If there was one thing that Nova was truly afraid of it was the nothingness of hyperspace. That in-between between the start of a teleport and the destination. She had been walking down a hall when she was suddenly overtaken by a silvery sheen like a free-floating portal mirror minus the frame and boom – nothingness.
Moments later Nova's scream echoed off the chamber of the pitch-black room as she was flung out of a portal mirror, slammed into a stone floor, and heavy furnishings.
“Awwww,” Nova complained clenching her teeth in bitter pain. Her heart was still racing from the sudden uninvited pitfall. It took her a moment to gather her wits lite up her horn to have a look at where she was.
Just an old forgotten storeroom.
“Bucking Starswirl,” Nova muttered as she examined her surroundings. She’d come to a landing in what was undoubtedly one of Starswirl’s secret laboratories in which stood a tall mirror that was large enough for a bison to come sailing through it. She’d also come to rest at the base of piled up furnishing a good deal of which had come tumbling down. A quick check with a foxfire spell proved that She was no longer in her own dimension. At least having a home that existed between worlds would make it easy enough to get home now that she fully understood how the apartment in a suitcase actually worked. But that would take time. But it was time she may not have by the sound of hurried hoof falls out in the corridor. She was also pinned under the furniture.
Thinking quickly Nova pulled her tails together and cast a sort of age reversal spell that would give her the size and appearance of a small filly.
Slam!
“Oh chit!” A heavy table dropped like a headman's ax just missing her and she was no less trapped than she had been, to begin with. At least she wasn’t pinned, but could she get out without bringing the rest down on top of herself?
“Who’s in there!” Shouted a Canterlot Royal Guard as the door swung open with a slam.
Nova let out an involuntary squeak as more furnishings shifted. Followed by calling out, “Woona!”
“Hold up,” one of the other guards cautioned as he flashed a light into the room. What he saw was a little white pegasus filly under a pile of furnishings. A filly pegasus with a horn that was glowing from a light spell. Granted that her black muzzle, legs, and tipped tail were likely being mistaken for shadows at this point.
“Who are you, and how did you get in here?!” The first guard demanded.
“I’m Kitzumi Nova, and no I don’t know how I got here – get me out of here!” Nova pleads in desperation fully expecting to be rescued. Nova's tone suggesting they should know who she is and act accordingly. She made sure to keep her eyes fixed on the pile of furnishings above her so that the guards wouldn't see her eyes' luminescence from their lights. Granted she could have cast another spell to hide the nature of her eyes but the more spells she cast the more likely they might be undone.
“Pray tell what intruder hast violated the sanctity of Canterlot castle?” thus spoke Princess Luna.
“Woona!” Nova called to Princess Luna hazarding a glance and being rewarded with the familiar luminescence of Luna’s eyes as the light reflected in them. Granted that Nova knew full well that this Luna was not her Luna, and by her speak, stature, and pale blue mane and violet coat she is not long returned from the moon. As for calling her Woona, that was because that’s what her own foals called Luna. And there was a time when she would have as well so she made sure to play the part.
“Pray thee, don’t just standeth there a gaping,” Luna commanded of the guards. “Free yon trapeth urchin. Quickly now, make haste. - Careful...”
The guards gave her an annoyed look, ventured further into the room, and began shifting the pile of furnishings – followed by Nova making a panicked teleport to Princess Luna as everything came crashing down. A moment later the sound of glass shattering assailed Nova's ears as something hit the mirror.
“That’s it!” Exclaimed the lead guard who’d entered first. He turned on Nova, “You, your coming with us.”
“But I didn’t do anything,” Nova pleads with ears down her light now out. “I don’t even know how I got in there. Woona...”
“Illegal entry into a restricted area and destruction of a priceless artifact.”
“That was thy own carelessness.” Luna protested.
“Get back to your room, Princess! No pony told you you could wonder about the castle!” Ordered the guard. Both Luna and Nova take a step back, ears lowered flat. The next thing Nova knew she was being escorted away at the point of a spear at a fairly good pace while Luna isn’t being treated much better. Nova looks back at Luna a few times to see a stricken look on her face. More guards step between us while the Sargent calling the orders ordered Luna escorted to her quarters.
Something is horribly wrong here.
“Where is Captain Hoofstrong?” Nova calls loud enough for Luna to hear.
“Move it!” The guards ordered as the Sargent catches up to Nova's group.
They are walking at a fairly good pace. Nova on the other hoof is forced to run due to her reduced size in order to keep up, and when she faltered she found herself being painfully kicked down the hall.
