//------------------------------//
// Arrival 
// Story: The Darkest Storm 
// by TheReaderAndWriter 
//------------------------------//

1. Arrival.

He could see the dust just outside of his window, swirling chaotically. A train, such a monstrosity of metal and engineering slowing down so quickly across the countryside would certainly have that effect on the land. He was lying alone in the cart on one of the seats, leaning his head on the clear cool glass. He stood up on the floor, securing his bag with his teeth just before he walked out of the cart and off the train. Losing his bag now would spell disaster, if he lost this then he could say goodbye to whatever hotel or inn he would wish to stay in during the night. The lingering sound of the engine filled the area. While he was getting off the train several ponies were in a rush to get on. The carts were filled surprisingly quickly. With that many ponies on their way, he wondered to himself where that train was heading next. 
"The train for Canterlot is about to leave! Please hurry up everypony, we're way off schedule!" yelled the conductor right next to the train. Canterlot, really? Well, why is everypony going there now? Maybe...of course! The summer sun celebration. They were leaving to see the monarch of the land raise the sun. The pony who had left the train realized that he was so confused he didn't even consider the date. Just as the train started to leave the station, he too started to leave the area. He looked up at a nearby sign, it was so cheery he couldn't hold off a gentle smile. In very large, hoof-carved letters it said 'Welcome to Ponyville!'.
"Ponyville. Sounds pleasant," he said out loud. He felt a bit embarrassed when he realized he was just talking to himself, and that some noticed that. He continued, away from the train station, further into the town. He had actually thought it would have been a smaller village. He hadn't expected to see something so well-developed, not after the train's last stop. This town made that one look like a hole in the ground, which was an apt comparison, considering it had literally just been a bunch of holes dug out by some sort of underground dog-like race.
"Why, hello there, welcome to Ponyville, you look a little lost," said a welcoming voice. He turned his head to the right. On a bench there was an older male pony with a young filly right next to him. Unsure how to respond he simply gave a polite nod to the elderly pony.  "A pony of few words, aren't you?"
"Not exactly. Just a bit unsure."
"Well, do you need any help with anything? I'd be happy to help."
"Well, I'm not sure."
"Is that his name, grandpa?" the young filly asked. She was very young. Her coat was yellow, with a brown mane, unlike her grandfather who simply was gray all over.
"My name is Ivanhoe Mane. I want to know if there's an inn, or hotel around here. Anything would do. Do you know, sir?"
"Well, I think there is one close to Sugarcube Corner, I think it's called the Hay and Stay hotel." said the old pony, seemingly with some difficulty remembering. That was something they both had in common today.
"Excuse me?"
"The local bakers, youngster! It's close to the middle of town. Just follow the roads and ask for it. They have the best sweets too. The owners recently had both a filly and a colt. Cutest little critters I've ever seen." 
"Mommy says they'll be lucky if they don't get fat!" the filly exclaimed in excitement. 
"Well, thank you. I'll just be going now. Have a nice day," Ivanhoe said and then walked away.


***


For a couple of minutes he got further and further into the town. It was simply a beautiful place to live, that was for sure. The inhabitants seemed happy, the buildings looked old, and yet like they had been built the day before. The sun was shining in the blue sky, the grass was so fragrant he might as well have been standing in the middle of an ancient forest. Everything here seemed to be just perfect.
"Hey, what's up!" a voice suddenly shouted right behind him. Ivanhoe jumped and turned around, still gasping for air. A bright pink - as in, shockingly bright pink - mare stood just in front of him. Her cutie mark looked like balloons with a quick glance. He briefly wondered if she was a balloon salespony.
"I've never seen you here before! Hurray! Another friend to add to my collection of bestest best friends who ever friended me! Simply the best!" she shouted with a filly like glee that made the young filly Ivanhoe had met just a few moments ago seem mature. Wow, somepony insane. Didn't expect that today, Ivanhoe thought to himself. Still, while a little weird, she was just smiling. She seemed harmless enough.
"Let me introduce you to our town," said the mare who was suddenly holding an harmonica. Where did she get that from? She made a single note with the instrument and then she started singing.


