“C'mon, you two better keep up!” Thunderlane yelled behind him as he darted through the Cloudsdale cityscape. His powerful wings beat the air as he nimbly swooped between buildings in the factory district. The blistering heat of summer roasted the air around him, humid from all of the fresh clouds. Thunderlane had to resist the temptation to fly through one; he didn't want to be held up by any angry workers.
A purple bolt overtook Thunderlane from behind, catching him off guard.
“Ditto for you!” Cloudchaser yelled back, sticking out her tongue to taunt the young stallion.
Thunderlane scowled. Cloudchaser's grunge style betrayed her abilities as a flier, and she and Thunderlane have had a little rivalry going on between them ever since they met in grade school. Still, he wasn't going to let a filly beat him, let alone Cloudchaser! Thunderlane beat his wings with all his strength and soon was neck-and-neck with the purple mare.
“Hey, I'm the leader here!” Thunderlane yelled in between breaths.
“Don't worry, I know where you live, betcha I get there first!” Cloudchaser replied.
The two pegasi darted and banked around the grand factories of Cloudsdale, zooming over the stream of liquid rainbow that marked the divide between the industrial and residential districts. From here, it was a test of pure speed as both Thunderlane and Cloudchaser zoomed straight over the rest of the Cloudsdale homes and towards their target. Sweat poured off Thunderlane's brow as he pushed himself to his limit. His wings ached from flapping, and Thunderlane felt like they were going to give out until his hooves dug into the soft cloud turf and he grinded to a halt right in front of his house. He could barely even see the front door from the sweat in his eyes.
“Beat ya!” Cloudchaser's blurry form taunted as she danced in front of Thunderlane. The gray stallion cursed under his breathe; he managed to bank and turn well, but he could never seem to beat Cloudchaser on straightaways. Thunderlane wiped his face with his hoof and looked at the singular mare standing before him.
“Hey, where's Flitter?” he asked.
Both Thunderlane and Cloudchaser looked back towards the rainbow river, where they saw a tiny little speck making its way towards them.
“It's her, I'd recognize that huge bow anywhere,” Cloudchaser said to Thunderlane. “While we wait for Queen Slow-Mo to reach us, mind telling me what this is all about?”
“Like I said earlier, you'll see. I don't want to spoil the surprise,” the young stallion replied.
“Ugh, you and your little games,” Cloudchaser said as she rolled her eyes.
Flitter slowly approached Thunderlane's home, and fluttered down gently before the two pegasi.
“Yeesh Flitter, does that big dumb bow of yours give you drag or what?” Cloudchaser groaned to her sister.
“Shut up.” Flitter groaned back.
“Your bow isn't dumb, it looks very good on you,” Thunderlane told the straight-maned filly.
“Thank you Thunderlane,” Flitter said quaintly, “It's nice that SOMEponies around here appreciate personal accessories,” she said while shooting Cloudchaser a glare.
“Ugh, just make out, why dontcha?” Cloudchaser yelled as she threw her hooves up in frustration.
Thunderlane looked at Flitter with an expectant smile.
“Sorry, maybe next time,” Flitter flatly said, shooting the unfortunate stallion down.
“Alright Thunderlane, so now can you tell us what this is all about?” Cloudchaser asked.
“Just follow me, I'll show you. Just be really quiet, though,” Thunderlane said as he trotted towards the front door. Flitter followed dutifully behind, with Cloudchaser reluctantly taking up the rear. She liked Thunderlane, but now she was getting a little miffed. For all this secrecy, the payoff had better be worth it.
The two fillies followed Thunderlane as he opened the front door and went inside. The interior was rather spacious, with a small foyer extending upwards through the house. Cloudsdale homes where typically built upward rather than outward to capitalize on the limited cloud space.
“Come on, this way” Thunderlane said as he gently flapped up to the third floor outcrop. Flitter and Cloudchaser took his lead and fluttered up behind him, landing softly on the thick carpet. The pair followed Thunderlane as he led them down a humbly decorated hallway. The trio walked on their tippy-hooves all the way down to the end of the hall, where Thunderlane paused in front of a door.
“Alright, promise not to scream,” Thunderlane whispered. Cloudchaser smiled with anticipation as Flitter subconsciously unfurled her wings.
