//------------------------------// // What Makes A Mare // Story: Foals Of Liberty // by The Ancestor //------------------------------// An exasperated sigh escaped Twilights mouth as she re-read the paper in front of her for what felt like a hundreth time. "Which isn't too far off from the truth." She thought, her gaze lazily crawling through the anciet hoof-written letters, the cursive practically burned into her mind. She squinted, a strikingly familiar curved line once again catching her attention."It's like a word at the tip of my tongue... " She shook her head, concentrating on the writings. "No, it's not important. Focus on the problem, everything hinges on me solving this, I can't fail." TOP SECRET PHANTOM INITIATIVE REPORT ██/██/███ For authorised personnel only, public disclosure of any information below is considered high treason and will be punished accordingly. NOTICE TO ALL PERSONNEL. AS OF ██/██/███ THE PHANTOM INITIATIVE IS CONSIDERED A LOW PRIORITY PROJECT. ALL RESEARCH REGARDING IT SHOULD BE MOVED TO HER HIGHNESS' PRIVATE ARCHIVES WITHIN A WEEK, AND ALL STAFF RELOCATED TO OTHER PROJECTS. Your highness, I regret to inform you that as of this thursday, I consider the project a failure. Despite the fact that the last subject reacted positively to hypnogogic suggestion and managed to survive the operation, The Elements of Harmony failed to bind with the subject, limiting it's usefulness. Without continuous and excessive hypnotic therapy, the subject will soon enter into shock, followed by brain haemorrhage. Our theory suggests that Elements of Harmony 'recognise' their owners by looking into their soul and comparing it to an 'imprint' that it 'remembers' from the time of activation. As it stands, the project has hit a dead end. There's not much we can do with second-hoof memories and experiences. We need the Original's memories to suppress the subject's ego. Even then, to trick the Elements we require to manipulate the subject's soul, which is dangerous, and would require additional research to be put into the area of soul magic, something you've previously stated you're very much against. I once again implore you to grant me access to Castle's Library, the amount of research regarding soul manipulation stored there would undoubtedly be benificial to the project. Otherwise all I can recommend is to let it go, and let the Elements choose the Bearers on their own. Some things need to remain in the past, Tia, it's time to accept it. -Doctor Time Turner, Head of Phantom Pain research team. "If a 'right soul' is imperative to fool the Elements, does that mean I'll have to give up my own? Swap souls with whatever pony will be my... phantom." Twilight shuddered, trying no to think about she was going to do too hard. "Technically, you'll be an accomplice, not the purpetrator." She argued with herself, deaf to the world around her. "You've broken into Princess' Private Archives, you're a criminal already." She shook her head, trying to set her mind on the right track. "No, this kind of thinking won't get you anywhere." She heard a creak of a door, but chose to ignore it. "I need to find more infomation on souls, my library's too small to have anything useful on the subject... If only I could get into the archives again." A soft object impacted Twilight in the chest, strewing all of her work on the library floor, alongside the librarian herself, who emmitted a surprised eep as she fell. She shook her head, trying to focus of the blob of pink that currently had its libs wrapped around Twilight's upper body. "Pinkie?" Twilight asked quizzally, her eyes turning wide as dinner plates as realized what was coming next. "Pinkie, wait-" "Oh Twilight, I missed you so much!" The pink party pony proclaimed, pointedly ignoring the desperate gasps for air from the librarian. "I'm so sorry I didn't come to see you sooner! The Cakes got a mountain of big orders, and I was too busy to even take a break! I came as soon as I was free to go!" She chirped, he brightest of smiles on her face. "A-air..." Twilight croaked, her face taking on a worrying blue tint. "Whoopsie!" Pinkie apologetically chirped, releasing her vice-like grip on the librarian, much to the latter's relief. "I guess I'm a little too excited to see you!" She said, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck, before stretching out a hoof towards Twilight. "It's alright." Twilight replied, taking a deep breath and hoisting herself up with the help of Pinkie's hoof. "Just keep in mind that I haven't figured out how to breathe through my skin." She said, rubbing her chest in an attempt to make the ache go away. "Awww, don't worry Twi, you're a brilliant mare, I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later!" Pinkie chirped, the compliment forcing Twilight's cheeks to take on a red tinge. "Anywho, truth is, I'm not here to just check up on you..." She trailed off, squinting and looking around conspiratorily before whispering. "How's your super-sneaky-extra-important mission went?" Twilight's breath hitched as