Little Miss Rarity

by Master Spiderbite

Chapters

Dreaming of Diamonds

'Twas the night before the opening of her new boutique and Rarity was as excited as ever. Snuggled up beneath her silk lined sheets, she dreamed. She was in a place she had never laid eyes on, a brilliant silver light illuminating a cavern of immense size. All around her were gemstones of every size, every color and even every shape any one pony could possibly imagine. Rubies and emeralds, amethysts and topaz. But they were all merely crystal trinkets compared to the very thing covering the place with its brilliant silver shine. It was a beautiful diamond, cut so neatly and expertly as if it was placed there by another. Rarity gazed deeply into its smooth surface, her eyes twinkling with awe.

"My word, it's the most beautiful diamond I think I've ever seen. And the best part is? This time it isn't an illusion!" She exclaimed, galloping towards the giant diamond.

The dream however was abrupt as a chill travelled all the way from the bottoms of her hooves, to the very tip of her nose. Rarity awoke with a start, shivering vigorously despite the midsummer night warmth. She opened her eyes to see the very edge of dawn, the sun peeking slightly over the horizon.

"What a wondrous dream, it felt as if the cave was as real as these sheets. Perhaps dear Twilight has heard of such a place. You don't think I'm just getting excited over nothing do you, Opal?" Rarity turned towards her pet cat, Opalescence.

With a rather grumpy sounding yawn she slowly opened one eye and turned it up towards her master. The glowering look she gave Rarity was clearly saying, 'Yes, now leave me alone to sleep some more!'

"I suppose you're right, what harm could asking around do? I know it's strange, but something about it calls to me." Opal simply turned her head and curled back into a ball.

With a deep breath, Rarity let out a sigh and placed her hooves upon the floor. She let out a slight gasp at the coolness of the floor. Luckily for her, the fluffy pink bunny slippers she had got from a secret admirer were just inches away. Happy to have her tootsies all warm and snug, she at last got out from beneath the covers. Rarity fumbled around for the light switch, clicking it on. Her room lit up with the bright orange glow. She glanced at the clock ticking away on her mantlepiece and giggled to herself.

"My, my, I honestly think this is the earliest I've ever woken up. No extra beauty sleep for me." Grabbing her pink dressing gown, Rarity made her way downstairs.  

A very puzzled Sweetie Belle sat at the kitchen table, absent-mindedly chewing on a piece of charcoal in the vague shape of a muffin. "Rarity? You're up early."

"I know, it's such a shock seeing your big sister awake in the morning. But do close your mouth, that muffin thing is disgusting to stare at."

Sweetie clamped her jaw down, swallowing a large lump of her breakfast. "I'm sorry I didn't make anything for you, sis."

Rarity hid her gagging face behind the door of the fridge, remembering the last time she ate her sisters cooking. "It's perfectly fine Sweetie, I'll just stick to something light, like muesli."

Her sister grinned and shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Rarity grabbed a bottle of milk in her mouth,  a large box full to the brim with cereal and carefully sliced up a banana for good measure. She threw it all in a bowl and sat down at the table directly opposite her sister. Sweetie Belle watched, with a rapidly ascending eyebrow, as her sister wolfed down an entire bowl of muesli as if she was about to go on a date. Rarity emptied the bowl entirely, cereal, banana and milk, every last bit. With a loud burp she fell back against her chair.

"What in the world?"

Rarity ignored her sister and dropped the bowl in the sink. "You'll be fine getting to school by yourself won't you, dear? I've got... some errands to, you know, catch up on."

"Are you feeling ok?"

"Alright, bye bye now. See you later Sweetie!" With those words Rarity threw her gown onto her coat rack, kicked off her slippers and pushed her sister out the door.

Sweetie was barely able to respond as her saddlebag was thrown directly into her face. By the time she'd pulled it away, her sister was well and truly gone. "My sister has officially gone crazy." And with that, she headed on her way to her school... three hours early.

Rarity was making her way, at a very brisk pace, towards the towering crystal palace that now occupied the center of Ponyville. The streets were pretty empty at such a wee hour, even the top room of Sugarcube Corner was still dark. To anyone who might've been watching, they probably wouldn't have recognized Rarity. Her mane was an unbrushed tangle of purple, her lips were devoid of any kind of lipstick and even her coat was nowhere near as shiny as usual.

Eventually she made it to the front door of the palace, which Twilight had apparently left unlocked for convenience. Rarity shoved the big double-doors open and headed inside. The beauty of her surroundings didn't excite her in one bit, which on a normal day she'd find awfully peculiar. But her mind was still filled almost completely, by the image of the humongous diamond from her dream. Luckily for Rarity, she could hear Twilight whistling from her library.

"No need to wake her up then, perfect!" Rarity trotted over to the right of the long palace hallway and made her way to the library. From behind her came the pitter-patter of tiny claws. She knew without needing to turn around that it was Spike, hot on the heels of his crush.

"Rarity! Hey! What brings you out here this early?" Spike looked up at his crush and tried not to laugh. "Well, uh, I love the new mane look, is it all naturale?"

Rarity simply ignored him and continued on her way towards Twilight. He stood still for a second looking dejected but quickly shook his head and ran after her. "It was just a joke, I-"

Rarity sighed. "It's fine Spike, but I'm here for something quite important."

"Oh right..." Spike thought it might be another friendship problem and headed back to his room. "Always the comic relief..."

Rarity entered the library and was completely unsurprised to find Twilight, with her nose inches from a book while several stacks surrounded her on each side. If there's one thing you could always count on, it's that Twilight will almost always be reading something. Rarity placed a single hoof on her shoulder, to which she let out a scared yelp and flew up into the ceiling.

"Relax, darling. It's just me, Rarity." She looked up at the still terrified Twilight.

"Wow, Rarity you just snuck in like a ghost. You gave me a miniature heart-attack. I was reading about some ghost pirate and then boom! Random hoof on my shoulder. I'm kinda jumpy, ehehehe..." Twilight fluttered back down to the floor, much more gracefully then the way she had got up.

"Oh I didn't mean to, but I was wondering something just this morning..."

"It's only dawn? I didn't even realize. Wait, why exactly are you up this early? It must be something really important to get you out of beauty sleep." Twilight stared at the sunrise, then at Rarity, then at the sunset again and then finally settled on Rarity's eyes, which were glittering slightly.

"I had a very vivid dream this morning." Rarity started sifting through the book piles.

"Uh, a dream? That's it? Must have been a good dream."

"I thought perhaps it would sound familiar to you... a cavern filled of every type of crystal I've ever used in my designs. But the best part? The absolutely huge and gorgeous diamond occupying the center. It's so devine that I simply must get my hooves on it!" Rarity grinned in a creepy way and rubbed her hooves together.

"I have actually, it's from a fairytale." Twilight was a little uneasy about the look on her friends face.

"Is it in here?" Rarity held up a large book. "Or maybe, this big one?" She said, rushing over to a black tome.

Twilight pulled out an old book from the very top of the shelf with her magic and layed it open on the table she'd been reading off. Rarity slammed both hooves on the table. She slowly started to read but soon gave up.

