>Be Anonymous again.
>Having reached the spa, you and the remaining ponies were set up with the basic massages and whatnot, the payment having come completely out of your pocket.
>A contented sigh comes from Fluttershy, who is currently having her wings rubbed down on a table next to you.
>"Isn't this just wonderful?" she lazily trails off.
"Wonderful enough that you're falling asleep?"
>"I'm sorry?"
"Nothing."
>While it'd be ideal to get the other three here where they were already relaxed, it'd be tricky to find a way to do so.
>At least subtly.
>Fluttershy was already perfect for putting under, though, just by looking at her.
>Her eyes were closed, a big grin was on her face, her entire body was relaxed, and you could even hear hums that signaled her pleasure.
>Truly, if there was a good time to put her under, it'd be now.
>But how to do it without getting caught?
>Twilight and Applejack were right across from you, relaxing in the hot tub, while Rarity and Pinkie relaxed in the sauna.
>Not to mention two masseurs were massaging you and Flutters.
>Think for a second.
>The watch couldn't be used in this situation, it'd raise too much suspicion.
>But...maybe the watch wasn't needed.
>While it was a good attention getter, there were other things to put others into a trance.
>For example, the eyes were effective in entrancing people (or in this case, ponies).
>Eye induced trances were something you hadn't tried anyways. Maybe Fluttershy could play guinea pig in this situation.
>She DID like animals, after all.
>It was worth a shot.
"Hey, Fluttershy," you whisper, getting her attention.
>"Yes, Anon?"
"Do I, uh, have something in my eye?" you asked, pointing to your right eye.
>She looked at your ocular organ, searching for anything foreign.
>She was looking into your eyes now, but there was no time for celebration yet. There was still the matter of entrancing her.
>"I don't see anything, Anon."
"Really? I swear I feel something. Care to look a little further?"
>"Oh, of course."
>She focuses more on anything stuck in your eye, and more essentially, your eye itself.
>The masseurs haven't taken notice, as they continue to massage the both of you.
"Little further, I'm sure. Keep looking."
>You notice her eyes focus on yours with an almost scary determination.
>Either she's getting way into this, or...
"Do you feel relaxed, Fluttershy? Content? Like you could lie down and never want to get up?"
>"Well...yes."
>"I would hope so," the masseur rings in, "it means I'm doing my job right."
>Fluttershy ignores him, and continues looking into your eye.
>She's been staring for a little while now.
"So go ahead and let that feeling overtake you," came your whispering voice, as you'd like to avoid being heard by the masseurs and the other elements. "Just fall further and further into your relaxed state. Let these nice, pleasant feelings overtake you."
>"O...okay..."
>Nice and submissive, she was.
>And still focused on your eye, or at this point, eyes.
"Do you like this feeling, Fluttershy?"
>"Yes...I do," she answers slowly, a smile creeping on her face.
"Good. Why not keep falling deeper into this nice, relaxed state you've found yourself in? It'd be nice, wouldn't it?"
>"Yes."
"Then keep going. Let yourself go, so you can feel yourself in this relaxed state even better. Just focus on my voice, and let it guide you through this nice, peaceful state you're in."
>She intently waits for you to continue speaking.
>Her eyes have never left yours.
"Now that you're listening, I need you to do as I say. As I continue speaking, you will begin to feel sleepy. You'll want to sleep, if you want to stay in this relaxed state."
>Her head immediately starts to wobble, as she finds it hard to stay awake.
>The masseurs continue rubbing into your bodies, which gives you an edge in keeping Fluttershy relaxed.
"As you find yourself more relaxed, you'll also feel your eyes grow heavy. Each slow, controlled breath you take sends you even further into this peaceful, sleepy state."
>Her head bobs up and down, and she struggles to keep her eyes open.
>She yawns.
"Now, sleep, and listen to my voice."
>Your words are the final blow, and she's out, her head sideways on the table as she snores quietly.
>"Oh," the masseur comments, looking at the sleeping pegasus, "that happens a lot to me. It must mean something good, right?"
>"Of course," your masseur tells the other, "it means they were relaxed enough to fall asleep, and it's because your massage was THAT good."
>Fluttershy's masseur beams with pride.
>It'd be better not to hurt his feelings, you figure.
