> A Line I Will Not Cross > by luigitime22 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > History with Opaline > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silence continued to reign within the palace. Misty was away on another one of her “strategic” missions to collect data, leaving Opaline to herself to ponder matters over. Misty had not been performing well in missions to regain Opaline’s former power after Twilight Sparkle stripped it all away. But she was doing pretty well at gathering intel, Opaline could grant Misty that. And soon enough, the time would come when Opaline’s true power was restored. Then Equestria would be brought to its knees, serving Opaline and giving her the power and authority she was meant to have. It would be glorious, and Opaline cherished the thought. But for now, she could wait. She’d been locked out of Equestria for thousands upon thousands of years, what was a little longer now? At the very least, it was good to finally be back to business, scheming away to take magic from those puny little ponies that she would soon rule. Opaline’s ears perked up at the sound of Misty entering the area, back from her spying. She seemed decently pleased for once, which was a good sign. “Ah, Misty! Back from your espionage, I see. Did things go well?” Misty smiled with contentment. “Yes, Opaline! I learned all sorts of things about them, it will surely be useful to know next time I go to get magic.” “Excellent,” Opaline said. “Soon, I will have all of their magic, and rule Equestria as Alicorns are meant to do. Nothing will stand in my way.” “Of course not, Opaline. But I was wondering about something.” That was new, Misty must have gotten curious. Opaline figured it would probably be about Sunny or one of her friends, and prepared to deny an answer. “Yes? What is it, Misty?” “Well, Sunny was showing us some things about the past of Equestria,” Misty said. “Probably something about Twilight Sparkle and her pack of friends again,” Opaline thought. “Seems to be all Sunny ever talks about, along with that community garden.” “Yes, what of it?” Opaline asked again. “Well, she was talking about some of the figures that attacked Equestria,” Misty answered. “I’ve heard about some of them, like Discord or Princess Luna or Queen Chrysalis, but I was just wondering. You were around at that time, and I figured somepony who was around back then would be the best source to go to. Could you tell me what sorts of things happened back then? I’d love to hear your…” Misty paused to consider her words. “Vast wells of knowledge on the subject, Opaline.” Opaline caught onto the blatant attempt to butter her up, but ignored the flattery for the moment. Sunny had been discussing the figures who attacked Equestria in the past. Hard to say if Opaline herself had been mentioned, given her attack was during Twilight’s golden age, but that was a matter for another time. Misty was right, if anyone knew about the villains of Equestria, it would be Opaline herself, along with Discord. “So, you’re curious about the past beings who have battled against Equestria, and I presume Twilight Sparkle herself,” Opaline said slowly, considering her options. “Yes Opaline, if that’s alright.” Knowledge on Twilight Sparkle’s other enemies could be useful enough for Misty to have, there were no serious drawbacks anyway. At worst Sunny might question how Misty knew so much, but on the other hand it could give an opening into Sunny’s trust more. There were no lies to be twisted on how other forces were taken down, after all. And it would give Opaline a chance to talk about the old Equestria that she once lived in. Some of the figures she battled, the legends she heard of, and the land she desired. That was enough of an advantage for her. “Yes, I believe that would be a good use of our time,” Opaline said, rising up to move. “Go to the storage area and fetch me three bottles of illusion casters and one vial of Poison Joke. Do NOT drop it this time.” “You mean the blue plant?” Opaline could feel herself groan. “Yes, Misty. The blue plant. I’ll prepare the pool.” Opaline was comfortably resting on her throne in front of her magic pool when Misty arrived with the required items, thankfully in-tact. “Here’s everything you wanted, Opaline!” she said happily. “Excellent! Go ahead and take a seat, I’ll handle things from here.” Opaline opened a bottle and poured some pink liquid into the pool, adding a small bit of Poison Joke as well. “What’s the Poison Joke for?” Misty asked. “It enhances the illusion spell in the pool. It’s not needed for spying on Maretime Bay or whatever else I need to watch, but for the purposes of history and stories, it’s quite useful. Thankfully we’ve got a surplus, so we can have