Ballad of the Dawn

by Takarashi282

Chapter XIV - Honeycomb

“... Trixie?”

The defunct unicorn snapped out of her dead stare, her heart jolting. They were back in the castle, but everything seemed to lose its luster. Ice cold guilt pricked at her stomach, not enough to make her vomit, but enough for her limbs to refuse to move. Through a stroke of will, she brought her hind legs close to her chest, a shiver trickling down her spine. “Sorry, I just…”

Trixie could see Starlight raise a concerned eyebrow through the reddish outline of the room burned into her corneas. She walked toward her. “Trixie, you can’t let yourself be down like this. Sure, you said something wrong…” She placed a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder, a sudden gut feeling making her unconsciously move away from the friendly gesture. “... But Opal is strong. Forgiving, too. Just forgive yourself, okay?”

The magician paused, shifting in her seat. She remembered Opal’s face going slack, quickly leaving the mortuary afterward. Saying what she said was uncalled for. But then she also remembered the cafe, and what the barista told her. She straightened up, her nausea disappearing somewhat.

Three sharp knocks sounded at the door, strong and authoritative. Trixie turned and gathered herself to her hooves. Night had fallen maybe an hour before. Could it be Tempest again? She wondered.

But when she opened the door, her heart jumped in surprise when Opal stood on the other side, her expression somber.

“O-Opal!” Trixie stammered, taking a step back.

The innkeep gave a low chuckle, raising a hoof to her mouth. “Scared you?”

“No,” the magician blurted, “but…” She sweeped her hoof just above the carpet, her eyes tracing the motion. “... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

Suddenly, Opal’s hoof gently pressed against Trixie’s lips. Her eyes shot up, and Opal gave her a small smile. “It’s okay, really! I probably should be the one who’s apologizing. You were correct and I ran away.” She pulled back her hoof, turning her head away bashfully. “I… owe you an explanation.”

“Are you sure?” Starlight asked, walking to Trixie’s side, her head cocked to the side. “You don’t have to.”

Opal gave a single laugh, but this time it was colder and bitter. She turned to face them. “I do. They may be painful memories, but Trixie helped me realize something.” Her gaze locked to Trixie’s, her blue eyes deep with determination. “I want to move on. And I think that this is a good first step.”

After a moment’s hesitation to digest what she had said, the magician nodded thoughtfully. The image of her mother appeared faintly in her mind. She still carried pain with her, but after throwing away the pendant, it stung less. “If this is what you think is best, then we will gladly listen.” She glanced toward Starlight, and she nodded too with a warm smile.

The innkeep’s somber expression turned lighter as her smile grew wider. “Thank you,” she said lowly, following the two inside the room. Trixie offered a seat next to her on her bed, and she obliged, the three sitting in a near huddle.

Opal took a deep breath, her eyes closed as she started, “The incident happened exactly six years ago, after my niece Honeycomb turned four.”

---

A stallion dressed in a white robe burst into the crowd, breathing heavily as he pushed the ponies enveloping him to and fro.

Opal gave chase, pumping her legs as fast as she could to keep in pursuit. "He's moving through the crowd!" she puffed into her earpiece. "I need someone to intercept him from the north!"

"Will do," a calm, masculine voice replied on the other end. "Steer him toward Buck's and Brandy's, that's where I'm at."

"Rodger!" she huffed, shuffling her way through the crowd to her left. She frowned. Two things that she absolutely despised: crowds and her armor. She could feel her sweat pooling in her boots already, and her joints ached where the metal plating smashed in frantic movement.

The stallion in the robes glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widening as Opal drew closer. He turned slightly to the right. Perfect.

Opal gave chase, going through the crowd faster. She was confident that they would get him, but she wasn't going to allow any chance for him to get away.

The robed stallion broke out of the crowd, but immediately skidded to a halt. "Shit, shit, shit!" he yelped as the guard tackled him to the ground with a slam. Above the two, the sign for Buck's and Brandy's gleamed in the sunset. Opal cackled to herself as she made her way to them.

The other guard peered up at her, the robed stallion belly-up. "Good job," he grunted, fastening a pair of cuffs around his hooves. He gestured to the bar with his head. "Been here often?"

