Opaline

by WhiteSails

Opaline Chapter 13

Fat raindrops hit the window making a small thud as each drop made contact with the glass's surface. Opaline rested her head on her hoof. She stared out the window expressionless as she watched the oncoming rainstorm. The fire she had lit behind her crackled illuminating the room in a soft orange glow. Opaline turned her head to the candle she had lit beside her that had barely any wax left and watched the flame intently as if she had a microscope. The candle's flame quickly went out leaving a trail of gray smoke that reached above her. She then placed her head on the windowsill. She closed her eyes and listened to the raindrops hitting the walls of the castle.

She stayed there for a time before getting up from the window and walking over to the fireplace. She stopped and stared at the flames. She had always found fire to be somewhat relatable. It stood as a force of nature able to grow and destroy anything that stood before it. But it also served as a cruel reminder to her that like herself it would always remain trapped by those who controlled it. Unable to grow to its full potential and only ever limited to a small flame that burned under the tight restraint of someone else. Stunted forever and never allowed to reach out and become the thing it so desperately desired. She remembered the time she had spent as Twilight's student long ago. Not a day passed when she didn’t think about the outside world. She wanted to know what had become of her teacher, what had happened to Canterlot after her and Twilight's great battle. And just what was the state of current Equestria. She then walked closer to the fire, feeling its warmth. She stood there lost in thought as the rain outside began to come down harder.

As she stood still, lost in the deep reaches of her mind, she then felt as though she heard something out of the ordinary. Something so slight she was surprised that the sounds of the rain and the crackles from the fireplace hadn't drowned it out from her hearing. Opaline had been there so long now she had grown used to the various sounds the structure around her made. Whether that be the sounds of the castle settling, or the howls of wind that sounded through the long winding halls. But soon she heard this strange sound again, and then again, and then again. It persisted and only seemed to grow louder and louder. Soon seeming to drown out even the rumbles of thunder that now radiated from the storm. The noise was almost deafening to the alicorn. Opaline placed both her hooves against her ears in an effort to no longer hear it, but the noise continued. Opaline squeezed her hooves harder against her ears trying desperately to get rid of this noise, but it persisted. She then fell to the ground screaming, pushing with much force at the sides of her head.

“STOP! MAKE IT STOP!” She screamed out as tears fell down from her face.

And then suddenly just as she had pleaded the noise stopped. Opaline slowly removed her hooves from her ears and looked around perplexed. She got up from the ground and rushed out to the castle hallway. She looked all around her. Everything seemed to be okay. She then quickly rushed down the stairs and to the balcony overlooking the castle’s entrance. She stared down looking at the brick walls, windows, and doors. Before she finally settled her eyes on the large red wooden door that served as the entrance to the castle. It stood barred and locked. Opaline was then startled to see as the door began to frantically Shake. It didn’t merely shake from the wind of the storm outside pushing against it. There was something on the other side, something behind it, that was trying desperately to get in. Opaline stepped back, her eyes wide with terror. Was this merely a sinister Trick her former mentor was playing on her? Was this all just some grim hallucination? Or was there something or someone on the other side of that door?

Opaline felt fear build inside her. She had no idea what was out there and why it was trying to get in so badly. But at the same time for some odd reason, even Opaline couldn’t determine the origin of, she felt the urge to get closer to the door. She slowly began to creep forward cautiously making her way toward the door as it violently shook back and forth. It sounded as though it would fall off its hinges, it was shaking so hard. Opaline took a deep breath as she slowly lifted her Shakey hoof towards the door. She then watched as the large door swung open, loudly slamming hard against the wall. A gust of howling wind blew into her face as wet specs of rain hit the floor around her. Opaline saw the outline of a figure blanketed behind what she could only describe as a dark void. She froze in fear, closing her eyes expecting something bad to happen to her. But instead of the roar of some terrible monster or the swipe of a claw in her direction, all she heard was the sound of a body hitting the floor. She slowly opened a single eye and to her astonishment, she saw the body of a blue earth pony stallion lying on the floor in front of her. She then looked up behind the pony and into the darkness still visible from the open door before it closed with a loud thud.

She looked down at the pony's appearance. He was wearing a faded yellow vest now soaking wet from the torrential Downpour. His mane was a darker shade of blue that was followed by little purple and light blue streaks that were neatly combed back and ended in a ponytail behind his head. Small bits of facial hair lined each side of his cheeks and little locks of his mane had popped out of place in the wet conditions. But out of all these small details she picked up on, she was perplexed by something, in particular, the pony had on. She turned her head as she focused more. Around the stallion's neck hung a necklace carrying a small sanded-down round piece of wood. But it was what was on that necklace that perplexed her. It was a star, a six-pointed star. The very same star as her mentor's cutie mark, Twilight’s star. The strange pony then shakily got up from the floor. He tried brushing the water out of his vest but gave up as his article of clothing was too wet to be dried off. He quickly turned his focus to Opaline. She watched as she saw him quickly step back in surprise.

