Interviews With Equestrians

by Jmaster49

Subject 9: Troubled Investigator and Chillaxed Mare

I sat with the green mare as she made more of her strange meditation noises. They were odd, but I found comfort in them. The wind that blew against the trees made it that much more relaxing. Huh. Come to think of it, when was the last time I had taken a proper break away from everything and just...went somewhere? Yikes. Now I realized just what Quick Draw had told me time and time again.

“Ouch…maybe I do spend a lot of time at the office…”

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the green mare perform an odd pose. I turned my head completely. She was doing an inverse tree pose. That is, a pose like a normal tree based on yoga, except she was upside down, standing on her forelegs. “Wow...how do you manage that?”

“You just have to...let go, man. Your struggles are holdin’ ya back. Sometimes it’s best to feeeeeeel…”

Feel. At the moment I felt lots of different things. Pain, confusion, my heart ready to jump out of its chest. Blech. Maybe she had a point. I did need to stop. Think about things. Though I wasn’t sure how great of a conversation partner she’d be.

“Maybe. I’ve just been under so much stress lately what I--woaaahwhatareyoudoing?” I saw the mare make another strange pose. She was bent upside down and crawling like a crab...or a spider. A crab-spider? Anyway, it was just weird.

“My usual stretches,” she answered as mellow as ever. Not the slightest bit bothered by my horrified expression, “it helps get your blood flowin’. Like a river on a calm day…”

I was...interested in just how she managed to pull that off. “How did you…?”

She sat upright, eyes only halfway open. Was she sleepy? “Talk to me. You seem like you need a meditation partner, bro,” she pat the spot on the grass next to her. “If you want, I got snacks.”

No, she seemed fully aware. Just...easygoing. My ears flicked the moment I heard her mention snacks. I hadn’t eaten in...damn how many hours at this point? I was starving. I could eat a--not going there.

“Yeah man, just talk to me. Vent out your bad vibes and let the good ones flow riiight on in,” she nudged a picnic basket towards me. An invitation to peek inside.

I did just that and found...brownies? Interesting. Wasn’t often I met a fellow sweet tooth. “Oh wow, did you make these yourself?”

“Yeah dude, I even put hay in ‘em,” she explained as she leaned back to expose herself to more of the sunlight that appeared through the trees in scattered amounts. “So what’s your deal?”

I had already eaten two by the time she asked me that question. I was a bit embarrassed to say the least, crumbs across my muzzle. How rude. “Um, well. Lots of things,” I wiped my face, “but I wouldn’t want to bore you. You may not be able to comprehend all of it.”

Yet again, she wasn’t bothered nor insulted by my words. Instead she continued to lean back into the sun’s warm rays. “Maybe, maybe not, my man. I won’t know until you tell me, will I?”

True enough. What did I have to lose? Oh well. “Alright. In essence...I’m at a loss. I’m trying to help everyone break free of the shackles that come with social ostracizing of those who share different opinions from each other. And potentially expose ways that earth pony magic could easily rival pegasus and unicorn magic. Among other things…”

“Well that sounds rad, bro. What could be the problem, then?” she asked, eyes still half shut and calm as ever. “Oh and don’t worry. Eat as many of those deals as you want, man. I’ve got plenty more at home.”

I paused and rubbed the back of my head. By now, I had eaten four of those gooey brown cakes. They were delicious. “It’s...not easy. The problem I’m running into has to do with the fact that my enemy knows everything about my past. Something I’ve made the effort of pushing away with all the strength I can muster.”

“Well you can’t run from your own shadow, dude,” she gave me a response that was ever so slightly more serious than before, but it was still hard to tell, “we gotta like, face ourselves at one point. Ya know?”

“Face myself, huh…I’ll face myself...” I nibbled on another brownie. That wasn’t something I had considered until now. I was about to ask her what she meant by that, except...she did just that with no required input from me.

“To be more specific, you gotta come to terms with who you were before, and accept that it was a part of you. Only then can you like, make your way forward in life.”

I swallowed, my eyes fixated upon her with confusion.

“What’s the matter? Do I got something on my face, bro?”

“No, it’s...I didn’t expect you to answer my question before I asked it.”

She gave a hearty laugh, “Hahaaaa, well I guess you could say that’s my special thing, bro. Earth junk and whatnot.”

