Thus began the arduous work of Shining Dantes, and his priestly Gargoyle friend, Abbe Scorpan Faria. Their first step was picking up the stone plate on the other side of the room - completely opposite of Scorpan's room. With Shining's magic, they were both on the verge of lifting it, with Shining silently wishing he at least exercised his body, which is key to his magic. But just as they almost lifted it, they heard a clamoring outside. The Guard! With speed of fright, Shining darted back to the tunnel back to his cell. After all, it would be extremely bad if the guards ever noticed an absence of their prisoners on a routine. All the while, the priest's words echoed in his mind to remind him of their plan of discretion.
"Now remember, the slot only opens twice a day: firstly, to give us afternoon meals as well as collect our toilet buckets, where we pack in our dirt."
Returning to his cell, Shining made sure the lid of his bucket was clearly covered, and the dirt compacted so noone could ever notice what was inside. It seemed that the plan worked, as the guard picked up the bucket without any issues. Once that was removed, Shining put his plate in front of the slot to receive his afternoon meal.
"Secondly: for for our evening meals, preceded by afternoon meals."
Scorpan got his plate to the door in time for it to be filled, for which he kindly thanked the guard, before sighing in relief.
"It's between those time we lose the risk of discovery."
The duo were in Scorpan's cell, with Scorpan writing a sentence on his wall. The sentence was in ponish, and said "Więc zaniedbanie staje się naszym sprzymierzeńcem". Shining, who was also eating his meal, was to translate what he knew. Luckily, Shining could pick up fast with his teachings, much to Scorpan's delight. Thus he translated the words as "So...neglect.....becomes........our ally!" he exclaimed happily, taking another bite of his "food". He himself was happy with the progress he was making, and he was eager to learn more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More time passed, and the lessons continued. By now, Shining had overcome his limited literacy, and was now versed in several languages. As the time moved on, and Shining's education expanded, so too did the relationship between him, and Scorpan. Now, they were beginning to confide in each other their lives previous to their imprisonment. Shining had recently told of his life, and how he ended up in the Chateau D'if. Now, it was Scorpan's turn to tell his. After using strands of his own mane hair, he fashioned a series of candles for the pair as they descended into their expanding tunnel. Needless to say, Shining was quite surprised by what he learned of his priest friend.
"So you were Tirek's brother?"
"Once........a long time ago." Scorpan said, sounding sad about the account. "Though I don't look it, i'm well over 1000 years old."
"And yet you don't look a day over 40." Shining said, before jokingly adding, "Bet the beauticians would hate you for life out of jealousy." Both shared a good laugh over Shinining's bad joke, before the Gargoyle continued. "We had such dreams then." He sighed. "At least until I came to Equestria. Tirek had convinced me to leave our home in the netherlands to seek justice against the alicorns, and ponies who were oppressing us. Tirek had learned the ability to steal the magic of other living beings, and add it to his own strength. The more he consumed, the stronger he grew. Though I was a timid soul, I still admired my brother a great deal. Enough so that I believed everything he said about the Equestrians. At first, I had no issues spying on them for information. But then..............."
"But then?" Shining parroted as they reached the end of the tunnel.
Scorpan cleared out his throat. "But then I did the wisest thing imaginable: I got to know the equestrian lifeforms who were supposed to be our enemies. And I saw the truth for myself. It helped me further when I befriended Starswirl the Bearded, all those ages ago."
This surprised Shining even further. "You even knew Starswirl?" He chuckled. "Man....my sister would kill to talk to you, just so she could get a further idea of what he was like."
Scorpan also chuckled in amusement. "She sounds like quite the knowledge seeker.......probably more than you." Shining could only smile in pride. "Yeah. She really was." Then he shook his head. "Anyway, you were saying?"
