Nova Dawn bounced cheerfully into the living room. The air was filled with her joyous humming and the soft sound of magic.
Today’s going to be an amazing day! I got my favorite Power Pony comics lined up, nopony but Dusk is in the castle, and best of all… Nova turned her attention to the levitating jar that was surrounded with a faint blue aura. The same aura that currently encompassed her horn.
Through the transparent glass, she could see it was jammed to the brim with charred black peanuts. She gave a lick of her lips as she picked up her pace, turning her attention to the dining table and the huge pile of multicolored comics that sat upon it.
Nova took a seat, setting the jar in her lap as she floated over a striking issue of Power Ponies in front of her. The cover featured Zapp holding her pendant in her mouth, striking down what looked to be a shadow. Simply seeing the beautiful artwork and the words that read ‘Power Ponies and the Shadow of Fear’ caused Nova’s heart to race. Everything’s perfect. That is, except for…
Bright morning sunlight shone through the windows, stealing her attention away from more important matters. She fluttered her wings softly and gave it a scowl. With a glow of her horn, she undid the straps that held the curtains up, causing both ruby red cloths to fall. Nova adjusted each piece to ensure that not even one tiny ray of light could worm its way into the abode she had created.
Perfect! Nova thought with a smile. Satisfied that the room was now drenched in near blinding darkness, she lit her horn, providing the only source of light. Now time to get started!
Nova wrapped her hoof around the top of the jar and gave it a light twist to her right. But the cap didn’t pop open. In fact, it didn’t so much as budge. She stopped her efforts for a moment, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. Wrapping her hoof around the top once more, she tried again, this time applying as much force as she could. But again, the plastic top held firm, sealing the delicious bounty tightly inside.
“What in Celestia…” Nova surrounded the cap with a bright blue sparkling glow. Shutting her eyes, she attempted to unscrew it with as much magical force as she could muster. However, after just a few seconds of trying, she felt a harsh headache thump inside her mind, forcing her to cut off her magic and sending the jar to the floor with a ‘thump’.
“Ow…” Nova muttered under her breath as she gave her temple a light rub. Once the headache had died down, she returned her attention to the jar on the floor. “Oh so you want to play it like that huh? Fine. Let’s… play.”
She turned to the door, spotting Dusk trotting by. His spiky yellow and black mane bounced with each step.
“Oh brother!” Nova sung, her voice echoing through the hallway.
Dusk Eclipse froze in place. He peered into the dining room, huffing slightly. “What is it now? You’re not cutting your own mane again are you?”
“Hey! It’s not that bad!” Nova shouted. Suddenly, she paused, darting her gaze up in an attempt to get a glimpse of her purple mane. She could see the two streaks of yellow and peach red running through it as it fell softly down her face. “Right?”
She shook her head wildly in an attempt to get her head back to the pressing issue at hand. “I need your help in setting up something!” Nova said with a ear to ear grin.
Dusk allowed his shoulders to fall. He took a deep breath and shook his head.
“Oh no…”
“Nova, I know I’ve said you’re an irritating ball of energy with an overactive imagination before…” Dusk spoke, eyes locked onto the web of wires, pulleys and contraptions that were attached to the library roof. At the end of the elaborate mechanism hung the jar of peanuts, a rope tied securely to both the cap and the jar. “But this is a little much, even for you.”
“Amkth Phew.”
“Wanna try that sentence again?”
Nova spat out the rope in her mouth. “Thank you. You see, naive old Dusk—” she stood from her seat, lifting up the loose piece of rope that she was biting on “—when I pull this rope, it will trigger a series of movements, far too complex for you to understand, that will eventually result in the jar being pulled downwards as the cap gets tugged upwards. This will cause it to fly off into the sky, giving me full access to Honey Roast’s Signature Backwards Charred Peanuts!”
Dusk stared at Nova with a look of utter confusion. “B-but… but why don’t you just open the jar? You know? With your hoof?”
“You don’t think I’ve tried that? However, this jar is stubborn. But it doesn’t matter. It’ll make the reward all be more delicious when I finally do it!”
Dusk gave Nova several blank blinks. “Nova, you’re insane.”
“Yes well all the greatest minds in our world are,” Nova answered without pause. She took a seat beside Dusk, rope in hoof. “Beginning Operation Delicious Peanuts on the count of three!”
“Nova…”
“One…”
“Nova.”
“Two…”
“Nova!”
“Three!” Nova gave the rope in her hoof a hard tug. Instantly, the contraption kicked itself alive. Rocks fell, parts whizzed and large lengths of rope soared by at blinding speeds. A couple of seconds later, the knot that was tied around the cap tightened and soared upwards, while the one that was secured around the jar attempted its tug down. However, just as it looked like it was about to work, the rope that was holding onto the jar snapped.
The jar shot through the air and, before Nova even had time to react, she felt it slam squarely into her chest, sending her soaring into a wall. Nova heard a loud ‘crash’ followed by an enormous cloud of dust.
That… did not go according to plan, Nova thought, giving several coughs.