Welcome to our little town, the best one that there is!
Let's not be tardy, make a party! One you don't want to miss!
I am the very Pinkie Pie, a mare of fun and smiles!
Have a blast, make a splash! Great many cakes in piles!


And then nothing but silence. Ivanhoe just stared at her. The rhythm was okay, the choreography was a bit much though.
"Speechless. I did it again!" said the pony and giggled.
"I'll, be leaving now, miss."
"Oh, well that's alright, I guess," said the mare Pinkie Pie with a suddenly depressed voice. Wow, her sudden change in demeanor made Ivanhoe feel like a complete jerk.
"Well...could you show me to the 'Hay and Stay Hotel'? I need a place to stay for a while," asked Ivanhoe. She shifted into high-gear again immediately.
"Oh, it'll be fun! Let me show you around town! If you want my advice you should check out Steady Stables Inn instead. The hotel is too expensive," said Pinkie Pie. Ivanhoe did not particularly enjoy her very energetic personality, but he did like the sound of a cheap place to sleep.
"Please tell me where the inn is, Miss Pie," said Ivanhoe. "And only that," he added after a short moment. He knew she was just trying to be nice, but their personalities just seemed to clash, well, his did with hers anyway. 
"Oh, well."
"Sorry, I'd rather get the lay of the land on my own," said Ivanhoe.
"Well, alright. Shoot, I thought I'd have the best day ever there since last Friday, but oh well. It's just down that alley, then to the left," she said in a very bored tone and pointed to the left. Fortunately she looked up with a smile when she noticed another mare walk past, a gray pegasus pony. She said goodbye and walked with her.
"Hey, Derpy! Did the Poison Joke stop messing with your voice?"
"No. I just don't know what went wrong," said the pegasus. Her voice sounded off somehow, it just didn't fit. Ivanhoe shook his head and just kept going, following Miss Pie's directions.