"Ah, yes." Scorpan said, picking up his chisel, and hammer, and picking away at the rocks. "Inevitably, I attempted to reason with my brother, and convince him that we should take our agenda elsewhere. That the ponies were not worth all the trouble." His ears lowered in sadness. "He refused to see reason. He had his share of equestrian magic, and he was addicted to power. He had no intentions of ever letting it go.........even for me." In his heart, Shining felt a strain of pity for his gargoyle friend, and the idea of two siblings quarreling like that. Though that also ended up making his resentment of the centaur all the more prominent. But he was more interested in the story than steaming in his hate. "So what did you do?"
"I.....did what I had to to protect the Equestrians i befriended: I alerted the alicorn sisters of Tirek's plan, and told them where to find him. From what I heard, he was imprisoned in Tartarus, for all time, seemingly. But I.........I couldn't take any part in that event. Even though he was no longer the brother I knew, he was still my brother. How could I do anything except love him?" Shining actually thought of plenty of reasons why he shouldn't. But he didn't interrupt. "Thus, I returned to my home in the Netherlands, and assumed the throne in his absence. That's how it was for 5,000 years........until 20 years ago, when he returned without warning."
Shining perked in confusion, but then he remembered something. "Oh, yeah! That was around the time after he escaped Tartarus, but came to Equestria to plead forgiveness, and a chance for redemption. Princess Celestia gave him a pardon, and as part of his reformation, was given those gauntlets of his to maintain his magical power, and physical form at a high level.....but prevent him from stealing other ponies magic." While using his magic to move away the dirt, and rocks in the way, he put a hoof to his chin, and said, "And if I recall......20 years ago, he disappeared for a long while after he'd been made Captain of his own regiment."
Scorpan sighed heavily after hearing that. "Unfortunately......that was when he deposed me from the throne."
Shining's eyes widened. "He what?!"
"Indeed. I was, unfortunately, unaware of his escape, and pardoning at the time, due to newfound issues which had arisen. Renegade Gargoyles had begun stirring up trouble in the netherlands, and had formed a clan of their own. Many times, they've attempted to overthrow me, and take over - but each time I managed to hold them back." His tone then became grim. "That's when Tirek came around, and demanded the throne be given back to him. At first, I was surprised to see him. But even more confused about what he was talking about. He explained everything involving his pardon, and that he was now seeking to reclaim what belonged to him. I refused, of course........until he issued one of our most renowned rituals: the challenge."
"Challenge?"
"One of combat: one warrior can challenge the king for the right to rule in a fight to the death. And as crown prince of the Kingdom, he technically had a right. But I reminded him of his crimes against Equestria, and how he abandoned the throne when he was needed. To gain the right to challenge, he would need some support from a political official." He sighed with with sadness. "How was I to know Grimmwing was in league with him all this time?"
Shining raised an eyebrow. "Who's Grimmwing?"
"He was the kingdom's protector, and Supreme Commander of our military forces, as well as our own royal guard. However......he wasn't overly fond of my more peaceful ways. He never openly said it, but I could always see it in his eyes whenever I dismissed his insistence to expand our reach to neighboring lands. Apparently, he had spies in Equestria, who told him of Tirek's return. From what I surmised so many years ago, he conspired with Tirek to overthrow me, and allow someone he deemed more fitting to be put in command. Thus, he came forward, and announced his support of Tirek's challenge." Scorpan halted his work as he let the terrible memories of that event come back to him. "I had no choice but to accept. To decline a challenge with such an influential figure showing support would have been considered a sign of weakness, and i would have forfeit the right to rule. I....was no match for the raw strength, and power Tirek possesses. It was clear he had honed his combative skills just for this moment. Perhaps that's why he saw fit to torture me with his brutality. He wanted all to see me beaten, broken.......and utterly helpless. He most certainly would have killed me if he wanted...........but he didn't."
Moving some more dirt aside, Shining cast a questioning look to his friend. "Why? I thought you said a challenge for the throne was a fight to the death."
