leaving this world in capable hooves after me. In this case it feels very personal to me too. I could not ask for a more fitting end to my story. I've never had foals, you see. I guess I really was married to my career far more than Fourwind ever was. This really is the next best thing.”

There is a heavy moment of silence which is broken by Tanon again.

“So now that the chips are down, it's time to cash in everything I got. With all the time I have left, I can't think of a more worthy or noble deed than to use all that I have left to invest in the next generation of heroes, and then . . . when I meet my final end, I can look forward to the next adventure. That shall always be my legacy. I . . .”

Tanon's voice cracks for a moment due to heavy emotion so he pauses for a bit to recover before he goes on.

“I'm looking forward to rejoining my old partner again on the next adventure. I'm also looking forward to retiring from the 'old' role script. No more creaking bones and waking up in pain every morning. I want to be young again and face the next adventure with zest and full of life. I want to reclaim that wonder again as I make marvelous and awe-inspiring discoveries, and I know it will happen again. I don't even question it. I see that as inevitable. I look forward to that even while I fight to make the most of what I have left as well.”

“I love you all,” Doctor Smith replies at last. “Mortals, that is. You're all so fantastic! That zest for life is what I seek as well, Sir, and I'll fight like hell to make sure that flame doesn't die out in my own soul. That is why I tend to travel with companions like you all the time. It is because I refuse to do what most of the rest of my people once did, and that is forget what it feels like to be young again. Young and excited to explore life. Forsaking that turned some of them inwardly as cold as a statue. I won't surrender to that fate as well.”

“I suppose I've never known what it feels like to be so old that I forget what it is like to be young,” Tanon muses. “If one were to live that way long enough, it might eventually feel like one never was young to begin with. That that level of existence is completely and totally severed from one's own life.”

“You have remarkable insight for a mortal,” Doctor Smith commends. “I think it is your imagination that reveals to you that potential. That's something else that tends to disappear in those who surrender and forsake their inner spark of youth. Life is all just a bunch of meaningless numbers and cold, emotionless facts to them. One needs emotion to spark creativity and endlessly ask one's self, 'What if . . .?' When the, 'Been there, done that,' attitude gets too old, depression sinks in. Depression which extends from the root of stagnation, I think. Sometimes it even sneaks in without them realizing it. They've lost something and they often don't know it, especially if they took it for granted. 'I already know everything' takes them over instead of the attitude of, 'Let's see what's out there! What if it is this or this? Ooo! I can't wait to find out!'

“Giddy excitement. That is what my kind tends to eventually forget, and I'm not going to let that happen to me without a struggle.

“But you . . . you'll be facing your end soon, and when you do, you'll have a chance to meet all the former companions I had that I wasn't able to follow to that point so far. Death is the final and ultimate adventure, and while it is a veil I was able to peek around many times by now, I've rarely been able to fully look beyond that curtain. That is where I envy you, Sir, so please do me a favor: When you go to that great beyond, please remember me. Remember us. That way a little piece of us is carried with you on that great journey. If you do that, then part of me might feel what it is like to join you up there too.”

“I shall,” Tanon promises in what sounds like solemn, very sincere, and firm conviction. “You have my word, Sir.”

There is another long pause of silence before Doctor Smith finally says, “Well, it's getting late. We should retire to sleep too.”

“That is the right of it,” Tanon agrees before I hear both stallions settle into their own bedrolls.

Which gives me a lot to think about too until I finally drift off to sleep as well.

Part 15: Secret Sect

Over the past four days that we traveled, a lot of anxiety built up within me. I keenly remembered that at the beginning of this journey, there were a whole lot of other ponies that I traveled with and I counted on every single one of them to help keep me safe. The more that were there, the wider my safety net seemed to be and I felt that I really needed that in this great unknown place. Conversely, to even conceptualize each loss was like imagining another hole in that safety net. A new area of vulnerability in that protection which tried to guard me from a bed of spikes beneath it. Knowing that, it was why I was so determined to protect them all even if I didn't feel confident in my ability to do so. I also wanted to protect them for their own sake. I want more ponies to come back home safe to tell the tale we shared together.

But now it is down to just the three of us and our guide, of whom I learned was named Turok. Just three of us to rescue the whole rest of the team. To do that, we have to put ourselves in a great deal of danger against an evil race with advanced technology who uses it for malicious purposes? Who knows what the ultimate fruition of those goals truly are, but if they are willing to capture slaves and make sacrifices of sentient beings to achieve those goals then I don't think I want to find out what their ultimate purpose is.

Essentially, though, it all boils down to the fact that most of the ponies I counted on to protect me have now become a burden. I have to rescue them first before any of them has a chance to protect me again. This feels backwards, yet this goal feels too important to allow my anxiety to make me falter. I keep on taking that next step forward because it honestly feels like I have no choice. I either find the courage to do this or we're all doomed.

Turok didn't remain that close to us these past few days which honestly made me even more nervous. Every time we lost sight of him I feared we'd never find him again, yet repeatedly he'd reappear somewhere along our path and point the way we'd need to go with his spear before shortly disappearing again, presumably to patrol for more dangerous encounters and perhaps even chase them off in advance. He also provided us food and some shelter wherever we can find it. I certainly appreciate the shelter, but snacking on giant bugs isn't a scenario I would normally call ideal. My race are herbivores anyway so I am surprised, in two ways, that I managed to keep this down in my stomach.

Turok may have traveled in our visible compony the minority of the time, but we kept trekking on and our guide remained reasonably confident we were not led astray. His attitude also seemed to suggest we avoided any major unforeseen complications. There were some challenges but they were at a level our guide regarded as downright normal other than the destination we were ultimately heading towards. All the while I kept on thinking that there will come a point when our guide will abandon us because it is taboo for his tribe to get close towards the society we are going for.

But on the fourth day, he surprises us by waiting next to a cascade of vines. When we catch up, he does not flee for once but instead waits for us to catch up. Since that is a break in the pattern he's demonstrated so far and the day is young enough not to take a break for the night, we aren't certain why he's acting differently all of the sudden.

Our surprise doubles when he uses his spear to brush aside some of the vines beside him which reveals a hidden door. That door obviously looks constructed and it has an image of two serpents coiling around a pole. When their heads meet up at the top, the twin serpents face towards each other and they are almost close enough to kiss each other. Turok approaches this door then brushes a clawed hand over some symbols on the door. In doing so, hidden runes on the door glow. Those groups of symbols collectively form a larger symbol before fading away when he is done.

“Ask him what he's doing,” Tanon requests to Doctor Smith as he regards our guide with sudden suspicion now.

“I'm showing you the door,” Turok says to us in apparent ponish with definitely startles us. He also turns to face us.

“YOU COULD SPEAK PONISH ALL ALONG?!” Tanon roared incredulously as he hovers up his crossbow to aim it menacingly at our guide.

“No,” Turok answers with a shake of his head. “I still can't. In fact, I am not speaking this 'ponish', as you call it.”

“So this is telepathic translation,” Doctor Smith guesses with both surprise mixed with delight. “That's interesting.”

“What?” I ask Doctor Smith in confusion.

“Why now?” Doctor Smith asks Turok, seemingly ignoring my question other than sparing me a quick glance to non-verbally show that he did notice my question but thinks gathering more information right now is more important than answering me. “What has changed that allows you to communicate with us now?” Doctor Smith goes on as he looks back at our guide.

“We are now close enough to the Divine Serpent,” Turok answers. “He is telepathic and his mental blessings help to translate other's tongues.”

I wince slightly when I finally notice something amiss. I am hearing ponish from our guide, but his lip movements do not match what he's saying. Moreover, when I listen more carefully, I can hear his native language beneath that. He is still hissing, gurgling in a way our throats can't do (for it is more akin to a purr of a cat), or clicking.

“Divine Serpent?” Doctor Smith echoes questioningly. “Tell us more,” he says with a disapproving glance at Tanon's crossbow for a brief moment then passing that same expression at Tanon himself, non-verbally telling the unicorn to put the weapon away.

“The Divine Serpent is the Quetzalcoatl,” Turok answers. “He's also known as the Knowledge God and Healer, The Great Sage Mezsizethelar. He was once known as the Great Teacher that both my own people and the Naga revere. Some of the Naga still do.”

“Most fascinating!” Doctor Smith says in delight. “And I think you are alluding to one other very important fact. This Great Sage you speak of . . . he's on our side, isn't he?”

Turok nods before he declares, “But it is still forbidden by my tribe to associate with this being for they believe that nothing stemming from this society has any sanctity left in it. I used to believe the same until they saved me, and even then I was slow to trust them.”

“By 'them', I am assuming you mean this secret sect that still reveres Mezsizethelar?” the Doctor checks.

“I'm surprised you said that properly on the first try!” I say in surprise at Doctor Smith before looking at Turok questioningly. “He did say it right. Right?”

Turok nods at me briefly before returning his attention back to the Doctor in order to answer his question, to which he says, “Correct. The sect I'm about to introduce you to is the minority of the Naga, but they still secretly adhere to the old ways of spreading knowledge and prosperity. For their own sake, they've kept themselves a secret from the rest. Unlike my tribe, however, they hide in plain sight.”

Tanon finally floats his crossbow away as he says, “If what you say is true, then it means we have secret allies in the temple we're going to. This is most fortuitous for us for it means they'll at least be able to provide us information about what is happening inside the temple. Perhaps, with that information, we may be able to rescue our herd more safely.”

“Exactly,” Turok agrees with Tanon. “This is why I volunteered to guide you all here. My tribe merely wanted me to guide you to this valley, but I guided you a lot closer because I was aware that you could find yet another guide within this valley if I lead you to the right place and people.” He then gestures to the door beside us.

Doctor Smith lifts a hoof to rub the bottom of his chin thoughtfully as he asks, “If this Great Sage is powerful enough to be regarded and revered as a god, why would he need any of us? Why would any of the rest of these Naga not revere him and some other evil entity instead?”

“Your question would be better answered by speaking to the Great Sage himself,” Turok replied, then amends, “Well . . . communicate at any rate. Speaking is a problem for him now.”

“Too old or ill to speak?” Doctor Smith guesses as he lowers his hoof back to the ground.

“Again, it would be best if I showed you,” Turok replies with another gesture to the door. “The Divine Serpent is far wiser than I am. He will know what best to say and not to say to you. I trust his judgment now and those who secretly remain loyal to him.”

“Then lets delay no further,” Doctor Smith decides as he passes the two of us a questioning glance to see if we agree with him as well.

“Cautiously,” Tanon agrees in a tight and distrustful voice. “You,” he points a machete at Turok as he goes on to say, “will travel on ahead of us.”

Turok wordlessly agrees by simply doing it. Shortly later, we all follow our guide into the tunnels of a hidden temple.

---

The population beyond really is quite sparse. This also means I got my first look at the Naga. As was described to me earlier, they are very large serpents except they have arms and hands extending from them. On average they are pony sized, but I have seen some which I suspect are young versions of them that are about the size of a pony foal, but a few fully grown adults about twice the size and girth of an average pony. The majority of them seem young, though, and they fearfully keep their distance from us yet also close enough to peek at us curiously from their hiding spots.

As for the tunnel itself, it is quite obviously constructed. Geometric is probably my best word for it. The architecture seems unusual to me but very mathematically stable. In fact it just might be much better than the majority of construction I've ever seen from Equestria because I get this sense that this tunnel system might be very old. Ancient, even. For artificial construction to last this long, especially without apparent maintenance, it suggests that its architects at least once had knowledge beyond anything I had ever seen.

There are some decorations on the walls too and a shape to the torch holders that remind me of serpents in general aesthetics. Both of those also seem more recent to me compared to the walls themselves. This seems to suggest that the tunnels are indeed very ancient, but not the sentient beings that moved in since it was first built. What these Naga have added doesn't seem nearly as advanced as what was once built before them which seems to suggest that there is lost knowledge here, even if they live within this place.

Eventually we are led to a stone bridge that, unlike the majority of the construction we've seen so far, this bridge appears much more natural. It kind of looks like a rolled out tongue which rests on a series of stalagmite rising up from a cavern floor too low for us to see the bottom. At the other end of this “bridge” is a waterfall cascading down from somewhere above this cavern roof. There is a large coiled object within the water which looks like a coiled serpent but with very intelligent looking eyes. For some reason there is light emanating from within the waterfall. I do see some glowing crystals of various colors behind this waterfall (which is wondrous to behold), but by themselves do not seem to explain why the water is as bright as it is. My best guess is there is more light sources connected to this waterfall that is beyond our sight. Either that, or the water is magical in its own right.

A few paces closer to us but still near the waterfall is another Naga that is the largest specimen I've encountered so far. If this one stood at full height, I imagine this one to be about eighteen feet tall. This Naga wears a veil over the face. I get the feeling this one has religious significance and for some reason I also get the feeling this one is female. Physiologically there is no obvious clue about that to me. It's just a feeling I get. Perhaps the jewelry, veil, and poise of this one is a very minor clue but that's all I really have right now.

When she sees us, she lifts a single hand before her towards us as she bids, “Come. The Master wishes to speak to thee.”

“Then I'm honored by the invitation,” replies the Doctor with a diplomatic bow. “I have to say, it feels nice to be invited rather than chased out with weapons fire. Believe me when I say I've had more than my fair share of the latter experience.”

“I do not doubt the sincerity of thy words,” the lady Naga responds with a smooth and soothing voice. “Be at ease here, travelers. Thou shalt not find enemies here unless thou seekest them. Rather, guidance and sanctuary shall be your fate here.”

“Excellent!” Doctor Smith cheers as he rises from his bow. “Guidance and sanctuary. I'm quite a fan of those when the time is right for them.”

“I see thy wit is as sharp as ever,” the lady Naga says in amusement and with a curious sense of familiarity.

“We've met before?' Doctor Smith asks curiously.

The lady Naga shakes her head as she says, “We have not had the pleasure prior to this encounter, but legends of thee abound beyond thy travels.” She pauses for a moment before she adds mysteriously, “That, and others thou travel with.”

At first I thought she meant Tanon Burrows, but my instincts mysteriously insist she's actually talking about me for some reason.

“Come,” the lady Naga requests of us again.

“Onwards and Upwards, then,” Doctor Smith cheers as he trots on ahead of us. Tanon and I glance at each other quite a bit more warily before we, too, proceed to follow.

“Welcome travelers,” telepathically booms in our minds when we get to about halfway across the bridge. The experience is kind of hard to describe because I heard these words in my mind with far greater clarity than anything I ever heard verbally. There is a curious way it resounds in my mind. It also comes with this curious sense of “knowing” as if I am actually recalling these words with unusual intensity and depth. I guess it simply is downloaded into my brain?

Glancing at Tanon, I notice him pause too which tips me off to the fact that he also “heard” that and in the same way I did. However, if this also happened to Doctor Smith, he shows no outward sign of it. He does not pause for even a moment. He just keeps on trotting.

“Be at ease, travelers,” some male sounding entity continues to speak in our minds from somewhere. “I do not have, nor ever shall I, the intention to harm you. Rather, it is my purpose, pleasure, and intention to enlighten knowledge seekers. Such is that you seek, and such it is you found.”

Okay. This is . . . strange.

Yet also comforting. The “words” that resound within my mind isn't merely just words but also feelings. Emotion is attached to the message as well. I simply “feel” this beings benign intentions. In fact, I also feel such intense love from this creature that I can barely describe it. While mysterious, it also helps to put me at ease. As such, I advance forward.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Keystone,” the still unseen being booms in my mind. “I see you have been through a great journey so far. Much you have seen, and if you wish it, more there will be to come for you.”

Testing a theory, I decide to mentally reply, “Why do I feel like I know you? With every word you utter to me, or as close to 'words' as this level of communication can be considered, I feel a sense of déjà vu and familiarity with a being I sort of recently met.

“Oh, and by the way, where are you anyway? Are you invisible?”

“Invisible? Not at all, dear lady. I'm right in front of you,” the being replies.

I freeze, feeling startled as I realize that this being that is communicating to me is coming from the giant serpentine statue in the waterfall.

“You've been turned to stone?!”I mentally ask with horror.

“Yes,” the being replies with unexpected ease. “I have been locked in this state for a very long time now.

“Or, at least, 'time' as you have come to know it. For me, time is not linear. That affords me a much higher perspective of reality. It is for that reason I can well afford to be patient and at ease with my state. There are certain aspects to my condition which can be considered an advantage of sorts.”

“I'm afraid I can't sympathize,” I mentally reply. “It would be quite horrifying to me if I were trapped in stone, especially if my mind kept on going and noticing the state.”

“Well, for me, it is not as bad as you are imagining,” the being I'm assuming is the Great Sage Mezsizethelar is “saying”. “And yes. I am the one known by mortals as The Great Sage Mezsizethelar. I have also been known by other names as well. If you wish, you can come up with another of your own choosing. I shall not take offense at this. I know that name is difficult for you to pronounce, even in your own thoughts.”

His offer intrigues me. I definitely did not expect it.

“May I have your permission to introduce myself in a more comfortable setting?” the being requests kindly.

Once again, his offer intrigues me so I reply mentally, “Ahhhhh . . . sure? I guess.”

“Thank you!” he replies with a deep well of depth to his gratitude that I can actually feel. Moments later I begin to grow a tad dizzy as my senses wash away to a blank whiteness.

Part 16: Internal Compass

I think I lost consciousness, but I can only realize that after the fact. There is this blank sense of timelessness where all concerns related to self identify evaporated. I can't say how long it lasted. To me, it feels like just crossing through a light barrier yet it has more profound impact upon me than I would expect from a moment that brief. It has the emotional weight of centuries going by or . . . perhaps more? It's hard to tell.

All of this leaves me dizzy so it takes me a moment longer to realize how much my environment has changed. When that finally starts to sink in, I realize I'm in what seems to be some kind of library, for a tall tower of bookshelves is all around me.

However, when I start scanning about the base level of this place, I start to realize that perhaps a study room is a more apt description because immediately in front of me is comfortable looking seats on a carpet. There is a coffee table between them and a lit fire pit behind them all. By taking in everything that is in close proximity to me, I get this strong sense of coziness, yet when I gaze up at the tower of books above me that seem to stretch on into infinity, I get a counterbalance feeling of being in another world or entirely separate dimension where normal logic need not apply.

“Welcome, young one,” greets a friendly being ahead of me. I look back at the seats a short distance ahead of me which I'm positive were empty before, but that is no longer true for one of them. There was no other warning or sign of his appearance like a “popping” or tingling sound normally indicative of magical teleportation. He is just suddenly there as if he was only allowed to exist in the split second I happened to look away from these seats.

The individual in question appears to be a griffon which is characterized as having the hind legs like some kind of large feline but a forward talons like an eagle. His head is also eagle shaped, but also appear very old, for he had a long beard. Instead of hair, though, his “beard” was a fluff full of white feathers instead. He wears spectacles over his faded blue, aging and wisdom-filled eyes. Another thing about him that strikes me as profound is the loving way he gazes upon me that also sets me at ease. I have nothing to prove to this individual. I can't surprise or disappoint him because the love I feel from him towards me is just too intense to believe otherwise. Curiously, I also gain a sense of familiarity with him too as if I met him before, but my conscious memory just ends up innocently shrugging when I demand an explanation for this feeling.

I lift a hoof to point to him as I ask, “Are you Mezliezer?” I guess awkwardly. “Mez-ah-zoonie?” I try again. “Mez . . . Um.” I grunt in frustration then revise my tactic by asking, “Are you the Divine Serpent I spoke to telepathically earlier?”

“I am an indeed,” he confirms as he closes a book I just notice him holding with one talon. As he does so, he appears to chuckle at me in amusement. He then briefly waves his other talon towards me in an arcing circle as he proposes, “How about you just call me Auzmeir? I want to make things easier and more comfortable for you.”

“Ah . . . sure,” I accept with a delighted nod. “That'll be much easier for me to work with.”

“Then I am glad we got that settled,” he says with a bright smile that reminds me of a very affectionate grandfather. He then gestures across from him to the other empty seat as he says invitingly, “Please. I welcome you to have a seat if you like.”

“Ah . . . sure,” I repeat, though this time a little trepidatiously because of my confusion. Despite that, I do it anyway because I do not want to disappoint him. I don't do it out of fear of him, though. I can't explain why, but I already trust him too much for that.

“By the way, what do you think of this place?” he asks as he gestures around us. “You might notice it bears some resemblance to libraries that you've encountered in the past. I made this mental construct using pieces of your memories to help further put you at ease.”

I look around more carefully. In doing so, I notice the wood of the bookshelves do appear familiar. There is also something recognizable about the color, architecture, smell, and even the general vibe of this place. Despite all of that, there is an otherworldly quality to it too which I suspect is equally no accident. He created this place to both set me at ease but also spark my wonder and imagination. To tantalize me with how much more there is to explore in creation.

“It's wonderful!” I tell him with delight both in my expression and my voice as I look back at him. “But I take it this place isn't real, right? At least not in a tangible sense?”

“You are most astute, young lady,” he expresses with near equal delight. “Such has served you well in the college you attended, but I also wanted to introduce you to the concept that there is so much more out there for you to explore. More than the books you read at home could ever tell you.”

“Right . . . but I can add to that knowledge as I explore,” I counter propose. “Just like my maps, the books I write is also meant to introduce my readers to a taste of the experiences I had. That's something I always wanted to do with my life. Not just see what is out there, but share that journey as much as I can.”

“A noble goal indeed,” Auzmeir expresses warmly. “And one I can deeply relate too. I, too, have a passion for sharing knowledge.”

“Why?” I ask curiously. “You seem to know so much. Maybe some of that knowledge might be too dangerous to share because you don't know what those who learn from you will do with that knowledge.” After a short pause, I then ask, “Or do you? You once said your mind now exists outside of linear time. Perhaps it always has.”

“I could reflect that question right back at you,” Auzmeir observes. “Say you do share the knowledge of this journey to the new continent. How would you know what your readers would do with that knowledge? Does such prospects always haunt you as you write? Or do you just feel a natural inclination to share what you know?”

“Why ask questions you already know the answer to?” I evenly reflect.

“The answer to that question is simple,” he says then flicks a point at me with a single talon. “To get you to think about the answer as well. The purpose of a teacher is to teach. I fulfill my role as a servant in this universe by enlightening my students. You cannot imagine how much pleasure it is for me to do that, but perhaps you can feel that truth when you pause in silence and just listen to your heart. To confirm the thought that just crossed your mind right now, I am communicating to you on multiple levels. There is the virtual verbal communication we have in this simulated environment, but I'm also communicating to you telepathically and empathically.” He raises a talon upwards which pauses at various levels. During that time he holds his talon level to the ground. “When I teach, I do so with the intention for my students to learn across multiple levels of their being. That way they can gain greater value of the lesson. A richer sense of understanding.”

“But why?” I ask. “Why do all of this?”

“As I said before, it is my pleasure to serve in this capacity. One I do completely of my own free will,” he answers. “There are other levels to that answer too, but some of that requires a higher level of understanding of the universe and the ties we have to each other.” He waves at me as he adds, “For now, just know that a non-linear perspective of time affords me a wider perspective of the universe. Wide enough to know the cascade ripple effects the knowledge I share causes. Overall, it leads to higher evolution of all sentient life. Once that happens, we can all share in greater levels of wisdom, understanding, harmony, and happiness.”

I wince as I mention, “But that didn't seem to happen to this society I'm currently at. The Silurians have grown so afraid of the technology they once mastered because of the harm it once caused, and the ones who continue to use it also do so for abusive purposes.” I wave a hoof in a small circle. “If all of this is an extension of the knowledge you shared, how is all of this leading up to harmony and happiness? It seems to me current circumstances spell the opposite of that.”

The book he was reading a moment ago mysteriously floats away when he lets it go. The way it does so reminds me of unicorn telekinesis except I don't see a magical aura around the book as it flies away, nor the magical tingle sound. It just floats away as if gravity has changed for that object alone.

Auzmeir also folds his talons in front of his white feathered beard. He seems to give me a brief appraising look before he says, “To answer your question, try to imagine a society in total peace and happiness but not from the perspective of a higher dimension. A time and era that is so good, there is no motivation to change. When everything feels perfect, or at least good enough to be content, there is no motivation to explore. 'Why change that which works' was a famous adage of an old bygone age. There are important lessons that can be garnered from such an age, especially with a guide like me who has diligent students who are willing to learn.” He shakes his head. “But such eras can only propel beings so far. Eventually there comes a 'time' when evolving beings stagnate if they lack the proper motivation to move outside of their comfort zones. Why risk that when they can just settle in paradise instead? But the underlying principle of this world, and many others like it, is to facilitate eventual growth to a higher state of evolution and that requires change.”

Auzmeir lifts one talon that has his pointing and thumb talon touching as he adds, “In a dream realm like the physical plane, it need not be a nightmare to facilitate growth. After all, there are many lessons one can learn here and some of them isn't as scary and stressful as others. One aspect that is required for growth, however, is a challenge to some degree. One needs to broaden their horizons of understanding and consciousness before higher perspectives can be achieved. It's just like when you fly high into the sky,” he says with an upward point, “and look down upon the world below you. From a bird's-eye perspective, it affords you a broader look at the terrain around you.” He shakes his head. “But that never would have happened if you lack the motive to take off into the sky in the first place, and that is just the first step. Even if you did have the motive, you also need the knowledge and experience on how to flap your wings to achieve stable lift. You recall that you didn't master those lessons in a day. Higher evolutionary enlightenment is the same way.”

I widen my eyes as I ask, “Wait a minute. If you really do have a non-linear perspective of time than that includes the future.”

As if to confirm my theory, Auzmier merely nods this time.

I point to him as I say, “That would also mean you foresaw the trouble this society would endure. You also foresaw that some of them would threaten you and turn you into stone. If you saw that coming, why didn't you try to avoid it? Why didn't you guide those who learned from you to avoid this path of ruin?”

“First of all,” Auzmeir begins, “everyone who learns from me has a will of their own. Included with that are some who may have fears or ambition. In their eyes, the fact I am willing to equally share my knowledge without cost was a threat to their plans, so they decided I needed a time out.

“Secondly, my wider perspective also affords me an understanding of why this catalyst is necessary for eventual positive change and growth.”

He gestures to me with his entire left talon as he says, “If you have a 'villain' in front of you, as you would define the term, then there can be incentive to take the opposite role just to attain a perceived sense of equilibrium.”

He folds his talons in front of him again.

“That isn't necessary,” he goes on to lecture. “You have free will every step of your journey so it is ultimately up to you to decide your fate. That decision is guided by what is in front of you and what you've learned through that journey. If a given role doesn't seem necessary then it might not even occur to you to take it.” He nods outwardly. “But the role some of the Naga play make other roles seem especially urgent. That, in turn, is a catalyst for change and with change comes growth.”

He tilts his head as he says, “Wise guidance can come in many forms, my dear. Sometimes the best thing for soul growth to occur is for guides to say nothing. After all, over reliance on a guide breeds stagnation. Why venture out and discover your own answers when some all-knowing being can just give you easy answers instead?

“But, on the other talon,” he opens his left talon, “a complete lack of guidance can cause souls to get totally lost. If they dwell in that state for too long, they may give up exploration altogether because they've grown accustomed to all efforts to explore ending in vain. If they just give up and plop down on the spot they are on while convinced all efforts to explore is futile, then it results in it's own form of stagnation but this time in a negative direction. Pure depression and bitterness keeps them rooted in that one spot.

“That is when guidance from a higher power is most needed. One who comes in one form or another and encourages, 'Please don't give up! Take my talon. I'll lift you up and guide you through the darkness. There is still so much to explore. So much you can accomplish. If you'll allow me,” he says with so much emphasis that he pauses there for a few seconds before proceeding, “then I'll show you how to take the next step, and the next, and the next and so on until you finally get the confidence you need to proceed on your own.”

Auzmeir leans back in his seat as he goes on to lecture, “What loving parent wouldn't want their offspring to be strong? To nurture and guide the next generation towards the widest possible opportunities for growth?” He gestures to himself. “This world exist for our own personal growth too. Never forget that, but it is also important that we pass on that knowledge because we share this world with other beings as well. In them, we see a part of ourselves and that is key.” He lifts his pointing talon. “Because it is true. They are us and we are them. We're all connected so sharing knowledge is simply sharing and strengthening other aspects of ourselves.”

“That sounds esoteric,” I remark before I fully realize it.

Auzmier gestures to me as he says, “You are free to believe whatever you wish. Only accept whatever knowledge I share that resonates with you and discard the rest. Any truly wise and compassionate teacher would always say the same thing.”

I lift a hoof to encourage silence for a moment because I feel I need a bit of time to pause and digest what was said so far. I also need that time to decide what I'll say or ask next. Patiently, Auzmeir does indeed wait. During this time I close my eyes and bow my head as I process this.

“So, um . . . if you can see the future and everything else as well, that includes this meeting,” I realize aloud after about a minute pause. I open my eyes and look back at him. “That likely also means you foresee the results of this meeting and that is why you are communicating with me and . . .” I tilt my head at him curiously. “Are you communicating with Doctor Smith and Tanon Burrows too?”