"Not since I met Sunny, no," Opal panted, stretching out her hind leg. She forced herself to breathe deeply, her breath tasting of copper. "So, what is a Mirenite Priest doing here?"

"Probably looking for a suitor," the guard guessed, frowning at the stallion below him. "But not before attempting robbery. At a guarded bank no less."

Opal shrugged, disgust oozing into her gut. "That's what happens when you think with the wrong head," she said grimly, shaking her head.

"True." The guard stood as a caravan rushed into the scene, pulling off a sideways drift. Grunting to himself, the guard hoisted the priest onto his back. Opal thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't the one to carry the arrestee this time.

"But this is a nice way to end off your day, huh?" the guard breathed, pulling open the door to the caravan with his teeth. "The past few days've been boring."

Opal grimaced. "True. But nice? Not necessarily. Eventful? Yes."

After he shoveled the priest through the door, the guard shrugged, breathing heavily. "Still better than nothing." He tapped the caravan behind him. "But keep this up, and you'll be in for the promotion you're looking for."

Opal nodded emphatically. "Yep! It would definitely beat taking over my mom's inn." She added the last part with a grunt.

"You bet!" the guard managed, stepping into the caravan. "But I'll see you tomorrow then?"

She shook her head. "I've got the day off tomorrow. My niece and I are going to the festival."

"Oh!" the guard blurted, reaching for the door handle in a wide gesture. "Well, make sure to say hi to her for me, okay?"

"Will do!" Opal said, raising her hoof in a wave. "I'll see you later! Kick some ass for me!"

"It'll be my pleasure," the guard chuckled maniacally. "See ya!" As soon as the door closed, the caravan took off to the north, its sirens blaring into the distance.

Smiling, Opal turned away, following the main street south. The thrill of the chase and the weight of responsibility made her heart swell with pride. She could do this all her life.

But the penetrating thought of her mother made that smile slowly disappear from her lips. She was getting older and constantly tired from working at the family inn in Canterlot. She wanted so badly to retire, but her only other daughter, Opal's sister, was all the way on the east coast, living it up with her husband. Opal was stationed in the Crystal Empire, but that was only until the new country was able to form its own police. Meaning that the rest of the time, she'd be in Canterlot--the closest to her mother.

A bitter taste filled her mouth. Why couldn't her mother just find a third party to buy the inn from her? Why couldn't she just let Opal live her own life with her girlfriend and her dream job?

When she realized she started sulking, she straightened up, fearful that others might see her weakened state. It was a necessary facade to keep the citizens' morale up, and was the only other thing that she hated about her job in the Crystal Empire. It'll be over soon, she thought.

She yawned, exhaustion finally turning her bones to jelly as she neared her apartment. The sun had set behind the crystalline structure of the exterior, leaving a pinkish hue about the walls. She frowned for what seemed to be the thousandth time. It blended in a bit too well almost to the point that it was dull. She wished that there was a little more variety in the architecture of the Crystal Empire, but it would take a while until the citizenry would dare move out farther than they were currently.

She climbed the stairs up to her apartment, opening the door to a bright living room straight ahead. Two sofas made an ‘L’ surrounding a fireplace, the low fire casting dancing shadows on the opposite wall. It was there where she found her significant other. Sunny had a bright blonde coat with a ginger mane and tail. She smiled, a dark birthmark on her muzzle stretching with the action, and she stood, walking toward Opal. "Hey!" she greeted warmly, pecking her on the lips. "How was work?"

"Exhausting, as always," Opal sighed, rolling a persistent ache out of her ankle. "I should go to the massage parlor here before I'm sent back."

Sunny nodded enthusiastically. "They're amazing, hon. You'd love it."

"Aunt Opal!" squeaked a filly's voice from over the sofa. Honeycomb sprinted around the corner, her golden mane flowing behind her as she tackled Opal in a hug, knocking her back.

"H-hey kiddo!" Opal chortled, smoothing back the filly's wispy mane. "Long time no see!"

Sunny smiled from ear to ear. "Your sister dropped her off about an hour ago."

Opal frowned. "Damn. I was hoping I wouldn't miss her."

She shrugged. "She told me to say hi for her though. Also, she said that your brother finally nailed a date for his wedding, in December."

Opal grimaced, inhaling through her teeth. "How close to the holiday is it?"

