What is going on? WHY is Opaline smiling?! Is it a good thing or a bad thing? And why does she want MISTY to sit next to her?!

Don’t do it, Misty! It’s a trap!

@Background Pony #DBBA
Main character development only happens in mym so the tyt forms of em don’t really matter in the reformation convo

@Background Pony #1EEB
The cartoon Opaline is definetly able to reform as she is much more lenient and forgiving to Misty, especially in Tell Your Tales pretty much acting as Yzma and Kronk. We need to actually learn Opaline’s backstory to really know more. She blackmail Misty over getting her cutie mark which is a very weird thing to keep her around when in fact she could be just using emotional blackmail as Opaline is her actual foster mother who raised her from a foal and Misty should respect her and listen to her even if she already had a cutie mark and magic. The fact that Opaline took Misty’s cutie mark as a leverage for negotiation shows how Opaline has huge trust issues, even to her own pony she raised. Opaline must have been betrayed by ponies and now she tries to not depend on anyone but herself and not treat Misty as nothing else than a tool. She has the same arc as Zabuza in Naruto except Zabuza changed and reformed witnessing death of his version of Misty. We obviously can’t kill anyone so in MLP Misty going to rebel instead. But i do wonder what would have happened to Opaline if because of her demands Misty died trying to get her that magic dragon/lamp and she would realise that the only pony who kept her company was no longer with her.

@Background Pony #4817
No problem

This is going to take a lot more time. I’m feeling really stumped and a little bit hopeless right now. thank you all for being so supportive.

I feel like she’s going to make Misty evil

@Briarlight
And that no one is bad from the beginning of his birth. It is very illogical for a person to be bad from the beginning without reason. Even if it’s in an animation. Concepts are taught better in animation and usually try to observe positive points in them.

@Background Pony #1EEB
And in a fictional story, everything is possible. Because it is fictional.

The sinister way she smiled earlier and blamed Misty for not communicating what she wanted (a frinkin’ simple hug of all things) tells me this is not a moment that Opaline is pulling back or opening up better as the parental figure.

Especially with how obviously, physically starved Misty is.

@Turbotune
Opaline doesn’t want trust, she wants obedience.

@Background Pony #1EEB
This is fiction, characters can and will be pure evil. Opaline is a racist, power hungry egotist and has been for hundreds of years. She kicked over fluttershy

@Background Pony #CC2F
I mean something else. Everyone says that Opaline cannot be reformed and has always been an abusive and bad person. I don’t agree and I would like to understand Opaline and think better. No one is bad for no reason. I also feel that Opaline had little love in her childhood that she treats Misty this way.

@Background Pony #1EEB
I would argue trying to “think more positively” about this is dangerous as it can lead to excusing abusive behaviour. A neutral understanding of what is understood as negative behaviour I would argue is a better approach to take when analyzing a case of abuse, we shouldn’t try to salvage the scraps of anything “positive” from this as it shifts the understanding of this case of blatant abuse towards a more positive version and hence leads to apologia.

@Background Pony #DBBA
It’s very rare to see abuse be done out of pure maliciousness, correct. And yes, the way the parent act does fluctuate, but the pattern of abuse has been established, and intentionally or not, the parent trying to solve the problem not through apologizing and rectifying the issue but through platitudes like we’re seeing here to “prove” that she cares about Misty is manipulative. And yes, there are risk factors that play into this and the parent may have some mental construct that justifies the behaviour in their mind. This does not justify the abuse, it’s just one way to understand where the abuse is stemming from. I’m not making the argument this is done out of raw malice, but the actions taken are still likewise harmful and manipulative, regardless of motive nor even awareness.

@Background Pony #DBBA
Here we have someone who thinks more positively and differently. Hooray

I accept your word

@Background Pony #CC2F
Abusers are not just “haha i’m evil, and therefore will abuse my child because what an evil villain would do!”
Many parents like this would have ON and OFF moments where they blame their failures and vent off on their kid, but otherwise would act normally and take them to the circus or something. Did anyone saw the “Daddy of Five” you tube drama? Those were almost normal parents providing food and clothing and education except they also made you tube videos emotionally abusing their youngest kids or recording them when they were distressed.

Opaline probably also has a reason to abuse Misty. Might be ignorance, might be sadism or might be her own experience of being abused in the past and she see good parenting as weakness because the hardships had made her the most powerfull Alicorns while she see Misty as reflection of her weak young self when she was a unicorn?

@Background Pony #4817
You’ve written an entire story on anorexia, put your heart and soul into it and created one of the best things that has ever come out of this fandom. You then took on the challenge to create another story, just as high a quality, and is very very close to hitting the length of the previous story. There’s no way in hell you could disappoint, you’ve proven yourself many times over, the worst case scenario you’re still going down as a legend in my books. My condolences you’ve found yourself exhausted, for how hard you’ve been working on this as well as what life’s probably throwing at you rn, exhaustion’s almost inevitable. Love you mate

I’m getting all of the bad vibes from this, abusers like this when they turn on a dime and try to act nice as if nothing’s happening, it’s not genuine but they’ll insist on the opposite, then blame the victim for not wanting what they say they do, all trying to reassure themself that what they’re doing is correct and the victim is not a victim but the problem. Even if Hitch were to buck through the door right now, what happens is that Opaline comes off as the good parent, Misty the petulant child rambling about what’s in the past, and the cycle continues. At least Misty’s got the marks to prove it, though whether she even brings it up would be the real question.

I’ve been extremely tired and unable to focus as of lately. I really hope I don’t disappoint anybody.

@Background Pony #4817
No need to say sorry! So, the next panel is ready? Can’t wait.

@Background Pony #4817
Can something good happen to Misty? Please, I want her to be happy.

@Gubernatоr
I’m really sorry about that. I tend to get a little stumped sometimes. I’m trying to only post when I have another panel to go and to post afterwards to be sure I don’t stress over a deadend.

What’s that one Pinkie quote? “I know smiles, and those smiles aren’t real”

@Turbotune
I hope Opaline will do the right thing.