Against The Crowd: Opal Gemstone

by Rowan Ex

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, Adventure, Crossover, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Human, Romance
Length: 7610

Surely, Opal Gemstone lost her memories. Atleast a few remained, and the first one he sees is Twilight Sparkle. Oh dear...

Opal Gemstone woke up in Twilight Sparkle's library, without any memory of anything. He couldn't even remember why he was here, but Twilight's actions suggest it has to do with her as well.

In this story, you follow a rebellious Opal Gemstone, who is a magenta stallion unicorn as he tries to set things right, remember everything, and save Equestria from something.

References and Crossovers include Saproneth's MLP Loops, and InFamous Second Son.

Published 2015-02-14 16:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-02-27 14:57:09 UTC

Chapter 1 - The Start

1 - Waking Without Memories

Opal Gemstone woke up with a gasp.

Opal looked around and looked at himself. He's a unicorn pony with magenta fur and a black mane.

Opal doesn't remember anything at all. His head is blank, like an empty lot. He seemed rather uncertain of himself, though, and he felt like he was missing something, like where is he and what happened to him. He could only remember being hit by rocks. Then, he recalled his daughter, Ruby Sunshine. That made him smile, before a purple unicorn walks up to him.

Opal looked at the unicorn, "Who are you?"

"Opal? You can't remember, can you? It's me, Twilight Sparkle. Your friend," answered the purple unicorn, "remember?"

"I... don't remember." Twilight frowned. "I... I don't even remember meeting you."

Twilight looked at Opal saying, "We'll fix it back soon. Those memories..."

Opal notices Twilight walk into her room in the hollow oak tree, and a few tears are seen getting down from her face. Opal felt sad about this. What exactly had just happened? Is something off with him? Did Opal, an industrious pony, get hit by something hard? He had been thinking about it.

If only I can remember... he thought, remember almost everything...

Year 2, Month 8. Running of the Leaves.

"Opal, this is your first time participating after moving from Canterlot, right?" asked Twilight.

"Yeah, Oh, the dream of being part of it." Opal looked at the tracks. "And you took part last year?"

Twilight nodded. "Won fifth place, I think."

"Cool. Better than having part-time working on my family's rock farm." Opal looked at Pinkie Pie, who was hopping around. "I did work on her family's farm. Don't tell..."

Opal and Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie who suddenly appeared right near them. "YOU DID?!??"

Opal giggled a bit, before nodding.

"Ohmygoshohmygosh–" Opal pressed his hoof gently in Pinkie's mouth. Pinkie nodded then.

"Anyway, have I all ever tell you about the things..."

Opal blinked the memory back into his head after attending at the curious Pinkie Pie Everypony seemed to recognize what has happened, and he found himself being the subject of the ponies. Opal felt like he shouldn't have come at all. It's like he's a celebrity. And he hated celebrities, except for Twilight Sparkle.

Opalfelt more comfortable with her every second, until she spots a filly going to him. That filly was his daughter, Ruby Sunshine. He felt strange, and he stopped moving into his house.

"Dad? You ok?" asked the cute little filly with no cutie mark. "What happened papa?"

"I..." he looked at Ruby's glistering eyes. "I'm fine, dear..."

Ruby felt like something is wrong with her dad. She looked at Opal for a few seconds before looking at Twilight Sparkle with her eye twitching a bit.

"Auntie Twilight," Ruby asked, "What's wrong with papa?"

Twilight responded with a smile and a wink, "He's fine, he just had his head bumped into... a big object."

"Ok, I don't remember much," said Opal, "but my head hurts just listening. Maybe, Ruby, you can lead the way home for a while?"

Twilight Sparkle looked at Ruby who was unsure of what her father meant. "Do you know where you live?"

"We're actually... homeless." Ruby replied, "it got destroyed during the parasprite infestation, and all I got was my photo with mom."

Opal is confused. He does remember a house. "But... what? Parasprites?"

Ruby nodded. "I think one of the reasons that you were supposed to be going, dad, is to ask Twilight is we can stay in her library."

"I... I was?" Ruby winced. "Ruby, do I have a journal, first?"

"Um... it's in your saddlebag back at the library...?" Twilight flinched after hearing Ruby's response.

This is getting out of hand. Twilight thought. Maybe they need a rest.

And so, Twilight led the two ponies into her library and lets them stay for a week until they build a new house. Hopefully.

"Sir, he's acting far more strange."

"What do you think it means?"

"He's the one in the prophecy."

"Says who?"

"The prophecy goes along 'a twilight seen in an opal stone,' and it means Twilight Sparkle, the personal protegé of Princess herself, and Opal Gemstone. Listen closely."

The two unicorns pressed their ear against the wall of the library, and they hear a female, a male, and another male voice.

"Twilight, do you have, in any sorts, a remember spell?" asked the first male voice.

"Well, we can search a tome for it in the Castle of Two Sisters' library," the female voice replied, presumably Twilight Sparkle, while a sound of pages flipping are heard.

"But Twilight," the second male voice protested, "It's dangerous in the Everfree! Especially Opal Gemmy–"

A slap was heard.

"Er... Opal, who just lost his memories today!" The voice trailed off afterwards.

The two unicorns step backwards in shock, then hits a filly who was spinning around, making herself dizzy.

"Ow!" the unicorn filly lost her balance and trips, causing the two to hide, as they watch Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Opal Gemstone check the filly.

