//------------------------------// // Chapter VI: Workaholics // Story: The Doorway // by MetricCaboose //------------------------------// Chapter VI: Workaholics “Alright, I have the keys…” I glanced down at the control board for the Machine, only to see that there were levers, knobs, buttons and all kinds of switches arranged around the board. “Well, Fudge!” I said in frustration. What kind of vehicle doesn’t have a steering wheel? This was just infuriating, and…. Wait! Did he even tell me where I was supposed to go? I was getting overworked until I realized that the package should have an address on it. I quickly checked it to make sure, and low and behold, there it was. I quickly read it over and then pulled out my map. Looking at my position, I studied the map and found where the destination was. It was… It was only a block away! I had plenty of time as long as I didn’t fool around, but I didn’t know the time. “Damnit! Out of all the things I carried around in my jacket, a watch isn’t one of them!” I yelled in frustration, causing the Machine to spur to life. BURB BURB BURB BURB I jumped in the seat in astonishment and slammed down on the brakes. This caused the Machine to accelerate at a fast speed, nearly causing me to drive into a nearby pony. Checking the rear view window, I could see that pony shake a hoof at me, and what I thought was flipping the bird. A heard a voice with heavy static. “He- Hey, can you---- me?” I did a double take. “What?!” “I said ca- you hear me?” The voice said, although this time more clearly. I noticed the source of the voice and saw that it was coming from a small headset mounted to a black box connected to a cord that lead a console. I picked up the headset and put it over my ears. “Yeah, I can hear you loud and clear.” I said. “This doesn’t sound like the Doctor at all. Who is this?” The voice asked. “This is Max.” I said as I made a swift turn, nearly missing the correct street. The voice hesitated to respond. “What? Max, what are you doing?” “I’m sorry, but who is this?” I said returning the previous question. I heard what sounded like a chuckle and then the voice responded. “Max, this is Rough Sketch. Remember me?” “Yeah, I do.” I took a turn and finally arrived at the destination. “Uh, I think I might be at the right place. Where are you exactly?” I asked as I gazed around the street, only to see a random assortment of ponies passing by. “I’m on the other side of the street.” He responded. I looked in the opposite direction and spotted him talking into a pay phone. He waved me down and pointed to a house, running inside of it, I took the hint and immediately followed him inside. The interior of his house was actually very regal. If I wouldn’t have known, I could have mistaken this for a mares house. He saw me walk in and stepped up to me, shaking me in the process. “For Celestia’s sake! Please tell me you have the ring?” He lead me through the hallway taking a left, leading us into a spacious living room with a small coffee table set upon a rug with two equally sized couches flanking it. On the wall was a fireplace and many different things like pictures, mirrors and surprisingly even a television. “Well do you?” He said as he leaned up against me. I stepped back from him, causing him to stumble. “Yeah, just calm down!” I reached into my jacket pocket to pull out a small parcel. “It’s right here.” He saw it and snatched it from my hand. “Okay, my marefriend will be here any moment now, and- We both heard a door open briefly and then slam shut. “Oh, she’s here!” He whispered in alarm. He looked side to side and then pointed me to the couch. “Quick. Hide!” I took the tip, and rushed over to the couched, tripping over the table, and ended up sprawling over the couch. I hid behind the couch just in time as the mare entered the living room. “Oh, hi Honey. How are you doing?” Rough Sketch said nervously. The mare must have picked up his nervousness, because what she said was unexpected. “Oh, you must have heard haven’t you?” I swear I could hear his heartbeat going in overdrive. “Heard, heard what?” He said unknowingly. “Oh, I guess you haven’t then.” The mare strolled around for a bit. “You might want to sit down for this.” I could feel the wait press down on the couch, as he obeyed the orders. “Why is that, is something wrong?” He said becoming ever more nervous. “I know that we’ve been dating for a couple of years, but…” She paused for a moment, as if she was trying to build up tension. “Well…” “WILL YOU MARRY ME?” Rough Sketch nearly yelled, jumping from the couch. “Oh, oh my!” The mare must have just looked at the ring, because she just stood still not knowing