Being of Two Minds

by cosmofur

Brand licht redding

Emerald Tail waited in her cell, she was long past the point of losing track of time. Hours or even days may have past since she had been left in here. A tray of food had been stuck through the door slot a few times now. She ate without thinking and pushed the tray back out the same slot when done, but with no windows and no company she really had no idea what meals had been served. She was numb and scared, unable to escape her own thoughts. If only she had been allowed to stay with the others in the cages. Yes the cell was an upgrade from the cages in terms of comfort, but at least then she had to the others to talk to. Now there was nothing to keep her from her worst fear. The fear of remembering the horror of the last several weeks. For a long time she fought off her own memories. But she was weak and tired and even her memories were now too strong to fight. She remembered….

It started with that terrible night when Villains, and she had no other word for them, monster in pony shape, had destroyed her world. The details were foggy to her waking mind, though they haunted her nights with crystal clarity. The yelling, the screams, the cloaked figures pulling sleeping ponies like from their beds and. NO! SHE DIDN'T WANT TO REMEMBER THIS. The sudden pain, the comforting weight that she had always known on her head, gone. All the world was suddenly gray and pain that wouldn’t go away. Hours? Days? Jammed in a tiny wooden box, with too few air holes, no one answering her cries, not even the pleas for death.
Then an unknown number of days later, she was given a small mercy, the box was opened and cloaked Villains whipped her with sticks and forced her into a larger cage. But thank Celestia! There were other ponies in those cages. Ponies she knew. They were still trapped, but it was like a home coming, she cried in joy, locked in a cage. Compared to the box, it was luxury, she had others to talk to, food to eat, and twice a day a cloaked pony would spray them all down with a high pressure hose. Washing out filth and dirt and blood. Compared to the horror in her mind, her memories, it was like a spa.
The prisoners in the cages were left alone for the most part, and allowed to pass messages. Soon an accounting was made and they realized that nearly the entire female population of Coltsdale had been taken, but nopony could account for the males. The Villains barely talked, most of them just gave cold orders to ‘stand back’ or ‘move away from the door’ when delivering food or water.
There was one exception, one of the Villains, a mare, did come by, to talk, to sing songs and kept promising everything would be fine. None of the Coltsdale mares believed her, but she also was the only villain to bring extra food, small cakes, candy and drinks. The drinks were the most welcome thing that she would bring. They were oddly flavored beers, but outrageously and completely surreally she sometimes also brought fancy drinks in coconut shells with little umbrellas and smelling of rum so strong that the odor alone was enough to knock two sober mares over. She was in an evil twisted way the only real bright spot in their dark hours, yet she was clearly one of the Villains and Emerald Tail hated her the most because she was happy and light hearted in a place full of darkness.
It was impossible to really measure time, the cages had no windows and the Villains came with food at irregular times. After a few days small groups of the mares would be led from their cages into a larger room nearby with a dirt floor, there they would be ordered to walk in circles around the edge of the room. It was the only exercise they would get, and it quickly became something to look forward to.
That is, until they started counting heads again and realized that not every mare that left to stretch her legs, came back.
Quit and not so quiet panic started move among the Coltsdale mares, the assumption was they were going to be ransomed, or worse sold into slavery to the diamond dogs. This had already been discussed and to a degree accepted, but this quiet disappearance of a few ponies at a time, was much more terrifying. Some of the mares would fight the Villains and refuse to leave their cages, but threats of spears and magic quickly broke their will. Not that any of the mares had much such will power left.
Emerald Tail liked to think of herself as one of the ones who fought, but all she really managed was an angry glare as she let herself to be led away and she was hardly surprised when one day after leaving the room with cages behind, the gray cloaked guards didn’t turn towards the exercise room, but down a different hall. This hall was quieter, better lit and had actual carpeting on the floor but any hope Emerald Tail of escape, was dashed when she was forced into a cell. A Cell this time, not a cage, there was bed in the corner and real wash basin. But it was hot and stank, stank of frighted pony and she startled in fear when the iron door was slammed shut behind her.

And that’s where they left here, to wait, and to remember.

Some long unmeasured time passed, and suddenly the food slot was opened, but this time instead of raw hay and oats, there was a set of mane brushes and a large bottle of shampoo on the tray.

When she thought she heard ponies approaching the other side of the door, she tried to draw their attention.

