Onyx and Opal
Onyx sat on the steps outside his longtime owner's new home, swishing his tail to and fro whilst watching Ponyville's citizens as they'd come and go. The young feline hadn't been too thrilled once he'd first caught wind of the move from Canterlot, especially having spent the entirety of his kittenhood in that fair city. And goodness knows if this 'Ponyville' would even have a decent haberdashery. But nevermind, it was fortunate that he had taken advantage of his last opportunity to acquire some acceptable attire, pausing whilst walking alongside his mistress in downtown Canterlot to make some choice mewing sounds at a small hat and tie, which he'd caught sight of through a high end pet shop's show window.
The aforementioned accessories were the very same ones he now proudly displayed; the ebony silk top hat upon his head and the stiff white color and black bowtie around his neck. They suited the style in the city of his birth far better than here in Ponyville, but fortunately it seemed that nopony had ever put forth the notion that a tom cat could ever be overdressed... not that he'd necessarily forgo his good taste to please others with inferior sensibilities, you understand. It was just nice to be one's self, especially in the now unfamiliar surroundings.
Onyx sighed quietly, observing the passersby with a tinge of melancholy. There were many colorful ponies to be sure, but individuals of the feline variety? He had yet to see even one. Onyx had however, noticed the occasional canine about with their owner, so he knew there were at least some pets to be found in this little hamlet. Most Canterlot cats however effectively shunned dogs, finding them altogether unrefined, without proper reserve, and prone to acting on their most base emotional impulses... and that analysis, he would admit, was not entirely wrong.
But Onyx also knew that dogs were renowned for their loyalty and affection toward their owners, just as Onyx was with the young filly he referred to as mistress, though in a decidedly less relentless, noisy and... slobbery manner. He winced inwardly. Honestly? How could they bear being so obvious? Every good cat knew you needed behave yourself with a proud, independent air that conveyed the proper aloofness and then instantly switch to exhaustive cuddling and soft purrs when it was least expected. It just made sense!
Nevertheless, Onyx had been able to make friends with a few canines in the past... at least the ones that weren't too aggressive or fond of chasing down anything that moved. There was one in particular he was actually sorry to so permanently part company with: an old timer by the name of Rufus, who was a low-energy hound with a long face and a distinctly dignified countenance. He and Onyx used to have the best intellectual conversations and hypothetical debates: Was the world shaped like a ball or a food bowl? Why are ponies so protective of their curtains and carpets when they offer no nutritional value? Are ponies' affection for their pets proportional to how small the animal's physical size is? Is it possible to catch the illusive red dot or eat the immaterial hallway rainbow? What government entity forces our loving owners to take us to a pony with cold hooves and metal instruments to poke and prod us every so often? Why is food either wet or dry but never both?
Good old Rufus. Onyx was going to miss him.
Suddenly, the ebony cat found himself snapped back from his reverie, as he noted an off-leash, mid-sized dog had just veered away from an orange mare's side to approach him at a lollop. Onyx stood and lifted his front right paw, readying himself should he need to make a dash for it. The brown canine's tongue hung out of her open maw, and her tail wagged furiously - usually ponies believed the motion to be a sign of cheerfulness, a common misconception, as Onyx knew it could also be a more hostile sign of impending aggression. Abruptly she stopped about a yard and a half away, oblivious to his defensive stance.
"Howdy!" she barked, smiling happily. "You must be new here! Name's Winona! What's yers, stranger?"
Onyx visibly relaxed, grateful that this was just her being friendly. He settled his lifted paw back down again. "Greetings," he meowed back, his tone welcoming. "They call me Onyx. It's a pleasure to meet you, Winona."
Winona smiled even more broadly. "Well hi there, Nicks! It's mighty nice to meetchu too! Mind if Ah smell ya?"
"Uhh..." Onyx's eyes darted about awkwardly. "Y-You mean, from where you are now?"
"Nope!" she replied perkily, shifting forwards a little in a playful way. "Ah mean up close and personal!"
