It had been a week or two since the Mane 5 and Misty returned from their first Unity Crystal Quest (or at least that’s what Hitch and Izzy liked to call it), where the Unity Crystals would send our hooved heroes to another world that needed their help.
This last time, it had taken our heroes to the kingdom of Warnerstock, where they meet three zany but kind-hearted siblings, and helped them take back their kingdom.
But not long after that, Opaline revealed that she saw everything in Misty’s absence, even though no time had passed in Equestria. That made Misty very nervous deep down… what if Opaline tried to attack them while they were on one of the missions?
Of course, ever since they returned, Opaline had not taken her eyes off the Brighthouse except to sleep, eat and go to the bathroom. She sent Misty out on spying missions daily, and Misty usually told Opaline the same thing every day-- ‘They haven’t left yet, Opaline. Maybe tomorrow’.
This would make Opaline scoff and Misty would retreat to her corridors, so Opaline wouldn’t have to look at her.
But this time, however… would be much different than Misty would ever expect.
It was one particularly cloudy day over Opaline’s castle, and Opaline sat in her throne, mixing up something in a small bowl while Misty watched. And once she was satisfied with her progress, she lifted it up to Misty’s confused face. “What does this smell of, Misty?” she asked, and Misty took a sniff and gagged at the horrible smell. “Like… week-old fish sprayed by a skunk?” Misty guessed. “No-- well, yes,” Opaline nodded. “But… it also smells of… our key to success.”
“...how exactly can this help?” Misty asked curiously. “You just go and do your undercover work, and I will monitor you from here,” Opaline dismissed her. “And pack for a few nights away, okay? Just in case you’re away on another mission.”
Misty nodded nervously and retreated to her quarters to pack the following items:
“I-I’m ready, Opaline,” the blue unicorn said, packing all of her small items into a saddlebag on her back. “Do you want me to call you when I get there?”
“Of course not, Misty,” Opaline said, confusing her. “We want to make the foolish ponies not suspicious of you, don’t we? Like I said, I will monitor you from my throne and make sure nothing happens that is out-of-the-ordinary.”
Misty reluctantly nodded and trotted out of the room, leaving Opaline to chuckle wickedly. “Now… to finish this mixture and make my mark upon Equestria and existing worlds.”
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Meanwhile, the Mane 5 were at Mane Melody for a special day of hanging out, and Pipp was singing with her co-workers Jazz Hooves and Rocky Riff in their hit single.
Pipp, Jazz and Rocky: Try something new, take a chance, just believe it
Let out your light, shining bright, can ya see it?
Whoa-oh-ohhhh-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh, hey!
Whoa-oh-ohhhh-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh
Try something new, take a chance, just believe it
Let out your light, shining bright, can ya see it?
At Mane Melody, hey!
At Mane Melody!
Zipp, Sunny, Izzy and Hitch cheered happily for their friends as the verse closed. “Every single song, you cease to amaze me, Pipp,” Sunny told her pegasus friend. “No wonder Mane Melody is such a hit!”
“Aww, thanks Sunny!” Pipp smiled. “What did you think, Zipp? Want me to give you that mane-do you promised me for weeks now?”
But Zipp wasn’t listening to all that-- she was instead trying to figure out how the Unity Crystals sent them on that mission a few weeks ago to Warnerstock. “Ziiiipp… ZIPP!!” Pipp finally shouted, driving her sister out of it. “Sorry, Pipp…” Zipp apologized. “But our time in Warnerstock has really got me on detective-mode.”
“Can you put detective mode on for one minute and let us spend some time together?” Pipp made a sad face, making Zipp roll her eyes but nod as she put her FlyPad away. “No more detective work for the rest of the day-- I promise.”
Just then, the door bells jingled as the door was opened, and through the door came Misty, holding a pillow within her reach. “Hey, everypony,” she said with a soft smile. “Mind if I… come in?”
“Hi, Misty! Of course you can come in!” Izzy practically dragged the unicorn inside. “Hey, Jazzy! Can you give Misty one of your special hooficures?”
To this, the blue earth pony smiled. “Sure thing. I’m pony-positive that I can come up with the perfect colors and designs for your hooves, Misty. Come on over here!”
“Thanks, Jazz,” Misty smiled and put her front hooves on the counter for Jazz to work her magic. “We were just talking about our adventure in Warnerstock!” Sunny told Misty. “And we think we have the solution to your… little problem.”
Zipp then opened a folder to reveal them to be cutie mark stickers that looked just like the cutie mark she drew on her flank. “Just put them on and they’ll stay like that for a while-- fire proof, water proof, smudge resistant… and after they fall off after a week or so, you can come back for more.”
“...thank you, Zipp!” Misty said with a beam. She never thought that the ponies would take her not having a cutie mark so well, but… they had taken it better than Opaline had ever taken her previous failings.
But before she could get another word in, her friends’ cutie marks began to glow with a pulsating light. “Whoa… do you think the Unity Crystals are trying to call us?” Hitch wondered. “Could be… we better go check it out, just in case!” Zipp answered and flew out the door. “Come on, everypony!”
“Aaaaaaand… done!” Jazz finished up Misty’s design-- a yellow background with pink butterflies dotted all over it. “Thanks, Jazz. How much do I owe you?” Misty asked. “Nothing-- free of charge for any friend of Pipp,” Jazz smiled. “Now, go! I’m sure your friends need you.”
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Misty and the ponies urgently rushed to the Crystal Brighthouse as soon as they were able to, and climbed up to where the Unity Crystals once stood. “What do you think we should call these missions?” Hitch asked the others. “Every mission needs a code name.”
“We’ll have time to think about that when we get where we’re going,” Zipp said. And just like that, the cutie marks began to glow with the Unity Crystals, causing them to disappear in a flash of light… a flash of light that Opaline smirked at. Time to put her plans into their first effect.