The Darkest Storm

by TheReaderAndWriter

Catastrophe

11. Catastrophe.

The stone shattered, and in its place something distinctly not a pony was standing. It was like a long dragon with the body shape of a serpent, or was that a horse for a head? It was hard to tell with those horns. Every single part of the creature seemed to belong to a different animal. He looked old, wise, but very ominous. His one eye seemed bigger than the other. The eyes were yellow, red and utterly piercing.

"I shall be very frank with you, Ivanhoe Mane. I have been lying to you...a lot. Like you wouldn't believe."

"You've been lying to me?" asked Ivanhoe. He was still in shock, he didn't understand.

"I sure have. There never was a king, technically, but I am the real ruler of the world. It's just that somepony doesn't want me to. We have such differing interests. She wants order and harmony, I just want to rule and make chaos. I'm not evil, I'm just somewhat of liar who really, really likes chaos," said the kin- Discord.

"What are you talking about!?"

"I will tell you everything, Ivanhoe, and from now on I will be very honest with you. Why lie now when I'm capable of doing things myself? You still have a part to play in this, however," said Discord and walked over to the window Ivanhoe had entered through. Ivanhoe was very confused. Twilight had mentioned him, they had defeated him. "Ivanhoe Mane, let's go visit the princesses and their little friends," said Discord with a mischievous smile. Suddenly his face appeared right next to Ivanhoe, for a split second there were two of him, but when Ivanhoe looked at the face and back the body was gone. Ivanhoe was enveloped in a flash of light and then he was suddenly somewhere else entirely.

***

He and Discord were standing in the throne room. Celestia rose up from her throne with anger in her eyes.

"Discord! You monster!" shouted Celestia and suddenly shot a beam towards them. Ivanhoe tried to dodge but Discord held him close to himself. The beam just phased through them, no harm had been done, to either of them.

"What happened!? What's even going on?!" shouted Ivanhoe in a confused panic.

"You little pathetic instrument, I should've destroyed you a long time ago," said Celestia.

"Now now, he deserves some answers, doesn't he?" asked Discord with a mean glee in his eyes.

"The elements!" said Twilight.

"Ready!" answered her friends. There were sparks and powerful lights in all imaginable colors, and then Ivanhoe witnessed a beam in the form of a rainbow coming right at them. Ivanhoe tried to get away, but he was still firmly being held.

"Go ahead," said Discord to them all with a smile, it was even gentle. The beam hit, but to no effect. They stared at him while the dust settled.

"What is going on?!" yelled Ivanhoe.

"Calm down, Ivanhoe. You're the least likely to be hurt here," said Discord, yet with a snap of his fingers there appeared a wall of half-transparent darkness between them.

"Girls, charge up another shot, make it a big one," said Celestia not taking her eyes off Discord through the ominous wall.

"Why, go ahead. By the time I'm done rambling you will realize there is nothing you can do," said Discord.

"Oh, you are not going to announce your plan now, are you? That is such a cliché," said Spike.

"My 'plan'? It's not really a plan, you little dragon. To all of you: I usually don't learn my lessons, but Celestia, and you little ponies, have made me realize something from after all this time, the pain of being turned into stone certainly helped to convince me, however. It's quite unimaginable, as cell by cell hardens, your nervous system reacting so strongly you can't even speak. I'm not mad, though," said Discord and appeared alone over by one of the large windows. "I realized where I went wrong. I was unfit to rule you ponies, you are more headstrong than in my time. You are fighters now, rather than lowly ponies in the mud. There is no way I can be a king of the world, where everyone would be fighting me. I could make a few see my way, sure, see the wonderful chaotic world for what it is: art. I like chaos, but there is no fun seeing stupid ponies ignoring your art and just focusing on the artist. A piece of work means nothing if everyone keeps focusing on the creator. And they would be far and few between. I can not rule this land. You are the true ruler of ponies, Celestia...I see that now," said Discord with respect. He bowed his head almost like in defeat while looking out the window.

"Wait, you give up?" asked Spike.

"Whoever said anything like that?" said Discord and laughed. He turned around, sitting on the open window with a rather smug look on his odd face. "I can't rule ponies, I had to get creative. If you can't rule ponies, rule something else. I decided I should turn them into something, something better. I made the rain, designed to turn them into somewhat more chaotic creatures. They just want to spread it, and when that is done they will go back to their old mindsets, just with a affinity for...art."

"But you were in stone, how could you?" asked another voice suddenly. They all looked towards the big door. Windy had entered the room.

