Beautiful Things

"MISTY!!!!"

Misty shot to her hooves, raw instinct taking over. She didn't even pause to look around. She simply ran out the door, her hooves knowing where to go, even if her mind was still a blur. She didn't know where she was or what was happening, but she knew that voice. If that voice was screeching her name, she best hoof it as fast as she could to the center.

She arrived in a cold stone room with a pool of reflective water and a purple throne. A place she hoped never to see again. Finally, her mind seemed to catch up to her and her heart stopped. No no no no no. She was supposed to be out of here. She glanced around and she was right. This wasn't the Crystal Brighthouse. This was the lair. And if Misty was called to an empty throne room...Misty instinctually backed into a corner until she could feel the comforting, cool stone that told her Opaline wasn't going to appear behind her. Her eyes glanced around, landing on the exit on the other side of the room.

She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. She had to get out of there. She had to tell her friends that Opaline wasn't defeated. That Opaline was still out there, waiting to strike. She bolted for the door, running as fast as she could, her eyes wide, her breath heavy, her heart racing. Memories flit through her head—horrible, terrible, memories.

Suddenly, she saw a dark shadow. The features were undiscernible, but Misty would recognize that shape anywhere. Opaline. Misty skidded to a halt, stopping just before her. She used her hooves to quickly scramble backward, her breath heavy, her heart pounding, her mind breaking. Tears fell down her face.

No, she's faced Opaline before. She didn't need Opaline anymore. She had her friends. Her friends loved her no matter what. Opaline couldn't take that away. Not now. Not ever. Misty closed her eyes, bracing herself.

"I might seem a little quiet, but my strength is very real. When my cutie mark comes to life, my heart helps me feel!" Misty said, gaining confidence from that one line, a line she learned from her new spellbook room. A line that gave her the confidence to face anything when she spoke it aloud.

"You still want me to give you a cutie mark, don't you?

Misty stood tall despite how her legs shook, her heart raced, and how much it took to hold back the tears. She had to face Opaline. Just long enough to escape or for her friends to rescue her. Because they would, they had to. Misty could face Opaline. Opaline couldn't hurt her.

"I already have my cutie mark, Opaline!" Misty said confidently.

"Oh? Are you sure about that?" Opaline said with a wicked smile.

Confused, Misty looked down at her flank but it was completely blank. No. That's not right. It...it...Opaline must've stolen it. She was just about to demand that Opaline give it back when she saw that her tail was blue again. That's not...that's impossible. She dyed it the same colors as her cutie mark. She...that's...Misty looked at herself and saw that she was her old self. Her blank-flanked, blue mane and tail self. Tears filling her eyes, she saw that the charm bracelet with all her friends' cutie marks was gone. She never felt more alone.

She looked at Opaline, trying to glare at her, but there was more fear in her eyes than glare. "What did you do to my friends?" Misty muttered, trying to sound intimidating, but failing miserably.

"Oh, Misty. I'm your only friend. Without me, you have nothing." Opaline took a menacing step towards Misty intimidatingly, successful, unlike Misty. With every step Opaline took towards her, Misty took a step back, like they were in some odd dance. "No family. No friends. No cutie mark."

Misty swallowed nervously, her fear causing her to cower under Opaline's glare. She backed up until her rump hit the wall, making her heart stop. Misty's breath came faster, edging a panic attack. She was under Opaline's spell again, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Opaline leaned in close, a manic smile on her face. She put her hoof under Misty's chin, forcing Misty to look up at her. Opaline's touch started soft but slowly became tighter. "I hope you know that I'm so hard on you because I believe in you. I see so much of the young pony I once was."

"No. I'm nothing like you! We defeated you. My friends and I...we took you down...we..." Misty stuttered, trying to remember everything that happened. That happened, right? It wasn't all just a dream? "We...Zip! Pipp! SUNNY! IZZY! HELP! HELP ME! Please!" Misty cried out, tears streaming down her face, her voice coming out in broken sobs, as she called out for her friends.

"They left you, Misty. Do you know why? Because their friendship with you wasn't enough! YOU aren't enough, Misty!" Opaline yelled, leaning into Misty's face, gripping her chin as hard as she could while Misty squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "Not until you can prove that you're actually useful and get! That! DRAGON!"

Opaline threw Misty's head into the wall and Misty screamed out in pain and fear, her brain seeming to rattle from the impact. Misty could feel something warm and wet on the back of her head. Opaline sneered at Misty before walking out of the throne room, a sinister chuckle echoing throughout the throne room. Misty collapsed into a ball on the ground, sobbing into her hooves. Opaline was right. She wasn't enough. She was never enough. She couldn't even get her cutie mark by herself. Without Opaline, Misty had nothing. She'd never have anything.

"Misty!" Misty heard Opaline call her name. Misty froze, tears streaming down her face. She just wanted out of here. She needed out of here. "Misty! Misty!! MISTY!! MIIII—"

"—sty! Misty, wake up!"