Thunderlane slowly pushed open the door to his little brother's room and let the twins peer inside. The room itself served as a stark contrast to the rest of the immaculate house, filled with shelves full of all sorts of toys and knick-knacks that little colts tended to amass. Posters for the Wonderbolts and jousting teams cluttered the walls, and old books and board games lie scattered around on the floor. Rumble himself was engrossed with a book on his bed, basking in the warm light pouring in from the window above him. Cloudchaser was a bit perplexed about the whole situation; it seemed like a normal colt just enjoying himself. However, a cold realization crept over her when she realized that Rumble's bed seemed to sag unnaturally, and the “blanket” that he was covered with twitch and move, adjusting itself into a more comfortable position.
The silence was broken as Flitter let out a small gasp. Thunderlane shoved a hoof in her mouth to silence her, but Rumble's ears perked up and he whipped his head towards the teenage trio.
“Aaaagh!” Rumble shouted as he dove underneath his real covers. Cloudchaser couldn't help but stare in awe as the gigantic mass that Rumble was attached to quickly and fluidly slipped under his blanket. “Thunderlane! Mom said not to bring other ponies over!” Rumble said while poking his head out.
Thunderlane hung his head low, the jig was up. “Come on Rumble,” he said as he slowly walked into the room proper, “it was just supposed to be a quick peek. Flitter and Cloudchaser would have never believed me if I told them you were half snake.”
“It was supposed to be a secret!” Rumble snorted.
“Well, not anymore it isn't.” Thunderlane retorted.
Cloudchaser trotted up to Thunderlane's side, leaving her still-shocked sister in the hallway. “Whoa Rumble, what happened?” she asked.
“I-”
“His little girlfriend tricked him into drinking a potion that turned his lower half into a giant snake.” Thunderlane said, cutting Rumble off. “A lamee, what did you call it?”
“Lami-AH, and Sweetie's not my girlfriend,” Rumble groaned.
“She doesn't sound like it if she tricked you into doing something like that.” Cloudchaser interjected. With a single deft motion, Thunderlane reached for Rumble's blanket and yanked it off with his teeth, displaying Rumble's long, snakelike body in all it's glory.
“HEY!” Rumble yelled.
“What? There's no sense in hiding yourself anymore,” Thunderlane said.
Cloudchaser was taken aback at how the sun scattered off Rumble's scales. The sheen accentuated the twists and turns, expertly folded into neat little rows to fit onto the bed. The blue-maned filly slowly trotted up to get a closer look, causing Rumble to recoil a bit. Up close she could see the very lightly defined gray scales that coated the mass of muscle, and how the entire length flexed and shifted from Rumble's embarrassment.
“Whoa,” Cloadchaser uttered. She had never seen anything like it. “Flitter, come check this out.” Cloudchaser turned her head back towards the door. “...Flitter?”
Flitter was still standing in the hallway with her jaw dropped, gazing at the monstrosity that was her friend's little brother. Cloudchaser rolled her eyes again.
“Ugh, Flitter, it's just Rumble, come on!” she said.
“Is there something wrong?” Thunderlane turned to ask Cloudchaser.
“She's afraid of snakes,” Cloudchaser replied. “Come on Flitter, it's not like Rumble is going to bite you.”
“I know, I know,” Flitter said as she gathered herself. “It's just a little unsettling.”
“Tell me about it,” Rumble muttered.
Flitter cautiously took one step into the room, then another, and another, making her way inside at a snail's pace. Her eyes never left Rumble's gigantic snake tail, and her wings remained spread out in a subconsciously defensive gesture. Flitter made her way up to the bed, where she remained transfixed on Rumble's scales.
Cloudchaser broke the silence. “So, are you like this forever?” she asked Rumble.
“No, Sweetie Belle said it goes away after a few days,” the tiny colt assured her. “It'll just go away with a POOF and I'll have my hind legs back.”
“When did you drink the potion?” Cloudchaser asked.
“Yesterday, so probably tomorrow or the next day,” replied Rumble.
“That's comforting,” Cloudchaser muttered.
“Yep!” Thunderlane began to interject, “he'll be fine after this weekend. Probably. But that's beside the point; my parents are gone so I figured we all could hang out and have a weekend of fun and relaxation.”
Cloudchaser's eyes widened with surprise. “Wow, you're already finished with your history diorama?” She said smiling. “And here I thought that you'd put it off to the last minute.”
Thunderlane shifted his eyes. “Uh...yes. I have it nearly done. I can totally finish it before the due date next Monday.”
Cloudchaser raised an eyebrow. “NEXT Monday? It's due this coming Monday, birdbrain!”
Thunderlane felt his heart sink. “You're joking!”
Cloudchaser had to stifle a chuckle. “Nope, the due date was moved up. I distinctly remember you being in class when it was announced. You were shooting spitballs at creepy fedora-wearing colt who always sits up front.”
