A Perilous Expedition into the Caverns of Mystery (closed)

[RarityDash]

((ooc: this thread is closed for those who weren't chosen in the OOC thread. The first couple cycles will take place in the Crystal Empire and Cadance, the expedition backer will be able to address the crew.)

Maud Pie had long held some lingering doubts about her recent life decisions. Was leaving the family rock farm she had known all her life really the right call? It felt selfish somehow, leaving mother and father and the others behind and moving so far away to immerse herself in her studies. And yet, only months into the pursuit of her rocktorate from the rock sciences department at Rockwington University, Maud could only find a quiet reassurance that she had made the right choice. She was not a mare with a long list of wants or needs. Happiness to her was in living her simple life and doing right by the ponies she truly cared for. In expanding, testing and sharing her knowledge, her passion, she found a sense of fulfilment. Seeing the professors astonished with her unheard of rate of progress, hearing genuine praise for what she did, it was just a rewarding feeling.

As her profile continued to rise at the university though, she found herself recommended for an increasing number of opportunities. It was sensible, she supposed. She was a graduate student who knew more than most of the professors already. What they wanted to see from her was field research and reports. Maud was happy to oblige; she was more interested in getting out there and experiencing rocks herself than just reading about them. Whatever the case, the research opportunities were just getting bigger and bigger as she found herself travelling across all of Equestria.

This was the furthest yet her research had taken her. The Crystal Empire. It was itself a specimen worthy of delight for any enthusiast of geology and mineralogy. A city built entirely from some manner of crystal? Back when Pinkie had first written Maud about it she had seldom believed such a wondrous place existed. She had set out almost immediately then and spent more than a week in the city, experiencing it and its marvels as thoroughly as possible. The only mildly disappointing part of it was that the crystal ponies themselves didn't appear to be composed of any manner of true crystal themselves. No, they were purely organic just like any other pony and equally bemused by Maud's fascinations as most were.

The Crystal Empire was far from Rockwington, far from the rock farm, far from most things Maud knew well. It was here, however, that her biggest research expedition yet had begun. She could still recall the look in Professor Stonebeak's eyes when she told her about it. A backer in the Crystal Empire was looking to put together a team for exploration of a recently uncovered system of caverns to the west across the snowy wilderness. None yet knew what full mysteries the caverns would contain, be they geological, biological or archaeological, so experts in multiple fields were in demand, as well as experts in survival and ponies who could document the expedition and findings. The request the professor had shown her emphasized the danger above all else, stressing that it was very possible that some may not return, but also assured that the pay would be substantial.

Professor Stonebeak had been hesitant to tell Maud about the expedition due to the danger, though she expressed that she was sure that Maud was the best fit for it. She had the right youth, energy and vigor to pull through even when things would get rough. As for Maud herself, she hadn't really even thought about it. She cared little for the money. It was useless to her. The experience, the possibility of what she might find in this unexplored system, that was enough to make her want to embark on this expedition all on its own. She had packed her things for the Crystal Empire the very same day she was told.

And here she was now. She was dressed in a thick brown long winter coat and standing still at the Crystal gates in front of the Empire's capital. She was to meet the rest of the team here. The backer would then be appearing to say to them some words. They would then set off by hoof across the harsh Arctic landscape until they arrived at the caverns' mouth. Maud, had made a point to arrive an hour before the designated time, but now it was swift approaching. She was sure that the others she would be travelling with would arrive shortly.

​

[RainbowFoxxy]

Moyokijani's eyes were wide with wonder. The crystal empire was already turning out to be the spectacle he had only hoped to see! Everywhere he looked there was glitter, sparkle, and general shininess! The zebra's muzzle was fixed in a tooth showing grin as he stepped off the train and made his way towards the city center. Jani was always the pleasant one and he had lots of opportunities to smile and nod hellos to various denizens of the fantastic city.

"An' to think all this is here! Very much different than my own little home in the mountains..." He mused to himself as he walked on. Just talking about his home gave him a little pang in his gut. He loved his little hut, his herb garden, his pet crow Noyota. "I'll see it all again soon enough. Jus' pretend you're on one of your trips into Canterlot if it gets too much for you." He encouraged himself as he walked on.

Soon he was looking up towards a rather large sparkling structure. The gates to the Crystal Empire's capital! The zebra's mind went to the expedition he had signed up for. Danger, peril, excitement, rocks! Rocks? He knew little of the geological aspects of Equestria outside of how to remove them from his herb gardens. He had signed up as the naturalist specialist for the journey. It would be his job to provide the teams with edible plants from the wild. That was something he was suited to. If there was one thing he knew, it was plants.

"I think this is the place..." Jani looked around and spotted a grey colored pony not far away. She appeared to be waiting for something. Being ever the sociable one Jani walked right up to her and smiled openly. "'Lo there miss! Nice day isn't it?"

[tacobob]

Pocket Change emerged from the train station and let out an audible gasp as he took in the beauty of the Crystal Empire. Ever since he had heard that the former domain of the dark king Sombra had returned, and then liberated by Princess Celestia's champions, the unicorn had wished to visit the kingdom once things had settled down. He was rather shocked to later learn that Sombra was the same 'beast' that had been imprisoned in the frozen north for a thousand years. While exploring caverns in the near north, he had learned about this from a alcove of white griffons he had met. Thankfully, the mad ruler was completely vanquished when his spirit form was utterly destroyed by the Kingdom's new ruler, Princess Cadance.

The stallion had jumped on the chance to visit the kingdom and its surrounding mountains, after an old friend of his named Bright Eyes had mentioned that she had originally planned to go with a group to explore the mountains to the west of the formally lost city, but was unable to join due to an sudden appearance of family drama. While Pocket had only taken the mandatory intro class for Geology, he was still welcomed into the group thanks to his extensive knowledge in the field of archeology and his experience on the field. He was slightly annoyed that he was only given the most basics of information on this trip beyond the expedition's outline and plans. They had to survey the caverns for resources. He did not know who was funding this, nor did he know who would be part of his group.