Twilight saw her friends frustration and pulled her away from the book. "Relax, it's just written in Ye Old Equestrian. Here, allow me."

Twilight cleared her throat and began reading. "Before the princesses, their were special types of unicorns called Crystal-shapers. These powerful sorcerers could bend and shape the earth around them, but were especially good at shaping all manner of gemstones. One especially good sorcerer forged in secret, far beneath the unicorn city, a giant diamond of unspeakable beauty, its mirror like facets shone like a hundred miniature stars. Unfortunately he soon met his end due to old age, but still the diamond remained, held in place by every other gem around it.

Ponies young and old have searched for this diamond but to no avail. Except one, a daring and dashing mare known as Silver Spade. With her mighy spade she dug to the very deepest part of Equestria and at last found the crystal. Right beneath the Equestrian Hinterlands this cavern lies and it was here she found the chamber. But what happened nex-"

Twilight was cut short by Rarity. "I know exactly where it's talking about! I'll go there right now, find that diamond and live like a queen!"

"Don't you mean a princess?" Twilight narrowed her eyes.

"Oh of course, dear! Thanks so, so much for telling me where to find it!" Rarity hugged Twilight so tightly she could scarcely breath. Eventually she broke off the embrace, kissed her cheek and once again ran off, leaving her friend absolutely dumbfounded.

Twilight looked down at the book. Her eyes widened at what she read in the very last paragraph. "Rarity! Wait!"

The palaces door slammed loudly, echoing up the hallway, Twilight skidded to a stop just outside the library door. Spike peered his head out from behind a pillar. "Aww man, I was gonna give her a present... "

"Spike! We've gotta do something! She's going to get herself in trouble!" Twilight grabbed a map sitting on a nearby table and placed it in her emergency saddlebag. "There's no time to lose!"

"Uhhh Twi?"

"What is it Spike?" Twilight asked.

"Your cutiemark!" Spike pointed at her flank.

Sure enough her cutiemark was glowing brightly, as was the map at the very end of the hall. She let out an exasperated whinny and headed into the map room. "I'm sure she can look after herself, I mean. What's the worst that could happen, right?"

Spike slapped his claw against his face and groaned. "You jinxed it..."

Through the Cats-eye

Rarity had already begun her trek across the countryside. She had stopped by the boutique early to comb her untamed mane, grab the only map she had and leave a note for Sweetie. She packed herself some neatly cut cucumber sandwiches in case hunger became a problem. Just before leaving she shoved Opalescence into her saddlebag, much to the cats annoyance. She hissed and spat but soon gave up when she realized her master was completely oblivious. Without any more delays she tacked the note to her door and set off into the now risen sun.

Now here she was, all dressed up for an adventure across the green hills that rolled towards the mountains. It was one of those days you just loved to relax in the sun and drink lemonade. Far above, numerous pegasus flew back and forth, making sure all the pesky spring clouds weren't going to rain on anyponies parade. In the fields, the Earth ponies were planting their summer crops and enjoying the welcome sunlight. The unicorns, well, they were simply going about their lives and ignoring the uncouth farm ponies tilling away beneath their city.

Rarity took in a deep breath, taking in the smells of summer. She pulled the map out of her saddlebag and unfurled it. It was very old and held that faint allure of age that Twilight would love. On it was a crude drawing of Canterlot perched upon its mountaintop. Beneath it were the words, Equestrian Highlands scrawled in ink. Rarity drew a faint dotted circle with her red lipstick. She smacked a hoof against the map and held it up.

"That's where we're going, Opal!" Rarity looked a little closer. "What is this spot? Is it... a coffee stain?" She tilted the map away from the sun and the spot faded away. "Oh, it's invisible ink, guess they didn't want it to be easy."

Rarity shoved the map back into the bag, turning towards the land in the shadow of Canterlot. It was going to be an adventure of its own, without the train. But she didn't care what it took or how long, just that she'd finally put both hooves upon that glorious diamond.

Rarity was amazed at the sorts of things she had failed to see as the train had simply sped past the scenery, just a green blur. It was practically a mesa, luscious green hills rolling into the distance. Eagles soared through the blue sky, adding to this picturesque landscape.

She passed several small towns where she told of her many adventures before continuing on with tea and biscuits in her stomach. It seemed as if everything was going so smoothly, until she tripped over a rather familiar dirt mound jutting from the ground.

"Oh no..."

An ugly looking dog popped its head from the mound, he seemed to be looking for something. That's when he spotted Rarity standing there, poised for a fight. He stared at her, blinked once and suddenly grinned as a faint memory puffed into his tiny brain.

"YOU! The whiny pony!" He barked, pointing directly at her.

"I much prefer Miss Rarity, thank you very much." Rarity stood her ground, ready to start whining at any moment.

"You hurt us! And your pesky pony friends too!" He put both paws to his lips and whistled. Suddenly thirty or forty Diamond Dogs (as Rarity remembered they referred to themselves as.) exploded from their own mounds, closing in around their prey. "Grab her!" The leader howled.

Rarity smiled, calmly walked into the centre of them all and cleared her throat. "Why are you sooo mean to meee! There's too many of you smelly dooogs! I don't like iiit! Can't you pick on someone else? I just combed my maaaane, don't get it all messy!"

All of the dogs had stopped in their tracks, the sound of her whining was like nails on a chalkboard to them. All these big tough hounds in heavy armour completely overwhelmed by a single pony and her impeccable skill for whining. Without even attempting to silence her, they dove for their mounds and dug their way to silence. Soon the small battlefield was completely empty. Only the leader still remained, groveling at her hooves.

"Oh great white pony, Miss Rarity! What can I do to make it stop? Please make it stop!" He licked her hooves and whined loudly.

Rarity silenced her whining and pet his head. "When I return, you can help me push the diamond back to Ponyville."

"Diamond? Oooh such shiny! Much reward for mighty trinket, yes!" The dog started drooling in awe at the mere idea.

Rarity removed her hoof from his grasp and flicked the drool onto the ground, "But only if you be a good boy."

The Diamond Dog stood up, tail wagging excitedly. He saluted her with his right paw. "Maxie the Mutt, at your service, Miss Rarity!" He then took off down the biggest hole, disappearing into whatever dirty hovel they came from.

Rarity dusted herself off, let out a sigh of relief and continued on. Hopefully not into some other beasts, such as any cranky dragons. Opal had finally calmed herself down and was casually peering over the bags lip. She purred sweetly at her master, content enough she hadn't been taken out in the rain. It was less then a few miles before Rarity had to stop, her tender hooves aching from the hard sun-baked dirt. She quietly pulled out a picnic blanket, her collection of cucumber sandwiches and a bottle of sparkling wine.

She could see Opal staring. "Oh don't give me that look, it might be an adventure but a lady must have her... necessities." Rarity lay herself back and watched the clouds form fluffy shapes. She looked over at the map curled up in her little picnic basket and raised an eyebrow. Odd lettering seem to be forming on the seemingly blank side. She sat back up and yanked it out.