“WHAT DO I DO? I'VE BARELY EVEN STARTED!” Thunderlane screamed out of horror. How could he have let this slip his mind. To be so close to having a weekend with the twins, and to slip up so fundamentally. “I know! We can help each other! Won't that be fun!?”
“We're already finished, Thundy.” replied Cloudchaser tortly. “This one's all on you.”
“I...I left everything at school!” Thunderlane yelled. “Uhh...uhhh....” he muttered as his brain tried to process what he should do in this situation. On one hoof, an incomplete on this project would probably send his already low grade into F territory. On the other hoof, a weekend with the cutest pair of ponies this side of Galloping Gorge! Thunderlane's snout scrunched in frustration before relaxing in a sigh. He really, REALLY didn't want to have to repeat a class. As much as it pained him, he'd have to tear himself away.
“Ugh, alright, I need to find some way to break into school and get all my stuff. Be right back,” Thunderlane said as he flew down the hallway and out through the front door.
“Good luck Thundy!” Cloudchaser yelled.
“HEY! Don't leave me here alone!” Rumble shouted. This was just great. As much as he loved his brother, Rumble sometimes was pretty miffed by his brother's tendency to drag the poor colt into whatever he was doing whether Rumble liked it or not. Now he was stuck entertaining both of his brother's friends. They were probably going to make him listen while they blabbed on about colts and makeup and other lame filly stuff.
Cloudchaser trotted over to Flitter's side and joined her in examining Rumble's scales. Cloudchaser stared for a moment to once again marvel at how the gray scales scattered the incoming light, then turned to her sister.
“You're still staring? Flitter, I know it's cool, but come on.”
Flitter blinked at she suddenly refocused on the world around her. “Oh, I'm sorry Rumble. It's just so...weird.” Flitter took a quick glance around the room. “Hey, where'd Thunderlane go?”
Cloudchaser facehoof'd. “Just...never mind, Flitter. He'll be gone for a while.”
“Oh, okay I guess...” Flitter replied absentmindedly, already again engrossed with Rumble's serpentine lower half.
“But...that's okay...” Cloudchaser said as her mouth widened into a devilish grin. “We have little Rumbly to play with until he gets back.”
Rumble gulped hard. He didn't like the sound of that. His brother brought these two fillies around somewhat-often, and most of the time they'd just mess with him until the three flew off to Celestia-knows-where to do whatever it was teenagers did.
Cloudchaser chuckled. “What are you going to do, slither away?”
Rumble began to pout. “I might...” he said under his breath.
Cloudchaser smiled again. “Don't worry, Rumble, I didn't mean it like that,” she said, leaning over Rumble's bed to examine his coils more closely. Her eyes scanned the folds and patterns the length of his body created. Cloudchaser could see the sheer muscle that lay concealed beneath the thin snakeskin and wondered just how powerful the little colt had become with this transformation. “Truth be told,” she said as she continued examining the little lamia, “I think snakes are pretty cool. Like, one of my favorite animals. They're just so bizarre, the way they move around without legs. It's kinda cute.” Cloudchaser lifted one of her front hooves. “Can I touch it?”
A quizzical look manifested on Rumble's face. “Uuuh...sure?”
Cloudchaser gingerly rested her hoof on a particularly thick segment. The sensation was weird, unlike anything she'd ever felt. It was firm, but not hard. Cloudchaser easily moved the snakeskin with a small rub, strongly reminding her of loosely fitting clothing. Almost instantly, Rumble's snake body recoiled and squirmed, shifting itself away from Cloudchaser's hoof. Flitter gasped and took a step back at the display, still transfixed.
“Cool,” Cloudchaser said softly, amazed at how dextrous and fluid the hulking mass in front of her was able to move. She looked at Rumble. “Did you do that?”
“Yes,” Rumble replied. “It hurts a little when you rub it like that.”
“Alright, sorry,” Cloudchaser said before turning her attention back on Rumble's coils. Her eyes scanned over them until she found the end of the tail. It was significantly thinner than the main body, tapering off slowly into a blunt point. Cloudchaser slowly slid her hoof under Rumble's snake tail and lifted it up, letting the tube of scales droop lazily on her foreleg. It was a bit heavier than Cloudchaser had assumed, but not terribly so. If anything, it made her more amazed at how easily Rumble was able to move the truly massive portions of his snake body. She briefly wondered how much he weighed, but her female instincts told her that asking anypony about their weight leads to bad times every time. Cloudchaser dangled the tail for a minute, then bowed her head and draped it around her neck and shoulders.