“Yes I am,” Auzmeir confirms with a nod. “I am communicating with both of them in their own dedicated virtual realms designed for each of them separately, and I'm communicating to you all at the same time.”

“Ah . . . neat,” I say with a blank blink then shake my head. “Anyway, my point is, I think this conversation we're having right now also has a point. Furthermore I'm guessing that it has something to do with our current crisis.”

“That is up to you,” Auzmier reflects. “I may be aware of what you will decide because, in my perspective, whatever you will do is something you are doing right now.” He shakes his head as he adds, “Regardless of that, I won't tell you what you will decide and thus take that decision away from you because that infringes upon your free will which, in turn, slows soul growth. There are other consequences to that as well but I won't get into that right now.”

I blink at him again as I think about what he just said before I reply, “Okay, but surely you are aware what ripple affects your lessons will provoke in me.”

Auzmier nods as he says, “That is accurate. Yes.”

“Which is the true point of this conversation,” I realize as I gaze outwardly blankly.

“Once again, I remind you what you are doing and will do is up to you,” Auzmier says again. “I'm just providing you with new tools. You choose how you wield them.”

“Are the others alive?” I ask sharply as I snap my gaze back at him. “The others that have been captured?”

“Yes,” Azumeir answers before adding, “though I caution you with the knowledge that those who currently detain them eventually plan to change that status.”

“The Naga are going to kill them?” I ask in alarm. “Sacrifice them for some nefarious end?”

“Not all the Naga are willing participants of such a deed,” Azmeir reminds. “You met some of them earlier.” He nods. “That said, some of them do have that intention.”

I close my eyes and rest my head on the back of this seat as I say after a brief sigh of relief, “To tell you the truth, I am very relieved to have learned that today. That some of the Naga are innocent, that is.” I open my eyes and look back at him. “Earlier I was very uncomfortable with the idea that an entire race is inherently evil. Something about that didn't sit right with me.”

Auzmeir nods in agreement then says, “There are actually multiple parts of you that felt that way. Part of it was moral hope, but another part of it is a deeper aspect of yourself that always senses the truth of things. Your own internal compass.

“Before I resume on that subject, may I have your permission to share something new that relates to your own inherit qualities?”

My curiosity piqued, I tell him invitingly, “Sure. Go ahead.”

Auzmeir lifts a talon and a piece of paper from the nearby coffee table floats above that upwardly pointing talon. On the paper is the image of my cutie mark.

“Now this is a very remarkable trait of your species which has me quite fascinated,” Auzmeir says in delight. “In truth, all souls, no matter their form and mission in life, have something like this buried inside them. The interesting thing about ponies, however, is that they eventually wear an outward manifestation of their soul's mission in life. Case in point,” he flicks a point at the image on the floating paper again. “A pony gains a cutie mark when they reach a certain threshold and discover something deeply intrinsic about themselves. It is a sign, reminder and trophy of the accomplishment of that realization which is very often accompanied by an explosive thrill at that discovery. What comes next often varies.” The paper floats gently to his lap and he folds his talons over it. “Some continue to try to explore that inwardly discovered talent while others rest on their laurels. The unfortunate latter say to themselves, 'I did it. I discovered my cutie mark so I don't need to continue my inward journey. I'm done!”

Auzmier shakes his head as he chuckles in amusement.

“That's the thing about inward discovery though,” Auzmier goes on. “It varies for each individual. There is a lot that can be learned from failure. Often even more so than success. Detouring off ones personal soul mission still has value, for the . . . Hmm. I won't say 'wrong' path, but different than intended could be more apt.

“Anyway,” the paper floats above his right shoulder and he resumes pointing up at it as he says, “In your case, I encourage you to look beyond the surface of such an image. You can take the literal translation of this image and that is fine because it is true, but to fully grasp ones potential such as this one requires a more subjective view. What we have here is an image of a tool. A tool that can help a trained user decipher which way is true north barring any external misdirection, for other things can be magnetic too and temporarily exude a stronger influence over a tool like this.”

When he gives a brief pause to allow me a chance to digest what he said so far, I nod at him as I prod, “Please continue. I'm deeply intrigued to hear and see what else you have to teach me about this.”

“Once again, I encourage you to be willing to look upon an image like this with a more subjective view,” Azumeir encourages. “That requires imagination and outside-the-box thinking while at the same time acknowledging the literal translation as well. So we know you have the cutie mark of a compass and that tool can be used for navigation. Ergo, you chose a profession as a map maker because you were convinced that is what your cutie mark signaled as your destiny.” He then points at me with both pointing talons as he says, “Let's address that point for just a moment. I know you are early in your career relative to your perception in your timeline, but so far . . . are you happy with the path you chose?”

I hesitate to answer long enough to surprise even myself. I didn't used to question it, but since a being this advanced has asked me, I decide to reflect on that point again and take a deeper examination of the answer.

After a few minutes of silence, I answer, “Honestly, not as much as I thought but . . . yeah. I do enjoy this path and I sense a lot of potential in it. That feeling stems from the fact that I like to have some guidance in my life and I sincerely believe I'm not the only one. Making maps isn't just for my own sake but for others as well. As I said before, I like to share knowledge, especially when I regard it as important.”

“Ah!” Auzmeir lifts a talon in triumph. “Now that is a keyword there. You value guidance.”

“Uh . . . yeah,” I say with a squint since I'm not totally sure where he's going with this point.

“You don't wish to be lost,” Auzmeir continues as he folds his talons in front of him again as he passes me a shrewd look. “At the same time you value exploration, but only if you can mitigate the chances of being lost. Hence your cutie mark and the profession you decided to follow.”

“Yeah,” I confirm again while continuing to study him, sensing he's not finished with his point.

Auzmier unfolds his right talon at me and gives me a brief wave before folding that talon with his left again as he says, “Take a moment to pause and reflect on your feelings at this very moment. What is it telling you?”

“That you're about to make an important point about my potential,” I answer instantly. “That also implies that I haven't been using my potential to its fullest.”

“Go on,” he bids.

I take longer to reflect on this issue this time. Doing so eventually causes me to realize, “I sense the truth sometimes, and when I do, those feelings are naggingly persistent.”

“Ah!” Auzmier declares with triumph again. “You sense the truth, eh?” He narrows his eyes smugly as he says, “It's almost as if you have an internal compass.”

I widen my eyes at him in realization.

“I encourage you to pay attention to your instincts,” Auzmier encourages. “For within you is your own built-in guidance system.” He shakes his head. “In the long run, you don't need beings like me to guide you, though we will continue to serve you in whatever capacity we can to the best of our ability anyway. You are never alone.” He nods at me. “But that said, it is my hope that you more fully realize and utilize the deeper aspects of your potential. A compass points to true north. An internal compass does the same. By knowing which way is true north, you also learn which way is east, west, south, and everywhere in between. These answers, this tool, always rests inside of you whenever you choose to use it and sometimes even when you don't choose to use it if the information it is trying to share is important enough.

“I lovingly encourage you to pay attention to this tool! If it is telling you to wait and not walk through a certain door, it might be because there is danger beyond that threshold that you cannot currently endure in your linear timeline. For multiple reasons that may change later. The threat might get weaker while you could grow stronger, but when the compass insists that you should not cross the barrier in that particular moment, pay heed to it. It's important to your destiny for you to more fully realize the deeper aspects of your potential. You want guidance? You got it! As such, you can also be a guide for others if you wish.”

His last sentence powerfully resonated with me, especially now. Doctor Smith, Tanon and I are about to venture into very dangerous territory. I feel very nervous to do so, but it would help if I had some trusted guidance along the way. That, in turn, would help boost my confidence. Moreover, if I have access to such guidance then I can increase the odds of success and chances of survival of my companions and those we plan to rescue.

“There's something I've been thinking about lately,” I muse aloud. “I grew up in a cloistered environment for the most part. For the longest time, my greatest option in terms of freedom of exploration lies in books. That wasn't entirely fulfilling at first, but I eventually grew to enjoy it. In fact I'm very passionate about it now. So much so that I'm even willing to become a writer myself in order to add knowledge back to Equestria. In my eyes, it is a way for me to give back to a society that gave so much to me.”

I look back at him as I go on to say, “But lately I've begun to wonder if I have misidentified my destiny after all. I used to think I had no potential as a full-fledged adventurer until I went on this journey. I convinced myself, before I even started, that this would be a one time thing. That I'd make my mark in the world with my maps of this journey and perhaps publish a book based on my diary, but that's about it. Adventure is done and I should go back to the library and scribes desk where my parents told me I belong.

“But lately, as this journey continued, I've gained a much deeper understanding of not only what it means to be an adventurer, but also a hero, or lack thereof. In this niche, I keep seeing unfulfilled potential that needs to be fulfilled by somepony. Is there an important reason I keep noticing that? Is the mere fact I noticed it a sign that I am meant to fulfill that role?

“Then there is the fact that others on this journey, and more than one pony at that, said I had a knack for this. Furthermore, I have an ancestral tie to this profession as well. My grandfather was a great explorer and wonderful adventurer. He contributed to the knowledge of Equestria left and right and he did it the hard way, but somepony has got to do it. These things are very important.

“So I've been wondering . . . am I meant to continue the path I had before the start of this journey? Or is everything I've been through a sign that a change of career is in order?”

At that moment, my internal compass, which I more fully realized is there recently, told me that he'd tell me to check my internal compass for that answer. I stared at him while I waited for him to do precisely that, but instead he just grew a slow smile because he read my mind and he knows that I know he read my mind. As a result, it became unnecessary for him to outwardly verbalize that. He can just wait for me to fulfill that request.

So I do. I take a moment to reflect on it. When I do, I grow confused when I realize the compass seems to be pointing in both directions. Both as a writer and as an adventurer. If both is equally true, which path should I take? Which one is more important to my destiny?

“I could use some advise,” I say as I return my attention to him. “My compass is saying both paths are equally valid, so how do I determine which one is more important?”

Auzmier briefly points at me as he says, “To answer that question, I ask another. Why is it important to choose one over another? Why can't it be both?”

Once again I widen my eyes as another epiphany dawns on me.

“An explorer, like you, enjoys the thrill of discovery,” Auzmier continues. “As you do so, I encourage you to keep an open mind about your options in life. You don't necessarily have to deadlock yourself on one path. You can and that's fine, but ultimately this is your personal journey and you choose its course. Even if you do settle on just one option, you can later change it as your life continues.”

Auzmeir whirls his pointing talon as he says, “Life is changing all the time, my dear. It's important to be willing to adapt with it. What works in one moment might not work in another. I encourage you not to choose stagnation. Instead, just keep on exploring and keep checking your internal compass as you continue your journey.

“Guidance is ever within you, my dear. You are a very special pony who is on a very special journey. Let it be wonderful and magical. Let it feel meaningful and important. The Book of Life is open to you, and you are the author of your own story. Let no other, even if they are well-meaning, choose it for you. Suggestions are fine, but as an explorer of life, it is ultimately you that sets the course of your flight.”

I return my gaze to the floor as I think and feel deeply about what he said. After awhile I gaze back up at him then give him a nod and a grateful smile.

Part 17: The Plan

When my senses are restored to normal reality, I once again lose my equilibrium for a moment until I later adjust. As I do, I take in my new surrounds. That is when I notice that I am in some kind of temple near a waterfall that has the frozen statue of The Great Serpent in it, or as I like to affectionately call him now, Auzmeir.

After that, I then notice I have returned to the compony of Tanon, Doctor Smith, and the still nameless lady Naga, of whom I am still convinced is the guardian, caretaker of this place, and probably also some kind of spiritual leader. Given her close proximity to a sentient, telepathic, highly intelligent and knowledgeable entity behind her, she probably can give her people some very wise guidance.

Next, I notice Tanon giving us a questioning look shortly before he asks, “Were you two locked in a telepathic conversation with the entity in that statue as well?”

“Indubitably, my good Sir,” Doctor Smith replies in a bit more chipper mood than I recall him being in before. “We had a long conversation as well which proved quite a bit enlightening for me.”

“He does that sometimes,” the lady Naga nearby informs us casually. “He loves to teach, and he has a good eye for those worthy of his lessons.”

“I didn’t see either of you with him when I spoke to him,” Tanon mentions. “Yet he told me he was engrossed in a heavy conversation with the two of you as well. Now it seems like he was telling me the truth which makes this quite remarkable.” He pauses a moment as he cracks his neck by tilting it from side to side then he goes on to say, “Be that as it may, the conversation I had with him leads me to believe he is trustworthy but it still calls into question what our next move is. He seemed quite reluctant to share too much insight about that, especially when it pertains to the future which he claimed was in his purview.”

“He said that to me too,” I note aloud in agreement with Tanon.

“The Great Master has a multidimensional consciousness,” the lady Naga nearby us says as she gives an admiring look to the giant statue in the waterfall. “As such, his perception isn’t confined by the limitation of linear space/time construct.”

“Believe me, I am very familiar with such a perspective,” Doctor Smith informs in what sounds to me like an almost bragging manner. I also give him a questioning look as I wonder why what he just said is true if it is true.

“You do not speak with a double tongue, Sir,” the Lady Naga says to the Doctor in what sounds like respect. I surmise what she meant by that is she believes the Doctor did not lie. Goodness knows how she knows that. Is she telepathic too?

“I have found in my travels that that is sometimes necessary,” the Doctor replies. “Just not in this case.” He nods to the Lady Naga as he says, “I think the first thing we should address is get our introductions in order. I’ll start us off.” He gestures to his chest with his left hoof. “My name is Doctor John Smith. You can just call me The Doctor for short if you prefer.”

I notice a faint cunning grin sink into Lady Naga’s lips as she replies with a shrewd expression, “I do indeed prefer.”

“And I am Tanon Burrows,” Tanon says with a curt nod to the Lady Naga. “Well met.”

Sensing it is my turn, I speak up by saying, “And I am Agate . . .” I briefly trail off as I quickly debate whether I should add my middle name in this very important and formal introduction, but I decide against it seconds later. If this Lady Naga is telepathic, though, she might have picked up on it anyway. After that brief moment of indecision, I shake my head to clear it then decide to start over again. “Miss Agate Keystone,” I finally finish as politely as I can while my cheeks flush in slight embarrassment and shyness.

“And I am Suwell Z'Ion, the spiritual guide for my people,” Suwell introduces.

“As my large brown friend here said moments ago, well met dear Suwell Z’Ion,” Doctor Smith says with an affectionate nod to her then looks at Tanon Burrows. “Now on to the second order of business which is again something you brought up. What we shall do next is save our friends, of course, and hopefully also derail the nefarious sect of the Naga who aren’t quite as enlightened as our new friends here.”

“Which is the vast majority of them, if what I’ve been led to believe is true,” Tanon adds grimly. “Something tells me that meeting these people will be our final blessing on this journey. The rest will be up to us.”

Doctor Smith looks down as sighs before he says, “Speaking of which,” he pauses a moment as his face remains aimed downward but he looks above his head at Tanon under the rim of his fedora hat, “the conversation I had with the Great Sage informed me more about what we’re up against. It turns out that the not-quite-so-nice sect of these people have already made some progress with their plans. Thankfully it wasn’t because of the sacrifices of our friends, but if we don’t hurry, that will be the next step.” He lifts a hoof as he goes on to say, “There is a High Priest of the evil Naga here named Nelkra Shlog'znof. He used to be in charge of the evil naga here until he partially succeeded with one of his goals, and that is the resurrection and restoration of an ancient former Silurian that was once known as Plague, but now he goes by the name of Decay.”

“Sounds like a fun guy,” I sarcastically say in a dry tone.

“Quite,” Doctor Smith replies to me in equal measure.

“Former Silurian?” Tanon double checks. “If he isn’t a Silurian anymore, then what is he instead?”

“A sentient living mass of worms that collectively and roughly takes on the shape of a Siluruan,” Doctor Smith answers. “Maggot worms in particular.”

“Oh lovely,” I say in a sarcastic dry tone again. “I bet you the smell of him would attract all the mares.”

Tanon looks confused as he asks seriously, “What? He is the worms themselves or . . .” he trails off in a way that obviously invites elaboration if he’s not on the right track with his guess.

Doctor Smith shakes his head as he says, “No. The entity that calls himself Decay is actually just a collection of magical energy. Dark magic in this case, obviously. The mass of worms is simply the puppet he animates then possesses to use as his mortal avatar. Theoretically he could have animated and possessed any other vessel he wanted, but I’m guessing the vessel he chose he considers symbolic to his nature and primary mission in life.

“Ultimately, though, Decay is just a servant to an even greater force of sentient dark magic, and in this case is almost purely that alone. The Great Sage called that entity the Dark Star which is a sentient comet that crashed into this world many eons ago. That entity brought dark magic to this world for the first time and it almost corrupted and destroyed the world back then, but it was thwarted in a way that banished it to parallel state of this world that you can say is the Shadow Plane which is basically a dark reflection of this world. From there, the Dark Star is attempting to return to this world so it can wreck havoc in full force again which is Decay’s ultimate objective.”

“So the sect of evil Naga plan to sacrifice our pony friends to empower this former Silurian known as Decay?” I surmise.

“Close, but not quite,” Doctor Smith replies to me. “What this sect actually plans to do is empower a dark magic artifact known as the Alicorn Amulet.”

“The Alicorn Amulet?” I echo questioningly. “I heard of that evil artifact somewhere but that was back in Equestria.” I look back and forth between Doctor Smith and Tanon as I go on to say, “According to what I read, supposedly it is an artifact created before pony kind even moved to Equestria. Back during the Age of Ice when the Windigos tried to freeze us to death, though some records suggest that the Amulet predates even that. It is also said that he or she who wears the Amulet gets greatly empowered somehow, but the exact way it does that depends on who wears it. If it is a unicorn,” I nod to Tanon, “it supposedly grants great magical energy and knowledge of spellcasting, albeit dark magical energy. If it is a pegasus,” I briefly gesture at myself with a hoof, “it grants unparalleled control of the weather and supremely fast flight, and if it is an earth pony,” I then look at the Doctor, “it grants immeasurable stamina, strength, and endurance so great, the wearer might as well be physically invincible.”

“And if the wearer is a combination of all three tribes . . .” Tanon begins but trails off with a shudder.

“That’s probably what the Amulet was designed for,” I surmise. “To empower and corrupt an alicorn, for whomever is foolish enough to wear the Amulet will gain great power at the expense of the corruption of their soul.”

“The wearer is also the only one who can take it off, if I’m not mistaken,” Tanon adds with a slight squint of recollection. “Unless, of course, the wearer is dead or killed while wearing it. At that point there is no will in the body anymore for the Amulet to attach to so it can be freely taken off then.”

“All of this sounds like the One Ring of Power,” Doctor Smith figures with a sidewards glance at nothing in particular.

“The One Ring of Power?” Tanon echoes questioningly which mirrors my own reaction. “I never heard of this item.”

“It is a fictional item from where I come from,” Doctor Smith answers as he looks back at Tanon. “Just a mere story. The reason I brought it up, though, is because the powers it grants, along with how and why it was built, sounds very similar to the Alicorn Amulet. The One Ring of Power can also augment the natural abilities of the one who wears it, but the way it does that depends upon who puts it on. According to the story, the one who originally crafted the evil Ring planned to conquer all of the known planet he was on, and if he puts on that Ring then the way it augments him would be much akin to a darkly empowered Alicorn.”

“Perhaps the one who wrote that story was inspired by the legends of the Alicorn Amulet then,” I guess. “I suspect a lot of so-called legends may trace their origins to some kind of historical fact.”

“In my travels, that has often been my observation as well,” Doctor Smith agrees.

“Why would the Alicorn Amulet be here?” Tanon asks with a confused squint. “This land is far from Equestria.” He lifts a hoof as he adds, “I’ll admit that the origins of the Alicorn Amulet seems to predate Equestria itself. If that is true then it hails from some other land originally, but not this far I suspect.”

“Distance does not matter to my people, at least to some extent,” Suwell Z'Ion chimes in. “My people are not the original architects of this temple and, as such, we are not as proficient with its use as the original designers. The original power source for this place is also offline so we had to improvise alternative means as a substitute. Unfortunately the majority of our people now stoop to using the corrupting influence of dark magic as a substitute. Since the technology here wasn’t originally designed to channel energy like that, it isn’t quite as effective. Nevertheless, it has occasionally caused some of the old technology here to work. Among them are magical portals that we call Stargates. With them, it can link two distant locations together. One such gate is located here. Another must be in Equestria or somewhere nearby it.”

Both Tanon an I look at Suwell Z'Ion in alarm. Tanon is also the first to comment on it.

“If you’re right, then that could explain how they gained access to the Amulet at one time,” Tanon realizes aloud. “I wonder if their influence extends even further than that.

“Come to think of it, the architecture of this temple actually reminds me a lot of various structures and temples Fourwind and I often discovered in the Tenochtitlan valley.”

“There very well could be a historical connection there,” Doctor Smith agrees with Tanon. “I would even bet on it. For a civilization to be as advanced as this one was, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if they branched out across this planet, especially if technology like this Stargate is involved.” A cunning grin grows on the face of the Doctor. “Which, in turn, gives me a brilliant idea.”

“You plan to use the Stargate as a shortcut to get our herd back to Equestria,” I figure as I regard the Doctor.

“That would be better than struggling to get them through the rest of this temple, then the jungle, then cross the ocean all the way back to Equestria,” replies the Doctor. “The native tribe of innocent Silurians, who helped us to get here, only did so on the condition that we leave. The way I see it, this would be an effective and efficient strategy to fulfill our side of the bargain.”

“What about Decay and the Alicorn Amulet?” I ask in concern. “Even if we save our herd, this evil sect still have the Amulet as well as a StarG ate. They can use that portal just as easily as we can, if not better. That means they remain a threat to our native land.”

“And considering what the Alicorn Amulet does, can you imagine how much a being like Decay would be augmented if he puts it on?”

“That would be dire indeed,” Doctor Smith agrees. “Even without the Amulet, I learned from the Great Sage that Decay already has great supernatural powers to spread sickness, rot, and decay. If someone like him were to put on the Amulet, he could and would spread a deadly disease across an entire nation just to cause them to suffer, for in his eyes, that would bring glory and augment the powers of The Dark Star itself. If that Dark Overlord gains enough power, then it could find a way back into this world then things would really go downhill from there.” He shakes his head. “So I agree. The threat of the Decay and the Amulet must be neutralized.”

“If we could pilfer the Amulet somehow, that would at least get it away from his hooves,” I suggest.

“More like claws,” Doctor Smith corrects. “Decay is not a pony so he doesn’t have hooves, though he could scarcely be called a Silurian either.” He waves a hoof at me. “Nevertheless, you’re on the right track. That is another objective we need to accomplish before we leave the temple.”

“Alright,” Tanon agrees with an accepting nod. “Any ideas on how we can deal with Decay himself? It sounds to me like we can’t safely approach anywhere near this guy or else risk contracting some kind of fatal disease.”

“Agreed and I do have a plan,” the Doctor replies then waves a hoof towards the statue with a grand gesture. “Behold the Great Sage Mezsizethelar. A highly evolved and ascended spirit who is positively brimming with a great abundance of what basically amounts to Holy Energy.”

“Also an entity who can’t move and weighs an unfathomable amount,” Tanon notes grimly. “Celestia only knows how that statue hasn’t eroded under the constant pressure of that waterfall yet.”

“The waterfall isn’t a threat to the Great Master,” Suwell Z'Ion confidently assures as she looks upon it reverently. “For the same curse that locks him in stone also makes him immune to any other purely physical change. It’s as if the stone is frozen in time. While his body is frozen in such a state, though, his mind and spirit transcends space/time, so it isn’t confined by a time frozen statue.”

“Exactly!” Doctor Smith enthusiastically agrees. “Sine his mind and spirit is not confined to this state, the energy he gives off is effectively Holy energy . . . and oh look! He just happens to be in contact with the water that splashes upon his physical form. Because it has touched him, part of his essence rubbed off into the water itself.”

“Which makes it a huge collection of Holy Water!” I exclaim in excitement.

“I’m willing to bet either one of my hearts that water like that would affect a purely dark energy being like Decay as if the water was made of acid!” Doctor Smith brags proudly. “Because remember, the dark energy within the collection of maggots is the only reason they are holding together in the form that they currently have. If that energy goes away, they revert to being just a normal collection of maggots. This water might even dissolve them entirely.”

Tanon squints one eye as he says, “Okay, but how do we use it? Please don’t tell me you want us to scoop out this water with a ton of buckets.”

“Water balloons?” I half-jokingly suggest with an amused smirk.

“Possibly, not to mention amusing, but unfeasible,” the Doctor replies. “Instead, we got to be smart about this. I don’t wish to take the chance that just a few scoops of this water is enough to wipe out an entity as powerful as Decay potentially is. Instead, I want this bastard to drown in this stuff.”

“So how do we accomplish that?” I ask more seriously.

“My people know where this water is channeled,” Suwell Z'Ion informs us. “As a matter of fact, this water used to be an integral part of what used to power this Temple back in the days when it was not corrupt. The main power source that this place used to use is still missing, but one of the key methods that transferred the energy throughout this great pyramid is a combination of the shape of this temple and the water that ran through it. Water easily conducts an energetic charge, you see, and it also flows.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” Tanon agrees. “I often heard that liquid substances and crystals can easily be charged with magical energy. That tends to be how we accumulate and acquire magical crystalline items and various potions.”

“There is an aqueduct that flows through this place and the dark scions here are ignorant of it,” Doctor Smith says with a cunning smile. “That’s why they don’t try to use it, and even if they knew about it and attempted to use it, they’d be shocked to find it already has a magical charge. In this case a positive charge thanks to our friend here,” he says with a brief nod towards the statue while still looking at us.

“So the dark scions would be loath to use it if they discovered it,” Tanon figures with a nod. “Okay. With that established, how do we use it?”

“You still have that fourteen sticks of dynamite?” Doctor Smith asks Tanon while holding his cunning smirk. It is a smirk that Tanon copies a moment later.

Part 18: The Last Hesitation of a Daring Mare

I crawl along the crevices and upper ledges along the ceiling of this temple after stealthily flying up to it earlier. This room is particularly large and has strong acoustics. That is why the ominous and very cultish sounding chant reverberates strongly throughout this room.

I eventually peak beyond the ledge. Down below I see many rows of Naga dressed in ceremonial garbs and ornaments. They are all staring ahead of them at a very large statue of a coiled cobra snake, but unlike the statue of the petrified sagely Quetzalcoatl, I can tell this statue was designed as a statue from the start. With golden scales and giant red rubies for eyes, it is very clear to me that this statue was intentionally constructed. The pose of the statue seems to gaze down below it with mouth open and sticking its tongue out in a frozen, silent hiss. It gives a menacing vibe as if it is about to enjoy the meal directly in front of it. It very likely isn't a coincidence that a sacrificial alter is directly in front of it. On it is Doctor Caballeron who is gagged, has all of his limps forcefully spread apart, and he is very much conscious, struggling, and afraid.

A great deal of thoughts assail my mind right now. Among them is I remember reading about certain ancient cultures who used to do practices like this. Some of them were done by ponies, but I read far more fictional stories with a motif like this. Right now, though, it is startling to realize how little all of that read content, fictional or not, has done to prepare me for this moment. A strong part of me is baffled that this is really happening in front of me. It is so hard for me to understand how any culture can stoop to be this evil. In stark contrast, life in Equestria is far from perfect, but it's good enough to believe content like this should be restricted to imagination only, if that. Many of my kind probably really can't fathom this at all. It is just too unlike our own culture, at least to this degree.

To sacrifice a sentient life. Golly! What power could one acquire that can possibly be worth all that guilt and shame? I do understand the struggle to attain more resources in a world full of limitations, but even if I take fear and/or greed into account, somehow this feels like it's going too far. How can anyone be okay with this?

But this sect has a uniform and ornamentation that seems specifically designed for a ceremony like this. That, in turn, not only implies that those who are here, minus Doctor Caballeron, is not only okay with this but it is an act worth celebrating. They also consider this routine. They've done this before and may likely do it again if they aren't stopped somehow.

There is also a painful sense of irony that twists my heart over the fact that Doctor Caballeron was chosen as the subject of today's sacrifice. If this cult wanted to be more cliche to standard fictional logic, it seems to me they should have chosen a virgin mare for this ceremony. I'm not sure precisely why that tends to be a thing in fiction and real life so commonly when stuff like this happens at all, but apparently it is for some reason.

Moreover, though, there is a deeper twist in irony that it was Doctor Caballeron who promised he would protect me, and I really counted on him for that. He is a famous adventurer and I'm just a recent grad student. He seemed heavily motivated to protect me too and I was flattered. A stallion I looked up to. A stallion that caused me to fangasim just to meet him. A stallion who not only paid attention to me, but promised to protect me during this adventure and he had enough history and credibility behind him to prove he could do so. How in Tartarus did our roles get reversed?

