Misty thought for sure she couldn't be happier now that she had left Opaline and finally gotten her cutie mark. She had friends now, real friends. And she could live her life in Maretime Bay with said friends, helping them to defeat Opaline like she'd promised.
Yet as the days went by, something began to gnaw at the unicorn. Even after she'd celebrated getting her cutie mark and even gotten a new style (at Pipp's suggestion), Misty found that something was keeping her awake at night. It refused to leave her be. And it was a simple question: Who she had been before she'd been taken in by Opaline? Opaline had not been her mother in any sense, but Misty couldn't remember anything from before the fire alicorn had taken her in. Had she been an orphan? Or had Opaline somehow abducted her from somewhere?
Surprisingly, it was Izzy of all ponies who first noticed Misty's noticeably less chipper attitude. And so, one day by chance, she asked her fellow unicorn. "What's got you feeling all un-sparkly, Misty?"
Misty blinked in surprise and tried to play it off (rather poorly, though). "It's... it's... nothing, really. I... I don't wanna bother you."
But once Izzy had drawn attention to Misty's attitude and overall posture, the rest of their friends couldn't help but chime in as they started to crowd around their new friend. "Misty, we're friends now. You don't need to keep hiding things from us," Sunny insisted. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing we can't solve together."
At that the newly reformed unicorn swallowed hard, she was never good at being put on the spot. "It’s just... I've been thinking lately. Thinking about who I am, who I was."
Zipp put a hoof to her chin as she pondered. "You told us that Opaline took you in when you were very young. Does that mean you were an orphan before you met her?"
Misty could only offer up a shrug in reply. "That's the thing, I don't really remember. Maybe I was an orphan, or maybe I had a family and Opaline just abducted me. I know I had to come from somewhere, I know Opaline wasn't my mother. But I have no memory of my past from before I met Opaline."
"Is it because Opaline cast a spell on you or something?" Sunny questioned. "From what little my dad's research on alicorns could tell me, alicorns could do almost anything."
But the unicorn with her newly styled and colored mane and tail could only shake her head. "I don't think it's because of a spell, not that I wouldn't put it past Opaline to do that. I think it's because I must've been just a foal when Opaline found me and decided to raise me. That's all she'd ever tell me whenever I asked her about my past," She sighed and hung her head. "Guess that should've told me something about how cold hearted she really was. Why didn't I see it sooner?"
Sunny empathetically reached out a hoof to Misty to reassure her. "You felt like you had no choice. None of us knew you were working for Opaline. We didn't even know Opaline existed until Zipp figured it out a few months ago," Then she wondered. "Although, maybe something in my dad's research mentioned her? Maybe I should take another look, just to see if there's anything that could shed light on who Opaline was and why Princess Twilight was trying to warn us about her."
Zipp, meanwhile, suggested to Misty. "Perhaps you should do some research. You probably had to come from Bridlewood, so there might be records there that could give you the answers you seek."
"Ooh, a research project!" Izzy excitedly proclaimed as her eyes began to glow! "We can take the Marestream to Bridlewood! That works out perfectly, I was planning to go back to Bridlewood anyway to pick up more crafting supplies!"
"Better leave the flying to me," Zipp declared in a slightly boastful tone of voice. "We both know what happened the last time somepony else tried to be a pilot." It was possible to detect a faint blush on Pipp's cheeks.
Sunny, meanwhile, told Zipp, Izzy and Misty. "You girls go ahead and go to Bridlewood. I really wanna look through my dad's research again, just in case he ever found anything about Opaline."
Hitch added. "I'd like to go with you, but I can't abandon my duties as sheriff. Besides, I need to keep a closer eye on Sparky now that I know somepony's trying to hurt him."
And Pipp chimed in with her own sentiments. "And I need to help Rocky and Jazz at Mane Melody. I kind of owe them after all the times I've been leaving them to run the place all on their own."
"Then it looks like it's just the three of us," Zipp declared as she looked to the unicorns. "So go pack your things, Izzy and Misty. We'll leave for Bridlewood first thing tomorrow."
And indeed, the very next day, Zipp led Izzy and Misty to the Marestream. And soon, they had departed Maretime Bay. It was just a short flight to Bridlewood. Zipp had clearly become an expert in learning how to pilot the flying machine, including getting it to land safely without the aid of a runway.
Upon departure, Izzy excitedly took the lead as she started bouncing up and down! "Come on, let's go check out the Bridlewood Archives. If there's anything that can tell us where Misty came from, it's just got to be there! I just know it!"
"I like a good research project, this should be fun." Zipp proclaimed and followed Izzy with no hesitation.
Misty followed, hoping in the back of her mind to get some answers about her past.
The archives were housed, unsurprisingly, inside of a tall tree in the middle of the enchanted forest. However, the archives themselves were really just a hoofful or so of cabinets with only a couple of papers and scrolls in each.