"Ordinarily, it is. But Tirek, the manipulative monster he is, saw fit to spare my life. He said to all that it was a fate worse than death: to be allowed to live in my shame, knowing I was bested so terribly. And that I was no longer King. Thus, Kingship fell onto the one who was once my brother, who decided to name himself Lord, rather than King. He stated that changes were to be made to our Kingdom, and he was going to leave his second in command, Grimmwing, to see them carried out as Steward of the Kingdom. As for me? He said that he doesn't waste what he can still use. So he indoctrinated me in his personal regiment to forever serve under him. And I did so for 9 long years. The memory of my loss forever burned into my mind, as I felt even less than myself. I had been a king for far too long, with subjects to depend on me. Without that, what was I? Now, just a soldier serving under a cruel commander."
Now Shining felt even worse than before for the priest Gargoyle. He knew that his own situation was rough. But from the sound of it, this guy had it even rougher. He served alongside the centaur for a few years. Yet he had no idea Tirek was hiding such a cruel, tyrannical nature behind his facade of reformation. Either way, his heart went out to Scorpan. "I'm.....i'm sorry that happened to you, priest. Noone deserves that kind of fate." To his surprise, Scorpan let out a gentle laugh. "No need to feel pity for me, sir. Things didn't stay this way forever. When the civil war against Empress Moon began, that was when my life changed forever."
Shining sighed in sarcastic befuddlement. "And you even fought against the Lunar Empire. Figures."
"Surprised?" Scorpan chuckled. Then he got right back to his work as he continued. "Well, you'd be surprised, knowing that that war was a turning point for me."
"Is that right?" Shining asked curiously. "How so?"
"One day, my regiment was sent to run down a group of guerrillas. We had them on the run, and ended up chasing them all the way to an abandoned church in fillydelphia, who took up sanctuary inside. Our orders were to burn it down to the church with them inside - despite the law of sanctuary."
"And......did you?" Shining asked hesitantly.
Scorpan sighed with what sounded like remorse. "To my eternal, everlasting shame.........I did. And that's how I knew I could no longer stay with Tirek, any longer. If i did, I ran the risk of losing my very soul." Seeing the progress they made, Scorpan said "I think that's good for now. Let's go back." And before Shining could move, Scorpan somehow squeezed his way past him without actually squeezing him. This gargoyle was a truly perplexing figure. But he let it slide for the time being, and just followed behind his friend as he asked an important question. "So then, how did you end up here?"
"The following day, I deserted. Deciding to devote my life to both repentance......and to The One-uh, i mean....to God." He cleared his throat as they reached the hole. I ended up working as a private consultant.....to the enormously wealthy Count Gold Sword." Once he was out, he helped up Shining, before taking care of the candles. "Gold Sword was a righteous stallion. But, unfortunately, a couple of years later, he died. Amidst the rumors that he had hidden his....seemingly limitless fortune." He gave Shining a rather amused glance. "A fortune which would make even the Princesses themselves gawk in astonishment." He then took a seat over near the wall, letting out a relaxed sigh as he did. "Sadly, that was when Tirek came for me. Not only was he enraged at my desertion: he also heard the rumors of the enormous treasure, and coveted it for his own. And as paranoid as he always is, he didn't believe that I didn't know where the treasure was. So....he threw me away in here like some piece of lawn furniture to be housed in a basement." He scoffed " "To refresh your memory", he said." He then used his golden light in his hands, to levitate a book over to him. "So here i've been. Alone in isolation, with only The One as my company." A small chuckle escaped his lips. "Until he sent me to you."
