The Alicorn and the Last Human.

"Another colony?" Nyx asked in surprise. "But, I thought Ryder's colony was the only one left in existence and he was the only surviving human left. Where did Celestia find this other colony?" she asked, trying to process this new info.

“Actually… Ryder’s colony wasn’t the only one. After you showed us the map from his bags, Twilight and I came to a theory that Ryder was looking for other humans in other colonies that were hidden in the lands of Equestria. So the possibility that there’s more than one colony is about 50-50. And now our theory is proven right.” Sunset explained.

“And also, Tempest was the one who made the discovery. Her report to Celestia stated that she traced, what she described as, a small group of humans walking along the ridges of the Crystal Mountains in the Frozen North. However, she lost track of them when they ventured deep into the mountains, and the snowstorms covered their tracks. However, it gives slight hope that there is a thriving colony in the Crystal Mountains… hidden from Equestria and the Crystal Empire for many years.” Twilight stated.

"That's… amazing. I guess humans are more vigilant than I thought if they can avoid complete extinction like that. Does this mean we're gonna travel to these surviving colonies? Maybe it'll give Ryder some hope," Nyx responded.

As soon as she said that, Twilight and Sunset soon held concerned expressions on their faces while turning away from and glancing at each other for a brief moment. After a pause of silence, the two alicorn headmistresses turn back to face Nyx and inform her of what is on their minds.

“Well… That is what we planned… and what Celestia urged us to do immediately.” Twilight said with a worried tone.

“Wh-why is that?” Nyx asked in confusion about her mother’s tone.

“Because when the report got to Canterlot, most of the royal council wished to track down the human colony and eradicate it, fearing that the humans would pose a threat,” Sunset explained.

"What?! They wanna kill the humans?!" Nyx asked in shock, but then got an angry look on her face as she slammed her fist down on the desk, but not too hard. "Those assholes have no right passing early judgment!”

“Nyx, calm down!” Sunset urged her niece to not be overdramatic.

“Besides, half of the council believes that such actions are unnecessary. Since they’re aware of humans being an endangered race. Thus, this is why Celestia is informing us of this before the council could make its final decision.” Twilight explained more.

Nyx nodded, understanding the situation some more. "Then you don't have to ask me twice, just tell me when we leave and I'll tag along."

“Well, we have to call everyone for the expedition. Plus I received word that Shining, Cadence, and Tempest, along with a single Royal Guard will accompany us to the Crystal Mountains.” Sunset reminded Nyx.

"Uh… please tell me this Royal Guard isn't Flash Sentry," Nyx said, feeling hesitant a bit.

“I would hope not. Plus Sunset and I are still waiting on that restraining order we demanded a month ago.” Twilight responded.

"Agreed. It's bad enough he tried flirting with us, but tried spiking our drinks? That's a step too far, if you ask me," Sunset said, disgustingly. “Though the silver lining was that Inferno landed him in the hospital after that.” She chuckled. “Kicked him… 20 times in the… HAHAHA!!” She soon uncontrollably laughed after that.

"I should've brought some popcorn to see that," Nyx laughed with her aunt.

“Ok, ok, girls. Let’s get serious for a moment. Anyway, after school hours have ended, I’ll inform the girls and the boys about our mission. And then we’ll regroup back at the castle before nightfall comes.” Twilight stated. “In the meantime, Nyx, you are dismissed and you may return to class.” She added.

"Right. Thanks for telling me, mom." Nyx said before leaving the office. As the doors closed and Nyx was out of sight, Sunset looked to Twilight.

"Do you think we should include Ryder on our trip as well? I mean, he has been searching for other human colonies all by himself," Sunset asked.

“I believe that is a wise choice. If there is a possibility that these humans may have come into contact with Equestrians in the previous years. Then it’s likely they’ll be extremely defensive and cautious.” the lavender alicorn replied. “Thus, it would be best if we had a human that would serve as a way to convince them that we’re friendly.”

"Then, after school, we'll tell Nyx to bring Ryder for the journey. After all… he deserves to know," Sunset nodded.

“That he does.” Twilight agreed.

Meanwhile, back at the Friendship Palace, Ryder is wandering the hallways of the castle, bored and observing his surroundings. He was unsure of what to do now that he was alone. There wasn't much to do around a massive place such as this.

As he was walking, he soon came across the doors to the castle library. He stopped in front of it and stared at the doors with curiosity. Thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to do a bit of reading, Ryder opened the doors and entered the library. Once inside, his eyes wandered around, finding shelves upon endlessly stocked shelves of books. More than even a normal library could keep, at least from what he's heard.

After taking in his surroundings, Ryder then decided to grab a book, or two, or three. And sat down comfortably on one of the sofa chairs in the library and began his reading. While he's reading, the doors open up again. This time, it's Rainbow Dash who enters the library, still dressed in her maid outfit with a cute feather duster to go along with it. She was still looking as unhappy as she was when she was forced to wear her stupid outfit.

She mumbled quietly to herself, her cheeks puffed up and pouty as she wandered towards one of the shelves and started dusting them. She stopped once or twice to pull down her short shirt; which annoyingly hugs tightly and barely conceals her posterior. Making her feel flustered and exposed.

‘Why was I born with a fat ass?! I thought this was just Pinkie, Fluttershy, and AJ’s thing?!’ She screamed in her head. While she was cleaning the bookshelves, Ryder did his best not to look in Rainbow's direction, not wanting to seem like a pervert. Focusing more on his reading.

It worked for a while, and the two paid no heed of the other’s presence in the library. However, fate decides otherwise. As Rainbow decided to fly up towards the higher shelves to dust them. As she flew higher up, Ryder took his chances to go and get another book to read. He climbed up one of the ladders and reached the fifth shelf to see what he could find that would peak his interests a little.

Rainbow Dash continued her duties, trying to tidy up the library, groaning from boredom. "Could this day possibly get any worse?" she asked herself.

As she said this, Ryder was reaching out for a book on the 5th shelf when all of a sudden the ladder he was using began to give and crack. Before breaking and tumbling towards the floor, with the human falling as well.

Luckily for him, Rainbow Dash heard this commotion and spots Ryder falling to the ground. In a quick flash, she zoomed straight towards the human and caught him while he was in mid-fall at great speed. However, the two of them wound up getting showered with books and fall to the floor, buried under mountains of books.

Rainbow let out a groan and popped out of the mountain of books, rubbing the back of her head and wincing in pain. "Damn it, that hurts!" she said. She gasped in the realization that Ryder was still trapped underneath. But she didn't have to worry as his head popped out from underneath and hit something soft that made Rainbow jolt.

Because when he popped out from the book pile, Ryder’s head was found nestled in between Rainbow’s DDD-cup breasts. As if he wasn't curious enough to know where he was, his hands trailed off to feel what was blinding him. His face then flushed rose-red after realizing what he was touching… and hearing Rainbow moan. Right after discovering the truth, he fell forward and fainted.