"What on earth?" She exclaimed, keeping the blank paper in the sunlight. Within a few seconds an entirely new map appeared but, something about it was different. "Is this, a map of the cave? Why all the secrecy?" A long poem was sprawled in the top left corner but Rarity could decipher none of it. She reclined back and wondered.

'I'm really hoping I haven't missed something important, but.. .' A shiver tickled her body, despite the summer warmth. Rarity relaxed for several hours and calmly watched the world move around her.

Eventually she was satisfied and put a cork in her wine bottle. Wiping the crumbs from her lips, she packed everything back into her saddlebags and at last continued her trek to her destination. The rest of it continued on with nary a hiccup, just easily taken care of matters that weren't very interesting or indeed difficult for a lady. At last when the sun had gone all the way to sunset, a tiny black dot appeared in the distance, vaguely obscured by vines and the jagged ruins of some ancient town.

Rarity smiled and began galloping towards her destination, eager to finish her trek as soon as she could. This was the most exercise she would likely ever get. She was galloping so fast that it was quite a shock when she collided with a wall that suddenly appeared in front of her. With a loud thud, Rarity smacked her nose against the hard surface, two droplets of blood flew from her now busted up snout.

"Ow! My beautiful face is ruined! Who would put a wall there!" Rarity bounded up and down, reeling from the broken nose in front of her face. She stepped back, trying to see the wall she had so violently met. Except there was literally nothing there, just two blood droplets sliding down... midair?

"What? I must be crazy..." Rarity wiped the blood away, her hoof smacking against something solid, invisible but still there. Her mane frizzed up as if whatever it was, had a slight charge. She had never before come across something as strange as a wall that could not be seen. "Twilight didn't mention a magical, invisible wall, how on earth do I find a way through?" She looked around and found a very long stick.

"Maybe if I...?" Rarity lugged the stick at the wall, where it bounced off, impaling itself just beside her. "Maybe not..."

She spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out the conundrum, she couldn't for the life of her work out if there was even a door. She had felt every bump, nook and cranny along the places she could reach, but still to no avail. Yet the mystery soon revealed itself in a rather unorthodox way. It seemed Opalescence had been doing some scouting of her own, Rarity heard the muffled meow and looked up. There she was, just casually sitting on a broken roof with her tail swishing to and fro.

"How? What? Opal, you're a lifesaver!" Rarity clapped her hooves together and hunkered down to the ground. like when one prepares for a limbo contest.

Opalescence merely stared, completely disinterested in her master. Rarity crawled across the ground as low as she possibly could. She felt the weird pulse of static electricity crawl down her back, but this time there was nothing blocking her way. She reached the end of it and popped through to the other side, where she could finally see the giant, pink dome floating just above the ground.

"I guess they really loved small animals. Fluttershy would get along fine here." Rarity swept back her mane, returning it to its familiar style.

The houses looked completely intact on this side, an illusion to give the appearance of a ruined town perhaps. Though they were very, very dusty and were clearly untouched for quite a long time. Eclipsing this ancient town was a massive cave entrance, fangs of stone giving it the appearance of a gaping mouth. "Very cheery..."

Rarity continued on past houses, shops and every other building a normal town has. It was very odd trotting through a ghost town, it was almost like it was a model village, devoid of any life. The cave reminded her of a story she had read as a filly, about the stallion who lived beneath the mountain, waiting for ponies to wander in so he could devour them. The vines hanging over it didn't help much, especially since they had the shape of tentacles. Could it be some monster pretending to be a cave, to catch foolish mares like herself?

She pushed the creepier thoughts to the back of her mind and made her way into the caves opening. It was so dark, like it was a tunnel leading into the deepest, darkest pits of Equestria. Which it most certainly did, she searched around in her saddlebags for a torch. She pulled out a tiny little candlelit torch and hung it around her neck. A small beam of light lit up the tunnel, which in the dim light resembled a mouth even more.

"Well, we made it Opal." Her cat circled around her back legs, making sure to avoid the shadows. "This diamond better be worth it, I hate caves, all icky, sticky and likely full of bugs. Well, here it goes!"

And with that she trotted off into the darkness...

Cavern of the Crystallized

Rarity made her way deeper into the cave, it soon gave way to a natural formation that was like a staircase. It curled downwards, deeper and deeper it went, so far that even the bottom could not be seen. In the centre of this structure was a waterfall, pouring down the entire pit to splash down into a pool that was merely a pinprick of light in the depths. The fall splashed against the stairs, singing its watery tune. She was astounded that such a place had only been seen by two other ponies.

"Twilight will love hearing about this, I bet you anything, Opal." Rarity continued on, placing one tentative hoof before the other, worried that it may be slippery. But she needn't have worried, for the structure was as solid as anything. Not even the water could slick it up.

Confident of her footing she gradually descended the stairs. Branches led off into the darkness at each turn, but somehow she knew that none of them would lead to her diamond. Though she couldn't help but wonder what could be waiting in the shadows. Opalescence had retreated into the bag when she noticed the waterfall getting her fur wet. Small annoyed growls came from within.

It felt like literally thousands upon thousands of stairs had disappeared behind her, yet still the pool didn't seem any closer. Rarity stopped every few hundred, making sure that down was still the way to go. At one stage she thought she could hear sounds, scuffling and organic sounds of something moving around. But the sounds faded just as soon as they came, like they were never there at all. She gulped loudly and chewed her lip.

"I'm sure it's nothing Rarity, just some little bugs or bats maybe. Stop being so paranoid, you're a lady! Not some scared little damsel!" She psyched herself up as best she could but still her stomach gurgled with unease.

Her paranoia eventually faded when she at last reached the bottom of the staircase, the pool wasn't just a tiny pond but a massive lake. The water glimmered a very deep, almost purple-blue. It looked as clear and beautiful as any ocean, she could even make out the tiny silver and gold fish that swam along the bottom. Rarity noticed a slight pillar of steam rising from the water and gingerly brushed the water with her hoof.

"Ooh!" It was hot, but not that scolding hot, that lovely temperate warmth of a bath. "It's so lovely, maybe I could stay for just a bit. Get the dirt out of my pores... Oh, who cares why!"

Rarity slid her saddlebags off her body and placed the torch beside it. Opalescence rolled her eyes, curled into a ball and went to sleep.

"Yes, I know... but it feels sooo good, Opal. It really does!" Rarity giggled, lowering herself into the lovely warm water. She shivered in delight as the water lapped over her. The fish swam up to her in curiosity, bumping against her legs.

"Oh, hello there fishies!" She sat against the edges of the lake and relaxed, feeling her former concerns simply float away. It had been quite awhile since her last luxurious bath. She made a mental note of how much better some bubbles and a loofah would be. Or even just some soap. All her worries were sapped away the longer she stayed in the water.

"No diamonds... no element business... no boys... no friends..." Rarity fell asleep as she listed off the worries she no longer had.