As he made his way towards the Crystal gates, Pocket spied a souvenir store, along with what appeared to be an old book shop. Once finished with the job, he had planned on purchasing a few crystal goodies from the local stores. A book on the Crystal Empire's history would be an idea gift for his sister Docket, and maybe a random mechanical doo-dad for his brother Sprocket. He had also mused about picking up a replica of the famous 'Crystal Heart' for his very special some-pony, Moondancer. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the kingdom's inhabits go about their business on the street corners. There were crystal foals flying kites and playing stick-ball, and there were adults selling their wares at an open market.

As he made his way on, he noticed the very impressive castle get closer and closer, until he was within range of the gates of the very capital itself. Pocket also noticed an attractive mare who was wearing an winter coat standing along with an zebra stallion. The unicorn waved as he got closer until he was standing with them. "Hello there!", he held up a small indication card which was marked with Canterlot University's logo upon it. "Looks like I'm still a little early. Hope you two had a pleasant trip.". Pocket did not. His coach car was filled with children, and the pony sitting next to him had slept for the entire trip. This wouldn't be that bad, but he smelled like old onions and had snored for most of the trip.And the foals spent most of the ride running around his car while their parents chatted amongst themselves.

"The name's Pocket Change, of Canterlot."

[CaptainMcDerp]

Brooke had been staying at the Crystal Empire for a few days now. Upon becoming part of an expedition crew, she headed there a few days early in order to enjoy the place a bit before setting out. She was especially fond of the enormous crystal library, where she spent a lot of her time reading about the culture and history of the empire.

Brooke's role in the expedition was to keep a written log of their findings. Analyzing a series of recently discovered caverns was the overall objective. And if that wasn't exciting enough, the reward money certainly added to the enthusiasm. Brooke was by no means a greedy deer, but she needed all the bits she could get.

Even with an herbal tea in her belly to help her sleep for the past few days, all she dreamed about was the expedition. And now today was finally the day.

She walked down the path from within the capitol and headed for the crystalline gates, where her and her teammates were expected to meet. She was wearing a rose pink coat adorned with thick white faux fur around the edge of the hood. Overlapping the coat was her trusty saddle bag packed with all the necessary supplies. As she approached, she could see a grey earth pony, a white unicorn, and a zebra already standing there. With careful light steps, she strolled up to her teammates.

"I'm Brooke. My job here is to provide a written account of the expedition."

[Dunder]

The sun was shining, but the air still chilled Dunder's body even through the thick green winter jacket with the hood up that he wore. I knew accepting this job was a bad idea... He thought as he reminded himself what a wimp to the cold he was. The thought of the warm train filled with food and drinks he just disembarked off of beckoned him in his thoughts. He knew, though, that he had a job waiting. More importantly, he had a big pile of bits waiting for him after that. Even the chance to possibly meet another princess and the chance to definitely meet some other ponies and other living creatures.

He was entrusted to protect the other ponies of the party, and he was packing a thick bladed sidesword and cloak to do it. In his big saddlebags he had his normal survival equipment and some extra food. Somehow he knew he'd end up doing his share of the cooking and was prepared to do it. A bowl of rice and corn sounded good right then.

His thought was knocked off of his head when he saw his party gathering around the location they were supposed to. Just the way he liked it. A familiar looking unicorn, a deer, a zebra, and an earth pony. Quite the team, he was glad that they weren't all just pegasi like him and they'd have some diversity in skills and anatomy.

The pegasus trotted up to the assembled group and took off his hood to reveal his long mane and ears. "Dunder Blust of Cloudsdale. Reporting for security and cooking."

[Pretzelparty]

The northern mountain range... Now that was a Nostalgic place for this young mare. The Crystal empire itself was not a new place for Presteza to have come too (at least as new as anypony else who wasn't part of the kingdom before its return), but the mountain range itself held a special place in the painter's heart. It was here where she had grown closest to her older brother when the two had gotten into an argument and she'd wandered off into a snowstorm and gotten herself hopelessly lost only to find herself in a tearful reunion with her brother and after that the two siblings had been closer than ever before.

While the young unicorn chewed on some ginger crystals (she'd heard they were a natural remedy for motion sickness), she lifted part of her scarf up in her hoof and looked at it with a nostalgic smile. Before she could lose herself in her fond memories any further, she felt the train hit a bit of a bump and she went wide eyed as a feeling of intense nausea shoot through her body. Apparently the Ginger crystals only worked if the method of travel had a smooth ride... or at least it was the case for this mare. Soon the door to her personal train cabin was thrust open and the unicorn shot through the hallway and slammed the door to the bathroom shut, the sound of heaving and pained groans being heard from within until they reached their destination.

--------The Train Station--------

Once the train started slowing down to a stop the mare almost immediately felt better, She'd have to hurry if she didn't want the train to leave without her leaving it first. After extricating herself from the lavatory with an embarrassed look she made her way back to her cabin and brought her supply bag. Due to her constant travels, Presteza was use to traveling light. In a way this was actually the heaviest she'd traveled as she had made sure to prepare for the cold climate that her group would surely be facing on the way to their destination.

Stepping off of the train and onto the platform, she was greeted by a puff of smoke from the locomotive as if it was signaling her arrival to the masses... although seeing as she was hardly as famous as she intended to be it was a vain gesture, if very theatrical. Calmly strolling down the platform the mare's fur lined cloak and winter coat fluttered slightly in the strong breeze of the north, her bright blue scarf doing the same. On her head she wore a unique Stalliongradian hat that was heavily lined with fur to keep a pony's ears and head perfectly warm, but she'd gone ahead and personalized it by painting a small image of her own cutie mark on the frontal flap of the accessory. On her legs she wore some thick, smoky grey, insulating legwarmers that would be useful for the trudging through the snow they'd need to face.

Presteza's artistic star had been rising pretty high as of late. She'd already painted the Crystal empire's current monarch an incredible portrait so perhaps she had Princess Cadence to thank for the opportunity to go along on this expedition. Some of Presteza's best pieces were being put into several galleries across Equestria so it was possible that that also helped boost her chances of being accepted into this venture but the point was that she was here now and she was the caving expidition's official artist; in charge of sketching all the finds in the caves to assist in cataloging.

