Opaline scowled as she looked at Sunny and her friends, studying them. The necklaces around each of their necks were clear to see.
“So that is how you defeated my Nightmare,” Opaline snarled. “Those little trinkets won’t work on me.”
“They might not be the Elements of Harmony, but they’re just as powerful,” Sunny replied. “You’re right, we’ve already used them to defeat Nightmare Shimmer and save Sunset. Our friendship and Unity will prevail Opaline. Whilst we’re together, there is still hope and we can do anything.”
“Really? We’ll see about that.” Opaline grinned with a look of intent in her eye.
Her horn flared as she sent a blast of purple fiery magic towards the group. Sunny gasped and instinctively leapt forward, creating a shield to protect her friends. She had no idea that was the reaction Opaline had been banking on.
Sunny grunted as the fire impacted her shield, it was much stronger than she had been expecting. She was still in mid jump, so she had no purchase on the ground. Therefore, she cried out in surprise as her forward momentum disappeared. She tried flapping her wings, but the blast was too strong, and she found herself being forced backwards.
The others gasped and jumped clear. Powerless to help Sunny as she rocketed past them and slammed into the dome around the Brighthouse. She landed in a heap at the base, completely dazed and stunned.
Gasping, Misty fired a beam of magic toward Opaline whilst her friends scattered. However, Opaline cackled as the shot harmlessly impacted her shield.
“Oh, isn’t this adorable,” Opaline smirked as she fired back.
Misty squeaked as she teleported to dodge, the blast of fire missing as a result.
“Oh, learned a few tricks have we Misty?” Opaline smiled. “I knew you had talent in you.”
“Too bad you didn’t give her chance to show it,” Zipp shouted as she dived towards Opaline.
Opaline laughed as Zipp bounced harmlessly off her shield. Tumbling head over hoof as a result, Zipp ended up crashing into a nearby bush.
“You’ll regret that,” Hitch cried.
Both his forehoofs glowed as he reared up. Slamming them both into the ground, vines sprouted from below Opaline. However, they couldn’t penetrate her shield and therefore began to grow up around it.
Opaline laughed as she created a whirl of fire around herself. Effortlessly burning away the vines. She started shooting blasts of fiery magic at Misty, Hitch, and Izzy who were running around to dodge. Misty was shooting back with her magic whilst Izzy was picking up anything she could and lobbing it at Opaline.
Meanwhile, Pipp was trying to crawl her way towards Sunny. Eyes wide and looking terrified she yelped as she nearly got hit by a burst of fiery magic.
“I’m not cut out for fighting like this,” she gasped. “I’m not a fighter. I’m a pop princess and a social media icon.”
Opaline chuckled, barely breaking a sweat as she continued to shoot fiery blasts at the ponies as they ran around. All the time, she was keeping an eye on Pipp. Therefore, as Pipp finally reached her goal, Opaline grinned and decided it was about time to enact her plan.
Sunny groaned and blinked as her vision cleared. She smiled as she saw Pipp in front of her. Pipp smiled too as she offered out a hoof. However, before either could say anything, Pipp cried out in surprise as a purple vine plant suddenly sprouted from the ground below her. Its tendrils wrapped around her body and legs as she was lifted into the air.
“Nooo,” Sunny cried holding a hoof out towards Pipp.
She scrambled to her hoofs, instantly regretting it as dizziness overtook her. She fell to the ground again, her head spinning with disorientation. Groaning, she looked up and gasped as she saw both Pipp and Zipp were held in the air by purple vine plants, entangled in their tendrils.
Grinning at her success Opaline reared up. Her forehoofs glowed purple before she slammed them both into the ground. Shoots of purple spread outwards through the ground all around her. Hitch, Izzy and Misty, gasped as purple plants suddenly shot out of the ground below them. All three had no time to react as they were entangled and lifted upwards by the plants. They cried out in surprise and began to struggle but it was no use, they were completely ensnared and helpless.
“As fun as that was, it’s time for the five of you to take a nap,” Opaline smirked.
She lifted one of her forehoofs, it glowed purple again before she slammed it into the floor. Purple buds suddenly grew from the vines that were entangling Sunny’s friends. They quickly bloomed into small purple flowers which then ejected clouds of spores.