a little fun with it.” The pool surged to life in an instant, as images came into view in the room, being controlled by Opaline as if she was running a slide projector. “Excellent! Everything is working perfectly,” Opaline said, pleased. The images began shifting and turning darker in color. “Now obviously we should start with the first major foe faced by Twilight Sparkle and her comrades, Nightmare Moon. You would know her better as Princess Luna, the Alicorn of the Night.” Two images appeared in the room to illuminate the otherwise dark region, one of Nightmare Moon in her fierce form and the other of the much kinder true form of Princess Luna. “Yes, the Mare in the Moon,” Misty said. “Isn’t she the one Nightmare Night is about?” Opaline resisted the urge to growl, of course Nightmare Night would be the holiday to survive. She had always preferred Hearth’s Warming, and still dressed up and sang carols whenever Misty wasn’t around in the proper season. It was history, the founding of Equestria itself, what wasn’t to like? “Yes, that’s the one. She battled her elder sister, Princess Celestia, for control over the land and to bring about eternal night.” “That’s an odd plan,” Misty said. “How would crops grow or ponies live without the sun?” “Don’t ask me, I thought it was a dumb plan,” Opaline said. “In fairness, she wasn’t thinking straight at the time. She got locked in the moon for a thousand years for that little stunt of hers.” “That sounds pretty intense,” Misty noted. “Believe me, we’re just scratching the surface so far,” Opaline said. “She got out though, and was the first to battle Twilight Sparkle and the Guardians of Harmony. They defeated her with the Elements of Harmony, restoring her to her true form, Princess Luna.” At that, the image of Nightmare Moon vanished, leaving only Luna in the room. “What happened to her then?” “She was forgiven and returned to her rightful duties as guardian and ruler of the night. She was a beloved ruler, and her dark deeds are nothing more than a distant memory and legend now. She’s much better known for her acts of heroism and defending all beings from nightmares and monsters.” Opaline smiled a bit at that, she actually liked Luna’s story. Sure she was an enemy in the past, but Luna’s story was one of elegance and dignity, she had earned her honor. Opaline could go against a foe, but she could still respect their deeds. When Opaline took her rightful throne, Luna’s memory would not be tarnished. “Wow, that’s pretty amazing,” Misty commented, eyes in awe. She had clearly taken a shine to the Princess of the Night. “That’s just the beginning of our stories,” Opaline said. Next up an image of a different sort appeared, showcasing a being of many different parts and kinds. “I know this one!” Misty said. “That’s Discord.” “You are correct, Misty,” Opaline answered. “Discord, the Lord of Chaos. He was without a doubt the most powerful force to ever battle Twilight Sparkle, besides myself of course. His powers are immense and his cunning just as strong. For his deeds he was sealed in stone, locked away from Equestria twice over.” “But then he was also forgiven, wasn’t he?” Misty asked. “I’ve heard the stories about him and the Guardian of Kindness.” “Yes, that is also correct. The Guardian of Kindness was assigned to reform the Lord of Chaos, and she succeeded. Their deep bond never broke, and he was a mighty ally to the land of Equestria. He was a noteworthy figure in the rescue of the Guardians from the Changeling hive, aided in the Battle of the Bell, and eventually married the Guardian of Kindness,” Opaline listed. “That was quite the event, I think the whole of Equestria was there.” “Were you there?” “Yes, yes I was, it was before I began fighting Twilight Sparkle all the time. I distinctly remember how good the cake was,” Opaline said, feeling a bit nostalgic. “Next time you’re in town, bring me some cake back, won’t you?” “Of course, Opaline.” “Excellent, let us continue.” The image again shifted, this time to an azure colored unicorn wearing magician’s garb. “You’ve likely heard of this one from the rescue at the Changeling hive,” Opaline said. “Trixie Lulamoon, right?” “Very good, Misty. Yes, she didn’t really come across as a major threat to Equestria, but she did defeat Twilight Sparkle and banished her from Ponyville. That’s the town Twilight was living in at the time. She was ultimately stopped though and reformed, and she became an extremely powerful figure in her own right. As it stands she is the only pony in Equestria to have ever been able to use Centaur Magic,” Opaline explained. “And she also became the counselor at Twilight Sparkle’s School of Friendship.” “Wow, I didn’t know she knew Centaur Magic!” Misty exclaimed. “Isn’t