Opaline

by WhiteSails

Opaline Chapter 10

A gentle dusk breeze flowed in through the cold air. The large trees gently rocked back and forth in the soft wind. As the dusk sky began to grow dimmer a pony galloped across a large open field. All day the pony had been snaking around corners and tucking behind the buildings of random towns she had been staying at. The pony then arrived at the edge of a large dark forest. A small dirt trail lead into the dark woods that seemingly stretched on forever. The pony then pushed up her cloak hood to see exactly where she was. It was Opaline. She looked down and towards the sign overgrown and covered in plants and roots.

The sign read. “EVERFREE FOREST WARNING ENTER AT OWN RISK.”

Without any hesitation, Opaline trekked on, seemingly unbothered by the sign and its warning. Some areas in Equestria remained either untamed or untouched due to certain circumstances. Twilight understood from personal experience the pointlessness of trying to deal with something as difficult as the Everfree forest. As the area was an unkept maze of trees and foliage, filled with unsavory creatures and tricks. So aside from a few select locations Twilight left the Everfree forest alone. Which would then mean that it would be the perfect place to hide. Opaline looked behind her towards the trail that she had just followed. It would be the last time she might see pony civilization for a while, but she was somewhat delighted at the idea of getting away from Equestrian life as she’d no longer have to deal with ponies she saw as inferior to herself. As she then continued into the forest, getting deeper and deeper, her mind thought of why she was there in the first place.

Since the creation of the unity crystals, Opaline had slowly watched as the unicorns fell victim to the contagious ideas enforced by Twilight Sparkle and quickly gave in to the princess. It surprised her how fast they could change their ideas and go against everything that she had promised them. She Promised unicorns prosperity and success that if they followed her, she could lead the race to greatness. That had been the only time Opaline had felt fully in control of her life. And Twilight had taken it away from her yet again. It seemed like all Twilight had ever done was cap Opalines potential. And she was still able to control her even though Opaline had long since left her.

Opaline knew that she was a wanted pony. It had been made clear by the princess that she wanted her to be captured. But Opaline had tried everything in her power to avoid getting caught. She saw herself as a Pony wanting to bring back the strong role of unicorns in Equestrian society as a messenger who was just trying to help her tribe. And Twilight was an evil attempting to stop her from perusing what she saw as the natural order of things. But Opaline understood the power Twilight held more than anypony else and she knew she had no chance of being able to combat it.

Opaline focused her attention back on the path in front of her. A crow called out from somewhere above her and a cold gust of air flowed between her hooves. Opaline shivered and put a little more sprint into her step. She knew that she could easily fall victim to the Everfree forest just as any other pony could. She didn't have a map and was only following the trail that lay in front of her. She stopped and looked around. The sky was beginning to grow darker, and Opaline didn't want to be alone and lost in the dark forest at night. She looked ahead and walked toward a large rotting log. She then retrieved a quill and a piece of loose paper before sketching down the log and its features. She understood she'd need to start marking locations in order not to get lost. Opaline then put the paper scrap into her dull brown saddlebag. She looked around once more and then down to the ground of the trail. It was possible some other pony could follow the same trail as her and happen upon her, exposing her location. It might be best to stop following it now and wander in a different location to avoid possibly being seen. She hoped she could find a cave or hollow tree nearby so she could spend the coming night somewhere. Opaline looked around one final time to memorize the location and its features. She then walked off to her side and hopped down a small trench before pressing on through the brush.

She continued for a bit counting her steps and trying to go in a straight line so she wouldn’t lose her way. The darkness was fast approaching, and the air was beginning to get cooler and cooler. She began to shiver from the cold her cloak seemingly too thin to keep her warm. Opaline then pushed away a branch and suddenly felt her body fall and tumble down a sudden incline. She rolled for only a few seconds before meeting the ground with a thud.

“gahhh...” Opaline groaned as she picked herself up and dusted herself off. Apart from a few cuts and bruises and a few new tears in her cloak, she seemed to be relatively fine. As she was dusting herself off Opaline looked up and was surprised to see what appeared to be a small stone shack in front of her. She turned around and looked all around her. It appeared that the shack was in a small clearing as the area she now found herself in didn't contain any trees or foliage. She felt a shiver go down her spine at the sight of the dark abandoned shack.

She appeared to be the only pony there. She perked one of her ears up and listened. All she heard was the soft swaying of the trees and crickets now beginning to chirp. Yep, she was defiantly alone. This might be the only place she would be able to stay for now she thought. Opaline cautiously approached the quiet building. As she got closer, she could begin to make out more of its features in the darkness. The shack had a lone wooden door and a window. The roof was made of old timbers and a little gravel path lay in front of the door. Small weeds had begun to grow from the dirt and Opaline felt glass cracking under her hooves evidently from the building's window. Opaline cautiously pushed open the wooden door.

