Canterlot Academy Trials

Back at the hospital in Abyssinia…

“...To make a long story short, I’m here because I want to help you, miss. You…your master was someone who ultimately only cares for his own ambitions. Based on what we know from your situation. It sounds to me as if Odu didn’t care for you whatsoever.”

“I…” the tigress wanted to take offense to that statement, but winced upon realizing how much she strained herself just to sit upright. “Dggh…!”

“Admit it,” Fang went on as he took a seat in a chair in front of her hospital bed. “You know deep inside that he had led you astray long ago. You desperately want to cling to him.” He glared at her with a disgusted frown on his face, “Sounds a lot like what you said to be when we fought.”

“...!” Sha’Beel gasped under her breath as her eyes went wide. She started to recall exactly what it was she said to him…

“...an emotionally stunted mutt with no sense of self that can’t escape his mother’s teats.”

Fang noted her reaction to his words and scoffed. “...seems as if your insecurity resulted in a bit of a projection. How unbecoming of a warrior.”

“...”

Having her words thrown back at her caused Sha’Beel to look down at herself in shame. That’s when she realized--she was the attached one who couldn’t let go. After all this time, Odu was simply an…obsession. A thing she was simply bound to by her desire for emotional attachment.

“Do you realize it now?” Fang went on, looking to drive the point home further, “...you’re nothing. A mere lemming. A moth to a flame with no sense of self. And that is, quite frankly, why I despise you. People of your ilk are pretentious, acting as if the world revolves around you.” He shook his head, “...in reality, you’re just a pitiful fool whose life has no worth.”

“...okay! Fine!” she yelled back with tears flowing down her face, “I get it already! I’m…I’m worthless! I’ve got nothing to offer this world! I should just kill myself, then, huh?!” She glared at Fang with a fierce roar, “Is that what you want?! Will that make you happy?!”

Fang didn’t react at all to her emotional outburst. Instead, he simply continued with his usual, low tone of voice. “I’m not much for condolences, no. Instead, how about logic: Why throw your life away when you can stand to improve it?”

“...what…what do you mean?” she muttered with a shaky breath.

“I mean that you should have more respect for yourself by taking control of your own life,” Fang suggested, “If you don’t do so now, then you’ll never improve. You’ll simply stagnate like the wretched vermin that you’ve been raised into being.”

His words were…unorthodox to say the least. A therapist Fang was not--the dog man simply told it like it was from his perspective the best he could. Then again, given Sha’Beel’s blindness thus far, Fang wanted to be as straightforward as possible to hopefully, finally, get through to her.

“...so what shall it be?” he asked, “Will you rise up and take control of your own life, or will you remain a puppet of someone else’s?”

“I…I want to follow my own path,” Sha’Beel explained at long last, “I wish to carry out my own goals and further my own life.”

Fang nodded, “Very well. You can figure out what you want to do with your life in the meantime. For right now, I need to know everything you know about Odu so that we can put a stop to his plans.”

“...He intends to go to the Serpent City,” she explained, “To supply something for his war on the Diamond Dogs. That’s all I know…honestly.”

“I see…very well then,” Fang accept her words for the time being. “I’ll take my leave so that you may rest. I just hope you can truly sever your attachment to him once this is all over.”

With a sigh, Sha’Beel lied back down in the medical bed. “...I suppose I have no choice.”

“Thank you.”

Now that he had his answer, Fang would leave the room, but Sha’Beel would continue to glare at him even as he left.

‘...you…you’re so frustrating.’

Fang arrived in the hallway where he’d see Lee meditating via sitting on her tail that was coiled into a spiral. “You’re done, I take it?”

“I am, Lee,” he answered as he took a seat on the nearby bench, “It seems as if we’ve found our information. Now all we need is the assistance of the troops Twilight is sending us.” His ears twitched when he realized he didn’t hear Rufus nor Spearklip’s voices. “Hm? Where are those two?”

“Rufus went to the bathroom,” Lee explained, “I believe Spear went to make sure he was okay in there.”

“Ah, that makes sense. I’ll go over the details of everything Ms. Beel told me once we’re all gathered,” Fang replied, “...but I wonder who exactly will be joining us out here…”