Izzy took the liberty of apologizing to her friends. "Sorry, unicorns aren't exactly the best at record keeping. Hardly anypony bothered to document anything back when we all lived in fear of the jinxies. We're trying to make up for that now."
Misty sighed, already resigning herself to the worst case scenario. "Seems like my search is over before it's even begun."
Zipp immediately wrapped a hoof around the troubled unicorn. "We've come all this way. Let's just see what we can find from what little we have to work with. Who knows? We might get lucky."
"Exactly!" Izzy excitedly chirped! "Maybe I'll even be able to find out who my parents were. I only kind of remember my mom. For most of my life, it was Alphabittle who raised me." Then she bounced away to start searching through the archives.
Misty and Zipp followed, each taking a different filing cabinet and pulling out papers, scrolls and other parchments one by one.
Minutes ticked by as the three mares began to assemble piles of various papers and scrolls that they had read through. So far, none had yielded the information they'd been trying to seek out.
"Any luck on your end, girls?" Zipp asked as she tossed yet another paper onto her pile.
Izzy shrugged her hooves. "Nope, haven't found anything. I can't even find anything about ponies like Alphabittle or Onyx. I thought for sure there'd at least be something for them," Then she looked across to her fellow unicorn. "How about you, Misty? Find anything helpful? Or anything at all?"
Misty didn't reply, however. Her eyes were currently fixated on the scroll she held in her hooves (as she was still getting used to having magic and being able to use it). It was almost as if she'd been turned to stone, because she didn't seem to move or even blink at all. Whatever was on that scroll clearly commanded her full attention.
Izzy and Zipp wasted no time and immediately made their way over to their friend's location, Zipp taking the liberty of tapping Misty on the shoulder with a hoof.
Misty spun around in surprise! "Huh?"
"Seems like you were fascinated by that scroll," Zipp pointed out. "What did you find out?"
At that, Misty slowly held up the scroll and began to unfurl it. "You're not gonna believe this, you'll never guess who it says is one of my parents."
"What do you mea-" Izzy began, only for her eyes (and Zipp's eyes too for that matter) to widen when they saw what was written on the scroll! There it all was, plain as day. Underneath a very obvious picture of a younger Alphabittle, was a unicorn filly that had all the features of Misty.
Any doubts anypony might have were erased upon noticing the little inscription written underneath the picture: Misty Blossomforth.
When the shock finally wore off, Izzy was the first to find her voice! She excitedly squealed! "Ooh! This is just... just... the best news ever!" And she pulled Misty close! "You know what this means, don't you?! That means, technically, we're sisters, just like Zipp and Pipp! After all, Alphabittle was basically my father, even if he never officially adopted me."
Zipp found her words next. "Never would've expected Alphabittle of all ponies to be your father, Misty. But I guess that would explain how he was good at taking care of Izzy, he already had experience with you."
Misty, however, was unsure what to make of this discovery. It was a lot to take in on short notice. So all she could bring herself to ask was. "What... should I do now?"
Izzy seemed to settle on a course of action! "Well, we've gotta break the news to Alphabittle! It's totally gonna blow his mind when he sees you again!" And before either Zipp or Misty could utter a syllable of protest, they were practically pulled away by their very enthusiastic friend.
At the Crystal Teahouse, Alphabittle was doing what he'd been doing almost every day since he'd started working at the place, and that was tending to customers. Whenever he had a free moment, he'd either wipe down countertops, or give his trusty puzzle cube a dusting off.
Suddenly, the peace and tranquility of the day was disrupted as the doors of the teahouse swung open! Alphabittle looked up, and was only slightly surprised to see Izzy and Zipp come trotting in. And his reddish-purple eyes could've sworn he saw a faintly familiar looking unicorn alongside them. Had he seen her before somewhere?
Izzy wasted no time in trotting up to the counter, locking eyes with the unicorn stallion as she excitedly told them! "Hi, Alphabittle! Guess what?! I've got news that is totally gonna blow your mind!"
Alphabittle flashed a warm smile, he'd long since gotten used to Izzy's enthusiasm. "What is it this time, Izzy?" He questioned, suspecting nothing at all.
Izzy turned around and pushed Misty forward. "I'll bet you recognize this pony. It's your daughter, Misty Blossomforth. Although now she's Misty Brightdawn."
Alphabittle took one look at Misty, and immediately he stumbled back in disbelief! It was almost like he'd seen a ghost! "No way! It... it can't be..." He struggled to control and contain his shock as he hesitantly looked at the mare who so closely resembled his long lost daughter. "...Is it really you?" He softly whispered.
Misty couldn't think of anything to say. What should she say? What could she say?
Tears of joy began to well up inside of Alphabittle as he finally seemed to accept what he had previously not been certain of. "It is you!" He proclaimed as he wrapped his hooves around Misty and locked eyes with her! "Oh Misty, I thought I'd never see you again! Oh, if this is a dream, please do not wake me up!"