“Hello?” she called out into the darkness that engulfed the inside of the small shack. To which she got no response.

It did appear to be abandoned. The wooden floorboards were coated in dust and the roof had a few holes which moonlight shined through. Opaline closed the door finding a small lock before locking it behind her. The inside of the shack was relatively small, there appeared to be only a few shelves, an old desk, and a crooked old cot in the corner. Either than that the room was almost empty. Opaline fumbled around in the darkness throwing down her saddle bag before searching the desk's drawers. She found a half-empty box of matches and an old oil lamp. She then lit the lamp, finally illuminating the room. Now that the room had more light, she could see the various cobwebs and dust bunnies that littered the room, the shack's walls were slanted, and a lone centipede crawled up the wall. It might not be much she thought but it will have to do.

Opaline carefully laid her body on top of the old cot as she was unsure if it would be able to support her weight. But the cot proved itself still sturdy. She laid down getting into a more comfortable position. She looked up to the ceiling, focusing her sight through a hole in the roof and to the stars above. She felt as though she might fade away to the sands of time. She feared that she’d be known as the failed student of Princess Twilight Sparkle forever. She had led what she saw as a unicorn revolution. Only to see it come crashing down in flames in front of her. Maybe she had put too much faith into the unicorns of Equestria when it came to wreaking her vengeance on Twilight. The saying “if you want something done right you better do it yourself.” rang throughout her head. She felt now was a perfect time for her to begin to reorganize her plans and ideas before trying to take down Twilight once again. But soon drowsiness began to take hold of the unicorn. The days she spent running began to catch up to her and in no time at all the pony fell asleep.

The following morning Opaline awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and the bright orange glow of the sun. She got out of the cot her hooves making contact with the wooden floorboards. She walked out the door of the shack and onto the grass. She looked up at the sky, lit up in a beautiful orange color. The green Leaves of the trees swayed back and forth all around her. Above the treetops, she could see a large mountain of which Canterlot was protruding out from its side. And in this scene, Opaline could see a long beacon of light reaching high into the sky and beyond the clouds. It was the Prisbeam generated from the magic held within the unity crystals. The very same ones that had caused Opaline to lose the growing power she had. The beam of magic always lit up and could be seen from anywhere within Equestria. It almost felt as though they were taunting her. She had heard those crystals contained all magic in Equestria.

If her horn had served as a reminder of her lack of magic, then Those crystals symbolized to her just how powerless she had been her entire life. To think that all that power was just sitting there foolishly Contained in a single spot. It enticed Opaline. She had Promised great power to the unicorns only to see them eventually betray her when they so quickly Switched sides at the mere sight of Twilight Sparkle flexing her power. She knew that those crystals had been made because of her. So, she felt that they should truly belong to her and not to the ponies of Equestria. Unicorns, Earth Ponies, And Pegasi had all shown her how much Ponies took their magic for granted. And what about her? She understood the value of magic and she had never had any. Opaline thought back to her ideas the previous night. She would take the magic she rightfully saw as hers and finally defeat Twilight by herself. But she still was at one final roadblock, how would she do it?
As Opaline Stepped back into the cottage. She then suddenly tripped and fell to the ground landing on her side as dust flew up into the air all around her. Opaline looked back to see what exactly she had tripped on. On one of the floorboards, she saw a single book. One that’s pages had yellowed by time and crumbled. She walked over and looked at the book puzzled. She then closed the book with the motion of her hoof to reveal its title.

“Potions and Alchemy a pony's guide” it read.

Opaline picked up the book and walked to her cot, she then laid down before opening it up once more. What she soon discovered was a wealth of Knowledge that she realized could be of extreme benefit to her. Different ways to make potions and guides to incantations lined the book's pages. Opaline was fascinated and enthralled by the book's words as they seemed to dance off the pages and become absorbed in her mind. She remembered how the previous magic book she had read had given her something she’d craved her entire life so she knew now that another similar book might be in her best interest. Opaline soon realized that Something as simple as potion brewing could be the closest substitute, she could get to Magic as both had similar properties and results. But once again Opaline was reminded of limitations. As she didn't possess any proper supplies needed to make such concoctions. Sure, the Forrest could provide the plants and herbs needed for potion making. But she’d need access to things such as burners, bottles, and funnels too, as no such ingredients would help if she didn't have the means of making them. And these such things she couldn't just simply make herself. She’d have to go out and find them but where was the question? She was wanted all over Equestria. Surely, she couldn’t just waltz into a town without being recognized. She would have to weigh her options. Ponyville was just on the other side of the forest but that would be like going into the belly of the beast. But still, it would most likely be her only option if she wanted to proceed any further with her plans for Twilight Sparkle as the book soon gave her all sorts of ideas she could use to plan. The best bet for her would most likely go in very late into the night when no pony would be awake as that meant she could proceed hopefully uninterrupted.

