All My Tears

A warm light filled the room where Nova lay in bed. She groaned, not yet conscious. The door creaked open and a tall, old bat-pony stepped in. Abendigo strode through the room and stood by the bed.

“Nova, please wake up.” he mumbled softly.

No response. The door creaked again allowing Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence in. They were talking quietly when they noticed Abendigo’s worried face. Celestia walked over to him and sat.

“She’ll be fine, old friend. The doctor said she just overexerted herself. She’s only used magic like that once when she got her cutie mark. She was defending herself from a manticore. She could only think of one thing. A supernova. Hence the mark on her flank.”

“Not to be rude, Princess, but I understand why she had reason to attack. I just can’t fathom why those ponies would attack a princess.”

He sighed. Celestia stared at him with sympathy. She looked to her niece who was still out cold.

“Some things are hard to explain and even harder to understand. Those ponies were only a fraction of all in their cult. They are spread all throughout Equestria waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The mayor called me about for this very purpose. They want to overthrow Nova so I can be their rightful ruler. They believe-”

She stopped for Nova had just awoken. She stared around the room observing her surroundings.

“Cadenza, Aunt Tia, A-Abendigo, what happened?”

Cadence flapped over to her bedside and said, “You overexerted yourself fighting those wretched cult ponies. You’re alive and safe so that’s all that matters.”

“But she isn’t!”

A guard poked his head through the door and apologized for interrupting.

“Permission to speak freely your highness? Thank you. As I was saying, Nova is in danger. I suggest that you send her to your student, Twilight Sparkle. She and the other elements will protect her if need be.”

Celestia pondered this for a while. She looked at the graying, distraught stallion beside her, then at her two nieces staring at her. She decided to go with the guards idea.

“You’ll need a disguise.” Abendigo told Nova. “Perhaps disguise yourself as one of my people. They are not very common, but more so than alicorns.”

Cadence strode over to the others.

“Why couldn’t we just disguise her as a normal pony?”

Celestia answered this time.

“The disguise spell only works to change how you look. Normal ponies aren’t as tall as Nova and  don’t have the same snout. Female bat ponies are about her size and have the same snout as we do. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but I believe that the cult has deeper purpose than to overthrow Nova.”

*

The Everfree forest was dark and eerie. One lone mare walked through it. She was picking her way through the bramble when she came upon her destination: the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters.  She climbed gingerly up the steep, stone stairs, her horn lighting the way. She reached the middle of the room and sat with her eyes closed.

“I have waited for you. Why are you so late?”

The voice that spoke was not one of a pony but of an ancient spirit. The miasma.

The green coated mare spoke softly.

“It is done. We have warned that little princess of who she’s up against. She’s powerful, though. She knocked us all out with one spell.”

“And what spell might that be?”

“I’m not sure. She said it in her mind, that I could tell. She knocked me unconscious before I could read it.”

“I see. What else have you and your comrades discovered?”

                                                             *

Nova got up from bed the next morning. Her head was spinning. She had to leave her home, her family. She had to go to a place she didn’t know. She folded and unfolded her wings over and over. When she finally went down to breakfast, a guard was waiting there to escort her.

“I think I will be safe walking to the breakfast hall.”

He sighed and looked her straight in the eye.

“Princess Celestia’s orders.”

He pushed the door open and found all from the night before waiting for her. She flew over to her seat and sat.

“I hate all this awkward silence. Please, what is troubling you?”

Cadence rose and strode over to her cousin saying softly,

“The Lunar guards have foreseen that if we do not change you today, grave danger awaits us all.”

“I hope you don’t mind my asking Cadenza, but what ‘grave’ danger is this?”

Abendigo swooped in overhead. He alighted silently on the ground.

“The downfall of the kingdom, death, sacrifice. All of our worst nightmares combined.” He shot a glance at Celestia. “All of us.”

Breakfast continued in quiet. When everyone was finished they went into the throne room. Celestia stood at the base of the stairs. Abendigo to her right, and Cadence to her left. Nova stood in front, completing the diamond. Celestia took a deep breath and started casting the spell. She could feel herself shaking violently. Her knees wobbled. She gently rose off of the floor. Golden light shone around her. It seemed to fill her very being with pure, unbridled magic. Her wings unfolded, she held her head high, her own horn alight with her own cosmic energy. She felt herself change. It was a terrifying sensation. Her wings lost feeling. Her horn seemingly evaporated. Her flowing mane and tail turned form sky blue to a deep black. Her coat turned into a steely gray, simple yet majestic. Lastly, her wings became webbed. They turned purple, just like the guards’. She slowly descended. She stood firm on the ground.

“Nova! Are you hurt?! Are you alright?!”

Abendigo ran instantly over to her. He stopped and stared as she examined herself.

“I feel…different. Even my voice has lost it’s regular tone…”

She walked around and over to Celestia.

“How will I change back? My horn is gone, so how will I change back if I need to?”

“You must recite the Morpheus spell in the third chapter of Star Swirl the Bearded’s spell book.-Wow, that’s a mouthful- Don’t say it unless it’s absolutely necessary. Understood?”

Nova nodded, “Understood.”

Cadence strode over. “Now we must think of a new name- You can’t call yourself Nova anymore. It’s too dangerous. Let me think…… what about Narisa?”

“It suits you perfectly. I shall miss you my dear, Narisa.”

Abendigo struggled to keep himself together.

“Not knowing when one might see your friend again can make one anxious. Can’t it?”

Narisa smiled sadly and wrapped her wing around him.

“I have just one question.”

Celestia raised her head in acknowledgement.

“When do I have to leave?”