>"Well, while she's asleep I figure I can take my break. That's allowed, right?" Fluttershy's masseur asks the other one.
>"Of course. Once she wakes up, though, it's back to work."
>While her masseur runs off to do his thing, yours stays and continues his work.
>It'd be best to send him away.
"Hey, you go ahead and join him. I'll tell you when she wakes up."
>He smiles, and gladly takes a break.
>Now she was yours to mold.
"Now Flutttershy, listen to my voi-"
>"Anon, Fluttershy, aren't you receiving the best massages you've ever had?" Rarity asked as she and Pinkie came over to the massaging tables.
>"Actually Rarity, I'd say Fluttershy's was so great that she fell asleep! ...or is that actually a bad thing?" Pinkie asked with a cock of her eyebrow.
>While Rarity replied to Pinkie, you tried to find a way to make the two ponies leave.
>Using their trigger words would likely gain the attention of Twilight and Applejack.
>Surely you have time to think, though...
>"Twilight!"
>Was that...Spike?
>It doesn't matter, all the ponies' attention is on him now. Plant a trance inducing trigger on Fluttershy and be done with it.
>"Fluttershy, when you hear me say the word "animal hospital", you'll re-enter this trance state. Until then, you will awaken when I snap my fingers."
>Snap.
>Fluttershy's head rises and her eyes open up.
>"What is it, Spike?" Twilight asks the frantic baby dragon.
>He reaches the hot tub and bends over, panting.
>"Letter...from Princess...Cadance," he managed in between huffs.
>From Cadance?
>Sweat starts to form on your forehead.
>The alicorn takes the scroll in her magic and unrolls it, reading the letter.
>There was no way Cadance broke out of your suggestions, was there?
>She didn't find out that you hypnotized her, did sh-
>"Anon."
>Oh fuck.
>"This letter from Cadance explained to me why she was acting so weird earlier. You hypnotized her!"
>She hops out of the hot tub and points an accusing hoof at you.
>"Were you going to try hypnotizing us, too?"
"Uh, no, no, of course not. Why would I do that?"
>You try to put on your best poker face, but it fails completely, being impossible to keep up in front of Twilight's intimidating glare.
>"Really? Because Cadance said you'd do it if you got the chance."
>You get off of the massage table to back away, in hopes that you'd find a way out of this.
"I think she's gone crazy. I mean, you saw her earlier, didn't you?"
>"I did, as a matter of fact. She was like that because of you."
>"Sweating bullets" couldn't even describe how much sweat your body was producing right now.
>"Hey, maybe she's on to something," Pinkie mused aloud.
>"Anon, do you have something to tell us?" Rarity asked as she glared at you.
>This was not looking good.
>"But wait, girls," Fluttershy meekly interjected. "Would Anon really do that to us? I don't think he would be willing to do such a thing to his friends."
>You'd be sure to make Fluttershy's suggestions as harmless as possible.
>"Fluttershy, you saw what he did to Cadance. Who's to say he hasn't already hypnotized one of us?"
>Right now, you had two options.
>1. Run.
>2. Try to explain yourself.
>The former was sounding like a good choice, but would confirm their suspicions.
>"Have any of you looked at his antique pocket watch?" the purple pony asked her friends.
>"Why yes," Rarity answers, "I have looked at it. It was a marvelous looking trinket."
>"That's what he uses to hypnotize ponies! You don't remember if he did anything, do you?"
>Now would be a good time to slip out. They were too focused on each other to notice you leave, anyways.
>Slowly, you inch your way to a back door behind you as they talk among themselves.
>"Actually, there isn't much I remember from that conversation. The watch shined in the sunlight, looked absolutely dazzling, and then time seemed to skip to a few minutes later."
>"And what do you have to say to that, Anon?" Twilight accusingly asks, before realizing you're right next to the back door.
>Your hand moves around the door, looking for a knob or a handle to turn.
>"He's tryin' ta get away!"
>Applejack's warning is enough to make you turn around and shoot through the door, before running in a random direction.
>You spot a nearby bush and dive into it, using it as cover.
>Before long, the elements and Spike charge in your direction, but fortunately don't seem to know where you are.
>They stop in front of the bush.
>"Ah horseapples! Where'd he go?" Applejack asks, eyeing the surrounding area.
