Interlude #2: The Last Entry/What Is The Truth?
“That’s the last entry…” Pipp realized in shock, flipping through the book several times to make sure that she didn’t miss anything. Sure enough, she didn’t miss one page. All of the diary entries up to that point had been read.
The Journal of Friendship ended there.
The others were clearly in states of denial and shock. This couldn’t have been it. Why did it just end like that?! It couldn’t have ended there!
Zipp clearly shared the same sentiment as she wasn’t having any of it. “What?! But that’s impossible! Twilight couldn’t’ve left this on such a cliffhanger! Why would she do that?”
Nothing made sense. They had come so far in the story and to see it end right when all the answers were about to be revealed was downright tragic. The last entry had promised so much and now, there was no continuation.
Hitch groaned. “Ugh, We were so close!! Twilight, whyyyyyyy?!!”
“We already know what happened to the other creatures though,” Misty pointed out. “In that last entry, Twilight described what Opaline saw. Apparently, she ordered a mass genocide of the other creatures in order to make Equestria more pony-centric. It makes sense why she would have this animosity towards them after her encounter with Gallus in the castle.”
“That’s no excuse to slaughter millions,” Pipp replied. “The other creatures didn’t do anything wrong! And she just up and murdered them!”
“I just feel bad for poor Flurry Heart…” Sunny spoke up. “She had no idea what Opaline was going to see and she treated her like garbage! I know she was scared after the vision, but that is just no excuse to treat your best friend like crap!!”
Izzy nodded. “I definitely agree there. But now it seems like we’ll never know the full details as to what happened! I just hate cliffhangers.”
“Maybe we can,” suggested Sunny. “Guys, I know you don’t like me doing this, but I need to talk to Opaline again-“
“No.”
Sunny stared at Hitch, confused. “Why not? Opaline knows what she did. I’m sure that I can coax a confession out of her-“
“Absolutely not!” Hitch snapped. “You have no idea what she could do to you next! Sunny, you were so close to falling into her trap earlier today! There’s no way in hell that I’m letting you anywhere near that mirror, do you understand me?!”
Sunny was tempted to back down. But she knew deep down that this was the right thing to do. She had to find out the truth. “No, Hitch. I need to find out more about what happened. Do you want to stop Opaline or not?!”
“I do, but-“
“Then you have to let me do this,” Sunny insisted. “I’ve been through it once, I can handle her manipulation-“
“HANDLE HER MANIPULATION?!!” Hitch yelled. “Sunny, if I recall correctly, you cried into my hooves for a whole 30 freaking minutes!! You very easily could’ve fallen to the dark side if Misty wasn’t there to snap you out of it!! I’m sorry, I will not allow you to do that again!! Sheriff’s orders.”
“Hitch, I’m not a foal!!” Sunny shot back. “I can make my own decisions!! If I decide to contact Opaline behind your back, what are you going to do?!! Kill me?!! That would honestly be better than living this pathetic life!! At least let me do something useful for once instead of just being the useless optimist who can’t do anything right except get herself ganged up on by the ponies of Maretime Bay!!”
“You’re not useless, Sunny! I’m only-“
“You’re what?!!” Sunny shouted. “Looking out for me?! I don’t need you to fight my battles for me! I want to prove that I can do something, anything without screwing it up!! Are you so scared that Opaline’s going to suddenly show up and kidnap me that you think treating me like a child is going to make it any better?!”
“It’s not like that, Sunny!!” Zipp retorted, stepping in. “We all know that you’re not in the best mental state right now after what happened in the town square. All Hitch wants to do is protect you. It’s…been hard on all of us watching you cry alone everyday and we can’t say anything to comfort you…”
“I understand that, Zipp,” Sunny answered firmly, finally calming down. “But I want to help, like actually help. I can’t just sit around and do nothing while Equestria is going to be attacked in the next couple of days! The least I can do is prove that I’m not…” Tears came to her eyes. “…that I’m not worthless…”
Misty turned her head to look at her upon hearing the last word. She didn’t say anything, only staring with a look of sadness. After all, she understood what Sunny was going through all too well. Not too long ago, that had been her.
“Opaline is trying to groom you, Sunny,” Hitch told her gently. “How can you be sure if anything she’s saying is true?”
“Do you trust me enough to not fall victim to her…?” Sunny asked him. “Answer me truthfully…do you trust me at all to make my own choices?”
Hitch sighed deeply. “To be honest, Sunny, if I told you yes, then I would be lying. I saw you out there in that town square, all bloodied and bruised. There you were begging for mercy as those ponies threw stuff at you, pelted you…beat you up. And you did nothing wrong! All you wanted to do was share your passions with the townsfolk and those bitches instigated a mob attack on you!! You have the interests of the world at heart, Sunny, but the world doesn’t have it vice versa for you. I can’t let you make the same mistake and get hurt again, I…I love you too much.”
