Adventures in the TARDIS

The next week and a half is a transcendental experience for the TARDIS crew who climb the mountain. It feels odd to them that they do get exactly what they expected, yet it has always felt far beyond that as well. In some ways, it reaches levels that transcend what they can describe, and one of them is a poet.

On a more grounded level, what they go through is pretty simple. They simply climb a mountain, but somehow the experience far exceeds that too. During that time, they also experience physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth. It's almost as if their entire experience is custom designed for that specifically. It challenges them in a way that is unusually perfect for them during this time. No ordinary computer program from Doctor Kelly's world could have done that. This is a design from a far more evolved consciousness.

As planned, Daring Do takes the lead on this project both literally and figuratively. She ties them all to a climber's rope and she is usually the one on top in this line. The reason being is she's the most experienced pony here to assess the situation and properly instruct the others, the latter of which is a somewhat new experience for her. She's done this plenty of times before, even as far back when she was a filly, but teaching others how to do this introduces her to a whole new level of mastery for this particular skill and in some other ways, too. Teaching something strongly encourages her to be a team player. That's something she's not used to or entirely comfortable with, but during this leg of their journey she can't ignore how important it is.

But her thoughts and feelings about this transcend the mundane, just like it does for the others in their own unique way. For Daring Do, especially during their breaks or when she has to be more active in helping the others, her thoughts keep flashing back to when she was a filly and it was her grandfather that helped her to climb. Back then she well remembers her own experience. She complained at first back then but gradually saw the value in it. For the first time in her life, however, she starts to understand what it must have been like for her grandfather Fourwind. To teach this skill to others and deeply care about their well being as they do so. To steadily feel that inward glow of pride as they slowly start to master this too.

Tanon Burrows, Fourwind Keystone's most trusted friend and adventuring companion, often once spoke about how he felt that Fourwind's spirit is alive in Daring Do. Hearing those words, back then, made her feel deeply sentimental and even somewhat giddy, but it was difficult, at the time, to fully process that information. Just how exactly should she take that? To what degree should she believe that? What does that mean, exactly? Is her grandfather's spirit actually inside her, or is it somehow even more than that?

Whatever those answers are, she isn't certain how to feel about that either. She did know that she felt kind of flattered by that statement from Tanon because she really looked up to her grandfather. To be compared as someone very similar to that is somewhat flattering, but there are deeper implications as well that she never felt certain how to fully process.

Strangely enough, though, during this climb, there is just something about it that finally gives her time to more fully process this. She gradually realizes it doesn't need to feel creepy or too flattering or anything else like that. Up here, she finally realizes something very simple; whether it is true or not, it changes nothing. She is who she is and there is no need to over analyze beyond that.

Up here, she often reflects on how proud her grandfather likely would have been if he was still here and observing her today. Somehow, though, this experience grows beyond mere theory. She feels his pride from him actively during her climb, and it's not just a memory of her past. It is now. For the first time, she feels him keenly alive inside of her. It gives her strength and confidence beyond the ken of ordinary mortals. It unlocks potential within her soul to ever new heights.

For the first time, she fully makes peace with that fact. In that process, it makes her feel whole on levels she never experienced before. It teaches her who she is on a deeper level, and that is an ascension beyond any wisdom and maturity she had before.

During one of their many breaks, which is particularly necessary for Derpy's sake, Daring Do removes her hat and lifts it up as if it is a bowl on her hoof that she extends before her. She gazes at the horizon beyond it and wills for this “bowl” to be filled with the essence of this sacred moment. She always felt, long ago, that this hat empowered her with the strength of a sacred promise. This moment is a way for her to further empower that even more. When she puts the hat back on, it'll forever be charged with the essence of this moment too. The moment her soul grew to new heightened levels.

