//------------------------------// // Part Three: Can’t See the Wood for the Trees. // Story: Dr Whooves and the Classical Moon // by Paganbrony //------------------------------// Part Three: Can’t See the Wood for the Trees. Over what seemed like minutes the sound continued on, its shadow no longer creeping under the door as it moved off and down the corridor in the end disappearing altogether as the three conscious stallions breathed out in unison. Octavia however screamed loudly as the Doctor approached her and placed a hoof on her shoulder, since her hearing loss meant she couldn’t hear the sound had gone she’d stayed fixated on the door to the point she hadn’t paid attention to the others. Beating at him with her forelegs she howled in frustration and fell to the floor sobbing again as she lost all composure and hid her face in her hooves, the situation getting the better of her. The Doctor unhurt by the flailing hooves stood for a moment before a stroke of genius hit him, rummaging around in his pockets he produced a small bag with the words Canterlot gag shop written on it and proceeded to prod Octavia until she responded and sat up tears still flooding down her cheeks as she tried to stop sobbing. The Doctor then sat in front of her and gently poured some of the bags powdered contents onto the flat of one of his hooves and before Octavia could react he blew the powder in her face! At first Octavia was stunned as the powdered blast of air hit her in the face but as seconds passed and she breathed in, it had the desired affect and she suddenly began to build up to a explosive sneeze… “AH… AHHH…” What happened next was that the Doctor lurched forward surprising the two guards as much as the young mare as he placed his hooves on either side of her nose. Any pony who has ever done so knows holding your nose when sneezing causes your ears to pop, and pop they did as Octavia saw stars as the sensation blew out her eardrums once more, only this time as she tried to regain her breath she realized her hearing was quickly returning albeit with a certain amount of ringing still going on. The resulting slap across the Doctors face made her feel somewhat better but as he massaged his cheek a hurt look on his face, she diverted her attention to the now stirring stallion on the sofa and the two guards who were attempting to bring him around having decided it was best not to let her see they had been laughing at the comical scene as it played out. Standing over the now recovering and awake stallion she helped him into a sitting position and sat back as he found his voice. “Where am I? Miss Melody???” The stallion looked around the room upon seeing the guards and the now sullen looking Doctor his memories returned and he addressed Octavia in a panicked voice. “Miss Melody are you hurt? Guards why is that ruffian not restrained? Arrest him this instant!” “Director Society… Its OK he is with me... I guess… We’re in one of the rooms backstage.” “But the mare… Casting Call… She… And you were in his arms…” The stallion flustered as he remembered the scene before his blackout, turning once again to the Doctor he spoke in a more commanding tone. “And who sir might you be? And exactly what were the pair of you doing backstage… Well?” The Doctor still put out by the slap and immediately suspicious of the nervous way the stallions eyes darted about and the sweat beading on his brow, stood up to his full height and responded with a question of his own. “Mores the point what were you doing backstage at this late hour… And why are they here?” Octavia butted in with a polite cough. “What did you call yourself again…?” “The Doctor” “Doctor who exactly? What is your name?” “Doctor, just the Doctor if you please...” “Well Doctor… This is the Director of the Canterlot Opera house, High Society!” “Nice to meet you, now answer my question, why are you and they here?” Suddenly it seemed the collar of High Society’s jacket was very tight as he adjusted it nervously as he began to mumble then trailed off as both Octavia and the Doctor fixed him with suspicious stares. Using her social bearing to her advantage Octavia directed the question towards the guards who had backed off slightly and were still eying the Doctor but made it clear in their expressions that they were just as suspicious of the other stallion on the sofa. The guards stood to attention and the shorter one of the pair cleared his throat before explaining… “This afternoon her Majesty Princess Celestia gave us orders to attend to the needs of Director Society and assist him in locating one Miss Casting Call who had gone missing in this building as of yesterday… There was no mention of anything that could make a sound like we just heard miss… Or do that to that young mare...” “Well now we know where she ended up…” The other guard mumbled this as High Society continued to look uncomfortable under the stare of Octavia as she spoke loudly, her hearing yet to fully recover. “I saw you earlier this evening and you made no such mention of a missing mare… Explain yourself… Now if you please!” “I was just trying to avoid interrupting your preparations for tomorrow… No need to worry you by telling you about the missing ponies.” “I am shocked! A mare goes missing yet it doesn’t seem to occur to you to tell me as I am practicing ALONE at night in the very same building…!” Octavia blinked as her mind caught up and as the Doctor frowned along with the guards, so did she. “Wait… You said ponies…” High Society gulped as the four pairs of eyes fixed on him. “No I didn’t…” “Oh yes you did, just how many are we talking here?” The Doctor closed the distance between them his tone growing colder by the second as he spoke to the Director. “There’s a creature loose in these corridors, one that shouldn’t be here, in fact shouldn’t exist outside of the deepest darkest woods…” “I-I Don’t know what you mean… A-And I resent the implication I had anything to do with it…” “Perhaps gentle persuasion will help loosen your tongue? Arrest him! And do feel free to do so as you see fit!” Octavia addressed the guards who promptly bore down on the stallion with cold eyes, dragging him from the sofa they pinned him to the floor roughly and after producing a pair of cuffs restrained him. “W-Wait you can’t do this… Do you know who I am? How dare you! I’m the Director of this opera house… Appointed by Celestia herself… I’m High Society! How dare you restrain me in such a manner on the behest of this lowly mare?” “I BEG YOUR PARDON!!!” Octavia leaned in close to his face as her anger got the better of her and she spoke in a harsh and cutting reply. “You may be called High Society… However I AM HIGH SOCIETY!!! Guards you may beat him till he starts talking!” The Doctor watched quietly as the all too willing guards raised their hooves in anticipation of a little old fashion police brutality to get a confession (not uncommon in any age… Or place… Or time…) “WAIT! P-Please it’s not my fault I didn’t know… I just…” The four pairs of eyes watched as High Society squirmed on the floor until the shortest guard raised his hoof menacingly and he resumed talking. “…It started when they were still building the place… I didn’t believe them I should have listened…” What followed made the four exchange worried looks, very worried indeed…