//------------------------------// // Chapter 26: The Lingering Darkness // Story: This Bright Blazing Future // by Dynasty-Kaine //------------------------------// Meanwhile... Doctor Psych stood before a panel of his most senior peers, his superiors as it were, in a rather office like conference room. He had been called forth today to explain and elaborate on one of his most recent treatment methods concerning one of his patients. The reports he had filed to this point had piqued the psychological community's interests it seemed. "Doctor Abel Psych, you stand here before us today to elaborate upon your recent findings between yourself and the patient..." The older stallion looked more closely at a piece of parchment in front of him. "...Pinkamina Diane Pie?" "Correct, Doctor Cortex, at the behest of this council I am here." Psych answered clearly. "Well then, let us begin this presentation." An older dusty brown mare stated plainly. "Based upon your notations in your reports, she exhibits a new type of symptomology that we have seen a few times before but had little understanding of. Usually, due to the fact that we lose the patient before we can treat them. What is it pray tell that allows you to break the mystery?" The cream colored stallion could sense their displeasure with him, but he wasn't fearful of them as his findings were possibly about to break open some doors once thought to be inaccessible. His treatment sessions with Pinkie Pie and Big Macintosh had allowed him a great deal of breakthroughs. Yet, the good doctor still had his worries over what his findings could lead to inevitably. "My patient exhibits symptoms akin to a total break with reality, but there seem to be bits and pieces in her personality that do not belong. As if they belong to another, darker entity." Psych concluded knowing the reaction to this would be bad. "Almost as if the earlier trauma she experienced due to a determined torturer, left an actual energy based imprint on Pinkie's mind." "You are quite aware of what you're suggesting Abel?" commented a younger grey stallion. "It is thus far a very unproven area of our field, and you should be prepared for the repercussions." "I am fully aware Doctor Foresight, and you have always known me to back my findings with actual happenings." the stallion returned politely. "I have seen many an odd thing since I earned my title and this one takes the cake. Using a method all unicorns can use to remove and sublimate memories from their mind, I use a similar method to treat Miss Pie. In the very moment that she breaks through into her clarity, I disperse my magic into her mind and draw a magical substance that is foreign to her mind like poison from a wound." All of the other professionals seemed stunned into silence, hanging onto all of his words. They knew he wouldn't stretch the truth in the least bit when it came to a patient's story of treatment. He was being watched attentively as he blew the lid off what they knew about the mind forever. "Upon my first extraction, I found the liquid to be black in color and definitively magical in nature." the cream colored stallion could still remember that day. "I then drew it into a crystal vial as I theorized it would be the best way to contain a maigcal substance. Every extraction since has been the same. More black mana, more crystal vials. So far a total of 63 vials to be exact. I have observed the vials daily and have begun to notice that they all seem to move about independently and on their own. The patient has shown extraordinary levels of improvement, as more and more of the black mana is removed. She even shows signs of mentally stabilizing." "Okay, now even I am having a hard time gripping this hooey." the dusty brown mare interjected. "Going from complete mental break to mental stability in the amount of time listed on your reports...it is absolutely unheard of." "Yes it is, when its a physiological cause you would be correct mam." Psych agreed peaceably. "But this impairment is not physical or chemical in nature...it is magical in nature. And through research I have found several mentions of it in Zebrican Xiaolan Voodoo texts. As we all know, it has been exhaustively studied over the years to contain many uses of black magic that have been twisted with hatred, malice, and scorn among many other things. It is the darker part of their heritage but it has shed some light on this situation." The other doctors seemed to become quite uneasy at the implications before them. "I'd suggest you tread lightly here Abel." Foresight said cautiously. "There is no way to tread to terribly lightly here I'm afraid." Psych said dropping his head for only a moment. "It seems to be a hate soul manifestation according to the texts. A magical entity created through purely hateful feelings, this entity is usually left as an imprint upon a creature subjected to horrible actions by another creature. Usually, the one that causes the negative actions dies at some point after the negative attack on the other sealing the entity to this realm in the victim. The entity then preys on it's hosts weaknesses exploiting them again and again until it drives the host mind into submission of its will." Doctor Cortex's eyes were wide and his expression fearful, "By the light of Celestia..." "This cannot be possible..." the dusty brown mare uttered. "Good gracious, what have you stumbled onto Abel." Foresight questioned to no on in particular. "A new mystery has unfolded in this truth though." Doctor Psych continued on. "Nowhere in the texts does it describe what will happen if you extract this entity piece by piece from it's host. It seems even the darker part of Zebrican culture wasn't willing to go that far. Some researchers have theorized that if removed it would have to be magically sealed inside of a Corsican Containment Vessel, otherwise the entity would disperse and attain a new host suffering from some type of mental battle it could exploit. The catch is that each and every single piece of the entity has to be sealed in the container all at once." "All at once you say, but there are currently 63 jars that you have contained it within separately." Cortex stated aloud, in some doubt. "That is true, individually they can be sealed in crystal vials as they are not as concentrated." the cream colored doctor explained. "But that doesn't remove the chance that this could break free and effect others, this entity has to be sealed away before it can do more harm! With so many vials there is quite the risk of them falling and breaking easily. As it just so happens I am closing in on my last session with Miss Pinkamina, but as we all know the last part is always the hardest. I have tried five times to get this piece now, and I am certain it is the completing piece of the puzzle." "How do you propose that we obtain such a rare container, from a foreign country no less, and seal all at once such a massive amount of magic?" Spoke up Jedias from the far