“OH, my I'm so sorry!” said the pony surprised, his voice Shaky and high-pitched. “I didn't think any pony lived here! I saw this castle and thought It was just another abandoned ruin. I was cold and wet and needed to get out of the rain I'm terribly-” The stallion then suddenly stopped mid-sentence before looking back at Opaline. She could then see his face light up in a state of amazement and wonder.

He looked at her horn before looking at her sides where her wings rested folded. He spoke once again, now very surprised and full of energy. “Oh, my Sparkle! you're you're you’re-” The stallion struggled to speak in amazement finding it hard to arrange his words. “YOU'RE AN ALICORN!”

Opaline jumped in surprise at the fact that this new pony was seemingly so excited to meet her. Opaline watched as the mysterious pony quickly reached into his saddle bag to retrieve a small bound journal and pen. Opaline then noticed the second appearance of the 6-pointed star on the cover of the pony's notebook. As he did this fumbling with his task, Opaline then caught a glimpse of something she thought she'd never see again. The stallion's saddle bag bared a striking resemblance to that of the saddle bag she used to carry around as a filly. The very same one she left behind the night she ran away from Twilight. Opaline felt a twitch in her eye as she started to boil over with anger at the sudden appearance of this strange pony covered in the markings of her former despised teacher.

“WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT!” Opaline shouted angrily at the intruder, who she believed was trying to mock her with the flashings of Twilight’s star.

The earth pony stumbled clumsily dropping the pen and journal. The pony then lifted his hoof for her to shake before speaking. “The name is Argyle Starshine! amateur explorer and ancient Equestrian historian! At your service!” He then gave her a wide smile seemingly unaffected by the words that had come from the alicorn in front of him.

Opaline stood motionless not returning the greeting gesture. The earth pony placed his hoof back down and chuckled nervously giving an awkward look at the Alicorn. “So...” The earth pony paused seemingly embarrassed. “Are you the only one here?” He said looking around the castle curiously.

Opaline Pressed her hoof against her head. She looked at the earth pony that was still in front of her. She watched as he walked around Admiring his surroundings seemingly completely unaware of just who he was talking to and where he was. She was angry that a seemingly random earth pony had found her sanctuary. She remembered what she had said oh so long ago about earth ponies. And now there was one in her castle. She became even more angry when she realized that for as long as she had been a prisoner in this castle. She, an alicorn, was powerless against whatever magical spell Twilight had used to keep her there. And the fact that a lone earth pony whose tribe she had preached to be full of incompetent magicless buffoons had easily bypassed that magical spell that was holding her back, angered her. She slammed her hoof on the hard-tiled floor. Sparks flew as she made contact with the ground.

Opaline ran at the Pony swiftly grabbing ahold of him and holding him up pinning him against the wall. “DONT, YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?!, I COULD DESTROY YOU IN ONE FOWL MAGICAL SWOOP!” She screeched. Baring her teeth and lowering her head down so her horn was pointed directly between the pony’s eyes.

Argyle turned his head away from Opaline's curved horn. “But you can't,” he said, struggling to free himself from the Alicorn's grasp.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T?” Opaline Snickered, strengthening her grasp on the smaller pony.

“Because there is none!” said Argyle in a gasp of breath. "There's no magic!”

Opaline's face lost color as she was somewhat repulsed and baffled at the statement. She let go of the pony. Argyle caught himself wobbling from side to side before finally correcting his posture.

“There's no magic...?” Opaline said to herself in a state of disbelief. What did he mean by this? Opaline then quickly reminded herself of the pony’s placement in her mind. What if he was trying to deceive her in order to gain something?

“YOU EARTH PONY! HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN LIKE THIS?” she then said pointing her hoof at the stallion.

“Ummm? For a long time?” He said a bit unsure of her question.

“HOW LONG?” Opaline yelled back.

“Since before I was born, and my parents were born, and my grandparents were born. So, I guess a really long time?” Argyle said somewhat unsure before dusting off his vest and picking up the various pens that had fallen out of his pocket.

“I feel as though out of all ponies you’d know about this?” he said. “Hey by the way are there more of you guys? I would like to start an entirely new line of study! Is that okay?” Argyle said clapping his hooves together in a chipper attitude.

But Opaline only drowned out the curious earth pony's comment. She tried to wrestle with the fact that if what this pony was saying was true then it could mean that she had indeed gotten the last laugh over Twilight. That even now if it wasn’t intended Equestria was now magicless. Just as she had been.

“What was your name again?” Opaline said, swiftly turning around.

“Argyle, Argyle Starshine,” he said. “Say are you really an alicorn?” he asked curiously. Ponting to her sides where her wings were.

Opaline looked down to her side and opened out one of her wings before turning back and giving the pony an annoyed look.

“Oh my,” he said in response covering his mouth with his hoof seemingly in shock of the pony in front of him. She then watched as he once again grabbed his book and pen before fiercely scribbling away at its pages.

“Do you know where you are?” Opaline then said, still angered.