Misty widened her tear-filled eyes. Panic from the dream filled her whole being and she pulled her blanket over her head, her whole body shaking. She curled into a ball, waiting for the blow she knew would come.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so so sorry I didn't mean to wake you up, Opaline it was just some stupid nightmare I know I'm not supposed to be afraid of them, I promise it won't happen again just please don't hurt me I'm so sor—"

"Misty! Calm down! It's just us!"

Misty stopped her rambling when she heard the familiar voice. "Z-Zipp?"

"Yeah, Misty. It's just us."

Misty leaped out of bed, wrapping her hooves around Zipp, tears filling and flowing out of her eyes. She couldn't be happier to see the detective. Zipp grunted from the full weight of Misty falling on her, but slowly, hesitantly, Zipp wrapped her hooves around the blue unicorn, unsure as to how to react. Misty just hugged her tighter, afraid that if she let go, she'd disappear.

"Misty?" Misty heard Sunny's concerned voice next. She let go of Zipp and saw standing at the foot of her sleeping bag Sunny, Izzy, and Pipp, each with concerned looks on their faces. Right, she forgot she was at her first successful traditional unicorn sleepover. She should've known they'd all wake up to her sobbing. "What's wrong?"

"Yeah, we woke up to you screaming our names and stuff. What happened?" Pipp asked, still looking half asleep.

Misty looked at all her friends, looked deep into their eyes, and that's when she knew. She couldn't tell them. She couldn't tell them about the nightmares she'd been having since they defeated Opaline. She was already enough of a burden to them, already caused so much trouble for them. She didn't need to cause more. She knew deep in her heart that Opaline was defeated, and while that didn't banish Opaline from her mind, it did banish Opaline from her friends.

"I-it's nothing. I'm fine." Misty said, putting on a fake smile. A smile similar to the one she wore for her father during their father/daughter day. She's done it for years. She was a master at it.

"You were screaming over nothing?" Zipp asked, narrowing her eyes before they widened. "Was it about Opaline? Tell me everything." Zipp quickly said, pulling out her phone and pressing the record button. Misty swore Zipp was just as addicted to her phone as her sister was, loath Zipp was to admit it.

"Whoa, Zipp, give her some space. Remember?" Sunny said with a small chuckle, softly putting her hoof in front of Zipp, but everypony could hear the slight scolding tone in Sunny's voice.

"B-but, this could be important. Opaline could be back, maybe she's just lying in wait and Misty's having another vision, or—"

"Zephyrina Storm!" Pipp yelled, shutting Zipp up immediately on instinct from the multiple times their mother had used their full names. Both princess sisters knew that when their mother used their full names, they best shut up because they were in big trouble. Pipp wore a smug grin as Zipp glared at her. "Works every time."

But Misty wasn't listening anymore. Voices were ringing through her head:

"MISTY!"

"Stay focused!"

"What is taking so long?!"

She squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden onslaught of Opaline's voice, trying to block it out, but it just kept coming...

"Can't you do anything right?!"

"You never listen!"

"Get it OUT OF HERE!"

"Misty?" Izzy asked.

Misty started, eyes wide, turning to look at Izzy who was now sitting right in front of her. The rest of her friends were surrounding her, with concerned looks on their faces. No, not just concern. Pity. There was pity in their eyes. That only served to make her feel worse. They were pitying her for being so stupid. Aww, poor Misty-wisty. She's foolish enough to believe anything anypony tells her. If she were smarter, she would've seen Opaline for the liar she was. Let's all feel bad for Misty.

Misty squeezed her eyes shut again, shaking her head, ridding herself of those horrible thoughts. These were her friends. Of course, they didn't think that of her. They loved her. They didn't blame her. That was Opaline talking. That was Opaline infiltrating her mind for eleven years. That was Opaline's way of thinking. She was different. She was better. She was not Opaline.

She wore a small grin, not needing to try too hard to make it look tired. "Sorry, I guess I just zoned out a bit. I'm really—" Misty faked a yawn, stretching with it just to be safe. "Tired. What were you saying?"

Hitch gave her an odd look. "We were saying that if there's anything you want to talk to us about, don't feel like you have to hold back. We're your friends, Misty. That's what we're here for. You know that, right?"

Misty gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I know. And as I said before, I'm fine really." Misty scooted over to her sleeping bag and crawled inside. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep." Misty yawned again for good measure. "I'm really tired and it's late." She snuggled deeper into the sleeping bag, closing her eyes.

Misty could feel their eyes on her for a little while longer, probably staring at her with that same concerned look full of pity, before she could hear the shuffling of hooves as her friends slowly dispersed to their sleeping bags. She stayed like that until she could hear nothing but the snores of Izzy and the soft gurgling of Sparky before she breathed a sigh of relief.

Yes, Misty caused them enough trouble already. She didn't need to cause them anymore and prove Opaline right.