The first unicorn who spoke, a dark blue one, felt relieved as they weren't seen. The second unicorn, looks at Opal sternly as they enter the library again.

"Gemstone, you'll never hear the end of this, " He gritted his teeth, "You never will."

Opal Gemstone's Journal:

Entry no. 1

I woke up without most of my memories. I woke up in Twilight Sparkle's library, who looked fabulous at that time. Wait, what did i just write? Anyway, I remember when I was a little colt, then nothing, then my daughter Ruby Sunshine, then that's all. Since this journal is half-filled, I'm gonna take my time reading it.

All that aside, we stayed at Golden Oaks Library. Ruby Sunshine tripped while trying to get her cutie mark by spinning.

PS. She doesn't know that her talent is sculpting. I once watched her movements. I don't want to ruin the fun, so I just let her go with her friends. Yay.

As Opal finished off his journal entry, he went outside, finding a yellow-tinted gem. He looked around, and began to shout, "Hey, has anypony dropped a gem here?"

Everypony looked at Opal and a teal pegasus claims that the gem was hers and she dropped it while flying home. Opal smiled, gave the gem back, and went into Sugarcube Corner.

Ruby, nicknamed "Rubyshine" by a few, wandered around town, trying to find the CMC, who in turn, was wandering around town trying to find her. Ruby was about to give up until she bumped into Scootaloo.

"Oh, seems like we're going to bump often if we try to find ourselves," Ruby commented at the scene.

Then, the Cutie Mark Crusaders share a wonderful laughter.

"Ew, more blank flanks." Diamond Tiara mocked.

"Didn't you girls learn at least a bit from your cuteceréna?" Twilight asked Diamond Tiara.

"Um..." Silver Spoon, who was beside Diamond Tiara, looked at Twilight Sparkle. "Yeah, yeah."

The two ran off. The Cutie Mark Crusaders went off to Crusade. Opal went to Sugarcube Corner to get some cupcakes, only to be greeted by a "birthday" party. Twilight Sparkle wondered why Pinkie hosted a party, and then remembers it.

"Horsefeathers, I forgot!" Twilight dashed to the library. "It's Opal's birthday! Why didn't I think of that!"

The other ponies who knew Opal dashes to Sugarcube Corner as well.

Chapter 2 - The Anomaly

2 - Celestia, Time Travel, A Kiss?!

Princess Celestia listened to the reports of the two spying unicorns and ordered them to leave afterwards. Princess Luna came inside after the unicorns.

"Dear, sister!" Luna walked closer. "What did the two unicorns say?"

"They simply reported something," Celestia replied with a smile, "My faithful student has just let the Gemstone in."

"The Gemstone?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure it was the Gemstone in the prophecy?"

"Apparently, he has lost his memories." Celestia looked at a glass stained window which has a unicorn standing on a hill. "No doubt, he is."

"Who is he?" Luna asked, lowering her eyebrow as she summoned a scroll.

"Opal Stoneheart Gemstone." Luna flinched at the name.

"My personal mentor?!"

"Ever since when did you have a mentor of your own?" Celestia looked at the scroll.

"Last month," Luna replied, "I found him wandering the streets of Ponyville."

Celestia opened the scroll to see a checklist of items Opal suggested to do when he's not around. A few of the boxes has been checked, including "Prank somepony, esp. Cel," "Visit one of the Element of Laughter's parties," and "Check Princess Celestia when some suspicious ponies leave the throne room."

"Remind me to check the 'Let Celly read the scroll' later." Luna rolled up the scroll and it vanishes in a puff of purple magic.

Journal of Opal Gemstone:

Entry 2:

Still hoping what I meant in the other entries. I woke up early. Really early. I blame Nightmare Moon. Or Princess Luna. Maybe I need to ask her about the things I did. One of the entries did say that I'm her teacher. What does THAT mean? Anyhow, the birthday party I had yesterday was fun, one of the things I noticed to have forgot was my birthday. As the night came, though, the stars were beautiful. And, new record, 29 bottles of moonshine.

Opal scratched his mane while reading the latest entry which hinted he was drunk after the party. He chuckled, hid the journal, took the quill and placed it in his ear. Even though his cutie mark suggested he's best in mining minerals, he writes short stories good. A few of the entries in his journal are also "plot bunnies" as he called, for they can spike up new ideas.

A few were used by Ruby Sunshine in her stories, who always snoops as he wrote an entry. Opal would sometimes read it, then suddenly laugh as Ruby gets annoyed.

But this time, Opal didn't remember those times. He could only remember his colthood, pieces of being a citizen of Canterlot, and of Ponyville, and Ruby Sunshine.

As the sun rises, Opal decided to travel to the Everfree Forest, with Twilight Sparkle and company, to the ruins of the Castle of Two Sisters. While passing by a manticore, few trees, sneaking past a cockatrice, and a certain river serpent, they reached the bridge which connects the two cliffs.

Opal took a step first, then Twilight Sparkle, then Spike, after him is Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, then lastly Applejack. Rarity and Pinkie were busy that particular day so they weren't available for the day.

After arriving, Opal asked Twilight is she has a copy of the map of the castle, she nodded, summoned a map, then they head into the library of the ruined castle and finds the books still readable.

"Well, at least we can still use them," he commented.

"Right." Twilight finds a book about spells that affect memories, and fires a temporary remember spell to Opal that she picked up from that book...

And Opal hit the wall, as a set of memories come back which he then forgets after 1 minute.

"Pfft." Opal stood and looks at the book, and looks at the spells it has. "Ouch."