>I don't know, but what I do know is that once we find him, we'll make him undo whatever it is he's done to us," Twilight instructs. "Let's split up and search around Ponyville for him."
>"I'll go ask Rainbow Dash to see if she can help, too," Fluttershy adds.
>The group agrees, and each individual pony (and dragon) go their own separate direction.
>After a moment, you emerge from the bush, and take a deep breath.
"Great, now they know what I'm doing. This just got ten times harder."
>"What got ten times harder?"
>You're startled by the sudden voice, and turn around to meet the gaze of Applebloom, who is accompanied by her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
"Uh, a...game of hide and seek, of course!"
>They beam at your words.
>"Hide n' seek? Think we could play, too?"
"I dunno, I'm still hiding right now, so you might have to wait until the others find me."
>The fillies let out a collective "Awww," and hang their heads down.
>"Man, and we would've had the perfect hiding spot, too," Scootaloo complains.
>Perfect hiding place?
"Uh, wait, girls."
>They look back up, smiling.
"Tell you what, if you can hide me in this perfect hiding place long enough that the others forget about me, I'll let you into the game. Is that a good deal?"
>All three nod.
"Good. So, where's this hiding place?"
>They turn around and head towards the outskirts of town.
>"Over here, Anon. We'll lead you there!" Sweetie tells you before she and the other two dart off.
>Better catch up with them!
 
>The girls stop in front of the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres, waiting for you to catch up.
>It would have been easier if they hadn't ran the whole way.
>"Come on, Anon! We're almost there!"
>Admittedly, it was a bit uncomfortable to head into enemy territory, considering this was where Applejack lived.
>But if the Crusaders were certain there was a good place to hide out here, what was the harm in checking it out?
>They walked the rest of the way, allowing your legs to rest.
>It only seemed they were going farther into the farm, which made you more nervous by the minute.
"How much farther?"
>"Just a little. You sound a little scared, Anon. Are you okay?" Sweetie asked.
"I'm fine. Just wondering when we'll get there is all."
>"Well," Applebloom begins, "ya'll don't gotta worry now. We're here!"
>The crusaders stop, and look upwards.
>You look up too, and feel disappointment well up inside you.
>"Anon, welcome to the Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse. Not only'll this be the greatest hidin' spot, you'll also be able ta have fun while ya do it!"
>How comforting.
>But really, if they thought this was a good place to hide, they were nuts.
>This place wasn't exactly off limits or a secret to any ponies.
>Still, you're already here, so...
"Okay, let's get in there."
>"YAY!" the three of them shouted as they ran up the top of the clubhouse.
>You slowly followed, unconvinced this was a good spot to hide.
>The door to the clubhouse creeks open, and you're led inside a small but homely clubhouse, complete with a few pieces of furniture here and there.
>"If ya want, we can give ya the tour, Anon," Applebloom offers.
You shake your head. "I'm fine, thanks."
>Scootaloo shrugs. "Suit yourself."
>The room becomes awkwardly silent as the Crusaders go to the opposite end of the clubhouse and sit down.
>You sit down as well.
>The place was cozy. It may not be a good hiding place, but it had coziness going for it.
>"So Anon, what's it like living in the Crystal Empire?" Sweetie asks.
"It's not that much different from here. Just a lot bigger."
>"Yeah, we've only been there for about a day or so. It was still exciting, though!"
>"It was kinda painful ta watch Spike at the Equestria Games, though."
>"Yeah, that was really bad."
>You remembered that.
>It'd probably be easier to empathize with him if he hadn't sold you out.
>You shift around to make yourself more comfortable, but in the process, the watch falls out of your pocket.
>Its gleam immediately gets the Crusaders' attention.
>"Hey, Anon, what is that?" Scootaloo asks, pointing at the watch.
"This," you say, holding up the silver coated watch, "is an antique pocket watch. It's real neat looking, isn't it?"
>The fillies get up from their spots and come over to look over the watch.
>They're already looking to be good subjects. And besides, there wasn't any harm in getting more ponies under your power, right?
>Right.
>"Where'd ya get it from, Anon?" asks an excited Applebloom.
"An old store back in the Crystal Empire. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every bit."
>They ooo'd and ahh'd at the shiny trinket, Sweetie Belle having reached out with her hoof to touch it.
>Sweetie's touch caused the watch to pop open, revealing the face of the clock.