The following few days Opaline would scout out Ponyville from afar using an old spyglass she had found in the old shack. She spent nights seeing and documenting what times would be the least busy for ponies. And what times they would go to bed or what areas were less populated than others. She also would explore the surrounding areas near her newly acquired shack. Finding a stream of fresh water that flowed nearby and various eatable plants for her to feast on. The rest of her time she’d spent reading the book which she had quickly put so much faith into.

One day well-gathering resources she would stumble upon a newspaper stuck in a Nerby bush. When she pried it from the pointy sticks of the bush, she was baffled at what she saw. Almost dropping the paper and allowing it to flow back into the wind. On the newspaper was a picture of Twilight. Twilight stood tall, her figure sticking out and above the crowd. Behind her was a large glass mural which Opaline instantly recognized. On the left of it was a Unicorn, on the right, a Pegasus in flight, and in the middle, an Earth pony. It was the drawing that she had made all those years ago for her teacher now brought to life. But something was different about it. Now above the ponies' heads were images of those crystals. The ponies weren't looking at Twilight’s cutie mark but at those crystals. Opaline's eyes then gravitated to the side of Twilight. Next to the alicorn was a smaller unicorn pony. Her coat was a bright pink, and her hair was colored with bright shades of orange. Opaline looked under the photo and at its description.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle and new personal student Luster Dawn Unveil a Mural in the new Pegasus city of Zepher Heights to celebrate the creation of Equestrias' unity crystals.” Opaline quickly Crushed the newspaper between her hooves and rolled it into a ball before throwing it into the woods that surrounded her.

“How could she!” Opaline screamed out.

Opaline was filled with anger. Her ideas of Twilight now becoming even more muddled. She had been replaced! Replaced! Furthermore, Twilight was willing to vandalize something she had made for her as a filly?! Had she meant nothing to Twilight? Was she so worthless that the princess could both change her gift to make it reflect her own interest and then pose in front of it with Opalines' replacement? Opaline's eyes moved above the tops of the trees and to the mountain where Canterlot was. She was once again looking at that beam of magical energy that reached high above the Capital city. She needed to do something about those crystals soon. They would only stand in the way of her plans for Twilight. And they would only continue to serve as a reminder of how much of a failure she was.

As the darkness of night blanketed the town of Ponyville all was quiet. A fog crept around the streets as the air stood still uninterrupted by any wind. The streets and town were quiet. It was perfect for Opaline’s plan. She crept forward slowly making sure to stay quite well, also not trying to trip in the darkness. She was sticking to only the shadows and dimly lit areas of town to hide. As Opaline crept around a corner, she soon came face to face with herself. On the side of a wall was a poster of her that had been hung up. It read “Wanted Opaline Arcana by order of Twilight Sparkle for the disruption of harmony within Equestria.”

Instead of a reaction of concern or fear Opaline simply scoffed. Not at the poster and what it read but by the rather old picture of her used in it. That fool Twilight still uses old photos of her when she was a filly. Opaline then pressed on, soon arriving at a street corner. She looked both ways before running across to the other side of the sidewalk. She soon arrived at her destination, a small magic store. She knew inside could contain all the supplies she’d need to enact her plan for Twilight. But how would she get in? She walked toward the shop's door raddling its doorknob. The shop door was locked tightly. Opaline stepped back.

“of course, it would be locked dummy,” she said to herself quietly.

She next peered through the large glass window of the shop. She was unable to see much as the inside was too dark. Opaline looked around in the hopes of finding some method of entry. Suddenly something caught the unicorn's eye. Situated next to the wall of the store was a lone wooden barrel. Opaline walked over to the barrel in a state of curiosity. She was quickly surprised to see that the contents of the barrel consisted mainly of stone bricks. She reached into the barrel and pulled out a single brick. Opaline walked back to the store's front door looking over to both sides before smashing the doorknob. She then pushed the door open with next to no resistance. Opaline reached into her saddlebag and retrieved a large sack which she soon began to fill with all sorts of items. Once Opaline felt as though she had collected enough, she threw the sack onto her back and rushed out of the store and back into the darkness.

Opaline's nerves were high the entire journey back to her abode. She knew what she had just done. But it was worth it to her if it meant she could be one step closer to finishing her vendetta with her former mentor. She was constantly looking behind her, paranoid of being followed. Eventually, after what felt like hours of running and navigating back, she finally returned to her place of shelter. Opaline locked the door behind her. She rushed over to the desk in the corner and poured out the contents of the sack. She counted and sorted the things she had grabbed. She had over a dozen bottles, a few beakers, a burner, and other various bits of potion brewing equipment. Opaline quickly began to utilize the resources she had stolen. She was unsure just how much time she had left before she’d be compromised or before her anger became so great, she’d jeopardize herself. But one thing remained certain in the pony’s head. Twilight was going to suffer, and she was going to keep the magic she deserved.

Comments

[Someoneirrelevant]

Good story