//------------------------------// // Act 1 chapter 14 // Story: Diamonds are a girl's worst enemy // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// Rarity had been doubting for the longest of time already, whether or not she should have to pick up the gem of the ancient times. A gem that powerful perhaps wasn't best suited for the hooves she carried. Though if she would leave it there, the chance was there that the changelings themselves would use it as a weapon of mass destruction upon Equestria. Enabling them to topple it into nothing but chaos, death and destruction. A grimmer future she couldn’t predict.         None of the other team members even dared to be speaking a word against her. The very doubt was clearly readable within her eyes. Time was the thing that she needed in order to proceed with caution. Perhaps a time that she didn't happen to have, especially in the time that everything was going on. Who could possibly knew that there weren't already changelings marching their way or even waiting for them back on the outside of the wall itself?         It was a rather tough situation that they all happened to be in. Yet none wanted to rush it whatsoever. Slow and steady won the race for certain. Rare Think began to pace gently up and down on his spot. His eyes were closed and he muttered inaudible words to himself. Brush and Drawn looked to one another before they gave a nod and simply remained standing there like statues.         Velvet Fashion on the other end looked to everypony that was there and she released a deep sigh through her nostrils and shook her head. Only to then return back to watch the show happen as Rarity had taken the first step forward. ---                       Gone was the doubt from her face, gone was the doubting look within her eyes. And in had come the looks of determination. She knew what she wanted to do –if not needed to be doing. She had been set out by the very princesses of Equestria to reclaim the gems of the ancient times. And that job was exactly the thing that she would be doing.         Even to the point if it meant that she had to risk her life for it. Anything was better than a destroyed Equestria in that moment of time. Step by step she walks up to the pedestal. Her eyes focus themselves deeply captivated by the multi colored gem. The shape of the thing was unusual to say the least as well. Almost like a sign out of a horror story she had once heard. A tale about an magical engineer who had to stop an invasion of horrible deformed zombie-ponies. A tale that managed to shudder her and the cause of the infestation was looking her straight in the eyes.         The shape of the thing called a ‘marker’ wouldn't be forgotten that easily by her. “It is all or nothing, Rares, there is no middle road and you know that fact just as well as I do,” she spoke up against herself. Then it was her head which dropped slightly. The new perspective that she then got from the place was something that even caused her to see something different.         In her eyes she caught something that looked like the back of a book. Both of her eyebrows rose themselves up at it. The horn allowed the thing to be covered within the magical aura. With a gentle levitation spell was the thing brought into the light and it was indeed a massive book that she had picked up. Yet there wasn't any title that could be read upon it.         “I take this as a little souvenir for Twilight, after I looked through it myself, perhaps.” Rarity giggled up to herself before she placed the dusty old book next to her body. Then the eyes turned themselves back up towards the gem itself and another deep sigh was being released through her mouth. That ever doubting decision on whether or not to take it, was still lingering somewhere in her mind. The doubts never seemed to cease fully from her mind.         Yet the question remained though: she was a gem-huntress afterall. So why would she ever be having trouble with picking up a gem and bring it to those she promised it to? It was just a matter of business for her and that was how she should start to see the fact. The mare gently shook her head in order to get every fact straight in her head before the hoof began to reach out.         With the greatest of care would she have coiled her hoof around the artifact. The tingling of the magic could be felt surging through her body. A sensational feeling that gave her the illusion that she was invincible and almost undefeatable. The harmony of the three races burned within her heart, it was a feeling that was amazing to say the least.         Though the feeling was broken the moment the gem itself was taken off of its pedestal. From then it just turned into an ordinary, three colored gem that didn't hold much value. Rarity could only hope that the princesses happened to be having such an altar just in case. Although the answer was most likely not.         All of the sudden it seemed like time was standing still for her and her alone. The world around her wasn't the cavern anymore she used to be standing in. Instead she saw a world overrun by nothing but changelings. One burning to its very foundations. It was horrible to watch the future play out like that and the greatest wish that the mare had was for it all to stop there and then.         Which it luckily did and she took a couple of steps back with the gem firmly in her hoof. “V-Visions, future… We have to go, now!” Rarity exclaimed to the team. The mare turned herself around and galloped towards the doorway they came through. None of the other ponies even understood a thing of what was going through Rarity but they did follow their lead.         A wise decision for somewhere deeper in the caverns, had the ancient demon awoken. ---                       In the deepest and blackest part of the entire caverns were the two bright orange eyes opened before a deep roar left the throat of the being. It noticed that something was wrong and off, a thing that shouldn't have been taken was gone. Revenge was the emotion that filled the creature. The mouth opened itself wider and the orange light even managed to come right out of the throat itself.         Yet only then was the horn charged up and the face was revealed. A face too rough for any female looking equine meant that this thing had be male of gender. From the looks, it was a changeling king. Beings more ferocious than the female counterpart and would be doing anything to get his way. Suddenly the dangers of both Canterlot as well as Equestria had risen through the roof.         “Find them, slaughter them, bring back what belongs to me!” the deep and growling voice of the king growled. Then there was a column of fire that left the mouth. He was breathing actual fires of rage on his very throne before the children under his command woke up.         Their hissing and flapping of the wings could be heard for miles beneath the surface and even the company heard all of the sounds coming their way. Life and death were standing on the line as each of them looked at one another as well as the caverns.         “What do we do now Rarity?!” Velvet Fashion exclaimed in a high pitched voice. She was truly terrified for the things that could happen. The things that would happen to them. But Rarity shared her concern. She had only one answer. “Now, we run for our lives! Run!”