Shining could only roll his eyes as he lay on the floor. "Look. I know you've obviously got your own religions, and you can call him what you want: God, The One, whatever. I don't really care, cause he's no more real than your treasure, priest." Once more, his resentment came out, and he sounded more antagonistic than he intended. Instead of getting angry, Scorpan pulled out a pair of reading glasses, and shrugged his shoulders as he said, "Perhaps." Then he went on to his reading. Shining let a mildly annoyed sigh escape his lips as he lay his head down. All he could think of now was how much more that monster, Tirek, deserved to go down. What he did went against everything brothers should ever do for each other. Now he knew just how evil he was. And there was still Sombra, and Neighsay. They were connected to him somehow, but he wasn't sure how. But he never forgot that it was all three of them who put him there. And he would never forget his need for vengeance. Scorpan seemed to notice Shining was looking rather unpleasant. He, too, never forgot when the unicorn explained how his hope, and belief in God/The One was replaced by Revenge. And he could see it was eating away at him. That is what prompted him to say, "One of these days, Shining, I have a story I want to tell you. It involves a few things you yourself are familiar with. And it might help you gain a better perspective on things."
Shining glanced over to Scorpan. "Oh, yeah? Just what are these things, if I can ask?"
Scorpan's expression grew serious. "Anger. Hatred, and Revenge. How an individual allowed Anger, and Hate to consume his heart, drive him to desire Revenge.......and how it lead to disastrous consequences for all around him." Then his mood seemed to change on the flip of a dime. "But for now, go get some sleep. We still have alot of work ahead of us, and we both need our strength. At our current pace, we get closer, and closer to freedom."
Freedom. That was a word that echoed in Shining's mind over, and over again. Though he only paid a little heed to Scorpan's suggestion of a story, he DID take heed of the promise of freedom. It was all that ever really mattered, in the end. Freedom might be easily taken away........but Shining had come to consider it more valuable than even the treasure Scorpan spoke of.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day, despite Shining's mild revulsion at the idea, the pair decided to change up their dietary plate to something a bit more..........filling. Their target: one of the many rats who also lived in the Chateau D'if. One such vermin had come snooping around Shining's cell, and was slowly entering his room. They had used a pail to hold open the slot, which Shining had long ago written the name "Mercedes" on to never forget his beloved. The two of them were silently waiting next to the door, out of sight, and holding a string they fashioned from their own hair to set their trap. The rat crawled in, aaaand...........SNAP! The slot was shut, and the rat was trapped. In a rather comedic fashion, the duo chased after the little bugger. At first, neither could actually catch the thing. But finally, Shining remembered he could use his magic again - or at least telekinesis again. And he caught the thing in his grasp, laughing almost like mad as he did.
An hour or so later, and Scorpan the omnivore, was finished roasting the rat while Shining was hauling rock, and dirt out of the tunnal. It was around this time Scorpan decided Shining had finished his linguistic, and literary education. Now, it was time for him to move on to mathematics. And he made sure to test Shining as best as possible. "Alright, compute this: 2,500 cubic centimeters of rock, and dust a day, for 365 days."
"Equals three and a half meters a year," He began, placing the rocks down, earning a nod from the Gargoyle to show he was correct, urging him to continue with, "12-foot, a feet a month." Another bunch of rocks were removed, and he finished his answer with, "3 inches a week."
"Good." Scorpan said. "Now: in Italian."
Some time later, Shining's annual torture session arose. He had just received his vicious beating from the guards. And now, he was almost finished with his annual lashings. However, he paid little mind to any of this. His strengthened resolve had allowed him to build a tolerance to the pain he endured, and he seemed to shrug all of it off. So, to the confusion of his unkind hosts, he decided to practice his italian by reciting the computations he made a while ago. ."......altri tre metri e mezzo (Another three and a half meters." Gorgar, and the others, were a might bit confused by this, as well as why he seemed to be so tolerant of their actions against him. But they dismissed it as him being so broken that he couldn't even register what was happening anymore.
Such arrogance provided a perfect alibi for the unicorn. After all, why should he care what they do to him anymore? They no longer mattered. Hope was renewed within him once again, and he was going to cling to it like it was his own heart. Even the dark shadow which seemed alive, and watched him always seemed irritated by this turn of events. It could clearly sense the change in him, and didn't like it one bit. This would not stand for its purposes. If the shadow was going to do its work, it would need the unicorn broken: both in body AND in spirit.