I gulp down as I harden my resolve. I realize I could debate issues like this all day and often have during this journey, but right now the fact remains that he needs me. If I don't do something to save him soon then he's actually going to die. I could never live with myself with that knowledge burdening my conscience.

I also remind myself of my role in the plan. It's very scary for me to be by myself for this leg of the mission, at least until I rescue Caballeron that is, but the others of my team have their own roles and it is also very important. Right about now Tanon Burrows should be setting up his dynamite on one of the walls that leads to the hidden aquifers, and Doctor Smith is seeing to the rescue of the rest of our team that is imprisoned together, minus Doctor Caballeron. Doctor Smith was warned that those prisoners would be behind a magically locked door, but Doctor Smith espoused he was confident he could hoofle that after establishing that neither the door or the lock that detains our comrades is made of wood. I don't know why the material of the lock and door was concerning to Doctor Smith that specifically, but for some reason it was. Regardless, he was informed that his obstacle isn't made of wood and he said that was fantastic news.

In a way I have the hardest part of our plan, to rescue Doctor Caballeron and I'll have to do it in full view of the rest of this cult. Not only am I meant to rescue Caballeron himself, but I need to steal the Alicorn Amulet as well then flee with both him and the artifact. No doubt the majority of the cult will chase us after that which means they are also distracted from noticing my other companions elsewhere in the temple. That, in turn, means it'll be easier for them to fulfill their end of the job.

My ability to fly gave me a temporary advantage with this scenario. Because of that, I was able to literally go right over the heads of many of the temple guards who are not accustomed to looking up for potential intruders. It also means I was able to access some places very difficult for non-flying races. In addition, thanks to the good part of their sect that is secretly on our side, I was also able to create a map of this temple. It made me a bit giddy to finally put my official training to good use in this adventure. That map really came in hoofy for me, and probably not just me. I made a copy for Tanon as well. Strangely Doctor Smith insisted he didn't need it, but he did make sure he got a good look at it before I put it away.

I know that there can and very likely will be some unforeseen complications. My two other companions even seemed to expect it. I just can't understand, for the life of me, how they accepted that prospect so calmly.

Ultimately though, if everything goes well, I'll have the Alicorn Amulet, the leader of this cult will be wiped out, and we'll flee out of here through this mysterious StarGate. Since that was the plan, I asked in concern what we should do about Straight Arrow. He's still back in the Tuk-Tuk village and we can't just leave him behind. In reply, Doctor Smith assured me he had a plan for that as well, but he didn't elaborate on it. I recall looking at Tanon and expected him to share my frustration and insist for Doctor Smith to elaborate on that aspect of the plan, but for some reason Tanon just shrugged and accepted it. I wonder if that means Tanon knows something about Doctor Smith that I do not.

If everything does go according to the plan then I suppose I'll settle for it. I don't need to know exactly how we'll save the day so long as we do, indeed, save the day in the end.

I close my eyes and follow Auzmeir's advice for me. I pay attention to my internal compass. I guess I'm not fully accustomed to checking it yet, but it seems to assure me I'm on the right course so far. It warns me there will be some bumps along the way but this is the correct direction for the best ending to this story. It also warns me to brace myself because there will be some sacrifices along the way. Timing is also very important. I need to get ready, but not act right now.

While I wait, the tempo of the cult chanting picks up. I can audibly pick up on the fact that it is building to an epic crescendo. Noticing that is building anxiety within me. Most likely it is a signal, of sorts, that my moment to act is coming soon. If I screw this up, so much can go wrong here.

NO!

I shake my head then gaze down more firmly. I can’t afford to psych myself out of a vision of success. My parents and grandparents taught me that too. To give success a realistic chance, one has to first believe in it then act in accordance to any other step necessary to ensure its success.

My estimation of a building climax is soon seemingly verified when another larger Naga emerges from around the base of the giant serpent statue. This individual is wearing heavier and more fancy ceremonial garb which easily marks him as a leader or at least an individual with strong cultural significance to this cult. He is also wearing a headpiece that extends fins off to the side of his head and neck just like a cobra. He slithers his way to the sacrificial slab on the opposite side of the rest of the crowd facing ahead of him and they, in turn, are facing him back. That cult leader slowly lifts two large arms and hands as if inviting the chant to further build to a climax, and it does.

I tense up since I sense my moment to act is drawing closer. I have to be ready. While I do that, I give intense focus on what is transpiring below me. I concentrate on that so strongly that I don’t leave room in myself for panic or doubt.

When the head priest raises then holds his arms up in a high angle, sharp V formation, the chant before him suspends themselves in a high note. During that time, I see the head priests fingers curl up like claws then shake as if he’s channeling tremendous amounts of energy. Visibily I don’t see any actual energy being channeled at him, but that probably doesn’t matter. Even if that isn’t actually happening, it still matters that they think it is happening. Because of that belief, they’ll likely continue on to inflict a grim sacrifice soon.

While this goes on, it dawns on me that the cult leader seems tremendously larger than the rest of his cult ahead of him. He’s easily three times the average size of the rest of his cult. I estimate he’s about eighteen feet tall. No wonder his arms and hands are so thick too. That’s actually about right in proportion to a being that tall and broad.

As this information sinks in, it occurs to me that size might have something to do with rank in this society. Even their secret good side of their sect seems to follow this pattern, for the one with the most noticeably significant role in their society happens to also be the tallest among them. This makes me wonder if they are somehow channeling extra energy that makes them grow to such proportions, or if they naturally grow to such heights and their leaders are chosen among the tallest of them.

My focus on the scene below sharpens again when the leader’s actions changes. He reaches behind him and pulls out what looks to be a giant scimitar, the sheath of which is strapped to his back. At first he lifts it up with one hand, but eventually he grips it with two and lifts it straight up as if to now use that tool as the focus for all the gathering energy in the room. Seconds later my eyes grow wide when he startels me with a new action I genuinely didn’t see coming. In this case he pulls out an extra pair of arms that was hiding beneath a wide brim ceremonial vest which extends well beyond his shoulders.

This alone catches me off guard because I can see that all the rest of the Naga, even the hidden good ones, do not have four arms. Those arms look perfectly functional too and do not seem artificial in any way. Is it a mutation perhaps? Or maybe it is a side effect of being the focus of and channeling so much dark magic over the years.

When I mentally catch my balance again, I eventually notice another important detail. This priest is holding a new item which he then boldly presents forward and holds it with both of his new hands. Unlike the scimitar, however, this new item is much more tiny. Unlike the scimitar, I can easily lift this new item and, in fact, it actually seems designed to be more pony sized. Peering closer to it, I gradually realize that it even has a pony motif about it, unlike most other decorative snake-themed decor all over the place and worn articles on them. This new jewelry he’s holding looks very intimidating in its own right despite being much smaller. It is a black thing with the image of a horse head turned to the side. It has a horn extending off its head but also a black pair of wings spread out the sides of this amulet. It has a single visible eye of a cut ruby much like the ones in the giant looming statue above them. The single eye in the amulet is slanted at the front, making the horsehead look angry while simultaneously deeply thoughtful as if it is scheming with evil plans.

Then it suddenly hits me that I am beholding the legendary artifact the Alicorn Amulet. Sweet Celestia, it really does exist!

Well anyway . . . my course is now clear. I had three major objectives at this place and time. One; rescue Doctor Caballeron. Two; steal the Alicorn Amulet. Three; escape with our lives and the Amulet while also hopefully rendezvousing with the rest of our party. With even further luck, they successfully accomplished their end of the plan by then as well.

In further preparation to act, I reach my head back into one of my saddlebags and pull out my machete. I rip it out of my bag. It proceeds to spin in the air twice before I catch it in my teeth as it descends. I also crouch down tightly and paw at the ground once in tight preparation to spring forward. I focus so much on the scene down below me that my expression twists into an angry and determined expression.

Two of my main objectives are in front of me. I saw Doctor Caballeron down there from the beginning of this encounter. The only reason I didn’t immediately launch into action then, besides wrestling with my own internal fears, is because I hadn’t spotted the Alicorn Amulet yet. Now that I have, everything is in place. Time to move.

My fears try to creep up and claim me again because once I reveal myself, that’s it. I’m now stuck and committed to an overwhelmingly dangerous action. I can’t afford any weaknesses in myself right now so I hesitate just a moment longer while I attempt to squash down the last of my fears. It is true that my fears do bring up some very valid points, but there is a lot at stake right now.

Just when I am fully ready and about to launch myself into action, I spot something new at the last second which renews my hesitation. In this case a new creature has arrived at the scene, and the method of how this one entered is a mystery to me. All I can see is this one somehow emerged from the base of the snake statue. It is as if there is a secret entrance there I somehow can’t see even from this high angle. That alone mystifies me and makes me worried about what else I might have missed here.

As for the individual, I at first mistook this one to be a Silurian because of this one’s shape and body configuration. However, this one is entirely wrapped in what I can best describe as mummy wrappings. Not even a single inch of this one’s hide is exposed, and that includes any details of the face like its nose, eyes, ears and mouth. Furthermore, I noticed the way it very awkwardly waddles and contorts its way into the scene as if to suggest there is absolutely no bone structure of any sort in this creature. Its legs bend in very obviously unnatural ways. The whole body of this creature wiggles too. Upon closer inspection, I also notice many tiny maggots burrow their way in and out of the bandages wrapped around this creature as if the bandages were the only “hide” of this creature.

My eyes explode wide when I realize this is a legendary fearsome creature that myths call “The Worm That Trots”, or “walks” in this case. All legends about these types of creatures agree on a few points, though multiple types of base template creatures have been known to be modified into such a creature. Clearly Silurian in this case. Whatever they once were, however, ceases to be when they become a Worm That Trots. The transformation into such a creature has always occurred because of some epic dark ritual. Once there is such a creature, even one of such creatures could spell the doom of up to an entire nation because what kind of living society can still exist without their food or good health? Wherever these types of creatures trot, they bring plagues, famine, and curses along with them. Supposedly the scale of destruction these creatures wrought is so grand and epic that many thought they must be only a myth, otherwise no society on the planet could ever endure their ongoing existence.

If what the Tuk-Tuk and the secret good sect of this society says is true, then this one renamed himself Decay and he’s a blight resurrected from an ancient and bygone age. By himself he’s already an immense threat, but this one plans to even further augment himself by first further empowering the Alicorn Amulet then put it on himself at some point. That Amulet uses its power to tremendously augment whatever racial qualities the individual wearer has at the cost of dark magic corruption. If a creature like that were to ever put it on, especially if the Amulet gets further empowered, then even a single Worm That Trots (or, again, Walks in this case) could escalate from a National to a Global threat. Supposedly this one plans to use that magic to allow the very source of Dark Magic in this world to return in full.

Once again I am struck by the horrified realization that this creature actually exists. I had doubted the Amulet as well, but if a Worm That Trots is also here . . . Oh Sweet Celestia, I need help! Back when creatures like this first existed, the world likely and eventually devised counter strategies against them. However, none of them have existed for probably eons by now so the defenses and strategies against them have also elapsed. In short, the world is no longer prepared to face such a threat, especially if he puts an empowered version of the Alicorn Amulet on. At that point there might not be anything that can stop him. As for this Dark Star which this creature reveres? That really sounds like a cosmic-level threat that’s far beyond the scope of mortal kind.

All of the sudden I realize that getting the Alicorn Amulet away from this cult is of dire importance. It is actually worth giving up my life, or even Cabbelleron’s or anypony else's, just to ensure that if necessary. Decay simply cannot be allowed to have that Amulet. The world cannot endure a threat of that scale. He’s already dire enough as he is.

I notice that Decay wiggles awkwardly onto the scene with a very stooped posture. Likewise he just hangs his foreclaws before him in a draped manor. Even the Head Priest pauses to turn around and bow to this creature, and there he waits for something. In return, the fully bandaged face of Decay seems to gaze down at the Head Priest then gives a very subtle nod. He also gives a very small, dismissive gesture of a draped claw towards the Head Priest which I suddenly recall being named Nelkra Shlog'znof. In return, the Head Priest gives a dramatic nod in return as if to acknowledge permission for this ceremony to continue to the next phase.

That said, Decay seems to have no other role in this affair other than to merely be here and bear witness to this. It is the Head Priest himself that is appointed to claim the life of the sacrifice.

I grit my teeth on the hoofle of my machete hard. I am no longer certain that it is still safe to even breathe near an actual Worm That Trots. Indeed, a sickening odor is starting to pervade this temple which is apparent only after Decay had arrived. That is very likely not a coincidence. I’m not certain why the rest of those gathered here aren't vomiting uncontrollably right now. My best guess is that they are either used to it, they can’t physiologically smell things like this ever as a race, or there is some dark blessing upon them which gives them some kind of defense against Decay’s intense corrupting presence. This creature might be much smaller than the rest gathered here, especially compared to the Head Priest, but he’s a Dark Force of Nature. I desperately hope the Doctor’s plan for this creature works.

Nelkra Shlog'znof returns his attention to his captured victim. The tempo of the chanting seems to match his movements as if to foreshadow the great act of the ceremony they are all here for. The Head Priest raises his giant scimitar again, and this time I feel confident he will use it to strike poor Cabbelleron.

I am out of time. I need to act now. I have to save Doctor Cabbelleron, but perhaps far more importantly, I have to get that Amulet away from there. There’s a chance I may have already breathed in some now airborne virus within the stench of a very rotted corpse. This alone might later kill me, Doctor Cabblleron, and anypony else we come in close contact with. Such is the inherent and overwhelming danger of even being near a Worm That Trots. Nevertheless, I have to do this. If I play my cards very carefully, Doctor Cabbelleron and I may be this epic villain's last victims.

For a brief moment I squeeze my eyes shut as I think about my beloved home of Equestria and all of the innocent creatures that dwell there. My family is there. My friends are there. My ancestors were there. Almost everything I care about is there. I really don’t want to die, but if I have to, taking down a threat of this scale is worth it.

Then I open my focused and determined eyes. I take one last breath then dive into action.

Author's Notes:

Here is a good example of the cultish temple chanting music Agate heard in this chapter. Also, if you ever get the chance to watch the film this clip is from, I have to say it is worth it. It comes from the film "Young Sherlock Holmes".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zdnfxq0vNs

Part 19: A Desperate Gamble

I waste no further time. As I swoop past the High Priest Nelkra Shlog'znof, I successfully snatch up the Alicorn Amulet far more easily than I suspected I would. Those hands of his are really big after all so I expected a much greater struggle to steal the Amulet from him, but apparently he didn't have a tight grip on it due to completely not expecting my arrival. Likely for the same reason, all the cultists just freeze in surprise while I land next to Caballeron and proceed to cut away the ropes that bind him to the slab using my machete. In my effort to do so, I am blessed with one more surprise. The ropes that tie Caballeron to the slab don't look especially tough, but they are definitely tough enough to secure him to the slab when he has no tools or leverage. Nevertheless, I proceed to slice through the ropes like a hot knife through butter.

Caballeron proceeds to stand up, shake his hooves to restore circulation then gives me an appreciative but also deeply surprised nod. We then look up at the Head Priest and discover that all the cultists have still not made a move against us. At least nine seconds elapsed by now and the temple remains dead silent with no other movement and activity. They still look like they simply cannot accept the new reality they see before them.

In fact, the only one in the whole room who seems completely calm is Decay himself. He is just staring down at us and me in particular. While he does that, he silently assesses me very carefully. In return, I regard him very tensely. I am struggling to hold onto my courage but it is very likely clear to those regarding me I'm not succeeding effortlessly.

I probably could have heard a pin drop in this tense moment if one did fall.

“I appreciate the rescue, Mademoiselle,” Doctor Caballeron expresses quietly as he regards everyone around us tensely and continues to circulate each of his hooves one by one. “That said, I'm afraid I must insist to ahsk what the next step of the plahn is.”

“Right now it is to not die,” I whisper back.

“Ah! An excellent plahn thaht is,” Caballeron replies a little dryly.

The Head Priest Nelkra Shlog'znof finally seems to snap back into reality enough to react to this development. His face contorts into an angry sneer. He lifts and shakes his arm as he shouts something in anger. Although I cannot understand his language, it looks as if he's shouting in a demanding tone, “GET THEM!!!”

“Okay. Now the plan is to RUN!!” I cry out then gallop away. Wordlessly and frantically, Doctor Caballeron follows at the same pace.

The whole room suddenly explodes into action as they race to slither their way after us, but again with the curious exception of Decay. He's the only one in the room who holds his ground. The only move he really makes is to turn his head and has his gaze follow me out of the room. I do spare a brief moment to glance at him over my left shoulder to notice that. Decay continues to make no other move or sound. He just studies me very sharply.

I whip my gaze forward again as I continue to race out of the room. While I do so, I find I can't get Decay's expression out of my mind. With a being that powerful and evil, I expected him to laugh maniacally or give some villainous monologue. I don't know. Just something to show he has supreme arrogance that normally accomponies overwhelming power like that, but instead he seems to be cautious, reserved, and deeply analytical. He's studying me as if convinced he wants, or needs, an even greater advantage over me than he already has.

I don't know why, but his calm reaction frightens me even more.

As I race into a hallway connected to the last room, it occurs to me that perhaps Decay's powers would have been too effective if he dared to use it. Powerful, but imprecise. Maybe he could have projected a cloud of spores or locusts, but it would have hit everyone, including his own minions. This one actually seems reserved as if trying to avoid unnecessary collateral damage against his own resources. Instead he's watching to see if the actions of his minions alone is enough to take us down, and indeed it seemingly is only two ponies against . . . Gosh. I don't know how many. Probably too many.

Another thing I have to keep in mind is that, as a pegasus, I can just fly away even at this moment up to the limits of the roof of this hallway, but now I'm with Doctor Caballeron and he can't do that. That, in turn, restrains my options because I refuse to abandon him unless it becomes strategically necessary to do so, and even then I plan to return and re-collect him.

As we continue to gallop away, I spare a quick moment to gaze down at the Alicorn Amulet that I am now holding with my left wing. Consciously I realize this item is pretty light. I estimate that it is probably only a few ounces at most. That said, it psychologically feels much heavier somehow. I don't know why, but my wing starts to feel tired within the few seconds I've been staring at it. The ruby eye of the Amulet looks particularly mesmerizing. The promise and temptation of overwhelming power swirls in my mind and briefly makes me dizzy.

But then I tear my gaze from it and tuck it back into my wing. The moment I do, my dizziness and strain on my left wing immediately goes away and thus proving both symptoms were psychosomatic.

I am no fool! I read about evil artifacts like this all the time. There's no way in Tartarus I'm stupid enough to give into to such temptations while knowing perfectly well what the true cost is. Items like this doesn't grant power that the pony controls but rather the other way around. I'll forever say, “No thank you” to slavery options like this.

“Do you know where you are going?!” Caballeron calls out to me with some oomph to his voice. I notice that he's on the verge of panicking but he's still struggling to sound calm and collected. I'm starting to wonder if he's doing that for my sake or his own.

“Actually, I do,” I call back to him with similar volume in my own voice. “I have a map of this place and I studied it carefully. I even know where some of the secret passages are.”

“Really?” Caballeron replies, looking taken aback. “Thaht is surprisingly re-sourceful of you, Miss Keystone. Som day you'll hafta tell me how you were supplied with it.”

“I'd be happy to when we're at a-”

“DUCK, YOU FOOL!!!” Caballeron interrupts in a cry of alarm. I don't know why he insisted, but I tumble on the ground cooperatively in order to duck but also maintain my forward momentum. Because I did that, I dodge a mighty scimitar swing of a sword considerably smaller than the one the Head Priest wielded, but this blade still could have lopped off my head if I hadn't dodged it. When I recover back onto my hooves, I look over my left shoulder and showed my teeth because of how tense with fright I feel upon noticing just how close I came to dying by the blade of one of the temple guards who was hiding behind a serpent statue down this hallway.

When I look forward again, I notice two problems I didn't see before. One is other cult members emerging from just about every nook and cranny in this hallway. Either they were already there and somehow got the memo of two retreating prisoners, or the ones behind us somehow gained a shortcut ahead of us. I also notice a flood of snakes starting to pour down many various holes in the walls, and every single one of those serpents seem to want the two of us dead, for it is soon apparent that we are their only targets. That's too much teamwork and focus from animals like this. Most likely they are either charmed by the Naga or magically summoned by them.

As we continue to flee, the situation is gradually looking worse and worse. More Naga and snakes are just showing up in many places down the hallway. Psychologically it makes it feel like the walls of the hallway is closing in on us because there is fewer safer spots to go to as we flee. In fact, it doesn't take me long to realize there will soon be too many threats in this hallway for us to reach the destination I had in mind.

“Pony Feathers! We're not going to make it!” I cry out in alarm. “In that case, new plan. Keep following me.”

“Right behind you, Miss Keystone,” Doctor Caballeron assures.

This is definitely very difficult. Soon we are dodging several dozen sword swings, tail swings from the Naga that try to coil around us, and all kind of snapping bites from the ever increasing number of snakes in this hallway. A little later on we also grow busy dodging many tiny needles shot towards us from the Naga's blowdarts. I actually see one of those darts bounce off a wall then land on the floor. I get a long enough look at it to realize that not only does the dart not appear to be lethal, it doesn't even look like it would be very painful to be struck by them, but . . .

“Do nught get struck by dose darts!” Caballeron cries out in alarm. “They are most likely laced with poison!”

Which is exactly what I was thinking. I would have echoed my agreement if I weren't so busy dodging instead.

Swishing, hissing, and whistling sounds abound around me from many attacks all around us that probably would have been fatal, at least eventually. I twist and contort my body in various ways to dodge some of those blows. The way I dodge might be painful to me later, but right now I'm just trying to survive and my adrenaline is temporarily hiding my pain. I even leap up and once jump off the face of a Naga that was about to attack me. In mid-air, I also give a wing flap, my right in this case since it is not holding the Amulet, at a rain of darts and use the wind thrust to knock each of those darts off course from hitting me and my partner.

Sweet Celestia! I'm doing amazing right now! I can't believe it! I really hope I survive long enough to write all of this down later on.

I get the feeling that my partner, Caballeron, almost feels the same way about me.

“In here!” I cry out as I leap into one of the rooms adjacent to this hallway. From within, I spin about and put a hoof on a lever beside the door. When Doctor Caballeron charges through, I press the lever down. In response, a door from above drops and slams into the ground, thus blocking those chasing us from getting in or us getting out.

---

“Now what?” Doctor Caballeron asks me while wheezing. He looks like he is struggling to catch his breath. I have some strain too but curiously not as much.

I shake my head as I reply, “I'm not sure yet. This wasn't part of the plan.”

Doctor Caballeron's eyes explode widely enough to see red cracks in it as he asks incredulously, “What?! Baht you said you 'ad a plahn! You even said you 'ad a map of this place.”

“True, but I couldn't get to the secret passage I had in mind before that hallway got too dangerous,” I reply. “I'm sorry.”

Doctor Caballeron grunts in annoyance then demands, “Give me dah map.”

Absently I do so while I continue to contemplate the situation we are in. I have no doubt that this door won't hold them back for long. They know this place better than I do for the most part, but they were unaware of some of the secret passages of this place. If push comes to shove, they eventually could probably ram this door down with brute force.

“Huh. Pretty good map, I should say,” Doctor Caballeron notes in an impressed tone behind me. “Really detailed. You actually scouted out all of this yourself?”

“No,” I answer with a shake of my head as I look back at him. “I had help.”

Doctor Caballeron winces at me as he asks, “Help from whom? Also, where are duh others?”

“Tanon Burrows and Doctor Smith are working on different phases of the plan,” I inform him. “Tanon was working on a trap for them while Doctor Smith was working on freeing the rest of our friends. My job was to rescue you and relieve them of this Amulet,” I say as I regard it in my left wing again.

“That's the Alicorn Amulet, isn't it?” Doctor Caballeron asks with some reverence in his voice.

“You heard of it?” I ask him as I look at him, then wince as I ask myself, “What am I saying? Of course you have.”

“True, but I did'ant think it actually existed,” Doctor Caballeron expresses with awe in his tone.

“That's still good enough for you to know how dangerous it is,” I say back to him. “And how much worse it could be if they get a hold of it again.” I look at the door with a haunted expression while I can already hear some efforts to bash down this door. “The former Silurian that joined the ceremony would be especially bad if he wore this. He is an actual Worm that Trots!”

I whip my head back at Caballeron when I hear him rant and curse in a language I don't understand but it at least sounds familiar. Like I heard it before. It is not too hard for me to guess the general theme of what he said based on the look of horror I see in his eyes.

“A Worm that Trots . . . and the Alicorn Amulet!” Doctor Caballeron says with horror. “If dose two things get united, dare is no telling what he might do.”

“From the way I hear of it, that one calls himself Decay, and he plans to bring back his Dark Master. In this case something called The Dark Star which supposedly is the source of all dark magic. Right now that much greater entity is trapped in the Shadow Plane of this world, but if that changes . . .”

“You can spare me the details, Miss Keystone,” Doctor Caballeron expresses with a wave of a hoof. “I know enough to know how bad that might get. My question for you now is what should we do next?”

“I'm not sure,” I reply with a shrug. “I say we wait here and hope for a rescue.”

“I'm done with that!” Doctor Caballeron spats. “Been dare, done that. Not again, Miss Keystone. At least, nary so soon.”

“Then what are you thinking?” I ask him as I look back at him questioningly and hopefully.

“At all costs, dis Decay person cannot get the Amulet back,” Doctor Caballeron says with determination. “Even if it cost us our lives, we have to make sure he doesn't get it back. The whole world could fall if an actual Worm that Trots gets further empowered by the Alicorn Amulet.” He shakes his head. “It wouldn't matter where we flee after that. Rot, disease and decay would eventually catch up to us.”

“Agreed, but what are our options?” I ask him.

“According to dis, there is no secret passage in dis room,” Doctor Caballeron says as he looks back at my map. “That means the only way we can escape,” he looks back at the door that continues to be assaulted as we speak, “is through that door. That's also the only way dey can get to us.”

“Dodging them was hard enough,” I add. “That took everything I had back then. I came into this room just to buy us some valuable time.”

Doctor Caballeron nods solemnly as he says, “A good plahn at the time, Miss Keystone, baht I'm afraid the next step may require us to make an impor'dant sacrifice.”

Suddenly alarmed, I ask him, “What do you mean?”

Doctor Caballeron reaches a hoof towards me as he requests, “Give me dah Alicorn Amulet, Miss Keystone. I'll use it to battle dose beyond the door and clear a path to dah rest of our friends.”

My eyes explode widely as I cry out, “You can't be serious! You know what that Amulet will do to you! What it always costs in exchange for that power!” I firm up as I shake my head. “That's not an option. We wouldn't really be the ones controlling that power.”

“And we should stay in dis room and die instead?” Doctor Caballeron asks me tightly then points a hoof at the door. “Dose minions there will eventually break through the door and we'll have to face them anyway. When they kill us because we're not prepared for dem, dale take back dah Amulet and give it back to Decay. At least dis way we have a fighting chance.”

I return my gaze to the door grimly. I hate to admit it, but he does have a point.

“A Worm that Trots cannot get a hold of the Alicorn Amulet at all costs. At all costs, Miss Keystone,” Doctor Caballeron firmly assures. “So pick your poison. Which is dah greater evil here?”

“That Amulet will corrupt you,” I warn him as I look back at him.

“But it won't corrupt you,” he returns as he steps up next to me. Almost close enough to hug me tenderly. “You'll still 'ave a good head on your shoulders and keep me in line. Keep me in check. To remind me that I must take off dah Amulet before it corrupts me too much.”

I frown as I look down at the Amulet.

“I want . . . Neigh. I need to protect you, Miss Keystone,” Doctor Caballeron urges. “I promised I'd protect you, and instead you rescued me. Well . . . now it's time for me to return the favor, but I'll need more power to get through those goons out there.”

I continue to frown at the Amulet in my wing. It disturbs me to notice the Amulet seems to quietly whisper agreement with Caballeron's words in my mind. It's trying to tell me this is the only way. Whatever it takes, it wants to be worn. In exchange, it'll gain a new body to control in order to spread its own dark influence to the world.

“We do dis, or we die here and dey get the Amulet back anyway,” Doctor Caballeron reminds with a firm press of his brown hoof on my shoulder. “At least dis way we get a fighting chance.”

While my face remains directed down at the Amulet, I lift my gaze up to his eyes as I say, “Whoever wears the Amulet is the only one who can remove it baring that pony's death. If you put this on, I cannot take it off for you. Only you can do that. Do you promise me you will remove it once we get back to the rest of our friends?”

Doctor Caballeron scoops up both of my fore hooves with his own with debonair charm as he looks deep into my eyes and passionately promises me, “I swear to you, Miss Keystone, that I will remove the Amulet once the threat is over. After all, I have no desire to be this thing's pawn either. By the time we meet the rest of our friends, you'll be safer so I'll no longer need its power either.”

I just stare at him while feeling a little enchanted by his words. This might sound cliché to say or to even think, but passionate words like that said to a mare really does sweep her off her hooves. Charm like that really does work. I should know, being a mare myself.

