Everyone knows about a changeling's primary form of magic - their eponymous transformations. However, their other major form of magic is far less well-known, and yet, potentially, more dangerous.
Nevertheless, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, protected from its effects but trapped and isolated, must figure out who the source of this cataclysmic cognitive collapse is. Or, at least, who they look like - they know exactly who they really are, and that only makes the situation more dire.
Can they find the imposter without being able to leave the castle basement? Even if they do, can they save the town without falling victim to the same affliction they're trying to dispel? Can even Twilight's genius overcome the force of true stupidity?
And the most baffling question of all, as far as Pinkie's concerned: why on Equestria would Twilight ask for her help on this?!
Written for the Dumb as Doornails Contest, based on a headcanon I've had for a long, long time.
Featured on 26rd September 2024 - Thank you guys so much!
Oh Pinkie
Oh, Pinkie... (for different reasons than last chapter)
Ah, yeah. We've all had those days.
Don't worry, Pinkie. I'm sure it'll pass.
Oh god they're really overestimating that moron
Pinkie should stop badmouthing Twilight's friend like that.
Perfectly illustrating why Pinkie Pie is my favorite of the Mane 6, and why Twilight and Pinkie are my favorite pairing, platonic or otherwise.
I had to paste this into a Google Doc and slowly cancel out the double negatives, but basically...
GOING ON THE GRASS IS ALLOWED!
Kek! I was waiting for that shoe to drop.
Step 1) Beat up Cadence and throw her into a mine beneath the city
Step 2) Replace her and make her groom cough up a bunch of love
Step 3) Tell everyone that you plan to take over the city so that they erect a force field to keep all of your master infiltrators outside
Step 4) Get married and keep draining love all by yourself
Step 5) Attack the city by having your starving master-of-disguise minions bang their heads against the force field like moths against a light bulb
Step 6) Rule the world!
12005403
She is proving to be a formidable foe.
The emotionally vulnerable, self-doubting Pinkie of Season 1--oh, how I missed her.
I want to take a moment and look past the general insanity of the situation.
It melts my heart just now much esteem Twilight has for Pinkie. The alicorn thinks the world of her friend. It's so sweet I'm gonna burst.
Now, back to the show....
12005858
For what it's worth, it's possible that the threat which warranted the barrier was completely unrelated. Most likely Tirek, who escaped while Cerberus was distracted earlier in the season and wasn't properly dealt with until two seasons later.
I also headcanon Celestia as actually having changeling detection spells, but that they pick up Cadance as a false positive she's learned to ignore. This makes replacing the bride of a major wedding significantly less idiotic.
This is the most plausible explanation for the incompetence of Celestia and her palace guards and all the ponies. From now on, I will consider the theory of a field of mental magic to be a canon.
Аn amazing sketch. I suppose there are no plans to continue? or...
12006600
Not directly, I'm afraid, but as it says in the description, the mental magic field has been my headcanon for a long time, so it's canon to all my stories. Which... isn't really relevant most of the time, but it's probably the closest I'll get.
This is the first time I can remember ever seeing the idea that there are different kinds of intelligence so clearly articulated, and I appreciate it. Personally, I am of the opinion that everyone, absolutely everyone, is intelligent in one way or another, and also lacks intelligence in other ways and areas.
Now, not everyone uses their particular type of intelligence, making it better and themselves more intelligent...
And altogether too many people think that they're intelligent in a way that they're not...
But the point still stands.
You're a brilliant pony, Pinkie Pie!
And so are all your friends! 
(Yes, even Rainbow Dash.)
Congratulations on earning the silver medal! This was an absolute joy to read.