Once the human fainted, Rainbow Dash looked down at his unconscious form and of course, she was blushing madly from what had just happened. Not to mention, how… good it felt when he… ‘NO! No! Don’t think these thoughts, Dash! This is Nyx’s potential boy toy here. I should not be having these thoughts.’ She thought in her mind as she was covering both her breasts with both her hands. As she did this, her hands slowly squeezed her girls, causing her to moan a little before she took her other hand and slapped away the other. “Seriously, Dash! Get a hold of yourself!” She muttered angrily.

Knowing that she needs to put Ryder in a comfortable place, she looks over to a nearby couch and she instantly gets the idea. Without hesitation, she lifts the human up in her arms; with his head resting upon her breasts, which makes it awkward. Then as carefully as she could, she carried him over to the couch and laid him down.

After taking care of that, she looks down at her nude figure and then searches for the stupid maid outfit to cover herself. However, after zig-zagging across the library and searching through several book piles; she could not find the stupid outfit. So she had to improvise. She looks over to a couple of silk banners hanging on the walls. She rushed over to them, pulled one of the banners down, and in a quick spin, she covered herself with the silk rags of the banner; forming it into a makeshift dress.

“Well… this will work. No way in Tartarus, am I putting that damn maid dress back on.” Rainbow stated to herself. Now having some… somewhat suitable clothes on, so to speak, Rainbow went back to work on getting the library cleaned up. She'd rather not invoke the wrath of Twilight when she comes home to a messy library.

After an hour or two, Ryder awoke from his faint form earlier. Rubbing the side of his head, since he felt like he hit his head. And as he was sitting up on the couch he was laid upon… wait couch? As he soon became aware that he was moved and what happened earlier, Ryder jolted his head up, only to see the library clean and no mess in sight.

Believing that he may have dreamed the situation, the human let out a quiet sigh before her turn to his left, and to his surprise, he saw Rainbow sitting next to him, wearing the makeshift dress she made; which shocked back the memory and proved to him that it was not a dream.

Ryder was startled and nearly jumped a little when he looked at the rainbow-maned mare next to him. His facial expression and heavy breathing were clear signs of his anxiety.

“Whoa, hey. Calm down, Ryder. Don’t go having a heart attack, or Nyx would murder me for it.” Rainbow tries to calm the human down. Ryder tried to speak to Rainbow Dash via sign language, but she wasn't able to understand what he was saying.

It took him a while to realize this, and so he reached out for a blank parchment lying on the floor and he grabbed a pencil nearby. Soon he began writing down on the parchment and then he showed it to Dash.

The letter said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to touch you like that, I just wanted to know what was blocking my eyes. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable."

Rainbow read the letter, word for word before she glanced back at Ryder with a calm expression. “Eh, it’s no problem at all, Ryder. It was an accident that just happened after I had awesomely saved your life from going splat on the ground. So we’re cool.” She responded while boasting her chest up while feeling prideful. But that soon changed when she put on an anxious and fearful tone. “Let’s just not tell Twilight or Nyx about this. Cause Twi will kill me if I trashed her library.” She asked.

Of course, Ryder nodded before writing another letter and handing it to her. It wrote, "This will be our little secret."

Rainbow lets out a sigh of relief to see that Ryder agreed to stay quiet about this. “Thank you, Ryder. That means a lot.” She replied before she had a sheepish and flustered expression on her face. “Just one more question I like to ask. Did you… like my boobs?” She asked anxiously.

And of course, Ryder was taken back by this and remained silent… well, more than he already is. This reaction confused and displeased Rainbow, up to the point where she got up from the couch and then she pulled off her makeshift dress; exposing her naked body.

“C'mon! I need an honest answer! JUST TELL ME!” She shouted out of desperation. And yes, you could say that Rainbow, back in the day, had a troublesome time finding a stallion to hand onto, since they always go for her friends and not her. So yeah, she is desperate.

Ryder just couldn't write anything, so with a flushed face, he nodded. Rainbow blushed, feeling flattered that her breasts felt good to Ryder. "T-That's… actually good to hear. I was kinda feeling worried I wasn't good enough," she said as she placed back on her makeshift dress.

And when she faced him again, she could see that he fainted once again. Seeing that her little stunt had the human knocked out, Rainbow put on a smile in disbelief before she quietly and sneakily, placed a pillow underneath his head so he could rest comfortably.

After that, she walks away from the couch, grabs her feather duster, and goes off to complete her other tasks.

With Rainbow getting back to work and Ryder snoozing from almost reaching cloud 9, the School of Friendship was about to end its current classes. In one particular class, Twilight's daughter, Blazing Sparkle, had finished her school work and was receiving praise from some of her classmates.

She just smiled and waved, feeling touched once again for the praise she’s receiving. She receives it every single day. And does she get tired of it? Well kinda. But she’s a very humble and social pony, so it’s best not to say and just smile and wave.

However, her younger brother, Burning Sparkle, wasn't having any of it. While he was nearly finished with his schoolwork, he didn't get any praise for it. Looking over at his sister, his heart grew bitter and cold. It's as if his work didn't matter to anyone. The frustrated young unicorn clenched his fist so hard, he almost drew his blood.

By the time the bell finally rang, Burning jolted out of his seat and turned in his assignment before storming out of the classroom. Blazing got worried and excused herself from her friends and chased after her brother.

It was difficult following him through the crowded hallway, nearly almost losing track of him twice. But sooner or later, she finally caught up to him and called out for him to stop.

Eventually, he did and turned to his sister with a frustrated look. "What do you want? Come to rub it in?" Burning called out, glaring daggers at her.

Blazing stared back at him with confusion as she was catching her breath for a bit. “W-What are you talking about?” She responded.

"You, Blazing Sparkle, my sister, top of her classes in every subject. I have loads of friends who worship you for your hard work. But where does that leave me, HUH?! NOWHERE!!! I have been busting my flanks since day one when I first enrolled into this school and not ONCE was I recognized, even when I was 2nd to you! I'm sick and tired of being in your shadow, sis! Things will change around here! Even if I have to do it alone! YOU HEAR ME?!" he yelled while trying to hold back the tears.

The commotion from these two siblings got the attention of their classmates. Everyone who had left their classes heard every word he just spat out.

"So… all this time, you've been avoiding me because… you were being overlooked? Why didn't you tell me about this? I could've helped you," Blazing tried to reason.

"I don't need your help! What I NEED is to step out from under your shadow and one day surpass you so I can show ALL OF THESE CREATURES that my name… and my efforts mean something in this entire school!" Burning exclaimed angrily.

Of course, everypony was intimidated by Burning’s aggressive cries; although the non-pony students didn’t feel happy about being referred to as creatures; like they aren’t equal to ponies.

"Burning, listen! I get now why you're upset, but don't take your anger out on them. If you do, you'll just isolate yourself some more just like mom used to when she was younger. You know I'd never want to purposely hurt my flesh and blood." Blazing tried to reason.

"Except you already did! And worst of all, now I gotta keep working on my own… just like I have from the day I was born," Burning said, still upset but a little calmer, and then turned to walk away, shedding what few tears he had from his eyes.