But then I frown again. Doctor Caballeron is a good pony. I know that in my heart, but that may change quickly once he puts this Amulet on. It is brimming with dark magic and it wants to corrupt the soul of anypony who wears it. Whose to say that influence would stop even after the pony takes off the Amulet? That would only stop it from corrupting them any further, but the damage already caused while wearing it may linger. Most likely the pony in question would need a lot of psychological counseling to recover from the damage this Amulet could cause. I just can't stand the thought of this stallion becoming something he is not.

“Miss Keystone, please,” Doctor Caballeron begs. “Let me do this. Let me save you as you once saved me. I'll take this hit so you don't have to. In return, you stay by my side and bring me back to my senses if I stray too far.”

My frown deepens at him as I announce, “There is another problem with the Amulet. The degree of strength it grants is proportionate to the corruption it causes. While that means its influence is weak at first, so to is the augmentation it grants.” I shake my head. “That means you won't be much better off than you are now at first. I'm not sure if you'd have enough power to get through all of them anyway, and it sounds like there are reinforcements out there by now. The only good part of that is that means more of them are distracted targeting us, and that also means there is less to go after our friends right now.”

Doctor Caballeron regards the door grimly after I mentioned that the Amulet's augmentation would be weak at first. I can see wheels spin in his mind as he mulls over that latest bit of information. Eventually he shakes his head and regards me again as he says, “It's still better to have a chance than none at all. I'd rather trust myself, and my struggle against the Amulet's influence, rather than fighting a Worm that Trots and he is wearing the Amulet instead. I promised you I'll take it off when we reach the rest of our friends. You're unlikely to get the same sincere promise from him.”

“Good point,” I reluctantly agree. “And while your motives is to protect me, his is to corrupt the world and summon his dark master back into this world.”

Doctor Caballeron nods at me solemnly as he says, “Then you know what we must do.”

I notice that Doctor Caballeron has been standing next to me for a bit of awhile now. He is currently close enough to snatch the Amulet away from me if he wanted to, but instead he's waiting for me to give it to him just to prove that he's trustworthy. Another thing I see in him that curiously gives me a bit of confidence is the lack of total confidence in him. He's still determined to do this to protect me, but I also see some fear in his eyes. He knows that as soon as he puts this thing on, he'll have to battle against himself. Gradually it would be the internal battle that would be harder to win compared to the external. He doesn't want to lose control of himself anymore than I do, but at the same time we're thrust into a corner and forced to consider this desperate gamble. We either take this risk, or we're taking an even greater risk that this Amulet could fall back into their . . . Well. I guess “hands” is the correct term here for once.

I grin in amusement as I realize I wish Doctor Smith was here and he said that, for he would be correct in using the term “hands” for once.

Then I give a very serious stare back into Cabelleron's eyes while he patiently waited for me. During that time, I'm starting to hear cracks spread in the door behind me due to the enemy's efforts.

“Please don't make me regret this,” I beg of Caballeron. “I'm trusting you,” I continue as I finally give him the Alicorn Amulet. When he has it, I feel further reassured by the look of fear in his eyes as he regards it. It's as if the reality of this situation doesn't fully sink in until he finally has that Amulet on his hoof while fully aware what it would cost him to wear it. Seeing that, I can't help but admire his bravery. He is quite literally willing to risk his soul just to protect me. I swoon at that thought.

Then he transfers his gaze back to the door. At this point he can now visibly see cracks spreading on the door, and I can as well when I glance back to it. I then look back at him as I see resolve sink deeper in his eyes. It looks like he realizes he's out of time. He has to put this thing on now or it won't have enough time to augment him enough to matter.

“Stay behind but also near me, Miss Keystone,” Doctor Caballeron requests with a firm voice. He casts a deep sigh then finally clips the Alicorn Amulet to his chest.

Part 20: The Price for Power

Since the door is now too damaged and misshapen because of it, Doctor Caballeron and I both knew we can't open the door the normal way anymore. As a result, Doctor Caballeron reverses their tactics by proceeding to bash on the door from our end as well. Cracks spread and deepen as a result of his first attempt, but it looks like his effort hurt him. He backs his left hoof from the door and shakes it for two seconds along with a painful wince.

During this time, I can't help but notice the efforts to bash the door from the other end suddenly stopped. I can now imagine them standing there and blinking at each other in confusion, each wondering what that recent noise was and what it could mean.

In a grunt of determined effort, Doctor Caballeron smashes the door harder the second time. Cracks spread and deepen even more, but he hurt himself to a greater degree. This time he squints his face tightly shut and hisses through the pain.

Ever since Doctor Caballeron put on the Alicorn Amulet, I have been observing him very carefully physically and psychologically. Physically not much seems to have changed about him. I had wondered if he'd suddenly get a lot bulkier and whatnot, but no. That is not what happened. Instead, the only visible side effects of wearing the Amulet seems to be a very faint reddish aura glow around his body. As for psychological, he doesn't appear that much different yet.

During the short pause, after Doctor Caballeron recovers somewhat (which I happen to notice is pretty fast), he blinks at the door and it is then that he also realizes that the assault from the other side of the door has halted. Upon noticing that, he glances over his shoulder at me and gives a curious blink. He probably realizes at this moment, just as I did, that they have temporarily stopped their assault against the door but there is no other way we can see to open it anymore. Either we, or they, have to resume the attack against the door.

Looking back at the door with a renewed grunt of determination, Doctor Caballeron changes his strategy somewhat. He backs off about fifteen feet then paws at the ground in preparation to charge. During that time, I see him narrow his eyes and give a horsey snort. While he did that, I see the faint red aura around him intensify a little bit.

When I see that, a startling revelation occurs to me. Until that moment, I had assumed the Alicorn Amulet gradually augments/corrupts the user over time constantly, but I just observed something that counters that theory. Now it looks like, instead of that, the Alicorn Amulet actually does nothing much until the wearer willingly channels the Amulet's power.

This may be a very important observation. I dearly hope I get a chance to write it down later.

Doctor Caballeron suddenly charges at the door. When he hits, he slams the entire forward half of his body against it. Fortunately for us, that did the trick. The rest of the door shatters with him charging through it a few steps more.

I do not hold back any longer. As per his request, I kept myself back from the door at first so that the more magically augmented one among us seizes their focus fire first, but I knew there is a few problems beyond the door that might quickly overwhelm Doctor Caballeron and it just so happens I have a counter for that. A mere second after he charges through the door, I quickly meet up near him and start flapping my wings hard in a forward direction. Doing so quickly builds up a gust of wind which blows back and scatters the hallway that is otherwise filled with a whole bunch of either charmed or magically summoned/controlled snakes. I also keep a sharp eye out for any of the Naga who places a blowpipe to their lips in preparation to blow another tiny needle. If they do, I'll redirect the gust of wind to knock those projectiles off course. Doctor Caballeron may be physically enhanced right now, but a continuous build up of poison raining down on him from various bites of snakes and poison darts may quickly counter our efforts. For this reason, I'll do my best to protect him in the back lines.

As it turns out, Doctor Caballeron and I get a brief reprieve from their assault for two reasons. Initially it was because of their shock at seeing us suddenly charge out of the adjacent room after one of us finally shatters the door. The second reason they hesitate nervously is they notice Doctor Caballeron is currently wearing the Amulet. I see the Naga nervously glance at each other but also with an edge of uncertainty. The way I figure it, they aren't accustomed to the pony race at all, let alone our individual breeds. As a result, they hardly have any idea how the Alicorn Amulet would enhance any one of us. They just saw him burst through a damaged stone door but, in their heads, they might be thinking he could be enhanced in other ways too.

I think the battle remained paused for a total of nine seconds. After that, the Naga reach a new decision. They remain nervous, but I also see them steel their resolve and ready their weapons. They knew there is only two ways to remove the Alicorn Amulet from anypony who wears it. One is that wearer willingly takes it off, or two, the wearer dies. It looks like they are opting to resort to the latter strategy, especially since we don't share a common language for negotiation anyway.

“Stay bahck ond keep thah snakes ond darts off o' me,” Doctor Caballeron quietly orders me over his right shoulder without tearing his gaze away from the threats ahead of us. “I'll take care of thah rest. Also, if we ev'ah see an opening through thah enemy lines, we charge through. Got it? Ond I'll be relying on your guidance af'tah that. You know the layout of this place bet'ah than I do.”

“Right,” I confirm in a very serious tone.

The next few moments is a tight explosion of action. Doctor Caballeron and at least a dozen Naga charge at each other. He weaves, punches and bucks his way through the crowding lines of limbs and sword swings. Meanwhile I hold my promise by carefully observing any snakes or dart fire aiming at either of us. For the moment, they all seem to be targeting him exclusively because they desperately want to take him down fast and get the Amulet back because they know that, until they do, he remains an escalating dire threat against them. Also they really need that Amulet back in order to finish their plans.

I almost don't mind them ignoring me because I don't feel nearly so prepared to face them, but I am also really worried about so much focus fire against my ally. If they take him down then not only do I have to deal with the guilt of his defeat, not only do they get the Amulet back and might even use it, but I know their next target will be me for those of them who remain uninjured enough to resume the fight. I won't stand much of a chance after that.

The other issues that really concerns me is the effects of the Amulet itself on him.

On the one hoof, it hasn't augmented him much yet so holding the line against so many Naga is a strain for him. I suspect they are aware of that as well which is why they are trying to tear him down as quickly as they can before he gets any stronger.

On the other hoof, if the tide changes in his favor, it may come at a dire cost to his soul. If that happens, I have to question if death may just be a more preferable if it weren't for the threat of them getting the Amulet afterwards and what they ultimately plan to do with it.

Either way, I know we got our backs pressed against the wall.

As this battle goes on, there is a temporary stalemate on both sides of the conflict. Doctor Caballeron suffers a few licks but they do too. Either way they don't take each other out yet. One against twelve or more is already a heroic effort on his part even with what little augments he is getting, but it's not enough to take any of them down yet. He hits some of them and even launches a few away as a result, but they endure his blows and get back up. With so many limbs and weapons swinging at him though, most of his efforts is actually defensive and he's still failing a little bit. He doesn't seem to notice the pain against him as much right now but I can still see red bloody lines gradually being traced all across his hide.

As for me, my efforts are far more successful. With nobody targeting me, I'm able to assist my ally with impunity for now. The snakes just can't approach him because of me.

Unfortunately this stalemate eventually ends and not in our favor. Doctor Caballeron suffers a vicious slash across his chest. The pain of that blow makes him hesitate as he flinches in pain. Because of that, three more really good hits score against him before he is backhanded away, spinning thrice in mid air, then tumbles on the ground closer towards me.

“Doctor C!” I cry out in alarm then almost take a step to charge at him.

“Stay BACK!” Doctor Caballeron insists with a demanding roar as he painfully starts crawling back up. He is shivering in pain but also in anger. As that continues, I see the red aura around him getting stronger. The shiver seems to be more in pain at first but then he glares at the rest of the Naga as if channeling all of his hatred and blame at them for this pain. The shivers start to ebb as we all grow startled to notice Doctor Caballeron's wounds shrinking as if he's slowly gaining his wounds in reversed time.

I am in awe but also horrified by this sight because I know why this is happening and what this is costing him. If this trend continues unabated, he may eventually target me next with all of that raw hatred and sudden lust for cruelty.

Then I peer ahead of him at the rest of the Naga. Once again I notice all of them hesitate as they take in this new piece of information. They didn't know precisely how the Amulet would augment him, but they are learning that now. With horror, they are watching all of their hard won efforts against Caballeron shrinking away. Efforts that costed them in return and they are not recovering nearly so quickly. None of them are defeated yet, but now it looks like battle damage in this war of attrition can only swing against them in the long run. Their surprise at this sight also alerts me to the fact that they might not have ever seen results of the Amulet like this before. Previously it seemed worth it for them to injure Caballeron in any way they could with the desperate assumption that those results will hold and accumulate, but now it looks to them that they are effectively fighting an immortal being whose strength and toughness is continually getting stronger to boot.

I see the Naga glance among each other as if each of them is hoping one of them has a new idea how to counter this recent threat against them. After all, if it turns out they simply can't kill Caballeron while he's augmented by the Amulet, nor convince him to take it off, then it is now they who are backed into a corner.

“Don't draw anywhere near them,” Doctor Caballeron growls as he crawls back onto his hooves. His stance is shaking at first but he quickly gets more steady. “I already told you . . . I'll take care of them. You juz do your part.”

I hear the anger in his voice, see it in his stance and see the red aura around him grow thicker and darker like crimson blood drying into black crust, yet what he just told me clearly signifies where his priorities remain. He hasn't lost himself to the darkness enough to turn on me yet. How long will that remain true?

There is also a little part of me that feels flattered. If he's protecting his own morals this strongly for my sake, it indicates how much he genuinely cares for me.

Suddenly I hear a loud hiss that almost sounds like a screech from one of the Naga as that individual dramatically points directly at me. It is in that moment I suddenly realize what their new strategy will be in this battle going forward.

“Oh no you DON'T!” Caballeron fiercely insists. “You're only target here is ME!!!”

Doctor Caballeron leaps so strongly that that effort alone spread cracks on the spot he once stood on. His trajectory carries him in a short U shape arc where he lands among them like a cannon ball. That effort alone blow some of them away like bowling pins getting struck by a bowling ball. From there he savagely kicks, punches, and now bites at his target as he tears at them to crash into each other further, thus keeping them off balance. Now the injuries are really stacking against the Naga, and soon some of them won't be able to get back up. Perhaps not ever.

I shake my head to clear it. I need to get my head out of the clouds. The snakes and the Naga are now targeting my ally much more desperately than before, but if they are not too busy attacking Caballeron or busy being too injured or dead, then some of them start to turn to look at me with a wicked gleam in their eyes.

I firm my stance as I glare back at them. I flap my wings to blow the snakes crawling at either me or Caballeron away. Some of the Naga lift blow pipes to their lips with the obvious intention to target me next, but the gust I'm projecting forces them to wince then cover their face with their arms. As long as they are doing that, there is no way they can attack me.

I see one of the Naga punched away from Caballeron with a new dislocated jaw. That Naga lands on the ground hard and presses a clawed hand to his face, but then he sees me above him and upside down from his initial perspective. Grinning with evil triumph despite the injury he just suffered, he flips about and was about to crawl his way to me, but then Caballeron bites savagely into the tip of the Naga's tail and painfully drags that serpent back into the fray. The Naga's evil grin suddenly transforms into desperate alarm. He claws at the ground to avoid being dragged back, but to no avail.

Meanwhile I see the the dark red aura around Caballeron getting stronger and stronger. Another indication of his corruption is his voice is starting to sound monstrously multi-tonal. I also see some desperate sword swings and clawed hands swipe at Caballeron, but at this point Caballeron is now fearlessly ignoring those attacks. The Naga are having a harder and harder time inflicting any injury at all against Caballeron as if Caballeron's hide is getting thicker and tougher, yet no actual visible change to his hide is taking place, nor is his muscles getting bulkier despite his ever ascending strength. This thereby proves to me that all of these changes on him are entirely from a supernatural source.

Another thing that is noteworthy is the few blows that are managing to pierce his hide, which is harder and harder to score against him as time goes on, are also healing faster and faster.

All of this combined really does make Doctor Caballeron an unstoppable juggernaut right now. Bottom line is the angrier he gets, the more powerful he is, but the greater the cost against him is as well.

In the end, none of the Naga or snakes ever manage to approach me, but to be fair, that's also because of my own efforts too. They tried to get to me but they either got blown away by me or savagely beat down by Caballeron. When more then half their forces seems obviously incapable of getting up anymore, perhaps ever, the rest finally decide they are way over matched right now and they need to retreat, regroup, and restrategize.

At first I widen my eyes in triumph. Because of the Naga and snakes retreat, we gained the opening we need to charge through. However, I pause in shock when I notice Doctor Caballeron leap after them instead to make sure none of them escape alive. He lands on one of them with a crashing downward stab of a hoof and flattens that one to the ground. I both see and hear him laugh maniacally as he pauses to savor the last drops of life of the victim he is on top of before resuming to batter his way on the Naga. The next blow crushes the Naga's head halfway flat. Doctor Caballeron just keeps beating on this corpse seemingly for fun right now.

I know this is an extreme risk against my life at this point, but I have to intervene now. This has clearly gone too far. Besides, we have the opening we needed.

“DOCTOR C, STOP!!” I cry out as I desperately leap upon him. I wrap all four of my hooves and both of my wings to restrain him in a hug. In response, I hear him monstrously roar in his multi-tonal voice before leaning his head forward then suddenly backing it to headbutt my face. This disorients me. After that he bucks me off then backhooves me spinning away and crash into the wall of this hallway. From there I slide to the floor in a heap. I can't see out of my left eye anymore, but the right keeps staring at him with tears in my eyes.

At first Doctor Caballeron gazes upon me as if he had something very insidious in mind, but then he recognizes me which quickly cools off his reaction. In that brief moment of calm, he has a chance to inwardly reflect at himself and what he's doing. He then looks down at the corpse below him which is well past the point of being a threat. This is literally overkill.

Next, I see him squint his face hard and shake his head as he tries to regain his sanity. I notice him struggling with that quite a bit at first, but it's already a relief to me to see him trying. That means he's not lost to me yet.

Finally he sighs as the red glow around his body dims significantly. He then looks at me with remorse in his eyes as he says, “Apologies, Mademoiselle, and thank you for snapping me back to my senses.” When he said that, I notice that his voice returned to normal which is a relieving sign.

As I crawl back up to my hooves, I flinch in pain when I notice my left wing is now too injured to be useful to me now after I crashed against the wall with so much force earlier. I then look at him as I say, “Never mind that right now. We have the opening we needed so lets hurry and get back to our friends before they regroup. The sooner we do that, the sooner you can take that cursed Amulet off before you lose your senses to it again.”

Doctor Caballeron nods as he says, “Indeed, a good plahn. Let's move.”

Part 21: The Folly of False Heroes

“I real-ly hov tah com-mend you in your resourcefulness during this venture, Miss Keystone,” Doctor Caballeron commends me as we both watch an obstacle in front of us slide away from the secret passage we've been using to get to this point. On the other side, we notice that the obstacle in question is a statue of a coiled snake. Doctor Caballeron chuckles in amusement as he adds, “And there juz seems to be som-thing appropriate about the fact you had to use a magical 'keystone' to open this gate.”

“Fate, I guess,” I accept with an innocent shrug as I step into the next room and quickly take everything in. Doing so allows me to notice that this is one of the larger rooms of the temple but not as large as the sacrificial chamber. Up a short flight of stairs I see a stone circular ring with a lot of patterns on it. Further inspection reveals it is actually two rings. One is within another and each shows its own group of symbols. In the middle of the circle is the curious image of what appears to be a rippling pool of water except it is sidewards. That also indicates that the StarGate is currently active which also serves to help explain why the majority of our expedition team does not seem to be here. Only a few are left standing here which include Doctor Smith, Leg it, Doctor Grazy Venture, Toolshed, and the henchponies Biff, Withers, and Rouge.

“And it seems like you hod an in-tar-esting ad-vencha while you were gone,” Doctor Caballeron continues when he steps into the room. “I do hov one point of criticism, though.” When I regard the Doctor Caballeron again, he goes on to say, “You hov a cop-y of tha map of this dem'pal, including its secret passages, az well az the keystone necessary to oh-pen those passage ways. Hod you been captured, it would hov made it very inconvenient for our new secret allies here.”

“That's why I didn't plan to be captured,” I return with a simple shrug to Caballeron.

“Oh good. You two are here,” Doctor Smith cheers when he sees us. “And with the Amulet, I see,” he adds as he narrows his eyes slightly at the evil artifact which Caballeron is still wearing.

After Doctor Smith said that, I look from Doctor Smith then back to Doctor Caballeron as I say, “Speaking of which, take off the Amulet now as you promised.” I gesture up to the StarGate as I go on to say, “I did my part. I delivered you safely to the StarGate.”

“And thot thing will deliver us back to Equestria?” Doctor Caballeron inquires as he trots further into the room and gazes up at the Gate with fascination in his eyes.

“Somewhere in the Tenochtitlan Valley, I think,” I answer with uncertainty.

“Actually, that's exactly where this gate leads,” Doctor Smith promises confidently.

“One of these days, Doc-tor, you're gonna hafta tell us how you know dese things so very well,” Doctor Caballeron says with fascination at Doctor Smith. Doctor Smith's only reply is to look back at Caballeron with a coy, knowing grin.

“The Alicorn Amulet, Doctor C,” I remind in an insistent voice. “Take if off now!” I peer at him very carefully at this point to make sure the Amulet hasn't corrupted him enough to compel him to keep it on. I wouldn't put it past a cursed, evil artifact like that to induce that impulse upon its wearers.

“Ah . . . yes. Of course,” Doctor Caballeron agrees as he looks down at the Amulet on his neck. He reaches up to touch it but there he hesitates. I take a nervous step closer to him when I notice his hesitation. His right ear flicks to aim in my direction which indicates to me that he notices my nervousness, and it is easy to decipher why. Doctor Caballeron looks tempted to keep it on, but its clear he's also really thinking about this. After a few breathless moments, I see him close his eyes, steel his resolve, then finally takes off the cursed Amulet. Only then do I finally take a breath then quickly glance up at Doctor Smith when I notice he does the same at that moment.

“Thank you, Doctor C,” I express to Caballeron gratefully. “You did the right thing.”

“I'll not be some puppet,” Doctor Caballeron growls in determination. “I got what I needed from dis thing.”

I approach to stand beside Caballeron and affectionately pat him using my right wing as I flash him a proud smile. The return look in his eyes reveals to me that gathering the will to pull that Amulet off was indeed difficult for him, but he still managed to do it. I knew I admired him for a reason.

Then I look in concern at the others.

“Is everypony else through the Gate?” I ask in concern.

“Actually, Tanon isn't with us yet,” Leg It reports to me in concern. “He wasn't with you?”

“Doctor Caballeron and I were clear on the other side of the temple,” I remind in a tone of alarm. “Our job was to distract the temple guards, steal the Amulet, and escape with our lives. We never ran into Tanon.”

Leg It paws nervously at the ground with a hoof as he says, “Something must have happened to him. He should have been back by now.”

“He's the most experienced member among us,” Doctor Grazy reminds us. “I'm sure he'll be okay.”

“He's also the oldest among us,” Leg it shot back at Doctor Grazy. “He's too old to think this wouldn't be a challenge for him. Plus there's all the other threats in this temple to consider. Something easily could have gone wrong for him.” He shakes his head then looks at the front entrance to this room. “I'm going to go rescue him!”

“By yourself?!” Doctor Grazy asks incredulously. “That's crazy talk!” Then a second later she narrows her own eyes as she decides, “But if your mind is made up, then I'm going with you.”

“No you're not,” Leg It says back to her sharply, “Look. It's actually an advantage to me if I go alone.” He stands up on his hind legs for a moment while he whirls his forelegs as he says, “I'm the fastest member of this team, remember? If I draw their attention, I can remain too far ahead of them for them to do anything about it.”

“Okay,” Grazy acknowledges with a look of confusion on her face. “But say you do catch up to Tanon and it turns out he's injured, hence the reason why he's not here. What's your plan then?”

“I'll escort him to one of the secret passages,” I volunteer. “I know this place well and I have the magical keystone to open the secret passages. While Leg It distracts them, I'll use that opportunity to safely extract Tanon.”

“Again?!” Doctor Caballeron asks incredulously. “You left tha team before to try to help rescue those old former Canterlot guards. Tha portal back home is right there!” He jabs a point of a hoof up to the StarGate. “And now you want to venture back out dare to rescue Tanon?!” He squints tight. “Lady, you're even crazier than I am, and that's saying something!”

“I'm not leaving anypony behind!” I cry back insistently. “Especially not in the hands of these monsters. We got a Worm-That-Trots here in this temple too. No pony on this entire planet deserves to suffer a fate that that creature can inflict.”

“But we hov dah Amulet,” Doctor Caballeron reminds as he lifts it for emphasis for a second. “Any plahn that creature has will be diminished without dis artifact. I say we've done enough by keeping it out of his claws. And besides,” he now looks at the Amulet greedily before adding, “Dis thing will fetch a mighty fine price!”

My eyes explode widely at Doctor Caballeron as I exclaim, “WHAT?! You can't be serious! You know that thing is poison to any soul who wears it.” I use a wing to cut across the air as I say, “Something that dangerous and evil isn't worth any price.”

“And what would you do wit' it, Miss Keystone?” Doctor Caballeron barks back angrily. “Bury it in the sand and hope that is the end of it?”

Disturbingly, I notice that Biff, Withers, and Rouge step near Doctor Caballeron and take a defensive position. It already looks clear to me that they intend to help Doctor Caballeron secure his new prize. It is at that moment I grow startled to realize that I begged Caballeron to promise me that he'd remove the Amulet as soon as we got to the StarGate room, and he did, but I did not have the foresight to also ask him to give the Amulet back to me. In hindsight, I realize the reason I didn't ask that was because I trusted him, but that was before he wore the Amulet. It might be the lingering corruption of the Amulet talking through him now.

For just a brief moment I glance at the others in the room to see what they will do about this situation. I see them hold their silence right now. The fact that Doctor Smith does that too especially surprises me for some reason.

“You stupid, naive filly,” Doctor Caballeron tisks as he now twirls the Amulet rather arrogantly. “You looked up to us ad-venturers, ahnd yo not even dat bad at it yo'self, I might add.” He narrows his eyes at me. “But dare is one thing you never understood about dis pro-fession.” He tosses the Amulet up in the air then catches it again with flourish before he goes on to say, “Ventures like dis costs a lot of money. The equipment, the boat, the personnel who ran it, even you,” he gives an emphatic nod to me. “All of dis costs money, and how did you expect us to repay our investors?” He jabs a point at the portal as he says insistently, “Dey expect som re-durn on their investments, or dey start breaking legs.”

Doctor Caballeron lifts his head in a mix between snobbish but also very cold pose as he goes on to say, “Da real world ain't as flowery an' fancy as dah novels you've been reading. Not every'ding about an adventure is written down by those who travel in it. Som tings remain hidden in da dark lest the competition gain the true edge in life.” He shakes the Amulet in his hoof as he adds, “Da true winners in life know when it is time to secure dare prize and retreat wit' dare lives. I survived dis long by knowing when enough is enough, and I also made sure I gain enough funding for da next adventure.”

I grit my teeth as tears rise to my eyes before I say, “Doctor Caballeron, I trusted you!”

“And dat is where you fail!” Doctor Caballeron arrogantly mocked. “I trampled over many other ponies like you who would hov become the competition.” He twirls the Amulet again. “But dey weren't ruthless enough to do what it takes to remain on top. In da end, it is my books that fly on and off the shelves while everypony else is either dead or destitute. Ev'ah wonder why others who challenged me remain silent? It is because heroic fools like dem chase after foolhardy objectives like saving Tanon in the midst of all those creatures,” he says with a jabbing point to the normal exit of the room and not the secret passage we just used to get here. “Dey never knew when enough was enough. Well I say do only what you hov to, secure your main prize,” he shakes the Amulet again, “den get out while the going is good.”

“Well said, Doctor C,” agrees the fedora wearing Biff.

I stomp both of my fore hooves on the ground as I beg, “Please, Doctor C., whatever you do, you can't give that Amulet to Colonel Panders!”

Doctor Caballeron is so stunned to hear that name that he almost chokes on his gasp. A tense moment of silence passes between us as he gives me an utterly shocked expression before it twists into suspicion and rage. He asks, “How in Equestria do you know dat name? I never told you dat.”

I can't answer right away because I'm caught off guard by something else. He basically just confirmed to me that he does, indeed, know Colonel Panders and that that mob boss very likely did fund this entire expedition. Was this the plan all along? To find and secure some dangerous artifact like this then bring it back to this criminal mob boss?

No. NO! I refuse to believe this! Doctor Caballeron would never do this willingly! He's all about extending the historical knowledge of Equestria. That's precisely why I looked up to him all these years!

Seething fury sinks deeper into Caballeron's face when he realizes something else. I don't know what it is until he says with livid fury, “You work for Princess Celestia's secret service all this time, hov'ent you?” His fury deepens enough to cause him to growl as he goes on to ask, “So all dis time . . . you were just 'pretending' to be this weak and naive little mare when all along you knew perfectly well what you were doing!” Then he roars, “YOU'VE BEEN SENT TO SPY ON ME, WEREN'T YOU?!”

I just silently stare at him, dumbstruck. I would have denied it if only I could think at all.

“An' I fell for it!” Doctor Caballeron continues to rant, this time with what sounds like genuine pain in his heart. “I really thought you looked up to me. I really thought you needed me. You asked me to protect you, an' I believed you!” His eyes flare open at me with extremely harsh resentment but also pain. I can see tears in his eyes in addition to flaming anger.

