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- >Strange, really…
- “We haven’t all day, Amethyst.”
- >You’d once berated Candy for recommending this whole thing
- >...Yet here you are
- >”Alright… I presume you know the process?”
- >You don’t grace the notion with a reply, instead relaxing into your chair, eyes now closed
- >You try and steady your breathing, focusing on the gentle crackle from the fireplace
- >Thoughts soon roll in of happier times and welcoming friends
- >Their faces are long since forgotten, but their voices are pristine
- >”...I’ll take that as a yes.”
- >An audible ‘Pop!’ is had as a spell is cast
- >A feeling of comforting warmth overtakes the entirety of your sleep-deprived body
- >Naturally it’d take you more than a mere minute’s rest and relaxation to calm your mind and body so, but going on two days with four hours of sleep tends to run normality into the ground
- >Just as you’re beginning to enter the ethereal dreamworld, though, there comes a low, calm voice
- >The voice of Amethyst Star, Canterlot’s top-rated hypnotherapist
- >”Allow yourself to begin to relax.”
- >Your brow slightly furrows in anger
- >”You and only you are in control of how much, or how little, relaxation you—”
- “I’m plenty relaxed.”
- >”—will feel… and how successful this session will be.”
- >You’re plenty relaxed
- >Someone could come in and chop your fucking kneecaps off and you’d be unable to give two fu—
- >”And now, with every breath you take, allow yourself to relax deeper…”
- >You’ve always been relaxed, hell, you were born too relaxed… the doctors thought your ass was dead on arrival
- >”Every sound you hear… be it the gentle crackling of the fire, the sound of my voice, or even your gentle breathing...”
- >You really can’t count the amount of times you’ve tried this whole ‘Relaxation’ thing by yourself
- >”Just allow it to relax you deeper, and if you’ll focus on your breathing…”
- >Shit’s never worked, no matter the amount of wasted hours spent on those useless fucking books
- >”You’ll notice just how calmer your breathing is, and how much more controlled than it was.”
- >But, hey, what do you know?
- >”Release any burden you feel in your shoulders.”
- >You’re just the some retard who happens to be the nation’s wealthiest non-equine
- >”Allow yourself to accept support…”
- >Taking in a breath, you slowly exhale
- >Come on, just trust that Candy knows what she’s talking about...
- >”And trust in the knowledge that you are supported, even when you cannot see it.”
- >Easy now, easy…
- >Just think of something nice, like Candy always said she did when she gets upset…
- >Ah, here we go
- >You hear them
- >Their voices
- >Some ecstatic, some yelling, others casual as if it’s just Tuesday
- >”...Let go of any tension in the shoulders, any burden in the back… allow yourself to release the load.”
- >But one rings above them all
- >It was the reason you signed up in the first place
- >”You are strong.”
- >It’s her laugh
- >”And you are more powerful than you yourself imagine.”
- >You wanted to protect that smile
- >You wanted to give her a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to go keep going when everything else seemed grim
- >”And as you have supported others in your life, so allow yourself to be supported.”
- >Your body slowly slips into the world of sleep as your mind continues on
- >Your senses of skin and touch are muddled, your body completely numb while the brain churns through the feelings being forced through it
- >”My words are just part of a much bigger world of love and support out there… and as you breathe into this…”
- >There comes the occasional twitch, yes, but besides that your body sits as motionless as a corpse
- >”There may be discomfort, tension, stress, something else I may have not named yet…”
- >”But realize grief is normal.”
- >Your hand jerks at that, curling into a fist
- >”All emotions are normal.”
- >She doesn’t know the first thing about grief
- >”But grief is a powerful process that needs support to move along and to transform over time...
- >These Equestrians don’t know the first fucking thing about grief
- >About hard life
- >About what it means to keep going when God has abandoned you in a foreign planet
- >”And as I say every word with respect, I do not know the exact relationship between you and your loved one…”
- >A few more twitches come, nearly waking your body from the state
- >”So as we go through this process, some phrases may resonate theme… and some may not.”
- >Focus on her voice, Anon…
- >”And you will simply filter and focus in on the images, feelings, words, and emotions that resonate for you.”
- >Focus on calming your body down into that numb state...
- >”And if you come back to this at a later time, you may find that others resonate instead.”
- >Slowly unclench the fist… that’s it
- >”The process is not linear or straightforward, but with the right support you can get through this and come through the other side with even greater learning…”
- >Breathe in… breathe out
- >”Greater strength.”
- >Ease into the chair as if were an old friend
- >”And I do not know what has happened, or what you are feeling right now…”
- >Ease the tension in the neck, allow the muscles to fall asleep and erase all semblance of worry within
- >”But I know that sometimes we feel pressured to box up our emotion, to process them from the few days off from work or school…”
- >And focus on her words…
- >”...But know you are not alone.”
- >...
- >......
- >So far, so good
- >Well, as good as it could be, considering the constant bursts of anger and contempt that’ve been spiking from his subconscious
- >You’ve been trying to eat away at the later, which, to some extent, has worked
- >Hey, not as filling or as satisfying as love, but it’ll do to quell the gnawing hunger
- “...But you are not alone.”
