Haters Gonna Hate

Chapter Six: The Fallen Son of Canterlot

Have you ever seen, "Father of the Bride"?

Damn, that's a good movie. No joke; It's hilarious, touching, but most of all, it's right. The movie follows a dad who is trying to cope with his daughter's sudden impending marriage. Now, by itself, I've seen parents lose half their minds to nostalgia and shock when marriage comes along, but when a sudden truth is exposed to you, you're pretty messed up. Just think: What if you found out tomorrow that something had been hidden from you your entire life?

Imagine what that would do to you. You would have to come to terms with years of life, an entire style of life, even, ending at once. Everything you know about someone or something comes crashing down with that single epiphany, that venomous truth, that leaves your nerves exposed, and your heart vulnerable to shatter. In the movie, the father eventually comes to terms with the suddenness of the wedding, the expenses, and the strangers who are now his family. It was probably the hardest thing he had to do.

It would have been a hell of a lot easier for me to do that, then face what I found in the bowels of that fucking castle.

~^~

"AFTER HIM!"

Oh, like hell they were going to catch me now. I sneered with dark glee as I blasted a pair of doors shot begin me, the lance of lightning fusing the metal rims to the doors together. I heard at least one of the guard who was chasing me slam into it, as another barked orders at his compatriots. For a moment, it looked like I was home free.

And then a pair of shadows flew over me, and I looked up through the sunroofs, scowling.

Pegasi.

One, then another, then another blasted by, their tails trailing storm clouds. Deep inside, some part of me wanted to call them frauds. I wanted to call them something far worse, but I was already pushing through the pain to run. My injury was burning now, and when I flared my wings, I nearly stumbled at the fresh jolt of sheer, blinding agony. "Alright" I hissed under my breath, skidding to a stop and pouring at the ground, "Come on, you ugly little pidgeons, let's go…"

I don't know if they heard me or not, but they certainly where onto me anyway. I saw the lead wheel back, her compatriots in perfect formation at her side, before they dived towards me. "Alright, Wonderbolts," Their leader called, her voice reaching my ears as they moved as one towards me, "Time to shut the Hatesteed down!"

I smirked, and fired.

Three bolts of lightning split the sunny sky as a roll of thunder shook the castle to it's bones. I heard the "Wonderbolts" cry out in pain, the sudden onslaught throwing them off course. One crashed into a wall, another spiraled off course, but their leader steeled her resolve, narrowed her eyes, and continued the lone dive.

The Force was strong with this one.

Time to think of a new tactic. I darted forwards, and she changed course. We were going to meet, one way or another. Furrowing my brow, I felt my throat dry out as I pulled the last of my energy out of whatever well was inside me, narrowed my eyes, and focused on the leader.

My body moved on it's own. I bent my legs and leaped, like I never had before, straight up at her, wings flaring. The pain was enough to make me cry out, white hot fire burning at my side, but it was worth it.

I have always dreamed of flying. It's been the little childish hope of mine, to know how it feels to be a bird, a plane, or even Superman. I close my eyes now and then and dream of feeling the wind on my face, screaming through the heavens, like none before me…and then, here, in a world I couldn't stand, I was living that little boy's dream.

For one moment, I was flying. I felt my wings suddenly take control and flare, shooting me forwards, faster than I had ever thought I could move. The Wonderbolt's eyes widened in surprise, and I had just enough time to savor that look of dawning comprehension before I slammed into her, and a bolt of lighting burst from my body. She was thrown back, as if she had been hit with buckshot, and as her wings flared, and she tried to stabilize herself, I dived down, back to the cobblestone, and landed with a clop of hooves and a rustle of feathers.

For one moment, I was full of childish glee, prancing on my hooves as I choked back a boyish giggle.

The next, I nearly screamed in pain, wincing hard, and glaring with slight fury at the bandages on my side. They were stained a deeper red than before, and I scowled and snorted. I shouldn't have rushed off. The breakout could've just as easily come after Celestia had patched me up, but I was in a hurry. I had to know.