***


It didn't take long for him to arrive at the inn. It seemed to be one of the older buildings there but it was well kept, inviting. He stepped in through the front door. The entrance was simple, the entire building seemed to be simple. It was also very beautiful, painted murals on the wooden walls, old photographs covering parts of those walls, a stone fireplace. This place had a history, that much was certain. There was a young mare sitting behind the desk. Her coat was a very bright hue of blue, so bright it almost appeared white at a first glance. Her mane was a shade of orange and bright red. Ivanhoe walked up to her.
"Are there any available rooms, Miss?"
"Oh yeah, Sir. A lot. Every traveler has gone off to Canterlot, we don't usually get many ponies around this time," said the young mare. Ivanhoe pulled the bag in front of him and left it on the desk. He opened it and searched through it. He pulled out a small container with all of his money in it, one of the few things of value in the bag.
"I'd like to stay for just a few days."
"Sure thing, Sir. Do you mind if I ask why you aren't on your way to Canterlot?"
"No clue. That's what I'm here to find out."
"Alright. Name?"
"Ivanhoe Mane."
"Alright, Ivan wi-"
"Please, call me Ivanhoe."
"Sure thing, Sir. I will need your signature," said the mare and pulled out a piece of paper and pencil. Ivanhoe wrote down his name. Ivanhoe really wished he was a unicorn, because he hated the aftertaste of pencil.
"Thank you, Sir. Here's your- where did I leave that key? Just a moment, Sir," said the mare and walked out the back. Ivanhoe waited a few moments before realizing he still had the pencil in his mouth. He spit it out. Disgusting!
"Here it is! Your room is up the stairs. Have a great day, Sir," said the mare and handed him his key.
"Thank you, Miss," said Ivanhoe and then took off with his bag, up the stairs right past the fireplace. He found his room, 215, without any problems. He walked in. Sure, the room was simple, but it had a bed, a table and a lamp, what more could he ask for? It was cheap and clean, more than enough. Ivanhoe left the bag right on the bed. He searched through it and took out an old brown pair of pants, he'd need the pockets for his key. After he got them on he walked into the bathroom. He made sure he didn't look absolutely ridiculous in his getup in the mirror. His gray short mane looked alright though. His brown coat was clean and his eyes didn't look tired, today they actually complemented his gray mane somewhat satisfactory with that yellow color. Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Ivanhoe walked out and opened it.
"Yes?"
"Sir, this note was left at the front desk and it was addressed to you."
"Really? I...hm, thank you," said Ivanhoe and accepted the note. He closed the door and put it on the table. There was only a single sentence on it. 'Why not visit the local library?' "Okay," Ivanhoe said hesitantly. There wasn't even a signature on it. Ivanhoe considered doing it. It wouldn't be the strangest thing he had done today. It's not like it could be a trap or something, he had no enemies. Ivanhoe examined the note further, but no, nothing on it but that one sentence. Ivanhoe shrugged and walked out of his room. He made sure to lock his door. As he walked down the stairs he called out to the young mare. "Hey, where is the library?"
"Oh, just turn to the right when you go outside and keep walking. It's a big tree, you can't miss it." Ivanhoe instantly stopped and turned to face her.
"A...tree?"
"Yeah, I think it's a big oak or something."
"Your library, is a tree?"
"A hollowed out tree,"
"Your library...is a tree?"
"Yes! A tree, Sir," said the mare. Ivanhoe said goodbye and walked out. A tree? Seriously? Who makes a library out of a tree? With all the bugs, it simply did not make sense to him. Still, again, not the strangest thing today. Suddenly everypony outside started to pick up the pace noticeably. The reason for that was obvious, dark clouds were approaching on the horizon. Not long after he first saw them the first drops of rain started hitting the ground. Typical. He didn't mind rain, when he was inside. He sort of wished he would've been a pegasus. Soaring above the clouds on rainy days seemed like the best thing ever. The weather suddenly turned for the even worse. It started pouring. Ivanhoe started running, feeling the cool drops on his face as he ran. He was soon able to spot the very large tree. It wasn't even dead, it was still fully healthy. He got to the front door where the leaves gave him some shelter. It didn't look like just any public library, so he quickly knocked on the door. He did not want to get more wet than he already was. When no one came to open it he started to really bang on it while looking behind at the last ponies running back to their homes. Then it opened. Ivanhoe turned to face the pony opening it, but he had to adjust his view. For a second he expected a purple filly, but no such luck. It was nothing short of a short dragon.
"Whoa."
"Dude, we're closed today," said the little dragon.
"And she didn't tell me, what a little annoyance," said Ivanhoe and sighed.
"What did you call me?"
"Not you, Sir. I mean, somepony at the inn, she...you know, it doesn't matter. Maybe I should just head back. This weather did not come at a good time."
"Yeah, our friend had to cut it pretty close today. She was off watching a show."
"Your friend?"
"Yeah, weather-mare."
"Okay, whatever. I'll be leaving now."
"Great!" said the little purple dragon and was just about to close the door.
"Spike!" shouted a voice from inside the tree, eh, library. The dragon jumped in shock.
"What's wrong, Twilight?"