“Get up thief!” Ordered the Sargent.
“Sargent, for Celestia’s sake, she’s just a filly.”
“She’s a sneak thief just like all her slant eyed kind,” The Sargent corrected harshly.
Nova briefly considers teaching this Sargent a lesson, but then she’d not likely find out what’s going on here. Nova painfully got up and started down the hall again while doing her best to keep up with her short little legs. Before long they’ve force-marched her out of the keep and down to the Castle’s holding cells. Along the way, she’d fallen several times and looks a mess to include skinned up knees. Finally, Nova is placed in one of the holding cells with an old drunk who she would later learn attempted to storm the gate in the middle of the night. At least now she can catch her breath. Nova sits down in a corner while hoping Princess Luna will go to Princess Celestia and it would only be a matter of time until she was free.
Nova had never been more wrong in her life. And she’d been around for a long time by this point.
After she'd been there for the better part of the night the smell of doughnuts began to tickle at her olfactory senses. And yes She's hungry. Nova walks over to the bars, slips through, and goes in search of the delightful smell while being careful to avoid detection.
A short time later she spotted her prey, a big fat jelly doughnut. She sneaks ever closer, closer, the guard who’s placed it on his desk is momentarily distracted… Quick as a wink she's up on the desk snatches the doughnut in her mouth and dashes back to the holding cell.
“Hey!” Shouts the guard in surprise. “Come back here you!”
Nova slipped back into her cell, goes to the far corner, and sits with her back to the wall to eat while the guard shouts and fumes.
“Where're the Celestia Damned keys!” He shouts as Nova finished off the doughnut. Other guards are just laughing.
“What is going on in here?!” Shouts a voice Nova knows all too well but hasn’t heard in years.
“Shining Armor!” Nova calls to him.
“That’s Captain Armor,” he says as he walks up to the cell. “Why is there a filly in the holding cell?”
“BBBFF!” Nova shouts.
“What?” Shining Armor says.
“BBBFF! BBBFF! BBBFF!” Nova shouts and dashed to just out of reach of the bars.
“Found inside an old storage room last night inside the keep,” Offered a lieutenant.”
“BUBFF,” Nova shouted while looking at him hopefully.
“What is that code?” Asked the officer who’s doughnut Nova had swiped.
“I am not your uncle,” Armor corrects.
“What?” The lieutenant asked.
“BBBFF is something my sister calls me,” Armor offered. “I’m assuming the ‘U’ means Uncle. What room did they find her in?”
“Seems to be one of Starswirl’s old workshops,” The lieutenant offered even as the sun rose. “There was a lot of damage and a priceless mirror was smashed. She’s been charged with breaking and entering, with an additional charge of vandalism. The night watch Sargent said she was the one who smashed the mirror and dumped a pile of stacked furniture on herself in the process damaging several priceless antiques in the process.”
“They broke the mirror. Uncle Shiny, I don’t know how I got in there, you’ve got to believe me.” He’s giving Nova a funny look. “Don’t… don’t you know me?” Nova sits down on the floor, a frown forming on her face. Figuring this is as good a time as any, after all, any real filly would have started balling some time ago, and crying is just a matter of thinking about all the ponies she's left behind over the years.
“Mirror… Oh, dear sweet Celestia,” Shining Armor said softly.
“Captain?” The lieutenant asks.
“Well, on the one hoof it’s a possibility she’s a member of my family, heck she’s got my sister’s mane stripes. Worse case,” he lowered his voice, “she came through that mirror.”
“Dear Celestia.”
“Who’s making all that racket?” The drunk asked on waking up. “Shut it!”
Ya, getting hit in the head with a boot hurts too. So at this point, Nova is scrambling through the bars and hiding under a nearby desk.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, that was entirely unnecessary!” Shining shouts. “I want him booked for assault on a minor, and get him out of here before the tourist show up.” A moment later he was laying down on the floor so he could talk to her.
“So what’s your name?” Armor asks
“Nova.”
“Can you tell me who your mother is?”
“Woona.”
“Woona… she known by any other names?”
“Princess,” I reply.
“Woona Princess?” He asked sounding a little confused.
“No, it’s Princess first and then Woona.”
“Um, anyone else I might know?” Shining asked.
“Aunt Tia, Auntie Cadence, Auntie Twili,” I say hopefully.
“Dear sweet mother of Celestia, she must mean Princess Luna,” The Lieutenant said under his breath.
