The following morning, Sunset was still trapped within the sphere. She was laid down asleep having spent most of the night on failed escape attempts.
“I see my guest has yet to awake then,” a voice said. “How inconsiderate.”
Upon hearing the voice, Sunset awoke with a gasp and scrambled to her hoofs. She looked towards the ramp in the opposite corner of the room. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Opaline descending.
“I could hear you last night,” Opaline continued. “I assure you, escaping my enchanted sphere is quite impossible. I ensured it would be powerful enough for Starlight Glimmer and you’re not at her level, are you?”
“Matter of opinion, ask Starlight herself and you’ll get a different answer,” Sunset growled. “What are you planning Opaline?”
“Muhahaha, you mean what am I going to do to you?” Opaline cackled. “You may recognise these.”
Opaline’s horn flared as she opened a large chest at the side of her throne. From it, six items levitated out. Sunset’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Ah, you recognise items that belonged to Twilight’s friends,” Opaline smiled.
She separated a hat and jacket from the others.
“These two are my latest acquisitions, my new assistant got them for me,” Opaline smiled. “The hat of Applejack and the flight jacket of Rainbow Dash.”
“You’re new assistant?” Sunset repeated. “If you think…”
“I’ve finished cataloguing the library Mistress Opaline,” a voice said, cutting Sunset off.
Sunset gawped in dismay as Peach Fizz entered the room, a beaming smile of accomplishment on her face.
“Peach Fizz?” Sunset gasped. “Peach Fizz, run! Get out of here as fast as you can! You can’t trust her, it’s not safe here!”
“Why?” Peach Fizz asked looking confused. “I can trust my Mistress Opaline. I’ll do anything she asks of me.”
Sunset looked at her with astonishment, suddenly the pieces clicking together in her mind.
“The mist, the static in her memory, my headache, it’s all connected,” she gasped before looking at Opaline with anger. “What did you do to her Opaline?”
“I made her loyal,” Opaline replied simply. “And with her loyalty, I made plans to capture Starlight Glimmer. I thought she’d go poking around my darling Peach Fizz’s mind. Failing that, Peach Fizz would unleash the spell I gave her. However, it seems you got there first and triggered my little Peach Fizz trap.”
Sunset stared at Opaline with sheer hatred. “Whatever you did to her, it won’t work on me.”
“Oh, I know that,” Opaline smiled sweetly. “I have much bigger plans for you. I just need some time to prepare them.”
Opaline laughed maniacally as she began arranging the items around the pool. She placed the hat and jacket down first before adding a sewing machine, a rubber chicken with the number eleven on it, what looked like part of a pink tail and finally a crown.
Sunset sat down, trying to stop a sudden feeling of helplessness from welling inside her. Narrowing her eyes, she decided she’d do everything she could think of to escape. For now, she decided to watch and see if she could work out what Opaline’s plans could be.
Elsewhere, the Marestream touched down outside the Brighthouse. From it, an excited and elated Izzy galloped inside, quickly followed by Zipp.
Izzy burst through the door. She grinned with elation as she spotted Sunny in the kitchen, busy preparing waffles for breakfast with Misty.
“Sunny!” Izzy yelled as she hurried over.
Sunny gasped and only just had enough time to put down the plate she’d been holding. She squeaked as Izzy flung her hoofs around her, squeezing her tightly.
“I…Izzy,” she croaked. “C…can’t breathe. Izzy...”
Izzy gasped as she released her grip. Sunny panted with relief before smiling back at her friend. “It’s good to see you too Izzy. Hey Zipp.”
Zipp smiled in the background as Izzy grinned bashfully and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof.
“Is it true Sunny?” Zipp asked. “Are your powers back?”
“I’ll show you,” Sunny beamed as she took a step back into more space. Then, with a flash, her horn and wings appeared.
“Whoa, they’re even more glowy than before,” Izzy gasped.
“I’ve got complete control over them now,” Sunny smiled. “They’re linked to my emotions. I never realised how much emotional baggage I was carrying around with me.”
“So, why didn’t you both come back last night?” Misty asked.
“Misty!” Izzy suddenly exclaimed as she threw her legs around her. “We found it!”
“F…Found what?” Misty groaned under Izzy’s embrace.
“This,” Zipp grinned.
She whipped out her phone and brought up a photo of an ornate door. As both Misty and Sunny leaned in to look, Izzy released Misty from her embrace.
“Th…that’s the one,” Misty exclaimed. “That’s the one from my dream.”
She reached for the key that was hanging around her neck. Holding it up to the photo, she realised the patterns on the key were the same as those on the door.
“So, where is it?” Sunny asked.
“In the Wishing Tree,” Izzy replied.
“But we looked all around the Wishing Tree,” Sunny blinked with confusion. “There wasn’t any sign of it.”
“It was heavily overgrown,” Zipp replied. “Took us half the night to uncover it.”
“That’s why we didn’t come back. We were pooped,” Izzy added.
