Madness

by Mochas Dungeon

Crystal Shine's First Interview

Star rolled out of bed and sighed, the evening had been a fitful sleep, but better than the ones he’d had at home. He looked at the clock and huffed.

“Six thirty, really? I just have to wake up an hour before my alarm on a day with two interviews and a six hours of paperwork. Fantastic,” he grumbled.

He went to the small attached bathroom and filled the sink with it’s magically purified warm water and looked at the ripples it made before he splashed warm water on his face with a sigh. Then he held his breath and lowered his muzzle into the water until he could feel the porcelain on his nose.

He stayed like that for thirty seconds, or so, until he had to breathe again. He looked at his reflection in the polished metal ‘mirror’ above the sink and took his appearence in.

“Yellow eyes. Blue and white mane. Grass green fur. But what about what lies beneath? What psychosis lies hidden in your eyes?” he asked the stallion in the mirror. Looking at himself he sighed and cast a spell to bring a towel over to himself, letting out a single chuckle.

“Possible delusional episodes aside,” he winked to his reflection before grabbing a towel with his foreleg and wiping his face vigorously.

---

“Good morning, Miss Mend,” he greeted Mind Mend loudly from his table as she entered the cafeteria. Several other staff looked between them before carrying on their meals. Mind Mend smiled warmly and waved to Star as she queued into line for her cafeteria meal.

“Mister Star, it’s nice to see you this morning, especially after yesterday. You were right,” she said quickly before he could interject, “I looked into it after I lashed out at the bean bag, wrote an angry letter, drank some tea, and meditated. Then I looked into what you suggested and it seems, at face value, your research was correct.”

He nodded to her as she sat opposite him at the small round table.

“Careful, floors a bit cold this morning,” he warned her looking into his bowl of oats.

“Oh, that’s nothing to co-oncern, oh my,” she yelped and whispered as she moved her tail under her to sit on, “well. You have a habit of being right so far, but we’re only beginning. We’ve got two more interviews today and, darn it,” she whispered harshly, “I don’t like raisins and they gave me raisins in my oats.”

Without hesitation he reached out to her bowl and moved it to his mouth before turning and trotting to the serving line.

“Excuse, my lovely example of culinary expertise,” he cood at the mare offering the oats and toppings. She looked at him intently, as did the other three servers, with uneasy interest.

“Um, yes doctor?”

“My colleague over there has a predisposition for raisins, and she has some in her oats here,” he pointed to the bowl on the countertop, “and I’d take it as a, personal favor,” he raised his eyebrows, “if you’d give me a bowl that’s plain.”

The mare blushed furiously and glanced to her coworkers who were smirking at her. She nodded quickly and hoofed a bowl of plain oats over to the stallion who returned a wink. He quickly turned and returned with the bowl in his teeth.

“Well, that was impressive, appealing to their baser sexual instincts to get results via manipulation. What’ll they do when you don’t ever talk to them again?” she asked looking with a smile at the bowl he placed before her.

“Then, my dear,” he said taking a seat on his tail, “they work in the right place.”

She snorted and began to laugh as he smiled and began to eat his meal.

---

“Here we are, Doctor Star. Next interviewee is Crystal Shine, I know you’ve read her file and know as much as we do, so I’ll be in observation. Just, stomp twice if you need help.”

“Very well, I’ll be an hour-ish.”

He turned to the door and looked at the glass. Curtains were in place of the clouds this time, dark curtains.

He knocked and was let in, stared at the same nurse as before, then was allowed to enter. Shortly after her entered the patient door clicked open and a white pony with shimmering mane walked into the room. She was sullen and had dark circles under her eyes and an air of total defeat emanated from her.

"Hello, Crystal Shine, may I call you Crystal?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Doctor Star, and I'm here to listen and talk with you. Does that sound nice?" he started in a calm tone.

"Yes."

"So, I have a granddaughter who is really interested in your home country. Can you tell me anything about it?"

She looked at him with the saddest eyes he’d seen in a long time. "No, please."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What can you tell me? I won't judge you or think any less or more of you. I'm just here to listen and help you get the weight off your withers. You will feel better, afterall."

She looked at the cushion she was laying on and began pawing at it. "I was born and lived under the Great King."

"Well, that's interesting,” he replied with a hint of surprise, “why was he called the 'Great King'? Over the past while he's simply known as Sombra."

Her eyes shot him a look of terror, she began trembling, and he could sense her trying to use her magic.

She’s trying to cast something: To flee, most likely.

"D-don't call him that. He's all seeing, all knowing. He'll find you in your sleep and in your dreams," she said looking around trembling, “He is the beginning and end, I was a voice in his choir and none shall speak ill of Him.”

"I'm so sorry," he assured her, "I don't want him to get me. The Great King is wise and knows best, I regret my informality."

She nodded while she trembled, looking around the room, almost as though she were expecting Sombra to leap out of any shadow. "He is the wisest in the world. None compare, he hears my words and knows them to be true, my new friend’s as well. We honor him with our tribute."

"Yes," he replied, copying her fears and looking around, scooting closer until I was a hoof length away. She crossed her hooves with his and leaned in close, resting her muzzle on his shoulder.

She began to pray quietly.

"Great, wise God-King Sombra will keep us safe from the wicked sun and moon witches. Only by his power are we safe, through the chains; that bind us together, so are we bound to his grace."

"That's a lovely prayer. Can you teach it to me? The Great King would like me to know it, I can feel his listening," he whispered to her.

She nodded and began to repeat the prayer over and over, like a mantra.

“Well, our time is almost up,” he stated after nearly an hour, “I hope to see you again soon-”

“He demands blood from those who don’t believe; as an example.”

His breath caught in his throat at her revelation.

“Can you tell me more?”

“N-no, not yet. He does not wish it, next time. Always on the second visit does it begin.”

Doctor Star smiled and backed away quickly as he could backing up and maintaining eye contact.

“That, was the biggest waste of an hour I’ve had in weeks. Doctor Mind,” he nodded to the doctor that was leaning against the opposite wall casually, “would you walk with me?”

She nodded and sided to him as they walked, followed by a large stallion nurse. “So, why exactly was that a waste of time, to you?”

“Well,” he started, “I learned a prayer from a patient suffering from extreme shell shock and a number of other potential issues caused by her time under His rule. She was probably an assistant torturer and she didn’t know how to cope with life after him so she continued. That’s why her victims were left alive.

“No point in killing everypony who crosses you when you can use them as an example to others.”

“That’s a horrible life to live, I really hope we can help her.”

“If we do, or do not, at least we tried. At the least we can use her case as a baseline for future Crystal Empire ponies who have such episodes.”

“Ah, you’re correct again. You’re an optimist, aren’t you?”

“At times,” he replied looking at her, “others I’m here as a pessimist. I am as our work demands.”

“The next interview is a classic nymphomania case with a twist.”

“Yes, the nymphomaniac that kills and sells. This should be about as exciting as a dentist appointment. I’ve taken my sexual repressors and I’m ready to turn down her advances, but if anything changes or happens, watch for my stomps, okay?”

With a serious expression they turned another corridor to the next patient’s interview.