//------------------------------// // Chapter #17: Teacher // Story: My Little Pony: Dark Star // by WestRail642fan //------------------------------// Chapter Seventeen. Teacher. Opaline sat on the roof of the Sprouticus, Sunny sitting opposite. "First step, clear your mind and focus on the magic around you." Opaline spoke calmly, hind legs crossed, "Let it flow through you, guide you. Now, take deep breaths and imagine yourself in a calm place." The alicorn spoke in a soft voice, "Doesn't matter what the place is, could be a library or a forest clearing, just whatever makes you calm." She added. "Ok, I can do this." Sunny closed her eyes, and her breathing slowed. Her mind slowly channelled out the sound of the Sprouticus' wheels as it rolled over the uneven terrain. Sunny focused on the magic flowing around her, it had a sound to it. One she has heard before, but couldn't pinpoint where she had heard it. Sunny quickly found herself outside the lighthouse, her old lighthouse. It was just how she remembered it before Sprout had accidentally destroyed it. Something was off, however, the exterior paint was fresher looking than it was. After her father died, Sunny neglected the lighthouse's exterior. So why was it looking like it was just painted? A twinkling light caused the mare's eyes, Sunny looked up to see a sky lantern, frozen in time. "Huh?" She tilted her head, and with a flap of her glimmering wings, she flew up to the lantern, bringing it to her eye level. She let out a gasp when she saw the sheet of paper hanging from below it. It was the letter she sent years ago that Izzy later found and kept. Her eyes wandered downwards towards the railing, and there she saw herself as a filly alongside her father. Much like the lantern, they too were frozen in time. "Dad..." She choked on her words, tears filling her eyes as she quickly flew over to the stallion and embraced him, "I missed you so much..." She sniffled, tears freely flowing down her cheeks, "If only you were here to meet my friends." She smiled slightly, wiping her tears away, "You would just love them all." She chuckled to herself, a warm sensation filled her chest. "It's amazing the power that memories have on magic, is it not?" Sunny heard a voice speak. "Opaline?" She asked, looking behind her to see what she thought to be Opaline but it couldn't be, Opaline was an alicorn, not a unicorn. "Yes, Sunny. It's me, Opaline." The tall unicorn smiled, "This is the real me anyway..." She looked down at Sunny. Gone was the dark purple, replaced with a lavender. "You look... Different." Sunny smiled nervously, eyes looking at the unicorn up and down. "It's amazing how quickly you were able to do this, why in the days of old Equestria, it would take even the most powerful unicorns weeks to even think of a place as detailed as this..." Opaline looked around wide-eyed. "Uh, thanks? I guess..." Sunny looked down at her hooves, "What are you doing here?" She spoke softly. "I don't know to be perfectly honest. The ability to bring others into your own mind is very ancient magic that only the most powerful alicorns could perform." Opaline spoke, placing a hoof on her chin as she thought. "It's got to be Dark Star's magic." Sunny spoke up. "It's possible, but she isn't ancient... I mean, there are stories of it happening through a familial connection." Opaline shrugged, "But I seriously doubt me and you are related..." She added as Sunny tilted her head. "Yeah, despite my dad's love for history about the races, I'm pretty sure he would have married an earth pony to have me." Sunny replied, unamused at the implication that she and Opaline could be related in some way. "Anyway, now that the first step is complete. Now, on to step two." Opaline trotted over to Sunny, "Try to levitate something.", The unicorn smiled, "Go, on. It's a piece of cake." "Um, like what exactly?" Sunny looked around for an object to levitate. "Whatever you feel like practising on, I'd personally start with something small, like a pencil." Opaline shrugged, leaning against the railing that encircled the observation platform of the lighthouse. "Hmm..." Sunny mumbled to herself, before noticing a brightly coloured ball amongst some of her other childhood toys. Sticking her tongue out slightly, Sunny focused on the ball. Her ethereal horn shimmered and sparkled as its magical embrace engulfed the spherical object. "I did it!" Sunny cheered as the ball began to levitate off the floor, it did, however, feel heavier than she remembered it being. "Excellent work, Sunny!" Opaline smiled, "You're a