I still can't speak or move, or barely even think. A chill sinks into my soul all the more when I visibly see Doctor Caballeron drastically change his attitude. All of a sudden he goes from flaming hot anger to coldness. It's as if he instantly decides to reject all of his emotions. He closes his eyes, lifts his head high, cracks his neck from side to side, then gives me a cold and empty look.

“Well played, 'Miss Keystone', if that's your real name,” Doctor Caballeron commends in an empty voice. “All dis time, I thought you were the naive fool, but I guess you showed me up. Thank you, 'Miss Keystone', for revealing that I need to be even more distrusting.”

Doctor Caballeron suddenly gives a shrill whistle then whips his head towards to StarGate to indicate it. As he trots away coldly, his henchponies trot on after him guardedly. It is only at this moment that it finally occurs to me that those henchponies are taking orders from Doctor Caballeron and not just Colonel Panders. Maybe there never was a difference to begin with. He made his choice a long time ago.

Or did he? As much as seeing this pains me, there is still that tiny glimmer of hope within me that insists the only reason he's doing what he's doing now and said those nasty things is because of the corrupting influence of the Amulet.

But even with that theory, that doesn't explain his history with Colonel Panders. He just confirmed to me that he works for such a terrible mob boss and now he also thinks the only reason I showed any competence in this adventure was because I was a secret service agent of Princess Celestia all along.

It's kind of a good point, though. I wonder if a real agent of Celestia was trailing him. Maybe that's why the former guards were on this mission, but if that's the case, they could have hidden themselves better.

The three henchponies proceed on ahead of Doctor Caballeron. He is the last to cross through the threshold. Meanwhile I continue to stare at him as tears blur my eyes.

For a moment I honestly thought he was going to proceed through the portal without looking back at me, but at the last second, he does. At first his eyes give a brief flare of anger at me as if to show the last embers of his rage, but when he sees me, his expression suddenly changes again. He looks startled to see how much I am in pain to watch him go like this. The reason why my expression might be so convincing to him is because my expression actually is absolutely genuine. I feel terribly betrayed right now but I still look upon him sadly with one last shred of hope in my eyes. With that expression, I beg him not to do this with all that I am.

Seeing my expression returns doubt on his own face which then shifts to confusion then settles into guilt. At least one last time, he seems to be asking himself what if my feelings towards him is true. I see him close his eyes and bow his head. He holds that for several seconds before looking back at me with wordless expression of guilt in his eyes. When I see that, I can't help but think I am witnessing the last shred of his good side. The part of him that the Amulet didn't completely destroy yet.

But then my heart sinks again when I notice him take a deep breath and dismiss his emotions yet again. He closes his eyes, lifts his face, and breathes in deep before releasing his breath just as much. When he opens his eyes, he gazes emotionlessly at the portal and trots through it without another glance back at me.

My rear legs collapse under me as I suddenly burst into a sob.

He left me! He chose to leave me. There was hesitation and guilt in him for just a moment, but it wasn't enough to stop him or turn him around. Right now it feels so heavy to keep on desperately wishing that the only reason he's doing this is because of the Amulet's corruption. That certainly can be a factor, but the artifact isn't responsible for the pony they were before they put it on. I see that now.

And I've been a fool. I wonder if there is anypony else that I've looked up to who are less than I had believed in one way or another.

I grow startled and alert when I notice Doctor Smith trot closer to the portal. For a panicked moment I even thought he is about to reveal himself as yet another agent of Doctor Caballeron all along, but when he looks over his shoulder at me, I see something on his face that affects me to a shockingly profound degree. I've only known communication like this once before and very recently at that, and that is The Great Sage Auzmeir's telepathic communication. It isn't exactly like that this time, though, because there is no direct words or images downloaded into my head. Instead, it is simply a sudden and intense knowing of Doctor Smith's intentions and feelings which is this: For some reason he has complete faith in me. Whatever I decide to do, he knows it is the right course of action. He also plans to step through this portal right now for some reason, but he'll be back. I don't know how or when he'll do it, but there is something in his expression that wordlessly promises he'll be back.

Then he, too, also steps through the portal. This time, however, I feel a sense of hope and confidence flare back into me. This gives me enough encouragement to rise back to my hooves again. I sniff and wipe my muzzle.

“Are you still with me?” Leg It prods me with a brief poke to my shoulder. When I look at him, he goes on to say, “I still want to find out what happened to Tanon and rescue him if need be, and I could still use your help.”

Doctor Grazy looks hurt and offended by Leg It's words, but she also regards me with curiosity, obviously wondering what I'll say to his offer.

I take a moment to close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself just as Doctor Caballeron did a moment ago. When my eyes pop back open, they do so with focus and determination in them.

“Let's go get him!” I announce with steel in my voice.

Part 22: A Legacy Endures

I find it really strange that I'm growing accustomed to danger just a little bit. It isn't exciting me, but I don't feel overwhelmed by it either. Instead, there is this tiny voice of calm and confidence growing inside me that is saying, “You know what? I think I got this. I can hoofle this.”

I have to say, though, running beside Leg It emotionally feels a whole lot less stressful than seeing Doctor Caballeron directly tussle with the Naga and the snakes. There were many reasons for that, but primary among them was I was concerned for Caballeron's health and sanity. For every second he stood there against them was another chance for Caballeron to suffer a serious injury or death. I especially felt concerned about that before I knew the Alicorn Amulet would accelerate his natural healing. As for his sanity, that was obvious. We knew that the Amulet was working to corrupt his mind and soul. That made even him nervous at first.

But running along side Leg It is different because the objective is different. Instead of confronting the Naga directly hoof to . . . claw? Hand? Slither? Well, anyway, our objective this time was simply to stay ahead of them and it thrilled me to see that working. I've got to hoof it to Leg It too. He wasn't kidding about being the party's fastest sprinter. That really is a natural talent of his. He's got incredible stamina for this, too. Enough to impress even an average earth pony let alone any other breed.

In fact, even I am struggling to keep up with him. Unlike him, I am winded and I'm using a technique he physically can't do but it is helping me to keep pace with him a bit, and that is to keep flapping behind me even as I gallop hard. With each flap, it gives me a brief boost but I have to race faster to keep up with it or else I'd stumble. I know in any standard leg race that I ever heard of, what I am doing now would be considered cheating and get me disqualified from the race, especially if I'm caught doing it. Sometimes I just hop during the flaps so tripping on the ground isn't even an issue.

If I did keep myself in the air instead, I'd run into other problems. For example, sometimes these tunnels are too tight for me to fully extend my wings and occasionally I have to make sharp turns. Even without those problems, I'd still have a hard time keeping up with Leg It on the ground. He really is that fast, so I'm forced to use a combination of a hard gallop mixed with wind boost thrusts.

As we gallop, I catch him glancing at me over his shoulder to see if I'm still keeping up with him. He notices I'm there, notices my struggle, and notices my wing flap technique that would have gotten me disqualified in a formal race. For that, he simply grins at me. I return his grin with a sheepish version of my own, but I have to remind myself that this isn't a race but a life or death struggle. I'll do whatever it takes, within my physical and moral capabilities, to stay alive.

“Which way?” he calls back to me as he gazes forward again. Because of that, I have a harder time hearing him since he's also ahead of me, not to mention having to hear him above my own very rapid heart rate, but I still hear him and respond.

“Stay on this path!” I breathlessly call to him between gasps. “Tanon isn't far ahead if he's still there and . . .” My voice fades away because I need to gasp for air.

Along the way, we pass by yet another tunnel that causes me to frown. It is the wrong way, but it does lead to something that Toolshed tipped me off to before we left the chamber with the StarGate in it. He prompted me to pull out my map of the temple then pointed to one particular room. It isn't the room where Tanon should be so I didn't know why Toolshed pointed it out. He didn't tell me verbally either which deepens my suspicion that Toolshed really can't talk at all no matter how urgent the situation may be. Instead he sort of plays charades which eventually leads me to the correct guess that when the Naga captured his team earlier, he saw them confiscate his tools and put them in the room that he indicated. At first I didn't know why he told me that. It was the wrong way. Did he want me to fetch his tools for him? Did he think I needed them for my mission?

Toolshed shook his head, then gestured at me, then pointed at his head three times. It led me to believe that he simply wanted me to know that those tools were there. He planned to step through the portal himself a moment later. Undoubtedly he had plenty of other tools like that back in his home. Quite likely in an actual tool shed. Thinking of that made me realize that a pony like him was probably responsible for building the ship we used to get here in the first place.

Whatever I do with this knowledge is my business. Armed with this knowledge, I know for sure where useful treasure in this temple is.

Ever since he told me this, though, it has nagged at me in the back of my mind. With each tunnel we pass that could lead us to his tools, I feel compelled to wonder if I'm making a mistake by not going for his tools first. Will I need them later?

Celestia help me! I really hope I'm making the right call by going straight for Tanon right now. He's got his own set of useful tools too, but not nearly as much, or as organized, as the set Toolshed had. I know for a fact that Toolshed took very good care of his tools too while he still had them.

Still, despite the dilemma he unwittingly put me under, I smile warmly and gratefully because I realize why he did it. Toolshed was about to step through that portal back to Equestria, thus effectively leaving this adventure altogether. His last act before leaving was doing whatever he could to support me. This is yet another reminder that there really are very good ponies in this world that do whatever they can to help one another. Not everypony is greedy like Caballeron, and even in Caballeron's case, I can still understand why he was afraid of this adventure and wanted to duck out early.

A shrill scream behind us causes both Leg It and I to halt. That scream sounded so much worse than a mare who was scared. It sounded like a mare who was painfully dying at this very moment.

Horror deepens in both of us when it finally occurs to us why we accelerated ahead of the rest of the threat that chased us. Up until now I would have considered that a good thing, but now it looks like there is an extra reason this is the case.

“That . . . that sounded like Doctor Grazy!” I gasp in horror.

“Oh no! No! She wouldn't!” Leg It cried out in horror as he spun about then charged back the way we came to check.

As he does so, it occurs to me that I wish I could dismiss the possibility, but I remember how concerned Doctor Grazy was for Leg It before we left that room. These two really are romantically attracted to each other. That was as plain as day to see. Normally I'd say professionalism should have compelled her to trot through that portal and simply trust her coltfriend to hoofle himself, but romantic passions certainly have caused plenty of other ponies to do irrational things before. If this really is her, then it means she simply could not tear her mind away from her overwhelming concern for her coltfriend.

In a way, I don't blame her either. I know the heart of a mare since I am one myself, and I know that she knows he was charging almost recklessly into danger which is only mitigated by the fact that at least we had a semblance of a plan.

Oh no! Is it true? Could it really be her?

Very likely just as Doctor Grazy felt not long ago, I can't help but wonder and check, so I, too, also spin about and charge back the way we came.

“No! Let me hoofle this,” Leg It soon calls back to me as soon as he noticed me following. “Tanon may still need us too. It's better if we split up so we can hoofle both objectives.”

“But-” I say objectively before he quickly cuts me off.

“No!” he repeats insistently. “Just go!”

I reluctantly slow my gallop which quickly widens the gap between me and the ever swift Leg It. I also look behind me to where we were going. I notice that this particular tunnel is clear, at least for now. Celestia knows about the area Tanon is at, though. He might be lying there bleeding at this very moment. Maybe I don't have a moment to spare.

But I look back to where Leg It charged off. Where he is going leads to even more certain danger. It sounds like Grazy has already died or is dying. Leg It could be next. Back the way we came is an overwhelming challenge even if Decay isn't there.

I lower my head and close my eyes even as tears rise to them. I really don't want to be weak or indecisive right now but I can't help it. I have feelings and I can't just magically make them go away whenever they are inconvenient. I care about everypony involved here. What should I do?!

I'm shaking so hard right now and my heartbeat noticeably pound in my eardrums both because of fatigue but also because of raw emotion.

I take a deep breath and practically force myself to calm down. My memory of being with The Great Sage Auzmeir helps because that was a timeless moment. A moment when I felt like I had all the time in eternity I needed to make any decision with absolutely no pressure or judgment. I realize this moment is very different, but the feeling and memory of that moment with Auzmeir still helps to calm me down. Also knowing wise and benevolent guides and guardians like him in existence helps to comfort me. It makes me feel like there is a divine guidance into all of fate and beings like him help to confirm that.

During that conversation I also remember him trying to teach me that, whenever I needed it, I have an internal compass within me. I can only see it when my heart isn't clouded, though. I can't be telling myself what that internal compass should say. Rather, I need to simply examine what it does say.

It takes me awhile to focus on it, but what it seems to indicate is I need to go back and see Tanon right now. He needs me more, and as for the other direction . . . it's already too late to make a meaningful difference. Whatever will happen will happen. The chain of causality can't be stopped at this point.

To a lesser extent, I'm getting similar vibes about Tanon too. Something has already happened to him that I can't stop, but there still is something meaningful I can accomplish over there. Not so much the other way around.

I briefly consult with my compass to check if I should go for Toolshed's tools first, and the answer seems to be yes . . . but not yet. Tanon is first in line.

I open my eyes and gaze back at the tunnel we were going towards Tanon, but I find my heart is still strongly pulled towards Leg It. Grazy might indeed be dead right now, but Leg It isn't. Maybe I can still help him?

But how? If Doctor Grazy, his fillyfriend, is truly dead, what could I possibly say to him that would be meaningful enough to convince him not to give up and continue to live?

But then I recall his orders. How he told me to go back for Tanon. All this time, I remember the guilt that was deep in his eyes. About how his reckless volume back in the jungle helped to lure that large two-legged creature to our position, or at least so we believe. It could have been other factors, but it's clear to me Leg It blames himself for the loss of those two elderly former Canterlot Guards. Ever since then, he's been desperate to redeem himself in his own heart. Helping me to rescue Tanon might have felt like a opportunity for him to do that, but doing so may have compelled Grazy to follow us even though she was told not to. If yet another death lies on his conscience, then . . .

Then . . .

My shoulders sink lower when I realize that it doesn't matter. Well, it does but there is nothing I can do or say about it that will lift his spirits enough to deter some drastic action on his part. I already know he's the type of pony who is headstrong and charges at his problems without fully thinking things through. But, at the very least, he really does have a good heart in him. He tried to be the hero in this situation. He really did, but sometimes the odds are just too daunting.

Whatever happens, happens. During adventures, or even life in general, sometimes we have to make the hard calls.

I remember what Leg It said. I remember the way he said it. I remember that firm look of conviction in his eyes. This is his path. This is what he chose, and right now he needs me to choose another.

For all intents and purposes, I might as well view it as his last request in life.

Leg It certainly has his flaws, but in the end, he is only trying to help.

Tears dripping from my eyes, I whip my head away then gallop back the way I was going. At least the distraction these other two are giving me helps me to gain a very good head start. Considering the price they paid for it, I cannot let this opportunity go to waste.

---

“Oh no. NO!” Tanon Burrows grouses while otherwise sprawled helplessly on the ground. He closes his eyes and bangs his head against the cave floor. The impact of which is slightly blunted by his pith hat. “You stupid, stupid girl. You shouldn't have come for me.”

I frown as I trot up to him then say, “I'm sorry, but I could not, in good conscience, abandon you to your fate here.”

“And in doing so, you may have condemned us both instead of just me,” Tanon said with his eyes still closed. Moments later he winces much more tightly in pain. I also notice him touch his heart area reflexively.

It is then when his situation fully sinks into me. I found him in this cave near a cave wall where he was planning on inserting some dynamite which could later blast and unleash a whole lot of holy water hidden behind it. That water would flood through most of the temple and hopefully also drown Decay. I'm not even sure if that Worm-That-Trots needs to breathe, but normal worms can drown and holy water mixed with a being infused with overwhelming dark magic would likely cause him to dissolve in that water as if it was made of acid.

Until now, I had wondered if Tanon had some other complication to slow him down. I half expected to see him surrounded by corpses down here, but nope. The two of us are alone. That might change soon, but I locked and barricaded an iron gate leading down here. That won't stall those who were chasing me indefinitely, but it should at least slow them down. I had hoped that it would stall them long enough to come up with a solid plan with Tanon, but now I'm seeing he's actually being hindered by the most inevitable enemy of life of all. His very own mortality.

And come to think of it, I don't know how Tanon could possibly set those dynamites off and still get out of here with his life. Doctor Smith assured us both he had a way, but he wouldn't explain what it was.

This, however, is very likely an unforeseen complication.

I scanned the cave walls and noticed I didn't see a trace of any of the dynamite which compels me to ask him, “Did you plant your sticks of dynamite?”

I see him relax his painful wince a bit as he answers, “Yes, but I have it very well hidden just in case any of the Naga catch me down here. If they pull out those sticks before we're ready to set them off then this whole section of the plan fails. I was determined to defend them even if it costs me my life.”

“But they didn't do this to you, didn't they?” I ask as I look down at him and gesture to his heart area with a brief flick of a right fore hoof.

With his eyes still closed, Tanon shakes his head as he admits, “No. This is another problem entirely. I'm afraid old age is catching up to me.”

Tanon finally opens his eyes as he scans about the place. Moments later he says, “I often wondered where I'd be when I die. There were so many close calls before. I didn't have enough time to think about it during those moments, but afterwards it got me thinking . . . that place that I narrowly escaped with my life . . . that could have been the place where I could have died.” I see him grin. “Some of those places would have been very appropriate because they were obviously dangerous. Pits of lava, for example. There wouldn't have been a trace left of me had I died there. No pony would have known what happened to me back then unless my partner made it out.”

I see him smile fondly at the thought of his old friend. My grandfather.

“Still other places seemed totally random,” he goes on. “Places I could have died that seemed perfectly safe, but I had some enemies chase after me and good ol' Fourwind at times. One can never know of all the kinds of places that could suddenly turn into a battlefield. Typically there were unique challenges and/or opportunities in each place and that can apply to either side of the conflict. Baskets I could toss at the enemy, or enemies, or vice versa. Sometimes there were potential hostages in the area we had to watch out for. Generally speaking, me and Fourwind often preferred to fight in areas clear of non-combatants, especially if our enemies knew that about us. Not every pony or creature likes to fight fair.”

I crouch down beside Tanon and gently stroke a hoof through his mane. Neither he nor Doctor Smith knew that I was secretly awake when Tanon confessed to Doctor Smith that Tanon was dying. For this reason, I ask, “Why didn't you tell me that you had health problems on this mission?”

He opens his eyes and looks at me squarely as he answers, “Because there is nothing you could have done to prevent it. I didn't want you worried or distracted.” He looks up at the cave ceiling as he goes on to say, “In hindsight, though, I think I regret that decision now. If you had known, maybe it would have convinced you not to come after me now. I am dying one way or another, so it is more comforting to me for that death to have some useful meaning and purpose to it.” He looks back at me. “But I wanted to die alone. I especially didn't want you to die with me.”

“Because you love me?” I ask with an emotionally shaky voice. “Love me like a grandfather?”

Tanon gazes at me softly as he reminds me, “I didn't want you to come to this adventure entirely, remember? I know what your parents wanted for you but that isn't my only reason. It may sound selfish of me, but in you . . . I see his legacy. His bloodline. Gradually I realized it was more than that.”

Tanon pauses as he screws his eyes shut and winces in pain again. When he does, my heart squeezes both out of sympathy for him and panic that I might not hear him finish his point.

Eventually whatever pain is crippling him temporarily passes so I prod him, “And? What else did you see in me?”

Tanon takes a few more calming breaths before he looks up at me and says, “In you, I see more than just his legacy. I see more than just his face. Perhaps a tad more feminine than him and certainly much younger than he was at the end, but I've been with him long enough to remember his younger face too. Not as young as you are now, but close.

“Beyond that, however, I also see his spirit inside of you. It's almost as if you are him reborn, or his spirit dwells within you.” He winces slightly as he says, “I can't exactly explain it well, but sometimes what you say, the way you say it, or what you do reminds me of him. Whenever I see that, I get nostalgic. It's as if he's back in the world and resuming to fight the good fight. He taught me to be the stallion I am today. He was the real hero. I was just tagging along and trying to keep my foolish friend from being killed. In exchange, he saved my life too many times. Eventually it became pointless to try to keep track of who owes who a favor for saving each other's life. It became more like an old habit between us.

“We never felt invincible. We both suffered and gathered plenty of scars to prove that, but we were an extra safety net for each other that we had to rely upon plenty of times.

“And now . . .” he pauses for a moment as he scans his surroundings again before going on to say, “. . . this is where I die. I wondered where it would be for so long, but finally . . . that stress comes to an end. I have my answer now. Those questions and morbid curiosity can finally and totally be set to rest.”

He looks back at me with sudden flare of determination in his eyes as he says to me, “But you? You need to live. You got so much of your future ahead of you, and I know it's going to be glorious. Promise me that you'll continue to live! Promise me that you will never stop exploring those endless horizons. At least the ones that exist within ourselves.”

I burst into a sob and need a moment to recover before I smile down at him and say, “He said the same thing to me too. My grandfather. Your friend.”

He returns my smile with a nostalgic version of his own as he says, “It was almost an old catch phrase he and I both shared to each other. A promise that we'd never stop exploring those endless horizons. At least the ones that exist within ourselves.”

I look down with a frown, reminded of his loss.

“I used to think he was a fool for retiring from the life of an adventurer. Meanwhile I kept going while feeling nervous that he was no longer there to cover me.

“Still, by then, I had grown so skilled at it that I easily thwarted most average challenges. I no longer needed him to the degree that I once did as long as I scaled back the challenges we once sought. I always kept my strengths and limitations in mind and aim only for challenges I could realistically face on my own.

“But later it occurred to me that Fourwind still kept his promise to me. He kept on exploring those inner horizons, for a family presented lots of challenges of its own. In the end, he has more to show for it, and me? I do have one regret. I have no pony I can pass my legacy too, so for now . . . you'll have to do.”

I notice him stare at me squarely again.

“If it's true that his spirit is alive within you, one way or another, then I promise you mine soon will be too. I pass onto you all of my strengths, wisdom, knowledge and experience. All that I am. All that I ever would have been. It's all in you now. You now carry the legacy of us both. In you shall endure the might of two of histories more famous adventuring stallions. You have it all now. With that in mind, I just ask you to do two things. Live and be happy. Whatever that means to you, I want you to throw your all into your passions.

“The Doctor believes in you. Fourwind . . . believes in you, and now, finally . . . in the end of my life . . . I believe in you. You have us all within you, carrying and uplifting your spirit. Take it . . . your legacy and destiny. Master all that you are and all that is bequeathed to you so that you become as unstoppable as you are meant to be.”

He lifts a shaking hoof. Still sobbing, I grasp it between both of my fore hooves.

“Promise me!” He struggles to say to me with a tight wince of pain.

I apply my forehead to his outstretched hoof as well. Another reason why I cry now is because I don't think I can deliver on his promise even if I wanted to. I don't think I can escape the way I came and continue to expect to live. Besides that, some pony has to set off this dynamite. No matter what happens, this world cannot continue to suffer from Decay's ongoing existence. He must be stopped at all costs. At all costs!

“Promise me!!!” Tanon begs in a more desperate grunt of effort and pain.

I sigh. I really don't want to lie to him, but this is his last request. He won't die in peace until I give him some hope. I'm not heartless enough to endure the idea that his soul is writhing in agony in the afterlife because I refused to give him the answer he sought just before he dies.

Finally I look back at him and nod, then say, “Yes, Tanon. I promise.”

I see a glimmer of doubt in his eyes. He might have seen through my lie, at least partially, which compels him to his next action. I see a golden/brown aura engulf his pith hat then he guides it to float over to me. I gaze at it in astonishment.

“Tanon, I . . . I can't. This is yours!” I remind him emotionally.

“I won't need it where I am going,” he reminds me in return. “And I want some symbol of this promise to remain with you. I want you to know that this hat,” he shakes it for a moment, “is now your second cutie mark. With it, I invest all of my knowledge, wisdom, and experience.”

Tanon flattens the hat against my chest as he stares at me more passionately before he goes on to say, “But do not put it on unless you are ready to make the commitment. Unless you are ready to take that final plunge. From now on, so long as you wear this hat, then you . . . my dear . . . are an adventurer too. With it, be bold. Be brave. Be smart. Be resourceful.” He narrows his eyes at me and grunts, “Be unstoppable!”

Still holding onto his hoof with both of mine, I instead press the hat close to my chest within a hug from my wings. Strangely I do sense a kind of power radiating from this hat now. Maybe his spirit is indeed being invested in it now. As such, it has become an important legacy item. It might as well be a historical artifact now, at least for me. Along with that power comes a lot of responsibility. If I dare to put on this hat, I need to be serious about my promise to him.

“Thank you,” I tell him in a weak, tiny voice, but it also has as much conviction as I can muster right now. “I'll cherish it . . . and remember what you said to me.”

I finally see Tanon relax now. He's almost ready to let go of his spirit.

“The journey is yours now,” he tells me weakly but also much more calmly than before. For once, he doesn't seem to be in pain anymore. “With your maps and your compass and with our spirit with you to guide you, may you ever find your way on your journey.”

He gazes up at the ceiling as he says with his weakest breath yet. “Meanwhile, I'll resume to mine. Onwards . . . I go.”

Those are literally his last words. When he expels his next long breath, he does not take another. In his eyes, I see his eyes widen as if he just noticed something wondrous at the last second, but then his eyes still in that pose as if I'm looking at a frozen photograph. The rest of his body goes limp too. His hoof drops from mine.

I burst into a sob over him. Not many personally knew him. Not even me, but I read about his famous adventures. He had a lot of them. Some really good ones. Tanon can easily be described as the reluctant hero, but in his determination to follow the hoofsteps of my grandfather, that is what he became. Many lives and even whole societies got spared because of these two. That's a legacy that will die with him. The next time the world needs a really good hero, it shall suffer instead . . . because I can't be there. I wish I could keep my promise to him, but too much is at stake right now.

As I look among the cave walls, I realize I still can't see where he planted the dynamite. He told me that he hid it well, but I need to find it. A pity I don't have Toolshed's tools to help me ignite it once I do find it. I guess sparking it with two stones will have to do. Grandfather taught me how.

But then I grab his pith hat with my forehooves and drag it forward enough so I can gaze down at it. When I stare at it, I feel his spirit calling out to me through it, “Remember, you promised.”

My hooves shake as I gaze at that hat more tearfully. I do want to live. I really do . . . but somepony has got to stop Decay with all that holy water and I'm the only one left here.

Then I think about my diary. I still have it in my saddlebag. I put his hat away then pull it out. I affectionately and gently brush a hoof over the cover the the diary. Within these pages is my story. All that I have written so far. Perhaps I'll die today too, but it would be such a tragic loss if at least this diary didn't endure. Something, somewhere, someone needs to remember all that we've done during this adventure. All that we sacrificed. We all deserve it. Our memory must live on!

I cast a long sigh then slowly put the diary away. My spirit sinks too. This is all so tragic.

But then my ears perk up when I start to hear a very weird sound that I cannot, for the life of me, place. I can barely describe it. Some weird echoing sound in this cavern that is getting louder and louder. Eventually a second sound joins it which I can best describe as some kind of groan of an engine. I look around me for the source of this noise and I eventually locate it. When I do, I slowly see some weird and mysterious blue box fade into existence.

I widen my eyes at this. I have never seen this thing before personally but I have seen a few historical pictures with this thing in it or historical text mentioning the legend of it. Far more recently was Doctor Caballeron himself mentioning that this was the greatest treasure he ever sought.

It really does exist?!

I continue to stare at it in numb shock even after the thing fully materializes. Even after those weird sound effects fade away. Quiet descends in this cave, and I continue to stare at the Blue Box. Somehow I can even read the text on it. It says, “Police Call Box”, whatever that means.

Finally the door on it opens. Doctor Smith pokes his head out and scans about the place. First he notices me, then he notices Tanon's corpse. Sympathy sinks into his face when he sees the latter, but not surprise.

When he looks back at me, I see conviction sink into his eyes. He lifts his hoof and says to me, “Come with me if you want to live.”

For some reason amusement flashes in his eyes as if what he just said is an inside joke, but he continues to hold his hoof out to me to convey his offer is very serious. He holds his hoof out to me expectantly but gradually grows alarmed when he notices I am reluctant to accept it. Confusion seems to sink into his face too as he tries to puzzle why I might be reluctant. He quickly figures it out, though. I always suspected the stallion was sharp. His expression then grows more earnest and he shakes his hoof at me as if begging me to accept his offer.

I look down at Tanon.

I look at the wall where the dynamite is hidden somewhere.

I look down at my own hooves as I lift them up.

I look at his extended hoof and contemplate what he is offering.

I look deep into his eyes and his very earnest face.

Then I smile.

Author's Notes:

Oh. My. Goodness. Did a major mess up here. Not only did I post this chapter two days late, but I posted the next chapter ahead of this one instead.

Sorry for the mess up, folks. I'll try not to let it happen again.

Anyway, for the few who did read the next chapter already, don't worry. It'll be back next week. In the meantime I'm trying to post this in order.

(sigh) So embarrassing.

Part 23: A Legend Begins

I gasp in astonishment as soon as I step through the doors and enter the interior of the Blue Box. The inside is astonishingly spacious. I have never seen anything like it outside works of fiction, and even then it feels far-fetched.

