“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think”
- Socrates, Greek Philosopher, 470-399BC
A suspicious mare unsteadily waddled her way out of Los Pegasus’ Union Station and onto the street. Considering the kind of town this was, her actions were almost a welcome sight. At least the mare wasn’t bothering anypony. When she reached the street, she waved down a taxi and got in.
The taxi driver—who hauled the yellow and black pony-drawn carriage—wore the same simple yellow and checker-patterned peaked cap that was emblazoned on his flanks. He was a grey stallion with a dark grey mane. He was somepony typical of this city who had had to deal with many ponies over his long career. It only took one look at the greased mane and trenchcoat the mare wore for him to realize she would be trouble.
“Ma’am, where are you headed?” he asked. Just because she was probably trouble, didn’t mean he had to start it; he’d lose half his customers that way.
“Oh, umm …” she said before the mare started whispering to herself.
‘Great, one of those mares,’ the taxi driver thought, rolling his eyes. “Look ma’am, if you can’t make up your mind-”
“Can you take us 168.542463km on heading 98.259034 degrees.”
The stallion sighed, contemplating cutting his losses and leaving now. “Ma’am, this isn’t a ship. I don’t even know what that means and even if I did, I wouldn’t know where that is. Ignoring the rest of that though, I doubt I can take you over one hundred kilometers away. Can you just tell me the name of the place you want to go?”
The mare whispered to herself again. “Uh … do you have a map?”
‘That’s it,’ he thought. He was about to leave, but there was something about the mare’s voice that made him feel sorry for her: like she was just an innocent fool in a cruel world. He groaned and took out a map of Los Pegasus and the surrounding area and gave it to the mare.
She studied it for a moment and said, “Could you take me to this ‘Boiling Water’ place?”
He sighed. Boiling Water was a nowhere trading post. There was a travel agency which had renamed it “Palm Springs” in the hopes of promoting tourism, but the natives didn't like it and nopony wanted to visit anyway so the name never stuck. Changing the name didn't change the fact that it was still boiling. “Look lady, I’m not a train. If you want to go outta town, you’ll have to hire a caravan or just trot there yourself.” He felt he might have been a bit harsh, but he was getting more than a little frustrated. ‘You would think these out-of-towners would at least know how to get to where they need to go …,’ he grumbled to himself.
The mare looked intently at the map again. “Is there no way that I can get there without going by our- myself?” Her lip trembled as she made puppy eyes at the driver. “Please?”
The grey stallion sighed. Despite how dingy the mare looked and how ignorant she was, she was at least asking politely. “Alright, fine. I think I know a friend who could help. If you've got the money, he can get you to Boiling Water by caravan. Also, no offence, but I’m going to need to see the money upfront. The taxi ride will cost 7 bits and he’ll probably ask 80 bits for the caravan. No negotiation. Trust me, that’s a discount.”
The mare whispered to herself and there was a clamouring inside her trenchcoat.
“Hey bud.”
A yellow unicorn mare holding a pencil and paper walked up to the taxi cart. She wore a grey uniform; a set consisting of: a shirt, a hat and a vest with the words “Los Pegasus Traffic Authority” embroidered on it. “This is a high traffic area. If you don’t leave soon, I’m going to have to ticket ya.”
The stallion smiled. “Of course, wouldn’t want any trouble ma’am.” He turned to his passenger. “Do you have the money or not? We’re on the clock here.”
A few seconds later, she produced a bag of bits. The stallion looked through it and—sure enough—there was about one hundred bits in there. He hoofed the bag back. “You can pay me when we get there.” Turning to the traffic cop he concluded, “A pleasant day to you ma’am.”
“Right,” she replied monotonically and moved down the street.
The taxi left the train station and headed north. Not a moment later, a disorientated white unicorn with a purple mane would leave a train, not realizing that one of the taxis just in sight held her disguised sister.
They arrived in Boiling Water in the afternoon of the following day without issue. It now officially marked a whole week since the Tablet found itself in Sweetie Belle's head. Ponies were fast—to be sure—but they still travelled at a limited 10km/h. Even travelling in shifts and not needing to take a break the entire trip, it was slow-going—not that the fillies complained. They were just glad to have a break from all the running around they had done over the past two days.
The fillies were glad their disguise was holding up so well. It wasn't as hard as it could have been. Considering most of the time they were seated , the weaknesses of it—namely their gait and stature—were minimized. It turned out that the taxi-driver used to work as a wagon puller for the “Breeze Traders:” a staple name on Equestria’s “Western Frontier.” He still had a friend on the inside who was willing to add an extra passenger on a trip through Boiling Water for the right price. As it so happened, trading was one of the city's primary businesses. The buffalo south of the San Palomino Desert didn’t like industrialization. Until they were willing to accept a railroad, large caravans were the only way to trade.
Boiling Water itself was a quiet village: no more than one hundred residents. It was home mostly to buffalo who were gravitating towards a more “Equestrian” style of living. The only non-buffaloes in town were the pony innkeeper and her husband. There were still several temporary tent structures the the traditional nomads had used, but several wooden buildings were mixed in along the main road the caravans took. It was a convenient stop along the trade route to the buffalo lands to the south of the San Palomino Desert so it got plenty of traffic from caravans such as Breeze’s who needed a top-up of food and water.
“Thanks for all the help,” Sweetie Belle remarked as the caravan began to leave.
“No problem,” replied one of the mares pulling the wagon they came in. She chuckled a bit. “You’re actually lighter than I thought you’d be and you paid for my food this week, so we’re square. Don’t know what a mare like you would want here in the middle of the desert you won’t hear me complaining.”
Sweetie watched as the caravan left over the southern horizon. ‘We made it ... somehow. Now I can finally put all this behind me. Although my sister might not like-' She shook her head. 'No, who am I kidding! My sister will be happy to have me back no matter what. I’ll have solved a problem all on my own, for once.’
“Hey Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom groaned. “Are we gonna move? Ah’m gettin’ tired of standin’ around and holdin’ ya up ya’know.”