that extremely rare?” “It’s practically a lost magic by now,” Opaline scoffed. She had been working on trying to find some texts that detailed it, but she hadn’t found anything yet. Still, it never hurts to be prepared. “Moving on, next up we have one you likely don’t know much about.” The image turned from a blue unicorn to a yellow one with red in her mane, she looked very confident. “Who’s that one?” Misty asked. “That is Sunset Shimmer, Guardian of the Mirror,” Opaline answered. “When Twilight Sparkle became the Princess of Friendship, Sunset Shimmer emerged from another dimension, stole the Element of Magic, and tried to use it for a plan so stupid I will not detail it here.” “Seriously,” Opaline thought. “Brainwashing STUDENTS. To create an army to battle Celestia herself? Her plan was doomed to fail from the beginning.” “What happened?” “Twilight Sparkle beat her, and she calmed down. Got smarter as well. She stayed within the other dimension, sometimes coming to ours to visit. She acted as a protector of both worlds, ensuring threats in one world would not harm the other.” “How do you know all that?” Misty asked. Opaline wasn’t in the mood to detail her battle against Sunset Shimmer at the moment, Misty didn’t need to know about that. Honestly it was barely worth telling, Sunset was so unused to being a pony it had been a quick battle. Obviously Opaline didn’t hurt her seriously, though. That would have just been excessive. “I uh, just know. I was around at that time, after all,” Opaline said. Misty went with it, seemingly without suspicion. “Who’s next?” The image turned from yellow to light purple, as another unicorn showed up. “There sure are a lot of unicorns.” Opaline paused for a moment to realize how right Misty was, and to ponder why Earth Ponies or Pegasi almost never enacted world threatening schemes. But soon she was back in teacher mode. “This is Starlight Glimmer, the original pupil of Twilight Sparkle. Her first two meetings with Twilight weren’t very pretty sights though, she attempted to-” Opaline cut herself off, realizing she was about to divulge information only a very small number of ponies in Equestria’s history knew. Twilight Sparkle did not openly discuss Starlight Glimmer’s crimes across the fabric of time and space. But Opaline knew. She had read Starlight’s mind during their duel, hoping to get an idea of a strategy to counter or a mindset to taunt. She saw the destruction, the terror, the horrors that the unicorn brought about in her rampage. The regret she felt, the sorrow at the barren waste she was responsible for. It shocked Opaline, and nearly cost her a victory against a powerful foe. Like Sunset Shimmer, Opaline had not done any serious damage to the unicorn, and she would go on for many, many years beyond that for a long and pleasant life. But Starlight was a far more dangerous fighter, and Opaline had to put significant effort into her duel in order to win. But she also deserved some respect, at the very least for her valiant display against Opaline. And also after everything she had done, there was no point in bringing the knowledge of Starlight Glimmer’s past back to Equestria. Let her remain a hero. “She did things,” Opaline flatly said. “Yes, let’s leave it at that. After that she became Twilight Sparkle’s pupil, the leader in the Changeling hive rescue, and a pony all could count on. She became the headmare of Twilight Sparkle’s school.” Opaline quickly switched the image to one of total blackness. “This is Stygian, the Pony of Shadows,” Opaline said. “Long ago he battled Starswirl the Bearded and the Pillars, being locked away in limbo.” “That seems to happen a lot,” Misty noted. “Being locked away is the go-to punishment, I suppose,” Opaline responded. “Twilight Sparkle accidentally brought him back in her attempts to rescue Starswirl. But Stygian was rescued from the Pony of Shadows before he could really accomplish much, and the beast controlling him was locked away forever.” “Forever?” Misty asked with surprise. “Forever. Still stuck today, even as we speak. Probably not enjoying it very much.” The image turned to another unicorn, this time a maroon color. “This one is Tempest Shadow, and before you even ask, yes she is another unicorn. She was the captain for the Storm King’s forces and turned all the princesses to stone. The Storm King nearly destroyed her as a reward, but Twilight Sparkle saved her life and she became an ally of Equestria. She would aid in some battles and adventures after that to protect the land.” “Who’s the Storm King?” Misty asked. “We’ll get to him soon,” Opaline said. The image then faded away as Opaline prepared to continue on to the next set of villains. “Well, that’s all the nice ones. Time for