The Fall of Opaline

by Admiral Producer

Interlude #3: The Truth Revealed/Misty’s Outburst

Misty walked through the main room of the Brighthouse, her mind lost in deep contemplation. She had just left her friends upstairs with the Unity Crystals after a failed attempt to jumpstart Twilight Sparkle’s hologram again had failed. Once that had happened, the group had started arguing with one another once more and that was when she had left, not wishing to get involved.

She didn’t know why she had chosen to leave during the argument and she knew that she could’ve talked some sense into them. Deep down, however, she was too afraid to pry in matters that had the potential to get them angry at her. She already felt like she was on thin ice as it was, and she knew that no one fully trusted her yet in spite of everything. Despite them taking her in and the fact that Izzy had forgiven her, Misty still felt like she was intruding on a home that wasn’t hers, like a guest overstaying their welcome. She knew that Izzy had accepted her apology and welcomed her with open hooves, but what about the others? She never asked them whether they had fully forgiven her. In her mind, they were likely just keeping her around until Opaline was defeated and then they would just push her away.

The thought of being forced to leave while Opaline was most likely out for her blood scared her to death. She still didn’t want to face the alicorn that raised her, but she knew it was inevitable. Sparky was still in the castle, most likely having his magic drained daily.

Or worse…

During her nightmare months ago, Opaline had killed Sparky in front of her very eyes. She still wasn’t sure whether that had been a nightmare or a vision. It had felt so real and she really hoped that he wasn’t dead. Such a fate would be catastrophically tragic and if that was true, then no one would be able to recover from it.

She loved Sparky, and it had hurt to kidnap an innocent baby dragon who had done nothing to her and take him to his death. She prayed that he was still alive, that he was still safe somewhere. But deep down in the back of her mind, she somehow knew that most likely wasn’t the case.

Opaline had made such a big deal about stealing Sparky’s magic that it would be downright absurd to believe that he was still alive in any capacity. Dragon fire made up his very essence and if somepony were to take that away, then there was no chance that he could live. The thought sent shivers down her whole body and it made her feel sick, knowing that she was responsible for this.

What kind of pony was she? She had the opportunity to back out at any time, but she didn’t. She had risked all of her newfound friendships for the slim chance of getting a cutie mark.

All for nothing.

Silently, she cursed herself for being so stupid and gullible. It wasn’t her fault as she had been naïve back then to know any better, but she still blamed herself all the same. If only she had seen reason, if only she had just left Opaline sooner before any of this happened.

If only-

“…there was no escape for her and she knew it. I had been anticipating this confrontation for weeks, and it was finally my time.”

Misty’s ears twitched at the sinister sound of Opaline’s voice, her thoughts abruptly cut off. It was coming from the next room over. In an instant, she ran as fast as she could towards the living room and saw a sight that she hoped she wouldn’t see.

Sunny was sitting on the couch, Alicorn Mirror in her hooves, listening to Opaline retell her backstory to her.

Misty froze up in fear, not knowing what to do. She should’ve known that Sunny would not listen to any of them, but the sight of her abusive mother staring coldly at the orange earth pony sent shivers down her spine. Her heart began to beat faster and faster as she thought desperately on what to do.

She couldn’t just take the Mirror…could she? That was the only viable option left, and she knew that Sunny was going to hate her for this. Nonetheless, it was the right thing to do and if Sunny wasn’t going to save herself from Opaline’s schemes, then she would.

Without a second thought, she ran up to where Sunny was sitting and snatched the Alicorn Mirror from her. Sunny looked up, startled, upon feeling the Mirror no longer being in her hooves and her eyes narrowed in anger upon seeing the culprit.

“Misty!!” Sunny yelled. “Give me the Mirror back!! Opaline and I were talking!”

“Hitch told you no!!” Misty shot back. “You can’t be doing this, Sunny!! I’m not going to let you harm yourself so you can prove you’re something you’re not!!”

“Ah, Misty…”

At that moment, Misty’s entire being filled with dread. Her pulse quickened and her heart began palpating. She didn’t close the Mirror in time.

Opaline had noticed her.

She stared at the face of her former abuser, trembling all over from fear. “O-O-Opaline…w-w-w-what a-are y-you doing to Sunny?”

Opaline cackled. “My my my, seems like you’re just as skittish and pathetic as you were when you left me, Misty. I guess your friends aren’t doing you any favors. You do know that life isn’t the same without you, don’t you?”

“Enough!” Misty shouted. “Stop torturing Sunny with your lies!! She’s been through enough!”

“Lies?” Opaline asked in mock indignation. “They are the truth, Misty. I’m simply opening up to her as a friend. Everything I’ve done, she’s already done to herself. Just like you can’t seem to shake the life you left behind.”

