>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?