• Published 29th Jul 2022
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Agents of Discord - KittyrinnAiko



Kitzumi Nova Moon of Athelas has been chosen for a dangerous mission by none other than Discord to take the place of Harry Potter

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Chapter 39: Nova look alike contest

“Hold up there, this is restricted airspace!” called a pegasus guard to Aerie moments after taking off from the cabin up on the mountain. “I’m going to need you to land.”

“It’s me, Nova!” Aerie called back.

“Where’s your horn!”

“N-sid ring on my horn! I don’t have a radio.”

“I’ll need you to land anyway!”

“Fine!”

Aerie thought about dropping to the courtyard but then decided to just generate some fox fire mist, spun to create her own cloud, and stopped right where she was. She then touched wing to ring to shut off the enchantment.

“Hey!?” the guard bellowed as he flew right past. Aerie had shut off the horn ring by the time he’d turned around.

Aerie found herself being hug tackled a moment later.

It wasn’t an attack, it was an embrace.

“Um, hello… Princess Luna?” Aurora called as everyone landed softly in the grass of a path in the garden down below where the cloud was. This Princess Luna looked a good deal like the Luna from when Nightmare Moon had been defeated, and less like the Luna who would show up during the Nightmare Night episode even though Nightmare Night had come and passed. Just a bit more grown up from the defeat of Nightmare Moon. In short, she was aging at a fairly normal pace. A couple of moments later they were surrounded by guards who were not quite sure what to do about a crying Luna. Or a Crying Princess Nova, as that’s who she seemed to be.

“Best Hearths Warming present ever,” Aerie said softly.

“Mom…” Princess Luna loosened her hug at the sound of Nova’s tone. “I’m going to have to go back.”

“What? No. Why?” She looked around and spotted Mrs Silverwood who’d followed them. “Are you the reason she’s been gone so long? Are you the reason she wants to go back?!”

“I don’t want to go back, and it has very little to do with her.”

“Then why?” Luna asked in an anguished plea. She’d not missed the hurt expression on Aurora’s face.

“Perhaps we could go inside and try to explain the whole mess?” Aurora offered.

“Grandmother? No, sorry. There’s no way you could be my grandmother.” Luna replied. “Yes, let’s go inside, and then you can explain why my Nova, after finally getting back, must turn around and leave?”



“I’m not Sunset!” Aurora protested a few minutes later. A moment earlier Princess Celestia had wanted to know what she’d done to herself while assuming she was looking at Sunset.

“Nova’s back!” Exclaimed a delighted Diamond Tiara as she rushed in and tackled Nova in a hug. Diamond had been taken in by Princess Luna after a series of unfortunate incidents that resulted in a serious attitude adjustment to her and her parents ending up at Her Majesty's pleasure. Nova had no trouble with returning the hug to this Diamond who was still estranged from her parents. “Oh, hey, it’s Princess Tsuki. Did you bring her back?”

“Diamond, different pony,” Nova offered. “This is Nova Silverwood. And the golden pegasus is Summer Sunshine.

“Is it true? Is Nova back?” Sunset Shimmer asked as she entered the room where every pony was gathering. “Um… who?” She’d locked eyes with Aurora.

“This is going to take a bit of explaining to do…” Nova began, and a short time later the whole group was up at the cabin overlooking the castle gardens.

“How long has this cabin been here,” Princess Celestia asked of Captain Shining Armor. He’d been drug along with the group as he was now the Captain of the Palace Guard.

“It showed up during Discord’s rampage. I did send you a memo. There wasn’t anything in it at the time, and there was no apparent threat so we kind of just ignored it.”

“I will admit that there were other more pressing matters,” Princess Celestia admitted. “Now, Nova, why are you a teen on this side of the front door, and why is Scootaloo here?”

“She’s our ward,” Aurora offered. “From another Equestria.”

“Ward?” Luna asked.

“We kind of signed a herding agreement so that we could take temporary custody,” Nova offered. “Oh, and here, I’m Aerie Potter.”

“Yes, you did mention that,” Celestia quipped. "Along with something about a herding agreement."

"And I still want an explanation," Luna protested. Her ears had gone back in distress at the name Aerie Potter but Aerie chose to dismiss it.