the other, not so nice ones.” “You mean like King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, or Cozy Gl-” “STOP!” Opaline shouted in a sudden rage. “Do not ever use the name of that last one.” Her face became darker with anger and disgust. “She was the traitor to all ponykind, the one with all the love and kindness a pony could get. And how did she repay us? By trying to destroy everything that lives and breathes in all the land!” “I’m sorry Opaline, I didn’t mean t-” “Moving on, we’ll cover my thoughts on HER soon,” Opaline said. The image then turned to one of King Sombra. “This is King Sombra, the Blight of the Crystal Empire. He exploded a lot.” “That did seem to happen a lot, now that you mention it,” Misty noted. “Sunny’s book seems to have a lot of stories about him.” “I’m not surprised, he was one of the more frequent enemies of Equestria. He battled Celestia and Luna long before Twilight Sparkle was even born, and banished away into shadow along with the legendary Crystal Empire.” “The Crystal Empire? That sounds pretty.” “It was beautiful,” Opaline replied. “Everything was crystal. The buildings, the ground, even the ponies themselves. All protected from frost and snow by an artifact called the Crystal Heart. Speaking of, that was what Sombra wanted, for it gave him power. Three times he sought control of the Crystal Empire, and three times he was stopped. The last time though he escaped, and destroyed the Tree of Harmony itself. Twilight Sparkle’s ultimate trump card, destroyed, just like that.” “That sounds terrible,” Misty said sadly. “It didn’t do him much good,” Opaline chuckled. “If anything it made his already inflated ego too big. He had Twilight and her friends right where he needed them. He could have won. And he blew it. He attacked the capital of Canterlot with the enslaved population of Ponyville, but it turned out all his actions were for naught. Discord got involved, and Sombra was wiped off the map by Twilight, never to be seen again.” “She destroyed him? For good?” “Precisely what she did. Sombra never stood a chance once Twilight’s full power came onto the scene. Not much to tell after that, Sombra never returned to threaten Equestria ever again.” The image then turned to the Storm King. “Here we are,” Opaline said. “This is the Storm King, enemy of the lands beyond Equestria and the Great Conqueror. Many groups and lands were under his iron fist, and he one day set his sights on Equestria for the magic of the Alicorns. And he got it, all lodged within a staff of great power.” “For looking so strange, it sounds like he was one of the more dangerous ones,” Misty thought. “His appearance cloaked his cunning and malice well,” Opaline agreed. “While greater threats would rise, he admittedly had one of the better performances as a solo showing. He played Tempest Shadow for a fool, and had the most powerful magic in Equestria at his fingertips. The only reason he lost was because of the intervention of the Guardian of Laughter. She created an opening, and the Storm King would never threaten another land again.” “Wow, that sounds pretty intense.” “His magic even threatened that other dimension I told you about. Had it not been for the actions of that world’s Guardian of Loyalty, there’s no telling what sorts of calamities could have taken place. But she succeeded in stopping his rogue power.” The image then turned to one displaying the forms of the final three figures. “Of course that leaves the trio. Lord Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and the Traitor to all Ponykind.” “The three who unleashed Windigos on Equestria, and nearly destroyed all life?” Misty asked. “Exactly, Misty. Lord Tirek was a Centaur prince from another land, who came to Equestria to siphon magic from the land’s residents. But he was found out, thanks to his younger brother, the gargoyle Scorpan. Scorpan departed and lived in peace, but Tirek would be locked away in Tartarus for his crimes. He would return one day though, and manipulated Discord against Equestria to steal their magic once again. He came dangerously close to winning.” “Then what happened?” Misty asked, sounding excited. “He made the mistake of underestimating Twilight and Discord,” Opaline said. “Thanks to the Lord of Chaos, the Tree of Harmony activated immense power in the Guardians of Harmony, and Tirek was banished once again, and he would not threaten Equestria again until the Battle of the Bell.” “What about Queen Chrysalis?” “She attacked Equestria many times before the Battle of the Bell,” Opaline answered. “She was an enemy of Celestia in ancient days, before being crushed in combat against the Princess of the Sun. She sustained wounds she would never truly recover from. But she persisted onwards, and in the days of Twilight Sparkle, she attacked a royal wedding between the captain of the guard and the Princess of Love. Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza.” “That’s quite a mouthful,” Misty said. “I always thought so as well. Chrysalis managed to stop Twilight from reaching the Elements of Magic, but was knocked away by a blast of intense Love Magic from Shining Armor and Princess Cadenza. It would take some time and another defeat or two before her other famous attack. As you and probably every other pony in Equestria knows, Chrysalis captured the Guardians of Harmony and many other important figures and locked them away in her hive.” “But she made the mistake of leaving some ponies behind,” Misty said. “Don’t interrupt me Misty. But yes, she made a rather foolish mistake in underestimating the capabilities of Twilight Sparkle’s prized pupil. Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Discord, and a Changeling named Thorax succeeded in breaching her defenses and freed all the prisoners. Chrysalis was ousted from her rule, and Thorax became the leader of the Changelings. She rejected an offer of peace from Starlight, and swore revenge. A revenge she would never claim,” Opaline added with a smirk. “And then there’s… Her?” “Yes, the last one. The little filly who nearly destroyed everything twice over. A deceitful little fiend, she tricked everyone and learned about magic and friendship from Twilight Sparkle herself. The world loved her, but she responded by trying to destroy them all. She nearly annihilated all magic in Equestria and Starlight Glimmer as well, but was captured and locked into Tartarus.” “And that leads us to the Battle of the Bell,” Misty said. “Exactly. The three joined forces against all life in Equestria, united in their shared hatred of Twilight Sparkle. They crushed all opposition, divided ponykind, and brought about the Windigos. Victory was theirs to claim, but they got too confident and let Twilight escape unchecked. One thing led to another, and they got zapped by a rainbow like so many others. All leading up to their punishment.” “They were turned to stone, right?” “Yes. Celestia, Luna, and Discord came together with the height of their power and delivered their punishment, stone. From there, Twilight reigned Equestria with only the occasional hiccup to her reign. Like myself.” “Wow, that’s a lot of stories,” Misty gasped. “And that was only the condensed version,” Opaline noted. “Aren’t we trying to take magic as well?” Opaline had a feeling this was coming. It was true that her plans, on paper, were similar to those of many past forces. But she was ready to answer Misty. “Yes, we are. Not in the same way as Tirek or that vile little child, though.” “Of course not!” Misty instantly responded. “...How?” “Tirek wanted magic to horde. The child wanted it gone forever. There would have been no magic used for the citizens.” At this, the images turned to display Opaline’s statements. “Nopony to raise the sun, or command the moon and stars. No magic to bring about seasons, attend to the land, or bring weather. No hope, no power, no life. There would be no life if they succeeded.” “If…” Misty hesitated. “If one of those two succeeded, or Queen Chrysalis as well, would we be here? In any way?” Opaline shook her head. “No. You would not be here today, none of the citizens of Maretime Bay would be either. Not even I would survive such a disaster. Twilight Sparkle was at least smart enough to leave magic for the weather and the cosmos beyond when she stored magic, so that we might live. But if beings like Tirek or the Traitor won, we would all cease to be. Be it by no magic or a frosty demise, all life in Equestria would perish and be inert.” “That’s terrifying,” Misty said to herself, horror dripping in every word she said. “I’m glad you wouldn’t do that.” “Indeed, that is a line I would never cross,” Opaline said. “Alicorns are meant to rule, so I seek that magic and power. But even if I took it all, I would not leave the ponies and beyond to suffer such a dark fate. I would control the cosmos, give them weather and fertile lands, as an Alicorn is meant to do. Ponies would live their lives under a glorious leader, as they are meant to do!” Opaline had gotten a bit excited at that last thought, though she meant everything she had said prior. The destruction of all life was extreme and vile, and she held those in the past who went for it in the lowest regard. “One more thing,” Misty asked. “We know Sombra and the Storm King were obliterated, but what happened to the trio? I’ve heard some stories that Chrysalis escaped but was destroyed, but what about the other two?” Opaline hadn’t seen that one coming. The legend of the