Adventures in the TARDIS

The recent encounter with the ominous creature, potentially a draconequus, puts the TARDIS crew in a strange mood because, on one hand, they encountered a creature that puts them on edge, and on the other hand, they are surrounded by overwhelming standards of harmonious perfection far beyond what any of them are accustomed to even in their native home of Equestria. What they see is more like some childish imagination of paradise fully realized. It's so strong that it truly feels surreal.

But for those in the party who have a more direct way to communicate with that kind of energy, it keeps reminding them of a reality that is otherwise hard to believe or even imagine. It's one thing to see playful balls of light fly at and spin around them as they travel. It's quite another to feel it with every breath which, in turn, conveys a sense of depth to this new reality that makes it feel too intense to entirely dismiss.

The reaction of every pony in the party differs for each.

Stern Wing stays cautious. She refuses to allow what she experiences here to cause her to drop her guard because she had already witnessed that this place can hide some levels of danger. What she experiences around her, though, tests her resolve in that stance more than expected. Never has one place and time tried to evoke such a false sense of security in her. More than that, she also realizes that what is around her is most likely genuine too. The reason the area looks so benevolent is because it actually is, but that doesn't remove the fact that danger can still hide within it.

For Doctor Kelly Saddler, this place is exciting insofar as it evokes scientific curiosity in her. There were no official records for her to read about this place in her native time. The closest thing to it were more like myths and legends. Stories told about paradise lost for some reason, and there were many versions to explain precisely why it was lost. Those places were said to have abilities unknown in other eras too, or at least extremely uncommon. For example, she can't find any edible thing in this environment that is even remotely toxic to ponies. On the contrary, what she finds instead is things that are so overwhelmingly packed with intense nutrition that even a single nut could probably feed their bodies for a whole day. It might even boost their immune system enough to cure them of most afflictions or speed up their natural healing process. “Too good to be true” seems to be a standard norm around here. What would normally be too good to be true in other eras is common practice here.

Despite their earlier run-in with the ominous creature, Derpy Hooves is having so much fun around here that she can't help but break into a friendly and cheery song. Everything around her seems to encourage this. The joy is downright infectious so she does what comes naturally for her. She bobs her head from side to side and sometimes closes her eyes as she joyously sings. Sometimes she nudges others with an elbow or a wing to encourage them to sing along.

Feather Wind's mood is kind of between Derpy and Stern Wing. He's deeply affected by their surroundings too and he's learning even more about it with every breath. It is enough to reveal to him that what surrounds them really is as intensely positive as it seems or more so. There are hidden layers to reality too that he happens to be attuned enough to perceive that, if anything, this place is actually more harmonious than they would normally notice with their five senses. It's not a trick or a fake this time. It's utterly real.

Still, he can't ignore the sign of danger they encountered earlier either so he embraces the mood of their surroundings somewhat while remaining on his guard in the back of his mind. As such, he eventually sings along with Derpy. When he does, they notice that the wind spirits around them become playful too. Tall grass starts to dance and swirl around them and leaves spin in the air in a pattern too graceful and complex to call it random. The more they behold this, the more it seems the wind is dancing around them and is guided by some obviously intelligent force. Some in the party think it might be Feather doing this directly, but nope. The wind is doing this on its own.

As for Daring Do, her reaction is similar to Stern insofar as she remains on her guard which also means consciously rejecting the ambient mood of their surroundings.

Unlike Stern Wing, though, Daring is far more proactive. She acts like their overwhelmingly positive surroundings simply aren't there and, for that matter, neither is the rest of the party. Instead of that, Daring is checking for tracks, gathers nuts and berries, cautiously scans around her for danger or anything noteworthy. Basically the same thing she's done in her adventures for years.

Despite what others in her party might think, though, she isn't ignoring them. She only seems to because she honestly doesn't know what to do with them nor is she accustomed to socializing during an adventure. Usually no other pony is with her during these times so she doesn't interact with them out of sheer habit.

