//------------------------------// // Act One // Story: A Moment with Dr Wolf Goes Wrong // by Light Heart101 //------------------------------// There was silence as the curtain opened. The crowd was watching expectantly as they waited for the stage lights to go on. It was like a wave of suspense as they waited for what this play would open up with. *Thud!* “OWW!!!” The lights almost instantly went on to see Dr. Wolf standing next to a small table that was at the center of the stage, holding his knee as he was jumping in pain. The wolf froze suddenly as he saw everybody looking at him, many of whom were holding back giggles. He quickly ran to the chair and started looking around for the teacup that was set up. He snatched it up, getting ready to grab the small plate under it before realizing that it was attached to the cup.  He blushed as he grabbed the attached plate. “Ahhh… there is nothing like a calm and relaxing morning to clear your mind of all distractions.” He said, trying to speak calmly as he was sticking to the script, feeling silly about messing up so quickly in the play. “I wonder why the main six have asked to meet me this morning. I rarely do such group therapy sessions, and they always seem to be able to help each other so well. To meet before their sessions seems so strange to me.” He explained as he set the glass down. “Ah! I think I hear a knock on the door!” Dr. Wolf paused as the small lights near the door lit up, only for silence to reign. He gulped nervously as he decided to repeat the line. “Ah! I hear a knock on the door…” “For the hundredth time, knock.” Quill’s voice could be heard ordering the others calmly and clearly before there was a knock on the door. The doctor winced as he tried to ignore the few giggles from the crowd. “It must be Applejack. She is always insistent on being early.” He said as he opened the door, finding Flare at the door, all dressed up as Applejack, except for the missing hat. “Ah, Applejack! Please come in and let me take… your… hat…”  “No, thank you. I rarely go anywhere without this old thing.” He said as he walked into the room. Right before he closed the door, the hat was tossed out, hitting him in the face. He nervously put it on before turning to the doctor. “Have the others shown up yet?” He shook his head as he walked over to the seats. “You are the first one here. Take a seat.” “Thank you. I will.” He said as he stayed standing, making the line seem awkward. Doc was afraid that the people would start getting annoyed by these errors, but it seemed like everybody was trying to keep from chuckling, even the royalty. “Are you comfy, Applejack?”  “I am. This couch is very soft. Is it a new one?”  “More like reupholstered. Rarity was generous enough to help me redesign my room. She said that it would make the room have a more comforting feel to it.” Doc explained awkwardly as he heard the door knock again. “Ah! I think one of your friends has come to join us.” “Oh, I think it’s Pinkie Pie. She is always on time, no matter how strange her entrance is.” Golden said as he looked at the doctor. “Mind if I get it for you?” Doc nodded as he opened the door, showing the strange filly at the door. “Ah, Pinkie. It’s great to see you again.” “It’s great to see you too Doc.” Linda said happily as she bounced into the room. As Doc closed the door behind her, he heard a thud as she crashed into a small table with a vase on it. He was glad that it was a prop vase, otherwise, she may have hurt herself. “H… hey… those are some lovely flowers. Did Fluttershy pick them for you?” She asked as she scrambled to pick up the scattered flowers. Doc quickly bent down to help her. “Actually, it was a gift for my wife a few weeks ago. Sometimes a material gift can help build your relationship, even if it isn’t their love language. Being able to use multiple styles shows the ability to go above and beyond.” He explained as he helped set the table back up, glad that the water in the vase didn’t all spill out. “Wow, fun!” She said as she stumbled to the couch. She tried bouncing on it a few times, but she fell off on the fourth time, making her grunt as she fell on the ground.  Doc winced as he wondered if she was okay, but she waved him off as she got back on the couch. “Pinkie, please don’t bounce on the couch. I don’t want you to fall off.” “Oh… I never fall off of a couch, but I get your point.” She said with a small groan as she heard the crowd giggling more audibly. “Thank you.” He said with a nod as he heard the door knock again. “Hm, it’s almost close to being late…” “It has to be either Twilight or Fluttershy. Sometimes they show up to meetups before I do.” Linda said as she rubbed where she hit her leg. “Good point.” He replied as he opened the door, revealing Kirouac at the door. A few ponies were cheering on the ruler, so he gave a big smile and a wave before the doctor. “Oh, hi Doc. May I come in?” He asked in a charming voice, instead of the timid one Light told him to use. “Uh… Of course.” He said with a nod as he opened the door wider for him, feeling awkward that the man playing the timid mare was being confident and charming. Then again, as a ruler, it was his job to be confident and hold an aura of leadership and trust. This wasn’t boding well for the play. Then again, they were five minutes in and had about a dozen mistakes already. “How are you doing this morning?” “Oh just…” *Thud* Kirouac grunted as he hit his head on the top of the doorframe, realizing he had to duck to get on stage. “... wonderful. Harry is recovering from his cold nicely. Angel and I had a nice relaxing walk in the park, and I started doing yoga. It’s rather exhilarating, even though it may not seem like the most exciting of exercises.” Doc somehow had the feeling that many ponies in the audience were about to take up yoga now. As he tried to block out the idea of the effect Kirouac was having by misrepresenting the character, the king spoke up.  “I think I hear Dash coming. You may want to open the window. You know how she loves to make an entrance.” He said as he sat down in a chair and relaxed, right before it broke under his weight, startling him for a moment before he tried to play it off. “Oh, of course,” Doc said as he opened the window. As soon as it opened, Schuberry swung through the window, clearly looking terrified as the wire rig she was using was jerky and sending her all over the stage. Doc started panicking as he started running under the flailing child, trying to make sure she didn't hurt herself. After fifteen seconds of flailing, She landed on top of his back, making him fall to the floor with a grunt. The child blushed out of embarrassment before looking out to the princesses and waving to them with a smile. “Dash… I know you are the best flyer in Equestria…” Doc was interrupted by the sudden laughter of the Wonderbolts in the crowd, but he tried to ignore them and go on. “But you know how I feel about you flying in my office. Somebody could get hurt.” “Oops, sorry