"I'm glad you asked, Windy. My powers were locked inside the statue. There was no way I could do it from inside there. So before Twilight and the rest turned me into stone, I used the last of my strength through the intense pain to form and start a plan. I forced the artifacts of my youth into the world again, giving them the same power I used to escape from the start, and I threw a single little drop of my power out, far outside of Celestia's reach, where she could not see or reach. I spent the next several months inside the statue, inside my mind, playing," said Discord and snapped his fingers. In front of them a very small little doll house appeared and right beside it there were a few dolls. It was a very small version of the house Ivanhoe had done his 'play' in. Two dolls, dolls of his mother and father were very noticeable to him. "I made up scenario after scenario in my playtime. I needed something that could play a role of an innocent youth who would do anything to help me. Ivanhoe Mane, the reason Celestia and everypony is so willing to kill you, is because you are not a real pony. You are not even an individual. You are a creation I made, if you have a soul you would even classify as my son," said Discord. Ivanhoe just glared at him.

"What."

"You are not a real pony. You are a creation I made specifically to get me out of my stone prison and help me change the world into something better, into something it was supposed to be. A world where I am the ruler," said Discord.

"What are you talking about?! I'm just a pony! There is nothing special about me!"

"Yes! And that is why nopony noticed you at first! And you are special. The rain doesn't affect you," said Discord and gestured with a happy face towards him.

"But that was the link you mentioned, it must've been!"

"Ah, the link. That wasn't really so much of a lie as it could have been. As I played with my dolls, creating your memories and back story, how do you think I managed to get it out of my prison? I pushed it through the link, into you."

"You were never 'chosen', you were a tool," said Celestia.

"You are just kidding me! This is a sick joke!"

"I have proof except just the rain. How do you explain how you sensed things that was close in relation to me? How did you hear my memories of a time long ago? You have a talent you can't even do right, one of my flaws I'm afraid. Also, here's some pretty nice proof that you are nothing but a treasured puppet. How do you explain the notes? Remember those? Think back, really think back on when you found them. Who gave you those? It wasn't all me. Remember," said Discord and looked directly at Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe thought back... he was at the reception desk... he had the pencil in his mouth, and... he suddenly remembered writing a note that advised him to go to the local library, and then pushing it aside where she would find it a moment later. "That note sure helped you, didn't it? I made them in those short moments I actually had some control, very limited control."

"That- that doesn't prove anything!" said Ivanhoe. It was impossible, it was a lie made by his magic, it must've been.

"How did you climb up here? You have hooves, you would need wings, or at least sharp claws to do so. Remember when you scaled the wall, how did you do that?" Ivanhoe thought back again, he was outside the window...he looked up at his goal...he used his hoof that had without him noticing turned into a sharp claw that pierced the wall allowing him to climb. "I could make you see things and experience it however I needed to," said Discord with a cunning smile. "You think you are adult of age, but to be honest, the memories are fake, your life is fake. The moment you woke up on the train the day you came to Ponyville was also the moment you did something completely by your own accord. You actually entered this world two days earlier when the energy from me was ready, when it took a physical form. By that time I made you think the shack you were in was your own farm, of course. It doesn't really exist, well, it does, but it has been a ruin for decades now." It wasn't true, how could it be? It was all lies to make him unsure of himself.

"You are all lying!"

"They sure as heck didn't tell you the truth, because my power, my curse or spell or whatever created you had a clause in it that Celestia was aware of. If anyone but you or me made you realize that you were a part of me, then this entire little quest you had would've been over within a second. Not only that, but I would've returned to the world ten times as powerful as I am now."

"If you would've died, however, he would only come back a tenth of his strength, something I could fight on my own," said Celestia.

"There was a time limit. It was ten days, and if so many days passed then I would've also come back stronger. She could only try to kill you. Awful, isn't it? Since your presence allowed me to create these nice clouds, she felt it was necessary."

"You are all still just confused! You must be! I am Ivanhoe Mane! Not some part of this Discord! I am just Ivanhoe Mane!" yelled Ivanhoe as loud as he could. Confusion turned to panic and anger. Their words made him feel all alone. Ivanhoe felt a claw on his shoulder. It was Discord again, he gave him a reassuring hug that still managed to create a cool shiver up Ivanhoe's spine.

"Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe. I would not make a mistake like this. So I have one last piece of proof that you are in fact just a part of me. You recall how I said 'I have no name' when you heard me the first time? A small detail, I know, you probably don't remember, but even Celestia said that you have no name. This spell that made you could only work if you actually didn't have a name. If I would've given you a name, any name, like Simon, or Robert, or Will, then the spell would not have worked. You are not even able to accept a nickname."