“Are you expecting me to pretty myself up? Make myself presetable so you can get a better price for me when you sell me to the diamond dogs?” She huffed, not sure anyone was near enough to hear her. She hadn’t expected anyone to answer her, but somepony did.

“No!” A light, sing song voice answered her, “you’re to be freed, not enslaved!”

The door opened and two mares came into the cell. Emerald Tail could see in the hallway behind the two mares were some guards, but dressed in white and gold, different than any of the Villains she had seen up to this point. But Emerald Tail only glanced at the guards, the two approaching mares captivated attention.

In a world where nudity was the norm, these two mares looked exceptionally naked.
The hair from their mane and tails had been shaved. Their hide hair had also been cut close, exposing their black gray skin hiding what ever their natural colors should have been. Their only real difference between themselves was their eyes, one had blue eyes the other yellow. Small glittering gems and jewels were either glued or magiced on to their hide in flowing lines that glowed with an odd magic. Most noticeable to Emerald Tail was their foreheads, they each featured a flat spot of hard ivery. Like her, these two mares had once been unicorns, and had their horns stolen. To Emerald Tail there seemed to be only one explanation.

“Hush now!” The yellow eyed mare laughed, “we’re not here to hurt you, the ones who did that to you are far away and we’re here to prepare you for freedom!”

Hope blossomed in Emerald Tail’s chest, could it be true? In the last few hours, when she was locked in this cell, did Celestia’s forces find the Villains and send them away? Was this a rescue? Was she going to be freed? Yes there were still guards, but they wore gold and white, surely that meant they worked for Celestia? She and her friends were being rescued! She ran to give her rescuers a hug, crying in joy.

She asked, “Who are you?”

With girlish giggles the two mares turned to their sides to show Emerald Tail their cutie marks.
The yellow eyed one said, “I’m Dreaming Lights.” her mark was a fairly common star pattern with what appeared to be gold glitter.

The blue eyed one also told Emerald Tail her name was “Gentle Breeze, I also once lived in Coltsdale, many years ago.” her mark was of some leaves and swirls, but it looked strange against a gray nearly hairless hide.

Dreaming Lights whispered to her, quietly “Yes, yes, everything will be fine. But you have to understand, things have been much more difficult than you may yet realize.”

Emerald Tail thought the name ‘Gentle Breeze’ sounded familiar but she couldn’t place it, something about an old story about a mare killed by a monster? “Yes, I know, they took my horn! And they took your’s too!” She cried into the shoulder of the mare, who patted her on her back.

“Hush, hush now. No, that’s not what I meant at all.” The mare replied with a sad laugh, “no, you were a prisoner much longer than you know.”

“I was? How long have they kept us here?” Emerald Tail asked worriedly. Had she lost years to these monsters?

The two mares had now moved Emerald Tail to the sink and started to wash her mane. “I’m afraid strong evil magics were used and you have been a prisoner of the vile winged ones for many years, nearly your whole life.” she told Emerald Tail sadly.

Emerald Tail gasped, “What! How?”

Gentle Breeze answered, “I know, they are very evil and you probably didn’t sense their influence most of the time, but it always been there, like a shadow over the land. We need to cleanse you, to remove their poison.”

“Are all my friends affected? My Mother! She was in one of the cages on the far side of the room! Is she alright?”

“Don’t worry about your Mother. We’ll do our best to cleanse every pony we can. But first we need to help you.” The yellow eyed mare told her. Then the two mares let Emerald Tail think about that for a few minutes while they finished bathing her.

Emerald Tail mind was numb, trying to understand, “What did they want from us? Why did they attack us like that?”

One of the Mares answered her, “We don’t know, just know that you're still poisoned by their influence, and if we don’t something to clear that poison, you will die in their thrall.”

“I’m still poisoned!? Is there a cure? Can you help me?” Emerald Tail turned begging the mares.

While Dreaming Lights continued to brush out Emerald Tail’s tail, Gentle Breeze walked around to look her in the eyes. “We need to perform a magic ceremony, a very difficult one, that will heal you, but you have to agree, we can’t help you unless you're willing to accept our help.”

“Yes of course!” Emerald Tail readily agreed.

“Wait!” Gentle Breeze warned her, “Not so fast! Understand, this is a very important ceremony, you will have to give us your heart and soul to make it work. My fellow ĉiela virgulino,” Gentle Breeze motioned to Dreaming Lights, “will need your complete trust and once the ceremony starts you will agree to do whatever we tell you to do, by word or motion, regardless of how odd, strange or intimate it may seem.”

