Affection Therapy

by Blazewing

Advice From Twilight

This feels very familiar.

Here you are, on your way to Princess Twilight’s castle, for a matter of importance. This is just like when you first arrived to render your therapy services to Starlight Glimmer. The feeling of deja vu rests strongly upon you.

There are a couple of key differences, of course. First of all, it was daytime when you went to see Starlight, and now it’s just after nightfall. Secondly, you had been summoned personally to the castle, whereas here, you’re arriving unannounced and without anyone’s prior knowledge.

You still hope you’re not going to be making any waves by calling upon Twilight without her knowledge. It’s still fairly early in the evening, so it’s not likely that she would be heading to bed yet. On the other hand, it’s around the dinner hour, and you have no idea what the dining habits are in the castle. You resolve that, if it is a bad time, then you can simply arrange a better time for it. No harm, no foul.

Even so, you’re still feeling the same jangling in your nerves as you get closer to the castle. Confiding in Rose had already been a big step for you, as she’s your closest friend. Twilight is the one who paved the way for you to become an affection therapist. She’s been an important source of support and friendship since you came to Ponyville, and just like Rose, just like everypony you know, she’s been kept in the dark about your past.

As you approach the front doors of the castle, the feeling of nervous excitement begins to mount higher. Not only that, but the resolution you had just determined on begins to waver. You’ve already told yourself that if Twilight is too busy to see you, you can just arrange to come back another day. However, by that logic, if there was already a chance that this was a poor time to call, you could always just turn around, head home, and try again another day. If you do that, though, you run the risk of constantly putting it off day by day, constantly telling yourself that it’ll happen tomorrow, but then that tomorrow never comes…

By the time you reach the end of this circuit of second-guessing, you’re already before the castle doors. Well, you’re here now, and it would ultimately be pointless to have come this far just to turn around. It’s now or never.

You reach up and knock.

Seconds pass. A minute passes.

Then, you hear the doorknob turn. Too late to turn back now.

The door opens, revealing Starlight Glimmer on the other side. Her eyes widen in surprise at the sight of you, then she looks delighted.

“Oh, hello!” she says.

“Hi, Starlight,” you say, smiling. “How are you?”

“I’ve been great!” says Starlight. “How about you? How’s your spa work going?”

“Really well so far,” you say. “It’s hard to believe I’ve only been at it for two days.”

“That busy, huh?”

“That’s one word for it. I hope I haven’t come by at a bad time, but there’s something I need to talk to Twilight about. Is she occupied?”

“Oh, no,” says Starlight. “We just finished dinner. Spike’s taking care of the dishes, and Twilight went off to the library, as usual. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind seeing you. Would you like me to go ask her?”

“If you don’t mind,” you say, humbly.

“Not at all. Wait right there.”

You expect her to close the door and trot off to find Twilight. Instead, with a flash of blue-green light, and a faint popping noise, she disappears from the doorway. You stand dazed, rubbing at your eyes as little spots wink and blink in your line of sight. You’ve seen ponies teleport before, but that’s the first time somepony’s done it right in front of you. The effect is very disorientating for a bystander at such close range.

Not too long after you’ve gotten over the shock, there’s another flash and pop, and Starlight’s returned. After the first surprise, it’s not as bad, though still a bit alarming in its suddenness.

“She says you can come on in,” Starlight says, brightly. “Would you like to walk in, or should I just teleport you there?”

“Thanks for the offer,” you say, “but I think I’d prefer walking. I’m not sure I’m up for sidealong teleportation just yet, and besides, it gives us a chance to talk a bit on the way.”

Thankfully, Starlight doesn’t look too put-out by your declining teleportation, as the offer of a chat seems to agree with her.

“Fair enough,” she says. “Right this way.”

You follow her inside as the doors close behind you. Even as she uses her magic to keep them from slamming, the sound of them shutting still echoes in the front hall, as does every foot and hoof-step the two of you take.

“So, I know you can’t say who you’ve had for clients,” says Starlight, “but I have seen quite a few ponies around Ponyville lately, looking happier than I’ve ever seen them. Hard not to imagine who might be responsible for that.”

She gives you a sly look.

“You said yourself, I can’t say,” you say, simply. “Still, if ponies are happy, that makes me happy.”

“You sound just like Pinkie Pie,” says Starlight. “At least, you sound like the part of her that makes sense.
Sometimes it feels like she’s having two different conversations at once, but with only one pony.”

