Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn

by Scroll

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Derpy Hooves, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Crossover, Death, Doctor Whooves, Main 6, Doctor Who, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Science Fiction
Length: 342385

On her birthday, Star Breeze discovers a lot more about her father's past than she thought she would hear.

On her birthday, Star Breeze wanted to become the first spellcasting pegasus. To do that, she tried to learn how her father became the first flying unicorn. While she listened to his story, she learned more than she thought she would, like how he flew through all of time and space and rescued the world from an ancient evil.

Authors Note: There is now a live reading by Takeshy Reacts of this >>here<< for the prolouge and >>here<< for the rest. I welcome you to give him some love.

Cover Art done by the talented Dice Warwick. Link to his Fim fiction site >here<. Link to his Deviant art page >here<.

Published 2019-02-07 20:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-01-13 22:38:22 UTC

Chapter One: The Longing

Star Breeze and her father both landed on the tip of a cliff jutting out from a forested canopy. The tip of this cliff rose about thirty feet above the rest of the land mass behind it before steeply dropping two hundred feet beyond it. That cliff overlooked a wide grassy valley dotted with a few lakes and interconnected rivers which shone in the moonlight.

While that was an impressive sight in and of itself, that was not what initially took Star Breeze's breath away. There was something special about this point of land. The most tangible sign she could think of was that it had something to do with the wind in this area. It constantly spiraled and howled around here. It was as if the magic of that element was especially intense here. Because she was traveling with her father, at least a part of her suspected it could have been his magic responsible for this but an instinct within her insisted that that was not the case. This area was naturally like this and it took Star Breeze's breath away.

Then she looked at her father. As entranced as she was, she noticed he was affected far more profoundly. He stood at the edge of that cliff fearlessly as he closed his eyes, stood and stretched on the tip of his hooves as he inhaled deeply. This area seemed to charge him somehow. He drank of it deeply. He looked peaceful, one with his element here. Star Breeze also noticed how his long white mane flowed in the wind around here. It billowed back and forth, reminding her of a cloud caught in the breeze.

They both stood in silence for several more minutes. As impatient as Star Breeze normally felt, she let her father have this moment. For some reason it was important to him. She just hoped that he would eventually explain why this was so important to him. In the meantime she looked around, realizing that this was her first time here. This place already had a special meaning for her. She could already imagine coming back here and telling her own kids, “This is where my father took me as we shared a very special moment together. He told me all about his past here. I felt more deeply connected to him than ever before, ever since. It's important to know where you came from. What your family's legacy is and I, for one, will always think of this place as the place where that bond deepened in a very meaningful way.”

“Do you hear it, Star Breeze?” her father finally asked her after several long moments of silence. “Do you feel it in your coat? Your mane? In every breath you take?”

“There's a lot of wind, if that's what you mean . . . and I have a feeling you're not causing this,” she answered.

“Exactly! The wind!” her father said in a soothing voice. He turned to look at her. His eyes looked peaceful. There was such a serene look of wisdom to them. A look born of deep amounts of experience and passion. He looked at her as if he could see her future sprawled out all in front of him. For Star Breeze it was deeply enchanting to behold. For her it was the essence of magic, and she felt lucky that she had such an amazing teacher and somepony to look up too. Some could argue living in the shadow of somepony so great as her father could feel diminishing to one's own potential, but Star Breeze always looked at it another way. She saw her father as an example of how great she could be herself someday. He was the measuring stick that she vowed to surpass one day. All she needed to know was how. How did he do it? What trials or tribulations did it take to fulfill his goals? Deep down she hoped he would say something like, “Oh, it was easy. One day I just woke up and decided to fly then, 'Poof', it happened . . . exactly like magic.” Star Breeze wasn't really afraid of a challenge but, when it came to the most important and deepest hopes, dreams and wishes, one usually also hoped it did not occur too far into the future, or be too difficult to achieve or, Celestia forbid, impossible.

But upon looking deep into his eyes, a part of her already knew some of the answers. A pony does not develop such a deep look of wisdom in his eyes without having gone through an intense amount of experience. Whatever he had gone through, whatever he had suffered, it ultimately led up to this moment but, just because she knew that the story had a happy ending, it did not mean it had a happy beginning . . . or middle . . . or maybe even end, in a way. Her parents kept on hinting at some kind of duty, and the looks in their eyes suggested it was important. They also talked about regrets of some kind sometimes. That part frightened Star Breeze a bit, but no way did she fear it enough to gallop away from this story. She wanted to hear it all her life and finally she was about to get her wish. On her birthday, no less. Somehow that felt strangely appropriate. Star Breeze did not plan that out deliberately but hey, she'd take what she could get.

“You see it, don't you?” her father guessed with that same wise look in his eyes. “A hint, a glimmer of the tale you're about to hear?”

“I guess,” Star Breeze replied with a light shrug. “To be honest, I'm rather excited and I can't wait for you to get on with it.”

“Patience,” her father cautioned. “All things in due time. For now,” he looked over the cliff, “drink in the atmosphere. Don't just stand back there, either. Come up and join me. You're a pegasus. You should be able to appreciate this in a way not every pony could.”

Since she was curious, Star Breeze obeyed. She stepped up and stood beside her father. In any case, it was nice to stand that close to him, even though she almost surpassed his height already. Star Breeze knew from experience that size wasn't everything. Small things could hide other big things. He might be small, but he was powerful. He was just about the finest flier she had ever seen in Equestria as well. There were special reasons for that too. It was not every day a unicorn got a cutie mark for flying.

Reminded of that, she glanced back at his cutie mark for a moment. She studied it, admired it, and contemplated it's deeper meaning. What could it mean? It might have multiple levels of meaning, not just the obvious on the surface. In considering that point, she also considered the pony standing beside her. Based on everything she knew about him, how could a cutie mark like that best represent the pony standing beside her? How did it all fit together?

“I see you regarded my cutie mark,” her father said offhoofedly without even glancing at her. One could only wonder how he noticed her looking at him in the first place. His gaze seemed fixed in the outward environment instead. Maybe he could even see through the wind, she wondered? Before she dwelt on that point for too long, he went on to say, “Of course that's part of my story, just as it would be for any pony who gets such a mark, but there is so much more meaning behind it as it would be for any pony. I was fortunate enough to learn the meaning behind that at a very early age, and I'll teach you what I know too so you don't have to go through all the problems I did. Celestia knows you'll have enough problems on your own hooves as it is but, for now, I'll talk about the bases I covered so you don't have to repeat the same lessons that I went through. Well, not unless you want to.” He looked at his daughter to his left. “Of course you don't have your own cutie mark yet, and that's fine too. I was like that at one time, and I guess I can say that's where my story truly begins. Begins at the beginning, as it were.” He chuckled a bit as he glanced away again.

xoxo

{My name you know well as you said it so many times before. Well, that and “father”, of course, but did you also know that I used to be called something else when I was a young foal?}

“Quill! Quill! Wake up, you lousy bum!”

Quill snapped awake, not even realizing he had been asleep, nor did he realize how long he had been asleep. It did not take him long to process how embarrassed he was. His father, Author Scroll, took Quill's lessons very seriously. More seriously than Quill himself, in fact. Quill's mind was often somewhere else.

“Get your head out of the clouds and get back to your studies!” Author insisted. “No more daydreaming. I seriously doubt you can resume your studies in your sleep. If you can, however, then you have something you can teach to me. Until then, get your muzzle back into your books.”

“Yes sir,” Quill meekly replied then immediately attempted to do so. His mind and vision was still fogged, however. It made it difficult to focus on the words. They blurred and flew across the page for a few seconds and, for a brief moment, Quill paused to admire that. At least the words themselves could be free to fly, unlike himself.

“I swear to Celestia, you can be so difficult sometimes,” Author grumbled as the dark pony with distinguished red cape headed towards the door. He was dark but with some white around certain areas like around his eyes and the tip of his muzzle. His mane was entirely jet black which was cut neatly and short, like his tail. He had a small goatee on his chin and trimmed mustache which both equally suggested that this was a pony who cared very much for neat appearances, and for very good reason.

{My father, you see . . . and by extension your grandfather, of course, was a very distinguished pony. Our family had been for years. He was the head of a royal academy for gifted unicorns in Canterlot, the Silver Horn Academy. Those were some pretty big horseshoes to fill. That's precisely why he had such high expectations of me. Looking back at those times, I know he meant well. He wanted my life to succeed, to be fulfilling in the way he envisioned it. It worked for so many other members of our family across the many generations. We lived in that great city so there was no particular reason that he should believe that I should be any special exception at the time, but he was wrong about one thing; he shouldn't have expected too much of me, especially in one fixed direction. A pony's heart and talents could come from anywhere, and be directed anywhere. It does not flourish under tight restrictions. Of course I couldn't have known that back then either. I was just a little pony at the time. I had no wisdom or experience of my own to contradict the adults I lived with so I was forced to trust them. If there was something wrong with me then the problem had to stem from within, I reasoned. I was right, too, but not in the way that I originally thought.

{But, no matter how much I struggled against it, the sky always drew my attention back to it. Something about it always called to me. Despite all logic, despite all reason, deep in my heart I knew I was meant to fly. I just didn't know how I was going to do that yet.}

His attention drifting, Quill continued to find he could not focus on his studies. In frustration he gave up, at least for a brief moment. Leaning back in his seat, he looked above his head at the upside-down window behind him. Through that he saw the great blue skies. He stared at it for a long mesmerized moment, enticed with visions of flying through the sky. He could picture it so clearly in his head. He could visualize how it would feel through his mane, or what his surroundings would look like from such a height.

He stared at it for so long his neck started to hurt from that perspective so he opted to fix that by staring back at it a better way. He leaned forward in his seat again then wheeled it about to look out into the sky properly this time. Part of him continued to feel surprised that his father did not lock that window down yet. He supposed it had something to do with ventilation through the manor. That was important too, but one could accomplish the same thing with just a small pipe through the wall. But ah . . . such a thing would not permit such a fantastic view. Quill stared out the window for quite awhile, longing tearing at his heart.

(What's wrong with me?) he asked himself. (Why do I yearn for this? I must be crazy. This wish of mine borders on suicidal, and it's scary to contemplate how attractive that idea actually is if I never get even the remotest hint of my wish being granted. As everypony keeps telling me, however, “If unicorns were meant to fly, they would be born a pegasus instead.” Tishhh. It's just not fair. Of course it can, in theory, be just as likely for a pegasus to wish it had been born a unicorn instead. I haven't actually observed one showing any sign of that yet. It makes me feel like I'm the only one contemplating such thoughts. Both sides has it's advantages, of course, but I don't care! I know what I want. I know what I feel. I don't care how ridiculous it seems. I am meant to fly . . . somehow.)

{At the heart of it, I always knew one thing. One thing that the sky always represented for me, and that thing is freedom. Freedom to move in any direction I chose. Freedom to be who I always felt I needed to be. How can I discover my destiny, however, when everypony around me was always telling me I was wrong? That there was something wrong with me? A foal cannot easily defend him or herself from something like that. Not without reliable experience of their own to contradict others and defend their own opinions.

{But there was one outlet I had for my feelings back then. It felt hollow next to the real thing but, at the time, it was the best I had. I knew I had to express myself somehow, some way.}

And it was a secret. A secret because he knew his father would never approve of it. Well, scratch that. In a way he would approve. He would approve of the medium itself, not the content. Quill still knew he had to be cautious. He was sick of his father's judgmental disapproval.

(And mother would understand,) Quill mentally lamented with a remorseful frown on his face. (If she were still alive today, she would encourage my gifts, such as they are. Why can't father understand? This is who I am. This is all that I am.)

With that, Quill finally pulled out his secret after spending another moment to check if the coast was clear. He did not get up but instead paused a moment to simply listen for any sound outside of his door. After noticing for a long moment all seemed quiet out there, he finally pulled out his secret and studied it for a little while. Not only did he contemplate it's deeper meaning and emotions behind the words, but also he contemplated how he could have worded it better.

Until he got interrupted from his train of thoughts.

“There you are!” somepony said behind him. Catching him in the act of doing something naughty, Quill was greatly startled. After all, he was so certain the coast was clear a moment ago. But ah! If the sound came from behind him then there was really only one logical conclusion. Nevertheless, Quill instantly snapped his secret project back into a pile of scrolls before he wheeled about in his chair and tried his best to pretend he wasn't hiding anything important. His racing heart and beads of sweat must have been a dead give-away, however. Either that or the person behind him was studying him for awhile in secret.

In truth, the pegasus behind him was not much older than himself. Young enough to rightly be called a foal, although just barely. Stern Wing was indeed older, but not by much. She flew in through the window of course, the uncouth brute. Seeing her brown eyes and brown coat which gradually shifted to black at the tips of her wings, mane, tail and hooves was not entirely an unwelcome sight. More often than not, Quill personally considered her uninvited visits a secret welcome break from studies. If his father barged in at that moment at least, this time, he had a better excuse why he was not studying. A proper gentlepony shows courtesy to his guests, after all, even the uninvited ones. Typically Stern Wing was far more welcome than Quill openly let on, but somehow he suspected she knew that. Maybe that's why she kept on dropping by for these unannounced visits.

Quill secretly envied her freedom on multiple levels. Not only could she fly because she was a pegasus (and pretty good for her age, he might add), but she was also less restricted by the rules of high society, unlike him. There were “rules” and “protocols” that Quill had to use all the time in order to be “proper”. Quill could secretly care less about such things except it did matter to him what his father thought of him. As much as it hurt him, Quill did care about the opinions of his father, but he also cared about the opinions of ponies like Stern Wing as well.

Come to think of it, he actually cared about the opinions of most other ponies he knew in general. He suddenly realized how self-conscious he felt about that.

While usually he felt his friend to be a welcome break, that moment was different. At that moment he was drawing upon a secret and did not want to be caught. He sweated like crazy in fear that she'd bring it up.

{And so, of course, she did bring it up. What else could I expect of my luck at the time?}

“What'cha reading?” Stern Wing asked curiously as she flipped further into the room and onto Quill's bed. She flopped on it for a moment as her weight fully settled upon the thing. Great wealth had its advantages, but it was difficult to fully appreciate that without knowing how else society normally lived. There were stories here and there. Quill occasionally heard from others, like Stern Wing here, that there are some ponies so poor they only sleep on straw, or even the very dirt ground itself. In contrast, Quill's own bed was soft enough to flop on. Stern Wing probably secretly enjoyed that and took every advantage of it whenever she could. Even then, at that age, Quill realized he might be reading too much into the situation, but probably not. Education had it's advantages too. It typically kept a pony in the know more than most others are.

“Ah . . . nothing,” Quill replied nervously.

(By Celestia!I sound so insincere even to my own ears. Let's just hope she didn't notice.)

“This is mom we're talking about,” exasperated Star Breeze with a roll of her eyes. “Of course she'd notice.”

Back in the present, Star Breeze's father gave his daughter a narrow stare for that comment and was silent for a few moments, then rolled his eyes as he looked outward again as he resumed. “Anyhoo . . .”

“What do you mean nothing? I saw you stuff a scroll into your . . . well . . . another pile a scrolls just a moment ago,” Stern Wing pointed out. “I can even see it still. It's right there.” She tried to point at it from her position.

“Ah . . . no. I don't see any scroll,” Quill stubbornly replied while looking at a literal pile of scrolls on his desk.

“Okay, so . . . this one is a secret then,” Stern Wing realized. “Now I've got to see this one.”

“No!” Quill cried out defiantly.

“Give it here!” Stern Wing said back as she rolled forward and reached into the pile of scrolls. She was even quick enough to snatch the correct one but, as she pulled back, it suddenly glowed with silver energy and attempted, in vain, to be pulled away telekinetically. That was clearly Quill's magical aura signature. If she didn't know that already then his silver glowing horn would have been another dead giveaway. Clearly he was trying to defend this secret which made her all the more stubborn on this point. Whatever secret this was it had to be juicy! “Give it!” Stern Wing insisted as she yanked back on the scroll.

“NO!” Quill cried out.

“Give it!”

“No! Darn it, Stern Wing, you'll rip it!”

“Then you let go! I'm not letting go, trust me. Will . . . you . . . just . . . let . . . me . . .” she stuttered between yanks and pulls. Finally Quill relented and Stern Wing ended up reeling back unsteadily for a moment as she then fought to recover her own balance. She had to lean against his pull for a moment until it was suddenly not there. A quick backwards flap of her wings helped to give her a counter thrust. She ended up blowing Quill's covers off of his bed and into the wall against it on one side. Her butt landed onto the bed with a few bounces, each bounce less than the last until it stopped.

“Finally! Now, let's see this secret and forbidden scroll of mysteries that's got you so worked up,” Stern Wing said in satisfaction then unrolled the scroll to read it. She glanced above it for a brief second, however, when she noticed her friend covering his face in embarrassment.

“It's not finished,” Quill finally admitted, “and you can't tell anypony about that scroll, especially my father! He'd destroy it in a second. I just know it.”

“What?” Stern Wing squinted one eye in confusion at Quill. “But, why? You wrote this, didn't you? I thought he wanted you to be a writer like him.”

“Exactly!” Quill snapped at her sharply. “A writer like him.”

“Huh?” Stern Wing cocked her head. “I don't understand.”

“You might if you just read it,” Quill invited. At that moment it suddenly occurred to him that it could be to his advantage to have a second opinion and, unlike his father, Stern Wing was very unlikely to destroy the scroll after the first read through. Quill never got feedback on his own work before. Yes, the scholastic stuff he did, but never something like this. Never something this personal to him before. Quill grew curious what her opinion might be but, at the same time, he was very nervous. What if she didn't like it? What if she thought he was stupid and dumb for writing it? What if she ridiculed his dream? As curious as he was, he knew she now had the power to crush his heart in her very hooves. Even if it was unlikely that she would, that feeling of vulnerability almost made him panic anyway. He had to struggle very hard to keep his cool. That's one way high society training came in hoofy. At least they tried to teach young foals how to remain cool under pressure and, he had to admit, those skills came in hoofy sometimes. Times like this.

Finally, Stern Wing looked over the scroll, pausing to read the title at the top first. “Sky Dancer . . . the First Flying Unicorn.” Right after reading that she gave Quill a “Really?” upraised eyebrow look.

(Please go easy on me!) Quill secretly begged desperately in his mind. (It's my first work! I'll get better at it! I promise! Just don't destroy me before I have a chance to.)

Stern Wing read on aloud.

“Oh ye of little earth,

How I mock thee from high on yonder.

My piss is but rain upon your fertile soil.

You seem so small to my eyes.

The whole world shrinks as I fly.

Vast Blue skies stretch out before me . . .

endless . . .

Oceans of white puffy clouds melt before me,

They make good pillows, I think.

I feel my stomach churn as I descend rapidly

and . . . as I ascend . . .

Every day I'm grateful for my freedom. This ultimate freedom.

They used to mock me.

Me, a unicorn . . . dancing in the skies.

'If Unicorns were meant to fly, they would be born pegasi', they said.

But I can fly.

Magic is my wings.

Passion is the wind beneath my wings.

With every breath I draw, I know I'm one with the sky.”

Stern Wing slowly lowered the scroll with a stunned look in her eyes. At first Quill missed that because he shut his own eyes, squinting tightly as if bracing for a painful impact. Slowly he squinted his eyes just barely open to observe her reaction. What he saw gave him more confidence to open his eyes further, but still he was curious even if his fears somewhat subsided.

“Well?” Quill prompted after a long moment of silence.

“Quill, this is . . . amazing! You wrote this? Really?” Stern Wing asked doubtfully.

“Yes,” Quill replied simply.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“At your age?”

“Is that so hard to believe?” Quill checked. “That is my first work. It can't be that good.”

Stern Wing looked doubly shocked. Her eyes almost look like they were ready to explode from her eye sockets. “Really? Your first work?”

“Yes.” At this point Quill was blushing a bit. He really didn't know what to expect because he had never gotten any feedback before. He braced himself so hard against criticism that he forgot that compliments were also a possibility. At that time he did not dare to hope for that.

“I . . . would like your opinion on something in particular,” Quill tentatively said. “You . . . are actually a pegasus.”

That “astute” observation dispelled the charm she felt in an instant. Right after that she narrowed her eyes at him and said, “Gee, thanks for noticing. Personally I thought the wings were a dead giveaway.”

“My point is you can fly!” Quill went on.

Stern Wing grew curious to see where this was going. “Go on,” she bade.

“Pretty well, actually, for . . . you know . . . your age,” Quill said nervously.

“Aw! Thanks!” Stern Wing said brightly. That compliment honestly cheered her right back up.

“But after reading that poem, I have to wonder . . . Stern Wing.” Quill looked squarely in her eyes. “Is that what it actually feels like to uh . . . you know . . . fly? Does that poem convey those feelings adequately enough? Do you think somepony whose never done it before would get an accurate idea what it's like based on the words of this poem?”

Stern Wing looked back at the poem and even read through it several more times before she looked back at Quill with one hoof, the left in this case, lightly touching her lips while the other hoof continued to hold the scroll. She paused for a few more moments as she digested the words and feelings it conveyed very carefully because she wanted to give an honest opinion. Eventually she replied, “Better than I would have expected considering it was written by an actual unicorn, and a young one at that. If I didn't know better, I would have said this was written by somepony who actually flew before.”

Quill looked immensely relieved. “Oh, good! That's the feeling I wanted to express in that poem.”

“I mean, you even got some of the finer details right,” Stern Wing said in amazement as she looked back at the scroll. “Seen from high above, the world does shrink. Every plant, building, bug and critter shrinks until there is nothing left. You can't see it if you fly high enough. All that is left is the sky.” Stern Wing looked off to her side and out the window, staring at the sky in particular. Eventually she admitted, “Truth be told, however, I haven't analyzed it to this level of detail before. The sky is just . . . well, it's like it's the ground to me. It's like water is to a fish. It's nothing special. It just is.”

“Nothing special?!” Quill looked taken aback. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” Stern Wing looked back at Quill. “The sky was always there for me. I never considered what it would be like to be without it. Well, I used to know, to a point, what it was like. I wasn't born with the ability to fly. It's just something I learned over time. It was a thrill for the first few years but, after that, it gradually shifted to a routine . . . but this . . .” she looked back at the scroll “. . . this reminds me what it was like when I still looked upon the sky like it still had some special charm left in it. Next to this, I feel like I've taken the sky for granted but this poem helped me to recapture some of those earlier feelings and foal-like wonder.” Stern Wing closed her eyes and hugged the scroll to her stomach. “You've given me back something precious that I had lost until today, Quill. I can honestly say this is the best work I've ever seen!”

“Aw! Shucks!” Quill said with a blushing glow.

After a few seconds of silence, Stern Wing suddenly popped in a few more comments. “But I do have a few more opinions about this poem, especially the beginning parts. Let's see,” she read it again, then read it out loud. “'Oh ye of little earth, how I mock thee from high on yonder. My piss is but rain upon your fertile soil.'” Stern Wing grinned at Quill for a second as she said, “I especially like that part.” Then she looked back at the scroll as she resumed reading, “'You seem so small to my eyes. The whole world shrinks as I fly.'” She rolled up the scroll as she said with a thoughtful “Huh.” Only after she fully rolled up the scroll did she speak again while shaking the scroll for emphasis. “According to this, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you had downright contempt for the earth. That you hate trotting upon this, 'fertile' soil.”

Quill shook his head then said, “No. That's not how I feel at all. I don't hate the earth, I just resent being stuck on it.” Quill's eyes shifted to his left towards his desk. “Now the character in the poem, Sky Dancer, he might feel that way. He might feel contempt for the earth which facilitates his appreciation of being free from it,” Quill looked back at Stern Wing, “but that's just the character. It's not how I feel personally as a writer. He's just somepony I made up.”

“And that's another thing.” Stern Wing shook the scroll at Quill. “Why did you choose the name 'Sky Dancer' for your main character?”

“Um,” Quill paused for a moment as he considered the question, then shrugged. “I don't know. It just seemed like a good name for a pegasus, I guess, except in this case it applies to a unicorn for some reason. Maybe he was born with it or maybe he changed his name to it after he learned he could really fly. Point is, it flows with the narrative of the story. I wanted a name that expresses how the character felt about his situation. He's Sky Dancer . . . because he dances in the skies. It's as simple as that.”

Stern Wing squinted her right eye at Quill with suspicion. “Are you sure? There really is nothing more to it than that?”

Quill shook his head with a plain, honest look. “No. I swear to you there is nothing more to it than that. Why do you ask?”

Stern Wing crossed her upper legs across her chest, still holding the scroll in her right hoof. “Now that's funny. I mention that because I actually know a pegasus named Sky Dancer. I was just wondering if you were secretly referring to that pony.”

“Really?” Quill asked in amused delight. “No foolin'?”

Stern Wing shook her head as she said, “Nope.”

Quill narrowed his eyes at her as he asked, “Wait a second. How do you know this Sky Dancer? How do you know he really exists?”

“That's simple. He's my cousin,” Stern Wing answered.

“Oh wow!” Quill's expression popped with surprise. “I honestly didn't know that.”

“Kind of a hero of mine, actually,” Stern Wing admitted wistfully. “Sky Dancer joined the Wonderbolt reserves. He says he's going to be a Wonderbolt someday, and I believe him. Which is convenient for me, actually, because, when I join the Wonderbolts myself, I'll actually have somepony already there that I personally know and can talk to.”

“Wait, what?” Star Breeze interrupted her father in surprise. “Hold on, hold on, hold on. Back up a second. You were the one who joined the Wonderbolts, or at least as a member of the cadets. Since when did mom also want to join as well?”

Her father paused with a quizzical look on his face for a moment before he asked his daughter, “Why does that surprise you? Have you met your mom?

“Wait. Let me rephrase that.” Her father paused in thought for a moment, then explained, “Just about every pegasus with wings wanted to join the Wonderbolts, especially while they are young. The Wonderbolts are an amazing spectacle and they are very inspirational about it. That was the primary point of it when it was originally founded. Within it showcases pegasi flying skills at their best. What foal wouldn't look up into the sky at them and think to themselves, 'That could be me someday'. That feeling of being admired, a foal would yearn for that feeling to be shared right back at them because it makes them feel more secure and appreciated. To say your mother wanted to join the Wonderbolts shouldn't surprise you because just about every pegasus dreams of that. Moreover, your mother actually had some potential in it. She's a very strong flier.”

“Yeah, but she's nowhere near as strong or as fast or as maneuverable as you are,” Star Breeze argued.

“Not many would be, that's true, but I'm a special case,” her father pointed out. “I can use my magic to connect with the wind and the sky in a way that few other pegasi can and certainly not as directly. My strategy also had some disadvantages to it as I would later find out.”

“Is that why you did not fully make it into the Bolts?” Star Breeze asked a little shyly.

Her father sighed as he looked off the cliff and closed his eyes. After a moment he bowed his head, then he spoke. “The truth is there were many reasons I did not make it into the Bolts. Part of it had to do with my own limitations and the other parts, well . . .” he grinned at his daughter and said. “No spoilers. I'll get to that part later.”

“Aw! But I want my answer now,” Star Breeze complained foalishly.

“Hush now. You'll have to wait. I'm trying to explain to you my mindset at the time. I need you to understand that realizing my destiny and my potential wasn't easy, and why it wasn't easy. No pony before me had ever done something quite like I had, at least not in recorded history. I was dealing with something I truly thought was impossible to deal with. Since you are facing a similar situation, you might want to hear me out before you jump to conclusions, or is that all you wish to do? I can stop my story now and let you just assume the rest if you want.”

“No-no-no!' Star Breeze panicked. “You go on. I'll be a good girl from now on.”

He grinned at her and said, “See that you do. Now, as I was saying . . .” as he thought about it, he realized there was an irony to the situation. As he put his mind back in time again, he realized he made the same mistake that his daughter just did. “Actually, back then, I questioned the validity of her statement too. So few could join the Bolts, even as a reservist. I mean, I thought you'd have to win entire tournaments usually before you're even considered for the Bolts reserve, never mind the Bolts themselves. Believing she wanted to join the Bolts didn't surprise me, but claiming she actually knew and was related to somepony among the Bolts reserves seemed highly unlikely. Add to that it was a name I just happened to pick as the main character of my story.”

“That is pretty funny!” Star Breeze agreed with a girlish giggle.

Her father grinned at her for a second then looked forward again.

{It actually sounded like something somepony made up. The kind of thing a little foal would actually come up with. Like one foal bragging to another that they happened to be related to somepony important then that foal immediately counters with bragging about somepony else that is famous that they just “happened” to be related to. Back and forth this debate would continue when, in fact, in each case it is just a pointless ego trip and usually a downright lie. But, indeed, coincidences like that can happen sometimes. Know this and know this well, my daughter . . . you actually are related to a member of the Wonderbolts, just like your mother said all those years ago. Not a reservist either. A full fledged Wonderbolt, but I'll get back to that story more later. For now all I'll say is . . .}

“Wow. I can't believe it. You're related to a Wonderbolt reservist. That alone is quite an honor, but now you're also telling me it's the name I chose for the character I made up in my story? Freaky,” Quill said with wonder.

“Um,” something occurred to Stern Wing so, after a moment of thought, she asked, “Can I show this to Sky Dancer when next I see him? I think he would get a kick out of it.”

“No. Not the original,” Quill rejected. “However, if you like, I can make you a copy. You can even keep it once I do.”

“Really?!” Stern Wing asked cheerfully. “Oh, that would be so amazing! Thank you! I wouldn't mind keeping my own copy.” She looked down at the scroll. “I think even we pegasi need a reminder every once in awhile to appreciate the gifts we have. Since two-thirds of all ponykind can't do what we can do, it's all the more important to appreciate what we have on behalf of all others who can't share in our gifts. Of course, the other pony breeds have their own advantages. No pony is without, and we do need each other to work in harmony.” She looked back at Quill. “You, for example, can cast magic. At one time your kind was necessary to raise and lower the sun and moon. I heard that was quite difficult, even in groups. Can you imagine what our world would be like if no pony could do that?”

“Not a pleasant thought, to be sure,” Quill agreed.

Stern Wing narrowed her eyes slightly at Quill as she said, “Then you, too, should learn to appreciate the gifts you have. On behalf of two-thirds of our population who can't do what you can do, you are thereby obligated to enjoy what you have to the fullest. Unicorns are very useful ponies! Some would argue that they are the most powerful of us all besides an alicorn like the Princess, of course. Besides that, you're, ah . . . very-very special. Let's just put it that way.” Stern Wing glanced to her left for a second and then back at Quill. “You know, technically, it is possible for unicorns to mold the sky just like we pegasi can except they have to do it from the ground. Magic can do anything, basically. Let's not undersell it here.”

“Anything, huh?” Quill said with wonder. “Maybe even fly.”

Stern Wing rolled her eyes drolly. “Well if unicorns ever achieved that then the rest of us pegasi are totally obsolete. If you guys could control magic, and the weather and could fly then . . . well . . . what's next? Go back in time? Change everything in Equestria? Start a brand new utopia or perhaps destroy the one we already have?”

“I'm not saying every unicorn could. If one could it does not mean they all can. Every pony is different,” Quill politely argued. “Conversely, every pegasi can fly. If one unicorn learned to fly that doesn't exactly unbalance the equation here.”

“Actually, not every pegasi can fly,” Stern Wing corrected.

“Right, of course,” Quill agreed with a droll roll of his eyes. “I suppose not the ones with injured wings.”

“No, it's more than that.” Stern Wing leaned forward. “A few pegasi have what appears to be perfectly functional wings but they still can't fly. It's rare, but it happens.”

Quill looked confused. “Really? How does that work?”

Stern Wing shrugged. “No pony knows. Some think it might be a psychological imbalance issue. Others think it might have something to do with our magic, or perhaps, in this case, a lack of it. You know, it's funny, I heard if you really analyze the exact physics of all pegasi then technically none of us should be able to fly. We're too heavy, even with a lighter bone structure. Conversely some pegasi could be a stacked powerhouse of heavy muscle and yet they can still fly. The exact science of it is weird, so most ponies just give up with a shrug and say, 'Hey, it's magic. Magic explains everything, because magic itself defies explanation.'”

Quill grinned in amusement and shook his head.

Stern Wing yawned as she leaned back into the bed again. “Anyway, I wouldn't get too worked up about it. The world works in whatever mysterious way it works. It does not require an explanation to continue to work.”

“Um, Dad,” Star Breeze said a little timidly.

Her father's left eye shifted to look at her as he asked, “Yes?”

Star Breeze took a few seconds to work up the courage to ask something before she said, “Based on what you just told me, you once told mom that you would make a copy of that poem for her. Did you do it? More to the point, does she still have it?”

The left eye that had looked at his daughter resumed looking forward again as he answered. “Yes, I eventually did make her a copy and she still has it to this day, um . . . somewhere, I suppose. You'll have to ask her where she put it. Your mom has a . . .” he cleared his throat before he resumed speaking “. . . different, shall we say . . . system of organization.” He gazed upward towards the stars. “Funny thing is . . . or actually in a way it's sad . . . that copy has become the new original because the true original was destroyed.”

“Aw. That's too bad,” Star Breeze said sadly, then went on to say, “Good thing you kept your word, then, or you wouldn't have any copy at all.”

Her father looked down at his daughter as he asked, “I take it you want to read it too?”

Star Breeze looked corner-wise down as she answered, “Well, um . . . maybe. I could find it inspirational but not in the way you might think. You see,” she looked back at her father, “I'm kind of interested to write poetry too. Maybe you could give me some pointers.”

“Really?” Her father's head went back a bit. “I didn't know you were interested in poetry. Why didn't you tell me?”

“I guess I didn't know until just recently,” Star Breeze answered. “Sometimes it takes awhile to discover all of our interests, you know?”

“Indeed I do,” her father agreed as he looked down the cliff again.

“Anyway, sorry for interrupting again. Please, continue,” Star Breeze bade.

“Hmm.” Her father grinned at his daughter coyly. “I have a feeling you'll be doing that a lot more times before I'm done with my story. It's a common habit of every young foal to be curious and ask many questions. The world is still new to little ponies like you, after all. You're still exploring it. Know that I won't take offense. We've all been there at one time.”

“Yeah,” Star Breeze said with a droll roll of her eyes. “Anyway, as I said, please continue. I'm getting impatient.”

Her father chuckled at her as he looked forward again.

Stern Wing didn't resist this time as the silver glow surrounded Quill's poetry scroll and dragged it back to his desk where he proceeded to hide it again.

“Promise me you won't tell my father about that scroll, and I'll promise you I'll make you a copy of it as soon as I'm done with it,” Quill compromised.

“Sure,” Stern Wing agreed as she put both of her forelegs behind her to steady her as she leaned back on the bed. “It's too bad you can't be that open with your father. I am with mine, and our relationship greatly benefits from our mutual honesty.”

Quill dragged another scroll in front of him and telekinetically unwrapped it. At the same time he telekinetically lifted a red feathered quill and dipped it in ink as he studied the scroll for a bit before he started writing down something as if he was trying to find his place again, found it, then resumed writing. As he did so he said, “My father and I probably have a more delicate relationship with each other compared to you and your father. While I wish I could be more open with him, I know for a fact I just can't. My mother, on the other hoof, would have understood and embraced my interests.”

Stern Wing frowned. “I'm sorry for your loss. She does sound like a sweet lady.” Just then Stern Wing realized something. “What was her name again?”

“Silver Shine,” Quill answered without looking at Stern Wing.

“Silver Shine,” Stern Wing echoed. “Huh. What a lovely name.”

A few minutes passed in silence before Quill said, “Listen, Stern Wing, it's not that I don't appreciate your unannounced visits, but I do have my studies to catch up on.”

“Oh, sure.” Stern Wing rolled forward to the edge of the bed she sat upon. “Guess I'll go and resume my game practices too. Oh! That reminds me. I'm having a big game next week, sometime during the middle of it. I know you can't play. You don't have the stamina for it, and you don't have wings besides. I was wondering, however, if you could come to the games anyway to cheer me on?”

Quill looked forward at the wall behind his desk as he telekinetically tapped the tip of his red quill on his lips in thought. “Middle of next week? That would be around a Wednesday, right?”

{I didn't go as you are about to shortly find out, but later on your mother told me she was flattered that I at least considered it very seriously.}

“Yeah, or rather sometime around that time,” Stern Wing clarified.

Quill continued to think hard on that offer, greatly tempted to accept, but then he recalled something which made him look down at his desk again in disappointment. “No. I just remembered I'll be busy next week, sort of.”

“More studying?” Stern Wing guessed dryly.

“Actually, no.” Quill leaned back in his seat and twisted it a bit in Stern Wing's direction as he also looked at her. “Visiting family. My uncle, in this case.”

Hearing that cheered Stern Wing a bit. “Oh, how nice. It's always good to see family members once in awhile.” Then she recalled something that made this situation confusing. “Wait a second. Didn't you tell me your father hated his brother?”

“Hate is probably too strong of a word,” Quill answered back. “Disappointment is more the mark.” Quill rolled his eyes. “I know what that's like. It's easy to disappoint a pony who has high standards.”

Stern Wing leaned forward as she put her fore hoofs on the knees of her hind legs. While she did that, she asked in a mystified tone, “What exactly did your uncle do to disappoint your father? By all accounts that I heard of, your uncle is one of the most powerful unicorns out there. Seems to me your father would have looked up to his brother for that unless he's jealous, but you didn't say he was jealous of his brother, just disappointed. That implies he let down your father somehow so what happened between them?”

Quill rested his left elbow on the left arm of his chair and settled his left cheek on his left hoof as he said, “You might find this strange to believe, but that uncle of mine . . . you know, the one you claimed is the most powerful unicorn . . . actually has forsaken magic. To somepony like my father, that would also imply forsaking the unicorn race as well.”

Stern Wing did indeed look taken aback. “What? Why? How?” she asked, flabbergasted.

“My uncle, Ramadon Mesmer, seems to have abandoned the ways of my family and instead embraced earth pony culture. He's literally out there right now living off of and growing a farm. That offends my father's sensibilities on so many levels. Maybe that's why he's so hard on me. I think he's looking at me as the last hope of preserving our family's legacy.”

“Which is mostly just wizardry and a scholar, right?” Stern Wing asked.

Quill nodded. “Right. Our family are also record keepers of history. He is named Author Scroll, isn't he? And he named me Quill Scroll.”

Stern Wing squinted in confusion. “But if your uncle is as talented as most ponies say, why would he abandon magic and live as an earth pony?”

Quill shook his head as he said, “I don't know. That's actually one of the things I had planned to ask him when I visit him and his family. Personally I'm not revolted by his choice of lifestyle, but I am confused and intrigued. There must be a reason for his decision. I suspect it's love for the one he married, but his tactics seem a little too extreme considering the degree of talent he actually has. To go from one extreme to the other begs a lot of questions. I doubt my father knows the answer to that question either but, unlike me, I think he's not even curious. My father probably can't get past the feeling of being abandoned, hence the reason he's so hard on me.”

Stern Wing shook her head then said, “That just makes things more confusing. You claim that your father is disappointed in his brother's lifestyle choices, so why is he sending you to visit him? By all accounts, he should be spending all of his resources to keep you from his brother.”

Quill's eyes drifted up to gaze at the ceiling. “Well, my father claims it's because he's going to be too busy next week to take care of me. From what I can tell, that part is true at least. There is midterms that's coming up so he'll have a lot of assignments to grade. Not all of it is on paper, either. Since the school is testing magical ability, he'd have to be there in person to personally witness the performances of his students one by one.” Quill turned his chair towards his desk and, from there, twisted it from side to side wistfully. “I get that part, but the thing I don't understand is . . . well, our family is rich. Father could just hire a tutor to take care of me and see to my studies.” Quill tapped his red quill on his lips again thoughtfully. “I know my father can afford it, and his history would suggest he should be inclined to do so. He always rags on me to pursue my studies very seriously. Sending me to visit my uncle instead is the last thing I would have expected him to do.” Quill's right eye shifted right to look at Stern Wing. “My best guess is this might have something to do with a promise he made to his wife and my mother, or it might have something to do with a promise he made to his brother. As I said before, he doesn't hate his brother. On some level I'm pretty sure he loves his brother too. It's just that he hates the choices my uncle made recently.”

“What about you, then? Are you looking forward to the trip?” Stern Wing asked curiously.

Quill's right eye looked forward again. “For my part, yes. This will give me a break from my studies and also give me an opportunity to ask my uncle what the hay is going on between him and his brother. It shocks me that my father didn't even insist I bring homework assignments on this trip. The way he's acting suggests he really wants me to focus my attention on the visit itself instead.”

“Family is very important,” Stern Wing said. “Maybe that's all there is to it. Your father may not agree with his brother's recent choices, but he's still family. I think he wants you to get to know his brother regardless of the choices he made in life. Perhaps, deep down, your father really isn't all that upset at his brother. Tell you what, though. I'm curious too, now. If you actually do find out why your uncle, one of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria in our current age, suddenly decided to abandon magic in favor of living as an earth pony on a farm, you tell me too, alright? Unless it's a secret. In that case, all you have to do is tell me the fact that it is a secret. I won't pursue that line of questioning any further if you tell me that.”

Quill thought on that for a few seconds then looked at Stern Wing and nodded. “Deal.”

Chapter Two: Natural Magic

Star Breeze yawned a bit as she gazed off the cliff face somewhat tiredly.

“I can certainly understand mom's curiosity,” Star Breeze mentioned. “If I were in her place, I'd be curious too. Heck, I'm curious right now. I certainly hope what you found out wasn't a secret. Don't you dare tease me with information like this then suddenly hold back the rest. I'll never forgive you if you do.”

Her father pretended he wasn't aware of his daughter's yawn, but he was. He kept a mental note of it as it was a sign of when he should stop his story for the night.

“No, it's no secret,” her father said. “It's kind of the opposite of a secret, actually. What I'm about to tell you tonight is not something that's splashed all over the news or whispered in dark shadows all across Equestria. It's not that. Rather, what I'm about to tell you tonight, your grand uncle wanted me to explain to others, especially to somepony like you. You're family, and the history of our family is something he would have wanted you to know. Your grand uncle, Ramadon, discovered something in himself out there while living on that farm. Something he wanted to share with every pony he ever encountered. The word I can think of that best describes your grand uncle is 'enlightened'. He was wiser than almost any other pony I know because of his discoveries. He would be pleased that I'm sharing this information with you tonight because he thinks everypony should know the secrets that caused him to feel so fulfilled.”

“So spill it already!” Star Breeze demanded impatiently, irritably and a bit cranky due to her escalating fatigue.

“In due time,” her father said back. “Patience is a virtue. That's one of the things your grand uncle taught me and he also explained why it is true. To get the full story, however, we'd have to go back a little further than that.”

xoxo

{While riding with my father in an enclosed carriage out to uncle Ramadon's farm, I mostly focused on my father across from me during the trip. I kept thinking of your mother's questions for me back in my bedroom and it kept repeating in my head as I stared at my father, trying to get into his head as best I could. If I had the power to read minds back then than I certainly would have used it in that moment. Judging purely on facial expressions, however, my father made my task quite challenging. He should have been a poker player, in my estimation. Between his astute math skills, detailed education and stoic facial expression devoid of all emotion nearly all the time, he would have made a great player of the game if he didn't consider it so far beneath him. My father was rigid, disciplined, stoic, and “proper” in all things. Staring at him was akin to staring at a statue. I even made a game out of counting the seconds between his eye blinks. By now I forgot what his record was. All I recall, at this point, was the fact I gradually grew more and more impressed, and also kind of bored.

{It was also a quiet trip, as our conversations usually are. Sometimes he pulls out a pocket watch from underneath his fine velvet cloak and checks for the time. Sometimes he looks wistfully out the window and stares at various trees, rocks, ponies or terrain as it passes. Briefly I caught him glancing in my direction several times which always made me feel self-conscious, like I've been caught doing something naughty like sticking a hoof into the cookie jar. Every time he did that, I'd stare at something else for a few seconds but gradually my attention returned to him. Sitting there in the carriage with just the two of us, there was little else I could do to occupy my time.

{I have a feeling he knew what I was thinking and, if true, that made only one of us. My father was, by no means, a stupid pony. On the contrary, he was actually quite brilliant and well educated. He must have known that I was curious why he was sending me off to spend a week on his brother's farm, especially considering the turbulent history he had with his brother. Sending me there without being buried in homework was uncharacteristic for him. He must have known I would find that strange, but I never worked up the courage to just ask him directly. Living with a pony you feel is constantly judging you would make any pony feel self-conscious. Certainly I was no exception, but just because I didn't have the courage to ask him directly wouldn't stop me from wondering anyway. I just hoped that his brother had a more inviting attitude. Something to make him more approachable.

{Speaking of which, it eventually occurred to me to ask myself when was the last time I had seen my uncle? According to some of the butlers and maids I asked in our manor just before the start of our trip, most of them had no idea but there was one elderly maid in our house that indicated that, the last time I had seen my uncle in person, I was still a baby. If true, then that would explain why I had such trouble recalling him. Back then Ramadon was still a distinguished wizard. Even if I managed to recall him, I had the feeling he would be quite different now.

{What an adventure this was likely to turn out to be. It was that sense of excitement that kept me from passing out of pure boredom and, if that happened, I would have never heard the end of it from my bitter father about how “improper” such behavior was while out in public.

{Eventually I spent my time looking out the window as well but, unlike my father, my attention grew far more dedicated to it, especially when things out there grew less and less familiar. My life, up to that point, was spent mostly staring out my window at various castle spires such as those in Canterlot between breaks of my studies. I know you've seen them before, my sweet, so I need not describe them in great detail at this time but, on that carriage ride, for the first time, I had my first taste of country life and, compared to where I came from, that was quite a culture shock for me back then.

{Fertile land as far as the eye could see. Occasionally I would pass another pony working out on that farm. The sunset lit the sky with brilliant flaming light. I loved how the clouds just glowed out there in the sky. Occasionally I passed swirled stacks of hay. Other times I saw young foals playing off on the sides of the dirt street. I felt a brief but intense pang of jealousy how much fun they seemed to have in life. It made me wonder if the important gap between the rich and poor is happiness level and, if so, the poor seemed to draw the better end of the stick. More than likely they probably thought of us in a similar light, most likely because of some imagined benefit. Why does it seem so rare for ponies to simply be happy just where they are?

{Eventually we pulled up to Ramadon's farm. I swallowed a lump in my throat then stepped out of the carriage, not really knowing what to expect. Facing the unknown like that brought with it a lot of fear and excitement all at the same time.

{Outside of the carriage, I was assailed by a swirl of unidentified senses. The sights, the sounds, the smell, the temperature in the air . . . it actually felt like I stepped into another world. I know that sounds strange to you since you've seen many sights all across Equestria in our airship but, back then, I was not accustomed to travel.

{I saw a dog racing across the dirt road towards me. It was the only creature in the vicinity that had absolutely no sense of proper etiquette. Instead the creature charged right at me and started licking me. At first I was quite startled, thinking I was being attacked, but seconds later I realized what it was up to and I was not actually being eaten. Other older ponies catching up to the scene called the dog's name and said, “Get down”. At this point I forgot the dogs name directly but I do recall their disapproval. Disapproval, but not surprise. Apparently this kind of behavior was common for dogs and it was actually the friendlier approach they could make. If they start barking at you harshly instead then watch out. That's actually a warning that they will attack if you get too close.

{Eventually the dog did settle and race back to those that called it. It was then that I first beheld my uncle after many years and, as I suspected, if I could have recalled his attire and face when I was an infant, I really doubt I would have recognized him since. He trotted towards me and my father with most of his family in tow. Those who weren't with him were either working or playing out in the farm somewhere else.

{He actually looked like an earth pony. That's the best way I could describe my impression of him. In fact, I actually did mistake him for an earth pony until my father called out his name. My eyes widened in shock as I secretly asked myself, “That's him?” He was actually quite tall and brawny for a unicorn. He was a smoky, gray-colored pony with a bit lighter shade of gray around the face. He had a thin line of a beard tracing around the bottom edge of his jaw which extends from the right to left edge of each side of his jaw. His mane, tail and beard were deep brown. He wore jean overalls and suspenders strapped around his shoulders. He also wore a yellow straw hat which, I noticed, concealed his horn completely. I was left with the shocked impression that he did that deliberately, as if he was trying to hide the fact he was a unicorn entirely. It made me think, “Why? Was he ashamed to be a unicorn? Of course, I'm one to talk. Here I am, a fellow unicorn who sort of wished he was a pegasus. Oh the irony of life sometimes.”

{Uncle Ramadon and his family were far more welcoming than I expected. They didn't insist to hug my father. If they did, I have a strong feeling he would have rejected it. They did offer it to me, however. I recall glancing up at my father as if silently asking for permission. Truth be told, there was a subtle hint of disapproval in his face and yet, oddly, he nodded yes. Surprise crept up inside me due to the mixed messages my father conveyed but, before I had a chance to analyze it fully, I was suddenly yanked back and forth from pony to pony who took turns hugging me. I honestly could not recall before that moment when was the last time I was touched to that degree and frequency. Instantly my mom came to my mind but, besides her, there really was no other prior experience like it in my life.

{I learned, over time, that earth pony culture seemed to require a considerably larger degree of touching compared to most other breeds of ponies, especially compared to pure unicorn cultures. It was their way to establish a connection with whatever or whomever they were dealing with. It was as if they required that action to fully believe whatever they were interacting with was truly real. At the time I came to suspect that their more distant connection to magic forced them to adapt to, shall we say, lack of extra sense and make up for it by touching things more often. It was as if it was their desperate attempt to connect with magic in their own way. I found I pitied them for that and, in a way, I grew scared of it too. In my mind, I kept picturing them petting me and stroking me with a dead and livid look in their eyes while drooling ceaselessly and pawing at me like a pack of zombies, repeatedly groaning the word “Magic!” over and over again.

{Heh-heh! Oh, the imagination of young foals!

{The truth was a lot less scary than that, and gradually I saw the truth of it more and more. Not just then, but between many other encounters I made with their culture later in life. Each time taught it's own lesson which built up to what I know today. Earth pony culture actually had an intense sense of honesty and integrity to it. They lived a simple life and they were proud of it. I couldn't argue about the fact that it was important. This was the breed of ponies that grew most of the food in all of Equestria. Where would we be without that? They knew that, too, and they were proud of their contribution. Unlike my initial impression, they didn't see their own lives as a sense of what they lack, they saw their lives for what they had instead, and what they had was a lifestyle of honesty, integrity, hard-working and, generally speaking . . . happiness. The more I realized what they did have, the more I realized why Ramadon was attracted to this lifestyle.

{As I suspected, though, Ramadon's interaction with his brother directly was brief and vice versa. Based on the impatient way my father kept glancing at his pocket watch, it suggested he couldn't wait to leave. There were repeated attempts to invite him to dinner. He rejected it every time and kept mentioning how “busy” he was. He wasn't lying either but, at the time, I suspected it was also just an empty excuse. While I saw anger and resentment in my father's eyes towards his brother, in Ramadon I instead saw pity and some regret. It didn't change how Ramadon thought of his own life, but clearly he had a desperate hope that his relationship with his brother would improve. I think he wanted to invite his brother to spend some time with his family as if that would help explain why he made his choice. He wanted to demonstrate the fact that there were advantages to his choice, but no . . . his brother rejected every attempt to be invited. It wasn't long before he got right back in the carriage and told the driver to direct the ponies pulling the carriage to drive on.

{There was a stern look from my father as he glanced in my direction while the carriage drove off. It was a silent reminder of, “You behave,” the look seemed to say.

{Sigh.

{What else would it be? Celestia forbid it to be a look of, “You have a good time out here with your family. You hear?”

{Anyway. Getting a little off topic here.

{My uncle introduced me to a whole host of family members and some extended relatives, especially on his wife's side. They were all earth ponies, except for my uncle. At first I felt surrounded, even threatened a little, but the curiosity they had about my magic gradually relaxed me over time and even kind of delighted me to some extent. Out here I was an oddity but, in a curious way, that also made me feel kind of special and, of course, in exchange they happily introduced me to everything they had as well. It was a very fair exchange of information. I found myself becoming more and more grateful for the opportunity as time went on.

{By Celestia, don't even get me started on the food! Whole foods, puffy whole-grain breads, stacks of hay, steaming vegetables dripping with cheese! At first I was intimidated. It seems to be my first instinct when I encounter something dramatically new, but this was an experience that taught me the benefits of having an adventure. Sometimes you encounter really good things when you dare to take a chance in life, and this was certainly one of those cases. I'm pretty sure you already know this, my sweet, but let me make something extra clear to you just in case: When you encounter something new, don't forget that it can be a threat so be on your guard just in case, but also remember to be open minded. You also don't want to risk rejecting something that might make your life flourish instead.

{And, unlike many of my dinners back at the manor at Canterlot, this dinner table was surrounded by lively activity and conversations. There were even some good-natured ribbing of each other. I had never seen anything like it before. I was just amazed, which was the principle reason I was quiet besides the fact that being quiet at the dinner table was also a habit. An exception to this was the multitude of times questions were asked directly at me and they were asked in a very open and familial sort of way. Reacting to their questions with proper etiquette, I always managed to swallow my food and put down my plate before answering. These were details that very likely went way over their heads, except for my uncle and, for his part, he seemed secretly amused. I was clearly the fish out of water in this situation and it was obvious enough for every pony at the dinner table to notice to some degree. Some noticed it more than others, that's all.

{Everywhere I went in their house I was overcome by the rustic smell of old wood. I heard the creak of the floorboards as I trotted. The decor of the house was far more quaint than those of the manor I came from but nopony else seemed to notice or care. I was very much aware that this was normal to them. They grew up in a house like this all their lives. Most likely they had for many generations. That also gave the house a sense of deep history. I could just imagine the ghosts of their ancestors roaming about all over the place but, based on the impression I got from those who currently lived there, I had a distinct impression that, if I could interact with their ancestors as ghosts, then they probably would be the friendliest ghosts I'd ever encounter. They'd likely all say, “Welcome! Stay as long as you like! For as long as you live here, you're part of the family!”

{I kept thinking about that as I drifted off to sleep on one of the many guest beds of the household. It actually brought a few tears to my eyes to consider how warm and inviting these ponies had been to me. They gave to me what I did not know I needed deep down and they did it so naturally, so automatically. I found myself wishing I could stay there indefinitely. On the first night I hadn't even asked my uncle why he chose to stay here but I was already starting to get a vivid impression of his answer. That, of course, didn't mean I had no intention to ask him anyway. Despite all that I learned so far, I was open minded enough to accept the possibility that his answer might still surprise me and, in a way, that helped prepare me for the truth.}

xoxo

{It was on the third day of my stay with uncle Ramadon's family that I learned that he had a special ritual of his own that the other family members respected, except this time there was a twist. I learned that, once in a while, he went alone to go on a nature trot. From time to time he invited one or two of his many foals unless they didn't wish to go. This time it was decided that I should go considering the fact that I wouldn't stay here long. No other pony was bitter on that point. Instead they snickered to themselves secretly while I wasn't looking as if convinced that I was in for a treat and the surprise it was likely to evoke was what got them so amused. For my part, I was glad for the opportunity. A chance to go on a nature trot with my uncle in privacy for several days was exactly the kind of opportunity I had hoped for.}

“In that case, I'm curious about something,” Star Breeze mused. “Is that what we're doing now? Is what you and I are doing right now part of this 'nature trot' ritual that you learned from your uncle?”

“Exactly! Now you're catching on!” her father said cheerfully to his daughter. “My strategy is a bit different, however. Instead of nature trots, which I also do from time to time, I also typically go on nature flies. The sky is part of nature too.” Her father gestured to the sky with a grand wave of one hoof above him. “What I do is not much different from Uncle Ramadon's ritual, and the reason for it is the same as well. Now if you let me continue, I'll explain why he did it and, based on that, you can draw your own conclusions on the experience.”

“Deal!” Star Breeze agreed enthusiastically without any hesitation.

{Now I told you earlier that earth pony culture involved a lot of rituals that I was previously unaccustomed to. In my own way, I was accustomed to hard work, but not the sort that they had in mind. It wouldn't surprise me if it turned out I was the only one on the farm who could read besides Uncle Ramadon. As warm and inviting as these ponies had been to me, I learned the next day that there was a price for their hospitality after all. It was their own form of etiquette, in a way. In their culture it was downright rude to take part in their food and home without repaying them with some good old fashioned back-breaking labor. They had enough wisdom to realize that I wasn't prepared for the heaviest chores so they relegated me to lighter tasks and, at first, it required a lot of hoof holding since the chore was so new to me. I wasn't stupid by any means but even a genius can seem like an idiot if such a pony is taught nothing. The same thing applies here. They were aware that I was very new to their ways so, accordingly, they were patient with me.}

Her father grinned at his daughter as he said to her, “As I said before, patience is a virtue. You learn that well when you encounter others who are patient with you. I think then you'd realize the importance of extending the same hospitality, if only to be equally courteous.”

“You're probably right,” Star Breeze agreed with a dismissive wave of a hoof, “but, for now, let's get on with the story.”

{The novelty of the experience intrigued me back then. I wanted a break from my studies and I got my wish. It was strange to think that the price of that wish was for it to be replaced with an entirely different challenge. Because it was so new, I couldn't call it boring. Not yet, at any rate.

{For their part, they saw their chores as nothing special, but they didn't complain about it either unless they were in a special amount of pain. If they were then I was touched to hear that not only would the whole family stop and do whatever they could to heal the injured pony, but the whole extending town would offer the same if it helped.

{As for the chores themselves, though, none of the ponies who worked on it considered it a burden because they understood how important the task was. If you want food on the table then you've got to work for it. Their philosophy was as simple as that. It was a refreshing take on life that I considered too novel to complain about.

{But, on the third day, there was something new. I joined Uncle Ramadon on his nature trot when invited. It wasn't sprung on me suddenly, either. I was warned about it one day in advance which gave me far more time than I needed to consider the offer. I already had my own reasons for wanting privacy with my uncle. My only concern was the fact that the physical excursion of the nature trot might exceed my capacity to keep up. It also occurred to me, in the back of my mind, other threats that could exist during the trot too like being mauled by a bear or getting lost.

{Whatever the threat could be, however, I felt really safe next to my uncle. I knew that traveling with the most powerful unicorn of our age was unlikely to be a bad thing if you knew he was on your side. Regardless of whether he actually did swear off of magic or not, it still occurred to me that he would at least be able to call upon such power in case of an emergency, and I had no doubt that he would use whatever power he had at his disposal to protect his beloved nephew if it became necessary so, despite any misgivings I had about the potential danger or inconvenience, I strangely felt quite calm during the trip. It was almost as if I had done it before many-many times.

{Uncle Ramadon was, at first, quite quiet during the trip. From the farm, we headed immediately west into a forested mountains. The base of the mountains were hilly but not too steep. I was often in shadow even during the daylight thanks to all those tree leaves. There really was something soothing about listening to the sound of the wind blowing through the tree leaves. Whenever I paused to absorb this, it took me awhile to notice my uncle did too. At first I thought he did it for the same reason but, over time, another theory came to my head and that theory was that, somehow, he knew when I stopped even without looking at me. He stopped because I stopped to make sure he did not proceed too far ahead of me, but there was some gap between us so I started to wonder how he did that. Magic was my first theory and I never completely dismissed it. Keen sense of hearing was another theory that came to mind. Whatever the case, I was grateful for his courtesy.

{It was also clear to me that he greatly enjoyed this. He never seemed lost or anxious. He just picked a direction and proceeded on. It seemed like he perfectly knew where he was going, or at least that's how he acted. The truth was he did not care where he headed. Any direction surrounded him in nature and he appreciated it on levels far beyond what I would have expected at the time. That is, until he explained himself to me later.

{In the beginning of the trip it was like he was in a daze. It was as if he was meditating even while trotting, absorbing his spirit in the essence of nature. As time went on, however, he acknowledged me more and more besides pausing whenever I did. At that point he turned more into a teacher. He talked about the earth, the trees, the mountains, the birds on high . . . just about anything and everything, especially if we encountered an example up close. He wanted to educate me in his own way, but his strategy involved less book learning and more hoof's on.

{Eventually, though, I finally asked him the question that had been in my head and in my heart for so long.}

“Finally!” Star Breeze exclaimed.

Her father ignored that comment as he spoke on and got back into character.

“Uncle,” Quill prompted. As expected at that point, his uncle immediately paused and acknowledged his nephew. Quill swallowed the lump in his throat and gathered his courage for what he was about to ask. Despite everything that Quill learned about his uncle by that time, it was still possible Ramadon might take great offense to Quill's next question and, considering their surroundings, offending this powerful unicorn seemed unwise, but Quill dove on anyway. “Why did you leave our family?” Quill asked as bravely as he could. “Why did you abandon our ways? Why do you seem so ashamed of your heritage?”

“What gave you that impression?” Ramadon asked but, in his eyes and in his tone, he really didn't seem confused. He knew exactly why Quill asked. He probably wanted to test his nephew's resolve with this conversation.

“Everything,” Quill answered. “The fact you left our estate physically. The fact you moved in with and married an earth pony. The fact you trot, dress and act like them. You even wear that hat to hide your horn. It seems as if you are embarrassed and ashamed that you were born a unicorn.”

“What, this old thing?” Ramadon asked casually and, for the first time, Quill saw a tiny display of Ramadon's magic. The hat in question flew off Ramadon's head telekinetically. Quill knew perfectly well that Ramadon could have reached up and pulled off the hat by hoof but it seemed like he was making a point. He pulled off his hat using magic on purpose both to demonstrate the fact that he could and to show that he wasn't bothered in doing so.

Quill also noticed, to his fascination, that Ramadon's aura color of his magic was golden. That was actually noteworthy. Some studies in the past suggested that a unicorn's aura color had much to do with their personality and, if that color could be observed, then certain extrapolations could be made on it that heavily implied a certain kind of persona of each individual unicorn. Specific colors have an observable tendency to either favor or disfavor certain things and that pattern was pretty strong but not absolute. Off the top of Quill's head, he forgot what each color suggested about the individual unicorn's personality, but he knew that research existed out there somewhere. Since Quill's magic aura color was silver, it also occurred to him that he might be strangely both compatible and yet opposite to his uncle's personality. The fact that Ramadon embraced earth pony culture so much and yet Quill was attracted to the sky seemed to confirm that theory.

All of those thoughts occurred to Quill in less than a second, and it needed to since it didn't take Ramadon long to resume talking.

“I don't wear this hat to hide the fact that I'm a unicorn. Everypony in my family and the whole town at large knows that fact. Instead, I wear this hat because I like it. It was a gift to me by a friend of mine in town and I wear it both to show my appreciation for the gift and the fact I simply like it. I've grown used to it. Comes in hoofy, too. It can help to absorb sweat, gives me shade to keep my head slightly cool whenever I exert myself, and also it shields my eyes from the glare of the sun. As the sun's angle in the sky changes, I can just tilt my head any which way to maintain the shade over my eyes. All of this convenience stored in one light, hoofy item. I can enjoy all of these conveniences without occupying either of my hoofs as well. My head alone carries this thing.”

“Does it interfere with your magic?” Quill did not ask that question as a mockery. He was genuinely curious. He could think of reasons why it might be but he was not certain.

“It can at times, a little,” Ramadon answered as he spun the hat in mid air using his magic before snapping it back on his head, “but, honestly, my concentration is so formidable that it hardly bothers me at all. Also I can tell you that there are some hats out there in Equestria that can actually enhance your connection to magic. It all depends upon the hat's shape and material it's made from. For my part, I don't use my magic too often anymore anyway so it's not really an inconvenience to me at all. Not compared to it's benefits.”

“But why? Why do you choose not to use your magic anymore?” Quill pressed.

“I'm not avoiding it, if that's what you're asking,” Ramadon informed. “I simply choose not to exploit it too much.”

“But you're so good at it! Many would argue that it's a waste of precious talent. I even heard some say that you're ignoring the destiny of your cutie mark.”

“Ah!” Ramadon suddenly seemed quite interested in this conversation. “Now destiny is quite an interesting topic. It's subject to so many interpretations. Have you ever heard of a pony who got their cutie mark and then also subsequently a scroll materialized out of thin air that carefully explained exactly what they got their cutie mark for? A list of instructions of do's and don't's? Destiny is a tricky topic, and I believe it's that way on purpose. If all of us got a scroll that materialized out of thin air that had the details of our lives and destiny written out as if we were fictional characters in a script, would life continue to be as enjoyable as it is today? I think destiny is left to interpretation on purpose because sometimes that destiny can change. There is no true free will in a world without flexibility.”

“Huh.” Quill looked down. “I never thought of it that way before.”

“Then it's high time that you do,” Ramadon advised, then looked elsewhere. “Life is amazing. It's full of adventure and mystery, and we are all fellow travelers on that path. I'll offer what guidance I can when I can but, in the end, it is you who must set your own path.”

Ramadon looked back at his nephew. “Don't let any other pony tell you who you are, and I do mean any pony,” he said with emphasis, and Quill realized he must be talking about his father, Author. “Suggestions are fine but, in the end, it is you who must choose your own path. My cutie mark is not even a suggestion, it is a symbol marking and commemorating the day I first started to realize my true potential. Notice I said start, my nephew. That is all a cutie mark really is. Whatever you choose to do in life, there is no way you'll be good as your future self thirty years from now. A cutie mark does not mark the end of a path, it is the beginning of a journey of self-discovery and self-discovery is a never ending path. Life would not be worth living if you suddenly had all the answers. Instead, life is a journey of progress between one day and the next and the next. It keeps going on, inviting you to discover many new things as you continue the path.”

“And how has abandoning or limiting your magic furthered your path?” Quill asked to put the source of his curiosity back on topic.

Star Breeze also listened carefully for the answer to that question many years later.

Ramadon didn't answer right away. Instead he paused to consider how he should phrase his answer so that it could be better understood by somepony much younger than himself. He knew his audience was only capable of understanding so much at a time based on previous life experiences, so he also knew he had to build the logic of his argument one clear step at a time.

Ramadon at first looked down, then west at a large mountain. His gaze steadily rose up it, and still he pondered. While still looking in that direction, he eventually spoke.

“Magic . . . as you have come to understand it so far . . . is based on structure.” Ramadon looked back at his nephew then resumed his speech. “Structured magic has it's advantages because it is reliable, repeatable, and teachable. It is like a recipe for a cake. If you use the same ingredients in the same quantity, if you prepare those ingredients the same way according to that recipe then, more often than not, it will yield the same results every single time. As long as you follow the directions carefully, you will achieve predictable results. This is the structure of most unicorn academies when it comes to magic. What use is there in learning a spell if it relies on a system nopony else can replicate? Sure you can do it, at least one time, but even you might have trouble doing it again if the method of your spell casting does not use tried and true reliable structure. If you can't repeat your methods and nopony else can either, then why should any pony believe you when you say you did it once? Even if they observed you when you first did it, they could still dismiss it as a fluke. I need you to understand this because that's the environment you came from and where I originally came from. There are also very good reasons for that tried-and-true system. You with me so far?”

“Yes, so far,” Quill confirmed.

Star Breeze also agreed many years later.

“And that's the system that I'm sure my brother has been pounding into your head over and over again ever since I left,” Ramadon suspected. “After your mother died, I'm sure he became even more obsessed to drill this stuff into you. Please don't blame him for this. He honestly means well. That is because, in his eyes, it is the best way to ensure your future happiness and success. Powerful spellcasters can accomplish a lot no matter what obstacle is placed in front of them. Indeed, even the laws of physics, like gravity, is no barrier to even the simplest of unicorn magic. Case in point,” he flew his hat off his head for a second before replacing it on his head telekinetically. “I didn't reach to grab my hat by hoof so what I just accomplished defied the normal laws of gravity. Until I tilt my head so far down that up has become the new down, my hat should stay on my head where it belongs.

“With extra training, even more can be accomplished through magic.

“At the same time he's probably also drilling all sorts of educational tidbits into you. Again, he means well. In his eyes it is the means to discipline your powers so that you are better able to understand and control the power rather than the other way around. Undisciplined unicorn magic can indeed be very dangerous even to the owner of the horn. I think there are some diseases out there that can put a unicorn's horn on the fritz, temporarily or otherwise. If and when that happens, I have this advice to say to you . . . if you can't control your powers for some reason, then don't you dare try to use it. By defying this advice, you could make the problem worse and even get yourself, or any pony around you, killed. Get the disease or whatever it is that is blocking your control out of the way and then use your magic to your heart's content.”

Ramadon was quiet for a moment to give that advice time to sink in. He was satisfied to see his nephew looking down and doing precisely that. Similarly, Star Breeze, as well, gave that advice some genuine thought. If she accomplished her goal somehow, then what her grand uncle said all those years ago was something worth considering.

Looking around for a moment, Ramadon spotted something adequate to his intent. After locating it, he looked back at his nephew and gestured for him to approach using a hoof. Seeing that, Quill cooperated. He followed his uncle until Ramadon reached a small clearing and sat on a rock. He then gestured to the ground in front of him, indicating that his nephew should sit there. Ramadon had a feeling this conversation would take awhile since he knew he had to build his argument step by step and toss in some other life lessons along the way while he was at it.

“So now that we got that out of the way, let's recap in brief. I was a great wizard at the Silver Horn Academy in Canterlot, just like your father is now. I was both a gifted student and a gifted teacher. My power and control of magic was unmatched by most at the time. Considering the difference in degrees of talent between various unicorns, it is often considered to be entirely innate. Whatever magical potential you have and no matter how much you train, a common misconception is you can only go so far with magic until your potential plateaus. I tell you now that way of thinking is donkey dung. Great wizards of any age have gotten that way through many years of diligent study and practice, but all that they do is something any pony could potentially do if they have the same drive. Any feeble earth pony can exercise to get stronger. Any pegasus can practice flying more and get better. Any unicorn can practice his or her magic and get better. No pony's potential ever truly plateaus. The stronger you get at anything, the harder it is to improve even further, but that does not mean it can't be done. Keep at it and you can surpass any limit that others think you are imposed with. Prove them wrong and keep going. You'll never know how far you would have gotten until you try, and don't ever think that failure is a sign you've already reached your maximum potential. It does mean you've reached a wall of sorts but, in truth, those walls are just doors. All you have to do is find the doorknob, open it, then press on if you wish.

“Now, along with that educational training, there are other kinds of information the schools teach young ponies which I now regard as misconceptions.

“Barring an alicorn like Princess Celestia, and since she's the only one of her kind we'll just shove that category aside and call this a unique case, beyond this every pony knows there are three breeds of ponies. Earth ponies,” Ramadon suddenly levitated a small rock and held it up to his nephew as a symbolic representation of that breed of ponies, then he went on to say, “unicorns,” he then levitated a stick which probably represented the horn of a unicorn, then he said “and pegasus.” For some reason he levitated a single leaf. Quill thought for a moment on that one until it occurred to him that leaves can easily be blown on the wind. One could also think of the leaf as representing a pegasus's wing or a single feather of the wing.

Once Ramadon levitated all three objects, he had them spiral around each other as he continued his lecture. “Now so far I've listed something that's one of the most basic sciences in all of Equestria. Another thing young ponies learn at very early ages is the relationship between the three but, beyond that, the basic things can get quite complicated, so pay attention.

“Earth ponies,” he lifted the rock higher and closer to his nephew to give that object emphasis, “till the lands, grow our foods, and in general take care of any other task that's even remotely related to the earth. Second only to pegasi, they are also the most common explorers and they definitely are the most common sailors. Since earth ponies have no other way to cross the ocean, unlike the other two breeds, they have developed this technology to such a refined degree that the other two breeds have come to rely upon it as well. If you go far enough across the ocean, even a pegasus tires and needs to land but, if there is nowhere to land, they could be in trouble. If there is no cloud in the sky to land upon either then they are really up a creak without a paddle. Same thing with a unicorn. Maybe they can invent a spell to trot across the water or even teleport across the entire ocean but the general rule of magic is as follows; the greater the degree of magic is, the harder it is to cast and the greater amount of energy they have to expend to cast it. Eventually it exceeds their ability to pay for the power, at least temporarily. They tire too in their own way, but old reliable sailing boats keep trekking on when all other methods eventually fail. The vessel can also be large enough to store food on it so that extends the range of their travel even further. No breed of pony is more underestimated than the earth ponies, but we'll get back to that point later.”

The rock flew back and the leaf flew forward and above the other two levitated objects.

“Pegasi are the undisputed masters of the sky. Like the earth, the air is a critical element to our mutual survival. They control the weather, and they can travel greater distances than most other breeds of ponies and they can do it in a fraction of the time. Unless their flying ability is really feeble or non-existent, pegasi can win any race imposed upon them with ease when it comes to speed. These trees around us, for example, are not an obstacle to them. They can just fly above it as if nothing was in front of them. While an earth pony has to gallop along the ground and dodge every rock and tree and creature in front of them and they have to follow the up's and down's of the lands shape, pegasi can simply skip over all of that. This is why they are the most common mail carriers. If you need a letter delivered to the next town or across Equestria and you need it delivered fast, then you are a fool to give it to any other breed of pony unless a unicorn has the means to teleport it across Equestria. Good luck finding some pony who can do that, especially if they've never been there before and cannot properly visualize the destination accordingly. Even if you do find a unicorn who can do it, then it must cost and an exorbitant amount of magic to pull that off in great distances. They probably charge a lot for their services accordingly but, if your letter is an emergency, it might be worth the price.

“Getting back on topic, pegasi also have great spacial awareness and, generally speaking, they have better senses when it comes to distance. They experience a 3D world in it's entirety at a very early age. When it comes to a scout, there is unlikely to be a better breed. Their vision is about three times sharper than the two other breeds and some seem to think their hearing is similarly enhanced but my observations suggest that honor actually belongs to the earth ponies. Again, the most underestimated breed.”

The leaf flew back and down and the stick took it's place.

“Given the flexibility of magic, a unicorn's ultimate potential is the most difficult to define but one thing every pony can agree upon is that a distinct advantage of a unicorn is their connection to magic. They channel it far more directly than the other two breeds, especially earth ponies, but we'll get back to that point later. The horn, they say, channels and focuses the magic around them and especially within themselves.

“As great as their potential is, ponies raised isolated from the other two breeds rarely realize that a unicorn masters their potential the latest. That is because it's more difficult for them to master their magic in comparison to a pegasus who can fly almost by instinct or an earth pony who can pick up a rock . . . or any object, basically. A unicorn would sooner learn to pick up a rock by hoof then master their ability to levitate it magically, but let me give some information about the science of horn magic and what's really going on when a unicorn channels it's magic. If the magic is channeled from within, as most schools of magic teach, then there are two things one must pay attention to. Between these two things, the one thing that's understood the most is concentration. Easy to conceive but difficult to master. Try to picture as many bricks in your mind as you can then hold that image for as long as you can without allowing it to change.” Seeing Quill almost do it, Ramadon interrupted it. “Not now. You can do it later.” Quill opened his eyes again. “That's good practice for you, though. Do indeed try it later.

“Yes. Pretty much every pony, even those who are not unicorns, know that concentration is essential to spellcasting. The clarity of the vision also affects the degree and strength of the spell. If your concentration is fuzzy, the spell might not work at all. If it's crystal sharp, then you could be working with some serious power but, what many ponies don't know, even many unicorns sadly, is that there is a second component to spellcasting that is absolutely essential but rarely understood.” Ramadon placed a hoof over his heart and said, “The heart or, more specifically, a unicorn's emotions. The mind gives a spell direction and focus. Without that, a spell is unlikely to happen at all and, if it does anyway, it will be wild, uncontrolled and probably dangerous. That actually happens sometimes too so pay attention and be careful but, as I said, if the mind gives a spell direction, then the heart is the fuel that powers the magic in the first place. Without emotions, there is no fuel for the fire for magic. At that point I don't care how strong you can concentrate. That spell will not happen if you don't really care about the results. There is just no way. Well, actually,” Ramadon glanced up for a moment as he thought more on that then looked down, “there is another way to cast spells. Actually, several other ways, but we'll get to them later. Point is, for a unicorn, emotions are the primary drive for spellcasting. The stronger the feeling, the stronger the magic, but concentration is another filter that the spell will have to pass through before the spell fully manifests from our mind and into our reality. If the emotions are intense but the concentration is weak the spell, while powerful, will likely misfire and perform something the pony did not intend. That, or more likely fizzle into non-existence. If concentration is strong but emotions are weak the spell will do exactly what you intend it to do but to a very weak degree, if at all. The best spellcasters in all of Equestria all know the secret, at least instinctually. They know that they will have to master both the mind and the heart. Making both of them very strong and in perfect sync to each other is very difficult and it's the primary reason why this science takes a great deal of time and effort to master. It's a slippery slope and there are many pitfalls that can go wrong with it.

“In theory, with the right spell, a unicorn can accomplish almost anything the other two breeds can and more. Furthermore nothing is stopping a unicorn from tilling the land and farming by hoof if they wanted to . . . like me, for example. Just like we can pick up a rock, we can till the land or sail on a ship. Magic might even enhance the effort, perhaps even in unexpected ways. As a result, it does not surprise me when I see some signs of distrust in the other two breeds who might fear that they could become obsolete but, no matter how you look at it, the total population of unicorns is, at best, fully one-third of all of Equestria. It is inefficient to rely upon them for everything when one of the other two breeds can accomplish the same thing to the same degree or better. Flying, for example, is quite difficult for a unicorn.”

Quill looked downcast upon hearing that.

“But still possible,” Ramadon quickly amended upon seeing that look. Saying that cheered Quill up a bit and he resumed looking back at his uncle. When he did so, Ramadon spun the stick. “Levitation, or telekinesis in other words, is one of the most basic spells a unicorn ever learns. It's so simple they could master it without a teacher entirely. By instinct alone, they can master this spell with concentration and practice. The only reason a unicorn ever doesn't learn a spell like this is either because there is something wrong with their horn, they can't focus for some reason, or they are very unemotional . . . or possibly because they never realized that they could. If no pony was around to even show that they could do it, then why would a young foal even realize that they could? If the idea never got planted in their heads in the first place then it's possible they won't master even this spell but, assuming that they do . . . the only real limitations to it is your own concentration, emotional fuel you draw upon, and your imagination. In theory you could levitate yourself. Difficult to concentrate with all that shifting weight. It's slow, clumsy and inefficient but, to a degree, at least it's effective. That's often more than an earth pony could hope for but, with enough determination and drive, anything is possible.”

Ramadon lowered all three objects back to the ground as he paused long enough to gather his own thoughts and to give his student time to digest what he already said, then he looked back at his nephew and spoke on.

“Largely because of our flexible potential, a lot of times the other two breeds can feel jealous of us. I'm not saying it's right but, given the facts, it's at least understandable and it can therefore be important for us not to overstep certain social bounds. If you do anyway then be prepared for the backlash but, depending what it is, sometimes it still might be worth it. Sometimes it's a good thing for society to get a wake up call and realize the boundaries of their perceived reality can be pushed a lot further than they originally thought. When society catches up to that idea, it might result in a better world in the long gallop but, in the mean time, those initial few pioneers of a new idea might have to suffer the consequences of challenging other ponies perceived ideas of reality until they later adjust. After that, they might be celebrated as a hero and be remembered in history as the first pony to accomplish whatever thing that got them noticed for in the first place.”

“Maybe that's how my father feels. That you defied social expectations by embracing earth pony culture,” Quill realized aloud.

Ramadon looked down quietly for a moment, then looked back at his nephew and he nodded. “Yeah. Your father is one of those figures who has a certain perception of reality and does not appreciate it when it gets challenged, especially if it's somepony he greatly respected before and he feels personally close to. By overstepping those social bounds I am, unfortunately, suffering some expected backlash. Fortunately for me, I have new friends and family to help me cope. When it comes time for you to make your own discoveries I hope you, too, will have your own social network to fall back upon and give you emotional support.”

Quill shook his head as he asked, “But what does all of this have to do with why you embraced earth pony ways?”

Ramadon was silent for a moment as he grinned at his nephew, then he looked around wistfully. “When you look upon your surroundings now, what do you see?”

Quill looked around, and answered, “All kinds of things. Rocks, trees, birds, bugs, mountains. I think I hear a stream nearby somewhere.”

“Aye,” Ramadon agreed. “What else?”

“Earth. Sky,” Quill listed. “Um . . . you.” At that point Quill shrugged, indicating it would be challenging for him to continue the list.

Ramadon grinned further as he asked, “Now tell me, dear nephew, what don't you see?”

“Ah . . .” Quill paused for awhile, then answered, “Everything else I didn't already list.”

{Personally, at first, I thought that was a clever answer. As I soon realized, however, it wasn't the one he was looking for.}

“Close your eyes,” Ramadon instructed. Quill obeyed. “Now concentrate. Stretch out your senses. Pay attention to your surroundings with every sense that's still available to you. Now, since you closed your eyes, I know that the 'sight' option is closed to you, but everything else is still there. What do you notice?”

“Well you asked me before what I couldn't see. At this point I'd have to amend that answer to absolutely everything except the back of my eyelids,” came Quill's snarky reply.

“We've already established that. Since you're eyes are closed, we needn't cover the fact you can't see anything anymore. I asked you to pay attention to whatever you still do notice. Stretch out the rest of your senses. What do you notice?”

“The earth under me,” Quill answered more seriously. “Perhaps some bugs crawling over me. It's kind of irritating, actually.”

“Ignore them for now and keep going. What's currently on you will not harm you. I promise.”

Quill took a deep breath then expelled it. “The smell of the air. I smell wood and leaves . . . and again, the earth. I hear the stream somewhere close by, as I previously mentioned.”

“Yes, and . . .?” Ramadon prompted.

Quill was quiet for awhile before he answered, “Myself. I can hear my own breathing. I can feel my own heart beat, and I feel . . .” Quill paused again for awhile.

“Yes?”

“I don't know. Energy, I think. It's similar to when I cast my spells. Sort of a pulse and vibration,” Quill answered.

“That's it! You can open your eyes now,” Ramadon said triumphantly. Quill did. “Very good, my nephew. You just experienced the reason I came here.”

“Which is?” Quill asked as he tilted his head slightly.

“Magic.” Ramadon's eyes wandered the environment almost aimlessly. “The magic of the environment. It's everywhere . . . all around us . . . but here we can feel it better because it's further from the noise and distractions of city life, but what you just felt here exists in a city too, only there it's harder to notice. Magic exists in all ponies as we previously established, but it's in the earth too. It's in the sky, the grass, the trees, in the food you eat, in the mountains in the distance, in the stars beyond the sky, in the sun and the moon. Magic . . . is everywhere! It's in life itself. It's built in the wonder of countless possible moments evolving to one single reality. It's built in the decisions we make and how we treat others. There's nowhere you can go where you won't find magic, only greater or lesser degrees of it.”

Ramadon took a deep breath, held it, then released it, then he said, “Have you ever heard of the theory if one of your senses closes the others sharpen?”

“Yes. I read on that and it's also been scientifically proven to be true,” Quill stated.

“And that's why I reduced my usage of magic,” Ramadon said. Quill thought on that. “I stopped using magic so I can use it better when I do. Restraint, I've learned, was the key for me in unlocking something greater. Remember when I said earlier that emotion was the primary power source for unicorn magic?”

“Yeah,” Quill confirmed with a nod.

“Well check this out.” Ramadon looked at and focused on the rock he used earlier to symbolize earth ponies. That rock floated upward again.

At first Quill thought nothing of it. He looked upon it and it still seemed like an ordinary rock, so he eventually looked beyond it at his uncle with a questioning shrug.

“Pay close attention to the rock,” Ramadon instructed. “What's missing in this picture?”

Quill focused on the rock again harder this time. He continued to study it for several moments before he realized, with a start, what was missing. He then looked at his uncle in astonishment.

“It's not glowing!” Quill said in shock. “Your aura color . . . it's not there! How are you doing this?”

Ramadon gave a wise grin. “The reason it's not glowing is because I'm not drawing upon an inward source to accomplish this power. I'm not drawing upon my emotions, I'm drawing upon the magic of nature all around us. That is the power source instead in this case, not my emotions. I am still using concentration, however.”

“This is incredible!” Quill exclaimed in astonishment. “You have to tell the world about this discovery! It could revolutionize our society and the way we think of magic!”

“In due time.” Ramadon let go of his concentration of the rock and it fell down accordingly. “I'm still learning the essence of this new science myself, and I prefer to more fully explore it before sharing it with others.”

“Does that include me? Do you want me to keep this a secret too?” Quill checked.

“No.” Ramadon shook his head. “If that was my intent, I would have sworn you to secrecy in advance. Rather I'll leave you with the choice and responsibility to do with this discovery however you wish. It's your life. You set your own path but, as I said before . . . if you dare to challenge other ponies perception of reality then be prepared for the backlash. That always happens whenever you demonstrate something radically new.”

“Wait a second.” Quill pondered this, then asked, “If you accomplished this task without drawing upon your inward stores of magic then . . . in theory . . . can any pony accomplish what you just did?”

Star Breeze became especially interested in the answer to that question.

“In theory, absolutely,” Ramadon answered. “As I said before, anything is possible. You just need to train your mind to let your imagination gallop wild and stop pretending you have limits. That's an illusion that I'm training myself to break. That's a hard habit to break but I'm doing it a bit at a time.”

“Bah-bah-bah!” Star Breeze's father quickly spouted in anticipation of his daughter's impending interruption. “Listen to the whole story before you interrupt. I know you're excited at this discovery, but hear me out before you jump to conclusions. You'll want to hear the rest of what my uncle told me before you start your own experiments. Perhaps later he told me a little more about how he did it. For instance, at this moment, do you know why he moved in with the other earth ponies?”

Star Breeze sighed. “No, Father,” she replied irritably.

(Because you haven't told me yet. Duh!) Star Breeze thought in her head.

“Then just listen,” her father advised. As he said that, he noticed how his daughter's fatigue temporarily abated, pretty much as he expected. If he was tired back then when he spoke to his uncle, he was pretty sure his discoveries back then would have woken him up as well.

“Again, what does any of this have to do with the earth ponies?” Quill queried again. “You still haven't told me. Setting aside your own magic is one thing, but moving in with them entirely is a big step. I can at least understand why my father might feel abandoned.”

Ramadon tapped his fore hooves together three times. “To answer that question, first I must explain to you that I didn't just cast spells all my life, I also asked myself, 'What is the nature of magic itself? What is the true power source?' I felt that, by understanding that better, I might be able to cast spells better. Most other ponies would shrug and dismiss the notion. They would say, 'So what if we don't really understand how magic itself works? Who cares? It works anyway regardless of our understanding of it.' But I was not satisfied with that answer. I became convinced that magic had deeper potential if it was understood better. Who knows what the ramifications of that discovery could be if it was led to it's ultimate conclusion?

“In my attempt to decipher this answer, I paid close attention to the three breeds of ponies and this, my friend, is why I brought up the subject earlier in my lecture. What is it that the three breeds do and how do they do it? What is the science and psychology behind each path? Everything has a reason, even if it's not immediately understood. It had something to do with not just the capabilities of each breeds, but also their limitations and, in time, I learned that some of those limitations does not have to do with our physical limitations but rather our mental and perceptual limitations.” Ramadon tapped his head twice in emphasis of the words “mental” and “perceptual”.

“As I stated earlier,” Ramadon went on, “almost all unicorns can telekinetically lift objects unless their heart is not in it, or their concentration is not sharp enough, or something is wrong with their horn, but what about a unicorn raised in the wilds away from any other pony society? To that pony, they never even seen any other pony do that trick. If that ability was never in their perception in the first place then maybe it would never even occur to them to try it.

“Expanding on that logic, I realized that the spells we, as a society, have never cast yet is only because the idea never snuck into our heads in the first place. For any spell you can possibly imagine, also imagine that there is already a secret society of unicorns out there who have already mastered that spell. You can never dismiss that theory no matter how hard you try. That, in turn, got me to realize that the true potential of magic is limitless.

“If we have the power to move the sun and the moon then why not the planet itself instead? Or how about this concept . . . that is, in fact, all Celestia has ever done. Maybe the sun or the moon is not moving and it never did, we are instead. Maybe Celestia is moving the planet so that it seems like she's moving the moon or the sun when, in fact, it never moved in the first place. All she did was change our perspective relative to it. It could even be the truth without even her realizing it.

“The science of magic, then, is based on perception. The idea has to come first before we even have a chance to put it into practice. My point is . . .”

Ramadon paused for a moment as he placed a hoof to his lips. He also paused long enough to clear a bubble in this throat, burping slightly to get rid of the excess air. Meanwhile Quill waited on the edge of his seat eagerly, feeling like he was discovering the secrets of the universe for the first time.

“Clearly,” Ramadon lectured on when he finally spoke again, “there is an important distinction between perception and reality. One affects the other, and it might have been doing this all along and for all time and, looking at this from an eternal perspective, one also has to realize that for every spell that has not been invented yet, it's only a matter of time before it gets invented. With infinite time comes infinite possibilities. Whatever doesn't exist yet will exist. It's inevitable. It's only a matter of time.

“You can go the other way too. It's not just in the future. Perhaps the past is infinite as well. Whatever doesn't exist now might have once existed before. Maybe the only reason we don't know about it is because the art got lost and forgotten. Expanding upon this hypothesis, I started to realize the true scope of not just magic itself, but reality as well. I realized, also, how they are interconnected. If magic can affect reality then perhaps it always has. Maybe magic is reality and never was anything else.

“So that started to get me thinking about the three breeds of ponies again and I looked at the earth ponies as well as the perception that they were the weakest breed when it comes to tapping into magic. That also implied that they had the weakest hold over reality. As I looked upon that perception, I started to squint in suspicion as I asked myself, 'Is it true? Do earth ponies indeed have the weakest hold over all Equestrian reality?' Well, to answer that question, I figured I would have to study their ways and their culture better. I had already suspected and, deep in my heart, I knew the answer but only experience brought that feeling to the forefront of my mind. I always felt earth ponies were deeply underestimated but, even with that feeling, I still wanted to know, 'To what degree were they underestimated? How far would I have to explore this question before I finally got my answer in full?'”

Ramadon chuckled when he recalled something which made him look down. He took a few moments pause to recover before he resumed.

“I tell ya . . . earth ponies have a bluntness to them which hides a treasure trove full of wisdom. I love how they can cut right to the heart of the problem almost immediately. On the FIRST DAY of my arrival to this town I asked all the earth ponies around me what importance did they have on Equestria and how they affected reality as a whole, and I remember there was this old pony named Cobblestone who returned my question with this question, 'How important is the earth to Equestria? Where would we be without it?'” Ramadon paused again to look upon his nephew's expression. He was pleased to see Quill's stunned look and figured he got his point across, so he went on. “Yeah. That's pretty much how I felt.

“His answer got me thinking about something else as well, and I kicked myself for not realizing it sooner. Sometimes, when we explore complex questions, we ignore simple answers, thinking instead that somehow the answer to a complex question demanded an equally complex answer. In truth, sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. It depends on the nature of the question.

“Since I was trying to explore magic and it's relationship to all of reality, I also had to take into account the various components of reality. The sky and the earth, both are essential components of reality. Earth ponies tend to one of them so that our system does not crash, so the larger realization is, if earth ponies did not exist, perhaps nothing else would either. They're a vital part of our cycle, yet they can't cast magic or stand on clouds. The concept seems unbalanced at first so I explored my question further.

“How much magic did earth ponies truly have? That's the question that haunted me and no earth pony could answer my question directly to my satisfaction. For the most part the truth is they didn't know either but there was one suggestion that intrigued me and ultimately I decided to pursue it. One of them said, 'I'm sorry I could not answer your question to the level of your satisfaction. I'm not some fancy-shmancy educational folk who can instantly spout out all the answers, so how about you try us out for yourself? Do what we do. Maybe by doing that, you'll finally have the answer to your question.'

“Then I thought to myself, 'Why not?' Physically I was capable of what they could do for the most part.

“Genetically speaking, I'm sure that they have got the edge on me. Physical strength and stamina is supposed to be their best asset but, like a unicorn practicing magic, it's all a matter of diligence and practice. I knew that if I tried hard enough, I could become as strong as any earth pony eventually but, to pursue that goal, I would have to use the same methods that they did. For scientific reasons, I knew I had to anyway. I can't ruin the experiment by doing something different from them. If I did and I got different results then I'd always have to question if the one thing I did differently was the culprit behind the different results, so I knew then that this experiment would have to be legit. It was a major commitment but the potential rewards was understanding the true nature of reality. The potential rewards of that realization could be astronomical, so I committed to the experiment.

“I got a job, rolled up my sleeves figuratively speaking, and got to work. In particular, I wanted a profession specifically relating to the earth. Perhaps a newspaper editor or a barber could have accomplished the same results but my question was about the relationship of earth ponies verses magic verses effect on all of reality. For that, I wanted a profession that tackled this issue as directly as possible. Based on the available options, farming seemed to be my best bet.

“But life is complicated. You start a project committed to one path and may end up accomplishing a dozen others. What you end up achieving can be even greater than what you originally intended and sometimes, even if you get the answers to your questions, it only begs more questions. Life is filled with twists and turns, zigs and zags. All I wanted was to find out how important earth ponies were and how much magic did they really have.

“While on the project, I also ended up discovering a much greater form of magic, love. Just by being here I was influencing all of reality in this town. I was, and maybe still am, one of the strongest spellcasters in all of Equestria. Of course rumors are going to spread about such things, especially in a small town with a close-knit society. Some did not like it, some were suspicious, some were confused, some were curious, some grew intrigued as to the nature of my project and wanted to know the answers for themselves, and some admired me up close or from a distance. The most important aspect to come out of all of this is love, however.

“My selfless dedication to my work is very attractive to earth ponies. They love and appreciate when somepony is honest about themselves and what they represent. They also value integrity and, every day that I did not cast a spell despite my overwhelming potential, I was admired and, for some, a cause for deep concern.

“Since they valued honesty, they had to ask me if I was really being honest with myself. I was a unicorn which meant I was not an earth pony. By ignoring my magic, perhaps I might also be ignoring an important aspect of myself. When I explained myself and the nature of my project as well as what I intended to achieve through it, I got mixed results but, in general, most could not understand the full scope of what I was trying to accomplish here. Instead, they'd eventually just dismiss me and say something like, 'Okay. You fancy city folk sure have a funny way of looking at things. Hoo-ey, ain't that a hoot!'”

Ramadon paused again as he regathered his thoughts, then asked as he resumed, “Remember when I said a unicorns typical power source is tied to their emotions?” Quill merely nodded numbly. “Well . . . I realize that you may not fully understand what I'm about to tell you because . . . well, mostly because you might be too young and inexperienced to fully understand this but at least hear me out so you can understand the general concept. Love . . . is the most powerful emotion of all. Friendship, harmony, love . . . I have heard these emotions can accomplish miracles if that is the power source of a unicorn. I heard legends of ponies brought back from the dead due to the magic of love. This is seriously powerful stuff, and should not be underestimated but, to accomplish a power like that, the feeling must be genuine, and that also means you have to go through everything that leads up to that. You can't just write down on a spell scroll, 'Okay, for this spell we're going to need toad's legs, butterfly wings, and true love's kiss. Yeah. That should do it.'”

Ramadon chuckled as he lightly shook his head. “No. Life is not that simple. If that kiss is evoked by the power of true love, then it required everything that caused it, and there's no way you can write that down on a spell scroll. Every love is unique. It isn't reliable, repeatable or teachable, and yet it exists all around us all the time. It can be so common that many of us don't even realize how truly miraculous it really is. It's just a unique experience for every pony, and yet it can lead to some of the greatest magic of all. Despite our inability to write it down, it's potential shouldn't be ignored either. It turns out life is too complicated sometimes to put a frame and structure around it all the time. To even try is too limiting and is the very height of arrogance. You can do it for some things in life, but not for everything, and one has to realize, while in pursuit of the true essence of magic, to be willing to look at the big picture. You have to be willing to include everything that magic is composed of to even get a glimmer of understanding it, but the rewards of the attempt is infinitely valuable.

“Through love, I have created life itself. That life will go on to forge their own destiny someday. Everything that that pony does is a ripple effect that can be traced back to me and even further back, if I were to be honest. By creating that life, I have affected reality in a very profound and lasting way. By affecting reality, I have affected magic that's tied to it. How, then, can any pony call earth ponies powerless? I would say to them it can be subtle, but it's there. Try it for yourself and you'll see.

“Eventually I also understood that to understand the fundamental principles of the magic of the earth, I could not limit myself to just earth pony culture alone. There is a lot nature can do without ponies direct hoofling of it so I also tried to explore nature itself, hence these sojourns. What I do now, here in these woods, is just as important, if not more so, than any studies I've done in a library in the past. Direct experience affects emotions very deeply and emotions, in turn, is tied to our magic. To do something is to know something. To read about something is to know what the author of the book claims to have experienced, whether it is true or not. Reading about how to swim does not grant you the skill if you never actually tried it before, although that information can still help. You do not really master the skill until you try it out for yourself.

“To shift topics a bit, let me ask you another question and it's based on a concept so . . . um, common I think is the word, that ponies often overlook the true mystery of it, and the question is this.” Ramadon bent over and picked up the stone he levitated earlier but this time he did it by hoof. “Okay. Pay attention, because this is important.” Quill nodded to signal his readiness and attention. “My question to you is this . . . how am I holding this stone right now?”

Quill squinted in confusion. “You, ah . . . just picked it up. You're holding it with your hoof.”

“Yeah, but how?” Ramadon reflected. “Why is the stone suspended against my hoof? What's keeping it there?”

Quill thought about it, then shook his head. “I don't know. You just are. It's what we've always done.”

“Not exactly,” Ramadon warned with a tilt of his head. “Ponies were not always capable of this power and, to return to my wilderness concept again, a pony who never saw another pony do this cannot do this. For them, it never occurred to them to try. What I'm doing now, however, is one of the most common tricks ponies of any kind has ever done for thousands of years beyond recorded history, but how? Why does this rock not just fall off my hoof?”

Again Quill shook his head, mystified.

“Let me put it another way.” Now Ramadon squashed the rock between two hooves, his right and left hoof. “Okay. Now I repeat the question. Why does the rock not just fall to the ground?”

“Because it's squashed between two points, your right and left hoof,” Quill quickly answered.

“Yeah. You're right,” Ramadon agreed. “Now it's logical, right? Any pony who sees this can understand that the reason the rock is not falling to the ground is because it can't. It has to squeeze out of the pressure I'm putting on the stone from two opposite sides. Maybe if the stone was slippery it could escape, but that's an entirely different circumstance. Let me put it another way.” Ramadon resumed holding the stone with one hoof, the left in this case, except this time he aimed his hoof straight down. “Okay. I repeat the question. Why is the stone not falling to the ground? At this point gravity should assist it. I'm aiming the stone downwards, and yet it's not falling. Why?”

Quill almost gave a dismissive shake of his head again but this time he thought on the answer further. He searched his mind for any possibility that might explain this and eventually he came up with one.

“Magic,” Quill eventually answered.

Star Breeze nodded in agreement in the future. She came up with the same thought awhile ago.

“Exactly,” Ramadon agreed with a shake of the stone towards Quill. “That's exactly it. Magic is the answer, but a lot of ponies don't realize that. This is something so common and everyday kind of thing that most ponies don't stop and think about it. They see other ponies do it so they just assume it's a logical process, but it's not. By all logical accounts, this should be impossible if you remove the magic factor. Magic has to be the explanation, and it is. While most ponies don't think about it, some do and some did. I actually read about this phenomenon before from philosophic authors centuries ago who pondered the same thing, but this leads to another conclusion. If magic is the correct answer then you can draw another conclusion from that. Let me ask you another question, can earth ponies do this?”

“Yes,” Quill answered without thinking but, a second later, it occurred to him what the implications of that answer truly was. Yes. Earth ponies could do this, but if magic was the only explanation for the act then it had to mean earth ponies had magic, and this time it wasn't subtle. It was so common it was often overlooked, but it was also a blatant practice of it.

“Okay,” said Ramadon. “So, if we both agree on the fact that magic is the best explanation for this and we both agree that all earth ponies can do this, and pegasus too for that matter, then we can also draw the conclusion that earth ponies have magic and a pretty obvious one at that. If they can do this, however, then what else can they do? Most of it is actually pretty subtle, but I just wanted to point out the most obvious one. This is a fundamental trait of our entire race, all three breeds included. If you think that rocks your noodle, however, then let me challenge your perception of reality again with another question. So,” he looked at the stone, “if magic is the explanation as to why I can hold this stone to my hoof, then let me expand upon that question; can I hold this stone with any other part of my body?”

“Um . . .” Quill shrugged, then said, “. . . no? At least, not that I've seen.”

Ramadon squinted at his nephew. “C'mon, nephew. Think this through. Has any other pony, ever, held something like this object in any other part of their body?”

Again Quill almost said no but then something occurred to him. “The mouth,” he answered.

Ramadon nodded. “Right. I could hold this stone in my mouth, though that is very likely unwise considering how dirty it is. If you think about it, though, that should technically apply to almost any other object. The mouth is actually a dangerous strategy but, with practice, it's actually quite capable of a fair bit of dexterity. For ponies who can't write things out with a magic horn, the mouth is often the alternative, albeit a less sanitary one and also a strategy with considerably less reach. Lesson here is be grateful for the gifts you have but I'm also trying to expand your mind here. When you explore the nature of magic and reality in general, you really have to pay attention and think about how things actually work in relationship to each other.

“Let's keep going with this. I'll forgive you if you hesitate on the answer to this question but I ask again: Is there anywhere else I can hold this stone besides my hoof and my mouth?”

“Maybe between your ears?” Quill guessed. “Between legs? Between any two points that can hold the stone up?”

“Right. For now, that's a fair and logical answer, but we established earlier that magic is the reason I can hold this stone with my hoof at all. Is that the only area, besides my horn, that magic will function? Why can't I hold this stone with my muzzle?”

“I, ah . . .” Quill shrugged. He was already surprised multiple times today so he decided to press forward. “I don't know. Can you?”

“Let's find out,” Ramadon decided then applied the stone to the tip of his muzzle. To Quill's astonishment, sure enough, the stone held there.

“Amazing!” Quill exclaimed. “How are you doing this? What's your secret?”

“I've been explaining that to you this whole time,” Ramadon said back. “Our minds, belief and perception is what shaped our limitations before. If that can change, then maybe our limits can change as well. Watch this.”

The stone on Ramadon's muzzle rolled away down his neck, up his right fore leg and spiraled around that leg before meeting with the tip of his right hoof. From there the stone spun. It spun left faster and faster then suddenly stopped. After a moment it spun in the right direction.

“Now here's something else that might blow your mind,” Ramadon warned before removing his hat with his left hoof. “Look at my horn. Notice it's not glowing.”

“Neither is the stone,” Quill observed.

“Exactly, which means,” Ramadon lifted his right hoof skyward with the stone aimed upwards, “that any pony can do this, earth ponies included. Now, one more thing I want to show you before I start digging into explanations and theories. Watch the stone.” Quill did as requested. A few seconds later the stone popped off his right hoof and flew away. Before it landed, it was caught in a glowing golden aura and floated back in front of Ramadon. “Did you see that?”

“Yeah. The stone flew off your hoof,” Quill noticed.

“Right, but did you notice something else?” Ramadon challenged. Quill shook his head. “Then let me do it again. Watch, only this time pay attention to my leg here. See if it moves.” Quill did. This time, when Ramadon repeated the trick, Quill was able to make another astonishing observation.

“No. Your leg didn't move. The rock just popped off on it's own but, if you're not using your magic to do that . . .”

“Of course I'm using my magic to do it,” Ramadon interrupted and corrected. “Earlier we just established that magic is the only reason I can hold this stone to my hoof in the first place. If magic is the reason I can hold it, then magic is the reason I can fling it away too but without even using my muscles while I'm at it. My leg didn't move both times, as you have noticed. I used magic to move the stone and that alone.”

“Nature magic?” Quill guessed. “Like you used to levitate the stone without your horn magic in the first place?”

“Not exactly. I did not draw upon an external power source.” Ramadon aimed both of his hooves at each other and shot the stone back and forth between his hooves without moving his legs. The aim had to be correct, but otherwise what he was doing was miraculous. “If you really stop and think about it, how can I ever draw upon anything else other than nature magic? Aren't I part of nature at all times? The land I stand on, the air I breathe, the food I eat . . . it all comes from nature. So to claim I tap into a power source separate from nature is a misnomer. That actually isn't true. You can think that way if you want to, but that limits your true possibilities. To master magic fully, you have to understand more about how it works and it's relationship to all things. I was not kidding or being sarcastic when I said magic was in all things. That's exactly what all my conclusions are being drawn to, and I'm finding more and more evidence of it all the time.”

“Have you told any of your friends or family any of this?” Quill asked in amazement.

“Well you are a member of my family, aren't you? And I'm telling you. While we do have that in common without even trying, I'd hope we can call each other friends as well. Family does not guarantee that. Sometimes family can be your greatest enemy, but a friend is always a choice.”

“Does that mean yes? You have told somepony besides me?” Quill drove on.

Ramadon dropped the rock onto the ground where it proceeded to roll away a short distance. While it did, he finally decided to be bluntly honest.

“Yes,” he answered. “Various members of my friends and family have been told this secret. Even with proof, however, some cannot accept even my hypothesis let alone my conclusions, and that's fine.” Ramadon shrugged. “Not every pony is prepared to accept the reality that I have discovered and there can be many reasons for that. I don't demand for anypony to believe me, and you can tell any pony you wish as well. In fact, I welcome you to do so, but you do so at your own risk.”

xoxo

Star Breeze's father suddenly stopped his tale when he heard an unexpected plop beside him. He glanced to his left to find his daughter collapsed to the ground and had fallen asleep. Despite how long she had been up, he did not expect her to fall asleep that suddenly and at this point of the story. Since it answered some of the questions she was desperately after, he thought that would hold her attention, but apparently she met her limits.

(Still a young pony, after all,) he reminded himself.

He smiled at her fondly and lovingly for a moment, then realized this was something he needed to imprint into the stone. He grabbed the stone hanging about his neck for a moment and pushed the feelings he had deep inside him into the stone. Doing so did not drain him but it gave the stone a copy of that impression, preserved.

(I guess we can take a break for now. We'll resume sometime in the morning,) he thought to himself. (Actually, something like that happened back then too. I kind of recall talking with my uncle for hours about my discoveries back then based on what he told me, but most of that conversation recycled the same idea except it explored it from different angles. Curious minds just had to know the answers to everything or, at least, try to seek those answers, but really, the next real chapter of my story started the next day. How appropriate that the present should echo that point as well. Talk about synchronicity, surely a sign of fate being on the right track.)

Looking back at his daughter, he concentrated for a moment and summoned the wind. At the same time he pressurized the air to squeeze moisture down to a single point. A cloud formed beneath his daughter which gently lifted her upwards. Since she was a pegasus, that was solid enough to her. He then formed the cloud into a makeshift blanket around her body and pillow that grew beneath her head which settled into the shape of her neck as well for perfect balance.

(Good night, sleepy head. May Luna's kiss guide you to pleasant dreams,) he thought then trotted down the mountain. The cloud supporting his sleeping daughter blew down with him yet the journey was very steady for her as to not disturb her sleep. At that point he decided to find a good place to make camp for the remainder of the night.

Chapter Three: Family Legacy

Star Breeze yawned and stretched. Upon doing so, she started to notice a little bit of restraint to her movements. Daylight also registered even through her eyelids but, as she opened them, her surrounding environment was blurry at first. She rubbed her eyes with her hooves in order to clear them and get rid of eye crust. When next she opened her eyes, her vision cleared considerably more. Her eyes cleared enough to determine she was wrapped up in a cloud like a sleeping blanket in the sky although, in this case, the term “sky” was only about thirteen feet off the ground.

Continuing her scan from above, she saw a stream which led up to a gorgeous waterfall complete with shimmering rainbow. This cliff face wasn't as tall as the one she saw last night. She was still in a forest and, in the daylight, she could see that much more clearly.

Eventually she spotted something else noteworthy. Hovering nearby her, there was a small string of clouds formed into a very distinctive shape. It was very close to her, only about three feet away from her face. She was obviously meant to notice this. The way those clouds were shaped spelled out the sentence, “Had to take off for a bit, my sweet. I'll be back soon.”

Star Breeze grew a proud grin as she said under her breath, “Good one, Dad. You lousy show-off.”

She pulled off the cloud blanket from her then stood and stretched on the small cloud. She leaned far back then far forwards, almost tipping over the edge of the cloud but she managed to hold her balance. She then stretched out her stark black wings with white dots. When she felt she worked the kinks out of that, she dove off the edge of the cloud and merely glided her way towards a small pond in front of the water fall. She peered into the water and saw her own reflection. For fun, she made googly eyes at her own reflection followed by a series of other silly looking facial expressions until she noticed movement under the water. Focusing on that, she saw . . .

“. . . fishies!” she exclaimed in delight. “Such shiny scales! How pretty!”

Just then she noticed something else unusual in the reflection of the water. Concentrating on that, she saw unusual activity in the sky above her. A hole was poked through a cloud far above her and it spread wide in seconds. Star Breeze gave that reflection a knowing grin before she looked up at the actual sky.

“Wow. You're right, Dad. That wasn't too long,” Star Breeze said to herself.

Staring up at the wide hole in the sky for a few seconds, eventually she spotted what she expected to see, a lone figure diving down beyond terminal velocity. It actually blurred since it traveled down so fast. The main reason she could see it was because it left a cloud streak in the sky with faint flashes with lightning. The figure maintained this speed much further down than most ponies would be comfortable seeing but Star Breeze had seen this often enough not to be scared. As expected, a fog grew off the ground and thickened to cushion the fall of this fast moving figure. Plunging into the cloud, it stretched downwards for a few seconds but never quite made it to the ground. When it shot back upwards, the figure launched back up thirty-five feet in the air, did twelve somersaults in the air before landing back onto the earth with the left fore-hoof pounding into the ground. Shortly after that, her father's Mist Cloak settled down, hanging off of his shoulders. The hood of his Mist Cloak was initially pulled up, secured via a hole which his horn stuck through. A silver aura shimmered in the edges of the hood which lifted the hood up and over his horn so that it, too, could settle on his shoulders.

“Morning, Sweet,” he greeted her sweetly.

“Morning, Dad,” Star Breeze greeted back.

“Sorry for leaving you for a short while but I heard an emergency call on the wind from somepony nearby, so I had to go help real quick. While I was gone, I also picked up some breakfast,” her dad explained.

“Good. I could use a bite to eat.” Star Breeze trotted over to her father. “What's for breakfast?”

Her father's Mist Cloak telekinetically lifted up for a few seconds while his saddle bag also lifted up then flew around him in order to land softly in front of his daughter's fore-hooves. “Dig in,” he invited her kindly. “It's mostly fruits, nuts and berries. I picked them up around the surrounding area.”

“That'll do,” Star Breeze said in contentment and she bent her head down to chow down on the food. Eventually she looked back up and said with her mouth full, “Yo goien toe eat som too?”

“No thanks. I'm good for now,” her dad replied as he trotted over to the pond nearby. From there he splashed his face with water telekinetically a couple of times before bending his head down to drink some of the water.

After finishing up most of what was in the saddle bag, Star Breeze also went over to the pond to drink her fill then regarded her father. “I hope you don't think I was going to let you get away with not finishing the rest of your story.”

“Hadn't even crossed my mind,” her father returned. “I was just waiting until you were ready to resume. Here.” Her father tossed her a small rock which she caught with her right hoof. “I figured you might want to play with that while I resume the story. Maybe you can practice holding it on other parts of your body just like uncle told me in the story.”

“Did you manage to do it?” Star Breeze questioned.

Her father gave a coy grin and said, “Spoilers!”

“C'mon! You got to tell me!” Star Breeze insisted. “Did you or didn't you pull it off?”

“From the context of where we left off in the story, I can tell you that I did make an attempt. Back then I did not succeed to hold objects on other parts of my body yet like, say, my elbow . . . but I did manage to launch the stone from my hoof a few times. Every time I did it, though, I felt a slight jerk in my leg. That made it harder to convince me that I didn't just throw it the normal way. The challenge of this task is not to launch the stone with your muscles but with your energy alone. You have to learn to keep the leg perfectly still and instead concentrate on the energy that holds the stone to your hoof. You already do that without thinking about it. You see, when you do that, you are using your mind and your energy to attract the energy of the stone to your hoof like a magnet. To launch the stone away from your hoof without moving a muscle in your leg, you have to imagine the magnetic polarity of the pull you have on the stone to suddenly reverse. A positive to positive or negative to negative charge in magnetics repels each other, like this.”

He looked around for another stone then spotted one very close to the pond. He telekinetically drew it to his left hoof then held it towards his daughter. “Watch me. Or rather, watch the stone.” She did. Before her very eyes, she saw the stone suddenly fly away from his hoof without glowing for even a second. “Did you see? I didn't move a muscle in my leg, nor did the stone itself glow. You also felt no wind current, I assume, so you have to realize now that I'm telling the truth.”

“How long did it take you to pull this off?” Star Breeze asked curiously.

“One day. Even less than that, actually. Just a couple of hours but, like I said, it was a flawed attempt. It was really hard at first to launch the stone without feeling that slight jerking motion in my leg. I had to practice many times over and over again to minimize that reflexive jerking motion in order to fully convince myself that I truly was launching the stone from my hoof entirely by magically repelling it.”

“Let me try,” Star Breeze said enthusiastically as she focused on the stone.

“Keep your leg still. Just focus on the energy of your body,” her father instructed. “Picture, in your mind, what the energy looks like surrounding the stone and your hoof. See how they pull at each other. Now imagine that polarity reversing. Oh! And be careful where you aim that stone when you do.”

Star Breeze did as requested. In her mind's eye, she saw how a magical aura flowed around her body and the stone. She imagined the stone's aura a different color than her own. Her own she imagined to have a purplish aura, but the stone had a gray aura. As she concentrated further, at first she felt the opposite result. She felt the stone drawing tighter on her hoof because that was her habit when picking up objects like this. She continued to focus and relaxed the pull of the stone on her hoof. It did eventually settle down, then she imagined energy gathering up her leg and building to an exploding point just below the tip of her right hoof. She let the energy build up for awhile before releasing it on the stone. Immediately upon doing that the stone flew away hard and fast from her hoof. Her father's eyes widened in shock when the projectile flew a few feet to the right of his head fast enough to be seriously damaging if it hit him. It landed beyond sight to the both of them.

Looking over his right shoulder in the direction the stone flew off, her father then whistled in an impressed way. “You're a natural,” her father said in genuine surprise. “Keep that up and you'll get your cutie mark in no time.”

“I did it! I did it! I did it! Woo-hoo!” Star Breeze cheered while jumping up and down three times.

“Yes you did,” her father agreed as he looked back at her. “What you just did now took me years of practice and you did it on the first try.”

“Well, I am your daughter!” Star Breeze said smugly as she stood up on her hind legs for a few seconds and put her fore legs on her hips. “Like father, like daughter. Perhaps the energy flow of your years of practice transferred to me when I was born.”

He smiled at her fondly as he said, “I used to believe that, that magical potential was entirely genetic and could be passed down from one generation to the next.”

Star Breeze resumed standing on all four legs as she asked, “But you don't believe in that anymore?”

“To a point, I still do.” Her father trotted past her as he spoke. “Magic is in everything, including our blood. The more we awaken that potential, the more we charge our blood with magic. Blood is magic and, the greater that magic is, the more likely it can pass on to the next generation, but there are even larger factors when it comes to awakening one's own magical potential. It can always be just a presence if you do nothing with it. To give it shape requires willful intent, concentration, emotion and focus.” Now standing behind her, he looked back at her over his left shoulder. “I brought up a point like that on the second day of camping with my uncle that first time too. Here's what he said to me.”

xoxo

“Uncle!” Quill called to his uncle who was sitting near the pond by the waterfall, seeming to meditate peacefully until his nephew called to him. His uncle looked back at his nephew to acknowledge the call. “I've been thinking about a lot of things while I meditated, as you told me to, absorbing myself in the spirit of nature, and I have to say that, for some pony who has been doing this only recently, it sure comes rather easily to me but, in particular, the call of the wind keeps resonating with me the most. I find that funny because it seems to me that you resonate especially closely with the earth. I'm not mistaken, right? At least when it comes to you? Your magical aura color is golden. I think that's one of the earthy hues.”

“The aura color of one pony has nothing to do with that. Rather, it's more a matter of inner spirit,” Ramadon lectured. “My aura color is golden because that's the hue that most resonates with me. As for the earth, yeah . . . I feel a connection to it, but I also feel a connection with magic itself and that exists everywhere. I respect the earth. I find it sacred, but I find everything else no less sacred. To know and experience magic to the level I do, you have to truly understand and experience the cycle of balance between the various elements of nature. In that balance there is harmony, and in harmony there is magic.”

“But could you argue that you feel closer to earth somehow? Like that kind of magic responds to you more easily?” Quill checked.

Ramadon closed his eyes again as he shrugged. “I suppose so.”

“Then would it not make sense to say that, because your affinity is to the earth, mine is to the sky? Between the two of us, we are meant to balance each other. To evoke harmony between us.”

“You could look at it that way,” Ramadon invited.

“I think that's it!” Quill said a little excitedly. “I think I'm starting to understand the larger relationship between nature, magic and our magical bloodline.”

“Bloodline?” Ramadon queried, looking a little startled by that statement and opened his eyes again as well as look back at his nephew. The degree he needed to turn his head to do so kind of hurt him to maintain so he pat a rock in front of him as a request for his nephew. Quill proceeded to do so.

“Yes,” Quill confirmed upon arrival after he sat down in front of his uncle. “Our family is one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria. Certainly you are. I think the only one who trumps you is Celestia herself, but of course she's an alicorn. She's probably on a whole another level on her own. Like a demi-god, she's immortal which I can't say for just any pony in Equestria, but you and . . . my father and his father before him and so on and so on . . . you have all consistently proven that magic comes especially naturally for us, but each of us channels it in different ways I think.

“You said to me yesterday that love can be one of the most powerful magical sources of all, but earlier today I was thinking about the fact that that particular emotion comes in many hues, if the emotion itself could have any color. There is love between father to son, mother to daughter, aunt to uncle, husband to wife and vice versa, love between friends, love between pets, even love between ponies and objects or ponies to various terrain. It isn't simple enough to have just one definition. It comes in all shapes and sizes. They are all strong, potentially equally strong between all the various different types but the differences should be acknowledged. Similarly, I'm convinced that our family has a sort of charge and affinity to one particular element or another.”

“So you think that just because you are born into this family, you naturally have a greater connection to magic than any other pony?” Ramadon checked.

“Isn't it so?” Quill asked innocently. “I guess there is technically no real proof of anything, but the closest thing we have to anything resembling that is when a pattern gets repeated over and over again enough times to make accurate predictions of it in the future. If it happened many times before, it is logical to assume the odds are strong that the pattern will continue into the future. This has occurred with our family. Many do assume unicorns are born with a finite amount of magical potential and ours seems especially potent. Am I wrong?”

“Genetics can factor into anything,” Ramadon agreed. “A pony with taller legs might be able to gallop faster unless it's too tall as to threaten balance. Some might be born with a greater disposition to see better at night or fly faster. There are a lot of factors to consider and family history is one of them, but so, too, is your current environment. If your family has been raised for generations in the arctic, you may naturally grow up with a thicker hide to help protect you from the cold but, if you moved further south to a desert terrain, you may find yourself changing fast enough to prevent your death. Factor in also inner will and intent. If I lift my hoof now,” Ramadon did so, “it happened because I chose to do so. Your mind and beliefs govern your reality far more intensely than most ponies would realize. Believing the weather should be warm strongly enough will actually cause reality to manifest that even though it seems like an external source from yourself, but it really isn't. Since we're all connected, inner belief can affect seemingly true external sources.

“As to what you say about elemental affinity, there may be some truth to this. Just as we have personal free will, I also believe free will exists on a much larger scale too like, say, the whole universe. A mind that encompasses something that large would also be affected by everything that exists within it. While that can be hard to imagine, it doesn't mean it isn't so. In this world, nature is strongly influenced by magic and magic has a natural tendency to attempt to balance itself. If it didn't, then the system we rely upon could crash and become totally unreliable. If I do indeed have a natural affinity for the earth then it would make sense that the next generation would gain an affinity for the air to balance us out. That same logic applies to a grander scale, too, like other pony families for example. What applies to us must also apply to every pony else. Don't think of this in a sense of ego. We're not more important than any other pony, we're instead equally important. I'm not saying you're wrong about us, but you should also realize you are correct in a broader level as well.”

Ramadon put his fore hooves behind him as he leaned back then said, “Let me tell you a story about a pony who once existed in Equestria many centuries ago. That pony was also a powerful unicorn and he existed in a land where he thought his magic could thrive to a greater degree than any other ponies around him. He had an affinity for the earth too, but one thing in particular signified his talent and that was his affinity for crystals.

“Crystals, you see, can channel and store magic better than most other substances on our planet. If you want to make a magical item, it is easier to do so using crystals as a medium. Not only can they gain a charge quickly and easily, but they can hold it almost indefinitely until you tap into it and use it for some purpose, or you can use it to enhance some other spell.

“The pony I'm talking about happened to be an expert in crystal magic. By studying that and it's relationship to magic, he gained many advantages his fellow ponies could only dream up, but the pursuit of power eventually corrupted him. That's rare, especially to this degree. Most ponies you'll meet all over Equestria are generally good-natured. When you meet a stranger and it happens to be a pony, it's actually a safer bet to assume they are a potential friend rather than an enemy, but the pony I'm referring to channeled power from some very dark sources. Magic exists in everything, and it includes everything that is a part of reality. That means it can become a pleasant dream or a horrible nightmare. For this power hungry pony, he existed in a land where crystal was especially plentiful until it vanished from our lands, never to be seen again. Before that point, the source of his power was so readily accessible and, because of it, he could also channel it in degrees most other ponies could not.

“Now my question to you is this; what went wrong? At what point do you think this power mad pony crossed the line within the boundaries of morality? Is his power source to blame? Is it the degree of power he had to blame? What do you think it is?”

“With great power comes great temptation, I suppose,” Quill reasoned. “Also I suppose the greater his power was, the more his fellow ponies feared him. Maybe that could have been a factor. Yesterday you told me emotion is usually the fuel for a unicorn's magic, and love is the strongest emotion of all. In the opposite direction, some might argue the power of fear is formidable too. If he was surrounded by the influence of fear often enough, he might have eventually learned to draw upon it as a potential power source. If he wanted power no matter where it came from, then he might be willing to experiment with any boundary.”

“If fear is the basis of your argument, then what exactly caused the fear?” Ramadon asked.

Quill thought on that, then answered, “Probably not his power source, at least not at first. When it comes to the fears of other ponies looking inward at this situation, I think they would be more terrified by the degree of power rather than the source he tapped into unless the power source itself was clearly harmful like, say, sacrificing ponies blood to power magic.”

“The source of his power he tapped into, besides his inner emotions, was crystals,” Ramadon explained. “Crystals are not inherently evil. They can be, but have just as much potential to be a force for good.

“There was another crystal within the empire he came from that was exactly that. It radiated the light of pure love and harmony for miles around their capital city. So strong was it that it protected them from otherwise hostile elements of their environment. You see, this land once existed in the far north. Up there the weather can't be controlled, and one particular tendency of that environment is arctic ice to the degree that it can be deadly if exposed to it long enough or hard enough. In order for those ponies to continue to exist up there without dying, they needed a magical power source that could maintain itself without getting exhausted. Crystals can do that. When it comes to magic, crystals have more endurance than ponies do. We draw upon our emotions but, no matter what that is, we eventually tire of it. Using up our energy consumes the energy we normally gather when we fall asleep. Used often enough, we pass out, but crystals have a different physiology. They don't have the same limitations that we do. They have different limitations instead, but I'll get back to that later.”

“Wait a second. I never heard of this,” Quill complained. “If a city like this actually existed , you'd think there would be a written record of it somewhere.”

“You'd think that, wouldn't you? Of course some histories can be so tragic that many ponies may not want to remember even if they could,” Ramadon pointed out.

“If this occurred centuries ago and there is no written record of any of this, then how come you know?” Quill asked. “What's the source of your knowledge?”

Ramadon looked up as he said, “Regardless of the outcome of this power mad pony, he started out like any other pony. No tyrant is born innately evil. Just because the end looks abnormal doesn't mean it always was. He had a family too. He had friends who loved him at one time. Either way, there are many that knew him at the time both before and after he changed. Some were wise enough to foresee the direction he was heading and got the heck out of dodge before the city collapsed into oblivion. This included members of his own family who once existed close enough to the source of the danger to see it coming. While most other ponies in history either chose to forget this story or never knew it in the first place, this family passed on the secret of their history from generation to generation, convinced it was important not to forget the dangers of their legacy. Most of them believed that magical potential was built into their blood as well, and that also included dark potential. That family believed that a history forgotten is a history at risk of being repeated.”

Quill gave a neutral shrug as he said, “Well that makes sense for that family, but how did you come across this secret?” Ramadon passed Quill a cunning smile that helped to lead Quill to a startling conclusion. “Wait a second! Are we that family? Are we related to this power mad pony?” Quill grew even more shocked as that question led to another conclusion. “Am I related to this power mad pony?”

“Sombra,” Ramadon said. “His name was Sombra. The few who know that name consider it bad luck to speak his name, but history should be remembered lest it be doomed to repeat. As for the answer to your question,” Ramadon gave a dismissive wave at his nephew as he said, “it doesn't matter.”

“Why not?” Quill demanded.

“Because whether I say yes or no to that question, it does not change your potential. No matter what he accomplished or did in life, it has nothing to do with you. Let's just say, for a moment, you are related to him.” Ramadon gave a neutral shrug. “So what? You are also related to thousands of other ponies who aren't remembered for anything significant. This same logic also applied to Sombra back in his day or any other great pony in history. For every one great pony that they were related to, they were also related to thousands more who lived normal lives which, by the way, isn't a bad thing. Family relationship isn't what determined their destiny for greatness. What did determine that was putting a lot of work into their efforts. They worked extremely hard to get where they were, regardless of ultimate morality, and they faced many challenges along the way. Some you might not even expect. Life is complicated. You only have to look to your own life to realize that. Realize, also, that applies to every pony who lived before you. Even if they are famous, they are not known for everything they did. Perhaps the things that are not sung in history could have been just as important into shaping the ponies they eventually became. If you ever become famous for anything, realize also that history is very likely to misjudge you as well. Ponies will believe whatever they want to believe regardless of the truth. From the perspective of just your life, however, none of the rest of these things matter. Don't worry about ponies who came before you or worry about ponies who will come after you. Just focus on your life. The present is the most important factor to your timeline.”

“I don't get it. You're telling me family legacy isn't important and yet you lay on me the history of this great and terrible pony who once existed long ago then . . . what's the point?”

Ramadon looked at his nephew as he said, “I'm telling you this to give you a balanced perspective. Some would argue that family lineage is very important but I'm saying that what you choose to do with your own life matters more than whom you are related to. At the same time, I also admitted family lineage is a factor but it isn't the only factor. I know this argument might seem two-sided and kind of complicated but that's because I'm trying to paint a realistic picture for you by informing you that's how life generally works. There's many sides to every argument and all of them have some validity. In the end, you have to make your own choices and decisions about what you believe. Once you reach a conclusion, don't be surprised when other ponies reach a different conclusion even if they have the same evidence. If you choose to believe you are a powerful unicorn just because you happen to be related to one that existed many years ago then so be it, but that same argument can justifiably be said about any other pony. If you go back far enough, you'll realize we're all related to each other. If time dilutes that, however, then how much does that ultimately matter?”

Ramadon lifted a hoof for a moment. “It is important to remember history. Your ancestors went through many trials and tribulations. If it led to success it would be helpful to know how they did it so you can repeat it on purpose. If it led to something dangerous then, again, it would be helpful to know that in order to avoid the same mistake. When you look back in history, I also encourage you to consider it with an open mind. Everything that is known in history books might be way outclassed by everything that isn't written down. If that same logic can apply to today then it just as likely applies to yesterday as well. No pony today can observe all events happening all at once and write it down fast enough for it to remain relevant and, even if they could, it might only apply to one infinitesimal moment of time. There are many reasons life is full of surprises and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but pay attention while you can to be more prepared for the bad surprises and, of course, that too is a matter of opinion.”

“How did the entire city vanish?” Quill asked in a spooked tone.

Ramadon looked forward as he answered, “I don't have the answers to those questions. Those who lived closer to him still didn't know everything about him. Your father can accomplish things that you can't do today. Sombra was an expert at something to a degree that nearly any other pony could not understand so it made him somewhat unpredictable even to those who had some insight. Based on what I heard, however, he was defeated by Celestia and Luna in the Crystal Empire. Maybe even killed. He was prepared for that contingency to a point. It seems as if, while he collapsed into defeat, he had another crystal or something linked to his life force that activated automatically upon his death. That crystal was programmed to curse the rest of the city and drag it down with him out of pure spite. Again, I warn you, that history has a way of getting misinterpreted and it's especially common when it's passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. It can lose something in the translation over time. No pony knows the full truth, even those you might expect to. Celestia herself has chosen to remain quiet on the issue from what I can tell and, considering what happened, I don't blame her. I think she just doesn't want to depress the current generation of ponies. In her eyes, I think she sees her secret as necessary because telling it would not likely lead to anything useful. What's done is done, and I think she's content to leave it at that for the moment unless circumstances regarding it changes later on, then we'll see.”

Ramadon looked at his nephew. “You can look at Sombra as an example of your potential if you want to. You could say the same thing about Star Swirl the Bearded. You choose your own role models. Once chosen, be content if you end up different from them after all because you are different from them. That applied to them as well. Personally, I think you should look up to yourself and your own potential. Do something worth remembering, and do it for yourself.

“Remember how I told you that reality is only a matter of personal perception? Why hasn't there been a flying unicorn before? Well, maybe because it hasn't been done before or, if it has, that knowledge has gotten lost in history. If you manage to change that perception, you may find that you are indeed the first but not the last unicorn to take off into the skies. If one pony could do it then it teaches others that they might be capable of it as well if they, too, have the inclination. To do something that seems to have never been done before is very bold, but challenges are not really walls, they are doors. Find the doorknob. Find the key, then press on.

“History will judge us all, perhaps multiple times as they gradually discover new evidence. In the meantime, be the judge of your own life. While it's here, it should be the only one that really matters to you.”

Ramadon grew quiet again and closed his eyes as he resumed his meditation. This time Quill did not feel inclined to disturb him again. His uncle made his point and gave his nephew plenty to think about.

Following his example, Quill closed his own eyes and concentrated on his surroundings. Once again the sound of the wind rang especially keenly to his ears and his coat. In somewhat of a daze, he got up and trotted up a hill only to eventually stand on the edge of a cliff that led to a massive drop. From there it seemed he could not physically go any further but, in a way, that wasn't necessary. From here it seemed like the message of the wind was especially clear. It whistled and spiraled all around him.

“We are one!” the wind felt like it said. “We are the sky! We are the wind! Jump. I will carry you. Trust me, I won't let you fall.”

That was a lot to ask, but a strong part of Quill really believed that. Since that voice also rubbed against his basic survival instincts, he didn't cooperate at the time, but it was surprising how intense the temptation felt purely on an emotional level.

“We are one!” the wind repeated.

It felt too early to make too bold of a commitment, but Quill did allow himself to relax and enjoy the moment. He felt at peace just standing there and listen to the wind whistle in the air, feeling the wind brush through his mane. He looked at the clouds that hung in the sky. He looked at the columns of light beaming through the clouds. He looked at the wide grassy valley that seemed so tiny when seen from high above. Oh, the freedom of it all! Everywhere . . . a true 3D world! To travel in any direction of the compass except also including up and down. Absolute freedom of movement. To laugh at the face of gravity. Oh, the splendor of it all.

“Someday,” Quill promised. “Someday. You'll have to show me everything. For now, lets just be who we are . . . together.”

Chapter Four: Show and Substance

Father paused his story when he noticed his daughter was not really paying attention anymore. She was too distracted with picking up another rock or stick and launching it away at high speed without moving a leg muscle. She kept on doing it over and over again, sometimes making sound effects while she did it. Looking at this, her father regarded her with a mixture of puzzlement, surprise and pride. Star Breeze made something that took him years of practice look easy. He honestly started to wonder if she might get her cutie mark before the end of his story. If she did, she might not be interested to hear the rest of the story, so busy would she be in exploring her own destiny excitedly.

He chuckled to himself then hopped off the ground in slow motion. By making his body weight lighter using his magic, he fell back down to the earth like a feather but, before his body could hit the ground, he formed a cloud under him which he landed on instead and tucked his legs underneath him. From there, he controlled the wind to blow the cloud he was on near the edge of the pond as he looked down into his own reflection in the water.

(Still quite small and young looking,) he thought as he looked down at his reflection. (At this rate it won't take long before my own daughter looks older than me. It's kind of annoying sometimes. In all the lands I traveled to, I still get mistaken for an elder foal sometimes. I make a request and sometimes the shopkeeper looks around in an attempt to locate my parents to make sure I have permission to purchase the thing I was after.)

“Hey Dad, check this out!” his daughter called to him excitedly. He looked back then widened his yellow-rimmed eyes as he watched his daughter suspend a rock hovering between two hooves that were each aimed at the hovering rock. “Neat, huh?” she asked in an only slightly excited tone but far less than he would have expected for her in this situation. “I'm using my energy to push the rock in both directions from my hooves. That makes the rock stuck in the middle between my hooves. Isn't this great?”

“That's impressive, Sweetheart. Stunning, actually.”

“Told you I am going to master magic!” she said proudly.

“I had no doubt of that before. Now I feel even more certain.” He looked back down at his reflection above the water. “Keep practicing. I'm sure you'll only get better at this.”

“Nah.” His daughter launched the stone she was hovering between her hooves away and trotted daintily over to her father. “I want to hear the rest of your story now. Scoot over, Father or, better yet, make the cloud bigger.”

“Sure.” Father closed his eyes and concentrated. The cloud expanded. He even shaped it into a makeshift couch in it's form. She hopped onto it, using one flap of her wings to assist her jump. When she arrived, she settled on top of the cloud-couch by tucking her legs beneath her.

“Continue,” she bade as casually as if she were merely turning a page in a book.

“Okay, where was I?” Father asked himself.

“Actually, before you continue, there is something I want to say to you about what you just told me. About family legacy and blood magic and all that. I don't know what you think, but I kinda think that family legacy does have some value. After all, I have seen whole family groups who shared a very similar cutie mark. If they could be so related as to share a very similar destiny then obviously lineage does have a significant influence. We both seem related to this King Sombra character from way back when. He might have been mean but he was a powerful unicorn, right? Do you really think it's a coincidence that many members of our family ever since became powerful unicorns as well? We don't have to be evil about it, but still . . . your uncle was one of the strongest unicorns around and you have accomplished feats no unicorn has done before. Heck, you almost made it into the WONDERBOLTS! That's just amazing! Those are some of the best fliers in all of Equestria! Plus, you got all that weather magic and wind magic and um . . . other stuff.” She paused for a second, then said, “Stuff-stuff-stuff. Anyway, continuing my point, I'm born from you but I became a pegasus and yet magic cries out to me in my blood, then I launch these stones easily on my first try so . . . don't you think there might be something to this?”

“Perception controls reality,” her father said to her. “No matter what you believe, you'll always be right, at least with the things that matter to you.”

“I guess that's true,” Star Breeze figured. “It can also mean that any pony who believes that their beliefs can't control fate then they really can't. Their disbelief brought them exactly what they expected, even if that belief is all about the lack of control.”

“In my experience, belief or disbelief is only the first step in manifesting reality. Effort is the next step. At least, it manifests it quicker.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Anyway,” her father went on, “the rest of my time with my uncle went by pretty quick because I felt so absorbed by what he told me earlier. I was caught in an almost perpetual daydream ever since. There were some things that brought me out of my stupor temporarily. Some of uncle's foals came to me and told me they understood how I felt, that their father had that effect on every pony. That he had a special way to alter one's perception in life. After they told me that, I realized why they were snickering behind my back before I took off on my first nature trot with my uncle. They must have realized what was in store for me to some degree, and the surprise it was likely to evoke made them giddy with anticipation.

“It felt like an odd contrast of continuing the daily chores of the farm when the weight of all that knowledge hung on me. It felt very surreal to do something so ordinary when we all learned something so extraordinary from him. Sometimes I noticed a few odd quirks among his family as well like his foals launching chicken feed from their hooves without moving their hoofs, only aiming it at a certain direction. There was an intense magical feeling built under and mostly hidden underneath all that mediocrity but that feeling never went away after I first noticed it. It felt as if the farm was merely a disguise and what it actually was was a portal to another world or another universe entirely. There was that electric sense of excitement in the air. Maybe I just imagined it. Ramadon's foals acted like these extraordinary things were perfectly ordinary but, if you think about it, they were raised with this kind of knowledge their whole lives so, in a way, they thought the extraordinary was ordinary. It's an odd perspective to view as an outsider to all of this.

“But, eventually, my time with my extended family was done and I returned to Canterlot with my father.”

xoxo

{But nothing felt the same ever since then. I continued my studies and did many ordinary things like I did before but, for me, something changed about reality. It's like when you take a peek what's really behind the black curtain, you can't unsee it. The knowledge sticks with you, altering how you feel or see everything else from then on. Whatever the case, it had the side effect of making life feel less boring. It felt like everything I was doing might be building up to something important but the youth in me felt anxious. Being a foal like that, one wants all their brightest wishes granted right away.

{As usual, I'd continue to look out my window during breaks of my studies and imagine the possibilities of flying out in the sky with intense passionate yearning but, unlike before, I was starting to look upon it with an eye like it was a serious possibility. That's how I felt ever since I came back from my visit with my uncle and after that nature trot in particular. I felt like anything was possible, even the very extraordinary. Off and on I'd also practice holding objects with anything other than my magic or hooves or try to launch objects away from my hoof. That practice met with mixed results. Perhaps I was not trying hard enough. In my heart, I was constantly pulled to the sky. Anything else felt like an unnecessary distraction.

{But one day your mother came to me with an exciting proposal, except it was more like a surprise. She had something in mind, that much was clear, but she didn't say what it was and she wanted to include me. I basically just shrugged and said, “Okay.” It was something to do, at the very least, but I'll never forget the look on my father's face when I asked permission to go play with her.

{There were various sitters we hired to help take care of me since he, himself, was often too busy but, on that particular day, he happened to be there and I remember feeling nervous as I asked permission to go out and play with your mother. He asked for clarification on whom I intended to hang out with. Despite my misgivings, I was actually honest with him that day. I studied his face carefully for his reaction. Because I was paying so close attention, I noticed his crestfallen disappointed reaction and yet he said yes.

{That pretty much was my exact expectations even though I had hoped for something better. I knew him well enough to gauge his true preferences. If he had his way, I would only hang out with other wealthy ponies in Canterlot, except his desires were even more specific than that. Not only did he want me to hang out with only wealthy ponies, but wealthy unicorn ponies in particular because he felt like that kind of socialization would further encourage my magical growth.

{I gotta admit, too, there were plenty of those in Canterlot. If you sought out rich unicorn ponies then Canterlot is actually one of the best places to find them in Equestria. The broader truth of the matter is bigger than that. Sure, wealthy unicorns composed a greater percentage of the population compared to most other cities but, on the whole, they were still in the minority compared to the rest of the total population in Canterlot. Commoners are called that for a reason, they are common. There is more of them then there is of us. That's the bottom line.

{I felt disheartened at my father's disappointment in me for my choice of friends. Instead I would have appreciated his true approval so I could feel more freedom to express my true interests in front of him. I wanted to bond with him on levels I could approve of. It was sad when I realized that really was too much to ask.}

“But at least he let you do it, right?” Star Breeze reminded her father. “You asked for his permission and he said yes. That isn't a no, so why were you still disappointed?”

“I was disappointed because of his disappointment. He let me do it reluctantly. If you know that to be true then it's disheartening. Since I'd far rather have him proud of me, it hurt me to get the opposite reaction instead.”

“Strange.” Star Breeze had a puzzled look. “If he only wanted you to hang out with other rich unicorns then why do you think he let you go out and play with mom on that particular day?”

“I had a theory to that as soon as I trotted out the door to the manor, and that theory was my mom. I think something she once said to him convinced him to let me go and play with whomever I wanted despite his own objections. Even beyond the grave, she consistently remained the most positive influence in my life in terms of freedom and acceptance if my theory is true.”

Star Breeze frowned. “In that case, I wish I had gotten to know her. When will you ever get around to that story?”

Father smiled at his daughter as he said, “Tell you what. I'll get around to that story on another day. In the meantime, I'll mention her here and there when it actually applies to the time period I'm describing, like the time I left the manor to play with your mother. In a way it goes to show you that even death does not completely remove the ponies we care about from our lives. Their influence can be felt in many ways, especially if you really pay attention. I've also been told many times to seek her from within my heart. I've actually done that sometimes and sometimes I can actually hear her sing. Usually it's a lullaby that very intensely conveyed her love to me.”

“Aw! That sounds so sweet!” Star Breeze said in a gushy way.

{Anyway, moving on with the story, most of my mind expected your mom to show me to some of her friends or brag about her skills in various sports games. Her intent was to surprise me with something. Considering what I had expected before hoof, she succeeded in her goal when I found out what we were actually up to.

{In a way her plan was illegal though. If you want to get that technical, it was more of a minor crime. That was one of the surprises she had for me, and I couldn't entirely call that a pleasant surprise. If I had told my father the whole truth on the plans she had intended, he very likely would have said no.

{Anyway, she and I went to the side of Canterlot castle where she apparently stashed a ladder with rope. I asked what that was for, and she shushed me and said it was a secret. I grew more and more nervous as I followed her. Using the rope-ladder, she flew one end of it up several buildings, several times, and I proceeded to climb it after she secured the other side. This happened several times before we reached the top. When we got there, I noticed an excellent view of the city down below us, and beyond that edge was a much lower valley. That sight reminded me that Canterlot was basically built off the middle of a steep cliff. This destination also revealed this cloud track beyond the city. I dismissed that at first but it turned out to be the primary reason we were here.}

“Ooo!” Star Breeze widened her eyes. “It was a Wonderbolt track, wasn't it?”

“Yeah, or at least that's one of it's purposes,” her father answered. “It was also the reason we were there.”

“Then you two saw a Wonderbolt show without paying for it. Interesting, and kind of clever.” Star Breeze grew a mischievous look. “I'm curious, though, was that the first time you ever saw a Wonderbolt show?”

“Your mom asked me that question too, so I'll tell you the same answer now that I told her back then.”

{Yes. That was, in fact, the first time I ever beheld the Wonderbolts. I wonder if you noticed I did not get out that much back then. Also, as I established to you earlier, your mom was a big fan of the Bolts at the time. So much so that she wanted to be a Wonderbolt when she grew up and, back then, I honestly thought she had it in her. Until that day, however, I did not assess the situation with a detailed perspective. Until then, I had never seen the Wonderbolts in action before or knew how great they really were.

{Your mom was delighted to no end, of course, though she smiled a bit less whenever she looked over towards me. I think it was because my reaction was difficult to gauge. I can honestly say that I was impressed, but not exactly amazed. Now you might expect otherwise, especially considering my later history with them, but when I first beheld the Wonderbolts I was actually a bit underwhelmed. Their flying skills really were impressive, and they used those skills to fantastic visual display.}

“But?” Star Breeze prompted.

{Basically, you're mom asked me that too. I loved the sky and she knew that. I guess she figured seeing one of their shows, albeit somewhat illegally, would be a natural fit for me. What better way to showcase a pegasus mastery of the sky than by an aerial performance with the best fliers in all of Equestria?}

“Exactly. What better way is there?” Stern Wing asked her friend back then while they sat on a slightly slanted roof of a castle. “You love the sky. I thought you would be thrilled to see the Bolts in action, so what gives?”

“It's hard to explain,” said Quill from an upright sitting position. “The best way I can describe it is all show and no substance.”

“NO SUBSTANCE?!” Stern Wing reflected in an objecting and questioning tone. “Those pegasi practiced all of their lives and very hard to get that good. I thought you would be thrilled. How can you call that,” she gestured to the Bolts as they continued their performance, “empty of meaning?”

“Because showmanship is all they are accomplishing,” Quill answered. “Granted, it's a very good show and I'm sure it is born of many years of hard practice but, at the end of the day, what else does it accomplish? We see a show, we get entertained for a moment and then we go home. At that point the moment is over and our lives go on. What meaning is there to their performance that has any lasting impact?”

“Inspiration,” Stern Wing answered immediately. “In fact, that's the real reason the Bolts were created in the first place. It was shows like this that cheered Celestia up shortly after she had to banish her sister to the moon. You can't say that Celestia's mood isn't important, especially after this long, but the Bolt's influence doesn't stop there. They inspire every pegasus who see them to try their best. Even if they never succeed to get that good, they very likely end up better than they otherwise would have been had they never seen the show in the first place. That is lasting impact.”

“Lasting in what way?” Quill challenged as he looked at his friend. “If a pegasus sees this and it inspires him or her to become a Wonderbolt someday then what have they really accomplished if they succeed in that goal? They end up as the performer of the next generation of ponies and the cycle goes on. The benefits seems mostly confined within this loop. Beyond that, they are just another stage performer. One with a lot of glamour and intense training, that's true. I suppose there is lasting health benefits to pushing one's self to the limit like they can. In the end, however, they are not heroes . . . they are just glorified performers.”

“That's not true!” Stern Wing immediately challenged. Quill looked at her, ready to assess her argument. “I will admit it was the primary reason for their initial formation and, for the most part, it is what they've done ever since but, once in awhile, including these days, they have done other benefits for Equestria as well.”

“Like cutting ribbons to new buildings and kissing babies?” Quill queried in an empty tone. “Any celebrity can do that,” Quill said with a dismissive wave of a hoof.

“No. They save lives,” Stern Wing replied sternly.

Quill grew interested. “Okay, now we're talking about important. That is what a real hero does, but in what way do they provide this contribution to society? How do they do it, and why?”

“Well, think about it. Pegasus in general have the easiest time traveling across vast distances, and the Wonderbolt's are the best of the best in this regard. They can fly faster and longer than any other pegasus. They are also a very disciplined team. They learn to work very well together.”

“So?” Quill did not ask that to be remotely sarcastic. He was really on the edge of his seat, eagerly willing to learn the answer to that question.

“So . . . they are a disciplined military unit with the fastest response time when it comes to responding to any potential crisis in Equestria. If they ever hear about it somehow then the only other ponies who can get to a particular emergency situation faster are ponies who already happen to be on the scene. Even then, most ponies are not trained in hoofling a crisis better than the Bolts.

“For instance, if the Bolts learned there is a forest on fire and they know it will threaten pony lives if left unchecked then, not only are they the fastest team to respond to the situation, but they are also well equipped to hoofle it once they get there. They've got nerves of steel, every one of them. They'll get to the situation and immediately take charge of it without panicking. In this case, I can see them doing several potential things. They'd probably bring in rain clouds from anywhere in the vicinity and bring it over the fire and dump tons and tons of water onto the fire which will either extinguish it entirely or buy them time and help steer the fire away from other ponies. They can also facilitate evacuation of all the endangered ponies in the area in a calm and orderly manner. If necessary, they have even been known to swoop in and carry those who can't fly away from the danger, at least across short distances. Being the strongest fliers, they can carry extra weight for at least a short while.

“Lately I heard they've been on a roll in this regard. Somehow they are getting special insight where a crisis will occur and they show up miraculously to save the day over and over. Many-many ponies owe their lives to the Bolts these days. Still think they aren't heroes?”

“Actually, no. You have successfully assuaged my opinion of them. Now I'm impressed,” Quill admitted. “That tells me their roll really isn't limited to just performance. They are also, in effect, an efficient emergency response team who save pony lives where and when it really counts. Largely for those reasons, they have earned my respect.”

“Good,” Stern Wing said with satisfaction and relief. “I couldn't stand another minute you bad-talking my personal heroes.”

“Well, you see my point too, right? Sure they are excellent performers. Really-really good at that job, but if that's all they are and all they ever were, do you see why I might consider their ultimate contribution a tad limiting?”

Stern Wing shook her head in disagreement as she said, “In that case, you might be undervaluing the importance of a good performance. Things like this cheer good ponies up. Without their influence, maybe all ponies would be in a bad mood more consistently. Also to call it unimportant mocks those who find such things their true calling in life and genuinely feel great fulfillment in doing shows like this. Why should they deserve disrespect for doing something that really makes them happy? I swear, you can be such an idiot sometimes, but I still love ya.”

Quill shrugged as he said, “Well, as you know, I don't get out much. Lately I've been getting a sharper and sharper idea of how limiting a life of only book studying can really be. It breeds a sense of detachment from the world, making budding scholars like me think that all life in Equestria are just words in a book. It doesn't convey the true underlying experience of the moment those books are written about, and lately I've been feeling the burden of this lifestyle more and more.”

“And that's not your fault,” Stern Wing realized with pity for her friend. “I know it might sound hard, but you have got to try to convince your dad to let you out of the house more often. Life is passing you by while you are busy studying in your little colt-cave. There's so much more out there for you to explore.”

“I know,” Quill said sadly as he looked down, depressed. “Or at least . . . I am beginning to realize that.”

“Book smarts have their place too,” Stern Wing amended in an attempt to cheer up her friend. “For starters, you know lots of stuff that I don't because of that. I think you need more than just that to balance out your life. Also, you need good exercise. In all the time I have ever known you, you hardly grew an inch.”

“That's abnormal at this point?” Quill asked his friend curiously.

“A bit,” Stern Wing admitted. “Every pony is different, but I'm beginning to get a little concerned for you. More proper diet and exercise is very good for . . .”

“Hey you two! What are you two doing up there?” called a palace guard pegasus who flew up to investigate why two young foals were up on the castle roof.

“Uh-oh! Let's scram!” Stern Wing encouraged as she leapt onto her hooves. Quill used his magic to float to his hooves. Back then she thought Quill was going to climb down the rope-ladder that was still attached to the side of this castle but even she was surprised by Quill's far more bold plan. He ended up putting on his hood (which stuck his horn through an opening in the hood which also helped to secure it to his head) and telekinetically tied four points of his cloak to the ends of all four hooves. After that he simply leapt off the edge of the building which startled both Stern Wing and the approaching guard. In fact, due to the guard's intense surprise, he hesitated in mid flight towards the two young foals. While that happened, Quill glided away from the castle roof using his own cloak as a makeshift parachute/glider.

Both Stern Wing and the guard remained where they were for a few seconds, stunned at this sight. Eventually the guard regarded Stern Wing with that same stunned look. Upon looking back, it finally snapped in her head that she was trying to get away from this guard too. She leapt away just in time to avoid his own attempt to snatch her. She also glided down away from the castle roof. Being a pegasus himself, he could have followed them if it weren't for two things. Number one; he didn't want to leave too far from his post. Number two; he had just seen something very startling and amazing that was definitely going to make the highlight of that particular day. He saw a young foal leap off the edge of this building in what he, at first, presumed to be a suicide attempt only to then witness something rather amazing. Even as Quill flew off, his concern lingered. Any part of that cloak might untie itself along the young foal's descent so the guard continued to watch to see if the young foal safely made it to the ground. When eventually the young foal did, the guard shook his stunned head and drifted off in dazed bewilderment.

{And your mom later complained about my reckless action as well. She had the same concerns, that any corner of my cloak might untie itself and I'd plummet to my death. For my part, the only thing I could say is I knew I was in good hoofs. I knew the sky would not let me fall. I have never feared heights. I have never feared the sky. When I told your mom that, she said, “Well, yeah. The air is not the problem. Usually its the ground catching up at high speed that puts a damper on a ponies mood.”

{To a point, I understood what she meant. I understood why she was concerned but I had a hard time explaining why I felt so secure. It was just instinct, like it would be for a flying squirrel. I just knew how to move. I knew how to tilt myself to control my trajectory. I knew how to read the wind and the sky in a way that probably far exceeded the average pegasus. I guess you could say that, in my heart, I was a pegasus. There are many later who made that same observation. Some meant it in contempt and others didn't. Either way, they usually affected my mood deeply. I was always a sensitive pony at heart.

{I am the wind, and the wind is easily affected by external pressures.}

Chapter Five: Run Away

As Quill trotted into his room, he was a bit startled by the unexpected presence of his father in his room. Since he actually did have something to hide from his father, there was a brief amount of panic but Quill swallowed it down, convincing himself it was very unlikely that his father would discover it buried underneath the pile of scrolls on his desk. He decided a better strategy was to simply ask what brought his father here and not jump to conclusions. In all likelihood, his father was busy grading one of Quill's many homework assignments.

“I'm back,” Quill announced upon arrival in an attempt to break the tension in the room. He tried his best to sound calm and collected, like it was just any ordinary day. He did not want to sound too eager to call attention to the scrolls on his desk so he decided to wait and see if his father brought up the subject first. If he did that, it would allow Quill to slide into the subject without sounding too suspicious.

“I see that,” Author acknowledged without looking back at his son. Instead he kept on reading a scroll unfurled on his son's desk. “I trust you enjoyed your time with your . . . friend,” he said the last word with a hint of contempt in his voice in addition to the short pause before it. In fact it was a little more contempt than Quill would have expected in this case. The panic crept back but he squashed it down again with reason. So far he did not learn anything that would point to anything incriminating, unless the guard that spotted him and Stern Wing on the top of the roof in Canterlot somehow recognized Quill specifically and decided to report the incident to his father. At the time that was the worst case scenario Quill dared to allow himself to contemplate.

“It was . . . interesting. I dare say, even a bit enlightening. I learned something today that I didn't know before,” Quill informed.

“And what, pray tell, is that?” his father asked. Quill winced when he still noticed an unnerving amount of ice in his father's tone. Pressure built up in Quill's head despite his best efforts. He could feel pressure on his eardrums which caused him to hear his heart beat better. That and the fact it was beating faster.

But, no matter what pressure he felt, Quill tried desperately to keep his own voice steady as he spoke. Anything like that could tip his hoof and reveal something that could possibly be construed as suspicious.

“My friend, Stern Wing, is a fan of the Wonderbolts. Since she is a pegasus, there is no surprise there, but today she informed me something I didn't know. She informed me that the Wonderbolts are not just aerial performers. Today she informed me that they can also act as an emergency response unit and that they have helped alleviate or avert many disasters all across Equestria. In my eyes, that makes them seem more important than I used to regard them.”

“Of course that's true. They are an elite trained military unit,” Author said with a bit less edge to his voice, suggesting that he was instead genuinely surprised at his son's ignorance in this matter. He turned his head slightly to his left but not enough to look back at his son with even one eye. “You really didn't know that? You didn't know they helped save Equestria from various disasters?”

“Before today, no. I didn't know that. I thought they were just performers and nothing more.”

“Huh.” Author turned his gaze fully forward again. “Good to know. I'll have to dig up some history text on the matter. I didn't realize your knowledge on this issue was sadly lacking. Perhaps this is a potential culprit behind some of your ignorance.”

Author Scroll lifted up the scroll he was studying on his son's desk. Seeing what that scroll was, Quill's heart sank. His worst fears had come to light. That scroll was indeed the poem, “Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn.” Seeing that, Quill's mind raced and it came up with one possibility to diminish the impact of this disaster, and that was to act like this discovery was no big deal.

“What is this?” Author demanded of his son, shaking the scroll a bit within a red telekinetic aura. “Explain yourself. This is your horn writing so don't you dare deny that.”

“It's . . . just . . . nothing,” Quill said as dismissively as he could. “Just a side project I've been working on in my spare time to practice writing more. It's a way to help my mind unwind. Free writing, I've discovered, helps me think and refocuses my concentration. I find I can study better after a few minutes of practice with poems like that.”

{Considering everything I said was spur of the moment, I actually thought I did a good job. I had no prep time for this encounter and I was also struggling with emotional panic but, through it all, I managed to carefully manipulate my words into something I figured he'd want to hear. Since everything about the colt emphasized the importance of study, I had to make sure that this project seemed like it furthered that end.}

“Really?” Author asked skeptically, then looked at and paraphrased from the poem floating in front of him. “Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn. Oh ye of little earth. How I mock thee from high on yonder. My piss is but rain upon your fertile soil. You seem so small to my eyes. The whole world shrinks as I fly.” Author passed his son a dry look. “You call this tripe a tool to help you focus on your studies?”

“It gets the job done,” Quill said casually, then shrugged. “Anyway, it's just a fictional story. No big deal.”

Author shook the scroll in his red telekinetic aura as he exclaimed, “This is what I mean when I tell you to keep your head out of the clouds, and here I stand with proof you've been doing nothing but. Fantasy,” he sneered. “Fiction. Make-believe. Every time you pay more attention to fictional and made up worlds, you pay less attention to this one. Why is this world so unworthy in your eyes? Why can't you manage to keep your focus on the here and now instead of playing with irrelevant mental toys?”

Author slammed the scroll hard on Quill's desk. “I'm sick of this wishy-washy and careless attitude of yours, son. You are constantly so unfocused. You'll never master your full magical potential with this kind of attitude. Get it through your head! You are not a pegasus, you are a unicorn. You will never be anything but. Our family has a legacy to maintain. A proud and traditional one, something my brother never seemed to understand. You should feel honored to be a part of it, but all you do is put a halfhearted attempt at your studies while the rest of your attention wisps away in irrelevant and entirely pointless fantasies! This kind of behavior has got to stop and it's going to stop NOW!” Just then Author levitated his son's poem up in front of him then caused the scroll to burst into flames.

At that point Quill could not hide his emotions anymore. He immediately burst out with a startled shout, “NO!” Quill lunged forward but he was immediately launched back from the flaming inferno of his dangling and burning scroll. His father forced his son back and crushed him down to his knees with a red telekinetic aura. “YOU HANG IN TARTARUS, FATHER! HOW COULD YOU? THAT WASN'T YOUR SCROLL! YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DESTROY IT!”

“I have EVERY right to choose how I raise my misbehaving and ungrateful son!” Author spat harshly. “You need to learn to stop focusing on unimportant things in life and get working on the things that really do matter. Your education and magical practices will help you to accomplish anything you want in life. All you need to do is take it seriously for a change.”

“Help me to accomplish what I want? Then teach me the spell that will reverse that damage!” Quill demanded. “Or better yet, cast it yourself right now. I know you can!”

“Of course I can undo this. I can do this because I took my studies and my practice in magic very seriously. What's your excuse? Take this lesson to heart. I'll gladly teach you the spells you request but, in exchange, you have to promise to study them seriously. If you do then you can reverse damage like this yourself and continue to do so as often as you wish.”

“You don't understand,” Quill cried as he looked down, tears dripping from his eyes. “You've never understood me. How stifling this environment is. I hate it, Father! I'm like a flower that needs more fresh air and sunshine. You're killing me in here!”

“Don't be so dramatic. You'll do fine. You just need to learn to adapt and take your studies seriously. If you do, then you can accomplish anything. You can be a useful member of Equestrian society.”

Both of Quill's fore-hooves shivered in sudden and intense fury as they slowly also collapsed close to his chest, then he whispered under his breath, “I hate you!”

“What was that?” Author demanded.

“I said I HATE YOU!” Quill hollered.

Author's face grew cold but there was just a hint of pain in his face as well.

“I see,” Author said flatly. “Well . . . no pony said raising young foals was going to be easy. I hope, someday, you get foals of your own so that you may understand the challenges that I went through while raising you. You'd be lucky if they never say such harsh words to you. Regardless of your opinion of me at the moment, I still must put my hoof down. I know my actions will benefit your future someday, even if you can't foresee it at this time. You haven't lived as long as I have yet, but one day you will understand when you get to be my age.”

“Bark any argument you like. None of that is going to change things between us!” Quill said acidly. “I'll still see you as the destroyer of my dreams. Until that changes, we're enemies!”

At that moment a thought flashed through Quill's mind that subsided his anger somewhat. It was about the warning Uncle Ramadon had said to him about the dangers of a possible ancestor who drew his magic from negative emotions. That unicorn became a powerful force of evil, and Quill had no intention of going down that path. With hate keenly on the surface of his mind, however, it actually made magic rather dangerous to cast at that time.

Author looked down and to his left as he took a moment to calm himself down, then he spoke again as his black-rimmed eyes looked back at his son but his head didn't move. “I can't take anything you say seriously right now. I know you're speaking in the heat of anger and pain. Some lessons are hard to learn. These things take time. For now, I suggest we both take some time to cool off. Until then, you're grounded in this room until further notice.”

“Grounded?!” Quill growled in anger. “I really advice you to rephrase that statement.”

“You rephrase it. You're smart. You can figure it out,” Author reflected. “In the mean time you can call it whatever you like. You're not leaving this room until I say so. Is that clear?”

“I am a sky dancer! I am one with the sky! You can never ground me. I blow wherever I choose to blow. YOU CANNOT CONTAIN THE WIND!” Quill roared then charged at the open window and leapt out. As he fell, he quickly tied the edge of his cloak to all four of his hooves in order to quickly jury-rig a glider for the second time that day. Without any sense of fear, he managed to succeed and, at first, he was elated at his quick thinking and escape plan but suddenly he was ignited in a brilliant fiery aura. After that he suddenly stopped in mid air then dragged back in the direction of his room.

(NO!) Quill shouted in his mind in startled anger and panic. He just knew he could not allow himself to be pulled back to his room. After this, his father would put bars on his window for sure and much more closely monitor his son. He had to get away now or he never would.

{For a brief futile moment I actually tried to fight my father's powerful magical aura with my feeble own. The only advantage I had was my passionate determination to escape. Since unicorn magic is drawn from emotions, then any moment with strong emotion had strong potential.

{I was a fool. I should have realized that my father was desperate too. In his eyes, he probably thought he was saving my life. I just leapt out the window and he might have had no time to notice I actually had an escape plan in the works. Instead, he probably saw that as a direct attempt at suicide. Unlike me, my father may not wear his emotions on his sleeve but it does not mean they are not there. When things get really desperate, he'd definitely draw upon any degree of power at his disposal to save somepony he deeply cared for and, unlike me, he also had the advantage of many years of practice with strong concentration. So he had strong emotion and strong concentration on his side. I quickly realized that this was not a tug-of-war that I could possibly win.

{Not without a little sound strategy, at least.}

When Quill realized it was hopeless to struggle directly against his father's magic, he instead turned his attention to something else. He looked back over his shoulder at his father as he slowly returned back up to the window he leapt out of earlier. Based on his studies which was forced upon him, Quill knew powers like this relied upon several components. Besides emotion and concentration, telekinesis like this also relied upon line of sight. If a pony could not see the object or creatures they are trying to control through this power then concentration was useless. The mind didn't have a target if the target cannot be perceived. Anything would do. Anything to break line of sight. He also knew from experience that his father could maintain this power across a vast distance and able to lift an incredible amount of weight with this power. It's one of the things he knew that proved struggling against him horn to horn directly was useless.

Quill did not know much magic at this age but there were some simple spells even a young foal could learn. Simple did not mean useless. If used well, the few spells he did know could help win any situation. Of course, like his father, Quill's own spells largely depended upon line of sight too. He would have to time this perfectly.

Quill waited until he very nearly reached the window before igniting his horn with magic. The result was a tiny explosion of light directly in front of his father's face. For the most part this spell was harmless. Since that flash of light occurred right in front of his father's face, however, it would dazzle his father's eyesight which, in turn, made line of sight more difficult. At the same time the disruption of magical energy flicked at his father's horn. Due to that disruption, the telekinetic hold he had over his son was interrupted immediately.

Quill wasted no time capitalizing on this opportunity. Falling again, he curved his cloak to the left this time to sharply steer away from line of sight from his open bedroom window. He accomplished that mission in mere seconds then veered back and forth between various buildings and tall towers as he descended. After that it did not matter if his father recovered his sight. He would have to locate his son again before he could lock his son down with another spell. Quill made sure that, by the time he could do that, it would already be too late.

xoxo

Star Breeze's father gave his daughter a little time to absorb this one. She looked lost in thought so he took it as a sign she needed a short break. When she spoke again, what she had to say secretly touched his heart.

“We get along, don't we?” Star Breeze asked innocently. “Now you are a father. I hope my life didn't make yours difficult or painful.”

Father smiled at his daughter very widely with soft and glowing love. “No. Of course not. On the contrary, you've been a constant blessing to me and your mother's life. I won't say it was all easy. Your baby years comes to mind when I think of you and the word, 'challenging'. None of that was your fault, however. Right now you are growing up with the benefit of my experience. It's the one thing I can say that's an advantage of a challenging life. When you learn more about what doesn't work in life, it can eventually help to guide you on a better path. My circumstances are quite different anyway now and so is yours compared to my own past. Those things are a factor too.”

“I never felt constricted or restrained with you raising me,” Star Breeze announced honestly. “Nor do I feel like either of you were too loose. I don't know about other young foals, but my life seems balanced, I think. You give me firmness when I need it or freedom when I need it and I'm not doing anything too dangerous.”

“It's been my observation that parental styles can change vastly between one generation to the next,” Father announced. “That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Each generation can make their own experiments. See what works. Every parent is different just as every foal is different. Life needs that kind of flexibility to thrive. For my part, I'm glad you're happy.”

“I didn't know you had such tension with your father. The meaning of the word 'hate' is almost foreign to me. Did you eventually work out your differences? I hope?”

“Spoilers. Why don't you just listen and see?”

“Because I see with my eyes, not my ears,” came Star Breeze's snarky come-back.

Her father chuckled as he looked elsewhere.

xoxo

{I'm going to be the first to admit that what I did back then was entirely stupid. If I could go back in time somehow to this point of my history, I would probably yell at my younger self for what he did on that day. Considering the fact that I have the advantage of hindsight, however, I would not go too hard on the foal because I also understand the nuances of why he did it, but hindsight has also given me a deeper perspective of why my actions were stupid. I mean, I had no bits to my name, only the cloak on my back. I had rarely been outside my room before, I had no food or water, I was physically feeble from the lack of exercise, and I was just a young foal. I had no prior experience how to survive in the wild and I knew only a small hoofful of spells. I didn't even have a plan at first. I acted out of pure emotion. Leaving my home was a spur of the moment thing and I acted out of anger without thinking things through.

{Father was right about something. Being a father myself and imagining my own foal doing something so foolish, I can easily imagine how much I would panic under that same situation. Thinking of that makes me sympathetic to how I made him feel back then but, as I said earlier . . . I wasn't really thinking things through.

{Well, I take that back. In a small way I was thinking things through. I wasn't thinking about father's feelings so much as his resources. I thought about all the potential spells he could cast and feared that all I knew of was only the tip of the iceberg. In addition, he was rich. I knew he could hire as many bounty hunters as he wanted. Considering all that, I figured I would have to leave Canterlot as soon as possible then just keep going. If I was really serious about getting away from father then I knew I had to avoid all civilizations. In probably a matter of hours, my father would likely have eyes and ears spread out questioning every pony within hundreds of miles and he'd also send out letters to places even further. It was insane to think that if I wanted to ensure I remain away from him then I would have to avoid all civilizations for all time and live as a lonely hermit permanently but, at the time, I was seriously considering that option.

{I wandered aimlessly, quickly at first, then later slower since I was trying to conserve energy. One thing that occurred to me was to gain more distance by traveling down a river and I recalled seeing some out there. Canterlot is situated in the side of a tall mountain. That perspective affords a wide view of the surrounding valley and, based off of that, I had a hunch that I could gain much more distance if I could construct a makeshift raft and simply sail down a river current.

{From Canterlot, I actually glided away from the city to gain some initial distance. I knew I would leave no tracks in the sky. I flew down long enough that I had to retie the four ends of my cloak to my legs several times in mid-flight. Better to say they started to get loose but I re-tied them before they slipped entirely off. That reminded me of your mother's concerns using this strategy and she was right, to a point. I had to keep an eye on that. If I didn't, then eventually one of those four ends would slip off and I'd plummet to my death.

{Of the few spells I knew, some of them were lightly useful to carpentry. I was able to reforge the shape of wood a bit by carving out a few points then putting the pieces together like a puzzle then used some river reeds to tie them up. The end result was . . . sloppy . . . but effective. Let's just say it was a very wet ride despite my best efforts. On the river, however, I knew I had several advantages. I could gain some distance without expending much physical effort and therefore conserve what energy I had. During the journey I would remain close to drinkable water. Food was still a problem but at least I would remain hydrated. On the river I would also leave no tracks to follow, not even my scent. I didn't know where the rivers would take me but I didn't care. I just wanted to get some distance from home, as much as possible.

{I actually can't tell you how long that journey was. It seemed like several days at least, possibly several weeks rolled by. Out in the wilderness, I had a strange relationship with time. Things were mostly quiet. I heard the sound of the river, the creaking of various bugs, the snapping of twigs that were stepped on by animals. What tended to draw my attention the most was the sky. I'd listen to the soothing sound of the wind whenever it came. Being wet, the winds were actually quite chilly, especially at night but, other than that, I found it relaxing. I may not have had much to work with but the sense of freedom I gained from this solitary adventure soothed my spirit. My stomach complained more and more as the days went on yet I was still at peace. I was actually willing to die like this. If I was going to have death then I at least wanted freedom in exchange for it.

{My education gave me a little bit of insight on my trip that was helpful for survival purposes. Occasionally I steered the rickety raft onto the river shore and attempted to find some food. I rarely succeeded but occasionally found some nuts and berries. Today I would find it frightening how much I managed to subsist upon but it kept me going.}

“Maybe that's why you grew up so physically underdeveloped!” Star Breeze snickered. “Give it a few years and even I will surpass you.”

One eye of her father shifted to her as he said fairly seriously, “My genes are not the only thing you inherited. If you gained my magic, you gained everything else from your mother. She's got some bulk, as you are well aware. She's heavy but very lean. Very-very strong and healthy. I have no doubt you'll quickly surpass me both in height and in weight. Being light as a feather seems to be a theme in my entire life but you have wings. You don't need my physical assets to carry you into the air.”

“That, and it's nice to be able to reach things that you can't so nyeh!” She stuck her tongue out at her father to taunt him.

“Well, yeah,” her father agreed. “Physically a great deal of things are out of my reach from the ground level, but don't forget I can fly too and, failing that, I could just use my horn to levitate things into my reach and I'm quite good at it. I don't really feel handicapped unless I get into a physical wrestling contest. Your mother would cream me for sure in such a contest.”

“Yeah, that wouldn't be a fair fight,” Star Breeze agreed.

“But I know she wouldn't hurt me. Honestly, all that strength and constitution of hers only serves to keep me safer, not the other way around.

“Anyhoo. . .”

{Thinking back to that time, I don't know why I didn't get lonely. Honestly, your mom was my primary regret of galloping away. I didn't have many friends back then. There were some acquaintances that I was familiar with such as a hoofful of unicorn students or servants in the manor but, on the whole, I was not missing much. Your mom haunted me though because I knew she honestly cared about me. I remember how she defended me from bullies before. She was always like that for any pony but, in my case, I had a feeling it was personal. I won't pretend that I didn't have a crush on her either, even back then. Of all the ponies I had ever known in my life at that time, she and my mother were the ones I knew I was going to miss most dearly.

{But there were other things in my surroundings that helped to distract my head and my heart. What I was going through was a matter of grave survival but it was also a sense of spiritual release. Both were important. I really couldn't afford to be lazy on any point during that time. Since there was no pony else to help me, I had to learn to become as self-sufficient as possible. Being raised with a literal and figurative silver spoon, I won't call it easy but I was determined.

{My cloak, such as it was, was the only functional item I had from pony society. It acted sort of as a blanket and gave me cover for the night but, with the degree of frequency that it was wet, I'm not sure if I can honestly say it kept me warm. Over time it developed some tears and tatters. I knew there were spells to fix that but I didn't know them back then. I do now. Anyway, as I saw the tears grow, it occurred to me that the cloak might no longer be reliable as a glider or parachute. I didn't want to risk the holes getting bigger. If they did, then they would leak more air through them and hold me aloft to a lesser and lesser degree. I had to preserve what little resources I had as carefully as possible.

{But the whole time I was out there by myself, the sky kept calling to my soul. It cried out for me to join it up there. I almost sensed this sense of excitement over the fact that I cut loose from my other social obligations. It meant I had more time to devote to the sky. Perhaps that was enough to help me realize my true potential, and I was not going to waste it. While the majority of my time was spent sailing away, I occasionally stopped off onto the shore to practice flying. Given everything I had known and experienced at the time, my attempts felt insane. It was a shot in the dark, an attempt to do something that defied all known laws of physics. I was trying to do something that nearly every pony in my life told me was impossible. Those words seeded doubt in me that I just couldn't shake. That was why, when I attempted my initial flights, I did it low to the ground. Sometimes I didn't ascend to any height, just attempted to jump and leap off into the air straight off the ground. A pegasus could do it and usually did. Why couldn't I?

{But every attempt I made ended up in failure. I was keenly aware of my weight whenever I stood on the ground. The earth made me feel like an anchor. Sometimes I felt like the earth mocked me for trying to escape it. Sometimes, during my initial attempts at flight, I actually felt heavier, not lighter, but the sky kept calling to me. I almost felt like it was reaching down, ready to hoist me up but it was always out of reach. Everything I was trying defied all rational thinking. It was on the strength of a pure desperate wish why I was even trying at all. Despite nearly everything else I learned in my life, I knew deep down this was my calling in life.

{But, with every failure, doubt kept creeping into my mind and heart more and more. Every example that was not a success applied more weight and pressure to my soul. All the evidence piled up in front of my face, mocking me . . . taunting me. Crying out, “See? I told you you couldn't do it. Just look at this example, and this example, and this and this and this and this. No other unicorn had ever flown before. Why should you be able to?” I also recalled the taunts of the other young unicorns when they noticed my insane attempts to fly. Remember when I said your mother protected me from bullies? There were plenty of examples of those during the course of my life. It naturally comes with the territory of daring to try something new.

{Perception shapes reality. That's what my uncle tried to teach me. During my attempts at flight, while I galloped away from home, I started to learn there was an important difference between wishing something was so, believing something was so and perception. My wish and, to some extent, my belief was that I could fly but, according to my perception, I was too heavy to fly. Even then I was not an example of the heaviest unicorn. Far from it, but even my light body weight was not enough to just take off. If I couldn't do it then, then probably no unicorn (or earth pony) could. As the evidence of failure mounted, that became more and more a firmer perception of my reality. A perception that said, “It doesn't matter how much you want or need this. It's just not going to happen.”

{I once heard that the true definition of insanity is to try something that doesn't work over and over again and expecting different results. To be unable to learn from your failures and keep on repeating them, but I did learn from my failures. What those failures were teaching me, on the other hoof, was a lesson I didn't want to learn. The more stubborn I grew, the heavier I felt. Somehow I sensed that, if anything, I was actually growing more distant from my goal. That I was progressing in the totally wrong direction. It's hard to explain why I felt that way back then but somehow I knew.

{I once climbed to the tallest tree on a rocky hilltop to just stare at the clouds. I looked upon it with painful yearning. If all the evidence of reality points one way but my spirit points in another direction then I'm caught in the middle and felt crushed by it. It was agony. Climbing to the top of the tree made me feel a little closer to the sky. As the wind whistled by my ears and made the leaves of the tree make a sizzling sound, I heard the voice of the wind call to me and say, “You really can do this, but you're going about this the wrong way. For you to succeed, you have to know you'll succeed. Remove from yourself all traces of doubt. That only weighs you down, making you heavier. Repeat to yourself; I am a Feather in the Wind!”

{One has to wonder, in times like that, was I really hearing voices in the wind or just voices in my head? Was this reality a byproduct of true magic or true insanity? Maybe, in a way, there was no difference. When magic does work, few ponies indeed can explain how it happened exactly. It just sort of happens. One has to believe. Without faith, there would be no magic, at least none that we could detect. It's a shallow reality for those who only believe in what they could see.

{In the end, I realized that the truth of the matter, whether I was really hearing a voice in the wind or if it was just in my head, was simply a choice. A choice in what I chose to believe. I learned I had to be willing to put my life on the line in an effort to pursue my faith. I had to shake loose all shades of doubt and put my faith to the ultimate test. I had to make sure there were only two possible outcomes; either I would succeed in flying or I would die trying. If I failed to fly then life didn't feel worth living anyway. I had to be willing to give this effort my all. Back then I wasn't certain how I was going to do it, but deep down I reached a very important decision in my life. One that would ultimately shape every day that followed it.}

“I am a feather in the wind!” Quill whispered out into the wind as he closed his eyes and stretched his snout out from the tree. That declaration seemed to summon more of the wind somehow, almost as if it were a signal he was on the right track. Despite all sensibilities, despite all prior logic and history in Equestria, Quill was going to be the first to prove one thing thought impossible was possible.

“I . . . am . . . a feather . . . in the wind!” Quill repeated then, in his mind, he chanted it over and over again. Each time he chanted it, he forced himself to really believe it more and more. He pictured in his mind exactly what it would be like. He imagined himself flying through the air like a feather in the wind.

Then he meditated, right there at the top of that tree. Physical evidence be damned. The truth of this story, he knew, was embedded in his feelings. He knew his spirit would lead him to the correct answer. One that seemed impossible at first glance until a greater understanding of the workings of the universe catches up.

xoxo

Quill found it peculiar that, in a moment he was going to put his faith to the ultimate test, it just happened to be storming. It did not rain on him and the winds were also strangely calm. Everything seemed calm. Everything seemed quiet except the occasional thunder that rolled across the sky. Up above, the skies were gray. There was enough clouds in the sky to mostly conceal the daylight. It was daylight but it seemed near night time.

Quill stood on the edge of a thirty foot drop. Looking straight down, he could see very little that could possibly cushion his fall. There were some piles of hay nearby. In fact, that came in hoofy a short while ago as he chewed on some to help replenish his body. The way it was placed on the terrain had to be done by pony hooves, and yet it didn't seem intended for ponies. If it were, it would be on a plate instead of a large pile in the middle of a wilderness like that. What came to mind the most, considering the arrangement he saw, was that it was very likely intended for cows instead. Cows could talk too, though. Why didn't they choose to live in houses as well?

It's true that the hay piles could cushion his fall greatly but the fact of the matter was they weren't close enough to make a difference. Not from this vantage point. Looking straight down, it seemed that all there was was flat level ground that was just a bit grassy. A fall from this height would injure him very severely, if not outright kill him. If it did not kill him, he would not be strong enough to keep himself alive. In other words, he would get only one shot at this.

There was a part of him that panicked and begged him to see reason. To at least use his cloak or redirect one of those large stacks of hay underneath the cliff. That could take hours, but would virtually ensure he would live long enough to make repeated attempts. The rational side of his mind suggested that repetition was the key to victory. As the old saying goes, “If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.” But that saying wouldn't matter if the first attempt was downright deadly. If practice makes perfect, then it was unwise to make the first attempt deadly. In such a case like this, failure ended all other possible attempts permanently. His rational mind kept crying out to him, “This is crazy! This is irrational! Please-please-please think this through!”

Quill was honestly tired of thinking things through because that was all he did all his life and it got him no closer to his true goal. There was a reason no unicorn pulled this off before. If this step was required, if they all literally had to put their lives on the line in pursuit of their beliefs, it stood to reason why most would back off at this point. It also made sense that those who did push themselves this far and actually made that leap of faith died for their efforts so it makes sense why no pony had ever lived to tell their tale. They never got the chance to warn any other pony, “Yeah, I tried to make that leap of faith and it got me killed so please, for the love of Celestia, DON'T DO IT!”

As fear attempted to squash Quill's resolve and faith, he had to wonder to himself how many times in the past had a unicorn, or even a earth pony for that matter, leaped off a cliff seeming as if they were determined to kill themselves (and any other pony who witnessed it thought that was exactly the case) when in fact they were not trying to kill themselves and instead tried to prove to themselves that they could actually fly if they simply believed in it hard enough.

Thinking of that further, Quill also realized that suicide was indeed a little tempting. Not enough to make a serious attempt to end his life on purpose but, if he happened to die anyway by any means, at least that meant he would get to be with his mom again. Silver Shine was kind of worth it. She could at least be viewed as the silver lining to that dark possibility.