Feeling so much emotion in her, Blazing can’t help but respond. “I WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE FOR YOU!!!!” She shouted towards her sibling, which made him stop, but didn’t turn around. “I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THERE FOR YOU!!! YOU’RE MY BROTHER!!! MY FAMILY!!! AND YET YOU NEVER TOLD ME!!! YOU NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT YOUR PAIN!!! AND INSTEAD, YOU KEPT IT TO YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO BLAME ON EVERYPONY! OUR FAMILY! AND IT ONLY HURTS YOU MORE!!” She cried tearfully. “And now… you also hurt me as well.” She stated. “SORRY THAT I FAILED YOU!!!” She shouted for a final time before walking away, or better yet, running away.

Burning stayed where he was, quivering and fighting back his tears, but it was all in vain. Dropping to his knees, Burning slammed his fists into the ground. "Damn it…" he said quietly. "DAMN IT ALLLLLLL!!!!" he shouted as his magic exploded in a flash of bright lights before he teleported out of sight.

The day goes by so fast, and sooner than later, the school has now finished up its hours and all the students return to their homes. And of course, Twilight, Sunset, and Nyx sent out messages to their friends for a huge meeting in regards to their new mission.

About hours later, everypony arrived at the Castle of Friendship before the sun began to set. Twilight, Sunset, and Nyx all gathered the girls into the map room to further discuss their mission and explain to them the severity of the situation.

“So… there is a thriving human colony up in the Frozen North?” Rarity asked.

"Yes, and Princess Celestia has asked us to look into this human colony as soon as possible before the council orders an attack on them. And on top of that, we'll also need to bring along Ryder for the trip," Sunset explained.

“Well, we need supplies as well, cause it’s a long hike up in the Crystal Mountains,” Inferno commented.

"Not ta worry. I've managed to bring a few apples with me in case the mission would be too long," Applejack said, showing the basket of apples in her hands.

"Luckily, my extra poofy mane can keep plenty of sweets nice and fresh! Oop!" Pinkie said before pulling out some cupcakes. "Cupcakes, anyone?"

“I even designed our winter wear, so that we won’t suffer the harsh cold.” Rarity informed while grabbing a fashion line of winter coats and accessories from out of nowhere.

"Good call, Rarity. So, I'm assuming we're taking the train up North?" Rainbow asked. "I doubt we're gonna get there fast enough on hoof."

“Well, that’s the only option, Rainbow. The cold storms of the Frozen North are nearly impossible to navigate through. Plus, after hearing a few reports, the storms that surround the Crystal Empire and cover the entire north have been stated to make teleporting there impossible… even for alicorns.” Sunset stated.

“I would know,” Inferno commented. “I tried it once… only to end up in Yakyakastan,” he added.

“So taking the train is the only option. Plus it would give us the time to prepare for our introduction to the human colony.” Twilight pointed out.

“That would make a lotta sense,” AJ replied. “Especially when we don’t know if ‘em humans are friendly to ponies or not.”

"Which is why we're also planning on bringing Ryder along with us. They might not be friendly towards Equestrians, but maybe they'll be more at ease if they speak with Ryder." Nyx said.

"Good point. Who knows how they'd react if they saw all of us," Fluttershy said.

“But I think the bigger question is if the humans in this colony would accept Ryder? Since he’s not a part of their colony.” Inferno commented. “While it does sound like a good plan, we just can't be sure of one thing and expect it to go according to plan,” he stated.

"Good point. Then we'll have to be ready to defend him if they try to get hostile with him while explaining our reasons for being there." Twilight said.

“Oh, he’ll be fine. It's us I’m worried about.” Heat replied

"You forget that a few of us have magical abilities that can help protect us. Don't worry, Heat. We'll all be fine," Twilight reassured her husband.

“But we don’t want to attack the humans, even if it is in defense. It’ll only further their distrust. We just need to appease them.” Nyx responded. “We hear them out, and we do not say otherwise,” she added.

"Nyx, I never said we'd hurt them, we'll just shield ourselves if they attack us," Twilight said.

But of course, Nyx slams her fist on the table in response. “That still doesn’t prove anything!” She exclaimed. Which had everyone shocked.

“Ok, ok, Nyx. If humans do act aggressively towards us… We’ll just leave them alone.” Inferno responded. “No magic shield, no spells, no defensive spells; we’ll just walk away and re-plan.” He stated.

“Good. That’s what I want to hear,” Nyx replied. In her mind, the reason she would go against what her parents or everypony said, was because she didn’t care about being cautious in this mission. But rather, she cared for Ryder. And how he would feel if they would fail to make good impressions and ruin his chance of rejoining his kind again. They cannot afford to screw this up.

“Maybe Nyx does have a point. Even if we are using magic shields, the humans would take this as a sign of threat… or anything else. So if our first attempt doesn’t work, we’ll retreat to the Crystal Empire in peace, and come up with a better plan.” Sunset stated. “And for our sake… let’s hope our first attempt works.”

“Alright, the train for the Crystal Empire arrives here in 2 hours. That gives us enough time to gather up more supplies, winter gear, and all the essentials for the trip. So we’ll spread out and complete our list. Then we’ll all meet up at the train station 1½ hour later. Agreed?” Twilight stated. In response, everyone in the room nodded their heads in agreement. “Okay then. Meeting adjourned.” And just that, the meeting ended.

A short while after the meeting had ended, the front doors to the castle burst open, and Blazing Sparkle came running in, crying uncontrollably. She ran as fast as she could, even going past her mother as she was coming out of the Map room. Before she could ask her daughter what was wrong, she ran into her room and slammed the door shut.

"Blazing? Honey?" Twilight called out as she went to her daughter's bedroom door. "Honey, is everything okay?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

Twilight waited for a reply from her daughter, but she heard no reply at all. And Blazing did not emerge from her room after she entered. Twilight knocked on her door. "Blazing, mind if I come in, honey? If you want, we can talk."

She could hear Blazing sniffling and then, "...Go ahead," she whimpered. Twilight went ahead and walked inside the room and closed the door behind her. Twilight then went and sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, then gently rubbed Blazing's head.

"There there, Blazing. Now tell me what's troubling you," Twilight said in a motherly tone.

Blazing Sparkle took a few deep breaths and looked over to her mom. "I… I always thought I… I was a good friend to… to everyone… and a good sister, but… apparently not. My… My brother got mad because… he feels like I'm always beating him at everything! Says my friends keep on overlooking him and it's all because of me!" she wept.

"He… did what?" Twilight asked in shock. "Why didn't he just come out and talk to me and your dad about this issue? We could've saved him the trouble," she said.

"Mom… remember the scoreboards after every exam?" Blazing asked while she wept.

"Yeah, you and Burning are at the top in every exam, why?" Twilight asked.

"Well… it doesn't matter if Burning's at the #2 spot, he doesn't get the proper praise he deserves, and… I feel like I failed him as a sister for not… showing him how much of a success he already is! That's why he blew up in my face!" she finally sobbed some more, burying her face in her pillow.