>All three fillies looked at the face, and noticed something off.
>"The clock's broken," Scootaloo pointed out.
>The two hands were pointed at the 12 on the clock, even though it was about 3 in the afternoon.
"Yeah, it is broken. I've never found out how to fix it, either."
>Your opportunity arises as an idea forms in your head.
"Although, maybe you three can fix it."
>"Oh, oh, really!? How?" an excited Sweetie Belle shouts.
"Well, the pony I got this watch from said it had magic infused in it. Maybe if you concentrate long enough, the magic will activate the watch?"
>"Ah'm all for it! So what do we do, Anon?"
"First," you start, standing up and letting the watch hang loose, "is that I need you all to concentrate on the watch. Especially you, Sweetie. You're a unicorn, so magic is your thing."
>"Got it!" All three responded before pinning their eyes onto the watch.
"Okay. Next, I need you to think about magic while staying focused on it. Can you do that?"
>"Yep!"
>You flick your wrist, and let the watch swing from side to side.
"Lastly, the three of you need to keep doing that until I say otherwise. Just keep watching the pretty, silver watch. Okay?"
>"Okay!"
>Their enthusiasm was quite the motivator.
>So, here you were with three children who were about to be put into a trance.
>Really, did you have no shame?
>Surely it was bad to make children do your bidding, right?
>Ah, but who cared?
>It was just between you and them.
>Plus, they look really into it, anyways.
>No sense in going back now.
>Their eyes slowly followed as the watch hovered back and forth, back and forth.
>A gradual, if rewarding process.
>Their hard stares went soft, as they began to lose themselves in the shining trinket.
>Opportunity was knocking; Best answer it.
"How are you three feeling?" you asked the crusaders as softly as possible.
>None of them replied.
"I'm sure you're feeling relaxed. Calm. Maybe even sleepy."
>"Yeah. A little of all three..." Scootaloo lazily stated.
>Applebloom and Sweetie only nodded in agreement, still staring at the watch.
>Their silence was almost eerie, considering how rowdy they usually were.
"Then I'll tell you what. Forget about the magic we're trying to use with this watch. Instead, I want you to focus on that relaxed, sleepy feeling."
>"O-okay..." Sweetie says.
"Good. You're doing well. Next, I need you to start feeling more sleepy. More relaxed. Until it's hard to stay awake."
>As expected, the fillies have trouble keeping their eyes open, nodding off, but always waking back up.
>Set it into overkill.
"Stop trying to fight the sleep. Sleep is good. It feels nice to sleep. Fall into a slumber. Lose yourself in your dreams, girls. I know you want to."
>And just like that, the fillies before you slump over onto the ground, asleep.
>Success!
>Who needs the elements when any pony is ripe for the hypnotic picking?
>Now, what would be their first command?
"Okay girls, first, I need you to tell me if you're listening to my voice."
>"Yes," all three answer simultaneously in monotone voices.
"Then I need you three to do me a huge favor. Are you listening?"
>"Yes."
"Good. Do NOT tell Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, or Spike that you saw me. It would be bad if they found me."
>They nod in understanding.
"Anypony that they try to make find me, do not tell them you saw me as well. Do NOT tell them where I am."
"Mn-kay," Applebloom answers.
>Now that the serious parts were over, it was time to have fun.
"Next, Applebloom, whenever anyone says the word 'try', you will shout the word 'apples' as loudly as you can."
>The farm filly heeds your words, nodding.
"Sweetie, when someone calls you Sweetie Belle, you will insist that your name is "Sweaty Balls."
>She hums, as if in understanding.
"Scootaloo, when someone mentions Rainbow Dash, you will ask who she is, as if you don't know her. If the pony insists you're her biggest fan, tell them you've never heard of her."
>"Rainbow Dash..." she mumbles.
"With these suggestions in mind, I want all three of you to start slowly waking up. Just remember to fall into this trance once again when I say the word 'Cutie-Mark Cape'."
>It'd probably be a good idea to start writing these trigger words down.
"Now, slowly wake up as I count to three. Start feeling refreshed from your naps, and remember my words. One...waking up...two...feeling refreshed...three."
>The girls stand up and stretch.
>"Golly, Ah sure do feel like a brand new me!" Applebloom proclaims brightly.