As all eyes fell upon this abrupt reunion between father and daughter, Misty blushed even as she found herself unable to keep from tearing up as well. "It's... good to see you again too, Dad." Somehow, that last word felt so natural despite the fact that she'd only just found out about this fact.
Alphabittle slowly ended the hug and wiped the tears from his eyes, struggling to regain his usual composure. "How is this possible? You disappeared when you were just a foal. Where have you been all this time?"
Misty sighed and took a deep breath. "It's a long story." And she began to tell it as best she could.
"And that's when I knew, knew I couldn't stay with Opaline anymore," Misty concluded. "So I moved to Maretime Bay to be with my friends. And I promised them I'd do whatever I could to help them defeat Opaline."
"And then we decided we should help her figure out more about her past," Izzy explained. "And that's what led us to you, Alphabittle."
Zipp then commented. "Believe me, we're just as shocked as you are. Izzy and I never knew you had a child."
At that Alphabittle's previously happy demeanor faded, replaced by one of noticeable sorrow and grief. "It's not something I like to dwell upon. It was a dark time in my life," He began to explain. "It all happened so suddenly. One day you were here, Misty. And the next, you weren't," He shut his eyes, recalling memories long since suppressed as he shuddered. "Your mother and I searched everywhere for you. We couldn't find you anywhere. We feared the worst, that you had perished. Never did I suspect that you were alive, that somepony had taken you from me."
"I didn't know either." Was all Misty could bring herself to say. The guilt was welling up inside her, even though she knew it wasn't necessarily her fault.
A sniffle escaped Alphabittle's lips as he continued. "Eventually, your mother got fed up with my attitude after your disappearance. She kept saying I was dwelling on the past, blaming myself even when it wouldn't change anything. So she left me, left Bridlewood. I never saw her again, I don't know what happened to her or if she ever found happiness somewhere else. Just like that, I was alone. I had nopony," Then he recalled. "If I hadn't found Izzy when I did... I don't know what I would've done."
A gasp escaped Izzy's lips! Never had she imagined that she could've had such a profound impact on Alphabittle's life, not even when she'd felt that strong bond between them that was not unlike that of parent and child.
Alphabittle slowly opened his eyes, sighing deeply as it was possible to notice his eyes stained red from the constant sting of tears. "Yet now... you've come back to me, Misty. You don't know how happy that makes me," And he proposed. "I know this is sudden. But are you ready to come home? There's so much I've missed out on, so much about you that I want to get to know."
All eyes now fell upon Misty as the unicorn was forced to contemplate a very important and crucial decision. She was silent for several moments, deep in thought and pondering.
Even Izzy and Zipp found themselves at a loss for words. This situation was unlike anything they'd ever had experienced or dealt with before. And they both seemed to feel like there was nothing they could say or do to help their friend make up her mind. It was all up to her to decide what she believed was best: Not only for herself but for everypony who knew her.
At last, Misty seemed to come to a conclusion. She opened her mouth, and slowly she began to speak as she looked her recently discovered biological father deep in the eyes. "Dad... I... I want to move in with you and be part of your life again."
"Really?" Alphabittle asked as his heart began to glow.
Misty sighed, shrinking from the stallion's gaze as she confessed. "But I can't. I made a promise to my friends, one that I have to keep. As long as Opaline's out there, I can't leave my friends to fight her alone. I have to do my part to help defeat Opaline, because she wouldn't be as strong as she is now if it weren't for me. That's why I have to go back with them to Maretime Bay. I can't go back on that promise, not even for you," Tearfully, she tried to apologize. "All I can say is, I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to choose."
Alphabittle just sighed. He didn't cry, there were no more tears left for him to shed. Yet it was clear from the expression on his face how much Misty's decision hurt him. He probably should've expected it, yet it stung just the same. "Look at you," He somberly stated to Misty. "You're all grown up. You're your own pony now, taking responsibility for your own actions and determining your own path in life," A smile seemed to slowly form on his face. "I couldn't be prouder of you for that if I tried."
"Dad..." Misty began.
The stallion raised a hoof to shush Misty. "-But the thing is, we don't have to be apart forever again. We have technology now, thanks to Izzy and her friends. If nothing else, will you at least permit your old stallion to keep in touch with you through texts and through letters? Will you at least allow me to keep a room for you here in Bridlewood in case you ever decide you want to come home, even just for a little while?"
With the tears now flowing from her brilliant green eyes, the once loyal servant of Opaline nodded her head quite firmly. "Of course I will, Dad. And no matter what, you'll always have a place in my heart," She then threw her hooves around the stallion, hugging him firmly. "I'm glad I found out about you. I'm glad we got to meet again after all these years."
Alphabittle simply took his daughter into his embrace, stroking her mane delicately with a hoof. "Oh Misty, this has been the best day of my life! You were lost, and now you have been found."
Everypony else in the teahouse (including, of course, Izzy and Zipp) let out a chorus of "Aw"'s at the heartwarming scene. And Izzy and Zipp were delighted to know that they'd helped to make this reunion possible.