Lesson Number One
Dear Ms. Cloudy Mind,
The Princess of Friendship cordially invites you to teach her hypnosis this afternoon at her castle.
- The Princess's assistant, Spike
Cloudy Mind reread and reread the letter over in her mind as she walked down the path to the crystal castle. Why would the Princess of Friendship need to know hypnosis? Of course, Cloudy was more than happy to teach her what she knew, but she wasn't so sure she was the right pony for the job. Couldn't the Princess just read some book on the subject rather than employing Ponyville's local hypnotherapist?
Before the pale pegasus knew it, she was standing outside the giant doors of the giant castle. Taking a deep breath, she knocked twice. Almost immediately, the doors flew open and revealed Princess Twilight Sparkle.
"Sorry about the note being so formal, Spike sent it before I had a chance to look it over," she said, grinning. "Come in, come in! I've been looking forward to this."
Twilight led the bewildered Cloudy Mind into the castle, and down a hall.
"Princess Twilight?" asked Cloudy Mind while walking through the expansive castle.
"Just Twilight will do, and yes?" Twilight replied.
"Are you sure I'm the right pony for this? I mean, you could have read a book on the subject-"
"Oh, I have. Several, in fact," interrupted Twilight, "But none of the are strictly non-fiction and as you may know, there aren't very many books on hypnosis in the library."
Cloudy nodded her head. It made sense. Better to get an actual hypnotist than a book describing one. Why didn't she think of that?
After about a minute of walking - the castle looked smaller on the outside - they reached a door. Through it, there was a small tea room, filled with couches and end tables. As Twilight sat down on a small sofa, Cloudy realized they weren't alone in the room.
Cloudy grinned at a small dragon holding a scroll. "Spike! How are you?"
"Hey Cloudy! I've been doing great since you helped me!" Spike hoof/claw bumped
Twilight's brows furrowed. "You two know each other?"
"Yeah, I helped Spike a few months back with his accidental fire burps," replied Cloudy.
"...Is there anyone I know that you haven't hypnotized?"
"Nope!" answered Cloudy, grinning.
Twilight shook her head to regain concentration. "Anyways, Spike is here to take notes on this lesson, considering I might not be aware for some of it."
"What do you mean?" Cloudy asked, sitting down in a chair opposite Twilight.
"I mean, that to truly understand what hypnosis is, I will need to experience it myself."
"Oh! Okay!" said Cloudy, though she was nervous. Hypnotizing a princess? No, she mustn't think of it that way. She was just teaching a student... who just happening to be an all powerful alicorn... yeah. Gosh, Cloudy wished she could have hypnosis for her nerves.
Twilight looked at her with the eyes of a scholar. "So... shall we get started?"
"Oh! Of course!" Cloudy said. Behind her, she heard the scribbling of a quill on parchment. Great, all her fumbling will be recorded forever.
"To get started, how much do you know about hypnosis?"
It looked as if the Princess almost raised her hoof out of habit, but she stopped herself, blushing. "Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, where whoever's in the state is highly suggestible to the hypnotist's words. While I know a lot about the science behind hypnosis, I don't quite know how to use it. I've been interested in the subject ever since Discord employed it against me and my friends, so I've had quite a while to study."
"Wow. You know a lot about hypnosis," remarked Cloudy, "Even I don't know all the technical words."
"Yes, but I don't know the practice of it. Which is why I want you to hypnotize me. So I can get one on one experience."
"Well, okay then. Just get in a comfortable position, and listen to my words. You can close your eyes if you wish." Despite her nerves, Cloudy found herself calming down as she started to use her special talent. Twilight leaned back into her sofa and closed her eyes. Even Spike's constant quill scribbling couldn't make her nervous as her voice took on a calmer tone.
"Twilight, I want you to focus on your breathing, and the sound of my voice. Only your breathing, and my voice. Let all other sounds just fade away."
Twilight's breathing became slower, more paced. Cloudy really calmed down as she used her favorite induction.
"I want you to imagine a staircase for me. It can be any color, any shape, any texture. In a moment, I'm going to count down from ten. Each number I say, I want you to imagine taking one step down the stairs. Each time you take a step, I want you to feel a wave of relaxation wash through you. When I reach one and say sleep, you will relax ten times more and be completely suggestible to my commands."
