Broken Harmony

She kept her eyes closed upon waking. Nova didn’t want to let anyone know she was awake just yet. She needed to take inventory of her new body, see how everything felt. She really didn’t have a chance to even examine what had happened to her before everything turned on its end inside the castle.

She felt her wings move in response to her thoughts, the new muscles that controlled them felt strange; the overall newness that came with this body was overwhelming. She stifled those thoughts quickly enough, this was not the time to overreact to what was happening, panicking right now would help nothing at all. When Discord had changed into his true form she had known her life was changed forever. She could do this, she had to, for the ponys, the princesses, for Discord and for the girls she held inside her.

Quietly she searched inside herself to see if she could still feel them. Praying that the changes that had happened didn’t silence their hold on the world, she waited. What seemed like hours went by before she started to feel the odd feeling inside her head. Softly a voice flickered inside her head.

“We’re ok Nova.” Fluttershy sounded like the wind the sound drifting in and out barely a whisper but, Nova heard her.

She thought back, “ I’m so happy to hear from you. I was afraid something had happened. Do you girls know where I am? Did you see all that happened when we crossed over? Did the magic surge make it easier or harder for you to communicate? Is - “

“Nova sweeite, I can’t keep up please, slow down and let us answers the questions you already posed. I don’t even have to ask the girls about where you are, Discord saved you by bringing you to his home. Do be kind to him Nova the poor dear has been through so much. I wish I could speak to him…….. “

Silence for a moment and Nova feared they had retreated back inside her when Fluttershy started to talk again. “ You are an alicorn. It really does suit you. You have so much power inside you, we don’t believe any other form would have made sense in this world for you. We can see, what you see and feel, and what is happening through your reactions. So, yes we did see what happened at the castle. Twilight can not believe the amount of magic you have. She wants you to know she is here and ready to help guide your magic as much as she can from this side.

When your magic flared to life we were momentarily left adrift in the power but, it’s ok now. We still can’t speak to you all at once. The girls still want me to be the one to talk to you, if it’s ok with you? I hope it is, it’s a tiny bit scary for me but, I like knowing I’m helping even if it’s only a little bit.”

“I am overjoyed to have you to talk to Fluttershy. I am so thankful to know you are all with me right now, I need as much help as I can get. What happened in the castle, those poor ponys….”

She felt more than just her sadness well up inside her and knew the girls were also grieving for the reanimated ponys. Fluttershy came through again even more quiet barely above a whisper she said “ Grogar is a terrible creature. We need to stop him. The horrors he can create know no bounds. Nova, we need you to help us. Help the princesses stop him. Help Discord find some balance of peace…….I can’t stay as present as I am much longer. It takes a lot of power and you need to have all your energy for what comes next I’m afraid. Nova, trust them, trust us and most importantly trust yourself. We have to win.”

Nova felt the power ebb and go back to wherever the girls were inside. She let out a shaky breath and opened her eyes. Discord mismatched eyes were inches from hers. She couldn’t help but pull back just a bit.

“ Sorry my dear, you weren’t sleeping but, I couldn’t tell what you were doing. I was worried and when it seemed you weren’t in danger, I stayed because I wanted to know whatever it is you know. I assume you were speaking to Fluttershy?”

She looked at him and nodded. “ She wishes she could speak to you, I’m sorry I can’t let her, I don’t know how.”

“ I don’t think you could even if you wanted to. Nova, Fluttershy is so dear to me but, don’t think for one second you are second fiddle.” He touched her cheek and ran his paw down her face tracing her jawline. “ I care for you very much Nova, I want you to be safe, speaking of that… how are you feeling my dear?”

“I’m ok.”
He raised an eyebrow and looked at her waiting for more of a response. Nova instead turned away from him and slowly started to raise out of bed. The sheets were tangled around her feet and having four to worry about now she didn’t notice until she tumbled. Discord caught her gracefully before she hit the ground.

“ You sure you’re feeling fine?”
Nova looked up into his eyes and sighed “ I’m just a little unsteady on my feet….hooves, I’m feeling fine though, I’m not weak from the magic or physically harmed. I’m ready to get moving and figure out what our next plan of action is.”

Discord gave her a small squeeze and placed her on the ground. “ My dear, you can take a moment for yourself. It’s ok, my word Nova, you have just been through more in a few hours than most have been through in a lifetime. Even before that with me, and dare I say your past. It’s ok to breath for a moment-

“No. Discord no it’s not ok,” she stretched her wings out and then firmly tucked them into place. She looked up at him with blazing eyes, “ if I stop right now and start thinking about what is happening, what is really happening Discord, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t know if I could keep going or if I would just run away. Except where would I run away to right? I don’t belong in the human world and this world isn’t mine, not really. Yet, there’s a demon running the show right now and using innocent lives as his play things. No, not even just their lives but has to torment them even further in their deaths. It’s awful…..”, she shook her head and silently tears hit the floor, “ I can’t let that type of evil win. He is not allowed to stay here in this world where magic, harmony, love and friendship are the energies that fuel the day to day. He needs to be destroyed…….”

He moved to touch her and she side stepped his reach quickly trotting to the door. “I’m sorry, just don’t, I need to move forward not be cradled and left in limbo. I’m going to find the princesses.” She left the room and he heard her trot down into the main living area where a mummer of voices started on her arrival.

Confusion filled Discord’s heart. She was so strong but, no one can go through so much and not have a breaking point where enough was enough. She was willing to take on everything for them with no regard for herself. She deserved to be more than a weapon she deserved to feel more than fear, and duty. This fight was going to determine the fate of Equestria, having her here may very well tip the balance in their favor but, would it cost Nova her sanity? How do you support someone who has decided she’s on her own, that she has to face the beast regardless?

