Hours after setting off, with the forested destination creeping over the horizon, Ocellus looks up from the text and addresses Twilight. “OK, let me make sure I understand all of this, because this is really crazy.”
“Go right ahead,” Twilight insists with a wry smile.
Ocellus nods. “All right … so these two towns were founded by a group of unicorns and pegasi, with an intent to segregate themselves by type.”
“In so many words.”
“But over time, unicorns started moving to the pegasus town of Paradise, and pegasi started moving to the unicorn town of Utopia.”
“Correct.”
“But the unicorns, both those who moved and those who stayed, kept such fierce loyalty towards Utopia that they would state that they came from Utopia whether or not they moved.”
“And the pegasi did as much with regard to Paradise,” Twilight adds.
“And for whatever reason, it came to pass that all statements from the ponies who moved were lies. So all statements from Utopian unicorns or Paradisian pegasi were true, and all statements from Utopian pegasi or Paradisian unicorns were false.”
“Just like in my logic text. I know it sounds weird.”
“Just a bit,” Ocellus states with a tinge of sarcasm.
“And yet I was there not too long ago, summoned by the Cutie Map along with Pinkie Pie. And together, we—”
“Professor Pinkie Pie???” Ocellus’s outburst catches Twilight by surprise. “She was asked to participate in a logic-puzzle adventure?”
“Don’t underestimate Pinkie Pie,” Twilight asserts. “She might be fun-loving, but her intelligence goes far beyond balloons and baking.”
Ocellus ponders Twlight’s words as the latter continues. “In any event, we had left the area thinking the friendship problem was resolved. Apparently, there are new wrinkles that need to be worked out. And for some reason, you’re needed this time around.”
“So do the inhabitants still hold on to their ways of lying and truth-telling?”
“I’m not sure … but we’ll find out soon enough,” Twilight answers as they reach the edge of the forest.
Having tied down the balloon to a stately tree, Twilight looks down a familiar dirt path leading into the undergrowth. “You all set?” she asks as she turns to face Ocellus, only to eye a pale-blue pegasus with a stringy-red mane and matching tail, sporting an acorn for a cutie mark. “Oh, sorry, didn’t see you there.”
“Twilight it’s me, Ocellus,” replies the pegasus in a familiar voice, taking Twilight aback. “I … I don’t know how these ponies feel about changelings, so just in case, it’s best to blend in, right?”
Twilight sighs. “I thought Pinkie and I left this area with a better appreciation of friendship than that. But, I suppose it won’t hurt things if you’re more comfortable ‘blending in’. We’ll head to Utopia first; I know some of the ponies there, and maybe they can—”
“Well well well … I believe I see a familiar alicorn around these parts!”
Twilight turns around to face a charcoal-grey alicorn. “Zodiac!” she shouts with a large smile as she gives her long-lost friend a warm embrace. “How are things going? I take it from your appearance that the Alicorn Society is still in place.”
“Indeed, and more accepting than ever,” Zodiac replies. “Faux-alicorns now roam freely among the triple towns, continuing to carry the message of respect and acceptance to current and future generations.”
“ ‘Triple towns’?” Ocellus asks. “I thought there was only Utopia and Paradise.”
Zodiac eyes the pegasus-looking changeling. “I see Twilight has switched companions … but any friend of Twilight is a friend of the triple towns. Tell me, is this your first trip to our humble corner of Equestria?”
“It is. I was called here for … uh …” Ocellus backtracks, careful not to reveal her true purpose for accompanying Twilight. “I mean, I felt a calling for coming here; Twilight told me so much about the history of the area. So is it really true that the ponies around here lie or tell the truth based on their hometown?”
“Yes and no,” Zodiac replies, getting Twilight’s attention with his comment. “With regards to day-to-day life, all ponies now embrace honesty and transparency. No more regular use of beginning every statement with ‘I believe’.”
“Well that will simplify things,” Twilight points out. “But you said ‘yes and no’, so where does the ‘yes’ part come in?”
“With most aspects of life, transparency is the norm,” Zodiac explains, “but cultural heritage and legacy still matter among the residents. When asked directly about which town a pony, or his or her companions, come from, the old ways still exist.”
The comment elicits another big smile from Twilight. “So we still have that only Utopian unicorns and Paradisian pegasi tell the truth, and everyone else lies? Awesome!”
Zodiac chuckles. “Yes, I almost forgot how much you enjoy such things … but you should know that there’s an added wrinkle now.” He turns to Ocellus. “I take it Twilight hasn’t told you about Elysium.”
