//------------------------------// // -(22)- From smoke to smother (part 2) // Story: Midnight Melody // by Caffeine Junkie //------------------------------// When Lucid Mind beckoned me to follow her I couldn’t help but shudder a little. No...it wasn't the fact that she wanted me to follow her into the dark alley that scared the hay out of me. It was something about her that gave me the chills... Silently we made our way through the narrow alley. Time passed but at some point it became abundantly clear that this alley turned out to be a dead end. My heart began to pound as I realized that I probably just sealed my own fate by following her. However, if she knew how I felt...she obviously decided not to show it. Suddenly a dreadful thought crossed my mind. Up to now that mare hadn't shown any emotions at all. So the reason why I felt so uneasy about her was because I didn't see a pony. All I saw...was just a mask... Those thoughts nearly made me cringe. All my life I had been about wearing masks. Seeing as society even encouraged that kind of behavior I never truly questioned it. However, looking at Lucid I couldn't help but wonder if I had given off a similar feeling whenever I acted cold towards others. Still a little lost in my thoughts I nearly managed to bump into Lucid when she suddenly decided to stop. As I wondered if the huge brick wall in front of us was just an illusion, Lucid simply turned to the porch on her left, took a step forward and knocked at the shabby door. Unable to conceal my surprise I looked, expectantly at the door. Could that possibly be a secret hideout in the lower city? However my thoughts were cut off short when a confused looking stallion opened the door. Okay…that pony certainly did not belong with Lucid Mind. Not only did he look like a mess...he also reeked of smoke, sweat and some other…bodily...fluids. While I was still busy hiding my disgust, the stallion’s eyes grew wide as he recognized who had just decided to pay him a visit. In an obvious attempt to look more cultivated he let his hoof wander through his three-day beard and began to address a visibly unfazed Lucid Mind. “So I wonder...what brings you to my humble home...miss Lucid Mind?” he asked while unleashing his alcoholic breath upon us. “I’d like to rent your home for the next few hours. I pre-emptively like to apologize for any inconvenience I may cause but I guess…this…” she said and tossed a small pouch of bits in front of his hooves. “…should be more than enough to compensate you for your lost time.” The stallion’s jaw dropped when he saw the bits well forth from the pouch. Greedily he picked up all the money and thanked his generous benefactor. “Now…if you’d excuse us…” Lucid Mind said, already entering the shabby home of the slimy stallion. “Oh, but of course, miss Mind." he said and paused for a bit before he continued "However, wouldn't it be terrible if word gets out that the famous Lucid Mind secretly meets with another mare in the lower city?" “Are you seriously trying to blackmail me?” Lucid Mind asked unconcerned. “No...of course not. Why would you ever think that? I am simply voicing my concerns. Being the nice stallion that I am, I've even decided to offer you my help in dispersing of those nasty rumors. Still...it's a lot of work to ensure that everything goes smoothly...so..." the shady stallion continued. “Fine…” Lucid Mind replied and took out a checkbook and a ballpen. Under the eyes of the greedy pony she made a swift motion and the check was signed. Well...that was rather odd. To be honest I couldn't say that I expected her to comply with his demand instead of just sending him flying. Well...maybe it wasn't that much money anyways. Then my eyes fell on the number she had just written down and I felt something inside of me die. That little scumbag just managed to extort more money from Lucid than I could earn in an entire decade... “Now then…enjoy yourself. Oh and when I come back I’d better see my house still be standing.” he said before he disappeared with a big grin. Wait…was he just implying that we had an affair? Sweet Celestia, he was. Oh...come on had all colts to be that way? At that moment I was reminded of the wise words of a drunken DJ; “Most colts don't think...and even the few who do, only do so with their little heads.” Even though she was talking about some of her fans I guess she'd be universally correct too... “Ahem…miss Octavia?” Lucid Mind interrupted my thoughts. “Oh…I’m sorry. Nowadays I just seem to be easily distracted…” I replied. Horseapples! Once again my mind seemed to be more occupied with trivialities than with anything important. As if that wasn’t annoying enough…I had to have that bucking headache on top of it. “I’ve expected as much.” the mare said without batting an eye. Without changing any other words I followed her into the stallion’s home. After wandering down a small corridor Lucid Mind led me into the sad excuse of a living room. Shuddering at the sight of dust, dirt and cobwebs it took me a few moments to realize that the room was nearly empty. The only things that closely resembled furniture were a filthy couch and a wobbly table. “So, I guess you too would rather stay than taking place on…that.” the mare asked, pointing at the couch. “Gladly…” I said, still eyeing several icky stains on the couch. “Well…now then…let’s cut to the