//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: The Gas That Keeps Giving // Story: Tooth-hurty // by Justice3442 //------------------------------// With a straining huff, Colgate tightened a leather strap that went around Sonata’s arm and the arm of the off-white dentist chair. The Dentist now sported a modest sized Band-Aid on her neck, a white coat devoid of blood, and a teal blue-colored shirt. Sonata now sported two sets of three leather straps on both her arms, and another half dozen straps going across her body and legs. Sonata looked down towards her feet and swallowed. “Are we… Are we playing Misery?” “Tempting,” Colgate replied as she walked back over to her table of tools, placing the mask that was dangling around her neck back over her mouth. “But dentists don’t carry mallets.” Sonata looked fearfully as Colgate grabbed her sonic scaler. “Fine! Fine! I’ll tell you everything I know!” Sonata cried. “Just stop the round-the-clock torture!” “I haven’t done anything yet!” Colgate exclaimed in an irritable tone. “And you’ve only been strapped down for a few minutes!” Sonata started spilling her guts as if her life depended on it. “9-11 was an outside job, there were no bombs on the towers, and jet fuel can melt steel beams!” Colgate shook her head. “This is ridiculous…” “IF YOU THINK LIKE THAT, THE TERRORISTS WIN!” “NOT THAT!” Colgate snapped as she pulled her mask down again. “I’m just trying to clean your teeth! There’s no need for these theatrics!” There was a couple of quick knocks on the door followed by the receptionist walking in. He wheeled in two metal tanks hooked up to a box with knobs and a house that ended in a breathing mask. “Here’s the nitrous oxide, Dr. Colgate.” Dr. Colgate turned, a wild smile on her face as she gripped her left hand hard and rose it into the air. “Finally! I shall subdue my patient and go to work on her teeth! Muahahahahaha!” Sonata whimpered from the Dentist chair as the receptionist walked out the door, tossing an equally confused and concerned look at the Dentist before he closed the door behind him. Colgate turned towards Sonata, the wild look still in her eyes as she approached. Her head was tilted eschewing her grim smile as she wheeled the gas canisters up with her. “Oh don’t worry!” she said in a baleful tone as she held up the breathing mask. “This won’t hurt a bit!” Sonata’s eyes opened wide with fear as her mouth hung open, only quiet, if high-pitched, terror whimpers escaped. Colgate rose her fist to her mouth and coughed. “Sorry. That came out wrong. This actually won’t hurt a bit,” she said earnestly. Sonata struggled against her bonds. “I don’t believe you! You’re just trying to lure me into a false sense of security before you go on an all-out attack!” Colgate folded her arms across her chest. “I already have you strapped to a chair. What exactly would be the point of tricking you?” Sonata narrowed her eyes until they were narrow slits, wrinkled her brow as much as she could, and pursed her lips out. Colgate concluded she looked like a very angry fish. “You’re trying to get me with Stockholm syndrome! Joke’s on you! I’m already banned from Sweden!” Colgate leaned over Sonata with an unamused expression, still holding the mask. “Sonata, has anything I’ve done today made you sympathize with me even a little bit?” “NO!” Sonata cried. “You’re evil, and I hate you!” “Good!” Colgate said as she thrust the mask onto Sonata’s mouth and strapped it on. Sonata continued to struggle and yell, even with the mask on her. “You think this will break me?! DO YOU EXPECT ME TO TALK?!” Colgate shook her head. “No, Sonata. I expect you to laugh!” “Laugh?! Hah! Excluding that short, mocking laugh I just made, you’ll NEVER get me to laugh!” Sonata declared. Colgate chuckled and fiddled with the knobs on the box hooked up to the mask and two canisters. “Oh, we’ll see about that…” “DO YOUR WORST! I’ll NEVER GIVE YOU THE SATISFACTION! I…hehehe I… HAHAHA! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” Colgate smirked. “It’s called ‘laughing gas’ for a reason, you know?” “HeheheHAHAHAHA! STOP THIS!” Sonata demanded. Colgate shook her head. “I really need you to calm down so I can actually get some work done here.” “HAHAHAHA! HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME-HEHEHEHE-LAUGH! I HAHAHAHATE YOU! THIS IS-HAHAHA-THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!” Colgate reached for her sonic scaler. “Betcha won’t think that in about a minute from now!” “HAHAHAHA! NO WAY! THIS IS-HEHEHE-TERRIBLE AND I’LL NEVER-HAHAHAHA-FORGIVE YOU!” -~About a minute later~- “THIS IS THE FREAKIN’ BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!” Sonata declared. Colgate adjusted the knobs on the box and pulled the mask off Sonata’s face. “I knew you’d see the light.” Sonata’s pupils had flooded out over her lilac irises. She currently looked up at the ceiling as if she was seeing it or even any ceiling for the first time. “Light! Light! A thousand points of delicious lights. Sparkling like diamonds in my brain!” Sonata took a deep breath. “Ooooh man! Are you diggin' this air? This air rules!” Colgate chuckled, and put the mask back over her face.  