//------------------------------// // Stained // Story: Even In Other Worlds // by Rytex //------------------------------// Even In Other Worlds Chapter 12 - Stained Nova didn’t know what to do.  He was still struggling to recover from the hit he had taken, and his magic didn’t seem to be functioning properly at the moment. Things were not looking good. Killik simply stared down at Nova, the distaste turning into outright contempt the longer he looked.  For some reason, the sharpness of his police uniform amplified this that much more. “Pathetic,” he spat.  “To think the Queen would waste her time fighting for someone like you.” “Y-you don’t even know me,” Nova said, a wheezy giggle escaping him towards the end of the challenging statement.  “You’ve no idea what I’ve done for your hive.” “I am aware of more than you think, Night Master,” Killik replied.  “I am well aware of your exploits in the past.  You have the hive’s gratitude for saving the Grey Monarch’s daughter, but that is not what concerns me.” He snapped his fingers.  The air around them shimmered, and before Nova could do anything, the three of them were trapped in the alley, surrounded by a transparent green wall with a hexagonal pattern across it. “What concerns me is that you are working against the interests of the changelings,” he said.  “We have been humiliated at the hooves of Equestria not once, but twice.  The first time, the queen miscalculated and it cost us dearly.  The second time, she was simply out for petty revenge.  Her selfish desires have only made us pay for them, and it is time for new leadership among the changelings.” “Heh, and who’s going to lead them?” Nova challenged.  “You?  You couldn’t even take me in a one on one fight.” “No, I couldn’t,” Killik admitted.  “But that’s why I brought Molossus.  He is much more adept at dealing with unicorns than I, and brute force rarely is a quality that can help a potential Changeling king.” “Oh, you really are trying to usurp Chrysalis’ position!  This is actually pretty hilarious if you ask me.” “Oh?” Killik asked.  “Just how so?  I don’t find anything amusing with the situation.” “Because you can bet the Queen will know all about this little plan of yours by the end of the night,” Nova replied coolly.  “Pretty overt attempt to take down the one pony she actually owes her life to?  Don’t think you’ll live long after she hears about this.” “Really?” Killik asked.  “What is it those pirates of the independent city-states say?  ‘Dead colts tell no tales?’” He nodded to Molossus, who slammed a fist into his hand menacingly.  Killik then turned on his heel and started to walk out. “If you aren’t already aware, Night Master,” he added, “the Changelings are already dissatisfied with the way she’s been doing things.  And if word got out that she were attempting to undo our victory here, the victory that we worked and waited for, she would suddenly be the queen of an empty nation.” “I promise you this, Killik, I’m acting in the Changelings’ best interest!” “Likely story,” the changeling spat.  “If you work with the queen, it is quite clear you are working against us, wittingly or not.  But I have someplace to be.  Molossus, he does not leave here alive, no matter the cost.” “As you wish,” the large changeling said in a quiet hiss. Killik continued his pace forward and strode right through the barrier, as if it weren’t even there, before walking around the corner of a building and out of sight. Nova struggled to his feet, just in time for Molossus to lift him by the collar of his shirt. “I am sorry for this, savior,” Molossus said.  “It’s nothing personal; I simply must act to save my hive from Chrysalis’ leadership.” And with that, he tossed Nova back against the wall, where Nova hit it again with a cry of pain.  Nova collapsed to the ground, hacking and spitting up blood.  Things were definitely looking bleak already. He was yanked by the back of his cloak and tossed yet again, slamming into the magical wall at the end of the alley and falling down. “Come now,” Molossus said impatiently.  “Surely you can do better.  Do not accept death like a coward!” Nova staggered to his feet.  He could feel energy again, but it was faint.  Still, any ability to tap into magic would have to do.  He plunged into his Source and almost sighed with relief as his energy reserves were bolstered. He wasn’t in peak physical condition, but it would have to do.  Molossus was bearing down on him again. Nova reared back and, with all of his might, slammed his fist right into Molossus’ jaw.  Molossus was lifted off of his feet and thrown right back into the wall he had just tossed Nova from, slamming into it and even a bit through it. Nova let out a grunt of satisfaction.  Princess Luna had predicted magic would begin to augment his strength in this form, and it seemed it had begun to do just that.  The only expense being that as the human body had no true Source, his different energies were one and the same.  If he ran out of magical or physical energy, he had just run out of both. Before Molossus could get to his feet, Nova was already on him, raining down several punches in an attempt to at least wear down the large changeling, but it didn’t seem to be having a particularly noticeable effect. Finally, after getting fed up with punching him over and over, he opted to kick Molossus, and was rewarded with the Changeling’s head snapping hard to the left.  In the neck gaps of Molossus’ combat armor, Nova could see that he had damaged Molossus’ chitin with the force of that attack in the brief moment before Molossus was taken out of sight. Molossus was sent flying sideways into the wall, where he hit it hard enough to cave in a few of the bricks, but not enough to go completely through.  