Stern Wing is naturally the next pony in line. Daring Do knew she did not want the heaviest pony in the group at the bottom of their line. If Stern was, and if Stern Wing slips up, she'd easily drag the whole rest of them down with her. In fact, if Stern Wing had more practical climbing knowledge, Daring would have put Stern Wing at the top instead. With that much strength and stamina, Stern Wing can serve as an anchor for the rest of the group. With Stern at the top, or very nearly so in this case, she can offer more stability and security for the rest in line. A role that naturally fits Stern Wing to a tee.

Aside from that, Stern Wing is the most eager in this group to learn from Daring Do anyway and in far more ways than one. Stern's natural and imposing strength and stamina gives her a lot to work with physically, but in her eyes, they are still mostly unrefined tools, especially when she compares herself to Daring. In Daring, Stern Wing sees the best of her own potential more fully realized. With strong raw power combined with refined skill and training, Stern Wing is convinced Daring could help take the brown pegasus mare to a whole new level of progress, including emotionally. There will never come a time when Stern Wing feels she's gathered too much confidence. Instead of that, she sees that personal aspect of herself much akin to this mountain. It is something she can just keep scaling. Keep accumulating and it will never be too heavy to carry more because confidence will always give her enough inner strength to carry more.

The more she can shoulder the burden for others who might be weaker, the better. Proper preparation for Stern Wing always means finding a way to get stronger in any way she can. Always finding a way to scale to new heights.

The more Stern Wing gets to know Daring Do, the more she feels respect for the beige adventurer growing. This is not mere fan idolization either in Stern's case. Stern Wing wants to be like Daring in all the right ways. To get guidance to transcend her own personal limitations. It is inspiring to Stern Wing as she finds her love for this mare grows because of that. It's like an important glimpse into the future of what Stern could become. A goal to reach for. A motivation to strive for, and the confident belief that Stern really can do this someday.

On a more personal level, Stern gradually starts to realize she wishes she could be more special to Daring Do as well. Something more than just a mentor. Maybe something like a sister. An older sister, perhaps?

But emotionally, Daring seems distant from the rest of the group for some reason, though that resolve is gradually cracking as their journey continues. Of all the personal details about Daring, the compass cutie marked adventurer seems the most willing to share details about her past adventures. After all, she publicly published them anyway and its primary purpose never really was about the money. For practical and mundane reasons, the money helps, but the real purpose of publishing her work is to inspire and teach others. This experience is no different. When Daring Do tells the others about her past adventures, mostly during their breaks but sometimes during their climbs too when it doesn't seem so dangerous to do so, Daring gradually gets more animated about the telling of her story as if she's gaining more practice in how to describe it in an inspirational way. She tells more than just what she did, she describes her emotions and motivations. She often reminded her audience why her goals were important. About the stakes that were involved if she failed.

Beyond the stories of her past adventures, though, Stern Wing noticed, to her personal disappointment, Daring was quiet and reserved about her personal life beyond adventuring. In some ways that is ironic, too. Most of Equestria, in Daring's time, thinks that Daring is just some fictional character. It's A.K. Yearling that is the one to be known to be real, yet it is that aspect of her life that she keeps the most private. Based on Stern Wing’s observation of the adventuring mare, it gradually seems trust is the heart of that particular issue. Some pony, perhaps more than one, must have burned Daring's personal trust in others which is why she tries to keep others emotionally distant.

Noticing this makes Stern Wing feel sad, but she keeps that observation to herself. The last thing she wants to do is feel intrusive into private matters. Stern Wing can only hope that Daring will gradually be more emotionally open with the rest of them on her own accord. The good news about that is it does seem that they are chipping away at the stone around Daring's heart little by little.

Beyond all of this, there are lots of other things Stern Wing does. Exercise, practice what Daring taught her, socialize with the others, keep a vigil eye out for danger around them which sometimes includes taking off and doing patrols in the sky which is particularly common whenever they stop for the night. Stern wants to make sure the area is relatively clear enough for that.

