Open to All Trotting Tourists [Open to All]

[LadyLuck]

Hesitating, anticipating the moment, Blue Moon put her hoof down on the train station platform. Her first step in the Crystal Empire! Camera swinging around her neck, she followed the small crowd out of the train and into the beautiful crystalline city.

Blue Moon just couldn't get enough of the Crystal Ponies' glimmering pelts and manes, their glamorous style, their elegant charm. She had encountered a few on the train, but stepping out of the train station, she was overwhelmed with the beauty of the Empire's ponies. Mixed in were a few tourists like herself, taking pictures of their first view of the Empire.

"Wow..." She gawked at the castle, a building bigger and more gorgeous than she had ever seen, towering above the city. There was nothing even close to that grandeur in the Whitetail Woods, her home, or even in Canterlot, which she often visited. It looked like the Two Royal Sister's castle had competition.

'This is it,' Blue thought, smiling. Now that the Crystal Empire was rediscovered, she could teach her class back at Solstice Heights firsthand accounts and lessons. Maybe even bring them on a field trip! As she was lost in her thoughts, she bumped straight into another pony.

"Oof!" She jumped back, startled. "Oh my Celestia, I'm so sorry!"

[SilentNemo]

Very cool! Hush mused, enjoying the scenery and glitz of the newly discovered Crystal Empire. It was the first time she'd ever seen anything like this, in contrast to her travels and home in Hoofington anyway. However, it wasn't the scenery that blew her away, but the ponies and her anticipation of meeting them. How amazing would it be if she could find someone who had seen Imani or at least heard of him. It would be fantastic to see her old friend again, though his letters were quite comforting. Hush didn't view herself as a tourist but a traveler and searcher of fun, or at the least other ponies that were nice and that she could relate to. That'd be enough.

Hush stepped onto the platform and adjusted the saddlebag on her back, ready to start this little adventure as she had many times before and that was by bumping into the right pony at the right time. But who would it b-

SMACK!

A pony who wasn't watching where she was going bumped into Hush and then apologized very politely. Well, my life just became a little easier. Hush thought, composing herself and then taking out her notebook and pen and starting to write on a clean page.

No, no. It's fine. Say, have you ever been to the Empire before? I could use a hoof.

She put the pen away and showed the pony the notebook, eager to see the colorful response she usually got when people realized she decided not to speak like everyone else.