Broken Harmony

Discord woke up warm and content. For one moment he was at peace as Nova rested on his chest all he could think was bliss, that the world had paused and given him a gift. That moment ended too fast though as he felt his magic flare to life and send a small spark out towards the sleeping girl. She woke quickly feeling the jolt, her eyes round and bright.

“Seth? Did you feel that?” Nova sat up with the blankets pulled to her chest. She had started to breath quicker when Seth put his hand on hers.

“It’s going to be alright, do you feel it now?”
“No”

“See, I’m sure it was just you waking up. Things are fine, it’s morning the sun has just began its rise for the day. Perfect time … dawn, the start of a new day.”

Nova smiled and started to nod when Seth leaned over the bed and put his pants and shirt back on. She stayed frozen with the blankets held tight. She was well rested but, felt like things were off. Then she remembered he wanted to talk this morning about what was going on. Taking his cue she waited until he had gracefully exited the bedroom to get up and find some clothes for herself. Clearly Seth wasn’t wasting time.

Seth was waiting at the kitchen table with two bowls of cereal. He smiled when Nova walked into the kitchen. She glanced at the breakfast and returned the smile.

“So Seth, last night-”
“Last night my dear was the most perfect night of my life. I can not wait to talk at length about what happened last night but, first we do need to talk about the present issue. Eat up Nova.”

The conversation died after that and Nova quietly ate her breakfast. She was nervous and Seth’s mannerisms did not help her feelings. She wished last night had never ended. She had felt safe, she felt like she belonged and she had felt truly cared for. Now that same man wasn’t only speaking when he needed to and seemed lost in his own thoughts, none of them pleasant.

Seth glanced at Nova’s empty bowl and stood up taking the bowls to the sink. He motioned for the door. Nova looked around her apartment. “We can’t talk inside?”

“Please, just walk with me I need space to talk.”
Nova stayed sitting she knew she needed answers but, had no understanding as to why she couldn’t sit on her couch and just talk to Seth. “Seth? No one can hear us in the apartment, we can stay here.”

Running his hand roughly through his hair Seth walked to the door. He glanced back and you could feel the tension radiating off of him. “Nova, I’m walking out the door please, come with me.”

“Why? What’s with all the mystery? Why can’t we talk in my home, why do we have to leave? You aren’t giving me a lot to go on Seth, yesterday was scary ok? You aren’t making today any better.”

He stood at the door for a second, “I just need you to come with me. I can’t do this here, not inside… I … just can’t.” He opened the door and was gone.

Nova stood up and grabbed her shoes. Scared, overwhelmed and starting to find her temper she wasn’t letting Seth just leave like that. He hadn’t explained anything and what hints he had given her just made her more upset about what was going on. This felt stupid and knowing how things like this usually played out it was something small that he had blown way out of proportion.

She saw him slip onto the path on the opposite side of the road. He was heading into a forested area. She ran across the street and fell in step a few feet behind him. He knew she was there, Nova was sure of it but, he didn’t slow down to wait for her. He suddenly jumped off the path and heading deeper into the woods. Nova slowed for a second to see if he was going to come back out but he didn’t, so she went in after him.

He was standing there waiting for her a few feet away. Holding his hand out Nova held on and the two walked together through the forest in silence. Except for the sound of their breath and shoes hitting the forest floor there was silence. The woods became thicker the further in they went in, Seth finally stopped and pointed. Ahead the trees lightened and Nova could see a clearing. He lead her to the edge of the open space and had her stand beside a large maple tree. This is it he thought, Celestia forgive me but, I’m scared of messing this up.

Nova crossed her arms over her chest, “so…. What now Seth?”

“Now, Nova I need you to trust me,” he looked at her in the eyes, “you do trust me right?”

“Yes, call me crazy but I do.”

“Then I need you to promise me you are going to stay. I need to show you something, I think showing you will be easier than trying to explain everything. After I show you it will be so much more simple to just talk about what’s been going on. Promise me Nova, that you won’t run from me.”

She stood silent for a moment taking in everything he had just said. He made everything sound so doom and gloom but also mysterious and kinda scary. She either said yes and figured out the next chapter or she said no and walked.

“I promise Seth, I’m not going anywhere.”
He squeezed her hand and gave her a small smile. Then he walked to the middle of the clearing. She went to move towards him but, he shook his head. “ I need to show you this before we keep talking Nova. My name is not Seth….

A glow started to form around his body, Nova’s skin burned with the feeling she watched and suddenly where he had been stood something that she knew couldn’t be real.

Discord, stood silent where Seth had been.

She walked over with unshed tears in her eyes. Slowly she brought her hand out and touched his face. He was solid and warm underneath her fingers. Nova gasped and brought her hand quickly away. This was real. She looked up at him, “Can you speak in this form?”

Discord nodded, “do you know my name Nova?”

It sounded so strange he sounded the same as before but then it also sounded so different coming from this body, this mouth. “You’re Discord. Oh my God, you’re Discord.” She sat on the ground trying to take everything in, she looked up in amazement, “how is this happening?”
Discord looked down at her, “may I sit beside you so we can talk face to face?”

