//------------------------------//
// The Episode of an Appointment at Dr. Pi’s: 2 (2) 
// Story: Flutters of Dr. Pi 
// by Ponyess 
//------------------------------//

	I had made the effort of booking an appointment with Dr. Pi, in the hopes that she could help me through a few issues I had been living with for so long.



The episode with the Minotaur by the name of Iron Will had once again brought out the inner Daemons, but I had faced them on so many other occasions, like at the Grand Galloping Gala.  I wanted these daemons gone, and out of my life.

Twilight Sparkle had tried to help me on several occasions, but as of yet, she never had managed to get the job done, as accomplished as she may be; both with her books and psychology as the magic she is wielding as an Alicorn Princess.  These occasions were more likely to bash me in the face as the Daemon reared its ugly head before me, and any Pony close by.


 
As I trotted up to the building, where the good Dr. Pi was waiting; but the sun of Celestia benevolently beaming down with me with a gentle smile, strengthening me in the effort of doing; what I knew I had to do.

I opened the door, and continued up a flight of stairs; after I had closed the door carefully behind me.

There is an empty room, and another flight of stairs.  I start to feel a sense of being in one of these horror stories.  I am expecting a monster coming at me at any moment, and from any possible direction.  Yet; the stairs are quiet, and refused vehemently to make the slightest of noises; even a bit too much for me.

The flight of stairs ended on the third floor, with a window to the back of the building.  I hear no sound, but a slight breeze.  I can see a few lit candles, on a table in the warm room.  The floor is laid with hard, and polished wood.  Then I noticed the sofas along the walls and behind the table with the lit candles.

A single wooden door is open, on the eastern wall.  I follow the hint, only to find a short hall.  At the end of the hall I see a closed door with a plaque.

“Dr. Pi” the golden plaque reads.

I trot up to the door of the Doctor, and gives it a few faint knocks; only to take a step back in worry.



“Enter!” the voice from the other side the doors exclaimed.

I open the door, and steps right in.

“Greetings, and welcome in; my dear friend, Flutters!” she then added, as she saw my shy face in her room.

Like before, the floor is laid with wood, and refused to give of any sound to distract what was happening in the room.

“Hi.  Dr. Pie, I presume?” I uttered quietly, in the hopes that I had not entered the wrong room, despite all my precautions, this far.

You never know.  When my name is Fluttershy, you always find a reason to worry and fret, even if every other Pony know there is no reason to.

I do recognize the face of a pink mare every Pony in Equestria knows as Pinkie Pie, now wearing a white vest version of the doctor’s coat.  Just like the plaque on the door, the tag on the chest pocket reads “Dr. Pi”.

As opposed to any other Pony; she is comfortably standing on her hind hooves, walking around in the room.



Of course, the door had been closed quietly behind me; as if by magic.  Yet; neither I, nor Pinkie should have any such magic.  The trick of this game is that you never can predict Pinkie Pie, no matter what.

Of course her coat is the same pink as always; just as her mane and tail is the common darker, deeper hue and tightly curled up in joy, in the style only she ever could possibly master.

There are a few other Ponies with curly hair; they are all naturally curly, or have had the barber curl it up for them. Even if there may be Cheese Sandwich who is curly, but this isn’t the extension of his smile.

“Now; if you would please sit down and make yourself comfortable, Flutters!” she prompted in a kind, warm and reassuring voice.

“Oh, okay!” I responded, then managed to sit down in the soft chair up against the inner corner.

“There, now we can approach the issue at hoof!” she suggested, with a nod.

“Oh, yes; the issue at hoof.  If you say that I am shy, it is an understatement, but it is the constant worries and fears that are bothering me, Dr. Pi!” I promptly pointed out.

“These worries, and fears; yes.  I hear a problem, right there!” she conceded.

“I can function with my closest friends, and I can take care of my work; but this is stepping closer to my problem than I find comfortable!” I started out, softly.

“Friends are important, they are what we build our lives upon.  I am glad you can handle your work, it is an integral part of you!” she followed up, as if she knew more about me; than I had felt comfortable explaining.

Of course, I had trotted to Dr. Pi’s reception; trusting her to have a chance to help me.  I do need her help desperately.  On that note, she is experienced and understanding; I don’t have to spell it all out to her.

The good doctor knows ponies both professionally and intimately, like few to no other Ponies ever may.  It isn’t so much of the advanced age; but in constant and intense exposure, paired up with the inability to actually forgetting any details.  It is in her persona, to care for any and all friends.



For some reason, I feel as if I could almost see my fear before me; as if there is a monster standing in the room.  Maybe it is just me; in the way I constantly worry about things, and am afraid of almost anything there is.

Only then, there is something strange.  Maybe I am not imagining, what I fear I see before me.  I notice how Pi is actually looking up, as if she was hearing what I was looking at.

“What is it; are you seeing any of the Daemons you were just mentioning, a moment before?” she spoke up, pointing at an open space in the room, as if randomly pointing out a place in the room.

“Daemon?” I prompted incedulously, pointing a hoof at a spot mere inches from where she had just indicated.

“Why is it grinning at me, like that?” I added; as a mere afterthought, in reaction to what I was just looking at.

Only now, the mere image or ghost had started to take on even more substance.  It had refused to permit Celestia’s light passage through its body.  A shadow, now clearly visible on the wall behind it.

“Oh, but of course it is grinning.  Not just because it is one of your inner Daemons, but because it is projected into the space of this very room!” she merely grinned, as if it had been the most natural thing in the world.

Only nothing is natural, and normal; not around her.  Twilight Sparkle had learned that the hard way, even if it had been before she had ascended to become the Alicorn Princess she is today.  Maybe it is just as good, she had to face what she failed to reason with, back then; rather than now.  She would have reacted the same way; she would still have been utterly incapable of explaining Pinkie Pie now.

“Dr. Pi?  May I ask, where he came from?” I exclaimed; uncharacteristically loud and high-pitched, pointing in the direction of where the Daemon is standing; now looking out the window.



“Oh, him?  I know you do recognize him.  Just take a closer look, and I will walk you though this in the safety of your home!” she pointed out, with the utter certainty not even Princess Celestia or Luna could have mustered in the situation; but still be credible in how she had made this one point.

“Look at him?  Why?” I responded, with a shy frown.

“Why, indeed!  If it wasn’t for the fact that I told you that it is safe!” she giggled.

This is her home court, she makes the rules.  It is like a dream, or a nightmare; but in the light of day, while I am wide awake.  There is no escaping this Daemon.  Yet, the reason behind that I can not escape him, is that he really isn’t actually there.  He is the projection of my fear, performed by Dr. Pi, in order for me to be able to safely touch and poke him with utter impunity.  If only I had seen the depth of what she was doing, but there is no way I can do that now.

The problem with analysis, is that it is clouded, when you are worried or in fear.  I am worried, and I am fearing what I have before me.  How could I not?

“It is?” I responded, meekly; looking at the shape before me.

One problem with Pinkie Pie is that she is immune to fear, basically because she thinks it is fun to be scared.  She can laugh in the face of death, as if it had been a joke.  She can trot up to a Dragon, with a smile on her face; as if he had been a good old friend of hers.

When I think Rarity is a Drama Queen, that is when I see Pinkie Pie making a scene.  She can go between laughing her head off to crying fountains and back in an instant, as if it was a filly’s play.

I guess it is time to face down this Dragon, like when I helped my friends convince a dragon to find a better cave to nap in.  Just as I can permit no Cockatrice to petrify any of my friends or chickens, by any means.