“A friend?!” demanded Misty, “You’re manipulating and torturing her!! You don’t want her as a friend, you want her as your slave!! Just like you did to me!! Well, I’m not letting you do that, I-“

“Misty,” Sunny stood up from the sofa, walking towards her. “I want my Mirror back. Now.”

Misty slammed the Mirror shut before Opaline could speak again and held it close to her chest. “I’m not giving it back to you, Sunny! I’m throwing this off a cliff where it belongs!”

“Give me the Mirror, Misty,” Sunny replied calmly. “Don’t piss me off. I just need to hear the full truth from her. I don’t want to have to take it from you.”

“She’s deceiving you!” Misty tried to say. “You think anything she’s saying is the truth?!! You can’t let-“

“I can’t let what?!” Sunny asked, shaking her head in disappointment. “You don’t get it, do you, Misty? Opaline’s actually been very open with me. Meanwhile, all you and the others do is treat me like a filly. All because of something that I couldn’t control. Suddenly, after that day in the town square, I can’t be trusted and why?! Because I suddenly have no common sense?!!”

“It’s not like that, Sunny!” Misty protested. “You’ve been depressed for weeks and we’re trying to protect you!! Now look at you!! You’re acting irrationally! Think about what she’s doing to you!!”

“Irrationally?!!” Sunny demanded angrily, backing Misty up against the wall. “I think I get it now, Misty! You all want me to be that happy, go-lucky pony who puts up with everything!! You all want me to be docile and submissive, do you?! You don’t want me to stand up for myself and instead let myself be dragged around and shut down like before I met you guys whenever I even think of doing anything for myself!!!”

“Sunny, please-“

“I finally have somepony who cares about me!!” Sunny continued her tirade. “Somepony who won’t shut me down!! I’m not weak!!!! I’m not just a stupid, boring earth pony who has no control over anything!! I have the powers of an ALICORN!!! Opaline said she’ll give me whatever I want!!!! I DON’T HAVE TO FEAR-“

“THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID TO ME TOO!!!!” Misty screamed through tears as they streamed down her face. Her whole body was shaking from the sheer fear of being cornered and she felt like she was about to die.

Sunny froze in an instant. “What…?”

“Opaline promised me a cutie mark!!” Misty snapped. “She promised that she would love me, take care of me!! I was too young to know any better and she took advantage of me!! I didn’t ask to be forced to steal Sparky!!! I didn’t ask to spy on you guys and lie straight through my teeth!!! I DID THIS ALL FOR HER!!!!”

Sunny backed away a couple steps, a haunted look on her face as what Misty was saying finally registered. “No…”

“Yes!!” Misty pressed on. “This is what she’s doing!! She’s praying on your vulnerability again!! Sunny, if you join her side, she’s not going to love you!! She’s going to ENSLAVE you!! Those bleak walls and a single dog bed in a tiny room are going to be it for you, do you understand me?!!”

Sunny looked crushed beyond repair. She sat on the floor, putting her face in her hooves. “No…no…you’re lying…please…”

Misty shook her head. “I’m sorry. I wish I was, but it’s true. I know you’ve been searching for someone to love you like your Dad did…I get it. But Opaline isn’t that. When I was under her, I didn’t get love. I got nothing but orders. I was constantly yelled at, made to feel like I was worthless, and I was always on my grind, trying to please a pony who never loved me in the first place…” She walked up towards her. “I endured that for years, and I don’t want that for you.”

Sunny looked up at her, sniffling as she wiped her tears away. “But I thought she…” She sighed deeply. “Look at me…being manipulated again for the second time. Hitch was right…I can’t be trusted with anything.”

“No he’s not,” Misty told her firmly. “Look at you. You’ve accomplished so much, given us so much. Hitch is just afraid, Sunny. He’s already lost Sparky and he doesn’t want to lose you. When he saw you out there being beaten up, he told me that it was like a part of him died. I don’t agree with his belief that you can’t be trusted with making your own decisions as that’s just stupid, but please try to understand him. We’re all on edge here because we don’t know when Opaline is coming…”

“Well she won’t be,” Sunny said. “She’s trapped inside that castle via the cloaking enchantment. It’s powered by the Crystals. The only way she can be freed is if the Crystals are destroyed.”

Misty nodded. “Then I’ll tell the others. I knew that spell around the Brighthouse meant something. Just try to get some rest.”

Once Sunny had gone to her room, Misty returned to the top of the Brighthouse where the others were still hopelessly locked in an all-out feud with one another. She knew what she had to do, even if it would get the others angry at her in the process.

“Everypony, STOP!!!” Misty commanded at the top of her lungs.

The fighting instantly ceased and all eyes were now on her.

“Misty, where did you go?!” Hitch demanded. “I’ve been waiting for you to back me up in this discussion for like 10 minutes!!”

Misty took a deep breath and faced her friends. “Sorry…I left because I didn’t want to get you guys angrier at me than you already are.”

