They're Never Coming Back

by Flashgen

Session 13 - Verdant Vines - May 2nd

Transcription of Session 13: Verdant Vines, Head Investigator
Date: May 2^nd
Time: 6:15 p.m.
Interviewer: Doctor Blue Sky, PhD

It has been several days since the events that transpired with Pendant, Miss Vines, and myself. In that time, it has been requested that I stay on-site in Ponyville to further assist with the investigation and the well-being of Miss Vines’ team. This is the first time since then that Miss Vines requested to meet with me in private. She asked me to keep recording our conversations to relay any relevant information to Canterlot.

Blue Sky (BS): Everything should be set up, Miss Vines. Would you still like to treat this as a… session?

Verdant Vines (VV): For transcription and review? Certainly, Doctor, but I don’t think I want somepony questioning my sanity right now. Even with our experience I still feel… capable of carrying out the rest of this investigation.

BS: I understand you’ve been busy since what happened. You didn’t appear to be in an unstable condition then, but it was harrowing.

Miss Vines laughed at my comment.

VV: I think that would be putting it lightly, Doctor. Are you holding up well?

BS: The first night wasn’t the easiest. I could say that I was concerned with Pendant’s well-being, or yours, but… I’ve never been in fear for my life during my work before. I’ve talked to many ponies who have. I thought I knew what I would need to say to myself.

VV: It’s difficult to rationalize your safety after that. I’ve been through it too, Doctor.

BS: I think I slept… thirty minutes the first night. I woke up because my mind was playing it over again. Flashes, of course: the glint of a knife, overwhelming darkness, that… storm and the screeching. I saw it again last night, and then during a nap earlier today. It was—

I shifted in my seat. It was hard to explain.

BS: —calmer, like the emotion was removed from it. I know that some individuals deal with trauma better, but to view it so analytically after a day and a half feels... cold.

VV: I’ve dealt with stressful situations before. It was easier for me to sleep that night, but I still—I feel like I failed Pendant. She could have been holding on to the journal for days and never said anything to me, to anyone. Then I looked over your interviews and Lantern seemed to see something in one of his dreams. It could have been her taking the journal, rooting around for more clues.

Miss Vines looked down, fiddling with her front hooves.

VV: I want to have stopped it. I tell myself that if I’d worked closer with her or seemed less distant or… something, it could have been avoided. Then again, maybe it would have ended up worse: that journal doing horrible things to everypony here with us knowing nothing about it. Gleam didn’t find anything on her second review, so whatever danger there was with it has hopefully passed.

BS: I assume that means the investigation is going to continue?

Miss Vines looked up from her hooves, but glanced off to the side. One of her ears drooped slightly.

VV: Yes. In addition to what was in the journal, we found someone writing through it. There’s some kind of aura on it, but it isn’t strong enough to be a transmission spell, so there’s nothing to trace. Still, we can at least talk to them.

Her eyes met mine, even though her face was still turned away.

VV: It’s Twilight Sparkle. At least that’s who they claim to be.

BS: That seems like a good step forward: contact with somepony that was there, still alive.

VV: That’s part of why I asked you to stay here, Doctor. I know we might still need your assistance if ponies are struggling with things that drove Pendant to… whatever happened. However, a concern more pressing than the well-being of the members of my team is the well-being of those directly affected by all of this. If she is who she says she is, has gone through what she wrote in that journal—

BS: You want somepony to evaluate her mental state?

Miss Vines took a deep breath and turned fully to face me.

VV: Yes. I can’t force you to stay here, Doctor. I won’t. I’ve thought about that off and on for the past two days. Still, the work you’ve done for my team members has been helpful, even if some of them were beyond helping here. I’m not sure if I can allow you to talk directly with her, but I’d at least like to have you either in the room with me as we write to her or here every night to review the logs with me.

BS: What will it take for me to speak, well, write to her one-on-one?

VV: A letter to White Clover. Maybe a few back and forth. Until then, I can release the logs to you, just as my team members have been able to share details of their work in your sessions. It’s just as much a matter of safety as classified material at this point. While we can’t definitely tie the journal to what happened to Pendant, since our reviews turned up no harmful magic, I would be willing to bet every bit I’ve ever earned on it. Clover’s assignment of your team hinged on them being out of harm’s way, even if it wasn’t in the requests. I know that about her.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

BS: I think it’s a bit late to avoid that. I’d be happy to continue helping, Miss Vines.

VV: Thank you, Doctor.

BS: Is there anything to cover about communication with her yet?

VV: No. We received the original message, and she hasn’t badgered us after we gave a greeting back. She’s more patient than I would be, or maybe she’s still hiding. There’s nothing to go on except for who she claims to be.

BS: Then I suppose there’s not much left to discuss tonight?

VV: Right. Thank you again, Doctor. For everything you’ve done already, and what you’re prepared to do.

I said my goodbyes to Miss Vines and returned to my tent. I pray that my work can continue to be of help, and that things work out for the best.

Comments

[the-hopeless one]

i feel this might not end well

[Godiswithus3]

Here goes.