“Oops, sorry,” she replied. “Alright, we should be heading this way…”
The fillies started out towards a large hill in the distance, and finally to their final destination.
The fillies had removed their disguise once they went beyond the sight of the village. They stood before a large grey stone—about three meters tall—which stood up on the side of the hill overlooking Boiling Water below. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were eying it curiously but their unicorn friend was clearly more distressed.
‘A rock?!’ Sweetie Belle cried out silently in her head. ‘That's our destination?! What is your problem, Tablet? I followed your instructions all the way out here for a rock?!’
*That is not entirely correct. The server is marking its location 753.201460m below the surface where this rock is situated.*
‘Ohh,’ she replied demurely, ‘so it’s underneath- wait, 750m! How are we supposed to get down there?!’
*Querying. It seems that there is an entrance 2.978063m from the surface of the hill, 485.234892m away on heading 142.908273 degrees, 5.201389m above the current location.
‘Three meters … that’s still pretty far down ...’
*It is possible that there are mining tools in the village general store. Given the brittleness of the stone in the area and the improvement in dig efficiency from the use of tools, it should only take a day to successfully mine the area.*
Sweetie Belle groaned. ‘Fine. It is never easy with you, is it?’
“It looks like we’re going to have to dig.”
Her friends looked at her like she grew an extra head. “We came all the way out here to dig?” Scootaloo asked incredulously.
“Yeah … it should only take us a day though, tops! I promise, we’ll be done in no time.”
They sighed but got on with it. They had long since given up trying to understand their friend’s reasoning.
They didn't have much money left to spend but they could get a few hoof shovels and a pickaxe from the general store. The residents of the town were highly suspicious of this new mysterious mare hauling mining tools out of town but there was enough stories of crazy ponies looking for gold out on the frontier that they dismissed the sight.
‘We have a lot to do,’ Sweetie Belle thought. ‘But at least it’s almost over ...’
It turned out that it would take more than a day to dig out the entrance.
By sunset, they had dug over two meters, but they couldn't do any more. Their underdeveloped bodies and comfortable lifestyles left them woefully unprepared for such arduous work. Even Apple Bloom only did minor chores around the farm. She may have been the strongest filly in school, but she was still a filly. It didn't help that they worked in the desert during the day rather than the coolness of night. They lay on the ground—exhausted and unable to move—in front of the cave and under a small tarp they hastily erected from their camping supplies.
“This adventure suuuucks …,” Scootaloo groaned.
“Don’t let all this work color yer view Scoots,” Apple Bloom replied. “We’ve had it easy ‘til now. Ya don’t get anything if ya don’t work fer it.”
“Well, I don’t agree.” Scootaloo pouted, crossing her forelegs. “You never hear Daring Do working all day digging, and she still has awesome adventures.”
“Yeah, but those are just stories,” Sweetie Belle criticized. “You don’t hear them walking for hours when she went to the temple place in the Quest for the Sapphire Stone but she definitely had to. Not to mention that she hurt her wing and stuff. I’m sure that we’ll be doing all that cool stuff at some point but it isn’t going to all be fun.”
Scootaloo sighed. “Isn’t there some way that you can just do some special spell or something to dig? Like with the teleportation or the sleeping powder you made?”
Sweetie Belle completely forgot to even ask. Maybe there was some way for the Tablet to do all the work. If there was one thing she knew about speaking with the Tablet, it could do a lot.
‘I don’t suppose there is a way that you could just do it somehow instead?’
*Regardless of what this device did, you would still be doing the work. This device has no method of interacting with the world except vicariously through you. Additionally, this device’s artificial override of your neural interface causes short and long-term stress to your neural pathways. The quantity and duration of energy necessary to dig the side of this hill purely through your horn’s magic would be detrimental to your health. While it doesn’t directly put your life in danger—and as such does not violate rule 2—this device finds that course of action inadvisable.*
Sweetie Belle sighed, ‘Alright. Well, I’m exhausted and bored ... but I don’t think I can sleep just yet.’ She thought of things she could do. She looked to her friends, hoping to talk about something but she saw they were already fast asleep. Then she thought of Rarity, of her sister’s friends and the royal guard no doubt searching for her, trying their hardest to bring her back home.
...
Now depressed—and a little melancholy—she talked to the only thing she could. ‘Tablet, is there anything I can do to make tomorrow easier? I really want to get this over with as soon as possible. Is there anything I can learn or do that would make this go faster?’
*There are several methods of self-improvement that can make this ‘adventure’ more efficient. It is within this device’s capabilities to improve your problem-solving ability, planning, magic capability and intelligence as well as provide training on the various functions of this device. These skills will allow you to make faster and more informed decisions.*
‘But what’s the point of all that if I have you? I mean, if I want to solve a problem or something, I could just ask you to do it right?’
*Yes. However, that is only true if you understand the problem being solved and are able to use this device effectively. As an example, if you do not understand the concept of gravity, you might never ask a question about it despite it being an important concept to know. Likewise, your lack of understanding of quantum physics, and relativity make accurately explaining gravity difficult.*
‘Oh.’ Sweetie Belle just sat there. This was just a neutral answer to her question, but it also came as an insult to her intelligence. That worst part of the insult, though, was that it was right. She had been so focused on getting this adventure finished as soon as possible, she neglected to consider learning as a possible alternative to doing. Often, the tablet would say a word and she would only have a vague idea of what it meant—almost like a visual in her head, but her lack of knowledge and experience prevented that visual from being meaningful. She wanted to say that she regretted being so ignorant, that learning new things was scary and dangerous.
But it was a lie.
The truth was, it was easier for her to just let the tablet do everything instead of her. ‘It does everything better than me anyway,’ she would think. If she was honest with herself though, she had been trying to avoid her lack of understanding this entire time. Why even bother trying to learn when she didn’t need to know? This realization about herself got her thinking critically about her decisions.