“Oh, that would be Princess Aurora.” I offered.
“What?” Shining asked. Things weren't computing with him just yet. But then again if Nova had come through the mirror there was no reason Princess Luna might not be part of his family.
“Grandmother Aurora,” Nova replied hopefully as if he’d actually know Princess Celestia’s mother’s name. “Princess Celestia’s mother is Princess Aurora.”
He stood up, turned. “Send a runner, and ask Princess Celestia what her mother’s name is?”
“Oh, and then there is Granny Velvet and Grand Papa Night Light.”
“Captain, you aren’t thinking she’s Princess Luna’s daughter are you?” The lieutenant asked.
“If she came through that mirror, anything is possible. She just named off my entire family.” Armor offered. “Aunt Cadence. I haven't even gotten up the nerve to ask her yet.”
✴
A short time later a member of the guard is knocking on Princess Celestia’s door jamb. She is in her breakfast nook enjoying a light breakfast. Other than her personal staff she is alone.
“Something I can do for you, Corporal Quick Beam?” Celestia asks in a cordial friendly manner.
“Captain Armor sends his compliments and wishes to confirm the name of thy mother.”
“What?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Your Highness, there is a young filly in the Guard Office who claims to be the granddaughter of a Princess Aurora and Daughter of Princess Luna.”
“Does she now?” Celestia asked. How some pony could have guessed her mother’s name was surely a coincidence and likely some sort of scam. “Unicorn filly?”
“No Ma’am.”
“Pegasus?”
“No Ma’am.”
“Surely not an earth Pony?”
“No Ma’am.”
“We are running out of pony types, Corporal. Surely there isn’t a little flying fox pony down there?”
“Yes Ma’am, Alicorn type.”
“Kibitz, where is my sister?” Celestia asked. The fact that the filly was a flying fox was troubling. Alicorn types were as rare as actual alicorns and the idea that Nightmare Moon might have had her way with one of Luna’s bat ponies while controlling Luna had just become a distinct possibility.
“I was informed that she did not wish to join you for breakfast.” Kibitz offered with a hint of irritation.
“Fine,” Celestia replied well aware of Kibitz’s hostility towards certain members of the staff. Celestia’s tone betraying her own frustration with her sister and the staff members who’d so graciously volunteered to look after Luna. “Corporal, where did they find the filly?”
“In a storage room believed to have been used as a workshop by Starswirl the Bearded.” Corporal Quick Beam offered. “I’m to understand she did a number on the room before being apprehended.”
Princess Celestia put down her teacup, got up, “Corporal, come with me, I want my guards as well,” and without saying another word walked out of her dining nook and made her way to Luna’s tower. Something wasn’t adding up but she needed to ask Luna if she could remember anything about having a filly and hiding said filly?
“I’m sorry, your highness, but Princess Luna does not wish to see you.” Offered one of two guards outside the entrance to Luna’s tower.
Princess Celestia glared at him. “Stand aside.”
“But…”
“Stand aside. Now.” Celestia started forward, her tone signaling that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She opened the door and stepped in only to find several of the maids assigned to Princess Luna having a leisurely breakfast. Minus Princess Luna.
“Enjoying ourselves are we?” Celestia asked in a tone that would have sent shivers down the spine of even the stoutest warrior. “Where is my Sister?”
“Pr-princess Celestia.” One of the maids managed to get out. “She – she’s indies-indisposed.” Celestia went past them and threw open the doors of Luna’s room only to find a maid and a stallion in Luna’s bed.
“Pray I do not send the lot of you to Tartarus – right – this – moment!” Celestia growled. “Where is my Sister!”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know.” The stallion offered. “But why would you look for her here in the senior maid quarters.”
“Shut it!” Snapped the mare in bed with him.
“Guards!” Celestia bellowed and was answered by dust sifting down from the ceiling. It only took a moment more for every guard on that floor to come running.
“I want every last pony in here in irons to include the guards who were at the door!” She then walked over to the maid in the bed looking more like a predator than the motherly Princess of Equestria. “Where is my sister?”
“Up-up-up stairs.” The maid offered. She likely just pissed herself.
Celestia turned from the maid, left the room, and headed for the stairs to find more guards arriving. Many had looks of guilt about them that suggested that they’d known what was going on. She climbed the stairs wondering how things had gone so wrong?
At the top of the stairs, she finds a locked door. It’s got an enchantment on it, an enchantment that only fuels her anger as she rips the door free with her magic and sends it crashing down the stairs behind her. Beyond the door is a very spartan attic space, and to her horror, she sees her sister slowly backing away from her with head held down shaking with fright.