side of the panel. "From your accounts we need 64 unicorns who know how to control this substance in unison into one container and to seal it away all at once so it can never break free again. Forgive me for seeing the problem here, but we do not have those kinds of resources easily at our disposal. Nor can we entirely confirm your findings to be strongly tied to your hypothesis. We need data to back it up still!" "Jedias, I don't think you see that my reports have already tied the correlations together quite soundly." Psych countered. "No Psych, I see one patient possibly plagued by a magical ailment that is causing a great deal of tension on their psyche." He returned with a cutting finesse. "For all you know, we can contain this black mana in the individual vials just fine, or we could even gather them all together and seal them all next to one another in a simple deep plastic tray. Without data your words are meaningless speculations and you know it." Jedias had a lot of pull among all of the doctors, and in some senses raised questions that Psych had hoped that he wouldn't. Jedias had cast a great deal of doubt on what the cream colored doctor had just told them to do for finalization of treatment. He had always been the thorn in Doctor Psych's side that halted most progress in the field of treatment. "Jedias, I can see your point here but I have to side with my former student on this." Foresight challenged. "Unlike me you have no understanding of Abel's personal code. He doesn't stretch truths just to get recognition, it is of the patient by the patient and for the patient to him. Although, I have to give you some grounds as well." "Oh, for a moment I thought you were entirely against me." Jedias interrupted. "No, I've always done my best to be fair." Psych's mentor turned to him now. "He does bring up a good point when he questions why can't we just seal all of them at once in their current containers?" Oh this question of course... "That's answered simply by the fact that the seal for the hate soul manifestation is too strong and will break the crystal vials releasing the spirit to find its next host." Psych explained. "Have you ever performed this sealing before Psych?" Jedias challenged again. "How can you know it will break the vials? In fact, how do you know that if they break, this magic will move intelligently to find a new host?" Sweet Celestia I hate this guy! "No, I have not performed the sealing, but from textual descriptions it is quite plausible that the spell is rather potent." he returned not missing a beat. "Personally though Jedias, if I was you I wouldn't take the chance that I may be wrong and chance the countless others in Ponyville it could endanger. If I was you, I would do this right the first time so as to avoid other aversive consequences." "It will be deliberated Psych." Cortex finally spoke up. "You will wait for your final treatment session with Miss Pie until we reach a ruling on how you should proceed from this point on. Dismissed." Psych closed his eyes, something in his gut told him this was the worst possible outcome for this situation. He turned and walked out of the conference room feeling defeated. His phone buzzed at that moment and he took it out of his pocket to look at it. It was a text message from another patient who was out of the mental ward. It read: Hey doc, I know it has been a long time but looks like my journey is bringing me close to Ponyville for a while. I was kinda wondering if there was a chance of you meeting up with me sometime for a little impersonal therapy? As we were both aware the last little bits of my treatment involved confronting some of my worst demons...well I'm at that point now! Can't say my first pass was exactly in my favor either! Anyways, hope you are well doc. -Spitfire "Huh so Spitfire is back eh?" the stallion doctor mused to himself. "Somewhere inside, I've got a bad feeling about this." He answered her text with: Hello Spitfire, good to see you are still on your path. Though from sounds of it you have some reservations in your mind as to your own success. I might be able to help you out actually as I have been given some free time from one of my other patients by the board. Seeing as you are messaging me personally I'll view this as high priority. If you can manage it we can meet this evening at a coffee or sandwich shop. -Psych He arrived at his office and headed into it to sit down near the very vials of dark magic that he had pulled from Pinkie so far. Something seemed to resonate from the dark swirling masses, a longing and a need to get out. Psych had to at least try to prevent it from succeeding for the countless citizens of Ponyville. Celestia knew that there were plenty of inhabitants that could be effected by this entity, and if it stayed separated in 64 parts that would be 64 new patients. Sixty four patients that could have been avoided. Spitfire's reply came in at last. Well I should be back in town by dusk tomorrow, so I'll have to keep you updated on that one doc. If that is alright by you that is? He laughed aloud. That golden mare had come a long way from the heavy addict she used to be. The mare that didn't care about anyone but herself had definitely changed. Psych smiled warmly and simply replied: It's completely fine with me Spitfire. Hope to hear from you soon. Looking at the vials of darkness one more time he thought aloud to himself as he often did, "I really do hope that the council doesn't end up botching this entire thing, as it so often does with other matters. For every single resident of Ponyville's sake...not to mention its promising visitors..." Shortly after that he began to busy himself with the paperwork upon his desk, he had many patients to attend to despite being such a new doctor. A total of six inside the ward, and five that were out patients. It was often hard to keep all of their papers together, and it was always hard for him to not treat everyone that needed it. His limit was eleven patients though, and if he couldn't help everyone he would be sure that his eleven recovered entirely. Spitfire had once been on his in patient list at her own discretion, but she fought hard to regain the mare she used to be. She had been Psych's first real achievement as a doctor, and Pinkie had to be his ultimate test. He laughed to himself; to be so young and to be given the ultimate career challenges so soon. Well, at least he was getting some of the more difficult stuff out of the way sooner rather than later. His only real trial as a doctor of psychology, was the sometimes asinine limitations they were forced to adhere to in treatment. Currently, that was his greatest worry as the council often made things worse before making it better. He had lost track of time and noticed it was time to head home. He would head home casually, wash up, and then get some rest. Hopefully seeing Spitfire tomorrow would make him feel a little bit better about the current situation. Hopefully.