//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: The Meeting: Part 2 The Trap // Story: Brightdawn // by Betty_Starlight //------------------------------// “Come in!” I hear the idiot blue unicorn scream from the other room. I bring my eyes to the ceiling, “Ugh! Finally!” before blankly staring at the red wooden door and using my magick to make it swing inward to the right and I trot in triumphantly to see Izzy smiling at me from the far side of the table, I see the back of a reddish mane in the chair nearest to me, and I see Terramore, of all ponies on the left side of the table! I stop immediately after trotting in and turn my neck to her in astonishment, “Terramore! What are you doing here?” Izzy says something to draw my attention, “Hey, Queenie! Come on in and sit to the other side of Terramore! We’ve been waiting for you!” Terramore breaks from her trance to stare left at Izzy, “We have? I thought it was supposed to be just us?” Izzy turns her head right to look at the blue alicorn, “Well, she was gonna show up sooner or later, anyway, right? What better time than now?” Terramore responds, “Uh, how about tomorrow instead? I like tomorrow!” and nods. Izzy smiles and giggles, “No!” before turning towards me, “Come on in Opaline! I made you raspberry tea!” I finally just sigh and trot over to the right side of the table, opposite to Terramore before using my magick to pull out a chair and sit down on my haunches while starring at the blue alicorn across the table, who now smiles at me nervously... I finally smile back and say say, “Hello Terramore!” before suddenly thinking that that might not be the best opener? She smiles nervously at me, “H-hi Opaline!” Suddenly, I hear Izzy say, “AWW! You two are cute!” Terramore finally turns her head right to stare at me with enormous green eyes, “Uh, Opaline! Fancy seeing you here! I’ve known Izzy and Misty for years!” I frown at the smiling alicorn as I think it’s curious that Misty never mentioned a blue unicorn friend coming by the Brighthouse! “Really? Is that so?” She blinks and grins wider, “Well, yeah!” I see Izzy turn her head towards the sky-blue alicorn and whisper the word, “Honesty!” Her muzzle opens to sigh and she says, “W-well, no… Not really… I uh, found out about this place when I followed you…” she bares her teeth at me! “Surprise!” My eyes widen, “What? You followed me? Why?” She sighs and turns her eyes down before raising them back up to me, “Well, I wanted to learn more about you!” and blinks, “I mean, I’ve never been in love before and I wanted to know about you! Where you went! What you did! And that’s when I met these ponies!” Izzy turns her head to me and stares with big red eyes, “Um, hi!” I think that I don’t like this before turning to stare at Izzy and saying, “Okay! I just found out she followed me without my knowledge! Now what?” Izzy blinks, “How would I know! Uh,” she turns back right to Terramore, “You know, you really shouldn’t follow and spy on your lover, right Terramore?” She blinks and widens her eyes at me, “I shouldn’t? Oh, dear! Uh, I’m sorry!” I can already tell I have my partner at a disadvantage… But I also know she’s just as clueless as I when it comes to this sort of thing… I think I should let her go? I stare directly into her eyes, “It’s okay, sweetie…” I smile, “I mean, you just wanted to find out more about me, right?” She smiles at me nervously, “U-um, yeah!” I nod, “Well, right! But for the record, if you EVER want to know anything, simply ask, alright?” “Alright!” I smile, “I mean, the assumption is that I’d have no reason to lie to you, yes?” Her mouth flattens and her verdant eyes widen at me, “Of course!” I nod, “Right!” before sighing, “Okay! I guess I’m here for tea now? Now what?” Izzy looks up at me, “Now, we talk about you two! What’s going on? How you been?” I look at the blue unicorn and frown, “Well, we literally just got together yesterday?” Terramore stares forward and says blankly, “Opaline is an amazing partner! I just can’t believe how caring and sympathetic she can be and I just love talking to her!” This takes me off guard and I stare at the blue alicorn and squint my eyes as I try to think of what to say to that? Izzy stares at me while Misty continues looking onward, “Great! So Queenie! How do you feel about Terry here?” I stare at the smiling blue moron while a green unicorn at my left and a lighter blue alicorn at my front both look at me intently. I turn to stare at Terramore with wide eyes, hoping I don’t look like I’m caught? “Um, Terramore! Yes!” I adjust my gaze to her and smile, although I still have no idea what I’m going to say? “I’ll admit, being with somepony else and not being alone is very interesting, to say the least… I clear my throat! “Ahem, I feel as if something has started here, but I know not what?” before wondering where all those words came from? “And how do you feel about me?” The water alicorn asks. I widen my eyes all the way, “Did I not just say that I loved you?” Izzy says, “Well, not really? You kinda skirted around that, actually!” Misty adds, “Yeah, it’s almost like it’s hard for you to admit?” I say to Terramore, “No, it’s not! I love you!” She giggles and moves her snout to mine for a playful nuzzle, “Oh, now you can admit it, right?” “I admitted it the whole time!” Misty says, “Opaline is cute when