//------------------------------//
// Lore 
// Story: Crimson Mare 
// by Sphinx_Herald 
//------------------------------//

	Nova opens her eyes to a burning city. Flames rip down streets, and climb the towers reaching for the skies. The clouds overhead glow red as fire rains down like water. The red and orange flames dance across the white walls and golden roofs. Bolts of lightning arc from cloud to cloud until it blasts into one of the spires sending rubble and debris to the ground. She blinks her eyes a few times as she comes to her senses. She knows this city, the capital of Equestria, Canterlot.
With a flap of her wings she skids backwards avoiding being crushed under a pile of debris. She lands on all fours easily regaining her balance. Screams can barely be heard through the roar of the fire. What few screams she hears are occasionally blasted away by the thunder that resonates with enough force to cause the ground to shake.
“This isn’t real,” she tells herself. She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves, but ends up hacking and coughing at the smell. The scent of smoke and burnt flesh fill the air, the putrid smell of burning flesh. Another ground shaking bolt of lightning arcs across the sky and straight into the side of a tower. Burning rubble rains down around her. She jumps back when a body falls in front of her. After a few seconds, when she sees the body won’t get up she walks up to it.
The pony is nothing more than smoldering chunks of flesh clinging to the charred bones. The entire right half of the chest is gone, even the inside is burnt. Her eyes look at the head, no way to recognize who it is. For all she knows it could have been a pegasus or a unicorn, given that top half of the skull had been blasted away as well.
“This isn’t real.”
Then the fire speaks, the voice resonates with the same power as the thunder. We both know that’s not true. We know this is what you really are.
“I am no monster!”
The body glows as the ashes inside reignite. Fire and smoke pour from the hole in it’s chest. It’s broken legs move and twitch until all three find the hard ground. It lifts itself slowly to it’s hooves. The burning corpse fixes her with it’s eyeless gaze. True, the voice says, using the body as a puppet. You are far, far worse than any monster imaginable.
Nova charges at the corpse. She swings a punch at it’s remaining foreleg, which snaps off like a twig. The corpse falls to the ground, but it continues to move as it tries to get up. It’s head turns to continue looking at her. “This isn’t my future, I’ll show you that I’m not a monster.” Her forehooves crack down on the head shattering it onto the ground.
Her ears flick back at the sound of heavy wing beats. She looks up as a large pony flies down from the direction of the palace. A white alicorn with a flowing rainbow mane. A golden tiara sits atop her head and a similar golden necklace hangs around her neck. Nova takes a few step back from Celestia.
“Stop there, fiend! You have ended too many lives and now I must end yours.”
“Celestia, I-I didn’t… it’s not my fault, I--”
“Do you believe there’s any less blood on your hooves if it’s not your fault?” Nova flinches back from the princess’ words. “Your mother was pathetic.”
Nova’s eyes flash red, she turns to face the princess. Any type of fear gone from her features, in it’s place burns anger. “What did you say?” Fire burns along the edge of her wing.
“Your mother, she saw the corruption in you, but she still wanted to save you. She gave her life to protect something as worthless as you.” Celestia says.
Nova stomps her hoof into the ground, large cracks race along the street collapsing a nearby wall. “She was a hero!” A column of fire shoots out of the ground, the flames reach into the sky painting it  a blood red. “She died to give me a chance!” A nearby building explodes and another column of fires shoots out of it. “She was your friend, how can you say that about her?”
“She only killed herself so she wouldn’t have to deal with you, but then she forced you on to me.”
A column of fire shoots out from under where the princess is flying. Celestia is engulfed in the flames. There is no screaming, no begging, just the roar of the fire. After what seems like hours the fire stops, revealing the burnt corpse of the princess. It hang in the air for a moment as if it hasn’t realized it’s wings are long gone. But the moment passes and it plummets to the ground. Nova trails her eyes on it, finding an alarming amount of joy in watching it fall. Once it hits the ground there is no crunch of bones ramming into the hard surface, rather it all turns to pile of ash on the ground.
A flash catches her eye as the tiara bounces along the ground. It rolls up to her forehooves and stops. No, you certainly are no monster.




Nova’s eyes shoot open as she jolts awake. She doubles over in a coughing fit as she remember the scent of burning flesh. After a second she catches her breath. She swings around and punches the rock wall of her cave. “Buck!” She punches the wall three more times. “I’m no monster. I’m not a monster. I won’t hurt anypony else!”