I blasted a pair of double doors in front of me open with a well-placed bolt, and dashed through the opening. Once I was in, I didn't waste a moment before kicking the doors shut, and I felt a small glimmer of satisfaction as I heard something, or rather, some pony, slam into it. I laughed as I heard the lead Wonderbolt sputtering on the other side of the door. "YOU CAN'T STAY IN THERE FOREVER, HATESTEED!"

"WATCH ME!" I snapped, turning on the spot with a smirk, "IVE GOT EVERYTHING I NEED IN…Crap."

My mood shifted from smug to pissed in an instant. I gave a long sigh, and hung my head.

It was a library. The ceiling towered over me like a cathedral, with books lining every shelf. Total silence filled the room, same for the sound of the Wonderbolts outside. Everything was still.

And it was all absolutely useless.

Now, I love to read. I have no problems with books. In fact, I'm what you'd call a man of letters. But, at the moment, I didn't have time to stop and read The Cat In The Hat. I had to find Celestia, and make her squeal like a piglet.

Still, I mused as I took off at a slow walk through the towering shelves, maybe this would have the answer somewhere. Assuming no other ponies got in my way, there might even be a way out. I furrowed my brow, and began to race down the aisles, looking up at the signs that marked the genres. I had to admit, I was a little dumbfounded by, not only the sheer number of books, but also the fact these dumb animals had familiar genres. Sci-Fi, Fantasty, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Dictionaries, Biographies, Cook-books…It seemed like every last story or word ever penned was in this titanic library.

I grinned, and picked up the pace. That only make the odds of finding the truth climb higher and higher.

Finally, I reached the center of the library. A book stood on a lone table, a few others scattered nearby. I pushed a collection off of the side (Daring-Do And The Something-Or-Other, I wasn't paying attention), and looked up at the one book that was on it's end.

A History of Equestria: From Construction to Monarchy.

I smirked, and felt hope rise in my chest. "Jackpot."

"Ssh!"

I jumped and turned, flashing my head around, my figure already crackling. Who had said that? It certainly wasn't anyone I'd heard yet. "Who's there?"

"Ssh!" Again, it came, and I felt my temper rise. Thankfully, more followed this than just a damning shush. "This is a library, boy~ Shouldn't you be using your indoor voice?"

I turned, and looked up.

Floating over the table, sitting on what appeared to be a cloud of cotton candy, a dragon-like character grinned at me. Everything about him was mismatched: The legs, the tail, the head, the horns-All of it seemed to come from something else. Raising his lion's paw, he wiggled his fingers. "Hey there."

"Uh."

He roared with laughter, and I felt embarrassed. "HA!," He snorted, looking down at me like I was a court jester, "The Great and Terrible Hatesteed, at a loss for words. I have to say, I think I prefer you this way than all doom-and-gloom. Too cliché, even for me~!"

I had stopped listening. His voice was familiar. I blinked, and raised an eyebrow. "You sound like someone I know."

"Oh?" The dragon said, sitting up and smirking a snaggletoothed smile, looking at me now as if I had the answer to some ultimate question, "Who, my boy?"

I tried to think of how to phrase it. This strange creature sounded an awful lot like John de Lancie, an actor from my world. He ponce played a character named Q on Star Trek, but this had to be coincidence. I raised an eyebrow, and opened my mouth to speak, but then-

"Q, right?"

"What?" I stumbled back as the Dragon roared with laughter again, a chicken talon grabbing his belly, as his lion's paw slapped the cloud. It gave a squeal like a pig and popped, leaving the dragon to drop onto the floor across from me, still howling with laughter.

"Didn't see that one coming, did you, kid?" He finally said, resting an elbow on the table, and his other claw on his hip, "Oh, yes, I know exactly who I sound like. You, on the other hand," He said, waving his own dismissively, "Don't even know who you are."

I scowled. "I know who I'm not."

He smirked, and leaned over the table. "No, kiddo. You really don't."