Trust is a complex issue for Daring. For her, she can at least believe that this group won't back stab her because they were personally selected by the Doctor and she trusts him completely. It's everything else that she can question about them. Besides moral trust, she can also question if they have the means to survive and thrive out in an adventure. Do they have enough potential power to protect themselves and/or others? Even if they do, will they utilize that power efficiently, smartly, and wisely? Great power is not always an asset in every situation. It depends how it is used. She knows, from past experience, that good intentions alone aren't enough to secure victory.

Daring Do had only recently opened up to the idea of traveling with others again thanks to Rainbow Dash, but this adventure isn't starting how she had imagined. She was counting on the Doctor to be here and handle all of his other companions that she isn't used to dealing with but, not only did he back off from this adventure entirely, he actually put her in charge of this group. This puts so much pressure on her because she is the kind of pony who really does care for the welfare of others. If they screw up on her watch, then she can conceive the fact that it's her fault. That maybe she didn't fully utilize them efficiently or smartly enough to protect them. As a result, it felt simply easier for all of them to remain in the background while she handles all the danger instead. That way only she will get hurt instead. Same as always.

Even as A.K. Yearling, she still isn't used to socializing with others beyond book signings and such. Sure, she deals with the occasional fan and, from time to time, she's even happy to do it, but there is a reason she keeps everyone else at a distance. If they get too close, they might find out that she secretly is Daring Do and that the stories are real. If that happens then maybe they'd try to help but can't handle it or otherwise try to meddle in her adventuring affairs somehow. She has a lot of dangerous artifacts hidden in her home at times which is precisely why she has her humble little home so isolated. There she keeps those dangerous items until she can figure out some safe way to dispose of it. Typically she donates them to a museum that she knows is well guarded. Even the majority of her book sale royalties is saved and spent on her adventures. Doctor Caballeron did have a good point that adventuring can be an expensive career, but she handles it her own way and she makes sure she's not beholden to any pony else.

Aside from that, selling her stories she considers important for educational purposes. Even if ponies think her work is fiction, it doesn't remove the fact that they'd be that much more prepared if they do happen to encounter the same traps that she did. There's a lot of historical knowledge that she sneaks into her stories too in order to help preserve the idea that knowing history not only can be fascinating, but also important.

Just like with Doctor Kelly and Feather Wind, though, not much is known about this era other than fantastical stories that, until now, was considered too unlikely to be true. As she continues her venture, though, she notices a pattern when it comes to food gathering. Mere moments when the thought crosses her mind that, although they did bring some food supplies with them (especially Derpy), it could last longer if they supplement it with anything edible they find along the way and Daring is well trained to seek out such things by now. However, the moment she even attempts to do so, like seeking out edible berries, she almost immediately finds them and plenty of them as well.

Later on, when the thought crosses her mind that it would be nice to also find some good nuts to go along with these berries, she again finds it moments later. It's almost as if her desire to find such things created them then quickly put it on her path to find.

After a while it dawns on Daring Do that their surroundings might not be as physical as her own reality. Instead of that, it is more alive and active in a more purely magical state. It is physical but only because of the intense magic around them. Apparently that force, whatever it is, can sense their moods and thoughts as well. When it does, it reacts with incredible benevolence.

Daring has to admit that this is much different from her usual adventures. She's encountered fantastical things before that holds many wonders, but it's never been this actively positive before in an almost sentient way. Not only that, but the places she went before needed a hero somewhere within it so it has a greater tendency to be dangerous rather than hospitable. Because she's so used to that, it is actually this place that makes her feel out of her element.

And yet she also knows she can't take any of this for granted because she already encountered a potentially hostile reality bender. Because of that, she knows she can't fully trust anything here, not even the basic laws of physics. While her instincts did tell her that this particular example of a draconequus might be weaker than Discord, it also still might be powerful enough to easily be lethal. Discord seemed to favor games rather than being outright deadly but this individual is probably new. She can't trust its motives to be clear to her yet.