"First week."

The tension left Opal almost immediately. "I'll see what I can do. The District Marshall has been working me to the bone."

"I'm the flower filly!" Honeycomb trumpeted, bouncing up and down. "I can't wait to show off my tricks!"

“Oh?” Opal asked, intrigued. She bent down to her level. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I wanna take a fan, put it in the bottom of the… basket, and fwoosh!” She whipped her hoof up in a wide gesture, Opal quickly taking a step back in order to avoid being clocked by a four year old. “It’s gonna be so cool!”

Opal raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Yeah? And how are you going to turn it on?”

Honeycomb furrowed her brow in concentration. She brought a hoof up to her pursed lips. “Well, it’d have to be a hole-y basket. I can stick the button on the bottom, hold it down with tape… and then use the cup that you have your pencils in over the fan so that nothing gets in the way!”

Opal chuckled at the apparent unlikeliness of the plan, but then she thought about it more. If she were to use a small, battery-powered hoof fan that has the small button on the rear, and use tape to bind it down on a woven, tweed basket, that’d do it. She also remembered how shallow her pencil holder was, and the fact that it was made out of an aluminum mesh thin enough that air from a fan wouldn’t have a hard time blowing through. “That’s…” she started, taken aback from the ingenuity of the project, “... pretty smart, actually.”

Honeycomb smiled gleefully. “It’ll be like magic!” she giggled, jumping up and down once more. Then her eyes popped wide open, suddenly stopping, gasping as if she had an epiphany. “That’s it!” she proclaimed, rushing back behind the ‘L’ of the sofa.

Opal smiled so wide that her cheeks cramped. “How long has she been going at this?” she asked.

“Since this morning, apparently,” Sunny said, shifting her weight to her left side. “She probably has a full ream of paper outlining her schematics in crayon. They’re all pretty sound.”

“Are they…” Opal mumbled to herself, peeking over the sofa. Sunny wasn’t exaggerating; a pile of paper surrounded her niece in a teardrop shape around her. She sat at the narrow end, drawing methodically on the front of one of the papers, pausing to think, then continuing. And they weren’t meager sketches either. They were exceptionally detailed, pointing out which part of a contraption was what, how she was going about the assembly, even as far as color coding battery-powered components.

She couldn’t help but stare in awe. She always knew that Honeycomb was especially smart and diligent. She remembered multiple times where she demanded her or her sister to teach her stories word-by-word, not to memorize them, but to learn to read. But this was unprecedented, dumbfounding, but all at the same time, amazing to behold.

“Earth to Opal?” Sunny’s hoof waved in front of her face. “You all right, hon?”

“Yeah,” she responded, glancing over to her significant other. She lowered her voice. “But just look at what she’s doing!”

“Yep, I see it,” Sunny said, unfazed. “She’s a really smart kid.”

“Smarter than smart,” Opal added. Her eyebrows shot up. “How are you not freaking out about this?”

“Freaking out?” She turned to face Opal, chortling. “What is there to freak out about?”

Opal’s eyes widened, dumbfounded as she silently gestured to her niece doing the equivalent of highschool engineering.

“Well, I know!” Sunny retorted. She reached for Opal’s extended hoof and slowly put it down. “Trust me, I was surprised, and it’s really cool that your niece is the next Starswirl sans the horn, but she’s not doing anything wrong. Is she?”

“No, that isn’t what I mean—”

Sunny laid a hoof on Opal’s shoulder, cocking her head to the side. “I know. Just... take a couple breaths. Act interested, support her, but don’t treat her as if she’s plotting to open the gates of Tartarus. Understood, cadet?”

Opal’s eye twitched. “That’s captain to you.”

Her significant other smirked. “That’s better!” she exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder. “Now, come on. I made killer chef’s salad for you.”

It was only then that Opal’s stomach growled like an Ursa Major. “That sounds wonderful,” she chuckled, heat flowing up to her cheeks.

And with that, they ate. Sunny and Honeycomb engaged in playful banter about how to better rig a toy bugle to scare the daylights out of a local bully. Meanwhile, Opal was preoccupied, resisting the temptation to not hork down her dinner like a vacuum. Instead, she stabbed small parts of the salad and chewed them thoroughly, forcing herself to eat slower. She gave her initial input, but mostly, she listened, digesting and internalizing the detail that her niece and her girlfriend gave. Honeycomb lead the conversation heavily, suggesting the big changes, while Sunny suggested smaller adjustments to make the whole thing fit.