Argyle stopped writing and looked up. “NO! And that’s the best part!” he said cheerfully before giving Opaline a wide smile.
Opaline moved her head up trying to assert her superiority to the earth pony. “Well, how did you get here?” Opaline then asked confused and annoyed. “Where are you even from?”

“Oh well, you see I usually take a certain path when I go out adventuring. But because of the rain, I must have taken a wrong turn and ended up here!” Argyle then went back to scribbling away in his book still blissfully unaware of just who he was in the presence of.

He then spoke once more. “As for where I'm from I live in a bay town just south of here!” He then motioned behind him with his hoof to what Opaline could only assume was the direction of his home.

“There's a town that way?” Opaline questioned slightly lifting her hoof roughly in the same direction the pony had pointed. She was now more confused than angry.

“Oh yes, full of earth ponies! we like to call it maritime bay!” Argyle said full of joy.

Opaline found it odd that there was a town at a distance that ponies could walk from she also found it disturbing that said town was full of inferior earth ponies. Perhaps Twilight hadn't remembered that there was one there. But again, it could have been built after Twilight sent her here. It also seemed odd that the stallion only mentioned earth ponies. as all the towns she had ever gone to contained creatures from every walk of equestrian life. Making Opaline wonder once again how much time she had spent trapped in this castle. She then realized that if she wasn't careful the pony could possibly tell his kin about her and her castle's location. She didn't even want this one here, so the thought of more of them invading her sanctuary made her shiver. Opaline then turned her head looking down at the pony before her. At that moment a realization came to her consciousness. This pony had been her first contact with the outside world since her battle with Twilight. If she could play her cards right, she now could possibly have a tool in which to learn about what had happened to the world outside the castle walls. Opaline then lit up, her mood swiftly changing to one of gratification. She could even possibly use this stallion to her advantage. If she could gain his trust maybe, he could lead her back to the unity crystals where so she could once again take their magic for herself and finish what she had started all those moons ago with Twilight Sparkle. Opaline chuckled to herself in delight. Feeling the pleasure of a new opportunity before her.

“I'll say miss it's very nice to meet you even if I may have been a bit too intrusive.” Argyle then said.

A silence then befell the area for a moment as the two ponies stopped talking. Argyle then closed his notebook before putting it into his saddle bag. He then dusted himself off before speaking once more.

“Well, you seem to not want me here so I guess I have to respect your wishes." The pony’s voice seemed a bit saddened saying this, as he’d have to leave a pony that seemed so fascinating to him. He then turned away from her. And tried to make an effort to reach the door.

“NO!” Opaline called out surprising Argyle.

Argyle stopped and looked back at Opaline. “I thought you didn't want me here?” he said confused.

“I...I” Opaline found it hard to speak. She was nervous as it had been so long since she had talked to any pony else. “It's still raining out there. You could slip and hurt yourself or possibly get lost again. Just stay here for now.” said Opaline. She surprised herself with how nice her words were.

She knew how much she had seen herself as higher than earth ponies, but she could not risk losing this one, as he would be too important if she ever wanted her plan to succeed. She then forced herself to change her attitude to one of a more welcoming nature. After all, she needed to trick him if this was to work.

Opaline then raised her hoof and forced herself to smile. "Opaline Arcana." She said.

Argyle then walked toward her. greeting her with a warm smile before shaking her hoof. "It's a Pleasure, Opaline." He then placed his hoof back down and looked around once more. “This is a mighty impressive place you've got her Opaline," Argyle then stated looking around.

As the stallion was distracted Opaline whipped her hoof on a nearby banner trying to rid herself of what she saw as "Earth pony filth."

Argyle then turned and walked right up to her side. Opaline felt a bit repulsed by his action but stayed her ground not showing her displeasure to the earth pony.

“Hey umm, you never answered my question are you the only one here? Is any pony else in here with us?” Argyle then questioned.

“Don't worry about that right now,” Opaline said she then turned and began to walk with Argyle quickly following behind her. “Now how about you tell me more about Equestria.” She said smirking.

Comments

[MatTheBook]

She looked down at the pony's appearance. He was wearing a faded yellow vest now soaking wet from the torrential Downpour. His mane was a darker shade of blue that was followed by little purple and light blue streaks that were neatly combed back and ended in a ponytail behind his head. Small bits of facial hair lined each side of his cheeks and little locks of his mane had popped out of place in the wet conditions. But out of all these small details she picked up on, she was perplexed by something, in particular, the pony had on. She turned her head as she focused more. Around the stallion's neck hung a necklace carrying a small sanded-down round piece of wood. But it was what was on that necklace that perplexed her. It was a star, a six-pointed star. The very same star as her mentor's cutie mark, Twilight’s star. The strange pony then shakily got up from the floor. He tried brushing the water out of his vest but gave up as his article of clothing was too wet to be dried off. He quickly turned his focus to Opaline. She watched as she saw him quickly step back in surprise.

ARGYLE!! NOOOOOO!!!