“So, was there any sign of Sunset?” Sunny asked hopefully.
“No, there wasn’t,” Zipp replied shaking her head. “We went there looking for you anyway. Everything we’ve found so far points to Sunset being in Maretime Bay last.”
“But we didn’t find anything after finding her poster and saddle bag,” Misty replied sadly.
“Yeah, the trail goes cold,” Zipp sighed. “It’s like she just disappeared into thin air.”
“Something’s happened to her,” Sunny replied worriedly. “She didn’t say she was going anywhere. We need to find her.”
“Skywalk has her Guards keeping an eye out,” Zipp replied. “There’s not much more we can do at the moment.”
“I’ll speak to Starlight, I’m worried Opaline could be behind it,” Sunny sighed and looked at the ground. “Did you find anything at Aunt Kendi’s cart Zipp?”
“Ohmygosh!” Zipp exclaimed. “The cart robbery, I completely forgot!”
With that, Zipp hurried away as fast as she could.
Meanwhile, Starlight was sitting on the balcony looking out over Maretime Bay. She watched as a small boat made its way out to sea, bobbing up and down in the currents. She couldn’t help wondering what the ponies onboard were doing. Sunset had told her of humans catching fish to eat, but she doubted that would be the case here in Equestria.
The thought of Sunset set her mind into overdrive, what had happened to her? What would happen if she returned to their time without her? Many theories spun around inside her mind as she continued to gaze out into the sea.
She groaned as she heard the lift in the chamber behind her activate. Somepony was coming up and she didn’t really want company right now. “Unless it’s news about Sunset I’m not interested,” she said as the lift arrived.
“You don’t want something to eat then?” Sunny asked as she walked over, a plate of waffles in hoof.
Starlight’s shoulders slumped as she sighed. “I suppose it’ll be silly if I didn’t eat,” Starlight admitted. “How did you know I’d be here?”
“It’s the best place to come and think,” Sunny grinned. “It was the same with the Lighthouse.”
Starlight smiled as she gratefully took the plate of waffles from Sunny and began eating. Sunny sat down and looked out at the sea.
“We’ll find her,” Sunny said at last.
“Huh?” Starlight replied through a mouth full of waffle.
“Sunset,” Sunny reaffirmed. “We’ll find out what happened, and we’ll find her. Do you think it could…”
“…be Opaline?” Starlight guessed. “I’m not sure. I can’t see how she’d have done anything given she’s trapped in her castle. However, I can’t rule it out either and that annoys me.”
“What if we go to her castle?” Sunny asked. “If Sunset is there, we’ll rescue her.”
“Remember what happened last time,” Starlight sighed. “Do you think we’d make it out?”
Sunny frowned and looked at the ground, her silence spoke volumes. Starlight didn’t press the matter further, she took the final bite of her waffles and looked out to sea again.
“The thing that worries me most,” Starlight breathed. “Is if I go back without her. I can’t think how I’d explain it to Twilight. Nor to her friends at Canterlot High for that matter.”
“That won’t happen,” Sunny replied surely. “You can’t go back without her, it’s not possible.”
Starlight raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?”
“I realised on my way up here,” Sunny replied. “Things have happened in the past which rely on Sunset being there. Things that are in your future and haven’t happened to you both yet.”
Starlight blinked with confusion before a look of realisation appeared on her face. “The journals.”
“We may have read a bit,” Sunny replied honestly. “It was a message from Sunset to you. So…”
“…she has to go back with me to write it,” Starlight finished with a grin. “Discord really did help you, didn’t he?”
“He did. He really did help a lot,” Sunny smiled. “I hope he comes to visit. Is he the same as what he is in your time?”
“He seemed to be and I’m glad of that,” Starlight answered. “I kind of wish he was here now. But, at the same time, he can be quite the hoof full.”
“Oh, how so?”
“Let’s say he has his own way of doing things,” Starlight smiled. “He’s not changed his chaotic nature that much. He really likes his riddles too. You need to be prepared to get frustrated and infuriated by him. However, when it all comes down to it, he’s a powerful and faithful friend who has good intentions at heart.”
Elsewhere, Zipp sighed as she raised her visor before walking out of the hotel courtyard. Hitch and Kendi were stood waiting for her.
“Couldn’t find anything then?” Hitch deduced.
“Not much gets past you, Sheriff,” Zipp replied dejectedly. “I should have been here last night. If there were marks in the dust on the floor they’re long gone by now.”
“So, there is little hope then?” Kendi sighed.
“There’s always hope,” Hitch replied resolutely. “Just ask Sunny.”
“What I can tell you Kendi, whoever did this knew exactly what they wanted,” Zipp explained. “They’ve searched through everything until they got the hat and jacket. There are boxes in the bottom that haven’t been touched.”
“Let’s double-check to make sure,” Hitch replied. “Come on Kendi, we’ll help you go through everything and tidy up. Whilst we do, you can check if there is anything else missing.”
With that, the three of them re-entered the courtyard where they’d spend the rest of the morning.