The Twilight Struggle

by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch

Chapter 7 - Shadow's Tale

The Old Palace, 1 hour and 30 minutes until Sunrise.

The strange group of ponies walked through the silent stone hallways of the castle, Shining armor leading the pack and following along in the strange footsteps of the shadow ponies. The palace complex was far larger than it had been during their last visit - the place having been seemingly rebuilt by powers unknown. Tantalus' mind churned as they walked. He could feel it. Tonight would finally be the night. So the shadow pony's voice slowly began to speak, to weave his tale...

~”Let me tell you a story, my little ponies. It’s a very old story, one you are familiar with in some ways. I’m told they still tell part of the tale every year on Hearth’s Warming eve. It’s a tale of a little earth pony, his family, and how his life was changed forever.”~

~”Our story begins – as these stories often do, with a young colt, named Cabbage Leaf. He was a very young earth pony when the cold times had descended upon the pony tribes. He was unusually weak for an earth pony in body, yet his mind and his connection to the earth was amongst the strongest of his kind. Through his careful studies of farming techniques and finances, as Cabbage grew older he started to turn around the difficulties his parents and family had encountered trying to grow in the ever more bitter cold.”~

~”By the time of the first Pony Parliament, Cabbage Leaf was old enough to travel with his parents to the meeting, where he first laid his eyes upon the tribalism of the Pegasus and the rampant abuse of power by the Unicorn Aristocracy. He watched as Princess Platinum tore down the hopes of a united pony government, and knew something had to be done. Even as Chancellor Puddinghead assured his family that they would find new land for them to grow and live upon, far away from the oppressive taxes of the Nobility and the Military, Cabbage did not believe in her promises.”~

They passed through a set of double doors into a grand hallway - There hanging on the wall was a tapestry of the three pony tribes traveling across the wastelands of cold and snow to reach Equestria. Tantalus stopped for a moment in his movement, glaring up at a white figure that led the Unicorns bedecked in their fancy gowns and suits. He shook his head only for a moment and kept walking, his voice becoming more brisk.

~”As the great expedition began, all of the families were uprooting, leaving their homes of so many centuries behind to start a new life in a new world. It was here, in the great exodus from the old pony lands that Cabbage met a very special unicorn. He moved amongst all ponies without restriction, he moved with grace and wisdom, and was respected by all. His name was Star Swirl, The Bearded, and he took a special interest in the brilliant young earth pony. “~

~”Cabbage had his own theories as to what was causing the terrible change in climate. That there was some magical force which was freezing the land in an icy grip that nopony could possibly be responsible for. As the caravan of earth ponies traveled, Star Swirl came back to the young earth pony time and again with books and other materials of learning, and encouraged him to expand his mind beyond the traditional uses of Earth Pony magic, believing that it might be the key to ensuring prosperity for all ponykind.”~

~”For nearly a year, Star Swirl moved in and out of the mass camp, sometimes accompanied by his equally legendary student, Clover the Clever, and sometimes not. They worked tirelessly to protect all of the pony tribes against the elements and the many monsters which lived out in the wildernesses they traveled through. Yet he continued to make time for the young earth pony, who was beginning to formulate magical theories of his own. One day though, all of that changed.”~

Sets of paintings now graced the halls they passed through - and one depected a wizened old unicorn, his shin scruffy with a white tuft of hair and his bright blue pointed hat and star-spangled cloak seemed to shine with an indistinguishable power. Tantalus stopped in front of it and placed his hoof up against the wall. Closing his eyes at the sight of his one time mentor - His voice grew angry for a time then, barely able to keep his composure.

~”Princess Platinum thought she had found a suitable place to found her glorious new empire, and she had commanded Clover the Clever to follow her. Star Swirl did not react well to this brazen act of power grasping, and vanished from the camps. Before he went, he left one last book with Cabbage Leaf, telling him that the secret within it could save all of ponykind if no other solution could be found, but it was a dangerous power that should not be called upon except in the most dire of circumstance. Then, he was gone.”~

~”Cabbage Leaf wept for the loss of his mentor. But he held tightly onto the final tome he had been granted by the ancient and powerful unicorn wizard. Word reached the camps that Chancellor Puddinghead herself had traveled forth with a special expedition force to scout out a particularly fertile looking stretch of land. Hope rushed through the earth pony ranks and they quickened their speed to the new place, the land that would one day be called Equestria.”~

Tantalus tore himself away from the painting and kept walking - His tone becoming normal again, brisk and businesslike. They passed through another set of double doors, out into the palace grounds. Before them stood a building they all knew well - The Throne Room of the Palace. Tantalus' hooves slowed as they crossed the lawn, intent on getting to the right parts of the story at the right time.

