Cloudy Mind and Octavia were sitting at the train station, waiting for a friend of Octavia's to arrive.
"So, let me get this straight," Cloudy said, "You have a friend. Who's a hypnotist. And you didn't tell me?!"
"To be fair, I didn't know you were a hypnotist as well. I've never heard of your business before," Octavia answered.
"Well, I guess erasing memories isn't the best advertising," Cloudy pondered.
"What do you mean by that?" Octavia questioned.
"Nothing, nothing. But still, how has your friend not come up in conversation at all?" Cloudy waved her hooves in exasperation. All this time, and there was another pony to learn hypnosis from? She worked hard to find those books at the library to teach her.
Octavia rolled her eyes. "She doesn't live around here anymore, and we haven't spoken in a while. Though I am glad now you two can meet."
A whistle sounded, and the train pulled into the station. The doors opened, and ponies started pouring out. Among them was a light pink unicorn mare, with a white and lilac mane. She pushed her way through the crowd before spotting Octavia and Cloudy.
"TAVI!" she yelled, knocking over a poor stallion to tackle Octavia to the ground.
"Dream! So good to see you!" Octavia said, gently pushing her off.
"Sorry about that!" Dream called behind her to the stallion now rubbing his hoof. "I get a bit carried away."
Dream got up, and noticed Cloudy standing there.
"Hello there, I don't believe we've met," she held out her hoof. "My name is Wildest Dreams, but call me Dream. I'm Las Pegasus's future residential hypnotist!"
Cloudy shook her hoof. "My name's Cloudy Mind, but Cloudy for short. And I'm Ponyville's residential hypno-therapist!"
Dream squealed, then looked at Octavia. "You didn't tell me you knew another hypnotist!"
"Well, I didn't know she was one, until a few days ago," said Octavia, slightly overwhelmed.
"So tell me," Dream said, "which do you prefer, slow inductions or shock inductions?"
"I'm no good at shock, so slow. You?" Cloudy asked.
"Shock. They're more fun," Dream replied.
"As if! Slow inductions get the best trance," Cloudy puffed out her chest indignantly, then giggled.
"As much fun as this is," said Octavia, stepping in between the two mares, "we really should be heading off to my house."
Cloudy looked around, to find that some ponies were giving them odd looks.
"You're right, we can continue this later," Dream said, picking up a few suitcases from the luggage cart nearby with her magic.
Octavia led the way off the platform, and they reached her home in no time. As soon as Octavia unlocked the door, Dream practically flung herself onto the sofa, tossing the suitcases in the corner.
"Ah, my home away from home!" she shouted, giggling.
Cloudy walked into the duplex, followed by Octavia, who was smiling. It appeared she had missed her friend's antics.
"So, Tavi," Dream smiled, "now that we're alone..."
"Can't you unpack first?" Octavia asked, sitting on the couch next to her.
"Nah, don't need any of that stuff to hypnotize you," she said, turning to face Octavia.
"Hey, Tavi, you know what you've always been good at?" she asked.
"What?" Octavia replied, hesitantly.
"Going to sleep!" she shouted, grabbing Octavia's hoof and pulling it forward. Instantly, Octavia's eyes had closed, and she was in trance.
"That's it," Dream said, "deeper and deeper down. The better you feel, the deeper you go, and the deeper you go, the better you feel."
Cloudy watched in amazement as Dream gently rocked Octavia back and forth, deepening the trance.
"That, was amazing!" she said, but quieted after she realized her shouting might wake Octavia up.
Dream got up from the couch, leaving Octavia dozing there.
"That's probably the fastest shock induction I've seen, though I haven't seen many," Cloudy said, glancing at the mare sleeping on the sofa.
"Tavi's just really in tune with my voice," Dream said, looking fondly at her. "Every time she comes to Las Pegasus for a performance, I help her out with stress. It also helps that she's a somnambulist."
"A what?" Cloudy asked, confused.
"A somnambulist. A pony who is highly receptive to suggestions, and can go in trance easier," Dream answered.
"Oh," Cloudy said, disappointed. How had she not heard that term before?
"Tell me, who taught you hypnosis?" Dream questioned, seeing Cloudy's frown.