“I’m scared,” Emerald Tail whispered. “Will it hurt?”

Gentile Breeze’s muzzle was just an inch from Emerald’s and she whispered “Don’t be afraid, there is no pain, other than from having your eyes opened, and the pain of realizing how much you have been deceived. This is the only way we know to remove the poison. We will perform the ceremony a quickly and easily as we know how, and after that you’ll be able to think clearly again. There is nothing here to be ashamed of, nopony will judge you for this.”

“And if I don’t agree?” Emerald Tail asked with wide eyes.

“You’ll be dangerously enthralled to the vile feathered monsters. For your own safety as well as others’ we’ll have to keep you locked up. Perhaps forever.”

“Feathered monsters,” Emerald Tail repeated, she hadn’t seen any feathers but the Villains had always been cloaked. Where there pegasus wings under those cloaks? Then curious she asked, “Why are you two shaved like that?”
“My spiritual sister and I are ĉiela virgulino’s” Dreaming Lights told Emerald, “We forgo all covering, including our own hair, we hide nothing, we are in service to the spirit that we honor. The spirit of the true uncorrupted ponies. We comfort the lost and guide them on the right path.”

“Celetia’s Virgins?” Emerald asked, recognizing the root of the ancient equesti words. “I’ve never heard of the Princess Celestia wanting ponies to be celibate. Instead I’ve heard stories of the Princess playing matchmaker with her guards, preferring married couples to bachelors.”

“Celestia doesn’t demand anything, we do this to honor her ideals, but it is no burden, for it is not that my sister and I have never take lovers, but its means that our spirits and sins are wiped clean and unsullied by our duty to the sacred stone heart. It is empowering and allows us to continue to use magic, even without our horns.” Gentle Breeze explained.

“You still can use magic!” This news blossomed new hope in Emerald’s heart. “Can I learn!?”

Dreaming Lights laughed heartily now, “Oh my dear, it would be our pleasure to train you, and we are in such desperate need of more virgulino’s in this dark times. But let us talk of this, after we remove the taint on you. Do agree, say it clearly because there is a magical bond we must forge together and it will change you forever.”

Emerald shook her tail from Dreaming Lights grasp and turned to face the two virgulinos. With deliberate poise and mustering all her bravery, “Then let’s do this. I agree to whatever you need from me.”

With a squee and a hug both naked mares pounced on Emerald and embraced her. The whole situation was surreal. “I felt so alone!” Emerald Tail told the two, pleased with their reaction, “please don’t leave me alone again.”

“No need to fear that.” Dreaming Lights told her, “we hoped you would agree, so the ceremony room is already prepared. Come with us now and you’ll join us.”

The two white and gold guards bowed to the virgulino’s respectfully and followed behind as the three mares left the cell down strange paths. Before long they came to a narrow winding ramp that led up, Dreaming Lights led Emerald Tail, with the others following.

Walking behind the shaved mare, Emerald found the view a bit eye opening. Like most ponies, simple nudity wasn’t noteworthy but also most ponies had thick full tails that did provide a fair amount of modest coverage, the shaved tail in front of her, was giving Emerald an eyeful of Dreaming Lights assets. To make it a bit more weird, Dreaming was also swaying her hips much more than a normal gate would require.
“If she’s trying to come on to me,” Emerald Tail thought silently to herself, “then she’s bucking the wrong tree.” Emerald chuckled quietly, she was shell shocked, traumatized and had been abused, but she wasn’t so dead to the world yet to not recognize the signs and felt a mix of amusement, flattery by it. Emerald started to think of ways to let the other mare down easily, she was grateful to be rescued, but not in THAT way.

At the top of the ramp, Emerald Tail saw for the first time in weeks, real sunlight.

“Thank Celestia!” She said, rushing towards a large window facing an enclosed courtyard. The Sun was shining over the roofs of buildings on the far side. For a few seconds, she just stood there feeling the light’s warmth on her face.

Gentle Breeze nuzzled her on her side and said, “Come, other’s are already gathering for the ceremony.”

Reluctantly, Emerald let herself be led away. Now that they were out of the underground chambers, Emerald looked around, hoping to spot more of Celestia’s guards and maybe a police line of the Villeins being led away. She had no such luck though, still upstairs was a pleasant change from the dank underground. Emerald happily let her hoofs clip clop on the wooden floor until they stopped in front of closed double doors.

