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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Illusion of Choice
Shining Armour.
That name means something to everypony. It tells them who I should be. For some, it means respect. For others, love.
Shining Armour.
Each day, I am careful. I have to be, so that this image they have of me does not fall. I have to be Princess Twilight Sparkle’s loving older brother, and Princess Cadence’s caring husband. I have to be the grim disciplinarian to the lax, and the charismatic leader of the fearful. It could tire you out, being so many different ponies.
Shining Armour.
Below the skin, I know I am not who they think I am. It is a mask I put up, to defend myself. Even as I tell you this, I know that there is nopony who will believe you. They will see the caring and worried stallion looking after his poor sick wife, and forgive the slight cracks in this mask. It is only what they have done before.
Shining Armour.
That is not enough for you, is it? You say you are not deceived? You want to know who I really am? Fine, then. You must go back to when I first came to Canterlot. We were all alone, then, my sister and myself. Our friends wanted to come, but they could not go with us. It was all we could do to remain hopeful in our new home. All that kept us going was the love that we found in this city. The love for Shining Armour.
Shining Armour.
That is not the name I have gone by, most of my life. In truth, there is no one name that bears that honour. I have moved in the night, shedding identities like I have shed my skin. It has lasted the longest, it is true, but the name itself is false, aha. It was so easy to do for my sister and I. They knew there was a threat, but they picked the visible threat over that which they could not see. Even Princess Twilight Sparkle fell for that. You could not bear it, could you? Knowing that she had seen something that you would write off. Was that when you became suspicious, when you realised that only one pony was beyond suspicion of being a changeling?
Shining Armour?
It was the Crystal Empire that really alerted you, I can see. Everypony who has studied its history knows of its fall into darkness and tyranny when it fought the changelings. When it fought us. Sombra did not care about you or your friends. He did not fear his scion reclaiming his ancient domain. I think he would still sleep in his tomb if it had been the true Shining Armour who had married his great great great granddaughter. But that, of course, was not to be.
Shining Armour? No. I am not Shining Armour. It is merely my illusion of choice. You know that already. That was your mistake, as much as it was Twilight Sparkle’s. You both knew the truth, but you did not know how to prove it. So both of you confronted your foe, and forgot that we were still believed. Forgot that you were only making your side ridiculous and unbelievable. Both of you danced to our tune, and have only given us more than we could possibly imagine.
My name is Imago, the new Emperor of this pitiful Crystal Empire. Helped and aided along the way by your friends, and you in particular, Spike. You have given me this victory, so let me now reward you as fits your new status. You are the hero of this new Empire, are you not? Nopony will forget what you have done for us.
You say you will never aid me? What does that matter? All your friends will know is that when we took over, that when we were revealed, we rewarded you. That what Twilight Sparkle will believe, though it breaks her heart. That is what her friends will believe as well. ‘Spike knew how Twilight would react, didn’t he? Why didn’t he tell Celestia about it at the Wedding?’ They will be all too ready to believe us. Eventually, we will be your only friends. A principled stand is all very well and good, but you cannot hurt us. Do not say you see past my illusion, and not your illusion of choice.
That name means something to everypony. It tells them who I should be. For some, it means respect. For others, love.
Shining Armour.
Each day, I am careful. I have to be, so that this image they have of me does not fall. I have to be Princess Twilight Sparkle’s loving older brother, and Princess Cadence’s caring husband. I have to be the grim disciplinarian to the lax, and the charismatic leader of the fearful. It could tire you out, being so many different ponies.
Shining Armour.
Below the skin, I know I am not who they think I am. It is a mask I put up, to defend myself. Even as I tell you this, I know that there is nopony who will believe you. They will see the caring and worried stallion looking after his poor sick wife, and forgive the slight cracks in this mask. It is only what they have done before.
Shining Armour.
That is not enough for you, is it? You say you are not deceived? You want to know who I really am? Fine, then. You must go back to when I first came to Canterlot. We were all alone, then, my sister and myself. Our friends wanted to come, but they could not go with us. It was all we could do to remain hopeful in our new home. All that kept us going was the love that we found in this city. The love for Shining Armour.
Shining Armour.
That is not the name I have gone by, most of my life. In truth, there is no one name that bears that honour. I have moved in the night, shedding identities like I have shed my skin. It has lasted the longest, it is true, but the name itself is false, aha. It was so easy to do for my sister and I. They knew there was a threat, but they picked the visible threat over that which they could not see. Even Princess Twilight Sparkle fell for that. You could not bear it, could you? Knowing that she had seen something that you would write off. Was that when you became suspicious, when you realised that only one pony was beyond suspicion of being a changeling?
Shining Armour?
It was the Crystal Empire that really alerted you, I can see. Everypony who has studied its history knows of its fall into darkness and tyranny when it fought the changelings. When it fought us. Sombra did not care about you or your friends. He did not fear his scion reclaiming his ancient domain. I think he would still sleep in his tomb if it had been the true Shining Armour who had married his great great great granddaughter. But that, of course, was not to be.
Shining Armour? No. I am not Shining Armour. It is merely my illusion of choice. You know that already. That was your mistake, as much as it was Twilight Sparkle’s. You both knew the truth, but you did not know how to prove it. So both of you confronted your foe, and forgot that we were still believed. Forgot that you were only making your side ridiculous and unbelievable. Both of you danced to our tune, and have only given us more than we could possibly imagine.
My name is Imago, the new Emperor of this pitiful Crystal Empire. Helped and aided along the way by your friends, and you in particular, Spike. You have given me this victory, so let me now reward you as fits your new status. You are the hero of this new Empire, are you not? Nopony will forget what you have done for us.
You say you will never aid me? What does that matter? All your friends will know is that when we took over, that when we were revealed, we rewarded you. That what Twilight Sparkle will believe, though it breaks her heart. That is what her friends will believe as well. ‘Spike knew how Twilight would react, didn’t he? Why didn’t he tell Celestia about it at the Wedding?’ They will be all too ready to believe us. Eventually, we will be your only friends. A principled stand is all very well and good, but you cannot hurt us. Do not say you see past my illusion, and not your illusion of choice.