>"I feel like I can go out and take on the world! How 'bout you Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo says, turning to the unicorn filly.
>"Actually, my name isn't Sweetie Belle. It's 'Sweaty Balls'."
>The two other crusaders look at the unicorn, confused.
>"Yer name's Sweetie Belle, Sweetie."
>"No it's not. I'm Sweaty Balls."
>You snickered as she proclaimed her "name".
>"Then why have you been calling yourself Sweetie Belle?"
>"Look girls, could you stop trying t-"
>"APPLES!"
>Applebloom covered her mouth.
>"Uh...Applebloom?" came Scootaloo's quizzical voice.
>"What was that for?"
>Before the yellow filly can explain herself, there's a knocking at the clubhouse door.
>"Hey, squirt, ya in there?"
>Rainbow Dash.
"Ohshitohshitohshit."
>You look around the clubhouse for a place to hide.
>For being their most important meeting place, the Crusaders had left it pretty bare.
"Hide me!" you whisper to the girls.
>"Squirt? Okay, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, are you in there?"
>"Yep!" came Applebloom's chipper response.
>"Over here, Anon," whispered Scootaloo as she pulled open a hidden entrance to a higher floor, a ladder coming down as she does. "Go up there until she's gone."
"Thanks Scoots," you tell her before climbing up the ladder.
>As you go up, Applebloom walks over to the door to let Rainbow Dash in.
>You pull the ladder up and close the entrance just before she comes in.
>A close one, for sure.
>"Hey, thanks for letting me in. How you girls doing?"
>"We're good," Sweetie answered.
>"Yep."
>"Right," the athlete said with a chuckle, "So, I just had a question. You three seen Anon anywhere?"
>"Nope," all three of them responded simultaneously.
>"Oh, you're sure?"
>"Yep!"
>"Actually, I had a question, too," comes Scootaloo. "Who are you?"
>An awkward pause looms in the room under you.
>"You're kidding, right?" asks Rainbow.
>"No, seriously, who are you?"
>Rainbow laughs. "Aw, come on, squirt. I'm the pony you look up to! Rainbow Dash!"
>"...never heard of you."
>An uncomfortable chuckling is heard from Rainbow.
>"Um, right...well! Anyways, thanks for your cooperation, at least!"
>Looking through the window, you see Rainbow fly away at high speed.
>Success!
>You open up the entrance to the lower floor and watch the ladder gently slide out.
>As you climb down, you talk to the crusaders.
"Awesome job, girls! Nobody will suspect a thing!"
>"No, seriously, who is Rainbow Dash?"
>"She's yer idol, Scootaloo! Come on! Sweetie-"
>"Sweaty."
>Applebloom rolls her eyes. "Sweaty, help me out here!"
>"Well, yeah, Scootaloo, you have to at least remember how she's shown you her awesome flying tricks!"
>The orange filly puts a hoof to her chin.
>"Hmmm...nope. Nothing."
>The other two fillies are left speechless.
>"If you guys are gonna be so weird about this, I'm gonna go."
>Scootaloo stands up from her spot and heads out, leaving you with Applebloom and Sweaty Balls.
>Sweetie Belle.
>It was even getting to you.
"Right, so, what do we do now?"
>"I say we try-"
>"APPLES!"
>Applebloom smacks herself in the face.
>"What is wrong with me!?"
>"I dunno. I was gonna say we could try-"
>"APPLES!"
>Sweetie deadpans at her friend.
>"We could try-"
>"APPLES!"
>"Alright, I'm just gonna go home."
>"Uh, sorry," Applebloom awkwardly spits out as the other filly leaves.
>"It's alright. We can try-"
>"APPLES!"
>"We can do something tomorrow."
>Sweetie leaves with a grunt.
>You and Applebloom sit in the room in an awkward silence.
"So, how long can I hide in here, anyways?"
>"Tell ya what, Anon. I don't think Ah really wanna play hide n' seek anymore."
"But that doesn't mean I can't stay here, does it?"
>It was a pretty good hiding place now that Rainbow would go tell the others you weren't here.
>"Well," Applebloom started with a bit of hesitation, "nothin' against ya, Anon, but Ah can't really trust ya alone in here."
"What? Why not?"
>"'Cuz what if ya steal something?"
"What am I going to steal?"
