Opaline stood in the conquered Brighthouse with an evil smirk. She had removed her metal hoof armor pieces and allowed Jazz to work her wonders in giving hooficures. She now had a design on her hooves showing a blue flame, and her main had been styled in an elegant pair of braids filled with a series of red fire lilies. She also wore a dark maroon dress that had been designed by the most well renowned Earth Pony fashion company in town. Finally, she’d gotten an ancient crown that she’d kept from her collection of seven hundred years. It was gold and had a ruby in the center. She didn’t have it on right now but instead had it carried by General Bloodheart. She wanted it put on as part of her coronation in Maretime Bay that would mark her as its ruler, and soon, all of Equestria would bow to her.
“Is everything to your liking… your highness?” Rocky Rift asked nervously.
“Yes,” Opaline said. “You have… sufficient skills with manes.”
She then turned to Jazz. “And I feel this is truly a hooficure worthy of me.”
Jazz gulped fearfully and bowed. Opaline smiled. It was good to be feared, and they learn to love her as well in time. All she had to do was eliminate all the other loved figures that could get in her way.
…
Zipp sat in the castle dining area with Thunder at their own table. Now that he was her only suitor she could focus her spare time on getting to know him.
“I don’t think I asked this before but… what are your hobbies, likes, and dislikes?” Zipp asked.
Thunder hesitated. “Well, I told you about my father being a soldier. I wanted to follow in his hoofsteps and bring honor to his legacy. I enrolled in the Zephyr Heights Military School, I started out actually as a pretty confident kid.”
“You… confident?” Zipp asked, finding it hard to believe.
“Yeah,” Thunder said looking down. “I thought I’d make the greatest guard of all time. I guess that may have made me a target though for bullies. They beat me up quite a few times. That caused me to… lose my confidence over time and I just became a nervous wreck. So one thing I hate is… bullies and egotists which I may have been back then. I guess I brought it on myself.”
“Maybe, but you learned humility from that,” Zipp said.
“I also like well, stategy games likes pegachess… or as it now ponychess.”
Zipp smiled. “I used to play that game once in a while!”
Thunder smiled back. “You with your sharp detective mind would probably be great at it.”
She smirked. “Yeah, I am pretty smart. But before we do that tell me more about yourself.”
“Okay, Zipp,” Thunder said. “I would like to be able to make my father proud, even if I can’t ever hear it. For a while I thought I couldn’t but if I can help you defeat Opaline, I think that would do. I also like fries, cupcakes, and celery with peanut butter as my top three favorite foods. Aside from chess I also like being able to fly.”
“Pretty sure every pegasus does, and others wish they could,” Zipp said spreading. “Good thing we have the Marestream.”
“I also like spending time with my mom and a few of my friends when I’m off-duty,” Thunder said. “And I’m pretty sure I know about you. You like investigating, being truthful, flying, mysteries, and sneaking around. You dislike being addressed a princess, that old lie about your family being the only ones that can fly, and when ponies ignore your ideas.”
“Wow, you know me well Thunder Flap,” Zipp said.
“I tend to be around you enough to know,” Thunder said.
They smiled at each other and then headed off to the castle game room to play chess. Haven watched with Pipp and Misty at the main table.
“Ah, young love,” Haven said. “Hopefully this one will work.”
…
Opaline emerged from the Brighthouse and faced the residents of Maretime Bay. Her soldiers guarded the ways out. Nopony was escaping from her, not unless she allowed it.
“Kneel before the queen!” Dirty Fighter said.
“Bow and avoid punishment!” Right Light said.
A camera pony and reporter in Maretime Bay was at the front.
“Is it on?” Opaline asked.
“You’re on… your highness!” the camera pony said nervously. “We have full filming in Zephyr Heights!”
“And Bridlewood?” Opaline asked.
“They don’t have as big screen but if they are watching the news they should see it.”