“Nova! Hey! You okay?” Dusk’s voice snapped her out of her confused trance. Nova lifted her head, realizing that she was resting in the hole she had created. She lifted the jar on her chest, noting that, not only had the cap not been pulled off, the jar had not so much as a scratch on it.
Nova gave an audible groan, allowing herself to fall back into the pile of debris. “I’m fine. The jar’s fine too.”
“Well, what’s your strategy now?”
Nova’s wracked her brain for another idea. Hmm, think… what else could I use to… ah hah!
---------
Dusk picked up one of the bundle of red sticks Nova had laid around the jar. He stared at the wick coming out from one end, an unimpressed frown on his face.
“Nova, this is a bad idea.”
“You need to be more optimistic. After all…” Nova tossed another bundle onto the enormous stack of explosives. The pile surrounded the jar from the ground up, obscuring the peanuts entirely from view. “What’s a better idea than dynamite?”
“...That’s a rhetorical question right?” Dusk placed the explosives lightly onto the stack. “Plus where did you even get dynamite?”
“Duh, I bought it.”
Dusk shook his head, waving his hoof in front of his face. “That’s not what I… never mind. I have a better question. Why go through all this trouble?”
“Nova picked up a coil of white-colored rope that led into the stack of dynamite. Slowly, she began to step backwards, unwinding it as she went along. “Because, dear brother, those peanuts are the most delicious things in Equestria. And that stupid cap is the only thing standing between me and an extremely relaxing day!”
Dusk trailed closely behind Nova, following her as she proceeded up a hill. “Can I suggest a solution that doesn’t involve dynamite?”
“No, no you can’t. I know this will work. Trust me!” Nova’s horn began to glow as she levitated out a matchbox.
Dusk gave a shrug and sat down on the grassy hilltop.
With a loud ‘sssst’, Nova struck a match against the box’s friction strip, igniting the top into a small flame. She swiftly lit the rope, watching as a bright spark appeared before racing down towards the pile of explosives.
Nova’s mouth slowly stretched into a sinister grin as the spark neared the mountain of dynamite. It zipped and sped forth, eventually disappearing from view.
Three… Nova turned to Dusk, who was staring with the same half-lidded gaze he seemed to give everything. Two… She returned her attention back to the soon-to-be spectacle. One… The only image appearing in her mind was that of the hundreds of peanuts that were soon going to be hers. And…
Dusk and Nova stared at the pile for several silent seconds. However, there wasn’t so much of a pop, much less an explosion.
“There… there should have been a huge boom by now,” Nova said in an irritated tone. “Darn it, what now?” She made her way down the hill, causing Dusk to call out behind her.
“I wouldn’t do that!”
“I know! You wouldn’t do a lot of things!” Nova shouted back, not even turning to face Dusk.
Once she had reached the bright red stack, she circled it several times, hoping to spot something out of place. I checked everything. It should have blown up by now. She gave her chin a light tap, mind racing as to what might have gone wrong. Nova leaned in and reached her hoof forward. Maybe if I-. And just as her hoof made contact with one of the sticks of dynamite, her vision was swiftly obscured by a bright orange light.
A deafening boom, much like how she imagined the ones in her Power Pony comics must have sounded, echoed through her ears. Meanwhile, she felt something push her far up into the air.
She attempted to look around her, but a thick black cloud obscured her vision. Before she knew it, she felt herself land on the ground in a sitting position. In the place of the enormous pile of explosives was a charred ground. Nova blinked several times, hearing a voice pierce the ringing in her ears.
“Nova! Hey! You alright!?”
Nova gave a cough, watching a tiny smoke cloud exit her mouth and vanish in the air. She glanced down, spotting her body and hooves covered in a layer of ash. Or was it smog? At this point, Nova wasn’t sure any longer.
Suddenly, she remembered the most important thing about this whole ordeal.
Peanuts! Nova frantically looked around her, hoping to spot an open jar of her favorite snack waiting for her. However, they were nowhere to be seen. As Nova started to panic, a loud ‘thunk’ caught her attention. She swung around and, sure enough, at the middle of the burned land sat a familiar jar with not a trace of wear on it. Even its white cap sat firmly secured to its top, the sight of which caused a raging fire to grow within Nova.
Nova clenched her teeth tightly. Stupid little… Her horn glowed a bright blue, drawing all nearby traces of ash on her body into a tight little ball. With as much anger as she could muster, she fired it upwards, causing it to explode into a large mushroom cloud of black smoke.
“Well that didn’t work out,” Dusk said in a monotone voice. “I told yo—”
Nova took a deep huff and spoke, “Not. Another. Word.”
“For the third time, Nova, this is crazy.”
“This is how it’s going to work.”
“Nova, I’m serious.”
“So am I!”
Dusk drew a deep breath to calm his thoughts. “Okay, explain.”
“It’s simple. I’ve gathered all the thunder clouds from Canterlot and formed them into one huge cloud.” Nova fluttered proudly beside the enormous black cloud that floated inside the castle’s main hallway. Small yellow sparks fizzled out every other second, leaping out of one side of the cloud before diving back in, much like a dolphin in the ocean. “When I strike this, it’ll send a bolt unlike any other into the jar and the cap will pop right off!”
Dusk furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Okay, two questions. One, why would the cap pop right off?”
