☼ [visual]

[solequus]

[Hey, everypony, its Princess Celestia! She looks quiet, almost solemn, as she sits by her fireplace.]

Hello.

Recently, it came to my attention that there is...another secret, so to speak, that I must indulge to you all. However, this revelation was one that the existence of which was unknown to me, my sister, or the other princesses of this world.

[She looks down at this.]

During Discord's recent prank during Nightmare Night, several of us were switched with normal ponies. When they did, they found themselves at the mercy of a voice. A voice that constantly spoke to them, sounding like us, encouraging them to do...things. Where this voice comes from, we don't know. None of us even knew this voice existed, until now.

[Closing her eyes.]

I realize this might be important information, so I apologize for delaying in reporting this. It wasn't intentional on my part to do so - I wanted to confirm and see if this was just in myself and Luna, or if Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight Sparkle also had this problem. While I couldn't confirm Cadance realizing it, I would like to speak with whoever switched with Princess Twilight Sparkle about this.

Again, I apologize for the delay on this. And also...

[A little smile plays on her face.]

I hope you all are having a lovely time with the Maze Trotter. Has anyone gotten to the end?

Comments

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

You've left one thing unanswered, I see:
How is this different than any other pony?

[visual]

[tinkertytonk]

Er... Ms. Zecora? Have you been hearing voices in your head?

[visual]

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

Do you not have a voice inside
Something you would prefer to hide?
Telling you to do bad things
To rail at life's perceived stings?
Are you truly such a saint?
You never had a thought with a wicked taint?

[solequus]

The difference is that the voice was my voice. Not the voice of the pony who inhabited my body, but my voice, speaking to them.

It also spoke of things that the pony inhabiting my body couldn't have known beforehand.

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

Small surprise that voice is tied to your power
When you consider your sister's dark hour.
That does not mean this infernal
Voice is external.

[thedoctorsmate]

We're planning on running the maze. I'll let you know how it goes. [Donna offers Celestia a comforting smile.] But what was the voice telling them to do? Things you normally wouldn't?

[solequus]

Yes. It was attempting to have them do some very unsettling things.

[thedoctorsmate]

[That's a problem.] So, we know Calice used to be a Twilight Sparkle... d'you think. I mean, she has to have changed a lot. That voice... [The mare trails off with a worried frown as she thinks of the other alicorns she knows. Luna is the top of her list of concerns.]

[visual]

[pirateponyprincess]

What sort of things was this voice encouraging? I may have to ask Mako if she heard anything from inhabiting my body, as well.

[visual]

[solequus]

It told the pony who was in my body to more or less wreck a diplomatic occasion. It...also told her of things she couldn't have conceivably known of.

[visual]

[pirateponyprincess]

That would have been quite the issue. I assume it's safe to say she was able to resist?

[There's a moment as the captain considers a few possibilities as to the cause of this voice. It only occurred with alicorns, and wasn't even noticed until the incident...]

Did they say what the voice sounded like?

butting in

[etranger]

Mako looks...pensive.

"I...didn't hear anything."

[pirateponyprincess]

Nothing? Hm. Perhaps I should be thankful.

[visual]

[marearcana]

[This could be trouble.]

Well, how hard could it be to ask Cadence about it in the first place? I'm not sure whether she was even affected, of course, but she is my sister-in-law. Actually, if you haven't contacted her already, I'll do it.

On the other hand, there's a certain... problem about asking who I switched with about this.

Re: [visual]

[solequus]

I spoke to Cadence about it, actually. It was more that she couldn't confirm if she'd heard the voice, or if she had, she could tell the difference.

[Which...she knew they needed to confirm, sooner or later. Better sooner.]

May I ask of the problem, Twilight?

[visual]

[marearcana]

Well, the problem is that it was Cecil Palmer. You know, the radio host?

[Twilight, you can't say it like that. He's not John Peters; you know, the farmer?]

I'm not sure how much you know about him, but the place he's from is... weird. Like, out of respect for his experiences I was away from the library the entire time weird.

So something like that might be normal for him, although nothing like that happened to me while I was in his body.

I did think he has a long-lasting illness, though.

[discorderly]

...wait, are you saying ponies don't typically have voices in their head?

[solequus]

No, they don't.

[A pause.]

You seem surprised.

[discorderly]

[Snort]

Well how am I to know what goes on in those brains of yours? Though really, I've never seen an alicorn that was quite right in the head.

[Visual]

[adandyinspace]

[...Huh.]

So let's say someone's got two voices. Not me, I like to believe I'm above that crazy shit. But uh, how long would it take for two voices to become one...weird voices.

Voice.

You get my point.

[Visual]

[solequus]

I believe so.

I don't know. This is the first time I've confronted this situation with alicorns such as myself.

[visual]

[trustme]

How... interesting. There weren't any other sounds involved by any chance, other than the voice of what sounded like the alicorn that owned said body? No unusual sights or color changes in magic auras?

[visual]

[solequus]

No, nothing else, Doctor.

[visual] [wally-mode]

[selfmadespeedster]

Um. I hate to suggest this but... Has everypony involved been checked by a doctor just to be sure?

And have you tried asking Discord about it? He did do the switching. He might know something.

[visual]

[solequus]

Discord doesn't seem too interested in discussing it, unfortunately.

[Or, at least in regards to himself.]