(But I'm not here to kill myself. I'm here to fly, and I will fly! I will. I am a feather in the wind. I am a feather in the wind,) Quill repeated that chant in his head over and over again.

Thunder rolled across the sky again, drawing his attention back upwards. As he did so, he thought to himself most ponies in Equestria, or animals too for that matter, might find such sounds to be frightening, but not Quill. Quill actually found it soothing instead. It seemed like anything that had to do with the sky he found soothing and very much a part of himself. He wondered if he could even stare down a tornado calmly. Based on past experience, there seemed like a genuine possibility the answer was yes. It felt like the sky could do no wrong for him no matter what it chose to do. Quill tried to use that as internal evidence that he really was meant to be up there. If he was not a kindred spirit of the sky, why would he feel this strongly about this? He felt this way his entire life. There had to be some meaningful reason for that and there was only one real conclusion that Quill could draw on. He felt convinced that his inner feelings had to be this strong in order to cut through all the fears and doubts other ponies attempted to impress upon him about this. For a pegasus this was no big deal but, for any other breed of pony, a leap of faith like this was truly a matter of life and death.

(You always told me that you would not let me fall,) Quill thought in his mind to the sky. (On some level I always believed you . . . but . . . if I make this jump . . . that's it. You either catch me or there will be no other attempt. I'll prove it to you now.)

Quill took off his cloak and chucked it away. Since there was no wind, the cloak simply dropped straight to the ground thirty feet below in a heap. The dirt, grime and a bit of moisture clinging to it made it's drop all the heavier.

(There! Now there is no lifeline. There is no hay. There is no cloak. There is no pool. There is no net. There is only the wind. That's my only safety net now. My life is in your hooves.)

Quill closed his eyes and lifted his fore legs dramatically to the sky very slowly, standing on his hind legs to do so. He didn't do this for drama, not even on a personal level. He was being deadly serious. This was either going to work, or he was going to die. As he felt it before, he had to make sure there were only two possible outcomes to this situation. To accomplish the impossible, something no other pony in Equestria had ever done other than a pegasus or alicorn, he felt certain he really needed to push himself that far.

Father paused in his story as he glanced at his daughter in amusement because she looked to be on the edge of her cloudy-seat. She looked to be in intense suspense, so he decided to toy with her emotions a bit.

{And so I finally took that final leap . . . and I plunged to my death. All the stories were true. All the warnings were true. They tried to warn me, but I never listened. If I had, it would have saved my life on that fateful day.}

Father looked sharply at his daughter again then laughed out loud after he saw her widen her eyes in shock. Father pounded on the cloud he was on three times as he laughed hysterically.

Which caused his daughter to realize how ridiculous his claims were. Caught in the trance of his story, she lost sight of all logic for a moment. She frowned at her father while trying hard to restrain her own chuckle. In the end she grabbed a piece of the cloudy-couch and chucked it at her father like a snowball. It splashed against his coat but then evaporated.

“I find it interesting how you're on the edge of your seat considering you should know the outcome of this story, at least when it comes to one extreme of it,” her father teased.

“Well I wasn't there! I have to rely on you to tell this story and I have to trust you. Please don't do that to me again, you troll!”

Father still giggled but he tried to regather his composure. “Okay-okay-okay. I'll stop, or at least stop the teasing. I know you want to hear the rest of this story so I'll try to be honest from now on.”

Star Breeze settled her head on the edge of the couch. Since the aim of her head was then directed downwards, she had to look at her father above her head. “I never feared the sky. Like you said, it's no big deal for a pegasus. Even before we learn to fly with these wings, we could at least learn to glide with them, like you did with your cloak except we are more attached to our 'cloak'. While you were describing this part of the story, though, I actually felt what it must have been like for you to actually stand there and contemplate your life like that. I'm assuming you didn't actually make the jump, right? Or did you learn to fly on that day? I know it happened at some point in your life.”

Father tilted his head to his left as he also looked down over the edge of the cloud as he said, “Actually, that's the funny thing. I can't tell you . . . because I honestly don't remember. I did leap, but what happened afterwards was kind of a blur. I learned later why that happened. It didn't even take that long, actually. To put you in the proper perspective based on what I do remember, I'll tell you about the very next thing I recalled after I jumped.”

xoxo

“Sir! Young sir! Oh please wake up! Jeepin-hollers, please wake up!”

{I slowly opened my eyes, lifted back to consciousness by the sound of another pony's voice. The more I did so, the more I acknowledged a sense of sharp pain at the side of my head. As time went on, I started to notice pain in other parts of my body as well. Pretty sharp pain too, but the leap I just made could have killed me outright, even for a pony as light as myself. If I had plunged straight down, the damage should be more severe than this, so the results begged some questions.

{Also, I had to wonder, who was this pony calling out to me? I thought I was alone out in that wilderness. I even recall checking.

{After I opened my eyes, my vision gradually gained focus but the pain I felt delayed that process. I actually remember my rescuer started off as blurry but became more clearer and had more definition over time.

{The first thing I noticed about this stallion, besides his voice, was only the most basic colors on him. He was a light tan pony with a deep black mane. It also quickly became apparent to me that he wore an orange shirt with jean overalls worn over that. It was a lot like the one my uncle wore. This pony also wore a cowpony hat, but not straw this time. It looked more sturdy than that. Leather, maybe? I'm not an expert in these things so I really couldn't tell you. As his face clarified, it gained more definition. He didn't have a beard. He was clean shaven, though definitely old enough to potentially have a beard. At that moment his eyes were the last detail to clarify. I don't remember it clearly now, though. I think they were dark green. Don't quote me on that.}

“Hooey! Thank Celestia you are alright!” the cowpony said in relief. “That's a nasty fall you took there, son! Thank goodness you partially landed in the hay!”

“I'm in what?!” Quill exclaimed then looked around. Sure enough, the cliff he leaped from was considerably further than he would have expected. There was no way he could leap this far purely on his own leg power.

“You must have angels looking after your sorry, ungrateful hide, boy!” the cowpony exclaimed. “A freak wind blew you further west after you leaped from yonder cliff up there. Delivered you all the way out here, just barely hitting the hay stack. What were you thinking, boy?! Ya could have been killed!”

“I assure you, that wasn't my intent,” Quill promised this cowpony honestly.

“Then what was your intent, because it sure looked pretty deadly to me.”

Quill could tell this pony was not going to let that question slide. This cowpony saw something extremely startling on that day as well as a potential miracle. One of these things he probably figured he'd never be able to explain, and the other thing he figured he could simply ask about. If one mystery could not be explained then he was going to try his darnest to cover the other mystery.

But the truth made Quill uncomfortable to admit. No pony, except maybe his uncle, could ever seem to accept his explanation. Just about every pony would either laugh at him or yell at him for telling them the truth. Since the truth didn't seem useful to admit, it caught Quill in a conundrum.

“I . . . would prefer not to say,” Quill settled. “I can assure you I was not trying to kill myself, but I don't want to admit the truth either. I don't think you would believe me if I said it.”

The elder cowpony sighed as he took off his hat and fanned himself with it. “Well, I make it a policy not to distrust a pony's word until proven otherwise. I suppose it could have been easier for you to fib an answer rather than admit what you've already told me. To a point, I respect that. I have to make sure ya ain't in any genuine danger, however. While ya are around me, promise me ya won't try anything funny like that again.”

“I promise, sir,” Quill replied honestly.

“Ya in any pain?” the cowpony asked in concern as he replaced his hat on top of his head.

“Now that you mention it, yeah,” Quill said honestly again as he squinted in tight pain.

“Here. Take ma hoof and I'll help ya to ma wagon. It's just over yonder.”

“Thank you, kind sir,” Quill said gratefully as he proceeded to do so. The cowpony pulled the young foal to his hooves but Quill was unsteady at first. Not just from the pain, but from a sense of dizziness that overcame him as soon as he stood up. Since the cowpony was standing right there, he immediately reached a leg around Quill to help steady the young foal.

“Whoa! Easy, now. Easy does it,” the cowpony said steadily.

Quill continued to be unsteady for a few seconds but, with every second that passed he became more steady. While the pain was still there, his head started to clear so his balance came more easily as well. Noticing this, the cowpony led the young foal away, eventually to a wooden wagon. He was led to a wooden bench in the front of it. Looking over his shoulder, Quill noticed the somewhat unexpected sight of many jars full of . . . it seemed like either grains or seeds. Actually, it was probably both. There were various jars back there and some of them clearly did not have the same things in it.

“Hi there!” the cowpony greeted as he held out a hoof to Quill. He waited until Quill took it and shook it before he spoke further. “My name is Braeburn Orchard, of the Orchard family. Our current circumstances not withstanding, it's a pleasure to meet'cha!”

“Likewise. I'm . . .” Quill was about to say his name but then it occurred to him that his real name might be hunted. He quickly scrambled his head for a new name but then noticed how Braeburn was carefully studying him. All of the sudden Quill gained the distinct feeling that, if he lied, Braeburn might be able to tell. Despite the risks, Quill decided to plunge ahead. After the favor Braeburn had demonstrated so far, Quill figured that this was the least the cowpony deserved. “I'm Quill. Quill Scroll.”

Quill actually saw Braeburn's expression relax a bit. He had a funny feeling that Braeburn actually saw Quill almost decide to lie then suddenly reversed his course. This also meant that Braeburn clearly believed the word of the young foal at that point. For what it was worth, Braeburn didn't seem to recognize Quill's name directly. It probably meant that, if his father sent out the word, it hadn't reached this far yet. Time might change that, however. Braeburn also seemed like a very honest and open pony. It was just an impression, but Quill had the distinct feeling that if Braeburn actually did recognize the name, he probably would have been unable to conceal it.

“Pleased to meet'cha, Quill Scroll. I hope our relationship will continue under better circumstances than it started. Where ya from, boy? Based on the funny, fancy talk of ya's accent, I'm guessing ya are from one of those fancy cities. Am I correct? Canterlot, if I'm not mistaken.”

Quill looked surprised. “Actually, that's exactly right. How did you know? Have you encountered our citizens before?”

“Not often, but yeah,” Braeburn admitted as he moved to the front of the carriage and strapped on a shoulder harness that was attached to the wagon. Along the way, Quill happened to notice Braeburn's cutie mark since Braeburn was only covered from the front end, not the back. The cutie mark he saw had five images on it. The largest one was in the center and looked like a giant acorn. Two smaller seeds were on the bottom and off to the side of that acorn. Two medium sized seeds was on the other side of the acorn and more towards the middle of it.

(Huh. So his special talent probably has something to do with seeds,) Quill figured privately. (Actually, that helps to explain all the seeds in the back wagon as well, but I wonder why he needs so many, and what they are for?)

“You should have just asked him,” Star Breeze lightly scolded her father.

“Actually, that's exactly what I did,” her father returned.

“Oh, those old things?” Braeburn said in response to Quill's question. “Those are to help out on the farm. If there is extra, I plan to either sell it or just give it to some of my neighbors. Hope it helps.” Right after he said that, he pulled the whole wagon forward and everything else on it via the strap on his shoulder harness.

“Think you have enough back there?” Quill asked dryly. “Seems you have enough here for years to come unless you have Equestria's largest farm.”

“I certainly hope it's enough, but honestly I have my doubts.” Braeburn looked back at Quill over his right shoulder. “The seeds are not the problem, it's the weather around the farm.”

“The weather?” Quill eyed Braeburn quizzically. “What's wrong with the weather?”

Braeburn looked forward again as he answered, “The dust storms. Been going on for months off and on. Choking the life out of our produce. Not too sure, but it seems to be contaminating the soil as well. Things are getting harder to grow there. That's why I went and bought all these seeds, though I found a few of them meself. That should keep the farm going for at least a couple of more years but, if things don't let up soon, both me and ma folks are going to have to pack up and move somewhere else. Sure would be a pity. We've had that farm for generations. Lot of memories there.”

“Have you talked to any pegasus about this? They are supposed to monitor and hoofle the weather,” Quill proposed.

“No pegasus is causing this,” Braeburn answered. “In fact, they did what they could to try and stop it. Nothing seems to work, at least not for long. Every pony is baffled. This nasty weather sure has got a mind of it's own.”

“Weather acting on it's own?” Quill looked perplexed. “That's strange.”

“Hold on,” Star Breeze called. “Didn't you say yesterday that there was weather working like that up in the far north? You know, where the crystal place used to be?”

“Well observed,” her father commended. “Yes, I did say that, and to be honest that thought crossed my mind back then as well. I even contemplated telling Braeburn that but I had no proof and I didn't want to start a panic. He had no reason to believe me either so I decided to keep my mouth shut on that issue and just listen and observe. That way I could gather more evidence before making a more educated hypothesis.”

“Did you ever have a unicorn look into this issue?” Quill asked Braeburn. “Maybe this weather comes from cursed magic.”

“Huh.” Braeburn paused for a moment, stopping his trot for a few seconds. “To be honest with ya, little pony, that thought hadn't crossed ma mind.” He lifted his head as something else occurred to him. “Hey!” He looked over his shoulder at Quill. “Aren't ya a unicorn? Could ya look into it?”

“Me?” Quill looked taken aback. “Um . . . sure. I can try, I guess, but I have little experience with magic. I have studied it but it takes years of practice to master. Huh.” He looked down. “In cases like this, I think I can promise you this.” Looking back at Braeburn, he said, “Based purely off of my training and experience, I might be able to give you a false negative answer. If I don't detect any energy out in those winds then it doesn't necessarily mean there isn't one. I just might not be skilled enough to detect it. However, I don't think I can give you a false positive answer. If I actually do detect a curse in those winds then it's highly likely there actually is a curse in those winds. In that case, you'll definitely need the skills of a skilled wizard. As for me, I think you've encountered the limits of my powers right there.”

“Well that's okay. All ya can do is try your best, right? To be honest, I do not expect much from such a little guy but, since ya are here anyway, I thought it might be worth a look. The more we know, then the less we don't know, and the more we can plan ahead.” Braeburn resumed his trek. As he continued, he then said, “I'll introduce ya to the rest of ma family when we get back. I'm sure they'll be pleased to meet'cha.”

xoxo

{To be honest with you, Sweet, I might have actually detected a curse in those winds. I might not have been a skilled wizard yet but I've always had an uncanny connection to the sky. It talks to me in ways that no other pony could hear. Until that day, I had always had a harmonious relationship with the sky but . . . something was off about those winds at Braeburn's farm. Something was bitter about it, as if it was poisoned. Something had felt unnatural about it. I didn't say anything to Braeburn about it or his family because all I had was just a hunch but it was a pretty strong one. The voice of the winds was different out there. It was lower, steady, and had a dark chant to it. Sometimes I thought I heard mad laughter in the winds. This was the first time in my life the winds actually scared me.

{On a physical level the winds were just . . . kind of annoying. Not deadly in the direct sense but it itched and made it a bit difficult to breathe. It also clouded the distance. The greater the distance I tried to view, the harder it became but it largely depended on the wind's speed.

{This was red winds. Red with dry, dusty sand. It kept going on and on. I think I wrote a poem about it later on. Not exactly one of my most cheerful pieces.

{As for his family, my experience with my uncle somewhat prepared me for this encounter. This family was one-hundred percent earth ponies. It was still new enough to be a marvel to me but not new enough to have that intense edge of surprise. At least this time I had some idea what to expect. That said, this was a much smaller family than my uncle's. Out there on his isolated farm, there were only five family members. There was himself, his wife, two sons and one infant daughter. His two sons, Jacob and Conrad, were about my age. Maybe a little bit older. They were pleased to see me and, like me, neither of them had their cutie marks yet. I had an impression about the talent for one of them. He seemed to have a natural gift for music, the banjo in particular. As for Braeburn's wife, well she of course had her cutie mark. It was a sewing machine of some sort.}

Father paused as he shook his head while looking down, trying to figure out how he could best describe Braeburn's wife. While he thought about it, Star Breeze was temporarily patient, waiting for her father to continue.

{His wife's name . . . was Lady Hamilton, and yes . . . I did say Lady. In this case I had the distinct impression that “lady” was actually more of a title rather than her real name but, based on her attitude of insisting she be called that every single time, it vividly reminded me of the stuck up attitude I usually encounter around Canterlot elite except a bit more extreme and desperate. There were plenty of hints, if you knew what to look for, that indicated she was not actually a member of high class but rather one who pretended to be. She had the veil of an aristocrat but not actually the true veneer of one, if that makes any sense. I kind of doubt any pony else would have noticed, but I actually was raised among the social elite. She couldn't fool me. It actually confused me why she pretended to be. If she was not actually that rich, why pretend she was? Who was she trying to fool? Her husband? Her two sons? Me? Her infant daughter? It didn't make sense to me. Later on I kind of dismissed it as one of those, “Grass is always greener on the other side,” kind of deals and just left it at that.

{And, to be honest, she was the least friendly of the five. She had that, “What's he doing here?” kind of attitude and didn't welcome me nearly as warmly as the others. Later on that night I found out why. I happened to overhear a conversation between herself and her husband as she reminded him they were having a hard enough time putting food on the table because of the dust blight. Hearing that, I instantly understood her perspective then decided I would sneak off sometime tomorrow until I heard her husband agree with her and told her that was why he planned to escort me to my uncle's farm and have him take care of me. When he said that, I blinked in astonishment because, up to that point, that thought didn't even occur to me but, after it did, I suddenly thought that was an amazingly good idea. Uncle Ramadon certainly had the resources to take care of me, and he could nurture my magical potential too. Moreover, I could alert him about this red dust blight. If magic was responsible for this curse then Uncle Ramadon was the best pony I could think of to lift it. Based on the way Braeburn described his familiarity with my uncle, I had a hunch that perhaps my uncle wasn't that far.

{As soon as I thought that, I heard his wife complain about how long her husband would be gone in order to fulfill that promise which made me start to wonder how far my uncle really was. If it turned out to be several days or more then how did these two meet each other in the first place?

{Braeburn's response to his wife was an apology. He realized he did her some wrong with this quest, especially considering it's potential duration, but pointed out the alternative was to keep me here and take care of me. He also assured that there was no way he was going to abandon a young foal out in the wilderness alone. Since it seemed like I already made a suicide attempt, he was convinced I needed especially close supervision. Ramadon could take care of that after him. He told his wife he would deliver me to my uncle's, dump me off, explain what happened to me so far to my uncle then depart back to his own farm again. Braeburn said that, in the mean time, their two sons were old enough to temporarily take care of the place until he got back. He added the part about the extra seeds he brought back from his last trip and that his sons likely had the skills to take care of it until he got back.

{She complained about the fact he was already gone for several days collecting those seeds only to have him turn right back around as soon as he got home and take care of some other problem while they already had a crisis on their hooves with the farm as it was. At this point, however, I could hear her losing strength of conviction in her voice. This was a complaint, not an argument. It was as if she already knew her husband would take off anyway no matter what she said, and she probably also agreed with him to a point. Not even she was cold enough to abandon a young foal to the wide world, especially if that young foal demonstrated disturbing tendencies that made his survival a serious concern.

{I heard her cry into his chest a little bit. I suddenly felt very guilty upon hearing that. I've become a burden, I realized. When I act without thinking, like I did when I went away from my father, I inadvertently became somepony else's problem. I never considered that when I took off from my father but, ever since I became aware of it, it made me think about how the repercussions of my actions could have a larger effect than I intended. It was too late to do anything about it at that point, but it stuck in my head ever since. It made me realize why it's important to look at the bigger picture when it came to my actions. It taught me to be more mindful of the consequences of my actions. As I share this experience with you, it is my hope you learn from my mistakes as well.

{Know this and know this well, my sweet . . . this world is filled with many good-hearted ponies who cannot, for the life of them, let you harm yourself. Even if it becomes a burden to them, they'll still do everything in their power to protect you. Not every pony would, mind you, but it's common enough that you should remain aware of it. Be mindful of your actions, or you may become a burden to somepony else too someday. The guilt you'd have to deal with afterwards doesn't make this experience worth it unless you require it to learn your lesson, like I did the hard way.}

Chapter Six: I am the Wind

{I must admit, I felt really bad for Braeburn Orchard. All he was trying to do was collect enough seeds to help save his dying farm. He succeeded in gathering the seeds but then encounters an apparently crazed foal who literally leaps off a cliff and almost got himself killed, then he dragged this injured foal to his home, nursed him back to health only to leave the next day and go way, way out of his way to return me to my closest relatives.

{Talk about twists and turns in life, eh daughter? That's something I learned for myself during this trip. I thought about all the problems I went through in my life, as short as it was during that time, then encountered other ponies who also had their problems but they faced it with such a brave face. I couldn't tell how much he struggled to keep a smile on his face. Clearly there was an effort. I remember him singing most of the trip which took him several days. Three days, if my memory isn't mistaken, and that's traveling only one way. It should take him another three days to get back and, during that time, his family had to fend for themselves.

{I felt really-really bad, though I also have to admit his tunes were kind of catchy. If the intent of the songs were to cheer us up then it did a pretty good job. The point is, though, I noticed the effort to keep up our spirits. I figured his songs was his struggling attempt to keep himself from the brink of despair, and quite likely he figured I needed it too. He was right, of course. I may not have been truly suicidal but I did flee from home because of unpleasant circumstances. A catchy song getting stuck in my head was actually a pleasant distraction from all of life's many varied problems.

{Largely due to my guilt, I decided to be as good of a boy for him as possible. I cooperated with him in every possible way that I could. I helped out with some chores, such as it was while traveling.

{Actually, come to think of it, there was something else we accomplished along the way multiple times, and I should factor that in to the three day travel time. We actually stopped many times to look for useful seeds to supplement his farm. I once asked him why he needed it. He seemed to bring back plenty. He told me there was all kinds of reasons. Seeds can grow food, seeds can be food unto themselves, and some had medicinal applications. He also said it never hurt to have extra because they generally store really well. He was willing to give some to my uncle, or to some of Braeburn's neighbors. Failing all that, he'd simply keep it in storage.

{Since we were at it anyway, he decided to take it upon himself to give me educational tips about the wonderful science of seeds. I could tell that he considered it a delight to teach another young foal the secrets of the seeds and I decided that if I could do anything to make him happy then I would cooperate to my fullest. Besides, his knowledge was actually useful and in a very practical way. I wish I had known this stuff several days ago while I was traveling up the river by myself. I probably passed useful food sources many times because of that ignorance. The benefits of his wisdom helped to ensure that wouldn't happen again as often.

{Heh. It figures he would have a lot to teach about anything that specifically pertains to his own cutie mark but, through his teachings, I learned just how valuable these skills really were. If you get down to it, this is the strongest essence of the earth ponies and their strongest contribution to Equestria, and he shared with me those secrets without hesitation. He didn't care that I was a unicorn. Braeburn figured that his knowledge was so important that every pony should know about it at least a little. Through these seeds, the miracle of life is born. This is one of the most crucial pillars of Equestrian life. I felt honored to benefit from his wisdom, even if it was only for a few days. It was sure enlightening.

{Even when we weren't stopping and scouring for seeds, he still liked to talk about seeds. He told me of all kinds of different types of seeds and what kind of environment those seeds best like to grow in. I actually found his lectures quite fascinating. Maybe it was because it didn't come from a book this time. I'm sure there are books on these sorts of subjects but hearing it from the horse's mouth somehow made it feel more real and relevant. By hearing it from Braeburn, I was privileged to hear it spoken with such passion and conviction. It only further served to emphasize why it was so important and why I should care about it. Also it helped pass the time. I was grateful for that.

{So, in a way, he taught me something else. Here we were, both stuck in a situation neither of us wanted to some degree, but he demonstrated how to make the best of it. Because of our chance meeting, which occurred in a crisis, he and I got to meet each other and become friends. I gained lots of new knowledge about seeds in Equestria, and he felt elated to know that one more pony out there might benefit from his knowledge and perhaps pass it on to others as well.

{And his songs were endless. He could just keep coming up with one after another, it seemed. Pretty much all of them had a country theme and colloquialism, but I did not mind much. To a point, I welcomed it because it was so new. After awhile I started learning some of the words to the song and sang along with him. He was very delighted at that and it's just . . . well, let's just say we had a good time and made the best out of a bad situation. Rather important lesson to learn, I think.

{Eventually we did reach my uncle's farm. Braeburn did not spend too much time there but did take a moment to say hi to his family. Braeburn was more familiar with them then I initially expected, and vice versa. Some pony elaborated further about this on a later date, specifying that this is actually kind of typical of country life. Most of the time they spend their time apart in isolated farms but come together in some central location between them once in awhile to mingle and trade, even if that trade was only information. When they do meet each other, they tend to be very friendly. It's pretty typical for small towns like this to know each other by name. If there isn't as many to remember, then it becomes easier to do so.

{Before we arrived at my uncle's farm, I requested Braeburn to promise me not to tell my uncle's family at my seeming attempt at suicide. He said he would agree to that promise if I promised never to do it again. At that point I was so eager to please him I gave him that promise right away. I think I even meant it at the time.

{After our arrival at my uncle's farm, I made sure to get a moment of privacy with Uncle Ramadon to share with him my suspicions about a curse in the red dust storms plaguing Braeburn's farm. I was relieved to hear that Ramadon promised to look into it and follow Braeburn back to his farm. Braeburn would be safe for sure on the return trip in that case, and Ramadon might even be able to truly and permanently dispel that curse. Add to that it would give Braeburn a willing singing partner along the way back.

{I also confessed what happened between me and my father. Ramadon sympathized with my plight but said it was not his place to stand in his brother's way regarding the way he chose to raise his son. He offered to speak to his brother on my behalf, but that was it. He said I could not stay at his farm, and that I needed to go back to Canterlot and apologize. By this point I had quite awhile to think about what happened and cooled off. Since I felt more accommodating, especially after the guilt I felt for being such a burden to Braeburn, I agreed with Ramadon's plan, albeit a little reluctantly. Since I agreed, Ramadon said for me to stay with his family until he got back after trying to take care of Braeburn's problem. I figured that would give me about another week to stay with this family and another week after that to travel back to Canterlot unless some faster transportation method could be secured. Considering my father's resources, that was honestly possible. I could even see the motive.

{After hearing of Braeburn's plight, Braeburn was actually given a large extra stock of food to share with his family upon his return. In return, Braeburn offered a bunch of seeds he collected on the way here. The two families exchanged this and gladly agreed that this was a fair trade. I recall how Braeburn nudged me once as he smiled smugly at me and bragged about how useful all that seed collecting was during the trip after all. He encouraged me to remember this lesson about preparation, and I have ever since.}

xoxo

{It was only after a couple of days at Uncle Ramadon's farm when it finally occurred to me I lost my cloak back at that first cliff I jumped off of. Braeburn never noticed it, and I was too dazed at the time to think of it. On the second day at Ramadon's farm I saw Ramadon's wife sewing together something and it snapped into my head, “Huh. Maybe she can fix my cloak using the same method,” then my eyes suddenly widened as I realized, “Oh shoot! I don't have it anymore, do I?”

{It was no big deal, ultimately. My father could easily replace it and was likely inclined to do so. This was just one of those life lessons when you realize things could slip by you when all sorts of other things are happening. Oh well.

{I consider the timing of that realization interesting because something else interesting occurred later that night. I dreamt of flying, and it felt so vivid. I remember the experience so keenly, and I remember the rush and the feel and the sound of the wind during my dream. That was the one component of the dream that lingered even as I awoke because the wind actually was howling outside the bedroom window of the attic I was staying in. More so than ever before, I felt an especially intense calling. In a daze, I got out of bed and drifted to the window. I placed one hoof on the glass as I paused to listen. I closed my eyes. I breathed deep.

{This was the wind. This was the pure wind. This was the kind that always sang to me. I wouldn't say I ever took it for granted but, ever since I felt that evil wind back at Braeburn's farm, I grew to appreciate the spirit of pure and uncorrupted wind like the one that blew outside Uncle Ramadon's farm all the more and, perhaps because of that, I felt it in my soul stronger than ever before. There was an irresistible allure to it. The sheer intensity of that bond washed away all my doubts and concerns and . . . without really thinking about it much . . . I left the farm and followed the call of the wind.}

xoxo

{This . . .

{This was the night I finally got my cutie mark, and also the first night I finally learned who I truly was.

{Once in awhile you hear legends of omens or unusual events that occur to each individual pony on the day they get their cutie mark. Most of the time the tales say the individual pony overcomes some trial or makes a striking revelation, but I heard of other more extreme cases where things happen that literally force a pony to be where they were meant to be to make an important discovery. Just one example I could think of off the top of my head was a unicorn's horn glowing with power and dragging them right out of bed to float across Equestria until they arrive at something or somepony that helps them to realize their true destiny. That was rare, but it did happen.

{I wouldn't call my case that extreme. Nothing really forced me out of bed or the farm in such a way that I couldn't resist. Instead of that, I was given irresistible bait. Call it what you will, but most would agree it was an omen, especially considering what happened afterwards.

{I ended up trotting through a forest in a daze, following the call of the wind. I didn't realize until much later it was the same forest I went into when I joined Uncle Ramadon's nature trot, but I probably didn't take the exact same path he did and, come to think of it . . . I did arrive at my destination much easier and faster. When you get down to it, my course was plotted perfectly. I never made one wrong turn, one unnecessary leap. There were some challenges here and there but I was convinced any other path would have been much harder for me. I didn't even need to ignite my horn with a light spell. I didn't have to. I just knew where I was going. I dodged every tree, rock and branch that could have tripped me entirely on instinct.

{It's hard to describe fully what that felt like. To say, “I was in a daze,” or just daydreaming was not even the half of it. Reality was skewed somehow. It didn't feel real, it felt better than real. It was like an enhanced version of reality.}

(Sigh.)

{I hope this makes some sense to you. If it doesn't now, perhaps one day it will.

{In the end, before I fully realized it, I returned to the same cliff face I met on my first camping trip with my uncle. The same one right over there.}

Father gestured back to it with a wave of his hoof.

{Except, this time, it was somehow even more intense. The winds swirled around me. I couldn't have imagined that. In a way it felt like a confirmation, a validation that all my crazy beliefs were not fruitless. I paused and just breathed for a long moment. Deep, slow breaths . . . and I noticed how the wind around me was mimicking me. It was as if the two of us breathed as one, and I remember thinking how certain I felt that I was the wind, like a direct incarnation of it. If wind itself could have a soul, and I was pretty sure that it did, then I must have been a part of that all along. I was a spirit of the wind that was born a unicorn instead of a pegasus. At first that seemed like a strange decision, like it was somehow a mistake.

{But standing there on the cliff face and breathing in the wind, I felt all my fears and concerns wash away. I felt, in that moment, an utter certainty that none of this was a mistake. There was a reason and purpose behind everything, and every pony. I felt the force that promised me that none of us could possibly be a mistake, that we are all what, where, and when we needed to be.

{There was also something else that occurred to me that night, a question I finally gained an answer to. It had to do with the special talents of various ponies. I recall once thinking about the varied talents and how many of them could be similar to each other but others are so vastly different from the rest that it makes that pony truly unique in the world and for all time. I also recall wondering if that talent was really important to the world, something that could make it such a better place, what was the point of ever enjoying that talent if you knew it was going to leave the world when they die? A vast majority of us are not immortal. Unlike Celestia, we shall die and that meant our special talent, no matter how useful it may be, would one day leave the world as well. Why, then, was it important to ever have it? It only caused a dependency upon a temporary system. If it was something so special and unique, how would the world endure it's eventual loss?

{On that night though, while I felt such intense unity with the spirit of the universe, the answer to that question finally came to me, and it was this; that special talent would appear when it was needed. When it was not needed any longer it would leave, only to be replaced by something else that was relevant to the new time. The world was always changing and the talents required for it's harmony was always changing as well. The breath of the wind taught me that night to enjoy the special ponies and the talents that come with them while they last, and as for the future . . . don't worry about it. It would resolve itself. Other special ponies would come along when it became their time, and the world goes on.

{This . . . this was just a taste of the wisdom and peace I felt on that night. This peace pounded into me, trying over and over again to prove why I didn't need to worry, even about the things that should be impossible to be safe trying to do. There was a brief moment when I wondered why this was happening tonight and not earlier. I had experienced such agony waiting for my destiny before, and the answer that came to me in the wind was, “Because, back then, you were not ready. It was not your time yet. Now it is. Jump! Be free! I will catch you. Be as a Feather in the Wind.”}

“A feather in the wind!” Quill said in an enchanted voice. “That's right.” He closed his eyes and breathed in deep.

(I am a feather in the wind. A feather in the wind. I am light, I am near weightless. Tonight I will finally fly!)

{As I chanted that, I actually felt myself getting lighter and lighter. Gravity, at long last, relaxed it's pull. It almost felt as if it gave up trying to convince me to stay on the ground. Now that I finally realized I no longer had to be tethered to it, gravity finally gave up trying. Over and over again other ponies tried to pound in the message that this just couldn't be done, that this was impossible and I was a fool for trying but, deep in my heart, I didn't listen, and finally . . . after all this time . . . I was feeling the proof. I was feeling myself becoming as light as a feather.

{So, when I finally took that leap off the cliff, it was with no hesitation, no fear, no remorse. Only a certainty that it would work this time. I felt as if I already had the proof before I leapt so there was already nothing to worry about. All I really had to do was enjoy the flight.

{And so I did. I flew! I really-really flew! I was blown about like a feather in the wind. I felt the exhilaration of being able to stretch in any direction I wanted and knew for sure I would not reach a solid object. There really was no up or down anymore. Just empty 3D space stretching in every direction. I could go anywhere! I was free!

{I was also at the mercy of the winds. By simply being a feather, I was only being blown about but, at the time, I did not care. I became like Sky Dancer in my poem. I was literally like a fictional character brought to life. No longer did I have to write down such stories and wish painfully that it was true. Now I could experience it instead, and this was only the beginning.

{There was no regret that I couldn't control my course yet because this was the ultimate expression of freedom and unity with the wind. Since I knew I was the wind then really it was only blowing in the direction I wanted it to go anyway. It was doing what I wanted automatically without any conscious effort on my part. If a deep feeling sank into my heart, “Gee, I wish I could be blown in that direction,” then poof, it happened. The wind was setting me on that course before I even thought that thought. It was bliss to just relax and go with the flow. Honestly, I didn't really have a destination in mind or in heart. All I wanted to do was flow free in the sky, and so I did.

{Until I crashed into a tree. That brought me out of my stupor somewhat. I woke up as if from a daze. I opened my eyes just in time to notice how my body was ignited in a brilliant flash of white light. It shimmered around me for several seconds but, more importantly, it was the explosion of feeling that came inside me. That was more overwhelming than anything else that happened in that moment. Compared to that, the shimmering light around me felt more like a side effect. Still, if you had actually been there during that time, I'm pretty sure you would have seen an unusual sight, a bright flash that briefly disturbed the night darkness. Light stands out in the darkness even from a great distance, after all.

{The feeling inside me settled at the same time the light did, suggesting a strong correlation. After that I had a pretty good idea what had just happened. I had never seen it before personally but I had read about phenomenon like this multiple times. Since it was dark, however, I ignited my horn with light then looked back at my flank just to double-check, and sure enough I saw my cutie mark for the first time.}

“Well, you can see it now since I'm here talking to you,” Father mentioned offhoofedly. “How would you describe it to those who hadn't seen it before?”

Star Breeze regarded it, then said, “I would say it looks like a white feather blowing in the wind. There is bits of magical sparkles within that wind. The white feather is the most dominating feature of that mark. The one closest to the foreground.”

Father considered that, then nodded in agreement. “That sounds like an accurate description. For a moment I pretended I was somepony else who had never seen it before and had to rely entirely on your description. Based off what you said and how it actually looks like, I would call that a fair assessment.”

{But I realized something else important on that night. What I realized was . . . my true name.}

“Feather Wind,” Feather Wind whispered to himself for the first time in his life.

“Yay,” Star Breeze cheered halfheartedly because that was a fact she had already known all of her life.

Feather Wind shifted her an amused smirk as he said, “I know it does not have much relevance to you. This was a spoiler you had already known a long time ago, but try to imagine somepony else in your place who had never heard this story before and heard it revealed for the first time. It would be special to them.”

“Good for them,” Star Breeze said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes, “but I'm not them, so forgive me if I don't act too excited about this.” Star Breeze's expression softened as she said next, “but it is nice to finally hear how and why you got your cutie mark, as well as realize how you finally realized your true name. I've known plenty of ponies who kept their birth name from birth to death, never seeing a need to change it. Perhaps, for them, it was already a perfect fit but, in your case, I guess your parents didn't realize your potential as fully as perhaps some others do for their foals. When you were born a unicorn, why would they give you a name in the expectation that you would fly someday?”

“Hmm.” Feather Wind regarded his daughter thoughtfully, then asked, “Since you put it that way, may I ask how well do you think you personify your name?”

“Um, not sure.” Star Breeze sat up and stretched, placing both of her forelegs behind her head and shifting it from side to side. “I'm still young and have yet to discover my true destiny. I might be getting closer to it. I can almost feel it as I listen to your story. Personally I love the stars, and I love the breeze. The two go hoof and hoof together. Plus there is the way I look. I can easily imagine why you gave me the name 'Star', and as for 'Breeze' . . . pshhhh.” She gave a dismissive wave. “Every pegasus has got to have some sky-themed name in their name. Every pony knows that.” She then gave another roll of her eyes.

Feather Wind's gaze shifted to his left as he said, “It's actually uncanny how often a foal's birth given name seems to shape his or her destiny. I think the only reason we don't have some pony ruling over all of us in Equestria with an iron hoof right now is because no pony ever named their foal 'World Ruler' but, if any pony did, the pattern shows they often manifest that destiny suspiciously closely, no matter how extreme it may initially seem.”

“Ooo! Just for that, that's exactly what I'm going to do!” Star Breeze promised with an evil smirk. “I'm going to name my foal, 'World Ruler' and see what happens!”

“I suggest you take this seriously,” Feather Wind warned his daughter. “Imagine if that actually happened. Would you still be laughing at it then? There are those in the past who actually tried to do exactly this. You wouldn't like the tactics that they tried to use.”

“Point taken,” Star Breeze acknowledged as she calmed down. “So, then, get on with the story. What happened next?”

“What happened next?” Feather Wind echoed, then he said, “Well . . . I went home.”

Chapter Seven: Compromise

{But I didn't return home in the way you would expect at this point of the story, or . . . indeed . . . the way I would have expected back then. What happened next you could almost claim I was acting on a whim but, in a different context, you could also claim it to be destiny. You see, I flew my way back home but, at the time, I hadn't mastered my new gift yet. Let that be your lesson as well. You will never be weaker in your cutie mark talent than you are at the beginning. After that you improve over time as you gradually figure things out. We all have to start from somewhere.

{Recall, at this point, all I could do was lighten my body weight until I was light as a feather. I could then be blown into the wind but then I'd be at it's absolute mercy. I couldn't control the direction I flew at all, and I certainly had no ability to stop and hover in mid air because, if the wind stopped blowing, I would fall. True, I would fall slowly, but if gravity became the only factor then that would be the one to rule which direction I would go.

{For certain you can claim, and rightly so, my fear of heights completely an permanently vanished after that day. That's not to say I never crashed again. I would make other mistakes later in life but, since I always had the ability to lighten my body weight to that of a feather, I would always fall slowly enough to be safe regardless of the height I started at.

{The other interesting thing about this talent is the fact it did not directly draw upon my magic, or at least not in the way like my horn. I didn't glow when I used this power. It simply happened. I could also maintain it nearly indefinitely if I wanted to. It did not exhaust me in the slightest to try. I did have to be conscious, however. If some pony ever knocked me out or I fell asleep in the sky then I would crash down with my normal body weight.

{Like my uncle said, every obstacle is just a door. I found the key and doorknob to this one and I never shut that door ever since.

{Drawing upon this power was quite different from any other spell I had ever cast before. It seemed to rely upon concentration of an inner feeling. I had to concentrate on that feeling of being weightless and free. As long as I maintained that feeling, at least in the back of my mind, then I became as light as a feather. At the time that was how the science worked as I figured it.

{While I had no direct control over the wind yet, I did have an instinct where it would blow and I also had a feeling that it cooperated with my intentions somehow. It was sort of like a partner at this point of my story instead of something directly under my control. I could call out to the winds and say, “Okay, um . . . I'd like you to take me home.” Then the winds reply, “Okay. Hop on and I'll take you there.” That's the kind of relationship I had with it at the time.

{It's funny how I simply knew that automatically. I took off into the winds and totally trusted it to take me where I needed to go. I was kind of thinking of home because of the promise I made to my uncle. If I broke that promise then where would I go instead? Uncle Ramadon already said he intended to take me home so staying with him was already established as not an option. Besides, I no longer cared about my father's opinion to a point. I achieved my dream so I was riding Cloud Nine. I was too happy to care about his criticism anymore. Whatever else may come, I knew that I was the first flying unicorn. That was an achievement that settled almost any other dispute in my heart. If I didn't like something I knew, from then on, I could just take off into the sky and fly away from the problem. That was so liberating to simply know that. Because of that, I felt like I could hoofle any burden from then on.

{Of course I knew, to some extent, I had room to improve on this talent but that was simply something to look forward to. Some reason to get up out of bed excitedly and happily greet the day, and say, “Good morning to you, sunshine! I can't wait to see what I will learn today!”

{It wasn't exactly the most steady trip I ever had. In fact, compared to most of the rest of my days, this earlier attempt was downright lousy. I mean, you have seen what I can do today, right? Amazing, isn't it? Well, have you actually seen a real feather blown in the wind? The path line is wild and chaotic. It zigs and zags all over the place. In this case, I was blown generally in a single course but, along the way, I was spinning, flipping, twirling, and all of it entirely out of my control.

{Of course, at the time, I barely cared. I seemed to be immune to air sickness as well, which was definitely a good thing at that moment. Still, it would have been nice to have a more refined and elegant flight. It made it harder to enjoy the scenery, for example, when it kept spinning all around me. To a point I found that fun and, as I said earlier, I was so elated that you probably could have put my hooves on fire and I'd just relax with a pleasant sigh. I mean, nothing could bother me at that moment. Nothing.

{Until I ended up stuck in the sky. That part . . . I must admit . . . did kind of bother me. You see, at that point, the winds died down and was no longer blowing towards Canterlot. I made it a lot closer but I still had no idea where I was. The terrain was spinning around me so often that I lost track of my course. Even when I stopped being blown towards Canterlot, I continued spinning helplessly. Sometimes I floated downward only to catch a brief updraft that sailed me back up. I was too far above the ground to make it safe to release my special talent. If I did, I would suddenly fall, and I didn't trust my timing yet to resume the power before hitting the ground. At that point I was thousands of feet in the air. A fall from this height, at full speed, was definitely fatal.

{In a way I felt a bit betrayed too. I put my trust in the wind and leapt into it. It carried me this far but then it stopped. Part of my mind was screaming, “What the hay am I supposed to do now?” Part of me was laughing too hard at the ridiculousness of my present situation but it was also serious enough that it required some thought. So, while I did not panic, I did acknowledge that I had a problem.

{Which ended up solving itself in an unexpected way.}

“Holy smokes!” exclaimed a pegasus that flew up to Feather Wind. “Now this is an unexpected sight. Little pony, what in the blazes are you doing up here all by yourself, and how in the world are you doing that?”

“Whoever you are, I'm glad to see you . . . sort of,” Feather Wind said in lame gratitude. There was a reason this encounter was unexpected. He kept flipping and shifting all over the place that his vision was blurry and dizzy a long time ago. That was why he never saw this pegasus coming. “If you don't mind, I'm sort of in a pickle here. Would you mind using your wings to blow me in the direction of Canterlot? I would be ever so appreciative.”

“Ah . . . sure, I guess,” the bewildered flying stallion said then made an attempt. Flapping his wings directly at Feather Wind, Feather Wind proceeded to be blown in the opposite direction, much to this pegasus's surprise. “Holy smokes! That actually worked! Little pony, you have got to be the lightest weight pony I have ever encountered, and here I thought pegasi had the lightest bone structure of the three breeds, but this takes the cake by far!”

“It's kind of a long story, and I'd happily explain it to you when I am returned home to Canterlot,” Feather Wind bargained. “I hope that's not inconvenient for you.”

“If it was, I'm sure it would be considerably more inconvenient for you if I just left you up here, and darn my soul if I actually did that. I'd never be able to sleep again if that happened! Sheesh! As it so happens, I actually am heading to Canterlot and we're not even that far, if I were to be honest . . . which I usually am. I'm Dunken Doo, by the way. Pleased to meet ya! I'd normally shake your hoof at this point but something tells me that's going to be a little challenging right now. I was on my way to Canterlot to deliver a hoofful of letters when I glanced up and noticed something that . . . well, to be honest, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. The closer I flew to you, the more my eyes confirmed a highly unusual sight. You're actually flying without any wings! Little pony, you just made my day for sure!”

“I'm glad I could please you,” Feather Wind said simply. “Would you mind returning the favor?”

“You got it, little buddy!” Dunken cheered cooperatively. “Anything for a fellow pony in need! Seems that, today, I'm delivering an extra special package. By Celestia, this is going to make one heck of a tale back home for the missus.”

xoxo

Feather Wind needed a few minutes to recover himself after he landed. Dunken Doo never left his side during that time. It was thanks to that mail delivery pony that Feather Wind learned some pony spotted the two of them as they landed in front of the manor. Whomever it was, it was somepony within the manor. Feather Wind assumed it was one of the many servants in the manor. Because of that discovery, Feather Wind figured it wouldn't take long for somepony to arrive and open the front door. Feather Wind could open it himself with a spell if he could concentrate better but, for the time being, that was not possible because he was so dizzy.

As Feather Wind recovered, he was able to observe his rescuer more clearly. Dunken Doo was a bright yellow pony with bright orange mane tied up in a bun. He had a few freckles above each of his cheeks that seemed oddly symmetrical. Dunken had no beard, but he did have a very distinctive square bottom jaw. He also had dark green eyes. He wore a brown outfit over the front and back which showed his legs, head and tail but concealed everything else, including his cutie mark. In it's place was a symbol of a box with wings attached to it and wind lines blowing in one direction as if to indicate the box was flying in the other direction.

{From the point he discovered and rescued me, it's true we arrived in Canterlot not much later. It was still long enough for Dunken to talk about himself a little bit. For instance, one of the things he had shared with me was the fact he really loved his job. In particular, he loved to travel and get paid for it as a bonus. He liked to meet new ponies, especially if those ponies later became his friends. He claimed he literally had a list of friends somewhere, and it wasn't short either. I could believe it considering how friendly he was to me. Likely he was like that with any pony. This really was a lucky encounter. It made me wonder if the wind did this on purpose.

{But then the front door of the manor opened and my father stepped out. Considering the circumstance of our last encounter together, I suddenly decided to pay careful attention to this meeting, and I also hoped that my new friend here would not get caught in the middle of something nasty. I really liked Dunken, you see, so I hoped to maintain a good impression with him. After I encountered my father again, however, I had my concerns.

{My father stared hard at me for several very long and very uncomfortable seconds. I think Dunken must have sensed the tension too so he did what he could to break the ice.}

“Well hi there! My name is Dunken Doo, and I have a special delivery for one Mr Author Scroll. I believe you'll find the package in very good shape, all things considered, and I did my best to keep him that way. Pleased to meet ya!”

Dunken presented a hoof to Author and held it there for several seconds. That did shift the magister's attention from his son to the newcomer. When that happened, his gaze softened quite a bit, but he was not exactly the hoof shaking kind of guy either. He looked at Dunken's hoof then looked back up at the mail carrier without grasping the extended hoof.

“Indeed. I appreciate this delivery most abundantly, and I humbly request you present to me your price,” Author requested.

“Price?” Dunken queried as he slowly lowered his extended hoof.

“Indeed. Your price. You delivered my son back to me, and you are a mail delivery pony. I assume it is customary to pay for such services, and I always settle my debts. How much?”

“Oh pshaw!” Dunken waved Author off. “You don't have to pay me. I wasn't scheduled to deliver him, you see. If you did not already pay for this service before then there is no reason to start now.”

“Actually, I have,” Author returned evenly. “I have set a bounty out for my son for ten thousand bits. Since you are the first to safely deliver him back to me, the bits are yours, if you wish.”

Dunken's gaze exploded widely. “TEN THOUSAND!!! Golly! I could buy a whole business with that kind of money!”

“Then it is yours,” Author declared as he was about to turn around.

“Hold it, hold it, hold it. No.” Dunken relaxed quite a bit as he said that. “It is tempting, but no. This delivery wasn't scheduled so you are not obligated to pay for it. Have this one on me, sir, free of charge!”

{I regarded Dunken in pretty strong surprise. I knew he was friendly but didn't figure he would ignore a ten thousand bit reward just on principle.}

“Are you serious?” Author asked Dunken in surprise as well. “It's really no bother. I have plenty of other bits where that came from.”

“Yes, I'm sure you do, but I swear to you I don't need it,” Dunken assured. “I just did what any friendly pony would have done. Having your gratitude, sir, is thanks enough for me.”

“Gratitude?” Author echoed as he fully faced Dunken again. “My good sir, you have returned my son to me unharmed. You have the gratitude of a previously greatly distraught father. I'm not sure if gratitude even begins to come close to describing it. If you will not accept the money then I shall repay your kindness in another way. You have eight moons to return to me and decide what other favor you wish to claim in exchange for this heroic service. If you do not decide by the end of that time then I shall decide your reward for you and I shall insist upon it. As I previously stated, I always repay my debts.”

“Wow!” Dunken regarded Author with wide, stunned eyes as he appeared to be in a strange mixed state between flattered and intimidated. Feather Wind certainly knew that feeling well. His father's steely spirit could often press on others pretty uncomfortably hard, even if that action was in an attempt to do something normally considered fortunate. “Just . . . wow. Um, okay. Let's think about this.” Dunken looked around with searching eyes. “What do I want? What do I really want in exchange for . . . Ooo! I Know!” Dunken viewed Author again brightly. “How about your friendship? I'd gladly accept that in exchange for . . . well, to repay this debt thing and get that nasty thing out of the way. Wadda ya say?”

“Friendship?!” Author looked taken aback by this pony yet again. “Really? That is what you want?”

“Yessiry bob! That's actually the principle reason I became a mail carrier!” Dunken pointed at his chest proudly. “I love to travel, and I love to meet new and interesting ponies! If any of them decided to also become my friend well then . . . they really made my day! I actually keep a long list of them, sir, and I'd be glad to add you and your son among them. Wadda ya say?”

Feather Wind regarded his father, curious how he would respond to that one. What he saw was his father close his eyes and gave an annoyed sigh. It didn't take Feather Wind long to figure out why. Dunken was a commoner and a non-unicorn. He didn't exactly fit either one of his father's high standards when it came to personal relationships. He actually looked like he was tempted to reject Dunken's offer based on his own personal principle. Seeing that, Feather Wind grew kind of depressed.

{But then I saw a shift in my father's attitude and I later figured out why. Dunken might not be a unicorn or an aristocrat, but he was one very important thing to my father . . . Dunken was the pony who returned his son to him unharmed. For that reason alone, my father would be very positively inclined towards this particular pony. I think he was also amazed at this situation, almost to the point of being flabbergasted. Trust me, that's a rare thing to see in my father considering his normally very firmly composed nature. I think I even saw him chuckle a bit to himself, likely at how bemusing the situation was in unexpected ways. Whatever the case, he actually seemed to be warming up to Dunken's idea, and then he said . . .}

“Roagan,” he said over his left shoulder. In response one of his butlers stepped forward in acknowledgment of the call.

“Yes, Master?” the butler responded in a snooty voice (which Feather Wind personally knew was just a professional mask).

“Take a note, and inform the others in this manor that this pony,” Author regarded Dunken again, “one Dunken Doo, shall henceforth always be welcome in this estate whenever he so chooses. He shall be treated as a guest in the highest regard whenever he visits, and shall be afforded all the rights and privileges that come with that status. Have I made myself clear?”

“Indeed, Master,” Roagan confirmed as he nodded and stepped back into the shadows of the manor.

“Satisfied?” Author asked Dunken, then added, “And I shall converse with you personally, should you choose to do so, as long as I'm not too beset with some other task. I warn you now that is pretty common but, if it's not too inconvenient, my door shall always be open to you.” Author stepped forward then offered his own hoof. “You have saved my son and brought him home safe to me. I promise you this, Sir, I shall not forget your kindness on this day. You have a father's eternal gratitude. I need you to understand this.”

“Aw, shucks! It was nothing!” Dunken said cheerfully as he grabbed and shook Author's hoof enthusiastically. “Just doing what comes naturally for me, but I'm glad you are pleased at my services and I'm privileged to add you to my growing list of friends. You have really made my day, Sir, and I thought that was difficult to top before. I mean, first I encounter a flying unicorn and now this! Golly! I sure am lucky today!”

“Ah . . . what?” Author asked, stunned. He also withdrew his hoof. “Go back on that one. Flying unicorn? Did you say flying?”

“Yessiry bob!” Dunken confirmed. “Your son was flying today! Well, sort of. More like drifting aimlessly. He was as light as a feather, that one! Best be careful not to sneeze in his presence or you'll launch him away into outer space, literally!”

“No,” Feather Wind corrected. “I can control that power and turn it off and on.” He hopped up and down to demonstrate how heavy he was at that point. “See? When you caught me in the sky it was dangerous for me to turn it off then but, now that I'm on the ground, it's safer to turn it off.”

“Golly! That's one fancy trick you got there, little buddy, and you did not even glow before or anything. Got to teach me that one someday.”

“Oh, ah . . . I'll see what I can do,” Feather Wind promised lamely because he wasn't certain if this was a talent he could teach.

Author studied his son for a long uncomfortable moment with a calculating look, then returned a softened gaze back to Dunken. “Will you be requiring our hospitality at this time? As I said, you are welcome in the manor whenever you so choose.”

“Ah,” Dunken backed off a step. “Tempting, but no. This was an unexpected stop but I have others that I actually am scheduled for. I just got here in Canterlot and I have a bunch of letters to deliver. I can't wait to see the smiling faces of the recipients! It really brightens up my day. I'll admit this encounter won't easily be topped but you never know what will happen around the next corner. I know that now better than I ever have before!” Dunken tipped his gray cap hat. “Nice to meet you, Sir, and your family. I'm really glad I could make your day as well. We part now as friends. If you ever stop by my house sometime then know that I gladly extend my hoof in hospitality to you, your family and friends as well. Any friend of mine is always welcome to stay with the Doo's. Until then, peace out and take care!”

With that, he flew off. Both Author and his son followed that pony with their gaze. When Dunken was almost out of sight, Author said to his son, “Go to your room. We need to talk,” Author commanded his son sternly without looking at him.

Feather Wind sighed and said, “Yes, Sir.” He proceeded to do so.

xoxo

Author Scroll studied his son's new cutie mark for a long while. He studied it very carefully, taking in all the subtle nuances that image might represent. After examining it for several long and silent moments, he trotted away a few paces and further contemplated it to more fully absorb the information. During that time, he closed his eyes and remained silent.

Feather Wind respected that silence for the time being. He didn't want to rush this before his father was ready.

“Quill,” Author began but Feather Wind did interrupt that one with a correction.

“It's Feather Wind now, Father,” Feather Wind corrected.

“It is Quill!” Author insisted with a bit of a roar as he whipped about to look back at his son. “That is the name your mother and I gave you when you were born. I'll thank you for keeping it with respect.”

“But that is not who I am anymore,” Feather Wind insisted. “Ever since I got this mark, I know who I am. Please understand this.”

“But you are Quill. Your cutie mark does not change this,” Author returned. “That feather blowing in the wind of your cutie mark . . . could it not be construed as a quill? Can it not be used as such?”

Feather Wind's eyes widened slightly. He had not thought of that. He looked back at his own flank as if to confirm that. A white feather blowing in the wind . . . Yeah. That could be interpreted as a quill being blown in the wind.

Which made him think on the matter further. Feather Wind started to realize his father may have already seen deeper implications of the image that even the wearer of the cutie mark had not foreseen yet. He was a feather in the wind in his mind and heart, but a feather could still be a quill. Perhaps his original name landed closer to home than he thought, so he decided to compromise.

“Alright, Father. I'll give you that one. I would still prefer you call me by my new name but, if you still choose to call me by my original name, then I promise to acknowledge you without being offended.”

“Good. Now that we got that settled, let's discuss together the implications of your cutie mark. I have other agendas for you as well, but they actually seem secondary next to this issue so let's explore this. So . . . it is my understanding, based on what you told me, that you can hear the voice and will of the wind as well as lighten your body weight to the point of being as light as a feather. Am I correct in my assessment so far?”

“I have a feeling that I have only scratched the surface of this potential, but so far yes. That is my understanding as well,” Feather Wind replied.

“And you feel a calling to the sky? A calling to fly?” Author probed further.

“Yes, Father. I have felt that way all my life,” Feather Wind replied sincerely.

“But that can wait,” Author declared.

“Huh? But, Father . . . this is my destiny! This is who I am! Not even you should fail to acknowledge that at this point.”

“I am noticing! I am also noticing the other half of your potential. The trouble here is you aren't. This isn't going to work with only one of us taking your future seriously here. We have got to get on the same page about this point.”

Feather Wind looked down as he growled, “Mother would understand.”

“What?! HOW DARE YOU USE HER MEMORY AGAINST ME!”

“But I'm right, aren't I?” Feather Wind asked back with his voice breaking a bit due to the intensity of his emotion. “You and I both know what she would have said. The question is, do you love her enough to respect her wishes?”

This question made Author pause. He closed his eyes and sighed, then opened his eyes again as he turned his head to gaze upon a painting of her which hung up in this room. That painting flared with a red fiery aura then levitated off the hook in the wall carefully.

The image of Silver Shine in the painting was that of a mostly gray filly with small hints of blue. By far the most distinctive physical trait of her was her reflective shiny mane. It was as if she had a mirror for mane cut into tiny hair strands. One could almost wonder why the image of her painter was not reflected in her mane. Her gray-rimmed eyes were very wide with delight. She stood with her fore legs outstretched towards the painter or gazer of the painting as if inviting whomever happened to be looking at the image into a warm hug.

“Silver Shine,” he said under his breath as he gazed upon the image while stroking the edge of the painting very fondly with a hoof. After that he closed his eyes and the painting hovered even closer to him, close enough for the image to touch the area between his eyes and his red glowing horn. “She was the angel of joy incarnate. When her sunshine set upon this world . . . it left it a darker and colder place for those accustomed to her warmth. Her gift to the world was the joy she felt and others felt in her mere presence. Now . . . her lingering gift to me . . . is you. I know she would have wanted me to acknowledge that, and be happy.”

Observing his father carefully, Feather Wind noticed his father crying a bit. He knew his father's emotions was a very tough nut to crack, but this loss was of a deeply personal nature. It would absolutely require a true heart of stone to dismiss her loss so casually. He may not often show it, but Author Scroll did care very deeply for his family. Feather Wind noticed another sign of that earlier with his intense gratitude towards Dunken.

“Silver Shine and I did not always see eye to eye,” Author went on after a long moment of silence. As he said that, he had the painting fly back to it's hook in the wall but he continued staring at it. “We had arguments, just like any married couple, but we decided to resolve them through a compromise every time. That is what we promised each other.” Author looked at his son. “I do love her, and I do respect her wishes. She doesn't even have to be among us for me to know what she would have wanted. Even if I don't always agree with her opinions, I still know her well enough to predict it.

“You are my son too. I have just as much right to speak for your future as she does, but you're also right. I have to respect her wishes too, so let us present to you a compromise.” Author proceeded to trot around his son in a continuous circle. “I acknowledge that you have found your cutie mark and your destiny. Something that significant cannot be ignored, much as I would like to. Not even I should have the power to stand in the way of your destiny, or at least not completely, but you are only seeing half of your true potential. Let me ask you this.” Author paused his trot around his son as he asked, “What do you think of magic? I mean, what do you really think of magic? How do you feel about it?”

Since Feather Wind could tell that his father was making a serious effort to consider his feelings, Feather Wind decided to return the favor. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts on that, then said, “What I've learned about magic recently is that it's intrinsic in all things, and that includes my passion. If I love the sky and I love flying then inevitably I must conclude that I love magic as well. In my case, that's the primary means for me to get there.”

“Exactly.” Author resumed trotting around his son. “Magic is your means to get there. Magic is your wings. You are not a pegasus, my son, you are a unicorn. A unicorn is deeply connected to magic, and magic is capable of almost any feat we set our minds to. So now we have established that you used it to fly. I must admit . . . that is very remarkable, but you must also realize it can accomplish far more than just that. You can create a bridge where none exists. You can reverse time itself over a broken object in order to repair it. You can light your horn in the darkness so you can see. You can use it to heal wounds and save some pony's life. There are no limits, son. Not really. The limits of magic is as boundless as our imagination, and very likely beyond that. I'm sure my brother told you the same.”

“He did,” Feather Wind concurred.

“Hmm.” Author frowned in annoyance. “I'm glad he and I agree on that much at least. Anyway, you want time to practice flying and I want you to continue your educational studies. The studies I give you not only help you to practice magic better, it helps you understand and respect the power. To know better how the world works and it's various histories is to know how best to use that magic more efficiently. Through our knowledge and better understanding of the world, we can realize where our skills are needed the most and thereafter apply ourselves to that task more effectively. There is a reason for this. There is a reason why all of this requires this much discipline and training. What we are capable of can cause great wonders or horrors, and it's important that we understand and respect that power well enough to know not to abuse it. This is why we have secured the trust of the other two breeds as much as we have. When they see us studying very hard for our work, they know we're taking our art very seriously. Suddenly they don't feel so bad about the work they spend doing their own thing. Equestria depends on a delicate balance between all of it's ponies, and we must all play our part. If all you do is spend your talents acting like a pegasus then all you have accomplished is what any common pegasus could already do, though it is likely you'd have to spend far more effort to achieve the same thing, but imagine this . . . a great flier . . . and a great wizard! What wonders could you achieve if you master both? Now that would be a sight to behold.

“So here is my proposal.” Author went to his son's desk and sifted through a pile of scrolls. He located one he was looking for and picked it up by hoof. He then looked at his son and said, “I will permit you to practice flying to your heart's content on weekends but only under the strict guidelines I specify. Number one; you shall not fly higher than thirty feet at first until you demonstrate enough skill to safely soar higher. Number two; you shall only practice flying under the close supervision of another adult pegasus, one who is capable of spotting you and correcting your mistakes and, if necessary, save you from imminent disaster. Number three; you will only practice flying under safe environmental conditions. Snow, hay, water, a net . . . anything that can catch you and prevent a nasty fall. Are these conditions understood?”

“Yes, Father,” Feather Wind acknowledged.

“In exchange,” Author went on, “you will commit to your studies with zeal and gusto. Think of them as part of your flying training. Since my permission to let you fly hinges on your ability to commit to your studies well, then apply that same passion you feel for the sky to your studies. If you do then you may find a surprising amount of talent pick up in your primary interest as well. Since magic is the method you are using to get up there anyway, you will find that, by continuing your magic training, you are also furthering your flying training. Is this understood?”

“Um . . . yes except for one thing. Why is the majority of my week devoted to my studies?” Feather Wind asked.

“For balance,” Author answered. He pointed at his son using the scroll in his hoof. “A cutie mark talent virtually guarantee's rapid progress in whatever gift it's meant to represent. In this case, it's flight. You will find you won't need nearly as much time to master that than you would your magical studies, but one art affects the other. Just because you get a cutie mark in something doesn't mean it has to be your only special talent. With enough practice, you can master any art. I'm proposing this system so you have a chance to exercise both talents to an equal degree. That way, in the end, you will have two great talents instead of just one. Besides, your cutie mark does not really point against this talent. Notice the sparkles within the wind strings of your mark.”

Feather Wind looked back at his cutie mark to confirm this, then thought on that further. He looked back at his father with a nod of understanding and slightly larger eyes alight with realization.

“Magic is the means by which you are flying,” Author went on. “Yet magic can accomplish other things as well. It is the noble heritage of our race, and we of the Scroll family have a duty to Equestria to see that potential flower to it's fullest in order to do the things other ponies can't do.”

Author's expression softened. “There is another stipulation I'd like to add to your study time, though this last condition is somewhat optional. For two hours each day I will permit you time to practice free writing. During this time you may write about whatever you wish, free of further judgment.

“I . . . apologize . . . for my rude behavior in regards to your last work. I realized after you left I should have encouraged this behavior. You were expressing yourself freely and that exercised your potential. You were learning how to become a better writer and I need to support this. After you left, I repaired your original scroll with my magic and read it a dozen times.” The scroll he held then floated out to his son while surrounded by a red aura. “After much deliberation and reflection, I have concluded that it does show some merit.”

Feather Wind beheld the scroll in shock, then used his own horn to unfurl the scroll in mid air. Sure enough, it was the same poem.

“What?!” Star Breeze exclaimed in confusion. “Wait-wait-wait-wait a second! I thought you told me the scroll was destroyed! Last night you said that you made a copy for mom and you said that you were grateful that you did because the original got destroyed. When grandfather destroyed it, I assumed that was what you were talking about.”

Feather Wind flashed his daughter a coy grin. “Yeah, but I didn't say it remained destroyed. Besides, I hadn't made the copy for your mom yet at that point of the story.”

Star Breeze's mouth hung open in shock for a moment then she narrowed her eyes at her father with a playful smile and tossed another cloud ball at her father which splashed with the same results. “You troll!” she complained playfully, then asked, “In that case, if the original is still intact, then where is it now?”

“I don't have it.” Feather Wind looked beyond the cloud. “If you wish to see that, you'll have to search your grandfather's office. There you will find it hung there and framed, proudly displayed for all to see.”

“Aw! That's sweet of him,” Star Breeze said in a gushy way.

Feather Wind's right eye shifted to his daughter as he said, “Just wait. It gets better.”

“You restored it!” Feather Wind said in immense relief and gratitude back in the past.

“Yes,” Author confirmed. “Not only did I restore it but, after that, I enchanted it . . . twice. That scroll is now fireproof. As well, it will endure the test of time. That's the second enchantment. It shall not degrade, wither or fade. Basically you can say it has become time proof.”

Feather Wind regarded his father with a bit of happy tears in his eyes.

“We are the Scroll family,” Author announced, “and what you have here is a sacred art. Knowledge like this should be preserved throughout all time. That is it's power. Written words can affect total strangers all across Equestria, for all time. Knowledge in a scroll can outlast the original author. It immortalizes a single idea, and I want this idea preserved. This is the work of my son, and it must be remembered. It shall be remembered. My son . . . the first flying unicorn . . . who had the power to turn his dreams into reality and wake us all up from our delusions of limitations. Now that you have gotten this far, show us all how much further you can go. I'll be here for as long as I can . . . to cheer you on.”

After hearing that, Feather Wind had enough. He raced to his father and embraced him in a hug. “Thank you, Father, for believing in me,” Feather Wind said to his father warmly.

“You are my son,” Author returned evenly. “I always believed in you.”

Chapter Nine: The Next Milestone

Chapter Nine: The Next Milestone

Feather Wind and Star Breeze both decided to take a break from his story telling for a good several hours. They flew around in the sky and talked about all sorts of other things, mostly personal life business and, for once, it was Star Breeze doing most of the story telling. She talked about things she eventually wanted to do in life and some boys she had a crush on. One problem she had in her life when it came to socialization was her parents frequent roaming about. They literally lived on an airship that flew back and forth all across Equestria, delivering cargo and passengers. Sometimes her father would be hired to take care of weather problems. A common example was winter wrap up in several towns and cities. When Feather Wind was hired for such tasks, he often took care of it in a matter of a few short hours. Sometimes it was too fast considering certain things like animal life waking up in the area so the effort needed to be adjusted in some cases.

Of course there was Stern Wing doing her own thing too. Her multiple jobs didn't always keep her with her family. Sometimes she was contractually obligated to fly off on her own to take care of business. Sometimes she would be gone for weeks at a time, and sometimes it was Feather Wind gone for almost as long. At times when neither parent could take care of her, Star Breeze was left in the hooves of many potential friends or family members.

While this frequent travel strained Star Breeze's relationships with any pony other than her parents, she admitted that she enjoyed the travel. In just a few short years of her life, she saw many kinds of terrain, cultures, towns, cities, and creatures. She felt privileged. She befriended a few that were temporary passengers on their airship. Sometimes she still wrote them letters and, over the years, she gained a growing complex network of various friends with whom she wrote letters back and forth. Star Breeze grew rather adept at long distance relationships due to many years of practice. It required a lot of patience to wait for those letters to be delivered back and forth, but it gave her a reason to wake up excitedly every morning.

As the process continued, some of them each started writing to each other. Star Breeze felt like she was the bridge that filled the gap between many ponies from distant areas across Equestria. Her friendship gave them incentive to think beyond their local homes.

Due to frequent contact, some of the mail carriers themselves became Star Breeze's friends, not the least of which included Dunken Doo. For various reasons, Star Breeze enjoyed frequent mailing discounts but, even with that, the mail delivery service made a lot of money off of her.

As for how Star Breeze gained her money, she earned it by an allowance from her parents, tips from passengers in exchange for odd jobs and sometimes she delivered letters herself since her home was traveling back and forth across Equestria anyway. When she was in the neighborhood, she was allowed to deliver some of the letters herself, including her own letters sometimes. It was just another excuse for her to see her friends.

She heard many stories from some of those passengers or other places that she visited. Star Breeze wasn't just friends with ponies from her own age group. Being as young as she was, her friends were more often older ponies, sometimes even very older ponies. In general, it was the elder ponies that had the most stories to tell, and Star Breeze was usually endlessly fascinated by them.

“I understand my life has some drawbacks compared to others,” Star Breeze said after a sip of water from the pond near the waterfall, “but what I've gained in return cannot be measured. I want you to know that just in case you have any doubt of it. I love my life, Father, and I have both you and my mother to thank for it. Regardless of any hardship you tell me about for now and the rest of your story, know that I personally consider all of it worth it. I am indeed benefiting from the hardships you endured before, and it is wonderful.”

Feather Wind sat down next to the pond as he said, “I am very pleased to hear that. I love you, Star Breeze, and I love to see you happy. I also know your life isn't perfect, but I've traveled about long enough to know that no pony else has a perfect life either. Even Celestia. Actually, she's got a whole host of problems to deal with. Enough, in fact, she can barely see straight at the end of the day due to her fatigue. She tries to hide it under a brave smile, but I know by now the burdens of immortality or having so many ponies look up to you for guidance.”

“Have you met the princess?” Star Breeze questioned.

Feather Wind looked at her strangely. “Of course I have, on many occasions. Actually, I've met her right in front of you a couple of times. Hmm.” He looked corner-wise up. “But I suppose you were pretty young back then. I guess it doesn't surprise me that you would not remember, now that I think on it.”

Star Breeze thought on it, then recalled with a bit of a distant look, “She's the one with the rainbow flowing mane, correct?”

“I thought every pony knew that,” Feather Wind figured. “That said, not every pony has seen it in person like you have.”

Star Breeze closed her eyes slowly as she thought back. “I barely recall a moment when I saw her standing on a balcony shortly after she raised the sun. I was hiding somewhere, observing her. I think I just wanted to watch her raise the sun just once. I believe she had a golden aura around her very tall horn. It was . . . beautiful but, after that, I continued to sit there and observe her when she floated a brush to her mane and stroked through it several times as she hummed to herself. Her voice was lovely, and I recall being enchanted. I must say, the brush didn't seem to have any effect. Her mane didn't look any straighter with each brush stroke. It just continued to flow. I think it was more a ritual of hers.”

“That's all that's needed, I suppose,” Feather Wind figured. “Sometimes the rituals we do help us to prepare for our day. I'm sure it's relaxing for her. It's kind of like meditation is for me.”

“At one time I think she spotted me. As a matter of fact, I'm almost certain. She froze in mid stroke of her mane and her humming stopped. One of her eyes, the left side I think, looked right at me. The other side was covered by her flowing mane. At first she looked startled so I felt startled too. I wanted to fly away but, for some reason, I just froze. After a few seconds her wide-eyed, startled expression relaxed and she even seemed amused to notice me. She continued to stare at me for several more seconds as she resumed brushing her mane and hum softly out into the wind. Part of me felt embarrassed to be caught like that but another part of me melted with pleasure. That song was so soothing.”

Feather Wind smiled warmly. “That's nice to hear. You shared a nice, special moment with the princess. As much pleasure as you felt, I think she felt the same on some level. You probably cheered her up too, even if it was a bit intrusive on her privacy but I think she knew you meant no harm, that you were only curious.”

“Well, anyway . . .” Star Breeze gave a side glance to her father, “. . . get on with your story. I don't want to be your age by the time you finish. Part of me thinks this story is just starting to get good.”

“Starting to?” Feather Wind reflected questioningly.

“Well I already knew from the beginning you were going to fly someday. You've been doing it all my life. That's no shock to me. I also knew about your cloak. That's no surprise to me either. You're wearing it right now. Beyond this point, however, I sense I have considerably fewer spoilers so, for me, that's what makes this phase more exciting. At this point all I can tell you is that I eventually get born, you marry my mother at some point, you join and then leave the Wonderbolts for some reason, you acquire that gem you wear around your neck practically all the time,” Star Breeze rolled her eyes with that announcement, “and we get our own airship and the rest we all know, so how about you get on with the parts I don't know.”

“Very well then,” Feather Wind indulged.

xoxo

{I think I can safely say that the next major milestone of my life happened about four years after I got my cutie mark. I'll go over the gist of the most important things that happened during that time.

{Flight training continued, of course, for about three and a half years but, after that, Sky Dancer grew too busy with the Wonderbolts to devote more time to me and your mom. The principle reason for that was he finally became a full-fledged Wonderbolt. I had seen a bunch of their shows in the interim so I had a basis of comparison between them and Sky Dancer and I knew, deep down, he was going to make it into the Bolts. It's kind of difficult to explain why. He was very good. I saw that first hoof, but I've also seen the rest of the Bolts in various shows. They were very good too. It was hard to tell you what separates him from them. The only thing I could say was the fact that we both had such an innate connection to the sky. We both felt like it was a part of us. That might have been true for the rest of the Bolts as well, but I couldn't say the same about the rest of the recruits or reserves. Sky Dancer had something that some of the other reservists lack, and the only word I could think of was spirit and innate connection to the sky. It was an instinct, you could say, but I just knew he'd make it into the Bolts, and he is the reason why I can rightly claim that you do indeed have a family relative in the Bolts, in this case on your mother's side of the family. I almost made it myself, but I dropped out and I'll get more into that later.

{After Sky Dancer grew too busy for us, we figured I had already learned enough from him to continue my own practices. I remember sitting with him one day on top of a cloud as we both watched a sunset together. Both of us spoke very few words to each other. It felt like we didn't need to. We just understood each other on some innate level. We barely even glanced at each other. We just stared into the sunset, each of us knowing that things were going to change after that day but, for some reason, deep down, it didn't feel like goodbye. I almost believe that we had a connection so deep that neither of us feared separation. In such a case we'd continue to feel each other from a distance. As unlikely as it may sound, I hope you find somepony that you can bond with on such a deep level. It really is quite a comfort.

{Sky Dancer. I don't know why I chose that name for my first fictional poem. I guess something about it called to me when I wrote it. Maybe I heard it in the wind. I could imagine it said, at least on a subconscious level, “His name is Sky Dancer and he, too, is one of us.”

{As for me, I continued my studies of course. I actually got pretty good at it over the years. I crammed all kinds of scholastic knowledge up in my head which I rarely found useful in real life. Of course, my true passion had always been flying. In the later years of my flight training, Sky Dancer backed off more and more as we seemed to have a good hoofle on our situation but, as time when on, there were some consequences to becoming too good at my art.

{For you see, in all that time, your mother had yet to unlock her own cutie mark. It wasn't for lack of trying either, but I suppose you could claim her attempts did not have a lot of variance to it. I guess she was so caught up in flying and her dream of being a Wonderbolt someday that she kept on at it long past the time it became relatively clear this was not her destiny. I think that she eventually realized she'd never be able to keep up with me and, I have to tell you, she was a really-really strong flier. I was pretty sure her wing flaps could cause enough wind to knock over a small building if she wanted to. She was hale and healthy. Perhaps she was a bit lacking on the maneuverability department due to her size but that's why we practiced.

{But, as time went on, it became clear to her that there was no way she could keep up with me. Not when it came to flying. If somepony like her could not keep up, one of the strongest and healthiest horses out there, then I think she eventually gave up on the Bolts as well. I don't really know when it happened and she never told me. Maybe it was something she didn't know either. It was probably something that she gradually realized over time. She had a different attitude about it at the beginning compared to the end. In the beginning there was a sense of excitement in her eyes. A sense that she was taking the necessary steps to one day achieve her dream. Back then she was filled with foalish wonder, and it made her spirit light and soar. Over time, however, I saw a gradual shift in her eyes. At first it looked depressed, but it then shifted into some kind of bittersweet acceptance.

{Your mother continued to fly with me as best she could but, by then, I think the purpose changed. No longer was she really trying to keep up with me in order to get into the Bolts. She flew with me just to be with me, I think. She flew with me so we could both do something together, something she knew we both thoroughly enjoyed.

{I pretended not to notice this change in her eyes but I was definitely one to pay close attention to her reactions. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to rub it in. Deep down, we both knew the truth of our situation. It didn't need to be said.

{For the longest time I expected jealous rage from her but what I saw instead was affection tinged with a bit of regret. She loved me, I could tell, but we also both saw a diverging path between us. No matter how much you love somepony, they don't always necessarily share your destiny. She had one of her own but I felt like I was holding her back somehow. She stayed with me longer than she should have because she simply wanted to stay. I think she didn't care about her destiny as much as most other ponies would. First it was the Wonderbolts, then it was me. She kept finding new excuses to delay her true destiny.}

“But . . .” Star Breeze almost objected. One calm look at her from her father, however, stilled her tongue. What she knew about her mother and what her father was telling her now seemed at odds but then it occurred to her that he would probably explain later on, so she bade quietly, “Continue.”

{We were both growing up, and already she was far older than most ponies would be and still lack her cutie mark. I never saw her complain about it. That came more from her peers instead. I remember how others sometimes asked her, “Are you really even trying?” or “Don't you care about finding your true talent or destiny?” She kept assuring them she was fine, and I kind of think she meant it. She had something in the meantime that made her content in delaying pursuit of her true self. Since we married each other later on, you could also argue that she was, in fact, pursuing her true destiny. Just another side of it, is all, and deep down I think she sensed what she was really meant to do. I saw examples, glimmers of it, many times over the years.

{Then, one day, everything changed between us. I remember exactly how it started too.}

xoxo

Feather Wind flew to a stop, hovering in mid air. As he did so, his body glowed with silver energy, using his telekinesis to keep himself suspended like that. For him, that was the best option to hover in place.

“What's up?” Stern Wing asked curiously as she flew up to her friend then flapped to hover in place.

“The winds have changed,” Feather Wind announced as he looked about in a searching, mystified way.

“Well of course they have! You've been controlling them all day,” Stern Wing pointed out.

“No. It's not that. It's something else.” Feather Wind closed his eyes, paused and listened. He felt the winds shift, and it communicated to him a minor form of danger. “A storm,” he eventually said as he opened his eyes again. “A storm is coming.”

“Really?” Stern Wing asked then looked around. She eventually did spot something that helped to confirm that theory. She saw a pink flying pegasus pushing a dark cloud away, then she said, “Stay here. I'm going to go ask her something.” Stern Wing curved a bit down and zoomed away towards the other pegasus who was at a lower altitude but steadily climbing up.

While Stern Wing flew away, Feather Wind channeled another ability he started to master over the last few years, the ability to hear conversations at a great distance. There was a delay, and the greater the distance, the greater the delay, but he heard voices in the wind. Voices that did not belong to the wind itself. Instead it was the voices of others carried by the wind. This technique was not perfected yet. Some voices were too quiet to hear. Other voices came in louder, especially if they sang.

Feather Wind did not catch all of the conversation, but enough to get the gist of it. That pink pegasus was actually quite startled to find another pegasus flying in this air space. She thought everypony had been warned already. The dark cloud she was carrying was to join with a set of others. Together it would create a storm. A scheduled storm.

(How did I miss that?) Feather Wind wondered to himself. (The way this pink pegasus was talking, the warning about the storm should have been obvious by now. In that case, how did we miss it every single time until now? Surely we haven't been that busy in the sky . . . have we?) Feather Wind looked towards the sun and was surprised how far it had advanced in the sky. In fact, it was nearly sunset. (Huh. Wow. I guess we have been busy today.)

Stern Wing flew back up to her friend in alarm and announced upon arrival, “You're right. There's a storm coming soon. Indeed, a little too soon to remain safe to fly up here. There isn't any shelter for several miles as well and, if we don't land soon, we'll get caught in the storm unless you can hold it back.”

“Perhaps for a moment, but that would require constant concentration,” Feather Wind reported to his friend. “If I don't remove the source of the storm then struggling against it would be a never-ending battle. That would be like swimming against a river current.”

“In that case, follow me. The one that I spoke with, Puffy Cloud-Mix, said that she saw a cave somewhere nearby here that we can take shelter in until the storm passes. The thing is, I think I spotted it as well so I might be able to find it again.”

“Let's not tarry, then,” Feather Wind agreed. “Lead on, my friend.”

“This way!” Stern Wing dove down. Feather Wind followed her, ceasing to glow as he proceeded. The winds around him suddenly shot down and he spread his Mist Cloak to catch it. “YOU DO REALIZE, OF COURSE, THAT WE'LL BE STUCK IN THERE ALL NIGHT TONIGHT.” Stern Wing shouted over her left shoulder in an attempt to be loud enough to be heard while they dove.

Feather Wind did not say anything. He just remained focused. He even blew a little wind ahead of himself to accelerate her pace. He eased off of that as they neared the ground. She probably had to search the area for a bit before either of them found it. Fortunately for them, it only took them a few minutes but, even during that time, the storm winds started to pick up. Feather Wind concentrated to bring up a resisting force wind against the storm winds. For now he succeeded but he knew the task was only going to get more difficult as time went on.

But they found the cave before it got too difficult. Stern Wing was the first to land in front of the cave and she held a leg back to Feather Wind to indicate he should stay back for a bit.

“Stay back. I'm going to investigate this first and make sure the coast is clear. This cave is large enough to be a bear cave, after all.”

“Proceed,” Feather Wind bade, then it occurred to him that he should help light her path. He closed his eyes and concentrated on a spell. At first a light source ignited around his horn but then the light hovered off of his horn and proceeded to float into the cave. Stern Wing did not expect that but accepted it quickly. She waited for the light to enter first then peered into the cave from around the corner carefully. She looked left, she looked right. The coast seemed clear so far. The light Feather Wind created continued to float further into the cave. She waited until she could see through every shadowy corner before finally moving about and into the cave to take a closer look.

Stern Wing remained in silence in there for several minutes before calling back, “Okay. The coast is clear. You can come in now.”

While Feather Wind waited, he protected himself with a force barrier even while also maintaining concentration on the floating light within the cave. The barrier would have been invisible if it weren't for the rain. Each drop helped to highlight the limits of the barrier and, as the rain came down harder and harder, the barrier became more and more visible, even started to glow a bit. That all changed when Feather Wind entered the cave. At that point his horn dimmed somewhat as concentration on the energy barrier ceased but he still maintained the light orb.

“Come here,” Stern Wing bade. “I think I found the most comfortable spot.” Feather Wind obeyed. Joining by her side, he eventually settled down and rested beside her. Stern Wing also settled down next to her friend.

She had quite a bit more bulk next to Feather Wind. Not fat in most respects. Simply bigger, and that meant she had more blood and warmth passing through her system. Feather Wind, in contrast, was shivering. He may have successfully defended himself from the rainstorm but it was cold in the cave nonetheless. The chilly stormy air did little to help alleviate the situation.

To help rectify this, Feather Wind shot a constant beam of energy into a stone a few feet away from them for four straight seconds. The laser emitting from his horn heated the stone in seconds and also caused it to emit a warm glow. With that done, he rubbed his hooves together then held it out towards the warmth of the glowing stones. Stern Wing, by his side, wrapped her right wing around her friend and pulled him closer. Sharing body heat, she figured, would also help them endure this cold and stormy night.

Feather Wind physically shivered for several more minutes but inwardly he felt an intense glow from his own emotions. This proximity to his friend intoxicated him, especially with the scent of her that filled his nostrils which was enhanced by a wet mane.

“Aw! So romantic!” Star Breeze said in a gushy way.

{It was. You have so little idea how warm a fire stone can feel or how comforting a loved one's body heat can feel when next to a cold storm raging just outside your reach. It's like seeing a light in the darkness. The contrast makes it stand out all the more. It made that moment feel all the cozier while next to each other. As time went on, I felt I could no longer restrain my emotions.}

Feather Wind turned to look at Stern Wing's face for twelve long seconds before suddenly, and probably unexpectedly, kissed her. Sure enough, she did look taken aback in surprise.

{But I noticed she was not horrified or disappointed. Just shocked was all but, as the moment settled, I saw her cheeks and bottom of her eyes glow with emotion. Clearly there was embarrassment but something else as well. Something not easy for her to admit because she was more accustomed to restraining her emotions. Beneath that, however, there was love.

{Your mother had always been such a tomboy. She could tackle other boys with the best of them, and trust me . . . I'll elaborate more on that in my next story but, for now, I just want to say how masculine she usually acted. Your mother is very strong and assertive, and I'm not going to sit here and tell you that that was just a mask. In no way did she ever pretend to be strong. Instead she actually was, and still is, that strong, but I also suspected it wasn't the whole truth. I've studied her very intently over the years and, similar to Sky Dancer, I think I've grown to understand her on a deeper and more spiritual level. There's something more to her, too. Something she's usually afraid to reveal to anypony else. A soft and deeply feminine side that I always suspected was there and desperately wanted to be seen. Throughout all these years, you see, I never forgot one very important thing . . . no matter how she acted, no matter how tough she seemed on the outside . . . through it all I never once forgot about the fact that she was a girl, and I loved her for it. I craved to see more of it. That's probably why I acted on that emotion and kissed her for the very first time.

{As she continued sitting there reeling from shock and glowing crimson with embarrassment and love, I contemplated the irony of the situation. Usually I was the soft and timid one but, in a moment when I finally showed some bold initiative, that just happened to be the moment that revealed her own soft and feminine side. It made me wonder if we would always remain on opposite ends of the spectrum in that regard, even if we temporarily switched sides. Maybe by being bold it was the only way to bring out her other self.

{As I said before, in no way did she ever pretend to be strong, but that other side of herself was left rejected and starving. I think she needed to bring it out far more than she would admit to herself. Her personality made her a natural protector so it felt strange and uncomfortable for her to reveal her own vulnerable side. Usually her first instinct would be to hide it as soon as possible. The only possible exception was to be with somepony she trusted to the very deepest level of her being. Only with such a pony did she feel it was safe enough to reveal her fullest self, and I knew deep down she would feel infinitely grateful for that.

{Finally somepony who truly knew her and accepted her for every fiber of her being. Finally somepony she knew for sure who would not judge her. Just accept her and enjoy her company, whatever she might be.

{That brief moment of assertiveness on my part also revealed something else to her as well. The reason she felt safer to be her fuller self with me was because I proved to her that I could be strong too when I needed to be. The only time she could feel safe enough to reveal her vulnerable side was in privacy with the one she totally trusted and somepony who proved to her that that pony could protect her too. In that way we covered each other exactly the way we needed to. In every possible way that mattered, we were a perfect fit for each other. Even our flaws signaled that.

{Finally she nuzzled close against me, rubbing her face against mine. I could practically still smell her embarrassment, but she was starting to relax about it. I knew, at that point, she crossed over a barrier in her heart she could never cross back. From that point on our relationship reached the next milestone. From that point on we were far more than mere friends and, no matter what, we knew we would always protect and be there for each other, come what may.}

“I will always protect you,” Stern Wing said with a voice quivering with emotion which included, among other things, very deep sincerity.

{In hindsight, I very much doubt she fully realized on that day how difficult keeping that promise would be someday but, through it all, she always kept her word.

{Always.}

Chapter Ten: The Rescue

Chapter Ten: The Rescue

“What's sup, Father?” Star Breeze asked curiously. “Why did you stop? Waiting for me to get older before you finish your tale?”

While she meant that as a joke, Feather Wind replied more seriously, “In a way, that's true. What I'm about to tell you next hints at things that I'd prefer you don't know about at this age. I can tell you that most of the problems I faced in the past I've already dealt with, but . . .”

“But?” Star Breeze urged.

“But . . . I've encountered some things out there that would really frighten you at this age. I feel reluctant to challenge your sense of innocence with the truth.”

That warning already frightened her. Part of her thought to herself, (Okay. You know best. If it's too scary to talk about then I'd rather not know. I like being able to sleep at night.)

But, to her own surprise, she said instead, “Well, if you already dealt with it then what's the problem? Besides, I know if something big and/or scary comes around then you and mom will protect me. Another thing, it's probably best not to shelter me too much. By warning me of the scary things that could be out there, you prepare me to face the danger. Any other pony who gets no warning at all might not even raise their guard in time to defend themselves, so plunge onward with your tale. We've gotten this far. We can't stop now.”

Feather Wind looked down off the edge of the cloud they sat on in the sky, which they moved to earlier to further enjoy the sunset. By then it was starting to grow gray and dark because of the sunset.

“Another problem is I promised somepony of high authority not to tell another pony about this problem but, since it's already been dealt with, I suppose there shouldn't be a problem in telling you. The main danger here is psychological. Are you sure?” Feather Wind regarded his daughter. “What I'm about to tell you is not like some scary campfire story. This is a story of what actually happened in my life. I've encountered some real monsters out there and some of them were extremely difficult and costly to deal with. Are . . . you . . . sure?”

“What's the alternative?” Star Breeze reflected. “Skip the scary stuff? Then I'd feel like we're skipping an important chapter in your life and that makes me feel like I know you less. I want to know you more, Father. I look up to you. If you dealt with this problem anyway then I have nothing to worry about. When you tell me this tale, however, be sure you don't stop until after you tell me how you resolved the problem. I want to know how the scary parts got resolved before I sleep next.

“You know, I've been around the block a few times myself. I've seen some scary things out there as well and I heard tale of it from other ponies. I'm not a little pony anymore. Well, I am but I'm mature for my age. Give me some credit here.”

“I'm aware of some of the things you've encountered. After all, I was there as well with you through most of it. Trust me, what you've seen so far doesn't compare to this. I just want to make sure you are braced for this impact.”

“I am, Father!” Star Breeze said firmly, finally realizing he was waiting for a certain answer. “I'll be brave. I promise. Get on with it.”

Feather Wind looked forward as he gulped nervously, then said, “Alright then. Here we go.”

xoxo

“What is it?” Stern Wing asked in alarm, noticing Feather Wind suddenly perk his head up in alarm.

{I'm not deliberately trying to sound cliché here but, when I was first alerted to the problem I'm about to tell you of, it was an evening just like this one, and your mom and I sat on a cloud just . . . like . . . this one. We were also watching the sunset together, you see. The only difference was it was on a weekend so that was my scheduled flight training day. That was why your mom and I were able to hang out all day, yet more and more our activities were shifting into more, um . . .} (Feather Wind cleared his throat before resuming) {. . . personal . . . issues. Getting to know each other as romantic partners involved the sharing of a lot of personal details and secrets. What I can tell you that's still G-Rated here was it was mostly just talking about and sharing of our feelings together. That's exactly what we were doing together until I heard it again for the first time in years, and boy did I dread hearing that sound again.}

An ill wind blew, and the sound of dark chanting clung to the air except, this time, it seemed considerably more distant. It was more of a whisper in the air, but it was also accompanied by the sound of what seemed like war drums. The beats were steady at first but very gradually got faster. Feather Wind couldn't help but think of it as an analogy of a heart beat drumming faster and faster. The intent of the drum beats were either intended to hype up some creature for battle or to intimidate potential opponents. Probably both at the same time.

But there was something else in the air, and this time it wasn't entirely just a sound. He heard some screaming, either in fear or in anguish. It couldn't be good either way, but what seemed almost as disturbing, if not more so, was the smell of smoke and, where there was smoke, there would be a fire.

“Just tell me!” Stern Wing cried out insistently.

“I hear the ill winds again, and the chant . . . but this time I also hear screams and smell smoke,” Feather Wind replied, then he stood up on the cloud. “I've got to check this out, and I've got to do it now! This might be an emergency.”

“Then I'm coming with you,” Stern Wing returned without hesitation as she stood up as well. “Take me with you. You can blow wind into my wings as well. I give you permission this time.”

Feather Wind regarded his friend with uncertainty.

“I promised I would protect you, remember?” Stern Wing reminded. “Don't make a liar out of me. Take me with you, or I'll never forgive you for this.”

“You have family who love you as well. I'm not sure if they would appreciate me inviting you towards danger like this,” Feather Wind pointed out.

“I can say the same thing about your family but, if we both go, we can guard each other's backs. If we stick with each other and watch out for each other, we both minimize the potential danger for each other. Look, if this really is an emergency then we have no time to argue like this. Let's go!”

{At that point it occurred to me how insistent your mother was likely to be. When it came to protecting the ponies she really cared for, your mother would go to any lengths necessary to keep them safe. She was always like that. Moreover, she was pretty well equipped to do exactly that for her age. She was built like a sports champion. More than one bully regretted crossing her because of that. As much as I loved her and felt concern for her safety, I also respected her wishes and had to admit to myself she may very well be an asset in this mission, so in the end I agreed.}

“Alright, but we have to hurry if we plan to make a difference,” Feather Wind said.

“Agreed. Let's move.”

Both of them dove off the cloud then suddenly burst forward four times their initial speed in one second which was accompanied by a small sonic boom behind them. For each second across the next twelve seconds, they kept on doubling their speed.

xoxo

“OH MY CELESTIA!” Feather Wind had to shout to be heard by Stern Wing across the screaming speed of the wind past their ears that zipped by extremely fast. “I ACTUALLY KNOW THESE PONIES!”

Feather Wind couldn't believe it. The Orchard family was being attacked again, but this time far more directly. His uncle, Ramadon, took care of that nasty dust storm years ago, but now their farm was being assaulted by many tiny humanoid creatures, some of which held flaming sticks.

(I can't believe this! Will this kind-hearted family ever catch a break?) Feather Wind asked himself in misery. (Well, for my part, I will try,) Feather Wind thought as he narrowed his eyes in determination.

Incredibly, they crossed hundreds of miles in only four minutes but, since they were nearing their destination, Feather Wind calmed the wind that thrust them in this direction at near break neck speed. Because they slowed down, it also grew easier to talk to each other.

“By Celestia, what are those nasty critters?” Stern Wing asked in astonishment.

Feather Wind studied them. The creatures in question were tiny creatures that stood upright on two legs, usually about two feet tall. They were a bit squat, tended to have pot bellies, always had bulging googly eyes and had very wide creepy mouths filled with tiny jagged teeth. They had the skin texture like a frog. Their skin color was mostly ranging from green to brown with many black spots, especially along the spine. Their arms were very long and spindly which ended in three very long and very flexible fingers. They were usually hairless unless it protruded from various warts (which he heard could be infectious to the touch).

“They're goblins,” Feather Wind answered after studying them for six straight seconds. “They are dim-witted, tend to travel in thick packs and are often mischievous. They usually aren't anywhere near this aggressive.”

“Well they are today!” Stern Wing observed while the two of them hovered over this carnage. “We have to help these ponies!”

“Something or some creature must be driving these goblins wild,” Feather Wind announced aloud, mostly at himself.

“Feather Wind!” Stern Wing exclaimed urgently.

“Yes, of course. We'll figure out the rest later. For now, let's move!”

Both of them dove down into the scene.

It was quite chaotic down there. The barn and the wheat fields were already ablaze. The Orchard's house was starting to catch fire. A bunch of insanely giggling goblins kept on trying to chuck flaming sticks at the house. While that happened, two ponies kept on trying to put it out with buckets of water. From what Feather Wind could tell, it was Lady Hamilton and one of her sons scrambling back and forth to chuck another splash at the fire. From a distance, it was hard to tell which son it was, but one thing that changed about this stallion, besides the fact he was older, was the fact he gained his cutie mark since Feather Wind last saw him. In this case, it was several horse shoes crisscrossed in various directions.

The other son, this one with a cutie mark of a banjo and two music notes on the side of it, tried to fend the various goblins from approaching the house armed with a pitch fork. He did this beside his father, Braeburn Orchard.

For a brief moment Feather Wind felt proud of himself upon seeing the new cutie mark of the second son. He had a strong hunch that his cutie mark would be something like that and it turned out his guess was dead on.

But that feeling lasted only for a brief moment. He had a crisis to deal with.

Even before he landed, it occurred to Feather Wind one more member of the family was missing from this set. Last time that little filly was recently born but, on the day of the goblin attack, she should be roughly four years old. She wasn't anywhere to be seen among her family outside. If she wasn't dead already, she was likely in hiding inside the house. Considering the assault of the goblins on the outside, the inside of the house might be the safest place for her for the time being unless the fire of the house continued to spread. Aside from protecting the home itself, it was no wonder why this family was so desperate to defend that particular building. If their only daughter and youngest foal happened to be in it then their actions outside the home definitely stood to reason.

When Feather Wind finally landed on the ground, he shot fourth a giant wave of wind that made itself quickly larger and larger as it spread from him like a shock wave. At the least it blew the tiny goblins off their feet and even extinguished their torches. Some of them were sent flying and spinning quite a ways away. Feather Wind noted with concern that some of the goblins landed within the burning wheat fields. Despite their actions today, Feather Wind hoped he didn't really hurt the little guys.

Right after the shock wave of wind, Stern Wing landed with a bold pose as she puffed out her chest and spread her brown wings with black tips widely apart as if to indicate herself as some kind of barrier. There was an extremely grim and serious expression on her face.

“Go help put out the fire!” Stern Wing cried back to those behind her. “Feather Wind and I have got this.”

“We don't have anymore buckets,” the son with the banjo cutie mark announced with regret. “Or rather we did, but they got burned up in the barn. We're currently using the two buckets that were in the kitchen, and unfortunately those are a bit smaller.”

“Cheese and biscuits!” Stern Wing cried tightly through clenched teeth. Shortly after she said that she turned about and bucked at several goblins with several strong rear end kicks, then she spun about and flapped her wings at high speed. She blew several more off their feet again due to her efforts, and the ones she kicked was sent sailing away, considerably more injured.

“I know this situation isn't ideal, but it's good to see you again,” Braeburn said warmly to Feather Wind while holding tight to his pitch fork and holding a guarded pose while near and behind Feather Wind to his right side.

“We'll talk more on that later,” Feather Wind promised before sending forth several blast beams of energy from his horn. He hit three and blasted them back, stunning them. If he put more power into that beam, he could have easily killed them but he wasn't trying to do so and, besides, that would cost more magical energy anyway. After the third hit, he saw a small wave of goblins rushing at them. Feather Wind projected a more constant beam and waved it across the line of charging goblins, sending each of them blasting back. They all landed on the ground with a painful twitch but, eerily, they continued giggling hysterically as if they actually enjoyed the pain they suffered.

For a moment Feather Wind got distracted by a bold charge from Stern Wing. She charged into a thick area of goblins and bucked back and forth. She kicked with her hind legs and stomped down with her front legs. She spread her wings apart with so much force she sent several goblins sailing away. Some goblins leapt on top of her. She twisted her neck about, bit into whatever she could reach and flung the little critter crashing into another pile of goblins. For every one she sent sailing away or injured, it seemed two more quickly replaced them and their numbers grew faster and faster as time went on. The goblins converged on her like a rabid swarm of piranha fish. Gradually she was losing this battle but her efforts were also incredibly effective and heroic, all things considered.

Feather Wind shook his head to clear his focus then concentrated. He created a miniature tornado around Stern Wing and had it spread apart from her. Doing so cleared away most of the goblins converging on her except the ones directly on her. The tiny tornado thus made a clearing for her and it expanded away from her, spiraling the giddy goblins on it for a few seconds before chucking them away a good distance.

After biting into the last goblin on top of her and flinging it into the spiraling tornado around her, Stern Wing flashed a grateful smile back at Feather Wind and quickly called, “Thanks.”

(Of course,) Feather Wind thought to himself. (I will protect you, too, with my life.)

The goblin horde was starting to thin out at that point but more kept coming, primarily from the sides. Feather Wind looked to his left then to his right, quickly taking stock of how many were charging on each side. He noticed there were a few more on his right compared to his left, and the ones on his right were more tightly packed together.

“Feather Wind, give me a boost!” Stern Wing called as she charged at the group that was to Feather Wind's left. She leapt into the air and spread her wings. On cue, Feather Wind waved his horn across her and a gust of wind shot behind her which suddenly quadrupled her speed. She twisted about in mid air to aim her right hind leg at a goblin she sailed toward. Not only did she hit that goblin with that kick (and hard enough to make that goblin explode) but she also hit three more behind it as she dragged across the ground.

Meanwhile Feather Wind concentrated to create a pressured pocket of air above the goblin horde to his right then had it crash down directly on top of them. The effort smashed them flat on the ground and even left a lowered imprint upon the earth.

While that happened, several goblins made it past Stern Wing and leapt at Braeburn and his son. They, in turn, lunged their pitch forks right back at the little critters. Between the two, the one on the son's pitchfork got totally impaled by the fork and was left twitching spasmodically and the one on the father's pitch fork simply got caught between the spokes. That goblin grabbed the other end of the fork. Seeing that, Braeburn tried to shake it off. The little guy's strength was no match for his so eventually he did manage to shake it off after three seconds of trying.

After that all the ponies had a moment's reprieve except for those busy trying to put out the fire in the house and gradually losing that battle.

“Everypony alright?” Braeburn asked while huffing with fatigue.

Before any pony could answer, they all heard a much larger cry of goblins somewhere out in the burning wheat fields and quickly approaching. In dismay, they realized a much bigger wave was on the way and, for some odd reason, they were not burning out in the wheat fields.

That was not their only problem. Damage to their burning home escalated. At that point the fire chewed through some of the critical framework of the home which made it start to collapse due to the damage of the home's structural integrity.

“NOOOOOOOO!” Lady Hamilton screamed in horror. That was all the confirmation Feather Wind needed. He suddenly grew almost absolutely certain their youngest daughter was indeed in that burning and collapsing home.

“Is somepony in there?” Stern Wing asked with growing dread while huffing in exhaustion. As if to answer her question, a cry from a frightened young filly issued from somewhere within the home. Stern Wing's shoulders sank.

“MY BABY! SOMEPONY SAVE MY BABY!” Lady Hamilton screamed in desperation. Spurred by that cry, her son with the horse shoes cutie mark tried for a moment but an explosion of fire gushed out one of the windows he was going for which caused him to back off, startled. Not only that, he was cut up a bit by shards of broken glass as well as singed a little.

“I'll do it,” Feather Wind declared. He bent down and pressurized the air around him before he leapt up with an explosion of air underneath him. He sailed up, around and curved back down to charge through a window on the second story of the house. A column of air blew ahead of him to shatter a window inwardly in order to get it out of the way in advance. He hoped to Celestia their daughter was not directly in the path line of those glass shards but, the more time passed, the fewer safer spots there could be in that home.

{It took me only a second to realize that, while I charged into the burning home in an attempt to save their youngest daughter, I left the rest of her family outside less defended. The rest of the Orchard family and Stern Wing were still out there. I had no doubt they would try their best to defend themselves, but an even larger wave of goblins was incoming. For multiple reasons, I knew I had to act fast. The whole situation was quickly getting out of hoof.

{For the second time it also occurred to me that the entire assault was way out of character for the goblins. Sure they were mischievous and annoying before but the scale of their previous assaults usually were no more serious than stealing food or pulling off a few harmless pranks. Something was really wrong with them on that day.}

Very quickly upon arrival, Feather Wind noticed the black, choking smoke that filled the air. He ducked low and breathed deep. When he exhaled, he exhaled deep. While that happened, a sudden updraft of air blasted upwards mildly which shoved the smoke further up. The smoke had to go somewhere, however, so the extra squeeze on it sent quite a bit of it spilling out the now open window on the second floor. That cleared some of the smoke in the local area but, as long as the house continued to remain on fire, the smoke would quickly be replaced with more smoke. Feather Wind just wanted to make the local area easier to see and breathe in. That way he had an easier time assessing the local situation and maybe also locating his target.

While that happened, he heard the goblins charge onto the property from outside. The defending ponies met up with them, probably even the ones with the buckets this time because, at that point, they had little other choice.

“Hello?” Feather Wind called out then coughed a bit, then called out again, “Is any pony in here?”

“Down here!” a little filly called from somewhere downstairs. She coughed for a moment after she spoke, then called again, “Quit your yammering and get down here and save me!”

Feather Wind was taken aback by her attitude considering the situation. It didn't sound like she was in a panic, more like she was merely annoyed and impatient. While surprising, he quickly realized that was probably a good thing considering the severity of the local situation. At least this meant she was not completely out of her wits which may yet end up saving their lives.

Feather Wind quickly assessed his local situation more carefully. He spotted where some of the fires in this room were already raging. He spotted where smoke spilled out. He felt heat more intensely in some areas. Taking a few cautious steps forward, he listened to the creak of the wooden floor to assess which areas seemed safer to step on before realizing that he probably shouldn't apply weight to it at all if he could help it. Activating his cutie mark ability, he lightened his body weight and telekinetically lifted himself. Since wind could actually intensify flames, he figured he should be careful with that ability while inside the burning home. Causing an updraft to clear away some of the smoke was already a risk but, in that case, it temporarily paid off.

For extra protection, Feather Wind covered his mouth with his Mist Cloak. That actually ended up the perfect defense. Not only did the cloak filter the air quite a bit from the smoke, but the built in moisture within the ever misting cloak made him somewhat fire resistant except he could gradually feel the water molecules of the cloak heat up. Eventually the cloak would turn into something akin to hot steam and, at that point, it could be as deadly as plunging himself directly into the fire. The Mist Cloak, in this situation, bought him valuable time. That's all.

“Tell me, little pony, what's your name?” Feather Wind asked aloud. His Mist Cloak muffled his voice a bit, but she still heard him well enough. Feather Wind asked in an attempt to try to calm himself and her further down while also trying to zero in on her current position.

“Little rude to ask a lady her name before giving one's own, eh mister?” the young filly asked coyly. “But eh, I'll let ya slide this time. The name's Smith. Baby Smith.”

That announcement made Feather Wind pause. All of the sudden it made sense to him why the mother would only yell out, “Save my Baby,” instead of calling out the young filly's name. It turned out that actually was her name.

{And I'm not going to lie. To this day I still think that was a strange name for a young filly. It would sound especially strange as she continued to grow up. Kina-sorta lacked imagination as well and, based purely off the last name, I had a flash image of her growing up to be a blacksmith. There was nothing really wrong with that but, considering the history of the Orchard family so far, that was kind of an unexpected move on their part.}

“Not that I don't appreciate your efforts, whoever you are, but could you HURRY IT UP A BIT?!” Baby Smith complained. “It's getting a little toasty down here. Don't much care for the smoke either.” After she said that, she coughed again.

{Be that as it may, her calling out did help me to assess her rough position. I only had to try to figure out a safe path to get to her. Floating through the home though was like moving through a shifting maze if the maze's walls were made of fire and smoke. That maze was also shrinking and threatening to collapse. I had to think quickly.

{Also, I couldn't help but imagine how frightened I would have been at her age in this situation. Heck, I was quite frightened at my age as well during that time. If she could remain this calm under this situation, it made me wonder what it would actually take to really rattle her.}

“I think she was very frightened, but was good at hiding it,” Star Breeze suspected.

“That was my assessment of her too at a later date,” her father agreed. “Back then, however, I guess I was too frightened for that possibility to occur to me.”

“And let me guess.” Star Breeze gave a dry look and flat tone. “The house collapsed and you died and she died and everypony died, right?”

Feather Wind grinned at his daughter in a bit of amusement. “Sorry for pulling your leg earlier but I think you might also be able to imagine how serious the situation was back then. Obviously I didn't die back then and neither did your mother, but can you say the same for Baby Smith or her family?”

“No, which is why I'm waiting impatiently for you to get on with the story!”

Eventually Feather Wind did find a path down to the first floor but he had to create that path to get there. Using his magic, he created a force field around one area of fire but he had a small hole in the bubble. He then used his wind power to suck out the oxygen within the force field. The fire inside the force globe suffocated. While effective, it was far too slow to work on the entire house. He realized that, at best, he might temporarily clear a few paths. He also managed to do that while still levitating off the ground.

When the path was clear, he finally floated down to the first floor. There he saw quite a mess down there. There were bits of burning furniture everywhere, including the one Baby Smith hid under but it was only burning at the top of the tipped over dresser, otherwise that tipped over dresser temporarily shielded her from further harm. The tipped over dresser collided with a wall only at the upper end, making a small gap in the bottom corner.

Now that Feather Wind could see her, he finally realized that her calm vocal tone was just a cover. In person she looked considerably frightened. The little green filly with braided, very light yellow mane was visibly shaking and looking about with wide eyes until she saw Feather Wind. Upon sighting him, there was a bit of relief flooding through her. Her potential rescuer was here but whether he could succeed or not was yet to be seen.

“About time you showed up!” she complained irritably which belied the flood of relief and gratitude in her eyes, but also worry. “Rude to keep a lady waiting, ya know. Now do ya think you can figure a way to get us out of . . . hey! Are you floating? How are you doing that, mister?”

“Magic, obviously,” Feather Wind explained dismissively while he carefully examined the surroundings ahead of him. The smoke limited his visibility but, even through the smoke, he could see lit areas which indicated various sources of fire. He decided he'd dare not use a gust of wind again to blow out the smoke. Not only could that intensify the fire, it would probably cause the roof to collapse on top of them. Feather Wind could feel his courage at a razor's edge as he could sense his options thinning by the second.

He knew he could clear a few fires at a time by repeating the force globe and oxygen sucking strategy. He could only concentrate on one area at a time, though, so it was important to plot a path line out of here. At the very least, he wanted to make sure the young filly got out safely.

But the problem with that strategy was poor visibility. That made line of sight an issue. As the smoke and heat built up and his emotions churned to near panic, he had several other mounting problems when it came to valuable spellcasting.

“If I recall correctly, isn't there a door at the end of this hallway?” Feather Wind called to Baby Smith.

“Yeah,” she confirmed, then realized something a bit surprising. “Hey, how did you know?”

“I was here before, four years ago. Back then you really were a baby.”

“Bet you I was cute as a button, eh mister?” she asked with a slight chuckle, an obvious and near desperate attempt to crack humor and lighten a near panic situation.

“Actually, yes. You were,” Feather Wind confirmed.

(If memory serves, it's just a straight shot down this hallway to the front exit of this house,) Feather Wind figured. (One blast of wind might send her sailing out the exit. Eh.) He rubbed his chin with a hoof in worried and thoughtful pose. (Risky. Very risky. I'd blow all the furniture between her and the exit as well, but the wind might also blast the door off it's hinges if it blows hard enough. There is a chance she could get shredded or crushed by the other furniture along the way out, unless I can extend a bubble of a force field around her along the way out, but I'd quickly lose line of sight. That bubble would only last for so long. I could reinforce the magic to make it linger for a few more seconds.

(Actually, that could work. I'd only need a second or two to get her sailing out of here. Of course, that blast of wind would stoke the rest of the flames for a moment. The rest of the house might collapse after that. Maybe . . .)

“Ooo, I know!” Star Breeze called. “What you should do is have the wind's origin point start behind you and send it straight forward. If the hallway is just a straight shot to the exit then it should work. That way it can blow both of you out of the house and into safety. Sure, the house would probably collapse after that but the two of you would be out of the house by then so it would no longer matter.”

“Oh, so you're telling the story now?” her father asked curiously. “Oh goodie! I can't wait to find out what happens next. Come on. Tell me, tell me!” Feather Wind cried out excitedly.

Star Breeze giggled a bit and waved for her father to resume.

{Before that point, I had never erected two force shields before while also busy floating. I really doubted I could pull it off back then. My best chance, then, was to make my way over to her and erect the bubble around both of us before blowing both of us out of the house. If I made my way to her while reinforced with a force field then I would be protected from the fires between me and her. I had to make sure the bubble was very tight around my body in order to squeeze between some of the tight spaces between me and her.

{For a moment that sounded like a solid plan, but then disaster struck and the situation got even worse.}

“Oh no!” Star Breeze's eyes widened with worry.

Feather Wind in the past closed his eyes for a moment to summon his courage and concentration until he heard intense cracking sounds above him. Looking above, he noticed, just in time, as the ceiling started to collapse down on top of him. Reacting on quick instinct, he erected a force barrier around himself to prevent being crushed to death. This collapse also totally cut off line of sight between him and the young filly, of whom he was even more afraid for.

A lot of weight was applied on top of the force barrier after that. It took the most intense concentration of Feather Wind's life at that time to keep the shield from collapsing but, even through that effort, he managed to call out, “BABY SMITH, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

This time she didn't answer him directly, only indirectly. She was crying, finally too frightened to hide it anymore. She wasn't screaming in pain, though. Feather Wind suspected she was merely scared. That burning dresser, apparently, continued to save her life for the moment. It held back all the weight that collapsed on it. Feather Wind suspected there was less weight on the dresser. If it had been more weight, that dresser should have broken under the pressure and crushed the young filly underneath it, especially considering it had been burning awhile before.

(Now what?) Feather Wind wondered to himself while struggling extremely hard to maintain his own collapsing force field.

He could hear the force field above him cracking like damaged glass. If his eyes had been open at that moment and looked up and emit light from his horn then he would have seen the cracks spread as well. If that force field collapsed there was no way he could create another in time to save himself. As it was, he was fighting too hard in concentration to open his eyes and, even if he did open his eyes, he was mostly in the dark anyway. He could only support a tiny bubble about one foot in diameter so he had to squeeze himself into a tiny ball just to fit within it, and outside of that was the collapsing weight of a building that was on fire to boot. This was surely a claustrophobic's worst nightmare, and Feather Wind actually did have a mild case of that phobia. At the time he was too busy fighting for his life to give that fear any attention, but it did cause him many nightmares years afterward.

{I have to admit, however, I did think I was doomed at the time. Holding that force shield was only delaying the inevitable. It took everything I had just to achieve that much. I had no other plan back then. Certainly nothing that could actually solve that dire situation. I really, truly, thought I was going to die.}

But then, all of the sudden, the crushing weight on the force shield lifted a bit. It became easier to focus on maintaining it. The force shield even had enough room to breathe in order to repair the cracks somewhat. A few seconds later the load got even lighter. Something was lifting the weight from above.

{I finally opened my eyes and looked up. It was very smoky but I saw a hoof reach down at me.}

“Take my hoof, quickly!” somepony up above called in desperate strain.

Since all the weight was lifted off Feather Wind for a moment, he collapsed the shield and reached out to grasp that hoof. Upon doing so, the other pony hoisted him up much further than he suspected they would. So high did they ascend that they actually took off into the air. It was only then that Feather Wind realized his rescuer had to be a pegasus. Looking up, not only did he confirm that fact, but it was also a special kind of pegasus. One of the best of the best. This was a genuine Wonderbolt, wearing the leather flight jacket attire.

{I didn't know her name at the time, but I later found out her name was Searing Wind, largely because of her fiery mane, reddish eyes and a fire streak she caused if she flew fast enough. I would have some issues with her later on in life but, at that time, she was the most blessed angel I had ever seen.}

Searing Wind curved down in front of the house with her previous cargo and dumped Feather Wind off there. She was about to take off again until Feather Wind called out to her.

“Wait!” Feather Wind called to her desperately enough to hold her attention for a moment. “There's another young filly still inside the house! Please help her!”

“Already on it!” Searing Wind said with a confident and somewhat cocky salute. “Actually, one of the other Bolts should have rescued her by now.” Looking about, she grinned triumphantly as she said, “and speak of the devil. There she is.”

Following her gaze, Feather Wind noticed two Wonderbolts deposited the young filly into the welcoming and desperate embrace of all of her family. In each others legs, they all cried and emotionally healed together.

Assessing the Orchard family's condition from about twenty feet away, Feather Wind noticed there were some injuries on some of the ponies but it looked mostly superficial. In fact, the one who seemed injured the most was actually Stern Wing. Apparently she took the brunt of the assault, likely on purpose. She was hobbling as she made her way around the family and to her friend. Despite her injuries, she looked very proud of herself and happy to see the Orchard family fully reunited at last. She also looked intensely relieved to see her friend alive and well too.

Looking further about, Feather Wind was surprised to see no further sign of any of the goblins, not even the injured or dead ones. If it weren't for the blood splashed on various parts of the earth, there wouldn't have been any sign of them. Apparently the Wonderbolts took care of them in his absence. They even cleared out the bodies for some reason.

Which made Feather Wind recall when both Stern Wing and his father both said that the Wonderbolts made an awesome emergency response team. On that day that was well proven to him, but it was somewhat confusing how they knew this attack was occurring here. That question begged a response. Maybe the column of smoke? But still, they were many leagues away from Wonderbolt headquarters. This was honestly very odd. Welcoming, but odd.

“Are you okay?” Stern Wing asked through a wince of pain herself.

“Better than you, it seems,” Feather Wind observed. “Honestly, I'm just shaken up.”

Suddenly Stern Wing kind of collapsed onto Feather Wind to embrace him in a hug. She could only wrap one wing around the little pony. The other was too injured to lift so it continued to hang limp. After a few seconds, Feather Wind could feel warm tears drip onto his hide. For the most part, Stern Wing was still quiet as if she did not want to advertise her vulnerability too widely but, at the same time, she couldn't hold it back entirely so she kept it quiet. Feather Wind also felt her shake with pain, relief and other intense emotions. Her breathing was also unsteady, especially the intake of breath.

{Standing there, after everything that happened around me at that moment, I felt too stunned to think straight or to act. It was a lot to process. I needed time for that quite desperately.}

“I finally got my cutie mark,” Stern Wing announced almost nonchalantly. “I finally know what I am, now.”

{Yet another fact to pile on top of my already crushed mind. Honestly, it was just too much to process it all. I knew I needed a moment. Until then, all this information felt kind of painful.

{As if that wasn't enough, one more disturbing fact came to my attention but, this time, it seized and held my attention more successfully because it might be dangerous.}

The ill wind blew again. That immediately seized Feather Wind's attention. Stern Wing felt her friend tense up so she pulled back and looked at the face of her friend in alarm. When she did, she saw the horrified look in his face.

“What? What is it?” As she asked that, she seemed on guard again but also very exhausted. She knew she would fight on if there was still danger, no matter how physically or mentally drained she was. There was dread in her too, because she knew she did not have much more to give regardless of the severity of the necessity.

The wind was blowing so much closer this time. Feather Wind could almost trace it back to it's source. The chanting and drumming issued within that wind and, for once, he actually heard the words to a dark lullaby.

“Go to sleep, little foals.

Go to sleep in your beds.

Go wake up one morning to find everypony else dead.

There's blood on their hooves,

and blood on their walls.

They realize with horror they've turned into dolls.”

This came from an absolutely chilling sounding voice in the wind that sounded insane with evil glee. Tracing the voice to it's source, Feather Wind eventually spotted it but, in a way, he would later wish he hadn't. The face of this pony was very difficult to make out. It was mostly concealed in black smoke of the wheat fields while bright fire continued to rage in the background. What stood out the most were too tiny red glowing eyes in this sinister looking pony. They whirled a bit, the gaze of both eyes not fixed at any point but instead wandered off seemingly aimlessly. That pony was the stuff of pure nightmares. It seemed to laugh maniacally with insane and evil glee as it backed off into the smoke without harm to it.

Despite all of Feather Wind's exhaustion and terror, he boldly took a step forward as he watched this other nightmarish pony go. He felt determined to his last to protect these ponies from any further harm from this creature, come what may. He narrowed his eyes in the direction the dark pony pulled back from. Feather Wind stared at that direction for awhile, waiting to see if it came back. He contemplated every spell he knew and what order he might cast them in, determined to fight to his last if he had to.

A bunch of things happened in the background, mostly involving the Wonderbolts checking on the condition of the Orchard family before attempting to do the same with Feather Wind and Stern Wing. That was what finally drew Feather Wind's attention away from the direction the dark pony retreated off to but he still kept an ear out in that direction just in case. Whatever that dark pony was, it felt so dangerous that Feather Wind felt he could not relax his guard for quite awhile, despite all his exhaustion.

xoxo

Feather Wind paused for a moment to assess the condition of his daughter, but honestly he kind of felt the answer. He noticed she sat quite a bit closer to him on the cloud, and that was close enough to feel her shivering with fright.

When their eyes met, though, she said, “I'm not scared,” in pure denial.

“Of course you are,” Feather Wind denied. “Just about any pony else would have been in your place, or especially in mine back then. We, as a society, are so accustomed to peace and harmony, for the most part, that when monsters like that pop up once in a rare while it's difficult for us to imagine how we can even cope. One thing I can tell you about this pony, even back then, was he was deliberately designed to inspire terror. I found out more about that later on.”

“You really dealt with it later on?” Star Breeze asked hopefully.

“Yes, but I won't get to that part until way later on in the story, and even then it wasn't easy. You're safe now, Honey, at least from this threat. You don't have to worry about it anymore.”

Star Breeze kept shivering a bit but she steadily calmed down, especially after her father started to sing her a lullaby of his own.

“Hush now little one,

don't worry your little head.

There ain't no need to worry,

as you crawl into your bed.

Your daddy will protect you,

from all who seek you harm.

You can rest in bed peacefully,

no matter where you go.

The clouds above are cozy

so soft under your wings.

It invites you into a world

to dream of many things.

So go off to your adventure

I'll join you on your way.

We will continue the journey together,

no matter what you say.”

Upon the conclusion of his lullaby he tickled his daughter a bit. She squirmed and giggled, at last the last of her horror melting away. She then gazed up at her father lovingly before settling her head to the side of his body.

“Of course I know what my mother's cutie mark is, but when did you first get the chance to process it?” Star Breeze wondered aloud.

“Um,” Feather Wind thought on that, then answered, “I had other things on my mind for awhile.”

xoxo

{After witnessing that sinister pony pull back, I could not help but continue to feel on my guard. It wasn't dealt with yet so I wondered if it would later attack the Orchard family again.

{I remember how Lady Hamilton cried into her husband's shoulder, wailing about why all these bad things kept happening to them one after another. Again she suspected that they were cursed, and I was starting to get the feeling that she might be right.

{That sinister black pony might have caused the dust storm somehow and, when that was dispelled, he might have moved in to investigate and then reassessed his attack strategy. I don't know why it took so long, but a repeated attack on one single family starts to form a pattern. A very disturbing pattern.

{After further assessment of the situation, it was discovered that the earth had been contaminated as well. Rot worms had been planted all over the place, presumably by the goblins and, after that night, Braeburn knew a plague of this magnitude wouldn't recover for years. Given a little time he figured he could rebuild his home but, if the earth of the farm was contaminated too, then his livelihood in this area was totally destroyed. Something wanted him gone very badly apparently, and he finally had enough.

{Braeburn decided that his family had no choice but to move off of the farm for good. His only plan at the time was to seek an audience with Princess Celestia and see if she had any ideas where to go next. He really didn't want to beg her for hoofouts, but the situation was growing desperate and he had his family to protect. If she said no or had no ideas then he figured he would keep on roaming until he found a place somewhere out there.

{With that, he and his family collected their dignity as much as they could and took with them anything else that wasn't burnt to the ground. One of Braeburn's wagons managed to make it through so they spruced it up a bit to make it a temporary home while on the move. Since I knew their plan was to head for Canterlot, I figured the journey with all five of them would take several months at least, possibly even years if they made frequent detours along the way, likely to collect food somehow. I knew for sure that Braeburn had a knack for finding useful seeds and I suspected the rest of his family could assist to some degree.

{Still, I was concerned.

{The Wonderbolts took off with Stern Wing the first night, but I insisted to stay for a little while. I don't think any pony was on my side when it came to that proposition. At first the Wonderbolts thought it was required to carry me back until they realized I was that flying unicorn they heard so much about. That knowledge actually awarded me a cold glare from my rescuer for some reason but, since they learned that I could just take off on my own and I knew my way back, they didn't insist on carrying me in their wagon. Stern Wing, on the other hoof, actually needed medical attention. She was scratched up pretty badly and bitten in many places, and she needed to be checked for infectious diseases to boot.

{Stern Wing was the most understanding of those who objected to my continued presence with the Orchard's, but that only limited her complaints. If she wasn't there to guard me, that made her feel very nervous, but she also observed my look of horror towards the end of the night. I also told her a bit about it in secret to help her understand my position. In return, she encouraged me to share this information with the Wonderbolts. I couldn't tell you why at the time, but I had a bad feeling about that so I decided to keep this information to myself other than telling her about it and I also made her promise not to tell anypony else. She was reluctant to agree but she ultimately agreed. I told her I would return to Canterlot in a few days. I just wanted to stick around for awhile to make sure I didn't sense the presence of that dark pony again.

{As for the Orchard family, in a way they welcomed my company. I helped to save them, after all, just as they once helped me out but . . . they also felt guilty. If I stayed, that delayed my arrival back to my own family. They tried to encourage me to return home with the Bolts, especially Braeburn. He above all didn't want any free hoofouts. He just wanted to collect himself and his family and keep trekking on their own, come what may. No matter what hardship they had to endure, Braeburn wanted to face it only in the privacy of his own immediate family. I told them I'd only stay with them a couple of days. He asked me what difference did that make. I told him I just felt it was important. He looked hard into my eyes for a few minutes before reluctantly agreeing to the proposal, reminding me sharply that he'd only tolerate that for a few days. Of course, during that time, I was expected to participate as a member of the family and pretty much all of us welcomed that to some degree.}

“Darn it, you were still unaware of my mother's cutie mark?” Star Breeze complained impatiently. “Weren't you at least curious back then?”

“Of course I was, but I was also concerned about the welfare of my friends. That had a higher priority at the time. The Orchard's recently endured a life or death situation and I was terrified that they weren't out of the woods just yet. I wanted to hang around them for a few more days just to make a little more certain that they were at least in the clear when it came to supernatural threats against their lives, yet I did not want to tell them that directly either. I felt they'd endured enough, and I knew there would continue to be hardship for them for quite awhile down the road.

“My heart ached at the injustice of this all. Here was a good family who had a good home and continued to get battered down by some of the worst events in Equestrian history, but they clung tightly to each other and were determined to weather it together. Actually, in a way, it was kind of inspiring to see. Every time life pushed them down, they got back up more stubborn than ever, and they did it together. Witnessing that, I glimpsed even further into the subtle magic my uncle was talking about when it came to earth ponies. I realized then that their strength didn't just come from their physical muscles or endurance, it came from a strength of spirit. Not all earth ponies, of course. The world is a big place and full of variance, but this was definitely an example of earth ponies at their finest. Watching that, I slowly grew convinced that they may indeed make it if they stuck together. Again, assuming they didn't continue to be assaulted by some external and persistent force.”

{It was on the second day they finally took off from the farm for the first and final time. My heart ached when I saw Braeburn look back at his farm one last time from a distance. His sons joined him to his sides too, flanking him on both sides. He then looked back and forth between them and pulled them both into a hug and kissed their forehead one at a time. I remember he said something that felt inspiring, and I never forgot it since.}

“As long as we have each other, we're always home,” Braeburn assured his family.

“Yeah,” agreed Conrad, the son with the banjo cutie mark flanked by two music symbols, “but it sure would be nice to have each other and a farm. We need to eat too, you know.”

“Nature will provide for us as we continue to seek a better place,” Braeburn assured his family. “I know it's going to be tight for awhile. We're gonna have to tighten our belts, but we'll make it. I just know we will, and we'll find a new home to live on. One that, hopefully, will be more welcoming.”

“That farm provided for us for so many generations,” the other son, Jacob, remarked. “Why did all of this happen to us all of a sudden? It was going so well for so long.”

“We'll still have our memories and experience of that farm,” Braeburn pointed out. “We'll use that experience to make our next farm an even better place.”

“It will take a miracle for everything to work out for us at this rate,” Lady Hamilton lamented with a dejected sigh.

“Then one miracle, coming up!” Baby Smith said in faith. “Everything will work out for us. I know it. I just feel it in my bones.” Those words cheered her mother up a bit who subsequently bent down and kissed her daughter's forehead for a moment then, on a whim, she reached into the wagon then pulled out and tied a bonnet on her youngest foal. Baby looked up at it with her eyes then smiled happily at her mother, then said, “Okay. That's enough of our bellyaching, so let's hop to it.” Glancing at Feather Wind, she said to him, “If you're coming too then you're darn sure going to pull ya own weight too, ya hear?”

“My own weight?” Feather Wind reflected at her with an amused grin. “My dear young lady, you have no idea how easy a challenge you just proposed.”

xoxo

{There's only a few more things I want to talk about before I move on to the next chapter of my story, and that involves the last few days I spent with the Orchards.

{For starters, I never did sense the presence of that evil pony again, at least not while I remained with the Orchards. While my mind screamed at me to remain on my guard, something in my heart deep down claimed that this family should be in the clear for the time being. Maybe whatever that thing was really wanted their original farm for some reason, or maybe it was after something else and somehow got it.

{Funny thing was, the Orchards unknowingly made it quite difficult to concentrate on my fears, and here I thought Braeburn was a music box. All together, the family sang quite frequently on the trip and their songs were quite uplifting and endearing. They insisted I learn the words to the song too and join in because, as they said before, for as long as I was there, I was part of the family. Of course, I realized that they did so to help lift their spirits and, by Celestia, it was working.

{Conrad was an especially good singer. He lost his precious banjo to the fire, unfortunately, and that was a painful loss for him because he first got his cutie mark when he learned to play it but he was confidently convinced he'd get another someday. He said it was his destiny, and I truly believed him. In the mean time that boy could sing! I got so swept up in the spirit of it I actually did feel like a member of the family for awhile.

{That was an experience I will always treasure. Their no quitting attitude, their effective strategies for picking each others' spirits up. They didn't know it at the time, but the way they inspired me made me permanently just a bit stronger on the inside. From that day on, every time I felt myself on the brink of despair, I thought back to the Orchard family and what they had to endure and how well they hoofled it. There were other experiences like this later on in my life, but things like this just added to a very important pile in my heart. In their own unique and deeply meaningful way, they helped me save the world on multiple occasions later on in life.}

Chapter Eleven: A Higher Authority

Chapter Eleven: A Higher Authority

{When I finally got back to Canterlot, I met with your mom the next day at the hospital. At that point she was recovering from surgery. The doctors told me that her injuries were not too serious and she seemed clear of any infections but they wanted to continue to monitor her for a few days just to be sure.

{I met her parents in her room. I was a bit frightened of them at first. I thought they might blame me for what happened to her, but instead her mother embraced me into a warm hug and cried on my shoulder. She thanked me for looking after her daughter. I was a bit confused until I thought about a few times I warded her with my powers. She also said it was such a relief that I made it home safely.

{Her father noted to me that one good thing came out of this, besides the rescue of the Orchard family, was the discovery of Stern Wing's cutie mark, then he asked me if I had seen it yet. I was honest and told him no. He then told me it was too late to see it now since it was all covered up by bandages, but he described it to me at least. He told me it was a shield with a pair of wings and an image of a heart in the center of that shield.}

“Aw!” Star Breeze pouted in disappointment. “That's a rather anticlimactic way to find out about your soulmate's true destiny.”

“Life isn't always a dramatic show,” Feather Wind pointed out to his daughter. “Though I tried to imagine what it must have been like to gain that mark in the middle of battle. Part of me imagined that the goblins paused in their attack as your mother shone with a brilliant light. They are dim-witted creatures so they could have easily been convinced she was casting some spell. Considering the urgency of the situation, however, she had no time to pause and admire it. She was still in the middle of battle. She told me about that part later, how she brushed aside one of her greatest achievements in self discovery because, if she didn't, she could die or fail to protect one of the other local earth ponies. She later told me she was actually thinking, 'I'll look into it later. I don't have time right now,' but it was something she was looking forward to seeing if she made it out of that fight. It gave her an additional incentive to survive the battle and, until then, she felt it would help her somehow.”

“And she's been a security guard ever since!” Star Breeze announced proudly. “Sometimes even a local sheriff temporarily.”

“Well . . . eventually, yeah, but your mother went through several other phases before that. As I keep telling you, discovery of one's true talent does not always lead down a straight path. There are twists and turns along the way and the most obvious path is not necessarily the right one at first. Life needs flexibility to account for many other possibilities.”

“Other phases?” Star Breeze reflected. “What do you mean? Clearly she's a security officer. Her cutie mark is all about protecting ponies.”

“Not just ponies. Really anything she cares about, but even this discovery can be more complicated than you think. Protection from what? Protection of what? What kind of threat does she face? That might determine the action she needs to take to defend against it.”

“I guess you're right,” Star Breeze figured, then shook her head. “I don't know why, but I always thought her mark was pretty straight forward and clear cut. Even if she covered her cutie mark, a lot of ponies could just guess what it looks like based on what she looks like and the way she acts. Sometimes I think she's really an earth pony stuck in a pegasus's body.”

Feather Wind chuckled for a moment before saying, “You know, you're honestly not the first to think that. I even remember comments like that back in foalhood.”

“Kind of strange, isn't it?” Star Breeze asked in bemusement. “Here you are, a unicorn that acts like a pegasus. Here Mom is, a pegasus that acts like an earth pony. Now all we need is an earth pony who acts like a unicorn and the circle will be complete.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Feather Wind said coyly.

Star Breeze widened her eyes in astonishment. “You mean you actually did encounter such an earth pony?”

“To be blunt, yes, but . . . spoilers. That part comes later. Rest assured, however, this is a very friendly union we eventually make. Just a little something to look forward to later on in the story.” Feather Wind rubbed a hoof in her mane affectionately. “Anyhoo, moving on.”

xoxo

{Due to his insistence and eye for detail, my father asked me to write down a full report of my experience with the Orchard family. I remember I had to try to convince him not to drop everything and race to those earth ponies and give them all the support he thought they needed, but I told my father they were not looking for hoofouts. They wanted to hoofle this challenge on their own as much as they could, and I loved them enough to respect their wishes. It was difficult to convince my father of that point because he felt it was important to pay his debts. They helped nurse me back to health many years ago and now it was the Orchard family that was in dire need. I could certainly understand his first instinct to see this as a golden opportunity to repay his debt to them, but I eventually got him to realize that repaying one's debt required it to be accepted.

{So instead he compromised, as usual, when he encountered impasses like this. He said he'd hire somepony in secret to follow them and give regular reports on their progress to Canterlot. Maybe he could find some ways to secretly help them if they get into too much trouble along the way. That way, when they secretly benefit from his help, they'd think they merely got lucky and therefore maintain their dignity and my father, meanwhile, could chip away at his debt a bit at a time.

{Since I told him their intention was to meet Princess Celestia, at first he figured he could help arrange a meeting with her when they finally did arrive in Canterlot. Again, I begged him to be more subtle than that. I didn't wish tipping our hooves and revealing they were receiving extra help all along. My father contemplated this, then said perhaps he could arrange an event that the Princess would be inclined to attend and arrange that event near the time of the Orchard family's arrival. That strategy wouldn't even involve the Princess directly so even she might be none the wiser.

{I thought about his proposal then eventually agreed. It sounded like a good plan on paper. That made me smile inwardly as well. It made me think about how one kind act they made years ago would return to them perhaps multiple times without them even realizing it. They had friends in high places now and they didn't even know it. Perhaps that was for the best. Even with a little bit of help here and there, they probably would face the majority of their challenges on their own, enough to say their eventual victory was well earned.

{But that was a valuable lesson for me on that day. How one act of kindness can return to you many fold, perhaps when you need it the most. That lesson made me more conscientious of the acts of kindness I gave ever since that day. Life may well repay you in ways you don't expect. Of course, when I perform a good deed, I usually don't do it seeking a reward. Typically I do it because it seemed like it needed to be done. When a problem is in front of me, I do what I can to fix it. I do the deed because I care about those involved with it. This lesson was more like something I kept in the back of my mind. That's all. It's kind of like one of those times when you ask yourself why you deserve something bad or good, this can serve as one of those, “Ah-ha! I think I got it,” moments.

{Of course I was pleased with the knowledge that my father's subtle help would make it more likely for the Orchard family to succeed in their goal. They so richly deserved it. Whether they wanted it or not, life will find a way to repay kind acts. A little something to keep in the back of your mind as well.

{As for the report, I wrote most of it down but kept the part about that evil pony from that report. That was an issue your mother wanted to contend with at a later date, which I can go ahead and skip to at this point.}

xoxo

{The next time I saw your mother, we were watching a Wonderbolt show on the side of Canterlot. You know, like the one we snuck in and saw that one time . . . except this time it was legit. We even managed to snag V.I.P. seats. It's nice, sometimes, to have a rich father with connections. Moreover, this was actually his idea. I learned he was a fan of the Bolts in his own way too. He respected their contribution to the safety and spirit of Equestria. I think he also valued the way they did it. Not only that, they saved his son's life just recently. I think that, more than anything, sparked his interest to attend their games again.

{For my part, I was developing a special interest in them as well. After being rescued by them first hoof, it made me a believer when it came to their importance and role in Equestria as true and legitimate heroes. That was more than inspiring. I wanted to be part of that.}

“Ah! So that's why you tried to join the Bolts!” Star Breeze realized.

“Actually yes, but I'll get more into that later,” Feather Wind promised.

{While it was true I was grateful to the Bolts, there was something else disturbing going through my mind during the game, and your mother was thinking it too.}

“Why didn't you tell your father about the dark pony?” Stern Wing whispered to her friend quietly beside her. “You need to tell somepony, and this seems like a seriously big secret to keep from your father. It's dishonest to keep this from him and, besides, he may be a valuable asset in helping us discover the secret to this dark wizard. You do realize that this dark wizard remains at large, right? Who knows how many other ponies he's spreading misery to or has done so before in the past? For every second you keep this secret to yourself, you are indirectly responsible for the deaths this dark wizard causes from now on. Your father might have the power to stop this menace once and for all, one way or another . . . or you could tell your Uncle Ramadon. He was the one that canceled the dust storm all those years ago so he might be able to contend with and deal with this dark wizard as well.”

“Those are very good points,” Feather Wind responded quietly.

“So why haven't you told any pony yet?” Stern Wing checked.

“Instinct, I think,” Feather Wind replied.

“Instinct?” she reflected questioningly.

Feather Wind nodded. “This is the most frightening pony I have ever encountered. The danger I sensed from him is off the charts, so it leaves me uncertain how to proceed.”

“Isn't that all the more reason to tell an adult?” Stern Wing reasoned.

“You'd think that, wouldn't you, and I certainly see your point and the value of it.”

“So . . .”

“I don't know, okay? I just don't know.”

Stern Wing realized something. “You're scared, aren't you? That's making you not think straight. Usually you have your head on tight but this pony has really gotten to you.”

“Of course I'm scared. That thing literally tried to kill us, Stern Wing, or at least the Orchard family. If it's willing to go that far then . . . well, let's just say I'll have to take it just as seriously. It nearly did kill me and Baby Smith. When that house collapsed down on top of us, that was no joke. I still have nightmares about that.”

“Understandable, but that thing is still at large while you sit on your hooves and wait for a decision. I never saw or heard from this thing, but I can tell from your reaction that we really do need to take this seriously, and I suspect this thing is way out of our league right now. We need to spread this information to a higher authority. If not your father or uncle, then who? Who will you trust more than them? Don't say no pony. This secret is just too important to keep to yourself.” She looked to her side, then back at her friend. “Why is it so difficult for you to talk to them about this? Don't you trust them?”

“Of course I do,” Feather Wind replied. “It's this dark wizard I don't trust. If I tell them then some part of me is convinced that this information will get them killed.”

“What? Why?” Stern Wing looked taken aback. “How is warning them about this potential threat putting them in danger?”

“Because, for now, they are not busy chasing it. It has no incentive yet for this dark pony to turn around and attack them back, nor do I think it's inclined to do so if it doesn't have to. Why disturb a pair of powerful wizards when he can instead leave them in the dark and go about his merry way? If I change this equation, however, by informing either my father or uncle, then they will chase after it and . . .” Feather Wind shook his head “. . . I just get this disturbing feeling that this dark wizard is so dangerous that it can actually kill either my father or uncle in a straight horn to horn battle. I don't know why I feel so confident of this, but that is how I feel.”

“But we can't just leave it unopposed!” Stern Wing objected. “Tell you what. How about telling both of them? If you're right and this monster is too tough to defeat individually then perhaps they could learn to set their differences aside for one mission and cooperate on behalf of the safety of Equestria. Despite their objection with each other, I think you know them well enough to realize that they both love this land enough to cooperate with each other if they have to. Does this suggestion sound better?”

“Better,” Feather Wind admitted a bit emptily.

“Then let's do it!”

“Wait, hold on. Maybe there's another option here,” Feather Wind encouraged.

“Like what?”

Feather Wind tapped both of his forward hooves on his chin for a moment before pointing them both forward at some pony. Stern Wing tried to follow his direction but didn't succeed the first time. She looked back at him and asked, “Who?”

“Her . . . on the upper stands,” Feather Wind clarified.

“Above us? But we're in the V.I.P. lounge right now,” Stern Wing reminded.

“Yes,” Feather Wind looked at his friend meaningfully, “and who sits even further up from us?”

Stern Wing's eyes widened in realization. “Princess Celestia!”

“Exactly,” Feather Wind confirmed.

Stern Wing looked quizzical. “But how are you going to get a message to the Prince . . . oh.” An idea occurred to her.

“Correct again,” Feather Wind once again affirmed then closed his eyes as he said, “Give me a moment.” She did. Feather Wind lifted up the hood of his Mist Cloak to help conceal his face from any pony beside him like the other posh guests of the V.I.P. lounge, including his father (who was busy conversing with some of them). Feather Wind then lifted both hooves in front of his face and whispered into an invisible globe of wind he formed between his hooves and his mouth. To that globe, he whispered the words, “Princess Celestia, I need your attention urgently. Seek me out in the V.I.P. lounge. I will be the one signaling you with lights from my horn.” When he was done with this message, he gave a pushing motion. The globe of wind flew away from him in the direction of his intended recipient.

Feather Wind waited a few seconds and studied the face of the Princess intently during that time. He knew his whispering wind spell would have a delay. The wind had to physically travel to it's recipient first before it could release it's message.

At first the Princess was busy smiling (as usual, actually) and probably enjoying the Wonderbolt show but, eventually, Feather Wind spotted the signs that she heard the message. She seemed a bit startled to hear a voice from out of nowhere, apparently. At first her ears perked up, then she visually scanned about, then locked one of her ears onto the direction of the globe of wind where the sound was whispering to her from. After that she listened intently. When the message was done, she then visually scanned among the V.I.P. stands.

Meanwhile Feather Wind privately considered himself lucky her flowing rainbow mane happened to be blowing on the left side of her face today because he was to her right, though he supposed she could simply brush it to the other side if she had to.

When she started to scan in the correct direction, Feather Wind pulled the hood of his Mist Cloak closer to the side of his face on his right side to hide from the others better what he was about to do. After that he flashed his horn at her three times. Doing that allowed the Princess to zero in on that sight. Feeling pretty confident he had the Princess's attention now, he repeated the process of the whispering wind spell. He drew his hooves close to his face and whispered, “Flash your horn twice for yes and once for no. Do you see me, and do I have your attention?” After that Feather Wind blew that message globe towards her. Again he had to wait a few seconds for her to hear it. After she did, she nodded and flashed her horn twice. Actually she flashed her horn four times since he, in fact, asked two separate questions.

At that point some of the guards flanking her decided to ask her what was going on. They were already alert when she looked alarmed herself earlier but, after she flashed her horn in front of them, they finally decided to confront her about that. She looked at them and gave them a dismissive gesture with a single hoof which was also wearing an embroidered spiraling silver horse shoe around the tips of her hoof, but Feather Wind could not hear what she said to them from where he sat.

“Okay. Here comes the kicker,” Feather Wind said to himself quietly then once again repeated his whispering wind spell. In it he whispered the message, “I need to talk to you in private at the conclusion of this game. It's very important. Flash your horn twice for yes or once for no if you'll agree to meet with me.” After that he sent that globe forward to her. He watched her as she paused to listen to it upon arrival, then smiled at him a bit and flashed her horn with a golden glow twice.

“That means yes!” Stern Wing said excitedly to her friend quietly. “You're going to meet with the Princess then.” Then something else occurred to her. “Is this your first time? I mean, in person?”

Star Breeze privately wondered that too.

“Of course it is,” Feather Wind replied nonchalantly with a shrug. “She's quite busy most of the time.”

Stern Wing thought about this arrangement, then asked her friend, “Why the Princess and not your father or uncle? You don't trust them but you do trust her?”

“You asked for a higher authority,” Feather Wind reminded her. “Can you think of a higher one in Equestria? Besides, maybe she knows about this issue already. If it's true that this dark pony has been a plague in Equestria for awhile, perhaps she had the resources necessary to hear of it long ago but, in that case, why isn't this issue splashed all over the news already? If she's keeping this a secret to herself, she might have a good reason for it, and I'd like to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. If it turns out she doesn't know then maybe she'll be able to figure out how best to hoofle it, and I want to give her that option before telling anypony else. After all, what if she requests me to keep this to myself?”

“Wow. That's a bold suggestion from you. You realize we are talking about the Princess, right?”

“I do,” Feather Wind assured as he looked forward nervously. “Believe me, I am nervous about meeting with her as well, but I'm far more nervous about this dark pony.”

“Amazing. I can't believe you actually thought that far ahead. You really are brilliant!” Stern Wing commended proudly. “Got a question for you, though. If you feared to tell your father or uncle because you suspect it might get them killed, why trust this information to the Princess instead? Don't you fear for her life too? If she dies then the sun and moon will never budge again. We can't afford to lose her. We simply can't!”

Feather Wind smiled at his friend fondly. “Thinking like a true guardian, as usual.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Stern Wing asked incredulously.

“Not at all. That's what I love about you,” Feather Wind said warmly to her which made her blush a bit, then he continued more seriously, “To answer your question, it's because she has more resources to work with. She's over nine-hundred years old and she has the resources of all of Equestria at her hooftips. She doesn't have to charge after this dark wizard directly if she doesn't want to. Instead, she can delegate the issue to whomever she deems worthy. That's more than I can account for accurately. Conversely, my father has access to the Silver Horn academy and my uncle his family and his intense connection to nature. Both colts are formidable in their own right, but they each have nowhere near the number of options that the Princess herself has access to. If she deems it necessary, she might inform either my uncle or my father herself, but the point is she'll have reasons for doing so that I may not have accounted for. Because she is able to see a bigger picture than I can, I can think of no better pony at this time to hoofle this problem.”

“Incredible!” Stern Wing said proudly. “Simply incredible. I can tell the future of Equestria is in good hoofs with you. All that studying sure paid off, didn't it?”

“Which was the point of it. My father had the right of it in that regard. As soon as we got past each of our stubborn streaks, I realized he had a point. My cutie mark doesn't just point to one destiny. Not if you examine it more carefully and subjectively and, even if it does point to one thing, it doesn't mean I have to limit myself to it alone. Magic and knowledge is always useful. The trick is figuring out how best to apply it. In this case, the situation is so dangerous that I need wiser and more experienced minds devoted to the project. Ergo, the Princess.”

“Wow, Dad. Even I'm impressed,” Star Breeze said in amazed pride, “and I've known you for . . . how long?”

“You had your birthday just yesterday and you've already forgotten that?” Feather Wind asked his daughter in amusement.

“Kidding!” She waved a hoof at him. “Please, continue. This is getting interesting.”

{Well, now that I had set things in motion, all I had to do was wait till the end of the game. I really wanted to pay more attention to the Wonderbolts. They were doing an awesome job, as usual, but my mind kept spinning back to the dark pony and what I would inform the Princess. This was a meeting I planned to take very seriously so, in my head, I tried to prepare a speech for her. I scripted several drafts while I waited but, since I was working off pure memory instead of paper, the speech kept changing every single time so, in the end, I felt only partially prepared.}

After the game, one of the pegasus guards flew to the V.I.P. stands just as they were packing up and getting ready to leave but paused in surprise when a royal guard approached their stand, curious what this was about. Only two ponies in those stands knew exactly what this was about.

“Excuse me, are you Feather Wind?” the guard asked the young teenage pony.

(Wow. She knows me by name,) Feather Wind realized privately. (I guess that's not too terribly surprising since I had gotten kind of famous over these years. Still, it's nice to confirm that.)

Off to his side, he noticed a similar look of surprised pride in Stern Wing.

“Indeed he is,” Author Scroll announced upon arrival. “What's this about? Why are you interested in my son?”

“Begging your pardon, kind noble,” the guard said with a formal and respectful nod of his head, “but the Princess requests an audience with your son . . . with your permission, of course.”

(Permission? Interesting,) Feather Wind thought privately. (True, my father does have legal authority over me, but it isn't wise to dismiss a summons from royalty.)

Looking up at his father, Feather Wind realized that his father made the same conclusion except his father remained confused on every other point.

“Is he in trouble?” Author asked the guard cautiously.

“The Princess did not inform me as to the reasons for this summons,” the guard replied honestly as he lifted his head again. “It's not really my place to guess either but, in this case, I do not think so. I believe she just wants a word with your son. That's all.”

“Father, it's okay. I can hoofle this,” Feather Wind tried to assure his father.

Which immediately made Author suspicious. He started to realize that his son may have some idea what this issue was about, and he did not appreciate being kept in the dark when it came to important information. On the other hoof, this was a royal summons. In the end he decided to swallow his pride and allow the situation to resolve itself. The last thing he expected was for the Princess, of all ponies, to be violent with his son. On the contrary, during the meeting, his son was unlikely to be in safer hoofs.

“Very well,” Author said somewhat reluctantly. “You may go with him. Inform me when you are done, if able, what this is all about at a later time. I trust I impressed upon you the proper etiquette when addressing her majesty directly?”

“Yes, Father,” Feather Wind assured as confidently as he could seem.

“Then go,” Author commanded. “Return to the manor when you are done. I'll see to the proper return of your friend to her own parents in the meanwhile.”

“Oh, that reminds me, thank you very much, Sir, for inviting me!” Stern Wing said gratefully to Author. “I love-love-love the Wonderbolts!”

“I am fond of them as well,” Author informed her calmly and collectively. “Your thanks is unnecessary. I am the one who should be thanking you for helping to defend my son at the Orchard family's farm, and your services to them alone must also be commended most abundantly. All things considered, especially given your injuries for doing a noble and brave thing, this is the least I can do for you. In fact, I'm really not done with you yet.”

“Oh!” Stern Wing looked intrigued then looked at her friend and waved him off. “Go! Don't keep the Princess waiting.”

“This way, young lordling,” the royal white pegasus guard bade with a gesture to his left direction with both forward hooves.

xoxo

{I may have heard of the architecture of the royal Canterlot palace but rumors alone do little to prepare one for the actual experience. The stained glass windows depicting our ancient and noble history is certainly a sight to behold.

{As for the throne room . . . well . . . how should I put this? It's . . . big. Majestic. The throne itself was a spire of art. To be honest, I was far more distracted with the sight of the Princess herself. She could be in a bar full of drunken idiots for all I care and she'd still light up the room with her majestic and brilliant white wings. I even suspected her mane could glow in the dark. That thought really made me curious.

{Despite her concern and curiosity, she greeted me with a brilliant smile both on her mouth and in her eyes. She spread her wings for a moment as if in greeting before folding them again behind her back.

{If it weren't for the importance of the reason for the meeting, there was a chance I could have fainted. I've never been stout of heart, though gradually that was changing as I got older and more experienced. Trust me, I knew very keenly I was in the presence of royalty that stretched as close to godlike as the Equestrian race could get.

{I think that's why she smiled. She was attempting to defuse the tension in the room, something I think she had grown very accustomed to seeing from many ponies who visit her, especially if they were as young as me or younger. I could describe her smile in another context too, in hindsight. It felt motherly. It felt like a mother who beholds a young foal with dear fondness.

{As I was taught to do, I bowed to the Princess when I reached a certain distance. She, in turn, nodded back but I had a feeling she was looking forward to skipping beyond the formalities and get to the main issue at hoof. If she was impatient, however, she hid it very well . . . with the skills of a diplomat with centuries of practice. In other words, she was far better at it than you.}

Star Breeze stuck her tongue out at her father for that comment.

“Thank you for seeing me, Princess,” Feather Wind said as calmly as he could but, not only could he feel the lump in his throat, he could hear it. He also figured that a diplomat with her kind of experience would quickly detect any kind of social flaw, no matter how slight. It was very likely she was reading him like a book at that very moment, and that made him feel exposed and therefore also nervous.

“There's no reason to feel nervous, dear young one. I shall not bite you,” Celestia assured with a warm and playful smile.

“Ah, yes. Yes, of course,” Feather Wind said nervously but he honestly tried to calm down. He tried to remind himself why he was here.

“I really have been looking forward to this meeting for a long time, little one,” Celestia said softly. “I have heard many wonderful stories about you and your adventures with the sky. It honestly feels nice to have a peer with me up in the sky, in a strange way. I hope you've been enjoying yourself in Canterlot and Equestria at large.”

(Every word calculated. Every word carefully measured,) Feather Wind thought privately in a bit of panic. He tried to calculate himself where this was going and what the true purpose of those words were. Eventually it occurred to him that he might be over thinking it. While it was true her words may have been organized towards a larger agenda, that didn't nullify the message of the words themselves. She probably had hoped he enjoyed himself in her lands. She probably was flattered that she had a flying magical peer, in a way, then it occurred to Feather Wind that she was the only alicorn in Equestria. That must feel very lonely, especially after this much time. The chance to identify with somepony else even remotely similar to herself was probably a relief. Likely it made her feel less alone.

No matter how much others viewed her as an idol, Feather Wind had to remind himself that she was a pony too. She had feelings as well, so those emotions likely demanded as close of a connection to her subjects as possible without being too intrusive.

Thinking of all that made Feather Wind pity the Princess for a moment. Her lonely existence must be quite painful. The only other alicorn known in existence was banished to the moon, and by Celestia's own hooves, no less.

{The odd thing was, I finally relaxed around her, as she intended, when I realized how much I suddenly understood her. Not everything, of course, but enough to realize she was in pain. That's not completely true. She found joy in her life as well. The establishment of the Wonderbolts was entirely for that purpose at first, so it is likely she really enjoyed the show when she attended it even after all this time. When you're immortal, you do whatever you can to help pass the time.

{Upon reflection, I felt honored and happy to give her any sense of happiness and connection, no matter how slight. For a Princess who served Equestria as selflessly for as long as she did, no pony deserved happiness more than her. As a matter of fact, I think I told her that back then.}

“It is a pleasure to meet you too, Princess. I'm honored that I have given you pleasure in any way, shape or form.”

“Please, call me Celestia,” Celestia requested kindly with a hoof placed on her white chest which had a chest guard on it that extended around the back of her neck, and in the front of that chest guard was a purple jewel.

{Her request was exactly what my father told me not to do. On the other hoof, he also told me to obey the Princess and heavily implied that was a much higher priority, so . . .}

“As you please, Celestia,” Feather Wind said while softening his own voice.

(As I suspected, she is desperate to make a connection with ponies,) Feather Wind thought to himself. (Above all, she wants a friend. Well, if that's what she wants, then that's what I'll give her for as long as I can.)

“Thank you!” Celestia said so brightly that she closed her eyes for a second. When she opened her eyes again she got a little more serious. “Now then, with our formalities out of the way, please share with me your troubles and concerns. I am always here to serve the needs of my subjects, so I would very much like to hear what has been bothering you lately.”

“Yes, Celestia, but . . .” Feather Wind eyed her guards nervously.

Celestia instantly detected that the young foal in front of her was not afraid of her guards directly but how they might react to the information he had on hoof, which thereby told her it might be very serious indeed. Accordingly she gave a dismissive wave to them.

“Are you sure, Princess?” one of the guards asked. Meanwhile none of them moved yet until they heard that confirmation. This was a little unusual of a request, after all, because it meant she would be unguarded for the duration of their absence which entirely disrupted the point of their job except for their obedience to her.

“Yes. I'm quite sure,” Celestia said calmly.

“As you wish, Princess,” the one that spoke with her earlier acknowledged with a bow. “When you have need of us again, you know how to summon us.”

“Of course,” she assured then waited for them to leave. After they left the room, she then nodded at what was left of her remaining audience. “Now, please . . . continue.”

“Princess . . . uh, I mean Celestia,” Feather Wind stuttered, starting to feel nervous again as he was about to address the serious issue of why he came.

“Go on,” she bade with a hint of amusement in her voice but, in her eyes, he could see her very attentive and concerned.

“Celestia,” he began again, paused again to calm himself, then resumed. “Are you aware of an attack on your subjects out on the Orchard family farm?”

Based on the way Celestia's expression grew much more serious, Feather Wind could also see hints of recognition.

“Indeed I am,” Celestia confirmed. “Why do you ask? Have you more information to share about this terrible tragedy?”

“Yes Princess. Uh, I mean Celestia. I was there personally during the attack, and I helped to rescue the family in question from an assault from a bunch of goblins which, I might add, would never normally behave like this. Something or somepony drove them into a frenzy deliberately.”

“I see.” Celestia touched her two forward hooves and placed them near her mouth as if to try to hide her mouth at this point of the story, though it was clearly also a thoughtful and disturbed look on her face.

“The thing is, Celestia, I think I know who did it . . . or at least I have some idea. Four years ago, you see, I once visited their farm under, um . . . less pleasant circumstances, but I assure you it was not their fault! In fact, they are the ones who nursed me back to health. Anyway, back then, their farm was suffering from a blight which came in the form of a red dust storm that threatened to choke the life out of their produce. I informed my Uncle Ramadon at a later time of the problem and he later wrote my father a letter saying he went out to take care of it. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I have a special connection with the wind.”

“That seems obvious,” Celestia said with only a hint of amusement and a fond smile in her eyes. “Go on.”

“I don't just fly, your Majesty. What I'm really doing is lightening my body weight and controlling the winds to fly. This cloak here helps me to maneuver in the sky, else I'd spin out of control.” Feather Wind gestured back to it.

“Yes, that is an interesting invention. I've been told by your father that you made it yourself,” Celestia said in delight.

“You know my father?” Feather Wind inquired in surprise.

“Of course I do. I keep tabs on many of my subjects, especially ones like you who show unique promise. I've asked him to apprise me of your progress over the years through various letters and he told me once about your beautiful Mist Cloak. I would appreciate a chance to examine it up close at a later time, but for now I have only one question for you regarding it. What, in all of Equestria, inspired you to make it? I know the logistics of how it can aid you in your flight. That's not what I'm asking. What I'm asking is how you managed to weave a cloud into a solidity such as the one you have and why did you choose that particular material?”

Feather Wind reflected on that question, perhaps for the first time in his life, and even he realized for the first time, “I think I was inspired by the sky, Princess.” He focused back on her. “As I was about to establish to you earlier, another gift of my cutie mark is the ability to communicate with the sky and communicate through the sky. That's how I contacted you in the stands.”

“I see. How very fascinating!” Celestia marveled. “Truly my subjects ever have such a fascinating and unique collection of magical talents. It is a joy to watch them unfold with each generation.”

“The thing is, Celestia, it is the reason I was able to tell there was a problem with the Orchard's farm the first time. I've known the song of the wind my whole life but that was the only one of three different times the winds sounded sick, like there was a contagion in the wind. Uncle Braeburn Orchard . . .”

Celestia interrupted with an upraised hoof. When he paused she asked, “Excuse me, Uncle Braeburn? I thought he wasn't related to you.”

Feather Wind grinned in embarrassment. “Oh, um, sorry Princess. I've grown rather close with the family, you see. I traveled with them for a few days as they left their farm because of the attack and on their way too . . . um . . .” he trailed off, suddenly uncertain if he should say more. Already he may have made a tactical error in mentioning that much but he got lost in the moment of explaining something else to her.

“Yes?” Celestia pressed, and for once her gaze grew a little firm.

Feather Wind sighed. (Well, I guess I have no choice. I can't lie to her. She'd see through me in a second. I backed myself into a corner. Way to go, dumb-dumb! I just hope I don't end up offending the Orchard family by mentioning this. Maybe I'll just be brief and move on from there.)

“They are on their way here, your Majesty, to see you actually,” Feather Wind admitted.

“Oh. I see,” Celestia said, but she didn't look at all surprised. Feather Wind suddenly gained the feeling that he passed a secret test of hers.

(Wait a second!) Feather Wind realized something in astonishment. (I get what's going on here now!)

“You are the one who sent the Wonderbolts to the farm!” Feather Wind exclaimed in shocked realization. “But how did you know the attack would even occur there? Not even you are that omniscient, or there would have been plenty of other disasters in the past that you would have worked to prevent if you could. What makes this incident an exception?”

Celestia narrowed her eyes at Feather Wind and grew a sly smile, but she didn't say anything yet. She simply waited for the gifted mind she beheld to figure the rest on his own.

Feather Wind looked down as he started to piece things together, then looked back up at her in deeper shock. “I get it! You actually know about this attack, and you know who did it as well. My guess is you've been monitoring the situation for awhile now.”

“For quite awhile, in fact,” Celestia confirmed.

“Then why hadn't you done anything about it yet? Why permit the attacks to continue?” Feather Wind asked but immediately regretted his choice of words, especially after her reaction.

“Permit the attacks?! You think I would allow these attacks to continue if I had full knowledge of it?” she asked in a bit of fury as she spread her wings for a moment. “I am Celestia! I always do whatever I can to safeguard my beloved subjects, which clearly this perpetrator has no interest or concerns with. No, my friend. I did not allow these attacks to continue. I'm simply unable to stop them yet.”

“Then even you are helpless!” Feather Wind realized with horror. “By Celestia, how powerful is this pony in the shadows of Equestria?”

Celestia was a bit amused by his choice of words in that second sentence, but she said instead, “I do not fully know yet. That is part of the problem. Tell me what you know of him, young one. Perhaps you can help me illuminate the situation beyond what I already know.”

“Well, I suspect he was involved with the red dust storm attack on the Orchard farm four years ago, and he was there for sure during the next attack with the goblins. The goblins carried torches and chucked it at the wheat fields and all the farm buildings, but it was later found out they also planted rot worms into the earth soil. That is way too much strategy from these creatures, and they are not normally this violent besides. On the other hoof, all three times I heard an evil chant on the winds. That is how I was alerted to the crisis on the farm the second time, by the way. The winds warned me of the attack, but I heard the evil chant first. I followed it to it's source and discovered the attack.”

“Wait a second!” Celestia interrupted. “You heard the winds, or the evil winds, about the attack? Which is it? You told me earlier there was a difference between the two.”

“Um . . . the evil winds,” Feather Wind answered, then widened his eyes in shock as he realized something. “Wait a second. I get it now. I was lured to the farm by the evil winds. I don't have a natural connection with that, but the one who sent the wind probably did.” Feather Wind peered at Celestia in alarm. “Do you think I was lured there on purpose?”

“I'm not sure yet, but it is possible,” Celestia admitted. “If true, to what end? To test you? Perhaps this creature observed you on the farm the first time and wanted everything in place again for some kind of test. The agenda of the test remains unclear at this time but, whatever it is, it's more than mildly disturbing.

“Tell me, young one, did you actually see the creature on the farm during the second attack?”

“Uh, yes Princess. Oh, I mean,” Feather Wind shook his head, “Celestia. I finally spotted it towards the end of the attack. By then the Wonderbolts had already shown up and took care of business. At first I stood there numb with shock after everything that happened until I heard the evil winds again. It was blowing at me like it was calling me. I almost get the feeling it was luring my attention on purpose, and me specifically. What I saw at the other end of those winds, it wasn't even trying to hide at first. He wanted to be spotted, at least a bit.”

{Celestia already had a feeling that I had a genuine encounter with the monster she had in mind but, just in case, she asked me to clarify what it looked like. I told her about the shadowy black head with tiny red eyes that whirled about randomly, unfixed. I told her about the insane laughter and the dark nursery rhyme. Oh boy, I remembered that one well, but it didn't seem like she recognized it. That, at least, was new information to her.}

“I see.” Celestia folded her hooves in front of her mouth again. “Yes. That would be the same monster.”

“If you don't mind my asking, what do you know about it, your Majesty?” Feather Wind inquired.

“I know that he is ageless. Moreover, he's very difficult to kill. He seems immune to conventional weapons. It's been suggested that the form you saw is not his true body but rather that of a puppet. He calls himself Puppet Master, and he's utterly insane and evil. He seems very resistant to most forms of magic as well. To say he's gifted with animation magic is an understatement. Animation of objects or even . . .” she winced, “. . . creature body parts,” she admitted with disgust. She seemed to need a moment to calm herself down before continuing. “He seems to attack at random, so it's very difficult to predict where he'll strike next except, lately, I've been given a special tactical advantage from another source which I'll get into later. For now, what I will say about Puppet Master is what seems to be the intent of his attacks. My spies, of the few that survived his attacks, say he draws in dark and negative energy that he causes with each attack. Rarely has he been outright deadly to the victims of his assault unless somepony confronts him directly and, if that happens, he proves to be extremely deadly but the entire point of his attacks seem to be to drain the energy of fear from the ponies he affects with some random hostile situation and my guess is he gains more energy from his victims if they are alive rather than dead, hence the reason he usually spares them despite his ability to easily kill his victims. The odd thing about it is, he has a tendency to strike at his victims in just the right way. If a pony fears clowns, for example, he'll animate a doll that looks like a clown and terrorize his victim with it, all so he can gather the victim's fear energy but we have never yet discovered what he intends to do with that energy after it is gathered. It's not even clear how he gathers that energy, although I have my theories. Since he has an interest in gathering fear energy, I suspect he has the ability to sense what a pony's fear is as well.

“Unfortunately, that's about all I know of him other than the areas he's attacked so far, or at least some of them. I don't have eyes and ears everywhere so it's always possible he struck an area that never got reported.”

“Since fear is his agenda . . . that's why you are about to ask me to promise you to keep this a secret,” Feather Wind surmised. “You don't want to start a panic, which you figure is exactly what he wants. If he and his methods were known more, perhaps he could gather his fear energy faster and finish whatever he's after.”

“You see well, young one,” Celestia commended, “and yes. I will extract your promise now. Actually,” she tilted her head and lowered her hooves from her mouth as she asked, “come to think of it, have you informed any pony else?”

“Only one, your Majesty, my friend Stern Wing who was also there on the day of the attack. The bad news is she suffered the worst injuries of them all, but the good news is she survived, recovered fully since then and even discovered her cutie mark during the attack. It's a shield with wings and a heart, in case you're curious.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Celestia said brightly. “It's always nice to hear when another of my subjects discovers their true talent and special destiny in life. Hmm.” She straightened her head again as she added, “This one could not have come at a more opportune time. No doubt her presence and talent helped to minimize the damage, all things considered. When you see her next,” Celestia waved a hoof at Feather Wind, “tell her I pass onto her my congratulations for her wonderful achievement, and also pass on my thanks for helping me defend my subjects. I'll be looking at her future with great interest as well.”

“I will, Celestia. I promise.” Feather Wind looked off to his side, then back at the Princess. “Now, if you don't mind, will you share with me how you even knew the attack would occur at the farm? The timely arrival of the Wonderbolts was fortunate but a little too convenient to be believable. Something tells me this Puppet Master didn't invite them on purpose.”

“That is indeed unlikely, for you see I was the one who sent the Wonderbolts with word of the attack, but you are right about another thing. Not even I have insight into all things across Equestria, but I recently encountered a pony who comes awfully close. Recall my elation when you told me about your friend's recent cutie mark discovery?” She waited till he nodded, then she went on. “Well, I've encountered another who has the ability to see into the future.”

“Really?” Feather Wind's eyes widened in amazement. “That's amazing. I take it this seer warned you about the impending attack?”

“That, and several others,” Celestia confirmed. “Not just disasters set up by Puppet Master either. She can foresee any disaster such as earth quakes, floods, pestilent invasions and much, much more. I've been told her visions are not just limited to the future either, nor does her visions show her only disasters. It can show her good things too, but she feels it is her duty to warn me about the bad things so I can work to prevent it. Apparently her visions are not of a fixed future. It can be changed if acted upon quickly enough but, that said, it would definitely happen if no pony works to prevent it. She calls herself Vision, and ironically she's a blind seer who can instead see the world in a different way. She uses her unicorn magic to project an astral image of herself to my throne room or wherever I happen to be, and I've told her she's welcome to drop by at any time, no matter what I'm doing, if it will help me prevent a disaster and save pony lives. Thanks to her assistance, I've been able to prevent a whole bunch of disasters lately. The Wonderbolts are not the only resource I have at my disposal to answer these calls, but they do tend to be the fastest to respond and most professional upon arrival.”

“I see. That is good to know,” Feather Wind said in relief. “I'll also talk to Stern Wing and get her to agree to keep her silence about this threat. That said, is there anything you wish me to do, Princess, to help you end this threat? If you want me to hold my silence then I'm one of the few you know of who has enough knowledge on this affair to act upon it. Because of that, perhaps you should utilize my talents and services as well.”

“Absolutely not!' Celestia said firmly, then softened. “At least, not yet. If you still feel that way when you grow up then I might reconsider my answer but, until then, all I want you to do is for you and Stern Wing to hold your silence on this issue, the oracle included, and just focus on growing up a happy pony. You only live as a foal for a few short years so enjoy it while it lasts.

“I want to make one thing perfectly clear to you. The only reason I told you about what I know of Puppet Master and the oracle is to stop you from investigating this issue any further. Since you already had a few pieces of the evidence, such as meeting Puppet Master for a brief moment, or realized that the Wonderbolts arrival at the farm was a little too timely, then I can see that you are too intelligent, curious and concerned to let the issue rest at that. If I kept my silence then I realized that you would have continued investigating this on your own, possibly putting yourself at risk or other ponies who follow you, like Stern Wing did that one time. I'm putting a stop to all of that right now by being honest and upfront with all that I know. I'm telling you this so that you can learn to set it aside and just be yourself. All that I ask in return is for you to keep your silence about what I have said, and I also ask for one other thing.”

“Which is what, Princess?”

“I want you to promise me that the next time you hear the evil winds, do not follow it to it's source. If this villain is trying to get your attention on purpose then it's probably wise to deny him at every turn. On the other hoof, if you do hear from these evil winds again then alert me as soon as possible. Do so with a letter, or better yet . . . send it through the wind like you did at the stands, assuming you can. Will you do this for me?”

“Yes, Princess.” Feather Wind bowed to her deeply. “You have my word.”

Celestia beamed at her guest. “Thank you! Now, if that is all the information you have to share with me at this time then I bid you . . .

“Ah, which reminds me, come hither. Let me take a closer look at your precious Mist Cloak. That invention has me very curious.”

“Actually, I can just take it off and fly it to you telekinetically,” Feather Wind offered.

She smiled with a tight squint as she said, “That works too!”

Chapter Twelve: Don't Meet Your Heroes

“Wow, Dad! Princess Celestia sure does sound like an amazing pony! I mean, I already knew that but not to that degree. Your story tells me more about her personality and motivations. I think you even uncovered some hidden aspects of her. She may have read you like a book, but I think you did a pretty good job of that yourself.”

“Did I,” Feather Wind checked, “or did I only see what she chose to show me? I highly doubt she was ever insincere, but everything she showed me may have had a calculated agenda. Since she was able to read me so well, she must have known that I had a brilliant mind for my age, but I highly suspect she's dealt with my kind before and knows how to hoofle us.”

“Manipulating you like a puppet? Like Puppet Master?” she asked.

“Likely not even close,” Feather Wind answered. “Manipulation yes, but to what end? I am convinced she just wants what's best for Equestria in her eyes. Maybe Puppet Master might see it the same way in his own twisted way. He could be so insane that he doesn't even realize he's evil. That's the thing about life. Don't be too quick to pass judgment or you risk passing the wrong one.”

“I'm curious. If even the Princess couldn't figure out a way to stop him, how did you eventually do it?”

“Through discoveries I made at a much later time,” Feather Wind answered, then stopped there.

They stared at each other for eight seconds of silence before she asked, “You're not going to tell me yet, are you?”

“Spoilers!” Feather Wind teased, then went on. “I won't tell you yet. That will be your reward for good behavior if you sit through and listen to my story long enough to get to that point. I'm telling you how things happened to me mostly in chronological order so you know exactly how I felt from moment to moment.”

“Well, now that an actual oracle has entered the picture, other kinds of spoilers can enter the mix,” Star Breeze observed.

“Good eye, but the truth is I wasn't involved in that scenario until awhile later. In truth I almost forgot about that in later years until the issue came up again. For now, I'm going to tell you more about what happened in my life next; my early experience in the Wonderbolt Academy.”

xoxo

{Six years passed, and I finally grew up enough to join the Wonderbolt Academy. By then my father no longer had the authority to stop me, but it turned out he didn't even try. I took my studies quite seriously over the years and he was very impressed with me. In his eyes, it was high time to show the rest of the world what I could really do. I wanted to prove that to myself too.

{In the interim, your mother and I got very close. We shared lots of personal moments together but also spent a lot of time apart. This isn't because of relationship problems, it was just regular life problems. She pursued her own career path and I mine. It was as simple as that. We continued to see each other plenty of times over the years, enough to make us feel like we weren't missing out.}

“Okay, since you're skipping ahead six years, I got two questions for ya about that time,” Star Breeze interjected.

“Shoot,” Feather Wind invited.

“Question one; did the Orchard family finally get their own land?”

“Yes,” Feather Wind answered. “I still visit them from time to time. They actually made an awesome discovery out on their new land. Some kind of magical apple discovered in the Everfree forest that can make the most delicious apple jam you ever tasted. If you haven't tried it then I have got to take you sometime. Unfortunately this is a seasonal affair. I can only introduce you to the thing during that time, but they promised to reserve a jar for me for a few days every year in case I'm interested. Next season I may have to take them up on that. Come to think of it, I'm surprised I never introduced you to them before. They really have become good friends of mine, and they actually feel quite a bit closer than that. I still call Braeburn Uncle Braeburn. By now it was just tradition, and that family is quite serious about their traditions.” He rolled his eyes. “Really serious in some cases.” Feather Wind sighed for a moment. “They did have some trouble at first. Growing a new crop takes awhile, you see. They had very little on their food plate until the discovery of the Zap-Apple which I heard is an art they are still refining. Baby Smith is the one mostly pioneering that project.

“Your next question please?”

“Um,” Star Breeze took a moment to try to recall it herself, then she said, “Oh! I remember. Mom's Puffball career. Did it take off any further?”

“I was actually about to get to that before you interrupted me. As I told you earlier, your mother did not take her security profession more seriously until later years. Before that, she still wanted to play and be herself. In a way, you can say she temporarily set aside her cutie mark destiny, but it always hung there on her flank as a reminder. Unless an attack occurred in her vicinity, even social ones, she was content to do other things and she loved that game. Yeah, she did go professional for a few years at Puffball. She easily had enough talent to play the game. I'm just surprised it took her that long to get scouted for the game in the major leagues.

“As for me . . . I finally hit my career with the Wonderbolts.”

xoxo

{To just get into the Academy itself, it took less effort then I initially expected. I used to think that only a few were chosen from a wide province and they had to pass a whole bunch of tests to even be considered for the Academy, but no. It turns out the Academy itself was the real acid test. It was at that point which would make or break a potential candidate from going any further. Unless you do something really bad, you're not normally kicked out of the Academy. Instead, it's usually the candidates themselves that quit before things get too serious. I heard the first few weeks have the highest turnover for recruits. On average usually eighty percent drop out within the first two weeks, but again that's the point. The Wonderbolts don't sugar coat their expectations and they don't lower it just because a potential candidate has any disabilities. If you couldn't make it into the Bolts, they'll show you why and they'll still let you try and judge for yourself how far you can make it in the Academy. They show you their standards and expectations and you either manage to meet it or you don't. It's as simple as that.

{That said, they don't accept just any recruit. If it's obvious you can't fly then they'll quickly point in the direction of the exit. If you are accepted then you enter a waiting list before entering the Academy itself. During that time you can exercise and strut your stuff. Moving up the ranks requires you to prove yourself on many, many levels. The greater your talent appears to be then the faster you enter the Academy, but there are other factors too. If no pony else applied during a certain season, which is really rare by the way, then you are obviously shown right in when your season of training is up because there is no pony else to compete for your spot in the Academy. If there are many candidates, however, then their system is a mix between first come, first serve and demonstration of natural talent.

{I felt excited about this but also strange. Being the only unicorn to apply obviously won me some attention. Some ponies who applied heard about me for years and, for others, I was a totally brand new thing. The difference between the two tended to be where they came from before applying for the Academy. If they lived in Canterlot or regularly associated with ponies who did then I was the talk of the city often enough to make relatively certain I might be known. If they came from a more distant and remote village, however, then they were shocked to see the first flying unicorn in their life.

{Either way, my reception, according to my peers, were a mixed bag. I was kind of used to this but not so often on a regular basis. Some liked it and some hated it. From the more fascinated ponies, I tended to get a lot of questions about my talents and cutie mark. It was quite interesting to them that I had such an innate connection with the sky.

{In hindsight, it was definitely a mistake that I mentioned I could hear conversations from a distance through the wind or send a message using the same method. That made a lot of ponies paranoid, and suddenly I found myself honestly considering to delay my application until another season. By then a fresh wave of new recruits rolled in and I could start over socially, but no. I rolled with the punches for once. If I delayed my candidacy for another season then effectively I was delaying my entire life for another season. I was devoted to this wholeheartedly except for the many books I brought with me. By then, you see, reading a lot became something of a habit for me and one I welcomed. I enjoyed it and it was something to do.

{I held fast to the principle ideas that initially drew me to the Academy and the Wonderbolts in particular. My life was saved by their hooves directly. That's far more than an experience you tend to admire from a distance and read about in the new's paper while gawking and saying, “Oh look. The Wonderbolts save an orphanage of school foals in Mustangia. Bravo! Bravo for them, I say! What a fine example of Equestria ponies they are! Jolly good show indeed.”

{No. For me, this was much more personal. They . . . saved . . . my . . . life, and I'll never forget it. I really thought I was going to die in that house and I probably would have if they hadn't shown up. It meant I also had Vision to thank for warning Celestia and Celestia to thank for sending the Bolts. Still . . . the Bolts were the ones who actually did it and they did it at great risk to themselves. They are genuine heroes and I wanted in on that. I wanted my talents to mean something and I thought the Bolts were a good fit, but not because of the show. No. I tried to join the Bolts specifically to be a hero then, one day, I might save some other ponies life and then they, in turn, might look at the Bolts with the same kind of reverence that I once did. I was proud to salute the Wonderbolt flag during these times.

{You know what they say, though. It is a mistake to meet your heroes. I haven't always found that to be true. Some ponies I looked up to from afar turned out to be really upstanding ponies even up close as well. Princess Celestia is a good example of that. It happens sometimes, but it can also swing the other direction. Having such high expectations of individual ponies, or a whole organization, colors it in such a way that it may distort your vision of reality and, when you get closer and it turns out you were wrong on some points, then the ideal vision you have in your head pops and you are left with disappointment that that pony or organization did not meet your mental standards.

{I remember on the first day of the Academy, when I finally got in, I got a stern talk-down by the commander of the Wonderbolts, General Flash. I think, because I was so nervous, it made the situation harder than it actually was. He simply asked me if I had what it took to be in the Bolts. His stern stare shook me down so much I didn't even notice that, at first, the other candidates in my line up got the same treatment and most of them responded with a very similar reaction.

{You know, I've grown up with enough exposure that I should have been more aware what the Wonderbolts really represented. I studied their history, I've talked to many fans, and I even got to speak with a few members of their organization, primarily Sky Dancer. He actually warned me a few times that the Bolts grill you hard from day one, but there was a good reason and purpose to it. The challenges they face are very difficult so a pony applying can't just be a good flier, they have to be bold as well. After all, regardless of what else they became since its founding, the Wonderbolts were performance troops first and foremost. It was basically the entertainment industry, so ponies with stage fright had no business being in the Wonderbolts no matter how good of a flier they otherwise were. It wasn't enough to just fly good, they had to do it with style that could evoke genuine entertainment for an audience.