To the side was a pitcher of some sort of drink with some empty drinking bowls were set on a small table. Gentle Breeze took up the pitcher and poured a generous serving into three of the drinking bowls, taking one for herself and hoofing the rest to the other mares.

“Be sure to drink it all.” Dreaming Lights told Emerald, “The ceremony is thirsty work, and you will want plenty of fluids in you before we’re done.”

Emerald sniffed the drink before sipping, it smelled of mint and honey. The first sip burned a bit as she swallowed, there definitely was some alcohol in there, but it didn’t taste overly strong. The second sip went down easy. She followed the other two mares example and drank the rest in several long draughts.

As she put the empty bowl down, she felt something a bit odd, she was not tipsy or drunk to any degree, it drink wasn’t that strong, but a tickling sensation on her head. Specifically at the flat stump that was her former horn. It wasn’t unpleasant, other than as a reminder of what she had lost, but Emerald hadn’t felt anything like this before. It made her feel a bit giddy.

Gentle Breeze put a hoof on Emerald’s shoulder, “Come, just follow us into the circle, then lay in front of the fire, when you feel the need to move, just follow our lead. Don’t say anything, even you hear something that you disagree with, it will make more sense as the ceremony goes on. Do what feels natural and don’t feel embarrassed, everypony here has gone through this ceremony before and no one is judging you. Just remember we are all family under the Stone Heart.”

Emerald Tail knew there were religious groups that openly worshipped the Alicorns even though Celestia was known to discourage such things. Still as a former unicorn, she knew there could be a lot of magic in such ceremonies. If this would help her, then she’ll do whatever they asked. Emerald nodded her agreement.

The double doors were opened by some unseen unicorn and the two virgulino’s danced into the large room beyond. Emerald Tail followed with a slow nervous walk, as she looked around the new room.

The room was large and roughly circular, the walls and a wide outer ring of the floor was tiled with glazed stones, while the center was pit of yellow sand. The only light was a large fire in the center, whatever wood the fire was burning, it was heavily scented and smoky. The smoke while billowing and making visibility foggy and didn’t seem to affect breathing.

Though the fog Emerald could see ponies laying or sitting on cushions, sitting back away from the sand pit and mostly in shadows. They were all watching her, she couldn’t see their colors cutie marks, but their eyes were like glassy mirrors reflecting the firelight and herself. Putting her head down to stop looking at the eyes, she quickened her pace to catch up to the other mares.

Gentle Breeze and Dreaming Lights had now lay down at the feet of a standing pony. A unicorn who was standing in front of the firepit and was lecturing the crowd, his voice didn’t carry well in this smoky room, at least not in the direction she was walking in from, and what she could hear had a dreamy echoing quality. As she got closer, Dreaming lights motioned for her to remain quiet and to lay on the ground between them.

The speaking unicorn, was dressed in a white and gold robe similar to the guards, but his was also decorated with an extra large gold chain, from which a stone pendant hung. It was a life sized stone heart, not a romantic symbolic valentine, it was a anatomically correct heart that seemed to glow softly. He was saying, “... and that is just the least of their crimes! The flying demons, pretending to be honest ponies looking for work, instead lie and cheat their good hearted employers and when caught just fly away to the next victim. This is what they teach their fillies and colts to do, indoctured from birth they are raised in hate…..”

“Waa?” Emerald nearly broke her promise to stay quiet. “Was this stallion for real? I’ve know a lot of pegasus and none of them are like that!” she thought to herself. Her face must have reflected her feelings, because Gentile Breeze put a hoof on her back and shook her head. Reminding Emerald Tail to stay quit.

The wild sermon the male unicorn was giving, continued on that same theme for a long time, getting more and more wilder with claims of conspiracy and violence, all put at the hooves of the pegasi. As Emerald kept listening, it just sounded sillier by the minute, near the end she really was fighting with herself not to laugh. The smoky air and the drink in her stomach all seemed to just make everything seem funnier.

She was already quietly giggling when after what felt like an hour the sermoning pony finished up his lecture with a formal sounding “And the followers of the Stone Heart will lead the true hearted ponies to a new age of peace. All praise to the most high ones.”

As a group all the ponies responded back “All praise” and at last the lead stallion stepped away from the fire and took a seat amongst the other shadowed ponies.