Speaking of her expedition group, she'd heard they were going to meet up by the gates and already she saw several ponies and one deer speaking to eachother. She wasn't exaclty sure if this was the correct group though so she decided it would be safest to ask them first. It was probably best to remain professional in this context so rather than speaking in her typical trottingham cockney way of speaking she instead switched to a more respectable and noble sounding speech pattern.

"Excuse me. Are you part of the caving expedi--" the mare's word's left her as she realized that there were three familiar faces in the group," Dunder,Mister Change, Brooke! It's wonderful ta see you again!" Looking the pink maned deer she took a moment to explain just in case she didn't remember where she knew her from. "Miss Brooke, I believe we worked together on the same team during Ponyville's most recent Winter Wrap Up." She was sure she didn't have to remind Pocket change and Dunder who she was. In the case of Dunder she'd figured that being stranded on an island with him and several other ponies would have left an impression. Pocket Change would have known her from their adventure to the everfree castle in his marefriend's own guild, Spellbound.

There were two faces however that she didn't know. One belonged to a Zebra and the other to a rather stoic looking mare, not wanting to be rude she decided she should try and introduce herself to them as well. "I apologize for not introducing myself sooner." she began in a quaint, cheerful tone. "I'm Presteza, The official artist for a caving expedition backed by princess Cadence. What are your names?"

[Bellosh]

“*Ahem* May I have your attention from a moment?” Without any fanfare, preceding guards, or any other sign beforehoof, the voice of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza rang out clearly from the direction of the city gate. When word came a month ago of an uncovering of a cave system to the extreme west of the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence knew that without royal backing, nopony would likely bother heading out that way for a very long time. Which would be a shame to the realm if those caves led to precious rocks or minerals in demand in the Empire.

And so in a very short amount of time, the pink alicorn had to assemble an expedition to the western lands, with ponies skilled in diverse talents, and provide the crew with adequate supplies. It would be a dangerous journey, so hazard pay was also a must for all who signed up. By month’s end, six individuals answered the call: a geologist, field-experienced archaeologist, log recorder, artist, herbalist, and cook. All six had either already faced perilous situations before or expressed a willingness to face them if they hadn’t done so already.

Princess Cadence avoided formality when she could, so only she by herself would see this expedition off, aside from a very small entourage of various crystal ponies. But the alicorn basically did all the talking; “Again, I don’t need to remind you all of how grateful the Crystal Empire is of everyone who volunteered for this mission. Despite all the hazards you may potentially face, it is... our sincere hope that everyone makes it back. In fact, I have faith that if you six stick and work together like the closest of friends, you will all return! Good luck.”

​

[RarityDash]

One by one, Maud's companions to be started to arrive. The first was somewhat peculiar. It was a pony with a coat banded much like an agate might be. She had never seldom seen banded coats before on a pony, though she supposed it reasonable that such a thing would be. The second stallion was a more ordinary sort, a unicorn who claimed to be of Canterlot. The third, who identified herself as the one who would be logging the expedition, was a pony unlike any Maud had seen before. Rocks came in so many strange and different shapes though, she supposed so, it wouldn't be too strange if the same could be said of ponies. Following this was a pegasus stallion who explained he was there for cooking and survival needs. Lastly there was a unicorn mare who identified herself as an artist and seemed to know some of the others. This one happened to ask for her name.

"Maud," was all she said to this pony in a listless voice, before looking upward at the gate. "Amethysts..." she remarked casually as she found the three diamond shaped gemstones hovering in the middle of the air between the gates. "The quality of the luster and the depth of the hue reveals them..." she added, blankly, continuing to stare upward.

She continued to stare until finally another approached them. This pony was strange too. She had wings and a horn. As little as Maud knew about ponies in comparison to how much she knew about rocks, she did know this was a rare combination, though she had once encountered it in the wild. That Princess Twilight who was one of Pinkie's treasured friends was the first specimen. That one had had a good head on her shoulders and a lot of valuable knowledge, though little taste for the arts, if Maud recalled. She had been unable to appreciated Maud's poetry at the very least.

This pony forewent any introduction but her unique physical characteristics and the quality of the sapphires in her crown told Maud she was important. Likely this was the expedition backer. Her words of caution and optimism for the mission seemed to support this hypothesis. She seemed to have faith in them. Maud didn't see much to say about ti all one way or the other. She was ready to just get started, though she pondered if perhaps the others would be wanting a moment more to get acquainted and ask the back any questions that they might have. In her case, she just stared upwards once more at the suspended in amethysts in wonderment. She had arrived by train when she had previously visited the Empire, so she hadn't spent much time at the gates until now.

"I wonder what purpose they are made to serve... and how it is they are suspended..." she remarked to no one, as she continued to stare.

​

[RainbowFoxxy]

The zebra was soon surrounded by various ponies and then found himself and the others being addressed by none other than the Princess Mi Amore Cadenza! He had heard of her before but never seen her. She was a lovely creature and Jani felt at peace with her around. This certainly was a prestigious team he had gotten himself onto. Once the Princess had addressed the all he turned to those who had asked his name and responded.

"My name is Moyokijani, in my tongue that means Green Heart. You are my teammates and will soon enough be my friends so calling me Jani works just fine. It is good to meet you all and I am much looking forward to this adventure!"

He paused and watched their leader staring up at some large purple stones in wonderment. It was quite amazing to see them suspended there but the zebra wondered if the group would soon be directed to move on.

"I must say I'm wondering where this adventure will lead us to. It looks as if each of us are suited for our tasks!" He smiled at the other ponies and making a side long look of wonderment towards Maud.

[CaptainMcDerp]

Soon enough, a muscular light brown pegasus arrived with a thick green jacket and a hoodie drapped over his features. After drawing near, he pulled the hood from his head and introduced himself.

"Dunder Blust of Cloudsdale. Reporting for security and cooking."

Brooke presented a nod with a soft grin on her face. She was growing progressively excited by the minute and could hardly wait to get going. Not long after the prior team mate arrived, a cream colored unicorn with a white mane approached. She was dressed in a collection of winter gear. Brooke's eyes lingered on the unicorn as she spoke. She seemed rather familiar, but Brooke couldn't seem to place it. That was, until the unicorn mentioned the day at Ponyville during Winter Wrap Up. The memories flooded back in and Brooke recalled taking notice of her various times while attending the animal team.`"Yes, I believe we've met there as well." She smiled. "It's nice to see you again."