“I – I can explain.” Luna pleaded softly.
It had only been about three weeks since the elements had freed Luna from the Night Mare. And yet, in all that time the only time Celestia had seen Luna was when she’d commanded it. Only now had the pieces concerning the odd behavior out of her staff, in whom she’d entrusted Luna too, began to fall into place. Prior to Luna’s return, she’d had little reason to go to Luna’s apartments. After Luna’s return, she’d wanted to respect Luna’s privacy, and the demands on her time due in part to the fall out of the Night Mare’s return had kept her too busy to realize Luna wasn’t just simply morning the past.
Tears sprang to Celestia’s eyes at the sight of her sister backing herself against the wall trembling with her head held down.
“Luna, it wasn’t me. I didn’t do this to you,” Celestia pleaded. Luna didn’t say a thing choosing only to turn her head. “I… I’ve done it again haven't I? I was so caught up in being the ruler of Equestria that I couldn't even see the corruption that surrounded me.” Not knowing what to do and overcome by grief that she’d allowed this to happen right under her nose Celestia sat down and wept.
Luna slowly looked up, and realizing Celestia wasn’t playing some twisted game went over to her and leaned against her sister. Celestia on realizing Luna had come to her tried to embrace her sister with a wing only to draw back when Luna flinched at the touch.
“Luna?” Celestia took a good look at her sister and discovered a number of discolored patches that were definitely not deviations in her coat marbling where the violet darkened to a midnight blue on the flank. “Luna, so help me, the pony who did this to you is going to adorn my garden before the day is done. - Our garden.”
✴
While all that was going on Shining had gotten one of the on-staff nurses to come and have a look at Nova, and he'd moved Nova to his office as well.
“Care to tell me how you got this big bruise?” Nurse Sweetheart asked. She was a pink earth pony with a white and violet candy-striped mane. Nova dropped her head like it was something she didn’t want to say. “It’s alright, you can trust me.”
“It was that Sargent who brought me in, Sargent Irons.” Nova offered in a whisper. “I wasn’t going fast enough so he kicked me. They made me run all the way from the storage room. And I kind of fell down several times.”
“What the buck is night shift playing at?” Shining grumbled. “She’s just a filly.”
“Owie,” Nova said with a wince as a disinfectant was applied to one of her scrapes. Nova was really tempted to hurry up the healing, but in this case, she needed to stay all beat up as long as she could just to see how ponies would react.
“Captain Armor!” Shouted a guard as they dashed into the office. “Is the Captain of the Guard in yet?”
“You know full well Commander Stone Cold doesn’t bother showing up until nearly noon,” Shining offered. “What’s up?”
“Princess Celestia is on the warpath. Scuttlebutt is that members of the staff have been using the moon wing as their own personal recreation area.”
“But what about Princess Luna?” Shining Armor asked. “She just sat by and let them?”
“Word is they made her stay in an attic room and had her so twisted around she thought it was on Princess Celestia’s orders.”
“Oh, this day just gets better and better,” Armor muttered. “Fine, send a runner to the Commander, and tell him that if he had any indication of what was going on he might want to leave Equestria right quick-like, otherwise he’d better get his lazy carcass in here while he’s still got one.” He took a deep breath, stood up, and walked out the door of the office. Out in the main room, he could be heard calling a number of guards to him and a short time later they marched out. Hopefully not to their doom.
“Owie,” Nova complained as a swab is dabbed onto another abrasion. Nova also had multiple bruises from her crash but then she’d brought up her shield at the moment she hit that free-floating portal and had been an adult at the time so those bruises were just little marks. Fitting enough they made it look like she’d been struck with the shaft of a spear several times.
“So, how old are you?” Nurse Sweetheart asked.
“One thousand sixty-seven years,” Nova offered in a completely deadpan tone.
“I’m going to go with seven,” Sweetheart offered.
“Any chance I can get cleaned up?”
“Afraid that’s going to have to wait.”
“What about something to eat besides a jelly doughnut?”
“I’m sorry dear…”
“I know, I’m just going to have to wait. It’s just that I burn a lot of calories.”
She finished up with Nova and packed her first aid kit back together. “I’ll see what I can do about getting you something to eat, but I really need to go.” And then she left.