chase…shall we?” the mare said taking off her shades. Slowly I felt the air around the mare changing. Life returned to her empty face and soon she stopped looking like the cold and apathetic mare she had been before. The formerly dull eyes began to glow in a vivid green and the corners of her mouth began to rise. With a faint smile she then removed her hairpins, causing her mane to fall in a natural manner. "Finally! But what do you think? Better…right?” she addressed me out of the blue. “I…eh…beg your par-…” I tried to say but she simply carried on. “Oh but of course it’s better. A wonder I haven't bored you to death by now..." she said, curling her mane around her hoof and chuckling softly. Somehow I felt like I was missing something very important. A pony’s personality shouldn’t be able to do a one-eighty just like that. One could argue that she had merely played a role in public but I wouldn’t really bet on that. Even a brilliant actress like my mother would be incapable of faking her personality to such an extent… “So…you are the famous Octavia Melody. Hmm…I’m quite impressed...” the mare told me while shifting her weight from one hoof to another. “Famous?” I replied and raised an eyebrow in doubt. Flattering would get her nowhere. “Yes…in certain circles your name raises quite a ruckus.” she said, giggling like a school-filly. “…and with certain circles you mean every last vampire out there?” I asked in resignation. Well…that certainly was not the kind of fame I had always dreamed of. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. Life just seemed to have a strange way of setting the stage for certain events. “…the princesses, some nobles I suppose…hmm maybe the spirit of chaos…but besides them…mostly my kind.” she said nonchalantly. “The princesses know?” I blurted out in surprise. “Of course they do. Celestia might be too soft for her own good but she certainly isn’t blind…and neither is her sister.” Lucid Mind retorted. “So why don’t they do anything against you?” I asked in confusion. “...because we share a symbiotic relationship with them. True Shot’s bloodline provides the backbone of Equestria’s military for example, while mine supplies the princesses with intel and scientific data. You see…you ponies profit quite a lot from us. Of course our “symbiotic relationship” also requires that we have to play according to some of the princesses tedious rules…” she said and rolled her eyes. “Rules?” “Well…something along the lines of keeping our existence a secret and refrain from killing any “innocent” ponies. Pretty boring stuff if you ask me…” she said while circling around me. How convenient that nopony ever mentioned that no-kill policy. Well...not that it really concerned me because this whole harbinger stuff seems to make me untouchable anyways but hay...it would have been at least one thing less to worry about. The thought of ponies dropping like flies all over Equestria wasn't something that let me sleep well at night. Now I really felt like a foal for believing that those monsters could do as they please. Of course princess Celestia would never… “Oh…don’t you think it is a little too soon to relax?” the mare said and pulled me back, causing me to fall on my flank. At the same time she also wrapped her forelegs around my neck and embraced me from behind. Paralyzed by fear I felt her cold(?) breath in my neck. My heart began to pound and shivers ran down my spine as she pulled me even closer. “Just because we know the rules…doesn’t mean that we can’t break them from time to time.” she whispered into my ear, immediately causing my blood to run cold. Without giving me any time to recover, Lucid Mind continued to scare the hell out of me. Still acting like a lifeless doll, my eyes widened in horror as I something wet wandering up my cheek. At that moment I was pretty sure that I was a goner...but much to my surprise she seemed to be content with the fact that she scared the hay out of me. “I wonder how you taste…” the mare said happily, before she pushed me away and got back on her hooves. “You are...as mad as a hatter…” I tried to say, yet I only managed to whisper the words. “Oh? So I guess the correct answer is salty…” Lucid Mind retorted, giggling at her own joke. When she realised that I wasn't reacting to her nonsense she laid her head in her neck and gave me a concerned look. "Is something wrong?" she asked me, in what I believe was a sad tone. “Thats exactly what I want to know. What the hay is wrong with you? One moment you are acting like an ice cold business mare and then you suddenly decide to go all sorts of crazy on me.” I replied, still besides myself. “Oh "they" haven’t…told you about me yet?" she said once again giggling like an idiot before she went on. "Well…I guess it is time for a proper introduction then. Just give me a second to…focus. ” she said, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. At that moment I felt the air around her changing once again. The mare suddenly looked a lot calmer and her eyes no longer reflected any madness. However, she also didn't look as apathetic as before. She still scared me but somehow I felt a lot more at ease. “I am Lucid Mind, Equestria’s greatest psychiatrist as well as Celestia and Luna’s personal counsellor. Bound by…shackles of blood…I am also acting as Cold Steel’s third in command, representing the