Oh yes. She also recalled my other little issue regarding us Earth Ponies. “Oh? You have a special ability too?”

“Something like that. I can feel the vibes of all the living things around me,” she pointed up at the trees, “those leaves are happy for the fresh sunlight,” next she would point at birds, “the birds are happy for their new home,” and finally, myself, “and you’re concerned over what ponies will think once you expose controversial junk. Am I right, bro?”

Hot damn. What a lady. She could instantly react to how I felt and put it into words before I could. “That is...exactly correct. You have more skill than you let on, Ms…?”

“Tree Hugger,” she answered and waved her hoof in a dismissive manner, “Pshaw. You’ll make me blush. I just like to feel the vibes of the ponies and other creatures around me. You could say it’s a power, but it’s not for like, fighting or anything. I’m strictly against violence.”

I see. So her ability essentially allowed her to see the feelings of living beings through the earth. A bit different than my target finder ability, but still very similar. “Well now, that’s rather interesting. Do you think that we earth ponies could unlock more potential powers?”

“For sure, man. You just gotta look into yourself and feel the vibes of everything around you. But before you do that, you gotta understand yourself,” she tapped her hoof against my upper chest, “Once you understand yourself, the world around you becomes like...totally clear, ya know? C’mon, try it, man.”

“Worth a shot…” I shut my eyes and sat in silence...

She had a point. Maybe I was a bit fixated too harshly on what others were thinking of myself and my case. I hadn’t taken enough time to remember just what the point of it was. Yes. I wanted justice for Cozy Glow. Or rather, to hear her side of the story. The only perspective I have is the one I’ve been led to believe my whole life: That someone like her was beyond repair. Yet I refused to accept that. At least until I could see it with my own eyes. I never was too fond of taking the word of others as gospel.

Did that mean I had trust issues? Probably. As I grew up in the rugged streets of Manehattan, things weren’t easy for me. My father pushed me to be a ‘real stallion’...

“You’ll never amount to anything if you don’t do better! This is why your mother left. She didn’t want to raise a wimp of a son like you. Now are you gonna let those ingrates take your money again?!”

“N-no…”

“What?!”

“No!”

“What?!”

“NO!”

“Now drop and give me fifty! After that I want this entire house cleaned up from top to bottom. Then you’re gonna run down to the store and get our drinks. Understand? And if you’re not back in time...you know what happens.”

“No! Please! Not that again! I’ll do it!”

I rubbed the sides of my head. The memories were rather vivid. Almost like I rewatched a home movie. This wasn’t normal. But there had to be more to it…

“Yo! It’s the Viper. Got any lunch money for us, punk?”

“Lunch money? HA. Where you’re going, you won’t need money…”

“Wait, I remember now. His dad is a complete deadbeat and can’t even afford it! I hear he eats from the trash!”

The moment I was pushed, I fought back like no other kid there. I back alleys, basketball courts, school after dark. It didn’t matter. Fillies and colts alike would engage in the craziness. Soon, it spread across various schools over the city. With me leading my school in battle against the others...

“This is our turf! If the fools over in Saddle Island wanna give us a fight, we’ll give em one!”

They all cheered like I was their savior. Other kids that I routinely fought with were now going to the childhood version of war with me.

That is, until they came in.

The officers drew us off. Nopony was too badly hurt, and we were all taken into custody. But I managed to sneak off. I wasn’t going down so easily. And a few years later...it happened. A few of my gang members and I were about to fill a retirement home with hundreds of pounds of glitter.

“This’ll be the best prank yet! The old folks are gonna be scared stiff!”

“Huh? KID! STOP!”

Just before I could press the button, the officer ran inside the retirement home and kicked the glitter-filled explosive out of the way. Then I pushed it, not realizing just how powerful it was.

PZZZZT!

In the end, she was covered in painfully hot glitter, and the shockwave sent the old folks for a tumble. Nopony lost their lives, thank goodness, but a few of them were stressed to the point of not waking up for a while. Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. But that mare was a hero.

Ah yes, I remember her now. Miranda Rights. She was the one who prevented me from being locked away, and instead demanded that I be given better treatment.