- >You take a deep breath, now in sync with his breathing
- >A small trick you picked up on—
- >”Alone.”
- >You blink, looking at the man
- >His eyes are wide open, set straight forward
- >Unmoving, unblinking
- >That’s not the weird part, though
- >That would be how you can’t detect any emotion coming from him
- >You’d expect something to be resonating from him by now
- >You were previously able have a semi-reasonable read on his emotions the whole time, despite him being a creature of alien design
- >But now?
- >The absence of it is more worrying than any reading he could have given off
- >Your spell on his body slowly gives way as he reaches for his chairside table
- >One hand grabs a bottle of wine, the other a glass
- >His eyes slowly drift down to the glass
- >His fingers go limp, letting the thing slowly roll out of his grasp
- >It shatters on the wooden floor below, sending hundreds of shards in every direction
- >Your eyes widen at this as you jump slightly in your seat
- >And, without a second thought, Anonymous begins to drink as if his life depended on it
- >You’d expect him to stop for a breath halfway through the bottle, but no
- >No breaks for air are had
- >Your eyes are a mix of fear and worry as he finishes the thing, a low whistle coming from the man
- >You can feel trickles of anger coming from the man, but those are few and far between
- >When he slowly turns to you, though, that’s when you see it
- >His eyes
- >Behind the poker face and political smile, you can see it all as you two lock eyes
- >Rage
- >Pure, unmolested rage
- >”Thank you very much, Amethyst, but I think that’s all I can handle today.”
- >He gestures to the door, a slow nod escaping him, smile unflinching
- >”I’ll be sure to call again if I ever feel like I need your services in the near future.”
- >He reaches under his collar, producing a small chain
- >It bears a small, blue gem
- >He rubs gives it a small, visible squeeze before clapping twice
- >”Tote Bag, if you’d be so kind as to escort the good doctor out…?”
- >Much to your surprise, there comes a muted voice from the thing
- >”Of course, right away, sir.”
- >”Very well, carry on.”
- >He tucks the thing back beneath several layers of clothing before returning his eyes to you
- >You shrink ever so faintly under his gaze
- >”Again, thank you for everything… this was enlightening, to say the least.”
- >A brief burst of joy comes from the man, followed by another splash of anger
- >Your lips move before your brain
- “O-oh?”
- >He nods, checking his watch absentmindedly
- >You also notice that his boot’s tapping impatiently against the floor, crunching shards of glass all the while
- >”Found out what’s wrong… or something that’s close to the root of the issue.”
- >He slowly makes to stand, idly stretching once he’s reached his full height
- >The hulking man makes his way to the fireplace, eyes pointed at the massive art piece that lay just above
- >And, for a moment, you dare to give it a glance
- >When you do, however, you feel your eyes widen
- >It’s a portrait of a woman…
- >A human, much like Anonymous, but distinctly different
- >Long, silky hair
- >Eyes of a beautiful, vibrant shade
- >Face curvy and accentuated by thin lips, of which are pulled into a happy smile
- >And, for a moment, you feel it
- >You feel it radiating from him in waves
- >Love
- >The intensity of it dwarfs anything you’d ever felt before
- >Be it by Cadance, Celestia, or anything in between
- >This…
- >This changes things
- >”Right this way, Ms Amethyst.”
- >You blink, tearing yourself away from the sight
- >Tote Bag is at the door, a happy smile on her face as she notices the look on Anonymous’ face
- >”Psssh, I told you you’d be fine!”
- >The maid excitedly waves you in, a smile now on the young mare’s face
- >Your eyes flicker between her and Anonymous, unsure of what to do
- >When he turns to you, though, you look into his eyes once again
- >You’re already out of the door before a moment’s passed
- >There comes a soft ‘Clink!’ as the door is shut behind you
- >Silence reigns king…
- >”So, how’d it gooooo?”
- >You blink, sucking in a deep breath
- “Well, it could have gone better…”
- >As if on cue, you both jump at the sound of shattering glass
- >Your eyes lock, hers then flickering to the door before she calls out, all but banging on the door
- >”Sir, is everything alr—”
- >The sound of tumbling and crashing furniture is her response, followed by a string of enraged cursing
- >Snapping wood and bookshelves crashing down force your ears to cup to the side of your head
- >Above the cursing and frantic shouting, though, there comes a word
- >A very distinct word that gives you a an surge of emotions that you’ve not felt since you were a nymph
- >”Alone!”
- >”S-sir?!”
- >Her panicked calls and knocks are drowned out by the sounds of chaos from within Anonymous’ study
- >”Sir!”
- “We should go.”
- >She looks to you, eyes wide
- >”I, b-but, we can’t just… what if he’s—”
- >You shake your head, unable to find words
- >And, as another string of curses if followed by the crashing of blows, you turn and make for the stairs
- >You came here to make allies with Cadance’s closest friend
- >You came here in hopes of possibly scoring an ace in the hole for the trials and tribulations that the future holds
- >But, then again, you came here thinking that the rumors were just that
- >Rumors
- >Reaching the front door, though, you can’t help but freeze as a stray thought hits you
- >Your…
- >Your spell couldn’t have caused this, r-right?
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