Nova nodded a bit quicker than normal but he took her action to mean yes. He stretched his body out curling his front feet in. His tail curled around so that Nova could use it as a back rest, if she decided to that was. Discord watched her as she looked over his body. Her eyes seemed to take in every scale, every change of body parts that made him whole. She closed her eyes and he could see her lips moving as she counted to ten. Opening her eyes back up she let out a deep shaky breath. Then, she started to laugh.

The noise made him jump which made her laugh even harder. She slowly composed herself and said “I’m sorry, I just, I know my life has been strange but this,” she giggled again, “this I think takes the first place trophy. I also have a feeling we are going to be here awhile.” She leaned into his tail and the tension drained out of Discord. “ Ok Lord of Chaos, what are you doing in my world?”

Discord took a breath and started to talk. He asked her about her general knowledge of the tv series. He was delighted to see that she had indeed been watching it pretty much weekly and knew the stories and the background of Equestria. This was exactly why he had implanted the ideas for the story inside that animator’s dreams. Now there wasn’t a need to explain his little ponys and the inner workings of their world to Nova.

“There has always been different dimensions in space. Doors that lead to other worlds that lead to other doors. Some worlds develop the magic side of their nature and like this world here some ignore it and evolve in other ways. It doesn’t make either less or better than the others just different. This world was the safest place for you to be as there was so much technology here it cancelled out your magic.”

Nova had grown accustomed to Discord and was delighted to hear his versions of the way the ponys day to day lives had gone on. The shift back to her was sudden and she was now paying close attention. “ I’m not from here either, am I?”

“No my dear, this is not where you belong either. Nova what do you remember from your past?”

“Nothing, I don’t remember a thing. I don’t remember having a childhood, a family, or even existing until I woke up in the hospital. I was an adult with no memory, no records of ever being born or having any past. No one knew what to do with me. When I woke up I was assessed and tested like crazy and no one could figure anything out about me. It was like I just appeared one day out of thin air.” Discord looked at her and she finally understood something, “I did just appear out of thin air….”

“Let me explain Nova.” He went on to explain what had happened the day he left Equestria. He told her about Grogar and what had happened to him, how he had been locked away. She heard the anger and despair as he explained how he had been blindsided and wasn’t able to help anyone.

“By the time I was free, it was too late. I made it to Canterlot and found Celestia and Luna. They were hurt, Luna badly. Celestia explained to me what had happened … to the … girls.” His head hung low and tears fell. Nova moved to cup his face with tears falling down her own cheeks.

“They didn’t make it, did they Discord?” He shook his head no and finally started to cry for his lost friends. He had never been able to talk about what had happened and really he had never been able to grieve. The release this conversation gave him was freeing him from a prison of silence that he had lived in for years. He looked at Nova and touched her with his lion paw. “Celestia did all she could to protect the girls. Grogar consumes souls, he’s a necromancer. He has power over the dead. Celestia was able to collect the pieces of the girls souls and send them to another world. Where they would be able to join together and create one being.”

Nova moved her other hand to cup his paw. “Me?”

“You, Nova. You are the elements anew. When you say you appeared, you honestly did. Their love and friendship fused together and created you.”

“I need you Nova. You have their magic. It’s why when we connected things started to change and charge inside you. Your power has been dormant because you haven’t had anyone else that was magic around you. But, you see that’s why I’m here. I came for you, to find you to guide you. I have been searching for you now for years and I found you!” He jumped up leaving Nova startled and sitting alone. He was on fire he was excited and overwhelmed with the prospect of sharing all of himself with another.

Nova sat there taking everything in. This was what she had always wanted, answers to who she was, where she came from and a purpose for being here. But, inside she was worried was she Nova, or was she the vessel for six other spirits. Were her actions guided by others was she merely a puppet being moved by their magic?

Discord saw her face begin to fall and he could guess exactly what she was thinking. “You are Nova. Stop before you think too much on this. When I found you I shared this line of thinking. I compared you and tried to see the girls inside you. Nova, their spirits are in there but, your soul and personality and spark is what ties everything together. You are your very own being. You are a personality all on your own. I thought I enjoyed our time together because it was like being with the girls in a way. That’s how this started but, I care for you. Just you, I love watching you look out the window of the car and see new things. I loved watching your hair escape from the hair tie when we were on the rides. I love seeing you smile and laugh. I want to protect you. You, my dear mean the world to me.”

“Thank you…. Thank you for knowing exactly what to say.” Nova stood up and faced him. His form being taller than her she had to look up but was still able to look determined. “So what’s next? Do you train me? We are going back to fight Grogar right?”

Discord hugged her and said “Thank you … thank you for knowing exactly what to say.”

Discord transformed back into his human form and Nova grabbed his hand. They walked out of the forest and back to her apartment where she packed up her clothing and a few things that she cared for placing it inside her car. Discord watched her as she bustled around the apartment taking stock of what she owned.

“Care to explain what you are doing my dear?”

“Well, I can’t very well learn anything by staying here and doing the normal day to day things. I’m staying with you. I mean, you want me to stay with you.. Right?”

Discord laughed, “ here let me help you pack.”

A couple of hours later Discord was leading Nova into his home. He shut the door and snapped his finger bringing Nova’s boxes inside. She jumped when the boxes appeared at her feet turning around and see Discord transform back into his actual form. He stretched and shook himself before grinning at her. “Welcome home Nova.”

She walked over to him and hugged him. “I’m glad to be here. Now, when do we start training?”