Ocellus shakes her head as Zodiac continues. “When Twilight first came, there were incursions coming from a group of earth ponies, intent on disrupting the natural flow of life in both Utopia and Paradise. Those incidents might be continuing today, were it not for the intervention of your friends. Now, though, the town of Elysium, located in the opposite direction from the former ‘twin towns’, is recognized as part of our ‘triple town’ structure. And out of a shared sense of town pride, or perhaps to simply fit in, the inhabitants of Elysium, a town founded by earth ponies, respond to questions about where they come from the way those from Utopia and Paradise do … only earth ponies from Elysium speak the truth regarding questions of residence, while both unicorns and pegasi from Elysium lie regarding those same questions.”
Zodiac turns back to Twilight. “Also, the earth ponies that come from either Utopia or Paradise share that cultural legacy: they lie about all residential questions.”
“OK, I think I understand this,” Ocellus states. “So the only truth-tellers about location questions are Utopian unicorns, Paradisian pegasi, and Elysian earth ponies. All others lie about the same location questions.”
“You catch on quick,” Zodiac replies. “I’m curious if you can apply that knowledge.”
“So am I,” Twilight adds, glancing at Ocellus before turning back to Zodiac. “We’re heading over to Utopia now. Care to join us?”
“Actually, I’m heading towards Elysium. I should be back in Utopia early tomorrow morning, though, if you wish to catch up more on events at that time. Until then, I bid you both good day.” Zodiac turns one last time to Ocellus. “Enjoy your stay here.” He then turns and heads off down the path away from the forest.
As the ‘alicorn’ disappears from sight, Twilight turns back to Ocellus. “So … shall we?”
“I’ll just follow you and observe,” the ‘pegasus’ replies.
As the two turn back towards the forest, a unicorn emerges from the forest. “Let’s see what we can learn,” Twilight comments as she approaches the unicorn. “Excuse me,” she begins, “but could you tell me from which town you come from?”
“I come from Elysium,” the unicorn replies before continuing her walk down the dirt path towards the earth pony town.
“OK then,” Twilight says to Ocellus, “what can you tell me about that unicorn’s hometown?”
Ocellus thinks for a minute before answering. “Well … if that unicorn was telling the truth, then she would have to be from Utopia since only unicorns from Utopia would be honest about their hometown. Since she said she was from Elysium, that means she lied to us, so she’s not from Utopia. But she can’t be from Elysium either, because then she would have been telling the truth. That means she must be from Paradise. At least, if everything I’ve learned about this place is consistent.”
Twilight smiles broadly. “Well done! I couldn’t have explained it any better myself.”
“Headmare Twilight … just out of curiosity … what does solving logic puzzles have to do with friendship?” Ocellus’s question elicits a great laugh from Twilight. “What’s so funny about that?”
“Nothing,” Twilight assures the young changeling as she composes herself. “It’s just that you sound just like Pinkie Pie did when we first came here. And you’re absolutely right; I’ll be more mindful of others as we progress. Follow me.”
By the time Twilight and Ocellus come to a fork in the path, each path leading to a different one of the original ‘twin towns’, the changeling has a bevy of thoughts related to the encounters the two of them had along the way.
In total, the two came across 5 groups of two or three ponies. Each time, Twilight warmly greeted the strangers, introduced herself, then nonchalantly asked what each group could say regarding their hometowns. And each time, Ocellus was left to figure out where each pony truly came from.
The first group consisted of a pair of unicorns. The first unicorn stated that neither of them came from Utopia, and the second unicorn stated that neither of them came from Elysium.
The second group consisted of a pegasus and an earth pony. The pegasus claimed that they both came from Elysium; the earth pony simply said “That’s not true.”
The third group consisted of a pair of pegasi. The first pegasus said that at least one of them came from Utopia, while the second pegasus claimed that the first pegasus came from Paradise.
The fourth group consisted of a unicorn, a pegasus, and an earth pony. The unicorn claimed NOT to come from Paradise. The pegasus stated that either the unicorn or the earth pony, or both, came from Utopia. The earth pony claimed that none of them came from Elysium.
The fifth group consisted of two unicorns and an earth pony. The first unicorn stated that both she and the other unicorn came from same town. The second unicorn claimed that between herself and the earth pony, at least one of them came from Elysium. The earth pony said that none of them came from Utopia.
After each group had passed the twosome by, Ocellus mulled over the possibilities … and to Twilight’s amazement, she had correctly figured out the hometown of each and every pony they came across.