interests of his bloodline.” she told me with a small bow. “Shackles of blood?” I interrupted her curiously. “Oh…did I really say it that? How strange…” she mused. “Well…it’s an archaic way of saying that you haven’t volunteered to become a vampire and still exist against your own will. However, saying that now feels kind of odd to be honest. I’ve already come to terms with my situation centuries ago. Hmm…I wonder if…” she continued before drifting into silence. “Oh right…I still haven’t answered your original question, have I?” Lucid Mind suddenly asked. "Ehh...which question?" "The [what the hay is wrong with you] question. Seriously Octavia...if you can't even remember the question I really doubt that you are actually interested in the answer." she said and gave me a disappointed look. "However, maybe I'm just mistaken and you are still interested in the answer. If that's the case I'll gladly provide you with an explanation. Even better, I'll offer you two explanations. One is simple, the other one is complicated. Take your pick." she said, obviously evaluating me. "I don't have time for your silly games. I'll go with the simple one." "The simple answer is that I am insane." she said with a victorious grin. "In that case I'd pick the complicated one..." I replied in resignation. "Good choice." she said with a smirk before she went on. "Well then…what do you know about our abilities?” "You can make ponies forget about you, you can manipulate nature to some extent, you…” “Okay I get…so let’s skip the basics and focus on the juicy parts shall we? What do you know about bloodline abilities?” “Well according to your master, every bloodline follows a common theme. Bliss and his minions use light for example." I recalled. “Well, I guess that makes my explanation a lot easier then. As you've been probably told the common theme of my bloodline is the mind. However, even among vampires of my bloodline, my ability, “mind meddler”, is rather unique. In fact it is an ability you’d rather associate with changelings than with vampires.” Lucid Mind started to explain. “Just like those pesky bugs I am capable of seeing an emotional aura attached to ponies. I know when they are jealous, I know when they are sad, I know when they are lying and I know when they want to go for the kill. However, unlike changelings I am capable of a little more; I understand how minds are constructed and how they operate. Given enough time I can even temper with them… at least a little bit…” “So you can actually brainwash ponies?” I asked in shock. “Well...not exactly. You see...my ability works more on an emotional base, not so much on a practical one. So while I’m not able to plant false information into your head or make you betray your ideals I can still work your mind in ways you couldn't even imagine. Let me give you some examples… Let’s say your coltfriend is a two-timing son of a whorse but you still decide to forgive him. Well…I can make sure that you are anything but a forgiving pony. Or let’s say you have killed countless ponies and can’t live with yourself anymore. I can take away all your guilt...forever. However, vampires are no gods and therefore even our powers have some limits. In my case that limit is my victim’s willpower. So even if I tried to alter a pony’s personality against their will it wouldn’t be possible. Kind of ironic isn’t it? Even though their bodies are quite fragile, their mental fortitude is nothing to laugh at.” she lectured me. “So…doesn’t that make your ability rather pointless then? I mean who would be stupid enough and allow you to work their brains?” I asked slightly confused. Lucid Mind gave me an incredulous look before she suddenly broke into laughter. “Octavia…I am a psychiatrist. Ponies pay me to...fix...them.” she said, still chuckling. “But…don’t they realise that you are using magic as an earth pony?” “Magic? Well…maybe it looks like that to the untrained eye but among experts said procedure goes by the name of hypnosis. Well…at least that’s what I tell my clients.” she explained with a sly smirk. “How terrible. Don't you feel any shame ?” “Oh come on, Octavia. We both know that you are telling me this because you think it is…the right thing to do…and not because you actually believe it.” she replied bemused. “No, I…” “Ah ah ah…” she said and shook her head. “There is no point in hiding it. I’ve seen your aura. However, feel free to convince me otherwise if you must. Watching ponies try to save face always proves to be quite amusing…” "I'll pass." I said with a deep sigh. "Just go on with your explanation..." "Splendid. So, remember when I told you that I can manipulate the minds of those who are willing?" "Yes..." "Well now here is the catch. Even though it isn't hard to meddle with the minds of foals, lunatics or torture victims there is somepony who is even easier to manipulate. So...any ideas on who that could be?" she asked expectantly. "You've got to be kidding me." I asked in disbelief before continuing. "You couldn't possibly mean..." "Yes...I'm talking about myself." she replied in a cheerful tone. "Why would you ever do that to yourself? " I nearly shouted. "Why you ask? Isn't the answer obvious? I'm trying to improve myself." "What?" "Think about it, Octavia. Ponies struggle all their lives to improve their selves and to adapt to certain situations. The only