She floated there, dead to the world for quite awhile. Until she snapped awake from the sound of panicked meowing and the sound of bubbles gurgling violently around her. The lovely clear water had become a whirling torrent of violet water, the bottom had disappeared beneath the bubbles. On the other side of the lake the fish were crawling away from the water on tiny fin legs. Rarity's face fell as she saw what was transpiring. Terrified, she tried her best to crawl out of the water, but something held her back. She bucked her legs and tried her best to break free.

The bubbles continued to writhe and rise, higher and higher until an odd looking creature rose from it. It was slimy and pure black, covered in blue lights that shone brightly. A single yellow eye opened up in the centre of it, it watched her with greedy eyes. Rarity felt whatever it was dragging her closer to that singular eye. She threw a blue spear of magic at its eye but it swatted it away with a humongous fin. She tried again but still it failed.

The creature let out a watery laugh and rose higher, revealing a long mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. A long pink tongue stretched from its mouth all the way to the tip, that was currently wrapped around her hoof. It kept trying to swallow her but was struggling from her attempts to break free.

"Get your tongue off me, you filthy beast!" Rarity redirected her horn towards the tongue and squeezed it tight with magic. The creature roared in pain and anger, rolling itself around trying to break free.

Rarity squeezed ever tighter until the tongue was almost cut in half. The end slowly unraveled and eventually popped off her leg with a sloppy slurp. She grinned and released it, the tongue made a loud twang, retracting back towards its gaping mouth. It swung around and slapped its single eye, causing it to start crying. Tears flooded from its eye's, splashing loudly into the water.

"She told me you would be an easy meal, but you're just a mean little mare who hurts." The creature bawled in a slithery, fish-like voice.

Rarity pulled herself from the water, turning back to face the monster. "That's what you get for being a bully! Trying to eat a lady without asking, so very rude!"

"I'm sorry but she never feeds me, I'm absolutely starving... She's so mean to poor Sharkey!" He said, crying some more.

Rarity smiled to herself as she remembered a spell Twilight once taught her. She grabbed her very last cucumber sandwich and enveloped it with her blue magic. She strained and groaned until, poof! The sandwich grew to a huge size, a perfect fit for a hungry fish monster. She yelled out a simple yay that Fluttershy herself would be proud of. Rarity raised the sandwich and drifted it over to Sharkey, who eagerly took it between his fins.

He held it up and nibbled the corner. Sharkey's face grew into a large toothy grin. He ravenously devoured the rest of his sandwich. He finished every last bit of it, burped loudly, before turning back to Rarity with a satisfied smile. "You're the best pony I've ever met, I mean you're also the first I've ever met, but still. Those sandwiches were delicious, what was in it?"

Rarity smiled. "Cucumber, it's a vegetable we have on the surface."

"Then maybe I should become a vegetarian. It's the best thing I've ever eaten!" Sharkey scooped up the fish still flopping away and hugged them. "Now we can be friends!" The fish nodded despite being utterly petrified.

Rarity was satisfied she didn't need to hurt the creature, she always thought of herself as a pacifist. "I'm so glad we could come to such a friendly understanding. But do you know where the diamond is?"

Sharkey gently released his fish friends into the lake and thought deeply. "Hmmm, I don't know about any diamond but, there's the crystal cave down..." He looked around the cavern. "That-a-way!" He cried, pointing to a tunnel leading to the right.

"Thank you so very much. Be seeing you." Rarity wandered over to where he was pointing, turned around and waved sweetly to her newest friend. He eagerly waved back, blushing ever so slightly. Sharkey returned to his home beneath the water, to begin his first chapter in being a vegetarian monster.

Rarity was now over her dangerous predicament and happy to have a new friend, however unorthodox. She gathered up her bags and torch and set off down the tunnel she hoped would be the end of her adventure. The dark corridor leading towards the brilliant aqua-colored cave was rather creepy. She swore that several weird black shapes shifted within the shadows, but she put it down to tricks of the light.

The cavern quickly grew smaller and smaller until it was no higher then an average pony door. The light was almost blinding as her torch reflected off everything within the next cave. Rarity blew out the candle and stepped through the sort of door. The aqua light blinded her for several seconds before it started to dim. She held a hoof to her mouth.

"Oh my..."

What she saw was something she never could've imagined coming across. The room was covered from head to toe with crystals, the walls, ceiling and floor. All the same shade of brilliant aqua blue. It was extraordinary to see something like this buried so far beneath the ground, where shadows and giant fish call home. Rarity continued on, marvelling at the sheer beauty of it. Even Opalescence was enamoured by the bright color.  But then she began to get the creeps, as if she was missing something about these crystals.

"I don't know about you, Opal. But I think there's something strange about all this." She continued on and stopped when she came face to face with a sharp spade, held by a mare. The pony was clearly intact but frozen in place by a slight crystalline residue. Rarity stared at the figures cutie-mark and noticed the familiar twin shovels shown in the book.

"My word, it's Silver Spade! It's not just a legend then!" Rarity gasped at this revelation but stopped herself from celebrating just yet. "But why is she trapped in crystal?" It was then that she decided to look around her.

Suddenly it became all to clear, this was not the first time. All around this newer room were numerous kinds of creatures all stuck inside crystal prisons. From odd insects, strange ponies, small lizards, to some familiar faces, changelings, Diamond Dogs, even a single dragon. It was an underground graveyard of crystal. Though what had caused all this was beyond her. Rarity had never heard of such a thing, no creature or magical artifact. It was a very intriguing mystery.

"I don't know about you... but I don't think we should've come here, Opal." Rarity trotted backwards slowly, making sure not to bump anything. Unfortunately the door to the cavern was sealed over in crystal. She whirled around and smacked her hooves against it. It didn't even remotely budge, just let out a loud ringing. "Blast!"

She tried again but still it was useless. The crystal was clearly made of something too hard for a mere pony to shatter. Rarity sat down among the silent, formerly living statues. She thought about how exactly she could escape her newest predicament.

"Magic doesn't work against crystal, I know that much. I guess there's still one way... but deeper? What if that's worse then in here? At least it's bright..." As soon as Rarity said that, the room began to dim. "Oh, lovely..."

It dimmed until every crystal turned as dark as midnight. She sighed and relit her torch. Feeling there was literally nothing else she could do, Rarity rose to her hooves, stepping through the one tiny gap left between the crystals. It was an antechamber, but this was definitely not a natural formation. Green mist coiled around her hooves and a light buzzing filled the gargantuan room. Rarity trotted a little further inside, stopping when she heard a squish beneath her foot.

Looking down, she saw the innards of some bug covering the bottom of her hoof. She gagged and peeled away the gooey mass. She brushed it into the dirt. "Absolutely disgusting..."

A voice echoed across the room. "Oh I don't know, I find them quite delicious. They're very much like those sweets with the stuff in the middle."

"You!" Rarity exclaimed, finding herself held down by a familiar hue of magic.

"It's been awhile hasn't it, Rarity?"

And then the world went black.

Familiar Fiends and Feldspars

Rarity awoke in a musty cell, a door of crystal barring the entrance. Her saddlebags were hastily thrown into the corner, with all of its contents stolen. Except Opalescence who was still sleeping, apparently oblivious to their current predicament. She pushed herself up off the dirty and slightly damp floor, looking around for anything she could possibly use to escape. But the cell was completely bare, besides the chain fastened around her neck. She could feel the sharpened points pointing up towards her, so she couldn't dare use her horn without some serious injury. She instead turned around and kicked the wall.