He got back to his feet and spat out a globule of phlegm and red hemolymph, before pulling off his combat helmet. “I admit, I underestimated you, Night Master.  You are a fine warrior.” He tossed the cracked SWAT helmet to the ground, and proceeded to pull off his combat armor as well.  Sure enough, the crack in his chitin that Nova had caused had spiderwebbed across the entire right side of his neck, relative to Nova.  However, while the chitin was cracked, nothing underneath appeared to be damaged. “The armor is getting in my way,” he explained.  “Though you are my enemy, consider it an honor that I must fight to my full potential to slay you.” Nova fired off two quick spells at the changeling, who merely battered them aside with one bored wave of his hand.  Nova shot a few more and a few more, but all of them were simply dispelled, blocked, or otherwise riposted. Finally, when he had just about had enough of trying to wear Molossus down from a distance, he channeled magic in his hands and charged at Molossus, aiming straight for the celiac plexus, while Molossus prepared a block. Nova had been learning from Aegis how the Lightning Punch worked, and with that knowledge in hand, he had adapted it to suit his own needs.  This being said, when Molossus attempted to block Nova’s blow, there was an explosive report, blasting the both of them back and completely winding Nova, who hadn’t yet practiced that move before and now suddenly found himself in an energy deficit. The changeling, however, looked only slightly worse for the wear.  His chitin looked slightly more cracked, but he was starting to show the signs of tiredness, as the perspiration on his forehead glinted in the sunset, and his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. “A powerful technique,” observed Molossus.  “But it seems it has had more effect on you than it has had on me.” Before Nova could do anything more, the changeling launched himself forward and struck Nova once, twice, three times to the face, before finishing his blow chain off with a kick straight to Nova’s gut.  Nova stumbled backward, into Killik’s wall, before launching off of it and reaching out to claw at the cracked section of Molossus’ chitin. The Changeling let out a growl and backhanded Nova right in the gut, sending him flying backward, into the wall again, and knocking him straight to the ground.  Nova coughed, and to his horror, a torrent blood spattered onto the ground. This time, before Nova could do anything, Molossus was on top of him, slamming a fist down onto Nova’s face.  In desperation, he shielded his face with magic, but Molossus rebounded and hit him in the gut once again. Got… to… keep… fighting… Nova thought, trying desperately to get a counter-blow or spell in, but to no avail.  Molossus was just too powerful. Finally, after nearly a minute of a non-stop beatdown, Molossus ceased his barrage. “It is time, Night Master.  Face your death with dignity.” With that, he reached down and fastened his hands around Nova’s neck and began to throttle him.  For an added measure, he punched Nova in the gut again, making Nova choke out the breath he had attempted to hold for the chokehold. Nova gagged and sputtered, trying to inhale and wrest the changeling’s hands away from his throat, but the changeling stood firm.  There was nothing Nova could do.  He was going to die here, in this alley. He had one last chance to do something, one last attempt to pry the changeling off of him.  He reached out to the side, his vision blacking out, willed magic to take the form of something in his hand, and when he felt his fingers wrap around whatever it was, he swung it as hard as he could at where he knew the giant changeling was above him. He felt it hit, and for a split-second, Molossus’ hands didn’t relax, leading Nova to fear he had failed.  But then the fingers’ grip loosened, and Molossus fell right on top of him.  It would seem Nova had knocked him clean out. Nova lay there for a moment, taking gulps of the mercifully, wonderfully cold air, and giving his vision time to return before he went about cleaning up and reporting to the queen.  Finally, when the sunset-streaked sky reappeared above him, Nova sighed, and sat up, reaching to push Molossus off of him. He froze when his hand came into contact with something warm, moist, and squishy. What? he thought, as he looked down. He had stuck his hand into Molossus’ neck.  Or more specifically, where Molossus’ head had been attacked to his neck.  Next to Nova, Molossus’ head lay, his facial expression frozen in pained surprise. Nova hadn’t knocked Molossus out.  Nova had beheaded him. He turned his gaze to his right hand, where he held his blade, and a cold, panicked sensation shot through him as he saw the blood lining the edge of the blade he had struck Molossus with.  He had cut through the damaged chitin in his neck and severed Molossus’s head in his desperation. I… I killed… His hands started to shake, his breathing began to grow more and more erratic, the sword dropped from his hands, and he looked down at the body, still spilling blood onto his clothes. There’s blood on my hands.  THERE’S BLOOD ON MY HANDS! With a scream of horror, he shoved the body away and scrambled back, finding refuge in the corner of the alley, as far away from the body as he could get. He looked down at his shaking hands, the blood of the changeling dripping off of his fingers, and he started to try to scrape the liquid off. Get it off, get it off, GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF, PLEASE, GET IT OFF OF ME! It wasn’t coming off, no matter how hard he tried.  The blood was stuck to his hands.  The blood of the changeling he had killed… He heard someone shout something from somewhere ahead of him, but he couldn’t care less about it right now.  