Spindle: The stratosphere, where Parcly was cruising on her way to Incheon, is a strange place. Obviously the air is very thin, so creatures "in the flesh" that need to breathe have to be in a pressurised environment just to survive. But I'm a windigo and she's an alicorn, so both of us did just fine with a little precautionary magic.

Parcly Taxel: The greater danger while operating in the stratosphere, in fact, comes from above – solar and cosmic radiation. Protons and other particles thrown off from the sun are everywhere in space, and anypony would soon develop all manner of radiation sickness if left exposed. Thus I needed to erect a magic barrier around myself against these particles, with Spindle monitoring the situation from within.

Spindle: I froze her eyelids wide open throughout the entire flight, even as her mind started to wander off about an hour into it. Obstacles in the real world then translated into obstacles in her dream, and avoiding it in the latter reality would move her out of its way in the former reality as well. No more fiddling with Parcly's pure windigo form required.

We arrived in Incheon just after 5:30, still under complete darkness. A morning calm was readily apparent where we landed, what with the serenity and grace of the airport's architecture. Bibimbap was the order for breakfast.

Parcly: It was a new day, but to my weary wings it felt like only one very long day had passed, their ruffled feathers speaking out loud.

Korea (the whole peninsula) and Japan have had this historical rivalry dating back to the time Japan invaded Korea. At one time Pokémon were barred from entering Korea, but relations have kind of blossomed in recent years, to the extent that some companies operate very successfully in both countries (Lotte is an example).

Spindle: We had about two hours of rest before pressing onwards. By this time, fresh sunlight was beaming across the land, but it was diffused by a thick fog. Windigos like the fog when it arises, both as a cover and as a raw material for making snow.

Parcly: Yet the density of fog is quite similar to that of genie mist, so genies feel their tails dissolve in said environment like a normal pony would feel "bendy-legged" after trekking across uneven terrain. So I made sure not to bring out my bottle from my pocket dimension during the second hop.

Spindle: Once we crossed the Tsushima Strait (対馬海峡) and reached Japanese soil in Fukuoka, Parcly's body finally collapsed from all the travelling, leaving her spirit floating free. We two huddled around and gave the blue beauty (with its open wings) a massage until Parcly's ghost hooves fell through, which meant she had regained her material strength. A sandwich from a convenience store further served to keep her together.

Princess Luna: She got there, but how to get around? Kyushu is a bit lacking in rail infrastructure compared to Honshu, so roads are the primary means of transportation. I incepted maps of the major roads on the island into her mind, then sent her off to Nanzo-in (南蔵院) as a warm-up. She found the place without knowing that she passed by the heavy industries of Fukuoka on the way – fisheries, processing plants and car factories.

Parcly: The main attraction of this temple is a huge reclining Buddha whose hooves you can touch. Those hooves are adorned with gold symbols, and in front of the Buddha are 366 urns. To reach this Buddha you have to go through a tunnel lined with innumerable identical icons representing gifts from donors to the temple; incense wafts throughout its length. I only stayed there a short while because lunch had yet to be settled.

Luna: It was very cold when Parcly left for Nanzo-in, and then my sister dialled up the temperature. When my faithful genie walked out, the clouds had made way for a radiant sun whose rays scattered onto her from all directions. She didn't sweat under this pressure, but more to come…