{While General Flash yelled at me in the line up, my instinctual self-conscious personality quickly came up. It snapped in my head, “You know what? I don't like being the center of attention and I rarely have.” That, right there, was a big flaw in my plans with the Wonderbolts. They weren't just for heroics. There was other stuff involved too.

{But, just like my studies with magic, I also thought that it might be something I could work on. I may be uncomfortable at first but, slowly and surely, I could make it. Besides, most of the other ponies in my line up had similar troubles. It's like trying to make a speech in front of a crowd. Very few can do it without getting nervous. Those who do it well usually have training as well as talent to back them up. I may be struggling but the rest of my team were too. That realization made me feel a little better.

{Actually, I take that back, at least partially. We also had a few bold and cocky members of our line up. That was actually a pretty important requisite for the Wonderbolts. By far not the only requirement, but it dearly helped. A bold personality was a perfect fit for a performance pony as long as they had the talent to back up their confidence.

{Setting aside the heroics and the performances, I also knew there was another benefit and purpose to the Wonderbolts. They were the best fliers in Equestria by far, and to do that demonstrates a passion and talent for moving through the sky, and I was interested to test my limits. No other organization was more likely to help me in that regard. Even if I failed to get into the Wonderbolts, their training alone could help me in my life. I wanted to know what I was capable of if I pushed myself to be my very best. How fast could I go? How maneuverable could I be? How long could I fly?

{The flight training had utilitarian applications as well. The best fliers in Equestria were experts in weather control, and that was an essential function in Equestria. They didn't produce the clouds themselves, or not often at least, but they were experts in how to use them. Being useful was one of my goals.

{I found my true talent with my cutie mark but that didn't signify my destiny in great detail. There were many directions I could go with a talent like this, so Wonderbolt training in the Academy was an experiment to see if this path was a good fit. It got off to a rocky start, but that didn't mean it would end that way. I figured I would just have to stick with it until I reach a barrier that was clearly uncrossable, or I simply don't want to cross it.

{After the, ah . . . “Introductions,”} (Feather Wind said this with hoof quotes) {they had us flying about the compound for five hundred laps. I recall some of the other cadets glance at each other with a “Sheesh” look as if they thought that was quite excessive, especially for the first day, but I knew that the Wonderbolts was all about pushing one's self very hard. In my case, it really wasn't that difficult either. To fly, I was really just gliding and manipulating the wind cost me no energy as long as I used my cutie mark talent and not my unicorn magic.

{But, while I flew, I happened to catch wind of a distant conversation. As usual, the wind seemed to deliver conversations to me as soon as my name is mentioned in it somewhere.}

“But Feather Wind is up there, doing his laps like everypony else,” General Flash said to another pony Feather Wind had not seen in many years, Searing Wind. That was the very same pony that saved his life back at the former Orchard home. “As long as he does his work, I don't see the problem here.”

“The problem is the fact he's a unicorn,” Searing Wind argued. “He shouldn't even be allowed to fly at all, much less apply for the Wonderbolts!”

“You have something against unicorns?” General Flash asked with suspicion. He did not think that was very likely but he decided to check anyway.

Searing Wind softened her tone a bit as she said, “Normally, not at all. I think they are a very noble race and they serve a very important role in Equestria, but the sky is our domain!” Searing Wind stomped a hoof down on the word “our”. “If Feather Wind learned to maintain his place in society, I wouldn't have a problem with him, but seeing him here in the Wonderbolt Academy is, quite frankly Sir, a slap in the face to all of us pegasi. This organization is supposed to represent the pinnacle of our entire race. The best of the best when it comes to fliers. Letting him fly with us is just an insult. I mean, he doesn't even have any wings, Sir!”

Searing Wind spread her own fiery red wings for a moment then folded them again as she resumed her point. “He's flying on up there right now with a device attached to his back. I thought the Wonderbolts were supposed to achieve their greatness using purely their own talents that they were born with. If you're going to allow unicorns like him to join the Academy then you might as well accept earth ponies with a bunch of balloons attached to their backs, but if you went that far then why turn away disabled pegasi that can't fly? Those pegasi can attach a bunch of balloons to their backs just as well.

“Well, I'll tell you why! It's because this Academy has high standards, standards that those other ponies cannot match. It might feel mean, but we have never lowered our standards just to suit the less abled. I mean no offense to them, but such ponies are meant to do something else instead.”

“But Feather Wind is doing it, like I said earlier,” General Flash reminded. “I talked him down a moment ago. He didn't take it well but he didn't gallop away either, and most of his peers did just as badly. Feather Wind actually has very good test scores in most of the pre-flight tests. Of course we won't accept any pony who clearly has no ability to meet our standards, but we also don't turn away those who can match our standards and Feather Wind has done that so far. Until he proves otherwise, as long as he's willing to give us a chance, I will return the favor. He'll have to get up early and work just as hard as the rest of us. If he can do that then we have no right to turn him away just because of his race.”

Searing Wind sighed in annoyance. “You're missing the point. You think this has only to do with race issue. Well it doesn't!” Searing Wind leaned in at General Flash during that last sentence then stood up straight again as she resumed. “How do you think he's flying up there right now, Sir? He's using his magic, of course. He's got no wings so he has no other resource to fall back upon unless the magic entirely extends from his cloak, and even then it's still relying upon magic. He's using magic, Sir, and magic can do anything.”

“So what?” General Flash asked.

“So he can cheat his way through the entire Academy!” Searing Wind complained. “Take cloud shaping, for example.” She strut away a few paces then pointed at a cloud. “We here in the Bolts are trained to shape clouds like that by flying around them really fast. That doesn't just demonstrate our awesome flying skills, it demonstrates our performance and creativity too,” she spun around to face the General again, “but he doesn't need to do that. He's a unicorn. He could just float in front of the clouds and let the wind do the work for him, probably even from a distance. Now is that fair to any of the rest of the cadets here? Or how about any of the cadets that came before him? It's not as if we can tell him not to use magic either because, if he did, he would drop to the ground like a rock dropped from the sky. Since magic is his only means to remain in the sky then he has to use it in order to be with the rest of us, so where exactly do we draw the line when it comes to the flexibility of his abilities?”

“It's true that this is not a magic academy, this is a flight academy,” General Flash agreed. “Magic academies have their own performance arts as well, but he joined us . . . the flight academy . . . and he did so knowing what that would imply. He joined us to learn how to become a better flier, maybe even one of the best in Equestria. It also means he will have to do that using our standards.”

“But he doesn't have WINGS!” Searing Wind reminded sharply as she raised her own for just a moment for emphasis before folding her wings again. “He physically can't match our standards. How is he supposed to?”

General Flash sighed as he slowly took off his reflective glasses and tucked it into a pocket on the front and off to the side of his chest. He paused for a moment to figure out how he was going to phrase this, then he said, “As far as I am concerned, using his magic is perfectly legal as long as he only uses it to simulate what we can do. Feather Wind is going to have to learn to shape those clouds using his flying skills and nothing else. If he wanted to shape it with only magic then he can leave and go join a magic academy. Even if he's capable of otherwise, this is flight training so he's going to have to do things our way for as long as he chooses to stay here.” When he saw Searing Wind about to make a rebuttal, he cut her off with a lift of a hoof. “Listen to me, Searing Wind. I heard your complaint and I've noted it. You don't have to like him or any other pony in this entire Academy or the Wonderbolts. Who you choose to hang out with on your own time is your business. As for Feather Wind, he can remain with us for as long as he does his work. No more, and no less. Unless you have something new to add to this conversation, I don't want to repeat myself. Have I made myself clear?”

Searing Wind sighed with anger as she lowered her head but kept her eyes on the General as she said, “Perfectly clear, Sir.” She then flashed an angry stare in Feather Wind's direction.

“Good.” General Flash replaced his glasses on his eyes. “If you will excuse me then, I have some cadets to whip into shape.” He trotted away at that point.

Searing Wind pulled out a cork of a water bottle that hung about her neck and drank a few sips after she sat down and watched the cadets circle the skies but, for the most part, she kept an angry eye on Feather Wind as dark plots circled her own mind.

xoxo

“I see what you mean about meeting your heroes,” Star Breeze realized aloud. “This isn't mere idol worship either. That pony actually saved your life for real at one time. I mean, you didn't just imagine it. That actually happened in real life. It's too bad she felt that way. I think the two of you could have made awesome friends.”

“That would have been nice,” Feather Wind agreed.

“Did you ever get along with her better?” Star Breeze asked her father hopefully.

“You'll have to wait and see,” he responded which prompted an annoyed and impatient sigh from her which ended up a horsey snort.

“Probably not,” Star Breeze figured in depression.

xoxo

{Over the next two months I basically got my wish, at least when it came to testing my limits. Sky Dancer once helped me with my initial flight training all those years ago but, in the Academy, I learned there was so much more to it. Recovering from dizziness, recovering from spinning, locating small objects from high up in the sky, cloud shaping, precision flight in flight formations, lots of stuff. I learned a lot about myself in two ways. I learned more about my abilities, which included my strengths and weaknesses, and I learned more about myself emotionally.

{In most respects I did very well in the tests. I could even say I performed too well in some of them, and that made other ponies jealous. Because of my abilities, talents or methods, certain things came much more easily for me. For instance, I recovered very fast from dizziness, I had superb flight control and spatial orientation, and my flights were very nearly inexhaustible. While watching other ponies struggle and breathe heavily, I felt like I insulted them by breathing easily. It made me tempted to pretend this was difficult for me too. Being too good at something doesn't win you many friends. It was more to the contrary. As Searing Wind once pointed out, my abilities makes it feel like I'm cheating to them.

{But I did come across some problems as well and it was quite difficult to solve. My method of fast flight had to do with controlling the winds directly. That strategy was overkill with certain things, and it certainly messed up close-quarters flight control. I generate a wind column around myself to guide my flight. I even project that wind tunnel ahead of me and curve it where I plan to curve, twist and bend in the sky. This came with years of practice. Picture using it for cloud shaping. My method meant I didn't have to fly as close or as fast to achieve the same results. In fact, if I did fly too close, I would actually end up breaking the clouds up instead.

{It's been suggested that I stop using wind control and focus more on the telekinesis but I established those problems years earlier. I still gave that a shot and I improved my performance in some regards. I had to learn to balance back and forth between wind control and telekinesis and I had to learn to shift between the two methods in the blink of an eye as my situation changed. This was very difficult for me.

{I actually noticed some relief from my fellow cadets when it came to anything that finally caused me to struggle. That helped them to not feel too inferior. At the same time they also acknowledged that the challenges I faced might not easily be overcome because of my methods. There were some logistical problems that I simply couldn't work around.

{Then there were the social problems. One in particular that came to a boil.}

xoxo

“What'cha writing there?” Searing Wind asked as she snatched up the scroll Feather Wind had been writing in while leaning against a tree.

“Give it back!” Feather Wind cried out as he rolled forward a bit. He snagged his scroll in a telekinetic aura but Searing Wind stubbornly held onto the scroll.

“Careful! You'll rip it,” Searing Wind warned. That made Feather Wind relent. “Geeze, so defensive. Is your work really that bad, I wonder?”

Searing Wind was flanked by two flunkies whom Feather Wind did not recognize. They also seemed a bit too young to be members of this Academy. Besides being a pegasus, they didn't look related to Searing Wind either. His guess was they were merely two fans of hers that followed her around if they were allowed to.

After awhile of reading through the scroll, Searing Wind laughed a bit and said, “Hey you guys, check this out. Here it says, 'The sky was ignited with brilliant orange-fire. The clouds glowed with pink which seemed to have the texture of fluffy cotton candy.' Mmm. Yum. Wouldn't either of you like to have cotton candy in the sky?”

“Yeah! Yum!” one of the flunkies said with a mocking laugh.

“'The Wind's whispered sweet nothings in my ear.'” Searing Wind read on with a sarcastic, mocking tone. “'In emptiness, there is peace. The sound of nothing filling my ears, mouth, and lungs. Void filled me as I experienced the meaning of true space.'”

“How can you hear the sound of nothing? That doesn't make any sense,” one of the flunkies asked with a chuckle.

“It's poetry, boys,” Searing Wind told them with a secret mocking grin. “Have a little class, why don't ya? You might learn something. Anyway, it says here,” Searing Wind looked back at the scroll.

“Give it back!” Feather Wind insisted more angrily. He glared at Searing Wind harshly.

“Ooo! He's angry! Better watch out! You should give the scroll back, lest you upset a member of the master race,” a flunky sarcastically advised.

“Actually, you got a good point. Here you go.” Searing Wind tossed the scroll back to Feather Wind. Since it was paper, it didn't make it all the way over to him but he caught it with his telekinesis and dragged it back to his hooves. “We don't want to upset a member of the master race. His kind can do anything, after all. Whatever it takes for them to rub their smug little horns all over our faces!” With that Searing Wind flicked Feather Wind's horn with the tip of her right wing when she said the word “horns” to put further emphasis on it.

Feather Wind hugged his scroll close to his chest and closed his eyes tightly as he started to cry. Upon seeing that, immediately one of the flunkies mocked him for that.

“Oh look. He's starting to cry! Boo-hoo.”

“Maybe he'll get upset with us and turn us all into frogs or something,” the other flunky warned.

“He might as well,” Searing Wind angrily said as she poured over and leaned towards Feather Wind from above. “He and his kind are so good with magic, what need have they of the rest of us? Maybe I'm the one who should retire from the Bolts. Maybe all of us lowly and pathetic pegasi should retire from the Bolts. All we can do is flyyyyyyyyyyyy. He doesn't need us. He can just shape the entire weather if he wanted to with his mighty horn. Well, if he's so high and mighty, maybe he should do everything else in Equestria . . . alone.”

Feather Wind smashed one hoof into the ground. He built up a ball of wind pressure then had it explode him upwards. He curved away in a rapid ark and quickly picked up speed before diving back down out of sight beyond the edge of a cliff, leaving a cloudy streak in his wake.

“YEAH! YOU BETTER FLY AWAY!” Searing Wind screamed after his fast retreating form.

xoxo

Star Breeze screamed out loud and smashed both hooves onto the cloud ground. “Arg! I hate ponies like that! I simply hate 'em! That's it! I don't care that she saved your life anymore. If I could go back in time, I would smash her smug little muzzle inward for that. How dare she talk to my father like that!”

“You weren't even born yet back then,” Feather Wind reminded.

“Doesn't matter. I still hate her. From now on 'Searing Wind' is a cuss word in my book that I'll use to insult my worst enemies. If I see somepony doing something that I don't like, I'll accuse them of being a 'Searing Wind', the worst possible insult I can think of!”

“Now you be careful how you judge others,” Feather Wind cautioned. “Very rarely is anything that black and white, and I have never encountered another pony that is totally without any shred of redeeming qualities.”

“Even Puppet Master?” Star Breeze asked skeptically.

“Even Puppet Master,” Feather Wind confirmed.

Star Breeze sat up straight as she thought up of another example she could think of, then asked, “What about King Sombra? He's pretty bad. He dragged down an entire empire out of pure spite.”

Feather Wind shook his head as he said, “Ponies like Puppet Master and King Sombra are special kinds of cases. No pony ever gets that purely evil without a very unusual reason. They both became that way because of a special influence, but what were they before that? Shades of redeeming qualities, and it's qualities that can come back in one form or another. Who were they before they became evil, and how and why did it occur in the first place? By understanding that, one can bring either of them back from the brink of damnation, and that same logic can apply to bullies like Searing Wind as well. Yes, she was mean for a moment, but what else was she? Without knowing her full life's story, you don't know.”

That comment made Star Breeze thoughtful.

“Your mother thought in similar regards. She was the one I spoke with next.”

xoxo

{I told your mom about what happened to me as we sat near the lakeside I used to train at with Sky Dancer. Not only do I remember what she told me, but I also remember how she said it.}

“Don't listen to them,” Stern Wing encouraged emotionally. “Don't you listen to them, okay? They are just trying to tear you down to their level. Instead of them, you listen to me.” She put a hoof on Feather Wind's back. “You fly. You just fly high, okay? Just fly away.” Feather Wind looked back at her as he heard her voice quivering with unsteady emotion. Tears were in her eyes. “You are the most incredible pony I've ever met. The sky is the only limit for you. Fly harder, higher, farther and faster than any other pony in Equestria because you can do it.” She grabbed both of Feather Wind's cheeks and turned his head to look straight into her watery eyes. “I need you to understand this. You are incredible, and you will show us all how impossibility is just an illusion. You are the unicorn that can fly, and fly so very well. I'm so, so lucky to keep up with you for as long as I did.” She then pulled Feather Wind into a tight hug. “So you just fly, okay? Just fly. Follow your dreams. Soar even higher than all the rest of us can. I believe in you. I . . .” she trailed off because she was sobbing too much.

{I was still being hugged so my gaze was over her shoulder. I felt and heard, rather than saw, her steadily calm down. What I heard next mildly disturbed me at the time.}

“I'll have a little chat with those other ponies who teased you,” Stern Wing said tightly.

“No! Don't!” Feather Wind pulled back from her hug to stare at her face in alarm. “Don't stir up trouble. You can get arrested, or perhaps even get me kicked out of the Academy if they feel I set you up for this.”

“Don't worry.” Stern Wing rubbed a hoof against Feather Wind's right cheek. “I'll be gentle.”

xoxo

{I was very nervous, almost panicked, when I saw Stern Wing fly down near the Academy where Searing Wind and her flunkies rested on a bench in front of a table which was under the shade of a tree. At the time I was flying laps around the area but I wasn't kidding when I flew down to the instructor and told her I wasn't feeling well and needed a few minutes break. One good look at my face indicated to her that I was telling the truth, so she told me to sit down nearby and take a ten minute break. I did so, then listened through the wind to what your mother had to say to Searing Wind. I expected a brutal hoof fight to break out right away, but what happened instead pleasantly surprised me. I sometimes forget how wise your mother can be and, when she does have her head on together real tight and she decides you are her opponent, watch out. Sometimes words can cut deeper than any blow of a hoof, even one as strong as hers.}

“Hey there! Mind if I join you?” Stern Wing asked as she flew down on the other side of the table with two benches on each side of it, Searing Wind being on the opposite side.

“Not really, no,” Searing Wind said casually as she stretched while relaxing, her head and fore hooves on the table. One of her flunkies, meanwhile, was rhythmically pounding on her back to help massage her back and base of her wings. “Just taking a break, is all,” she said with a yawn.

“A break from Wonderbolts practice, I take it,” Stern Wing said very pleasantly. “Here to spy on the new recruits?”

“Heh.” Searing Wind grinned. “Doesn't hurt to keep an eye on the newbloods every once in awhile. Sometimes I see some with a lot of promise. I might be working with them someday, so I just think taking a break here gives me the heads up.”

“You're Searing Wind, aren't you?” Stern Wing asked cheerfully. “Oh my gosh! I'm such a huge fan of yours! I can't believe I'm really meeting you now!”

“Heh-heh,” Searing Wind grinned wider. “Yeah, I have that affect on a lot of ponies. You're welcome.”

“I mean it! You are such an inspiration to me,” Stern Wing said as she placed a hoof on her brown chest. “I've seen so many of your shows, and you are fantastic! I love that fiery streak you make in the sky. I heard you can actually cook food that way.”

“Fire is useful for many things,” Searing Wind agreed. “You know how I do it?” she asked with a cocky grin.

“By being so awesome?” Stern Wing guessed.

“Good guess,” Searing Wind said as she sat up straight and stretched. She didn't speak again until after stretching. She also lifted a water bottle near her lips but didn't drink from it as she said, “Truthfully, that's a pretty good answer, but there is a more logistical reason for it. You see, speed causes friction, even in the air, and my mane is the kind of texture that creates a lot of friction in the air. I have to be careful. These bad boys here can help set fire to anything.” Searing Wind pat her mane for a moment. “Did you know I even managed to create a flaming tornado at one time?”

“Really?!” Stern Wing asked in astonishment.

“Yep.” Searing Wind drank a few sips then spoke again as she lowered the bottle. “It was only for a few seconds of course but, during that time, it was a phenomenon that could lighten the dark.”

“Spectacular!” Stern Wing cheered. “You are really so amazing, and so are all the rest of the Bolts. You remember that time, about thirty years ago, when half of Equestria was experiencing a drought?”

“Oh! I know what you're talking about. Yeah.” Searing Wind grinned proudly. “The Wonderbolts had Cloudsdale fly over the ocean as the Bolts spun a huge hurricane into the city. They had enough water after that to continue covering Equestria for the next ten years, and that was only in a few minutes of water delivery!” Searing Wind chuckled. “I heard the streets of Cloudsdale remained flooded for weeks but, fortunately, they were sort of prepared for that. They had buckets and tubs and everything ready all over the place.”

“What about that time the Wonderbolts helped to steer a rogue group of dragons in migration? That could have been a disaster if the Bolts hadn't stepped up,” Stern Wing informed.

“Oh yeah! That one was good too. Yeah. It turns out redirecting a flight of dragons is all about manipulating the dragon in the lead, sort of like it is for a herd of cows, but even dragons are dependent on the air when they fly and they're affected by the storms that come with it. A little winds here, a little lightening storm there, and, oh yeah . . . dragons hate snow. Doesn't exactly kill them right away but it does make them uncomfortable. This is a species that thinks taking a bath means swimming through lava, mind you, so you can imagine how they felt about a snow storm.” Searing Wind snickered at the thought, then shrugged. “They are based on reptiles, after all, so the cold would naturally affect cold blooded creatures more.”

“I thought Commander Iron Hoof was quite fair with that cadet he disciplined a few years ago,” Stern Wing mentioned somewhat more seriously.

“Huh.” Searing Wind tipped her reflective sunglasses down to the tip of her muzzle so she could more easily look at Stern Wing over the edge of the glasses. “I'm surprised you know about that one. Not many ponies have heard of that case.”

“But I'm right, right? You think he was fair?” Stern Wing checked.

“Oh, absolutely!” Searing Wind nodded. “The Wonderbolts can only let attitude like that slide only so far. Eventually any pony would have to put their hoof down, and who better to do it than Commander Iron Hoof?”

Stern Wing asked with a grin, “Doesn't even his name send a chill down your spine?”

“Absolutely. I wouldn't want to cross him in a dark alley. That's for sure,” Searing Wind agreed.

“Isn't one of your squad mates crazy about cats?” Stern Wing asked.

“Not to my knowledge, no,” Searing Wind answered. “Since you are one of our biggest fans, however, I suspect you'll tell me.”

“And risk spoiling the surprise?” Stern Wing asked with a sly wink. “I don't think so, but I'll give you a hint . . . she's got blue wings.”

“Oh!” Searing Wind looked up for a moment, then looked back at Stern Wing with a triumphant grin. “I know who you're talking about now.”

“Oh-oh!” Stern Wing patted the table three times excitedly. “Remember that time Commander Easy Glider flogged that cadet for touching one of his trophies?” Stern Wing asked brightly.

For the first time Searing Wind looked confused. “Flogged? Cadet? Trophy? What are you talking about?”

Stern Wing's smile dropped in confusion. “Yeah, flogged. You don't know this one? It's a pretty famous case in Wonderbolt history. He flogged this cadet for daring to touch one of his trophies. I think it was for long distance gliding, maybe?” Stern Wing thought back then shook her head, uncertain. “Yeah, this was a pretty famous case. I think the cadet's name was Feather . . . Wing . . . something or another. Can't remember the exact name but he was orange color, I believe.”

“Sorry, Ma'am. I have no idea what you're talking about,” said Searing Wind.

“Huh. You really don't know that one?” Stern Wing double checked. Searing Wind shook her head. “Huh. Okay. How about that time Bristling Wind was begged over and over again to deliver water to this one orphanage until finally he had enough and flew about and created a hurricane from a nearby ocean and dumped it on their heads. The whole place was flooded for weeks and the young foals had to move out until the building was done with renovations. You remember that?”

“Eh . . . I think I recognize the name Bristling Wind but this deed you're talking about . . . never heard of it,” Searing Wind informed. “Quite frankly, it's hard to imagine any member of the Bolts being that spiteful. I think you need to get your facts straight.”

“Really?” Stern Wing cocked her head. “I thought everypony knew that one, especially the Wonderbolts.”

“Well we don't keep track of every single detail that every member of the Bolts ever did in the history of the Wonderbolts. We just keep track of the important stuff and those who made permanent changes. While I highly doubt this incident occurred at all, if it did I see no reason the rest of us would keep track of it.”

“Strange.” Stern Wing brought her head back a bit. “Um, okay. How about this one? Remember the time Thunder Bolt beat one of his peers half to death for looking at him funny? Surely you remember that part.”

“Lady, what in the hay have you been smoking?” Searing Wind asked in astonishment. “Thunder Bolt would never do something like that.”

“Of course he would!” Stern Wing objected. “He's a member of the Wonderbolts, isn't he?”

“Now that fact is true, or rather it was, but this other thing you said is way off the mark. Besides, what makes you think Thunder Bolt would do something like that just because he's a Wonderbolt? That's nowhere near what the Bolts represent.”

“Yes it is! You did something just like that yesterday!” Stern Wing pointed out.

Searing Wind froze at that point.

Stern Wing leaned on the table with her fore legs while standing across from Searing Wind. “The Wonderbolts have always been an organization of bullies that pick on the weak for being different. It's what they've always done for fun. It's an organizational pastime. There are many examples of that in your history, including you. It's a proud and noble tradition. You should feel honored.”

The only thing that changed in Searing Wind's otherwise frozen position was her narrowing her eyes in anger below the upper edge of her sunglasses.

“I'm picking on you right now, just like a true Wonderbolt,” Stern Wing lectured further. “I'm just trying to fit in, to prove how cool I am, just like you.”

Both girls stared at each other for several long seconds. Throughout most of that time Stern Wing looked genuinely confused but, just at the end she, too, narrowed her eyes and dropped her act in order to reveal she was trying to make a point.

Feather Wind jumped, startled, when that area suddenly exploded into rough action. Searing Wind tried to leap across the table and strangle Stern Wing right then and there but her two flunkies held her back. They had to struggle pretty hard to hold her back.

“Cool it, girl. She ain't worth it,” the flunky on Searing Wind's right discouraged.

“Yeah! If you attack her you could get kicked out of the Bolts!” the other flunky warned.

“It would be worth it!” Searing Wind growled harshly. “Come on, girl! Come at me! Say what you really mean to my face!”

“Okay, I will.” Stern Wing then screamed “ALL THE FOALS IN EQUESTRIA LOOK UP TO YOU!”

That declaration stilled Searing Wind's rage a bit as she digested that.

“I LOOKED UP TO YOU!” Stern Wing screamed further. At that point she was crying, very close to a sob but she held on firmly enough to help her finish her point.

“Every pegasus in the world dreams about growing up one day to become one of the Wonderbolts, and you inspire them all! If they learned that you behave like this, that what it means to be a Wonderbolt is to pick on others for being different from themselves, what kind of future does that spell for the Bolts?”

Searing Wind's flunkies no longer had to struggle at all to hold Searing Wind back, but they still held on to her just in case. Searing Wind, meanwhile, looked too numb to act.

“All right, break it up you two,” General Flash said as he flew near the scene. “You, Miss, take a hike,” he demanded to Stern Wing. “I won't have you continue to cause a disruption to my Academy again.”

“Alright, I'm going. I won't cause a fuss,” Stern Wing backed off a few steps, putting all four of her legs down on the ground, “but before I go, I just want to ask her one last question.”

Searing Wind focused her look on Stern Wing again, though it seemed a bit of a struggle to do so.

“And I want you to think about this answer very carefully,” Stern Wing encouraged. “Are you . . . the kind of Wonderbolt . . . your own past self would have looked up to as a foal?”

Searing Wind's eyes widened in shock.

“Or . . .” Stern Wing went on, “. . . were you just lucky . . .” Stern Wing paused on that word for quite awhile before finishing her question, “. . . that no pony like you existed in the Bolts when you were a foal?”

Searing Wind's stunned eyes slowly gazed down.

Finally convinced she had made her point, Stern Wing turned about and flew away. Many ponies watched Stern Wing as she flew away, stunned, including Feather Wind.

{Eventually I looked back at Searing Wind when Stern Wing flew down and out of sight below the edge of the cliff. Searing Wind was still wide-eyed for awhile but, when it focused again, she looked angry again. She flung her flunkies back a bit, capped her water bottle then flew away somewhere in a huff. Based on the direction, I surmised it was back to Wonderbolt H-Q.}

xoxo

{Two days later I was visiting your mom back at her home. She still lived with her parents at that point. Nothing really wrong with that. Now, I don't remember what we talked about that day. All that I remember was I was sitting on a bench in the back yard, she was sitting in a tire swing in the same area. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the front door of the property. I looked through the home to the front door casually. I didn't move to open it. One of your mother's brothers was a lot closer. He opened the door instead, spoke with the newcomer for a moment then called over his shoulder, “Sis, it's for you.”}

“Expecting somepony?” Feather Wind asked Stern Wing.

“No. Not really,” Stern Wing admitted then crawled off the tire swing. She trotted across the house. Curious, Feather Wind followed a little behind her.

Both of them were surprised to find one of Searing Wind's flunkies standing there on the other side of the door. The teenaged foal was wearing a black jacket and looked forlorn.

“What are you doing here?” Stern Wing asked defensively.

“Relax. I'm not here for a fight,” the youth assured. “My name is Scissor-Rock, and I've simply come to inform you that Searing Wind has quit the Wonderbolts.”

Both Stern Wing and Feather Wind looked taken aback. They glanced at each other to see if the other felt the same way.

“No way!” Stern Wing's nearby younger brother exclaimed. “Wow, Sis! You sure have a way with words.”

“Indeed.” Scissor-Rock bowed his head sadly. “On her behalf, I've also come to apologize to your friend, and you.”

“Did she send you here?” Stern Wing asked Scissor-Rock tightly.

“No.” Scissor-Rock shook his head. “Searing Wind has no idea that I'm here. I came of my own volition.”

“Why?” Stern Wing asked in a thin voice.

“Because I wanted to apologize, and I wanted you to know what happened, as well as some other things.” Scissor-Rock looked back at Stern Wing squarely. “Searing Wind never could clear her head after you spoke to her. She said she tried to keep up with Wonderbolt practice but, on that day, she was messing up all the time. She couldn't keep her head in the game. The next day she went back to Wonderbolt H-Q and quit. They demanded a reason. She told them everything. Everything she had done, including the stuff that sullied the name of the Bolts.”

“So she felt so guilty she left the Bolts?” Stern Wing figured.

“It appears so,” Scissor-Rock agreed.

“Well. I guess she had some shred of decency left in her,” Stern Wing continued to say in a thin voice.

“Much more than a shred. This is also why I have come to you. There is something else I wanted to explain to you.”

“Go on,” Stern Wing said with slightly narrowed eyes.

“I know she had her faults, and she made mistakes, but she did other good things as well. She donated to charity very often, for example, and she saved many lives. Mine included. Searing Wind was a hero to many ponies, and I don't just mean metaphorically. Sometimes it is direct, sometimes indirect. I heard about a nine-year old sickly foal dying of pancreas disease. Not only did Searing Wind donate extra funds to that charity, but she also showed up personally to inspire the young fillies and colts there. She showed them lots of tricks, including aerial acrobatics. Those ponies looked up to her, and the sickly one actually made it. He survived the operation, and he claimed that he did it because he was inspired never to give up because of Searing Wind's visit.”

“Wow,” Stern Wing said in soft amazement. “That's awesome of her, but I hope you don't think that it excuses what she did to my friend. She doesn't deserve mercy for her actions just because she was kind to somepony else.”

“I know, and I'm not saying that,” Scissor-Rock assured. “She's made mistakes. We all have. Haven't you?”

“Ah . . . yes. Plenty of times,” Stern Wing admitted.

“And, like you, she's not perfect. I just wanted you to know there is many sides to this issue. There's the good, there's the bad, there's the everything in between. I worry for her now. She won't stop moping and, in the mean time, I can't help but also worry for all of the other ponies she won't save the life of anymore now that she's no longer a Wonderbolt. She was a hero. She was an honest to Celestia hero, but a flawed one. That's what we get for relying on imperfect beings, but the best of us try our best because that's all we can do.

“I wouldn't be standing here right now if it weren't for her. I was lucky I grew up with a pony like that in my life, who literally saved my life, and I looked up to her too because of that. So much so, in fact, that sometimes we can lose sight of their flaws. I think it's also important not to lose sight of their virtues too. Both are true facts. You saw her ugly side. All I want is for you to know there was another side to her too. A far more beautiful side.”

“I wish I could have gotten to know it,” Stern Wing said a little sadly. “I'm sure my friend back here thinks the same.”

“I know. I wish you could have seen it too,” Scissor-Rock said with regret, “but many other ponies out there have seen it. If you don't believe me, just ask around. You'll hear about it over and over again. I encourage you to do so just so you know for sure that I'm not lying to you.

“Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. Thanks for hearing me out, and have a nice day.”

Scissor-Rock spun about and trotted off slowly. Stern Wing slowly shut the door then looked back at Feather Wind for a long while in silence.

Chapter Thirteen: The Ascension

{Over the course of the next two weeks the Wonderbolt Academy sure had a different feeling to it, and it was almost entirely dark. Rumors of Searing Wind quitting the Bolts spread like wildfire, much like her name-sake. That much of the rumors were consistent. The reason for her quitting was what was up for speculation. A lot of my fellow cadets looked at me as a potential explanation. Some knew about the time she picked on me, somehow, but far more knew about the time Searing Wind almost attacked Stern Wing. I heard other rumors too, of course. That she was cracking under the stress of her job. That she had a family emergency. That one of her wings got some cumulative injury.

{Overall it was a depressing atmosphere, and I was not immune to it. The drill instructors sounded fine for the most part but I suspect they were just better at hiding their own feelings and they had their work to throw themselves into. I know they were not fools, however. They must have noticed a performance drop and they probably had a pretty good idea as to why. I kept expecting them to give the whole Academy a pep talk because of it, but they never did. It was almost as if they were embarrassed and wanted to sweep this whole issue under the rug as swiftly as possible and, until then, they acted like nothing was wrong.

{More than ever before, I got a growing feeling like I did not fit in with the Bolts or even my fellow cadets, those that were left at any rate. It was actually around this time more and more of them dropped out. Statistically that was expected given the history of the Academy, but I couldn't help but notice precisely when most of the drop outs occurred. It didn't feel like a coincidence that many more cadets dropped out just when things started to get depressing there.

{To be honest, I had thoughts like that myself. There were a lot of things going through my head and, over time, I started to notice an ever piling list of problems with me remaining with the Bolts.

{My wind control could make me the fastest and most enduring flier in the sky, though not necessarily the most maneuverable. To achieve my best speed, however, I had to make the winds blow on me very hard. I could focus and narrow those winds to increase speed within the wind tunnel while also minimizing the external intensity of the winds. It was a fine balancing art. To be sure, I had become the best flier I had ever been in my life up to that point. I learned many new fancy tricks and I greatly improved my own personal flying skills. For this reason alone it made my time in the Academy worth it but, beyond that, what else did I have to look forward to?

{Fitting in with the Academy socially was quite a chore. There was also the fact that I did not like to perform in general. Not in front of an audience. I was too shy for that, and that was a part of my personality too stubborn to be shaken off lightly. That alone blew a major hole in my incentive to remain with the Bolts. If they are a performance troops first and foremost, then me being shy was a huge flaw in my plan to remain with the Bolts.

{My wind control also messed up other ponies flight formations. The degree of precision control they needed as a team in the sky demanded that I refine my tactics but I just couldn't do that, though there were some advantages to my strategy too. I could give the other fliers a boost using the wind, and precision flying could also mean controlling the wind over my partners as well but it greatly complicated my efforts. There was so much to pay attention to already if I had to keep track of all my peers as well. It was just overwhelming. I'm sure, with a great deal of practice, I could get better at it, but not soon enough and never enough to be completely safe. If my inherent strategy for flying was a problem then it blew another huge hole in my plans to remain with the Bolts.

{I also thought about Searing Wind. She stood as a vivid example of everything I had once imagined about the best of the Wonderbolts. They could be an emergency response team when needed, and I was there personally when they did precisely that. Searing Wind was the very pony that saved my life but, upon closer examination, I learned that life was a great deal more complicated than the idealistic picture I once had in mind. Having seen her flaws up close, it made me realize the same was probably true of the rest of the Bolts in one way or another. They were all flawed in some way and they all had personal issues. Military training could never cancel that out completely. After watching the Bolts fall apart a little bit after Searing Wind quit, it made me realize that they might not have been as close or cohesive as I originally thought. It could be a sign of how much they cared about her, but it also indicated how fragile their morale could be. If those who can inspire you can also disappoint you, what do you turn to next for your heroes? The word itself can be quite ambiguous because it all depends on the perspective of the viewer, just like the opinions on what is considered beautiful.

{But perhaps the biggest problem with my time in the Academy came from deep within. Testing my limits was fine and, to a point, I'm glad I did it, but something felt off about disciplining the wind itself to that degree. The wind is an element of pure nature and, by it's very nature, it's meant to be wild and free. It can be useful at times and it always is when I need it to, but setting a schedule to it and fixed routine practiced over and over again . . . something felt inherently wrong about it. It's not to say I disrespect the ponies who find comfort in this lifestyle. It has many advantages. It's the best strategy for working as a team as effectively and efficiently as possible, but the wind . . . it didn't feel right to put it in a box and put a label on it. It wasn't meant to be a the beck and call of some militaristic force for their personal convenience and amusement for the masses. It is intrinsic to the entire planet, and that demanded a level of flexibility this kind of lifestyle doesn't easily allow. If I am the wind as well then my destiny is tied to the destiny of the wind itself, and the wind serves no individual pony. Instead it serves all creatures everywhere, and that's probably what I was meant to do as well. I was meant to serve all life by going where and when I'm needed the most.

{More and more I started to realize this lifestyle among the Bolts was too limiting. Like the wind, I'm supposed to be wild and free. I'm supposed to be ready to go wherever and whenever I need to go. Forcing the wind to serve a military can be done but it feels like swimming against the flow of the river. It feels like defying nature rather than cooperating with it. I don't begrudge those who choose to stay here, but more and more I started to realize why this path wasn't for me specifically.

{On the day before I quit the Bolts for the final time, I had a chance to speak with Sky Dancer about my experiences with the Bolts so far and how I felt about it. I told him everything. It irked me slightly that he didn't seem a bit surprised, like he already knew this was going to be the final outcome.}

“Sometimes you have to take the wrong path before you find the right one,” Sky Dancer pointed out. “Until you do, you'll never know why it was wrong to begin with. The right path isn't always obvious either. Well, it was for me, but this isn't about me. It's about you, and your life. It's about your destiny and your choices.”

“Do you really think I should quit?” Feather Wind asked with a wince. Even saying that made him feel dirty, like the mere mention of quitting was inherently wrong.

“It doesn't matter what I think. It matters what you think, so what do you think?” Sky Dancer reflected.

“I don't like performing, I can't seem to fit in with a social group that requires bold personalities and high egos, I hate competition, my hero worship of the Bolts ended up more complicated than I thought, my method of flying is disruptive to the rest of the fliers and I can't circumvent it, and it feels just plain wrong to try. I got this power in the first place by listening to the spirit of the wind but, ever since I joined the Bolts, the voice of the wind feels like it's backed off and quietly waiting for me to realize why this is a mistake. I hate the idea of labeling myself a quitter, but if I'm to serve Equestria in some larger role then . . . does it make it right?”

“The Wonderbolts was never meant to be a prison, it's supposed to be a privilege for those who really belong here. If you can't understand that, then you already have your answer,” Sky Dancer replied.

Feather Wind looked depressed. “I guess I do, but I still feel reluctant. Like it or not, I think there are some ponies here that look up to me. They look forward to seeing what I'll do next, and some ponies here are excited by the prospect of seeing the very first unicorn Wonderbolt.”

“Perhaps someday there will be, but don't let that mere idea shackle you. Stay only because it feels right, otherwise don't.” Sky Dancer gave a simple shrug. “The reason you came here was to find out if this place would be a right fit for you. If your experience is teaching you that it is not a good fit, then there is no shame in that. Most fresh cadets drop out within the first couple of weeks. You lasted two months. That's a testament to your endurance and your talents. You've already broken a lot of records here, and you've turned some heads for far more than one reason. It is a legacy you will always have in your life but, if you really are meant to do more with your life then, by all means, don't let this place hold you back from what you are really meant to do. When you do find your true destiny, it will feel perfect, just like the time you found your cutie mark except on a larger scale. That was just one moment of perfection. Being in sync with your destiny feels far better. It's about waking up every single day overjoyed to be alive. It's about looking forward to the challenges you face rather than dreading them. It's about loving your job so much that being paid for it simply feels like an unnecessary bonus because you love it enough to be willing to do it for free.

“I'll let you in on a little secret. While nearly every pony finds their cutie mark eventually, very few find their perfect destiny afterward. Most ponies go to their graves with regrets in their life, and this is why. Letting go of something that feels kind of right and kind of wrong can be very hard because you might feel uncertain if anything will replace it if you let it go. All I can tell you about that is be brave. Let go of the things that no longer serve you, and plunge onward.

“You told me that, at one time, you were so desperate to find your place in the world that you literally leapt off a cliff. The first time the wind had to save you from a lethal fall, and the second time you flew. Remember that feeling. Remember the time you went that far to discover your true self. The real danger of adulthood is complacency. It is the pitfall most of us get trapped in because most of us never escape it. Most of us tend to stay in it so long that we adjust and reorient ourselves into thinking that the hole is the new 'normal',” Sky Dancer said with hoof quotes, “but you are still young, and the wind is still calling out to you. Answer it. When you find your path, it will be far better than this one, and if this one feels good in any way then imagine how much better your true path will feel.”

“I've been thinking about something my father told me many times when I was younger, about how my mark doesn't chain me to one destiny. He said the fact I was a unicorn meant I was supposed to master magic as well. I was born in a family normally gifted with that. His argument, therefore, seems sound when I think about it, but here in this Academy I keep on being told, 'No-no-no! Quit with the hocus-pocus. That's not how we do things around here. We don't use magic like that. If you want to use magic, go back to a magic academy. This is the Wonderbolts Academy, and here we only train the best fliers in Equestria.' That argument is sound as well because it matches the intent of the Academy. Frankly, I was surprised I managed to get in at all but, after I did, I kept on encountering one barrier after another. Don't do this, don't do that, do it this way, do it that way. It all feels so terribly limiting.”

“Then imagine a destiny without those limits,” Sky Dancer encouraged. “A place where you can fly and cast spells to your heart's content. If you master both, well . . . there is no academy for that. There is an academy for each separately but not of the two combined into one idea. Maybe Celestia herself can give you a few tips but that's about all I can think of.

“It's perfectly fine to be the pioneer of a brand new art, but such ponies cannot look upon others for guidance when it comes to past experience. If you really are the first to do something, then you are the closest thing this world has to an expert in that particular field and that's fine! It's a bold and brave choice, but at least then you get the honor of being the first to do something. Also, when it comes to exploring a new art, wild freedom is a helpful tactic because there are no instructions for what you are about to do. You can write down those instructions as you discover them. As a member of the Scroll family, you should have some experience in this affair. Teach others how you did it then you won't be so alone.”

“What about you?” Feather Wind wondered. “How's life among the Wonderbolts treating you?”

“Me? It's great!” Sky Dancer cheered with a spread of his wings. “I can say this path is meant for me because I deeply appreciate every aspect of it. Flying with the Bolts is great. Inspiring the next generation of ponies is great. Being a pony that I once looked up to and wanted to be when I grow up is great. I will never tire of waking up in the morning and keep on doing this. I love this career path choice and I love my life, but that's just me. I'm my own separate pony. I'm me and you're you. You have to find your own way. Just like it was when you sought your cutie mark, keep on exploring until you find something that feels just perfect. Until you do find it, keep on exploring. Every wrong path you take guides you to the correct one, and therefore it wasn't a waste of time. Eventually, when you do find the right path, you can also look fondly at your memories of exploring the wrong paths because it added variety to your life. Trying a little of this and a little of that can feel fulfilling when you add it all up.”

“How will I know when I have discovered the right path?”

“You'll know it when the challenges within it, and there will always be challenges, feel fun and enjoyable. You will know you found it when you realize that everything you have done before that moment has been leading up to this. When you get there, everything falls into place and it just make sense. The only way I can best describe it is it's like the day you discovered your cutie mark. It's the same inner feeling except it's ongoing.

“Whatever path you're meant to follow, also know that the rest of Equestria needs you to fulfill that role. You were born for a special purpose. We all have! Finding that place also means being the perfect fit for every pony around you as well. When you do what you are meant to do and no other pony can take your place, well then . . . there is harmony.”

Feather Wind smiled fondly at his friend, then looked down, then looked forward. “I don't care how old I get. I will never stop looking at you as a mentor and a dear friend. You fulfilled those roles for me perfectly every step of my journey, and I am grateful to you for that.”

“Aw! Thanks, little dude.” Sky Dancer ruffled Feather Wind's mane with a noogie. “As I said before, it feels good to be an inspiration to somepony. Someday it will be your turn to fulfill that role for somepony else, and that's fine. The cycle will continue.”

Sky Dancer looked up, then said aloud, “Huh. 'Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn'. I remember that was the title of your first poem. That little poem has called me to you, and look what's happened since.” He looked at Feather Wind. “Every bird must leave the nest someday. Eventually I will have nothing left to teach you, so you'll have to learn the rest of your lessons on your own or find a new mentor who will further your potential to the next level. Our relationship feels perfect because it was meant to be by fate, and I helped guide you to your next step but only you can cross that final threshold. I have my own path to fulfill in the meanwhile, and I wish you luck on your own journey.” Sky Dancer spread his wings then said, “Take care,” one final time before leaping and soaring off.

{I sat there alone for awhile, contemplating what he said and the other conclusions I reached on my own. Eventually I took off as well, following the call of the wind.}

xoxo

Feather Wind sat at the top of a mountain that narrowed down to this one tip. Above him, there was a huge whirling cyclone of wind. Within that there were flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder spinning around him. It didn't rain on him. If those were rain clouds, it was more likely the water would be flung outside of that cyclone due to the centrifugal force of the spin. As Feather Wind looked up into this whirling storm, lightening flashes reflected in his eyes.

It didn't feel good to quit the Bolts. It felt like breaking a promise. That wasn't really true. Just about any pony was welcome to join or quit the Academy and, as Searing Wind clearly demonstrated, even making it into the Bolts officially didn't bar her from quitting. At each level of the ladder, no pony was stuck. The Academy could kick a cadet out of the Bolts or the individual could leave on their own volition. It works both ways. To get this far, however, required an intense commitment and that felt painful to just back out of. If he did, he had to wonder what would replace it.

Feather Wind closed his eyes and reviewed everything he knew. The wrong social group, the wrong technique, the wrong ideology, and most importantly the wrong feeling. His powers and abilities stemmed from a direct connection with nature itself, and one aspect of it in particular. If that's a hint to what he is supposed to do instead, then what did nature itself do?

Looking up into the sky, he realized the answer to that question was quite complicated, especially from the perspective of a single mortal being. What the sky did in totality required a very big picture to understand. The basic principle of it is similar to the blood circulating within his own body. He is made up of a vast variety of complex parts but together they work in harmony to serve a larger purpose. Nature itself is like that on a larger scale.

But he also had ego. He had self awareness. That's actually worked to his detriment more often than not, but it didn't have to be that way. Consciousness could be used for useful things too. It's all a matter of perspective.

When it came to his innate connection to nature itself, his feelings and instincts tended to be the better guide. He sat on that mountain at that particular moment because it simply felt right at the time. He felt like he needed that moment to help him ascend to the next level of his life. In order to do that, however, he had to learn to let go of the past. If it didn't serve him now then it needed to be abandoned. To be as light as air itself requires a heart free from burdens. He had to be willing to let everything go and be the wind itself.

So Feather Wind meditated like he did so many years ago. He'd been on many fun and distracting detours since then, but it was time to get back to basics.

He breathed in deep, then exhaled deep. Each breath he took filled him with magic and power.

As he listened to the wind, he started to realize his perspective was too narrow all along. The wind was available at his beck and call, true, but that was only a fraction of the truth. He was in tune with the entire sky and everything that was within it. The clouds, the rain, the lightning, the thunder. All of these things worked in tandem with each other. None of these things were complete without a willingness to look at the big picture.

So he flew upwards, drifted up by the wind. All he did was lighten his body weight. The wind itself carried him up to the center of the giant stormy cyclone. He spread his legs in every direction while keeping his eyes closed. He drew in everything around him. As he did so, he could feel the storm closing in around him. He found he did not have to open his eyes to see it. When he was really in tune with nature, he just knew where everything was instinctually. He could feel the flow and he let it guide him then, with a little more practice, he started to guide the flow himself. He had it duck and weave all about him. He felt like a conductor in a symphony. The sky itself danced to his music, then he used his own magic to project an inner song in his head. The sound of that song was carried in the winds and spiraled all around him, somehow amplified which turned the entire storm into a giant speaker.

As a test, he also suddenly froze the storm. All the sound around him ceased. Everything grew still and quiet except for rain which suddenly fell from the sky now that the clouds no longer tried to hold it up. Feather Wind drifted downward, falling as slow as a feather.

(I see. So this is my destiny, or at least my larger self,) Feather Wind realized. (I'm not just the wind, I'm the entire sky and all the weather within it. Interesting.)

All Feather Wind had to do after that was figure out what he should do with that power but, for that moment, it didn't feel like he had to do anything. He could just let the sky be itself, just as he should be himself. Having a great power does not require one to use it. Maybe it was better to simply realize it could be called upon but there was no urgent need to do so yet. The realization itself was the only important lesson for the day. Even if something came up later that would make this power useful, it did not have to be used to it's fullest degree. This power was too great, too mighty to require it's maximum usage every single time. Instead, it was important to learn to use it only as necessary and in the degree the problem called for. Until then, the default was to let the sky be itself. It did what it does for a good reason and, even when it did require direct manipulation (as pegasi do all the time), it was important to move with grace and purpose, and never further than the need called for.

Chapter Fourteen: Unexpected Friends and Enemies

{So I learned some things about myself in the two months I've been training in the Wonderbolt Academy and the cyclone storm somewhere elsewhere. Over and over again, I was drawn to nature. It told me a little about myself and my true talent, but my destiny on the other hoof . . . I think it more pointed the way rather than indicated an exact spot and screaming, “You're supposed to be here, darn it!”

{After I retired from the Wonderbolt Academy, I was given a more heartfelt send off than I expected. I kept thinking a lot of my fellow cadets were disappointed in me, but it turns out even the ones that dropped out earlier came back to wish me well. More ponies than I expected was disappointed in my decision. I think they were really hoping to see the first flying unicorn join the Wonderbolts officially. That would forever be an unbroken record because there can only be one “first” in anything, and my fellow cadets were looking forward to bragging to their grandfoals that they were there to see it happen first hoof.

{But the entire point of going to the Academy for me was to learn how to become a better flier and to find out if it really was a perfect fit for me. One reason after another kept hinting at the fact I missed my mark there. To this day it's still true that I became a way better flier because of their training, and I would forever be the first known unicorn to not only apply for the Academy but successfully attend as well. If any pony surpasses that record and becomes a full-fledged Wonderbolt, well good for that pony. It means that pony has something within him or her that I don't, and that's fine.

{As for me, I went back to my room in my father's manor while I sorted things out. During that time I got back to basics of studying, reading and writing. It was mostly just being idle while I contemplated my next move, and there I stayed for the next two weeks. During that time my social connections were quite limited, but not entirely absent.

{During that time I contemplated all the reasons the Wonderbolt Academy was wrong for me. They told me how to stand, how to talk, where to look, how to fly, how to breathe . . . yes, they even taught me how to breathe because that could be a major factor in how to fly. Everything in that environment was rigid and full of repetition. That felt wrong, so I started to wonder if the exact opposite had it's own problems as well. I remembered how I felt drawn to nature while I was busy contemplating my next move, so I decided maybe I should give that a dedicated try. Abandon everything, everything in society, and try a life as a hermit for awhile and see how well that worked out.

{Truth be told, I expected some problems with that strategy as well. I figured leaping from one extreme to the other would be just as bad but it would also give me perspective. It would teach me how bad it could get and why, and that feedback could help me find the right middle ground between the two. I went into this project fully expecting this would be a temporary experiment. Just like finding one's own true talent, finding my place in the world meant one experiment after another. Like a good old fashion game of “Guess the Pony,” I figured a good strategy was to try the grand experiments and test broad questions first then use that information to narrow it down to the perfect spot.

{For example, in the game of “Guess the Pony,” it's usually a good idea to ask if the one your opponent picked is male or female. Either way, the answer knocks out half of the other candidates, then you can try questions like “Is it an earth pony,” and, if the answer is yes, then that narrows down that half of the remaining ponies to one-third of that half. Basically I was doing the same thing in real life to try to find out where I belong.

{While my father was supportive of my interest to join the Wonderbolts, my new experiment definitely made him hesitate. He wasn't the only one either. No pony I ever talked to about the idea gave me a hoof's up with a great big smile and said, “Wonderful! That sounds like a fantastic idea! You go for it.” Instead, everypony was more like, “Are you sure? Are you really sure?” Even after telling them that this was just a temporary experiment, it didn't make them any more comfortable with the idea. Going out there in nature all alone had a large store of drawbacks. No security, no company, no conveniences and no medical assistance. Oddly enough, I did have a means to communicate with others if I felt like it. I could deliver messages to other ponies across the wind, and they could do the same to me just by mentioning my name. It was sort of a way to deliver a kind of letter back and forth, it could be done fairly quickly, and it cost me no bits.

{Even your mother was not thrilled with the idea, but she loved me enough to still be supportive. She hugged me and told me to do it if it seemed necessary to help me find my place in the world, but only with the promise to write her “letters” every day to let her know I was still okay. She also wanted a fairly accurate idea where I was so she could come over and help me in case of an emergency. It seemed like a wise compromise and precaution, so I agreed.

{I studied up on survival techniques then I took off with only my Mist Cloak on my back and a pair of saddle bags. This was very similar to the time I galloped away from home the first time except, this time, I kind of had permission, more ponies were aware of where I was going roughly, I was older, I was more knowledgeable, I had mastered more spells, I had masterful flying skills, and I had a little practical experience with surviving in the wild before. I remember the lessons Braeburn taught me in how to find edible seeds out in the wild. Water was certainly not a problem for me anymore. I had learned how to squeeze moisture out of the air and create a cloud anywhere. I brought no food with me, no books, no quills, no scrolls. I did bring a couple of saddle bags but they were empty. I figured I could fill them with some necessary knickknacks along the way. Food, for example. That was pretty much it. I just went for it.

{That is how I spent the following seven months. Most of that time was spent in a forested environment but I experimented a little with other places. Every night I made a floating sleeping bag of clouds which kept me off the ground and outside of the reach of any danger that couldn't fly. It was rare to find anything threatening enough that could fly. I learned to scour nature for food. My spells helped some in that regard, for example I had mastered a spell that could make food fresh again. I could just cast it over and over again until the food was entirely consumed.

{To be honest, I hoofled my time alone out there far more easily than I thought I would. I thought being away from other ponies and their conveniences would be boring, lonely and depressing, but I discovered I really felt at peace in nature. I sensed that, slowly, this process was going to become more and more of a burden, especially the lonely part but, in the beginning, it felt like a vacation from the trials I suffered through at the Academy. Now there was no pony to tell me when to wake up or set a schedule to anything. There was no rush to do anything. I could afford to take my time in any task. The most urgent things that kept coming up was hunger, sleep, hydration or need to relieve myself. I developed a very different relationship with time. A relationship that felt like I had infinite time to do anything I wanted so there was no pressure.

{I enjoyed listening quietly to the birds chirping or the wind brushing through the trees. I watched as dew drops dripped from one leaf to the next in the forest. It was so peaceful and relaxing. I trotted across the forest ground and flew through the skies. I did not feel like I was in danger. I was far more powerful compared to the first time I fled away from home. If I came across a hostile predator, I could just fly away or blow it away in more ways than one. Feeling that internal security within me helped me to enjoy my time in nature even more.

{So, while sitting on tree tops, mountain tops, or the clouds themselves, I realized that being this close to nature almost hit the mark. It wasn't quite perfect but it was a far better shot than my time at the Academy. This new kind of environment resonated with my soul far more closely, but again . . . it was a little off. With that kind of security and timelessness, I felt mostly at peace except for the loneliness. That, more than anything, was what built up negative pressure within me. It was something I had to solve before I could call this lifestyle perfect. As I thought on that, I realized that maybe just one pony wasn't enough to completely solve the problem. Somehow I needed the freedom to be myself by myself when I had to and yet also have the freedom to enjoy the company of other ponies whenever I felt the need for that. I needed shifting exposure. I needed each day not to be totally predictable.

{Be careful what you wish for. Life can be funny like that sometimes. When you do get your wish, it can come with unexpected consequences but learning to hoofle those problems might be exactly what we need to grow. For me, I can honestly say everything changed when your mother decided to pay me a visit.}

xoxo

{I'd been in regular contact with your mom often enough to give her a pretty good idea where I was at. When I heard she planned on paying me a visit for a week, I decided to make her job even easier by looking around and being near some obvious landmark. In this case, I told her to go to the forest about forty miles west of Canterlot then follow a big river until it led to a mountain with snowy peaks. I told her I'd be around the base of that mountain, facing eastward. Apparently that was good directions because she managed to find me with no problem.

{By then I was not used to talking anymore. I knew how to but was not in the habit of doing so, between the two of us, it was your mother that did most of the talking. She clearly had far more details to share, and I was amazed to notice the difference between our lives. Life in a civilization was a busy thing filled with so many daily complications. Conversely, my days were much like the ones before that and before that and before that. To say, “I saw a squirrel,” on a particular day was hardly any comparison to the news she had.

{That didn't matter for me. I was fine and at peace with myself, and I was also amused at all the antics she shared with me. While I was generally at peace, Stern Wing's presence did improve me emotionally so that helped to teach me this was yet another step in the right direction. Out here I had the freedom to be whatever I wanted, but I needed company too. I contemplated privately what kind of job was out there that I could do which would help fulfill all of these requisites for me.

{She planned to hang out with me for a week, but she wasn't with me for any more than a couple of hours when we both had a strange encounter which ended up having a major impact on the rest of our lives.}

“Help! Help me!” called a mare's voice behind them which had an ethereal echo to it. Both Feather Wind and Stern Wing paused in surprise, looked at each other with the same expression, then looked behind them as a ghost made of light formed behind them. Since the sun had recently set, this light stood out in the fading light all the more. At first this image was pure light but it formed into a more specific form of a mare wearing a long white gown and a veil over her eyes. She also had a very exotic curved horn unlike anything Feather Wind or Stern Wing had ever seen in their local area. The phantom had a white, long flowing mane.

“Help me, Feather Wind and Stern Wing! You're my only hope!” the ghost pleaded with them.

“What's going on here, and who are you?” Stern Wing asked as she spun about to completely face this new ghost. Feather Wind also did the same.

“That isn't important right now,” the ghost said. “What is important is that you two fly to my temple and rescue my daughter. I'm not really here right now. I'm sending you a projection through my magic.”

“Wait a second!” Feather Wind took a step forward. “You're Vision, aren't you?” By his side, Stern Wing regarded her friend in surprise. She had never heard of this pony before and was surprised that her friend did but didn't tell her.

“I am the oracle that warns other ponies of impending disasters,” the ghost acknowledged.

Feather Wind noticed how this spirit dodged his question, neither saying yes or no to it directly.

Feather Wind waved a hoof across the air. “Okay then, how about these questions? What danger are you warning us about this time? Where is your temple, and what is attacking you? Who is your daughter?”

“My temple exists far to the east across the seas of Equestria. Follow the direction of the rising sun and you shall find it. My daughter is the one that will help save Equestria from a rising disaster as well as bring about new hope, and as for the threat . . . you know what it is. You faced it before.”

Feather Wind's blood chilled. “I promised the Princess that I would avoid that threat,” Feather Wind informed.

“That fiend is assaulting my temple right now,” the oracle informed grimly. “My guards won't be able to keep him back for long. You are the only one who can fly here fast enough to make a difference. Please come and save my daughter. You are my only hope!” After she said that, she faded away. At the last second Feather Wind and Stern Wing barely saw the image of her head whip to the left direction as if she noticed something startling that way.

“What's going on here?” Stern Wing asked her friend in alarm. “You promised Celestia you would avoid what?”

“She also made me promise to keep that conversation a secret,” Feather Wind told her. “What I think I can tell you, as it relates to your own experience, is she was referring to the dark wizard that attacked the farm all those years ago.”

That declaration also chilled Stern Wing. She raised her head up and shifted it back a bit. After a few seconds of silence, she asked, “Are you going to go?”

Feather Wind nodded his head as he said, “I can't ignore this. The oracle may be right. Considering the distance, I may be the only one who can respond to this threat fast enough to minimize it. I've got to save her. She has helped so many other ponies many times before. In fact, she even saved me, albeit indirectly. I have to return the favor.”

“Then I'm coming too!” Stern Wing boldly and firmly declared.

“I figured you might volunteer,” Feather Wind said as his eyes shifted to look at her off a bit to his right side.

“What are we waiting for, then? Let's go save her.”

“Sure. Come with me.” Feather Wind leapt up. A burst of wind shot him up much faster. He put his hooves into each pocket of his Mist Cloak to allow it to catch the wind better. Stern Wing leapt after him and he had an updraft catch her own wings to help her ascend up quickly into the sky with him.

High in the air and far above the tree line, Feather Wind suspended himself in mid air using his telekinesis. He gathered his forward hooves close to his mouth as he also gathered an invisible ball of air. “Princess Celestia, it has returned! This time it's striking the temple of the oracle directly, most likely to silence her visions and warnings to you. She appeared before me like a ghost, just as you taught me, and warned me I would be the only one who would be fast enough to respond to this impending disaster. Please forgive me, but I must respond right away if I'm to have any hope of saving her. Take comfort that I have Stern Wing beside me as well. As to her temple, it exists somewhere in the far east. If you feel you must, meet us there or whomever you send. Hopefully, by then, I'll have minimized the problem. She has a daughter too, by the way, whom I must also save.”

After that Feather Wind whirled around three-hundred and sixty degrees. As he did so, a large wind sped faster and faster as he whirled around. When he returned to his original facing, a huge blast of wind shot away from him at high speed, then he said, “That wind most likely will shatter some windows and blow out some candles, but at least it will arrive to her as soon as possible.” Feather Wind spun about to face east. “Not soon enough, I'm afraid. If it is attacking the temple right now then I have no choice but to get there as fast as I can. I must warn you,” he looked at his friend, “this break neck speed will be difficult to endure, but I'll try to create a small wind shield in front of us to prevent our hide from rubbing off due to the sheer friction of our fast moving speed.”

Hearing that made Stern Wing gulp nervously, but she said, “Then do it.”

“Here we go. Spread your wings wide.” Stern Wing did so. A blast of wind met them and they shot off faster and faster as they flew off far into the east.

xoxo

Feather Wind and Stern Wing were traveling so fast that the land itself blurred beneath them, passing them by too fast to pick out any vivid detail. Besides, the wind was blasting into their face too fast to make it safe to keep their eyes open, and the wind screamed past their ears to make communication between them impossible.

{I had never flown that fast before that moment, especially for that long, not to mention bring with me another passenger. I literally could not keep my eyes open. If I expanded the wind shield in front of us, it would slow us down, and I figured we couldn't afford that.}

“If you couldn't see and neither could Mom, how did you know where you were going?” Star Breeze asked.

“I followed the call of the wind,” Feather Wind answered. “Both kinds, this time. The natural kind of wind and the evil wind. The closer I got to my destination, the more I heard the latter too. I guess you could say I flew more by instinct than anything else. I had attuned myself to nature enough by that point to know to trust it, and it did not steer me wrong.”

{Of course, that also meant there was no time to enjoy the scenery. I felt, more than saw, the ocean zip by underneath us. I could only imagine the tsunami of air I was dragging behind us with our unbelievable speed. We tore the sky apart as we flew across the world. Imagine if there was a force that could part the oceans and hold the two sides apart, then imagine if that force suddenly stopped. Without anything holding it back, the ocean water would rush in from both sides to quickly fill in the gap as soon as it could. Well, basically that was what happened in the sky. The reason there was a crashing thunder that rolled across the sky at terrific speed behind us was because our speed tore a hole open in the sky and created a temporary vacuum behind us, then that vacuum collapsed behind us which made a sonic boom as the air collapsed and smacked against itself.

{That was the furthest I ever traveled at that point but I did not enjoy it. I was too busy concentrating instead. That's basically all I remembered at that point. The painful friction of the fast moving air against my hide, the tight concentration that made me shiver with the effort, and the guidance of the wind. The journey was a constant strain until we got there. When I sensed us closing in towards our destination, I slowed us down rather than suddenly stopping. I knew I had to reduce the air drag behind us or that drag would rip us apart if we suddenly stopped and I did nothing to ease it down, not to mention anything else in front of us to suffer the brunt of that wind storm.

{Only when we were near more normal speeds did I finally open my eyes and searched around for the temple. I spotted it. On this side of the planet it was daylight. I saw a fat, round building bump up on a mountain top like a bubble frozen in time. Actually, it was more like several bumps rising up from a more square base.

{I hadn't even landed yet when I noticed the bodies of a bunch of pony corpses torn to shreds in front of the temple. Eerily, a large trail of blood went into the temple from that battle site. I never did see an entirely intact corpse in this area. Instead, it was only small bits and pieces spread out all over the area.

{Since the battle mostly took place at the base level, I thought Stern Wing and I would be safer entering the temple from above. I looked around, spotted a porch with a door on it then dove down to it. I had a column of air blast ahead of me to burst open the door before I arrived. It worked. Both Stern Wing and I landed safely.}

Feather Wind ignited his horn with a brilliant silver light to illuminate the room they had landed in. Neither Feather Wind nor Stern Wing paused long enough to savor the exotic decor of the room, but they noticed it long enough to realize that they were in a very unfamiliar culture. There were some paintings on the wall that mostly had nature scenery but a few ponies within it. There were some robes that was hung up on the walls that had fancy decorations on it and appeared to be made of silk.

Even here, the two ponies heard sounds of battle elsewhere on lower floors. There were shouts of angry but determined guards which quickly shifted to screams of pain and panic. This process kept repeating over and over again. Clearly these guards were having a lot of trouble stopping this intruder as the battle kept raging on.

Feather Wind moved to a door and placed an ear against it. He paused for awhile to listen then gave his partner a nervous glance. Backing his head away from the door, he nodded his head towards the door to indicate he thought they should move through it. Stern Wing nodded in agreement, clearly doing the best she could to hold back her own sense of panic. Feather Wind returned her nod to acknowledge the fact that he saw it then focused his attention on the doorknob. It glowed silver but would not turn. Feather Wind sharpened his concentration and used it to unlock the doorknob. It eventually worked which allowed him to turn it. He peered carefully and quite nervously into the next room which ended up leading to a large hallway.

“What does this oracle's daughter look like? How will we know when we find her?” Stern Wing whispered at her friend, her head above his as she peered into the hallway as well.

“Well, at least we know she'll be a girl . . . and probably somepony young,” Feather Wind whispered back. “Certainly younger than her mother, whom we've kind of seen.”

“What is this dark wizard? What are you not telling me?” Stern Wing prompted. “This is your last chance to warn me before we meet it in battle.”

“Do not fight it. It is immortal, possibly even invincible,” Feather Wind warned.

“What? That's impossible!” Stern Wing quietly cried out. “No pony can be that unkillable.”

“I'm sure that's what the guards that faced it outside also thought,” Feather Wind said back then slipped into the hallway beyond the door. Stern Wing followed.

As terrifying as the screams of the guards were, the silence that followed it was far more terrifying. The silence was not likely caused by the victory of the guards. One would expect them to be cheering in victory if that happened, but instead there was nothing. Just thick, eerie silence. Any noise either Feather Wind or Stern Wing caused at that point could easily be heard because of that. Feather Wind considered using his magic to lift himself and Stern Wing up off the ground just to eliminate the sound of their hoof clomps on the stone floor, but then it occurred to him that the light of his aura would stand out in the dark in that case as well as the subtle tingling sound of the magic aura.

The silence was so deafening that Feather Wind and Stern Wing started to hear their own heart beats. Every hoof clomp they made also made them wince in fear, deeply afraid that the sound would attract a most terrible and terrifying danger to them.

They both froze when they finally did hear another sound, and what they heard was quite chilling. It sounded like dozens of young foals laughing but with a ghostly echo to it. Feather Wind and Stern Wing glanced at each other, each noticing the other's wide eyes in terror. They both jolted a bit, startled, when it sounded like those young ghostly foals started singing a chilling nursery rhyme in unison.

“Tick-tock

Goes the clock

Into the here on after . . .

Tick-tock

Goes the clock

Until we're smashed to batter.”

The ghostly foals started laughing again as if they relished the idea of their own demise. The laughter rose to a fever pitch and it sounded like the crowd was thickening.

“Feather Wind,” Stern Wing whispered quietly. His very wide eyes looked at her. “I have never been more scared in my life.”

Feather Wind nodded in understanding.

“Come out!” one of the ghostly foals called out into the air. While it said that, the eerie laughter kept on continuing. Other voices also called out, different ones with each sentence but all of them very young sounding. “We want to play with you!” “Yeah! Come play with us!” “Come play!” “I do ever so enjoy a new playmate!” “Become a doll, just like us, then the laughter will never cease!” “Yeah!”

“I am seriously creeped out right now!” Stern Wing said with a shiver.

Both of them jumped, extremely startled, when a door beside them startled to wiggle but it didn't open. Feather Wind and Stern Wing regarded it wide-eyed. The doorknob wiggled back and forth for a few more seconds then stopped. After that a strange, high pitch wavy sound issued that could not possibly come from a pony throat. It sounded more like a bird hollering in pain. A few seconds later it sounded like the doorknob unlocked for some reason.

“S-s-stay behind me!” Stern Wing stuttered in fear as she stood in front of her friend and spread her wings. As terrified as she was, her instincts demanded that she defend her friend to her utmost ability. In a way Feather Wind was fine with that. If Stern Wing could delay whatever threat this was then he could concentrate on his magic easier which he could then use to defend her in return.

For two seconds there was a deafening silence again after the door got unlocked, then it burst open suddenly. One stallion burst through holding a stick that emitted a high pitch noise and had a light at the tip. Stern Wing cried out in both fear and determination. She stood up on her hind hooves, ready to stomp down on whatever threat was in front of her. While she held herself suspended on her hind legs, her forward hooves whirled around and around in front of her in a desperate hope to scare off whatever this threat was.

Unexpectedly, it actually worked. The figure that charged through cowered back and held a hoof in front of him to protect his face. It was the opposite hoof that held the noisy stick with a light at the tip. He also had to lean back a bit on his hind legs to maintain his balance.

“Calm down you . . . you menace. I can defend myself!” the stallion warned as bravely as he could but he, too, sounded a little afraid. “I must warn you, I'm armed with a device that can make your day very, very irritating.”

“Huh?” Stern Wing settled down. Feather Wind peered over her wing which she lowered a bit. Because she did that, the light of his horn illuminated the situation.

The stallion in question was an adult of average height and build. He was a light brown stallion with a much darker brown mane. His eyes were a shade of blue. He actually looked quite average and forgettable in most respects but his attire made him stand out a bit. He wore a white collar that hung a green tie. From this angle his cutie mark was not visible yet.

“Are you two the ones who were making that ghastly noise?” the stallion asked a bit defensively. “Confess, you two! I demand you answer me at once!”

“We thought you caused the noise,” Stern Wing admitted. As she said that, her nerves steadily calmed down, replaced with curiosity and confusion.

“Me?” the stallion looked taken aback as he landed back on all four hooves to the ground. “Well, I admit I can make a noise with this little device of mine here but, if you are referring to that ghastly laughter, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you. The two of you seem normal enough so I'm guessing that you didn't make the noise either, which means the culprit is still at large. Hmm.” He rubbed his chin in a thoughtful pose with one hoof. “Very interesting situation we've got here.”

“Is it clear out there, Doc?” asked a frightened mare from somewhere in the next room behind the stallion but pretty close to the doorway. That was when Feather Wind and Stern Wing realized this stallion had a companion of his own.

“It seems clear for the moment,” the stallion informed the voice, “but I'm afraid the source of the spooky voice may still be at large. Fear not, my faithful companion, for I shall protect you. You have my word. In the meantime, come on out and introduce yourself to my new group of friends here.” He regarded Stern Wing and Feather Wind. “You are friends, aren't you? For my part I come in peace unless you decide to harm us, then you shall feel a Time Lord's wrath!”

“Not unless you attack us first,” Stern Wing replied defensively. Her gaze shifted to the doorway as a new figure stepped out from the shadows. Indeed it was a mare, a gray pegasus in this case of a similar age and build to the stallion. She had a bright yellow mane that was a bit messy and unkept. Her eyes were yellowish at the top but a deeper yellow compared to her mane, and there was a hint of green at the bottom edge of her eyes. In her case her most memorable physical characteristic upon first impression was that she was somewhat cross-eyed, each eye not staring at the same direction. At that particular moment she was also shivering in fear, but she calmed down a little upon sighting two new potentially friendly ponies.

“You're not going to attack us?” the cross-eyed gray pegasus asked with rising hope.

“No. We shall not,” Feather Wind promised, figuring these two newcomers needed to hear that assurance to help calm them down further. Feather Wind also had a gut feeling that these two newcomers were not native to this temple either. Like themselves, these two were also visitors to the temple for some reason. How and why they got here was a mystery to him, if his hunch was correct.

“Then let's not waste any more time with introductions, for I feel that will help smooth things out,” the stallion proposed. “As for myself,” he gestured to himself with a hoof, “my name is the Doctor and this here is my lovely assistant, Miss Derpy Whooves,” he said with a gesture to his assistant when he introduced her.

“Hi!” Derpy gave a cute and innocent wave hi when she got introduced. She also smiled brightly for a moment and made a slight squee sound when she did.

“Well, my name is Stern Wing, and this here is my foalhood friend and very dear companion, Feather Wind,” Stern Wing introduced with a gesture to herself and then to her friend.

The Doctor looked confused as he asked, “Well? Aren't you going to ask me something?”

Stern Wing blinked in confusion. “Like what? Like what you were doing in that room back there?”

“No!” the Doctor said with a bit of annoyance until he realized something. “Actually, you have a fair point.” He rubbed his chin. “I suppose it would be a mystery why the two of us emerged from that room, but that's beside the point!” The hoof on his chin returned to the ground. “I just told you my name is the Doctor. Aren't you going to ask me, 'Doctor who?'”

Stern Wing squinted one of her eyes as she asked, “Why should I ask that? You just told me your name is the Doctor. Why should that imply another question?”

“Because everyone keeps asking me that!” the Doctor exclaimed as he threw up his forward hooves for a moment before replacing it back to the ground. “Doctor who this, doctor who that . . . everyone asks me that when I first introduce my name! At least, they used to before I came to this universe.” Suddenly he looked thoughtful. “You equines are clearly horses of a different color. Fancy that!”

Both Feather Wind and Stern Wing looked at the Doctor in confusion then passed the same look at Derpy simultaneously in the hopes she could explain this.

“Don't worry about it,” Derpy calmly assured with a wave at them with a hoof. “He may be strange, but he's the Doctor and he's going to save us all! I just know it. He always does.”

“Well . . . good! We could use a hero right about now,” Stern Wing said with relief.

Their meeting got interrupted by several noises down the hallway. This hallway intercepted another hallway at the end like a T section. The noise came from the end of the hallway and to the left, but it quickly galloped from that position then spun about in the middle of the hallway in sight of the Doctor, Derpy, Stern Wing and Feather Wind. It was a small squadron of stallions with a smaller filly between them who was breathing heavily and was an earth pony like them. The stallions each wore what almost looked like a uniform between them except it was very simple. They wore a gray garment over their torso that did not extend down any of their four legs. Instead of that, they had bandages wrapped down their four legs which extended down from the lower joint area of their legs passed the bending point. It also looked like they had a black streak painted across their face at their eye level. They paused as they examined their options which way to turn down the hallway. Some of them were armed with long sticks. When they spotted the newcomers down the hallway, some of them held their long sticks out towards them and asked in a defensive tone, “Halt! Who goes there?”

“No time!” another one of the stallions warned. “It's almost here!”

The stallion that asked the initial question glanced in the direction they came from nervously then looked back at the strangers. “Be ye friend or foe?”

“Friend!” the Doctor immediately replied as he stood up on his hind legs and raised both forelegs above his head. “Definitely friend.”

“Yeah!” Derpy agreed with a goofy nod that kind of made a rattling sound.

“We come in peace,” Feather Wind declared. “We were instructed by the oracle to come here and save her daughter. Is that her?” he asked, implying the young filly between them.

“You were summoned by the oracle?” one of the stallions asked with surprise and relief. They glanced at each other with growing hope in their eyes.

“Yes, indeed,” the Doctor said as he lowered his forward hooves back to the ground. “We were all summoned here by the oracle.”

“The one that last spoke lies, but he means well,” came a timid and slightly scratchy voice of the young filly between the group of guardian stallions. “The first one that spoke, though, is telling the absolute truth. My mother did summon him and his companion.”

“Then go to him,” one of the stallions instructed. “We'll cover your escape.”

“Please don't!” the young filly whined. “You cannot defeat it. Don't throw your lives away.”

“If it protects you, then our deaths will not be in vain,” one of the stallions assured. “Go now. Now!”

“I don't know how you are able to tell lies apart, but if you can detect that then detect this! I am the Doctor, and I save people!” the Doctor boldly declared. “Stick with me and do as I say and nobody has to die today! Not on my watch.”

“GO!” the same stallion yelled at the filly and whacked her butt with one end of his stick to drive her towards the strangers. Immediately after that they faced something the newcomers couldn't see and yelled out a battle cry as they charged after it.

“WAIT! COME BACK!” the Doctor yelled after those stallions, then grumbled in frustration, “Bah! Why doesn't anybody ever listen to me when I ask them to?”

“Feather Wind, she's blind!” Stern Wing realized with shock as they saw the young white-dressed filly charge down the hallway. Closer inspection also revealed that the filly was very light blue in color, almost to the point of being white. Her mane was stark white and a bit fluffy. In her case, the most striking visual detail of her was her faded blue eyes that was almost milky white. Upon noticing that last detail, Stern Wing called out, “Come to me! Follow my voice! We'll lead you to safety! I promise.”

The young filly charged right past them towards a door at the end of the hall.

“That works too,” the Doctor figured. “Everyone, get back there into that room. Let's regroup in a more defensible position.”

Derpy almost blindly obeyed until she noticed her companion was not following, so she paused a short way down the hallway and called over her right shoulder, “Aren't you coming too, Doctor?”

“In a moment. I have some foolish stallions to save!” the Doctor boldly declared while spinning his metal stick on one hoof. “Just go! I'll catch up as soon as I save this sorry lot.”

“No!” the young filly called back after she arrived at the next room, spun about and called back, “They are already dead. They sacrificed themselves to save us. Please, don't let their deaths be in vain!”

“Nonsense!” the Doctor called back defiantly. “It's never too late until . . .”

He was cut off by the sudden sounds of snapping and screaming. He looked forward again, startled, when he heard the sounds of battle already start but, based on those sounds, it seemed more like a slaughter. It was as if each of those stallions were rushing right into a hallway full of buzz saws. The sickening splash and cracking sounds conjured up mental images just like that.

But in only four seconds it was already over, replaced by creepy and sudden silence.

The newcomers and the young filly all froze in sheer terror, listening for any sound to replace that awful battle a few seconds ago, then it happened. The sound of slow hoof steps resumed it's journey down the hallway. Every other pony did not say a word or dare to make a sound. Onward the hoof steps continued, echoing in the hallway in the otherwise deafening silence. Sometimes the hoof steps sounded like it splashed in some kind of puddle, and every pony who heard that realized that sound was probably pools of blood. During this time, no other pony dared to move a muscle.

Finally the nightmarish pony emerged into view. The newcomers were frozen, dumbstruck, when they saw this pony finally emerge.

The pony in question moved in an awkward, irregular way. He twitched back and forth. His movements snapped into motion after a moment of building tension. He moved like he was a puppet on a string controlled by an awkward puppet master. His body looked like black oil that actually dripped on the ground and made a slight sizzling sound each time it did as if the oil was made of acid. His mane was made of black, flickering flame devoid of light. If anything, his mane seemed to make the area around him darker, as if the shadows around him thickened. It was the eyes that stood out to Feather Wind. He had many vivid nightmares of those same eyes. Those eyes were as wide as possible with an expression that indicated evil insanity, yet the pupils of the eyes were tiny and glowed red in the dark. Similar to Derpy's eyes, this pony's eyes were also not fixed at any one point but instead whirled around on their own accord. While Derpy was the picture of innocence, this pony was her perfect counterpart. Also, unlike Derpy, this nightmarish pony had a curved horn that appeared bloody red, and the black pony had no wings. This was a unicorn, albeit an extremely horrifying-looking one.

The twitchy head of this pony snapped it's gaze at the newcomers with a sickening snap of it's neck. Based on the sound alone, it sounded like it just killed itself right then and there yet it continued to stand.

“Well hi there, gorgeous!” the Doctor greeted as cheerfully as he could, trying his best to break the tension in the air and put moisture back in his own throat. “My, my, you're not creepy in the slightest, are you?”

“I can see in the DARK!” Puppet Master suddenly declared in what sounded like multiple voices speaking in unison, most of which had a rough texture to it. He twisted his head sideways with another sickening snap. “Can you?”

“Yeeeeeeaaaaaaah!” the Doctor said nervously as he took a few hoof steps backwards. “I'm, ah . . . going to have to get back to you on that one.”

“You will!” Puppet Master promised. “Soon . . . you'll all be able to see in the dark!” That declaration made him laugh in a hysterical, mad laughter. While that continued, the multi voice he once had gradually got more and more out of sync, starting to sound more like a crowd that did not laugh in unison anymore.

“Yeah, that sounds like it would be a lot of fun. Let's set an appointment on that. Like, how about sometime next never o'clock? How does that sound?” the Doctor said back as he continued to cautiously inch his way backwards.

Puppet Master's lower jaw suddenly dropped far too low to be natural. At the same time he screamed in his creepy multi-voice. While that happened, he wiggled his head back and forth fast enough to blur and kept on doing that.

“RUN, DOCTOR! RUN!” Derpy cried out to him.

“You'll get no argument from me!” the Doctor agreed as he spun about and galloped towards the door. As he proceeded he shouted, “SHUT IT! SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND ME!”

The group almost panicked when they saw Puppet Master charge down the hallway in a sudden burst of speed. He took only tiny little steps each time but he did it fast enough to blur, and the over all effect achieved a speed about five times faster than any normal pony could gallop. That hallway was eighty feet long and Puppet Master was crossing through it in just a few seconds. Another thing that was startling was his burst of speed. There was no warning. One second he was standing still and the next he was charging across the hallway at full and unnatural speed without needing to accelerate to that speed. It was as if some pony suddenly put him in fast forward. While he charged down the hallway, his face continued to wave back and forth in a blur and he continued his terrifying scream.

Derpy and Stern Wing both shut the door quickly the moment the Doctor charged through into the new room. They also leaned against it and it was a good thing too because, right after the door shut, an intense crash hit the door from the other side and almost knocked them down. The Doctor reversed his course and charged up against the door as well but, in addition to that, he aimed his metal stick at the lock of the door. The stick issued a high pitched whine. A second later the door suddenly locked. Mysteriously and eerily, the pushing against the door stopped as well.

“Did we do it?” Derpy asked in fear. She was shivering with fright as she asked. “Are we safe?”

“I don't know,” the Doctor replied. “Hopefully this door will hold it.”

They all froze, their blood chilled, when they heard a light scratching on the other side of the door.

“Let me in, little foals! Let me in!” came Puppet Master's frightening multi-voice plea in a faint voice. “I just want to play with you!”

“No thank you!” Stern Wing boldly declared with very wild, wide and frightened eyes.

“I'll give you candy if you let me in!” came Puppet Master's promise with a sinister voice. “You like candy? Of course you do! Every little foal likes candy! Or how about balloons? I'll give you balloons! I got all kinds of nice colored balloons for you, especially red balloons. They float. I promise you that my balloons float.” His voice suddenly got very hard and scratchy as he bashed hard against the door while he yelled, “THEY ALL FLOAT!”

“What are we going to do, Doctor?” Derpy asked in near hysteria. She fell to the ground and covered her face with her forward hoofs, and she constantly shivered in fright. “I'm scared, Doctor! I'm so scared!”

“Scared? You're scared?” the Doctor wondered aloud, then he suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. “SCARED! OF COURSE! Stupid-stupid Doctor! That's what this is all about!”

A little reassured by his realization, Derpy peeked at the Doctor through her hooves and asked, “What do you mean, Doctor?”

The Doctor turned about and leaned hard against the door, pushing at it with his back to reinforce it. To his side, Stern Wing was doing the same except she was pushing against it with her forward hooves. Looking back at his assistant, the Doctor declared to her, “Fear! That's what this is all about! Fear! That creature back there,” he pointed back at the door with a hoof, “wants you to be afraid of it. Every single detail of him is custom designed to inspire terror in the ponies he encounters deliberately, and why do you ask?”

“Why, Doctor?” Derpy asked.

“Why? Because, my lovely assistant . . . well,” he suddenly looked confused. “Actually, I'm not sure why, but what I do know is that is what he wants you to feel so it's very likely he draws power from it somehow.”

“Indeed he does,” Feather Wind agreed. “Princess Celestia told me that herself.”

“Oh. How is the old girl, anyway?” the Doctor asked pleasantly.

Before Feather Wind could answer, he felt the presence of evil magic within the room. He looked about as various things started to glow with a purple and blackish flaming aura. When that happened, the various objects affected started to bend and twist.

“That's his animation magic!” Feather Wind warned. “His name is Puppet Master, and he's very good with animation magic!” Feather Wind shook his head in disbelief. “But how can he do that without line of sight? That doesn't make any sense!”

“Regardless of his methods, I have a counter for that,” the Doctor declared before boldly holding up his metal stick. “Behold, my sonic screwdriver, literally the answer to everything. Just watch.” He aimed the device around each object that was emitting a purple/black glow. After a few seconds from the noisy device, the purple/black aura dimmed and the object stopped moving. He then aimed the device at another object and proceeded to do the same with that.

In some cases it was a little too late. A book, for instance, flew off it's shelf and started flapping it's way to the newcomers. Feather Wind intercepted it by hopping between Derpy and the little filly. From there he erected a hemispherical force field. The attacking book bounced off the force field.

“Quick thinking, Feather Wind!” Stern Wing cheered at her friend as she continued to hold back the door, leaning heavily against it.

The Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at the flying book. It's purple/black aura dimmed and then the object dropped to the ground. The Doctor proceeded to aim his device back and forth at various objects that started to glow black. While he did so he declared, “Derpy, I want you to ignore your fears. Don't think of it. Think of anything else. That goes for the rest of you too. If this creature feeds off of fear somehow then that is the last thing we should feel right now.”

“I can't, Doctor!” Derpy complained in a frightened voice. “I'm too scared!”

“Think of something else, Miss Whooves! Think of anything that gives you happiness and comfort,” the Doctor encouraged, then realized something. “Ooo! I know! Think of muffins!”

“Muffins?” Derpy reflected, immediately perking up and sounded a lot better.

“Yes!” the Doctor cried out triumphantly. “Think of muffins. Think of how tasty each of them are. I want you to do something for me, Miss Whooves. I want you to do something and this is very important! I want you to list to me every single kind of muffin you can think of. You hear me? Every single kind you can think of.”

“With pleasure, Doctor!” Derpy cheered brightly then proceeded to gradually list practically every single kind of muffin that ever existed on the planet. With each item she listed, she tapped her right hoof on top of her left. Typically her whirling eyes shifted back and forth with each separate item she listed. From that point on she seemed oblivious to anything else that happened in that room until awhile later.

“As for you,” the Doctor said with a brief point at Feather Wind with the sonic screwdriver before aiming the device and canceling the purple/dark aura off another object. “You seem to know a little about this pony we're facing right now. Care to shed a little light on the situation, if you so please? I would be most appreciative.”

“I'd like to know as well,” Stern Wing agreed with a slightly hurt and slightly accusing look back at her friend.

“It's not my fault. Princess Celestia told me to keep this a secret. You remember that one time I was summoned by her after that Wonderbolt's game?”

“I do,” Stern Wing recalled, and in doing so her expression calmed down a bit. “So that's when she told you. That was over six years ago.”

Feather Wind shook his head. “It doesn't matter how long ago it was. I had to keep my word to her.”

“But I made no such promise,” declared the young filly. “His real name is Toy Box, and he used to make toys for the delight of young fillies and colts. It brought him joy to see them happy.”

“I'm guessing something went wrong, then,” the Doctor figured with a sharp look at the door behind him.

“Yes.” The young filly looked down sadly. “I haven't seen what happened clearly in my visions, but what I do know is something happened that made him very, very sad. Something so terrible that he went insane with grief and unknowingly invited the heart of shadows into him. Ever since then, he became the fear feeding pony known as Puppet Master.”

“Wait a second!” Feather Wind realized something in astonishment. “Your name is Vision, isn't it? You're the one with visions of the future!”

“Yes,” Vision confirmed.

“I thought you said the ghost we encountered was the oracle,” Stern Wing reminded her friend then winced tightly when Puppet Master smashed hard against the door, proving very clearly that it was indeed necessary to brace the door as heavily as they could.

“No,” Vision said with a shake of her head. “The one you encountered was the projected spirit of my mother. She is not the one who has the visions, she is the one who shares them after I tell her.”

“That's why she is so determined to protect you, besides the fact she's your mom,” Feather Wind realized.

“Where is your mom?” Stern Wing asked in concern then held back another door smash.

“I do not know,” Vision said sadly.

“But I thought you were psychic,” the Doctor inquired.

“I do get feelings and impressions when I am awake, mostly, but my visions of the distant present, past and future mostly occur when I'm asleep,” Vision explained.

“I see,” said the Doctor. “Still, that is a very remarkable gift. I take it that's how you were able to tell that I was lying earlier?”

“I can feel the hearts of other ponies around me,” Vision said. “That's how I know they are lying. That's how I know what they are feeling.”

“Then what you're telling me is that you're empathic,” the Doctor figured, then rolled his eyes. “Great! You'll be the bane of my existence, kid. There are many reasons I have to protect my secrets. Please don't go prying too much into my hearts.”

“You are so weird!” Stern Wing said numbly to the pony by her side.

“But, while you sleep, your powers are amplified, and you become a downright seer,” the Doctor went on to Vision after passing a brief glance at Stern Wing following her comment beside him. “Actually, this could be useful, but I take it you have no control over the visions you receive?”

Vision shook her head. “None whatsoever, but the timing of the day is a factor.”

“Explain,” the Doctor encouraged.

Vision looked down with her blank, white milky eyes. “When I sleep during the night time I get nightmares about terrible things that will happen in Equestria, but sometimes it is warnings of a future that can be prevented if acted upon quickly enough. When it comes to the present or past, though, I see horrible things that I cannot prevent.”

“The night?” the Doctor queried. “Why would you only get nightmares during the night time?”

Vision answered immediately, “Nightmare Moon.”

“Oh! I see!” the Doctor realized. “Your moon princess is still locked up in the moon during this time, isn't she? What is it, nine-hundred years so far in your time?”

“That's an odd question,” Stern Wing observed.

Feather Wind considered that question very noteworthy because it caused him to realize something important about his new companions.

“Yes, yes. I'm a very odd pony. We've already established that so it's best to get used to it,” the Doctor encouraged her, then asked Vision something else, “but why just during the night time? Why do you suffer nightmares only during the night time? What changes during the daylight?”

“Because, whenever the moon rises, that is when Nightmare Moon is awake. She rules Equestria in ponies dreams and, to those sensitive enough to be influenced, like me, she deliberately tries to inflict as much terror as she can. However, during the day time, Nightmare Moon also goes to sleep. She is nocturnal, you see. During the daytime she is asleep as well and, in her dreams, I encounter her other self, her true self, Princess Luna. Deep down she's still in there and, if I encounter Luna, she influences positive dreams or at least dispels nightmares. During those times I dream about good things that is happening, has happened or will happen in Equestria. For example, I see towns end their bickering, I see the birth of new foals, I see weddings. Things like that.”

“Can you actually visually see in your dreams?” Feather Wind inquired towards Vision.

“If you mean visually like you can, then sort of. Actually, I'm not really sure. I was born blind. I do get a different sense when I dream, though. I can tell you that much. A different sense from when I'm awake. I'm not sure if it's how you see the world. All I know is what it's like for me.”

“A fair answer, I suppose,” Feather Wind accepted then regarded the Doctor as he said to him, “You're from the future, aren't you Doctor?” Feather Wind asked the Doctor. “Both you and Derpy Whooves?”

“Now why would you say that?” the Doctor asked with a coy smile. Before Feather Wind could answer, the Doctor grew horrified when the door he leaned against started glowing purplish/black. He looked back at it with wide-eyes of terrified disbelief. “Oh no! Oh no-no-no-no! That's not fair! That's grossly unfair!”

“What is it? Just stop it with your sonic screwdriver like you did for everything else,” Feather Wind encouraged.

“I would, but this thing can't affect wood!” the Doctor declared in horror while holding up his sonic screwdriver. “The fact that he can is appalling!”

“Wait!” Stern Wing widened her eyes. “If you can't stop this then does that mean . . .?”

The Doctor pushed away from the door and turned to face it while backing off a bit. “I'm afraid so. I can't stop it this time.”

“Puppets are normally made of wood,” Feather Wind pointed out. “You really didn't account for this? He can animate anything!”

“Good for him, bad for us,” the Doctor said grimly. “Brace yourselves.”

This new activity disrupted Derpy's list of muffins. She regarded this new event with renewed terror. While that occurred, Stern Wing pushed away and backed off from the door. When she stood beside her friend, she reached a wing back to him without looking. He took it with one of his own hooves to comfort her.

“About all I can report that might be helpful right now is to strongly advise you all not to attack him,” Feather Wind cautioned. “If you do not, he will not attack back and instead be more content to scare other ponies. That's why most of his previous victims survived their encounter with him despite how deadly he is, or at least that's what Celestia once told me. Vision,” Feather Wind looked at the little blind filly, “did any of your visions tell you how we can defeat Puppet Master?” Feather Wind asked her in desperate hope.

“Right now you can't,” Vision promised grimly. “You can't hurt him because that's not really his true body, although it used to be a long time ago. His true body is a black crystal somewhere within that puppet corpse he's animating, and that can't be damaged except with the Red Crystal.”

“The Red Crystal!” Star Breeze exclaimed. “Meaning, the one you're wearing on your neck right now! I think I get it, or at least . . . I'm starting to piece things together.”

“Red Crystal?” Feather Wind inquired with rising hope back in the past, still regarding Vision.

Vision shook her head. “It's not here. It's in the far north. My visions had shown me guiding you to it, but only you can find it in the end. You'll find it in a place that's very dark and cold.”

“Wait. If your visions shows you showing me where it is and it hasn't happened yet, doesn't that imply we survive this encounter now somehow?” Feather Wind asked hopefully.

“Probably, but I don't know how,” Vision informed. “What's more, my visions of the future can be changed, even if they are good futures. The fact I saw it once doesn't mean it will always happen, only that it is one possibility.”

“Then I suggest you all let me do the talking, okay?” the Doctor requested, winning Feather Wind's attention. “Everyone else, stay quiet and let me handle this. This may be our last chance.”

The door bent and twisted, bending inward into the shape of Puppet Master's head. It grinned a wide, sick and twisted grin before the door seemed to melt away entirely which then revealed Puppet Master standing behind.

“Hello, little foals,” Puppet Master greeted with his multi-voice. “It's so good to see you again! We're going to have such fun together as we play. Yes, yes indeed!”

“Hold it!” the Doctor declared with a bold forward thrust of one of his hoofs. “I have credentials here that might interest you. I finally recognize you. We serve the same master!”

Both red eyes snapped at the Doctor. It was hard to tell what the dark pony was feeling, but his attitude and silence suggested skepticism.

“It's true! I have the paper work right here.” Then, very oddly, the Doctor pulled out an object from what apparently was a pocket built into his flank just above his cutie mark which, Feather Wind finally noted, looked like an hourglass half full of sand. Stern Wing and Feather Wind snapped a surprised look at each other for that latest observation. Since when did ponies have built-in pockets?

The Doctor flashed the object at Puppet Master which, in this case, seemed to be some small leather thing that unfolded in half. He showed Puppet Master one end of it and seemed confident that it would somehow help to diffuse this situation.

“The crest of the Dark King!” Puppet Master declared in astonished recognition. “You also serve the Dark King?”

“Yes. Yes I do,” the Doctor said confidently without missing a beat.

“He's lying,” Vision whispered under her breath.

“The Doctor often does,” Derpy whispered to her, “but he means well when he does. Trust in him. I have faith in him. Am I lying to you?”

“No,” Vision admitted more calmly.

“I am the servant of the Dark King,” the Doctor went on as he picked up a dramatically menacing voice like a classic villain, “and he's very cross with you!”

Puppet Master appeared to growl for a moment, but he also seemed to react nervously. Eventually he asked, “Why?”

“Because this is my mission, you imbecile!” the Doctor declared with a bold stomp of a hoof. “He sent me to retrieve this sorry lot, and here you are getting in my way. Of course, he might not be aware of the extenuating circumstances, and I'd be happy to explain it to him if you explain it to me first. He didn't tell me that you would be sent here as well, so why are you here?”

Puppet Master twisted his head almost completely sideways. He twisted it far enough that it would have killed any living pony. As it was, that action was made with a sickening snap. He did not answer the question right away.

“Answer me,” the Doctor demanded with dramatic flair, “or you'll feel the wrath of a very angry Dark King! You wouldn't want that, would you?”

“No,” Puppet Master admitted a bit sheepishly.

“Wait a second!” the Doctor realized something. “How do I know you are a servant of the Dark King? I showed you my credentials, but you have yet to prove yourself. Tell me then, if you really are a loyal servant of the Dark King . . . then you'll tell me his name. His true name!”

Puppet Master grew a wide, creepy grin, then said, “Sombra!”

“Som . . .” Derpy almost screeched but stopped herself by slapping both of her hooves over her mouth.

Feather Wind was surprised as well. He, too, recognized that name. He also realized that if she and the Doctor came from the future and they recognized the name Sombra then it implies that King Sombra played some meaningful role in the future, and that didn't sound good except they apparently survived it somehow.

(Maybe that's why they are traveling through time,) Feather Wind thought. (Maybe they are trying to find a way to undo what King Sombra did in the future.)

“King Sombra. Good. Very good,” the Doctor said. “You said his name correctly. Praise him. Praise the Dark King.”

“The Dark King shall rise!” Puppet Master declared. “All shall praise his mighty name!”

“Of course,” the Doctor agreed. “That's what I am doing here. What are you doing here?”

“I've come . . . for the foal of visions!” Puppet Master said as he eyed Vision as if she were a tasty snack.

“To seek information, I take it?” the Doctor guessed.

“Yessss!” Puppet Master agreed with a sinister hiss. “I seek the one of his bloodline. The Dark King's bloodline. In their blood there is power, and it shall help our glorious king to rise!”

Feather Wind grew both amazed and sick.

(In other words, me!) Feather Wind realized in shocked horror. (Puppet Master attacked this monastery specifically to seek me out. All these ponies died because of me!)

“That's strange,” the Doctor said quizzically. “That's strange because that's why I am here.”

“Give up the foal!” Puppet Master demanded in a rough, monstrous growl.

“Now hold on, there!” the Doctor objected. “I already told you I was here on the same mission, and, unlike you, I already have the answer.”

Puppet Master appeared to salivate like a savage, rabid dog. Black oil dripped and sizzled on the ground.

“And I will kill this child before you steal my prize away from me!” the Doctor declared as he aimed his mostly harmless sonic screwdriver at Vision.

“WAIT!” Puppet Master cried out in fear. “Give it to me! Give me the information! Let me be the one to deliver the blood of his kin to the Dark King!” Puppet Master begged.

“Well,” the Doctor waved the sonic screwdriver up and down while still aimed in Vision's general vicinity. “I suppose you do need to make it up to him for nearly botching my mission.”

“He didn't tell me that you would come!” Puppet Master complained.

“Nor did he tell me that you would come,” the Doctor pointed out. “He might be testing our loyalty to him, so here's what I'm thinking. Let's share the credit. I'll tell you where to find his blood kin and I'll even let you be the one to make the delivery if you let me tell him I gave you the information in the first place. That way both of us can win and avoid his wrath.”

Puppet Master gave a sinister grin.

“Sound fair?” the Doctor checked.

“Agreed,” Puppet Master said with a sinister hiss. “Tell me where his blood kin is.”

“His blood kin is to the far north-east of us, in the scorching desert. You will know her as a purple pony with a rainbow mane, mismatched colored eyes and a cutie mark of a cupcake with a really angry face on it that looks like it wants to take over the world,” the Doctor lied, then inquired, “Will that be enough information for you?”

Puppet Master gave a wide, evil looking smile as he slowly started to drift backwards, seemingly without needing to move his legs. As he withdrew, another nursery rhyme issued from disembodied ghostly foals.

“Tick-tock

Goes the clock

Which soon reveals everything . . .

Tick-tock

Goes the clock

Until the rise of the Shadow King.”

Following that sound was the constant laughter of the ghostly foals.

“Wait for it,” the Doctor cautioned while holding a hoof back at his other companions without looking back at them. “Nobody make a move or a sound. Just let him quietly withdraw.”

That was what happened. Every pony remained perfectly still as if their life depended on it, for it very likely did. This monster was extremely dangerous and could probably rip them apart with ease, and meanwhile was unkillable itself, at least for the moment.

When at last it seemed Puppet Master completely withdrew, the Doctor cautiously went to explore the next hallway and saw something startling.

“Oh dear. I'm sorry. Derpy, I am so, so sorry for bringing you here,” the Doctor lamented.

“What?” Derpy grew scared. “What is it, Doctor?”

“I'm going to need you to be very brave for me,” the Doctor said back to her. “I need you to hold onto your courage for just a little longer. If you can do that, we'll all make it out of here alive.”

Fear deepened in Derpy's eyes as her pupils shrank. “What is it, Doctor? You're scaring me.”

“Which is exactly what I need you not to feel, or at least not show it,” the Doctor told her. “I just told him that I am the servant of the Dark King. I even implied that we all are except for Vision. A servant of the Dark King probably will show no fear of his, um . . . grizzly decorations out there on the walls of the hallway.”

Derpy suddenly held her breath to keep herself from screaming which actually caused her to make an adorable squeaking noise.

“I need you to not scream, and it's probably best if you keep your gaze fixed forward. While you tread this hallway, think of muffins. Keep that locked in your head and we'll all be fine. Can you do that for us?” Derpy nodded silently. “Good. Muffins will save us, Derpy. Muffins will win us the day. When we get back to the Tardis, we shall have muffins as your reward for being brave here. Okay, Miss Whooves?”

“Okay, Doctor,” she relented, “but remember, you promised!”

The Doctor crossed a hoof over each side of his chest and said, “Cross my hearts, and hope to fly, and stick a cup cake in my . . . wait a second. Does it have to be a cup cake? Why not a bagel or a good old fashion English Muffin?”

Derpy nodded fiercely then said, “Muffins are good, but you can keep your icky English Muffins. Eck. Those aren't muffins! Those are impostor muffins. Ew.”

“Well, one does get used to it eventually,” the Doctor said in English Muffins defense, then said, “Same goes for all of you,” the Doctor warned the rest of the group. “I don't know the rest of you as well but, whatever gives you happiness and courage, keep that in your mind as we cross this hallway. I'll take you all to a place I know you'll be safe if you follow me.”

“To the same room you came from?” Feather Wind guessed.

“Yes,” the Doctor answered.

“To your time machine?” Feather Wind probed further.

“I'm not accustomed to being asked that before others see my time machine, but yes,” the Doctor admitted.

“Must be pretty small to fit in that room, then,” Stern Wing figured, then shook her head. “Hey! Are you serious? There really is a time machine in there?”

“Time And Relative Dimension In Space, or Tardis for short,” the Doctor explained, then waved them all to approach with a hoof. “Now come on. Let's all get this nasty business over with. Each of you remember to keep your cool in this room, and somebody please help escort the blind child by hoof.”

“I'll do it,” both Derpy and Stern Wing said simultaneously. They then glanced at each other.

“Or you could,” Stern Wing invited.

“No, you asked first. I don't want to be rude,” Derpy returned.

“No, you go ahead,” Stern Wing returned.

“Why don't you both do it?” Feather Wind compromised. “Each of you escort a side of the pony. Together you can guide her down the hallway.”

Derpy and Stern Wing looked from Feather Wind to each other. Stern Wing shrugged and said, “Sure, that sounds fine to me.”

Derpy agreed and said, “Yeah. Works for me too.”

The Doctor sighed as he noticed something else down the hallway which made him turn back to Feather Wind and say, “I'm going to need you to ignite your horn just a little bit in the hallway. Enough so that we can dodge the mess on the floor but not brightly enough to illuminate the walls. Can you do that?”

“I can try,” Feather Wind said with mild confidence.

“The good news is we only need to make it half-way down the hall,” the Doctor pointed out, then he realized something. “You got any news about your mother?”

Vision shook her head. “She just told me to leave with those guards. She sounded like she had a plan, though. I still feel her. I know she's alive.”

“I hope she's well,” the Doctor said as he looked down the hallway again. “After we take off from this place, I feel very little incentive to return in the near future, so hopefully she's well.”

“My mother is a powerful and resourceful mare,” Vision assured. “I know she will be well. We're the ones in true danger right now.”

“Then let's change that,” the Doctor declared. “Onwards and upwards, my friends.”

The group proceeded down the hallway. The first sign that something was amiss was the smell of torn bodies and blood down the hallway. The second sign something was amiss was when some of those corpses started talking to the group. This was none other than the guards that originally escorted Vision to this hallway, or at least parts of them. They hung up on the walls in grizzly poses, and some of their body parts were replaced with plastic ones as if Puppet Master was in the process of re-configuring their corpses into that of a doll but didn't finish yet.

“Come play with us!” one of the corpses invited them with dead eyes and eerily foal like voice.

“Yes, play with us!” invited another corpse.

“Do you want to become a doll, like me?” asked a corpse on the ground that was only the upper half of a pony torn by the mid torso, his guts and blood spilled all over the floor of the hallway.

“We'll look so pretty together!” invited another further down the hallway. “We'll dance, and sing, and brush our pretty manes! Oh, it's going to be so much fun!”

Derpy tried really hard to ignore them but their comments drew her attention for brief moments. During their trip down the hallway, she held her breath entirely to keep from exploding with a scream. With every corpse they passed and every comment they made, her head shook harder and harder in an intense effort to keep from screaming. One could almost hear steam spewing from her ears due to the building pressure in her skull.

Chapter Fifteen: Odd Family, but Still Good

“Oh please tell me this story has a happy ending!” Star Breeze begged in fear. “That Puppet Master is going to give me nightmares for weeks after this! Happy birthday, Star Breeze! Here! Have a red balloon for your birthday! It floats, apparently!”

“I was about to get to that, and already I can tell you that I met dear friends too in addition to a horrible abomination. Both happened at the same time. It was almost as if they were there to help me get through this awful trial,” Feather Wind pointed out.

“Were they really time travelers?” Star Breeze asked in amazement.

“Time and space travelers,” Feather Wind corrected. “Their time machine could travel anywhere and anywhen.”

“How can it do that?” Star Breeze asked in astonishment.

Feather Wind shrugged. “I don't know. It seemed too complicated for me. They later told me it was Time Lord technology.”

“What's a Time Lord? You mentioned that once before and I almost stopped you and asked you that question back then.”

“The Doctor's race, apparently,” Feather Wind answered.

Star Breeze widened her eyes in astonishment. “By Celestia! He's an alien from outer space?”

“Do you want to hear the rest or not?” Feather Wind offered. “I could stop the story here and leave you in suspense.”

“I am getting a little tired, but I don't want to stop just when you filled my head with grim images of Puppet Master! Please tell me something a little better before I go to sleep tonight.”

“Tell you a bedtime story?” Feather Wind asked with an amused grin.

“Basically.”

“Okay then.”

xoxo

“This is it?” Feather Wind asked in disbelief as he beheld a blue box about three feet wide on each side of the box and five feet high. It had a text along the top of it too and he could actually read it. It said, “Police Call Box,” but he certainly did not know what that meant. There was also a little light on the top of it for some reason but it was not on at the time. “That doesn't even look like it will fit the two of you let alone the five of us!”

“It does seem a bit small,” Stern Wing agreed.

“Derpy, it's your turn to explain,” the Doctor declared as he charged right into the box after opening it. “I need to steer this thing and get us the heck outta here!”

“Certainly, Doctor,” Derpy accepted then waved at the three of them to enter. “Please, do step into the Tardis. I promise you there is plenty of stretching room inside.”

“It's bigger on the inside!” Feather Wind already realized because, when the Doctor entered earlier, his voice faded away as he spoke as if to suggest he gained more and more distance from them as he spoke. Also his voice bounced off other objects within which also seemed to indicate the box had a surprising amount of space within it.

“What? That's physically impossible!” Stern Wing objected.

“And a time machine is more believable?” Feather Wind countered.

“Ah . . . good point,” Stern Wing conceded.

“Look. Obviously we're dealing with unusual technology here,” Feather Wind remarked. “We may have to suspend disbelief for a moment and plunge onward.”

“I couldn't have said it better myself!” Derpy cheered. “Please enter,” her eyes suddenly grew very small as she said in a frightened tone, “so we can quickly get away from here!”

“I second that!” Feather Wind agreed wholeheartedly.

Vision didn't say anything. She just proceeded inside.

“Ooo, careful! Watch your step!” Derpy cautioned as she rushed in after the little filly.

“Shall we?” Stern Wing asked after a deep in and outtake of breath.

“We shall,” Feather Wind agreed. “Onwards and upwards, I guess.”

“I heard that!” the Doctor complained deep within the box. “That's my line, thank-you-very-much. Patent pending.”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing both stepped inside one after another then breathed in astonishment at the incredible space within the small blue box. Most of the controls seemed to be in the center of the room but there was a great big spinning things moving several directions above what seemed to be a circular console.

“Welcome to the Tardis!” Derpy cheered back at the two of them, calling back to them over her left shoulder while a hoof steadied Vision carefully. “Please, shut the door so we can get on with this.”

Feather Wind looked back and used his magic to shut the door without directly touching it.

“I've seen this place in one of my dreams!” Vision marveled. “It was in one of Luna's dreams too! Oh, it's so fantastic to finally be standing here!”

“Yep, yep! She is a beaut, isn't she?” the Doctor declared proudly while he fiddled with some of the controls. “It can take us anywhere and anywhen. Imagine, all of time and space just out those doors. Anywhere and anywhen you want to go at our fingertips right here.”

Stern Wing looked at the Doctor strangely. “The what tips?”

“He says strange things like that all the time,” Derpy explained with a shrug. “It's just one of his quirks. You get used to it eventually.”

“Not like your pony puns here in this world!” the Doctor said back in amusement. “I swear, the way you ponies describe some things kind of reminds me of some kind of children's toy commercials.”

Derpy yapped her lips silently to mock the Doctor behind his back. When Stern Wing giggled in amusement at that, Derpy flashed her a sheepish but also amused smile.

“Hang onto your butts!” the Doctor warned before he yanked the final leaver. After that the machine they stood on made a strange mechanical wheezing over and over again. During that time, the occupants within grew unsteady. Derpy immediately covered Vision with her hoofs and wings. Stern Wing spread her legs for a more sturdy stance, and Feather Wind wove back and forth like a drunken pony for a moment before he used his magic to float off the ground and not touch anything.

“A little more warning next time!” Feather Wind bitterly complained to the Doctor.

“Ah! Where's the fun in that!” the Doctor playfully chided. “I'm taking you through time and space. Where's your sense of adventure?”

A few seconds later everything settled down. A new fading sound effect replaced the sound of the mechanical wheezing.

“Here we are! All safe and sound!” the Doctor proudly declared as he hopped over a rail near the console.

“Where are we, Doctor?” Derpy asked curiously. “Also when are we?”

“Same bat time, but different bat channel,” the Doctor answered as he made his way to the front doors.

“Huh?” Derpy cocked her head. She wasn't the only one confused. “Doctor, you're so weird sometimes. Even I can't understand you.”

“Voila!” the Doctor said in an introductory tone as he flung open the Tardis doors. “I give you . . . your planet . . . as seen from orbit.”

“What?” Feather Wind asked in astonishment then slowly approached the doors. While he did that, the Doctor leaned on the wall to the side of the doors. He stood on his hind legs and crossed his fore hooves across his chest while wearing a very smug look on his face.

Also awed, Stern Wing approached the doors to her friend's side. Beyond those doors, they both beheld an incredible sight. A glowing spherical planet with lots of blue oceans and swirling masses that made up the planets clouds but, seen from this height, everything looked more like a 2D image. The stars were also remarkable. Up here, the stars no longer twinkled. Instead they were steady lights in an unimaginable black void for those who had never seen it.

“Oh my gosh, Dad! Now you're making me so jealous!” Star Breeze said with intense envy. “I want to see the stars from orbit! I want to see it so badly! Also, I can't believe you and Mom both did this! This is way beyond where I expected you to tell your story!”

“See?” Feather Wind said with a smug grin to his daughter. “Your daddy's been around the block a couple of times. I've seen some amazing things.”

“Boy, I'll bet!” Star Breeze strongly agreed. “Next time, take me with you! Oh please, oh please, oh please Dad! Please-please-please-please-pretty please!”

“I've not been in contact with him or Derpy for awhile now,” Feather Wind admitted.

“Do you have any way to contact him?” Star Breeze asked with desperate hope.

“I can think of several ways,” Feather Wind replied. “Leave a mark in history built with a hidden message that only the Doctor would understand, come across the kind of trouble he typically fights against, or concentrate very hard and send your will to specifically summon the Doctor. You see, that object he flashed at Puppet Master . . .”

“Too soon, Dad,” Star Breeze complained. “Too soon to hear his name again.”

“Well . . . anyway, that thing he showed, um . . . the dark wizard . . .”

“That's better.”

“. . . was something that showed the viewer only what they expect to see. He calls it psychic paper, and it responds to a thought. So . . . if you pray really hard enough . . . your thoughts might show up on that paper, especially if you are in dire need. I wouldn't encourage you to seek out danger deliberately just to find him but, if you do find him, he just might make it worth it.”

“Huh.” Star Breeze looked thoughtful.

{Anyway, as I was saying . . .}

“Go ahead. You can step outside,” the Doctor invited.

“Really?” Stern Wing asked in surprise.

“There is an air-shield around this vessel,” Feather Wind declared.

The Doctor looked at Feather Wind in surprise. “How did you know?”

“If there wasn't, we'd all be sucked into space right now,” Feather Wind explained. “Space is nothing but a giant vacuum, and any space with air in it, like this one, would get sucked out if it was exposed to space unprotected. Also, I have a unique connection to the wind and air. I just know it.”

The Doctor clapped his hooves together and said, “Congratulations. You get an A.”

“I love this sight too,” Derpy said fondly behind them.

Feather Wind looked back at Derpy and realized he and Stern Wing were in the way. He then looked at Stern Wing and offered a hoof to her. “Stern Wing, do you trust me?”

“Of course I do,” she replied as she looked at him. “Why do you ask?”

“Then take my hoof,” Feather Wind requested. “Take it and I'll show you something wonderful.”

“Better than this?” Stern Wing asked suspiciously with a nod towards the exit of the Tardis.

“It relates to this,” Feather Wind hinted.

Stern Wing grew a slow, loving smile then took his hoof, prompting an adorable “Awww!” sound from Derpy behind them.

Using his grip, Feather Wind dragged Stern Wing outside where she yelped as soon as she noticed there was no gravity outside. Because she was weightless, however, it made Feather Wind's job easier to manipulate her. He grabbed them both telekinetically and brought them to the side of the Tardis. There he guided them onto it to sit on it like a bench in the middle of outer space.

“Grab the Tardis with your other hoof and hold on tight!” Feather Wind said in a voice full of wonder and marvel.

Stern Wing did so and discovered she could latch onto the vessel. She took a few moments to calm her nerves down then looked forward and widened her eyes in amazement. Now they were not just viewing the planet through the door. Now they were staring at the vast expanse in front of them without visual obstruction unless they looked “down” and noticed the Tardis in the way.

“That Feather Wind is a natural at this,” the Doctor said in an impressed tone within the Tardis. Feather Wind overheard that since the Doctor's voice carried through the air. “Very few that I show this to understand the principles of vacuum of space, weightlessness and are able to maneuver around out there so confidently the first time.”

“Found some new companions to join us on our journey, Doctor?” Derpy asked curiously and hopefully.

“Perhaps for a little while,” the Doctor replied, “but I actually know his name, Feather Wind. He was the first flying unicorn in recorded history. Well . . .” he rolled his head in a circle then spoke on, “ . . . technically he's not the first but the rest of Equestria doesn't know that yet. Anyway, because I recognize him, I also recognize some of his future exploits, and let's just say there are some things ahead in his timeline I cannot interfere with.”

“Oh.” Derpy sounded disappointed. “Is this another one of those 'fixed' timeline events you spoke of?”

“Some of it, yeah,” the Doctor confirmed. “When those times come, I cannot help him. Events are meant to unfold naturally as they are. I cannot interfere with that.”

“But in the meantime?” Derpy asked with rising hope.

“In the meantime tomorrow is as close or as far away as I want it to be,” the Doctor reminded his assistant then knocked on the wall of the Tardis. “This is a time machine. I can bend the rules a little around certain areas.”

“Oh goodie!” Derpy cheered. Later on she said, “Doctor . . . I really love that young filly. I really want to protect her.”

“You sympathize with her, don't you?” the Doctor guessed in an uncharacteristically serious tone that Feather Wind had not observed until then. “Both of you have vision problems. You with your eyes and her . . . she can't see at all until she sleeps.”

“Well, yeah. That's part of it, but it's also more than that, Doctor. I just . . . I don't know. I feel a connection with her. I can't really explain it.”

“Nurturer instinct is my guess,” the Doctor said with a lazy stretch. “She's a young child so you feel driven to protect her. That's not a mystery, it's an inbred instinct. Imagine how your race would survive if you had the opposite instinct to try to kill all of your foals.”

“That's terrible!” Derpy whined.

“But you see my point,” the Doctor returned. “You feel the way you do because she is young, and also because you are you. It's one of the things I love about you, my lovely assistant. You are compassionate and therefore oh so worthy of my journey.”

(Yeah!) Feather Wind agreed privately. (I think I could grow quickly fond of her as well for a trait like that. It's nice to see I'm not alone in my allies when it comes to protecting what's important around here. I'm sure Stern Wing feels the same way. These two are going to get along wonderfully together.)

“Shh! Look, Doctor! She's asleep!” Derpy pointed out with fond fascination.

“Might as well. It's not as if she can see what's beyond these doors,” the Doctor observed.

“I know,” Derpy agreed sadly.

“Maybe she'll experience it in her dreams,” the Doctor theorized.

“Her dreams?” Derpy reflected, then asked in alarm. “Doctor! What time is it? Is it day or night over the area we're flying above?”

“Daylight. Don't worry, my little assistant. I pay attention and I plan ahead. I can assure you, if she sleeps now, she'll have pleasant dreams as long as what she told me is true.”

“Sleep in the daylight. Huh. That's kind of weird.” Derpy paused for awhile before she spoke again. “If she really is blind, though, I suppose there is little way she could tell the difference. You know, Doctor, back in my time Nightmare Moon is . . .”

“Shh!” the Doctor shushed her. “No spoilers.”

“But they can't hear us!” Derpy pointed out.

“Can't they?” the Doctor reflected. “You can hear us from quite the distance away, can't you Feather Wind?” the Doctor called out the door.

“Is that recorded in your history books when you come from?” Feather Wind asked back at the Doctor.

“What those history books say depends on what you want to write in it,” the Doctor returned evenly. “You, my friend, were known as a prolific writer, and you knew several others who were the same way. I won't say they all recorded you accurately but, if you read enough and between the lines, you get an idea of the general pattern.”

“He can hear us out there?” Derpy realized. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I'm so embarrassed.”

“I can fix this easily enough.” The Doctor went to the doors. “Knock on the wood three times when you want us to let you in again.” With that the Doctor closed the doors to the Tardis.

Feather Wind quickly realized privacy went both ways. He might not be able to hear them anymore through those doors, but it also meant he was alone out here with his girlfriend as they sat together and watched their planet from orbit. Feather Wind pulled her close to his side as they sat there and enjoyed this amazing and kind of romantic moment together.

xoxo

{When I returned into the Tardis, I finally decided to fess up about everything I knew regarding Puppet Master and my conversation with Princess Celestia six years ago that involved this issue. I figured those present knew enough about the situation that anything else that they didn't know would actually put them more at risk at this point, especially considering the fact that Puppet Master personally saw each of our faces up close. For that reason alone, he might come back so I wanted my friends ready. It was a judgment call on my part but I had a feeling Princess Celestia would agree with me. If I was going to tell them everything, I might as well also explain why she wanted to keep this a secret so that they would understand her reasoning and perhaps why it was a wise call on her part, given the information we had at the time.

{But I had even more information to add to the pile, including things I did not discuss with Celestia. I also told them about my potential history with King Sombra, that my family may have a genetic line tracing back to that awful tyrant. I told them that I suspected that I was the one King Sombra was after. This also implied that some part of Sombra's spirit remained to wreck havoc on our days.}

“That reminds me,” the Doctor prompted, “do any of you know a purple pony with a rainbow mane, mismatched eyes and a cutie mark with a cupcake that looks so angry at the world that it just wants to take it over?”

All of the occupants in the Tardis looked at each other to see if any other pony knew any pony like that. While technically Vision did not look at any other pony since she could not see, she was aware of the stares none the less (and this, of course, was after she recovered from her nap).

“Not likely,” Feather Wind finally replied.

“Oh good!” the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. “I was worried for a moment that I sent a formidable monster after an innocent and unsuspecting pony. I specifically guided him to the middle of a desert just to make it that much more unlikely he would find anypony. Oh wow!” He rubbed a hoof through his mane. “It just hit me . . . I can't believe he actually bought that story! Holy Cheese and Crackers, that pony sure is one Nutty Professor.”

The Doctor looked at Vision, then said to her, “Vision . . . you claimed you had some insight into Puppet Master's past. You said he used to be an innocent toy maker named Toy Box. Can you give me a date when that happened? When exactly did he change?”

“I don't know,” Vision replied honestly. “I rarely see a calendar in my dreams. Hardly any pony hangs that up on their walls. My dreams are subjective anyway, but I got the feeling this was a very long time ago.”

“I have a hunch that King Sombra is responsible for his woes,” Feather Wind guessed. “He drove this pony mad on purpose then shaped him later into a useful servant.”

“If you're right, then Toy Box is a victim too,” Stern Wing realized, then looked down sadly. “Now I feel kind of bad for him.”

“See what I mean about redeeming qualities?” Feather Wind asked his daughter in the future, then pointed at his head three times. “I know what I'm talking about. Even the most evil-looking villains may have a tragic history that makes what happened to them not their fault.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Star Breeze waved her father off dismissively. “I see your point. Continue.”

“What reason would Puppet Master have to gather all that negative energy?” Derpy asked with confusion and worry.

“More to the point, what does King Sombra want with all that energy?” the Doctor refined the question. “As formidable as he is, Puppet Master is just a puppet in this scenario, literally and figuratively. Vision here said that the real power source of Puppet Master, the one animating his body, is some kind of black crystal somewhere within him. That same crystal is also gathering dark energy. Now who, in this scenario, do we know of who happened to be an expert with crystal magic?”

“Especially dark crystal magic,” Feather Wind added. “That would have to be King Sombra.”

“A.k.a, the Dark King,” Stern Wing put in.

“The Dark King rises.” The Doctor tapped a rail that he was standing beside four times with rapid taps, and he repeated this several times. “That's what Puppet Master said. He kept talking about the Dark King rises, so pop quiz; rises from what?”

“From death,” Feather Wind answered. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna defeated King Sombra before the fall of the Crystal Empire. I assume, in this case, it meant he got killed but some part of him lingers to this day.”

“A Dark King that is trying to resurrect himself? Hmm. If only he had a bunch of dark energy to help him power that ritual,” the Doctor said with sarcastic ignorance.

“That's what he plans to use this energy for,” Stern Wing realized. “That's why he's sending Puppet Master out to gather energy from terrorized ponies for years. King Sombra is trying to fuel his own resurrection.”

“I think it's more than that,” Feather Wind theorized. “I think he's trying to bring back the entire Crystal Empire. That probably would require a great deal of energy.”

“He tried to rule over it once. Why not try again? Given his history, that makes sense,” Stern Wing agreed.

“That's just phase one,” Feather Wind went on. “If he secures the Crystal Empire, I think he'll set his sights on the rest of Equestria.”

“But Doctor, we know that doesn't happen!” Derpy pointed out to the Doctor.

“You only know one version of history,” the Doctor pointed out to Derpy. “As I tried to tell you many times, when history is not fixed, it's flexible. If we do nothing to stop this Dark King during this time period he may, in fact, rise a lot earlier than you remember and actually succeed to take over Equestria. Furthermore, note that this era of Equestrian history is far less prepared for his return. There are no Elements of Harmony to stand in his way, for example, not that he'd be aware of that anyway. We may be the only things stopping him from total conquest.”

“I heard rumors of how Princess Twilight and her friends did it before,” Derpy recalled. “It sounded like they used the Crystal Heart to defeat him.”

“Then let's use that,” Stern Wing reasoned. “Where is this Crystal Heart?”

Derpy looked regretful. “Unfortunately, it's in the Crystal Empire. You cannot get to it until the Empire itself rises first.”

“And by then it will be too late,” the Doctor added. “If King Sombra raises it first, I'm sure he'll stop at nothing to keep other ponies from finding the Crystal Heart. It's just like the last time before the fall of the Crystal Empire, only this time Princess Luna isn't around to help her sister defeat him. Who knows how instrumental her role was in this affair before? Now you could claim Princess Celestia could try new tactics to counter this threat since she had so much time to contemplate it and master new spells since that time, but King Sombra had just as much time to plot and strategize. I don't even think Celestia realizes he's involved at all during this time period. She's too distracted with Puppet Master's antics. King Sombra was a master strategist too, from what I understand of history, and he had plenty of time to maneuver in the shadows unnoticed. Who knows how much energy he has gathered at this point?”

“Maybe that's one of the things we should change,” Stern Wing proposed. “Let's go to Celestia and inform her what we're really up against. At the very least, it would be one more ally for our cause. If King Sombra wants her ignorant of his presence so he can maneuver around unnoticed, then that's the first thing we should change.”

“With what proof?” Feather Wind countered. “All we have is speculation at this point,”

“We know Puppet Master is working for King Sombra,” Stern Wing returned. “He said so himself.”

“And he's the model of an honest citizen,” the Doctor said sarcastically. “I'm not opposed to the idea of putting Celestia into this mix, but let's think this through. Right now we don't have any proof that King Sombra is involved at all. I'd say we probably do have some evidence but it's based on unreliable evidence.”

“Unless you have any information that might help us, Vision,” Stern Wing brought up to the little filly.

“Of King Sombra, you mean?” Vision checked.

“Yes. Do you have any visions of King Sombra's involvement with Puppet Master? If you say yes, then I think we can convince the Princess.”

“Not specifically, no. Just feelings here and there,” Vision informed.

“What about tonight?” Derpy checked. “You slept just an hour ago. Did you have any visions then that might help us now?”

“Yes,” Vision replied.

“Well spill it!” the Doctor encouraged. “What's our next step?”

“The Red Crystal,” Vision answered. “You must claim the crystal that will help you defeat Sombra's puppet and perhaps even the Dark King himself. Right now, even if you informed Celestia, she would still be powerless to stop these villains. Instead, you must gather the means to defeat them.”

“Why is this crystal so important?” Stern Wing wondered.

“Because it has the last good essence of Sombra's magic,” Vision answered.

“NO WAY!” Star Breeze exclaimed. “Even King Sombra was once a good guy?”

“Even if I told you no, it would still be highly unnatural for any pony in Equestria to be that evil,” Feather Wind informed his daughter. “Something highly unusual happened to him as well. Something that drove him mad.”

“Then Sombra was a victim too!” Star Breeze realized in shock. “How far up this chain does it go before we encounter a true guilty party?”

“Why don't you listen and see?” Feather Wind invited. Star Breeze waved at her father to continue, on the edge of her seat again with interest.

{Actually, your mother made a similar remark at that time.}

“Wait! Does this mean Sombra is a victim too?” Stern Wing asked. “Then who is the true villain here?”

“I don't know, but I have an inkling,” Vision answered. “Of course, I cannot look upon such darkness without going mad myself. Whatever it is, it's pure evil.”

“Go back to the part about the Red Crystal,” the Doctor encouraged. “You said this crystal has the last of his good essence?”

“Yes, before he went completely mad,” Vision confirmed.

“You also said we need this crystal to defeat the black crystal inside Puppet Master?” the Doctor checked.

“Yes,” Vision said simply.

“Huh. Using an enchanted crystal to defeat another enchanted crystal.” The Doctor resumed tapping the rail four times in rapid succession and repeated the pattern. “If we're lucky, there may be a better prize here than simply a useful weapon. I wonder if this Red Crystal also contains some of Sombra's knowledge before he went mad. Maybe we can use that to shed more light into this mystery.” The Doctor looked squarely at Vision. “Where exactly is this Red Crystal?”

“In the frozen north,” Vision answered. “It's buried deep in some place cold and dark.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Well gee, that narrows it down. How many places do we know of that's cold and dark in the frozen north?”

“I think I can narrow it down even further if you simply take me there,” Vision offered. “I may not be able to see while I am awake, but I can feel. I remember what the dream felt like. I remember what the energy felt like near it. I can use that to sense a general location.”

Derpy looked concerned. “Oh . . . are you sure it's safe? You won't catch too much of a cold up there?”

“I do have some heavy coats in the Tardis that might help,” the Doctor pointed out. “Hell, I can give you all space suits too but it might need to be re-tailored to fit pony physiology.”

“And right now it's what instead of that?” Stern Wing wondered aloud. “Oh, this I've got to see!”

“I can do this. I must do this,” Vision assured, “and he must come too.” Vision pointed at Feather Wind's general vicinity but she actually did miss the precise mark. “For the same reason the Dark King wants him, the Red Crystal will resonate with him too. It will awaken if he draws near which will help him to find it. After that he must learn to attune himself to it.”

“How long will that take?” Stern Wing checked.

“I don't know.” Vision shook her head. “It depends on him.”

“Time isn't much of an issue with a time machine,” the Doctor reminded the group. “If he needs ten years to master that crystal, I can give him that in another timeline and maybe even another planet. If it's critical he masters this crystal fast in this time, I can provide some short cuts, at least from this timeline's perspective.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Feather Wind declared. “Let's do this.”

xoxo

“Brr!” Derpy shivered as she viewed out the front window on the door to the exit. She stood on her hind hooves to give her enough height to view out that window. “It sure looks cold outside.”

“I guess it would be,” the Doctor agreed as he spun a monitor in front of him above the center console in the room which he used to view outside. “This is probably why the area is called the frozen north.”

“Well,” Derpy landed on all four of her hooves. “If we're going to do this, let's dress up warm.” With that she trotted her way to the closet.

“And I'll just . . . configure things here,” the Doctor said then idly started fiddling with buttons, levers and knobs. While he did that, he sang a little ditty. In this song he played two parts, and on each part he changed his pitch to make it sound like a different pony sang.

“I really can't stay - Baby it's cold outside

I've got to go away - Baby it's cold outside

This evening has been - Been hoping that you'd drop in

So very nice - I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice.”

As he sang, he did a little bit of prancing, spinning about then pulled another leaver.

“You are so odd,” Stern Wing remarked with amusement. “What exactly are you doing, anyway? If we already landed then why continue to fiddle with the controls?”

“Oh it's Time Lord timey-wimey stuff that you wouldn't understand,” the Doctor assured then kept on humming the same song to himself.

“He's not really doing anything right now,” Vision informed. “He's only fiddling with knobs and leavers to make himself seem important.”

“Wha-?” the Doctor looked both shocked, offended and embarrassed all at the same time. “Why you . . . tch . . . I'll have you . . . No!” the Doctor denied. “That's not what I'm doing at all.”

“Sure Doctor. Whatever you say,” Stern Wing agreed sarcastically with a playful roll of her eyes. “Me thinks thou dost protest too much.” She and Vision giggled together.

The Doctor glared between Vision and Stern Wing, then resumed his fiddling while muttering under his breath, “Girls! Why do they always gang up on me whenever they get the chance?”

xoxo

Feather Wind was near the closet but didn't go into it until he heard a crash inside it. Concerned, he immediately trotted into the area. Inside he saw Derpy buried under a pile of clothes. In a moment her head thrust out the top of it and she rolled her eyes and her head in a dizzy way, then cursed to herself.

“Ditzy Doo, you klutzy feather brain!” she complained at herself.

“Need any help?” Feather Wind offered kindly from the door.

Derpy snapped her gaze in shock at Feather Wind then her cheeks burned with embarrassment, then she said, “No. I got this. Just tripping over my own hooves, as usual.”

“Please allow me,” Feather Wind requested again, practically begging her.

“Oh. If you really want to,” she relented.

“Here.” Feather Wind ignited his horn with radiant silver. The large pile of clothes glowed with the same color then lifted off Derpy. While he was at it, he also repaired the closet rail then hung the clothes on it all at once, but probably not in the same order they were in originally. While doing that, he happened to notice most of those clothes were designed for very unusual looking creatures. Judging from the general shape, he guessed that whomever could wear these probably had to stand upright somehow.

“Thank you,” Derpy said a little sadly. “I'm afraid this is only a typical example of something that happens in my life. One of the joys of being me.”

“I think you're fine just the way you are,” Feather Wind argued. “I heard what you said to the Doctor about Vision. I have to tell you, I'm touched by your compassion too. I'd rather have a klutzy but kind ally on my side rather than a sturdy and sadistic one. I really hope you don't put yourself down like that all the time.”

“Eh. Kind of used to it,” Derpy said with a shrug. “Lots of ponies in Ponyville talk about me like I'm some kind of . . . um . . . Never mind. You don't want to hear this.”

“Ponyville? That's a curious name, also unfamiliar,” Feather Wind remarked.

One of Derpy's eyes looked at Feather Wind for a moment then looked back down again. “Then it probably doesn't exist yet in your time. All I can tell you now is that it's situated near the Everfree Forest.”

“Really? Huh. I actually know one family that lives out there,” Feather Wind said.

“Really?” Derpy said brightly. “They might be Ponyville's descendants, then. You might not be too far back from my time after all. Back when I come from, Ponyville is only about one-hundred years old.”

“Derpy . . . can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she said as she tried to focus on him but only succeeded with her right eye. Her left eye steadily drifted lazily away.

“Why did you call yourself 'Ditzy Doo' a moment ago?”

“Oh, um,” she pawed at the ground in a little embarrassment. “That's because it's my real name. Derpy Whooves is actually just a nick name the Doctor gave me.”

“Really? Your real name is Ditzy Doo?” Feather Wind double checked.

“Uh-huh.” Derby nodded in confirmation.

“Does the name 'Dunken Doo' ring a bell for you?” Feather Wind asked curiously.

“Dunken Doo? Um,” her eyes wandered about randomly again, and she shifted her head back and forth before trying to focus back on him as she said, “No. No, not really. Why do you ask?”

Feather Wind shrugged. “No reason. It's just that I met a good friend of mine several years back and his name was Dunken Doo. Given your true last name, I was curious if he might be a family descendant.”

“Or Daring Do,” Derpy theorized. She actually found it fun to contemplate that possibility. “Wouldn't it be funny if I was related to her too? If it's true, I think Rainbow Dash would find that very hard to accept.”

“There might be many ponies in your timeline with the last name Doo. I kind of figured it was a long shot, but I thought I'd ask anyway,” Feather Wind explained.

“How did you meet Dunken?” Derpy asked curiously with a small smile on her lips.

“He rescued me, kind of. I was stuck in the sky because I had not mastered my cutie mark talent yet. I drifted in the winds but couldn't really fly yet. Dunken was delivering some letters and happen to come across me. At my request, he agreed to deliver me the rest of the way to Canterlot by wing flapping me there.”

“Oh, how interesting! I deliver mail too!” Derpy informed cheerfully. “Well, that's what I do back home, at least, whenever I'm not gallivanting off to save the whole universe with the Doctor. Once again, the story of my life.”

“Gallivanting across all of time and space to help save it? I think the story of your life is something I'd like to read, Derpy. Please don't sell yourself short. You are an awfully lucky pony.”

“Aw! Thank you!” Derpy said with an adorable blush. “Anyway, about your other question, I don't know if this Dunken Doo is related to me or not, but I don't exactly study my family history back when I come from. Now that you bring that up, however, I'm kind of interested to check now . . . and I even know a good place to do it too. There's a good library in town that has lots of books in it, and it's managed by a very capable librarian. I usually don't have much incentive to read books myself, especially considering my lazy eye, but you've piqued my interest.”

“Um,” Feather Wind narrowed his eyes at her a bit. “If reading is a problem for you then don't you have a problem reading the addresses on the envelope of each letter?”

“Sometimes I do, and I've made more than a few mistakes because of it,” Derpy said regretfully. “I don't know why every pony puts up with me as much as they do. Guess I'm fortunate, then, to live in one of the friendliest towns in Equestria.”

“I guess that's something for you to look forward to,” Feather Wind figured. “If you have a good home where and when you come from then galloping away from it feels more optional. If returning home is always pleasant then it's good to know you have that freedom.”

“Um, I haven't thought of it that way. Thank you!” Derpy cheered. She then sighed as she looked about the closet. “Now how about finally doing what I came here to do?”

“Perhaps I can help you with that too,” Feather Wind offered.

“Yeah,” Derpy shifted an eye to him. “That might help.”

xoxo

“Okay! We've got the outfits,” Feather Wind announced as he stepped out of the closet area while levitating a pile of warm clothes.

“Excellent! Good job, my friend,” the Doctor said cheerfully.

“Ooo! What is this, Doc?” Stern Wing asked while staring into a large jar with a bunch of floating rainbow colored multi-rings in it. “They're pretty!” Stern Wing was standing on the opposite end of the main exit.

The Doctor regarded what she was looking at, then grew a bit alarmed. “Ah! Don't touch those! As a matter of fact, you should probably back away from those. Those things are very dangerous . . . maybe.”

“Dangerous?” Stern Wing asked as she veered her head around the jar to look at the Doctor more clearly. “Dangerous how?”

“Those are flameless fireworks,” the Doctor explained then rubbed his chin in confusion. “Only trouble is I can't figure out how to get them to ignite so, until then, it can potentially be set off at anytime and by anything, so I recommend you back away from those.”

“What?” Stern Wing regarded the jar of flameless fireworks then glared back at the Doctor a little. “If they are that dangerous then why do you have them in your little spaceship?”

“Ah, but the Tardis is a tough old ship!” the Doctor said proudly. “I figured this is the best place to keep them in order to keep everyone else safe. That way, when they do ignite, they'll only be effective in here.”

“Which is where we are!” Stern Wing said incredulously. “Maybe the Tardis will be just fine, but what about us? You've got a space ship so probably your best option is to dump them off into outer space so they'll be a danger to no pony.”

“Ah, but then I'd never figure out how they work,” the Doctor said while raising and lowering his eyebrows multiple times. “Think about it.”

“I am thinking about it, and I don't think your curiosity is worth the security risk of those aboard this ship!”

“Well it's a good thing we're about to leave this ship and venture out into the safe confines of the frozen north. Tally-ho, my friend. Onwards and upwards, I say.” From there he pushed away from the rail that faced Stern Wing, indicating he was done with that conversation.

“Gah! That colt is impossible!” Stern Wing complained with a hoof stomp.

“It is his ship, and we're guests in it,” Feather Wind reminded her. “Besides, he's got one point. We need to venture out there and find that Red Crystal, or at least I do. Are you coming?”

“You ask that as if I have a choice.” Stern Wing trotted over to her friend. “I promised I would protect you, and I'm keeping my word. Besides, if she goes,” Stern Wing looked at Vision as Derpy helped the young filly into an outfit, “then she's somepony else I think I need to keep an eye on. We don't know how long we'll be trekking out there.” She looked back at her friend. “Maybe you can reduce the severity out there with your weather control.”

“Maybe,” Feather Wind agreed with uncertainty.

“Why the doubt?” Stern Wing asked.

“Because weather ponies didn't cause this in the first place,” Feather Wind answered. “The weather did this on it's own so, if I fight it, I might have limited success and it might be a constant battle. I can only make permanent changes to the weather if I remove the resisting factor, else the most I can do is make a temporary patch.”

“At least you can do it,” Stern Wing said softly. “Right now I think it's wise we consider all of our options on the table. If she falls ill, we'll never find this crystal and Equestria could end up doomed. Aside from that, I don't want her to come to any harm.” Stern Wing eyed the young filly in concern. “I really don't.”

“You and me both, Sister!” Derpy cheered at Stern Wing.

Stern Wing smiled fondly at Derpy for that comment, then approached Derpy to give her a friendly hoof bump. Derpy gladly did not leave Stern Wing hanging on that one.

Chapter Sixteen: The Crystal Sage

{The frozen north is a bleak land filled with cold and desolate ice. It is a land of emptiness, a land of endless stretches of white. It is a land of silence other than the cold whistle of the wind sometimes. A land where no pony roams, at least not for long.

{In this frozen world, me and my companions had the whole world to ourselves. This incredible isolation made me feel like we really were the last ponies on the planet. I even remember thinking, “This must be what the end of the world feels like.” Despite all of this, I found peace and solace in this place too. The winds that blew there felt mostly natural, and there was just something cleansing about the snow to the soul. There was a purity there I rarely experienced elsewhere. It was even possible we were the first ponies to ever tread that exact spot. The whole experience felt otherworldly, and not entirely in a bad way, at least not for me. I could appreciate the purity of nature in ways most other ponies could not. Aside from that, it was comforting to me to know that, this time, I did not trot this desolate nature all by myself. The fact there was so few of us out there made us feel all the tighter. All the closer together.

{There were many times I roamed ahead just to appreciate the silence all around us but, on the other hoof, when I did speak with my new companions, they often had some very interesting things to say so the break in silence was entertaining too.}

“And that's how it works!” the Doctor concluded. “This paper is a form of a perception filter. It shows you whatever you expect to see, although that perception can be shaped by external stimuli. If I gave you a specific suggestion before I showed you the paper then I plant that idea into your head before I flash it to you. For example, let's say I approached you and told you that I was the Building Inspector for whatever building you happen to be standing in. After that moment, you'd be thinking of a Building Inspector, wouldn't you? So, when I flash my, quote/unquote, 'Credentials', you probably would be seeing whatever you'd expect a Building Inspector's credentials to look like, and voila! That's how the psychic paper works, my friend!”

“I see. That's very interesting,” Feather Wind said back. “Now let's broach another topic that's been bothering me. Pockets? Really? You have built-in pockets on your body?”

For a moment the Doctor flashed Derpy an amused grin behind him. All three girls were behind him and Feather Wind at that moment. He returned that amused grin to Feather Wind. “Actually, to tell you the truth, I'm with you on that one. Back in the universe I originally came from, equines do not normally have pockets on their flanks. Of course, they don't normally talk either. After nine-hundred and twenty six years of age, my adventures still finds ways to surprise me, such as the discoveries I made since crossing over into this pony universe.”

“WHOA!” Feather Wind's eyes widened in shock, then he shook his head. “Nine-hundred and twenty . . . O-kay. I'll file that one for later, but for now please explain to me why you and Derpy are the only ones with built-in pockets on your flanks.”

“Well . . . remember how I said I originally came from another universe where homo-sapiens are a more common sentient species?” Feather Wind nodded, so the Doctor went on. “Well . . . during my journeys with my lovely assistant, apparently we flew through the hole in the universe once again and crossed into another reality where ponies don't have pockets on their flanks but, in her original reality, they do. I guess we flew too close to the second star on the right and flew on straight until morning.”

Not realizing the Doctor was making a specific reference with that last sentence, Feather Wind took his word for it literally and assumed flying through the curvature of space at certain velocities could allow one to cross over into parallel dimensions. He did not realize how close to the truth he really was.

“Doctor!” Derpy called out behind them in concern. That prompted both Feather Wind and the Doctor to pause and look back at her. When she had their attention, Derpy went on. “Doctor, I think she's sick! She doesn't look so well,” Derpy announced in concern while clearly indicating the young filly traveling with them.

This caused the Doctor and Feather Wind to reverse their course and head back to the girls. Upon arrival, the Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at Vision and waved it back and forth across her for a few seconds while the device emitted a high pitched pulse. When the sound stopped, he looked into the device as it extended upward for a moment which revealed a new compartment. He stared at that for two seconds before nodding.

“Yes. She does have a fever,” the Doctor announced.

“Then we have to head back!” Stern Wing encouraged. “She's just a filly! We can't leave her exposed to this harsh weather.”

“No!” Vision objected with an unsteady stance. She wore a light blue cloak, had a wool hat on, a scarf and thick pants yet she was still feverish. Her cheeks and the bottom of her eyes glowed red from illness, yet she was still determined to stay. “We have to go on. We must find the Red Crystal, and we're drawing close to it. I can feel it.” She gave a soft smile. “Besides . . . I kind of love this place. The snow is so beautiful!”

“Beautiful?” Stern Wing inquired. “But you can't even see it.”

“I know, I can't . . . but I can hear it,” the filly announced. “To my ears the snow twinkles . . . kind of like stars. It's so lovely.”

“Oh Doctor!” Derpy hugged and wrapped her wings around the young filly. “What are we going to do? She can't go on like this.”

“Hmm.” The Doctor tapped his lips with his sonic screwdriver for a moment as he looked in the direction they were going, then looked back at the young filly. “When you say we are close, can you give us an approximate idea how close?”

“Very close,” Vision answered with a cold shiver. “It's just over that hill up ahead, and somewhere down below it.”

“What's wrong with her, Doc? Why is she so sick like this?” Derpy asked, a bit of tears in her eyes as she hugged the filly tenderly.

“Besides the fact we're standing in a field of ice and snow?” Stern Wing pointed out.

“My best guess is she has a naturally frail constitution,” the Doctor guessed. “Young filly, would I be correct in assuming you have never set a hoof outside the temple you were raised in before?”

“That's correct, Sir,” Vision verified.

“Well, there you have it then,” the Doctor said with a shrug and a curved, diagonally upraised foreleg bent at the joint. “Her immune system is not accustomed to dealing with these challenges, so it's more vulnerable than most ponies her age.”

“So what are we going to do about it?” Stern Wing demanded a response in concern.

“I think, for the moment, you three girls stay here while Feather Wind and I go on ahead and investigate the next valley in search of the Red Crystal,” the Doctor proposed. “In the meantime, hug her tightly and wrap both of your wings around her. Your shared body heat should help keep her warmer until we get back.”

“But you need me!” Vision objected. “I'm the only one that can sense the presence of the crystal.”

“Not necessarily.” For a moment the Doctor lifted up his sonic screwdriver to indicate it, then tapped his head with a hoof when he realized how stupid a visual indication was to a blind filly, so instead he decided to announce, “I can have my sonic screwdriver emit an intermittent sonic pulse then listen to the feedback. If you're correct and we're close to the device, then I should be able to narrow it down the rest of the way with my handy-dandy sonic screwdriver. With each blip we get, we should be able to narrow it down to the crystal itself.”

“Geeze, is there anything that thing can't do?” Stern Wing asked in impressed disbelief. “You've used it for so many functions at this point that it's starting to feel like you're making it up as you go along.”

“Just like my plans!” the Doctor announced cheerfully. “Isn't that fantastic?!”

Stern Wing sighed with a roll of her eyes then bent down and wrapped her wings and her body around Derpy's which, in turn, was hugging the young filly from the other side. “Well, it seems we got sort of a plan for now so go you two. We'll keep the little one safe and warm.”

“And loved!” Derpy added very emotionally. “The warmth of love melts any ice and keeps the Windigos at bay.”

“So there we have it.” The Doctor turned to look at Feather Wind. “C'mon, my friend. Onwards and upwards.” With that he turned and trotted away.

Feather Wind followed but his gaze lingered on the girls in concern for eight seconds then he trotted faster to the Doctor to catch up and asked upon arrival, “Are you sure it's safe to leave the girls back there like that?”

“I trust my companion,” the Doctor announced a little seriously. He then regarded Feather Wind. “Do you have faith in yours?”

“Of course I do!” Feather Wind announced fiercely. “Stern Wing has defended me more times than I can count. I trust her with my life. I know in my heart she will always protect me . . . but Doctor . . . what about Vision?”

That question made the Doctor pause. He stood still, staring ahead at nothing for a moment, then looked back at the three girls with a look of tender concern in his eyes, then regarded Feather Wind the same way. “Now that little one does concern me, but I have faith in us as well. We'll find the crystal and we'll come back for them as soon as we can, or better yet . . . let's pass them up and leave them bundled together while we go and fetch the Tardis itself, after we retrieve the crystal of course, in order to bring the Tardis to them. That way they don't have to move except to enter the Tardis. How does that plan sound, my friend?”

“Good, but I think I can do you one better.” Feather Wind pulled off his Mist Cloak and offered it to the Doctor. “After we retrieve the crystal, put this on and I'll use the wind to blow you back to the Tardis. Meanwhile I'll use my telekinetic abilities to keep up. Using this strategy, I can fly us back to the Tardis so we end up retrieving it even faster.”

“Fascinating.” The Doctor grabbed and held the Mist Cloak. He watched as mist constantly poured down the cloak but, in this cold environment, it did it at a reduced rate. Eventually he saw tiny flashes within the Mist Cloak, reminiscent of a lightning storm. “So you use this to glide through the air like a hand glider?”

“Hand?” Feather Wind reflected, then shook his head. Since he recognized the word glider, he added, “Exactly.”

“But don't you need this to fly?” the Doctor asked.

“I have an alternate strategy, but it isn't as efficient,” Feather Wind answered. “Still . . . it will be faster than trotting back to the Tardis. Anything to reduce their time out here is likely for the better.”

“Good thinking, my friend!” the Doctor cheered. “I guess I'll just put this on right now. I must say, I've always been interested to see what it's like to glide through the air on a magical Mist Cloak. It keeps me up at night just thinking about it.”

Feather Wind chuckled at the Doctor's antics.

xoxo

“It's got to be somewhere around here,” the Doctor declared with a fair amount of certainty. He spun in place, aiming his sonic screwdriver forward. In every direction he aimed it, the signal never got stronger until it occurred to him to aim it downward. When he did, he sighed. “That's what I was afraid of.”

“It's freezing down there,” Feather Wind realized as he looked down at the ice.

The Doctor scanned the area below him several times and kept checking the pop up hidden compartment within his device. After doing this three times he announced, “There's no doubt about it. This ice is eighteen feet thick but, below that, the lake is still in a liquid state, albeit very, very, very cold temperatures.” He sighed as he looked at his partner. “I should be the one to go. I have two hearts so I can hold my breath longer and my body temperature can hold warmer for longer, and I can recover faster once I get out of the water.”

“But I can cast a spell on me that will hold a globe of air around my head,” Feather Wind countered. “I will not suffocate down there. Furthermore, I can use my horn to light the darkness.”

“But I can use my sonic screwdriver to home in on the target,” the Doctor counter argued. “I should be the one to go.”

“Yes,” Feather Wind closed his eyes softly. “I'm sure you're device can do many amazing things, but I feel this one is my destiny. King Sombra is my distant ancestor. I should be the one to seek his crystal, and I'm the only one that can connect with it. My spirit will guide my path. Besides,” he opened his eyes again, “I think I learned something from your device. Your device emits a sonic pulse which it uses to vibrate things around it in order to produce an effect. Well, I think I can achieve the same thing with my horn. I'll send out a sonic pulse as well, or a magical one. Either way, I can home in on the signal. It can guide me through the water and I'll use telekinesis to help propel me to swim through this faster.”

“You're so small, though. You won't be able to hold your body temperature for long,” the Doctor noted in concern.

“Only one of us should go,” Feather Wind insisted. “The other should remain behind to ensure the girls remain safe. If something happens to me down there, one of us needs to make sure to head back to the Tardis and fetch them and, between the two of us . . . you're the only one who knows how to pilot that ship.”

The Doctor closed his eyes in pain, then opened them again as he looked in the direction of the girls. Feather Wind realized he had the Doctor there on that point.

“Then how about this.” The Doctor looked back at Feather Wind. “I'll give you just five minutes alone down there to try to find the crystal. Whether you succeed or not, unless you return to the surface first, we are heading out either way. We'll fly back to the Tardis, put the girls in there then come back to this lake to make another attempt if you fail the first time and after you warm up first. I might have a space suit in the Tardis that can make a better second attempt, in that case. I wish I had thought of it the first time but I didn't know we'd be diving into a frozen lake.”

The Doctor put a hoof on Feather Wind's shoulders. “You will require a warm bath after this, but not too hot. I don't want to put too much of a system shock on you. While you are down there, you will feel like you are constantly being stung by tiny ice needles, but you need to hold fast to your concentration. The world is counting on you. It's fate rests in your hooves. Hold tight to the idea of anything you love while you are down there. Realize, while you do, that you are never truly alone in this world.”

“I know, Doctor,” Feather Wind said in a smooth, calm voice. “I have felt it many times in my life. I have heard it in the songs ponies sing when they are down on their luck. I have seen it in amazing ponies that soar high in the sky. I have seen it in the Princess with her radiant wings and heart. There is plenty in my life that I cherish, and I shall not forget them as I fight for them with all that I have.”

The Doctor grew a warm smile, then said after a few moments, “Didn't you once say you tried to join the Bolts because you looked up to them as heroes?”

Feather Wind focused on the Doctor. “I never told you that, so you must have read it in your history books.”

“Or overheard you when you said it while I stood in the background,” the Doctor said with a mischievous wink. “Anyway, look at you now! Fighting for what you believe in, and ready to give it your all.”

“That's why I will succeed,” Feather Wind said determinedly as he looked down at the ice. “I simply must.”

“Well.” The Doctor lowered his hoof from Feather Wind's shoulder. “We'll have to get to the water first. I'll start melting the ice with a sonic vibrational pulse, and you start melting it with a laser beam from your horn.”

Feather Wind grinned at the Doctor in amusement. “Light and sound, working together as one?”

“Indeed,” the Doctor agreed cheerfully.

xoxo

{Down there in the cold, empty abyss, it was like a cold day in Tartarus. Constant pain seared into my hide. It felt strange that something so cold could end up feeling like hot fire. I was in agony.

{But all my years of study, discipline, concentration, and spell-crafting helped to prepare me for this, but I had to draw on every ounce of my strength. My time with the Wonderbolts helped me to push myself beyond my limits and taught me there was great strength in unity. My studies in my room at my father's manor helped me to focus on my problems and not allow myself to drift away into distractions. I used to have a problem with that, as you recall. My head kept floating away into the clouds. It took a lot of effort to tether it to the ground.

{Then I thought of everyone I loved. Your mother came to my mind especially. I remember how she boldly stepped in front of me and spread her wings wide to hold the goblin invasion at bay. She would do anything to protect her friend and lover, and she would fight just as hard to defend ponies she didn't even know. She attacks with strength but is never vindictive. Instead, she holds her own courage in her heart, doing what she does because she knows it is right.

{Then I thought of the Orchard family. I thought about Lady Hamilton as she hugged her husband and cried into his shoulder, wondering what in the world their family did to deserve all this tragedy. I clearly remember thinking that they did nothing to deserve this. That this attack was truly unjust. They had every excuse in the world to collapse in despair at that time, but then I remembered what Uncle Braeburn said to his family at the last moment they looked back at their old farm.}

“As long as we have each other, we're always home,” Braeburn had once assured his family.

{They didn't give up when things got tough. They held onto each other, picked each other up and sang a song to cheer each other up. That intense conviction of spirit was something that deeply touched my heart since that time and, in that moment in the dark abyss, the warmth I felt from that moment dulled the pain around my body. I found it was easier to concentrate. I felt like that family was down there with me and, once again, I better understood the Doctor's words to me before I dove down there. He said no pony is truly alone in this world. The spirit of Harmony flows through us all so, in that moment, I channeled the essences of that spirit through me to give me strength. The warmth of my heart warmed my body. Emotion is the fire upon which magic is drawn. It makes sense, then, that the two would interact with each other. Though it was still a painful experience, I learned I had the power to do this through the strength of a warm spirit.

{As promised, I kept sending a pulse out into the water. Water conducts sound very well and carries it farther. As I got the echo feedback, it steadily drew a map in my mind. It was kind of breathtaking, actually. Towers of crystal ice were all around me. I would have marveled at it more if it wasn't so painful to be down there. In their own way, it was so beautiful. That taught me I could find beauty in even the darkest and most isolated places in Equestria. The spirit of discovery enthralled me and, truth be told, I was never quite the same again.

{But one pulse came back different than the others. It radiated a magical signature and, as I drew closer, it emitted it's own reddish glow. This was the Red Crystal, and it was encased in ice. This was both good news and bad news. Good news that I found what I sought, but bad news that I had to fight a little harder to get to it. My concentration was taxed enough as it was, but I fought harder to pull at invisible strength, a strength that was beyond my perception at the time. I shot a constant beam of energy at the ice. Down there, in the cold depths, it took awhile for the ice to even warm up let alone start melting. The whole time I felt like I was fighting at the edge of my life and somehow had to keep on pushing. It reminded me of the time the roof of a house collapsed on a flimsy force field and I heard it cracking, ready to give at any moment and crush me to death. Down there it felt almost as urgent except the fate of the world was at stake. I had to win this . . . no matter how hard I had to push myself.

{The ice cracked as I continued my efforts. The cracks spread more as it steadily became liquid, but my efforts didn't even scratch the Red Crystal. It stood immune to the laser. Eventually I plunged my hooves into the burning liquid and touched the crystal. A brilliant pulse of energy shot through me and a white flash assailed my eyes. When next my vision focused, mysteriously I was somewhere else.}

xoxo

Feather Wind shook his head to clear it and realized his environment was no longer painfully cold. In fact, he was no longer in the water at all. He was on solid ground. Very flat, solid ground. He looked at it and realized, in astonishment, that it was made of crystal. He looked around and discovered he seemed to be in an entire city made of crystal. Feather Wind was awed at the sight. He floated up to a standing position as he looked around.

It was true. The streets, the buildings, the lamps, the benches, everything . . . it was all made of crystal. Different colored crystal for some things in relation to each other, but still crystal.

The lighting of the environment was also strange. It had a rainbowish hue, but it wasn't bright. It was like daylight if it was very, very cloudy, cloudy enough to make the day seem much darker. That drew his attention upward, and once again he gasped in astonishment. Streams of rainbow flowed far above him like a colorful river of light in the sky. All of those streams met up with a central point, a towering castle of crystal which seemed to be in the exact center of this entire area. The rainbow lights met up at the tip of that castle. The lights shone like an Aurora Borealis. It shifted back and forth as it changed colored hues.

“What is this place?” Feather Wind asked in amazement but, deep in his heart, he had a strong inkling. Oddly, it even felt familiar.

Then, mysteriously, a beautiful music sailed up into the air. The voice was that of a mare who sounded positively angelic. The song she sang had no words, just ever changing pitch. The music swam through the air, lighting up his soul.

Just then he suddenly realized he had his Mist Cloak on, but that should be impossible. He loaned it to the Doctor before he dove down into the water, yet here it was . . . mysteriously on his back again as if it belonged there.

(My wings . . . they're back!) Feather Wind noticed with positive surprise.

The music had an intoxicating draw to it, but it did not feel like a siren's call. Feather Wind noted how his mind wasn't muddled, and he also realized he could ignore the song and resist the call if he really wanted to. There was nothing compulsory about the music at all. It was just a beautiful voice that sang in the air. Nothing menacing about it at all. More to the contrary, in fact. The music felt soothing and very loving. It felt like a song of a pony who was deeply channeling her emotions, giving the song an unearthly purity to it. Beyond that, it did have an ethereal echo to it which made it sound highly unlikely to be sung from a living pony. More and more, an angel really did sound close to the mark.

Feather Wind took off into the sky and hovered there for a few minutes. Hovering telekinetically, he slowly spun about in the sky as he surveyed the borders of the crystal city he was in. The place had an amazing feel to it, and an amazing architecture, but one thing felt terribly wrong about it besides the gray skies and that was the fact that this city was totally empty. Who would build a city this large and populate it by no pony? That was such a waste. No pony would go through this much effort to build something then simply abandon it, but that was the evidence before his very eyes.

His hearing, on the other hoof, indicated something else. It sounded like at least one pony was here to sing out that painfully beautiful song. It was hard to pinpoint the source because it seemed to swim all around him but flying in certain directions made the song sound louder compared to other directions. Using that as a guide, he narrowed his search down to a large crystal building. At first the doors were shut but, with one telekinetic push later, that circumstance changed. The song sounded even louder within, so Feather Wind ventured in.

What he saw inside the building made him pause, having lost his breath for the third time in recent history. This building was several stories tall full of books. This was an incredible library that time forgot. Feather Wind spun about, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed by the majesty of what he witnessed in there. All of that knowledge, all of those wonderful stories . . . they deserved to be read by somepony. To do otherwise would be a disservice to all of these noble authors.

As Feather Wind flew through the library, he eventually did encounter one other pony within but definitely not what he expected to see based on the sound of the music. This pony was towards the back of the library and seemed to be staring up into a stained crystal window.

What really threw Feather Wind's expectations off was that this was a male pony, but the voice that sang through the air was clearly feminine. The more he studied this situation, the more he realized that this pony was not the one singing. The song emanated near his area but not directly from where he sat. In fact, there did not seem to be a source to the voice at all, leaving it totally disembodied.

The pony in question was deep gray in color with a black mane. He wore nothing but a red scarf tied around his neck. He seemed very forlorn, especially in that moment as he sat there listening to that hauntingly beautiful song.

But the song instantly stopped when Feather Wind landed behind the other pony. The moment Feather Wind's hooves touched the crystal ground with a slight clomp sound, the song instantly stopped. The older pony in front of him grew alert and looked over his shoulder at Feather Wind. Because of that, Feather Wind could see more details of the gray pony, such as the sideburns down the side of his face or his deep crimson eyes.

“Who are you?” the other pony menaced in a hard tone. He flashed for a moment then suddenly he was right in front of Feather Wind's face. “How did you get in here! No pony can get in this sanctuary! Explain yourself!”

“I . . . I don't know how I got here!” Feather Wind said, flabbergasted. “I simply touched the Red Crystal and it somehow transported me here.”

The dark gray stallion calmed down a little bit as curiosity and surprise shifted into his eyes. “You found the Red Crystal? That seems dangerous. Isn't it still in the bottom of a frozen lake?”

“Yes,” Feather Wind answered. “That's where I was before I got here.”

“And that's where you still are!” the dark gray stallion said more firmly. “Go back! Go away! Leave this forsaken place! Your physical body is still down there, drowning in that frozen lake. Go back before I get another pony hurt.” The last sentence he said cracked a bit due to deep regret.

“Who are you?” Feather Wind asked in intense curiosity. “If I'm still in the lake and drowning then my mind must be inside the Red Crystal, and if that's true then . . .” Feather Wind's eyes widened in astonishment. “Oh my Celestia! Are you Sombra?”

The dark gray stallion's eyes popped open with shock upon hearing that name, then he teleported right in front of Feather Wind's face and bore down hard on top of him. “HOW DID YOU HEAR OF THAT FORSAKEN NAME?!” the dark gray stallion roared. “No pony alive should be aware of that name!”

“Ah!” The dark gray stallion bore into Feather Wind so much that he fell over backwards on his back. “My uncle told me that name!” Feather Wind explained. “He seemed to indicate that our family might be descended from him.”

“Descended?” the gray stallion looked taken aback. “You're of my family bloodline?”

“So it is you! You're King Sombra!” Feather Wind realized in amazement.

“NO!” the gray stallion insisted with a roar, then calmed down as he said sadly while closing his eyes and bowed his head. “No,” he repeated in depression. “I no longer go by that name. Not since he tainted it.”

“He?” Feather Wind asked in confusion as he crawled up to stand on his four legs again. “He who?”

“My other half,” the dark stallion explained in shame as he shifted his head to the side. “My dark counterpart. The one who took over my body and left me for dead.”

“So there is actually two Sombras,” Feather Wind realized, “and you're the good half! You're what's left of his ponyhood.”

“As I said, in shame I no longer wear that name. Not ever since he tainted it. If you must call me something, call me by the name of my original profession in life before I got corrupted. Call me Crystal Sage.” Crystal Sage looked at Feather Wind. “It's also less confusing than distinguishing between two Sombras. He,” he said acidly, “is King Sombra, and I am what is left of his true self, Crystal Sage.”

“Clarify something for me,” Feather Wind requested. “Is this King Sombra a truly foreign entity that invaded your body or . . .”

“The answer to that question is complicated,” Crystal Sage said. Right after that sentence, he suddenly vanished. Feather Wind had to search around for a moment before he saw the dark stallion pulling books off the shelves then vanish again. Looking around again, he saw Crystal Sage floating even more books off the shelf then vanish only to reappear in front of Feather Wind and dropped the books in front of him. “Here! The answers you seek are in these books. Take it, and leave me in peace.”

Feather Wind looked at the books, tempted, then said, “No.” He looked at Crystal Sage. “You said I am still out there drowning in that frozen lake, so I don't have time to read all these books. Just tell me in a few sentences what happened to you.”

“You are not in any immediate danger,” Crystal Sage assured as he vanished and reappeared in a sitting position where Feather Wind first discovered him, and he was looking up at the crystal window again. “Time flows differently in here than it does on the outside. It's subjective. You could finish all of those books if you want to and not even one second has passed on the outside, or you can make it so that one second here equals a thousand years out there. It really doesn't matter.”

It finally occurred to Feather Wind that Crystal Sage was not teleporting using magic. If both of them were just a thought in here, then maybe Feather Wind could do that too. He tried to concentrate, then appeared right in front of Crystal Sage who subsequently narrowed his eyes at Feather Wind.

“GO!” Crystal Sage cried out insistently, then said much more sadly, “Leave me to my sorrows.”

“I can't! I need you to help me with your dark counterpart.”

Crystal Sage narrowed his eyes at Feather Wind. “What do you mean?”

“King Sombra has awakened and has been very busy out there in a naughty way. I think he corrupted a pony named Toy Box and turned him into Puppet Master. Through him, King Sombra has been gathering dark energy for some reason. Me and my friends think he's trying to resurrect himself and bring back the Crystal Empire.” Feather Wind leaned his head back. “By the way, that reminds me, is that where we are right now? Is this the Crystal Empire?”

“This is not the actual Crystal Empire. It is only a mental facsimile of it born from my mind.” Crystal Sage teleported to a standing position. “So let me get this straight. You're here to gather the Red Crystal and my sage advice to defeat a servant of he who is gathering dark energy?”

“Puppet Master is no longer alive, we think. He's an animated corpse of his own former body, albeit corrupted. We can't even hurt him. It is said he's powered by a black crystal somewhere within his body and he's using that to gather dark energy from terrorized ponies. He's been doing it for years, too. Not even Celestia knows how to hoofle this. Recently, however, I've encountered a young oracle who told me the secret to defeating the black crystal is this one, the Red Crystal. She said this crystal houses the last of your good essence.”

Crystal Sage turned to his side and gazed at his own cutie mark. This allowed Feather Wind to view it for the first time. It was a red crystal which split into three separate points from a single base.

“That's it, isn't it?” Feather Wind realized. “That's where we are. That's where we're standing right now. The Red Crystal is a physical manifestation of your own cutie mark. This place is an extension of your innate talent.”

Crystal Sage continued to stare at his mark for a few more seconds, then gave a slightly suspicious look to Feather Wind. “Who are you? I get that you're a family relation, but who exactly are you? What's your name?”

“Me? I'm Feather Wind,” Feather Wind answered, “and I am the first recorded flying unicorn in Equestrian history, at least in known history.”

“Flying unicorn?” Crystal Sage asked with an amused smirk. “That must be a remarkable talent.”

“Exactly!” Feather Wind agreed. “The sky is my passion, Sir. Check this out.” Feather Wind showed Crystal Sage his own cutie mark. “I've always been one with the sky, Sir, and I even made this cloak to help me get there. I can make myself as light as a feather, I can control the weather without using my magic, and I can communicate a vast distance using only the wind.”

“Hmm.” Crystal Sage bowed his head with a fond grin. “It's nice to hear my family legacy is making something other than a dark stain in the history of Equestria. You do me proud.” He sighed, then looked back up at Feather Wind. “How long have I been gone? How long has the crystal remained at the bottom of the lake?”

Feather Wind turned to face him fully again and thus hiding his own cutie mark. “Near as I can figure, about nine-hundred years.”

“Nine-hundred years,” Crystal Sage echoed in quiet, stunned astonishment. “Has it really been that long?”

“How long does it feel to you?” Feather Wind asked.

“I don't know.” Crystal Sage shook his head. “A long time, but as I said before . . . time is subjective here so it really doesn't matter. What matters is that nine-hundred years passed outside this place.” Crystal Sage looked to his side with a very thoughtful and disturbed look to his face. “That means he has had nine-hundred years to advance his plot. Damn!” He closed his eyes and bowed his head. “I've been idle for far too long.”

Crystal Sage focused back on Feather Wind. “I'm sorry to say I cannot help you directly, or rather to say I won't. If I wanted to, I could take over your body right now and use it to work my magic in the wide world, but I won't. I refuse to go that far but, in that case, that limits my options. I am just a ghost in here, Feather Wind. Just a memory of a long forgotten age which should be forgotten. I can teach you what I know, and you can access the magic of the crystal since you seem to have some attunement to it but, to reach it's full potential, it will require a lot more practice.”

“What happens if I do?”

“The magic of this crystal is the same magic I had in life,” Crystal Sage answered. “It's currently composed of a very similar crystal as the Crystal Heart itself, but far less powerful because only one pony so far has charged this crystal. In time you can use this crystal like a second horn, except the magic of this crystal draws upon my cutie mark talent instead of your own. If you use this crystal and your own potential to it's fullest, then you will effectively have two cutie mark talents.”

“Wow!” Feather Wind widened his eyes. “That would be impressive.”

“Indeed. I will also be around to teach you how to use my powers and, if you wish, I can also teach you what I know about crystal science. Through it, it can help you forge some of the most powerful magical items like the Crystal Heart or even this entire kingdom.” Crystal Sage waved around him. “Both extend from the same principles. That's why I studied here.”

“How would these skills help me to defeat Puppet Master?”

Crystal Sage grinned and said, “Because the knowledge I can give you can help you dispel the magic of his crystal at it's source. If you become as adept at crystal magic as I once was, you'll understand the science behind the source of his power. With that knowledge, you can disenchant or even reverse the crystal that powers him. That, in turn, will defeat him once and for all.”

“That sounds fantastic,” Feather Wind said in relief. “I have some questions for you, though, if you don't mind. How in the world did this happen to you in the first place? How has there become two of you?”

Crystal Sage sighed as he looked down, then admitted, “To be honest, I don't exactly understand what happened to me either. All I know is there is a force out there somewhere that is attempting to corrupt the magic of Equestria. Now I've thought about it a lot over these long years and it's left certain impressions in my mind. It seems this force, whatever it is, stems from beyond our realm. Whatever it is, it seems to me as if it's barely sentient. It's more like a rabid animal, thrashing about on raw savage instinct alone . . . until it contacts a pony from our world!” Crystal Sage focused on Feather Wind. “That's why it's drawn to us. Through us, this dark force gains temporary sentience. Through us, it gains the ability to make more complex strategies. I'm not the first to be infected by this dark entity. There have been others long before me and quite likely long after me as well.”

Crystal Sage teleported away. Feather Wind looked about and discovered Crystal Sage pacing closer to the crystal window. Feather Wind privately wondered if that was the first time he saw Crystal Sage use his legs to trot instead of teleporting about.

“My name was Sombra, and I was a crystal sage. I studied the magic of crystals my whole life ever since I discovered my cutie mark talents which, I might add, was at a very early age. I was considered a prodigy of my time, and I used that talent to further crystal magic knowledge as far as I could. I was drawn to the Crystal Empire in order to further my research. Before me, there used to be a Crystal Queen who once ruled over the Empire with love, light and benevolence. I was a humble servant of hers and, because of my expertise in crystal magic, she appointed me the title of 'The Crystaler'.” Crystal Sage paused in his pacing and looked at Feather Wind. “Are you familiar with the Crystaling ceremony?”

Feather Wind shook his head. “Most traditions of the Crystal Empire, and indeed the entire empire, is lost to history. I only know small bits and pieces.”

“What about the Crystal Heart? What do you know about that?” Crystal Sage inquired further.

“I know that the Crystal Heart is an artifact of great power. It is said to be the source that helped protect the Empire from the winter storms.”

“That's an understatement. The Crystal Heart is far more than that, my friend. It is the end result of Clover the Clever's research. Surely you must have heard of Heart's Warming Eve?”

“Yes. Yes, of course.”

Crystal Sage stomped a hoof on the ground. “The frozen north is where the Windigos originally came from, and they are still here. They are waiting to prey on any pony who has ice in their hearts. Clover the Clever discovered a spell that repels them and it draws upon the warmth and caring of individual ponies. Later on it was discovered that that spell could be channeled into a more permanent form.” Crystal Sage resumed pacing as he continued in a lecture tone. “Hence the Crystal Heart. A sage eventually came about that research of Clover the Clever's discoveries and realized that crystals could channel that energy into a more permanent form. If this could be done, then it could help expand love and light in Equestria beyond any standard we had at the time.”

“It was you, wasn't it?” Feather Wind realized. “You created the Crystal Heart! By Celestia, that's ironic considering what King Sombra did with it later.”

Crystal Sage paused and sighed. “What he did with it later,” he repeated, then added, “Surely he wouldn't have destroyed it. That would undermine the very thing he's trying to accomplish, world domination. If he wants to keep a hold over the Crystal Empire, then he would hide the heart, not destroy it.” He looked at Feather Wind. “I assisted in the construction of the Crystal Heart, but not even I am powerful enough to make an object that mighty. What really makes the Crystal Heart special is that it channels the warm feelings of many separate ponies and puts it in what is essentially a container. Using that energy, not only could it protect the Empire, but heal it in many other ways. It can spread life, freedom and joy to all ponies who bask under it's brilliant rainbow light.”

“In that case, you also helped with the formation of the Crystal Empire itself!” Feather Wind realized. “Before the construction of the Crystal Heart, it was not safe to live here in the frozen north. Geeze, just how old are you?”

“The secrets of the crystals reveal many promising gifts,” was all Crystal Sage would say on that matter. “Anyway,” he resumed pacing. “So yes, I will admit, I helped forge the Crystal Empire. I know every street and building in this place like the back of my hoof. I even know this place better than the one who ruled it.

“The Queen was instrumental in inspiring her subjects to peace, love and happiness. Periodically, we would all gather and infuse that energy within the Crystal Heart and thereby make it stronger. The one who organized that ceremony was known as The Crystaler so, in other words . . . that was my job. One of many, in fact. I conducted the ceremony every year that infused all who gathered there with a brilliant crystal coat. Because I understood the science behind the Crystal Heart like no other, I was deemed the most fit for the job. For a long time, life was good.

“But, over time, I noticed disturbing patterns repeat at our borders. Something dark was attempting to sneak in, probably drawn by the light of the Crystal Heart and all it influenced. This darkness was hungry, and it wanted to expunge the light and/or corrupt it. I was called to investigate many times because it had a tendency to infect other crystals.

“I should have been more cautious, however, because one day it infected me during one of my attempts to purge it. Ever since then, a darkness grew in my heart and it corrupted my magic. In an attempt to slow the infection, I poured my magic into a crystal container. That crystal turned more and more black every time I did it but eventually I noticed the more I did it, the weaker my magic became. The dark essence I channeled into that crystal was gaining magic at the same rate I was losing it, so eventually I decided to confront it directly.”

Crystal Sage paused and sighed. “That didn't go so well. We fought right here, as a matter of fact, up above the frozen lake. When I lost to my evil side, he took over my body until it was later defeated. Either way, I still remain dead.”

Crystal Sage paused to look at Feather Wind. “What I've done here, in this Red Crystal, was my last ditch effort to preserve myself. Maybe I had originally planned and hoped this crystal would be discovered so I could encourage the user of this crystal into acts that would help to redeem myself. It's been such a long time in here. I don't remember all of my plans anymore. I guess, somewhere along the way, I forgot why I did it and wallowed in misery here.”

“What is your plan?” Feather Wind asked. “How can I help to redeem you?”

Crystal Sage vanished and appeared a few feet in front of Feather Wind (which was a bit startling for Feather Wind), facing the young pony, as he said, “King Sombra and I do share one goal, but our methods differ and our agenda's after that also differ. One thing we both have in common, however, is we both want the return of the Crystal Empire.”

“Do you know where it is?” Feather Wind checked.

“I do not have King Sombra's memories after we split apart but, based on what I know and what he'd be willing and able to do, my best guess is that the Crystal Empire is stuck in limbo. That's actually a good thing, in a way. Time does not pass there like it does in the physical plane. Every pony stuck there would not notice the passage of time so, if they ever return, it will be as if no time passed for them but, until they do return, they are stuck in virtual non-existence. At least that means they are not suffering in the meantime, but they definitely deserve a better fate.”

Crystal Sage trotted a little closer to Feather Wind and bore into him a little again. “I will help you against Puppet Master, and even my evil counterpart if I have to, on one condition . . . you must promise me to do everything in our combined power to bring the Crystal Empire back and shine with it's long lost former glory.” Crystal Sage extended a hoof. “Do we have a deal?”

{I must admit, I was caught up in the moment and did not fully think things through. Just like the time I galloped away from home, I acted on the strength of pure emotion and not reasoning. I shook his hoof with no hesitation, but only later did it occur to me how much of a commitment I had promised him. What he was requesting would take a lifetime of labor. Maybe even more than that.}

“Absolutely!” Feather Wind said with no hesitation as he reached forward and shook Crystal Sage's hoof. “You are my only hope to defeat Puppet Master anyway, but I sympathize with your loss about the Crystal Empire too and all those innocent ponies caught in the middle of this. If there is anything I can do within my power to help them, then that alone is worth our partnership. Know this and know this well, my friend . . . I am very committed to this task, but I will certainly need your help to pull this off.”

“Thank you!” Crystal Sage said with immense relief. “You don't know how long I've waited to hear somepony say that.”

“Explain something to me, though,” Feather Wind prompted.

“Anything,” Crystal Sage gladly invited.

“Who was that pony who sang that song when I first got in here?”

At first Crystal Sage looked taken aback by that question, then immense regret made his expression deeply crestfallen.

“She was . . . my love,” Crystal Sage answered solemnly.

“Your wife, I take it?”

“No.” Crystal Sage spun about and looked out the window again. “It's not that simple between us. I guess you could just say we enjoyed each other's company. I, of course, enjoyed her singing and she . . . well, I don't know what she ever saw in me. Obviously it was something. She acted like I gave her such meaning in her life.”

He sighed as he looked down. “One thing that depressed me about her, however, was her tendency to put herself down. She did not see her self worth. I, on the other hoof, saw her as the most precious pony in the world. It annoyed the heck out of me when she put herself down, but at least she felt better in my company. She followed me everywhere like a lost puppy. She even followed me into this place.”

Crystal Sage gestured about the entire library. “This is where I spent most of my life. I read and I read and I read on and on and on. One book after another.