Derpy hums a happy tune as she walks along the path. A light purple filly unicorn walks next to her, she has a mane the color of butter. A bag sits on the filly’s back with a few papers poking out of it. “So, what are you going to be doing at school today?” Derpy asks
“Cheerilee said we’re going to be learning about the bat ponies, and we’re even going to meet some. And then the Crusaders invited me to hang out after school!” Dinky says excitedly.
Derpy smiles at her daughter. “That sounds like fun. I hear that they’re really nice, even the ones who are Luna’s guards.”
“Oh, I hope we get to meet one of the guards, that’d be so cool!” Dinky exclaims. The schoolhouse comes into view. Several foals stand out front talking amongst themselves. Some of the foals, an orange pegasus with a purple mane and a white unicorn with a pink and purple mane, spot the two coming and start waving at them.
“Looks like your friends are waiting for you. Have a good day, muffin,” Derpy says. She watches with a smile as her filly runs off to meet the others. The two fillies let Dinky into the conversation and walk off into the schoolhouse. I hope she has a good childhood, Derpy thinks as she reflects on her own. Pushing the memories to the back of her mind she continues on. 
Setting her view back toward the town she heads for the post office. The pegasus she had meet yesterday should be there in half an hour she guesses given the position of the sun. Then again she had never been the best at telling time. She stops for a moment to adjust her bags and hat before continuing.
Walking between the trees she passes a few more foals. One of them is a yellow earth filly with a large pink bow in her red mane. “Oh, hey there, Miss Ditzy,” Applebloom says.
“Hello, Applebloom,” Derpy replies. “Did Applejack come with you?” she asks taking a moment to talk with the filly.
“Nah, she said she had work to tend to. Do ya need her help with anythin’?”
“No, I just have a letter for her, if she was with you she could have walked to the post office with me to pick it up. It’s fine though, I’ll just give it to her when I go there later in the morning.”
“Alright, well, have a nice day,” Applebloom says walking toward the schoolhouse.
Derpy smiles and starts walking again. She has such great friends, she thinks. She shakes her head to get rid of the memories from her childhood before they surface again. I had better hurry or she’ll think I stood her up.
One of her eyes drifts up to the colorful leaves of the trees. The countless numbers of red, orange, and yellow leaves sticking out against the blue sky. Though, the leaves are blurry since her other eye is still looking the other way. “Such a nice day,” she mumbles to herself.
But suddenly the cover of leaves disappears and she is looking at the houses of Ponyville. Her eyes try to focus on the spire in the middle of the town that marks the town hall. It takes her only a few minutes before she arrives at the postoffice. To her surprise she sees the red pegasus from yesterday lying near the doors. Her tail swipes from side to side and her wings rustle restlessly. One of her forelegs is wrapped in bandages.
“Hi,” Derpy says.
Nova looks up and turns her head to look at the grey pegasus. After a quick yawn she lifts herself to her hooves. She groans when she puts some weight onto her injured leg. Derpy blinks a few times when she sees her eyes. Her eyes are bloodshot and dark bags hang under them. “Hey,” Nova says.
“Are you okay?” Derpy asks looking down at Nova’s bandages.
“Hm? Oh, I’m fine. I just--” She is cut off by another yawn. “I just sprained it.”
“Uh, okay then. Are you sure you’re okay, it can always wait til another day.”
“I’m fine, a little tired but that’s it.”
“Alright then,” Derpy says. She pushes the door open and walks in. “Well, let’s get you your uniform,” she says nudging her head toward the bags. Nova nods and follows her inside.
The inside is just as empty as last time she was here, but this time a lime green stallion stands at the counter. He smiles as the two come in. “I’ll go get your stuff from the back,” Derpy says. She nudges her head toward the stallion, “He’s Parchment, he usually works the counter.” She walks around the counter and goes through a door to a backroom.
“Guess you’re the new recruit,” he says.
Nova yawns and rubs her foreleg. “Not yet.”
“Well, we do need the help. With everypony trying to help with the coming of winter, and the messages we deliver between the weather teams.” His ears flick forward when he hears her mumbling something ‘weather’ and ‘clouds’.
She sighs and shifts her weight off her foreleg. “I’d be glad to help in that case.”
The back door opens and Derpy comes out with a hat in her mouth and another pair of saddlebags on her back. She comes up to Nova and puts the hat on her head. Nova takes a step back then pushes the brim of the hat up with a hoof. “There you go,” Derpy says with a smile. “Now you’re gonna need these too.” She carefully slips the bags off her back. With Derpy’s help me slips the bags onto her back.
“Thanks, uh… Actually, I don’t think I got your name yesterday.”