While observing the exchange between the cream coated unicorn and the others, Brooke took note as she introduced herself as Pesteza and the grey mare called herself Maud.

"Amethysts..."

Brooke cast a glance towards Maud, then followed her eyes to the crystalline gates as the mare continued her sentence. "The quality of the luster and the depth of the hue reveals them..."

She gazed at the floating gems while Maud spoke. Not being particularly adept at the study of crystals, she still found them to be both gorgeous and mysterious.

“*Ahem* May I have your attention from a moment?”

Her attention veered towards the direction of the voice. What met her vision was the princess of the Crystal Empire! Brooke's eyes grew slightly wider and her hoof lifted upon instinct. She took a quick glance at the alicorn's cutie mark. A crystal heart bordered by two intricate gold patterns. How she wanted to add a royal cutie mark to her sketchbook collection. But alas, there was a greater task as hoof. Brooke angled her ears forward and listened carefully to the Princess's speech.

When it concluded, Brooke nodded with a grin.

"Thank you, Princess."

The Zebra, who introduced himself as Moyokijani, seemed rather excited about the upcoming adventure, which in turn added to Brooke's eagerness as well. Images of what might be ahead flashed in her mind as the zebra talked.

"I must say I'm wondering where this adventure will lead us to. It looks as if each of us are suited for our tasks!"

"Indeed." Brooke said. "This would be the initial time I've joined something quite so...tremendous."

Soon after their exchange, Brooke observed all of her teammates, realizing it would be quite essential to retain each of their names before setting out. So one by one she pointed with her hoof, reciting each of their names as she remembered them in the process.

"Moyokijani, Change, Dunder Blust, Presteza, and Maud, right? I think that's right... Inform me if I've made any miscalculations."

[tacobob]

The unicorn glanced away from the earth pony mare and zebra just for a moment to take note of the others who made their way towards his rapidly forming group. First to appear was a female deer, a species he had seen only a few times during his lifetime. While he had heard that the females of her species tended to be very gentle, this one had a certain glint in her eyes that matched the fieriness of her spiky red hair, or was it dark pink? He doubted she was going to be a pushover. It also appeared that she would be keeping a log of this expedition. The next was a pony, Pocket Change was familiar with, although he had only met him briefly in the past. It was Dunder Blust, or was it Bust? Cook, adventurer and former colt-friend of a very good friend of the unicorn's sister. According to his Docket, the brown Pegasus pony had been on a few interesting adventures over the last few years, and was even present during the mess at Ponyville's last Nightmare Night, where he fought bravely to defend the citizens of the little cow-town from the horrible shape-shifting monsters.

One of his guild-members, the feisty and clever Presteza was next in line. He wanted to greet the mare, but something she had said gave him pause. Something about this expedition being backed by Princess Cadence herself! This little job he was on, must be really important for her to be behind it. His ear's perked up as he heard the princess herself speak. Being a proper Canterlot pony, he quickly bowed as she approached. As she spoke, Pocket wondered what her husband had purchased for her during his stay in Canterlot. The two had met briefly at a local hobby store. Both stallions were in the middle of finding something special for their very special someponies during that day. He listened to the princess and pondered what sort of dangers were they to face. Grues? Ghosts? Gremlins? He didn't mind a little caving, just as long as it wasn't filled with silly traps and puzzles like the catacombs he and his party had encountered during their adventures in the north.

He was distracted for just a moment by the earth pony who seemed to be suffering from a bout of melancholy. It was almost as if she were talking in her sleep. How could anypony not be excited about this mission? It was after all, a great quest in the Crystal Kingdom, helmed by a princess! This was practically a Daring Do book! Maybe this Maud was a pro when it came to this sort of thing, and thus took something extremely exciting to light a fire under her belly. "Er, it's Pocket Change.", he wanted to make sure his full name was on the deer's ledger and that it was spelled correctly, as sometimes ponies would hear his name as 'Paw-ket' due to his Canterlot accent.

The stallion did not want to appear to be in a rush. These things took time. He would meet his caving companions, learn of their mission, and then make sure they all had the proper gear for the job. He just hoped that he could contain his excitement!

[Dunder]

Dunder smiled back at the unicorn mare, "Hello, Prestenza. It is good to see you again." He said. Truly he was glad about it. She wasn't a pony he had to worry too much about. Next he looked at the earth mare who was gazing up at the archway. She didn't seem to be much of one for words or for a presence. She almost blended into the background, but he knew that would change by the end of this. Maybe she was a strong and silent type, with earth ponies you never knew how strong they were. That would be good news for Dunder, one less pony to worry about. Dunder remembered Pocket Change. The pegasus was fond of the unicorn stallion's sister's company. The stallions had met before, and the talk about Pocket suggested that he should smell worse and be more obnoxious, but Pocket was a nice stallion so far.

The zebra introduced himself Moyokijani, or Jani. Dunder had seen many zebras and they never failed to be good spirited. The zebra didn't hide his excitement at all. Lastly, the doe with the stunning eyes. Her dainty frame didn't look like it could hold up to mountain hiking, but he was ready to be surprised by what she could do. He also hoped that she could eat the food he planned on cooking.

That was when the princess trotted up. Her pink coat matched with the vibrant colors of the city. Her words could have been more assuring. She pressed that they'd all come back as if another team had already failed to do so. But a princess's blessing was not something to fall back on. "Thank you, princess. Your words are not taken lightly. I am sure we are all ready to return home in one piece." He said to her.

When he heard his name, he instantly looked over at the deer. "Yes, Dunder Blust. But feel free to call me whatever you wish." He said. Nowhe was eager to get started. Nothing like a grueling hike in the cold to wake a pony up.

[Pretzelparty]

"Maud," was all she said to this pony in a listless voice, before looking upward at the gate. "Amethysts... The quality of the luster and the depth of the hue reveals them..."

"I wonder what purpose they are made to serve... and how it is they are suspended..." she remarked to no one, as she continued to stare.

The greyish coated earth mare that she'd addressed managed to bring herself to finally speak up. Her voice sounded... dull and enthused, similar to how her own father would speak. The Mare almost tired and bored tone also had hints of how she would sometimes talk to the stuck up ponies at the upper class ponies she had to deal with when attending those parties in Canterlot and Trottingham.