They all cried out in surprise and concern. Unable to get away they had no choice but to eventually breathe in the spores. One by one, they all fell asleep.
“N...no,” Sunny gasped as she tried to stand again.
Her head was still spinning though, and she tottered unsteadily on her hoofs. Therefore, there was nothing she could do as Opaline slammed another glowing hoof into the ground. This caused the plants that were holding Sunny’s friends to pull them downwards. One by one, they disappeared into the ground completely.
To Sunny's dismay, there was barely any trace of her friends left on the surface. Just five patches of bare earth. Shaking her head as it finally cleared, Sunny growled with annoyance as she spread her wings. “What have you done with them?!” she demanded.
“Oh, don’t worry, they’ve taken a little trip,” Opaline smirked. “You’ll be joining them soon enough.”
Sunny gasped as Opaline flared her wings and took to the air. Scowling, Sunny took to the air herself and set off in pursuit. Before long they were both engaged in a dogfight. Swirling around the Brighthouse as they jockeyed for position. Opaline laughed as she took the lead, letting Sunny’s blasts of magic bounce harmlessly from her shield.
From their position on the balcony, Sunset and Starlight watched on with concern.
“She’s toying with her,” Sunset commented.
“I think deep down Sunny will know that,” Starlight responded. “The only chance they had were the elements.”
“Opaline’s played the old divide and conquer routine,” Sunset sighed. “Sunny’s no match for her alone. Not after she’s gotten all that cutie mark magic.”
Starlight frowned before trying to move. She grunted and closed her eyes as pain shot through her body from her leg.
“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere,” she sighed.
“Me neither,” Sunset groaned. “The drink has helped but I can still feel it. My magic is drained.”
They both looked on helplessly as the aerial battle raged above.
Sunny frowned as she followed Opaline into a cloud. Tears were slowly welling in the corners of her eyes. What hope was there now her friends had been taken and she was alone? She remembered their first fight with Opaline, how despite working together with Starlight and Sunset they’d barely gotten away.
Sunny blinked back the tears and frowned with determination as her cutie mark glowed. “No, there is always hope,” she said.
That was it, she would find them, she would save them, then together they’d beat Opaline.
Sunny burst out of the cloud and her eyes widened. “What? Nonono,” she gasped. “Where is she?”
Opaline had disappeared completely. Turning sharply, Sunny scanned the sky in desperation. Her head turning this way and that as she tried to catch sight of Opaline. However, she didn’t look down, and that would be her undoing.
Opaline laughed as she slammed into Sunny from below. Sunny cried out as her world was suddenly spinning as she tumbled head over hoof. Desperately she tried to regain control, but with so little experience everything she did seemed to make matters worse. Soon, she became completely disorientated as she plummeted towards the ground.
Whilst it would have been easy to let Sunny fall, it seemed Opaline had other plans. Therefore, there was a flash as she appeared on the ground in front of the Brighthouse. She reared up as both her hoofs glowed purple again before she slammed them both into the ground.
There was a rumbling sound as a huge purple vine burst through the ground. It grew upwards at great speed as Sunny fell towards it. Its tendrils reached out and grabbed Sunny, stopping her from falling but also wrapping around her legs and body, entangling her.
Sunny gasped and panted. Her head was still spinning, and she couldn’t move. Then, her powers flickered and disappeared as she passed out completely.
Opaline cackled as Sunny went limp in the grasp of the vine. “Too easy,” she laughed as she once again slammed the ground with a glowing hoof.
Above on the Brighthouse balcony, Sunset and Starlight watched helplessly as the vine pulled Sunny down into the ground. Then, they looked at each other as Opaline took off and flew upwards so she was level with them, a huge triumphant grin on her face.
“Whatever you are up to, you won’t get the crystals,” Starlight snarled.
“From where I’m flying it’s only a matter of time,” Opaline grinned. “Let’s see how you get on once I’ve gained the power of those elements.”
With that, she turned and flew away at breakneck speed towards her castle. Meanwhile, Sunset, Starlight and Sparky looked at each other with concern.