“I think I’ve experienced something like that before,” you say. “I’ve never met anyone like her.”

“Me neither,” says Starlight. “I’ve never known anyone like you, either, but then again, I haven’t met many humans. Are all of them like you? Nice, helpful, and caring?”

“Oh, no,” you say, shaking your head. “I’m flattered you think that, and I wish that were the case, but humans are as different from each other as…well, as any two ponies are from each other. I mean, not that that’s a bad thing, of course. Everyone being the same as each other would be really boring, but…well, it doesn’t help that plenty of humans can be…unkind.”

“Plenty of ponies, too,” says Starlight, quietly. “I know that all too well.”

So do you, and that’s one of the reasons you’re here…

There’s an awkward silence, which, thankfully, Starlight breaks in a more cheerful tone.

“Still, after getting to meet you, I wouldn’t mind meeting other humans, too, seeing what they’re like. Do you know if any others have come to Equestria?”

That question gives you a moment of pause. Strange as it is to admit, that’s something you hadn’t thought much of before.

“I’m…not sure,” you say. “I was invited to Equestria for an exchange program, and…one thing and another made it a permanent stay. I haven’t really thought about other humans taking part in it. I doubt the program dropped after I was sent over, so they must be, but I haven’t heard anything about it. For all I know, there could be humans in other parts of Equestria, or even outside it, as well as ponies where I came from.”

“That’s something to think about,” says Starlight. “Twilight would be all over something like that, I’m sure. There aren’t saddlebags big enough to carry enough paper and pens for her to take notes on human stuff.”

You both share a laugh at this. It’s funny: you’ve spent so long just living in Equestria, you haven’t given a lot of thought to the fact that other humans might be experiencing it as well, and that ponies might be experiencing the human lands you came from. You’d think you would’ve heard more about it.

At last, you and Starlight stand before the doors leading to the library.

“Here we are,” says Starlight. “Living in a big, maze-like castle has a lot of perks, like eventually finding your way around and being able to guide guests who might get lost.”

“Always a plus,” you say, grinning.

You reach out your hand to open the library door, but Starlight holds up her hoof to stop you, suddenly looking serious.

“Hold it!” she said. “Before I can allow you to see Twilight, you must complete an important task first.”

You stand staring at her, bemused by her sudden change in demeanor. What’s this about? Why is she suddenly acting like the gatekeeper of a bridge?

“What sort of task?” you ask. “Do I have to answer three questions or something?”

Starlight blows a dismissive raspberry.

“No, nothing like that,” she says. “But if you did, I could make it easy and just ask for your favorite color, or be mean about it and ask what the capital of Abyssinia is.”

That would be mean. You haven’t been studying Equestrian geography as much as would likely be sensible.

“No,” says Starlight, “the important task I have in mind is…”

She then tilts her head, wiggling her ear and giving you an expectant smile. It takes a second or two for it to click. So that was her game, was it? Cheeky mare.

“My, my, that’s quite the daunting task you’ve set before me,” you say, banteringly. “Are you sure you want to entrust me with it?”

“Only if you think you can handle it,” says Starlight.

“You drive a hard bargain, Miss Glimmer,” you say, “but so be it.”

You kneel before her, reach up, and start rubbing the base of her proffered ear. Her cheeky little grin melts away into a blissful smile, and she leans her cheek against your palm. This goes on for, maybe, a full minute, before she finally straightens up and clears her throat.

“Very well, affection therapist,” she says, importantly. “You have passed, and you may enter.”

“Thank you,” you say, bowing. “And as repayment for your kind company, accept this as well.”

You hold out one of the cookies you have remaining. Starlight’s eyes light up.

“Mmm, tempting,” she says. “I just ate, and Spike already gave me one earlier, buuut one more won’t hurt.”

That’s right, Spike did take a few cookies home with him to share. You’d nearly forgotten. Starlight accepts the one you offer in her magic and eats it up.

“Thanks,” she says. “I’ll leave you to your meeting. Good night.”

“Good night, Starlight.”

With a last smile at you, she trots away, leaving you alone in the hallway. Turning to the door, you reach up and knock.

“Come in!” calls Twilight’s voice.

You open the door and step inside. Sitting on her sofa, a book floating in front of her face, is Twilight. As you approach, she places a bookmark in the section she’s in, closes the book, and sets it aside.