Night time for the adventurers is just as beautiful as the day. Indeed it is darker compared to the day, but not nearly as much as their native home and that for several reasons. First of all, the stars seem somehow brighter and more magical here. They twinkle with a prismatic glitter of beautiful light. Secondly, the aurora borealis, that magical river of light in the sky, continues to shine. It shifts through various colors too as it continues to dance and weave across the sky. Thirdly there is an abundance of crystals stabbing up from the earth in many places and they each glow with their own magical light. Fourth, magical wisps of light dance around them which seem to be playful incorporeal spirits. They might be something akin to faeries.

Finally, fifth, they made their own magical light. Daring Do, at first, insists that they do not make their own campfire because she does not want the light or smoke to draw any undue attention. She does, however, relent to Feather Wind's suggestion that warming the camp with heated stones which he causes to dimly glow because he held his magical hornbeam blast on them for several seconds. Daring isn't used to having such a resource at her disposal but does quietly admit that it does help to warm up their camp without being too bright.

“We should get some rest soon,” Daring Do proclaims to the rest of her companions as she gazes at the glow of the heated stones with a mildly fascinated look. Fire typically is more calming and hypnotic to look at but these heated stones are pleasant to look at and feel too so long as they are not directly touching them.

“Are you always so serious?” Derpy asks Daring while sitting around the heated stones nearby.

“Are you always so carefree?” Daring reflects at Derpy with a disapproving, narrow stare. “That can get you killed out here if you're not careful. That, or others.”

Derpy frowns and sinks her head. It is no longer as easy for her to meet Daring's disapproving gaze.

“Ease up, please,” Feather Wind kindly requests to Daring. “We're all not used to this place and you have to admit it is pretty pleasant. More so than even our native land and time.”

“Only a fool would use that as an excuse to drop their guard,” Daring coldly retorts. “I say we stay cautious until our job is done. Until then, we never know what we might encounter.”

“We already encountered one thing worthy of raising our guard against,” Stern Wing reminds. “I'm not dismissing the pleasant things we've seen today but that thing seems pretty dangerous as well, and it might not be the only thing to be so.”

“I'm well aware of all of that,” Feather Wind assures. “And I'm keeping that in mind too, but just because danger could exist doesn't mean everything we encounter is hostile. Remembering that there is innocent life here too could be equally important to acknowledge. If we treat everything we meet as a potential enemy, we could end up scaring away a potential friend.”

“You're right,” Daring Do agrees. “So it's important we remain even-hoofed. We want to remain open to any possibility.”

“I'm sorry!” Derpy apologizes with a frown. “I didn't mean to be a burden.”

“I'm just warning you to be careful,” Daring replies in a lighter tone. “What is more important than the mistakes we made is the lessons we learn from it. I'm more concerned about our future mistakes rather than our past right now.”

“Even you have got to admit that this place is beautiful,” Derpy presses with an obvious attempt to gather her courage again. “I mean, have you ever seen a place this beautiful before?”

“In many ways, yes,” Daring answers, again with a lighter tone. “But never this intensely or consistently. It honestly makes me nervous.”

“Really?!” Derpy squeaks in disbelief.

“Have you ever heard of the term, 'Too good to be true'?” Daring checks with Derpy.

“Yes,” Derpy replies.

“Slimy salespony often approach their customers with a smile,” Daring goes on. “Now here, I'm not saying the harmonious energy is fake, but something dangerous could be lurking behind it. Plus, you remember that lizard/cat-like creature we encountered this morning. That thing alone is worth raising our guard for, but I'm on edge because it might not be the only example of something potentially hostile out there. All of my past adventures have never been this seemingly easy before and I'm worried it's trying to get me to lower my guard.”

“I have the same impression,” Stern Wing agrees. “I'd rather err on the side of caution anyway. I'd rather be the mare that relaxes back in the TARDIS and think back on this adventure thinking, 'Huh. I guess I didn't have to be a hard flank as I was back then' instead of a ghost thinking, 'Huh. I wish I was more careful. Then I wouldn't have died.'”