Sunny’s eyes stung with tears. She was crushed by what Hitch had just said. In the entire time they had been friends, she never expected to hear him say that he didn’t trust her. It made her feel horrible. It wasn’t her fault that she had gotten nearly lynched to death. She hadn’t known what was going to happen.
She nodded slowly. “I think I get it. I’m sorry that my silly lost causes are now the reason why none of you trust my judgment anymore…”
“It’s not your fault, it’s theirs.” Zipp said. “You saved their hides on multiple occasions and this is how they treated you. We just don’t like to see you hurting like this. If we can stop you from making a similar decision like that, then we will. Please…just trust us and don’t contact Opaline. We’ll find another way. I’m sure there’s an updated edition of the book somewhere. We just haven’t looked hard enough.”
Sunny nodded again. “I understand, Zipp…”
Later that day, Misty and the remaining Mane 5 went up to the top of the Brighthouse to inspect the Unity Crystals for clues. It was decided that they would continue searching for answers and that failure was not a viable option.
In the meantime, Sunny sat on her couch again, feeling the most helpless that she had ever felt in her entire life. None of her friends trusted her. They all thought her judgement compromised because of her stupid causes. She wondered why she even decided to go out in the first place. She could’ve stayed put and none of this would have happened.
In that moment, Sunny felt like simply ending it all. She wanted to end her suffering, end the constant cycle of pain and despair that she felt on a daily basis. At least she would be with Argyle in the afterlife, right? Her father wouldn’t judge her for simply giving up at this point, would he?
She let out a deep sigh of sorrow as she stared up at the ceiling. “You always knew what to say, Dad…I’m sorry that I can’t be you…”
Just when she was about to stand up and go to the kitchen to grab a knife, a familiar voice called out to her:
“Sunny…”
“Sunny…”
It was Opaline. Sunny looked around frantically, searching for any sign that Misty and the others were coming back. Fortunately for her, there was no sign of them at all. Quick as a flash, she picked up the Alicorn Mirror from the floor and held it up to her face.
Instantly, her reflection shifted and morphed into the evil version of herself, Opaline’s most recognizable disguise.
“Ah!” Opaline greeted her. “Perhaps you aren’t as half-witted as I thought. You know, I always took a liking to you, Sunny, and I really feel for you. It’s sad how your friends don’t trust you with anything anymore now, isn’t it?”
Sunny nodded. “Hitch said he doesn’t trust me. But I’m not here to give you additional ammo to manipulate me with. I want answers.”
“Hmm…more answers, you say?”
“You act like you gave me any to begin with. What happened after you got home from the Crystal Empire?”
Opaline smiled sinisterly. “So you do know about me. Well Sunny, I can give you the rest of the story if you do something for me.”
Sunny raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Yes?”
“I need you to destroy the Crystals for me,” Opaline instructed her. “I am currently trapped in the castle by an ancient spell that Twilight cast. Should you destroy the source of her power, all the magic will be released and my power should return to me.”
“No way!” Sunny yelled. “What do you think I am?! Stupid?! I’m not going to give you your power back under any circumstance!!”
Opaline put a hoof up to her chin. “Hmm, then I guess you don’t want my help after all. It’s a shame, really. You want so badly to prove yourself to your friends. Clearly they don’t trust you enough to do anything right. I can give you an opportunity to prove yourself and more. If you join me, I will never treat you like a child, Sunny. I will treat you like a Princess because that is what you are.”
“N-no!” Sunny cried. “You’re lying! You don’t care about me!” She hung her head low. “Nopony does…”
“But I do.”
Sunny looked up. “What?”
“I’ve been watching you for your entire life, Sunny,” Opaline said. “I’ve watched you grow up sad and alone and without anyone to love or support you. I’ve watched a poor little pony struggle in a society that hates her. I’ve seen a brave pony triumph over evil and prove everypony wrong about her. I too know what it’s like to be useless, to not feel like you’re making a difference, to feel-“
“STOP!!” Sunny shouted. “You won’t sway me no matter how hard you try! It won’t work! I am strong, I am confident, I’m-“
“You still think I’m trying to sway you?” Opaline shook her head in disappointment. “I am your friend, Sunny. I’m just like you in more ways than one. We both thought that we could make a difference, only to be rudely awakened by reality. We both wanted to find a way out of our pain.”
Sunny resisted the onslaught of fresh tears, blinking them back quickly. She couldn’t show vulnerability in front of the pony she was trying to interrogate. She wouldn’t be weak, she wouldn’t be-
“Awwwwww…” Opaline mocked her. “Poor little Sunny. You know you don’t have to be tough with me. I emphasize with your situation, more so than your friends ever could. They never knew what it was like to grow up an outcast, to want things that could never be attained.” She stared Sunny directly in the eyes. “I want to lift you up, my dear. Imagine what you could do if you just…put your trust in me.”
“Why would I ever do something like that?” Sunny asked. “Even if you could give me everything I ever wanted, why would I betray my friends, the ponies who love me?”