"Don't just make him go off in the middle of a storm! That's not dignified, polite behavior!" said a female voice from inside the tr- library.
"Well, it's not really a storm," said the young dragon. A bolt of lightning hit just a few feet behind Ivanhoe.
"Sorry!" shouted a voice somewhere in the storm clouds.
"Come on, get in," said the voice. The door opened fully, revealing a purple pony with a mane in a  darker hue. She was a unicorn. Ivanhoe walked inside. "Sorry about my assistant. For once he follows the rules and it's the worst possible time. What can I help you with?" asked Twilight. Ivanhoe was suddenly very embarrassed. What would he say? Something along of 'Sorry, Miss, I wasted your time and made your floor muddy because of a note I got.'
"Um, did you get any notes or something recently concerning me? I'm Ivanhoe Mane."
"Ivanhoe Mane?"
"You wouldn't be related to Calamity Mane, would you?" asked Spike.
"I'm pretty sure I'm not. I've never heard that name before."
"You haven't? But she's awesome. We have nothing to discuss!" said Spike and then left the room.
"Sorry about him, he missed his bedtime last night, he's a little cranky."
"That's alright. But, about me..."
"Sorry, but 'Ivanhoe Mane'? I haven't heard that name before."
"Odd, I got a note at the local inn that said I should go to the library."
"The local...? Oh, Steady Stables Inn! I've never been in there before."
"That's its name? I didn't notice."
"Well, Mr. Ivanhoe, I've never heard about you."
"Story of my life."
"You're not from around here, what are you doing in Ponyville?"
"I, I'm not really sure."
"What?"
"About two days ago while I was home, there was suddenly a note on my table. It told me to take the train and get off at the twentieth station. That's here."
"And you just did that on a whim?" she asked with skepticism.
"Well, I don't know. There was just something compelling about that note. It was like a mystery to be solved, you know? This other note just seemed to be part of the mystery. I didn't have anything else to do, and my parents always told me I should go visit Equestria. I took the opportunity."
"You're, you're not from Equestria?"
"I'm just from outside it. I've never been this far in before."
"Wow, outside Celestia's rule. Maybe I should visit there someday. It could be a very educational experience."
"I don't really think anything is outside the rule for somepony who controls the sun."
"Oh, yeah. Well, while you're here, any book you'd want to borrow?"
"Well, do you have anything about Equestria history? Or, maybe local history? Might as well learn something while I'm here."
"Well, I have this book right here," said Twilight. Her horn suddenly glowing, a book came flying right onto the table next to them.
"Isn't this a story-book?"
"It's presented as one but all of it is actually historical fact. It's an easy read, perfect for a vacation."
"It doesn't really feel like I'm on vacation. I think the only rest I will get I've already gotten. I slept the entire train-ride here. I can't remember anything after getting that note and going to the station" said Ivanhoe while glancing at the book.
"Well, this book pretty much changed my life forever. The part about the elements of harmony might just be my favorite," said Twilight with slight glee. Ivanhoe was just about to open the book.
"Well, sorry, miss. I'd rather just...this thing has a hole in it."
"Oh, sorry. That was the old edition. It was ruined several months ago."
"What happened?"
"Discord happened. He hid the...well, he hid something inside the book, ruined it in the process."
"Who's Discord?" asked Ivanhoe. He wasn't expecting such a vivid reaction from Twilight. Her jaw dropped.
"You don't know who Discord is?"
"Well, no. The name doesn't ring a bell."
"Very funny, she said with irony."
"No, seriously, who is Discord?"
"You're not joking. Wow, I thought everypony knew about him. Maybe he didn't reach so far out before we defeated him. Still, word of mouth about someone like him should've been heard everywhere."
"So who is he?"
"He was just the most menacing creature who has ever existed! A draconequus, magical and very powerful. Nearly unstoppable. He tried to take over the world! Almost did it too. Fortunately me and my friends stopped him," said Twilight. Yeah right, like that actually happened. Ivanhoe would've heard about it. It didn't matter. It was just a story, though it was creative, he had never heard such a imaginative term as 'draconequus'. "Well, I suppose not everyone would've heard. Not that I'm complaining. Nopony ever brings it up anyway and I'd rather forget about the whole thing. It was just like when Nightmare Moon came back."
"Nightmare Moon? I...I don't think I've heard of her either."
"We stopped her too," said Twilight, blushing a bit. Again, a story. He felt that he was wasting both of their times.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but I think it's about time I'll leave."
"Oh well, too bad! I was hoping I'd actually get to be a part of the storm sleepover this time. What a shame! Spike yelled with sarcasm from the upper floor."
"Ignore him. He's still just cranky. Well, I'm sorry but I have to write a report today to send to the princess. It's probably best that you leave."
"The princess? Celestia?"
"Oh, I'm her student."
"Really? Then why aren't you in Canterlot?" asked Ivanhoe, now somewhat interested in her next fairy tale.
"She specifically asked me to stay in Ponyville. I don't mind, I've been to her celebration for years now."
"Well, I'm off. Thank you for letting me stay. Goodbye, Twilight."
"Bye then, Mr. May."
"Mane, Miss," he corrected and then walked out of the tr- library.
"Right. Well, bye then."