~”You know the next part of the story, I think- all too well. The three great leaders of Ponykind called down the wrath of the Windigos upon them, and ice coated all of the lands, threatening to destroy all of the pony tribes in one fell swoop. His tribe despaired and huddled together with their herds and families, intending to meet the end together, holding each other to keep out the cold and speaking to each other tales of better times.”~

“Yet Cabbage Leaf, cold and afraid, refused to let his life end so easily. He pulled himself away from his camp and his family, slipping off in a moment of confusion. He came to an isolated grove of trees near his camp, in what today is called the Everfree Forest. There, shielded from the biting winds and howling ice, he opened Star Swirl’s forbidden book and began to read. Somehow, that place protected the weak young earth pony. Somehow, he went unnoticed there as he read his way swiftly through the book. Once he was certain he understood its content, he set himself about the task of carrying it’s instructions out.”~

~”The Dark Book is one of those ancient tomes, long lost to memory as to who first wrote it, who first comprehended it’s magical secrets. Yet even in comparison to those ancient beings, Star Swirl stood amongst them like a beacon of brilliance amidst the darkness. His mind, as keen as the northern wind, had uncovered secrets about the Dark Book that a thousand other unicorn researchers had been unable to do over their entire lifetimes. For contained within the book was a very special spell – One that no unicorn could perform, because only an earth pony’s magic could call it forth from the special preparations made.”~

~”Cabbage leaf took those instructions and carried them out with the same precision his mind had always applied to complex matters. He drew the special runes upon the ground in a wide circle, and lit the candles at the cardinal points of the runes using the special fire starter Star Swirl had made for him. He cut his own hoof with his teeth and poured his blood into the center of that circle and flung his consciousness deep into the ground beneath his feet. The world slowed to a crawl, moments felt like days, minutes like entire lifetimes.”~

They crossed through a flower garden, and past a number of Fountains each depicting ponies of all the tribes at play with one another under the splashing waters. The soft white light of the moon seemed to illuminate the statues and path alike with a pale radiance as each hoof quietly plodded along it. Tantalus' voice seemed to be flowing from all around them as a biting wind caused a chill to run down their collective spines.

~” From the forest all around him, shadows began to gather upon the little earth pony. He breathed them in as though they were air, and felt a fire lit within him that he had never known before. His strength grew with every passing breath and he could feel the dark forces of the earth itself gathering into his body. When his eyes opened again, a dark shadowy form stood over him in that grove in the shape of a pony, but far taller and more sinister. It spoke to the boy in slow, gravelly tones.”~

~” ‘You have summoned me, little pony. Are you prepared to pay the cost to save your people?’ it said, the winds dying down all around them, the world seeming to transform before Cabbage’s very eyes, turning from winter’s depths to the heights of summer. The sun shone upon them both, but the shadow did not change. ‘ You will never again be able to move amongst your family and tribe, but you will be able to save them from destruction.’ – It spoke, again, and the little earth pony rose to his feet, and struck a pose of defiance. “~

~” ‘ I will do whatever it takes to save my tribe, and my family! I will pay the price to save all ponies, everywhere!’ he spoke in his high pitched voice, echoing throughout the forest. For an instant, Cabbage was afraid that he had made a terrible mistake, but it was far too late. The Shadow rushed into him, changing him, becoming him. Its power was tied to the Dark Book, and more than that, it was tied to the very land through the magic of the earth ponies. It was an ancient power, long forgotten. It had been born when the world was young, and called into being when there had been one who was prepared to pay its price.”~

Tantalus stopped in the middle of the path, his head hung low and nearly to the ground. He spoke in the flat, featureless tones of a survivor - Of one who has seen things others could not have seen and remained sane. He spoke at length in this way, describing those moments from so long ago. Even now, it was hard to forget what he had done to himself.

