The Element bearers were groaning and Twilight could hear Nova franticly scrabbling along the walls, muttering an incantation. Twilight winced as a bright light flared up. Applejack had managed to disentangle herself from the pile.
“Where the hay are we?” She inquired.
“A Charcoal passageway. They run all over Equestria. The torches need to be replaced,” Nova replied.
“Will he be able to find us?” Twilight inquired.
Nova smirked as the other torches illuminated slate grey then faded to a soft white, “Only Charcoal Alicorns or Unicorns can open the passageways.”
“Okay so you owe us an explanation,” Applejack remarked.
“Okay, so he’s like my fifty times great-grandfather, on my father’s side. His Changeling daughter married into a Crystal Alicorn family. This was before Chrysalis’s hive Changelings came about. Anyways, several generations passed and a Crystal Alicorn named Emerald Storm had three children with a Charcoal Unicorn named Diamond Trail, Sombra and Solaris, twins, then Amor de Crystal Corazon, a daughter. Sombra had a wife and two foals. Solaris was married to Star Burst, her father was Khonsu, a Charcoal Alicorn. They had two daughters: Bravura Dolce Spatial Burst, and myself, Nova Silverwind Nightfall Radical Burst. When I was young, Uncle Sombra was very kind, however Dark Spire corrupted him, just like he corrupted Queen Chrysalis. When Sombra’s wife and children were killed, he lost it becoming what you had to fight. My father was able to resist Dark Spire’s whisperings. When he married my mother, who’s a Pegasus by the way, his resolve strengthened. Dark Spire couldn’t turn my father dark,” Nova explained.
“Hold on, what about your Aunt?” Rarity asked.
“She had just one child, a daughter,” Nova replied.
“So what happened to them?” Dash inquired.
“It would take far too long to explain that one,” Nova replied with a light laugh.
“Who was that guy that we ran into?” Pinkie asked.
“Wild Blaze?” Nova blurted.
The others nodded.
“Wild Blaze is my……husband,” Nova answered.
“But you’re barely older than us,” Fluttershy blurted.
“I’ve been married to him since I was about sixteen. Marriage laws were different back then,” Nova said quickly.
“My folks were married by the time they were eighteen. They had a foal on the way by their first anniversary,” Applejack commented.
Nova seemed to wilt a little, “We have no children. We both had busy schedules. Blaze was a guard, I was busy with my studies. We had been married for a few years when the Nightmare incident occurred.”
The Mane Six looked at her curiously.
Grief seemed to consume Nova’s amber eyes, “When I got turned into the Dark Whisper, I was expecting a foal. That change destroyed it. I was unable to sustain a physical form for more than five minutes at a time… I-i-i lost the foal. Blaze was also forced into a Dark Whisper because of his marriage to me. It was my fault that I lost it. I should have asked Princess Luna to release me from my studies when I found out that I was expecting the foal, but I didn’t. I was an idiot.”
The Mane Six were stunned. They exchanged looks unsure of what to say or do. This was the most amount of emotion that Nova Burst had displayed since meeting her. Fortunately for them a crimson glow provided a distraction. They prepared for an attack, but were surprised when Nova tackle hugged the cause of the glow: A young man around her age with a glowing torch in his hands.
“Nov!” he spluttered, “Get off. I’m trying to- Oh I see, you lit them with your magic.”
“Riptide, is Grandfather okay?” Nova said as she straightened her shirt.
“Yeah, he’s fine. A bit perturbed about something though. Must have something to do with the new forms,” Riptide replied, pushing his dusty bronze hair out of his sea-green eyes.
“Is he at Aurum?” Nova asked, urgency in her voice.
“Yeah. What’s going on Cuz?” Riptide replied.
“Dark Spire,” Nova said heading down the tunnel Riptide had just come up.
Riptide and the Mane Six rushed after her.
“Grandfather’s going to-“ Riptide started.
“I think he already knows Rip,” Nova replied.
“You’re her cousin?” Dash inquired.
“Long story,” Riptide replied, catching Rarity, Pinkie and AJ before they tumbled off a steep cliff.
“That could have been a disastrous,” AJ mumbled.
“Considering it’s an eight hundred foot drop into a pool of water? Yeah it would have been,” Nova remarked.
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The ruler of the Charcoal Ponies was impressive. He was silver with blazes of black and dark blue. His hair was a mix of white and silver, and his eyes were a glowing white. He radiated power and Twilight could feel it. Golden runes spiraled up his arms and under the plating of his armor.
“Grandfather,” Nova said and bowed politely.
Khonsu smiled, “Nova, what brings you here?”
“I wish it could be as simple as my wishing to just visit. But….Dark Spire is after us.”
Khonsu frowned slightly, “I’m aware of his return. Some ignorant Unicorn must have opened the gate for him and his army to come through. The first Queen banished him, you know who her children are.”
Nova gave a slight nod then replied in the Charcoal language, “Alicorn birth records have been wiped by the Queen’s lingering spell.”
Khonsu nodded and replied, “For a very good reason. If the bloodlines that have traces of Alicorn in them, others would take steps to eradicate them.”
“I understand Grand-father,” Nova replied, “I will show my friends to the guest rooms, and we can discuss the Keystone at dinner.”