what to say. “It’s lovely, but… I just can’t.” At that moment, I heard something shatter. It could’ve been anything, but I suspect it was his heart. Noticing that the room was dead quiet, I checked a nearby mirror and saw their reflections. Rough Sketch stood there, frozen like a block of ice. I could also see the lavender mare who had just turned down his offer. She was blushing with extreme remorse. Finally, someone spoke out. “But, wh- why?” He asked. The mare turned around and started to walk into the hallways. “I actually came here to break up with you. I want your stuff out by before the morning.” She said heartlessly. Rough Sketch started to tear up. “But, I loved you.” She glanced at him before turning away. “I’m so sorry. It just wouldn’t work out.” “What!” Rough Sketch snapped out. “Hey, don’t get too loud.” She stared at him before looking at a nearby picture. “I know of all things we’ve done together, but we need to move on.” “But, can’t we do something about this. Can’t you just reconsider? I… I just proposed to you and-” She turned around and started to descend up the stairs. “I’m sorry, but my mind is made up. So, please leave.” She disappeared from sight. I heard another door slam seconds later. I stood up from my hiding spot and saw that Rough Sketch was standing completely still looking at a lone ring that was set down on a table. “How could she?” He said, still gazing upon the ring. Staying silent, I allowed him to finish his rant. “I had everything planned. The wedding, the reception, the honeymoon, I even knew a name for our first child… Note Pad.” He began to prod his hoof at the table. I stared at him in disbelief of what had just happened. I could feel his sense of heartbreak, as I have also been through it myself. Knowing for a fact that he would get over it, I laid my hand on his shoulder, only for him to drop onto the table, knocking everything over onto the floor, including the ring. “I’m really sorry.” I said, attempting to comfort him. He just laid there as he spoke. “Don’t be. It’s all my fault.” I kneeled down next to him, also picking up the ring in the process. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” I laid the ring upon the table, right next to his head. “You might want to keep this for some other mare. I’m sure you’ll find another one.” He looked at the ring and grabbed it. “I don’t want another mare! I want… No I need her!” He demanded. I stood there, thinking of what I could do to help him, and then the idea came to me. He needs a doctor, but no ordinary doctor. The Doctor! He usually knows what to do, and if not, then he could at least introduce him to a new crowd of people. I looked back down at Rough Sketch and picked him up. “Hey, put me down!” He thrashed about, nearly punching me in the face. “Hey watch ou-!” BONK At that moment, I bonked his head on the doorway leading into the hallway. He recoiled from the impact and immediately looked at me in anger. “Ow! That really, really hurt!” He sobbed I kept on walking to the exit. “Whoops, sorry about that.” I apologized. “Where are you taking me?” “I’m taking you to a doctor.” I said casually. “Doctor Who?” He asked curiously, until noticing my façade. “Oh, you dirty rascal!” Smirking at his remark, I stepped outside, setting him onto the ground. “Alright, well let’s go then!” I said pointing to the Machine. He looked at the Machine and then to me. “Eh, that thing? I’m not too sure about how safe that is.” His face held a grim expression. I walked up to it, swinging the door open. “Come on, don’t be a chicken!” “Hey… Who you calling chicken?” He stood into a defensive stance. I leaned up against the side of it, banging the passenger door. “Oh, I don’t know… Maybe the little filly standing in front of me.” He snorted at my insult. “Okay, now you’re calling me a filly.” He kicked the ground behind him, throwing up a cloud of dust. “I want an apology!” “First. Get in the vehicle.” I again banged on the machine. “No, that thing is a death trap. I’d trust the Doctor driving it, but not you!” He said stepping back. “By the way, I need to collect my stuff.” “You can do that later, she said do it by the next morning. Last time I checked, it’s still daytime.” I opened the door, motioning him inside. “So, why not?” He looked at me again, placing a hoof up the his chin, thinking of what to do. Coming to a decision, he rested his hoof onto the ground and trotted up to the Machine, stepping inside. “Ah, it smells like vomit!” I grinned for a second. “Yeah, it’s a short story, but I still won’t tell you.” I started up the Machine, only for it to sputter and then shortly die afterwards. “Ooh… That doesn’t