She was tired, but she disregarded her body's request to rest. Flaring her horn, she fired a fierce wave of flames, melting the towering wall of snow that blocked their path. Warm water tickled her and her companion's hooves. Soon, as the thin steam died down, what greeted them up ahead was a grassy field.
Blinking in confusion, Sweetie Belle wiped her sweating forehead as her two companions stood on both her sides. Spike jumped off of Apple Bloom's back, and all four stared dumbfounded at the grassy plains. The green pasture stretched like a hill, where its base was on the damp ground they were standing on.
“Wow,” Scootaloo finally broke the silence, smiling proudly as she patted her unicorn friend's shoulder. “That's some powerful fire you got there, Sweets!”
Sweetie Belle stared at the pegasus mare, and slowly shook her head. “That's not my handy work, Scoots...”
“Eh?” Scootaloo did a double take while Apple Bloom and Spike took a few steps forward.
The duo stopped mere inches away from the very first green grass sprouting on the base of the hill.
“Odd,” was all Spike could say while scratching his head.
“Tell me about it,” Apple Bloom nodded her head, scanning the small grass that gently danced with the soft cool air. “It's as if it's not even snowing in there...”
Spike thought about it for a while, unable to notice that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood behind him and Apple Bloom, who were also staring at the green fields.
“Hm...” Spike then slowly and carefully extends a claw towards the borderline of green and white. Finally, his claw reached the border, and braced himself as he pushed his claw further into the green territory, achieving... “...nothing.” He pulled his claw back, sighing in relief.
“What were you trying to do, anyway?” Scootaloo asked with a raised eyebrow.
Apple Bloom and Spike spun around to face the other two. The unicorn cleared her throat. “I think Spike was trying to see if there was a barrier of any kind that somehow blocks the snow from entering the green land.” She shrugged, “or something similar...”
“Huh,” Apple Bloom turned her head over her shoulder and stared at the green hill. “Good thinking.”
“Well, whatever,” Scootaloo groaned as she rolled her eyes and trotted around and took her first step on the grassy field. “There's no barrier or any magic-thingies, so it's safe to walk on, right?” She continued walking forward.
“Scootaloo, wait!” Sweetie Belle yelled.
The pegasus stopped and turned with an annoyed look. “What's the problem? Look!” She jumped in place, twice. “Nothing's happening! And besides,” she spun and continued walking ahead, “other pegasi ponies already got here and reported nothing has happened to them, right? So what's there to worry about?”
Scootaloo finally reached the top, and stopped. The other three stared at each other.
“Y'know...” Apple Bloom smiled weakly, “she does have a good point.”
Spike shrugged. “Well, let's go then!”
Nodding their heads, the three walked on the grassy hill and continued until they stopped beside their pegasus friend. Reaching her, the three newcomers held their breaths as they took in the marvelous sight of the empire.
Below the hill they were on was a field of green, stretching a few meters until the green became a dark-blue land where blue crystalized structures stood in different shapes and sizes. The thick gray clouds offered little light, but the empire shone as if the sun was gracing them a wonderful sunlight. The empire also contained wide pathways to trot on, where occasional trees were allowed to grow. Some of the small crystal structures even had small gardens and fences, and even mailboxes. Crystalized statues of ponies also stood in different places, holding different poses.
However, as the four slowly walk on the wide pathway, heads turning left and right, they have noticed that such a beautiful place held no signs of life. Doors were closed, and windows were blocked by curtains, or the darkness of the structure inside.
“Where is everypony?” Apple Bloom spoke to no one in particular.
“More importantly,” Scootaloo spoke, “do ponies even live here, or another specie?”
“Well,” Sweetie Belle spoke, standing and examining the crystal statue of a pony who seemed to be opening a mailbox of one of the houses. She took note of its uniform. “It looks to me that ponies uh, used to live here?”
“What made you say that?” Spike asked as he and the two other crusaders stood behind the unicorn mare.
Sweetie Belle spun and stared at them for a short while before replying. “Well, what could possibly be these pony statues mean?”
While Apple Bloom and Scootaloo thought about it, Spike shook his head.
“Well,” he said as he spun and stared at the very center of the empire, “nothing we can do about it, I guess.”
The three crusaders stared at him, wondering what he was trying to say, until they followed his gaze, their eyes were now staring on a very tall and magnificent crystal castle.
“We came here to get the crystal heart, and that's what we're going to do!” With that, Spike marched towards the castle.
The three crusaders stared at each for a moment.
It was Scootaloo who reacted first, by shrugging. “Well, you heard the dragon.”
The young pegasus mare then adjusted her scarf before following the dragon, who was already a few hooves ahead. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom shared a quick glance before following them. Unknown to them that the head of the crystalized statue of a mailpony was already turned, somehow staring at them walking off.