Twilight was now riddled with multiple emotions right now. She was sad that her daughter felt like a failure as a sibling but upset that her own son would go so far as to pin the blame on her and make her cry. But also… she felt guilty that she didn't see her own son's pain either, especially since he constantly felt like he needed to prove himself that he was the best.

"I understand, honey. But listen, it's not your fault. If anything, it's my fault for not seeing the struggle he was going through and talking things over. But listen, I'm going to talk with your brother and see if we can resolve this matter. The last thing I want is more bad blood between my children," Twilight said. "Now, come here and give me a hug."

And without comment, Blazing reached her arms forward and hugged her mother in a warm and tight embrace. Blazing's sobbing quieted down a little while feeling the soothing warmth of her mother's arms around her.

The two held each other in a warm embrace for a little while longer until Twilight let go and Blazing laid down on her bed, sighing.

"Mom," Blazing said. "Please don't be too hard on him. I know what he did was wrong, but… he has worked hard. I just want Burning to be happy."

\"I'll see what I can do, sweetie. You just take this time to calm down, okay?" Twilight asked.

"I will… and thanks, mom," Blazing replied.

"I love you, sweetie."

"I love you too, mom."

Twilight gave her a warm smile and then left her daughter's room and closed the door behind her. Leaving her daughter to have time to calm her emotions.

1 1/2 hour later; Ponyville Train Station.

Once they gathered the essentials and gear needed for the expedition, Twilight and her friends were meeting up together at the train station, waiting for the train to arrive. Nyx and Ryder also tagged along, with the human wearing a concealing cloak so they could sneak him through town without being spotted. Everyone had their tickets ready as well. Eternal, Heat, and Inferno were there to see them off.

"All set and ready to go. But are you sure the school will be fine without us?" Nyx asked.

"Not to worry, we'll hold down the fort while you're gone, no big deal," Heat assured.

"Okay, and honey… Can you be sure to talk to Burning while I'm away?" Twilight asked.

"I got a better idea, we'll talk about the issue together as a family when you get back. I'll talk to him a little bit and give him some comfort in the meantime," Heat said.

“Look you gals got nothing to worry about. We’ll ensure everything doesn’t burn down while you’re gone… Again.” Inferno muttered silently on the last part.

“What?” Twilight responded in confusion.

“Nothing!” Inferno replied.

And just before a conversation started, the train for the Crystal Empire arrived on time. Soon the doors into the train opened and out came the train conductor.

“ALL ABOARD FOR THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!!!” He called out to anypony at the station.

Knowing it was time to go, the girls, Nyx, and Ryder said their farewells to three stallions before they made their departure.

"Get back home safely, okay?" Eternal said.

"Say hello to Flurry for me," Heat added.

“Hey, give my love to Tempest for me,” Inferno asked.

"We will. Bye," Twilight waved as she and her friends all boarded the train. Within the next minute, the train finally departed to the Crystal Empire and the stallions then went back over to the castle.

2 hours later, 400 miles from Crystal Empire.

The train ride was calm and quiet all the way to the Crystal Empire. With the mane 7, Nyx and Ryder riding in their private first-class train car due to Twilight’s status as next-in-line for the ruler of Equestria… plus it was gratefully assigned to them by her brother and sister-in-law.

“My, this is simply divine! The first time one of our adventures includes us riding first class.” Rarity commented.

"Ah’ never thought we'd be ridin' 1st class, this is actually kinda nice," Applejack said in surprise, lounging peacefully in her seat.

“But riding first class is even more fun when you’re also enjoying some yummy food!” Pinkie cheerfully stated while popping a cupcake in her mouth and enjoying the sweet taste of it.

"Pinkie, you always know how to make things fun when you're being your cute, loveable self," Nyx giggled. Pinkie squeed with a big, cute smile while her cheeks were still filled with cupcakes and covered in frosting.

"As usual, Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie," Fluttershy giggled. "Still, 1st class? I've never ridden 1st class before in my whole life."

"Neither have I. I could get used to this lifestyle. It's about time we got the proper recognition we deserve, right girls?" Rainbow asked, acting laid back.

"Maybe Celes-- er mom finally put in a good word about all of our tremendous deeds over the past few years," Sunset said.

“Sunset, I believe our good deeds have always been well known in Equestria.” Rarity stated.

"And yet, the previous times, we never rode 1st class. I bet Cadence and Shining ride 1st class when they travel to and from home," Rainbow added.

As everypony was having a pleasant conversation, Ryder kept to himself on the trains while looking out the window of the train car and seeing the land that they’re passing by.

"Bit for your thoughts," Nyx said, sitting next to Ryder.

Ryder turned to her and looked at her in confusion, not quite sure of what she meant. He then signs in reply saying. “What?”

"Let me rephrase that. What's on your mind?" Nyx asked.

Ryder’s confused expression changed to one of realization before signing in reply. “Just… thinking… about… what awaits… at the frozen mountains,” he said.

"Trust me, Ryder. What awaits there is something that might put you at ease." Nyx assured. "Remember the map you had on you?"

Ryder nodded in reply.

"Well, let's just say a few friends of mine did some research and may have possibly found… a living human colony," Nyx whispered in the last part.

Ryder is silent… well more so than he already is. Then he signs in reply, though his response surprised Nyx.

“I know… I overheard… your talk… outside of… the throne room.” He signed. “You ponies… are… bad… at having… private discussions,” he added

"Uh, heh… I see. We wanted it to be a surprise, but I guess that was pointless. Either way, now you know. We finally found a living civilization, does that make you joyful?”

“It does… I’m happy... to know… that there are… more humans… alive.” Ryder responded. “Though… I fear… for you guys.”

Nyx was a bit confused about his statement. “Why is that?” She asked.

Then that's when Ryder bore a fearful expression. “While... my people... would… accept me. Though I… doubt that… they’ll be friendly… to ponies. Especially… after… you know.” He explained this through sign language.

Nyx could understand his fears. He was worried for their safety. "I know what you mean. This is why we're taking precautions for when we finally do meet them. And I promise that we won’t do anything that will provoke them more.” She said,

Ryder was still uncertain of her answer, but he trusts Nyx deeply and so he had to trust her promise. And so he replied with a; “I hope so.”

And so, later on, the train finally came to a complete stop at the station outside the kingdom of the Crystal Empire. The doors opened up and the group all got up and left 1st class. Ryder had to wear his hooded cloak again to hide his looks from the inhabitants of the Crystal Empire.

Like the good friend she always is, Nyx stood by his side as she and everyone else made their way through the city and over to the large castle up ahead.

As they were walking, Ryder’s eyes observed his surroundings and was amazed by the majestic outlook of the Crystal Empire. Everything was so shiny, clean, and prosperous. Even the locals were brimming the same aura. Or, more preferably, they looked like they were made of crystals.

It didn't take long for the majority of the crystal ponies to wave at the girls, welcoming them. The girls waved back happily, thanking everyone for their warm welcome. Ryder mostly kept to himself, not wanting the locals to see what he looks like.