“Oh, hi, your back,” Flora called from the stairs. “You’ve guests I see.”

“Hi mom, I want you to meet my mom!” Aerie called.

“Mom? I thought she died?”

“Different mom. It’s complicated.”



“So, if I were to step through the door at the top of the stairs would I become Selena or Lily Potter?” Luna asked a short time later following even more explanations.

Aerie had to think about it for a bit. “You know… given that I’ve no doubt that we are dealing with Discordant magic I’d imagine anything is possible, but it’s more likely you’d end up looking like Selena Tsuki. Sunshine’s Aunt.”

“Sunshine’s Aunt?” Princess Celestia asked.

“Do you ever disguise yourself as someone known as Mystique, or Celeste Summers?” Aurora asked. Celestia nodded her head. “Well, in my world, Celestia and Celeste Summers are two unique individuals, and Celeste Summers is my mom. And yes, I am, in an odd sort of way, Sunset’s counterpart. Can’t say if I’m related to the Shimmer family or not though. My dad, father, is James Cutter. Can’t say he was ever much of a dad.” She took a big breath, and let it out slowly to calm herself. And my human world name, the name I was born with, is Aurora.”

“Family name?” Luna asked.

“It is.”

“Explains why you look like Grandmother. More so than Sunset. It’s the wings. Now if you had a horn?”

Aurora reached up and shut off the ring that hid her horn to the sound of shocked silence.

“It’d have to be one convoluted timeline for me to end up as your grandmother.”

“Well, I’d say the clear familial resemblance comes from being your world’s version of myself. Even down to the same father. Sort of. My father is Jem Cutter. Not James. No idea why I got named Shimmer, or Sunset for that matter,” Sunset offered. “So how’d you get the wings?”

“Started out with wings.”

“Surely you didn’t become an alicorn on coming through the portal?” Celestia asked.

“Oh, no, I found myself abandoned and alone in Cloudsdale in another timeline. Marooned actually. Another dimension. No idea how I got there or how I got back. I’d become a pegasus in that world. My foster sister and I did something that protected Equestria’s timeline from a mare by name of Starlight Glimmer who was bent on undoing the Elements of Harmony. And that’s how I got the horn.”

“And your foster sister?” Celestia asked.

“Another version of Nova. She already had both wings and a horn, and as a fox pony, the rules of ascension are different for her.”

“There are different rules?” Sunset asked.

“Those of us with Kitsune ancestry have but to live long enough. It’s kind of an automatic process,” Mrs Silverwood offered.

“We level up every hundred years or so,” Aerie offered. “Tho in my case, it seems to be conditional.”

“I see…” sunset replied.

“I am technically over a thousand years old after all.”

“Subjective time versus objective,” Sunset mused. “After all, by rights, you should be due your second tail. If I recall correctly.”

“I’ve got the body of a filly when in my home world. I’m a little girl in the human, and oddly enough old enough to qualify as an adult in Scootaloo’s world. She’d gained access to this cottage, which is in fact the basement of the house I now live in.”

“And I think we are going to need to take up residence down here,” Aurora offered.

“You’re going to move down here?” Flora asked.

“We have a nosy Mrs Heardital to worry about. Showed up unannounced and invited herself in.”

“What happens if she decides to go out the front door?” Flora asked.

“She already tried,” Aerie offered with a grin. “I think she’s afraid of heights.”

“Heights?” Flora asked, and went to the front door. “Oh my. I must say that that is quite the view.” She turned around and headed back. “Can’t be helped then. Let’s get the two of you moved.”

“I’m helping,” Luna announced and dashed upstairs before any pony could abject.

Aerie found her on her hands and knees upstairs. “Mom, it’s late.”

“Late?” Luna asked as she looked herself over. And no, she did not look like Aerie's Moonie when in human form. After all, Moonie was modeled on Nightmare Moon. Sure, there was a resemblance, but Luna's human form had a younger, softer look to her.

“I’m on a diurnal schedule. It comes with having to deal with the species. You know, how I had to attend classes in the daytime? Same thing here. Now, if I’m going to get moved downstairs, I really don’t have time… Aunt Tia? Not you too?” If Aerie had noticed how much her Luna looked like the picture of Lily Potter Princess Celestia had distracted her from any thought on the subject.