“Good evening,” she says, smiling. “Starlight told me you wanted to see me.”

“Evening, Twilight,” you say, “and yes, I did. I hope I haven’t come at a bad time.”

“Not at all,” says Twilight. “Please, have a seat.”

She pats the spot on the couch beside her, and you sit down. You look down at the plate you’re holding, still bearing a few cookies.

“As an apology for bothering you unexpectedly, would you like a cookie?”

You hold out the plate to her.

“You don’t need to apologize, really,” says Twilight, kindly. “Besides, I’ve already eaten.”

She looks down at the plate, thinking.

“Still,” she says, after a pause, “since you’re offering, one more wouldn’t hurt.”

It looks like she and Starlight think along the same wavelength. She chooses a cookie with her magic, and it soon disappears in a bite or two.

“Delicious,” she says. “Consider your apology accepted.”

The two of you laugh, and Twilight wipes the crumbs from her muzzle.

“So, what brings you around here? I hope everything’s been going well.”

“Oh, it has,” you say, before adding, quietly, “for the most part.”

“For the most part?” Twilight echoes, with concern. “What do you mean? Did something happen?”

You don’t answer right away. You don’t even look at her. This is it: the moment of truth. Again. Funny, you’d think it’d be easier now that you’ve confided in both Rose and Princess Luna, and yet, your brain and your voice don’t seem to be cooperating with each other quite yet.

At last, after taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly, you turn to Twilight. You can see the worry in her purple eyes, the sort of worry someone experiences when they want to help, but aren’t sure how.

“You’ve helped me through a lot, Twilight,” you say. “You helped me find a home for myself so that I wouldn’t be a burden to Rose. You found a way to turn an accidental gesture on my part into a full-blown therapeutic practice, sanctioned by Celestia and Luna themselves. You kickstarted my career by introducing me to Starlight. You furthered it by helping me get my position at the spa. You’ve done so much for me…and I feel like I’ve done a poor job of repaying it.”

“What would make you think that?” Twilight asks, kindly. “I’ve never expected any kind of compensation or reward from you. Knowing that you’re happy, content, and well-provided for has been all the repayment I need.”

“And the fact that I was a human living in Ponyville had no influence on that?” you can’t help asking.

You’re not trying to sound accusatory by such a question. It’s more of a light teasing. Twilight seems to catch the tone as such, and smiled, putting a hoof on your shoulder.

“I won’t deny that being a benefactor for a human is an exciting prospect, and one that I’m sure many a pony would be head over hooves about. Still, I’ve always seen you as a friend first, and a human second. As a matter of fact, I’d almost swear that you’re practically part-pony.”

You can’t help but grin at that.

“I’ll take that as a compliment any day,” you say.

Then you let your smile fade away again.

“Even so, what I mean is that you’ve taught me a lot, shared a lot of stories about your adventures and things about Equestria I never knew, but I never bothered to tell you anything about myself in return.”

Twilight opens her mouth, then closes it again, looking thoughtful.

“Now that you bring it up, you always were quiet about yourself,” she says. “I didn’t want to be nosey and pressure you with questions, if you didn’t want to talk about it.”

You nod.

“I didn’t talk about it because…it’s a long story, and not a happy one.”

Twilight’s look of concern returns, more pronounced than before.

“The reason I’m bringing it up,” you continue, “is because something happened that brought back…old memories, memories of those days. Happy ones…and sad ones.”

“Oh,” says Twilight, very quietly.

“I was given some good advice,” you say, “which was to confide in those I trust the most, and get their advice. I already did so once tonight, with Rose. Now, I want to confide in you, Twilight, if you’ll hear me out.”

Twilight looks at an utter loss for words, something unprecedented in a pony so verbose and possessing an extensive vocabulary. You know you’re asking for a lot from her, bringing this up out of the blue, giving her little warning that she’d be in for a tragic story tonight. You wonder if she’ll even want to hear you out, if you were too bold or presumptuous in presenting the reason for your visit to her like this.

After a long pause, Twilight closes her eyes and sighs, when she opens them again, you can see resolve in them, a firm steadfastness in preparing for a great task.

“Of course I’ll hear you out,” she says. “If it’s something that’s resting so heavily on your mind that you feel you need my advice, how could I possibly turn you away in good conscience? And even if it weren’t for that, I will always be ready to help a friend in any way I can, no matter what the circumstances may be. You should never have to be afraid to confide in someone you trust. Whatever it is that’s troubling you, I promise to do what I can to help you through it.”