During her travels in Equestria she hadn't met many pony's who shared her father's basic disposition but it seemed this mar had it down to a perfectly awkward art.

"Well It's Nice to meet you, Maud." Said the mare in a calmer register. This pony seemed like one you needed to get to know better to truly understand and that was just what Pressy intended to do with this pony on this trip as well as with everypony (and deer) else. Suddenly Maud glanced upwards to three floating gems above their group, hovering where the arch of the gate should have been. It was a definitely beautiful bit of decor but a bit extravagant for This mare's tastes.

"Hm... It's probably a decor thing, the gems are likely held aloft with some sort of passive enchantment. Possibly some kind of of rechargeable spell that Maintenance ponies need to give a jolt of energy to each night." Even though Maud wasn't asking anypony in Particular, Presteza couldn't help but offer her two cents on a work of art.

Dunder smiled back at the unicorn mare, "Hello, Prestenza. It is good to see you again."

Presteza smiled as Dunder admitted to remembering her,"Likewise, I'm sure!... It's Presteza by the way." This young artsy mare was always happy to hear she'd left an impression on somepony. While Presteza knew fairly little about Dunder blust, she had learned that he had a history with two of her closest friends; Ice Storm and Fire Walker. Fire Walker was friends with Dunder and also dated him in the past. Icy however had also dated Dunder in the past. From how Ice Storm Described her interactions with Dunder in the past she could only conclude that they parted on -very- sour terms, which was a bit odd in Pressy's opinion since Dunder seemed pretty nice initially... but you can't judge a pony by their coat. For now she'd make her own opinions of this stallion based on how he behaved on this Trip.

“*Ahem* May I have your attention from a moment? Again, I don’t need to remind you all of how grateful the Crystal Empire is of everyone who volunteered for this mission. Despite all the hazards you may potentially face, it is... our sincere hope that everyone makes it back. In fact, I have faith that if you six stick and work together like the closest of friends, you will all return! Good luck.”

​

Without warning there was a very familiar sounding voice. Princess Cadence had arrived on the scene to greet the members of the expedition! This was a wonderful surprise, Presteza had obviously known about the backing by Princess Cadence (A fact that when brought up seemed to leave her Friend Pocket looking slightly confused.) but she hadn't predicted that her former model and still ruling monarch of the crystal empire would make an appearance in person.

Deciding to keep up her well mannered air she took a step toward and bowed to The pink alicorn before her,"You honor all greatly with your presence, your highness. Rest assured, We'll return safely with some truly remarkable finds in our care and logs." Presteza's tone of voice and manner of speech were of an impeccable and elegant tone. The young freckled mare had been practicing being more well mannered in front of her clients to show how seriously she could take her work. With both her demeanor and style so thoroughly changed for the sake of the expedition and her artistic endeavors she was wondering if the Princess of the crystal empire would even recognize her.

"My name is Moyokijani, in my tongue that means Green Heart. You are my teammates and will soon enough be my friends so calling me Jani works just fine. It is good to meet you all and I am much looking forward to this adventure!"

"I must say I'm wondering where this adventure will lead us to. It looks as if each of us are suited for our tasks!"

Moyokijani seemed like a nice sort. He was the first she'd ever gotten the chance to work with. Presteza had been met multiple Zebras during her adventures in Unyasi, hay, she'd even enjoyed a couple drinks with one! "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jani! I'm looking forward to this too, If you're our herbalist I think I'll be working a bit closely with you as I draw any botanical finds.",She said with a serene and pleasant smile. Giving her stripe adorned colleague a bow she chuckled,"I trust we'll get along splendidly!"

"Yes, I believe we've met there as well." She smiled. "It's nice to see you again."

"Moyokijani, Change, Dunder Blust, Presteza, and Maud, right? I think that's right... Inform me if I've made any miscalculations."

From what few glance Presteza had seen of brooke during Winter wrap up before everything went crazy she seemed to be a gentle soul as well. From what she'd remembered she recalled a somewhat comical scene of Brooke sneezing and possibly scaring some squirrels. The thought of it made the young freckled mare giggle for a moment, however she decided not to bring it up so as not to embarass this interesting new friend. "I believe ya got the name's right, Miss Brooke. Although the stallion who has yet to say a thing to me's full name is 'Pocket' change. Also I hope you've been doing well since the... incident at the Wrap up in ponyville?"

[Bellosh]

The time of reckoning was nigh. Once the members of the expedition paid their respects to their royal benefactor, they proceeded to embark on their journey westwards. Princess Cadence wondered if perhaps she should have been more upfront about the potential dangers of their mission. That perhaps they’d wander into trouble due to not being adequately briefed on what was out there. But the fact remained that precious little was known about the western frontier’s current condition. It would have to be up to this brave group of volunteers to conduct a more thorough survey.

Even so, Princess Cadence placed supreme confidence in Maud Pie’s trek. Ponies have always been very resilient creatures, especially as a group. The alicorn understood from her teachings that there had hardly ever been a crisis in Equestrian history that wasn’t solved through teamwork and camaraderie. Secure in her knowledge, Cadence gave one last look at the explorers before they disappeared off past the horizon.....

​

*Exit Cadence. May the adventuring fun truly commence*

[RarityDash]

"Well It's Nice to meet you, Maud. Hm... It's probably a decor thing, the gems are likely held aloft with some sort of passive enchantment. Possibly some kind of of rechargeable spell that Maintenance ponies need to give a jolt of energy to each night."

Maud looked up at the only one in the group who had opted to comment on her observations. She gave a small nod. A nod of recognition rather than agreement and continued to stare upward, not looking at this mare, Presteza. She then tilted her head very slightly and closed her eyes.

"A curious hypothesis, but a doubtful one," she said quietly. "If it was purely ornamental, I think sapphires would be used instead, like in the princess' crown..." she commented in a low voice. "I would guess it has to do with how the magic resonates in the amethysts. Pehraps they resonate with the Crystal Heart and help conduct its magic to the edges of the empire." She had seen the Crystal Heart on her previous journey to the Empire. Now that was a curious stone, and one that avoided all classification. Maud was hoping for a chance to study it further upon her return.

