//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - The Aftermath // Story: Against The Crowd: Opal Gemstone // by RowanSkie //------------------------------// Opal suddenly appeared on the library, struggling to balance himself but ends up stepping on Spike's water bucket losing his balance with an annoyed look. Twilight goes to the library to see a slack-jawed Spike and a wet Opal. "3 days," Twilight said, "where have you been?" "Met Dusk Shine... met Dusk Shine..." Opal said, panting between sentences, "I met Dusk Shine, and my other self... Hay, imagine an adult Ruby for that..." "Something's missing," noticed Twilight, "what next?" "Met another you." "Another me?" "There's a timeline where me, and Starlight doesn't exist," replied Opal, "And believe me, she fell in love with me." "Well," Twilight walked closer, "I don't know, maybe dimensional doubles share almost everything and luckily you didn't disappear or the place exploded to bits." Opal stopped panting, "So said the other you and the male you. You do know that Dusk Shine is a male you?" "What do you mean..." Twilight remembered something, "THERE WERE LOTS OF ME?!" "Well, yes. You see, there is an dimension, no ponies, just pure humans, and they write stories. I call it the Hub," Opal explained, "and we are the characters of a story." "Pinkie talks about things randomly," Twilight said, "and can appear everywhere..." "Reality warper and fourth wall breaker is the term." Opal pulled out a book from his saddlebag and placed it in a nice location of the library. "She was 'written' in that personality." "Rarity being all fashionista and stuff?" Twilight asked. "Makes her look like French," Opal replied, "The Hub makes French look like fashion designers." "Myself loving books?" Twilight asked. "I don't know, all I knew was you're the main character of the main book, or in some case, show," said Opal, "and I probably should stop talking and start reading this book." Opal pulled out a storybook and began to read. Twilight walked outside and went to Sugarcube Corner. All of a sudden, a mysterious storm appears, and a lightning bolt hit the library, surprising Opal. The storm cleared before anypony panicked or alerted the Princess. Opal looked at the pony who appeared, and pulled out a small flute. "Don't." The pony warned in a strict tone, and looked around, "where are we?" "Golden Oak Library, owned by Twilight Sparkle, and me and my daughter are temporary staying here," said Opal. "You and your daughter?" The pony laughed, "was the visit into my place not suitable enough?" "Yes, and Jessica, stop. Stop. Scaring. Spike," Opal warned as he light up his newly fixed horn. "Get out of here..." "I'm gonna need to have specimens of everything before I leave." The pony lit up her horn. Twilight entered the library, making the two ponies stop, and looked at Opal. "What is she doing here?" Opal looked back, "I don't know, she might have traced my magic!" "Traced?!" The pony growled, "TRACED?!" "Oh dear," Twilight whispered to herself, "she sounds awefully like me." "I WAS TRYING TO TELL SOMETHING!" the pony shouted. "Um... Twi... I... RUN!" Opal dragged Twilight out of the library and dashed out. Surely, Opal looked like a set of lights while carrying Twilight out. As Opal stopped near the Everfree Forest, panting, Twilight looked at Opal, panting as well. "Where in *pant* Equestria did you *pant* get that?!" asked Twilight. "I don't know," Opal replied, "It just came together like instincts." "Maybe one of your former adventures before you got amnesiac can help," Twilight suggested, "hurry before that pony can see us." Opal quickly rummaged through his journals before discovering something... Opal Across Space and Time: Entry 112: I don't know really if there really is another multiverse where there are Anchors, Loopers and stuff, but if it is true... Oh wait, I actually love the Hub fanfictions for my world, and that is one of them! "MLP Loops," by somepony named Saproneth. Features Twilight getting many items from many different worlds looping. And I mean time loops. For that guy who loves me, I give ya a Praise! PS: And somehow I have Conduit powers after visiting Delsin Rowe, a new friend. Neon, as he says. Goes lights and pew pew with lights. He has four, Smoke, pew pew with smoke, Neon, this I have, Video, summon ANGELS AND DEMONS WOW! And Concrete. From his enemies... Opal blinked and reread the PS. His jaw simply hung open in response. Twilight also checked it out and facehooved. "I swear you'll have to promise that I get those too," Twilight said, looking at Opal, "Promise?" "Cross my heart, hope to fly," Opal did the correct gestures, "stick a cupcake in my eye." "Besides," joked Opal, "A great party pony once said that... oh, I forgot." "Quoting fail." Twilight giggled. "Might been cooler." "It involves losing trust... and something?" Opal tried to remember, "Anywa–!!!" Twilight looked at where Opal was looking, and found a lake near them acting strange. Strange as it is already, Twilight's eyes shrank to pinpricks as a pony pull itself out of the lake. Eyes returned to normal as Opal blocked her view. Twilight and Opal's jaw hung open as another pony climbed out of the lake and the two ponies walk to them. One of