Doc.” The recording of Dash’s voice went off as Schuberry got off of the doctor and helped them up. “I just wanted to show off my new trick to you all.” “I will admit that stunt was perfect, but you shouldn’t press your luck,” Flare told her, earning even more laughs. “Fair point, although I am the best flyer in all of Equestria.” That last half wasn’t in the script, and all of the actors knew it. “Um… I think Rarity should be here at any moment now.” Dr. Wolf said with a small gulp, wondering why Skies wasn’t coming in yet. There was an awkward pause as they were waiting for Skies to come on stage. “Any minute now…” “I… I changed my mind! I can’t do this!” “You can’t back out now!!! They are all out there!” “I… I just… it’s royalty…” As Doc was starting to worry about what was going on backstage, the door suddenly opened right before Skies was shoved onto the stage. He could tell that the young pegasus was still panicking over being on stage, and he looked ready to get out of there, but the door magically closed behind him before he could dart off. “Oh! Hello Rarity.” Doc said, trying to make his voice as calm as possible. “How are you doing?” “I… I’m going to faint…” He whimpered as his body was frozen, feeling the stares of so many ponies focused on him. However, Dash’s recordings weren’t able to be changed last minute. “You always were one for a stylish entrance.”  “I wish I had your confidence,” Kirouac added, sticking to the script despite Skies’s shaking legs and him trying to pick up the ones to his seat. Dr. Wolf winced as several ponies in the crowd were giggling, which was now becoming a recurring thing. He decided to purpose to himself that he’d no longer focus on the laughter of the crowd and focus on the play itself. However, if he was to keep Skies from running away, he’d have to go off-script. He gently led Skies to a chair and tried to calm him down. “Well, I was just thinking about a good technique I learned from the princess to control my stress. I believe that Twilight and Cadence use the same technique as well.” “R… really?” He asked as the other cast members looked at Doc curiously, not remembering this in the script. “Yes. Just take a few deep breaths, and focus on the solution to a problem instead of the size of it.” He explained as he raised his paw to do the exercise. “Just like this…” Skies watched Dr. Wolf take a few breaths, clearly wanting him to do the same. He gulped at the thought of embarrassing everybody, but the wolf’s pleading face convinced him to follow suit. He took a few breaths, starting to calm down as Doc patted his shoulder.  “Do you feel better?” He asked, hoping that Skies would be able to continue. “A… a little… thanks…” He said as he managed to regain his composure. “Good. Just relax, and we will be able to do this.” He assured him before hearing the door open up. “That wasn’t the line, and Rarity would never…” Before Quill could finish his criticism, Light Heart reached out and grabbed him. “Get off the stage Quill!” He yelled as he dragged him back behind the door and closed it. As Dr. Wolf was trying to figure out what to do next, the door opened again before Twilight was shoved onto stage. “Hey!” She yelped as she turned to the door, only for it to close quickly. She gritted her teeth as she turned to the doctor. “Ah, I am sorry that I took my time getting here. I was just going over some letters regarding why I asked you all to come here.” “I see. Well, make yourself comfortable.” Dr. Wolf offered her as he went back to the script.  Sadly, so did some of the others.  “Would you like to sit next to me Twi?” Flare offered as he was still standing in place. “These new seats are very comfortable, don’t you agree?” “They sure look like Rarity’s finest work,” She said as she sat in a chair next to the doctor’s chair, using her own magic to pull Flare into his seat. “Admittedly, I used to simply care that a chair can hold my weight.” Kirouac said as he tossed the broken pieces to the side. “Yeah, Rarity just gave us a lecture about everything that goes into a chair.” Everybody froze as they heard the recording of Dash going off, knowing that they skipped over Skies’s lines about comfort and fashion in decor. “Y… yeah… she is very insightful in this field,” Doc said as he tried to keep from blushing in embarrassment. “A… all in a day's work… darling.” Skies said as he held up a wing to cover his face before having it pulled down by Kirouac, who was tapping the pegasus’s fake horn to remind him of what race he was pretending to be. “Well, I wanted to talk to you all about a letter I got from Celestia,” Twilight said as she suddenly tensed up, forgetting to grab that prop before she was tossed on stage. “T… the letter…” “Why don’t you read it for us?” Dr. Wolf asked, not noticing that Twilight was starting to stress out. A part of her wished that she could summon the prop to her, but she was too unfamiliar with it to be able to quickly summon it to herself. If she knew where it was, it also would have made teleporting it to her easier. She knew that she had no way of getting Light’s prop… unless she used a different letter. She knew that there was a letter prop in Doc’s desk, so maybe she can just borrow that one for a while? She quickly teleported the letter to herself and opened it up, realizing that there was a flash that came out of the desk that the audience clearly saw, but none of the cast saw. She smiled nervously as she tore it open. “Celestia’s birthday is going to be tomorrow, and I wanted to set up a big party for her.” “How old is she anyway?” Flare asked out of character, looking confused about the thought of it. “Even then, when is her actual birthday?” Doc tensed up as he realized that Flare just asked a couple of questions that no socially tact pony should ask, especially about Celestia. Kirouac gave a nervous chuckle as he realized the same thing that Doc did. “Um, let’s leave breaking the fourth wall for Pinkie Pie.” “I have to break something?” Linda asked as she looked confused. “But breaking the fourth wall wasn’t in the script!” Everybody realized that that was a line that no pony should say on stage, but at this point, nopony in the crowd was taking anything seriously. “As I was saying, the party is going to be soon, so I was hoping that you all will be able to help me get everything set up in time,” Twilight asked as she looked at the group. “Twi, you know that we are always ready to help you out,” Flare said with a small smile. “Yeah! I’m always ready for a party!” Linda said as she started bouncing around again, only to stumble into Schuberry. “Are you sure that I should go? You know how nervous I get at events like this.” Kirouac said with his same charming grin. “D… don’t worry. I… I’ll help you keep your cool.” Skies said as he still looked rather bashful at having messed up so much already. “But why are you dragging Doc into this?” Dash’s voice asked. “Well, I…” Twilight was cut off as Dash spoke again, sounding somewhat disappointed in herself. “Eh… that didn’t have enough emotion, did it? I’ll try that again… But why are YOU dragging Doc into this? Nonono… But why are you dragging DOC into this? Nah… not cool enough… But WHY are you dragging Doc into this? YES!!! That’s the moneymaker! Alright, I’ll remember to ask Light’s brother to take that extra stuff out…” All of the actors first stared at Schubberry in disbelief, then they turned to Derpy who bashfully shrugged from her little sound booth. Kirouac gave her a reassuring smile as he gave her a thumbs up. “Don’t worry about it. You’re doing great, Derpy!” Derpy blushed at the compliment as she waved back to him before the door opened. “Only Pinkie breaks the fourth wall!” Quill critiqued before being pulled backstage again. “What is this wall?” Flare asked in confusion as Linda looked at the others in confusion. “Why do I have to break things?!? It’s not in the script!” “Guys! Calm down!” Twilight pleaded as she tried not to look at her mentor in the crowd.  “Yes, let’s not worry about the wall and just focus on the situation at hand. There is nothing to be stressed about.” Dr. Wolf tried to assure the group, calming them a little with his calming tone. “Now Twilight, why did you ask for me?” “Well, I know that some of us had plans to meet with you later this week, but with this event coming so soon, I feel compelled to ask if we can take turns meeting with you today and tomorrow. Will that be okay?”  He gave a thoughtful look as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath which he had a habit of doing. “I have a few appointments scheduled, but I have some time open for you all, but I don’t know why you’d all want to talk to me when you all have so much on your plate right now.” She faked a gulp as she looked to the side. “Well… I guess… I mean…” She paused as she waited for Skies to speak up, only to hear silence once more as the others awkwardly looked at him. “Oh… can any of you help explain?” She asked as she tried to keep her embarrassed look. Skies looked around as he started to realize that they may be waiting on him. “Um… is it my line?” “Yes!” All of the cast members yelped at once as he stumbled back in his seat. “Oh… um… Well, Darling… We are all going through our own personal issues, and the stress is just starting to get to us. I don’t know if we can stay composed until then.” He said as he tried to do Rarity’s dramatic pose, but didn’t realize that he was on the wrong side of the couch to do it, finding no armrest as he fell down. He blushed as he heard the laughter of the crowd, but he tried to look stylish as he was laying on the ground. “Well, that’s one pony’s perspective. I’m just working on getting my stunts ready for the show coming up. I am the best flyer in Equestria after all.” That line that Dash added in her recording wasn’t in the script. However, Schuberry was suddenly jerked into the air by the wires, causing her to start flailing around as the others were ducking, trying not to get hit by the scared filly as she was being jerked around the room unwieldy.  Doc yelped as she landed right on his back again, which reminded him that he was about the size of a kid. “Dash… I know that your physical skills are nothing less than perfect, but I would like to assist you in maintaining your mental health as well.” “Eh, I’ll stop by if I have time.” Dash’s voice said as Schuberry got off of Doc and tried to brush his coat off with her wings. “Yeah, I have some chores to do before getting things set up for the party,” Flare said as he stood up. “And Angel will be cranky if I don’t feed him. Shall we have our meeting at lunchtime?” Kirouac asked as he walked up to the doctor. “Of course. Will you be bringing lunch this time, or will I?” Doc asked with a smile as he tried to remember that Fluttershy is a small and timid pony, even though Kirouac was twice as big as her. Then again, what would Fluttershy be like if she was this strong and powerful? That was going to be something to theorize about another time. “Oh, I forgot to get things for lunch! How could I forget a silly thing?” He asked, not sounding nearly as embarrassed as he should be. “Hey, I can bring over some of the samplers that my family is making for the party for you. I do need an outside opinion for them after all.” Flare said as he started to walk towards the door. “Yes, and I’ll be working out some sketches of the decorations before Twilight settles on the theme.” Skies said as he got up bashfully. “Understood, well, if any of you wish to talk to me now, I have some time before my first appointment.” Dr. Wolf offered as many of the cast members were getting ready to go. “Well… if you have a little time to talk to me, I would love to. Would any of you like to talk to Doc as well?” Linda asked the group.  “Sorry Pinkie, but I have a lot on my plate with the scheduling and planning and all of the preparations that I have to prepare for the princess of Equestria and my mentor. Maybe later.” Twilight said as she quickly walked off of the stage. “I see… well, I guess that I will see you all here later,” Doc said as the others left the stage, leaving him with Linda, who looked a little nervous but managed to hold a smile. “So, what’s on your mind?” “Hey, you always ask ponies that first. Why don’t I ask you how you are doing?” She asked somewhat softly, struggling to hold onto the energetic style of acting. “Oh, I’m doing fine. Thank you. It’s rare when ponies ask me that question during a session. My wife is currently out of town on business, so I currently spend a lot of time alone. I guess you all spending some time with me is a good way to allow me to stay socially active.” He said with a smile as he pretended to drink from his teacup again. “I’m glad that I can keep you smiling. That is a portrait of Ms. Wolf, right?” “Indeed.” Both Linda and Dr. Wolf looked at the photo behind him, only to turn away in shock. They didn’t know how, but somehow the photo of Ms. Wolf got mixed up with a photo of a cat. He nervously looked over to where his wife was sitting in the audience, relieved that she just seemed to giggle at this mistake. Linda blushed at her mistake as she kept to the script. “She does look a lot like you, just with some pink in her fur.” “Yeah, that’s how it works with wolves, although her coat is more unique for our kind.” He admitted, knowing that he was not going to hear the end of this from his wife. “But I think I should start by asking you questions. Why did you insist on talking to me first?” “Well, I have to be honest with you Doc,” She said as she walked towards the doctor, but lost her balance as she came up to him, landing on his body. She looked embarrassed as she looked at the wolf’s head that was sticking out. “I think your support is going to be needed a lot.” “Oh… pray tell,” He grunted as he was trying to get this kid off of him. She climbed off of him again as she tried to continue. “Apparently there has been a lot of stress boiling over. Some are personal, others are between a few of them, and this party may be the boiling point.” “Oh, dear. This may cause some problems.” He said as he rubbed his back, feeling rather sore from the fall.  “That’s why we decided to handle the appointments now. I convinced them that it would ease up our schedules. And I thought that you would love to have us visit you.” “Well, I do enjoy our appointments, but it sounds like I have to be at my best to help you all.” He didn’t really understand that line, mainly since it was simply a matter of listening and giving helpful advice, but it was in the script, and it wouldn’t be wise to play too much with it right now. “So, are you needing a chat?” Linda nodded, twiddling her hooves nervously as she tried to keep focus. “Um… I received a letter from… somebody…” His eyes widened as he realized who she was talking about. “Um… is that your oldest sister, Limestone Pie?”  She shook her head as she sat down to try to think about it. “No, that doesn’t sound right. Let me think for a minute…” He bit his lip as he realized that had completely forgotten her lines. “I’m pretty sure that it’s your sister…” “No… I don’t think that’s right. Was it Celestia? No, that’s not my line… what is it?”  “Well, do you remember what the letter was about?” “Um… I’m trying to think… Maybe it was about me not coming home more often. Maybe it was my mother?” “Alright… let’s just work on that. What does she feel while you are away?”  “I… don’t know… I mean… I don’t remember much about my family.” She said out of character, making him panic about this strong deviation from the script. “Um… I’m sure that there are some scripted memories that you have.” He tried to say as she got further off track. “I actually don't remember anything. It’s actually something that bothers me.” She sniffled as she started to lay down on the couch. “I mean, do you know what it’s like to be bullied for having one wing and a magicless horn? It’s like a target for bullying. And this is why I don’t get letters. I just feel like I am the only one of my kind.” His eyes widened as he realized that she had fully broken character and was opening up to him… On stage! He knew that this was a large breach of doctor-patient confidentiality, but she opened up right here, and a part of him wanted to help her through this. “Surely they will think that this is part of the play, right?” The doctor gulped before speaking up. “I… didn’t expect you to… put me in such a scenario, however, I can relate greatly to being considered a freak of nature. After all, I am one of the only sentient wolves in the world, and I’m pretty sure I am married to the other one. There are ponies I could name who have called me… some rather shocking things.” She wiped as she looked at the doctor. “But… ponies treat you with so much respect. Light calls you the wisest wolf in the world.” He chuckled a little, not knowing that Light held him to such esteem. “Well, I wouldn’t call myself that, but I think this respect has come from being able to help others despite my body and the weaknesses. People can always get to you through your body if you let them, but the way to gain respect from those who care is to show them the best qualities of you and how you help others.”  “A.. are you sure?”  “Of course. I bet that even Celestia can see when a pony humbles themselves for others.” As soon as he mentioned the Princess, Elytra walked into the doorway and onto the stage, taking on the perfect likeness of the alicorn ruler. When she spoke, her tone perfectly matched the motherly voice of Celestia. Even Luna could be taken aback by this perfect illusion. “My dear and faithful student, I believe…” “Um… Not yet.” Doc interrupted her, looking a little embarrassed at the fact that this actor took the stage too early. She blinked a few times as she processed her mistake. “Oops… Sorry.” She said as she stepped out of the room, looking rather embarrassed as well. As the crowd was laughing, Linda blushed as she remembered that she was in a play. “I… guess this isn’t the best place for a therapy session… even though we are in your office, and technically alone…” She mused as she looked at the audience. “Well, we can always pick this up later. Just know that you’re not alone in the world. Take it from a wolf who doesn’t remember his own family, and has seen others leave him.” He said, thinking back to the memories of his master and Linda nodded before giving him a hug, Well… I guess I had better get going. Thank you, Doc.” He smiled as he gave her a nod. “My door is always open if you wish to talk more about it.” He offered, going off script once more for her.  “I’ll take you up on it.” As she left the stage, he took a deep breath as he spoke softly. “It’s…” “IT WAS LIMESTONE!!! I REMEMBER NOW!!!” Doc rubbed the ridge of his nose as he realized how late she remembered her line. He took another breath to keep calm before addressing the audience. “That’s Pinkie for you. Always kidding and upbeat… I envy her lighthearted attitude. Well, I might as well take this moment to go through my mail.” He said before turning to his desk. Ah! A letter…” His eyes widened as he realized that there was no envelope on the table. He swore that he left it there before the play started, but now he had nothing to work with. Unless… He quickly grabbed the book off of the table and started acting like it was a letter, tossing the cover of the book aside before opening it up. “Ah! A letter from the princess. It is rare for her to write to me like this.” He said as he flipped a few pages ahead before trying to look more serious. “Oh… that’s why Pinkie insisted on this…” His thoughts were interrupted as there was a sudden thud on the wall. He hid the paper, but what was supposed to be a sudden transition became several more thuds. “Oh… it sounds like Dash needs to be a bit more to the right,” He said out loud as he was trying to tip off Derpy. “THUD!!!” “Your other right.” After a moment, Schuberry finally was sent through the window, rubbing her forehead as she finally landed on the ground. He blushed as he cleared his throat, trying to keep the play going. “Dash, why do you insist on using the window?” She brushed herself off as Dash’s recording went off. “Doc, you know that I am the best flyer around. Just look at me!” The filly’s eyes widened at the line before she was yanked into the air, leaving her flailing around as she was afraid of how poorly Derpy was using the wire controls. She was either being flung towards a wall or jerking up and down. After several moments of flailing and Doc hoping that he wouldn’t have to call for a medical doctor for the kid, Derpy let her down with a small thud on the couch. “See? Picture perfect.” Dash’s recording said boastfully as the crowd was cracking up. He could only blush a little as a cryptic quip escaped his lips. “Well, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. So, I guess you have something to talk about?” She nodded as her recording continued. “Yeah, I hate to admit it, but I think that my work is…”  *click* “Dash? What are you doing here? I thought you left already?”  