“I wanted to see it too.”

“Princess Celestia, I can’t help but feel this is a bad idea,” Shining Armor protested as Sunset walked past. He too was on his hands and knees. “What’s happened to my hooves!?”

“And the portal set my age back to that of a little kid,” Sunset muttered as she headed for the front door.

"It set you to match my age on this side of the portal," Aurora informed her as if she really understood how the portal worked.

“This isn’t the same world we rescued you from Aerie offered.”

“Say, why don’t you come down for tomorrow's Princess Nova look-alike contest?” Celestia asked.

“Wait, what?” Mrs Silverwood asked.

“Ya, what?” Aerie echoed.

“Opportunistic ponies keep trying to pass off various ponies as yourself,” Luna informed Aerie.

“So how’d you know I was the real deal?”

“So far as I know, you are the only pony capable of creating your very own cloud in an instant, and do it just to commit a little malicious compliance. That and no one else was brazen enough to just fly into a restricted area.”

“You were watching I gather.”

“I was at that.”

“I want to but we need to go into the Ministry of Magic to see about our Floo connection.”

“Oh, you can just let me deal with that little issue,” Mrs Silverwood offered with a devilish smile.

Aerie smiled back wondering just what exactly she had in mind. She and Aurora moved down into the basement, and the next morning saw Mrs Heardital at their back door.




“Good morning… Scootaloo doesn’t have school today does she?” Aurora asked.

“Oh, no, it’s winter break.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“What’s good?” a ratty-haired Aerie asked as she made her way into the kitchen. Bedhead to be exact. Bedhead, bed-tail, and, OK, she needed some intensive brushing.

“Rough night?” Mrs Heardital asked.

“Oh, she always looks like that first thing in the morning. She is technically a night pony after all.”

“Are you cooking breakfast?” Scootaloo asked as she poked her head in.

“I am at that. Dandelion tuber hash-browns and veggie scramble.”

“Any chance you made coffee?” Aerie asked.

“Here,” Aurora offered, picked up a pot of coffee from the stove, and poured a cup full. Aerie took hold of the cup and took a grateful sip.

“Um, hi?” Aerie said to Mrs Heardital a moment later. “Kind of early in the morning, ain’t it?”

“Be nice,” Aurora cautioned as Scootaloo climbed into a chair at the kitchen table.

“It’s still mighty early to be calling.”

“I’m sorry about the early hour, but it is my duty to check in on Scootaloo.”

“She broke into my house and I didn’t immediately call the guard on discovering she’d squatted here. That’s got to count for something?”

“It just proves you know the law. After all, she had established herself in this residence.”

“Squatter’s rights,” Aurora offered as she served Scootaloo breakfast. And then without thinking she used her telekinesis to pour a glass of milk for Scootaloo.”

“Milk?” Scootaloo protested.

“If you want to be a strong flier you need to drink milk. You need the calcium.”

Mrs Heardital was just standing there looking at the milk jug with a confused expression on her face.

“So, will you be joining us for breakfast?” Aerie asked of Mrs Heardital.

“What? Oh, no, I was just checking to see if you were going to feed her.”

“She’s capable of feeding herself.”

“Aerie?” Aurora scolded.

“She’s not wrong,” Scootaloo defended. “And thank you for the food. Feels kind of nice to have someone to cook for me.”

“You’re welcome, and thank you.”

“Oh, hey, you’re eating down here?” Justin asked as he entered the kitchen. He stopped when he saw Mrs Heardital. “Mmm, hi?”

“Down?” Mrs Heardital asked.

“As opposed to the front which overlooks a grand view,” Aurora offered.

“Which reminds me. I’ve been meaning to ask you about that drop-off… that oddly enough it isn’t there when one walks around the house.”

“Ask Pinkie. I’m sure she can explain it for you,” Aerie offered.

“It’s leftover Discordant magic,” Aurora explained. “Might be best to leave it alone, and yes, Princess Celestia knows about it.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Mrs Heardital replied in that tone that suggests she knows more than she’s letting on. “So, does your little brother live here too?”

