"Dad? Is something wrong?" Misty asked upon noticing a troubled, puzzled look upon her father's face. She had come back to Bridlewood to visit with him for a while now that things had settled down. Having called upon him within the confines of the Crystal Tea Room, she'd noticed that his initial joy and excitement at seeing her again had faded. And she had to know why.
Alphabittle, realizing his daughter was staring at him with concern, managed to reply. "No, it's nothing, Misty. I was just... thinking about some things."
"What sort of things?" Misty questioned, her curiosity only trumped by her concern.
The stallion sighed. He could tell already that his daughter wasn't going to let this go. He had to share what was on his mind. "Don't take this the wrong way, Misty. I'm glad you came back to me, and I couldn't be prouder of the pony you've become," He paused and wiped a tear from his eyes. "I only wish your mother could be here to see what a fine young mare you've turned into. You're all I have left to remember a simpler time."
"Dad, I'm... sorry if I made you upset," The unicorn mare sincerely apologized. "But we already talked about this: I'm not going back. We can't turn back the clock and act like nothing happened. I am who I am, I can't change that."
Alphabittle sighed once again. "I know that, Misty. And that's just what I've been thinking about," He tapped a hoof against his chin. "You told me once, and your friends kind of filled in the gaps later on. Yet every time I think back to how I lost you, there's still so much that puzzles me. So much that I don't know, and so much I wonder about."
"You mean... about my time with Opaline?" Misty gulped, shuddering slightly. Despite how long it had been since the fire alicorn's defeat, the memories of her cold hearted ways still haunted her and troubled her greatly. She had been happy not to dwell on them.
The stallion with a grey coat and white locks nodded back. "Yeah. And since I can't ask her myself, asking you is the only way I feel I'm going to get some answers," He proceeded to launch into his questions. "Why'd you stay with her for so long? Why didn't you run away until after you'd met Izzy and her friends? Opaline was just using you to get what she wanted, right?" Upon seeing his daughter nod, he asked again. "So what kept you from leaving her the first chance you got? Why didn't you come home, or at least try to?"
"That's the thing, Dad," Misty confessed as she began to recall. "I did try to run away. Not right away after I got there, I was still very frightened and unsure. But it wasn't long before I decided that I didn't like Opaline and didn't want to be with her." She shut her eyes as the memories from so long ago came flooding back to her in an instant.
The blank flanked filly had only spent a few days in the care of Opaline, and they were the worst days she had ever known. Despite the fire alicorn repeatedly insisting she saw Misty as a friend, the way she treated the unicorn filly made it quite clear that such words were lies.
So Misty had made up her mind. There was only one thing to do in a situation like this: Run away! She had no idea where she would run to or where she would go. She just knew she couldn't stay here, inside this castle in the middle of hoofness knows where.
And that's exactly what the filly did. She managed to force open the window of the bedroom Opaline had provided for her, quickly climbing through it and then scaling down the castle walls as best she could. Once her hooves had touched solid ground, she didn't hesitate for a second. She bolted and ran as fast as her hooves could carry her!
As luck would have it, Opaline came into Misty's bedroom just seconds later. "You've been awfully silent for a long time now, Misty," She called, unaware of the fact that her "friend" had left. "How can we become the best of friends if you won't even talk to me? I'm sorry I don't know where your 'father' lives, but I promised to take care of you and that's what I'll do: After all, that's what a friend does. And I meant it when I said we were going to be friends."
Only upon finishing her sentence did the fire alicorn see that the bedroom was completely deserted. There was not a trace of her "friend" anywhere. She bitterly stomped a hoof down. "Misty, I'm in no mood for your silly games!" She roared! "You had better come out from wherever it is you're hiding right now! You don't want to see me when I get angry!"
Yet the only sound that Opaline could hear was silence. Come to think of it, it seemed a bit drafty in here. And it looked as if light was streaming in to break up the darkness. That was all rather odd, none of that was supposed to be there. The fire alicorn trotted closer, and her cold eyes beheld a most horrifying sight! She could see that the lone window within the bedroom had been opened, rather hastily and clumsily it would seem. "Ugh, that wretched little brat!" She complained as she immediately exited the bedroom and made a beeline for her castle's doors! She couldn't afford to lose Misty, the filly was far too important to Opaline's plan to take back all the magic in Equestria that should've rightfully been hers.
As for Misty, the filly just kept running and running. She had no particular destination in mind. In fact, she had no idea where she was or where anything she knew was. All that mattered was that she get as far away from that unfriendly Opaline! The fire alicorn was anything but a friend to the frightened filly. Friends didn't keep friends locked away, refusing to let them out. Friends didn't keep other friends when all said friend wanted was to go home.
Suddenly, the unicorn filly felt her hooves give way! Next thing she knew, she was tumbling end over end again and again, getting quite bruised up in the process. At last, the tumbling stopped. But by now, every part of her body was sore and in pain. She must've tripped or stumbled over something, something that she hadn't been able to see because of the darkness of her surroundings. If only she could teleport like her father said unicorns used to be able to do. She would teleport to home, right into the waiting hooves of her daddy, where she knew she would be safe.
Alas, all Misty could do was whimper and cry in pain. Why was this happening to her? What had she done wrong?