“Or the jar gets destroyed. I’m okay with either outcome.”
Dusk paused. “That didn’t answer my question.”
“Psh, details details. I’m not a science expert!”
“...You got an A in Physics.”
“Anyway, what’s your second question?”
Dusk glanced at the beautiful decorated interior of the castle. “Shouldn’t we be doing this outside?”
“Hmm… good point.” Nova flew around the room, scanning the tapestries. However, not a second later, she gave a nonchalant shrug. “Welp, too late for that now!” She raced towards the cloud, winding up her hindhooves. “Ready?”
“No?”
“Go!” Nova gave the cloud a harsh buck. This sent an enormous bolt soaring down from the crackling cloud and onto the jar below. A flash of light and boom of thunder echoed through the building once it hit the cap. Nova watched with a maniacal grin, watching for any signs of the white top flying off. However, without warning, the lightning ricocheted off and flew straight into Nova’s chest, sending her flying through a nearby door and into the guest bedroom.
Nova gave a pained groan, rubbing her head softly. A powerful, electric energy coursed through her veins. And when she glanced at the nearby mirror, she saw her once smooth mane had been frazzled beyond recognition. Small blue bolts buzzed and jumped between stray tips, while her smooth coat had puffed up.
Nova turned her attention to the jar, noting that it still stood pristine and flawless. She felt an immeasurable anger build within her. It rose and sparked like a growing flame. Thoughts of rage filled her mind and suddenly, she felt it.
She felt something snap.
Summoning all the magic within her reserves, she felt her body surge with power. Her eyes had began to glow a bright white and a sparkling aura covered her body. She floated out of the room effortlessly. All the while her eyes were locked onto one object and one object only.
The jar.
The entire world around her had vanished from view. She stared at the transparent container, levitating it into the air.
“You have mocked me for far too long.” She spoke in a terrifying voice. Every word that she said was accompanied by an echo, as if two Novas were speaking at once. “You shall be dealt with without remorse. Without mercy.”
Nova diverted her attention to the cap that sat atop it. A bright blue magic surrounded the top, and bit by bit, the cap flaked away like ashes being blown into the wind. A few seconds was all the cap could withstand under her furious rage. It vanished into oblivion, leaving only Nova and the illustrious bounty that she so desired.
Upon laying eyes on the peanuts, Nova floated softly to the ground, the intense energy surge leaving her body. She brought the jar gingerly into her hooves, grabbing one of the peanuts and munching on it. The salty, sweet crunch brought Nova an indescribable joy.
“Told you I’d get it open, Dusk!” she said through closed eyes and with a large smile drawn across her face.
“Nova Dawn.”
The voice that answered was most definitely not Dusk. And it was most definitely filled with anger. Anger of which Nova had never heard before. She opened one of her eyes very slowly, eventually spotting both Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle staring back at her with furious looks.
“M-moms! H-hey! So… you two are back early! S-so it isn’t what it looks like!”
“Oh? Because it looks like you used alicorn mode to vanish a jar cap from existence!” Sunset screamed loudly.
Nova tapped the jar in her lap with her hooves. “Okay, so it is what it looks like. But I can explain!”
“No need! Grounded for a month!” Twilight shouted in reply.
Nova dropped her shoulders with a sigh. She had wanted to argue, but knew it would only make it worse. And in hindsight, she knew both Twilight and Sunset were in the right. In fact, a month seemed ridiculously lenient compared to what she expected. “Fair.”
“Good! Now if you excuse me, the carriage had a terrible backrest.” Sunset groaned in pain, trotting up the steps with Twilight. This action prompted both Nova and Twilight to giggle softly. Dusk, meanwhile, stood with a smile on his face.
“She takes after you,” Twilight whispered, no doubt trying to hide the words from Nova’s ears. However, Nova still caught it clear as day.
“Psh, no she doesn’t.”
“Really? Have you forgotten the incident with the whipped cream, two noodles and a tiger?”
“That was ONE time!” Sunset yelled as they entered their quarters.
Nova returned her attention to the jar. She picked up a peanut and was about to toss it into her mouth when she spotted Dusk leaning over her, a curious look on his face.
“Here.” Nova extended her hoof, offering the peanut to Dusk.
Dusk took the treat and flicked it into his muzzle. He chewed for several seconds before nodding. “Delicious.”
“I know right? So worth it!”
“Mmhm.” Dusk began his trot back to his room. “And to think you could’ve just avoided all this if you turned the cap to the left.”
“Mmhm!” Nova was about to toss a peanut into her waiting maw when the words scanned through her mind. Her expression fell, thinking, no, knowing, she must’ve heard Dusk wrongly. “Wait, what?”
“Yeah. You were turning the cap the wrong way the whole time.”
Nova’s eyes shot wide open. She felt her left eye twitch slightly. “And you didn’t tell me this, why!?”
“I tried. But you kept interrupting me,” Dusk answered, picking up his pace.
The spark of rage had reignited fully within Nova’s heart. Only this time, it burned more intense than Nova had ever felt. She rose into the air with a faint glow and floated slowly towards her target.
“Dusk Eclipse! Come back here!”