“She, herself, couldn't read. I offered to teach her but, again, her self-esteem was too low to have confidence in herself for that and, besides, she did have one point . . . I was normally too busy to make a serious commitment out of it. While I was willing to teach her, my ability to do it personally was rather limited. I offered to hire a tutor for her, but all she wanted was to remain by my side. She even slept here. I don't know how many times I paused in surprise to find her sleeping in the middle of the floor here, then I'd look at her very fondly and pulled out a blanket I had for just such an occasion. I tucked it around her telekinetically and watched her squirm in it in comfort. She looked like such an angel as she slept.

“Then, in later years, I remember this one time I was venturing beyond the Crystal Empire as I continued my research in discovering the source behind the magical infection in our lands. I closed my eyes as I stood on a high snowy hill and focused on my horn to sense in which direction the corruption was coming from, but I got disrupted from my concentration as I heard my name called out to me from behind me. I looked over my shoulder at her and was stunned to see her galloping towards me naked. No boots, no hat, no jacket . . . not even a scarf to protect her. I was out in the winter snow with my enchanted scarf to keep me warm, which looks like the one I'm wearing right now, but she galloped out to me with nothing on at all. It was as if she acted on a whim with no hesitation or preparation.”

Crystal Sage rose up to his hind legs and stomped his forelegs hard on the ground. “I was FURIOUS at her for risking her health like that! How dare she risk something so precious in this world!” He calmed down. “But I couldn't stay mad at her. Despite how intense it was, my anger lasted only a few seconds. It was quickly dissolved by the love I felt for her.

“Having nothing else on hoof, I teleported my enchanted scarf over her. That, in turn, exposed me to the cold but I could hoofle it far better than she could and, besides, I had other tricks up my sleeve that could help. Honestly, I would have felt far more vulnerable if she remained by my side unprotected. I guess you could say, in a way, my love for her kept me warm.

“But . . . one day . . . she watched me as I battled my evil counterpart personally, and she was there to see me lose. She was one of the primary reasons I fought so hard. I had to protect her, I just had to . . . but, despite my best efforts, I still lost. The dark half of me was charged with more magic from the beginning of the fight. It turned out I delayed the problem too long which gave him the upper hoof in that particular battle, and he knew every trick I had except he was willing to use tactics that I would not.

“The last thing I remember in life was looking up as I fell down and drowned in that frozen lake . . . and pain stabbed my heart to realize that I failed her despite my best efforts.”

Crystal Sage was shaking at this point of the story in some rage but mostly pain and regret.

“I was so afraid of what he would do to her after I lost. King Sombra knew what I loved. He had my memories up to that point. I was so afraid he would immediately decimate her, but no. He ended up doing something far worse . . . he ignored her. He just put her in chains like every pony else, like she was no pony special to him at all. He neither tortured her nor showed her any love. He acted like she was just another face in the crowd.”

Tears rolled down his eyes as he shook. “Her self-esteem was already so fragile! To see her former lover turn into this . . . it must have shattered her heart. I had flash visions of her just occasionally ever since then, perhaps sent from Sombra to torture me. It was enough to realize she . . . she lost her voice. She never spoke again, let alone sang again! A broken heart could not find the strength to lift her angelic voice again!”

Crystal Sage collapsed onto his knees. “Inside this crystal prison . . . I cried out to her! I cried out so hard, desperate for her to hear my plea, but she had no reason to believe I existed at all anymore. She thought I had been completely consumed by my darker half, and that he was all that was left of her former lover.”

Feather Wind paused his story when he heard his daughter sniffle beside him. Seeing that, he telekinetically lifted his Mist Cloak and used it to pull her closer to his side.

“Just a little longer, Sweet Heart. Just a little longer and we'll rest for the night. I'll continue my story tomorrow morning.”

{I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but I was in tears too at the time. Crystal Sage heard my sniffles and turned to look at me. Seeing another pony looking at him and actually caring, it helped him calm down a little. I could tell so easily that this was a colt of incredible strength of spirit, but no pony endures a loss that severe so easily. Even he was capable of tears as well and, of course, it would happen over the loss of somepony he dearly loved.}

“But . . . you'll see her again when we bring back the Crystal Empire, won't you?” Feather Wind asked hopefully in the past. “Maybe that will help inspire her to find her voice again.”

Crystal Sage shook his head. “That is impossible. I am just a lingering memory, one that is destined to fade eventually. What I have in mind will guarantee my passage into the afterlife once and for all, all in the hopes to bring back the Crystal Empire.” He wiped his tears away. “There is one blessing in this situation. She no longer remembers me.”

“What?” Feather Wind looked sad. “How is that a good thing?”

“It's good because she can move on with her life unburdened by the tragedy of her past,” Crystal Sage answered. “King Sombra's curse would wipe away all memory of the time before he ruled if and when the crystal ponies return. It was a security measure of his to help him maintain an upper hoof over them, essentially causing them to forget how to rebel against him. That meant she would forget about me as well and the love we shared. If she can't remember that, maybe she'll find her voice again . . . however,” he looked back at Feather Wind, “the instant the Empire returns, King Sombra will grow aware of it as well. He stored the bulk of his power there. He need only return to the castle. If he does, he can bring himself back to life on that stored magic alone, so of course he'll aim to bring back the Empire itself first. Since I almost have the same agenda, some pony needs to get to the Crystal Empire right away and defend it with a barrier of love. If no pony does, King Sombra will immediately slip in and take over. The advantage of working with me is one can be more prepared for the arrival of the Crystal Empire. If he does it instead, it will be on his terms, and he will do it using darker magic. In this case, he'll either kill you to use your blood to power his dark rituals or he'll try to take over your body just like he tried, and succeeded, to steal mine.”

“You cannot just let your lover go,” Feather Wind whined. “You complete each other.”

“I died, Feather Wind. Not much I can do to change that. When other ponies die in the world they don't normally get a chance to plan and plot like this from beyond the grave. This crystal and you are my only ears, eyes and vessel to help perform my plan.”

“What exactly is your plan?” Feather Wind inquired.

“The Red Crystal . . . it must be charged with an abundant amount of life, love, hope, joy . . . any positive emotion,” Crystal Sage answered. “In other words, it must become a Crystal Heart two point oh. It cannot nearly contain that much energy, but it can be enough for my purposes. You see, the Crystal Heart is also trapped in limbo. If the Red Crystal can be charged with enough positive feelings then it can create a sympathetic feedback loop between itself and the Crystal Heart which would draw the two closer together like a magnet.”

“And since the Crystal Heart is in the Crystal Empire, it would draw that back to the material plane too!” Feather Wind realized. “Crystal Sage, that's brilliant!”

“There are other stages to my plan, but it is better if I inform you later. For now, I task you with the responsibility to gather as much positive energy as you can using the Red Crystal. As a side effect, that will also give you the power you need to defeat the black crystal inside of Puppet Master so you have to cooperate with me anyway.”

“So because he's gathering negative energy . . . I have to draw a greater amount of positive energy!” Feather Wind realized.

Crystal Sage smiled proudly as he said, “Now you're thinking like a crystal sage! This is exactly correct. Having a greater amount of energy than the other guy gives you the upper hoof. You can even wait for him to dump off that energy to King Sombra. As he leaves to gather more energy to replace it, that's when you smack him down and finish him for good, then poof . . . no more errand boy for King Sombra.”

“What about Sombra himself? We'll have to deal with him and all of that gathered energy as well,” Feather Wind pointed out.

“One step at a time,” Crystal Sage encouraged with a cautious raise of a hoof. “If you follow through with my plan,” he replaced his hoof to the ground, “you can deal with each villain one by one instead of taking them both on at once. Even one of these ponies will be formidable enough as it is. I don't want to push you too hard, so it's better if you follow through with my plan.”

Crystal Sage approached closer. “King Sombra does not know you're working for me. He doesn't know that there is some pony out there that is acting with a pony who knows how he thinks. This will give us a tactical edge. Considering how powerful they both are, I figured we could use every advantage we can get.”

“I won't let you down, great grandpa times fifteen or so,” Feather Wind said as he approached and embraced Crystal Sage. “Together we'll cleanse this stain off of our family history for good.”

“I truly wish I did not have to burden you with this task,” Crystal Sage said solemnly. “I'll do everything in my power to help you.”

{I can tell you from personal experience that I felt a lot of power from that hug he gave. It was filled with such intense warmth, conviction, power and spirit. I realized I could easily see him as a mentor . . . but I also realized that, as my love and respect for him grew so, too, did I fear his counterpart. The more Crystal Sage proved how powerful, resourceful and intelligent he was, the more I realized his evil side would be as well. That made a strange mixture of fear, love and respect. In any case, definitely a pony worth paying attention to.}

Chapter Seventeen: Adventures in the Tardis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No, it wasn't there yesterday,” her father agreed. “I erected it both to protect you while you slept and to make a point. Watch.” He lifted a hoof to it. When that happened, the crystal hanging about his neck glowed red. A similar magic aura surrounded the crystal tent. A moment later both sides of the slanted crystal withdrew into the earth where they once came from.

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

“I do with this thing.” Feather Wind pointed at the Red Crystal on his necklace. “This grants me your great grandfather's cutie mark talent while I wear it and channel my energy through it, and he trained me how to wield it as well. The reason you haven't seen me use it before is because, lately, I have had no need to and, secondly, it's kind of a family secret. The reason I'm showing it to you now is because we've already reached the point of my story where it was introduced. Doing so is also initiating you into a family secret, and possibly also a family responsibility if you accept.”

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

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

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

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

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

“Yes.” Feather Wind nodded. “That was his aura color in life, and also King Sombra's before he got corrupted. Ever since then, Sombra's aura color is a mixture of black with hints of dark purple.”

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

“Very likely, but I have to point something out. If you accept the responsibility of using this crystal, you must realize it's only until it gathers enough positive energy to help bring back the Crystal Empire. After that, this crystal will be destroyed. Actually, no.” He looked to the side. “I take that back.” He looked back at his daughter. “Changed is more the mark. This crystal will be altered in such a way that it will be beyond our reach but, in doing so, not only are we helping to bring the Crystal Empire back, but we will be aiding Equestria in another way. I'll get to that later but, for now, you need to understand that, if you accept this, you are only borrowing it's power until it's primary purpose is complete. At that point it will finally be time to close a chapter on one of our family's dark history. From there it will be time to open a new chapter, hopefully a better one.”

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

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

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

“You can try,” Feather Wind offered. He had the necklace telekinetically float off of his neck using his own horn and aura. From there he floated it gently in front of his daughter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xoxo

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

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

Feather Wind shook his head. “No. I spoke with her over the wind so you can imagine how delayed that conversation was going both ways. She says she'll be busier than she thought, and will be held up for at least another week. In the mean time, she bid me to give you a message.” Feather Wind bent over and kissed his daughter on the top of her head. “Happy birthday again, Sweet Heart.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feather Wind took a deep breath as he looked skyward and leaned back on his forelegs held behind him. “My adventures in the Tardis . . . how can I possibly sum up that? There are far too many tales to recount during this point of my life. Far too many to remember and, even if I did a brief summary of each adventure, it could still take weeks to describe them all. I think the details of this point of my life is better suited as bed time stories spread throughout your lifetime and I'll leave it at that as something for you to look forward to but, for now, I'll give you a few examples of some of the adventures I had in this time and space machine as well as give you an idea of the social progress I made with my companions during the trip.

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

“Every single time he fooled me into thinking he was a complete and utterly mad idiot, he later proved that he had this ingenious plan all along and that every action and word seemed carefully calculated. The truth is, he's even more incredible than that because he doesn't need to plan that far ahead. He can think so fast on his hooves that he can make it seem like he planned whatever he was doing for weeks when, in fact, he came up with it on the spot. I later suspected that the chaos he grew accustomed to during his many centuries of adventuring forced him into the habit of adapting quickly on his hooves.

“Most of that time was spent in another dimension where he had an entirely different form that moved standing upright on two legs, not four. Celestia only knows how they managed to keep their balance in such a form but he assured me they managed it somehow. He never ceased to be amazed and amused with a pony universe and, in general, he liked how innocent it was in comparison to where he came from but, that said, we had some rough scrapes plenty of times over the years.

“The Doctor . . . how can I best describe him? One thing I can say about him is his appetite for adventure seemed insatiable. He never ever stopped for more than a few days before growing antsy and restless. He seemed honestly addicted to a fast pace in life which most other ponies would eventually find exhausting. I know I did at times. Speaking of which, I don't recall him ever sleeping. Maybe having two hearts gave him the stamina he needed to remain awake indefinitely. Either that or he slept in another timeline. He did have a time machine, after all.

“I remember the times I awoke while sleeping in the Tardis and I noticed him prancing into the Tardis while wearing a fancy outfit and it occurred to me the colt just never quits. Even while we sleep, he goes off onto more adventures. He was having more adventures behind our backs! Considering the scope of the dangers he faced on a regular basis, I recall growing concerned about the adventures he had while we slept and he told me not to worry about it, that he 'restrains' himself to tamer adventures while his companions sleep like dancing with famous celebrities and such.

“I just had to shake my head at this bewildering, amazing and sometimes infuriating pony. It was because we cared for him so much was why we sometimes got so upset with him. We see him saving lives every single day, or at least try his hardest to. Many, many times he selflessly risked his own life to save anywhere from one individual to entire galaxies, and each time we always had to question whether this would be the big one that would finally take him out for good.

“His personality tended to be generally friendly and excitable but, once in awhile, I saw glimpses of how much time had been a burden to him. This was especially common when he needed to make hard decisions and he realized that it was up to him to make the tough calls, as usual. During those times, I saw glimpses of just how old he really is, and that time has not always been so kind to him. He failed to save lives sometimes, including dear and trusted companions on his journey. All of that loss piles on top of his hearts, forever adding more and more weight to it, and the Doctor does indeed care about us enough to leave a deep scar when he loses us. Usually his companions retire in one way or another, whether they wanted to or not but, once in a rare while, they just die. Living life on the constant edge of danger, it becomes an inevitable possibility eventually.

“Moving from one time to the next, from one place to the next, eventually formed a pattern in my mind. It seemed to indicate that the Doctor was desperate to keep on galloping. That it wasn't just his interest to explore, it was also some fear of stagnating. I don't know why, but he kept on moving as if he was unable to stop. It got so much sometimes that I just stayed in the Tardis so I could read or write while my friends went off into yet another potentially deadly adventure. Normally I'd do anything to protect them but when it dragged on and on and on it got too exhausting to keep up with constantly. My trust that my friends could hoofle it was also another factor in those decisions.

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

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

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

“In this case, however, our situation was a little unique. Dumping me off in my native timeline gave King Sombra more time to advance his plan, and we weren't prepared to face him yet because either I had not mastered the Red Crystal and it's subsequent crystal magic or we hadn't gathered enough positive energy to properly be prepared to face him or his lackey. Because of this, the Doctor adjusted his normal policy with me, Stern Wing and Vision, and that was to allow us to remain in the Tardis if we so chose while any other pony ready and willing to join him on his adventures steped outside those amazing doors with him. Either that or dump us off on another timeline that seemed relatively peaceful. Derpy's timeline, for example, was pretty good for that one, but even it had the occasional problem of rampaging monsters that try to wreck Equestria. On the other hoof, it was remarkably prepared to face such threats when they arose on the rare occasion. It was easier to relax when there were other heroes already in that timeline ready and willing to face those dangers head on instead of us. So . . . there you go. In such situations, it was easier to just meld into the background and enjoy the show from there.

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

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

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

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

“When all else failed, usually her determination helped us to win the day. With every ounce of blood left in her body, she kept on standing to defend whatever was important to her. She fought especially hard for the weak and helpless. If she encountered others who could fight then she welcomed them to it. She gladly accepted comrades-in-arms if they proved they could hoofle it, else the burden fell on her sturdy shoulders. She honestly didn't mind but, like the Doctor, a compassionate heart grows very weary with repeated failures but your mom . . . she never gave up. Even when all else seemed bleak and hopeless, she fought on anyway even if she didn't think she would win. Fighting is exactly how she hoofles despair, but it's how she hoofles bravery too. No matter what she faced, I think she always kept thinking that there was always a chance, no matter how bleak the situation seemed.

“During our adventures through time and space, your mom and I also had occasional opportunities to pursue romantic interests with each other, except we often did it in very exotic locations and situations. For example, we'd sit across from each other in a diner and have ourselves a hay-burger while we wistfully glanced to our side at an asteroid field beyond the window of our restaurant that encompasses the ring of an alien planet that the diner we sat in happened to be in orbit of and, outside, we'd see the Doctor laughing hysterically as he surfed between those asteroids on a space surf board. We'd see that and we're forced to shrug on how the unusual had become our new usual.

“Vision was an unusual companion for the Doctor in several regards. To begin with, he rarely invited a young foal on his journey due to him knowing how dangerous it was and how unlikely somepony that young could survive. Add to that, Vision was quite a sickly foal as well and, on top of that, she was blind to boot. He was initially quite reluctant to keep her on his journey. He kept inventing excuses to bring her to safe places where she might be able to grow up in peace. If she still wanted to join him after that and she was in better health then he might have been more willing to bring her along. Derpy was the primary reason Vision remained. She did not want to abandon the foal to some nameless timeline, and Vision was at risk in her own timeline because it was proven Puppet Master went after her once and might do so again once the monster fully realized how false of a lead the Doctor put him on.

“Eventually the Doctor set to work to resolve the issue in several other ways. He treated her to skilled medical professionals who had access to magic and technology rare in other worlds. With their help, he hoped to improve her natural constitution. Stern Wing also helped in that regard by having the young filly do some healthy but safe exercises in the Tardis and, by the way, that thing turned out much bigger on the inside than I initially thought. In theory, it is an endless universe on it's own, and it could reshape itself depending on it's needs.

“Beyond that, the Doctor also invented this weird version of a sonic screwdriver that could be worn as glasses for Vision, but these glasses did not function the way normal glasses do. Instead of improving vision, these glasses instead communicated a sonic pulse to her brain which she learned to translate into visual-like images. It was basically an advanced version of sonar vision. This strategy had some pros and cons. The cons were she still could not read, could not distinguish any color and could not see to any distance beyond one-hundred feet, although there were potential environmental variables that could shorten or lengthen that range. The pros were she could see like she could hear. She could literally see three-hundred and sixty degrees around her which also included the X, Y and Z axis, creating a perfect, one-hundred foot radius sphere of perception around her. If you were anywhere within that bubble of perception, it did not matter if you hid behind a trash can. Due to the bouncing echoes around her, she'd still notice you. Later on those sonic glasses were improved to become sonic lens permanently grafted on top of her eyes and, with this device, she learned to wield it in every way the Doctor used his own sonic screwdriver except she had a similar device built on top of her own otherwise blind eyes and, due to inexperience, she was not quite as proficient with it's use as the Doctor.

“When it came to her other abilities, the Doctor acknowledged her as the first truly psychic companion to travel with him on a regular basis and it did change the scope of his adventures very much. While her visions of the distant present, past and future were limited to her dreams and very often beyond her control, Vision was empathic while awake and made murder mysteries a virtual moot point whenever she was around. The Doctor called her a, 'cheat code' that made his adventures too easy sometimes. There were times he angrily scolded her for spoiling a surprise and encouraged her to let him figure a mystery we had on our hooves all on his own. However, there were other times he begged her for answers, especially when lives were on the line and he could feel himself losing options in a hurry. This was an asset he rarely had access to before, especially that frequently and it came in hoofy many times.

“Later on she developed an interest in martial arts. Stern Wing did at the same time and agreed to assist the young foal in learning it while studying it herself. In the beginning, Vision struggled with these lessons very hard but, as her health improved, she picked the skill up faster and faster and proved she had far more than a mere knack for it. During the second year of our stay in the Tardis, she became one of our deadliest combatants, including me or the Doctor. When her limbs became honed and sharp, she proved she had an awesome advantage when it came to hoof to hoof combat. Her sonar vision gave her an all-around vision of the local battlefield which she learned to attune herself to sharply, and she also had the advantage as a psychic empath which warned her when and how a potential opponent would strike. In time, she refined her abilities to get a very reliable sixth sense for any kind of danger, whether it came from a creature, object or environment. After that she proved almost untouchable since she had the ability to dodge your attacks a split second ahead of time, and she could also exploit openings in your defenses a split second ahead of time.

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

“But, one day, she developed a very unusual method of learning. In time she became more and more empathic with the Tardis itself and, through that psychic bond, the Tardis became a quasi-mentor for her, and that was a mentor aware of reality from a higher perspective. Due to that bond, Vision learned a meditation technique in which she could channel her psychic visions at will without needing to go to sleep first. Not only that, but she had far more control where those visions took her, though they were often guided by the Tardis at first. Using this method, she learned other skills from alternate reality versions of herself studying with various other mentors, and she could later revisit those visions as often as she wanted to.

“I should also mention that her psychic visions did have one limitation . . . she could not see into her own past or especially into her own future, but she could see in to her alternate past or future and learn from that. Using this method, she learned from other alchemists and healers like Mage Meadowbrook and a zebra named Zecora who lived in Derpy's time, except the Tardis helped to inspire other discoveries related to time and space.

“Eventually Vision learned to brew a concoction which would allow her to transport herself to whatever time or place she projected her visions to during her meditations. In effect, she learned how to simulate the advantages of the Tardis except she could only do it for herself and she needed certain ingredients for this potion and time to brew it. Using this power, she projected herself to certain times and places where the ingredients used to be much more common and gathered them in a special item the Doctor gave her, a Time Lord technology that had extra dimensional space in a pair of saddle bags which she used to store her alchemical ingredients. It was also where she later installed a mechanical hoof glider to project from the pair of bags to use to fly with my assistance. Since she was still mostly blind in the air, she actually depended on my guidance while in the air but it helped us escape many emergency situations.

“Towards the end she learned to brew other potions that made her ridiculously overpowered. For example, she learned to brew a potion that sped her natural timeline. In effect, she moved at super speed. While the rest of the world was moving at a virtual crawl to her due to the potions temporary effect, she not only had time to completely dodge your attacks but counter it with a thousand hoof attacks that are each aimed with very precise medical precision. Through that technique, she could both harm or heal you, then she had other potions which thickened her hide to the texture of stone or a potion which caused accelerated cellular regeneration. At that point, even if you did manage to scratch her, she could heal it in seconds. The potions were temporary though and she did have to gather the ingredients and needed time to brew them so she did not pull it out in every situation but, if it was needed, it often made the difference between life and death. Some of those potions had hostile side effects as well but, if the end result was your opponents unconscious on the floor and you're still standing, it could be worth it, especially if she had other potions to aid in her recovery later.

“On a personal level, Vision was very much pleased to travel with us in the Tardis. She was glad to help ponies in need more directly than she used to, and she enjoyed the places we visited. She used to be a very cloistered pony so exploring the universe was a breath of fresh air for her. Never again did she want to be confined to a single place. No matter how challenging the journey was for her at first, Vision was very motivated to improve just so she could explore it more. I think, out of all of us, Vision improved the most during the journey. Going from a sickly blind foal to an untouchable bad-ass who had the ability to both see and travel across time and space in her meditations, had expert martial arts, had advanced medical knowledge, useful utilitarian potions, had access to a sonic device with nearly limitless applications, I would say for sure she improved a lot.

“Now Derpy . . . how can I put this? If the Doctor was the head of the party, Derpy was most certainly it's heart. She felt like a sister to me. I mean no offense to the mare when I say this, but she felt like a younger sister to me because she honestly was kind of ditsy and innocent, but that was why we all loved her. Just because I compare her to a younger sibling despite actually being older does not mean I love her any less. Derpy had a smile that could light up the whole room and, in this regard, she reminded me of my mom sometimes. Whenever she cheered us on, I honestly felt very invigorated. I remember when her singing actually lifted the spirits of a whole army on the brink of despair. She helped us to gain an inner strength that allowed us to fight on when all else seemed hopeless. She was not just good at lifting our spirits when we were down, she also improved our spirits even when we were feeling good. She enhanced our lives positively no matter what we were feeling before. One of the strongest contributions I gained from Derpy was she helped to fill this Red Crystal with positive energy very frequently, and there were times I had to tap into that power to help save our lives which, indirectly, came from Derpy.

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

“For instance, there was this one time we noticed that she got trapped in a painting and she could only move if no pony was looking at her. I vividly recall her look of terror with her small eyes and small mouth that sucked into itself. She had a look that cried out for help. The moment I saw it, I said goodbye to myself at any chance I'd have to rest until Derpy stopped being miserable, and I was already tired by then but there was no way in Tartarus I could sleep while knowing she was in any kind of pain. You'd be surprised how often she inspired the best out of all of us, and she did it so effortlessly. Quite simply, she was a joy to be around.

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

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

Feather Wind grinned, then chuckled, then shook his head. “Well . . . we'd been all over many interesting places and times. Sometimes, to recover from a particularly traumatic experience, the Doctor would lead us to what he considered to be relaxing places but still had an exotic edge to it. I, ah . . . it's a little embarrassing to admit this one, but there was this one time he took us to a pleasure planet that reversed the gender of any creature who set a hoof on it, assuming they had one to begin with.”

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

“It had something to do with the radiation emanating off the planet which was refined by some technology. Within minutes of exposure, that radiation reversed our sexual chromosomes and was supposed to last no more than two minutes after we ceased being exposed to the planet. Now the Doctor was thrilled by this, since it was his original idea.”

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

“Ah, yes . . . her. Actually, I should add something about the Doctor at this point. He could recover from potentially fatal injuries unless both hearts are shot simultaneously or killed again during the next phase of regeneration, but that regeneration has a price. It would permanently change the appearance of the ones affected, and not just physically. It would change their personalities as well. He said that, when this occurs, his race could potentially change genders or even apparent species. He could become a unicorn or pegasus next time, or even a griffin, dragon, sea monster, or jiggling ball full of tentacles. Potentially anything. Given the fact he grew up with this possibility in mind, the idea of switching genders wasn't as big of a deal to him but the Doctor is an adventurer at heart so, of course, he'd explore something to the fullest given the opportunity. I remember how she laughed and said it was finally her turn to tease the guys. Beyond changing her attire though, which took her hours by the way, honestly the Doctor changed the least of us. She was still this silly filly with zeal and insatiable drive to explore. She was still very intelligent and wildly eccentric. This golden opportunity may have thrilled her but, personally, I didn't see much of a difference beyond the gender, of course.

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

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

“He,” Star Breeze corrected.

“. . . did grow a little stronger, healthier and more confident. What disturbed her, though, was she also grew a little less empathic during this time.”

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

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

“Now Derpy, on the other hoof . . . oh my Celestia! The change was astounding! At first she panicked. It took a lot of coaxing to convince her this was just a temporary change and it would go away as soon as she left the planet. As she steadily calmed down, she grew more receptive to Stern Wing's suggestion to have a guy's night out. When Derpy finally did embrace the changes, it was quite dramatic . . . and not entirely in a good way. She became much more aggressive and assertive. Confidence wasn't the half of it. She actually became a little bit cruel! I honestly didn't expect that from her under any sun.

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

“I have to say, of all the years I had ever known Derpy, this was by far the most dramatic and sudden change in her. All of a sudden she was intensely competitive. This thrilled your mom. In Derpy's case I can't say her sense of innocence survived the transformation, nor was she adorable anymore. She acted like a stranger that kind of resembled Derpy. I don't know if it's my imagination or not, but I vaguely recall even her cutie mark altering a bit. Maybe the normally white bubbles of her cutie mark turned red or something. If there was any truth to this, it turned back when she regained her normal gender. Thank Celestia!

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

“Now as for me, my timid nature returned with a vengeance. All of a sudden most of my confidence flew out the window. I still had all this knowledge and talents and spells I could cast but I felt painfully shy at the time. I grew keenly aware how the world might be judging the altered me and I felt very uncomfortable about that and, deep down, also kind of fascinated by the changes but I would have preferred to explore this more in privacy. Outward exposure made me burn with embarrassment.” Feather Wind chuckled. “Your mom did not help with the issue. Actually, she couldn't wait to get me all dolled up with makeup and dresses. She forced me practically into a fashion show with all kinds of pretty and frilly dresses. I've never been so embarrassed in my life.” Feather Wind stopped as he gave a sharp narrow stare at his giggling daughter.

“For some reason I'm having such an easy time picturing you as a girl!” Star Breeze squealed in amusement, then looked suddenly thoughtful. “Come to think of it, I can also easily imagine my mom as a handsome stallion. Maybe you were both born the wrong gender.” She grinned at her father. “I'm curious . . . if those changes had been permanent, would I have been born from you instead of her? Would I be a unicorn instead?”

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

“True,” Star Breeze agreed wistfully with a sideways tip of her head, then she smiled again with vicious pleasure. “Continue.”

Feather Wind tapped his hoofs together. “I had the distinct impression your mother was extracting some kind of revenge with me, but not against me specifically. More likely against some imagined slight in society. At that moment I simply became too convenient of a target to pass up. She later apologized a bit but she still can't help but laugh at the memory to this day. She appreciated that I was a good sport and cooperated despite my discomfort. I actually had this sickening feeling she enjoyed it so much because of my discomfort. I think she found it adorable, and as for me . . . I love her enough to forgive her for that. She had to live as a girl her whole life so I endured it for a few weeks for her sake. I didn't think she thought of that fact as a burden. I never thought she was uncomfortable with her own gender and, the truth is, she seemed glad to return to it afterwards but the way she behaved herself while on that planet and the way she treated me lends credit to that pent up frustration theory the residents of the planet warned me about. It's honestly surprising what you'll discover in your loved ones when their hidden selves have a chance to come out and play.”

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

Feather Wind shook his head. “No. It was an enlightening experience for me, and I couldn't wait to write it all down in a new poem when I was done. For me, it was just jarring to be thrust into the opposite role and so heavily pushed in that direction by most of my friends, your mother and the Doctor in particular. I endured it for their sake, and secretly found it pretty fascinating. No longer did I have to wonder what the fabric of those dresses would feel like on my hide or the weight it applies. When I saw myself in the mirror after they were done, I must admit I did look pretty cute. A small and petite little girl, while your mother on the other hoof turned out to be a tall, broad and very masculine-looking stallion.

“In a very strange way, this experience helped to deepen my bond with your mother and vice versa. Each of us tasted what it would be like in the other horse's shoes and that caused us to appreciate each other all the more. It was difficult for me to be attracted to your mother when she became a stallion, and I'm sure it felt just as odd for her to kiss a girl. When all was said and done, we had a good laugh and learned to appreciate being ourselves all the more. While attraction could have been an issue, I promise you that this experience did nothing to erase my love for her. I'm sure she felt the same way.

“As usual for any of our 'vacations' with the Doctor, some kind of danger almost inevitably turned up eventually. In this case, it was an escaped convict from another planet who fled to this planet to escape the punishments of his local society due to a technicality. According to their society's laws, changing genders like that technically constitutes a brand new individual and, until that new individual breaks another law within their society, they considered her legally untouchable. Now, because of that, she fought her way to and held those who operated the machine that enhanced the planet's radiation and held them hostage. She forced them to intensify the radiation of the planet in order to try to induce a more permanent change of everypony on the whole planet with the specific intention to permanently protect her new gender and thus remain immune to the laws of her planet even if she left this one. While clearly a massive overkill strategy considering her true agenda, it was fascinating, infuriating and seemingly ridiculous how close her evil plan nearly worked. Meanwhile the police force from her native world that chased her to this planet set up a blockade to keep her from leaving the planet which, in turn, blocked everypony else.

“We could have left on the Tardis because it can basically teleport but the Doctor, being the brave heroic fool he usually is, barged past the 'No Entry' sign in blatant disregard of it (which he had repeatedly done many times before and since as well) and hacked his way through it with his sonic screwdriver. I should mention, while that device was a technological marvel capable of seemingly infinite variety of things, the one thing the Doctor used it for the most was getting past locks. In other words, it was a glorified lock pick.

“As usual he helped save the day and get the machine back to it's normal settings but, by then, the previous ramped up settings had already done some damage. What should have taken two minutes to reverse our genders back to normal after we stopped getting exposed to the planet instead took two weeks, or at least it would have. The Doctor found a way to vibrate the residual radiation off of us with his sonic screwdriver which we all did except for the Doctor himself. He let the ride continue for as long as it lasted and, because of that, it was his idea to have a girls night out on another planet which was fine by me because it left me alone to write my thoughts down in the relative safety of the Tardis. By then I had plenty of ideas that I just had to get out of my system.

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

“One last thing I will say about this is I asked the staff at the planet what happens when a hermaphrodite comes to the planet. If there was a pony who had both or neither gender, what would happen to them? Their reply was they were generally affected less by the experience but they also said it was very rare to be completely neutral between the two extremes. If either side was even slightly stronger then that planet would reverse it. In the rare case when a pony is totally gender neutral or perfectly balanced between the two then they were encouraged to explore either side as much as they wanted. That's all.”

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

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

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

“Let's see.” Feather Wind thought on it, then grinned as he nodded. “Yeah. I can think of another planet I would call really exotic. You see, on this planet, we were not the only time travelers. Far from it. On this planet everypony had the ability to travel through time. All they had to do was pay a fare and step onto this train that would accelerate faster than the speed of light. Since it had a fixed track, it could only travel through time and other places on their planet, but not off planet. Apparently they had this technology for quite awhile on their planet, and they continually expanded the tracks further and further into the past. They literally gave all their future technology to their past ancestors. They also openly traveled back and forth between the various timelines. Not only could you visit another timeline, you were even welcome to stay there if you passed a test and get a license to remain in that timeline. It was like getting a new citizenship certificate.

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

“I asked the Doctor if cases like this was supposed to cause a temporal paradox. He said yes very strongly and immediately suggested we all turn right back around and leave on the Tardis before we get too mixed in the complicated tapestry this planet had, but,” he sighed, “as usual there was a problem. Apparently there really was a paradox on that planet that caused the Tardis to feel ill. As a result, it couldn't leave the planet, not on it's own. Somehow the ponies of this planet found an unnatural way to solve their temporal paradoxes. They said they had some machine to fix this. Go figure.

“Anyway, it also turned out that the ponies of this world never invented a means to travel off the planet no matter how far forward in time we go. It just remained illegal to leave the planet, apparently. They thought that if they ever left the planet they would disappear from existence and anypony connected to their timeline forwards or backwards in time might also disappear or at least be affected somehow, and this odd relationship they had with time just might make them right. The only way we finally managed to escape that planet was by securing passage on an alien spacecraft. First we had to track down the time and the place that occurred in history then we showed up with the Tardis in tow and begged for passage. It took some convincing, but we managed. Once we escaped the planet's atmosphere, we also left the temporal sphere of influence of that planet. As a result, the Tardis recovered from it's illness and could thus take off wherever and whenever after that.

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

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

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

“From the Doctor, I learned the real meaning of bravery and self-sacrifice. I learned about adventure. I learned about many new places across time and space. It was amazing to step into the past and personally witness things I had only read about in history books and it made me realize that none of them were ever just words in a book. These were real ponies at one time with rich and deeply meaningful lives. It was so fascinating to witness it come to life, then there was the future. Different times had different feels to it, but there is one being who kept intruding upon our journey multiple times.

“Huh. I suppose I should mention him now, but I will say I don't think it's safe to say his name out loud else it might summon his attention because I think he can hear it. What I will tell you is this is a fifth dimensional reality bender of pure chaos and disharmony. No matter where or when we go, he had the ability to pop in with no warning and change everything in reality and he usually did it in very odd ways. For awhile he had a generally antagonistic relationship with the group, but he didn't really intend us serious harm and he always rewarded us if we passed his little game without too much hard feelings. To him, it was all fun and games.

“He made Derpy very uncomfortable and your mother downright hated his guts. At first the Doctor disliked him as well because this being seemed to put the lives of his friends in danger but, when he realized it was nothing but harmless fun, the Doctor warmed up to this being a bit. Both Vision and I were the only ones to actually like this being, and he rewarded that affection with extra positive attention. For example, he'd suddenly teleport us to some fancy party where the three of us were guests of honor. I also had some deeply fascinating philosophical conversations with him a few times. For example, he was a proponent to the theory that chaos was the ultimate determinant of everything within the perspective of a single, fixed reality. On the other hoof, if that perspective was backed off to include all realities simultaneously then it showed order instead of chaos because, from that perspective, all possibilities are a reality and they always will be which results in consistent and predictable results but only if able to see this extremely large perspective.

“He had the ability to shift back and forth between all of those possibilities at will and he also had the ability to drag others along with him, willing or not. While capable of looking at all other realities, he said he preferred not to in order to keep things a surprise. Fun and games was his way to keep his immortal self entertained.

“He also warned us not to visit certain times and places his past self would reside in because, back then, he was less 'reformed', as he put it, and would therefore be more merciless and greedy with his new toys. While he always did enjoy games, he said his past self had a tendency to cheat so it was unlikely the game would really be fair. That being offered to shield us from the perception of his past self if we happen to visit those times for one reason or another, but he warned us that protection could only extend so far because his past self was just as powerful.

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

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

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

Her father nodded. “While we were exploring the city, it came to our attention that there was a special event going on at the time. The rumor was a special representative of the Equestrian Games was paying the city a visit in order to evaluate it's potential to be the host of the Equestrian Games, an honor the Crystal Empire never had before.

“That information was just backdrop though compared to one other very important fact. We encountered Angel Song, the nick name for the pony I gave for the one that sang that song when I first met Crystal Sage since he never said her name back then. For the sake of his privacy, I won't say what her real name is now either, but we did encounter her at last within the city. Both your mom and I begged him to take over my body and go talk to her. I actually gave him temporary permission but he was still reluctant. Instead, he said he was content to see her trotting about again. I asked him, 'Are you sure she's content? Maybe she feels incomplete without you instead.' He said to me, if that were true, he could do little about it since he was dead, and I retorted that was not entirely true because he could talk to her right now through me.

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

Feather Wind paused there for a second as he collected his thoughts, then resumed. “Again, for the sake of his privacy, I won't speak too much of what happened between them. What I will say is he cheered her up a bit but she already seemed a lot better than when he last saw her. She gained her color back and even had a crystalline texture to her that was also slightly transparent. She wasn't the only one like that either. More importantly, she could speak again but tended to be very shy and quiet when she did so as if afraid of being overheard or offending anypony for . . . whatever reason.

“Through my body, Crystal Sage said he was a newcomer to the city and, to a point, that was true. It was my first time there, after all. He asked her for an escort through the city. She said sure. I don't think even she consciously realized why she accepted, nor was it likely that she realized how unnecessary the escort actually was. Crystal Sage did not lie to me. He really did know that city like the back of his hoof and could have pointed out hidden secrets within it if he wanted to, but he chose to hold his tongue about that and instead entirely pay attention to her at the time.

“There was probably something in my eyes that drew her in to me. She showed us around and they had a nice and pleasant conversation together.

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

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

“In Derpy's time, the Empire had already returned and they showered the world with brilliant rays of joy. Ever since then, all the melancholy of his many painful years of regret melted off of him.

“Through my eyes, he cried in joy. Upon seeing that, Angel Song asked in concern if he was okay. In response he hugged her, then quietly whispered into her ear that he wished her well with the remainder of her life. As he withdrew, I saw her wide, astonished eyes shining with liquid as well, though I doubt she consciously realized why she felt that profound in that moment. Even in the event that she recalled her former lover, it was very unlikely she realized he temporarily possessed me during that tour though perhaps, deep down, she sensed the truth.

“Ever since then Crystal Sage has been much more quiet. He drew great comfort and joy knowing that the Crystal Empire would one day return, along with all there that he cared about. Ever since then, he seemed much more ready for death except for one last unfinished business, but at least, while he waited, he knew for sure his plan would work someday. He had seen a glimpse of the future, and it was good. In it he said his goodbyes in his own way.

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

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

Chapter Eighteen: Stranded

Chapter Eighteen: Liberation

“Everyone, HANG ON!!!” the Doctor cried out. His companions tried to but the violent rocking of the Tardis made that difficult, not to mention the various explosions that happened around the machine. On top of that, the Tardis was making mechanical wheezing sounds and other weird sound effects that was not so familiar to the gang, thus strongly indicating something was wrong.

“What's happening, Doctor?” Derpy asked, frightened, as she was flung back and forth while desperately holding onto a rail near the console. In this case, she stood on the outside of the rail, looking in.

“We're caught in some kind of energy vortex!” the Doctor announced frantically as he desperately was operating the controls in a hurry. Sometimes he had to latch onto the controls to prevent himself from being flung away violently. More than once he also had to shield himself with a leg as the control console exploded in front of him with a shower of sparks. “It's reeking havoc with the time/space regulators that control the particle density accelerator matrix. Without those flow regulators working in proper sync, I'm having a next to impossible time controlling the direction of the Tardis!”

“Isn't there anything you can do?” Derpy asked with very small eye pupils and scrunched in mouth due to fear.

“I'm trying!” he promised frantically. He spun a monitor in front of him then widened his eyes in shock when he saw what was on the monitor. “Great sunbursts and exploding pulsars! EVERYONE, HANG ON! WE'RE GOING DOWN!”

Feather Wind did sort of the opposite. He telekinetically lifted himself and all of his companions, though it was difficult to rip Derpy and the Doctor away from that which they gripped. Feather Wind scrunched his face tightly with intense concentration. He held every pony away from the floor as he waited for the imminent impact which eventually did happen. The Tardis rocked hard and spun in a circle several times around them. Every object in the Tardis not secured to the ground somehow started flying all around them. At the same time, several explosions occurred that spouted huge shower of sparks. Seconds later, the entire area grew dark as the Tardis finally settled onto something.

The interior of the Tardis was dark for four seconds except for the silver glow around each pony as Feather Wind continued to hold them suspended in mid air. Since everything seemed to settle, however, he gently let them down, then replaced the glow around their bodies with a brighter glow around his horn. Fortunately the Tardis was still right side up. Considering how it spun about several times earlier, that seemed rather lucky. Then again, the Tardis had it's own artificial gravity unless that circuit blew which, for the moment, seemed rather likely.

The Tardis gave some groaning sounds which clearly indicated a problem.

“Feather Wind, bring your light closer over here,” the Doctor requested. In response, Feather Wind flew off the ground using his telekinetic magic and hovered closer to the Doctor. With the silver light closer, the Doctor started inspecting some of the controls and viewed out the monitor. Since some of the controls were temporarily not operating, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and started emitting the device back and forth on several controls. When he did so, some fires on the console vanished and other sparks got reduced.

“Doctor, isn't the emergency lights supposed to turn on?” Derpy asked in concern as her eyes whirled.

“And where in the hay are we?” Stern Wing added. “Clearly we crash landed on something, but what? Knowing this machine, we could be anywhere or anywhen.”

“One thing at a time,” the Doctor encouraged.

“We don't even know if wherever we are is even habitable,” Stern Wing noted, then asked, “Is everypony alright?”

“I'm not too injured,” Derpy reported. “Just a little frightened, is all. Vision, are you alright?” she asked in concern as she looked at the young teenager.

Who didn't respond. Instead, she sat quietly on the ground and appeared to be meditating.

Stern Wing drew closer to Vision and gave a closer visual inspection. She also held a hoof in front of Vision's muzzle. Since Vision was breathing so shallowly, it was hard to tell, but eventually Stern Wing realized the little filly was still breathing.

“She's alright, and doesn't appear to be injured,” Stern Wing reported. “She might be meditating to find out what in the blazes happened to us, or where we are. I recommend we let her continue because it might lead us to some answers.” She looked at the Doctor. “How are you coming along, Doc?”

The Doctor scratched his head with a hoof as he blew out a long sigh. “This is a mess. A lot of these controls are going to have to be repaired. Wherever we are, we might be stuck here for awhile. Not only that, but I won't be joining you because I'll need to remain here and fix everything.”

Right after he said that the emergency lights finally turned on. He looked around in minor delight. “Well, thank goodness for small favors, even if it's a bit delayed.” He looked back at the control consoles in the center and pat it affectionately. “The poor old girl is injured, but she's fighting to recover.” He looked disturbed. “Whatever knocked us out of the time/space wormholes is still causing the Tardis to be sick. I fear that, even if I repair the old girl, something might be preventing us from taking off. As long as that power source continues, we might be stuck here.”

“So . . . in other words . . . a typical day in the Tardis,” Feather Wind commented with a dry look and tone.

“Not exactly, but I have suffered through this before,” the Doctor returned. “We'll pull through this. I just know it.”

“I'll take a peek out the door. See if I can get a layout of our situation,” Stern Wing volunteered as she trotted over to the door.

“Be careful!” the Doctor cautioned. “I do not think the shield around the Tardis is working right now. If the outside is a poisonous gas or a vacuum, we'll not be protected as soon as you open those doors.”

Stern Wing scoffed at the Doctor over her right shoulder. “Caution? When have I ever been cautious?” Stern Wing asked sarcastically, meaning the precise opposite of her statement. “I'll just take a peek out the window. If it seems relatively clear then I'll open the door a crack. That's all. We need information, Doctor. You said something on this planet or asteroid is interfering with the Tardis. If we don't get some information, we might be stuck in here till our air depletes.”

“She has a good point, Doctor,” Derpy agreed.

“Well . . . fine then. Just be careful,” the Doctor instructed. “I don't have the situation well in hand yet.”

“Hand?” Feather Wind reflected. “Are you ever going to say, 'Well in hoof?'”

“Never!” the Doctor announced in dramatic defiance. “It's the principle of the thing. If I don't say such things, who will?”

Derpy giggled for that comment.

“What do you see?” Feather Wind called to his girlfriend who arrived at the door.

Peeking out through the window (and the only pony in the Tardis tall enough to do so without standing up on her hind legs), Stern Wing paused there for awhile as she tried to assess the situation out there, then announced, “I can't tell. Wherever we are, it's dark out there. I think we're on a planet of some kind. I see vague silhouettes of rocks and trees but, beyond that, I can't tell.”

“Trees?” Derpy repeated. “That probably means there's oxygen out there. That likely means it's safe to open the doors.”

“There shouldn't be trees in a vacuum,” Feather Wind agreed.

“If they really are trees,” the Doctor partially agreed as he pulled out some wires and examined it, scratched his head in an attempt to figure out where he should start.

Feather Wind regarded Vision thoughtfully, who did indeed seem to be meditating. The young teenager was being very quiet now. Feather Wind realized she had been quiet for quite awhile too. Whatever was happening now, he had the distinct impression that Vision saw this coming but chose to keep her warnings to herself for some reason. At least no pony was hurt so there didn't seem to be irrevocable damage so far. The Doctor seemed relatively confident he could repair the Tardis as well. Whatever energy field out there that was reeking havoc with the time/space warp field was likely to be the greatest problem right now.

“Feather Wind, can I borrow your horn for a second?” Stern Wing requested politely. “I need you to shine a light out there.”

Feather Wind looked at her, then flew over to her gently. “Sure.” He waited patiently as she very slowly cracked the door open with a tight wince on her face. When she succeeded, it seemed that nothing bad happened so far, so she opened the door up further with greater confidence. Eventually she had the door opened all the way. There appeared to be nothing dangerous out there so far. There was more light inside the Tardis than outside, so she sidestepped and allowed her boyfriend to approach and shine a light outside. Feather Wind did so. He configured his horn to emit a focused light in a cone in a forward direction, acting more like a flashlight rather than an all-around lantern. He swept that light back and forth outside while examining what was out there.

So far nothing dangerous. Like Stern Wing said, it looked like an ordinary planet with rocks, trees and a dirt ground. It was night time. The stars were out, and so was a singular, almost familiar moonlight except it was more intense than their own home planet. Feather Wind stepped outside to continue his investigations. Stern Wing followed him but, before she emerged more than halfway out the Tardis, Vision made an unexpected announcement.

“I'll meet you two out there soon,” Vision announced aloud while holding her meditation pose and keeping her eyes shut, not that it mattered if they were open or shut in her case.

Stern Wing and Feather Wind both paused and looked back at her for a second then glanced at each other, each wondering what Vision actually knew about their situation. Eventually Stern Wing gave a casual shrug. After that they both looked outward again and resumed their cautious exploration.

“How's it looking, Doc?” Derpy asked fairly calmly as she folded both of her forelegs on the rail and leaned on it, looking inward at him and the console.

“Right now I'm still making heads or tails of the mess here. I may be punctual when I need to be but, right now, I can't even guess at that,” the Doctor answered. “I'll let you know as soon as I do. In the meantime, could you check on the rest of the Tardis, my lovely assistant? See if anything else is out of place?”

“Sure thing, Doctor!” Derpy said cheerfully then left to do so. She gave an affectionate pat on Vision as she passed the young teenager.

Meanwhile, outside, Stern Wing gasped. “Wowie, look at the moon!”

Feather Wind did then widened his own eyes. It really was the Equestrian moon. Pretty much exactly like it except for two major differences. For one it seemed much bigger and closer, and two there was no silhouette of Princess Luna. This was either before she was imprisoned up there, or after.

“This is Equestria,” Feather Wind announced. “Judging from that moon, I'd say we are in the distant past. Very distant past. I read books and articles that theorized the moon used to be a lot closer in ancient times.”

“How long ago do you think we are?” Stern Wing asked, mystified.

“I don't know,” Feather Wind looked around, aiming his beaming light back and forth, “but it was a very long time ago.”

Both of them jumped, startled, when the door to the Tardis suddenly shut itself. They both whipped their heads back at it as they grew horrified to hear a familiar groaning sound from the Tardis which indicated it's ignition. The Tardis was taking off without them!

“Doctor, WAIT!” Stern Wing screeched and leapt back after the fading blue box. Too late. In fact, the Tardis disappeared unusually fast this time. In this case, it only took four seconds. Stern Wing actually fell right through the machine as it phased out of corporeal existence. On the ground, she whined sadly, “Doctor, come back! Don't leave us here!”

Despite how stunned Feather Wind felt, he forced moisture into his throat and said, “I don't think he's doing this on purpose. Whatever is interfering with the proper operations of the Tardis, that might be the thing driving the time machine away.”

Wiping a tear away, Stern Wing rose up to her hooves and asked back at her boyfriend, “Then what are we going to do?”

“The Doctor would definitely be aware of this problem by now,” Feather Wind said. “He has a time machine. He'll come back for us no matter how long it takes for him to fix this. You know he'd never abandon us on purpose. There is a possibility, however, that whatever drove the Tardis away in the first place is also preventing it from returning, no matter how much he wants to.”

Feather Wind then regarded Stern Wing and said, “Stern Wing, calm down. We've been in tough scrapes before. Recall how many times we've been in dangerous situations and we thought we were going to die but we kept on pulling through over and over again. Well I'm not falling for that anymore. We'll be fine. We just have to pull through and do our part while we wait for him.”

“What if he doesn't come back? What if we're stuck here in this time?” Stern Wing asked nervously. “I'm not saying the Doctor wouldn't try to come back for us. I know him better than that a long time ago, but he might be unable to return, like you said.”

“Then it's up to us to search for what's keeping the Tardis at bay and put a stop to it,” Feather Wind decided.

Just then he heard a noise somewhere ahead of him. He aimed the beaming light from his horn ahead of him and it fell upon an emerging white pony who looked quite familiar, but also different. It was a white pony with hints of blue on the hide and in her mane. She was also blind.

“Vision!” Stern Wing exclaimed excitedly as she happily pranced on forward for a moment until getting a closer look which made her suspicious. “Wait a second. Vision? Is that really you?”

The pony in question did look like Vision except she was much older. At that point she was far into her adult years. She even looked older than Stern Wing or Feather Wind.

“Yes. It is me,” the older version of Vision announced. “I told you I'd meet you outside in a moment.”

“But . . . what happened to you?” Stern Wing asked in bewilderment.

“You are a future version of Vision, aren't you?” Feather Wind asked with an educated guess. “What's more, the younger version of you in the Tardis saw this coming. She had been a bit too quiet lately, like she had information she didn't trust herself to express. Also she told us, 'I'll meet you two out there soon' then, lo and behold, you show up only a minute later as if she knew we would encounter you instead of her.” He shrugged. “Sort of,” he amended.

Vision stopped in front of them and smiled fondly. “You're as sharp as I remember, Feather Wind.” Vision sat down. “Indeed, I had foreseen this coming in the past, and I knew I could not prevent it from happening.”

“I thought you told us you couldn't see into your own future,” Stern Wing reminded.

“Indeed, I could not,” Vision confirmed. “What's more, I also noticed I could not see into either of your futures either until past a certain point. That made me realize you must have interacted with a future version of myself where my visions from the past would be blind to. I knew this was coming not because of what I saw but because of what I couldn't see. By process of elimination, I was able to deduce what would happen to you two.”

“In that case,” Feather Wind began, “your past self would not have seen this coming in detail, but you are the future version of the pony who just left in the Tardis. Based on your memories of what happened, is there any point in waiting for the Tardis's return tonight?”

Stern Wing looked from her boyfriend to the older version of Vision, very concerned about the answer to that question.

“As you have surmised earlier, there is a force blocking the Tardis from returning,” Vision informed. “According to what I recall in the past, the Tardis will return to pick you two up but, what took us a few hours on the other side, I sensed that many years passed for the two of you. Recall the fact that I was and still am empathic . . . enough to tell that the two of you felt a lot older when my past self finally did encounter you again.”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing stood there, stunned.

“Come with me,” Vision requested as she stood up straight. Her old hoof glider ejected from her extra-dimensional saddle bags. “Feather Wind, I will require your assistance to get up to the sky using these things, just like old times. I will need you two to follow me. I will guide you to my home that I've set up during this time period.”

“Ah . . . sure,” Feather Wind said numbly.

With that the three of them took off into the sky, with Feather Wind's assistance in Vision's case.

xoxo

“This seems like a good spot,” Vision spontaneously declared while the three of them were busy flying.

“Here? But there's nothing here,” Feather Wind pointed out. “No visible home, at any rate. Is it invisible?”

“In a way, yes. Take me down,” Vision instructed.

“Um,” Feather Wind glanced at Stern Wing in uncertainty. In response to that look, Stern Wing gave an unknowing shrug. “Sure,” Feather Wind eventually finished and guided the three of them to the ground.

“Why land here? There's no home here,” Stern Wing pointed out.

“No home yet.” Vision pulled out a suitcase from one of her saddlebags and tossed it onto the ground. Upon landing, the suitcase ejected spikes to secure itself to the ground. At the same time the suitcase opened and a tent inflated itself out of it. By the time it was done, it looked like a small cone-shaped tent barely big enough for one pony. “Now then, if the two of you will be kind enough to step inside,” Vision said as she started trotting towards it.

“It's barely big enough for one pony!” Stern Wing complained.

“It's bigger on the inside, isn't it?” Feather Wind asked with a dry look and tone to his voice.

Vision stopped as she suddenly looked a bit irked, then she passed that expression back to Feather Wind's general direction. “Don't you ever get tired of your brilliance spoiling surprises?”

“This coming from an oracle who sees into the future and can read other creatures emotions?” Feather Wind asked back dryly with a casual wave to the blind pony.

“Touché,” Vision returned evenly then proceeded into the tent.

Feather Wind looked at Stern Wing and nodded towards the tent to indicate they should proceed inside before he started doing so himself. Stern Wing followed him in. As expected, the interior of the tent was much bigger on the inside though not quite as big on the inside as expected if this was compared to the Tardis. The interior walls of the tent looked exactly like it did on the outside except the interior space was dimensionally expanded. There wasn't any other rooms either. It was just the one area. Looking up, Feather Wind could see the tent narrowing at the tip, just like a cone. Some shelves were hung on the inside wall and there were plenty of decorations and alchemical ingredients on those shelves. Vision herself went to the back of the tent and resumed stirring a pot as if she had done it a few minutes ago.

“How does this stuff not fall all over the place as it tumbles around in your suitcase which was in your saddle bag?” Stern Wing asked.

Vision lifted up a spoonful of bubbling green glowing liquid from the cauldron and blew on it. After that she said, “This tent has it's own personal gravity field. What goes on outside does not disturb the interior here. I probably don't have to explain to you that this is Time Lord technology at work here.”

“Actually, speaking of time travel, you can do it yourself, can't you?” Stern Wing recalled. “I remember you doing it after meditating sometimes and quaffing a potion you've concocted. Couldn't you use that to time travel back into the past and warn any of us about this crash before it happens? That way neither of us have to be stuck here.”

After blowing on the spoon for a few more seconds, Vision sipped it and smacked her lips for several seconds as she tried to carefully distinguish hidden flavors and textures of her brew. This caused her to realize something, so she resumed stirring the wooden spoon into the greenish liquid. While she did that, she asked, “Do you want to explain this to her, Feather Wind, or should I?” she asked without glancing back at either one of them.

Stern Wing regarded Feather Wind, who sighed before he said, “If she did that, how would she be able to warn herself in the past about an event she successfully prevented? That would cancel out the reason for warning herself in the first place and thereby prevent the action. Besides, she witnessed us already in the past as older versions of ourselves. This may also imply that important things happened in the interim that she may feel is important not to interrupt.”

“But . . . does this mean that we're stuck here in this time?” Stern Wing asked with rising horror.

“For now, it seems so,” Feather Wind said with a guilty and depressed expression.

“I don't actually have much to say to the two of you yet,” Vision announced. “What little I do have to say to you is pretty important, though.” She turned her head to aim somewhere between Feather Wind and Stern Wing. Since she was blind, she wasn't actually looking at either one of them. “I do have some knowledge on what will happen based on what I recall of past events as a younger filly but, for the most part, I am blind on what will happen in this time period because this is the first time I'm living through it. I can't tell you everything about what will happen in this time period, and what little I do know I'll leave you to discover. For now, I just have some advice for you two and that is this; live your lives now as you would in your own time period. The world itself may be different, but you are not. While you are here, interact with the world as you would in your own time period. It's still your lives and your destiny. Take charge of it no matter what world or time period we visit.

“Also,” Vision turned in their direction more fully but her blank eyes continued to stare off into space between them. “I know the Doctor means well but, at this point, he's kind of holding the two of you back. Don't forget, the two of you still had some destinies to fulfill back in your native time period, like taking care of Puppet Master, then King Sombra, then eventually aiding in the return of the Crystal Empire. All three of these events are a chain reaction that build off each other, and these events are so important to Equestrian history that they have become fixed moments in time. The Doctor cannot change that and even he knows that, yet he isn't doing you two any favors by delaying it too long just so he can have some company. I'm not saying his motivations are entirely selfish either. He does give something in return for what we give him. At first he really was doing you two a favor. Before you met the Doctor, you weren't prepared to face your true destiny, but now the two of you have grown to rely on him so much that you don't think for yourselves. Not in any meaningful way, and you have to. What you will accomplish is too important to risk delaying it any further. The further the delay, the older you two get and that can eventually start a chain reaction of it's own. Not all of it good.”

“Is that why you didn't warn us this was coming in the past?” Feather Wind reasoned with a bit of a melancholy tone. “Towards the end you grew too quiet, and then this happened. I think you make it a regular habit of scanning for important upcoming events for the heads up but, in this case, you didn't warn any of us.”

“I indirectly saved your life many years ago, remember?” Vision reminded. “I warned Celestia about the impending attack on the Orchard farm or, rather to say, I warned my mother who, in turn, warned Celestia who, in turn, ordered the Wonderbolts to go to the farm and rescue as many ponies as they could. Six years later you answered the message of my mother, which I also sent to guide you two to my mother's temple, so that you could return the favor and rescue me.

“I've followed the trot of the two of you ever since for the most part. I gave you warnings here and there, and all of it led up to this moment. I did not have this grand master plan my entire life. All I had was little bits and pieces along the way but, the fact of the matter is, we are here. We caused each other's continued existence not only by saving each other's lives long ago, but many other times since.

“As I said before, I don't know everything that will happen in this time period because I am personally living through it for the first time. I do know whatever happens will be important. I know it will help shape this world and every day that follows. I know something menacing is blocking the Tardis from returning, and that force might do much worse if left unopposed. In order to get the Tardis to return, either this force must be neutralized or a safe zone must be constructed that is immune to this force's influence. This event is in our mutual past, mind you. If left unopposed, then none of us will have existed in the first place, or at least not as we are. Everything is happening for a reason. I feel you should trust that.”

“So I take it you're going to travel with us and help us stop this force?” Feather Wind guessed.

“Surprisingly, no.” Vision closed her eyes and bowed her head. “I've grown a lot stronger since the two of you last met me as a young filly. Indeed, too strong. The physical plane is no longer a challenge to me and, as a result, I don't have as much of a role to play in it. I'm only here to give you two a gentle push in the right direction, and I may also pop in from time to time to continue to guide you either a little or a lot, depending on your needs. Don't bother calling for me with your wind powers either. I will instead show up when I foresee that I am needed, like I'm doing right now.”

“Really? After everything we've been through, that's all you're going to do for us now?” Stern Wing asked in disbelief.

Vision cracked her eyelids open a bit. “Not to spoil things too much for the two of you, but the experiences I've been through since the time you've known me as a younger filly have evolved me. I'm much more akin to that fifth dimensional reality bender we've encountered earlier, for I can travel through time and space at will without needing to drink a potion any longer. If I traveled with you now, things will become far too easy for you, then you'd only grow to rely on me like you have with the Doctor. Instead of that, I'm giving the two of you an idea of what you need to do so that you decide your fate on your own without any hoof holding from some higher power. I love you two far to much to do anything to disrupt your own growth, and it is time for that. You two need to finally grow up and take charge of your own destiny. I won't even tell you where to go next after this, or when. Decide for yourselves. In honor of everything we've been through together, this is my way of repaying you and being your friend.”

Stern Wing looked at Feather Wind who was frowning, then looked at Vision before approaching her to hug her. “I love you too,” Stern Wing said warmly. “It pleases me to see that you've grown up to be a strong and confident mare, one who is not afraid to take charge of her own destiny. While you were growing up with us, that's all I ever really wanted for you.”

“I know. I'm empathic, remember?” Vision pointed out. “Likely that is why I turned out the way I am. As an empath, I am heavily influenced by the ponies around me. Your courage and inner strength helped me to become the pony I am today. You helped to raise me, and I have no reason to complain about the results.”

“Stern Wing, can I talk to you outside?” Feather Wind requested.

“Yeah. Be out there in a moment.”

“Okay.” Feather Wind went outside and waited for Stern Wing to arrive, which she did a few minutes later. He looked at her with a look of apology as he said, “I wanted to apologize to you for dragging you into this.”

“Apologize?” Stern Wing looked taken aback. “For what?”

“For dragging you into this, as I said. Really this occurred twice now. Once before I charged at the Orchard's to help save them then all across Equestria to save Vision which is also where we met the Doctor and his beyond adorable assistant. Both events transpired around me, and now you're stuck here in the very distant past of Equestria away from the rest of your friends and family. I just wanted to tell you that I regret that.”

“Why? Because I sure don't,” Stern Wing returned.

Feather Wind looked surprised.

“Well okay, maybe a little bit. I do miss my friends and family back home, but what I've gained in exchange for that was more than worth it. I have no regrets at all about saving the Orchard family other than the few weeks of medical recovery after that, but I've also discovered my cutie mark destiny on that adventure and I helped to save all of their lives. That is more than worth any inconveniences I suffered through at the time.

“As for this adventure, I got to see all kinds of fantastic places throughout all of time and space! This is an incredible adventure, and what makes it better is I got to do it with my nearest and dearest friend, whom I love.”

Stern Wing drew close and touched the Red Crystal hanging around Feather Wind's neck so she could pour her feelings into the crystal. While she did that, she said, “Please don't tell me that you regret traveling with me through all these places, because I sure don't. With every life I saved in every time and place we have ever gone through, that alone affirms the importance of my own life. My life is worth living because of every creature I helped to save, and the fact I did it over and over again just makes my life that much more worth living. I'm more than content, I'm downright happy! Sure, this situation is a bit of a downer, but I know we'll pull through together. I promised I would always protect you, remember?” Feather Wind nodded while his face drew to her chest. “I will admit, that promise has been more difficult to keep than I expected when I made that promise back then, but it's also been abundantly worth it.”

Feather Wind closed his eyes and relaxed against her broad and firm chest.

“Thank you for being there with me,” Feather Wind told her gratefully. “I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you too.”

xoxo

“Hold on!” Feather Wind flew to a stop then glowed silver as he suspended himself telekinetically. Stern Wing coasted to a stop then gave slow flaps downward to hold her place in the sky. Together they looked below at some kind of mining town. The sound of that town drifted in the winds which was what led the two of them to fly here. Upon closer examination, Feather Wind noticed something amiss. “That's not right.”

“What is it?” Stern Wing asked anxiously.

Suddenly Feather Wind looked about, then pointed at a cloud while saying, “Come with me. This way.” His cloak billowed as the winds picked up again which coasted him to the nearby clouds he indicated. Stern Wing followed him. Once they arrived, Feather Wind and Stern Wing landed on the cloud. Feather Wind got down and crawled on all fours until he peeked over the edge of the clouds. While Stern Wing still didn't know what this was all about yet, she followed suit.

Looking below, Feather Wind ignited his horn with a dim silvery aura. At that time a clear square window appeared in front of him that had several clear disks in front of that. As he concentrated, the length between the clear disks grew and some of them also spun about. While that happened, the view out the clear square window magnified, giving them both a closer visual inspection below at anything the lens in the disks were aimed at. Since this was a spell Stern Wing had observed before, she made no comment at that particular time. The last time he did it, however, she had remarked that between his visual magnification spell and wind eavesdropping, he would make a pretty good spy.

The sight they beheld beyond the magnified square window was alarming and horrifying, yet also mysterious for separate reasons. What stood out the most was this was a large mining town with carved out paths zigzagging along the side of a hill. Many holes were dug into it. The hills were mined by earth ponies in chains, and they looked miserable. The earth ponies were always linked to something or somepony else, be it the wall, a cart they pulled or to each other.

There was another species that monitored this work in this mining town. They were a canine species that stood upright, wore savage looking mismatched leather and often wielded a whip. Individually, none of them looked too bright either, but a lot of them looked somewhat brutish.

As for the ponies, besides the fact they looked obviously enslaved, there was something else unusual about them too. The more obvious differences about them was the fact that they were larger than Feather Wind or Stern Wing were accustomed to, and they had more elongated snouts.

Feather Wind's spell faded away as he gripped his head, seemingly attacked by a sudden headache. Concerned, Stern Wing asked what was wrong. After he recovered, he replied, “Vivid memories, and not my own.”

“Crystal Sage then, I take it?” Stern Wing guessed. “You've gotten occasional flashes and dreams of his life as your connection to the Red Crystal deepened.”

“That's true but, for once, I don't think this is Crystal Sage's memories this time. Close, but not quite. I'm pretty sure that, this time, it was King Sombra's and that was after his split from Crystal Sage too.”

“What?!” Stern Wing looked very disturbed. “You're getting flash memories from Sombra now? Does that mean he's getting your memories too?”

Feather Wind shook his head. “Sombra doesn't exist yet for many thousands of years. Besides, I think these memories kind of come from Crystal Sage anyway. He once told me he received occasional flash memories from his counterpart, and I think the one I just received was one of the memories that was sent to Crystal Sage first.”

Stern Wing looked down below, then shifted her eyes towards her friend. “What was the memory of anyway?”

“A large line of earth ponies locked together in a long iron chain. They drudged down below in misery as they moved in a large zigzag pattern while King Sombra stood overlooking all of this, he himself standing on a balcony with sickly, green flames lighting beside him. Sombra laughed out loud with evil triumph over this scenery.

“That's it. The memory ends there. It was just a few seconds long.”

“I can see the resemblance to this situation,” Stern Wing observed.

Feather Wind nodded then recreated the magnification window and lens beyond it. He focused onto to the scenery below him and shifted his view back and forth among those below.

“Wait a second. I saw something strange. Feather Wind, zoom up to the ponies' flanks. Any of them will do.” Feather Wind did as requested. “Ah ha! Just as I suspected. No cutie mark on that one, and he's well into his adult years.”

“This doesn't seem like an environment conducive to inner growth and self discovery necessary to awaken a cutie mark unless any of them happens to like mining or being enslaved,” Feather Wind commented. “Based on what I read about ancient history, however, I have another theory as to what's going on.”

“What is it?”

“Hold on.” Feather Wind continued to scan more and more of the earth ponies flanks. Example after example proved that they were all blank. Sometimes Feather Wind took a picture of it. When he did, the clear window flashed for a moment and a smaller copy of the image shifted to the bottom right corner. With each picture he took, another smaller copy was shifted to the bottom right on top of the last image. If Feather Wind later intended to keep a copy of those pictures, he would have to transfer it to another source such as the Red Crystal he wore on his neck. “Yeah. It's what I thought. Do you notice something else amiss about those earth ponies?”

“Um . . . besides being bigger, quite a bit more elongated at the snout and all of them not having a cutie mark, no. I don't see anything else . . . wait a second. I take that back. The fact that they are enslaved I count as amiss.” She narrowed her eyes when another theory came to her mind. “Hold on. Are there any mares among this group?”

“Yes, there are,” Feather Wind answered. “I saw a few. Hold on. Let me try to find them. Ah! Here. Oh, and over here. There's another one.”

Stern Wing shrugged. “Okay, so this group has both genders, though I think there are more stallions than mares here.” Stern Wing shifted her eyes to her friend. “Why do you ask? What else do you see amiss about them?”

“For one thing, look at their color schemes. What do you see?”

“Mostly earthly hues,” Stern Wing answered fairly casually. “Browns, whites, blacks. That sort of thing. Some of them have mixed spots of those three colors.”

“Yeah, but no pink or purple or green or lavender or blue,” Feather Wind pointed out. “Same thing with their mane. It also lacks the brighter colors.”

“Yeah. So?” Stern Wing said with a careless shrug.

Feather Wind released a long breath then said, “If my theory is correct, as well as the scrolls I've read about ancient ponies, you will not find such colors among any of them because this is the time period before the rise of magic, or rather to say it is just beginning to bud. If you go back far enough then ponies won't be any more intelligent than basic animals. That's why you are not seeing any colorful colors here, and that's why you won't find any cutie marks among any of them either. That art has not been discovered yet. Furthermore, if this is the time period before the rise of cutie marks, then there is something else you won't encounter in this era.”

“Which is?” Stern Wing pressed.

“I'll give you a strong hint.” Feather Wind looked at his friend. “The thing that's missing here is what we represent.”

“Um . . . pegasus and unicorns?” Stern Wing made a logical guess due to the example they represented and something she had not seen below so far.

“Right.” Feather Wind nodded. “It's because our species have not evolved yet at all.”

Stern Wing shot her friend a wide-eyed look. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” Feather Wind looked below again. “Of the three breeds, the earth ponies came first. It took regular exposure to magic for the other two to eventually evolve. A lot of ancient archaeological artifacts we discovered attest to this. There are no ancient cave paintings of unicorns or pegasus because, back then, they did not exist. We are looking at a time era here where our breeds had not evolved yet.”

“That's going to make interacting with them more interesting,” Stern Wing realized.

“There's more,” Feather Wind went on. “Ponies from that far back do not speak the same language as the ponies from our era, nor did they speak Old Ponish. Instead they speak Ancient Ponish, and we hardly have any writings that lasted this long to translate that. Any records from this far back come mostly in the form of the objects they crafted lucky enough to survive about forty-thousand years as well as cave paintings.”

Stern Wing widened her eyes. “And the Tardis is not here to help translate for us!”

“Right.” Feather Wind nodded. “Fortunately, I've come somewhat prepared for that. Ever since we traveled with the Doctor and I realized that other alien civilizations did not actually speak our language and it was the Tardis translating for us, I realized the potential necessity to invent a spell that would help translate languages for us just in case the Tardis stopped becoming available at some time. Communication is a very important skill, after all, and one I did not wish to risk losing in the potential case of the Tardis's absence. Accordingly, I went into the virtual library inside this gem and did some research to invent a new spell that would help me translate foreign languages. Crystal Sage also helped me out with that a little bit.”

“Please tell me you were successful,” Stern Wing begged hopefully.

“Yes, I believe I've mastered it but, to maintain the spell, it takes concentration which means my horn will remain alight during the spell which will, in turn, tip them off as to my difference. It also makes it harder to cast any other spell that also takes concentration, such as basic telekinesis. In addition, if that concentration gets disrupted for any reason, I'll need to recast the spell and hold it in order for those benefits to resume again. If we're going to be here a very long time, however, I recommend we actually learn their language permanently. For now the spell will do.”

Stern Wing pushed up with her forelegs into a straight sitting position as she looked at her friend sternly. “Considering this situation, you know I can't ignore this, right?”

“No. I know you can't.” Feather Wind looked at her. “Trust me, I sympathize too, so I won't stand in your way. All I ask is we do a little more recon before we push for any drastic action. As soon as our presence is known and they also know what we are, that will be a line we can never uncross again.”

“You don't have to come with me,” Stern Wing offered.

“Yes, I do,” Feather Wind insisted as he also sat up straight. “I'm not leaving your side.” That comment made Stern Wing smile. “As for this situation,” he looked over the edge of the cloud again in a downward direction, “I'll push the cloud over the hill and lower it. We can sneak off the cloud beyond their sight. At that point I'll give you my cloak so you can use it to conceal your wings.”

Stern Wing gave her friend a quizzical look. “That cloak looks like it's made of thick clouds that's constantly leaking down mist with occasional flashes of lightning. I think it's going to stand out about as much as my wings would have. Possibly more so.”

“Not if I cover it with dirt,” Feather Wind said to her with a sly sidewards glance to her.

“Oh! I suppose that could work. Won't that get it dirty, though? Will it still help you to fly later?”

Feather Wind shrugged carelessly. “It'll be a little weighed down but I can still use it to take off. Besides, I can summon rain and winds to help wash it off later. I have other spells too that could help as well if need be.”

“What about your horn? That will stand out as well, especially if it keeps glowing while you use it to translate for us.”

“I'll create a helmet with my crystal magic. If you'll note, some of the earth ponies are wearing helms too. I won't stand out much for wearing one as well. I'll make it a dark hue color to blend in more as a kind of rock.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

xoxo

{It was a plan alright. A flawed plan that had several holes in it. Sure, there would have been more flaws if it weren't for the precautions we did take, but it did not cover everything. For instance, no pony wanted to talk to any of us. It was as if they felt afraid to do so, else they might get whipped. For those who happened to glance at us usually did a double-take because there was enough difference in our facial configuration and coloration to be very noticeable, especially in my case. Also, while I would not call your mother small by any means, all of the other earth ponies around us was a little bigger than her if they were full adults. As for me, they probably mistook me for a foal, and a runt at that.

{The one species that did speak to us, however, were the dog taskmasters, and your mother did not care for what they had to say one bit.}

“Hey!” a humanoid dog cracked a whip at Feather Wind's and Stern Wing's direction as he approached. The dog successfully got the attention of them both, but not the kind of attention he hoped for or expected. “Horses work, not talk! Get precious gems. Yes, yes. Hurry, hurry. Chop-chop.”

“Make me!” Stern Wing spat with a hard narrow stare at the dog taskmaster.

“Hey! Get back to work!” He cracked the whip much closer but Stern Wing didn't even flinch. Once he stood closer, he noticed something else amiss. “Hey! Where's your collar and chain? Who broke you out?”

“It was never on me to begin with,” Stern Wing reported honestly, “and if you want to get it on me, you're going to have to work very hard for it.”

The dog creature looked upset. “Insolent horse! I hate you! Me beat you now!” Since he stood close enough to actually strike her this time, he cracked his whip at her with the intention to strike her, but she lifted her left leg and caught the whip. It wrapped around her left leg and she held it aloft.

“You're going to beat me?” Stern Wing asked defiantly. “You'll have to try a lot harder than that.”

“Hey!” the dog yipped in complaint. “Horse let go of whip so me beat you now.”

“You first!” Stern Wing growled defiantly then used her own grip on the whip to yank the dog creature stumbling forward. When he got in range, Stern Wing slugged him hard in the face. He was sent spinning back several feet, spreading dog slobber about as he spun back before tripping and falling down away from her direction. He then crawled back several more feet, stunned and fearful of her. Stern Wing used her grip on the whip to toss it down to her side. She then rose to her hind legs then stomped down her forward legs hard on the ground. “Let me get something very straight with you! Neither you nor any other creature is going to touch me or put on chains or collars on me without a fight! If you feel determined enough to try, then we are throwing hoofs. You understand me?”

“Bad horse! It's a very bad horse!” the dog creature cried out fearfully as he kept crawling back and, while he did that, Stern Wing matched him step for step and thus keeping their distance between each other fixed.

“Only to bullies like you!” Stern Wing promised harshly.

The dog creature howled up in the air. Stern Wing almost slugged him for that but then suddenly realized this could be a good thing, so she backed off and allowed him to summon the rest of his pack just so that she could leave a better impression to a larger audience. Sure enough, the howl was picked up by several others. They used it to home in on the initial call. It only took a few minutes for twelve more to gather. When they did, they circled around Stern Wing who looked back and forth among them sharply through a narrow eye stare.

“What trouble here?” another one of the dog creatures, a taller and darker toned one who wore a collar with spikes on it, asked aloud. Since he looked to be the largest of the gathered pack and he spoke first, one could assume he was the leader of this gathered bunch.

“She is!” the initial one in the mismatched leather called while pointing accusingly at Stern Wing. “She not work! She grab whip! She beat me!”

“She is not finished making an example of you!” Stern Wing added menacingly.

“She talk back!” the mismatched leather dog went on. “She talk at all! Horse that talks! Insolent horse! Stupid, stupid horse!”

“Well,” the tall black dog with the spike collar wrapped his whip around his other paw tightly enough to make it creak. “We best make example of stupid horse!”

“You're welcome to try,” Stern Wing said aloud without looking at any one of them. “Feather Wind . . . take your cloak back.” Stern Wing grabbed it with one of her hidden wings and thrust it upwards. In mid air a freak wind blew and caught the cloak which brought it back to Feather Wind who caught it then quickly put it on. After taking off the cloak, Stern Wing spread her brown wings with black tips boldly and proudly. This demonstration made the dogs about her hesitate.

“Horse with wings!” the dog in mismatched leather yelped in astonishment.

“Get her!” cried the tall black dog. Upon saying that, the circle of dogs about her closed in from all sides. Stern Wing, meanwhile, bent down then leapt up into the air. A single flap of her large wings shot her into the air much faster but she did not sail off far enough to disappear. Because she was no longer between them, however, the dogs paused in their charge. Up in the air, Stern Wing curved back, looped over then dove back to the ring of humanoid dogs. Upon arrival, she snatched up the one she initially had a confrontation with and flew off with him in the air.

“Put me down! Put me down this instant!” the dog in mismatched leather yelped, startled.

“If you insist,” Stern Wing said after she flew over a quarry then deposited him high above it. That dog cried out as he fell. In the unlikely event he survived that fall, he would be very gravely injured considering the height and the hard, uneven surfaces he would have landed upon.

Swinging back with a sudden wing-over maneuver, Stern Wing dove back to the ring of dogs. As she closed in on them, she flipped about to aim one hind leg at what she perceived to be the leader of the remaining ring of dogs. That leg sank into his face with sickening cracking sounds which collapsed his skull and bent his face inward, after which the kick sailed him away, twitching.

“Come and get me, boys!” Stern Wing dared. “I will target the next one who gets closest to me. When you do, you might fare as well as this one had.”

The remaining dogs glanced at each other then they all ran away. They ran so fast that they ran on all fours, abandoning their weapons in the process.

A cheer arose from all the earth ponies around them who witnessed this stunning event.

xoxo

{On that day we managed to scare off the few dog creatures that were in the area and freed the earth ponies who were also willing to be liberated, but the next day proved we had more of a fight on our hooves than one little scuffle. It turned out those dog creatures who fled the mines and the quarry only did so to summon the rest of the pack, and it was quite a bit larger than most of us were expecting. The earth ponies we rescued had some idea how many there truly were but not to this degree. Hundreds, almost a thousand of the dog creatures returned with a sizable army. I knew we could deal with them, but we'd have to change tactics compared to yesterday. This time it was my turn to step forward and give an ultimatum.

{I used magic to project my voice into a boom in order to be heard by all of them. I warned them to back off but, as I expected, my small stature didn't prove that intimidating to them at first. Flying up into the air and summoning a storm cloud, on the other hoof, left a deeper impression. I caused the storm cloud to rain upon them which, at first, only mystified them. After that I asked them if any of them knew what happens to water when it's struck by a bolt of lightning. To prove I could carry through with that threat, I had a bolt of lightning shoot down into a miniature storm cloud I had in front of my hoof. Lightning constantly crackled in that mini cloud after it was shot with a larger lightning bolt from above. While holding that lightning close to me, I dared them to approach so they could find out for themselves.

{At that point they'd had enough and started to flee. At first I thought I heard the end of it for that day so I dissipated the cloud with lightning in it, secretly relieved I didn't have to use this after all.

{But one hour later I heard a horn in the distance that drew my attention back west. It continued to blow for awhile and, while it did, it held my attention. They were up to something. I could just feel it, but I had no idea the scope of what they were trying to summon.

{It turned out it was their true boss.}

A thunderous roar across the sky drew Feather Wind's attention skyward. His jaw slowly dropped as his eyes widened in shock when he beheld a shadow of a gigantic dragon descend from above. It was first visible only as a silhouette through the clouds above before it broke through that and dragged the clouds down with it's enormous body, seeming to rip even the clouds asunder in doing so. When the dragon finally hit the ground, it was large enough to cause a localized earthquake. Facing the dragon from the front, it was actually difficult to see the tip of the tail at the other end due to the great distance.

“MEET THE BOSS, MATE!” called a large dog creature from on top of the dragon's head. He had to shout very hard to be heard from that high up. “HIS NAME IS FANG, AND HE HAS SOME WORDS FOR ALL OF YOU!”

Feather Wind swallowed his nervousness and flew up to the dragon's face to be more visible. “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Feather Wind asked in a magically projected voice in order to be better heard. He figured he should establish dialogue to help calm things down and see what he could work with.

The dragon replied with a huge burst of flame erupting from it's mouth. Feather Wind defended himself by conjuring a cyclone ball around him which whirled the fire around him but it was so powerful it went around his barrier and toasted several homes and ponies behind him. When the dragon finally stopped, the whirlwind around Feather Wind calmed down. He looked behind him and saw several earth ponies had just been killed, the very same earth ponies he swore to defend not long ago.

At first Feather Wind looked over his shoulder in horror at the earth ponies that died not far behind him, but then he slowly turned his gaze toward the dragon while his head shook slightly which lightly revealed the raging torrent he felt inwardly which was stronger than he ever felt before. He narrowed his eyes at the dragon with focused fury then, after that, he flew further up.

“Fine then!” He hissed at the dragon through tightly clenched teeth. “If that's the way you want to play it, then COME AND GET ME!” he roared then shot a focused magical beam blast right at the dragon's neck but grew momentarily startled to notice the beam had absolutely no effect due to the dragon's really thick hide. He even saw the dragon give a cocky grin since the dragon realized he was immune to such a paltry beam.

But Feather Wind recovered quickly with a plan. This time, as Feather Wind flew off past the dragon, he shot another beam at it, this time aiming at the dragon's right eye and he almost hit it but the dragon closed the eyelid at the last second and, aside from that, the aim was a little off, hitting just to the right of the right eye instead but at least he secured the attention of the dragon which he used to lure it's head away from the other ponies.

{I then flew back into the open valley. I stopped and hovered for a moment as my body flared with a red aura as I hovered. I also aimed a hoof down at the earth below me. A giant spike made of red jagged crystal erupted from the earth and continued to grow upwards, eventually towering fifty feet off the ground. The spike was much larger at the base than it was at the tip, looking something like a giant red stalagmite.

{When the dragon nearly caught up to me, I flew straight upwards but not too fast because I wanted the dragon to follow me. Curiously, the dragon entirely ignored the giant red crystal stalagmite I just created a moment ago. That was literally a fatal mistake, and also a bit surprising since I thought dragons like to eat gems. What I just conjured was likely a bigger gem than all the combined gems it ever gained in it's lifetime, and this was a very ancient dragon.

{I kept flying skywards and maintained just enough distance to keep out of what I suspected was it's breath weapon range. Since the wind was brushing hard against his face due to our rapid ascent, I figured that was another factor that would limit it's breath weapon range. I also eyed below me carefully to make sure the giant spike I created was directly below the dragon. If it wasn't, I course corrected myself up in the air. Since the dragon was chasing me, it corrected it's flight below me as well and, in doing so, aligned it's body directly above the giant spike.}

“I'm sorry,” Feather Wind called down to the dragon in genuine remorse mixed with lingering fury. “I'm so, so sorry, but you leave me no choice.” He then shot above way too fast for the dragon to keep up which caused it to stop trying. Instead it paused and hovered in the air, bewildered that the pony he was chasing suddenly had the ability to accelerate faster than an arrow shot from a bow and left a cloud trail tracing a line all the way beyond sight in the atmosphere. Hovering in place, the dragon widened it's eyes when it noticed the sky above gather clouds then started spinning. A tornado descended down from above far too fast to be natural. Feather Wind came down in the center of it, but not in the lead. The tornado descended ahead of him. As he descended with it, he roared at the top of his lungs, channeling all of his raw savage fury into nature around him to get it to smack the dragon down with full force.

The tip of the tornado plunged into the dragon. Not even a creature that large could resist the might of nature when it's hammer came down on him in full force. The dragon ended up spinning really fast as it plunged downward straight through the crystal spike. As the dragon continued to be plunged downward, it widened the hole in it's chest more and more because the spike widened out at the base. The dragon was still spinning as he was plunged through the spike, and the spike had many more jagged spikes on the spike as well which was torn off and circulated inside the dragon's body which tore up his innards even further. This process continued until the dragon was pushed all the way down to the ground with a hole so gigantic in it's chest area it practically encompassed seventy percent of it's entire torso despite it's enormous size.

Feather Wind landed near the impaled giant corpse and stared at in a long moment of silence with lingering simmering fury that quickly cooled off with regret at this necessity. He then bowed his head in remorse over what he had done. While that happened, Stern Wing landed beside him.

“I can't believe you did that!” Stern Wing exclaimed to her friend in amazement. “That was an elder dragon, one who was probably thousands upon thousands of years old and you just took him out all by yourself! Feather Wind, you're amazing! After all this time, you still amaze me! That's passing up some previously very high standards too.”

“But I killed him,” Feather Wind said sadly. “I can't help but feel like the Doctor would have found a better way to hoofle this.”

“That was an elder dragon intent on retribution and slaughter. I doubt even the Doctor would have found a better solution than this and, even if he could, it might be through resources that you don't have access to. Also recall, he actually has failed to save some lives many times before, victims and villains alike. He regrets it too every time, but that doesn't mean either of you could have done better if given the chance. No matter how much experience either of you have, you don't always have the time to stop and think of the perfect solution to every problem exactly when it occurs, and when you're dealing with opponents like this, their stubborn streak may limit your options very drastically. I know you feel sad for the dragon, but remember all the ponies you also saved today. Not only save them, but helped to free them.”

Adding that last point reminded Feather Wind of them. He looked over his shoulder at the cheering crowd. That did make him feel a little better, but a little bitter too because he also knew they celebrated the death of the dragon. They celebrated the misery of another because that individual would have continued to impose misery upon them. While understandable, it also felt a little wrong to him.

{It was at that moment the reality of how savage a time period we were in more fully sank into me. In such a primitive time, maiming and killing was more quickly considered as a resort but, back when I came from, violence to this degree was rare enough to be considered extremely traumatizing if it happened. I mean, I came from a time when the Wonderbolts honestly considered a chocolate cherry cake with custard filling and buttercream frosting rosettes to be considered an actual weapon in warfare. Some of the Bolts actually had post traumatic stress disorder at the thought of wasting such delicious cake by dropping it from the sky like a bomb at a rampaging hoard of bisons versus yaks in an attempt to get them to break up the fight so they could settle this with a peaceful talk. The horror of all of that delicious cake dripping on the battlefield gave some of the Bolts nightmares for weeks.}

“'Spose we have to deal with them,” Feather Wind figured.

“Well, we did just help liberate their society. What's the next step? Also, it's no use concealing our races anymore. I think we made it pretty clear what we are at this point.”

Feather Wind sighed in misery as he hung his head down. “They probably think we're gods now.”

{It turned out I was totally right. The liberated earth ponies called me 'Storm God' ever since that day, and they called Stern Wing 'Guardian Angel'. I kind of liked their nickname for Stern Wing. On her, it was pretty appropriate and had a nice ring to it, but I felt very uncomfortable about their nickname for me, especially considering the fact that they honestly did think I was a genuine god. It was pretty hard to convince them otherwise on this point. In their world, magic did not exist yet for the earth ponies, and the closest thing the antagonists had to magic was the fire the dragon breathed. Since they could not understand the force I tapped into, it was easier for them to call it a supernatural force that was called upon by a higher dimensional being, a.k.a., a god. I could tell them they were wrong till I was blue in the face. Well, bluer at any rate. It would do nothing to change what they convinced themselves of. Since that was the only explanation they could understand, it was the only one they would accept even if I told them otherwise. At first I tried to tell them otherwise but it quickly occurred to me how futile that effort was.

{I was smart enough to foresee where this pattern was leading and why it was on that track. Because of that, I wanted out of there as soon as possible but, before leaving, I also told them to call out the name 'Feather Wind' to the wind and whisper a message for me if they ever got into trouble again. That way I'll be alerted to any potential problem of theirs without having to remain with them and continue to guard them personally.

{Of course, even as I told them that, I also figured out how their minds would translate that message. To their ears, it must have sounded something like, 'If you call out my true name, Feather Wind, to the wind and pray with all of your might and if you have enough faith in your heart, I might consider bailing you out again if I deem you lowly and pathetic mortals worthy of salvation.'

{I had uncomfortable flashbacks in that moment of Searing Wind teasing me about unicorn supremacy all over again. I hate being put on a pedestal! It's bad enough when I occasionally become the center of attention, but that kind of attention only makes me feel more isolated. I don't care if others feel if it's a compliment or an insult. I just want to be treated like everypony else.

{After leaving them, I convinced your mother to land on top of a cloud with me quite a distance from the newly liberated earth ponies, and it was there we had a heart to heart talk. One like many before or since.}

“Tell me what's wrong,” Stern Wing prompted, the first to speak between the two after they landed.

“I keep thinking about what happened with the dragon over and over again in my mind. I can't find a way I could have hoofled it better, but I feel really guilty for killing him.” Feather Wind looked over his right shoulder at his friend. Stern Wing, for her part, crawled forward to her friend's side and draped a wing protectively over him, also using it to pull him close to her side. “I feel especially guilty that I used the sky to do it,” he went on. “That is an element all life depends upon for continued existence. I know it's going to sound strange but, since I am one with the sky, I feel like I betrayed the dragon's trust by using the sky against it. I used something that was supposed to be shared equally with all life on the planet. Bringing the wrath of all of nature crashing down on that dragon, that was not fair.”

“But you are one with the sky, and it trusted you with this power,” Stern Wing pointed out. “I don't think you were given this power so you could not use it. By using this power, you're just being yourself.”

Feather Wind shook his head. “But it was wrong of me to use the sky against this creature, or any creature for that matter. I trusted my instincts when I leapt off a cliff and the wind told me it would catch me. Now my instincts are telling me what I've done is wrong. Maybe the reason I have this power is because I'm the least inclined to abuse it. Using the wind to assist other creatures and make their lives more comfortable is okay, but using it as a weapon . . . I vow to myself on this night I shall not use this power offensively again.”

Stern Wing was quiet for a moment as she used that time to formulate her words, then she spoke with the same kind of wise, cutting power that sometimes surprises other ponies. “In that case, let me ask you this: If you had the power to travel back in time and do that encounter all over again, what would you do differently? Recall you were dealing with an angry elder dragon. He just breathed fire and killed a bunch of innocent ponies and thereby proving his intent was extremely hostile. He seems to have focused his rage on you in particular since you seem to be the primary instigator of his slaves' liberation.

“You can't control his actions, just your own. You could try blasting him with a beam of magical energy but, since I'm asking you to repeat this scenario by time traveling into the past, you already know that will do nothing more than annoy him since his scales are far too thick to be affected by such magic. If you maintain your vow not to use the sky against him, then what would you have done instead?

“If you fly away faster then he can't catch up to you. That may motivate him to turn around and continue his wrath against the other earth ponies instead. I, of course, would have done everything I could to defend them, probably to the bitter end in this case. This is an elder dragon we're talking about here. Let's not kid ourselves. I'd most likely be killed and a bunch of other earth ponies would be killed. The survivors would be enslaved again. If you continue to fight the dragon using your own magic then you might be killed and, again, he'd resume his wrath against the others until they are all killed or enslaved again. He's obviously in no mood to talk. He even ignored the giant crystal spike you erected even though it could technically be considered a beneficial food source for him. He's just mad at you beyond all reason. So, considering all the alternatives, what would you have done differently?”

Stern Wing was silent for awhile as she let her friend digest that question but, after several minutes of silence, it was clear he could not come up with a helpful alternative, so Stern Wing resumed her point.

“If you cannot think of a better alternative, then it might be wise to consider weather control as an option remaining on the table against your future enemies. Some creatures you might face in the future might be just as powerful, angry and dangerous as that dragon. If you get stuck in a corner like that again and your greatest asset is the only way to win against what is otherwise impossible odds, then you need to keep it as an option. It's okay to use it as a last resort, and it's okay to feel bad if you're forced to use it offensively, but you do have this power and need to take responsibility for it.

“I do not think you were granted this power to do nothing with it. That's just wasteful. Limiting yourself to using this power only for comfort is a considerate thought but occasionally you may face another emergency where it becomes your final and best weapon again.

“Many times throughout time every other pony who faced this same situation and did not have access to a power like yours, what they did was simply die. Unable to cope against the face of such overwhelming power and rage, they were totally defeated by it. At least you have this option. If it makes you feel uncomfortable then, by all means, limit it's usage as much as you feel you need to, but don't wipe it off the table entirely. You have a great deal of other powers and training at your disposal. If any of them work instead then, by all means, do so. I just don't want you to avoid this option when all other alternate paths are closed to you. If it truly is the last resort then use it. Either that or let yourself and every pony in danger die.

“Also recall this . . . nature itself is not clean of sin. Storms sometimes happen at inconvenient times, even when it's carefully monitored by weather control ponies. On the occasion when the weather is wild and untamed, it will sometimes kill. If nature itself is willing to go that far and you are a part of it, then you should be equally willing to do whatever you must. In your case, you also have sentience and a conscience. Since you have it then, by all means, use it to the best of your ability, but don't let that alone limit your options. Instead, consider all the facts as life presents it then make the best decision you can in each and every possible moment. That's the best any of the rest of us can do as well.”

Feather Wind sighed. “I suppose you are right. I still feel sorry for the dragon. It wasn't fair for him to face me and get crushed by somepony who could use all the power of nature itself against it. The very same nature it always depended on to live all along. What if we were to face a power like that and I didn't have this power? Then it wouldn't be fair to us either.”

“You're right. It's not fair. It wasn't fair when the dragon's power was used against those earth ponies either. You used your power to help save them at the dragon's expense. That was your choice and you'll have to learn to live with it. When you face a situation like this again then you'll have to deal with that.

“The Doctor has faced dilemma's like this for centuries. It isn't fair for us to rely on him all the time. He didn't do anything to deserve that kind of a burden without a break. His Tardis keeps on delivering him to places and times where he is needed, but do you know why it isn't constantly delivering him to every place at every second throughout all of time? It is because there really are other heroes like him out there who also do what is needed of them in their own place and time. If the problem has the ability to solve itself then the Doctor doesn't show up because he doesn't need to, and that is fair. Sharing the burdens and responsibilities of life is exactly what we must do instead of transferring it all to him all the time. He may be selfless enough to be willing to accept that responsibility and burden, but that still doesn't make it right when there are alternatives. If he's the only one constantly exposed to danger then eventually it really will kill him for good, and then who will pick up the torch?

“Well to that question, I ask another; why wait until it's too late? Help him out now by doing our own parts in life. By dividing the burden equally and fairly, we also divide the danger. What is left for him will therefore become more manageable. In gratitude for all that he's done for us so far and even going out of his way to skip the credit for it, it's the least we can do for him.”

“And if he was faced with darkness constantly and without a fair break, there is another way for it to defeat him,” Feather Wind realized. “Without help, it could corrupt his own hearts as well. Considering how effective he's been as a hero, imagine how much trouble we'd all be if he got corrupted into a villain. With the ability to travel all of time and space, he could defeat any of us before any of us were even born.”

“Exactly, so then you agree that it's fair for us to divide the burden for him.

“Also, consider all the mentors you've had in your life. Your father, your uncle, my cousin, the Wonderbolts, Crystal Sage, and the Doctor. Each of these amazing ponies contributed some special training in your life. Do you really think they would be proud of you if you took all that power and training and did nothing with it? I mean, you could. You are just as capable of choosing darkness as the light with that power. Since you do have it, it's wise to give it some forethought in what kind of life you wish to lead with it. Since you are capable of doing something most ponies could not, what will you do when others have a chance to look up to you? It's our chance to shine now, and I think we would do honor to those who helped to train us by following their heroic example.”

“You forgot one.”

“Hmm?”

“You,” Feather Wind pointed out. “You are also one of my many blessed mentors. I look up to you as well. Your bravery, kindness, and strong spirit has been inspiring to me and I'm not likely the only one who thinks so. I'm grateful for all that you've given me as well. Even now, you're trying to teach me, and it's working.” Feather Wind reached up with his face and kissed the side of Stern Wing's cheek, making her blush. After that the two of them snuggled closely together.

Chapter Ninteen: Liberation

Chapter Nineteen: The Origin of Magic

{Since I was uncomfortable with the liberated earth ponies worship, I didn't remain with their community, but I did not venture too far either because I did not have any other plans in this time era yet and I wasn't entirely convinced they were out of danger completely, hence the reason I informed them how to summon my attention again. For instance, now that they achieved their freedom, what would they do with it? I had a feeling that they were raised to be dependent on their slave masters for far too long to know how to live for themselves. In this time era, traditional farming techniques were not likely to have been invented yet, so I foresaw some potential trouble for them and wanted to be nearby in case they proved to be incapable of sustaining themselves on their own four hooves.

{It turned out I was right, but not for the reasons I thought. The liberated earth ponies did fairly well for themselves at first. Instead of that, it was, again, external danger that concerned them. They called upon me as I taught them to do before I left, so I swung back in to investigate along with your mother. What I discovered was a new force moved in. They did not seem as numerous as the last army so they seemed less dangerous overall, at least at first. In fact, the earth ponies outnumbered these newcomers about twenty to one, since there were only twelve intruders. Looks could be deceiving, though. With the right technology, training or magic on their side, even a small group of twelve could be a formidable force.

{As your mother and I returned to observe the situation, I noticed that these newcomers were not immediately attacking the nervous liberated earth ponies so I held back and observed this situation from a distance, just like I did the first time I showed up into this area. I was glad I did, too. There was some interesting information to observe that helped me to deal with the situation later.}

“Fascinating!” Feather Wind exclaimed in amazement as he and Stern Wing remained hidden on a nearby cloud which he blew a little closer using his wind powers. He was observing the newcomers via his magnification magic, and what he discovered was quite fascinating to him. “Do you see those ten bipedal reptiles with short fore-claws and long hind legs with a large, sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of each hind foot?”

“Yes. I do,” Stern Wing confirmed very closely to his side so she could see out the same magnified magical window.

“Those are an ancient and extinct species of dinosaurs on our planet. More specifically, a theropod genus of dinosaurs. This particular species is dubbed 'velociraptor' by our paleontology ponies who dug up ancient fossils of their skeletons. The thing is, we had evidence of their intelligence but never to this degree. These velociraptors are wearing some kind of ceremonial armor, and whatever those sticks they are carrying is likely weapons of some kind. I have an odd feeling those are more than ordinary sticks. I think I can see a bit of glow on them, indicating they are magical sticks of some kind. This is actually evidence of advanced intelligence, advanced enough to form complex languages and form a complex society. Warning; they are an entirely carnivorous species. I can think of at least one reason why they might be here.”

“You think they came to . . . eat the ponies?” Stern Wing asked with intense disgust.

Feather Wind shrugged. “It's possible, but why are they waiting then? They are not approaching the village at all.”

“Not yet, anyway,” Stern Wing pointed out. “Maybe they are just waiting for the rest of their forces to gather.”

“Which might make them more open to negotiation until that happens,” Feather Wind theorized. “Until they have a stronger tactical position, they might be more willing to talk. If the situation changes in their favor later on, however, they might start talking less and start demanding more.”

“What about the second species? Those black bird creatures who also walk on two legs?” Stern Wing queried.

“There's only two of them,” Feather Wind observed, “and one of them looks really, really old. He has to lean on a cane to support himself. Of all these newcomers, he's the farthest thing among them to look like a soldier. The worst he can be is some kind of mage. As for his species, this one I can identify for sure. They are arakroa. They are a distant descendant to both the griffins and the hippogriffs. Back in this era, they walked more on their hind legs while their forelegs were used primarily for grasping and tool manipulation.”

“Are they meat eaters too?” Stern Wing asked in concern.

“They can be, but they can also consist on vegetable, fruits and nuts so the technical term for them is omnivorous. Wow.” Feather Wind took a few pictures of both species as well as the equipment they carried. “This is so fascinating! I'm learning so much about these two species from this party alone!”

“What do you think those glowing sticks that the veloci . . . rapetor's? . . . do?”

“I suspect they are weapons, and magical at that,” Feather Wind reported, “and the term is velociraptors,” Feather Wind reminded.

“What?” Stern Wing looked taken aback. “But I thought you said there is no magic on this world. How can they make magical items, and ten of them at that, if there is no magic on this world?”

Feather Wind shrugged. “Maybe there is magic on this world. Maybe it's rare, and this species knows how to access it. Come to think of it, that would make more sense since it was hypothesized that the most sentient species evolved in places closer to magic. If this species is capable of wielding magic in some shape or form then it also makes sense that they might be more intelligent than we thought.

“The thing is . . . if they did have the ability to forge any kind of advanced technology . . . why did none of it survive into the future? Maybe it did and it hasn't been discovered yet. The fossils we found on this species indicate they were no where near this advanced. So far the velociraptors that we discovered indicated they were tactical and coordinated pack hunters capable of complex strategies and perhaps limited form of communication but building tools and wearing armor was beyond their grasp, else we should have found such things buried with them.”

“Maybe they aren't veloci-watchits. Maybe this is a species that merely resembles them but they are, in fact, aliens from outer space. We saw stuff like this plenty of times as we traveled with the Doctor.”

“Good point,” Feather Wind agreed. “If we consider them as potential aliens, they could theoretically be capable of just about anything. Maybe they are, in fact, a race of shapeshifters that took the form of the first semi-intelligent species they found on this planet, or they are intelligent alien parasites that took over the bodies of velociraptors.”

“But we know for sure that the other bird-like species is native to this world?” Stern Wing checked.

“None exist anymore that we know of in this form, but yes . . . they later evolved into griffins and hippogriffs. That implies they've been part of this world's history for quite awhile. We weren't exactly sure how long they've been around, however.”

“I think we've obtained as much information as we can from them from up here,” Stern Wing declared. “Let's go down there and say hello, but be prepared to conjure an energy shield in a jiffy. If those glowing sticks are capable of energy projectiles, we'll need a defense against them in a hurry.”

“Agreed, to a point, but perhaps we should separate on this one,” Feather Wind suggested. “I lure their attention and talk to them. I'll need my horn, most likely, to translate what they are saying anyway. If they fire those sticks, I'll also be the one most prepared to defend myself. While I hold their attention, you can sneak up behind them. Should they choose to attack, all of their attention will be on me initially which may allow you a tactical advantage on getting the drop on them.”

“No.” Stern Wing shook her head. “I want to be involved in the conversation itself, so I'm going with you.”

Feather Wind clenched his jaw just a bit, but said, “As you wish.” After that they both flew down to meet the newcomers openly.

xoxo

“Halt!” one of the more decorated velociraptor creatures ordered as he fired his glowing stick which shot an energy projectile close but not at Feather Wind and Stern Wing who landed close by a few seconds ago. Feather Wind looked at the ground that was struck by the energy beam. It looked a bit blackened and it sizzled for a few seconds. After that it became very clear to him that those sticks were indeed designed to be weapons. Based on the scorch mark on the ground, he could guess being struck by such a beam would cause intense burning damage except it was likely to be internal burning as well as external. The power source was most likely magical, from what he could tell. He looked across this small squad of velociraptors and noticed they were all armed with these energy sticks. Being the lethal projectiles that they could be, Feather Wind guessed that they might have better odds against those liberated earth ponies despite being outnumbered twenty to one, and who knows what else this party brought with them? Their natural weapons alone could make them quite formidable as well.

“Proceed no further!” the same individual demanded.

“Hold your attack, General Slekcorza,” the elderly arakroa politely requested. This individual was a black raven-like creature that stood erect on two legs but was also hunched over at the back. He had to lean on a cane to prevent himself from falling forward. He also had what kind of looked like a long beard that nearly extended all the way to the ground except that 'beard' was made of feathers. Similarly, the eyebrows of this creature was so bushy it concealed his eyes but, again, the eyebrows were made of thick wads of feathers instead of hair. He was also the only one to wear a robe, in this case a black robe with golden embroidery on it that kind of looked like star-shaped patterns.

{I had an uneasy feeling from all of the velociraptors here. Not just because I knew they were meat eaters, but also because they were all armed, proved willing to use their weaponry, and deliberately had an intimidating disposition to them. They looked really aggressive, but I noticed that they did not outright attack yet and I had the feeling they were also very nervous to meet me for some reason. As for this elderly arakroa, on the other hoof, I had the opposite feeling from him. Mind you, it was just an initial impression, but my gut feeling told me he was a scholarly and friendly grandfather-like figure. I didn't know if he was really in charge of this group or not, but I hoped he was. He seemed like the most reasonable and approachable member of this party.}

“All thosse who pose a ssecurity risk musst keep their disstance,” the one dubbed General Slekcorza insisted with a bit of a reptilian hiss to his speech pattern due to the physiology of his tongue.

“If they really are a security risk, are you proposing to antagonize one who defeated the dragon Fang all by himself?” the elderly arakroa asked the general. “I sincerely doubt you'd be able to hold him back if he had hostile intentions so, for the moment, I suggest we do nothing further to antagonize this most formidable horse. If we do, it may prove only to our own detriment.”

The general glanced back at the elderly arakroa with a single sidewards slit, reptilian like eye. “I am only doing my job, elder sssage,” the general reminded.

The elderly arakroa nodded. “I realize and appreciate that but, for now, I think you can best do that by putting your weapons down. We did not come to fight him anyway. More to the contrary if all goes well. We came to ask him for a favor so please, good sir, put your weapons down.”

“Thiss iss a mosst unorthodox sssstrategy! I musst object!” the general complained.

“Objection noted. Now please, bear with me on this one.” The elderly sage then regarded Feather Wind. “Forgive our rudeness please, mighty horse. I assure you we did not come bearing ill intent. More to the contrary. The general is just being defensive since it is his job to keep me and my assistant safe, but I believe if you had hostile intentions, his presence would not make a difference anyway. Please inform me if you can understand any of my words.”

“I certainly can,” Feather Wind informed back. “The reason my horn is glowing right now is because I'm casting a spell that is acting as a translation magic.”

“Ssorcccery is at work here?” General Slekcorza asked very defensively as he raised his own weapon. “Desssissst your magicsss, little horssssse, or faccce the wrath of my blaster!”

Feather Wind's eyes shifted quickly to General Slekcorza the moment he spoke and he privately noted the words “sorcery” was interesting because it implied a recognition and therefore existence of spellcasting. That did not suggest how common such practice was as of yet, only that it existed at all. The liberated earth ponies back at the quarry, however, did not seem to recognize it and mistook him for a god for performing it at all. That, at least, suggests the art was unknown in the local area but, if these newcomers recognized it, it may suggest they came from a more distant or remote area of the world with more exposure to magical arts as well as magical-based technology.

“He just told us he's using his spell to help translate what he's saying!” the elderly sage said in a tone of objection towards the general.

“But it might be more than that!” General Slekcorza spat. “Tricksssy horssse might be weaving a ssuggesstion sspell to manipulate our mindss azz well while he'ss busssy transslating.”

“Or he could just kill us as easily as he did that dragon,” the elderly sage pointed out. “He hasn't yet, however, so I think, for the moment, we can give him the benefit of the doubt.”

General Slekcorza shook his head. “That isss not my job! All creaturess we encounter isss a potential enemy until proven otherwisse.”

“Enemy?” the elderly sage echoed. “Did we really come here to make an enemy of a horse capable of killing Fang? May I remind you how long that dragon has held us at bay? This horse took him out by himself. If he is our enemy then this is likely a battle we cannot win anyway so, for the last time, PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN, SIR!”

General Slekcorza slowly did so very reluctantly, but he also nodded at his other soldiers to do so as well. Slowly they followed suit.

“Soldiers!” The elderly sage shook his head. “Sometimes they think more with their weapons than their brains, I fear!”

That comment privately amused Feather Wind because the Doctor often made similar remarks.

“Why did you come?” Feather Wind asked with a slight tilt of his head while regarding the elderly arakroa.

“First, may I introduce myself?” the elderly sage asked politely. Feather Wind nodded. “My name is Awalki and this is my assistant, Koacrow.” He gestured to the other much younger arakroa in the party. “You already met the general, of course,” Awalki went on with an almost reluctant gesture to the general.

“I'll be watching you very carefully!” General Slekcorza warned. “Do not try anything to antagonize ussss, or we will attack!”

“I'm pretty sure he means it,” Awalki said with a frustrated sigh. “Please understand that he means well. He's only trying to keep us safe, and we are addressing a very dangerous horse, it seems. One who is capable of magic and possesses a curious horn.” Awalki seemed interested. “Now that's a new curiosity. Are you a mutant? Are there other horses like you in this world? Is that horn artificial or natural? Please indulge me. I have a million questions, you see!”

“Aren't you also going to ask about my wings too?” Stern Wing prompted curiously as she spread her wings a bit.

“Actually, yes! I would be most fascinated to hear your side of the story as well,” came Awalki's friendly reply. “Those certainly seem natural.”

“They don't appear to be made of any artificial source,” Koacrow agreed observantly. “The wings in question appears to be attached to the lower sternum of her back in the upper region along the spinal cord. Please, Miss . . . could you expand your wings to maximum length, or would that hurt you in any way?”

“That would not hurt me at all.” Stern Wing proudly spread her wings to maximum length and held it straight.

“The wing span appears to be about three and a half feet in length per wing. Fascinating,” Koacrow observed. “She appears to weigh over three-hundred pounds,” Koacrow went on while rubbing her beak. “The bones might be hollow but that would seem unlikely to support muscle structure that bulky. If the wings were the only factor, she should make a pretty clumsy flier.”

“Excuse me! I am a great and powerful flier!” Stern Wing objected. “Want to see a demonstration?”

“Please do!” Koacrow eagerly invited, but Awalki held up a claw in objection.

“Perhaps at a later time. We've come for another purpose for the moment,” Awalki reminded.

“Later, then?” Koacrow asked hopefully to her teacher.

“If she chooses to indulge you,” Awalki granted. “Since she offered initially I assume, for the moment, she will be willing to demonstrate at a later time as well. If she still feels that way by the end of this conversation then, by all means, take in as much data as you can.”

Awalki turned back to Feather Wind as he said, “Back to the issue at claw. It is my understanding that you were the one who summoned the storm and defeated the great dragon Fang. Am I correct in this assumption?”

“Indeed,” Feather Wind confirmed then narrowed his eyes a bit. “Why are you so interested in the dragon's demise? What intentions do you have for these ponies?”

“None of your businessss!” General Slekcorza hissed.

“Please, General . . . allow me to do the talking,” Awalki kindly requested. “Matters of security are your domain. Please allow me to continue with mine. It is why I am here, after all.”

The general gave a reptilian-like gurgle that was reminiscent of a growl of a large cat. Both were equally menacing and natural sounds to both species when they were on high alert.

“Silurians!” Awalki said with a shake of his head. “Never one to give others the benefit of the doubt, I'm afraid.”

“What did you say?!” Feather Wind asked suddenly towards Awalki sharply.

“That silurians do not give others the benefit of the doubt,” Awalki repeated.

“That's a silurian?!” Feather Wind asked as he looked at the general in astonishment.

“Ah . . . yes. His species is known as a silurian, and mine is the arakroa,” Awalki informed.

“At least you got the names of one of them right,” Stern Wing whispered to Feather Wind with a half grin passed to her friend.

“It was the paleontology ponies who gave the name velociraptor. We never knew, until now, what this species called themselves back when they were still alive,” Feather Wind informed his friend quietly, “but the arakroa evolved into griffins and hippogriffs. Because of their history, which actually has maintained some pretty decent records, we know what they called their ancient ancestors. I'm guessing the name survived across the eons to our present day.”

Feather Wind faced his friend. “That's not why I'm surprised. I'm surprised because I've encountered that name, silurian, before. I've done some research on the Doctor's history. He wasn't forthcoming of it much himself, and I suspect there are gaps in his memory anyway. After nine-hundred years, I'm surprised he remembers as much as he does but, apparently, some of those memories can get more fuzzy between each regeneration. I have, however, found a library hidden within the Tardis. It was Vision who helped me to discover it in the first place, and she probably found it through her empathic connection with the spirit of the Tardis which seems to trust her a lot for some reason. The library, at least, has some records from some of his older adventures. Among them, I stumbled upon the name of some of his old enemies. Silurians were one of them!”

“Oh!” Stern Wing looked alarmed. “Is that going to be a problem for us?”

Feather Wind shook his head as his facial expression calmed down a little bit. “Not necessarily. Apparently the species the Doctor primarily hung out with were called 'humans' from a planet called 'earth'. He defended that planet from many kinds of invading alien species, but silurians stood out in a special way because, unlike the other threats, this one was actually native to the planet as well but they were buried and hibernating for many thousands, perhaps millions of years before being accidentally awoken. The Doctor's earlier encounters with the silurian race was, unfortunately, antagonistic but that didn't always remain so. A sub-species of silurians turned out to be quite reasonable, and he even personally befriended a few of them. In this case, it might depend on which breed we're dealing with here.”

“So these silurians have multiple breeds as well, just like we do in the future,” Stern Wing figured.

“Probably,” Feather Wind replied.

“What consspiraccy are you two plotting?” General Slekcorza asked very suspiciously.

“We were talking about you, silly pants,” Stern Wing replied semi-honestly. “Why do you ask? Were your ears burning?”

“What trickery iss thisss?” General Slekcorza hissed.

“Ears . . . burning?” Awalki asked in confusion. “Why would the general's ears burn?”

“It's just an expression of ours,” Stern Wing clarified. “Whenever we say that, it denotes an awareness that somepony . . . I mean, some creature is subconsciously aware that they are being talked about.”

“You're talking about the general?” Awalki asked.

“Not him specifically. We were talking more about his species,” Stern Wing clarified.

“Why would you be unfamiliar with his species?” Koacrow asked in confusion.

“There aren't many of him left,” Awalki reminded his assistant. “This really might be the first time they've encountered a member of his species.”

“Why? What happened to the rest of his species?” Feather Wind asked a little anxiously.

“They used to be much more common,” Awalki admitted. “In fact, they used to be the most technologically advanced and dominant species on this planet but, after The Dark Star crashed on this planet, most of his species went into deep hibernation to avoid the cataclysmic after effects of the fallen meteor.”

“Wait, go back. The Dark Star?” Feather Wind reflected.

“Now your ignorance on that point is less understandable,” Awalki admitted. “I suppose the more major effects of the meteor is well before your time, but much of it is still being felt to this day. In fact, that is actually why I have come to you. The Dark Star meteor struck our planet well over a hundred years ago, but it did far more over time than it did upon it's initial impact, and it's initial impact was so massive it is said it knocked the orbit of our planet off kilter. The silurians barely had time to make preparations before the meteor struck. This small piece of the Black Sun seemed to sneak up upon us out of nowhere as if it were deliberately trying to surprise us in order to cause as much devastation as possible. Everything that we've seen from this meteor's behavior ever since it crashed seems to affirm these earlier hypothesis of the meteor's quasi-intelligence.”

Feather Wind widened his eyes a bit in horrified recognition.

“The Dark Star meteor has had a malevolent influence on the nature of our planet ever since it crashed,” Awalki lectured on. “It wasn't the first or the last meteor to crash onto our planet. Far from it, but almost all of the other examples have actually been beneficial. Ever heard of Starlight Dust?” Feather Wind shook his head. “Huh. How about the Twilight Star?” Awalki went on.

{I did recognize that last name a little bit, but the only other time I heard of something like that was 'Twilight Sparkle', and that was a unicorn in the future who later ascended to the status of an alicorn, otherwise known as 'The Princess of Friendship'. Derpy Whooves told me about her, and I've observed the alicorn personally from afar a few times later on. What Awalki was talking about, however, sounded like something else almost entirely. At the time I figured the two names was just a coincidence, so I shook my head no despite the fact I did recognize the name a little bit.}

“No? You haven't heard about the star either?” Awalki double-checked.

“No. I never heard of it,” Feather Wind confirmed. “I assume you are talking about an actual celestial body?”

“More than that, I'm talking about the star. It is brightest at twilight, hence the name of the star. It is also a dying star, unfortunately, but one good thing about it is it showers many magical comets upon our planet that is enchanted with a magical substance we call Starlight Dust. This dust is the reason why any magic exists on our planet at all, and it is likely the primary reason for the ascended intelligence of any of our species, including mine, yours and the silurians.”

After being mentioned, the general gave a firm nod in agreement.

“Starlight Dust is also the primary power source of all of our technology,” Awalki lectured on. “In short, Starlight Dust is responsible for virtually every blessing that has ever happened on our planet ever since it first started raining upon us. The Dark Star meteor, on the other claw, is something else entirely. Believe it or not, most Starlight Dust barely harms this planet when it falls. A vast majority of it burns up in the atmosphere and, as it does so, it rains magical dust upon the land which generally enhances the quality of life and breeds magic. Smaller fragments occasionally manage to crash into the earth. If one struck you directly, you'd be very lucky to survive the impact but, on the whole, especially on a planetary scale, Starlight Dust barely leaves any harmful side effects. The rocks are actually made of super condensed, energetically charged magic crystals. At first they are very hot to the touch after burning up in our atmosphere. Pure Starlight Dust contains compact magical essence which has been very helpful with magical-based technology. It has also helped us to discover many kinds of science. Starlight Dust has ever been a blessing to our planet except that which it strikes directly upon landing.

“The Dark Star meteor, on the other claw, rocked the planet very violently upon it's landing, and the planet is still trying to heal from it's injuries ever since. Not only did it's initial impact cause a major stir, which is also the primary reason most of the silurians went into hibernation, it has also acted like an infected wound on our planet ever since. The region around where it struck quickly grew cold and showered the area with ice and snow. Dark clouds loomed in the sky which blotted out the sun around the region it struck. All life in the area withered and died, then came back . . . reborn as something dark and sinister and something . . . well, I don't know what the opposite of life is but, whatever it is, it is that. The Dark Star breeds unlife, if that makes any sense to you. No longer does it require food to live, instead it has a mental craving to consume flesh and feed off life energy. At first the contagion was limited to within a few hundred miles of the meteors crash site but it's influence has been expanding ever since. New monsters have also been bred thanks to The Dark Star's influence, and those not in the state of unlife already are still very savage.”

“Where did this Dark Star come from?” Stern Wing asked in a horrified tone.

“I have a theory to this,” Awalki announced. “I believe it is a cast off of the very same Black Sun that is consuming the life essence of the Twilight Star. I have an observatory in my lab back at the city I come from. An up close examination of this phenomenon reveals that the magical essence of the Twilight Star is being torn away from it and spirals around the Black Sun until it can no longer be seen within it. The Black Sun is not like any traditional star. It does not emit light, instead it sucks in light. I know this can be very hard to imagine, but the Black Sun creates deeper darkness around it and it feeds off the light of stars somehow. It seems to create a powerful vortex of gravity from which nothing else around it can escape.”

(A black hole,) Feather Wind thought privately. (In all my adventures with the Doctor, I've encountered a few of those from a distance and read about it as well. Contrary to what Awalki thinks, a black hole is not a star . . . well, there might be a super condensed matter in the center of it that originally came from the death of a former star. Still, I never heard of a black hole ejecting a meteor of it's own, and I assume that is what he's implying. Besides, a black hole is neither intelligent or malevolent. It is a natural spatial phenomenon.)

As Feather Wind thought more on it, it occurred to him that something else strange was going on here. This Twilight Star does not sound like a traditional star either. If Awalki was right that Starlight Dust does indeed come from the Twilight Star, then this star might indeed be a magical-based star, perhaps ignited by and burning by something else other than what a traditional star was fueled of.

(Maybe this black hole started as a natural hole in space until it fed off the magical energy of a magical star,) Feather Wind concluded. (Since Starlight Dust caused sentience to rise on this planet, if what Awalki is saying is correct, then perhaps it did the same for the black hole feeding off the star. Ever since then, it actually did become sentient, and malevolent. If an intelligence was born from a black hole, it is likely a mind that knows only darkness, both literally and figuratively, as well as an endless hunger to consume. In theory, a mind like that could notice the Twilight Star ejecting magical meteors out into space in the desperate hope to inspire life, harmony and magic somewhere else. After awhile it sent a meteor of it's own to follow it's food source. If Starlight Dust enchants other creatures with magic, enhanced life and intelligence, then it's simply more food for the “Black Sun” to feed off of.

(This is amazing! I think I'm discovering the origin story of both light and dark magic on our planet, as well as the reason for the rise of all sentience on our world!)

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Feather Wind asked Awalki. “What does me defeating the dragon have to do with The Dark Star?” Even as he asked, he already had a theory. Feather Wind was just waiting to see if Awalki confirmed it.

“The reason I'm telling you this is because you have already displayed a power vast and beyond anything we've ever encountered before,” Awalki said. “The horses that you rescued even call you, 'The Storm God'. Frankly, I don't care what you are. Your actions against this malevolent dragon proved you have good intentions for the horses who benefited from your heroism, and you've done it by demonstrating a power so vast it could defeat an ancient dragon all by yourself. Since you've gone that far, we were hoping you could save our world from The Dark Star, or at least reduce it's influence. If it isn't stopped, these horses you saved won't live too long to enjoy their newfound freedom. The Dark Star is corrupting everyone and everything in it's path, and it's influence is spreading faster and faster. The more it infects, the more power it gains, and the more power it gains, the faster it spreads which, in turn, increases it's power. It's a never ending cycle which will eventually consume our world just like the Black Sun is doing to the Twilight Star. I believe the Twilight Star's final, desperate hope to save itself is by spreading new life and harmony to another distant planet, and I believe the Black Sun has followed it's influence in the hopes to destroy the life the Starlight Dust creates.

“Will you help us? Can you help us? If you say no to either question then we are all doomed. It's only a matter of time before The Dark Star consumes us all.

“Even in lands very distant from where it crashed, some worship it as a god and it has granted them dark powers with the intention for it's users to use it to spread it's corrupting influence. One of those influences, for example, is plaguing the city all of us here come from. Actually not just the city, but the entire countryside.”

“Hiss name is Plague,” General Slekcorza announced. “He wass once one of my kind, a fellow sssilurian, but hass ssince become sssomthing elsssse. He sstill hass the general shape of a ssilurian, but he iss made entirely of a sswarm of wormss instead. One touch from him infectss other creaturess with thesse wormss. It createss endlessss torture in it'sss victimss. The flesh regeneratesss asss fasst asss the wormss within their body consume it, driving the victims mad with raw agony. They cannot help but obey Plague, and he usesss his sssslaves to spread the wormsss. He desstroys our cropsss as well and, if any creature conssumes the worm infested food then they, too, become a worm-walker, an unliving host of the unholy ssswarm.”

“And that's just one of the many villains popping up here and there,” Awalki added. “I'm afraid this pattern will keep continuing until some creature gets rid of the source of all this evil.”

“This Plague sounds absolutely sinister,” Stern Wing said in a spooked tone, looking at the newcomers at first then transferred that same spooked expression towards her friend to gauge his reaction. What she saw was him looking very alarmed and deeply thoughtful. There was a rapid calculating look to his eyes that she actually found attractive to see.

“Frankly, we are overwhelmed,” Awalki admitted. “Our resources are diminishing while this dark force continues to get stronger every single day. We're running out of options. Will you help us?”

“Why don't you awaken the rest of the silurians?” Stern Wing checked as she looked back at the group. “You said a bunch of them hibernated as a result of the crash of The Dark Star. Can't you just awaken them? Then you'd have an army to help you deal with these threats.”

“And feed them with what? Food cursed with worms empowered by dark magic?” Feather Wind asked his friend. “It sounds like this Dark Star caused very severe damage upon it's initial arrival. Right off the bat, there was already a food shortage because of that. The silurians must have realized that and they believed the only way to protect their species was to hibernate until the storm passes, figuratively speaking. They left a few awake to help manage things in their absence, and here they are.” Feather Wind waved a hoof across the newcomers in front of him. “Because they are awake, they're noticing an accumulating problem, but they no longer have the resources to fix it.”

Feather Wind looked at Awalki squarely. “I take it The Dark Star's initial landing also damaged many of your cities and power sources? You said you used Starlight Dust to help power much of your technology. Was that damaged or corrupted as well?”

“Put it this way. There are entire continents that sank below the ocean when The Dark Star fell onto our planet. That's how severe the damage was,” Awalki announced. “When those continents sank, it brought down every life form, every farm, every creature and every city we ever had on it. All of it vanished below the waves, untouchable by any creature that can't breathe underwater. We used to have power lines made of crystalline cable that transferred energy from one place to another but, when The Dark Star meteor fell, many of those power lines got damaged or destroyed. Ever since then, it limited the transference of power, of communication, and transportation. We used to have the ability to convert matter into energy and transfer it down these crystal cables but, when they broke, most of our civilizations got cut off from each other. I imagine most of them are having a hard time of it, especially the ones closer to The Dark Star.”

“Isolation . . . the antithesis of the magic of harmony,” Feather Wind realized. “I think you are right. I think you are being assaulted by a god-like and malevolent force which seeks to tear you apart then kill or corrupt you one by one.”

“What better counter against a god than another god?” Awalki reasoned. “As such, will you help us?”

“To begin with, let us mention the fact that he's no god,” Stern Wing announced. “He's flesh and blood, just like any of you. The only difference is he has a natural connection with magic, hence the horn.”

Awalki shrugged. “Even still, we have never encountered another horse quite like him before.”

“Actually, I agree with that statement,” Stern Wing said proudly to her friend. “You really are an amazing pony, even by the standards of our time.”

“Any horse that can defeat a powerful dragon like Fang that easily must surely be capable of resources we lack,” Awalki added. “No matter what he is, we can only benefit by working together.”

“'Live together, or die alone,'” Feather Wind quoted.

“Aptly put,” Awalki agreed.

“Before I agree to anything, I think I want more information,” Feather Wind requested. “Let's start with your city. I want to see that and this Starlight Dust power source you keep mentioning. I also want to see the Twilight Star through your telescope. As for the Black Sun, I take it that it cannot be seen by your telescope?”

“Yes and no,” Awalki corrected. “It's true it cannot be seen directly because it emits no light of it's own, but it has a way of pulling, bending and twisting light around it. It can be seen more by the absence of light rather than it's presence, even if there should be light nearby it.”

Feather Wind waved a hoof dismissively. “Whatever. I want to see it anyway, at least as much as we can.”

Chapter Twenty: The Origin of Magic

Chapter Twenty: Eight Years Later

When Feather Wind regarded his daughter, he noticed the blank, fixed and vacant stare she gave in her forward direction. As a test, he waved a hoof up and down in front of her sight. For awhile she did not respond but, as he continued doing that, she slowly stirred and looked up at him.

“I'm sorry. I swear I was paying attention,” Star Breeze promised. “It's just . . . I'm in awe right now! First you fly . . . then you save the oracle . . . then you have adventures all over time and space . . . and then you discover the very origins of all magic on our planet as well as the reasons we evolved into the species we eventually became. Wow! Just . . . wow! My dad really did all of that? You must be the most important pony whose ever lived!”

“Only your last statement is in error,” Feather Wind corrected. “Every pony is important. Every creature is important. Life itself is important, and life permeates all things. The earth under our hooves . . . the sky above our heads . . . the twinkling stars beyond that . . . it's all connected. All life is connected. I'm trying to show this to you as you listen to my story.”

Star Breeze shook her head as she admitted, “This has gone way beyond what I expected to hear. All I thought I'd hear was how you beat the impossible and became the first flying unicorn, but now I'm hearing more and more evidence of how you helped save our entire planet and the universe!” Then she looked thoughtful. “Because you traveled through time and space with the Doctor, the future influences the past and the past influences the future. It's all connected.”

“Right!” Feather Wind cheered. “Now you're starting to get it, but it's a much bigger picture than that. Even if I were to freeze time itself, you can see how everything is interwoven if you look at life broadly enough.”

“My friends . . . and all my family . . . none of us would have even been born if you didn't save us so long ago,” Star Breeze realized with wide eyes in shock, then looked at her father questioningly. “You did save us from The Dark Star, correct?”

“No,” Feather Wind teased with a serious tone. “I failed to protect all life on this planet. That's why we all died and none of us really exist here.”

Star Breeze got a dry look. “Aw, c'mon! Stop teasing me.”

“Stop making it so easy to tease you and stop asking silly questions,” Feather Wind retorted. “Of course I helped save the world from The Dark Star. Obviously we would not be having this conversation if I failed back then, but ask yourself another question as well; if The Dark Star is the origin of all dark magic that ever existed in our world ever since it crashed onto our world, then what does it mean when I saved the world from it's influence and yet it continued to infect our world many times throughout many ages of our world?”

That question made Star Breeze pause in thought for a moment, then she answered, “You reduced it's influence but did not eliminate it,” she guessed.

“That sounds reasonable to me,” Feather Wind partially agreed. “Want to know how I did it?”

Star Breeze nodded and said, “Yes, please.”

“Then stop interrupting me and let me finish!” Feather Wind exclaimed.

“Hey! You paused your own story to check on me. It's not my fault this time!” Star Breeze argued.

“Eh . . . true,” Feather Wind relented. “There didn't seem to be a reason to continue when you stopped paying attention. I had to check on you so, in a way, it was an interruption.”

“I couldn't help it! All the things you are telling me is mind boggling!”

“I know what you mean. I had to live through those experiences rather than just tell you the story now. Don't think it wasn't mind boggling for me back then or your mother. When faced with a crisis, however, we had to learn to pause our concerns and confusions in order to face the problem head on. It's a luxury to be able to have time to dwell on it now and, in a way, I'm kind of reliving it as I tell you the story. That helps me absorb the fuller experience of it as well, so pray let me continue.”

“Go ahead,” Star Breeze invited.

“Thank you.”

xoxo

{Remember how I told you covering all of my adventures with the Doctor was next to impossible? That was because a great deal happened in such a short amount of time. By short I mean two years. You'd be amazed how much can get crammed in there.

{Similarly, I'll recap what happened to me during my stay in ancient Equestria which most of the educated natives of that timed called Pangaea. Not as much happened compared to my time with the Doctor, but I do have eight years to cover so I'll mainly focus on the highlights.

{On my way to the city of Panjora, which is where the newcomers were from and where they were leading us, I had enough time to reflect to myself and I was struck by a recollection of something Crystal Sage told me over two years ago from that point. He said this after I asked for an explanation of what happened to him, and his reply was he was investigating a dark force that was corrupting the fringes around the Crystal Empire as if it was attracted to it's light and love and wanted to squash it. During his attempts to dispel it, he accidentally got corrupted by that magical infection which later turned him into the Dark King, also known as King Sombra. Back then, he once described his opponent as a force that was only quasi-intelligent, much like a savage animal until it later infected a more sentient mind and then, all of a sudden, this darkness is capable of complex strategy. In this regard, it acts like a parasite.

{I took that conversation and compared it to what Awalki told me about The Dark Star meteor and what it could do. It sounded to me like it landed in the Frozen North, and that didn't sound like a coincidence either. I had to admit, the two versions of this story sounded awfully similar. I suspected I found the force that corrupted Sombra, which also suggested I would fail to completely eliminate the dark force infecting the planet, and yet the degree of corruption and destruction it was gaining in this time period was too fast and too severe. At this rate the bright, sun shiny and rainbow future that I recall would not exist. What does this all suggest? Do we somehow accomplish a middle ground between these two scenarios? Is The Dark Star so powerful that all we manage to do is reduce but never eliminate it's influence? If it is that formidable, then is this something I can accomplish on my own at all?

{Everything I heard of this Dark Star meteor sounded like the opposite of a star, especially the Twilight Star. It caused the environment to be cold instead of warm. It caused it's surroundings to be dark instead of bright. It sucked in and consumed light magic then spat out dark magic. It exists to destroy and corrupt life while a normal star normally spreads it (unless one draws too close to it).

{I felt anticipation to spread my findings to Crystal Sage and compare notes. I had a strong feeling he would agree with my hypothesis and find it interesting. If it's true that I found the source that once corrupted him, then he might be able to give me vital insight to help combat this thing. After all, he was the closest thing I had to an accessible expert regarding this phenomenon. Maybe that was not a coincidence, maybe it was fate. Maybe I had the tools necessary to figure out this problem, including my rather formidable intellect. I figured what I had to do was carefully evaluate my accessible resources and probably needed some time to figure out how best to use it. I also compared that thought to the thing Vision said that when next we encounter her younger self again, that her younger self would suspect several years went by before she met us again. That gave me a rough time table to work with. Whatever happens, this project would take at least a few years. No more, no less. Her predictions also strongly implied that both me and Stern Wing would live long enough to make that future encounter so that was an encouraging thought to keep in mind.

{Panjora was an interesting city in design and configuration. It certainly seemed extremely defensible, including the terrain, but it could be better. Basically Panjora was built on and even within a hill. Seen from above, I have to be honest, it looked like a giant target. Panjora was composed of multiple rings of high walls circulating around the city which marked the outer boarder. For some reason there were twelve of these walls, each encircling a smaller and smaller area as it narrows at the top. At the top there was a giant pyramid. The tip of the pyramid was made of crystal and it shimmered with energy. In a way, it reminded me of the Crystal Heart in the far distant future, but the configuration of this city was much more symmetrical and I had a feeling that was on purpose and for good reason. I surmised that the pyramid served as a magical power plant which spread it's energy down the circular city. Built within the walls of each of the twelve rings of the city, there were rectangular spires with pyramid tips. I suspected that those spires were meant to capture airborne energy and transfer it down to the local area around it. I later asked Awalki if that was true. He regarded me with surprise as he said yes then inquired who taught me that. If I was honest with him, I would have told him I had many teachers and my conclusions were based on the sum of all of my accumulated knowledge. Working with Crystal Sage in particular helped me to understand the flow of magic, how to capture it, and how to properly channel it.

{I have to admit, after seeing the city, the geek in me was crying to come out. What I had discovered here had never been discovered in my time with fossil records and ancient buried cities, at least none that I had read. Again, this was living history blooming before my eyes and it was fantastical. This was radically far more advanced than most scholars of my time would give credit to this era of history. It really made me wonder what happened to it all that practically erased every trace of it's existence between now and then. Normally time would be the answer, but a lot of the materials used for this construction should have survived to my time, at least in part, even after all that time. Our ignorance of discoveries like this was better explained by some deliberate intelligent force going out of their way to erase every trace of this ancient civilization's existence on purpose for some reason. With this much of a time gap, there were endless possibilities to explain this. In many ways, I felt like I stepped into an alien world, and I certainly had enough experience with the real thing to become familiar with that sensation.

{But there were some problems that dulled my excited nature somewhat. While I learned this wasn't always so, the highest population in the city was earth ponies but, back then, they called themselves, 'horses'. Go figure. Anyway, similar to the last civilization I encountered, these ancient earth ponies, or 'horses', were also enslaved. Despite encompassing about ninety percent of the total population of the city, they were all enslaved.

{Neither Stern Wing nor I were subtle about our disappointment of that fact. Awalki quickly assured me he was willing to explore alternatives to that sociological structure if the two of us helped save them all from planetary destruction and/or corruption. In hindsight, it's funny how high of a price they were asking for that favor. Imagine some creature trotting up to you out in the middle of the street then said to you out of the blue, “Sure. We'll free all these ponies. All you have to do is help save the world from a god-like force of overwhelming destruction and the source of all evil on this world. Yeah! Totally worth it, right?”

{Quite frankly, yes . . . it was worth it. I wanted to accomplish both goals anyway, and it's nice to be on the same page with these horses' current oppressors instead of having to fight them on that point. I guess it wasn't a small request for them either. Changing an entire society from the ground up that it is so accustomed to, and a system that's been so effective for them for many centuries, was no small matter. They never would have considered it if the situation was not so dire. It goes to show that even when ultimate evil knocks on our doorstep, there can be surprising ways to turn it around and use it for a force for good. A clever mind exploits any situation to maximum effectiveness, and I was simply using what I had on hoof at the time.

{There was another problem. Of the remaining ten percent that were not horses in Panjora, five percent were complete carnivores (the silurians) and the remaining five percent were omnivores (the arakroa). Between the two, the arakroa were easier to deal with for obvious reasons. At least they had an alternative besides eating dead ponies, but the silurians had fewer alternatives. The idea of allowing them to consume the flesh of dead ponies was, of course, very revolting, but I understood that they had to eat something. This is why harmonious coexistence between herbivore and carnivore is quite rare. It's hard to relax and trust the company of one who considers you potential dinner and, on the flip side, befriending a race that makes you hungry all the time is quite distracting. The silurians of the city had a saying, “Horses are food, not friends.” They had a similar expression about slavery as well. When I noticed this, I realized I had my work cut out for me but I also realized this was merely one of multiple projects I had to juggle.

{As repulsive as their society structure was, it was leagues better than something else battering at the gates of the city from outside. The horse slaves of the city actually considered themselves rather lucky because they got to be enslaved by a race that also fed them and protected them from something far, far worse outside. Also, since the silurian population dropped quite dramatically lately, it was rare for a horse to be straight up shot to death in order to be food. Instead of that, they are worked to death and those who happened to die from exhaustion or old age are put on the dinner plate. If you were in my situation, which problem would you consider a higher priority?

{As promised, Awalki took me to his laboratory and library where his observatory was located. When night time rolled around . . .

{Oh! By the way, day and night rotated around on it's own without the assistance of magic. Maybe The Dark Star meteor caused that, but you have to wonder how they could accomplish it anyway without magic, or perhaps a better question is how we've come to rely upon magic that nature used to do for free. If it wasn't true in the first place, then when exactly did the switch occur?

{Similarly, the weather used to control itself all over the world as well. There were pros and cons to that. On the one hoof, it will do what it does without arduous labor on our parts but, on the other hoof, it will also ignore our will and do whatever the hay it wants, even if it is a life or death situation. Do you need rain for your crops? Well too bad! I'm going to rain over those mountains instead. You should have moved over there if you wanted to live so badly and, of course, if you actually did move out there you'd find, to your horror, the weather pattern changed again five years later for some inexplicable reason. Sigh!

{Well, anyway. Back to what I was saying.

{I actually did discover something very remarkable when I looked at the Twilight Star using the telescope, and the really interesting thing that I found was something Awalki could not have known because it relied upon future knowledge. In fact, it was knowledge ahead of my time as well for the most part except I saw symbols like this in a few scrolls, and they all usually represented the same principle idea.

{The Twilight Star . . . it looked almost exactly like the cutie mark of a future princess of Equestria. Even the color was correct. It was a purple star that radiated magical light stretching out into a multi-point star. Closer examination revealed that some of the arms of that light spiraled around a black invisible vortex. Looking upon that star, it occurred to me that the future princess in question was celebrated to be the Princess of Friendship, but the cutie mark itself was said to represent a talent for magic. What were the odds that would be true while the source of all magic in Equestria came from a star that looked like that? Add to that, the name of this magical-based star happened to be the Twilight Star. More and more this was beginning to seem like far more than a mere coincidence.

{Awalki observed the stunned look in my eyes when I was done examining the star. For a moment that gave him hope that I realized something that could give them an advantage against The Dark Star meteor. I told him no, that it was something else. I think he noticed how I did not elaborate on that point further, primarily because my extra insight relied upon future knowledge. He was disappointed that I chose not to share that knowledge at the time but he did not pry. He was such a gentalarakroa.

{It turned out I already met what was effectively the heads of this city. Awalki was no true leader by any official standards, but he was considered a very respected scientist so his opinions generally had a lot of clout even among the remaining silurians. As for the silurians, it was General Slekcorza that commanded the most authority for his race, unless you counted the hibernating members of his species. If you do go that far, then you'll find the main leader of not only this entire city but several others, a Queen of the silurians known as Queen Slekcortcha. Bleh! Even today saying her name is difficult for my tongue. I imagine it comes more easily for the silurians due to their physiology.

{General Slekcorza was the silurian in charge of the military that remained awake to guard the rest of his hibernating race, and he was the one who had primary authority in Panjora so, if you want to get technical, their society used to be a monarchy that turned into a military dictatorship.

{I was appalled to discover who had the true authority around here. General Slekcorza was very distrusting to members not of his race, and he looked especially far down on ponies in particular whom he grew accustomed to seeing only as slave labor and/or food.

{I have to note, however, that he wasn't completely unreasonable, and I could tell he truly did have his people's best interest at heart. I noticed this by keeping track of the issues that upset him the most. General Slekcorza usually showed his anger far quicker than any other side of him but, since I kept track of it, it showed a pattern that slowly gave me a better and better impression of his true motives.

{Along the way, I noticed that he was actually quite selfless, if you happened to be a silurian anyway. If you were not a silurian then you needed to fight extra hard to earn his respect and trust, but he didn't shut the door on that option completely. He even outlined for me straight up what it would take to earn his respect and trust. Great power alone was not enough. Defeating a powerful dragon which, in a way, was an opponent to this city as well, was not enough. What it would take was getting horrifying villains off of his back and the creatures he guarded.

{I keenly remember the sharp, judgmental look he gave me after he specified that as if to ask me, “Can you do that?” He was not subtle about the fact that that was the price of his friendship and respect, and he even hinted at what I could gain if I proved I could earn that respect.

{I must point out that he was hard on his own troops as well, fellow silurians, but it was only because he demanded the best effort from his own species. Since there were so few of them left, it made more sense to demand the best of them, especially from a military general. There was a great deal at stake from his perspective, and he saw it all in genuine danger. To me, he basically said, “Save us from this trouble and then we'll talk. Until then, I have nothing further to say to you.”

{Well, sure. Fair is fair. The demonstration of great power does not prove it's on your side yet. He could just as easily evaluate me as a potential threat. He didn't attack me if I didn't attack first, but he kept his guard up to reveal he was as ready for an attack as he possibly could be under the circumstances. I had a feeling he wouldn't have brought me into the city if it wasn't for Awalki's council, another creature who did earn his trust, apparently enough to even convince him on things he had initially been reluctant to accept. General Slekcorza gave me a chance to prove myself while maintaining his guard in the meantime. Actually, that's quite fair, to be honest.

{So, instead of insisting that the leaders of this city free every enslaved horse right off the bat, I instead turned my focus to the villains attempting far greater harm to this city. To begin with, it seemed my first challenge was to deal with the creature known as Plague, a corrupted former silurian. His tactics to enslave other creatures were completely sinister and far beyond the point of tolerance or forgiveness. He didn't just cause pain in the most horrible way one could imagine, but he was also a threat to our livelihood in other ways as well. Plague contaminated food on purpose as well as the land from which it grew. It actually reminded me of the worms that infected the Orchard's farm, which ended up the final straw that caused them to leave that farm for good. Again I'm faced with another abomination like this, only this time the stakes were much higher.

{Plague was not the only problem either. He simply happened to be the most dangerous at the time, unless one counted the ever expanding corruption of The Dark Star. I also heard reports of rampages from goblins, centaurs, minotaurs, and a cyclops. A raid over here, a slaughter over there. Panjora itself was extremely well defended, but not every community was fortunate enough to have such high walls let alone so many of them, and Panjora depended on a steady supply of food just like any other community. The silurians may have been content on a steady diet of horse flesh, but the same could not be true about their slaves themselves. Traditional farming, which I was surprised to discover existed in this timeline after all, was absolutely necessary to maintain this remaining population. If that system collapsed then everything dependant on it would eventually crumble as well. The places that grew that food was being attacked by multiple sources. Add it all up, and one could foresee very big problems further down the road if nothing was done to take care of it.

{After your mother and I set off on our journey to help take care of some of these problems, we got sidetracked by a fortuitous discovery. While out exploring, we happened to spot a meteor crash by one of those benevolent and magical meteors the natives called Starlight Dust. Since your mother and I could fly, we had a wide view of the surrounding countryside. We spotted the meteor strike at night so it's shimmering light stood out well against the darkness. Again, because we could fly, we were also the first ones on the scene to collect from it.

{Back during the height of the silurians' rule, they used to have orbital tracking systems to detect these kinds of meteors and it gave them a massive advantage when it came to collecting these rocks in a hurry but, since most of their race was in hibernation and a great deal of their equipment damaged, we ended up unopposed to this discovery and gift from the heavens. That's what it was, too. I swear by Celestia, what we ended up doing with that crystal greatly blessed our journey eventually and your mother in particular. When we found it, we both felt it was ours and we both felt it was meant to be a gift to aid us in our journey. It felt as if the Twilight Star was encouraging us to fight back the darkness and also gave us the means to do so. We were not about to let this opportunity go to waste.

{But this discovery ended up temporarily dividing us. Not socially, mind you, but physically. As a unicorn with training in enchanting as well as a talent for the manipulation of crystal magic, I was the perfect choice to help forge this magical star meteor into something helpful but, since your mother couldn't contribute much to the project, it was decided she would head on without me and at least scout out potential problems and even hoofle them if it wasn't too dangerous. Her ability to fly was an advantage that was not shared by too many creatures at the time, so she had the ability to survey mass amounts of land at the same time and fly away from danger if she had to, or chase down bad guys effectively. I was nervous about sending her off alone, but I also trusted her judgment. I figured she would know when enough was too much. She was also a powerful mare. There was a great deal she could hoofle with her assets which was a great deal more than the victims she saved could claim themselves, so I ended up letting her go to hoofle the situation as she saw fit despite a little reluctance on my part. If she came upon too much trouble, she knew how to call me for help using the wind and I had the ability to fly to her quickly no matter where she happened to be.

{Besides, I had planned to make something special for her using this Starlight Dust. I had ideas in my head for awhile about the construction of a magical armor that could simultaneously be a weapon. I did some research into this in Crystal Sage's virtual library and even came up with the idea that Crystal Sage himself later refined, especially about my ideas for the magical function of the armor. He was also intrigued with the stones discovery and planned to compare it to what he already knew about crystal science in the far distant future.

{Back in his time, or mine, magic of this nature had spread to enchant most of the planet already and it was consolidated in only a few places but, in this ancient era, we discovered one of the sources of magic in it's purest form. Shaped correctly, it had the potential to become something awesome, and your mother definitely deserved it. At long last we had the materials, the means and the skills to pull this off. I'm telling you, all our stars aligned perfectly on this project.

{It took me two months to finish it. Most of that downtime was due to experimentation. My magical ability to manipulate the shape of crystal greatly accelerated the project in terms of form, but it was the enchantment that I had to be the most careful about. I poured over this and over this, experimenting with one virtual source after another in Crystal Sage's virtual city before daring to try it on the real thing. I practiced on this over and over again until it became second nature to me. When it came to this one armor, I could eventually enchant it in my sleep if I wanted to. I wanted to make sure I was that good before I set to work on enchanting the actual armor because it was very unlikely I would get a second chance with this. Even in this time period, direct discovery of such material which made it to the surface of the planet was quite rare, especially in the local vicinity I happened to be at the time.

{My extra training and careful attention to detail probably paid off well because, when I finally got down to enchanting the real thing, the whole thing went off without a hitch. Like I said, all my stars aligned on this project. When I finally completed it, it was perfect! Perfectly sized for her and perfectly functional in terms of the enchantment. There were no side effects, special conditions to use it, hidden curses or magical leaks that would gradually disenchant the armor. It did exactly as I intended it to.

{I called it the Prism Armor. A more expanded title of it is Prism Armor of the Iron Heart. After my Mist Cloak, this was my newest masterpiece, one of three I ever constructed in my entire lifetime so far. Well, four if you count our airship as well, but I digress.

{This was an armor made of crystal specially designed for a pegasus and your mother in particular. It fit every inch of her perfectly. It expanded down her chest and along the bottom of her torso. It also covered mostly the front of her legs but was bare at the joints, leaving room for flexibility in bending them. The crystal was especially thick in the front hooves because that part of the armor was also intended to be a weapon. It turned her forward hooves into a pair of maces, effectively speaking.

{That was not the only built-in weapon on the armor. It also had a one and a half foot tall horn, or eighteen inches in other words, extending off the top of her helmet which mostly covered the top of her head and extended down to her lower jaw. The horn made her look like an alicorn considering her wings but, instead of magic, it was actually designed for offensive purposes. With it, she could use the horn as a piercing attack, much like wearing an arrow off the top of her head. I warned her not to put too much pressure on her neck, but she was far stronger than most pegasi so it was less of a concern for her.

{The armor also covered across her back and along the top of her wings. I liked this part especially, and so did she. Since the crystal armor covered the top of her wings and was made of flexible separate crystal shaped feathers strung together, it effectively turned the tops of her wings into a pair of giant, flexible shields. Moreover, the edges of the crystal feathers extended off the tips of her natural wings on purpose and they were very sharp. With it, she could use the edges of her crystal wings as a bladed attack, making her wings both a shield and a sword simultaneously.

{As for the enchantment of the armor, it augmented her in two ways. One of the enchantments regenerated her stamina like crazy. With it, she could fight almost endlessly and never tire, or do any other activity that normally tires the muscles after a prolonged period of time and effort. In fact, the enchantment was so strong she would never be able to sleep in the armor even if she needed to which was why I also added the ability to turn that particular function off with a command thought then re-enable the function with another command thought. By relying only on a thought, she could be tied up and gagged and still be able to switch that function on and off at will. Due to the weight of the armor, it would compromise her speed and agility in the sky or the ground a bit, but the enchantment allowed her to push herself to maximum effort without tiring which countered the hindrance somewhat, at least potentially. It was good exercise too, particularly on a strength standpoint.

{As for the second enchantment, it warded her from the influences of evil magic. Dark enchantments and/or curses would have a very hard time influencing her while she wore the armor and, even if she didn't wear the armor, such enchantments could not affect at least the armor itself. That was because I filled the crystal with the emotion of love. I filled it with my desire to see her protected. As a side effect, the weapon components of the armor proved especially effective against unholy creatures. If the creature was empowered primarily by dark magic, then the weapon components of the armor hit them with a multiplied force as if they got repeatedly hit several times over and over in the exact same spot. That, in turn, made each hit count more than it normally would. It might even prove effective in dispelling evil enchantments on other objects or creatures when attacked by these weapons because this enchantment was primarily the antithesis of it's opposing element.

{One cosmetic side effect of the enchantment was the fact it made the armor shimmer with prismatic light. This light was especially intense around the spinal cord area of the armor but, since the entire armor was made of interconnected crystal, the light projected from that point shimmered and shone across every inch of that armor. I found it especially breathtaking to behold crystal prismatic wings or horn. The light did not shine a single color at a time either. It shined multiple colors simultaneously and they gradually shifted across the armor. The way it shifted colors was reminiscent of an Aurora Borealis. Seeing that actually made me think, “That is the color of love.”

{Your mother loved it when I finally presented it to her, especially after I explained what it did and what emotions I used to enchant it. I remember how she hugged me fiercely and quietly cried on my shoulder, whispering, “Thank you. I love you too.”

{Come to think of it, that was also the moment your mother proposed marriage to me. She said it had been long enough and we'd been together through so much and, most importantly, we loved each other enough. I agreed to her proposal except I suggested a delay until we got back to our own time period. This was an event I wanted our family to join in. She smiled and said that Derpy, Vision and the Doctor also needed to be there. Again, I agreed so, from that point until our actual wedding, we were fiance and fiancee.}

“Aww!” Star Breeze squealed in gushy delight. “How romantic! You two finally proposed to each other when you presented to her a jaw-dropping and awesome enchanted armor slash weapon. I can only hope I'll be that lucky someday.”

“It was a good call to make the proposition then,” Feather Wind declared. “Pure love swam in that armor and it was so beautiful to behold because of it. With it, I poured all of my desire to see her protected, just as she had done for me ever since I was a young colt. That's the power of love for you. It can make the most incredible and beautiful magical equipment.”

“Really has a nice ring to it too, I think,” Star Breeze figured with a grin. “'Prism Armor of the Iron Heart.' Wow, Dad. You really are a warrior-poet. Does 'Iron Heart' kind of imply being emotionless, however?”

“It could be viewed that way I suppose, but it certainly wasn't intended that way. I could have also said 'Stout Heart' and that would imply the armor's function better, but it doesn't quite have the same ring to it. It almost works but the other version has a little more umph to it.”

“'Prism Armor of the Stout Heart?' Hmm.” Star Breeze seemed to taste the sentence, then concluded, “Actually, it still sounds pretty good, and it's less confusing than 'Iron Heart', but that version also greatly implies a stalwart heart as well. I can so easily imagine 'Iron Heart' to be a symbol of courage as well. If I said 'Silver Heart' I would think more of somepony with purity and/or compassion.”

Feather Wind waved off at his daughter. “All of it works, I suppose. It doesn't really matter what it's called, it matters more what it does and what it means.”

“And with a prismatic horn, she could easily be mistaken for a beautiful alicorn princess. I'm curious, what did other creatures of that time think of it? Since they had never heard of an alicorn before, their thoughts may have strayed to another theory, but what?”

“Put it this way. The title 'Guardian Angel' gained even more credit for those who beheld her in that armor. It was awe inspiring and almost otherworldly to look at, and it augmented her abilities in ways unmatched by others. A pegasus who could fight tirelessly, was warded against evil enchantments and was especially effective against evil creatures . . . couldn't you imagine that to be an angel if you never saw a pony with wings before?”

“Oh, easily!” Star Breeze agreed. “Even without the wings, I still might assume something like that if I lived back in those times. Today, however, I'd probably mistake her for an alicorn princess instead. How about, Princess of the Rainbows! Does that sound nice?”

“Pretty . . . and a little confusing. Does that mean she is princess of only rainbows and nothing else?”

“Princess of Love, then?” Star Breeze amended. “You did say the armor was enchanted with love. Next time somepony has a crush on me, I'm going to imagine them with a prismatic aura around their bodies.”

“A crush? No. I don't think so,” Feather Wind argued. “True love is far more powerful than that. It is a beautiful light that is nurtured through so many trials and tribulations. Pure love endures across any trial. Pure love is bright and unchanging. One might even say eternal. It's hard to describe, but I can't tell you how rare it is. Maybe it's more common than even I think. After all, there are many kinds of love. If I made something for you using my emotions for you, I guarantee it would be very strong and formidable, but the love is not romantic. Different type but still pure and powerful.”

“Well . . . this is interesting but we're getting sidetracked here. Go on with your story.”

Feather Wind rolled his eyes. “We're getting sidetracked from the part of my story where we once got sidetracked. Go figure. Anyhoo . . .”

{It actually took awhile for either of us to even start to confront Plague. It was not for the lack of trying either. We investigated a bunch of places we suspected he was infesting. Some of those places turned out to be false alarms and others were probably real. We did not even encounter an infected pony . . . excuse me, I mean horse . . . until about five months later. Before that, we found more evidence of infected crops or forests instead.

{While tracking him down, it was very disturbing to find evidence that this villain was a very patient hunter. He wasn't like Puppet Master insofar as charging into a village head on with insane evil glee and seemingly no plan, nor requiring one to achieve his aim. No. This villain stuck to the shadows and quietly observed his victims before striking, sometimes after months of study. He would send worms, infected rats or infected roots to plague an area as if testing the waters and seeing how much resistance he should expect if he continued applying pressure. He was calculating and methodical, which was why he deeply frightened me.

{I really didn't like the idea of dealing with very intelligent villains. It made me feel like I had less of an advantage against them which, in turn, made me feel a whole lot less prepared or secure against them. If they could do what I could do, only for evil, then it was a battle of wits that I feared I might lose. A cunning opponent could have contingency plan after contingency plan. No creature is perfect. Even a genius can make a mistake no matter how careful they try to be, but such minds tend to make mistakes less often and, even when they did, they could have potentially multiple layers of backup plans to cover for their mistakes.

{To keep up with this villain, I realized I'd need tricks up my own sleeve as well. As time went on, I got a gut feeling that he was aware of our activities and he planned on it accordingly. I'm telling you . . . this one made me very nervous.

{But, for the vast majority of our time not spent investigating, we went ahead and dealt with lesser threats. Well, lesser at least to the two of us. There was a big difference between a dozen rampaging minotaurs charging into a defenseless village and charging after us instead. The sense of scale depends on one's skills, equipment, allies and abilities. Your mother and I curb-stomped such threats with ease but those villagers would have lost for sure if we hadn't been there to defend them, and I remember when I was young and felt that helpless which made me easily sympathize with their plight.

{Your mother and I quickly gained renown as local heroes who swept in and saved the day, kind of like comic book heroes except placed in a more primitive setting. Your mother and I had to laugh at how we became real life superheroes effectively but, of course, we cared more about the results rather than our fame. We flew back and forth from place to place. I told many villages that we rescued and otherwise about the fact they could whisper 'Feather Wind' then send a message across the winds. I told them that so they could be my eyes and ears, watching for trouble, but I also warned them not to abuse that privilege.

{And, of course, eventually they did. Not at first, mind you. The ones your mom and I directly rescued especially took our warning seriously. They saw first hoof how dangerous we could be if they defied us and their own gratitude towards us also made them quite cooperative but . . . as the rumors spread and other . . . horses . . . got the message, eventually I realized we were showing up to false alarms just because other creatures wanted to meet living legends. Some even wanted to use us for commercial purposes like endorsing one product or another. That was quickly getting annoying and out of hoof. How was I supposed to tell a false alarm over a genuine one? I'm not psychic, not like Vision is. I couldn't just ignore them all but, for each false alarm either of us responded to, it delayed us from saving other creatures that actually needed our help.

{The solution to this problem wasn't perfect but, notably, the suggestion came from your mother first. As usual, she had a gift for cutting right to the heart of the problem sometimes with amazing insight. In this case, she advised those horses who took our warnings seriously to make an impression on those who weren't. We told them that responding to false alarms delayed us to rescue those in genuine danger. If they conveyed the seriousness of the situation to others then the scope of the problem might gradually get reduced. This, in turn, helped us to spread the word faster rather than us having to repeat ourselves one by one. Also note that if the same voices kept lying about being in danger then what would happen if actual danger rolled around and yet we ignore a familiar liar? In a crisis situation sometimes we had to set priorities and learn to set them quickly. We made sure to let others know of those potential consequences so that they learn to take our warnings more seriously.

{Anyway, that helped a little and even more over time.

{One day, however, disaster struck. It really imparts the message of the dangers of complacency and arrogance. After dealing with so many successes, I guess we gradually got a little cocky. It's hard to help after a pattern of repeated easy successes, but I really do blame us for this mistake.

{In this case we were dealing with a rampaging cyclops. It looked like a giant minotaur except it had one eye and it had a goat head instead of a bull. Actually, it was the only one reported on record. For all we knew, it might be one of a kind in this era so far. It hunted on a mountain pass and slaughtered ponies . . . excuse me, horses that dared to cross the path. This giant was thirteen feet tall and wielded a mighty oaken club that could crush a bolder with a single hit. Beyond being large, strong and endurant, it was clear this was no magical threat, at least not yet. It was likely because of that reason I actually stood back and allowed your mother to deal with this threat. I stuck around and continued to monitor just in case, of course, but I was practically yawning with boredom and waited for your mother's inevitable success. For her part, she treated this like a fun sport. I kind of recalled she even teased the creature sometimes.

{Actually, I should mention that, by this point, we started to master ancient ponish so I didn't need the translation magic quite as often anymore unless we encountered a new species who spoke a new language.

{To be honest with you, your mother's efforts more annoyed than threatened the cyclops. Her taunts were far more effective than her kicks. If anything, she was more likely to win by wearing the creature down rather than outright hurting it. I honestly think that was her plan because she isn't stupid. She was not the brightest either, but she was too smart to repeat obviously ineffective tactics unless it was leading up to some advantage down the road.

{Deep down, I feel she pitied the creature on some level, and even I realized the creature had every right to do what it needed to do to live. In this case, I think the intent of your mother was just to give the creature a good spanking and a firm scolding for previous naughty behavior then peacefully send it on it's way. If this was done well, he could potentially even be an asset used to guard other innocent creatures in the future rather than attacking them. The cyclops was a savage but he didn't really strike either of us as innately evil. His lack of any magical ability, including dark magical ability, was a testament to his inherently neutral nature.

{Play with fire often enough, though, and one day you'll eventually get burned. It happened far too quickly than either of us realized. In one moment she was dodging and weaving in the air like some pesky mosquito, then the next moment the giant club of the creature connected squarely on your mother's back and sent her sailing away which crashed her against a rocky mountain. Roaring in triumph, the creature was about to leap in to finish her off until he heard me scream at the top of my lungs which immediately attracted his attention towards me.

{He never connected with me. I didn't give him that chance. Instead, he got impaled by hundreds of red crystal javelins which shot out of the earth from all around him, mostly in a diagonal angle aiming towards him. Stabbing into his ankles and extending all the way to his neck, the creature was pinned between too many crystal spikes to make any further movement safe. He still wasn't dead, but he was bleeding and would eventually die if left untreated. At the time I didn't care. Your mother was seriously injured. I even feared the worst in an explosive moment of panic.

{As formidable as the Prism Armor is and was, armor plates do little to cushion the impact of blunt force trauma. Such attacks could transfer right through the armor. Since this was enchanted armor and enchanted with the will to protect with love, I imagine the armor did what it could to reduce the impact, but the end results was she just could not move. Her spine was shattered.}

“What?!” Star Breeze interrupted in stunned objection. “That doesn't make any sense! An injury that serious would never heal. Clearly she can trot these days though, even fly.”

Feather Wind held up a hoof to her. “Bah-bah-bah. Let me finish.” Star Breeze waved at her father to continue as she settled down with a strong look of worry.

“Stern Wing!” Feather Wind cried in a frenzy in the past as he zipped up close to her. He almost touched her but froze a hoof near her face. He saw her wince and shiver in intense pain. Clearly that also meant she was not dead. Whatever she was dealing with, however, was far too severe to be able to hide it on her face completely.

“Stern Wing . . .” Feather Wind cried solemnly. He felt extremely lost and confused. He had no idea how to remedy this situation. He didn't even know how severe the problem was. He found himself wishing the Doctor would show up. He could at least examine her safely with his sonic screwdriver, and perhaps use the same to heal the injury.

Feather Wind was shaking and shivering while tears rolled down his eyes to see his beloved in so much pain. She could not respond to him either. It took everything she had to avoid screaming in agony, but she held on to the last shred of her dignity in the way she usually does. In any situation she faces, she goes down fighting like Tartarus.

Feather Wind's attention was locked on his beloved as he watched helplessly until he heard hoof clomps nearby. He turned to look and was astonished to see Vision climbing up to the ledge they were on. She did it with fair amount of ease, too. As much as a spider would.

Feather Wind tried to call at Vision for help but he could not get his voice to speak. His best effort yielded only a small squeak. Although blind, she held up a hoof to him anyway.

“You don't need to say anything. I've come to help,” Vision announced after raising a hoof at Feather Wind's direction.

Feather Wind felt dizzy. The world started spinning around him. His head was spinning with so much spent adrenaline that he felt positively drained. Besides that, tears blurred what little vision he had. He tried wiping it away but that was a mistake. His hooves were too dirty to wipe away tears safely. He only ended up irritating it more. Normally he would not have been stupid enough to make an obvious mistake like that but, in that moment, it felt like he had the intelligence of a panicked infant. Even words fled his mind. Emotion was the only thing dominating his mind. There was no room for anything else. On that day, he lost control of himself almost completely.

Fortunately for them both, Vision had far more discipline. Her blank, livid eyes stared in Stern Wing's general direction and started emitting a high pitch frequency. As noted earlier, she had a permanent lens made of the same technology as the sonic screwdriver built over her blind eyes which she used in an obscure way to see. At that moment she used it to scan Stern Wing to notice what the problem was. She also vibrated the nerves along her spinal cord to deaden them temporarily. That, in turn, dulled the pain eventually to almost nothing. When that happened, Stern Wing did not have to struggle nearly as hard to avoid screaming.

{Which, by the way, she never did. Your mother succeeded in that much at least.}

Without needing to exert that much effort, fatigue replaced her pain despite wearing the Prism Armor. That armor regenerated stamina very fast but it didn't make it infinite. If the body's strain was pushed too far, she could go unconscious despite the influx of extra energy from the armor. In times like that, it was like trying to give energy to a corpse or putting water in a bucket that has no bottom. It's futile.

Feather Wind paused his story as he winced tightly, bowed his head and rubbed his forehead with a hoof. Telling this part of the story made him relive one of the most horrifying moments of his life. Just like back then, he found it hard to talk.

A tiny hoof laid on his lap reawakened his attention and returned it to his daughter. In her eyes, he saw her own tears she was struggling with. He smiled at her lovingly then pulled her in close for another warm hug. In that moment, it felt really needed.

A few minutes of this helped thaw his mind enough to resume, and the warmth of their shared emotion steadied his emotions.

“I love you, Sweet,” Feather Wind whispered to his daughter.

“Love you too, Dad.”

Eventually Feather Wind found the strength in himself to resume, but for his own peace of mind he tried to skim faster over this part.

{It's really hard to talk about this. I mean, this is somepony I dearly love. Somepony who has my very heart and soul. To see her going through that much . . . it felt like I shared it. Everything else blanked out. In that moment, I did not even care about the world . . . only her. My love, my universe was in shambles and it needed dire attention.

{Of course I later concluded that Vision must have had a psychic vision that this was a moment she needed to show up and save us. That's pretty much her thing, and I'm so grateful she took the time to learn healing skills as well. On that day it proved vital.

{I later learned that she also knocked the cyclops out, and also shattered all the red crystals I had stabbed into the creature with an ultra-high frequency projecting from her “sonic eyes”, as it were, which vibrated the crystals at just the right frequency to shatter them. I think she even healed the creature later on and dealt with it in other ways because I never heard a peep of trouble from it ever since.

{Vision pulled out her tent from her dimensional saddle bag and guided us both in. From there, she proceeded to do what she could, but damage of this caliber was really beyond even her skills. I knew she had a potion that accelerated natural healing but, like natural healing, it had more trouble with complex vital organs and certain body parts. I'm not sure, but I think she actually did give your mother that potion and applied several kinds of oils along her back.

{I have to tell you, I was so far out of it at first I did not even know my name if you asked me back then.

{Over time I eventually calmed the hay down and was a more useful ally to Vision. She told me how your mother's spine was shattered. It would take a miracle to heal it at this point, and any degree of success would leave her nowhere near the level of strength she had before. Much more drastic measures were necessary to repair damage this severe. I asked her for a suggestion. She told me to consult Crystal Sage for a suggestion which was, in itself, an odd suggestion.

{In hindsight, I later realized she knew what must be done all along and simply waited for the right moment to proceed. What was about to happen had a permanent and lasting impact for your mother, and that was long enough to be noticeable by Vision's younger self. What was about to happen had already occurred from Vision's perspective. All that was left was to see it through and complete the time loop.

{Taking her advice to heart, I consulted Crystal Sage and informed him of the problem. In return, he came up with an innovative suggestion that he said he performed only once before. He said, in this case, the damage was far too severe for her spine to recover on it's own without some kind of extreme reality-bending powers, but he had an idea of his own that not only could repair the damage but make her even stronger. He said this experimental idea could not work on just any body part. In fact, the skeleton was pretty much the only option that his idea could replace. It would not work on any muscle organ, nerve or blood cell, or at least not likely to work.

{Anyway, his idea was to coat her spine with crystal to use it to reinforce it's structural integrity. Actually, it was more like turning the spine itself into crystal in a process similar to petrification, then use our magic to manipulate the shape of that crystal to repair the damage.}

“Wait. How does that work?” Star Breeze queried.

“It's exactly what happens to the dinosaur bones we discover,” Feather Wind informed his daughter. “Petrifaction takes place through a combination of two similar processes: permineralization and replacement. Permineralization is when minerals fills in pore spaces of organic matter which gradually replaces it. Petrification is basically a mineral copy of organic matter which is sort of nature's way of taking a picture of a body. Normally this process takes a really long time to occur but, with the expertise I had with Crystal Sage, we've discovered spells that could greatly speed up this process.”

“Oh wow. Fascinating,” Star Breeze said a bit numbly, not fully understanding what her father said yet.

{Crystal Sage told me this process was very tricky because it was very delicate. Our bodies are complex machines and it requires very precise calibration to work properly. With the right skills and tools it could be improved, but not easily. He warned me this would be the greatest test of my crystal magic expertise, and he highly recommended I work closely with Vision since she could illuminate the situation enough to help us work far less blindly on this process. He assured me it could be done, and he was willing to help me every step of the way. He'd never abandon one of his greatest allies who helped support his cause, and he personally cared for Stern Wing anyway.

{I, ah . . . won't bore you with the details. From this point on it gets highly technical. What I will say is we had some measure of success but it took nine months to accomplish it. It was a very slow, arduous, and sometimes painful surgery.

{In a way I basically had to learn a new language, in this case sonic screwdriver language. I even invented a spell to help me translate audio frequencies to visual graphs. It was vital that I see what I was doing, and I even needed to do it at microscopic levels.

{Like I said, this was an extremely arduous task. One I would not care to repeat. I probably would if it was somepony dear to me again, but I would really regret the necessity in such a case. There were so many chances for this to go wrong. So many times it did go wrong so I had to wreck my progress a little bit and start over again. Not all the way each time, but every mistake was a setback which delayed ultimate success.

{I was constructing a new spine for your mother, literally. By the way, that's one of the most complicated bones in our bodies so, BY CELESTIA, that was hard! On the plus side . . . the effort helped to refine my crystal magic training beyond anything I had ever accomplished before. Guiding the path of a crystal lattice on microscopic levels . . . Yeah! That's tedious stuff.

{I can't say I didn't care about the extreme effort, but nothing was going to stop me from helping your mother. I promised her I would do everything in my power to help her and, by Celestia, I discovered new limits in myself in my efforts to keep that promise.

{I must point out that, until this process was complete, your mother was paralyzed from the neck down, and she even had trouble moving her face. She hated this! Oh, by Celestia, she loathed this period of her life. She was far more accustomed to being strong and independent. Forced into the opposite direction was humiliating for her.

{On the other hoof, she loved me dearly for all I was trying to do for her. Once again I defied the impossible, and this time I did it exclusively for her sake. She could not tell me how much she loved me for that. Instead she demonstrated it by touching the Red Crystal (with my help, of course) then projected her love into it, then requested me to review it just so that I could feel how intense her feelings were, and they were. They were so powerful. I appreciated her gift to me but I did not require a reward for this work. I accepted it only because she gave it in desperation to repay me, and any shred of dignity I could give her, I gladly did so.

{This was also a time we talked a lot whenever I was not busy concentrating on improving the crystal lattice. That would help over time far more than you might initially think, but I'll give you a hint; in what way does an emotional bond with another pony, or any creature for that matter, help you to defend yourself against the darkness?}

Feather Wind paused for a moment to let that question sink in. In the end she just continued to stare at her father a little thoughtfully but did not say anything yet. He nodded at her as he said, “Think about it.”

{Your mother was totally dependent upon us until the eighth month. Before that point she could not move, could not excrete on her own, could not eat, could not roll over, could not scratch herself . . . you get the idea. It's like being a rock. A dumb piece of weight that just could not move. Her mind still worked so she felt very caged in an unworking shell.

{Towards the later half of the eighth month, however, the crystal lattice of her new spine reached enough percentage of her nerves to start regenerating them. When the nerves started to recover, it resumed the link necessary to communicate to the rest of her body, such as her muscles. At first she still could not move. The first positive sign of progress was regaining feeling in the rest of her body. Slowly but surely, more and more command of her body started to return.

{One day, late into the ninth month, an explosion of progress occurred that I think none of us expected. Maybe not even Vision. I remind you, she can't see into her own future or those who are near her. On that day your mother gained too much progress. She regained control of her body and then some. The only problem was it came at the expense of her mind.}

xoxo

Feather Wind's eyes popped open when he heard a savage scream outside of the tent. He rolled into a sitting position, fully convinced a new monster had found it's way to them. Alarmed, he charged out the front tent flap. He was so intent on the exit that he didn't even notice his fiancée was missing from the operating table or the fact that the tent flap was already unzipped.

Outside it was overcast, night time, and raining very fiercely. They were still parked on the ledge where Stern Wing initially crashed after getting hit by the giant's club. Looking over the ledge, Feather Wind was a bit alarmed to see a raging river flowing through this canyon. It was quite a bit higher than he expected. That river had not been there yesterday. The weather in ancient times of Equestria was really quite unpredictable. He supposed he might have noticed if he went outside and checked. His communion with the sky normally gave him decent warnings if he bothered to pay attention, but lately he had been extremely exhausted.

He looked up, considering to use his powers to clear the weather, but later shook his head. He could do it but it might take him awhile. Feather Wind had to fight nature pretty hard to make a severe change to it that it didn't want to do, and right now he was too tired to exert that much effort. Besides, so far he failed to locate the source of the savage scream outside. Whatever it was, it might threaten his fiancée and he could not let that happen while she remained in such a delicate state.

In fact, he was so far out of it that he failed to dodge several rocks that tumbled down on him when he had plenty of warning. They collided with his hooves and violently tripped him over. As he fell, he was bashed several more times by other tumbling rocks. That knocked him off the ledge entirely but, fortunately by then, he recovered his senses enough to lighten his gravity and lift himself telekinetically. By that point he realized whatever caused that rock slide was further up the mountain, so he floated upward to investigate. Along the way up he ignited his horn with silvery light. That helped to illuminate many nearby falling raindrops pouring all around him, though he could occasionally see much more during bright lightning flashes. He could have erected a force barrier to protect himself from the driving rain but his concentration was difficult enough as it was.

It was more by instinct than anything else that caused him to dodge a huge rock that was chucked directly at him. A savage roar was his only warning before that point. Feather Wind barely dodged around that rock. In his perception, his adrenaline kicked in enough to make that exact moment seem to slow down in time. It was enough to notice he dodged that rock by mere centimeters, and it did hit his soaking wet mane.

After dodging the attack, he finally located his adversary. When he did, he became convinced that this opponent was indeed empowered by dark magic. He did not consult the Red Crystal to double check. It seemed he did not need to. What he saw before him was a dark, shadowy pony lit up by many red glowing veins, and the eyes glowed menacingly red in the darkness. The glowing veins were not constant. There were tiny intermittent breaks in them which traveled across it's body and that, in turn, showed the path of blood circulation more clearly than he had ever seen it before.

The creature gazed upon him savagely. Feather Wind instinctually knew that this opponent was very powerful, so he knew right off the bat it was unwise to hold his power back. He underestimated that cyclops, after all. That was not a mistake he would willingly make again.

He saw the dark figure crouch low, seeming to get ready to pounce. Some of the glowing red veins disappeared for some reason as if concealed behind something that didn't glow in the night.

“What the heck is going on here?” Star Breeze wondered aloud, at the edge of her seat.

In the past, Feather Wind whipped his horn upwards and called upon the Red Crystal. A ring of red crystal shot out of the earth and surrounded this dark pony, imprisoning it from within. Feather Wind intended to examine his opponent in a safer tactical position, but he was quite alarmed when the beast suddenly shattered right through one side of the crystal prison as if the prison was made of fragile, cracked glass. The creature flew right at Feather Wind and seized his throat. Due to the momentum, they were both driven straight into the fast flowing river. Along the way down the glow of his silver horn got cut off due to loss of concentration.

Feather Wind thrashed and flailed in panic in the river, but all of his physical efforts were in vain. Whatever this creature was, it would not let go. Relentlessly it continued to choke him even as they both started to drown. As Feather Wind fought to regain his senses, he realized he was far stronger with his magic compared to his physical body but that situation made it extremely difficult to concentrate. He had to fight back a lot of panic to gather enough concentration to cast even the simplest of spells and, in the end, that's all he managed to accomplish. He managed to tear himself out of the river telekinetically and crash onto another ledge just outside of the raging river, but the black and red glowing creature continued to hold on and choke him. The grip was extremely strong as well. He feared his lungs were already crushed and he could never breathe again.

Feather Wind started to black out at that point which made it much too difficult to concentrate on any spell. The savage red eyes poured over him menacingly. He realized, and not for the first time in his life, he was very likely to die now. He did not have much strength to begin with. This creature was choking the life out of him and he was in a more feeble position which had no leverage. It was a heroic effort just to tear himself out of the river, but now what? This creature just wouldn't relent.

Then suddenly the creature froze after a brief jolt. The eyes and veins stopped glowing a second later. During a brief lightning flash, Feather Wind had just barely enough time to catch a glimpse of Stern Wing falling on top of him, and behind her was Vision who knocked Stern Wing out with a precise and skilled chop to the neck.

“Relax,” Vision said soothingly as she bent over a bit. “Your answers are coming soon.”

That was all he could do. Feather Wind's consciousness faded away.

xoxo

“Mom?!” Star Breeze exclaimed in intense disbelief. “She was the monster who attacked you that night? Why would she do that? I thought she loved you! Engaged to be married to you! She swore to protect you! Why in Tartarus would she ever attack you?”

Feather Wind paused as he grinned at the irony of this, then said to his daughter, “Relax. Your answers are coming soon.”

Star Breeze looked taken aback. “That's what you told me Vision said to you. Wait!” Her eyes widened in further shock. “Did she know that this conversation would take place in the far distant future? Is she secretly talking to me as well?”

“Maybe. She is a skilled oracle,” Feather Wind reminded his daughter.

“Whoa!” Star Breeze gasped in amazement, then applied a hoof to her head, then made an explosive sound effect as her hoof burst away from her head.

Feather Wind took a moment to withhold a chuckle of amusement. When he recovered himself, he went on.

{That's what I wanted to know as well. In fact, that question lingered in my mind so strongly it followed me into unconsciousness. Crystal Sage pulled me from the edge of my unconsciousness and into the Red Crystal. He helped clear my head inside his virtual environment with a cup of jasmine tea. Well, a virtual cup of tea at any rate. When my head cleared enough, he asked me if I was well enough to listen. When I confirmed that I was, he gave me an explanation of what happened.

{He was quick to point out that he wasn't sure, but one thing he did know was that my fiancée's spinal cord was effectively replaced with a magical item, and that magical item had functions that she was not prepared to face yet. Crystal was one of the best conductors of magical energy, and her body, like that of any modern pony of our age, had natural magical energy within it. None of us would have a cutie mark if that wasn't the case. He also explained that, for the longest time, about nine months, the energy in her body was accumulating within the crystal we were erecting in her body and it had no outlet until the project was completed and the prosthetic crystal spine was finally communicating with the rest of her muscles and nervous system. With all of those months of accumulated energy, it poured into her body and empowered it all at once. Unaccustomed to that overflow of energy, it made her mind go savage. It simulated an adrenaline rush but it was far more powerful.

{I asked him if he was aware that this could happen all along. In return he admitted the thought had occurred to him but it came along with hundreds of other scenarios that hadn't happened. Since one of those many possible scenarios was death, it seemed like we safely dodged that line for now.

{He then pointed out that this situation could actually work to our advantage, but only if my fiancée learned to control this new power. The energy within the crystal spine would constantly regenerate for as long as she lived, just like such energy accumulates in a unicorn which they could release using their horns as an outlet. This process was similar, except the energy was localized around the spine and it had only one outlet, the rest of her internal body. He said that, in this case, my fiancée gained the magical ability to augment her body to super pony proportions, but she needed to learn how to manage the explosive emotions that came along with it. He also warned that enhanced power came with enhanced cost. Her body was not designed to endure such explosive power and that it would, inevitably, exhaust her quickly, maybe even age her drastically. With the Prism Armor worn, however, she could more quickly recover from the energy burn out and perhaps even endure higher outputs of magical augmentation.

