"And this here is the Psychiatric Help Agency wing, where we run our services and conduct cutting-edge research on how the brain functions and how mental disorders are created or inherited."

Res gestured through a stark metal door into a starkly contrasting room: an enormous, well-furnished, cozy mansion foyer, with windows leading into beautiful forests running the length and breadth of the walls, fountains tucked away in small gardens as stepping stone paths wound between them.

"We wanted to make sure that those who really needed our help were comfortable here," said Res, "and our studies have shown the most reliably comfortable places for nearly all ponies are a good house and a good slice of nature."

"What happens when there's a pony who doesn't feel comfortable here?" asked Illesio.

Res nodded appreciatively, "Good question. We have a separate series of smaller rooms which we can personalize to fit any particular pony, but for most, we introduce them here."

"Clear Sight," he continued as he walked down the pathway, "figured out that the best way to go about the art of psychiatry is a mix of professionalism and fluidity. For example," he gestured to a small garden where two ponies were having a discussion, "ponies feel comfortable when they know they're seeing an expert, but combined with a more open experience and the assurance of environmental factors, it improves their experience."

Illesio noticed that even as they passed by, they couldn't hear the two ponies talking. "A silence spell?" she wondered.

"Absolutely." Res nodded again. "Privacy is important as well, especially in this field of medicine. All their problems are treated with the same secrecy as Celestia does the Canterlot Intelligence Agency."

"Wait, what?"

But Res had already moved on through a second door: "Now, I'd like you to meet some of Clear Sight's best employees here: Deep Thought and Clear Thought." He waved at the two ponies inside.

They were quite obviously biological twins, because although Deep Thought was a stallion and Clear Thought was a mare, they shared the same dark blue coat and white manes.

"Hello there," said Clear Thought in a clear voice, and looked at the two visitors in veiled amusement.

Deep Thought was busy, furiously writing numbers and equations on the wall, all with an air of...of devastatingly important purpose, like he was going for the answer to life itself. "...about seven million..." he muttered.

He noticed them finally, and started, waving to them amicably.

"Hello there," said Deep Thought in a deep voice, and looked at the two visitors in unveiled bewilderment.

"Hey Deep, hey Clear," responded Res. "This is Illesio, a journalist for...the Canterlot Journal, if I'm not mistaken? I'm taking her on a tour of the facilities for an article she was going to write."

Deep Thought stared. "That's nev-"

"-ertheless interesting," interrupted Clear Thought, "The entire building system is one of the most fascinating places I've ever seen, if I do say so myself. I'm extremely glad I work here."

She shot Deep a meaningful look, and slowly a light dawned in his eyes. "Oh, yes, absolutely," he said. "My favorite part of the place is the room directly behind this door...perhaps you'd like to spare a glance?"

"Yes please," said Illesio faintly: she was feeling like she was missing something. The entire day had been one strange occurrence after another, and she still didn't know what to make of it.

"But of course," said Res graciously: he was feeling like he wasn't missing anything. None of the subtle (or less so) attempts to hook him up with a girlfriend escaped his notice, and he knew, from the moment Clear Sight had the idea and given him the look, that he was in for something rather irritating.

"What's up?" said Clear Sight impeccably: he never missed anything but always felt like acting not to. "Going to see the MRI room?"

Res gave him a withering look, to which Clear Sight politely doffed his sunglasses.

"Why yes," said Clear Thought, "we were just about to. Would you like to explain it yourself this time?"

Clear Sight waved dismissively. "Nah, I've got some work to do. You're better at it than me anyway. See y'all around!" He disappeared out the door. He appeared back in. "I'll need Deep Thought though," he said, and un-re-appeared himself with Deep Thought in tow.

"In that case," said Clear Thought, "please, follow me."

They entered a small room full of metal machinery, where a large ring of carefully constructed metal and plastic hung above a small cot at the edge of the room. Surprisingly enough, there was a small Zen garden on one side of the room, and several tinted windows opened out onto a beautiful park.

Clear Thought said, "This is the MRI--or Magnetic Resonance Imaging--room. This machine we have here is a way of mapping out a pony's brain using the power of magnetism." She turned to Illesio. "You know about how bats echolocate, right?"

"Yes, I remember learning about that in grade school," Illesio said. "Does this use the same method, except...with magnetism?"

"Well, it's a little more nuanced than that, but essentially, we just throw a magnetic field around the person's head and see what bounces out." explained Clear Thought, making gestures to illustrate her point.

"No, no, no," she said, noticing Illesio's pained expression, "not in that sense, sorry. Bad choice of words. We measure what radio waves are emitted from inside the magnetic field. Radio waves pass through us all the time on their way to our devices, so rest assured: it's perfectly safe."

She smiled. "Would you like to see the inside of your own head?"

---------Meanwhile, what's Clear Sight up to?---------/