"Ah really can't thank ya'll enough for this, Doc," Cherry exclaimed as she walked down the small hallway. The small stallion behind her gave a polite smile in response, his light green coat standing out next to Cherry's pale, subdued coloring.
"It's really no problem, Ms. Jubilee, I'm happy to offer my services for the mare who helped me setup so many years ago." Cherry simply gave a wide, gaping smile in response.
"Aww it ain't nothin worth owin me, Doc! Ah'm always happy to rent out a spare room to a pony in need!" she responded with enthusiasm, her fancy red mane bobbing a bit as she did. Her companion simply gave a sheepish smile in return, remembering how things were back then.
"Apologies for being such a burden back then, Ms. Jubilee."
"Awww shucks! Ya'll weren't a burden, Tera! And for the last time, call me Cherry, none of this Ms. Jubilee hogwash!"
Tera turned his face to look her in the eyes, a stern expression on his face. "I told you, please call me Doc, Doctor, or Doc Ipnosi, my first name isn't-"
"Oh don't ya'll start with that, Tera!" she fussed, glaring at him and melting his own defiant face in the process. "Ya'llre like family, and ah don't call family by their last name! Is that understood?"
"U-Understood M-Cherry!" he blurted out, sweat having started dropping out of his messy dark mane and striking his horn. Cherry broke out into a wide smile, patting her friend on the back as they kept walking forward.
"Good ta hear! Now then, she's right in there, yer old room matter a fact," she replied, pointing to a room straight ahead. Doctor Tera Ipnosi straightened his glasses, smoothed his messy mane back, and trotted inside.
He found himself reminiscing for a few seconds, back to when he'd called this room his own. The new owner apparently having a thing for simplicity, the wallpaper and bedding was the exact same as it was before, not a single alteration in sight.
"So yer the one Ms. Jubilee got ta help?" a tense voice chimed. He turned his head a bit to see an orange earth pony staring up at him. He blinked a few times, his eyes roaming from her blonde mane, to her finely-toned body, a small grin striking his features. That didn't escape the girl though, who simply arched an eyebrow upward. "What's so interestin’?"
"Oh nothing, Jubilee simply didn't tell me her friend was so.... beautiful," he said slyly. The mare just rolled her eyes at the compliment, folding her hooves across her body. He extended his hoof out in a slow, steady gesture. "My name is Doctor Tera Ipnosi, Dodge Junction's primary therapist. And you would be?"
"Name's Applejack," she stated bluntly, shaking his hoof before pulling it away, Ipnosi's lip kissing his hoof as a result. "Real charmer aren't ya?" She rolled her eyes and scooted back.
"Heh...I suppose I am, had to try though, am I right?" Her rolling eyes simply melted into a glare, Ipnosi raising a hoof in defense. "Alright, alright...I apologize for my advances, for the duration of our meeting, I'll be completely professional."
Applejack nodded, pushing her stetson down a bit. "Thank ya kindly." Ipnosi gave a polite smile in response before floating a chair over for him to sit on.
"Of course, that's only for work hours," he added with a wink, bringing a notebook to his side. Applejack's glare returned, and he chuckled a bit. "Right, right, sorry..."
"...Ms. Jubilee REALLY called ya?" she asked, disbelief in her mouth. Ipnosi frowned a bit, straightening up a bit.
"Well yeah, problem with that?" he asked, Applejack just frowning a bit, before shaking her head.
"Naw, ya'll just don't seem that qualified ta help," she explained, looking up a bit. Ipnosi simply shrugged and flipped to an open page of his notebook.
"That's your judgment, but I think my results will speak for themselves," he explained, clearing his throat a bit. "Now then, from what I understand Ms. Applejack, you recently signed on with Ms. Jubilee as a ranch hoof?"
"That's right," Applejack nodded. "There a problem with that?"
"No, not at all. Ms. Jubilee's a little worried about you," he clarified, scribbling a few notes down. "She knows about your work back in Ponyville, and she's a little worried about your sudden transitio-"
"What does that have ta do with mah request?" Applejack snapped.
"Nothing, nothing. Though to be honest, she's very concerned about… that request," Ipnosi explained. "To be honest, so am I."
"It ain't yer problem, ‘sides, yer here aren't ya?" Applejack asked with a stern expression.
"Like I said, I'm concerned, yes, but Jubilee asked for my help, I can't very well turn her down," he explained. "Now, she understands this is your choice, but she and I just wanna understand why you feel it's necessary."