Onyx gulped. He'd temporarily forgotten about this part of traditional canine... etiquette. "Um... Perhaps that might not be the most... ideal course of actio—"
Abruptly, Winona burst out laughing, even doing a little side-roll in her mirth, while Onyx looked on with no small measure of confusion. "Oh! I got you good!" she guffawed. "Boy, that is funny! Why, when I first asked Opal, her eyes grew to the size of throw balls! Scampered off a'fore Ah could even tell 'er Ah was havin' er' on!" she finished, continuing to laugh.
Onyx expression had turned to an unamused deadpan. "Haha," he droned ingenuously. "Yes, quite humorous and all that." He continued to wait in silence while Winona fought off the last of her chuckles.
"Sorry!" Winona managed through a grin. "It's just that you cats are all so serious!"
A look of realization flickered in Onyx's eyes, and he abruptly turned hopeful. "Pardon me, but am I to understand I am not the only feline in this neighborhood?"
"Heck no!" Winona replied, bounding in place. "Opal lives over at that there fancy place where ponies get them frilly blankets fer walkin' in! She's a might moodier than you though."
Frilly blankets for walking in? Onyx repeated inwardly, unsure what the energetic dog meant. But he quickly shook off the thought and pursued the more important line of thought. "Ahh, well if you would be so kind as to point out this establishment, I would be happy to come pay the lady my respects."
"No problem!" Winona chirped, nodding. "It's right over by—"
A distinct whistle interrupted her, which the pair of pets turned to see came from the same orange mare Winona had been with earlier.
"Ohwp! Gotta go!" the dog said quickly, commencing to lollop away. "See ya around, Nicks! I'll introduce you to my friend Gummy later, he's gonna like you!" And with that she bolted off towards her mistress, Onyx's question completely forgotten.
"Wh—Bu—" Onyx slumped his shoulders. Drat! He had been so close! The cat released a frustrated sigh. Gummy. That's all he needed was another exuberant prankster pup. Surely he'd never be able to have an intellectually stimulating exchange with the likes of a creature called Gummy, probably named after an indulgent chewing habit or the loss of teeth through a gross lack of dental hygiene.
Well, Onyx had two options; he could either wait until the next time he ran into someone who knew where to find this 'Opal', or he could go looking for her himself. After a moment of consideration, he decided to go with the latter option - better to find out what kind of feline the only other cat in town was before he allowed himself to hope too much.
Onyx stood and made his way down several steps to the road. The surface was of hard dirt, not at all like the glorious paved streets he'd been used to back in Canterlot. Alas, he would simply have to get used to it, and grow accustomed to wiping his paws on the entryway mat more thoroughly in future. With a steady gait, he made his way down main street, paying onlookers little mind, knowing they were likely just admiring his fashionable top hat.
Now then, he considered. Winona said she lived at a 'fancy' establishment - one that supplied ponies with 'frilly' coverings of some sort.
Onyx paused and thoughtfully surveyed the surrounding buildings. Now, what might an energetic canine deem as 'fancy'? Certainly not the gingerbread house, most any dog would refer to that one as 'tasty'. A tree? No, I think not. Hmm...
Onyx's gaze locked on a rather stylish, but distinctly feminine-looking building, with large windows that showcased lace-trimmed gowns worn by pony dress forms. The gentlecat smiled to himself. Jackpot.
Drawing himself up in a dignified manner, he glanced both ways before sauntering across the street, only stopping once he came to the establishment's elegant front door. He observed that it was not ajar. Closed, he thought seriously, but soon thereafter he smiled mischievously. Glancing about to be sure he was not being watched, he approached the doorway. Onyx stood up on his hind legs and reached for the knob with his forepaws. With decisive movements, he turned it and pushed the door inwards, opening it a sliver and purposefully falling back down on all paws.
Kitten's play, he thought smugly. He widened the gap with an additional push of his right forepaw, hearing the surprising sound of a tinkling bell when he did so, which gave him a big of a start.