the ponies who approached them is a pegasus who wore a pair of glasses, and an unicorn that looks EXACTLY like Opal only with a flask cutie mark. "Oh great," Opal deadpanned, "more friends." "Ey, stop doin' that." The unicorn looked at Twilight. "Twilight? Twilight Sparkle right?" "Yes," Twilight said, "Who are you?" "Oh, right, after neutralizing your memories to stop you from entering back," the pegasus pointed a laser to Twilight, "It's us." Twilight shaked her head as a set of memories she didn't want to remember entered her head. "Gah! I hate when you do that!" "So, Opal, wha' is with Twilight now, eh?" asked the unicorn. "Stop the accent or no answer, traitors." Opal lit up his horn for an emergency teleport spell. "Haha, Opal, you DO know that this is practically MY disguise?" The unicorn looked at Twilight. "Very funny." "Ms. Shine and Dr. Exodus," Twilight said, before looking at Opal. "Oh, wow," commented Opal, "apparently I'm not the only pony who liked and knew humans more." "Despite the fact that your human counterpart is literally having problems being a woman?" the unicorn countered back, "I honestly doubt." "I don't even exactly remember you guys either, actually," Opal confessed. The pegasus elbowed the unicorn. "You owe me 10 bits," the pegasus said. "Hey! Not now! Not in front of them!" "Why? Scared?" "Not like they're gods or something!" "Technically they're two of the most powerful that we know!" "Not to mention The Great and Powerful Trixie?" "Not her, especially not her." Opal and Twilight watched as the two began to fight, and sneaked out into the depths of the Everfree, only falling to the cave where the Tree of Harmony lies. Opal stood first, and noticed a yellow earth pony with a wrench as a cutie mark hiding. As Twilight Sparkle stand up, she recognizes the pony as instant. "Oh, wow. Quantum Spark Dazzle," greeted Twilight, "Hello." "Hey, what on Equestria's going on?" asked the earth pony, "Raven and Ex here?" "And a mystery pony who wants to chase me," added Opal. "Speaking of that... who IS that pony?" Twilight asked, Opal wincing. "You see..." Opal began to explain, blushing. Opal's Story. I tried out my new spells, and I wanted to surprise you for that. I guess that went wrong, as you checked on me, I've disappeared. I actually was teleported into this strange world with NO ponies. Only those 2-legged creatures we all call humans. The problem there, I was the only pony. Quite hard for me to adapt. But, somepony else helped me. Her name... is Sapphire Gleam. She claims to be trapped a few seconds ago in the same place. The place was basically the Hub's minor edits. I'm not gonna tell more about that Hub, you already know that. We worked together to create an escape plan, until I met Dusk Shine, and he recognized me. I ddin't so I asked how. His eyes simply went from a happy expression to a surprised one in 10 seconds flat. Somehow, he'd knew all that I've done, and who you are. So, a big lecture from him. He explains most of the things I can't explain much, such us how humans created technology to reach us. As it gets deeper, I decided to create a decoy and sneak out. I guess that did work because it took 6 hours for them to realize. So I transformed myself into a human to blend in, and to not easily spotted. Then, I went into this science facility, since there were no magic in that place, and met lots of more ponies. It's like science ponies, they don't use magic! They've, like, vowed not to use magic in the name of science. Of course that didn't spot that place's version of you, Twi. A very sciency, egghead unicorn who always trusts on facts. So I became a test subject for her, and I swear, my human disguise can't bypass their machines. And then things went weird as I told my name. The ponies began to shoot at me, the humans began to help me out, and an angry Twilight Sparkle chasing me, wanting to kill me. As I eacape, I met two humans who had pony forms as primary forms. One was a girl named Elizabeth Rose, and her real name is Starlight Phoeni–!? Opal realised something, "Starlight Phoenix. Wait a second, she's a great unicorn!" "Then continue, I can't wait for you to realise to I am to the story," the yellow pony prompted. "Ok, ok..." Opal continued his story. So yeah. Starlight Phoenix. The second one was a guy named Quantum X. Spark, and claimed to actually be a pony before an event made him nearly drown... Opal realised that Quantum Spark is the earth pony. "Oh, I'm so gonna buck you," Opal challenged. "Continue?" asked Twilight. The guy's pony name was Quantum Spark Dazzle, or Quantum Dazzle for short. He loved making machines, items and that can help out of scrap. Kinda like Tony Stark said my memories, even though I really have no idea what that just meant. They helped me escape by leading me into a private lake, and they went into the opposite poles of the lake. They chanted something, then the lake started acting strange, like glowing faintly and it's water spinning. I touched the water, it was like mist. Not liquid, but rather a ticklish feel. The two humans jumped in. I had to as well, all the chasers were gaining. We found ourselves in a city called Seattle in another Hub-like world, except it was obvious that we were just visiting around as we three find ourselves being teleported. Then, I got seperated from the group as we passed by Equestria, OUR Equestria. God, the Conversion Bureau we visited simply... Oh God... Quantum and Twilight looked at Opal who was crying, again. "I... I have discord the whole multiverse..." Opal muttered, "I... I shouldn't..." "It's ok, it's ok." Twilight tries to confort Opal, and fails, until Quantum walked away. Twilight felt like this is the only thing to do. Twilight moved her lips closer to Opal's lips and kissed him. Opal, still in shock, is surprised and slowly pushed Twilight away. "Was that for me, my love?" "For you." Twilight said, before kissing again. Quantum, took pictures and jumped into a tree. 