//------------------------------// // Chapter #15: Invasion of the Mind // Story: My Little Pony: Dark Star // by WestRail642fan //------------------------------// Chapter Fifteen. Invasion of the Mind. Night fell upon Zephyr Heights, the sky was filled with countless stars and not a single cloud in sight. The clock tower in the city centre rang as it struck 2 am. Most of the citizens were already asleep, except for a few night owls doing late-night shopping or spending the night at clubs. The Royal guards patrolled the palace. The palace was silent, save for the occasional chatter of the guards. Two royal guards stood guard in front of Haven's private chambers. Snoring filled the room as Haven lay sleeping, Cloudpuff asleep at the foot of the bed. Haven's room was soon filled with a dull buzzing sound as her phone started to ring, the screen lighting up the room. Cloudpuff let out a yawn as the buzzing caused the dog to wake up. He tilted his head and slowly flew over to the phone. He saw it was Pipp trying to call. He began barking, in an attempt to wake his adoring owner. "Mmm... Cloudpuff, if you're asking for more treats. Wait till the morning please..." She said as she tried to sleep. "Bark bark!" Couldpuff yelped, before biting on Haven's sleeping masking, pulling it off. "Cloudpuff! What is the emergency?" She asked. Cloudpuff grabbed her phone and gave it to her. Haven looked down at the phone, seeing Pipp's picture flashing on the screen, "PIPP!?" She quickly swiped on Answer. "Hi, mom..." Pipp's voice spoke from the speaker. "PIPPARINA! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW GREAT IT IS TO HEAR YOUR VOICE!" Haven said excitedly but in a soft voice. "Where are you? I'll send out a squadron of guards to your location to bring you home." Haven added, her chest felt lighter from hearing her daughter's voice. "I want to see your face..." Pipp spoke softly, tapping her screen, making the call go from voice call to video call. "Pipp. I'm going to ask this in the most delicate fashion I can muster." Haven added, turning on her bedside lamp as her own face appeared on her screen, "BUT WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" The queen screamed, "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW WORRIED I AM RIGHT NOW!, I WAS WORRIED FOR YOU!" "I'm sorry, mother..." Pipp sniffed, wiping her muzzle. Haven sighed. "Pipp, what would happen if you got killed out there or bandits kidnapped you, what would your father think Pipp? Do you think he would want his daughter to run off?" She asked Pipp, the old mare trying her best not to cry, "Ever since you ran off, I've not been able to sleep without worrying about what might have happened to you." Please Pipp you and Zipp are my only family left." She added. "I know..." Pipp spoke softly. "If your father were here he would be so worried about you Pipp." Haven sighed. "Do you remember the story I told you about your dad? where he took a spear to the shoulder after fending off those bandits?" She reminded Pipp, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, mother..." Pipp answered, sighing as Haven went on to talk about how she attended to her father's wounds after the bandit attack. "And since the day of our wedding, and the day we both became King and Queen, we both vow to love each other till the day we die." Haven added. "Do you think he would want this? And Zpp, she is the only sister you have Pipp. Do you think she would want this?" She added, before noticing Pipp wasn't speaking, "Pipp? Are you listening?" "I am, mother..." Pipp said in a sad tone. "Please, Pipp... Come home dear." Haven said, trying her best not to cry, "Phyllis removed the charges… you and that human are no longer convicted of the crime so please Pipp, I'm asking not as the Queen of zephyr heights, but as your mother please come home I miss you, Zipp missed you and if your father were here he would miss you too so Please... Come home my dear, I got sunny and a few of your friends to go look for you along with Zoom and Thunder." Haven added. "W-what? We're not wanted?" Pipp said, shocked by this news. "Yes my dear all charges have been dropped, you are not wanted and you won't have to worry about losing your royal title and status or being executed." Haven said. "So please, come home, dear, Zephyr Heights needs its sassy pop star singer." Haven chuckled a little. "Mom..." Pipp smiled weakly. "Yes, dear? What is it?" Haven asked. "While I'm thankful for everything you've done, why were they dropped? The charges I mean." Pipp spoke. "Oh, something about that fuel being useless to Canterlogic." Haven waved her hoof, "Phyllis said that the human stealing it did her company a favour, but she wants that tanker back, however." Haven smiled, beaming from ear to ear, "So, what