He had to get the blood off! The longer he scrubbed and the harder he scraped, the less it felt like it was coming off. Finally, after several minutes of rubbing his hands raw, he simply dropped them onto the ground in front of them, staring blankly ahead as the implications started to hit. I killed somepony… I took a life… I… murdered him… He did not know how long he sat there, staring at his hands.  Long enough for the blood to dry, at the very least, but apart from that, he didn’t even register the sky darkening.  The only thing that could have helped would have been if he had counted the little whimpers and moans he had made. He heard a frantic tacking of someone’s footsteps as they hurried somewhere, but he didn’t look up.  What did it matter? “Oh, our apprentice,” he heard a familiar voice whisper, in the same agonized tone as he had heard the Princess whisper to the five Nightmares, when they had been sealed inside their mental prisons.  “What has happened to thee?” Nova didn’t answer, nor did he move.  He couldn’t bear to look his teacher in the eye.  Not after this. He felt a small flare of energy from her, and he was lifted into the air, hanging limply and just watching the ground move underneath him. He didn’t know where he was being carried to, nor did he care.  Nothing seemed to matter anymore. He heard a door open, he felt warmth and saw light, and a few short moments later, he felt himself be set down on something soft.  The flooring underneath him looked like that of his apartment. “Nova…” Princess Luna started, but Nova just shook his head, still staring at his bloodstained hands. “I-I… I t-took a life…” he whimpered, his eyes tearing up.  “I k-killed someone.” “Thou only didst what was necessar--” “DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES ME FEEL ANY BETTER!?” Nova screamed, rising to his feet and staring with fury at his teacher, even as she gazed back at him with an expression of utter pity.  It would seem he had reflexively tapped into his magic in the shout, for the assortment of glass around the room shattered, which Luna repaired with a mere flick of her wrist. As if only to add to his guilt, he realized he had just shouted at the one pony he knew would never think any less of him, no matter the deed he had done.  He fell back down against the couch he had been placed in, and resumed staring at the ground. The door opened, and in stepped Discord, looking for once in his life as serious as any normal pony. “Miss Strong told me what happened,” he explained immediately to Princess Luna as he entered.  “Or at least, the basics of the problem.  Do you know more of what has happened?” Luna covered her eyes and bowed her head sadly. “We… we think we do.  There were two unmistakable changeling presences in that alley, one of which trailed away.  The other… the other being the one who battled Nova.” “Did he…” Discord trailed off, noticing the redness on Nova’s hands. “From what we could detect,” Luna lowered her voice, “he did only what he had to.  Based on what we could detect at first glance, the brute of a changeling had nearly killed our apprentice, forcing his hand.  Nova attempted to strike the changeling off of him, but…” she trailed off meaningfully. “You will have to forgive me, Luna,” Discord preempted, “but I must say, I fail to see why he is so affected by this.  Surely he understands he did what--” He stopped as Nova let out a moan, and was startled to see tears dripping from his eyes. “Thou dost not know Nova Shine very well if thou thinkest that just because it is necessary means it will have no impact on him,” Luna answered.  “Nova is one of the kindest souls we have ever met.  He may be one of the most powerful, tenacious, and very dangerous fighters, but he is still a very kind pony.  The very night before we took him on as our apprentice, he was willing to give up a night of drinking and several bits of his own to ensure a begging pony had a place to lay his head.  And in the past, so enraged by the sight of the young Princess Chrysalis’ suffering was he that he personally brought down Silverblood’s operation and ended Sombra’s plan.” “I still fail to see--” “Think, Discord!” Luna snapped, snarling at him.  “For a soul as kind and caring as Nova Shine, he doth everything in his power to win a battle with minimal bloodshed!  There was only one time where he has ever wanted to see another pony dead, but in the end he let Envy live, choosing to allow the deluge of Soul Jars to fall rather than to kill himself to stop her.from surviving!  And now, he has had to take a life!  Willingly or not, there is blood on his hooves!  We knoweth exactly how he is feeling, for on the Fated Night, we, too, took a life.” Discord felt his mouth part in surprise, but he thought better about speaking.  Yes, he knew that Nightmare Moon, controlling Luna’s body, had been the one to plunge the knife into Sunbeam’s back, but Sunbeam had survived.  Wouldn’t that void the guilt? “We… we knoweth she survived,” Luna said, feeling the anger leave as the familiar feelings of sorrow and shame came over her.  “Nevertheless, never for a day do we forget what we felt, even when buried beneath the mask that was Nightmare Moon.  We know exactly how he feels right now.  Both of our hooves are stained forever.” For once in his life, Discord had nothing to say.  He had no witty quip, no smartass riposte, nothing.  All he could do was look at the boy, still staring blankly at his hands, broken and hopeless. And dare he say it, he pitied the boy.  Was this what friendship was about?  Knowing when to feel bad for other people?  