“Oh, no, I live up… in Canterlot,” Justin offered. “I’m just visiting for the Hols.”

“I see. Well, I think I best get out to check on my other charges.”

Aerie was glad to see her go as now she felt like she could relax.

“Any chance you roasted some fish?” Aerie asked.

“In the oven. Didn’t want to get it out with her here.”

“Why?” Justin asked as Aurora retrieved a casserole pan with a lid on it from the oven.

“Earth pony,” Scootaloo offered. “Earth ponies tend to be strict vegetarians. Say, how bout I show you around Ponyville while Aerie does her thing in her Canterlot?”

“You don’t want to come to see all the look-a-likes?” Aerie offered as Aurora removed the lid revealing a large Brook Trout festooned with carrot slices and a sprinkling of herbs.

“Is that even a good idea?” Scootaloo asked.

“Should be fine.”

“What if we run into her counterpart?” Aurora asked.

“Knows about alternate worlds, and we’ve Changelings on the payroll.”

“Seriously?”

“Changelings?” Scootaloo asked.

“Pony-like creatures that are perhaps more bug than a pony. They can make themselves look like anyone. Typically they just blend in with pony society.”

“So they don’t carry off ponies in the night then?” Scootaloo sounded almost disappointed.

“Only when their Queen goes nuts. Just don’t say anything about them. They are very secretive, and tend to panic if found out,” Aurora warned.

“I can’t think of any reason why you can’t come,” Aerie offered. “Just one thing I should mention, Scootaloo, in my world you are Spitfire’s daughter.”

“Seriously? How cool is that?” Scootaloo asked sounding excited. “Will I get to meet her?”

“And you are my cousin. Not sure if Spitfire will be available though.”

“OK, just eat your breakfast,” Aurora pressed.

It was all Scootaloo could do to contain her excitement about visiting another world where her mother was Spitfire. A short time later they’d bundled up and were out the door to find a couple of guards in a tent outside on the front landing which overlooked Canterlot. Both Nova and Aurora had their rings on that kept their horns hidden.

“They aren’t seriously making you stand out here in the cold are they?” Nova asked. “We are halfway up the mountain.”

“Yup. Someone had the bright idea to keep an eye on the entrance and they want us to log everyone who comes and goes. It’s not too bad, we’ve got a force-field bubble that keeps the wind out and a fair amount of the heat in. Plus we’ve badges for you.”

“Badges might be useful,” Aerie admitted.

“I see Scootaloo managed to sneak up here already.”

“No, sorry, she’s visiting, that is to say, she’s sort of my Scootaloo,” Aurora explained.

“In that case, she will definitely need a pass, and we need a way to distinguish her from ours.”

“My family name is Shutter,” Scootaloo offered hopefully.

“Might cause confusion.”

“Just go with Louise. Think I’ll go with Aerie when I’m in public so as not to give myself away. Otherwise, my name is on my moon pendant.”

“Scootaloo Louise it is then, and we’ll be sure to pass on the word you are using Aerie while out and about in public.” A moment later the guards had presented the three with their official passes.

The trio took off with their passes and circled around to glide in at the front gates.

“Wow, it’s cold!” Scootaloo protested as they approached a line of ponies cued up to get in. Each group has its very own Princess Nova of various shapes, sizes, and tribes.

“Let’s get in line,” Aerie offered as she fluffed up her fur.

“Wish I had your fur,” Scootaloo protested.

“Just stand next to Aurora, she’s always nice and toasty.”

“I am not,” Aurora protested.

“Actually, you kind of are,” Scootaloo offered as she pressed up against her.

“Fine, use me like a hot water bottle.”

“Hardly anyway to talk to your own filly,” scolded a gray unicorn mare with a platinum mane. OK, two-tone gray with a little salt and pepper about her muzzle as well. She had the look of an elderly pony, and her heavy layer of winter clothing suggested she didn’t like being out in the early morning winter weather. At her side was a black and white filly that certainly looked the part. The filly had on a jacket and scarf that looked to have been picked up second hoof, no make that third hoof. They had the look of a waif who was in desperate need of rescuing. Nor did she look happy. Her wings and horn looked real enough, and her ears even matched Aerie’s.