Stern is well suited to that task, too, even if the winds are temperamental, largely because Stern is a really strong flier like everything else in her life. In that, she also notices how the winds can be challenging at times but never overwhelming so far. It's as if those elements, like pretty much everything else, are willing to push their limits but never beyond what they can handle.

No matter how dangerous their situation appears to be at times and no matter what they do, it feels to the whole group, not just Stern, that there is a curious feeling of a hidden safety net here. That it's not just their rope, pitons, their skills, and the fact that they all can fly in some form and fashion, but reality itself will somehow throw them a bone whenever they need it.

This is especially noticeable whenever they stop and camp for the night. Somehow they keep ending up finding a spot that is ideal to camp. It can be a cave, a ledge with food growing on it, the weather may suddenly become calm and soothing. Basically whatever it takes to give them a good break from the stress of their climb.

On top of all that, they often find the views to be gorgeous in some way. Sometimes Stern Wing feels that the Red Crystal should somehow be getting fat with all the positive energy her friend is able to pour into that thing during this era.

There's something else the group mentioned along the way up, and from Feather in particular, that feels important to Stern Wing when it comes to that Crystal and the nature of magic in general. Here in this time, magic is not only so abundant that each unicorn in the party, or anyone else for that matter, would naturally recover their magic faster, but Feather pointed out that the magic around them specialized in something. In particular, it is abundant with the energy of harmony. That also means that casting any spell that supports harmony like healing, cleansing, or protection would be naturally enhanced in this environment somehow. By the same token, any spell that has the opposite affinity should be weaker, so spells like curses should be more difficult to cast here, cost more energy to even attempt to cast, and somehow weaker even if the spellcaster manages to pull it off. The curse would be easy to resist, have a shortened duration, or barely affect the subject. It could be any or all the above.

While all of that is nice to hear for the moment, Feather Wind brought up the disturbing possibility that there could be other times and places with the opposite magical affinity. An area with an aura of negativity where curses would be enhanced and it is blessings that would be hindered instead. Stern Wing found that possibility very disturbing to contemplate, especially since it seems more likely that her group might naturally gravitate towards such eras because the TARDIS itself deems it needs a hero. Even if it doesn't, it could also be the Doctor that might drive the ship deliberately towards such environments because he sees that they are needed there. Stern Wing is not entirely opposed to that idea, but if they have to go to such times and places, she wants to be prepared in some shape or form.

But then Feather mentioned the curious anomaly of his magic not feeling hindered in Water World even though that was a low to sometimes nil magic zone. Feather gave that a lot of thought since then and has since come to realize that it might be their connection to the TARDIS that is offering some protection. Perhaps by the same means that it is also offering telempathic translation of other species' languages. Maybe it is also acting as a conduit to the magical levels native to Feather's own time which effectively treats that as a baseline. If that's true, then his and Doctor Kelly's magic is protected in such a way that it is either baseline normal or enhanced by the place and time they go. However, if the latter is true, then it most likely would be more universal. In that case everyone is enhanced, not just the TARDIS crew.

In thinking of that, Stern couldn't decide what is better. To be in an environment where their magic is enhanced but so too is their potential adversaries, or go to a low to nil magic zone where unicorns, like Feather and Doctor Kelly, are the only effective spellcasters there by default, but only to the degree that is normal for their native times and worlds.

When asked, Doctor Kelly mentioned that she didn't feel like her magic is augmented to the degree that is normal for her world. Perhaps it is because that magic is artificial and the TARDIS doesn't like to channel it even though the TARDIS is kind of artificial too? She said this phenomenon needs more academic and scientific study. She even acts like that is a moral imperative.

However, when it comes to cursed or negative zones, Stern Wing is hoping for some level of protection from that too and she even suggested that maybe they could use the energy gathered by the Red Crystal. Feather, Kelly, and even the silent voice of Crystal Sage agreed that that plan is worth looking into, but they remind Stern that if such becomes necessary, it might cost some of the energy the crystal has gathered. That, in turn, delays its ultimate purpose.