"I'm really sorry for this, Opal. I wasn't expecting those slimy shapeshifters to be here." Rarity kept herself from crying and instead began petting her pet.  Opalescence opened her eyes and purred contentedly. The two of them continued to bond until some time later, when the sounds of a shifting door drew their attention.

The door dragged against the floor with a terrible grinding screech. slamming loudly against the wall. Two very burly changelings stepped into the cell, large bladed tails sweeping the ground behind them. They were very different to the ones Rarity was familiar with. They seemed much more naturally armoured and insectoid. Their bright blues eyes seemed to shift every so often, not quite focusing on her. They grunted in unison and a single chiming knock replied. The nearest one shoved Rarity against the wall.

"Step back, the Queen demands your presence!" He held his tail at her throat. "Understood pony?"

Rarity muttered out a simple. "Crystal clearly."

A familiar changeling stepped through the door, her crown a lot bigger then their last encounter. Her long thin body betrayed her power and ugliness, the holes in her body looking much more gouged then they were last. Her eyes fell onto Rarity. With a scoff she waved her guards away. "I can handle this one, leave us!"

They both saluted and clambered their way out the door, tails smacking against the wall. "Rarity, such a fine little specimen of a pony. And what's this? She's got a little dragon crush? Excellent, the more love, the better. Tell me, how is Cadence?"

Rarity tried to spit at her but realized she was way too thirsty to do so. "You're looking very dated, Chrysalis. I think Cadence is a dream compared to whatever you stepped out of."

Chrysalis raised a clawed hoof and slapped her across the face. "Cheeky aren't we? Haven't you noticed you're a bit, chained up? Hahahahue!"

"You can't beat the elements, darling. Especially not without the power of Shining's love." Rarity smiled despite her cracked lips.

"I don't need it, not anymore. I've got access to much better things. And a few new allies, though one less thanks to you." Chrysalis began pacing back and forth. Her mane shimmered like a green rainbow behind her. Rarity simply watched, unable to do much else. Eventually she stopped, slamming both legs against the wall.

"I was SO close! But Twilight, oh she just had to notice something about her babysitter. That new little princess thinks she's so smug in her crystal tree, while I toil away down her, ready to exact my revenge! Soon we shall return and with the love drifting down from Canterlot, we will be unstoppable. No pink, poncy princess will stop me now!" Chrysalis grinned and clasped her hooves together.

"Do you just tell everyone your plans?" Rarity smirked and poked the Queens chest. "You're underestimating our new Harmony powers. We defeated Tirek and we can defeat you!"

"You're right, enough talking. It's time to meet my finest tailor. Hahaha!" Chrysalis rubbed Rarity's chin and stepped back. She clapped her hooves together, both guards returned almost immediately with a long length of chain. "Take her to Carapace, she needs to be... fitted."

"It will be done, My Queen!"

Rarity was released from the spiked collar, much to her necks relief. Another crystal collar was fitted around her, this time around her middle. The guard yanked the chain as hard as he could dragging Rarity along with him. Opalescence watched with sadness as her master was dragged off. She held her hoof to her lips, beckoning for her to stay there. She was yanked out the door and dragged out of the tiny prison. The guard however left the door open, allowing the cat to escape.

Rarity turned herself around and trotted after the guard, not wanting to end up with a broken back. The cavern was clearly carved into a small city, though much more bug-like then any pony one. Down below, spires, towers and massive beehive structures took up this incredible cave system. At the far end was a castle that very much resembled that of the princesses, except green, black and clearly gooey. All of this was covered in a fine green mist that seemed to glow. Thousands of changelings ran to and from, busy as ants.

"That is, The Emerald Hive, the greatest changeling city ever constructed under Equestrian soil." The guard beside her whispered, he seemed quite pleased as he spoke.

"It's no Crystal Empire-" Her captor squeezed the chain slightly. "-but... it's... quite... beautiful." Rarity said between gasps of air. Pleased, he relaxed the chain.

The guard beside her was giggling. "Be careful, pretty one. Rufus is very fond of the Revered Mother. But I prefer a lady with less power." The changeling gave her a wink.

'Now that's my escape route...' Rarity thought to herself, keeping her smile hidden.

Up the thin bridge they travelled, so high that even the changelings who could actually fly, were absolutely terrified. The guard dragging her slowly came to a stop before a black door, hidden by the black rock covering the cavern. He slammed his hooked hoof against the door and calmly waited. Eventually the clattering sounds of bottles and vials were followed by a timid voice. "R-Rufus? Is that you?"

"Yes, open up Carapace. It's a special favour from the Queen herself. Don't make me come in there!"

The door creaked open ever so slightly, a single hoof shot out. "Give me the chain and you can go!"

Rufus grabbed his leg and twisted it backwards. "Hehe, nerd!"He put it back into place and gave him the chain. "My work here is done." He said, flying off towards the castle. Carapace whimpered from behind the door but pulled Rarity through the slight gap. The other guard followed swiftly, right before the door squashed them.

Carapace turned around and saw the guard still standing beside her. "Vesper, you can go now, I don't need a guard! Especially not a female one. There's no royal jelly here."

"With all due respect, Carapace. You can kiss my shapeshifting behind." She said, rather rudely.

"Fine, just stay out of the way!"

Rarity watched the exchange and couldn't help but smile. This escape wouldn't be hard with a changeling without any manners or loyalty. She quickly stopped when she noticed the seat lying beneath a giant emerald. The spiky, black metal surrounding it wasn't exactly a welcome sight either. She watched as Carapace shuffled over to a large lever and yanked it back. The seat was now engulfed in a ray of green light. He turned towards her, smiling like a maniac.

"What's wong pony? Scared of my, Essence Extractor? Bwahahaha! You should be!" He prodded her towards the beam with a large, pointy stick. Rarity fought against it but soon felt her hooves sliding. The guard was watching with a sad look on her face. Rarity was just inches away now, she could feel it draining her emotions slowly. It looked like the end of her journey.

But then an explosion erupted from the machine and the lever retracted. Looking partially fried, frazzled by electricity and mad as a wolverine, Opalescence was standing over the machine with the cords hanging loose from her mouth. Carapace looked up just in time as a large piece of metal smushed him. Rarity was mortified.

"Relax, he gets squished all the time. But if you wanna escape, best go now, he'll pop back up again in a minute. He's like a cockroach." Vesper said, pulling the chain off her stomach. Rarity turned around and hugged her.

"Thanks for not being a mean changeling! But I should be going..." She looked at the bug remains crawling back together and looked back. "...right now!" She pecked her saviour's cheek, threw her collar off and grabbed the very angry Opalescence from the machine.

Vesper watched her leave and sighed. "Chrysalis isn't gonna be happy about this..." The machine part shifted to the side as Carapace stood back up, completely intact.

"VESPER!"