"Are you ok, Opal?" Fluttershy asked softly.

"Yes, I'm fine," Opal replied back with a smile. "Just... thought about something."

"What is it?" Fluttershy and Twilight chorused.

"It's... it's supposed... well, what if we come back tomorrow?" Opal proposed before Princess Celestia teleported in, surprising the ponies.

"Hello, Opal," Princess Celestia greeted, "hello, my little ponies."

"Princess Celestia, what a surprise!" Twilight barely managed to contain her excitement. "What made you come here, Princess?"

"I'm here for Opal Gemstone, my faithful student." Princess Celestia walked closer and whispered, "Humans never give up in faces of danger, and brings harmony even in lethal terms."

Opal winced, after Princess Celestia raised her head after the whisper. He felt like he has heard this line before. Did he told this to somepony before? Opal shrugged his thoughts as Princess Celestia handed a piece of a red gem to him. A gem which worried Twilight that she took it before Opal can touch it.

"Twilight, what are you doing!?" Princess Celestia looked at Twilight. "Give it back!"

Twilight floated the gem above the ground, before smashing it-

[size=8]*SMASH!!!*[/size]

Year 2. Month 10. 2 days before amnesiac accident. 20 days before Nightmare Night.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Opal as she notices that Opal doesn't use his magic to move the books.

"Opal, why aren't you using your magic?" Twilight asked.

"I got this disease that involves red gems," Opal replied, "you see, my magic seems like to act on its own. Brings me to gems. Much like Rarity's talent."

"Can't see the reason why you don't use your magic," Twilight said.

"I nearly killed myself using my magic." Opal lowered his head to pick up a book and place it in its shelf. "Took months to recover after removing 20 shards of red gems."

"Oh." Twilight remembered him in a hospital bed when she was still in Canterlot, "Now I remember. You're that colt who got some shards of gems still left in various parts of your body."

"Yeah. I didn't know you then. But..." Opal looked at Twilight. "After that day, I've been craving to met that mare."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Then, after meeting you, I think it has gotten far more serious..."

"Don't tell me."

Opal and Twilight looks at Spike who was listening. "You're in love with Twilight, right?"

Opal blushed, "I... uh..."

"Say it!" Spike repeated. "Say it, you're in love with Twilight!"

"Are you?" Twilight asked, "Are you really?"

Damn it Spike... Opal took a deep breath. "Y... yeah."

"REALLY!?" Twilight is surprised.

"Waaaait," Opal realised something about the topic, "You are too, right...?"

Twilight blushes before nodding back.

Ruins of the Castle of Two Sisters, Present.

"Why did you do that, Twilight Sparkle?" Princess Celestia asked, mad.

Twilight closed her eyes, before peeking and looking at the smashed gem, and a scared Opal hiding behind a stack of books.

"I... I can't..." Twilight tried to hold back her tears. "He..."

"Princess Celestia?" asked Opal, "I... I can't accept it."

"Why so?" Princess Celestia raises an eyebrow, "it's because it remind you of how you got your cutie mark?"

"Wh...what?" Twilight is confused, then pulled away into a book fort Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy created in the middle of the conversation.

"Your family line should have been dead years ago." Princess Celestia stepped closer to Opal. "This ends now."

"STOP!"

Twilight looked at where the sound came from. Ruby Sunshine, who was carrying the Elements of Harmony, along with a sword. "I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH PAPA AGAIN!"

Ruby throws the Elements up in the air, and fires the Harmony spell to Princess Celestia. Opal, getting enough time, grabbed the sword by his mouth, and faced Princess Celestia, who was still corrupted after the near-death spell.

Twilight... I love you. Opal charged to Princess Celestia...

Princess Luna looked at the ray of light that came from the Everfree Forest and cried, "LONG LIVE PRINCESS CELESTIA!"

Ponyville, under control by Princess Luna, creates a shield barrier to protect the said town. Other towns are having barriers as well. Pinkie and Rarity both run to the Castle of Two Sisters, leaving the barrier.

Back at the Castle of Two Sisters, The four Elements of Harmony, Opal Gemstone and his daughter Ruby Sunshine, tried to attack the now-Solar Empress Celestia.

"ALL OF YOU WILL BOW DOWN TO ME!!" Celestia madly shouted as she fired a spell that is blocked by Twilight's shield.

"Hold on," Twilight struggled to keep Ruby's shield up, "We're getting out!"

"Not so fast." Celestia collapsed the door as Rarity and Pinkie Pie barely entered the room. "No one's escaping."

"No one."

Opal's Journal within Ponyville:

Entry 994:

I was warned by a version of me that I will be attacked a few months later with Twilight Sparkle and her friends. He didn't have time to explain, so he made me write this. Goodbye.

The Journal of Opal Gemstone:

Entry 3:

Entry 994 was right. It's not me. It's somepony else. I thought it was me. I learned something now.

Opal finished his entry as Twilight builds up magic for a spell.

"Hurry!" Rarity shouted, "You know this shield won't last!"

Twilight and Opal looked at each other, then she fires a time spell at Opal.

Opal finds himself at the Golden Oak Library, 1 day before the "amnesiac accident" as he liked to call it. Twilight Sparkle is mildly surprised, and Spike is not there.

"Who are you?" asked Twilight.