{He reminded me this was just a theory, and recommended I pass it along to Vision. One way or another, he suspected she already knew what was happening to Stern Wing. From Vision's perspective, this had already occurred quite a long time ago. All that was left to do was write down history all over again. Crystal Sage also pointed out that Vision cared for Stern Wing enough to ensure she would not normally be this calm or indifferent to Stern Wing's suffering during this whole process unless she knew things would work out in the end somehow. He advised me to take that as a positive sign and move on with my life.

{I thanked Crystal Sage deeply from the bottom of my heart for aiding us in this most difficult journey. In return, he pointed out that he had to endure difficult trials in his own past as well and that he had others he cared about that helped him out through such times. He was just returning the favor which, later on, I could return the favor by helping out those who helped him in the past. Onward the cycle continued.}

Star Breeze smiled fondly as she said, “Grandfather is such an awesome pony!”

“Yes, he is,” Feather Wind agreed. “I can't tell you how often I looked up to him. Even his mere presence can give me comfort. Sometimes it feels I could absorb his inner strength through osmosis and without draining it from him. I try to learn from his example. Life does not always make that easy, but he would be the first to point out that trials like this are just a chance for the strong to get stronger. By enduring it, living through it and learning from it, we can move on better than we were before.”

Star Breeze's fond smile shifted to a proud grin as she said, “Sounds like something he'd say.”

{Pretty much as expected, Vision did not have a lick of surprise on her face when I told her about Crystal Sage's theory on what happened to Stern Wing. Instead she said . . .}

“So now you finally know. Now you can move on with the next phase of your life.” Vision regarded Feather Wind's general direction. “I told you that you would get your answers soon. I'll follow that up with some advice. From this point forward, you've done all you can usefully do here. What you've done to help her recover, I couldn't do without tapping into exorbitant powers but, from now on, your paths should diverge again. I will stay with her and help guide her through the process of mastering her emotions during her magical surges. I mastered meditation so I know it well enough to teach it. The next step is going to take a long time for her to master. Indeed, too long.

“While you were in here helping her to recover, nine months passed outside this tent. Nine months for the villains who accepted The Dark Star's “blessings” to advance their own agendas, and nine months for The Dark Star to advance itself. Nine months the world stood by with no worthy defenders at all, or at least none who are prepared for this kind of threat. Magic is relatively new on this world in this era, and dark magic is especially new. There is no ancestors or text writing here that teaches these creatures how to hoofle this properly. It's all up to you.”

“Knowledge on dark magic wasn't common in my time either,” Feather Wind reminded.

“But at least you are aware of it's existence and have heard of methods to counter it. These creatures have not,” Vision returned. “Also, you do have access to those who do have prior experience with this kind of phenomenon.”

“Crystal Sage,” Feather Wind realized.

“Don't let his knowledge go to waste,” Vision advised. “It came to him at a great cost in his own life. If you use it wisely, his knowledge may help you save the entire world and the Empire he loves so dearly.”

“What should I do?” Feather Wind asked. “How should I proceed?”

“That is up to you,” Vision said as she turned her head away.

“Oh, don't give me that!” Feather Wind spat. “Not now. Not after we have come so far together. Give me advise as a friend, or better yet . . . tell me what you would do in my place.”

“My choices are my own. What I would do may not necessarily be what you would do, or even be able to do.” Vision turned her head back in his direction. “I'd recommend reexamining your options. Consider what has worked so far and what could use improvement. Examine all of your resources. Have you used it to it's fullest potential, or could you do more?”

“My resources?” Feather Wind reflected. “I have me, you, Crystal Sage and Stern Wing.”

“Is that all?” Vision checked, then gave her friend a dry look. “Come on, Feather Wind. You can do better than that. Think, my friend. Your intellect and knowledge is one of your stronger assets. That and your heart.”

Feather Wind paused for awhile in thought, then tentatively said, “The other creatures in this time period?”

“Hmm.” Vision looked up. “That's an interesting proposal. There are many creatures on a planet, and it sure takes a lot to save an entire planet. The Dark Star is certainly willing to consider them potential resources. It would also sure love it if you ignored them.”

“Because . . . unity brings harmony!” Feather Wind realized.

“Oh please!” Vision rolled her milky blind eyes in Feather Wind's general direction. “You knew that lesson a long time ago. Stress can occasionally make us forget what we already know, however, no matter how useful that knowledge may be.”

“Of course! Why didn't I think of it before?” Feather Wind berated himself.

“I just told you why!”

“Stupid, stupid Feather Wind!” Feather Wind got up and paced around in thought.

“Now you're speaking of yourself in third person? You're picking up some of the Doctor's habits,” Vision pointed out.

“I tried to do everything by myself,” Feather Wind went on. “Me and Stern Wing both.” He glanced at Stern Wing's unconscious body for a moment then looked away as he resumed pacing. “I did it because it's one of the strongest resources I have at my disposal, and one I can trust. It's difficult to convince me to put other creatures in harms way if I have access to a better option readily available, but I can't be everywhere at once. If I save one area then I leave some other area exposed. The Dark Star is attacking the whole planet all at once. It's calling out a dark offer in the shadows to any creature evil enough to be tempted by it's offer. More than one creature will answer it's call. Even if I were to somehow eliminate every single super villain in my way at the moment, some other creature will rise and take it's place until I finally deal with the source of the problem . . . but to do that I need access to resources way out of my league right now. This is a piece of a dark power that has the ability to consume an entire sun! I'm not even a bug compared to that!”

Vision sat down calmly and drank some warm milk while she listened to her friend ramble. As long as he was on the right track, she didn't need to say anything.

“But a bug can form a swarm!” Feather Wind even further realized as he looked over to Vision. “Where one is powerless, many could triumph.”

“That depends,” Vision cautioned.

“On what?” Feather Wind asked.

“The vision of the group,” Vision answered. “A group is comprised of many individuals. Each one has their own goals, strengths and weaknesses in life. It can be a complicated thing to unite them all towards a singular purpose. Like it or not, for good and for ill, we're a great deal more complicated than a typical bug.”

“Survival is a pretty strong and basic motivation,” Feather Wind pointed out.

“This is true,” Vision agreed then took another sip of her drink.

Feather Wind resumed pacing. “I just need to get them to realize that their survival is at stake. To get them to see that we all need to work together to defeat an enemy too formidable for any of us to defeat alone. Not even I can do that.”

Feather Wind paused and sighed as he looked up. “I did not really do them any favors by trying to take care of all of their problems on my own. A superhero that sweeps in and saves the day all the time can create lazy citizens in their wake. What happens when the next villain comes in and tries to ruin the day? The only way to defend the whole planet at once is for us all to chip in and defend it together.”

“Ooo!” Vision winced in disgust. “The Dark Star would hate you for talking like that.”

“Because it could work!” Feather Wind exclaimed back at her.

Vision shrugged. “You'll get no argument from me.”

Feather Wind shifted his eyes and then his face towards the exit of the tent with a resolved and focused look on his face. “Then that's what I'll do. From now on I won't just concentrate on my own strengths. From now on I'll concentrate on making everyone else stronger, because only together can we defeat an evil of this magnitude.”

“So you have decided, then?” Vision checked.

Feather Wind nodded firmly. “I have.”

“Then be well, my friend,” Vision bade. “Go defy the impossible again. It's what you're good at.”

Feather Wind grinned at Vision as he said, “Maybe that should have been my cutie mark.”

Vision half shrugged as she said, “From a certain point of view, it already does say that. Who, before you, has ever heard of a flying unicorn? Let alone one that can do it really well.”

“Thank you, my friend, for everything,” came Feather Wind's heart felt appreciation. “For a blind pony, you see things awfully clearly.”

“I tend to think of it as a different perspective,” Vision said. “From time to time, such things can be helpful to others who are too stuck in their ways.”

Feather Wind trotted to the exit and opened it telekinetically but, before he stepped outside, he requested something to Vision without looking back at her this time. “Take care of her, alright? I'm counting on you.”

“I said I will, so I will,” Vision promised. “Now go. You have a world to save.”

Feather Wind left.

xoxo

{From that day on I focused my efforts on a drastically different tactic. I returned to Panjora to report my findings as well as my intentions.

{It turned out that General Slekcorza had already heard of some of my exploits so he wasn't quite as rude to me this time. The only complaint he had was to ask why did I stop?

{I told him of my new plan and I explained why I had it. I told him I would focus on training a new breed of soldiers to combat this new threat. I told him I'd explain what they'd face to the best of my ability, and I would help them to prepare for it. I said I'd help improve their technology as well with the crystal science I learned from Crystal Sage. I didn't mention his name specifically or even mention Crystal Sage at all, only that I had useful knowledge on this regard. I told them that positive emotions can help combat negative ones. Since dark magic is fed by negative emotions, it stood to reason that positive emotions can counter dark magic. I said that crystals, in particular, are great receptacles for both positive and negative energy. If we learned to harness positive emotions in crystals, we could use them as both a shield and a weapon against the darkness.

{General Slekcorza was initially wary of my theories. Most of it went over his head, after all. What I was proposing was a bit too difficult a concept to grasp because it defied his habits a bit too radically, but at least I can say he was not a stupid guy. Even if he could not fully understand it, he could say the same thing about the dark magic that was spreading across the world. It was hard to argue against something when you understand it so poorly you couldn't propose a counter argument. At a certain point I think he just shrugged and trusted the only pony who claimed to be an expert to any degree.

{The situation was growing desperate and he wanted his options expanded as soon as possible. Normally he was the type of dinosaur who would study his opponents carefully before striking. To do otherwise was to rush in blind, and no self-respecting commanding officer was that foolish. In this case, however, he had a very difficult time studying his opponent. The Dark Star, in particular, was more like an idea rather than an opponent he could study, point to and say, “Ah-ha! He's leaning hard on his right leg! If I aim my attacks at that, I should be able to cripple him more effectively.” But this opponent was more like studying an emotion, one he had a poor grasp on. General Slekcorza usually avoided emotions entirely if he could, instead typically favoring logical tactics. That strategy was failing him in this case because the opponent was too intangible. Intuition and feelings were actually the key to success in this case.

{Awalki, on the other hoof, had a better time understanding my explanations. I thanked my lucky stars that Awalki was a philosopher too. Apparently he was a sage of many kinds. In this case, he had the ability to grasp the concept I was proposing. Positive feelings counter negative ones. He thought of this in terms of a magnet, except an actual magnet's opposite polarity attracts rather than repels. It still demonstrated a powerful relationship, so he was on board with my suggestions. While General Slekcorza had the official power of the city of Panjora, Awalki was a member of high respect in their society. Creatures trusted him to understand what many others could not, so when he said, “I trust this pony and I think we should move forward with his plan,” every other creature just gave a neutral shrug and basically said, “Okay. If you say so. You're the expert.”

{What I think bothered General Slekcorza the most about my plan was to militarize and train the horses of the city, but even he admitted they needed an army to help combat this threat and it was probably better to risk the lives of slaves rather than the 'superior' master race, especially since the horse race was far more available in this case. Every creature that depended on that world for life had a motive to at least stand out of my way if not outright join my cause.

{One of the things that confused General Slekcorza was one of my tactics in training the horses for combat. I did focus some on the official stuff that he would understand such as crawling, galloping, climbing, push-ups . . . that sort of thing, but another thing I focused on was an emphasis in bonding with the fellow team. I encouraged them to talk to each other about themselves and their goals. In doing so, I also encouraged them to form goals in the first place. Slaves were not accustomed to that, but since that is the natural state of life, they adjusted rather quickly. Also, the horses enjoyed my training on multiple levels. I could just brush it off as being kindred species but the truth was it was much more than that. They always wanted freedom and they craved empowerment. Military training provided that empowerment, so it made it much easier for them to endure harsh training accordingly. Moreover, they were motivated to defend their planet from an invading sickness. Not just for the sake of themselves or their loved ones, but for the sake of every future generation to follow. The Dark Star was just that much of a threat so they thought of it in those terms. This threat put absolutely everything they cared about at risk, and that only fueled their motivation to fight it even further. Motivation, I knew, was a key to success here. Positive emotion was a necessary power source to counter the darkness, and I also taught them how to harness that energy into crystals in order to use them later to combat this darkness more directly.

{I had some help on multiple fronts. Some from within and some from without. Silurians had the knowledge of military discipline and tactics, but theirs were geared to take maximum advantage for their species. Their equipment, as well, was geared to take advantage of what they could do. Silurians had an excellent sense of smell, for example, and they could leap quite far in a single bound.

{It occurred to me, as I watched them train, that it would be a good idea for the two races to work together. Actually three races. The arakroa were also willing to do their part. Most of the arakroa were more focused on academic pursuits and that was okay but, for those willing, more physical training was also available. Their ability to fly, for example, was an obvious asset in their corner.

{With all three combined, it started to remind me of home with the three breeds of ponies, and thinking of that made me feel home sick. This wasn't exactly my world, but the core elements of it were in there, buried beneath the sands like buried treasure. I figured I'd only have to nurture it properly for it to bloom into a beautiful flower.

{Carnivores, omnivores and herbivores working side by side to help defend their planet, quite likely for the first time. While it seemed strange to me at first, the more I thought about it, the more it felt right. Harmony is achieved when balance is achieved and every creature pitches in and has a chance to feel included. That, in turn, empowers them all together, and only together could we work to defeat a force that's actively trying to destroy life and harmony.

{Internally, Crystal Sage was a good guide too. He had some experiences in military forces before as well. At first I was surprised to hear this. That did not sound like a profession that was a natural fit for a crystal sage or a Crystaler. He explained that he had a very long life, however. Longer than what was natural for most ponies. During that time, he helped build a society from the ground up, and that society depended upon many branches to survive, including the military. By necessity, he was forced to wear many hats at one time and another. It was actually one of the reasons why he was so dangerous as a villain. His knowledge in military tactics could have helped him conquer the world, and he almost did at one time.

{Progress, I would say, was slow and steady. One of the encouraging things I encountered was a large amount of volunteers. Some even came from distant lands to participate. Since the skills of my initial group grew beyond those who came later, I used the skills of the initial group to help train the newer recruits. Onward the cycle spiraled. During that time I kept an eye out for any special standouts, and eventually I did spot some.

{Military was not the only thing I was focusing on. Like I said earlier, crystal science and morality were also important aspects. I know it sounds strange to hear, but I actually encouraged arts and theater in order to weaponize it, and to think . . . I once dismissed entertainment as irrelevant but, as I grew up and explored the workings of the universe more, I grew far wiser in my journey and that helped me to understand the necessity of things I once rejected.

{That was right! It was my intention to weaponize friendship itself, and one way to do that was to lift the spirits of all creatures involved. The lessons Crystal Sage gave me taught me how the united spirit of a whole society could be used to the benefit of all, especially if that energy had a container to put it in which could later be drawn upon as needed.

{Each of the three species involved all had their own individual tastes but, with my encouragement, they eventually found some common ground. It was my intent for them to start new traditions together and encourage them to see the value of each others' perspective. What the blend of genres created was indeed a work of art, and I enjoyed very much to see it flower, not to mention it gave me some ideas for my own poetry. I wrote about it a lot at least in Crystal Sage's virtual library and, since I personally had some talent in this affair, I also contributed some which later helped to inspire others.

{As for the crystal science . . . well, I don't mean to sound sexist here, but the stallions of the horses truly were better suited to physical endeavors so it was a natural fit for them to focus on military pursuits. The mares, on the other hoof, were naturally more empathetic so I encouraged them to pursue crystal science and carefully explained to them how it was every bit as important. It took far less encouragement than I initially expected. They were even confused why I tried so hard to convince them. Like the colts, the mares were just as eager for empowerment, to be useful and to help save their world, but they also had a general tendency not to want to get their hooves too dirty. It seemed to me they were more naturally attracted to magic as well. Go figure.

{Come to think of it, I wonder if I'm the one responsible for females natural tendency to be attracted to pretty stones. That was basically what happened when I encouraged them to pursue crystal science. It fit them like a horseshoe on a hoof. It took even less explanation for me to get them competent in their field than it was for the colts to get competent in the physical arts. I think they would say that mares were naturally more gifted in everything to begin with.}

“Naturally!” Star Breeze agreed smugly. “You'll get no argument from me on that account. That I can assure you.”

“Of course,” Feather Wind said with a grin.

{Actually, my primary theory why the mares grew in their profession so fast was the fact that I encouraged them to use their emotions in pursuit of this art. For them to do that, that also meant getting more in touch with their intuition, and that sharpened instinct allowed them to intuit answers before I had a chance to explain things. In fact, I kind of think I actually slowed things down by attempting to get them to understand the logistics of the science behind the practice. Instead, most of the mares preferred to think of the crystals like a new toy. They wanted to experiment and play with it on their own, and I observed they had a tendency to learn faster when they were allowed to pursue this in their own way and at their own pace. Tendencies don't fit the entire bill, however. There actually were some mares who were very interested in the exact science behind the art. Curiosity is an emotion too, so a gender that's naturally more emotional can just as easily embrace that emotion as well.}

“Preaching to the choir, Father!” Star Breeze waved her hooves above her head back and forth, then she paused as she gave a teasing grin to her father as she said, “Seems your time spent as a mare was not wasted upon you. That helped you to intuit truths most colts struggle to understand and that truth is this . . . girls are simply better at everything!”

“Yes, well . . . um . . . where would we be without you?” Feather Wind countered with a sheepish grin.

“Exactly!” Then Star Breeze realized something. “Hey! Can you teach me crystal magic?”

“It took you long enough to ask,” Feather Wind observed with a roll of his eyes. “I expected you to ask that question several paragraphs ago.”

“Well, I . . . am just captivated by your story. So how about it? Can you? Can you?”

“Certainly,” Feather Wind bopped the top of her head with his hoof, “but how about you let me finish my story first, alright? What other ideas might it inspire you to pursue later on?”

Star Breeze grinned mischievously.

{The arakroa, both genders this time, were also a natural fit for crystal science. To my surprise, that wasn't as true for the silurians, and the reason that surprised me was they were more accustomed to dealing with this kind of science longer. They were the first to greedily tap into the power of Starlight Dust, for example, but it took me awhile to realize that was also their problem. Silurians actually had a problem expressing their emotions, and again that applied to both genders. That observation led me to conclude that carnivores were naturally more competitive than other kinds of species, and that meant remaining on their guard. According to their instincts, revealing emotions gives an advantage to a potential enemy, and a predator tends to think of every species as a potential enemy first and friend second, if ever. They even regarded each other with suspicion. Learning to trust was a slow process for them. I learned that first hoof. I might even say losing their trust could be quick as well. That was just a theory, though. I never dared to deliberately test their patience like that. That sounded dangerous.

{On the other hoof, silurians were also natural pack hunters. Despite their innate suspicions, they also knew that the odds of winning anything was improved by doing it as a group. This was enough to set aside their differences just enough to work towards a common goal. As such, silurians were quite industrious. In terms of using positive emotions to ward themselves, however, was quite a bold step for them.

{Being as emotionally distant as they normally were, I wish I could say that made them more resistant to the dark side as well, but that simply wasn't true. They actually do have emotions even if they don't show it as much, and it had a tendency to be attracted to darker emotions, I'm sorry to say. That said, they didn't want to die either and if surviving meant changing and adapting, they were at least willing to explore the idea. I'd take anything I could get.

{On the whole, they were actually a very fascinating race. Very different from the ponies I've grown up with and there were very logical reasons for it. Understanding all the underpinnings of this situation and how it evolved into the complex nuances of their society was fascinating to explore more fully. Sometimes I wished there were more of them to explore. It would have made my job a lot harder but, in exchange, I'd get to learn more as well.} (Sigh.) {Oh well. So much for lost opportunities.

{They actually were useful in crystal science to a point. They knew how to cut the gems well and they knew the mathematical parameters of placing said gems around each other so it could network more easily. Emotionally, however, was where they drew the line so I left them to make the gems and set them up. The other two species could charge them instead.

{Then, one day, I made an amazing discovery when another pony . . . Celestia darn it . . . HORSES . . . made an important discovery. This discovery was made by one of my more promising students in crystal science, a mare named Shayla. She started out like any average horse of the female variety, but something clicked with her when I started teaching her crystal science. She fell upon it like a magnet attracts to it's opposite polarity. She made several discoveries on her own when she was given the time and space to make her own experiments. One of the most important ones she discovered was the manipulation of raw magical energy.}

Feather Wind paused there and observed his daughter widen her eyes. He smiled at her but he went on before she could ask too many questions.

{In a way, Shayla was the first unicorn the world had ever known. She was particularly gifted with fire magic. For some reason that was a natural element for her, and quite frankly it stood out in her personality most abundantly. Vibrant, passionate, warm, could brighten up the whole room but could also be downright terrifying when she was angry. It was she who first experimented with crystal wands and used them as a kind of surrogate horn. At that point it occurred to me that was what I had been doing with the Red Crystal for years. I used that crystal like a second horn and, in doing so, I used the energy the stone was charged with. In this case, it was Crystal Sage's magic and cutie mark talent, which had an affinity for earth magic. That actually wasn't a natural fit for me. Far from it. It was quite difficult to master this crystal despite my bloodline, but I still managed it after great effort was made.

{Shayla, on the other hoof, intuited a natural connection with ruby gems in particular and, by charging her emotions into it, she discovered she could also unleash the energy she stored within the crystal wand to perform magical feats.

{SHE CAST A SPELL! LITERALLY! AN EARTH PONY CAST A SPELL! BY CELESTIA, THIS WAS AN AMAZING DISCOVERY!

{In the process I might have accidentally discovered the true origins of unicorns. I can't say for sure if all ponies could do this, but some of them had a stronger affinity for magic than others. Again, I found this to be particularly common among the females.

{Anyway, Shayla's discovery was a major game changer. Crystal Sage was quite impressed with this discovery as well, though less impressed than I would have suspected. It was as if part of him knew already. In any case, I suddenly realized I had the potential not only to train military personnel, but spellcasters as well. Now that Crystal Sage was alerted to this discovery he was, again, the first to have an accurate theory as to why. He told me that he knew a long time ago that crystals could both store and radiate magic. As such, they were the perfect medium for the creation of magical items. In this case, Shayla imbued some of her own essence into the crystal wand then used that same connection to unleash it. He also surmised that her regular contact with Starlight Dust, one of the mediums to enchant crystals, imparted some of it's magic within her and, from that point on, it grew within her but she lacked an outlet for that innate growing magical talent until now.

{Shayla was also the first to get a cutie mark. For all I know, she might have been the first to get one in the entire world. In her case, it was a ruby wand that seemed to be spinning on a diagonal axis. At the same time the wand was surrounded by a whirlwind of fire. She asked me what this mark represented, and I told her all that I knew. Many other ponies grew fascinated with this discovery and . . .} (Feather Wind trailed off then sighed in frustration.) {. . . You know what? I'm just going to call them ponies from now on, okay? They called themselves horses but they are our descendants so they are ponies too. Got a problem with that?}

“No Sir,” Star Breeze replied with a shake of her head.

{Good! Then let's move on.

{Other ponies who noticed this grew interested to discover their cutie mark too, if possible. I started to suspect those that could awaken a cutie mark talent had regular contact with Starlight Dust, but it might not be the only possible source. If you think about it, magic is already a part of us. We really would not be sentient without it. It's how we got this far in the first place. Starlight Dust already caused us to evolve, and the potential for magic had been innate to us ever since. Like my uncle told me, emotion is the fuel for magic. The ponies more inclined to express emotion were also more inclined to discover their magical talents.

{Shayla didn't really need concentration to access fire magic. It was just a natural part of her personality, as her cutie mark clearly attested to. It's like my connection with air. It comes to me so naturally I don't even need to tap into internal reserves of magic, though I still could. Shayla's connection with fire magic was very similar. All she had to do was feel intense emotion then she could burn anything she wanted. She could even cause globes of fire to hover in mid air. I had never seen her use practical magic, if I'm to be honest, like telekinesis but, when it came to her affinity for her element, she did not need training or concentration. If she wanted it, she did it. It was as simple as that. A reckless practice of magic that my father would shudder at, but it worked. By Celestia, it worked so well!

{When she casts a spell, she also exhibited an aura color around the wand. In this case, it was deep orange. More than half of me expected red, to be honest, considering she was using a ruby wand as a medium. Go figure, but yeah, she actually had an aura color when she cast magic through her crystal wand. Tape it on her forehead and she was pretty much a unicorn right there.

{This led Crystal Sage to another hypothesis. He suggested that I tell the others to test their aura affinity with many different color crystal gems, one for each color their magical aura could possibly be. He even suggested making a single contraption composed of multiple gem stones fused together but not blended, then have them channel energy at it and see which gem responds to them the most. Once that was done and an affinity was established, he told me to tell them to make a wand of the type of gem that responded to them the most. He also suggested that, for now, do not formalize the second step too much. Let them invent the exact size and shape of the wand. If their intuition could serve as an accurate guide, they would discover the perfect form of the wand about as easily as they might discover their potential cutie mark. For some it might come easy, and for others they might have to try very hard.

{His idea gave me something to work with so I passed on the suggestion. My students found this prospect very exciting. I did as well, but it was also useful knowledge. Finally I was not the only spellcaster in the game. Eventually I could make a whole team of spellcasters if this kept up. I might get them to join the military after all, but in a different capacity.

{Similar to actual unicorns, Crystal Sage pointed out that if they did actually discover a way to cast spells then the type of spells most aligned with their cutie mark talent would be the easiest to discover and the fastest to develop. As such, it was unlikely that we would discover another pony as gifted with fire magic as Shayla was. Instead, they were more likely to gravitate towards something else. Something that fit their personality as a pony. That was perfectly fine for me. Varied talents had more versatility in any situation as long as they worked together.

{What happened after that reminded me of something my uncle once taught me years ago. He said what is considered impossible is merely difficult because of the perception of society but, once that perception changes, it becomes easier for others to replicate. Truth be told, these ponies were introduced to cutie marks first because of Stern Wing and I, but Shayla taught them that any pony could discover their mark. When that belief was instilled into their hearts, they were more naturally gravitated towards it. Only a week later a second pony awoken a cutie mark, but it was in the military this time.

{His name was Tibbons, and he was a natural born archer. He could out shoot any other archer in the squad. Mind you, the talent only recently came into their hooves. The silurians didn't bother and even punished their slaves for touching their weapons, but times were changing. Recall I told you I kept an eye out for any standouts among my trainers? Tibbons was one of them. I could tell from the first moment he grasped a bow that somehow he was more complete. He made mistakes at first. They all did, but Tibbons learned faster from those mistakes than any of the other ponies on the squad then, one day, he landed a bullseye on every single target one by one. He was just in perfect sync with his true power. He said he became every single arrow that he let fly and that he was only guiding himself to his target. Right after that he awakened his cutie mark, a target with an arrow sticking right in the bullseye. He didn't even need to look at his cutie mark. He described it perfectly without even looking at it. He even got the colors right.

{This was phenomenal! I was witnessing the dawn of cutie mark talents for the first time in this worlds known history.

{Hector was the third to get his cutie mark talent. In this case it was a ruby ax chopping into wood. I'll give you three guesses what his talent was.

{Just kidding. I'll straight up tell ya. Hector already knew he had a talent for chopping wood. It was what his taskmasters ordered him to do as a slave since he seemed so adept at it before. Now that he was freed, he discovered the primary tool of his trade had potential in military applications as well. Hector was a large, brawny pony even by their standards. He was a giant, and the swing of his ax had a lot of power to it. He was both a natural born warrior and lumberjack. Being brawny was actually quite useful in both professions.

{Then finally we have Talsious. Hmm. How best to describe him? He was a white stallion that reminded me a lot of your mother, if I'm to be honest, only he was male, more white-colored than brown, and an earth pony instead of a pegasus. It was his spirit, though, that reminded me of your mother the most. Talsious was a natural born leader, and he too also had a strong will to protect those he cared about. Actually, I'll take that one step further by mentioning he also had a pet peeve against bullies. I couldn't wait for this guy to meet my fiancée, though a small part of me was afraid they'd actually get along with each other a little too well. I tried to dismiss that by reminding myself that Stern Wing and I had been through too much together, and Talsious's natural sense of honor would have kept him from pursuing the relationship too seriously anyway. He was loyal to his friends to the core, so he would never dare to do anything that would even hint at betrayal if he was aware of it.

{Anyway, his cutie mark was a shield with a spear jutting out one end of it. Sound familiar? Well, except for the spear part and lack of wings, but yeah, he had a shield too, just like your mother. That didn't just reflect his tools of choice. It reflected his personality too.

{And there you have it. I had my team necessary to track down and eliminate Plague once and for all. I was only missing one other member to my team.}

xoxo

{It took your mother two years before she was ready to join me and my cause again. Until then, I was busy training the next generation of ponies in so many regards. Warfare, magical research, and the arts. A lot of other developments happened during this time as well. Perhaps they were distantly inspired by me but not always caused by me. One change promoted another, after all. Once the snowball effect started, it just kept getting bigger as it rolled down the hill.

{Problems continued to accumulate outside the walls of Panjora. I couldn't afford to keep my best ponies locked up with me forever. I was training them for a reason, so I saw it through that they fulfilled their ultimate purpose. If they were going to help me fight to save their world, they were going to need to be willing to challenge the darkness that came with it. I wasn't dedicated to just hoofling the problem myself, nor did I encourage the ponies I trained to take their training to their graves. It was the opposite of that. I encouraged them to lead by example. I encouraged them to teach others the meaning of courage by helping them find it within themselves.}

“You really have learned a lot, Father,” Star Breeze said proudly then waved at her father to continue.

{So we roamed the countryside as a unit. We started taking care of problems that plagued various villages then left one recruit behind to help train the rest of the villagers how to defend themselves only to later leave and rejoin the company. In each place we led by example then taught them how to defend themselves. As these skills were passed on, our jobs became easier and easier. It left a message to other bullies out there that thought ponies were still easy targets. We were there to show others that that was no longer true. Ponies were rising up and taking a stronger stance in their world. We weren't just prey anymore. We were the ones who would one day master our world.

{As we marched across the land, we sang a jolly tune and we encouraged others to learn that as well. Strength didn't just come from the muscles. It came from within as well. Happiness and joy was our best weapons to keep the darkness at bay. Everyday kindness, from the one who gives a genuine compliment to the poor pony who donates her last loaf of bread . . . these were the ponies that would help to forge the paradise our world eventually becomes. It's never perfect, but the effort yielded a lot more than an apathetic heart.

{We made it clear that we were spreading a message of kindness, hope, courage, loyalty, generosity, and good old fashion joy. We taught those we encountered to just pick up a stone and infuse it with feelings of appreciation for all that they had. We told them that it would be our tax for our services, and that we actually would send a pony around to collect these gratitude stones only to return them later. I am not kidding. I needed these energies to enchant the Red Crystal, and I needed it to fuel our crystal projects back in Panjora. We were forging magical items with these positive feelings and, with it, we became more prepared to face even greater dark forces. The efforts accumulated. It builds and builds.

{The ponies who cooperated made other important discoveries. Those who used gratitude stones also discovered richer crops in their fields, medical problems in their bodies got reduced or eliminated entirely, unusual coincidences happened on a daily basis that had fortuitous results, and they just felt better in general. This positive feedback gave incentive to each other, and soon enough we weren't the only ones spreading the message. Those we spoke to spoke to others, and others, and so on. As the message continued to spread, it gave us more and more gratitude stones to collect our energy from.

{Music started getting more common in Pangaea. I made sure to tip my head in gratitude to every pony I passed on the streets that passed me by with a jaunty tune on their lips.

{As a result of all of this, The Dark Star showed signs of slowing down for the first time, but some of it's agents also pushed back more aggressively, as if desperate to fight this new trend.

{One of them was Plague and, when he started to finally get more bold, my team and I started dealing with him once and for all.}

xoxo

{Me, Shayla, Tibbons, Hector, and Talsious formed the first vanguard against the most formidable forces of darkness The Dark Star could throw at us. They were all armed and armored with crystal equipment enchanted with protective positive energy. That made them much more resistant to dark magic and it's curses, and made their weapons hit with a lot more force if the target wielded or was composed of dark magic.

{In our first true encounter with Plague, he had already infected the local town around him and quite boldly. We had entered a town full of screaming ponies yelling at the top of their lungs in raw agony. We visibly saw worms burrow in and out of their hide only to regenerate seconds later after the worms dove back into their bodies. There was a crazed look to their eyes that begged for help and release from this suffering, and yet they also did everything they could to spread this sickness. We . . .}

Feather Wind took a moment to calm himself and release a long breath. Star Breeze saw him shivering at this point.

{There was nothing we could do for them other then slaying them with our enchanted weapons. At least that worked. The worm-walkers were actually immune to normal weapons for their flesh would quickly regenerate from any standard attack, but attacking them with weapons blessed with positive energy disenchanted the cursed energy that empowered the worms that swam within them and thereby permitted the host a peaceful death. After that they became ordinary, harmless worms.}

Feather Wind paused again as he braced himself to announce another piece of painful news, then bravely pressed on.

{We had to slay young foals in this way. We had to slay infants in this way. Our spirits took a huge blow on that day. We continued to sing, but it was a strain to do so next to the horror we faced.}

Feather Wind paused again as he pressed a shaking hoof to his forehead. Again his daughter touched his lap gently and sympathetically.

“It was horrible!” Feather Wind said in a voice quivering with pain. “So much death. So much innocence lost. They didn't deserve this! No creature does. Plague did not care about whom he hurt. No, I take it back! He did care. He enjoyed the suffering he wrought!”

{Finally, though, after wading through and killing so many innocent victims, we had our first encounter with Plague himself. He was a hunched-over silurian with a dirty, ragged cloak draped over him and concealing most of his features. He dangled a rusty chain over the ground that had a ball attached to the end of it. As he swung it back and forth, a rain of worms kept pouring endlessly from it. It was far too many to be logical for such a tiny device. Clearly this was dark magic at work.

{When the opening to his hood lifted, I caught a glimpse of the evil glee in his eyes. I also saw bits of his face through the shadow of his hood for the first time, enough to realize he no longer had any scales on his face. Instead of that he was entirely composed of jiggling swarm of worms which wiggled together in the basic shape of a silurian.

{He stared directly at me for a few seconds. The innocents I had to slay to get this far really rattled my nerves so, when I finally saw the villain himself, I conjured up a dark storm high above with the intent to shower him with lightning bolt after lightning bolt. I was NOT going to hold back against this horrible monster! My fury at him drove me nearly to the point of insanity, and he smiled at me triumphantly for that. He smiled because he had accomplished what he wanted.

{Before the lightning could rain down upon him, he suddenly broke apart as a swarm of worms that buried itself deep into the earth. Even his equipment morphed into a swarm of worms like his ragged cloak or ball on a rusty chain. He burrowed through the earth in seconds but, in my desperate fury, I still rained lightning bolts over and over again on the spot he originally stood on while I screamed at the top of my lungs until finally my friends literally slapped some sense into me.

{Tartarus damn me, he was a genius! He got under my hide very hard and very nearly did so for the rest of my team as well. They had to calm me down, and I knew it wasn't easy for them to do it either. Talsious, however, stayed firm and helped the rest of his team to stay firm and regain their senses. He was the shield that never broke even while under such enormous pressure.

{Plague struck a bad blow for us on that day. A bad blow. I really wish I could say that was the last defeat we had under his nefarious claws, but no . . . this villain meant serious business.

{Over and over again he struck at innocent communities. With each failure we suffered at his claws, he undermined the confidence others had in us and we had in ourselves. He also used misdirecting tactics as well by setting up a delayed plague bomb in one area then left to infect a more distant land while we were busy chasing a red herring. He contaminated lakes and rivers which infected every crop and community in it's path line. This guy was just too good! When he got serious, he proved how ill-equipped we were to deal with him. He spread the message of pain and terror, and he caused famine and sickness wherever he went by diminishing healthy food resources which he knew further undermined both the strength of his opponents and his innocent victims. He no longer needed such things to live himself anymore so it was no bother to him to taint every food source across the country. Instead misery itself became his new psychological food source so I kept imagining he should have grown fat on his repeated victories. He corrupted all life in nature as well. The earth, the trees, the animals in the forest, the fish in the rivers. Nothing was safe from him. We really, really had to get our act together and corner this despicable monster once and for all!

{That was very tricky. This was a slippery bastard. Every time we thought we had him cornered, he'd just become a swarm of worms again and burrow into the earth, and he wasn't stupid enough to face us in any area he could not do that like rocky terrain or a boat on a flowing river.

{Then, finally, we caught a lucky break when Stern Wing joined the party. Along with her newfound discipline, training and what basically amounted to a brand new super power, she also had information for us that proved invaluable to cornering Plague. The trick to dealing with him was going after something too precious for him to ignore. If he wanted to flee, we could do little to stop him. Somehow he was even able to burrow through my enchanted crystal magic. I can't explain that. I really can't, not even to this day. That thing was charged with positive energy because I summoned it from the Red Crystal which is charged with a lot of stored positive energy.

{On the other hoof, if we got him in a situation where he did not want to flee then he'd have to face us to the bitter end. To that end, Stern Wing told us where his lair was. In that lair was a cauldron he kept on brewing. By drinking that brew, it helped maintain his dark magical powers, and those powers were milked from a corrupted worm that the Dark Star offered him. The thing was, that worm was irreplaceable. Kill that and he'd lose the source of his powers. Plague could not allow that to perish without a bitter fight to the end. That was his weakness. The downside to this strategy, however, was we'd have to face him on his home turf where he was at his strongest but at least it also offered us our best chance at a permanent victory.

{Where was his lair, you wonder? Why under the earth of course. Where else would it be? The lair was located in a place that would normally require us to burrow through the earth just like he did. If it weren't for my crystal magic, we'd end up doing a lot of digging and facing a lot of hungry worms along our way down.

{Fortunately we didn't have to. I created a crystal spike that stabbed through the earth all the way into an underground tunnel. From there I expanded the crystal to create my own safe tunnel in the middle of the crystal spike down into the earth. I even shaped the interior of the crystal spike into stairs to make our otherwise very slanted journey down much easier.

{I also enchanted every member of my party, including Stern Wing, with crystal armor. Basically this spell is much like the crystaling in the Crystal Empire. It turns our hide into a crystalline substance which is transparent and refractive. The spell lasted for many hours at a time, during which we'd not only be more resistant to physical blows but magical curses as well. With that armor in place, the worms within his lair would have no vulnerable gap into every inch of our hide except for maybe the worms summoned by Plague himself. Since he escaped one of my crystal prisons before for some odd reason, there was no reason to suspect he couldn't penetrate our new armor as well, but we still had to risk facing him anyway to have a shot at putting an end to him for good.

{This was our final push and last stand against the sinister villain known as Plague and, although we were elated for the chance to end him for good, it was still a very hard fight. To begin with, we had to bring our own light with us. Our opponents didn't need it. Yes, I said opponents, for there were far more than one down in those tunnels. We also had to fight in tight corridors and twisting underground labyrinths, but my Red Crystal gave us an advantage to finding his main lair. The closer we got to it, the more the crystal hummed. Since it was enchanted with so much positive energy, it reacted strongly to the presence of an abundant source of negative energy. The stronger that negative energy was, the further it could be detected by the Red Crystal.

{We fought a bunch of worm-walkers along our way to the lair, but one difference about them was the fact they were not screaming in agony. Instead they commanded their full intelligence, and they were just as evil as the master they willingly served. They called themselves members of the Cult of the Worm, and they espoused the philosophy that everything must be consumed in rot and decay. They wielded filthy equipment that was rotting with sludge and worms. They exuded and awful stench that made it difficult to breathe. One of them seemed to have the magical ability to summon more worms, including large worms that had yet more worms for blood. We fought our way through sticky and corrosive slime, through rivers of worms, through pungent fungus that burst out noxious gasses. Clearly this was the kind of place The Dark Star had envisioned for our world.

{But we bravely fought on. Shayla weaved balls of fire through the air and burned away whole swarms of worms. She conjured walls of flame and giant balls of exploding fire. As she cast her spells, she weaved and danced. For her, that was the best way to attune herself to her magic and, over time, other cosmetic changes followed her body along with her cutie mark transformation. For instance, she grew a long red mane, the first of her kind to have a different-colored mane.

{Hector wove his ax back and forth, wading through whole swarms and driving back the members of the Worm Cult. Tibbons arrows fired straight and true. Talsious defended his comrades with his shield, drove back evil with his enchanted spear, and emboldened us all with his words of courage. Stern Wing was a warrior pegasus wearing Prismatic Armor that gave her nearly endless stamina, enchanted weapons and occasionally she had explosive bursts of speed, or endurance, or strength, or sensory perception, or natural healing, or any or all of the above. Her crystal spine allowed her to enhance any part of her body attached to her spine, which was pretty much anything. The more magic she poured into an area of her body, the more it got enhanced. This tired her out quickly but the armor compensated for that. I had no idea how useful it would be when I enchanted it like that. That was really fortunate for us. Unfortunately the enchantments allowed her to burn off stamina faster than she could regenerate it but it depended how much she augmented herself and, of course, the greater the augmentation, the more magic it cost as well. Her store of magical energy she naturally regenerated as well but not at an accelerated rate. I found I could transfer my magic to her if I wanted to, however, or she could recharge her internal magic with crystals enchanted with stored potential.

{As for me, my weather control was not much use underground. At least I had air to manipulate and create wind with. Beyond that, I had relied a lot on the training Crystal Sage gave me over the years. I created a ruby sword in mid air and wielded it telekinetically and occasionally morphed it into a shield to help defend my allies. That was cost efficient for me since it did not cost me much magic to use telekinesis. I allowed the holy enchantment of the crystal to do most of my work for me. Physically I may not be strong, but my magic aura was quite formidable. With telekinesis alone, I could match the strength of a hundred strong ponies if I exerted enough magic into the effort. Shayla and I were also responsible for creating light in this darkness, and Stern Wing's Prism Armor was also effective for this in some regards.

{At last, in what felt like days later, we managed to penetrate Plague's main lair. We found him waiting for us within. He tried to taunt us with biting and cunning remarks. It was surprisingly effective. This guy did his homework and researched us enough to know what to say to get under each of our hides, but we still held firm, especially with Talsious's brave example leading our charge. We found our courage restored just by being near him, and even more effective when he spoke to us. We sang as we plunged ahead, fighting as one.

{I was amazed how quickly that battle ended. Plague put up quite a fight offensively but, in terms of defense, he didn't endure too many blows from our enchanted equipment and/or spells. He endured far more than a normal silurian could, I'll say that much to his credit. We could have easily killed over twenty normal silurians with the number of blows we hit him with, but still . . . the main boss went down fairly easily all things considering on our way up to face him. No wonder he kept fleeing from us before whenever we cornered him.

{With that done, we targeted the worm that originally empowered him. More to the point, Shayla finished it off with several massive fireballs blasting on it again and again. The giant worm exploded into many smaller worms that had smaller worms inside them. They tried to regenerate the massive body by collecting back together again but fire really was the perfect weapon to finish off this corrupted creature for good and she could do it from a safe distance, too.

{With that done, we finally won our exhausting adventure. There may be other powerful villains to take his place someday but, at least on that day, we could hold our heads up high as we said with a roar of triumph that the Plague of the world was no more at last.}

xoxo

{I well remember the actions of my friends after we broke out of the earth. Once again I had to create a crystal tunnel to the surface. Hector was the first to charge out with a roar of triumph. He then spun about and started to brag to his companions about his exploits as well as theirs. Shayla joined him in this. She, too, was very ready to brag about her exploits.

{Your mother collapsed on her back and eventually laughed out loud. She was just grateful to be alive, I guess, and was grateful all of her friends survived this most harrowing adventure.

{Tibbons was quiet and instinctually took the high ground among the tops of the tree branches. He tore off some twigs and set to work crafting new arrows to replace the ones he lost. Tibbons was usually a very serious, quiet and focused pony.

{It was Talsious's reaction I'll never forget, though. He stabbed his spear into the earth diagonally. He shifted his shield further up his back. He slowly took off his helmet and closed his eyes as he slowly lifted his face up to the sky. At first he stood there for a long while in silence. I wondered what was going through his head until he finally announced it. He then spouted out a long list. I was bewildered at first what he was speaking of until I eventually noticed that I was familiar with some of those names. Those names all had one thing in common; they were victims slain by Plague directly or indirectly.

{Eventually the rest of his companions noticed what he was saying. The group grew a respectful silence, for it became clear he was mourning the dead. His chant sounded almost like a prayer. It also almost sounded musical. He lifted his voice up high into the heavens as if willing the gates of heaven itself to open up and admit the creatures with the following list of names. Plague had many victims so it was a long list of names, but apparently Talsious committed them all to memory in order to one day honor them. I realized he seared every single name to his heart, vowing never to forget them. Vowing to lift their names to the heavens when he finally delivered them justice. It was his intent to let them all know they could finally rest in peace.

{I realized, as I regarded him with awe, that this was the kind of pony legends were born from. Indeed, they called him Talsious, Paladin of the Unbreakable Shield ever since that day. A pony who never quit. A pony who never backed down. A pony who never gave up in despair. He always shouted words of courage to his friends and any creature he encountered. He proved that he would fight to the last drop of blood in his body. A pony who was always true to his word and his honor.

{Just like Stern Wing.}

xoxo

{At first glance, the next five and a half years of me and your mom's time in ancient Equestria seemed, for the most part, positive. During that time, Plague really was the worst villain we had to deal with and, after his defeat, harmony started to settle in the lands again. Actually, it was more than that. Your mother and I got to see very fascinating discoveries made by the ponies and creatures we shared our lives with during that time.

{The silurians were marvelously technologically advanced for these ancient times. Far beyond what I had expected before I arrived but, during my stay there, they made entirely new discoveries that started to push them in a far more positive direction. The fact that evoking positive feelings became an issue of necessary survival helped push things along.

{It was funny how the spread of ultimate evil also helped to cause a strong counter wave, but it did make some sense if you thought about it. For every high tide, there had to be a low tide, and the higher the tide, the lower the tide. One caused the other, and the push for the souls of future Equestria raged on. It was unfortunate that the reasons all these positive discoveries were being made because of a negative reason. Sort of like sticking a weapon to our heads and violently declaring, “Be friends or die!” Well . . . okay! If you say so, Mister Demandy-Pants.

{But seriously, it was an honor to behold every creature lift each other up and share new ideas. One idea inspired another and another. This spread a positive revolution and marked the beginning of a new era for the world. No longer did it have to be a savage world if the creatures on it got the means and motivation to care for one another. Of course the training continued, but not just in Panjora anymore. As time went on our ideas spread to other communities and they, in turn, taught others.

{As communication grew a higher and higher priority among the various creatures, means to increase it also occurred. In some places the silurians former technology started to be repaired. After all, if it worked so well before, why re-invent the wheel? If we repaired the crystal network then, not only did we gain the ability to spread information and communication, but we could also facilitate faster, darn near instantaneous travel. If the teleport pads and the networking crystals it relied upon got repaired then the city over a hundred miles away could be only as far as the next teleport pad.

{Even without it, a new profession grew in the lands that sort of resembled mail carriers except much fewer creatures were able to read or write so, instead, a creature was hired to travel across the land and verbally deliver a message from memory. Primitive, but it was a start. A series of torch bearers were also being constructed that could help deliver more simple messages like danger was approaching. Since light can travel a vast distance, especially at night, others who saw it could light their own torch and pass on the message to distant lands.

{I saw the races come together and discuss solutions to various problems that they faced. While doing so, they completely ignored their differences because their minds were more focused on the task they faced. It was very pleasant to see them come together, set aside their differences and learn to work together. I was involved with some of those discussions and it was because of that I learned what the real problem was.

{While we were busy rebuilding and revolutionizing society, the cold winter of The Dark Star continued to spread. The first sign was usually more indirect like failing crops or sickness spreading. The second sign was a dramatic drop in temperature, the third sign was a blizzard storm crashing into the area, then the fourth and final sign was a black blizzard storm which was snow made of frozen ash. When the fourth sign came, dark creatures usually came along with it. Besides the life sapping cold and corrupting ice of the black blizzard, there were also unliving creatures that roamed with the winter storm and was therefore dubbed Winter-Walkers. The black blizzard was literally animating the dead as it traveled across the planet and, even during this ancient era, the dead far outnumbered the living. The Black Blizzard was continuing to spread faster and faster. This was no single opponent any of us could just swing a sword at and hope for victory. It was way more devastating than that.

{As time went on, it became harder and harder to ignore the fact we needed a solution to this Black Blizzard problem before it not only killed us all but also brings us back from the dead as animated servants of evil and, unlike Puppet Master's animated dolls made of shredded corpses, I had a feeling the spirits of the victims were being trapped and tortured too because some of those unliving servants proved sentient. This wasn't just a sacrilege to the dead, this was an extreme threat to the living.

{Then, one day, eight years later after our initial arrival to this timeline, both your mother and I agreed to use our flying abilities and magical protections to scout within the Black Blizzard storm to see if we could ascertain anything useful that could help us fight it later on. By this point I had no delusions about my ability to fight this solo. This dark force was way too powerful for that, but we figured we could at least gain some information to help us combat it later.

{Up until then, every environment the Black Blizzard spread to was considered totally uninhabitable except by the trotting dead. Because of that, no other creature dared to penetrate the storm. We were determined to be the first not only to do so but return alive to tell the tale.

{I have to tell you, even the sight of the Black Blizzard from a distance was terrifying to behold. It was a swirling black, billowing cloud of frozen ash projected by many erupting volcano's that The Dark Star irritated as it steadily spread it's corruption from the north pole to the south pole. If we stood on the land while we watched the clouds, we would have felt the infrequent but occasionally very violent earthquakes. I sensed that the land was in pain. As for those black clouds, it looked eager to choke us to death.

{This really was the ultimate evil of the world. This was the source behind every instance of dark magic ever to plague Equestria in the future, and this was it in it's full and horrible glory. It was not banished yet or in any way reduced in scope and, if left unopposed, there would never be any living creature on the planet in the future.

{I remember your mother touched one of my hooves as we hovered in the air, looking upon this phenomenon in awe and terror. When she did so, I looked at her. She gave me a soft smile and communicated her love through her eyes and through her gentle touch. I pressed my hoof firmly into hers as I turned to face this spreading evil again. This was it. Our skills and our love would help see us through this immense challenge.

{So we plunged our way into the black clouds. I created a whirling cyclone of wind around us to keep the frozen ash at bay. Although that worked, we could see nothing. If I had not ignited my horn with light, we wouldn't even be able to see each other within my whirling cyclone. It was terribly disorienting to not have any clue of a sense of direction other than the gravity of the planet. Gravity was our only clue which way was down or up. Beyond that, nothing. It was like being in the void of space if it had no stars and it never did. The choking darkness all around us brought with it a sense of isolation brought to extreme, panic-inducing levels. If your mother and I were not holding onto each other, we each might have grown insane with fear in that black storm. This darkness was not pulling any punches, or at least that was what I suspected at the time.

{As for sound, the cyclone of wind I created was the only sound noticeable in otherwise deafening silence. Sometimes we heard the rumble of the land, thunder in the distance or the sound of an erupting volcano. Yeah, I couldn't call it complete silence but everything we did hear was terrifying. It was the feeling of what it would be like if nature really was out to aggressively kill us.

{Your mother and I did get lost in those storms. With barely any sense of direction, we ended up landing on the ground just to get some idea of a marker to start rebuilding our sense of direction. We came here to scout for information. No creature said we'd be able to hoofle the information we gained accordingly.}

“Gooooood! I smell the stench of the living!” a sinister hissing voice emerged from the darkness and drew close enough to be illuminated by Feather Wind's lit horn. It stood just outside the wind barrier and savored the look of terror of the ponies huddled within the wind vortex. This creature looked like a medium sized dragon, although just barely. It stood erect about nine feet tall. It had bleached white scales except there were holes in it's flesh where it's scales had rotted off. It spread overly elongated claws to it's side stretched to nightmarish proportions. It's face was extra extended forward and, for some reason, it had eight eyes on each side of its head for a total of sixteen eyes. It seemed to take a deep intake of breath then let it out. “I smell the sweet nectar of your fear! It is . . . delicious.”

“STAY BACK!” Feather Wind demanded with a bold and defiant pose towards the creature.

“Or what?” the creature barked back. “You'll threaten me with your friendship?” It waved it's claws back and forth as it said the word “friendship” sarcastically, then went on to say, “Please! You have no idea what real power is!”

“Nor do you know what I am capable of,” Feather Wind threatened as he created a red crystal sword out of thin air.

“What we are capable of!” Stern Wing corrected with a bold pose of her own. She spread her wings which revealed the rainbow shimmer in her armor.

“Fear is your domain,” the creature taunted as it leaned its head forward a bit. “Do I looked scared of you?”

“Come face us and you will be!” Feather Wind threatened.

“Huh.” The creature lifted it's head up straight again. “So you horses do have a little bit of backbone to you. I respect that. I wonder if you can hold it as I strip your flesh off your bodies one strip at a time, roll it around my tongue as I savor the flavor.”

“You aren't the first to try!” Stern Wing menaced. “You won't be the last.”

“Talk-talk-talk!” the creature mocked as it made a yammering gesture with one of it's claws. “Are you two trying to bore me to death? Is that your plan? But ah! I am already dead. When you cross that line as well, you will cross it back . . . but not as you are now.” He lifted his head skyward. “The Dark Star calls to us! Behold it's glory! Feel the power of . . .”

Feather Wind interrupted the villain's monologue with a horn blast to the face. That only managed to interrupt the villain's speech, push its head back for a moment before it pushed its face right back into Feather Wind's horn blast beam as if it masochistically enjoyed the attack or at least tried to be boldly defiant. Feather Wind kept the beam going anyway. He figured if it built enough pressure, it would shatter this creature's head once and for all eventually. He might have even had the right of it because, eventually, the creature did fight back in other ways. It opened its mouth and shot out a black flame. That flame interacted with Feather Wind's beam in a highly unusual way. Instead of an energy struggle between the two forces, his flame instead corrupted Feather Wind's beam. The silver energy turned black then shot back into Feather Wind's horn which instantly cut off his concentration.

After that it turned into an inward battle for him. During that time, his horn ceased to glow and the wind cyclone protecting the two of them collapsed. This allowed the Black Blizzard to plunge upon them. Fortunately he had his crystal armor spell enacted on both of them, and she additionally wore the Prism Armor. They were both plunged into darkness however.

{Which meant your mom could no longer see her opponent. Imagine how you would feel with an unliving dragon in your midst corrupted by dark magic and it vanished in a corrupted blizzard storm but you know it was still out there somewhere. For every blow it chose to make, your mother would no longer be able to see it coming and thus could no longer defend herself as effectively. From what I'm told later on, however, the dragon temporarily chose not to attack. Instead it stood back and savored our pain and terror. As an unliving creature, it no longer fed off food in the traditional sense. Instead psychological torture was it's food.

{But I had problems of my own to deal with at the time.

{According to my perception, I was plunged into a dark void. From out of the darkness I heard my own voice, but it was my voice espousing the darkest parts of me. All of my fears, angers and insecurities were built into that voice. As I listened to it, I realized this was a magical parasite. My aura had gotten cursed with dark magic despite all of my protections. This was exactly what happened to Sombra, and now it was happening to me. If this process continued, my own magic would steadily turn against me and, if it won in the end, it would take over my body and attack the world just like what happened to Sombra.

{Though I had a few advantages in this case. Crystal Sage himself stepped out of the darkness around me with his own horn lit with a red aura glow. He explained to me what was happening and that this was something he faced before himself. I told him I already realized that. The evil side of me yelled something at him. Probably something about talking down to me all the time. I don't know. I wasn't really paying much attention to it, at least not at first.

{Instead, I was more concerned for Stern Wing. I asked Crystal Sage what was happening outside. He told me that Vision had showed up and was taking care of both of us in her tent. Within that tent, they had sanctuary from the black storm. He said they were currently working together to try to help solve this problem. He then went on to explain how he tried to fight his own dark self externally many years ago. I knew this story well already though, and I had already came up with a different solution years ago because of it.

{I thought a lot about what the good version of Sombra tried to do to defeat his evil side, and where exactly he went wrong. Philosophy was actually a very useful skill in this case when examining a situation like this. Attacking yourself is the surest way to defeat yourself.

{All of us have aspects in ourselves that we may be uncomfortable to face, but where would we be without it? Evil tends to be powered by four main sources of emotion; fear, anger, pain and greed. Fear and anger are really just extensions of fight or flight reaction, and that is a basic instinct necessary for our survival. If we didn't have that, we'd be apathetic while a bear chews off our legs. We'd just shrug and say, “So what? I don't care.” Life requires struggle to maintain itself, so these instincts are bred into us to maintain the basic necessities of life.

{When confronted by danger, we can either gallop away from it or choose to fight it. If we choose to flee then fear dominates our emotions and gives us motivation to continue doing what is necessary to flee in a hurry.

{If we choose to fight instead, then anger can give us the determination to ignore our pain and focus in hindering the enemy, at least enough to eventually break away safely.

{As for pain, that is the emotion that warns us damage has already occurred and you need to fix this as soon as possible. It draws attention towards whatever caused it so we can be alerted to it. This is true for both physical pain and emotional pain. If we never had this alert system, we would continue to ignore whatever is damaging us until eventually it succeeds in kilingl us.

{Then finally we have greed, the fourth and final major emotion that tends to lead down an evil path. Again, this emotion is necessary for survival but it works best under moderation. When it's too excessive it can diminish our neighbors by taking more than our fair share, and if our neighbors and potential allies die because of that greed then eventually that leaves us alone to face all of life's remaining challenges which, in turn, diminishes our odds of surviving because of being alone but, on the flip side, being too generous is also detrimental. If everything is given away, including that which is necessary for survival, then our deaths due to excessive selflessness causes us to be unable to aid our allies later, so . . . either way the pendulum swings can be a hindrance if it swings too far in either direction. Only balance between greed and generosity promotes lasting harmony so it is therefore important to recognize the reason for the existence of both of these emotions and honor them. Without them, life would not exist at all. Also sometimes what can seem greedy may, in fact, turn out to be completely necessary. Stocking up on extra food for the winter is not really greed, it's wise preparation. Setting aside extra things of any kind can also make one more prepared to hoofle unforeseen challenges.

{In a way, you can say I had already practiced for this battle years in advance. I thought about everything the darkness could potentially draw strength from within me. I thought about every memory that made me sad, afraid, angry, bitter or selfish. For each memory I also sought to explain it. I tried to realize why I felt that way in each case. Sometimes it's ignorance, but that can be a perfectly valid excuse. If I was unable to learn from my mistakes after I made them then, of course, I'd be doomed to repeat them and I can rightly claim I deserve the consequences, but when I encounter a new problem completely unrelated to anything I ever faced before, then of course my chances of failure against it initially is greatly multiplied. Experience only prepares us to face a situation that's similar to what we've encountered before.

{There was a reason I had meditated like this for many years. It was because of what Sombra had gone through and what I could do to avoid the same mistakes. By realizing why I made those mistakes of the past and why my dark side is necessary, I also realized that my dark side would be aware of that as well. My dark side would know all that I know and, if I took the time to make sure my dark side understood the reason for it's existence ahead of time, then we'd also realize why we did not need an antagonistic relationship. I chose to understand and forgive myself in advance. Because I did that in advance, my dark side was created with those memories as well.

{In the void, I took a moment to give my dark side a consolidated form. I imagined what he would look like if he stood in front of me and, by doing that, he actually materialized in front of me exactly how I imagined him to look like. By taking control over my own mind and emotions, I encouraged him to manifest without feeling threatened. If he knew what I knew then he knew that I had already decided my dark side was not my enemy. Instead, he knew that my dark side was instead my friend who helped me to survive, and he also understood that he was incomplete without his light side. He understood that, without positive emotions, he could become a mere puppet of the darkness and, since we already decided in advance that was not what we wanted, then we could work together to change that.

{Crystal Sage saw my dark side materialize too. My dark counterpart looked like me, only angry and bitter, but also crying to reveal that the cause of his anger and bitterness was pain. Because he also knew that I already accepted him, he did not hide his weaknesses. There was no reason to. We were aware of them in the first place. He, too, wore the Mist Cloak . . . but his was dark and full of lightning storms which was a direct manifestation of his turbulent emotions, and yet both of us could also understand the inherit beauty in lightning storms and how relaxing they could be to listen to thunder roll across the sky.

{Crystal Sage observed me as I approached my own dark side and hugged him tightly. I whispered into his ear that he was forgiven for all of his sins. I treated him how evil should be treated, as an innocent victim in pain rather than an enemy to hate and want to destroy. Because he knew what I knew, he already knew he would be accepted so he was not on his guard. Instead he was eager to cry on my shoulder to release the pain. He expressed his pain to one he knew would accept him without hostile judgment.

{I know this can be difficult standards for every creature to practice, but, in my case, I was prepared for this.

{As Crystal Sage watched on, I became a brighter and brighter light that my dark side sank into and was embraced with love. The two of us became one, then the light dimmed again back to normal.}

“You are a far wiser pony than I ever was back then,” Crystal Sage announced proudly as he gazed upon his great grandson with eyes beaming with pride. While that happened, his red scarf waved behind him as if blown in a phantom wind.

“I was blessed with very good teachers in my life,” Feather Wind returned. “You, too, deserve credit for the pony I've become today.”

Crystal Sage closed his eyes briefly as he shook his head. “That's true, but it's not the only reason.” He opened his eyes again at Feather Wind. “You could have chosen to ignore our lessons this entire time. The fact that you did not is also the result of a choice. Your strength doesn't just come from your mentors, it comes from within. I'll make you a deal. I'll accept credit for my part in this if you do the same for yourself.”

Feather Wind vanished and appeared right in front of Crystal Sage then offered a hoof to him while saying, “Deal.”

Crystal Sage accepted that hoof shake, then he pointed out, “Vision and your fiancée have been calling to you this whole time. I don't believe that much time has passed on the surface world. A few hours at most.”

“I know. I'll be right there.” Feather Wind looked up. “I just wanted to settle things here first.” He looked back at Crystal Sage. “Thanks again for coming and giving moral support. I'm sure it helped.”

“It makes me wonder if things could have been different for me if I had the same internal support,” Crystal Sage wondered aloud. “Well, at least there is one good thing we can gain from all this tragedy. I didn't want you to repeat my mistakes, and you didn't. You defied the impossible once again. That honestly seems like a common pattern for you. That's likely a good thing because you will need to confront the impossible many more times before the end of your life. For example, The Dark Star. This is the seed that once corrupted me but, right now, it is a full tree with dark twisting roots choking the life out of the planet. To face it in full bloom, how will you hoofle this?”

“Challenges of this kind of scale are not meant to be faced alone,” Feather Wind informed. “There are smaller challenges in life that can be faced and sometimes must be faced alone, especially ones that is highly personal from pony to pony, but this epic challenge is on a global scale so, since it is a threat facing far more than one creature, then it is highly unlikely I am meant to face it alone.”

“Even with a group, how can you even approach The Dark Star?” Crystal Sage queried. “Through it's weather corruption alone, this thing is nigh unapproachable. Also, don't forget, the larger the group is, the more supplies that will be required to maintain them. I suspect that the Dark Star itself exists far into the frozen north, and there is no habitable region along the way to it, or at least there no longer is anymore. Supply lines to some hypothetical army wouldn't just be a challenge, it might be physically impossible to maintain under these circumstances. These logistical problems are very important to realize when it comes to a mass army campaign. How can you or anyone you travel with overcome these very real and very important obstacles?”

Feather Wind looked up as he said, “I've got a few ideas.”

Chapter Twenty One: Eight Years Later

Chapter Twenty One: I Brought Some Friends with Me

{I know it has been a very long time but, on the first day I arrived on this planet in this time era, I remember something the older version of Vision told me about our options to bring back the Tardis. She said one of those options was to eliminate or neutralize the source of energy that's keeping the Tardis at bay, and the second option was to create a safe space for the Tardis to land. Since that time I learned something about the force that keeps the Tardis at bay. I learned that it is an overwhelming, god-like source of evil that was consuming our world, and that it is a challenge no mortal creature could face on their own. Quite likely that was true even for the Doctor, but he had access to resources that I lacked. I'm sure if we could put our heads together, we could come up with a solution that could actually solve this problem. It must be possible. The Dark Star would eliminate all life before it had a chance to be born in the future. If I came from a timeline where hadn't eliminated all life than it proved there must be a way to beat this thing. As my uncle once said, nothing is impossible. Beating a challenge is only a matter of personal perception. Every wall we encounter in life is actually just a door.

{I knew that The Dark Star was an overwhelming force without proper backup, but I also knew that the resources of the Tardis included the ability to look at the situation from a different angle. With access to all of time and space at the tips of our hooves, surely there had to be a way to brainstorm a solution here.

{So, in short, we needed the Doctor.

{Oh . . . and Derpy too, of course. We can't forget the adorable little mare.

{The thing was, I had this plan at the back of my mind for years now. It was not until I came out of my coma and my brush with the dark curse when it finally crystallized in my head what we needed to do. Crystal was actually the answer, but only half of the equation. Raw crystal by itself is as valuable as an empty jar. It's useful as a container, but what it's filled with can be far more valuable.

{For years now I had been facing dark magic corrupted creatures and we protected ourselves by wearing crystal armor, and we fought against it using crystal weapons. Both were charged with positive energy which, in turn, was used to combat the negative energy. Well . . . the Tardis was also being kept at bay with negative energy. It literally made the machine sick to be in this time period while the corrupting energy continued to radiate. The area we crash landed on did not even seem that bad off at the time, but I know now that the area has since got swept up in black ice. The Dark Star's influence has already buried that area in corrupt snow at this point but, even back then, it's influence was felt by the Tardis enough to drive it away.

{The solution was to make a safe zone for the Tardis to land upon, and the way to do that was to surround the area with crystals that was charged with positive energy. That, in turn, would ward the area especially well from The Dark Star's influence and, in turn, gave the Tardis a time and a place as a window of opportunity to land on.}

“But even if you do that, how is the Doctor going to know where and when to land?” Star Breeze asked in confusion.

{The answer to that question was the final thing to occur to me right after I woke up from that coma. Lacking this idea was precisely the reason why I delayed this plan that long. To solve that problem, I decided to tackle two birds with one stone. I returned to Panjora with a new plan. I told them that I had an alien ally out there that could be very effective in helping us solve our problems. Naturally General Slekcorza was initially suspicious, but I've earned enough brownie points with him for him to give me the benefit of the doubt and, if I told him that I endorse this ally, then he was more inclined to believe me. Besides, given how desperate our situation was growing, he wasn't about to ignore a potential solution when it was presented.

{To get the Tardis to show up and be able to land, I told every creature willing to listen to my stories about the Doctor. I wanted every creature to know why I trusted this ally. I told them about your mother's and my adventures in the Tardis over the first two years that we traveled with him, and I told them about other adventures I learned during my research in the Tardis's hidden library. That gave me access to some of his past adventures, and he had done many incredibly heroic deeds during those times as well.

{The Doctor, the Tardis and his companions . . . teleporting all over time and space to solve dire problems. We had a dire problem and, if ever there was a time we needed an experienced and resourceful hero, now was that time.

{I also told them about the Doctor's psychic paper and how it would read mental energy projected at it. Usually it just shows the viewer whatever they expected to see but, if we focus, we could control what it said and, the next time the Doctor saw it, he could be sent a message.}

“Ah ha! That's what you told me earlier about how to get the Doctor's attention!” Star Breeze recalled.

{Right. That was one of the reasons why I told every creature I encountered about the Doctor. I wanted them all to concentrate with me to send him a message. A message about where and when to show up. This was a group project, and multiple minds working as one sends more psychic energy than a single mind as long as all of those thoughts were united towards a single goal and they all did it at the same time. I also told them about his adventures to help inspire positive energy and I instructed them to imbue this positive energy in the crystals we dug up specifically for this one project. It would be used for nothing else, at least not at first. We dug up raw crystals and kept them immediately shielded so that they would not be imbued with any energy except what we wanted it to be charged with. I wasn't taking any chances. I wanted this energy and it's message to be totally pure. We all had to be on board with this, and we had to do it right.

{Once I told the story, I instructed those I told to spread out and tell the story to others. I told them to charge their gratitude stones with positive thoughts of the Doctor. I told them to tell others that we needed him to show up, that he would help us save this world like he had countless others.

{This project took about a couple of months. It actually went better than I expected. Gratitude stones were flooding in with immense amount of positive energy altogether. I carefully examined each one to make sure the energy was pure before pouring it into a set of crystals we specifically set aside for this project. While that was going on, I looked around and noticed, to my delight, a sense of hope had returned to the community. We needed that. We needed that very badly. This newly inspired hope was our shield against despair.

{Spreading word of the Doctor by word of mouth probably was not the most effective strategy when it came to accuracy. With each telling, it probably got more and more exaggerated but I did not complain because, in this case, it was actually helpful to our project. I did not need creatures to know exactly what deeds the Doctor should be famous for. All that really mattered was the thoughts to be of him and for it to be charged with positive feelings. As word of his deeds expanded beyond what he actually did, it made the listeners even more grateful for things the Doctor didn't do, but fine. Whatever. As long as it worked, I'd let this train keep on chugging.

{On the day we decided to try to summon him, I remember looking down from a high wall and witnessed many creatures gathered from all over our world. They were told to focus on the Doctor at a certain hour and send that message out into the universe with their minds charged with positive feelings. It was evident that they were going to do precisely that, but I also remember thinking I may have accidentally created a new religion here. With exaggerated tales of the Doctor being widespread at that point, it wouldn't surprise me if more than half of these creatures thought they were summoning a god, and . . . well . . . he was technically immortal in a way, and he was a lord of time and space so I could understand why they thought that way. I dealt with the same problems when I first showed up to this time period. Those who worked with me and knew me better soon realized I was mortal too and I had my own flaws to deal with. That could happen with the Doctor as well. I may have accidentally created a mess for him to clean up later, but at least he'd be here to help us with our bigger problem. After that we had all the time in the world to focus on smaller issues but, knowing him as well as I do, it was far more likely he would flee back into the Tardis and abandon an annoying situation after he dealt with the most critical threat.}

“The Doctor,” Star Breeze chanted as she closed her own eyes and concentrated just like the creatures in the story had done so very long ago. It was her attempt to add her own energy to theirs so she could claim, in her own little way, that she helped to save the world long before she was born.

{As the appointed hour drew near, I dismissed my concerns about the crowd and instead turned towards bigger problems. I, too, concentrated on the Doctor with the will of gratitude and hope that he would come and save us. I struggled against my panic that this plan might fail after all. It had to work! It just had to! Everything came down to this. All that I had been through, all that I've learned, all the friends I made here in this time who helped me send out positive energy towards one very specific colt, and summon him at one very specific time and place.

{The crystals were in place, charged and ready. There wasn't a safer area on the planet from The Dark Star's influence on that day. In the back of my mind, I even imagined a black thunder storm raging in outrage at the plan we were enacting. We were about to summon the world's greatest hope, and not even The Dark Star could stop it. It tried to stop this and succeeded for over eight years but, since then, the hearts and minds of every creature it didn't kill or corrupt yet came together to summon their ultimate hero.

{Doctor-Doctor-Doctor-Doctor-Doctor.

{We thought and chanted this over and over again. His heroic charges. His screaming sonic screwdriver. His faithful companions. The screech of the Tardis. It all came down together, in one spectacular moment. My heart flared with hope when I started to actually hear the Tardis's groans. It meant we nearly succeeded. The Doctor was almost here. Just a little longer . . .

{Then it was there. That now famous blue box that said, “Police Call Box” had appeared. I opened my eyes and collapsed to my knees, incredibly relieved to see that beautiful, magical box again. I actually felt exhausted from all of my efforts and hopes, and it was likely that the whole city felt a similar way then waited with baited breath for an answer to their hope.

{Then, at last, it came. The door to the Tardis swung open and the Doctor emerged from the Tardis. He pulled out of his pocket his psychic paper and flashed it to reveal the message imprinted upon it which showed coordinates to this time and place, and he boldly asked, “Did someone call for the Doctor?”}

xoxo

“Doctor!” came Stern Wing's elated cry as she flew into him to give him a warm and desperate hug. Once she had a lock on him, she cried on his shoulder with intense relief and gratitude to see him again. She almost knocked him over in the process, but he managed to swing her around him to throw off most of her built momentum.

“Whoa-ho there! Easy, girl. It's good to see you too,” he told her with an affectionate pat. “Ooo! I see you got new armor. It's shiny! You have to let me study it some time.”

Stern Wing continued bawling on his shoulder more intensely as time continued, but it was in a good way. He continued to pat her to calm her down.

“It's okay. I'm here. I'm back, and I'm never going to leave you again unless you want me to,” the Doctor assured her.

“You better not!” Stern Wing menaced within her sob.

“Anyway . . . if you just learn to settle for a moment . . . I can introduce you to some friends I brought with me,” the Doctor encouraged.

Upon sighting Derpy, Stern Wing launched from the Doctor to Derpy. In this case, however, Derpy launched back. They both flew into and collided with each other in mid air then started spinning while grasping each other. It had not been nearly as long for Derpy but, seeing the emotion of the other mare, it made her emotional too so Derpy ended up crying on Stern Wing's shoulder about as much as Stern Wing cried on hers.

“I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! We tried everything we could to get back!” Derpy apologized and explained.

“It's okay. You're here now. I'm glad you're back,” Stern Wing said gratefully on Derpy's shoulder blades which had her gray wings continued to flap.

“I take it it's been awhile for you two,” the younger version of Vision realized as she stepped outside the Tardis. At that moment Feather Wind realized this was the moment that would come full circle for the future version of her that he encountered over eight years ago. He also realized that, because her younger self had returned, her older self would likely be nowhere to be found. Her older self would know where and when to avoid based on memory alone. Feather Wind worked extra hard lately to get that time and coordinates memorized for himself and many gathered here. It was quite likely the younger version of Vision would soon memorize it as well enough to linger into her adult years.

“Yes, kiddo,” Feather Wind replied. “For us, it's been a long time.”

Vision held up a hoof. “Then don't tell me how long it's been. I've already had enough spoilers as it is. If you tell me how long it's been then my older self in this time will also know.”

“You already know about her?” Feather Wind tilted his head in surprise. “But I thought you said you can't see into your future.”

While replacing her upraised hoof back to the ground, Vision said, “Let's just say that's not the only kind of hint I can get about the future. Trust me, the less I know the details, the better. While I am here, however, I can help you solve your Dark Star problem. Unlike my future self, I could use the challenge to help me get stronger.”

“Then you already know about The Dark Star!” Feather Wind realized as he regarded the Doctor again.

“Indeed, I do,” the Doctor informed, “and I have come prepared. Behold!” He gestured to the Tardis with a dramatic wave of a single hoof. “I brought some friends with me.”

The next pony to emerge from the Tardis was none other than Princess Celestia herself. Immediately upon sight of her, Feather Wind bowed while a lump got stuck in his throat due to the shock of seeing her here.

“Your majesty!” Feather Wind exclaimed. “I did not expect to see you here.”

“Relax, my subject,” Celestia bade with fond amusement in her voice. “The Doctor has told me everything about the problem we face that threatens Equestria and my subjects, and I'm here to do whatever I can to help alleviate the situation. You may rise, dear Feather Wind and, as I have told you so long ago . . . please call me Celestia.”

“Yes Princess . . . Celestia,” Feather Wind said while rising from his bent knee position. He glanced back and forth between the Doctor and Celestia. “You two know each other?”

Celestia's amused and fond smile transferred to the Doctor as she regarded him. “We've had multiple encounters together.”

“Don't tell me how many,” the Doctor requested towards Celestia. “Some of those encounters may probably in my future.”

“Indeed. I have encountered no less than three of your future incarnations to date, at least in my personal history that I'm aware of so far, though it remains possible you also approached me in other forms and never informed me about it,” Celestia informed, then looked at Feather Wind. “However, this is the very first time I have actually traveled with him in his most remarkable box . . . sort of. Before now, I did not see the necessity to follow him in his adventures, but I'm afraid this challenge seems too formidable for me to ignore. The Dark Star likely is the source of all dark magic in Equestrian history and I cannot, in good conscience, let you face this great evil alone. As I stand here with you now, it is with my most humblest hopes that you realize we face this threat together. If this evil is not opposed, none of us will even exist and that is a possibility I cannot afford to ignore.”

“Well, you've always been welcome,” the Doctor told Celestia casually. “There has always been enough room for you in this box, contrary to outward appearances. I could not draw you from certain points in your history because you were too busy writing history during those moments, so I chose to invite you when you were . . . shall we say . . . a little more available.”

“We hope you don't consider our vacations as a golden opportunity to sweep us all up in your adventures every time, my good Doctor,” said the next feminine voice. “Vacations exist for a reason. My sister and I need some time to relax every now and then.”

Hearing her voice, Celestia fully emerged from the Tardis to make room for the next occupant to emerge. Stern Wing and Feather Wind were shocked again to see that it was Princess Luna this time.

“Your majesty!” Feather Wind exclaimed with another bow. “This is also most unexpected.”

“Enough with the bowing, please,” Luna requested with a little bit of irritation in her voice and a quick roll of her eyes which she did while she said the word “Please,” then went on to say, “Both my sister and I are on vacation. We get enough of this treatment back in Canterlot as it is. Please don't make us endure this with our friends as well.”

Feather Wind rose from his bow and looked back at forth between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. He noticed that neither of them were surprised to see each other and neither of them appeared very young, which led him to another conclusion.

“You're from my future, and pretty far at that,” Feather Wind realized as he regarded Princess Celestia. “At least one-hundred years, maybe more.”

“Yes,” Celestia confirmed. “For me it has been a very long time since we last saw each other. I imagine it's quite a bit longer than you've seen your own friends.”

“Did you get my message explaining why I needed to rush off to save the oracle?” Feather Wind asked Celestia anxiously.

Celestia paused for a moment as she thought back. The time he referred to was quite a long time ago for her. When she did recall, it caused her to burst out laughing for a moment. When she calmed down, she explained, “Yes. I got your message. It burst through my window while I was busy bathing. It startled me pretty strongly at the time, but I did get your message.”

“Forgive me for startling you, Princess, and for disturbing your privacy. I just wanted you to quickly know the truth, and I hope you'll also forgive me for ignoring your orders. I was the one called upon by Vision's mother, and I was the only one fast enough to respond at the time. Please forgive me!”

“You had my forgiveness a long time ago. This is not the first time we've had this conversation, at least for me,” Celestia said back. “I understood your reasons and, moreover, I commend you for it. You helped to save a pony who helped me save other members of my subjects, including yourself. I'm not mad at you for that. I'm grateful.”

“This seems like a reunion,” noted the next feminine voice within the Tardis, “and you know what that means. It means . . .” a pink pony with fluffy, cotton candy-like mane suddenly burst out of the Tardis with an explosion of party confetti as she declared “. . . a PARTY!”

“Pinkie Pie?” Feather Wind queried with a queer look to the peppy party pony.

“You know my name! How wonderful! That saves me half the work.” Pinkie Pie suddenly zipped right up to Feather Wind's face with the speed of a blink of an eye. Upon arrival, she said, “Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! You know me, but I don't know you so I endeavor to change that. Now that I do know you, we must be friends, so prepare to be welcomed!”

“Now hold on there, Sugar Cube,” said another pony who emerged from the Tardis. This adult mare was orange-colored and she wore a cowboy hat on her head. Below her eyes were a few freckles. Like Pinkie Pie, Feather Wind recognized her as Apple Jack on sight but he was still surprised to see her here. Since it had gotten that far, however, he started to suspect he would see the rest of the Mane Six as well and he also deduced the reason why they were here. After thinking about it for awhile, he realized the Elements of Harmony would probably be a good weapon against the force of ultimate evil. He was starting to understand what the Doctor meant when he said he came prepared.

“I'm sure your welcome celebration would be heartfelt, but we do have some things to take care of and I imagine that maybe we shouldn't overwhelm the poor boy upon immediate sight,” Apple Jack went on. Her next statement went to Feather Wind and Stern Wing directly. As she spoke, she also tipped her hat to them in a gesture of polite country greeting. “Greetings, y'all. I'm Apple Jack. Pleased to meet'cha.”

“Apple Jack, please!” complained another mare behind Apple Jack. “You're holding up the line. As remarkable as this place is divine, some of us would prefer to have a little bit of nice sunshine, thank-you-very-much! Such things do wonders for a lady's complexion.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Apple Jack moved to get out of the way and she also gestured to the next mare to emerge from the Tardis. This one was a mostly white mare but she had long and elegantly curved purple mane which was covered by a wide hat which had a circle of diamonds on it. She also wore a pink, flowing scarf and wore sunglasses shaped like hearts with encrusted powder diamonds around the rims of the glasses. As she emerged, Apple Jack waved a hoof to her friend who emerged from the Tardis and said, “This here is Rarity.”

“Apple Jack, please!” Rarity complained again. “I am a lady and a lady can introduce herself.” She gestured dramatically to herself. “As Apple Jack has said, I am . . . oh my!” She interrupted herself as her glasses glowed a cerulean aura color which she used to tip her sunglasses further down her muzzle in order to peek over them more clearly. “My, my, you're a small little pony, aren't you?” she noted in surprise as she regarded Feather Wind, then quickly added, “But still handsome, of course. Yes. I'm sure you can woo any lady that you want to.” Her glasses got shifted back up her muzzle with the same aura color. “As I was saying, I am Rarity . . . and it is a pleasure to meet you. Oh my!” She looked up and placed a hoof over her forehead. “If we had access to a time and space machine, couldn't you have the decency to invite us to a day with a little more sunshine? Rainbow Dash!” She whipped her head to look back into the Tardis. Upon doing so, a blue mare with striking rainbow mane quickly dashed right out of the door to the Tardis, exactly like her namesake.

“Yes Rarity?” Rainbow Dash asked upon rather quick arrival as she flapped in the air and spun about to regard her fanciful friend.

“Could you be a dear and clear up some of those clouds for me?” Rarity requested politely with a dismissive wave.

Before replying, first Rainbow Dash regarded the sky with a professional eye, then she gave a cocky grin. “Sure! No problem! I can do that in six seconds flat!”

“This isn't a race, but whatever works for you, darling,” Rarity accepted. “Now get to it before my mane gets all soggy from all this boggy shade.” As she said that, she bounced her mane with her hoof as if to test it's texture and see if it was still satisfactory.

{When I first saw Rarity from a distance while I visited her timeline in my future, it was pretty obvious to me that she was vain, but somehow she still surprised me how bold she was about it in public. There we were, standing in living history and about to save the world and the thing she complained about upon exiting an actual working time machine was the weather?}

Star Breeze giggled.

{I know, right?

{I've got to admit, though, Rainbow Dash was really quick in clearing up that weather. I wasn't counting exactly, but I had a feeling she actually did manage her own time limit. Something told me she timed herself often enough to know for sure how long it would take to manage her accomplishments, and I also had a feeling she wouldn't resist bragging about it when she got back.}

“Wow! She is good,” Stern Wing said with a low whistle as she trotted up to her fiancé while the both of them had their gaze zip back and forth, following a rainbow streak in the sky as the clouds got erased line by line. “Now that's a good flier! Do you think she could have made it in the Wonderbolts?”

“I'm pretty sure she is one,” Feather Wind figured confidently as he watched her fly back and forth, erasing the clouds. “I recognize the flight technique.”

“Huh. I suppose you would know,” Stern Wing figured with a proud grin towards her friend.

“Hi there! Pleased to meet you!” greeted another mare who emerged from the Tardis.

Feather Wind did not even have to look back to know who this was. “Greetings, your Majesty, though I heard you would prefer to be called Twilight Sparkle.” He looked over his shoulder at the newcomer and confirmed his suspicions. It was indeed a purple mare with purple mane but a lighter streak of purple running through her mane. Similar to the other princesses, what stood out about this mare was her wings and horn, but she was quite a bit smaller than the other two princesses. Twilight Sparkle also had very friendly eyes and, for some reason, she seemed a bit giddy too. She stared at Feather Wind with the kind of recognition one might expect upon meeting a celebrity. Since that was a bit strange, he decided to call her out on that one. “Do you recognize me?”

“Not in person, no,” Twilight admitted, “but I've read your work.” Unable to contain herself any longer, she burst out, “I'M A HUGE FAN!” She looked positively adorkable with that declaration and stared at Feather Wind with very wide eyes that kind of did sparkle, much like her namesake.

(She's probably referring to my poetry,) Feather Wind privately suspected but, instead of that, he said to her, “So with you here, I guess Fluttershy is the last to emerge. It figures she would be, from what I can tell of her and surmise from her name.”

Twilight actually could not speak. She was still frozen in fan girl mode.

“Not just her,” Luna pointed out, “but yes, indeed she is here.”

“Come on, Fluttershy! I'm sure it's plenty safe out there,” finally a male voice tried to calmly assure another pony still hidden within the Tardis. “Besides, all of your friends will be out there and I'll also personally be with you every step of the way.”

“B-b-but there's . . . big scary dinosaurs out there!” Fluttershy's tiny, fearful and adorable voice complained. “And big scary monsters . . . and other mean, nasty creatures.”

“Well, yeah but . . . isn't that why we're here?” the reasonable and kind young male voice asked back.

“That's Spike,” Feather Wind guessed aloud to his fiancée. “He never leaves Twilight's side.”

“Good guess,” Apple Jack commended, “but, the other thing you said isn't always true. Spike has been away from Twilight at least a couple of times, I reckon.”

“Listen to that. Their calling my name out there. We have to go,” Spike said encouragingly to Fluttershy.

“No . . . I . . . don't!” Fluttershy insisted. “I don't have to do anything I don't want to do. You can go out there in that awful, scary place if you want to . . . but I'm staying right here where it's safe.”

Spike sighed then headed out towards the exit, but there he paused and proceeded no further. There Feather Wind saw the familiar three feet tall purple dragon with green spikes trailing up his spine, back of his neck and head. Feather Wind had never seen that dragon up close, however, and the wings on the dragon's back was totally new. Furthermore, Feather Wind recalled that there was a giant crystalline statue of Spike in the Crystal Empire as he triumphantly held up the likeness of the Crystal Heart with a single claw outstretched above him. According to that statue, it confirmed the fact that Spike used to lack wings. Feather Wind wondered how Spike spontaneously grew that body feature, then it occurred to him to wonder why it was missing in the first place.

“I'm sorry, everyone,” Spike apologized at the doorway to the Tardis.

“There is no need to apologize, Spike,” Celestia said smoothly with a glint of amusement in her eyes and voice. “Just give her time. I'm sure she'll find the courage in herself to come out eventually. She'll do anything to be kind to her friends, after all. In the meantime, why don't you keep her company and help calm her down?”

“That's exactly what I was thinking,” Spike agreed. He gave a quick glance to Feather Wind and Stern Wing. He gave a brief wave hi. “Hi there! Pleased to meet you! I'm Spike, and I am . . .” he sighed, “. . . a little busy right now so if you'll kindly excuse me.”

“So dragons can be polite! Good to know,” Stern Wing remarked, then she said under her breath so only Feather Wind could hear. “As you well know, it can be dangerous in the Tardis too sometimes.”

“Of course we can be polite!” said another feminine voice who emerged from the Tardis's exit. Feather Wind and Stern Wing were surprised to find it wasn't a pony this time, but another dragon. Older than Spike in this case. Fortunately for her, she was small enough to fit through the Tardis main exit and entrance. Like Spike before her, this dragon stood upright on two hind claws. She was blue-scaled but with white on her belly area which extended down to her waistline. The horns on her head were curved down then bent forward. Just beyond the exit of the Tardis, she struck a bold pose by putting her claws on her hips as she said, “Generally we don't need to be, however. When a dragon comes by, most creatures have the decent sense to just stay out of our way.”

“Everyone, this here is Ember, Lord of the Dragons,” Apple Jack politely introduced while still standing to the side of the exit and gesturing to the one who just exited the Tardis.

Stern Wing gave a quizzical look to Apple Jack. “Don't you mean Lady of the Dragons?”

“Yeah. I was wondering that too,” Star Breeze added in the future.

Ember gave a careless wave. “Lord, lady, whatever. Either way, it still means I'm in charge,” she announced as she thumbed to herself.

Feather Wind sighed. “In that case, I wish I had your assistance eight years ago when I had trouble with another dragon.”

Vision gave a pouty face at Feather Wind for mentioning how long it had been for him and Stern Wing.

“Really?” Ember looked slightly taken aback. “You had some trouble with another dragon? How old was he? Or she?”

“He, and considerably older than you, most likely,” Feather Wind answered. “He was about the size of a small mountain. Think you could have hoofled him if you had been there?”

“Eh.” Ember shrugged. “Back in my time I am Lord of the Dragons because I won the Bloodstone Scepter in the Gauntlet of Fire, though I did have Spike's help.” Feather Wind privately took a note to research that little fact later if he could. “However, in this time, I kind of doubt other dragons will answer to my authority. I'm afraid I can't help you out with that little problem here, although I probably could have whupped his butt myself anyway. I am pretty strong and clever, you know.”

“Considering the kind of competition you likely had during the Gauntlet of Fire, I do not doubt the sincerity of your claim,” Feather Wind assured.

“And with that in mind, I could use some grub,” Ember announced as she rubbed her belly then called to some other creature inside the Tardis. “Hey! You with the scarf! Come here! You promised to feed me with your crystal magic.”

Feather Wind's eyes exploded wide and passed that same astonished look to the Doctor. “You didn't!”

The Doctor returned Feather Wind's look with a sly grin of his own.

“I'm coming,” assured a male stallion who emerged from the Tardis and, sure enough, it was Sombra. He did not look corrupted, however. Instead of glowing purple and black eyes and flaming black mane, he just looked like a regular pony with a long red scarf tied to his neck. His dark gray coat, crimson eyes, black mane and sideburns on his face was unmistakable to Feather Wind.

“I'm with you on this one,” Apple Jack said nervously. “This one makes me more nervous than a rattlesnake caught in a barnyard full of hay and extra irritated to boot! Shoot! You can just strap me up and stretch me across the field yard with the way he makes me feel like a young filly.”

“So that's what Crystal Sage looks like,” Stern Wing whispered to her fiancé quietly. “You should have told me he was so handsome.”

{I peered sharply at your mother for that comment, wondering if she was teasing me.}

Star Breeze giggled.

“Whatever my history with you was, I assure you I have not done so yet, nor do I intend to harm you,” Sombra assured Apple Jack kindly.

“Begging your pardon, sir.” Apple Jack backed off from him while giving him a tip of her hat. “Now I know you're not . . . mean at all yet but I have had a history with y'all and it ain't too pretty. Just give me some time to get the hang of this. I'm sure I'll warm up to y'all eventually.”

“Eh. I have no judgments,” Ember assured with a shrug. “Any pony that can conjure crystal like he can is okay in my book, and speaking of which . . . get cracking with my dinner!” Ember demanded.

“As you wish, my lady,” Sombra said to her politely with a pleasant bow of his head to her. While keeping it down, his horn ignited a ruby color and a large ruby spike tore upward from the earth near her position.

“Now that's more like it!” Ember said happily. “You're useful . . . for a pony, that is.”

“I endeavor to serve,” Sombra humbly assured as he lifted his head.

Beware! Crystal Sage telepathically warned Feather Wind from within the Red Crystal. He is of my history, but just after he started to get corrupted.

If he's from your history, don't you recall standing here at this very moment? Feather Wind internally asked back.

Mysteriously, no, Crystal Sage answered. Maybe the Doctor erased my memories of this encounter after it is completed. That still doesn't make sense, though. I do sense the dark magic already starting to infect him. If he's been pulled into this time, that only gives him more time to be corrupted, and that would mess with history quite dramatically. I'm not sure what the Doctor is up to or how he's pulled this off. That is a question I'd very much like an answer to before I feel I can relax again.

“You were the one who ruled the Crystal Empire before in the distant past, right?” asked another creature to emerge from the Tardis. This one took Feather Wind and Stern Wing aback. Neither of them recognized his species entirely let alone the individual. He kind of looked like a colorful cross between a bug and a reindeer. “It's hard to believe that you were the one who once ruled with an iron hoof. That place was and still is so full of light and hope that it drew me from miles away from it back when I was . . . umm . . . different. That's actually were I met Spike for the first time.”

“This is Thorax,” Celestia introduced, easily reading Feather Wind and Stern Wing's shocked expression. “He and his brother are changelings closer to my time. Don't worry. He's very friendly, or at least Thorax is.”

Noticing his name being introduced, Thorax fully emerged from the Tardis and gave a friendly wave hi to Feather Wind and Stern Wing. “Hi there! It's nice to meet you both, um . . .” he looked at Celestia for help.

“This is Feather Wind and Stern Wing,” Celestia answered his silent query without missing a beat.

“Feather Wind and Stern Wing,” Thorax repeated. “Pleasure to meet you. My name is Thorax, and I'm leader of the changeling pack in my time. We mostly just hang around, play games and put on plays. It's very nice, actually.”

“Nice for you, maybe,” complained the next occupant to emerge from the Tardis. He, too, sounded male. Like Thorax, he looked like a weird combination of a reindeer and a bug, but he had a much darker color scheme and he seemed a bit more menacing. “But some of us don't like your manzy-panzy little games and side shows.”

“You said it!” Rainbow Dash agreed as she dove nearby the new changeling and offered a high hoof. Because of what she said, he did not leave her hanging on that hoof bump. “You're like me! You'd rather be battling monsters and cool stuff like that.”

“Can we talk about this later, Pharynx?” Thorax asked with irritation towards his brother. “You're kind of embarrassing me in front of my new pony friends.”

“Embarrass you? You are the embarrassment, little brother,” Pharynx trotted up to his brother and gave him a noogie, “but that's why I love ya.”

“Ow! Cut it out, Pharynx,” Thorax complained about the noogie as well as the disrespectful treatment he was receiving in public.

“If you don't like how I treat you, prevent it,” Pharynx dared. “You invited me because you needed me, right little brother? Everyone knows you would not put up much of a fight against this Black Star or whatever.”

“I didn't invite you. You volunteered, remember?” Thorax reminded. “And besides, I can fight. You saw that yourself sometimes. Remember? When someone I care about is in trouble, I become a beast.”

“Hmm.” Pharynx pretended to be thoughtful about his brother's comment, then asked everyone else around him, “Hey. Anyone else around here want to hear about the time I made my brother Thorax here hit himself?”

“Do I?” Rainbow Dash asked excitedly. “I'm all over it! You've got to tell me all about that. I'm all ears.”

Thorax gave Rainbow Dash a mixture of a confused and annoyed look, then he asked her, “Please remind me . . . which Element of Harmony do you represent again?”

“Loyalty,” Rainbow Dash answered immediately then gave a dismissive wave, “but, like . . . twenty-percent cooler than that.”

“Cooler than loyalty?” Thorax reflected doubtfully.

“Yeah. Duh,” Rainbow Dash replied flatly then waved at Pharynx to continue. While he did that, two more mares emerged from the Tardis, both of them unicorns in this case.

One of them was a blue mare with a white mane. What stood out about her most upon first impression was actually her attire. She wore an almost gaudy looking purple pointy hat with lots of stars on it. She wore a matching cape to go along with it. By her side was another mare of very similar age. She had a very light purple hide with darker purple mane that was curved to her side at two points, one of them being longer than the other. She also had a small very light blue streak running through her mane. Between the two, it was the blue mare that was the first to announce herself and she also did it quite boldly.

“Well, I heard that story before and, to be honest with you, it's not that great,” the blue mare with the star hat and cape announced upon arrival. “If you want a real story then Trixie has got you covered, and it's not just an ordinary story but a GREAT . . . and POWERFUL STORY!” She almost chucked an object straight at the ground but the one standing beside her caught the object in a light blue aura glow and forced it to float up above her companion's reach. The one Feather Wind assumed was named Trixie glared at her companion for that. “Do you mind! You're interrupting my great and powerful show, and this is my process.”

“Actually, yeah. I kind of do mind. That's why I stopped you,” the light purple mare said with a light, playful chuckle. “I know you only get one chance to make a first impression and I understand why you would want to make it a good one but remember when we are. These smoke bombs might not be as easy to replace as you might think, so it might be time to consider being more frugal with them.”

“Twilight? Are you okay there, Sugar Cube?” Apple Jack approached and waved a hoof up and down in front of her still frozen friend who was still stuck in a fangasm.

“What? Frugal?” Trixie looked appalled by her friend's suggestion. “Why I never! Trixie always goes big, or not at all!”

The light purple mare with darker purple mane rolled her eyes then telekinetically gave the smoke bomb back. “Alright, but don't come crying to me when you finally do run out of smoke bombs.”

“What? Have you ever met me, Starlight Glimmer?” Trixie asked her friend. “I am Trixie! The GREAT and POWERFUL magician! I never run out of smoke bombs! It's part of my charm, after all.” When she said that she fluffed her mane with an arrogant pose for a moment then looked at the ground with an almost evil smile. “Witness as I perform for your amusement . . . the great and powerful Trixie . . . disappear!” She chucked the bomb at the ground but it had an unexpected effect. It burst into a huge cloud of what almost looked like tiny ponies the size of butterflies but they had butterfly wings and curled antenna and they all looked like a very miniaturized version of Trixie. They quickly scattered away from the area. “What?!” Trixie exclaimed in shock, then looked back into the Tardis with an angry face. “Discord!”

Stern Wing suddenly looked alarmed. “What did you say?”

A very mixed up racial individual which had a deer antler on the right side on top of his head, a blue goat horn on the left, one long fang in his mouth, different-sized eye pupils, a snake tongue, a goat beard, and white bushy eyebrows. He had the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, and the left leg of a goat. In addition, he had a bat's right wing, a pegasus' left wing, a horse's mane, and a dragon-like snake's tail with a white tail tuft. The shape of his body resembled that of a snake. He appeared from out of nowhere and coiled himself several times around Trixie. When he was finished, he flicked her muzzle with his left eagle claw while regarding her with a very trollish grin.

“You know, it's funny,” Discord said upon arrival at Trixie. He needed no introduction for Feather Wind or Stern Wing. “I do recall a time when we were in the changeling hive back during a time when they were still hip and cool. Since our magic didn't work there at the time, we used your smoke bombs as a distraction at one point. Later on we reached another gate that had another group of changelings in front of the door. You reached into your saddle bag and pulled out nothing, as I recall. Now what was it you said about your smoke bombs back then? Oh wait! I think I recall.” Suddenly his face turned into a mocking resemblance of Trixie but it was clearly still him except he now had a white mane and wore a copy of her star purple hat, although a closer examination of that hat by a very observant creature would have revealed a bunch of images of Discord in various poses on the hat instead of stars. While imitating her very badly, he said, “'And I'm fresh out of smoke bombs'.” He then sneered at her as his face suddenly returned to, well, what would pass as “normal” for him. “Do you recall this?”

“Get out of my face, Discord!” Trixie demanded irritably, then closed her eyes as she explained, “Back then I was under a lot of pressure. I was awakened in the middle of the night by,” she looked fondly and a bit smugly at Starlight, “my dear and best friend,” then resumed glaring at Discord “for an emergency which, I also recall, you were party to and you were even more useless than I was! I may have run out of smoke bombs that one time but you didn't have any to begin with so HA! I win!”

“You invited Discord?!” Stern Wing growled at the Doctor.

“Actually, no,” the Doctor admitted. “He's the only one who invited himself, and he's the only one different from the others in another way, which I'll explain later.” The Doctor regarded Stern Wing. “Since when in the past has my invitation, or lack thereof, ever summoned or prevented Discord from inexplicably popping into and out of the Tardis? I swear to you, I am not accustomed to the Tardis being that easily invaded but there you have it.” He shrugged. “Who knew?”

“Wait!” Feather Wind narrowed one eye. “If Discord is here, he could solve this problem in an instant. One snap of his claw or paw and The Dark Star could be a forgotten memory.”

“I'm afraid it's not that simple,” Celestia said with regret. “The Dark Star has more power than any force that has ever plagued Equestria, Discord included. He probably gained his powers from a power source like this one, or got corrupted by it at one time. I doubt even he knows his own true history anymore, considering his nature.”

“What's more,” Luna added, “if The Dark Star learns of Discord's existence, it might try to corrupt him again, or perhaps summon some monstrous equivalent. For now it's ignorance of his existence is protecting us because this dark force hasn't met Discord yet, but imagine if it did and that power were to be turned against us. As easily as you might think he can defeat this thing, it is even more likely it could be turned against us. He could defeat us all with a snap of his claw or paw.”

“My, my, my!” Discord smiled deviously at Stern Wing and Feather Wind. He suddenly disappeared around Trixie within a brief flash of white and reappeared behind the two in the same manner and bent over to look at them upside-down.

“Yeah! You better run!” Trixie threatened at Discord.

Without looking at her, Discord snapped his lion paw and a flying pig appeared below Trixie after a brief flash of white beneath her. It squealed then flew off.

“Oh no! Not this thing again!” Trixie complained then screamed in panic as she started to fly off on top of the pig.

Several things all happened at once so it was difficult for Feather Wind and Stern Wing to pay attention to them all.

Starlight Glimmer groaned and kindly requested for Discord not to tease Trixie anymore.

At the same time, yet another alicorn princess emerged from the Tardis. This one was slightly pink but had a multi-color mane of dark purple, light purple, and white. Also her wings shifted to purple towards the tips. Her mane was much longer and thicker on one side which curled in a swirl towards the tips. She was also among the few to wear any kind of gear, jewelry in this case. She had a small necklace that clung tight to her neck, and she had horseshoes that covered the forward tips of her hooves. Beside her was a regal white stallion unicorn with multi-color blue mane. The tips of his hooves were also blue, but it looked natural in this case. They stood very close to each other. Feather Wind could easily tell they had an intimate relationship together. Besides, he didn't even need to guess that. He had seen them before when he visited the Crystal Empire what felt like ages ago, and he knew their names as well. The mare was named Princess Cadence and the stallion beside her, also her husband, was Shining Armor. After seeing them, Feather Wind started to realize that pretty much every alicorn princess known seemed to be here. There was only one missing that Feather Wind was aware of, and she was probably in the Tardis too.

At the same time Discord reintroduced himself to Feather Wind and Stern Wing directly.

“Well hello again, my friends! It's so good to see you once again. Off gallivanting on another one of the Doctor's insane and inane mystical adventures? Ah, but of course you are! How silly of me to ask. Why else would you be here? And oh look . . . you even managed to pull in a big gang this time.” He chuckled with mischievous glee as if he had an evil plan regarding that. “Isn't this wonderful? I feel like celebrating along with a certain pink party pony with peppy powers pulled by particularly peculiar . . . um . . . circumstances!”

“You don't have to ask me twice!” Pinkie concurred then mysteriously and very oddly pulled out an entire blue cannon out of her mane and dropped it right in front of her. Seconds later it burst out a cloud of party confetti.

While the party cannon exploded, the last alicorn princess had indeed emerged from the Tardis except she was far older than Feather Wind had last seen her. As an adult mare, her color scheme was very close to her mother's except her mane was more curly and puffy. It had purple, blue and lighter pink in it. Her wing tips also shifted into purple, but it was much closer to the tip than her mother and that was a new feature her infant self lacked. Her cutie mark was also new. It wasn't visible yet but it did glow when she touched Twilight Sparkle. For some reason that finally calmed Twilight down.

“Oh, um.” Twilight looked back at Flurry Heart, Princess Cadence's and Shining Armor's daughter. “Thank you, Flurry Heart.” Twilight blushed a bit as she looked slightly embarrassed. “I needed that.”

“It's okay, auntie Twilie,” Flurry Heart said with a soft smile. “Always happy to help.”

While that was happening, Discord continued to talk to Feather Wind and Stern Wing. While that was happening, even more conversations were occurring nearby outside and still inside the Tardis.

{I have to be honest with you, I think I started to zone out around this point. There was so much to absorb and so much going on around me. Even more ponies and dragons poured out of the Tardis. They just kept on coming. I would have been more awed if I wasn't already so stunned to notice that one of them was Star Swirl the Bearded himself and he also had his own group of friends who were legendary members of Equestria so long ago. Along with them was several members of the Royal Legion that Flash Magnus served under, whom he was happy to see again and seemed like he had not seen them in a long time for some reason, and earth ponies of the Mighty Helm which Rockhoof was quite familiar with. Princess Cadence and Princess Celestia had also brought a contingent of their most elite guards to accompany them on this mission. Several members of the Wonderbolts also showed up, these ones native to Rainbow Dash's timeline.

{I vaguely recall the Doctor mentioning that to face ultimate evil on the planet required facing it with the world's best champions who were spread across the ages. After all, this was a dark force so powerful it could attack them across the ages as well, and right now it was threatening their existence entirely. He also explained something to us that was very interesting. He said that most of these guests, except for himself, Vision, Derpy, Stern Wing, myself and Discord . . . were all temporal time clones. What this meant was he borrowed them from a frozen, infinitesimal moment of time and made them an offer to help him battle ultimate evil back in this time period. By using this strategy, he made a time copy of each of them that would not affect their original selves. If they were killed or returned to their natural timeline, either way they disappear and everything they do here in this time period would not be recalled by their original selves, regardless of what they do here. He explained that was how he was able to borrow them without damaging the many fixed periods of times that surrounded each of their lives, and this strategy had other advantages too . . . and some disadvantages.

{Oh, I should also mention that certain members of my family showed up as well. Among them, it included my Uncle Ramadon, my father Author Scroll, and . . . my mother.}

xoxo

Star Breeze widened her eyes in astonishment. “You saw your dead mother again?”

“It was a time frozen clone copy of her,” Feather Wind elaborated. “She was borrowed from a moment before she died.” Feather Wind rubbed his face with both of his hooves. “This was the kindest . . . and at the same time cruelest act the Doctor had ever done for me. You can imagine my father's and uncle's reaction as well. That was pretty . . . intense, but for them most of the emotional stuff was hoofled before they got to me. For me, this was crashing down on top of me all at once. I have a disciplined mind, too. I had been through a lot by that point in my life. I could even concentrate on multiple separate spells at once. That isn't easy. Try to imagine multiple separate walls in your head complete with a detailed picture of every brick of each separate wall. It gets tricky, especially to hold that image in your head and not let it slip.”

Feather Wind released a long breath, then said, “You know what, Honey, I need a bit of a break. This is a complex moment of my history and there was a lot going on during that point. It felt especially overwhelming in the beginning. I had more time to adjust and get to know them later on but, right then at the start, it was just one explosive surprise after another. To refresh my memory, I need to consult my notes that I wrote down in here.” He telekinetically lifted and shook the Red Crystal for emphasis. “I also need a moment to clear my head before I get back to the story.”

“Okay Dad. No worries. Take your time. I think I could use a break as well to help me absorb all of this.”

“Absolutely, Sweet Pea,” Feather Wind agreed as he reached over and ruffled her mane a bit.

“Aw, Dad,” Star Breeze slightly complained but she enjoyed the attention too.

Feather Wind then stood up. “Be back in a bit. If you need me, call my name out in the wind.”

“I know the drill,” Star Breeze assured.

“Okay.” With that Feather Wind leapt off and put his hooves in the four pockets of the Mist Cloak. The wind caught and billowed it which propelled him up even faster.

Which left Star Breeze to dwell on her own thoughts as well. Early on during that time a startling revelation occurred to her.

xoxo

“I'm back. Did you miss me?” Feather Wind asked his daughter upon returning to her after a four hour break. “Oh, I see you're continuing your magnetic practice.”

Star Breeze was hovering a rock between her hooves. The rock was spinning various different directions. Which direction it spun depended on which way she was spinning the energy between her hooves. She abandoned her project seconds after he landed though. Honestly she was hoping he would return awhile ago because she had a question burning in her mind for quite awhile.

“Dad.” As she spoke, she dropped the rock. “I want you to tell me honestly.” She looked squarely in his eyes. “Was I there in the past as a temporal time clone?”

Feather Wind paused as he considered his answer, then he answered her question with another question. “Do you want to be?”

“Dad! Just answer the question. Please,” Star Breeze begged.

“Your future is up to you,” Feather Wind said. “Whatever you do by then is your choice. Let me reflect the question. Pretend the Doctor came and claimed you right now. Just snatched you up from an infinitesimal frozen moment in time and then he offered the chance to go back in time and face ultimate evil in the distant past. Would you accept right now?”

Star Breeze blinked. “I, ah . . . don't know. It sounds scary, but at the same time I'd be super curious and excited. I mean, you met Star Swirl the Bearded in person! Time clone or no, that's a fantastic moment. I'm sure the others were very exciting as well, but . . . I'm just a young filly, Dad. What am I supposed to do against ultimate evil?”

“In that case, when do you think you'd be ready for such an offer?” Feather Wind probed onward.

“It doesn't really matter what I say, right?” Star Breeze checked. “I mean, at least from your perspective. If it will happen then it already has happened so tell me . . . was I there or wasn't I?”

Feather Wind sat beside her and gently stroked a hoof up and down her spine. As he did so he said, “I choose not to tell you. Whether you are there or not is up to you. I will never be willing to take that choice away from you. If you really want this at any point in your life, you might have been there. Otherwise, the answer is no. I advise you, as you listen to my story, to try to imagine what you might have said or done in that situation because, one day, it might become a choice you'll have to face. If you did meet Star Swirl the Bearded or any other famous pony that you care about and that pony happened to be among us . . . what would you say or do? No matter what you think you might say or do, you are always correct. Time is fluid. It's changing all the time. The past, present and future is always changing. I remember one version of history. You might experience another. If you do, it's because of your choices. Remember that, Star Breeze. It's always because of your choices.”

“If I played an important role in the past . . . how are you going to explain that to me without telling me if I was there or not?”

“Regardless of your involvement or not, I will outright skip those parts of my story,” Feather Wind assured. “It's up to you to fill in those gaps. Decide now what you would have done if you had been there and, if you change your mind later, then fill in the gap with your new version of your choice. You could potentially be borrowed as a time clone at any possible moment, so the possibilities on what you would have done in the past is endless. I will say it would make more sense to borrow you from a healthier, older and more experienced version of yourself. The Doctor does not like to endanger young foals anyway. That's just his policy. He was quite reluctant to accept Vision for the same reason, as you may recall. If this will actually happen to you, it is far more likely you are borrowed from an older and stronger version of yourself, and I would personally agree with the Doctor on that point. It just makes more sense. In every second of your life from this point forward, think about my story on occasion, especially this chapter of it. If you were there . . . what would you have done? Whatever you decide, that's probably what you did.”

“No matter what I decide, even though I won't remember any of it,” Star Breeze realized with a frown. “For me, it's like it never happened.”

“That's exactly what it was like for almost every other creature in our party back then. Only I, Vision, your mother, Derpy, the Doctor and Discord remember the whole story. Well, at least the parts we were personally there for. Every one of us was at one place at a time except maybe Discord. Actually he had a frequent habit of making multiple copies of himself all the time.”

“Ah!” Star Breeze wildly pointed her hoof at her father. “You said his name! You said his name! He might pop in now!”

“That's always possible, so I won't stress my entire life away at the mere possibility that he could show up. Yes, saying his name does increase the odds, but that's only because it might gather his attention. Even if you have it, he may or may not show up. Seems to me he rolls dice in his own head to decide things like that. Given how totally random he is, it's never wise to count on him from moment to moment. If he does show up, don't count on it being fun either. It will be fun for him on his standards. If you happen to share his sense of humor then lucky you, otherwise you might have a hard time with him. I know your mother never appreciated his sense of humor. From her perspective, he's a cruel and sadistic bully and it gulls her that he's too powerful to do anything about it. For me . . . I find him fun on occasion, but sometimes his jokes go too far. Sometimes I even think he regrets it. Discord is like an immortal foal that's constantly struggling against boredom. With an eternity to work with, imagine how boring life could become if you make no effort to make it entertaining. Even with all of reality at your hoof tips, eventually you've done it all. I kind of feel sorry for Discord if he never learns to change, but honestly that was already happening when I met him. He claims he used to be worse, and he also claims Fluttershy motivated him to be a better draconequus, which is the name of his race, by the way. Until he changes it again, anyway.

“I had a chance to meet Fluttershy in person at last . . . and I have to say they initially make an odd pair, but when I contemplate how a powerful and omnipotent being like him might feel the weight of eternity always pressing on his chest, looking at life from a new perspective could make everything feel new and fresh again. This time it happened to be Fluttershy that guided him to that perspective. Eventually it will be some other pony or creature. This is good for him. He needs to allow himself the flexibility to change as often as he feels he needs to. Indeed, he does it all too frequently, but being random certainly is one way to avoid stagnation. Boredom will always be his ultimate enemy, and if he didn't defend himself from it then he has enough time on his claw slash paw for it to get really, really bad.”

“How was this journey a challenge when you had an ally who could do literally anything?” Star Breeze wondered.

“I'll tell you flat out right now . . . he can do anything, but he can't do everything. I know that might not make much sense at first, but bear with me. He actually couldn't defy The Dark Star, for example. It was a semi-intelligent savage animal, but it was capable of almost any kind of power as long as it stems from dark emotions. It was capable of learning from it's opponents by reflecting their greatest fears right back at them. Discord was not immune to that. He had fears of his own and, if he got tortured by them, he was at risk of slipping to the dark side again.

“Also, he wasn't the kind of being that could be relied upon as a consistent ally. He'll do whatever he wants at all times and he prides himself at thumbing his nose at authority. He is and was normally the worst kind of team player, but I heard he can be a good one if he considers the cooperative game to be fun. He even fought with his own copies of himself at times.

“Fluttershy's influence and all others who genuinely call him a friend keep his antics more on the positive side but we were up against an enemy that could so easily switch him back to evil again. Just like he could pop in clones of himself at any moment, imagine if The Dark Star started doing that too. Learning from Discord's example, it follows suit.

“No. The true weapon against The Dark Star here was friendship and all the positive feelings that came with it. It was a power The Dark Star couldn't copy, and the only way it could counter it was by throwing an overabundance of the opposite influence. It always worked to try to break us apart because that was where we were at our strongest.

“And that's why the Doctor brought my mother along. My mother, Silver Shine, was by no means a warrior of any kind. She could not think to harm even a bug. She wasn't the only pony like that in our group either. Derpy and Fluttershy were also like her in many ways. All of them had incredible innocence. They were all adorable, and they all lit up the room with their smiles. They were deeply in touch with their emotions. They were all easily scared but, when they grasped onto their courage, they exploded with it. Fighting The Dark Star didn't just require awesome fliers and warriors and spellcasters . . . it required mind and heart. My mother had a radiant heart. So did Derpy, so did Fluttershy, and I can probably add myself as well to this list. I very often have a sensitive side. I can lose control of myself many times because of it. I won't say I'm very innocent, but I often do lead by my heart.

“That's how and why I made such an intense connection with the sky. I didn't master this by studying scrolls. I mastered this because I felt my way through it, and that was a habit I could never just suddenly drop no matter how convenient it could have been throughout multiple points of my life. It was also my strength many times as well, and it helped me help my friends through this most arduous journey.

“The Doctor . . . he really didn't bring Silver Shine along for my sake or my father or my uncle. He brought her because she was the right choice to help us save the world from this particular threat. He knew this was an opponent that would require many kinds of varied skills and talents. It was just that challenging, and he also knew that, in the end, our emotions were the ultimate key to defeating this thing.

“Flurry Heart was the Crystal Heart. I'll say it again. Flurry Heart was . . . the Crystal Heart. It was literally embedded in her cutie mark, and it's what helped to cause her existence. She was born a alicorn because of her connection to the Crystal Heart, and no other pony in the world could control it like she could. She even shattered it as an infant on accident, and that was why. She always had an intense connection to it. It was honestly remarkable how similar her cutie mark appeared to be when compared to her mother's.

“Now the Crystal Heart was a stored medium of emotion of all those who chose to imbue it. Because of that combined essence, it had the power to do amazing things, not the least of which was to protect us from negative energy and it could do it in a wide radius as well. By combining all those positive feelings, it also magnifies it.

“So, what if that emotion was projected at the Elements of Harmony? Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle . . . they all shared an intense connection with the very force that was the biggest drive for harmony in our land. As The Dark Star is to evil, the Tree of Harmony is to good, and these six were the main branches of that tree. As such, they could tap into the stored energy that was gathered throughout Equestria, and the Crystal Heart could multiply that power like a magnifying lens.

“One of the biggest reasons why every creature was there was to empower the Crystal Heart so that it, in turn, could empower the Elements of Harmony. Even they couldn't do this alone. They took out villains that almost wrecked the entire world, but they were nothing compared to the source of dark strength. This time . . . for once . . . the Elements of Harmony alone was not enough. It would take us all to overpower this overwhelming force, and we would have to do it in the right way.

“The Doctor was a genius. I said it before and I'll say it again. Before he showed up, he already had this brilliant plan in motion. He brought with him what it would actually take to defeat an opponent this powerful but, to do it, we would all have to work together on this one. There's just no other way to succeed.

“But before I get to that part, let me explain more of the important things we went through that helped prepare us to face this enemy. Like I said before, friendship was the key to success in this case, but many of us met each other for the first time. That even included Princess Cadence and Shining Armor with their daughter. According to her parents, they had never seen the adult version of their child before. I don't know why the Doctor chose a younger version of Flurry Heart's parents. I dread to think it's because they died along the way, and I honestly can't reject that dark possibility, as much as I'd like to, but whatever the case may be . . . the three of them were getting to know each other for the first time. Likewise, my mother never met the adult version of me either. On this journey I had the painful privilege to get to know how she would have felt if she encountered me as an adult.

“The list goes on. Many, many of the creatures brought along each had a unique contribution to the group project and, for it to fulfill it's greatest potential, we all had to get to know each other and care for one another deeply, even if they were temporary time clones. That does not make the feelings any less real and, against The Dark Star, that's all that mattered.

“There were other advantages to being a time clone as well. Sacrificing their lives would not put their original selves at risk. They were also stuck in whatever condition they were in when the Doctor borrowed them so he made sure to borrow them from a moment they were fully awake and not hungry because, otherwise, they would be stuck constantly hungry and feeling tired. Their hearts did not beat either. That was an odd sensation for them. They never needed to sleep or eat, though they could do both if they wanted to which Ember proved earlier by demanding crystal from Sombra. In a way, they had infinite stamina as well because they were stuck in the temporal condition they were borrowed from. That's a lot to get used to, and a very different state of existence. The downside was they would remember none of this adventure, but that didn't mean they couldn't make a difference. Victory, in this case, was more important than the method. They didn't need to remember this to save the world, and their lives could thus go on like nothing happened. For them . . . it was all just a dream.

“But I remember. Me, Stern Wing, Vision, Derpy, the Doctor and Discord . . . we were all there to actually experience everything that happened. Also the natives of this timeline that we brought. They would remember this too. That also meant we could get sick, we could get tired, we could get hungry, we would need sleep, and we could die. We were actually there to experience every risk and reward and, remember, it was a very extreme risk. It wouldn't be a stretch to say we risked our immortal souls on this quest considering the nature of the enemy. It was all about corruption, so we truly faced that threat head on. None of us could do this on our own, so the efforts of all those time clones were absolutely vital.

“Because we had a temporal copy of the Crystal Heart as well, it also meant we had the spirits of every pony who ever enchanted it with us as well. This is very important to understand. Every pony who lifts a bolder divides the weight equally between everypony who participated in the project. We may have been less than bugs to this enemy, but bugs could swarm . . . and this was a group with a united cause and spirit.”

xoxo

{As I said earlier, our initial meeting was quite complicated. There were so many ponies meeting other ponies and other creatures, not to mention the natives that were already here.

{General Slekcorza was just floored by what he encountered. I told him he could trust the Doctor and that alone was difficult for him to accept, but he trusted me to a point so he went along with the project I was proposing to help summon the Doctor . . . but, when the Doctor showed up, he brought a veritable army along with him. This was an overload for General Slekcorza's sensibilities. I think he felt like his city was being invaded by a bunch of powerful aliens from the future, ones that could clear the entire sky of clouds in six seconds flat. At that point there were too many targets to study. In the end, he basically just backed off, overwhelmed by this situation and he didn't know how to hoofle it. Honestly, I could well sympathize with him in this case. I was more familiar with these newcomers and even I felt overwhelmed.

{What I know that happened next was we were all moved to a large reception hall where we basically just mingled. As an odd curiosity of their temporary state of existence, none of the time clones needed to sleep . . . ever . . . so they didn't need beds either. Whatever they chose to do in this time period, they could do it tirelessly and constantly.

{Actually, I take it back. Mental and emotional fatigue could eventually settle in. Doing the same thing over and over again leads to boredom, and the time clones were not immune to that because their minds and emotions were among the few aspects about them that were not frozen in time. The fact that their emotions could flourish was really the principle reason they were here, and emotions were capable of anything, including boredom.

{There were far too many conversations that took place for me to remember them all and, besides, I wasn't there for them all. Of the ones I was involved with, or at least overheard, let me give you some snippets to serve as just small examples of the kinds of conversations that took place there. Besides, some of these conversations led to important discoveries or decisions later down the road, so I'll need to cover those. Let's see . . . what are some examples I could tell you? Hmm . . . Oh! I know!}

“So Feather Wind, Twilight tells me you were the first unicorn to apply to the Wonderbolt Academy. Why did you drop out?” Rainbow Dash broached upon approaching Feather Wind who was just talking to Star Swirl a moment ago. In fact Star Swirl was still standing there, waiting on an answer to a question he just proposed himself a moment ago until they both got interrupted by Rainbow Dash.

That statement honestly surprised Star Swirl so his wide-eyed look transferred from Rainbow Dash to Feather Wind. Normally he should have been almost completely ignorant about the Wonderbolts but this version of Star Swirl was actually borrowed from Feather Wind's future, not the past. Apparently he got locked in limbo with the Pony of Shadows for over a thousand years before being pulled out by Twilight and her friends. When that adventure concluded (luckily with a happy ending), Star Swirl had a chance to explore the “realm”, as he called it, of the future. During his travels, he encountered many things, including information of famous groups like the Wonderbolts. He knew, by then, what they represented and had at least an idea how difficult it should be to join such an illustrious group, so to hear a member of his own race had once joined the Academy was quite a shock for him.

{And, as a quick note of fill in, what Star Swirl and I were talking about just a moment ago was my future role in the army as we march our way north to banish The Dark Star. He also spoke with my father and uncle a moment ago and they all concluded that I might be a valuable asset to the spellcasting team for this army, of which Star Swirl himself intended to be part of, naturally. Star Swirl came to me to gauge my intentions in the coming days ahead in this journey he called, “The Road to Darkness.” I didn't make an official decision yet before we got interrupted. I believe, at that point, he was about to discuss the options but then Rainbow Dash showed up with a question that put a quick halt to our previous conversation.}

“There were many reasons, Rainbow Dash,” Feather Wind answered.

“You just couldn't hack it, so you quit?” Rainbow Dash asked with a little bit of an offended tone.

{Another quick note; at this point of our conversation I had yet to see Rainbow Dash ever land on the ground. Wherever she went and whomever she chose to talk to, she constantly did it while flapping in the air. I know that, as a time clone, she basically had infinite stamina, but come on! Even for a Wonderbolt, that kind of dedication to the sky seemed ridiculous. I've seen the Wonderbolts up close too and I know them well enough to realize this behavior was unusual. There were other members of the Wonderbolts also here in that room from Rainbow Dash's timeline and they were trotting about just fine. Not even I remain in the sky all the time, and I'm one with that element. I guess this habit was more distinctive of Rainbow Dash's personality specifically. She just liked to fly, period.}

“Life is rarely that simple, Rainbow,” Feather Wind announced. “It's a little hard to explain, but I'll try.

“Picture your cutie mark and what it represents, then imagine trying to force yourself to fit in with the opposite environment. In my case, it wasn't nearly that extreme, but that does give you an idea how it felt.

“I joined the Academy because the Wonderbolts were the best fliers in Equestria and I wanted to test my limits to it's fullest. They also saved my life, so I wanted to repay the favor by teaming up with them. It turns out I don't work too well in a rigid environment. My element is the sky and, like the wind, I'm meant to be free of tight restrictions.

“The Bolts rules and regulations proved too strict but at least I understood it's importance. Pushing one's self to that level of skill, especially as a team, requires a lot of coordination and . . . I'm not saying I'm a bad team player, but I couldn't imagine myself matching the Bolts extreme standards for the rest of my life. I had to use the wind to fly because I don't have wings, and it didn't feel right to discipline the wind like that.

“Plus, my methods of flying messed up the other cadets flying in close formation. I can't force the wind to become tight enough to prevent that from happening.

“I love the Bolts, Rainbow, and I truly value all that they have taught me. They really have improved my flying skills far beyond anything I had ever accomplished before that point, but as a lifestyle choice . . . I'm just the wrong pony for that.

“Doing this also ignored my other abilities as a unicorn. Every day the Bolts told me not to use my magic because the other pegasi could not do that, so they did not rely upon those methods. I had to use magic to fly, but they restricted it and the wind does not do well with restrictions. Bottom line is, I needed more freedom than the Bolts permitted.

“Also,” Feather Wind looked down sadly, “I had trouble fitting in with that crowd to boot. I don't like competition because I hate being either the winner or loser. I don't like hurting other ponies feelings.

“As much as this might shock you, there were plenty at the Academy and the Bolts that took personal offense to me being there. In there eyes, it wasn't a unicorn's place so they teased and even attacked me in some regards.”

“Dude, that's rough,” Rainbow said with a bit of wide eyes, a little astonished by what she heard. “That's seriously wrong if any of the cadets and especially if any of the Wonderbolts teased you just because of your race. For what it's worth, I would have stuck up for you if you had been in my Academy.”

“Thanks, Rainbow,” Feather Wind said with a small smile.

“I mean it!” Rainbow insisted. “The Wonderbolts is supposed to be all about inspiring other ponies to be their best. If any of them had been spreading the opposite message, well . . . I would have a difficult time accepting them as my personal friend. I'd probably take a few extra steps against them.

“That said,” Rainbow Dash flew a bit higher as she said, “I am curious about something. Twilight said you were one of the fastest, if not the fastest flying unicorn Equestria has ever seen, so I have a proposal for ya.” She flew in close to him with a daring grin. “Race me!”

“Were you not paying attention? I just told you I hate competition!”

“I'm, ah . . . going to excuse myself for the moment,” Star Swirl politely requested as he backed off with a bit of an uncomfortable look to him. “Good luck with your . . .” he looked corner-wise down for a split second then back to Feather Wind “. . . whatever this is. When you have an answer to my question, let me know.”

“I will. I promise I'll consider your offer carefully too,” Feather Wind promised Star Swirl.

“Promise what?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously with a raspy voice as she looked back and forth between Star Swirl and Feather Wind.

“Ah . . . he'll explain. Excuse me.” Star Swirl spun about and took off in a hurry. One could only wonder how he managed to go that fast without tripping over his own long robes.

“He's interested for me to join the spellcaster squad in the army as we make our way north,” Feather Wind announced to Rainbow Dash simply.

“Huh. A pony of many talents, huh? That's kind of awesome, so I like you. Actually, I have a proposal of my own, aside from the race.”

“Shoot,” Feather Wind invited her.

“Twilight tells me your cutie mark talent mostly involves weather control. Is this true?” Rainbow checked.

“Correct,” Feather Wind nodded. “I am the Wind.”

“That is AWESOME!” For the first time Rainbow was finally starting to truly fangasm. “And really, really useful to my own team as well. As you know, some of the Wonderbolts from my own time have joined me on this journey. We also have Flash Magnus and his team of the Royal Legion, and there are a few fliers in Celestia's royal guard and Princess Cadence. They will also be part of the flying squad of this army. I have to tell you, with your ability to control weather, you can be a seriously strong asset for our team and you can still use your magic to do it. I'm not suggesting you reject Star Swirl's offer. I'm saying you should join both teams since your talents are a natural fit for both. If one team needs you more than another in any particular moment then of course you should mainly be with them, but since you like freedom anyway . . . why not keep your options wide open?”

“That's a good point! I may seriously take you up on that,” Feather Wind said with a grateful grin at Rainbow Dash.

“Trust me, kid, with you under my wing, I'll make sure no one gives you any guff,” Rainbow promised with a confident swipe of a hoof in front of her from left to right.

“Thanks.”

“As far as the race is concerned, don't think of it as a competition.” Rainbow gave a dismissive wave. “Instead, think of it as a bonding exercise. I've been told that one of the biggest points of this journey is to bond and get to know each other. That way you guys can help us out more, the Elements of Harmony! Well, I happen to be one of those elements and I'd seriously like to know what you're capable of. Now I've seen flying unicorns before.”

“You have?!” Feather Wind asked in pleasant astonishment. That news pleased him very much to hear.

“Yep! Not many of them, mind you. Just a few. One of them is here, actually.” Rainbow flew higher and scanned around carefully. After a few moments she could not locate the one she was looking for so she shrugged and flew in close to Feather Wind again. “Well she's here, and trust me . . . I've seen this before. However, what I have not seen is a serious competition to my maneuverability and speed in the air. Starlight is good, don't get me wrong, but she is nowhere near as good as I am. That isn't really to her discredit, however. Keeping up with me is waaaaaaaaaay high standards. Most pegasi can't keep up with me either, even at the Wonderbolt Academy, so it's no surprise that a unicorn would also struggle. Supposedly you're the best of the best though when it comes to flying unicorns, so I'm curious if you'll finally be a unicorn that can offer me a decent challenge.”

“I don't mind flying with you or bonding with you, but I don't want to race, Rainbow!” A bit of steel snuck into Feather Wind's voice.

“Hmm.” That made Rainbow Dash thoughtful. She tapped her lips for a few seconds, then came up with a new idea. “Okay then. Forget the race.” Rainbow waved both forward hooves away from her. “At least until you warm up to the idea. I'd still like to race you if you change your mind, but how about we change my idea to this one; let's just go for a fly and see where that takes us. I'd also like to see you at your fastest speed too so how about this. Instead of a race, whichever one of us is faster slows down for the other. If I fly faster then I slow down to match your speed. It's easier to evaluate you if I do that anyway because then I'll be right beside you. If you fly faster, which I sincerely doubt you will,” Rainbow said with a brief roll of her eyes, “but if you do . . . then you slow down and match with me. Either way, we fly together, I still get my questions answered, and there will be no winner or loser. How does that sound?”

“That's a better proposal,” Feather Wind agreed.

“So you'll do it?” Rainbow Dash asked with rising hope.

“If it will make you happy, then sure. Besides, the bonding part of your proposal actually sounds important, and it would give me an idea how fast you fly as well. Someday that information might become important, so I agree to your revised proposal.”

“Great! Let's go! On the count of three. One, two . . .”

“I didn't mean right now!”

“Aw! Why not?” Rainbow Dash complained impatiently.

“Because he said no, Rainbow Dash. Cut him some slack,” Apple Jack scolded as she trotted over to the two of them. She gave a sheepish grin to Feather Wind and tipped her hat to him. “I'm sorry about my friend here. I'm afraid she gets a little competitive. Truth be told, I've been known to be so as well from time to time.”

“Oh yeah! I remember some of our matches!” Rainbow said with a fond, competitive grin. “Those were some good times.”

“Hey! Feather Wind! Have you met my sister Maud yet?” Pinkie Pie asked as she showed up with a very extended limb that pulled close her dark gray sister with slight blueish/gray mane that was brushed back neatly and cut short. Maud was among the few in the room to wear any clothes at all, but it wasn't much. It was just a plain dark gray sweat shirt that almost matched the color of her mane.

{Truthfully, the answer was no before that moment. I had not met her sister, and the contrast between her and Pinkie was almost startling. When I looked at Maud, I grew concerned for her because she looked like she was struggling to stay awake. The dead-pan look to her face indicated either boredom or exhaustion. If the latter was true, then that was really bad because, as a time clone, she was stuck in whatever condition she was drawn from. If she was exhausted, she would never be anything but exhausted.}

“I'm Maud,” Maud said very simply while looking at Feather Wind with a heavy dead-pan expression. “Hi.”

“Brilliant speech!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Encore! Encore! Encore!” Pinkie Pie cried out while whirling one of her hooves above her in a rapid circle.

Feather Wind relaxed. He had Maud figured out now, at least enough to relax his concerns. She wasn't tired. She simply acted this way all the time.

“Uh . . . Pinkie Pie . . . may I ask you something?” Apple Jack tentatively brought up since whatever this subject matter was made her uncomfortable.

“You certainly may!” Pinkie said as she stood up straight and put both of her forward hooves on her hips while leaning forward towards Apple Jack a bit.

“No offense, but . . . why did you bring your sister along for this journey?” Apple Jack asked as she regarded Maud with concern. “You know what we're up against, right?”

“Only the ultimate evil and the source of all dark magic in Equestria! Duh!” Pinkie said quickly with a roll of her eyes and a casual, dismissive wave of a hoof.

“Yeah. I know.” Apple Jack's discomfort grew even worse. “I know she can smash rocks and all but . . . come on, Pinkie Pie. Why Maud? I just don't want to see her get hurt, is all.”

“Because she is the most stupendously awesome, totally amazing sister and best friend ever! Duh!” Pinkie stated as if that should have been obvious.

“Actually, Apple Jack, I'm with Pinkie Pie on this one,” Rainbow Dash announced to Apple Jack.

“Really?” Apple Jack regarded her flying friend with surprise. “Why? Please tell me because I really want to know. I'm really concerned for her.”

“Don't be.” Rainbow waved Apple Jack off. “Remember the first time we met Maud?”

“Yes, I do,” Apple Jack confirmed. “She raced across an obstacle course in seconds and smashed a rock to pieces to save Pinkie Pie. I know, but those were very specific circumstances. I'm just not sure she can hoofle the rigors of war itself in all fronts.”

“Actually, I was going to bring up a different point. Remember that time we all spent some one on one time with Maud so she would not get overwhelmed?”

Feather Wind regarded Maud to see how she reacted to all these other ponies talking about her right in front of her. If there was any change to her reaction, it wasn't obvious. That just might be one of the best poker faces he had ever seen.

“I do,” Apple Jack confirmed again.

“Welllllll, when it came to my turn with Maud, she chucked a rock so hard and so large it flew for miles away and, when it landed, it actually created a mushroom cloud,” Rainbow informed.

“Really?” Apple Jack regarded Maud in confusion. “Well, that don't make a lick of sense. Maud,” Maud looked at Apple Jack, “remember that time I visited your family for Hearts Warming Eve and I, um . . . accidentally . . . knocked over Holder's Boulder to a lower quarry?”

“Yes. You planted your flagpole on a fault line,” Maud reminded very flatly.

“Yeah. That would be the one.” Apple Jack looked embarrassed, so she moved on with her point in the hopes to skip past that part faster. “Well, I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience I caused, but my point is this; I left the farm for a little while in shame of what I had done but later came back to apologize and make amends. When I got back, I saw you and your family trying in vain to push Holder's Boulder back up the quarry. The thing is . . . you were among your family and I remember you specifically saying, and I quote, 'I'm pushing as hard as I can, too.' Well, according to Rainbow Dash here,” Apple Jack gave a brief gesture to Rainbow while she continued to regard Maud, “you can chuck a rock beyond the horizon far enough and hard enough to cause a mushroom cloud. I feel like she's exaggerated a bit, but if she's not then what gives? Why do you have super strength in one moment and yet you could not push a rock up a quarry even with all of your family in another moment?”

Maud almost answered and opened her mouth to do so, but her sister interrupted.

“Because she's a Pie! That's why!” Pinkie answered.

“What does she being a Pie have to do with any of this?” Apple Jack questioned Pinkie Pie.

“Because, silly, she can only perform super feats of amazing strength and/or other feats that defy physics only during moments of comedic effect!” Pinkie explained.

“What now?” Apple Jack looked more confused. “So let me get this straight . . . she can only chuck a rock beyond the horizon only when it's funny to do so?”

“Yeah!” Pinkie agreed enthusiastically.

“I am funny,” Maud informed in a flat, deadpan way.

That comment made Pinkie burst out laughing then said while slapping her sisters back several times over, “Good one, Maud! Classic Maud.”

“That was no joke, Pinkie,” Maud objected which made her sister laugh out louder.

“Remember how I told you never to question Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash reminded Apple Jack.

“Yeah,” Apple Jack replied.

“Probably a good idea to extend that definition to her whole family,” Rainbow amended.

“I'm just trying to understand this because it might become a life or death situation out there!” Apple Jack cried out. “So she can only perform unusual feats for comedic effect? To whom? The joke is aimed at whom?”

That question caused Pinkie to immediately cease laughing so she could roll back onto her hooves and answer, “To the audience, silly!”

Apple Jack squinted one eye at Pinkie Pie, and it was even twitching a bit. “What in the hay of Equestria are you going on about, Pinkie Pie? What audience could you possibly be talking about?”

“The audience that always watches us!” Pinkie announced with small, spooked eyes that quickly shifted left and right. “They're all around us. They're everywhere! In fact, some are reading about us right now!”

“What did I just say about questioning Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash reminded Apple Jack. “Maud Pie here is a living, breathing pony catapult. Just accept it and move on with our lives.”

“Did somepony say catapult?” Discord asked as he suddenly appeared within a brief flash of white light. “I love catapults! They are so useful.” He snapped his paw and a catapult suddenly materialized beside him except there was one twist; the ammunition for this weapon was a large bowl full of cats that were meowing. Of those who stood there at that moment, only Apple Jack had a chance to notice that some of those cats originally belonged to the Apple family historian, Goldie Delicious. Rarity's cat Opalescence was also hidden among the bunch. “Doesn't anypony here think that this weapon has the purrrrrfect ammunition?” He leaned his face heavily forward and twisted it to the side so one eye aimed at them when he said the part of the word “purrr” to put an even greater emphasis on that part of the word.

Both Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash slapped their faces with a hoof due to his bad pun.

“How punny of you,” Feather Wind said to Discord with an amused grin.

“At last!” Discord cried out triumphantly and ecstatically. “Somepony who actually gets me!”

“Don't encourage him,” Rainbow Dash recommended to Feather Wind with a really dry look to him. “Just please don't.”

“You'd better not launch those cats, Discord, or Fluttershy will be mite upset at you,” Apple Jack warned Discord in a flat tone and a bored, narrow stare aimed at him.

Discord looked disappointed. “Yes. I suppose you're right,” he agreed reluctantly. He snapped the same paw and the catapult disappeared. He decided to shift subjects while secretly in pursuit of a master plan. “By the way, did I overhear any of you ponies mention something about an audience?” He tapped the tips of his eagle claw and lion's paw together and raised his eyebrows together up and down when he mentioned the word “audience” as if that were a secret and naughty word.

“Yeah! I did!” Pinkie answered. “I was just telling them about the spooooooky audience that is always watching us, judging us, shipping us, and staring at us in every single little detailed moment of every second of our lives!”

“Nevermind what she said, Discord,” Rainbow recommended with a dismissive wave of a hoof. “She's just being Pinkie Pie.”

“Yessss!” Discord agreed with a hiss and a cunning, mischievous narrow eyed look to Rainbow Dash. “But isn't Pinkie Pie here the one who can sense oncoming threats? I seem to recall a time when Twilight Sparkle tested that extensively until she eventually concluded that it must be true even if she could not understand it.”

“I don't like where this is going,” Apple Jack complained with nervous suspicion.

“How do you even know any of that? You were still locked in stone back then,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

Discord chuckled evilly under his breath as he brought the tips of his eagle claw and lion paw together, then said, “I know this because . . . (plot twist) . . . I am one of your audiences!”

“You ARE?!” Pinkie gasped with intense astonishment. At that moment a three second long dramatic reveal music actually played around them which they could hear. Discord secretly caused that music, though some could assume that Pinkie was equally capable of summoning that sound effect from out of nowhere.

“What? That's crazy talk!” Rainbow objected.

“Then how do I know all this, Rainbow Dash?” Discord challenged Rainbow Dash in a daring tone and a mischievous, narrowed eye stare at her.

“Well . . . because . . .” Rainbow rolled her eyes around as if checking around the room for an explanation, then she said. “Because you're Discord and you're just messing with our heads right now. You probably used your freaky powers to check back in time or something. That's it!” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms across her chest as she said, “I'm not falling for your tricks again.”

“Even if what you say is true, when I looked back in time, didn't I become one of your audiences?” Discord countered cunningly.

“I suppose that's true,” Apple Jack figured with a nervous glance to Rainbow Dash, then looked alarmed as she realized something else. She looked back at Discord with an accusing look. “Hey! You better not be spying upon us at all times. Like when . . . we sleep or . . . other things.”

Discord laughed out loud before answering, “Oooo! Wouldn't you like to know?”

“That's why I asked!” Apple Jack said with rising irritation. “You better not be spying on my little sister or I'll be real upset at you.”

“Well Pinkie Pie is right about one thing. We are being read about right now at this very moment,” Discord said with an evil grin towards Pinkie Pie to whom he also gave a sly wink.

“Just ignore him, Apple Jack,” Rainbow Dash recommended to her friend. “He's just messing with us like he always does.”

“I'm serious!” Discord declared enthusiastically. “Here! I'll prove it to you!” He snapped his eagle claw and a book suddenly materialized out of thin air which he caught as it fell. He flipped through it at high speed. “It's a fascinating read. You really should take a look! It's mostly about a father telling his daughter about the amazing stories he lived through in his past in a manner similar to a flashback. What's curious about it is the title, though, for it is something of a misnomer.” He closed the book and regarded the front cover while rubbing his chin with his lion paw. “Despite the title of the book being, 'Sky Dancer, The First Flying Unicorn,'” Discord announced which immediately ceased Feather Wind's attention, “the book isn't actually about Sky Dancer,” Discord went on. “He is mentioned in there a couple of times, particularly in some of the earlier chapters of the book, but he's actually just a pegasus! How positively misleading and deceitful. I love it!”

“Discord,” Feather Wind broached tentatively.

“Yeeeeeessssss?!” Discord asked as he leaned in close to Feather Wind's face and asked that question with sinister cunning. Even the lighting on his face changed a bit to illuminate just how devious he looked when he asked that question.

“Can I borrow that book for a second?” Feather Wind requested. “I'll give it right back to you. I promise.”

“Oh! You most certainly may!” Discord said with intense delight then handed the book to Feather Wind. As he did, Feather Wind half suspected he heard a maniacal chuckle. He was definitely up to something and he wasn't even trying to hide that fact well.

Feather Wind didn't care. The title of this book definitely had his attention, and he wanted to get to the bottom of this eventually so he paused a moment and closed his eyes. He channeled his energy to the Red Crystal. Upon doing so, a red line went back and forth along the book, scanning it and thereafter creating a copy of it in Crystal Sage's virtual library. After that he opened his eyes again and offered the book back.

“Thanks, Discord,” Feather Wind said in appreciation.

“As I said, you're most certainly welcome. At least somepony around here appreciates me and my most terrible, terrible jokes.”

“You can say that again,” Rainbow Dash agreed with a roll of her eyes. “Seriously, Feather Wind, if you actually find his jokes funny then you lost a lot of coolness points in my book.”

“I admit he's . . . strange, but also really fun and he has a fascinating perspective on the universe,” Feather Wind said sincerely. “By discussing it with him, I feel I better understand the nature of my own reality. That might be one of the reasons I successfully defy the impossible so many times.”

“Yeah, we'll see about that,” Rainbow Dash said with a daring look to Feather Wind. “So far you're all talk. We'll see how fast you can really go.”

Feather Wind shrugged. “If you're flying with me then I'll see how fast you can go as well. That's fair.”

“Not if I have to slow waaay the hay down to match you,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “then all you'd learn is how fast you can go but, if you want to see my full awesomeness in action after that, I'd totally be willing to show you. I'm a Wonderbolt, after all. Entertainment is my middle name. Rainbow Entertainment Dash.” As Rainbow Dash said that last sentence, she waved a hoof in front of her which paused at three points along the wave as she announced each name separately.

xoxo

“Do you still have that book?” Star Breeze interjected. “You know. You said you made a copy of it in that gem. Is it still there?”

“Of course it is,” Feather Wind replied to his daughter. “Inside this gem, the book has no additional weight. While it could be erased since then, there was no reason to.”

“Well,” Star Breeze lightly tapped her hooves together three times. She asked after a moment, “Have you read it since then? It sounds like you were too busy back then, but since then you've had years to take a look at it.”

Feather Wind nodded. “Actually, I have. Several times in fact, but it's been years since I last read it.”

“What's it about?” Star Breeze asked curiously.

Feather Wind rolled his eyes and gave a low whistle. He looked at his daughter for a moment then looked forward. “This is going to sound really strange, but what the book is mostly written about is . . . this conversation we're having right now.”

Star Breeze widened her eyes. “Right now? As in right now-right now?”

Feather Wind nodded. “More specifically, the book actually opens up with you resting with your back on a cloud and wistfully gazing up at the stars. Reading further, we soon learn it's your birthday and, at it, you inquire into my past in the hopes of learning how you might defy the impossible as well. You were hoping . . . to learn magic.” Feather Wind passed his daughter a meaningful look.

“OH . . . MY . . . CELESTIA!” Star Breeze said in astonishment. “You mean to tell me the book is about you telling me about your past, as in the thing we're doing right now?”

“Indeed.”

Once again Star Breeze applied a hoof to her head and had it burst from her head with an explosive sound effect, then another question occurred to her so she looked back at her father and asked, “Did you read it to the end?”

Feather Wind pressed his hooves together and leaned forward as he put his collected hooves under his chin while he said, “Eventually. I did read it back then but I stopped at this exact conversation we're having right now, or somewhere around this point. I did not want to read ahead into my own future back then, so rest assure I continued to behave like I was blind from spoilers, same as I always was. The only difference is, from that point forward, I learned that there was a book out there in existence that was written about my conversation with you in the future as I explained to you about my past.”

“Then you already knew you would have a daughter with Stern Wing, and you also knew what to name her,” Star Breeze realized in astonishment. “You knew that before I was even born.” She regarded her father again. “How did that make you feel back then?”

Feather Wind lightly shrugged. “Back then I had other hints leading to the same conclusion, but when I first reached that conclusion . . .” he paused as he shrugged again “. . . by then I had already grown accustomed to being a time traveler. That experience helped to teach me how we are all connected. I was stunned at the news but I also accepted the prospect. It was simply something to look forward to and, in the meantime, I had other things to concentrate on and/or enjoy. I could afford to be patient with the arrival of my daughter. I decided I'd let things play out moment to moment. I will say I did eventually finish that book. As I continued my life and the events of the future gradually became the past, I found it was finally safe to read on and kind of relive old memories.” He looked at his daughter. “I have to say that it's curious how the book never did mention exactly how old you are now. I had to make an educated guess based on the information the book presented. By reading from it, I knew for sure you were not an infant. You could talk and fly far too well for that age but, at the same time, the syntax you spoke with, your general personality and grammar style of your speech as well as a few other hints also suggested you were neither a teenager or full adult yet. If I had to guess back then, I'd say you were somewhere between seven years of age and eleven. Of course, I don't have to guess now. Your birthday has already transpired.”

“And we both know how old I am now. We don't need to say it,” Star Breeze pointed out.

Feather Wind nodded in agreement. “Right, but that kind of presented a problem for me back when I first read the book. While I knew that one day we would be having this conversation, I did not know exactly when it happened because the book never mentioned your age or the date straight on. I had to guess when this conversation would take place. One thing I did remember was the fact that you would ask about my past. That was the trigger condition I was waiting for. As soon as you asked that, I knew for sure the time had come to finally tell my story and bring this time loop to a full circle. The book told me this conversation would take place at the cliff where I first found my cutie mark, and lo and behold . . . here we are. Eh. I would have chosen this spot to tell my story anyway regardless of what I've read before. It just seems appropriate.”

“Did mom ever read the book?”

“No.” Feather Wind shook his head. “She knew of it and she knew I read of it and had a basic idea what the book was about, but she didn't trust anything coming from Discord. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of playing into one of his little jokes. Besides, your mom isn't connected to this gem anyway. She couldn't read it even if she wanted to. At best I could have read it out loud to her or copy it down manually then she could read that copy, but that never happened.”

“So . . . Mom still dislikes him after all this time,” Star Breeze realized with a little bit of disappointment.

“I wouldn't say she hates him as much as she used to. Our shared experience together as we made our way north to The Dark Star warmed her up to him a little bit. Instead of hating his guts now, she merely dislikes him and would prefer not to hang around him. She no longer puts her hoof down when it comes to others choosing to hang around him, however. Besides, there is little she could do to prevent it anyway.”

Star Breeze gave this some thought, then asked her father, “In that case, who do you think actually wrote the book? Did it say?”

Feather Wind shook his head. “The version I got, at least, didn't say. Well, actually there was one name I found but I suspect it's a fake. A pen name. Huh.” Feather Wind leaned back. “There was something I always wondered for years about the book, and I narrowed it down to one of two possibilities. Either A; the book is genuine and some creature out there in the multi universe really did write my life's story as I told it to you, in which case I'm flattered at the interest as well as a little creeped out, or B; the book is fake and Discord made it up on the spot while pretending some other creature wrote it. Either way, I'm pretty sure he showed it to me to mess with my head and that's the essence of the joke. Actually, I'd also have to call it an ingenious strategy for it did, in fact, shape some of my future decisions. For instance, both me and your mother knew what to name you in advance, and it also informed me that it was important that I tell you this story someday. That, in turn, shaped future decisions for you. When time travel is involved, everything cycles around full circle. Discord ended up causing an intricate and complicated time loop full of whimsy and intrigue with just one simple action. Anything for a joke when it comes to Discord. Anything to help him prevent life from becoming boring.”

“Can I read the book? Does it say if I ever do?”

“The answer to your first question is yes with a but. I will only expose it to you after I finish telling you the story myself. The answer to your second question is yes. It does say whether or not you ever do manage to read it someday, but I'll leave that part up to you to write.”

She sighed and said, “Okay. In that case, hurry up and finish your story.”

“Impatient little filly, aren't you?” Feather Wind teased.

“Yeah, well I'm just excited!”

xoxo

{By this point of the story . . . no, actually it occurred a little earlier before we went into the meeting hall . . . the Doctor filled me in on the fact that most of his new guests here were time clones. That realization made me feel curiously kind of guilty. I was among the few who would ever remember that all of this took place. As I watched them have a conversation with each other, I remember thinking that, in the long gallop, that action was pointless. It felt strange to me for them to try so hard to get to know each other when they were destined to forget it all later on and they all knew it as well, but they just didn't behave that way. They kept on doing and saying whatever their original selves would have said in their place. They were basically one and the same. In a way, you could say their original selves were temporary as well, because they would eventually die of one cause or another with perhaps just a few exceptions among the bunch.

{Even if I did not directly participate in their conversations, I kind of felt obligated to listen since I was among the very few who had the potential to remember it after the adventure, and these were such wonderful creatures. So deserving of being remembered. Their presence here was a testament to their courage and selflessness. I paid attention to them because I felt like they deserved the honor but, unlike them . . . I could get tired and exhausted. I could not keep this up forever. I did all I could but, in the end, I eventually had to fade away. Not participating in conversations directly did help to conserve my energy, but eventually I would be too tired to even eavesdrop.

{My observations revealed a few interesting highlights. Let's see if I can recall a few of them.}

“So both of you had adventures with the Doctor?” Derpy asked curiously to both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.

“It was off and on,” Celestia answered, “and we never set hoof in his wondrous box until now. I tried to stay focused on my own time, you see. Since I am immortal anyway, I didn't see the need to skip across time to see it all. I figured living through it moment to moment would be more rewarding in the end. That way I would have the time to accumulate all the wisdom and experience that time offered along with it. The only reason I'm making an exception in this case is because the circumstances are so dire, and also because the Doctor explained to me that we would be time clones anyway. That basically means I never did join him in the first place. I'm still back in my own time period in Equestria, seeing to the benefit of my subjects. He borrowed a mere fraction of me for a purpose so important it would help secure our own existence.”

“Maybe you had only occasional adventures with him and only during your present, dear sister, but my experiences with the Doctor are far more direct,” Luna announced to her sister while gesturing to her chest with a hoof.

This information surprised Celestia, so she inquired to her sister, “What do you mean?”

“Normally I would not be telling you any of this but, since we're destined to disappear anyway, I suppose I can tell you a little bit.” Luna replaced her hoof from her chest back to the ground. “I have had much more direct experiences with the Doctor back when I was still a young filly. The Doctor borrowed me, with my permission of course, to have a whirlwind tour of all of time and space. I had traveled with the Doctor directly as one of his companions, although it is not the same Doctor you see before you today. This is the actions of one of his future incarnations. I'm not sure which one, but it will eventually happen.”

“You never told me any of this!” Celestia objected at her sister with surprise. “This happened when you were still just a filly? That means you had plenty of time to tell me. Why didn't you?”

“I didn't have much of a chance to tell you while trapped in the moon for a thousand years,” Luna said with a dry, narrow-eyed accusing look at her sister but it quickly softened as she continued to speak. “I'm afraid I must confess that, even back then, I had some jealousy towards you and I was approaching my more rebellious phase in my life. You had the sun and all of your adoring fans, but few ponies remained awake at night to worship the moon as they had the sun. The Doctor provided me an outlet to my earlier frustrations. If it weren't for him, we might have had a quarrel with each other at a much earlier point in our lives.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and looked away corner-wise up with a, “Yeah, whatever!” kind of look.

“Sister, please understand!” Luna beseeched as she faced her sister more fully. “I have made promises to certain ponies to keep this journey a secret.” Saying that won back Celestia's interested attention. “I could not break my vow, especially to those ponies who had given their lives to protect me. In honor of their brave sacrifice, I could not defy them. I fear I am treading dangerously close to breaking my vow already right now, but I wanted you to at least understand the fact I have a secret, even if I cannot divulge the full details. Surely you have your own secrets to keep. Please do not condemn me for having the same.”

By this point Celestia looked far more sympathetic. When Luna finished her point, Celestia actually approached to hug her sister and said, “Of course, dear sister. I did not know you were keeping these secrets to protect the honor of others who were dear to you. I am happy that at least you admitted to me part of your secrets and I invite you to keep the rest to yourself. It also pleases me to learn that you had your own special moment to yourself with the Doctor. After feeling rejected enough, it pleases me to hear that you found some joy in your life even way back then. Now I feel even more grateful to the Doctor.” Backing off a step and lifting her sister's face with a hoof, she then said, “How about, from now on, we be more honest and open with each other? Does that sound good?”

Luna sighed a little sadly and placed her own hoof on top of her sister's to lower it as she confessed, “Alas, there is still yet more secrets that I must continue to protect from you, and I cannot promise that it may not happen again, as much as I might like to be open with you.” Luna looked at her sister hopefully. “I just hope that that mere desire inspires forgiveness in you. I would also understand if you must continue to guard secrets of your own from me. We are both Princesses of Equestria and we have much responsibility to our name accordingly. Even if we must guard secrets between us, I dearly hope that we can still get along with each other.”

“Of course, Sister. I would like that very much as well,” Celestia replied. “You're right, of course. I do have other secrets I've accumulated over all these years that I must protect as well, but having to keep them and knowing that you have some of your own does not make me love you any less. You are my sister, and you will always be a part of me.”

“Sister,” Luna said with a bit of tears in her eyes. This time it was her that initiated the hug, and it was gladly returned.

Feather Wind smiled as he regarded this heart-felt union. So many ponies regarded them both like demi-gods to be worshiped only from afar, but the truth was they were ponies too capable of flaws and virtues of their own. Feather Wind knew how uncomfortable it could feel to be put on a pedestal so in no way did he wish to treat them the same. Witnessing moments of openness between each other like that, each behaving like normal sisters would for good and for ill, helped remind Feather Wind how normal they could be as well and that, in turn, helped him to feel a closer connection to them. It was an enlightening experience he was glad to overhear.

It was likely Derpy felt the same way, except Feather Wind suspected she was a bit stuck on the idea of Luna eventually traveling with a future version of the Doctor. That probably made her wonder what happened to herself during that time. Questioning that probably made her take a hard look at her own mortality.

“Aye, Feather Wind was there,” said Hector from a distance that was normally too far to be overheard but, because Feather Wind could hear conversations from a distance through the wind if it included his name, it all of the sudden seized his attention. Feather Wind spent a few moments trying to visually track the speaker down and eventually located Hector speaking with Spike and Ember. Seeing them made him curious if Spike ever did manage to convince Fluttershy to bravely step outside of the Tardis. Honestly, there were times in his own past when he could easily sympathize with Fluttershy.

“There he was, facing the dragon one on one!” Hector bragged dramatically. “The dragon stared at him, and he stared at the dragon. Both of them slowly narrowed their eyes at each other, each knowing that the next few moves could spell victory or disaster between them, then the dragon unleashed a brilliant torrent of fire which could melt an entire mountainside, but Feather Wind just had the wind cyclone around him which protected him from the roaring flames. After that he sailed up into the air and taunted the creature to follow him with a weird beam blasting thing from his horn. The creature's scales were much too tough to be penetrated by such a beam, but it did manage to secure the creature's attention. So dead-locked was he that he completely ignored the giant crystal spike Feather Wind grew from the ground, then he sailed his way up into the sky. The dragon followed, burning with all the fury of all the layers of Tartarus. My friend measured his distance carefully, making sure to keep the crystal spike directly below the both of them.”

“Then he used a tornado or wind or something to push the stupid dragon down into the giant crystal spike,” Ember guessed with a droll roll of her eyes.

“You were there?!” Hector asked in surprise.

“No, but your lame story is so predictable,” Ember complained. “That dragon deserved to die if he fell for such an obvious trap.”

“I don't know about that,” Spike countered. “Remember, Ember, this dragon was not accustomed to seeing unicorns at all. He had no idea what he was dealing with. Why would he suspect that Feather Wind had the power to just blow him down into the crystal spike?”

Ember gestured to Hector but looked at Spike. “Because he just said that Feather Wind conjured a wind shield to defend himself from the dragon's fire breath. If he could do that, then the dragon should have known that he might be able to throw the winds at his face far more directly. Plus, what dragon is stupid enough to ignore a giant crystal spike that suddenly emerged from the earth? If it were me out there, I'd be thinking three things.

“Number one; mmm, lunch. Thanks for conjuring a giant crystal spike for me. I'm sure it's delicious. Maybe you and I should make a deal. You just created a giant crystal spike from out of nowhere that's probably ten times bigger than any crystal that those ponies back at the quarry mined for me in years. I mean, there goes the motivation for his anger right there!” Ember threw up her claws into the air in exasperation for a second. “He should have come to a stop immediately after that and said aloud, 'Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-WHOA! Hold it! You can do that? Can you do that again? If so, then we just became best friends.'

“Number two; hello!” Ember threw her claws up into the air for a moment again. “He just conjured a giant crystal spike from out of the ground. Only an idiot would not question what else he might be able to do after that point. One would think displays of power on that scale would warrant at least a little caution.

“Number three; who the heck keeps themselves directly above a giant crystal spike like that? Was this dragon blind or just plain stupid?”

“In my observation, anger often does have a way to make it harder to think clearly,” Spike figured.

“That's no excuse!” Ember argued. “This is a giant dragon, right? That means he was an elder dragon. He must have lived for thousands and thousands of years to get that old. Are you telling me, that in all that time, he never gained the basic common sense to pay attention to his surroundings when he was dealing with an obviously unknown threat? Either this dragon had rocks for brains or he never encountered a decent challenge once in his entire life. Either way, I don't care what happens to him anymore.” She stared off to her left side while crossing her arms across her chest and wearing a huffy expression on her face. “If he really was that foolish, he deserved to die.”

“I could not have said it better myself,” said a new dragon that approached the three of them which Feather Wind was not familiar with. This was a tall teenaged dragon that was close to Ember's height but he was taller. He had dull red scales, yellow underbelly, pinkish freckles, and yellow spikes which end in a webbed crest. His wings were red at the back and yellow at the front, and they were a bit torn. He continued to speak as he approached which successfully drew Spike and Ember's attention but Hector was drawn elsewhere during this time. “Any dragon who loses to a nanzy-panzy pony is not worth the egg shells he was born from. Dragons of this era are probably just weak and pathetic creatures, much like your puny pony friends here, and look what we have here. If it isn't Sparkle-Spiky-Wikey,” the teenaged dragon deliberately taunted. Upon arrival, he rubbed the knuckle of his claw on top of Spike's head which obviously made Spike uncomfortable because he took a step back to be outside of reach.

“Nice to see you too . . . Garble!” Spike said tightly in a very irritated tone.

“Well it's not nice to see you!” Garble said back aggressively while jabbing a point of his claw roughly into Spike's chest. “I don't like you! I don't know when you're ever going to get it through your thick little skull of yours. Why are you even here anyway? Don't you realize there is going to be an epic and rocking war out there? Meanwhile you,” Garble jabbed his pointing claw into Spike's chest again, “couldn't even smash one tiny little phoenix egg. You're so pathetic. You may have gotten your wings, finally . . . but that still doesn't make you one of us!” He thumbed to his own chest. “Just stick to what you're best at and let your puny pony friends shield you. While they do that, leave the rest of the fighting to real dragons! We know how to party down, and all of those dark force creatures out there are going to rue the day they messed with Garble!” When he said that last word, he brought a claw above him, clenched it then dragged it down. After that he walked off and waved goodbye to the two of them. “Later, losers!”

“Are you calling me a loser?” Ember challenged Garble which made him freeze then look back at her very nervously.

“Ah . . . no, Ma'am! I was talking to him and his puny pony friends,” Garble explained to Ember nervously.

Ember pointed two clawed fingers at her eyes then twisted it about to point the same two fingers at Garble. After she did that she said in a warning voice, “I'm watching you. Don't cross the line. Save your anger for those dark force creatures out there, not direct it at us.”

“Yes Ma'am!” Garble instantly agreed. “Can I go, Ma'am?”

Ember waved him off dismissively while looking away from him disdainfully. “You may go,” she bade.

“Thank you, Ma'am!” Garble said with nervous gratitude then quickly retreated away.

After Garble left, Spike looked at Ember and briefly gestured to her with both of his claws while he asked, “Seriously, Ember, why did you invite him along? He's such a jerk!”

“Well,” Ember said as she regarded Spike a lot more softly than she did with Garble, “when the Doctor or this, 'Time Lord',” she said with claw quotes, “first approached me, he said he needed help with a threat which could destroy the world. The thing he did not make clear to me at first, however, was the fact he was borrowing us as timey-wimey time clone thingies. At the time I actually thought we would be risking our real lives so, with that in mind, I summoned the other dragons and I asked for only volunteers on a super dangerous assignment which would protect the world from an ancient evil threat. Not many dragons stepped forward, Spike, but of the few who did, Garble was one of them.” She gestured back at Garble's direction while still regarding Spike. “I couldn't afford to be picky, Spike, since I was asking only for volunteers.”

“That's strange, though.” Spike looked thoughtful as he placed a single clawed finger on his lips and looked off to his side a bit with a look of suspicion on his face. “Why would Garble, of all dragons, be willing to make a selfless sacrifice to protect Equestria?” Spike looked back at Ember and lowered his finger from his lips. “Normally I'd think he'd be the last one who would volunteer for such an assignment. I recall a time when he wanted to attack all of the ponies in Equestria if he managed to become Dragon Lord.”

Ember twisted to her right side a bit as she continued to regard Spike. She also crossed one arm across her chest and folded another claw draped over the other arm in a lazy fashion. “Well, Garble may be a jerk, but it's his planet too, Spike. When he heard that something was coming that threatened him and all he cared about, he was proud to volunteer.”

“Huh.” Spike looked impressed. “I guess there are redeeming qualities to him after all.” Spike sounded really surprised to hear himself say that.

“Well, he may be a jerk but he can also be a jerk to other jerks,” Ember added.

“That's another good point!” Spike realized.

“Plus, if he gets out of line then HELLO! I'm the Lord of all Dragons! I can keep him in line if he starts to cross it,” Ember said confidently. “Even if I do fall for some reason, then there are all these other ponies and creatures here to help keep him in line. Not even Garble is stupid enough to misbehave when he's this surrounded.”

“Wow, Ember! You really thought this through, haven't you?” Spike asked in an impressed tone.

“Eh.” She looked at the back of her right claw casually as she said, “It's what I do. I am the leader of the dragons, after all. If I'm going to stay that way, I need to think things through. A good leader always does.”

“A good one, perhaps,” Spike agreed. “I'm just glad to see that you are here. Having you fight by our side already makes me feel much safer. I feel like we honestly have a chance to beat this thing with you around.”

“Aw!” Ember looked touched as she regarded Spike affectionately. “Thanks, Spike.”

“You deserve it. You really are all kinds of awesome!” Spike cheered while pointing at her with both of his pointing fingers for further emphasis.

“I am a little concerned for you, though,” Ember said back to Spike with a little worry. “Garble was right about one thing. You're the furthest thing from a true warrior. It doesn't seem like a good thing to invite you into a serious battle. Are you sure you'll be okay, Spike?”

“Any failings I have on my part, I have my friends to help make up for them!” Spike cheerfully explained. “And I, of course, help make up for their failings. I have always been Twilight's assistant for as long as I can remember, and she has relied on me many times to help her save the day. I did save the Crystal Empire twice on my own, and I also helped solve a friendship problem in Ponyville when the friendship map called upon me.”

Ember thought back, then realized something. “Wait! That friendship problem was me, and I was only upset with you that day because you kept ignoring me in the hopes of keeping me and Thorax from meeting each other which, by the way, was totally stupid of you. I'm still a bit upset at you for that.”

“Go easy on me!” Spike begged sheepishly with wince in his eyes and a tight cringe in his pose. “I was under a lot of pressure that day.”

“Yeah, which you totally CAUSED!”

“Be that as it may, I still helped to solve the problem in the end by learning my lesson,” Spike declared which made Ember roll her eyes drolly. “Also I've been useful on many other occasions. Remember that time I helped you win the Gauntlet of Fire?”

“I do,” Ember recalled fondly. “I really owe you for that one.”

“My point is, I come in handy pretty often and in very surprising ways. I may be a baby dragon still, but I have ten times more experience than other dragons thrice my age. The lessons I have learned in Ponyville with my friends I'm sure will come in handy where we are going. Not everything we're going to face out there is just a physical battle. The Doctor said it would be a mental and emotional battle too, and if there is one thing I do very well, it's moral support. Plus, with these wings,” Spike briefly flapped to demonstrate, “I can at least scout for all of you. I can also deliver messages to a great distance using my fire breath.”

“Yeah, what's sup with that?” Ember asked curiously. “None of the rest of us can do that. Why do you have a unique gift of being a glorified mail carrier?”

“Eh, I'm not really sure.” Spike scratched the back of his neck as he glanced down and to the right. “Twilight thinks it has something to do with the circumstances of my birth. I was prompted to an early birth because of her magic on the day of Rainbow Dash's first legendary Sonic Rainboom and it was also the day she got overloaded with magic and subsequently got her cutie mark. She also thinks that is why I was born without wings. It didn't develop yet as a result of my early birth.” Spike looked back at Ember. “I think that's also why I've always felt so naturally loyal to her. It's kind of my dragon code, after all, to serve those who help save my life. Well, Twilight caused my birth entirely. Even though it might have been premature, I still made it thanks to her and I've always felt instinctually grateful for that.”

“I guess you have come in handy in unexpected ways,” Ember admitted. “We're about to fight a war, though. Time clone or no time clone, know your limits and stay far away from the front lines. Let someone like me take the lead. You're my friend too, Spike, and I will protect you.”

“Thanks Ember! I, meanwhile, got your back too.” Spike snapped both of his thumbs on his middle finger then pointed both pointing fingers at Ember while also giving her a cocky wink. “Old Spike The Brave and Glorious does not let his friends down. If there is one thing you can count on, it's that!”

“Oh you've let me down before,” Ember scolded, then softened, “but you always made up for it. I've known plenty of dragons in my time who would never consider apologizing to me like you would. We can really learn a lot from you, Spike.”

“Happy to help!” Spike cheered.

Feather Wind smiled to himself as he looked away and stopped paying attention to this scene. He found it a great comfort to have proof that not all dragons were evil. It really went far to prove to him that all species have redeeming qualities to them, and most individuals do as well. The first dragon he encountered in this timeline burned down innocent ponies without remorse, but along comes this tiny baby dragon and practically says, “Wait, wait, wait! We're not all bad. Look, I'll prove it!”

A lesson Feather Wind had already learned earlier was reinforced on that day. Friendship could come from anywhere.

xoxo

Feather Wind wanted to stay awake and pay attention to all these new and potential friends who continued their bonding socialization in the meeting hall but there were some limitations he had not learned to break yet. Just because he defeated the impossible before didn't mean he could do it every time. He wanted to stay with them and learn as much as he could. He really did but, over time, the crowd in that room started to brush against his minor claustrophobia slowly but surely. Eventually he had to step outside the room and take in several deep breaths under the wide open air.

His vision was a little blurry at that point. He touched the side of his head near his eyes and shook his head in an effort to focus himself. It kind of worked, but this was clearly a losing battle. Inevitably he knew he had to go to sleep sometime. Normally that wouldn't seem like such a big deal. He'd done it before plenty of other times in his life but, during those times, usually not so many important things were happening all at once. The fact he was one of very few in that room who had the capacity to remember all of this made him feel obligated to try to pay attention and remember it all. In moments like this, he wished he could be like them and stay awake forever, or at least as long as they were here.

He sighed and leaned on a rail that he stood next to. He looked over the edge and saw an abundance of torches lit below in the darkness, each carried by one of many creatures who came to this city and did everything they could to pray for the Doctor's safe arrival. He was assured by certain members of this city in high authority that they would make the effort to convey to all the other gathered crowds the success of their endeavors. If that had already come to pass, it made Feather Wind wonder what they were thinking about right now.

“Hey there. Mind if I join you?” politely asked a feminine voice. Both because he was too tired and because the voice was so new to him, Feather Wind could not place the voice by memory alone this time. He had to check over his shoulder to identify the speaker. When he did, he easily recognized her despite the fact he really met her in person only once before.

“You're very much welcome to, Princess Twilight,” Feather Wind invited. “You're not going to freeze in fan girl mode again, are you?”

“No, no!” Twilight assured with a glow of embarrassment. “I'm good now. No insane ravings for this little filly anymore. At least not at the moment.” She cleared her throat, feeling a little anxious to shift the subject matter away from herself. “There was a reason why I felt that way earlier. Your work is really very good,” she said as she trotted her way beside him. “You were born such a long time ago. This here is one of the opportunities I never expected to have. A chance to meet a pony I admire from old . . . I think I was just surprised is all. I'm sorry for my behavior earlier. I hope you can understand. I really didn't mean to be rude. I know how much you hate being put on a pedestal. Believe me, I feel the same way myself. That's probably one of the reasons why I felt such an intense connection with you. You're one of the most powerful unicorns I ever heard of. It's such a surprise you managed to stay so humble about it. That really made me admire you for it.”

“I'm a fan of your work, too,” Feather Wind said softly. “I've traveled through time widely enough to encounter some of your work as well, some of which is probably ahead of even your time. I sensed, as I read your work, that we are kind of kindred spirits. We both feel that the weight of our power is a heavy burden and responsibility, and we both feel very afraid to let any pony down.”

There was quiet between them for a moment, then it was broken first by Twilight.

“I noticed you trying your best to pay attention to everypony in there, and I think I know why you did it. You felt it was your responsibility to remember everything that's happening in there, didn't you? You feel that way because you know that the rest of us can't do that in the long gallop. I, myself, will disappear when this mission is done, and I'll have no idea I ever spoke to one of my heroes. I really wish I could remember.” She sighed as she looked down over the rail while a subtle breeze brushed softly through her mane. “At least now you know how I feel.”

{I was standing next to an alicorn princess from the future. I knew she was responsible for many pivotal moments in the future that saves our world. She was also considered the de facto leader of the Mane Six, the head of the Elements of Harmony. She was the pony of magic and the Princess of Friendship. I even suspected she was once far more than that. The source of all magic on this world, as I recently discovered, came from a magical dying star known in this time as the Twilight Star. I didn't consider the name a coincidence either because I saw what that star looked like with my own eyes thanks to the telescope in this city.

{What was surprising about this situation, however, was how comfortable I felt around her despite knowing all of this. Maybe it was because I felt she could understand me in ways most other ponies could not. I both hoped and suspected she felt the same way about me after she recovered from her initial freak out. This relationship we had between us kind of reminded me of Sky Dancer in a way. Back then he and I both had a strong unspoken and instinctual bond. The bond I felt between Twilight Sparkle and I perhaps had different reasons for being there but the overall feeling was much the same regardless. It's just a kinship, pure and simple, likely because of our mutual love of magic, books and how we regarded life in general.}

“Twilight Sparkle, do you trust me?” Feather Wind asked out of the blue.

Twilight was caught off guard by how forward that question was, but she had no motive to lie. Because of that she said, “Of course I trust you. I have no reason not to.”

“Then take my hoof.” Feather Wind offered his right hoof to her. “There is something I want to show you.”

Twilight continued to be caught off guard by his forwardness. It made her a little bit uncomfortable but, because of her fan girl crush, she also felt embarrassed and flattered. She was also curious and mystified what he was up to. There was something in his eyes that promised to show her great wonders if she chose to accept this. Twilight accepted his offered hoof in a daze while her cheeks burned bright red.

“Come fly with me,” Feather Wind invited as he lifted off the ground with a silver telekinetic aura.

“Okay,” she said numbly, still staring into his eyes and felt momentarily entranced. She spread her wings and lifted off the ground.

{Together we flew over the city near the very top of it. I took her to Awalki's observatory. She was already impressed before we even set a hoof inside. In fact, the entire city was amazing to her. She never thought she would be flying here in an ancient city like this. Nevermind the surprise in how advanced it was considering the era. Along the way, she casually mentioned the fact she had time traveled twice before, but nowhere near this far back in time and both times it was due to a spell rather than a time machine.

{I had the means to open the locked door of the laboratory. Awalki wasn't there, but I did encounter several of his assistants. It was funny how they initially mistook her for the Doctor at first since that was the one we were trying so hard to summon. I quickly corrected that misunderstanding but also explained we had indeed successfully summoned the Doctor. After a brief introduction, I told them to examine Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark for an explanation why I brought her here. They did indeed understand it after they saw it, then eagerly agreed to set up the telescope for the correct star. Twilight watched this all in bewilderment. I assured her that she would soon understand. While I said that, I was really looking forward to her reaction.

{It took several minutes to set up the telescope. She actually delayed the process a bit with a lot of questions about the machine which also proved she had some expertise and interest in the subject. They sounded delighted to be addressing a fellow student of the stars so, when they replied, they did not talk down to her. Instead they gave their honest opinion as if she were an equal. I, of course, was already aware of her interest in the stars. That was one of my principle reasons for looking forward to her reaction in this case.

{Then, at last, she looked. I stood by her side and was brimming with anticipation.}

“Oh . . . my . . . CELESTIA! That's the Twilight Star?” Twilight asked ecstatically.

“It is, and it's the source of all magic on this world,” Feather Wind explained smoothly.

“What?” Twilight lifted up her head from the peep hole of the telescope and looked back at Feather Wind in confusion and amazement.

“That star has been projecting comets at this planet for a long time now,” Feather Wind lectured. “Each comet has been named, 'Starlight Dust', and each one is thick with magic. It's enchanted the land and every creature that has ever interacted with it. It's even caused the rise of sentience in the species that has interacted with it closely, which in this time includes the silurians and the arakroa and, more recently, a native species that call themselves horses which will evolve into the ponies we know and love from our day. The Twilight Star is the source of all of these changes, and the reason we don't see it in the night sky in our age is because, even now, it's being consumed by a black hole nearby it. While I would normally call it a natural phenomenon, this black hole has actually projected something from it, The Dark Star. It, too, has crashed onto this world as if chasing after it's primary food source and it has proven to have malevolent, if primitive, intelligence.”

Feather Wind approached closer to her to put more emphasis on what he had to say next. “Twilight Sparkle, I suspect you are, in some form, related to the spirit of that star. It's natural form matches your cutie mark almost perfectly, and that symbol has cropped up in numerous other ages across all time. It has always stood for magic. That star is being destroyed even as we speak right now, but it spread the seeds of hope to another distant world as if in desperation to defend some piece of it. That piece is you, Princess . . . and it is also in the magic of every pony who will ever exist now and on into the future.” Feather Wind looked up to the upper tip of the telescope, or at least as far as the ceiling would allow him to see. “I believe that star has called us here to this time to help defend what it's trying to create, and I believe The Dark Star is the response to the Twilight Star's efforts, meaning to destroy all that the Twilight Star helped to create.”

Feather Wind regarded Twilight again. Not only was she thoughtful, she was also crying a bit. He didn't completely understand why she felt that way in that moment. He suspected she felt overwhelmed by all this news but, deep down, he also thought it's because she felt he was right. She did feel a connection to that star and it's desperate hope to defend life and magic. She probably cried to mourn a friend that died a very long time ago. One whose sacrifice helped to create everything she held dear in her life.

Both of them stood in silence for a long moment. Even the assistants in the background seemed afraid to move because it might make a sound. This was a pivotal moment they were witnessing. For all intents and purposes, they were beholding the reincarnation of the very thing that gave this planet sentience and magic.

{Well, a temporal clone of hers, at least.}

“This discovery is too important to let it be forgotten,” Twilight eventually decided with some steel in her voice. “The brave sacrifice of this star must be honored.” She regarded Feather Wind. “You have to be the one to do this. You must write about this.”

Feather Wind narrowed one eye at her suspiciously. “Didn't you say you were a fan of my work? In that case, why aren't you already familiar with this if I obeyed your instructions and wrote about this star?”

Twilight realized he had a good point, which made her thoughtful again. “Hmm. It may be because that work got lost or forgotten somehow, or maybe it's simply rare and has yet to be discovered.” She looked down with a sad sigh and closed her eyes. “I really wish I could remember this discovery. It feels so important to me.”

“Then how about this. What if I write you a letter and post-date it to be delivered to you personally in the future?” Feather Wind offered. “When your real self gets a hold of this information, she can choose to do with it whatever she wants.”

Twilight widened her eyes, then lifted her head again to look back at him. “That's a great idea! Can you do this now?”

Feather Wind touched the Red Crystal hanging on his neck. “I can use this to write a virtual letter and store it in this gem then, at a later date, I can use it as a template to make an actual letter when I return to my time or some time close to it.”

“Sounds perfect!” Twilight cheered.

“Actually,” Feather Wind looked up as he thought of something else he could do. He took a moment to refine his idea, then looked back at her. “I'll do you one better. I'll let you write the letter right now.”

Twilight squinted an eye. “Come again? How can I write a letter to myself right now? We don't have any quill and ink with us now, do we? Or is there some in this laboratory we could use?”

Feather Wind grinned at her. “We can do this using a method really far up your alley.” He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. His horn ignited silver then, a moment later, a ghostly hologram of a letter materialized in mid air along with a quill floating beside it. While still concentrating on maintaining this spell, he opened his eyes at her and said, “Take the virtual quill and use it to write yourself a letter to be delivered to yourself in the future. Be sure not only to include the details you've learned tonight, but also include something else in the letter that proves it's really you writing the letter. Your real self will likely be skeptical at first so be sure to write down something that would convince yourself that you're telling the truth in this letter. Aside from your horn writing, make sure to write down something that only you would know.”

Twilight seemed amused. “Wasn't your original name Quill Scroll?”

“Yes,” Feather Wind answered seriously. “I am of the Scroll family, and it is our family duty to keep records of anything important. I will protect your message with my life, Twilight Sparkle. You have my word I'll make sure your true self gets this letter, even if I have to time travel and deliver it to you in person.”

“Actually, that would be nice if you can manage that. So, um,” she regarded the virtual quill, “do I . . . just . . . write with it like a normal quill?”

“Yes, Princess,” Feather Wind confirmed. “I'll even not look if that is what you want, though I must eventually look upon it to transfer it to another real scroll.”