Soon the group arrived at the Crystal Palace. And in Ryder’s mind… he was shocked to see the massive scale of this place. Heck, this would likely give the skyscrapers that his kind built long ago, a run for their money. The human was frozen in place as he stared up at the towering, crystal structure. Nyx noticed Ryder’s stunned reaction and she appeared by his side while looking up at the structure as well.

"It's big, isn't it?" Nyx spoke to him.

"That's what she said," Rainbow whispered to AJ. The farm girl rolled her eyes at Rainbow’s dirty statement.

"So, do we head inside and meet up with Shining and Cadence or do we wait for them to come to us?" Fluttershy asked.

Before Twilight could answer, the mares and the disguised human could hear a familiar voice calling to them.

“Actually Fluttershy, we planned to meet you all at the station.” The voice said. Causing all of them to turn around and to be greeted by Cadence and Shining approaching them. “But I guess we don’t have to,” Cadence added.

"Cadence! Shining!" Twilight called out happily. She came up to her sister-in-law, as did Cadence, and right away.

"Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hands and do a little shake!" Twilight and Cadence sang before laughing. The others found it so adorable that they haven't stopped the usual greeting. Nyx was hoping her mom would outgrow the silly dance.

"Uncle Shining, do they always have to do this?" Nyx asked.

“Hey, you tell me,” Shining replied with a smile while shrugging his shoulders. "So, Twily, it's really nice to see you and your friends again. How's your husband and kids doing?" he turned to his sister.

"Well… they're earning good grades in school, but… they're kinda going through a sibling squabble right now," Twilight said. "How's Flurry doing? Is she still causing trouble like she did when she was a baby?"

"Trust me, she can be a real headache sometimes, but she's learning to tone it down a little. Typical rebellious teen phase," Shining said.

"That's good to hear. Oh, that reminds me! Shining, Cadence, I want to introduce you guys to my new friend." Nyx said, bringing Ryder up front, close enough to show them his face. “Say hello to Ryder.”

Ryder was a bit shy towards the royal couple and merely waved in a friendly manner.

"Oh, so this is the human I've heard so much about," Cadence said, intrigued. "Pleased to meet you, Ryder. I'm Princess Cadence." she offers out her hand for a handshake.

As nervous as he is, Ryder was a bit hesitant to shake Cadence’s hand. But Nyx was there beside him to let him know that the couple meant no harm. And with every courage he had, he reached his hand out and shook Cadence’s hand… with his hand shaking a bit due to his anxiety.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you," Cadence assured. "He sure is a shy one, Nyx."

"Well, it's a long story, but… We’ll explain it to you later.” Nyx replied.

“Well then, best we hear it back at the palace,” Shining stated as he and Cadence led the group towards the Crystal Palace.

And as they walk, they are accompanied by members of the Crystal Guard as their escorts into the palace. And their presence made Ryder all the more uncomfortable and adjusting his hood to hide his face even more.

Soon after, the group had entered the palace, with the Ryder admiring and awed by its architecture and beauty. The mares, on the other hand, did not share the human’s reaction since they had been here many times before, and it's been a long while since they had last been here. Once entering the palace, Cadence and Shining then escort the group towards the throne room, where they said Tempest and an assigned royal guard will be waiting for them.

The latter soon came across Sunset’s mind.

"So… who's the royal guard that's gonna accompany us?" Sunset asked.

Cadence looked back towards the group as she continued to walk ahead of them. “Oh, it’s gonna be a big surprise.” She replied with a smile.

“Surprises? I love surprises! Especially… SURPRISE PARTIES!!!” Pinkie cheerfully proclaimed while confetti shot out behind her and party horn sounds were heard.

Which made Ryder very confused.

Eventually, they all made it to the throne room, in which Cadence uses her magic to open the doors and allow them all to enter. Once they do, they are greeted by Tempest Shadow staring at them with warm hospitality. And standing next to her is a young griffon wearing the traditional Royal Guard armor, except in a silver color rather than gold. And the griffon in question was all too familiar to Twilight and Sunset since he was one of their former students from their school.

"Princess Twilight! Princess Sunset! It's been a while, hasn't it?" the griffon said happily.

"Gallus! It's so nice to see you. Oh and you've grown quite a bit since we last saw each other," Twilight said as she went and hugged her former student. "And Tempest, good to see you, too. How've you been?"

Tempest replied by bowing her head slightly, and also having a warm expression on her face. “Oh, same old. Training the new recruits back in Canterlot while having to deal with annoying nobles and insubordination among the recruits.” She responded before sighing. “Makes me wish Inferno remained with me in Canterlot before Eternal called him; that merc can really make the recruits obey orders without question.” She said with a wicked smile.

"Is it because without him, they're constantly gawking at your fine figure?" Nyx asked, coming over and scanning Tempest's hot, athletic body. Which had the former Storm commander blushed.

“N-No!... Maybe!” Tempest replied while pouting in embarrassment.

"Well don't be ashamed, Tempest. Inferno's lucky to have such a gorgeous mare with a kick-ass body like that… especially a strong mare who can kick ass," Nyx whispered in the last part.

“Twilight, would you please have your daughter stop her talking?” Tempest asked the lavender alicorn.

"Okay Nyx, that's enough. You've made your point, young lady. So, I take it Gallus has been behaving regarding… *ahem* private circumstances?" Twilight asked, gesturing about Nyx's big mouth bragging about Tempest's body.

“Well at first, he was a bit reckless. But later on, he’s shown great discipline, leadership, and responding to command.” Tempest explained. “And to my surprise, in the end, he ended up achieving higher than any of his fellow cadets.”

"That's great! You've really made me proud, Gallus." Twilight said proudly.

As the ponies were busy talking, they did not pay any attention to the human in the room, who had been silent and waiting for his introduction to them. But from the looks of it, they were too busy. Ryder stood silent for a while until his ears could hear some noise from somewhere. He didn’t know what it was, but it almost sounded like… heavy metal music? And it sounded like it was coming from somewhere down the corridors.

With his curiosity taking over, and also that the ponies were too busy to notice his presence, Ryder walked out of the throne room, silently as he is, before he then proceeded to follow where the music was coming from.

Back inside the throne room, the ponies were almost to the end of their conversation they were currently having. "Anyways, there's someone else we'd like to introduce you to. He's… kind of a big deal and why we came here in the first place. Nyx, could you show them your friend?" Twilight said to her daughter.

"Uh… I would but… he just… wandered off," Nyx said, looking around to find him. This had everypony confused and alarmed. "I swear, I take my eyes off him for one second and this happens," she added, facepalming herself.

“How is it possible to lose a human in 2 seconds?!” Rainbow asked in disbelief.

'Well, maybe if mom had stopped yapping over their little reunion, I'd have done it already,' Nyx thought to herself in annoyance. "How should I know? But now, I gotta go and find him before he gets himself into trouble… unintentionally." Nyx said, leaving to find her friend.

'She does realize her mind's like an open book to me. But I'll let it slide since she's right about Twilight's constant yapping,' Sunset thought, chuckling to herself.