‘Why haven’t I realized this? Nothing’s changed. Even if this works and I go back to normal, I’ll still have the same problems I always had. I’m still the same stupid filly that doesn’t know anything and needs somepony else to fix all my mistakes ...’
The Tablet—never missed a chance to answer a question—responded. *You are likely only realizing this now because you did not have the time at night for typical self-reflection. The train and caravan rides made you focus on the environment, the planning you had done with this device in Appleloosa distracted you, and the hospital stays the other nights prevented clear thought.*
“Well, no more!” she cried before covering her mouth with her hooves when she realized she said that out loud. Her friends rustled in their sleep but were luckily too exhausted to awaken. Sweetie Belle blushed with embarrassment before continuing the conversation in her head. ‘Alright Tablet, no more silly, stupid Sweetie Belle. I’m going to be the best pony I can be!’
She never thought that she had a drive to learn, but for the first time in her life, she knew exactly what Twilight felt for her books: the butterflies she would have in her stomach at the thought of the knowledge she could learn, of all the things she could do, the possibilities that opened to her. The thought of not only learning new things but being a better: a pony that never failed, that never ruined her sister’s dresses or would say the wrong things at the wrong time, one that could get out of her own messes or fix them if they got out of hoof. The Tablet was right. She didn’t even know half the things the Tablet did to save her. It was just like Rarity doing things for her that Rarity thought were too hard.
*What would you like to learn?*
It was then that Sweetie Belle thought back to her previous reservations. The Tablet’s monotonous voice which echoed in her head reminded her of all the things it said. Its indifference towards death, preventing her from talking or moving. Sweetie might have been a filly but she was not naive. She liked to forget that the Tablet can be dangerous; especially when it kept helping her.
‘I want to be the best pony I can be, but I want to still be me … I still want to be friends with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom and be a good filly, but I want to be a smart filly too! I want to be able to help my friends and not be a burden anymore.’ Her conflicted feelings and self-deprecation was getting to her as she started to tear up. ‘I don’t want you taking over or anything though, that ‘freeze my body’ thing you do is bad enough. Is there anything you can do?!’
*This device can do so. Would you like to learn while you sleep? This device postulates that there is a high likelihood that you would want to continue to help your friends tomorrow.*
Sweetie Belle wiped away the few tears that had formed. ‘You can do that right? I’ll still be me, just … better?’
*WARNING: Question deals with philosophical uncertainty. Related concept: ‘can one step in the same river twice?’ You will be different; ‘being better’ implies change. The 'Knowledge is Fun™' system is an efficient teaching tool which speeds up learning. You will only learn what you want to learn and only as much as you can. It is completely in your power to stop the process at any time although subjects typically develop a 'compulsion' which makes stopping difficult. You will be aware of the changes happening but you likely will not have the capacity to stop it.
*In effect, this Tablet will take over the neurological pathways of your mind, partitioning the various sections and allowing up to ten times the amount of processing though a process called 'pipelining.' In order to avoid nutrient deficiency, overheating or neurological degeneration, this Tablet will also artificially manage the intake of nutrients and heat in to your brain while simultaneously cloning nerve cells if they die too quickly.*
Some of those details seemed sophisticated, but at the same time she somehow knew exactly what the Tablet was telling her. Sweetie Belle thought back to the time when she learned Calculus. She did remember learning it. In the 'game,' learning was a compulsion, a need to learn. The understanding and satisfaction she had when she played it made it almost impossible to stop. It scared her and thrilled her at the same time.
‘I’m scared, but I’m also scared that I’ll never get better. I won’t be the same dumb filly but I don’t want to be … I guess. I may regret doing this but I can’t keep going, not knowing what to do or how to get better! So do it. Teach me everything you can that will make me better prepared. A better pony ...’ she swallowed heavily. This wasn’t something she was prepared to do before but recent circumstances had shown how woefully unprepared the filly really was for the trials the world had to offer.
*Please verify. Knowledge is Fun™ will initiate the REM-Sleep Learning System when you go to sleep. Modules will be run in the order of most relevance: problem-solving, critical-thinking, planning, organization, social communication, science and math.*
Sweetie Belle didn’t respond right away. She lay, looking at the tarp above her sleeping bag. She could faintly see the stars through the thin material. Her heart raced, competing with her mind. She thought of everything she knew about the Tablet, about what it had done, what it could do. She still wasn’t sure if she was making the right choice, but she probably never would be. She made her decision.
With a whisper, she made arguably the most important decision in her life.
“... do it.”
Sweetie Belle felt strange as she woke up, or, rather, it was strange how normal she felt. It was like she had never left home at all, that she had just dreamt the whole adventure and finally woke up after a good night’s rest. Of course, that illusion didn’t last long as the hot desert wind and the discomfort of her rocky bed brought her back to reality. Scootaloo was still sleeping and Apple Bloom was rummaging through a saddlebag for her breakfast.
‘Hey Tablet, why don’t I feel any different? I was supposed to get smarter, wasn’t I?’
*In order for the REM-SL System to work effectively, the subject’s regular neural maintenance while sleeping must remain unaffected, otherwise the subject would feel they had not slept at all. As such, the knowledge you have learned is blocked by your brain’s natural reorganization of your neural pathways. It is similar to not remembering a dream.
*Additionally, you have learned a large amount of information. Your brain has therefore reorganized itself so that information is only available through specific use, otherwise your underdeveloped mind would not be able to handle such a vast amount of information. In other words, once you have need of a particular skill, you will naturally draw upon the associated knowledge.*
Sweetie Belle was about to criticize what the Tablet said until she realized she understood every word. She knew about the ability for sleep to repair and replace neural pathways and what those even are. She tried to think harder on what she learned but the memories were vague and she was interrupted before she could think too hard.
“Hey Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom said as she looked up from the bag. She pulled out a few cookies and some dried fruit, giving half to her friend. “So this is it huh? This is the spot?”