“Hey Flitter, check it out. Don't I look hot with this BOA? Heh...” Cloudchaser said while striking a flirty pose.
Flitter was a bit taken aback at her sister's boldness. “Uh, Cloudchaser, be careful.” Flitter knew that it was Rumble, but snakes were still dangerous, and what if instinct took over? How can Rumble say he knows the full extent of what that potion changed about him if it's only been a day?
“Come on Flitter, lighten up.” Cloudchaser said. She defiantly whipped her head around, making the hanging tail fling up and around her neck, creating a full loop.
Flitter's eyes widened. “Cloudchaser!” she repeated firmly. Even though Flitter knew that Rumble was the most peaceful little colt she had ever known, she could not get the mental image of her sister being choked to death from his serpentine embrace. Something about snakes just felt so off to Flitter, and not in a good way. It's a feeling she could never shake, and she half suspected her sister held a bit of a grudge after Flitter's phobia prevented Cloudchaser from getting the pet snake she wanted when they were foals.
Cloudchaser decided to ignore her sister's panicky reaction and looked down at her scaly collar. “Look,” she continued, “it's like a pretty necklace.”
“Uuh, thanks?” Rumble said. He half wished that Cloudchaser would stop ponyhandling him so much, but his mother always taught him to not be rude; Cloudchaser wasn't hurting anything messing around with his new tail.
Cloudchaser raised her hoof and began stroking the tail wrapped loosely around her neck, taking a moment to appreciate how soft it was. It was a little heavy, true, but it was also very smooth and slightly cool. Cloudchaser had a weird fascination with snakes, but barely ever got to be up close to one, let alone a huge monstrosity such as this. In the back of her mind, Cloudchaser knew Flitter had a point about being careful, but for some reason Cloudchaser found the loop around her neck oddly exhilarating. Slowly, she stepped onto Rumble's bed of coils, a bit unsure if the added weight would make the already sagging frame give out entirely. The purple pony gentle laid herself down on the serpentine mess, marveling at how bizarre and exotic the scales felt on her fur. She turned towards the concerned-looking colt at the head of the bed.
“Rumble?” said Cloudchaser.
“Yeah?” The gray colt asked inquisitively.
“Could you wrap me up? Like, all the way?” Cloudchaser asked.
“CLOUDCHASER!” Flitter interjected.
“Cloudchaser, this is getting weird,” Rumble said. Cloudchaser was acting a little strange, and coming off as creepy. Still, his new cold-blooded nature made it extremely tempting to hug a warm-blooded mammal. The heat made him feel alive and energized, otherwise he felt a little tired and sluggish.
“Come one Rumble,” Cloudchaser continued. “I'll probably never get the chance to experience this ever again.”
Rumble sighed. “Okay, but I'll go slow. Just say something if it gets too tight.” Rumble had only a day of lamiadom under his belt, but even that short time let him realize just how strong he was. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt anypony, but the desire for warmth drove him to acquiesce Cloudchaser's request. He began by slowly tightening the loop on Cloudchaser's neck, taking great care to grip it only enough to let Rumble anchor his movements and not restrict any breathing.
Cloudchaser herself felt her heart race a little when Rumble made his tail snug, but relaxed again when the cinching stopped. She felt compelled to relax for Rumble's sake; she read somewhere that snakes could feel the heartbeats of their prey, and Cloudchaser thought that Rumble could feel her rhythmic pulse.
Cloudchaser was correct in her assumption, and Rumble was paying close attention to her body language as he continued to weave and contort himself into a living prison for his brother's friend. The lamia colt slid the rest of his snake tail from under Cloudchaser's belly and elongated it as best he could across the bed. Rumble knew that the coiling process would be much easier if he didn't have to contort himself in the middle of it. Curling his tail once more, he secured another loop around the base of Cloudchaser's neck and shoulders.
“I can't watch this,” Flitter said while averting her eyes. It was like a nightmare playing out in front of her. Still, she remained in Rumble's bedroom, not wanting to leave her sister in the clutches that...thing.
Cloudchaser was beginning to feel weighted down. That second loop was a lot thicker than the end of the tail, and it would probably get a lot worse. For a brief moment, she wondered if this wasn't such a good idea after all. Her concentration was quickly shattered when she felt Rumble sent a powerful pulse through his tail, using the coil around her upper shoulders to flip Cloudchaser on her back, Rumble's tail all the while slipping around and making another half-loop just under the first coil. By now Rumble had a good grip on Cloudchaser's body and was able to twist her back onto her belly with ease, now trapping her forelegs and wings to her torso. Again and again Rumble spun her, looping his serpentine form around her with each pass like thread on a spool. Around her barrel, her belly, her flanks, then finally around her cannons did each a coil fit, until only her hind hooves and head remained outside the scaly cocoon. Cloudchaser was left disorientated from the spinning, but Rumble's voice soon brought her back into focus.
