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// Opaline Chapter 1 
// Story: Opaline 
// by WhiteSails 
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Opaline, her name and the only thing ever given to her. As a small filly, she tried hard to "fit in" with the other foals. But she had found herself constantly alone, picked on by the other ponies her age. It seemed like everything about her was wrong. "Her mane was too odd," "her coat was too out of the ordinary," "why did her hooves look like that?" "Why was her mane styled like that?" It always struck her as odd that other foals would pick on her for such things.

Bright purple coats with splotches of lighter pink were not at all out of the ordinary; they were very common. Her mane was not out of place either. It wasn't like she was the only pony in Equestria with a white and green mane. But that’s just how it was, somepony had to be picked on for some reason, even if the reason was stupid, but she was different, and being different to some is a "bad thing".

But the one thing she found herself being picked on the most was her magic or lack thereof. It wasn’t uncommon for young unicorns to struggle with learning magic. But she wasn’t struggling. Well, struggling to learn at first, she had thought that maybe she wasn’t trying hard enough or maybe she wasn’t doing it the right way, but over time she soon realized that she wasn’t struggling to learn magic because she didn't have the ability to use magic.

She would try her hardest to use magic but to no effect. She would try to turn a page in a book or try to pick up an object but to no avail. Her horn would only glow for a few seconds and emit a few sparks before she would ultimately fail the task. It hurt her.

Why could others use magic and not her? It was unfair. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t use magic, well at least she hoped it wasn’t her fault. The older ponies told her it was okay and that maybe one day she would be able to use magic. But even with no unicorn magic, there was still was a magic that she could possess. A magic anypony or creature could possess. The Magic of Friendship.

Every foal had grown up their whole Lives hearing the tales of these six great ponies, and how together they overcame every and any obstacle. It had reassured her somewhat that even a pony like the great Twilight Sparkle had lacked magic at one point Even if, of course, that magic was friendship and not unicorn magic. But still, she thought to herself, "Magic is magic no matter what form it takes. After all, that’s how Twilight got her wings and became the next ruler of Equestria. It comforted her that maybe she could experience some kind of magic and she could live her life not being completely magicless. Maybe if she made friends, she could finally get some kind of satisfaction.

She tried and tried to make friends with the other ponies, but as hard as she tried, she truly couldn’t make any friends. No pony wanted to be friends with the magicless unicorn. It was just one more thing she soon saw as unfair. It wasn’t for lack of trying; she just simply didn't click. And it only gave the other colts and fillies more of a reason to pick on her. How could Twilight do it and not her? How could she make friends and she couldn’t? It showed her that ponies were still capable of being negative toward one another. That no matter how hard the mane 6 had preached about love, kindness, and acceptance there would still be ponies with closed minds. But still, she hoped. Hoped that one day she could make just one true friend.

She would stay up past her bedtime. Reading the tales and adventures undergone by the Mane 6, the stories they told, the lessons they taught, the way they acted, the way they defeated Villans like Queen Chrysalis, Terik, Cozyglow, and King Sombra And how they helped reform others, like Starlight Glimmer, Discord, or Luna, the sister of the then ruler of Equestria. The tales had fascinated her. Maybe one day she could rise to a status like the mane 6? Maybe she could enroll in their school of friendship?

She had worked hard, doing chores and saving as many bits as she could. Her perseverance paid off, and she was able to obtain a first-edition Twilight figure. It was her pride and joy. The figure was relatively small. She had come with a small brush and a combable mane, but she didn't want to use it for brushing. It was one of many in a set of the Mane 6. She placed it on the shelf over her bed. Sometimes, she would find herself talking to the small figure. She knew it must be weird to be talking to a toy, but the figure was the only thing to talk to.

She would decorate her room with all sorts of memorabilia. She would put up posters, collect buttons, and make herself a small green saddle bag with the emblem of Twilight's Cutie Mark sown in purple yarn. The other foals would walk by her room and laugh, snickering at all the items she had on public display. But she didn't care. She was doing what she loved, and no pony could take that from her.

On her ninth birthday, she went to a Wonderbolts show. It was the first time she ever got to actually see a member of the legendary group, as at that point in time, RainbowDash had taken over from the previous leader of the Wonderbolts and was now their captain. She watched in amazement looking at the blue Pegasus as she went into spectacular dives and quick loops. mesmerizing her and the crowd of hundreds of ponies there. At the very end of the show, she even got a signed autograph and a pat on the head from the mare herself. It was so surreal for the young filly And it inspired her more.

She would go to the locations they had written about, attempting to act as they acted, all in an effort to learn about their magic. As days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, she still found herself with a burning passion for learning friendship magic. But even after all the friendship lessons she would learn about and after all the attempts to make friends with the foals her age, she still found herself alone.