sound good.” I checked the rear view mirror to see the engine throwing up a thick black cloud of smoke. Stepping outside of the vehicle, I walked slowly the engine, pulling out my sonic screwdriver. I was going to attempt to jury rig the engine. I couldn’t fix it here, not because I didn’t know how to, but because I just didn’t want to. “God I live being lazy!” I said inserting the screwdriver randomly into the engine. Activating the device, I start to hear a low sonic hum, increasing in pitch. It also emitted a red light, slowly changing hues depending on the frequency of the device. My sonic screwdriver was also similar to the Machine. It had the same Steampunk design of it, Except my had a more sturdy design, compared to the scraped look of the Machine. After a couple of moments, I heard the engine come to life. The engine spurted out a cloud of white smoke, before going to a normal color and running again normally. After the engine came back, I returned to the cabin of the Machine and started to flip the knobs and levers. The Machine jerked forward suddenly and then began to move at a steady pace. Rough Sketch was in the backseat looking very nervous. He still looked very sad from the previous event, but I managed to cheer him up a little bit. He became aware of the fact that I was looking at him. “So, how have you been doing lately?” He asked, stirring up a new line of conversation. I shrugged my shoulder. “I’ve been doing fine. I was kidnapped by the Doctor, met a drunken mare, offered to help her with all of her problems and then I was stabbed in an alleyway about forty-two and then died.” I said sarcastically. He stared at me in disbelief. “Wha…?” “I’m not too sure, I did get stabbed in the past, but not here in Ponyville.” I spoke easily. “But, you said you died.” He started to become uneasy. My mind turned on to what I was starting to say. “Oh, that’s right! I forgot that I was kidding.” I said with a poker face, trying to hide the fact that I wasn’t from here, or even remotely normal. He could only look at me and just move back into his seat. “Okay, I guess that was funny…?” We both remained quiet for the rest of the ride. I kept driving the remainder of the trip, only to every now and then check back on him, to see how he was holding up. The ride was very short only lasted a few minutes. I eventually arrived in front of the Doctors house. Seeing that the door was open, with the Doctor standing in the doorway, I assumed that he already knew. The Doctor stepped down onto the steps leading down from his house and threw me a tiny sack, while also walking toward the pony in the back seat. I caught the sack and felt it. Inside I could feel something flat and circular. Opening the sack, I saw an unnecessary large amount of coins. Almost as if the bag was bigger on the inside than the outside. Testing this theory, I reach my hand into the bag. My hand met no resistance other than the coins. Before I knew it, my entire arm was inside the bag. I could instantly feel my eyes gleam with the reflection of the coins. “Holy grenades, Doc! Where and how?! I inquired. He looked back at me while helping Rough Sketch exit. “I actually acquired that money in a fair manner.” He walked past me, winking at me. “I defiantly didn’t find a faulty ATM and then hack into it.” He said as he pulled out his own sonic screwdriver. I could only think of the dastardly act of the Doctor once again taking money in an unfair advantage. Then again, I didn’t have room to talk, as saying how I used to pocket anything that seemed valuable back in the Capitol Wasteland. I saw that Rough Sketch was slowly shambling to the doorway. He seemed to be in a heavy depression, now that he’s had time with his own mind. I think he might have actually been weeping inside the Machine. I quickly jogged up to meet them inside, running up beside the Doctor. “So Doc, what’s the situation?” “He has severe physiological trauma.” He passed his sonic screwdriver over the depressed pony. I leaned up against the center console. “So, what should we do?” I asked, thinking of the possibilities. “Get him a girl, whiskey and maybe a memory wipe, and he’ll be good as new.” I moved up against the console, accidently flipping a lever. The lever held no use as the fact that the TARDIS was in a powered down mode. I also noticed that I didn’t give a single flying feather, so I continued the conversation with the Doctor. “So, how’s Derpy?” The Doctor glanced up from his subject. “She doesn’t seem to like you, and she’s also keeping Dinky away from you.” He pulled out a thermometer from behind his tie, quickly shoving it into his patents open maw. “Hey! What