But he would never allow anyone to break him - not when freedom was to be his in time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One night, during the few years that passed, Shining was looking at the spine cover of one of the Abbe's books. This one in particular was called "The Prince Machiavelli". It was a book he had never heard of until now. But now that he could read in numerous languages, he could freely enjoy this book. He was so taken in that he didn't notice the candle was almost empty. But Scorpan did, even while he was trying to sleep. "Please don't waste the light." He said groggily. "Just like Hope, it is an aspect alot take for granted. It's something which must be cherished, and preserved for as long as possible. Do you understand?" Shining did hear him, of course. But as he finished reading a certain chapter, another thought crossed his mind. Something he actually forgot to consider with his time spent with Abbe Scorpan which he overlooked. At least, until this moment. "Y-you were a soldier once, Scorpan." This actually gained him the Gargoyle's attention. "Yes. We've already established that." He said in an almost grumpy tone.
"So.....that means you know about weaponry. Please," he said earnestly. "Teach me." Then he added, "Or dig alone." He didn't want to use even simple threats. But Shining was determined to learn as much as he could before he escaped the prison. And he had a feeling Scorpan would be reluctant to help him, due to his pacifistic nature. He could see he was right just by looking in his eyes. Scorpan took contemplation for only a few moments, before saying, "You know, you force me to walk a fine line, Dantes.........*sigh* But very well."
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Later on, Shining was sitting outside of the tunnel hole, with Scorpan's frame sticking half way out. For a long time, water had begun to leak inside of the cell from above. Scorpan, who had placed one of their plates beneath it to catch the water, had decided to use this as the first lesson of combat. Shining, however, wasn't exactly that open minded about the idea. "This is ridiculous."
But Scorpan would not be deterred. "The stronger swordsman doesn't always win. Strength alone is not the deciding factor. It is......SPEED!" He exclaimed, darting his hand through the dripping water, and missing the fast drops that fell. Shining was surprised by the level of speed displayed. It reminded him almost of a cobra with how fast the Gargoyle went. "SPEED of hand! SPEED of hoof!" he exclaimed twice while darting twice. Then he raised a finger to the side of his head. "Speed of mind. So..." He got his tools ready, and prepared to move down. "Do as I just did: dart your hoof through the water, until you can evade the drops. Sweep your hoof through it without getting wet."
Shining was now quite eager to get that speed down. With his right hoof raised, he began sweeping his hoof through the drops to get the result. If he was expecting himself to get the required speed so suddenly, then he was immensely disappointed. Each time he swept his hoof, he ended up getting it wet. He didn't stop trying, though, and kept at it. However, his patience finally gave out, and he stopped in mild frustration. "Here. Like this." Scorpan said, positioning his hand like it WAS a cobra. He then lunged forward two times, with a pair of grunts, and evaded the drops. Shining, his impatience clearly showing, asked, "How long do I have to keep doing this?" Instead of answering, Scorpan picked up the tools, and said, "I'm heading down the tunnel, now. Good luck." And left shining to continue his practice. He got so impatient that he just thrust both hooves repeatedly to get the desired result. Reluctantly, he saw that his patience would have to be mastered as well if he wanted to get this "Speed of hoof" and "Speed of mind". Boy was this gonna be annoying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scorpan had found that his doors had loose, and long pieces of wood which he could use for training. Once both of them were out, he took one, and gave the other to Shining for sparring. However, after recounting his last disastrous meeting with Sombra, Scorpan decided that it wasn't just magic his unicorn friend should count on. Thus, he began teaching him to utilize that one trait which makes Equestrian ponies a unique species among the equine species: their ability to stand upright like bipedal animals. Shining explained how he could do a little bit at a time. But he never practiced standing on his hind legs for longer than a few minutes - much less walk on them. That was the first thing Scorpan worked to fix. And after a few months of practice, Shining was now able to move around like Scorpan himself.
