All right, time to put on your thinking caps, ladies and gentlemen. With the latest chapter, I am challenging people to throw up their theories and ideas of TD's epic story.

I don't have major theories on the true nature of the Pillar of the Sun and the Zenith, besides what has already been revealed to us. What I choose to delve into is something that is causing a lot more chaos. The actions and motives of a mare very near and dear to my heart.

Princess Celestia.

Now yes, she is playing Spike. That much is obvious from her discussions with Luna. She is manipulating him towards some goal. We need to remember that, Celestia willingly did everything this chapter even though it hurt her. It is part of a grander plan. There is something, some GOAL that required this to come to pass. What it is, I have a theory.

She did not want this to happen to Twilight, but now that it has she is trying to rectify it. How do I know she didn't want this to happen to Twilight? When Twilight sent the description of the Pillar of the Sun to Celestia, what was the response she got back instantly?

It was one word, penned as ever in her mentor’s script. It was one word, but hurried, anxious, filled with a distress she’d never seen her teacher use before. It was only one word, one filled with an uncharacteristic urgency, and that alone made her reel back in surprise and alarm.

Flee! it read.

That doesn't sound like the reaction you would receive from someone who sent someone into danger WANTING them to get hurt. Of course, as the latest chapter reveals, Celestia DID know that Twilight was in danger, she did know the Pillar of the Sun was there (or at least heavily suspected it). Perhaps she did not expect Twilight to find it? Can't say for certain, but these are all things to be considered.

One thing I believe fully is that Celestia is not evil. She cares for Spike, she cares for Twilight, and she wants to fix the situation. Look in this recent chapter for an example. After Spike flips out, she patronizes him with jewels and petty comforts. Does that seem like a thing Celestia would do?

She was pushing him, she needed to make him hate her (as her conversations with Luna have shown). Mark my words, by the resolution of this story we will know full well why Celestia acted the way she did, and I'll bet anything that it will make sense in the end. Will it absolve her using Spike? Not likely, but it will go far to explain it.

So what do you all think?

-Lumino

2611337 I'm not sure about the grand plan thing. Mainly because I sincerely hope this doesn't turn out as, "Congrats, Spike! You've passed my test, I was just pushing you! Hugs all around!"

Knowing the Descendant, this won't happen.

I honestly think that she was patronizing him and doing all that other stuff not to push him to go on some quest, but to give Spike enough cause for an act of hate, so that she may put him away from Twilight in order to rectify her "mistake" of letting him stay by her in the first place.

2611337
Honestly I haven't read a single chapter of Zenith, but if Celestia is manipulating events (nothing totally wrong with that, she is a Guile Hero after all) and doesn't have a good reason... TD would certainly have earned my ire

2611337

Considering how TD depicts Celestia in his other works, which he includes in his overall awesome TD universe canon series of stories, I agree with you that she's not evil. Remember how she let herself bleed from Spike's attack? I think it's a form of self-punishment, because even though she knows that what's done and will continue to do is perhaps necessary for the grander scheme in order to save all those she cares about, the pain she feels for when Spike said he hated her hits a brittle cord within her. An evil character wouldn't be so affected.

I'm with you pretty much 100%.

I would be shocked if it is eventually revealed that this entire tragedy was according to Celestia's plan. I don't see it in my view of her character and I do not see it in her character as historically written by TD. She is absolutely manipulating Spike towards the end of rescuing/reviving Twilight (and possibly dealing with the Pillars), and for some reason with all her eons of experience she apparently believes that this is the best available plan.

Maybe something about Spike's eventual quest is going to require him to have forsaken any contact and connection with her? Considering the artifact that he will be retrieving, it may be sealed away from Celestia and her agents specifically.

I'm in the crowd betting that her efforts are an attempt at setting Spike up to repair what has been broken, and in order to do so she had to separate Spike from all official positions and duties with the throne. The sad part is that in order to do so, she had to break Spike to the point where he was willing to bite her. Maybe that hatred for Celestia will be what is needed to shield him from whatever is guarding the Zenith... or from the pillar itself.

2612328

That is actually something I considered for a second. Perhaps there are spells on these artifacts that make them react to those loyal to Celestia? After all, the Pillar of the Sun fed on fear, so it can already read emotions.

An interesting thought, at the very lest.

-Lumino

2611337 To make my answer short, but to the point. What she did to Spike and this chapter was a necessary evil. When Spike was asking her what she could do, the fact of the mater was that given her position of power, she could do little to nothing but point someone else that was not/no longer apart of her kingdom to get done what needs to be done. But I do believe that she only came up with this dangerous idea after Twilight became a victim, not before.

If anything she may have originally wanted to send Twilight to find the key before this happened. But hopefully, in the future, she would remember to inform others that are very, very important to her about things like this before hand.

But like I said before. A NECESSARY EVIL!

Was going to post this in the story's comments, but figured it was unfairly spoilerish. Apologies if it doesn't really account for things already said in here, it's just my opinion taken independently:

Speaking to the 'Did Celestia know that the Pillar was there?' question, I got the impression from Spike that while she knew it existed, that Sombra stole it, and that it was somewhere in the Crystal Empire, she didn't know precisely where it might have been hidden. So while she knew that Twilight could be in danger by being sent to Pursepolis, she didn't know that the Pillar was actually there, and as such, never intended for Twilight to be struck down by it.

As for the question of Spike, I think Celestia has some idea of what recovering the Zenith will require, and I'm willing to bet that the trials of the this quest cannot be overcome by an alicorn or an army. Based on the hints of the story's synopsis, I'm guessing that Spike's mindset makes him the perfect agent to accomplish this task, but to protect her nation Celestia has to cut him off from all political ties to Equestria, and provide -- ahem -- motivation to give him the determination and sense of independence he needs to struggle onward without being crippled by personal attachments or doubts.

I'm guessing Celestia will be vindicated by the end, in both our eyes and Spike's. I trust Desc on that one.

I am just hoping Spike gets some sorta help along the way. Big Mac, Doctor Whooves or even the CM bloody C!