“Good,” Opaline said. “Greetings Equestria! You’ve all heard of me by now! I am Opaline Arcana, Alicorn Queen of Equestria and rightful owner of all magic! I am coming for you wherever you hide! Save me the trouble and you will live in relative comfort. Do not resist, surrender! You will be treated fairly, to an extent.”
In Zephyr Heights, Sunny sat outside a café with Fireforge Destiny, Flurry Heart, Spike, Ember, Sparky and Hitch.
“Now, Sunny Starscout, if you’re watching!” Opaline said from the screen above them, drawing Sunny’s attention even more. “I offer you a deal. My son, in exchange for many of the ponies of Maretime Bay. They are of no further use to me for the moment as I’ve drained a fair number of them of their magic. That’s very kind of me, to let them go isn’t it?”
Maybe. Except the freedom didn’t come free.
“I will be at Zephyr Heights in three days,” Opaline said. “I will not attack, on my honor as an evil queen! Release my son to me and your fellow Maretime Bay residents can be free for a time. At least the one’s I haven’t added to my army. If you refuse, I will let my torturer start torturing more little ponies. Starting with these little fillies here.”
She levitated Seashell, Glory and Peach Fizz into view, all of them were tied up together. They were silent and wore expression of terror. Pipp gasped from where she saw the trio on her phone.
“Now, without further ado! My coronation!” Opaline said.
General Bloodheart stepped into view on the screen and levitated the crown onto Opaline’s head.
“All hail Queen Opaline!” the general said as he bowed.
With the guards pointing their weapons at them, those in Maretime Bay had no choice but to bow as well.
…
A meeting was soon held to determine the course of action.
“We have to give in!” Pipp said. “The Pipsqueaks and everypony else need us!”
“But if we give him back she’ll return him to a villain!” Zipp argued. “Then we’ll have two evil alicorns to deal with again!”
“I agree with Zipp,” Queen Haven said. “We can’t allow that.”
“But all those ponies that are prisoners!” Hitch countered. “Who knows what they’ve gone through?”
“We can’t abandon them!” Sunny said. “But we… can’t let her have Fireforge either. There has to be a way to-“
“No,” Fireforge said. “I should return to my mother.”
They all looked at him.
“You want to help her again?” Hitch asked.
Fireforge shook his head. “No, I just want to do something good rather then bad. I know I attacked you guys before in the life I don’t remember. But spending time with you… or at least Sunny, has shown me that there are good things out there. I don’t want to be a bad pony like you all said I was, but if I can help all those other ponies then maybe I can do some good.”
They all looked at each other.
“It might be risky, but maybe he’ll remember us and have a change of heart,” Flurry said hopefully.
Sunny looked at her mother in surprise. “Thought you didn’t believe it could be done?”
“Not entirely,” Flurry confessed. “But we have to put the prisoners first. If he wants to help them it’s a step in the right direction. It could backfire, Opaline would likely restore his memories and then turn him back to the way he was.”
She then glared at Fireforge. “I will not show mercy if you attack us on the battlefield next time.”
He shivered and then nodded.
“I still think we should vote,” Zipp said. “All in favor of handing Fireforge over?”
She watched as Pipp, Flurry, Izzy, Hitch, Fireforge, and (reluctantly) Sunny raised their hooves. That left Zipp, Queen Haven, and Misty as the only ones against it. The monarch, her eldest daughter, and future stepdaughter all saw they were outvoted.
“I guess the decision is made then,” Haven said. “Normally I would use my authority as queen to have the final but since we have an alicorn who is also royalty here I suppose that makes my choice amount to less.”
“That makes Sunny royalty too!” Pipp suddenly realized.
“Oh, uh its okay I don’t need to-“ Sunny stammered.
Flurry put a hoof on her daughter. “You do what makes you happy Sunny.”
…
They sent the message to Opaline that they agreed. A guard delivered it, Thunder volunteered at first but Zipp didn’t want to risk her suitor as she’d lost two already to Opaline. Fortunately the guard came back unharmed.
