mylittlejamjar | ☼ [visual]

[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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

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

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?

Well, yes, but it's not... I mean, there's hardly another voice in my head chattering at me. I'm just thinking to myself. It sounds a touch different here, doesn't it?

Are you an alicorn?
I do not see a horn.
Have you lived a thousand years
That scarred your soul and fanned your fears?

[Bertie's still looking skeptically at the zebra.] Why would your own voice turn up when somepony else was stuck in your head? Shouldn't it have toodled along with you?

An alicorn's powers
Developed over countless hours
May take on that voice
And encourage such a choice.

That's... [an incredibly disturbing thought.] But. But what about somepony like Princess Twilight? She's only just become an alicorn. What does it mean if she's got a voice like that?

If she has, she has not said.
That thought is scary, so instead
Let us wait to hear
What she says before we fear.

[Speculating and then waiting are just going to make him more anxious, Zecora, particularly with some of the other theories cropping up.]

I don't suppose there's any lore you know about that might explain it, either? Zebra or pony?

Solid facts? None, I confess.
All I can do is surmise and guess.

[He'd ask her to guess away, but the zebra's just gotten through telling him that speculation might do more harm than good.]

I suppose we'll wait for Princess Twilight, then. [The pegasus sighs.] I'd really like to have a word with the gods of this particular realm. They have a dashed funny habit of tipping the boat just as soon as we've hit our even keel.

Did you feel on an even keel
Still trapped here, with Calice to fear?

[He had when he hadn't known about Calice. Somewhat. A bit. Well, that's probably putting it a little too brightly.]

Ms. Zecora, I'm not entirely sure I've ever been on an even keel - Equestria or Earth. [The pegasus flashes her a brief smile.] But I'll wait and try not to fret.

[That earns a little laugh out of her.]

Though I don't consider the matter dropped...

We of Equestria cannot be stopped.

[Whatever may come, they will find a way.]

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.

Edited 2014-12-05 20:55 (UTC)

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.

That was what I was afraid of. So I must be careful. We all must be.

Even so, I can't understand where the voice came from. If it came from outside, then where? If not, why did it stay in my body?

You need not fear that darker voice
So long as ponies retain free choice.
All of us have that darker side
Whether we admit it, or we hide.

Its not the fact I have a darker side that worries me. Its that I was unaware that this existed, and I can't help but wonder what decisions might have been influenced by it.

The only alicorn we need to worry
Is the one in a great hurry
To dismiss the fears which you embrace.
You've done your best, in your place.

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