It can still be worth it. After all, if they have no protection, they could get killed instead and that would permanently delay the acquisition of more positive energy. Nevertheless, it may be wise to reduce the necessity of using that protection as much as they can since it seems likely there would be a price for that protection.

At least they have a resource that might help at all, though.

Derpy is the third pony in their rope line which puts her in the middle. Of all the ponies here, she struggles with this climb the most and everyone here pretty much expected that. She isn't the most feeble of the party. That “honor” actually goes to Feather Wind, but at least he can lighten his body weight whenever it is advantageous for him to do so, and he is light to begin with. He can also use his magic and weather control to help himself or anyone else if need be, both of which are enhanced in this environment. Here, not only is his magic stronger, but the elements are especially vocal, friendly, and cooperative. Sometimes even playful and a tad challenging but only for the purpose of facilitating further growth in the group.

As a pegasus, Derpy is naturally lighter than the other two equestrian breeds but that comes at a bit of a cost. Lighter bodies and bone structure usually means being weaker than at least the average earth pony, but exceptions like Stern Wing do exist. For Derpy, though, she also has to contend with vision problems, coordination problems, learning disabilities, confidence issues, physically feeble and a frail constitution but not to the same degree as Vision. In pretty much most ways that matter, Derpy is more naturally built for hospitable places like Ponyville, and even there she'll suffer some challenges that continually remind her of her handicaps. Not only has she put herself in danger there but other things and ponies too.

This challenge is somewhat different, though. It even feels different. She feels like her potential is pushed, but not beyond the degree she can handle. It is still very hard on her to feel like a physical and emotional burden to the others, but even they are being unusually supportive here. They cheer her on, teach her new techniques to enhance her safety and/or make things easier on her, and they sometimes join her in her singing to show moral support.

Feather Wind and Doctor Kelly told her that the magic of the area is highly charged with harmonious energy and Derpy can feel that in some ways. It's especially noticeable, to her, in spirit. It gives that little extra pep to her step. She can feel it in the oxygen with every breath she takes. She feels it in the sun when it rises in the morning. She hears music echoing off the mountains or carried in the wind. Even some local fauna, especially birds, also show up and tweet to cheer her on and join her music. Sometimes the mere sight of them cheers her up because they are very pretty birds.

Derpy has sometimes given into despair before and she can occasionally feel herself getting close to that edge even here, but there is an unusual degree of support for her in this case. She often finds many good ledges to grab. Just by touching the earth, it feels like it tries to give her its strength and endurance if she allows it.

In fact, just about everything here feels like it is eager and downright privileged for the chance to empower her such as the food she eats here and/or prepares herself. Everything tastes unusually delicious here and Doctor Kelly verifies that it is exceptionally nutritious far beyond the norm, and quite frankly, to levels that are usually absurd.

But that seems to be a consistent theme to an environment highly charged with positive energy. Everything here leans towards love and perfection, whatever that happens to mean at the time.

As a result of all of this, it helps to make up for Derpy's handicaps. Not only does this empower her confidence but this place augments her spirit and refines her physical techniques. Joy and pride grows in her when she gradually notices herself getting stronger and she's gaining that progress to an unusual degree. So much so that Doctor Kelly finds no end to her fascination with this place and how it affects those who are here.

Deep down, though, Derpy always innately has known that to be true. She often feels emotionally uplifted too in the past. It’s even common enough to be called her default state despite all of her handicaps. She has also noticed that everything in life has a greater tendency to go her way as long as she feels good inside. It's almost as if one affects the other.

Instinctively she's always known that to be true. Since her mind has never been a powerhouse, instinct often is something she tends to rely upon more subconsciously.

One thing that really cheers her on, though, is noticing how she can actually contribute to this group instead of merely feeling like a burden. In this place, that quality seems especially highlighted for her. In her case, it is moral support. That comes in multiple forms, too, but the two most obvious ones are her music and her cooking. She isn't as aware of it, but it's also her playful attitude.