You feel a warmth in your heart after this declaration of hers. You feel relief, pride, and admiration for this pony sitting beside you. She might be humble and modest about being a princess, but there’s unmistakable conviction and confidence in her words, and a subtle aura of authority and leadership surrounding her, one that inspires respect.

“You’re not the Princess of Friendship for nothing, Twilight Sparkle,” you say, reverently.

Twilight’s cheeks turn pink at this, but she merely smiles. Then, she settles herself properly on the couch, so that she’s fully turned towards you, all four hooves resting on the cushions, her eyes fixed on yours.

“No notes this time,” she says. “You have my full, undivided attention. Go ahead whenever you feel ready.”

Twilight Sparkle foregoing taking notes? She really is serious about this. Still, you feel much more at ease than you did before. So, at her bidding, you begin.

***

Twilight’s just as good a listener as Rose. You say what you said before, and Twilight’s reactions are much the same as Rose’s had been. She smiles fondly as you bring up your younger days with your mother, but has a conflicted look as you bring up your foster life, between the coldness of your foster father and the warmth of your foster mother. When you reach the part about the letter you received, the one that changed everything, she puts a hoof to her mouth, her eyes widening in shock and horror.

You pause once again. Even if you’ve already told this story once tonight, remembering that particular moment still gives you a pang that stops you short. Twilight breaks the silence in a hushed voice, tears sparkling in her eyes.

“How terrible…I’m so sorry…”

She sniffs and wipes at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

“If you need a moment, I understand,” she says. “Take your time.”

That’s very kind of her. She knows exactly what someone needs at moments like this.

When you feel confident to go on again, you tell her about what happened after that day, including what happened at the spa (while leaving out names, of course), the nightmare you experienced, Princess Luna’s intervention, and your talk with Rose. After two recitations of this story in one night, your voice is growing tired, and your throat feels dry and scratchy, compounded with the tight feeling in it already from reliving those memories, as well as a stinging in your eyes.

By the end, Twilight is looking upon you with a face full of tearful sympathy. She’s silent at first. Then, after dabbing at her eyes and cheeks with her handkerchief, she says,

“Thank you for telling me all of this. Having to tell it once already can’t have been easy for you.”

You shake your head quietly. You thought it would be, and while you’re not in quite the same state you were in the first time, the old feeling still lingers.

Twilight opens her forelegs to you. Taking the hint, and appreciating it very much, you put your arms around her and hug her, and she hugs you in return, putting her wings about you as well. It’s a very warm, pleasant, and comforting hug, and you feel her gently rub your back with her hooves.

“I’m glad you confided in Rose first,” she says. “I appreciate how much you trust me to tell me all of this, but I would have preferred it this way from the start. I know how much you mean to each other.”

Your heart feels warm again, and you strengthen the hug a little bit. After a while, you pull away from each other, though Twilight still keeps a wing draped over your shoulders.

“You’ve been through so much,” she says. “Losing your mother, having a guardian who wasn’t there for you, feeling unwelcome where you live…And yet, through all of it, you’ve still had ponies who’ve looked out for and cared for you: your foster mother and foster brother, Rose, your friends here in Ponyville, Princess Luna…”

“And you,” you say, smiling.

“And me,” says Twilight, modestly. “My point is, even in the toughest of times, when all seems hopeless and gloomy, we can count on others to help us through them. That’s what you do, after all, as an affection therapist.”

“I know,” you say, humbly. “It just hasn’t been easy, coming to terms with the fact that even therapists need therapy. Who heals the healers?”

“More often than not, those they heal,” says Twilight. “Teachers can learn just as much from students as students learn from teachers, and when you help those around you, you never know when they’ll help you when you’re in need.”

In other words, what goes around comes around. A simple lesson, so often taken for granted.

“So, you’ve been thinking about your foster father lately,” says Twilight, soberly.

“In a sense,” you say. “It’s his voice I’ve been hearing in my head, whenever I’ve been second-guessing myself or worrying about something.”

Twilight frowns sympathetically.

“You associate him with discouragement, pessimism, and doubt,” she says. “I’m not a psychologist, but I have read several books on the subject, and the presence or absence of a parental figure in one’s life can shape thought patterns and behaviors.”