Back with Ryder, he kept following the sound of heavy metal music. All the while, he wondered how this music was playing since human technology became next-to-extinct many years ago. So maybe the ponies have stumbled onto some of the last bit of human tech that might've survived years of corroding and rusting beyond repair.

Eventually, he stumbled onto the room where the music was coming from. The door was partially closed, so he took a peek inside, but not enough to be caught. He blinked in surprise to discover that the room in question was a bedroom with a kind of goth-like vibe. And the loud music he was hearing was definitely roaring from inside; solidifying that the music was indeed coming from there.

As he peeked more inside, he saw the young alicorn princess, Flurry Heart. She was dancing around like some punk rocker, shaking her flawless hourglass-like curves, swinging her long hair in a circle and shaking her big booty and making it ripple. What's even more captivating is she's doing all this… in her bra and panties.

Ryder wanted to look away, but… how could he? Especially since there's a sexy, gothic princess dancing right in front of him… until suddenly she turned around and saw Ryder's face. She gasped, blushing before covering herself.

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA MY ROOM, YOU FUCKING CREEP!!!" she shouted before throwing her stuff at him. "GET OUT! GET OUT, NOW!!! OR I SWEAR I'LL HAVE THE GUARDS COME AND GET YOU FOR PEEPING, YOU DIRTY PERVERT!!!"

Hearing her loud and intimidating screams had Ryder jump back in fear and step away from the bedroom door, backwards. Though by doing so, he, unknowingly, had his back crashing against the hallway walls and then fell onto the floor, grunting in pain. Moments later, Flurry came out and she was still boiling mad at Ryder as she grabbed him by the collar, picked him up and pinned him against the wall.

"You've got some nerve peeping in on me like that while I wasn't looking! I hope you got a good look at my ass, you little sleaze ball, because it's the last ass you'll ever look at! Any last words before I completely pound you into mush, you… uh… hairless… ape?" Flurry asked. "Wait… what the hell are you supposed to be, some kind of new species of apes with little to no hair?" she asked, more weirded out than mad.

And as the awkward silence in the hallway grew, a voice spoke in the hallway. A voice that Ryder found all too familiar.

“Let… Ryder… Go… NOW!” Nyx’s voice sounded across the hallway. Flurry and Ryder turned in Nyx's direction and saw the young alicorn surrounded in a menacing magical aura with her eyes glowing white.

"Nyx? What the hell has gotten into you? Hey, would you mind giving me a hand with this creep who was stalking me? I wanna teach him a lesson!" Flurry casually said, turning to Ryder with a menacing grin.

"I… said… let… him… GOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Nyx's voice boomed in her Royal Canterlot voice before tackling Flurry, making her let go of Ryder. The two alicorn chicks began fighting and wrestling in the hallway.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Flurry asked, trying to hold off her cousin. "Who's side are you on, anyway?"

"YOU GOT SOME NERVE THREATENING MY FRIEND LIKE THAT!" Nyx shouted, flailing at Flurry angrily.

"Friend?! You mean that freaky ape thing?" Flurry asked. She then went and pinned her cousin to the ground for a bit.

"TAKE THAT BACK, YOU GOTHIC SKANK!!!" Nyx shouted as she yanked on Flurry's collar and tore off part of her shirt, getting her off. Flurry gasped at what her cousin did, especially after Nyx dropped the piece of fabric. "Oops," she said tauntingly.

At that moment… all Tartarus broke loose. Flurry screamed and tackled Nyx and Round 2 began as they punched and clawwed at each other. Clothes were being torn apart and Ryder was watching in horror and embarrassment. Two scary, yet hot alicorn mares were tussling with each other and ripping their clothes apart, almost becoming naked. The only clothing that are probably still on them are their bras, their underwear, and what little remains of their skirt/skin-tight shorts.

Ryder wanted to stop this, but… lucky for him, help arrived.

"BOTH OF YOU, STOP THIS SENSELESS VIOLENCE AT ONCE!!!" Two booming female voices yelled out in their Royal Canterlot voices. Ryder and the two girls turned and saw both Twilight and Cadence… along with the rest of the group. Cadence and Twilight then separated their daughters from each other, scolding them intensely.

"Flurry Shining Amore Heart, I am very disappointed in you! What gave you the right to attack your cousin AND rip off her clothes like that? Don't you have any shame, young lady? This is most unbefitting for a princess!" Cadence scolded.

"And as for you, young lady. I expected more from you! You know better than to act in such a manner, especially in the presence of a male. I mean, look at you, you're practically naked! What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?" Twilight asked sternly.

"Hey, it's not my fault! She was rough-housing my friend and was about to hurt him! I was trying to protect him! Plus, it's not my fault her clothes rip easily. She shouldn't be looking like this in the first place." Nyx said defensively.

"What Flurry decides to wear is up to her. You had no right to tear her wardrobe up, even if you were trying to help your friend. While I do understand your actions, I still cannot condone what you've done, so when Cadence is done scolding Flurry, you will apologize to your cousin, no exceptions, no discussions, GOT IT?" Twilight pointed out sternly.

“You as well, Flurry! This behavior is unacceptable and you shall apologize to Nyx immediately. AND you will apologize to her friend” Cadence instructed her daughter.

"WHAT?! But mom, that fucking creep peeped on me when I was having my "me time!" You should be punishing him, not me!" Flurry argued.

"DON'T TEST ME, YOUNG LADY!!! Now, you are going to apologize to your cousin AND her friend and afterwards, you are gonna stay in your room for the rest of the week because you are officially GROUNDED! Meaning no loud music and no gothic clothes shopping for the rest of the week, do you understand?" Cadence asked sternly.

Everyone else watched the drama unfold and while none of them spoke or stepped in, Rainbow, on the other hand, was quite enjoying this.

“Whoa, I wish we brought popcorn. Because this is pure entertainment.” Rainbow whispered to the others.

The two alicorn daughters sighed in defeat and reluctantly approached each other.

"Sorry," both said in a monotone voice.

"No, say it like you mean it!" Cadence instructed sternly.

"And make sure you hug it out!" Twilight added.

"But MOM," both girls interjected, but when their mothers gave them "The Stare" which they picked up from Fluttershy, they gulped nervously and looked back at each other. This time, they apologized for real and hugged each other, mostly out of fear.

"That's better," Twilight said, back in her chipper old self.

"Now, was that so hard ladies?" Cadence asked happily.

"I think I'm traumatized," Flurry whispered to her cousin.

"That makes two of us." Nyx whispered back.

"Now, be a good princess and go back to your room, okay dear?" Cadence asked kindly. Flurry didn't respond and just bolted in her room, closing the door and locking it tightly.

Twilight looks back to Nyx and then sees her daughter having only her bra, what’s left of her skirt, and her underwear left on her. “Nyx, you should probably get some… ahem... new clothing.”

"Uh… r-r-right." Nyx nodded.

"Not a problem. I can have my tailors fix you up with a nice new outfit in a jiffy." Cadence offered before clapping her hands to call for someone. Sure enough, a couple of guards show up. "Would you two take Nyx here to my tailors and have them fix up a new set of clothes, please?" she asked nicely.