"Opal Gemstone, look, only got a minute, and listen." Opal breathed in, then out. "Princess Celestia is corrupted. She's about to kill us. Look, I know that you have little feelings for me, alright. But tomorrow, I'll lose my memories. Then, me and my daughter will stay here. Then, at the Castle of Two Sisters, the fight will happen."

"Are you serious? The Princess is fine," Twilight defended.

"She gets corrupted because of a red gem you smashed." Opal felt sad. "I... I don't want this to happen."

"I'll follow your word," Twilight replied, surprising Opal.

"But I thought time can't be changed?" Opal felt weird. "Ho–"

His sentence was cut off by a kiss.

Then, the spell's effect stopped. He was back at the Castle of Two Sisters, Princess Celestia now free of corruption, and Ruby Sunshine applauding. He was right, time can't be changed. He wondered where his actions have gotten him into, then he solved it out.

"Oh. Twilight," Opal called. "Did you try to kill me, but instead you just made me unconscious and lose my memories?"

Twilight winced. "Yes...?"

"Great. Now... that was one hay of a kiss."

Chapter 3 - The Rediscovery

3 - "Do you know anypony named Blank Kick?"

The Journal of Opal Gemstone:

Entry 4:

So, it's been a day since that accident in the Castle of Two Sisters. Got half of my memories through hitting my head. The only thing left is why I don't use magic. And why do I act like an earth pony. That's somehow good stuff, right? I don't know.

Anyway, we got ourselves a house near the Golden Oak Library. Sweet Celestia we didn't expect that! We expected more of a punishment, until the "punishment" was more of a gift for us.

She did told me a little while yesterday the she was corrupted and two harmony hits was a key. The red gem... she couldn't explain. Maybe because of the corruption, perhaps? I don't know.

I hope it all returns into normal. Normal life, normal everything.

Except that Ruby is snooping at my journal again while I'm writing this. Speaking of snooping, I have a slight feeling Princess Celestia is also...

Wait. She's here. Got to greet-

Ruby has a parasprite.

This isn't normal.

Opal looked at the bug Ruby has.

"A parasprite. Seriously," Opal Gemstone looked at Princess Celestia who, coincidentally, had a parasprite locked in a cage, "Where'd ya'll get those?"

All the ponies gave Opal one answer. "Fluttershy!"

Pinkie, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Opal Gemstone facehoof as they get their instruments and head to Sugarcube Corner which is heavily guarded by the Cakes. Applejack and her family is guarding the Sweet Apple Acres.

Then he woke up with a gasp.

Remind me that I'm hallucinating, Opal thought to himself, more like memories repeating out.

Opal realised that everypony was looking at him. He was having nightmares, and checked his journal. A pack of scribbles is seen in the supposedly Entry no. 4. He also found his quill lying on the floor. He also found Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia looking at him.

"Umm... nice to meet you, Princess Celestia," Opal nervously said, "Why... you both looking at me?"

"Something's wrong with you, Opal," Princess Celestia replied, "and I think my faithful student can help you with this."

"How?" Opal asked.

"A mind share spell!" Ruby shouted from the outside.

"Seems like someone just 'read' my mind," Princess Celestia, giggling.

As Princess Celestia fired a spell, Opal find himself in darkness, with Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh, God. If this is my head," Opal looked around, "Must be very empty."

"Well, the spell's still warming up..."

"I... I actually don't want to do this," Opal confessed, "Really."

"Why?" Twilight took a step closer, but Opal stepped back.

"Please, not this time... please," Opal said, "Please..."

"Let us help," Twilight requested, "Let us."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Opal shouted, trying to push Twilight out of his mind.

"No, stop!" Twilight lit up her horn, "Stop! Listen! Everypony's worried! I'm worried!"

"You won't know EVERYTHING!" Opal tried harder.

Then, a flash of light.

Opal found himself in the wasteland. With Twilight Sparkle. He looked at her with tears flowing from his face.

"The... the wasteland!?"  Twilight looked around. "You... how?"

"I... played here when I was little," Opal said while slowly crying and sits, "It... with the changelings... it-it was fine..."

"Changelings? Are you saying that," Twilight walked closer, "are you saying that YOU were banished by Princess Celestia?"

"No, no... I was rather the wandering type," Opal replied, stopping himself from crying, "Sorry. It was... a very long time."

"Long time from this?" Twilight walked even closer to Opal.

"Yes..."

"That doesn't add up," Twilight said after an explanation and the spell ending, "How come your cutie mark is a red gem over a pickaxe while YOU'RE afraid of red gems?"

"I don't know, maybe because red flashes well with my color." Opal looked at Princess Celestia, "I'd rather have said that sometime later."

Celestia chuckled a bit. "Well then. Twilight Sparkle, I'm always ready for anything new for the friends of yours."

As she flew off, Opal kissed her in the cheek before looking at her.

"Ok, explain why in such midst operation?"

"We saw you acting all weird ever since that day," Twilight replied, "You've been asleep for... 2 weeks."

"What!?" Opal is highly surprised, "Did Ruby try her 'borrow a changeling' techniques?"

"She borrows changelings?" Twilight was lost. "She borrows changelings from the Changeling Queen?"

"Apparently my great grandfather was a friend of the hive," Opal said, "there, descendants can borrow one changeling who is willing."

"And Ruby used one to replace you, right?"

Opal nodded.

"You know, you're weird." Twilight looked at the window, "well, mostly."

"Mostly?" Opal made a raised an eyebrow, "What do you me..."

Opal stopped talking after noticing a changeling sneak past them.

"Ruby, you're grounded," Opal shouted.