She leaned down, and eyeballed Sonata’s teeth. “Well, glad you’re feeling better about all this. Now let me get in there and—” Sonata looked up at the Dentist with a sorrowful expression, like a puppy that somehow knew it had done wrong. “Doctor Colgate the Dentist, ma’am? I’m sorry for how I acted before.” Colgate chuckled and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Going to the dentist is scary for lots of people. Granted, no one has stabbed me in the neck before.” Sonata let out a sad whimper. “See that’s what I’m talking about! I was sooooooo mean to you! And you just went and made me feel sooooo good!” “Hey, it’s fine, really!” Colgate insisted. “I enjoy a good challen—” Sonata reached up and pulled Colgate’s mask down. Still looking at the Dentist with a slightly sorrowful look, she spoke, “I want to make you feel good too!” Colgate’s eyes shot open wide. “Wait, how did you get your arm out of—” Without warning, Sonata grabbed the back of Colgate’s head and pulled her downward. Before Colgate knew it her lips were suddenly mashed against Sonata’s, and before she could react, Sonata opened her mouth. -ooo- The waiting room now sported quite a few less people, Bon-Bon and Lyra, and also Button Mash and his mother having vacated. Sunset now occupied the seat next to Flash, who still sat next to Applejack. Aria and Adagio waited with bored expressions as Aria kicked her feet out and Adagio ran a nail file over her nails. Applejack continued to watch Aria like a hawk despite the recent lack of activity and Flash now sat with his head buried in the Highlights magazine he and Button were going through earlier. Sunset sat quietly, one of her ears perked up in the direction of the room Sonata and Colgate occupied. “It’s quiet in there…” Sunset mused. “Too—” “Yeah, yeah,” Aria interrupted. “Too quiet.” She shook her head. “I really don’t get what your problem is Sunny. Eventually one of those two has to give.” Sunset turned towards Aria with a worried expression. “Yeah, but which one?” Applejack piped up. “Well, if I were a bettin’ gal—” Sunset narrowed her eyes at Applejack.  “—I’d say Dr. Colgate finally has that little rascal under control since it’s all quiet-like.” Aria shook her head. “It’s when Sonata is being quiet you really have to be careful. Girl goes all psychotic Solid Snake when she wants to, and suddenly your face is covered with sharpie and you don’t even know it…” Aria quickly whipped out a compact mirror to check her face, then cast a leery glance over the room. Sunset grit her teeth and cringed fearfully. Adagio nodded. “Normally my money would be on Sonata, but that dentist seems really determined.” Aria put her mirror away. “She seems to have the heart of a champion, alright. Also leather straps, those help.” Adagio chuckled. “They sure doooo~.” Applejack sighed. “Adagio, you’re worse than a farm mare in hea—” Aria glared at Applejack. Applejack rolled her eyes. “It’s just… Is everything an innuendo with you?” Adagio give Applejack a sideways glance. “Did you really expect ‘leather straps’ to pass by without mention?” Applejack sighed. “I reckon that was a bit of a layup…” Adagio leered suggestively at Applejack. “Speaking of layups…” Applejack groaned. Sunset turned to shoot a quick dirty look at Adagio. “Do you ever think of anything else?” “Just world domination,” Adagio answered. She glared at Sunset. “But that’s a lot harder nowadays.” “I’m sorry,” Sunset replied as she rolled her eyes. She motioned to herself. “Do you want me to apologize for us stopping you from stealing all the energy from the school and our energy to boot?” Adagio shrugged. “Well just some consideration to our feelings would be nice!” Sunset threw her hands out in front of her. “You three were uncaring monsters! In fact, you still are!” Forgive me, but I’m having trouble conjuring up much in the way of sympathy here!” Adagio got up on her feet, anger clearly written across her face. She leveled an index finger at Sunset. “I’ll have you know that before you showed up, we used to quietly slink into diners, sing until everyone was screaming at each other and we couldn’t hear ourselves think, and then barely get enough energy to get by!” Sunset gave Adagio a blank look. “… And you miss that?” “Well… yeah!” Adagio cried. “Now instead of doing that, I use that free time to just sit around and watch soap operas and Netflix! I’ve caught up on so many shows! It’s…” Adagio frowned as realization slowly dawned on her face. “It’s uh… it’s horrible…” Flash lowered his Highlights and raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me for saying this—” “You’re not excused!” Adagio quickly interjected. Undaunted, Flash continued, “—what you said sounds like an improvement over what you used to do.” Adagio gave Flash an indignant look then glanced at Aria. “Help me out here, Aria.” Aria put on a slightly surprised look as realization seemed to also set on her, encapsulating her thoughts like quick dry cement. “I don’t know what to tell you, Dagi. Now my nights are spent grinding like five WoW characters simultaneously... It’s uh… It’s pretty awesome, really.” Adagio’s head quaked in confusion and anger for a second and then she turned to Sunset. “Okay, but… I mean… I’ve watched soooo much House of Cards that…” Adagio shook her head and turned towards Applejack. “Okay but Daredevil wasn’t that…” She turned towards Flash, “Sure, I get to have fun with a lot more people, but…” Adagio’s eyes crossed.  