Was this what Fluttershy and Celestia had been trying to drill into him? If they had, it had finally worked. He was about to go over, but Luna’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. “Don’t,” she simply said. “Why not?” Discord asked indignantly. Luna said nothing, but gestured at the door, which burst open only a moment later.  In came Rachel Dillon and Tracy Strong, both gasping for breath and sweating despite the cold weather.  They had obviously sprinted here, judging by their panting and by Tracy being bent over and clutching at a stitch in her side.  Rachel, however, sprinted around the couches over to Nova and skidded to a halt. They both had barged in with fearful looks, but now they had fallen to expressions that looked like how Discord felt. Despite the fact that Discord thought they would be able to help, when they left only a few minutes later, Nova looked no different.  He had barely acknowledged their presence.  They had only sat with him and tried to cheer him up, but Luna knew the feeling all too well.  Nova didn’t want to be cheered up in any stretch of the term. Sad as it was, she had to usher the two of them away, promising them that “Mr. Sire” would inform them of any changes to Nova’s condition, which once again, left the three of them alone. “How did you know about this?” Discord asked Luna as they spoke in Nova’s room, where Luna figured would be the room least susceptible to prying ears.  “Ms. Strong came running straight to me when she found him in that alley, and I doubt she knows of your little cottage.” “She doth not,” Luna said.  “She’s only met us once, and that was immediately after Nova rescued me.  No, we had a different way to find out about Nova.” She paused for a moment, to take a deep breath, before launching into the explanation. “Thou art, of course, aware that our sister could not use the Elements of Harmony alone to banish us to the moon, yes?” she asked.  Discord shook his head, and Luna nodded to herself before continuing.  “Yes, she needed to enlist the help of Comet and Nova to wield the Elements, and to do that.  But there was some extra work to be done to prepare for the day when we knew Envy would come after us. “Nova already knows this, but we and Comet had experimented before the Fated Night.  We had placed a portion of our Source within his own, allowing him to mimic our signature, should that need ever arise.  As well, it allowed him to stand in for us whenever the Elements were used against us.  We did the same to Nova a thousand years after that occasion, and it worked in the past.  But it had some added side-effects we only really started to observe as we trained both of them in their eras.” “Let me guess,” Discord cut in.  “You started being able to sense them without the need for your scrying ball.” “Sort of,” Luna said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.  “We still require a Scrying Orb to see exactly what he’s up to, but we canst detect certain things within his mind.  Particularly strong emotions, immense pain or pleasure, and the like.” Discord snickered.  “Oh, I can already imagine how Nova’s wedding night is going to go.  You’re going to be able to sense every little detail, aren’t you!” Luna blushed in embarrassment, but merely rolled her eyes despite that fact. “There is a time and a place for such jokes, Discord, and this is neither.  We were able to sense him the day he and Twilight and he and his father reconciled, and we were also able to sense him the day he and Twilight became engaged.  But when we felt the sudden terror that emanated from him this evening, it was clear something had gone terribly wrong, and we ordered Frigoris and Crisium fly us here at top speed.” “So Crisium and Frigoris are both out?” “Out and well,” confirmed Luna, “and they currently circle the skies above us, making sure no unwelcome guests come calling.  Humorum, Serenitatis, and Starstep have been rescued as well, but art still resting until the aftereffects of the Nightmare’s curse leave them.” “So how can they fly and you cannot?” Discord pondered. “We art still struggling to gain control over this body,” Luna explained.  She arched her back, raising herself by just a few more inches, and even as Discord watched, her feet left the ground, leaving her hovering there before him, dipping slightly as though invisible wings were pumping up and down.  After a few seconds, she let herself down.  “However, we art still a long way from being as proficient with this body as we art with our natural form.” “I see.” Luna’s mouth curved into a wan smile.  “We could have flown here alone, if we had wished.  However, as we art still struggling to cast magic in this form, we needed guards with us, just in case.” “I understand,” Discord said, before glancing out the window.  “It’s getting late, and I’ll need to pay a visit to Chrysalis and bring her up to speed.  Is there anything else you know about the situation other than what’s obvious?” “We knoweth nothing else,” Luna said. “Very well, then.” And with a snap of his fingers, Discord vanished in a flash of white light, leaving Luna alone in Nova’s bedroom. But once Discord was gone, she walked out of the room and into Nova’s little kitchen, where she grabbed a large bowl and filled it with water out of the tap, before adding a little bit of soap and grabbing a white towel from a pile left haphazardly by the sink.  With these supplies in hand, she walked in front of Nova and set down the soap-and-water-filled bucket at his feet. Nova’s forlorn expression didn’t change, nor did Luna even think he had noticed her.  And if he had, he probably didn’t care in the slightest. Without waiting to see whether or not he would react, she reached out, grabbed one of his hands, and yanked it toward her.  Nova’s eyes flicked in her direction, but but only for a split second before returning to his other hand. Luna soaked the towel and set to washing the blood off, not caring what he thought of it.  