difference between them and me is that I can skip the process and immediately jump to the result. Instead of overcoming my fears I can simply erase the whole concept of fear. In fact there are a lot of unneeded emotions I've simply gotten rid of." "Emotions that you've gotten rid off? Isn't that like killing a part of yourself?" "So? What's the point of emotions like grief and sadness...or doubt and fear? I'm better off without them. The same goes for things like shame and guilt? Those feelings are detrimental to my selves. So, why would I ever want to keep them? " "Wait...your selves? Doesn't that mean..." "No, I don't suffer from multiple personality disorder...or anything alike. Just think of every personality as a different piece of clothing suited for a different occasions. So while you probably wouldn't wear a scarf in summer, I'd rather not show my true colors in public. I guess you'd understand why." "So...ahem...this personality right now. Is it your true personality or...just a mask?" I asked, genuinely curious. "This personality? This happy sounding, gentle and well-versed personality? You can't possibly imagine how much I loathe it." she said with an ice cold voice. "Why are you using it then?" "It was forced upon me by your beloved sun tyrant...princess Celestia. " she hissed. "You are lying. Princess Celestia would never..." "Oh believe me, your princess isn't the saint you ponies make her out to be. Although Celestia is a benevolent ruler at her core, she does whatever she deems necessary to help or protect those she cares about. Encasing an enemy in stone, banishing her sister to the moon, ordering the assassination of the fifth griffin emperor, taking down the crimson castle, employing my kind to fight for the greater good....all of these decisions...do they really look the acts of a kindhearted monarch? Well, to me they don't. To me those weren't the decisions of a kind ruler, those were the decisions of a wise one." she explained. "However, even though I respect her as a ruler I will never forgive her for forcing a personality like...this...on me." "What is so bad about your current personality? I mean aren't you...well...happy to exist?" "You probably won't understand...but this personality stands for everything I I'm not... for everything that I hate. It also serves as a constant reminder of...oh, never mind. I might as well just tell you how I've ended up like this..." she said and paused for a moment before she began her story. "A few decades after Nightmare Moon's banishment I was summoned to Celestia's castle for the first time. Much too my surprise she had taken quite the interest in my research on the equine mind and invited me to stay at Everfree Castle to further my research. Of course I took her up on her offer. I would have been a foal to pass on the chance to get free access to the grand library... At first things went very smooth for me, however after some time Celestia wanted to talk to me in private. She told me that she was concerned about my behavior. She had hoped that after a year at her court I would have already thawed up to the ponies around me but unfortunately that wasn't the case. At first I wasn't sure why she cared about my antisocial personality but soon I realised that she hadn't invited me to Everfree Castle for research alone. Celestia wanted me to fill the void her sister had left. All this time she had been looking for somepony who could understand her, somepony she could talk to. She longed for the company of a fellow immortal, an equal, who didn't care about her crown and status and could see her for what she truly was...just another sentient being with social needs. So the next time she wanted to talk, I told her that I knew of her intentions but that it could never work out between us. However, Celestia's reaction managed to surprise me. I expected her to be upset when I refused her friendship but the only thing I felt from her was disappointment. When she asked me why...I decided that she deserved to know the truth. So I told her about...my multiple selves and my abilities in general. A few days later my master paid Celestia a visit. Apparently there was some kind of emergency that only he could help with. Just think about how surprised he was when he learnt that I was the reason she had called for him. It didn't take her long to convince my master that he could help me. So he prohibited me from removing any more of my emotions and forced me to to create a personality of Celestia's design. While Celestia and Coldsteel were very happy with this rather...social and harmonious version of myself I couldn't help but feel betrayed. Why wasn't I given any choice in the matter? So when my master ordered me to use this personality around him and Celestia I told him that I would obey his order. However, at the same time I also made clear that I would neither forgive them nor put my trust in them ever again..." "Wow...that was quite a story. Still...there is one thing I still don't get." "And what would that be?" "If you hate this personality so much...why do you use it right now as we speak?" "The reason for that is simple, it's because of you, Octavia. I've seen how uncomfortable you feel around my emotionless self and I also know that my other self has managed to leave quite the negative impression on you. So in order to get to know you a little better I've decided to go with the personality you probably feel most comfortable around." "Why? Why would you go through such lengths just to talk to me. Am I really that special to your kind?" "That you are...and for a lot of reasons." "Such as?