“He certainly left an impression on me,” you mutter. “I don’t even know if he actually meant well in his own way, or if he genuinely didn’t like me. He just…wasn’t there for me.”

Twilight’s wing is still around your shoulders, and you feel it give you a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“And you’re not sure if you can move on until you know the truth?“ she asks.

You nod.

“Not that I’m saying I want to stop my therapy practice until then,” you say. “Far from it. I want more than ever to continue. I just want to be able to move past this, not risk having that voice in my head again, not have to worry that I’m only doing this to spite him for never believing in me!”

You cover your mouth with your hand. You didn’t mean for that to slip out. Twilight stares at you, silently, for several seconds. Then, she asks, quietly,

“Has that been troubling you?”

You hesitate, angry at yourself for saying too much. Then again, this is what today is for: getting everything off your chest and getting advice. Best not to leave anything out at this point…

“Partly,” you say, quietly. “I know it’s not true, at least, not wholly true. I do genuinely enjoy what I do, and I like making ponies happy, but it’s been on my mind ever since I left home. He never supported me, never encouraged me, so deep down, I guess I just wanted to prove him wrong. I wanted to show him that I could get by in Equestria my way. I know that’s kind of petty, but that’s just how he made me feel…”

You look at Twilight, wondering how she’ll take this. She’s not smiling, but there’s understanding in her eyes.

“It’s very brave of you to admit that,” she says. “It takes a lot to be so forthcoming about something like that. I’m sorry he made you feel that way. No child should ever feel like they have to earn their parent’s love. Your foster father should have been happy to look after such a kind and compassionate human.”

She draws you in close, nuzzling your cheek. You feel warm all over at this, and start to feel tears in your eyes.

“Have you been in contact with him lately?” Twilight asks. “Or even your foster mother?”

“Not lately,” you say. “Not since I started with affection therapy. They’re likely in the dark about it all, since I know word about it can’t have traveled that far.”

“Well, I can think of no better time to write to them,” says Twilight. “You’ve got plenty to tell them about, and you can set up a meeting with them to talk things over.”

“That’s what I was hoping for,” you say, “but I’m not entirely confident about putting it into words. Part of the reason I came by was to ask if you could help me compose a letter to them. I figured a pony as well-read as you could give me some good writing advice.”

Twilight looks a little surprised at this request.

“Of course,” you add, hastily, “I know it’s already getting late, and I don’t want to take up much more of your time, so I could just-”

But she holds up a hoof to forestall you. She’s smiling at you.

“Of course I’ll help you,” she says. “Wait right here.”

Her horn lights up, and, in a flash of purple light, she vanishes from the couch. That’s twice tonight that you’ve been blinded by sudden teleportation, something you should only want to experience once, or not at all. Shortly after, there’s another flash, and Twilight reappears. She’s brought a stack of paper, some pencils, pens, and a pencil sharpener. You stare at her, but she just smiles.

“I didn’t want to bother Spike about it,” she says, placing the writing implements on the table in front of the couch, “when he’s been busy with the dishes, so I got what we needed myself. Just write what you want to tell your foster family, and I’ll help you put it together into a proper letter.”

You have no words. Twilight’s willing to take time out of her evening to help you with something she didn’t even have any knowledge about until now. She really is a princess worthy of her Friendship title. Without further prompting, you get off the couch and kneel in front of the coffee table, Twilight joining you, take a piece of paper and a pencil, and begin to write.

***

You’re not sure how long this writing workshop lasted. You’re too wary to look at the clock to see how much later it’s gotten, but Twilight hasn’t said a word about the time. She merely sits by and watches as you write down what you would want to put into a letter addressed to your foster family, putting it down as a list of bullet points. It runs pretty long, and you start to wonder if some of these topics might not be necessary. Still, Twilight said to write down what you wanted to say, so you write it.

Once you think you’re done, Twilight looks it over, scrutinizing it carefully. She takes up a pen and starts making marks on the list,. Perhaps she too has found some topics that don’t need to be included.

“All right,” she says, once she’s finished. “I’ve given your list of content a perusal, and I’ve indicated what I feel should be included in this letter, though of course, it’s up to you what you want to put in. If you feel stuck about how to compose it, just ask, and I’ll see if I can help you word it.”