Applejack blinked a few times, pondering what to answer with. "Well, it just feels like ah have ta do it."
Ipnosi frowned, narrowing his eyebrows a bit. "Not good enough. There has to be more to it."
She just frowned and crossed her hooves. "Ah think that's all ya need ta know."
"I could easily get an answer once we start the process, you know," Ipnosi threw out casually. Applejack's eyes narrowed a bit, giving him a scowl.
"Ya'll wouldn't dare… Ms. Jubilee wouldn't let ya'll!"
"I think she would, if it meant getting to the heart of the problem," he explained, casually waving his hoof. "That's why, before we begin, I'm giving you the chance to explain."
"..." Applejack sighed a bit, fidgeting in her seat. "Ah have ta work here for a while, and ah won't tell ya'll why ah gotta stay, cause that ain't important." Ipnosi simply rubbed his temples a bit, irritation starting to bubble up at this point. Nonetheless, he gave a slow nod, mentally counting down in an attempt to calm down.
"All right, just explain why you feel this is necessary," he said, his voice smooth and level. Something he'd learned in therapy school, keep your body movements separate from the thought process. If the client sees or hears something they don't like, they won't be as open after all.
"Well… Ah gotta work here for a while, needed a change of scenery," Applejack explained. "But, mah family, mah friends.... Ah miss em all so much, and ah can't get em outta my brain!" she explained, tapping her head in frustration.
Ipnosi leaned back in his chair, pressing his front hooves together. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a few minutes, finally responding with a slow nod. "That does make some sense… but then, why go all the way? I mean, hypnotism in of itself is a risky thing, Ms. Applejack, and what you’re proposing is a little excessive. Couldn't we just put a block on those memories instead?"
Applejack just shook her head a few times. "Naw, ah need everything wiped, otherwise ah'll question every little thing..." Ipnosi nodded a bit, smacking himself in the face.
"Right, right, stupid me..." he muttered, setting his notebook down. "Right, now are you ready to start?" Applejack nodded in response, adjusting herself a little. Ipnosi nodded a bit, setting his notebook down as he faced the mare in question.
"Good....Now, close your eyes and just breathe for me," he stated, taking a few deep breaths of his own. Applejack nodded, took a few deep breaths, then closed her eyes. Ipnosi gently set his horn aglow with a green aura. From there, he sent a small wave of magic inside her brain.
"Tell me Applejack, where do you feel most comfortable?"
"On the farm, workin the fields with mah family," she answered, frowning a bit. "Ah feel somethin in mah head."
"That's the memory spell," Ipnosi explained. "It isn't working yet, that comes on in a bit, so if you wanna drop out now, Applejack-"
"No. Ah gotta do this, no turnin back now," Applejack replied. Ah failed Ponyville...Ah can't go back till I've made enough money... Applebloom, Big Mac, Granny Smith… Ah'm doin this fer you, the girls, and Ponyville. "Just remember ta give me a way out when the time comes, alright?"
"Of course, that's part of the vow any hypnotic therapist has to make. Well, that and don't abuse the power of course," he clarified. "Again, are you completely sure about this?..."
"Ah'm fine! And considerin’ what that chaos causin’ snake Discord did ta me, ya'll should consider yerself lucky ah'm lettin ya do this!" Ipnosi winced a bit, a frown crossing his face as he nodded. His magic aura started to sputter out a bit, his breathing becoming heavy.
"Ri-Right...Calm down, c-calm down please..." he sputtered, wincing even more. "S-sorry, but your temper is fighting against the spell, and it's-NGH!.... Quite taxing on the mind."
"Oh...Well just drop the spell then," she answered with a glare, but she slowed her breathing nonetheless.
"Not exactly easy, this kinda spell isn't something you can just cast at will," he explained, his breathing returning to normal. "It takes a bit of prep time, research into the subject. Don't worry, I don't know anything more then what you told Ms. Jubilee. And resting your magic for a few hours."
Applejack tilted her head a bit at those words. "Really? Huh, never knew magic was that complicated… Once saw Twi use hers to lift a watertower..." Ipnosi wanted to question that, but he quickly realized prolonging this any longer would probably be a bad idea.
"Right, back to work," he snapped, bringing Applejack's attention back to him. "Now then, I want you to picture yourself on the farm, bucking apples with your family," he said, easing back into a calm tone. Happily, he remembered the term of fruit bucking from his days as Jubilee's ward, just replacing cherries with apples.
