//------------------------------// // The Culmination Of All, Part 2 // Story: Life is a Test: A Series of Pony Logic Puzzles // by Brony_of_Brody //------------------------------// Satisfied, Princess Celestia nods her head. The question she was looking for was one where you trusted another friend to come to the answer to her puzzle: trust is key. She leads the three of you back to the throne room to announce that you have passed, to the relief of the remaining ponies. She then explains what is going on. Recently, Canterlot has received an unprecedented number of foreigners directly from the Gazelle Plains, which was apparently in response to a deadly disease that had gripped the land - a terrible virus known as Geo-orgosis. Sufferers of the disease show no external symptoms until a few moments before their body suddenly crystallizes into a solid mass resembling hard diamond, and the only way they know they have the virus is a very strange feeling inside... It is believed that the gazelles carrying the virus were exiled from their home and quarantined in Canterlot - without permission from Celestia or Luna. And since Canterlot isn't really prepared for such a sudden population increase nor the sheer paperwork necessary to try and either send them back or keep them, they are sending the seven of you directly to the Gazelle Plains to try and ascertain the situation and resolve it. She adds that she has faith in Twilight's anti-biohazard spell and recommends casting it on you all before you leave. You then catch the next airship to the Gazelle Plains (and this time Rainbow Dash doesn't need to queue up behind 499 other ponies to get on) and you are whisked away to the lands directly neighbouring Zecora's Zebra Lands... Upon your arrival, all seems perfectly normal. Twilight then recommends that everypony try and get a feel of the place before trying to speak with the higher ups - but as she does, she sees a nearby male gazelle unfortunately increase his own bodily density by several times by inconveniently crystallizing himself. Twilight only manages to freeze the process enough to allow his face to remain intact, where he admits a shocking truth: there are many more gazelles with the disease, but aren't coming forward out of fear of spending their final few weeks in exile. Unfortunately, that is all he can manage before the spell breaks and he becomes a rather handsome garden ornament. Realising that this needs to be taken up with the rulers of the Plains, they quickly borrow several tourist maps and frantically make their way towards the Plain Palace (which, as they discover, certainly is an appropriate name, in more ways than one: it's a solid grey). They quickly barge into the palace and demand to see whoever's in charge. It takes Twilight Sparkle flashing some sort of very shiny badge and a lot of titles being thrown around on the part of Twilight before you're finally granted an audience. You are then taken to the Supreme Leader: a gazelle wearing rather thorny and rather dangerous attire, including a literal crown of thorns, causing Rarity to wonder how it doesn't just catch in the fur or mane, where Twilight explains Canterlot's sudden population increase. The Supreme Leader concedes that it was unfortunate on the part of the ponies, but he was left with no recourse: it was the only way to contain the outbreak of Geo-orgosis. And it evidently worked: since then, the number of gazelles admitting they had the virus dropped to precisely zero. Applejack then points out the gazelle they saw that got the authentic cockatrice experience, but he laughs it off, and Pinkie and Rarity have to restrain Rainbow Dash from punching him in the face and/or yelling at him. Twilight asks if they are at least working on a cure, but the Supreme Leader doesn't see the need for it, given how the problem was 'solved'. But he does concede he could be wrong and that it's worse than he thought - but only if you can prove it. Only if the seven of you can prove the disease is still rampant will he and his best doctors sink the money into a cure. However, suspicious of how the ponies have a vested interest in ridding themselves of any illegal immigrants, he says that he will not accept any secret ballots, or anything that doesn't provide the names of the surveyed gazelles along with their entries/answers. Furthermore, he must be able to contact every gazelle to confirm they answered exactly as recorded, to avoid any falsehoods and fake news. After finding themselves outside the palace, the seven of you try to brainstorm some ideas. Fluttershy is certain everyone who has Geo-orgosis knows that they have it, and Applejack is certain that they would all understand the importance of the survey and tell the truth. However, it is pointed out by Pinkie that no-one is willing to own up to having Geo-orgosis or else they get a one-way trip to Canterlot, and starts trying to devise some sort of secret code, but Rarity reminds everypony that codes can't be allowed - the Supreme Leader's government said no secret answers. Everypony seems completely stuck for ideas, until the six of them turn their heads to you for YOUR opinion. They are all clearly in a quandary. How CAN the seven of you survey the population, accurately establish the spread of Geo-orgosis, and get all who have the disease to admit to it, while making sure no-one can ever use the information against them? It's up to you to take everything you learned so far and try to find the answer and make sure the entire Gazelle Plains doesn't becomes populated with lumps of biological rock!