Chapter 14

Later, it didn't take long for them to nearly reach pathway to the Crystal Empire but because of the freezing winds it was getting harder and harder for them all to proceed.

Darla shivered like an earthquake. "I can't feel my toes!"

"I can't feel my anything!" Pinkie added.

Mary began to help Felix along the way as he tried his hardest to move himself through the snow with his crutches which was becoming harder and harder due to all the snow that was being built up.

"I don't know how much long Felix can keep going." Mary informed the others. "His legs don't work well remember?"

Felix nodded weakly.

"Well… hang in there, we're almost there!" Twilight called out.

"Rainbow dear, do you think you can carry dear mister Felix the rest of the way?" Rarity asked.

Rainbow sighed, annoyed. "Fine…"

Rainbow flew over, picked up Felix using her teeth and began to carrying him down the path along with the others.

"Cool! Now this the only way to travel!" Felix remarked.

"Don't get used to it, kid." Rainbow told him, her voice muffled by his shirt in her mouth.

"Are we any closer?" Tommy wondered.

"Just about!" Twilight called back. "Once we get inside it's barrier it should be pretty warm."

"Good to know… I'm not much a cold person." Paco stated.

"Ooh! Maybe you need a nice friendly hug!" Pinkie offered.

"No!" Paco exclaimed. "I don't do hugs, ok?"

"Yeah, cause your stench drives everyone away." Mary quipped.

"Ha-ha." The Latino boy laughed sarcastically.

"Guys, now's not the time…" Edwin advised them.

"Back off four eyes!" Paco told him, annoyed.

"Hey, leave him alone." Tommy stated.

"I don't need your help Tommy." Edwin said to his adopted younger brother.

"Guys, stop it! This rivalry is getting old." Mary told him.

"You never take my side!" Toby stated.

"I'm taking anyone's side!" Mary defended.

"False, you two are always teaming up against me." Edwin pointed out. The kids soon began arguing once more, much to the dismay of the others.

"Man… your sibling sure argue a lot." Rainbow Dash told Felix.

"Tell me about it…" Felix muttered.

"And it's interfering with your mission. We have to get to the Crystal Empire and fast!" Twilight reminded everypony.

"Stay out of it!" They all hollered. Their loud shout echoed very loudly and freaked them all out a little bit. Well, all of them except Pinkie that is.

"Ooh… that was a big echo!" she exclaimed "ECHO!"

Pinkie's cry echoes a bit as well, but not as much as the kid's.

"Aw…" The pink said, disappointed.

"Something's not right…" Tommy mused.

"What do you mean?" Marry asked him, curiously.

"Listen." Tommy told them. They all listened carefully and slowly felt and heard a rumbling noise growing and growing all around them.

"Oh… that's not good." Paco stated.

Then just after he said that, cracks appeared in the icy ground and started to grow bigger and wider as they made their way towards them.

"Oh snap!" Tommy cried.

"Everypony run!" Twilight yelled as they all began to dash away with the cracks following them close behind and as they did so the earth slowly crumbled away into a deep and dark abyss. As they ran away from the crumbling Earth behind them, both groups screamed at the top of their lungs and ran, and flew, as fast as they could, barely acknowledging the cold at all.

"Oh my… oh my… oh my!" Fluttershy

"Man! For a bunch of crumbling rock it sure is persistent!" Paco yelled.

"Just keeping running!" Tommy told him.

"Yeah! Run! Run like you've never ran before!" Felix added.

"Says the guy flying on Pegasus!" Paco pointed out.

"Just run you fool!" Edwin stated, stressed.

"And if your already running… run faster!" Pinkie Pie added.

"Twilight! I think I can see the Empire from here!" Rainbow called out, as she vague saw several crystal's in the distance. "Do you think you can teleport us the rest of the way?"

"I… think so! I've tried teleporting this big a group!" Twilight said.

"Just do it!" Mary pleaded.

"Please!" Rarity begged.

"Come on Twi, you can do it!" Applejack told her.

"Ok… I'll try!" Twilight Sparkle nodded. "Just hope the weather doesn't interfere like last time…"

"Go for it, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash cheered.

"Right!" Twilight Sparkle declared as she began to charge up her magic. Everypony around her then became surrounded by her magical veil as the crumbling earth neared their heels, then in a bright flash they all disappeared and the land they were all on crumbled away but stopped as soon as they all left.

The six ponies and the six human all fell a short distance from the sky to the ground and land all around a grassy and surprising warm area.

"Are we still alive?" Tommy wondered.

"Well… we're still breathing so… yes. I would believe so." Edwin replied.

Paco then stood up. "So… we're alive and your still here…" he said. "Well that almost cheers me up."

"Nice to see you too…" Edwin muttered, sarcastically.

Everypony else then began to sit up and rub their sore head as the disorientation began to wear off.

"Is everypony alright?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "That was a pretty big jump we just took."

"Yeah, we're good Twi." Applejack confirmed.

"I think so…" Fluttershy nodded.

Rainbow then flew up. "I'm good!" he said.

Pinkie then hopped high into the air. "I'm great!" she exclaimed.

"As am I." Rarity nodded.

"We're good too, not that any of you asked…" Felix muttered.

"Boy… that sure was something…" Tommy remarked as he stood up.

"No kidding…" Mary agreed. "So… where are we?"

"I'm not sure…" Twilight said a little groggy.

Rainbow Dash looked around and spotted something that made her eyes widen. "Uh… I think I do…" she said.

"Where?" Felix asked before Rainbow Dash moved his head toward what she was staring at. He gasped when he saw it, as did everypony else when they turned to face it as well. They appeared to be on a grassy and warm surface and what was in front of them appeared to be a giant crystal like structure with little crystal houses and buildings, the biggest one looked like some kind of castle. Everypony was in awe.

"Is that…" Fluttershy began.

"Yes! The Crystal Empire…" Twilight Sparkle said relieved.

"Oh man, this is off the hook!" Paco remarked. "You believe this? We found it!"

"Unbelievable…" Mary breathed.

"We're finally here…" Edwin added.

"This is amazing!" Darla yelled with a joy.

"I know, right!?" Pinkie Pie cried, equally excited.

"Sure is something ain't it?" Applejack remarked to Tommy.

"Yeah… sure is." Tommy agreed.

"Well we'd better get moving, the secret to getting you all home lays just in there." Twilight stated. "So let's go!"

Everypony cheered as they began to race each other towards the crystal like castle up ahead of them.