“No. It's okay. You can look. Hmm. Let's see.” She placed a hoof on her lips as she thought about what she wanted to write. When she decided, she lowered her hoof back to the ground and ignited her own horn which emitted a purple glow. She telekinetically seized the virtual quill and used it to write on the virtual scroll as if it were a real scroll. With each stroke of the virtual quill, light shone off the scroll for a second then settled into what appeared to be black ink, but there was about a two second delay process for that ink to show up. She needed a moment to get used to that but, after she did, she kept on pouring her heart into this letter to make sure this incredible message would be read and never forgotten.

Chapter Twenty Three: The Northen March

Chapter Twenty Three: War

“Hello there, tiny little horses,” spoke a booming voice just beyond the Crystal Heart barrier. “I hope I am an imposition. I was just wondering if Feather Wind can come out to play.”

“Ah . . . Feather Wind,” Spike called back partially over his shoulder while he kept his eyes glued on the huge, menacing sight beyond the Crystal Heart barrier. “I think . . . he wants to see you.”

“Do you actually know this dragon?” Ember asked Feather Wind as he emerged from the crowd.

“Indeed I do,” Feather Wind answered in a serious tone as he stepped ahead of the crowd and regarded the recent looming threat just beyond the barrier. “He is the first dragon I met in this time period. The only one I met here besides all of you.”

“Huh.” Ember regarded the intruder with interest. “So that's the chump that fell against you so easily.”

Feather Wind nodded. “Confirmed, although I will have to say he's lost a lot of weight since then.”

The dragon in question was nothing but bones. The gigantic bone dragon leaned heavily against the Crystal Heart barrier, almost resting on top of it. Tiny red eyes hovered in giant empty eye sockets as the crazed and hungry-looking dragon scratched at the Crystal Heart barrier over and over again. The only thing that passed for skin on this creature anymore was a black cloud floating between it's bones. Feather Wind's Red Crystal hummed very strongly to be in this corrupted creature's presence. For that to happen, it meant the unliving dragon radiated intense amounts of dark magic. It likely required that much to animate a corpse this powerful.

“Hello, Feather Wind,” the dragon said in a tone of false politeness. In fact it positively dripped with intensely powerful negative intentions. “It's so good to see you again. It's been such a long time. I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about me. How are you?” His polite words were such a sharp contrast to his menacing tone, it was really quite disturbing to hear. Feather Wind could practically hear the gurgle of hatred boiling under his voice.

“I've been better,” Feather Wind admitted honestly. “My journey has been rather trying lately but, fortunately for me, I have a lot of new friends to help me through these awful times.”

“Aw! I'm sorry to hear that!” Fang said politely with a tone dripping with venom while he kept on absently clawing at the Crystal Heart barrier. His tiny red eyes shook harder with barely contained raw fury. “If it will make you feel worse, I'll gladly kill all of your new friends for you, then you can be perfectly miserable again. How does that sound?”

“Sounds like a plan I'll do everything in my power to prevent,” Feather Wind replied firmly as he spread himself in a more secure battle stance. The Red Crystal on his neck flared for a moment. After that his coat became glossy with transparent crystal.

“I hope you do, my tiny little morsel. I hope you struggle in vain as I pull off their tiny little legs one by one. This is ever going to be so much fun, and oh, that gem about your neck looks so delicious! It may be a tiny little morsel, but something tells me it packs quite a punch. I can't wait to devour it.”

“Choke on it,” Feather Wind menaced as he narrowed his eyes.

“I'm not sorry. I can't do that. I no longer have mortal weaknesses like you and your pathetic friends,” Fang reported. He lifted his bony tail high above his head, “but, like I said, please feel free to struggle all you like. I want to savor the moment I break your spirit. Abandon hope, tiny one. It will service you no further beyond this point.”

The giant dragon dove his tail into the earth while he continued to stare hard at Feather Wind like a rabid dog about to tear into a juicy meal. As he continued his fixed, icy stare, the terrain started to rumble more and more.

“What is he doing?” Author Scroll asked aloud as he used magic to help steady himself from all the sudden and violent rocking.

Ramadon bowed low and touched the earth with a hoof, closed his eyes and concentrated, then he answered, “He's disturbing the earth's tectonic plates with his tail. He's creating a small fissure in the earth! That tail must be massive!”

“Well, can't you stop this?!” Trixie asked with rising panic as she stumbled about back and forth.

“I will try.” Ramadon slammed both of his forward hooves into the earth and he closed his eyes and concentrated hard.

“Yes! Struggle!” Fang invited in a vicious tone that boarded on nearly sexual sounding excitement. At that point his entire head was quaking in addition to his tiny red glowing eyes. “Your despair will taste so much more delicious when it comes at your failure despite your best efforts. Think of your friends. Think of your loved ones. Know that you are about to fail them, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!”

Fang withdrew his gigantic tail from the earth. He finally pulled away from the Crystal Heart barrier only to take a massive intake of breath, which seemed kind of pointless to a dragon made almost entirely of only bones, then he spewed out a projectile vomit of roaring black flames into the hole his tail made a moment ago. He kept that flame spewing out constantly. The land around him started to melt and turn into lava due to the intense and constant pressure. He was not living anymore so he no longer had mortal limitations. His flame breath, accordingly, was inexhaustible.

The land quaked much harder, and Ramadon shouted, “OH NO! HIS FLAME BREATH IS BUILDING UP A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE UNDER THE EARTH. THERE IS LITERALLY NOTHING I CAN DO!”

Sombra slammed both of his hooves into the earth and quickly tried to grow a giant lattice of crystal under the earth in the hopes of holding everything together.

“THIS BARRIER IS PROJECTED UNDER THE EARTH TOO, RIGHT?” Princess Cadence called out loud to her grown up daughter in concern as she fought to steady herself. Her supportive husband remained loyally by her side and tried his best to aid her balance.

“YES,” Flurry Heart hollered back, “BUT THAT ISN'T GOING TO MATTER IF THE WHOLE EARTH BLOWS UP UNDER OUR HOOVES.”

“EVERY UNICORN MUST ASSEMBLE WITH ME!” Star Swirl called out desperately. “WE MUST ALL COMBINE OUR MAGICS TO HELP FORTIFY RAMADON AND SOMBRA'S EFFORTS TO SECURE THE EARTH.”

“Oh no!” Sombra said with horror under his breath as he watched the red crystal under him glow brighter and brighter, then he called aloud. “IT'S TOO LATE!” Immediately he abandoned his efforts to hold the crystal lattice underneath them together and instead rushed as fast as he could to Princess Flurry Heart. As he leapt into her, he erected a spherical crystal barrier around himself and Flurry Heart in a desperate attempt to protect her.

Right after that, the earth under all of them erupted into a violent spew of lava exploding high into the air. Every creature within the massive area tried their best to leap out of the way, fly out of the way, or erect a magical barrier. Some of them also managed to save several other creatures from the fatal attack, although the dragons in the party were not much threatened. Instead of being damaged, they were blown away and lost in a virtual tsunami of exploding lava. Even if it did not burn them, it weighed them down as molten rock later started to cool on their torso, limbs and scales.

{I, myself, barely had any time to save any creature. I did not even pay attention to whom I was saving. I simply used my horn to draw in every creature around me as if I were briefly a black hole. Once they were pulled in close, I created a powerful whirling spherical cyclone of air all around us. It caused the lava to spin all around us even as we were shot out of the danger zone. Since all of my concentration was used to maintain the barrier, we crashed pretty hard on the rocky earth eventually.

{By the way, one of the creatures I happened to rescue in my attempt happened to be Spike. Mind you, he may not have been threatened by the heat of the lava itself, but he could drown in it.}

Feather Wind shook his head as his body throbbed with pain in many places. He almost asked if every creature around him were okay but, upon listening to their groans of pain, he realized he did not need to ask. They were definitely not okay, but at least they were alive enough to complain about it.

{The blast of lava scattered us all across the landscape. That put us in extreme danger, not to mention many of us could have been vaporized by the volcanic blast of the lava itself. Even if we survived that, they had to survive the fall. If they survived that, then there was the Black Blizzard snow storm, the choking smoke and the hoards of unliving monsters waiting to pounce us. This disaster was so severe it had a chance to wipe us all out in one blow. My mind and heart was aching with worry for all my beloved friends, but my situation grew considerably worse a few short moments later.}

Another earthquake shattered the earth nearby Feather Wind's position. He looked to one direction and realized, with horror, what had caused it. The unliving dragon, Fang, had landed nearby, and he kept his sights locked on a tiny yellow pegasus mare with a lavish pink mane.

Fluttershy screamed, startled, when the earth rumbled violently around her. She shivered in fear as she kept her forward hooves covered over her face until a giant reptilian gurgle sound won her attention. She slowly uncovered her face from her hooves and looked to her left. There she saw a giant bone pelvis just sitting on the earth. As her eyes steadily climbed up the tower of bones beside her, her eye pupils gradually grew smaller and smaller in sheer terror. She increasingly opened her mouth as widely as it could to scream reflexively but very little actual sound came out of her. She tried to scream but managed only tiny little adorable peeps.

{I could not believe the horror she must have felt in that moment. Fluttershy made it abundantly clear many times how scared she was of massive dragons, and this dragon was as menacing as they come. It was not alive anymore either. Only pure negative energy held it together. One could say that pure hatred kept it on it's claws. There was zero chance she could peacefully negotiate with this one, and it would also prove absolutely immune to her famous “Stare”. It was known for sure that this dragon had extremely hostile intentions to the point of being sinister. Fang could be perfectly content to rip a strip of hide off of her one inch at a time. He savored the pain of others that much.

{I wanted to save her. I truly did, and I also knew that Fang's interest were locked on me even more than her. I tried to call out, but panic choked me as well, not to mention the smoke. The volcano burst a cloud of smoke away from the area momentarily but it was about to return with a vengeance. I felt bewildered and helpless. The situation felt massive and overwhelming.}

Fang slowly reached down with a bony claw to pick up Fluttershy as if she were a tiny toy. By the time his claw surrounded her, Fluttershy finally fainted. The unliving bone dragon scooped up her limp body up to half of his towering height. With his other claw, he poked at her unconscious body for a moment, probably hoping to wake her back up so he could savor her intense terror again. The effort was in vain. Her body merely got nudged as if she were a fresh corpse.

“Leave . . . Fluttershy . . . ALONE!” Discord demanded as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He also grew to the same height as the towering dragon. He raised his own eagle claw and lion paw upward as he grew. A black cyclone storm whirled above his own head. Discord grew black for a moment as red eyes flashed very menacingly at the bone dragon Fang. With a snap of his lion paw, the lava flowing out of the earth that originally scattered all of his friends turned into a giant pile of ice cream with multiple flavors and layers to it. With a snap of his left eagle claw, the menacing Black Blizzard storm that was starting to return turned into cotton candy that rained chocolate which, incidentally, greatly pleased Pinkie Pie.

“Drop the adorable little pegasus,” Discord demanded of Fang as he slowly lifted his right lion paw, threatening to snap his fingers again, “or you'll see what I turn you into. Maybe a giant pile of rotting cheese? Or, better yet, how about a xylophone made of bones! Ooo-hoo-hoo-hoo! I can't wait to pick a bone with you.”

“Do it, Discord! Destroy him!” Card Shark yelled up to Discord which immediately made Feather Wind alarmed and suspicious. If Card Shark wanted Discord to mess with the unliving dragon then somehow that plan would backfire.

“No, Discord! Remember what the Doctor said to us all those years ago!” Spike called loudly up to his friend. “If you use your powers against it, The Dark Star will copy you!”

“What do you propose as an alternative?” Card Shark asked Spike sharply. “Do you want to see your friend Fluttershy die?”

“No. Of course not. Um,” Spike grew frantically thoughtful, then looked back at Discord as he made a suggestion. “How about you instead turn me into a giant dragon? Then I can save Fluttershy myself.”

Discord snapped his lion paw then, after a brief white flash, Spike suddenly gained a long gray beard, a pointy wizard hat, a long purple cape and carried a magic staff. Spike examined himself and realized, with delight, that he became his fictional character Garbunkle from his game with Discord called Ogres and Oubliettes (which was a game Vision liked to play with them as well). He then said, “Ah, thanks Discord! That works too.”

“Let us see how squishy this tiny little one is,” Fang said curiously as he lowered one claw towards Fluttershy. “I wonder how much blood will spread on my claw when I squish her. Such a tiny little bug.”

“He wants to hurt her,” Card Shark observed as he slowly pulled down the edge of his fedora hat to hide the look of evil satisfaction he had in his eyes. “He's already hurt her. Fluttershy has already been scared out of her wits severely enough to lose consciousness, and you're going to let a little side kick be her hero instead of you?”

Discord's eyes and eyebrows flamed with fury, and he trembled with rage.

{Meanwhile I could not raise my own voice in objection, and the truth was a strong part of me hadn't wanted to. What argument could I possibly give that would be strong enough to convince Discord to abandon Fluttershy? That I had a bad hunch about Card Shark? Then there was Fluttershy to consider. I was furious at Fang and greatly concerned for her too. It was hard enough to keep my own wits in check let alone expect restraint from an omnipotent being accustomed to getting instant gratification to every wish all the time.}

“You messed with the wrong beauty!” Discord growled. The storm cloud above his head whirled about faster and faster. While that happened, the blaze in his eyes grew brighter. “Now you'll get the beast!”

Screaming in rage, Discord gathered both of his claw and paw near the side of his upper chest area and conjured a steadily growing, large ball of whirling, chaotic black energy between the claw and paw and shifted that gathering whirling mass of energy to his side near his right rib cage. While he did that he, for some inexplicable reason, suddenly grew tall golden hair that glowed with bright energy and stood straight up. At the same time an explosion of golden energy whirled around him and made a radiating, wavy sound. As he charged this attack, the dragon Fang froze while he regarded Discord curiously. Discord, meanwhile, spoke out in a multi-voice, “Ka . . . may . . . ah . . . may . . . HAAAAAAAAAA!” After ten seconds of powering up, Discord shot a constant stream of black, chaotic whirling energy at Fang, meaning to annihilate the bone dragon in one shot and simultaneously save Fluttershy.

It would have hit the dragon, too, if it weren't for another copy of Discord suddenly appearing and swallowed up Discord's constant stream of chaotic energy, but Discord ended his attack prematurely when he noticed he had a new problem. He gazed across the battlefield to see a totally black, shadowy version of himself stand up straight, wipe his lips then burped in satisfaction.

“Ehhh!” Discord put his eagle talon into his neck and dragged it outward. His own skin acted like it was merely a shirt which promptly let out a blast of nervous steam, looking very uncomfortable at that moment. “That's not good!”

Shadow Discord reached up into the heavens. A stream of lightning bolts shot into him and zapped all around his body which made him writhe a bit with the energy charge, then he appeared to stretch. “Finally! Finally I'm free of your wretched weak self!” Shadow Discord cried out in evil satisfaction. “Now I can finally free you too. Behold!” Shadow Discord snapped his lion paw and Fluttershy teleported into his eagle talon while simultaneously becoming a stock of broccoli that looked very much like a tree. He reached that above his head and proceeded to drop the broccoli into his mouth but it vanished in mid air and appeared as Fluttershy's normal form nearby the original Discord, complements of the same draconequus.

“Oh, so you want to play a game!” Shadow Discord cried in delight at his counterpart. “Well, game on, fool!”

Shadow Discord conjured a cloud of piranha fish to rain down on the entire battlefield.

Discord countered by summoning a bunch of seagulls to snatch them all up before the fish could land and, for some reason, every single seagull kept repeatedly squawking the word, “Mine!”

Shadow Discord summoned and wore a golden gauntlet with five brightly glowing, different colored gems on the gauntlet's knuckles. He reached back towards the moon with the golden gauntlet then made a crushing fist. Far into the background, the moon instantly shattered into many tiny pieces. When Shadow Discord dragged the golden gauntlet forward, the pieces of the distant moon was dragged towards the planet at devastating speeds.

Discord countered by conjuring a fishing rod and throwing the string forward. That caused the moon fragments to suspend for some reason. When Discord yanked the fishing rod back, the moon fragments not only drew back away from the planet, they also reassembled into one piece again.

Shadow Discord lifted two fingers on both his lion paw and eagle claw and crossed it in front of him while saying, “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” As soon as he said that, an army materialized around him, and each one was an evil copy of all of Feather Wind's friends, including Feather Wind himself.

Discord fumed out flames from his nostrils then summoned a scroll out of thin air which had the title at the top of the scroll reading “Naruto References in M-L-P” and he quickly wrote out angrily, “TOTALLY NON-CANON” under the title. Instantly all of the shadow clones disappeared, a few doing so with mild complaints.

Shadow Discord snapped a claw and said, “Taste the shadow rainbow, loser!” A rainbow suddenly stretched out above them but quickly lost it's color. It rained tiny bits of candy from it at first but they, too, lost it's color and became giant boulders raining down from the sky.

Discord shook with fury and snapped his eagle claw. The boulders turned back into tiny bits of candy (which Pinkie Pie tried to devour on it's way down) and the rainbow above regained it's color. Moreover, there was now a pink fluffy filly with a wide happy smile, enlarged eye pupils and fake unicorn horn taped to her forehead who hopped on the rainbow continuously first with it's forward hooves then hind legs while the words, “Pink fluffy unicorns, dancing on rainbows,” sang repeatedly over and over again all around them.

Shadow Discord snapped his lion paw and thousands upon thousands of Fluttershy clones appeared all across the landscape, each one crying at Discord and begging to convince him that each one was the real one, in some cases to the point of being in tears.

Since this recent change brought back very bad memories for him, Discord shook both of his limbs below him as the top of his head exploded as if his head became a volcano and the upper half of his head was just a loose lid. He shouted, “ENOUGH!” He clapped his paw and claw together and a shock wave of energy spread out from him which wiped away every creation both of them made and it also teleported both Discord and Shadow Discord away. Unfortunately that also meant the unconscious body of Fluttershy returned to Fang's bony claw and, for some reason, Spike vanished.

There was a stunned pause by every creature and shadow corrupted creature because of what recently happened but, after a few moments, the sounds of battle resumed.

“Well, that didn't go so well for our adorable yellow heroine,” Card Shark announced smugly. “Now it's up to you, Feather Wind.”

“Me?” Feather Wind countered in disbelief.

“You're the one the dragon really wants,” Card Shark reminded Feather Wind. “You killed him once. Now he wants to return the favor. Oppose the dragon now, or let Fluttershy die. She's one of the Elements of Harmony. In this case, she is the weakest link of her six friends, but no less important when it comes to summoning your ultimate trump card which you'll need to defeat The Dark Star. If she dies, the world dies. Make your choice, boy!”

Feather Wind regarded the giant bone dragon.

“Is this one precious to you?” Fang asked curiously and tauntingly while lifting up Fluttershy's unconscious body towards Feather Wind's direction. “Is she one of your treasures? Please say yes.”

“He'll kill her regardless of what you say,” Card Shark told Feather Wind quietly. “Make your choice, but make it quick. Fluttershy's life is on the line, but what do you care about her? She's just a meaningless time clone anyway, is she not?”

Feather Wind slammed both his hooves into the earth and dragged it backwards towards him. Angry tears hung in his eyes. His face was scrunched up in anger.

(She is not meaningless!) Feather Wind cried out in his mind. (Time clone or no, Fluttershy is Fluttershy, and she is my friend! That makes her my treasure, and I will not abandon her to this monster!)

“That's it, Fang! You want a rematch? Well here I am!” Feather Wind boldly cried out as he stood back on his hooves again.

“Way to go, Dad! You tell him!” his daughter in the future cheered him on.

“I'll fight you to your heart's content, on one condition,” Feather Wind went on. “Let Fluttershy go unharmed, or I will just stand here and let you kill me.”

“What kind of bargain is that?” Fang asked in surprise.

“You tell me,” Feather Wind countered evenly as he narrowed his eyes at the dragon. “You'll only get to kill me once. How will you decide to kill me? Do you want to squash me right now and get it over with, or do you want to fight me at my best and prolong my suffering as long as possible? The choice is yours! Right now I live in hope. You were the one who said you could crush it by defeating us when we're at our best.”

Fang seemed amused. “You drive a hard bargain, tiny horse. I'll call your bluff and raise the stakes.” Fang crawled forward and swung the claw that held Fluttershy crashing down on top of Feather Wind. Feather Wind just stood there and closed his eyes while the giant claw came crashing down on top of him, then opened his eyes four seconds later and saw the giant claw suspended above him. “You were really just going to stand there and let yourself be killed?” Fang asked, dumbfounded.

“All I ask for is Fluttershy's safe return,” Feather Wind repeated. “You won't get what you really want until you give me that first.”

“Whoa, Dad! You were such a bad-ass!” Star Breeze remarked, impressed.

Fang growled intensely in anger then chucked Fluttershy away. Feather Wind caught her in a telekinetic aura then guided her gently to the ground. Card Shark moved to protect her after that.

Fang crouched low and backed off smoothly like a cat getting ready to pounce except for the fact that he crawled backwards away from his opponent. He kept a fixed stare on Feather Wind as he did so.

“You're right, my little horse. I do want to fight you at your best,” Fang admitted. “I want you to know for sure that you will lose this fight no matter how hard you struggle. I want you to know you never stood a chance from the beginning. I want you to writhe in agony and despair!”

“Talk is cheap!” Feather Wind barked back. “If we're going to do this, let's do this.”

Feather Wind's entire body glowed silver. His cloak behind him billowed as it turned dark gray like a storm cloud gathering water. In addition, a real storm gathered far above their heads. Fang briefly looked up to regard that developing threat, then looked back at his opponent carefully. He underestimated his opponent last time. He was determined not to make that mistake again. Meanwhile Feather Wind's Red Crystal also glowed red as it lifted off his neck a bit. He created a crystal sword beside him which hovered near by him, ready to strike as Crystal Sage had taught him.

Then, all of the sudden, everything went dark.

“What?!” Star Breeze exclaimed in shock.

The next time Feather Wind regained his consciousness in the past, he looked above him and snorted away the dirt that clogged his nostrils which made a horsey blowing sound from his muzzle. Ahead of him, he saw Card Shark bend down to pick up the Red Crystal off the ground. Moments after he touched it, the crystal grew black as if he infected it somehow with dark energy.

“Why?” Feather Wind cried out then winced in pain. Apparently there was a sharp blow to the back of his head. It was most likely the reason he lost consciousness a moment ago. “Why betray me now? You had a long chance to do it all along while I was talking to Fang. I was even distracted.”

“Because you did not tap into the power of the Red Crystal yet,” Card Shark explained as he lifted the now black crystal near his face and grinned at it in evil satisfaction. “For me to tap into it's full potential, I needed two things from you. One was your blood, and the other was you unlocking it's power as you prepare to use it. I could only use it while it was at the height of it's power.”

“My blood?” Feather Wind questioned. “You don't have my blood. You are not part of my family. You . . .” Feather Wind paused in shock as he recalled the time Card Shark licked a small trace of blood off the paper cut from his cheek. Privately Feather Wind wondered in shock, (That's it? That's all it takes to use the crystal?)

“Two Jokers down,” Card Shark said in evil satisfaction then flashed Feather Wind the same grin. “One more to go.” With that he aimed the black crystal at Feather Wind. It started to suck out all of Feather Wind's magical energy which took about four seconds but it felt a lot longer to Feather Wind. After that Feather Wind's light blue coat faded to gray and his cutie mark vanished from his flank. His eyes grew duller in color.

“Ah! Such precious magical energy!” Card Shark savored. “The power to control the earth and sky, and the power to do whatever else unicorns have up their horn. Thanks for the charge, fool. I will use this a lot more wisely than you did, and say . . . that's a nice cloak. I think I'll take that as well.”

Card Shark aimed the stone at Feather Wind again. The cloak teleported off of Feather Wind then draped smoothly onto Card Shark. The moment that happened, the clouds in the cloak turned black like a heavy rain storm.

Feather Wind tried to get up but found he was too weak. He tried to summon his magical energy but found he was empty. Even his emotions felt drained from him somehow. It grew difficult, but not impossible, to care about anything.

“Thank you, Fang, for playing your part in this brilliantly,” Card Shark said to the bone dragon with a graceful bow.

“Took longer than I thought,” Fang noted. “I honestly did not expect the boy to just stand there while I threatened his friend. I thought you said he cared for the little filly.”

“He does,” Card Shark assured. “He was just playing you for a fool, or at least he tried to.”

“Can I eat her now?” Fang asked eagerly while hungrily looking at the still unconscious body of Fluttershy.

“With what? You have no stomach,” Card Shark pointed out. “Besides, I have further uses for the little filly. Why kill a friend?”

“She's not my friend,” Fang argued.

“Yes, but she will be mine soon. I prepared her well for this situation.” Card Shark strode over to her and whispered into her ear, “Wake up, little filly.”

Fluttershy did. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around, dazed and confused. “What? What happened? I had an awful dream.”

“Of course you did,” Card Shark said with a slight roll of his eyes, “but you can relax now. I will take care of everything for you. Now, my pretty little love slave . . .” Card Shark leaned forward and said very emphatically, “. . . your master . . . calls upon you.”

Instantly Fluttershy's eyes grew very small as she got seized in a trance, and she said in a quiet, monotone voice, “I am pleased to answer my master's call.”

Card Shark smiled in satisfaction as he stood up straight again and gently pat her on her head with his gentlecolt's cane. “There you go. Now get up, my little love slave.”

“Yes, my master,” Fluttershy said emptily and moved to obey.

“You may go now,” Card Shark said over his shoulder to Fang. “Fluttershy, Feather Wind and my daughter are under my protection, but you may slaughter all the rest to your heart's content.”

“Which one is your daughter again?” Fang checked.

“She wears a purple cape and has a tall, pointy, purple hat with fancy stars on it. She'll erroneously claim to be great and powerful and often speaks in third person. You can't miss her. Leave her alone and these two, or we will have issues to deal with later on.”

“I'm going to pretend you just didn't threaten me a moment ago, and remember our bargain as well.”

“I remember,” Card Shark assured as he narrowed his eyes but not in Fang's direction. “You'll get what's coming to you soon enough.”

Fang spread his bony wings apart. “At LAST! Now the real fun begins.” Fang leapT up and flapped down. Despite the illogical use of his wings without skin, they functioned perfectly fine. A huge blast of wind shot around him as the bone dragon took off to assault the rest of Feather Wind's gathered allies.

“Well, this has been a most entertaining show,” Card Shark said with a flourishing bow to Feather Wind. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have a world to conquer. Toodles for now!”

Card Shark was about to turn to leave until Feather Wind called out desperately, “Wait! What about your daughter?”

That question made Card Shark freeze. As Feather Wind had suspected, that question hit a nerve.

“If you betray us all to The Dark Star, you'll betray her too!” Feather Wind argued. “Whatever promise The Dark Star offered you, you of all ponies should know how treacherous the darkness is. It will betray you as soon as it is done using you like a pawn. If you do this, you prove to it and every other creature that you are not a King, you are just a pawn. You are just another card lost in the shuffle of the deck. Well your daughter is shuffled in that deck too! She is the Queen of Wands. You care for her. Admit it! Stop what you are doing now and turn away from this path before it's too late.”

“Be . . . QUIET!” Card Shark roared sharply as he spun around and lifted the Black Crystal. It ignited with a black aura and the same surrounded Feather Wind. Card Shark used the crystal to telekinetically lift Feather Wind seven feet off the ground then proceeded to smash him back into the earth hard. It almost knocked Feather Wind unconscious again, but he held on this time. Looking back at Card Shark, he saw Card Shark breathing heavily as the rim of his hat was low enough to conceal his eyes again. After several long moments, he calmed down enough to speak again. “You may know my true name, boy, but that doesn't mean you know me!” Card Shark growled in a passionately aggressive and gruff tone, so different from his usual suave, calm and arrogant attitude. “You have no idea what I sacrificed to get here.” Card Shark glared at Feather Wind angrily under the rim of his hat, but Feather Wind was even more shocked to see some tears in Card Shark's eyes. “Nor do you know what I will sacrifice before I achieve my final objective in this mission,” Card Shark went on. “EVERYthing that I have accomplished to get here, everything I had put aside and everything I will have to give up . . . is all for her!” He stood up straight and dusted off his tuxedo then tugged at his red bow tie to tighten it a bit as he attempted to regather his composure. “I know that sounds out of character for me, but I have my reasons for doing what I'm doing. Everything I have accomplished until now and everything I will accomplish for the rest of this mission will be to her benefit, not mine! Get that through that thick skull of yours. I'm upset enough as it is that this is necessary. I'm not accustomed to being this selfless, but this threat . . . I cannot ignore.”

Feather Wind felt too stunned to make a counter argument.

“Come, my pretty little love slave,” Card Shark growled to Fluttershy with irritation lingering in his tone. “Let us depart.”

“Yes, my master!”

Card Shark tucked his hooves into each corner of the cloak then blew wind into both it and under Fluttershy's wings. Together they soared off in a hurry.

{I was left stunned because my gut told me that he was being serious and honest. Somehow his twisted sense of honor convinced him that all of his actions were necessary for his daughter's sake, but what he was convinced was best for her wasn't likely to be any other ponies benefit. Curiously, not even his own.

{So I was right. Trixie was the key to all of this, and she did not even know it. A game of titans clashed hard and far above her innocent and oblivious head. In the end, I was even convinced she was going to hate the end result, but that hadn't mattered to her father. He was still convinced he was doing his best for her sake, regardless of what any other creature thought. Still, I was convinced that he was being an ambitious fool whose own plan would backfire against him like so many others in the past. As brilliant as his plans could be, his methods often have hostile side effects that even he normally did not foresee.}

xoxo

{Now for the rest of this chapter of the story I'm about to tell you, I was not there to personally witness. Instead, I'm about to relay to you the testimony of those who told me their story later on. They did so because they wanted that story to be remembered. They wanted me to write it down later on so at least somepony would remember their brave actions.

{To be honest, I really don't know what happened to Spike. One moment he was there and the next he was gone. He claims he came back for me later but I had lost consciousness by that point. He hadn't known what happened to him either, hence the reason I am unable to explain it to you, but his strongest theory was Discord tried to protect Spike by warping the baby dragon away from danger even as he sent himself and Shadow Discord away.

{Speaking of Discord, what happened to him was he teleported himself and his dark counterpart to another chaotic dimension in order to remove both of their influences from the battlefield. Now that he was stuck with an opponent every bit as powerful as himself and possessed the same knowledge and yet had darker intentions, Discord figured his best hope was to fight his counterpart to a perpetual stalemate. Their battle raged on throughout the countless worlds and eons. They fought on levels we mortals will probably never truly understand. An ultimate chaotic reality bender verses himself. I shudder to think at all those who were caught between that titanic fight.

{It really did not take me long to figure out that Discord was one of the three Jokers that Card Shark was referring to, and that I was the second. From that point on I needed to deduce whom Card Shark thought was the third.

{As for the others, let me start with another critical element of the battlefield, which I briefly mentioned earlier but I will now elaborate upon. Sombra protected Flurry Heart from the brunt of the volcano blast, but she bashed her head hard upon landing and she lost consciousness for most of the fight. Actually, she also ended the fight as soon as she regained her consciousness, so I'll get to that part later.

{A great deal of demons and unliving corrupted former mortals tried to exclusively target Flurry Heart. They all knew that if she fell permanently, all the rest of her allies would forever remain more exposed. They bashed against her barrier in futility for years but, now that it was finally down, they wanted to finish her off once and for all in order to keep that barrier down. Fortunately for her . . . Sombra alone stood in their way.

{Some say he fought like a raging demon. Some say he fought like a guardian angel. I tend to think the truth was somewhere down the middle. He probably fought like a pony who loved his majesty. He fought to make up for all of his mistakes and to help the Crystal Empire to rise to glory again. He fought with the determination of every love he ever had in that Empire and who might get a chance to rise again. Flurry Heart was unconscious at his hooves, living proof that a better future was possible but it was being threatened. That which he dearly loved was being threatened so he did not hold back.

{I heard that the crystal sphere protecting his majesty grew spikes and spikes grew from those spikes. I heard he created a crystal sword and swung it telekinetically with expert ease. I heard he stabbed one of his foes with his own horn, not even caring if the effort would damage his horn which, fortunately for us all, it did not. Sombra was screaming “No” over and over again as his magic and limbs was a constant blur of motion. He created a cloud of crystal spikes and had it whirl around him faster and faster, shredding apart any creature that dared to stray too close to his beloved majesty. Being a time clone had given him infinite stamina, but magic was another story. All of the time clones magic regenerated at our normal rates. For Sombra during this fight, that meant whatever he had, what he spent remained gone for the rest of the fight as he fought desperately on to protect her hard with every second of that battle. That was why he did it, and that was all he could think of to accomplish. Fight with all of his might just to protect her one more second and the next and the next and the next.

{This all changed when Princess Cadence and Shining Armor caught up to him. Their arrival was delayed with battles of their own. They fought as hard and as quickly as they could in order to get to their future daughter as fast as they could. I heard they even amazed themselves with the feats they managed to pull in those epic moments. When at last they finally caught up to their unconscious daughter, they touched each other's horns together. Cadence cast a love spell at her husband which he then returned to her which she used to return to him and back and forth it kept growing, kept building, until they lifted off the ground and created an explosion of brilliant light filled with the power and magic of their love. This blasted back every demon and unliving opponent away from the vicinity. It even restored some of Sombra's magic a little.

{After that, all they had to do was concentrate on maintaining the barrier. Shining Armor thanked Sombra profusely for all of his efforts in defending his daughter so far, but also ordered him to leave in order to protect the others. At first Sombra was reluctant to go until Shining Armor made the following argument. Shining Armor tried to convince Sombra to imagine what Flurry Heart would have wanted if she were awake right now. Some of her subjects were out there and many friends and family as well. Shining Armor also added there was a tactical move Sombra could do while out there. Shining Armor encouraged Sombra to find either Mage Meadowbrook, Zecora, the Doctor or Vision and bring any of them back to help heal and revive Flurry Heart. Once Flurry Heart regained consciousness, she could then summon the Crystal Heart again and use it to protect every other good-hearted creature in the vicinity.

{Seeing the strategy and wisdom in this suggestion finally convinced Sombra to cooperate. It was a good thing too. His efforts helped to save many more of our friends, but I'll get back to that later.

{While many of the demons and unliving creatures targeted Flurry Heart exclusively until they could no longer get to her thanks to her parent's barrier magic, there were still plenty more to target every other creature. My friends also started with several disadvantages. They were scattered, injured, and some were even unconscious as I previously established with Flurry Heart, but remarkably . . . none had died yet due to that volcano blast except for maybe one, but their ongoing situation made it quite difficult to maintain that status.

{For awhile there they were cut off from each other due to the Black Blizzard storm. It froze their limbs and chilled their souls which basically sucked out their courage like a parasite. The storm was also too loud to audibly tell where their other allies were. At best they could occasionally see bright flashes of light caused by powerful spells from one or another of the unicorns.

{They were injured, lost, disoriented, freezing, their courage was being forcibly drained from them, they were choking on volcanic smoke, and some of them were under direct assault by one of the many evil creatures surrounding them. We brought a powerful army with us and it had some of the most legendary ponies in all of Equestria, but add up all of these problems and you can understand why they were under a great deal of pressure at first.

{Some of that pressure was momentarily abated when Discord turned the volcano into ice cream and the storm clouds into chocolate-raining cotton candy, but then the battle was complicated again due to all the changes both Discord and Shadow Discord caused until later when both of their creations were wiped away which reestablished the original conditions all of our friends and enemies had except, during some of those changes, some of our friends and enemies moved about and affected the battlefield in various different ways.

{Regrouping eventually turned into a top priority for my friends, but that effort was hard won. Several unicorns of the group such as Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Star Swirl, and a few others used magic to enhance their voice and call out to all their allies to regather and regroup. Even if their allies heard that, however, they had to fight all kinds of monsters in between. Fortunately the Royal Legion and the Wonderbolts managed to organize themselves the fastest. Under orders from several princesses, they scouted about for their allies and inform them where to regroup. Sometimes they also swooped in and carried their allies aloft in order to personally deliver them back to safer ground. Gathering our allies together did the same for the enemy because it consolidated all their remaining targets to one area, but it was still worth it. The more my allies collected together, the more they mounted an effective defense despite the gathering pressure against them.

{Magical beams flew. Hooves were swung. Weapons were swung. The Mighty Helm and Hector swung through swaths of enemies with every swing of their mighty axes. Maud Pie punched a boulder out of the ground then chucked it at various flying baddies like a living catapult or had a rock roll across a line of monsters. Rockhoof was in a similar situation. As the only pony as large as the ancient horses of this time period, even a little bigger I think, he had the brawn necessary to tear chunks of rocks out of the earth and chuck it away at monsters with his trusty shovel. At the same time he dug a trench for the more injured or less combat capable ponies to escape while he remained to continue to cover them overhead.

{They told me Derpy, my mother and Somnambula all sang a song together in that ditch which was eventually picked up and sung by every pony that heard them. It helped unite their spirit and restore their courage which was literally under assault and it also served as an audible lure to gather the rest of our allies. They say their singing even diminished the severity of the weather somehow. If The Dark Star's evil magic was the cause of the hostile weather, then their courage and uplifting singing dispelled that evil and weakened it's influence over the weather.

{Mage Meadowbrook and Zecora both tended to the injured within the trench that Rockhoof helped to dig up, but most of their supplies was in Vision's dimensional saddle bag. Although blind, Vision could empathically sense the direction of her allies and even helped to find them. At their request, she tossed Mage Meadowbrook and Zecora her saddle bag so they could start pouring through it and heal all these injured ponies.

{That was not all that was in those saddle bags. It also had many other types of supplies too like Pinkie's party bombs, Apple Jack's food supplies, Trixie's extra smoke bombs and fireworks. These supplies were dug out in a hurry and tossed upward so that one of the pegasus ponies snatched it up and dropped their payload upon one of their enemies. Those enemies were dazzled and even burned by Trixie's fireworks. They were lost and disoriented by her smoke bombs, although the heavy winds made short work of that. Pinky's cake batter slowed them down and made it too sticky to fight effectively. Apple Jack's delicious pies, may they rest in peace, was dropped upon the faces of various enemies. Some even paused to lick it up. Many creatures in this age had never tasted something so good so they occasionally grew distracted with that.

{As my friends continued to collect together, the Wonderbolts got even more organized and flew in a rapid circle in order to create a controlled tornado. They swept this back and forth to collect various enemies then subsequently scatter them.

{My uncle Ramadon, at one time, gave them a better option. He drove his forward hooves into the ground and focused on his magic. The land shook. Cracks formed in the earth then split apart. He created a giant fissure in the earth. He told his allies to sweep the enemies into it. The Wonderbolts were especially effective at that tactic. They swept in enemies by the droves into that earth fissure. The Mighty Helm and my own companions Hector, Tibbons, and Talsious lined up at the edge of the fissure and swat down any enemy that tried to climb back up the fissure after being tossed down into it. The Bolts also flapped their wings in unison and caused a brief but powerful gust of wind that knocked over any enemy that was near the fissure or drove them down into the fissure while they were flying above it.

{I heard Celestia's magic was actually extra effective against the demons or unliving creatures. Anything with dark magic proved extra vulnerable to her sunbeams when she projected it either from her horn or radiating in a massive area which at least dazzled them but some were also incinerated.

{I heard Luna fought like a beast. She telekinetically drew out a pair of enchanted crystal swords and whirled them around her in order to clear whole swaths of enemies. Every one she chopped down never got up again. She erected several runic symbols in mid air that allowed her to suddenly accelerate when she charged through the symbols. I heard she crashed like a meteor on a large group of enemies then summoned a bunch of copies of her crystal swords using her magic and either rained it down upon them or spun the swords in a circle around her at high velocity. She helped guide the more injured or powerless ponies to the safety of the camp while shooting beam after beam to defend any of her friends.

{Starlight Glimmer very likely had the most powerful and/or focused horn beams. She cast a lot of other spells too. Barrier magic, speed spells, temporary duplication spells, and whirling balls of energy she freely controlled to whack back and forth. Her magic was not her only strength. Starlight was also a tactical leader who was put in charge of retrieval missions. What that meant was she helped to skillfully and intelligently guide others back to the gathering base camp and she was put in charge of others who joined her. She kept surveying the situation, passing quick commands to whole teams of ponies she led and kept bringing more and more of them back together.

{In a similar line but with far less magical strength, Stygian gave tactical advice directly from the collecting base. He listened to the feedback of various groups he sent out and the advice he gave in return improved as time went on. He hadn't just helped to organize the teams, one of which he put Starlight in charge of, he also gave them advice how to defeat the various enemies they were encountering. Now that an actual battle was occurring, they were fighting many different types of opponents and they all had their strengths and weaknesses. As he gained this knowledge, he shared it back to the others which, in turn, improved their performance in later encounters.

{Star Swirl was easily one of the great masters of the battlefield. He was able to cast spells no other pony could. A few examples of things I heard of were time manipulation, opening portals to tactically move either his enemies or allies about. For example, it was his advice to have a bunch of the dragons gather in one place and prepare to breathe fire at whatever came through a portal he would open near their position. After establishing that, he sent enemy after enemy who charged at him or others through a portal that led to a group of ally dragons all surrounding the portal and all breathed a coordinated fire breath attack that burnt each enemy to cinders in seconds. He also conjured massive magical webs of light that ensnared entire groups of enemies where he or allies more easily mowed them down afterwards. He also temporarily summoned extra planar beings and sent them to attack his enemies. He was also responsible for summoning a giant comet, but I'll get back to that part later.

{Thanks to a magical gem given to Rarity, she was also invaluable in the battle. This gem, or gems I should say, was made of Starlight Dust and it helped her to create magical force constructs. Basically they were barrier type spells that could be easily customizable in terms of shape and size, and they could move. She had something exactly like this when she got sucked up into a magical comic book, of all things, and within it she became the persona of one of the super heroines within the story who, in turn, had access to a magical gem that did something just like it. I remember she said, “I do ever so much enjoy a functional accessory.” I heard she primarily used this device for defensive, utilitarian and crowd control purposes. Despite it's capabilities, she rarely used it for direct offense even though I think the item was theoretically capable of it. My guess is that was simply a choice based on her own personality. The item still drew upon her magic but it focused it in ways she normally could not. Basically, it was like having a second cutie mark, one that focused on highly customizable barrier magic. That was very helpful. With it, she expertly controlled the flow of battle and protected the more defenseless ponies. She was actually one of the ponies sent with Starlight Glimmer's team in order to retrieve other ponies and, thanks to Starlight's tactical and inspirational leadership which was eventually further refined by Stygian's tactical knowledge, Rarity was able to make the best use out of the gems. She had complained about how messy she had gotten or how rude her enemies were, but she cared enough about her friends to tolerate inconveniences temporarily. That hadn't stopped her from complaining about it, but at least she fought on none the less.

{Rainbow Dash and Flash Magnus I kind of already covered. They were organizing the flight teams and I already told you what they did. I will add this, though; Flash Magnus and his Royal Legion were not as good at flying as the Wonderbolts even with two years of extra training time while traveling north with us, but they had more experience as warriors. They could not do fancy maneuvers in the sky or conjure a tornado as easily as the Bolts did, but they knew how to use their weapons and shields in a coordinated manner, and they knew how to use the terrain offensively and defensively. They often brought in storm clouds and used the lightning against their enemies, or at least used it for tactical concealment. The Royal Legion were especially devastating when they dove down from the sky with spears aimed ahead of them. With that much built momentum, they maximized the effectiveness of the spears. They were also all armed with shields which they used to protect ponies from the air from projected spikes or breath weapon attacks. Flash Magnus was especially effective at this with his magical fire proof shield known as Tidus. I heard he was very busy with that shield. He even used it offensively to bash away his opponents to daze them, knock them away or finish off a weakened opponent. With him and the Bolts, our allies had air superiority but that was an advantage they had to struggle to maintain. Some of the enemies could fly too, after all, and they even outnumbered us initially.

{My father defended the base camp. His wife was there and he was not about to leave her side. As I established earlier, my mother's main contribution was her singing which others caught on too. I can't imagine my father doing that too much, however. It's not that he doesn't have a good singing voice. He does. It's just that, at the time, I think he was focusing mainly on any approaching threats. While he is and was capable of basic attacks, telekinesis and barrier spells, my father had access to a wider range of spells than a standard unicorn. I even have a feeling he outclassed his brother on that regard, but his brother was better at actually performing the fewer spells he knew so their talents kind of balanced out in that regard. Among some of the more rare spells my father had access to was healing magic. I learned that from him too during our northern march. It's a very useful, if time consuming and steadily costly spell but super useful since it could save a pony's life. Far better to have a strong ally at your back rather than a dead one, and spells like this helped to keep them strong. He was no where near as good as Star Swirl, nor would he expect to be, but I also believe he far outclassed most other standard unicorns because magical study was his profession in life. He learned how to use it to it's best potential through years of study and practice. He also had a lot of practical knowledge, not all of which was useful on that particular day but it came in hoofy many other moments during our two year trek. He mostly just stuck close to Silver Shine. He wanted to spend every moment with her as much as he could, even if he knew they both had a temporary existence.

{Then there was your mother.} (Feather Wind released a long breath.) {Like me, she was among the few ponies on the battlefield that was real so she had plenty of time to fill me in on her side of the story over the years. She was . . . amazing. It was like a true super heroine come to life, and one who had almost god-like potential, at least for brief spurts. She was already formidable enough to begin with. With all the years of training with Puffball and the Doctor, then further augmented by the Prism Armor, she was nearly as inexhaustible as any of the time clones but, on top of that, she had formidable combat skills and experience to draw upon. Even without her augmenting her strength, she already started out really strong. Her armor and it's weapons were the perfect tools to deal with opponents like this both offensively and defensively. A lot of ponies owed their lives to her efforts. Since she did have the ability to briefly augment her abilities and potentially to extreme heights, Stygian and Starlight guided her to fight the more formidable opponents on the battlefield. She kicked, stomped, stabbed, bashed, rammed, sliced and ripped them apart with her bare hooves.

{Do note; super strength is almost useless without endurance to back it up. If you punch a wall with enough force to break it down, you'd only end up shattering your own hoof instead of the wall unless the endurance of the hoof was augmented too. In that case, if the endurance and strength exceeded the walls endurance, then it broke instead of her hoof. Just a little something to keep in mind, for I assure you, your mother kept that in mind due to necessity.

{Another one of the abilities she also had was the ability to augment her own natural healing so, even if the enemies managed to land a few blows, it did not keep her down for long. The true danger in the long gallop was exhausting her supply of magic she needed to augment herself so she typically had to use the boosts sparingly as needed.

{Mysteriously, the Doctor was missing from the battle for awhile and he would not say where he was or what he was doing after the battle, but he eventually regrouped with the rest and his sonic screwdriver managed to dispel the evil magic empowering his enemies. He could even do it in mass. The only problem was it took time and, the stronger they were, the more time it took. They had to remain within his sonic wave range throughout that whole time to disable them. I don't know why, but that device of his never seems to exhaust it's energy supply so it's utility helped them out greatly and consistently. He also used it to help heal the other injured ponies which was actually his preferred choice in the battle.

{Vision was one of the ponies most consistently on Starlight's search and rescue team because she had the ability to help find our allies even if the rest of her companions were blind. Her sonar vision was far more effective up close compared to afar, but her empathic sense helped guide the other members of her team up to the other ponies and/or creatures and helped pull them back to base camp. Like the Doctor, she also had access to a sonic device but had considerably less experience in wielding it compared to the Doctor so her tactical use of it was more limited. She knew enough to disable many types of locks or repair them, she knew enough to aid her to heal, and she knew enough to aid in her senses. She was also an expert at martial arts and easily smashed any opponent in her way but not as easily compared to living opponents. If they were living, she could have used her medical knowledge to disable their weaknesses and pressure points. Instead, she was mostly up against skeletal opponents so smashing through them by hoof was the better way to go in this case. Since they were already corrupted dead, she did not hold back against them nearly as much as she did with most other opponents but, on the other hoof, they were more naturally resistant against her attacks. Despite this, she usually had the upper hoof over any situation she faced but I must give credit to her companions as well. They probably helped a lot. I have heard that Vision never lost her cool during the battle. It was as if she already knew they were going to win and victory was eventually inevitable so it wasn't worth stressing over. Given the fact she had the ability to see into the future, this was quite likely the reason for her confidence in that battle.}

Feather Wind paused in thought to consider if he was missing any creature, then nodded to himself.

{Pharynx was completely missing and he did not show up after the battle either. It was presumed he was wiped out by the initial lava blast and, if so, that was the only death among our own allies that we were aware of at the time. Thorax, on the other hoof, did survive and he was unusually aggressive that day. He zipped back and forth in many forms, and he used whichever form was most advantageous in any situation he fought. For example, did you know changelings are fire proof if they morph into dragons?}

“Of course I didn't know, Dad. I have never met a changeling, or at least I think I haven't,” Star Breeze said.

“Mmm.” Feather Wind gave his daughter a cautious look. “Let's hope you never do, either. Changelings aren't always so nice. During this time period they are evil and they feed off of love. Their conversion to a nicer, gentler race was a recent change in Thorax's time period and he was one of the leading causes of it. If you actually do encounter a changeling in this time period, I warn you to back off but not quickly. Do not arouse suspicion. Do not let them know that you know what they are until you get in a better position. Understood?”

“Yes, Dad. Thanks for the warning.”

{Anyway, as I was saying, normally Thorax was quite timid. He was a friendly friend, but I had concerns for him if he entered into actual battle. Based on the reports I heard about him later, however, I learned he could be quite aggressive when he was busy defending his friends.}

“He probably was also upset at the loss of his brother,” Star Breeze theorized sadly.

“That may have been so,” Feather Wind partially agreed.

{Thorax and his brother had demonstrated that they could morph into inanimate objects as well. That made me wonder if they could even morph into enchanted objects. My question was never answered. I'm leaning on no but they don't really seem to have a limit when it comes to their morphing ability so Thorax, in this case, could also morph himself into a creature made of bone. Because he could disguise himself as the enemy, he occasionally led them into clever traps or caused tactical diversions. It usually wasn't his idea. Such advice came more from the tactical advisers like Stygian and Starlight.}

“Can they also use unicorn magic if they morphed into a unicorn?”

“Um . . . yes, I believe so,” Feather Wind answered. “That said, very few of them are well versed in it. I heard their original Queen Chrysalis was quite good at magic even in her original form but, since the rest of the changelings were not nearly as good, I think she deliberately avoided teaching them in order to remain in power. For that matter, it also meant the changelings don't even need to morph to gain access to unicorn-like magic but, due largely to ignorance, that was a rare talent among Thorax's pack even before they were purified.”

“Wow.” Star Breeze sounded impressed. “Must be nice to be a changeling, then. They basically get every advantage of any other race and then some since they can also morph into inanimate objects.”

“In Thorax's time it must be nice but, before that point, his species were basically enslaved by their former Queen and, even without her, they were left starving all the time. They needed to feed off of love and positive energy all the time and Thorax said they could never be full of it.”

“Ew.” Star Breeze winced in disgust. “Okay, I take it back. Being a race that starves all the time isn't worth the advantages they have.”

Feather Wind half shrugged. “It's a complicated world.”

{I already established where Fluttershy and I was. I also told you about Card Shark, Spike and Discord. Any other creature missing from this list?

{Oh, Trixie. Yeah. Of course. Well . . . based on her testimony after the fight, I had to assume it was greatly exaggerated. From what I could tell from the others report, Trixie freaked out a great deal at the start of the fight but then suddenly got cocky when she regrouped with the rest. Naturally she would not admit to the earlier part. If you believe her story, she blew her opponents away with her natural charisma right from the start and they would not dare to cross her and her awesome amazingness.}

“Yep, that sounds like Trixie alright,” Star Breeze said with a roll of her eyes.

{It was far more likely that, at best, she scared a few off with some of her explosive but mostly harmless bombs. At worst, and probably more likely, she continued to freak out even when she got back to camp. She probably cowered in that ditch, even after the singing started. From what I know of her, she would even question why the others would sing at a time like this and it would take her awhile to notice the singers were making a positive contribution but, after that, she might have joined in and thereafter pretended she had done it all along.}

“Geeze.” Star Breeze applied both of her hooves on her eyes and shook her head. “Why do you defend this idiot so much?”

“Because she's my friend, and I care about her!” Feather Wind said firmly.

“Sorry,” Star Breeze apologized, then realized something. “Hey, wait a second. Fang is about to crash down on top of their party, right? Now that most of your friends had gathered in one place, it would very likely draw his attention to that place as soon as he did go on the offensive, but he was under orders not to attack Trixie, so I'm curious . . . did her presence there help protect the other ponies, at least indirectly?”

“I doubt it,” Feather Wind replied. “From what the others told me, Fang did not hold back when he did go on the offensive. He just swept a constant stream of fire across the landscape as he traveled.

“Since we've reached this part of the subject, let's go on to . . .”

“Wait! What about Pinkie Pie and Apple Jack?” Star Breeze interrupted with concern.

“Oh! Um, thank you for the reminder. I had a lot of friends to keep track of during this time period so it helps to have a reminder. Let's see.” Feather Wind looked up, thinking back.

{Apple Jack's position in this battle was kind of mixed as it went along. Initially she was alone when the battle started. She managed to retreat to the edge of the Crystal Heart barrier and leapt beyond it when the earth blew up. I think she even tried to warn her friends to do the same as she retreated. Physically, she did not start that bad off. Some of her hair on her tail got singed, from what I recall. The majority of the damage to her came later when she faced a bunch of the monsters and, at first, she was mostly just galloping for her life. When she got rescued by the other ponies, however, she started to take a more active roll in the defense of the team. In her case, it was her trusty rope that was her true friend and primary tool in the defense of herself and others. As Rockhoof's shovel was synonymous to Rockhoof, so too was the cowboy rope synonymous to Apple Jack. She knew how to use it well too, even for performances. It was difficult to call it an offensive weapon. She mostly used it for crowd control. She threw it around monster's mouths to keep them from biting or monster's wings to crash them into the ground. Initially Apple Jack started this battle very scared but she ended it very bravely. Physically she was a force to be reckoned with as well. I heard she pulled off some amazing feats on occasion. Once she got her courage back, Apple Jack was very helpful.

{Now Pinkie Pie . . . um . . . darn. Trying to remember.} Feather Wind paused a moment as he tried to recall, then shook his head. {It's a little unclear, and here is why.

{Pinkie's pretty random to begin with but one thing I do know about the mare was she had a sixth sense for danger. That likely came in hoofy many times throughout the fight. From what I know of Pinkie, she probably taunted her opponents multiple times and proved almost immune to the Black Blizzards courage draining attacks. Her policy, when it came to danger, was usually to laugh at it, and I could very easily imagine her doing that many times throughout the fight. She probably also splashed pies, cakes and cupcakes straight into her enemy's faces. On top of that, she had unlimited access to her party canon, but ammunition was an issue on occasion. Since I know that the back up supplies were in Vision's saddle bags and that ended up in the ditch, it was probably where Pinkie Pie eventually ended up.

{That said, she seems to be able to store a surprising amount of stuff in her mane, even things that's normally too big for it. Aside from earth ponies like Mage Meadowbrook or Vision, Pinkie was easily one of the most magical earth ponies I have ever met. She could also stretch impossible distances, apparently teleport if she was chasing somepony, and her mane could turn into useful tools like holding objects or . . . you know what? It's Pinkie Pie. As Rainbow Dash said so many times, never question her. Since the others had a hard time describing where she was or what she did, it seemed likely she was bouncing all over the place and indirectly assisting her other friends.

{In Pinkie's case, she was at her best when she'd not thinking about what she did and instead relied on pure instinct. That also meant she had no strategy, but apparently she had not needed it either. She was very unpredictable, even to herself. When I asked her directly what she was doing in that fight, I think she answered, “Oh, you know. I was over here and over there. I met lots of friends, and I had FUN-FUN-FUN!” she cheered, and I kind of think she meant it.

{I know for a fact that seeing her friends physically hurt or mentally depressed really got to her. If she noticed it, she would try to fix it very stubbornly but, if she still failed, then she got very depressed and suddenly lost a vast majority of her powers.

{So, in the end, I'm not exactly sure what happened to Pinkie Pie. I know she survived the battle, and I even think it was unscathed which was really rare in this situation. Her Pinkie sense defended her from every possible danger at least on a personal level, the volcano included. I think she just bounced around randomly, doing whatever she felt like doing, and random behavior was hard to recall even for her in the long gallop. She could have amazing memory when it came to names and faces but, in other regards, her memory had lots of holes. All of this depended on what she considered a priority in her mind. If it was important, she would go out of her way to memorize it in extreme detail, otherwise the information could just as easily be trashed and never recalled again.

{And, of course, we had Princess Twilight Sparkle. She told me she mostly just hung around the base camp. In fact, her initial position she started at later became the base camp. She was good at gathering her friends to her position. I can't even tell you why on a completely conscious level. There was just something about her that drew others to her.

{She met Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor first but the latter two quickly left to try to find their daughter. We established what happened to them earlier. The three princesses left worked together to help organize a plan and got the situation under control.

{I've spoken with Twilight enough times to know for a fact she was not as strong or as brave as she pretended to be, but she often found it necessary to hold a brave face even if she felt otherwise. That was actually the mark of a good leader. The truth was she often was very scared, but struggled against that fear for the sake of her friends. That probably was inspiring to those who witnessed her and most probably had not realized how hard she actually struggled. That might have even been true for her closest friends. Out of all of them, I suspect it was Starlight that had the most insight into her old teacher's mindset. Well, that and Spike.

{Twilight was very good with magic, even compared to her own teachers. A lot of ponies thought she could even rival Star Swirl himself, but Twilight had not agreed. Actually, I'm pretty sure she knew exactly how many spells she had mastered and had a very good idea how many Star Swirl had mastered unless there was some he hadn't written down or it got lost in history but, even comparing what was known, she figured her old idol far outclassed her. In terms of spells known, Star Swirl probably had the upper hoof, but Twilight easily made up for it with her leadership skills, friendly support, and intense inner strength. If you consider compassion a strength too, then add it to this list as well. I saw her as a very well-rounded and talented pony. The numerous tools she had at her disposal helped her to adapt to any situation she faced, especially with the support of her friends. In a crisis situation, she was always at her strongest with her friends to guard her back and, in return, she gave plenty of support to them as well. To say she was useful only because of the spells she blasted back and forth really demeaned her. There was so much more talent she offered and, in this situation, every little bit helped.

{We were dropped in an unfriendly environment, initially separated and surrounded by many enemies. To look at that and to look at the fact we made it through the battle with absolutely no casualties, except for maybe Pharynx, I'd say they all did a legendary job.

{But yeah, the dragon Fang had eventually showed up. When he had, Sombra defended them from Fang's breath weapon with many diagonal towers of crystal spikes so, right off the bat, he immediately saved every ponies' life in the base camp the moment he showed up. This was a titanic problem, and some ponies lost their nerve in the beginning.}

“I can so hear Trixie being one of them,” Star Breeze said with a sigh.

Feather Wind glared at his daughter and said, “Down, girl!” Star Breeze waved a hoof off at him.

“You know I'm right,” Star Breeze said under her breath.

{This was a problem for all of our friends. This was the final boss of this particular fight, and they weren't even done with the other monstrous minions yet. Fang's mere presence seemed to make gravity heavier. The flap of his wings created wind storms. The Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash included, quickly answered that attack by working together and flapping back. Together they caused a counter wind to helped neutralize Fang's own attack. Fang stopped flapping at one moment and allowed himself to drop down on top of Sombra's crystal towers. Despite having no meat or skin on his bones, Fang landed on top of the crystal towers as if he had his full weight during life. It immediately started cracking and the cracks spread very quick.}

Feather Wind paused for a moment, then said.

{I'm not completely sure what happened next because the reports I got were mixed. It was pure chaos, was what they said. There was an explosion of action. So many things happened all at once that each creature had a hard time noticing it all so they couldn't report it to me later as efficiently either. I do know our ally dragons kept flying back and forth breathing fire on . . . well, a fire proof creature. Flash Magnus tried to defend ponies with his shield but the flames were so large it just went around his shield. He could only defend himself and those very close behind him. Our ally dragons were like mere gnats to this gigantic dragon but at least they were barely affected by Fang's offensive fire breath attack.

{Some of the ponies described a rain of spells being showered upon Fang. Some of those attacks even came from above. At one time Celestia, Twilight, Luna and Starlight (who floated with them telekinetically) all joined together and shot a combined beam which pounded into the dragon's back. He looked up at them in annoyance then flew on after them. This was part of their plan. They pulled back then scattered into a bunch of clouds other pegasus ponies put there ahead of time. At that point Fang could not even locate his targets but, even if he had, he'd have to chase them down one by one since they split apart from each other. The point was, it drew him away from their base camp where his own weight alone was about to crush the innocent ponies trapped underneath it.

{Then your mother came crashing down upon his back like a meteor. Her veins brilliantly flared with streaming red light projected from her crystal spine. She succeeded to drive him all the way down to the ground. From there, she smashed into his spine over and over again and did serious damage to him every time. Since she also enhanced her senses, she was aware when his head spun about and tried to bite her. She rolled off his back and he ended up biting into his own back. Now on the ground, he swat at her with one claw. Not only had she caught it, but she tore his own arm off then proceeded to swat him using his own arm as a weapon. Doing all of this was terribly draining on her magical energy but, by that point, she tapped it enough that she lost control over her own mind again and, along with it, her natural restraint.}

“Wow!” Star Breeze exclaimed. “If she was strong enough to whack down a giant dragon using his own over-sized arm, then how the hay did you survive her attacks? If she was that powerful back then, then there was no way you could have survived, especially when you were that exhausted.”

“I have several explanations for this. For one thing, she had not mastered her own abilities at the time. She had no restraint at first, but it was precisely that that allowed her to tap even greater potential later on down the road. Also she was not wearing her Prism Armor when we fought. If she had, I would have instantly recognized her and she would have been able to physically endure greater amounts of enhancement. Since she was wearing it this time, it slowed the massive stamina drain on her system. My last explanation is that she was just like a savage animal when I first fought her but, in that battle, she was fighting for all of her friends and loved ones, including all the ones left back in our own timeline. She gave this everything she had and more and, because of it, she was amazing.”

{But that wasn't all. Now that the massive dragon was down, it gave your mother's allies a chance to regather and respond. Sombra buried Fang in crystal after crystal stabbing right through the dragon's skeletal system. That meant the crystals were inside of the dragon. They even expanded from there. I have no idea where Sombra was finding all of this magic, especially after his exhausting fight earlier defending Flurry Heart. All I can say is he was just that amazing.

{With Fang's incredible strength, even though he was “disarmed” a bit, he started to crack through those crystals but then he had other things start to bury him. Ramadon grew trees out from the earth and started to entangle the dragon with it, particularly the one forward claw he had left. Star Swirl covered the dragon in a massive energy web. Several unicorns blasted him from the side. If you believe Trixie, she tossed a smoke bomb at him for what it was worth. Starlight claims she reinforced the efforts of the others, even donated some of her magic to them. Come to think of it, maybe that was where Sombra got his burst of energy.

{Then, at Star Swirl's request, he asked a bunch of the unicorns and alicorns to join him in casting a powerful spell. While they did that, your mother kept whacking the dragon back down every time he tried to get up. Meanwhile, with each alicorn and unicorn that joined together in a group spell, it helped to minimize the long casting time. With it, Star Swirl opened up a massive portal high into the air and a real Starlight Dust comet shot through it and crashed onto the dragon which obliterated him. The comet was charged with positive energy magic so it proved especially effective against the dragon's negative energy empowered skeleton body.

{The gathered allies had to brace for the impact but at least they had enough warning since this attack was prepared by their allies. They erected a shield to block the brunt of the attack, including Rarity's gem shields.

{There was a moment of reprieve following that attack. The remaining monsters just saw their opponents defeat a powerful ally so it took awhile for them to regather their courage and resume their assault. Before that happened, Sombra warned the rest of his allies where Flurry Heart was. They moved back to her position together. Several ponies worked to immediately help to heal Flurry Heart upon arrival, including my father. Zecora gave Flurry Heart some smelling salts which worked to awaken Flurry Heart with a start. Shortly after that, she was able to resummon the Crystal Heart and project a barrier. That pushed away the few monsters who managed to gather in time and kept out the rest. To this day I'll continue to give credit where credit is due. If it weren't for Flurry Heart's parent's barrier magic, she would have been defenseless against those who tried to assault her while she was still unconscious but, while that barrier was very effective, it just could not amount to the sheer size that the Crystal Heart itself could form nor could it be maintained as easily, especially while oppressed by the closer proximity to The Dark Star.

{Spike later claimed he saw the light of the Crystal Heart barrier. He flew back and informed the rest of his friends where I was. Your mother immediately demanded to be shown the way. Flash Magnus and his company of Royal Legion agreed to accompany her to help defend her from the monsters that were outside the barrier. They went but Flurry Heart also made her way towards me. The others followed her to make sure they remained within the barrier. It ended up that your mother, Flash Magnus and the Royal Legion remained to defend me while they simply waited for the barrier to catch up to them, and then I was finally safe. While I was still unconscious, Spike filled everyone else on what he knew before he was teleported away.}

Chapter Twenty Four: War

Chapter Twenty Four: Old Foes and the Crystal Carriage

{Drained of magic as I was, I had a difficult time regaining my consciousness. Fortunately for me, my friends had encountered this problem before and that made them somewhat prepared for it. They were knowledgeable and resourceful, and especially fortuitous on that evening. The entire group moved themselves to the new crater caused by the Starlight Dust comet. They borrowed a little bit of it's essence, then Zecora and Mage Meadowbrook both worked together to concoct a potion which would help restore some of my magic once consumed. When that was done, my friends aided me in drinking it. At the same time Flurry Heart bathed me in a warm rainbow light that saturated me with magic and restored my vitality. Both my parents also tried to heal me with their restoration magic. All of this combined effort restored much of my color in my coat, mane, and eyes. Even my cutie mark faded back in a little bit.

{When I regained consciousness, my parents were the first to hug me because they wanted to and they were close by.}

“Welcome back, Son,” Silver Shine said warmly.

“It is good to see your color returning to you,” Author expressed in relief. “How do you feel?”

“A bit tired,” Feather Wind reported, then smiled at them lovingly, “but also very grateful that I have such wonderful friends and family to aid me in my time of need.”

“Of course, Son,” Author said warmly and matter-of-factly.

“I will always be there to aid you, even if I can't be in your physical presence,” Silver Shine assured her son lovingly. She closed her eyes and gently guided her horn to touch her son's. A radiant silver light shone from her horn which then got copied into her son's. Feather Wind felt even stronger after that.

“Hey there, Buddy! Welcome back to the land of the living!” Rainbow Dash said happily while she flapped above them. “You missed an epic battle. It was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo . . .” she had to get an intake of breath before she could resume “. . . ooooooooooooo awesome!”

“Which we'll be happy to tell you all about later so you can record it,” broached Celestia's warm but also authoritative voice. “For now, we were all hoping you can shed some light on the fate of Fluttershy and Card Shark.”

The mention of Fluttershy made Feather Wind's expression remorseful.

“Oh no!” Twilight cried out in fear when she saw Feather Wind's expression. “Did they . . . pass away?” she asked very fearfully and tentatively.

Feather Wind shook his head. “No. Neither of them died, at least last I saw of them.”

“Oh good!” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief which was shared by many witnesses.

“Instead, Card Shark betrayed us by whacking me on the back of my head, stole the Red Crystal, somehow corrupted it, then used it to not only steal my magic but also my talents. I know this because he used my special talents with the now Black Crystal a moment later. He also stole my cloak.”

“What?!” Twilight gasped. “But why would he do this? I thought he was on our side.”

“That's what we also thought of Garble,” Spike put in, then added with a thumb to his chest, “although I always maintained my suspicion of him.” When he added that last part, he sounded like he was bragging proudly.

“The influences of the Dark Star may have had a deleterious effect on the mind and soul of our dear friend, Card Shark,” Somnambula theorized, willing at first to give her old companion the benefit of the doubt.

“Wait, wait, wait! Hold on!” Rainbow Dash called out with several shakes of her head with each word “wait” she said, as well as wiping her forward hooves back and forth across the air. Both of these stopped when she went on to her next sentence after “Hold on.” At that point she said, “That still doesn't explain to us what happened to Fluttershy. You said she was not dead and I'm willing to believe you on that point, in fact I want to believe you,” Rainbow Dash said as she gestured to her chest with a hoof, “but if she's still alive out there,” she waved her hoof outwardly, “then where exactly is she?”

“Why don't we all give him a moment from our questions so he can properly explain himself?” Twilight suggested. “In fact, we should also all back off a step and give him some space.”

Every creature around Feather Wind did exactly that. His mother offered him a hoof to help him rise to his own hooves, for which he thanked her, then looked about the crowd around him as he addressed them.

“Card Shark is not the pony that we thought. He's been playing us for a very long time. I even suspect he was concocting an evil scheme long before he met us, for he shared a long history with the Doctor.” Feather Wind looked at the Doctor a little accusingly.

In response, the Doctor asked quizzically, “Whatever do you mean?”

“He's played us like a fiddle from the very beginning,” Feather Wind announced. “He's even out maneuvered you, Doctor, all this time.”

“COME ON!” Rainbow Dash cried out in frustration and worry. “WHERE IS FLUTTERSHY?!”

“He has her,” Feather Wind said to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash gasped and made a horsey noise in the process. Her face also drew back sharply as her eyes grew tiny and her mouth hung open in a crooked way, then she asked in fear, “Then . . . you mean he ponynapped her?”

“In a manner of speaking, but it is far worse than that.” Feather Wind regarded the Doctor sharply to assess if what he was about to say next might sound familiar to the Doctor. “Card Shark is a master manipulator of the mind. His ability to psychoanalyze and then manipulate others even on a subconscious level is legendary. He does this because he enjoys controlling others.” Feather Wind narrowed his eyes at the Doctor. “Is any of this sounding familiar, Doc?”

“Come to think of it,” Apple Jack brought up as she regarded the Doctor, “inviting Card Shark was specifically your idea. Most of the rest of us volunteered each other because we're dear friends, but you hoof picked Card Shark yourself. Care to tell us why?”

“I've been wondering that for years now!” Trixie cried out in annoyance. “My father is so annoying, frustrating and . . . INFURIATING! Why did you invite him, Doctor? Were you actually trying to annoy his Great and Powerful daughter?”

“Not at all, my Great and Powerful friend,” the Doctor told her in a friendly manner. “That was just a coincidence. It was Starlight who suggested to invite you who, in turn, was invited by many of her friends, but I hand picked your father personally for an entirely different reason.”

“We're listening!” Trixie said in annoyance.

“I invited Card Shark because he was the perfect pony for a job I had in mind,” the Doctor explained. “His mind is almost as brilliant as my own, although also a bit devious. Devious can be an advantage, though, if you know how to apply it properly. I use it all the time to get the drop on my enemies and, for this mission, I spared no effort. I did everything in my power, and then some, to help this mission become a success because I know what's at stake here. I would never allow something as menacing as this Dark Star to erase all of your existences. Where, then, would I find my lovely companions to accompany me on my glorious adventures? You ponies are so adorable! I love you, and I have also vowed to protect you. When I vow to protect something, a great deal of my enemies consider that to be a big deal and for good reason. In Card Shark's case, he's all part of a brilliant scheme I have in mind.”

“Then tell me, Doctor, was Fluttershy being brainwashed and ponynapped part of your brilliant scheme?” Feather Wind confronted.

“Um, well . . .” the Doctor got uncomfortable, shifty eyes. “. . . these things have a tendency to work out for me in the end, I wager. Not all of my plans go off without a hitch. You, of all ponies, should know this. You've accompanied me yourself for several years. About four years now, counting this timeline. You seen what happens in my adventures. Life is too complicated to plan out every single detail, but I am confident I can handle it in the end.”

“Right. Because you always win in the end?” Feather Wind drove a verbal dagger forward into the Doctor's hearts.

This comment made the Doctor remorseful. “No. Of course not. Not even my brilliant schemes or knowledge can best my enemies all the time, but you all should know what that's like. I try my best, but sometimes things are so complicated you fail anyway despite your best efforts. I've had my fair share of failings too. Given how long and how vagarious I have lived, I've accumulated quite a large bag of failures but,” he paused for a second as he waved his hoof through the air, “I have an even larger track record of successes. It is rare when I succeed on my brilliant plans entirely on my own, and today I have all of you to help me. That is why I invited you all here. We must all work together to make sure my brilliant plan succeeds.”

“You keep saying that Card Shark is a linchpin of your brilliant scheme,” Feather Wind reminded. “Care to share with the rest of us exactly how this is so?”

The Doctor looked down in depression. “No. Unfortunately, in this case, I can't.” While keeping the aim of his head down, he gazed upward at Feather Wind above his head. “The Dark Star can read your feelings like Vision here. It is, in it's own way, a dark empath.” He lifted his head up again while maintaining a fixed stare at Feather Wind. “Moreover, it can reflect your fears and desires right back at you, sometimes in quasi-physical form. If I told all of you what my plan is for Card Shark, then I also risk tipping that information to the enemy. For the sake of the success of this mission, I must remain silent about certain details. Please, you have to trust me! Have I ever let you down?”

“Well . . .” Derpy thought on that but was interrupted by the Doctor himself.

“Okay, okay, okay. Stupid question,” the Doctor chided himself, “but you know I am brilliant. You have seen it for yourself many times, and I have also helped all of you in one way or another.” He gestured to every creature around him as he also swept his gaze across them. “I have been in all kinds of times and places. In those adventures, I have faced many adversaries, like this one, who tried to do something awful to either you or your ancestors and I have stopped it!” He stomped a hoof. “Or I will stop it. As Luna had attested to quite awhile ago, I will also have adventures as my future self and, no matter what face I wear . . . I promise you I will always protect you. As long as I live, the Doctor will be by your side and I will save you all. That's what I always do, even if I never get noticed or credited for it.”

“You admitted yourself that Card Shark is almost as brilliant as you are, and that he has a devious mind,” Feather Wind reminded. “I can see from your face now that he has already made some unexpected and unwelcome moves. Admit it, he has surprised you, Doctor, and he did it in a bad way. I do not distrust your intentions, Doctor, I distrust his. Now think about it!” Feather Wind stomped both of his forward hooves on the ground briefly. “Is there any creature you have encountered in your past that has done this on a consistent basis? Any at all?”

“What do you mean?” the Doctor asked in confusion. “I admit I do have a history with Card Shark, but it is not that long. He has been a companion of mine on only a few of my earlier adventures.”

“Really?” Derpy asked in surprise. “Because I have never seen him on the Tardis before. In fact, I have never met him before this adventure at all.”

“Of course you wouldn't,” the Doctor said matter-of-factly at his assistant. “I had my adventures with him while I dropped you off in Ponyville. Do not forget, I have a time machine, my lovely assistant. I could be gone for years and you wouldn't notice but, in this case, I wasn't gone nearly that long. I just needed his assistance with a few brilliant schemes of mine.”

“What kind of schemes?” Celestia asked suspiciously.

“Well,” the Doctor looked embarrassed. “If you must know, I needed his help to break into certain . . . um . . . secure places that I would not be welcome in and and steal dangerous alien artifacts that were not where they belonged. In the wrong hands, those artifacts could have caused a great deal of damage, especially to the users who'd blindly play with it as if it were a toy. I've encountered enough civilizations to know what tends to happen eventually when alien artifacts are used in a civilization that is behind the technological level of the artifacts.

“While I am pretty good at breaking into places where I don't belong and bluffing my opponents to looking the other way, Card Shark was even better at it and I did not leave that mission to chance. Moreover, my brilliant plan worked! Card Shark did try to betray me a little bit towards the end there but I was on to his schemes enough to circumvent it.” The Doctor laughed a little. “He thought he could switch the artifacts with a fake and he left my Tardis thinking he actually got them for real. Meanwhile I was tossing and catching the real ones with a snicker on my face. Oh! Those were good times.”

The Doctor let out a deep calming breath, then resumed. “I admit, Card Shark can be a little tricky, but he's also an asset when you know how to handle him properly like I do. Trust me, I can handle him.”

“Then what are we going to do about Fluttershy?” Rarity asked in concern.

“What else?” the Doctor reflected back at her. “We're going to save her, of course.”

“I believe you have had a much longer history with him than you think, Doctor,” Feather Wind put in. “It may be true you received the actual alien artifacts in that particular mission but it was probably his plan to let you think you won. His real agenda was to get you to be cocky and lower your guard so he could exploit your weaknesses in more critical missions like this one. He has been playing you from the beginning, Doctor, and he will always have a upper hoof over you as long as you fail to admit to yourself his true name.” Feather Wind took a few menacing steps closer to the Doctor. “Say his name, Doctor. Say it once and for all. Say it with realization. I know you are brilliant. I know you are not stupid but, in this case, I think even you are uncomfortable to admit the truth to yourself because it has dire and very personal implications, but you must learn to move past this if you are to save the day for real. Say his name!”

“What are you babbling about?” the Doctor asked with rising anxiety. “Card Shark has been with me for only a few missions. I may have learned a lot about him during that time, but that doesn't mean we have some ancient history together.”

“Except you do!” Feather Wind insisted. “He has been there, rising against you many, many times before.” Feather Wind continued to draw closer. “I've read your diaries and other manifests in the secret library in the Tardis. It informed me of some of your past adventures you never told me to my face, but I know them anyway and, because of that, I know who he really is. Yes, you have had only a few missions with Card Shark, this much is true, but that is only the most recent persona he has adopted ever since he changed as well. He also goes by another far more ancient name. Say his name, Doctor!”

“Well why don't you just say it since you seem to have everything all figured out!” the Doctor cried out in frustration.

“Because, if I say it, you'll accuse me of ignorance but, if you say it, you'll realize the truth. Card Shark is not what he pretends to be. There is another side to him, one you had a long and mostly hostile history with. Say his name!”

The Doctor looked bewildered but he did as requested, then his eyes grew small with horror.

“There it is. You finally have it,” Feather Wind observed. “Now say his name.”

The Doctor fell backwards on his butt in horror and put both of his forward hooves on his cheeks as he shook his head in denial. “No. No, it's not true. That's impossible!”

“Search your feelings, Doctor. You'll know it to be true,” Feather Wind pressed.

“But it can't be!” the Doctor insisted in continued denial as he covered his eyes with his forward hooves. “I am the last! The last of my kind. He couldn't possibly be here.”

“Who couldn't possibly be here?” Feather Wind slyly asked.

“Him! It's . . . just not possible! Not in the pony universe! This universe is way to innocent and adorable to have room for a villain like that. There is just no way it would permit it.”

“But you got here,” Feather Wind countered. “Why deny his existence, given the evidence?”

“It can't be! It just can't!” The Doctor buried his entire face in his hooves and continuously shook his head in denial and fear. “There's no way he can possibly be here too.”

“You have to move past this hurdle to save the day, Doctor. Your continued denial constantly gives him an advantage until you do because, as long as you continue to deny him, you'll always underestimate him. Say his name!”

The Doctor rocked back and forth in discomfort, and Feather Wind noticed something very notable while he did that. He kept tapping his eyes four times in rapid succession, and he did it repeatedly.

“There. There is your proof,” Feather Wind pointed out.

“What are you talking about now?” the Doctor asked in irritation as he lowered his hooves and looked at Feather Wind.

“Four taps . . . in rapid succession. Four drum beats over and over again. It used to be in his head too, but now it seems he's passed it into yours like a mental infection. Four drum beats, over and over again ceaselessly. Never stopping, the maddening drum beats.”

The Doctor looked at his hooves, not even realizing he had done that a moment ago.

“I've seen you do that since the first day I met you, Doctor,” Feather Wind added. “This means he's been inside your head before I even met you. That was years ago. His plan right now may have been years in the making and he played you for a fool this whole time. He will continue to do so until you choose to put a stop to it. Say his name!”

“No, no, no! I can't!” the Doctor closed his eyes, resumed rocking and kept tapping his eyes four times over and over again. “I just can't. If I accept his existence, he may actually be here. That's too terrible to accept.”

“Well that's facetious logic,” Princess Cadence objected.

The Doctor shook his head. “You don't understand! None of you do! If he is really here, we may all be in much greater trouble than any of us thought, including me.”

“But you have beaten him before!” Feather Wind reminded as he leaned his head forward. “Many times, in fact, but you didn't do it before by denying his existence. You can only plan around an opponent you are aware of, and it's time you woke up and realize the truth. SAY . . . HIS . . . NAME!” Feather Wind intensely demanded.

The Doctor shivered. Derpy moved to comfort him, putting a hoof around him. He continued to shiver until he finally expelled a long breath and quietly spoke a forbidden name too softly for any creature to hear other than Vision.

“What was that?” Feather Wind lifted a hoof behind his left ear and aimed it at the Doctor. “Could you repeat that? We can't hear you.”

“I heard him,” Vision reported. “He really did say it, finally.”

“Well of course you have,” Feather Wind said to her while lowering his hoof again. “You have senses beyond the rest of us, but I want him to repeat it loudly and more confidently.” Feather Wind looked back at the Doctor again. “Now, what was it you said?”

“The Master,” the Doctor painfully admitted, his voice quivering as he did so, then pressed his hooves hard into his face. “Great Whickering Stallions, if it really is him . . . I have a long way to go to catch up before I can save the day this time.”

“Indeed.” Feather Wind lifted his head straight. “In fact, it may be too late for you already, but at least you've taken the first step to recovery. Honesty is an element in harmony.”

“I'll tip my hat to that,” Apple Jack agreed then did precisely what she said she would do.

“Okay, somepony needs to fill me in,” Rainbow Dash requested. “Who, or what, is The Master?” she asked with a sarcastic sneer and a roll in her eyes. “Geeze, and they say I have a huge ego.”

The Doctor sighed with dread as he placed his forward hooves on his knees. “The Master is a very old foe of mine, and a very dangerous one at that. That is because he, too, is a Time Lord, and he's one of the bad ones.” The Doctor rolled forward to stand on his hooves. “Actually, that doesn't even cover it. He's not just bad, he's one of the worst of my kind. I have tried over and over again to thwart his constant evil schemes, and he keeps on going right back at it. I thought I had rid myself of him in the Great Time War.” He waved a hoof. “That's a very long story so I won't get into details at the moment, but suffice to say my people and another of one of my ancient enemies had a great war that stretched to all corners of the universe and all of time. It was bloody, and terrible . . . and positively one of the worst years of my entire life. We did manage to defeat these enemies, at least for awhile, but most of my people got lost in the process. I never was able to return to my old home again. I thought the Master was lost in this conflict as well, but it turns out he cowardly managed to slip away and hide his identity, even to himself, until it was later unlocked.

“This isn't the first time he's invented a cover identity for himself either. Last time he called himself Harold Saxon, and now it seems he has adopted the identity of the sly pony Card Shark.” The Doctor sighed in depression as he looked down. “I really, really did not want to believe he could be drawn into the pony universe as well. This place is just so colorful and innocent compared to where I came from. I guess I just wanted to believe a villain like him would be unable to follow me here.”

“Wait a second. Are you telling me that my father . . . is an evil alien?!” Trixie exclaimed in intense shock. She drew her head very far back and her eyes grew very small in horrified astonishment.

“I always knew you were a little strange,” Starlight teased her friend, “but that's what I love about you.”

“It might actually be worth scanning her to find out if she has two hearts,” Feather Wind advised.

“I'll do it,” Vision volunteered. She trotted closer to Trixie then her eyes made a high pitched wavy noise. Meanwhile Vision kept still until she was done, then she reported, “No, she has only one heart, but I am detecting unusual energy from it. It's possible she has regeneration powers as well or might simply live longer with the one life she currently has.”

“What does that mean?” Trixie asked fearfully as if she just discovered she was infected with some kind of disease.

“It means you do have alien D.N.A. in you. Time Lord, in this specific case, or technically Time Lady in your case,” Vision reported.

“What?!” Trixie screeched. “You mean I have icky-yuck D.N. whatever in me? Ew! Gross. How do we get it out?”

Vision looked at Trixie's general direction dryly. “You can't. It's been a part of you ever since you were born.”

Trixie tapped her forehead just below her horn with a hoof then looked nearly entirely straight up. “Thanks a lot, Dad! Yet another thing you've cursed my life with! You're really laying it on thick with your precious daughter here!”

“Don't worry, Trixie,” Thorax said in a friendly tone. “Regardless of the circumstances of your birth, I'll still be your friend.”

“Actually, your presence here might be quite fortuitous,” Feather Wind mentioned. “Contrary to what I've read about the Master, he actually seems to care for you a great deal. Far more than I originally expected.”

“No he doesn't!” Trixie denied in irritation, looking back at Feather Wind. “My father has been the bane of my existence my whole life! He cheated on my mother many times!” She looked corner-wise up as she said a lot more calmly, “Although, technically, they were never married so . . . I guess he was actually cheating on other husbands sometimes,” Trixie looked back at Feather Wind with irritation again, “but that's no excuse! He has always been a bad role model for me my entire life, and I hate him for it!”

“The Master is a master of manipulative psychology, so why hasn't he tried that hard to corrupt you?” Feather Wind pointed out. “He didn't hold back against Fluttershy. She took off with him willingly . . . sort of. My point is, he could have tried just as hard against you but he chose not to. Also, when I confronted him about that just before he took off, I seem to have struck a very sensitive nerve in him. He may be a master liar but, for once, I could tell he was not holding back. As unlikely as it sounds, he actually does care for you a great deal and he even claims he is doing all this for your sake. What that agenda is is ultimately not likely to be good but, for once, his intentions are pure at least when it comes to you.”

Trixie looked down, then looked back up at Feather Wind with her eyes only while her face remained directed down. “That doesn't sound likely, but it is a nice thought,” she said in a bitter/sweet tone.

“But I'm the one that invited you, not him,” Starlight reminded her friend. “That means this is a fact he wasn't counting on. Perhaps that does mean this is an opportunity we can exploit.”

“What do you think we should do, Doc?” Derpy asked as she applied a hoof to his back.

“I don't know. I just don't know.” The Doctor's eyes grew a little smaller as he shook his head, looking a little frantic. “If Feather Wind is right and he has been in my head for years, anything I say or do right now may simply be another part of his brilliant plan. For once . . . you cannot count on me.” He looked around him at every creature with pleading eyes. “Please, you've got to help me! I need you all now more than ever! He may have gotten enough time to twist me into a knot, but he couldn't have done it to all of you as well. Anything you say or do might be an element he did not count on.”

“Aiding your efforts was the entire reason we have agreed to join you in your quest, Doctor,” Luna said. “Of course we will help you.”

“If this Master took Fluttershy . . . he must be working for The Dark Star,” Starlight figured as she rubbed the bottom of her chin with her right hoof and had a slight squint to her eyes with a thoughtful pose. “Without her, we cannot complete the chain in the Elements of Harmony, the greatest weapon we brought with us. The Master knew this, so he ponynapped one of the Elements to keep us from completing our greatest trump card, but why? What does he gain by aiding The Dark Star?” Starlight regarded the Doctor. “What was his agenda before? What did he always try to accomplish with his previous evil schemes?”

“Please, do not ask me that question or anything about him,” the Doctor objected as he raised a hoof. “I cannot be certain if he has or hasn't modified my memories of him. If he's managed to get inside my head, then there is no telling what he has altered. I think I can sort it out on my own in time but, for now, I suggest you ask Feather Wind here.” He regarded the small pony. “He studied my earlier adventures, and I doubt the Master went out of his way to alter every single book that Feather Wind encountered in the hidden library. There is no reason to suspect that the Master ever found that library in the first place. The only reason Feather Wind did was because he was guided by Vision, and she was guided by the empathic impressions of the Tardis. Vision, however, can't read because she is blind. Not even the implants I gave her could change that, so only Feather Wind here knows the truth.” The Doctor looked at Feather Wind. “Go on, my friend. Tell us all that you know about him.”

There was a bit of a dull look in Feather Wind's eyes as he said, “His agenda is so cliché for a villain, you could stick it in a foals puppet show and it would still be believable but, if you also showed his methods in that same show, then you'd give the unfortunate little fillies and colts nightmares for weeks, maybe even months or years following that show.”

“Which would pile up my work, I'd wager,” Luna said under her breath.

“But his basic agenda is very simple,” Feather Wind went on. “He wants to control everything. That is what his name implies and that is what he does. If he manages to get that control, he will not rule kindly. On the other hoof, he can be subtle about his agendas. He does not necessarily want to be the power in front of the throne, he's more willing to be the puppet master in the shadows with the true power but some other pony gets the credit and the blame. He's capable of long-ranged plans and long cons. Like the Doctor, he can live a substantially long time so he can afford to be patient with his plans if it means increasing the odds of success. Even more disturbing, he used to have something like The Tardis as well. Back then, that meant he could mess with time and space to accomplish his goals, and that means rewritting history in a bad way so that he accomplishes what he wants through a time ripple effect. I don't know if he still has access to such resources. I doubt it because, if he did, I think he would win far more easily and we'd probably not be having this discussion since he'd already won. If he ever did get access to such a machine, though, he'd know how to use it well.”

“And since he is also a Time Lord, that means he can also regenerate,” Celestia announced. “Who knows how many times he has already done that since crossing over from your universe, Doctor.” She regarded the Doctor. “Unless he didn't cross over and he was always native to this universe. We can't rule that out yet either.”

“What do you mean by regenerate?” Trixie asked Celestia fearfully, fearing this condition was contagious.

“It means the Time Lord race can recover from fatal wounds,” Vision informed. “However, there is a price for this benefit. In exchange for healing them from fatal wounds, they undergo a permanent change that alters their physiology and their psychology. They basically become a brand new pony, or perhaps even appear to be another race entirely, but they always remain a Time Lord or Lady regardless of their outward appearance.”

“Really?” Trixie all of a sudden sounded intrigued. “Well, that actually sounds interesting.” Trixie suddenly had a scheming look as her eyes grew shifty with mischief. “I already knew that I was most impressive, but it appears that even Trixie has underestimated herself! So what you're saying is I might basically be immortal. How cool is that!”

“If true, it can be more of a curse than you realize,” the Doctor warned Trixie.

“How so?” Trixie asked the Doctor in sudden concern.

“If you really want to know, you can ask Princess Celestia or Princess Luna,” the Doctor informed somewhat dismissively with a depressed tone.

“Perhaps later,” Celestia offered to Trixie. “Although, in your case, it may not really matter. You are a time clone of the original Trixie. Anything I inform you will be forgotten which makes anything I tell you a moot point. The real consequence of immortality must be experienced with a great deal of time, and it is unlikely you will exist long enough to suffer that.”

“Oh. Yeah. That,” Trixie said in an empty voice and listless expression in her eyes.

Rainbow Dash groaned in frustration as she pulled her face down with two hooves. “Come on, every creature! Every minute we waste here is a minute this Master, or whatever egocentric thing he calls himself, could be terrorizing Fluttershy! We have to save her and, if you are all going to just keep on standing here and talking all the time, then I'm going to go save her!”

Rainbow Dash was about to fly off then and there with a concerned, frustrated, impatient and determined look but she was seized by a purple aura around her tail which ended up dragging her back down.

“We need a plan of action, Rainbow!” Twilight called up to her flying friend. “Besides, we are more likely to succeed if we stick together.”

“But Fluttershy is counting on us out there, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash cried back in so much concern she was nearly hysterical. “She must be so scared, and she is my friend! I would not be the element that I am if I just abandoned her to her fate.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called up to her friend more firmly. “None of us are even considering to abandon her, but her best odds of being rescued come if we come up with a plan. You just heard here that she is being held captive by an alien being with very advanced and sinister intelligence. I guarantee you that he has a plan, and you'd be falling right into his trap if you let your emotions get the best of you. We need to stick together on this . . . for Fluttershy's sake. Besides, if you take off from the protection of this Crystal Heart barrier then the Black Blizzard storm raging on outside would take you out in no time, not to mention everything else waiting for you out there. You've seen that for yourself not too long ago.”

Rainbow Dash flew a little lower as she relented a little. “So what are we going to do?” she asked anxiously. “A plan would be helpful, but time is not on our side here. Every second we spend here debating this is a moment he could be hurting Fluttershy. I'd never forgive myself if she comes to harm, or any of you for that matter. If any of you were captured out there like this, I would still feel just as concerned.”

Apple Jack sighed as she pulled her hat to her chest while she looked down with so much worry she almost had tears in her eyes. She said, “I sure wish Discord were still here to help us rescue her. You seen what he did to that lava back there. One snap of his claws, and this would all be over in a jiffy.”

“As I told you earlier, Discord is locked in a stalemate with his other self,” Spike reminded. “Likely that was another part of the Master's plan to get rid of his greatest threat. Now nothing stands in his way between him and The Dark Star.”

“I don't suppose there is any way to rescue him?” Rarity wondered aloud. “If we did, he could solve this problem in the manner as Apple Jack suggested.”

“Be very careful what you wish for from a chaotic genie,” Stern Wing cautioned. “He is very likely to grant your wishes in the worst way possible.”

“Not in Fluttershy's case,” Twilight insisted to Stern Wing. “He cares very much for her because she was the one who initially reformed him with her kindness, and she also was the one that continuously gave him the benefit of the doubt when all the rest of us suspected him of foul treachery.”

“Like those foul vine things that tried to attack Ponyville that one time?” Rainbow Dash brought up. “Need I remind you, Twilight, that he actually was kind of responsible for that one, and he probably could have cleared it up with a simple snap?”

“That is not Discord's way,” Celestia informed with a low wave of a hoof. “He may not seem like it at first, but Discord is also trying to be a mentor in his own way. If he can solve your problems too easily then none of you learn a lesson if he does your job for you. While your faith in him has been shaky at times, he demonstrated a lot of trust in you by allowing you to solve your own problems.”

“Well Discord is not here anyway, so this discussion is a moot point,” Starlight said in moderate frustration. “To rescue him, we'd have to take care of The Dark Star first, the very thing that created his shadowy copy which is keeping him at bay, and we can't take out The Dark Star without Fluttershy so . . .” she sighed, then went on, “. . . at least our next objective is clear. We need to rescue Fluttershy, and to do that we have to rescue her from the clutches of what basically amounts to an ancient evil genius.” Starlight squinted her eyes dryly. “It's honestly kind of annoying how often these kinds of things happen to us.”

“That's what I've been trying to tell you all along!” Rainbow Dash complained to everyone.

“Every creature, calm yourself,” Somnambula called out calmly. “We must all work together to calm our emotions. Every negative feeling we have only empowers our opponent.”

“We don't have time for another of your meditation sessions!” Rainbow Dash continued to complain.

“Do you have the time to breathe?” Somnambula asked Rainbow Dash. “That is all that I'm asking for. Breathe slowly. Let the anger flow from your body.” She did as she advised to demonstrate how to do it and to demonstrate it's effectiveness.

Following her advice, most of the gathered creatures actually did as she suggested and, a moment later, the group's tension lowered noticeably.

“Okay. I'll admit, I do feel better,” Rainbow Dash admitted then crossed her forward legs across her chest. “We still need a plan to rescue Fluttershy, so hop to it every pony.”

“Hello! I'm not a pony,” Ember reminded Rainbow Dash.

“Fine!” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Every creature, then. Are you happy?”

“Much!” Ember said with smug satisfaction.

The group was silent for a moment, then Twilight looked at Sombra as he trotted over to the giant Starlight Dust comet that was beside them this whole time they were discussing. Intrigued, Twilight asked him, “What are you thinking about, Sombra?”

“I was thinking about this comet here,” he answered back to her as he reached out to touch it. “This crystal calls to me. It hums with great magical power, and it even feels a little familiar.” He continued to stroke it thoughtfully. “Yes. This feels very familiar.”

“That's the Starlight Dust comet,” Twilight informed as her interest continued to grow. She was hoping that Sombra was starting to come up with a plan. “One of many. These things rained upon this planet for centuries, I've been told. Maybe for many millennia. It's original source is said to come from a dying magical-based star in this timeline known as the Twilight Star, so named for being the brightest star visible in the sky at twilight. It is also said that it is a sentient star and that it is sending these comets in the hopes of enchanting another world with the last of it's dying essence. I'm curious,” Twilight turned to face him fully before she resumed speaking, “in what way is this energy familiar to you? Where have you encountered it before?”

Sombra lowered his hoof and his head as he closed his eyes and thought back, then eventually answered, “The Crystal Empire.”

“I'm so glad one of us finally said it!” Princess Cadence exclaimed in relief. “That thought has been nagging me for quite awhile as well, but I was not certain enough to say anything aloud.”

“So you felt it too?” Shining Armor asked his wife. She responded only by rubbing herself against his body and lightly touching her horn to his lovingly.

“You don't suppose that . . . this is the very same crystal that will be used to forge the Empire far into the future, do you?” Rarity asked with rising fascination. She also looked at her magical gem bracelet she wore on her right forward leg. “This thing has also been humming ever since we drew near it. I'm sure if I armed my horn to detect for gems, it would be ringing like crazy next to this thing. Why, this giant comet looks simply divine!”

“Based on what Twilight just told me, it's actually possible,” Sombra informed. He spun about to regard the group that was originally behind him. “Consider where we are. This is the frozen north, and a giant Starlight Dust comet is summoned here when a bunch of us unicorns combined our magic to call upon this thing. I think it heard us and answered our call. This crystal is a gift from the dying Twilight Star. I think it was delivered to us in the hopes that we might use it to save the world from destruction. Also, the reason this particular piece is so big is because it didn't burn up in the atmosphere. We summoned it through a magic portal and that gave it a short cut to the surface of our planet.”

“But darling, how can we use it?” Rarity inquired. “It's just so big! We couldn't possibly fit that entire thing into Vision's dimensional saddle bags.”

“Actually, we can,” the Doctor countered, then added, “but we'd have to put it in there one tiny piece at a time.”

“Yes, exactly. That would take us years, darling,” Rarity said.

“Actually, I have another idea,” Sombra said as he looked over his left shoulder back at the giant comet. “This comet hums with magic. Whatever we need it to be, it has the energy to accomplish.” He turned around to face the comet again fully. “It just so happens I am an expert with crystal magic. I am a crystal sage, after all. I have studied phenomenon like this all my life, but I have encountered a crystal this large and this pure with magic only once before. It was used to establish the foundation for the Crystal Empire. Moreover, we brought the Crystal Heart along with us.” He glanced back at Flurry Heart. “This just may be the key to help save our world. I do not think it is a coincidence that it showed up in our hour of need and helped us to defeat Fang once and for all, but this is not a corpse.” He looked back at the comet. “I mean, the crystal isn't. It is a living, breathing crystal and it absolutely teems with magical power. Considering our current resources, I think it would be very foolish for us to trot away and ignore this remarkable gift we have on our hooves right now.”

“Then what exactly are you suggesting we do with it?” Twilight asked curiously as she drew closer.

“I am suggesting you all stand back and let me concentrate,” Sombra said over his shoulder which suddenly halted Twilight's approach. He then regarded the crystal carefully and touched it. “I must commune with the crystal. Please give me a moment.”

Sombra closed his eyes and concentrated for awhile. After awhile his horn started to glow red then glowed brighter and brighter. The mane of his head and tail started to float up as if under water, then he lifted off of the ground a bit. As this process continued, a humming noise grew louder and louder. It caused a lot of witnesses to wince in pain. The Doctor and Vision could have countered that noise with their sonic screwdriver, but neither did in fear that it would interrupt Sombra's potentially important work so they just continued to endure it.

A red aura then engulfed Sombra's entire body but, shortly later, it shifted colors to many other colors in the spectrum. It kept shifting over and over again and, as the process continued, the colors shifted faster and faster. This was a great deal of magic he was channeling, far more than he should be capable in his body. It was obvious he was tapping into the magic of the crystal.

Then a remarkable transformation happened. The giant comet grew inward then morphed it's shape. It expanded into a long oval shape about two stories tall. Crystal grew beneath it at four points which shaped themselves into what looked like inwardly bent horses legs that rested against the ground, then four bars grew horizontally underneath those legs, two under each leg. At the end of those bars a giant crystal wheel grew then, to the side of the oval shape, a giant pair of crystal wings emerged then spread themselves directly up. A tail grew at the back near where Sombra touched that appeared to be made of shimmering, prismatic rainbow then, finally, at the forward end of this crystal, a horse's head emerged and lifted it's head forward. A horn grew from it's forehead.

After this transformation was complete, the rainbow aura colors around Sombra faded away and he settled back to the ground. He breathed heavily, but he looked very happy.

The rest of the crowd behind him was left gasping in awe, some with huge eyes and jaw dropped. This was particularly true of Pinkie Pie. Her elastic, pink bubble gum-like body enabled her jaw to drop comically all the way to the ground and her eyes expanded like a pair of inflated balloons which extended out of her skull and had huge irises painted on them, each about half the size of a normal adult pony's head.

Twilight was the first to approach beside Sombra but her gaze was dead-locked on the giant crystal carriage she saw before her about the size of a miniature castle. Her mouth hung open but only to a believable degree. Her eye pupils were also very large but not beyond the extent of the shape of her eyes. Eventually she was also the first one to regain her voice.

“This is . . . amazing Sombra!” she said in a gasp of awe, then her eyes narrowed a bit. “Also a bit familiar. This energy feels exactly the same as my crystal tree house castle.”

“Which is grown directly from the Tree of Harmony,” Star Swirl said as he approached. “That castle is connected to the Tree of Harmony, and this giant carriage I see before me might be a distant relative to the seeds we planted a long time ago which eventually grew into the Tree of Harmony.”

“All of us are connected to this crystal,” Sombra informed and he sounded a little winded as he spoke. “It's magic is what saturated the earth and, from the earth, life did grow which we consumed and it became part of us and our ancestors. All of us has the spark of magic that came from crystals like this, the original source of magic, so of course it's going to feel familiar to us. It is the Crystal Empire, and the Crystal Heart, and the Crystal Tree House, and the Tree of Harmony. It is all these things, and it is also us. The crystal responds to the will of our hearts, which I used to shape this.” He waved a hoof before him. “Behold.”

The prismatic rainbow tail of the giant crystal carriage lowered to the ground so that it could be used as a platform to trot up it. After that happened, he looked over his shoulder at Flurry Heart.

“Your majesty . . . it is especially important that you join me. I have something else to show you all inside the carriage. Something I think you are all going to enjoy, and it might come of vital importance.”

“Yes, uh . . . of course,” Flurry Heart acknowledged as she fought to thaw her stunned mind. As she trotted forward to enter into the carriage, every other creature around her gathered to do the same.

“Wow! I wish I could see it!” Star Breeze said in amazement.

{We all gathered inside the giant Crystal Carriage, myself included. It turned out the entrance was at the top of it and we had to trot down another trotway that was inside of it. It had a very roomy, oval interior that felt quite spacious. Sombra guided us to the center of it then lowered his horn to the ground while it glowed red for a moment. After he did so, a spike grew down from the ceiling and up from the floor but they hadn't quite touched each other. There were many creatures there who had seen something like this before, myself included.}

“Your majesty, toss the Crystal Heart between the two spires. That will help to empower this vehicle and act as it's heart,” Sombra requested.

“Sure thing,” Flurry Heart accepted. Her horn glowed yellow. In response, the spinning Crystal Heart over her shot ahead of her to float between the two crystal spires. The Crystal Heart steadied itself between the two spires as if caught in an inverse gravity field. It bounced back and forth a little bit before steadying itself in the dead center then just kept on spinning.

“It looks just like the spires in the Crystal Empire,” Spike commented with a brief point to it.

“That is intentional,” Sombra informed as he trotted towards the spires then eventually around it. “I created these spires to serve the same purpose that it does in the Crystal Empire and, just like in the Crystal Empire, you will notice this is the center piece of this entire contraption. That placement is also intentional so that the energy could flow evenly to every space of the carriage and back towards it.” Having made his way around the spires, he stood to the side of it and faced the crowd. “You will also note that you are all standing on a crystal floor.” He tapped it beneath him with a hoof for emphasis. “This is also intentional. This allows the carriage to serve the same purpose as it does in the Crystal Empire, except this thing is smaller and it can travel.”

“A moving crystal castle?” Rarity gasped excitedly as she put both hooves on her cheeks. “There . . . are . . . no . . . words to describe how simply divine this is! A moving castle made of crystal! Oh, somepony pinch me! I must be dreaming!”

“The Starlight Dust comets are the final gift of a dying star that wishes us all well,” Twilight said, a bit teary eyed. She looked up in the general direction of the star. “It's giving everything it has to help us protect this world. We need to be grateful for that.”

“Exactly!” Sombra was quick to agree. “That gratitude, in turn, will help this place accomplish exactly that. Every creature,” he looked across the entire assembled crowd, “think . . . and most importantly, feel . . .” he placed a hoof on his chest “. . . the gratitude you feel towards a distant magical star that gave us everything it could. Think about how it enchanted our world to be filled with life, wonder and hope. Think about all your friends and family that grew up protected by this wonderful light.” He gestured to the Crystal Heart beside him. “The Starlight Dust comets helped to give us all evolved sentience and, along with that, comes evolved emotions. Buried within that emotion is the spark of our magic and, when it is combined into one source, it will demonstrate more power than any other force on this world. The Comets breathed life and magic into us. Now it's time to share it back to help protect this world from a force that intends to destroy ALL THAT WE HOLD DEAR!” He shouted the end of that sentence, startling some of his audience because that sudden volume had no warning, then he resumed only after he calmed down a bit. “That force which seeks to destroy our world once corrupted me, and that corruption once tore down one of the most radiant and life-giving creations pony kind have ever forged. Now here I stand, the last echo of the true Sombra, and I beg you to help me undo all of that damage. I could not do this alone before. I never did. To even try led to the mistakes I made before, but this symbol right here,” again he gestured to the Crystal Heart beside him, “is the symbol of our united passions, and it will project whatever we choose to pour into it. Be it dark energy or light. Be it kindness or cruelty. Be it hope or despair. What do we choose to experience? Every creature, close your eyes.” He waited for them to do so before he went on, though that was kind of a moot point for Vision. “Whatever emotion you may be feeling right now, imagine it as a cloud radiating around your body. Picture it in your mind then . . . I want you to imagine it pouring down your body and sinking into the floor, then push it towards the Crystal Heart.”

Again he waited for them to do so. He saw a familiar glow expand across the floor around each creature that stood within the carriage then, all at once, the energy was pushed together towards the spires which then poured it into the Crystal Heart. That energy caused it to spin faster then explode with brilliant white energy. As it washed over each creature present, they all gained a temporary crystal coat or scales.

“Ooo! Shiny!” Thorax said with delight as he beheld himself. “Of course . . . I could have just morphed this appearance on at any time.”

“Oh-ho-ho! This is wonderful!” Rarity cheered. “I do ever so much love a good crystaling.”

“And that's exactly what this is,” Princess Cadence noted. She regarded Sombra proudly. “You spoke the truth, sir. You really were . . . excuse me. You really are an experienced Crystaler.”

“Also the first,” Sombra added. “I pray to all the divine stars in the heavens that I am not the last.”

Princess Cadence took a step forward as she said, “We already have, and will continue to maintain your noble tradition.”

“Wait a second. I have a question,” Ember broached as she kept examining herself and her transparent and refracted scales. “Does this mean that I've become edible?”

“You always were to some creatures,” Feather Wind told her bluntly, “but you are not any more so because of the crystaling. Why would you even bring that up anyway? You're not interested in eating yourself, are you?”

“Did you really ask the Dragon Lord that question?” Star Breeze asked with suspicion. Instead of answering, her father went on with his story unabated.

“Eh, I suppose you're right,” Ember said with a shrug. “Seeing all this crystal about is making me hungry, though.”

“The magic of the crystal lives to serve,” Sombra said then stomped a hoof. In front of Ember a pedestal grew and, on top of that pedestal, a crystal bowl grew with various colored crystal gems within it.

“Ooo, nice! A dragon could get used to this!” Ember cheered then grabbed two claw full of gems and stuffed it into her mouth.

A table then grew out of the floor. As necessary, various creatures backed off from it to not impede it's growth. Upon that table a bunch of foods grew. It was the favorite foods of every creature that donated energy to the Crystal Heart. It shared some of that energy right back at them to create a heroic feast. Cheers of delight arose at the sight of this, then they paused for a moment as they felt a slight jerk of motion.

“Where are we going?” several creatures asked simultaneously.

{Don't ask me which ones said that. It happened too fast for me to keep track of that. Instead, it was the answer to that question that was more important.}

“To The Dark Star,” Sombra answered as he looked towards the literal head of the carriage. “That's what was in your heart when you sent energy at the Crystal Heart, is it not? Well then, the Carriage is fulfilling your wish.”

“It don't need to be pulled by anything?” Apple Jack checked.

Sombra shook his head as he continued to look towards the head of the carriage. “No. The magic within the Carriage will deliver us to our destination for us.”

“Well dang then!” Soarin, one of the Wonderbolts, cheered. “I wish we had access to this Crystal Carriage a long time ago! Sure would have saved us a lot of hoof and wing ache.”

“Quit your complaining,” Spitfire ordered with a playful grin. “We have access to it now, so quit your worries.”

“And this place fits within the barrier of the Crystal Heart!” Starlight added happily. “We should be much more comfortable and safe now.”

“There's still plenty of magic to spare in this Carriage,” Sombra reported as he looked back at the crowd. “If you need bedrooms or beds, pray to the light of the Crystal Heart and your wishes will be manifested. Mind you, it still must fit within the physical confines of this Carriage but, beyond that, anything you want can be fulfilled.”

“Thank you, Sombra!” Twilight said to him so gratefully she was nearly in tears. “This was your idea to use the Starlight Dust comet, and you were right that it was a gift to aid us all in our journey. You were also the one who helped create it in it's current form.”

“I sincerely hope that this has helped to make up for my mistakes,” Sombra said hopefully. “What's more, we have a new defense and weapon not only against the Master but also The Dark Star itself. As soon as we rescue Fluttershy, this Carriage will help infuse the power of your Elements of Harmony with all of our combined feelings and emotions, along with any energy that already empowers the Crystal Heart.”

“This is great!” Derpy cheered while flapping in mid air. “Now I feel like we really have a chance of winning this thing! We are all going to save the world! Not really the first time for me, but it's still a great feeling. Plus, this is the first time I did it with all of you!” She giggled happily. “This kind of makes me feel like I'm an Element of Harmony now along with all the rest of you. I always wanted to say that.”

“In fact, we all are an element of harmony,” Ramadon elaborated. “Each of us all contain within ourselves the power to choose positive or negative feelings. When we all use that energy together, we achieve results far greater than the sum of our parts.”

“And we're all connected,” Feather Wind added. “Eat up, then rest up if any of you need to. Soon we will all face the final battle of our journey together.”

Chapter Twenty Five: Old Foes and the Crystal Carriage

Chapter Twenty Five: The Third Joker

{When I thought about all the problems we endured over these past two years to get this far, it was the last two days that was by far the easiest, and that only came after one of our most intense battles. It felt like a reward for our bravery and for making the right choices along the way. We felt like we were empowered by something far greater than ourselves. The will of the stars, and perhaps by extension a piece of the universe, stretched down it's divine hoof and gave us aid and respite in our hour of need.

{I won't say the Crystal Carriage was fast. It was about double the speed we normally traveled every previous day, but the Crystal Carriage plowed through any obstacle in it's way. It crawled over hills and rock slides with no problem. It drove through or over rivers of lava. On top of the defense of the Crystal Heart barrier, the Crystal Carriage also blocked out the external horrific screams from outside and the ghastly illusions The Dark Star conjured against us. For once, we had complete sanctuary. Luna did not need to defend our dreams either. The Crystal Carriage protected our minds and hearts too while we slept inside the Carriage, and speaking of sleeping . . . beds literally grew out of the wall. Usually it was an oval shaped crystal but, just like the food, this Carriage apparently had the power to manifest other kinds of objects and edible things. In my case, it created the most comfortable cloud I ever slept in but, for others, their bed was made of whatever was most ideal for them if they bothered to ever use it. I have not slept that good in years, maybe even ever. The air inside the Carriage was also clean and crisp. Every breath we took filled us with more and more life. I even regained back much of my stolen magic over those two days. The Crystal Carriage was like a portable paradise.

{It would be exhaustive to mention all the features the Crystal Carriage offered. I could mention the spas, the steam room, crystal benches or chairs that massaged us as we sat on them, the humming crystals that soothed our bodies, minds and spirits with tranquil chiming songs, but I think you get the point. Suffice it to say, it was really magical and really comfortable.

{But I didn't just look upon it as our reward for a battle well fought before. I looked upon it as the hope of higher powers to prepare us for the next pivotal battle. Very few of us did any of this with the hopes of a reward. I could possibly name a few exceptions, but I choose not to at this time. Primarily we did all of this to protect what we already love and in the hopes to protect what was good for every generation to follow before and after us. This was why I could not completely relax. I knew what was coming next, but I was no longer afraid of it either. I knew it was likely to be a hard fight, and probably full of surprises both good and bad, but I kept my mind and heart locked on the goal. I was filled with hope.

{The Crystal Carriage also made me feel connected to even higher powers, powers out there that really cared for us. I felt appreciated, so it was much easier to return the favor. We've all come together here to do whatever we could.

{So onward we drove, day and night. The Crystal Carriage never ceased and it was not slowed down by obstacles that really would have seriously impeded the rest of us, so we made it to our destination what felt like all too soon but, at the same time, we felt ready and hyped to get this over with so we could return to the lives we all enjoyed, and for those of us who could remember . . . our lives were forever changed by the extraordinary and epic journey we shared together. This was a journey we made outwardly, and a journey we made inwardly. We were all united in a bond of friendship, and those feelings would last in things like the Crystal Carriage even if those who enchanted it disappeared.

{But, at last, we made it. We had arrived at the heart of The Dark Star, as well as the trio of visitors ready to greet us.}

xoxo

Card Shark, also known as Double Dealer, also known as the Master, stabbed his gentlecolt's cane into the earth as he regarded all the visitors that gathered before him as they exited the giant Crystal Carriage.

His outfit had not changed, but Fluttershy's outfit changed drastically. She wore a gothic looking dress which seemed to be made of black spider webs which hung in loose tatters at the edges. Her mane was dyed black, and so too was the back of her eyelids and her lips. She also wore a collar on her neck which had an onyx gem shaped like a rose at the front.

“Behold, my pet! Your friends have come to 'rescue' you. Isn't that sweet?” the Master asked with a devilish, sinful charm.

Fluttershy gave a dark giggle, then said, “Oh, those fools don't know what they're doing, but you will show them. Won't you, my love?”

“Fluttershy,” Discord lamented behind them, he himself trapped inside a floating transparent sphere apparently made of glass but was, in fact, far more endurant. He also looked very tired and drained of color. Because of the bubble he was trapped in, it gave his voice a slight echo when he spoke.

“Of course, my pet!” the Master agreed. “I will soon educate them all who their master really is!”

“Fluttershy, can you hear us?” Pinkie Pie called out desperately. “It's us. You know.” She pulled out a loudspeaker from out of nowhere then shouted through it, “YOUR FRIENDS!!!” Her voice visibly boomed so loud it caused a sonic boom and made the whole terrain bend away from her for a second. This caused every creature to wince in tight pain because of the volume. There wasn't one exception to this except Pinkie Pie herself. The last two words also echoed across the terrain and faded across the next eight seconds.

“Well it's difficult to hear you now that my EARS ARE RINGING!” Fluttershy cried back in intense annoyance. “But of course you feel the need to SHOUT your feelings all the time. How else are you supposed to maintain your annoying attitude? Do you want to know why you have to shout so loud? It's because you've learned, long ago, that's the only way you'll be heard. We're all trying to ignore your stupid antics, but you make it so darn difficult when you are SHOUTING AT US ALL THE TIME!”

Fluttershy's ridicule at first sharply took Pinkie aback, but then her mane deflated as she frowned in bewailment. “Flah . . . Fluttershy!” Pinkie cried sadly with tears in her eyes.

“Fluttershy, what are you saying?” Twilight asked in horrified astonishment. “This isn't you.”

“Well LA-DE-DAH!” Fluttershy spat back. “It is Princess Twilight Sparkle that speaks. Behold . . . behold. The know-it-all bookworm who thinks she knows everything so hang on her every word, little ponies. Her word is law! Don't you dare cross Princess Twilight Sparkle, or she'll banish you to Tartarus too.”

When Twilight recovered from her gasp, she then glared at the Master in accusation. “What have you done to our friend? I demand you change her back this instant!” Twilight insisted firmly.

“Why? So you can banish him too with our fancy 'Rainbow Powers'?” Fluttershy asked in a mocking tone. “Isn't that how we always deal with everything that annoys us too much? It's too bad we can't turn that power back on Pinkie Pie. Maybe then we'd all get some PEACE and QUIET!”

“Fluttershy!” Pinkie wailed into her own forward hooves.

“Release her!” Twilight demanded to Card Shark with a hoof stomp.

“As you wish,” the Master said surprisingly easily. “My pet,” he half turned his head towards Fluttershy, “you are free to go if you wish.”

“But I do not want to leave your side, my master,” Fluttershy said to the Master submissively.

“Well then. That's a problem,” he said mockingly as he regarded Princess Twilight. “Any more requests, your majesty? Should I order her to your side anyway? Oh, but that wouldn't be very nice of me, would it? She wants to stay by my side after all. We don't want to make her do anything she does not want to do, right? That would be quite immoral of us to try.”

“She's only like this because you forced her with your mind tricks!” Twilight accused. “Release her mind and give us back our friend.”

“But this is your friend,” the Master countered with a narrow stare and a sly grin. “What you see before you now has always been a part of her. This,” he twisted his gentlecolt's cane to point at Fluttershy to his side, “is a manifestation of her superego. This is the part of her that's always been suppressed by the bottle of her overabundance of kindness, but no pony is that shy or kind without bottling up their truer, larger self. I'm sure some of you noticed this temper of hers crack out occasionally.”

“I certainly did,” Discord lamented behind them with regret, “but I had to force her to be that way, just like you are doing now. Fluttershy would never give in to her dark side alone. I know. I tried to trick her into it once, but she was the only one of the Elements of Harmony that would not give up her faith in her friends. I had to cheat to get my way.”

“Your tactics are irrelevant,” the Master said to Discord without looking back at him. “Unless, of course, you implanted something within her that wasn't in there to begin with, but that's not what you did, is it? No. Instead, you forcefully unleashed something that was already buried within her like precious gem stones, and I think this Fluttershy is going to make a most suitable slave!”

The Master tilted his head as he regarded the Doctor. “What do you think, Doctor? What do you think of my new companion? You've got yours and I've got mine. Now we're all happy, aren't we?”

“I accept my companions only if they are willing,” the Doctor returned. “In exchange, they offer me true love, faith and loyalty. What you have there is nothing but an empty puppet of your own creation. Do you enjoy talking to yourself? Because that's basically all you have achieved here. You're talking to your own imagination. Discord is right. She would never behave this way on her own.” The Doctor sighed as he touched his own chest. “It is true that, buried deep into each and every one of us, is the capacity for light and darkness. What I have achieved with my friends is . . .”

“Shhht! Zip it!” the Master interrupted as he swiped a hoof across the air in front of him, in this case the hoof that did not hold his cane. “I'm tired of your little spiel. We've been over this and over this. I'm sure, by now, that your newest protege has filled you in on my dirty little secret identity?”

“You mean about the fact that you are the Master?” the Doctor asked in a tone of innocent curiosity.

“Yessss!” the Master hissed in great, evil satisfaction. “At last I don't have to hold back with you. The last horse has finally crossed the finishing line.”

“Speaking of horses, what do you think of this pony universe?!” the Doctor asked the Master brightly. “Isn't this great? Oh, and you look so adorable as a talking horse! I don't care how evil your plans are anymore! I can't take you seriously when you look so adorable!”

The Master rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Spoken from the horse's own mouth!”

The Doctor burst out laughing for that comment. Many other ponies that were gathered there looked at each other in confusion and shrugged. Seeing that made Feather Wind think to himself, (Heh-heh! Rookies!)

“Actually,” the Master waved his cane at the Doctor with a considerably more normal expression. “I do have to talk to you later about that one. I have other concerns for the moment but, in regards to this repulsive universe . . . I actually do need to vent out some frustration to an ear that actually understands me so consider this a scheduled appointment for you, Doctor.”

The Doctor saluted the Master. “Done and done. Now how about we talk about the fact that we are the last two Time Lords in this universe . . . again . . . or have you met any others besides us? I'm really curious on that point.”

The Master shook his head a little somberly and, for a very brief moment, it looked like he and the Doctor had a true rapport between them. “No. I have not encountered another of our kind. Truthfully, I was hoping you had. After all, you're the one always swinging around the universe in your Tardis. I really, really, REALLY hate being stuck with you as the last of my kind. You don't know how many times I've said to myself, 'I'd only befriend you if you were the last Time Lord in existence,' but now it actually has come to that. Curse my fate, and curse you!

“Before you get into your little, 'You don't have to conquer the universe to enjoy it' speech, let me just cut you off there right now and save you the effort. I would no more join you in that capacity than you would join me in my efforts to conquer this universe. It's really too bad, too. You and I would be so good at it. We are Time Lords, Doctor! Do you know what that means? The fate of our race is built right into the name. We were meant to rule, but instead you squander all your years away flirting around and playing with pathetic and pitiable little meaningless mortals. How you make me sick!”

The Master released a heavy sigh and calmed down in the process. “But the truth is . . . your offer to join you in exploring the stars actually is quite tempting, especially given our mutual circumstances. While I would never have considered this before, the truth is you are the last that comes the closest to understanding me.”

“That's how I feel!” the Doctor cried out with hope.

The Master looked back up at the Doctor. “But I would only join you on one condition. You and I should explore the universe with the intent to conquer it. It is our destiny and . . .”

The Master cut himself off when he saw the Doctor's look of regret. The Master resumed speaking in frustration. “There! That's the look! That-is-the-look! The same one you keep giving me over and over again whenever I give you this little spiel. We sound like an old married couple at this point, Doctor, and frankly it's growing embarrassing. You'll never change and I'll never change. We should both learn to swallow our pride and move on from this. Despite the both of us being the last of our kind, we will never be compatible together.”

The Master looked down a little sadly. “It's too bad. A part of me really does want to be your friend, just like all those years ago when we were still children. I think I'll never stop wanting that, but I can only continue our relationship together on my terms. I need to be myself, Doctor. I feel that way every bit as much as you do. If we stayed together, we'd only end up hurting each other with painful reminders of empty promises and broken dreams.”

“Eternity is a long time to change,” the Doctor put forward. “Every new face we get is another chance for a fresh start, but we really don't even need to hold out that long. I will continue to live in hope that we can live happily together. You may choose to abandon hope, but I won't.”

“And that's your prerogative,” the Master said evenly. “To a point, I can even respect that.”

“Fine!” the Doctor waved a hoof across the air. “So we are not getting along very well right now. I still live in hope that will change someday but, for now, we're dealing with our own problems here. I get the fact that you like to conquer, but it's not your style to want to be conquered. That's exactly what you are doing right now by submitting yourself to The Dark Star. Why now? After all this time, why submit yourself to anyone or anything? What could possibly make it worth it?”

“First of all, it's a partnership,” the Master explained. “I have not submitted to anything or anyone. I will punish you later for that assumption. The Dark Star has tremendous power, but I have an equally formidable mind. By itself, The Dark Star is just a wild animal but, by working through another agent, it gains sentience, and who better than my mind? Second of all, I established this partnership in pursuit of ultimate power, like the power to bend all of time and space to my will.

“I suppose you've noticed, by now, that Discord isn't as colorful as he used to be, nor did he break himself out of that bubble back there when he'd normally have all the motivation to do so.”

“Yes. I've noticed,” the Doctor assured. “Truthfully, I hoped you wouldn't.”

“Uh-oh! You don't mean . . .” Twilight began fearfully.

The Master gave a sinister grin. “The Dark Star caught Discord in a perpetual stalemate when it copied his powers, but that was before The Dark Star started working with my vast intellect. Using the power of The Dark Star and the magic draining potential of this little gem here, I managed to help The Dark Star end it's little game in our favor. After I drained Shadow Discord using this gem here, with The Dark Star's cooperation of course, Discord himself fell shortly after with no problem at all. Everything has proceeded according to my masterfully calculated design. Discord's mighty reality bending powers pales in comparison to a true master of fate. A little demonstration is in order, I think,” the Master decided.

“How about we rip out all of their hearts and eat it right in front of them, master?” Fluttershy suggested hopefully.

“Wow, that's dark!” Spitfire said with a stunned expression. “I can't believe that's really Fluttershy.”

“It's not Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash corrected in anger.

“No, my pet. If we killed them then who would we have left to rule over? Besides, the thought of actually consuming hearts is a little revolting,” the Master informed his slave. “I already have two hearts. There is no need to add to it unnecessarily.”

“I see your point,” Fluttershy conceded, “then how about you make them bow to you, my master?”

“Now there is a good idea!” the Master agreed then lifted up the Black Crystal. As he brought it down a bit he cried out, “BOW . . . to your Master!”

The Master used the power he stole from both Discord and Shadow Discord to greatly enhance the gravity of the entire area around them.

{Almost instantly many of the creatures around me fell to their knees, unable to oppose it. The crushing gravity that was brought down upon us was too much to bear for many of us, myself included. The more strong and stubborn of us held their ground. Ramadon managed to stay on his hooves. So did Rockhoof, your mother, and all of the ponies native to this timeline except for Shayla. Since they fell to their knees a moment later, I could only assume he enhanced gravity even further for them alone, but your mother crawled back up on her hooves a second time as her body flared with magical energy flowing from her veins. This caused the Master to sigh in annoyance then he made most of your mother's magic suddenly vanish. She was instantly crushed to the ground after that. She still continued to struggle, but she had not succeeded to stand back up again while being forced down for the second time.}

“There you go! Now doesn't that feel better?” the Master asked the entire assembled group. “Doesn't that feel more proper to bow in respect to your betters? You will all learn to have better lives as soon as you learn to submit willingly. I can be a cruel master, or I can be kind. The choice is up to you.”

“We'll never submit to you!” Rainbow Dash cried out in a grunt of effort and pain.

“You . . . may have us down for the moment, but we will get back up on our hooves,” Star Swirl promised. “Or claws,” he amended as he glanced at Ember for a brief moment.

“Benevolent ponies like us will never submit to a monster like you,” Somnambula swore. “We will always fight with all of our strength. The moment we give in to our darkest desires and surrender to the darkness, that is when true death consumes us all.”

“Talk, talk, talk! That's all whinny little pests can do!” Fluttershy taunted. “If you really had the power to get up, you'd have already done so. My master has all the power now, because he is meant to rule.”

“Fluttershy, this isn't you!” Twilight called out. “Remember who you are. Remember us, your friends! You are an Element of Harmony, so your spirit can never be crushed by the force of evil. No matter what he has done to you, you are still you! I know the darkness is inside of you. It exists in us all, but that means goodness and light exists within you as well. Be assertive and take charge of your destiny. He is not your master, Fluttershy. You are!”

“I know, Twilight, but you're wrong about one thing. I am not an Element of Harmony,” Fluttershy argued back. “That honor belongs to another, the real Fluttershy!”

“But you are the real Fluttershy!” Twilight cried out desperately.

“No . . . I'm . . . NOT!” Fluttershy insisted. “I'll prove it to you. Would a kind pony really do this?” She reached to her side and ripped out the Black Crystal from the Master's grasp.

“What the . . .?” the Master gasped in astonishment.

With her grip on it, Fluttershy threw the Black Crystal down where it shattered with suspicious ease, almost as if it were actually made of glass rather than crystal. After it shattered, the magic that was contained within it which was stolen slowly started to leak back into Feather Wind and Discord. This had not undone what the Master had already created, however. Intense gravity continued to crush down on all of the allied friends.

“Why you . . .!” The Master tried to whack at Fluttershy with his cane but she flew back out of his reach.

“Oh! Did smashing your pwetty widdle stone hurt yo itty-bitty widdle feewings?” Fluttershy taunted like talking down to a little baby, then she said, “Well ha-ha-ha!” With each “ha” sound she made, she shook her hip left then right then left again. “I'm glad your feelings are hurt! You made me this way, my master,” she said in a mocking tone with a curtsy while still flying in mid air. “Isn't being evil so much fun?”

“You will pay for daring to cross me!” the Master growled harshly. “I wasn't stupid. I did not contain all the energy in the stone. Now you bow to your master!” He reached a hoof up then brought it down. Fluttershy yelped, startled, when she was forcefully dragged down and crushed to the ground. As she continued to be pressed hard into the ground, she started to yelp in pain.

“Aren't you overlooking something?” the Doctor called out in desperation.

“Not now, Doctor! I'm a little busy killing your friend here!” the Master said in intense anger and concentration. “After I kill her, there will be no way to use the Elements of Harmony against me or The Dark Star! That's the weakness in your little trump card here. I have six separate targets I can aim at, and I only have to take down one of you to permanently disable your greatest asset. Isn't friendship MAGICAL!”

“But you are really overlooking something important. You might want to let up and take a look,” the Doctor pressed.

The Master sighed in annoyance then addressed the Doctor as he roared, “WHAT?!” While he said that and turned to look at the Doctor, Fluttershy was still being crushed but not as hard. Meanwhile overwhelming weight continued to press down upon the others. During that time the leaking magic from the shattered Black Crystal continued to restore Feather Wind and Discord's magic with each passing second. In fact, since Feather Wind recovered most of his former magical strength before this moment, he was actually being magically augmented past any of his previous limits then continued to keep that extra strength from then on.

“Haven't you noticed anyone missing from this group?” the Doctor asked to stall for time and to make a point.

Still annoyed but also a bit curious, the Master scanned across the group carefully. He almost said no but eventually he noticed the missing character here. He then asked the Doctor, “Wasn't there two changelings among you earlier? Where's the other one? The cooler one? Where is Pharynx?”

“Congratulations! You spotted the missing companion! You get a gold star!” the Doctor cheered.

The Master shrugged. “Yeah? So what? Pharynx is a changeling. He could be any one of you, or even an object worn on your person. It's also possible he was killed in that battle earlier.” The Master narrowed his eyes at the Doctor. “What are you getting at?”

Then the Master noticed, to his surprise, Thorax morphed into Pharynx, but he calmed down a moment later. “That proves nothing. You changelings can also morph into each other. In fact, you just proved that, but this form might be the disguise as well.”

“It's tricky to keep track of them, isn't it?” the Doctor asked. “You never know where they might be hiding. There could even be one right in front of you.”

To the Master's far greater surprise, Fluttershy morphed away into a form too tiny to spot. Since he lost sight of his target, he could no longer oppress her.

“Wait.” The Master blinked, a bit stunned and confused. “So . . . if Thorax was actually Pharynx then Fluttershy was actually Thorax?”

“You get another gold star!” the Doctor cheered. “Man, you're on a roll right now.”

“It was quite irritating to imitate my brother. Bleh!” Pharynx announced in disgust. “But there was no way that I was going to pass off as a convincing Fluttershy, so I left that up to my panzy brother while I took . . . shall we say . . . a somewhat more masculine route in this case.”

The Master faced the group in confusion. “In that case . . . where is the real Fluttershy?”

“Safe in my home, of course!” Discord announced cheerfully before popping himself out of his bubble. He then snapped a lion paw and gravity returned to normal for all of his friends. “I wasn't about to let you continue to mess with the head of my dear little pegasus friend. After the Doctor tipped me off to your little scheme, I whisked her away to my home where she still thinks we're having a nice tea party along with one of my many dimensional clones. Ooo, how lovely is our devious little scheme?” Discord asked with a very trollish grin and brought his claw and paws tapping against each other near his face.

“And, in the meantime,” the Doctor said as he crawled back up to his hooves along with every other creature around him, “I convinced Thorax to replace Fluttershy then counseled him in what you would expect from him. Meanwhile Pharynx replaced his brother to hide the fact that Thorax was missing.”

“I still think we could have just as easily claimed that it was my brother that went missing instead of me,” Pharynx said in irritation. “No other creature was around to replace me. Since one of us would be missing anyway, why did I have to impersonate my brother?”

“Because he would be less intimidated by your brother's presence,” the Doctor explained to Pharynx. “No offense to him or his performance, but the Master knows that you would be on your guard more. That, in turn, would put him on guard more.”

“Well, I still didn't like it,” Pharynx groaned irritably.

“How long have you known?” the Master asked the Doctor in bewilderment.

“Longer than you might expect,” the Doctor said to the Master then gave Feather Wind a sly wink. “I told you I had a brilliant plan in motion. Even your loss of faith in me was all part of my plan. If I could convince even you that I was a fool, then The Dark Star would believe the same, and so would the Master.”

“Then you also always knew that I was the Master!” the Master realized.

“Correct,” the Doctor confirmed. “In fact, I have to say this wasn't your best performance. You've done better than this in the past. You're slipping in the pony universe, my friend, but I can hardly blame you for that when we're both so distracted by all these adorable little ponies!”

“Then you also pretended that the Master messed with your head!” Feather Wind realized. “You were consciously aware of your four rhythm tapping and you relied upon my knowledge to identify it since you knew I found the Tardis's secret library.”

“Wait. You did what?!” the Master asked in an offended tone towards the Doctor.

“Correct again. Now you get a gold star!” the Doctor proudly bragged to Feather Wind. “The Master isn't the only master of deception. I've had practice too. To fool your enemies, you must also be willing to fool your friends sometimes, especially in this case. If any of you had been aware of my true intentions and goals then he would have easily sensed it from you, and so would The Dark Star. I had to give them that much credit, at least. I had to pretend to be dumb so that they would actually be dumb.”

The Master fumed. “I HATE YOU, Doctor! DIE!” He lifted a hoof to unleash some of the powers he drained from both Discord's earlier but his hoof seized up as Discord popped in front of him and held up his own limbs as well. That action suspended them both to a mutual stalemate.

“Unleash the Stars now!” Discord cried out.

{That was the signal the third Joker was waiting for.}

xoxo

Feather Wind paused his story because he knew he could proceed no further. Not without crossing a hurdle.

“What? What happened next?” Star Breeze cried out anxiously.

“I can't tell you that,” Feather Wind announced.

“Why?” Star Breeze asked in confusion.

“Because it is not up to me to decide,” he said, then gave his daughter a meaningful look. “I told you already, I would not tell you about your future.” Star Breeze looked shocked. “Only you can tell me that. This next part of the story is up to you, Star Breeze. You continue the story. This time I am your audience.”

“You mean . . . I was there back then . . . that whole time?” Star Breeze asked in astonishment.

“You tell me,” Feather Wind returned. “Were you?”

Star Breeze's stunned eyes gazed forward in blank shock for several minutes. Her father waited patiently for her to absorb this then decide what had already happened for him.

“So I was there . . . that whole time,” Star Breeze realized numbly. “That's why you can't proceed. That's why you won't tell me what happens next. If my future self decided the outcome of the next action and you refuse to tell me what she did, then your only choice is to either stop right here permanently, wait for me to finish this section or skip over my actions entirely . . . but I'm guessing I played a role too critical to skip at this point.”

“That makes some sense,” Feather Wind partially agreed.

Star Breeze closed her eyes.

(So . . . I was there . . . that whole time. Everything my father is telling me now, my future self will personally witness. Because of what he told me, what would I most likely decide later on?)

Star Breeze continued to think on it for a long period of silence before she spoke.

“Based on everything that you told me and what you told me about the Doctor . . . I don't think he'd want to invite me as a companion when I'm still a foal. He would also factor in the degree of danger we are likely to face. It sounds to me like he knew that his old frenemy, the Master, was going to be involved all along. In fact, the Doctor really did invite the Master to this mission while simultaneously allowing the Master to think that it was the Master who planted the idea into the Doctor's head. I'm guessing their relationship is often complicated like that.” She glanced at her father for any signs she was on the right track, but he just continued to stare at her kindly but otherwise blankly. He was being careful not to tip his hoof in this affair. He really wanted his daughter to decide her own fate without any interference.

“So . . .” Star Breeze went on, “. . . chances are strong that I was only invited when I grew up into an adult mare. At that age, I would be physically more endurant, but also more knowledgeable, and I also had years to prepare for my journey. Thanks to my father's heads up, I was actually prepared for this journey on multiple fronts, or at least as much as I could be at the time. I worked out a lot with my mother. I practiced magic with my father. I listened to more stories of their adventures together in the ancient past and the Tardis. They told me this because they knew that, someday, it would be important. They knew that information would save my life one day, and they also knew that it would help me to save the world, but not just on this one occasion.

“Plot twist; it turns out I was not a time clone all along! Somehow the Doctor helped me to pretend to be, else it was a spell or technique I had learned earlier. Something that helped me to not need sleep or to eat or not get exhausted like all the other time clones, but I was in fact there for real. I probably had been traveling with the Doctor for years before this point. I suspect he was testing me to make sure I was ready for this most dangerous mission, but also the most fulfilling. I will tell him what I'm telling you now, I was born ready! I was literally born for this purpose, because my parents knew about me and my destiny before I was even born and they did their best to prepare me for it. The journey that my parents had with him also taught them why it is important to pass on the torch to the next generation, and so here I am!

“So I was actually there in the past, for real. Despite my ability to hide that fact somehow, I was in real mortal peril along with you, Father, but that also meant I got to keep the memories of this journey when I was done with it. Because of the stories you told me as a young foal, I knew that things would eventually work out. I knew how this particular story would end, at least my future self does, so she also knew there was nothing really to worry about. She knew she would come home safely, along with the rest of her friends. Besides . . . how many times do foals get to see their own parents marry each other before the foal was even born? I couldn't miss out on this, nor Pinkie Pies delicious cakes which my father said years ago were legendary.

“But, since my father said years ago that he would skip over every part of the story that I was personally involved with, then that was the reason I will decide to lay low. I was there all along, pretending to be one of the Wonderbolts or Royal Legion or Mighty Helm or the Princesses Guards or just another pony not associated with any organization but was still there all along. I kept my head low and did not do anything important because, if I did, then that would be part of the story I knew my father would skip. To minimize the parts that got skipped in order to maximize the amounts I heard about what would happen, I kept my head down and deliberately had not done anything important until that moment when Discord wrestled with the Master with the last of Discord's stolen chaos powers. If Discord had not been holding the Master back, the Master could have turned us all into Swiss cheese in one move so Discord had to hold him in check but that also held Discord in check. Both were frozen, waiting for something to happen to end this stalemate.

“Then, all of the sudden, Discord yells out, 'Unleash the Stars now!' It turned out I'd been in cahoots with Discord for quite awhile. I heard this story from my father years ago, after all, and I probably also read the book Discord summoned several times over. I knew it backwards and forwards by that point, so Discord knew that I knew what was going to happen because of what I am saying right now. What I am saying right now is being written in that book even as I speak, and since Discord read the book as well, he knew we had equal knowledge so he did not hold back his pranks and secrets as much to me. Actually, it rather pleased him to have a partner in crime. Because we were working together on this grand master plan, we also decided to come up with a code sentence that would be the signal I was waiting for before I finally acted in a meaningful way in this story, and then I did what the both of us knew I was meant to do.

“Because you paused the story at this point, I don't know how it happened, but somehow the Red Crystal survived this adventure. Maybe the time clone version of Sombra recreated it. Maybe the Doctor went back in time to rescue it and replace it with a fake, or maybe it really was destroyed but Discord snapped his claws and it was instantly repaired. I'm going to assume my grandfather and your father couldn't restore an item that powerful with his restoration magic. Restoring a burnt scroll was one thing, but this was and is a magical artifact we're talking about. It was probably beyond his ability to repair so some other strategy was necessary to repair this thing. Whatever the case may be, it was done. I mean, I'm looking at it right now.” Star Breeze did precisely that. “So the Red Crystal survives . . . somehow . . . and eventually gets passed on to me. I had used it for years by this point. I knew how to tap into it's power, and I paid my great grandfather Crystal Sage a visit from time to time. He may have grown more detached from the physical world, but we still talk from time to time. He knows that I love him, and he knows that I know that he loves me. We probably talked to each other less and less over the years but we still kept in touch on occasion.

“One thing I know I had on me was the Red Crystal, albeit a future version of it from the one you've been telling me about all along. It's even ahead of the timeline of the one staring me in the face right now. I had it but I hid it and did not use it. If I used it then the Master would know that I had it, but since I did not use it this whole time, he was completely unprepared to face me with it. Somehow he knew I was the third Joker. I don't know how, but he seemed to indicate knowledge in that regard. Just because he knew that, however, didn't mean he also knew how or when I would strike. When Discord called out the signal, I finally pulled out the Red Crystal after hiding it for years. With it, I conjured a red crystal javelin then I simply touched it. I projected my energy out of my hoof and launched the crystal javelin at high speeds just like you saw me do to those rocks earlier. By that point I had gained much more practice. I probably could have launched an entire boulder if I wanted to just with a simple touch.

“Come to think of it, I wonder if Maud Pie knows this trick as well. She learned how to project her energy into rocks to launch them at high speed. Fast and far and hard enough to create a mushroom cloud when the rock finally landed, but she had not done the same to Holders Boulder because she could not use this technique with precision. She could have launched the rock if she wanted to, but she would have launched it too far and it would likely damage an item her family considered a precious family relic, so she tried to push it with her own normal strength and that didn't work out for her even with her whole immediate family trying to help.

“By the way, did they ever manage to get that boulder out of that quarry?”

“First of all, yes,” Feather Wind answered. “I did ask Maud about the ending to that story eventually and she told me in her . . . colorful little way. You'll see what I mean when you get there. Secondly, I remind you . . . it isn't wise to try to apply logic to the Pie family. They defy it far too often to make the effort worth it. Sometimes I think they are descended from Discord or some other similar being, but I digress. Analyze Maud Pie or any of the Pie family if you want to, but I warn you that it is a fool's errand.”

Star Breeze looked forward again with a shrug as she said, “Eh. Well, anyway, I launched that crystal javelin at high speed and plunged it into one of the Master's two hearts before any other creature had a chance to respond, and that's . . . pretty much it. The brief but glorious legacy of the third Joker.” She looked back at her father and shrugged again, this time with a questioning look, wondering if she had to continue to carry the story further.

Feather Wind smiled at her, then pulled her into a hug. He didn't resume for several minutes, but eventually he did. As he did, they slowly pulled apart so she could look up at him again.

“Well . . . since you put it that way . . . I guess what I have to say is every creature there was stunned. That attack came from out of nowhere. A bunch of us probably thought that Sombra initiated that attack, including me but, as I looked over at him, I saw his shocked expression and realized he had not done this. At the time I was totally bewildered. Recall the fact that, unlike you by that point, I hadn't read the book Discord gave me to it's conclusion nor did I have the benefit or curse of some other pony telling me what would happen in my future when I grew up. I was playing all of this blind at the time, so it took me awhile to ascertain the truth which, eventually, I had. Let me just tell you that now. I am a pretty bright pony but sometimes, when too many things happen at once and something happens with no warning at all, it could catch us all off guard enough to prevent us from solving the mystery right away.

“Regardless of how it happened, it happened. This might surprise you to hear, but the Doctor was actually pretty upset about the outcome. He is the Doctor, after all. He is a hero and a healer first and foremost. He tries to save every creature, even his enemies. There wasn't much he could do back then, though. That javelin attack was indeed a fatal blow but, because the Master had a second heart, he lingered on for a little while.”

The Master collapsed to his knees after a jolt. He looked down into his chest, stunned to see a crystal javelin sticking through it. This also suspended his concentration. Discord could have easily finished him at that point, but he hadn't. Instead Discord backed off for some reason. In mid air, he snapped his eagle talon and the real Fluttershy suddenly appeared.

“Oh my goodness!” the real Fluttershy exclaimed as she looked around at her unexpected surroundings. “Where am I? One second I was having lovely tea with Discord, and the next I find myself here!”

Fluttershy was even more surprised when a bunch of her friends tackled her to hug her in relief from multiple angles. They repeated her name several times ecstatically which only served to confuse and concern her more.

“Goodness! You're all behaving so strangely. It's almost as if you think I died or something else just as awful,” Fluttershy said in surprise and concern which was based on her friend's reaction. She even saw tears in their eyes. This was really off-putting for the innocent and adorable little mare.

“Never ever-ever-ever-ever change!” Pinkie Pie begged as she cried tears of joy on Fluttershy. “That's like four evers. That's like forever!”

“Oh my!” Fluttershy's concerns deepened. “What happened to me? What happened to all of you? Where are we?”

“I hate to break up this tearful reunion, but we do have a Dark Star to purge,” Author Scroll reminded the tearful group of girls in a serious tone.

“He's right, friends,” Luna agreed. “Let's take out this nightmare once and for all!”

The Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at the Master at close range. It buzzed for only a few seconds before the Master slapped it away in annoyance.

“Go away!” the Master barked irritably then bent over and coughed out blood. He then seethed with rage, breathing heavily but also with great difficulty. “I don't need your pity! Besides, you know what will happen next.”

“We don't have to just give up like that. Let me help you!” the Doctor urged.

The Master lowered his head and shook it. “It's too late. This life is done for. Go on, then. Save the rest of your precious ponies!” he spat.

“Don't hold back your regeneration this time!” the Doctor cried out to his frenemy insistently. “If you do, you won't get the chance to torture me later on, and I'll go on gallivanting and saving the universe without a worthy opponent to stop me.”

The Master laughed for just a moment then winced in sharp pain as doing that tore him up further inside. With great strain he muttered, “Well . . . you drive a hard bargain. I'll think about it. Now go! Save your precious friends.”

{It was difficult for the other members of the Mane Six to convince Fluttershy to have the courage to summon her power enough to spark her element once she realized where she was, but her friends made a convincing argument. They knew her well and knew what was important to her. Just because the pony was easily scared, does not mean she lacks the means to summon her courage. It only meant it was more difficult for her, but that was also what makes her more courageous. Facing fear that was more difficult for her but she still managed to pull it off shows great growth in her. She went from being scared of her own shadow to facing down ultimate evil. That was such a huge leap for a pony with such emotional handicaps. Why did she do it? For her friends, of course, and for the world that she loved. The Dark Star threatened her animal friends too and, if there was one thing that Fluttershy was all about, it was the care of animals. For their sake, she mustered up an amazing amount of courage.

{The Mane Six initiated their attack first by singing. That helped to unite their spirit and make the attack stronger. As their song continued, a rainbow light forged a link between each of the Elements of Harmony's crystals that they wore. Eventually that completed a circle, ending on Twilight Sparkle's crown. When the link was complete, a brilliant ball of light issued around them as they floated off the ground. That ball grew brighter and brighter. Every other creature looked up at this in awe. Many of them had never seen this before, myself included.}

“We are the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight called out with a booming voice that filled the sky from the center of the bright glowing orb. As she spoke, the rest of her friends continued singing. “and we're here to stop you! For all the evil that you have caused this world, and for all the evil you intend to do, we are here to show you that we have the most powerful magic of all. The magic of friendship!”

Finally a rainbow beam exploded from the center of the white glowing orb. That beam went unopposed all the way up to the giant black orb that sucked in light. At that point, however, it finally fought back. The Dark Star had no true intelligence of it's own, so it could not mimic it's opponents until they pulled off an attack first. Learning from their strategy, The Dark Star countered with a dark copy of their powers. It shot back a shadow rainbow that easily pushed back the rainbow beam of the Mane Six. Easy to the point of being almost effortless for The Dark Star.

{The Mane Six had never encountered that much resistance to their ultimate power. Even against threats powerful enough to annihilate whole countrysides with a single blast could not endure even a few seconds of the Elements of Harmony rainbow blast, until now. The source of all evil magic in Equestria was apparently more than a little prepared against their attack. Compared to it's full power, their attack was actually pretty feeble. It seemed the magic of friendship finally met it's match. Actually, not even that. The magic of friendship wasn't even a threat to it.

{That was, if they were alone in this fight. Considering how powerful the magic of just six group of friends were in every single encounter they ever faced in the past with this type of attack, it could only get stronger if that energy was joined by their other friends.}

“WE HAVE TO ALL HELP THEM!” Princess Cadence pleaded loudly.

“I ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT WAS THE PLAN,” Flurry Heart called back. “THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL HERE. EVERY CREATURE, PLEASE TOUCH THE CRYSTAL CARRIAGE. CHARGE YOUR HEART AND EMOTIONS INTO THE CRYSTAL HEART. WHEN YOU DO, I'LL SEND THE ENERGY UP TO THEM. HURRY, MY FRIENDS.”

{And so we did. I assume you did too. We touched the Carriage and thought about all of our positive feelings then projected it into the Carriage. That, in turn, got soaked up into the Crystal Heart which it then projected high into the air as a brilliant rainbow which then shot to the Mane Six and added to the strength of their rainbow beam struggle.

{I know it might be hard for you to imagine just how powerful the Elements of Harmony was all by itself. Likely it was because it already drew upon all the hearts in Equestria every time it was summoned before. I'm not sure if summoning it in this time period made a difference in terms of strength. Maybe it did, but I can tell you that, as soon as we added all of our strength to that beam, it was definitely significantly stronger. The Dark Star struggled against the rainbow beam with a greater degree of effort, but it still wasn't enough.}

“We must give it more power,” Flurry Heart announced in that multi-voice again. “Think of all of your friends. Think of all of your family. Think of all of your loved ones. Think of your home. Think of your pets. Think of your country. Draw upon every single shred of emotion that ever caused you to care about anything in your life. Take all of that energy and pour it into the Crystal Heart. For all your past mistakes, for all your future triumphs, for all that shall be born, please . . . lend us all of your strength!”

{Speaking for myself, I know I sure did. In a way, my life flashed before my eyes, only it was not quite that fast.

{I remember all of my studies in my room. I remember my mother's lullaby as she sung me to sleep. I remember my meeting with my uncle as he taught me about the spirit of magic. I remember the first time I saw the Wonderbolts and had such a small idea how much they would later influence my life. I remember galloping away from home, meeting the Orchard family then later myself up on that cliff as I leapt off the cliff and floated with the wind for the first time. I remember the joy I felt at that moment as I experienced true freedom for the first time. I remember meeting Dunken Doo along my way back as the friendly mail delivery pegasus helped me make it all the way back home. I fondly remember my flight training lessons with Sky Dancer, a moment that felt like one of my own fictional characters sprung to life and helped me to achieve my own destiny. I remember the time your mom and I were trapped in a cave by a rainstorm outside and we confessed our feelings for each other for the first time. I remember your mother's games at Puffball and how I cheered her on. I remember the time I went back to the Orchard family and saved them from a goblin attack and saved their only daughter from a burning home, or rather tried to, but ended up getting saved myself by the Wonderbolts which, in turn, inspired me to join them in the hopes of also becoming a hero. I remember the Orchards family heroism as they refused to let their spirits down by reminding each other they would endure as long as they had each other and their love. I remember my first meeting with Princess Celestia as she told me about one of the threats out in the world. She was so majestic, but I also learned how much of an ordinary pony she was deep down and felt sympathy for her loneliness. I remember training with the Wonderbolts, and how they helped me to improve my flight skills to levels far beyond anything I had ever achieved before. I remember leaving to connect with nature on a deeper level and realized, for the first time, it wasn't just the wind I could access but all of the weather. I remember the peace I felt at that connection as I learned who I truly was. I remember my first meeting with the quirky Doctor and his adorable assistant, and I remember meeting Vision for the first time and how innocent she was back then. Innocent but wise far beyond her age. I remember meeting with Crystal Sage for the first time and the deal we made ever since. Not only had I gained a new friend and mentor at that time, but I felt my destiny gain a great sense of importance because of the promise I gave to him. I remember my many adventures in the Tardis with the Doctor and his companions. Not only did we perform important heroic deeds for so many creatures we met throughout the universe, but it also helped to solidify my bond with my new extended family. I remember the first time I came to this timeline and helped to rescue a whole village. I remember learning about the existence of The Dark Star as well as the remarkable origins of magic. I remember all my adventures in this timeline as I helped to build up a brand new society and forge tight bonds of friendship with ponies and creatures that would help shape the future of this entire world. I remember the time the Doctor came back with a flood of new friends I may have seen distantly in some cases but got to know them better for the first time. I remember the bonds we shared during our harrowing journey together as we marched up north and continued to get to know each other better. The stories we traded with each other, as well as the ones we were forging together, already made the entire journey feel worth it. I remember the stories my friends told me about their struggle when they got separated by the volcanic blast and their conflict with Fang. Every creature showed their true colors during that battle, for ill but mostly for good. It was a battle that proved how strong we all were, and it also united us with the Crystal Carriage which proved instrumental at that very moment. Finally, I remember this fight and everything it had that was transpiring. I remember how every creature set aside all of their differences and poured their hearts and souls into this project in the desperate hope to create a better world.

{And that was where we stood. All of those feelings, all of those emotions poured out of me, and I also thought about the adventures I probably would have in the future. By that point I already knew my future daughter's name, as well as the fact that I would one day tell her my story. Beyond that, I looked forward to all the things the book hadn't talked about such as your first words, your first crawl, your first flight. I thought about all the places that I looked forward to showing you. I thought about all the friends I was eager to introduce you to. This, too, was among my emotions I poured into the Crystal. I truly gave this my all. There was simply not any more I could give.

{Past, present and future all came down together in that moment. All of those memories and experiences and emotions and hopes and dreams flooded through me and into the Crystal. The journey strengthened me in ways I never thought possible when I was a young foal and, in that moment, I found myself so grateful for my life. I loved my life, and I celebrated it, and this too I poured into the Crystal. Everything. All of my heart and soul.}

“And that did the trick, right?” Star Breeze checked. “We're all still here so I can't assume you failed your mission.”

{No, my Sweet, it did not do the trick. I will say it helped. Our rainbow beam pushed back the shadow beam all the way to The Dark Star, but there it held itself in one final desperate effort. I don't know about every other creature, but I sure gave this my all. I poured out my maximum effort and we discovered, to our horror, it was still not enough. That Dark Star was EXTREMELY powerful. More powerful than anything we had ever met. At least our efforts seemed to strain it's strength, but it was not enough to pour it over the edge. We needed something more. We needed a miracle.

{Then, suddenly, I felt a familiar pulse. I kept my hooves on the Crystal Carriage, but I also turned my head to see what that was, and there I beheld yet another plot twist of the day.

{The Master . . . it turned out he was from Derpy and The Doctor's universe, one in which ponies all had built-in pockets on their flanks. With his dying breath, he pulled out from his pocket the real Red Crystal. It turned out the one he used before to suck in all of my magic was a fake temporal copy of the Red Crystal but the real Red Crystal he had in his pocket ever since he attacked me. He pulled out his own trump card at that moment, then used that Crystal somehow to pull forth a great deal of the positive energy I collected in that Crystal up to that time. In hindsight, I later realized that the only way he could have done that was for him to draw upon his own love. I have no doubt he was thinking about his daughter at that moment.

{The positive feelings poured out of the Red Crystal and created a safe zone similar to what the Crystal Heart could do except the barrier was much smaller. It was enough, however, to accomplish something that he and the Doctor planned many years ago. In that small safe zone, The Dark Star had no influence, despite the close proximity to the heart of the world's corruption. He also had it in a very specific time and very specific place. Once the safe zone was created, the Tardis itself appeared shortly later. It turned out the Doctor programmed the Tardis to appear at a certain time and place, but a path had to be created for it first in order to allow it to appear on the battlefield. The energy projected from the Red Crystal gave it the means to appear at that exact moment.

{The Tardis appeared around the Master which made him, in turn, disappear inside of it. A short while later he opened the Tardis doors then he collapsed to the side. Behind him, one of the consoles of the Tardis was torn off somehow and, leaking from that, was the Heart of the Tardis. The Tardis poured energy which was directed at the Mane Six. The Tardis projected the hearts and feelings of all creatures on this planet throughout all time. Every positive feeling that ever will or had already happened from an infinite number of souls joined our spirit stream. While The Dark Star put up a good fight, it really could not match truly infinite power.

{Our rainbow beam finally collided with The Dark Star sphere. From there, it spread cracks all throughout the sphere from which rainbow light poured out. The cracks kept spreading until there was more light than darkness then, after that, the orb became pure rainbow light until our attacks finally relented.

{That was it. The Dark Star was banished from our world, into the shadow world, where it has existed ever since, connected to our world close enough to influence it but also too distant to directly destroy it. I imagine it's existence is liken to dangling a juicy steak in front of a hungry dog but forever holding it back from actually taking a bite. On occasion, however, there would be a few dark souls who willingly called upon the power of The Dark Star, knowingly or not. From that point on, it was through them that the remaining influences of The Dark Star was felt the most in our world's history.

{As for my friends and I, it was finally time to have our happily ever after, at least when it came to that particular chapter in our lives.}

Chapter Twenty Six: The Third Joker

Chapter Twenty Six: Farewell, My Friends

{Me, your mother, Derpy, Vision and the Doctor all gathered in the Tardis. All of our original gang. You were there too, just outside the door, but you hadn't step inside, nor will I tell you what you had said or did during this next encounter. It was a somber affair anyway.

{For you see, the Master was already starting to regenerate.}

Feather Wind telekinetically pulled the Red Crystal and the Mist Cloak free from the Master's grasp and into his grasp. He examined the crystal and found it was perfectly intact, except a great deal of it's magic had been drained. The Master used it to secure an entrance for the Tardis. Feather Wind was saving that energy to save the Crystal Empire, and instead it was used to save the world. Now he had to build up that energy all over again.

“I see. So the Master was not a time clone all along either. If he was, he would simply fade away rather than regenerate, and you knew this would happen. So this was your true plan all along?” Feather Wind guessed as he looked at the Doctor. “You two were actually in cahoots together this whole time and only pretended to fight to . . . what? Win The Dark Star's trust or something?”

“I truly left nothing to chance,” the Doctor reported somberly. “I brought all the rest of you to help me defeat The Dark Star. I knew it would take a lot of energy to pull that off. I even suspected it would take more energy than I could ever pull into the Tardis. I could not just disrupt the lives of every creature that ever will exist on the planet and pull them here as a time clone. It took enough energy as it was to create the time clones I did bring. I needed them to help me fight our way up to The Dark Star itself, for I definitely expected heavy physical, spiritual and psychological resistance. In the end, however, I also knew it would take far more power to defeat The Dark Star than I could possibly recruit within this machine, so I came up with this strategy. I needed the Tardis itself to be here during the final battle, but this is where the corruption is at it's strongest. I needed something here to pave the way for it's entrance and, for that, we decided to pull a trick on The Dark Star. With the amount of power it had, The Dark Star could have easily thwarted any direct attempt to summon the Tardis here, so that's why we did it in a moment it was too distracted defending itself. One way to make sure to win a game, my friend, is to secretly play both sides of the game. If your primary opponent is secretly working for you then there is no way you can actually lose the game.”

“But why was that necessary, Doc?” Derpy asked in confusion.

“Because if I didn't . . . if I didn't make sure that our primary antagonist was our secret ally . . . then The Dark Star would choose another champion in his place only, this time, that opponent would truly be against us. I know the Master. He and I go way back. I knew he was evil enough to trick The Dark Star into thinking he truly was an ally, but I also knew he cared for his daughter and would not wish to see her come to harm, so I also knew we had his secret loyalty.”

“You give me too much credit,” the Master spat in annoyance then coughed out blood again. He did that for several seconds. The Doctor once again aimed his sonic screwdriver at the Master and projected a sonic beam. This time, however, it was not to save the Master's life. It was to ease his suffering.

“Thank you,” the Master said more calmly. He was starting to look sleepy. At the same time, his body was glowing with brighter and brighter golden energy. He breathed softly, only occasionally coughing, then he said, “I did this because I do not like sharing power,” the Master explained with a bit of an evil grin. “The Dark Star had far too much power to share. It could have easily held sway over anything I wanted to conquer. If there's one thing I can't stand more than the Doctor, it's another despot trying to steal my thunder.” He coughed, then resumed. “I . . . could not trust The Dark Star to stay loyal to me. It's too stupid. It would unerringly be drawn to any dark creature and offer them just as much power, then it would stand back and watch who comes out on top except that, no matter who wins, it would repeat this cycle over and over again. I knew the struggle would never stop, so I got rid of my opponent from the equation entirely. My daughter is . . . incidental.”

“Now you give yourself too little credit, my friend,” the Doctor said kindly.

The Master shrugged a bit. “In this case . . . you may be right.” He winced in tight pain as he glowed brighter. He acted as if his own regeneration energy hurt him.

“Was getting yourself killed part of your plan too?” Feather Wind asked the Master curiously.

The Doctor glared at somepony outside the door as he said, “Not really, no.” He looked back at the Master. “Fortunately, in this case, it didn't hit both of his hearts. As long as one endures, he will survive, but not as he is now. He will regenerate, and gain a new face.”

“Shame, that,” the Master lamented. “I kind of liked Card Shark. He was devious, and suave. He also built up a great financial empire in Los Pegasus. When I change, I'll lose ties to his identity so I may have to start from . . . scratch.” He winced tightly again as he flared even brighter golden energy. “It's not long now.”

“Go find Trixie and bring her here,” the Doctor called to the one standing outside the door. “She needs to see this. This is a family affair.”

“Um, the one standing outside the door is me, right?” Star Breeze in the future checked with her father.

“Um,” he felt reluctant to admit this, but eventually said, “Yes. Tell me this, then. Would you do it? Would you fetch Trixie and allow her to share one last moment with her dying father?”

“Before that, let me ask you something. Why would I kill the Master if I learned he was secretly on our side? That doesn't make any sense,” Star Breeze said with a little bit of guilt on her face.

“I actually don't know the answer to that question,” Feather Wind said honestly. “It's likely because, by hearing of your own timeline in advance, you created a fixed point in reality. I think that's what the Doctor would say. That's the danger in finding out about your own future. Once you hear it, it must occur. That's why I'm trying to give the power over your destiny right back to you by letting you decide now what you will do in this story. It's also possible you learned other reasons for doing this during your own adventures with the Doctor. Reasons that might help to eventually explain your actions on that day, and that is naturally something you can't account for today.”

“But he sounds upset with me!” Star Breeze complained. “So why would I do this? He'd kick me out of the Tardis for this. I didn't know this would happen.”

“You certainly would not be welcome with this version of the Doctor, but there are others in his further future. Likely, by then, he had a chance to calm down and think things through and realize what you did on that day, you had to do. I think he eventually forgave you and invited you to go off on adventures to . . . stars only know where, or when. Time travel had to have occurred for you to be there in the first place so this situation had to resolve itself somehow. It may be there yet remains more secrets to uncover about your future but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It means there remains more mysteries for you to uncover. We already know what happens during that particular moment, but not necessarily why or how.”

“I see,” Star Breeze said somberly.

“It wasn't this version of the Doctor that drew you to this timeline anyway,” Feather Wind explained, “or maybe you did but you encountered another version of him first.” Suddenly he confused himself, then waved the whole issue off. “Anyway, you'll find out the details when you get there. In the meantime, I must ask you again, do you think your future self would obey the Doctor's request and fetch Trixie?”

“I think I'd do it just to see her face when he changes,” Star Breeze said in fascination, then amended. “Yes, I'd do it. The reasons aren't important right now. I'll figure that out when I get there.”

“Atta girl!” Feather Wind said proudly, then thought back.

Feather Wind heard the one outside depart, presumably to do as the Doctor requested. As it turned out, that didn't take long. Trixie responded so quickly one would think she was already standing right there.

“Oh! Did she appear in a puff of blue smoke?” Star Breeze asked excitedly. “Oh, please tell me she appeared in a puff of blue smoke!”

{Actually, yeah. She did.}

“Behold! The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived to save you all from your imminent boredom!” Trixie declared dramatically upon arrival.

After coughing a bit because of the blue smoke, Stern Wing glared at Trixie. “Do you mind? Your father is dying right now. Have some respect.”

“Oh, that.” Trixie looked at her father dryly. “That doesn't matter, does it? You said he'd just regenerate and basically come back to life anyway.”

“Yeah, but not as he is,” Vision pointed out. “This is the last time you will ever see him like this. Even his cutie mark will change. You are losing your father today. After today, he will be somepony else.”

“Oh.” Now Trixie looked a lot more remorseful, but only to a point given her turbulent history with her father. She sat down near him. “So, um, Father . . . you got any last requests and stuff?”

“Just one. Leave,” the Master said with a growl of annoyance.

Trixie stared at her father for a moment, then shrugged carelessly. “Well, if that's what you want.”

“Yes, it is. I don't want you to see me change,” the Master said. “You're the only one I don't want to see me change.”

Trixie almost got up, but that last sentence made her hesitate. She looked back at her father questioningly. “Me? Why just me?”

“Because he loves you,” Vision informed. “Trust me, I'm an empath. I know these things.”

“And I'm aware of that ability. You think I don't know how to fool your senses?” the Master challenged Vision.

“Deceive others if you wish, but I see into the true depths of other's hearts,” Vision returned. “You can't fool me. Not when it comes to your deepest feelings.”

The Master growled at that, then complained, “Cheater. You suck the fun out of a good game of deception.”

“That's what I said to her many times too,” the Doctor agreed.

“Eh.” Vision shrugged. “It's what I do.”

The Master cringed and yelled in agony as he rolled off to his side away from his daughter as he glowed with a much brighter flare. By that point the crystal spear had been removed and his chest already repaired due to his own regeneration, but the process was not finished with him yet.

“He's in pain?” Trixie realized in alarm, then looked at the Doctor. “Can't you do anything for him? You are a doctor, are you not?”

“Yes, but not just medically,” the Doctor said as he waved his sonic screwdriver up and down the Master's body. “I'm afraid all I can do for him is ease his suffering a bit. Every one of our race goes through this in this process. It's like emerging from a cocoon to become a butterfly. The transformation is severe, and painful to emerge from.”

“Father!” Trixie cried out in alarm as she saw him again writhe in agony as another bright flare of energy projected from him. She was about to bend down and scoop up his hoof but Feather Wind caught her in a telekinetic aura and forcefully drew her back, to which she complained. “What are you doing? Let go of me! He needs me!”

“I read this process can be dangerous for others if you draw too close,” Feather Wind cautioned, then looked at the Doctor. “Right, Doctor?”

“It can be,” the Doctor said is he continued to wave his sonic screwdriver frantically. “Actually, it can heal you if you are injured but, if you're not injured, it can cause damage instead. It's like shocking the heart. It helps it if it stops, else it stops the heart when it's working fine. If all of you are perfectly healthy right now then stand back.”

“Father!” Trixie wailed as she was pulled all the way against the wall of the Tardis. From there she did not resist too much, but she was still reaching towards her father.

“GO, Trixie!” the Master cried out in pain. “I want this to be the last way you remember me.”

“No!” she wailed. “I will not leave you, Father! Not like you left my mother.”

“Your mother.” The Master relaxed temporarily as nostalgia settled into him. “Sparkling Margarita! Now there was one bang-up gal! She knew how to party and give a gentlecolt a good time. Heh-heh.” He chuckled a bit. “Good times.”

“Is that more compassion I hear in your voice?” the Doctor teased but he was honestly quite hopeful.

“Not exactly,” Vision said. “What I am detecting this time isn't love. It's more like . . . predatory and primordial ownership, and I do sense he had fun with her. I dare not say how.”

The Master rolled onto his back as he looked upwards. A hoof rested gently on his forehead. “She wasn't the only one I hung out with, but she knew how to show a colt a good night out in the town. She was special to me in one regard, however. She gave me a daughter. I probably could have easily dismissed her into the trash like yesterdays newspaper if it weren't for that but, because she gave birth to my daughter, she became something I never had with any of my other flirts. At first I didn't want it. I was even tempted to kill her and you for it, but something stayed my hand.”

“Your what?” Trixie asked in sudden confusion.

“It's a kind of limb where they come from,” Feather Wind explained to Trixie. “It's normally located in the upper part of their body and attached to the shoulders. It permits them to grasp things.”

“Oh. So it's alien and gross?” Trixie figured.

Feather Wind sighed, then said, “Pretty much, yeah.”

“I think, at first . . . my mind spun with possibilities. I tried to rationalize my thoughts. Why would I not wish to kill you? Maybe I could use you in some evil scheme somehow? Perhaps bring me back to life? Or maybe I could possess you. Eh. So many possibilities,” the Master rambled.

“I bet there was one that didn't occur to you back then, though it may very well likely be the truth,” the Doctor broached.

“Save your sickening speeches, Doctor,” the Master said in irritation. “I'm in no mood for . . . Gah!” He rolled over again as he flared far more brightly.

“This is it, folks!” the Doctor warned as he waved for everyone to back off. “Here it comes!”

“Doctor! I beat you!” the Master growled intensely and instantly. “You'll see! I had my own plan as well. That's the only thing we share together.”

“Be at peace, my friend,” the Doctor said a little sadly. “It will be over soon.”

The Master doubled over as his energy momentarily shrank around his body, then it exploded out from him in a brilliant flare, especially around his head and limbs. During that whole time, he was constantly shouting out.

“Father!” Trixie cried out desperately, then she just cried.

{I believe even Trixie was not aware how much she cared for him. Sometimes one never knows such things until it's gone. That is the sad, cruel fate of the world sometimes. I also remember thinking that Trixie's mere existence helped to save the world back then. If it weren't for her, the Master might have been honestly more tempted to join The Dark Star for real. Something stayed his hoof from doing that just like something held him back from killing his daughter when she was born. It was an emotion he was not familiar with, so he did not know how to identify it. It made him behave strangely and he likely had not liked it. It made him feel weak, at least to his perspective, yet he could not bear to part with the gift he gained. Certainly I, at this point, know how profound fatherhood can feel. I even thought that back then, except for me it was something to look forward to.

{I think this whole process lasted about twelve seconds from the point the brilliant explosion started. His face started to change around the eighth second but none of it was clear until the process was done. When it was done, he bent over again. His mane became a lot thicker and bushier and it was deep scarlet this time. Also a little wavy.}

“Fah . . . father?” Trixie cried out tentatively.

The new figure before them remained bent over for awhile so it was hard to tell anything else, but eventually he uncurled himself enough to tell the fact that he had, in fact, become a she.

“Well!” she said as she breathed in deep. “This is certainly interesting.”

The new mare before them appeared just a little bit under middle age but approaching it. It was a very mature body but not quite old yet. She had thicker eyebrows and thicker lips. Her coat was almost white this time but it was a bit darker, more like ivory. She touched her face to explore it's new shape then centered her attention on her lips, then requested “Will somepony please get me a mirror?”

“My father . . . is now my mother?!” Trixie exclaimed in shock as she looked severely taken aback. Her eyes grew small and her mouth hung open crookedly.

“I told you, your father is dead now,” Vision said bluntly.

“And your mother is still your mother,” Feather Wind corrected. “This person is . . . somepony else.”

“Mirror!” the Master demanded more firmly.

“Oh, um,” the Doctor shook his head to clear it. “Your assistance is required, Miss Whooves.”

But Derpy could not move. She just remained suspended with one eye focused on the new mare before her and the other eye lazily drifting away. Her mouth hung wide open, slack jawed. Due to her reaction, Feather Wind privately suspected that this was the first time the mare had ever seen a Time Lord regenerate. Considering the fact that she met the Doctor before Feather Wind did, Feather Wind personally considered this observation noteworthy.

“I'll get it,” Stern Wing offered then looked around, trying to get her bearings again. It had been ten years since she was last in this place, but she managed to find her way around without too much difficulty.

“So, Doctor . . . how do I look?” the Master asked while leaning back on the console behind her.

“Like, um . . . pretty good, I'd say,” the Doctor said numbly.

“Why Doctor!” the Master bat several flirty eye lashes towards him. “Are you blushing?”

“Um,” the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck and seemed embarrassed and uncomfortable. “I don't know. Am I?”

“The Doctor fears girls sometimes,” Vision reported. “He feels they gang up on him occasionally.”

“Really?!” the Master smiled towards the Doctor deviously. “That's good to know!”

“You didn't have to tell her that!” the Doctor complained to Vision in a loud whisper.

“A mare always knows a stallion's weaknesses, Doctor,” Vision said back to him. “She would have found out anyway.”

“But you could have given me that head start!” the Doctor complained more tightly. “Whose side are you on?”

“Why Doctor . . . are you starting to feel a little bit ganged up upon?” the Master asked in a husky voice.

“What the hay, Vision! Now look what you started!” the Doctor cried out in irritation.

Suddenly the Master spun about and flipped through several controls of the Tardis. The machine groaned to life for a moment but then died back down again. The Master sighed then peered narrowly at the Doctor who was aiming an emitting sonic screwdriver at the console.

“This stallion is not so slow in the race after all, now is he?” the Doctor taunted with a cocky grin to his frenemy.

“I knew that,” The Master sighed with irritation. “I was just testing you. Seeing if you were still alert. You are so you pass the test.”

“You were just going to leave our friends?” Feather Wind asked in disbelief. “Your daughter is still standing here, you know.”

“Not my daughter anymore,” the Master said dismissively. “I would have taken care of her eventually.” Just then she noticed something and looked back at her flank. It was blank. This made her frown.

“It's a new life. You'll have to discover your own special talent all over again,” Vision informed, responding to the feelings she sensed from the Master and also what she saw from her sonar vision.

“Yeah. It's just that I'll miss my old talent. It had such flair,” the Master said a little remorsefully.

Trixie just could not talk anymore. All she could do was shift her eyes to each pony that spoke, otherwise she remained frozen with her expression stuck in intense surprise.

“Here's your mirror,” Stern Wing said as she came into the room with it. “Did I just hear the Tardis about to start up?”

“Yes. Our new friend decided to test my reflexes. I passed,” the Doctor bragged proudly.

“Good to know.” Stern Wing placed the mirror in front of the Master and said, “I'm keeping an eye on you.”

“You know, your boyfriend said that to me none too long ago,” the Master remarked as she tilted her head back and forth to look at herself from different angles in front of the hoof mirror. “Better be careful or he might get jealous of your new attention towards me.”

“Oh please. You can't compete with me,” Stern Wing said smugly and dismissively.

“Ooo!” The Master flashed Stern Wing a devilish wink. “I like you!”

“I don't think the feeling is mutual yet,” Stern Wing said in a warning tone.

“Even better! I like a challenge!” the Master said to Stern Wing then resumed examining herself. Stern Wing, meanwhile, rolled her eyes in disgust.

“So, um . . . what do you think of the pony universe?” the Doctor asked the Master with a rising edge of excitement in his voice. He had been waiting a long time to ask somepony who would actually understand that question.

“Pretty sickening,” the Master answered with disgust then gave the Doctor a dull look. “Come on. A universe with magical talking horses, flying pegasus and unicorns? Whatever sick, twisted imagination came up with this universe probably has a mind of a child, and a little girl at that. I mean, come on! I have literally seen a pink, fluffy unicorn dancing on rainbows.”

The Master grew a bit alarmed as she observed the Doctor as he trotted right up to her. Feeling slightly uncomfortable and invaded, she took an unconscious step back and asked, “What?”

“You said 'child' instead of 'foal',” the Doctor said as tears of joy rose into his eyes.

“Yeah? So?”

The Doctor suddenly embraced the Master in a grateful hug that made her freeze up and then grew a dull, annoyed look in her eyes. As the hug continued he cried out, “You said child! You said child! At last, I am not alone in this universe!”

“Get . . . off of me!” the Master ordered tightly. “I still hate you, Doctor!”

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry,” the Doctor apologized as he backed off and wiped tears from his eyes. “It's just that . . . I've been so surrounded until you came along. You're a wonderful blessing, and admit it.” He trotted away as he called back to her over his right shoulder. “You love me too.”

The Master could not say it, but there was a bit of a fond look that crept into her eyes and her grin towards the Doctor.

xoxo

“I want to ask you something, Dad,” Star Breeze broached. “Actually, it's more of an observation. You once told me awhile back that every villain you met had a trace of redeemable features about them, so what about The Dark Star or the dragon Fang?”

“Hmm. I believe what I told you was that every pony villain I ever met had traces of redeemable qualities. You might actually have a point about Fang, at least as far as I understood him, but The Dark Star is a matter of more complicated philosophy when it comes to morality.

“If you really stop and think about it, The Dark Star came from the Black Sun which, as far as my understanding is concerned, the Black Sun was actually a sentient black hole. It was an innocent victim of it's own circumstance. The Black Sun was just a normal black hole until it started devouring a magical and sentient star. That, in turn, awakened it's own intelligence. An intelligence awakened like that would only understand two things, darkness and hunger. As far as morality was concerned, however, it never understood the difference in the first place. If you could float up to the Black Sun and accuse it to it's face, 'You're evil!', then the Black Sun would innocently shrug and respond, 'Okay. If you say so. I don't know the meaning of the word evil and I have no basis of comparison to make a counter argument so, for now, I'll accept your word by default because I don't know any better.'

“All the Black Sun understood was it's own nature. Since it had always existed in that state as far back as it could remember, then that state was it's own definition of the word 'normal'. From the Black Sun's perspective, we are the ones who are evil because we are behaving in a manner contrary to the Black Sun's definition of normal.

“In it's eyes, attempting to corrupt and consume all life was a matter of salvation, and since the Black Sun, and by extension The Dark Star, was unable to experience light, goodness and hope, then the truth was it didn't really have free will. It was stuck in it's ways like a train on a track. Since it couldn't even change it's own course, it really was a victim of it's own circumstance.

“Being a victim or being understandable doesn't always equate to redeemable. The Black Sun and The Dark Star hadn't even seen that as necessary. Instead, it is we who can apply light and goodness towards them by forgiving them for their sins, for they truly do not know what they do.”

“What do you think happened to the Black Sun after it finished it's primary food source that fed it life?” Star Breeze asked curiously.

Feather Wind leaned back as he thought about it, then answered, “I'm really not sure, but I've narrowed it down to two possibilities. Either it's still out there, plotting how to consume everything else, or more likely it consumed it's own intelligence when it lost the source that gave it sentience in the first place, in which case it probably devolved back into a normal black hole. Having nothing else left to satiate it's hunger, I believe it turned to the last morsel it could think of but, before you go thinking about how sorry you feel for it, remember that, even in this circumstance, it still had not considered itself a victim. It was masochistic enough to enjoy it's own suffering. If you went back in time to try to save it at this point, it would beg you to stop, instead claiming that devouring it's own mind was fun then, when the last shred of it's ego dispersed, it became empty of all thoughts which, in it's own way, equates to purity and divinity. In a way it achieved it's own form of enlightenment by getting rid of all thoughts, including negative thoughts. Ever since then, it existed as a normal black hole again.

“Black holes, I have learned, serve a very important and invaluable role in the universe. They do crush and consume everything that draws too close, but they also create a powerful gravity field around them that serves as both stability and movement for the rest of the galaxy around them. They are the glue that holds things together. Without black holes, each galaxy would tear itself apart. All celestial bodies would just drift away in space and, the more it does so, the colder and darker things become. United we live, divided we fall. We must be grateful to black holes. Without their invaluable contribution, life would not have evolved in the first place.

“Compare that to what many would consider the opposite of a black hole, and that is the stars in the sky. They emit light instead of darkness and they project energy instead of sucking it in. It is their warmth and energy that helps breathe life on other worlds, and the gravity the stars produce also facilitate stability and motion. Just like a black hole, however, the stars become downright lethal for multiple reasons if you draw anywhere near them in outer space. So, you see, the very thing that can cause life can also take it away, and none of it has to do with conscious morality. I have also found nature itself to always exist with similar checks and balances, even at microscopic levels.

“So you see, the morality of this whole issue was quite complicated. In the shadow plane, The Dark Star still thinks it's doing us a favor by trying to corrupt us into darkness, and it's genuinely confused why many of us refuse it's dark gifts when it thinks we should consider it a blessing, but each of us has a more evolved consciousness, and it's advanced enough to realize and make intelligent and informed choices based on the mind and based on the heart. When The Dark Star offers it's 'gifts', nothing is forcing us to accept it. We can just refuse, and instead forge our own path.

“Does this answer your question?”

“For now, yes,” Star Breeze answered, “but I think I need more time to think about what you said and digest it. Right now I think I'm ready to listen to more of your story.”

“Fair enough.”

xoxo

{The land had not instantly recovered just when The Dark Star disappeared. In fact, with less magic within the land compared to the future, it would take longer to recover than those from the future would normally expect. Still, this area had over forty-thousand years to recover before catching up to the present and almost every creature here knew that. Point of fact, though, that was not fast enough for the Tardis to just warp out without protection. Seems to me we could have used the Crystal Heart for that all along. That honestly wasn't a bad idea but, in this case, Discord agreed to teleport every creature back to Panjora, Tardis and all. There was one friend we would be leaving behind, however, and it was one of our most recent companions.}

“The Master's new incarnation?” Star Breeze guessed.

