//------------------------------// // Subject 118: Therapy 2 // Story: Interviews With Equestrians // by Jmaster49 //------------------------------// “To branch off of what I just asked Vestige,” Inkwell looked at Twilight once more, “For you, princess: Do you believe in justice?” At that point, the princess must have realized that this wasn’t the fun, quirky scientific experiment that she thought it was. This was something much more consequential to us all. Her next answer was a much more relaxed, yet philosophic one. “...I do. The element of magic knows no bias. Everypony should be treated fairly and equally.” In spite of her unchanged expression, Inkwell raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Everypony? Even criminals?” “...Yes,” Twilight replied, “Criminals deserve the right to a fair trial and the punishment that befits the crime committed.” She seemed rather confident in her response on the outside, but the line that bounced upon her EKG told otherwise. I believed that she knew exactly where Raven was going to take this. “I see...even criminals convicted of the most heinous of offenses?” The white earth pony tilted her head with an unconvinced glare, “Are you absolutely positive that you think they all deserve a fair trial?” More sweat ran down her muzzle, and Twilight took a shaky, deep breath before answering. “...Yes.” The cloud above her head would only grow larger. “...?” She stared at it with a confused expression. “What? But I…” “Another weak fallacy. If you truly believed that all criminals deserve a fair trial, then why did you order this stallion to execute Svengallop behind the public’s back? As the princess, it is your job to uphold the law and keep everything balanced no matter what happens. But when you choose to defy your own laws, you set a bad precedent for what could come in the future. Is that clear?” The purple mare responded with a slow, but silent nod. “Now, why did you give him that order?” Inkwell asked in a tone akin to a stern mother that disciplined her child. She was a bit anxious what with her shaky breaths and slow response. “I...I gave him the order because I felt Svengallop was undeserving...he had caused other ponies so much undue suffering that I could not wait to erase him from existence completely. I felt that...he didn’t deserve a trial.” “Hm. Repeat that ‘F’ word again.” “...’Felt’?” "Again." "'Felt.'" “The law does not care about your feelings, princess. Trust me, I wished death upon him as well. But what you did created a problem that didn’t need to exist. Do you comprehend?” Twilight looked down, and tried to counter with a point of her own. “But not every case is the same. What if somepony is fighting off an individual that is making an attempt on their life? Do they not have the right to kill in self-defense for the sake of their and their loved-one’s well-being?” “Murder in self-defense of another murder is a slightly different story,” Inkwell replied, “Everypony has the right to defend themselves if they are being attacked. No matter where you are in the world. However, Svengallop was already detained, and imprisoned for his crimes. There was no act of self-defense or protection engaged in that scenario. That was an act of out-of-turn murder before the execution date. And you, princess, caused it with that order. How would you feel if Celestia, Cadance, your brother, or even your parents found out that you had called such a callous order? Your impatience got the better of you.” Shamefully, Twilight continued to stare at the floor with no response. But I could sense the gears turning in her head. She realized the weight behind her actions and what they meant for me and the world at large. “...I’m sorry...I didn’t think that through,” she replied in a somber tone, “They would call me a fool and a coward for pulling such a thing, and hiding behind an officer for it. But...it’s a mistake I won’t make again.” Raven rolled her eyes. “Don’t apologize to me. In order to properly move on from a mistake, you need to not only learn from it, but you also need to forgive yourself. And for the record, your reign as a world leader is still in its infancy compared to those before you. Mistakes and pains like this are inevitable, but suffering from it is entirely optional. You can choose to suffer, or you can choose to learn and improve yourself in the coming years so that you may be the best ruler you can be.” The alicorn opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. She let out a small sigh, and started to think to herself about what had transpired. Raven’s therapy style must have worked fairly well if it managed to stump Twilight Sparkle of all ponies. “Allow yourself a moment to mull over what I have explained,” Inkwell looked at me next, “Now you...it’s your turn. Are you prepared?” “Yes,” I replied. It was a no-brainer. Raven wanted to emphasize how important it was. “Are you sure? You can get up and leave right now and it’ll all be over. But once you’re in, you’re in. By the time you come out, you’ll have a new state of mind to accompany what you had before and uncover wounds that you may not be ready to treat.” She pushed her glasses up. “So I will ask this one more time and one more time only: Are you prepared?” If it meant that I could gain a new perspective on myself and the world at large? Absolutely. I would never leave any stone unturned when it came to something as imperative as this. Even if it meant that I had to face more pain than I was