“Oh I get what you're all saying,” Derpy assures. “Believe me, I'm kind of out of my element too. No place I ever visited has ever been this pleasant before, but the Doctor and the TARDIS tend to deliver us to places where heroes are needed in some way. I have not forgotten that.”

“True, but we didn't arrive here randomly,” Feather Wind says to Derpy then looks at Daring. “We came at this time at your request. You said there is a cure here that doesn't exist anymore in the future.”

“It's more like I chose the goal and general direction,” Daring partially corrects. “I didn't set the course for this exact time and place. The Doctor did and he seemed relatively confident that we'll find what we seek here.” She looks at Derpy as she asks her, “To your knowledge, has the Doctor ever been to this time and place before?”

Derpy shakes her head and says, “Nuh-uh, but the knowledge he has is vast! Seemingly more than any normal pony can fathom.” Derpy then blushes with obvious affection as she adds, “The Doctor is so wise and dependable. I adore him immensely.”

“I know the feeling,” Daring quietly mumbles under her breath.

“Excuse me?” Derpy asks Daring with a curious tilt of her head. What Daring said was too quiet for the gray pegasus to hear.

“Oh! Nothing,” Daring proclaims in a slightly startled manner.

Silence descends upon the camp for a moment. It is broken by Stern Wing eleven seconds later who also rises to her hooves. Daring regards Stern curiously when she notices that action from the large brown pegasus.

“I'm going to do a quick perimeter check,” Stern Wing declares. “I want to make sure the coast is clear for the moment before I nod off in bed.”

“In the dark?” Daring inquires with a wince of confusion. “I know this area is brighter at night than Equestria normally is, but still . . .” Daring trails off.

“Agreed, which is why I want Feather to accompony me,” Stern says as she looks at her small, sky-blue friend. “Your hornlight can light my way. I think it would also be better if I wasn't alone during my patrol. Furthermore, if we actually do encounter any trouble, you can either send a warning message to our friends subtly through the wind or quickly alert them with a brilliant flash of light.” Stern then looks at and points a hoof across them all as she adds, “Watch for that.”

“Ah . . . sure thing,” Feather acquiesces as he rises to his own hooves. Once he does, he passes a curious look to Daring to make sure she agrees with this plan. After all, she is the one put in charge of this mission.

“That's fine,” Daring accepts. “Just don't wander off too far or remain gone too long. We still need to rest up and gather our strength for tomorrow's journey.”

“Okay,” Feather agrees with a nod of acceptance. “But before I go, let me take a moment to reheat these stones.”

“Go ahead,” Daring invites, then Feather proceeds to do so by blasting the stones with a hornbeam and holding it for nine seconds. During that time, he waves the beam back and forth among the stones a bit.

“By the way, I've been meaning to ask . . . do we have any idea where we are going?” Derpy checks. “Because we've been wandering about all day and it seems like we're on a specific course but I'm just wondering if we're actually on our way to some specific place.”

“I'd rather keep the details to myself right now because there isn't much I can promise in good faith,” announces Daring. “The cure we seek is a plant that I think grows in very high places. A place so high that the oxygen would normally be thin. It would also be a place thick with earth magic, but magic seems unusually abundant everywhere here so, for the moment, I'm still gathering my bearings.

“Speaking of which, I should also be recording this,” Daring suddenly realizes before she pulls out a parchment, ink and quill from one of her saddlebags.

“So you're still in information gathering mode,” Derpy figures. “The Doctor often says he tends to start with that modality.”

“With good reason, I suspect,” Daring figures as she uses a wing to dip a quill in ink. Before transferring the quill to her mouth, where she is much more proficient with her writing, she warns the group by saying, “Now give me some time to finish my writing here. I can't easily speak while I do so.”

“Gotcha,” Derpy agrees. “One question, though. If you're using a quill to write with your mouth, does the feather ever make your nose ticklish?”

Daring flashes a grin of amusement at Derpy before ignoring her and proceeds with her writing.

“I'm serious!” Derpy insists.