"Well, myself, actually," Cloudy responded, thinking, "There's very few books on the subject, at least from what I can find. And apparently those weren't very good, considering I didn't know that term."
"I'm self-taught as well, there just happens to be more books on the subject in Las Pegasus," Dream sat back down on the sofa, motioning for Cloudy to sit down. "That's one of the reasons I moved there, ponies are more accepting of odd practices."
Cloudy sat down on the opposite side of the sofa, so that Octavia was sleeping between them.
"That makes sense," she said, cheering up. "Now, let's have some fun with our little somnambulist here."
"Octavia," Dream said, speaking in a calm, collected voice that Cloudy hadn't heard before, "in a moment, I am going to wake you up, but whenever I, or Cloudy, asks you how you feel, the only phrase you can respond with is 'I am deeply hypnotized'. Anytime I, or Cloudy, asks you how you feel, that is all you'll be able to say. Nod your head if you understand."
Octavia slowly nodded her head.
"Good. Waking up in three two one, eyes open wide awake," she shook Octavia slightly.
Octavia opened her eyes, sitting up.
"Give me some warning next time," she said, rubbing her head.
"Well then it wouldn't be a shock induction, would it?" Dream giggled.
"Say, Octavia? How do you feel?" Cloudy asked.
"I am deeply hypnotized," Octavia stated, then paused. "Why did I just say that?"
Cloudy and Dream both laughed.
"I'll have to remember that one!" Cloudy noted, "It's pretty funny!"
"How do you feel Octavia?" Dream giggled.
"I am deeply hypnotized," said Octavia, "Why do I keep on saying that?"
"Hey Octavia? Sleep," Dream said, pulling on Octavia's hoof again. She slumped forward on the sofa, asleep.
"Can I do one next?" Cloudy asked, looking at the mare.
"Sure!" Dream answered, "Octavia, when you hear suggestions by Cloudy, they'll be as strong as if I gave them."
Cloudy put her hoof on Octavia's shoulder. "Okay, now Octavia, whenever I point my wing at you and say the word 'pew', you'll instantly go back into trance, no matter what. But after a few moments, you'll wake up, with no memory of what just happened. Nod your head if you understand."
Again, Octavia nodded her head.
"Great! Waking up in three, two, one!" she stamped her free hoof on the sofa.
Octavia sat up again, slowly opening her eyes. "Please, do give me a warning," she said, rubbing her eyes.
Cloudy extended her wing and pointed it at Octavia.
"Pew," she said.
Octavia's eyes fluttered closed and she collapsed onto the sofa. Cloudy giggled and looked at Dream, only to find that she wasn't laughing.
"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"I dunno, just never really been a fan of the whole memory thing. To me, hypnosis is something that ponies should remember, not knowing what you did could be scary."
"Hmm, I never thought about like that," Cloudy said, thinking.
Octavia stirred, and sat up.
"I do prefer the slow inductions to the fast ones," she continued.
"Octavia, when I stomp my hoof, you'll remember what you've forgotten," said Dream, stomping her hoof.
Octavia looked at Cloudy. "That's a fun trigger you have there, though I have stated I'm not much of a fan of fast inductions. I'd rather enter trance willingly, if you don't mind."
"Okay," replied Cloudy. Suddenly, her face lit up. "I have an idea!" she paused, "That is, if you're okay with it Octavia," she said, cautiously.
Octavia smiled. "I'm sure whatever it is, I'll be fine with it. Thank you for asking though."
"Ready?" asked Dream.
"Ready," answered Octavia.
"Sleep," she said, stomping her hoof on the sofa.
Octavia's head drooped, and her eyes fluttered closed.
"Now," Cloudy spoke, putting her hoof on Octavia's shoulder, "when I stomp my hoof, your right hoof will raise up, and the more I stomp my hoof, the more it will raise up. But when Dream stomps her hoof, your right hoof will sink down, and the more she stomps her hoof, the more your right hoof will sink down. Nod your head if you understand."
Octavia nodded her head, her head sinking lower as she did so.
"I will wake you up by stomping my hoof, and your right hoof will start to rise. Waking up in three, two, one!" She stomped her hoof.
Octavia's head raised and she opened her eyes, but her hoof was also raised.