"Got it..." she mumbled, taking a few deep breaths as her eyes drooped a bit. Ipnosi doing the same, trying to keep his energy in sync with hers, for the time being anyway.
"Good… Good, just focus on that dream, feel your hooves striking the trees, see the apples falling, your family and friends smiling at you..." he continued, his voice level and steady.
Applejack's smile doubled after those words. She let out a small contented sigh as her body drooped a bit, Ipnosi's spell taking effect. He smiled a bit, the light on his horn growing a bit more as it continued.
Well, that was the hard bit, smooth sailing from here on out.
"Now then, I want you to picture a large tree within the center of it all, can you do that for me, Applejack?" Ipnosi asked, pushing his forehooves together. "Just let me know when you've got a good picture."
"Eeyup," she nodded slowly. "...Ah got it."
"Good...Now, do you see all those apples growing on it?" he asked, taking a deep breath to prepare for step two. She nodded as soon as he did, a wry smile crossing his features. "Good, now those apples? Those are your memories. Your friends, family, past, home, your entire life is marked by those apples."
"Mah… Entire life," Applejack repeated a bit, a hint of wonder in her tone. Even after a few patients, Ipnosi still felt himself smiling giddily every time they talked like that. Something about seeing a pony completely believe in something that didn't exist, it just felt exciting to him. Kinda like all those stories about con ponies he'd learned about in high school, the legality being the main difference here.
"Right, now I want you to buck that tree, Applejack," he stated simply. "Buck it till it's bare, and there's nothing left of your memories."
Applejack bit her lip a bit, hesitating for a few seconds. Ipnosi didn't sigh, having anticipated such a reaction from the mare. Pulling from their conversation earlier, he found an argument which he put to use.
"It has to be done, Applejack, you said it yourself didn't you? Your old life will simply interfere with your work here," he said unflinchingly, his eyes as straight as his tone. "It must be done."
"It… Must be done," she said in an accepting, albeit forced tone. Ipnosi felt his smile growing again, knowing he'd succeeded.
"Then buck away, Applejack, buck and erase your memories..." he said, a light amount of strain present on his face. Applejack kicked her backhooves a few times, her face becoming less and less reluctant with each strike. After a few minutes of this, she stopped, her face now strain free, her only emotion being confusion. "How do you feel, what's your name, where are you from?"
"..." She didn't speak, her face contorting from confusion. "Ah… Don't know."
Looks like she still has her accent, then… Guess that's permanently engraved in her… Weird that I can change something as big as her belief about her destiny, but not something this simple… I'll have to investigate this when I have the chance… Where was I, oh right, here we go.
"Now then, there should be a ton of apples around you," he stated simply. "Pick one up, and plant it in the ground," he stated simply, hoping hypnotic command and instinct would override the lack of memories. Applejack blinked a few times, before she made a gesture akin to planting a piece of fruit, Ipnosi letting out a sigh of relief as he watched.
"Good… Good… Note to self, make sure to take care of memory retrieval before memory wipes with future patients, just in case," he muttered, making sure his spell was still casting. A quick glance up brought a smile to his face as he cleared his throat. "Right then, listen to me carefully. I want you to envision a new tree this time… This one filled with cherries. Can you see that tree?"
"Ah see it..."
"Good, cause this tree is your life, my dear," Ipnosi said, making sure to keep his tone steady. This was going to be a delicate procedure… "Listen carefully, and know every word I say is the absolute truth, understand?"
"Ah understand," she said, perking her ears up to listen to his words. Ipnosi took a brief second to plan this out, knowing this fabrication had to be perfect. She couldn't question anything, at least until it was time to restore her back to normal. Finally, he sat himself up, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"You're name is Cereza Jubilee, daughter of Cherry Jubilee. You were born here on the ranch, and lived here all your life as a cherry farmer. You love it here, you love your mama so much, and cherries are your favorite thing to eat. You know me as your… friend. We disagree sometimes, but we're friends nonetheless. You don't know that many ponies in town, and you don't mind as you enjoy staying here on the farm… Understand?"
"Ah… understand, mah name is Cereza Jubilee… Ah love mah mama and mah ranch..." she said, a slow smile creeping onto her face.
"Now ya'll are sure she won't question nothin?" Jubilee asked as she sipped her juice. Across the polished wood table, Ipnosi nodded as he finished his meal. One reason he always made sure to stop by the old ranch, Jubilee's cooking was leagues above his own.