{No. It was the Crystal Carriage.

{We all gathered together for one final moment to say goodbye to it. We did so by singing to it. Most of us joined in that song, but not all. I'm pretty sure the Master just rolled her eyes and we did have to reintroduce her to the rest of our friends but . . . I'll get back to that later.

{The Crystal Carriage glowed with an ever increasing prismatic shine as we sang to it. Towards the end of the song it steadily started to shrink and sink into the earth, presumably to help repair the local environment back to a harmonious state. I'll never forget what it looked like near the end of that transformation. It looked like a beautiful crystal tree which several of my other friends told me was what the Tree of Harmony looked like except, at first, it was missing the symbols on it. Just before it sank into the earth for the final time, however, those symbols had appeared on it's branches and trunk. They appeared in a flash of different colored lights for each symbol, and they appeared one at a time, the symbol of magic flashing last towards the top of the trunk.

{There was something I remember thinking at the time while I watched that. It was really more of a feeling I got, and that feeling seemed to be a message from the tree just before it sank into the earth. If I were to put those feelings into words, it would translate thusly, “I will remember what you have taught me, and I will be sure to pass on this message throughout all the ages. Goodbye, my cherished friends.”

{After that, I recall thinking that other Starlight Dust comets have crashed into the planet before, but none of them were as educated as this one giant chunk, and recall also that the other comets burned up in the atmosphere far more than this one did. We called upon it, indeed prayed upon it, as a large group of us gathered together to assist in Star Swirl's spell which helped to deal the final blow against the giant unliving dragon Fang.

{Star Swirl did not explain what he was casting at the time. I guess his friends simply trusted him but, deep in every one of our friend's hearts, they prayed for salvation and, when Star Swirl opened his giant portal, this comet was what came through. After that we all touched it and imbued it with the essence of our spirit, including the future time clone copies of the Elements of Harmony, excluding kindness, until the very end when we sent it away.

{Then it sank into the earth and I had a feeling that this one crystal would teach the other Starlight Dust crystals the lesson it had learned. As the lesson continued to get passed on, the message and spirit of harmony gradually covered the world. It took it a very long time to accomplish that goal, but we're living in an age that is the fruition of it's tireless labor. Most of us were temporary time clones at the time, but we managed to not only save the world from a malevolent force, we also planted the seeds of a benevolent force which worked to our favor ever after. If my theory is correct, the Pillars of Destiny gave this force even more definition when they planted the seeds of their own spirits which later created the Tree of Harmony, but it's essence lingered long before that. It existed in our land, our oceans, our rivers and lakes, our skies, everything . . . and most importantly, it existed in us, waiting to be born so it could fulfill a promise it made so long ago to even greater effect. Essentially we created a self-fulfilling prophecy.

{Well, I said I would get back to this later. Since this was a fact already completed before I get to the next part, I'll go ahead and mention the fact that the Master was reintroduced to the rest of the party and the Doctor explained in fuller detail his brilliant plan to help save the world. Around that time, the Master also made a seemingly spontaneous decision. She told everyone to call her “Missy” until she could think of a better cover identity for her new self.

{Of course our friends felt a little reserved to welcome her back after her previous life's betrayal, but the explanation the Doctor gave calmed their nerves somewhat and the plan had ultimately succeeded in the end. Plus, I have to say, we had a very forgiving group.

{Among those outside the Tardis after Missy's transformation, Rarity was the first to approach the new mare on friendly terms and she did it by announcing that Missy's old attire was a travesty for a mare that must be corrected as soon as possible. Missy looked at her attire then actually agreed with the fashionista, then claimed she would welcome Rarity's help to come up with a new, more appropriate attire to help match a new life.

{So with that out of the way, now I'll mention the fact that we were all whisked back to Panjora. The Tardis was teleported back to the crystal cage that initially protected it so it could enter this time period. It would need to remain there in order to gather the strength necessary to warp out later on. Meanwhile me, Twilight and Starlight also met up with Sun Burst once again to gather a full report on what happened in the city while we were gone.}

“Wait, who?” Star Breeze asked in confusion.

“I did mention Sun Burst very briefly previously when he first entered this world. At the time I think I only mentioned his name. Now I'll add the fact that he was a wizardly-scholar that did not have that much talent for casting magic itself, but a whole lot of talent when it came to knowledge about it. Since we knew he was not a fighter but a scholar, it was deemed appropriate to leave him behind in Panjora so he could use his knowledge to help organize the society while the rest of us were away, especially in terms of the continued development of crystal science. We hadn't known how long we would be gone, so we wanted to leave the city, and all that it influenced, in good hooves. Sun Burst wanted to do this anyway. He was overjoyed for a long chance to study an ancient civilization that got lost to all known Equestrian records. I can't tell you how many notes he's collected over the years, and I thought I was a prolific writer.”

{Another thing I will mention was your mother and I decided that it was finally time to get married. We had already considered doing it in this time period along with friends and family that would not exist in our own native timeline. Towards the end of our northern march, however, we grew too busy to seriously consider it further. I don't think it crossed either of our minds even once while Fluttershy was apparently ponynapped. We could not fully relax nor fully get into the joy and spirit of the ceremony knowing she was missing and potentially in pain but, after we had regathered all of our friends, we turned our attention to this issue once again and decided that it was finally time.

{Now the reason I won't go into full detail of this was because you will choose to become more fully involved. Since you revealed yourself anyway when you attacked the Master, you also came more clean about your reason and purpose in this timeline. Subsequently, you also became more involved in the wedding ceremony which was something I trust you had looked forward to many years prior, primarily because of what I'm telling you right now, and also because of what I'm not telling you now. For now, I'll leave most of it to your imagination but know that, eventually, you will experience it yourself in full detail.

{I will say that was a meaningful moment for my parents and uncle, and most especially to your grandmother Silver Shine. She knew, by then, there was no way she would live long enough to ever see her granddaughter in any other way other than what she went through back then, so this was her one chance to connect with you for the first and last time. Again, I'll leave it at that. Even if I wanted to tell you what happened between you, I have a keen feeling a lot of it happened behind my back anyway.

{I also won't go into detail how long the ceremony took to prepare for other than by saying it was more than one day. Again, I'll leave it for you to discover the full details when you get there.}

Feather Wind chuckled as he recalled something amusing, then he decided to go ahead and add this one little detail.

{I will say one thing near the conclusion of the ceremony that happened that was kind of funny. You weren't there anyway so it's safe to tell you this. Even if you were there, I kind of doubt you'd remember this detail after all these years but . . . when your mother tossed the bouquet of flowers over her, Rarity suddenly became a savage beast and tore her way towards it to catch it with startling determination. I already found that surprisingly out of character for her considering she was supposed to be the Element of Generosity, but I was even more surprised, and amused, when Apple Jack threw down her hat to the ground in frustration and cursed Rarity with colorful descriptions of rotting apples for doing this again. In response, Rarity claimed she just could not help herself. Apple Jack rolled her eyes and replied that she wished Rarity would get married already so the rest of the mares in the ceremony had a fair chance to catch the bouquet of flowers instead of her for once.}

Star Breeze giggled.

Feather Wind tapped his hoof on the ground with a thoughtful look, trying to recall if there was anything else he should add that he could recall was important and was something the future version of his daughter was not involved with. He drew a blank at many turns either because there was nothing worth mentioning or his daughter got too involved by that point. There was a lot he could have mentioned, but he figured he would leave it to his daughter to discover this for herself someday. It was a cherished memory for him, and something to look forward to for her. There was no need to spoil everything for her now.

{There is a lot I can't mention at this point because of your future involvement. For now, I'll leave that to your imagination. You have plenty of time to decide what will happen but, mind you, the end results might still surprise you. You can't plan for everything in the future and, no matter what you think now, you had plenty of time to change your mind by then and you did it for reasons that have not even occurred to you yet. It's still a good mental exercise whenever you decide to explore this, and someday what you imagine of the future will become a cherished memory of the past.

{Another thing I'll briefly mention was we finally found out how to ignite those flameless fireworks the Doctor had been storing in the Tardis for quite some time now. Apparently they needed love to ignite, and there was plenty of that to go around at the conclusion of the ceremony. Trixie was especially captivated by them, then forcefully grabbed the Doctor's cheeks to direct his attention towards her as she demanded to know the recipe to make them.

{But then, after the ceremony and . . . several other things that happened . . . it was time for us all to depart. Here's where I'll mention a new plot twist; your grandfather and grandmother, Author Scroll and Silver Shine respectively, did not join us for the return trip. They really were time clones, but somehow the Doctor altered them so they could age appropriately. I can't even tell you when he did it. Maybe it was true all along because, somehow, he knew they would one day decide this. My original father still waited for me back in my own time, totally oblivious to what his time clone copy of himself had done in the ancient past, but that time clone copy knew that Silver Shine was not in that future, and he wanted to spend the rest of his days with her as much as he could. He also decided this because he knew it would not take away anything from me. He knew his original self waited for me back when I came from but he, himself, could not bear to part from his beloved wife a second time.

{I asked them if they were sure about this decision and realized, as soon as I asked it, that was a stupid question. Part of me was even tempted to remain behind so that I could also be with my mother once again. She bid me to leave though so I could live out my life to my fullest back in my own time. She said I kept my new wife and myself from my other friends and family in my time long enough and, since I was one of the few real ones there, my decisions had lasting consequences. Besides, she reminded me I had other important objectives to accomplish in my timeline as well and we could not risk deviating from it so I hugged her tightly as tears squeezed out of my eyes. I barely croaked out the words that expressed how much I loved her. She said she knew, and she gave me one last loving lullaby. My emotions swam like an ocean current when I heard her voice singing to me with such passion and love, and it brought with it a treasure trove of nostalgic memories. It was a moment that taught me how fragile and precious life really is, and I felt assured that I would encounter her spirit again when I pass on someday.

{I believe my Red Crystal absorbed all that emotion without me even thinking about it. As I grew more attuned to the crystal so, too, did it grow more attuned to me. We both changed, and it learned to anticipate when I would want it to absorb the positive emotions around me. Considering how the Master emptied the crystal to help him summon the Tardis, I also knew I had a long way to go to refill it so that it could one day save the Crystal Empire.}

Star Breeze privately wondered around that time if temporary time clones could create permanent foals in the ancient past. If so, they probably were the first true unicorns the world had ever seen born in that timeline that also lived among them as permanent residents, and they had a pretty powerful bloodline at that.

{Before I parted from my mother's warm and loving hug, she whispered to my ear and begged me not to look back as I turn away to leave. That was a very hard request but, when I finally did part from her, I went into the Tardis and I did not look back. I was still aware that Stern Wing hugged my mother right after me, but I did not see it directly. I just knew it in my gut.

{Life is a gift, Star Breeze. Cherish it while you can. As a reward for all my heroic deeds and those I was still committed to accomplishing later, I had one last chance to get to know my mother over those past two years, and those are memories I added to my already formidable collection of cherished memories. There is more to come as well even beyond our lives. To find out what happens next, all I had to do was turn the page in this book of my life.}

xoxo

{Oh! I just remembered something important I should mention right now. Before I entered into the Tardis to depart from this timeline, I heard my name whispered in the wind. I turned to look for the source of that voice and I saw a cloaked figure standing behind a tree. When I saw her eyes, I saw that she was blind, and I immediately realized who this was.}

“Um, excuse me for a moment. I'll catch up,” Feather Wind called to those who were gathering inside the Tardis then he left to gallop his way to meet with the older version of Vision in secret. As he drew closer, she backed off further behind the tree to remain unseen, likely from her past self in particular. “Well hello, Vision,” Feather Wind greeted upon arrival. “It's nice to see you again.”

“That makes one of us,” Vision said bluntly.

Feather Wind was taken aback for a moment because she made it sound like it was actually unpleasant to encounter him again, but then he realized she was being literal when it came to the specific word, “see”. At that point Feather Wind gained a dull expression as he said with annoyance and slight amusement, “Must you put it that way? You know what I mean.”

“Of course I do,” the older Vision said with a slight giggle. After she calmed down, she said, “The truth is, I called you here because I know this will be the last time we will encounter each other as we are right now. This is actually true going both ways. We both change a lot from this point on. You still have your own journey, and I have mine. There is a few more adventures my past self will share with you, but between us as we are right now . . . this is it. This is our final goodbye together.”

Feather Wind regarded her fondly. “It's been one amazing ride together, hasn't it? We were there for you since you were a little filly. In a way, I kind of feel like your father, which is odd considering you always seemed to have wisdom even beyond my years. It's been a strange relationship, but a very good one. We saved each others lives so many times as well as others, and now we move on to experience the reward of that effort. Wherever you go and whatever you do, know that you'll always have a very special place in my heart.”

“And I, you,” Vision returned evenly, then she said, “There is one more reason I called you out here.” She turned her head back and reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a book with her mouth. She turned her head forward again to offer it to Feather Wind. Feather Wind seized it in a silver magical aura and had it float in front of him where he proceeded to read the title out loud.

“'Predictions and Prophecies'.” Feather Wind read aloud, then shrugged as he steered the book floating off to the side in order to look at her again. “Yeah. Sounds like something you would write, although I'm curious how you pulled this off since you can't read or write, unless somehow you learned how since the time of your younger self.”

“I've gained plenty of ways to circumvent my former weaknesses over the years,” older Vision explained to Feather Wind. “Also note that book is not meant for you,” Vision informed him. “You may copy it and read it in your crystal gem at your leisure, but know that the vast majority of the prophecies the book talks about is ahead of your timeline and, because of our time traveling adventures, we already know the results of more than half of them anyway. Rather than you, the book itself is actually meant for Princess Celestia, and not the version in the Tardis right now. She'll soon disappear anyway, so it will not avail her. Besides, many of the predictions in that book already came true in her timeline, so there really is no point in her reading it again.”

“In that case, you mean the version of her in my timeline,” Feather Wind realized calmly.

Vision nodded. “Correct. I wrote her this book because I know my past self will not be around much longer to continue her services to the princess and, as much as she might hate to admit it, she has grown rather accustomed to my past self's assistance. I have helped guide her to save innocent pony lives, after all. That is among her beloved citizens. She's more than grateful for that which is why she has also come to rely upon it. Since I also know my past self will stop becoming available soon, I'm leaving her this book to help replace me and also serve to give her hope for a brighter future. Give it to her with all my love, but also tell her the following message.” Vision took a single step forward as if to emphasize what she was about to say next was especially important. “Tell her the future is always up to us. Tell her that the future is always a choice, so advise her to make it a good one.”

“I will tell her, my friend. I promise.” After Feather Wind said that, he trotted up to her and embraced her in a warm hug. “Goodbye, my friend. Wherever the stars take you, know that I will always hear you in the wind if you call out my name.”

“I wish you peace and fulfillment in your own journey as well. Tell your daughter in the future about this conversation as well, and the fact that I wish her well in her journey too.”

Star Breeze blushed happily after hearing that.

“I will,” Feather Wind promised again in the past.

When they parted from the hug, Feather Wind watched the older version of Vision back off then sit down in a meditative pose. She crossed her hind legs and sat up straight. At first her forelegs were held up to her sides. She made a humming noise with her throat which was shortly later copied by her sonic eyes. As she opened her eyes steadily, not only did the noise get louder, but Feather Wind could also see her eyes glowing pure white. As this process continued, she steadily started to float off the ground to the maximum of three feet. Eventually she smashed her fore hooves together then disappeared in a flash reminiscent of Discord's powers except the whole process was way slower. The whole process took about half a minute.

This made Feather Wind realize how she was able to suddenly appear whenever and wherever she was needed in this timeline. She could teleport through time and space at will without the need to use a potion anymore, and her psychic visions also gave her the heads up before she arrived there. That was a very nifty set of powers.

Looking somewhat fondly at the spot she was once on, he realized there was nothing left for him here anymore so he trotted back to the Tardis with the book she gave him floating beside him and eventually transferred it to the younger Vision's dimensional saddle bag for temporary safe keeping. It was a little mind boggling to realize that was the same saddle bag her older self would pull the book out of shortly after it was created only to go right back into the same bag temporarily in the past.

xoxo

{When the rest of us, excluding my parents, you (because you had your own alternative), and those native to that timeline all gathered inside the Tardis I marveled, for a moment, how crowded it seemed. I've been in this thing through many wonderful adventures and I had never seen it with so much company before.

{Pinkie Pie was especially rambunctious. She was bouncing all over the place and asking what all sorts of buttons on the console of the Tardis did. Being the genius that he was, the Doctor wisely made sure the console controls were locked before she started recklessly playing with it. Nevertheless, I half expected her to succeed to use the Tardis anyway using raw instinct alone or some other kind of freaky, reality bending logic. Her friends had a difficult time to get her to settle until shortly after we started to take off. Around that time, some creature mentioned that what they were doing was basically marching towards their deaths.

{Those words quickly soured the mood of all those gathered there except for maybe Missy but, since her previous life daughter was among those time clones, it was possible that this fact stung her as well. After everything Missy sacrificed to protect her daughter, this version of Trixie was about to fade away into oblivion and only a few would be left to remember what happened.

{For all the time clones that had gathered there, this was the finest adventure that never happened to them.

{This was one of the massive downsides of the Doctor's strategy. It gave them a lot of neat advantages during their stay in the ancient past and it allowed them to help without causing a major disruption in their own native timeline. This was just a side story to them, one that would shortly be erased to all but a few.

{The Doctor said he did not need to drop them off one by one. There was a cluster of pulsars, quasars, black holes and all kinds of unusual spacial anomalies he could fly past that would erase them all at once, and he figured that would be more merciful than having them wait one by one for their turn at virtual extinction.

{I will say that Discord offered to give them a permanent home so that they did not have to fade away. He even offered to recreate their entire world so they could live out the rest of their lives on it. I have to say that the offer might have tempted some of them, but Apple Jack put an end to that would-be discussion by putting her hat on her chest and said she had to be honest with the fact that, although the offer was greatly appreciated, Discord's chaotic powers would never be able to recreate the world exactly how they left it, and those gathered here had friends and family they wished to return to. Facing oblivion was preferable to a lifetime of solitude from the loved ones who were not here.

{I looked at them all in their somber mood. I noticed how Pinkie Pie's mane got deflated again like a balloon that had lost it's air. That was never a good sign, and one disheartening to see. A lot of them were nearly in tears, including me. We've been through so much together and it hadn't felt right that their only reward for all their hard work was to get erased from existence, but this was the natural consequence of the Doctor's plan all along. Win or lose, they would fade away either way. At least they got to go down with the solace of knowing they helped to save the world, and they also knew there was a small hooful of them that could remember all of their remarkable deeds. I had recorded a great deal of it myself.

{They all knew this was coming but, when the moment came, it was so depressing to see them in pain and simply wait for the end to come to them. These were all such very good souls. They deserved way better than this, especially after all that they had accomplished.}

“Doctor, what are you doing?” Missy asked out of the blue while the depressed crowd waited for the end.

Intrigued, Feather Wind looked back himself to see the Doctor with a determined and somewhat excited look on his face.

“What I need to do!” the Doctor said with determination and focus as he kept fiddling with the Tardis controls. “What needs to be done. You've all done so much for me. You've all sacrificed so much to help me succeed in my mission. I cannot, in good conscience, send you off to oblivion without one last hurrah.”

“Where are you taking us, Doctor?” Princess Celestia asked as she approached and spread her wings just slightly.

“He's delaying the inevitable, that's what,” Missy said with sour disapproval. “That's what he always does. Doctor, you're only making it harder for them in the long run. You're giving them more time to contemplate their doom. Usually I'd be the first to celebrate this but, in this case, the issue is kind of personal to me.”

Around the end of that sentence, the Tardis groaned to a stop then there was a plop sound as the Tardis gained full solidity on wherever it landed.

The Doctor sighed as he bowed his head over the controls, then he looked around at all the beloved friends gathered around him in the Tardis, and he said, “I have never had this many companions join me on one of my adventures before, especially not a single adventure that lasted this long. Time clones or no, you all selflessly sacrificed a moment of your time to help me save your world. Even you, Missy, someone who usually is my greatest nemesis.” He glanced at Missy as he spoke to her then resumed his speech with another scan around those gathered around him. “In that whole time, you've endured the loss of missing your friends and family back in your homes, and we've endured the worst nightmares the source of all evil magic in Equestria could throw at you. You've all demonstrated why you are all such extraordinary friends and, in my eyes, you are all legendary. Every . . . single . . . one of you. For all that you have done for me and for all that you have endured, I offer you a choice. You can face oblivion now. I will understand if you find that easier, or you can join me on one last grand adventure, and this time I promise you it will be fun.”

“Fun?” Pinkie Pie repeated. Her intrigue and excitement immediately perked her up. Her mane instantly inflated again back to it's usual bouncy, cotton candy-like substance.

“Yes, my pink filly friend, fun!” the Doctor promised more enthusiastically. “Beyond the doors of the Tardis,” he gestured to the exit, “is an exotic island adventure designed for vacation purposes to all that visit this place. It has exotic animals, and spas, and swimming pools, and water slides, and waterfalls, and clear crisp oceans, and libraries, and gorgeous skies, and parties, and jungle adventures, and gem caves, and games. It has all kinds of stuff for every single one of you and, best of all,” he stood up and threw up his forelegs in an explosion of excitement as he said, “IT'S ALL COMPLETELY FREE!” He landed back on his four legs. “That's right, my friends! The natives here have access to unlimited resources. I won't say how, but I guarantee you it's not malevolent. I can assure you of that, else I would not have brought you all here. It is a pleasure for the natives who live here to meet aliens from all over the galaxy and universe. They choose to live here specifically for that purpose, so their only goal in life is to please you as much as possible. Some of them are very wise as well, and can help you through deep psychological issues. So what do you say, my friends? Will you join me on one last, grand adventure together?”

{They all took a long moment to debate this, and most of them were pushing for it. At first Celestia argued that they should not delay the inevitable too long and that they should remain on the island no more than one day, but she was haggled up to accepting one week.

{So we spent the week on the island paradise which successfully lifted our spirits. Fluttershy communed with the local animals. Rarity hung out at the beach, spa and gem cave. Rainbow Dash was all over the place, often hanging out with her friends, including the Wonderbolts. Twilight spent less time in the library than I suspected she would. Mostly she just hung out with her friends or relaxed at the beach. Sun Burst was all over that library himself. Pinkie Pie partied hard of course, and made a big splash with her cannon balls in the swimming pool that splashed out over half of the water, and again I had to remind myself never to question her. Apple Jack mostly just spent time with her friends and she enjoyed the local cuisine, though she criticized a few of them.

{Come to think of it, I'd be repeating myself too often if I went through them all one by one and kept mentioning the fact that they just hung out with their friends. Arguably it was one of the biggest points of our stay there. A lot of them also told me more of their adventures, including more about what happened with that epic battle against Fang and the other monsters.

{A few special notes, I was pleased to see Trixie hanging out with Missy on a pleasant basis, her own former father. The Master's transformation into Missy apparently gave them a chance to connect in a brand new way. It was like a fresh start, and this time their relationship proceeded far more positively. I suspected that the most important factor was that there were fewer secrets between them, so that helped them to open up to each other more and, at that point, they also had far more in common with each other than they used to. Trixie was actually excited for the chance to get her former father into all sorts of girly stuff. As for Missy . . . she was harder to read. She cooperated with her daughter, I know that, but I think she kept thinking about the fact that this version of her daughter was about to disappear and, unlike Trixie's normal tricks, she would not reappear this time. My instincts told me that Missy indulged what was essentially the other mare's last request before death, but deep down Missy maintained a bit of an emotional barrier against forming an attachment to somepony she knew she was about to lose.

{At first Sombra was reluctant to join the festivities at all. He didn't even want to leave the Tardis. I had a pretty strong hunch that he felt that way out of a continual sense of guilt over what his future, original self did and that, in turn, caused him to feel he did not deserve this fun but, even after all this time, I think he was still surprised how much every other pony and creature really cared for him. That colt was really surrounded when it came to resistance to his reluctance to join, and I'm pretty sure that Princess Flurry Heart's opinion mattered to him the most. I have a feeling that when she expressed how nice it would be for him to join the others along with her, he probably interpreted that as a royal command in his own head even though it was actually intended as an innocent suggestion. Still, I'm glad he did join. Even that old grump warmed up to the idea over time, and he was even able to entertain the natives with brilliant crystal shows that actually left a permanent and welcome mark on the island.

{There are two other things I'd like to add about Sombra's stay on the island. One of them was the fact that he encountered a copy of Angel Song on that island, compliments of Discord. That actually was a big deal for him because it was the reason he later chose to remain on that island when the others left, living out the rest of his life with a virtual copy of his love.

{That, of course, leads to the second thing I needed to mention. This version of her was willing to do that too, and that's basically what her original self would have gladly done anyway if her memories of him returned, which it did in this case. She always hung around him in the past in order to help her feel complete, and when I got to know her better with her original memories intact, it quickly occurred to me why the Doctor did not invite her to the ancient past. She was way too timid. This was similar to Fluttershy's emotional handicaps except Angel Song had lower self-esteem to boot. The Dark Star would have crushed her spirit far too easily to be an asset as an ally in the past. Left in a non-threatening environment, however, caused her to heal and flourish in spirit. She really was a delicate flower but, with the right conditions, she bloomed beautifully.

{We actually had another wedding for the second time in less than a week, but this time it was between the time clone past version of Sombra and his beautiful blushing bride Angel Song. That was definitely a valuable experience to add to my Red Crystal collection. In a way, this was all just a dream, but a beautiful dream that would one day help to restore the real Crystal Empire. How appropriate it was that their love for each other would one day help save every pony that they loved back at the Empire.

{Like I said, very noteworthy side points of our vacation here.}

“So Sombra and Angel Song are still there on that island after you left?” Star Breeze asked hopefully with rising gushy excitement.

“Maybe,” Feather Wind informed, “or they left the island together. Who knows? I can easily picture them retiring there for the rest of their days, probably entertaining other customers that visit the island. He with his wondrous crystal magic, and her with her heavenly voice. He had with him what he cared about the most, and he also knew I had the Red Crystal with the intent to restore his beloved home back on Equestria. This was his paradise, and the best he could have hoped for under the circumstances. Angel Song was also happy to be with him, and that was enough to ensure their decision together. I always think of that when I compare it to the dark, alternate path his original self took. It felt reassuring that life found a way to sneak in a happy ending here to their story somewhere. It just felt right seeing them together like that, and I felt immensely happy for them. I felt like something that was missing was finally whole again.

“Crystal Sage noticed this as well deep within the Red Crystal, and I felt, ever since, that yet another check mark got ticked off in his heart which would have prevented him from fully being ready for the next phase of his life. He didn't say much to me about this situation even when I asked him, but I felt a sense of peace from him when he regarded this.”

{I also find it ironic that the one pony who opposed the vacation the most ends up the only one to permanently remain behind. Go figure. I'm pretty sure even he hadn't seen that one coming.

{Meanwhile, at my friend's request, I took lots of pictures with the Red Crystal and my magic. Your mother played lots of sports activities and, before you ask, NO! She did not cheat using her own enhancement magic. Remember, she enjoys a challenge and she has a firm sense of honor. If her opponents couldn't do what she could do, then she wouldn't consider using such powers herself. The point of those games was for every creature to have fun, and so it was.

{I'm actually not sure what the younger version of Vision was up to. I assume she meditated somewhere out there in a spiritually powerful place. I could easily imagine Somnambula doing that too, but no. She, too, hung out with her friends while she could. It honestly seemed like Vision was the only one content to remain in isolation, and I have a feeling she did it to explore her psychic visions towards . . . I don't know. Some end.

{As for the Doctor, he could prove almost as rambunctious as Pinkie Pie sometimes since he had nearly as much energy. Recall the fact that, similar to the time clones, the Doctor also appeared to be immune to the need for sleep so he had the time of his lives on that island. Derpy mostly hung out with him but, upon various requests, she also hung out with some of her other more feminine friends to do what girls normally do when their alone together. I assume you'll find out what that's like someday.

{And, for once, this blessed vacation was born under a lucky star because no serious disaster or monsters or villains tried to crash the party. I kept expecting it to happen eventually, especially with the likes of Discord and Missy prowling about, but the worst they did was perform a few pranks. Don't discount that. They wouldn't be themselves without a few evil deeds here and there, but overall the entire experience was benign for once.

{Which brings me to my conclusion. Our friends gathered together faithfully back at the Tardis at the end of that week except for Sombra, and even he met up with us at the door but standing outside of it with his new wife. We said our goodbyes to him there then took off.

{This time, as those in the Tardis faced their end together, they done so in good cheer, for they felt very uplifted by the wonderful and fun vacation they just shared together.

{As the moment drew very near, I also recall them singing together. Twilight Sparkle started it but it was quickly picked up by the others. It was a short song but deeply meaningful note for them to go out with, though I'll have to say the lyrics were a bit modified to include the various species that were part of our journey together, and it went like this.

“Equestria, the land I love

A land of harmony

Our flag does wave from high above

For all creatures to see

Equestria, a land of love

Where friendly kind do roam

They say true friendship never ends

Equestria, my home.”

{That song was practically a national anthem of ours and we sang it many times during our journey north to help lift our spirits in times of need and, during that time as they stood in the Tardis, they sang it again to remind each other how united they were. I stood on the rail overlooking them all and thanked them all for the help and comfort they provided after all these years. They smiled up at me and hugged each other as they regarded me while they faded away, leaving behind them very special memories that I will always cherish. The Red Crystal, too, absorbed the emotions of that moment which would come in hoofy later on in unexpected ways.}

Chapter Twenty Seven: Farewell, My Friends

Chapter Twenty Seven: The Dark Element of Laughter

The door to the Tardis opened with it's usual creak. As Feather Wind, Stern Wing and Vision stepped outside to observe their surroundings, they quickly noticed it was too familiar. This was Canterlot, and it appeared to be the version Feather Wind and Stern Wing grew up in. When Feather Wind realized that, he widened his eyes and looked back at the Doctor. There was a reason they avoided this time period, after all.

When Feather Wind noticed the Doctor hold a hoof up to block Derpy from exiting the Tardis, Feather Wind felt like he gained his confirmation. This was yet another farewell.

In the background, Missy hadn't even tried to exit the Tardis. She just examined herself with a small hoof mirror and painted her lips red with lipstick. As for Discord, he already popped himself out of existence shortly after the other time clones faded away, claiming he had a tea party with the real Fluttershy that he was looking forward to. Seeing one of her time clones fade away in front of him put him in an almost desperate mood to catch up again with the real Fluttershy.

“So this is it . . . huh,” Feather Wind realized, his voice sounding a little stunned.

“Doc?” Derpy queried. He shook his head no.

“Not this time, my lovely assistant. I'm simply completing the loop. I told you long ago that there were events in their history I could not mess with. True, I delayed it, for twelve years mind you, but it's finally time for them to fulfill their own destiny in their own time and I, as a Time Lord, cannot interfere with that.” The Doctor regarded Feather Wind, Stern Wing and Vision with a glimmer of happiness, sadness and pride. “Now I've done all I can to help prepare you for the journey ahead. History did not say how you suddenly became so powerful or how you got that beautiful Prism Armor,” he said with a nod to Stern Wing who was wearing it even then. In fact, it was starting to draw attention of ponies passing by in the background on the streets of Canterlot. Also they were curious what a mysterious blue box was doing out in the middle of the street when they clearly recalled it not being there yesterday, or even a few moments ago.

“When I read that,” the Doctor went on as he placed a hoof on his chest, “I assumed that was an open invitation for me to play some role in your story, and I have to say it's been fantastic! Thank you, my dear friends, for accompanying me on this wonderful journey together. I truly do wish you all the best, but I'm afraid now is where we must part.”

“Must we?” Derpy cried a bit as she asked.

“Yes, my lovely assistant. They have their own path to follow, and I cannot interfere too much. If I do, eventually it would grow too suspicious that they grew so old, so fast. We held them up long enough. Probably longer than I should have but, even for me, it's hard to let go sometimes. I'm sorry. I truly am, but this is where our journey together must end.”

Derpy regarded her departing friends then wailed on their shoulder a bit as she gave each one a warm hug goodbye. Out of all of them, it was Feather Wind who came the closest to losing his cool but he, too, figured out that it probably was time to move on. Likely they were more than a little prepared to face Puppet Master then move on to the part Feather Wind really dreaded, the Dark King himself. This journey had well prepared them to face these threats. They had faced far worse. The Dark Star, for example, was infinitely more powerful than the Dark King and Puppet Master put together, but they faced The Dark Star down with a fairly sizable army at their backs which also included the future temporal copies of the Elements of Harmony and the Crystal Heart. Now it was just the three of them again, but that was still likely to be enough after all of that training, experience, new spells, new knowledge, new equipment and new confidence.

“Thank you, Doctor, for everything,” Feather Wind said as he offered a hoof to the Doctor after Derpy finished hugging him. Feather Wind struggled to steady his voice as he spoke. He mostly succeeded, but one could still hear it crack slightly if they listened carefully. No doubt Vision noticed.

“No, thank you, my friend,” the Doctor shook Feather Wind's hoof. “You all have helped me to save many lives throughout the universe, not the least of which includes the existence of your own world. I could not have done this without all of your help and, of course, you helped to keep me company during a small piece of my long journey. I will forever be grateful to you for that. Be well, my friends. Be well.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I will try,” Feather Wind said warmly then looked behind him at Missy, then called to her, “How about you? Are you going to say goodbye to us as well?”

“Goodbye,” Missy said simply without a glance to Feather Wind. Instead she went on to paint the forward edge of her hooves.

“I'll keep an eye on her. Trust me,” the Doctor assured Feather Wind. “I haven't given up hope that I can redeem her and, with the track record of this universe, I have more hope than ever that I'll eventually succeed and then there will be two Time Lord heroes gallivanting across the universe!”

“Only in your dreams with Princess Luna,” Missy denied dismissively in the background.

“Good luck with that,” Feather Wind said to the Doctor with a grin.

“You too,” the Doctor said back.

Derpy entered back into the Tardis, spun about and fiercely waved goodbye continuously as she said, “Goodbye! Goodbye! Farewell! Be sure to eat lots of delicious muffins!”

Then the Tardis door closed, and shortly later the time machine faded away with a mechanical groan then a fading higher pitched sound effect. Behind the trio, a gathering group of astonished onlookers gasped when they saw the mysterious blue box fade away.

“Heh. Rookies,” Feather Wind said with a sly grin as he glanced back at the astonished onlookers behind them.

“You know what this means, don't you?” Stern Wing asked as she continued to stare where the Tardis faded away.

“Yes,” Feather Wind said seriously as he looked in the direction the Tardis faded away. “It's time for our final show down with Puppet Master, and then on to the Dark King.”

“So . . . you plan on facing down Puppet Master, huh?” a familiar feminine voice spoke somewhere nearby. Stern Wing and Feather Wind both looked together and were surprised to see Searing Wind standing nearby, leaning against a wall and tossing an apple up and down idly.

“Wait! Searing Wind?” Star Breeze asked. “Wasn't that the mean old former Wonderbolt who saved your life, teased you then quit the Wonderbolts?”

“The same,” Feather Wind confirmed.

“What was she doing there?”

Feather Wind shrugged. “Just passing by. Buying an apple, I guess. Star Breeze, I'm afraid that, this time, our chance encounter really was a coincidence, unless the Doctor dropped us off there at that time on purpose to make sure we met up with her again.”

Searing Wind bit into the apple then looked at the newly arrived trio with one eye wide and the other narrow. She asked, “Didn't Princess Celestia order you to be silent about the dark wizard's existence? You might want to consider continuing this discussion in a more private location. Oh, and by the way, nice costume, Stern Wing. I really like how the colors just shift in that armor. How are you doing that, anyway?”

“None of your business,” Stern Wing said to Searing Wind tersely, not quite forgetting or forgiving what Searing Wind said to her husband all those years ago although, for Searing Wind, it shouldn't be nearly that long ago. Looking between her closer companions, Stern Wing said, “Although she does have a pretty good point. Let's continue this discussion up in the sky. Vision, ready your wings.”

“Check.” Vision reached back and pulled on a cord. A pair of kite-like wings ejected from her dimensional saddle bags.

“Let's go,” Stern Wing said before hopping off into the air. Feather Wind tucked his hooves into his Mist Cloak and followed suit, and he also projected wind underneath Vision's wind glider to get her to ascend as well.

“Wait! I'm coming with you!” Searing Wind called up, then leapt up in order to fly off with them.

“You're not welcome to join us,” Stern Wing said pretty tightly back to Searing Wind. “Where we are going is too dangerous for you.”

“Oh, come on! I can help!” Searing Wind requested. “You said that you once looked up to me. Well give me a chance to prove to you why I deserved that honor in the first place. Look, I know what I said to your boyfriend or whatever was wrong and I want a chance to make it up to you all. Besides, if it's a dangerous situation you are after, then I'm no slouch at it myself. I can hoofle danger. I was a former Wonderbolt! One of the best in the wings, in fact.”

“You were a Wonderbolt?” Vision asked in an admiring tone. “Hey! Good for you. You must have been pretty impressive.”

“Of course I'm impressive! That's what I do for a living,” Searing Wind bragged, then she noticed something. “Hey! Is that filly flying on mechanical wings?” She looked at Feather Wind. “I assume this is your doing since you can control the winds?”

“Confirmed,” Feather Wind called back with a polite tone.

“That's impressive! You can even send earth ponies to the sky! Who would have ever thunk it?” Searing Wind said in an impressed tone then took another bite of her green apple.

“Yeah. Imagine that,” Stern Wing said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. “Anyway, in regards to your offer, thanks but no thanks. I know it does not seem like it, but we've been through a lot together by now and we can hoofle ourselves. You'd only slow us down.”

“Slow you down? Hey!” Searing Wind cried in offense then suddenly zipped ahead of them, spun about and flew backwards in order to face them. “I was a Wonderbolt! One of the best! I can fly so fast I can create fire through shear friction in the air. You want to see?”

“No thank you.” Stern Wing waved her off. “I've seen your tricks before. Honestly, it was impressive when I was a foal, but I've seen many more impressive things since then.”

“Like your friend in the disappearing blue box?” Searing Wind inquired.

“To name one example,” Stern Wing returned.

“I can hoofle myself too!” Searing Wind insisted as she gestured to herself with both hooves, one of which still held what was left of her green apple. “I've been in danger lots of times. I'm not just an aerial acrobatic performer. I've saved lives too. Even your boyfriend, for crying out loud.” She gestured to him.

“That's true,” Feather Wind agreed.

“And I really want to make things right with you guys,” Searing Wind begged. “I've thought a lot about what you said to me on the last few days when I was still in the Bolts, and you were right. I was way out of line! I was being far too racist, and I didn't see that your boyfriend here really does have remarkable talent. After he quit the Academy, I feared it was my fault.” She regarded Feather Wind in concern. “Was it?”

“No.” Feather Wind shook his head. “I quit the Academy for my own reasons. There were lots of them all piled up. You were a small contributing factor, but the truth is I left because I wanted to. I left because I realized that wasn't my destiny. At the time I was still searching to find myself. I've made a lot of progress on that regard since then.”

“Well that's great!” Searing Wind cheered. “But it kind of sucks as well. I mean, you actually did have a lot of talent. I might have even felt a little jealous and threatened by you. I mean, you are a flying unicorn, and a really good one at that. You're flying right now even as we speak. The sky is your home too, and I should have been a big enough pony to admit that. I mean, there's plenty of room for us both up here. You can fly but also cast magic spells or whatever else it is that you do. I can't do that! It started to make me feel obsolete and I'm sorry I took it out on you. It wasn't your fault for just following your passion. I grew up with a family that always supported me and my beliefs. That's probably why I grew up so confident and later became a Wonderbolt, and a really good one at that, and yet I stomped all over your feelings for following the same dreams that I had, and that was wrong of me. I have to make it up to you. Please let me join you all!” Searing Wind begged.

“Look, if it helps, I will say this to you . . . I accept your apology,” Stern Wing expressed honestly. “It really is nice to hear that you've learned your lesson, and I'm touched that you're willing to help us to make up for it, but this issue is a matter of life and death! Puppet Master is one of the most dangerous villains out there. I've seen him slaughter an entire group of warrior-trained ponies in seconds. He has magic that can animate anything to do his bidding, even corpses. He draws upon powers so dark it can drive others insane just to be near him. We have had practice dealing with his kind at this point. You haven't. We're rejecting you for your own sake. Let us finish our business then you can make it up to us in some other way. Buy us a hay burger or something.”

“Why are you talking down to me like I'm some kind of rookie?” Searing Wind complained. “I'm one of the few ponies in the world that has been in actual danger multiple times. I fly towards danger while every other pony is galloping away from it, and I do it to save lives. I've done it before and I can do it again. What makes you so different from me now?”

“This equipment, for one thing,” Stern Wing pointed out. “You see this flashing armor I'm wearing?”

“Yeah? So? By the way, I still think it looks really awesome.”

“This armor is magical,” Stern Wing informed.

“Psh! Yeah! Ya think?” Searing Wind asked a bit sarcastically. “Well of course it's magical. That's pretty obvious. If you think I'm that much of a rookie for not noticing, then you have seriously underestimated me.”

“It does more than flash pretty colors,” Stern Wing further informed. “That really is just a side effect of it's main magical function and base material it's made from. This armor is enchanted with holy magic, and it just happens to be exactly the type we need to defeat Puppet Master once and for all. He is immune to normal weapons because his body is actually an animated corpse. His real essence lies in a dark gem somewhere inside of his body.”

“Whoa! That is impressive,” Searing Wind said in an impressed tone. “Okay, I've got to admit that is cool, but it still doesn't mean I'm useless. I may not be armed with nifty magical items like that, but I'm really fast when it comes to the sky and I can conjure fire. Is he immune to that too?”

“I doubt it,” Feather Wind admitted. “At least, that hasn't been tested yet.”

“At the very least I can serve as a distraction,” Searing Wind reasoned. “So come on. Let me in on the group.”

“If you join us, you will very likely die,” Vision warned.

“And if I stay here, I may live in body but I'll die in spirit,” Searing Wind said sadly. “My mistakes have been tearing me up inside, and I want a chance to make up for it once and for all. I think you met plenty of ponies by now who made mistakes and never felt sorry for them, but I do because I am not a bad pony! If you reject me now, then you're condemning me to wallow in a miserable fate. There are worse things than death, you know. If I'm meant to die, then I want my life, and my death, to serve some noble ends. Puppet Master has been tearing other ponies apart, sometimes literally. I need to stop this. I am a hero, darn it!” Searing Wind broke into tears a bit. “Feather Wind, you know what it's like to yearn to prove something to the world and to yourself. Well here I am! I'm in the same boat, here! I know I'm meant to do this. I can feel it! If you ignore me now, then I might never get my redemption, and I'm at risk in lashing out at others. If you abandon me, I will never forgive you!”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing glanced at each other, then at Vision who hadn't the ability to glance back.

“You will die,” Vision assured more firmly.

“It's not like any of us here are immortal anyway. Death is the fate of all of us eventually. What matters more is how we choose to live during our lives. Better to die a hero in pursuit of a noble cause than a villain wallowing in misery and lashing out at everypony,” Searing Wind assured. “I want to do this. I'm even willing to give my life to this cause. Let's just make sure that we also take that bastard down with us! Are you with me? More importantly, am I with you?”

Feather Wind and Stern Wing glanced at each other one final time, then they both sighed simultaneously.

“All right, Searing Wind. You can come if you really want to go this badly,” Stern Wing relented. “I just hope we don't have our victory over your corpse. Protecting others is a big deal to me, and I don't like it when others make that job harder.”

“For the last time, I'm not some rookie! I can take care of myself, and can even take care of you,” Searing Wind assured. “I am Searing Wind. I was born to fly, and I was born to fight.”

“Welcome aboard, then,” Feather Wind accepted with a little bit of lingering worry.

Still flying backwards in order to face them, Searing Wind asked, “So how are we supposed to find the villain anyway? Princess Celestia tried to have us track him down for years, but to no avail. He seems to strike out at random targets. There is no way to predict where he'll strike next.”

“But there is one place he keeps going to that isn't so random,” Vision brought up. “His lair.”

“He's got a lair? Seriously?!” Searing Wind questioned then rolled her eyes. “How cliché is that?”

“This will be just like that time we fought Plague back in his own lair,” Stern Wing said to her husband with a grin. “Good old times.”

“Huh?” Searing Wind looked confused.

“Long story,” Stern Wing told Searing Wind, then looked at Vision. “I assume you saw his lair in a vision, right? Where is it?”

“It is in Mania,” Vision reported. “His lair is in the abandoned town of Mania. More specifically, in an abandoned Foal's Hospital.”

“Mania? Hmm.” Searing Wind looked thoughtful. “Actually, I know where that is. It's an abandoned mining town. I think the mines dried up, but that's not the real reason it's abandoned. I heard a plague swept through that area and it was quarantined a long time ago. Have to be about ninety years ago.”

“Did any of the residents make it out?” Stern Wing asked hopefully.

“Only a few of them, from what I've read,” Feather Wind reported. “Most of the residents actually died in that town due to the sickness.”

“I bet you anything a place like that would have a lot of lingering negative energy,” Vision brought up.

“And I bet you the Dark King, or possibly yet another minion, was responsible for that plague,” Stern Wing guessed grimly.

“Was Toy Box one of the few ponies who survived that disaster?” Feather Wind asked Vision.

“Who is Toy Box?” Searing Wind asked.

“Toy Box was Puppet Master's original name,” Vision informed, “and yes, he did survive but he wished he hadn't. His grief drove him insane after the plague swept through. He lost somepony very precious to him in that attack.”

“I bet you anything it was his foal,” Stern Wing guessed sadly.

“The grief of a loss like that might destroy the mind of any father,” Feather Wind agreed. “In this case, the Dark King waited on that to capitalize on that advantage.”

“Hold on a second. Let me ask you all something first,” Searing Wind broached, then gestured to Vision. “Why are we listening to her, and why are we inviting a young foal into a serious battle? It doesn't even look like she can see at all.”

“She can see in ways you can only imagine,” Stern Wing assured.

“And besides, she's an oracle,” Feather Wind added. “Searing Wind, meet the real Vision. She was the one who came up with the prophetic dreams which she told her mother about who, in turn, warned Celestia.”

“No foolin'?” Searing Wind checked.

“Indeed. No foolin',” Feather Wind confirmed. “What's more, Vision is deadly when it comes to martial arts, and she also has expert medical knowledge, magic potions, and as for her eye implants . . . that one might take awhile to explain, but suffice it to say it is very useful.”

“Wow! Color me impressed!” Searing Wind exclaimed. “You're pretty tough for a little squirt, ain't cha?”

“Call me a squirt one more time and see what happens,” Vision menaced with an eerily calm voice.

“Hey, hey! I was just foolin' around! No hard feelings,” Searing Wind quickly apologized.

“So you know where Mania is?” Feather Wind asked Searing Wind. “I read about the history of the town, but I don't know where it is located geographically. I get the feeling that is on purpose.”

“Oh yeah. That place is totally haunted and a lot of ponies fear the plague might still exist in there,” Searing Wind informed.

“I doubt that such a plague could linger after ninety years of abandonment by anything living there but, if it did, I'm sure I can cleanse it,” Vision assured. “As for the haunting . . . we can take care of that too as soon as we cleanse one of the darkest sources of energy in that area, and finally send the other innocent souls in the area to their proper rest.”

“Well, if we're really going to do this, then follow me,” Searing Wind invited then finally spun about to fly forward and at a much faster rate. Feather Wind kicked up the winds for him and his friends to keep up with her.

xoxo

“Hold on! I figured something out!” Star Breeze realized. “The third member of your trio. It's Vision! You told me earlier there would be somepony like her. Here you are, a unicorn that acts like a pegasus, and mother is a pegasus that acts like an earth pony. The final corner of this triangle is Vision, the earth pony that acts like a unicorn with all her magical potions and psychic visions, sonic eyes and dimensional saddle bags then, eventually, teleporting through time and space at will. That is one heavily magical earth pony!”

“Bingo! Now you get a gold star!” Feather Wind complimented his daughter which caused her to giggle. “Anyway, back to the story. I have to warn you, this next part is pretty spooky, but we had everything well in hoof after everything we have been through.”

xoxo

“This is awesome!” Searing Wind said in an impressed tone as she looked at her crystal coat and mane. “How did you manage to learn a spell like this?”

“A good friend of mine taught me this,” Feather Wind said softly in a fond voice, then resumed in a more serious tone. “The crystal armor spell will not just help to guard you against physical attacks, but also the corruption of dark energy. Based on what I can tell from the looks of those clouds, I'd say the area we will land at is thick with dark energy so you will need that protection to keep your mind as well as your body safe.”

“Oh, totally,” Searing Wind agreed. “This place has always given me the chills every time I flew by it.”

“There is definitely a lot of negative energy here. I can feel it already,” Vision reported.

“Yeah, me too. I can sense it with the Red Crystal,” Feather Wind reported back.

“What about Stern Wing? Aren't you going to enchant her too?” Searing Wind asked back in concern since she was the only one without a glossy, crystal coat.

“Not necessary since I'm wearing this armor,” Stern Wing informed. “It is holy armor so it's weapon's injure evil to greater effect and the armor also guards me from wicked spells. It also gives me lots of energy. With this armor on, I have almost infinite endurance.”

“Sweet!” Searing Wind said in amazement. “Where did you find that puppy?”

“We didn't. I made it,” Feather Wind told Searing Wind then shrugged. “Although we were lucky to stumble upon the base material it is made from.”

“You did?” Searing Wind double checked in astonishment.

“I made this cloak as well, and you knew about that,” Feather Wind pointed out.

“And it is a sweet cloak too, don't get me wrong. I love the fact it keeps pouring over mist like that, but that armor is on a whole different level. I mean, look at it! It looks amazing! Horn on the head, bladed armor wings, blunt mace-like hooves, and then the enchantments. I had no idea you were such a skilled enchanter. You really are very talented, Feather Wind.”

“Thanks,” Feather Wind looked at his wife lovingly. “I made it with love.”

“I bet you did,” Searing Wind agreed, not really realizing how literal Feather Wind intended that statement to be. “Anyway, we're here.” Searing Wind dove down and the others followed suit.

The four of them landed together in an empty village that was covered in perpetual shadow. The clouds above never left, for they were drawn to the negative energy of this place. A depressive atmosphere clung to the air as well as a dreary sense of loneliness and misery. Various objects were scattered about the place, abandoned where they stood for almost a century. A lot of scattered objects and buildings were decayed and rusted. There was an eerie, oppressive silence that was occasionally broken by the sound of whistling wind, the sound of a wooden door banging open and shut, and ghostly foals laughing madly. There were also other scary sounds like a mother's wail in misery, likely crying over the corpse of a dead foal.

“Wow. Scary, much?” Searing Wind asked a little nervously as she glanced around.

“Which way to the Foal's Hospital?” Feather Wind asked Searing Wind seriously.

Searing Wind shrugged as she said, “Don't look at me. I never actually landed in this place before. Mostly I just sailed above the clouds, or flew around it entirely because this place has always given me the creeps! Looking at it closer is not helping, but don't worry! I'm not going to abandon ya! I got your flank!” Searing Wind assured confidently with a firm salute from her right wing to her forehead then yanked it forward.

“This way,” Vision said, her face aimed at a certain direction. “The negative energy is especially thick in this direction.”

“Actually, yeah. Come to think of it, I sense it too,” Feather Wind reported. “Let's take care of this.”

“Right!” Stern Wing said firmly.

“You ponies have come a long way, haven't you?” Searing Wind asked as she followed them. “Could be a trick of the light, but you even look physically older.”

They made their way to a large, rectangular building that had most of it's windows shattered. They passed a few rusted wheelchairs and decayed gurneys along their way into the building. Once they reached the entrance, only one of the doors clung to it, and just barely at that. It hung only on it's bottom hinge which had it tilted inwardly at a sharp angle, looking like it was about ready to fall along with it's sister door. Inside the building it smelled very dusty, and yet the floor was relatively clean except for some scattered papers, gauze and what looked like very old blood stains painted on the walls and floor. The moment they entered the hospital, the air felt even more oppressive in a terrifying way. If it weren't for their magical protections, it might have felt unbearable.

“Which way now?” Stern Wing asked firmly as she searched around cautiously.

“Somewhere below us, I think,” Vision said with uncertainty. “If so, we'll have to find our way to it.”

“Then let's go searching,” Feather Wind resolved as he ignited his horn with radiant silver light. He looked back and forth between two hallways, ignoring the front desk for the moment. Eventually he chose the right direction and said, “This way. Follow me. Everypony, stay close to me and the light.”

“I don't need the light,” Vision said calmly as she moved to follow.

“Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that,” Searing Wind mentioned. “You are blind, right? I don't mean to sound insensitive about it but, in this case, it's kinda a big deal right now. Somehow you seem to be trotting around rather confidently like you own the place. How is it you know where you are going?”

“Your yammering makes it easy to follow you,” Vision teased at first then assured, “Trust me, I have my ways.”

“She really does,” Feather Wind affirmed seriously. “However, her perception is limited only to a certain distance, usually about one-hundred feet. Beyond that she really is totally blind but, within that zone, she can see in ways you can't imagine.”

“For instance, I can see the bread crumbs in your mane,” Vision informed. “I can see your stomach acids churning. You had oats for breakfast.”

“Okay. Stop. You're starting to creep me out,” Searing Wind complained nervously.

“Even more than being in a Foal's Hospital with a psychopathic dark magic user who animates objects and corpses in order to convert them into puppets?” Stern Wing checked with Searing Wind.

“That's pretty creepy too, but notice the fact I am not galloping away,” Searing Wind pointed out. “I can hoofle that stuff because it's part of the enemy's territory. When I feel something is external from my inner circle, I feel I can face it head on. When my allies point out creepy stuff about themselves, however, it makes me feel like I also have to guard my flank from you ponies and I don't want to feel that way right now. I need to keep a cool and professional level head while we're in the middle of danger in order for me to do my best work.”

“She really is being very brave under these circumstances,” Stern Wing complimented to her companions.

“Shh!” Vision said as she stopped. “I hear something coming.”

“So do I,” Feather Wind agreed. “It's coming from up ahead. Everypony, guard yourselves.”

They waited for awhile while they heard a squeaking noise repeat over and over again and it drew steadily closer. It sounded like rusty metal in motion. Feather Wind beamed his horn even brighter in the forward direction, becoming more like a cone of light. Eventually they caught sight of an empty wheelchair pushing itself. After it rounded a corner, it paused for a moment then slowly turned to face them. There it paused again for a few seconds before suddenly rushing towards them. The wheelchair picked up more and more speed as it raced itself down the mostly empty hallway of the hospital.

Star Breeze shuddered. “Brrr! I just got the chills.”

Feather Wind focused his magic. The empty wheelchair got caught in a silvery magical aura. It was halted, then lifted off the ground, then crushed into one-third it's original size, then shot through the window to his left. Feather Wind whipped his head to his left in order to guide the spell with his horn.

“Nice one!” Searing Wind complimented. “Give me some hoof for that one.” She lifted a hoof diagonally up. Feather Wind chose not to leave her hanging on that one. He took a step back and gave her a high hoof bump.

“It might be boring if we let you hoofle all the problems with your magic,” Vision slightly complained. “I have a proposal. How about we take turns dealing with each problem as it comes along?”

“Sounds dangerous,” Stern Wing said in disapproval. “It seems unwise to deal with hostile situations like this without taking it seriously.”

“We are taking it seriously. We're playing a serious game,” Vision proposed. “We're all still here. If any of us get into too much trouble then the others can jump in at any time, but the pony facing that problem doesn't gain a point. Feather Wind hoofled that problem on his own so he scored a point. Is every pony here determined to let him keep his lead?”

“Are you challenging me?” Searing Wind asked.

“Yes. I am most definitely challenging you. All of you,” Vision confirmed.

“Geeze. You used to be so innocent,” Stern Wing recalled.

“Is that a no?” Vision checked.

Feather Wind looked at Stern Wing and shrugged. “If anything, it might lighten the tension a little. I would suggest we all remain prepared to act, but perhaps we can score some points while we're at it.”

Stern Wing sighed and shrugged. “Fine.”

“Are you being serious right now?” Star Breeze asked suspiciously.

Feather Wind chuckled a little bit then told his daughter, “Your mother, Vision and I have faced far worse on a daily and nightly basis as we marched our way up to The Dark Star. This was really nothing more than the same thing except we haven't the Crystal Heart barrier in the way to guard us that time. We were more than a little capable of hoofling a little bit of danger, so we saw no harm in a little bit of fun as long as we remained prepared to act at a moments notice. By making light of a dangerous situation, we also proved to it that we hadn't feared it. We'd only take it as seriously as we needed to.”

“Wow. I doubt I could have been that nonchalant in a spooky situation like that,” Star Breeze commented, “but then again, I haven't gone through what you did, at least not yet, so . . . continue.”

“Alright then,” Feather Wind said in the past. “Game on. Remember, I scored a point. Whose turn is it next?”

“Maybe we should see what we're facing next before we decide,” Stern Wing advised cautiously. “You can even take an extra turn if we all deem it necessary.”

“I guess I agree,” Vision said with a small sigh, “but, if we let him do that and he beats it, then he leads over us by two points.”

“So this is a challenge,” Searing Wind realized. “Alright, then. My kind of territory. Lead on, my friends. I can't wait for it to be my turn.”

They ventured on down the hallway. On the very next turn they made, they already met another hostile encounter. This time it looked like giant intestines hanging off the walls and spilling onto the floor. As they watched, it wiggled and moved like a slug then broke apart into tiny pieces. Those pieces picked themselves off the floor and stood upright. They very vaguely took the shape of bi-pedal little infants, and they definitely sounded like them. They made a little squeal of laughter that infants do when they are happy. Each piece waddled and drudged it's way towards the party very awkwardly, but there were hundreds of tiny pieces of baby-intestines making their way towards them.

“Okay. Whose turn is it?” Vision asked carelessly.

“Stand back, everypony! I got this!” Searing Wind said confidently.

“You sure?” Stern Wing checked.

“Yep! No problem, and hey! If I get into any unexpected problems then any of you ponies can leap in and help me.”

“Get cracking, then,” Vision commanded. “I don't want any of their icky filth touching my coat. I suspect clean water is not much accessible here.”

“I could probably conjure a rain cloud for you,” Feather Wind offered.

“Mmm. Maybe later,” Vision said back to Feather Wind.

Searing Wind took the lead then spread her stance wide. She cracked her neck left then right while she kept a narrow glare and a cocky smile on her lips towards the small approaching swarm. She also cracked her knees a bit as she bent them one by one, then she was finally ready to attack. She flapped her wings forward but not simultaneously. First she flapped one wing and then the other, then repeated the pattern faster and faster. Steadily she conjured a tiny tornado directly in front of her but, as it spun faster, it started to catch fire. As the tornado spun faster and faster, it also got hotter and hotter. Eventually satisfied (and the threat was drawing too close besides) she flapped both wings forward and launched her creation down the hallway. Not only did it sweep up the tiny minions but also incinerated them in the tiny flaming tornado. The flaming tornado continued about halfway down the hallway. By then, it more than doubly passed the threat and burned them all up. It also left a scorched streak on the floor.

“And that,” Searing Wind saluted in the direction of the incinerated threats with a wing, “is how it's done!”

“Nice!” Stern Wing cheered. “Give me some wing!”

Both mares raised their wings and gave a high slap twice, then Feather Wind approached and slapped her other wing with his own hoof twice. Vision followed suit.

“Okay then. Feather Wind and Searing Wind each have a point,” Vision announced. “We need a turn next, Stern Wing, or we'll fall behind.”

Right after Vision said that, something crashed through the wall to their right side if facing the direction they were traveling towards. This puppet had a rotting head of a stallion attached to his own moving spinal cord except it was unnaturally long. The spinal cord moved like a centipede. The head of the rotting stallion breathed a cloud of tiny, dirty medical needles at the group but Stern Wing blocked it with the crystal side of her right wing without even looking at it. When the attack of the creature was complete, Stern Wing grabbed the puppet's head and forced it down to the ground using the same wing she originally defended her friends with. From there, she stomped her right hoof that wore her enchanted prismatic armor. The skull shattered in one attack. Stern Wing even cracked the floor a bit.

“You were saying?” Stern Wing asked Vision smugly.

“Never mind. Point for you. Now I'm the only one left that needs it,” Vision calmly observed.

“You couldn't see it beyond that wall?” Feather Wind asked Vision doubtfully.

“I did,” Vision reported, “but it never moved until now. I couldn't distinguish it as a threat until it moved and, by then, it did it so fast that I had no time to warn you all.”

“In that case, potentially anything can spring upon us at any moment,” Searing Wind realized. “Oh, joy!”

“Puppet Master can potentially animate anything against us except maybe truly living matter like us,” Feather Wind reminded his friends. “Until we take him out, we have to remain prepared to defend ourselves from anything.”

“What good game lacks risks?” Vision asked.

“Point taken,” Searing Wind agreed.

“Oh wow!” Star Breeze exclaimed in the future. “I take back everything I said about her. This pony sounds awesome!”

“Yeah, she was pretty awesome,” her father agreed.

“Was?” Star Breeze checked in concern.

“Moving on,” Feather Wind said, deliberately ignoring her question.

“That.” Vision stopped and pointed at a painting of a mare on the wall who was wearing a white wedding dress and had a veil over her face. The painting was a little ahead of them. “That one is mine,” Vision declared then quickly pointed at Stern Wing, “and don't ask if I'm sure. I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't.”

“Ah . . . okay then,” Stern Wing agreed. “She's all yours.”

“Thank you.” Vision trotted over to the painting. “Now then . . . show me what you got.”

At first nothing happened, but then the eyes of the mare in the painting suddenly looked down at the little filly in front of it. After that the image turned monstrous and it seemed to stretch itself out of the painting. During that time, it made a monstrous roar. Vision's limbs were seized by several oily tentacles which was made of warped and stretched-out image the painting had before it moved. The fangs of the monster drew closer very slowly, intending to terrorize it's victim before biting her head off, but Vision calmly said, “Interesting,” then emitted a high pitched noise projected from her eyes. The creature immediately reeled in pain. As soon as it did that, Vision took a step back and yanked the painting off of the wall. It slammed into the other side of the hallway. Vision kept whipping it back and forth to keep it off balance, and meanwhile her sonic eyes continued to vibrate the creature which was building pressure which eventually resulted in it's explosion.

“Ah . . . what just happened?” Searing Wind asked in confusion.

“Feather Wind,” Vision commented as she moved to rejoin her friends while wiping off bits of the oily painting from her hide. Only after arrival did she finish her sentence. “About that offer for a rain cloud . . . I will accept one when this adventure is done.”

xoxo

“Okay, then,” Searing Wind remarked when they beheld their newest threat. “We got a swarm of baby heads on spindly little spider-like legs rushing towards us. What's our play, here?”

“How about all of us smash them this time?” Vision proposed. “Try to keep track of how many we smash. Whomever smashes the most gets three points, whomever smashes the second most gets two, then one, then zero. Oh, and ah . . .” she turned her head towards Feather Wind “. . . no magic.”

“Oh come on!” Feather Wind complained. “That's racist.”

“No, that's fair,” Vision countered. “If we let you use your magic, you could just scoop up the whole bunch and crush them against each other. Give the rest of us a chance, why don't ya. Tell you what, though. If any of us get injured later on, you get a point for each pony that you heal with your magic but only after the battle is done. Deal?”

Feather Wind sighed. “Fine, but you know I'm going to get the least points in the smash up. I'm the least athletic among you all, not to mention my small stature.”

“And you applied for the Wonderbolts. Psh!” Searing Wind rolled her eyes then competitively regarded Stern Wing, whom she thought was her greatest rival of this bunch. “You ready to smash up tiny little baby things?”

Stern Wing stretched her wings and legs then said, “You know it!”

“Okay then. We all charge them when I say go,” Searing Wind announced. “On your marks, get set . . . GO!”

The group charged ahead to the swarm of baby heads on spindly legs and proceeded to smash them any way they could, usually by hoof. The swarm was a little more dangerous than the group anticipated. Every single one of those madly laughing and giggling baby heads shot out a single diseased needle from their mouths. Stern Wing blocked most of the attacks aimed at her, Vision dodged or deflected the attacks, and Searing Wind got hit by a bunch of them but then she wised up after that attack and started blowing a bunch of the baby heads back using her wings. As for Feather Wind, he paused his charge when he saw the baby heads do that. The others were in the lead and he figured he would learn from them before engaging himself. What he saw made him realize it was unwise to engage these creatures himself and, besides, he felt pretty certain he'd lose the smash up anyway so he forfeited this round of the game by raising a force field around himself.

“Ah, cheater!” Vision called out to Feather Wind without looking back at him. Meanwhile she skillfully maneuvered among the baby heads and proceeded to smash them with blurring hooves raining destruction upon the swarm.

“Doesn't matter. I forfeit this match. Besides, I didn't use my magic to attack them. I only used it to defend myself,” Feather Wind called out. “At this point my best hope is to heal all the rest of you later, so go to town and smash as many as you want. I'll just clean up the damage later.”

“Ah, come on. Really?” Stern Wing complained as she, too, swept a bunch of them off their feet with powerful strokes of her wings. So great was that gust of wind that it smashed up some of the baby heads when they collided with either a wall or each other. “You don't know what your missing.”

“Yes, I do. I'm looking at it right now,” Feather Wind said as he sat down and calmly watched as some of the creepy baby heads started to crawl all over his tiny force field. “Besides, it seems pretty clear to me whose going to win this match.”

“Yeah! You know a winner when you see one!” Searing Wind bragged as her wing gusts smashed entire groups of baby heads against the wall. She did this to the left direction, then right, then left again, then both directions with both wings.

“Careful. They can also dangle on a web from the ceiling,” Feather Wind calmly observed as he looked up.

“These things just keep coming!” Stern Wing noted as she kept on smashing. “Vision, you do see an end to them, right?”

“Don't worry. They are limited,” Vision assured as she continued to tear through them rapidly.

“I wish I had a cup of tea,” Feather Wind said wistfully.

“Ask, and you shall receive,” Vision said then quickly tossed what look like a coconut at Feather Wind from one of her saddle bags. He caught it telekinetically then pulled it through his force field. Looking at it, he realized he could unscrew it. He proceeded to do so while keeping it level and discovered the coconut half full of liquid. “It is cold,” Vision reported. “I do have things that could heat it up but, for now, just use your magic.”

“Nah. It's fine.” Feather Wind sipped it, then his eyes lit with delight. “Wow. Excellent tea. What kind is it?”

“Ginger tea with mint extract,” Vision reported as she kept going in a constant blur of motion.

“We got a problem, or at least I do,” Searing Wind said, a bit winded. “I lost track of how many I smashed. How will we tally the victor later on?”

“Feather Wind, have you been keeping track?” Stern Wing asked back at her husband.

“Not really, no. Not that specifically,” Feather Wind said honestly then took another calm sip of his tea.

“I suppose we do have a problem, then,” Stern Wing agreed. “I've lost track of my kills as well.”

“We should have anticipated this problem,” Searing Wind said in a little annoyance then winced in pain. “Ow! Son of a biscuit! These things sting!”

“How many times did you get stung?” Vision asked as she kept on smashing.

“I don't know, but I don't feel so well,” Searing Wind said, looking more and more exhausted.

“Okay, that's enough, then. Feather Wind, clean up the rest,” Vision ordered.

“Yes Ma'am.” Feather Wind ignited his horn and did exactly what Vision feared he might do. He telekinetically grabbed the entire bunch and smashed them against each other, then dropped them on the ground as a smashed up, writhing and twitching ball.

Vision approached Searing Wind and touched her in a few places while her eyes made high pitched noise.

“What is that awful sound?” Searing Wind asked with a confused wince. “I know it's coming from you.”

“It's an implant on my eyes. It's a device that has all kinds of useful features that is sonic based,” Vision reported. “Now hold still. I want you to take a deep breath in and out. Breathe.” Searing Wind did so. Vision asked, “Stern Wing, how are you holding up?”

“I'm good,” Stern Wing answered. “I got stung a few times but it's having no apparent effect on me yet. I think this armor is protecting me from the worst of the effects.”

Vision picked up one of the many needles on the floor and aimed a sonic beam squarely at it, then she said, “These things are diseased.”

“Ew,” Stern Wing said with a wince of disgust. “Feather Wind, can you clean this up for us?”

“Sure thing.” Feather Wind lifted every needle he could find and chucked it into one of the adjacent rooms.

“Okay. I think I got just the thing.” Vision pulled out a corked tonic from one of her saddle bags and offered it to Searing Wing with a hoof. “Here. Drink this. It should clean up the disease and restore your strength.”

“Thank you.” Searing Wind swept up the tonic with a swipe of a wing. She was about to chuck it down while still holding it near the tip of her right wing but paused that motion when something occurred to her, then she looked back at her friends and asked with a grin, “Wait a second. Does that mean Vision gets the point for curing me?”

“Just drink the tonic. Doctor's orders,” Vision commanded.

“I suppose that would only be fair,” Stern Wing agreed. “Personally, I'm fine. Even if they managed to scratch me, I'd only regenerate from it.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Searing Wind asked curiously after she drunk the tonic.

“It's . . . complicated,” Stern Wing said dismissively.

“So who won, do you think?” asked Searing Wind to the whole group.

“I think you did, but you got stung too many times for it so minus one point,” Vision figured. “That still gives you two points.”

“Sweet,” Searing Wind accepted.

“We might have tied. How about one point each?” Vision proposed to Stern Wing.

Stern Wing shrugged. “That sounds fair, though you still get two points because you also healed Searing Wind,” she then gave a smug smile and narrow-eyed look back at her husband, “and no points for you. You used magic and you didn't heal anypony either.”

“I knew I was doomed this round the moment she said no magic,” Feather Wind said with a sigh. “Oh well. At least I got delicious tea out of it. Who is really the winner then? Huh? Think about it.”

Stern Wing laughed merrily.

xoxo

“Okay then. Let's see what we got here.” Searing Wind appraised the room they apparently had to cross to get to a door that led to a lower floor. “We got a cold storage room full of rusty chains hanging from the ceiling with rusty hooks at the end of them and one of these hooks has a torn upper half of a stallion hanging on it. Yeeeeeeaaaaah! Those chains are totally not going to animate and attack us as soon as we cross to . . . mmm . . . I'd say about the center of this room.”

“Nor will that torn pony corpse later animate and attack us either,” Stern Wing added casually.

“Yeah . . . No,” Vision said simply then moved a few feet to the side of that room. From there she focused at the wall and beamed an invisible but not inaudible sonic ray continuously at it.

“What are you doing?” Searing Wind asked the younger filly curiously.

“Being smart and bypassing this obvious trap,” Vision answered.

“Oh COME ON!” cried the corpse in the frozen locker room in exasperation.

“Sorry, Buddy. Not today,” Searing Wind apologized to the corpse. “We kind of like living so . . . you understand, don't you?”

“Yeah, I guess,” the torn pony said with a depressed sigh as he swung on the rusty hook on a chain.

Stern Wing blinked when something occurred to her, then she regarded Vision as she asked the younger filly, “Since you're using your sonic eyes to bypass this room by damaging the wall, couldn't you have done that to the floor to get below this whole time?”

“Maybe but it would have taken extraordinary work and time until we reached above one of the lower tunnels first. Until then, I'd have to tear through solid concrete inch by inch until we reached the empty tunnels. Besides, I kind of think it was fun to tear our way through a bunch of baddies until we made it to this position.”

Having weakened the structural integrity of the wall enough with her sonic vibration, Vision finished the job with a straight forward punch of a hoof. Cracks spread along the wall more and more until the wall finally shattered. Once that was done, she rubbed her hooves against each other to grind off the lingering amounts of dust then gestured to the new opening with a graceful flourish. “Thy new entrance awaits us.”

“Let's go, then,” Stern Wing accepted then she and Searing Wind made their way through the new entrance.

Feather Wind paused for a moment as he looked back at the torn corpse of the pony inside the cold room, then he told it, “I will be back to bury you properly as soon as I'm finished with your master.”

“You promise?” the corpse asked with an evil grin.

“Yes. I do,” Feather Wind said completely seriously before moving on without another word or glance back.

xoxo

Unlike the upper floor, the lower floor of the Foal's Hospital absolutely required light for the intrepid adventurers, except for Vision. This level of the hospital was where most of the plumbing was. In a way, it was essentially the sewers of the hospital. Normally it would be clean down there because all the sewage should have remained in the pipes, but they leaked over the many years. There was also a lot of steam in those tunnels so, even with Feather Wind's horn light, their vision was still somewhat obstructed.

The dark aura felt even more oppressive down here, threatening to choke the life out of them. That was a good sign they were drawing closer to their main objective.

“Can we all agree to give the game a rest, now?” Stern Wing asked a bit nervously. “We are aware what kind of an opponent we're dealing with, right?”

“I tend to agree,” Searing Wind put in. “I don't like how much hot steam is down here, and there is just something not right about this place. Something . . . chilling.”

“It would have been far worse without the crystal armor,” Feather Wind informed.

“Which reminds me, how did the needles penetrate the crystal armor earlier?” Stern Wing wondered aloud.

“Doubtless it really did protect her from most of the projectiles,” Feather Wind suspected, “but there was just so many of them that some of them got through by chance.”

“Okay then. Game faces on, ponies,” Vision instructed. “Let's do this.”

They ventured down into the dark, hot and steamy tunnels. As they did so, there was an intense sense of confinement as they traveled. It made the walls feel a lot closer than they actually were. Sometimes they saw ghastly shadows reflecting off the mist or off the corner of their eyes. They also heard the sound of distant foals laughing. It echoed around the tight hallways, confusing their senses as to where the noise actually came from.

“They're baaaaaaack!” came the voice of a ghostly foal, then another said, “Don't gallop away!” “Yeah, we want to play with you!” “We can see in the dark, and you will too!” “Balloons! I want to float like a balloon!”

“Geeze! Creepy much?” Searing Wind asked with false bravado.

“This is exactly what he was like last time we encountered him,” Stern Wing said with a firm voice, “but, this time, we're prepared to face the bastard.”

“The Dark King hungers!” said another foal voice. “We have all become dolls, and you will look so pretty when you do too!”

“Ignore the voices. They are just an illusion,” Feather Wind instructed then explained. “It's just a scare tactic to get inside our heads.”

“Yeah, I've learned to deal with this long enough to learn how to sleep through this,” Stern Wing said in a tone that bordered on boredom. “Still isn't my preferred lullaby, but at least I can tolerate it if I have to.”

They ventured on, winding around corners and wading through jets of steam which Feather Wind blocked with a temporary force field. They trotted on, not encountering any direct threats to them physically (except for the occasional hot steam vents) until they reached a gigantic chamber that was actually an entirely different terrain. Instead of looking artificial, it looked more like a cave structure except there were piles upon piles of toys spread about the giant chamber.

“And we're here,” Vision announced simply then pointed at one of the many mountains of toys surrounding them. “The final boss of this dungeon is hiding within there. I can sense his evil crystal within it.”

“Welcome!” boomed a voice all around them which was familiar to three of them. “The Dark King welcomes you to his presence, and he senses a great stain in his halls. Blasphemers! Dirty, rotten blasphemers! How dare you bring that crystal to these sacred halls.”

“Oh. So you know what I have brought with me,” Feather Wind observed. “Good, then you know we are prepared to face you this time.”

Insane laughter echoed all around them. Not just from Puppet Master, but also between many ghostly foals. Around that time, one of the pile of toys began to move. Puppet Master's head emerged from that giant pile of toys. They saw that familiar black, oil dripping coat of a stallion with black, flaming mane and tiny red eyes which zipped about randomly. Sometimes he twitched spasmodically. He just continued to laugh. While that happened, the volume picked up as the echoes of laughter around them intensified more and more.

Just then Feather Wind suddenly understood something profound. Puppet Master, and by extension his earlier incarnation as Toy Box, extended from the branch of the Tree of Harmony that led into laughter, but it became dark and corrupted. He was the Dark Element of Laughter. Puppet Master actually had a lot in common with Pinkie Pie if she had become a villain. Feather Wind remembered times when Pinkie Pie's eyes suddenly grew small then shift in opposite directions seemingly at random when in mid conversation with her, clearly demonstrating she was not entirely right in the head, but while her laughter was filled with life, joy and hope, Puppet Master's laughter inspired fear, insanity, and despair. By directly comparing them to each other, there weren't too many differences on the surface. He was what she could have become if she were born a unicorn and suffered from the same tragedy.

Since the laughter was clearly intended as a magical and psychological attack, Vision countered it with a high pitched whine from her sonic eyes that canceled out the sound of the psychic attack. She maintained it only for as long as Puppet Master did. When he stopped, he slowly withdrew his head back into the pile of toys.

“Oh no you DON'T!” Feather Wind cried out in defiance then used his horn to telekinetically yank Puppet Master out of the pile of toys, and it worked. He landed in a heap then crawled back up on his hooves with highly unnatural and twitchy movement, bending and contorting in ways that would have killed or at least severely injured living ponies, then the sides of his torso opened and a bunch of spider-like legs crawled out from them, each one armed with weapons at the tips which included, but were not limited to the following; drills, buzz saws, needles, spinning ball of spikes, and chain saws.

“Now I see how he dealt with those guards in the hallway,” Stern Wing remarked.

“Twist in agony!” Puppet Master called as he lifted his horn an it ignited with purple/black energy. “Rest in pain!”

All at once, many parts of the mountain of toys around then glowed with purple/black energy.

“Uh-oh!” Stern Wing said nervously.

“What?” Searing Wind called in the same tone.

“He's animating the toys,” Stern Wing informed. “Vision, can you halt it?”

“Not all at once,” Vision said back. “Not even the Doctor could, if you recall.”

“Right.” Stern Wing did recall now that Vision mentioned it.

Puppet Master lifted off the ground as several of his spider-like legs pushed him off the ground. He lifted higher and higher, far higher than his observers would have expected. His many spider-like limbs, aside from the ones which held him up, bent inward menacingly at the intruders in front of him. While that happened, he laughed constantly and his tiny red eyes kept whirling randomly about.

A giant torn up teddy bear emerged from the pile of toys. The left side toward it's rib area was torn open which revealed a twitching metal claw beneath the rib cage area. It's right arm was replaced with a chain saw. It's left eye dangled lower on it's face. It repeated the word, “Mama” over and over again with an infant, high pitched voice. It waddled it's way to the adventurers except it did it with startling speed.

“I don't think so!” Feather Wind cried out then blasted the teddy bear back with a strong blast of wind and a focused horn beam.

More toys crawled at them from all around them. Searing Wind took off to try to deal with some of them, especially the ones dropping from above. Vision chopped and kicked any that got too close to Feather Wind while Feather Wind chucked huge piles of toys back and forth telekinetically, using the toys against themselves. As for Stern Wing, she flew straight at the primary enemy but was met with a bunch of limbs flying at her that she had to block with the back of her wings. It was hard to maintain her height with neither wing flapping so she fell but then dove down then curved up to uppercut Puppet Master and she did it with enhanced strength. Immediately his head flew off but he did not stop moving, and neither did she. Bringing both hooves together, she smashed into his torso and sent it crashing to the ground. From there it crawled like a snake with intense sudden speed like she had observed when he had charged down the hallway using tiny steps but still moved five times faster than any horse could gallop. He did this to dive back into one of the many huge piles of toys.

“NO!” Stern Wing screamed then dove towards the pile of toys but was met with dozens upon dozens of surprise weapons springing at her, including poisonous gasses and jets of flame. It was too much at once so she tumbled away to safety and defended herself with the back of her crystal wings.

The rest of Stern Wing's companions fared little better. It seemed every single toy inside this room was weaponized with some kind of hidden surprise and it was different every single time so no pony could accurately predict how they would be attacked each time.

“Where is he?” Stern Wing demanded to know.

“He keeps moving around,” Vision reported quickly.

A giant toy of a monkey with crazed eyes and a pair of cymbals in each hand suddenly landed in front of Stern Wing then attempted to smash her between the cymbals. At first it succeeded but she pushed it back as her body flowed with moving energy traveling down her veins. She then ripped off both cymbals and used them to smash the toy monkey to pieces.

The cave briefly lit up a lot further as a roar of fire soared overhead. Feather Wind and Stern Wing thought it was an attack at first, but it turned out Searing Wind shot a jet of flaming gust of wind at a bunch of piles of toys that were dropping from the ceiling and neutralized them before they hit the ground.

Then one of the giant pile of toys moved all at once and shaped itself into several limbs. A head roughly the shape of a horse formed above the pile that had red whirling eyes. Puppet Master was still laughing madly as he swung a huge pile of toys extending from a makeshift limb crashing down onto Stern Wing. In response, she flared with energy crawling down her veins then leapt up hard enough to make a crater where she leapt from. She shot right through the giant pile of toys configured into an arm and caused it to explode.

“FEATHER WIND, GIVE ME A BOOST!” Stern Wing screamed out as she dove at the giant mountain of toys from above.

“Aim her at the center,” Vision advised.

“I see it!” Feather Wind concentrated and created a blast of wind behind Stern Wing that shot her into the mountain of toys like a cannon ball. The mountain of toys exploded apart, spreading it's toys, some now in shambles, scattering in various directions. Unfortunately Stern Wing also hit her head hard on the other side and it momentarily dazed her, but the smaller body of Puppet Master was successfully dislodged from the larger pile of toys. From the ground, Puppet Master reached it's limbs up, over and around itself then pushed itself up off the ground with the belly of it's torso aiming upward.

“I got him!” Searing Wind called out as she dove at the headless torso, knowing she had to stop him soon before he dove back into another giant pile of toys.

“Wait!” Feather Wind called out. That was the only thing he had time to say.

Searing Wind did not quite make it to her target before one of it's spider-like limbs shot at and right through her, suspending her in mid air for a moment as blood oozed down the limb. Her eyes grew small in shock at this. A moment later that limb went straight down in order to smash her down into the ground then lift her up and smash her to the ground again over and over again until, finally, she started flapping to resist it's lift.

“You got me,” Searing Wind admitted in defeat, then grabbed the limb herself. “but I got you too!”

Sure enough, the limb tried to withdraw itself but she held on to it stubbornly even as more blood spilled out of her.

“GET HIM NOW!” Searing Wind screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Project me,” Vision requested. “I know where to attack.”

Not only did Feather Wind cooperate with that request, he also created a crystal sword for her in mid air as he telekinetically thrust her up, over then down at the main torso of Puppet Master. Focusing on her empathic senses, Vision aimed her new red crystal sword stabbing downward to where she sensed the dark energy was strongest which pierced straight through the dark crystal.

With that accomplished the body froze, jolted spasmodically, then dropped to the ground. At the same time, all of the other animated toys in the room also dropped to the ground.

Vision back-flipped off of Puppet Master's body just before a giant column of black magical energy exploded from and engulfed around his body as the huge amount of negative energy the gem had gathered started pouring out all at once.

Stern Wing recovered her senses soon enough to witness this. She flew back and spread a wing in front of Vision protectively just in case. Meanwhile, Feather Wind chopped down at the limb extending into Searing Wind to cut that off from the base of the body.

The black column of energy continued to erupt for about eight seconds before thinning out, then a black, shadowy wraith the rough shape of a horse crawled out of the body and started floating above it.

“Your name is Toy Box,” Vision called up to the shadowy specter. “Remember who you are. It's time to wake up from this nightmare.”

Vision reached back into her saddle bag and pulled out a toy teddy bear. This one was intact, and it was one of intense sentimental value to him because this particular one he made for his sickly daughter who kept having to come to the Foal's Hospital. Upon seeing that toy, the red eyes of Puppet Master expanded into normal size blue eyes. He bent over to scoop up the toy that she offered. He continued to examine it, then hugged it to his chest. As he did so, color started to flood his body, in this case it was a baby blue coat with azure blue mane.

“That's right,” the blue specter said. “My name is Toy Box. How could I have forgotten? I love making toys for foals. I love to see their smiles brighten their day. I love to cheer up sickly and injured foals. This . . . is who I am.” He started to drift upwards. From above he called down, “Thank you! Thank you all!” He then looked up and apparently saw something that excited him. He then bounced up and down exactly like Pinkie Pie often would, except he was floating in the air and steadily drifting upwards. The more he ascended, the more he faded away.

{Now, as a note of explanation to help cover a plot hole at this point, I later asked Vision why she didn't just present the toy in the first place and save us the trouble of having to fight him. She told me that, while his soul was trapped inside the dark gem, it also warped his perception of reality in order to keep him loyal to the Dark King but, after the gem was destroyed, he was finally able to view reality around him without a perception filter, and this particular toy was necessary to trigger certain memories within him that would help wake him up from his otherwise perpetual nightmare. Vision didn't explain how she knew all of this. I just assumed it had something to do with either a psychic vision of hers or just an intuitive sense.}

“Where did you get that toy?” Stern Wing asked Vision with wonder.

“It's a little something I scooped up from the past,” Vision answered.

“So, it's finally done. Good.” Searing Wind collapsed to the ground and had strong trouble breathing. She kept coughing out blood, and it also poured from her chest.

Feather Wind, Stern Wing and Vision all gathered around the dying Searing Wind.

“Can either of you save her?” Stern Wing asked hopefully.

Vision did a sonic scan of Searing Wind, then sighed as she lowered and shook her head. “The limb punctured through several major arteries and valves around her heart. The internal bleeding is massive. There is nothing I can do in time to save her.”

“It's . . . okay,” Searing Wind said weakly. “I got to be a hero . . . one last time. We saved him, and we saved everypony he would have killed.” She coughed again but far more weakly this time. “I am sorry . . . for all the pain I caused you, Feather Wind. You truly are a gifted unicorn. You all are gifted,” she added as she viewed the rest. “I guess I was the weak link after all, but I still have no regrets.”

“You were amazing, Searing Wind,” Stern Wing said with tears in her eyes. “Wait for us on the other side, and we'll gladly join you on your next adventure.”

“I'd like that,” Searing Wind agreed as she grew so tired she didn't even feel pain anymore. “Goodbeh . . .” She faded away.

Star Breeze was in tears too.

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Dark Element of Laughter

Chapter Twenty Eight: Shadows of the Dark King

“So what's our play here?” Stern Wing checked with her husband while they both waited in front of Princess Celestia's palace. During this time she and her husband sat on a comfortable cloud that had a rough shape of a bean bag chair which hovered just a bit off the ground. For Vision, Feather Wind conjured a crystal bench which she laid on it lazily with her back across the entire bench while idly waving the tip of her hoof back and forth above her head as if listening to some song in her head. Meanwhile passerby going in and out of the palace gave them curious looks since they were not familiar with furniture in this area. It was out of the way, though, so Feather Wind kind of thought he might leave the crystal bench there as a permanent fixture. “Aren't we going to hit the Dark King next?”

“After this,” Feather Wind answered. “First, I think, we should square up with Celestia. I know it's been a long time, but the last time I had seen her in this timeline was about twenty years ago for me and around eight and change for her. Back then, she ordered me to not talk about Puppet Master, and not to face him. Well, we faced him and took care of the problem. I think she should know that, and I need to apologize to her for defying one of her orders.”

“Two of her orders,” Vision corrected from the nearby crystal bench. “Searing Wind overheard us talking about him. Way to keep a secret there, Buddy.”

The mention of Searing Wind depressed both Feather Wind and Stern Wing, but Vision remained calmly neutral.

“We really should have been more discreet about that,” Stern Wing said with regret, “but we were dumped off in the middle of a busy street. That alone drew some attention.”

“That's another thing I need to tell her,” Feather Wind said remorsefully. “I need to let her know what happened to Searing Wind.”

“I'm not arguing against that, but I'm curious about the timing,” Stern Wing wondered. “Last time we started here then we rushed off to face and defeat . . . um . . . you-know-who,” she said with a careful glance at some of the passerbyes. “If we went that far, why not finish the job and then come back and fill her in on all the details?” Her husband was silent for awhile, so she pressed, “Feather Wind?”

“I . . . don't know exactly. It's a hunch, but it seems to me Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were both familiar with Sombra when they met each other in the ancient past.” Feather Wind's eyes shifted to his wife while keeping his face directed forward. “Both princesses were really reserved against him when I first saw them interact with his past time clone. I even think both princesses faced off against him at one time, and I vaguely recall my uncle mentioning something like that to me back when I was a foal. Conversely, Sombra's past time clone didn't seem as familiar with them, so I don't think he faced off against them in his timeline yet, and why would he? Back then, he wasn't fully corrupted yet. I suspect they actually had met each other but on more amicable terms until Sombra turned more fully to darkness. If not that, then he was at least familiar with them from a distance because they were famous celebrities.”

“In that case, another reason we're here is to gather some intel on King Sombra,” Stern Wing figured.

“You saw how formidable he was as our friend in the past,” Feather Wind reminded Stern Wing. “Well, I think Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have had experience dealing with him as an enemy and is therefore more familiar with his tricks, and I actually do think the Dark King pulled off tricks that his more innocent self would be unable or unwilling to do. In that case, a heads up could give us a tactical warning. In this time period, though, only one of those two princesses are available to talk to.”

“And we can't tell her that her sister will be freed in the future either,” Vision instructed. “Her future must be left for her to resolve.”

“You're one to talk about the future,” Feather Wind said back to Vision.

“I gave her little tidbits here and there and she chose what to do with that information,” Vision informed back. “Talking about the future of her sister is pretty blatant information though. Besides, don't we have the book from my future self for that stuff?”

“That's another thing,” Feather Wind recalled as he looked back at his wife. “I promised future Vision that I'd pass Celestia that book.”

“Kind of wish she said goodbye to me too,” Stern Wing lamented with a frown. “We've been through a lot together too. In fact, by then I had even more experience with her than you. I spent two extra years with her as she helped me meditate and calm down so I could master this new power of mine.”

“I'm sure you know how she felt about you, then,” Feather Wind said in a way of comfort. “She didn't have to tell both of us to deliver the book and, at the time, she was being discreet because she knew her past self was in the area.”

“Which is basically pointless because I ended up finding out anyway from you ponies right now,” Vision complained. She rested a hoof on her forehead. “So there's a note to self. Make a book called, 'Predictions and Prophecies', and make sure I pass it off to Feather Wind, not Stern Wing. Thanks guys! Anything else you want to tell me about my future self so I won't have to deal with any more annoying surprises?”

“She gave me a million bits,” Stern Wing joked.

“Which was probably won in a gambling game which she foresaw the outcome to,” Vision joked evenly. “Done and done. I'll cheat to win great fortune then pass off the million bits to you sometime in the future.”

“Sounds great,” Stern Wing half-joked.

“Excuse me,” a royal Canterlot guard dressed in golden armor broached as he approached them then gave a small bow to them, “the Princess is ready to see you all now.”

“Very well.” Feather Wind pushed himself off of his cloud bean bag. After he noticed his wife do the same, he blew a wind at it and it evaporated both clouds to clean up the mess behind them. As the three of them trotted after the guard, Feather Wind asked back at his wife, “By the way, isn't this the first time you met the Princess in this timeline in person?”

“Yes it is,” Stern Wing answered.

“Then, after this meeting, Feather Wind will have two points and the two of us will have one,” Vision joked. “Despite the messages I passed on to her through my mother, this is actually my first time meeting the Princess in this timeline too.”

From the lead, the royal Canterlot guard passed them a strange look for mentioning the word 'timeline' twice in his presence.

xoxo

{According to my perception, pretty much nothing had changed since the last time I visited the Princess in her royal throne room. Even the guards looked the same and they stood in the same places I remember them initially and in the same poses, and I even had a hunch that they were about to be dismissed just like last time. It made me feel like I was repeating time. This was the first time for your mother and Vision, however, so I kept glancing back at them to observe their reaction, and yeah . . . your mother was looking about in delight. Even the scent in the air was distinct and I remember her breathing it in deeply. Obviously Vision was not enjoying the “scenery” in quite the same way as your mother and I.}

“I got your message that you have returned to Canterlot after being absent from it for awhile,” Princess Celestia put forward to break the ice in this conversation while she sat at and observed them from her throne. “In your message sent via the wind, you said you had some urgent news for me. Well, I am listening.”

“Before I get into that, I want to apologize for startling you with the message sent to you prior to this one,” Feather Wind told the princess in an apologetic tone. “It is my understanding that it came to you violently during a very private moment of yours and shattered your nearby windows.”

“Oh!” Celestia looked a little taken aback by Feather Wind's awareness of that fact, then she smiled at him and waved a hoof at him. “No need to apologize. I'm glad you informed me about the emergency.” Her look shifted to one of concern. “I assume this meeting has something to do with that? Did you save the oracle?”

“Indeed I have, your Highness. She's right here,” Feather Wind gestured to Vision standing beside him who blindly waved in the Princess's general direction in response to that introduction. “As for the reason for this meeting, however, I can sum it up in two words, although I suspect you will welcome an elaboration, and the two words is this: The Doctor.”

For the second time in a few seconds, the Princess again looked taken aback, but it was shortly followed by a knowing look. She looked about at her guards then clomped her fore hooves together to gather their attention. Once she had it, she gestured for them to leave. This time they did not question her but, as they passed the visiting trio, Feather Wind distinctly heard one of those guards ask another, “Isn't that the same colt she dismissed us for last time?” In response, another guard answered, “Yeah, I think it is. I wonder what's going on that is so secretive that they keep on needing privacy for these meetings every single time.”

(Wow! Good memory, guys!) Feather Wind mentally commended them as he watched them leave with an impressed expression on his face.

Once the guards fully departed, Feather Wind expected the real conversation to begin at that point, but Princess Celestia actually surprised him by getting off her throne, trotted around it, then she vanished from sight behind it. Briefly there was a jingling sound and golden glow behind the throne, both signs indicative to the use of her magic. Seconds later, Feather Wind was really caught off guard when he noticed her throne start to slide to the right direction if facing towards it's audience. Princess Celestia gradually returned into view of the three of them (well, really in “view” of two of them) as her own throne got out of the way.

“You three, come with me,” Princess Celestia ordered as she started to trot down a secret passage beneath her throne. Feather Wind and Stern Wing glanced at each other, bewildered. This was a very unexpected reaction on Celestia's part. Shrugging simultaneously, Feather Wind and Stern Wing took off to follow. Vision followed closely behind. Once they arrived at where the throne was, they saw stairs leading somewhere below into the dark except they could see Princess Celestia's long horn glow golden. As they trotted down into the dark, Feather Wind also ignited his own horn with a silvery light to give his wife and himself even more light to work with. The passageway was narrow enough to force them to travel one by one, so Feather Wind took the lead followed by Stern Wing and then Vision.

“I didn't know you had a secret passage down here, Princess Celestia,” Stern Wing remarked in surprise.

“Wouldn't be much of a secret if every pony knew, now would it?” Princess Celestia said back in a tone of amusement, but her next sentences was a good deal more serious. While she spoke, she continued to trot ahead of them down the spiraling staircase. “I have lived long enough to know why certain secrets are necessary to protect. It is often for the peace of mind for my subjects, and sometimes it is also for their safety. In this case, I erected this secret passageway as a tactical defense in case my palace ever gets invaded. There are plenty of other secret passageway's and hidden rooms in this palace which I won't go into detail until I have to, but I feel that this one is appropriate to reveal at the moment because of something that is contained within it. I'm sure you three are guarding secrets of your own from me too. You've traveled through time, after all.”

“Which is what, if I may ask, Princess?” Feather Wind inquired. “The secret that's down here, I mean.”

“I'll show you soon enough,” Celestia assured from the lead.

Eventually the four of them reached the bottom which led to a gray brick, hemispherical tunnel. Once Celestia reached the bottom, she waited there with a look back over her left shoulder, waiting for the others to catch up. As soon as they did, her horn ignited brighter. Seconds later several lamps down the hallway lit themselves up one by one and, with each one that lit, it traveled further and further away from the group. At that point the alicorn and unicorn of the party no longer needed their own horn's to light the way for the rest of the party. Notably, the magical lanterns down the tunnel lit with the same golden aura as the Princess herself.

“This way. Follow me,” Princess Celestia bade then proceeded down the tunnel. Her companions followed suit.

“You didn't seem too surprised when we mentioned the name of the Doctor,” Stern Wing noted as she followed the Princess down the hallway. “Of course, we knew that. He told us he had several adventures with you, but you never accompanied him on the Tardis.”

“That's right,” Princess Celestia said simply as she continued to trot on and did not look back while she did it, instead remaining focused on her destination. “As an immortal, I did not see a need to time travel with him in his contraption. Aside from that, I gained an impression that traveling in the company of other immortals like himself makes him uncomfortable for some reason.”

“I think it's more than that,” Feather Wind theorized. “I think the Doctor told you sometime in the past that this meeting will occur, and what it's all about.”

“Astute as ever, my friend,” Celestia commended in a friendly tone but still without looking back. “Yes. I had known this meeting would occur even before you were born. Because of that, I kept occasional tabs on you but without trying to interfere with your life. There were some surprises for me as I had observed you growing up over the years. For instance, the Doctor did not inform me that you would be the first flying unicorn or that you would join the Wonderbolt Academy. I'm curious what inspired you to do that. Was it the fact that you got saved by them personally?”

“That's only part of it,” Feather Wind answered. “I did feel grateful to them for saving my life and the lives of those beloved ponies that virtually adopted me into their family, but a better explanation why I joined them after that is because I more fully learned what they represented. I knew for sure, ever since then, that they were not just performance troops but real heroes. I also joined them in the hopes that I would one day help them confront and defeat Puppet Master once and for all. I never told anypony else that last bit until now, your Majesty. Oh.” Feather Wind was suddenly depressed as he recalled something. “Which reminds me, I regret to inform you that the one who saved me on that night, and one of the greatest fliers of the Wonderbolts, Searing Wind, has sadly passed away.”

Hearing that made Celestia pause from the lead. She stood still for a few seconds then glanced silently back over her shoulder at Feather Wind for a more elaborate explanation on that point.

“It's our fault, Princess,” Stern Wing said with regret. “She overheard us talk about Puppet Master shortly after we arrived back in this time period. Moreover, because of a disagreement we had with each other in the past that made her feel guilty over something, she felt determined to make it up to us and help us defeat Puppet Master. We succeeded, but at the cost of her own life. He impaled her with one of his many spider-like limbs extending from his toy body but, once that happened, she grasped that limb to prevent him from fleeing. That allowed Vision here to deal the final blow against his black crystal, and my husband here gave her a boost as well as provided her the means to finish him off.”

“It's fair to say it was a team effort,” Vision added. “He would have still been hiding in that giant pile of toys if you hadn't forced him out which gave us the limited opportunity to finish him off.”

“She was a hero all the way to the end, and I rarely encountered a pony as brave or as skilled as her and, after all that I've seen while traveling with the Doctor, that's saying a lot,” Feather Wind said in her tribute. “It's actually possible we would have failed against Puppet Master if it were not for her brave sacrifice. She helped guide us to the town where he hid, and she helped us secure him from fleeing so we could deal the final blow against him.”

“This was her land too, and she loved it dearly,” Stern Wing said. “She was willing to fight for it to the bitter end.”

“I warned her she would die if she accompanied us,” Vision reminded, “but it is quite possible that it is worth the death of the body if it meant the flourishing life of the spirit. Her soul is moving on to great wonders and adventures even as we speak.”

“And probably being pretty awesome while she's at it,” Stern Wing said fondly.

“That is quite likely,” Vision said in a neutral tone.

“Her family will have to be informed of the tragic news, then,” Celestia realized from the lead as she looked forward again. “I'll do it. I'll even do it in person. To prevent a panic, I can't be completely honest with them about the exact circumstances of her death, but I will inform them she died as she lived . . . as a hero of Equestria.” Following that statement, Celestia resumed her course.

“But I feel responsible. I'd like to tell them,” Stern Wing requested as she resumed following the Princess.

“No, Stern Wing,” Celestia said with a slightly firm but also sympathetic look back to Stern Wing with one eye back to the mare, the other eye covered by her rainbow flowing mane. “I believe, in this case, it will be more meaningful to her family if I visit them in person. They don't know you, but just about every pony in Equestria knows and trusts me.” Celestia looked forward again. “I have had centuries of experience delivering all kinds of news to my subjects, including issues like this one. I believe I stand the best chance to ease their burden. If you still want to talk to them, give them some time to work through their grief on their own for at least a couple of months. If you still feel compelled to talk to them after that, then you are welcome to do so. Until then, this is a private family affair.”

“I think she has a point,” Feather Wind agreed with Celestia. “We should give them some space and let them heal on their own.” Feather Wind looked hurt to notice his wife's strong look of guilt on her face. He wished he knew the perfect words to say to cheer her up at that moment. Some poet he turned out to be, but his best work usually had come to him after a lot of forethought.

“We're here.” Princess Celestia announced as they reached the end of the tunnel. From there, there were two doors to the left and right, both of them shut, but her attention was mainly focused on a pair of mannequin statues ahead of them, both of which were wearing unique and very distinctive looking battle armor. One of them was wearing a golden looking battle armor that mostly covered the forward chest and extended up to the neck. There was also a crown worn on the head which guarded the cheeks then extended across the forehead, a purple gem embedded on the center of the forward chest plate, and a brown mesh beneath the main body of the armor to prevent chafing and provide a little extra protection. There were armor pieces covering the hooves as well, especially the forward parts of them and a brown mesh underneath that as well.

Beside that mannequin, there was another set of armor similar to the last one, but it was clearly designed for a smaller pony. Unlike the other, this one had no brown mesh. It was black armor with the image of a white crescent moon on the center of the chest. The helm, in this case, extended further down the top of the muzzle. It had a hole at the top where a unicorn horn could fit through, but it also had another upwardly curved blade shortly ahead of that opening. There were hoof guards on that mannequin as well, though it was a bit more lady-like in design. Once again it covered the front of the hooves more, but it was thinner this time. Obviously the second armor was designed for Luna.

As the trio stood there and watched, they saw Princess Celestia's horn glow and teleport pieces of the golden armor onto herself, beginning with the brown mesh then moved on to the main body of the armor, then the hoof covers. The crown was the only piece of the armor she didn't teleport on herself. Instead of that, she telekinetically floated it down on top of her head.

“I don't understand, Princess. Why are you dressing for battle?” Stern Wing asked in concern.

“Because, for this next part of your journey,” Celestia said then looked back at them as she finished her sentence, “you'll need me.”

“Did the Doctor tell you that too?” Feather Wind checked.

“No.” Celestia turned to face them fully before she spoke again. “Instead, I told him that.”

“But why?” Stern Wing asked.

“Because I faced King Sombra before personally,” Celestia answered, then looked off to her right as she thought back on the memory. “My sister and I both. Together, we faced him in battle just before the fall of the Crystal Empire. He was still alive at the time. We managed to defeat him, or more accurate to say my sister defeated him, but it came at a great cost due to his contingency plan.” Celestia looked back at them. “Because of my prior experience with him in battle, I know the danger of one of his greater weapons, the Fear Curse. I don't know why he did not throw that on my sister as well, but fortunately he didn't for some reason and she managed to defeat him but, for me, I suffered a terrifying vision of my worst nightmare that plagued my heart back then. I realized, since then, it wouldn't matter if I stopped having the same fear anymore. This curse would summon whatever you fear the most and make you live through it. If you manage to conquer that fear, then the curse would show you whatever else you fear next.

“In any case, this curse succeeded to paralyze me in real life, leaving me totally defenseless. More importantly, it gave him a doorway to start manipulating the mind after that. I'm pretty sure that's what happened to Puppet Master and, after facing him down yourselves, you can well appreciate the dangers that comes along with this curse when it's used to it's maximum potential. Not only can it defeat you in battle, but it could potentially lead you to become one of his loyal minions later on.

“Now I thought this issue was done with when we managed to defeat him all those years ago but, since then, I heard rumors float about here and there that his spirit managed to survive and was terrorizing my subjects again. I started to piece together the pattern and realized that King Sombra may not have been fully defeated after all. Subsequently, I did a lot of research into the matter in the hopes of finding some way to defend myself should I ever encounter him again, and hopefully defend others nearby me as well from his Fear Curse, for there is no point in facing him in battle if he can simply defeat you in one move.

“Ironically, I found my best answer by researching what little notes I had on him before he got corrupted. In those notes, he mentioned some of the process necessary for the creation of the Crystal Heart itself. I noticed him referencing Clover the Clever especially, so I did some research on him and discovered there may indeed be a way to defend myself and my companions from his Fear Curse after all. This spell is very similar to the one Clover discovered to drive off the Windigo's in the first place. That same spell could also defend us from evil curses. It won't prevent King Sombra from assaulting us directly but, if he does cross through this barrier, he will be greatly weakened as long as his primary power source stems from evil.”

“Oh trust me, we have had some experience with barrier magic,” Stern Wing assured as she gave her husband a wink.

“So you see, in order for you to defeat King Sombra, I must participate personally in order to guard your minds from his evil magic,” Celestia explained. “There is a few drawbacks to this strategy, though.”

“Isn't there always when it comes to magic?” Stern Wing asked with a raised eyebrow.

Celestia closed her eyes for a moment as she said, “Indeed.” She opened her eyes again and then went on. “In addition to draining my magical reserves while I maintain this spell, all of you must take care to make sure you remain within the radius of the barrier's protection. It won't matter too much if you set a mere hoof outside but, the moment your head crosses through the barrier, you give King Sombra an opening to infect your mind with the Fear Curse. In addition to this restriction, this spell will require constant concentration on my part, so I'm afraid I will be able to do little else during the fight. I can move around, stomp my hooves and even wield this weapon.” She looked at a dual-headed lance hanging off to the side wall and had it telekinetically float over to her. Once it arrived, she tucked it under her right wing, then looked back to the trio. “I may be able to provide a little bit of physical resistance, but most of my magic will be dedicated to protecting all of us from the worst of his magic. If I don't do this then there is no point in facing him.”

“But . . . Princess . . . this protection might not be necessary. You see this Prism Armor that I'm wearing? It guards me from evil enchantments already. Failing that, there is also the crystal armor spell my husband can enchant us with. It also provides us protection against evil magic.”

“More like resistance to evil magic.” Feather Wind noted. “Resistance is not immunity. If Princess Celestia's spell can provide us with immunity then maybe we should not be so quick to dismiss her. I think we all know that Sombra can be very dangerous when his heart fully converts to evil.”

“You two are really married?” Princess asked happily as one eye glanced back and forth between Stern Wing and Feather Wind while the other eye was covered by her ever flowing mane, regardless of external wind conditions.

“Yes. It occurred in the ancient past,” Feather Wind answered. “A temporal copy of you was physically there to perform the ceremony. The time clone thing is a Time Lord trick based on their advanced technology so, in a way, I can say you were both there and not there.”

“I . . . see,” Celestia said with a look of a little confusion. “It must have been dire circumstances indeed to prompt me to join in his . . . um . . . contraption.”

“The Tardis would be hurt by hearing you say that,” Vision said matter-of-factly.

“Oh, it was dire, trust me,” Stern Wing assured, “but we did take care of it and, since it was just a time copy of you, that also meant the real you never left her post so I guess that just made it easier to convince you to go along with his plan.”

“Well, if there were really two of me and if the circumstances were really important then I suppose it might be enough to convince me to join him in that thing,” Celestia considered.

“You really don't like the idea of time traveling?” Stern Wing asked.

“Her temporal copy already told us this,” Feather Wind reminded. “She said she would rather travel through time the old fashion way. As an immortal, she gains more out of it by going through it the long way. She also said this herself a few minutes ago.”

“Thank you, Feather Wind, for making that point clear,” Celestia said in appreciation then grew serious again, “but back to the matter at hoof. You need me. If you're going to face King Sombra in person and defeat him once and for all, you'll need me.”

“Oh we're not going to defeat him,” Feather Wind clarified. “I happen to know that will happen sometime in the future so it means he will survive our assault.”

Celestia looked confused. “Then . . . what's the point of going at all?”

“We're going to destroy the collection of negative energy he gathered from his minion Puppet Master, and perhaps several other minions we don't know about,” Feather Wind explained. “We are not just going to drain that energy, we are going to totally destroy it to make sure he can't regather it again. If King Sombra keeps that energy then he'll use it to summon back the Crystal Empire again. I know that, at first, that sounds like a good thing, but the problem here is he'll summon it on his terms. Not only will he be resurrected by regathering the energy he stored for himself in the Empire, but he'll also immediately turn around and enslave the innocent citizens of the Crystal Empire again. Once he brainwashes them, he'll have an army at his beck and call which he'll use to conquer all the rest of Equestria, and he'll have a large store of negative energy to boot to help him do it. I have no doubt in my mind he'll use it to gather even more negative energy, and you don't want to think about how he'll extract it. You just told us that he has the means to spread a Fear Curse. That definitely sounds like an efficient way to milk for negative energy. He'd probably have an entire contingent of ponies dedicated for that purpose alone.”

Celestia looked regretful. “That's too bad. I would have enjoyed to see the beautiful crystal spires of the Crystal Empire again, but I've also seen what it looks like when somepony like Sombra gets a hold of it. We cannot let that happen again. It's just too bad that the innocent citizens of the Crystal Empire are caught in the middle of this. As dire as his plan sounds, at least it gave us the chance to save the innocent citizens of the Crystal Empire. If we destroy that gathered negative energy, then we might lose any hope of bringing the Empire back.”

“That's not true, Princess,” Feather Wind corrected. “I am already armed with an alternate plan to bring the Crystal Empire back, and this time we'll do it on our terms.”

“Oh?” Celestia looked very interested in this news.

“You see this?” Feather Wind gestured to the Red Crystal dangling on his neck. “In this crystal is the last essence of Sombra's true self before he got corrupted. In a way, you can argue that this is the last shred of his true soul. He calls himself Crystal Sage now out of shame for what his evil counterpart did in his name. More importantly, he gave us an alternate plan to bring back the Crystal Empire. He said we must use this crystal to gather as much positive energy as we can. Then, eventually, it could be used to call upon the Crystal Heart and they'll attract each other like a magnet.”

“How exactly could this be accomplished?” Celestia asked in a very interested voice.

“Well, um . . . he didn't exactly say, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the Tree of Harmony,” Feather Wind guessed.

Celestia looked alarmed. “He knows about the Tree of Harmony?!”

“Certainly his time clone self learned about it in the distant past,” Feather Wind clarified. “As for Crystal Sage, he hinted at it. He never said it directly but, when I thought about it, it makes sense. The Tree of Harmony is connected to the spirit of all of Equestria. If the Red Crystal was donated to the Tree of Harmony so that it's store of positive energy could transfer to the Tree, then it could find the Crystal Empire and use the energy it just gained to pull the Crystal Empire back. Not only that, but it would make the Tree itself more powerful. That makes sense, right?”

Celestia waved a hoof at the trio. “Don't misunderstand me. I think Crystal Sage's plan is indeed wonderful, but I am disturbed by the idea that King Sombra is also aware of the Tree of Harmony. As soon as he conquers the Crystal Empire, there is no doubt in my mind he'll target the Tree of Harmony next if he is aware of it and, since the Tree is no longer equipped with the Elements of Harmony, it is far more vulnerable to an assault. Given his expertise in crystal magic, I have little doubt the likes of King Sombra would find a way to either damage, destroy or corrupt the Tree of Harmony effectively. In any case, Equestria will gravely suffer from a loss of this magnitude.”

“I didn't even think about that!” Feather Wind realized in horrified astonishment. “If Crystal Sage knows about the Tree of Harmony then of course his evil counterpart would know of it as well unless the knowledge came to either one of them after their separation.”

“Are you sure they are no longer linked?” Celestia firmly checked because this answer was really important.

“Crystal Sage said there was a very small link between them at first, but it has grown weaker over time. He said his counterpart used to torture him with flash visions of the evil he wrought, but he hasn't done that in centuries.”

“We need to be certain, Feather Wind. This is important,” Celestia said firmly. “If Crystal Sage is aware of our plan then so is King Sombra if they still share a link together.”

“That would only determine if we have the surprise advantage or not,” Stern Wing pointed out. “With your protection, it might not matter if he sees us coming or not, so the answer to your question does not matter.”

“Have you ever shared sensitive information with Crystal Sage that might be dangerous in the hooves of the enemy?” Celestia checked with the three of them.

“Um,” Stern Wing glanced at her husband. “Well . . . until recently we weren't even in this timeline. He wouldn't be privy to any conversation we ever had before that point unless he already existed in the timeline we happened to travel to.”

“No. There is no chance of that,” Feather Wind said confidently after recovering from a blank look. “Any connection he and Sombra had dried up long ago as they steadily made their way down separate paths, making their soul connection less and less similar. As their spiritual sympathetic vibration weakened over time, so too did the link between them. They might understand each other, but any empathic connection they have is extremely weak at this point. I don't think we are at risk of exposing ourselves through Crystal Sage.”

“Does he have any advice for us before engaging his evil counterpart?” Celestia checked.

Feather Wind paused for a moment as he listened for the answer, then said, “Mainly that he agrees that your protection and experience will be necessary for the upcoming battle, but reminds us all that our main objective is to destroy the dark energy King Sombra has gathered. As soon as that is destroyed, he advises us to gallop out of there as fast as we can because, apparently, the gathered energy he has will explode very violently. We saw a demonstration of that with the defeat of Puppet Master so I know he's right about that.” Feather Wind looked at Vision. “Do you have any idea where his lair is?”

“Where else? The frozen north,” Vision answered. “I have had visions of an active volcano on the surface surrounded by perpetual night due to the smoke and blizzard clouds, but it lies within a cave at the base of the volcano. Despite the volcanic activity above, the cave below is very cold and dark. There are black crystals down there that would drain our life energy if we do not have Princess Celestia's protection, and those crystals also absorb light. Light will travel down there only half as far as it does on the surface.”

“Why do we keep fighting all these super villains in their main lairs?” Stern Wing complained in frustration. “They are always at their strongest in such places. I kind of feel like we're always taking the hard path on purpose.”

“We had to,” Feather Wind insisted. “Plague kept running away from us effectively until we attacked something he was forced to try to defend to the bitter end. The Dark Star couldn't move so we had to come to it in order to defeat it. Puppet Master was too random to figure out where to ambush him unless we attack him in his main lair, and as far as this situation is concerned . . . destroying the gathered dark energy is our primary objective, not Sombra's direct defeat. We would actually be unusually lucky if we managed to take out the gathered dark energy and he just happened to not be there to defend it, but something tells me we won't be nearly that lucky. His lair, in this case, is our primary objective, not Sombra himself.” He looked back at Vision. “Can you lead us there?”

“I can lead you to the general vicinity,” Vision answered. “After that, I can tell when we're getting closer to the gathered source of dark energy based on empathic impressions but, by then, you could also use your Red Crystal to sniff it out as well. Normally I would prefer to use that strategy instead. There is likely so much dark energy down there it would be maddening to sense but, even after all my meditations, I learned to shut down my psychic senses only so far. It's really more of a matter of ignoring the senses. I can no more shut down my empathic senses than you can shut down your hearing and, unlike that, there is no ears to plug to block out this sense in my case because the sensor is in my brain itself. Maybe I could drown it out temporarily if I am drunk, but that's about it.

“Oh, and by the way, hi Celestia! Nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Nice to meet you as well, and I have to thank you for your shared insight, which I used to help save my citizens,” Celestia said to Vision in deep appreciation. “After all of that, you went ahead and finally took care of the source of most of your warnings yourself. Equestria owes you all a debt of gratitude for that. I'm sorry I can't make this information public for reasons you might understand, but know that you all have my immortal gratitude for all that you have done for our lands and very likely beyond, considering your adventures with the Doctor.”

“Come to think of it,” Stern Wing broached as she looked at her husband, “in all of our adventures in the Tardis, I'm surprised that the only time we ever met Celestia was her time clone in the ancient past. Considering how long she's been in charge and whom the Doctor's enemies would likely try to target, we have never once met her in our travels except for the time clone. Isn't that odd?”

“But we know that the Doctor has encountered her past self on multiple occasions, including some of his future lives,” Feather Wind pointed out. “Just because we have not had encounters with her doesn't mean it never occurred for those who travel in the Tardis.”

“'All things in their own time,'” Celestia quoted. “Good things come to those who wait. I can afford to be patient and observant. If I always was in the distant past,” she looked elsewhere with regret, “I could have avoided certain tragedies.”

“I assume you are referring to your sister,” Stern Wing said mournfully.

“That is only one example,” Celestia responded. “The wisdom I have gained over time came at the expense of making many mistakes. Mistakes I am determined not to repeat.”

“And speaking of mistakes, are we ready to correct one of them?” Vision asked a little impatiently with a small stomp of her forward hooves. “I know one dark pony whose flank needs a good kicking.”

The others gathered laughed a little at her wording.

xoxo

The manes of all four companions, Princess Celestia, Feather Wind, Stern Wing and Vision all blew in the dark and icy winds of the frozen north. They faced the direction of a hellish looking volcano ahead of them which had a dark cave at the base. There they hesitated for, despite the uncomfortable biting winds of the frozen north, they all sensed this was the calm before the storm. What lies ahead could be one of the greatest challenges they might ever face, and for some it was more than one kind of battle.

Feather Wind's face, in particular, scrunched up with fear and regret. It was such a painful prospect for him to finally face the dark half of a pony he looked up to for so many years. He always known Crystal Sage, and by extension his more innocent younger self, as a strong, warm, compassionate, loyal, mysterious and deep pony that always gave him a sense of comfort and strength. A great deal of what he accomplished to this day was thanks to this one mentor. To imagine that same pony as his bitter enemy twisted his gut with pain. He saw a glimpse of that side of him when the younger Sombra momentarily lost his temper against the temporal clone of the corrupted Garble. It was terrifying to behold.

(What if I'm just putting him on a pedestal?) Feather Wind wondered to himself. (I always hated when that happened to me and usually I felt sympathy for others when it happens to them but, in this case, he just has an aura about him that felt like it set him apart as above and beyond any other pony, both for good and for evil.)

Something about that moment felt strangely inevitable to Feather Wind. Ever since he heard about Sombra's existence from his uncle many years ago, he always felt, deep down, that he was on a collision course against another powerful mover and shaker of the world. Every step he took since then seemed to try to prepare him for this moment.

Noticing his distress, his wife placed a hoof on his shoulder which drew his attention towards her.

“I know what you are thinking and feeling at this moment, because I feel that way too,” Stern Wing consoled. “He's been my friend too for many years and I know how much we've all grown to trust and depend on him. I know how unbearable it might feel to imagine him as an enemy, but remember . . . you're wearing his real soul on your neck even as we speak. The thing that is out there in that cave is no more real than all the illusions The Dark Star tried to attack us with. It's true that this copy can affect the physical world better, but it's basically the same premise. The reason King Sombra is irredeemably evil is because he's incomplete. He lacks what he requires to have true free will. Instead, he's just a puppet of The Dark Star. He's an empty and soulless copy and, quite frankly, a mockery of a dear friend of ours. I say this sad and pathetic copy of our dear and beloved friend doesn't deserve our respect or fear because it didn't do anything to earn it. To feel otherwise is to cheapen and belittle the memory of our dear friend. Don't give this thing any comparison to our friend because it does not deserve such an honor, nor does our friend deserve the same comparison. To me, this thing will always be nothing more than the Dark King. I won't even call it Sombra anymore. It does not deserve to wear such a noble name and the legacy that was fairly earned with it.”

Feather Wind grew a soft smile while he regarded his wife. “Thanks. You always know what to say to me.”

“Let's do this!” Vision cried out excitedly.

“I have one more piece of advice for you all before we proceed in,” Celestia announced, causing the others to pause and listen to her. “Real or not, that thing in there uses fear as his primary weapon. Take a moment to pause and assess yourselves. Do not dwell on your fears. That only gives it more power. Instead think and, more importantly, feel all the memories and motivations that gives you courage. Courage is the last thing the Dark King would want you to feel, so it is the one thing we must all hold close to our hearts as we proceed inside. For me, what gives me strength and courage is the love I feel for all of my beloved subjects, yourselves included. I will fight to the last of my breath to protect you all and my subjects, and I will not allow this mockery to continue to plague my subjects any further! It must be stopped!” Celestia cried out with bold defiance.

Feather Wind took a moment to do as Celestia requested and, since every other pony was quiet as well, he assumed they did the same for themselves. Very clearly Feather Wind's friends and family flashed before his mind, including all of his time clone friends in the ancient past. Many of them were copies based on ponies who had not existed yet, and yet, while they traveled with him, they exuded such wonderful fullness and life. It was an honor to get to know each and every one of them. One by one, he thought of them all turning to look at him and smile at him in their own distinctive way. Maud, for example, was the most subtle smile of all, but he got to know her well enough to look deeply into her eyes and see the true depths of her feelings. The lack of expressive emotion does not always equate to actually lacking emotion.

He thought of them all. His wife smiling. The Mane Six smiling, of which Pinkie Pie was especially good at. He thought of Sombra smiling at him with deep love in his eyes, and that image easily transferred to Crystal Sage as well. For a brief moment that image quickly shifted to a terrifying glare but Feather Wind quickly shut that mental image down.

(No. I know what the real Sombra is like now. I faced the darkness of my own soul at one time. It wasn't easy, but my understanding of myself made it much easier. I chose to accept my darkness so it, in return, chose to accept me. Sombra didn't make that same choice, however. He was always a fighter at heart. Even when he did it for the right reasons, he always drew upon rage and aggression to vanquish his enemies, but there was still something very noble about that when the source of his anger was actually love. It made him so powerful. Seemingly almost invincible at times.

(But this mockery of Sombra lacks any trace of love in his heart so, in a way, that means he is far weaker since he can't draw upon the most powerful emotion of all. It will always mean he does not want something as badly as somepony who actually does draw their strength from love. The good Sombra lost against his evil counterpart when they directly fought each other, but the dark half had more magic at the time. If their magic had been even, I think the good side would have won because he fought to protect his love and the citizens of the Crystal Empire. Even at a disadvantage, I can easily imagine that the good Sombra pushed himself to a degree that surprised his opponent. Since the Dark King was unable to understand the source of that strength, he was baffled why his opponent fought that stubbornly.

(But I know. I know the answer, and I will use it to defeat this mockery. Beware, Dark King! Feather Wind and his beloved friends are coming for you at last!)

xoxo

Facing the darkness in that cave went pretty much as Feather Wind expected. His experience against the horrors of The Dark Star and Puppet Master's lair somewhat desensitized him against the otherwise oppressive, crushing darkness that lay beneath the ice and snow. The light of his horn as well as Celestia's combined barely illuminated anything beyond her protective field. Normally light reflects off of crystals but, in this case, it just sank into it and refused to bounce it to any other crystal in the cave. It made it look like they were surrounded by a void of empty darkness and they could only see it when a black crystal drew close enough to penetrate through Princess Celestia's protective field.

The circumstances made Feather Wind realize the future time copy of the Princess could have done this too. If this version of the Princess knew of this protective spell then surely her future self would have known it as well. With the presence of the Crystal Heart, however, it made it far more efficient to allow the Crystal Heart to do the work instead of relying upon the Princess's ever dwindling magic supply used to constantly maintain this taxing spell. Hopefully she had enough magic supply to help them go in, destroy the gathered negative energy, then get out. This was not a long campaign march this time, this was a quick dungeon raid. That's all they could afford to do, and that's all they needed to do.

“Welcome!” spoke a sinister voice out in the darkness. “What delicious looking sssslaves you are! I look forward to breaking your spirit, and then the real fun begins!”

Feather Wind shuddered to hear that voice. He could hear Sombra and the Crystal Sage's voice in there but just barely. It felt as eerie as looking at a face that was just a little off. It was like watching a mannequin come to life. It's close resemblance to a living thing but something off about it was really off-putting.

Again his wife paused a moment to put a hoof on his shoulder. This time she did not say anything. She just touched him and allowed that to communicate her feelings. It really helped. Just as she promised so long ago, Stern Wing really had done everything in her power to protect her friends.

“You will not break us, you fiend!” Celestia called aloud. “We have the light of love and friendship on our side, and it is more powerful than anything you could ever draw upon!”

“That's not all that you have brought me!” the voice said with a sinister hiss. “You've all brought your fears with you as well. I can't wait to taste it! We are going to get to know each other so well soon.

“Come. Let us not tarry our introductions. I know why you have come, and I welcome you to try and stop me. Pride comes before the fall, as they say. You will know that soon enough.”

The group heard a lot of movement about them and felt it in their hooves. A great deal of crystals morphed themselves out of their way, then a sickly purple and black light grew in the direction they were facing as if to illuminate their path. It had made things easier to see, but not by much.

“Well, this is fortuitous,” Vision said with a grin. “He's inviting us all the way to our main objective. I sense the strongest gathering of dark energy directly ahead of the path that is created in front of us. Pride does come before the fall. That is something he will learn soon enough.”

“King Sombra always was pretty arrogant,” Celestia said, “but for good reason. If he's inviting us to the heart of his lair, he's doing so with a plan in mind.”

Stern Wing crouched in a pose that seemed ready for a charge. She even pawed at the ground a bit. “Well, I know one thing the Doctor would say to us in a situation like this. See a trap ahead of us prepared by the enemy? Then charge straight into it like an idiot. He would say it's the last thing his enemies would expect.”

Celestia giggled a bit before saying fondly, “Ah, that does sound like the Doctor.”

“Come on, then! Let's be brave, heroic fools!” Stern Wing invited. “You said to keep courage close to our hearts, after all, and he's leading us straight to our primary objective. Let's accept his offer before he changes his mind.”

“You know he can hear everything you say aloud, right?” Feather Wind checked.

“So? Let him hear! I'm going to beat you, Dark King! You hear me? Your days of terrorizing innocent ponies are over!” Stern Wing called into the darkness boldly. The Dark King's only response was to laugh maniacally, though the laugh sounded quite distant.

“Enough said,” Vision trotted forward boldly. “Let's beat this creep.”

Celestia had to race ahead a bit to make sure Vision stayed in the Hearts Warming barrier since the young filly charged ahead. She then looked over her shoulder to make sure Feather Wind and Stern Wing were also remaining in the field behind her, and they were.

“Yessss! Come closer, my pets. Closer. Ohhhh! I can already taste your anguish! Your fears! It is sooo delicious!” the dark voice called ahead, and it did sound closer as they made their way down the passageway.

“You'll be singing a different tune when I'm through with you!” Vision assured. “My sonic eyes can do little to wood, but crystal? Oh-ho-ho! You're in for a treat! Bam! Critical attack! It's super effective!”

Celestia gave Feather Wind and Stern Wing a questioning look due to Vision's obscure comments, to which Stern Wing replied, “She's been hanging around the Doctor and Discord too long.” Celestia then passed an, “Ah! I see,” expression.

Then she realized something amiss and looked back at Stern Wing with alarm and asked, “Discord?”

“Oh. Shoot.” Stern Wing kicked herself for not realizing that was suspicious information for this time period. She glanced at her husband for advice on how to amend this.

“When we traveled through time and space, we saw lots of crazy stuff,” Feather Wind informed. “If you don't want to know more, don't ask.”

“Huh. Probably good advice,” Celestia agreed as she looked forward again. “I already know too much about the future as it is, and I'd rather leave it as a surprise as much as I can.” As she thought more on it, she lamented aloud to herself, “I always wished I could have a more amiable relationship with Discord. If his powers could ever be reformed for goodness, I would be willing to free him from his stone prison in a heart beat. Alas, it seems very unwise to ever trust him.”

Hearing that caused a look of concern to flash between Feather Wind and Stern Wing. Looking back at him, Stern Wing tilted her head towards Celestia twice as if to silently urge, “Say something!”

“Um, your Majesty . . . I have something to say to you on this subject and don't worry! It's not about the future. It's more like general advice.” After Feather Wind said that, he won the Princess's attention back. “Like another pony I've met back in ancient times always said, it is important that we never abandon hope. Hope keeps the spirit within us alive and strong. Hope is our vision for a better future and, if we keep it in our hearts, it may actually become a reality someday. Your wish for Discord, for example, is something I feel you should never abandon. Even if you don't have the resources to accomplish that goal now, someday you might so it's important never to give up and keep on looking. As well, as an immortal, you may find plenty of opportunities to accomplish this goal over time. With infinite time comes infinite chances. That alone could gradually transform that which is unlikely into an inevitability.”

“Why Feather Wind, you sure have grown up a lot!” Celestia said with pride. “It is rare for any other pony to counsel me in a way that feels meaningful, but it does happen every once in awhile and I always cherish it when it does. As old as I am, I am forever still just growing up myself. I will remember your advice and keep searching for a way to help reform Discord. I will apply that same advice to every other aspect of my life as well.” She gave a sad, sidewards glance. “Like my sister,” she said with deep longing.

Stern Wing breathed a sigh of relief and gave her husband a “Good job” nod of satisfaction.

“Oh. That reminds me.” Vision half turned her head to call over her shoulder. “Your Majesty, remind me to give you a certain book later on that I have in my saddle bag. Apparently my future self wanted you to have it.”

“Now that's something I don't hear every day,” Celestia said with a bewildered blink.

“Then you and I live in very different worlds,” Vision declared then directed her head forward again as they continued trotting towards their objective.

xoxo

{mark}

At last the group trotted into a giant black crystal chamber that had a floating, spinning crystal obelisk in the center of the room which the intrepid adventurers realized was the source of the Dark King's gathered negative energy. As for the Dark King himself, he leaked through a small opening in the ceiling above and spilled inside as black smoke which spread tendrils from the opening like an octopus. Eventually an upside-down horse head emerged which was still made of black smoke. About the only thing that didn't look like smoke was the eyes. It was a red pupil surrounded by green and a purple wisp trailing off to the sides of the eyes. As he continued to float down from the ceiling, the octopus-like tendrils pushed against the ceiling which caused him to propel down faster as if swimming through water.

“Finally nice to see you!” King Sombra said with a sinister tone. “It is always good to examine my prizes up . . .”

“Um, excuse me!” Vision interrupted with a raised hoof. “I'm not sorry to interrupt your monologue, but I got a quick question for you.” Vision pointed at the spinning dark crystal obelisk ahead of them. “Is that really all the dark energy you gathered after nine-hundred years? Because, if so, I've got to tell you, I thought it would be more impressive than this.”

King Sombra looked taken aback by that unexpected comment. He glanced back at the spinning obelisk then looked back at her. “Not enough for you? I can change that,” King Sombra offered.

“I'm not saying if it's enough or not. All I'm saying is I expected more than this,” Vision clarified. “You've been stealing dark energy for years now and you had help. I thought you had collected more than this. I don't suppose you have any extra stored somewhere else, do you? Because, right now, it's really starting to look that way. I thought you were supposed to be a big, scary monster until I saw that pathetic supply of energy you have there.”

King Sombra narrowed his eyes at Vision slyly, catching on to her ruse. He realized she was just trying to find out if this was all of his energy supply or if he had some stashed elsewhere. Even though he knew that, he felt arrogant enough to tell her exactly what she wanted to know and he was even honest about it. He flew backwards and swam around the onyx obelisk as he said, “Yes. In fact this is all the dark energy I have gathered so far, but don't you worry. Soon I will . . .”

“Thank you! That's all I wanted to know,” Vision interrupted him again then quickly warned her friends, “You might want to cover your ears now.” Right after she said that, she widened her eyes as widely as possible and emitted a screaming, high-pitched noise projected straight from her eyes that was particularly focused on the onyx obelisk. The ear piercing screech had indeed forced her allies to cover their ears just to make the noise bearable. That was all Celestia could do to protect herself from losing her concentration on her Hearts Warming barrier.

In seconds the noise started to stress the structural integrity of the obelisk. King Sombra looked at it in alarm, then glared at the young filly. He had no idea how she was doing this, but knew right away this was something he had to stop and soon. King Sombra roared in anger and dove at the adventurers only to be repelled as soon as he started to cross the Hearts Warming barrier. Being made of nearly pure dark energy, Celestia's protective love barrier downright burned him to try to cross it.

Realizing he could not cross it while the barrier was maintained, he decided to cross the threshold in a different way. A horn grew out of the black smoke and he lifted it as it ignited with purple, green and black bubbles popping in and out all around the horn. In response to his spell, a series of black crystals suddenly shot at the little filly mostly from the floor but a few of them also dropped from the ceiling. Vision dodged every attack so well it was like she was reacting ahead of time. She ducked low, twisted right, leaped up and ducked down again in order to weave around every single attack and even counter attacked by smashing through the black crystals at precisely the weakest point of each crystal. This continued for five seconds until Sombra finally realized the little filly was simply untouchable. He looked back at his quaking black obelisk in rising panic, then looked back at the filly with a flash of hatred in his eyes, then he decided to change his strategy by focusing more on the filly's companions.

This time his strategy was far more effective but they still put up a good fight. Feather Wind telekinetically tore some of the crystal fragments out that attacked him then used it to smash at every other crystal that came at him or Celestia. Stern Wing also deflected and even smashed through the black crystal spikes using her own crystal armor that was charged with the perfect type of energy to cause major damage to dark energy crystals. Her wings blocked then tore through the crystals, and her crystal lined hooves also smashed through a bunch of them. Of all the group, it was actually Celestia that had the hardest time defending herself because she poured much of her energy and concentration into the Hearts Warming barrier and thus she was somewhat too distracted to defend herself as efficiently as she otherwise could have, but even she was not helpless. She smashed and dodged the crystal spikes as well, crashing her lance every which way to block, deflect and damage the black crystals.

Floating back and looking at this from a higher perspective, Sombra saw a weakness in their strategy. They were working with a very limited space if they wished to remain within the barrier, so all he had to do was corner them within that tight space by attacking the entire area all at once. He brought his horn low then whipped it up as his crackling energy flared much more intensely. Suddenly thousands of crystals spikes rushed in at them simultaneously and more followed right after them in a constant barrage of assault. Amazingly the little filly continued to hold her own, but the rest of them finally got nailed by that overwhelming attack. Once he finally had a grip on them, he used the black crystal to force Feather Wind, Celestia and Stern Wing down but Stern Wing suddenly and unexpectedly flared with a curious sort of energy crawling down her body which gave her a sudden burst of titanic strength. She tore her way out of the barrage of crystals that attempted to suppress her. This was unexpected, but Sombra realized he still had an upper hoof on the situation. He used some of the black crystal that secured Celestia to infect her horn with black crystals which cut off her magic as soon as her horn got clogged with too many interfering crystals. That, in turn, meant the barrier dropped so Sombra dove in, rose in front of Vision and caused a flash of energy from his own eyes. Seconds later her own eye pupils were surrounded by green and purple energy flared like a ribbon outside of her eyes.

Everything paused for a few moments after that as Vision's friends regarded her in alarm. During that time the sonic scream from her eyes also suspended which indicated there might be something wrong with her. Meanwhile Sombra floated back to gloat in victory.

The silence was deafening considering the loud noise there was a moment ago, then Vision rose a hoof to her eyes and touched her cheeks just under her eyes for a moment before glaring at Sombra's general direction and asked, “Did you just try to curse me?”

“What?!” King Sombra exclaimed in shock, very surprised she could move at all after being inflicted with the Fear Curse.

“I'm blind, you doofus,” Vision explained as she waved a hoof up and down in front of her face, then she sighed and said, “You know what? Enough of this.” She reached back into her saddle bag and pulled out a potion. Before she drank it, she said, “Feather Wind, take care of the crystals for me.” Then she quaffed the potion down in a hurry, taking large gulps each time. She did this by biting on the head of the bottle of the potion then aimed her head straight up, allowing gravity to drain the liquid down her throat with many large gulps at a time.

“With pleasure,” Feather Wind acknowledged then flared a red aura around the Red Crystal. He used that power to shatter all the black crystals in the immediate vicinity, including the black crystals that clogged Celestia's horn. Because of that, she was able to re-ignite her spell and raise the Hearts Warming barrier again.

“What?!” King Sombra exclaimed again. He didn't know there was another crystal science user in this party, then he narrowed his eyes at Feather Wind as he saw the small pony get up and red energy flair around the crystal he wore around his neck. A very familiar crystal. “Ah! I see! So you are the descendant I was looking for. How fortunate for me that you . . .” King Sombra trailed off in another jolt of surprise when Vision shot out of the protective field fast enough to blur. Before he could turn around, she was already attacking the black obelisk with a rain of hoof blows and started the high pitched whine which agitated every crack she caused with her rain of blows. His obelisk could not take much more of this.

King Sombra tried to crash crystal spikes at her from all around the room but, since she was outside of the protective field, she had more room to maneuver. She dodged each and every single attack effortlessly as she kept up her attacks against the obelisk. Not only that, King Sombra's black crystals started getting shattered due to Feather Wind's efforts back at the protection field. King Sombra realized he had a problem on two fronts so he needed to divide and conquer.

He also realized, by then, that the little filly was psychic, and he even had an idea who she was exactly. Since she was able to dodge every attack a second ahead of time, he realized he had to plan even further ahead than that. He used his horn to raise a black crystal wall between Vision and her friends. That black crystal was so dark it totally cut off line of sight on both ends of the wall which made the wall itself Feather Wind's only target, but this time King Sombra constantly reinforced the wall even as Feather Wind tried to tear it down. A battle of wills issued, one which King Sombra had centuries head start in mastering.

Meanwhile, King Sombra waited about two seconds before issuing his next attack, but this time it hadn't come from his own power. As he expected, Vision suddenly abandoned her efforts to pound on the obelisk and instead desperately tried to get back to her friends so she could be in the protective barrier but a black crystal wall blocked her from returning to the party, precisely how King Sombra planned it out ahead of time. She tried to attack the wall but it was too late. The black obelisk projected horrifying screams of dark psychic energy and, since she was psychic, she was especially vulnerable to this form of attack as long as she was outside of Princess Celestia's protective Hearts Warming barrier.

That nailed her. Vision collapsed on the ground, screaming as waves upon waves of centuries of pain, fear, hatred and misery poured down on her all at once, and her empathic mind could not silence the overwhelming screams at this level of intensity.

Feather Wind and Stern Wing glanced at each other, spooked, when they heard Vision's horrified screams. They also saw waves upon waves of black cloudy energy splash uselessly against Princess Celestia's protective barrier which gave them a pretty good idea what took down the little filly.

“Cheese and biscuits!” Stern Wing cursed. “She shouldn't have rushed outside of the barrier!”

“I think we forget sometimes how young and cocky she is,” Feather Wind realized. “She is a powerful filly, but youth and inexperience got her this time.”

Being incorporeal, King Sombra poked his head through his own black crystal wall. “Thank you, my new slaves, for delivering to me the oracle herself that's been a thorn in my side for quite some time. When I break her, she will instead warn me of every potential impending attack to my sovereign throne. As for you three, I'll address your defiance to my supreme authority right now.” He floated even further into sight. “I must admit, you surprised me in several regards. You are strong, resourceful and powerful. When I bend you all to my will, you shall become my greatest lieutenants, except for you . . . Celestia. You shall be my general. When I'm finished with you, you shall become known as the Breaker of Daylight, then every pony who once looked up to you in hope will instead cower in fear of our combined might!”

“You are deluding yourself as usual, King Sombra!” Celestia called back defiantly. “I would sooner die than be used as an instrument to betray my beloved subjects.”

King Sombra chuckled darkly, then said, “So be it, Princess of the Sun. It doesn't really matter to me. I will conquer Equestria either way, and of course . . . I already know what you fear!”

“You won't break me this time, Sombra! I came prepared,” Celestia firmly declared. “You will find I am not so easily trapped by your nasty tricks again.”

King Sombra chuckled darkly again, then said, “What need have I of the Fear Curse when I already know your fear? It's true that I cannot bypass your barrier while you maintain it for the moment. Well, actually, that's a lie. I can bypass it at any time that I wish. I've only been allowing you all to think that you stood a chance, but the truth is you were all doomed the moment you entered my domain.”

“You lie!” Celestia spat with a firm glare at Sombra.

“My dear Princess of the Sun, when will you ever learn that you can never outmatch me? I will crush you every time, just like I did last time, but ah! You had help back then, didn't you? Your sister proved quite formidable. More so than even I had anticipated, and I already started with higher expectations of her.”

“Don't you DARE speak of my sister, you monster!” Celestia demanded. “You are not worthy to speak her name!”

“Calm down!” Feather Wind told Celestia. “He's just trying to get inside your head like he always does.”

“You accuse me of being unworthy to speak her name? Then what about you, Celestia?! What makes you more worthy? You turned your back on her and she became a monster for it, and you dare to look down upon me for what I've done? Heh. Pathetic as always, Princess.”

Celestia narrowed her eyes further at him, then closed her eyes entirely. “I shall not listen to you any further. You are unworthy of my attention.”

“Aw, and here I thought you were good at diplomacy, but very well. If you will not listen to me, then perhaps you'll listen to my new ally. Princess of the Day, meet and old familiar acquaintance of yours, Princess of the Night!”

(What?!) Feather Wind thought to himself in horrified shock as he regarded King Sombra with widened eyes. (No! Don't tell me!)

King Sombra waved his horn and two crystal columns grew up from the floor and down from the ceiling but they did not quite touch. They met closer to the middle but, considering how high this room was, the opening was actually closer to the ground in order to make it less distant. Between the columns, black smoke spiraled into view except it was not completely dark. It had images of stars in the swirling black vortex. It spiraled further and further outward until it covered the circumference of the open space between the two columns then, from the center of that starry image, a mare emerged. What used to be the image of open space and stars became the mane and tail of this new pony. Despite being totally black, she glowed a bit. Her eyes glowed like moonlight and they were shaped as sidewards slits much like a reptile. She had a small chest-guard with the image of the moon on it, and she also had a helm that was similar to her battle armor but it lacked the upward curving blade in front of the horn. Like her battle armor, she also had hoof guards on her hooves but it rose quite a bit higher, probably reaching up just below her kneecaps.

“Sister?” Celestia asked in surprise and hope.

“DON'T CALL ME THAT!” Nightmare Moon shouted at Celestia. “The sister that you know died many centuries ago when you decided to hog all the attention and adoring fans of our land. I am Nightmare Moon now.” She narrowed her eyes at her sister as she spread a wicked grin on her face. “Do not ever forget that,” she said in a lower, sultry-like voice.

“No. It's just another trick.” Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head in denial.

“What's wrong, Celestia? Are you going to ignore me again?” Nightmare Moon asked in an accusing tone.

“My sister is imprisoned in the moon. There is no way you can be her,” Celestia insisted.

“Ah, but there is a way to contact her from the moon,” King Sombra pointed out. “The science of crystals is a gateway to many possibilities, and I found myself highly motivated to reestablish dialog with her after you cast her out! The last time I encountered her in person, she finished me off in the Crystal Empire. Before that, I offered for her to join me as my Queen. At the time she refused, but she's become a lot more . . . shall we say . . . amenable to my suggestions since then.”

“Of course I have,” Nightmare Moon agreed with a sinful purr. “I've learned better, since then, who my allies really are!”

“Princess Celestia, I don't think this is a bluff,” Feather Wind announced. “That is really her. Somehow he's found a way to contact her.”

“Are you sure?” Celestia asked with a voice full of fear mixed with hope.

Feather Wind closed his eyes as he thought about an earlier conversation with Princess Luna in one of his dreams, and one thing in particular that she had said to him.

“I was a terrible mare in my time in the past. I must confess, I even encountered you, once, during my time as Nightmare Moon. While I do understand that hasn't occurred for you yet, I see this moment as my one and only chance to apologize for the grief you will suffer at the hooves of my own past self, for she will not apologize for her actions. Please,” she bowed her head to him, briefly closed her eyes and requested earnestly, “forgive me.”

(I do,) Feather Wind thought in his head. (I know how beautiful you actually are.)

“Yes,” Feather Wind said as he opened his eyes. “I am sure.”

“Luna,” Celestia said in a stunned voice as she looked back at Nightmare Moon tearfully.

“Must I remind you, Princess Celestia, that I no longer wear that title. You will refer to me by my true name, NIGHTMARE MOOOOON!” she screamed at the end of that sentence. A flash of dramatic lightning and thunder issued about her when she screamed her name but it remained confined to an illusion which fit within the two crystal pillars which projected her image.

“Consider this, Celestia,” King Sombra put in, seeing an opportunity to drive a dagger further into Celestia's heart. “My minion, Puppet Master, knew exactly where to go and what to do to inflict as much terror as possible in every area he infested, but ask yourself this . . . how did he know? How did he know where to go and when to strike? How did he know exactly what each and every target feared the most?”

“Why ask her intelligent questions, my dear? She's too stupid, naive and hopeful to figure it out,” Nightmare Moon mocked.

“No!” Celestia realized in horror. As she did so, her Hearts Warming barrier started to flicker and fade.

“Your Majesty, the barrier!” Stern Wing cried in alarm. “This is exactly what he wants! Don't listen to them!”

“Oh?” Nightmare Moon tilted her head at her former sister. “Did I give you too little credit? Did you figure out that it was me all along that informed him where to go, whom to strike and how to strike? Lest you forget, I visit ponies in their dreams so I can inflict terror upon them, so of course I would know exactly what they fear!”

“Why?” Celestia asked Nightmare Moon tearfully. “Why now? Why work for King Sombra? You know what he did to the Crystal Empire.”

“Because, Princess Celestia, unlike you, King Sombra has promised to release me from the moon as soon as he gathered enough negative energy to do so,” Nightmare Moon answered. “With my help, he'll achieve exactly that, then we shall RULE together in the Crystal Empire. All shall BOW before us . . . or face extinction.”

“She has agreed to rule by my side as Queen of the Night!” King Sombra said with wicked satisfaction. “I made that offer to her before but she was blind back then with her foolish loyalty to you, but things have changed since then in my favor. Now the one ally you had that actually managed to slay me will instead rule by my side, and all of Equestria shall never again know the light of day. All shall learn to FEAR . . . the night!”

“No!” Celestia's whimpering voice quivered as she collapsed down to the ground and covered her head with her fore hooves. “Sister, what have you done? This can't be! This just can't be!”

“Princess . . .” Stern Wing said with worry and sympathy.

“It's her sister, Stern Wing,” Feather Wind pointed out. “Of course this would be deeply personal to her. Prepare yourself. I'll try to raise a barrier as soon as hers collapses.”

“Everything is collapsing all around you, Princess Celestia,” Nightmare Moon mocked. “Once I was your sister and loyal friend until you BETRAYED me. Now I shall rule Equestria as the Eternal Queen of the Night, and I have you to thank for my wonderful transformation. Without you, I would still be as weak and pathetic as you are being right now.”

“I had to. Can't you understand? I had to banish you!” Celestia said mournfully as her barrier continued to fade and flicker away. “You refused to set the moon! You were intent on keeping the world in an eternal night and inflict an never ending nightmare! I love you, sister, but I love our subjects as well.”

“You mean you love them even more,” Nightmare Moon corrected with a somewhat upraised muzzle. “You chose them over me, and look where it got you.”

“No, no, no! I love you just as much! Can't you understand? You are my sister! I've been lost without you for all these years! I've sang to you every time I lowered the moon.”

“Yeah, and how is that working out for you?” Nightmare Moon wondered aloud with a slight tilt to her head. “Now you're the princess of the sun and the moon. If your precious subjects adored you before, I'm sure they downright worship you now that they have no other choice. You stole my domain as well! I spit upon you for that final, additional insult! I can't wait to banish you to the moon as soon as I get out of here, then we'll see how much you like it. Know this and know this well, Princess Celestia, as much as you think you love me . . . I DESPISE YOU!”

King Sombra opened his mouth and practically drooled with delight at how much this information visibly tortured Celestia.

Feather Wind prepared himself to try to raise a barrier, feeling confident that Celestia's would soon collapse because he knew King Sombra had her in the most painful hold possible, and nothing he could have said or done would change that. An attack of this nature was just too personal. There was no way something like this would not tear her apart inside, and King Sombra knew that Celestia's emotions were important to maintain the Hearts Warming barrier which was specifically empowered by love. He knew this because he encountered magic like it before. It was used in the creation of the Crystal Heart, after all.

(Curses! This is why I hate dealing with evil geniuses!) Feather Wind thought in frustration. (Contingency plan after contingency plan! No matter how strong I got over all this journey, he found a way to rip everything apart. This is why I feared Sombra. As formidable as I knew him to be as an ally, I knew he was just as capable, if not more so, as an enemy.)

Then Feather Wind heard Stern Wing start to sing, “Equestria, The Land I love”. She sang it softly and delicately at first, but rose her volume as she resumed it. King Sombra glared at Stern Wing for this. Nightmare Moon brought her head back and tilted it to her left side with a confused, “What are you doing?” kind of look. It was soon apparent, however, when Celestia joined the song. Doing so helped to remind her why this battle was important and what she was fighting for. They looped the song over again when it was finished and sang with more passion the second time. Celestia got up and her barrier became firm again.

Feather Wind stared at his wife in amazement. So many times she proved wise enough to just know what to do or say whenever it mattered the most, and he fell in love with her more deeply after that. His love for her was already so intense that it's increase actually felt a bit painful to him. He needed more time to adapt to the new standard before he could regain any sense of true comfort.

“What are you doing?!” Nightmare Moon demanded to know.

Stern Wing and Celestia just continued to sing, and soon Feather Wind joined in as well as they kept looping the song.

“Pigs will always struggle to their last. That doesn't make them any less pitiful,” King Sombra declared in disgust. “They can struggle against the inevitable. In the end, it won't make a difference. My Queen,” King Sombra's billowing, black smokey form bowed to Nightmare Moon. “I beg your indulgence, but I'll have to cut this conversation short. I'll deal with these vermin myself, and then we'll soon be together.”

Nightmare Moon sighed tiredly then waved him off dismissively. “Oh, very well. Do not keep me waiting too long. I am not a patient mare!”

“Of course, my Queen. As you wish,” King Sombra said politely then his crimson eyes flashed red as he regarded the trio with a look of evil excitement. During that time his horn crackled with purple, green and black energy. In response, the columns shrank back into the floor and ceiling behind him, then he spoke to the trio even as they mostly ignored him, instead focusing on their song. “What is it you mean to accomplish with this fools' errand? All you are managing to do is delay the inevitable. This tactical error shall not serve your main objective because it is no threat to me. You can sing as much as you wish until either your throats run dry or your magic runs out. I might have been willing to watch you struggle and squirm purely for the sake of my own amusement, but my queen has instructed me to be swift, so enough of this charade.”

King Sombra faced the direction of the obelisk. His eyes flashed for a moment. After that huge waves of black energy exploded over and over again from the obelisk. It instantly tore apart Princess Celestia's shield and canceled out all magic in the entire room except for dark magic. King Sombra modified the dark energy so that it would not be lethal to his guests physically, only magically, then he sneered at his guests. “See? I told you that you were doomed the moment you came here. I could have used this power at any time that I wished. I was only reluctant because it costs me so much of it's energy to perform this but, with this power in place, no magic can possibly function in this room except for dark magic!”

Which also meant Stern Wing could not stand at all. With magic collapsed, there was no magic to empower her crystal spine either. She fell on the ground, once again paralyzed from the neck down. “You . . . bastard!” she cursed.

“Dark King . . . you cheater!” Feather Wind accused. “Are we so formidable to you that you have to resort to such tactics to defeat us? Don't you want to watch us squirm? Don't you want a challenge?”

“What I want . . . is victory, and I will achieve it at any cost that is required. That is what separates me from the likes of you. I will do whatever it takes to succeed in my goal, while the rest of you draw a line and insist you will not cross beyond it.”

“I will . . . protect . . . my subjects!” Celestia cried in determination as she struggled to do exactly as King Sombra suggested. She attempted to tap into dark magic and discovered that it was actually working. King Sombra was not bluffing. Dark magic functioned in this otherwise temporary anti-magical zone.

“Well, I'm impressed,” King Sombra said with a smirk. “Are you so willing to protect your subjects that you would sell your soul to darkness just to protect them? You realize that, even if you succeed to purge me, you will only replace me as the next tyrant?”

“Celestia, no!” Stern Wing cried out desperately.

“Better one tyrant rather than two!” Celestia insisted as she started to crawl back up. Her horn ignited with more and more sparking dark energy and her eyes transformed into what King Sombra had, a green background with streaming purple energy projected off the side of her eyes. “I believe in my subjects! If I fall to darkness, somepony will rise and defeat me! Love and harmony shall always prevail in the end. That is something you have never understood! I'll tear you apart just to lighten their burden a little, then afterwards it shall be my turn to die!”

“So be it. Vermin can be so entertaining sometimes!” King Sombra said in amusement then turned to face Celestia fully. “You realize, of course, that I have far more experience with dark magic. You will have to best me if you wish to rule Equestria as the next tyrant in my stead, but either way . . . I ultimately win in the end.”

“Go back to Tartarus, you fiend!” Celestia screamed in a somewhat multi-voice as she shot a huge beam of dark energy which he returned and matched hers with a magical beam struggle but, while Celestia struggled to maintain her beam, King Sombra only grinned in amusement. To him, she was not even a challenge yet. He kept up the pressure just to toy with her a little longer and, if she managed to surprise him and beat him, then it would only amuse him further.

(Curses!) Feather Wind pounded the ground with a hoof. (Every single turn! Every single contingency we have thwarted, and he makes it look easy! But I know it's only because he started with a massive tactical advantage. Years and years of accumulated dark energy would indeed have a lot of power. The only consolation here is the fact it's costing him a lot of power to take us down like this, but he figures he'll only replace it faster when he enslaves the four of us.)

Crystal Sage, we need help! Feather Wind pleaded inwardly at his secret ally. If there is anything you can do for us . . . anything you can think of . . . I'm all ears.

Then listen carefully. Crystal Sage responded immediately. A moment later Feather Wind inwardly heard Angel Song's voice. That pure and uplifting voice instantly banished all of Feather Wind's fears. He listened, entranced, as the song rose higher and higher. The song had no lyrics to it. It was simply an uplifting voice.

Then the song radiated out in the real world. It surprised Celestia and King Sombra enough that they both suspended their dark magic beam struggle as they both searched around for the source of the song. What they spotted was Feather Wind starting to float off the ground with a mixture of silver and red aura mixing and moving across his body. His mane flowed as if blown in the wind despite the fact that there was no wind. Music radiated from the Red Crystal, and the voice of an angel filled the room. As it did so, it drove back the darkness and soothed almost everything in the room. Princess Celestia calmed down as she listened to the song in awe. Stern Wing regained just enough of her strength to stand back up as the magic of her spine got restored a bit, and Vision started to recover as well. King Sombra was the only one having a difficult time with this. He was shaking his head back and forth violently, trying desperately to stop hearing what was an awful noise to him.

“No. No. NO! Stop it! Stop it now! Stop that infernal noise!” King Sombra cried out in anger and pain. The song was familiar to him but, unlike his original self, the Dark King despised the song as much as his true self once loved it. King Sombra's soul truly was devoid of any love and goodness, so a song this pure could only cause him agony.

Noticing that the song was causing him pain, Vision decided to twist this virtual dagger into his black heart. She used her sonic eyes to enhance the song, making it radiate and echo throughout the room. King Sombra tried to cover his virtual ears but that was not effective at all since his whole incorporeal body was basically one giant ear. He roared in agony as he violently shook his head back and forth, eventually doing it with unnatural speed. His head became a constant blur of motion that was creepy to behold.

The black obelisk slowed in it's rotation, then stopped, then cracked as white light spilled from it more and more. The angelic voice was destroying it, but this time King Sombra was in too much pain to intelligently respond to this attack. He just kept shaking his head at super speed and roaring in agony.

“Um, I suggest we leave,” Vision called out to her friends. “We don't want to be near that thing when it explodes. That much negative energy is kind of hostile to our health. Besides, he's going to be so peeved at us.”

“Agreed. Let's move!” Feather Wind called then turned to gallop away. The black obelisk was so damaged that it would soon explode even if the source of it's agitation departed. “Every pony, let's fly!” Feather Wind suggested. “Vision, eject your wings.”

“Rodger.” Vision pulled the cord that allowed her saddle bags to do exactly that.

“Every pony, LEAP!” Feather Wind commanded. He did the same and quickly tucked his limbs into the four corners of the cloak's pockets. Celestia, Stern Wing and Vision all jumped up just in time to receive a massive blast of wind that shot them out of the cave at high speed.

The cave rocked violently as the black obelisk exploded behind them. Huge waves of negative energy spread from it that was so intense it would instantly kill any living creature standing close to the center of the blast. Waves upon waves of dark energy projected onwards, and black crystals rained upon the desperate adventurers as they flew on in the cave at high speeds. Stern Wing and Celestia tried to guard the rest of the party from some of those attacks. Stern Wing did it with her own body which endured the hit thanks to her armor and magically enhanced endurance, and Celestia did it with some force field magic. With that many projectiles coming at them, however, it was impossible to dodge or deflect them all. They all got hit and injured multiple times, but the most severe part of it was one of the wings of Vision's glider got torn off completely. Feather Wind had to replace it with a crystal wing in a hurry but it was heavier so he also lifted her up telekinetically, at least until they shot out the exit of the cave and crashed into the snow beyond.

They all got knocked unconscious for a little while, long enough for them to be uncertain how long they were out. Stern Wing was the first to recover and try to shake her companions back to consciousness. Vision was the next to recover. Because of that, Vision was able to pull out smelling salts from her saddle bag and used them to get Celestia and Feather Wind to recover more quickly.

Just in time, too. They heard a monstrous groan rise up into the air. King Sombra would soon be upon them, and at that moment they felt too injured and exhausted to fight him effectively (although Stern Wing was recovering her stamina in a hurry). With Vision's broken glider wing and it's crystal wing barely an adequate replacement, however, she was forced to retreat by hoof. No other pony felt willing to abandon her so they all galloped away together as fast as they could. The snow slowed their retreat and the cold hindered their muscles. Retreating delayed King Sombra's arrival but he was catching up far faster than they could retreat because he moved faster to begin with and he was not hindered by the terrain at all due to lacking a corporeal body.

“This isn't going to work. We have to stand and fight!” Stern Wing called back to her friends. She was pretty banged up too, but she was recovering the fastest, even visibly so. The right side of her face was partially crushed even with the helmet to protect her head, but it was slowly morphing back to normal.

Summon a projection of me, and have every pony stand behind you! Crystal Sage mentally called to Feather Wind from within the Red Crystal.

“Every pony, get behind me,” Feather Wind instructed as he turned to face King Sombra. “I think I have a plan.”

I hope you know what you're doing, Feather Wind thought inwardly to Crystal Sage.

I hope so too, Crystal Sage agreed.

Feather Wind ignited his horn and created a holographic projection of Crystal Sage, complete with his flowing red scarf. He was a full-scale 3D image of him. He looked like he was actually standing there except he was a bit transparent, kind of like the ghost he actually was. He glanced back at Feather Wind's companions in a moment of concern, then turned to glare firmly at the swift approach of his evil counterpart.

The sight of his good counterpart made King Sombra slow his approach. He was supremely peeved at that moment, but this was an unexpected encounter he had not met in centuries and one he intended to savor and assess.

They actually got locked in a silent staring contest with each other. King Sombra's eyes burning with fury, and Crystal Sage staring back with unshakable resolve. As Feather Wind looked upon this, he was once again reminded why he admired his teacher so much.

Eventually, and mysteriously, King Sombra started to back away for some reason. The more he retreated, the faster he retreated, but he never stopped staring at his good counterpart. This continued until he faded out of sight in the snowy blizzard.

“That deserves an explanation,” Celestia demanded as she approached and stared down at the holographic image of Crystal Sage. “He could have finished us off. Why did he instead choose to depart and let us go?”

“Let us find better shelter before we get into that discussion,” Crystal Sage suggested. “Come with me. I think I know where there is a cave nearby.”

Chapter Twenty Nine: Shadows of the Dark King

Chapter Twenty Nine: What Comes Next

Vision, Stern Wing, Feather Wind, Celestia and the apparent image of Crystal Sage all made their way into an icicle cave. Once there, Vision collapsed and shivered. Seeing that, Stern Wing bent down beside her and wrapped a wing around Vision protectively. Looking at this, Feather Wind realized he needed to help with the situation so he grew a small crystal spike up from the ground near Vision and Stern Wing then shot a constant beam at it. Seeing that, Celestia followed suit until the crystal glowed red with a dim amount of light and a good deal more heat. After that Celestia regarded the image of Crystal Sage guardedly.

“Alright, Sombra, explain yourself. Why did your other self leave us alone? What did you do to him?” Celestia asked in a demanding tone. “More importantly, will he be back?”

Crystal Sage was looking out the exit of the icicle cave at the winter storm that raged on out there. Only because of the dim lighting of the cave was any part of that storm outside visible because it was night time. Even if it was daylight, the cloud cover above would have made it much darker.

“Given the stress you have all endured and given the fact that Feather Wind only mentioned this to you once before, I understand why you may have forgotten this but my name is no longer Sombra. I am Crystal Sage now, and I would appreciate it if you only call me that from now on.” Crystal Sage turned around to regard those within the cave, and Celestia in particular. “As for why my other self let us go, it is because he realized it is to his advantage to do so.”

Celestia looked a bit startled to hear that so the transparent image of Crystal Sage waved a hoof at her.

“Let me explain,” Crystal Sage urged. “He and I split apart many centuries ago and we are no longer linked, but there is one important thing we both have in common. We both wish to see the return of the Crystal Empire. Our methods may differ and our goals in what comes next may also differ, but the fact that we both want the Crystal Empire to return is something we have in common. He let us go because he knew that was my plan all along as well, and because we gave him no other choice. With the black obelisk destroyed, you ruined his plan A to summon the Crystal Empire back on his terms and, what's more, the crystal we destroyed is virtually irreplaceable. Did any of you notice how big it was?”

“I certainly did,” Stern Wing concurred.

“That obelisk was made of a rare crystal, or rather to say a bunch of rare crystals which he fused together into one giant obelisk,” Crystal Sage explained. “It took him centuries to gather that much material, and it will take him a great deal more time to gather that much of such a rare material again, if ever. That, in turn, buys us time against his direct wrath. This is why I advised you all to destroy it. However, he also knew I had a similar agenda, albeit using a similar but different strategy. My goal is to summon the Crystal Empire back by collecting positive energy using that Red Crystal.”

“But this gem cannot gather nearly as much energy, can it?” Stern Wing asked. “The Red Crystal is way smaller, and he's gathering that positive energy at a slower rate. If this gem is unable to store as much positive energy as his giant obelisk was able to gather negative energy, then what's the point?”

“The point is to use the Tree of Harmony to make up the difference. Feather Wind's assumptions were accurate on this point,” Crystal Sage answered. “We are only gathering enough positive energy in the Red Crystal to assist the Tree in finding the Crystal Heart which is lost somewhere within the Crystal Empire. The positive energy will cause a sympathetic vibration which the Tree could use to find the Crystal Heart, but my plan had always relied upon the Tree itself to draw the Crystal Heart back into the material plane. The Tree will always be a more powerful magnet than anything we can store within that gem because the Tree can tap into all the energy of Harmony across our entire land. That's the advantage of this strategy. We don't have to gather as much energy. What's more, as an added bonus, it won't even cost the Tree energy to do this. It inherently acts as a powerful magnet. All it needs is the means to find the Crystal Heart in the first place, thus it won't cost the Tree energy to do this. In fact, my plan will actually strengthen the Tree. All of the positive energy we gather will be donated to the Tree not only to help find the Crystal Heart but also be added to the Tree's strength from then on.”

“And what will happen to you once the Red Crystal joins with the Tree?” Celestia asked Crystal Sage in curious concern.

“That Crystal is the last shred of my material form,” Crystal Sage answered. “What comes after that, I'm not sure. I have mainly two theories. Either A; I will be absorbed into the essence of the Tree if I am deemed worthy and compatible with it's energy source, in which case my magic and knowledge will also be added to the tree, or B; I will move on to whatever higher plane of existence that I deserve to go to. Either way, I will transform, and I'm fine with that. I'm basically just a ghost anyway who has one last unfinished purpose. As soon as I aid in the return of the Crystal Empire, I will have no more regrets left to anchor me to this world. I will trust the future of Equestria to the next generation of ponies and, based on what I have seen through Feather Wind's travels, the future of Equestria does indeed appear to be in good hooves.”

“I think I understand why he wants the Crystal Empire to be returned, but what about you?” Celestia asked with a bit of lingering suspicion towards Crystal Sage. She glanced back at Feather Wind as he answered in Crystal Sage's stead.

“Because there is somepony back at the Crystal Empire he dearly loves,” Feather Wind explained. “You remember that song we heard at the end of the battle?” Celestia nodded. “That was her voice. He prefers to hide her real name, so I call her Angel Song. Adding to that, Crystal Sage also cares about the welfare of every other pony that got lost in limbo along with the now trapped Crystal Empire. He aided in it's construction in the first place and he put a lot of work into it. A lot of his hopes and dreams are with it.”

“I see,” Celestia said sympathetically to Crystal Sage. “Love is indeed a very noble agenda. I, too, know what it's like to desire a lost loved one to be restored.”

“Obviously you're talking about your sister,” Stern Wing realized mournfully after recalling Celestia's painful encounter with Nightmare Moon back in King Sombra's dark crystal cave.

“I just want to make things right again,” Crystal Sage promised. “That's my only agenda anymore. I've already lost most of my achievements in this world. All I want to do is restore the greatest legacy I ever created. After that, I will finally and completely rest in peace.”

Celestia thought about what he said, then asked, “If what you say is true, why did your counterpart feel it is necessary to gather that much dark energy to accomplish the same thing?”

“Because he did not have the advantage of tapping into a power source that was already connected to all the spirit of Equestria,” Crystal Sage answered. “He had to gather all of that dark energy on his own and he needed a place deep enough to put it. That crystal he used to form the obelisk was rare to begin with but, with it destroyed, there is that much less left in the world so it might take him two-thousand years to gather the same amount of materials again on this world, but he quickly realized we are a lot closer to our goal so, if I were him, I would abandon plan A entirely and simply let my enemies do my work for me.

“His strategy probably would have been flawed anyway. That much dark energy would be extremely difficult to control because such energy is inherently wild and chaotic. More than likely, he would succeed to rip the Crystal Empire back into the material plane but it would be a flawed attempt. Some of the buildings and pony citizens would probably be left behind in limbo, but the Tree of Harmony synergizes with the energies spread throughout the city better. Because it is able to resonate with everything within the city better, the Tree can pull the entire city back into phase with the material plane evenly. That, in turn, means nothing gets left behind so, in the end, that leaves King Sombra with that much more to conquer later. Until then, I think he'll lie low and wait for his enemies to accomplish his goal for him. He won't even try to interfere with the spread of Harmony anymore because, if he did, it would actually further delay his own goals, ironically enough. Being empty of all good essence himself, he cannot aid in it's return directly using this strategy so he figures the least he could do is not stand in our way.

“But Princess, I must warn you . . . the moment the Crystal Empire does return to the material plane, he will pounce upon it as quick as he can. It is imperative that either you or some other pony you trust gifted with barrier magic leave to guard the Crystal Empire immediately. If you don't do this then King Sombra might arrive there first and conquer it. He might even raise a dark barrier of his own to keep your allies out until he is finished with his objectives there. I know I would in his place, and I know I'm capable of just that if I manage to access the right resources first in the Crystal Empire.

“Even if you, or some other pony you trust, arrives there and protects the city first, it only buys you time. For a permanent solution, you must restore the Crystal Heart to it's rightful place.”

“Being connected with him as you are, I don't suppose you know where he hid the Crystal Heart?” Celestia asked hopefully.

Crystal Sage sighed sadly as he shook his head. “Alas, I do not. We divided many centuries ago. I used to receive flash visions of his memories that he chose to send to me, but there was no way he'd be willing to send me information that could later compromise him. All I know is it's hidden somewhere in the city. It has to be else the winter storms would swallow up the city and bury that which he wishes to conquer. If it weren't for that, I'm sure he'd seek out a way to destroy the Crystal Heart since it's such a potential threat to him but, as it stands, he needs it to a point. Unfortunately this means the Crystal Heart will have to be found before you or any pony you send depletes their supply of magic to defend the city and, on top of that, the Crystal Heart might be defended by various traps that he set up in advance. I am so sorry for all this inconvenience. I wish I could help even more.”

“It is a decent plan, all things considered,” Celestia realized. “Actually, it's more than that because your strategy would even strengthen the Tree of Harmony. Your plan is actually ingenious.” She smiled as she closed her eyes and bowed her head briefly as she said, “I have faced against your darker half twice now, and technically speaking he beat me both times.” She opened her eyes and smiled brightly at Crystal Sage. “What a relief it is for me to finally have some small part of you working on my side for a change.”

That comment made Crystals Sage simultaneously feel both flattered and guilty. “I am also relieved that I can give you some small measure of comfort but, if I had my way, we never would have been enemies in the first place. You have my sincerest apology from the bottom of my heart for all that you have suffered at the hooves of my alternate self.

“Understand this, your Majesty . . . he is just an empty shell of myself, but we are not divided squarely between good and evil. He really does have only my evil side, but I am balanced. I have both sides within me, which means I remain just as capable of darkness but, unlike him, I am able to choose the light as well, and I remain motivated to do so.”

Crystal Sage looked down with regret. “I probably wasted far too much time wallowing in self pity over my past mistakes while he, in turn, worked to strengthen his position. This was another mistake I have made. If I had acted sooner, a great deal of your citizens would not have suffered in the first place. I cannot apologize to you enough for all that he has done and for all that I haven't done over these many centuries. Truly evil is destined to succeed when good-hearted ponies do nothing.”

“But you are doing everything you can right now,” Celestia pointed out proudly. “I even think it has a good chance to succeed, eventually. However,” she tapped her lips with a hoof in thought, “you said that a key component of this strategy is to use the Tree of Harmony to draw the Crystal Heart and, by extension, the Crystal Empire, from the depths of oblivion, but the Tree has lost it's Elements of Harmony a long time ago.” Celestia replaced her hoof to the ground as she shook her head and briefly closed her eyes. “I fear it is no longer strong enough to do as you have suggested.”

“That depends.” Crystal Sage looked back at Celestia. “This is also why I'm telling you this now. For my plan to succeed, you all must accomplish something on two fronts. Feather Wind,” he gestured to the pony in question, “must do everything possible to gather as much positive energy as he can to empower the Red Crystal. He can do that by happenstance, but it is far more effective if he generates that energy through kind acts.”

Crystal Sage looked at Feather Wind squarely. “Know that defeating great evil, like my counterpart, does not promote harmony and therefore does nothing to charge the Red Crystal with the right energy. Instead, opposing and defeating such evil prevents disharmony. This is important too, so great power on the side of the heroes is necessary from time to time, but the primary way to charge that crystal is through every day acts of kindness and compassion. This is mostly in the little things. Watching fireworks with your friends, joining them in fun pool parties, and lending an ear or a hoof to aid a pony who is depressed. All of these things are what's necessary to charge that particular crystal and therefore you will accomplish this goal far more in peace time than you ever could in war. In war time, the atmosphere is saturated with tense energy which is rarely positive. If you must face the bad guys then do it quickly and return to having good times with your friends as soon as you can. That is the best way to accomplish your goal.

“But, in addition to that,” he looked back at Celestia, “the Tree of Harmony must be strengthened too so that it, in turn, can act as a more powerful magnet and the Tree of Harmony draws it's strength from spreading harmony across this entire land. Based on it's name, what else would you expect? This is the spirit that attempts to calm the natural elements of nature, and it is the voice of conscience whispering in our ears and trying to encourage us to be more friendly but, unlike The Dark Star, it is always gentle with it's suggestions. For true harmony to be promoted, it must be pursued willingly so all it could ever do is gently encourage us. That voice is always inside us because it was once the source of magic that crashed upon our planet a long time ago. Long story.” His final sentence was said directly to Celestia in particular. “If you want to know more about that, ask them.

“My point is, I had intended to inform you of my plan anyway, Princess Celestia, because you are in a tactical position to help me with this. You raise the sun and the moon, so you definitely have many ponies attention. What's more, you are an immortal and caring protector of our lands. You've proven today why you are so worthy of that trust. So great was your determination to protect your citizens, you were even willing to resort to dark magic to accomplish that. I know for a fact that plan would have backfired if you kept it up, but it still demonstrates your willingness to go that far and for noble reasons.

“Because so many ponies look up to you, and rightly so I might add, I need your help as well to spread the message of friendship. The more harmony is spread throughout this great land of ours, the more strength the Tree of Harmony could later draw upon.

“The crystals of the Elements of Harmony only act as a focus for each element it represents but, by themselves, the gems are powerless. Every-single-time,” he stomped a hoof with each word, “the gems are used, the Elements of Harmony don't just draw upon the spirit of the user, it also draws upon the Tree itself and the Tree gathers it's strength from the entire spirit of the land. You see? It's all connected. The reason those Elements are so strong is because it draws upon the united spirit of every pony on the planet, possibly even every creature on the planet. The stronger harmony is on the planet, the stronger the Elements will become and vice versa. I know this because I've studied the relationship between magic and emotions, and crystals can capture those feelings like pouring water into a jar. That makes the energy available to be tapped into later on. Crystals can also magnify that magical potential, much like a magnifying lens, but there must be magical potential in the first place else nothing will happen.

“Since I know for a fact that the Tree of Harmony is also made of crystal, then it must be an extension of the same science. It houses a living spirit within it just like my Red Crystal does, but on a much grander scale. The spirit of the Tree of Harmony is the combined essence of us all, and our most positive traits in particular.”

“I'm curious about something,” Stern Wing broached. “That song you issued from the Red Crystal . . . why didn't you try that in the first place? Since it was clearly very effective, it would have saved us a lot of trouble if you had resorted to that in the first place.”

Crystal Sage paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then said, “Two reasons. Number one, I may not be long for this world. I wanted you all to hoofle this problem because I will soon be an unavailable resource to draw upon and I did not want you all to grow dependent on me. A strong part of me wanted to help anyway because this was my mess to begin with, but I'm dead. Usually, at most, I could only give advice in my position unless I possess your husband, which I refuse to do again. I did it that one time only for Angel Song's sake and because you all insisted, but I refuse to do it again. It's his life to live so I won't even pretend it is an accessible resource available for me to steal.

“The second reason I delayed that long to use that strategy is because, at first, it had not even occurred to me either until you all sang to uplift Celestia's spirit which she, in turn, used to strengthen her Hearts Warming barrier. As soon as you did that, that gave me the idea so it was really you three that deserve a lot of credit. You held fast and strong and supported each other to the end. That is very commendable but, even after the idea occurred to me, I still waited to see if my idea was even necessary. As long as your song continued, you three were holding your own.

“After King Sombra disabled all magic not attached to dark magic, however, I quickly realized that the Red Crystal was not affected and, truth be told, I was shocked to notice this. The Red Crystal should have been especially vulnerable to this kind of attack because this type of attack undermined the source of the Red Crystal's strength, but apparently the energy you gathered so far after Card Shark drained it was still enough to protect the crystal.

“Remember your wedding in the ancient past? A lot of pure love and friendship energy was absorbed into the crystal at that time. Later on there was your vacation on that tropical island. You all spent it with your friends and family. You all shared in your mutual joy together, and the crystal absorbed that energy too then, on the Tardis, just before they all faded away (those who were there, at least), you all sang together which lifted up all of your spirits in one voice of harmony. The crystal absorbed that energy too which included the future version of you, your Highness,” Crystal Sage told Celestia. “So you, too, deserve some credit for the protection of the Red Crystal's stored positive energy which, in turn, later supported all of you during this time period at a crucial moment.”

Crystal Sage regarded the group again with a sweep of his gaze. “In the end they all faded away with happiness instead of sorrow, each pleased to do their own part in helping you all save the world then subsequently having lots of fun together. This was a critical point in your relationship with each other because it capitalized on the true strength of your relationship together. The Red Crystal kept on absorbing this all. In that final moment against King Sombra and his black obelisk, I think that energy was enough to protect the Red Crystal and make it immune to the black obelisk's anti-magical aura. When I noticed that, I knew there was an emergency supply of magic to tap and, thanks to your singing earlier, I also had the perfect idea how to use that energy.

“While Vision's sonic device was somewhat effective against the black obelisk, simply screaming at it at high frequency was less effective than generating sonic energy charged with the kind of energy that directly opposed it's own. Notice how fast this song shattered it. The reason I suspect it was super effective was because a great deal of the black obelisk's energy was charged with King Sombra's own essence, which also helps to explain how he was able to influence and use it so easily, but that also proved to be the black obelisk's downfall.

“I love the music of Angel Song. It's one of the primary reasons, but not the only reason, I fell in love with her in the first place but my dark counterpart is devoid of any love in his heart. That is why that same song would drive him insane with rage. That is because, for him, all of that loving energy is twisted into unbearable hatred and, since the black obelisk was also charged with his essence, it had the same reaction to the song as he did, so it cracked and shattered soon after the song filled the room. Thanks to Vision's optical speakers, that song was enhanced even further which greatly intensified the effectiveness of the sonic assault. The rest you know.”

“So, in the end, we did make a huge difference,” Stern Wing realized with a smile. “As for that lingering energy from our friends, it feels like they reached a hoof, talon, claw or paw out and protected us one last time.”

“The Red Crystal is charged with the emotions of their spirit,” Feather Wind said. “You know they would want to protect us if there was any way they could and, in the end, they found a way.”

“My role in Equestria is nearly done, your Majesty,” Crystal Sage said to Celestia. “Will you help me secure a brighter future for the next generation of ponies?”

“What you ask is no easy feat,” Celestia replied. “At least I can say I'm motivated to cooperate. I want to see the Crystal Empire return to glory as well, and in the proper way.”

“Anything worth doing is usually very difficult to accomplish,” Crystal Sage said. “I can't tell you how many years was poured into research, development and labor in the construction of the Crystal Heart and the Crystal Empire, but you've seen for yourself what it can achieve at it's height. The ponies that once lived in that Empire lived their lives bathed in positive energy. It was a paradise.”

“And a worthy endeavor, in any case,” Celestia said. “It may be a great effort, but the results will be infinitely rewarding,” Celestia looked back at the other three, “but a task this monumental will require us all. Every pony in Equestria must lend a hoof to accomplish something this big. Can I count on you all?”

“Of course, Princess,” Stern Wing agreed.

“You can count on us, Celestia,” Feather Wind concurred.

“I'll do whatever I want,” Vision said a little weakly, still shivering a bit. “I can assure you I have no incentive to spread disharmony at the moment.”

“Then it's settled.” Celestia looked back at Crystal Sage. “Rest well, my new friend. I will do all that I can to guide the next generation of ponies into a better world than either of us have suffered through in our past. I promise.”

“Then I have one less worry and regret on this night,” Crystal Sage said as his voice eased. “Thank you, your Majesty, for all that you have done and will do. Thanks to your efforts and every other pony under your guidance, I know the world will see a better tomorrow. On that note, I bid you farewell.”

He bowed to Celestia as he faded away.

xoxo

“There. It is done,” Celestia announced as she returned into the icicle cave after stepping outside for a moment. “The moon is set and the sun is raised. I know it's difficult to tell with all that snowy cloud cover, especially this early in the morning, but it is officially the next day now.”

“Good,” Stern Wing said. “Now, if Vision goes to sleep, she will have good dreams instead of nightmares.”

“This is the source of your psychic visions?” Celestia asked Vision.

“It used to be until I found another, more reliable source,” Vision said weakly, clearly on the verge of falling asleep, “but I still get psychic dreams when I go to sleep as well, especially around this time period.”

“Why would the day or night cycle have any effect on the quality of your dreams, if I may ask?” Celestia asked politely.

“I think you'll find the answer to that question very interesting in a personal kind of way,” Feather Wind announced. “Whenever she sleeps at night, she is plagued with nightmares, courtesy of Nightmare Moon but, on the plus side, when it is visions of the future, it can serve as a warning which, if acted upon fast enough, can be prevented. That was how she saved my life so, in an odd way, I owe my life to the darker side of your sister. On the other hoof, if Vision sleeps during the daytime then Nightmare Moon is asleep as well and she, in turn, dreams of being Princess Luna.”