Cloudy took a deep breath. "Ten, just feel that wave of relaxation wash over you. Nine, just letting your thoughts rest for a while. Eight, relaxing every muscle in your body. Seven, feeling amazing. Six, feeling absolutely incredible. Five, even more relaxed. Four, just letting yourself sink into the sofa. Three, relaxing even more. Two, taking that second to last step, and one. Sleep!"
As she said sleep, she stomped her hoof for emphasis. Twilight let out a deep breath, and shifted in her seat. She was in trance. Cloudy smiled, glad to be over with the hard part. Behind her, however, she heard the clatter of a quill on the ground. Looking behind her, she saw Spike deep in trance, still standing up. Huh, guess the induction got to him. Though he looked so peaceful just standing there, he had to take notes.
"I am speaking to Spike and only Spike. When I say 'wake up', you will awaken from trance, aware of everything I've said while you were under hypnosis. Wake up."
Spike opened his eyes and rubbed his head. "Really? I was trying to resist that one."
Cloudy giggled. "Can I help it if my voice is hypnotic?"
While Spike frantically scribbled notes to catch up, Cloudy turned back to Twilight, still limp on the sofa.
Her voice once again took on the calm tone. "That's it Twilight, going deeper down. Whenever someone stomps their hoof and says 'sleep', you will instantly go back to this nice, peaceful state of relaxation, and suggestibility. Now, in a moment when I wake you up, you will remember everything clearly that I've said during the induction and during trance, and will be ready to practice hypnosis. Nod your head if you understand?" Twilight sluggishly nodded her head. "Good, waking up in three, two, one. Wake up!"
Twilight slowly sat up, and rubbed her head. Quickly though, her eyes filled with excitement. "Wow! I had no idea hypnosis was like that! It's unlike anything I've ever experienced! Will I really go back in trance every time you say sleep?"
Cloudy grinned. "Not just me. Try it yourself."
"Well, okay." She stomped her hoof. "Sleep-" Instantly, her eyes fluttered shut and her body slumped onto the sofa.
"Wake up," said Cloudy.
Again, Twilight sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Congratulations, you just did hypnosis!" Cloudy half-joked.
"No I didn't, I just activated a post-hypnotic trigger that you placed in me." Twilight fell silent in thought.
"Hypnosis is pretty straightforward," explained Cloudy, "You just relax the pony, say sleep, and tell them what to do. Then you wake them up. It's simple when you think about it."
Twilight took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm ready to try it on you."
Cloudy was taken aback. "What? Me? Why me? Why not Spike? I'm not sure about this."
"Well, Spike has to take notes. But if you don't want to be hypnotized by me, I guess that's alright..." she trailed off.
"It's not that I don't want to be hypnotized by you! There's just never been another pony willing to try it out on me. I was shocked, that's all."
Twilight looked Cloudy directly in the eye. "If you want me to, I'll gladly try. But if not..."
"No, I'm ready!" Cloudy shifted in her chair, so that she was resting her head on one of the armrests. "Try to focus on relaxing my eyes. That's something I forgot to do with my induction. Or, you could fixate me on something and then put me in trance. Either will work."
Twilight thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "I've got it!" Using her magic, she closed the curtains and turned off the lamps. Now, the only light was a small lamp Spike was using to write under.
Twilight lit up her horn, bright, but not bright enough to hurt Cloudy's eyes. "I want you to focus all of your attention on my horn. How the magic dances and sparkles. It seems to draw your gaze, compelling you to stare at it."
Cloudy found herself looking at Twilight's horn, because it was almost the only light in the room.
With the skill only an alicorn like Twilight could display, she slowly began to dim the aura of her horn. "As the light dims, feel your eyelids growing heavy, your body feeling more relaxed, and your mind starting to slow down. I am going to count down from five, and when I reach one and say...um, 'rest', you will be totally relaxed, and totally suggestible."
"Five, relaxing as the light dims."
Cloudy sighed as a wave of relaxation washed over her. She should've tried to find somepony to hypnotize her a long time ago.
"Four, just feel your eyes grow more tired."
Cloudy blinked her eyes, trying to keep them open.