"Of course not. There's no chance of my spell ending until the restoration trigger takes hold," he said with a muffled voice. "Basically, once she's made the money she said she needs back, my spell will deactivate and she'll go back to normal like nothing happened," he clarified, Jubilee's confused expression nodding in response.
"Good, good… Still can't believe ah went through with it though." She sighed, digging her hooves into her temples. Ipnosi quickly moved over and put a hoof around her shoulder.
"It was her choice, she had a reason for it, even if we don't understand it," he said soothingly. "Besides, not like she'll be gone forever, right?"
Cherry blinked a bit and gave her old friend a smile. "Guess yer right, thanks, Tera."
"No problem, Jubilee."
"Ya'll aren't makin a pass at ma mama are ya, Tera?" a voice yawned from upstairs. The two turned their eyes upward to see a very exhausted looking Applejack… Or Cezera as she was now known.
Jubilee was able to acquire some red mane dye a while back, and styling it upward was pretty much second nature at this point. Nonetheless, Applejack looked like she'd been born with her red up do, just the way it should have been. Her cutie mark showed the most substantial change, as her flank was now covered by a single large cherry, marking her life as a cherry farmer.
Jubilee had been pretty surprised to see that last night, but nonetheless Ipnosi had shown her how. A bit of makeup to cover the mark, and a bit of paint to make the new one. He'd even added an extra command with the spell, just to make sure if it came off she'd still see it as a cherry. She had to admit, he knew a lot for somepony so young, even if he was a bit of a flirt.
"Please, you know I wouldn't flirt with her," he snorted in response, casually taking a sip of his cherry juice. "Especially when I have a mare even more beautiful right in front of me," he added, winking casually.
"Ya'll sayin ma mama ain't pretty?" Cereza frowned a bit, giving him a stern glare. Jubilee turned towards him as well, a bemused expression on her face.
"Yes Tera, are you saying ah'm not a pretty mare?"
"I-I didn't say that! I'm just saying you're not my type! I mean, that's not to say you're not beautiful! It's jus-wait a minute, you're like my mom, Jubilee!" he blurted out, his face heating up in response to their questioning.
"Oh, the look on yer face, Tera!" Cereza started laughing a bit, Jubilee joining with her. He simply blanched back, giving a rather frustrated glare.
"Oh fine, be that way, Cereza," he snapped and stood up, marching towards the door. "I'll just make my way out!"
"Oh hush now ya big baby." She rolled her eyes in response, her giggles having subsided.
"Oh I wouldn't say that dear, you know how sensitive he can be," Cherry said, a small smile on her face. "Even if it does make him a bit of a baby," she finished, a snort coming out of her nose.
"Ha, ha," he said, trotting out the door with a huff. The two just kept laughing for a bit, Cereza giving her mama a hug.
"Mornin mama, sleep well?"
"Perfectly fine, Cherry Pie, and you?"
"Slept fine, few funny dreams, but ain't nothin worth worryin bout," she said, sitting down to a plate of pancakes and cherry juice. She dug in, giving her mom a knowing smile, one Cherry smiled right back at in return. "Three… Two… One...-"
The door opened back with a thud, Tera storming back in with his angry expression.
"Welcome back," Cherry said, not glancing up from her own meal.
"I just wanted to wish you both a good day, ta-ta," he said, storming back out. "Still angry!" he shouted as his hoofbeats soon became less and less visible.
"Called it." Cereza giggled, finishing her pancakes at a rapid pace.
"Slow down cherry pie, ya'll won't enjoy it if yer scarfin it down like some starvin’ animal!" Cereza sheepishly stopped eating, and looked up at her mother with a large amount of grime on her face. "Oh, yer a mess cherry pie..."
"It's fine, not like Ah'm goin out in public or anythin like that," she replied, wiping her face off nonetheless. "Ah'm headin out ta get mah chores done, I'll be back in time for lunch!" She waved Cherry off, a smile on her face. "Be sure ta call if big bro sends a letter!"
Cherry just gave her a sad smile, waving back in response. "Ya'll know he's too busy ta swing by here anymore, cherry pie!"
"Ah know, ah'm just sayin, ya never know when ya might find yer kids again!" she shouted, making Cherry smile just a little bit. "Love ya, mama!"
"...Love you too, cherry pie!" She waved her daughter off, and pulled out the day's paper. It wasn't gonna be easy living like this, keeping it all a secret from Applejack... But something told her it was gonna be worth it...