“I’d say she knows I’m just teasing,” Aurora offered. She wasn’t about to correct the mare regarding who’s daughter Scootaloo was. “Hi, I’m Summer Sunshine.”

“Don’t tell me you think that thing will pass as Princess Nova, do you?”

“Princess Nova, oh no, I’m Aerie, Aerie Potter,” Nova replied. “We are visiting. Taking advantage of the winter break. That and we heard there was this look-alike thing going on.”

“Oh… And here I thought you were going to try to pass off that little filly as a princess. Imagine, her, a princess. Look-alike thing? Then again I’d imagine she could be a close twin to the filly I’ve found.”

“Could you see me as a princess?” Aurora asked as more ponies lined up.

“Well, no, Then again, I suppose I can see you as a princess. If only you were a unicorn.”

“Oh, if only,” Aurora lamented melodramatically causing an unbidden snort out of Scootaloo.

“Ah, I see what your little fluff-ball means by a look-alike thing going on. Honestly, the nerve of some ponies.”

“Short of Discord has pulled in Nova’s from multiple dimensions, it’s a fair possibility that they are all fakes,” Aerie offered.

“You don’t think he’d do that would you?” Scootaloo asked.

“Put all the Nova’s in one place? Na, doubt it. Be too easy to sort out,” Aerie offered. “Still though… Tell me, Kitzu-chan…” Aerie’s train of thought derailed as the filly looked up hopefully. “Quick question, before you found yourself in Equestria, where were you living?”

“Oh, don’t be pestering her with silly questions,” chastised the matronly mare.

“They will ask her questions inside,” Aurora offered as Aerie lifted up her right hoof and produced a small blue flame with which to look through.

“Ah, Kitsune-bi,” whispered the ragged little filly.

“You know about Kitsune?” Aerie asked to get a nod in return. “My father was kitsune.”

“Sasuga,” Kisu-chan offered in a tone of awe.

“You ever go to Fushimi Inari Taisha?”

“I was living in Fukakusa ward before coming here. I was going to be a Miko there, got lost last summer their time, out all night, and the next morning I’d discovered that I’d become a little horse.”

“Pony dear,” Offered the matron. “Pay her no mind. She’s got it in her head she used to be something called a human.”

“Not out of the realm of possibilities. … Tsuki Hoshiko Kitsumi, born in England, emigrated to Japan,” Aerie announced as she dropped her flame. “Aurora, she’s your cousin.”

“She’s Princess Nova,” protested the mare.

“Hoshiko?” Aurora asked. “It’s me Aurora. I just use Summer Sunshine while in Equestria.”

“Aurora, but you are so much older than me?”

“It’s complicated. Has something to do with the portals.”

“Sure is a good thing we decided to stand in line,” Aerie remarked sounding pleased with herself.

“But, you said you were Summer Sunshine?” Asked the matron.

“What say we bypass all these ponies, and maybe I can introduce you to the princesses?” Aurora offered.

“We’ve inner palace passes,” Aerie explained.

“Maybe we should wait?” Scootaloo suggested even as a fight broke out ahead of them in the line.

“I was sure she was Princess Nova. Name’s Penny Loafer. I run a group home.”

“Oh, she’s definitely a Princess Nova, just the wrong one,” Aerie offered.

“We’ll still need to bring her to Princess Celestia’s attention,” Aurora reassured.

“And you mentioned Discord?”

“Since we don’t know how she got here… we blame Discord. The scary part is there may be others.”

“So even after he’s been defeated he still creates chaos,” Penny Loafer grumbled out.

“Ladies…” prompted a guard as he approached. Over where the fight had been a number of guards were escorting ponies away.

“Are we going in now?” Scootaloo asked.

“I was told to retrieve the three of you.”

“Miss Tsuki and her benefactor Penny Loafer will be accompanying us,” Aerie directed the guard.

“Now, miss, I was told just the three of you.”

“Miss Tsuki is my cousin,” Aurora offered. “She seems to have been separated from her parents, and somehow ended up in Canterlot when she belongs in Neighpon. I’d rather not lose sight of her.”

“Moonie?” Aerie called to be pounced on by a small black cat. “You are still a cat?”

