Rarity couldn’t find her precious kitten anywhere. She looked under the cabinet. She looked under the armoire. She looked under her bed. She looked under the guest bed. “Opal.” she called out. “Opal dear where are you?”
“Opal. I have treats, your favorite.” No Opal. She strained to listen in the quiet house. No meow or mew could be heard. So she listened Harder. “Opal.” Rarity stood as still as she could and held her breath. Maybe she just needed to be quieter or closer. Opal’s meows had been getting awfully small lately.
Still no Opal.
So Rarity walked through the house for the tenth time. Calling out in the living room, the bedroom, the other bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen room, and finally ending the search in her inspiration room. She sat at her desk and leaned against it with a hoof under her chin. “Where could she have gone?” Rarity said while trying to remember where she had seen her last. “It was just yesterday after I had returned from spending hearth’s warming with mom and dad that I saw her. Come to think of it. Opal had been more affectionate than her usual aloof self.” Rarity hummed in thought. “That couldn’t be connected, could it?”
Rarity sighed than stood. “I suppose one more look around the house couldn’t hurt.” while making another circuit she came to a sudden halt as she felt a cold draft. Oh dear, I hope I didn’t leave a window open.” Rarity followed the draft back into the foyer. Where sure enough after having checked behind one of her thick winter curtains she found a window opened just enough for a cat to squeeze through. “How did this get open?” She opened it the rest of the way and stuck her head out. In the snow below the window Rarity could see cat tracks.
“Oh my goodness!” Rarity pulled her head back in and shut the window. Than thought better of it and left it how she found it. “Maybe she’ll return.” She said with a pensive look.
She then raced to bundle up in her winter clothing and ran out to where she found the tracks. Rarity tried her best to follow them while calling out. Several times she stopped other ponies to ask if they had by chance seen her Opal but they never did.
After about an hour of searching and backtracking whenever she lost the trail that wound through town and sometimes went in circles. Rarity finally stepped onto the main street of Ponyville. The trail completely obliterated by the heavy traffic. “Oh dear.” She said with a worried frown at the sun as it set for the day. “I think i need a helping hoof. I dread to think of Opal out in this awful weather. Luckily I know just the pony to talk to.” She said then set out towards her friends cottage.
After a short walk Rarity knocked on Fluttershy’s door a little bit harder than she meant to. “Fluttershy are you home? Please I need your help.”
After several rounds of knocking and several minutes with no answer. The door finally opened except it was an angry bunny instead of a polite pegasus who answered.
“Oh...Hello, Angel.” Rarity said.
Angel nodded curtly in greeting with his arms crossed.
“Is Fluttershy home?” Rarity asked while leaning over the bunny to get a look inside.
Angel thumped his foot several times in irritation. Making it somehow clear to Rarity that she wasn’t welcome.
“She’s not home is she?”
Angel shook his head. No.
“Will she be back tonight?”
Again Angel shook his head.
Rarity’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, Could you tell her that Opal is missing when she returns? She went outside for some reason and hasn’t returned.” Tear’s formed at the edges of her eyes. “Opal hates the cold. Why would she go outside?”
Angel Bunny’s face registered shock. He started thump thumping the floor in rapid succession. A horde of animals of all shapes and sizes poured out of holes and small nests all around the house. They gathered behind Angel and stood. All eyes on Rarity.
Rarity sniffled and turned to leave.” Alright I’ll go. I know when i’m not wanted.”
Angel Bunny smiled and rolled his eyes as he followed after her. The rest of the animals close behind him.
Rarity stopped on the path leading back into town and turned around to regard the animals with confusion. “What are you all doing?”
Angel gestured wildly.
“What?” Rarity took a step backwards.
The animals took a step forward. Watching her expectantly.
“You want to come with me? What for?”
Angel bunny face palmed. Than pointed at his eyes than at a nearby bobcat over twice his size.
Rarity frowned in thought.”You…” She took another step backwards. When the animals followed, her eyes lit up with hopeful comprehension. “...Want to help?”
If bunnies could growl in frustration Angel certainly would have. Instead he opted to hop forward and begin pushing against Rarities leg.
Rarity laughed. “Alright darling I get it. Hurry up.” Rarity turned and started walking. The moon was out in force and lit the snow covered woods around her with silvery light almost as bright as day. Any other time and Rarity would have found it all rather breathtaking. Instead she barely took notice as she examined every shadow or bush along the way. Hoping that if she looked at enough of them her feline friend would miraculously appear.