He didn’t pull away or protest.  Again, he didn’t seem to care. “We knoweth how thou art feeling, our Night Master,” she said quietly. Nova grunted. “One thousand years ago, we were the ones who plunged the knife into Sunbeam, and for the next millennium during our exile, we felt the same shame and sorrow thou art no doubt feeling,” she continued, scrubbing at his palm, noticing the deep scratches where he must have attempted to manually scrape the blood off with his nails.  “It was only after we were purified by Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony that we learned of Sunbeam’s survival, but it did not undo the guilt and shame of what we felt, even when it was not us who did the deed.” “Is this supposed to make me feel better?” Nova asked bitterly.  “Because it’s not.” “Neigh, ‘tis not to make thee feel better.” answered Luna, finishing the scrubbing on the palm and moving to the back of his hands.  “We knoweth better than anyone that thou art inconsolable right now.  What we art saying, Nova, is that if thou needest a shoulder-- if thou needest anything-- we can help.” “The only ones who can help me are dead,” Nova spat, shaking his head. “Nova, we both know that is not true.” “It may as well be, right now,” he snapped.  “Twilight is under, Aegis is under, Clover is dead, Steelshod is dead.” “What of your parents?” Luna asked. “They wouldn’t understand,” Nova replied.  “They’ve never done something like this.” “Thou just proves thou knowest nothing about thine own parents,” Luna retorted.  “Thy father has incidents of his own he could tell you about, and thy mother--” But Luna broke off, fearing she had spoken too much.  She remembered the conversation she’d had with Ray and Shimmer both, not even two days after taking Nova on as her apprentice, in which they had recanted the story. “My mother what?” asked Nova, his moping momentarily forgotten in his curiosity.  “What did my mother do?” “Tell me, Nova, dost the name ‘Glimmer’ hold any meaning to thee?” Nova appeared confused for a moment, but shook his head.  After checking to make sure she had gotten it all, Luna finished cleaning his right hand, then let it go and took his left and began the process anew. “No, it doesn’t,” he answered.  “Who’s Glimmer?” “We wilt let thy parents share that information with thee when they are ready,” Luna replied.  “Nevertheless, the incident involving Glimmer is one that has caused both of thy parents to have many sleepless nights.  But they art there for thee, if thou needest it.” The return to the sobering topic of Nova’s murder sapped the curious spirit he had been feeling to that point.  However, unlike before, all he did was sigh and droop his head this time.  His mood was gone, but at least he seemed in marginally better spirits. Progress is progress, thought Luna sadly. After a few more silent minutes, Luna had completely cleaned Nova’s hands, and he seemed in no more mood to speak.  With that unspoken mutual understanding, Princess Luna lifted him with magic once again, placed him in his bed, and even went so far as to tuck him in. “We wilt be here as long as we find it necessary,” she informed him as she started to walk out.  “Nova… please, for thy own sake, try thy best to sleep soundly.” Nova grunted, but otherwise gave no indication he was going to follow her request.  She watched him as he stayed motionless on his bed, noting that he didn’t close his eyes and was still staring at the wall blankly. How it broke her heart to see her student in such a condition, but there was little she could do.  And with that sad thought in her mind, she switched off the light and shut the door. Nova was sitting on the bed in his house.  For only a moment he wondered how he had gotten there, but taking a look around, he saw several out of place things.  For one, the bed had the wrong color of sheets and comforter, and there appeared to only be three rooms. My house from the past, he thought.  Which means this must be a dream. He let out a long sigh as the memory of the event appeared in his mind, and he buried his face in his hooves yet again.  Could he not even dream in peace, now? A pair of hooves wrapped themselves around him, startling him for just a moment.  His head snapped sideways, seeing whose hooves were hugging him in this dreamstate, only to find a familiar lavender unicorn holding him tightly from behind. The memory of two nights before returned in that moment, and all Nova could do was stare at Clover, feeling utterly worthless. She let go and looked him directly in the eyes with nothing short of the utmost love and pity. “I’m here,” she said, opening her hooves again.  “I know what happened, and I’m here for you.” That was all that he needed to hear.  The dam broke, and the tears Nova had been holding back were spilling out as he collapsed into her welcoming embrace, sobbing into her shoulder. All he could do was let it out.  All he wanted to do was let it out.  And so he did, sitting in place and just crying into her shoulder while she held her cheek to him and stroked at the back of his mane comfortingly. “It will be alright,” she whispered.  “I know you did not mean to do it, and it may not seem like it now, but I promise you Nova Shine, your wound will heal.” As he had with Princess Luna, all Nova did was just grunt into her shoulder.  Would he really be alright?  It all just seemed so meaningless now.  Only hours ago, he had been having fun with his mother, but now?  Now he felt like there would never be any fun to have again. There was nothing else to be said.  Within the dream state, Nova didn’t know how long he was was there, nor did he care.  