Playing Doctor

by keam

Chapter 4: The Royal Visit

Chapter 4 The Royal Visit

It was Saturday and the day of the Brazilian Samba Fillies parade. Most of Ponyville was out in the streets to see the event. Spike waited at the edge of the town square. Soon he heard the sound of trumpets just outside town. Everyone started talking, wondering what was going on. This was not the music they expected.

“Those are the royal bugles!” someone exclaimed. “Prinsess Celestia is here!”

Everypony ran to the edge of town, where the highway came into Ponyville. They stopped, dazzled at the sight that met them. Ponies with bugles fastened to their muzzles with gold harnesses came parading into town, blowing their trumpets as they walked. Behind them came two dozen royal guards walking in perfect order, heads and knees high at every step. And in their midst was princess Celestia herself. She seemed to float above the ground, gilded hooves glittering in the sun and her northern light mane flowing around her like a cloud of dreams. Everypony bowed as she passed, and as she glanced kindly at them they felt some of her magic touching their hearts. Spike felt it too, and for the first time in weeks he felt completely at ease with himself.

He ran ahead to the square and climbed up onto a light post to get a better view. Below him, the square filled with the illustrious progress surrounded by smiling Ponyville ponies. At a look from princess Celestia, the buglers became silent.

“Dear ponies!” Celestia´s voice rang like a silver bell. “I have come here today to enjoy the Brazilian Samba Fillies show with you. They are certified entertainers to the royal court and some of the best spreaders of joy in Equestria. First, however, I want to introduce a person who would like to contribute to your lives in another way. Meet my dear friend doctor Trulywise, the one and only psychiatric consultant to the royal court.”

An elderly gray stallion with a white mane and tail stepped forward. His cutiemark was a red heart. All of Ponyville froze at first, everypony staring mutely at Celestia´s psychiatrist. Then they started to whisper in confused voices. What was this? How could he be the one and only royal shrink?

“Excuse me, your highness!” somepony shouted. “What about doctor Flimp and doctor Flamp?”

Celestia smiled.

“I have heard of them. They were sentenced to prison in Manehattan last year for practicing medicine and selling prescription drugs without the proper licenses. In jail they studied chemistry and psychology but never finished or got their diplomas. Now a little dragon has whispered in my ear that they have put up practice here. I have come to put an end to that. Guards, find med the Flim Flam brothers, which are their real names!”

All of Ponyville was in an uproar. A few ponies galloped with the guards to find Flimp and Flamp, shouting that those scoundrels would get a taste of their own medicine, double dose. The rest stayed, forming a line to see doctor Trulywise. Spike got in line too with Twilight Sparkle and the rest of their little circle of friends. When it was their turn to talk to doctor Trulywise, he smiled at them as if he knew them already.

“Ah, these are the ponies Spike and Rarity wrote to princess Celestia about. I can see why he didn´t want anything to put such fine, good friends down!”

“Was everything Flimp and Flamp said a lie?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “Have we been complete fools about all this?”

“Clever ponies like yourselves are never complete fools. Flim and Flam just took advantage of your will to improve yourself and search for the truth. There was probably an oat grain of truth in everything they told you. Pinkie Pie needs to be more attentive to other people´s needs for privacy. Rarity and Twilight Sparkle may profit from relaxing more and pushing themselves a bit less. Fluttershy could practice being more self assured – for her own sake, not for yours. And Rainbow Dash, it´s not the end of the world if you lose sometimes. Loosing gives you experience and makes you humbler!”

“What about me?” Applejack asked, looking at the doctor from under the brim of her hat. “I did remember something under hypnosis. Something terrible, judging by the look on my friend´s faces when I mention it. I´m not sure I want to know what it is. But should I just let the truth be buried forever? I don´t know what to do!”

Doctor Trulywise put a hoof on her shoulder.

“You are blessed with the best friends a pony could wish for. They know you better than anypony. So maybe you could let them decide what you should know and what is better ´left buried´, as you say?”

They all nodded in agreement.

When everypony had had their moment with doctor Trulywise, princess Celestia spoke again.

“My royal psychiatrist will stay in Ponyville for at month to see everyone who needs it and to make proper statements about their heath. Flim and Flam seem to have escaped, but my guards will find them in time. Rest assured that they will never practice any kind of medicine again. And now: bring in the Brazilian Samba Fillies!”

The sound of drums, someone blowing a merry whistle and a flurry of feathers and sequins appeared in the square. Everypony cheered, for they had never before needed a good samba party as badly as this day. The Samba Fillies were wearing Rarity´s costumes.

Suddenly, in the happy chaos of dancing ponies and spicy hot rhythms, Rarity came up to Spike. He looked up her shapely fetlocks in net stockings, past the gaskins up to the rhinestones glued to her cutiemark. His eyes caressed the curve of her smooth back, up her arched neck ending in the soft point of the poll where golden extensions glittered in her blue mane and finally rested on her silky soft, smiling face with the tempting muzzle. The eyelids of her big, beautiful eyes were shaded with topaz glitter.

“So, what do you think about these costumes? You never answered when I asked you the first time!”

To his surprise, Spike found the right words:

“Rarity, you amazing mare, I´m speechless!”