fast learner. I must admit." The unicorn smiled, "Now, gently lower it back down, remember. it won't always be a ball you'd be levitating. What if you were laying out plates for dinner, for example, you wouldn't want broken plates now would you?" "Okay." Sunny spoke calmly, the mare took in a slow breath as she focused on the ball in her magical grasp. "Focus your mind and magic on the ball, remember what I told you about the plates." Opaline calmy reassured Sunny. Slowly but surely, the ball gently landed back down on the floor, exactly where it had been laying before. "Nicely done, Sunny." Opaline smiled warmly, clapping her hoofs gently. "I must say, I'm quite impressed with your magic skills." "Thank you." Sunny spoke before hugging Opaline tightly, "Mom..." She whispered. "You're welcome..." Opaline said softly, "Stellar..." She hummed to herself before realising what Sunny said, "Mom?" "Stellar?" Sunny said. The two looked at each other before laughing. Opaline and Sunny opened their eyes as they snapped back to reality. Sunny looked at Opaline, sure enough, the wings and the darker purple coat were back. They were now back in the real world. "So, what happens now?" Sunny asked, still sitting cross-legged. "Now, my dear. Put what you learned to the test in the real world." Opaline smiled, with little effort, she levitated a large rock from the ground as the Sprouticus rolled past, "Levitate this rock." She said, watching Sunny closely. "Ok, I can do this." Sunny breathed calmly, her horn shimmered as she easily levitated the rock a good 10ft off the roof, "Opaline! I'm doing it!" "Well done Sunny!" Opaline cheered, "Now, remember the next step." Sunny smiled as she gently lowered the rock down to the roof, placing it in front of Opaline's hooves. The orange mare smiled smugly as Opaline looked at the rock wide-eyed. "Impressive, most impressive." Opaline said proudly, "I'm quite impressed with your quick grasp of magic." She added, smiling at Sunny. "Thanks." Sunny smiled back, "Not to toot my own horn, but I'm a fast learner." She wagged her tail happily. "Hey, it's my turn!" They heard Izzy shout from below, "So move ya boney butt!" "No way Izzy!" They heard Zipp shout in reply, "Besides, at least my butt isn't all flabby like yours, big butt!" Zipp retorted. "Hey!" Izzy shouted back as the hatch burst open. Unicorn and Pegasus found themselves wedged in the opening. "Hi, guys..." Zipp groaned as Sunny and Opaline stared at her and Izzy. Zipp laughed nervously as Sunny and Opaline helped to pull her and Izzy out of the opening. "Weee!" Izzy giggled as she popped free from the hatch, shooting forwards and landing on Sunny. "OOF!" Sunny let out as the heavy unicorn landed on her. Sunny looked up and blew Izzy's mane out of her face. "I didn't need your help, you know!" Zipp grumbled as Opaline pulled her up. "I'm just helping you." Opaline rolled her eyes, she was getting tired of the hostilities of the white pegasus. "As I said, I don't need your help!" The pegasus wriggled around. "Suit yourself." Opaline shrugged, letting go of Zipp and allowing the pegasus to fall back down the hatchway. "Was that really necessary?" Sunny groaned as Izzy finally moved off of her. Opaline simply shrugged before quickly returning to sitting cross-legged, "Izzy, were you and Zipp spying on us?" Sunny raised her eyebrow. "Uh... yes...?" Izzy smiled nervously, Sunny's eye twitched at the answer, "It was Zipp's idea!" Izzy quickly added. "Was not!" Zipp shouted, her head reemerging from the hatchway. "You know." Opaline calmly spoke up, "Instead of bickering like foals, why don't you two join Sunny and me in meditating." "Oooh, meditation! I love meditation!" Izzy bounced around on the spot. She quickly sat down next to Sunny and crossed her legs, Sunny joining her. "Yeah, no thanks." Zipp rolled her eyes. "Come on Z. Loosen up a little." Izzy giggled, "You never know till you try it." She sang the last part. "Urgh, Fine." Zipp grumbled, "This better not take too long." She continued, trotting over and sitting down on the other side of Sunny. The white pegasus slowly crossed her legs, mimicking Opaline, Sunny and Izzy. "Now, let's start from the beginning, shall we?" Opaline exhaled calmly, "Now, Zipp, Izzy. I want you to clear your mind and focus on the magic surrounding you. Let it guide you, flow through you, become one with it." "This is stupid..." Zipp groaned before being slapped by Sunny's wing. "Now." Opaline spoke, eyes closed, "I want you to focus on a place that makes you feel calm, could be a happy memory if that