"A changeling?!" Twilight looked at the changeling as it is engulfed by green smoke and turned into Twilight Sparkle.

"And... I still don't know why I don't use magic." Twilight nodded to his statement. "Probably because I broke my horn...?"

The changeling suddenly run up to Opal and kicked him in the face, and disappears. Opal's horn start to lit up then it flickers from various horns, from a completely normal, to a broken, and then a twisted one, then back to normal. Twilight's jaw hung open. Opal closes it with his hoof, before remembering a set of memories.

"Ouch," Opal said, "I think that kick gave me 1/8 of the missing ones. I now remember... being somepony else?"

"Who?" Twilight asked.

"A featherbrain named Blank Kick," Opal answered. "How did I even made up that name...?"

"Let's ask Ditzy, maybe she knows."

"Good idea."

Sure Opal's memories gave him knowledge of being somepony, so much for his surprise. Opal also passed the old location of his house and ignored a twinkling light from the foundations of it. Then, they passed by Ditzy's house.

Surely enough, Ditzy passed by and crashed to them.

Standing up, Twilight greeted first, "Hey Ditzy, how's Dinky?"

"Little muffin's fine, my landing," Ditzy stood, "not fine. So, why coming by?"

"Do you know anypony named Blank Kick?" Opal asked, then Ditzy froze in place.

"I'm pretty sure he's right beside Twilight Sparkle right now, hmm?" Ditzy smiled.

"Oh..." Opal looked at himself, "I'm not really Blank Kick, you know."

Ditzy suddenly laughed, "You ARE the most famous two-personalitied Blank Kick!"

Opal shrugged. Now he understands it. Blank Kick was a name for a multiple personality he had before. Why didn't he think of that? He could only respond in a very crazy way.

"Did he smashed his horn while trying to impress the royal unicorns while looking at Twilight and Princess Celestia?"

Or maybe surprising that Ditzy fainted and Twilight let out a loud what.

Chapter 4 - The Danger Before

4 - The Great Rescue Pt. 1

Opal, you've got to wake up.

Everypony's waiting.

I'm waiting.

Opal woke up, having the most weird of the weird dreams in his life. The dreams of "insanity" as he call it, seem to happen even more frequently before. This time, Opal hasn't really woke up. He was dreaming. Opal hates dreaming while dreaming. That makes "dreamception" true. Sort of.

So now, he's dreaming with Princess Luna watching. Opal's eyes grew large as he saw Princess Luna in his dream.

"Opal Gemstone, your studies about humans are true," Princess Luna said, "your dreams tell about it."

"I haven't exactly remembered everything," Opal said.

"That is why you must meet me at the location of your old house," Luna said back, "Prince Opal Stoneheart Gemstone."

Opal suddenly jolts up awake. He looked at the time, 1AM. Opal looked outside, and Princess Luna is seen in the empty lot where his house was. He heads there, leaving a half-asleep Spike curious.

Princess Luna opened a trapdoor after Opal approached her. She gave Opal a book, which he seemed to recognize.

"So, remember this?" Luna asked, "You gave this to me once."

"I-I-I did?" Opal looked at Luna, "when?"

"Last month," Luna flipped the book open with her magic, knowing that he can't use magic yet.

Opal read the entry created by somepony named "Starlight Phoenix."

Opal, wake up.

It's me, Starlight Phoenix.

Can't you remember me?

Why did you marry Twilight Sparkle?

Hello? Opal?

Opal, I know you are sleeping.

This isn't a joke anymore.

Stop laughing, and listen to me.

Equestria is in danger.

You must listen to Princess Luna.

Wake up, now.

The gatekeeper will stay strong.

Opal?

We need you. Everypony needs you.

I need you.

Ponies need the day.

May Princess Celestia help you in this quest.

Twilight Sparkle, I wish you good luck for my friend.

The time is running short, Opal.

It's drawing closer.

The sky will be covered in darkness.

Your magic will be the key to everything.

Earth is where you'll head next.

This isn't a joke either.

Earth is where humans live.

I was human.

You're confused, sign of alertness.

The time's up.

Fifty.

Opal, you've got to wake up.

Everypony's waiting.

I'm waiting.

Opal stepped back after reading the last 3 sentences, as it exactly mirrored the dream he had in his dream.

"A human!" Opal closed the book, "A human wrote those words!"

"Ah, human it is. Lyra Heartstrings has read this words too," Luna picked up the book and placed it back and closed the trapdoor, "she might be your next clue."

"Hmm..." Opal felt magic, before finding himself back in the spare bed beside Ruby in the Golden Oak Library.

Opal felt like his mind will explode. Starlight Phoenix? Who is she? Some sort of human who can visit Equestria? Opal thought about the words she wrote.

'She tried to wake me up three times,' Opal started to put the pieces together mentally, 'and three is a number for most cutie marks, odd. She also said about humans. Which means Lyra can help. She knows a bit about them. Then she said it's not a joke two times. That makes five. Five, hours? Minutes? Days? Maybe months. Me marrying Twilight Sparkle?! This pony is a time traveller! But she also said to listen to Princess Luna, so the final clue lies in Lyra Heartstrings' knowledge about humans...Oh Sweet Celestia.'

'Twilight Sparkle is in trouble.' He lastly thought before fainting because of stress in finding out what next.

Twilight woke up in the good side of the bed, only finding Opal fidgeting around books centering about humans. She approached Opal, looked at the 3-paged thesis he was making, and looked at Opal.