“If you think I’m gonna stand by and let you toss a child into a holding cell then you’re off your damn rocker! C’mon, kid. I’m taking you to my place…”

And that was it. That is when I realized that I was more than what I forced myself to be on the surface. Blood Viper wasn’t who I was. It was a coping mechanism developed out of hatred for my parents. And once I found out my problem, I owned up to it, and began to work on it. I trained with Ms. Rights for years and focused my ability to track down targets by sensing their magic through the earth itself.

“You’re doing great kid. Someday, you’ll be better than me. And keep a lookout for a special present on your birthday when you finally get old enough to start your career. I think you’ll love it…”

Now I have a well-paying job, wonderful friends, and ponies who care about me for me, rather than how strong I made myself look. And that gift? Well, it’s something I promised I would never use unless I had no other possible option in a given situation. A weapon of...not-so-great power.

So now, here I am, all those years later. And what did I find myself fighting for? Why was I doing all of this? And why did I care? To put it simply, I despised deceit. That was the root of all of my troubles as a colt. My mother tricked me into thinking she would return someday, my father making me believe I was at fault for driving her off, my so-called friends constantly at odds with each other to make each other look bad for the sake of their own egos.

It really put things into perspective. I couldn’t stand...not knowing things. That’s why I’ve devoted myself to exposing as many secrets as I can. Harmful secrets that threaten the well-being of everyone if they aren’t made aware of just how bad things truly are. My actions as a turf leader went under the radar for Cadence knows how long. I was not going to let anypony else suffer in silence.

“...Boop.”

My eyes flickered open. My entire concentration had been broken.The green mare had snuck right beneath me, and tapped my nose with a cup held in her hoof. I sniffed it. There was a red liquid inside with lots of black seeds. Watermelon? “Um, what is this?”

“Oh, just a special drink I was inspired to make. It’s iced tea mixed with fresh melons and squash. It goes great with my special brownies, man. Wanna try some?”

All that thinking had thoroughly dehydrated me. So I accepted. “Thanks Tree Hugger. I think you’ve helped me a lot without even realizing it.”

“Me? Hehe...I didn’t do anything special, brah. I just offered a friend to sit and zoooone out with me, ya feel?” She let out the tiniest of giggles. It was unexpected from someone so laid-back. “That said, some ponies may say I’m weird or give me negative vibes but it doesn’t faze me, dude. You shouldn’t feel that way either. You’re special. We all are. In our own weird ways…”

That’s right. While we couldn’t do absolutely everything we wanted, we could still be the best versions of ourselves.

“Oh yeah, there’s this other thing,” she leaned against me while I finished the drink, “I heard you were like, asking the teacher at the nearby school about making it geared towards Earth Pony stuff. That’s soooo dope, man.”

“You think so?”

“For reals. Earth pony magic is like, totes underrated. There’s all sorts of stuff we can do. I brought it up because I’d be interested in teaching earth foals about their hidden power and junk.”

Of course! Tree Hugger seemed like an expert in nut just nature, but about Earth-related magic as well. She would be the perfect assistant to Cheerilee. But now I was getting involved in something I wasn’t very experienced in. I’m an investigator, not a businessstallion.

“That sounds quite grand. But to be quite honest, I don’t have the greatest sense of familiarity when it comes to rebranding an Academy. I merely offered it as a suggestion for Cheerilee to consider.”

Rather expectedly, she wasn’t deterred by my lack of experience. “That’s alright, brah. So long as we work together, we can figure it out as we go along,” her hooves were suddenly planted on my shoulders, “now chiiiill...you’re tense as rope, man. I could feel your pain, and I feel bad that you had to go through that...”

It was a rather interesting massage. Her hooves were like weighted medicinal pillows that you put around your-- “Ah! So you saw everything, huh? I appreciate the time you took to watch. And...hhnnn…” her hooves traveled up my neck which caused my skin to fold and ripple like layers of cake icing, “what are you doing?”

She pushed down, which flattened my skin out again. “Just helping you get allll your stress out, man. Is there something wrong?”

To be quite frank, it felt rather good. Given that she so graciously offered her food as well as a proper outlet for me to vent, I wasn’t going to deny her this moment if she enjoyed it. “No...not at all. Please, continue.”

“I’m feelin’ your vibe grow. Excellent. And before ya ask, yeah I think that filly could use a second run. A tree doesn’t become a tree overnight, ya feel?”

