Ripples

by BaeroRemedy

The Drop

Two days until the Summer Sun Celebration

Twilight sighed and closed her book. Today was turning out to be one of those days where she just couldn’t focus easily on the task in front of her. Too much was just on her mind; Moondancer’s birthday, the Summer Sun Celebration, and the emergency session that Vinyl had scheduled.

Thoughts just buzzed around her head, obstructing her attention and clouding her ability to concentrate. She picked up the book in her magical grip and levitated it to its proper spot amongst the hundreds of tomes that covered the walls in her private tower room. She would have Spike do it, but the little dragon was out and about running errands for Princess Celestia.

“Right, now to prepare for Vinyl.” These little ‘sessions’ they had were the product of necessity on Vinyl’s part and an intense need to set things right on Twilight’s. After the whole mess with Cadance all those years ago, Twilight had seen what magic could do. She had been there as her brother slowly recovered his memories, she had been witness to the memory problems that plagued him to this day...more importantly, she had seen the inner-workings of the charm that the Princess had placed on Vinyl’s mind.

Twilight had spent years trying to figure it out, trying to figure out how to pry it apart or break it outright. It was all to no avail. If she was stronger, if she was just as powerful as Cadance she could do it. But she wasn’t, and Celestia had relegated handling the matter to Twilight personally as a lesson. Well, Twilight had been handling it.

Magic couldn’t break the charm, magic couldn’t alter the charm or fend it off for any amount of time. The charm itself was just a constant suggestion, always reasserting itself, so Twilight had found a way to combat it.

Hypnosis.

At first she had been skeptical, as had Vinyl, but after a metric ton of research on the matter, Twilight had become convinced. It was just suggestion, that’s all. Induce the subject into a relaxed, open state, and then suggest whatever you and the subject agreed upon. It was simple in theory.

The main obstacle was Vinyl herself. The subject had to believe in it, they had to do everything instructed and trust in the process. Vinyl’s stubbornness was something that they both had to overcome over time. At first, Vinyl thought it was a ‘bunch of bullshit’ as she had so eloquently put it. It had taken multiple sessions and a lot of coaxing by Twilight to get Vinyl to trust her and the process. The whole situation had, in the end, helped the unicorns grow closer over the years. Even to the point where Twilight could consider her brother’s marefriend a close friend of her own.

“Twily, you in?” The grade school name had stuck with Vinyl. Twilight wasn’t much of a fan of being called that anymore, but judging by how Vinyl still called Shining ‘Twinkle, Twilight knew it was a fruitless endeavor to demand change.

“Come on in, Vinyl.” The bookish unicorn stood up from her cushion and picked up various academic papers that were scattered around and gathered them in a nice stack before stashing them on a nearby table. She turned towards the door just in time to see it open.

Despite pushing thirty, Vinyl still kept a very youthful exuberance about her. The cocky grin, the mischievous glint in her magenta eyes, even the telltale swagger of the coolest pony in the room. It all just screamed, young and ready for anything.

Considering she used to be depressed and dependent on alcohol, this was a good change.

“Sorry about the sudden...thing.” Vinyl stepped into the room and looked around, taking in a bit of everything. “Twinkle and I are headed out to Baltimare tomorrow for the Summer Sun Celebration, y’know? Kinda hoping to just get everything reinforced so I don’t do anything stupid out there.”

“It’s no problem, Vinyl. Come right in, I always have time to help.” That had become one of Twilight’s pillars, helping others when she could. She had seen what selfish hoarding of emotions and power did, holding onto things without talking or opening up, it only lead to hurt.

That didn’t mean much, because Twilight was still...awkward around other ponies. Despite wanting to help, her studies under Celestia had left her more than a little sheltered in regards to social interaction. It left her high and dry when thrust into situations where tact and social graces were needed, and that kind of handicap was not conducive to wanting to help others.

“Same stuff as usual?” Vinyl asked, setting her saddlebags down with her magic and withdrawing a silky red string from it. In a simple and practiced motion, the mare took her wild mane, tamed it, and pulled it back into a ponytail. They had learned a long time ago that her mane could become distracting during sessions.