"Did you even sleep yesterday?" asked Twilight, and she was ignored. "I'll take that as a yes."

Opal looked at Twilight before realising what he did, "Oh, God. What'd I do? I hardly even remember this things I did, I think."

'Great,' Twilight looked at the thesis and reads it. What surprise she had! The humans Opal had researched are the ones who specialized in magic. Twilight looked at Opal before realising he's asleep.

"Oh well," Twilight said, "He'll wake up soon. Now..."

Twilight began to move and sort the things Opal did. It took a little while without Spike, but when Spike woke up, he helped. The joy of service and reading.

After placing the last book, Opal woke up. Opal looked around, and facehooved.

"Princess Luna, please," Opal crazily said, "please next time call me when I'm NOT sleeping..."

Twilight giggled before noticing Opal walking outside and into the empty lot. Twilight followed him, much to her instincts. Opal opened a trapdoor, and threw the book he read outside, the pages leading into the one he read that night.

"Oh, oh dear. Starlight, I know that pony," Twilight thinked about her, while Opal stared at Twilight, "Ah yes! She moved out of Ponyville last Winter Wrap Up day! She was quite the adventure type."

"Did she lived here?" Opal asked.

"No, no. She lived in the outskirts, near the Everfree Forest." Twilight looked at Opal, "Don't tell me you're going to a memory-hunt."

"Well..." Opal straightened his posture, "I was told by Princess Luna at I should visit Lyra Heartstrings, whoever she/he is."

"Lyra? Ooh!" Twilight pointed at the bench where Lyra and Bonbon are sitting. "She's right there!"

Opal looked at the bench before facehooving, "Great."

Twilight called Lyra and she came with Bonbon to them Opal introduced himself, then Lyra tried to stand like a biped, only falling to her back.

"Honestly," Bonbon commented, "she always does that, ever since Starlight left."

"Heh." Lyra stood up again, "So, Opal, humans?"

Opal nodded.

"They're ape-like creatures. I don't know why," Lyra explained, "but they had magic! Like us unicorns! Maybe because of their 'technology' that made them stop using magic. But, if your claims are true, and this?"

Lyra levitated the book and read a small part of Starlight's entry.

"Yup, human! No one does that here! Except for you," said Lyra, "Except for you because you write lots of journals."

That nearly blew Opal off, before Scootaloo suddenly thrown a rock and the rock hit Opal.

Opal's memories shifted, and he remembered more, and his horn shifted from a normal fixed, into a broken horn that seemed to need to be healed, and Opal tried to ignore the pain.

"Uh..." Twilight pointed at Opal's horn.

"It-it's bad, ri-right? Owowowowowow..." Opal tried not to feel the pain, "OHGOSHITHURTS!"

Opal promptly fainted, leaving the nurse ponies take him to the hospital. Lyra, and Twilight looked at each other.

"Awkward," Lyra whispered, "What a sensitive pony."

Twilight chuckled, "Never heard him like that, I hope he gets well soon."

"He owe me lots of books," Lyra said, looking at the hospital where Opal currently is.

"Books?" Twilight raised an eyebrow, "What books?"

"Apparently one of his hobbies are creating poorly-grammared story books," Twilight raised her second eyebrow, "Yeah, books and papers for Mayor Mare. He basically went from 'mining' to 'writing' in just a day. His stories usually talk about you. And Princess Celestia."

"About me?" Twilight walked closer, "really?"

"Like he was in love with you," Bonbon added, "Yes he does!"

'So that makes sense, Starlight asked why he married me.' Twilight looked up, temporarily ignoring everything. 'Now, he doesn't know I love him back. Just not this time, not this time.

"Um... Twilight?" asked Lyra.

"Yes?"

"Why are you smiling?"

Twilight blushed, "I wasn't! I wasn't!"

"Ooh," Lyra said, "Somepony has a crush on him...!"

"No I don't!" Twilight tried to deny it.

"Yes you do!" Lyra teased back.

"No, I DON'T!" Twilight's shout was as loud as the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Wow, I didn't know my shout was that loud."

Twilight walked to the Library, leaving a jaw-slacked Lyra and Bonbon poking Lyra in the empty lot.

"Do you really have to, Twilight?" asked Spike.

Chapter 5 - The Danger After

5 - The Great Rescue Pt. 2

Opal woke up on a hospital bed with a doctor looking at Twilight Sparkle and Spike.

"He'll be all right, but his horn might take a while to heal. I advise to keep doing his works without magic." The doctor then trotted away.

Twilight walked closer to Opal, "Are you ok? What happened?"

"I just overreacted," replied Opal, "nothing else."

"But the doctor said–" Spike said.

"Like I have been in a madhouse for a week," Opal interrupted.

"An asylum? Really?" Twilight walked closer, "Wow, I didn't know."

"That's how Blank Kick waved goodbye," Opal said, smiling a bit.

"Cool. So, anything out of the normal?" Spike asked.

"Princess Luna warned me about the changeling queen," replied Opal who sat along the bed, "and nothing else."

"Queen Chrysalis?" Twilight looked around. "Gotta be careful today, don't we?"

Opal nodded again.

"Since you have experience living with changelings, what among the ponies are changelings?" Twilight asked, "Who do you think?"

Opal pointed at Spike, who smirked and transformed into the Changeling Queen herself, then takes Twilight, who tried to fight away.

"Opal, call the others!" Twilight shouted, "Help!"