"I have little interest in magic..." she said simply before looking downward again and turning around. The princess she saw had departed. There was hardly a reason to stand there in place talking about uninteresting things. There were rocks to find.

Slowly, very slowly, Maud began to walk off away from the west Gate and the Empire without uttering a single word to the others or even giving them further acknowledgement. It was time to get started here. Now that their backer had departed, any time spent there was just time wasted. They had a long trek to manage yet. It was best they began now.

​

[CaptainMcDerp]

"I believe ya got the name's right, Miss Brooke. Although the stallion who has yet to say a thing to me's full name is 'Pocket' change. Also I hope you've been doing well since the... incident at the Wrap up in ponyville?"

Brooke nodded, both to the correction of the stallion's name and the former question. "Yes. Thing's have been acceptable." She chuckled softly. "Though I'm more observant of the sky now."

As the princess departed, Brooke readjusted her standing position, eager to get going. To distract her from her impatience, she watched the interaction between Pesteza and Maud as they exchanged theories regarding the crystal gates. Brooke returned her eyes to the floating amethysts. Curiosity had been provoked since Maud brought her attention to it earlier. And the grey earth mare's hypothesis was certainly and interesting and plausible one.

After explaining her lack of interest in magic, Maud headed off from the west gate at a turtle's pace. After watching the grey mare for a moment, she seemed to be heading straight for the outskirts of the Empire so Brooke could only guess it was time to get going.

She glanced back at the others. "Time for departure, I think."

Brooke followed behind Maud for a few paces before looking to the horizon. At this rate they wouldn't leave the Crystal Empire any time soon. She picked up speed long enough to position herself beside Maud and gazed at the grey pony in bewilderment. "Why are we walking so slowly?"

[RainbowFoxxy]

"Moyokijani, Change, Dunder Blust, Presteza, and Maud, right? I think that's right... Inform me if I've made any miscalculations."

Jani smiled at the doe as she repeated his name.

"Yes, that is correct! Just don't forget you can also call me Jani! I'm sure we will have lots of chances to talk during our travels!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jani! I'm looking forward to this too, If you're our herbalist I think I'll be working a bit closely with you as I draw any botanical finds.""I trust we'll get along splendidly!"

Jani smiled at the pony that had just spoken to him.She seemed quite friendly and he always got along with friendly ponies. Well, almost always.

"Ah, I've always wished to have the talent to draw out the fascinating plants of this world. It seems you have been blessed with that gift Prestenza! Yes, i'm sure we shall have a fine time getting along!"

Soon they were on their way, be it ever so slowly...

"Why are we walking so slowly?"

"Perhaps our leader is giving us a last chance to collect ourselves before we take off in a full sprint?"

Jani smiled at his little jest. He meant it to break the ice and get everypony talking, by no means in an offensive tone.

[tacobob]

"Hrm.", Pocket Change had been lost in thought, but a certain freckled pony had quickly snapped him out of it, "Oh, Sorry Miss Presteza. I tend to get this way before an adventure. Something I haven't had since our little trek through the Everfree Forest and that old castle. Hmmm.", he smiled as he quickly trotted over to his fellow guild member. "It's a shame Moon and Miss Trekker didn't come along, as they're both rather clever when it comes to this sort of thing.", while he was spot on with the green coated Miss Spark, his very special some-pony was still relatively new to the epic adventure game. "Not that long ago, Moon and I decided to fix up our guildhall. We found something interesting in a hidden basement. If time permits, I'll have to tell you all about it.", he said with a wink. It was all a terribly exciting tale, but he would have to leave the more interesting bits out for now.

"I have little interest in magic..." she said simply before looking downward again and turning around. The princess she saw had departed. There was hardly a reason to stand there in place talking about uninteresting things. There were rocks to find.

"Little interest in magic?", if the unicorn had a monocle on, it surely would have popped right out of his outraged eye. After excusing himself, he quickly caught up to the earth pony, "How can you say that? Magic is everywhere and everything. You might lack a horn to channel it directly, but as an earth pony, you too are graced by its gifts. Be it having strength beyond what your own body could provide, and of course the strong connection to both flora and fauna doesn't hurt either. You may not be interested in magical discussion, but you should never underestimate its importance to all of us!"

(Maud response can go here..)

Pocket heard the grumblings from behind, and couldn't help but agree. They were moving awfully slow. Like 'walking with grandma' slow. Maybe the mare had issues with her legs. After quickly looking her over, Pocket decided there was nothing wrong her," Eh, Miss Maud, we might want to pick up the pace if you please, as there's an adventure to be had, and adventures call for galloping, not trotting!"

[Dunder]

Dunder took his place in the back of the group and resisted the shivering. Oh how the cold plagued his body and mind. Bad thoughts had to be pushed away, instead he focused his energy in shivering while they all trotted off. the pace was slower than he'd like. Actually, it was way too slow. He spread his wings and used them to launch off into the air above the group, "What's the hold up? If we don't get moving we will definitely end up regretting it later when our coats get frozen straight off of our bodies. The mountains here are to be respected, and we should do so by giving all due haste to get to them and the rocks." He said over them. Honestly, he just wanted to get to wherever they needed to go because the cold was already gripping him.

The pegasus landed quickly at the back of the group before his wings could cramp up and cause his body and equipment to slam against the ground with all their weight. He didn't have much else to say other than that. He stayed quiet at the back of the group and did his best to trot at the gruelingly slow pace.

[Pretzelparty]

"Hrm. Oh, Sorry Miss Presteza. I tend to get this way before an adventure. Something I haven't had since our little trek through the Everfree Forest and that old castle. Hmmm.", he smiled as he quickly trotted over to his fellow guild member. "It's a shame Moon and Miss Trekker didn't come along, as they're both rather clever when it comes to this sort of thing. Not that long ago, Moon and I decided to fix up our guildhall. We found something interesting in a hidden basement. If time permits, I'll have to tell you all about it."

"No harm done, Sir Change." she said with a polite little smile. "Maybe when we set up camp at the caverns you can find a moment to tell me there." the painter then turned to maud as she gave her thoughts again about the gems above.