Schubberry and Doc froze as they heard Captain Spitfire’s voice over the recording, clearly having walked into the room as Dash recorded this line. “Oh, sorry Ma’am! I was just doing a recording for a play.” “Really? Are they doing them long-distance now?” “Hehe. No. I was supposed to help out with this year’s play, acting like myself, which should be considered a starring role, but the schedule got changed. So Light’s little bro whipped this up so my actor doesn’t have to worry about being able to speak.” “Why? Is she a lousy actor?” “Hey! She’s a mute kid! Lay off!” “Oh… I am so sorry. I didn’t know.” “Sigh. It’s alright, I know you didn’t mean it. Admittedly I wish more could have been done with this script. I mean, I know Light Heart wrote this, but I feel like it’s not awesome enough.” “You’re the kind of pony who thinks that adding more lines for you would make it better. So… isn’t Light that alicorn who is afraid of heights?” “Yeah. He wrote a play based on Dr. Wolf and has Twi as one of the main actors. I mean, it’s not bad, but hardly flawless.” “Really? Well, I have heard about the doctor before.” “Yeah, wanna come along?” “... Why not? If the good doctor and Twilight are in it, I’ll watch it. Let’s go work out some scheduling and then we can see about your acting skills.” “Yes, Ma’am… oops! I left the mic on.”  Schubberry and Doc both stared at each other in shock as they heard the crowd laughing out loud, and possibly a face-hoof from Spitfire. Doc had to take a moment to try and gather his thoughts before he defaulted to the script. “Why… everybody gets bothered at work now and then…. People interrupt you in the middle of your work, say something they shouldn’t have by mistake, or just speak unwanted gossip.” Doc winced as he realized that everything in the script was unwittingly condemning Spitfire. “B… but… it’s good to be respectful… and try to look at things with a sense of humor, and explain your side of the… oh for Celestia’s sake… this isn’t working, is it?” He asked in defeat as he realized that now he pointed out everything Dash did. It went from bad to worse for him. “Wow, you sound like you heard it all before!” Dash’s recording said excitedly. “Yeah… every word,” He said out of embarrassment. “Sometimes the problems that inflict us are obvious.” “Yeah, I hope my ranting about work didn’t bother you.” “Oh, don’t worry about it. Sometimes work stepping in is inevitable.” He quipped softly before seeing Schuberry walking over to the piano. “… Although I know that you are good at relaxing,” He added as he looked confused at her actions. The mute pony simply looked happy as she started playing the piano. It was soft and gentle as if a maestro had composed it himself. Everypony was in awe of the music that this mute child was playing. Well… almost everypony. Quill opened the door to the stage, giving Schubbery a disapproving look as he closed the lid to the piano. “You do know that Dash is one of the worst piano players out there, right?” The doctor looked shocked at the audacity of this monotone pony, but he wanted to try to correct him. “Well… it’s never too late to learn.” “Then let the real Dash learn before her actor plays a sonnet that isn’t in the…” Before Quill could finish, Light stepped onto and started pulling him away. “Get off the stage! If I told you once, I told you a thousand times! No character correction in the middle…” *Slam!* Dr. Wolf groaned as he realized how upset Light was when he literally dragged Quill off stage. “So many sessions I need to arrange… it makes me wonder if this was a good idea.” He thought as he turned towards Schuberry. “Well, I think I’ll have to end this session here. I am expecting my next patient soon. It that alright?” “Yawn! I think I’ll catch a few Zs. Recording this stuff is tiring.” Dash’s voice said as the sound of her hoof propping up onto the table could be heard by everypony. Schubberry blushed in embarrassment before she was suddenly jerked back into the air, flailing around helplessly as she was being swung around the room.  He could only duck, seeing her nearly hit his desk and actually knocking the portrait of his “wife” off of the wall as she “flew” out of the window. “Thank you for using the... door this time.” He said with a long sigh, knowing that there was no point in trying to cover up the mistake he just made as people started laughing again. He decided to just keep pushing his luck as he moved the photo to the side. “Well, so far so good.” He said, starting to feel numb to the failures as he looked at the clock. “Oh look! It’s one o'clock…” He watched in dismay as he saw that the clock read at 6 o'clock. Slowly a purple glow came over them as the hour hand was changed to 1. “My, how time flies. My next patient should be here soon…” As soon as he said that, Elytra came through the door. Now, Doc knew who she was supposed to be imitating. Cheerilee was kind enough to let Light add her character into the play, however, now Doc feared that she would quickly regret that decision. Well, she did a decent job at mimicking Cheerilee’s form. If she was a stallion. He stared at the changeling in doubt before speaking weakly. “Oh, hello… Miss Cheerilee. How are you doing today?” “Oh, I’m doing fine.” Well, the voice matched the body.  “That’s wonderful. So… tell me what’s on your mind.” He asked weakly as he sat down. She nodded as she… or more accurately, he sat down next to him. “Well… I keep feeling like Rainbow Dash doesn’t care about my feelings, and…” “Nope… that’s not what you are here about,” He interrupted quickly, knowing what the actual part was. “You’re here for something else.” She blinked a few times before speaking. “Oh… Um… well, it’s not easy being so successful in the fashion world…” “Nope. You’re not here for that either. Try again.” “Um… my roommate is always so noisy…” “Not that.” “... My dear and faithful student?” “Not yet! I mean… sorry.” He took a few deep breaths as he tried to calm down. “Try once more… because you are a school teacher… in a tough work environment…” “Was I getting divorced?”  “No! Nopony in the play has that problem written down!” He tried to explain as he started to panic, trying to think about how to explain her part to her. As she was trying to think about her lines, he decided to whisper the line to her. “I’ve just been dealing with a lot of stress lately.” “Oh! Well, sit down and tell me what’s on your mind,” Elytra said as the script came to her mind.   “Are you sure that I won’t be in the way? I saw the main six entering this building a while ago,” Dr. Wolf replied, forgetting himself as he continued. “I cannot disclose what they have spoken to me about, but right now my time is for you.” “Well, I have been under a lot of stress lately, and not a lot of ponies seem to understand that.” “Oh? Go on.” “Well, I have worked at this school for a good part of my life, and not a lot of ponies seem to understand how hard it is to manage a school all by myself.” “I can only imagine the challenge.” “I need to prepare all of the materials for my students, try to keep them challenged, try to help them improve, and all the while deal with a limited budget while parents ask why I can’t offer more. It starts to wear down a mare, you know? I want to do more, but I feel like I’m hindered by what I can do.” “I think that there are a lot of ponies who feel weighed down by their workloads. From being overworked to underpaid. Admittedly, I have known many ponies who struggle with their jobs from time to time.”  “But how can I handle it?” “I suppose you take great care in your job if you still strive to help your students.”  “Well… yes. I do care for them greatly. I have always wished the best for my pupils.” “Then you need to take some time to reflect on the good you have done and what you will be able to do in the future. A wise pony once said that if you love your job, and enjoy doing it, you will never work a day in your life. My advice is to look up some of your old students and listen to their feedback. Maybe that will give you the strength to move onwards.” “I think I’ll take your advice. It’s been forever since I’ve seen some of them. It may help me regain some of my spirits.” “I sure hope so. In my opinion, I don’t think enough ponies respect a mare who does what you do. I just wish more ponies would help out with the public school system, and help support the foundation for the next generation.” “Well, I guess I had better get back to work. Thank you… Dr. Wolf?” “You’re welcome… Cheerilee?” Both actors froze in front of the doorway as they realized that despite them acting out the rest of their lines in perfect tone, they made one single flaw.  They read each other’s lines! Doc was reading off Elytra’s lines the second he whispered her part to her, with her falling suit. They were now trying to figure out what they were supposed to do next. She slowly started to reach for the door as she was still hung up on Doc’s part. “Shall I get the door for you, ma’am?” His eyes widened as he realized that he needed to break the pattern quickly, or else this play was going to take a rather interesting turn. “No! I am supposed to get the door for you, ma’am!”  “But I am a man.” She pointed out, looking rather confused. “No! You’re a woman!” He cried out, realizing how ridiculous that sounded. “Almost everybody but me in this play is a mare!” “Tell that to the guys.” “I didn’t mean it like that.” “And Cheerilee sounded like a masculine name.” “J… just please get off the stage.” He pleaded, now feeling like he can’t control his stress for much longer. “Well, may I eat first?” “No!”  “Just a little love from the first row?” “No!” “How about you?”  “Please go!” “You’re right. Your love just went sour.” The wolf whimpered as he closed the door, now having the feeling that he was letting the alicorn down, let alone the audience. He shakingly walked over to a table by the fireplace, glad that there was a pitcher of iced tea and a couple of glasses set there. He poured himself a glass before drinking the whole thing in a few gulps, trying to ease his nerves before he continued. Admittedly, one glass wasn’t enough, but he had just enough tea left for a second. As he finished the pitcher, he took a deep breath as he regained his nerves. “Well… It was interesting being in her mind for a while… but I could use a quick break.” As soon as he sat down, he heard a pony knocking at the door. “Oh… I didn’t expect anypony here so soon.” He said, too tired to put any shock into that line. “Come in.” He felt relieved as Twilight came in, namely since she seemed to be one of the better actresses here. “Hello Doc, um, am I bothering you right now?” “No. I am actually quite refreshed.” He said as he took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. “You seemed rather stressed though. May I offer you some t… tea?” He asked as he realized that he was looking at an empty pitcher. “That would be nice Doc. I am just starting to get worried about this whole situation.” She said as she laid down on the couch, trying to be dramatic like Rarity while Doc was frantically looking for something to fill the pitchers with. “I… uh… always say that a good cup of tea… can calm anybody down…” He said nervously before seeing a vase near the desk with some flowers and water. The wolf winced as he took the vase and started pouring the dirty water into the glasses. “I hope you don’t mind having iced tea. I didn’t get the chance to make a fresh kettle.” He said as he walked over to the alicorn with the muddy water. “Trust me, I don’t mind,” She assured him obliviously, not noticing its contents until she took a large drink of the mixture, spitting it out in shock as she realized that this was essentially dirt and water. “Oh… that’s some good stuff… How do you get such flavors?” “It’s… just the matter of having the right ground herbs,” He said, looking rather embarrassed about this. “Would you like another glass…” “NO! I mean, no thank you.” She said as she set her own glass aside, trying to get back in character. “I am just worried about my friends right now.” “Really? Well, why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind while I… finish my glass.” He said in dismay as he realized that he’d not only have to drink the muddy water but an entire glass’s worth. “It’s just that…” Twilight froze as she saw the wolf nervously raise the glass to his lips, closing his eyes as he started to drink the muddy water. Dr. Wolf’s grimacing face showed his clear pain and disgust as he steadily drank the entire pony-sized glass. She stared at this feat in shock, knowing how nasty this drink was. “I… I’m worried if the others are having problems with each other.” “Oh.” He wheezed out as he tried to continue with his lines. “That sounds tough for anybody to swallow.” She tried to hold back her own giggles as she had to act stressed out. “W… well… why else would they insist on talking with you so soon?” He coughed a few times as he slowly found his voice. “Every pony has their reasons, but admittedly this was something you all agreed about doing. I think that this may just be a fear of the unknown right now.” She nodded as she started pacing around the room. “I know, but what are they needing your wisdom for?” “You know that I cannot tell you that.”  “So how can I tell that my friends won’t come bursting in as groups and start complaining about each other?” She asked in exasperation as she stopped next to the doorway. *Slam!!!* Kirouac and Skies both burst into the room, slamming the door open. Right into Twilight’s head. “Hello doctor, are we disturbing…” *Thud!!!* The princess fell onto the floor, being knocked out cold from the blow she received from the two strong ponies. Everybody on stage was frozen in place at the sight of the unconscious princess. The king and speedster were both wondering which one of them was to blame, and how this was going to affect their future. They did not want to visit the local prison anytime soon, let alone the moon. Doc was now wishing that he did know first aid, like other doctors. Skies gulped before finally speaking up. “H… Hello doctor. Are we disturbing you?”  