Opaline met them with her guards and prisoners on the hills were Zipp had first met Sunny and Izzy over a year ago. She flew onto the hilltop as her army and prisoners stopped at the bottom.
“Fireforge,” she said as she saw her son. “Come with me! We’re returning home… or returning to a new home!”
She smirked at Sunny. “Your Brighthouse is quite nice now. It didn’t burn to the ground and the lantern inside transformed it.”
Sunny felt a mixture of relief and horror at that.
Fireforge stepped forward before his mother and looked back at Sunny who watched him with eyes that quickly grew said.
“Thank you, Sunny, for showing me what it means to be a good pony in the brief time we had together,” he said.
Before she could respond, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Her eyes widened and her cheeks grew red. Everypony else’s mouth fell open, including Opaline’s. The evil queen snarled.
“You dare kiss my sworn enemy?” Opaline asked. “Has she seduced you?”
“I never meant to-
“She is a good pony and never tried anything seductive,” Fireforge said.
Opaline seethed. “You will not have him Sunny Starscout, whether you planned this or not!”
For a moment everyone was sure she’d attack but she merely flapped her wings and flew just above them.
“Come Fireforge!” she told her son.
Giving Sunny another look, Fireforge flapped his wings and joined his mother in the sky.
“Release the prisoners!” she ordered her loyalists and mind-controlled soldiers.
The captured ponies made their way up the mountain side with difficulty. The Pegasi couldn’t fly without their magic. That left the Pegasi that lived in Zephyr Heights who hadn’t had theirs taken yet to help lift them up. Pipp immediately got the trio of fillies and hugged them.
“Oh Pipsqueaks! Are you three alright?” she asked tearfully. “I was so worried!”
“We’re fine Pipp,” Seashell confirmed. “Aside from not having magic.”
Windy was set down in front of them along with Posey and Dahlia.
“Sheriff Hitch!” Windy said in a desperate voice. “Something terrible happened to Posey when we were in the castle!”
“I promise I’ll do everything I can to bring justice on those evil ponies,” Hitch said.
Windy approached him and whispered something in his ear.
“What? Dirty did what to her?” Hitch exclaimed in alarm and anger before looking at Posey. “Oh, that evil stallion! He’ll be lucky if I defeat him without crippling him for life next time! Or worse!”
He then put his hooves on Posey. “I swear I will bring him and every pony that serves Opaline to justice for this!”
She looked at him and after a moment said. “Thanks. If you catch Dirty Fighter, can I get legal authorization to give him a hoofpunch or two?”
“I’ll give him that punch for you!” Hitch assured her. “Let’s get you to the hospital and make sure you’re not too badly hurt anymore.”
He led her off by the hoof caringly. They got the rest of the ponies up the hill and led them into Zephyr Heights while Sunny watched until Fireforge vanished with his mother into the horizon.
She sighed. “Of all the stallions I could fall for it has to be the son of my archenemy!”
Flurry approached her daughter and put a wing around her. “Love is a funny thing, my dear.”
…
Opaline took her son home and put him to sleep with a spell. She then worked her magic over his head for over an hour.
“That should do it,” she said before lighting her horn up one more time. “Awaken.”
Fireforge’s amber eyes opened.
“M-mother?” he asked.
“Yes Fireforge, it is I,” Opaline said.
She’d restored his memory and done her best to push out the hooful of memories from the recent events. Though she’d had a difficult time of it, and couldn’t seem to get Sunny out of his head. She’d looked at him with a smile, and that made Opaline sick. Finally she’d seen that image flicker and die, and assumed she’d driven it out before leaving her sons head.
She smiled and then led him to the top where she’d put the Unity Crystals, their same place as before. “I have you back. Now, we are almost complete. I should be able to take the magic from the crystals soon. Several hundred more ponies, a bit of dragonfire and then the magic of an alicorn and I should have enough. All the magic will be mine! And yours as well! We will rule as mother and son with iron hooves!”