"Hello, and welcome to my office! How may I help you?"
Cloudy Mind was sitting at a desk, opposite of a young filly wearing a tiara.
"I have a job for you. This should cover the bill," Diamond Tiara said confidently, setting a large bag of bits on the desk.
"Well, that is a nice offer, but I don't really take 'jobs'," replied Cloudy Mind, pushing the bag back towards Diamond Tiara, "Ponies just come in, I help them with their problems, and then they leave."
"Please?" Diamond Tiara said, softly, "It's for my mother."
"Mrs. Rich?" Cloudy questioned, "What could she need help with?"
"She's not letting me play with Applebloom and her friends," Diamond Tiara confessed, "I was hoping... you could make her be... nicer?"
Cloudy sighed. "Well, I couldn't 'make' her be nicer, that's not how hypnosis works, but maybe I could find the root of the problem, and go from there."
Diamond Tiara brightened up. "You'd really do that for me?"
"Anything for a friend." Cloudy replied, getting up from her chair and trotting towards the filly.
Diamond Tiara got up, and hugged Cloudy. "Thank you," she said.
Cloudy rang the doorbell of the Rich Mansion, Diamond Tiara standing nervously behind her. Spoiled Rich opened the door, and glared at her daughter.
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick. Come along, you're late for your violin lesson," Spoiled started ushering her daughter inside, not even paying attention to Cloudy.
Diamond Tiara walked back to Cloudy. "Mother, this is Cloudy Mind. You know, the hypnotherapist father went to?"
Spoiled looked hard at Cloudy, then scrunched up her nose. "Ah yes, the commoner who 'hypnotized' my husband, indeed."
Oh, did I forget to erase his memory? Cloudy thought, Oh well, I'll just do it next time I see him.
Diamond Tiara spoke cautiously. "Mother, I brought Ms. Cloudy Mind here to have a, session, with you."
A look of disgust came over Spoiled's face. "I will have no such thing! I will not allow my mind to be poked and prodded by an amateur."
"Actually Mother," said Diamond quickly, trying to mask her anger, "Ms. Cloudy Mind has helped many elite ponies, including Octavia Melody of the Canterlot orchestra, and Princess Twilight Sparkle."
"Really?" said Spoiled, her disgust giving way to fascination, "Well, if you've helped the Princess, I'm sure you're very qualified. Come on in."
Cloudy let out a breath, and walked inside.
Spoiled started walking down a long hall, not bothering to see if they were following her.
Diamond Tiara trotted beside Cloudy. "Sorry about Mother," she whispered.
"It's fine," Cloudy whispered back, falling behind so they couldn't be overheard, "I'm used to that type of talk from ponies like her. I've learned to not let it affect me."
"Come along now, into the evening tea room," Spoiled called, headed into a room on the left.
Cloudy walked into the evening tea room. A few couches were arranged around the room, and it was dimly lit, with a few candles on side tables next to the couches. Perfect.
"Now," Spoiled said, sitting on one the couches, "what exactly will happen with this 'hypnosis'?"
"I will start with an induction," Cloudy said, gaining confidence despite herself, "and then you will go into a relaxed state. From there, I can work on any problems that might be hiding beneath the surface."
"Sounds simple enough," remarked Spoiled, "Diamond Tiara, even though I'm sure Cloudy Mind is talented, having helped the Princess and all, stay here and make sure no 'funny business' comes about."
Diamond Tiara sat down on the couch opposite Spoiled. "Of course Mother," she said, hiding
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get on with it," said Spoiled.
Cloudy nodded, then sat on the couch Diamond Tiara was sitting on.
"Mrs. Rich," Cloudy spoke in a calm, composed tone, "I want you to for a moment, focus on your breathing. Only on your breathing. In, out. In, out. Allow waves of relaxation to enter your body on the inhale, and all stress and tension leave you on the exhale."
Diamond Tiara looked in amazement at her mother. She had never seen her this relaxed before.
Cloudy smiled at Diamond Tiara, then continued. "Now, picture a staircase for me. With every step you go down, you will become even more relaxed, peaceful and tired. Let's go from ten. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Sleep."
As Cloudy said sleep, she gently stamped her hoof on the couch. Spoiled's eyes slid shut, and she audibly exhaled.
"Good, every breath you breathe, going deeper into this nice state of relaxation. Sinking, drifting, falling into hypnosis."
Diamond Tiara tapped Cloudy's shoulder. "That... was amazing," she whispered.
"Thanks," Cloudy whispered back, "now, we can find out what makes her so 'mean'."
"Mrs. Rich, I am going to ask you a few questions, and you're going to answer them truthfully. You'll still be in trance, but you will be aware of what you're saying. You know you're in a safe environment, and whatever you say won't leave this room. Could you nod your head if you understand that?"
Spoiled slowly nodded her head.
Cloudy thought back to her previous patients, then had an idea. "Mrs. Rich, in your childhood, did you have anypony that you thought were better than you?"
"My big sister, Sweet Milk," said Spoiled in a voice entirely different from her own. This voice was soft, vulnerable. "She was put in charge of the farm practically before she could walk. She would tell me, that I was inferior to her, and she would always be better."
Diamond Tiara put a hoof over her mouth. "I had no idea Mother was treated that way."
Cloudy looked sympathetically at Spoiled, and asked gently, "Then why do you treat Diamond Tiara in a similar manner?"
"I thought that if my Diamond was perfect, then she could never feel broken, or be put down by other ponies." Spoiled sighed, and displayed an emotion Diamond Tiara hadn't seen on her in a long time, sadness.
Cloudy took notice of this. "But do you see now, that that was counter-intuitive, and you were the one who set that higher standard that your daughter could never reach?"
Spoiled nodded her head. "Yes, I see that now. I was so caught up in making my Diamond the perfect pony, that I couldn't see how unhappy I was making her."
"In a moment, I will wake you from trance. You will remember all of our session, and you will be refreshed and rejuvenated. Waking up in one, two, and three. Wake up."
Spoiled Rich slowly opened her eyes, and looked at Diamond Tiara, who had been speechless for a while. She smiled. "My Diamond," she said, in a warm, caring voice.
"Mom," said Diamond Tiara, getting off the couch and giving her mother a hug.
"I love you," said Spoiled.
"I love you too," answered Diamond Tiara.
Well that was an interesting session, thought Cloudy, I guess she'll have to remember that one.
Cloudy smiled at the pair, then let herself out of the room. The last thing she heard Spoiled say as she closed the door was, "You know, I feel like doing something generous. How about I donate some of my old clothes to charity."
Author's Note
Constructive criticism is welcome! If you have any ideas for who one of my OCs will hypnotize next, be sure to tell me!
This has been SilviaOra, signing off!