I could feel my hooves cracking on the hard snow of the cave that surrounded my new area. My mane and tail was covered in snow also and my once blue mane and dark green coat was pure white and with each breath mist coming from it. I shook off the snow shivering as each flake came off and then fixed my saddlebag up and also my worn out coat. I don’t care much about anything else and continued my trek to find what I sought, the one thing that I have seen searching for. The phoenix gem was the most powerful artifact that I could ever sought in my life. Now after 5 years of searching and false leads I was close to it. Throwing my last flare down the cave I noticed it as the flare began to move and then it was gone and the cave became darker once again. Looking at the edge right before it feel I saw the flare down on what looked like the ground and knowing no other way around unless I back tracked (which would take forever) I would have to get down their and explore.
Moving my wings I stretched them to get them ready and then jumped and used my wings to hover me downwards toward the unknown, I looked and noticed what looked like inscriptions on the wall and from my reading it described a warning of a strange and mysterious danger that would come from the removal of it. (Or if that’s what the 2,000 year old manuscripts on the frozen walls was really telling me.) shaking my head I hovered and pulled out my notebook from my saddlebag and used my pencil to write down the inscriptions and then continued downwards. Upon continuing down I reached the bottom and then kept walking for about a good 2 hours seeing more warnings and symbols. Some I was able to decipher, while others I couldn’t as I couldn’t understand it or the words were badly damaged. After that I found a door covered in a golden rim and my eyes
perked with excitement as the relic was had to be behind this door I rushed to it bot wondering if traps were set in place to protect it. (As the legend stated) Checking for a way to open it, I noticed a sort of keyhole there and noticed it to be the shape of a dragon. “What mystery do you pose?” I said not caring on who or what heard me and reached into my bag and pulled out a similar piece that was almost the same as the keyhole and inserted it and then tuned the dragon to hear a loud clang noise. The place rattled from it and ice shards fell down from the resulting noise and soon after the door moving and then stopping a little bit and had enough space for a small stallion to fit. Using my strength I moved it a little bit and then pushed myself into the small gap and then squeezing through I made it through. I was enthralled at the sight of the room and the beauty inside. Gems the size of ponies laid inside and the room was warmer then any day of the summer I had ever
known. The snow almost immediately melted off my skin and coat and I took it off to dry while I continued to explore. I began to grab some gems and other things as a “reward” for my actions and skills. As a prized thief I deserved a cut of whatever I got. But every trinket was not enough for what I saw. At the end of the room mounted by 2 birds was a golden gem brighter than even the Celestial sun, the brightness I couldn’t even stare at even with my sun resistance goggles on. This was IT the Phoenix gem I had found it, after 5 years of failure I did it. I flew up and felt the warm heat to be overwhelming but I used my strength to fly upwards and then began to grab it to pull it out. I felt as if doing it fussed the place to crumble but I continued knowing THIS was what I came here for. I felt as the place got colder and with one last pull I yanked it out and felt a magic leave the room and then then it became immensely cold… colder then the winter days from
my younger years back home. “What have I done?” I said holding the gem and watching it as the gem seemed to hum weakling and then turned darker then the moonlight and then the place began to fall apart. I ran to my entrance and then saw it get crushed by a pillar and began to worry and turning around I began to try and find another way out. I then noticed a wall and from it a gust of wind which shined a weak light on the ground. Putting the gem in my bag I rammed into the wall which made me fall down and I recollected myself and began to fly and then saw the edge and felt a gust of wind underneath push me upwards and I flew up and crashed into the ground. But there wasn't no grass in sight.
It was snow, bright white snow. I rubbed my hooves into it and shivered from the immediate cold and wondered why it was like this. It was in the middle of the summer and to see snow here when I came in it was grassy made me both worried and confused. I pulled the gem with my wing and held it and it was still dark even with the sun barely hitting it, the gem refused to shine or make a shadow. I put it back inside and then continued to walk and saw the snow reach the trees and even the creeks and puddles seemed to be frozen over. NO not seemed it WAS frozen, solid my hoof banged the ice and it didn't crack or even splinter. I began to trot slowly while I kept looking and then upon reaching a cliff end, I looked and was shocked at what I saw.
Ice and snow covered the land and I could see gusts of wind blowing harder than anything that was even possible. "What did I do?" I turned my head to continue to examine everything that was a result of whatever I did. I then noticed that crops were frozen and not even the hard warmth of the sun could melt them.... it was horrible, I tried to find a way to fix it, but I had done enough. I just walked away knowing that I had came here to do what I needed to, get the artifact and sell it to the highest bidder. I flapped my wings and flew straight up and began my trip back home not looking back at the world or even homes that I ruined.