Once again, Opalescence's nap was interrupted by the screeching of birds outside of the Carousel Boutique. How could she be blamed for wanting to shred every bird in sight when they seemed focused on disturbing her daily sleep? Worse yet, ponies enjoyed bird-song? It was hardly a 'song', it was more like annoying pitches of nails on a chalkboard to Opal.
With a great reluctance, Opal stretched out and stood on her paws. Apparently, she had fallen asleep on a stack of blue fabrics and cloth in the main room of the boutique. Hopefully they weren't important, as they had claw marks scraped across due to her movement. Rarity would find a way to call it a fashion statement, anyway.
The comforting lilac colours of the boutique and the soft, fuzzy carpets kept the relaxing atmosphere long after Opal had woken up. Now it was simply a matter of finding how to spend her time. She was in the main room of the boutique, where Rarity's mannequins offered perfect demonstrations for late-morning target practice.
She leapt into one of the stoic ponies with engaged claws, attaching herself to its neck and leaving indents as she slid down. Reaching the bottom of the life-sized doll, Opal began clawing at the knees and shins of the innocent pony. Satisfied enough with the sharpening, she gave a final swipe and toppled the torn victim. It fell into a conveniently placed trio of other mannequins carrying early-stage designs. They fell to the floor quietly, and with minor damage to the fabrics.
But there was a crease...
Opal ran for the kitchen. Maybe it would convince Rarity that she was there the whole time? Opal wondered if other ponies could get so worked up when they saw a wrinkle in their clothes. It was hard to imagine anypony but Rarity nearly scrapping all her ideas thanks to a slight fold. That was probably a bit exaggerative, but very possible.
Rarity was nowhere to be seen for now. That was bad for the both of them. It was time for lunch. How many more things need she tear before Rarity got the idea? She could deal with demolished objects, so long as they weren't her clothes or special materials. Opal had learnt that lesson the hard way. Being stuck outside in that frilly shrunken sweater was something she wouldn't forget soon.
Opal always started the same way to get her owner's attention. Step one, scratch the walls. The walls had a peculiar way of being noticed from the upstairs, where Rarity most likely was, when scratched. The blue paint was divine, peeling off against Opal's claws as they worked their way down the wall. They must have been powerful, as shortly after Opal heard a 'thump' coming from upstairs.
She couldn't help but inwardly snicker at the fact that Rarity had probably fallen out of bed. She'd better hurry, Opal was closing in on step two. Pots and pans. However, with Rarity's hoofsteps loudening she felt she could be merciful.
"Opal! Really, can't you go five minutes without needing food?" Rarity appeared in the doorway. Her mane was messy and she was still dressed in her silky red house-coat. Opal simply indicated with her head towards the clock hanging above the unicorn.
"Eleven-thirty. Ah. I overslept. Sorry." Opal looked at her as condescendingly as was possible for a cat. "But do you honestly have to scratch the walls all the time? You know, you could just come into my room and wake me up?"
Both Opal and Rarity pondered that for a brief moment. "On second thought, I rather like my mane intact." Rarity started searching through the mahogany cupboards for Opal's food. Rarity was always good at keeping the supplies of her food ready, there had never been an issue concerning it. The smart feline would have to invent a new way to annoy her if she ever had.
Some time later, Opalescence was tucking into the expensive tuna dish before her. Rarity had been in and out assembling her mane and other details with her appearance. Opal was always able to fix her hair with ease, not that she really needed to with her short fur, but it meant avoiding Rarity who might try to style it.
She heard a faint muttering from the main room, followed by Rarity raising her voice. "Oh for...Opal!" Opal finished her lunch just in time for the unicorn to grab her with her magic and drag her into the room. Oh, right. The mannequins.
Hovering in the air, she was brought face-to-face with the damaged ponies that were now stood upright. "I told you to leave them alone!" The mannequins were visibly scarred from the legs upwards. Not a bad job. Could be better.
Rarity swung the floating feline to face her. She was carrying the folded designs that once rested on the dolls, and had a frustrated look on her face. "Look! You created a crease!" She indicated with a hoof to the slight curl, almost barely noticeable. "Now I have to iron these again!"
She sighed, but then a mischievous glint shone in both her sapphire eyes, and she smirked. "Opal, Opal, Opal. I'm guessing that you know what this means?"
Suddenly the magical grip on her tightened, and Rarity began taking her to the stairway. Opal's eyes turned to pinpricks as she realised just what was upstairs. The bedrooms, the attic- but more importantly- the bathroom.
