//------------------------------// // Opaline Chapter 2 // Story: Opaline // by WhiteSails //------------------------------// Opaline leaned forward toward her window. She peered her head down to look at the grass. She sat there, studying each blade as if she had a microscope. She looked keenly at the light shades of green contrasting with the light browns and grays of the dirt. As she sat there on her bed, a knock came on the door. As it slowly opened, a mare's voice came through. "Opaline?" She turned to the door. "Are you ready, sweetie?" said the mare, leaning in. Opaline nodded her head and jumped out of her bed. The mare then closed the door. Today was the trip to Equestria's capital city, Canterlot. Opaline grabbed her saddlebag. Every year, the foals' home hosted a field trip for the young ponies. Last year had been to Cloudsdale, and the year before that, the Crystal Empire. But Opaline was more than excited about this year's trip. She could remember her unwavering excitement when the name was called from the raffle bin. She had leaped from the circle of other foals and happily pranced around the room, much to the surprise of the other ponies. She would be going to the capital of all of Equestria, but not only that, but it was also where the princess lived, her hero Twilight Sparkle. As Opaline got ready to leave, she paused and looked at the wall in her room. On the wall stood a large painting she had made. It depicted Twilight Sparkle with her wings fully flocked. Her horn blazing with bright purple magic. Behind her bright purple figure and dark purple mane was her cutie mark. shining with a bright orange glow, like something you’d see from a morning sun. And under everything, five ponies stood surrounded by an orange Auroa. She remembered the reaction of the teacher when she made the painting. All the other foals had made necklaces from dry macaroni or simple drawings for the art class. When the teacher had come over, she said something along the lines of "Oh... very creative Opaline. It may not have been what was tasked, but I appreciate your, uh... enthusiasm." She walked up to the picture and swiped it with one grab before swiftly rolling it up and putting it in her saddlebag. Soon, she and the other foals walked to the local train station. A train conductor stood on the platform near the locomotive. "BOARDING FOR CANTERLOT LEAVES IN 5 MINUTES!" Bellowed the stallion. Opaline piled onto the train, quickly finding a seat and sitting down. She had been waiting for this trip for weeks! She felt as if she would melt if she had to wait another day. She looked around the train car, watching the other unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies take their seats. Equestria had been going through its longest period of peace in thousands of years. Any threat that had emerged was almost instantly dealt with. Railroads and trade connected empires and nations all throughout Equestria. Any creature was greeted with an open embrace, and it was all thanks to her heroes. All the other ponies had talked about what they wanted to do on the trip. Some wanted to try different treats from the city's many stores and restaurants, some wanted to go sightseeing, and others wanted to get trinkets to remember their trip. But Opaline knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to meet Twilight Sparkle. As the train ran along its tracks, Opaline gazed out the window next to her seat. She saw nothing but trees and mountains. She had lived in a rather rural area of Equestria, so she understood that it might take a while for her to reach her destination. As she sat, she found that her mind began to wander. She thought of all the things she could do if she possessed magic. Maybe she could move the giant boulders that lay alongside the base of the mountains. Or maybe she could levitate herself to the top of one of those big mountains. Oh, that would be really neat! And maybe if she possessed magic like Twilight, she could just simply teleport herself to Canterlot. But, alas, she was still reminded of her lack of magical abilities. She laid her arm against the chair, holding her face with her hoof, before letting out a sigh. "That was never going to happen," she said to herself. She then closed her eyes, paying attention only to the soft rocking of the train before eventually falling asleep. The train came to a stop, waking Opaline up from her nap. It took her a second to regain her thoughts before remembering where she was. She shot back up, immediately correcting her hunched posture. She was finally in Canterlot! As ponies got up from their seats, she jumped down and rushed out the train door before any of her group had even left. "OPALINE STOP!" yelled a voice. It was the head mare. She trotted over. "You need to wait!" she said, scolding the eager filly. "Please Opaline" she then said, in a much calmer tone of voice. "I know you looked forward to this trip more than any pony else. But can you try to contain yourself? Please? " "Okay," Opaline said as she slowly nodded. "Good, alright, every pony! Next stop, Cantorlot Square!" As they walked toward their destination, Opaline gazed up in amazement at the tall spiraling structures protruding from the city walls. Each tower was built with beautifully placed white bricks each topped with a golden-domed roof. There were hundreds of flagpoles, all fixed with flags of every color. She remembered the expansion done to the city in the first few years of Twilight's reign. The city bustled with life. Ponies and all sorts of creatures walked to and fro on every street. It was so surreal. "All right, everypony, please get with your buddy," the head mare said aloud. Everypony got with a friend, but Opaline didn't. She would have been sad, but something like that would have only slowed her down. The group continued to walk. "Now I want us all to stick together; we can't have any of you wandering off," the head mare said in an unenthusiastic tone. Except for Opaline, whose mind eventually focused on the world around her. The group all called out in unison, "Yes, Miss Shine." As they continued deeper into the city, Opaline started to form a plan in her head. At a moment when the head mare and the rest of the group were preoccupied, she would quietly slip away and head to the castle. As the hours passed on the trip, Opaline grew more and more anxious. She knew that she was the only pony there who was truly invested in the trip. As they walked, she saw it as the opportune time; the head mare was ultimately too distracted to pay attention to the line. She quietly and quickly stepped out of the line before making her way into a back street. She then ran through the thin streets, passing by and almost colliding with ponies in the street. If her memory had served her right, she was just a block away from the palace. She had, after all, memorized Canterlot's layout in her head. She then came out in a clearing, her hooves sparking against the ground as she made her sudden stop. She then gazed up in wonder. She had made it to the front entrance of the castle. She remembered the stories she had read. remembered the royals, the events, and the ponies that had been there. She walked on the same ground they did. breathed the same air they did. she smelled the same smells they did. She was finally there. finally, at the place written about in all the books she had read. But she also remembered that any old pony couldn’t get into the castle. They had to have some kind of special access. She dove behind the trimmed bushes. She’d have to find a way in. She put her hoof to her chin, thinking. She then quickly remembered something. The royal guards had medallions on the chest pieces of their armor. Maybe if she waited for one of the guards to open the doors, she could quickly sneak in behind them. She squirmed with excitement at the idea, thanking Rarity in her head for including that small detail in her autobiography. She sat there, closely awaiting the change of the guard. Her mind was racing with the possibilities of what she might experience. She peaked her head up slowly, making sure she wouldn’t be seen. Almost coincidentally, at that same exact time, a guard appeared to be talking to another guard. She could see them conversing before one turned to the door. Now was her time. She sprang from the bush, and before the guard could even remotely enter the building, she went flying past him. Her blind excitement had made her almost immediately seen. "Hey, young filly! "STOP!" the guard yelled. But she was too fast even for them, her will powering her along, and the guards stood no chance of catching her. A guard stepped out from around a corner in one of the long hallways she had been running through. But she simply weaved beside them before they even had a chance to grab her. She turned her head around to take a glance at the small group of guards chasing after her. As she was too distracted to look at where she was going, she ran face forward into a golden neckpiece. A loud crash sounded out as Opaline fell to the floor. "Owwww," she groaned as she rubbed her head. She looked up to see what she had run into. Almost instantly, the pain in her head stopped as her eyes widened at what she was looking at. No, who she was looking at.