All the while, Opal couldn’t help but smile. Unlike Opal, Sunny actually had a degree in engineering, and it showed. Sunny leaned forward, her back still arched, but her eyes wide and full with intrigue. This type of engagement that she showed always made Opal’s heart flutter. It made her wonder how in the world they worked so well together, and how on earth she deserved her.

After the hearty conversation came to a close, the sun had set deeply into the western horizon, and Honeycomb began to yawn and rub her eyes. Sunny smiled with half lidded eyes, standing from the table. “Well, I think it’s time to put our little genius to bed,” she announced.

The filly yawned once more. “Buuuut… I needa… get done with…”

Opal smiled, walking over to her niece, brushing her mane back. “We can finish your project after we’re done tomorrow… okaaaayyy?” She tried to suppress the imminent yawn, but to no avail.

“Okay…” the filly responded, leaning into her aunt’s chest. Smiling, Opal walked her to the guest bedroom, and began tucking her in. But she was out like a light before she was even halfway done. Smiling and pecking her forehead, Opal shut off the light, closing the door behind her gently as to not wake her back up.

In the hallway, Sunny smiled a drunken, crooked smile. “I think I’m ready for bed, too. I couldn’t keep up with her energy.”

“Yup, sounds just about right.” Opal walked with her down the hall, brushing shoulder to shoulder with her. They opened the door to the master bedroom, greeted by a meager sight. Her other jumpsuits lay strewn across the floor, as well as a shoulder pad that had broken off her previous set of armor. The bed was poorly made, but neither of them really cared about that too much.

The only object of interest, however, was a white matte syringe with a wide neck, the opening covered with a cap. A sticker on the side was green.

“Shit,” Sunny whispered. “I forgot I took that out of the freezer.”

Opal frowned. “It looks like it’s thawed though,” she said, picking up the syringe. It was room temperature. “How long has it been out?”

Her girlfriend pursed her lips, walking up to her. “No more than three hours.”

“It should still be fine, then.” Opal concluded. “Did you still want to try tonight?”

Sunny chortled. “As long as you don’t fall asleep between my legs again.”

Opal smirked, setting down the syringe. “Come on, that was only once.”

“Oh really?” Sunny teased with half-lidded eyes. She cheated out away from Opal, bringing her whole, curvaceous body into view.. She stepped onto the mattress, exposing her belly. “Prove it.”

Heat rushed to Opal’s cheeks, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “Gladly.”

---

Trixie’s face was bright red. She crossed her hind legs. “So, Trixie isn’t wrong in assuming... that syringe…”

“... was a sperm donation, yes,” Opal finished.

Starlight eyed Trixie, her posture open and relaxed. She turned to Opal. “So… how’d it go?”

Opal’s expression once again turned grim. She shoved her hooves between her hind legs, pointing her chin down. “... There’s a lot more to this story,” she dismissed. “But what I will tell you is that Sunny has PCOS. It made it extremely hard for her to conceive. So we were trying. A lot.”

She shook her head. “Anyways, the following morning was the festival. As her family were helping run it—they were hostile toward her because of her sexuality—Sunny didn’t go. And because of what happened there… I’m grateful that she didn’t.”

---

The next morning was almost too quick for Opal. She only had about thirty minutes before the next tram took off for the festival. Thirty minutes to shower, brush her teeth, kiss Sunny goodbye, and arrive early at the station. The sun had crested over the spire of the crystalline castle, but had not reached its apex yet. The bright morning blinded them as they walked to the station, the chill wind blowing through Opal’s mane.

Opal drew her navy blue scarf closer to her chest, fighting off a shiver as she and Honeycomb sat at a crowded bench. It’s only the first week in October, she thought, frowning. Why is it so cold? She cursed under her breath, wishing that she’d been a little more prepared.

That was when Opal noticed Honeycomb. She held herself in her hooves, shaking in shivers as her teeth began to chatter. Her orange scarf hung loosely around her neck, dipping between her clamped hind legs.