Sweetie Belle looked at her friend curiously. Not because she was doing anything abnormal, rather she was seeing her friend in a new light. ‘Apple Bloom already knows this is the spot. She’s trying to get me to say something ... Deep down, she probably wants me to tell her everything is going to be okay. Yeah. Without her sister here, she’s had nopony to support her. She doesn’t really like new things like Scootaloo and I do. She would be much happier back in Ponyville, helping her family and going on the ‘normal adventures’ getting our Cutie Marks. She’s only here because she’s such a good friend. Why haven’t I ever thought about her feelings before?’
“Yeah, this is it,” Sweetie Belle responded nonchalantly. She got up from her rocky bed and went to grab the the food from her friend and nuzzling her friend. “I know I’ve never really said it but I really appreciate you coming along. I know that you didn’t really want to go but I’m glad you did. I have a good feeling that after we’re done here, you’ll be back on the farm in no time!”
Apple Bloom seemed to let out a breath she didn’t know she had in her and slumped down. “Thanks Sweetie Belle, A-ah needed that. It’s funny, Ah knew that this adventure wouldn’t be as great as Scootaloo said it would, but it hasn’t actually been all that bad. Sure, we’ve been chased around and had to lie a little, but we’ve never been in any real danger. The worst thing that could’ve happened is we’re forced back into Ponyville. Despite the chasin’ and the lyin’, the worst thing has been eatin’.” She stared at the hoof full of dried fruit and cookies in her hoof. “Ah know it’s silly but Ah’m starting to get worried Ah might not even remember what Granny’s Apple Pie tastes like no more. Every time we sit and eat, Ah can’t help but think of sittin’ at the table with my brother and big sis and ...”
She sighed and ate a cookie. “Ah know it might be selfish but I have ta go home soon. Although Ah miss ma family so much, I could probably spend another few more weeks away from the farm if it was only for me. The thought of how worried they are for me though, it makes it hard ta sleep at night, ya know?”
This was all new information for Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom almost never talked about her family to her. She decided to probe a little deeper. “Now what could they be so worried about? They seem like the strong ponies, wouldn’t they-”
“Strength’s got nothin’ ta do with it!” Apple Bloom yelled. At Sweetie Belle’s shocked expression she quieted down. “S-sorry about that Sweetie Belle, Ah didn’t mean it …”
Sweetie Belle thought back on what she knew about Apple Bloom. “This is about your parents isn’t it?”
Apple Bloom couldn’t hide the surprise on her face. “A-Ah … it doesn’t … why would you bring that up?!” Her eyes teared up.
Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure where this insight was coming from, but she nuzzled her gently again. “It’s alright. You won’t be leaving your family like your parents. I miss my family, too. Every time I think of Rarity ... Anyway, I promise you that we’ll both be seeing them again. Do you trust me?” Sweetie Belle stared into her friends eyes with conviction and Apple Bloom couldn’t help but nod at her friend’s determination. “We will get home.” Sweetie Belle’s face softened. “Let’s get something to eat.”
Once they sat down to eat, Sweetie Belle realized there was something wrong with how the whole interaction felt. She looked at the smile on Apple Bloom’s face and a chill creeped up her neck. ‘D-did I just manipulate my friend?’
*The Social Communication Module includes training in leadership. This device determined that it is highly likely that you utilized your position as a friend in a common emotional scenario to reassure and bond with Apple Bloom. By getting your friend to trust you in this way, you reinforce the likelihood for her to follow your orders when the environment acts against them and stay motivated at her tasks.*
That shocked Sweetie Belle to the core. ‘T-t-t-that … that’s not friendship! That’s not what a friend does. It’s not right … that ...’
In her mind, she started to become conflicted. Her belief that friends do good things for each other because it is the right thing to do was at odds with the evolutionary biological and psychological perspective that sentient creatures manipulate each other for the benefit of themselves, their group and society as a whole.
*This device does not recognize the difference you are referring to. Your societal subjective view and the scientific understanding are inclusive. The idea of ‘manipulation’ is not necessarily a conscious decision but it is necessary in forming and using relationships.*
‘N-no … I’ve never manipulated my friends … used them … I wouldn’t … I … never ...’ but Sweetie Belle was beginning to doubt herself. She thought back to yesterday, how she made puppy eyes and said please to the taxi driver. ‘No … I just … my friends needed him to help us … it was the polite thing to do ...’
She thought back to when they found the rock and how she convinced her friends that they needed to dig. “It will only take a day” she promised, “We will be done in no time” she had said. ‘That’s … no. We will be done in no time. That’s not manipulating, that’s just telling the truth.’ She might have been able to believe that before. Now though, she knew she was being selective, trying to convince her friends to do something, to manipulate them. She could have mentioned how hard it would be, that she wasn’t even sure how long it would take. She even used Scootaloo’s love of Daring Do against her, telling her that despite what the books said, she had to do hard work to be like her.
“Sweetie Belle, are you alright?” Scootaloo asked. She had just woken up and saw the sad and pale expression on her friend’s face.
Sweetie Belle sniffed and rubbed the moisture from her eyes. “Yeah, I’m alright.”
“You don’t look alright.”
‘What do I say? I could give her tell her that I’m fine, but she wouldn’t believe it. Wouldn’t that be manipulating her into working extra hard to make me feel better because she can’t talk to me about it? I- Wait. Isn’t that the whole reason they’re even here?! I can’t tell them what’s bothering me so they are doing helping me in every way they can to make up for it. Sweet Celestia, I’ve been using my friends the whole time!’
“I’m sorry!” Emotion trumping logic, she broke down. “I didn’t know, I swear!”
Her two friends looked at her with worried expressions. “What are ya talkin’ about?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I-I’ve been such a bad friend, and I’ve been manipulative, and I’ve been using you for my own gain, and I've got you doing all kinds of bad things on this adventure, let’s not even get started on how I even convinced you to come, and-,” Sweetie Belle was shaking as she listed off all the bad things she had done.