gives?” Rough Sketch demanded. “Well I need to check your vitals. I am a doctor as you know.” He pulled a little box from beneath his time and set it upon the ground. The box started to slowly expand until it was the size of a small chest. He opened the box and pulled out some medical tools. One of them were a set of latex gloves. “Now, turn around and cough.” I saw that Rough Sketch’s eyes immediately shot wide open in fear. Not taking a chance of the Doctor to seize him in his grasp, he broke into a light sprint into a random direction, leading into a doorway. “NO. I don’t care if you’re a doctor! You are NOT… Touching me!” “Hey, watch out!” A mulberry mare said before Rough Sketch collided into her. Rough Sketch was the first to stand up, clearing his vision he could see who he had just ran into. He would have continued running, but he was caught in a trance by the mare. The mare was no other than Berry Punch. She had a shine to her as if she had just taken a shower. Even from where I stood, I could even smell the faint aroma of perfume. Berry Punch noticed the stallion staring at her and eventually stood up. “Uh, is something wrong with me?” She said shaking off anything that may have been caught in her mane. “No… I’m sorry but, it’s just that you’re…” He reddened. “You’re a very beautiful mare.” He said without thinking. Berry Punch also started to blush hiding her face partially behind her tail. “Oh, well thank you, no one other than Max has said that.” I saw the expression in his face drain. His face quickly changed from a deep red to a angered face. “Uh, what?” She looked at him noticing what she may have just started. “Nothing, just nothing.” She started to walk toward the center console where the Doctor and I were standing. “I’m really sorry about what happened earlier.” She especially looked toward the Doctor. “I also used your shower if you don’t mind.” She paused for a second. “You know, for a small house like this, the inside is really big.” She thought for a moment, before forgetting the thought. Curious of where Thomas might be, I pulled out my map. I checked it, only to see that he had returned to the inn. “Hey, Doc.” I had drawn his attention away from his newly returned love fallen patient. “Yes?” I saw that Thomas’s mark on the map had started to move away at a very fast speed. “When did Thomas leave, and did he take anything?” “He just had to check up on a friend of his.” He said nothing else while he looked at his patent. “Oh!” He jumped up. “What!?” I said alarmingly. “That’s insane!” Berry Punch had a look of surprise on her face. “I gave him my flying machine.” He said almost too comfortably.” I face palmed for the fiftieth time this day. “Why would you?!” I froze thinking of the chaos he could cause. “How would he even know how to fly it?” “I just gave him the keys. He said it was urgent, and unlike you, I could actually trust him outright.” He finished up his procedure on his patient. “…But since where both stuck here, why not trust you again.” I glanced at the map to see that Thomas had already arrived back here. I had guessed that the Doctor might have had a hanger installed behind his house, or maybe he had just landed onto the roof. Being in the TARDIS, I couldn’t hear anything outside unless the Doctor had the security on, but being the typical Doctor he is. He wouldn’t have it on. Rough Sketch had just stepped next to me. “Max, do you think you could help me find a place to stay? Possibly close to where that mare may live. What’s her name by the way?” I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know, why not talk to her.” I offered as I nudged him into her. “Heh, I’d like to but… What does she like?” He asked looking away from her, not wanting to attract attention. “She likes long walks on the beach, flowers and nice guys who are willing to obey her every wish.” I jokingly said. “Okay, here goes nothing.” He slowly walked toward the unknowing mare and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned from where she was looking and glanced at him. I didn’t pay attention to their conversation, for I had other things to do. Thomas had just arrived from where he was, but he was strangely carrying all of our bags and supplies. “I’ve got some terrible news.” He said uninviting look. I looked at everything he was carrying. He was holding everything that we held back in the inn. I had assumed the worst. “We’ve been evicted.” He said setting down the bags. I stammered at his statement. “Why? For what reason?” He threw the rucksack we had originally brought through the travel. “He raided our room and then found your gun. I walked in on him while he was supposedly