There was a pregnant silence as we stared each other down. Him, with his cocky smile and a smug glint in his eye, and me, looking like I was about ten seconds away from reaching over the table and strangling him by his long, gangly neck. Finally, I broke it. "Who are you?"

"Why, I'm DISCORD!" He raised his hands, and somewhere, a crowd of millions began to cheer, as a giant neon sign appeared over him, buzzing his name happily, his face at the end, arrogant smile plastered across it.

I glared, but he didn't notice.

"Former ruler of ponydom," He purred, the sign vanishing into a swarm of what looks like butterflies with pig-like heads, "And lord of general Chaos and Mischeif. How do you do?" He offered his lion's paw to shake.

I looked at it for a moment before placing my hoof against his paw. "I-"

"-have no idea who you are, despite everyone telling you that you're The Hatesteed, or Prince Stormmane, or something, yes?"

I blinked. "Stormmane was a prince?"

Discord smirked. "Yes. And so were you." His claw poked me in the stomach, and the book flew open, pages flapping and falling open. A painting was spread across the page. I could see Celestia, Luna, and a third pony standing over the horizon. Behind Celestia, there was a brilliant sun, behind Luna, a gleaming moon, and the third…I narrowed my eyes to focus.

"Storm clouds," I murmured, before looking up to Discord, "Stormmane was a prince."

"That's what I said~!" He replied in a sing-song voice, and I rolled my eyes. "Sheesh, you're slow nowadays, aren't you? Is that the human side of you, or were you always so thick-skulled?"

Now, that made my eyebrows raise. "My human-"

"Yes!" Discord said, leaning over until his forehead was pressed to mine, "That delightful little ape you grew up as! The person you're so certain you really are. But is that right?" His brow furrowed, and his smile became a great deal more twisted as he continued, "Or are you a walking, talking lie? Is your whole life leading up to that moment Twilight Sparkle summoned you just a fabrication?"

"How did you-" A talon placed a pacifier in my mouth, and I gave a suck of indignation as Discord smirked.

"I'm a lesser deity," He said with a shrug, as I spit the pacifier out, "That, and news travels very quickly when the Hatesteed has a magical smackdown in the middle of a populous town with this nation's civic-minded co-rulers."

"You don't say," I growled, gritting my teeth. He was giving me more questions, and no way to get any answers. "What do you know about my life? The Stormmane? The Hatesteed? Why am I here?"

"Ah!" He replied, clapping his hands, eyes shining brightly, "The million bit question. Well, if you're so certain you want to know," He said, purring dangerously as a claw tapped the spread, "Then who am I to deny you the truth."

A wave of magic rushed from the place where his talon touched paper. I heard the strumming of a guitar as I opened my eyes, and looked in front of me.

I was standing amid a bank of fog, and a shadow began to loom out of the haze before me. Great wings spread out, larger than mine, as a horn and a mane of storm clouds, lightning flashing somewhere inside, emerged. I looked up, and my jaw dropped.

I knew who he was, before I even asked. "Who are you?"

He looked down at me with eyes of damning truth, before speaking, a roll of thunder accompanying his words. "I'm you."

It couldn't be. There was no way. Turning into a pony was bad enough, but to have been one before? To have a whole life I didn't remember? That was a truth that cut deep, and stung as it sunk in like a dagger on fire into my heart. The only thing I could manage to say was, "How?"

The towering pony looked down at me for a moment, and took a deep breath. Then, he began to sing.

"There was a prince in Canterlot
They call The Hateful Son
Listen to my tale, child,
Of our long story begun…"

As he sung in a low, remorseful tone, the mist began to swirl, and in-between us, a small replica of Canterlot rose from the mist. An entire city stretched out below the castle, across the valley. Suddenly, I could see it all unfold. I saw a small Pegasus, much like me, looking up with a smile at gathering stormclouds.

