My Little Pony: Dark Star

Chapter Thirty Eight.
Fortress.

Rain poured down all around the thick forest as two cloaked figures pushed through the thick brush and other foliage.

"Why couldn't we have just teleported directly to your fortress?" Shooting Star looked out the corner of her eye, head looking down as rain trickled down the hood of her cloak.

"Dark Star will be expecting me to do just that, Lilian." Opaline replied to Shooting Star's question as the pair continued the walk towards Opaline's fortress, "We're not far from the fortress now, it's just over this ridge." She pointed towards the path as it began to slope upwards.

"So, you think Dark Star may have booby-trapped the place?" Shooting Star asked, the muddy ground squelching under her hooves.

"While I doubt she'd go into all that effort, it should be something to be prepared for." Opaline mused, rubbing her chin with a wing.

"Opaline, can I ask you something?" Shooting Star looked up from the ground, "What was it like in the days after magic disappeared?"

"Well..." Opaline thought back to memories that felt older than history itself, "For one thing, the weather went crazy. Within hours of Dark Star's demise, Canterlot was lost to the snow of the mountaintop." She turned to Shooting Star, "But overall, everything felt numb. Everything was off in a way." She slowed her pace to a crawl, "Everything... Just felt... You know... Empty..." She spoke, her cloak fluttering in the wind.

"I see..." Shooting Star replied, the duo stopping at the top of the ridge, water flowing down the slope like a torrent, "Whoa..." She added, looking down the ridge.

"Yep, that is my fortress." Opaline pointed to the structure down below, as if on queue, lightning flashed, striking the ground near the fortress.

"If this was a video game, this is the part where we'd get a location pop-up." Shooting Star chuckled, Opaline raised her eyebrow while shaking her head in annoyance.

"Young ponies..." Opaline muttered under her breath.

Dark Star slowly marched through Opaline's fortress, the cage containing Misty levitating next to her, "Such a pathetic 'fortress' if you can even call it that." She laughed, throwing the cage onto the floor of the throne room. Misty was thrown from the cage as it shattered on the floor, pieces scattering everywhere.

"Ow..." Misty stumbled to her hooves, her legs feeling weak as Dark Star approached her. The large alicorn's hooves sparked against the hard flood with every step, "Please..." Misty wheezed, "No... No more..."

"We're done when I say we're done." Dark Star spoke darkly, picking up Misty by the scruff of her neck with magic and throwing the blue unicorn onto the throne near the centre of the room.

"Why are you doing this?" Misty weakly asked as Dark Star summoned vines, tying her down to the throne.

"Because your precious Opaline took away my power, and I am going to make sure she never gets in the way of my plans ever again." Dark Star coldly replied, her eyes flashing white as she spoke the word power.

"I used to think that Opaline was cruel, but she's got nothing on you." Misty gritted her teeth as Dark Star tightened the vines.

"Opaline is nothing but a thorn in my side." The dark alicorn spoke, her voice like a venom, "She will become nothing once I've finished with her."

"She is going to kick your butt." Misty smirked.

Opaline and Shooting Star stood at the base of Opaline's fortress.

"Not bad for a structure made over 3000 years ago." Shooting Star looked up at the imposing structure.

"I made renovations as I saw fit." Opaline replied, not looking in any particular direction, "Anyway, Dark Star will most likely be keeping Misty in my throne room, there is a skylight that overlooks the room."

"Not to throw a spanner into the works, but what good is a skylight gonna be?" Shooting Star asked, placing her rifle beside her, the butt end touching the muddy ground.

"I was thinking I could scale my fortress and crash Dark Star's party while you have her distracted." Opaline turned to face her friend who was grinning deviously.

"Told ya you're the brains." Shooting Star nudged her alicorn friend, "What's the plan for after we retrieve Misty?" She continued, the rain trickling down her cloak.

"With these." Opaline reached into her saddle bag, pulling out a small sack.

"Rock candy?" Shooting Star raised her eyebrow in doubt.

"What? No." Opaline replied, digging through the sack, and pulling out some crystals, "These crystals, you simply chew on them and you're instantly teleported back to the Crystal Empire." She explained.

"Still looks like rock candy." Shooting Star replied, her face showing a look of confusion.

"Because I enchanted some rock candy, ok." Opaline rubbed her head in frustration.

"Then why call them crystals?" Shooting Star went on to continue, only to be met with a scowl from Opaline, "Shutting up." She added, her pupils shrinking as she chuckled nervously.

"Right..." Opaline spoke, frustration evident in her voice, "Well, I'll take your rifle with me while you go in and distract Dark Star."