“There, happy?” Rumble asked.
Cloudchaser looked down at her serpentine prison, amazed to see herself completely wrapped up. Her bindings fit perfectly underneath each other, making a beautiful pattern accented by the sheen of light off Rumble's constantly curving tail. She tried wiggling around a little, only to find that she could barely move an inch in Rumble's snug embrace. Cloudchaser couldn't help but smile; being trapped so totally was a really weird sensation, oddly pleasant. The comfort of the soft muscle made Cloudchaser feel like she was wrapped in a smooth, cool blanket. She felt like she could almost fall asleep in this position.
“Yeah, it feels nice, Rumble.” Cloudchaser said.
“Good,” Rumble said back. Despite his hesitations, he did have to admit Cloudchaser's warmth was very soothing for him. The colt couldn't wait until the spell wore off and he'd go back to being a fully warm-blooded creature again.
Cloudchaser squirmed around a bit more, testing the limits of her imprisonment. “Hey Rumble, if you want to squeeze a little tighter, that's okay with me,” she said.
“You sure?” Rumble asked. This seemed a bit risky to the colt, but if that's what Cloudchaser wanted, he would feel bad for saying no. When his brother got back, though, he would give Thunderlane a big piece of his mind.
Cloudchaser nodded, and Rumble sent out a ripple throughout his body, causing his coils to pinch just a little tighter. Cloudchaser could feel the slight increase in pressure first squeeze together her legs, then flow up her body all the way to the coil around her neck.
“Tighter,” Cloudchaser said softly. She had a bad tendency of pushing the limits, regardless of situation.
Rumble cautiously flexed once more, causing his coils to press just a teensy bit more into the the teenager's body.
“Tighter” Cloudchaser urged once more, despite beginning to feel her limbs fall asleep from the pressure.
Rumble was surprised at how much punishment this pony could take. He squeezed even tighter this time, morbidly curious about what would happen.
The intensity snapped Cloudchaser back to reality. Her breath was caught short, and the pressure around her stomach make her feel like she was going to be sick.
“Urk, too tight!” she managed to squeak with what little air in her lungs she had.
Instantly, Cloudchaser's coil prison slackened. It was still tight, but Cloudchaser could once more take a full breath and felt sweet relief as . Her heart was racing; the pegasus lived for such close brushes with danger. She tried wiggling her limbs again, only to know find the soft muscle was almost rocklike from tension, perfectly molded around her body like a cast.
“There, perfect,” Cloudchaser said, now content with her fleshy tomb.
“CLOUDCHASER! RUMBLE LET HER GO!” Flitter screamed suddenly before leaping to her sister's side. Cloudchaser's positive response prompted her to take a peek, but this was just too much for her to handle.
“Flitter, calm down!” Cloudchaser yelled back from within her coil cocoon. “Rumble wouldn't hurt a fly.”
“But Cloudchaser...” Flitter said back. It was hard to see her dear sister so trapped, so...vulnerable.
“But nothing,” Cloudchaser said, cutting off her sister's babbling. “I'm not going to let your dumb phobia ruin our fun. I love ya, Flitter, but you really need to work on that.”
“Um...” Rumble muttered, “...maybe I can help with that...”
“I agree Rumble,” said Cloudchaser. “Maybe if Flitter was wrapped up too then she'd see that it's actually pretty pleasant.”
“NO!” Flitter yelled.
“No,” Rumbled continued, “I mean using hypnosis.”
Flitter and Cloudchaser both looked at Rumble.
“Rumbly, you know that hypnosis is a load of hogwash, right?” Cloudchaser said bluntly.
“Nuh uh, I hear about ponies being cured of hay addictions and other stuff all the time,” Rumble said defiantly. “Besides, it really works. This potion gave me that power.”
Cloudchaser rolled her eyes. He was kind enough to have wrapped her up; she'd at least humor the little colt. “Alright,” she said. “Show me.”
Rumble did a little hoof-pump. Finally he'd actually be taking the lead. He maneuvered his upper half from the head of the bed to be closer to Cloudchaser's face. After all, it's not like she could move closer to him.
“So, what, are you going to wrap a watch around your hoof and dangle it in front of my face?” Cloudchaser asked sarcastically.