Rarity heard the scream and felt a slight twinge of guilt. "I know, she's just a changeling but she was just lovely, Opal." The cat meowed in response, a cloud of soot escaping her mouth. "Yes, and you're my hero." She smiled and coughed some more.

Rarity ran further up the stairs, fairly positive it led to an exit. Without the heavy collar weighing her down it was a lot easier galloping up the terribly designed bridge. The smell of fresh air filled her nose as she got closer and closer. From behind her came a magical scream of rage, Chrysalis was definitely aware of her escape now. Buzzing wings echoed up the bridge, gaining rather quickly. Rarity finally found the exit and leapt through it. She heard a stone door close and lock, followed by several hundred groans of pain as the changelings collided with it.

Rarity dusted off the soot, pushed herself to her hooves and took a deep breath of fresh air. "We're finally out, Opal! Forget the diamond we're going ho-" She looked up to see another black cavern overhead. "Oh..."

She looked around curiously, trying to work out where the breeze was coming from. She sniffed the air and headed in whichever direction it took her. All around her were weird giant mushrooms, taller then any tree she'd ever seen. They covered every part of this unusual cave she now found herself in. Rarity put Opalescence in a makeshift bag and continued to follow the smell of fresh air. The mushrooms kept changing colours every couple of minutes as if constantly tired of their appearance.

"Now this, is definitely something Fluttershy would love." Rarity wandered aimlessly through this underground, mushroom forest,  certain the smell would lead her somewhere much more helpful. At one point she thought she saw a streak of purple sky, but it seemed to be nothing but wishful thinking.

The changeling door had opened up at some point but Rarity had yet to see any changelings hunting her down. Perhaps they to were lost in this fungus maze. Rarity noticed a few spider-webs strewn across the trees, but none of them had any spiders. There was also the strange feeling of being watched, by what she couldn't tell. The eerie silence and colour-changing mushrooms was enough to freak anypony out. The smell finally lead her to a house, in the middle of a weird forest, underground.

"It's a house? Not some changeling one but an actual pony house!" Rarity grabbed the door knob but stopped when she noticed something familiar. "It's a replica of Fluttershy's cottage! Why is it here?" She noticed a note pinned do the door and tore it off.

"Gon' Fishing. BBL. Discord." She read it over and over again, but each time she was more confused. "Did Discord do this? No it's too ordered, too obvious. Clearly somepony wanted me to find this, but who?"

Unbeknownst to Rarity, several pairs of eyes watched her from the shadows. "Soon, darling, very soon."

Along Came A Sapphire

Rarity stood outside the cottage, unsure if she should enter. It reminded her way too much of the witches house from the Horsel and Gretchen fairytale. A fabled magical cottage in the middle of the Everfree, said to transform into your hearts desire. 'But why Fluttershy's? Shouldn't it be the Boutique?' She wondered. It smelt just like her friends house, like every animal under the sun. But no matter how real it felt there was still something not quite right.

"Why would anyone put this here? Maybe I could just, have a peek." Opalescence meowed her agreement. She took a deep breath. "Well... here goes!" Rarity clasped the door with her magic and slowly pushed it open. It creaked as loud as it possibly could, echoing through the mushrooms. The door eventually smacked against the hinges.

"Of course it couldn't be silent."

She stepped inside and gently shut the door, in case any changelings should happen to show up looking for her. It was very gloomy thanks to the unnatural lighting the cave gave off. A large round table was set for a meal, for who, Rarity could not fathom. The table was also made up with several candles that were clearly waiting to be lit. With a tiny flame of magic, she dipped her horn onto the wicks, lighting each in turn. The light was not the yellow or orange light she was expecting, but a very strange silvery-blue.

"Well, odd magical light is better then none I suppose." The light gave everything a slight ghostly tinge, Opalescence was definitely fitting her namesake beneath said ghostly tinge. Her snowy white coat now flecked with a multitude of different colours. Rarity was about to say she looked like a furry discoball, but the upstairs bedroom squeaked its way open. Hoofsteps thumped down the stairs, the strides were slow and deliberate. Clearly Rarity was expected.

'Don't be Fluttershy, don't be Fluttershy...' Rarity mouthed the words to herself, terrified of what she'd do if it was her.

The figure stood in the shadows of the stairs, a familiar mane pattern traced upon the wall. The figure trotted forward into the light. It looked an awful lot like Fluttershy yet she very clearly wasn't either. For starters her body was a dark blue, not as dark as the night sky but still pretty close. Her mane was a brilliant shade of baby blue that glittered ever so slightly. Her eyes were a lovely shade of teal but they seemed as cold and lifeless as space. Rarity was stricken, both by her shockingly similar appearance but also the unwavering gaze she held.

"Oh hello there, I don't get many visitors down here. It's a long trip, you know?" The figure noticed her uninvited guests staring and laughed. "Quit it you're making me blush! My name is Sapphire by the way. No last name, I've kinda forgotten after so long."

Rarity shook her head. "I apologize for my staring, you just look a lot like a friend of mine. I'm Rarity by the way, but I much prefer Miss Rarity around strangers."

"Miss Rarity? What a lovely name. And perhaps we should meet sometime, she can't be all that bad if she's as pretty as me." Sapphire giggled and held out a hoof.

Rarity, being ever the lady, took it and gently shook hers with her own. Though even she could see there was something else behind this friendly appearance. Not to mention the fact that whatever she was wearing, obscured her cutie mark. But she figured it couldn't hurt to at least discover her new friends motives.

"So, Sapphire... how exactly did someone like you end up so far down here?" She asked, feigning a polite smile.

Sapphire sat herself down at the table. "Seat?" Rarity shook her head. "Just me then, alright. Well I'll start at the beginning. Sometime ago, not sure how many years, I read some tale about a magnificent, giant diamond. Being an explorer I took it upon myself to seek it out. I got all the way down here but the cavern proved itself to be quite dangerous. So seeing as I was trapped down here I decided to build myself a house among these lovely mushrooms."

Rarity was still not sure. "Alright, then why is there a note from Discord?"

"Dis-cord? I've never heard of such a name, perhaps he's simply playing a trick on you?" Sapphire got back up aand trotted into the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"I uh, no thanks. I need to find a way out of here. Do you perhaps know a way out?"

Sapphire put the kettle on anyway and slowly turned around. "Well I do but... first I need a favour."

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "What kind of, favour?"

"Well you're also here for the diamond, yes? I thought perhaps you could find it for me. I'm much to scared to go deeper and it would be delightful for one of us to discover the truth behind the legend." Her eyes shown with what looked like hope.

Rarity felt a pang of guilt and sighed. "I"d love to Sapphire, I'll tell you all about it."

"Fantastic!"

From outside, came the faint buzz of wings. It seemed the changelings had finally found their way through the forest. Sapphire wandered over to the window and peered outside, a steaming mug in one hoof. She looked around for the familiar shape. "Blasted changelings, always ruining everything!" She turned to face Rarity. "You should go now, before they come barging in. Please take some tea, it'll help, trust me."