“Oh, sweetie,” Opal sympathised, scooping the child closer to her and embracing her into her chest, her little nose ice cold. Opal rested her head on top of her niece’s. “I’m sorry. Didn’t think it’d be this chilly!”

“I-it’s okay,” the four-year-old stammered through her shaking.

Opal pulled her a bit closer, praying her body heat would do the trick. Her niece's fur felt thin, much thinner than it should've been this time of year. She prayed that it was just growing late.

A moment later, the tram appeared around the corner, its pinkish exterior nearly blending into the buildings around it. As it drew nearer, Opal motioned Honeycomb to stand, and they walked toward the yellow tile as the tram slowly came to a halt. Its doors opened outward, and the two shuffled inside, the warm air embracing their bodies as they took a seat.

The tram jolted to a start, following the track counterclockwise around the empire. After both their shivers subsided, they peered out the window as rows of crystalline buildings breezed past them.

Opal spotted a mechanical clock on the wall. It was 9:50, and it would take roughly an hour and a half to get there. She hoped that it would heat up at least a little by the time they got there.

The minutes passed by slowly, the smoothe movement of the tram making Opal’s eyelids heavy. She inhaled sharply, trying to keep her eyes open. The last few weeks had taken a lot out of her. There was nary a day that she wouldn’t be sore to the bone after a day of work with her nearly twelve hour shifts. She would’ve gladly accepted sleep on the tram if she wasn’t constantly on edge. She couldn’t help but think that something was about to go wrong.

Then she felt her niece’s head plop onto her side. She turned to look at her, a warm feeling spreading in her chest as she felt a smile tug at her lips. Her niece’s jaw fell slightly open as she fell asleep on her, slouching into her toned figure. Smiling some more, she planted a kiss on top of her head, scooting ever so slightly closer to her. The edge her mind was put on was slowly put at ease, and for a moment, it seemed like nothing could go wrong.

In a blink, the tram arrived at their stop, a loud voice over the intercom announcing their location. Opal jolted up, shooting her eyes around. They fell on the clock, reading 10:25. She had accidentally fallen asleep.

She turned to Honeycomb, gently nudging her with a hoof to wake her up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she hopped to her hooves, grabbing at Opal’s as she tried to pull her up with all her might. Somewhat startled, she chortled as she stood up and exited the tram. The air that met them was slightly warmer, enough to stave off any shivers, but not enough to be too comfortable.

The grounds of the festival spanned in front of them, a normally empty lot now full with tents forming a maze to a mid-size rollercoaster in the back. Ponies and other creatures of many shapes and sizes dotted the alleys between them, some casual and some pampered up like a Canterlotian on a Sunday. But there was one constant; the excited, affable chatter of a crowd that only wanted a good time.

Honeycomb tugged at Opal’s hoof once more, bouncing up and down. “Let’s go!” she exclaimed, much to Opal’s amusement. She gave a laugh and a nod and they headed into the fray.

Her niece led the way, staying close enough to Opal to keep her at ease. They visited nearly every vendor, and Honeycomb studied their wares closely. They visited more jewelers than they could count, but after a moment of looking things over, they didn’t hold her niece’s interest. They bounced tent to tent when they ran across none other than a ring toss game. She spent longer at this tent than any other, analyzing and taking in not only the prizes but the rings. She pantomimed throwing one of them, only later to frown, readjust her stance and do it again.

Opal cocked an eyebrow. She knew Honeycomb was an aspiring engineer based off of what she’d seen, but she also knew that the ring toss was almost sheer, dumb luck. The background was a vibrant red, and the pegs were a deep blue, making them seem to sink into the wallpaper. The necks were curved in a way that could make the rings bounce off in odd directions. There wasn’t any way for a normal pony to succeed without putting a substantial amount of bits down.

But when Honeycomb found another stance and threw her empty hoof outward, she smiled and nodded, exuding confidence. Her interest piqued, Opal walked over. “I’ll pay for this game,” she offered to her niece. “But just this one.” She opened her bit bag, putting down three coins on the counter. It was more expensive than she would’ve payed otherwise… but the giddy smile Honeycomb gave her was worth the sacrifice.