“Geez, what’s wrong with you Sweetie?” Scootaloo sighed. “You’re not making sense. What’s this about ‘using’ us or something? What-”
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know! Like yesterday when I convinced you that Daring Do would have done all this hard work too. I was manipulating you to work harder. That’s not right. I should have just been satisfied with all the help you’ve already done for me. You’ve been such great friends and I’ve-”
She was stopped by Apple Bloom walking up and physically shaking her at the withers. “Look, Sweetie Belle. Ah’m not sure what’s gotten inta ya, but what ain’t right is how yer actin’. Yer tellin’ us that yer manipulatin’ us and all that but ya ain’t. We’re helpin’ ya now ‘cause ya need it. Ah know we’ve been great friends, but that includes ya too! If me or Scoots needed help like this, Ah’m sure that ya’d come at the drop of a hat, just like we are.”
‘No, you don’t understand … I’ve been manipulating you …,’ Sweetie thought. She was too distraught to interrupt her friend. At the moment, she actually wanted to just crawl into the corner and cry.
*This device has detected that that there may be a discrepancy in its heuristic lexical recognition. Your definition seems to imply ‘evil’ or ‘negative’ aspects.*
‘Wha- Well, duh! How can manipulating somepony not be a bad thing?’
*Manipulation is a tool and, as such, is independent of moral implications. Like all tools, it is the intent of its user that causes it to result in a negative outcome. As an example, convincing somepony is a form of manipulation. One can convince somepony to do something good or bad. Convincing somepony to do good is good, and to do bad is bad. The action of convincing is independent of the intent.*
‘Convincing somepony to do good isn’t bad? But isn’t that still forcing them to do something that they don’t want to do?’
*It can be construed that way but it is within the acceptable bounds of behavior in Equestria. Princess Celestia convinced ponies to grant her the title of ruler and she established a set of rules and regulations for her subjects to live by.*
Sweetie Belle did remember that from history class. If she thought about manipulation like it was meant to convince somepony, it didn’t seem nearly as bad. She calmed down. There was other times that she could worry about that. Still, if she didn’t feel bad about it before, and nopony told her it was wrong, then it guessed it probably wasn’t.
Seeing their friend calm down, Scootaloo smirked, “You done with all this nonsense now?”.
Sweetie Belle sighed. “Yeah, I guess. We should get back to work. I can think about this while we do that.”
Her friends went to eat, but she didn’t feel hungry.
‘I want to think that everypony is right and convincing your friends to do something isn’t wrong but … it just goes against everything I thought I knew about friendship. Why can’t I just accept that it’s just the way things are?’
*It is highly unlikely that—with the knowledge you have acquired—you will be convinced of concepts purely on faith ever again.*
Sweetie Belle shuddered as a she fully grasped what the Tablet had said.
‘Maybe being silly, stupid Sweetie Belle wasn’t so bad after all ...’
I'm kinda worried that they'll crack open the tunnel, and pop into a changeling hive. :-/
For goodness' sake, Sweetie, that's a good thing!
grumble grumble grumble
...what just happened?
5025000
Sweetie Bell's Knowledge gain increased.
She gained several levels due to the Tablet and as a result she now has a vast storage of knowledge that her mind can draw upon when she needs it, regulated to several fields I bet.
And today Sweetie Belle learns that: ignorance is bliss.
Yay Sweetie Belle is an atheist now
Nice Rarity reference. ;D
5024996 But It's scary to her.
Gewd chapter! Squee!!!
5025065
(I apologize in advance if you were being sarcastic, feel free to ignore if you were but I need to make this clear)
Sigh, I was worried somebody might think that. I said, "never be convinced of things purely on faith" not "never believe in things".
I don't understand this "I question, therefore I am Atheist" concept. "Does something exist?" "Is there a God?" etc. are questions that are impossible to answer because, by their construction, the logic required to solve them is circular. As such, both Atheists and Theists believe in something without proof (and IMO that's fine. After all, I believe I exist, and most people would say that's a good thing even if I can't prove it.)
Regardless, I refuse to turn this story into some kind of religious fic , just wanted to set the record straight, as it'were Again I apologize this isn't really focused on you, just in general.
5025144
I have a temper problem with children. It's actually a character flaw, and it makes interactions with my younger sibling a lot harder, but...I just tend to think of children as people first and children second.
Which is actually quite a bad thing, since...well...I'd rather not expand on this.
She learned so much things as she sleep, but the tablet did not teach Sweetie how to increase her magic or to use better the magic?
Sweetie isn't being manipulative.
Rather, Sweetie's just being considerate.
Ah dunno though... the action of being manipulative might be neutral, but the word "manipulative" just seems negative. Ah'm guessin' it got one of 'em negative connotations. So ah ain't too fond of that here Tablet defending that word, rather than usin' a synonym instead.
Have ya ever heard Miss Cheerilee ask us ta write a Manipulative Essay?
Heck no!!! Instead ah had ta write that Persuasive Essay on the Benefits of Earth Pony Agriculture.
... Wanna buy an apple?
5025144
5024996
Indeed it should be scary ... to anypony. Knowing that you know nothing makes you wise, but there is also deep intrinsic fear of the unknown that should make you afraid. Being able to just take things for granted and accept things as "just the way they are" is comfortable. Knowledge can be a heavy burden.
I agree though that it is a good thing. She will overcome that fear and grow stronger because of it.
5025171
Knowledge just makes ya realize how much you don't really know.
Still, Ah'm eager an' excited to see this determined and curious Sweetie in action! :D
5025170
The Tablet did use a synonym though, or at least close enough: "to convince". The thing is, all synonyms of manipulate: use, maneuver, exploit etc are all negative. It isn't that the Tablet is defending the word, rather it just has an unemotional view and was trying to reiterate its definition so that Sweetie Belle didn't misunderstand.
Sweetie had to accept that she has used/manipulated/exploited/convinced her friends to come along and that isn't a bad thing. Helping friends is what friends are for, and so long as she doesn't have negative intentions, it can even be a good thing that strengthens their friendship.
5025163
You're not entirely wrong but ... let's just say that knowledge begets knowledge and leave it at that.