able. I would not let down my guard, but I also refused to act like a coward any longer. “Yes,” I said, “Let’s begin.” Raven flipped another page upon the clipboard, and continued to question me. “Then answer me this: Why did you accept that order? So readily in fact? It’s bad enough that Twilight commanded you to do such a thing, but did you not stop to question the implications of your actions? What was going on in your head when she asked that of you?” A simple question that demanded a complex riposte. But I knew where I stood. “I...accepted because I wanted to get rid of him as fast as possible. I figured that, if Twilight herself requested that I eliminate him without any need for a public execution, then it must have been important. So...I followed the orders of my leader.” The cloud above my own head grew even larger. This was something I could blame no one but myself for. I knew that I wasn’t being entirely truthful. But to what extent? Raven was about to throw it in my face. “Falsehood,” she uttered with a scant amount of sympathy, “Yes, you followed orders. But look where it led you. No soldier or officer can operate properly if they are unable to think for themselves in the field. A General or Commander will not be there with you every step of the way to give you advice and hold your hoof. You know that. You’re better than that.” I held back the aching that I went through in my head. This form of therapy worked in an odd fashion. It left me in a state of mind where I could do nothing except listen to what was being told to me. I had no energy to argue or debate. This was something that I needed to endure for the sake of understanding where my faults were so that I may become a better pony. It was a roundabout method...but I couldn’t go against it. “...I…” Raven interrupted me, and continued with no hesitation. “You’re afraid. You were too scared of your own inability to defy the order when you knew it didn’t fall in line with the law. That fear you had within yourself caused unnecessary conflict and destruction. Now you have extra suspicion placed upon you and Cozy from the general public because of the fact that you decided to act before you thought.” I couldn’t deny it. In the heat of the situation, I had made such an erroneous decision from fear and not logic. Such a decision, in the long run, would cause nothing but unneeded foolishness and confusion surrounding the situation. I had turned my back on my own ideals for the sake of ending a life at the wrong time. And for what? To fulfill an objective? Or to satisfy my own ego…? “With that being established…” The earth pony mare didn’t cease her barrage of questions either. “Next: Do you think that you are truly the right pony for the job of taking after Cozy? One led by emotion and unable to think for himself? Is that the kind of pony that she needs to take after?” That question made me shiver in my seat. I glanced at Twilight who still had her head hung helplessly low. There was nothing I could do to avoid it any further--I had to face my own fears. “...No. I am not…” I muttered with a low tone as I quivered in my seat. Raven didn’t hear me clearly enough. “Excuse me?” “I’m not…” I said a bit louder, but still not enough to carry past a few inches. “Your thoughts don’t communicate unless you do,” she said as she fixed her glasses, “I suggest you make yourself clear, officer.” “I’M NOT!” I shouted out of the blue, and started to sob quietly. I covered my face with both hooves out of shame. The shadow of the cloud made me look twice as pitiful. “...I’m not the one Cozy should follow. I’m a desolate, broken stallion whose ideas of morality have brought unjust conflict to those around me. She deserves far better--someone who can teach her to think for herself and make good decisions. Otherwise, she’ll end up no better than she was when she was a child.” I waited… The dark clouds above my head got smaller. “Finally, you admit the truth to yourself,” Raven commented, “You feel ashamed in yourself deep down because you know you’re not the shining star that you’ve been made out to be. Despite all of the praise you get from your allies and loved-ones, you know that you can improve and have made decisions that are questionable.” She took a pause, and exhaled. “...So I ask you: What do you think you could do to improve? After all, Cozy Glow is ultimately your responsibility. If your public perception worsens further, the public perception of Cozy could worsen as well, which will lead to many conflicts and the young mare being attacked. If you want to prevent that, then you need to start thinking smarter. So what will it be?” I took a moment before I answered. “...I will...reconsider my own ideals. Maybe I don’t need to have the final say in a situation. Maybe my vision of what is a just Equestria doesn’t need to happen. I need to simply dial back and regroup my thoughts.” “No.” Raven shook her head. “Be moderate in your passions, but do not abandon your ideals. Just about anypony can give up and throw away all that they’ve worked for. That is the effortless coward’s way out of a situation. But to uphold your ideals, have them challenged, and still work on ways to uphold them despite knowing your own imperfections. That is what separates spineless individuals from those who can make a difference.” She raised a brow. “Isn’t that what your mother did? By running out on you and your father, she took the coward’s way out of the situation. Do you want to end up like her?” I