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Where do I even begin? Well...let's see. You are a harbinger of chaos, yet you haven't stated a wish. The guardian himself seems to have taken a liking to you; a feat most of us have deemed impossible. Top that off with the fact that two keepers have shown a personal interest in you and you probably understand why there is such a hype about your person. However, there is even more..." she began to explain. "More?" "Maybe you haven't realized it yet but you are more special than you think. You see...I've come across a lot of things in my life but even for me it is quite rare to stumble upon an aura like yours. Usually a pony's mind should always be in harmony with itself. However, for some reason that isn't the case for you. Instead I've noticed that your aura suffers from countless tiny little fluctuations." "So...what you mean to say is that there is something wrong with my mind?" "Well...yes...but for now it's only a thesis. I still haven't enough information to..." she tried to assure me. "There are headaches...lots of them. Sometimes my way of thinking changes and I do or say things I immediately regret. My mind also thinks about a lot of things...at the same time. I am capable of reproducing everything we've talked about in the last..." I interrupted her. If she already knew that there was something wrong with my mind I decided that I might as well go the whole way and try to get a sound explanation. "I know these symptoms. However, in your case they make no sense..." she said and trailed off. "Why?" "Because those are the symptoms of the early transition stage within the vampirification process. However, as far as I can tell you are clearly not in the process of turning." "Wait...what? Sweet Celestia, what should I do?" I shrieked. "First off, don't try to think. Your body can't handle the stress of thinking on different layers. Secondly, I need to examine you. So, please lie down on...the couch. Sorry..." she replied with a smirk. As soon as I took place on that filthy piece of furniture Lucid Mind began her examination. At first she checked my heartbeat and took a look into my mouth but soon she let her hooves wander over my body. After some time she reached the place where Crap Lightning had hit me. It hurt quite a lot and as a result I let out a small shriek. At that point her eyes flashed victoriously and she decided to take a closer look. Her smirk immediately faded and was replaced by a concerned look. "Well...let's start with the good news first. You have still a heartbeat and you don't show any signs of fang growth. I also couldn't find any bite marks on your body. So there certainly have been no attempts to turn you. However, that bruise on your side is quite concerning. It is swollen and should hurt quite a bit, even without anypony touching it directly. Yet, you've only reacted to it after body contact. That means somepony hurt you with the intention of injecting you with an unknown substance and covering it up adding an anesthesia. Now here comes the part I'm really concerned about. The small puncture site on your wound isn't the only one I've found. There is a second one on your flank and it looks at least a few days old." "So...do you have any idea what I've been injected with? Or why?" "I don't have a clue but there are two viable options to find out. Either you let my master examine you thoroughly...or I can just hunt down your assaulter and force him to spill his guts." she said with an evil smirk. "You know what? Just do it. At this point I honestly don't care anymore..." "Seems like your condition is getting worse." she said, chuckling into her hoof. "You do know that you've just asked me to torture a pony...right?" she added upon realizing my confused expression. "Well at least it would teach him a valuable life lesson; every action has it's consequences..." I replied in an icy tone. "Oh my...I seriously haven't expected you to give up on your moral high ground. Well at least not after you've been trying so hard to convince me that manipulating ponies is a bad thing. So now I wonder..." she said and gave me a thoughtful look before she continued in a cheery voice. "Could it be that in the end you and I aren't so different after all? " As soon as her words hit me, I felt a shudder running down my spine. She was right. I really wouldn't be any different if I let her torture a pony on my behalf. What the hay was I even thinking? "Don't worry...I've just been teasing you. Assuming you are really experiencing something like the transition state you are currently going through some severe mental reconstruction. While your mind adjusts to thinking on different layers, there are some times when the line between emotions and thoughts becomes blurry. Not only does this often lead to inconvenient situations...it also tells others a lot about your true nature. Surges of cruelty and vindictiveness for example are an indication that life hasn't been easy on you and that your heart is filled with sorrow and hate. Sums you up pretty much...doesn't it? Oh come on...don't look at