Broken Harmony

Discord lead them above ground in the thick of the Everfree forest. Celestia gasped as she stepped out of the ground and saw the mutated trees surrounding her. Luna helped Nova up out of the hole and used her magic to move a large rock over the entrance. The sight of the trees sent a shiver up her spine. This monster was changing the very nature of their world. He could not win, their very existence depended on them being victorious.

“Is this the Everfree forest?” Nova walked over to Discord whispering.
“ Yes, what’s left of it.” He motioned for the girls to follow him, “we aren’t far away from where he was sitting. See the ridge up ahead that’s where I was hiding before. I think the best idea to get him out in the open is to set up a magical trap. He’s smart, I think he’ll understand if we are trying to divert his attention to another area. Although, I imagine he would also make sure to check everything, which means we make a big enough commotion elsewhere he will send guards to check. Though he, I would assume, would go with the second party and try to find us the opposite way.”

Celestia looked to Luna who was always better with battle strategies than herself and saw her nodding along with what Discord was saying. She pawed the ground with her front right hoof thinking. “ I agree with you Discord. From when we battled him before this seems exactly his style. So now, how do we create a big enough power surge to get him interested in another spot?”

“ Luna my dear, Chaos Lord at your service.” He flew up into the air and looked down at the girls, “ready for this?” He noticed that Nova stood between the two sisters a bit paler than normal but, her eyes were bright and determined. Celestia nodded to him and he shot out of site.

The girls stood in silence when Nova felt something odd. A cold energy flowed through the trees wrapping around the girls.

Celestia turned to Luna, “Something’s wrong.”
Luna reared pushing Nova to the ground as a black power bolt streamed past where she had been standing. Celestia whipped towards the space the bolt of magic had come from. Her power flung out causing her to glow and have a wind come off of her. “Show yourself!” she demanded.

Slowly movement came from the trees in front of them. They all watched as Grogar emerged from the darkness, a twisted smile on his face. “I never thought the Chaos Lord would leave. Finally, it’s my turn to play.”

He shot another bolt of power faster than eyes could follow, it smashed into Luna and she was thrown to the ground. Laughing he leapt into the clearing shooting pale green lightning from his horns. He turned his soulless red eyes on Celestia and centered the power to shoot at her. Nova dove in front and raised a shield to cover her and the girls. Gasping when the lightning hit she was able to maintain control and hold back his attack.

“Oh? And who do we have here? A new comer to the party I see.” Grogar opened his mouth and breathed out a wisp of blue white light it flew out towards the alicorns and instantly brought down Nova’s protection. At the same time another bolt of black power hit Celestia and she crumpled to the ground.

“Celestia!” Nova screamed. She was the last left standing.
He looked at her and took a step closer. “Interesting, your power feels like it doesn’t belong to you, did you take someone’s gifts perhaps? No.. that’s not right either...who are you?”

Nova felt the power burn through her body a wind of her own started to dance over her body. She felt her horn light up when she said to him, “I am the element harmony, you have not destroyed me, merely changed the vessel into something more. I am not pieces bound together by friendship, I am whole.” A raw energy burst from Nova’s horn as she aimed it at Grogar. He hissed and cast his own dark energy to match it. They collided in the sky causing an explosion. Nova was thrown back landing hard on her side. She smashed her head on a rock, her sight going in and out she knew she was losing the battle. The last thing she saw was Grogar standing above her, then darkness.

Discord felt the power hit him before he even had the chance to turn around. When he spun in the direction of the girls he saw an explosion fill the sky. The shock wave hit in and he was pushed into a tree, slamming into the trunk. He bounced onto a branch and lay stunned for a moment waiting for his breathing to come back. He snapped his fingers and transported himself back to the clearing, already knowing he had been so very wrong for leaving.

Celestia was on the ground covered in dirt and bruising. Luna was in the air screaming. Discord ran to Celestia as she slowly brought her head up shaking herself awake. Her eyes widen when she saw the ground and surrounding area. Discord helped her stand and Luna landed in front of them. “He took her, sister he took her!”

Discord felt time freeze as he heard Luna say again, “Grogar has Nova.”

“Like hell he does.”

As quick as the words were said Discord had disappeared leaving the princesses alone shivering from the toll of Grogar’s magic.

He appeared in front of the castle of two sisters. A goblin like creature screamed and ran towards him holding a skeleton sword high. Discord roared a sound like nothing that had been heard in the forest before and charged the goblin quickly using his talons to take it down. He swung around and running on all fours charged the door of the castle. Reanimated ponies were knocked aside as he cleared a path. Slamming into the doors they burst open as he lunged inside.

There was no one inside the castle. Everything that he had expected there to be was gone. Grogar had clearly planned ahead to move his army, he had planned to take a hostage. Nova was gone, and Discord had no idea how to find her. He slammed his hands on the ground and screamed out his rage before flying back through the door. He tore through goblins and zombie ponies alike their death blows doing little to calm the anger he felt. He would destroy Grogar for this, if he harmed her in any way his death would be slow and very painful. There was no going back for him now, he had to find Nova and end this.