froze. No one had ever utilized the subject of my parents in a conversation since it was a sensitive topic. But Raven pulled no punches. Rightfully so--it was her job as therapist after all. But it made me think hard. Did I have the potential to end up similar to her if I didn’t work on my flaws? I couldn’t even bear the thought of abandoning Cozy just because it became difficult. She went on. “Or how about your father? Bitter and angry, he took out all of his rage upon you. Predictably, you took your own rage out on those at your school all throughout your foalhood. Miranda Rights did her best to rehabilitate you, and you’ve mostly recovered. But even I can see that you still harbor some of that bitterness. If you didn’t, then you wouldn’t have accepted that order so easily. Am I wrong?” Another verbal punch to the gut. The last thing in the world that I wanted was to end up like that...disgusting stallion that I recalled as my ‘father.’ It made me sick to just think about it. “...No. You’re not wrong at all.” “Then start acting like you care about the world at large instead of just yourself and what you feel is right,” Raven continued with a softer tone, “Until then, you’ll be a poor influence on the rest of ponykind. If it were up to me, I would’ve forced you into isolation a long time ago. But you’re not that far gone...yet.” “Then I’ll prove it,” I replied, “With my actions.” She glared at me with questionable daggers in her eyes. “You honestly think you’re ready to make a difference? That you can just go out there and make everything better by tomorrow?” I paused, and looked down. She had a point--I had to be realistic. “...No.” The clouds above my head grew again. “What…?” I looked up, and at Raven with a helpless expression. How was that a lie? “...Raven, is this really…?” Twilight was about to ask a question, but was cut off by the therapist/secretary mare. “Oh don’t start, princess,” she replied in a snappy fashion, “You were lucky enough to not go through half of what he’s endured. These hypnosis spells are geared towards assisting those who cannot see their own problems. Pale is a victim--of his own mind. A mind that he needs to unlock to reach his fullest potential. It’s no different than the forms of magic you practice. Do you understand?” The alicorn fell silent. After I watched the clouds loom over me, I responded. “...No...she’s right,” I said as I wiped away the tears from my eyes. “...I genuinely do think that I can change. But it’s going to take time. It’s not something I can correct overnight. But if I can work towards being more logical and stop following my heart...then I could become an even better officer. One that doesn’t make such...harmful mistakes. And it’s going to start at home with Cozy and I.” Raven looked at me with a scoff. “Really? And just how are you going to work on that?” I looked off to the side, and out of the window of the office. “I’m going to take some time off. Away from my profession. It’s...clearly caused me a lot of unforeseen stress that I must work out on my own.” I exhaled, and looked at Raven. “This is something I must...no. This is something I’m choosing to do.” “I see.” Raven turned her head to Twilight, “If I may, you should do the same. Both of you need to take a step back from your professions, reevaluate your methods, and come back with a clear head. Understand?” Twilight’s wings popped open. “...But that’s impossible! Who’s going to run Equestria while…” “Twilight--I believe there are several ponies, a griffon, and a dragon in your employ who know you well enough to assist in shouldering your workload,” the white mare responded, “Do you want your stress to build until you create a super-powered evil side akin to Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker? A side that would be so strong that nopony could fend you off and you would destroy the world?” She shook her head. “...No. I don’t want that.” “Then you’ll take some time off as well. If Vestige can come to that conclusion on his own, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to as well.” “...Understood.” Raven got up from her seat, and her assistants removed the electrical pads from our bodies. “There we go. You’re both cleared. But if you ever have any more problems, then don’t hesitate to return.” I nodded, and stood up. “Absolutely. Thank you.” Twilight and I left the room. On our way out, she glanced at me. “...Are you okay?” I tipped my hat. “Of course. I just need to evaluate some things. Work on myself...the usual post-therapy reflective process.” “Yeah...me too.” With that, I kept going. “See you around, princess.” And I left the Town Hall to head home. “Goodbye...I hope you feel better.” I heard a flash of magic, and she teleported away. I started to walk home. And, just as it was on my way there, I noticed a few ponies look wary of me, and whisper to each other as I passed them by. Moments such as that normally didn’t affect me, but I knew exactly why they had those looks on their faces. All I could do was work to make things better for Cozy and improve my own way of life above all else. When I arrived at my house, I nearly fell over onto my face when I opened the door. Corkscrew, Quick Draw, Flash Drive, Neon, and Guttersnipe were all there in the living room. The former three sat on the couch, the latter two sat in chairs on either side of the couch. They had waited for me the whole time, it seemed. “Great. You’re here, man,” Flash spoke up first, “We need to have a talk.”