the mare tensed up, her pink friend noticing the sudden change. "Twilight?" She asked, carefully putting a hoof on her friends shoulder. "Is something wrong?" "I... let's get some fresh air." Twilight declared, trotting towards the library exit. The wooden door shot open as her magic flared, and the mare stepped out of the library, holding the door open for her friend. "Oh, Twilight," Pinkie's smile died down as she followed her friends' hoofsteps. "what happened?" Warm rays of golden sunlight showered the content populace of the small rural town known as Ponyville in its soothing grace. Each hay-covered roof and wooden wall, each green bush and radiant flower, all took on a warm and calming hue under the influence of Celestia's puppet. On a small hill outside of town, one accessible through a dusty half-overgrown path and a small detour through the Everfree, lay on their backs two figures, both of them staring at the blue sky, and the occasional white cloud that flew by, accompanied by a weather team member. To any outsider, the scene would look plenty normal, serene even, but the two ponies present knew eachother well enough to feel the uncomfortable tention that hung in the air. Pinkie did her best to act as her cheery and bubbly self, but with each occasional glance at the purple librarian beside her, she felt her mane deflate just a bit. The blank look in Twilight's eyes as they stared unblinkingly at the sky above her, the nervous swishing of her tail against the green grass, and the way her ears would flinch at the smallest brush against a blade of grass, all of that told Pinkie that something was wrong. As if reading her thoughts, Twilight sighed, speaking aloud. "So... No doubt you wonder what happened in Manehattan? What I found out during my visit there?" She sounded tired, much more tired than Pinkie remembered her being. "That'd be nice to know." Pinkie said, giving her friend a supportive smile. "I've located Steelhooves with little to no problems, and after a small..." Twilight paused, a shiver running down her spine. "run-in with the local thugs, he's agreed to answer some of my questions." Twilight heard Pinkie gasp, turning to see a worry-filled expression on the party mare's face. "You weren't hurt, were you Twilight?" She said, her expression shifting into a determined one. "Cause if you were, I'll make those meanies bake you a 'we're sorry' cake! No, scratch that, a thousand cakes! Each!" She said with fiery passion, her attempt at humor getting a small chuckle from her friend. "No, Pinkie, Steelhooves ensured that no harm came my way." Her tone turned serious once more at the tail end of the sentence, her eyes once again locked to the blue sky. "So we made our way to his apartment, and after a little back and forth, he told me what happened in Manehattan National Institute some thirty years ago." She sighed heavily, getting a lungful of air. "Steelhooves'... The Boss' squad, part of the 'Sun's Right Hoof' special operating unit, a group of well-trained soldiers basically, was sent to investigate the source of a distress signal, coming from Manehattan National Institute." She went silent for a few moments, trying to find the right words. "To make a long story short: they were set up by SRH in an attempt to get rid of unwanted personell, as well as give The Boss a reason to listen to them." Pinkie watched Twilight speak with worry, her look becoming more distant with each word. "But why would they do something like that? Shouldn't he listen to them anyway? They're his superiours, after all." Pinkie said, dumbfounded. "SRH was loyal to Equestria, first and foremost, but shortly before 'Pax Equestria' went live, that changed." Twilight said in a pained voice. "Princess Celestia took direct control over the unit, purging all who'd refuse to swear their loyalty directly to her." A sinking feeling appeared in the pit of Pinkie's stomach as the meaning of Twilight's words got to her. "T-Twilight? What do you mean by 'purge'?" Pinkie said in a shaky voice, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer. "Only one out of three of Boss' squad members survived the mission, and even that was thanks to Boss' ingenuenty." Twilight said, her voice quieter than usual. "After all was said and done, SRH told him they had a lead on the group supposedly behind the attack, but he knew the truth by then." Pinkie could've sworn she saw color drain from Twilight's coat with each uttered word. "He resigned shortly after, and has been doing his best to expose truth to the world ever since." She finished, closing her eyes, trying to collect her thoughts. "But I haven't told you all that to get your pity, not at all." She opened her eyes, a determined expression on her face. "The Boss gave me something. A way I could help his cause, a way I could put a dent in Celestia's plans." She took a deep sigh, her mouth feeling dry all of a sudden. "He has a cipher that only I could crack, but to do so I have to his base." "But you can't do that because ponies would notice your