"But I have a name! It's Ivanhoe Mane," said Ivanhoe in triumph, there was proof. They were all wrong! He was just some random pony.

"Here is where my genius truly comes into play. I could hide it. Celestia was clever enough to instantly notice it, sadly. Observe!" said Discord and started waving his claws in the air. A name was being written in the air in bright strings.

IVANHOE MANE

"Take one down, spin them around," said Discord and gave a wave with his claw. The letters were getting scrambled.

IVANHOE MANE
IVAHNOE AMNE
I V HAE ON ENAM
I HVEA ON NMAE
I HAVE NO NAME

Ivanhoe felt like he had been struck with a stone right between his eyes. He couldn't breathe. His denial, his will to protect himself from the truth was gone... It was the truth. He was nopony...he was no one.

"Now, Ivanhoe, stay right here like a good young...thing while your 'father' fixes everypony into something a little better, said Discord and walked away. Ivanhoe couldn't move even if he wanted to. He was so shocked he couldn't really think. Discord went over to the window again, looked outside and snapped with his claw. An explosion was heard in the distance and outside one could see the sudden rain falling down on the kingdom. The bubble was gone. Ivanhoe could hear the screams, they caused his heart to freeze up. Then there was nothing but silence. Every pony looked at the window with complete shock. Celestia looked like she struggling to contain anger and sorrow. "There we go, much better. I think only about a thousand or so ponies out of a few million are even left now. You really could have avoided this, you know, Celestia. If you would have only smashed me while I was in stone, shattering me."

"I am not a monster, if I ever go down that road I'll never be able to return. A kingdom with a monster for a ruler will never last. We are going to set things right, we will stop you. I've been looking for a solution and I will still find one," said Celestia with a biting tone. Even now, in her fury, she was regal, relatively tranquil, even now in a time of such crisis. Still, what had just happened seemed to have affected her deeply. She was strong, however, she didn't show weakness, none of them did. Despite this impressive feat to stay so upright against despair, Discord didn't even seem to listen to her. Instead he focused his attention on Ivanhoe, his creation.

"Ivanhoe, you have done a lot of good for the world, now I want you to do one more thing. I want you to join me, like you were always supposed to. Let your body become part of mine. My power, more than tenfold, hundredfold, no, more than even that! Not only will my power be like that of a truly almighty chaotic god, but I will become younger too. No sense in making a scheme like this if there aren't some perks," said Discord. Ivanhoe turned to him.

"I can't believe this. All of it was a lie, I should have died several times over and stopped this already, but I got lucky...and what happens? An entire city in chaos."

"An empire," corrected Discord. "Marvelous, isn't it?"

"And now...now you want me to join you?!" shouted Ivanhoe with nothing but intense anger.

"Ah, so you don't see it my way, then? You are still following the role that I so carefully gave you," said Discord. He wasn't angry at the denial, he just sounded annoyed.

"You know what? Maybe that's how it is! If my entire life have just been a play, then I'll keep playing that role until the end! I don't care what anypony - or you - think of me. I am still Ivanhoe Mane, the pony! I still have memories, I still have a cutie mark! You can't take that away from me!"

"Oh, right, that. Well, you really don't. You don't have a talent because you're not real. Just look," said Discord and appeared right behind Ivanhoe, his pants just floated a few feet next to them. With a gentle wave of his paw over Ivanhoe's flank the cutie mark, a cross of a pencil and a dagger just turned into a big red cross. Like he was not real, like he was defective. The pants returned.

"You need to drop this pretense of being a pony and realize you are just a very small part of me. Like a strand of my hair. You can become so much more than that through me."

"Never."

"It's not like it really matters to me now. The time limit is still in effect, either you make me much stronger by choice or slightly stronger by time. Dying won't do any of us any good, but at least I won't be affected by it because, oh, say, I don't know, the fact that you already set me free? Due to that, the time limit will still make me stronger," said Discord with a smirk so smug Ivanhoe just wanted to buck his teeth out, but he was too afraid to do anything else but to deny him the satisfaction. He was as good as gone anyway. Ivanhoe looked at everypony else around him. Windy couldn't stop staring at him and Discord. Celestia and Luna just looked on with disdain at the monster and everyone else seemed to charge their
'elements'.

"Ready, Princess," said Twilight.