For example, during times when they take a break, she pulls out of her saddlebag something that isn't practical per se, but for her, it still feels important, and that is a soap bottle and bubble loop. Just like her cutie mark clearly advertises, Derpy really does love blowing bubbles and she is magically good at it, especially here. She is so giddy about it that her hind hooves wiggle in an adorable way even if she is sitting on it. She occasionally entertains the others, including other life forms (some of which are not entirely visible) with her playful antics in blowing bubbles. She blows standard bubbles easily enough, but her talent propels that skill to new heights too. She can create unusual shapes, colors and sizes to her bubbles. Sometimes she even makes her art look downright sentient, and in this place, one has to wonder sometimes.

Sometimes it is hard for her to accept this, but she does have a usual place in the world and with this group. They often remind her of that repeatedly both consciously and otherwise. Feeling useful and included goes a long way to help her tighten her bond with this group and lift her spirits. In turn, she lifts theirs in more ways than one. The bottom line is the more empowered she feels, the more she succeeds with empowering others as well.

Doctor Kelly is the fourth in line. Notably that makes the back half of this group entirely unicorns, or Magi in her case. She isn't overwhelmingly physically strong but not weak either, and she improves the fastest in this group thanks to some medical marvels more native to her time but also because of the naturally uplifting nature of this place. It even finds a way to synergize with her science, magic, and technology. Anything she has that promotes well being seems to be enhanced in this place and it isn't discriminate on that front. She finds this data endlessly fascinating.

More than everyone else here, Doctor Kelly is easily the most cerebral of the group with the only possible exception of the Doctor himself if he happened to be here. She has a heart too and is well aware of that fact but tends to lead with her mind more in all things. She's driven by endless fascination and curiosity to learn more to feed her ever expansive knowledge as well as the eventual urge to share it. In that way, she can identify with other ponies like Daring Do and Feather Wind, each of which is also highly intellectual in their own way.

As promised, Doctor Kelly does indeed take many holo pictures, audio, and video recordings of their journey as they ascend. That isn't just for scientific posterity but also for personal reasons. Recording a record in some way is her way of making a mark in the world. That's something else that Feather and Daring can identify with.

Her approach in life is far more analytical, though, which greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the mystical magnitude of this experience. She's rarely overwhelmed by anything and instead has a far greater tendency to just continue to suck on her lollipop and at least privately admit to herself that whatever she is observing is scientifically interesting, even if it normally would be frightening or awe inspiring to most others. Challenges, to her, are just a mental puzzle to solve and she's always confident she'll find a solution eventually. It's just a matter of effort and time.

She devotes great care and attention to the physical, mental, and emotional well being of the other members of her party, although this place feels like a cheat code to her with how easy it makes that aspect of her job. Instead of finding that frustrating, though, Doctor Kelly instead regards it as a learning experience. Something here is working and she's determined to find out exactly why. To her, that's just as important as discovering what doesn't work in life. Scientific methodology often involves breaking down something into its simplest terms. Try every possibility until only one is left, or keep on going even after one method works because what if there are others that could also work? Understanding how and why everything works is the true heart behind all of her endeavors aside from a natural inclination and desire to heal in some way.

To do that, she's even willing to secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) dabble with the dark side just a tiny bit in pursuit of those overarching goals.

Dispassion seems to be something she specializes in, and certainly she thinks so. She's even proud of that fact, but she's also not as successful at it as she thinks. Those who are very observant of others, like Feather, Vision, or the Doctor, have noticed that about her to varying degrees. She has a heart even if she tries to deny it. There's no outright denial of that fact, especially for a trained psychologist like her, but she's far more vulnerable to it than she suspects.

To her, being dispassionate translates to logical and moral integrity. If emotions are out of the way then it's easier to settle with the cold, hard facts. Life ultimately isn't that simple though and even she knows that to some degree, but she has more to learn on that front than she realizes.