She tossed and turn in mid-air, desperately trying to escape the blue aura that surrounded her. Once or twice she attempted to slice Rarity's mane, she was only pushed further away. Good thing too, the consequences of it if it had successfully happened would have been dire. She hissed in a mixture of fear and resentment at the violet-maned mare, to which Rarity just chuckled diabolically.
They were beginning to reach the top of the staircase, where Opal made a last-ditch effort to attach herself to the walls. Clinging onto the wallpaper, she refused to move as Rarity took the lead before pausing. "Opal, this was going to happen sooner or later. Best we get it over with now." She magically unfurled Opal's claws from the wall and continued to bring poor Opal to her reckoning.
Opal gave up. She let her limbs hang loose and retracted her claws. She was going to have to take a bath.
The immaculate, polished white bathroom was nothing but repulsive in Opal's eyes. Stepping into the bathroom with Opal, Rarity closed the door behind her. The luxuriously terrifying bathroom now fully encased them. The scented soaps and bath salts filled the air as Rarity started running Opal's torture device, still with a firm grasp on her as a precaution.
Moments later, the crafty kitty was submerged into what most would describe as warm water. Judging by Opal's reaction, however, may lead one to believe that it was liquid nitrogen. She had never liked water, like most cats, but especially after the Canterlot incident when she was 'sick'.
She shot up from the water in a gravity-defying blast, only to hit a blue bubble surrounding the bath. She slid down the magical shield that now appeared to be controlled by Rarity. Precariously balancing over the bubbly water below, all four paws were focused on the corners of the bath, trying to avoid the horrible fate awaiting her below.
"Ha, I knew that spell Twilight taught me would come in handy!" She clapped her hooves together in glee and fetched a number of sponges, scrubbers and soaps.
A few minutes later, Opal stepped out of the bathroom. White fur sticking up after a vigorous drying and fury still embedded in her eyes. Somepony was going to pay. It would go down naturally, after a while and some grooming, but until then she would have to avoid Rarity attacking her with a brush.
She had also been given a fresh collar. The signature opal inside had a certain radiance resonating from it. Both that, and her gleaming white coat had given her the name 'Opalescence'. The beautiful swirl of colours inside the new, small gem gave a mighty impact on the rest of her stunning white coat. If there was one thing Opal could appreciate from the bath, it would be the elegant collar which Rarity had designed.
While Rarity worked on cleaning up the generous amount of hairs Opal had left in the bath, the Persian cat made her way down the stairs and into the living room. A couple of hours later, after various sessions of napping, fighting her favourite purple mouse, and more napping, the day had brought a large influx of customers to Rarity's shop.
This is what entertained Opal the most: playing with Rarity's visitors. The number of ways she could ruin the client's clothes always held the most potential for fun. Although, from previous experiences, some clients were off-limits for attack. Like Sapphire Shores. The look in Rarity's eyes when Sapphire's outfit had three huge slashes down the middle of her back...
Opal sat in observation of the ponies that came and went through Rarity's shop.
Too plain. Too scary. Too small. Clearly a diamond dog in a costume. Too famous-looking.
But then a stallion entered. A blue maned, white unicorn with a high degree of fanciness. He was wearing a posh-looking black tuxedo with a small purple bow tie adorning a white shirt underneath.
Under normal circumstances, Opal would avoid engaging with him. But they appeared to be talking more as friends, than as clients. Opal loved scratching her friends. As the stallion came further into the living room, Opal crept back and out of sight. She used work-desks and mannequins for cover to slither around the room and jump behind the couch, which they would inevitably sit on. Now it was a matter of waiting.
"I'll just put on the tea, Fancypants." Rarity's voice trailed off as she exited the living room and headed for the kitchen. "Two sugars, right?"
"Yes, thank you." The upper-class tone replied. Fancypants sat down on the 'drama couch'. Alone. Unaware of the plotting cat at his rear. Calling through to the kitchen, he spoke up. "Ah, is that the design you were mentioning before? At the window sill?"
"Yes, though, don't think too much of it yet. It still needs a lot of work."
Opal's head rose from the couch and targeted the stallion's shiny, black suit. After silently scaling the red fabric, Opal leapt at her target's back, attaching herself with her claws. Fancypants let out a yelp of anguish and jumped from the couch. He paced quickly around the room while glancing at the sly cat, who was eagerly ripping into his outfit.
"Rarity! Ow! I don't suppose you would be so kind as to give me a hoof here? I almost forgot about -ow- you, Opalescence." He spoke through twinges of pain as Opal amused herself, digging her claws in and through his back. He stopped pacing and tried to bare the sharp talons.