He floated down into the main area which seemed so much smaller with three alicorns standing inside it. Snapping his fingers he rearranged the house so it was larger and he felt more at home, making Celestia startle also helped settle his nerves. Luna glared up at him and humphed a do you mind comment in his direction. He settled down near them to see what they were talking about.

It seem to be the same type of conversation he had done upstairs with Nova. He noticed she answered the princesses with a bit more formality but, basically with the same tone. She wanted to fight and talking was a delay in action.

Celestia smiled softly and even though her eyes were lined from the stress and fear she had accumulated from this horror she tried to be the patient teacher. “Nova, I understand that time is something we do not have the luxury of passing slowly. I agree, we need action against Grogar but, we also need to carefully think of what the next step will be. You child, you need to learn some control over your magic. You have just become an alicorn from a species that has very limited magic. Right now having your large stores of magic thrust out wildly may work once or twice but, it will not sustain any type of battle and I’m afraid it will leave you weak if not drain you completely. You would be a target Nova if your own body didn’t destroy itself.”

Nova sighed, turning to look at Luna. She continued what her sister was saying, “ Dear young one, we would not be standing here if it were not for you and Discord’s power. Please understand that my sister and I want to fight back just as badly as you do. Grogar is terrible even I wasn’t prepared for the - for the way he used ….” She shuddered, “ what he did to those ponies even in death, it’s an abomination. I wish my sister and I could do more, right now, like you do. We would be walking into our own funeral if we were to leave here right now. We can’t help anyone if we are dead correct?”

“ No, I know you’re right… I’m just so over my quota for everything and I want to keep moving forward. There is so much right now that I don’t fully understand, but I want to fight. He needs to be stopped, this is why I’m here right? I am the elements made alive. I can’t let their deaths - all of their deaths be for nothing.”

Discord moved to stand beside her and slowly rested a paw on her shoulder. “ You aren’t here alone Nova. This is not just your fight. You don’t have to kill yourself to prove you belong.”

Nova looked up sharply at him. “ Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s the truth and you very well know it. As soon as you told me your story and I explained to you what you were, you’ve felt guilty and afraid. Nova -

“ Discord,” Celestia motioned to Nova who had started to shake.
He took his hand from her shoulder and she stared at the ground. “Luna, can you help me practice a bit outside please. I would like to see if I can produce some of the spells I have in my memory.“ Of course Nova,” Luna said glancing at Discord, “ I suspect we can go outdoors here and not fall down into the unknown?”

He nodded and watched the two alicorns leave his home. Celestia moved to sit, conjuring a map of Equestria. “ Care to join me Discord?”

“ Well, I suppose I have no choice in the matter since Luna is training her. I might as well be useful somewhere.” He sat down beside her and said “ she is so much more than a weapon Tia. She’s brilliant, funny, kind, adventurous and braver than anyone I have ever known. I know she has a job, as we all do but, seeing her like this it worries me.”

Celestia watched him, Discord was in pain. Sadly she thought, we all have a battle we have lost, we all have our painful burdens to carry into this battle.

“ She has a place in this world, in this fight Discord. I can’t lie and say she is not incredibly powerful due to having the elements fuse together inside her. She is a force that will help us and may make the difference in how the end plays out. Once things are done one way or the other, then, if we can talk about the future we will. Right now though, I need you to try and help me with this map. I have to figure out the cave systems that connect together here so we can use them to travel. We need to be stealthy and undetected by anyone in his control.”

With that Discord and Celestia worked for hours on what they could do to get into Equestria and stay off of Grogar’s radar. Luna and Nova came inside after a couple of hours visibly exhausted. Nova lay down beside Discord to listen and figure out what was happening in the plans. Luna sat beside her sister and began to offer suggestions based on battles in Equestria’s past. Nova listened but, slowly started to loose focus on what was happening. Discord wrapped his tail around her and she gladly let him lower her head to his lap. She fell asleep almost instantly.

Luna smiled, “ she did very well sparring with me. Her control is second to none I can’t believe how quickly she was able to learn how her magic worked. I know we gave her the Alicorn magic and all of our knowledge but, Celestia she is incredible.”

“I suspect Twilight is helping her as much as she can.”
Celestia looked at Discord, “ What does that mean exactly Discord?”

“ She can communicate with the girls, a piece of them all are alive inside her. She talks to them through Fluttershy. They don’t have enough power to manifest all at once and they don’t want to take from her powers, at least from what I gather. So the girls talk to Nova and Nova to them through Fluttershy. I don’t believe she is present all the time at least to speak but, they are all there Celestia.”

Celestia and Luna cried silent tears. Celestia was the first to gather herself, “ I never thought in my wildest dreams that this could be an outcome. Discord, this means so much to Luna and I, to know they are somewhere close by guiding Nova. Twilight my always faithful student, the youngest of our royal family. I missed her -”

“ Tia, I understand. I felt the same way as you both do. Those girls changed my fate. Nova, she’s changed my life.”

Luna had walked over to him and gave him a small nuzzle, “ love is a funny thing isn’t it?”
“ Yes, it really is. Such an emotion it’s so close to Chaos at times I don’t know where one ends and the other begins.”

“ It’s late, I can feel the moon passing even from here. We should all get some rest so we can … head back home.”

Celestia nodded and Discord snapped his fingers adding another room onto the downstairs with two beds for the Princesses to sleep. He picked Nova up and smiled at the sisters. “I’ll take her to bed she’ll rest better in my room.”

Luna snorted but, left it alone. Celestia nodded and bid him well. He snapped his fingers and teleported to his room. Laying Nova down and making sure she was tucked in, he slipped in beside her and pretended that just for tonight, everything was going to be ok.