Then I glance to my side and behold Doctor Smith observing me with an amused, expectant look on his face.

“What?” I ask him as my face flushes with a tiny shade of shyness.

“Oh . . . nothing,” he says as he continues to hold his ghost of a grin. He touches the fedora hat and closes his eyes as he says, “I was just wondering what you think of the place.”

“It's . . . surreal,” I say breathlessly as my gaze sweeps across the place again.

Then I look down.

“And at the moment . . . a tad overwhelming too,” I admit sadly. “After everything else I've been through on this journey . . . part of me feels as if I must be in a dream.”

“I suppose that's one way to put it,” Doctor Smith partially agrees with a far more somber expression. “You really have been through a lot. Probably more than a mare your age should be put through. In this place, though,” he focuses back at me which I notice off the corner of my left eye, “please be at ease. Nothing shall harm you in here. I promise.”

Reminded of something, I lift my head again and gaze back at him partially over my left shoulder as I say to him, “Before you left through the Stargate portal, you promised me you'd be back to help me. At the time I couldn't conceive how you'd do it, but for some strange reason I believed you anyway.”

Doctor Smith smiles at me softly as he expresses, “I'll take that as a compliment then.”

For the next fifteen seconds, the two of us continue to stand there in slightly awkward silence. For me, it is a lot more than that. There's already been so much for me to process right now. I still feel like I'm in shock. That's why my emotions seem to be on vacation right now. While they are gone, I feel mostly blank and empty inside.

“Stay here,” Doctor Smith bids me. “I'm going to step outside and take care of Tanon's body.”

“Please hurry,” I urge him with more force in my words than I feel inside. It seems like I should be carrying much more right now, but instead I'm just going through the motions. Still, it seems important to warn him that, “Leg It bought us a little bit of time out there, but it is unlikely it will be for long. When the Naga are through with him, they'll show up here soon.”

“I won't be long. I promise,” Doctor Smith swears as he steps towards the exit of this place. “When I'm done with that, I'll shut this door. Nothing shall get through after that, and this ship won't stay here for long anyway.”

The shadow of confusion rests in the corners of my mind, but I mostly just stare blankly at him as he leaves this . . . whatever this place is.

I sweep my gaze across this place again. I notice most of the activity and emphasis in this room is located in the center of the room. There seems to be a circular console there that is raised up higher than the rest of the room by a single step. Contraptions spill down the center of the room and meet up with the console there. Celestia only knows what that thing is for, but my guess is Doctor Smith operates this Box thing from there. This “Police Call Box”, whatever that means.

My left ear shifts towards the door when I hear a weird sound outside. Moments later Doctor Smith returns inside this Box thing and shuts the front door. When he spins about and proceeds further inside, I notice a curious look of satisfaction on his face.

“What did you do?” I ask curiously. “You couldn't have buried his body that fast. Besides that, that cave is solid rock out there. I also don't see you lugging in his body in here, so . . .” I trail off.

“What I've done is de-molecularize and rearranged his subatomic structure,” Doctor Smith states as if it should have been a casual fact. “In essence, I made his body a lot more portable.”

“Ahhhh . . .” I gaze at him, stunned. “How portable?” I eventually venture to ask.

Doctor Smith steps up to the center console. Until I asked my last question, it looked like that was where his focus was going to be. After I ask, though, he turns to look at me for a second then reached inside his coat to pull out something. When he reveals it on his right hoof, what he holds towards me appears to be a teardrop shaped topaz gem. With it presented, he tells me, “About this portable.”

“Wha- . . .?” I blink, stunned again. “Ha . . . How?”

“That's not really important right now,” the Doctor replies as he returns the gem to an inside coat pocket. “And it is unlikely you'd understand me even if I told you. Right now I want to dematerialize this ship from my current spot. I'm confident that the Naga, or even Decay, can't get through those doors. Nevertheless, I don't want them to even know that this thing was ever here.”

I see Doctor Smith fiddle with some controls. When he gives a final yank of some lever, he gazes up in satisfaction as the place we're in groans to life again. Once again I hear the same sound that I heard when this Box first materialized.

“Thankfully this temple doesn't have cameras either,” Doctor Smith expresses in satisfaction. “I don't even think it did during its heyday. The residents of that time clearly had other priorities in mind.”

“Where are we?” I suddenly demand to know. “And who are you really? Time and time again, you've proven yourself to be unlike any pony I've ever known.”

“Ponies seem quite distinctive to me, at least in this universe,” Doctor Smith says as he steps up to the rail around the center console and crosses his forelegs there. “Distinctive enough to say that every pony is unique.”

“Yeah, but you are far more unique,” I assure him confidently. “Much more otherworldly. Plus, I remember when you said you'd bet one of your two hearts over something or another back when we were in front of the statue of the Great Serpent. At the time I thought you were joking, but now I'm not so sure.” I lift a hoof and gesture around this place as I add, “Plus there is this place. No ordinary location or object that I know of is bigger on the inside.”

Doctor Smith's expression towards me immediately brightens as he cheers, “There it is! That's fantastic! Finally you said the word!”

I wince at him in confusion as I ask, “What words? What in blazes are you talking about?”

Suddenly Doctor Smith lifts a hoof and pushes it lightly towards me in a calming gesture as he says, “Your questions and confusions is very understandable and fair. Also I shouldn't expect a mare as intelligent and observant as you not to notice unusual details about your traveling companions.” He looks about him as he adds, “Especially obvious details like this place.”

“Please level with me,” I urge him. “What's going on?” I suddenly give him a shrewd expression as I ask him, “This is the legendary Blue Box that Doctor Caballeron was talking about on the ship during the storm, isn't it?”

Doctor Smith gives me a faint proud look as he tells me, “Indeed. It is.” His expression turns to more normal as he goes on to say, “It is called the TARDIS which stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It is a time and space transport vehicle that is among some of the most useful inventions of my native people who once called themselves Time Lords.” He shrugs slightly as he adds, “Or Ladies as the case may be, though that, too, is highly relative because our appearance can change greatly on each regeneration. My people,” he applies a hoof to his chest, “can recover from near fatal wounds using a natural technique that we call regeneration, but the process is trying and it can greatly alter our appearance and even much of our personality with each change. Our most fundamental goals remain the same, though, which in my case is healing and exploration. As a Time Lord, the name I have chosen for myself is the Doctor.”

I stare at him blankly for several silent seconds before I wince my right eye at him as I ask him, “Not Doctor John Smith?”

The Doctor shakes his head as he replies, “No. That's just an alias I've assumed for this adventure and some others in the past.” He looks up. “Although 'John' doesn't seem to be much of a pony name anymore. Maybe I should consider another.” He looks back at me. “I faced a true pony counterpart of me before who also had a name that I honestly did consider using for this adventure, and that name is Time Turner.” He shrugs. “The problem with that, though, is that pony is already born in this world during your time so I didn't want to run the risk of using that name and confusing everyone with him. Aside from that, ponies seem to thrive on individual self expression and I figured 'John' might give me a unique identity. Did I stretch things too far, though?”

I shake my head as I admit to him, “I've lost track of all the ways you've stood out in highly unusual ways. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who noticed either.”

The Doctor frowns slightly and taps the rail four times as he says, “Darn. I'm going to have to work on that. Standing out can have some advantages sometimes but not always. In this case I really was trying to blend in because I didn't want to steal the spotlight from you.”

I give him a curious expression as I say, “That's not the first time you singled me out as a special mare. You've done so multiple times, including a night around a campfire out in the open when you and Tanon thought I was asleep.”

“Huh.” The Doctor gives me a coy look. “I had a feeling you were actually awake during that time and listening.”

“You met my future self, didn't you?” I press on. “You said that this vessel can travel through time too.” I point out towards one of the walls as I add, “Doctor Caballeron thought so too, and now it seems to me he might have been right.”

The Doctor flashes me a cunning and proud grin as he says, “Since you asked me to level with you, I'll admit that I have met your future self once. I gathered certain clues about her that indicated that this adventure would be necessary to eventually facilitate her potential.” He shook his head slightly. “You were way too familiar with me the first time I met you so I knew right away that we've met before in your perspective.”

I feel stunned again when what he just told me sinks in. At this point I plop my bottom on the ground and just stare forward blankly.

The Doctor steps down away from the center console in order to approach me. In front of me, he lays a sympathetic hoof on my shoulder. I glance at it for a moment before looking up at him.

“I hope you'll believe me when I say I did not know much about this adventure before I chose to join it,” he tells me softly. “Much of it has surprised me every bit as much as you. Plus, I rarely take precious moments like this for granted. I have on occasion but I've usually been depressed in other ways during those times.”

“You're very old, aren't you?” I realize as I widen my eyes at him. “You're like Princess Celestia!”

“Ah!” He says as he looks forward above my head with a fond look in his eyes. “Good old Miss Sunbutt.”

I blanch at him then express in shock, “I hope you didn't say that in front of her!”

He looks back down at me with a grin as he says, “Well, even if I did, she'd take it better than you'd expect, I suspect. Princess Celestia can be a very regal and wise mare, but secretly she's bored of that lifestyle and I don't blame her one bit. A thousand years of stuffy court meetings would take their toll on anyone's soul. Trust me when I tell you that she definitely considers playful levity a breath of fresh air. Typically only her closest friends ever get to see her mischievous side which is secretly starving for attention. In later years she gradually allowed that hidden side to come out when she had other reasons to relax more. I won't say why that will happen because it hasn't happened yet in your time, but you'll find out soon enough.”

He stands up straight and lowers his hoof back to the ground as he says, “But enough about that. Let's talk about you and what you want.”

“Me?” I ask him in a mystified way.

“You're the real reason I came back to this time,” the Doctor reminds me. “This is your journey. You steer its course. I only offer guidance here, especially when requested.”

I think about that for a moment as I stare blankly at his chest. Then I look back up at his face as I ask, “Where and when are we now?”

“Well,” he says as he looks back at the console. “Right now we are nowhere and no when. We're still in the trans dimensional tunnel between all of reality.” He looks back at me. “I haven't set a time or place yet because I want you to choose it.”

Somehow I knew he was going to say that, so I declare, “In that case, I do have somewhere specific in mind.”

---

“Hey Grandfather,” I express solemnly as I lay Tanon's pith hat directly on top of grandfather's grave stone. A grave stone that is parked at the edge of a cliff. Beyond that is a massive and expansive view of our countryside that is filled with green grasslands and farmlands. It feels strange to me that my recent city life had such humble beginnings like this.

I know this was one of grandfather's favorite spots. He loved the wide and beautiful view it affords. This was no secret. He took me plenty of times in my youth too. Sometimes we didn't fly here but rather climbed instead. At the time I used to complain and question it, but now I can't help but cherish those memories.

Today is a beautiful and cloudless sunny day. Even the winds are soft and gentle right now. I can't help but feel like it is caressing me softly. It's almost as if the winds itself is delivering a loving message from my grandfather.

“You remember this hat, don't you?” I ask my grandfather's spirit as I continue to regard his small and humble gravestone. “I finally met Tanon Burrows, but I suppose you know that now, don't you? He's probably standing right beside you even as I speak.”

Hearing the Doctor take in and release a deep breath reminds me of the fact he's nearby. Maybe not close enough to hear me well. I think he wants to give me this private moment with my grandfather and maybe even the spirit of his old partner and friend. Glancing back at him, I notice the Doctor just soak up the beautiful view in front of us. He looks like he truly relishes this experience which I find an odd contradiction for a stallion as old as I suspect he is. I figured someone who is as old as he is and seen the things he's seen would have this near constant attitude of, “Been there, done that,” sort of thing, but no. Instead of that, he takes this moment to relish and cherish life. My love for him deepens when I see that. It makes him seem so authentic and noble to me. So very “present” in this sacred moment of time.

I smile back to the gravestone.

“Tanon was as rough around the edges as you warned me, Grandfather, but I could tell his tough exterior hid a noble soul. He often told me you inspired that. I kind of believe him, but I don't think you put anything inside him that wasn't already there. You more coaxed it out, I think.

“The recent adventures I've been on were on a whole new level though, Grandfather. Maybe even beyond most of your single adventures. It's not every day that a pony can honestly say that they've discovered a brand new continent let alone everything that dwells on it.”

Tears rush to flood my eyes at the memories I've encountered there and even those I experienced along the way. Memories of friendships I thought I had developed as we traveled and they certainly felt precious to me. Most of them ended in tragedy though one way or another. That makes the good memories I have seem to sting more.

“I've learned a lot about adventurers and adventurers on this journey, Grandfather,” I continue in a more pained voice. “There is a lot of things I've seen that wasn't what I expected. All of this has caused me to realize how truly sheltered I was before. I don't consider myself a dumb mare by any stretch of the imagination either, but if so many of my former beliefs can land this badly off target, that mainly goes to show just how much experience in the real world I lacked before.

“Maybe you spoiled me, in a way. I looked up to you both literally and figuratively as I grew up. You were this mighty stallion that had so much wisdom in your eyes, and I saw the way the journey shaped you into such a compassionate pony. I saw the way you looked fondly back upon your memories. I wanted that for myself too when I grew up to be that age. I wanted to be the kind of mare who relished her life as well. Who looks back upon all that I have done, and will do, with no regrets because I knew I gave it my all.

“You made adventure seem almost romantic as if it can't possibly do anything less than spiritually uplift us. Just make us more whole than we could otherwise possibly imagine. I wanted that too. That sense of inner fulfillment that I saw in your eyes.

“I guess Naiveté should have been my middle name, though, instead of Yearling.”

I wince in disgust. I always hated my middle name. That's why I've always said my name was Agate Y. Keystone at most. It still haunts me how many times other cruel young foals teased me that I was as dumb and ignorant as a Yearling.

“I guess, in a way, it was true, though,” I suddenly realize as an epiphany dawns on me. “All this time, I've been the Fool on a Fool's Journey. That journey was always necessary for me to see The World, though. The journey of a thousand miles always begins with a single step. You taught me that, Grandfather.”

I grin fondly at the gravestone.

“Or, as I'd prefer to call it, my own personal Hero's Journey.”

I gaze above the gravestone at the expansive landscape in wonder. In the distance I even marvel at the mountains on the horizon. The whole land is flat up to that point, but there is a bump in the distance as if to hint that there is so much more to explore out there beyond that great boundary. Looking upon it has always tantalized me in my youth. Grandfather's stories of his adventures only added even more fuel to that inner fire.

“Weirdly enough, I guess I just assumed eveypony else would be as heroic as you were,” I eventually go on wistfully as I continue to gaze out to that distant horizon with tearful, shining eyes. “I thought that because you used to be the only example of a former adventurer that I saw. I could also tell that, in your heart, you didn't really fully retire. The yearning for the journey was always within you. It simply took a new form when you settled down with your family.”

I gaze back at his gravestone.

“But because of your example, I used to think every other adventurer was like you too. That the journey somehow enhanced and made them wise too. I thought that was the only conclusion everypony would make when they went through the same thing, but I see now that I was wrong. Being brave and heroic is always a choice. It is often a hard choice, too, for it's so easy to take a cowardly route and/or short cuts. That's why so few ponies take and stick to that path.

“Tanon took it reluctantly too, from what I heard, but he chose to follow you and I don't think he truly regretted it in his heart. Clearly there were some regrets from him but I think his most important decisions he would have repeated if given the choice because, once true wisdom takes hold of a pony's heart, it's too late to go back. One can't un-see something that expanded their world view in profoundly important ways. After that, the only direction they have left is to keep marching forward.”

I close my eyes and release a deep breath as I mentally skim over what I've learned on this journey.

“Clearly there is a difference between an adventurer and a hero . . . or a villain. They can be one and the same, but the two words are not always mutually exclusive. Some do the right thing for the wrong reasons and vice versa. Some want to do the right thing but they can't for some reason. Some could do the right thing, for it is well within their capabilities, but chose not to because the greedy path seems more lucrative and possibly even safe?”

I look back at the gravestone and Tanon's hat in particular.

“Some are very capable and really do do the right thing, but felt so burdened after struggling down that path for so long.”

I look over my right shoulder at the Doctor. When I do, he meets my gaze. When he does, I see that same look in his eyes that I once saw in my grandfather's. That same expansive wisdom that comes with a very fruitful journey.

“Then there is the rare few who do the right thing for the right reasons, is well capable of it, and is strong enough to endure that harder path for the long haul,” I say before looking back at the gravestone. “But I can't convince myself that it always takes some greater alien from outer space to pull that off. I think we can do it too. You proved it.”

I close my eyes and bow my head in a sacred moment of silence. A few minutes pass in this fashion before I look back at the gravestone.

“Something else that I've learned on this journey is I've been too dependent upon others. With every pony I met during this journey, I always counted on them to know better than me. I relied and even romanticized this idea that they'd rescue me whenever I needed them. I guess it was my fantasy to be this 'damsel in distress'. I guess I thought that if I could gain that experience and be successfully rescued then it would somehow prove that I am valuable too. That it would validate me, my beliefs, and my place in the world. That I'm worth saving.

“But every time I did that, I usually experienced folly in some form. I used to look up to Doctor Caballeron. I really did, but he wasn't really the pony I thought he was at heart. Sure, he's good looking. Sure, he is smart and educated. Sure, he was experienced . . . but in the end, all of those traits served an evil purpose because he chose it. A professional and competent pony does not guarantee that they'd be an ally. Sometimes their goals just sets them on a wholly different path.

“Then there are adventurers like Leg It and Doctor Grazy. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but the reason they are dead is part of the point I am making. Arrogance on one hoof and foolhardiness on the other. They bit off more than they could chew, but what really hurts me to notice is how desperately they really tried to do the right thing in the end. Whether it was out of love or a sense of guilt, they gave it their all. They were good ponies. They were really good souls, but that alone does not guarantee victory. It takes more than just that.

“After what I went through, I really can't decide what is worse or better. Is it better to have an incompetent but well-meaning fool who constantly puts the party in danger accidentally, or a cunning and competent companion who secretly plots evil agendas?

“Either way, there is something to be desired.”

With a quick glance back at the Doctor, I add, “It is too rare to expect the best of both worlds. To encounter a well-meaning pony who is also highly competent. Such individuals do exist, but I've learned it is foolish to rely upon them all the time. Even if they could be the dashing knight in shining armor, I've realized since how guilty I should have felt at that concept all along. Expecting and counting on being rescued also means putting undo burden upon somepony else.”

My eyes shift back to the gravestone. “So I've since come to realize that the most optimal path is to become that which I wish to see. To be the heroic adventurer I kept hoping somepony else would be instead. For one reason or another, sometimes no pony else can or would want to rescue me. In the end, I can only count on myself because I can be more confident of my abilities and motivation. In fact, I even learned that I'm far more capable of this than I previously thought possible. It really is possible that I misjudged my ultimate destiny. That is always something worth considering. Sometimes it can be very helpful to pause and inwardly reflect upon one's self. To take a moment and ask myself the big questions such as who am I really?

“I do know one thing for sure. I am a mare that likes to be confident in any journey I choose to take. A map in one hoof and a compass on the other. If the map is currently blank then so much the better. I'll gaze forward with bold excitement at what I might discover upon that next horizon. It is time for this pony to be daring. Maybe that is all I ever should have been.”

I lift and gaze at my hooves.

“But it also feels important to me to be remembered. If I explore uncharted lands then I'm going to chart it. If I encounter something new and exciting then I'm going to write it down. That way I know, at the very least, if somepony else ever encounters my corpse and my diary, they'll gain some glimpse into who I was. What's the point of exploration if I'm the only one who is benefiting?”

I gaze up into the cloudless sky with wonder.

“That's right,” I say passionately with a proud smile. “This is all about my journey and learning who I am. Outward exploration can be inner too.”

I fall to my knees then look back at the gravestone.

“I cherish you both as you have loved, guided, and supported me. You've all sensed greater potential in me well before I did. I think it's high time to live up to that potential. I thank you all for showing me the way. In gratitude for all that you have given me, I'm finally willing to explore that potential as well. Please keep watching me, and if you dare to try, try to keep up.”

I reach on top of the gravestone and pick up Tanon Burrows pith hat.

No. Correction. It is my hat now.

I remember the promise Tanon gave me before he died. He promised he'd invest all of his spirit into this hat. That he'd give me all of his strength, but he also warned me not to put it on unless I am serious about this commitment. He thought that my grandfather's strength was already within me. If I wear this hat, then the combined strength of both of these mighty and heroic stallions will be within me as well.

Do I Dare to live up to these lofty expectations?

I rise back up. I look beyond my new pith hat at grandfather's gravestone. A gravestone that I recently planted Tanon's topaz gem within when I first arrived here. It only seems fitting that these two reunite in every symbolic way possible.

I am beyond words now. I've said all that I feel I need to have said. There is just lingering feelings in me now. In that silent and sacred moment, I say my final goodbyes before I turn away.

“Are you ready?” the Doctor asks me simply when I approach him. As I do so, I don't look upon him yet. My gaze remains fixed at the new hat on my hoof. A hat that curiously feels like it has far more weight than it should have. Within that hat, there is a sacred promise. If I put this on then I'm making a very serious commitment. One that may very well deeply affect the rest of my life and destiny.

I then look up at the Doctor for a moment. He continues to gaze upon me patiently. He looks at me with expectant and hopeful eyes. Behind that, I see excitement in him. It is almost bursting within him. He must be wondering if this is the moment when my true legendary journey begins.

I look back at the hat as I reflect on that question one last time. Am I ready?

To help answer that question, I close my eyes and consult my inner compass for a brief moment. What it seems to tell me is I'll never feel ready before I take that final leap, but it also promises me that fate will favor the bold.

Feeling settled, I finally put the hat on. When I do, I feel a flood of magic and newfound confidence fill me. When I next open my eyes, I do so narrowly. I lift the edge of my new hat to reveal to the Doctor a bold and daring grin.

Author's Notes:

Last week was a little messed up and I accidentally posted this chapter instead of the last one, and even that was a day late. To the few who read this chapter before back then, consider to take a look at last week's chapter. It may be that chapter that is the actual new one for you.

But for everyone else going on forward, it should be a smooth transition from this point forward. I've never made a posting mistake like that before and perhaps I never will again. Certainly I won't do so intentionally.

As you can likely sense, this story is wrapping up soon. Next week's chapter is the full climax. The reveal of Daring Do in her full glory minus the training she'll later acquire. At this point her confidence in herself will be so strong that that alone may almost feels like a super power.

She'll occasionally be sassy too, just like in show canon.

Part 24: A Daring Hero's Stand

Just about everything is in place. I practically know this temple like the back of my hoof now. I studied my map of it inside and out, and that includes the secret passageways that most of the natives here aren't aware of anymore. Thanks to that and my sneaky flying skills, I was able to literally go right over the heads of many of the Naga guards here.

Once again I am hidden among the ceiling support columns. Around that, I peek down and notice, to my satisfaction, that one of the temple cultists has finally found the decoy Alicorn Amulet that me and my allies planted. That cultist is delivering the fake right up to their exceptionally large leader, Nelkra Shlog'znof, who is at the base of the giant cobra statue in the sacrificial chamber. To my greater satisfaction, it seems that at least half of the cultist are in this room too. They look busy discussing something among themselves.

“I found it! The Amulet!” triumphantly declares the Naga who is delivering the fake Alicorn Amulet. I secretly grin at this encounter above because I realize I can finally understand them all thanks to the telempathic blessings of the TARDIS. As the Doctor had explained to me earlier, now that I set hoof in that machine and had been accepted by it, benefits like this lingers.

“You have?” their cult leader, Nelkra, asks in surprised delight. “Bring it to me now!” Nelkra demands.

That is exactly what that Naga was doing. Too bad for them that I'll now intervene. It's high time to make my new début.

I aim Tanon's former crossbow down at this scene. Attached to the end of that crossbow bolt is a plunger that I improvised onto this crossbow bolt thanks to secretly retrieving Toolshed's tools. I then fire the crossbow. As the bolt flies away from my weapon, small coiled rope attached to the back of this crossbow spins at is uncoils. The other end of this rope is attached to the back of the crossbow bolt I just fired. Once the plunger end hits the Alicorn Amulet, I spin a crank at the back of this crossbow to recoil the rope to it. That, in turn, yanks the fake Amulet out of the surprised Naga's hands and eventually delivers it to my hooves.

“YOU!” Nelka roars in outrage as the whole assembly gasps up at me.

Since I have deliberately abandoned stealth at this point, I stand up straight and tip my new hat down at them.

“Sorry, boys,” I call down with a flair of sarcasm in my voice. “But this here is a legendary pony artifact and I'm taking it back. My kind made it and it's our mess to clean up.”

The entire assembly down below me gasps when they realize they can actually understand me this time, but Nelka is the first to voice it.

“You speak our tongue now? How? When?” He then narrows his eyes at me. “Were you creatures just playing dumb with us all along?”

“Just the opposite, actually,” I partially bluff with a teasing grin revealed under the shadow of my new hat. “We find it's not always wise to tip our best hoof to would-be enemies who capture us and try to boss us around. Oh, and ah . . .” I lean down, “the name of my species is 'ponies', in case you're interested to know.” I give a dismissive wave to the lot of them. “You can be the 'creatures' if you want to.”

Nelka quakes with intense fury as he points up at me and demands, “GET HER!”

“Come and get me, boys,” I deviously mutter quietly in a daring tone under my breath before I glide away from the upper columns and make it to the exit of this chamber then curve right into one of the massive hallways of this temple. I hear, to my satisfaction, every Naga gathered here now chasing after me. That probably now even includes their leader Nelkra Shlog'znof. The only thing that bothers me about this situation is I haven't gotten all of the cultist chasing me yet because some of them are spread out in the temple looking for my kind or, more especially, the Alicorn Amulet. Another thing that bothers me is I never gained eyes on Decay either, and he is, by far, the most threatening force in this temple.

I twist one of my ears behind me as I listen to the crowd that's following behind me. The other ear I aim in various different directions ahead of me. I have to find the scattered remaining members of this temple and get them to follow me too.

In my head, I have a mental map of this whole temple. I also know some of the doors in this temple are not only closed now but jammed shut thanks to the Doctor's marvelous alien technology. He claims he's wearing another that makes him hard to notice somehow. Not invisible per se but somehow difficult for the mind to notice.

That's not the only advantage we're trotting into this adventure with. Considering that Decay is on the prowl, we know we really had to up our immune system verses diseases. To combat a threat that strong, we also knew it would require holy magic because Decay's magic is reinforced with dark magic. It's not just a disease but a curse he spreads. One that makes his disease far more effective. To combat that, the fake Alicorn Amulet I'm holding right now is ironically charged with holy magic. That'll give me proper protection just encase I gallop into Decay. I don't even have to wear the Amulet to gain those benefits. Just hold it somewhere on my person.

For now, I'm choosing not to actually wear it because I know those chasing shortly behind me would expect me to be augmented by dark magic. Those behind me would grow suspicious if I don't pull off augmented abilities that they'd expect me to have if I wear it. While it is true that they wouldn't know precisely how the real Alicorn Amulet would augment me, I don't want to give them an early lead to realize this Amulet is a fake and I might be leading them into a trap.

To keep from galloping too far ahead of those chasing me, I occasionally pause to look over my shoulder. When I see them still chasing me, I give them a teasing flick of my salt and pepper tail then resume on.

An internal map is not the only thing I'm relying upon right now. I'm also relying upon my internal compass. It is guiding me to the right path where I encounter more of the Naga. When I see them ahead of me, I pretend I made a mistake then double back into a different route. Those that spot me quickly realize I'm an intruder, especially with a whole hoard of other Naga already chasing after me. That convinces these new groups to join the chase as well. If they had been more astute, though, they gradually would have realized a bunch of the doors in the temple are suspiciously jammed shut now.

While everything is going according to plan so far, I'm not entirely faking when I give a shocked and sheepish expression to each new group of Naga I encounter before I either take a new route or sail right over them.

Gradually I thought things would get easier for me as a larger crowd is chasing after me. It is true many of the temple corridors are large, but with an exceptionally large crowd chasing behind me at roughly the same point, they should be bumping into each other and slowing the crowd down.

That is indeed happening to some extent, but some of them just happen to be well ahead of the rest of the crowd. I hear the swish and whistling sound of their scimitar swings nearly hit me. I glance back at them with a “Yikes” expression before suddenly screeching to a stop and deliberately allow some of them to catch up to me. When they do, I buck my hind legs hard at them. As the kick connects to them, it sails them back to crash into the crowd behind them. This knocks over a bunch of them like dominoes. With that brief reprieve, I spring to a sudden gallop again and use my wings to launch myelf forward, thus giving me a boost that my legs can't naturally do alone.

“WAIT!” Nelka roars above the crowd at one time. That demand brings everyone to a halt, including me. I also look back at him to see what he says next. Nelka gives me a narrow-eyed stare as he says, “She's leading all of us to a trap.”

“Oh really?” I ask back at him in a taunting voice. “Well good for you in figuring that out. I guess maybe you are smart enough to spell big words. I'm so proud of you!”