>"That's just it! Ah don't know! Ah'm real sorry, Anon, but you're gonna hafta leave."
>There went that.
>A good hiding spot gone because of your hypnotic powers.
>Karma, maybe?
>As long as they didn't say where you were, though, you were happy.
"Okay, I'll get out of your mane."
>You grin as you prepare your next words.
"I'll try-"
>"APPLES!"
"-to stay out of your way. Don't try-"
>"APPLES!"
"-to stop me."
>As Applebloom hits her head against the wall, you exit the clubhouse, now on guard.
>The elements could be anywhere.
>Watch your step.
>Climbing down the steps, you hit grass in a moment and head out to the town beyond.
 
>You've sneaked around Ponyville for a good hour, watching every corner like a paranoid criminal.
>Currently, you're at the park.
>So far, so good.
>But as you've gone around town, you've realized that you need to start forming a plan if you get caught.
>Worst case scenario, you can buy yourself a ticket to Canterlot and hide out there.
>Best case, if you encounter an element you've already hypnotized, you can bring them to your side.
>You kind of regret not jumping Rainbow Dash at the clubhouse.
>Regardless, if it comes to it, you'll use your hypnotic hold over them.
>In the meantime, you could possibly build your own personal defense force with your powers.
>Who to pick, though?
>"YEAH!"
>A huge weight connected to a rope crashes right in front of you, creating a small crater in the grass.
>You look at where the weight came from to find a huge, muscular, white pegasus and a smaller black pegasus.
>"BEAT THAT, THUNDERLANE!"
>"Uh..."
>The smaller pegasus picks up his weight-on-a-rope and spins in a circle.
>The 'roid pony watches intently with a grin.
>"NGAHH!"
>The weight is tossed into the air, but flies only a few yards, which compared to the big pony's, is miniscule.
>"YEAH!"
>"Man, this is why I hate playing this game with you. You always win."
>"And you always win our races! I call that fair!"
>These two.
>They looked perfect for the job.
>Especially the big one.
>You make your way over to the arguing athletes, already thinking of how to ensnare them.
>Ensnare.
>Damn, you're really getting into this.
>"So what do you think we can do that'd be fair, then?"
>"I dunno! I thought you'd have an idea!"
>Spring the trap.
"What seems to be the problem here, guys?"
>Both ponies look at you.
>"We can't find any kind of contest where we'd be equally matched!" shouts the black pony.
>"AND WE GOTTA FIND ONE SO IT'S FAIR!" the white one shouts into your face.
>Wiping your face of the moist spots of slobber, you pull out your pocketwatch to seal the deal.
"I got one, if you guys are interested."
>"YEAH!"
>That was both of them.
>Good to know you have willing subjects.
"Okay, all I need you guys to do is endure."
>"Endure what?"
>You bring the watch to their faces.
"This. All you have to do is stare at this longer than your opponent. Think of it as a mental challenge instead of a physical one."
>"Sounds easy. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!"
>The muscular pony sits down and squints his eyes at the watch.
>The other one, seeing as his friend has already accepted, sits down and keeps his eyes on the watch as well.
>Take it away, Anon.
>You sway your wrist to start the watch's rhythmic motions, smiling at what would soon be another two ponies under your control.
>As expected, both of them keep watching the shiny trinket as it moves to the left, then right.
>The warm sun and their concentration on the watch causes them to begin sweating.
>A bit too intense, maybe.
>No matter, they were still following the watch.
>Left, right.
>Left, right.
>They stayed silent as the watch continued its pattern.
>Is now the time to start working on their minds?
>Probably.
"How you guys doing?"
>No answer.
>Perfect.
"Okay, since you guys are so into this watch, I'm just gonna speak my mind. I'm sure you don't care."
>Still no answer.
"Now, I was thinking, doesn't watching this make you...sleepy? Almost ready to lay down in bed and snooze?"
>Their eyes flutter.
>So it was working.
"Yeah, kind of like that. Just taking your mind off of everything else but my voice and the watch."
>The 'roid pony's legs wobble.
"That's it. Let that wave of sleepiness wash over you. Relax."
>The black pony begins to lay down, but focuses on the watch.
>His buddy follows shortly after.
"Take a break. Imagine a nice, cushy cloud to sleep on. How nice and comfy it feels against your body."
>The black one smiles and rubs the ground with his hooves.