me like that. After all I'm just trying to help..." she said, obviously enjoying herself far too much. "So what about you then? Does "enjoying other ponies' misery" sum you up as well?" I retorted with an icy glare. "Somehow I guess it really does. Not only am I a psychiatrist who tries to understand the reason for a pony's misery and enjoys analyzing, dismantling and eliminating it, I am also a twisted psychopath who takes great pleasure in causing misery myself. So yes..."enjoying other ponies' misery" is basically what I live for." she answered my question while giving me me yet another smug smile. "Could you please cut it out already? I don't know what exactly you are after but dealing with your mind games is getting pretty tiring. A pony as false as you would probably have been better of with a name like Poison Whisper or Worm Tongue. " I told her, letting out a deep sigh. "Oh my...how cold." she replied in an innocent tone but for a second I was pretty sure that I had seen something in her eyes. "What do you really want? Just tell me the truth already...all of it..." I asked bluntly. For once my words seemed to have an impact. Lucid Mind's smile immediately crumbled and her eyes widened in horror. This time it was her turn to give me with an icy stare. Even though I didn't know why she suddenly decided to drop her playful act, I was pretty sure that it would make this discussion a lot easier. "What I want? Isn't it obvious? I want to know who...or rather what you truly are. There is just so much about you that makes no sense. It's as if your whole existence is but a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." she hissed. "What do you mean by what I am ?" I asked curiously before addressing yet another concern. "...and how come you are so angry all of a sudden?" "According to everything I've seen so far, I'm pretty sure that you probably aren't a pony." she replied, obviously observing my reaction. "...and to answer your second question; I'm not angry...I'm just extremely irritated." "Why?" "...because you've just ordered me to tell you the truth and I quote "all of it"." she said with a deep sigh. "So...why exactly are you following my orders?" "My master compelled the whole bloodline to make sure that no harm would befall you. Furthermore he also ordered us to...comply with your wishes...as long as they don't endanger you, the bloodline or ourselves." she pressed through her teeth. "Oh great...so I've stumbled upon a loophole in your orders." I noted. "However, shouldn't your master know that something like that could happen?" I asked, trying to hide how much I enjoyed that the tables had just been turned. "Usually ponies wouldn't try to order a vampire around because they still fear us. However, in case they actually do they give rather simple commands like "leave me alone" or "help me". My master probably thought we had to deal with a simple mare, not a fearless demon spawn from Tartaros." the mare replied and shook her head. "So you honestly want me to believe that I'm a demon from Tartaros?" I asked, raising an an eyebrow. "No...but I'm still sure that you aren't a normal pony. I've been checking your aura for any signs of mental instabilities and fluctuations but it doesn't really matter as long as I don't know what triggers them. Analyzing your personality and gauging your mental capabilities has also been a fruitless effort because it seems they are ever changing. To be honest...the closest I've ever seen to your aura is the one belonging to the spirit of chaos and disharmony...and even that only shares very few traits with yours..." she explained, matter-of-factly. "No...that can't be right. There is no way that my aura looks similar that monster's..." Once again it looked as if my words had an impact on her...but not in a good way. An evil smile crept on her face and her eyes flashed in new found excitement. Somehow I'd given her something to look forward to...and whatever it was...it wouldn't be good. "Well...there is a way to show you your own aura but..." she said, obviously trying to lure me in. "...but what?" "Taking a glimpse at your true self isn't something that comes without a price. Some ponies end up scarred for life, while others pay for it with their sanity. So I need to ask; Do you really think you have what it takes to walk away from that...unscathed?" "Why do you ask?" "Well...strictly speaking I'm ordered to keep you out of harm's way. Hay...in fact I am compelled to. So therefore I shouldn't even be able to come up with such a potentially dangerous proposal. Yet here I am...doing exact-..." she began to start yet another convoluted monologue. "Get to the point already..." I groaned, already tired of that mare's stupid antics. "Well...there is a reason why i'm able to circumvent my master's command." she explained and let out a small sigh before she continued. "You see...even I am not entirely sure if my offer poses an actual threat to you or not. Considering that you aren't exactly what I'd call an average pony, chances are pretty high that this little experience won't harm you at all. However, just because I assume that you'll be safe doesn't mean that my offer actually comes without any danger. Ultimately the choice is yours. So whether you stick with safety or give in to curiosity...just make sure you won't regret your decision afterwards."