escape of Chrysalis was not as well known. But it wasn’t a matter she would panic over. “You are correct, Sombra and the Storm King never returned to threaten the land again. Tirek and the Traitor to my knowledge never escaped their prison of stone. For all I know, they are still out there somewhere, trapped.” “What about Chrysalis?” The image changed again, showcasing Chrysalis doing battle against Twilight Sparkle and a figure enshrouded in darkness. “The stories you’ve heard are true. Chrysalis did escape her confinement, and attacked Twilight Sparkle one last time. Of all the enemies of Twilight, she was the most persistent for certain.” Opaline paused to consider her words. “But she never emerged from that last battle. Twilight Sparkle was far too strong by that point, and it is said that she had aid that day from another. Together, they put an end to Queen Chrysalis once and for all.” “Wow. I wonder who it was,” Misty pondered. “Equestria may never know,” Opaline said. “But that’s everything you need to know, it’s getting late and we covered all the important details.” The images vanished and light finally returned to Opaline’s throne room. “You’d best be off to bed, I have another mission for you come day.” “Yes Opaline,” Misty answered. “And thank you for the history, I enjoyed it.” Later that night, as Misty slept soundly, Opaline walked through a broad hall in her palace. It had been a surprisingly interesting night, and her mind was focused on the past. “All those faces, and now only I remain,” she said aloud to herself. “I battled more than one of those beings. And yet, of all those who opposed Twilight Sparkle, now I stand as the last one. The only one not encased in stone or wiped off the map.” Opaline wasn’t foolish, she knew Twilight had defeated her like every other foe. But Opaline’s fate hadn’t been the same. She persisted and lived on, where others perished. None of the fiends at the Battle of the Bell were there now, at least not actively. Opaline kept a magic detection spell on at all times in case one might break free from stone somewhere in Equestria. And yet Opaline still pondered why she was the one who made it. Not physically, the lifespan of an Alicorn was immense. But Twilight had not destroyed her when she had the chance. “I suppose I can only wonder why she didn’t put me to an end,” Opaline thought. “She knew I wouldn’t bring total doom to the ponies if I won at least.” Opaline thought back to her own opportunities to destroy a pony. Of her standing triumphantly above the wounded bodies of Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer. A chance to put an end to them, permanently. Chrysalis or Tirek would have taken it without any hesitation. And yet both Sunset and Starlight were spared. Twilight would have undoubtedly learned of that. Opaline couldn’t help but wonder if Twilight had spared her life for that reason. And yet there was one life that Opaline did put an end to, together with Twilight Sparkle. Of all the battles she had been in, Opaline’s duel against Chrysalis, together with Twilight Sparkle, was the one she remembered best. The sheer hatred in the Changeling’s eyes that a new Alicorn would dare rise up against her, even when she herself hated Twilight Sparkle. The taunts she made that she would destroy Opaline, the laughter every time she scored a blow on the Alicorns, and the horror when she realized just how significantly outclassed she was. Chrysalis never stood a chance against the combined power of Twilight Sparkle and Opaline. Twilight didn’t seem pleased with the idea of taking her out for good, always wishing to help others accept friendship and light. But Opaline and the ruler of Equestria did what was needed. Chrysalis would just return again and again to destroy everything, and even as enemies, the Alicorns were united in their distaste of that. The destruction of Chrysalis, the sparing of Sunset and Starlight, were memories of the past. Now Opaline stood alone in the world, the last of an era long ago. Reaching the end of her hall, Opaline looked out the window, watching Maretime Bay far off in the distance. “Tirek and the child are still out there somewhere,” she said. “They would destroy everything if they got the chance, and what good is power if there is nopony to rule and lead? Alicorns are meant to rule with power, not wipe out all life.” Opaline’s horn again lit up as her wings spread, continuing to survey the land. “The seal of the princesses and Discord was strong. There is a chance they may never escape that fate. But if they do break free of their binds, crack loose from the stone to endanger Equestria once again…” “If they dare come forth once more, they’ll find a new Alicorn ready and waiting for them.”