'This is going to get good,' he thought. Opal looked at the open area, "Uh..." Twilight looked as well, and finds the pony chasing them pointing a big spear to them. "Should we run?" asked Opal. "Maybe so. Or maybe we can time-teleport us out," suggested Twilight. "That might have sounded good if the word 'time' isn't there," Opal said, "Anyhow..." A flash of light engulfed the two lovers, then they appear at the library, a few minutes before the chasing pony teleported in though a very fancy way. Opal touched his double as well as Twilight then the two get outside and ran. The plan worked perfectly, and they stopped running after hitting themselves into one of the apple trees in the Sweet Apple Acres. They didn't notice Applejack as they share a little laugh. "Ah'm sure thi' won't end well..." Applejack commented. Pinkie appeared upside-down from the tree, gazing at Opal and Twilight. "Should I? Should I not? Should I?" Pinkie asked. "Neither," Twilight and Opal chorused, "just not." "Ooh!" Pinkie's face lit up, "somepony is in love!" "Are we going to this again?" Twilight asked. Quantum, wake up. It's wedding day. We can't come now... Opal woke up on the right side of the bed, the wedding just hours off. Wait, wedding? Oh dear. Opal immediately hurried off to see Twilight waiting. It's actually been just a month after the thing involving time travel and apple trees. And the days go quite fast when everypony learned that they actually proposed before that happened. The reaction was priceless, though. Opal has hit the closed door to the Carousel Boutique apparently, having forgotten that it was closed for the day. Well, it was enticing to break in, but he decided to wait by reading a small pile of books he borrowed. If to count, it's 250 books. If not because of that Rainbow Dash called Opal an egghead a few times, he'd rather practically make a giveaway for his spare Daring Do novels right now as well. And, Princess Luna just told him at he was cute. Add that and then you get somepony like Twilight Sparkle, for Opal. He stopped reading the 199th book (sure, so many books!) after he noticed the door slowly opening. "Hello?" the voice said, "Maybe you have visited a little early, darling?" "Oh, um... Hi Rarity," Opal shyly said. "Oh!" Rarity dragged Opal inside as the books he was reading vanished off into the library, surely surprising Spike who was about to wake Twilight up to ask where a percentage of the books had gone to. Opal noticed something on Rarity which he was simply not amused. "Ok, is that me or you've become an alicorn?" Opal asked. "I don't know it happened, I just woke up like this!" Rarity pointed to her wings, "And it needs a few style, if I can style it..." "Not gonna be surprised if it involved dresses," Opal deadpanned. "Yes! So don't tell anypony about this! Not the Princess!" Rarity begged, "Please don't tell!" "Ok, alright," Opal smiled a bit, "this is going to be a long day." After that, Opal vanished and reappeared on Canterlot, which, in his surprise... "Princess Celestia?! Wha-how? Is that? Wait a second, did you?!" Opal's jaw simply hung open. In the throne room, Princess Celestia has a M60, a human weapon, and is pointing it to Opal. "Oh, please you're not gonna shoot me," Opal asked. "I wasn't." Princess Celestia handed the M60 to Opal, "it simply has amused me ever since I tapped into your spellbook." "Great, another one of those things I still can't remember why I did," Opal deadpanned. "Oh, I should have known," Celestia said, making Opal drop the weapon. "But, you knew it," Opal added, "You nearly even tried to kill me for that." "I... did?" Celestia destroyed the M60," I'd never attack anypony... especially my little ponies..." "And my horn's acting up," Opal tried to control his magic, "Maybe something in the old castle can help, Princess. "Not this time." a dark voice echoed the throne room. "How did she..." Opal looked at Celestia who just summoned Opal's spellbook and began to flip through the pages. "Princess, what are you doing?" "Last month, it all started," Princess Celestia replied. "Oh, dear. Me and Twilight just created a paradox," Opal muttered, before teleporting away in a very colorful and light-ish way. "I knew Opal had those powers," Celestia commented, "I've been wondering the immunity like I was like them." She fired a time-teleport spell as she warped herself into Opal's room in the library, and whispers these words. "The Fallen is coming for you." She quickly went back into her normal semi-imrpoved timeline zone.