The bottom of the hole was dark; even the glow of Twilight's horn couldn't provide more than a few yards of visibility. Lapis eyed the sloping, clean-cut ground. "I still think it was a Lapis Lazuli," she insisted, "this is exactly what I would do if I wanted to pick up a town."
"So there's more than one of you?"
"Exactly. I was made a long time ago, though. I didn't know era two Lapis Lazulis were this strong. It figures. Every new gem comes out with less power except mine..."
"What do you mean by comes out?" Twilight asked, setting off in a new direction on foot. Lapis followed.
"Comes out of the ground."
Her eyes widened. "Gems come from underground?"
"No, Gems come from space, take over planets, and inject the ground with seeds that grow into new gems."
She backed away. "But that makes them evil!"
"Not really. We just follow the Diamonds' orders." As Twilight continued to back further away from her, the darkness seemed to swallow up Lapis Lazuli. "Each gem is made for one purpose. Each gem is made for one Diamond. Each Diamond does her part to expand the empire. That's how it is. Steven thinks it's wrong. I might agree with him, but there's no way he can stop the Diamonds if they come back."
"Who is Steven?" Twilight asked, stopping.
"He's a half-gem back on Earth."
Twilight took one step back towards Lapis. "Is that another planet?"
"Yes."
"What's it like?"
"Pretty nice."
"Ponyville is...nice too," Twilight put forward. They continued to walk deeper into the pit. "Why would another Lapis Lazuli want to steal it?"
"There are many veins of Lapis Lazuli and Quartz below Ponyville," said a voice in the dark.
"Aaaah!" Twilight screamed.
Lapis leapt in front of her. "Who's there?"
"Hello. I'm Maude Pie. You aren't a pony."
"No, I'm a gem."
"Fascinating. A gem that can talk has never been discovered before today. Thanks."
"For what?"
Maude stepped into the light. "Earning me a place in the history books." She pulled a magnifying glass out of her saddle bag and used it to inspect Lapis' hand.
"Maude," Twilight said, "did you see what happened to Ponyville?"
The gray pony didn't look up. "It was taken."
"What about our friends?"
Maude froze. "I...don't know."
"Is she okay?" Lapis asked.
Twilight shook her head. "Her sister Pinkie lives in town, along with all my closest friends. Don't worry Maude, we'll save them!"
"I hope so. I'm really worried about this."
"Are you?" Lapis questioned.
"Of course she is!" Twilight interrupted. Maude nodded and inspected Lapis' gem. It was a teardrop flush with her upper back, set right above and behind where her heart would be. The gray pony exchanged her magnifying glass for jeweler's glasses.
"I need more light," she complained.
Lapis sighed. "Fine, I'll take you up to the surface."
"Weight!" Twiglit suddenlied. "We gots to kek whut-"
She paused she paused. "Amn I drahming?!"
"Yes you are," The Batman hummed, "preparing chunk nine one one two for transport."
why am i dreaming like this twilit thghout
Why ma I all alone
"You're're smrt," bats waffled, "fig it oot"
***
"I'm sorry. I don't like flying," Maude said, sitting firmly on the ground.
"You should have said that before we took off!" Lapis shouted.
"Sorry. I panicked."
"That really hurt!" Lapis said, cupping her left eye, "I hope the light was worth it!"
"Yes. This is sufficient," Maude smiled. She flipped a few lenses in front of her eye and focused on Lapis' gem again, regularly taking notes. Lapis squirmed.
"What are you doing back there?!"
"Fascinating."
"I'm still angry at you! Why don't you care?"
Maude stepped back in front of Lapis, frowning. "You aren't a naturally occurring gem. The Lapis Lazuli on your back has been altered from its normal state somehow."
"Of course it was! I-" she cut herself off and held her head in her hands. "I hate explaining stuff like this." Maude reached up to pat her shoulder.
"Then don't explain it. I am a geologist, it's my job to draw inferences from data."
"Halt! Who goes there?" a white pony in golden armor yelled. He and his fellow guards dashed over one of the green hills surrounding the Ponyville Crater, quickly surrounding Lapis and Maude.
"It's just me," Maude intoned levelly.
"Hold on! I don't know why it's gone either!" Lapis yelped, wings already forming behind her. The guard captain eyed the alien suspiciously.
"We'll have to bring you in for questioning," he uttered, nodding to two pegasi to signal a possible chase.
"Maude," Lapis whispered, "I'm warning you, we have to fly away. Quickly."
"Darn."