is what you want." Opaline’s voice slowly faded away. Izzy opened her eyes, she found herself back in her old home in Bridlewood. She turned around to find a copy of herself, frozen in time with Lil Annie standing in front of her. She remembered this memory. It was from Mother's Day a few months ago, Lil Annie had made her a macaroni picture as a gift. "Like mother, like daughter." Izzy giggled softly to herself, smiling proudly at the picture, she was certain that Lil Annie would surpass her skills in arts and crafts. "Izzy, is that-" Izzy quickly spun around to see Sunny and Opaline behind her. "Mhmm!" Izzy nodded excitedly, "Meet Lil Annie." Izzy spoke proudly, "Wish you could meet her for real although..." Izzy frowned slightly, "She's practically dying to meet you all." She added. "Why haven't you brought her down to Maretime Bay on weekends?" Sunny asked, wrapping a wing around Izzy. "It's simply too far for her little legs, and there isn't space on Izzy Does It for her to sit." Izzy gave a reassuring smile at Sunny, "But trust me, you will get to see her soon, I promise." The unicorn added, before noticing Opaline's unicorn form, "Opaline?" She tilted her head. "Mhmm." Opaline replied to the unicorn's question. "Heh, you look like me!" Izzy giggled, pointing at Opaline's fur. The light purple was nearly exactly the same shade as Izzy's own coat. "Huh, you're right." Sunny chuckled under her breath, "Hey, wait a minute, where's Zipp?" Sunny looked around for the pegasus but she was nowhere to be seen. Zipp, meanwhile, had found herself back inside the palace in Zephyr Heights. Zipp looked up at the ceiling, "Wishentine decor?" She mused to herself before realisation struck her, "Oh no..." Her head began to hurt at the site of the decor. This memory was one she had hoped had been locked away for good. It was the last Wishentine she spent with her father before he died. The white pegasus swallowed hard as she turned around, there before her, was her 12-year-old self in the middle of unwrapping a present. A 6-year-old Pipp was seen frozen mid-jump after unwrapping her first-ever smartphone. Zipp smiled slightly, remembering how much Pipp had asked for it when that particular model was brand new. Zipp wanted to avoid looking at her father, but her mind got the better of her. With one eye open, she locked eyes with him. In hindsight, it was clear just how ill he truly was towards the end, but he never showed it. Typical of her father, showing a brave face, right to the bitter end. "I wish I could have seen the signs earlier..." Zipp spoke out loud, sensing Sunny, Izzy and Opaline behind her, "I wish I was brave enough to tell him my worries..." She turned around to face her friends as Izzy and Sunny tackled her in a tight hug, "I wish he got himself checked for that fucking cancer sooner..." Zipp sobbed as Izzy gently stroked her head. "Sometimes, there are some things we can’t prevent from happening, Zipp… You couldn't have prevented this." Sunny spoke softly, wiping a tear from Zipp's cheek. "You can't blame yourself for something out of your control, you know that." Opaline added, kneeling down to Zipp's eye level. "Easy for you to say..." Zipp sniffled, staring off into space, unfocused as Sunny and Izzy comforted her, "You've never cared about anyone, let alone losing them..." She added, her voice sounding hoarse from crying "I know what it's like." Opaline looked down, "More than you know..." She added, the unicorn rose to her hooves, "Instead of telling you, let me show you." She spoke softly as her horn sparkled to life. Izzy, Zipp and Sunny stared in awe as the space around them morphed from the interior of Zephyr Height's royal palace into an interior that they had never seen before, but to Sunny, it felt vaguely familiar. Izzy looked around, the place looked like Opaline's fortress, but it was a lot more colourful and vibrant. Mediaeval-styled torches lit up the room around them. Various decorations made the place more welcoming than it appeared when they raided it when looking for Sparky. Opaline froze in place as she stared at a vision of her younger self, 25 years younger, to be exact. The younger version of herself had her mane put up into a ponytail instead of letting it fall to the sides of her neck as she had it now. Sunny looked at the younger Opaline as she sat in a large comfy stair by a fire, holding something bundled in blankets in her hooves. "Is that a-" Sunny went to ask before being silenced by Opaline's hoof being placed on her mouth. "That's my daughter..." Opaline stared blankly