All that mattered was her, and the fact that even from beyond, she was with him to comfort him when he needed it. {E} {I} {O} {W} For the second day in a row, Nova sat in his parents’ living room, Princess Luna sitting at his side and resting an encouraging hand on his shoulder.  Unlike the day before, his father was gone, out of the house, leaving him alone with only the one person he really wanted to talk to that he could talk to. After all, what would Luna know about guilt like this?  The only pony she had ever killed had been revived by the Consciousness of Magic not long after.  And she had never actually taken that life; it had been Nightmare Moon. But what of his mother?  Who was this Glimmer pony? The door to the house had been opened before he could even knock, and there stood Nova’s mother, looking incredibly anxious.  The moment she saw it was Nova on the other side of the wall, her face fell, and she reached out a hand, completely ignoring Luna’s presence.  At the sight of this simple gesture, Nova almost fell into her arms and let her hug him. Unlike yesterday evening, he didn’t lose his composure.  Quite the contrary, he felt warm and secure in her embrace.  As with yesterday, it really hit him exactly what he had missed out on after ten years of never wanting to see their faces again. After some amount of time, how long he didn’t know, she let go and allowed him to stand.  Without saying a word, she led him right back into the house’s living room, where she took a seat on the couch and he on his father’s easy chair. “Princess Luna sent word of what happened,” Shimmer said, shaking her head.  “Right after I left, trouble found you.  Clearly I should have walked you home myself.  Maybe those changelings would have attacked, but at least you wouldn’t have been alone.” “I handled myself fine on my own,” Nova protested.  “It’s just…” “It’s just what you were forced to do because no one had your back,” his mother finished for him, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. “Mom, who was Glimmer?” Nova could see the effect that simple question had on his mother instantly.  Her shoulders tensed, he could see her body rise half an inch as she sharply inhaled and held it, and her eyes snapped to meet his. “How do you know that name?” she asked, sounding very wary, looking sharply between him and Princess Luna. “Princess Luna,” answered Nova, shrugging. Shimmer buried her face in her hands and then let them drag downward.  “I know you’re my diarch, your highness, but you have a way of making my life infuriating,” she grumbled. “Our apologies,” said Luna.  “However, we felt it would help Nova along the road to recovery to know that he was not alone in his guilt.” “Mom, who was Glimmer?” Nova repeated. “Did you tell him anything else?” Shimmer asked sharply, looking at him with a very stern, almost frighteningly hard gaze.  “What else did you say?” Princess Luna shook her head, looking utterly indifferent to being accused of.. .whatever she was being accused of. “We said nothing else.” “That… that was it, honest,” Nova said, suddenly thinking this probably wasn’t a good idea.  “Is something wrong?” Shimmer stared at him for a long moment, but sighed again, the sigh turning into a groan about halfway through. “I ask you to keep your damn mouth shut, and you just feel the need to tell anyone you please--” “Still thy tongue, woman, for We art not without reason!” Luna snapped,her hands flickering with the light of her aura. “Mom, who is Glimmer?” Nova repeated again, almost shouting over the two mares. At the mention of the name again, Shimmer sucked in a breath, held it for a long moment, and then let it out over a few seconds.  Nova could sense the way the workings of her body just slowed down as she did so.  The simple fact that she needed the calm to tell him this spoke volumes about the seriousness of it.  Luna, however, looked completely dispassionate, though the subtle way her eyes flickered towards him betrayed her worry. *sniff* Nova’s gaze went from staring at where he knew his mother’s heart was to her eyes.  And to his astonishment, there was a tear beginning to trail down her cheek. “I’m… sorry about this,” she said, her voice shaking ever so slightly.  “It’s… not a happy topic.” “I can see that,” Nova responded. “Keep your sarcasm to yourself,” she snapped, a command which took Nova aback.  Shimmer had never been this angry at him before. “You want to know who Glimmer is, Nova?” she asked, shaking her head.  “Would you prefer a harsh truth?  Or would you want me to soften the blow, in light of recent events?” “I’m not one to beat around the bush,” Nova answered, curiosity and trepidation piqued. “No, no you’re not,” agreed Shimmer, giving him a teary, calculating look.  “Very well, please, both of you, come with me.  This will take some time.” From there the two of them had been led to their current spots in the Novus living room, where Shimmer had been mustering the nerve to confess what was on her heart.  Finally, after almost a minute of silent waiting, she took a deep breath. “Glimmer Novus was your older sister.” It took Nova exactly five seconds to really process that statement.  When it finally clunked into place, he sighed. “I guess I should have expected as much,” Nova said.  “What with Dad being all over Canterlot before he married you.” “No, Nova,” Shimmer said, giving a humorless smile.  “Glimmer was my daughter by your father; in no way was she a lovechild of either of us.  She was your pure sister, through and through.” Nova blinked. “So… I have a sister?” he asked. Shimmer just shook her head, her eyes starting to glisten with tears that were on the verge of falling. “No, Nova.  She… died about nineteen years ago.” Nova’s breath caught in his throat.  Of course, it had to be this way.  It should have been obvious.  