"A curious hypothesis, but a doubtful one," she said quietly. "If it was purely ornamental, I think sapphires would be used instead, like in the princess' crown..." she commented in a low voice. "I would guess it has to do with how the magic resonates in the amethysts. Perhaps they resonate with the Crystal Heart and help conduct its magic to the edges of the empire."

"I have little interest in magic..."

​

The painter thought as maud spoke. There were quite a few things this pony in particular had learned about through the fancy education her parent's had subjected to but there were certain subjects she knew little about; because she didn't pay enough attention. One of those subjects in question was how magic effected gems and since the crystal empire had only resurfaced recently any information in her mother's personal library likely would have been shelved due to a lack of relevance to currently proved to have been wrong.

Maud's theory was a very sound one. Presteza was an artist and in no way a true magic expert, you could ask her what year any famous work was painted and she could answer you in a split second. Present her with a paint brush of any type and she could tell you what it was used for and how to use it. Show her a pencil and she could tell you what type of density it's lead was with a single look. The only reason she had an above average insight at conventional magic was due to an upbringing in an old lineage that produced magic users almost exclusively,"A very sound conclusion." she said with a smile at the reticent mare at her side.

After she'd spoken it turned out that Pocket had something to say. He looked almost deeply offended by the grey earth pony's words and looking back it wasn't too hard to understand why; he was a unicorn after all, magic is one of the most prominent aspects of their species. What might have set him off was that his marefriend was actually a student of the princess school for talented unicorns and actually ran her own magic guild which he was a part of.

"Little interest in magic?", if the unicorn had a monocle on, it surely would have popped right out of his outraged eye. After excusing himself, he quickly caught up to the earth pony, "How can you say that? Magic is everywhere and everything. You might lack a horn to channel it directly, but as an earth pony, you too are graced by its gifts. Be it having strength beyond what your own body could provide, and of course the strong connection to both flora and fauna doesn't hurt either. You may not be interested in magical discussion, but you should never underestimate its importance to all of us!"

... his tone could have used some work though. From the way Pocket changes sounded it seemed like he was trying to scold Maud into admitting she was wrong in regards to her own personal tastes. This wasn't something that Presteza was willing to just let happen so she caught herself up to pocket and poked his side hoping to get his attention."Mister Change, May I ask how often you or others think about the very air we breath?" she began, tossing an innocent question his way, "Some ponies think of the magic they wield as just that. Would you think very much about the water in your canteen or about a shovel you used to dig a hole? Magic is like that to some ponies, a tool to make our lives easier and a resource that gives us strength as well as talents. In all honestly I'm not very interested in magic either... I just concentrate on my artwork. I do make use of my levitation whenever i'm painting though... so let Maud have her own tastes, besides we've got caves ta explore!"

While pressy waited until Pocket saw fit to respond, even she noticed they were moving rather slow. She supposed the cave wasn't going anywhere but they probably should get moving as from what she could see some ponies might not have dressed appropriately for the cold trip on the way there.

" Eh, Miss Maud, we might want to pick up the pace if you please, as there's an adventure to be had, and adventures call for galloping, not trotting!"

"Why are we walking so slowly?"

"What's the hold up? If we don't get moving we will definitely end up regretting it later when our coats get frozen straight off of our bodies. The mountains here are to be respected, and we should do so by giving all due haste to get to them and the rocks."

Dunder being one such pony, was already shivering and looking like the cold was taking its toll. Since their cook and personal protects was sure to be a vital part of this trip, Pressy couldn't just let him freeze his plot off! "Dunder..." she began as her horn lit up like a small beacon amongst the snowdrift, "Hold still." Soon the cloak on the painter's back was untied and lifted off her back, engulfed in her magic aura before the stallions back was almost instantly warmed up by the fur lined insides of her cloak. Presteza still had a heavy winter outfit that included her legwarmers and coat as well as her hat so she should be okay for the time being.

MAud as usual seemed unaffected byt the intense cold winds that beat down on her, that mare must have one strong constitution! However for the well being of everypony else, Presteza was going to have to ask her to pick up the pace. "Miss Maud, If it's not too much trouble could you maybe pick up your pace? I think everypony would prefer to get to the cave sooner rather than later."

[RarityDash]

"Little interest in magic? How can you say that? Magic is everywhere and everything. You might lack a horn to channel it directly, but as an earth pony, you too are graced by its gifts. Be it having strength beyond what your own body could provide, and of course the strong connection to both flora and fauna doesn't hurt either. You may not be interested in magical discussion, but you should never underestimate its importance to all of us!"

"Mister Change, May I ask how often you or others think about the very air we breath? Some ponies think of the magic they wield as just that. Would you think very much about the water in your canteen or about a shovel you used to dig a hole? Magic is like that to some ponies, a tool to make our lives easier and a resource that gives us strength as well as talents. In all honestly I'm not very interested in magic either... I just concentrate on my artwork. I do make use of my levitation whenever i'm painting though... so let Maud have her own tastes, besides we've got caves ta explore!"

Maud looked back at the comments from those in her group. She didn't really think much of what the stallion said. They were fairly obvious things really. The mare seemed more able to scratch beneath the surface, though it was hard to say if she was just trying to be friendly or quell potential discord in the group before it started. Maud didn't know and didn't care exactly to postulate. She just kept walkling slowly ahead, not really showing any interest in either of them as she spoke her own views on it.

"It is not that its commonplace but rather that it is fundamentally not interesting," she said blankly. "Magic works in such a way that the effects are apparent to anyone. it is used and it brings a change to the world immediately. Everything is observable. It's simple and there is nothing to say about it. It is just so... boring..."

Maud went then from walking at a crawl to stopping. She unearthed a medium sized sedimentary rock and brought it up into view. "This rock is ordinary--commonplace--too, but the history of it is so rich and beautiful. Just looking at it you can see a millenia of slow, deliberate movements of the earth that could not have been predicted. Sediments, collected by the blizzard winds, carried by great glaciers, broken off from older rocks, and finally pressed into something wholly unique that exists for us to see..." She closed her eyes and put the rock down. "Isn't that more interesting than simple magic?"