Then, suddenly, Misty's ear could pick up the faint sound of ominous growling. And was it her imagination, or was the sound growing louder and closer by the second? She lifted her head and turned around fast, only to find herself face to face with a shadowy creature the likes of which she had never seen before! It was big, scary looking, and had sharp teeth and fangs! It looked very much like it wanted to eat her!
The unicorn tried to run again, but her body seemed to be working against her. She was frozen in terror, unable to move! She could barely even scream. Was this it? Was this how it all ended for her?
Just as Misty had resigned herself to what seemed like her unavoidable fate, she heard a voice cry out in a deep, thunderous tone! "GET AWAY FROM HER THIS INSTANT! DON'T YOU DARE HURT MISTY!"
Looking up to the skies, the frightened filly saw none other than Opaline hovering overhead! Her whole body was glowing and vibrating ominously, and flickered frequently as sparks seemed to spill out from the top of her horn. It looked as if the fire alicorn was expending a great deal of energy just to maintain her current state of appearance.
The shadowy monster seemed to be briefly repulsed by the light from the alicorn. And for Misty, that was good enough for her. She crawled towards Opaline and hid herself behind the alicorn mare. At least with any luck both her problems would take care of themselves.
Opaline, however, would not be defeated. Instead, with her horn sizzling and fizzling, she fired off a faint but bright beam of light! "YOU WILL NOT HARM MISTY! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OPALINE FORBIDS IT!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs! The show of power was absolutely incredible, even if it lasted for only a few seconds. When it was finished, the shadowy creature that had seemed so intent on attacking and eating Misty had turned and fled.
For the time being, the frightened filly was relieved to be standing behind Opaline. At least the fire alicorn offered her protection from the unknown monsters lurking in the shadows.
The fire alicorn, for her part, wasted no time in grabbing Misty by the hooves and then taking to the skies. "Come, Misty, let's get you back to where I know you'll be safe."
"You're taking me home?" Misty asked in a hopeful tone as her ears perked up.
Opaline frowned. "I have told you before, Misty, I don't know where your 'home' is. And I can't waste all my time trying to find it," She quickly touched down outside her castle. "This castle is your home now, Misty. You are safe with me. Why don't you understand that?"
The unicorn filly whimpered, tearing up and shrinking from the alicorn's gaze. "But... but... I was just trying to..." She trailed off, unable to maintain her thoughts.
The fire alicorn's cold eyes narrowed. "You made me expend a great deal of effort and energy just to save you, Misty. Now I will need even more magic, and even more time to get it. If nothing else, I hope that your little 'adventure' has taught you a lesson about trying to leave me. The outside world is far too dangerous for you. You're safer here with me than you are trying to fend for yourself in that cold, unforgiving place," And she hissed. "Do you understand?!"
Misty nodded quite slowly as she was set upon the ground. "Y-yes, Opaline."
Opaline then adopted what seemed like a rather sinister smile as she locked eyes with the filly. "Well then... why don't we just make sure you don't get any more ideas like that?" She tapped her horn against the child's forehead. "Just hold still, this will only take a minute." And there came a bright light that momentarily blinded her target!
Misty opened her eyes, the flashback ending as she found herself no longer in Opaline's castle but within the confines of the Crystal Tea Room in Bridlewood. She shuddered in spite of herself. "I can't really explain what it was, but after Opaline cast that spell on me I couldn't remember you or my past at all," She explained to her father. "And I don't know whether Opaline meant to do that, or if it was just a 'happy accident' as she would've put it. From then on, however, I knew I couldn't leave."
Alphabittle trotted forward, hugging his daughter as she leaned into his embrace. "Oh, Misty. I had no idea."
Misty sniffled a bit. "It was probably me getting my cutie mark that helped to break whatever spell Opaline placed to block out my memories," And she apologized. "I'm sorry, Dad. I know you had Izzy and Queen Haven, but it probably wasn't the same as having me around."
"Misty, it's not your fault," Alphabittle sincerely insisted as he stroked her mane so delicately. "You didn't do anything to deserve any of what Opaline did to you. And she's gone now. She can't hurt you anymore."
The unicorn mare nodded ever so slowly. "I know, Dad. I know. But every now and then in my dreams," She briefly shut her eyes. "I can still see her, hear her. She spent so much time making me feel like I wasn't good enough. And I feel like there will always be a part of me that will remember everything she said and did, even when I try my best to forget," She opened her eyes, vowing quite affirmatively. "But I'm done living in the past! I'm done letting her control me! Even if she comes back somehow, she'll never control me again! And ever since I made friends and got my cutie mark, I've become a better pony than I ever could've become just by staying with her."
The grey coated stallion smiled as he ended the hug and let go of his daughter. "That's my Misty!" He said proudly. "I know that you can do anything you set your mind to! You've made me so proud to be your papa, and I'm sure you'll continue to make me proud no matter what you and your friends do."
Misty nodded. "You bet I will, Dad! My troubled past doesn't have to haunt my future! And thanks to Sunny and her friends, my future looks brighter than it ever has been. Whatever else may come, I know I'll be ready for it and will get through it with the help of my friends. Together, we'll create an Equestria where the likes of Opaline can never exist ever again!"