absense?" Pinkie finished, earning a nod in reply. "Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure the two of us can come up with a suitable excuse! You've got any distant relatives?" Pinkie said with a smile, although her attempt to lift Twilight's mood did the exact opposite. "No, Pinkie, you don't get it. I need to go 'off the radar' so to speak, I need to disappear off the face of Equestria." She said bitterly, a lump in her throat making it hard to breathe. "And he gave me the means to do so." She finished hauntedly. "The means to do so? What do you mean?" Pinkie parroted, not liking the tone of Twilight's voice. "He proposed to make my 'phantom'. Take a pony, and turn them into a duplicate of me, memories, appearance, all of that." She said, looking blankly at the sky. "And before you ask, yes, we have to use a real pony, anything else wouldn't suffice." She turned to look at Pinkie, a haunted look in her eyes that was far scarier than anything the party mare has ever seen. "Pinkie? Is that a right thing to do?" She asked, desperation clear in her voice. "Am I a good pony for agreeing to do this?" Pinkie desperately wanted to say yes, to assure her friend that everything was alright, that Twilight was the most bestest, goodiest, prettiest pony that ever walked Equestria, but for once in her life, she thought before opening her mouth. What would Applejack think of lying to her friends? Would that make her a good pony, a good friend? Would she support Twilight regardless of the answer? Yes, yes she would. Perhaps that was the only question that mattered. "You're asking the wrong questions, Twilight." Pinkie said, carefully choosing her words. "What are the right questions then?" Twilight all but begged, tears welling up in her eyes. "What would happen if you didn't agree to Steelhooves' proposition? Would you be content with letting Celestia get away with all she did scot-free?" Pinkie hugged Twilight, unable to look at the tears streaming down the latter's cheeks. "And most importantly 'needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'." She said, rubbing the small of Twilight's back as the latter sobbed into her shoulder. "Or the one, in this occasion. Sometimes, you have to make a hard choice for the benefit of everypony." Minutes passed as the two embraced on the lonely hill under the warm rays of the golden sun, Twilight's sobbing ceasing somewhere along the way. Soon enough, although a little too soon in Pinkie's opinion, Twilight pulled away, wiping the last of her tears from her face. "Thank you, Pinkie." She said, giving the mare a small smile. "Who could've thought you were such a great listener?" "I'll always be here for you, don't you forget that!" Pinkie said, giving Twilight's midsection a tight squeeze. Once she was finished, she frowned at the thoughtful expression on Twilight's face. "If something's bothering you, you should tell me, Twilight." She said, laying a hoof on her shoulder. "Well... Truth be told, there's another thing that's making me worry." Twilight admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. "There's a bit of information I still need for The Boss' plan to work. Problem is, the topic is very... taboo in modern science, and the only place I could possibly find information on it is in the restricted section of Canterlot Archives." "And Canterlot is a big no-no for you..." Pinkie concluded, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Suddenly, she beamed, grabbing Twilight by the hoof and dragging her in an unknown direction. "I think I know just where we need to go!" "Pinkie? Why have you brought me here?" Twilight asked, standing before a large crevasse in the ground, a pathetic rope bridge connecting the two sides. Tall trees with wide canopies that blocked out sunlight surrounded her from left and right, and she could distinctly hear the sound of running water coming from down below. A crumbling castle stood on the other side of the bridge, overgrown with moss and covered in dust, yet still managing to convey a sense of grandeur it once embodied. "Well," Pinkie began, fearlessly trotting through the wonky bridge and over the gap. "You said you needed some kind of information, and that got me thinking. If there are 'Canterlot Archives', there must be some kind of library in the Castle of The Two Sisters too!" She said, hitting the dirt on the other side of the bridge as she hopped off the bridge, taking a few more hops to make room for Twilight, who followed Pinkie's example a few seconds later. "That's... actually pretty smart." Twilight noted as the two moved along the dirt pathway towards the castle. "Honestly can't believe I've forgotten about this castle." She added as the they ascended the entrance staircase. "You're not the only one who did..." Pinkie grumbled, before shooting out her hoof in front of Twilight. "Keep in mind, Twilight, this is an old castle." She used her hoof to force Twilight to take a few steps back. "And like any self-respecting old castle-" She pressured the part of the floor Twilight was about to step on, before quickly yanking her hoof back. The floor crumbled to ashes, revealing a steep drop into a pitch black hole underneath. "-it has its fair share of traps." "I...uh... I'll keep that in mind." The stunned Twilight replied, making sure to walk behind her pink friend from now on. They walked through the crumbling halls in silence, and soon enough found themselves in a more preserved part of the building, the darkness that descended upon them due to the more structurally-sound roof over their heads forcing Twilight to produce a light at the tip of her horn, bathing the halls in lavender light. "Say, Twilight," Pinkie began, slowly walking through the now dimly lit corridors. "did this... 