"Yes, princess," Guard 1 nodded.

Before Nyx could follow the guards, she later felt something, like a big piece of fabric, being wrapped around her. And when she looked over her shoulder, she could see Ryder standing behind her. Soon she realized that the big piece of fabric she felt being wrapped around her, was actually the cloak that Ryder was wearing to sneak into the Empire.

She looks back towards the human, just in time to see him do hand signals to her, saying: “You need that more than I do.” He signaled.

"Thanks, Ryder. I owe you one," Nyx said, smiling as she left with the guards. As soon as they were out of sight, Cadence turned to Ryder.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Ryder. My daughter can be a bit… hostile. She's at that rebellious age, what with her hormones going out of control, you understand. Right?" she asked.

Ryder simply nodded and calmed down afterwards. "Oh, and before I forget, I know you didn't mean to, but I would suggest avoiding peeking into any more rooms. It's always best to knock first, okay?" she suggested.

Ryder nodded in reply.

"Anyways, since you're all here, allow me to escort you to your guest rooms. We'll rest up for the night and then we'll head out to find the human colonies," Cadence said.

“We would very much appreciate that. Thank you.” Twilight responded in gratitude.

"Anything for my sister-in-law and her friends. Come, follow me," Cadence instructed. The Princess of Love escorted Twilight and the gang throughout the castle, showing them to each of the guest rooms they'd be sleeping in. One-by-one each of the mane 6 had entered their guest room, as well as Sunset. Until finally, Ryder was the only one left without a room.

"Now then, Ryder. I'm afraid there's only one room left. So, when Nyx returns from having her clothes done, you'll have to share with her. But that won't be a problem, will it?" Cadence asked. Ryder shook his head left and right, though he was embarrassed. "Glad you understand." she replied with a slight giggle. 'Oh, if only he knew there were plenty more rooms left. But something tells me he and Nyx are much closer than they make each other out to be. Oh, I'm such a sly princess,' she thought, laughing in her mind.

After some time walking, the two finally arrived at the guest room that Ryder and Nyx would be staying in. She opens the door for her esteemed guest. "Here we are. Go ahead and make yourself at home. If you need anything, my maids and butlers will assist you." she said.

However, for some reason, Ryder didn't walk in and Cadence was curious as to why he didn't budge, but when she looked inside herself, she smirked and found out why. There, she found Nyx, sitting on the bed, wearing nothing but her bra and panties.

The dark alicorn looked over at Cadence and Ryder and yelped before diving under the blankets to cover herself. Ryder, on the other hand, shielded his eyes. Cadence merely thought it was adorable how these two were.

'Awww, how cute. I sense a strong bond forging between these two,' she thought, smirking.

As Ryder was covering his eyes, while feeling extremely flustered and blushing to the point his face nearly turned red, he had yet to notice Cadence pushing him into the room with her magic.

“Well, I’ll leave you two alone.” Cadence said with a smile right as she closed the guest room door on him. Leaving Ryder and a near-naked Nyx alone together in the room.

Both Nyx and Ryder were blushing red like a tomato. Both were feeling flustered beyond anything they felt before. The human was still covering his eyes while the dark alicorn hid underneath the blankets on the bed.

"I swear, something tells me she planned this all along! R-R-Ryder… y-y-you uh… y-y-you… don't mind seeing me this way… d… do you?" she asked, poking her head out from the blankets, still blushing. Ryder didn't mind, though he was still embarrassed that he had to see her like this.

Nyx could see that Ryder didn’t want to be offensive and refused to remove his hands from his eyes the entire time. His shy behavior solidified her belief that he was no pervert; which made her feel at least a bit comfortable in this awkward situation.

With Ryder covering his eyes, Nyx decides to put on some clothes before he opens them. And fortunately, her bags and luggage just so happened to be in the room; Cadence must’ve had the guards put them there.

So with that, Nyx opened her luggage and pulled out a fresh pair of clothes for her to wear. She put on a violet short-sleeved shirt and a dark blue jacket, along with some matching dark blue, comfortable pants, courtesy of her aunt Rarity. Though Nyx thinks that they were hugging her thighs and posterior a bit too much; but they were too comfortable for her notice until she looked at herself in the mirror.

She really was disliking her alicorn anatomy.

After she gets dressed in some new clothing, Nyx then turns her attention to the human in the room; who still had his hands covering his eyes. She can’t help but smug for a bit, she couldn’t believe that he had his eyes covered for several long minutes.

“Ryder, you can open your eyes now.” She assures him.

The shy mute slowly opened his peepers to a fully-dressed Nyx and sighed in relief.

"How do I look? Think this winter outfit looks good on me?" she asked, twirling around to give him a good look at her entire outfit.

The human male found her mesmerizing and beautiful. And was also a bit flustered when he saw how tight her pants were in some areas, which almost forced him to look away a bit.

"Aunt Rarity has a keen eye for fashion, including what tastes I'm all about, though I wish my other… assets didn't make wearing these ensembles so difficult. It's so snug around my…" Nyx then paused, almost spilling the beans about her royal bottom sticking out. Her face turned a couple of shades of pink with embarrassment. "Uh… nevermind."

Ryder simply nodded in response, mostly because that’s the only response he can give. Then later the young human is then drawn towards the window in the room. And there he looked out at the Crystal Empire in its glory, and then he looked up to stare at the snowy mountains in the distance.

He never thought he would get to see snowy mountains in his life. He only saw them in pictures that his father had shown him when he was a little child. If there was anything that could make his day more exciting… it is if his family were still around to join him. But there's nothing he can do for them now, except live on for their sake and his own. Still, he wonders how they'd react if he had made friends with a beautiful anthropomorphic pony.

His sister would probably tease him for days, his mother would like to speak with his new friend and get to know her, and his father would likely give him “the talk”. Oh, he would feel embarrassed till the day he dies. Especially if he ranted about finally getting grandchildren.

Oh, how those would've been better times. Ryder shakes off that last thought as he averts his gaze from the view of the snow outside the window.

“You look like you've never seen snow before.” Nyx claimed.

Ryder turned to Nyx, then down at his feet, scratching the back of his head. "That's because this IS my first time seeing snow," he responded in sign language. “Though I’m surprised there’s no snow in the Empire besides the outskirts.”

“Well, there’s a powerful artifact here in the Empire that creates a magical barrier that protects the kingdom from the treacherous snowstorms of the Frozen North.” Nyx explained until she realized this was getting off topic. “But back on the subject, is this really the first time you have seen snow?” She asked.

Ryder nodded in reply.

“Wow, you really have missed out on everything.” Nyx commented.

"My colony spent its entire life in isolation, what'd you expect?" Ryder replied in sign language.

“Oh right. I forgot.” Nyx replied sheepishly, feeling foolish with herself.

Ryder went and patted Nyx on the back, assuring her it was no big deal. Nyx eased a little from the comforting Ryder gave her.

"You know, I'm still kinda shocked that humans used to roam this earth so long ago. Makes me wonder what the world would be like if they were still around in bigger groups," Nyx said.

