Everypony knew that Princess Twilight was a bookworm. Literally every conversation she had, she would slip in a quick reference or quote, just for fun. She might as well have been the Princess if Reading. Knowing this, one would be shocked to hear of a book she hadn't at least heard of.
"Spike!" Shouted the Princess from the hallway. "I'm just going out to the bookstore, okay?" No reply came, since Spike was still fast asleep, so Twilight quickly jotted down a note on a nearby sheet of paper in case he woke up before she came back. That wasn't likely though. Once Twilight stepped into a bookstore on a good day, there was a chance she wouldn't come out until closing time. And today was a good day.
Twilight flew out the doors of her castle - quite literally - and scanned the area. The bookstore was only a few minutes away, so she didn't really need to fly, but she wanted to see how many ponies were queued up outside the bookstore.
Zero.
She quickly dived down into the street, which was mostly empty apart from one or two ponies who had just got up. Luckily for her, the owner of the bookstore was one of them, and she was busy opening the shop up. Twilight trotted up to her, and entered the bookstore when the door was open. Inside, to her delight, was the book she'd been looking forward to reading ever since it's announcement long ago - 'The Great Feats of Starswirl the Bearded' , a book all about the life of one of her idols. She picked it up off the shelf it was on and stroked the cover. Finally, a new release for her to loose hours of her time reading. This was a good day.
Of course, she simply couldn't leave without purchasing more that one book. She needed to satisfy her urge to read. Maybe she would find a newer copy of one of her old, worn out books, or maybe something for Spike to read - after all, most of the books in her possession were about matters far too complicated for a baby dragon to wrap his head around. She looked around. Nothing. She'd read all of them. Daring Do - check. Every edition of Advanced Science - check. Even a copy of The Official Guide to Breezie Spotting - check. She reckoned there wasn't a single book left in Equestria that she hadn't read.
She would have paid for her Starswirl book there and then, but then, something bright caught her eye. The cover of a book she'd never seen before, illustrated with strange pictures of pendulums and spirals and coloured with mesmerisingly beautiful hues. She was curious, intrigued, maybe even captivated. Surely, this couldn't be a new book that she didn't know about. She knew about every book. But nevertheless, she was drawn in by the book's vibrant colours and mysterious vibe, and once she saw the title, she was even more interested in this strange new book.
"Hypnosis and Mind Control - A Guide," Twilight read. "I thought I had every book on the workings of the mind... But I suppose not..." She slowly flipped the book over and read some of the blurb, but still couldn't stop looking at the wonderful colours. "'Ever wanted to know the secret to controlling the minds of others?'" She read. "'All of the secrets to becoming a master hypnotist are contained between the covers of this very book. Learn basic and more elaborative methods of bending the minds of others'. What in the world... I suppose I might as well take it." She walked over to the reading area and opened the cover of the book, which she realised was a lot bigger that she thought it would be - She reckoned it was at least two-hundred pages. The more she skimmed through the first chapter, the more appealing this so called mind control became to her, and the more she needed to test it out on somepony - almost as if the book had hypnotised her. She absolutely had to read more. She needed this book more that anything right now. Starswirl could wait for a day or two. She was truly under the mystical book's spell now.
"Excuse me. I'd like to make a purchase, please."
The owner of the store tallied up how much the price would be , which came to around 50 bits. Twilight didn't mind. She didn't care if she had to spend a hundred bits to get that book, as long as she could own it. As she rushed out of the bookstore and flew back to her castle, she knew that she couldn't wait to read that book. And she would test out the mind control. Hypnotising a pony or two would probably be easy for her. Maybe even fun. She looked down at the book she was levitating and smiled. This was a very good day indeed.
For a short moment, a hidden darkness began to fill her mind. Her smile became twisted and almost... Evil. As if the idea of controlling others was pleasing to her. But as she landed before her crystal castle, almost all of her cruel ideas vanished from her mind. As she trotted through the castle, she noticed her note to Spike, and since he still wasn't up, she picked up a pen to write a new message, reading, 'I'm going to be in my reading room for a while today. ' And with that, she entered her reading room to read and read and read.