“Probably, but as Daring said, let her finish her work,” Doctor Kelly advises. The first words she spoke since the camp started, in fact. This whole time, and even now, Doctor Kelly seems to be reviewing data scrolling across the inside of her holographic lens which include information she gathered from her droid scans across this day and some of the night.

“Speaking of feathers,” Stern reminds, then gives a tilt of her head away from camp while looking at Feather Wind. Seeing that, Feather nods in acknowledgment then proceeds to follow Stern while igniting the tip of his horn with silvery light.

“Something on your mind?” inquires Feather Wind to Stern when they gain some distance from the others. In his case it is an educated guess since he knows Stern so well.

“Indeed, and I didn't wish the others to hear this just yet,” Stern confirms as she gives a concerned frown in the direction of their camp.

“Is it about Daring Do? I know she's largely seemed to ignore us across this day.”

“That too, I suppose,” Stern says as she looks back at her friend with her large brown eyes. “But I know that she's used to having her own system and she's not accustomed to having others around. Quite frankly I've been impressed with her today. You saw the way she scanned the terrain and picked up on little details. That mare has a lot of skills and training and she'll be sure to be an asset in our journey. Honestly, I wish I had the time to learn all of those skills from her. I'm tempted to ask her for a few tips.”

“You totally should,” Feather Wind agrees. “The worst thing she can say to that is no. The best thing she can say is give you valuable tips just like you asked for. We never know when those tips might come in hoofy later, and someday she'll probably take off again to resume her own adventures. By then it's too late to ask so you better do it soon while you have the chance.”

Stern Wing grins as she says, “You know, she kind of reminds me of the two of us in a way. Like me, she seems very cautious and down-to-earth. Strong, confident, and she's even a pegasus to boot. Like you, however, I think she's very smart and learned, especially when it comes to history.”

Feather Wind winces one eye at Stern as he asks, “While I agree with the sentiment in general, is that your way of saying that you are not smart?”

“I know who I am,” Stern says as she stands erect. Straight and proud. “That includes my strengths and weaknesses. I have nothing to hide or feel ashamed about. I accept who I am. Proud of it, even.”

Feather tilts his head up at Stern. “But if Daring Do isn't the one you wanted to discuss, then who, or what, is?”

Stern Wing sighs as she looks down with a frown before admitting, “The one I'm concerned with is Derpy.”

Feather Wind copies her frown. He already doesn't like where this conversation is going.

Still with her head aiming down, Stern Wing shifts her eyes to her right at Feather as she says, “Up until now, Derpy has supported us by looking after Vision in the TARDIS, but now Vision isn't here. Where she is instead I have no complaints about. Not only do I trust Derpy's parents after seeing how they raised such a compassionate daughter, but they have access to all of the resources of Ponyville and so does Vision. All things considered, Vision most likely is in very capable hooves.

“But now, with Vision out of the way, at least for now, Derpy is finally free to join us and, in that regard . . . I have concerns.”

“If you're referring to the singing, you may recall I eventually joined her too,” Feather reminds. “But I was still on alert. I'm pretty sure Derpy was too in her own way.”

“It's more than just that, and honestly I didn't have much of a problem with the singing itself,” Stern assures. “The tune was pretty catchy and puts a little bounce to our step, but there are a lot of other issues to be concerned about with a mare like her.” She pauses as she frowns again before saying, “While I hate to admit it, largely because I adore the mare to death despite all of her problems, I need to also acknowledge that her presence does present some security concerns. Namely . . .” again she pauses because admitting this makes her uncomfortable, but she's also determined so she goes on to say, “. . . you got to admit, Derpy isn't the brightest cloud in the sky. Her vision is also impaired and she really is clumsy. Now all of those traits,” she says as she cuts a wing across the air at her chest level for a moment, “makes her adorable to me . . . but I’m also concerned because these traits truly are a weakness. In the wrong context and the wrong moment, Derpy could end up a major liability. It probably won't be her fault on purpose, but we need to remain aware of that nonetheless.”

Feather Wind holds his frown as he says, “I am glad we are discussing this away from the others to protect her feelings but also to address yours in a moment of privacy.”