“Yeah, just get comfortable anywhere.” Twilight watched as Vinyl gathered two cushions and put them together to form a makeshift bed. The pearlescent mare laid on her side and closed her eyes.

This was where every word had to be right, all annunciations had to be perfect and intent had to be clear. The wrong wording could turn a meaning in the mind in the subject. Working this close with one pony for long, you learned the way they would interpret certain things and could plan around those things.

The induction, the part of the session that relaxed the subject and opened them to suggestibility, was the easy part. Just getting them to control their breathing, stretching and relaxing their muscles and getting them into a serene and calm state of mind. The words came simple and easily, and once she was sure that Vinyl was under and tranced, she could start with the meat of the session.

“You are in a field of flowers

The wind flows neatly through it

Blowing flowers to and fro

Now

Focus on your thoughts.

They’re wild and untamed

Chasing momentary fleets of fancy

Like a wild dog

It runs around the field

Tearing up the grass and disturbing the flowers.

The dog that is your thoughts run circles around you.

It tugs you along, pulling you every which way.

It is uncontrolled and undisciplined.

You are in control, though.

There is a leash trailing from it

Grab it

Take hold of it.

You hold the leash now

Gripping it tight and not letting go.

They only go as far and fast as you let them.

They can tug and pull, but you hold all the power.

The dog obeys it’s master, not the other way around.

The thoughts are yours, not the other way around.

The thoughts can be controlled and disciplined.

You have that power.

Now when I count down from five you will wake up.

The leash of your thoughts will be yours and you will be in full control.

Your wild thoughts will not dictate your actions, you will.

Five

Four

Three

Two

One”

Vinyl’s eyes opened and she blinked a few times, languidly stretching out. From how Vinyl had described the experience in the past, ‘waking up’ was a bit like coming out of a mental haze. It took the other unicorn a few seconds to gain back all her senses and look up at Twilight again.

“Celestia, I love that feeling.” Vinyl grinned and stood up, her joints popping slightly as she did. “It’s like a high without the hangover, y’know?” Twilight didn’t actually know, but had learned that ‘y’know?’ was actually a rhetorical question, so instead she just nodded in response. “I still got the shivers.”

“I hope it helped, Vinyl. I know we’ve had a lot of success, I’m just worried that one day it just won’t work anymore.” Twilight looked down, scenarios where it failed flooding her mind. That charm had to wear out sometime, and the sooner it did, the better. This couldn’t go on forever, Vinyl and Shining didn’t want to be in Canterlot forever and Twilight couldn’t be on call forever.

Something had to give.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Vinyl came up to the younger unicorn’s side and put a hoof over her. “Don’t worry about tomorrow or whatever, alright? Hell, don’t even worry about today. Just live. Do what you think is right and what’s best in the moment. When problems come, handle ‘em. That’s what I do.”

That did not inspire confidence.

“Thanks Vinyl.”

“No problem, squirt. Now, how’re you holding up with your whole grandma thing? Twinkle ain’t too broken up about it, but I know their relationship.” Twilight sighed and let her shoulders droop. Yeah, Grandma Satin. She was sick, pneumonia. She had been in the hospital a few weeks now, and the doctors had told the family she probably couldn’t fight it off. It had been rough.

“She’s almost one-hundred, so I’m not surprised. It’s been bad for mom, though. She’s taking it really hard.” Even though her mother and grandmother constantly bickered and fought, they were still family. Twilight Velvet still loved her mother and wanted her around. Losing a parent was hard, Vinyl knew that.

“I’ll send flowers from Twinkle and I, alright? You take care and just come over if you ever need anything. Like, anything at all. Advice, a fun night, booze. I’m your mare.” Twilight chuckled and shook her head.

“Thanks. Have fun on your trip, alright? Don’t get into too much trouble.” Twilight gave her not quite sister-in-law a hug as the older unicorn began to head for the exit.

“No promises, Twily. You know me.”

Author's Note:

Hey, shoutout to the people over at Positivity Hypno for both inspiring the subject of this chapter and helping me write it.

Hope you enjoy it!