After a short time she was back in town with a horde of critters following behind her. The few ponies still out at that hour stopped cold and stared at her with open mouths as she passed. “Is that a wolf?” One of them asked with anxious disbelief. Rarity turned and sure enough there was a black and silver wolf that had joined her little gathering somewhere between here and the cottage. Fear spiked through her system. Than calmed when she saw the smug look Angel Bunny was giving her. “Yes, yes it is.” she replied in passing.
Finally reaching the spot where she had lost Opal’s trail. She pointed the tracks out to the bunny. “This is as far as I could go on my own.” she said.
Angel Bunny dropped to all fours and sniffed one of the paw prints. With a satisfied nod he turned to the other animals and made a complicated series of squeaks, gestures and foot thumps.
Their orders apparently given or so Rarity assumed. The small army of woodland creatures scattered in every direction as they began their search. “Oh, I hope they find something soon.” Rarity said as she fidgeted impatiently.
The wolf wandered over from where it was sniffing a terrified pony. The thing was enormous Rarity realized, standing nearly as tall as she was. And it didn’t so much as walk as it stalked. A sense of wild danger in every silent step. A thrill of fear shot through her as it locked its yellow eyes onto hers. “H-hello.” Rarity said as it stopped in front of her. Moments passed. Eventually it broke eye contact and lowered its head to the tracks Rarity had indicated earlier.
Rarity breathed a sigh of relief as it finally moved away from her with its nose to the ground.
There was nothing else to do but watch. Even Angel was out searching. Along with a few other bunnies. A group of squirrels ran across the road. Tiny mice raced here and there, looking like little black dots against the bright and reflective snow. And… And was that a snake? Rarity went to investigate. “Oh you poor dear. Did you brave the cold just to help too?.” She asked it.
The snake could only shiver miserably as it looked up at her.
“Here.” she picked it up and held it up to her coat collar. “My coat should be plenty warm for the both of us.” The snake gratefully burrowed its way inside while Rarity tried not to squirm from the odd sensation of having a cold snake slithering in her jacket. “Better?” The snake wiggled happily. “Good, I’d hate to have any of Fluttershy’s little friends hurt on my account.
“Come to think of it. Most of these animals should be hibernating.” Rarity looked a little closer at a passing squirrel. She could see deep bags under its eyes and it looked exhausted as it struggled to keep up with some of the others. “I’ll have to make something nice for all of you when this is done.” she said mostly to herself. Going by the extra wiggling in her jacket the snake seemed to like that idea.
Rarity was broken from her reverie of a line of tiny hats by a wolf’s howl. Every critter stopped for a moment than started running in the direction of the howl. Rarity trotted behind them. Now on the lookout for any stragglers. She scooped up the squirrel she had noticed earlier with her magic and deposited it on her back with a tiny squeak.
By the time she reached the wolf she had picked up an assortment of passengers. Most of them squirrels. With the exception of a marmot. Rarity stopped at what she felt was a safe distance from the beast. It stood on the other side of the town plaza where most ponies set up their produce carts in the summer.
As soon as the wolf saw her it howled again and took off running with the other animals close on its tail. Rarity found the sight of a large predator being chased by tiny animals an amusing sight.
She trotted on wards for several minutes. Steadily picking up stragglers and serving as a perch for the occasional bird she hadn’t even known was out with them.
Eventually she reached the wolf once again where it sat placidly. The sight of Angel Bunny and the rest sitting next to it giving her the courage to approach. As one they turned to her when she stopped beside them. Than returned there attention back to the treeline. Clear as day Rarity could see one set of tracks leading into the forest. She felt her heart stop.”This is...I don’t understand. Why would Opal go into the Everfree Forest?”
No answer.
Rarity took a step forward. “Opal.” She called out. “Opal.” She took another step. “Opal.” She tried to take another step but the animals barred her path. Including the ones that had previously been on her back and even the snake braved the cold once again to help them. “What are you all doing?” She shouted at them. “We have to find her.” Rarity tried to go around but the animals moved with her. “Opal.” She shouted. The same happened when she tried to go the other way. “Get out of my way you-you beasts!”
The animals regarded her with knowing eyes. The wolf’s seemed especially sad. “Why are you all looking at me like that?” Rarity could feel tears start trickling down her cheeks. “We have to rescue her. S-she’s all alone in there a-and she needs me.” -Rarity sniffled.- “its cold out. W-what if she gets sick?” The animals made no reply except for a small canine whimper from the largest of them.