“No, no,” Rumble said, his youthful naivety making Cloudchaser's remark fly over his head. “Just relax and look into my eyes.”
Cloudchaser glanced into Rumble's large, dark pupils. He was close, barely a foot away from her face. At this distance, the teenage pegasus could see every detail. Despite Rumble being young, Cloudchaser thought his eyes were very handsome, and one day he'd make a very special filly really happy.
Suddenly, a red glimmer began to shine in the darkness of Rumble's pupil. It was faint, just noticeable enough to catch Cloudchaser's interest. She was ready to dismiss it as just a weird reflection, but it slowly grew bigger. Cloudchaser was going to say something, but a second color, this one a light blue, distracted her. Both reflections seemed to grow large enough to encompass Rumble's eyes, and just as suddenly as the first a deep orange formed and expanded, creating a series of rings that ceaselessly flowed from the center of Rumble's pupil.
Cloudchaser enjoyed going to magic shows when she found herself hanging around her more...terrestrial….friends and thus knew that color caused by magic had a certain luster about it, but these spirals seemed to have an indescribable beauty. As Cloudchaser was drawn into them, she began to feel light headed; the whole world seemed to blur together and her senses muffled. Never once did Cloudchaser suspect that something was wrong, and her brash curiosity compelled her to ponder the mystery of the colors as she stared. Red, blue, orange; it repeated ad infinitum. It was predictable, yet supernaturally soothing. Cloudchaser's pupils began to shrink from the intense focus, and when the colors began to slowly reflect in her own pretty, violet eyes, Rumble knew that she was hooked.
“Just relax,” Rumble said as he continued his mental assault, very slowly creeping closer to Cloudchaser's face.
Relax. The instant Rumble uttered that word, Cloudchaser felt her whole body go limp. She couldn't help it; her thoughts were a swirling mess, useless and incomprehensible even to herself. Yet, Rumble's voice broke through the cacophony, clear as crystal. His voice reverberated in Cloudchaser's mind and body; Cloudchaser could feel Rumble's command making it's way through her body, from her ears, down her neck, and through her legs. Even her mouth hung agape in her enchanted state.
Rumble could see that Cloudchaser was being very receptive as he inched closer. He remembered the effect was strongest when the spell encompassed most of a his vision when he was hypnotized.
“Just relax, Cloudchaser, let your mind go blank. It feels nice not to worry about anything,” Rumble continued, now inches away from Cloudchaser's face.
Cloudchaser's mind was already slipping, but Rumble's commands certainly sped up the process. What little consciousness she had left was made to agree with Rumble. Yes, she was tired. All the stress and worry, hanging onto it was just weighing her down. Why shouldn't she just throw it all to the wind and just enjoy simple bliss?
Rumble's snout pressed up against Cloudchaser. He could tell from her totally vacant expression that she was ready now.
“Alright, when I give you a little squeeze,” Rumble said, making sure to enunciate clearly, “you will fall into a deep, peaceful, happy trance.”
Rumble flexed his coils, just a tiny bit though. Since Cloudchaser seemed to like it tight, the little lamia decided that it would be a good positive reinforcement to finish off the induction.
Cloudchaser felt just a tiny bit of air be forced out of her lungs as her prison closed in on her. Yet, she felt as though the last remaining bit of free will was being wrung out of her like an old sponge. Being trapped in Rumble's grip made her feel trapped and tiny, yet...safe. It was like a shield from the troubles of the outside world. A grin crept across Cloudchaser's face as her thoughts poofed away, leaving a head filled only with peaceful happiness.
Rumble retracted his face and inspected his work. He didn't even need to keep his own hypnosis going; Cloudchaser's wide, spiral-filled eyes and gentle smile showed that she was deep enough in trance that it would be a while before she woke up naturally. He turned to Flitter, who had witnessed the whole ordeal.
“See? It works!” Rumble boasted.
Flitter felt really uneasy, but her intense curiosity overwhelmed her timidness. She just saw a pegasus cast a spell, on her own sister no less! The little pegasus pony slowly walked up to her enchanted sister and waved a hoof in front of her face.
“Cloudchaser...?” Flitter asked, hoping to prompt a response.
“She's totally in trance. She won't listen to anypony except for me, I think...” Rumble said, his voice once more oozing with contentment.
Flitter retracted her hoof. “Wow, I've never seen anything like it.” She stole another glance at her sister before turning back to Rumble. “She'll be okay, right?”
Rumble chuckled. “Of course, all I need to do it tell her to wake up, and she'll be back to her blabby self.”
Flitter's brow furrowed in thought. “Hmm, and you said that you could use this to remove my phobia?” she asked.
