@Zergpony
I got the impression that he didn’t hide the book so much as he just happened to find it at that point. But I could be wrong.
As for the statues, what makes you think the rest are anything but normal statues? Maybe the plan was to put Discord with the statues so nopony would suspect he wasn’t just a normal statue too. Hidden in plain sight, as it were.
Yes spike. Twilight’s #1 assistant. Also Celestia’s spy. BTW, note that in the mirror pool episode he had a book hidden from Twilight in a secret compartment - he instantly knew where it was and handed it to her when it was needed. His ability to be in instant communication with Celestia makes him an invaluable intelligence asset.
And I’m not saying Celestia is wicked, or “evil”. Just effective. As for discord, yea I don’t know how else you deal with him. But he was not the only statue in that garden…
Also, I just remembered that I wanted to say that if this image hasn’t been featured yet (and I don’t think it has, since there’s no “featured image” tag), I feel it’s a good candidate for it once we’re on the other side of Halloween.
@wrabbit
Spike wasn’t spying on Twilight in Lesson Zero, but at the end Celestia mentions that Spike sent her a letter when it started looking like things might get out of control. And frankly, that was the right thing to do. If you think your friend is spiraling into insanity and don’t try to get them some help, you are a bad friend.
@Zergpony
What would you do to contain a person who could literally escape any prison with a snap of his fingers? Beings like Discord, who move on an entirely different plane of power require unusual or even cruel methods to contain or punish. Citing his case as an example of Celestia’s cruelty is just fallacious since he is not bound by the same laws of physics as everyone else.
As for Twilight, I see no reason why she would not bring up concerns over these matters of Celestia’s seeming cruelty to her face and ask why. Twilight is a curious pony and will want to know straight from the horse’s mouth (heh) the truth of the matter, and who better to ask than the pony in question? Given that, Twilight’s adoration of Celestia may stem from the fact that she knows what she has had to give up, and the cruel things she may have had to do in the past in order to secure a safe place for “her little ponies”, without the need to be “co-opted”.
The Prince comparison does seem apt, though. Any politician will tell you that they must often “put on a public face” as it were, while preparing for the worst. I have often heard that diplomacy is the art of saying “nice doggie” while reaching for a big stick.
I’m a bit confused about the “#1 spy and assistant” comment, though. It’s been a while since I saw Lesson Zero, but I don’t remember anyone watching over Twilight and informing Celestia on her actions. Is this some sort of headcanon of yours? I won’t even comment on the Shining Armor line, as I have never seen any evidence to this effect.
Ok, I don’t think she’s evil, but neither is she pure good. I think she’s determined and effective.
And for “in show”. “It’s quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn’t know that, would you, because I don’t turn ponies into stone.” -Discord
Yea, not pure as the driven snow. But Twilight ought to know better, if anyone is versed in Equestrian history it would be her, but she still worships Celestia. So either Twilight is OK with her actions or Twilight is in the dark. Either way Celestia is trying to co-opt her to her cause.
She reminds me of “The Prince” from Machiavelli’s “Thus, it is well to seem merciful, faithful, humane, religious, and upright, and also to be so; but the mind should remain so balanced that were it needful not to be so, you should be able and know how to change to the contrary.”
Bang. That’s why she’s staring out a window. You’d stare too. Anyone would.
Speaking of Twilight, I wonder if Lesson 0 was no the first time she rained havoc upon Equestria. I’d guess not given that Celestia’s #1 spy and assistant “Called away on royal business” has been charged with keeping an eye on her and not only directly informing her personally, but having her immediately drop all other business in the kingdom and rush to Ponyville before her assistant messed up her reputatin and things got further out of hand.
Probably a good thing her brother can cast an impenetrable force field. It seems likely he was adopted and placed in the sparkle household as another check on her most ‘faithful’ student.
Faithful is an interesting word to describe a student isn’t it? I’m reminded of Darth Vader and the emperor…