Now, the hand/hoof held sword-practice could begin. Acting as though they were in a fencing duel, the pair took up positions opposite, and then got started. The first time, Shining struck the sword before getting "cut" in his front leg. The same thing happened the next few times. This prompted Scorpan to show him how to parry. After showing him the move, they went ahead. This time, Shining began to show a little progress. But he still had a long way to go. Eventually, Scorpan tossed him a new book to read. "Time to study." This one was titled "Wealth of Nations", and was the tool of Dantes' next lesson.
"Now define economics."
Down in the tunnel, Scorpan was having Shining go over what he had learned from his book. It was a matter of multi-tasking for the two of them. And yet they were managing just fine. Shining showed just how much he had learned so far. "Economics is the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of commodities."
"Translation?"
"...........dig first, money later."
And that's exactly what they kept doing. Inch by inch. Meter by meter. Their pace was slow, and steady. But the progress spoke volumes. As months, and years passed, their tunnel grew wider in length for as long as they worked. And they never gave up on it. They always remembered why they were doing this, and let it remain the driving force behind their work. Of course, they still did their best to maintain discretion. One time, Scorpan almost missed his mark when mealtime was about because he was down in the tunnel. Yet he managed to pop hims upper half out, wipe his plate as clean as possible, then slide it down to the slot. It opened, and his meal was delivered without any suspicion, and with no fuss. "Thank you!" he shouted, making sure the guard heard him. Then he turned to Shining, who held his already filled plate, and pulled out a dead rat. "Happy Hearthswarming, Shining. Eh, give or take....a month, or so.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The other half of the training was of physical combat. After all, it wasn't just Sombra Shining had to contend with. Odds were, he'd have to get his hooves dirty by fighting Tirek. Although, Scorpan was equal to his size when he was standing fully upright. So he wasn't sure of the comparison being appropriate. Still, Scorpan's own hand-to-hand skills were nothing to sneeze at. But Shining kept picking up as he went along. And pretty soon, he was giving even Scorpan the old what-for. "Good. Very good. But who are you fighting: Tirek or Sombra?"
"Who do you think?" Shining asked cheekily.
Meanwhile, Shining continued his practice with the water. He was only fortunate it continued leaking down, and would probably never be fixed. He never stopped practicing. And he always kept pressing himself on. To his delight, the practice had finally paid off. The next time he swept his hoof across the drops, he moved so fast they couldn't even touch him. A proud smile crossed his face as he looked up at the ceiling. He had finally mastered speed of hoof. Just a bit more to go.
Shining's sword practice had also gone better. He had elevated from one hoof, to two hoof....and eventually, he was able to fight with his magic, as well. Between both of their doors, they luckily had enough wood to go around. And Scorpan was alot more skilled with a hand-held weapon than Shining thought. He could also use two hands, and his speed gave Shining a right, proper challenge. For a time, the two were equally matched. But as the training went on, Shining's skill got better, and his own speed increased. During the most recent match, Shining finally landed a "killing blow" to his friend. Scorpan, of course, couldn't have been more proud of him. "Good! TOO good, in fact." he joked. Shining took the compliment with a smile, and bowed to his partner.
Now, he had the combat skills he needed to survive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And now, we get to Hay-saac Netwon's third law." Scorpan said, clashing two rocks against each other on his table. "There is a reaction to every action - in physics, and in creature."