~”Cabbage Leaf was in pain. Terrible, terrible pain. For there is no personal gain without a sacrifice, no strength gained without giving some of what you are in return for it. The shadow molded him into a new pony, utterly unlike his weak, slim form before. Now he was built as powerfully as any plow pony, with a coat and mane as black as the night itself. Upon his flank, a cutie mark had appeared for him – yet it was no cutie mark as known by ponykind, for the ancient rune there was that of his new name. He would no longer be Cabbage Leaf – he would become Tantalus, of the Shadows. No family name. No history, only the shadow and the power he had given his identity to attain.”~

~”And so the earth pony now named Tantalus raced from the grove – he could feel the power of the earth beneath his feet, gathering to speed his way. Shadows moved at his every will and he felt power utterly unlike any he had ever thought of wielding before. He raced through the shadows, beyond his tribe’s camp – Noticing that the ice had already begun to recede. He was confused, utterly and totally. What had happened to the ice? He raced to the cave where he had heard the pony parliament members had been placed in a frozen prison – there, he was the Fire of Friendship burning brightly in the cave.”~

Tantalus leaned agains the door to the royal hall with one hoof - His voice turning bitter and grief stricken as he forced the words out - Tonight might be the last chance he ever had to tell his story to another. It had to be said - it had to be said now before the final moves of his chess game began...

~”Tantalus was beyond devastated. He watched from the shadow of a tree as the three pony tribes met together in the middle of the field, even as the Windigos were driven away by Unicorn magic and Pegasus warriors. He watched the Everfree Accords being written, debated, and ultimately signed by the three great pony tribes. He watched his parents’ weeping over a tiny grave, consoled by Princess Platinum and Chancellor Puddinghead themselves. They believed she had gone to try and find Star Swirl and had died in the forest from monsters unknown.”~

~”Tantalus remained in that shadow in the weeks that followed – unable to move, unable to find his voice. He watched as the ponies began to build a new settlement near the base of the Tall Mountain. He watched as they worked hoof in hoof to till the soil, wrangle the weather, and ensure the sun and moon rose and set as had to be done. He stood there, unmoving, unintentionally creating entirely new legends about the spirit of little Cabbage Leaf, watching over them and their new world from the forest he would haunt forever. He did not move, until Star Swirl came.”~

~”Star Swirl found Tantalus upon the hill, along with his Apprentice. Tantalus felt the old unicorn’s power, like a glacier buried into the earth. Implacable, unmoving, unstoppable in his purpose. Tantalus turned to Star Swirl, and did not see hate or fear in his eyes, but sadness and pity. Tantalus threw himself at the hooves of the great wizard and wept – His tears were inky blackness that melted into the shadows of the hill, but Star Swirl only knelt and placed a hoof on his shoulder. ‘ I am so sorry, little one.’ “~

~” He told Tantalus that the spirit of the book was treacherous, but true to its word. His family, and his tribe had been saved., but Tantalus had never needed to do anything to have it happen. He told him that there was no hope to change himself back into his old form. He was now trapped, tied to the earth by bonds so strong no force of magic could ever free him. Tantalus then stood, and stared into the eyes of his mentor. ‘What do I do?’ he could only ask in his young, frightened voice.”~

~”Star Swirl looked at him impassively and said unto him ‘What did you wish this power for anyway?’ startling Tantalus from his thoughts. He had wanted it to protect the ponies, and the ones he loved. Star Swirl, as though he could read that little ponies mind, nodded. ‘Then that is what you will do.’ – he turned, and he left Tantalus upon that hilltop, only a passing glance from Clover the Clever showing any glimmer of hope for the pony of shadows.”~

The doors flung open before them, the throne room's foyer shining with soft golden light before them. Within, two more doors stood silent sentinel seperating them from Twilight. Tantalus stopped before the doors, his voice reduced to gentle softness. Each door bore the symbol of the Sun and Moon Princesses upon them, gleaming in the warm light of candles and lamps set all about the hall.