"You think it's gonna be safe to climb in this weather?" The pegasus asked, feeling the wind tugging at her hood.

"Eh, I've done it before in more extreme weather." Opaline shrugged, "Now." She added, grabbing a nearby tree branch with her magic, "My throne room is directly ahead of these doors at the other end of the hall." She drew a crude map in the mud.

"That seems... Straight forward I guess." Shooting Star remarked, looking down at the muddy drawing, "Let's get this done before the rain washes away all this dye." She gestured to her face and mane under the hood.

"I'll signal down to you once I'm in position." Opaline placed her hoof on Shooting Star's shoulder as she picked up the rifle with her magic, "Wait for my signal before entering, ok?"

Shooting Star nodded in response as Opaline began to climb the imposing towering structure, her eyes tracking the alicorn as she jumped between protruding stones in the facade of the fortress.

"I really need to exercise more." Opaline grunted to herself as she reached across to a nearby pillar, narrowly slipping from the wet surface as she wrapped her forelegs around the pillar, pulling herself higher up her fortress, "Not nearly as tall as it looks from the ground, heh..." She sighed nervously as she nearly reached the top of the structure. The strong wind yanked at her as she pulled herself up onto the roof, laying on her back, panting heavily from the climb.

"You ok?" She heard Shooting Star's voice shout up from below.

"I'm... Fine..." Opaline exhaustedly replied, lazily waving her hoof over the roof's ledge as the rain pelted the fur on her exposed soft underbelly, "Now, go!" She added, motioning down to Shooting Star as she sluggishly stood back on her hooves.

"Ok... I can do this." Shooting Star exhaled as she approached the large heavy double wooden doors, slowly pushing them open with a creek. She peered into the dark hallway before cautiously crossing the threshold.

The hallway creaked and groaned like a sinking ship as water sloshed at Shooting Star's hooves the deeper she ascended into the hallway.

Opaline laid on her belly, peering down the rifle scope through the skylight, "There you are..." She whispered to herself, Dark Star's head in her sights, "Oh, how easy it would be to pull the trigger right now..." She continued under her breath, "I could just pull the trigger and end it all here and now..." She shifted the scope's sight towards Misty, still tied to the throne, "But alas, I can't, not until my dear Misty is safe."

Shooting Star slowly approached the second set of doors that guarded the throne room, she stopped and cleared her throat, attempting the best mimic of Opaline's voice she could muster, "Right... Here goes nothing..." Taking in a deep breath, she threw the doors open with all her strength.

"So glad you could finally join us, dear Opaline." Dark Star grinned, "And here I fought you were too much of a coward to even come." She sighed, "I was looking forward to killing this blue unicorn." She faked a pout.

"Where is Misty!" 'Opaline' spoke sternly, trying her best to not be nervous by just how tall and imposing Dark Star was, the room felt cold as lightning flashed outside the shattered window.

"Why, she's right here of course." Dark Star stepped aside, motioning towards the throne with her wing.

'Opaline' looked at the throne and slowly approached it as the blue unicorn tied to it slowly looked up.

"Opaline?" Misty whispered weakly as the cloaked alicorn approached her.

"Yes, it's me, my little turtle dove." 'Opaline' spoke softly before hugging Misty tightly.

"Wait... You're not-" Misty whispered before 'Opaline' placed a hoof onto her mouth and gestured up toward the skylight with her eyes, where she saw Opaline peering down through the large glass panelling on the roof, before lowing her eyes back towards the fake Opaline in front of her.

"Follow my lead." 'Opaline' whispered, Misty nodding subtly as the fake Opaline rose on her hooves, "Release her."

"Now why should I do that?" Dark Star grinned sadistically, leaning closer to ‘Opaline’.

"You are a mare of your word, now. Release her." ‘Opaline’ demanded, slamming her hoof down on the wet floor.

"You really are a fool, Opaline. I never promised to release her." Dark Star snickered, "You both die tonight." She grinned, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh. I don't think so." 'Opaline' narrowed her brow. She twitched both of her ears, one after another.

"Hold on..." Dark Star raised an eyebrow, "Something doesn't smell right here." She added, moving her face closer to the pony in front of her, her purple eyes peering into 'Opaline's very soul as she looked up to the horn atop her head, it shifted slightly.

"Damn, and I thought you'd be fooled for longer." 'Opaline' said, removing the horn from her head and wiping her face with her hoof, "Surprised to see me, Twilight?" She grinned, revealing herself to Shooting Star.

"Half Breed!" Dark Star snarled in fury at the deception, "Wait. If you’re here… Where’s Opa-" She cut off as the skylight above her shattered as shards of glass rained down.