That sounds reasonable. You look down at the list, and can see that Twilight has circled several of the points you wrote, clearly meaning that you ought to include those. She’s put an X mark or a question mark next to others, meaning she didn’t think it necessary to include them, or that she wasn’t sure herself whether or not you ought to. Just as well, now that you think about it. Things like directly asking your foster father if he hated you or if he had cared at all about what happened to your mother might not be what’s needed in this letter, much as you’d like to know the answers to such questions.

Trusting Twilight’s judgment, you start composing a letter with these points, taking it slow and steady to word it properly based on these notes. More than once, you’re forced to stop and ponder, at which point Twilight chimes in to offer a helpful suggestion of phrasing for what you want to write. She does stress that she wants you to write it in your own way, and that you don’t have to copy what she says verbatim, but her advice is already a great help to you, and with her gentle coaching, you slowly begin feeling more confident in your composition, and start writing more naturally.

At last, you’re finished. Your wrist is pretty sore, and your back, too, from sitting hunched over your writing for so long. You sit back, stretch, then look over what you’ve written. Twilight leans over to read as well.

“Dear Olive, Clay, and Spruce,

How have you all been? I’m sorry it’s been a while since I last contacted you. A lot’s been happening since I moved, and I’ve got a lot to tell you.

Things have been great since I moved to Ponyville! I’ve met so many amazing ponies, and they’ve made me feel right at home. What’s more, it’s the hometown of the Princess of Friendship herself, Twilight Sparkle! It’s incredible, living in the same town as royalty. But there’s one pony in particular who’s made my stay in Ponyville meaningful and special: Roseluck. She sells flowers, and is one of the sweetest, kindest mares you could ever meet. She’s helped me settle into Ponyville since I arrived, and I don’t know what I’d do without her.

Something big has happened, which is the main reason why I’m writing. I’ve gotten a job! I’m officially Ponyville’s, even Equestria’s, first licensed affection therapist! It all started by complete accident funnily enough, but Rose is the one who helped inspired it. It gained a lot of momentum since, and Princess Twilight helped make it an actual practice, with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s approval.

You might be wondering what ‘affection therapy’ is. It’s helping ponies relax and destress through giving them displays of platonic affection: ear scratches, chin scratches, nose boops, belly rubs, hugs, anything that helps them feel happy, content, and comfortable. It sounds a little unusual, I’m sure, but it really does work, and I’ve used it to benefit quite a number of ponies. What’s more, thanks to a suggestion from another friend, Rarity, who runs a fashion boutique, and with Princess Twilight’s help, I was able to apply for a position at the local spa, so affection therapy is now officially a spa-approved therapeutic practice.

A lot’s been on my mind lately, and I’ve been thinking about all of you as well. It would really mean a lot to me if we could get together again, as I have a lot I want to talk to you about. I work 5 days a week, and am free on weekends, so if there’s a way we can arrange for a meet-up, either in Manehattan or in Ponyville, that would be fantastic. Please let me know.”

Twilight’s eyes move from the top to the bottom of the letter. At last, turning to you, she nods in satisfaction.

“That’ll do just fine,” she says. “It doesn’t cram everything into one letter, but it tells enough of what you’ve been up to, and it gives the promise of more to tell if you agree to meet up. Well done.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” you say, relieved. “This takes a great deal off my mind, and I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Oh, don’t be so modest,” says Twilight. “I just gave you a few pointers. This was you.”

She smiles at you, and you smile back. Going back to the letter, you sign it, then fold it up. Twilight hands you an envelope, onto which you write your foster family’s address, the one you knew growing up, and put the letter inside, sealing the envelope.

“I’ll mail this tomorrow, before work,” you say. “Thanks so much for your help, Twilight. I really really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” says Twilight. “Just remember, if you ever feel troubled like this again, don’t be afraid to come to me, but like I said, I’d prefer if you go to Rose first.”

“I will,” you say. “Thanks.”

Then, Twilight puts her forelegs and wings around you in another hug, holding you closer than she did before. The first embrace already felt warm and comforting, but this one feels even more so. It almost feels…magical in its warmth. She soon releases you and holds you at forelegs’ length, smiling tenderly at you.

“I hope you can meet with your foster family soon,” she says, “and say what you need to say to them. I know it’ll be hard, but I know you can do it. I believe in you.”

You can find no words in response to such warm and kind words. Instead, you return her hug, giving her a grateful squeeze, then, taking your letter and your plate of leftover cookies, you stand up. She stands up as well, and walks with you out of the library, right up to the castle doors. You smile down at her.