Very true, but I knew that not everyone would agree with that notion. There had to be a way to get everyone to see past the whims of those who chose to lead us. To be able to think for ourselves and be equal as a community. Yes...maybe, just maybe. Ugh, did those brownies make me extra whimsical today?

All this internal thinking made it extra difficult. I needed to relax.

“Now lie back, my guy,” she gently lowered my head.

“Hm…” Resting on the grass...it was nice. Even if I did feel a bit of a strange twitch due to the nature of those brownies, but eh. I was sure it would pass.

The green mare sat next to me. “How are you feeling, brah?”

I put my hooves behind my head as I gave a hearty exhale. I hadn’t felt this relaxed in forever. “A bit...off, but I’m starting to realize what I should be doing. Maybe things don’t have to be a certain way.”

She slid next to me, and also lied in the grass. “Righteous, man. Since I helped you out, think you could help me?”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Just a physical art project. Body painting,” she explained with a slight smirk, “if you can handle it, that is. It’ll be fun for you too.”

I refused to back down from a challenge. “Alright then, I’ll take you up on that.”

I regretted it immediately.

That art ‘project’ left me sweaty and tired. Sure, I enjoyed it, but didn’t realize somepony so laid-back could have such wild and crazy ideas. Ah well, she said she would offer me more brownies whenever I asked which was a nice way to return the favor I suppose.

“See ya, brah. That was fun. Let’s do that again soon,” she waved at me as we went out separate ways. It was now nightfall. Just how long were we at it?

“Yeah...for sure, sis,” I said back in an awkward fashion. It fit, didn’t it?

It was fun, sure. But now? I just wanted to head home, and drop in my bed to fall asleep. Which is exactly what I did.

And yet I had this nagging feeling as I nodded off. As if something, or someone, was trying to get into my head. Just what could it be this time?

Then I realized...I was in a dream already.

“Rise, young one.”

“Aw shit, dammit not again.”

Comments

[Raistlin]

I take Pale doesn´t get along well with Luna either.

[Jmaster49]

10396703
Maybe, maybe not. You'll see!

[asdtroi8895]

Surprising amount of insight from Tree Hugger. Those brownies of her's must have been very good. I liked Pale's backstory. It gives him believable reasoning to want to help Cozy so bady.

“I’m feelin’ your vibe grow. Excellent. And before ya ask, yeah I think that filly could use a second run. A tree doesn’t become a tree overnight, ya feel?”

Guessed it before he could ask. I wonder if Pale's quest is that widely known now.

“Rise, young one.”

Luna? There wasn't a nightmare so I guess she wanted to talk to Pale about Cozy. Considering that it was her that put Cozy into Tartarus and was one of her petrifiers I don't have my hopes up too much.

[Jmaster49]

10396731
Yup. He's a street rat just like she was, but only managed to turn his life around with outside help.

And it's actually due to her Earth Pony magic that she could sense his feelings. But his quest is rather known by now.

And yeah, things probably won't go well. But it's been years since the punishment occurred so you never know...

[Neo4K]

10396743
Excellent chapter as always. And nice for Pale to have another support. As a token of appreciation, I would like to impart upon you a few quotes from the God of War (2018) video game from a trope entitled 'Some Anvils Needed to be Dropped.'

Power can indeed corrupt, but power is ultimately a tool. Whether power hurts or helps people is up to the user. You can use it to serve others if that is how you choose to apply it. (Pale could make this argument to Twilight Sparkle herself as well as Cozy Glow, should he ever get a chance.)

Revenge will never bring you fulfillment, even if it feels good in the moment. Seeking revenge just fills you with anger until you've hollowed out your ability to feel any other emotion, and in the end you will have suffered more than the object of your revenge. (Other than Cozy, Pale should make this argument to various characters who opposes Cozy's release. Even Twilight Sparkle herself if it feels like she's going this route.)

Redemption is a matter of the heart, and no one can determine for you if your path to correct your life is hopeless. Even people with a dark past deserve to make an attempt to change the way they live; if they have genuine remorse for what they've done and wish to improve. Even if others dismiss it as a sham, and see you as a villain, don't give up. They could never make that choice for you. Trying to do the right thing is never a worthless gesture, and it's better than giving up. Also, don't get discouraged if you fail along the way, so long as you're alive there will be opportunities to make up for what you've done. (I believe this is Pale's entire motivation for petitioning Cozy's release, and he might present this to Twilight and a number of ponies who opposes Cozy's release.)