Opal quickly went into his hooves and jumped out of the window, and sees the real Spike coming.

"Spike!" Opal was panting, "send a distress letter, quickly..."

"Why?" asked Spike, "and why aren't you back in the hospital?"

"Changelings." Opal said, loud enough by the ponies beside him to hear, and they all quickly went into the hospital to help, but is blocked by a barrier.

Spike, seeing the barrier, quickly wrote a letter for Princess Celestia and sends it quickly enough. For Twilight's friends, they went to Opal, who were the only standing pony left who witnessed the taking.

'Great. My beloved is a damsel in distress.' Opal looked at the Mane 5. 'No Elements of Harmony can save us, unless I get another plan...'

'Unless he gets another plan,' Twilight thought, 'I'm going to suffer from these changelings.'

Twilight looked around before getting knocked out unconscious again.

Opal, felt weird as Twilight knocked unconscious, as if he was there, as an aftereffect, he nearly lost her balance, only getting backed up by Rainbow Dash who were there with her along with Applejack.

"Woah, nelly. Wha' in carnation is with you, Opal?" Applejack asked, "It'z like you felt somethin' or just lost balance?"

"I... I think you all need to learn something first," Opal stopped walking, and took a deep breath, "My grandmother is a changeling."

Applejack froze in her place while Rainbow Dash stopped moving and looked at Opal.

"Now my secret has to be kept by THREE ponies," Opal facehooved.

"Twilight knows this?" asked Rainbow Dash, "well that escalated quickly."

She received no answer as Opal was sitting on the ground, crying after remembering that part. Applejack tries to comfort him for that. But along the crying, a few words are heard from Opal's mouth.

"One... Two... Three... Four..." Opal muttered, "She's... no..."

Applejack tried to understand his mutterings before seeing Opal's journal which he carried and decided to take it, before Opal's hoof touched it and take it away.

'Calm down Opal...' Opal tried to pull himself together. 'She... she used...'

"Opal?" called Applejack, "Opal you ok?"

"Red...red...red...red..." Opal muttered, before a mysterious unicorn appeared near them.

"God, I think this is where I break down," the mysterious unicorn commented, "Uh, Rainbow Dash, stop looking at me like an idiot."

Rainbow flew closer to the unicorn in blue robes, "Ok, who are you?"

"Let's say somepony from the future, probably my likeness my books and the ability to sense emotions?" the mysterious unicorn riddled.

"Oh, great. We're being visited by unicorns from the future," Rainbow Dash deadpanned, "and Twilight's daughter exactly."

"Haha, you got it~" the unicorn removed her robe to reveal a violet-colored unicorn with a gray mane, "and hi dad."

"Wh...wha?" Opal looked up to see the unicorn and waves his hoof before fainting.

"Well, surprisingly, off the job. Right," the unicorn spawned a piece of paper and nicely sticked it to Opal's journal, before the time spell wore out.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash decided to faint in response.

Twilight woke up in a stone dungeon, probably where the changeling hive has lived. Beside her is another pony, which Twilight Sparkle recognized.

"Starlight Phoenix, the Illusionist?" Twilight greeted.

"Nice to be your roommate in this cell, for getting trapped for 20 months," the unicorn said weakly, "so, how's Opal Gemstone, the grandson of the fallen Changeling Queen?"

"He's fine, fine and all," Twilight replied, "sometimes very cool, a good friend, been very nice, all that."

"Don't tell me my sentence 'why did you marry him' is becoming true," Starlight demanded, "he got that stabilizing influence of sensing deep love."

"Oh, o– WAIT WHAT?!" Twilight looked at Starlight Phoenix. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

"Eh, don't tell me," Starlight said.

"I got to get out of here..."

Nimrods! Opal Gemstone, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are being carried by Trixie Lulamoon in her wagon.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is glad that you three are awake!" The blue showmare greeted with a smile, "Why in the middle of a desert, did you ponies have to sleep in?"

"We," replied Opal, "were going to find Twilight Sparkle?"

"Princess Celestia's prized student?" Trixie looked around, "Trixie gives you three good luck."

"What? After the showdown in Ponyville," Rainbow Dash complained, "You gives us good luck?"

"By Celestia's mane, it still was the best show I've ever had!" Trixie puts on her hat, "In fact, Trixie was supposed to visit Ponyville, until Trixie found you three."

Opal felt a presence that he recognized, and it caused him to trot into Trixie. He looked at Trixie, looked at the hat, then facehooved.

"Anything of Victor Blue," Opal muttered.

I heard that, a voice that sounded like Trixie said, and you might need to look at Ms. Lulamoon's eyes for proof.

Opal looked at her eyes, before Trixie slaps him off.

"Trixie has wasted enough time for chitchat;" Trixie looked outside, "Now arriving at the Changeling Hive."

"How!?" Applejack managed to ask.

"Letter from a future pony, quite cute and adorable!" Trixie shrugged before pushing the three outside.

And Victor Red, stop calling me Victor Blue. The voice faded off as Trixie's wagon went off.

Twilight Sparkle had a conversation with Starlight Phoenix, who has just explained who Opal's grandmother is. After realising that Opal is part-changeling, Twilight began to wonder if he really loves her. And if he does, how about his ability passed down from the changelings, and will he use it against Twilight? Twilight felt like listening more to Starlight's lecture about Opal's family line when all of a sudden, a young changeling queen is locked with them.

