It had taken time, effort, and the sale of many records to ponies, but he had arrived.
Robert entered with a grin. There was that griffon, Gudrun. She looked up towards him. "Looking better today, sir. How can I help you?"
He had washed up and brushed his candy-colored pelt just for the occasion. Having it be noticed was somehow flattering. "Thanks for noticing. Is the Doctor in?"
"She is, but you're not in her schedule." Gudrun flipped through a rolodex as if making sure. "Would you like to make an appointment?"
"I think she'll want to make time." Robert sat before the desk. "I have news about Twilight Sparkle she'll want to hear."
Gudrun raised a brow before she reached a talon and pushed a button. "Sorry to bother you, Doctor. The client you saw on my first day is back and claims to have information about one Twilight Sparkle you might be interested in." She let go of the button.
The doctor's voice replied, a little tinny for coming from a speaker, "Send him in."
Robert's smile grew. "Knew it."
"Proceed." Gudrun waved to the door that led into the back. "Have a nice day." When he walked past, she said something far too quietly for him to hear.
"What was that?"
"Just clearing my throat, sir. Enjoy your consultation, sir."
Robert shook his head and reached with a wing. He had gotten a fair grip with those and had the door open easily without applying his mouth.
Inside, Dr. Fetlock was on a swivel chair that was already turned to face the door, and him. "You're looking better than the first time. You found a job, I gather? Nevermind that. What's this about the princess?"
Robert closed the door behind him. "She's looking for you with Applejack. I mentioned Vanhoover."
Dr. Fetlock raised a brow. "Why? You owe me nothing." She puffed a breath, knocking her hair out of her eyes. "She could see you punished if she learns of your deceit."
Robert wobbled a hoof. "Mistakes happen. I won't run if she comes after me, and I'll apologize. I don't think she'll hurt me too badly." He then pointed the hoof at Fetlock. "You, on the other hand, she and her friend seem quite worked up about."
Fetlock rolled her eyes. "And now you plan to blackmail me?"
"What? Nothing like that, though a discount would be nice. That's about all I'm hoping for, that, and a few answers." Robert strode towards her. "What exactly are you doing?"
"The same thing the princess did. I cast the spell, a human arrives, usually already clad in the body of a pony, ready for integration." She raised a fine brow at Robert. "Sometimes, there are... mistakes."
Robert huffed at that. "What, like me?"
"Exactly like you." She nodded as if it were a statement of fact. "You had no place waiting for you. You were a new piece without a place, a duplicate, to be precise." She thrust a hoof at Robert. "On the other hoof, you have managed to adjust yourself and find a new place. For that, you deserve praise."
He felt a little pride swelling. "Yeah, uh... Thanks."
"For?"
He fished out the bits she had started him with and set it down. "Here, paid back in full."
She shook her head. "I was not aware it was given as a loan."
"Too bad." Robert tapped at the coins. "I don't take charity, but, again, thanks. It really helped."
Fetlock slowly smiled. Her horn shone as she collected her funds. "There is maybe something worth the while in you, Robert. Now, are we finished for today?"
Robert swung a wing around at her. "Not so fast! One last question, then maybe I'm here to buy your services. Do you kidnap people?"
She blinked softly. "Kidnap?"
"Take people without their consent," said Robert, rolling his eyes with a droning tone.
"Oh, no." She sat up straight. "The spell is quite specific. The human must accept the call, or they are not brought. Simple as that. George, patient zero, was he 'kidnapped'?"
"No," agreed Robert, rubbing his cheek. "Huh... you're sure?"
"Sure as the sun in the sky." Fetlock drove a hoof down with a clop. "I'm here to fill holes, not make them. Now, are we finished with these questions? You've been... helpful, but my patience does have limits."
Robert bobbed his head. "Alright, enough questions." His conscience was clear. Humans were not being kidnapped. Twilight was wrong. Great. "So, I'm ready to order that mare. I want--"
She held up a hoof. "You have the bits?"
Robert dug out a pouch of bits and let it fall to the ground at his hooves. "I've been saving."
Her eyes lowered to it as her horn lit up. "I need to have this counted, one moment."
Robert huffed, but Fetlock trotted past him. She passed it to Gudrun, who had it all counted quickly and efficiently.
Fetlock returned with the bag and set it gently at his side. "Not enough to make a new pony. It'll have to be an existing pony."
Robert blinked softly. "You can do that?"