“Fine!” Rarity stomped her hoof. “If you refuse to help me than i’ll just have to go in myself.” Rarity forced magic into her horn. It’s light reflecting off the snow. Some of the animals shielded their eyes from the brightness. With a flash and a ‘pop’ she blinked out of existence and returned directly behind them. For a moment she thought her ploy had worked. Until she felt teeth grab her tail and a multitude of tiny claws and feet weighing her down. The snake slithered back into her jacket. “No!” Rarity growled. “You won’t stop me... From finding her!”. She took a strained step, than another. “No. I have to...” Rarities body shook from their combined weight. “Please, I have to...” She whimpered before finally collapsing under the strain. “Opa-a-a-a-al.” Rarity bawled as the animals began dragging her away from the forest.
Rarity must have cried herself to sleep at some point because the next thing she knew Fluttershy was shaking her awake. “Oh my goodness! Rarity, what happened?”
Rarity blearily looked around with bloodshot eyes. She was back in Fluttershy’s cottage. On the floor. She could hardly find the energy to care or move. Rarity shut her eyes against the tears and sniffled. “I lost Opal.”
“Oh no! Thats horrible.” Fluttershy pulled Rarity into a hug. Something she gladly accepted as Rarity buried her face in Fluttershy’s shoulder and cried. “There there.” Fluttershy gently stroked her mane. “Why don’t you tell me all about it.”
“Okay.” Rarity said and began talking.
“Wait. Snake? What snake?” Fluttershy interrupted Rarity’s story. Her ears perked up in alarm.
“Yes I know it sounds strange but its the truth.” Rarity said.
“You let a snake go outside in winter? They’re cold blooded!” Fluttershy yelled.
Rarity flinched away from her. “I didn’t let it do anything, darling. I didn’t even know it was there until I saw it in the middle of the street.”
“Where is it?” Fluttershy grabbed Rarity and hoisted her up by the collar With an angry scowl. “Rarity! What did you do?”
A small green head poked out of Rarities collar and stuck it’s forked tongue out in amusement.
“Oh.” Fluttershy lowered Rarity back to her hooves and awkwardly fixed the collar she had grabbed. “S-sorry, Rarity.”
Rarity cleared her throat. “It’s alright, Fluttershy. I suppose I would have acted the same if our roles had been reversed.”
The snake wiggled out of Rarity’s jacket and slithered across fluttershy’s leg and settled itself around her neck like a scaly scarf with a pleased hiss.
Fluttershy smiled and patted it’s head while it hissed. “Your right Mr. Snake. Rarity is warm.” She looked at Rarity without any of her earlier fervor. “I think he likes you.”
“Yes,well. I’m flattered but I already have a pet.” Rarity scowled. “And she is missing in that dreadful forest. You must help me find her, Fluttershy.”
“Rarity…” Fluttershy glanced towards Angel in his little rabbit bed. He shook his head glumly and rolled to face away from them. Fluttershy bit her lip and tears pooled at the bottom of her eyes. “... Opal was a very old cat.”
Rarity shrunk away from her. “W-what are saying? Opal isn’t old. She’s my k-kitten.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “Do you remember when you brought opal home for the first time?”
“Yes, of course I do. I had just opened my boutique. What does this have to do with finding her?”
Fluttershy sighed and led Rarity to the couch. “That was over ten years ago, Rarity. Opal was already a few years old when you adopted her.” Fluttershy said after they both sat down.
Rarity frowned and tried to stand but a hoof on her shoulder stopped her. “I don’t understand what this has to do with finding my Opal.”
“She’s gone, Rarity.”
Rarity roughly brushed Fluttershy’s hoof off her shoulder and jumped to her hooves with a stomp. ”She is not gone! She is missing and we have to find her!”
Fluttershy didn’t move from her spot on the couch. “No, Rarity. I’m trying to tell you, Opal isn’t lost. She left.”
Rarity’s rear legs collapsed into a sitting position. “Why would she leave? Is it something I did?” she asked with fresh tears.
“What? No!” Fluttershy shouted than flinched from the volume of her own voice. “She lived a long and full life and she loved you very much. She’s just… gone, Rarity.” Fluttershy said at a much more subdued level. She patted the cushion next to her than continued after Rarity picked herself up of the floor and sat down beside her. “Animals aren’t like ponies. Sometimes when they are old or sick they leave home.” Fluttershy wrapped a wing around her friend. “And never come back.”
“But why? She must have known I would have been there for her if she was.. If she was…” Rarity seemed to sink into the cushions and her friend’s embrace until she looked very small. “I never got to say goodbye.”
“I know.”