The next line should have been Twilight’s, but she wasn’t awake to deliver it. Kirouac took a deep breath as he decided to continue. “Sorry Twilight. We didn’t see you there.” “...” Doc still looked dazed by Twilight’s blow, but after he took a moment to pause, he managed to continue with his own lines. “Twilight… Please, lower your voice.” He said, almost tearfully. “...” “Twilight, please slow down. We’re okay with waiting.” Skies “replied”, still looking down at Twilight. “...” “Oh… I’m sorry if we hurt you.” Kirouac said as he started to hope that this won’t harm his nation’s relationship with Equestria. “...” “Twilight? Where are you going?” Skies asked the unconscious pony as he stepped aside. “...” Doc closed his eyes in fear as he reached a paw forward as if he was beaconing to somepony. “Please… come back.” “...” Skies sighed as all of the men faced each other. “She’s gone.” They all slowly walked over to the couch and chair, trying to pretend that what just happened didn’t, and praying that Twilight would wake up soon. “I’m sorry Doctor. We didn’t mean to force Twilight out of the room.” Kirouac admitted as he sat down. “Oh… it’s alright.” Doc said as he wiped his forehead. “I think she needs some time to herself to rest.” He said, trying not to think about the unconscious alicorn on the floor. “So, what brings both of you here?” “Well, Fluttershy and I were talking about how we communicate, and wanted your thoughts on it.” Skies explained with a sheepish look. “Ah, well…” Doc paused as he saw Light poking his head through the curtains, looking at the princess’s body in shock before ducking back. “I guess I could give my own thoughts.” “Thank you. You see, we both are polar opposites with how we talk, and we keep talking about what makes a solid…” Kirouac’s talk was stopped as they all noticed a green glow coming from Twilight’s tail.  The actors assumed that this was Light’s way of trying to get Twilight off of the stage without being noticed. Well, there were a few small problems with this. One was that he wasn’t the best magic user, not understanding the full scopes of his magic. Usually this resulted in the spells just not having any effect. However, he was able to use telekinesis. He just wasn’t skilled enough to lift an entire alicorn without looking. Speaking of which, problem number two. “Um… well, I guess everything needs to have a certain balance…” Doc started to say before he saw Twilight’s body slowly scooting into the couch. “Um… one needs to make sure that one… doesn’t get in the way of… other people's opinions.” Skies nodded as he watched the alicorn bump into his seat a few times. “Um… yeah… but… it’s hard to resist getting LEFT out of a conversation.” He raised his voice, trying to give Light a hint of where to go. “True, but…” Kirouac’s thought was cut off as he saw that Twilight was being dragged the wrong way. “But you must consider the OTHER WAY people may be thinking.” “Um… yes. But there are basic considerations one should give no matter how you display yourself. You shouldn’t…” Before Doc could finish, he felt his chair being dragged as Twilight’s wing snagged one of the legs. “You… shouldn’t get caught up on little things…” He said quickly as he tried to keep from falling over. Kirouac’s eyes widened as he quickly reached over and grabbed the arm of Doc’s seat. “I know, but it’s hard not to want the little details.” “True, but I feel like it’ll drag the conversation down when you focus on the small details.” Skies added as he tried to subtly kick the wing out of the way. If only he didn’t have to slouch so low that his head was resting on the seat cushion to do so. As Twilight finally got free, Kirouac pulled Doc’s chair back into place as the wolf started to speak again. “It’s not bad to look into some details, but it’s also a matter of knowing how far to pry into… things.” Doc trailed out as he saw that the half breed’s claws were stuck in the arm of his chair.  He started yanking his arm back as he tried to get free. “I guess my… experience… gives me an understanding… of when to… break off…” *SNAP* Kirouac froze as he looked at the broken piece of wood, still stuck in his claws. “The… conversation.” Skies nodded as he looked at the king’s claws before scooting away from him. “Well, I just try to make sure that whomever I talk to doesn’t feel uncomfortable.” Doc nodded as he scooted away from the broken arm of his chair. “Well, I think that no matter how you speak, common courtesy should be held up well. Just simple things like…” *Thunk* Doc paused as he heard Twilight’s body hitting the wall under the window behind him. “Um... paying attention,” *Thunk* “Being mindful of others,” *Thunk* “Not interrupting,” *Thunk* “And picking your words carefully.” “For Celestia’s sake!” Light’s voice blurted out of frustration as he was struggling to lift the alicorn through the window without looking. “Well… you certainly have quite the grasp on the topic.” Kirouac said as he was picking the wood out of his claws, catching a glimpse of two yellow hooves reaching out of the bottom of the curtains to grab Twilight’s unconscious body. “Yeah… may I… get you a drink?” Skies tried to ad lib as one alicorn was trying to lift the other, realizing how hard it is to lift an unconscious body while reaching over a windowsill. “Oh… that would be perfect, thank you.” Doc said, hoping it would draw attention from the princess’s body being yanked, not making it out of sight as Light struggled to get a good grip on her body. Before Skies could make any distance, the door opened to reveal Quillian walking in. “You were supposed to open the curtains to let some sunlight in. Why can’t you follow simple instructions?” “NONONONONO!!!” All three actors yelled before he opened the curtains with his magic, revealing Light’s shocked expression as he was holding Twilight’s limp body by the right wing and hoof. The alicorn and the unicorn stared at each other for a moment as Light’s shock turned into rage, gritting his teeth as Quillian looked at him without any expression. “So… is that how you pick up all of your dates?”  Light’s eyes widened as he barked at the monotone pony. “GET OFF OF THE STAGE!” “I figured it’d make this mess look better.” “GO!” “I told you to leave this bit out of the play. It just doesn’t have as much…” Before Quill could finish, Light used his magic to grab him and chuck him through the door out of a fit of rage. As he used his magic to close the door, he heard Quill give the last word. “Where was that a minute ago?” The alicorn took a deep breath as he went back to trying to lift Twilight by hoof as Golden came over behind him to help him. Doc wondered why Light didn’t go all in with lifting her with his magic, but with the stress he was under, it may be safer for them to carry her. As two of the guys were trying to get her limp alicorn body through the window, the other three actors tried to speak up to cover the commotion.  “SO MY ADVICE IS…” “HELP ME PULL HER!” “WHY, DOCTOR, I CAN SEE WHY…” “HOW DO YOU WORK AROUND THE…” “BUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT PIZZA…” “PULL! NOT PUSH! LISTEN!” “BUT WHAT IF I’M NOT LISTENING?” "WELL, FIRST YOU HAVE TO STAY CALM.” “THE WING’S IN MY EYE!” “I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN.” “DON’T DROP HER!” “AND IT AFFECTED MY…” “GENTLY!” “AND YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BREAK IT GENTLY!” “CARRY HER OFF!” “AHH!” *Thud* “MY BACK!” “AH… GIVE ME A SEC!” “SO I GUESS WE ARE THE SAME!” As soon as Kirouac finished that last line, Light closed the curtains like a shot. After the audience applauded the chaos for a moment, Doc took a shaky breath as he looked at Kirouac. “Glad I could make what I was saying clear." As the group tried to recover from this incident, Skies cleared his throat as he tried to keep things moving. “So, I hope this doesn’t seem like prying, but do you think Twilight’s doing alright?” “Well… I think she feels like she’s being pulled around…” Doc winced at the unintentional quip he just made. “But I think she may need some support right now.” “Yeah, she did seem exhausted, but we’ll do our best to carry her,” Kirouac said, unable to hold back a small chuckle at the lines he just said. He sighed softly as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Thank you, and I’ll try to help her through her personal struggles.” “Thank you doc. I think we had better go help with the preparations.” Skies said as he got up to leave.  “Yes. I’m afraid of what pains Twilight’s feeling right now.” Kirouac said as he followed suit. As the two strong stallions left the room, Doc slumped into his chair, finding this whole ordeal exhausting. Having the princess of friendship unconscious with a concussion didn’t help. He took a shaky breath as he was nearing the end of act one. “Oh, dear… I hope Twilight is alright.” He said as he was waiting for a knock at the door. … Well, there weren’t any for several seconds. He got more anxious as he called out a little louder. “Oh, dear! I hope Twilight is alright.” … “OH, DEAR! I HOPE TWILIGHT IS ALRIGHT!” Doc called out louder, now starting to fear that they forgot about the next part. “Get the door!” Doc nearly jumped as Elytra opened the door, not in character or anything.  “No! Knock! And you’re supposed to be Spike!” Light called out as the door was magically closed. Doc watched in shock and confusion before there was finally a knock on the door. “Come in.” He said as he realized that this play was far from over. The door opened just as the last green flames came off of her, revealing that the changeling was now taking the form of Spike… If Spike was a pony. Dr. Wolf winced as he tried to keep in character. “Oh… hello Spike… How may I help you?” “Hey, I have something for you.” How in the world did she think that he sounded like the terminator? “Ah… may I ask what it is?”  “It’s a letter from Celestia, and it sounds urgent.”  “May I please have it?” He asked as he realized that she had forgotten it. She looked at her hooves nervously before shaking her head. “No.” As soon as she said it, someone tossed the scroll at her, which she quickly picked off of the floor. “Yes.” “Thank you, Spike,” He said with a small gulp before taking the scroll. “Would you like a snack before you leave?” Her eyes widened as she got a big smile on her face. “Would I?!?” “The line is no.” Quill’s monotone voice could be heard from backstage. “But I’m hungry!” She whined like a four year old, making Doc facepalmed with a sigh. “Some other time perhaps.” He groaned out. “By the way, how is Twilight doing?” “Oh, Quill bandaged her head, but she has a huge bruise that will need a lot more than…” Before she could finish, Light ran up to her and whispered into her ear frantically. “OH… a little stressed, but she is resting.” “I see. Well, I guess I had better let you get back to whatever you’re doing.” He said with a smile. “I hope I see you again soon.” “But I thought Spike wasn’t in the rest of the play?” She asked in confusion before Light started to gently pull her off stage. “But I’m still hungry!” Doc quickly closed the door with an exasperated sigh. “Oh dear… a letter from Celestia. I am glad that I can read this in privacy.”  As soon as he said that, the nails holding up the curtains came free, allowing them to fall to the ground. Everybody laughed as they saw Golden struggling to move a few boxes. The pegasi froze as he saw the people, but then he cluelessly smiled and waved at the crowd, even bowing to the princesses. Kirouac and Skies ran to him as they pulled him and the boxes away before Light ran over and grabbed the broken curtains, pulling them away as they all ran out of sight. Doc whimpered as he opened the scroll. “Let’s see…  Dr Frog, scene one. Have you seen these case reports? They are ribbiting…” He froze in place as he realized that this was most likely the wrong scroll. As he tried to figure out what to do, Quill poked his head around the corner and offered him the actual scroll. “Here. Try this one. It’s a better read.” Doc looked humiliated as he walked over and took the scroll. As he tried to open it, he found that they must have used some high strength wax, because he couldn’t break the seal. He grunted in frustration as he tried to pull the thing apart, but to no avail. He finally gave up as he decided to read the seal. “Dear Doc, um… worried about Twilight… Yada Yada Yada… Princess Celestia.” He said in shame, sounding uncertain as this was the only line he hadn’t memorized.  He took a few breaths as he walked over to his desk. “Well, I had better check my schedule if Celestia’s letter is true.” He said as sat down in front of him. “Let me get out my… book…” He closed his eyes out of regret as he remembered that he already tossed the book in place of a letter. He slowly looked around before he looked at the vase he poured the water out of, and quickly grabbed it and poked his head into the tip of it. “Ah… I have a couple of appointments, but since the party is inside, I think I can talk them into some private time for me to handle my patients.” He said before moving to the couch.  “My only hope Is that I will be able to put Celestia’s worries at ease.”  As soon as he sat down, the section of the stage right behind him seemed to lean forward, either from someone leaning against it or poor craftsmanship.  All honesty, it was probably a mix of both. As the wall smashed to the ground, Doc yelped as he ducked in fear. Luckily he was positioned under the window, which left him completely unscathed. As he slowly turned around, he saw most of the cast staring at the crowd in shock, none looking more stressed than Light. The alicorn quickly turned to Derpy before yelling at her.  “END SCENE!!!”