Having chosen the path from the fork she had once picked some time ago, Twilight was about to lead Ocellus to the unicorn-founded town of Utopia. Before they could start, another familiar-looking ‘alicorn’ approached them from the path leading to Paradise. “Welcome back, Twilight!” the silver mare calls to the twosome, causing them to turn.
“Hey there, uh, …” Twilight closes her eyes and concentrates, attempting to remember when she came across this particular pony.
“Oh, my apologies,” the stranger replies. “We never did speak with each other the last time you were here, though Zodiac regales all of us with tales of your intellectual prowess to this day. I am Spiral; I work closely with Zodiac, and I got to know your friend Pinkie Pie pretty well before she was accosted by Sunbolt and his group.” Spiral looks around. “Speaking of which, where is Pinkie Pie. I would say she left an indelible impression on myself, and perhaps the totality of these fair villages.”
“Pinkie’s not with me this time,” Twilight replies, “but let me introduce you to O—”
“Oak Tree,” Ocellus quickly interrupts, causing Twilight’s head to swivel. “I’m, just, here because Head … uh, because Twilight invited me along, knowing that I like puzzles and things.”
Twilight mouths ‘Oak Tree?’ to her companion before turning back to face Spiral. “Yeah … she does like puzzles. In fact,” she continues, regaining her composure, “she correctly deduced the hometowns of a dozen ponies on the way to Utopia.
“Really?” Spiral’s interest piques as she turns to Ocellus. “I’m heading to Utopia now; tell me all about these encounters while we walk.”
“Well,” the young changeling shyly states, “I think Twilight tells stories better; let her fill in the details, if that’s OK.”
“Very well,” Spiral turns back to Twilight. “Fill me in.”
Twilight takes a quick, forlorn look at Ocellus before turning towards Utopia. “OK, Spiral ...”
As the threesome head to Utopia, Twilight gives Spiral the details of their conversations with the five groups. “It really strikes me,” she continues, settling into her element, “how much more complicated this system of logic got with the addition of the earth ponies and Elysium.”
“Take that first group of unicorns. Last time I was here, the first statement alone would have been enough for me to figure out that the first unicorn was from Paradise and the second unicorn was from Utopia. Now, though, the possibilities involving Elysium have to be taken into consideration; all I can deduce now is that the first unicorn is lying; otherwise, she herself would have to come from Utopia. But that forces the second unicorn to be from Utopia, since one of them has to be and it can’t be the first unicorn. And that means the second unicorn tells the truth, so the first unicorn can’t be from Elysium either. Therefore, the first unicorn is from Paradise and the second unicorn is from Utopia.”
“In the second group, the pegasus clearly lied since only pegasi from Paradise tell the truth and she claimed to be from Elysium. That means the earth pony was truthful, so the earth pony was from Elysium … but they can’t both be from Elysium, as that would make the pegasus’s comment true. So the pegasus could only be from Utopia.”
“Then there was that pegasus pair. The comment by the second pegasus means that they were either both telling the truth or both lying … but if they were both telling the truth, then at least one of them would have to be from Utopia, which can’t be since all pegasi from Utopia lie about their hometown. That means they both lied, and so neither came from Paradise … but neither could come from Utopia either, or the first pegasus would have been truthful with her comment. So both of them must be from Elysium.”
“As for the first group of three we came across, I know the earth pony is lying; only earth ponies from Elysium are truthful regarding hometowns, and she claimed that none of them were from Elysium. So at least one of them is from Elysium … but the unicorn’s claim to NOT be from Paradise means she cannot be from Elysium either, as that would make her statement true and unicorns from Elysium lie about their hometown. So it must be that the pegasus is from Elysium, and she lied about the hometowns of the other two; neither actually comes from Utopia. The only possibility left is that both the unicorn and the earth pony are from Paradise.
“And then there’s the other group of three, the most complicated of all of them. The earth pony said that none of them came from Utopia. Suppose that’s true. Then the earth pony would be from Elysium, and neither unicorn would be from Utopia, hence neither unicorn would have been truthful. But the second unicorn claimed that either she herself or the earth pony was from Elysium, and that would be a true statement, which can’t be. Therefore, the earth pony lied and is not from Elysium, and at least one of the threesome is from Utopia. Now the second unicorn’s statement has to be false, for if it were true, then the unicorn herself would have to be the one from Elysium, which can’t be if she’s being truthful. That means neither one is from Elysium, and the second unicorn can’t be from Utopia either; she must be from Paradise.”
