Outskirts of Appleloosa – Tree Hugger's Cabin – Late Morning
Smiling from ear to ear, Tree Hugger blinked her heavy eyelids and came to a trotting stop in the middle of her exotically carpeted room.
"Welcome back, oh wandering spirit." She held a hoof over her chest. "I know you may be experiencing a lot of doubt, but allow me to clear those soul-stifling stormclouds with an open mind and heart." She waved her fetlock slowly through the air. "Unfetter yourself from the foundation of all chakras and learn to fly through new worlds of karmic bliss and enlightenment. Mmmmmm..." She inhaled, exhaled. "That's riiiight. Together, we can manifest our dreams into the metaphysical texture of the glorious thought fabric all around us."
There was a knock on the front door. It opened with a creak, and Braeburn stuck his head in. "Uhhhhhh... Miss Treehugger? Ma'am?"
Another smile. Another blink Tree Hugger pivoted ninety degrees from a mirror she was staring into and faced the front entrance. "Hmmm?"
"I... uh... I've been knocking for ten minutes." Braeburn gulped. "Are ya feelin' up to another counselin' session today?"
"Counseling?" She smiled, tail flicking lazily. "Counseling who?"
Braeburn opened the door the rest of the way, exposing Lyra, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette. Lyra smiled sheepishly and waved her hoof.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Tree Hugger's eyes widened by a millimeter. Maybe two. "Righteoussss, my feminine familiars." Grinning once more, she waved her hoof in circles. "Please, do re-enter the womb of Mother Mending. Ohmmmmmm..."
Braeburn shrugged at the mares and stepped aside so that they could trot in.
"Morning, Tree Hugger!" Minuette chirped, bouncing. "Boy, if you don't look red-eyed and bushy-tailed!"
"I was seeded for the express purpose of foraging through the fields of inner wisdom," Tree Hugger hummed. "And I refuse to 'hibernate' until I have successfully exorcised you of your fear of sharks."
"Uhhhhh..." Twinkleshine squinted. "Bugs."
"Hmmm?"
"We're afraid of bugs, remember?"
"Hmmmmmm..." Tree Hugger smiled at the walls behind them. "...but of course you are."
Twinkleshine fidgeted slightly.
"Say, uhhhh..." Lyra threw a brief, nervous glance at Lemon Hearts, then turned to face Tree Hugger directly. "Since we're all here to chillax and all..." She opened her saddlebag and produced her lyre. "...I was wondering if—maybe—it'd be cool if I strummed a few tunes on this baby. Y'know... to give us some background harmonies to meditate to? All in the spirit of keeping things laid back, of course."
Twinkleshine smiled.
"Mmmmmmm... I'm afraid we can't be having any of that," Tree Hugger said while trotting across the room.
Twinkleshine's smile faded.
"Oh?" Lyra cocked her head to the side. "Why not?"
"Oh, you sweet, sweet butterflies..." Tree Hugger opened one window after another. "...to achieve perfect inner clarity, we have to be in tune to the vibes all around us. Plinking strings would just... disrupt the flow of the harmonic river, don't you understand?"
"No, not really."
"Good. Glad that we're both on the same page." Tree Hugger paused, teetering slightly. "Mmmmmm... paper sheets... so smooooooothe." She waved her hoof through the air. "Let the gloss become the shiny pearl of your soul. Ohmmmmm..."
"Look." Lyra frowned. "I don't see how a little music could hurt—"
"Shhhh." Lemon Hearts trotted in. "She said it'd only be disruptive, didn't she?"
"But—"
"Lyra, she knows what she's doing."
"You sure about that?"
"Yes. I am." With a flick of her telekinesis, Lemon Hearts yanked the girls' planners out of Lyra's saddlebag. Clearing her throat, she took a few steps towards Tree Hugger and smiled. "I've set all our planners to the current day. See?" She held one of the notepads up. "Right where we left off! So, Miss Tree Hugger, what is today's itinerary?"
"Yeah!" Minuette leaned forward, grinning. "Where does my butterfly-self go, huh? Do we all become a fluffy, colorful kaleidoscope and flutter off into the sunset?! Huh?! Huh?!"
"Hmmmmm... actually..." Tree Hugger slowly swiveled about, eyelids swaying before her thin eyes. "I was thinking we would elevate ourselves to an even higher level of inner awareness."
"Huh?" Lyra blinked.
"Spirit insects is a start... but perhaps a bit too infantile for the likes of your blossoming, mature soul-selves." Tree Hugger cooed. "The time has come for you to let your soul projections vibe with your egoes." She smiled. "That is why, today, I will be introducing you mares to your spirit animals."
"Spirit... animals?" Lyra droned.
"Mmmmmmm... that's riiiiiight."
"Well... uh... okay then!" Lemon Hearts blinked, flipping through the notepad. "Where... er... exactly is that in the planner?"
"Planner?" Tree Hugger smiled past her.
Silence.
"Ahem..." Lemon Hearts threw the planners limply behind her shoulder. "Right! I guess... uh... spirit animals don't know how to read, do they?"
"Now that's the spirit..." Tree Hugger blinked. Smiled. Blinked again. "...animal!"
"Alrighty then!" Braeburn tilted his hat forward, turned tail, and trotted briskly out of the cabin. "Guess I'll be back for y'all at sundown again! Best of luck to yer inner soul-searchin' and such!"
"Yeah..." Lyra Heartstrings grimaced, reluctantly shoving her lyre back into her saddlebag as she squinted in Tree Hugger's direction. "...we're going to need it."