5025159 Um. Just so you know most atheists don't ask 'is there a god?'. They ask ' Is there any evidence that I should believe in a god?'. its a small but important difference. Atheist is just means you reject theistic claims not that you hold a equally firm belief in the corollary.
Given that we don't really see religion in equestria I think you should keep away from the topic. It tends to make people mad. (as evidenced by my refusing to let this go...)
5025218
LE GASP!!!
Me thinks you've hinted that you want us to be sympathetic to the Tablet. DUN DUN DUN! Manipulate us MOAR sempai. MOARRRRR!
5025227
Perhaps I misunderstood what Magnafox meant then. What you are referring to is what I would call "Agnostic Atheism". I agree that they are often used interchangeably but if your definition is true, what would you call someone who believes there isn't a god?
I agree, hence why I never actually went into the topic in the story. I apologize for a third time but I just wanted to set the record straight that there wasn't religious significance/intentions in Sweetie Belle no longer "being convinced purely on faith".
I'm not sure what happened here. Did your proof reader get sick? You haven't made these kinds of mistakes before. I would think you would find them if you read it. Maybe you did reread it though....idk
You throw a quote, I throw a quote. Quid pro quo, mate.
Yaay, the CMC finally got to the location. And its. A rock. Which doesnt cover the entranceway. But acts as a fixed point in an encoded location algorithm, which also is not mapped onto the rock.
If the entrance is 5 metres above them and 3 metres in, wouldnt that put it horizontally, as an adit or drift entrance? Otherwise youd just start 2 metres higher, unless its something to do with the slope of the hill or such?
If the Tablet is pumping Sweetie full of social and leadership memories and teaching, how quickly would she catch up and even surpass Twilight? then again, given Twilight hasnt really had any formal training in leadership, just in beating end of the world problems, maybe Sweetie is already doing better?
I wonder if Rarity has a chance of accidentally bumping into that Taxi driver in such a way that talking about fillies or disguises would lead her to Palm Springs, which Im wondering is the outlet of the condensers for the geothermal power station for the database.
5025332
I've reread my chapters a few times. If there is mistakes I've made multiple times, could you tell me what they are?
Sweetie Belle has now learned how to reflexively self-analyze and criticize. While those are useful tools, she's going to be stressed by it all for a loooong time.
5025159
Yay, I'm not alone in my beliefs! I wouldn't be surprised if Sweetie kept revisiting that 'can't act purely on faith' = 'not believing' as time went on. Maybe not in this fic, but after it, when life returns to (relative) normal and she can't distract herself with enough problems. She needs time to find counterexamples where she maintains faith in her beliefs despite the knowledge that she lacks enough information to say with absolute certainty that those beliefs are correct. Unfortunately, the tablet can't help her too much, since she's still grappling with its nature, and thus its arguments will be tainted by her suspicion of the device.
5025227
Rejecting theistic claims based on the unknowable nature of them is more the field of agnosticism. As they're classically defined, agnostics leave god(s) as an unconfirmed possibility, while atheists believe that god(s) don't exist. If an avowed atheist rejects theistic claims on something other than the claim that theistic beings don't exist, they've probably misidentified the category of religious belief they belong to as atheist instead of something else.
5025319
In the time it took me to craft my own response to 5025227, you posted one of your own, which means I took somewhere around a half hour to write and post that comment. I need to speed up my deliberating process when posting things...
5025380
It's not just 5m up and in, it is >100m away, 5m up and 3m in the hill.
Also, I'd say she's already past Twilight in leadership capabilities. Twilight might be empathetic and can take charge, but she's too organized so I would think certain choices would cause her to freeze with indecision ("There isn't enough information! What do I do?!" ). The problem is that Sweetie Belle is still a filly so nopony would take her seriously.
5025450
It's cool. I've gotten into the habit to open a new window and refresh before posting for this very reason.
While I might not use religion, there are many other beliefs that can be questioned (government, ethics, morals, "facts" etc). After all, she has learned some physics now. Let's just say that just looking at the sun and the moon will be a test of belief in-and-of-itself from now on
5025031 No, I got that. It's what happened afterwards, with Sweetie wondering to herself if she had been manipulating ponies around her, that has me confused.
loved the update, I cannot wait to read more! I especially cannot wait for Sweetie to be able to discuss the Tablet finally.
5025517
Hold it right there; age has little to do with leadership ability. If you can spark the fire in their hearts, people will do anything for you, regardless of age, sex, rank, or appearance. Case and point: a skinny, illiterate, 16-year-old, peasant girl managed to completely turn around a hopeless war with nothing more than aggressive tactics and sheer willpower. Today, she is known in history as Saint Joan of Arc.
5025738
Well, until now, Sweetie had assumed that the discussions that she had with her friends were innocent and ultimately didn't mean much more than entertainment value. She never realized their true implications, that she used words to get her friends to do things for her that they wouldn't normally do. In other words: she used her friends and her friends used her. She now has to join that rationale with what it means to be friends and she is having trouble doing so.
To her, friends don't use friends, but they do. Basically, she's coming to the understanding: "being a friend is just as much about doing something you don't normally do for a friend as it is getting your friends to help you even if they don't want to."
I like stories where shit happens! Shocking, I know.
Twilight Sparkle had a similar problem regarding Pinkie Pie. Thankfully "highly unlikely" doesn't mean "never".
5025404 the word atheist means not theist. Also God as a concept is ill defined. If you talking about god as described by holy books not only is there no evidence for him there is evidence against his existence. If your talking about a deistic god There is not set definition on what HE/she/it is so it hard to say how likely they are or are not. Also being an atheist and an agnostic are not mutually exclusive.
I don't think we should talk about this here.
In other news. I like the story.
Hmm, this chapter moved ahead a lot faster than I thought it would. Guess I expected them to have to hike from town to the spot.
5025978
I said nothing about leadership ability, just that ponies won't take her seriously. Joan d'Arc required a literal miracle (divination of the Battle of Herrings) to convince people she was competent.