“Please tell me you have some argument to refute mine,” Stern Wing begs. “And again, I would like to reiterate that, as a friend, I absolutely adore her and love the fact she is part of my life now. Out here, in the wilds of adventuring, however, I feel as if I have some legitimate concerns here and I know you're not stupid enough to be blind to it too.”

“Of course. Of course,” Feather Wind assures with a lift of his hoof. “I understand and fully acknowledge your concerns. In fact, if you did bring this up in front of her, she'd understand it too . . . but I fear she'd take it personally anyway because I'm pretty sure she's been teased about this often as she grew up.”

Stern Wing winces as she says, “I got that impression as well, and you know darn well how I feel about bullies. I wish I was there to defend her as she grew up.”

“Imagine growing up well aware of her personal weaknesses and then thinking to herself, 'I'm probably a disappointment to everypony else because I'm . . . well. I'm me.' Then imagine how she felt when her fears got fully confirmed. Others really did tell her, 'You stupid klutz! Look what you did! You endangered that pony by having a piano drop on her or something. You're fired, Derpy, and please consider never taking a job like this ever again! You really can't hoofle it and you probably never will.'”

“Ouch!” Stern says with another pained wince. “That really hurts to hear, Feather . . . but it's probably also a fair assessment. I'm not willing to turn a blind eye away from an uncomfortable but otherwise important fact.”

Feather nods in acceptance as he says, “Right, but there are two sides to every coin, Stern, and I don't think that the Doctor, of all ponies, took her aboard his ship because of pure pity.”

“If you see a bright side to any of this, please tell me!” Stern Wing begs. “You know, besides the obvious. She's a very kind-hearted mare. I totally get that. Innocent too, but that's not always a good thing. Heck, even Vision seems ten times more mature than Derpy.”

“Vision is a very special pony too that I doubt any of us can fully understand,” says Feather. “I, at least, have some glimmer into that. She has certain unusual abilities, and hoofycaps, and she always did. That has shaped her entire world view in addition to the culture that raised her.”

“Right, but we're not talking about Vision right now,” Stern Wing reminds. “That one concerns me too, but for very different reasons. Right now it is Derpy that is traveling with us and I pray to Celestia you can give me some reassuring news about her.”

“That kindness you spoke of earlier is, in itself, quite an asset in the right situation,” Feather says. “It helps others to trust her faster and helps her to make fast friends. Then there was that time she sang in the ocean depths of Water World. Not only did that help to heal the psychic damage done to Vision, but also to that captured Alphalmian princess.”

Stern Wing nods as she says, “I remember that, but that was a very specific situation.”

Feather Wind tilts his head slightly as he says, “It also revealed an important talent of hers. Imagine her singing like that again and lifting up the spirits of an entire exhausted army. An army that is on our side and was on the brink of losing, but the hope, passion and genuine compassion they hear in her voice causes them to push just a little harder. Her innocent spirit, too, spurs them on as they are reminded that this sweet mare they've grown to care about will probably be harmed if they fail, so they all get back on their hooves and charge forward with one last desperate and united battle cry . . . and it works! We win the day because Derpy's inner strength inspired the same in the rest of us.”

With a somber but also warm expression on Stern's face, she gazes down as she really does try to imagine the scenario her friend described. She feels a strong emotional stir even from that imagined scene. She somehow feels a little taller and more mature because of it.

Such is the hidden power of Derpy.

Stern is almost in tears when she looks back at Feather Wind again, for she is equally proud of him for spotting such hidden talent as well as describing it in such a stirring way. This is yet another reminder to her that he does, indeed, have the soul of a true artist.

“It takes so much courage for her to stand among us too, Stern, while well aware of her own weaknesses,” Feather adds. “That's the essence of courage. To be afraid of something and willing to face it anyway. That is inner strength. That is the light of her glorious soul.”

Stern nods in agreement then says, “You're right. You're absolutely right. Plenty of other ponies would break in her place. They could be the most stacked jock you've ever seen yet flee in terror the moment there is any hint of danger, but Derpy loyally remains by our side while saying to herself, 'I can't take off yet. My friends might need me.'”