Emerald wasn’t sure what was next, and looked around for instructions, Gentle Breeze motioned for her to stay on the ground, but to shift her body so it lay perpendicular to the fire. There with gentle motions she stretched Emerald’s legs out so she was completely flat against the ground.

While she was being splayed flat, Dancing Lights had disappeared into the shadows and returned with a large decorative bucket. Looking at the gray ooze in the container, Emerald gave Dancing Lights a horrified look, but the shaved mare just laughed and with leaping dance moves, jumped over Emerald’s body, dropping a hoof full of the ooze on her back with each jump.

The stuff felt disgusting, cold wet and made burping noises as it settled into puddles of slime on Emerald Tail’s backside. Emerald would have jumped or tried to dodge the stuff if her legs were not so stretched out.

The cold feeling the slime left, didn’t last long, Gentle Breeze was now massaging the slime into Emerald’s back, damping and matting down the wet fur. At first Emerald stiffened at the contact. The slime seemed to bubble and spit even when spread thin, giving her the sense of thousands of ants marching all over her back. As weird as it felt, it also started feeling comfortable. She lowered her head down again.

Meanwhile, having emptied the bucket on Breezes backside, Dancing Lights started to dance in earnest, while some of the performance was directed towards the shadowed audience, who eat it up with their silent wide eyes, a majority of the time, she was grinding and wiggling in front of Emerald. It was all a bit silly and more than a little unworldly.

Emerald put her head down, still watching Dancing Lights dance, but it seemed distant and out of focus. Her mind started to drift.

‘ha ha this is just too silly.’ She thought to herself.

Her subconscious replied back ‘Yes, but her ass is hot.’

‘Don’t swing that way.’ she reminded herself.

‘Right, like there’s beefy stallions lining up to take you. That plot is right there girl!’

‘No way! Come on this is all so silly, how this going to remove poison?’

‘If Dancing Lights wants to suck some poison out of your system, listen to me, let her!’

Emerald laughed at herself, as her eyes now openly drank in the sights in front.

‘Well I don’t think I’m that interested, but she is cute. I mean if she really wanted me to do something and it was to thank her for rescuing me...I’

‘No if about it, that plot is calling us now!’ her inner voice disagreed. ‘Whoa looky here! Seems Gentle Breeze is agreeing with me!’

‘Oh my!’ Emerald watched as Gentle Breeze had joined Dancing Lights in her performance. Matching her fellow move for move, their gyrations bring them closer with each beat of an unseen drum.

Her more wolfish inner voice edged them on in her internal dialog, ‘Move those flanks! Kiss her! Again! Now lower!’

Emerald would have hidden her eyes, but they were locked on the two mares, who suddenly were closer, standing above Emerald laying on the floor prone. Hoofs up where offered and even as Emerald was crying to herself in embarrassment and confusion, that inner voice said ‘go for it’ and she was suddenly up on all four legs ready to join the dance.

‘It’s just a dance, I can do this. There nothing strange for mares to dance.’

The two virgulino’s kept Emerald in the middle between themselves. She found a natural rhythm and it seemed easy to match them move for move. When she took a miss-step, they would ajust and push her back into line. The separation was just inches, yet her inner voice seemed to want more.

‘Don’t hold back, what are you shy? Look at their naked skin, slippery and wet, all to help you, all for you, touch them, don’t hide!’

‘No, I’d be too embarrassed!’ she scolded herself.

‘OK So don’t grab her tail, just kiss her, we know she wants you to!’
She didn't argue, she did suddenly find the idea exciting though, a wild joke that would be the greatest prank ever, she stepped closer to Dancing Lights and gave the other mare a quick peck on the cheek. The other mare smiled at her, a pleased look on her face.

‘You kissed her like our grandmother! She’s a hot mare who’s shaking her butt in our face, get over yourself and give her a proper kiss! What are you afraid of? One of those flying feather heads laughing at you?’

Before Emerald could react to herself, Gentle Breeze put her hooves on either side of Emerald Tail’s head and kissed her.

Suddenly Emerald found herself metaphorically drifting on a cloud, it was not a chaste kiss, there was tongue, there was sharing of spit, there was hot heat on Emerald’s cheeks and lips. Emerald hated to admit it, but she enjoyed every second of it, and was finding herself kissing back and forth between Gentle Breeze and Dancing Lights.