Nelka narrows his eyes at me further. He stares daggers into me. He knows that I'm deliberately taunting him but that knowledge alone doesn't necessarily fail to trigger him.

“Regardless if I'm leading you into a trap or not, we all know one crucial thing,” I say before twirling the fake Alicorn Amulet on the tip of one of my beige wings. “I still have this.” I pretend to regard it curiously. “I wonder what would happen if I put it on?” I then flash the group behind me with a daring grin. “Another former partner of mine put it on a short while ago, yes? I bet they are still recovering in the infirmary.”

Saying that really ticked them off, but I'm surprised to discover that they are still hesitating.

“Fine,” I say with a tired groan. “Just keep standing there while I get away with the Amulet. That makes my job easier anyway.”

With that, I take off and I don't look back. I grow a secret, devious grin when I hear them eventually take the bait.

---

“End of the line . . .” Nelkra Shlog'znof begins in a menacing tone but trails off when he regards the water rushing right past him in the chamber with the Stargate. He slithers on in then scans about at the even more unusual sight of seeing this room half flooded with rain water. Not only that, it is still raining in this room thanks to the dozens of storm clouds. He then looks up and notices me peering down at him from on top of the edge of a storm cloud. The right ridge of the scales above his right eye lifts a bit which would have been more noticeable if he had eyebrows of some kind. He then finally finishes his sentence by saying “. . . pony? Um,” he looks around again then back up at me. He then points up at me with an almost comically timid stretch of one of his four arms as he asks me, “Are you, um . . . standing on a storm cloud?” He shakes his head with a double take. “How are you doing that?”

“I'm full of surprises today, aren't I?” I ask back at him with a cheeky grin.

Ain't that the truth! I've even surprised myself today! Here I was galloping all around the temple, gathering up the cultist and luring them into token traps that I've set up in multiple places throughout using Toolshed's tools. A little nailgun on a trip wire over here and flaming spray can over there. It was funny to watch them stumbling into one trap after another, but none of those traps were supposed to stop or be injure them too much. All I had to do was reveal a few cards to show I was putting some effort into hindering them in order to coax them into thinking I'm steadily exhausting all of my surprises, and little by little, that's true. However, I need to keep distracting them from my greatest trump card. The one that will checkmate this entire adventure. I just need to wait for one more player to show up for that.

Meanwhile I got this room all set up in order to convince them that this is my final stand. I'm not surprised that the Naga didn't know I could do this considering they are very unfamiliar with my species. I'll admit I hardly ever done this myself in the past either. About the closest thing I've ever done to assist weather control teams in Equestria was Pegasi Tornado Duty Day, in my local community at the time, to help pull water from a reservoir into Cloudsdale. Still, it's important to remember that, as a pegasus, I was always capable of affecting the weather like this. Weather isn't as cooperative outside of Equestria though but I brought this in through the Stargate.

Given the amount of water that built up into this room over time, a bunch of the Naga had to struggle to slither into the room. They aren't as large as their leader so it took quite a bit more effort on their part until the water in here thinned out as it spread to the rest of the rooms. Even after that, though, they are all still getting rained upon.

Nelkra's eyes lowered halfway in a deadpan expression while he lifts an arm with upwardly spread fingers and asks, “Was this your plan? Were you hoping to wash us down through the temple?”

“The thought had crossed my mind,” I replied honestly. “But I'll admit I didn't consider that very likely. It would be a pain in my flank to drag in that many storm clouds through the Stargate anyway. Usually we have a whole team of pegasi doing weather control duty.”

The Naga stare up at me in confusion. Obviously they have little to no idea what I'm talking about.

I lift the wrist of my right forehoof near my muzzle, pretend to clear my throat, then begin again by saying, “Anyway, I figured rainwater on your scaly hides wouldn't pose much of a threat to you. You'll be 'shocked' when you realize the next phase of my plan, though.” I give a cheeky smile again as I bid them, “Enjoy!”

With that, I start bucking repeatedly at the storm cloud I'm standing on in order to agitate it. As planned, it thunders for a brief second before cascading down a bolt of lightening into the water. Water which the whole lot of them are still connected too! As promised, this delivers a shocking experience for them indeed. Multiple times, in fact. I keep kicking at the storm cloud until it exhausts its store of electrical energy. I think it produced a total of eleven lightening bolts. While all that was happening, the pool of water continued to be thinned out as it kept spreading beyond this room, but they were still wet due to all the rainwater so it kept what could have been a targeted attack into an area attack each time.

With that done, the whole group of Naga collapse onto the ground. They are either dead, unconscious, or nervous system too fried to move. In any case, they spasmodically wiggle on the ground for awhile. During that time I continue to see crackles of electricity crawl along the water, zap between their scales and eyes, and flicker off of their metal weapons.

This still isn't my greatest trump card, but I need them to think it is. That way they'll be that much less prepared for the next blow.

As it stands, the small fry is taken out of commission, including one of their primary leaders. There is only one threat left that has yet to reveal himself. Now that he's lost all of his pawns, I secretly steel myself for the reveal of this game's true King.

While I wait, it continues to rain in this room but much more calmly. Now that I've kicked out most of the energy these storm clouds had, the weather gets more calm in this room.

The Calm Before the Storm!

A chill instantly crawls up my spin when I hear a “ching” sound. Shortly later I'm a bit surprised to hear a eight hoof clomps splash into the still running water. The ching sound continues three more times before I see a pair of recognizable ponies enter into the room; Leg It and Doctor Grazy. However, both of them look worse for wear. Their manes are a chaotic mess and some bits of flesh hang off of them. I gulp when I realize I am now staring at a pair of zombie ponies, but it takes a closer inspection to reveal that what I'm beholding is even worse than that. Their mouths are sewn shut, but their eyes are wide open and they have this crazed look in eyes as if they are in the absolute peak amount of pain a mortal can possibly endure, yet because their mouths are sewn shut, they can't scream. Not only that, but an uncountable number of worms and maggots burrow into and out of their hides, including their eyeballs. Every time a worm dives back into their flesh, the flesh regenerates seconds behind each one. So, not only are the worms/maggots causing damage, but the pair of them are healing just as fast.

Beholding this, something tells me that I could hack either one of these two to pieces and they'd just keep on coming. Not only that, but they'd regenerate, especially if their hacked off limbs were reattached somehow. Moreover, all it seems it would take is one touch from either one of these to transfer some of their worms to the next host and turn that person into a worm-infested zombie pony as well. A zombie pony alive enough to feel the pain of constant torture but simply can't die for some reason. A reason that certainly has something to do with really despicable dark magic.

Standing on top of both of these ponies (or maybe more accurate to say former ponies) is the ancient corrupted former Silurian, the Worm That Trots now known as Decay. He has a leg on the back of each of the earth ponies. As they move, Decay bends and twists in an obviously unnatural, nightmarish way beneath his mummy-like bandages. In his left claw he carries a rusty-looking brass ball that is swinging on an equally rusty-looking chain. As he swings it from side to side it produces a “ching” sound at each end of the swing. Constant black smoke spews up from this brass ball. In addition to that, a constant rain of worms pours down from the ball into the water below. Too many worms spew out from that ball to be logical for its size. I'm almost tempted to call that ball “bigger on the inside”, but it seems far more likely that these worms are created through pure dark magic. The way Decay holds and swings this chain slowly seems almost religious in practice. In the back of my mind I can even imagine dark and cultish religious chanting issuing in this room now as Decay enters.

When Decay looks up at me, or maybe the rain clouds, it kind of looks like his face “morphs” to look in an upward direction rather than lifting up his head in a natural way.

The two “ponies” stop. Decay stares up at me. In return, I stand up straight and push my new hat further down my head and tilt it partially forward to conceal half of my face. I give a very hard stare back at him with a single eye. I don't think my expression has ever been this deadly serious before.

Ironically, that expression of mine seems to make him chuckle mirthfully. I wince as I hear it. He makes an ugly, gurgling sound as he chuckles and when he speaks. In addition to that, I hear a slight hint of his native Silurian hissing sounds but the TARDIS's telempathic translation makes me hear the language I most understand instead.

“I guess somepony feels prepared to face me,” Decay expresses in his ugly gurgle. “I've been trying to infect you for quite some time, but alas . . . my efforts have been for naught. Your immune system has been augmented far beyond normal and that's further secured by that accursed Amulet that you have.” His whole head squishes down to half its normal size for a moment as a wide, creepy grin spreads across his face. His head returns to normal size as if it is this pulsing, puss-thing. “In addition, a bunch of the doors to this temple are now mysteriously locked, and the bugs I implanted in others of your kind have been cleansed the moment they crossed through this Stargate. I had originally planned to use them as my eyes, ears, and sleeper agents when they returned to your lands but . . . Alas.” He shrugs. “Time Lord shenanigans notwithstanding, I would have won this day.” He twists his head to a creepy and unusual degree as he continues to stare up at me. “But this day isn't over yet.”

After everything he said, I now put the fake Alicorn Amulet on immediately. Doing so also frees up a hoof or a wing. I want this item secure on my person. It may not be the real Alicorn Amulet, but it does have an actual enchantment on it now.

“So you know about the Time Lords,” I note with deadly seriousness.

Decay's mesmerizing, wiggling body seems to bow to me as he says, “It seems we have that much in common. I'm well aware of the telempathic translation of their vessels.”

“Their” vessels? Plural tense?

I shudder again. I have to keep in mind how ancient this former Silurian is. He might have even participated in the Time Wars itself which is a concept I've only recently been acquainted with when the Doctor tried to recruit me for an organization he calls “Knights of the Hourglass”. For now I told him I'd consider his offer later.

“What a bold pony you are!” Decay gurgles and purrs as he lifts back up to his normal stooped posture. “So brave. So daring. So . . .” He trails off for a moment to open his wide mouth and, for the first time, I actually see an opening in his bandages. A bunch of maggots and worms spill out of his mouth as if it was saliva. Instead of teeth, he has bigger wiggling worms in their place. “. . . delicious!” he finally finishes.

At first I just continue to stare at him silently and coldly. The eye I peer at him gleams with deadly intent that is so antithetical to normal pony nature. Raised in a culture that is filled with so much harmony, I'd normally never conceive of this outside of works of fiction, but I know I am beholding an unforgivable monster.

“It's important to you for me to feel fear towards you, isn't it?” I eventually ask. “I'm guessing you can smell it or sense it somehow if I had it, but tell me something . . . what do you sense in me right now?”

Decay just gives me a silent stare.

“Is it fear?” I challenge then lean my head down to peer at him just a bit more closely. “Let me tell you one thing to make sure we get this record absolutely straight. No matter how much you try to hurt me, scare me, or slow me down in any way . . . you are going to fail! My name is Daring Do, you despicable little slug, and I dare you to try to stop me!” I raise my head up straight. “Or even slow me down.”

“You think you are invincible?” Decay asks with a dark chuckle. “I am Decay. All who stand before me rots and decays.”

“Yet here I stand boldly and proudly,” I return. “Am I invincible? No.” I shake my head. “But I am unstoppable because you, or anypony else, shall never be more determined to win than I am. My will is invincible, Thing, and that makes me mighty. For as long as my will endures, I shall always find a path to victory. I am a living, breathing Deus Ex Machina.”

“Bold claims, pony,” Decay mentions dryly.

“I agree,” I reply as I spread then flap my beige wings. “Words are not enough. You may stand there with all of your dark powers, but I am the heroine of this story and only I determine how this story ends. And Thing,” I narrow my eyes at him, “I foresee that your story ends on this day. That's what it's going to say in my book.”

Decay drops his “jaw” to a very unnatural degree. About four feet which is almost as tall as he is. From that mouth he spews out a cloud of black flies.

I dive down and fly right past him. Over my shoulder, just before rounding the corner of the door, I notice him spin his head about one-eighty degrees before he dives off the two former ponies he stood on. He disappears from sight somewhere below the water that is now normally too shallow for him to vanish beneath, and yet he does anyway.

As for the two worm-infested zombie ponies he stood on, the stitching on their mouths tear open and now I'm hearing a constant horrendous scream from them both. A scream that both seems to beg for mercy, and yet they turn around and charge at me in an attempt to tackle me, or at least touch me, in order to spread the infection.

I know why Decay used these two against me. He's trying to get under my hide psychologically. I can't say he entirely failed either, but the results is probably not as he hoped. Seeing this, I've become even more determined to defeat him. If I do so, it might grant a peaceful rest to these two ponies and I know they more than deserve it. Even if they were my enemies, like the other unconscious Naga, the sight of this much pain would still make me determined to destroy Decay because nothing in the world deserves to suffer as much as Decay's curse can wrought.

Because he's been raining worms in the water with his device for quite some time, I no longer trust it. I just keep myself aloft over the ground and tuck my legs in beneath me.

Meanwhile, behind me, I can hear Leg It and Grazy galloping after me as hard as they can. Leg It is starting to gain on me between the two which makes me realize their physical mortal potential endures even after this horrific transformation. I don't even have to glance back to hear them coming because no pony can possibly scream more painfully than these two are right now. This is the absolute peak a pony can scream.

I curve around a turn in the hallway then reach back into my saddlebag as I do so. From it I pull out a hatchet using my mouth then proceed to spit it into my left hoof. Gazing back from below me, thus looking back upside down, I see Leg It rush at me with so much momentum that he actually runs up the wall of the turn before leaping off of that to launch himself at me. Taking careful aim, I fling my hatchet, yet another treasure from Toolshed's treasure hoard (and notably their former friend in life), I end up cleaving Leg It's right leg off just as it touches the ground. Because of that, he trips, tumbles on the ground then gets right back up and continues his chase without that leg. This temporarily slows him down and I finally start gaining some distance from him, but I also observe worms and maggots crawl out of the stump of his leg and slowly start to create a new leg made purely out of worms and maggots.

I gaze forward and I shudder again. The accursed powers of a Worm That Trots is every bit has horrific as I had once imagined, if not more so. This blight should not exist upon this world at all, nor shall it continue to exist for long if me and my friends have any say in it.

Grazy never had a serious chance to keep up with me unless I am injured. She just continues to fall further and further behind even in her unlife state. In life, running wasn't really what she specialized in. Instead of that, she was highly knowledgeable. She was among some of the ponies that once happily taught me about all kinds of fascinating flora and fauna in the jungle of this new continent. She never asked for anything in return for that service either. She was just happy to teach a fellow budding adventuring companion.

Tears rush to my eyes for a brief moment. During that brief moment my resolve cracks just slightly. What happened to them fills me with sadness. Adventures can be like that sometimes. It is a very dangerous profession. Not everypony is going to make it to the end.

But, for as long as I continue to breathe, their legacy shall live on through me. I'll add them to my strength and determination. They are among the reasons why I shall not allow anything to defeat me. For their sake, among others, I SHALL WIN!

Eerily, I start to hear Decay's voice echo throughout the temple. It's almost as if he is the temple. What he's saying isn't successfully being translated this time, but from the sounds of it, it seems to be some Arcane language.

Then I notice a new threat. Cracks start crawling up the walls and ceiling of the temple. It seems as if he's damaging the stone with pure entropic energy. Black spreads from the cracks that seems to be oily acid. There is a sizzling sound indicative of true acid and yet I can't be entirely sure if that is what it is. Not when it comes to the powers of this creature.

This is a problem to me in multiple ways. Not only is the temple crumbling and raining down upon me, but I can't have him in the walls like that when I spring my last trap upon him. I didn't even know he could do this. Maybe it's because of the corrupting energy this cult has been stockpiling in this temple?

Then I widen my eyes. I do know of one area he can't infect. Actually, I know several. If the only reason he can be in the walls is because of the corrupting energy that was amassing in this temple, then I'll simply go to the areas that still has holy energy in it, including the walls. That strategy risks tipping him off to my true plan, and this one doesn't seem to be an idiot either, but I really have to get him out of these walls.

Up ahead, I see an archway holding up the ceiling spread a crack in it then partially collapse. When that happens, the design of the stone reminds me of the gaze of two angry eyes considering its slanted eye position. From that stone, I can even feel his burning hostility towards me.

Cracks spread further as I near it. That causes me to be certain that it will collapse about the time I catch up to it. He's timing for that exactly. To counter his effort, I launch myself forward much faster at the last second. During that time Leg It attempted another leap at me. I end up just barely sailing past a rain of rubble behind me, but it does catch and crush what is left of poor Leg It. Grazy was safe, though. She didn't even catch up enough to be threatened by that debris.

Despite my better judgment, which is even against the recommendation of my internal compass, I skid to a halt and take one last look back at Leg It. Only one leg and about half of his head is now visible on the other side of this collapse of stones. He is still wiggling that one last limb flailing at me as if to prove absolutely nothing natural can stop him now. He doesn't rely on a normal mortal body to move anymore. The dark magic enchanted worms in his system can ensure it. I realize that the magic itself has got to go or he'll never rest in peace.

I remember how he ran off to meet the other members of the cultist head on to stall them from catching up to me. I remember how his guilt drove him to desperate extremes in order to make up for his previous mistakes. All of that led to a fate that not even the foulest Naga here deserved. A heavy clump of “wrongness” sinks down my throat and pit of my stomach when I witness this. The one eye I can see on the side of his face, which is now bulging out more than it should as a direct result of being smashed, is still as wide, bloodshot, and cracked.

“I'm sorry,” I tell him remorsefully. “I'll make this right. I swear, and I shall not fail.”

With that, I take off.

---

I skid to a halt again when I witness Decay directly ahead of me. At first I am surprised he emerged from the walls, but then it occurs to me where we are. The wall with the holy water is near this position. Surely such energy seeped into the walls enough to make him uncomfortable, or even completely unable, to remain within the walls.

“Why do you fight?” Decay asks me with his ugly gurgle and hissing sound. “What fuels your determination? Weren't you just a mousy librarian until recently?”

I'm startled that he realized that. How did he know? It's not as if I've been wearing a shirt that says, “Former Librarian Here” on it.

But then I recall the first time I saw him. When I took off with Doctor Caballeron, Decay didn't follow me then. Instead he just studied me very carefully. If he saw something telling in me then, then he might be as skilled as a detective pony with a cutie mark in it.

It's creepy to realize that this creature has the wits and skills to be a true psychologist and he uses all of that psychological knowledge against those he studies. Always probing for weaknesses. Always looking for chinks in one's mental armor. After all, it's far easier to feed off ones fears if he can find a way to skillfully evoke it.

In a strange way, he reminds me of the Doctor if the Doctor had gone pure evil. Just someone with wit and intellect far above the norm. Someone who would have layers and layers of backup plans for every contingency. A person who is truly ready for whatever he encounters, and he has a great deal of dark magic to back it up. Terrible and normally overwhelming destructive power in the claws of someone who uses it like a skilled surgeon to boot.

“Pretending to be an adventurer?” Decay goes on. “I'm sure you read many books on the subject, haven't you?” He chuckles darkly. “An author and librarian who thinks all it takes to be an adventurer is to put on a pith hat.”

I peer at him carefully. I wonder if he's stalling for something, but in a way, I am too. A few more details needs to be in place. I could also use a moment to catch my breath. My determination can make me almost unstoppable but I need to be wary of my physical limits too. I haven't been at this for long after all. Certainly not to this degree.

Since he's willing to talk for now, and I have a rough idea as to why, I decide to humor him for a bit and engage him back. I have something to prove too, after all. At least to myself.

I remove my pith hat for a moment and hold it aloft as I say, “It is true that this is a symbol for me. Kind of a comfort blanket, you can say.” I narrow my eyes slightly at him. “But it's what it represents that is most important. The feeling behind the meaning of it's symbolic representation. A cutie mark is the same thing. A symbol of what is accomplished so far, but what is important here is to keep going. See the sign, nod in respect to it, then keep on going.”

I put my hat back on my head.

“The thing that makes me a true adventurer is not my hat just like wielding a sword doesn't make a pony an automatic warrior, nor simply holding a hammer automatically make one a skilled carpenter. It's what's in here,” I thrust a hoof to my chest, “that makes one whatever they set their hearts to achieve. It is courage, determination and drive that sets one upon any path. It's a willingness to learn and to keep on growing in that path. A true master of any craft realizes there is always room to grow. I stumbled as I explored a new path in my life. Once I finally gained my balance, I seized the opportunity. I own it. What you see before you,” I spread my wings, “is all that I am now. All that I choose to be.

“I warn you, Thing, that you never encountered a pony like me before. You feed on fear, but today you met your match because your days have come to an end. I won't give you any fear to feed upon. No matter how powerful you think you are, no matter how powerful you actually are . . . today it doesn't matter. Fate finally gave you an obstacle you cannot overcome because this is not your time, Thing. The days of ancient and accursed blights like you are gone now. The world has moved on without you and I'm here to prove you no longer have a place in it. You gave up those rights a long time ago when you surrendered your mortality to your fears and ambition. Shortcuts to power always has a weakness. Those who skip the path of pure and natural progress lacks the integrity to keep themselves stable in the end.”

“I heard that before,” Decay replies in a tone that curiously lacks any hint of cynicism or sarcasm. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he actually believed me. “There were others before you who came to me and made similar promises. Promises that they actually delivered upon. I was arrogant then. I thought I wasn't. I thought I meticulously planned every possible detail, every possible contingency, but truly my full and utter defeat was not part of my plan, yet it happened anyway.

“I've encountered Deue Ex Machina's before, pony. Enough to realize I need to take those threats seriously. These creatures,” he waves a single pointing claw about to indicate all around us, “raised me from the dead, pony. That should tell you one very important thing; I've been defeated before. No amount of power saved me then, and I realize it could happen again.

“So here we both stand. Each with reasons to have unshakable resolve. You have your goals and I have mine. They are incompatible, so one of us needs to fall today. Whose story will really end today?”

“What would you like on your tombstone?” I offer. “I don't like you but I do respect you. I acknowledge your presence. After I win, how do you wish to be remembered?”

He actually surprises me when he pauses in thought. He even seems to symbolically close his “eyes” as his bandages collapse down where his eyes would have been. I expected for him to dismiss that request or give some sarcastic answer, but instead he really seems to give this some serious thought.

“That I have many regrets,” Decay finally answers when he “opens” his eyes again. “I followed that which I thought would be an unbeatable master, but the world has clearly turned in a different direction and I sense I have no place in it. Perhaps the only role I have left in this world is to give you one obstacle. Prove your words by beating me. I want to be remembered as someone who gave everything he had in his path. In the end, was it a mistake?” He shrugs. “Maybe, but I'm here now with a new opportunity. Losing once is not a guarantee it would happen again. I won't give up before the fight.”

A very curious moment passes between us. A moment I will have a hard time describing later. What I can say it is a timeless moment when total clarity passes between us. Clarity that is also mixed with mutual respect. He's not underestimating me in the slightest despite how powerful he is. After all, he's been defeated before by those he once considered his lesser and he honestly has learned from that lesson.

From him I feel a kind of sadness and emptiness too, yet curiosity as well about the path that was not taken. The hero and the villain face off against each other and he actually wonders what it's like to be me instead; the underdog who is destined to win in the end.

It's odd, but I can suddenly see myself in his place. What I could have been like if I made different choices in my life. His was influenced by an ancient time. Things were different back then. More desperate. More primal.

When we both come out of our mutual trance, it's funny to me to think I was actually just one move away from winning this game. What I needed to do is right behind him.

I wonder if he knew that. I wonder if he even accepted that. He saw how he is about to go. It saddened him and yet he accepted it. He turned around and engaged me one last time. He wanted to get to know the pony who would defeat him. Him, what most would consider an unstoppable monster.

So what does that make me, I wonder?

The next few moments seem to go in slow motion for me. I crouch down then spring up. He opens his mouth and launches what seems to be a single worm that quickly grows in size. I sail over him and the conjured worm. My machete sails out of my saddlebag and spins twice in mid air. I catch it with a hoof as I arc back down. I end up cutting the wick of the dynamite hidden in the wall so hard that it not only shortens it, but also ignites it as my machete hits the stone behind it hard enough to cause sparks.

With that set off, I know I have about two seconds before the dynamites hidden in the wall explodes. I crouch down then leap up with a strong flap. As I sail back into the air, a chain of explosions assists my leap and also causes me to angle away from the exploding wall. Once I arrive at the cave ceiling, I cling myself to the cave ceiling using a stalactite hanging there. I transfer my grip on my machete to my mouth then cling to the downward stone spike using all four of my legs and both of my wings.

Down below me the dynamite explodes which sets off a chain reaction, for there are other sticks of dynamite hidden in the wall too. This is where Tanon Burrows died. I even sparked his dynamite using the very machete that once belonged to him.

The wall explodes into violent shrapnel that would have threatened just about any other creature other than him. However, the gushing wall of holy water that hits him next is a different story. That is something he can't endure for long.

All of my limbs, including my wings, shake as I cling to a stalactite on the roof of this cave. Tears rise due to the strain of my effort. I know I have to avoid that water right now at all costs because the Doctor warned me he would add something to it. Something that will cause amnesia to all of the other Naga in the temple that comes into contact with it. It will erase enough to give them a fresh start in life. Meanwhile he also had been working to close and lock a series of doors so that this water would only flow in a certain direction. I've been working all this time to ensure the Naga will be in the pathline of this water flow.

The hidden good sect of this temple is safe from this water where they are at. When the water flows through this temple and eventually drains, they'll come out and reeducate all the other Naga that lost their memories. Hopefully their new life will be better than the last.

I had initially objected to this plan when I first heard it. After all there is no justice in it. These Naga have caused plenty of suffering before and all they'll lose for it is the memory of what they did. The Doctor was adamant about defending life, though, and insisted that all life, in any form, no matter what they have done, deserves a second chance if able.

In hindsight, I finally realize that the Doctor has a point. If there is a way to deal with the evil Naga that neutralizes them as a threat but also doesn't kill them then my conscience remains clear. As a pony who honestly does want to do good in the world, this feels very important to me. It's an option I didn't expect but eventually became glad to have it.

Decay is a different story, though. He doesn't have a true life to defend. The truth is he actually died a long time ago. He's been nothing but dark magic and animated worms ever since. A creature like that really doesn't have a place in this world. Not in a form like that.

That is why, despite my struggle to hold on, I peer down in order to behold the fate of Decay himself. When I do, I see him give a paltry effort to defend himself by clinging to a stalagmite.

However, when our “eyes” meet, I see something I don't expect. In him to me, I see admiration. I see respect. Sweet Celestia, I think I even see love in him! It's the kind of pride like beholding a daughter that finally surpassed him. Who achieved everything he knew she could accomplish deep down and part of him wanted that. That he existed as a foil, a test, in one last moment and I passed.

I feel as if he took a mask off and revealed an inner purity that was very well hidden before. After all, that was one really convincing mask!

But beneath that there is a purity that exists hidden within everyone. In this moment he lets go and accepts death. In doing so all ego is forsaken. All “pretenses”. What is left is the absolute core of his being.

When he lets go of the stalagmite, he looks to finally be in peace as he dissolves into the still rushing water.

Part 25: It's My Life

I pensively trot into the TARDIS slowly right after the Doctor. My mind and emotions is whirling with all of the crazy thoughts and feelings this entire adventure has evoked in me. So many unexpected turns and surprises. So many lessons and transformations that I've had to endure. I would do it all over again if I had to, but I guess inner discovery can be a rough ride sometimes.

Once inside, I get distracted from my inner complex thoughts and feelings by a metallic echo-y sound that issues somewhere inside of the TARDIS. I can't really pinpoint a central location for that sound. It seems to surround me and, for a moment, I grow concerned that the sound is indicative of some kind of malfunction or trouble. It seems unlikely to me, but just in case, I look at the Doctor with a confused and curious expression while also giving a vague point of my largest beige feather on my left wing to roughly indicate somewhere towards the center console.

The Doctor, having met my gaze for a second, then has his eyes wander about the TARDIS for a few seconds before meeting my gaze again then explaining, “That's just the sound of the TARDIS calibrating. It makes noises like that on occasion. One gets used to it eventually.” He grows a mischievous smile. “For the moment, consider this the TARDIS's way to saying, 'Hello' to you.”

“The vessel really is sentient?” I double check.

“Sure is,” the Doctor replies with an expression and tone that is a mix between pride and a scholarly lecture.

“Huh.” I blink. “No doubt this vessel is full of surprises then.” I grin while still standing close to the open entrance into this vessel. “Funny to think I first heard of it from Doctor Caballeron. He's the one who said encountering this thing was his primary objective. As a fellow archaeologist, I can understand the appeal of traveling in a vessel capable of visiting the past we love to study.” I shake my head while still wearing my grin. “It's ironic that I'm the one that ends up standing in here instead of him. He's the one who really wanted to find this thing.”

The Doctor squints at me as he says, “Well, to be fair, do you also recall that, after I asked him what he would hypothetically say to the pilot, he replied, and I quote, 'That I'd like a ride? Also, if I discover that Blue Box without any pilot and the thing is unclaimed, then I call dibs.'” He shakes his head. “In other words, he literally said right to my face that he'd steal this thing if he could.” The Doctor chuckles. “It amuses me to consider him to try to pilot this thing. The TARDIS is kind of picky about that anyway.” He shrugs. “Still, I promised him in return that, if I ever met the pilot of this ship, that I'd deliver his message.” He gives a grand gesture to himself along with a bow. “Lo and behold, I kept my word to him.”