“Good night, Twilight.”

“Good night.”

You step out into the night and look back at her. She gives you one last smile, then closes the door.

You look up at the night sky. It’s grown dark, as you expected. The street lamps are lit, the stars are out, and the moon is shining bright. You take a deep breath, then let it out in a sigh. It’s been a very busy night, but you still have some preparations to make for tomorrow, for another day of affection therapy. So, with plate and letter in hand, you start off for home.

Author's Note:

I've got an important question to ask you all as of this chapter. I do have something of an eventual ending for this story in mind, at least in the basic premise of it, but I don't intend for it to be the meeting with the protagonist's foster family, at least the initial one. As I've said previously, these current events of the story take place in the midst of Season 6. What I want to ask is if you guys would want the chapter after this to time-skip, either to the moment of the reply to the protagonist's letter, or even to the events of another season entirely? That way, more options open up for potential affection therapy clients. Of course, there's also how much time would pass to take into account, as while I don't want to drag things on for too long, I also don't want to be too brief in skipping things over. It's quite the conundrum, lol.
In any case, please let me know what you think would work best going forward, and I hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter.

Comments

[Hamburgertime]

I mean, at the end of the day it's your story and you can write whatever you like, so as long as there's more fluff, it doesnt really matter to me what kind of timeframe the story uses.

[Eroraf86]

As long as there's fluff and snuggles, I'll read anything that you write.

[Scholar Andrew]

Man, I need a hug.

[FlameRose-MLP-FiM]

When will Princess Celestia get a dose of this therapy?
I'm still hoping for a chapter with her, and her beautiful, motherly personality.

[Level Dasher]

Personally I'd give it one or two clients before an actual meeting. You'll want to give it time for the letter to get to the foster family and for them to write one back (which I assume is going to happen?). But we also need some more fluff.

[High_Light]

Honestly I would have the protagonist meet their foster family and then have a calming session with Princess Celestia with the family observing what he’s doing for a living now. The foster dad would try to be gruff but eventually won over by the inherent goodness of ponies and then wrap with a lovely last session with Princess Luna to wrap everything up at this point.

But that’s just me! Please continue to story as you see fit!!

[Mister-H]

It'd be interesting if our protag ended angrily yelling and venting his feelings at the foster dad and that's what helps him.

Unlikely to happen given the tone of the story though

[Gogofan]

To answer your question in the author’s notes in the end.

I believe there are still quite a few ponies and other creatures in Ponyville or close by that are good options to have appear now, before a timejump. After a bigger repertoire of clients is set then I believe a timeskip is a good idea.

Maybe instead of having a full day written with clients filling every hour you could just jump into his day half way through the day. Mention that he did therapy to some ponies he’s already treated who came back for a second try. That way is less grueling to write and you can focus on those specific cases of new characters you want to explore.

After those have been done then I think its more believable that his itinerary would fill with a collection of returning clients. So then time skip to see his family or something. And that way you cam make some miscellaneous chapters of people from outside Ponyville coming to try the therapy. Cause at that point there’s more time for word of it to have spread around and reach people from all corners of equestria.

[Enzolay]

I should've read this way earlier but missed the release! Anyway another successful chapter straight to the Top of it all!

For your Authors Note: I'm definetly down for a Time-skip to the Day when the Protagonist receives the Reply from his Foster Family. It would still be a good Idea to include some more Affection Therapy Sessions depending on which Client joins the Therapist, if it's somepony that was already Therapied then you can give a brief Description of what exactly was done and if there was anything Special to it, if it's a new Client then i'd suggest to give the Session a regular sized Chapter like before or go a step further and cut make some sort of breaks inbetween the Sections when there is not very much going on where you could write something different within the Story like a Scenery Change to Somepony else or some event happening while the Session is going or like those"5 Minutes earlier" or "Just before the Session..." Moments which can increase the story even further HOWEVER! This story is still in your control just like everypony else here already mentioned, we all will be happy with the next chapters(after the following one ofcourse) if you are Happy Blazewing! And let's be honest here, i'm not the only pony who is excited for each new chapter no matter how long it takes because this story is absolutely AWESOMEEE

[Starstrike]

Another amazing chapter to an amazing story.
Could you please have Celestia stop by for a session? Ruling a nation can be tiring and draining... Im sure she'll need a session...

[Arkanids]

Congratulations on the 1,000 likes!