Spiral takes in the breadth of this final argument as Twilight continues her reasoning. “Now consider the first unicorn’s statement. If it were true, then the first unicorn would have to be from Paradise as well, but that would make the statement false. Therefore, the first unicorn lied as well, and cannot be from either Paradise or Utopia; she must be from Elysium. But we already know that at least one of them is from Utopia; it must be the earth pony.”
“… Wow. Just, wow.” Spiral comments after a pause to take everything in. “Truly, you have my utmost respect for such logical thinking.”
“Well, remember that …”
Twilight turns to ‘Oak Tree’ and sees her vigorously shaking her head. “… well, remember that I really like these kinds of puzzles. It’s nice to be back here, in something of my …” She giggles slightly before continuing, “… alternate element, I suppose.”
“Well, Bravo again, ‘milady’,” Spiral says with a smile, forgetting who Twilight said first solved those puzzles.
As the last of the daylight gives way to the moonlit starry night, the path widens into a familiar clearing, with numerous buildings dotting the area as they did the last time Twilight set hoof in the village, candles illuminating the numerous windows. Bidding Spiral a good evening, she and Ocellus head to a nearby inn and check into a room.
“You okay?”
Twilight’s query carries genuine care, which causes Ocellus to respond. “It’s nothing, really.”
“It’s not nothing,” Twilight insists. “You let me take all the credit during that last part of the walk. You were the one who solved those puzzles. Why not speak up about it?”
“I don’t … think you’d understand.”
“Then please … help me understand.”
Ocellus, still displaying the appearance of a pegasus, takes a breath before addressing her headmare. “I may have been too young for the attack on Princess Cadence’s wedding, but I’ve been told the stories. And I know my race is still considered untrustworthy among most … even after the Transformation and new life under Thorax. And though I now have a close-knit group of friends … of which I will always have you and your professor friends to thank … it’s only a small piece of a larger puzzle in this world.” She looks around the room the two occupy. “I feel like most in this world are still apprehensive to have changelings around. And even if I was summoned by the Cutie Map for whatever reason, I’m not ready to open up. Not yet, anyway. I …”
Ocellus turns away from Twilight. “I don’t think you can understand what I’m feeling now. It’s not your fault, I know this. But no ‘pony’ could really understand.”
“Actually, Ocellus, I think a number of ponies could understand … if you just—”
Twilight’s response is interrupted by a unicorn bounding through the door into their room. The twosome instinctively turn to face the strange pony; male, but bright pink with a tangled mess of green for a mane and tail, Twilight immediately wonders if there are family members Pinkie Pie never told her about. She notices his cutie mark, composed simply of an exclamation point and a question mark, which only adds to her confusion.
“Oh, sorry,” the unicorn starts, “I didn’t expect to see anyone else in here.”
“That’s quite all right,” Twilight graciously replies. “Is it possible the inn double-booked this room?”
The unicorn’s pupils shoot to the corners of his eyes. “Uh … probably not. Look, I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“You’re fine,” Twilight again replies in a friendly manner. “I must say, you remind me of a friend of mine. And I’m sure there’s an interesting story behind your cutie mark.”
“Oh, you’re one to talk, Princess Alicorn,” the unicorn sarcastically responds.
Sensing a tinge of antagonism, Twilight abruptly changes topics. “Sorry, didn’t mean to offend. Let me start again. So, how do you feel about Utopia?”
“Meh … I’m not from Utopia.”
The unicorn’s reply causes Twilight to go silent … but after her previous encounter with a strange unicorn in this inn, she refrains from making any further assumptions. She opens her mouth to speak—
“WHO ARE YOU???”
Ocellus’s sharp interrogation causes both the others to turn to her in surprise as ‘Oak Tree’ trots up to the pink stallion. “I’m waiting,” she icily continues.
Beads of sweat start to form upon the unicorn’s forehead. “Hey, sorry, didn’t mean to offend anypony here. Calm down, little filly.”
“You said you’re not from Utopia,” the ‘pegasus’ starts, “and you’re either telling the truth or you’re lying. But any unicorn from Utopia would state that they’re from there, and any unicorn from either Paradise or Elysium would lie and say they’re from Utopia. So I ask you again: WHO? ARE? YOU?”
The unicorn begins to stammer as ‘Oak Tree’ angrily stares him down even as she has to direct her head upward to make eye contact.
“Ocellus, calm down!” Twilight instinctively calls out.
“OCELLUS???”
Upon hearing the name, the unicorn suddenly changes form from a pink unicorn to a yellow four-legged bug-like creature with large green eyes and fluorescent tan wings. The transformation causes Ocellus to likewise revert back to her natural form.
“UNCLE COCCYX???”