“What are you talking about, Misty?” Zipp asked.

“Look,” Misty stepped forward carefully. “This is going to sound crazy to ask now, but…do you all forgive me?”

Izzy was the first to speak up. “Of course I do! We had a whole conversation about it-“

“Not you, Izzy. The rest of you,” Misty indicated the remaining four of them. “I never asked you guys before because we’ve all just been so angry and on-edge that…” She sighed. “…That we’re neglecting how our friends are feeling and how to deal with it. I’ve never been the best at communicating with others. Zipp, you’ve seen how I can get really awkward sometimes.”

Zipp nodded.

“So I’ve tried to put it off for as long as I could,” Misty continued. “I ignored my own fears and insecurities for so long because I was so worried about Opaline coming for us…In that time, I realized that I never bothered to ask the rest of you how you feel about…me. Izzy, I know you forgive me, but how about the rest of you?” She pointed at Hitch. “Hitch, I stole Sparky from you, kidnapped him, and now he might be dead. Zipp, I kept dodging your questions and lying straight through my teeth to the point where Pipp had to come in and defend me. Pipp, you stuck up for me over the whole lantern thing and I betrayed your trust by doing this. I just want to know how you all feel. Be honest, I can take it…”

Hitch faced her. “Misty, I-“ He took a moment to calm his nerves before continuing on. “Look, I’m going to be honest. What you did is a punishable defense. Not only did you kidnap Sparky, but you lied to a detective, tampered with evidence, were complicit in an evil mastermind’s attempt at world domination, disturbed the peace in Maretime Bay, the list goes on. But you know why I haven’t arrested you or charged you for those crimes, Misty?”

“Because you need me to help you all stop Opaline…?” Misty asked timidly.

“No,” Hitch replied. “It’s because you’re showing a genuine desire to change and prove yourself. Sprout never apologized for all the mess he caused, but you did. You’ve already made a huge effort to make amends with those you hurt and you even volunteered yourself to help us, even if it risks your own life in the process. I may be stressed to death right now about Sparky, but I can’t penalize somepony who’s gone out of their way on their own accord to become a better pony. That’s all I can ask of you.”

“I’m going to be honest,” chimed in Zipp, “You’ve were more than a boatload of suspicious when we first met. But I should not have pried as much as I did simply because I didn’t understand you. It was immediately obvious that you didn’t grow up in Bridlewood and it’s reasonable suspicion to assume that you put the lantern outside in the dirt for Pipp to find, but honestly, that was none of my business. I don’t care what you did in the past anymore. You’re one of us now, Misty, for all the reasons Hitch described and more. You make Izzy extremely happy, obviously, but you also make us very happy. You’re more than just a tactical advantage to us, Misty. You’re our friend.”

“Totally!” Pipp told her. “Don’t beat yourself up for something you couldn’t control, Misty, as that is totally not healthy. You’ve already proven yourself to be a trustworthy, reliable, and caring friend. You’ve stayed by Sunny’s side for weeks just to be there for her, and you never left. That’s something none of us are even capable of doing at the moment, even though we know her better than you do. You’re forgiven, Misty. Both in our eyes…and Maretime Bay’s.”

Misty was touched by this. Right at that moment, she could feel her insecurities and fears wash away in a grand tidal wave of relief and joy. Her friends didn’t hate her. They thought of her as a loyal ally and friend. They loved her. They cared about her.

They were her true family.

Tears of happiness came to her eyes and she broke down sobbing at that moment. Without a second thought, the others came over and wrapped her in a warm and loving embrace. They hugged for what seemed like a total of 5 minutes before Misty wiped her tears and they let go.

That was when Zipp finally noticed the Alicorn Mirror around Misty’s neck. “That necklace! What are you…doing with that?”

“I caught Sunny with it again.” Misty replied. “She was talking to Opaline and I took the necklace from her.”

“She’s still doing that?!” Hitch demanded angrily. “I TOLD her not to!! Why won’t she listen to me?!”

“Because you’re not listening to her.”

Hitch was taken aback. “Wait, what?”

Misty’s gaze was firm. “You know what I mean. The reason why she was so drawn to Opaline was because she offered her something we’re not.”

“Which is?”

“Trust.” Misty explained. “Hitch, you can’t control everything she does like this. I understand that you’re looking out for her, but she’s a fully grown mare. Like we all are. She can make her own decisions and not get hurt from them.”

“But she’s gotten herself into trouble so many times!!” Hitch protested. “Even before the Filly Four orchestrated that mob attack, I’ve always had to save Sunny from all of her stunts gone wrong. She’s done nothing but demonstrate a lack of common sense in every stretch of the imagination and I don’t want to lose her like…” He paused. “…Like I lost Sparky…”

Misty nodded slowly. “Listen to me, Hitch. You didn’t lose Sparky. I took him. To this day, I wish I never did. But there’s a massive difference between a baby dragon and a fully grown pony with a mind of her own. And if that’s the way you think, then I have to ask. Who brought you all together and united the pony tribes singlehandedly?”