do you say Pipp? You can choose to either let the human go it alone on what is clearly a suicide mission whilst you stay and wait for Zipp to arrive, or you see this through to the end." She added, raising her eyebrow. "I'm sorry mother, but I want to see this through to the end, even if it is a wasted trip." Pipp spoke, confidence now filling her tired voice. "Well... Dear, it’s your choice. I trust your gut but please stay safe..." Haven told Pipp. "The last thing I need is... Getting a phone call from Zipp saying that found your body, so please, stay safe… for your father." She added, "But if you do change your mind, I'm just a phone call away." "Ok, mom..." Pipp smiled, yawning. "You better get some sleep, young lady." Haven smiled, kissing her phone. "Stay safe, my dear." Haven added. "Ok, night mom." Pipp smiled before tapping the end call button. Haven looked at her phone screen as it went blank before returning to the home screen, she let out a yawn, "I'll let Zipp know in the morning." She yawned, placing her phone back on the nightstand. She laid back down, looking up at the ceiling, "Our daughter is fine, Zephyr..." She said to herself as she drifted back to sleep. The sun slowly began to crest over the horizon. Opaline sat and stared at it from the campsite, the early morning breeze slowly rustling her mane. "Fear not, Celestia..." She spoke softly to herself as the sun slowly rose from behind the distant mountain range, "I will avenge you and Luna, mark my words." She snarled under her breath. The alicorn looked around at the ponies, still asleep by the now burned-out campfire. She let out a deep sigh before turning away from the camp. Quietly raising to her hooves, the large alicorn slowly trotted away from camp, making her way through the large meadow nearby. Zipp's ear twitched as the sounds of a dove cooing in a tree nearby filled them. The white pegasus rubbed her eyes tiredly as she yawned, stretching her wings with a slight pop of joints. She looked around to see her other friends all still asleep in their sleeping bags except for Dazzle who brought her own tent and Sprout who had decided to sleep in the cab of the Sprouticus. She smiled contentedly until she noticed a lack of a giant purple alicorn. "Wait, what?" She spoke to herself, voice weak from sleeping with her mouth open. The pegasus shot up from her sleeping back, looking around frantically, "She-" Zipp went to scream, but her dry mouth prevented her from even raising her voice. Zipp grabbed her flask from her bag, consuming all the remaining water from it, some trickling down her chin. "OPALINE'S GONE!" Zipp shouted, throwing the empty flask onto the ground. Her loud voice instantly woke everyone up except for Sprout who was in a deep sleep and had earmuffs on. "Wait... Who’s gone?" Izzy asked, smacking her lips as she yawned "OPALINE!" Zipp shouted, flying around the campsite, "SHE’S GONE!" Sunny woke up. "Huh, that can't be... She should be here..." She said, rubbing her eyes. "Also, was it really necessary to shout at the top of your lungs?" The earth pony glared at the pegasus as she continued to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Hey, I would not have shouted if it was an emergency you know?" Zipp glared back at Sunny, "I told you Opaline would run the first chance she got!" The pegasus snapped. "Opaline would not do that. We made a deal back at Zephyr Heights, remember? We gave her dragon fire in exchange, and she agreed to help us find Pipp." Sunny snapped back, waving her hoofs around and stretching. "Well, she's not here!" Zipp shouted, shoving Sunny backwards. "Hey! Don't take it out on me!" Sunny snarled, pressing her nose against Zipp's. The two looked like they were ready to kill each other. Dazzle slowly opened the flaps of her tent, just in time to see Zipp and Sunny arguing, followed by Zipp shoving Sunny. "Hey Hey! Let’s not start a fight alright? We all agreed we'd find Pipp together so let’s live up to that promise alright?" The lavender pegasus shouted, placing herself between Zipp and Sunny. "Uh, guys..." Izzy spoke up, trying to get the attention of Dazzle, Sunny and Zipp but to no avail, "GUYS!" Izzy shouted at the top of her lungs. "WHAT?!" All three mares shouted in unison. "I see her in that field!"' Izzy shouted, pointing to the meadow, a purple blob sat among the grass and flowers, "She isn't exactly hard to miss." The unicorn added, "Her large size gave away her spot." She giggled a little as Zipp and Sunny took off running towards the alicorn.2 Opaline sat amongst the grass, hind legs crossed, fore hooves held up in the air and eyes closed. She took in steady and calm breaths as she relaxed her mind. As she focused on the magic surrounding her, an evil cackle entered her mind, the voice was one she had not heard for a long time. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The evil voice cackled as two pink eyes became visible in the darkness that now surrounded Opaline, You really thought I forgot about you!? My experiment!" The voice added, cackling harder. "Dark Star..." Opaline snarled, turning around as Dark Star made herself visible, stepping out from the darkness. "I'm surprised you remember me. It's been centuries." Dark Star smirked wickedly, "Why, I remember those long five years where I would torture you! I miss the screams." She cackled, using her magic to gash a large wound into Opaline's cheek. "You won't win." Opaline gritted her teeth, "I can assure you that." She spat in Dark Star's face. "Ooooh, I'm so scared." Dark Star said in a mocking tone, "You're powerless to stop me, every day I grow stronger. I am inevitable." The larger alicorn smirked, her magic wrapping around Opaline's throat, "Once I have my magic back, all of Equestria will bow before me or it will burn." She added, watching as Opaline wriggled around in her magical grip. "Sunny Starscout and her friends will stop you." Opaline choked, gasping for air. "Oh, I doubt that." Dark Star rebutted as she disappeared from view, Opaline felt the alicorn's magic loosen from her neck, "Bring me Sunny Starscout, or I will hunt you down and make you watch as I burn this place to the ground." Opaline's eyes snapped open, the alicorn found herself back in the field. She placed a hoof on her cheek, feeling the blood slowly trickle down her face. "S-she's getting stronger..." She said, looking at the blood on her hoof as Sunny skidded to a stop in front of her. "Wait, who is?" Sunny asked in a concerned tone as she quickly pulled a piece of tissue from her bag, wiping it on Opaline's cheek. "Dark Star..." Opaline spoke solemnly, flinching at Sunny's touch, "She's getting stronger each day..." She avoided eye contact with Zipp as the latter finally stopped next to the alicorn. "Yeah, yeah. Likely story." Zipp snarled, pressing her muzzle right against Opaline's own muzzle. "Zipp... Can you please listen to Opaline for once?" Sunny replied while throwing the bloodied tissue away, "And would it kill you to not be judgmental of everyone pony for once?" "Why are you so willing to trust her on this?!" Zipp shouted, practically screaming in Sunny's face before she felt a tightness on her neck, the pegasus looked down to see Opaline's magical grip around her throat. "All I have to do is squeeze." Opaline spoke darkly, "You know nothing of the horrors I have witnessed." Zipp quickly began gasping for air, "Hey! Let me go! You-" She choked as Opaline's grip tightened. "Opaline. Let her go! She can't breathe!" Sunny screamed as Zipp's face slowly started to turn purple. Opaline looked down at Sunny, letting out a sigh before releasing Zipp. The pegasus fell to the ground with a grunt as she gasped for much-needed air. "You should have seen the horrors and pain I suffered at the hooves of that monster! You would barely survive the first few tests and experiments she conducted on me." Opaline spat the ground near her. Clearly unamused with the white pegasus. "Look. I don't care what time you're from. Don't you dare strangle a princess. I can see fit that you are executed for that!" Zipp whizzed, coughing as she steadied her breathing. "Whatever..." Opaline spoke, trotting past Zipp and towards the camp. Sunny looked at Zipp, "Was that really necessary?" She sighed, "Come on, Zipp. Loosen a little, she went through a lot." She added, offering out a hoof to Zipp. "Who's side are you even on?!" Zipp shouted, batting away Sunny's hoof. "Your side, her side, everyone's side." Sunny replied, frowning as she did so. "WELL, IF YOU WERE ON MY SIDE, WE WOULD HAVE FOUND PIPP ALREADY!" Zipp screamed into Sunny's face before trotting off. "What's that supposed to mean?!" Sunny shouted back as Zipp stormed off. "Look. I don't want to fight with you Sunny." Zipp stopped, turning around to face her friend, "But why do you trust Opaline so much?" She sat down on the grass. "Why do you not trust her? We made it this far with her help and besides she kept her end of the deal." Sunny reminded Zipp as she placed her hoof around Zipp's shoulder. "I know I know, It's just that I feel like she's not telling us everything. She seems to know that human by name. Is she a disgruntled Ex or something?" Zipp sighed. "I don’t know, the only way we are going to find out more is through Pipp since she was the first one to interact with him." Sunny smiled reassuringly, "Plus, think about it, once we've saved Pipp, you won't have to interact with Opaline again." "Ok..." Zipp sighed, "Let's get this over with..." She added as her and Sunny slowly trotted towards the camp site. End of Chapter Fifteen.