Dream stomped her hoof, and Octavia's lowered. She giggled.
Octavia looked back and forth between them, then at her own hoof. "What just happened?" she asked.
Cloudy stomped her hoof twice, and Octavia's hoof raised off the couch.
"Interesting, it's like a game of ping-pong," said Dream, stomping her hoof twice.
Octavia watched as her hoof lowered of it's own accord.
"Hmm, I wonder..." said Cloudy, before repeatedly stomping her hoof down.
Octavia's hoof shot into the air, eliciting a giggle out of Dream.
"Do you have a question Octavia?" Dream teased, laughing.
Octavia smiled. "Ha ha. You know very well I can't control my hoof."
Dream merely grinned, and stomped her hoof multiple times.
Octavia's hoof fell to the couch, bouncing as it hit the surface.
Cloudy reached forward, grabbing Octavia's hoof.
"Sleep," she commanded.
Once again, Octavia was in trance.
Cloudy spoke to the mare. "That's it, going deeper and deeper. Your hoof won't be affected anymore."
She looked at Dream. "Now what?"
"Octavia," Dream said, "in a moment, when I wake you up, whenever anypony stomps their hoof and says a part of the body, that part of your body will become frozen. Stuck, stiff and rigid like a board. If they say the same body part again and stomp their hoof, that body part will become unfrozen. Nod your head if you understand."
Octavia nodded her head.
"Waking up in three, two, one, eyes open, wide awake!" She shook her slightly.
Octavia opened her eyes. She experimentally moved her hoof up and down, then sighed with relief.
"Well, I'm glad that's over," she said, sitting up.
"Hey Tavi," Dream asked, "Could you say the words, 'right hoof', and stomp your hoof down?"
"Okay..." replied Octavia, cautiously, "right hoof," she said, bringing her hoof down.
As soon as her hoof had touched the sofa, it stopped. Octavia paused, and looked at her own hoof. She grunted, trying to move it, but to no avail. She grabbed her right hoof with her left hoof, and tried to pull it free.
"Left hoof," Cloudy giggled, stomping her own hoof.
Octavia paused again, now looking at her hooves in confusion.
"What's going on?" she questioned, looking at the two of them. The two hypnotists burst out in giggles.
"You've done this before!" Octavia exclaimed, with a look of amusement on her face, "but that time, wasn't it the entire body?"
"Back hooves," Cloudy stomped her hoof, grinning.
Now Octavia could effectively only move her head. "Stop it you two!" she shouted, but she was smiling.
Dream smiled, "Octavia, full body freeze."
She stomped her hoof. Octavia froze, and she sat there, face frozen, with a smile on her lips.
Cloudy looked at her for a moment, then voiced something she was curious about.
"Why is she still blinking?" she asked Dream.
"Blinking is involuntary," Dream explained, "just like breathing. Even though we're bypassing her conscious mind, her unconscious mind will still keep her safe."
"Oh, now I see," Cloudy realized, "thanks for telling me."
"No problem," said Dream. "Octavia, full body unfreeze."
She stomped her hoof once more. Octavia moved her hooves, then her whole body.
"Interesting, I was aware that time," Octavia stated, looking at Dream, "That certainly will be one I remember for a while."
"Same here," Cloudy said.
Suddenly, Octavia's stomach growled. "Is it lunchtime already? It feels as though it's only been a few minutes."
"It can't have been that long," Cloudy said, getting up to look at the clock, "it's only been... an hour?! I'm going to be late to the office!"
"Well, it was nice meeting you Cloudy," said Dream, holding out a hoof. Cloudy shook it.
"I do hope I can see you again before you have to go," she said, opening the door.
"Likewise," replied Dream.
"Hey, would you mind keeping the sleep trigger I put in her? It makes it easier for second hypnosis sessions," asked Cloudy, starting to walk through the door.
"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best," Dream said, turning back to the sofa.
Dream held out her hoof to Octavia, and as Cloudy was closing the door, she heard Dream say one word.
"Sleep."
Author's Note
Constructive criticism is welcome! I love writing for these three, so if there's anypony else you want to see hypnotized, please let me know! This has been SilviaOra, signing off!