All three mares were dancing, but it was as one now, naked skin to fur covered hide, there were no gaps. The kisses were frequent, hot, heavy and Emerald didn’t want them to stop.

‘Now is that better?’ her inner voice chided her. ‘Do what feels right, let the inhibitions fall away, they were all just lies the feathered freaks used to control us.’

‘What?’ Emerald was confused with herself, ‘feathered freaks? We’re not going to start taking that nonsense that silly stallion was spouting seriously? That just beyond silly’ she laughed to herself.

Perhaps some of her inner conflict was visible on her face, because the two shaved mares changed their dance and started kissing Emerald so much that she no longer could stand straight. Soft caresses and light hoof touches, guided her down to the floor.

‘Silly? You think so? That stallion was clearly one of the leaders of the Stone Hearts, he clearly more experienced and wise that we are, you have to listen to him. What ever he said must have been true. The evil pegasus don’t want ground bound ponies any chance to fly, feel how high we are now, feel how good this is, this is real flying and you’re on the ride of your life. Embrace it!’ Emerald’s inner voice was getting more and more insistent.

‘But I’ve known Pegasus’s, they’re not evil!’ Emerald tried to say, but even as an inner dialog the argument sounded weak.

And it was getting so hard to think. The mares were kissing her still and she was automaticly kissing them back, but it was no longer just on her lips. Dancing Lights was kissing her chest now, while Gentle Breeze was wrapped around her back, kissing her mane, and working her way down her back, inch by inch.

Her inner voice laughed coldly at the response, ‘You think you have more experience than the Stone Heart elders? Know your place mare! The few Pegasus you thought you knew where just the exceptions to the rule, hardly a reason to forgive the rest.’

‘Forgive them from what?’ Emerald asked, finding it hard to even complete that simple question. She was so hot now, and her hips were shaking, the kisses were now more like licks and they were far south of her chest and mane now. Emerald was barely aware of the conversation in her own mind, it seemed so unimportant.

‘From the crimes the elder told us about, you’re not going to start questioning the wisdom of the Stone Heart elders now?’

“Noooo!” Emerald cried out, or was it a cry of pleasure? There was no mystery about what two ponies were doing to her now, and ‘forgive me Celestia’ she wanted it. Every lick, touch and taste, but there was something blocking her, some last block that was keeping her from the final peek, from which every fiber of her being was calling for release.

‘Then agree with me. Say it, you already know the words.’

And she did know them, how she would not begin to guess, but as she said them, she felt the freedom, of poison of the pegasi leave her, and free her.

“I Emerald Tail, pledge my fortune, my life, my body and all that I am to the sacred duty of the Stone Heart Family and may all who stand in the way of our family be met with blood and vengeance!” Emerald screamed out this words, as if she was in pain, but she wasn’t, far from it. It was to her an orgasmic cry and declaration her old life was dead and an new one about to start.

The crowd that had been waiting in anticipation, surged forward. Emerald embraced her new clan in every sense of the word.

---

Rock Charmer stepped away from the hidden viewing window, his mind so focused, that he was physically and emotionally unaffected from the site he had witnessed. Sitting on his back was the magically charged crystal empowering the Doctor.

“So Doctor,” he said to the floating cloud. “This is the technique we use the free the minds of the Pegasus victims. It takes days of preparation and hours of effort and we can only save them one at a time. The virgulino’s do their best, but we’re lucky if they can save more than two victims a day, they are exhausting themselves.”

The Doctor seemed in contemplation for a while, “Sometimes back on my world, if a patient was highly delusional and a danger to society we would use some very invasive techniques, even against their expressed will, to heal them. Based on what you’ve told me, and my own witnessing of the violent attacks on the children, I am forced to agree with you, this is a similar case.”

“Can your knowledge of how ponies minds work help improve our methods?”

The Doctor receded into a smaller cloud to process his thoughts more efficiently. “Yes, I think so, the methods you use tie the reprogramming to herding instincts, reproduction drives and pleasure centers, that is effective, but very slow. You need to use lengthy isolation and manipulation to get the required level of trust. There’s no real need for that delay as you can directly manipulate trust centers, I think I can speed the process up to about fifteen minutes. The virgulino’s will still have reenforce the new imprints with explicit physical bonding. You’ll need to train more of them, though the new ones should not requires quite as much skill in their special talents, just appropriate enthusiasm.”

Rock Charmer smiled. “Excelent.”