"Opal? Oh yes s-..." Rarity stopped for the briefest of seconds before her hoofsteps began running for the room. "She hasn't!" She appeared in the door way, horrified. "Opal! Stop! Bad!" Fancypants was stood cringing, but almost laughing at the whole situation. Opal was perched omnipotently on his back, alternating her stare at the two unicorns.
Rarity attempted to get closer and telekinetically pull Opal from Fancypants. Opal had other plans. She dug in harder, piercing the stallion's shirt and gripping his flesh.
"AH! Stop! Stop! Stop!" He pleaded to both of them. "You're making it worse, my dear!" He indicated to Rarity. She immediately cut the magical grasp. Facing each other, the unicorns were at an impasse. Controlling Fancypants, Opal's stand-off was going well.
Rarity tried to reason with the smug cat. She spoke soothingly but timidly. "Now, Opal, just let go. I'll get you a treat! Or your mouse! Just don't hurt mommy's friend, alright? Put down the claws!"
Opal complied. She put her nails deeper into the stallion's skin, making him wince in agony and scream. "DON'T! AH!" He stomped his hoof to floor in pain, trying to block out the torture.
Rarity worriedly corrected herself with haste. "I mean retract! Put away! Pull them in!"
Opal did as asked, but not fully. Threateningly, she kept the shards of her nails stuck in. Fancypants resumed a more calm stance. "I say, Opal, you would be a great addition to my business meetings."
"Opal, erm, if you stop you... won't have to take a bath tomorrow!" Rarity said hopefully, to which Opal extended a single nail.
"OW!" Fancypants cried. "She says 'no'."
"Two days?"
"OW!"
"Thr-..."
"NO! Just, no!" Fancypants interrupted the negotiations to offer his advice. "I think it would be safe for one to say that we aren't getting anywhere like this."
Rarity took a moment to think, and started speaking slowly. "How about..." her horn lit up. Opal stared at it in confusion. Rarity took a long pause, staring off to the side. Opal tried to look at what the unicorn was staring at.
"We... FANCYPANTS! DOWN!" Rarity launched the seating pillow at the stallion.
"Huh?" He managed to utter before the glamorous red pillow hit him in the face. He staggered back as the pillow recoiled and hit the floor. While coughing up a feather, Opal hid from any more attacks atop his back. "What was that for?" He said in amusement.
"I was trying to hit Opal!" Rarity replied in frustration.
"You threw a pillow at me!" He retorted.
"I said get down!" Rarity was beginning to smile with each new response.
"It was from the side! You missed! Or were you actually aiming for me?" Fancypants started cracking up at what he was being put through. "I already have your cat successfully destroying me, I don't need your pillow assassination attempts!"
They both couldn't help but laugh at Fancypants' ongoing misfortunes. Apparently, Opal was incredibly good at lightening the mood, even if she was trying to do the opposite. After the laughter had died down Fancypants decided to share a revelation with Rarity.
"All jokes aside, I am in a tremendous amount of pain."
"Oh, right. Opal, really, hasn't this gone on long enough?" Opal didn't respond. She continued to lie on Fancypants' back, claws still firmly placed. "I knew it would come to this." Rarity charged up her horn once again. "I'm sorry, Fancypants."
"For wha-..." RIP "ARGH!"
With a swift yank of Opalescence, Rarity waxed off the cat along with a large chunk of Fancypants' clothes. Opal flailed around in the air while Rarity brought up her pink cage. She placed the mean kitty inside and walked over to Fancypants, standing as one of her mannequins would. "Are you alright, Fancypants?"
Other than his teary eyes, no other expression could be read from his face. He stood silently for a few seconds, before collapsing to one side on the floor. The excruciatingly painful marks still adorned his back, and he periodically twitched. He then lay motionless, and spoke quietly.
"I'm just going to... lie here. For a second. If you don't mind."
About an hour later, Fancypants was preparing to leave. Rarity felt Opal could be trusted enough to be released from her comfortable prison cell in order to amend the relationship with the scarred stallion. The two unicorns were at the front door when Opal approached.
"Ah, my captor has arrived." Fancypants said. Earlier, Rarity had offered to repair his suit, but he insisted otherwise, stating he had plenty more for his week-long visit to Ponyville. "Have you come to make peace?"
Opal stared at him evilly, almost like she was going to pounce again, but Rarity answered for her. "Yes, she IS. Aren't you, Opal?" Her owner glared at her crossly.
"I could always use her in the hostile takeovers department."
Opal held out a paw, eyes closed and head turned up. Fancypants took it with his hoof and shook. Before they could break the hoofshake, Opal's claws extended into his hoof. She opened her eyes and looked at him wickedly.
Fancypants kept himself composed, and spoke through gritted teeth. "You, Opalescence, are one damn scary cat."