"Twilight? Twilight!" yelled Spike from downstairs. "Fluttershy's over to see you!"
Twilight's ears pricked up. It felt like she had been reading her book for hours. Hours of re-reading each and every word, memorising the instructions the book had given her. She felt like she knew the book front to back, yet she kept re-reading to make sure.
And then she had an idea. Something to put her newfound knowledge to the test. Fluttershy wouldn't put up much of a fight - no, she was just... Shy enough for this to work. Twilight wouldn't hurt her friend at all. No, she would help her feel happier. She was no Pinkie Pie, but helping a friend to feel happier couldn't be too hard when you had total control of her mind. Twilight's mind was made up. She trotted downstairs. Spike and Fluttershy were waiting in the lounge, chatting quietly about something or other. As the princess entered, the others noticed her.
"Twilight!" Spike complained, face-palming lightly. "I know you love to read, but you've been up in your reading room for... Oh, Celestia knows how long!" Twilight smiled awkwardly, but on the inside she was slightly concerned. How much time had she missed?
"Umm, everypony got worried when you didn't come to see anypony today," Fluttershy commented in her soft voice. "I got really worried, so I decided to pop round to see if you needed any help or anything. Everypony else was kinda busy, though."
"Actually," replied Twilight, "I'm fine. But there is something I'd like help with. If you wouldn't mind, that is. I'd hate to waste your time."
"Oh, I'd love to help. All of my animal friends are nice and tucked in for the night, so I'm free for a while."
"Great. Just follow me. Spike, make sure we have peace and quiet please. " Spike gave a little salute to Twilight, as she and Fluttershy left the lounge and reached the princess's bedroom. As the two mares entered the room, Twilight gestured Fluttershy to lay on her bed. "Right, Fluttershy, I'm going to explain what we're going to do here. I... I recently read a book about hypnosis... and I want to prove it either right or wrong. Would you be willing to... Be my... Test subject, if you will?"
There was a mixture of curiosity and fear in Fluttershy's eyes, but she was willing to be brave. After all, Twilight would never, ever try to harm her. She trusted her friend.
"O...okay. I trust you, Twilight."
"Good. Right, Fluttershy. Don't worry, this should actually be very relaxing for you. Now, whatever I say, no matter what I say, you must trust my words, and not question them, no matter how odd they sound. It's crucial for the hypnosis to work." Fluttershy nodded. "Right then," Twilight began.
She began to speak in a more soothing tone, and her speech slowed. "I want you to simply relax. Move to make yourself more comfortable, if that helps." Fluttershy let all of her tension go. "Okay. Now, I want you to simply slow your breathing down, and see if that can slow down your heart a little too." The pegasus followed the order as if she was already under Twilight's spell. This was why she was the perfect subject for the hypnotism - she was so trusting, so obedient all the time. "Right, now." Twilight continued. "As you relax, you feel more sluggish, more sleepy. But this feels good to you. As your body becomes slower and sleepier, you feel even more relaxed and obedient and happier." Finally, Fluttershy was ready for Twilight's plan. She was just so utterly relaxed that it would be easy.
Twilight began speaking very quietly, gradually increasing the volume of her voice as she spoke, while stIll keeping a soft tone. "Obey Twilight Sparkle. She will never hurt you. Obey Twilight Sparkle's voice. She will always protect you. Obey Twilight Sparkle. She will always help you. Obey Twilight Sparkle's words. She will always make you feel good. Obey Twilight Sparkle. She will never lie to you. Obey Twilight Sparkle. She will always love you. Obey Twilight Sparkle. Obey Twilight Sparkle. Obey Twilight. Obey Twilight. Obey. Obey. Obey." Fluttershy normally would have began crying by now. But in her relaxed state, the repetition only helped her become even more at ease, and now she was comfortable obeying Twilight. It was so very relaxing. It made so much sense. Her eyes began to close slightly, never quite closing, simply hanging open slightly. She wouldn't want to fall asleep in the middle of being so very relaxed, would she?