“Oh, right sorry. My name is Derpy Hooves, mailmare extraordinaire,” she says puffing out her chest slightly with a giggle. They start heading to the door.
Nova quickly glances at the dark blue bags. “I’m guessing we’re delivering mail?”
“Yep.” Once outside Nova leans against the wall of the post office. She lifts her bandaged foreleg off the ground and lets it hang for a moment. Derpy gives her a concerned look. “Are you sure you’re okay, that looks pretty painful.”
“I’m fine.” She puts her hoof back down and turn to face Derpy. “So, where do we begin?”
“In town, you won’t want to carry all that to Sweet Apple Acres and back, would you? Today you won’t have to worry about the addresses, you’re just going to get to know the route.” Nova give a quick nod. Derpy looks down at Nova’s leg again. She looks back up at Nova and smiles at her, with a few flaps of her wings she starts hovering a few hooves off the ground. “Well, we should get a move on.”
With a bit of effort Nova follows suit. Derpy’s smile falls a bit. “Uh…”
“I’m just tired, I didn’t have good night’s sleep… in the past week,” she mumbles the last part to herself. If Derpy heard it she doesn’t show. Together they fly just over the roofs of the houses, mainly due to Nova not going any higher.
Nova scans over the roofs, occasionally looking Derpy to make sure she’s still heading the right way. Quite a few ponies walk down the streets, to market stall or stores. Some of them pull carts of goods behind them. She sighs and looks up at Canterlot. Even from Ponyville she is able to see the gleaming white buildings standing against the blue sky.
Can’t wait to see her again.
Too bad you’ll have to, cause I ain’t going till I’m done with the debts.
We both know she’ll find out long before you even come close to paying those off.
Nova growls and looks ahead just as Derpy glides down to the street. She angles herself toward the ground. Derpy gets down to street level and starts trotting as she comes to a slow stop. Nova comes down to a far harder landing next to Derpy.
She yelps as her leg gives out. She falls to the ground and skids along to ground for a few hooves. “Nova!” Derpy shouts running up next to her. “Are you okay?”
With a groan Nova lifts herself into sitting position. She looks down at her side, a little marked up but nothing serious. Derpy holds out her hoof. Nova looks at it for a moment, she plants her good forehoof into the ground and lifts herself off the ground. “I’m fine.”
“That looked like it hurt.” She looks back down at Nova’s hoof which she is trying to keep off the ground. “Maybe you should get that looked to.”
“I’m fine, and yes it did hurt.” A few letters litter the ground, with a sigh she starts putting them back into the bag.
“Are you sure you want to do this? It can wait till you’re better, or you can try working at the office for a while.
“No thanks, I can’t stand sitting at one place for a whole day,” Nova replies. She finishes putting the last of the letters back into the bag and looks back at Derpy. “So, where are we supposed to deliver?”
“You weren’t listening? While we were flying here I said we were going to Sugarcube Corner. It has the best muffins you have ever tasted.” She points to her left. There stands a building, same walls as the rest of the buildings in Ponyville, it seems a little bigger than most though. However what sets it apart isn’t it’s size but rather it’s roof. It looks as though it is made from gingerbread with white frosting running along the edge and accenting the upper window. A section near the middle stands higher, made to resemble a cupcake on top of another.
Nova looks at the building a little longer just to be sure it is real. After a few moments she starts walking toward the door. In a second Derpy is by her side. “Sorry, I just… No, I shouldn’t make excuses. Sorry,” Nova says.
“For what?”
“When you offered to help me. I’m just not…” she trails off with an annoyed sigh. “No, excuses.” They get to the door and Nova pushes it open. Inside are tables with displays of pastries of all kinds. A counter stands opposite to the door with a blue earth pony standing behind it.
“Hey, Mrs Cake,” Derpy says.
Mrs Cake gives the two a quick smile. “Hello there, who’s your helper?”
“I’m Nova Hearthfire,” she says with a bow wincing a bit as she moves her hoof. “I’m going to be in town for a little while.”
“Oh, well that’s nice to hear.”
Derpy steps forward with a few letters she must have taken from the bag. She places them on the counter with a smile. “Some letters for you and your husband and there’s one for Pinkie.”
Mrs Cake looks down at the letters then back up at Derpy. “Thanks, would you two like a snack before you leave?”
“No thanks, maybe when we’re done,” Derpy says. She turns and starts heading for the door, Nova gives a quick bow and follows along. Derpy flaps her wings a few times as she waits for her.
“How about we walk from here on out?”
“But what about your leg?”