Opal took the compliment and released her claws. She watched him as he left the boutique from the window. Fancypants caught her staring at him and visibly sped up.
In the late afternoon, Rarity was styling her mane and getting ready for the weekly pony pet play date.
It was time for the clash between Opal and Angel. Unbeknownst to their owners, the pets had formed partnerships. Although they had previously been enemies, Winona and Opal had grown fonder of each other- unlike their owners.
Especially when against Angel and Tank. They often were caught play-fighting by the onlookers Owlowiscious and Gummy, who preferred to keep out of it.
A short walk later, they had arrived at the sunny park. The seemingly endless expanse of glowing green grass felt warm to the touch. Just as the grass was only cut off by a few scattered trees, so was the glorious sun in the sky by few dispersed clouds. The air smelt fresh and there was a faint, but refreshing wind flowing around the park.
Rarity and her five friends had picked a spot near them to have a picnic. After helping Applejack set out the supplies, Winona reported in to Opal with a happy bark. Gummy was gumming on the tree they were sat beneath, and Owlowiscious was enjoying a flight through the sky above.
The only things missing were Angel and Tank. Opal looked at Winona skeptically, but received no help.
Abruptly, the cat and dog spotted Tank fall from inside the tree's branches, landing on his shell in front of them. All three of them looked upwards and saw Tank's rotors dangling from a big branch.
They also saw Angel as he landed on top of Opal.
Opal kicked into a high-speed sprint, propelling over the lush grass as the white bunny held on to her neck. She ran around the tree several times, but the persistent bunny did not give up. She jumped and bucked, but each time Angel would pull back on her hair or collar to keep steady.
Meanwhile, Winona was helping Tank back to his feet, a much more friendly competition. For their games it was more of catching Tank's head as it popped out of one of the two holes. Or, spinning Tank around on his back and firing him at things. They occasionally helped out their partners, but never as to an aggressive extent as they did.
Opal's claws were always retracted when fighting, as she and Angel were friends, but there was always a bitter rivalry between them.
The continued circling of the tree seemed to have no effect on the bunny's endurance when clinging on. Fortunately, Opal was a cat. She sprang onto the tree and started hooking her claws into the bark as she climbed. Pausing mid-climb, she looked back at Angel. The tough rabbit was hanging on by a single, tiny paw.
Opal catapulted from the tree into a back-flip, sending the Angel to the soft ground. Opal stuck the landing perfectly, and stared at Angel who was only a few centimetres from her nose. As Angel's eyes went wide, Opal swung at him with a paw. He vaulted the arm and proceeded to run through her legs.
In a flash, Opal revolved around and caught the bunny between her paws. Finally, he was at her mercy.
Out the corner of her eye, however, Tank had other plans. He held Opal's favourite, purple toy mouse. Something about it completely captivated her, and she needed to capture it.
She released the defenseless bunny, and darted for Tank. As she closed the gap between them, Tank receded into his shell with the fake mouse. She mounted his shell and relentlessly scratched it. Angel was now stuck to Winona's face, the collie was blindly running in random directions, trying to shake him off.
Winona eventually turned to the direction of Opal and Tank, and clashed into them, knocking them all over like bowling pins.
They all lay on their backs in a circle, tired. Tank came out of his shell and passed Opal the mouse, smiling slowly. Winona had heard the call of Applejack, and went off to play fetch. Opal saw Tank struggling to return upright, and helped him with a paw. Tank gradually made his way to Rainbow Dash, presumably to inform her of the heli-pack in the tree, still.
Opal and Angel were alone, and after getting up, locked onto each other still. After a short staring contest, in which Angel won, he offered a paw to her. In essence, the fight was a tie. Opal couldn't have that.
She slapped him with her massive paw, and another chase began.
The day was winding down, and Opal was sitting on Rarity's back. Rarity was reading on her couch while Opal snuggled into her comfy mane. Only a reading lamp was lit, and the accompaniment of the light from Luna's night gave the whole boutique a tranquil feel.
For all that Opal did to aggravate Rarity, she still was eternally grateful for the mare's patience and treatment. She was always provided with anything she needed, making her a happy, spoilt, kitty. Maybe Rarity's reward from Opal was the way she annoyed the unicorn. It reminded her that the work she constantly got caught up in could wait, and that she should take life at a slower pace, like her.
Opal stretched her arms into Rarity's mane and felt the smooth, elegant curls. She rested her head on the white hair, and pulled back her arms into a sleeping position. As she did, an extensive section of Rarity's mane was cut, and fell next to her.
Opal smirked. She was going to have to bathe tomorrow.
No. Couldn't of been her. She was asleep the whole time.