"My mother was the lightning,
My father, the wind and rain
I was to bring prosperity,
But I fell from grace one day…"

I saw shadows overcome the child, and his eyes slowly closed. When they opened again, he was in a sunny field, with what looked like a young Luna, standing with him. She lacked wings, but from the look in her eyes, just being around the young Stormmane made her feel like she could fly. All it took was a giggle from Stormmane and the three raced off across the expanse, giggling and playing.

"On the grounds of Canterlot
With princesses, I did play
But I was young and foolish
From the narrow path, I strayed…"

I saw a great rebellion against Discord, and I saw him cackle as lightning blasted him into stone, before leveling an entire town with sheer fury. When the light faded, Stormmane stood in the ashes, looking distraught up at a furious Princess Celestia. Her voice took over, as Stormmane turned, and took off.

"Don't tell my baby sister,
I did what had to be done,
To end the gathering of the storm
They call The Hateful Son…"

The next moment, Stormmane was alone, full grown, and still distraught has he glided through a storm. His voice returned, and I saw, in this younger Hatesteed's eyes, emotions: Regret, anger, jealousy, and revenge. When he opened his eyes, lightning flashed.

"Banished from my homeland,
To darkness I did run
I forged a tempest out of rage,
The storm blacked out the sun..."

A cloud passed in front of my vision, and then I saw him standing with a towering figure, the storm still raging overhead. Next to him, A slender creature, pony-like in appearance, but with bug-like wings stood next to him, her horn mangled. She smiled a venomous grin as Stormmane approached the taller figure, and bowed his head. I saw emerald eyes glint, and a face lean out of the shadows: A unicorn, hair blacker than an abyss, cackled, and I saw darkness swirl around Stormmane.

"I filled my heart up with hate
And tossed aside the crown
And the only thing I dreamed of
Was bringing Canterlot down..."

When the twister of darkness subsided, the Hatesteed I had seen loomed before my vision, his eyes flashing with anger. He roared Celestia's name over the storm, and the next moment, I heard screams of millions as a flood swept through the valley below Canterlot. I heard him cackle with sick hatred and glee as he took to the air, and realized that I was just like him. Earlier, I'd taken such euphoria in TS's suffering, but now, seeing him murder millions for revenge, and take flight for the sheer purpose of death and destruction…it made me a little sick inside to know that was part of my personality, too.

There was a crash, and I saw Celestia and The Hatesteed clashing in the skies overhead. There was a brilliant blast, and the next moment, I was back in the library, looking up at a stain glass window, depicting Celestia casting the Hatesteed down. I was reminded of the images of God damning Lucifer to Hell. I wasn't the pony Anti-Christ: I was their fucking Satan.

The doors flew open, and I didn't have to look around to recognize who it was. I cast one look back, and saw Celestia, flanked by Twilight and the Wonderbolts, come to a stop at the end of the aisle. Celestia's eyes widened, before her face changed to one of remorse. She stepped forward, and I looked back up at the stain glass. "I'm sorry, Stormmane."

I gave a weak laugh, and looked up at her. "You know what's strange? I don't remember any of this. This still feels like someone else's life. But, at the same time," I said with a heavy sigh, looking up at the glass again, "So am I."

Celestia closed her eyes, and I felt the gentle embrace of an unfurled wing, as her soft voice filled the air.

"You have one hoof in redemption,
The other, a deep, dark place
Will you rise above the shadows,
Or fall to hate's embrace?"

I looked up at the stain glass, and, somehow, the words just came to my tongue. I was too numb to be scared, or to even notice.

"So this is how it all ends
The story I begun,
I'm stranded here to face my fate,
As Canterlot's Fallen Son."

"Stormmane," She began, but I had a ready turned by back to her. I swallowed with damning certainty, and looked up at the stain glass one more time.

"I'm stranded here to face my fate
As Canterlot's Fallen Son…"

Thunder rolled overhead, and for the second time, I broke down in the aisle, and wept. I wasn't the human who hates My Little Pony. I wasn't The Hatesteed. I wasn't Prince Stormmane.

I was all three.