Hitch sighed. “Sunny did. You’re right. If it wasn’t for her sometimes reckless decision making, none of us would even be here together right now.”

“Exactly,” Misty confirmed. “I think Sunny learned an important lesson from that traumatic experience. If you don’t give her the chance to prove she’s grown…how will you ever know?”

“We definitely wouldn’t ever know, now would we?” Zipp said, smiling. “Sunny is a lot of things. Kind, smart, thoughtful, compassionate, determined. But foolish ain’t one of them. She knew exactly what she was doing back when she brought us all together and she taught us all to be better ponies. Misty’s right, Hitch. We need to trust our friend to make her own decisions.”

Hitch faced her. “You’re right. I can’t treat her like I did Sparky. If we’re going to defeat Opaline, we’re going to have to trust each other.”

“Oh, that’s the thing!” Misty took off the necklace and held it in her hooves, grinning. “We won’t have to. As long as the Crystals are here and intact, Opaline is physically incapable of leaving her castle. Sunny’s seen reason and this baby’s gonna be chucked off a cliff. So we’re safe on that end!”

“Ooh! I wanna come!!” Izzy quipped. “I’ll be the one to throw it!!”

“Nah nah nah,” Zipp replied, shaking her head. “I think we should all agree that I’ll be the one to throw it. This thing’s caused me enough trouble already.”

“How about we all throw it?” Misty suggested. “Together.”

That seemed to get everyone onboard and they all had a good laugh over who would get to throw the necklace first.

Meanwhile, Opaline watched the exchange happen from her castle. She cursed at the fact that her plan had failed once again. She had just lost Sunny as a potential valuable ally. She had been so close in breaking the poor earth pony’s spirits, but she has come just short of her intended success.

Or did she?

Opaline was no fool. She knew deep down that breaking Sunny was still possible, but she couldn’t do it the traditional way anymore. Misty had told Sunny the truth and now the latter was going to be so much more careful on what she believed.

However, there was still one last option. She knew that if she was able to damage Sunny in this way, then her greatest rival would finally be hers to control. It was an idea. An awful idea. In that moment, Opaline got a wonderful, awful idea.

As she stared at the reflection pool, it began to swirl ever so slowly. The substance kept kept swirling around in a constant circlular loop until an image of Canterlot came into view.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Loosely Based on The Fall of Sunset Shimmer

Can I please get a link?

[Flamewarrior02]

OK, Sunny’s condition is really starting to become alarming here. It makes me worry what’s going to happen going forward with the saga.

“Nah nah nah,” Zipp replied, shaking her head. “I think we should all agree that I’ll be the one to throw it. This thing’s caused me enough trouble already.”

Uh, what are you referring to, Zipp? What has that necklace done to you that’s so……………………………………I see what you did there.

[littleman001]

Misty had really crossed Opaline's plans. But it looks like she still has the ace up her sleeve. Let's see what she does next.

Reading on...

[MatTheBook]

The thought of being forced to leave while Opaline was most likely out for her blood scared her to death. She still didn’t want to face the alicorn that raised her, but she knew it was inevitable. Sparky was still in the castle, most likely having his magic drained daily.

Hey, Opaline is doing the same thing to Misty.

Opaline tried to make Twilight proud but she pushed her away, Misty tried to make zopaline proud but she pushed her away.

Oh how history repeats.

[PonyDragon]

Sunny was sitting on the couch, Alicorn Mirror in her hooves, listening to Opaline retell her backstory to her.

We should have seen that coming.

“Misty!!” Sunny yelled. “Give me the Mirror back!! Opaline and I were talking!”

Misty: "Why do you think I took it from you?"

“I finally have somepony who cares about me!!” Sunny continued her tirade. “Somepony who won’t shut me down!! I’m not weak!!!! I’m not just a stupid, boring earth pony who has no control over anything!! I have the powers of an ALICORN!!! Opaline said she’ll give me whatever I want!!!! I DON’T HAVE TO FEAR-“

Now imagine what would have happened had Misty not found her in time...

“Oh, that’s the thing!” Misty took off the necklace and held it in her hooves, grinning. “We won’t have to. As long as the Crystals are here and intact, Opaline is physically incapable of leaving her castle. Sunny’s seen reason and this baby’s gonna be chucked off a cliff. So we’re safe on that end!”

Guess we'll have to expect the crystals to shatter any moment now...

As she stared at the reflection pool, it began to swirl ever so slowly. The substance kept kept swirling around in a constant circlular loop until an image of Canterlot came into view.

Uh-oh, what is she planning now?
Whatever it is, we should probably be worried.

---

Good chapter!
I enjoyed reading it.