"So sorry to keep you waiting, everypony! Let's get this show back on the road. According to princess Twilight's directions, the crater should be just at the end of this cave system." Extrema Units slowed his pace as he approached, falling in line just ahead of the group. Reflections of the expedition team bounced off the ancient ice making up the walls of the subzero cave system they entered at the bottom of the , giving the whole place an otherworldly feel to it.
"I never knew a cave like this existed," Cadence remarked. "It must be thousands of years old." She watched her breath float upwards in the light cast by her horn. As the small cloud joined the rest of the group's and mingled at the top of the tunnel, she couldn't help but look in wonder at the natural beauty of the place. "I don't know why this place hasn't been discovered yet. Surely a scouting team should have found it by now."
"If I may, your highness," Sunburst interrupted. "It's highly likely that this place was undiscovered because the impact of the falling star caused a geological disturbance to open the system to the outside world. Can't you taste how stale the air is? We're treading where nopony has for centuries, at least. Who knows what we could find down here."
"Speaking on that topic, do you think that anypony has actually been down here, ever?" Asked Starlight. "I don't see any hoofprints other than our own, and this place is so untouched by time that I doubt any would fade. Wait, look!" She pointed to the wall, where frozen in the ice was the skeleton of what seemed to be a large snake. "I think that's a Draconi Terra skeleton. The ancient ancestor of modern dragonkind has been extinct for millennia! They used to dig complex tunnels, and live underground in them since they needed gems to eat but also couldn't fly and were light-sensitive. To find a fossil here, and so well preserved... This place really hasn't seen anything enter it in quite some time. Do you think its hoard is anywhere around here?"
"If it is, then this expedition just got even more interesting than it already was," Shining commented. "We could use it to fund some public works projects for the Empire, and still have some for ourselves. Think of how many Ogre and Oubliettes figurines I could buy!"
"Shiny, please..." Cadence sighed. "We talked about this. The shelf is already full..."
"Either way, it's an interesting find," remarked Sunburst. "History books don't know too much about the third era, when the mighty Tunnel Snakes ruled the underground for 101 centuries. I almost wish we had the time to take it back and study it, but we do have a space object to find. Come to think of it, I hope it's not another pony. They wouldn't survive long out in the cold, all alone, for long."
That got the group moving faster, but not before starlight took a photograph of the skeleton to show to Twilight along with the ones she was asked to take of whatever the object they were heading towards was. Even then, the caves proved to be a difficult challenge to surpass. Slippery floors and unpredictable slopes made the journey slow and difficult. Still, the group trudged on, their guide leading them along. "Hold on, please, the lot of you. There's a dip in the path ahead. There might be debris. I will go through first, and clear the path. You follow in a few moments." The Earth Pony guard trotted ahead of the group and sounds of heavy lifting could be heard. After a few minutes, he called back to them. "Alright, you can all come through! Hurry up, I don't think this tunnel looks stable!"
The ponies galloped forward, determined to reach the end. As they dashed through the tunnel, they saw light at the end, illuminating a cavern. But then everything went wrong. The tunnel began to rumble and quake, rubble and icicles falling from above. The group ran faster than they thought possible, and while they managed to outrun the damage they were blinded by a cloud of dust, snow, and rock.
"Is everypony okay?" Cried Cadence.
"I think *cough* I sprained a hoof, but I'll be fine," replied Starlight. "Sunburst, Shining! Tell us you're alright!"
"Ow... my head... I think I ran into a wall. Guess I rolled a one on the acrobatics check..."
"Sounds like shining will live. I'm fine too! Barely. I think I lost some of my tail," Sunburst noted. "Oh! And Extrema, are you safe?"
Silence permeated the tunnel for a moment. The ponies all suddenly started shivering, years of prey instincts telling them that SOMETHING was watching them.
"Oh, I'm safe."
Cadence sighed. "Good, because-"
"But you aren't!"
Icy winds whipped around two foals as they finally reached the edge of the crevice. "Thank Faust," Flurry remarked. "I was losing feeling in my ears.
"Me too. But there's no time to waste. We need to see what the safest route we can take is. But before we go, I do have a rule for you. For your own safety, if you see anypony standing in a shadow or other dark area, don't trust them. Even if it's your own mother. Instead, shine light on them somehow. If they don't change, then you can trust them."
"Does that mean you won't trust me either?" Flurry asked.
"No. I trust you, because you still have your shadow. Hey, look!" He pointed with his hoof. Walking along the ravine was Twilight Sparkle, albeit out of hearing range. But she was alone.
"Is that Auntie Twilight? HEY, AUN-mph!" A cold, snowy hoof in her mouth shut her up. Comet pulled her down into the snow to hide. When it became obvious she hadn't heard Flurry, the two re-emerged. They just caught a glimpse of Twilight vanishing from sight as the blizzard picked up.
"Are you insane?!" Comet whispered sternly. "We don't know if that's Twilight or not! I JUST told you not to trust anyone in the like this! We should follow her, yes, but keep your distance and your voice down!"
Suddenly, and echo reached their ears from the cave at the bottom of the ravine. Screaming. Several different screams.
"Is that a trick, too, Comet?" Flurry asked, with a slight air of sarcasm.
"No. It can do voices, but not more than one at a time. Our friends are in danger! Forget Twilight, the others need us! Come on Feathers, let's go!"