'Boss' ever tell you why he wants to go against the Princess'?" "Did he need to? His squadmates were killed on Celestia's orders, I'm pretty sure his motives are clear." Twilight replied, a grim expression on her face. "Revenge is as good a motive as any other, I suppose..." She murmured, rounding a corner, carefully avoiding a multitude of retractable spikes by not stepping on a pressure plate. "Still, it's not something that can keep you going for thirty years, sooner or later you have to find something else to fight for, right?" Pinkie asked more to herself than Twilight. Which was a good thing, seeing as the unicorn ignored her question, instead asking a more prudent question. "Are you sure you know where we're going?" Twilight asked, squeamishly jumping over what looked like a skeleton of a small animal. "Or are we just stumbling blindly through the castle?" "A bit of both really." Pinkie said, not pausing long enough for Twilight to interfere. "This place has a weird vibe to it, the only reason why we're still here and not back at the entrance is due to my Pinkie Sense." "Weird vibe? What do you mean?" Twilight asked, trying to convince herself that the squishy thing she stepped on just now was moss. "It doesn't want anypony to be inside, something here doesn't want to be found, not until the right moment, at least." Pinkie answered, scratching her forehead for a few seconds. "That's the best way I can put it, anyhow." Twilight frowned as she channeled more magic into her horn, casting a relatively low-level scanning spell on her surroundings. "Your vibe officialy has a name: Wallflower's Ward. It's a straightforward evolution of Clover's 'Perceptial Procrastination' spell, and belongs to a 'Perception Filter' family of spells." She finished in an academic tone groaning inwardly when she heard Pinkie's clueless 'huh?'. "It basically works by distracting you from what needs to be hidden. Your gaze 'slides off' the concealed object, so to speak. Coupled with Burning Memory's priority scramble spell, anypony who approaches the castle would have trouble finding an entrance, all the while suddenly remembering something they were supposed to do, say, turning off the oven, and rush back home to do it." She explained as the pair went past a tall wooden arc. "It's quite ingenious, when you think about-" Twilight failed to finish her sentence as she bumped into the soft pink flank of her friend. "We're here!" Pinkie chirped, yelping as something bumped into her flank. "I'm not sure what you're looking for, but you're bound to find it here!" She said, pointing to the ceiling tall bookshelves, Twilight's jaw all but hitting the floor as she noticed the amount of knowledge stored in the room. "This is... amazing!" Twilight said excitedly, rushing to the closest shelf, picking up a random book with her magic aura. "These books must be from pre-banishment era! So much to learn, so much to read! I... I..." She frowned, squinting at the letters that seemed to move on their own. "I can't read any of this." She noted glumly. "Well, duh!" Pinkie said, dragging a dusty sofa towards Twilight. "You don't have a Pinkie Sense, I do." She continued, plopping down on the sofa and yanking the book out of Twilight's hold. "Oooh! This one's chock-full of all kinds of recepies!" She said excitedly, flipping hurriedly through the pages, before throwing it behind the couch. "Gimmie another one!" She beamed at Twilight, the latter's mood being the polar opposite. "This is going to be a long day." The unicorn said, levitating another book into her friends's hold. Several painfully slow hours and an alarmingly large pile of books later, Twilight was getting just a tiny bit annoyed. Her eye twitched as she heard Pinkie 'ooh' for what felt like a thousandth time today, and she realised that the previous statement was an understatement. She was bloody livid. "Could you please keep quiet, Pinkie? My head's hurting from just being here..." She said, rubbing her forehead, a throbbing pain spreading though it from the base of her horn. "Twilight? I think you need to hear this." Pinkie said, flipping through a couple of pages and clearing her throat. "A Soul, Deconstructed. A comprehensive study on the nature of souls, written by L..." She squinted, trying to read the faded letters, giving up soon enough. "Can't say who wrote this, but it doesen't matter. I think we found what you've been looking for!" She said triumphantly, her smile wilting as she noticed the angry-looking mare approach her. "That's great." Twilight grumbled, grabbing the book with her magic, wincing as the action sent waves of pain through her skull. "Now let's get out of here before I get an aneurysm." She finished, heading towards the exit. "Twilight, wait!" Pinkie said worriedly, jumping from the sofa and onto the floor, hurrying after Twilight. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" She asked, standing in front of the mare, blocking the exit. "My head's hurting like Tartarus... Probably from the influence of your Pinkie-sense conflicting with the ward." She rubbed her temple, shutting her eyes for a few seconds. "Can we get moving now, or do I need to go through a pop-quiz?" "I... I'll lead the way." Pinkie replied, a little taken aback by the rudeness in Twilight's tone. The latter grunted in agreement falling in step behind the Pink party pony. The two walked in relative silence for a good half an hour, before Pinkie heard a loud yelp of surprise, followed by the rush of displaced air and a scream of pain. She whirled around, her eyes glued to Twilight, who was currently lying on the floor next to a pitch black hole. Pinkie's eyes went wide as dinnerplates as she saw the unicorn's left foreleg, which was currently bent at an odd angle, one that was definently not natural. "Twilght!" Pinkie yelled, rushing to her friends side. "What happened? Your foreleg doesn't look too good..." She asked with worry, trying not to stare at the injured hoof. "A trap... Fell down the hole... Teleported, but not fast enough." Twilight said through gritted teeth, her face contorted into a grimace of pain. "Don't worry, I'll carry you to the hospital!" Pinkie replied, bending down to lay Twilight on her back. "Wait!" Twilight exclaimed, magic flowing into her horn. "This'll get us there faster." Before Pinkie could say something in reply, the pair disappeared in a flash of bright light. A stylish melody resonated through the break room of Ponyville lone hospital, entertaining the only pony currently residing inside. The snow-white pony with a red cross with small hearts on the angles cutiemark was currently slumped in a less-than comfortable chair, her light-pink tail swishing from side to side as she enjoyed the black coffee she was drinking. "Oh no! Not me! I never lost control!" She murmured to the tune, happy to have a moment of calm in the rather hectic day that was today. "Who had the bright idea to gift a rose without cutting off the thorns first? That's a surefire way to ruin a date." She sipped the coffee, the bitter taste agitating her brain as the warmth leaked into her stomach. "Still miles better than forgetting to file down your horn at the worst time. Glad we could stop the internal bleeding, but I'm pretty sure their intimate life is ruined." She sighed, bobbing her head to the rythm of the song. "Let's hope we don't get any more cases until supper." A sinking feeling appeared in her stomach as she finished her coffee, the cup descending onto the table with a quiet clink. "I probably shouldn't have thought that. Let's hope I haven't-" The door slammed open, startling the mare enough to upset her balance, sending her sprawling on the cold tile floor. An earth-colored stallion barged in, a distressed look on his face. His gaze scanned the room, finally noticing the fallen mare as he pointed a hoof at her. "You! We have a patient and all the other staff is busy, haul your flank to room 101!" He hollered, the mare getting to her hooves in a timely manner. "...jinxed it." She thought, glaring at the unicorn stallion as she passed him. "I've got a name, you know." She said accusingly, rubbing a sore spot on her flank as she exited the break room. "If I don't remember it, then you don't." The stallion said, walking past her and taking her seat on the chair, stopping only to get himself a cup of coffee from the coffee machine. "Redheart's the name, by the way." She said with a sigh, trotting out of the break room. Twilight looked intently at the white wooden door, desperately trying to hypnotise it to open and let in a medical professional. "Screw that, even a medical student would do. Just bring somepony who knows how to fix a dislocated foreleg!" She thought bitterly, the throbbing pain in her left foreleg reminding her of what she'd rather be doing. "Too bad Pinkie insisted on getting treatment first, I would've probably solved the issue by now... Her prayers were finally answered when the door opened, letting in a tired white mare, who, if not for being the only pony in the room, barring Twilight of course, would be practically unnoticable. A dull ache not unlike the one she experienced in the castle made itself present, and despite being far less pronounced, it got Twilight's attention. "A low level Perceptial Procrastination spell?" Twilight's horn flashed for a moment, and her interest piqued. "Something