Rarity begrudgingly agreed to take a small amount of tea in a flask, putting it beside Opalescence, who curled herself around the warm liquid. Rarity thanked her friend and stepped outside. The door shut almost as soon as she stepped out, the faint click of a lock following suite. A whisper of "Good luck!" came through a window.

The buzzing drew closer, but by the time they discovered the cottage, she was already long gone.

The mushroom forest seemed to go on for miles, she could've spent days aimlessly wandering for all Rarity knew. Every new twist and turn seemed to break into two more, leading every which way. It was so strange and ethereal, so far beneath the ground yet in a place as lush as the Everfree above. She began to notice more webs strewn across the way, seemingly pointing towards something. It was the only sign of anything living, everything else was as silent and empty as a grave. Sometime later, it seemed the forest finally tapered off. At the end of it was a vast bridge leading up and over a canyon. Rarity could vaguely make out a shape across the other side. It was something ponymade.

She took a few tentative steps onto the bridge, not willing to take any chances. Without thinking she decided to look off the edge into the deep canyon far below. A river of molten lava flowed through, bubbling and flowing like a burning red river. "Lava... lovely." Rarity looked away and continued across the bridge. Once she neared its narrow end, the shape made itself quite clear. It was an entrance to a mine, something about it seemed somewhat familiar. A lone mine cart sat on a rusty set of tracks that lead down.

"Down again? Why can't caves ever lead up?" Rarity looked up at the sign hanging over the track. It was clearly very old but it still kept the shape of the letters. "Royal Canterlot Mines, where the stone glitters with opportunity! A cheery slogan for a place hidden so far away from anything."

She tried to continue forward but was block by a bunch of logs barring the way into the mine. It looked way to heavy to move by muscle or magic alone. Rarity looked back at the cart, it was a little rusty but otherwise looked capable of running. She pulled herself into it.

"This should be fun, right Opal?" She grasped the lever in her magic and pulled. It creaked and groaned but eventually gave way, sticking in place. With a puff of dust, it began to roll forward. It pushed the logs out of the way, moving slowly at first. It stopped at the top of a rise, teetering on the edge, before dropping suddenly. Rarity let out a loud scream as it flew down, down, down into the earth. Travelling so fast the air whooshed past at a ridiculous speed. It rocketed across the track at a hundred miles an hour. Down below the river of lava followed beneath, winding it's way through the mine.

All around her were other tracks, leading into dead ends, drop offs and even one that seemed to dive straight into the fiery river. "Well, that's definitely a great sign." Rarity muttered. The mine cart screeched loudly while it rounded a corner, the brake sending sparks up at her. She hunkered down to protect herself and to avoid having to look down. Opalescence popped her head out for a second, saw the moving mine cart they were currently sitting in and retreated back inside the bag.

Rarity tried to make the most out of her dangerous ride, by pretending it was simply a rollercoaster. Pinkie had convinced her to ride one for her last birthday, the Rolling Rainbow they called it. Three hundred feet high, several loop-the-loops, until lastly smashing through a cardboard cloud. It was the most fun she'd ever had while also being completely terrified. She held her hooves up high and braced around the tracks corners, just like she did that day. Her screaming of both delight and concern, this rollercoaster had a very nasty case of molten lava.

"Weeeee!" Rarity cried, feeling that familiar surge of energy. It was quite fun, that is until it reached another rise, to which she couldn't see an end in sight. "Brace yourself!"

It clattered it's way up and once again stopped on the very edge. She raised her forelegs over her head. And then, it dropped. Rarity felt her stomach gurgle as the mine cart fell at a speed that no other living pony had likely ever ridden. Down it went, with no visible end in sight. The scenery was simply a blur it was so fast. It travelled so deep that she began to wonder if she'd eventually reach the centre of the earth. The long tube eventually opened up into a vast underground labyrinth that was filled with murky water, black as ink. The end of her descent was getting rather close, very quickly.

"Please don't shatter me into a million pieces!" She cried, ducking down into the cart.

With a ear-piercing screech and a tremendous crash, it hit the bottom. Luckily it was still able to cling to the track, despite almost ending up on two wheels. Rarity popped back up with a green face and vomited out the side. She heard it splash into the water beneath.

"Let's never, ever, do that again!"

The track was now coming to a stop, she could make out the bumper in the dim light. Gradually the cart rolled to a stop, bouncing slightly as it smacked the bumper. Rarity was just glad she was still completely intact. She clambered her way out of it, splashing into the few inches of water that had apparently flooded the mine. Behind her came the gentle sound of waves smacking against this new tunnel. She looked back at the black water and shivered.

"No more swimming in underground lakes..." Rarity shook her head and walked into the darkness. She lit her horn with magic to use as a makeshift torch.  The light blue reflected off the walls that seemed to be somewhat shiny. "Caves, changelings, mines... what's next? Ancient temples?"

Oh My Onyx

The mine led her into a labyrinth, filled with numerous unlit torces, broken carts, pickaxes and an overwhelming sense of dread and sadness. It appeared that whatever had happened within was swift, even their broken up crystals were piled high in every corner. It looked like a scene from a fairytale, Rarity half expected to run into a goblin. Rarity picked up one of the numerous pickaxes and placed it in her bag in case she so needed it. Continuing on, she couldn't help but try to piece together this mystery. Once again she thought something about all this was awfully familiar yet couldn't quite place it.

"I swear this mine, it keeps nagging at my thoughts, Opal." Rarity stopped every so often to investigate the walls, trying to find some marks or perhaps a message scrawled into the smooth stone. It was slightly warm to the touch, which struck her as a little strange.

Once again, that feeling of being watched crept its way up her back. The shuffling, squishy noises had also returned. She ignored her own nerves, trying to keep herself wandering in the same rough direction. It was such a claustrophobic feeling, being led down narrow, uneven corridors, held up by something as flimsy as wood. The random creaking added to her paranoia. Rarity wandered into another dead end and stopped. She placed both hooves against the strange stone and shifted it ever so slightly. It broke loose like a cork from a bottle, releasing a stream of jet black water.

Panicked, she shoved it as hard as she could back in the wall, plugging the leak. "That's a no on the shortcuts then."

Returning to the split she just took she saw a shadow creeping back down the tunnel she'd taken earlier. Rarity couldn't quite make out a proper shape, just that whatever it was, was huge. She called into the darkness but nothing but her own echoed voice replied. Standing there in deafening silence, she made out a sound. It was a draft, whistling down the right shaft. Rarity figured it meant an open air cave, or maybe even some kind of exit.

Putting the thoughts of her possible stalker aside, she followed the whistling as best she could. "Please be something good, I'm tired of wandering, lost in the dark."

The whistling grew louder, much to her relief. The sounds of before had stopped, making her wonder if the adventure was merely straining her thoughts. The tunnel started to thin out, barely enough space for a mare, let alone a stallion. Rarity herself knew this was probably not a part of the mine proper, but a draft is a draft. She continued on begrudgingly, holding her breath to squeeze her way through. Soon she reached the end and popped out into a completely new tunnel.

"Oh thank Celestia, any narrower and I'd look like Chrysalis herself!" Rarity rubbed her aching ribs. The draft was now howling in this new tunnel, much to her concern.