>The white one kneads it like a cat.
"Think happy, relaxing thoughts. As you do, listen to nothing but my voice. Keep your eyes on the watch and your minds in a relaxed, peaceful state."
>"Y...yeah..."
>The white one's still enthusiastic.
"Just keep drifting into that nice, relaxing feeling, you two. Let it take you into the world of dreams."
>The black one yawns and curls up into a ball.
"Nice, relaxing, sleepy thoughts. No more staying awake. It's time to sleep."
>The white one's face falls to the ground.
>Considering both ponies' eyes were closed, it was safe to assume they were under, now.
>Start the routine.
"Are you both listening to me?"
>"Yes."
>"Yeah."
"Great. First, I need you to tell me your names."
>"Thunderlane," came the black pony.
>"Bulk Biceps," the other one said.
>Now that you knew their names, it'd be easier to address them.
"Good. Bulk, Thunderlane, you are both going to be my protection throughout Ponyville. Anytime you see the ponies, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle, or the dragon, Spike, you will alert me, no matter where you are or what you're doing."
>You were gambling on the whole "controlling the elements you've already hypnotized" thing, so you didn't think you'd need protection from them.
>It wouldn't be good if they followed you around, though, considering it'd be weird for two ponies to follow someone they didn't know.
>They nod their heads at your words.
"Also, if I ask, you two will help me secure Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike."
>Again, they nod.
>In the case that you found them first, there'd be no harm in putting them under your control as well.
"Now that we have that settled, my final commands are that you two will return to this entranced state when I say the words 'intense fitness'. Until then, you will wake up when I snap my fingers."
>Your fingers snap.
>The two athletes in front of you get up in a bit of a daze.
>"Wh...what happened?"
>"More importantly, WHO WON!?"
>They look to you for the answer.
"It was a draw. You guys were too equally matched, it seems."
>Both groan in frustration.
"Sorry about that, guys. Good luck with some other contests," you tell them as you begin to walk away.
>"HOW 'BOUT A STARING CONTEST?"
>"Or we could always try to solve a puzzle before the other."
>"OR DO MATH! YEAH!"
>That'd go over well.
 
>Twilight scoured the town of Ponyville to look for Anon, the mad hypnotist on the loose.
>So far, no sign of him was anywhere.
>And the bookworm was on her last nerve searching for him.
>"Hey, Twilight!"
>Rainbow Dash flew down next to her purple friend.
>"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight blurted, relieved, "Have you found Anon anywhere?"
>The pegasus bit her hoof.
>"Uh...no. I did three fly-by's of the entire town, and he was nowhere to be found!"
>Twilight groaned.
>"How hard can it be to find a bipedal, hairless monkey!?"
>She kicked the ground.
>"Apparently pretty hard. Even Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle haven't seen him, and they run around everywhere!"
>The pegasus chuckled.
>"I gotta say, he is pretty good at hide n' seek."
>Twilight sighed, rubbing her temples with her hooves.
>"This-"
>"CAW! CAW!"
>Rainbow's outburst earned her an irate glare from the princess.
>"-is just-! I mean it's-! UGGHHHH!"
>The overloaded princess covered her face with her hooves, trying to calm herself down.
>Ponyville was something of her kingdom, so to think she couldn't protect from Anon of all people was frustrating.
>"Rainbow," she started, uncovering her face, "just...just get the girls. Tell them to meet up at Sugarcube Corner."
>"You got it, boss!"
>In a rainbow flash, the pegasus was off in the air again, searching for her friends.
>The panicked princess walked into Sugarcube Corner and sat at a table.
>"Well hey there, Twilight!" came the cheery greeting of Mrs. Cake as she came over to the bookhorse's table. "Can I getcha anything?"
>"A nice, big, cold one, Mrs. Cake," the princess responded with an irritated tone.
>"Oh my, it sounds serious. Coming right up, dearie!"
>For Twilight and Mr. and Mrs. Cake, a "nice, big, cold one" meant an extra large vanilla shake, usually ordered when Twilight was stressed out.
>She always felt better after drinking them, so maybe this one would help get her nerves calmed down.
>Unless the thought of Anon hypnotizing the entire town and turning them all against her in a coup was all she could-
>Twilight stopped herself there, and kept her mind focused on her drink.