Cadance trudged through the snow with a curious expression. "Are we certain we're going in the right direction?"
With a twinkle of magic, Shining Armor conjured a map. "It should be just ahead, dear."
Cadance glanced sideways at him, then the small retinue of ponies with her. "And are you sure you needed to be here? One of us should be home."
Shining raised a hoof to wave just under his chin. "Sunburst was delighted to foalsit for a few days, and he's proven able at the task."
Cadance sighed gently. "We have a great many more words than just our child."
"This is an official visit." Shining gave a proper and stiff nod. "We should make our best impression, with a united front."
"You just want to see where the bunny rabbits came from." Cadance rolled her eyes, not at all fooled by Shining's argument. "Still, they aren't what bothers me."
Shining moved in closer to Cadance, walking side-by-side, touching as they pressed on. "Twilie says he's turned a new leaf, and the rabbits certainly seemed peaceful."
"Are we talking about the same pony that enslaved my people?" Cadance snorted softly. Some of their crystal guards shied back slightly, sharing unsure looks.
"Now now..." His words died off as they came across a great hole that vanished into the darkness. Little bits of snow drifted inwards once in a while, each bit lost to the gloom quickly. "Is this... it? How do they get in and out?"
One of the guards, a crystal pegasus, advanced and peered into the darkness. "It... looks exactly like the kind of place Som... He would like." He backpedaled rapidly, kicking up the snow. He was forced to take flight to avoid being swept into the darkness.
Cadance put a hoof to her chest. "Regardless of who he was or did, we've been invited to their kingdom. Aun--Princess Celestia assured that they were legitimate, and already official friends of Equestria, so it behooves us to act cordially." She heaved a soft sigh, "Aunt is a touch generous at times... Regardless, we won't be the ones to show ill intent first. Let them hurl the first stone. You are all safe. After all, Shining Armor and myself are--"
Her words were cut off with the motion of a creature bouncing up to a ledge from below. Without even a pause it leaped towards them, landing beside them in the snow, spraying the fluff in all directions as the tsuki landed among them. "Hello!" she cried. "Is good see! Is ponies from crystal land, yes? We were waiting for you."
Shining shook free the snow that had covered most of his head. "Um, hello." He smiled at the creature. The tsuki had been nothing but kind in their visit, and he felt no immediate threat from their new guest. "I'm Shining Armor. This is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."
"Cadance is just fine," she assured the fluffy brown and white rabbit person. "What is your name?"
"Hello Shining Armor. Hello Cadance." She dipped her head down before bouncing up and coming down facing the hole. "My name is Long Drop." She pointed at the hole with a stubby finger. "Am good long jump far down. Am here to do that. Who go first?"
One of the guards took a timid step forward, snow crunching under his armored hoof. "How will you do that?"
Long shook herself softly. "Hop on. I hop down. Hop up. Do again!"
Shining raised a hoof. "I'll go first." He smiled at his dear wife. "I'm not afraid."
She snorted softly. "Go ahead, but remember that you represent us at all times."
"Affirmative." He snapped a sharp salute, then stepped up beside Long Jump, looking her over. "So... I just..."
Long shook again. "Hop on."
Shining gave it his best try, jumping and thudding into Long before sliding back to the snow.
Long twitched a floppy ear at him before reaching one of her hands at him, grabbing him in a furry paw and reaching back, placing him on her back. It only took a moment for him to shuffle into a more secure position. "We go!" She bounced right off the ledge without a pause, vanishing into the gloom.
Cadance spread her wings wide. "Those of you with wings, let's make this easier on them. We'll use what we've been given." The other pegasi spread their wings in response and they took off as one, spiraling down into the darkness.
Down below, Long Jump burst into view, a screaming pony clutching to her with all four hooves on her back. Other tsuki looked up at the spectacle, but with far more amusement than surprise. Screaming was just the natural way ponies entered their kingdom.
She hit the ground with tremendous momentum, but her powerful legs bent with the impact and practice, allowing her to slow her descent at a more reasonable rate. She bounced back up several feet and came down to a rest with a triumphant smile. "Is harder with guest, but make it. Welcome!"
"Welcome!" echoed the tsuki in the area, clapping their paws together in a riot of soft thumping.
Even as Shining slid off his ride, wobbling dangerously, other ponies came into view. Lead by Cadance, they circled downward on wide wings.
One tsuki nudged another beside him. "Told you! See, ponies can jump good."
Long surged back into the air, bouncing from ledge to ledge back up towards the others. Below, Toby sprang quickly into the area. "Is time? Is time!" He smiled brightly at the great flood of ponies he saw coming to a land. "Welcome welcome! Tsuki are all happy to see ponies." He bounced forward, but landed just before the rising shadows of Sombra and Quick.
Sombra took an imperious step forward. "We welcome you, Princess Mi Amore, ruler of the Crystal Empire. I, King Sombra of the tsuki, formally acknowledge you."