at her younger self, "Stellar Harmony..." She coldly added. "What happened to her?" Sunny asked, looking up at the present Opaline. "She and her father had to go into hiding when Dark Star discovered my location. The bitch deemed my newborn daughter to be a threat!" Opaline screamed in anger. "May I?" Sunny looked up at Opaline, who slowly nodded through watery eyes. The orange mare slowly moved closer towards the bundled foal, she removed the cover and her jaw dropped when she saw the foal, "No, it can't be..." She covered her mouth in surprise. "Sunny!" Izzy shouted as one of her best friends fell to the floor in shock, Zipp caught Sunny before she fell back and hit her head. "Sunny, what's wrong?" Zipp asked, concern on her face as Izzy quickly ran over. Opaline froze in place from shock. "Opaline is my mother..." Sunny mumbled to herself, her face was pale like she had seen a ghost. "What?!" Izzy and Zipp shouted in unison, all eyes now focused on Opaline. "That... Not possible..." Opaline looked down at the trio, "Equestria is a vast place..." She added as Sunny pulled out a photograph from her bag. "That's me, and that's my father..." Sunny pointed at the photo, it was a photo from Sunny's 5th birthday, she was riding piggyback on her father's back. "Argyle..."Opaline said softly, Sunny was surprised by this, but it confirmed that she indeed was Opaline's offspring. Darkness soon fell across the vast plains as the Sprouticus continued northwards. "Ok, I'm gonna get some sleep, ok Thunder?" Sprout said, yawning as he did so, "Now, it's in autopilot, so all you gotta do is keep your hoof on the throttle." Sprout added, "Good night." The red stallion proceeded to exit the cab. "Huh, this is easier than it looked." Thunder said to himself as he drank coffee from his flask. Sprout cautiously walked along the roof of his machine, opening up the hatch as he caught a glimpse of Opaline in the moonlit sky, "I'll never understand meditation." He spoke to himself as he jumped down the hatchway. "What got her upset?" He asked as he saw a depressed-looking Sunny being comforted by Hitch and Izzy whilst grabbing a bottle of water from his duffle bag. "She just found out that Opaline is her mom." Hitch replied bluntly, giving Sprout a look of annoyance. "What?!" Sprout choked on his drink, before spitting it out, accidentally showing Zoom with the water. "URGH! REALLY?!" Zoom screamed in frustration as she quickly dried herself off with a towel. "Hold up. So, you're telling me that the alicorn that tried to end the world a few days ago is my aunt?!" Sprout shouted in surprise as he quickly wiped his mouth. "Tried to end the world is a bit of an exaggeration, but yes..." Zipp answered Sprout, sighing in the process. Sprout sighed and placed his hoof on his head, "This is a lot to take in guys." He spoke, slowly sitting down between Zipp and Dazzle Feather, the pair giving him a look of disgust as they both thought of ways to teach him a lesson. Opaline opened her eyes as the wind blew through her feathers. She looked down at her tattered wings illuminated by the full moon. Truth be told, she never understood how to preen them, instead choosing to just let the feathers fall out when they did. The mare let out a long sigh, today had been an eventful one, to say the least. "Oh Argyle..." She whispered to herself, lamenting the fact she had missed so much for the past 25 years. *25 Years Ago* The soft sounds of a baby crying filled the warm and cosy room. Opaline sat in a chair, gently cradling her foal. "Ssssh..." She spoke softly, trying her best to calm the newborn, barely a few days old. "Aw... Sunny Bunny..." Argyle smiled as he entered the room with a plate full of sandwiches for Opaline. "She won't settle, I've fed her and checked her diaper." Opaline looked over to her partner with tired eyes, gently rocking the crying foal. Argyle placed the plate down on the table, "Pass her here. Here, eat something, my love." He smiled as Opaline leaned forward, placing Stellar in his hooves. Opaline bit into one of the sandwiches as Argyle gently rocked the foal, calming her almost instantly, "Well, would you look at that." Argyle said teasingly "How do you do it?" Opaline smiled, mouth covered in crumbs. "Ah ah. It's my little secret." Argyle tapped his nose as he chuckled, Opalined rolled her eyes as she giggled. "You're too good for me, Argyle." Opaline smiled and kissed his cheek, "Love you dear." She added, resting her head on his shoulder. "Love you too." He smiled, nuzzling into Opaline's mane. End of Chapter Seventeen.