When the Doctor looks back up at me, his expression suddenly turned a great deal more serious as he says, “I can be picky too whom I invite as my traveling companion on my journey. I can assure you that a pony like Doctor Caballeron doesn't make the cut. Even if he's somewhat competent at adventuring, I much prefer to travel with a companion I can trust.” He points out the still open exit to the ship. “The only thing I can really trust a pony like Caballeron to do is see dollar signs at every opportunity.”

I wince at him as I ask, “I assume 'dollar' is some form of currency?”

He nods at me as he says, “One particular form of it. I apologize with my choice of words. I should have been more clear.”

When I look down with a pensive expression again, I soon look back up at the Doctor with my eyes only but my face remaining directed down as he trots up next to me and applies his brown hoof to my shoulder.

“The criteria I have that rejects a pony like Caballeron is the same one that accepts a pony like you. Brave, strong, smart, resourceful, and most importantly . . . motivated to do the right thing for the right reasons. You're every inch the kind of individual I'd proudly invite on my journeys.”

I smile at him softly as I guess, “Is that your invitation to me?”

“In more than one way, in fact,” he answers with a soft expression in his eyes and a proud, beaming smile on his lips. “You're more than worthy, and I'm pretty sure you can recognize the opportunity that I'm offering you. This ship,” he waves around at it, “can go anywhere in time and space.” He gives a brief shake of his head. “So no longer do you have to merely imagine what history was like. I can help you go there and see it for yourself. I can also show you the future of this world or any other.

“I think we both know that you are a natural adventurer and I'm offering the opportunity of a dozen lifetimes. While we're at it, we can save the lives of any creature that needs saving which gives even greater meaning to our travels together. So what do you say?”

I keep staring at him as his offer gradually sinks in. Initially it feels overwhelming. Part of me actually realizes that I can't possibly fathom the total depth of what he is offering until I trot that path for quite some time, and even then it might be a struggle for awhile.

What he is offering seems to mostly agree with my inner heart, too. The part of me that I didn't even realize I had until I recently more fully realized that I yearned for a journey like this a long time ago. That part of me desperately longs to accept an exciting offer like that.

But . . .

My face and gaze are drawn back to the exit of the TARDIS. Soon after I turn about and trot a few steps closer to it until I'm right at the edge of the exit. As I stare out the exit, I contemplate how I reached this point of safety at the end of this particular journey, but there were others who weren't so lucky. Terminus, Trump Card, Doctor Grazy, Leg It, and finally Tanon Burrows. Each one didn't make it to the end for different reasons. Right now I can take a little comfort in knowing that Grazy and Leg It are finally and fully at peace. The holy water washed away all the corrupted worms from their system which restored them both to their new rightful state, that of a natural corpse. I made sure of that before I accepted the Doctor's invitation into this vessel. He knew what I would encounter but didn't blame me in the slightest for double checking.

I lower my head, close my eyes, and use my right wing to drag my new hat to the center of my chest as I take a silent moment to mourn the dead. During that time, I notice that the Doctor also maintains that respectful silence. He's likely certain why I am doing this.

This isn't some empty gesture I'm making either. While I hold that pose, I think about each and every one of them carefully and how I feel and felt about them. One by one, I thank them all for what they have taught me and vowed to uphold their brave and heroic stance from here on forward. I'll make sure I remain worthy of that trust, too.

My mind also skims across the still living members of this journey as well, particularly any of them that had a strong emotional impact on me or taught me something important. As I do so, it dawns on me how young and naive I was at the beginning of this journey. That realization didn't cause me to blame myself for who I was. In fact I feel proud of the intense degree that I've grown across this journey, but it's also daunting to contemplate considering the sheer degree that I've changed. I've become a completely different mare. If this happened to me once then I'm living proof that it could happen again. That's scary to think about, even if those changes are ultimately for the better.

Not knowing who I will be.

Not being able to trust that anything I am currently will permanently endure.

Life is always changing. Sometimes to minor degrees and sometimes in major ones.

For all that, I'll simply have to trust myself and the pony I will become. With a map in one hoof (even if it's a blank one at first) and a compass in the other, I shall venture boldly ever onward. As I change because of my travels, I think it's important to forgive and understand myself for changing. By the same token, I need to forgive and understand myself for being different in the past.

Whatever may come; I shall face it with courage and acceptance.

Finally, after I don't know how long, I open my eyes, raise my head, replace my hat on my head then proceed to shut the door.

“You certainly do know how to tempt a mare,” I venture to say in a way that shows only the barest hint of how attracted I am to him. What I said, though, I largely meant in a deeper sense. The offer he makes calls to my inner spirit. The chance to be an explorer and a hero at the same time. To think and feel that while knowing it is one-hundred percent my choice. It feels so good to finally be confident in myself even if I don't know where the next step will lead me. That doesn't really matter. Exploring and growing because of that journey is the entire point. I face that with a sense of excitement.

I turn to face him with a profound look of gratitude on my face. I then trot up to him and touch his right cheek with my left hoof with tender affection. My eyes sparkle as I gaze deeply in his eyes. This stallion, who kept encouraging me and standing by my side without being too intrusive. A stallion who showed me the door and inwardly promised exciting things await me if I bravely open that door and trot through it. I wonder if he'll ever know how much I needed that.

But, while still meeting his gaze with deep affection, I quietly tell him, “No.”

A look of concern and confusion claims his face while staring at me and asks me, “No?”

“I appreciate your offer very deeply, but I reject it,” I clarify. The hoof that I had tenderly touching his right cheek returns to the ground as I go on to say, “Don't misunderstand me. I shall ever be eternally grateful for you lighting a bit of a fire under my flank and in my heart. For teaching me and encouraging me on this journey. I don't know if I ever would have reached my full potential without you.

“But you're not the only one who taught me a lesson. I used to be like a naive little filly who stubbornly always looked up to other adventurers as if they could do no wrong. I praised them and respected them because they have something I was secretly longing for. Something I used to think I wasn't allowed to have.

“One by one, however, they each showed me the folly of my former beliefs. How this lifestyle can be so much more complicated and nuanced than I originally thought. I used to think that all I could ever want and know about adventuring could come from books alone, but there are a lot of potential filters in there that obscures the reader from the truth, including the readers own imagination. By putting all of these ponies on a pedestal, I didn't see them for who they really were. Like everything and everypony else in life, life is a lot more complicated once we take a closer look at it. Every single one of my former 'heroes' show their own unique strengths and flaws in their own way. All of this has taught me that I can't take the truth for granted and there is no substitute for the real experience.

“As I continued this journey and finally recognized each of their individual flaws, I gradually started to realize my own, too. I got swept up in the classic fantasy of being the damsel in distress who needed to be rescued from a high tower. That's the role society taught me, at least at a subconscious level. It's so easy to take for granted all the little influences that swept under our notice.

“On this journey, however, I was confronted with a mirror that revealed some harsh truths that I wasn't comfortable facing at first. That wasn't easy but it was necessary for my personal growth.

“Adventurers come in all shapes, sizes, and motivations, just like any other profession in life. 'One size fits all' is a poor adage for pretty much anything. Some have the motive to do good but not the means and others are the opposite for one reason or another. You are the rare exception that I might not ever encounter again. In fact, you're too perfect and that is why I'm rejecting you.

“I assure you that your offer is tempting, but if I accept it, I'd just be continuing the same pattern that I've done since the start of this journey. I'd keep on looking up to you as if you're not my equal. I'd keep on trusting your judgment at the expense of my own. How am I to ever grow if I keep on deferring the challenges to you? You have the means and the motive to do good in this world. In almost every way that matters, I can trust you.

“But I need to earn that trust too. I need to be on my own so I can learn to be independent. Maybe someday I'll be ready to travel with you on more even hoofing. Perhaps I'll even encounter another on my journey that is equally trustworthy in terms of means and motive, but until then . . .” I give him a firm look as I state very emphatically, “I. Work. Alone!”

“I completely understand,” the Doctor replied with a tone of acceptance. “You wish to brush up on your own skills and build up your own confidence before you start relying upon others again, else you might fall back upon old patterns.”

I nod as I say, “I need to grow on my own. To choose my own course and fly with my own wings. There's plenty of skills I plan to pick up on the way such as first aid training, martial arts and, of course, I'll continue my personal education on history and archaeology. I'll need that knowledge and insight to prepare me for any potential traps I may encounter in any would-be dungeon. I know, from this experience, that the dangers of adventuring is nothing to scoff at and I need to take it seriously. I can do that, and I will.

“I will, however, join your little secret society; The Knights of the Hourglass. I may not travel directly with you for awhile but if you're little club stands against those who would abuse history by time traveling into it and meddling with it for selfish purposes then I'll proudly join any organization that stands against that. To me, history is sacred and I want to be prepared with sufficient resources to deal a blow against threats such as that.”

The Doctor nods in understanding as he says, “Then I'll make you something that will help show that you are a member of and represent the interests of the Knights of the Hourglass. I'll also create something that will help you get in contact with us. Both items might even be the same device.”

The Doctor clears his throat for a moment as he appears to debate something before he says, “Since you are joining, I can tell you that one of the secret members of the Knights is Princess Celestia herself. Like you, she is adamant of not setting hoof inside the TARDIS. She sees no point when she's always present and 'traveling through time' herself just by being here.

“On the other hoof, she is also proud of being a member of a secret society that stands against anything that threatens her beloved citizens.

“Princess Sunbutt made me promise never to reveal her membership among the Knights except to another fellow member of the Knights.” He nods at me. “When I do encounter another member, though, I'm free to tell them that they can write her a letter to apprise her of any threat that dwells in her lands. Be sure to seal that letter in wax the shape of an Hourglass cutie mark. That'll be a signal to her that the letter might be from a member of the Knights.”

I winced when he said “Sunbutt” again but I also nodded in gratitude to him when he finished and then say, “Thank you. I'll keep that in mind.” Then I grin as I add, “Funny enough, Doctor Caballeron once accused me of being a secret agent working for Princess Celestia,” I say with intense emphasis on her name to demonstrate how to say it properly. “He said that because I was too competent at adventuring and I knew too much about him, but now I'm wondering if I should make his fears a reality.”

“That's up to you,” the Doctor casually invites.

“Well . . . as long as she's not too strict about it,” I figure. “I don't want to limit my personal freedom like my parents once did, but I also wouldn't mind having trustworthy allies at a distance just in case I need them. I already knew the Princess has useful resources at her beck and call, but if that includes being a contact of the Time Walkers then I definitely think she and I need to at least remotely remain in contact with each other. I can tell her of any threats I've discovered in her lands and vice versa.”

“In that case, aside from what you just said, are you planning to resume any part of your old life aside from your education?” the Doctor wonders. “You've expressed an interest to be a writer in multiple ways. Both through your diary and through your maps.”

My expression grows thoughtful as I look over my shoulder at the exit of the TARDIS. I contemplate the answer to that question very carefully. I think about it for a few minutes before I look back at him and answer his question.

“Those who ventured through the Stargate earlier have no idea what happened to those left behind,” I muse. “Leg It and Doctor Grazy actually died. They might think the same happened to me, and perhaps that is for the best.”

“Really?” the Doctor reflects with an edge of surprise in his tone.

“Doctor Caballeron wasn't the pony I thought he was,” I explain. “He has a history I didn't take into account and I can see why it's also details he wouldn't write in his own book or allow another to do so if he can help it. He had connections to a mob boss and I can't help but wonder how far back that relationship extends. If Doctor Caballeron ever figures out that I survived this trip then that information may leak back to Colonel Panders or perhaps somepony even worse. I may have the confidence to hoofle such challenges now but that doesn't mean I'm fully prepared to face such threats yet.”

A look of concern sinks into my eyes as I go on to say, “There is also my family to consider. If the criminals knew I am alive, they can look up whom I'm related to, capture them, then threaten them into influencing me in any way they want.” I shake my head firmly. “I can't let that happen. Not when I have this chance to stop it now.”

“But if you support the story that this adventure killed you, wouldn't that information get in the hands of your family too?” the Doctor asks. “That seems cruel to allow them to think you died too.”

I wave a hoof at him as I say, “While it is true that I plan to distance myself more from my family for the sake of gaining more personal freedom, and that because I plan to make some choices that they wouldn't personally approve of, I also plan to send them a letter letting them know that I'm okay but I won't disclose my new address. They'll know that I'm alive but I need some personal space so I can grow on my own independently. Even then, I still plan on keeping my adventuring career a secret from them because I know they'll never approve, especially my mother. I don't want to concern her unnecessarily.”

The Doctor grins a bit as he says, “This plan is starting to sound more and more like a super hero with a secret identity. By day you may be a mousy librarian, but by night you're conquering another dungeon.”

“Well I'm not a comic book super hero. I'm a real pony!” I express brightly. “That said, though, I plan to sell my stories as an adventurer as if that part of my life is fictional. If everypony thought that, they won't seek out my real family and use them as a hostage against me. This is my life and I'll choose its course independently without endangering others as much as possible.”

“Interesting,” the Doctor expresses with a lift of an eyebrow. “But as an author, you'll still have your name out there. If you get more famous because of that, certain personal information may steadily leak into the public eye. Celebrities do tend to have trouble maintaining their privacy.”

“I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I don't even know how well my would-be books will sell,” I express. “I mainly want some record of me out there so I can be sure I'll be remembered in some form. The journey I take and the lessons I learn may benefit others, too.

“For now, however, I think I'll go with a pen name. Something authentic but less familiar to others.”

“Got any ideas on that front?” the Doctor asks curiously.

“I do have one,” I reply pretty quickly. “And I've been contemplating this for awhile, too. Believe it or not, I even considered this before the start of this journey. You see, I have a middle name that, until now, I've deliberately kept from the public because I had some bad experiences with it while growing up. That name is Yearling.

“However, across this journey, I've faced far worse hardship and now that name feels trivial in comparison. Until now, I've always said my full legal name is 'Agate Y. Keystone', but now I'm thinking of reversing that pattern to, 'A. Yearling K.'”

Both of us are silent for a moment as we both contemplate that. I actually notice a small shade of discomfort from both of us with that declaration.

“Actually, maybe I should change it to, 'A.K. Yearling',” I amend. “That rolls off the tongue better and strays a little further from my true name just to be on the safe side. My readers will probably think 'Yearling' is my last name when it's actually my middle.”

The Doctor nods in agreement as he says, “That sounds better.”

I suddenly give a shrewd look at the Doctor as I ask him, “Since you're a time traveler, do you already have a book of mine on this ship?”

The Doctor briefly closes his eyes as he shakes his head then opens his eyes again at me when he says, “If I do, the only thing I'll say about it is it's up to you what it says in that book. Speaking strictly of the here and now, however, I'm confident you'll find success in whatever you work to achieve. You have that potential for greatness and you always have. We all have that to look forward to as you gradually unveil that potential.”

I smile at him gratefully again as I say, “And I have you to thank for setting me on this path initially.”

“T'was my pleasure, my Lady,” the Doctor expresses with a graceful bow. “I've learned and grown from you too. Teaching has always been something endearing to me, too, but that's always a two-way street. The more I teach, the more I grow, and the more I have to teach the next student.” He whirls a hoof. “On and on the spiral continues.”

I give him a serious expression as I request of him, “By the way, don't forget to swing by and pick up Straight Arrow after dropping me off. He still needs a ride after we left him in the Tuk-Tuk village.”

The Doctor nods in agreement as he says, “I will do that and then some. We still have the Captain and some of his crew back on The Intrepid. Either I'll pick them up too and deliver them to Equestria or I'll go in reverse and deliver more of the crew from the Captain's ship back to him so that they can take their ship vessel to Equestria. In that case I might give them a donation of more coal, too, to further ensure they'll make it back safely.

“I have to say, though, that wasn't part of my original plan. I wanted to go largely unnoticed for the most part in this adventurer rather than revealing myself to be a Time Lord who pilots the TARDIS. However, this time, things got more complicated when the majority of The Intrepid's crew made their own way back to Equestria using a Stargate at an ancient temple.” He shakes his head. “I didn't see that one coming.”

“Isn't that the point of an adventure, though? To face the unknown?” I ask him with a daring grin.

“Well said,” the Doctor replies with a proud grin. He then takes in a deep intake of breath, lets it out, then makes his way to the center console as he says, “Well then . . . as I like to say in my current regeneration cycle, Onwards and Upwards, my friend.”

I pass that same daring grin back to the exit of the TARDIS as I say under my breath, “Another day . . . another dungeon.”

Author's Notes:

This is the conclusion of Daring's Story for this arc, but there'll be one more chapter after this focusing on her somewhat.

I really hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and thanks for reading it this far. Any comments you have on it is welcome.

Below I got a video that most of you probably have seen. I will admit that the chapter is named after this video too, but also for the content of this chapter itself. I think this fits for being boldly assertive in an adventurous way. Plus, maybe you might remember that Agate, aka Daring and A.K. Yearling, was parkouring through Manehatten as early as chapter two. As such, I think this video fits for an extra reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2u5uUu3DE&t=26s

Epilogue WHO ARE YOU!!!

The ape-like purple creature with a white belly, very elongated face and hands on the end of his arm and tail lifted up a glowing opal jewel dramatically above his head which is glowing white but has lots of cracks in it. This seems like a design flaw in the jewel, but it is not. This temple head guard, Ahuizotl, is the leader of this ceremony which is meant to further empower the jewel he has between his hands. He stands on a dais which is in front of a short pyramid which is composed of various steps. Ahead of him is row after row of ponies wearing tribal paint. They are chanting, “Ho, ho, ho-ho-ho” over and over again while pounding the spears they are holding on the ground each time they say the word “ho” and they do it simultaneously.

“Behold, my loyal minions, The Chrono Trigger, otherwise known as The Jewel of Fractured Time!” Ahuizotl announces with dramatic tempo. “With it, we are on the precipice of a brand new era! Armed with this Jewel, not only can it be used as a new gatekey for our Stargate, but it will also allow us to use it to travel through TIME!” he announces with dramatic flair.

The temple guards raise and shake their spears as they cheer.

“With this Jewel in our hands . . . absolutely nothing can stop us! We can travel into the past of Tenochtitlan Valley and erase any of our would-be enemies from existence! Just imagine, with the ability to re-write history, we can reforge ourselves into the greatest empire this world has ever seen!”

Ahuizotl raises the The Chrono Trigger higher proudly. “THE KEY TO UNLOCK THE FACE OF DESTINY IS NOW IN OUR HANDS! ALL WE NEED TO DO IS FURTHER CHARGE IT AND . . .”

Ahuizotl grows annoyed when one of his loyal pony minions tugs at his tail. For this interruption, Ahuizotl roars “WHAT?!” to that minion. The face of that minion flushes in embarrassment but he also holds resolute. With a hoof, he gestures for his master to bend down so the pony can whisper a secret. Still feeling annoyed but now also curious, Ahuizotl bends down to and lifts an ear above and to the side of his head to give this pony closer attention. The minion whispers something into the temple leader's ear. Ahuizotl ends up nodding several times before wincing then turning his very forward elongated face at his minion and says in disgust, “What? That's all you wanted to tell me? You interrupted our sacred ceremony to further empower The Chrono Trigger just to tell me that?”

Ahuizotl stands up straight again and gives his loyal minion a dismissive wave while also saying, “Whoever this intruder is, I'm sure our many temple traps will deal with this pony in short order. I'm sure we have nothing to worry about.”

In response, the minion that tipped off his master about the new intruder simply shrugs.

“Now go away!” Ahuizotl bids as he gives a dismissive gesture with the hand on the end of his tail since it is not currently holding the Jewel. “We need to proceed with the ceremony. It cannot be paused and bothered with trifle matters. Once we finish, the fates of Time itself will be at our command. Until then, however, interruptions and pauses in time is a nuisance.”

As bidden, the temple guard that informed his master of the new threat leaves.

Ahuizotl scoffs one more time as he shakes his long head. “Intruder. Ha! I'm sure that's the last we'll ever hear of that little pony!”

---

Amazingly and annoyingly, the great temple master Ahuizotl ends up getting interrupted by the same loyal minion several minutes later. It turns out it is for a very similar reason as well. The only difference is adding the report that this new intruder managed to get through the temple traps at the lower floors of this temple.

Still, Ahuizotl shrugs carelessly as he says, “So what? This pony obviously got just a little lucky is all. That hardly matters. Once the intruder meets up with our enchanted stone gargoyles, this will be the last we'll ever hear of the intruder.” Ahuizotl chuckles darkly before he adds, “Whether it is skill or sheer dumb luck that got this pony through the lower floors of our traps, it doesn't matter. Our gargoyles are a little more sentient. If our intruder lacks the correct keystone or passwords to safely bypass our little guardians, they'll lock onto our intruder and never give up until this little pony is dead. We have nothing to worry about.”

The temple guard that updated his master about the threat does not seem as confident. He passes his master a facial expression that remains concerned.

“Now go away!” Ahuizotl bids his minion again. “This is the last time I want to hear of this matter. It shall be cleaned up in short order.”

Reluctantly, the temple guard bows his head and trots off backwards away from his master.

Watching the guard go, a tiny flare of concern ignites in Ahuizotl's eyes. This causes the master to lift a finger with his tail as he bids, “Wait.”

The guard pauses.

The same finger that lifted now points at the guard and says, “Just in case, keep an eye on this intruder. If, and only if this intruder manages to bypass our stone guardians somehow, come back and give me another report even if the ceremony isn't finished yet.”

Feeling more satisfied with the revised order, the temple guard backs off in greater confidence.

“Huh.” Ahuizotl rubs the end of his very elongated face with a finger at the end of his tail. “Who is this intruder, I wonder? Not just any pony can bypass our temple traps that easily. Was this pony tipped off somehow?”

Ahuizotl contemplates this for a moment. It is a disturbing prospect to consider that this intruder has information from a traitor among him. Someone who told this intruder how to bypass the traps on the lower floors. If it turns out that this intruder does indeed have a keystone or knows the password to safely pass his stone gargoyles then he's going to need to question the loyalty of his minions a lot more carefully.

For now Ahuizotl can afford to be patient and he has an important ceremony to resume besides. The fate of the whole world will soon be in his hands. One little thorn in his side can wait just a little longer.

---

“NOW WHAT?!” Ahuizotl cries in outrage when a blaring bell sound issues throughout the temple. Notably it is a warning system put in place that signals an emergency of some form is currently happening.

The Temple Master notes how his minions in the rows ahead of him have paused their chanting and are looking about in confusion and concern. In the meantime the ceremony has been interrupted yet again! What's even worse than that is it got interrupted during a critical juncture. They have actually lost some progress because of that. A great deal of energy was being channeled into the Jewel but it wasn't sealed yet. If, at any point during that critical moment the flow of energy gets interrupted, then all the energy they invested these past several minutes gets leaked back out. Worse, they have to actually wait for that new energy to fully drain before they can even attempt to refill the Jewel again.

Still holding the Jewel with one hand aloft, Ahuizotl now uses the other to clench into a fist and shake it.

“CURSES!” the Temple Leader cries out. “WHO DARES TO INTERRUPT OUR CEREMONY DURING THIS CRITICAL MOMENT? I'LL BURN AND CRUSH THE ENTRAILS OF WHOMEVER DARED TO DO THIS!!!”

The same temple guard that initially warned his master of the intruder the first few times reluctantly approaches his master.

Ahuizotl's shoulders sags as he exasperates, “Oh, don't tell me!”

The temple guard only answers with a sad nod.

Ahuizotl growls then shouts, “Oh THAT DOES IT! Our progress with this Jewel is interrupted anyway and we need 'time', ironically enough, for it to reset. In the mean'time', I want this intruder DESTROYED once and for all!” Ahuizotl waves outwardly dramatically. “Scatter and find this intruder. I order you to capture and/or kill this intruder for good! This is the absolute last time I will tolerate an interruption from this intruder again.”

As he bade, the remaining amount of his temple guards lift their spears, give a battle cry, then boldly charge out of the room.

Which leaves the Temple Leader mostly alone for the first time in awhile.

“Curses!” he repeats under his breath. “Who is this pony and how is this intruder managing to bypass all of my traps and obstacles? Curses! Have I underestimated this intruder too much? Hmm.” He rubs his chin then narrows his eyes. “Well . . . no more of that. I'll need to prepare some contingencies just in case this intruder gets this far.” He looks at the Jewel in his hands. “Above all, I cannot allow this intruder to steal The Chrono Trigger. I've come too far and come too close to my victory. Soon the world shall be mine for the taking and I shall not let anything stop me.”

Now feeling cautious but also determined, Ahuizotl retreats to the back of this room. He grasps a lever and pulls it down. As a result, a hidden compartment built into the wall slides up. At the same time, a chest on a moving platform slides forward. He hovers a hand over the chest as he wiggles each of his fingers excitedly as if he can't wait to touch the treasure inside this chest. Waiting no further, he touches the jeweled scarab that has its pincers through a loop in the chest. As long as that scarab is in the way, the chest cannot be opened. He pats the wings of the jeweled scarab. In response, it spreads its wings. Ahuizotl presses a finger on its exposed back and whirls it in a circle three times. In response, the wings of the scarab flutters then it opens its pincer and thus falls off the chest. Ahuizotl proceeds to catch the magical lock with one hand then opens the chest. Inside he beholds the chest full of various weapons he can throw. A few of them are even enchanted.

But there is one more item here that catches his eye. He picks up a whistle that is in the shape of a cat. When he blows on it, several more of his loyal minions get summoned but, unlike the rest of his temple guards, these ones are considerably more feline. In total what he summons is a tiger, a cheetah, a lynx, a panther, and a fussy white kitten, the latter of which he scratches under the chin. This causes the kitten to close its eyes, lean into his hand, and purr in pleasure.

Feeling a bit more prepared, Ahuizotl turns back to the main chamber of this room and waits.

---

A few minutes later, Ahuizotl gets shocked and horrified when only a small handful of his minions make their way back into this chamber then collapse in exhaustion.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Ahuizotl cries in outrage.

“The intruder managed to rig one of our traps against us!” one of his guards informs his master in horror. “We were chasing this pegasus mare across one of our hallways. Then, all of a sudden, she started flying up off the floor just a bit. We didn't know why until we caught up to a certain point and the floor suddenly gave out. The good news is the spike trap at the base of the pit didn't activate for some reason. Maybe the intruder rigged it so that it wouldn't come out for some reason? But the bad news is the majority of your guards got trapped in that pit. We ran back here to inform you and guard this central chamber.”

“IDIOTS! ALL OF YOU! YOU CAN'T EVEN CAPTURE ONE LITTLE PEGASUS MARE? THIS IS PATHETIC!” Ahuizotl roars with limbs shaking in anger.

“We're sorry, Master,” the same pony apologizes. “We did our best and at least some of us came back to warn you.”

Ahuizotl growls in frustration before asking, “How long do you think it will take before this mare reaches our center chamber?”

The guard shakes his head and says, “Honestly, Master, I wouldn't put anything past this mare anymore. Any report I give you might be out of date by the time I finish it.”

As if to agree with that last point, another guard points up with a spear while still lying on the ground and warns loudly, “SHE'S HERE!”

In surprise, Ahuizotl looks up and notices a ledge near the roof of this chamber. There stands a beige colored pegasus mare wearing a double breast pocket green button up shirt. She also has saddlebags off to her side and wears a egg-white pith hat which is currently tilted down enough to conceal her face.

At this moment she is currently standing on an area not normally accessible to anyone but, since she can fly, this isn't a problem for her. Seeing this flaw causes Ahuizotl to reconsider the design of his temple.

Ahuizotl stabs an extremely straight and dramatic, accusing point up at the pegasus mare as he cries out “ YOUUUUUUUUU! WHOOOOOOOO AREEEEEEEEEE YOUUUUUUUUU!?”

The only response the Temple Leader gets is the pegasus mare lifting up the edge of her hat just enough to reveal her daring grin.

Author's Notes:

In the show canon alone, it's been heavily implied that there are other villains in Daring's adventures, but only two ever got any real focus: Doctor Caballeron and Ahuizotl. This chapter finally gives some focus on the other half of Daring's antagonists, and this one presenting it as their first meeting. This is also the only chapter not in Daring's perspective obviously, but her character arc was concluded in the last chapter. This one simply hammers in her progress one more time while also shifting perspectives enough to show what it is like to be on the receiving end against a seemingly unstoppable force. In the process, had to youthen his fussy "house cat" to "kitten" because these are earlier years.

This story will now go on a hiatus till I complete the next arc. Since 4/2/2024 I am up to 7 chapters in the next arc. Not sure how many will be typed by the time I am done, but I'd like to finish it and edit it a few times before resuming to post it to this story.

Well, I hope you all gained something special from this journey and look forward to hearing from you. Stay tuned.