"Give him all you've got," said Celestia. The dark wall shattered. There was a sudden light so bright he was blinded for the moment. Discord laughed at their attempts.

"The elements of harmony are supposed to deal with disharmony, but I'm not! The very idea of this plan was that I would be brought back by a logical yet nonexistent creature. The very act of him freeing me with a certain spell works, in essence, like a shield. The spirit of chaos is being protected by reason! Isn't that just...wacky?"

"What?!" yelled Spike in disbelief.

"They can't remove the rain because I'm the cause, they can't remove me because Ivanhoe was the cause, and they couldn't remove Ivanhoe with it because he wasn't in disharmony. He was still very reasonable. It won't matter now. It has been done... If any of you hurt him now it will do noting at all. So tell me, Celestia, will you come up with any other counter-scheme? You are not able to hurt me either with magic or with physical attacks. So what will you do?" asked Discord. Ivanhoe's knees started to feel weak. He couldn't stand up anymore, it was all too much. He had doomed the entire world. He wasn't a real pony. He couldn't take the guilt. It was hopeless.

"What we will do? We will fight!" yelled a voice so impressive Ivanhoe couldn't fathom something sounding so hopeful in a situation like this. Ivanhoe looked over at the six ponies. They all stood as ready as ever. Twilight in the center like always. "We haven't learned so much, seen so much, met so many, just so you can destroy it all! You can make any scheme you want, Discord, you've done it before and we've defeated you before. I said that friendship was worth fighting for and that hasn't changed," said Twilight. Ivanhoe looked at them, not a single one of them looked afraid, not a single one had doubt. They all just stood there in the face of danger. It was inspiring, Ivanhoe even felt a little lighter just looking at them. He slowly pulled himself up.

"Ivanhoe, want to make yourself useful? Get Windy and Spike out of here," said Twilight. Her eyes alone would've convinced him of doing that. Ivanhoe just ran over to Spike and picked him up on his back and ran towards Windy and the door. She followed him out through the door. The moment they turned towards left there was a bright light.

"Go get him, girls!" shouted Spike with his fist in the air.

***

As they ran through the hallways Ivanhoe noticed that Windy was just as silent as him.

"If anypony can do it it's them! I know they will do it!" said Spike.

"I hope so, I do," said Ivanhoe. Frankly, he was still a little tired from all of this. Even without everything that had happened, what he had learn was tiring enough.

"You didn't know, right?" said Windy.

"No, I never did. I promise you, I never knew anything about this. If I would've...I would've turned myself in... What should we do, Spike?" asked Ivanhoe.

"You're asking me?"

"You've been here before, right?" said Ivanhoe.

"I was hatched here!"

"So? Where should we go?!"

"I think we might be able to make it to the emergency train, if enough ponies are trying to get on. If there really is any left," said Spike after a few short moments of thought.

"But it's raining! And the emergency rain-cover doesn't go all the way up to the castle."

"My cloak. I bet I can still go through the rain, I can wrap one of you in it and carry you," said Ivanhoe. They looked at each other.

"It has to be Spike," said Windy.

"Agreed," said Ivanhoe.

"Hey, me and Windy can both fit under it," said Spike.

"Spike, it's not thick enough to protect a pony from touching the rain, it will seep through. But it could be enough if we wrap it around you and Ivanhoe hurry," said Windy.

"Windy, I can't leave you. You're the only friend I have...literally," said Ivanhoe.

"That's not true. You've got me too!" said Spike. Ivanhoe turned and looked at him, too touched to actually say anything more. They suddenly saw the main entrance. They stopped right before it, the rain was like a threatening veil they had to run through.

"Remember, run straight to the train station. You can't miss the clock tower if you follow the road," said Windy.

"Windy, I-" said Ivanhoe but suddenly the entire castle shook as an explosion went off somewhere in the building.

"Don't look back. Just go and get him to safety," said Windy.

"Maybe Marehaven. It doesn't rain there often and it might be beyond his reach...if it actually exist. But what am I supposed to do?"

"Whatever you can to protect a friend, getting away from Discord so he can't at least get more power... I don't want him to corrupt you," said Windy with a smile trying to be comforting.

"But what about that time limit? I'm going to die!"

"Then Discord will have won if they don't stop him. At least get the kid away from his domain, buy him more time...I don't think there is anything else you can do. Just run, Ivanhoe."

"Windy... I-"

"JUST GO!" she yelled and kicked him, hard. Ivanhoe wrapped Spike in his cloak and ran out into the rain. She was standing there looking at them while the castle stirred again.