naturally occuring, then? Very odd." The nurse approached Twilight, looking over her injured limb with a compassionate expression on her face. "How much time has passed since you injured your leg?" The mare asked, gently taking her appendage with her own hooves. "It's been about an hour- AAAHH!" Twilight yelled in pain as the mare yanked her hoof harshly while the unicorn was distracted, the dislocated limb locking into its proper place with an audible pop. "There you go." The nurse said in a calm tone, offering Twilight a small smile. "Refrain from putting too much weight on the leg for a few weeks. I'll come to check up on you in an hour, please wait here." "Thank you, nurse..." Twilight hissed through her gritted teeth, rubbing her sore leg. "Redheart. Nurse Redheart." The mare said, before disappearing in the hallway, leaving Twilight by her lonesome. "Redheart... I've got to ask Pinkie what she knows about her..." Twilight thought, grabbing the coveted book from under the pillow with her magic, the headache thankfully leaving with the white mare. "Of course, that will have to wait." Twilight thought, sifting through the book until she found a bookmark left by her pink friend. "There are more pressing issues at hoof." A Soul, Deconstructed. A comprehensive study on the nature of souls, written by L... Chapter One What Defines Us It is no secret that one of the most puzzling question in the history of equinity was on a matter of souls. Court scholars have amassed an impressive amount of research regarding most thing under Celestia's Sun, from physiology and anatomy, to cultural and historical knowledge from across Equus. Yet among these vast stockpiles of research, one topic has been conveniently left out, remaining shrouded in darkness for the last millenia. I will not make any claims as to why it is so, merely because that is not a topic of my research. It has to be said that the topic of souls was a controvertial one at the bes of times, with many debating the need of research such an integral part of every living being, citing 'blasphemy' and 'disregard for the Maker's' plan' as reasons enough to halt any further inquiry into the nature of souls. Yet these neighsayer always fail to answer the simplest of questions. Must we not utilise the mind given to us to its full capacity? Must we not brave the unkowns of the world due to a fear of divine retribution? Must we huddle in fear of the dark of the night, thankful that we do not offend the dogmatic principles of our society? Perhaps I am getting sidetracked. Perhaps these questions are out of my field of expertise. Perhaps I should let others, more knowledgable ponies provide answers. Yet, I hope that by reading this study, you might find some answers to yourself. To begin with, we must answer a simple yet complex question. What is a soul? In ancient times, when control over research was much lax due to the decentralised nature of civilization, and the tense relationships between tribes, scholars considered a soul to be something very physical. They believed a creature's soul to be akin to blood, a substnace that was spread evenly throughout one's body, a substance which left it upon death, and was ephemeral enough to be impossible to collect. Although modern research proves them wrong, they had guessed one thing right: A soul cannot be 'gathered'. A soul cannot be cut, it cannot be touched or tasted. Physically speaking, it does not exist. That leads us to the very beginning, what is a soul? Simply put, a soul is the culmination of one's being, every memory, thought, feeling or experience, combined and molded into a theoretical concept which we now call a 'soul'. Furthermore, one's belief in onese;f plays a major role in the formation of a soul. Essentially, you are who you believe yourself to be. That belief, in turn, is constructed by the amalgamation of one's memories and experiences, and it has to be absolute to affect one's soul. That is why changelings, for example, would never be able to fool magical artifacts specifically attuned to 'soul reading', they know what they are, thus their soul remains unchanged, if they have one, that is. Another important aspect of one's soul, is that it has no effect on one's physical appearance. An earth pony that 'believes; themself to be a pegasus will never fly, no matter how hard they wish to, same thing about all other attributes of one's appearance. Still, it is theorised that if, or rather when, surgical technology would reach a certain level, it wouldn't be too outrageous to say that with enough conditioning, which would require to erase the original's ego, which is the very basis of a soul, a pony could be tricked in such a way. Why somepony would do such a thing is another question entirely. Twilight fell onto the bedsheets with a weary sigh, her suddenly heavy head hitting the soft pillow of the bed. A sense of excitement and fear spread through her as she finally found the solution to the problem at hoof. She didn't feel nearly as pleased with herself as she used to.