“Really?!” Celestia asked with great interest at Feather Wind then asked her next question at Vision. “Is this true? Do you really see my true sister when you sleep during the daylight?”

“Not all the time,” Vision answered with a yawn. “I wouldn't even say it's common, but she is the reason those dreams tend to be emotionally more positive. Either that, or the dreams end up just plain weird.”

“In that case . . . can you send her a message for me when you go to sleep today?” Celestia requested with a voice full of desperate hope.

“I can, but I already know what your message is,” Vision announced. “You want me to express to her how much you miss her and love her.”

“If you would be so kind, I would be ever so grateful,” Celestia said as she closed her eyes in pain. “This feels so selfish of me after all that you have already done for me and my citizens. Consider this a personal request.”

“I will do this for you if you listen to my request in return,” Vision bargained.

“Anything,” Celestia agreed immediately and looked back at Vision.

“Then listen up, because I'm going to tell you about one of my psychic visions I had a long time ago before I even traveled with the Doctor, but don't worry . . . this is one of the good dreams. This is one of Princess Luna's dreams. In it, it has very good news for you but it has a few conditions attached to it in order to make it possible. The bottom line is, you actually can and will get your beloved sister back, but there is something you must do first before that can happen.”

Celestia nearly choked on her own emotions after she heard the announcement of her sister's possible return and her eyes had watered. She struggled to ask as calmly as she could, but she failed to hide her true emotions from her voice completely. “And . . . what must I do?”

“You must pass on your knowledge to a student gifted with magic, for it is she that will enable your sister to return,” Vision informed and warned. “In particular, you must make sure she understands the magic of friendship, for it is through that knowledge she will once again awaken the Elements of Harmony, and it is through the Elements your sister will be cleansed from the nightmare she is perpetually suffering from right now.”

“Really? But I used the Elements of Harmony against her and she wasn't cleansed back then. Instead she was banished to the moon,” Celestia objected.

“It's difficult to control the Elements of Harmony with precision,” Vision admitted. “It doesn't respond to one's own thoughts but their inner feelings instead. When you used the Elements of Harmony against your sister, you felt hurt and betrayed at the time. The pain of her betrayal was just too personal and painful for you so the Elements responded to your emotions by banishing a potential threat and, by doing so, it weakened your own connection to the Elements and turned them into stone, for such a power is against it's own nature. Admit it. That was the absolute last time you were ever able to use the Elements of Harmony.”

“It's true,” Celestia admitted with regret.

“And that is why, when your sister is finally freed from the moon, you must be nowhere in sight,” Vision warned.

“What?!” Celestia exclaimed. “But . . . it's my fault she ended up like this in the first place!” She placed a hoof to her chest. “I have to be the one to fix this! This is my responsibility, and I do not wish to burden any other pony to fix my mistakes.”

“But you can't use the Elements of Harmony anymore, and that's required to solve a problem this intrinsically deep,” Vision warned. “Your future student, on the other hoof, will be able to use the Elements full potential but only if she's properly guided. If you show up instead when Nightmare Moon comes, then she will target you exclusively with all of her centuries of pent up rage and frustration and take it out on you instead of your student except, against you, she will not hold back at all. If this is allowed to occur, then your future student will also fail to awaken the Elements of Harmony because she'll rely upon you too much instead.”

Celestia closed her eyes in pain.

“So you must choose, Princess Celestia. Do you wish to fight Nightmare Moon again, or do you wish to rescue your beloved sister?” Vision proposed as an ultimatum. “In this case, you can't have it both ways.”

“If you choose to have faith in your student instead,” Feather Wind put in, “and she succeeds to awaken the Elements of Harmony again, then it will also mean you're no longer alone in your struggles to spread the message of harmony. I'm sure the next chosen champions of the Elements of Harmony will also be heavily looked up to which, in turn, spreads your allies out across Equestria. Armed with the Elements of Harmony from then on, you might also be more prepared against any other potential threat to follow afterwards.”

“Plus, consider this,” Stern Wing added. “You're a pony with centuries of wisdom and knowledge. I'm sure somepony like you would greatly benefit a potential student. The more you train her, the stronger your allies become. You've been alone in your burdens for far too long, Princess. Let some other pony carry the torch for once.”

“But I'm so busy as it is,” Celestia complained. “My day is so full of ponies who need my attention that I have barely a second to breathe.”

“You can do far more for Equestria than merely smiling and waving,” Feather Wind encouraged. “Delegate, Princess. If you are not alone in your struggles anymore, then you might find more time to help even more ponies in need when you have others to pick up the slack. Do you trust us enough to believe that we can help you?”

“I do,” Celestia admitted. “It's just that . . . you are all so ephemeral. Even if I learn to rely upon you, eventually you pass away and I'm left back where I started.”

“Not if those you train also train others,” Stern Wing suggested. “That way the lessons endure across each successive generation. That, in turn, eases your burden ongoing. You could live forever and life will still be better when valuable lessons continue to endure and, if any pony starts to forget that along the way, you'll still be around to remind them what's really important.”

“I suppose that could work,” Celestia said as she glanced off to her side, then her eye looked back at the three of them with her face still directed sidewards, “but I have never taught before! At least, not in that capacity. There are rules and standards and I'm so busy and . . .”

“Celestia!” Vision cut her off. “Just ask yourself this . . . for the sake of the return of your sister, what line are you not willing to cross?”

Celestia looked outside to the shadowy daylight and thought of her sister, then bowed her head. “You're right. For the sake of my sister's return, I will find a way to make time for this project . . . somehow.”

“If you're worried about getting the approval of the E.E.A., then consider this . . . how bad the publicity would it be for those on the counsel and their careers if it became publicly known that they rejected the Princess of Equestria's request?” Feather Wind pointed out.

“I'll not use my authority to bully my way into whatever I want,” Celestia insisted back at Feather Wind. “If I'm going to do this, then I must learn to conform to their standards and practices.”

“Which is there for a good reason anyway, Celestia,” Feather Wind informed. “If it helps, I can speak to my father, who is also on the E.E.A. counsel, into giving you a favorable result. I'm sure he can be persuaded to listen to reason and probably even argue in your defense towards the others on the council.”

Celestia giggled a little then said, “That would be nice.”

As Vision continued to fade, she requested, “There is one last request I have before I fade off into sleep. If you cooperate with this request, it will increase the odds of me encountering your sister in person in my dreams. Usually I just get good dreams or bad dreams depending on the time of day but, either way, I rarely encounter her directly.”

“Of course.” Celestia took a few steps closer. “What is it?”

“Sing to me the same lullaby you sing for your sister when you set the moon,” Vision requested. “I've seen you do it in my daytime visions, so I know you do it. That song will help me attune with her essence directly.”

“Oh!” Celestia looked surprised and embarrassed at that request. “That song is . . . very private for me. One I would not choose to share with others lightly. Besides, it's . . . kind of depressing. In that song, I share my pain with my sister in privacy.”

“The words themselves do not matter as much as the feeling you evoke behind them,” Vision informed. “That emotion will tune me into the right frequency in order to see her. Do you want me to spread your message to her or not? It's what you do every time you sing that song anyway, but this time you have a chance to send me and deliver it for you.” Vision yawned then lowered her head, starting to already drift away. “It's up to you.”

Celestia cast a long sigh as she looked out the exit of the cave again, then looked back at Vision. “Okay. Just this once, I will share my song with you. Since you seen it in your dreams anyway, I'm not really sharing anything new to you, and I really want you to deliver my message to my sister.”

“In that case, do you want me and Stern Wing to leave?” Feather Wind offered. “I mean, since you said this song is a private affair anyway.”

“And have the two of you suffer out in the cold while I sing? No thank you,” Princess Celestia rejected. “Besides, Stern Wing is serving as her blanket right now anyway. If I disturb that then she might grow too cold to sleep properly and that would disrupt my plans to have her deliver my message.

“No, you two can stay. I want you to stay, but please be very sensitive to me about this. This song is very personal to me, so please be gentle and discreet about it.”

“Yes, Princess. We will never tell another living soul about this. We promise,” Stern Wing assured.

“Uh-oh!” Star Breeze blinked. “Then you shouldn't be telling me this either.”

“Oh, don't worry about it,” Feather Wind assured his daughter. “I've gained her permission since that time to tell you. I told her about the book I've read and how it will be important to tell my future daughter of my journey. She agreed to allow me to tell you about this part as well but, in return, she requests you be kind to her about it as well. Now I'll need your promise on this issue or I'll skip this next scene.”

“I promise I'll be sensitive to this issue, Father, and protect her secret pending her further permission to spread it,” Star Breeze promised.

“Very well,” Feather Wind said to his daughter then resumed his story.

Celestia paused for awhile to gather her thoughts and feelings on this song, then she sang in a deeply soothing and emotionally rich voice.

“Fate has been cruel and order unkind

How can I . . . have sent you . . . away?

The blame was my own; the punishment, yours

The harmony's silent today

But into the stillness I'll bring you a song

And I will your company keep

'Til your tired eyes . . . and my lullabies

Have carried you softly to sleep.”

Stern Wing and Feather Wind were already in awe of the depths of emotion from Celestia, especially love and sorrow they felt from this song, but they were blown away even further as they watched Celestia spread her wings and glow all about her body, particularly her wings, when she sang the next stanza of the song. Meanwhile that light filled the icicle cave with glowing and reflecting light which, of course, had no effect on a blind and sleepy filly.

“Once did a pony who shone like the sun

Look out on her kingdom and sigh

She smiled and said, 'Surely, there is no pony

So lovely . . . and so well beloved as I'

So great was her reign . . . so BRILLIANT her glory

That long was the shadow she cast . . .

Which fell dark upon the young sister she loved

And grew only darker as days and nights passed.”

Celestia's wings grew especially bright when she mentioned the word “brilliant”, but the light cooled off and died down gradually since that point, especially after she mentioned the word “shadow”. At that point she folded her wings again and she stopped glowing entirely. Meanwhile Stern Wing and Feather Wind were dumbstruck and could make no further reactions until the song was complete. Feather Wind's Red Crystal, however, glowed as it started to absorb the feeling of love it sensed in the room. The next words she sang at a bit lower tone and slower pace.

“Lullaby moon princess, good night sister mine

Rest now in moonlight's embrace

Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth

Through cloud, and through sky, and through space

Carry the peace and the coolness of night

And carry my sorrow in kiiiiiiiind

Luna, you're loved so much more than you know

May troubles be far from your miiiiiiiind

And forgive me for being so bliiiiiiiiiiiind.”

“Soon did that pony take notice that others

Did not give her sister her due

And neither had she loved her as she deserved

She watched as her sister's unhappiness grew

But such is the way of the limelight, it sweetly

Takes hold of the mind of its host

And that foolish pony did nothing to stop

The destruction of one who had needed her most.”

Celestia paused there for awhile before resuming in a much softer voice, and she was definitely crying at this point but managed to keep her voice fairly steady.

“The years now before us

Fearful and unknoooowwwwn

I ne-ver imagined

I'd face them on my ooooooowwwwn

May these thousand win-ters

Swiftly pass, I praaaaaaaay

I love you; I miss you

All these miles awaaaaaaaaaay.”

Her voice gained it's softest tone yet.

“May all your dreams be sweet tonight

Safe upon your bed of moooooooonlight

And know not of sadness, pain, or care

And when I dream, I'll fly away and meet . . . you . . . theeeerrrre

Sleeeeeeeep

Sleeeeeeeep

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.”

Song completed, Celestia had the whole room in tears, including herself, but excluding Vision. She was asleep instead. It took awhile for Feather Wind and Stern Wing's mind to thaw out, but one thing that helped to yank them out of their stupor was when Celestia started to part for the exit of the cave.

“I need to go now,” Celestia announced to those behind her. “My subjects need me, and I must not tarry for long. I trust you all to find your way back.”

“Wah . . . wait, Princess!” Feather Wind called out to her, forcing his mind to thaw in order to do so. Celestia paused and looked back at him with one eye over her shoulder to acknowledge his call. “Um . . . I can't leave until Vision wakes up and, afterwards, I'll need to repair the wing on her saddle bag, else it will be a long trot back home but, assuming I do manage to fix the wing . . . I can get us all back to your palace faster.”

Celestia's eyes squinted with a teary look of gratitude as she regarded Feather Wind behind her. “I thank you for your kind offer, but I really must depart. I cannot delay long enough to wait for her to awaken, nor would I wish to wake her now that she is beset to deliver my message and surely requires the rest as well, but I was not kidding about my busy day schedule. This journey I considered an emergency and I set a lot of issues aside to address this but, now that the urgency is over, I must return to my subjects, lest they worry about me. They know that I raised the sun and set the moon on time but little else.

“Farewell for now, my beloved friends. Do not forget your promise. Find love, peace and happiness in your own lives. You more than deserve it and, in the process, you also bring hope for the return of the Crystal Empire. I'll do what I can from my end as well. I hope I can count on you to do your part in spreading happiness for yourselves and others. Until we meet again, and I say this with all of my love . . . take care.” She nodded at them one final time and briefly closed her eyes as she did so, then opened them again as she leaped outside and flew away into the winter storm.

{Which left your mother and I alone together as we absorbed everything that happened. Eventually we, too, drifted off to sleep with the sound of the winter storm raging on outside. Since we were inside safe from the storm, the sound of the winds were actually quite soothing. It reminded us of the time we were stranded in a cave during a rainy storm with nothing to warm us but each other and our love.}

xoxo

{And that's what we did. We lived out the rest of our days in peace and happiness, your mother and I. As for Vision, instead of bothering to fix the wing, she instead teleported back to Canterlot after meditating and drinking a magical potion. I requested for her to wait for your mother and I back in Canterlot and she agreed to do so by waiting for me at my father's mansion.

{When we got back, I helped Vision to replace the wing on the saddle bag now that we had more resources to work with, but she didn't stick around long after that. When next I woke up from my bed back in my father's mansion, I discovered she left the book, “Predictions and Prophecies”, on my desk beside me along with a note expressing her heartfelt feelings of our journey together, but also claimed that we no longer needed the services of an oracle to ensure a brighter future because she already foresaw it. Instead, she felt drawn to other worlds and times that needed her help more, just like the Doctor.

{I, in turn, mailed the book to Princess Celestia along with Vision's final regards spoken by her future self.

{The next order of business I had in Canterlot was making arrangements for me your mother's second wedding. We were already married in spirit but we wanted to make it official in this time period too and invite whomever could attend. My father was there. So was my uncle and his family. The Orchard family also showed up, as well as many of your mother's friends (most of which were team members during her Puffball days) and some of the members of the Wonderbolt Cadets and even a few of the Wonderbolts themselves which certainly included Sky Dancer.

{I won't sit here and tell you that the second wedding was hollow. Indeed, it was full of emotions and joy . . . but, as my eyes scanned across the gathered procession, I couldn't help but feel like many faces were missing from that crowd except I kind of felt them inwardly. I still wore the Red Crystal and, in it, I could feel our missing friends and families joy. That helped. It really helped a lot. In my head, a phantom image of them appeared, crying out in joy towards me and my new wife.

{At the wedding reception I also spotted the Doctor and Derpy waving at us from a distance. They didn't approach us. I'm sure they had their reasons, but it still felt good to see them one last time.

{Then, one day, I woke up from a dream that inspired me to write a poem and later further inspired me to a major decision. I decided to build a new type of airship. One that was mostly made of clouds instead of a zeppelin and, as such, did not obstruct the view of the sky because the balloon would not be in the way. Since I was gifted with wind control, I also customized this ship to have massive sails above and to the sides of it. With a bit of a budget, I brought this idea to a few engineers from Cloudsdale, the primary capital of the world when it came to any home constructed from clouds. It took some work but they helped me refine the blueprints which I then took back to my father for an investment in it's construction. He had me carefully explain the reason for the construction as well as it's purpose and plan as to how to repay the loan, with interest of course.}

“Wait, wait, wait. Why wouldn't grandfather just simply give you the bits for this?” Star Breeze asked. “You're his son, and he's filthy rich.”

“Our family did not get as rich as they are by being stupid with money and just giving it all away,” Feather Wind told his daughter. “On the contrary, we got this rich by being smart with money and making wise investments. My father considered me a wise investment after he heard my plan in detail, especially the added part where my weather control could not only make the journey potentially speedy but also cause some entertainment along the way. He was also the one who had some ideas of crew members we could hire to help us take care of the ship as well as our guests on the trip. Those were some very important questions and I had unique advantages in this situation. He also asked me what would happen to the airship after I retire or die. Since I would no longer be alive to assist with weather control, he thought that might later be an issue. The airship could still propel itself without me. It would just be about as slow as any other zeppelin. Failing that, it could at least be converted into a home.”

{Over the years I also wrote a lot of poetry. All of my adventures over the years feels like it inspired me for a lifetime, and as I wrote down my ideas I began to finally understand why the Doctor and Twilight called me a prolific writer. I just had to do it. I had to get this out of my system, and if felt so nice not to be rushed at it anymore. Finally I could afford to take my time with each and every piece, and I'd like to think that helped improve the quality too. We are the sum of our journey, and the works I wrote down I felt would help to make our family proud.

{While I was at it, I also wrote down a bunch of letters to many of my future friends and post-dated it to be delivered in the future, just as I had promised. Dunken Doo promised to take care of most of it while also commenting that stuff like this proved how enigmatic the Scroll family could be, to post-date all those letters for ponies who did not exist yet. I shrugged and gave him a sly, knowing smile.

{Some of the rest of this you know. We did eventually get the airship and we used it to ferry a bunch of passengers and cargo back and forth across Equestria. Sometimes we were hired for speedy deliveries and sometimes we gave slow and steady luxury cruises to fantastic vacation spots which, in turn, allowed us to participate at those places with a discount. At every turn, I always did my best to ensure maximum customer satisfaction because, if they were happy, it also gave me a chance to collect their positive energy in the Red Crystal. Since I had an extra reason to have a vested interest in my customers true happiness, I did everything I could to cause it, even if I occasionally had to be unusually generous to do so. While that may sound like a financial risk at first, it also gave our business a very good reputation which, in turn, later drew in a lot more customers due to highly positive reception. Word of that was mostly spread via word of mouth but also some other mediums like newspapers and magazines. I've also done everything I could to promote greater happiness at many of the vacation spots we visited, even for those who were not directly our customers. In fact, I have done and will continue to do this everywhere I trot for the rest of my life. Causing great weather is just one of the many examples of how I do this in a wide area.

{As you know, this lifestyle allowed us to see all kinds of ponies and creatures from all trots in life. Except for the crew we hired on occasion, this life of constant travel impeded our ability to make lasting relationships but it did provide us with great variety of friendships and we still write many letters to this day to keep up with many of the more memorable customers and others that we met. Sometimes I send them wind messages, and they respond in kind. This is particularly common with any emergency services I provide to grant rapid transportation wherever they need to go.

{I still have the emotions recorded in the Red Crystal of the day you were born and you finally made our little family complete. It is likely you will know joy like this yourself someday via your own experiences but, if you ever get curious what it was like for us, then I urge you to access those memories when you learn to make a connection with the Red Crystal. There are lots of other messages you could access in that gem which I stored there specifically with you in mind.}

“But won't you feel incomplete without it?” Star Breezed asked in concern. “After this long, I'm sure you feel like it's a part of you.”

“So are you, my Sweet, and the legacy of investing energy into this gem must continue until there is enough for it to fulfill it's purpose.”

“How will we ever know it's been charged enough?”

“Crystal Sage is monitoring it's progress, and he's very familiar with the energy of the Crystal Heart. When it gains enough energy, he will let whomever the current possessor of the stone know.”

“And then he'll be gone forever,” Star Breeze said sadly.

“He'll move on to his just reward,” Feather Wind pressed. “Would you like to be stuck in a gem forever?”

“No, I guess,” Star Breeze relented. “It's just that . . . I'll miss him.”

“Then cherish him while he is here, and when he is gone look for him in the crystal of your heart. We are all connected to the Tree of Harmony, my Dear, and he may be more apart of it at that point than ever before. You will feel his spirit from within if you look hard enough. We all must pass on someday, but we also have this opportunity to share in each other's company while we can and, even when our bodies die, our spirit lingers on. I have seen this on many occasions so I know it's true. The afterlife is not a mere possibility to me. It's a confirmed fact. We'll be there someday, don't you worry and, in the meantime, we get to play in Equestria as beloved ponies.

“There are many other souls out in the universe eagerly waiting for that same chance and, for all those who desire it, they will get their turn, in their own special way, and in their own special time.

“Believe me when I say to you that you are right where you are and meant to be. Allow the memories of my story to help inspire you to make your own story, for someday it will be your turn to tell other ponies of the glories of your adventures.

“In the meantime, we have this special moment now with each other. I thank you for choosing to be born as my daughter, and I'll spend the rest of my life rewarding you for that choice.”

“If that's a promise you made to me when I was born, then I can assure you that you've kept your word ever since,” Star Breeze said lovingly as she hugged her father. While she did so, she asked, “So . . . is that it? Is that all there is to your story?”

“Of course not,” Feather Wind said. “This story continues for as long as we are alive, and can even persist well after that in certain ways. I've caught you up to the present in my story but, to find out what happens next, all we have to do is turn the page together.”

Chapter Thirty: What Comes Next

Epilogue: A New Journey Begins

Star Breeze nestled herself into the clouds to get herself comfortable. She stuffed part of the clouds under her neck to make a makeshift pillow. She then laid her back down upon the cloudy ground and "pillow" while facing up into the night sky. Star Breeze lifted up one hoof above her and squinted one eye shut as she measured the distance between the stars using her hoof as a marker. Using this body part as a sort of measuring stick was somewhat difficult for her, however, largely because of the color of her coat.

As she did so, she suddenly recalled she did something just like this on the night she learned of her father's journey many years ago. She recalled being so anxious to learn how she might defy the impossible as well, and perhaps become the world's first spellcasting pegasus.

Her commune with the Red Crystal since those days had astonishing progress, and it did help her to cast spells if she wanted to but it was really just borrowing from Crystal Sage's potential, which was okay. She had his permission as long as she held up her side of the bargain but, deep down, she knew she had not really found her own horn yet. Thanks to her years of study under Crystal Sage's tutelage, as well as that of her father, she knew how to forge her own crystal wand which could be used as her own surrogate horn. She even knew what her own magical aura color would be.

Unfortunately, the best materials for making a crystal wand was virtually extinct a long time ago. Those crystals sank into the earth and became the magic of the planet. There was one way she could get to the Starlight Dust comets, however. She was just waiting for her opportunity to show up.

She thought, with gratitude, of all of the blessings she had in her life. Moving from place to place on her family's airship was mostly a seasonal affair. The rest of the time, like this night, the airship was parked and waiting for the busy season to begin again. In the meantime, her father gathered more clouds and stuffed it around the airship, making the cloud ship turn more into a small island that none but fellow pegasus and her father could trot upon (or a griffon on the rare occasion). Of course the airship itself had solid walls and floors for any other customer who were not pegasus. If it couldn't do that then there would be little point in having an airship. Pegasi could naturally fly anyway.

Star Breeze closed her eyes and touched the Red Crystal and had it absorb all of the positive energy she felt at feeling so lucky to be born into this family. It had always been a joy for her from start to . . . well, now. The rest of her life was likely to continue to be a thrill, but the only way she could know for sure was to turn the page.

Speaking of which, she actually had read the book, “Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn” that Discord popped into existence and her father subsequently scanned and therefore made a virtual copy of within the Red Crystal. She even read about this night as well, recalling that was as far as the book itself went. The book called this the epilogue, but it was actually a prologue for her since it marked the beginning of her own story. Like her father once said, the book never did mention her own age exactly. In the epilogue it only hinted at the fact she was much older, but teenager? Adult? Who could say? That meant she was left guessing when her own story would really begin, but she had a very good feeling about this night.

Primarily because, and this was only a recent realization, she felt ready. The book mentioned that part too, as she recalled. It mentioned that, on the night she starts her own journey, she would feel ready for it, and she did. After all of her previous travels and training and strong emotional support, she felt strong and confident. Confident enough to take on all of time and space. Of course, she knew that no pony should do that alone. Even the very strong sometimes need backup, and they could always use more friends regardless of the condition of their strength. Besides, it makes the journey more worthwhile too. A chance to share the journey with some other pony or creature made the journey itself that much more worthwhile.

(Any second now,) Star Breeze thought anxiously as she bobbed her right hind leg over her other bent leg. (Soon it will be my turn, and then the real fun begins! If you thought my father's journey was impressive then . . . well, you'd be right but mine will be just as impressive, if not more so! Watch out, Universe! Star Breeze is on the rise!)

As if on cue, she heard the mechanical wheeze of the Tardis as it started to make it's materialization process. She knew what it sounded like thanks to her father's records within the Red Crystal, but this was the first time she heard it personally. She grinned excitedly as she rolled herself to her hooves and watched as the famous blue box finished appearing, then she watched it open it's doors seemingly on it's own.

“The end of one story is just the beginning of another!” Star Breeze said aloud to herself excitedly. “Here I go!”

She trotted into the Tardis without looking back.

The End

Epilogue: A New Journey Begins

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Prologue: A Tail Of How It All Began

Author's Note

The following is a fan fiction of crossover of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Doctor Who. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro. Doctor Who is owned by BBC. Please Support the Official Release for each.

This story has been edited by Onyx Rose, and she has my thanks for helping me with this journey.

This story is inspired by the works of Pierce Smoulder and her works with Ponies with Pockets. She has my thanks for helping me get into the fandom with both MPL and Doctor Who, particularly the newer generation of both shows. I originally thought her work was a parody of both shows, but the later audio dramas of hers proves that it is serious and entertaining stories which has helped to inspire this one. This story is also inspired by A Tale of One Shadow, The Fall of the Crystal Empire, and Lullaby for a Princess. Click the links to find a video/site for each one and check if out if you haven't already. All of these sources are cannon to this story, though there are a few adjustments.

As a fair warning, the tone of the story is mostly PG instead of G rated like the original story for it mentions a death in the family as early as chapter one. Both language and sexual content of this story is much tamer than most of my other stories (although lewd minds can make references with just about anything regardless of actual intent). However, when the villains show up, the story can momentarily sky rockets to R rating not because of language or sexual content but for gory violence and overall creep factor. Villains are villains, after all, and this story does not hold back with them although they, too, are capable of humor and pop culture references. In keeping true to the universe from which they are drawn upon, however, they usually also have traces of redeemable qualities. Since there are multiple villains, the intensity between them also varies, but I'll leave you as the reader to judge that. In terms of genre, this one is fantasy coming of age/follow your dreams story for the first 1/3rd which eventually leads to adventure/science fiction for the final 2/3rds.

I never wrote a story this silly before this one, but it does draw on a source material that's capable of cartoon physics, especially when it comes to certain characters, but in general the tone of the story is pretty serious.

As of 4/1/2019 it's come to my attention that there is a blind reactor that is still reacting to and finishing up season 5 of MLP which came out in 2015, 4 years late, which caused it to dawn on me that I may have to warn readers about potential spoiler warnings within my own novel here so spoiler warning; finish up to season 8 of MLP first before finishing this novel. As for Doctor Who, if you're a fan following that series then finish up to the 10th Doctor, the David Tennant era.

As a final note, I wouldn't mind a submission of a drawing for original OC of Star Breeze or her father. If I get that, I may post it as my portrait for fimfiction.

So, without further adieu, on to the story.

Prologue: A Tail of how it all Began

Star Breeze nestled herself into the clouds to get herself comfortable. She stuffed part of the clouds under her neck to make a makeshift pillow. She then laid on her back facing up into the night sky. Star Breeze lifted up one hoof above her and squinted one eye shut as she measured the distance between the stars using her hoof as a marker. Using this body part as a sort of measuring stick was somewhat difficult for her, largely because of the color of her hide. She was an all black foal speckled with white tiny dots. Day or night, she looked almost exactly like the starry night above her. If it weren't for her multi-colored mane which shifted from yellow at the base, then red, then deep purple and ending in black (which basically simulated the setting of the sun) Star Breeze might actually look almost invisible if the starry night sky was the background. At least the tips of her hooves were white as well. That made a better contrast against the starry night sky.

Whether it was because she had the color of the sky, the color of her mane or simply her name, Star Breeze found she actually did have a fascination with the night stars. She loved how they sparkled and twinkled. She explored the night sky in other ways too, including a telescope. She could never get enough of it. Often she liked to imagine that the stars were composed of specks of pure magic sparkling in the sky. That, perhaps more than anything else, was what gave the stars such an intense allure for her. It was an attractive idea for her that, by understanding and becoming one with the essence of the stars, she could also, accordingly, master magic itself as well. If one concept was tied to the other, she reasoned to herself, then by mastering one she could also master the other.

(Daddy should be home soon,) Star Breeze thought to herself. (It's been awhile. A few days at least. I don't know. I lose track of time sometimes. Tonight it will be worth it. Tonight I'll get him to confess. Tonight he'll tell me everything on how he did it. How he managed to fly. Maybe, if I can learn how he did it, then I can learn how I can accomplish my own goals.)

Star Breeze grew a confident and even cocky smirk. (My family laughs at the face of impossibility. Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Take that, you lousy logic! Pow! Ka-pow! Right in the muzzle. That'll teach you not to tell me what I can and can't do.)

Star Breeze crossed her right bent hind leg over her left and dangled it a bit in a cozy, lazy manner. She hummed to herself somewhat to help occupy her mind. In truth, she was trying desperately not to get too impatient, but that's a hard lesson for any young foal. She then squinted irritably as she thought to herself, (Darn it, what's taking him so long?)

Further north the moon's light peeked around a black cloud. Well, black at least from a night time perspective. When the light touched her face, it drew her attention up to it for a brief moment. There, unmistakably, was the light of the full moon with Nightmare Moon's shadowy face carved all over the side of it, just as it had always been for many centuries. For Star Breeze, it's the way it had always been her entire young life and, as such, she regarded it as downright normal. The only thing that made it look a little strange was her perspective in viewing it. Looking above her while facing upwards, it made the moon look upside down. If the moon was all one single light she wouldn't have noticed, but the face of Nightmare Moon seen upside down made the moon look a little strange. In fact it was so strange for her that she decided to roll over while keeping her eyes locked on the moon. Likewise it made the moon seem to reverse itself, now looking right side up.

(That's better,) she thought to herself, then gave an impatient sigh. (Cheese and biscuits, I hate waiting! I hate it! I hate it! Besides, why wonder when I can just ask him?)

Star Breeze sat up straight and closed her eyes. She concentrated for a moment then whispered out under her breath, “Father, where are you?” Right after saying that she felt the wind carry away her breath. Several moments passed when she felt the wind return, this time with a message of it's own.

“Look behind you,” advised a familiar voice carried in the wind. She did. Looking behind her, she grinned as she saw a familiar vortex of wind spiraling towards her. Some nearby clouds got swept up in that vortex. In the eye of that storm a tiny figure emerged and gained more distinctive detail the closer he got. It was her father, a light blue coat unicorn with long white flowing mane. He flew at her with his cloak held spread apart from the inside using each of his hooves inserted into a groove on the inside of that cloak at four separate points. By putting his hooves in each of those points and forcefully spreading it apart, he effectively made a glider out of what was essentially a cloak made of clouds, although that cloud was magically condensed to become much more solid and permanent in form. When he flew near, he swooped up for a moment so fast she lost visual track of him for three seconds before he descended like a meteor crashing down on the little island of clouds Star Breeze was on. After landing, an intense whoosh of wind flew past Star Breeze as it did in every direction around her father. Under the force of that explosion of wind, the cloud under his hooves spread apart, making it look like he landed in a small crater he just created. At first his gaze was directed downward as the cloak flew down and settled around him, then he glanced up and smiled fondly at his daughter with kind and gentle-looking yellow-rimmed eyes.

“Happy birthday, Star Breeze,” her father congratulated after he settled.

“Took you long enough,” Star Breeze complained with a pouty face. “Mother and I have been waiting all night.”

“I'm sorry,” her father apologized. “It wasn't my intention to annoy you. Tonight least of all. I'm here now. Let us commence with the festivities.”

“Now that's what I like to hear!” Star Breeze cheered. “Let's go!”

Her father trotted out of the cloudy crater that he had just created upon landing, except it seemed to regenerate back to normal after he trotted out of it. A subtle spiral of wind signaled the cause of that act, a byproduct of her father's magic. It was an act so easy for him his horn wasn't even glowing, or perhaps it was slightly if viewed up very closely. The sight of this wasn't a mystery to Star Breeze. Most other ponies would be perplexed at this but it was just a normal night for her.

Instead of holding her attention on that, she happily pranced over to their home which looked like a shack sticking out of the clouds. There was a lot hidden beneath that, however, since that shack was actually the top of an entire airship which was currently just parked since it was the off season. Unlike normal zeppelins, however, this airship was mostly made of clouds to hold it aloft but it had solid construction within it for the other passengers who were not pegasi.

Her father veered to his left so that his path line joined with hers along their way back to their home.

xoxo

“Mmm! That was delicious!” Star Breeze cheered happily as she settled her plate back on to the table.

“Glad you enjoyed it,” happily responded her mother as she collected the empty plate with a sweep of her brown ombre wing with black tips, a color scheme which was shared by her mane, tail and hooves. Unlike Star Breeze's father, her mother was quite a bit taller and larger. In fact the comparison between the two seemed quite extreme since her father was on the smaller side and her mother on the larger side. Large but lean, with her mother's muscles tightly compact across her body. There was a lot of power behind those hooves. If any pony felt it's full impact, they would not likely continue to have a good day. “Considering we only have this moment to share this together as a family on this most auspicious day, I'm glad to say we have at least this time to spend it together.”

“You're leaving tonight? Already?” Star Breeze's father asked her mother with a moderate amount of surprise. Clearly he wasn't shocked but he didn't exactly expect this either. He also sounded a bit disappointed. He just got back himself an hour ago, after all.

“Yes. I have to,” Star Breeze's mother confirmed as she delivered Star Breeze's empty plate over to the sink via a straight wing then unceremoniously dumped it into the sink. “I was a little surprised as well that they called me in for another shift this soon, but they did. When duty calls I cannot delay. Lives are potentially on the line.” Star Breeze's mother looked back to look at her father with her brown-rimmed eyes. “You know how it is.”

Star Breeze's father frowned just a bit as he said, “All too well, I'm afraid. My work is convenient but rarely as essential as yours, at least potentially.”

Star Breeze's mother looked taken aback. “Not essential? Your work is weather control all across Equestria, not to mention the occasional dignitaries and passengers we deliver on this little boat of ours. The work they do can be quite important and a speedy delivery could actually save lives sometimes.”

“Okay-okay!” Star Breeze's father relented with an upraised hoof to suspend any further debate. “Point taken, but remember . . . your job more directly concerns security. That and all the other stuff you do.”

“Yeah,” Star Breeze's mother agreed as she looked at the sink with a thoughtful gaze. “All the other stuff I do.”

There was a moment of silence between the three for a few moments, then father asked his daughter, “So, my little Sunshine . . . what did you wish for?”

Star Breeze grinned at her father. That question was just the line of opening she was hoping for. “I wished I could cast magic . . . like you, father,” Star Breeze boldly declared.

Father passed Mother a coy grin because of that statement. Given his history, that statement was actually quite ironic. Mother passed the same look back to Father, equally amused for the same reason.

“Interesting declaration,” Star Breeze's father mused as he looked back at his daughter. “What you ask for most other ponies would regard as impossible.”

“But we don't know the meaning of the word, do we?” Star Breeze returned with a cocky smirk. “I mean, you flew . . . right? There was a time when most ponies would have regarded that as impossible as well.”

“Your father flies using his magic and his cutie mark talent to assist him,” her mother announced. “That's why he can do it. You, on the other hoof, can't grow a horn where there is none to begin with.”

“Now hold on there,” Father told Mother in a cautious tone. “There are many forms of magic. Some she could master. If my life taught me anything, it's that anything is possible.”

“But not everything,” Mother reminded. “If that were true we wouldn't have any regrets, now would we?”

That question deflated Father's enthusiasm. He looked down in a bit of depression as he said, “True. That's all too true.”

After another silent moment between the three of them, it was broken first by Mother after a sigh, “But if anyone has experience in defying expectations, it's certainly you,” Mother said in a relenting tone.

“That's why I want to know how you did it,” Star Breeze declared as her look shifted from her mother to her father, “and this time I want the whole story, and I want it tonight.”

“Tonight is your bedtime,” Mother lightly scolded in a reminding tone.

“But I can't sleep!” Star Breeze complained as she dropped her face onto the table and wrapped both of her upper hooves above her head. “This question is killing me! You defied the impossible!” Star Breeze looked up at her father. “You proved that anything can be done. Why is my wish so different? You wanted to fly more than anything else in your life, and you did. Is my dream impossible? What did your role models tell you when you were a foal? Considering what you have accomplished since then, I really doubt they told you to just give up and settle.”

“Depends who you ask,” Mother said with a chuckle and a smirk. Shortly after she said that she sighed again and then said in a relenting tone, “I suppose she does have the right to know since she is our daughter and all. We always did plan to tell her anyway, and it's your turn to take care of her . . . as we agreed. If I can't take care of her and you can, since you're here and I'm about to take off, I'll leave the decision up to you. It's your story, after all. You choose how you wish to share it, and to whom. Meanwhile, I have to take off. See ya.” She strolled to her daughter to kiss her on the forehead. “Happy birthday again, Sweetheart. I'll see you again probably sometime in the morning, unless the two of you end up staying up all night and pass out in the morning.”

“Actually, my story could end up taking several days,” Father theorized. “I was thinking I could take her out camping, like I used to back in the day. Who knows?” Father shrugged. “Going there on my old stomping grounds might help her connect with her gift too just as it had with mine. If anything, it might serve as some kind of inspiration. I always did want to tell somepony this story and, when I do, I want to tell it right.”

“Camping?” Mother reflected as she lifted her head away from her daughter's forehead following the kiss. “How long do you two think you'll be gone? A week maybe?”

“If that's what it takes,” Father confirmed with a rare stern look to his eyes. It always excited Star Breeze to see it. Little did she realize her mother felt the same way. “If I'm going to do this then I will see it through to the end, however long that may be. I wonder if you still recall why this is important.”

“Can you afford that time?” Mother queried Father. “I know we're not tight for bits right now, but sometimes your duties are very important and can't be put off.”

“It's alright. I can afford the time,” Father said with a confident half shrug. “If it turns out that's not true, your friends can contact me via the wind. Come to think of it, you can as well. Drop me a line whenever you feel like it, but I doubt I'll have to remind you where we'll be.”

“If you're serious about this, bring the stone,” Mother said in a serious tone.

Father nodded with a meaningful look in his eyes as he said, “Agreed.”

“Why?” Star Breeze asked. “What's so important about that stone? You practically bring it with you all the time.”

The stone Star Breeze referred to was the one father often wore dangling around his neck, a three-tipped crystal with a reddish hue hanging on a string.

“I'll get around to that part too. I promise,” Father promised his daughter.

“You're really going to tell her that part too?” Mother asked Father in concern.

“She needs to know,” Father argued back to Mother. “It might be her responsibility too someday. She should at least know what it is and where it came from. Before she decides on anything, I want her to be able to make an informed decision. Besides, she doesn't have to think about it too seriously right now. She still has some years to dwell on it, but the earlier that starts, the better.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Mother agreed, “but that knowledge is somewhat dangerous. You make sure she understands the full implications of it before she decides anything regarding it.”

“Right now I'm just telling her a story,” Father said back. “A story of my life. When it comes time for her to make her own story then she shall. In the meantime it might help her to understand her legacy and what came before her.”

“That's understandable,” Mother said back, then sighed. “Well, I have to go. Take care, you two.”

“You know how to contact me if you have to,” Father checked.

“Of course,” Mother replied as she started to take off.

“As for you, little one,” Father looked at his daughter, “come with me. If you're going to hear this story to the full, I want to bring you someplace special to me. In a way it's where my tale truly began.”

Star Breeze smiled eagerly as she said, “I can't wait!”

Chapter Eight: Flight Training

{I must admit, sometimes my father can make a convincing argument. He's used to dealing with all kinds of students so it really isn't that much of a surprise. I think the main factor that tends to disrupt communication between us is the fact we could both take issues with each other too seriously and personally.

{When I agreed to my father's plan, I wasn't exactly sure how I would feel at first. He relegated my flight training to weekends and that day happened to be a Tuesday so . . . I had to buckle down and get to work on my studies. Despite my prior experience, I wasn't exactly sure how I would feel about the project but I tried it and discovered it felt different this time. I think the biggest factor was the elation that, not only had I unlocked my special talent, but I actually had my father's permission to pursue it if I took my studies seriously and I think that, more than anything, made me feel different about the work. No longer was it a barrier between me and my true dream. I already started my true dream and had permission to pursue it further later on if I took these studies seriously. Before I had to deal with the uncertainty of who I really was and working on these studies just didn't feel right, like I was moving in the wrong direction but, after I found my talent, the studies no longer mattered as much. It felt kind of neutral, actually, as if my soul simply shrugged and said, “I don't care anymore. You can pursue these studies if you want to. I already achieved my ultimate goal.”

{But the more I thought about it, the more I realized my father was right in other ways too. If I pursued my dream of flying alone then the best that could accomplish is becoming as good as a Wonderbolt. That actually is impressive, but those skills alone accomplished little else. It was somewhat disheartening to think that my one true special talent was something any average pegasus could already do even without their own cutie marks. If my talent was that common then the only thing that separates me as special is the mere fact I am a unicorn.

{On the other hoof, if I could pursue and master the study of magic as well then I would have something that could really make me unique. Mastery of magic and the sky . . . there was only one type of breed of pony who could traditionally do things like that, and that is an alicorn, but even that breed only achieved that by having both wings and a horn. I was accomplishing this with a horn alone so, even compared to an alicorn, I still stood out if I could master this.

{Besides, when I thought about my experience up on that cliff face, I remembered that feeling and instinctual certainty that every pony is born as the right breed and born at the right time and place. That everything was in it's place according to some master design. That made me realize that that same thing had to apply to me as well. I was meant to be a unicorn but I was also meant to fly. Neither fact was a mistake. Examining that line of reasoning further, I realized that, by being born a unicorn, I was meant to have an intrinsic connection with magic. That likely meant I was not to limit myself to just one thing, such as my special talent. Being a unicorn meant being capable of achieving far more than that. I also had to factor in that I was born to the Scroll family and to a father who took his studies in pursuit of magic very seriously. He was meant to drill that stuff into me because he was right. By doing this, I could achieve my full potential, including my special talent. Maybe both of these skills were important to prepare me for some future challenge in Equestria. Back then I could not imagine what it might be but, for whatever reason, Equestria was going to need a skilled flying wizard someday. If every pony was indeed born at the perfect time, then my skills would be needed during the course of my lifetime. If, for some reason, my skills would continue to be needed beyond my lifetime, then perhaps it implied that I was meant to inspire and teach other unicorns the same thing in order to pass on these skills to the future. Who knows how that would eventually turn out?

{Thinking of this, in a way I realized I actually felt good about my studies for the first time. The feeling was not too strong at first but it grew on me over time. I really started to enjoy reading about all kinds of interesting things all across Equestria, and every spell I mastered since made me glow with a little bit of pride. I recall how I felt when I charged off into the wilderness with very few resources. I had no money, food and only the cloak on my back. If, back then, I had mastered many dozens of spells to boot then perhaps I would have hoofled that experience with far greater ease. Every spell mastered was a new and permanent tool in my arsenal. I even contemplated how I could use each spell creatively in ways it wasn't exactly designed to do but potentially capable of accomplishing anyway.

{Of course I was looking forward to my first official flying lessons. Considering everything I had been through, I could not help but to look forward to such things but, since the studies gained a more significant meaning for me as well, I felt more patient and content to wait for those lessons. At last I valued what those studies could accomplish for my future as well. As long as the flying lessons started and continued, then I felt content.

{Your mother, of course, dropped by every now and then. One thing that changed for the better, however, was a new arrangement with my father to go meet her. In addition to two hours of time for free writing each day, I also haggled for two hours of free time each day for myself. During that time, I could go outside and do whatever I wanted to, within reason of course. That included playing with whomever I wanted.

{Upon further reflection, my father agreed that some time off from studies helped relax the mind more so that it could pursue the studies better at the conclusion of the break. That actually should have been an obvious lesson for him. As I stated before, sometimes we might overlook the obvious when an issue becomes too personal. He did take this project personally ever since his brother seemingly abandoned him by choice and his wife left him by death. He had only one pony to focus his attention on ever since and he finally agreed he pushed me too hard. By letting go of the reins a bit, he realized how that could ultimately help him to achieve his aim all the better.

{Of course I was happier too. I had the freedom to breathe and to be myself. Until that happened, I didn't realize why those studies in my room felt so stifling and claustrophobic. I needed time just to be myself. I didn't need too much, just a little time.

{So, of course, my friend took advantage of it and I, for one, welcomed the change of pace as well. I had a crush on her after all. I'll freely admit that since you already know she eventually became my wife. It's really no secret at this point, but it kind of was back then. She still didn't know how I felt but that didn't change how I felt about her.

{Of course your mother was pretty hopping mad at me for a couple of days for galloping off without saying goodbye to her. Her main consolation was the fact I returned home safely, that I found my special talent, and we finally had permission to hang out with each other without her having to sneak through my window all the time. Honestly, the shock she felt on what my special talent was greatly diminished her rage. She was still angry at me but amazed as well. I had never seen before or since such an odd combination of anger and giddy excitement.

{It must have felt even more exciting for her since it also meant I could actually join her in something she loved to do, fly. It meant I could identify with her and her experience more. It meant we had another thing in common. It meant we had another experience we could share with each other. Her mind spun with possibilities of places we could go that she would be excited to introduce to a first time flier. In a way, it probably reminded her of her own experiences when she first flew. It brought that new sense of joy back into her heart so she couldn't wait to get started.

{Unfortunately, at first, we had to. Since I promised my father I would limit my flight training to weekends and only with adult supervision of a pegasus, it also meant I would stay on the ground until the weekends. That did put a damper on our excitement a bit but at least it also meant we had something to look forward to every weekend and, until then, we had time to stew on the idea. When you have time to really think things through, sometimes certain ideas occur to you that otherwise wouldn't have.

{I think, in this case, it was quite important because an exciting idea came to her during the course of the week. She excitedly said to me she had the perfect pony to be my trainer and begged me to let her take care of it. I trusted her explicitly, so I said sure. Both of us shared that same proposal to my father after we agreed to the plan. His answer was . . . depends. He wanted a moment to assess the pony directly and see if this pony was really trustworthy of this duty but, on the bright side, he also said that, if he approved, he would gladly pay that pony for this service. Stern Wing agreed to pass on that offer to the one she was thinking about. In her mind, she thought the little extra incentive would probably be overkill.

{Heh. Funny thing was we managed to hire Dunken to deliver a letter to the one your mother was thinking of and we also hired him to deliver an urgent letter back to my Uncle Ramadon to inform him that I was not lost or ponynapped but, instead, managed to make my way back home on my own . . . mostly, anyway.

{As for my uncle, I was glad he and Dunken would get a chance to meet each other. Dunken was a friendship addict and my uncle was certainly a very interesting pony to get to know. I figured the opportunity would likely enhance both of their lives so I was pleased how things turned out on that front. By knowing we had likely added another name to Dunken's ever growing friendship list, it felt really good. He honestly deserved all the joy he could get.

{For my part, I had a few theories bumping about in my head on whom Stern Wing was thinking about but I could just as easily conclude that whomever she was thinking about was somepony she never spoke of before.

{But then, finally, the weekend rolled in and I was excited to see whom Stern Wing invited.}

xoxo

{When I finally met the one Stern Wing invited, who did indeed show up after being invited, I realized that I had never met this pony personally but I had heard of him from Stern Wing and, in a peculiar way, we met even earlier than that, for the one who showed up was none other than Sky Dancer himself.}

“Was he one of the ones you privately suspected would show up?” Star Breeze asked her father curiously. “You said you had time to contemplate this and you had several in mind. Was Sky Dancer one of them?”

“Indeed,” Feather Wind confirmed, “and in fact he was the one I was secretly hoping for. I never asked whom it was directly because I didn't want to spoil the surprise. If I had asked back then, I have a strong feeling your mother wouldn't have told me anyway for the same reason so . . . in the end . . . things worked out as they should.”

{In some ways it was strange meeting Sky Dancer because it kind of felt like meeting a fictional character of mine who suddenly sprang to life. In an odd way, I felt as if I caused his existence. The way my uncle phrased how perception could alter reality, one never knows. Maybe I did cause his existence somehow, or maybe my vision of Sky Dancer was kind of a psychic experience. Either way, it seemed we were destined to meet.

{Sky Dancer was a dark blue pony with lighter sky blue wings and deep cerulean eyes. His mane was a combination of black and white which he describes as the two colors of the clouds. The two colors were woven in a spiral as a hoofful of dreadlocks. His cutie mark was a pair of wings attached to a cloud that was zooming fast. Aside from his wings, it was uncanny how much he matched my vision of him exactly. Even the age seemed right, which was young adulthood.

{Before the end of the week, I finally did make Stern Wing a copy of my poem, “Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn.” Secretly she mailed that copy to her cousin while requesting it to be returned when he showed up. In person, Sky Dancer said that the title of the poem amused him but, when he read that there was an actual flying unicorn now, he knew he had to meet me in person. Giving flying lessons to the first flying unicorn in Equestria was all the excuse he needed to show up but, if this arrangement was going to be more permanent, then an arrangement would have to be made with the Wonderbolt reserves as well. I'm not exactly sure how they reacted to that request other than the fact that I know they eventually said yes. Maybe, in a way, they figured it was furthering his own practice. By teaching flying skills to another pony, maybe they figured he could become a better trainer himself. The Bolts needed ponies with those kinds of skills too, and it best went to any pony who gained that kind of experience and applied that kind of initiative the most.

{When it came to Sky Dancer's own flying skills, it didn't take long to convince my father that this was a true professional. Sky Dancer was training to become one of the best fliers in Equestria and he was doing it through an organization that my father actually trusted. That was because my father knew the Wonderbolts had a keen eye for detail. To get that good at something, he knew everything had to be practiced over and over again until it was perfect. He could think of no better trainer for his own son other than a full-fledged Wonderbolt but, in a way, that would have been a bad thing as well. While a full-fledged Wonderbolt would have been more ideal in some ways, primarily because they are more skilled and experienced, a full-fledged Wonderbolt was also far less likely to be as available to his son than he would have cared for, so this arrangement was just right. All things considered, my father considered this arrangement unusually lucky so he agreed to the plan.

{In fact, he actually raised the price of hiring a trainer who was beyond the caliber of what he initially expected to receive. Now that he knew better the kind of quality training Sky Dancer could provide, my father thought it was only fair to pay more for more professional work. On the other hoof, he expected to get his extra money's worth. If he was going to pay more then he demanded higher quality training in return. My father was firm on that point. He told Sky Dancer, “Make my son into the best flier in all of Equestria. Since I know what kind of standards you have, I expect you to impress the same in my son.”

{Of course I didn't object. This was a kind of challenge that I gladly welcomed. I wasn't really thinking about the work itself at the time, I was thinking about the potential results. Not only was I going to be known as the first flying unicorn in Equestria, but I had a shot at becoming an especially good one. That seemed quite appropriate for a pony whose cutie mark specifically emphasized flying, similar to Sky Dancer's own.

{Since it came down to this, Sky Dancer figured he might as well train his cousin Stern Wing since she had a similar dream anyway. My father didn't object other than to say he was paying Sky Dancer to train his son, not his cousin. He said that, during the weekends, put an emphasis in training his son more between the two. Sky Dancer could always give his cousin extra lessons on other days of the week if he wished to catch her up. That was true to a point, but Sky Dancer had other obligations as well. Most of his time was spent devoted to his own training so there really was only so much time he could juggle.

{Still, he considered it an honor and a privilege to do this. It was an opportunity for him to go down in history not only as a potential member of the Wonderbolts, but also as the trainer of the first flying unicorn. If he was going to be remembered for that then he wanted to try his best to make sure that unicorn left a very deep impression in history for the better. For him, there was really only one way he could do that.

{My lessons didn't really start until the following weekend. On the first weekend he was busy making arrangements with my father then he went back to the Wonderbolt Academy and made his request there. Back then, I suppose, I did not know what to expect from the Wonderbolts in terms of agreeing to this arrangement or how long it would take to reach such a decision but, in hindsight, since I gained more experience with the Bolts later on, I have to say that they made their decision remarkably quickly. I think they were intrigued with his suggestion given the circumstances and, like I said . . . it was good practice for Sky Dancer as well. In a way it was doing more of the same thing so they said sure. It was his life anyway.}

xoxo

“So you think you really got what it takes to be the best flier in Equestria?” Sky Dancer asked in a playful challenging tone to Feather Wind. While Stern Wing wasn't asked directly, she was there to hear the question and she was also the first to respond.

“Yes Sir!” Stern Wing responded firmly with her chest puffed out proudly.

“Maybe,” Feather Wind answered far more lamely. “Certainly I wish to learn how to become a better flier than I am right now but, given my methods . . . I'm really uncertain how far I can actually go with this.”

“Yeah, that's going to be an interesting challenge,” Sky Dancer agreed. “I can't exactly tell you to bank or curve your wings to achieve better altitude. The exact principles of this science isn't clearly understood right now. We're both treading into uncharted territory, little dude. Tell me then, in your own words, how are you managing flight at all?”

While they spoke, all three ponies stood on the ground. They were also near a lake, something they figured they might use when the flight training started for safety reasons.

A few other ponies watched curiously in the background. Rumors had already started to spread about Feather Wind's remarkable talent so they showed up to see if the rumors were true. One of those ponies was actually another servant hired by Feather Wind's father to observe this lesson then later report back to Author Scroll. Author himself was too busy to be here personally so he hired somepony else to be an extra pair of eyes. Supervision, he figured, was the key to quality work. If he was going to pay this much for a good trainer then he might as well also go the extra mile to ensure the quality remains good. For Feather Wind, that supervision made him a bit nervous. After all it was just another opportunity to be judged and perhaps the lessons would get canceled if his father did not like the feedback he was getting.

{In fact I addressed this with him at a later time and he assured me that my flying lessons would continue regardless of the quality of the trainer. Since flying was obviously part of my destiny then, not only was he not going to stand in my way, but he also vowed to support my dreams as best he could as long as I kept to my studies with zeal. If I applied effort to what he wanted, then he assured me he would apply just as much effort, if not more so, in what I wanted.

{Rather than me, it was the trainer himself that was being evaluated. He sent this supervisor to make sure he was getting his money's worth, and it was also possible that the extra feedback could give my father some ideas on how to improve the quality of the training. Extra information did not have to be a bad thing. The entire point of gathering information was to figure out how to do things better. When he gave that explanation, it calmed my fears.}

“Well . . . I always felt an innate connection to the sky,” Feather Wind answered. “It's always been a part of me. I constantly felt it's call throughout my life, some times more than others. When I listen to the wind, I understand it's language. It kind of feels like I'm talking to myself, albeit a more older and evolved version of myself. As for flying, my cutie mark talent allows me to lighten my body weight to that of a feather. When that happens, I can be blown into the sky.”

“Or into a tree or down a cliff or into a bed of spikes,” Sky Dancer figured. “Hate to break it to you, little dude, but that's not really flying . . . that's drifting. You might as well leap into a river current and allow it to drag you wherever it wants. Being at the mercy of the elements is not always a good thing. In fact, it rarely is.”

“Yeah, but the wind talks to me and I to it. I can communicate my desires to it and it cares for me enough to deliver my wishes,” Feather Wind pointed out.

“Like it delivered you most but not all the way back to Canterlot,” Stern Wing reminded her friend. “Don't forget, you had to be rescued by Dunken Doo. If he didn't happen to fly on by, you could have remained in deep trouble.”

“Which is something we want to avoid here,” Sky Dancer added. “Until you learn to control your course, we can't really call it flying. If you gamble on external elements all the time then eventually you're going to lose a bet. We need to brainstorm a better strategy for you, else I'll have nothing worthwhile to teach you. I'm not going to encourage you into a situation too dangerous for you to hoofle. Mastery of flight needs to be in gradual steps. It's just like how you first learned to trot. Before that you had to learn how to crawl. Baby steps, little dude.

“I get and appreciate the fact you have a deep connection to the wind and that's wonderful, but for now we need to focus on something more reliable. Trust me, I have a connection to the sky as well.” Sky Dancer spread his wings widely after he said that. Because he did, Stern Wing copied him. “I've been up there enough times to know the wind is fickle. That's why it's alluded to the spirit of freedom. You may request it to deliver you somewhere and it will respond in kind if it happens to feel generous in that particular moment but, just because you feel like taking a trip to Saddle Arabia and back, doesn't mean the planet is always going to alter it's entire air current system just to suit your needs at any one particular moment. The winds of Equestria is there for everypony. You can choose to be a passenger of those winds or not but, until you improve your tactics, that's all you're really accomplishing here.”

“What about your telekinesis? You could always use that,” Stern Wing suggested.

“Huh. Well, how about it?” Sky Dancer asked Feather Wind.

“Possible, but very tricky,” Feather Wind answered. “Magic like that requires feeling, concentration and line of sight. Lifting other objects is easy enough unless they are too distant, too heavy, too vague or we're already too exhausted, but lifting ourselves . . . we bump into another problem. First of all, it takes lots of energy and concentration to lift anything like our own body weight, and secondly the shifting gravity makes it exceedingly difficult to concentrate. If that concentration breaks, we're going to fall and, depending how high that height happens to be, it might be too dangerous to try in the first place.”

“Wait a second. You said your weight is a factor here,” Stern Wing reminded, “but you can shift yours down to that of a feather. Can you lift a feather?”

That question made Feather Wind pause in intrigued curiosity, then he said, “I suppose that's true. I lift up feathers all the time anyway. I'm actually quite good at it. All of this horn writing I've done with it sort of made me an expert at it.”

“Well there you go!” Sky Dancer cheered. “If you can learn to telekinetically lift yourself and shift your own body weight to be as light as a feather then it shouldn't take as much concentration or energy to lift and steer yourself in mid air. Now we've got an idea we can work with.” Sky Dancer folded his wings onto his back again. When he did so, Stern Wing did likewise. “I'm not exactly working within my element here. Using this strategy requires you to use something that's quite foreign to me. If we're going to do this, I'll be relying a lot on your feedback. Baby steps, every pony, or in this case I should say baby flaps. We're pioneering an entirely new science here, and we'd best be careful while we practice it in the beginning. Since I'm not an expert using your strategy, we'll learn this together. At least I can say I know the sky well. I know about things like wind speeds, updrafts, downdrafts and air pressure. It's all interconnected to the same science and we'll talk more about that later on. For now we'll stick low to the ground and see how that goes. I don't want you anymore than a few inches off the ground. We'll start there and work our way up. Okay?”

“Okay!” Feather Wind and Stern Wing said simultaneously. They then glanced at each other in amusement a second later.

{I remember the murmurs of the ponies who watched in the background. The idea of them witnessing the birth of an entirely new science intrigued them. A small part of me felt flattered to show them this but I felt nervous as well. Sky Dancer told me to ignore them and instead focus on my own lessons.

{As requested, I levitated myself a few inches off the ground then reported to Sky Dancer that, for the most part, this was easy, especially in terms of energy usage. I could probably hoofle this all day, just like I was when I was writing with an actual quill. Concentration, on the other hoof, was a bit more of an issue. Even the slightest bit of movement felt jarring to every cell in my body. In addition, if you ever felt yourself being telekinetically lifted, you can say from experience it's kind of ticklish. All of those tiny sparks of energy within the magic aura stings like a tiny, ticklish ice pricks made by thousands of needles swarming your body every single second. Even if I were to suspend myself in place, it could be difficult to concentrate. It becomes much harder if I move because then I would have to deal with the shifting weight. Even if I was virtually weightless, I still felt myself move every which way. Have you ever stood on an elevator as it moved up and down? You could feel your guts rise and fall each time.}

“I feel that all the time when I fly. It's no big deal to me,” Star Breeze informed.

“Yeah, but if you were using a horn and concentrating then every sensation like that threatens to break your concentration. For a unicorn, concentration is best achieved by ignoring all external distractions. Instead, you're too busy focusing on what you are trying to create in your mind. You have to shove aside every other sensation except, by lifting yourself telekinetically, not only do you have to contend with the shifting weight but the tiny pinprick sensations on your hide as well. Both of those things serve as a distraction, and a distraction while trying to lift yourself can be dangerous. Still,” Feather Wind lowered his left hoof over his right as they both dangled over the edge of the cloud he was on, “the core principle of this science seems too obvious to believe I was the first to think of it. Unicorns lift up objects using telekinesis all the time. It's usually the first spell we ever learn or master. Surely I am not the first to consider the possibility of lifting one's self in order to achieve a form of flight. Considering that point, I highly doubt I really am the first flying unicorn. The core principle is too obvious for it not to have occurred to any other pony. It is difficult for all the reasons I specified earlier, but there are some ponies out there who are really good at concentration. I'm sure they could have powered through this.”

“Failing that, I have seen unicorns teleport too,” Star Breeze recalled. “That's another way to get around. If that spell was mastered, they could potentially get across the entire planet in an instant. Hmm.” Star Breeze thought on this, then said, “But if other unicorns ever tried to fly on their own using telekinesis and they just happened to be very-very good at concentration, they still could not get past the energy factor, right? If they always had to lift their own body weight to pull this off then it should cost them more energy to achieve, but you bypassed that problem by acquiring the natural ability to lighten your own body weight. Because of that, it's less exhausting to maintain your power.”

“True, but without concentration the power can't be done in the first place. I wouldn't gain the chance to spend any of my energy, even if it would have cost me very little in the long gallop,” Feather Wind pointed out. “That was the conundrum I had to deal with back then.”

{To be honest, the only reason anything I accomplished on that day was impressive was because I was a unicorn that was flying, albeit just barely. I hovered a few inches off the ground and moved about, frequently reporting my problems and difficulties with the effort.

{Part of me found it strange that the ponies watching in the background gasped in astonishment. One would think they never saw a flying pony before. I found that privately laughable because what I achieved on that day I considered to be downright pathetic. Honestly, I achieved far more the first time I flew off the cliff. I flew over hundreds and hundreds of miles to get back to Canterlot and I was very high in the sky. It was hard to tell exactly how high because of all that spinning, but still . . . that was impressive. This was just . . . well, I guess baby flaps was an appropriate term here. It hardly accomplished much, but it was a flap in the right direction and it had the potential of great promise someday. Concentration was my only problem. If I could master that, then I could master flight itself. The effort cost me hardly any energy. Regardless of the altitude, my light weight made it almost effortless in terms of magical energy cost. At this rate I was very likely to be able to maintain high altitude far more easily than any pegasus pony in Equestria. That, at least, was something.

{But, before my next flight training practice the following weekend, I made an awesome discovery about my cutie mark talent that would ultimately shape the rest of my life.}

xoxo

Feather Wind took a small break from his studies. His mind needed a moment to clear, largely due to the intensity of his studies. No matter how fascinating his workload felt, the mind still needed time to digest all of this information, at least if he had any intention of retaining it.

Feather Wind rubbed at his face with his forward hoofs for a moment before leaning back in his seat. He propped his hind legs up on the desk to help him maintain that position and rocked back and forth idly. While that happened, he telekinetically lifted his red feathered quill and balanced it on his snout. Sometimes he tried to look at the feather on his muzzle which made him cross-eyed, giving him double vision of the feather in question.

(Darn, I sure am hot today,) Feather Wind thought to himself. (It sure would be nice to have a breeze in here every once in awhile.)

Feather Wind was startled when a breeze suddenly rushed into his room after thinking that, right on cue. The feather on his snout blew off as the wind rustled through several dozen scrolls on his desk. Feather Wind quickly straightened himself and looked out the window in amazement. He wondered to himself if the wind responded to his call.

(I am the wind, after all,) Feather Wind realized. (Maybe bending the wind is no more difficult than bending myself.)

Until then, Feather Wind thought the wind like a kindly partner but, at that moment, he started to realize he had a much deeper connection to it. If his spirit was the wind then controlling it might be no more difficult than controlling his own natural body.

Feather Wind tested this again. He thought about the feeling of wanting a breeze to rush through his room. Sure enough, right on cue, the wind proceeded to do so and, in fact, it responded faster this time. After that Feather Wind paused to absorb this, taking a moment to calm down his elated excitement. He could not allow those feelings to distract him because he started to realize that connecting with the wind on that level required absolute certainty. He had to know that he could do this, not be surprised by the fact that he could. That was why he took a few minutes to calm down before he tried again.

Then he tried again, only this time he got more specific with his commands. He drew the wind in to blow in a specific direction and specific intensity then, while that happened, he changed the course of the wind. It cooperated with him perfectly. He caused his own red quill to spiral in the air. He locked that quill in a whirlwind then directed it across the room in various directions. He also took a moment to notice how his horn was not glowing. That wasn't to say he wasn't using magic, but it was a different kind of magic. This was the magic of tapping into nature more directly rather than his internal energy sources, and nature's supply of magic was infinitely larger than his personal store. Compared to it, he had a mere drop of water next to nature's ocean. For nature itself, doing this felt effortless.

Eventually he had the quill lightly drift to his right hoof on a gentle breeze. In this he tried to blow it as lightly and as steadily as possible. At that time he could never get it completely steady, and no where near as steady as his telekinetic control. Using the wind alone, blowing things about was far less precise. That was the nature of the element, after all.

But still, he succeeded. He managed to blow the quill all the way to his right hoof without his right hoof moving a muscle. That required some precision to succeed. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to prove a point.

After that Feather Wind leaned back in his seat as he looked up at the ceiling in shock as it dawned on him just how much power he really had at the tip of his hooves. The power to control nature directly . . . or at least the wind itself. The wind was a very important element. It could affect many things in life in Equestria. It was important to realize, also, that this talent did not rely upon his horn. He could cover it up or even cut it off if he wanted to. That still wouldn't remove his ability to influence the winds. This power apparently was a direct extension of his cutie mark talent instead. It just came with the territory of his tight bond with that element.

After a few minutes he widened his eyes even further as something else occurred to him. In addition to influencing the wind, he also had the power to lighten his own body weight to that of a feather. As his cutie mark signified, it had a feather in it caught in the breeze of the wind. At first he made the mistake of identifying himself as the feather in the wind, but it was much more than that. He was also the wind that blew the feather. The sparkles in the wind didn't necessarily have to be his own energy supply but rather the energy that was already in nature itself but, since he had such a close relationship with nature, there was barely a difference between the two. If he was the wind itself then he always would be tapping into his own power. He realized he needed to be careful with this power lest he summon a tornado that could rip apart an entire city.

Upon further reflection, it occurred to him that his degree of control over the winds depended solely upon his emotional connection to the sky. Not concentration, at least not directly, but almost purely based on emotion alone. It was likely, then, that creating a tornado of high intensity required emotion of high intensity. He would probably have to be extremely angry or upset to summon such a force. If the degree of emotion had direct ties to his degree of control then that served as some kind of safeguard. That meant his powers could not be too intense unless his emotions followed suit. That was easier said than done, so it also meant his powers couldn't be too intense without intense effort. Good to know, because it also meant it could not accidentally be too powerful. At the same time, however, it meant he had to monitor his emotions carefully and keep them in check. He had to make sure he did not feel too strong of an emotional outburst or, if he did, he had to make sure he did not channel those emotions into a specific form that required the wind.

Since he had the power to make himself as light as a feather, and since he could also control the speed and direction of the winds, then it meant he could blow himself wherever he wished to go. That also didn't necessarily mean he was disrupting air currents all across the world. It was a big planet, after all. All it meant was he was influencing winds in a very localized area.

(But what does this mean, exactly? What's the science of this?) Feather Wind wondered to himself. (The best I could tell, natural winds is caused by different pressures in the air. Different pressures were caused by temperature differences between one area and another. The sun was a major engine of this. Everywhere it shines, it heats the area directly in the path of it's light and, across the day, it shifts positions. As it continues it's steady journey across the sky, it changes the air temperature of the areas it shines on while the air gradually cools down on the areas it passes over and thereby it changes the air pressure of the sky which creates winds which blew across the world.

(Okay. Now that's how nature itself does it . . . where does that leave me? For me to affect the course of the winds in my local area, am I somehow changing the air pressure in the area? Am I affecting the air temperature? So far it didn't seem so but, for all I know, the answer might actually be yes. If it is yes then aren't I using my magic to cause that change? Maybe I need my horn after all, but it wasn't glowing. I don't know, but it didn't feel like I was channeling energy up to my horn. It felt more natural than that.)

{My ability to control the winds didn't require me to understand exactly how I was doing it. It's the same thing with magic. Sure, there was a formula to follow, but the exact nitty-gritty science of how it occurred was not required. Still, it was interesting to think about and an enhanced understanding of my powers might help me to better control it later. I decided to file that thought away for later and dwell on it again at some time. Eventually it might lead to further experimentation.

{But, at the time, it was enough to know I could do it, and that left a very deep emotional impression on me. It was mostly exciting, but also a little scary. Great power needed to be taken very seriously to prevent it from causing harm, and any great power always had the potential to cause great harm, even in ways one might not expect. What if I told you my great power was the ability to heal other ponies instead? Perhaps I even had the power to do it en masse or to bring individual ponies back from the dead. If you consider the issue carefully, you may realize that there could be long term consequences to abuse of this kind of power. It was always worth the time to contemplate carefully, at least once.}

xoxo

{At this point of my story I think I need to fast forward a bit into something akin to a montage, but I'll need to pause long enough to highlight some key points that led to further development down the road.

{For instance, I did practice with my lightened body weight and wind control at my next flying session. The method I used was quite dramatically different compared to my last attempt and it led to different results, for good and for ill. It was quite a discovery. Even if I lacked the ability to drift in the wind like a feather, knowing I had the power to influence the wind itself was still quite a shocking discovery. I'm not surprised that the crowd behind us gasped when I announced this discovery, which . . . by the way . . . was four times as large compared to our last session.

{But compared to the telekinetic control, there were pros and cons to this strategy. For example, I learned last week that, by lightening my body weight and lifting myself telekinetically, the cost in magical energy was negligible. If that were the only factor, I could easily maintain it all day. The problem was with concentration. My power tickled and it was exceedingly difficult to focus with shifting body weight. As light as I was, I still felt it.

{In contrast, lightening my body weight and blowing myself on the wind alone required almost no concentration. It felt more natural than that. All I really needed to concentrate on was which direction I felt I wished to flow. This is actually remarkably easy. I could even do this without thinking, relying upon instinct alone. That might be hard for you to imagine, moving without thought but, if you focus and embrace your emotions enough, you'll find you're moving about on pure whim, not reason or logic. Because this required almost no concentration, it was easier to maintain.

{As for energy, it cost even less than the other attempt. The telekinetic control was already very low cost but I can honestly say that the surrender to the wind strategy probably did cost absolutely zero energy, at least at a personal level. I could even regenerate energy while floating in the air like that. It was the same as if I laid down on a couch and relaxed. With the mind calm and not focused on stress or currently performing a magical feat, the magical energy of a unicorn naturally regenerates . . . to a point, at least. Over the course of the day I would eventually say our maximum energy supply shrinks as we gradually get more tired but, until then, it could fluctuate up and down depending on how you use or don't use it. It also depended on the difficulty of the task when we do use it as well as the frequency of it's usage.

{However, relying strictly upon light body weight and wind control had some pretty drastic problems. While concentration was very low and energy cost was pretty much non-existent, maneuverability was something to be desired. Like the first time I used this power, even if I was the one directly controlling the winds, I was spinning all over the place. Try as I might, I could never get myself steady, and there was another problem too . . . I had to maintain the winds in order to remain aloft. The most I could accomplish in terms of staying in one spot was to have a whirlwind around me spiraling me in one spot. I think you can imagine how dizzying that eventually grew. If the winds cease blowing then I'd float gently down to the ground. Gravity takes over if the winds do nothing. A feather may not have much gravity but it does have gravity.

{So, basically, flight via the wind was a dizzy attempt filled with imprecision. I would zig-zag all over the place. Even if I was blown in a straight course, I could never keep myself from spinning. The wind is like a river, you see. It always flows at least a little chaotically. No degree of concentration on my part could ever seem to change that. My attempts refined the wind to a point but eventually I seemed to encounter a limit that is a naturally built-in fact based upon the element I was drawing upon. It can't be made completely steady. Not by any pony. There is an incalculable number of factors that make it inherently chaotic. Much of it I probably don't even realize today. Asking the wind for those answers directly did not yield any answers either. It could no more tell me that than you could tell me how many hairs you have in your mane. For something to work did not require conscious knowledge of how it works. It was better to just blindly accept it.

{I remember the gasps of astonishment of the various onlookers present at our meeting and I remember thinking, “Because you are this impressed, the crowd is likely to be quite a bit larger next time unless we change training locations.” I had to remember, as sloppy and impractical as that test flight was, I was still a flying unicorn. That was bound to leave an impression. Every single one of those ponies were likely to go home and report to their friends and family the astonishing discovery they made on that day. For that reason alone, I was likely to grow famous. Maybe even Celestia would stop by for a visit sometime if these rumors continued to spread. I can't say she doesn't grow curious eventually when some information floats out there on a very interesting subject.

{I also heard a whisper from among the crowd as they passed on the information that I was a member of the Scroll family, a family that had a reputation of being one of the stronger casters in Equestria. Some replied, “Oh, well I guess this makes a little more sense then.”

{That's not why I did it. I practiced flying because I honestly just wanted to be myself. I practiced flying because I simply enjoyed flying. Being watched and judged by so many ponies, even if it was a positive judgment, made me feel embarrassed and self-conscious. Even if my family happened to be famous, I was not accustomed to that much attention back then on a personal level. Even today I can only endure it in limited quantities. That was actually another key factor in my decision about leaving the Wonderbolts, but I'll get more into that later.

{So, for my second test flight, it had mixed results. Like the last test flight, it showed promise but this time I had a difficult time conceiving how I could possibly improve using this strategy. If I blew myself harder I would simply spin faster. Eventually I would spin so fast that the accumulated g-forces alone would knock me out. I could probably assume if I lost consciousness then, not only would the wind control stop, but I'd probably gain all my weight back. That did seem to be my body's default condition. In some ways, and probably many ways, that was a good thing. Being that light all the time had disadvantages. I couldn't even trot straight if I was that light because any degree of movement, even moving myself forward on the ground, could make me spin out of control.

{So I was left with a conundrum. If I used telekinesis at least I knew I could eventually get better at my concentration. This strategy had room for improvement. The other strategy, on the other hoof, came across some barriers pretty quickly because of the built-in physics of the issue. If I'm spinning out of control all the time, it's difficult to focus on going in any direction because I quickly lose my spatial orientation. I don't even know which way is up anymore. Refined control over the wind doesn't matter if you're lost, dizzy and confused. I might as well release my control over the wind and allow it to blow me in any random direction that it wants. If I choose a direction instead and I'm totally lost then I'm basically picking a random direction anyway. There is no difference.

{Early on in the second day, your mother suggested that I try a combination of the two strategies. She suggested that I lighten my body weight, push myself using refined wind control but also use telekinesis to steady myself. As long as I'm not spinning around too much, I'd be able to tell where I am going and then refined wind control would be effective. She also suggested that, if I was indeed that light, I would not have to focus my energy across my entire body. I could instead focus on a single part of it and use that to guide the rest. For example, she suggested I use my energy to cover only my legs with my telekinetic aura. If less surface area was being covered by the aura then the ticklish energy wouldn't be as severe. Sky Dancer and I figured it was worth a shot, so I tried it.

{Now that strategy definitely had some promise but it was a fine balancing act. Concentration and a bit of magical energy was a factor but grabbing less surface area meant less concentration, magical energy, and distraction. I still had to struggle with my shifting body weight, however, and anything that threatened concentration left me at risk of losing control of that power. I also tried gentle and sporadic pushes of the wind to just “nudge” me in any direction. A little push here and a little push there then let my momentum carry me where I wanted. That . . . actually kind of worked. It was slow but more steady. I wasn't spinning around as much. Compared to an average pegasus flight, that kind of low speed and poor maneuverability was downright pathetic but, again, the strategy had merits that might eventually improve later on.

{Towards the end of the day, Sky Dancer pointed something else out to me that got me thinking. He mentioned the fact that, because I could control the wind's direction and speed directly, I could be a valuable asset to any pegasus and that by far. He said even if I was just carried by hoof underneath the pegasus, and since I was so light it made that task unbelievably easy, in exchange I could control the winds to simply blow directly at their wings. In theory, they could simply glide all the way around the world using that strategy. Weight would no longer be a factor to that pegasus if they could rely upon a tailwind to keep them aloft and propelled the entire trip. This made the trip considerably less exhausting, or they could flap anyway and gain more speed. I found that proposal interesting which made me contemplate my destiny again. Based on what we had observed so far, that was a valuable contribution I could already provide.

{Heck, that same suggestion would work with a hot-air balloon. Since I could control the winds, I could blow the balloon wherever I wanted and with greater accuracy and speed. It was something to think about.}

xoxo

{It was a Monday, basically the very next day, when I went to a grassy park and simply laid back and relaxed on the grass. I put my fore legs behind my neck to prop it up for support then lazily dangled my left hind leg over my right hind leg as it was propped up in order to straighten my back. There I contemplated the results of the last weekend's flight test, hoping to think of some strategy to help refine my flight control. Because of my potentially light body weight, there were two strategies I had at my disposal. Both of them worked, but both had their own problems as well. Either way, I sensed I could only go so far with them. To get true mastery of the sky, I was convinced I was missing some critical component. Something I just wasn't thinking about yet.

{I thought of what Sky Dancer said towards the end of our last session about how useful I could be to other pegasi due to my ability to control the winds. There was no doubt I could provide a useful contribution to Equestria using that strategy. It would be so good that ponies would pay good money just for that benefit. I could speed them across Equestria faster than almost any other strategy available to us. Imagine how fast I could help deliver letters, for example. The strategy they already had was usually fast enough, but what if there was an actual emergency? What if it became a matter of life and death to deliver a message as fast as possible? I could also help deliver passengers at an accelerated rate. I could literally become a one-pony business operation, and it had so much potential already.

{The potential didn't even stop there. Refined wind control was useful for other applications too. It could help with the weather, for example, or I could blow into a windmill and help to generate energy that way. What if that windmill was attached to a complicated mechanical system that caused many ponies to be able to benefit?

{But, ultimately, I had to ask myself what did my heart call for? What did I yearn for? The answer that came quickly was that I wanted to fly. I could just dangle behind a pegasus on a string while blowing wind straight into their wings. They would fly easier and faster than ever but, for my part, I felt like I wanted more. I wanted to be able to fly on my own but, for that to happen, I had to refine one of the existing strategies I already had in front of me.}

A wise look crept into Feather Wind as he looked at his daughter and said, “Yes, I know. You're already spoiled on this point as well. You know exactly what I will decide at that time based on what I've done since, but please continue to pay attention. By understanding the reasoning behind that decision and the problems I've discovered along the way, you get to learn the evolutionary progress of a single idea. How one idea and one experiment leads to the next and the next and the next. Understanding the process is still valuable information.”

“I wasn't going to say anything,” Star Breeze promised then waved at her father. “Please, continue.”

{I forgot to mention there was a few trees near the spot I laid on. I think that was the reason I chose that spot. I was in the shade, you see. Easier to enjoy looking up in the sky without the sun shining in my eyes. I also appreciated the sound the tree leaves made when the wind blew through them. It was quite relaxing.

{Then something crashed near me that drew my attention. It was a lucky thing it did because it led to the next evolution of my flight training. There I saw a kite that had nose-dived into the earth, leaving it's tail hanging in the air. The young filly that was originally guiding that kite galloped up to it and plucked it out of the earth. I remember her playful giggle as she galloped away and tried to drag the kite behind her fast enough to get it to ascend again. She shortened the length of the string at first so that the kite would drag close behind her. As it dragged behind her, it lifted up but then waved about unsteadily.

{Boy, I sure knew that feeling! I knew first hoof how wild and chaotic the winds could be. It seemed like a strange contrast to my own personality, actually. I may be loose and enjoyed daydreaming but whatever thought I had in my head was usually well controlled. I wouldn't describe myself as wildly loose and whimsical. Sometimes I could even be quite methodical. I guess I get that from my father.

{On a whim, I inwardly willed a wind to blow into that kite and secretly helped it sail upwards. Instantly it worked. The young filly at the other end of the string giggled with delight. In her eyes, she got lucky to catch an updraft. I let her think that. It probably would have happened anyway if I had done nothing.}

The kite continued to hold Feather Wind's attention as his left hind leg continued to bounce idly around his right bent leg. As he stared at it, he contemplated the physics of the kites and how they work. While staring at it, the filly at the other end gradually unwound more and more string. Up above, the kite's flight continued to be wild and chaotic for awhile at a certain height but, as it ascended further up, it gradually became more steady. Looking upon this, Feather Wind realized that the wind was blowing more steadily at certain altitudes. The kite continued to weave in the air some but, in general, the higher it was, the more steady it was.

(Hmm. Not in my experience,) Feather Wind thought to himself. (I didn't fly that high yesterday, but I flew a lot further up the first time, or at least that's what I suspect. I can't be sure, but I feel like I was miles above the earth when Dunken discovered me. I was still weaving to and fro back then. Why was the wind not steady then?)

As Feather Wind thought on that, he contemplated the role the string of the kite played in this whole affair. In a way it meant the kite was tethered to the ground, held by a young filly who was, herself, on the ground. If that had not happened then the kite would sail away and get unsteady again. As it was, it was only steady because it was trying to blow away but the string would not let it. There was a resisting force in this case.

The shape of the kite was another thing that played a role in this affair. It was made of very light materials, similar to Feather Wind when he lightened his body weight but, unlike Feather Wind, the shape of the kite aided it in refined control while up in the sky.

Reflecting on that, Feather Wind contemplated his own body shape. Sure, he could make himself very light, but he then realized his shape was another factor in this affair. Based on the position of his legs, the shape of his torso, his mane, his neck, the shape of his head . . . he wasn't exactly aerodynamic. He pictured, in his head, exactly how the wind would interact with a shape like that, how it bounced off and veered around every curve of his body. By doing that, it pushed on his body and changed his angle relative to the wind then it just kept on doing that. He spun in the air because of the repetition of this pattern. As the wind blew on him, it spun him then it blew on the new area facing the wind and spun that as well and it just kept going on. He was like a spinning fan in the sky, and all of it because of the shape of his body.

(And speaking of shapes, what's with my mane lately?) Feather Wind wondered to himself.

Whenever his mane was blowing in the wind it became very straight and loose. It flowed easily in whichever direction the wind happened to be blowing. However, when wind was not blowing through his mane, it took on a different shape instead. His mane grew puffy, much like a cloud. To confirm that, he applied a hoof into his mane and it just sank into his white puffy mane. As soon as he relaxed the pressure, his mane resumed it's previous shape. As another test, Feather Wind smacked his mane hard and watched it jiggle like jello until it steadily calmed down again and resumed it's puffy but otherwise steady shape.

(I admit I did not get out much from my room before, but I've a distinct impression my mane didn't used to act like this before I got my cutie mark. Huh. It makes me wonder how many times discovering one's true talent changes other ponies in noticeable, physiological ways.)

“Is that true?” Star Breeze asked with wonder. “Huh. I wonder if that means I'm going to change if I discover my true talent, and I don't mean the mere discovery of the talent. If it's true we physically change as a result of the discovery then . . .”

“I looked into that years later, mostly through other books,” Feather Wind responded to his daughter. “Research in this area has been largely inconclusive but there does seem to be some evidence that suggests a physical change in some cases. Mane shape and sometimes even color did appear to be affected sometimes, but how exactly they changed appeared to be a case by case basis. The talents themselves were as varied as the ponies themselves so the degree of change they went through varied as well. This was the best conclusion others had made so far.”

“So, in other words, it all depends,” Star Breeze figured.

“It looks like it, yeah,” Feather Wind confirmed.

As he thought on it, Feather Wind in the past examined the facts as it would affect him when it came to being blown by the wind. His mane was puffy if there was no wind, otherwise it flowed with the wind when there was wind. It could be his imagination, but his mane also seemed longer when blown by the wind. In terms of his shape, it wasn't much of a factor here. His mane would only blow one way if he was steady and standing on the ground but, up in the sky, he was spinning all over the place, making his mane wave about wildly.

(If only there were some way I could make myself more like a kite in the sky,) Feather Wind privately mused to himself.

“Oh come on!” Star Breeze rolled her eyes. “You already learned this lesson at an earlier point in your life. Before you even truly flew, for that matter.”

“Yeah, I'll admit . . . I was kind of being dumb at that moment,” Feather Wind admitted to his daughter, “but put yourself in the mindset that I was back then and apply the emotional factor. Only recently I discovered my cutie mark and, along with it, a dream come true. One that was born from an intensely painful wish when it came to it's strength. If you ever get overwhelmed by something, sometimes lessons you already learned earlier gets thrown out the window.”

{Back then inspiration finally struck me when I heard a sort of chirp sound. I glanced up and found . . .}

Looking up at the source of the sound, Feather Wind saw a squirrel climb up a tree. Feather Wind grinned, thinking the creature was so cute. He especially liked the way the little rodent's nose moved up and down at a fairly rapid rate. The squirrel he stared at often paused for seemingly no reason. When it did resume, Feather Wind was a bit surprised how fast the squirrel could do it. Feather Wind knew for sure he couldn't climb the tree nearly that fast, not even if he lightened his own body weight.

But then he saw something that gave him an epiphany. The squirrel in question leapt to another tree and, along the way, it spread it's paws apart which stretched it's flexible skin. The squirrel glided over to the next tree or, as some might call it, “Falling with style.”

(Wait a second! That's it!) Feather Wind exclaimed in his mind with intense realization as he sat up straight. He also looked back up at the flying kite. (Change my shape! That's it! Why didn't I think of this before? I've already done it before!)

“Exactly,” Star Breeze agreed with another roll of her eyes.

xoxo

{And so it came to pass that the next time I gathered with Stern Wing and Sky Dancer and a bunch of nameless ponies roaming about in the background, we gathered by the lakeside again and I showed them my new idea, which was actually one of my old ideas. I brought with me my new cloak, courtesy of my father's purchases. Actually I had that cloak a few weeks earlier but it was only on the third flight training visit when it finally occurred to me to use it.

{And . . . well . . . it didn't go so well but, again, there was progress. It clearly was a step in the right direction. With the cloak tied to each end of my hooves, I didn't even need telekinetic control unless I suspended myself in mid air. I could be blown about in the air like a sail on a sailing ship. The shape of the cloak captured the wind better than any other part of my body, especially since I could control exactly where the wind blew at me. Moreover, with my shape spread out to the four corners of that cloak, it made me more flat and aerodynamic.

{Still, the strategy had some flaws when I started to pick up speed. This was only apparent after several future sessions using this strategy. At first it worked wonders and we all clearly thought we found the perfect strategy but, as I picked up speed or made more daring maneuvers, my cloak flew apart. I could never tie the cloak to the ends of my hooves tightly enough to keep it from flying off eventually, and it was concluded that if I could tie it on well enough it would cut off blood circulation.

{So back to the drawing board. I had another idea that Sky Dancer, Stern Wing and my father also echoed, unbeknownst to each other. I tried the cloak idea again with an extra addition. I hired some pony to sew a pocket into all four corners of the cloak and to make it large enough to stick my hooves into it. With test cloak version two point oh, again we noticed a sizable improvement. As long as I pushed outward within the cloak pretty hard, my hooves stayed in each pocket of the cloak with far less risk of it slipping off. It's just like the physics of a kite, really.

{I have to tell you, that strategy worked so well that I actually applied it for years to come. With the pockets sewn into the cloak, I had a stable grip on it which meant I could be reliably carried off by it. By nullifying my own body weight as a factor almost completely, it was the cloak that ended up weighing more. There was a bit of a drag because of that. It was nothing compared to the body weight of a true pegasus. Combined with the cloak, I weighed approximately as much as the wings of a pegasus alone if it was torn off their torso. Actually, I might have been quite a bit lighter. Perhaps only the weight of a single wing.

{This was when my flying lessons really started to take off, and also the point where the physics of the issue was more in line with what Sky Dancer could teach me. Finally there was a shape in this situation where his lessons and advice had more of an impact. In effect, I was basically flying with a single wing, that wing being the cloak itself. Since I could control the wind, however, one wing was all I really needed. The shape of my cloak was also somewhat more flexible than the shape of a true pegasus's wing. In the case of a pegasus's wing, it bent inwards and outwards. It could also lift higher or lower along the side of the pegasus's body. For the most part that was pretty much it. Some had more refined control over the wing and could bend it at any point along the way up to the tip. I saw some pegasi, for example, who flew through the sky by flapping only the tips of their wings while keeping the rest of it straight. There could be, in some of them, very flexible muscles along the way up to the tip of their wings. Those were usually the ones who became the most maneuverable in the sky but, even then, I never saw a pony who could bend their wings backwards. Speed, on the other hoof, is mostly factored by the raw power of the flap of the entire wing.

{In contrast, my cloak was actually flexible by being able to bend anywhere along five points of it. One on each end of my hoof and the last the hood secured over my head. By spreading this apart, I was able to capture the wind and use it to drive me in any direction it was blowing. The tension of holding the cloak spread also helped to keep my hooves within each pocket of the cloak, and I also concentrated a bit to grasp the fabric within each pocket as an additional precaution to hold it in place. I could also bend any of those five points to curve in many possible directions. I could bend the cloak using my middle joint of my leg or steer the entire leg up or down, left or right. Controlling the shape of the cloak was key to expert maneuverability. With the wind always on my side, I was capable of feats that even a pegasus would find difficult.

{But, as the lessons continued and steadily got more complicated, I eventually came across another problem and that was the durability of the cloak itself. The stitching on each of the pockets suffered major strain sometimes. I may not have weighed much while in flight, but my hoof kept shifting back and forth hard within the pockets and I held the pockets apart from each other pretty firmly which eventually caused them to tear. At low speeds they endured for quite awhile but, as I picked up more speed or performed more complex maneuvers, my true limits became the physical capabilities of the cloak itself. Attempts were made to make thicker cloaks, tougher materials, more stitching . . . and each version did improve performances but performing complex maneuvers always strained the limits of the material eventually.

{After awhile my father suggested that perhaps a magical item would be the final answer to this problem. Enchantments on cloaks could increase it's durability but, after years of flight practice, I started to get a better idea for the basis of a material for the cloak, the clouds themselves. If condensed enough, it could make a solid material for any pony to touch, and this was a material naturally born from the sky.

{I labored for months on this project, and . . . for once . . . I did it all by myself. This project was a labor of passion, a critical component to my destiny. This was to be my official wing, basically, so I wanted to be involved in every step of it's creation process from start to finish if I was to have an intimate and deeply intrinsic connection to it. I actually learned the enchanting process from scratch. No doubt that, after many years of practice, my father was a better enchanter back then, but this time I insisted that I do the work myself. He didn't complain because he wanted me to learn these skills anyway. Instead, he took more of a supervisory role when he could. I practiced many times on other things before moving in on the final product. I gathered premium clouds from Cloudsdale itself, straight off the weather factory. I even dreamed about crafting this cloud cloak. Lessons repeated over and over again in my mind, and sometimes my dreams gave me new insight which I used to improve the final design.

{Then, after several months of labor, I finally did it. I crafted the perfect cloak with my own hooves. Dubbed the Mist Cloak, I've never needed to replace it ever since. It even captured and seemed to enhance the power of the wind, and it never tore no matter how much I stressed it. The material could bend or stretch but it never broke or tore. I could also rest on top of it as if it were a normal cloud but, because it was so condense, it was also too heavy to remain aloft by itself.

{Oh, and speaking of which, that was another thing I practiced over the years. I tried to master the refined art of standing on clouds. Being as light as I was, it wasn't too difficult. The problem came later when I realized that my ability to lighten my body weight was indeed dependent upon my consciousness. I could stand on clouds easily enough while awake, but asleep was another story. Some ponies thought me insane for obsessing over this, but I was determined to learn how to sleep on clouds. It was such a comfortable sleeping material, after all, and besides that, it was an obstacle keeping me from fully connecting to the sky.

{I tried over and over again to sleep on the clouds, and over and over again I fell right through it. I recall a good nine months where I replaced my bed in my bedroom with a bathtub full of water. I then placed a cloud above it and tried to sleep on it. If my concentration slipped while asleep, I would fall right through the cloud and splash into the bathtub which inevitably woke me up. Over time I learned to sleep more lightly so I could maintain a light subconscious effort to keep concentrating on maintaining my light body. Eventually I succeeded and, when I did, I was overjoyed. I could fly in the sky, and I could sleep on the clouds. Life was good.}

Chapter Twenty Two: I Brought Some Friends With Me

Chapter Twenty Two: The Northern March

{The Northern March.

{It was an arduous but also interesting journey.

{I remember being surprised how many creatures kept pouring out of the Tardis when it arrived again but, after awhile when I got a closer look at them, I realized something after Derpy made a passing comment that the population of everyone accompanying us on our way north was less than the population of Ponyville, and that was a small village to begin with. After she said that, it occurred to me that she was right. There was less than one-hundred of us, including those we were taking who were native to this timeline. Less than a hundred of us . . . to fight a god-like evil capable of consuming a star.

{Numbers can be deceiving at first glance. Quantity does not always equate to quality. It took only six of these ponies to defeat many great evils multiple times in the future. We also had the Pillars of Destiny, and that included an old comrade of theirs named Stygian who claimed he once was a force of ultimate evil called the Pony of Shadows. His experience with this type of evil and his natural knack for strategy was supposed to help us with this war. As for the rest of the Pillars, we had the legendary sorcerer Star Swirl the Bearded, Rockhoof with his trusty shovel and nine members of the Mighty Helm to assist him, Mist Mane, Mage Meadowbrook, Flash Magnus and fourteen members of the Royal Legion, and Somnambula. We also had every known Princess of future Equestria which included twenty-six guards between them all and also included Shining Armor. We also had the Mane Six and a bunch of their friends including Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Sun Burst, Zecora, Maud Pie, Trixie and her father Card Shark, Ember and eight other dragons (which included Garble), Thorax and his brother Pharynx, and Sombra from a time period when he just started to get corrupted. We also had natives of this time which included Hector, Tibbons, Shayla, and Talsious. We had my father, my uncle, my mother, and finally the crew of the Tardis such as the Doctor, Derpy Whooves, the young version of Vision, Discord, Stern Wing and, of course, myself. All together ninety-nine souls.

{Too many of us traveled by land to make any other transportation method feasible. Discord made us materialize near the growing edge of the Black Blizzard but we made the rest of the way on the ground. Flurry Heart summoned the Crystal Heart somehow. All I know was her cutie mark, which was the image of the Crystal Heart, glowed while she had it summoned. It spiraled above our heads and erected a two mile radius barrier that pushed the influences of the corrupted environment at bay. Twilight Sparkle wore an amulet that summoned a virtual copy of her Friendship Map. In this case, it showed an image of either our cutie marks or some other representation of each creature and spiraled it on a miniaturized world map that revealed to us our location. This really came in hoofy very quickly because there was hardly any visible landmarks within the Black Blizzard Storm as we proceeded.

{Onward we traveled. The Crystal Heart kept the hostile environment at bay and Twilight's miniature Friendship Map guided our path. We also had the Red Crystal and the Crystal Heart both acting as a guide to the source of corruption in this world. The closer we got to it, the more those medium's noticed. That was pretty much our lives for two years straight.

{If it was only an issue of trotting, we could have gotten there in a fraction of that time. I would estimate about two months, and that was being generous. Along the way, however, we had a lot of problems with the terrain which was being anything but friendly. The Black Blizzard Storm may not have penetrated the defenses of the Crystal Heart shield, but there were other things that could like floods, earthquakes, rock slides, rivers of lava, exploding air vents, and volcanoes. The terrain fought us as we traveled so it made our journey quite a bit more difficult.

{I have got to tell you though . . . for a war . . . it was remarkably peaceful, exciting and fulfilling. There was also a really remarkable contrast between the hell raging outside of the Crystal Heart barrier and the little slice of heaven that existed within it, and the primary reason that was true was each other. Whenever we were not too busy traveling, most of the time we were just getting to know each other and that was really worth our time and all the hardship we endured together. I thought I had stories to tell! So did every other creature. That was something I eventually learned that we all had in common. As extraordinary as my story was, quite a few who traveled with us could match or surpass it. The Doctor alone could have passed the entire time telling us about his past adventures, and Rockhoof turned out to be a remarkable and exciting story teller. Actually, Hector's story-telling style was extremely similar to Rockhoof's, which was one of the many reasons those two frequently saw eye to eye.

{You know how it's said that, in a small village, every creature knows each other's name? Well, in our little community, it had taken quite a number of steps further because we had no one else we could interact with. For two years it was just each other. It felt like an island paradise in the middle of an ocean of lava and black choking clouds. The isolation was so intense we felt like we were alone in the universe with each other. It was easy sometimes to just pretend that nothing existed outside our little barrier. We were stuck in our own little world. You get to know your traveling companions really well under circumstances like that, and it caused us to realize things that we never would have known otherwise. Even Garble opened up a few times, and he was among the most anti-social of the bunch. Well . . . that's not exactly true. He actually was sociable but he had a certain style of crowds he preferred to hang out with instead of most of us. Mostly the bully types but, if any creature got desperate enough, they learned to lower their standards or else accept an even worse reality. The truth was, no creature in there wanted to be alone. No creature, without exception.

{Of all of them, it was I who probably had the most practice at being alone for the longest time and I remember I did pretty well back then which was about . . . twelve years ago by the time this journey was finished. It took a certain kind of circumstances for me to be content in that kind of isolation and THIS WAS NOT IT! THIS WAS NOT IT! I was at peace in the environment that I settled in the past, but this new area was anything but peaceful except within the barrier. Even then, as we traveled, the barrier's two-mile radius moved with us and that meant the terrain gradually scrolled across many miles of hellish landscape.

{Another thing that's odd about this war was it was mostly not a physical battle, and that was largely because the kind of things that would have threatened us couldn't get through the Crystal Heart barrier either. Whether living or dead, if it was corrupted by dark magic then they just could not get through the barrier. As long as we stayed inside, we were mostly safe.

{Honestly, the thing that truly threatened us the most on a physical level was the terrain itself. We were blocked so many times by avalanches or rivers of lava. Of course the lava wasn't as much of a problem for the dragons in our party, but they were a vast minority of the group. We usually had to find some clever way through, around, or plow our way through any obstacle in our way. In the case of rock slides, for example, any of us capable of strong brute force, magical assistance or rock expertise helped us penetrate this barrier. Maud Pie, Rockhoof, Sombra and my uncle were especially good at this. The rest of us found our way to assist the situation. For example, in my case, I would either telekinetically lift up the rocks or slide them away by growing crystal spikes among the rubble with a sharp slant. Sombra was even better at the latter strategy. Sometimes we just made crystal tunnels under whatever obstacle that was in our way, but you get the idea.

{Dealing with these problems as a group not only made our task more efficient but I would even go so far as to say it was occasionally fun. It was a fun challenge to try to figure out the best way around or through each obstacles as we faced them, and we usually had more than one option at our disposal. Sometimes we made a game out of it, and there was frequent singing to help keep our spirits up as we worked. That worked pretty well too. Not only did it help keep our depression at bay, it even succeeded to make us downright happy at times.

{That's the thing that I'm talking about that was so remarkable about this journey and the war. It was the most peaceful and even fun war I have ever encountered. We were marching to the jaws of ultimate evil but that evil just could not penetrate that Crystal Heart barrier. It made a world of difference.

{Sometimes the external threats that tried to attack us was a physical, albeit a distant assault from them. If they were strong enough to chuck a giant rock a great distance, for example, the Crystal Heart barrier did nothing to stop the rock itself. If the rock was contaminated with dark energy then it was cleansed the moment it passed through the barrier, but it still was a giant bolder about to crash down on top of us. We had to remain on our guard against this, and we had to do it at all times. The evil that was outside the barrier never slept. Fortunately most of the defenders had just as much stamina, but that wasn't universally true.

{I have to tell you that the real battle of this “war” was fought from within. It was our minds and our hearts that was in the greatest danger, and the most frequently attacked. While the dark magic infused creatures could not penetrate our barrier physically, they did attempt indirect strategies to assault us all. Most of all, The Dark Star itself attacked us with nightmarish illusions. Even those illusions could not penetrate our barrier but they were visible and audible beyond the barrier. I'll describe two things that I've encountered just as an example, and mind you many more cases like this happened throughout all that time.

{In one case I saw what looked like Angel Song, Sombra's former girlfriend, emerge from out of the Black Blizzard Storm. For a moment I thought it was really her and I was about to call for help, but my senses caught up to me as I realized this was probably a dark magic illusion, primarily because she approached us from beyond the Crystal Heart barrier and there was no logical explanation why she would be here in this timeline or explanation how she could find us without the protection of the Crystal Heart barrier. Sure enough, she looked up at me with what was, at first, a look of contentment but then her expression gradually twisted in horror and pain as her face melted off before my very eyes. The more her face melted, the louder she screamed.

{Still another time I passed what looked like a stallion hanged by the neck on a tree by his own guts that was torn from his still open stomach. His intestines also held up a sign that was swinging under him that ominously wrote out the words in dripping blood, “You're next.”}

Star Breeze shuddered.

{By far the most common psychological attack by The Dark Star were screams in the winds of rage, anger, hate, fear and insanity. Such noises could be covered by noises of our own. Singing was the most effective, but it also became a necessity to protect ourselves from the ceaseless screams out in the winds. One of the most disturbing and effective psychological attacks was the cry of infants out in those winds. Even if we knew that was an illusion, it stubbornly clawed at our maternal and paternal instincts. It was hard to resist rushing out in those terrible black winds and get ripped apart by everything that waited for us out there. Even Pinkie Pie struggled to keep a smile on all of our faces when she heard the cry of infants out in those terrible winds. It called to her very strongly, and yet her body rang with intense danger instinct at the thought of answering those desperate cries for help by what seemingly was the most innocent creatures alive. It was maddening.

{This was the strongest evidence that an actual war was going on. A war for our minds and souls. The Dark Star threw every sinister trick it had against us, and I can't say it completely failed. Despite all of our protections, despite the company of each other, we really had to fight hard to keep our sanity in check, especially while it remained under constant assault.

{Any kind of struggle on our part, even if it was just mental and emotional, gradually grew very exhausting to defend against because we never caught a break. Not even time clones could endure such constant stress with ease because their mental and emotional state was the few things about them that was actually vulnerable to assault. When I say “vulnerable” I mean more like “normal” rather than “immune”.

{But there were many within our company that helped in that regard. As important as it was to be prepared for a physical battle, it was just as important, if not more so, to remain prepared on a mental, emotional and even spiritual front. Somnambula was an invaluable ally in those regards. As the Pillar of Hope, she kept reminding us of the importance never to abandon hope. She led meditation sessions for those who were willing, and that was very effective. She always spoke in a calm manner and that alone was soothing to any creature that heard her. Derpy, Pinkie Pie, and my mother were also very helpful morale officers of the army. So were the Wonderbolts. They put on aerial acrobatic shows to do what the Bolts were really formed for, to entertain. With some encouragement, I occasionally joined that activity myself. Trixie often put on a show of “spectacular amazement”, as she often put it. As for her father, well . . . he had a tendency to entertain smaller groups. Card Shark, as his name implies, was legendary at the card table but he was capable, and even good at, a bunch of other games.

{Since I didn't describe him earlier, I'll go ahead and do so now.

{Card Shark was a blue, middle-aged stallion with short wavy mane that was a mixture of white, gray and a hint of blue. His eyes were very light purple. I heard several ponies describe him as extremely similar in appearance to one Wind Rider, a ex-Wonderbolt legend that tried to frame Rainbow Dash of a crime she didn't' commit but, while Wind Rider was a pegasus pony, Card Shark was surprisingly an earth pony which one normally wouldn't expect given the breed of his own daughter. He had a cutie mark of five cards spread apart in an upside down U shape. On one card was a clover, another a diamond, another clubs, another spades, and curiously the last card had a King chess piece on it. He had a very distinctive cologne on all the time. One could only wonder how he had not run out of supplies of cologne across the two year march. Maybe Discord was smuggling him supplies. I wouldn't put it past him, either. Discord and Card Shark actually got along well together, in the worst way in some cases. Anyway, Card Shark both dressed and acted in a very suave manner. For the most part the outfit he wore was a black tuxedo with a red bow tie which the Doctor complimented, claiming that bow ties were cool. Card Shark was also often fond of wearing a gray fedora hat with a black stripe around the hat. He often carried a gentlecolt's cane.

{Card Shark's main trade was anything to do with cards but he was a capable, and I would even say very skilled, magician. Actually, it pains me to say this, but he was way better at it than his own unicorn daughter who put a far greater emphasis in that trade which probably made the situation even more humiliating for her. Where she struggled at and, more or less, failed at the profession despite a lifetime of passionate dedication and practice, her father succeeded almost effortlessly. This was a fact that irritated Trixie to no end, but that was not even half of her problems with her father.

{I know it's odd to say this, but I was actually called in to write a record for the counseling sessions Starlight Glimmer performed between any creature that did not get along with each other within the group. I think she did this because almost everyone else present were time clones. My written record might be the only thing left of their struggles by the end of this adventure and, in some cases, I was requested to send letters to their original selves later if I could about some details within our adventures together. Since I was working with a virtual library as well, there was no threat in me ever running out of “paper” to write upon. Due to that resource, I was a logical choice to rely upon if anyone wanted something to be remembered, and I was courteous enough to give them the choice how it was remembered.

{Of those who did not get along with each other, Trixie and her father became a pretty infamous case. This was especially true of Trixie to her father. Card Shark, in contrast, seemed immune to any insult thrown his way. The colt always kept his cool to the point of being annoying because it made it seem like he didn't care about issues that he should have.

{Actually, to be honest, I got really bad vibes from the colt right from the start. There was just something about him that struck me as the “hidden evil” type. He made me nervous. I actually asked the Doctor why Card Shark was invited to this journey. He really could not say other than to say he liked the colt. I had a feeling the Doctor was up to something, but I had the same feeling from Card Shark, and from him it felt sinister.

{Trixie, I should mention, was a mare who struggled hard to improve her image. A lot of her performances came off as desperate and sometimes they were downright bad but she kept pretending it was the best thing in the world, or perhaps she truly was deluded into thinking that and, frankly, I wouldn't put it past her. Despite this, she had a warming charm to her that really did put a smile on my face. Bad tricks or no, she actually was entertaining but not for the reasons that she thought. She was very arrogant most of the time but that, too, was part of her charm . . . at least sometimes.

{Her father, in contrast, didn't need to push himself that hard. He oozed natural charisma without needing to brag about it, but it was a dark sort of charm I personally found off-putting. He was also a consummate flirt, one of the facts that his daughter had major issues with against him. She was especially infuriated at his lack of loyalty to her own mother Sparkling Margarita. They were never married in the first place, and Sparkling Margarita even appreciated his infidelity because that only gave her room to play with him whenever she wanted no matter who else he happened to sleep with. Trixie, on the other hoof, was angry at her father to no end about that. I think that was her biggest gripe against her father, and she was irritated further by the fact that he neither seemed to care about the fact she was angry or why she was angry. He just did his own thing regardless of the opinions of anypony else. I also think she was jealous of his incredible natural talents, but she never admitted that openly. Despite being an earth pony, he seemed to have ten times more magical ability than his own unicorn daughter, especially when it came to almost hypnotic magnetism.

{During the counseling sessions, I eventually heard of even more disturbing things about him. Trixie claimed that her father secretly had another name, Double Dealer, and that he had a secret criminal organization under his hoof in Los Pegasus which he ruled mainly by being a cunning con artist, though I secretly suspected he was far worse than that. The pony was actually very wealthy with ill gotten gains, but most of it he stashed away in hidden places so he seemed a lot poorer than he actually was. It was Starlight that asked him one of the questions I had in my head about this issue. If Trixie's father, Double Dealer, was so successful as a con artist that he secretly became very wealthy on those skills alone then how did Trixie ever come across that information? It seemed to Starlight, and to me, that a criminal that smooth and successful would cover his tracks well enough to prevent Trixie from suspecting a thing. The answer surprised me again. Trixie said her father did not try to hide his secret identity to his daughter. She was the only one he was actually honest with. Upon hearing that, Starlight tried to point out that it may be a small sign that he actually cared for and trusted his daughter with that kind of potentially incriminating information. Trixie denied that possibility, instead claiming that he only did it to taunt her. She said she had no evidence other than his word and he knew that, not to mention he had the know how to buy himself out of any courtroom if he had to. This was a pony who was accustomed to dealing with very organized crime, after all. They had their hooves in just about every lucrative opportunity, including organizations that should have protected the pony community.

{I really had to wonder why the Doctor would invite a pony this dirty to our little community. He was the opposite of harmony in many regards. He was dishonest, disloyal, he was greedy, he was ambitious and, in dark alleys, I even suspected he was downright cruel. I could easily imagine him as a secret mob boss who physically tortured other ponies for being late with payments of some sort. There was also something in his eyes that indicated he was an evil genius when it came to psychotherapy. He cross-analyzed Starlight in her own game with comments to her that shut her up if he wanted her to, and she was by far no idiot herself. Card Shark was in a league of his own though that I have only seen one other time, the Doctor himself.

{The best I could say about this situation was that it was moderately cordial. This was one friendship problem no creature present could ever solve. At best they managed to alleviate the situation enough to get them to tolerate each other. In an environment and situation we found ourselves in, dissension in the ranks on this scale felt downright dangerous. Aside from Garble, I found no other creature among us more likely to be called upon by The Dark Star than Card Shark, and if that happened then Card Shark was the one pony who probably could have exploited that opportunity far better than anyone else in the party. My instincts practically screamed at me, at times, to monitor him carefully because he felt extremely dangerous.

{This wasn't the only case Starlight Glimmer had to deal with. Many others approached her for counseling sessions too, and not necessarily because of a disagreement with some other creature. Stress was another reason to approach her. I had my sessions with her too, but it was mostly on a positive basis. I didn't come to her to complain, I came to her to talk and be her friend. I served as an outlet for Starlight so that she had a chance to complain instead and she deeply appreciated the ear of a caring friend. There were others she talked with as well on a friendly basis so I wasn't the only one to share her burdens. Still, I was happy to help. It felt good to be helping.

{As far as morale officers go, Pinkie Pie deserves a special mention here. As she was well known for, her primary method of cheering others up were parties. She was also fond of sweets and songs. She broke into spontaneous song more often than any other pony in the group. Some came close but no other pony could really match her record on that one. After I started to get to know her more, particularly during her moments of depression, I realized something very important about her character. Pinkie Pie was bi-polar.}

“What's that mean?” Star Breeze queried.

“It means she tends to experience emotion only to it's greatest extreme,” Feather Wind explained to his daughter. “If she was happy then she was explosively happy. If she was sad then she really crashed. I think she was aware of this as well and, due to that realization, she made a very positive conscious decision. Because she had a tendency to experience emotion only to it's greatest extreme, she chose to live with as much happiness and laughter as possible. Deep in her eyes I even sensed a desperation in her because she knew she was on the edge of a knife, especially while out in this psychologically toxic environment but, as long as she fought to keep a smile on her face, it could be the brightest smile within a hundred horse lengths, otherwise she'd crash so hard she was borderline suicidal.

“I could tell the screams outside our protection field was really getting to her, and she fought it as hard as she could with a laughter, a song and, of course, a party. I remember when she shot several cans full of whip cream into her mouth then gave me a silly smile with one eye small and the other large. She had an expression on her face that asked proudly, “See how much of this I can stuff into my mouth?” Frankly, it really was quite impressive. She seemed very flexible like a balloon, and the whip cream she stuffed into her mouth stretched her cheeks to unbelievable proportions, and you know what? By Celestia, it worked. Very often I could not help but crack a smile, a giggle or a chuckle at her antics. She was just that good, and I could tell it really made her happy to see her friends smile. I gave her what she wanted just to see her smile and light up her day in return.”

{There were a lot of varied talents we had within our community that made every one of us valuable to one extent or another. For instance, the surface of the ground we walked on was quite contaminated but Rockhoof managed to use his shovel to create a deep ditch where the earth was still fresh and unspoiled underneath. From there, Apple Jack planted a bunch of seeds, usually apple seeds, and my uncle used his earth magic to accelerate the growth process so drastically we had full grown blooming trees in about an hour. This was important because it gave our army a source of food to work with. Most of the creatures here hadn't needed it. As time clones, they never got hungry, but that really wasn't the point. I remember how we pulled out cooking pots from Vision's extra-dimensional saddle bags and the dragons heated it up with their fire breath so we could make fresh baked apple pies. Sombra and I conjured up crystals for the dragons to enjoy and we sometimes also crafted other useful tools made of crystal as well like dishes or other useful utensils. With all of these things, it gave Pinkie's parties supplies to work with. Gathering around a dinner table, or more like a picnic blanket in this case, it brought every creature together like a warm and happy family. We used that energy of joy and warmth to continue to empower the Crystal Heart so that it, in turn, could continue protecting the rest of us. It was actually interesting to note how small and simple joyful activities like this became a critical matter of survival for us for multiple reasons.

{Another thing that wore down on us over time was missing friends and family that were not here. We all knew what we were doing was very important so we tried to remain strong, but two years of isolation from everything they ever cared about was very taxing. Even though they knew they were time clones, they were time clones of a personality that would actually feel this depressed over time.

{Rarity, for instance, was quite vocal about missing her younger sister Sweetie Belle. I got the impression from others that knew her that Rarity was usually a drama queen anyway but even I had to admit an issue like this was deeply personal and really would start to hurt more and more as time went on.

{I caught Apple Jack tearing up about her own family too, but she usually tried to hide it if she got caught. This was because she was strong and wanted to show a strong example but, if confronted about it directly, she was also honest enough to admit that her heart really ached for those she cared about. Knowing that she didn't really ever leave her family's side for real didn't help and wasn't really the issue. If the real Apple Jack had been here in this situation, this was exactly how she would feel.

{There was one spell that Twilight cast for her friends benefit that helped a little. In it, they would see an illusion of whatever Twilight imagined. For the sake of her friends, she recreated Ponyville or wherever they came from. She recreated images of their friends and family, and they even interacted with them but only to the extent Twilight had imagined them to do or say. It was a hollow effort that was still somewhat appreciated. It was better than nothing, but sometimes it made her audience miss the real thing all the more.

{Discord, on the other hoof, was quite a bit more successful in his endeavors. With a snap of his claw or paw, he literally recreated Ponyville or other places. This time those who were there were quite a bit more real. Even the screams of the outside environment disappeared. This was one of the things your mother observed him do that softened her opinion of him quite a bit. Frequently he could not help adding some little joke into his virtual realities somewhere, but the real point of his efforts was clearly compassionate. He was especially sympathetic to Fluttershy. He summoned her animals for her to commune with as often as she wanted, though I was mystified why she was so attached to a bunny rabbit who was quite obviously a jerk and, ironically, was named Angel Bunny. He was cute, I'll give him that, but his attitude towards Fluttershy was a real turn off for me. Considering her innocent and sensitive nature, I felt driven to do my best to protect her unless it seemed that I didn't have to.

{Speaking of Fluttershy, she had the hardest time in this adventure by far compared to every other pony and creature there, but they knew they had to endure it. Fluttershy was the Element of Kindness. Without her, the Elements of Harmony wouldn't work at all. It was said that, at one time, she was literally scared of her own shadow but then she trotted into the valley of darkness and the shadow of evil itself that deliberately, and very effectively, tried to frighten her. Of all of the Mane Six, I'm sad to say she was easily the weakest link in this situation. She was accustomed to a far more hospitable environment and it was clear she desperately needed that. She constantly needed hoof holding and sympathetic ears to avoid going insane with fear.

{Over and over again, her friends tried to drill courage in her, and very slowly it started to work. Considering the low point of tolerance she started with, I never seen a tougher morale battle among this army. She was so fortunate to have an ally like Discord who was able to give her a break from time to time. The journey was an extremely difficult challenge for her but, for the sake of her friends, she endured it as best she could. It really was an overwhelming situation even for the very bravest among us. The Dark Star was extremely effective in testing our minds until it accidentally discovered our worst nightmares then showed them repeatedly until we were either driven insane by it or grew desensitized to it.

{I really, really felt sorry for Fluttershy except she had a great deal of moral support. Even my mother sang to Fluttershy's ear while holding the mare so tenderly. It brought a tear to the eye of any but the most stoned face or cruelest among us.

{Wait . . . I take that back. Maud Pie was the most stoned face among us and even I could tell she was moved by this scene. The secret to Maud was understanding she was just as emotional as every other pony but hid it very well. I thought she could give Card Shark a run for his money because of that, but that turned out not to be the case. Even when she pulled out surprise cards for comedic effect, he only matched her for the same reason. Besides, Maud actually had not cared for the card game. Surprisingly, that was actually Fluttershy's arena.

{I might not have been so surprised by this if it weren't for the surprise of her friends. They, too, didn't realize she had a talent for this. Come to think of it, I don't think Fluttershy knew that either. She tried it, somewhat reluctantly at first, then discovered she actually really enjoyed it. Rainbow Dash told me this wasn't the first time Fluttershy pulled out a new super talent from out of nowhere. It happened with Fluttershy's singing, and it happened when she proved a prodigy at Buck Ball. As time went on, Fluttershy kept on discovering yet more hidden talents. In this case, it happened to be a gift for card playing.

{I don't know why, but Card Shark seemed to go easy on her. Maybe it was because he was cunning enough to realize Discord might teleport him into outer space if he dared to hurt Fluttershy's feelings, and that's saying something because Discord actually liked the card player for all the wrong reasons. I really had a strong feeling Card Shark could have crushed Fluttershy with ease in the game if he wanted to, but the truth was she was pretty good herself. If he was holding back, then he did not have to hold back too much due to how good she ended up in the game. As this turned into something of an outlet for her, she also challenged other players and was surprisingly vicious about it at times. She caught a lot of ponies off guard when she won a game then proceeded to viciously taunt her opponent about their loss only to realize what she did a second later then immediately shrink back and apologize, claiming she had no idea what got into her.

{Looking at Card Shark, I had a sinking feeling of what got into her and I started to realize the real reason he was holding back with Fluttershy. I kept quiet about my instincts because I had no proof. I also hadn't wanted to take this away from Fluttershy when it seemed to work so well and it made her happy when she so desperately needed it, but looking at the predatory, devious glint in Card Shark's eyes as he regarded Fluttershy while he smugly shuffled his cards without looking at them sent a chill down my spine. I could tell he was playing at some hidden game here and he was convinced that he was secretly winning, then he looked at me and gave me a wink as if to convey he knew what I was thinking. That, too, chilled me to the bone.

{I asked Vision to look into this and she did not report anything comforting. One of the descriptions I remember her giving me about Card Shark is, “Carefully controlled madness.” She said he was devious, controlling and methodical but, beneath that, hid a torrent of raging emotion so intense that it deeply frightened her. It scared her enough to get her to declare she dared not probe any further into him.

{I brought my concerns back to the Doctor and he continued to deny that there was any problem here. He just kept assuring me he had a plan and he asked me to continue to trust him. In this case, he was really starting to test the limits of my faith in him. I had an intense hunch that Card Shark was so intelligent that I suspected he could rival the Doctor himself, and what's more Double Dealer happened to be an expert at mind games as well. Who, then, was playing who?}

xoxo

Feather Wind took a deep, relaxing breath as he sat on the edge of a tree branch that would normally be far too weak to hold up his weight, especially since he sat near the top of the tree and the very tip of that branch. He lightened his body weight so that the branch could support his weight. The only downside to this was he occasionally had to use his telekinesis to keep himself from being blown off the branch. Because he had such a deep connection to the wind, however, he always felt a warning within him before the wind arrived. He could have also diverted the wind around him but generally chose not to. Instead he was content to let the wind blow wherever it willed.

The scent of fresh pine was all around him. The forest on the hill he sat on had mist collecting around the tree tops due to the chill of the night and the rich oxygen in the air. The moon shone brilliantly in the night sky but, on occasion, it was partially concealed behind clouds which gave the clouds a cool, wispy glow that he loved to see.

Feather Wind was relaxed and content as he listened to the wind quietly blow through the air and not so quietly blow through the tree branches. This lulled him, but he did not drift off to sleep. He was so satisfied with this moment he could listen to it forever.

But then something very odd happened. The moon's light greatly intensified. This popped Feather Wind's eyes open and drew his attention upward. The moon with Nightmare Moon's shadowy silhouette glowed brightly far too strongly to be natural. This was so out of place that it was frightening.

But then somepony emerged from the moon and coalesced into a more material form. It was a dark hide mare with wide spread wings, dark horn and a mane that looked like a window to the stars. She wore a tiny black crown behind her horn, and she also wore a wide chestguard that had the image of waning gibbous moon which actually matched her cutie mark. She gazed down at Feather Wind with soft and kind blue eyes. From above, she gently descended down in order to frighten Feather Wind no further. Meanwhile, in the background, the moon lost it's Nightmare Moon shadow as if Luna herself emerged from it.

“Princess Luna. This is an unexpected visit,” Feather Wind called up to her.

“It may be unexpected, but I pray not . . . disappointing,” Luna expressed while gesturing to her chest with a hoof. “Please forgive this intrusion into your dreams. May I have permission to join you?”

“By all means. Please, pull up a cloud.” Feather Wind created a small cloud closely to his right. Luna smiled in gratitude then gently floated over to land on top of the cloud. The moment she did, it glowed a bit as if bathed in lunar light. She settled down on the cloud by tucking her hooves beneath her.

“I am the Princess of the Night. It is within my power to enter dreams, but lately most of those around me no longer sleep at night or, indeed, ever. Few remain within our company that needs my services anymore. Usually I only show up to dispel a nightmare but, since you have not such foul imagery within thine head, I thought that I might partake of your company for pleasure instead.”

“So what you're saying is . . . this is a dream,” Feather Wind realized.

“Indeed,” Luna confirmed with a slow, smooth nod towards Feather Wind. “You are fast asleep.” After she said that, she examined her surroundings curiously, then said, “Though I sense your surroundings is also but a memory.” She regarded Feather Wind. “You were actually here in your own past.”

Feather Wind nodded. “Correct. I was here about . . . eleven or twelve years ago and I spent seven months in isolation in order to commune with nature. I expected the isolation to be hard on me and it was, a little, but I endured it far better than I initially expected. Before that, I had recently dropped out of the Wonderbolt Academy. The differences between the two settings felt extreme, like day and night.” His eyes shifted towards Luna. “I found more peace here during this period of my life.”

“But you care much for Lady Stern Wing, do you not?” Luna inquired curiously. “Yet I do not see her here. You really endured such time alone from her so well? Forgive me if I am mistaken but it does not seem within thy nature.”

“That was the toughest part of my time alone here,” Feather Wind admitted as his gaze directed forward again. “It felt like she was the only component missing in my life that would have made me feel complete back then if she had been here.”

“Forgive me for prying, but . . . aren't you engaged to the lady?”

“Yes.” Feather Wind looked at her. “We were simply waiting to return to our own time so that our family could celebrate with us.”

“I see,” Luna looked forward a bit blankly. She then glanced down and to her right for a quick second as she thought further on the issue, then looked back at Feather Wind as she asked, “but isn't some of your own family present in this time period? Your father, mother and uncle are present.”

“Yes, and I know what you're getting at, but they are just time clones. They will not remember anything that transpires in this time period. If we married each other in this time period, my real father and uncle won't really be a part of it and they'll miss it. However,” Feather Wind looked up. “I have thought hard on the issue. My mother is no longer in the time period I came from. She died a long time ago. Furthermore, while your sister Celestia does exist in my time period, you do not, at least not to an accessible degree. Neither does the Mane Six exist there or any of their friends. They are not even born yet when I come from, though I do have some familiarity and friendship with Apple Jack's grandmother when she was just a young filly.” Feather Wind grinned fondly and also in amusement at the situation. “I tried to save her life at one time. I almost succeeded. I had no idea how much in peril the world would have been if I completely failed to save her back then. It really makes me think.”

“Sounds like you're having second thoughts about the timing of your wedding,” Luna observed with a small, cunning grin. This conversation was proceeding in the direction that she hoped it would.

“You're hoping you can be there for that, aren't you?” Feather Wind asked her with a knowing grin aimed back at Princess Luna.

“It's only to see another excuse for Pinkie Pie to throw another party,” Luna joked with a small smile of amusement, but then her expression became serious. “To answer thine own question, yes. It has been my hope that we might witness this most blessed of occasions, and I was also thinking of the issue in another way. We may be but mere time clones. Our existence is as fleeting as this dream is but, during that dream, we are as real as any of our original selves, and our feelings are real as well. These are feelings that might even empower your stone.” Luna pointed to it briefly then tucked that same leg back beneath her again after she was finished with the gesture.

Feather Wind regarded it. Indeed, he was wearing the Red Crystal on his neck which was actually an error in continuity to this time period he was dreaming about. Back then, he did not have it yet.

(But I suppose it has become a part of me ever since then,) Feather Wind realized. (Even in my dreams, it has the capacity to follow me wherever I go.)

“The energy such a celebration may evoke could even be helpful in saving this world,” Luna went on. “There is no greater power than love, and a love shared among friends magnifies it's potential. This war is but a war of the future spirit of Equestria. We could use every tool we can get in our arsenal. Besides,” Luna waved him off with a hoof, “the two of you can remarry again when you return to your own time period. Why limit yourselves to merely one celebration when you can instead have two?”

“That's a good point!” Feather Wind realized. “That way every creature who truly deserves this can be a part of our celebration. Aside from that, Derpy, Vision, the Doctor, Stern Wing and Discord are also real. They'll remember this celebration anyway.”

“Indeed,” Luna agreed.

“And you have another point,” Feather Wind looked thoughtful. “This war is over the soul of Equestria. With the stakes this high, we can't afford to hold back. Aside from that, deep down, I've been in pain because of the patience I had to endure at the thought of this lady of mine still not being my wife yet. I am sick and tired of realizing she still isn't my wife every time I wake up in the morning.”

“Speaking of your fiancée,” Luna brought up, “you may find she feels the same way.”

“Since she is one of the few who can dream here, I suppose you would know,” Feather Wind figured. Luna flashed him a small proud smile. “By the way, as a change of subject, have you visited Vision's dreams yet? I know for a fact she adores you.”

Feather Wind was caught off guard by the look of guilt that crossed her face as she looked away. Eventually she said, “Yes, a few times . . . but I also recall a time when my disposition to the young lady was not so nice. There are many things I regret doing during my time spent as Nightmare Moon.” Her eyes shifted to look at Feather Wind as she said, “She explained to me that it is I who was responsible for her prophetic dreams when she was but a young filly. Truthfully, I do not recall doing this deliberately, but it is true that the realm of dreams is timeless. Even now we rest in a field of vision drawn from your own past. Just as well, dreams can also reveal the future, though it is only but one of many possible outcomes.”

Luna sighed with regret as she looked down. “I was a terrible mare in my time in the past. I must confess, I even encountered you, once, during my time as Nightmare Moon. While I do understand that hasn't occurred for you yet, I see this moment as my one and only chance to apologize for the grief you will suffer at the hooves of my own past self, for she will not apologize for her actions. Please,” she bowed her head to him, briefly closed her eyes and requested earnestly, “forgive me.”

This news was a bit startling and it carried with it deep implications. Feather Wind's mind started spinning. She just told him he would encounter Nightmare Moon at least once some time in his future, and it probably was the real Nightmare Moon instead of a temporal clone. This also implied that he will survive this adventure in this time period and also manage to make it back somewhen closer to his native timeline. Based on what she said, there was little else he could safely infer.

“Princess Luna,” Feather Wind looked at her fully, “even during your time as Nightmare Moon, Vision told me you were actually still Princess Luna whenever your past self slept, so I was already aware that there was good in you even back then. Everything you've done in the past is just a nightmare from which you have awakened. Rarely can I control myself whenever I sleep either, so I cannot blame you for the same. I both hear and acknowledge your apology on behalf of your past self's behavior. I promise you I will not hold anything you say or do in my future as a personal insult against you. You already have proof of this. Isn't it true that, when I regarded you in my future and your past, I did not regard you with any anger or bitterness?”

Luna thought back on it, then replied, “To be honest, your reaction was one of pity and concern. It must have horrified you to witness what you considered a dear friend behave like such a monster.”

Feather Wind glanced down for a second as he thought to himself, (Given the circumstances, that actually does sound like the way I'd regard her at that moment.) He then looked back at her and said, “I've done things in my past I've come to regret as well. Your sister felt the same way when she banished you to the moon and didn't foresee the danger building up between you until it was too late. Starlight Glimmer once enslaved a whole town then nearly destroyed all of Equestria in a time-traveling fiasco which, of course, explains why she is so nervous to participate in anything resembling it once again. Trixie once told me she regretted the fact that she was cold, arrogant, rude and insensitive but still just as great and powerful as ever. I can go on and on and on like this with every single pony and/or creature in our midst. All together, it proves that the thing we have in common is imperfection. That isn't something to be too ashamed of. It's merely part of life. We must learn to embrace it then move on with our lives.”

“I see your own journey has greatly enhanced your wisdom,” Luna commended.

Feather Wind shrugged slightly as he said, “We're all in this together. We are all connected, even through time and space. That's one of the things I've learned on my journey. I don't just forgive you, Luna, I love you as a friend.”

“I regard you in high esteem as well,” Luna returned with a nod and closed her eyes for a second. After she opened her eyes and lifted her head, they stared at each other for a silent moment, both simply enjoying each other's company but then, all of the sudden, Luna looked up and to her right as if she heard something alarming.

“What?” Feather Wind asked in alarm. “What is it?”

“Feather Wind.” Luna rose to stand on the cloud she originally laid on. “It is time for you to awaken. Danger is ahoof.” She closed her eyes and spread her wings. A brilliant light projected from her. Next thing Feather Wind knew, he woke up.

xoxo

“Let her majesty go!” Feather Wind heard Sombra aggressively insist as Feather Wind woke up and gradually regained his senses.

“Why are you doing this?” Princess Cadence asked in a hurt tone.

Feather Wind scanned around him and rose to his hooves to assess the local situation.

“Don't hurt her!” Shining Armor begged with strong concern.

Feather Wind finally located the problem. The dragon Garble was backing off from a semi-circle of creatures, mostly ponies, while he held Princess Flurry Heart in his claws. One claw held her tightly in the front of her neck, ready to either snap her neck or tear her throat out.

“Garble, I DEMAND you let her go this instant!” Ember firmly demanded.

For a moment Garble pretended to be afraid. “Oh, of course Princess. I'm sorry for ever offending you,” he said in a very clearly sarcastic tone then called out, “HA! Fooled you, didn't I? I've waited a very long time to say this. NO! I don't have to listen to you anymore. Not when I have this!” He revealed from the other claw that wasn't holding Flurry Heart's throat a black crystal. “See this? I have a new master now so I don't have to listen to you anymore.”

“This is your last warning!” Sombra growled menacingly. As he said that, a ring of red crystal spikes grew out from the ground and diagonally aimed towards Garble. This was especially true behind the dragon which prevented him from slowly backing off from the rest of the group any further. “Let . . . her . . . GO!”

“No, Sombra! Please don't antagonize him!” Flurry Heart kindly requested.

“Your majesty!” Sombra looked stunned at that request and quite reluctant to obey despite him swearing an oath of loyalty and obedience to her.

“It's okay,” Flurry Heart said in a calmer voice. “Trust me, I am in no danger.”

“HA! I beg to differ!” Garble mocked at Flurry Heart, then narrowed his eyes at Sombra. “Do as she says, you pathetic pony, or be willing to spend your time cleaning up her throat off the ground.”

Sombra was shaking with fury. He closed his eyes and bowed his head while he shook, struggling very hard to contain his anger and fear. Without him looking, the red crystal spikes slowly withdrew back into the earth.

“Heh. I knew you'd do it,” Garble mocked. “You ponies are all so weak and pathetic.”

“And what about me?!” Ember called harshly as she crouched low as if getting ready to pounce towards him. “Do you think I am weak too? I promise you, whatever you do to that pony, I will return to you ten fold! Whether or not you are immune to my Dragon Lord commands, I can still beat the scales off your miserable little hide! I bet you won't be immune to that!”

“I'd like to see you try!” Garble sneered.

Ember snorted flames out of her nostrils as she declared, “Okay, that's it! You're toast!”

“Ember, wait! Please!” Princess Twilight begged which had cause Ember to hesitate.

“Princess Twilight.” Now it was Ember's turn to look stunned. “He's got your niece. He's threatening to harm her. Even I can't stand this, so I'm stunned that you can.”

“Believe me, Ember, I know. It's a struggle for me to calm down as well, but we have to do it for her sake as long as she's in danger,” Twilight argued to Ember which cooled the Dragon Lord down for the moment. Twilight turned a concerned look to Garble, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment. “Why are you doing this, Garble? Can't we just talk about this?”

“Talk, talk, TALK!” Garble growled in irritation. “That's all you pathetic ponies ever do is talk or, worse yet, sing. For almost two years now I had to endure your incessant talking and singing and helping each other. I am so sick and tired of all of your sick and pathetic ways! I was invited here to fight a war!” Garble thumbed to his chest. “I thought this war was going to be cool. I thought we were going to fight all kinds of terrifying and cool monsters, but instead I get tortured for two years straight with all of your manzy-panzy ways and I'm so sick of it!”

“I hear ya, buddy!” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “I was hoping to fight all kinds of cool and crazy monsters too! If that's all you want, then let the princess go so we can step outside the Crystal Heart barrier right now and go fight some monsters! I'm actually kind of hyped for that as well! Better than being bored here all the time.” Rainbow Dash said with a roll of her eyes.

Garble closed his eyes and chuckled a bit, then he said, “Out of all the ponies I found myself painfully surrounded with, you are by far the coolest one among them.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked in surprise as she flew back a bit in mid air. “I mean, I know I'm awesome and all but I'm surprised you think so too. I thought you hated all ponies, me included.”

“I DO hate ponies!” Garble exclaimed. “You are simply the best of the worst. The first time I ever encountered you, you emerged from a pathetic dragon costume.”

“I beg your pardon!” Rarity cried in outrage, offended with a stomp of a hoof. “I put a lot of work into that costume to make it fabulous! Apologize to me this instant!”

“Rarity, I think we have higher priorities at the moment,” Apple Jack said with a tight wince of tense nervousness, afraid that Garble would grow so annoyed that he would harm his hostage.

“My POINT is . . .” Garble said with an annoyed growl due to the interruption, “. . . that the moment you emerged from the costume, you were the one I was most convinced that was truly willing to fight me.”

“So was I!” Rarity insisted in a hurt, whining tone. “You threatened Spiky-Poo. Anyone who dares to threaten a scale on his widdle-itty-bitty head is not going to see my most lady-like side!”

“Aww! Thanks, Rarity!” Spike said to Rarity as his eyes turned into heart symbols at her.

“The second time I met you,” Garble went on, “was when you tried to reclaim that!” He seemed to point at Flash Magnus flapping in the air but Feather Wind assumed he actually meant the Tidus shield that Flash Magnus had on his back. A moment later that theory was confirmed. “You came for the shield that I found in the desert fair and square.”

“Which I then won in a race!” Spike reminded Garble as he looked back at Garble while his eyes returned to normal.

“Then you challenged me to a race personally,” Garble continued to Rainbow Dash, “but then convinced me to drop the shield so it would not get in my way as we raced back to the top of the lava mountain. Instead of racing me fair and square, you took that opportunity to nab the shield and take off with it. I was FURIOUS at you for that, but . . .” the claw that held the black crystal gave a pushing motion towards her. “. . . later that night I was lying on my back and I was looking up at the stars while the light of nearby pools of lava glowed and I remembered thinking how devious your tactic was. You wanted something and you just took it!” The claw that held the black crystal suddenly was yanked close to his chest. “You nabbed it from me so you earned that treasure then, just a moment ago, you said you would be willing to join me as we participate in an epic battle of the ages outside the barrier against a hoard of rampaging monsters, so I say this to you with all sincerity . . . you are the coolest pony I have ever met. I say this because, deep down, you have a heart as strong as dragons!”

“That's kinda true,” Ember agreed with a proud grin to Rainbow Dash. “You are more competitive than most other ponies I see around here.” Ember pounded her chest then used that same claw to point at Rainbow Dash. “Major respect points to you, my friend.”

All of these compliments went straight to Rainbow Dash's head. In mid air she struck a bold, heroic pose with her forward hooves on her hips. She puffed her chest out in pride which inadvertently caused her to make a horsey noise for a second.

“Let's not get carried away, now,” Apple Jack cautioned, recalling the consequences of putting too much fire in Rainbow Dash's already formidable ego.

“Too bad you're a pansy pony,” Garble said with a casual shrug of regret. “In another life, we could have been best buds.”

“What exactly is it that you're trying to accomplish here?” Starlight Glimmer asked as she emerged from the crowd around her. “Flurry Heart is the main one protecting us all from the danger outside of the barrier. If you kill her, you'll die too! It doesn't make any sense to threaten her like this because you won't gain anything by it.”

“Shows what you know! I was smart and made a deal with The Dark Star!” Garble bragged proudly as he thumbed to his chest. “That's why it gave me this.” Garble held up the black crystal. “I had to give something in exchange, however, but, in my eyes, it didn't ask for much. All it wanted was to KILL YOU ALL, and this manzy-panzy pony here is the primary obstacle in it's way from wiping you all out.” Garble cut a claw across the air. “What's the point of the battle anyway? We're just time clones here! We're just false copies of our original selves. Nothing we say or do now will be remembered, so what's the point of this pointless existence? But ah! The Dark Star agreed to remedy this. As soon as I consume this crystal, I'll be transformed into something more real. Realer even than my own original self then, not only will I be the new Lord of the Dragons, but I'll be Lord of ALL CREATURES ON THIS WORLD, THEN NOTHING CAN STOP ME! ALL WILL RUE THE DAY THEY HEARD THE NAME GARBLE!”

With that, Garble shoved the black crystal into his mouth then consumed it. Seconds later he trembled as a black aura engulfed him that looked like a black flame. He expanded three times his original size. His claws grew much longer and sharper, and so did the spikes along his back. He grew menacing horns from his head that first curved down then lifted up, much like a ram's horn. When his eyes opened, his pupils blazed with purple energy. During this whole process, he continued to maintain his grasp on Flurry Heart but, by the time his dark transformation was complete, he was holding on to a lot more than just her throat. His claw nearly surrounded her entire body.

“Equestria, we have a problem!” Spike said fearfully as Garble's shadow loomed over the tiny baby dragon as well as several others.

“That's much better!” Garble said in a slightly multi-voice. “Now I'll have the power to destroy all of my enemies!”

That was dark magic, alright. Feather Wind could feel it, but what concerned him more was the fact he was detecting two sources of dark energy, and the second was far worse than the first. The Red Crystal worn around his neck hummed a warning and, despite how large the corrupted dragon loomed over them, Feather Wind's eyes were actually drawn to Sombra as he realized they were all about to be in much greater trouble. Sure enough, Sombra was constantly trembling with anger. His black mane was turning into flickering black flame and he was about to burst. Noticing this, Feather Wind wanted to warn every creature but his voice got caught in his throat due to his rising panic.

“You have chosen to reveal yourself as a monster,” Star Swirl said as he stepped forward from the crowd boldly. “Congratulations. You now have our undivided attention. I wonder if you have also noted how literally surrounded you are.”

“Well to that I say HA to you! Your numbers ain't going to matter soon! Not after I crush our little filly friend here!” Garble threatened.

Upon hearing that, that was the last straw for Sombra. His mind snapped at that moment and his eyes flared open. A burst of purple and black energy spread beyond the side of his eyes. At first his pupils were large but they quickly narrowed after that. He snapped his gaze back to Garble with a look of intense rage, then he stomped both of his forward hooves to the ground. Hundreds of black crystals shot from the ground and stabbed into Garble from all around him, yet not a single one hit Flurry Heart. In response, Garble screamed in pain and stunned surprise but he continued to cling on to tiny Flurry Heart, relative to his new size.

“Sombra, NO!” Flurry Heart cried out to him.

Garble's roar of pain shifted to a roar of anger in stubborn determination. He then managed to smash himself free of some of the spikes (although some pieces continued to stick inside of him) but more black crystals replaced those in seconds.

Meanwhile every other creature froze in shock at the sight of this.

“Release me or I'll crush your precious pony princess!” Garble threatened.

“Weren't you going to do that anyway?” Sombra asked in a sinister voice as he trotted up one of the black spikes he erected in order to draw closer to the much larger dragon ahead of him. “I'm actually looking forward to that part, now. That princess you have in your clutches is the only reason I'm not ripping you to shreds at this very moment, but ah! As soon as you kill your precious shield,” Sombra looked up at Garble's face as the flames of his eyes doubled in size and his snake-like eye pupils widened, “we're going to have such fun together!” Sombra said in a tone that dripped with sinister glee.

Garble's head drew back, greatly alarmed by the evil pony he was beholding that looked so sinister it actually scared the dragon despite his own dark magic corruption.

“Don't do this, Sombra!” Twilight cried out desperately. “You are not like your original self! You can be a better pony!”

“Do you think you know darkness?!” Sombra barked at Garble, ignoring Twilight's comment in the background completely. “You've only just tasted it recently. Pay attention, my new student, for I will show you true terror! I'm only now giving you just a small taste of what's to come.” Sombra lifted a hoof a bit. One of the spikes that stabbed into Garble grew spikes of it's own within Garble's body. It then cruelly twisted itself from side to side. Garble bit his tongue to prevent himself from screaming in pain, but he was determined not to look that weak. “The rest will come as soon as you get rid of that pathetic shield of yours. In time, I will ask you a question. I will ask you if you still think ponies are weak after I RIP YOUR SOUL TO PIECES!”

“ENOUGH!” Flurry Heart cried out before finally teleporting away from Garble's grasp, which she honestly could have done all along. She reappeared seventeen feet further into the air and spread her wings as a glorious light spread from her. The Crystal Heart also appeared behind her and started spinning faster and faster as it helped her to create this shining light. As the light burned into both Garble and Sombra, it weakened the dark magic's hold on both of them. The black crystal Sombra stood on started to crack and the cracks never stopped spreading as long as that light continued to radiate down on top of them both. When she opened her eyes, it was full of radiating light which concealed her normal eyes.

“Sombra, I told you I was never in any real danger,” Flurry Heart called out in what sounded like thousands of voices speaking at once, and most of it not even hers. It was the voices of every pony and creature that donated energy to the Crystal Heart. “Please respect my wishes and allow me to hoofle this.”

Sombra's eyes and mane returned to normal as he beheld his majesty in stunned awe, then he lowered his head somberly as the black spikes retreated back into the earth. Since he was standing on one of them, that also meant he returned to the earth.

“Yes, your majesty,” Sombra replied obediently and in a voice full of regret.

With that out of the way, Flurry Heart then regarded Garble who shriveled in cowardly fear. “Garble . . . every creature that roams upon this planet has a choice which side their souls choose to favor. Today you have proven you favor the darkness and, by doing so, you have also proven you have no place among us. Since you favor the oblivion that the darkness offers so much, then return to the oblivion from whence you came.”

The Crystal Heart above her spun much faster, fast enough to blur with a brilliant white light. It seemed to charge and build up to something. During that time, Flurry Heart's wings curved and cringed inwardly. While that happened, she continued to hover there without flapping her wings.

“No!” Garble cried out in fear as he shielded his eyes with his claws. “NOOOOOOOOO!”

When Flurry Hearts wings finally spread apart to it's maximum length, an explosive beam of light shot down and consumed Garble's entire body. The beam continued to pour down on top of him as he turned into light as well then disappeared within the beam of light. This process held up for ten seconds before the beam thinned out then finally disappeared. The Crystal Heart above Flurry Heart slowed it's rapid spinning. While it did that, she gradually and gently floated down to the ground. When her hooves touched the earth again her wings sank to the ground as if she were exhausted.

Everyone who witnessed this was stunned. So was Star Breeze many years later.

“Flurry Heart, you . . . you didn't have to kill him!” remarked Cadence in a stunned voice.

“Yes, she did,” Shining Armor argued as he stepped up beside his wife and put a leg around her back and pulled her close to him. “Garble was from the future. He traveled with us for years. He studied our strengths and our weaknesses. Imagine what would happen to our mission if the enemy got a hold of that information.”

“Not to mention the fact that he didn't really exist here in the first place,” Stygian added. “Very few of us do. She only dispelled his time clone. The original Garble is still back in his own timeline, safe and sound and none the wiser what he tried to do here today.”

“So, basically . . . that will be our fate eventually,” Spike realized somberly.

“But before that happens, the rest of us have a mission to complete,” Shining Armor reminded with a little bit of steel in his voice. “We must complete this mission, or our original selves won't exist in the first place. The Dark Star will seek to destroy everything we hold dear long before all of us, except the natives of this time period, were even born.”

“And with that in mind, I have a request,” Sombra broached. He looked at Flurry Heart. “Your majesty . . . long before your time, I once served another who was very much like you. She was the Crystal Queen, and she ruled the Crystal Empire with benevolence and compassion, but also fairness and strength. She filled the world with light and hope. So strong was it that it projected high into the air for all to see. I, myself, helped her to build this society until I later destroyed that, apparently. The darkness that corrupted my magic seeks to consume me still. Since I'm a time clone, the infection did not spread like it had for my original self but lately that small little voice has been clawing at my mind harder and harder, especially when Garble was in front of me and projected the same type of energy. I beg you, your majesty, for your own safety, for every creature around here and, indeed, for the fate of the entire world itself, I beg you to destroy me as well.”

“That is crazy talk, and I will have none of it!” Shining Armor denied with a firm look to Sombra but it soon softened as he went on. “I faced the shadow of your corrupted future self myself. He once cursed my horn with black crystals so that I could not perform my barrier magic. I'm willing to admit that, when I faced him muzzle to muzzle, I was terrified of him. I could see in his eyes he wanted to kill me or enslave me very strongly, perhaps even more strongly than my own will to live, but my newly wed wife was in the Crystal Empire at the time. So, too, was my own baby sister and all of her friends. I tell this to you now to prove to you that I've had experience with the worst side of you so, when I tell you this, I want you to believe me when I say that the pony I see standing in front of me now is a completely different pony. You're an asset to our cause, not a liability as you have already proven time and time again over these past few years. More than that, you have become a dear and loyal friend to all of us. Now I never thought I would ever get a chance to say this, but I'm glad to get to know the real you, Sombra. You are an intensely devoted and loyal pony, and your spirit and courage is inspiring to us all.”

“Not to mention your knowledge and tactics,” Stygian added. “I, too, was once lost in the darkness for many years. I became the Pony of Shadows. I was the epitome of corruption and darkness, quite likely to a greater degree than even you, but I was guided to see the light once again. I was shown that it was not really power that I was after, it's friendship. If we all stick together, we can have a power greater than anything the darkness can throw at us. If we allowed Flurry Heart to destroy you as you suggested just because there is a chance you could unleash your inner monster, then she might as well also destroy all the rest of us, for we all are exposed to the same degree of risk. We all have darkness inside us. The only way we're going to beat it is if we choose not to embrace it, and instead embrace the light of friendship together.”

“I was once like you not too long ago,” Starlight said, and as she said this her voice quivered with a bit of emotion which was also visible as a wet glint in her eyes. “I, too, ruled a small village with an iron hoof. I did it because I was angry and upset at friendship. I did not trust it since it seemed so flimsy, but I was wrong! Twilight and her friends helped me to see that and, little by little, that circle of friendship continued to expand every single day and I'm so grateful for that. You can be too! You can choose to embrace the light instead of the darkness. Also, unlike your true history, you have the advantage of moving forward with an informed decision. You've already been told what could happen, and I can see in your eyes it fills you with powerful regret. Well, if that's true then choose another path right now!” Starlight stomped a hoof. “Be a better pony than King Sombra ever was. With him, he condemned an entire empire until it was later saved, but you have a chance to save the entire world with us and believe me when I say you could be really, really good at it if you just turn away from your fears and let us help you!”

“It is important that, in these dark times, we all hold onto each other in the light of hope,” Somnambula said with a voice thick with a noticeable accent. “Hope is the flame on the gentle candle that endures in the depths of the darkness. Without it, we would all be lost. It is important that we all share that flame together so that we may all light our way to victory, harmony and prosperity.”

“You just told us that you are feeling guilt over your failure in defending the Crystal Queen in a bygone age,” Twilight put forward in a sympathetic voice. “It can be hard to do the right thing or to know what to do sometimes. Believe me, I failed before too on so many things but my friends helped me whenever I fell. If you choose to abandon us to our fate now, you'll be failing your Crystal Queen again for The Dark Star will extinguish her existence before she was even born. The same goes for The Crystal Empire and all of it's citizens. The same goes for your original self. I know, at first glance, that may seem like a good thing, but you've done many good things too that won't ever happen if you give up now.”

{I whispered a message then projected it at Sombra through the wind. In the message I reminded him about Angel Song. In the message, I told him her true name, which I will not repeat to you now due to a promise I made to him. I told him that if he gave up on us now then her lovely voice would never be lifted up into the heavens. I could tell, by the way his eyes widened in shock, that I hit a very strong nerve with that comment. I also said aloud . . .}

“Look at every creature around you, Sombra,” Feather Wind encouraged. “Look how much they care for you. Look at how many friends you have. Look how many lives you touched deeply already, and also realize how much you continue to influence us all. Please, do not take that away from us. Not when we all need you so desperately. Like it or not, you are an inspirational leader. If you quit now, consider what example that will inspire in the rest of us.”

Sombra did as Feather Wind requested. He slowly scanned around him at all the various creatures around him who all stared back at him with a warm smile to varying degrees. Considering how many creatures there were and their own various personalities, there usually were other emotions mixed in as well but it was almost universally positive.

Almost. In fact, the only creature who was out of place in this picture, from what Feather Wind could tell, was Card Shark. He stood up straight and leaned both forward hooves on a gentlecolt's cane which, in turn, propped him up in a thirty-five degree angle. While he did that, he had the edge of his fedora hat tilted down enough so no creature could see his eyes, but Feather Wind saw an evil smirk on his lips. He looked very satisfied in a disturbing sort of way. He acted like some evil agenda of his was proceeding smoothly so far. Feather Wind privately vowed to confront him on that shortly.

Looking back at Sombra, Feather Wind could tell he was being consumed by affectionate emotion as his gaze continued to sweep every single individual among the camp which kept reaffirming the same message over and over again. It said to him that he was not alone, that he had friends who very much cared for him. Noticing that made him care about the others as well. Tears were in his eyes by the time his scan was complete. He then closed his eyes and bowed his head.

“I've warned you all of the peril that dwells inside me,” Sombra announced, “but if you choose to face this risk together . . . then I will bow to the will of the vast majority of you. I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, including from the danger that dwells within me. Since you are all of one mind, that also means you are of one heart. This is exactly the kind of energy that empowers the Crystal Heart so dramatically. As long as you all continue to feel this way, I will fight by your side. To make up for all the mistakes I have made in the past and, on behalf of the bright and prosperous future, we fight together as one. WE . . . SHALL . . . PREVAIL! As long as we continue to stand united, not even the greatest darkness will bring us down!”

A great cheer arose from nearly every creature gathered at the conclusion of those words, and that was all the excuse Pinkie Pie needed to pull out her party cannon from seemingly out of nowhere and blast a ball of confetti that exploded into the air. Many creatures approached to pat Sombra on the back or embrace him in a hug, very relieved he changed his mind and bravely continued to join them.

Meanwhile Feather Wind glared at Card Shark then approached to finally confront him.

“I'm on to your little game!” Feather Wind warned Card Shark firmly.

“Oh really?” Card Shark asked smugly as he continued to hide his eyes with the edge of his fedora hat. “To which game are you referring? I am good at so many, you see.”

“The only one that matters!” Feather Wind responded firmly. “I'm warning you now . . . I'm watching you.”

“Goooooooooood!” Card Shark said like a smooth criminal. He lifted his muzzle just enough so that his eyes were barely visible under the rim of his fedora hat. “It's good that you're watching my back. There are so many hidden evils out in the world, you see. It is best we remain at the edge of our hooves in order to remain prepared to face them. You never know what might strike next. Even within our ranks, as you have just recently witnessed, bears careful watching.”

“Why did the Doctor really invite you?” Feather Wind asked suspiciously. “You two are nothing alike.”

“We have more in common than you might think, though I'm beginning to suspect that you're starting to realize that.” Card Shark gave a sly grin. “Aside from that, he and I go way back. We have a lot of history together. He is my friend from a long time ago, and I shall always cherish those memories. It's a good thing, too. Friendship can be weaponized in this world, it seems.” Card Shark chuckled darkly. “There was a long time in my history when I never thought I'd ever hear myself say that,” he shrugged, “but here we are.”

“What are you scheming at?” Feather Wind asked. He knew that question was a shot in the dark, but sometimes even what was not said could be just as important as what was said. He observed Card Shark's reaction to that question very carefully, and he was disturbed by the gut feeling that Card Shark was keenly aware of that.

“My, my! Such an unsportscoltlike question of you,” Card Shark taunted. “When we sit at a table and play cards, do you really expect me to turn my cards around and reveal to you my entire hoof of cards? Besides, isn't a game more fun when you have a worthy opponent?”

Now Card Shark gave a very evil smile. Feather Wind was astonished to realize he wasn't even trying to hide that anymore, at least not to Feather Wind. It meant revealing that information was also part of a very complex and ingenious strategy.

Card Shark lifted the tip of the gentlecolt's cane and used it to bop the muzzle of Feather Wind very lightly. “You have some skill, my young protege, but you have a long way to go to catch up to me or the Doctor. Do be patient in the meantime, and be observant. How is one to learn if they are not paying attention, hmm? Think about it.”

Then, all of the sudden, Card Shark had a focused interest at Feather Wind's cheeks, specifically the right cheek since Card Shark tilted his head a bit to the left. “Mmm? What's this? You got a little something on your cheek.”

Card Shark reached forward with his left hoof to apparently pluck something from Feather Wind's right cheek. Meanwhile Feather Wind was still, entranced and frankly terrified of what this criminal mastermind might do next. Feather Wind then winced in pain as he felt a sharp slice on his cheek.

“Oops! Paper cut,” Card Shark said in an insincere tone of apology then withdrew a playing card from Feather Wind's right cheek. Feather Wind looked at the card and noticed two things about it. One was the fact that it was the Joker card, and the other was the fact that there was blood on the edge of the card. In fact there was more blood than Feather Wind expected from such a brief and minor cut. “Sorry, my friend,” Card Shark said in that same insincere tone. “The card is sharp, I suppose.”

Feather Wind widened his eyes in astonishment at what Card Shark did next, which was frankly quite creepy to behold. Card Shark licked the blood off the edge of his own card then appeared to savor it.

“Mmm. Tangy,” Card Shark remarked, then flashed the card more fully at Feather Wind. “Oh, and look at this. What an interesting card I managed to pull from you. It is the Joker card. I'm quite fond of these, for they are a rare card in the deck and very useful too.

“The reason why I say that is because the Joker stands apart from the rest of the meaningless numbers and suits around him. Ranging from the weakest cards in the deck,” Card Shark gestured directly to Derpy as an outward example of what he was talking about which, frankly, made Feather Wind quite mad, “to the Ace in the hole,” Card Shark went on as he then gestured to Princess Celestia.

Card Shark then applied both hoofs back on top of his cane and stabbed the bottom tip back down to the ground. “The deck is filled with many cards of all kinds of different suits, numbers and talents. Each is good at their own arena, but one thing they all have in common is the fact that, during each and every single game they play, they are shuffled helplessly into the deck. Because of that, they have no control over what they face next. The stronger the card is, the more often it tends to win, but wins what, by chance? Why, it wins only what it happens to face at the time, which is random. That's the problem with cards shuffled in a deck. Each is lost in their own little worlds full of mediocrity, idiosyncrasies, various agendas, insipid goals and pointless dreams in life. Lost in the wheels of time and fate, they have no idea how little they actually matter in the grand scheme of things. Things like that are only known to the players of the game, and even then only to some degree.

“But the Joker, as I have stated, is special because it can become whatever it needs to be in order to win the match. It stands apart from the rest of the deck where it can watch silently on a tiny little island of safety like an island in the middle of a river of time. From that tactical position, the Joker has but one chance to be a game changer in the wheels of fate. To make the best of that opportunity, it is important for the Joker to wait, watch and listen very carefully because, when it finally does act, it will inevitably also be swept up in the rivers of time. By stepping off that safe little island in the middle of the river, even the Joker winds up getting shuffled into the deck then, my friend, it becomes just another pawn in the mechanization of a cruel and sadistic fate. 'Tis sad, really, but what will be . . . will be.” He gave a mockingly innocent shrug.

Card Shark paused there to give Feather Wind a chance to absorb this then, just a little before Feather Wind was ready, Card Shark leaned forward over his cane with very narrow eyes as he said, “Since you are somewhat intelligent, I believe I made my point. Dwell on it well, my friend, for it might be your last chance to do so. Wait . . . and listen. I warn you only once more, you will only get one chance to act when you do. Make sure it is as meaningful as possible when you do.” Card Shark stood up straight then and spun his cane only to tuck it under one of his forward legs. “Until then, take care, my friend. Try to enjoy the game while you are at it. I know I will.”

As Card Shark was starting to pass Feather Wind to his right, Feather Wind said to him, “Whatever it is you are planning, I will stop you,” Feather Wind promised.

That comment made Card Shark pause, then laugh as if Feather Wind had made a very funny joke. He looked at Feather Wind and said, “My dear friend,” then he leaned towards Feather Wind considerably more in order to whisper in Feather Wind's ear, “I'm counting on it.” Then he stood up straight again with an overly happy smile and closed eyes with a kind of creepy facial expression. “Toodles for now.” Card Shark then trotted past Feather Wind.

Feather Wind thought quickly on what Card Shark said, then realized there was another piece of information he might be able to draw out of this other chilling pony. He looked back and asked, “If you see me as the Joker, what suit are you?”

Card Shark paused as he asked, “Me?” He then peered over his right shoulder at Feather Wind under the rim of his fedora hat as he said, “Why . . . I'm the King, baby.” Card Shark made two clicking sound effects as he winked back at Feather Wind then looked forward and resumed onward.

(The King?) Feather Wind privately pondered. (The King of what? Hearts? Spades? Clovers? Diamonds? Which one?) Feather Wind's mind thought of the cutie mark on Card Shark's flank in case that had any clue, then widened his eyes as he realized something.

(None of the above! His cutie mark has five cards spread in an upside-down U shaped pattern. The top card is a clover, I think . . . the next is diamond, then spade, then hearts . . . but the last card doesn't really belong in a deck of cards at all. It's a King chess piece. That belongs to another game entirely. The last card in the set does not belong with the other four.)

Feather Wind put a hoof on his lips as he concentrated in a thoughtful pose.

(What's more, it's the last card in the set and it's partially covered by the previous one, which is hearts.)

Feather Wind tapped his lips.

(The King, in chess, represents the most critical chess piece of the game. If the king falls, the game is over for that player. The King in chess is also the mastermind behind all of the other pieces in the game. In order to win effectively, he plays his army strategically, and a typical good player knows when it's time to make aggressive moves, defensive moves or sacrifices. A good chess player is strategic, cold and methodical. A good chess player uses his wits to manipulate the game and outmaneuver his opponent and, by extension, the fate of the game itself.

(But Card Shark is the hidden king. He is the hidden mastermind of the game. He hides behind every card that came before him, fully willing to give credit where credit isn't due in the hopes of setting up a long ranged strategy, a long con. He is the hidden antagonist that tends to think at least ten steps ahead of the rest of his opponents.

(His name is also Double Dealer, which strongly implies treachery, lies and deception. His name is Card Shark, which implies he's really good at whatever game he plays, and he plays with double deals. It means he's willing to cheat in order to win the game, though he might not necessarily do so in each and every case. Instead, he'd only use whatever strategy is most effective at the time, even if it just happens to be an honest game. He only cares about winning, no matter the cost. He certainly made it clear he does not care for the creatures around him, and I have never observed him giving any meaningful energy to the Crystal Heart even though that artifact is using that energy to keep us all safe. It's because he can't offer his energy even if it's for his own benefit. He has no compassion to give.

(For some reason he also has a close connection to the Doctor. That may be the key to really figuring this pony out. Now I just have to bring it all together.

(He's an evil strategist willing to perform anything it takes to win at whatever agenda he's pursuing. He's really good at it, too. It's almost as if he had centuries of practice. He's the hidden mastermind behind whatever plot he is in, willing and able to pull the strings from the shadows. He doesn't care who he has to hurt to get his way.

(No, I take that back. He does care about who he has to hurt. He cares because it pleases him to harm others. In his mind, that's already winning the game, or at least accomplishing a secondary objective.

(He is beyond a genius when it comes to psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and mental manipulation. Somehow this all ties back to the Doctor. Now who do I know from his past that fits all of these bills?)

{In truth, it did not take me long to figure out the answer. I think the real reason it took so long to finally dawn on me is because the truth was so horrifying that I did not want to know the truth because it has terrifying implications.}

Feather Wind widened his eyes in horror when he finally saw all the connections. There was one individual that fit all of those bills, but it was actually one of the Doctor's main enemies.

(Oh . . . my . . . Celestia! Oh my Celestia! Oh my Celestia! Oh my Celestia! Oh my Celestia! We are in serious trouble here!)

Feather Wind regarded Card Shark in extreme horror. As if sensing the scrutiny, Card Shark looked back at Feather Wind while talking to some other pony. Upon seeing Feather Wind's look of horror, a dark glint of satisfaction appeared deep in Card Shark's eyes but then he looked back and resumed talking to the one he spoke with before.

(I can't believe it! It's him! It's really him! To encounter him in this situation, oh my Celestia, we could be really screwed here.) Feather Wind looked at the Doctor and wondered if the Doctor knew the truth too. It seemed likely the Doctor should be aware of this fact, but an opponent this brilliant has flown under the Doctor's radar before, at least at first.

Then Feather Wind widened his eyes again as he realized something else. He then looked at Card Shark's daughter, The Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon.

(If I'm right about what I think I'm right about then it might imply something important about her too,) Feather Wind realized, then thought of something else. (Hold on. Wait a second. To my knowledge, he had never had a daughter before, or any foal for that matter.) Feather Wind regarded Card Shark with suspicion and confusion. (That's already a break in the pattern, unless it's to eventually accomplish some evil scheme later on but why, then, admit to his daughter that he was a criminal mastermind? Where's the calculated advantage in that? Why involve Trixie at all? It might not be the Doctor's idea to include her, but Card Shark's. Whatever the reason for that, it likely isn't good.

(On the other hoof, Trixie herself does not seem that bad. Based on testimonies I received, she was kind of mean at one time, but no where near as bad as her father except perhaps once when she wore an evil soul-sucking amulet. I wonder if that was her father's idea.)

Feather Wind rolled his eyes. (Geeze. It's amazing what comes up in therapy sessions sometimes. One would think that would be an embarrassing history she would want to keep buried, but it still came up anyway.

(Since her father was involved in most of these sessions due to the problem was mostly between them, I also have to wonder if he tricked her on purpose to reveal certain embarrassing details out loud. Why? Because he knew certain ponies were eavesdropping? Well, not exactly eavesdropping. I was invited to the sessions in order to record it, and Card Shark knew that. He may have even counted on that.

(That was Starlight's idea, right? My memory says yes. I participated in a few other sessions before Trixie and her father. I still can't rule out the possibility that Card Shark planted the idea in Starlight's head, at least subconsciously.

(In that case, why does he want me to know he's a potential hidden enemy? How can he gain from that?)

Feather Wind sighed. (If he really is as smart as I think he is then I'm way out of my league here. I get the feeling Card Shark is aware that I actually fear evil geniuses because of my experiences with Plague. Since I know this guy is also a master psychologist, I have to assume he's gotten into my head as well. The most likely reason is to paralyze me with fear.)

{And by Celestia, it sure worked.}

xoxo

{It's possible I did the worst thing at the time while armed with my new knowledge, and that was nothing. I couldn't help it. A brilliant mind locked in paranoia will see enemies in every shadow. The Dark Star was perfectly willing to play off of those fears as well and actually show me everything that I feared except it always occurred beyond the Crystal Heart barrier so I always dismissed it as an illusion.

{That was the problem with fighting an evil genius, and especially one who was both a criminal mastermind and skilled psychologist. I could always wonder that, no matter whom I talked to, Card Shark might have planted post-hypnotic suggestions in his victims first which could potentially be any creature, even the Doctor. Everything I could do, no matter what it may be, may be part of his very carefully calculated design.

{Honestly, it was dumb luck that gave me the edge over Plague. If it weren't for the information your mother gave me when she arrived, we might still be wrestling with that villain. Now there was a far more brilliant and older villain at my doorstep. What in the hay was I supposed to do?

{I did know one thing. Even if I was paralyzed into inaction, there was no possible way this stress was to my benefit. The fact that The Dark Star was so quick to capitalize on that advantage proved that I was on the wrong track, then it occurred to me that inaction could have it's advantages too if played well. Above all, I needed to relax. Somnambula's meditations sessions was actually pretty good for that, so I tried it. Her words of wisdom inspired hope which also caused me to center myself and calm down.

{I realized, eventually, that Card Shark's advise was actually pretty sound. It was also wise to realize that a villain could still give good advice, regardless of the intentions or immorality behind the reason for giving the advice.

{As the Joker, I needed to wait, watch and listen patiently. I needed to pay close attention to my surroundings. That, in itself, was an action, one that could spell victory even in the case of unexpected surprises.

{By habit, I kept hoping to myself that the Doctor really wasn't the fool he pretended to be in this situation. Both are very often the case. He was good at playing the fool, and only occasionally good at actually being a fool. More often than not, he was far more aware than he seemed. He only plays the fool to get his enemies to drop their guard. He was good enough to manipulate others too, even his enemies. Perhaps I should say especially his enemies because he normally did not have to fight so hard to convince his friends, but maybe that was being too generous to his friends. It was likely the truth was it all depends who each one is as well as the situation the Doctor finds himself in.

{Even if the Doctor really was the fool in this case, that still didn't guarantee he'd lose the day. He was very good at improvisation because normally he had to be. Popping in from world to world, time to time, it always put him on the defensive at first. Before he knows what's going on, his only option was to explore, wait, watch and listen. He constantly asks questions for a very good reason. He was trying to get an accurate picture in his mind what was going on before he makes a serious act. Until then, he was stumbling about blindly, and that made perfect sense. Any of the rest of us would be in the same boat if we charged in blindly to an unknown world or time. It was important to assess everything and collect data as quickly and as accurately as possible. He solved any puzzle put in front of him by collecting one piece at a time before finally putting it all together. When that happens, sometimes he missed in his first attempt to solve the problem but rarely did that cause him to panic. Instead he learned from his mistakes which caused his next attempt to solve the problem to be more effective.

{Since that was what the Doctor did, that was what I was going to do. I was serious when I called him one of my many mentors.

{Your mother noticed that something was eating up inside of me for awhile there. For once I was not too honest with her, but I had not lied either. I even gave her little bits of truth. It was actually her idea to meditate with Somnambula. I took her suggestion and it turned out to be the best thing for me. I tend to think a lot more clearly when I'm calm and in tune with the universe. I realized, eventually, that it might have been true that we were in severe danger but the best way to hoofle that was to remain calm and assess the situation.

{So moons passed, then weeks, then months. In a timeless environment where we could not see the sunrise or sunset ever, it was really hard to tell. It was like being locked up in a dark, windowless environment. You have a very different relationship with time in such a disorienting situation. At least Twilight's map kept us on track, and my Red Crystal continued to hum more and more as we got closer to the source of the corruption so we were not completely blind.

{But the situation grew more tense in a different way later on. As we got closer to the source of corruption, it put a greater strain on The Crystal Heart barrier. The barrier's protection started as a two mile radius, but eventually we noticed it was starting to shrink and most of that loss came in the last few months. The dark energy outside put so much pressure against the barrier that it's only choice was to shrink the area in order to maintain the same level of protection within it. It did not take long for the Wonderbolts air show to disappear after that and, as things got worse, we experienced more and more cramped conditions. I think you could imagine what somepony like me might feel about that with even minor amounts of claustrophobia. There were real dangers outside of that barrier from the environment alone, not to mention all the dark force monsters waiting for us hungrily outside.

{So, as things got more cramped, it grew easier to get on each other's nerves. This had not always played out well but, since we were aware of the escalating problem, we tackled it pretty well I'd say under the circumstances. Starlight tried to encourage us to imagine all of this was just a fun slumber party over at somepony's home. It might be tight, but we were all together and that, in turn, could make the situation fun if we let it. Nearly every creature there did not need to sleep or eat so that kind of solved that issue, but there were a few of us who did have those needs.

{Although I apologized for my own snoring habits, most other creatures said I was not that bad. Small body, small lungs. That may have been a factor. Now your mother, on the other hoof . . .} (Feather Wind blew a low whistle) {. . . let's just say there were some that got to know her better than they wanted.

{Naturally she had to either turn the magical function of her armor off or take it off entirely to sleep. Normally I'd say she should have taken off the armor while she slept. It might have taken awhile to don or take off, but it was better than sleeping on solid crystal, basically, but your mother insisted she grow accustomed to sleeping in that armor. She said it was similar to my obsession to sleep on clouds at one time, but for her this was a security issue. She cared very much for the creatures around her so she wanted to remain as prepared as possible to defend them. She said that, once she gotten used to it, the issue would be permanently solved, so eh . . . I let her, I guess. I think you know how stubborn your mother could be. I swear, she's an earth pony born in a pegasus body.

{Sometimes I questioned Trixie about her father in order to gauge him better. Unfortunately for me, it was a subject that heavily annoyed her so it was difficult to convince her to say yes at first. When she did, she made it clear why she did not know much about him. Trixie was raised mostly in Los Pegasus with her frequently drunk mother Sparkling Margarita until she was old enough to travel on her own and continue to ply her trade on the road.

{Since Trixie was more willing and able to speak about her mother, I pressed her for details on that issue because at least that would give me some idea why Card Shark would hang around her.

{Trixie said her mother was mostly a waitress and hotel hostess but also sometimes played the magician's assistant. Trixie grew annoyed at her mother for being willing to play second fiddle all the time and vowed to be the star of her own show when she grew up even if it meant having to learn the profession from scratch . . . for the most part. When I asked Trixie what she thought Card Shark saw in her mother, Trixie replied with a humph, “Probably another brainless fool who was easy to manipulate into whatever he wants. Despite his intelligence, he had very strong carnal desires.” When I reversed the question, Trixie replied, “Well, have you seen him? He's so annoying, but even Trixie has got to admit he oozes charm which is probably why my personal charisma is off the charts as well. If he wasn't Trixie's father and hadn't mistreated her mother so much, even the Great and Powerful Trixie might be attracted to him.”

{I learned, over time, abuse was a relative term. Sparkling Margarita never had a serious problem with Trixie's father. They did not even argue that much. Sparkling Margarita was too submissive to Card Shark for that, and he had a way with words anyway.

{The real problem came from Trixie herself and, as she spoke of her annoyance, I got an odd hunch that Card Shark actually appreciated his daughter's overwhelming ego. He might have even been proud of it. This was a lady he could not control, one who actually gave him a challenge to control. Trixie was far too quick to shout at him in anger to give him an upper hoof over her mind but, then again, a colt like him might already consider anger a personal victory. Card Shark probably did what he could to push his daughter down an evil path along with him but, for some reason, he did not push too hard. Moreover, he wasn't trying to correct the situation either when these other ponies were pushing Trixie to become a better pony. Did this mean he has a secret soft spot for his daughter? With the history I suspected he had, this was heavily against his character but, then again, becoming a father might have provoked profound changes in somepony, even one with his old habits. As far as I knew, he had never been a father before so it might have changed him a little bit in ways he had never encountered before.

{While I spoke with Trixie, I had others keep an eye on her father to observe his reaction to me talking with his daughter. Most reported he did not care. He just kept on playing cards and ignored the situation. Tibbons, however, was much more eagle-eyed and observant. He caught a few details most other creatures would miss. Tibbons said that Card Shark kept making quick, hidden glances my direction and he tried to be subtle about it. His most common tactic was to observe me through something reflective so it would not ever seem he was looking in my direction. I thanked Tibbons for that information, because it was helpful.

{This meant that Card Shark was uncomfortable or at least interested with the fact that I was talking to his daughter, especially after I figured out his real secret identity. Likely he was either nervous about what I might learn by talking to his daughter or he simply felt defensive over her. That sounded like a perfectly normal reaction for a typical father to have but it was odd behavior for him personally. Normally he would not care about any other creature other than himself. He really was trying to hide this, too. If it took somepony as sharp as Tibbons to spot this, then Card Shark really was trying to hide his tells in this case. If he wanted his reaction to his daughter to be noticed then he would have advertised it better.

{So this really was information he did not want me to know, and I felt elated to finally get one upper hoof over him. Trixie may be a key player in this whole affair regardless if she was aware of it or not. How to best use her was still a question, and of course my own morality would never debase her or classify her as a mere pawn. That's something he would normally be willing to do, but not me. Trixie had real feelings and I cared about that. If I had to abuse her in any way to save the world then I would definitely do it with an immediate apology afterwards. The only reason that could convince me to hurt her was if it was necessary to save her life or any of those she cared for and, even then, I would still feel reluctant.}

Feather Wind rubbed his face in the future when he recalled something else about the situation that was a little embarrassing to admit and, for a moment, he debated whether he should tell her or not. Given her age, this was normally information he would restrain.

“What?” Star Breeze pressed, sensing something was wrong.

Feather Wind looked at her while he hissed through his teeth, still debating, then eventually figured he could tell her without being too graphic about the situation.

{Well, um . . . the thing about when a boy keeps trying to find excuses to talk to a girl is . . . well, it gave her mixed signals. At first she was very annoyed with the subject matter, but then it was I who grew uncomfortable when she was suddenly all too willing to be open with her past except she tried to steer the conversation in other directions. Like when I tried to ask more about her parents, she would wave a hoof dismissively and say, “Oh, you don't want to know more about that boring old past. Instead, let's move on to a far more interesting topic . . . me! I am Great and Powerful, you know. Well, of course you know that. Who here could possibly not know that?”}

“Oh I get it! She thought you were flirting with her,” Star Breeze realized. “It's okay, Dad. You don't need to be ashamed about this topic with me. You are a pretty handsome stallion, by the way. I'm sure all kinds of ladies would fall all over you and this one, I sense, is a little desperate. She plays too easy to get so I think she often doesn't get what she wants.”

“You're a pretty sharp cookie,” Feather Wind complimented.

“Well I am your GREAT, and POWERFUL daughter! Mwha-ha-ha-ha!”

Feather Wind rolled his eyes as he resumed.

{Yeah . . . and I was not stupid enough to be blind to what was going on. All of the sudden I found myself trapped in another uncomfortable situation. She thought I was flirting with her and I wasn't. I loved your mother and I was engaged with her. I told Trixie this in the hopes that would let her off easy, but she just saw it as me being naughty with her and, Celestia darn it, she actually found that an even greater turn on which was quite ironic considering she got so much on her father's case for adultery.

{I was getting desperate, so I asked Starlight Glimmer for advice. My question made her spit out her tea in surprise and she did a double-take towards me and checked if she heard me correctly. I confirmed it. She then laughed a bit and rolled her eyes then said that Trixie could be quite excessive and annoying at times but it was important to be honest with her before the situation builds out of control. She kindly offered to pass on the message for me, but I felt that was cowardly and uncivilized so I told her I'd let her down myself.

{I really did not want to hurt Trixie, and I hadn't meant to let this go too far but I dug this mess so I vowed to clean it up. So, bravely, I told her the truth about friend-zoning her. She was disappointed, and confused, but willing to settle for friends anyway. I had a feeling she already considered that a useful accomplishment for her. She teased me about how great she was and that I really hadn't known what I was missing, but then suddenly turned around without warning and said she honestly liked Stern Wing so she claimed she never would really consider betraying her and that I was a fool if I thought she would. I thanked her for her understanding then offered a hoof and asked, “Friends?” She replied, “Oh, no-no-no-no. Not just friends.”}

“But GREAT and POWERFUL friends, right?” Star Breeze asked with a roll of her eyes. “It's not a good sign, Dad, when a magician is a one-trick pony. I mean no offense, but she's starting to sound predictable.”

Feather Wind shrugged. “Trixie had her own personal charm, and she was no bad pony by a long shot, especially when compared with her father. Considering that kind of upbringing, I'm surprised she ended up as nice as she did. She was often very socially awkward but also kind of adorable. I also had an intense feeling she was lonely and yet very sociable, a bad combination, but at least that made her very motivated to try her best to be a good friend. Her own ego and obliviousness often caused her to make mistakes, but honestly . . . without our flaws, would any of us really have good character?”

“I suppose that would make us more believable as characters and, to be honest, she's actually starting to grow on me too. Kind of like a fungus.”

“That's terrible,” Feather Wind lightly scolded.

“I'm free to have my own opinions too, Dad. Don't scold me for that.”

“I advise you not to be so quick to judge her. She really did have her own special charm. If you ever get a chance to meet her for real, give her a chance. I think she might honestly surprise you.”

Star Breeze half shrugged. “I guess, but we're separated by a pretty wide time gap. If I ever live long enough to see her in her timeline, I get the feeling I wouldn't be the kind of pony she would tend to associate with. Something tells me she's too shallow for that.”

“Perhaps at first, but like I said . . . she was lonely so she might surprise you.”

“Why do you keep defending her? Do you really have a crush on her?”

Feather Wind sighed as his eyes went far up. “Not you too.” He focused on her. “Look, I liked Trixie as a friend and I also felt sorry for her. Her magic tricks were so bad they were good because they were funny and entertaining, and I really did like her fireworks show. I was also happy to see her perform something that made her happy and, considering her difficult past, it was a nice change to see in her. She really was a good pony and I don't like to see nice ponies get hurt. That's why I defend her. Too many others have teased her in her past, and I for one am sick of it.”

“Sorry, Dad,” Star Breeze apologized.

“Apology accepted,” her father accepted it because he could hear the fact she meant it this time. He leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead. “Now then, how about I continue with my story?”

“How did Mom feel about all of this? I'm pretty sure she found out eventually. She is no dummy.”

“I was honest with her too, and she respected that. She said she saw Trixie enough to know how she would take mixed signals, but your mom also questioned me why I was so interested in Trixie's father. To that I said I had some concerns about him, then she said that she knew what I meant. She said she got really bad vibes from that pony as well and felt uncertain why the Doctor would invite him, then she asked if I had any leads on this investigation. I told her yes but also said I preferred to keep them to myself for now and that I had my reasons. She said okay because she trusted me.”

“Mom is the best!” Star Breeze cheered.

“You'll get no argument from me. Anyway . . .”

{. . . I didn't get as much information on Card Shark as I would have liked, but it was something so I stored it in my mind for later.

{By the way, rumors fly in a community this small, especially when we had to live in closer and closer quarters. For now, that's all I'm going to say about that.

{As time went on, Luna actually had to do some leg work to defend those who slept in their dreams. Normally the Crystal Heart barrier was enough, but the subconscious could drift beyond it without realizing it, and lately The Dark Star was bashing against the barrier harder than ever. I saw her on occasion in my dreams and she occasionally had to defend me from some mental perils. Normally she asked those who experienced nightmares what they really feared in real life but, in this case, the answer was obvious. We were almost literally marching into the jaws of Tartarus. Enough said. Sometimes I chatted with her in my sleep but, as time went on, she grew too busy for that.

{You know what, in hindsight, I was often surprised at how seemingly random all of our talents were as we made our way through the frozen north but very often one or two of those talents came in hoofy at just the right time and just the right way. It was odd to be that perfectly prepared for something in life, to always have just enough and no extra. I don't think even the Doctor could plan ahead that well. This felt more like fate.

{But then, one day, we hit a critical snag because we encountered something powerful enough to finally penetrate through the barrier.}