"I'm right here, you bitch." Opaline landed behind Dark Star, firing a shot at her from Shooting Star's rifle.

"Opaline!" Misty smiled, joy in her voice.

"You." Dark Star turned towards the real Opaline, the bullet bouncing off her chest plate, "Young Arcana, come to die."

"Who said she’s the one dying?" Shooting Star spoke, summoning her sword from her armour with a flick of her left hoof.

Dark Star turned towards Shooting Star, then back to Opaline, who summoned her sword in the same manner, she grinned, baring her sharp teeth, "Finally, a fight worthy of my time." Her horn began to charge up.

Opaline charged at Dark Star, deflecting the dark alicorn's magic attacks with her sword, the plasma-like beams of pure magic striking the walls of the flooded throne room, quickly changing to the rifle, firing a few rounds rapidly.

Dark Star, now caught off guard, was quickly struck with bullets, one hitting her dead centre on her eye, "AH! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG THIS WILL TAKE TO REGENERATE?!"

"That's what I'm counting on." Opaline gloated, slinging the rifle over her shoulder before leaping into the air and lunging at Dark Star.

The towering alicorn looked through her remaining eye, now very bloodshot, to see Opaline deliver a forceful kick to her jaw, Dark Star was sent crashing into the wall, crumbling to the floor with a splash.

Shooting Star moved behind the throne, quickly slashing at the vines that held Misty tightly to the throne, "She won't be down for long, we gotta go."

Misty felt the vines loosen and quickly pushed them away from her body as she jumped off the throne, she quickly turned towards the pony behind the throne who rose to her full height, standing taller than Misty, "Who are you?" Misty tilted her head.

"Shooting Star, but my friends call me Lilian." The tall pony replied quickly, "Opaline, come on!" She shouted towards her alicorn friend.

Opaline stared at Dark Star, the latter lying in a crumpled heap on the floor in the 5-inch deep water, struggling to stand up. Opaline turned away from the alicorn, "We’re done here." She tossed the rifle back to Shooting Star as the trio walked away.

"Opaline!" Dark Star shouted, her voice sounding distorted as she struggled to stand, "I will not be denied!" She screamed with rage as she finally stood up, the water boiling around her hooves. She turned her head towards the trio, half of her face seemingly melting away, "YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL THIS NIGHT!"

Opaline and Shooting Star turned back towards Dark Star before looking at each other, "Run!" They shouted in unison, Opaline scooped Misty up, slinging her over her shoulder as the trio bolted from the throne room.

The two taller ponies barricaded the door, slowly backing away as the door rocked, Dark Star slamming herself against the door, the oak beginning to split with every slam.

Opaline quickly turned towards the entrance to her fortress, located at the far end of the hallway, "That won't hold her for long." She spoke in a hurried tone, feeling her wing being gently tugged on, she looked down at Misty cowering below her underbelly.

"You... You really came back for me?” The blue unicorn, wiping her face with her hoof

"Of course I did." Opaline said softly through an even softer smile, "Why wouldn’t I?" She gently placed a hoof on Misty’s cheek, rubbing the soft blue fur. The alicorn moved from over the top of Misty and knelt down, meeting Misty’s eye level.

Misty looked down as Opaline placed a hoof on her shoulder, "But... But I thought you hated me..." Her ears lay flat against her head as she spoke, "After all..." She sniffled, "You treated me so horribly..."

"Misty... I could never hate you..." Opaline pulled her closer to her, "It's just that..." She sighed, "Before I found you, I had a daughter... She and her father had to go into hiding because of Dark Star, and a part of me didn't want to feel like I was replacing her... Replacing her with you..." She held Misty close to her chest, "I know it's no excuse for my treatment of you these past 10 years, but I am going to change from that path now." Opaline spoke softly.

"Lovely story, BUT NOW IS NOT THE TIME!" Shooting Star yelled, chambering a round in her rifle and quickly firing blindly into the rapidly splintering door as Dark Star reached through the door with her hoof, now bloodied and showing exposed bone. Shooting Star shot into the bony hoof, making it recoil back into the door's opening with a loud screech.

Misty looked at the door in fear before Opaline placed a hoof on her cheek and turned the blue unicorn's head back towards herself, "Listen to me, Misty. Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise." Opaline softly soothed Misty.

A purple glow began to emit from the door as Shooting Star peered through the hole in the wooden object and recoiled back in fear, "Run!" She shouted, leaping back from the door and bolting towards the exit at the far end of the hall.

The ground began to tremble and quake as the light behind the door began to glow brighter. The air started to fill with static as the sound of something charging up radiated around the room.

"What the-" Opaline spoke before the door exploded off its hinges.

End of Chapter Thirty Eight.