She turned towards Sunset. “But I go out for drinks way more… but… but…” Adagio’s eyes suddenly rolled back into her head as her legs became wobbly. Everyone watched as Adagio crashed to the floor with a soft ‘thump’. For a second everyone just stared at Adagio’s unconscious body, or rather the leg that twitched slightly from under her massive pile of hair. Sunset looked at Aria in concern. “So uhhhh… Is she okay, or…?” Aria shrugged. “She’s fine… or dead.” Colgate’s yell suddenly pierced the relative silence of the waiting room. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—“ “There you go,” Aria said with a smirk as she. “It’s not quiet anymore. Happy?” Sunset let out a massive sigh. -ooo- “—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Colgate pulled her head back, grabbed Sonata’s arms, and quickly undid the straps that Sonata had somehow gotten free of. Soon Sonata was restrained once more. Sonata giggled. “Wow! I didn’t think you’d have that much fun from just one kiss!” “UGH!” Colgate produced a toothbrush and toothpaste from her coat, put the toothpaste on the brush, and began brushing. After a few vigorous strokes she marched over to a stainless steel sink in the corner of the room, spat, and filled a cup with water. She then gargled and spat the water back into the sink. Wiping her hand across her mouth, Colgate glared at Sonata. “Your mouth tastes like the entire menu of Taco Bell crawled into it to die of some terrible taco autoimmune disease!” Sonata gave Colgate a pained expression. “…Didn’t… didn’t like it?” Colgate shook her head. “Why the heck would you think I wanted to be kissed by your filthy mouth?!” Sonata narrowed her eyes. “Don’tfallasleep…” she mumbled. “What?” Colgate asked. “Don’t fall asleep!” Sonata repeated louder and in a more sinister tone. Colgate sighed and shook her head. “I have a feeling I might regret this, but do you want more laughing gas?” Sonata’s eyes shot open wide. “Why would you even ask that?! Of course I want more!” The door suddenly opened as Sunset, Applejack, Flash, and Aria piled in. Colgate rolled her eyes. “Right, sure… Just barge in everyone. Not like it was a possibility I was working with sharp tools on someone’s mouth, or anything.” “Are you okay?!” Sunset asked as she looked at Colgate. “Mostly fine!” Colgate replied. Aria sighed and produced a green bill that she slapped into the waiting hand of a grinning Applejack. “We heard screaming!” Flash said. Colgate smiled. “Nothing a quick brush couldn’t fix.” Sonata’s head flopped to the side to look at everyone who ran in. “Aria~…. Aaaariaaaaaa~! Come over here so I can lick your faaaaaace~!” “Do not let her lick your face,” Colgate said. “Wasn’t gonna,” Aria said. “Why?” Sunset asked. “Is there something in her mouth you don’t want getting on us?” Colgate nodded. “Yeah, an impressive collection of bacteria. I don’t think Sonata has ever cleaned her tongue. I bet I could take a drill sample of everything on it and identify literally everything she’s ever eaten by carbon dating it!” Sonata flopped her head so it was pointed in Colgate’s direction. “But why would you date an element… I mean… I guess it does make diamonds, sooooooo…” Applejack raised her hand. “I’d like to take that bet.” Sunset shifted vexed eyes to stare at Applejack. “Out,” she commanded. Applejack sighed and raised her hands up to head level. “Fine, fine…” she uttered as she turned and walked out the door. Sunset turned back towards Colgate. “So, do you need help?” “I got this,” Colgate said. “My solution is more drugs.” “Yaaaay!” Sonata exclaimed. Aria suddenly stood up as straight as a board. “I better go check on Adagio!” she declared before making an about-face and leaving the room. Flash turned towards the door as well. “Yeah and… I’m still looking for that ladle in that hidden picture… I better get on that…” Sunset watched as they left and turned back towards Colgate. “Are you sure you go… Uh…” Sunset trailed off as she stared slack-jawed at Colgate. “I’m fine,” Colgate insisted. “Sonata’s just a tad rambunctious and why are you looking at me like that?” “Sonata is drawing a big red heart on your cheek in permenant marker as we speak!” Colgate turned as Sonata made a mad dash for the chair and got back into it. Colgate glared at Sonata and raised her right hand to her right cheek. She pulled it back to reveal a smudge of fresh red marker. Sonata smiled innocently. “I just wanted to show you how much I love you! Also, do you want to make-out some more?” Sunset’s eyebrows almost flew right off her head as she turned towards Colgate. “What?!” Colgate turned towards Sunset. “Want to help me strap her down?” Sunset hesitated for a moment. “… Yes. Yes. Somehow that’s currently what I want to do most in life.”