cleaning our room, so he kicked us to the curb for having a weapon.” He brandished a small sack from pocket. “At least he gave us our deposit back.” The Doctor took notice. “Actually, that was mine.” He pointed out. Thomas tossed the tiny bag to the Doctor. “Yeah, sure…” He crossed his arms. “So we’re homeless again. Unless the Doctor would like to give us rent.” He said glancing toward the Doctor. The Doctor walked toward the console and checked a display screen. “I would, but Derpy would make me sleep on the couch again.” He stood up onto his hind legs, leaning his weight onto the console. “If you all wouldn’t mind, I need you to leave. Derpy has prepared supper and she didn’t supply enough for the bunch of you.” I gathered everyone and told them to wait outside. Everyone left the room but the Doctor, Rough Sketch and I. I wasn’t sure where I could stay the night. I didn’t want to stay in another inn, and Rough Sketch had just been kicked out of his previous house by his would be fiancé. I also need a faster way around town. “Doc, would you mind if I borrowed the Machine?” He kept on tinkering with the console. “Not at all, I keep the coal in the trunk. I also need you for work in the morning.” He reminded me. I removed the hat I’ve been wearing this entire time. Surprisingly, I didn’t seem to notice it until now, for I had forgotten about it all this time. “I’ll be sure to show up for work.” I started to walk out of the room, just as Rough Sketch stopped me from exiting the building. “Before we leave, I need your help.” I continued walking, ignoring his barrier. “You just had your heart broken, and now you want another mare?” He leaped in front of me. “I know that!” He blocked the door. Putting his body in an X shape, blocking me from further advancing outside. “Just help me… please.” He applied a puppy dog face his demeanor. Wanting to end his annoyance, I thought of a plan deep inside my mind. “Okay, just step out of the way, or I’ll move you myself.” “Awesome!” He opened the door, jumping gleefully outside until stopping short of Berry Punch. I strolled toward the Machine, stepping inside of it and looking outside at everyone else. “Everyone pile in!” I called out to everyone. Berry, Rough and Thomas all jumped into the back seat of the Machine while I had already turned on the engine, and started to drive towards Berry’s house. I started my first phase of my plan. “So, Berry… About your house?” She turned her attention away from Rough Sketch. “What about it?” “How much room do you have?” She thought for a moment. “It’s actually pretty big for a house. Four bedrooms and three baths. It also has a loft and a basement, although I’m too scared to go into the basement.” She shuddered from a memory. ”Oh, there’s also my shed... But don’t be going into my shed!” She later added. I agreed to her command. “I know this might come off as sudden, but would you mind housing us all. We could all help cleaning up and paying the rent.” Rough Sketch and Thomas both shouted in unison. “We are?!” I glanced at them in the rear view mirror. “Yes, and we might even pay rent if she agrees.” Berry Punch had been in a deep train of thought the entire time. She had finally come to a decision. “Sure, I can house you all. You’ll have to pay rent, but I can house you all.” She remained silent for a brief second. “Just stay away from my shed.” My mind didn’t think of what could have been in the shed, but I quickly forgot about it. “That’s fantastic. I’ll drop you and Thomas off at you house. I have to Rough Sketch pack his things up at his old house.” Berry Punch nodded her head. “Okay, just make it quick.” I kept on driving. The sun had started to set in the background and I had noticed that there were some hushed whispers in the cabin behind me. I could make out some of the words with my advanced hearing. I heard something about Berry Punch, beautiful, and then some other things about a nice flank? Apparently Rough Sketch was the one talking about it. I had finally reached her house when I let both Thomas and Berry out, and then soon driving back to Rough Sketch’s house. Hopefully his would be fiancé wouldn’t be there. Things were going along smoothly until my passenger made a comment. “So… Do you like Berry Punch?” Huzzah! I wrote two chapters within two days! That means this won’t be posted until maybe the fifth, but I still got two full chapters done within two days. If only I could be sick more often, then maybe I could writer more like this. I also hope you like what I’m doing with the story. Now that the sad stuff is finally over, I can move on to the lighter side of the story. Don’t forget to rate and comment guys!