The changeling queen, transformed into a unicorn filly before hugging Twilight Sparkle. Starlight Phoenix, surprised, smiled as Twilight ask her about Opal's grandmother which Ruby calls as "Mrs. Chrissy" which could also mean that Chrysalis had a twin which fell into loving a pony. So, as Twilight began to lose hope on meeting Opal again, Ruby suddenly transformed herself into a filly Twilight.

"Ok," commented Twilight, "Surprising, sure."

The filly turned back into her regular unicorn form before pulling out a diary she made from ruined books and tree sap. The diary had a cover of Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark, and it is beautifully designed with gems Spike had. It had 1,000 pages, enough for a generation, reasoned Ruby, and each page had a simple but awesome design that Twilight liked very much. On the back, was a letter from Opal, and she began to read it.

Dear Twilight,

        If you receive this, that means Ruby Sunshine has already gave her wedding gift. I'm probably out there trying to rescue you from my "relatives" which I take as "enemies." Forgive me if I have done anything wrong, and surely, I know might not forgive. I was recently exploring the human world, well, to read their history actually, until I have discovered something which might erase my memory, so I am actually writing this 2 months from now.

        This might be confusing, for I might have told you that I have a crush on you, yadda yadda skip the love part, actually I love you, just can't tell. The book I just had read in the making of this letter was "Alerith Laboratories: The Founders" and found my name and yours in it. The Founders, according to this confusing book, are people who serve the people where the group, clan, or society is placed. And Equestria, had one. It's named "Against The Crowd" and is lead by your friends, not including me.

        I have been in the human world for so long, I think I don't remember the name of my favorite daughter, and your assistant.

        So long, bookworm. I hope to see you again.

Your friend,

Opal Stoneheart Gemstone.

Twilight felt happy, and confused at the same time. So the memories that Opal was missing are HUMAN memories, not just pony memories. That's why he swore more than everypony else. Everything makes sense for now. It did make sense until Ruby called Twilight Sparkle "Victor Purple" and "Momma" accidentally.

"Honestly, I'm more worried that the Fallen Changeling Queen," reasoned Starlight, "is at the other side of our cell, waiting for a strike to escape."

"Oh, I need to meet her." Twilight and Ruby followed Starlight in a small hole in the wall and knocked, "your highness, Twilight Sparkle and your great-granddaughter Ruby Sunshine."

A weak voice replied, "Really? After all this years, my grandson hasn't checked on me."

"He hasn't visited?" asked Twilight.

"Yes, roughly my time to escape draws closer, revenge for dear sister, Queen Corona!" the voice replied back.

"Wait so you're Queen Chrysalis," Twilight noticed, "and you tried to invade Equestria."

"I am honestly sorry for that."

"Oh, good," Twilight rolled her eyes, "Princess Celestia might want to rethink about a banishment."

"So, how is Opal?" it asked.

Twilight winced and blsuhed, "Um... I actually..."

"Right, you're already showing it, stop." An eye peeks from the hole, making Twilight jump.

"Wha-?" commented Starlight, "Right. I remember, Opal's a nerd. Reading books like he owns 2 libraries. Wonder if that potion effect resetted him a bit..."

"Potion?" asked Twilight and Chrysalis, "You what?"

Starlight winced. "Said too much. Where is Victor Blue when you need a classy show..."

"Don't you mean 'The Great and Powerful Trixie?'" corrected Ruby, "she has AWESOME light shows, I love the fireworks and stuff!"

Twilight felt like she shouldn't have said that. Ruby was a fan of Trixie so much that, according to Opal, she always would sit in front of the crowd just to watch her show. Twilight shrugged and looked at the others, before going into the land of the dreams.

"And by that," Twilight said to herself, "I can collect enough facts to say that changelings are the cousins of ponies which feed on love. Now, why am I in here?"

She suddenly woke up after hearing a scream. A recognizable scream. Twilight looked around, and finds Ruby hiding. Starlight is trying to knock the wall. Chrysalis is doing the same.

"Well, for walls made of rock, better than wood but more breakable." Twilight pointed her horn to the wall and fired a dash spell she and Opal helped together.

And Twilight Sparkle found herself outside the changeling dungeons, the outside wall having a large crack. Twilight felt relieved, and then fired off a rock-breaking spell to finish off the wall. And the convicts are free. Twilight, having pity on the Changeling Queen, sets her free as well.

"For Starswirl the Bearded," Starlight lit up her horn, "Good luck, Twilight."

She pointed her horn and vaporised into smoke which went directly up. Twilight's jaw hung open, being closed by Ruby, and Chrysalis clapped.

"Fact, she turned me good. By simply teaching us on how important harmony is," Chrysalis said, "but my sister hated lectures and decided to lock us both."

"Oh, story by story, all ending up like a big book." Twilight said, commenting about everything, "while it's all well damn confusing."

"So I escaped, Starlight vanished completely again, Queen Chrysalis overthrown Queen Corona by feeding on my love for Opal. Opal, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash saved me through the horde of changelings." Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie, "anything else?"

"TIME FOR A PARTY!!!" Pinkie took her party cannon and voila! A megaparty for Twilight Sparkle being rescued.

Coincidentally, A pegasus named Internal Blaze is celebrating his birthday, and he decided to visit the party, which split the party into a birthday and a celebration party.

Opal shivered, "Oh, this I'll remember." He was suddenly pulled by Twilight Sparkle as a party dance began.

Chapter 6 - The Aftermath

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Chapter 7 - The Struggle

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