She takes a few step, but it still hurt to put too much weight on it. “I’ll probably break it if I try landing.”
“Alright then,” Derpy says. She puts her hooves back onto the ground. She points down a road leading further away from the post office. “The next one is down that way.” Nova nods and starts limping down the road with Derpy at her side.
It doesn’t take them long to get to the next house. It looks bigger than most of the other houses, but not be much though. The walls are a little more worn and dull compared to the others. The roof is made of shingles rather than thatched. It certainly seems older than most of the houses that surround it. An orange glow comes from one of the upper windows.
Nova sits over to the side and lifts her leg off the ground. “Looks like he’s here,” Derpy says before knocking on the door. The orange glow in the window dies out. Derpy looks over at Nova and nudges her head toward the bags.
“Huh? Oh right.” Nova turns around and starts fishing through the bags. “Whose name am I looking for?”
“Lore.” Nova stops for a moment. Lore… Oh, wait a sec, please don’t-- Her thought is cut off by the sound of the door creaking open. Nova whips her head out of the bag and gets a clear look at the stallion standing in the door frame. He is a tan brown earth pony. His mane mane is a mess of dark brown with a few black streaks running through it. His cutie mark is of an open book with a scroll on top of it and a quill just next to them. Oh for buck sake.
“Hey there Der…” starts Lore but he drifts off once he sees Nova. For a moment they simply stand there and stare at each other. Then a smile spreads across his face. “Hey Nova!”
Derpy jumps back as Nova tackles him to the ground in a not-too-friendly manner. After a second she quickly composes herself. “Nova!” she calls out.
“What are you doing here?” Nova shouts.
“Living!” Lore quickly replies. Derpy rushes into the house to pry Nova off of him. She pulls the red pegasus back putting about two hooves between Nova and Lore. 
“What are you doing?”
“We kinda know each other,” Lore says as he sits up. With a twist he rolls onto his hooves and brushes some dust off his chest.
“Well, that doesn’t give her a reason to attack you.”
“You’d be surprised,” Nova grumbles.
“Well… actually she doesn’t. Well, not this time at least. Anyways, I don’t blame her.” He turns to Nova with his smile still there. “I think the last time we met was in… Prance?”
“You haven’t answered my question yet,” Nova growls.
“And neither have you.”
Derpy lets go of Nova and looks between the two. “You know each other?”
Nova goes to answer but Lore cuts her off. “Yeah, we’re quite good friends actually, no matter how many times you tackle me into the ground. I have some good stories of our adventures, I really should tell them to you.” He catches Nova’s glare from the corner of his eye and quickly adds, “Another time, I should tell them to you another time.”
“Derpy, could you let me talk to my friend in private?” Nova asks.
“What about the--”
“It won’t take too long. It’s just been such a long time since I last saw him and I have to ask him a few things.”
Derpy looks over at Lore but he simply shrugs. “Alright,” she says before heading out the door. Nova closes the door and turns to Lore.
“What are you doing here?”
Lore continues to smile at her. “As I said, I’m living. This is my house, I live here, thus I am living. But, what about you, why are you back in Eques… Ah I see, the debts.”
“Those have nothing to do with you!”
“Not saying I do. But, why Ponyville? Why would the hottest pony in Equestria come to live in Pony-- AH!” He ducks under Nova’s hoof as it crashes into the wall leaving a fairly large dent. “Okay, bad joke, no need to punch my head in.”
Nova tears her hoof out of the wall. “Buck!” she shouts cradling her hoof near her chest.
“You should get that seen to,” Lore say taking a few steps back. She just shoots him another glare. “Right…” He looks at the hole in the wall. “You know, I didn’t really need a new window.”
“Buck you too.”
“I’m sure a lot would love to. Anyways, I have some cleaning to do and mail to collect,” he says the last part nudging his head at the bag on Nova’s back.
Nova reaches puts the bag down in front of her and finds three letters addressed to him. “Here,” she says passing them to him. He gives her a friendly smile and starts heading toward another room. “Lore?” He stops and turns to her. “Could you please not tell anyone. At least not yet. I don’t want to know what’ll happen if they find out.”
He gives her a quick nod. “I’ll try not to tell anypony… or more ponies. I may have kinda told a group of fillies from Manehatten about our little adventure in Prance.”
“Of course you did,” Nova grumbles. 
We could stop him from speaking ever again, the voice says.
“How about you come down someday you have a break, or when you’re feeling better? I would love to hear how you’ve been over a cup of tea.”
“Alright, I could use a familiar face. See you then.”