“Do they though?”
“What?”
“Do you really think your friends care about you? That they love you? After not letting you help with anything? After yelling at you? Sounds like somepony is being gaslit into believing she’s contributing by doing nothing.”
“I-“
[Opaline]
🎵 “My little Sunny, so small, so meek
I could give you what you seek
All you must do is one little thing
Just say you’ll agree and I’ll be your wings…”🎵
Sunny was scared, but also curious at the same time. She didn’t trust Opaline, yet the offer she was given certainly sounded better than feeling useless every single day. There was no point to her existence now. “Agree? Agree to what?”
[Opaline]
🎵 “Look at all your friends, so perfect and rare
They say you are loved, but they never cared
That poor little Sunny, unwelcomed, unfair
Is crying alone in despair…” 🎵
Sunny wiped an escaping tear from her eye as she got up and began walking with the mirror in her hooves. She had to admit that she was considering Opaline’s offer. If she could just get up to the Brighthouse and take the crystals…
No! No! She’d never do that. This was all a trick! She had to remain strong. Surely, her friends did still value her…right? As she considered her options, an angelic choir started building in the background and she began falling into a hypnotic trance. As she slipped further into her mind, Opaline’s voice continued to ring in her ears.
[Opaline]
🎵 “You are much better than what they see
You could make them take bended knees
Think of the power, a world of your own
Where no one alone will take your throne…” 🎵
It was at this point that Sunny began losing further grip on reality. The offer sounded so good. If only she could just take it, she would finally be valued by someone. She would finally be appreciated by those around her.
“Just picture it,” Opaline said soothingly. “A world of which you want.”
As the backing choir increased in intensity, Sunny closed her eyes. She began picturing what life under Opaline’s tutelage would look like. She imagined herself standing on the balcony of a large castle in her alicorn form, overlooking a crowd of ponies cheering her on. The Sun was shining down on her and she was happy. Opaline stood next to her like a protective mother, smiling warmly. There was no pain, no betrayal. No sadness.
Only peace.
The wind blew softly through her mane as she took in the ambience of the early morning. She heard the birds chirp in the trees amidst the crowd chanting her name. They all adored her. They all wanted her. She meant something to them.
For the briefest of moments, she mattered to everypony around her. She was content, she was satisfied. And she was finally loved, more so than her friends ever could give her.
[Opaline]
🎵 “Yes little Sunny, this all can be yours
I ask one request to ensure
Say you’ll agree too and take my hoof
To welcome soon
The reign of the moon…” 🎵
Sunny opened her eyes again and suddenly she was back on the couch. Had that whole song been a vivid dream this whole time? She didn’t know why she was hallucinating things, only that the offer sounded very appealing to her.
She still didn’t know if she wanted to take it, but she knew that she was going to think it over. Opaline was right. Her friends didn’t trust her anymore, and she was nothing but a burden on them. Why did she want to stay with them when she could be someone special instead?
“So…what’ll it be, Sunny?” Opaline inquired sinisterly. “You destroy the Crystals and I’ll tell you the rest of the story.”
Sunny put her hoof to her mouth in deep thought. As she considered her options, the answer immediately became clear. She knew what she wanted to say.
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For goodness's sake Sunny stop doing this to yourself. You know you're in no shape to resist Opaline's manipulations yet you insist on trying to pry answers out of her, answers you know full well are either outright lies and/or told in a way to paint her in a good light and omit all the terrible things she did. At this rate Sunny's gonna become a complete mental wreck and it'll a long time for her recover, time that Opaline is certainly not gonna give her.
Holy crap, this chapter was full-on distressing!
Opaline: "I chose my path, you chose the way of the hero. And they found you amusing for a while, the ponies of Equestria. But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you. Here's the real truth. There are millions of ponies in Equestria. And those teeming masses exist for the sole purpose of lifting the few exceptional ponies onto their shoulders. You, me? We're exceptional. I could squash you like a bug right now, but I'm offering you a choice. Join me! Imagine what we could accomplish together... what we could create. Or we could destroy! Cause the deaths of countless innocents in selfish battle again and again and again until we're both dead! Is that what you want? Think about it, hero!"
Well, considering the title of the last chapter, I already see where this is going. Reading on...
Maybe, but Friendship itself continued, right? Right?
Because Opaline is a totally trustworthy source who would never lie to you to reach her goals?
Maybe you can make a group call instead of letting Sunny call alone?
It's good Sunny had called Opaline. Now she knows what not to do under any circumstances.
And a community garden, right!
Good chapter!
I enjoyed reading it.
Maybe add a few notes symbols to make it more clear we are reading a song: 𝅘𝅥𝅮
11608408
Oh totally. Can’t have an ideal Equestria without that, right?
Good idea! I’ll go ahead and add that.
Weeeeeeeeeeeellllll…
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Sunny: "It's YOU that's out, Opaline! Out of your mind!"