"When you obey me, Twilight Sparkle, you feel so blissful, so relaxed, like nothing else could ever make you happier. " Fluttershy couldn't agree more. It was so lovely to listen to and obey Twilight Sparkle. Nothing could make her happier. "It feels so lovely. To listen to my voice,which you love. To trust and obey me, which you love. Doesn't it?" Twilight asked.
"Yes... Love..." Muttered the shy pony. She would have said more, but she was too relaxed to think. She didn't need to think. All she could, and would do, was obey Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight levitated a necklace with a heavy emerald over to the bed, to act as a pendulum. "Okay now, my lovely Fluttershy. I want you to simply follow this emerald with your eyes for me." She began to swing her pendulum slowly, and, as she suspected, her servant's blue eyes followed. "With every swing of my pendulum, you become even more sleepy, yet your eyes never close. Your mind becomes obedient only to me. It begins to slowly fade away." Twilight could see Fluttershy become so very tired, it was a miracle that she was still awake. "Now, you don't think for yourself. You can't think for yourself. Twilight Sparkle will think for you, and you will obey her. Nothing can ever make you happier, than obeying me. You are a mindless slave to me, but this makes you so, so happy." Fluttershy felt so relaxed, so happy, even though she was now a slave to her friend. This pleased them both.
"It is impossible to think now, but you never need to. I will think for you, and you will always obey. You are just so obedient, and with no thoughts for yourself, it is even easier to obey, even easier to make me happy, even easier to make yourself happy." Fluttershy just stared at the swinging pendulum. She was so, so tired that she couldn't even lift her head. She looked so cute, and so happy.
"Now, you are just so mindless. You can't even remember your own name. But that is okay. Twilight Sparkle is the only name you need to know, apart from your name, which is now Kind Servant. Isn't that right?" Fluttershy knew it was right. Twilight Sparkle was always right.
"Now, when I tell you to sleep, Kind Servant, you shall fall into an impossibly deep hypnotic trance, and you will be as obedient as it is possible to ever be. Now... Sleep."
Fluttershy's eyelids fell shut. Twilight smiled her second evil smile that day.
"Now, remember my words now. When I say... Kind Servant, whenever your mind is clear, you shall become as relaxed and obedient as you are now. When I say Forgettful Flutters, you shall forget everything that has happened in the last half hour. When I say Lovely Pegasus, you will feel a level of bliss that is almost as great as what you have experienced with me today. And when I say Pretty Please Fluttershy, you will obey me as you are now." Twilight repeated her orders word for word to her servant, and with that, she was done with her work.
"Now, you are ready to wake up. Feel yourself waking up, slowly but surely. Any moment now, you will be fully awake." Fluttershy's eyes began to flicker open. "Now, you are fully awake." Twilight spoke.
Fluttershy was upon longer relaxed. She was shocked. Why would one of her closest friends... She began to weep.
"Twili-i-ight!" She sobbed uncontrollably. "Why would you..."
Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy's mouth to calm her. "Fluttershy, it's for science! I've proven hypnosis and mind control really work!"
"But... Why didn't you tell me..? Why would you... Brainwash your friend?!" Fluttershy wept between sobs and sniffles. Twilight realised that she needed to do something.
"...I'm so sorry, but... Forgetful Flutters."
Fluttershy collapsed back down on the bed, before waking up again, now with no memory of the experience.
"Huh... Is the hypnosis over?"
"Yes, Fluttershy," Twilight told her slave. "You were perfect for me back then. Did you enjoy it?"
"Oh, yes, it was so relaxing!" Fluttershy replied. "Um... Is it okay if we... Do it again sometime?"
"Of course, Fluttershy. Of course."