"Three, just let your thoughts dim with the light."
Cloudy stopped thinking about, well, everything for the moment. She just breathed deeply and listened to Twilight's voice.
"Two, almost there."
The light was almost out, and Cloudy still watched it.
"And one. Rest."
Twilight cut of all the magic from her horn, and Cloudy's eyes shut completely. There was no need to think right now. Just relax. Vaguely, Cloudy heard Twilight telling Spike to wake up, but she wasn't talking to her, so it didn't really matter. Then, Twilight began speaking to her.
"Coudy, whenever I say the word 'rest', you will immediately go back into this state of consciousness. Could you nod your head if you understand?"
Cloudy nodded her head. Twilight's words floated easily into her subconscious.
"Excellent! Waking up, remembering everything I've said, in three, two, one. Wake up."
Slowly, Cloudy became aware of her surroundings, and sat up, her eyes blinking. "That was... really good Twilight."
"Really? I had to improvise a bit, because if I stomped my hoof and said your trigger word, I would have gone into hypnotic trance myself," pondered Twilight.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Wow, is that what everypony experiences? Or are you just that good?"
Twilight blushed. "Really most of what I said was copied from your induction. You're very skilled."
Cloudy stood up, and grinned. "Still, you are now officially a hypnotist!"
"I've only done it once. I would need more lessons to call myself a hypnotist," said Twilight.
"Well, that could be arranged. Only if you promise to practice your skills on me."
"Deal!" Twilight shook Cloudy's hoof.
"Hey Princess, want to see a post-hypnotic suggestion I've planted in Spike?" asked Cloudy, smiling.
"Sure!" replied Twilight.
Cloudy turned her attention to Spike, who had been writing so long his claw was looking sore. She extended her wing so it was pointing at the dragon.
She cleared her throat, which made Spike look over at her. "Hey Spike? Pew."
Spike's quill fell to the ground, and his eyelids closed.
"Wow!" exclaimed Twilight. "Didn't you say that you hypnotized him a few months ago? How is the trigger still so strong?"
"Well, sometimes I reuse the trigger to keep it fresh in their mind. It's also handy to always get to the front of the line. When he wakes in about five minutes, he won't remember that he even was in trance." Cloudy stopped. Had she just revealed she was using hypnosis selfishly to a Princess? However, Twilight merely laughed.
"While I'm not sure that's 100 percent legal, if all you do is get in front of the line then that's fine by me."
Cloudy sighed in relief. "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to implant the same trigger in you. It makes it easier for rapid inductions."
Twilight stopped. "I'm not so sure about that. I wouldn't like to forget anything, even five minutes of my time."
Cloudy thought, then spoke. "How about I implant the trigger, but you'll remember what happens while in trance. Is that okay?"
Though Twilight still looked worried, she nodded her head. "I'm ready."
"Take a deep breath in, and sleep." She stomped her hoof on the ground.
Twilight exhaled as she slipped back into trance. Cloudy smiled.
"Good, deeper down. Just letting my words wash over you, becoming your truth. Now, whenever I, and only I point my wing at you and say 'pew', you will effortlessly go back down into this wonderful state of relaxation.Remembering what I said, waking up in three, two, and one. Wake up."
Twilight smiled. "It's still amazing the second time. As much as I'd like this to continue, I have some exciting paperwork to get to. Um, if you wouldn't mind waking Spike?"
"Oh! Of course," answered Cloudy. She looked over to the still sleeping dragon, and spoke.
"Spike, when I say 'wake up', you will awaken from trance, and remember everything that happened while in trance. Wake up."
Spike groaned, and picked up his quill. "I'm going to have to take so many notes to catch up!"
Suddenly, his quill floated out of his hand. "Thank you Spike, but I think that's enough notes for now," said Twilight, smiling. Spike looked at her gratefully.
"So," Cloudy said, hesitantly, "same time next week? There's so much more I could teach you. Only if you want to, of course," she added.
"Absolutely!" shouted Twilight, then she cleared her throat. "I mean, it would be fascinating to study under you. And really fun! I'll definitely see you next week."
Cloudy trotted out the study door, then poked her head back in. "See you next week!" she yelled. And she closed the door.