5026305
I actually started the chapter with this crazy idea where there would be a zeppelin battle and stuff but I decided against it since I like all my chapters developing the plot (and that would have been a whole chapter where nothing really happened).
5026707 Probably a good call, that sounds like it would have moved a lot SLOWER than expected.
5026125
Or it could be even more unlikely...
especially if what we're seeing is how Pinkie ticks though Sweetie's changes.
--Spade
Excellent chapter. I detail my problems with the Tablet's reasoning below.
Manipulation may be a tool, but Sweetie is concerned about the tool's morality in the first place. Using your position as a higher-reasoning being to convince your friends of something or into something without their knowledge can be thought of as modification without informed consent. For a more clear-cut example, look at Friendship is Optimal. An agent manipulating you (using its greater certainty of your actions, as well as its knowledge of what events will affect the probabilities of those actions, and then affecting those events in order to affect your actions) reduces your agency. The lack of knowledge on the affected agent's part that the manipulator was involved in this analytical process and has detailed information regarding the agent's mental model is another questionable aspect of this. Indeed, this very mechanism is what would allow a boxed AGI to escape its confinement.
I am led to believe that the Tablet itself is also manipulating Sweetie Belle.
The whole argument in this thread about atheism and agnosticism is silly. A rational agnostic will act like an atheist.
5026125
There is plenty of evidence for Pinkie's preternatural abilities. I fucking hate the "faith" interpretation of Feeling Pinkie Keen, because that's not what it was about at all. You don't have to understand a phenomenon to accept that it will work. Now, there was certainly some anti-curiosity stuff going on (e.g. Twilight being punished in the form of physical misfortune), but a kid's show wouldn't be displaying the next appropriate response, analyzing what happened on its own terms.
Of course, if Twilight wanders too far, then she might reach a situation similar to Twilight Discovers Literary Analysis. If the current author was feeling postmodern enough.
Poor Sweetie Belle, this whole journey is playing havoc on her delicate soul. But, I am sure it will heal over time afterward. And, like a few commenters had noted, just because it is ‘highly unlikely’, it doesn’t mean ‘completely impossible’, and that having to rely less on faith is not necessarily a bad thing. Can’t wait to see how her newly gained knowledge will play out.
C&Cs:
He was about to leave but there was something about the mare’s voice that made his feel sorry for her.
> Comma after ‘leave’ and replace ‘his’ with ‘him’.
It now officially marked a whole week since the Tablet found itself in Sweetie Belles head.
> Correction: “Belle’s”.
...and the worst part of it was it was right.
> Add ‘that’ after ‘was’.
She liked to forget that the Tablet was dangerous when it wasn’t
> The sentence is incomplete.
You won’t be leaving your family like your parents.I miss my family too.
> Separate the two sentences and comma after 'family' on the second sentence.
...and I;ve got you doing all kinds of bad things on this adventure...
> Correction: “I’ve”.
Wow...I suddenly feel really sorry for Sweetie Belle...
...I wanna hug her...
5027113
You are right about what Sweetie Belle is concerned about but there is nothing wrong with the Tablet's reasoning.
The thing is, a tool can't have morality, that's like saying a gun has morality; it doesn't make sense. The manipulation that CelestAI does is only wrong in context. There is another system which reduces agency, and manipulates people into doing the "right" thing, it's called the law. The law is considered a good thing, even though it performs a similar form of manipulation that CelesAI does (maybe less direct and powerful, but with the same intent). I can imagine circumstances in which one might want to be manipulated against their will. In those cases, would it still be bad? Context is key.
Also, you are referring to the reduction of agency as an objectively bad thing when it is not. In the end, even the idea of agency is debatable. We are ultimately the product of our environment, the question being how much. It is necessary, even in pony society, to reduce agency to maintain order, and that is considered a good thing. Too much agency leads to anarchy.
In short, if you manipulate somebody to do good (the law) it's good, but if you manipulate somebody to do bad, then it's bad. The manipulation itself is, therefore, neither good nor bad. The tablet teaching Sweetie Belle how to manipulate doesn't make her a bad pony, nor does it make the Tablet evil.
As for the Tablet manipulating Sweetie Belle ... it definitely is an influence on her, that's for sure, but it can only manipulate if it has an intent. What intent do you think it has? (I'm genuinely curious what I've been showing here, won't give anything away though).
5027343
Fixed, thanks
Ah, Sweetie Belle has finally set foot in the ocean that is knowledge.
I'm glad you like it. I really am.
After all, if knowledge hurts you, then you weren't worthy of the knowledge in the first place.
I, SO can't wait for the next chapter. I really want to see it...
What can I do to show how much I want it...
How about this?
5027547
I believe that its intention is to make the world better through the spread of knowledge. After all, that is the intended use of the device, to teach future species of the last species' knowledge. As for Sweetie Belle, she is beginning to understand something, but it's hard to tell what exactly. She has discovered ignorance is bliss, however she also could start to realize that blind faith (as in accepting something without questioning it) isn't a good thing.
5026707
Good point. Still, even before her first miracle, she managed to convince her way all the way into the future king's court, which would have been no easy feat for an illiterate peasant girl.
Also, good on you for not slogging the plot.
fimfiction-static.net/images/story_images/119302.png?1374545045
delete
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5025319
I find it utterly hilarious that people are talking the "purely by faith" comment to have a religious meaning. After all she's a foal / little filly. And young people / ponies have faith in older people / ponies. Family, friends, teachers, gov.'t officials. The internet. If they're told something from a "trusted source" they're likely to believe it. At least until cynicism, experience, and learning to think for oneself kicks in.
Still nice chapter.
5025385
Part of your response("multipule times") made me think you thought I thought that you were making mistakes perpetually.
I repeat, you haven't made these kinds of mistakes before. Or, at least, I don't remember them from before.
None the less, I'ma nit-pick now k?
I'm considering this an invitation.
Pronoun confusion: It could mean either "town" or "mare".