~”For fifty years, Tantalus did just that. He watched over the little ponies, and quietly grew up. He walked amongst the ponies as little more than a passing shadow. Yet he was not utterly unknown to them. There was fear of him, but many saw him as a symbol of hope. He learned the ways of adult ponies, he grew in many ways great and small. His mind became even sharper by the day. He collected tomes of every form of knowledge imaginable, and secreted them away in his forest. He fought off the nastiest of the beasts that threatened the innocent people of the new nation, and worked in the shadows to destroy efforts to return things to the status quo of the Unicorn Aristocracy. All was going well in his eyes, until the Sisters came.”~

~”The Orrery Celestius artifact that had ensured the cycle of days had begun to wear and break. The Unicorns, without its power could no longer assure the sun would raise in time, nor the moon. Panic began to grip the unicorn population, for it was with this power that they had always held their traditional power and control over the other tribes. They sent the greatest amongst them, the retired but still powerful Archmage Star Swirl the Bearded, and the current Archmage Clover the Clever to find an answer to the problem. Tantalus, however, was powerless to help. For all the power of the earth at his command, for all of his strength, he could not bid the sun to rise, nor the moon to set. Though he focused all of his will upon it, they were as out of his reach as the stars themselves. “~

His eyes trailed up to the twin symbols of the sisters, and his voice became calm. Too calm. Even Shining Armor could sense the barely contrained rage, the anger that burned deep within the shadow pony. He prepared to raise his shield, fearful that such emotions would overwhelm this creature and send it into a berserk rage. Yet the pony maintained his composure, even as he fought down those poisonous, burning feelings.

~”The day the artifact broke, They came. They came without warning. They came and shook the world with their power, for they bore the ancient Elements of Harmony. They came and with the aid of every unicorn mage that lived, with the aid of ancient artifacts and rituals, they took the very power of the Orrery into themselves and seized the power over the sun and moon in a single day and night. “~

~”When all was done, the oldest sister took the name ‘Celestia’ after the artifact she had consumed to gain it’s power. The youngest took the name ‘Luna’ in honor of the moon and night which would become her domain, and the ponies rejoiced. The unicorn aristocracy unanimously named them both ‘Princess’, the traditional rulers of their tribes, and called upon the Pony Parliament to establish them as co-rulers of all of Ponydom for life. “~

~”The Parliament unanimously agreed. The old government was replaced with the new Solar government. Celestia calmly ascended the throne, and with the Elements of Harmony at her disposal and her nearly as powerful sister at her right hoof, she was unstoppable.”~

His hooves shoved open the doors to the inner sanctum - and there, on the far end of the room lay Twilight - sleeping peacefully it seemed on top of the royal dais. Even as they slowly entered the room, passing the ancient banners of victory that hung on the walls around them, Tantalus continued his tale, weaving it in that same calm, unflappable tone.

~”As for what happened next…well, you know the rest, do you not? Discord arose and was smote. Other threats began to rise, and were subsequently dashed to the earth. And what of Tantalus? Tantalus had changed too. No longer did the ponies of Equestria look upon him as a guardian spirit, but as a deadly shade that was not to be trifled with. They saw him as a nebulous threat that was used to frighten young ponies into going to bed, or a secret agent of Luna that carried out the deeds the sisters were too holy to.”~

~”Temples were built in the Sisters names. Statues erected in their honor. They were hailed as the saviors of the world, and Tantalus, now long forgotten, stewed in the depths of the Everfree Forest, even as these ponies built a palace and a city amidst his trees and shadows. It was not right, or so he thought. It was not proper. The Ponies deserved to rule themselves, not be ruled over by a pair of tyrants. Something had to be done. Something had to change, and one day after nearly five centuries of waiting, an opportunity presented itself.”~

~”The Princess of the Night, Luna, was lonely. She walked amidst his trees alone and wept that nopony was awake to share in her beautiful night. Tantalus came unto her in her moment of need and befriended her. She knew nothing of his legend, or of his origins. She was like him, and he like her or so she thought. A thought he encouraged in her. Time passed and Luna confessed her deepest, darkest fears to him. Fears of loneliness, and of becoming forgotten."~

~"It was a feeling Tantalus knew too well, and so he made friends with the princess. His hate for what they had done to him, to his land, to his people, forcing them into an unknowing slavery was softened by the knowledge that her loneliness was as powerful as his own. For a time, he thought only of bringing a smile to her face. She called him her Shadow Prince, and she was his Queen of the Night. It was like a courtship, one he had never before been allowed to have. They danced amidst the moonlight, and played tricks upon the sleeping ponies, willing them out to enjoy her glorious night."~

~"It was the first time in a long time that he felt loved. His heart fell for the Moon Princess. Those were his happiest days, no longer forced to live alone in his shadows, he at last had company. Time passed, and for a while it seemed as though her heart lightened, that her world was becoming brighter. He believed that, at last, he could turn the great wheel of history around - that with her help, he might finally free his people from the bondage placed upon them by the hated aristocracy."~

~”Tantalus underestimated the darkness within her, though. One day, she came unto him and told him that she wished to do something about the unyielding nature of her sister's rule. She knew he had power, and she wished to taste of it. She wished to become the equal of her older sister in power and form. She said she would advance the reforms he had spoken of, that she would try to serve as a moderating influence to the hard rule of her sister."~

Tantalus stopped, standing directly between the group of ponies and Twilight Sparkle's sleeping form. Tantalus' voice broke then - the raw despair and sadness clear to all of those who stood in the room. He did nothing to conceal it, there was no point in doing so now as he laid out the final moments of his tale.