“Sure! Maybe, I think. You hear about hypnotist unicorns doing that sort of thing on stage all the time. Why should my hypnosis be any different?” Rumble said with a shrug.
Flitter sat down on the floor. She knew how much her fear of snakes put a damper on her and Cloudchaser's fun. Even when Flitter would tell Cloudchaser to go into the reptile house at the zoo or go to the animal show alone, she wouldn't. The twins were inseparable, Cloudchaser was bar none Flitter's best friend. Cloudchaser felt like if they both couldn't do something, it was not worth doing. Flitter loved her sister though, and she'd sacrifice anything for her.
A look of resolve flashed in Flitter's eyes. She'd do it for Cloudchaser.
“Alright, do it,” Flitter said.
“You sure?” Rumble asked. Flitter's voice sounded a little shaky.
“Yes,” Flitter said firmly. “Hurry before I change my mind.”
“Alright then.” Rumble reared up and cleared his throat. He took a moment to collect himself and plan out his induction, before settling on one that he thought would be gentle and effective. Rumble then slithered himself off of the bed and onto the floor, taking care not to bang the entranced Cloudchaser onto the hardwood. He wouldn't need his tail for this, so Rumble was content to leave her blissfully coiled.
“Alright Flitter, just relax,” Rumble said as he slithered in front of where Flitter was sitting. With a single blink, his eyes were once move filled with the strange ever-flowing rings.
The sight shocked Flitter, making her flinch. Her instinct told her to shut her eyes, but she forced herself to keep looking. She really wanted to get rid of her fear, and this might be the only opportunity she got. The rings did have a calming effect, she'd give them that. Her apprehension slowly subsided the more the pegasus looked, and soon her panicky breathing returned to a normal pace. Flitter knew in the back of her mind that it was the magic that was causing this, and yet...the part of her that would have minded was perfectly silent. Her will was wearing down more slowly than her eager sister's, but soon the brilliant colors that erupted from Rumble's eyes began to be reflected in Flitter's.
Rumble, seeing that Flitter's eyes now mimicked his, began his induction.
“Flitter,” he said gently, “We're going to go on a journey together. Just let the rest of the world fade away, and focus on the sound of my voice...”
Flitter's breathing slowed as her body relaxed. Her ears twitched, ready to be receptive to Rumble's voice.
“I'm going to lay a bit of my snake body on your back. You won't feel afraid. In fact, let it further relax you.” Rumble said as he contorted his snake body, pinching the ground so that it would make an upside-down U shape before draping it across Flitter's spine.
The pegasus felt a sudden weight on her. She was tempted to look, yet she could not tear her vision away from the mesmerizing patterns before her no matter how hard she tried. Flitter could feel herself losing control, and would have protested if she didn't feel a sudden wave of relaxation flow through her body. The more she looked into Rumble's eyes, the more she felt compelled to obey. As much as the prospect of this made her worry, she couldn't help but notice how nice being lightheaded felt. She felt even more relaxed when Rumble draped another segment over Flitter's shoulders, cradling her neck so that she would remained focused on Rumble even if she went limp as her mind ebbed away.
Rumble could see that Flitter was approaching total trance much more quickly than he had anticipated. Even though Flitter was much more mentally braced for it, the blank expression on her face and slightly parted mouth told Rumble that she was falling just as quickly as her sister.
“Good, Flitter,” Rumble continued. “Let the coils cover you. You can lay down if you want, but you can't move. The more you're covered, the more relaxed and deeper into trance you'll go.”
As Rumble rested another segment on her, Flitter had to take his advice and lay down. It was okay if she did it. Rumble said it was okay, and so it was. As Flitter became more deeply hypnotized, her mind became filled with the little colt and his words. It was like he was an idol, a beacon of warmth and happiness. Another pinched segment propped itself up on her rump, making Flitter relaxed enough to just let herself go fully limp. The only thing keeping her still looking into Rumble's enchanting orbs was his living neck-brace.
“Just listen to my voice. As I cover you, you'll feel safe and protected. Let me shield you from the world and all it's dangers,” Rumble said as he plopped more and more of himself onto Flitter. By now, she was almost completely covered. Finally, her head was slowly enveloped by the mass. It was like Flitter was trapped within a living egg, and from within the egg she would emerge anew.
“Flitter,” Rumble turned off his magic eyes while opening his coils just enough so that Flitter could hear him, “I want you to think back, back to when you were a foal. Back to when you first became scared of snakes.”