Cadance forced a stiff smile. "It's... an honor to be so greeted." Her retinue looked about as easy about the greeting. "There are others that are being ferried down by Long Jump as we speak." She dipped her head. "It's always nice to see so many smiling faces."
Quick's face split in a smile that was perhaps a few inches too wide. "We have so many reasons to smile, Your Highness. It's far past time that we made official the ties we share as such close neighbors."
Toby stepped around Sombra, standing beside him. "Is true. Tsuki like trade with ponies. We have thing pony want. Pony have thing we want. Is good, yes?"
Shining took a wavering step towards his wife. "Good, yes," he mumbled in the tsuki way, which brought immediate giggles from tsuki in the area, looking almost charmed that a pony would speak like them.
"That is good," corrected a tiny tsuki doe, looking at Shining reproachfully.
Shining blinked, his dazedness fading. "Oh, yes. Nice to meet you...?"
"Yes, it is nice to meet you," agreed the tsuki cub, missing the question entirely, but she was smiling happily.
A scream announced the next non-flying pony approaching. Cadance kept her eyes on Sombra, as did her crystal guards. "Do you have an itinerary in mind for our visit?"
"Of course." Sombra gestured to the left, at Toby. "He will start, showing you where you and those with you can set your things down and rest when you are fatigued, as well as the location of the local amenities." He set the hoof down and switched to the other, gesturing at Quick. "Quick Stroke will begin a tour after you've had a chance to decompress, going over industry and art."
Cadance twitched an ear at that. "Wouldn't he--" She pointed at Toby. "--be more suited to discussing the art of his people?"
Quick rolled his ears back and shrank his head as if wounded. "As if they were any less my people. I am their servant, and it will be a pleasure to showcase their work for you, Princess."
"But first," cut in Sombra with a wicked grin. "We have a gift for you, our new friend."
Cadance tensed visibly despite herself. "O-oh? What have you prepared for us?"
Sombra sat on his haunches and raised his forehooves, striking them together in two swift impacts. "Bring it!"
"Bring it!" echoed a tsuki, only for another to shout the same, down the tunnels. It spread through the complex before it began to come back more slowly.
"Bringing it!" came the replied echo.
"Bringing it!" agreed a different voice, just as the first has been transmitted.
Shining slid in next to his wife. "It looks much nicer from down here."
"Mmm," replied Cadance noncommittally, her eyes on the tunnel where the shouts were coming from.
With a sudden burst of confetti, a procession of tsuki emerged, bearing a float. Each one had a great rod that ran from them to their partner on the other side of the float, holding it up as they marched. Bedecked in fabric with ruffles for days and drawings of countless scenes rested an immense crystal heart. It was as if someone had taken the original and bid it to grow to three times its normal dimensions.
Cadance watched it approach with wide eyes, the jaws of some of her guards falling with the same emotion.
"A token of goodwill," spoke Sombra with great importance. "Once, I hid your crystal heart, and now I pay it back, with interest." The float lowered as the tsuki bearing it lowered and squirmed free of their rods, leaving it there in the middle of the room. "Let it stand as a gleaming symbol of a new era."
Cadance took a step forward. "That is quite... the display. It will take some doing to transport it." She glanced upwards a brief moment at the hole they had descended through, just in time for the fourth screaming pony to arrive, the last. "I accept it in the good will it is presented. While I cannot... say with certainty that all history is to be forgotten with it, it... is a welcome token of sincerity." She dipped her head towards Sombra. "However did you come to this... station?"
Toby reared up to gesture at Sombra with both forepaws. "He find tsuki. I find him. Now show where rest? Is this way." He came down facing the right way. "Not far, keep clear for you. Show where eat after."
Cadance allowed Toby to lead her away, the other ponies trickling out with her, many curious eyes glancing about when they weren't looking nervously at Sombra as if expecting him to explode at any moment.
But he didn't. He watched them go until they were all around a corner. He chuckled darkly, looking to Quick. "Every squirm."
"Every fidget," agreed Quick before throwing a crystal hoof wide. "My people! I am overjoyed at this gift you have given. I meant what I said." He rose up to all fours as high as he could. "I will perform my duties well, for all of you, and us, together."
The tsuki clapped their paws in eager acceptance. One leaned over towards another, whispering, "He nicer now, is good." The other nodded in easy agreement.
Sombra gestured in the direction their guests had gone. "See to their comfort. That is your priority until they leave or I say otherwise. Consider this a holiday of sorts. You are all on half shifts until further notice."
That got a real applause, tsuki bouncing in place with joy, excitedly babbling about what they would do with the suddenly-available time.
Quick raised a hoof. "With this extra time, perhaps some of you would care for some advanced magic practice." His horn glowed darkly with power. "For those of you who have a good grasp on your innate power, we will push the envelope and see how far we can reach, together, hm?"
A few braver tsuki half-hopped forward, volunteering, but most were bouncing away towards other things.
Sombra snorted softly. "A start, small, but a start. I look forward to hearing what you produce." He turned towards the tunnel that held Cadance. "This should be entertaining..."