"As it turns, yes." Fetlock smiled with obvious pride. "So who do you need?"
Robert hadn't even known that was an option, so that worked fine. "I want Vinyl Scratch. I want her to be cheerful, ready to party, and, ugh, ready to talk. They should be a mare who wants to have a stallion, and that stallion is me." He tapped at his own chest as he said that. "Can you do that?"
Fetlock raised an ear. "I feel compelled to note that I can call a pony that starts the way you want, but if you don't keep them there, they won't stay there." She blew her mane free of her face. "To put it simply, if you treat her badly, she'll leave. I don't summon automatons. They're ponies, and they have brains in those heads. If you came hoping for a golem in the shape of a pony, I'm the wrong doctor for you."
Robert blinked softly. Why was he being chastised? "Is there a reason you're going on about that?"
"You're summoning somepony who, in theory, is simply better than you. She has fans. She has talent. If the human called to step into her hooves has these things as well, they could get work easily, likely outstripping what you've managed. Will you be a good enough stallion to keep them loyal to you?"
Robert began to go red. Confusion, fury, and shame welled through him. "I'm the one giving them this chance at all!" he barked, sputtering a little as he said it.
"That gets you a chance..." She raised a brow. "Can you capitalize on that, or are you wasting your bits?"
Robert trembled a moment before it hit him. He relaxed quite suddenly. "Duh... I don't need a Vinyl that's good at making music. Get someone who likes listening to it but doesn't have any talent in it. They'll just be another good Vinyl Scratch cosplayer. No one's rushing to hire that."
Fetlock rolled a hoof. "Should they be good at something in particular? The more specific we are, the more likely I am to find someone to fill that hole." She reached out and prodded Robert in the chest. "To be honest, I'm uncertain I can fill that particular one."
"W-what?" Robert puffed up. "I did everything you asked, and more."
"You did, and here we are. I'm ready to begin. Do you have any talents the pony who appears as Vinyl Scratch, but isn't, should have?"
A few lewd thoughts went through his mind, but he pushed them aside. A mare that wanted him as a stallion was good enough. They'd hash through the specifics face to face. "Get a homebody, someone who likes keeping things clean, cooking, you know, classic wife stuff. Someone who genuinely just enjoys that kind of thing." Yes, that would be nice to have in a domestic partner.
"Anything else?" Fetlock's magic wrote the specifics down dutifully. "Age?"
Robert blinked at that. "This is going to sound stupid, but how old am I?"
"You want a match?"
"That would be good, yeah."
Fetlock nodded with another scratch on the paper. "Do you... want a mare that is..." She rolled a hoof as if unwilling to say it. "Should she be promiscuous?"
Robert flushed a little. On one hand, tempting, on the other... "Active, but not promiscuous. I don't need her wandering off to get her fix. On that mark, make sure it's someone with a good sense of ethics. Someone honest."
"Unlike you."
Robert scowled at that. "Are you going to take pot shots at me every chance you get?"
"So long as you allow it." She made another note. "Your reactions are very informative."
"Do we need anything else?" sighed out Robert, getting quite on edge from the needling.
"No, I think we have enough information." She set the clipboard aside. "I can begin preparing the process now. Come back tomorrow and we'll get to filling the void in you."
Robert glanced towards the inactive summoning circle, rose, and began to approach it on curious hooves. "Can I watch?"
Fetlock frowned at that. "You may not. Your presence may spoil the magic and waste both of our times."
Robert circled around it slowly. "Why? I'll be quiet and just watch."
"You say that." Her magic wrapped around Robert like a warm blanket and hefted him up with considerable effort, floating him towards the door. "One wrong word at the wrong time and who knows what pony we may end up with. Leave your payment with Gudrun and return tomorrow."
Robert wriggled, which was enough to break the hold. He fell to the ground and huffed. "Fine fine. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I was just curious." He turned towards the door before pausing. "Hey, Doc?"
"Hmm?"
"What about you?"
She blinked at him. "What about me?"
He turned to face her again. "Have you considered, you know, calling a pony to fill your own holes."
She went a bright red. "Are you implying?!"
Robert broke into a loud laughter as he realized what he had said. "No, no! Christ, not like that. The holes, inside. You know... The same reason you make ponies for everyone else."
Fetlock blew the hair from her face that had fallen in her surprise. "I have what I need... I am fulfilled by helping others. Now, please, pay Gudrun and return tomorrow. There's nothing more to discuss until then."