~"Tantalus did not resist and so from his own life force did he forge himself into a suit of armor, creating for her a cloak out of his life essence that would mirror the very glory of the stars themselves. He believed he was helping. He believed what he was doing would lead to a greater tomorrow. When Nightmare Moon finally revealed herself to the world, only then did he realize his mistake. It did not take long for Celestia to retaliate. Tantalus could only watch in horror as his one, and only friend was banished to the distant moon. She took a piece of him with her, much of his power drained from him and now sealed away for a thousand years, he retreated to his grove and fell into a daze."~

~"So, for a thousand years, Tantalus isolated himself from the outside world. From time to time, he would notice a threat within his forest and moved to neutralize it, often with lethal consequences. The centuries passed. He slept, alone in his grove and wept for his lost love, for the moon so far out of his reach, yet so easily within his sight. Until one day, a pony scholar unwittingly brought him the information he sought, stumbling about his woods with a sachel full of tomes, easily taken from him. "~

~"His Princess would awaken one day said the prophecies, she would escape the bondage Celestia had placed her under. The Moon Princess would rise again, and so for the centuries that remained, he waited, and he planned. His shadows moved carefully into the world, spying upon Celestia and her works. He gathered information, he learned of her weaknesses. Celestia knew nothing of him, and so long as he did not act overtly, she never would. He became the black poison that seeped through the veins of her so-called government. He carefully manipulated those in power, stole vital military information, and carefully removed those who stood in his way. As the day approached, he prepared his resources to ensure that the Equestrian Military would be unable to respond while she was reborn, and perhaps weak. It would give him time to speak to her, to draw her from the madness of a millennium ago and ensure her ascendancy to the throne. "~

~"Then, he awoke, one fateful evening when his Princess returned to the world. He moved to put his plans into action, but somehow, Celestia had foreseen this, for she did not resurrect alone. She was faced with the very Elements of Harmony that had been his bane since before he could remember, and his Princess was in danger again. There was no choice thought he, he had to save her from being banished back to the moon. He could not lose her again. He tried to fling his power between her and the beam of Harmony, and there was suddenly light, and pain, and he was stripped from the body of his beloved princess, his power shattered upon the stones. Even worse, she could remember nothing about him. She did not know his face, or his name. "~

~" His world had been taken from him again, and this time there was no hope for her return. His princess was gone forever. Yet as he turned his eyes to those who had taken it from him, he saw among them a young unicorn of incredible power. Power that was not merely the equal of Star Swirl, but perhaps even its superior. When he looked upon this pony, he saw his hope reborn again. His chance to save his beloved people."~

"~As he learned of Twilight Sparkle, He saw more, a chance to finally repay Celestia in the coin she had dealt to him and those he loved time and time again. This time, he would take her world from her, and in the doing, he would save the land from her tyranny. A fitting end for one such as she he thought, to be brought low by her own most faithful student. So he waited again, preserving his carefully laid plans, and watched for his chance."~

~"He came to the young unicorn in her dreams, her so-troubled dreams. She believed as deeply in Equestria as he had, and she desperately wished to protect that which she had come to gain - her friends. He saw in this little unicorn all of the things he himself had once been and loved, and felt his heart stir again where he thought it could not. This one, he swore, he would make sure Celestia could not destroy with her plans, her arrogance and indifference. This one he would protect from her madness and the plans he saw laid upon her thread by thread. This one, he would grant the power to change the world and in the doing, free her from the bondage of Celestia's own manipulations."~

The Old Palace, Throne Room, one hour until Sunrise.