Satisfied with her carefully chosen words, Maud began to walk slowly ahead again, but soon almost everypony in the group started to speak up about the pace at which they were going. Maud gave a small sigh, but she had to admit that they were probably right in this case. She preferred to travel at a safe and steady pace wherever she went, but as they were getting further and further from the warmth of the Crystal Empire and its magic, it was becoming increasingly clear that for survival, moving faster would be advisable. They were not rocks, after all. They could not survive ages spent out in the cold. If Maud was to get to the cavern she would need to walk a little faster.

"No one ever said you all had to keep pace with me," she said in a low drone. "But it is true that moving faster would be advisable in this case to avoid being buried in the snow..."

Maud started to move at a more steady trot. It was quite short of a canter, but it was much faster than the snail's crawl she was proceeding at before. She wasn't sure why they were turning to her to set the pace of the group, but if she was going to, she was going to keep them paced. The worst thing they could do was push themselves too hard and end up injured or exhausted in the snowy wilderness. Just looking at the ponies there, she was quite sure few of them had anywhere near approaching her reserves of physical strength. Of course, she didn't feel too strongly about what happened to them, she supposed. Everypony there knew what they were getting into and the danger. All the same, if there was something she could do to keep someone else safe, she was not so cold as to not do it.

And so the earth pony continued forward with the others out into the snowy arctic landscape. All was white with snow cover and the icy winds howled and cut into the ponies where they were uncovered. It was not going to be easy to reach the cavern, that much was clear, even as the expedition was only just beginning.

​

[RainbowFoxxy]

At least they were moving more quickly now. Jani had actually found Maud's observations on the simple rock to be fascinating but the cold had kept more of the zebra's attention. He reached around and pulled a cloak out of one of his traveling bags and tossed it over his shoulders. The cloak plus picking up the pace did a good job of making him feel warmer.

Around him other members of the group were talking with each other. He watched as Presteza gave a warm covering to Dunder. The zebra smiled, he enjoyed to see the kindness ponies were sometimes able to display towards one another. He felt that would be greatly needed during their adventure together. The winds were cold and with the snow the going would be tough.

Jani dropped back until he had come along side Dunder. He seemed a nice enough stallion.

"Have you been in cold weather like this many times Dunder? Tonight I will make tea for the group if we can get a fire going. It is a special blend, designed to keep ponies warm on the coldest of nights."

[CaptainMcDerp]

The wind was unforgiving as they headed for the wilderness ahead. thankfully, her winter coat blocked the icy winds like a charm. Dunder however, didn't seem so lucky though. He shivered like it was nopony's business. Presteza seemed to noticed his plight and lent him her coat.

Brooke glanced onwards and squinted as if she could see through the white void before them. Her ear angled towards Maud while she and Presteza continued their debate on rocks vs. magic. Surprisingly, the grey mare's words on the subject made really good points. So good in fact, that she found herself very interested in rocks suddenly.

The further out they went, the more severe the conditions became. It reminded Brooke of the freak storm that hit during Winter Wrap Up. Thankfully she came prepared this time around. Despite it's harshness, there was something about the snowy and windy expanse of scenery she was fond of. Perhaps it was the drastic change of atmosphere compared to anywhere else. Or maybe is was the pure white sheets of snow that blanketed the landscape like icing on a cake.

Moyokijani addressed Dunder, speaking of a tea he planned to make that would keep everyone warm at night. It sounded interesting no doubt and quite familiar. "I'd certainly look forward to that." She piped in with a small shiver.

She took a quick gander at the team to see how everyone was holding up. They seemed good so far, but things haven't even begun just yet. How much longer until they reach the caverns, she wondered?

[tacobob]

Pocket Change was not normally a cranky sort of a pony. Maybe all this slow walking or the poor weather was starting to get to him. “I would consider wind to be worthy of discussion as it not only moves around the very oxygen that we breathe, it's also needed to carry pollen so plants may reproduce. Without that, there is no life. Magically, it's also very important because it's of the elements of magic, along with fire, water and earth.”, the stallion spoke rather bluntly to Presteza. The unicorn couldn't help but feel a little silly getting involved in such a conversation when the wind itself was slapping him in the face. He felt little cold as the jacket he wore was not only thick, it was also protected by a permanent comfort spell, which made it the perfect gear for any harsh weather. Still, it did not keep him protected from the blasted wind itself! Maybe he should have brought goggles.

"Your rock is nice Miss Maud, for ten bits, we could buy a tumbler for it and make it even prettier. But I'd rather control the very winds themselves to make my own density as opposed to just standing there and letting the elements make me into what they want me to be. Magic permits you to control reality itself, and I just find it utterly fascinating one can harness the very life-force of the universe and control it in a way to make things better for pony-kind. You don't, but I guess that's life.", he shrugged his shoulders as they continued to trudge along. Thankfully their team-leader got the point and picked up her pace.

Still, something else was starting to bother the pony. They did not take a moment to plan a thing. They just got their orders and trudged of into the wild. He silently hoped the melancholy mare knew what she was doing. There would be only two outcomes to this, they would find the caverns or they'd wander around in the crazy weather until they ended up eating each other. Hurrah for the life of an adventurer!

[Dunder]

When Dunder heard his name being called by the familiar voice of Pressy, he didn't speak. Instead he just stopped trotting and turned to see her horn and cloak be wrapped in her telekinetic magic. "Wha...?" He was confused by the sight, but when the jacket floated in the air towards him it became clear. When the cloak rested on his back and enveloped him in its warmed embrace, his shivering halted immediately. He looked at the white fur lining and felt it with a cheek. "Thank you, Pressy." He said then paused, "But when it gets colder you are getting this back. I can't have you freezing your tail off." He said and grinned.

He listened to the Zebra's words as he spoke, "Hmmmmm... Tea you say? I was never really one much for tea but something warm in this weather is a good idea. We're going to be warming our water before we drink it anyway, we might as well flavor it." He said. "And we are going to get a fire going, anything other than that would almost certainly demand a full retreat from the mountains...or worse." He said, a grave look on his face. "But that's nothing to worry about. I've survived far worse, we'll be fine."

He then leaned to the left to look past the group and toward Maud. "Hey! Maud, how far are we going anyway. I'm sorry, but the briefing wasn't really much of a briefing, but as long as you know where we are going..."