In her light trance, Flitter looked back into her mind as she lay within Rumble's smooth, cool mound. Snakeskin pressed against her from everywhere, and yet she was so totally relaxed that she felt no fear from it. In fact, the slow rhythm of of Rumble's breathing was plainly felt as his coils expanded and retracted, something that made Flitter feel safe on an unconscious level. For the first time in a long while, she felt truly at peace here in her own little pocket, secluded from the world. Her trance made Rumble's commands guide her thinking, but she wasn't totally lost to blissful emptyheadedness like her sister. Enough of her remained so that her memories could be scoured, and Flitter thought back to one day when she was just a foal. She remembered the day perfectly in her supernatural focus; her mother had brought her and her sister down to the surface and took them to a park. She was set down to play, and Flitter remembered spotting a small snake slithering through the grass. She crawled after it, curious about the creature, and followed it into a bush while her mother was distracted. She must have stepped on it's tail or something because the next moment it curled around and bit Flitter on her leg before disappearing deeper into the brush. It was just a superficial scrape, but Flitter remembered crying harder than she ever had up to that point. Even though her mother rushed to her side and kissed her boo boo, the experience stayed with her.
Rumble voice once again invaded her mind.
“Once you've found it, I want to to take it, and instead of it making you feel fear, it will make you feel as relaxed and safe as you are now. Now, stand up and as my coils slide off you, you'll wake up feeling good and refreshed.”
Flitter closed her eyes and let the command take effect. What fear she felt on that day was replaced with a calm serenity. Her brainwashing scrubbed, dried, and folded that memory back into it's own little compartment in Flitter's mind. Vigor flowed into her limp limbs and Flitter's mind began to slowly come back. It was hard to push up on the tremendous weight of Rumble's serpentine body, but as he pulled away more and more Flitter rose upwards. She became lucid enough to feel the freedom of stretching out her limbs, and pushed with more intensity. As the last coil slid off her, Flitter took a deep breath and stretched out her wings before opening her now clear eyes.
“You're awake now?” Rumble asked, breaking the serene silence. “How do you feel?”
Flitter shook her head a little bit. “I'm fine. Feeling good actually.”
“Still afraid of snakes?” Rumble asked.
Flitter looked down at the mess of coils that she sat in the center of. It surrounded her from all sides, yet...she didn't feel anything. She even touched the length closest to her with her hoof, wondering if the panic was really gone.
“...Yeah, wow. I don't feel afraid anymore. I guess hypnosis really does work. Thanks Rumble!” Flitter said as she leapt towards the little colt, embracing him with a big hug.
Rumble closed his eyes and took a moment to enjoy having helped another pony, but suddenly a scary realization brought him back to reality.
“Hey Flitter, you'd still be, like, scared of a dangerous snake like a cobra, right?”
Flitter broke the embrace and gave Rumble a tiny pat on his head. “Don't worry Rumbly, I might not be scared anymore, but I'm not stupid.”
Rumble flashed a nervous smile. Hopefully nothing bad would come of his reprogramming. Rewriting ponies was tricky work.
“Great!” the little colt said shakily. “Should I wake up Cloudchaser now?”
Flitter turned to look at her sister, still wrapped up from head to hoof in her euphoric trance. Where she would have once felt panic from seeing her sister liked it, she felt good that Cloudchaser was able to experience something so wonderful.
“Nah, leave her for a little while longer, it's nice to have some peace and quiet for a change,” Flitter said with a little laugh as she scoured the room for things to do. “Oh, you have Battleclouds? I love Battleclouds! Wanna play?”
Rumble's face lit up at the suggestion of doing something normal for once. “HOT DOG! Yeah! I call parade side!”
Flitter trotted over to the box and unpacked the game in the middle of the room. Sitting down to play, she took a brief glance at the clock.
“Hey,” she said, “Thunderlane's been gone for a while. Do you think he's okay?”
“He's fine,” Rumble dismissed, “he always gets sidetracked on his little adventures. He always manages to find his way home though.”
________________________________________________________________________
“Officer, I can explain, I swear!” Thunderlane yelled as the city guardspony slapped him in bindings.
“You were caught red-hooved trying to break into a public building. I'm taking you down to the station. You can explain your case to the magister there, after he's done with the rest of the hoodlums.”
The guardspony forcefully led Thunderlane over to his wagon and shoved the poor teenager inside.
“I suggest you keep quiet. Anything you say can and will be used against you,” the guardspony said before hitching himself and spreading his wings.
Thunderlane sighed and accepted his fate.
“Come on Thundy,” he said to himself, “look on the bright side: at least you'll have a valid excuse!”