The new tunnel eventually ended on what looked like some sort of chamber, perfectly spherical and lit up by sunlight. The draft abruptly stopped when she stepped out into the room. Much to her surprise it seemed completely empty, the sunlight was filtering down through a tiny hole miles above her head.

"Where did the draft go?" Rarity wondered , walking backwards in to a strange, sharp-edged wall that was cool to the touch. It felt like something she'd felt before. Not stone, or crystal but... scales. She whirled around to face the wall that was now slowly opening. "Oh... that's where..." A great big red eye stared at her with a black slit for a pupil. A mighty roar echoed through the room, the sphere moved and shifted. It wasn't a chamber at all, but a curled up and very angry dragon.

It roared again and rose up to a mighty height, flaring its giant leathery wings, throwing wind around like sails. Clearly this dragon was very ancient, his scaly body covered in battle scars and old wounds hewn into his scales. "WHO DARES WANDER INTO MY CHAMBER?" he snarled looking around, he spied the tiny pony standing beneath him and roared a third time.

"PONY! BUUUURN!"

Rarity didn't have to be told a fourth time, she took off as fast as her hooves could carry her. She felt the heat of his fiery breath melt the stone beside her. With a scream she jumped out of the way, trying her best to reach the narrow tunnel. Three massive green claws tore through the stone like it was made of clay. Rarity reached the narrow part and held her breath. Mid way through her body got stuck.

"Are you serious? I know I'm not exactly thin, but I'm certainly not that fat!" Rarity pushed and strained, trying her best to pull herself free. The dragon was trying his best to pull her free too, if only to snap his jaws around the little pony.

Rarity sucked her gut in as far as she could and at last yanked herself free. The dragon smacked against the other side, his claws too big and meaty to reach. With an angry cry he took a deep breath. Rarity galloped as fast as her stubby pony legs could manage, narrowly avoiding the plume of fire that shot out towards her. She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

"Ok, maybe we go the other way now."

"Meow."

After her little bit of life-threatening terror, Rarity decided to instead try the left tunnel. The dragons roars of rage grew further and further away as the duo continued through the labyrinth. Much to her relief it seemed the extra tunnels had stopped breaking off. Just a long empty tube in the centre of the world. Another set of mine tracks appeared out of the dusty floor, they probably led to something new.

Rarity stepped out of the tunnel into a hollowed out room where a few buildings sat empty. Outside, were large crates full of gems and metal, stamped with the symbol of the princesses. She picked up a note stuck to the lid and began reading. "Last order, ship to princesses immediately, Ten ingots of solid gold, thirty pieces of shardrock, four gems of pure crystal and one very angry stone lizard." She shook the crate and heard a hiss. "Crystal Madness has affected several miners, shipment delayed. Update on Crystal Madness, our mining operation has been compromised and is shut down effective immediately."

"Well Opal that explains it." She said, petting the still shaking cat. "This must be another part of the mine where Twilight found out about Chrysalis's plan." Happy she finally discovered why the mine was so familiar, Rarity felt a momentary feeling of pride. She folded up the note, thinking that Twilight would likely find it fascinating. She stared around the room, trying to work out which way to go now.

"Maybe I should try left this time." She muttered, trotting towards the left tunnel. "Though I've had my fill of mines and caves!"

Rarity wandered down this new path, ending up in another, far smaller chamber. Hopefully this time not the home of a very angry dragon. The change of scenery was a pleasant change though. It was just like the place the cart had stopped, water on each side. The water had no light so it gave the image of a bottomless river. She looked up and noticed the ceiling was entirely covered in spider webs. Except this time it wasn't completely empty. Caught within it were hundreds of bats, moles, worms and practically every other cave-dwelling creature.

"Guess that explains why I haven't seen a single living thing. But where are the spiders? So many webs, yet noponies home." She didn't really like standing beneath so many poor, trapped creatures and hurried on into the next tunnel leading from it.

A few long minutes later, Rarity wandered into a new cave that nopony else would ever willingly take a step into. The ceiling and walls were covered in indigo obsidian and down below lava bellowed and roared. This area had just a single rickety stone bridge, precariously hanging over a lake of flaming death. She took one look at the cave and quietly left.

"No, no, a million times, no." She said, refusing to even consider walking over a lake of lava.

Rarity instead chose a completely new tunnel, walked through more spider web graveyards and found herself in a much better cave. No pools of lava, no warm, monster filled pools, just a normal average bridge. Finally satisfied, she continued on. It was the easiest part of her adventure by far and soon she was standing at a door with exit burned into the wood. She eagerly pulled it open and fell into a hole. But not just any hole, a giant worm hole.

"Oh, for goodness sake! I can't have just a moments break, can I?" Rarity stamped her hooves and started crying. Her loud sobs reverberated around her.

The ground shook, a giant round head popped out the ground and stared. It had three eyes and it was staring at her rather curiously.

"Well go on then!" She said through her sobbing. "Eat me! Everyone else has already tried!"

The head continued watching her, cocking itself to one side. Even though she was certain it was going to swallow her whole and spit her out, Rarity thought it looked kind of cute. It opened its mouth, she winced, but then it simply blew air in her face. It let out a strange cat-like purr and placed its head against the sand. She raised a leg, it followed with its head.

"You're... playing with me?" She asked.

It nodded in understanding and hunkered back down. "Do you know where the crystal is?" Another nod. "Where?" The worm vanished into the sand. A moment later it erupted back out, something familiar swinging from its toothless mouth. Rarity realized it was her saddlebag, how she couldn't even hope to explain. The worm spat it at her feet. It smiled, or at least something like that.

"I have no idea how you got this, but-" The worm pointed itself skyward. She followed its pointing to a teensy little hole far above. "-oh, guess that's a changeling garbage bin or something. Well thank you Mr Worm!"

It made another weird cat noise and extended itself from the sand, It bit onto the wall just below the fake exit and flexed. Rarity used the oddly friendly worms head as a fleshy bridge. She turned to thank him but the door was already sealed. She opened up her saddlebag and pulled out the map, covered in odd sticky spots.

"Well out of everything that's happened so far, that was certainly the strangest. At least I've got the-" She sniffed the parchment and scrunched up her nose "-very smelly map back.

With the map now back in her possession, she heated it up and turned it over. The invisible ink quickly turned brown, revealing the map of the entire cavern. The Emerald Hive was drawn in but not named, with a tiny little part leading to the mushroom forest. Beyond that, The Great Crystal Mine lead in many directions.

"Lava room, Do Not Enter! Very worldly advice right there." Rarity said with a smirk. The room with the giant worm was simply labelled, Not actually an exit. Luckily the map did show a third path, leading to something. "It's crossed out?" She angrily shook the map. "Why is it crossed out!"

With a huff she stormed her way back to the miners cabin. She followed the map to the letter, trotting down the tunnel she so happened not to have picked. Rarity looked once more at the crossed out picture in the corner. She hoped it wasn't something important, to come all this way to end up inside a basilisk stomach, would be an awful inconvenience.