The six ponies stood enraptured as the images of a tale lost for more than two thousand years faded away - And they stood in the old throne room, now restored to its glory. Twilight Sparkle lay in a circle of bright, shining violet and shadowy magic as the Moon began to slowly lower into the window, the crystal of the glass glowing with ancient arcane power slowly storing up in its panes. The dark pony stood before them, staring at her curled up sleeping form with a look of sadness upon his face, a squint to his eye and the subtle drop of shadowy tears from them.

~"So we come to our present day. Equestria needs to change. The Sun Tyrant has ruled unchallenged for far too long, and she has even corrupted the spirit of the Moon Princess so that she can no longer remember her true self. My people are still as threatened as ever by those that would seek to destroy and enslave them, and Celestia sits upon her golden throne and does NOTHING! The unicorn aristocracy still rules over the people with an iron hoof, wiling their days away in decadence, and the earth ponies have lost all hope of self governance or freedom."~

~"Something must be done, something WILL be done. "~ His eyes blazed with arcane power, turned upon the six ponies, anger evident in every line of his muscle and stance and bright white teeth bared in a savage grin. ~" You will not take her from this place until she has made her choice. She, and she alone, will decide her fate and the fate of this world. You will NOT Interfere, Captain of the Guard! I will save you all, even if I must first save you from yourselves!"~

Author's Note:

Thank you for bearing with this massive amount of story exposition in regards to the origins of Tantalus. We now return you to your regularly written story.

Edited on Mar 19th, 2013 for greater clarity and minor spell check.

Comments

[mechspeck]

Wow.

[Jdts7]

After reading the last paragraph, I couldn't help but think that Tantalus sounds a lot like the mad pony from the song September

[Mr Bluestar]

3 letters O-M-G

[Lady Froey]

This was quite an excellent chapter, I think it is safe to say I am now hooked!

[Bjorn Aleswiller]

Idk why but in my head Tantalus has John Malkovich's voice...

[zuifan]

This idiot's so caught up in his self delusion of being a grand savior of ponykind that he fails to realize that ponies are happy under the rule of Celestia and Luna. Hell, halfway through I just started MSTing his bullshit sob story just for the hell of it.

[Nostromo_Crew]

Epic exposition is best exposition, why would you apologize for being awesome?

[ymom2]

A story where everyone believes themselves to be the good guys. My favorite type of story.

[shy sad jaded shard]

this is why I love to read better then any movie or TV show some say that books are a dyeing art bah what fools they be

[Messiah Complex]

2514921
and i can't help but think that he is completely and utterly justified. this is why i love lapis, his villains don't seem like villains! hell, i dont even think Tantalus is a villain. well, i'll know by the time i finish this.

[John Tannius]

3547447

The best villains are the ones who are justified in their actions and beliefs.

[Commander Darklight]

3943561 yes its absolutely true the best villains are the ones that while ruthless and evil can justify there actions

[Misty Spell]

4196877

img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140703121813/adventuretimewithfinnandjake/images/e/e0/Objection.png

Can we really call him justified though? His motivations seem to be as follows: "Waaa waaaa they saved the world so I'm no longer in the spotlight even though I just sat in a forest doing jack diddly waaaa" "My poor faultless Luna tried to create eternal night which would kill everyone, so Celestia used the best tools at her disposal to stop her non lethally, Luna did absolutely nothing wrong at all ever" "I sacrificed everything for the sake of the ponies, but I don't really care about what the ponies want, just what I want them to want" "Luna no longer remembers me and that's somehow someones fault even though the elements seem to function like they have a mind of their own, deciding what happens to those hit by it. Totally someones fault."

[Violet Sky]

Next Scene:

i.ytimg.com/vi/VJVn3GWPV5s/hqdefault.jpg

[way_2_spooky_4_u]

I like this. Tantalus has only seen what Celestia has done and made his own reasonable deductions, thinking that it is history repeating itself. He sees the Unicorns in Canterlot with fabulous riches and immense luxuries, thinking they are the modern equivalent of the iron-fisted nobles of his time. But he has not seen how happy the people outside of Canterlot are or how they live their lives, nor has he seen Celestia's thoughts, nor does he know that Celestia has the exact same (or at the very least close to) intentions that he does. I like this sort of antagonist, and it isn't one that's used very often. I look forward to the story's conclusion.

[Lunas_Sloot]

4745354
Are you for real? XD

2930221
Happiness, sure, but also ignorance. Ignorance of what is really going on. The worst form of slavery is when you don't even know you're a slave; that makes it all but impossible to break free.