***


On his way back to the inn something even stranger happened. While he walked alone through the empty streets he saw someone approaching him further ahead. Whoever it was he, or she, wore a cloak in the rain. They walked right passed each other, but she suddenly stopped and turned towards him.
"What is it we have here? Someone wet, drained and filled with fear?" asked the pony. It was a soothing voice, female.
"Huh?"
"I must go now young steed. Just make sure you take heed."
"Take heed of what?"
"Everything of matter. I have no time for natter."
"Again, huh?" asked Ivanhoe. He noticed her fur was black and white, but suddenly there was a bolt of lightning, right in between them. It blinded and disoriented him. Once he looked up she was gone. "Everypony in this town are crazy," said Ivanhoe and rolled his eyes before hurrying back to the inn.


***


Once he got back inside the inn the young mare was just sitting at the desk. She seemed bored and was planting some flowers in pots.
"Welcome back, Sir. How are you?"
"Wet, and tired. Not to mention hungry."
"I can come up with some hay to your room if you'd like."
"That would be quite nice. Will that add to my bill?"
"Not at all, Sir."
"Great. So, what are you doing?"
"Just planting these flowers, they'll be in the garden out back once they grow a little. If you'll help me out I'll also prepare some dried lilies," said the mare with a friendly smile.
"Well, I wouldn't mind some extra food," said Ivanhoe with a hint of joy in his voice and started helping her with the plants.
"So good to have an earth pony helping out with this. It will be wonderful."
"Aren't you an-?" Ivanhoe started to ask, but she spread her wings quickly to show him. He hadn't noticed them behind the counter. "So what's your name?"
"Windy Stables."
"So, are you the owner of...?"
"Oh no, my parents own this inn. I'm just taking care of it until they come back from Canterlot."
"I see. Why didn't you go with them?"
"I really wanted to, but I owed them big after I messed up a couple of weeks ago. This is currently both my job and my punishment."
"Oh. Well, at least you're doing a good job."
"Thank you, but this isn't exactly my talent. I paint."
"Paint?"
"All kinds of stuff. See those paintings over the fireplace? Those are all me," she said. Ivanhoe gave them a quick glance, then he had to look at them again because they were simply stunning.
"They are very nice."
"He, thank you. So what do you do?"
"I'm a writer, well. Writing is my talent, or, 'talent' is probably a better way to put it."
"Not very good at it? That's weird."
"I enjoy it, but everybody tell me I'm terrible. Still, I can take criticism, unlike some authors. I wouldn't mind actually finish my first novel, however."
"So what are you writing about?"
"Adventure in distant lands, danger and epic confrontations. All amateur work. It's supposed to be stressful to have a talent you haven't developed, but to be honest I don't mind. I take each day as it comes."
"Adventure in distant lands...I could paint all sorts of landscapes and ponies if I explored the world. Griffins, dragons, maybe even zebras. I knew I should've asked Zecora today. I guess I'll have to wait a few weeks now."
"I'm almost jealous at your talent, Miss Stable."
"Call me Windy, Ivanhoe."
"I could do that," said Ivanhoe and smiled a bit. Finally somepony who wasn't crazy in this lovely town.


***


After dinner Ivanhoe was lying on the bed. He was staring out the window, considering most of it had been sitting in a train and just looking for someone's note, the day had still drained him. He didn't feel content, he felt stressed. Like he could do more while he was here. Not that he could do much during the night. So for the moment he simply needed to relax and try to get some sleep. At least he wasn't particularly hungry anymore.