Conversely, the consequences of your actions linger on even if you try to make up for them. It's important to acknowledge both the good and the ugly parts of your past, because for better or worse they have shaped who you are now. Sometimes, even if you had good intentions your actions can leave ugly scars that hurt yourself and others forever. The healthy response is to acknowledge that you've done wrong, learn from it, and try to do better next time. (I believe you thumb it up in previous chapters and the current one where Pale is concerned, backstory and all. And I believe Twilight might make this argument to Pale.)

Even people in positions of great power and authority make mistakes, sometimes mistakes that are just as bumbling and messy as any ordinary mortal. Never assume you're too big for the problems of the world to come knocking on your door. In fact, because you're bigger in status, the problems that come your way tend to be a lot worse. This isn't to say lofty people should give up on their ambitions, but they must be good stewards of the resources and talents they have lest the circumstances of life blow up in their face. (I think this might apply to Twilight as much as Neighsay, but I won't know until the entire story is done.)

Hope this helps.

[Jmaster49]

10396888
Woah...that's a lot. Thanks for the insightful commentary! You may or may not have predicted just how things may turn out.

[Neo4K]

10396904
There is more, but I think I'll hold off to not spoil too much.

[keroko]

So now, here I am, all those years later. And what did I find myself fighting for? Why was I doing all of this? And why did I care? To put it simply, I despised deceit. That was the root of all of my troubles as a colt. My mother tricked me into thinking she would return someday, my father making me believe I was at fault for driving her off, my so-called friends constantly at odds with each other to make each other look bad for the sake of their own egos.

Oh. Oh dear. The stallion who hates deceit is going to reform the filly who counts deceit as one of her greatest talents and favoured tools.

Their first actual face-to-face meeting is going to be interesting to say the least.

And I see Luna popped in for a visit. Not unexpected. If Cadance sent a letter to Starlight about Pale's visit and talk, she probably let Celestia and Luna know too.

[Jmaster49]

10397001
Yup. Pale arguably knows what Cozy feels more than anyone. They were both street rats with no one to care for them, so they turned to a side of acting out and craziness. The difference is that someone (Miranda Rights) intervened for Pale before it was too late and stopped him from growing up that way. So now, he's going to use the knowledge he's gained over the years to help not only free Cozy, but watch over her as well.

And yup. Now he's getting to the big leagues! Fewer chats with regular ponies since he's now going to be speaking with those higher and higher on the totem pole. It's going to be an interesting showdown for sure. Stay tuned!

[Animation Crusader]

So, Tree Hugger's Earth pony ability is the power to see auras in not just ponies but in every living thing? Neato!

Liked the little bit of character development for Pale, showing off his backstory and why he wants to help Cozy so much. I guess that's why his name was originally Blood Viper. No offense, but Blood Viper sounds like the name of an overly edgy pony OC.

And I feel like Miranda Rights has been used before by someone else. Ever read one of Estee's fics? I thought I saw Miranda Rights in a few of theirs.

This next conversation ought to be interesting.

[Jmaster49]

10397045
Yup, Neighsay isn't a bigot since he learned his lesson. But he's still very salty that a mere filly--one who couldn't even manipulate magic--outdid him completely which is what Fleur referenced. Not to mention the fact that he despises and ridicules Pale for trying to disrupt the natural order when Pale was a lowly vagabond brawler when he was little.

Moondancer hates everyone and everything lol. But since she was able to get a new test subject, she made a deal with Pale to help him bring out his powers while gaining insight on how Earth Ponies like him function. She thinks he's crazy, but will observe from the sidelines.

And it would make sense. It's why Tree Hugger is so mellow to avoid sensory overload. At least that's my headcanon anyway. The brownies also make for good snacks when someone like her has the munchies. They make you feel a bit weird but they're worth it. Even if Pale had to repay her with some...painting exercises.

And that was the point. Pale used to be a violent, arrogant colt that regularly got into fights with other kids which resulted in a lot of bleeding. Hence, Blood Viper. But that was just a persona. A fake one to hide who he really was at school since he was teased so much. Miranda Rights was too easy to not use. XD

And yes it, will! Stay tuned!

[Redwolf777sg]

Ugh, did those brownies make me extra whimsical today?

ROFL! Nah, Pale... You're just stone as fuck, man.