How could she not be dead? But then… “Did… did I know her?” he asked. Shimmer nodded, wiping one of her eyes. “She… the two of you were th-the closest sibling pair I had ever seen at that age.  More than once, we had to t-tell her off for playing with you when she should have been doing her homework or her chores.” Princess Luna’s hand left his shoulder, but was quickly replaced by her embrace.  Startled at the gesture, he felt something trickle down his cheek. “She and Shining Armor were the best of friends,” continued Shimmer, staring at the floor, but smiling fondly at the memories.  “Vel and I used to think the two of them were going to be married when they grew older.  When you and Twilight were born, we joked about the same thing with the two of you.  And the irony wasn’t lost on us, that our joke became the reality, but our thoughts only remained so.” “What…” he swallowed, “what happened?” Rather than answer, Shimmer wiped at her eyes and nose for a moment. “Lady Shimmer,” Princess Luna gently said, “We know thou and thy spouse have kept this hidden from thy son because of the pain it caused thee.  Both the pain and every aftereffect, until the day thy spouse and thy son made their amends.  Thy son has suffered pain like no other.  As much as we know that he knows that we would die before seeing a hair in his mane harmed, we cannot help him.  Perhaps it is time he knew the reason why the two of you grew so distant toward him.” “It was not your place to tell him of Glimmer!” shrieked Shimmer, her face suddenly contorted with anger as she glared at Princess Luna.  “Ray and I were going to tell him on our own time!  Why did you insist on bringing up th-this… this torture again!?  Do you try to throw yourself into our family business and see how much chaos you can create!?” “THAT’S ENOUGH!” Before Nova knew it, he was on his feet, standing between his mother and his teacher.  He could not be angry with his mom.  He knew all too well how she must feel, with the Princess insisting on doing something they both would rather leave undone.  For him, it had been to forgive Tantalus Lulamoon and his father.  For her, it must be to let go of whatever had happened to Glimmer. Shimmer looked surprised at Nova’s outburst, but met his gaze regardless.  Her hair hung in curtains around her face, framing it in silver, while her silver eyes were puffy and red from her grief. “Mother, I love you dearly,” Nova preemptively said, “but never speak ill of my teacher ever again.  Did you forget she asked the same of me, not all that long ago?” Shimmer had no answer.  Instead, she buried her face in her hands and let out a pained moan. “Take it from me, mom, let go of it,” he said.  “The tighter you grip a thorn, the more it cuts your hand. I held onto my hatred of you and Dad for ten years. Ten years, mom!  And it did so little.  It poisoned my life, and it poisoned my developing relationship with Twilight.  Mom, you have to let go of it, or it will destroy things you love.  It may not be immediate, it may not even be for a long time, but it will happen.” “Thy son speaks wisdom, Shimmer,” Luna said, patting Nova on his shoulder.  “He hath learned much from his experiences.  Perhaps thou should emulate him, even just this once.” “Mom,” said Nova quietly.  “Please.” Shimmer let out a shaky sigh as her head drooped, her silver hair hiding her face from view.  For a long moment, Nova and Luna thought she wasn’t going to say anything. “Nova, do you remember the time you got Star Swirl Sickness?” Shimmer asked quietly. How could he have forgotten?  How could he have forgotten the arduous five days he had spent curled up in a hospital containment room bed, unable to control his own magic as it painfully blasted itself out of his horn? “Hard to forget an experience like that, Mom,” Nova answered. Shimmer let out a shaky laugh.  “I s-suppose it is.” Star Swirl Sickness, Nova remembered, was an aggressive form of mana poisoning that always occurred in adolescent foals with large Sources, as the pathways between Source and horn formed.  Most foals would get simple mana poisoning, as the mana from the Source would be unpleasant but able to be dealt with.  Those foals unlucky enough to get Starswirl Sickness would be in constant pain as the mana just flooded through those pathways and overloaded their system, causing all their magic to be uncontrollable until the medicines were able to help a foal recover. Nova’d had a particularly aggressive and painful bout with it.  As soon as his parents had known what it was, he had been rushed to the hospital and just left there.  The doctors would come in several times a day, twice for medicine, thrice to give him food, but other times just to check up on him. It had been one of the occasions that had convinced him his parents hated him back then.  Not once had they visited, even after he was deemed safe.  They had clearly only taken him because they knew he was a danger to them and the house. “Did Glimmer… did my sister,” Nova corrected himself, “go through Star Swirl Sickness?  Is that how she...” “There’s m-more to it than that,” Shimmer said, her head drooping even further down.  “Your father had been summoned to a session of the House of Nobles.  It w-was all poor timing.  There was some n-new law that was going in, and they tried to f-f-filibuster it, and he was stuck in the castle for a week while he waited.” “I thought in case of emergencies, the Nobles were allowed to leave the House,” Nova said.  Being a Noble himself as the Night Master, though not by virtue of being Lord of a clan, he’d had to familiarize himself with their rules. “That particular rule was added as a result of this incident, Nova,” explained Luna, a hint of sorrow in her voice.  “This was the first time in over seven-hundred years that such an event occurred, because the House met so infrequently that it wasn’t deemed a necessary provision to have.” “Dad wasn’t allowed to leave?” asked Nova, horrified. “Not until the session was adjourned.  Most sessions, as you know, only take a few hours.  This was a filibuster, and the ponies in question were a decidedly stubborn group.” “We d-didn’t think it would be anything to be concerned about,” Shimmer continued, sitting up, but covering her eyes with her hands.  “G-Glimmer had just gotten mana p-poisoning a few days b-before, which isn’t a big worry on its own.  We j-just had to wait a week or so, and it’d b-be gone.  But it got worse after the fifth day. “She just started crying out louder and louder, and I didn’t know what to do,” Shimmer continued.  She seemed to have stopped crying, but Nova knew it wouldn’t last long.  “A week after it started, I took her to the hospital.  They were examining her for several minutes while I waited, and then the doctor came to me, and I had never seen a stallion looking so frantic.” She sniffed, and Nova knew the floodgates were about ready to open. “He told me they were going to need to perform surgery immediately, because what I had thought was just mana poisoning was full Star Swirl Sickness.  I told them to do what they had to.  He rushed back in, and they took her to the operation room.” Her body shook, and Nova leapt over to sit beside her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. “For thirty minutes, I sat in the w-waiting room, hoping my little Glimmer would be alright.  I was so scared, I thought I had done something wrong.  What if I had caused her to be paralyzed, because I hadn’t known what to look for in Star Swirl Sickness?  I h-had all these thoughts going though my head the whole time.  A-and then the same doctor came out, and he looked ev-even more frantic than before.  He told me that a lot of the mana had leaked out of the pathways in her horn because it had all come too fast, and that the surgery was being done to extract the mana th-that had flooded her system.” Shimmer started sobbing. “A-and then h-he told m-m-me that some of the m-mana had gotten l-lodged in her heart, and that th-there was a chance it could crystallize.” Nova gasped, feeling as though he had been struck in the gut. “It w-was a low chance,” she said, shaking her head, before burying her face in her hands.  “The alt-ternative was a heart t-transplant.  Either I w-would ask them t-to try to d-drain the mana from her h-heart, or h-have them transplant a cl-clean heart into her.” Nova wrapped both his arms around her as she inched ever closer to breaking down completely. “I j-j-just didn’t know wh-what to do!” she cried.  “I d-didn’t know wh-which option to choose, b-because they both had a chance of h-her dying, and then… a-and then…” She just completely lost it and openly started crying.  Nova hugged her even tighter, though he, too, felt some tears leak from his eyes. “While Shimmer remained indecisive,” Luna continued softly, “the mana in Glimmer’s heart crystallized.  Within seconds, Glimmer’s heart was torn to ribbons, and she died instantly.” Nova could only hug his mother all the tighter.  He didn’t know what to say.  All he could do was sit there, and listen to his mother as she cried over the painful memory. “You want to know why your father was so distant, Nova?” asked Luna, shaking her head sadly.  “He was hurt terribly by Glimmer’s death.  When he was informed that she had gone into the emergency room for surgery, right in the middle of session, he was out of that room faster than anypony I’ve ever seen, including Rainbow Dash.  He loved you both dearly, but after she died, he just sort of drew into a shell.  He thought that since you had a larger Source than her, you were doomed from the start.” “Dad thought I was going to die?” Nova asked. “He did,” said Luna.  “The mind makes all sorts of irrational conclusions when one is emotional.  Surely you can attest.  But even after he had time to calm himself and let his wound heal, he never let himself get close to you because he was so afraid of being hurt like that again.  Ironically, the day you ran away, it hurt him even worse.” Nova had never once felt a shred of regret over running away from his father, not even after they had made their amends.  The two of them had grown much because of the incident.  But after hearing just how badly his dad must have hurt by both of these, he actually felt a stinging feeling of it.  At the time though, he knew that he would have actually taken solace in that fact, and the mere thought of enjoying seeing his dad suffer made him feel a bit sick. “It was shortly after this incident that the provision allowing emergencies to postpone session was passed,” continued Luna.  “It’s been referred to as the Glimmer Provision ever since.” Nova had never heard of it being called that, but he nodded. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him and he was startled to see that his mother was hugging him just as fiercely as he was her. “Thank-you,” she whispered into his ear.  “Th-thank-you so much, Nova.” “Any time, Mom,” he said. He glanced at Luna, still shedding a few tears over the story, to see that Luna was giving a small, tender smile at the scene. “Nova, Shimmer,” she said, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder, “you both have been through terrible ordeals.  But remember, even in the midst of whatever may come, that you are not alone in your grief.  You are not the only one who has done something that led to sorrow.  You all have each other.” Luna stayed with them for a few more minutes, before finally, she gave Nova an affectionate tousle of the hair, and was gone, leaving mother and son to console each other.