she’s in denial!” Izzy adds, “Totally!” I scream at them, “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” before teleporting out of the room! <*****> I just see the fire alicorn vanish in front of me in a blinding flash of light as I blink and I also notice Misty shielding her eyes with her left forehoof and saying, “Whoa!” I blink as Izzy says from my left, “Whoa! We teased Opaline and she teleported out! I don’t think she’s used to that?” I look at the two unicorns, “Do either of you know where Opaline lives?” Misty looks at me, “Well uh, I sorta do?” I turn my head right towards the green pony and stare at her intently, “Tell me Misty, what do you know?” She smiles nervously at me… <*****> I sit quietly at my chair and think about what happened at that tea party… I think about how I love Terramore and suddenly wonder what she must think after I did that! I frown when I think to myself that I’ll probably need to make this up to her somehow? I suddenly wonder when other ponies’ feelings began to enter into my considerations? And then, I hear a loud WOOSH noise coming from the kitchen down the hall! I widen my eyes when I suddenly realize Terramore probably teleported them in! <*****> I sigh and suddenly wonder why I’m here? “Misty! Why are we in the kitchen?” I say as I glance around the messy room, with it’s many half-open cabinets and various dirty pots, pans, dishes, and bowls near the sink… I hear the green unicorn at my back left say, “Well, I guess I’m hungry and was just thinking I probably want a snack?” I grimace at this. My love life is on the brink, and she’s worried about that! Then I frown when I wonder when I began to have a love life? “Okay, but where is Opaline usually?” Misty replies, “Well, she’s normally either in the study or in her throne room?” “Lead on!” I reply! “Yes ma’am!” Misty says before walking ahead of me and around the large wooden table in the cluttered kitchen among the many unwashed pots and pans. I suddenly wonder if anypony has been here in a while? She trots to the door and uses her magick to open it before trotting out into the hallway and I follow her with Izzy behind me. She guides me to the end of the hallway past several heavy looking wooden doors and opens the one in the far end with her magick to trot forward while saying, “This is the study!” I follow her and Izzy walks in behind me and starts trotting her way to my left as we all enter the expansive room with bookcases lining the walls and many ancient looking volumes lining the shelves. I glance around and don’t see many cobwebs and this makes me think that Opaline is likely well-read? I stare at the green unicorn, “Okay, she’s not here! Where’s the throne room?” Misty looks at me, “You really want to find her, don’t you?” “Well of course! I love her!” Misty smiles, “Right! I still think it’s sweet that you helped her look for a book that wasn’t there just so she wouldn’t leave so fast!” “I…” I stare off to the left, “don’t know why I did that?” “Isn’t it obvious? You felt like you should talk to her some more, and so you did! There’s nothing wrong with that!” I stare back at her, “I wanted to, didn’t I?” “Why else would you do it?” “I don’t know?” Izzy finally speaks up from my side, “Terramore, it’s only natural to want to be loved and to want attention?” I turn my neck left to face her, “It is?” She smiles and nods at me, “Of course! I mean, you’re probably like her in that you’re alone all the time, right?” I frown, “Maybe?” She giggles, “Well, don’t you see? You wanted that from her because you haven’t had that in a long time!” My eyes widen, “I had that at some point?” She smiles widely and her red eyes disappear under their lids, “Um, I don’t know!” before opening them back to me, “But I do know that what you have here is special… I don’t think you should give that up?? I glance at the unicorn curiously, “Am I not here, trying to find her again?” She nods, “Right! Because you care about Opaline and want to make sure she’s okay!” “Of course! Yes! I care about Opaline! That’s right!” I say before nodding my head. I suddenly see a magenta alicorn come into view just to my left as I stare further into the study, “And I care about you too Terramore!” I turn my neck further right to face Opaline, “I love you!” “I love you too!” “Let’s never fight again!” Her eyes widen, “We were fighting?” I frown, “I’m uh, actually not sure?” as I suddenly wonder just how more awkward this can get? Izzy must’ve sensed this, “Uh, that doesn’t matter! You two love each other, right?” I widen my eyes to the other alicorn, “Of course!” While Opaline mutters, “I think so?” Izzy continues, “So what more do you need?” “I don’t know?” Opaline stares at me with enormous blue eyes, “Me neither? Um, Equestrian domination? Maybe?” I stare at her blankly for a moment before finally just admitting, “We’re idiots, you know that?” Opaline stares back at me, expressionless as well… She finally manages to utter, “Yeah, probably?” Another moment passes before I can’t help myself as I start to crack a smile and barely suppress giggles from my throat… Opaline grimaces before her snout begins to grin on it’s own and she breaks out into chuckles herself… I can only say loudly, “YEAH! WE’RE A COUPLE OF STUPID ALICORNS IN LOVE!” as everypony in the room busts out laughing! (To be continued…)