“While you are Aerie I will be a cat.”

“Fine. Any chance you can screen the other Novas? I’m a little concerned. I’d hate to think another version of myself who may be in need got turned away just because I’m here now.”

“Can do,” Moonie offered, jumped down, and began making her way through the line of ponies.

“Silly question, did you know we’d find Hoshiko here?” Aurora asked.

“Not really. I just had it in my head that coming here would be a good thing. Or at the very least a fun diversion.”

“Let me get back to you,” Offered the guard. They stepped away from the line and called on their helmet intercom.

“She’s my counterpart from the portal,” Aerie whispered to the guard who then relayed that they had an honored guest with them.

“They want us to stand by,” Offered their guard a moment later.

“Kalavan wasn’t it?” Aerie asked.

“Yes, Miss.” If he had any doubts, Princess Nova’s ability to tell who was who did mark her as someone special as there were few who could so easily distinguish who the different guards were while in uniform. Even Princess Celestia had difficulty. And she’d gone and latched onto a ragamuffin who if she was cleaned up might be a dead ringer for Nova. Adding to his consternation was a cat that answered to Moonie, behaved much like the Moonie he knew, and had just been given the task to locate… doppelgangers?

“Change of plans,” Offered another guard as they approached.

“Hi Sure Shot,” Aerie offered.

“Miss. They want to start bringing everyone in. We’ll separate you out… Who?”

“Miss Tsuki. Apparently, she’s Miss Sunshine’s cousin.”

“So she’s basically a Kitsumi Nova from where Miss Sunshine is from. Bucking Discord.” He activates his radio. “Any chance we can separate out all the Princess Nova’s just in case? No, don’t worry about them, they’ve already outed each other. Look, we’ve two legitimate Kitsumi Nova’s here. Well, only two that I’m aware of. We wouldn't want to turn away a pony in distress just because we’ve already found ours.

“Should you be swearing in front of a filly?” Penny Loafer objected.

“Swearing?” Hoshiko asked.

“Buck. It’s a rough equivalent of the English word meaning to fornicate,” Aerie explained.

“Ah. Can’t say as I haven't heard it more times than I care. Didn’t know it was considered a bad word.”

“Look lively, the line is moving,” Aurora cautioned.

Sure enough, every pony and creature was soon on their way into the castle commons. That is to say an outer walled-in area where most of the government operations took place. Getting inside a large auditorium and out of the weather proved a blessing.

“Moonie found another Moonie,” announced an excited little black cat as she scampered over to rejoin the group.

“What?” Sure Shot asked, to find he was now having to chase after the very party he was supposed to cut out of the group.

Among the group was another Nova, this one, a teen filly in a rather tattered Shadowbolt uniform. On her back was a little black plush-sized Woona, and hanging from her neck a medallion identical to Aerie’s.

“Miss Nightfoal, I presume?” Aerie offered cheerfully enough. Miss Nightfoal hung her head down. “Hey, it’s alright.”

“I just wanted to ask if it was alright for me to stay?”

“Why don’t you come with us and we’ll see if we can’t sort things out for you,” Aerie offered just as someone at the front of the room called for everyone’s attention.

“Mares and gentle colts, as you can see we’ve far too many Princess Novas,” Offered Mrs Inkwell from up in front. “And surprising as this sounds it seems that several of them are legitimate. No doubt due to Discord’s machinations.” She waited a moment for that to sink in. “As such, we will be screening every creature. However, opportunists who hoped to pass off a fake princess… well, two groups have already been placed under arrest.” Mrs Inkwell smiled a very alarming smile liken to a predator deciding which little morsel of goodness to eat first. “We will learn the truth so it’s best you tell only the truth. If you aren’t too sure about the individual you wish to put forward, be sure to say so. Never hurts to give yourself an out. And if you know beyond a shadow of a doubt the individual you are presenting is not the pony we are looking for, you can quietly slip out and go home. No pony will fault you in that.”

“I’d say that’s our queue to quietly slip away,” Kalavan whispered. He and Sure Shot somehow managed to escort the small group out of the building where they proceeded up to the main castle not realizing that they’d gained an extra guard along the way.

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