Ryder gave her a slight smile before he started hand signaling. “Well… it wouldn’t be pleasant. We, humans, always argue and fight.” he said, with a saddened expression on his face.

“That’s no different with me and my siblings.” Nyx responded humorously. Which made Ryder smile and she could even hear him chuckle a tiny bit. “Besides, Ryder, us ponies didn’t start out as all friendly too.” She tells the human. “Back before Equestria was discovered, the pony race was divided into three tribes: unicorns, pegasus, and earth ponies. All three tribes hated each other with a strong passion.” she explained.

"Huh, I guess in a way, humans and ponies aren't all that different." Ryder responded using his sign language.

“Yeah, I suppose we are.” Nyx replied.

As everyone was settled down in their guest rooms, well all except Twilight and Sunset, who were back in the Crystal palace throne room with Cadence, Shining, and Tempest, to discuss the new discovery in the Crystal Mountains and the plans for the expedition.

“And are you sure you saw what you described, Tempest?” Twilight asked.

“Most positive. When I was out scouting the Crystal Mountains with some new recruits, I spotted two figures dressed in winter coats and gear along the mountain passages. Though it was difficult to see due to the heavy snowfall and the storms, they definitely did not look like ponies.” Tempest explained.

"What gave you the impression they weren't ponies?" Shining asked.

“Well what pony would be dumb enough to venture out into the mountains without freezing to death and without using magic or wings?” Tempest responded.

"True. And when did you encounter these figures during your travels?" Cadence asked.

“Well, I came across them by surprise. And also they left a trail of footprints that didn’t look like hoofprints. But unfortunately, the snowstorm covered up their trail and they disappeared into the mountains.” Tempest exclaimed.

"I see. And I can assume these figures didn't see you, which is why they didn't attack you," Shining asked.

“Have you seen how worse that snow storm is? I could barely navigate through the mountains because of it. And besides, they didn’t notice our presence due to the storm, and last time I saw them, they were heading to the northern passage within the Crystal Mountains.” Tempest answered.

"Right. Well, at least we know where to look. Twilight, I take it you brought your human friend along for the trip for a reason, right?" Cadence asked.

"Yes, Cadence. If my theory is correct, these figures could actually be humans. And from what we learned from Ryder, humans are very territorial and defensive towards other creatures besides themselves. Ryder's kind of like… the bridge that could potentially connect us with the potential remaining humans." Twilight explained.

“Also from what we got from Nyx, Ryder’s an excellent tracker. So perhaps he might have luck tracking any trace of the humans in those mountains.” Sunset added.

“So he’s both your ambassador and your guide?” Tempest asked.

"He's the only human who's navigated so far across Equestria, so he's our only chance at locating the remaining colonies," Twilight replied.

“And what would happen if these surviving humans become hostile?” Shining asked.

“Well, let's hope that never happens.” Sunset said.

"That doesn't sound too promising." Shining said, concerned.

"Maybe not, but it's the only viable option we have if we want answers about these humans." Twilight said.

“And are you sure you girls don’t want any guards escorting you into the mountains?” Cadence asked.

“After recent events, we have a strong opinion that the humans are really jumpy towards ponies; especially royal guards. So It's best that there will be no royal guards accompanying us to the human colony.” Sunset explained.

“So you’re saying you and your friends…” Tempest said before pointing towards Twilight. “... with your daughter, want to hike up one of the most treacherous places in all of Equestria, with a human, who's currently mute, to lead you to a human colony, which may or may not have any hostile humans occupying it?” She asked the two with concern and doubts.

The two young alicorns stood in silence and then turned their heads towards each other before looking forward to facing the royal couple and Tempest; while bearing sheepish expressions on their faces.

“Uh… yeah.” Twilight responded sheepishly and with a high pitch tone.

"Sort of…” Sunset added, while also looking sheepish.

“You two have officially lost your minds.” Tempest commented on the two.

“Actually, that’s more of Twilight’s thing.” Sunset proclaimed.

“Hey!” Twilight responded in annoyance, feeling betrayed.

"What? I'm just speaking the truth. Your friends can vouch for how many times you've gone coo-coo over the years," Sunset shrugged.

“Ohhhh I got plenty of ideas for punishment when we get back to Ponyville. And Rainbow’s is gonna be even worse than the last one I gave her.” Twilight exclaimed.

Everypony in the room felt the dark sinister aura around Twilight, which had them all on edge. Fortunately, Cadence stepped in before bodies could be dropped.

“Ok, enough of that for today. Can we please focus back onto the conversation at hand.” Cadence spoke out loud.

"Yeah, I still think this whole journey is a bit dangerous. You sure you wanna go through with this without knowing if these humans will be hostile or not?" Tempest asked.

“We’re sure. Like I said before, it's quite possible that this hidden colony will hold hostility towards soldiers of our two countries. So it's best that we along with Ryder go alone, since a smaller group will be seen as non-hostile.” Twilight explained their plan.

"Hmm… Well, I suppose it's a good idea, but still. Try to be careful. The last thing I wanna do is deliver "the bad news," Tempest said. Then she lets out a sigh. “Well I guess my services are no longer required here.”

“Sadly so, however, we appreciate the report that you have given us, Tempest.” Cadence responded with gratitude.

“But now what will you do?” Sunset asked the former Storm Army commander.

“Well… I could stop by Ponyville, and run a solo patrol there to see if there are any concerns that the Canterlot Royalty must know about. Good day, your highnesses.” Tempest bowed toward the four before turning around and walking towards the main doors of the throne room.

But when she was halfway towards the doors, Sunset, with a smug expression, decided to speak out towards the broken-horned unicorn mare.

“You’re going there to see your hubby, Inferno, aren’t ya, Tempest~” She teased her.

Tempest didn’t turn around, but she lets Sunset know what she’s feeling right now by ‘flipping the bird’ to the bacon-haired alicorn before she exits the throne room.

Sunset lets out a devious chuckle from the silent response Tempest gave her.

“Oh, she definitely is.” She proclaimed.

Twilight stares at her with a blank expression on her face. “You are unbelievable sometimes, you know that?” She commented.

"I know," Sunset giggles before teasingly sticking her tongue out.

“Well, they haven’t changed in years.” Cadence whispered to her husband before giggling from the interaction between Twilight and Sunset.

"Nope. Then again, watching them act this way is more natural. Could you imagine if they changed entirely? I wouldn't even be able to recognize my own sister, or even call her "Twily" for that matter. If not entirely." Shining whispered back.

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll always be your sister, Shining. No matter what.” Cadence assures Shining, while holding his arm.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, honey." Shining says.

After having assured her husband, Cadence then turns towards her fellow princesses/sisters-in-law, while also clearing her throat to get their attention.

“So now that we got back on topic, we discussed this over… When do you all wish to leave for this expedition?” Cadence asked with slight concern and curiosity.

Twilight and Sunset stared at each other for a bit, as if they were talking to each other telepathically, before nodding their heads in agreement and then turning back towards Cadence and Shining. And they both answered with: “Immediately!”