"Thus, my quest for revenge is a reaction to the actions of Tirek, and Sombra." Shining said in a rather matter-of-factly tone. This only made Scorpan shake his head a little in disappointment. Mainly because of how Shining refused to let this obsession of his go. He had a feeling that it would be time to tell his story soon. For now, though, he just wanted to get comfortable. "Up. Come on, get up. I want that seat." Shining obliged him, and allowed his Gargoyle friend to sit down next to the wall. Probably for the best, since Shining now felt a bit restless, and wanted to move around a little. A few seconds after he sat down, however, Scorpan thought of something. "You know....i think something just occurred to me now." Shining, ever curious turned to him to better listen. Once he saw he had his friend's attention, he said, "You once told me that Neighsay Villefort....had you rearrested after clearing you of all charges."
Shining grimly thought back to that night, remembering when Neighsay said, "Therefore, I will find you not guilty, and allow you leave to go." He still couldn't believe he was so naive to believe what he said. With a hint of anger, he answered, "Yes. Yes, it's true."
"Then why, exactly, would he go through with that sort of charade?" Scorpan asked. "Unless.......he had a reason to change his mind about not let you go. Think, Shining."
"I'm trying!" Shining exclaimed frustratingly, trying to figure things out on his own.
"Tell me again what happened."
"He asked me: "Did you know who the letter was addressed to? Who were you supposed to deliver it, too?" And I told him: "I....don't really know. Empress Moon said he would stay anonymous, and find me in time. But I haven't seen anypony, or creature, who could possibly be it. My only indication was what I saw on the envelope. I couldn't understand any of it except for one name: Villefort." After reading it himself, and I explained how I couldn't read ponish, he told me what the letter really was, and what Empress Moon intended it for. He said his families name was being used as a scapegoat for her loyalists to act freely. I got mad for a moment, then he reassured me of things, making me feel better. He said anyone could have been tricked just as easily."
"And then?"
"And then nothing! He burned the letter, cleared me of the charges, and said I could go!" Shining exclaimed in aggravation. He really didn't like thinking back to this moment, and the trickery which followed it. But he did his best to swallow his anger to figure out the significance of all of this. Scorpan, however, seemed to catch onto something he himself hadn't considered. "He burned........the letter." Shining looked to him with confusion, and intrigue. But after the way Scorpan said those words, he was beginning to think Scorpan had figured something important out. "It just strikes me as odd that a chief prosecutor of mareseilles would destroy evidence linking to a treasonous conspiracy......and then, arrest the only pony who was aware of that conspiracy."
The wheels in Dantes' head began spinning around in full swing. Now, he was beginning to really use his head. And the more he considered it, the more it began to make sense to him. Until he came to the most clear conclusion that makes sense. "He was protecting somepony."
"But who? Himself, perhaps?"
"No." Shining said, deep in thought. "No, Neighsay is a firm believer the law, and a politician. That's why he rid himself of friends. I could tell he had some moral grounds to stand on. There's no way he would have willingly sided against his own nation." He continued to think onwards. "The name Villefort was on the letter, so.....maybe it could be a relative A close relative. Possibly-?" Then, a bulb lit up in his head, to Scorpan's surprise. His expression widened with horrific realization, as his ears fell to the side. But that horror quickly turned to anger-fueled rage that made him flip the table with his head, as he screamed, "NO!!!" He was panting heavily from anger. Everything was all too clear, now. "Spell Nexus, Neighsays father, was a colonel in Empress Moon's army. He wasn't protecting another Villefort: he was protecting himself!" He slowly walked towards Scorpan, with his eyes narrowed till they were almost slits. The anger boiling his blood like a hot kettle. "I understand, now: Tirek, who accused me of murdering General Iron Hoof, and found the letter and a knife in my coat. Sombra, who told Neighsay I had the letter. And Neighsay, himself, who sent me here! All of them.......they were working together to frame me!"
Scorpan smiled proudly at Shining, for using his marbles to uncover a personal conspiracy set against him. "Bravo, Shining." Scorpan lightly applauded. "Bravo...for uncovering the mystery of your imprisonment." All Shining could do was howl in rage, and feel his hatred grow to its Zenith.
Now he knew he how much he wanted revenge - and apparently, so did the Shadow.