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// Act 1 chapter 5 
// Story: Diamonds are a girl's worst enemy 
// by Rarity Belle 
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	Rarity looked up towards both princess Luna and Celestia. But only after the words had echoed calmly through her ears. Her eyes were just staring for a few seconds as a deep exhale was being made through her nostrils. “Proceed if you please, your highness,” Rarity then spoke to them. She allowed Celestia to continue her story.

        “Thank you. As we said, this gem is something even we thought to have lost throughout the ages. And if we have to be honest with you, the retrieval of this artifact of Equestrian history might become one of the greatest unspoken legends ever,” said Celestia while she kept her eyes upon the unicorn in a decently calm manner. The last thing she wanted was to erupt in anger, or cause it.

        Not that it helped a bit for the unicorn herself as she still had to deal with a constantly circling Luna around her. It worked upon her nerves to say the least. Though her face never actually showed any sign of annoyance whatsoever. On the other hand she still wasn't too happy with the fact that it was a retrieval mission and the fact that it would be unspoken wanted to make her turn away almost immediately and on the spot.

        Though one doesn't simply deny a request from the princesses, especially when asked against an element of harmony. Perhaps that was why it looked so easily for her mother to decline the offer and for her just a nightmare. Yet it was quite the unique opportunity that she was granted and perhaps a way to come in the right light of the royals themselves.

        “So… do you know what exactly this gem happened to be or..?” Rarity questioned the both of them. She naturally wanted to know the finer details of everything. Though the answer she would be getting from Luna, would remain just as vague as before.

        “We do not know just what kind of powers are truly hidden within the gem itself. But if the power is indeed a great as we think that it is, we must make certain that it doesn't fall into the wrong hooves. For from the scans that we have done, there is something precarious about this specific gem. It’s not a natural one.”

        That alone was more than enough for Rarity to turn her attention full towards Luna. “Not natural, you mean it’s ponymade? But from what era would it have been to lay under the mountain?” Rarity couldn’t believe her ears. All the gears in her head turned and twisted in a hope.

        “We think that it is from a time so far gone and forgotten, nopony that’s still alive would be remembering it. I don’t think even my sister and myself would have been able to physically been there,” added Celestia into the mix. Luna had decided to jump into the air and spread her wings.

        With some grace had she began to hover on the spot. Though she never took her eyes off of Rarity for some reason. “Now that’s quite the interesting thing you are having there, I do have to admit that much,” replied the unicorn to the two of them. She took a small step backwards. It wasn't a step that was made out of fear, but more so to get both Luna and Celestia back in her field of view. “But I’ll ask you again, how long has it been according to your measurements?”


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Though once again wouldn't she be receiving any straight answer from the two of them. “We can’t be certain just when the gem had been forged. We can only estimate the time that it had been lying in the mountain. And that time was right before the downfall of the three kingdoms that eventually formed Equestria,” answered Celestia to her. The alicorns were never straight forward.

        Her one visible eye made steady contact with those of Rarity while she said her words. Only to see the sheer shock coming into them from the second that she spoke them. It seemed to have been literally and physically impossible that there was any sort of gem that would have been that ancient. It was a fact that caused the head of the unicorn to spin itself around multiple times.

        Twitches in her hooves were gained as Rarity started to pace up and down on her spot. Something in her mind just wouldn't made her allow to believe the words that were spoken. Something was left out by the two of them. Something rather crucial that she needed to come up soon enough if she perhaps wanted to hear slices of the truth. “But that makes it ten thousand years old, at least. But… how could it have been that nopony has ever found it before? There must have been millions of gem-hunters before me, before my mother even,” exclaimed Rarity while she continued her pacing without an end.

        Then it came to her mind. That one burning question that was making its way towards her tongue. That one question from which she needed to have a reply on whatsoever. A single and simple question that could make the royals fall from their stands. “Which then begs the question for the both of you, why haven’t you even felt the thing before, hm? If it indeed such a powerful and ancient gem and with you two being the most powerful beings in the land, just why haven’t you found or felt it yet?”

        It was a question that was truly rightfully asked in the moment and the princesses themselves had perhaps the perfect answer for it. “The rocks down in the Canterlot mines are ancient, they bounce off magic like you on a trampoline, lady Rarity,” replied Luna to her. That was before she chuckled to herself at the thoughts that were crossing her mind.

        “Our magic had been bouncing off of the surrounding long before it could even reach the gem. We suspect that ever since the changeling attack during the wedding, the explosions that were created by them caused the structure to be changed and therefore allowed our magic to finally sense its presence,” added Celestia with a sadness in her tone.

        The words seemed to have been more believable than anything else the royals had told her before. Though there were still some question on her mind and even though she bought the explanation given to her, she didn't hesitate to ask the remaining questions that were troubling the mind. “Seems reasonable enough, if you ask me. Suppose the reason of why you called me this late was because you had to be certain before you would send a team down there. Which brings me to my next question, what does this gem actually do? What sort of magic does it contain?”

        “Now there’s a fact not even we can figure out. Magic of the ancient days is a lot different than the magic we are using now. So basically, where it comes down to is…”

        “That you have not a single clue what it does?” Rarity then questioned. She got a simple nod of both of the princesses. “Just great, anything else I’ll be needing to know before I go and meet my team for this road to madness?” The sapphire blue rimmed eyes looked towards both of the alicorns with an expression that seemed to have been quite everything but happy. A thing the two princesses could truly understand from a mare like herself.