Having nothing else to do Nova curled up in Shining Armor’s chair and decided to see if she could get some sleep and possibly contact her family via the dream realm. The nice thing about the dream realm is that it was a lot easier to cross dimensions since there was no physical travel involved. Finding her Luna proved harder than she’d thought, but she had at least found another dream walker who knew her and could pass on the message.
And then she woke to the sight of Princess Celestia’s big head.
“Gahhh!” Suddenly Nova's scrambling out of the chair and under the desk.
“Oh, my,” Celestia said astonished. She let out another ‘oh’ when Nova zeroed in on Luna and dashed to sit between her front legs. 'She got me again,' was what Nova was thinking. Nova smiled, and then Celestia smiles. Nova then tilts her head up to look up at Luna.
“Mmm, hi mom,” Nova says, and then her stomach makes known its displeasure at having had so little to eat. Luna looks down at her with a hint of panic in her eyes. “I’ve been weened already. I’m just small for my age,” Nova offered followed by Luna relaxing. A filly under her expecting a meal and sent Luna into a momentary panic. Luna smiles, it looks like she wants to say something, but doesn’t. “Nova, Kitsumi Nova. It means a beautiful bright new star. I’m happy with just being called Nova.” There’s an upbeat tempo to my voice. How could it not when in the presence of the cutest version of the Woona?
“Why don’t we go get you two something to eat.” Celestia offered, and then it looks like both of you need a bath.”
“I was fine until that free-floating mirror hit me,” Nova offered and then bounced up to perch herself on Luna’s back. Luna looked at Nova and smiled.
“You…” Luna began, but she seemed unsure of herself.
“I experienced an involuntary teleport and then hit the floor in that storage room,” Nova offered. “Some of the furnishings shifted trapping me but I was fine up until that meanie of a Sargent started in on me.”
“Let's go get something to eat,” Luna offered, turned, and walked out of the office followed by Princess Celestia. For a brief moment, Celestia had a look of grim determination on her face as she whispered something to Shiny. From there they climbed back up to the keep and to Celestia’s breakfast nook where a rather nervous Cadance was sitting. As for the staff, they looked petrified. Not literally mind you, but Nova would find out later that a few individuals did find their way to the garden maze and likely wouldn't be coming out for a very long time. Others had been placed under arrest and a fair number of the senior staff had been dismissed pending charges of insubordination, dereliction of duty, corruption, and treason.
“Aunt Celestia, what’s been going on, and who’s that? Luna? Luna, what’s happened to you?”
“Hi Aunt Cadence,” Nova said brightly.
“We had some issues that came to a head early this morning.” Celestia offered the edge in her voice.
Nova hopped down, bounced over to Cadance, gave her a hug, and then winced when Nova's various bruises reminded her that they were there.
“You found another alicorn? Why does she look like she… why do they both look like – look like they’ve been worked over?!”
“You’ll have to direct that question to the new lawn ornaments,” Celestia replied casually.
“At least she didn’t go solar flare,” Nova whispered a might bit too loud. "I think I fell through one of Star Swirl’s Mirrors, crashed into a bunch of furniture, and then a Sargent used me for a football,” Nova offered as she sat down. Her tone casual like that sort of thing happens every day. “But I’m good now. Mom, where’s Captain Hoofstrong? He… He didn’t leave after the fight you had?”
“Nova, that was a thousand years ago,” Luna said softly as she sat down next to me.
“Wow, that makes me a Tenko then. Me and Loki,” Nova offered. There is a pained look on Luna’s face. “He’s of the Oukitsune clan. A thousand years is nothing to him. Isn’t that right Lieutenant Mouse?” Nova turns to smile at a familiar gray pegasus maid. Luna looks at Nova, turns to look at who she is looking at.
“Alice?” Luna asked, got up to take a closer look. “Alice, can that be you?”
“Sweet Harmony, it is,” Celestia said in a hushed tone. “But how?” Suddenly Luna was embracing the maid who couldn't hold back and returned the embrace.
“I made a promise, wherever you go, there too will I go. I got banished right along with you,” Alice offered. “But I, um, don’t remember the filly?”
“Not my world.” Nova offers and turns to the brunch that has been served. Of course morning court had been canceled.
“You know? I mean you know you aren’t in your own world?” Celestia asked astonished.
“Not my first trip to another world, and yes in my homeworld Luna is my mom.”
“But the mirror is broken,” Luna said looking back at Nova while she loads up her plate unconcerned.