Honeycomb pranced up to the tent’s counter, and the owner passed her three rings. “The game is simple,” the owner started. “Toss the ring and—”

“I know,” the filly interrupted. Her eyebrows knit and she squinted. She picked a ring up and placed it on an upturned hoof, assuming the same stance as last time. She exhaled, tossing the ring in front of her, and it fell short, clinking on the ground in front of her.

The owner smiled ever wider. “Don’t let that get you down champ! You got this!”

But the owner’s cheers didn’t faze her. She squared up a little differently, biting the corner of her lip. She raised her hoof a little higher, and tossed a little harder. This time it went behind the peg.

“One more try!” He gestured to the many stuffed animals hung on the wall. “You can have one of these fellas if you just—”

“Stop talking,” Opal interrupted. She didn’t notice before, but she was leaning forward into her hooves, her eyes focused solely on her niece. She could see the cogs turning in her head as she picked up the last ring. If her stance changed, it was now unnoticeable, but she was more focused than ever.

Then Honeycomb loosened her stance, and tossed the ring. It flew in a higher arc with a slower spin, flying evenly in the air. The ring hit the top of the throat of the peg, shooting it straight onto the peg with a satisfying click.

Opal’s jaw fell to the floor as her niece’s victory slowly sunk in. “Woo-hoo!” she cheered elatedly, her niece prancing in place from excitement. She barreled into Opal’s hooves for a big hug, her heart melting as her niece squealed into her breast.

Meanwhile, the owner had a bad case of lockjaw. He rubbed the nape of his neck. “Well, I’ll be…”

A sharp screech in the distance caught Opal’s attention. Her ear twitched as she shot a glance toward the source of the noise. It appeared to be in the direction of the roller coaster. She frowned, realizing her heart was pounding. It’s probably nothing, she thought, looking back toward her niece. She had already pranced up to the counter, and the owner handed her down a plush, brown teddy bear with beady eyes. Buttons dotted down a sewn-on shirt. With a smile bigger than the moon, she squeezed it close to her body.

Unable to keep back her own, Opal went to her niece’s side, ruffling her mane. “Nice job, Honeycomb,” she chortled. “You like your new friend?”

“I love him!” Honeycomb exclaimed, bouncing up and down with the teddy bear in her front hooves. She flipped it onto her back, bringing its stout arms around her neck. “Let’s keep going! I can’t wait to see what’s next—”

Crash! The noise boomed across the fairgrounds, resonating in Opal’s chest. Immediately alert, she looked toward the roller coaster. A track facing them had fallen to the earth, and coming immediately behind five cars descended a hill. The world slowed as the cars shot to the earth, bodies of ponies squishing down into the bed of the cars as they went topside, spreading out on the road before them. One car in particular was headed straight toward them.

In a split second, Opal galloped to her niece, picking her up into her hooves before she lost her balance, tackling her to the ground. The car roared beside them, specs of blood flying to the pavement as it rolled by. She gasped for breath, not daring to move for the next few seconds. Cars at the top of the roller coaster screeched to a stop before they suffered the same fate.

She peered at the cars as they came to a halt. It was a long shot that anyone survived, but if they did… “Honeycomb, I need you to stay here.” She looked down at her niece. “I need to go—”

To her horror, her hooves were in a pool of blood. Her breath caught in her chest as her eyes landed on Honeycomb’s body. Her head was against a sharp corner of another stand, blood streaming from a wound beside her ear.

“Honeycomb…!” she breathed, her heart freezing. She crawled over her niece, nudging her in the chest. “C’mon, Honeycomb! We need to get you out of here!” But she did not move. The only life in her body was a dilated eye staring half-closed at her.

For the first time since she could remember, her mind shut down, her body refusing to move. “No,” she uttered, the very sound of her voice echoing in her ears. Any other sound was tuned out. Her eyesight tunneled as her knees buckled, and she fell to her side. The world turned dark.

---

When the light returned to her eyes, she was on a stretcher, looking up to a cloth tent above her. Blinking, she sat up, her side aching in pain, the droning of a heart rate monitor fading into her focus. The tent was separated by black curtains, so high up that she could only see out the break between them at her rear hooves, covered in a thin sheet. The grass in the hallway was flattened with hoof tracks and wheel marks, dirty and darkened with mud and blood.