That second sentence is not a full sentence. It is an example meant to clarify what "it" was "like". It refers to the "something". Connect the two with a colon.
I want to say that "who" should be "which" but companies are considered people now, so I have to give this a pass.
The part after "but" is a full sentence so there should be a comma before "but".
I am also unsure if the "for a while" means "promote tourism for awhile" or "had changed the name for awhile". I am guessing that you were applying it to the name change. Move "For a while" after " 'Springs' "
When you say "the hopes" here, you are inventing a metaphorical object called a "hope". What these hopes involve is unspecified. What you said is like saying "the tool to remove screws" when you are talking about a screw driver. It would be better to say "the tool used to remove screws" since "to remove screws" is a verb phrase. You could also say "the tool for removing screws" since the use of a tool is also it's purpose which is what "for" identifies. You could say "the tool of screw removal" since a tool pertains to it's function. Likewise, you could say "in the hopes of promoting tourism" or "in the hopes for the promotion of tourism" or "in the hopes that motivated them to promote tourism". You could also say ", hoping to promote tourism". I recommend "in the hopes of promoting". Two of the other three have odd emphasis and the third one requires that you change the punctuation.
So, that's
The word "still" does no work here. The fact "didn't change", which already expresses continuation. It's weird and it's white noise and delete "still".
comma before "but", same reason as above.
"The gary stallion sighed." is a full sentence which fully expresses it's idea. Everything after that first comma is a sentence. They are not to be separated by a comma. If you want to express a greater degree of connection between these sentences than a period provides, use a semicolon.
All sentences being joined by a common conjunction like this are assumed to have the exact same text shared between each of them. In this case, the text is "she had" and possibly "a". When you specified "a" shirt, you changed the full sentences. If the "a" before "grey" is shared, you said "She had a a shirt." If it is not shared, you said "She had hat." and "She had vest."
"If you don't leave soon" is a dependant clause meant to clarify under exactly what conditions the ticketing would have to occur. It is not a natural part of the "subject-predicate" structure. Place a comma after "soon".
If you are referring to the value, this is correct and should remain unchanged, since a value is singular. If you are trying to refer to the objects, switch it to "were", since "bits" would be plural in that case.
"Even" and "still" do the same job. Recomend remove "still"
"Not that the fillies complained is not a full sentence." It clarifies the prior sentence. Change the period before "not" into a comma or place () around that part and delete the comma. A dash might also work.
You placed a comma after "time" because you recognize that "considering that they were seated most of the time" is a clause, but you also need to separate it from "but" by placing a comma after "but". The conjoined sentence is still a legitimate part of the sentence and clauses need to be separated from those types of things.
"a staple name-" is not a full sentence and it is meant to define "the 'breeze traders". Use a colon, not a semicolon.
Semicolons separate full sentences. Colons indicate defining clarification. This is not two full sentences. Use a colon.
"Is it can be easy?"
That is the implied question above. Recommend replace "can" with "is".
Two full sentences with conjunction. Comma before but.
Two full sentences without conjunction. Replace comma with period of semicolon.
What is a "Well I"?
Well is not an adjective or adverb here. In this case it means something along the lines of "Be that as it may". It relates the current sentence to the sentence it is responding to. Also, it qualifies as an interjection, in that it tells us about scootaloo's tone. Separate it with a comma.
your
typos get one word responses
You say "it" twice and are referring to two different things in a single sentence, unless you are saying that the insult was right, which would be correct anyway
Semicolons separate complete sentences. Right now, I am unsure if the part after the semicolon is supposed to be another conjoined sentence or a separate sentence that just happens to use a conjunction at it's start. That's a bad sign. Usually, conjunctions at the beginnings of sentences are used as interjections and should be separated by a comma. However, there is a conflict here in either case. See, the conjunction and the semicolon are both supposed to specify information relating the next sentence to the prior sentence. They are both doing the same job and they each mean slightly different things. So, you have two conflicting sets of information right now about the relationship between these sentences. Basically, never use a semicolon before a conjunction.
Is this a question? Does it need a "?"?
Wait, she needs someone else to get out of her messes? Wouldn't that be done best by ignoring her and walking away? I think you meant, "to get me out of my messes"
Why is there any punctuation there at all? What is it doing? I can't tell. Maybe you meant either of the following?
The Tablet never missed a chance to answer a question.
The Tablet—never missing a chance to answer a question— responded,"-
Unless she means that things are no longer well, "Well" is an interjection and should be separated by a comma.
The butterflies at the knowledge , things she could do, and possibilities.
The butterflies what? What did the butterflies do? This is not a full sentence. I suspect that this was meant as a clarification and definition of the feeling she thinks twilight feels for books, which would mean that this isn't a full sentence because it isn't supposed to be. Change the period after "books" into a colon.
Same as previous section. Change the first period into a colon and the second into a comma.
I suppose it is.
currently, "as" is being applied to "different". This means that it should be giving an example about exactly what degree or form of difference is occurring. I believe you wished to apply "as" to the whole sentence, thus changing the example to an explanation of how the whole thing is occurring at all. Comma before "as"
How do you race "competing"? Competing is not an adverb, adjective, or an object which the verb is acting on. It it the beginning of an aside, a dependent clause that gives extra detail to the actions occurring. comma after raced
How does one "rather" it? How is it "rather"? comma before and after rather
Of course is not part of the subject-predicate set, separate with comma
Sure is an interjection. Comma after sure
It's not quite wrong, but "remembering in history class" leans in the direction of "remembering while present in history class". Remembering "from" implies more strongly that the thing she is remembering is in a different time-frame then herself.
"it is to"
There are two things you could mean right here. You could mean "it is used to X" or you could mean "the definition is X". If you were defining, the definition you gave was for "manipulate" and not "manipulation". If you were stating it's use, the word use was not implied strongly enough to be totally left out.
Since "manipulation" is the topic and you might want to leave it in the "object" grammatical form, I would recommend adding "meant" before to instead of "used"