“The mirror was unstable. No way I’d go back into it without stabilizing it first, and no telling where the other end will show up,” Nova explained. “Those idiot guards on night shift may have saved some other pony from getting snatched up. I hope.” Luna broke away from Alice and give Nova a hug. Nova's tone drops to quiet contemplation, “Getting trapped between is the only thing I truly fear.”
“But you can’t get home?” Luna asked possibly wondering how such a small filly could be so nonchalant about the situation she's in.
“Not true.” Nova offered as she reaches up to her. “My special talent is trans-dimensional travel. I may not be able to open up a way home right away, and I thought maybe I could just stay until you are back on your hooves.”
“Isn’t your family going to be worried about you? And we do have everything well in hoof,” Celestia provided.
“No offense, but I’ve had better receptions from Nightmare Moon’s minions,” Nova countered. “I’d like to stay for now. I don’t think I could in good conscious just leave while any doubt is in my mind. That and I relayed a message through the dreamscape.”
“Um, hello.”
And there she was, Nova's world’s Fluttershy. She was standing in the doorway looking every bit the goddess of nature, her mane in long tresses with flowered vines interwoven, the most magnificent set of wings, and a spiraled horn that curved gently upwards.
“Fluttershy! Did they get my message then?” Nova asked.
“Oh my… you are so cute like that!” Princess Shy exclaimed, trotted over, and gave Nova a hug. “And Luna… and … who hurt you?” Her tone shifted like the wind suddenly blowing down off an icy mountain peak.
“It’s being dealt with.” Nova offered. "That's why I'm in chibi form.
“Fluttershy?!” Celestia said astonished momentarily after shaking out of her shocked stupor.
“He, he,” Fluttershy laughed with a cute smile. “That’s the reaction I’ve gotten out of every pony here. Best not tell my counterpart,” She went over to Princess Celestia and whispered, “Nova’s using an age spell.”
“Oh… well, why don’t you sit down and join us,” Celestia offered. “I’m afraid we’ve had a bad start to the day.”
“I can imagine. So far as I know it’s the first time Nova has ever gotten beat up. I’m surprised she didn’t immolate them,” Fluttershy offered. “Sometimes I think she has more patience than I ever had.”
“Other than this was the first time I’ve ever been beaten up if I had retaliated I would have lost the higher ground and any chance at sympathy credits.” Nova offered. “Instead of ponies coming to my defense and fixing what needed to be fixed I’d have been seen as just another monster. The pony who hurt me is just a foal who lost his way somewhere. That, and you know full well I could have leveled the place, and I'd no desire to make things worse than they already were.”
“And I am just appalled that you were treated like that. Furious about the way they were treating my own sister,” Celestia offered apologetically. She wasn't too sure she wanted to know if this little princess really could level the place or not.
“Fluttershy, you didn’t say how you found me?” Nova prompted.
“Oh, my special some pony tracked that anomaly. After that, we were able to set up a stable connection.” Fluttershy offered as she sat down.
“And I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find out he had something to do with it snatching me. - I never could understand what you see in him.”
“He’s fun, spontaneous, and several creatures in one, how could I not love him?” Fluttershy offered.
“What?” Celestia asked as her teacup dropped and shattered.
“Well, I for one will never fully trust him. Not considering his base nature.” Nova offered and stuffed some pancake in her mouth.
“You do have to admit that his machinations do tend to make Equestria a better place, and you aren’t exactly free of sin yourself.”
“Maybe not but I don’t go around setting dangerous creatures loose, just to boost some pony’s confidence. And for that matter, if he had left Chrysalis alone we might have been able to reason with her and get that curse lifted a lot sooner.”
"Chrysalis? Curse?" Celestia asked.
"Queen of the changelings," Nova offered. "Considering you've only just recently rescued Luna, I'm going to assume they haven't invaded yet?"
"Invaded?"
"Yes, I know, possibly the most counterproductive thing they could possibly do. The trouble is, they are tainted by dark magic. In order to break the curse, each individual needs to give all their love willingly without reservations." Nova had to think for a moment. "Taking into consideration the way I was treated, working with the changelings to avoid what happened in my world is going to be problematic."
"Nova!" Princess Scootaloo Louise called rounding the corner followed by Princess Twilight.
"Nova... Luna?! What's happened here?" Twilight asked as she followed Scootaloo into the room. "Luna, tell me who did this to you!"
"Mom, it's taken care of," Nova offered and then cringed at her slip.
"I thought?" Luna inquired giving Nova a funny look. Nova smiled and just gave her a fleeting and somewhat guilty look. "Oh," Luna added with a blush and a smile.