She looked down at her chest, a bandaged wrapped tightly around the lower part of her ribcage that made it only the slightest bit harder to breathe. The pain made it much more difficult. She frowned. She figured she had a broken rib, probably two when she…

She put a hoof to her mouth as acid burned up in her throat, about to be sick. The picturesque memory of her niece’s body pierced through her train of thought like an arrow. A surge of emotion sent her heart into a sprint.

Before she knew it, two doctors rushed in through the curtains. The heart rate monitor was flashing red as they came in. “Lie her down,” one of them commanded. A hoof then pressed down on her chest, forcing her down. Anger filled her chest. The next thing she knew she was back up again. Yelling. Screaming. A body blocked her way. It forced her back down on the stretcher. Her yells seemed distant. She was held down.

Then all at once, everything slowed down. Her heart beat weakly in her chest as her vision began to get fuzzy. A floating sensation lifted her off the stretcher, and the area around her seemed to zoom in and out and swim. The voices of the doctors were distant once again.

“Officer Opal… is quite… a fighter…”

“I know. Although I can’t imagine the shock. She was cradling the foal in her hooves. Has she been identified yet?”

“Yes. Her name... was Honeycomb. Her niece.”

---

Her day in the infirmary passed in a blur. She only retained a couple pieces of information: that she wasn’t to report back to duty for at least four weeks, and that she’d only need to stay in the infirmary until the muscle relaxants they administered to her wore off.

Her ear twitched as she heard mumbling in the hallway. Her eyes were fixed on the curtains as Sunny stepped through them. Her eyes were red and glassy. She managed a small smile.

As if she had any more tears to cry. She motioned Sunny over, tears filling her eyes as she came, and held her gently towards her breast, resting her chin atop her head. Opal’s sobs shook through her once more, her head pounding and her chest aching. Even though Sunny held her close, it didn’t take away the icy cold feeling in her stomach.

---

“I have trouble remembering the weeks that followed,” Opal admitted, wiping the tears from her eyes. She sniffed. “But I resigned from my job and took up my mother’s offer to take up the inn so she could retire.”

Trixie nodded solemnly. “What happened with Sunny?”

Opal winced, and Trixie’s heart fell in her stomach. She should not have asked that. “I… screwed that one up too, I’m afraid,” she answered regardless. “I was a depressed, bitter lump during those four weeks. Toward a week before I was to return to work, we fought and fought… and she left. That’s what drove me to resign, actually.” She opened her mouth to say something, but shook her head. “But that’s followed me for the past six years. Haunting my dreams. Distancing me from my family. Even doing my part at the inn slowly lost its savor.” She raised her eyes to Trixie. “That’s the reason why I wanted to come to you. You told me about your experience with letting your mother’s passing go. How did you do it?”

Trixie bit her lip. It wasn’t a question she could answer. “Part of it is natural healing,” she said slowly, the gears in her head churning slowly to find the right words to say. “Honestly, when I remember my mom, the pain’s still there… but it’s a lot less than what it used to be. I admit that throwing that necklace into the river helped a ton…” She hovered a hoof out in front of her. “So I guess if you find your necklace and throw it in the river, then that would be a good next step.” Her heart froze in her chest as the last sentence flew out of her mouth. She was not good at playing therapist, and honestly, it was the first time that someone came to her for advice of this caliber.

But relief flooded through her as Opal nodded. “Yeah,” she breathed, sniffing. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that.”

Suddenly, there was a hammering on the door, making the three jump. Only a second later, a Crystarian guard burst through, gasping. “Trixie, Starlight, Opal, your presence is required immediately!”

Starlight jumped to her hooves. “What’s going on?”

The guard gasped for breath. “Discord’s magic signature… it’s disappeared!”

Comments

[Star love]

I'm so happy for the update this chapters amazing

[toshibafox]

we're finally getting to the issue of Discord missing, I had little interest in the rest of this chapter aside from this. I might be wrong about this but I should prove that I read some of it.

Honeycombs x Sunny were in love, a mother had died and one of them failed to move past it which cost them their relationship. One of them asked Trixie how she got over her own mother passing, necklace thrown in a river or something similar. Probably honeycombs or sunny died after the split or some accident happened that's preventing the two lovers from being together again.

[Takarashi282]

9985164
The blocks are in all the wrong holes, but you do have all the blocks.