"Just a minute!" a pony voice from within sang musically.
A rush of panic rose in Onyx's heart. He darted inside, slipping through easily. With only a moment to survey the foyer, he caught sight of a chaise lounge and scrambled beneath it. Moments later the sound of hooves against the ceramic floor could be heard a ways off.
"Welcome to Rarity's Boutique. Where every garment is chic, unique and magni—"
Silence.
Suddenly, the sound of clopping steps returned and drew closer, and Onyx caught sight of four white hooves, now just an extended paw's reach away. He instinctively backed away slightly, holding his breath and huddling into himself a bit more.
"Hello?" the pony voiced, hooves shifting. "Is anypony there?"
The hooves passed by him, slowly making their way up to the half-open door where the pony gently swung it a tad wider to peer around it.
Deciding to seize this opportunity, he darted silently out from his hiding place and zipped up the carpeted staircase just a few yards away.
"How strange," the pony remarked to herself. "Rainbow Dash, if this is another one of your pranks...!"
He made a turn and found himself in the upstairs hallway. There were several doors, but only one was currently ajar, and for all he knew the pony could be hot on his heels. He sped through the open gap and finally slid to a halt on the carpet, his eyes darting about cautiously in search of any surprises in this new room. Seeing nopony, he relaxed and began taking stock of the items surrounding him. There was an elegant canopy bed which towered above him, a side-table with a lamp and crystal beaded dangly thing — that looked like it would be fun to play with — that hung from it, a particularly large eight drawer bureau... And then he spotted it; a purple cat bed sitting on the floor next to the vanity. Yes! And he knew immediately it was for a feline because it had a toy mouse sitting nearby it. Cats chase mice, so it was a simple matter of deduction.
But where was this Opal that Winona had told him about? He looked about carefully, beneath the canopy bed and anything else one could scurry beneath. Nothing. Suddenly, a disappointing thought struck him; perhaps she wasn't home at all. He'd never thought to inquire if she were an indoor cat, and it was quite possible she was out prowling. His ears fell against the sides of his head. So close, and yet so far.
No! he told himself. He wouldn't give up until he had searched the building more thoroughly. There were other rooms, after all.
Nodding affirmatively to himself, he turned to head out the door, when suddenly his ears perked up at an unexpected voice, a raspy but distinctly feminine, certainly non-pony voice.
"And might I ask what a tom cat is doing in my room?"
Onyx whirled around, his eyes searching for the source of the sound. His gaze settling onto an angelic feline figure stood atop the poster bed's mattress, the lady previously obscured from his view below when she was laying down on the covers. Onyx blinked, his voice catching. If he'd worn a monocle, he would've been fumbling to catch it. "M-Miss?"
"Yes?" she purred, her lips curved in a smirk of mild amusement.
Onyx cleared his throat. He hadn't expected her beautiful fur to be so very... attractively poofy. SO poofy. "I-I'm the new..." He corrected his pitch so it wasn't so high. "I'm new here, Miss... Opal, I presume...?—" She gave a barely distinguishable nod in confirmation. "—Having met a one Winona, she told me there was... uh....."
The light from the open window framed Opal's face with a soft light, her long eyelashes swaying gracefully as she blinked. Her fluffy white coat was appealingly contrasted by the lavender bow atop her head, and her purple collar glimmered with decorative blue gems.
"...You're a vision," Onyx said breathlessly, scarcely comprehending that he was speaking the words aloud before hastily covering his mouth with a paw.
The lady cat chuckled musically. "I like you," she remarked, smiling. "Do you have a name?" she teased, hopping down from her place on the bed to the carpet below, his eyes following her as she stalked up to him, her every movement elegant, no matter how subtle.
"...Onyx, Miss Opal," he replied with surprising coherency. "I... came to pay my respects."
"Well..." she said warmly, looking to him from a mere foot away through dazzling jade eyes. "I'm pleased to meet you." She casually swished her tail, lips curved into a winning smile. "...Onyx."