Suddenly Luna and Celestia joined him in the sky. He turned his head and snarled snapping at the princesses before he realized who they were. The sisters flew on either side of him and lead him towards the cover of clouds away from the castle and the destruction he had caused in his rage. He sagged between them and let them take him far away. He trusted their judgement and with them beside him, he could fight another day.

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Nova awoke alone. She was inside a room with red curtains, someone had placed her on a bed with black silk sheets. She looked and down and saw that she had been bandaged and her wounds tended to. She slowly stood up gather her thoughts and memories. Her head hurt and after a time she remembered the powerful energy that had coursed through her body exploding outwards. She also remembered he countered the attack and, it wasn’t enough. Where was she now?

She turned around the room looking for a clue as to her whereabouts. She was inside a room that lacked windows but, had a double door on the far side. She walked over and tried to open the door but it was locked. She had guessed as much when she had seen it but, had to try just incase. She glanced back behind her and there was the bed with a night table beside it. The bed was black, the night table was black and on top of the table there was a silver cup. She walked back to the night table and saw there was water in the cup. She was incredibly thirsty but worried that it was a trick to drink it. Although, if she was still alive and bandaged up she wasn’t meant to be killed yet so, the water should be fine to drink. She lifted the cup to her lips and drank deeply.

Everything froze up. Her body went stiff and she fell to the bed. She couldn’t move her legs or wings. She couldn’t move at all but, she could still see and hear. The steps coming closer to the door outside sounded as loud as cannon fire and when she saw the door begin to open she panicked trying in vain to move. Grogar stood in the doorframe staring at her with heated red eyes. She looked back desperately, she was at his mercy.

He walked slow and sure towards her making sure she was able to track him as he came nearer. Her eyes showed such fear of him and inside Grogar felt a surge of excitement. The fear came off of her in waves it was such an amazing source of energy for him. He licked his lips and locked eyes with the young alicorn watching her try and move was delightful. His mouth curved into a smile as he stood there just staring at her. Her eyes filled with tears and he laughed. Bending down he whispered to her, making sure his lips brushed her ear, “welcome home Lady Nova. You now belong to me.”

He left her like that, helpless, alone and afraid. He calmly walked to the door and through to the hallway, she could hear his hoof steps as he left. Shortly after a group of goblin creatures came in carrying a throne. They placed it on the wall opposite the bed and quickly left the room. Shortly afterwards another goblin came in and placed a candle on the night table. It was getting dark in the room and instead of being left to darkness ghostly candle light now made shadows dance across the wall that Nova could see. She waited and listened fearing the sound of hooves. Another hour had passed before she heard the sound she had been dreading. He was coming back and there was nothing she could do about it.

Grogar entered the room and walked to the throne not once glancing at Nova. He sat down and a goblin entered quickly bowing and handing him what appeared to be grapes. The goblin fed him one by one. Grogar eagerly took each grape but, did not look at the goblin he was now watching Nova.

“Be gone monster.” Kicking the goblin in the stomach it fell backwards quickly gather itself from the floor and bowing over and over as it left the room.

“Ah, now we are alone. Tell me my lady, are you willing to talk”
Nova felt the spell loosen it’s grip and she was able to move her head and neck. She slowly lifted her head from the bed and spoke, “ talk?”

“Yes, talk with me. Tell me of your dreams.”
She looked startled at the thought, “my dreams? You have stolen my dreams from me…”

Laughing he stood up and walked up to her. She tried to pull away but other than her neck and head she had no movement from the rest of her body. He reached out and touched her wing. “Oh my dear lady. The dreams of youth are the regrets of maturity. You shall see that the dreams you once had have fallen into a nightmare state. Wake up child and see where your dreams have taken you.”

“You are the nightmare Grogar.”
Chuckling again he looked down at her lowering his face to hers, “perhaps I am, but remember this and think upon it. I did not create you for the sole purpose of using your powers as a weapon. I am not that monster, to find that monster you will have to look to others. You were created Nova. Remember that, the only reason you are alive is because Celestia fused others to create you. You have no dreams for me to take dear girl. You shouldn’t even be alive and they will leave you in the dust once I’m gone. Believe me, all I would need to do is separate the souls from your body and you would be nothing to them.”

“No!” She screamed at him, tears trailing down her cheeks, “stop this! Your wrong!! They are not like that.”

“You are only here to be used Nova. They will drain your power down to the last drop to defeat me. Then, when this world is green and lovely once again, why would they want your death magic around? You are fused together from the souls of others. You are made from death. They will destroy all magic that resembles necromancy, mark my word. That includes you.”

He dropped the spell from her body and she collapsed onto the bed crying. “ I will have one of my servants bring you something to eat.” He walked out the door and down the hallway listening to her screams.