“Passion and compassion,” Feather reminds. “It gives hope and inner strength whenever it is needed the most.”

“Yeah,” Stern agrees as she looks down. Part of her even feels ashamed for ever doubting Derpy, but the reasons she was so concerned in the first place remain glaringly clear to her too. Both are worth keeping in mind.

“Maybe this already happened to the Doctor,” Feather theorizes. “His courage isn't invincible either. There might already have been moments when he was tempted to give up, but then he looked at Derpy whose eyes shone with tears and fear, but she also gazed upon him with hope and faith, clearly thinking something along the lines of, 'He's the Doctor. He won't let me down.' And seeing that, in that moment, a burst of inner strength ignited within the Doctor as well. He got back on his hooves with renewed strength after she inspired him.”

“I can easily imagine that happening,” Stern Wing agreed. “And even if it hadn't happened yet, it very well could someday.”

“Not everypony has to be a combatant to be useful in an adventure either,” Feather Wind adds. “If such does become necessary then you, me, and Daring Do can hoofle the front lines . . . but wouldn't it be nice if we also had somepony in the back lines who was guiding other innocent creatures away from danger? Creatures that can hoofle it even less than Derpy can. They might even be foals or some equivalent. She'd see something like that and feel driven to help them, so she sings to them to give them just a little extra courage while guiding them out of a burning building. Meanwhile the rest of us are confronting the thing that caused the fire in the first place.”

Firm resolve sinks into Stern Wing's eyes as she nods in agreement.

“There will come a time when we'll be grateful for every last ally we have, and if nothing else, we know we can count on Derpy to have our best interests at heart. You saw her be clumsy when the situation isn't urgent, but I think you'll see a whole new side of her when things really do become important. You know what it's like to find just enough extra inner strength when it counts the most. When something is or becomes important to us, we can fight that much harder. Derpy is a very compassionate soul so that means things become important to her easily and quickly. That translates to motivation when the time is right.”

Still looking at the ground, Stern Wing nods firmly in agreement while her eyes still shine with tears.

“Um . . . there's something else I suspect about her too that could come in hoofy, but right now it is an unconfirmed theory,” Feather mentions. “If I'm right, though, it could become a major asset. A game changer, even.”

“Oh?” Stern says with interest as she lifts her face then returns her gaze to Feather Wind. “Please enlighten me, even if it's just a hunch. I want a total estimation of any tactical value of my allies because someday I may have to count on it.”

“Okay, but remember the fact that this is just a hunch,” Feather reminds. “Also, when I tell you, I want you to carefully observe her, too, to see if you can help me confirm or deny this theory.”

“Sure! I'd be happy to help,” Stern accepts.

Feather squints one eye at Stern Wing as he says, “The hidden aspect about Derpy that I suspect is there which could become a major asset is her luck.”

“Really?!” Stern Wing asks with a surprised blink. “Because, it seems to me that, if anything, she seems to have exceptionally bad luck.”

“Normally she might agree, but then she met the Doctor,” Feather Wind reflects. “Then she met all of us. Then she went on all these crazy and amazing adventures that have a maturing aspect to those who experience it. Derpy did grow up with a lot of hardships and got teased for it. That surely sunk her self-esteem and likely also explains much of the bad fortune she's ever encountered in her life . . . but for every iota of bad things that happened to her, equally positive ones came at her too in explosive bursts.”

“What is your point?” Stern Wing asks with a wince. “Even if you're right, it doesn't seem wise to count on something as ambiguous and fickle as luck.”

“But that's the thing. Luck normally is fickle, but in her case she is affecting probability in highly unusual ways. I also think that, with the right attitude, luck could end up in her favor more often than not. Such a thing her allies will also benefit from as well.”

Stern Wing blinks at her friend and remains silent for four seconds before she eventually coaxes, “Go on.”