Finally there is Feather Wind. Easily the lightest pony of the party, both naturally and supernaturally, which is why he's dead last in the line. For him, he probably learned the most throughout their journey up the mountain because he's just as spiritual as he is intellectual. That means he becomes aware of why things are the way they are on multiple levels. That, in turn, translates to personal growth for him.

There are many times when Feather Wind feels lost in his thoughts and feelings. That often causes him to be distracted which is probably the greatest danger he ever presented to the party during this particular challenge. Around here, though, in this place and time, he has enough of a safety net to fall back upon that his failings are barely more than a nuisance. Sometimes it's even a source of amusement for his very dear friends. While he tends to be painfully shy enough to find those moments embarrassing, he also strangely finds himself laughing along with them because his love for them seems greatly magnified here and Feather does nothing to willingly diminish that.

Still, his head and heart being lost in the clouds come naturally for him and, frankly, there is a lot for him to notice here. More than any other pony here, Feather Wind is the most affected by the sheer beauty of nature and, unlike the others, he experiences it in multiple ways. That, in turn, makes reality a much deeper concept for him which is inspirational to the soul of an artist. He keeps getting mentally and emotionally lost in this gorgeous landscape while silently pondering what words he could possibly choose that could best describe this experience in a poem. When he tries, the words flow into his mind, heart and soul far more easily than it usually does despite and because of the scope and source of his inspiration here. As he beholds this, something grows deep in the wells of his soul which gradually feels just as urgent to let out as the need to go to the bathroom. He feels he must write this down whenever he gets the chance or else the pressure within him will only increase. That, in turn, is uncomfortable and distracting.

He also realizes that many other writers, like Daring Do, likely can sympathize with that feeling due to their own personal experience.

On a personal level, Feather Wind tends to be more quiet around his companions both because he is absorbing the experience around him and also because he's shy. If, however, he's spoken directly to, he often responds, especially if he has useful knowledge to offer the others about whatever the subject matter is that is brought up. Given his heavy educational background, which is way higher than the vast majority of Equestria in his time, he usually has something to say about whatever is brought up, even if it is only an educated guess. If, however, his knowledge fails, sometimes his instincts pick up the slack.

The one thing that he is most vocal about, though, is singing along with Derpy. He often joined her even if no pony else does. He does that both to give support for her but also to have fun himself.

It's moments like this that teach him and magnify the value of life itself. To feel those “ah-ha” moments and say to himself, “This is why I am here! I am here to experience this, record this, and share it with others as profoundly as I can.”

Magic swirls around him from within and without as he travels up the mountain, but unlike Doctor Kelly, there is no attempt to disassociate his emotions from this experience. Rather than that, he sees such things as the source of his power and personal strength. The reason why he'll be an awesome mage someday is precisely because he is fully willing to live in this moment and absorb it for all that it offers. He can analyze and categorize all of this in his mind and still feel really charged and alive from this experience because he embraces his emotions too. For him, it's not just about understanding something but becoming it, just like the wind itself. Even the most esoteric concepts can become simply a state of being for him. Understanding is not as crucial as being and living an experience, but his mind is generally sharp enough to put some definition on such concepts anyway. That, in turn, gives him at least some structure to build upon and help to explain this to others.

Ever since he first learned to attune himself to this Red Crystal, never has he been bombarded with so many rich opportunities to empower it. Sometimes it feels painful and overwhelming to steel his nerves and accept that he needs to let some particular moment go because he's too busy concentrating on climbing instead. He'll have to wait until they reach a moment of respite. When that happens, sometimes the energy of the moments he passes comes back to him. Energy is timeless after all. He knows that because it innately exists beyond the confines and limitations of a mortal existence. He always has one hoof in each state at all times, too. That's what magic has taught him and what it personally means to him. To be willing to look beyond the mundane, but it includes that too. Magic can be practical, convenient, fun, and sometimes essential. Through it all, though, it always is.