“Imagine what this could mean for us if I'm perfectly right,” Feather encourages. “That the only reason she tends to suffer some negative misfortune is because of her low self-esteem, but if that changes, we could see her hidden power at her full potential . . . and for the better at that. If her luck is high enough,” he shakes his head, “then we don't need strength, stamina, strategy, intelligence, wisdom, resources . . . or pretty much anything to win. Instead, we'll simply accidentally win around her and do so with highly unusual consistency. The ultimate form of plot armor, basically.”

“Huh.” Now Stern Wing looks thoughtful.

“Luck can affect a great deal in fate, but primarily anything that involves pure random chance,” Feather lectures on. “And we're surrounded by that constantly. All the time, tiny little factors build up to its final result. Every time we cast the dice in some form, it'll keep landing in our favor more often than not when she's around and gains more confidence in herself. By her very presence alone, she affects otherwise pure random probability.

“Now think about that for a second. What if we did have lots of magic, brains, brawn, and strategy on our side. Strategy tries to analyze everything we can see then plots the best course of action which gives us the best chance of success, but nothing we can do can give us an absolute guarantee that we'll succeed. Even with her help, that only lifts the probability in our favor even higher,” he says as he lifts a hoof, pauses it two feet perpendicular off the ground, then raises his hoof four feet off the ground in the same way to indicate the odds were originally here and now they are up here. “So if we got all these resources on our side plus good luck, then we are that much more likely to succeed.”

“I pray that you're right, Feather,” Stern says solemnly. “I'm sure it would be nice to have a little extra luck at times. I'd also feel even more grateful having her around while knowing she has something like that to contribute.” She narrows her eyes at him. “But let's say, for a moment, you're absolutely right. How, in the glorious name of Celestia, is one to exercise that particular trait? At least we know, with me, when I continue to lift weights in the gym, it'll eventually result in me getting stronger and hardier, but with luck?” She shakes her head. “I have no idea how to 'practice' that in a way that ensures eventual progress with that trait. I mean, like ever!”

“Something like ‘luck’ is way more esoteric,” Feather Wind figures, “so the method to strengthen it is probably equally ambiguous. The exact methodology could even be unique to each individual. If I had to guess, though, it is a feeling and mindset. When one enters a room with strong 'presence', it affects probability in the room in more ways than one. Derpy has a great deal of inner strength. Inner light. Perhaps this is one of the ways it can manifest. I say we encourage her to embrace this talent by loving herself rather than criticizing herself as frequently as she does. She has magic in her body too. Same as anypony. For her, this is one of the ways it manifests. Right now she has strong bad and good luck, but do you see the territory it tends to avoid? Neutral luck. For her, her luck tends to never be in the middle which is the standard for most everypony else. I say that, right there, is a hint of her true potential and I'd like to test that theory.”

Stern Wing shakes her head with a wince as she says, “This one is a little confusing, but I must admit it cheered me up some. Hope is a very powerful thing. It is a light in the darkness and she has that in spades. While it is unclear to me how to advise her to get her 'luck' stronger for the better,” her expression turns from a wince to hopeful, “I'll be glad to encourage her to love and have confidence in herself. After all, it makes my job that much easier to have strong allies at my back. Frankly, I'm excited to see if your theory has weight with her. If we have good luck on our side and it's strong enough, we might not need anything else. If we got something else anyway, let alone several other things, then it might actually be overkill right there.”

Feather Wind gestures around them as he says, “Look at where and when we are, Stern. Mind you, this is the first adventure where Derpy finally joins us in full. When that finally happens, we find ourselves in literal paradise and it isn't fake or synthetic this time. I take that as a major sign right there. It's almost as if we're standing in an outward manifestation of her natural inward joy, bubbly nature, and caring heart. This place is a pipe dream to pretty much everypony else we've ever known, but here we are. Take it for what it is.”

“I will. I promise,” Stern Wing vows.

Feather Wind nods in satisfaction as he says, “In that case, if we're done with our 'patrol', then I say we return to the others and get some shut eye.”

Ever the pragmatic one, Stern Wing agrees by saying, “Good idea.”