Undazzled

by Animegx43

5. A Moment With a Wolf

"So Miss Dazzle. Tell me what's on your mind."

Adagio had put in the effort to not speak to Dr. Wolf at all. She never even considered the possibility that he would try to talk to her. Even worse, or at least it was worse to her, Dr. Wolf had asked her a rather personal question. Adagio took offence to it.

"Wh-who do you think you are?"

"Hmm?" While Dr. Wolf was confused at first, he then remembered where he was, which made him feel embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that I'm not in my office."

"Office? What, are you an actual doctor?" Adagio asked. Immediately after, she hit herself in the face. Wow, that's a dumb question. I felt like Sonata for a second there.

"Yes, though I've always seen myself as more of a problem solver. Not problems like what a mysterious lump is or anything like that, because that would fall under the purview of conundrums of medicine." Dr. Wolf explained. "I solve people problems. Well...pony problems ever since I moved here."

For a second time in under a minute, Adagio felt stupid because of who she was talking to. She was used to being the smart one. "English, Doc."

For the sake of Adagio's brain, she was giving a simpler explanation "I'm a talk therapist. Ponies will come meet with me with problems they may have in their lives, and I try to help them figure something out."

So he allows poor shmucks with bad lives come pay him to hear why their lives sucks? Wow. If I was still a siren, I could've gotten paid to eat.

"Oh my, I appear to have gotten ahead of myself. Please. Tell me about yourself."

Adagio had wanted to get some alone time and didn't want to talk to anyone. Particularly, her band mates. If it was anyone else in the world who sat on the park bench with her, she would've either had them silenced or have them leave. She had poor social skills in that regard.

Dr. Wolf was the exception. After letting him talk, she didn't feel angry enough to snap at him since he didn't do anything to warrant it. He was a nice breath of fresh air when compared to Aria and Sonata. She decided that the worst that could happen would be that she didn't like him.

"I happen to be the lead singer of a trio. I am quite certain that I am the greatest singer in Equestria." Adagio boasted.

"Oh! You must be the one I've been listening to from my office. You sounded beautiful." Dr. Wolf complimented. "Although, me and my nieces all agreed you probably could've done better."

HE THINKS I COULD'VE DONE BETTER!? Adagio angrily thought, as she was immediately ready explode after hearing such a thing. But then, after thinking about the tone Dr. Wolf said it, she realized that he genuinely meant it. "Wait, so you think I could do better?"

"I certainly heard potential and skill, but I also felt a lack of passion. It seemed as though you didn't sing from the heart. Tell me, Miss Dazzle. What is your primary motivation for singing?"

Again, he's asking questions like these. I guess it's hard to turn down a free therapy session. Even before my budget crisis, that would've been too much to pay for.

Adagio thought about the idea of telling Dr. Wolf the truth of her origins. Since the reason she sang was much different than why any other pony would sing, it would be important to talk about her past history to answer the question. She wouldn't have continued on if she didn't trust the wolf she was talking too.

"What if I told you that I'm not actually a pony?" Adagio asked.

"That's quite alright. I'm not one either." Dr. Wolf answered, which was followed by a light chuckle.

Adagio, however, was not amused. "Have you ever heard of.." She hesitated. She gave herself one last chance not to reveal herself. It was a chance she didn't take. "Have you ever heard of a siren?"

"A siren? Hmm...sirens...that does sound familiar. It's a fairy tale creature, is it not?"

"Basically, it's what I am. I use my beautiful singing voice and my magic to become adored while pitting others against themselves."

"Oh, my! I'm starting to see why the police may be after you."

EEK! I said to much! Adagio worried.

In any case, the doctor continued asking questions. "So your motivation is to be admired? Is that it?"

"Of course not! Yes, I thrive on others admiring me, but that's only one many things. My magic used to grow strong from the negativity of others, and I could practically control those fools with my voice. I know it sounds like a petty reason, but my motivation has always been power!"

While she had effectively said every single thing she should not have said about a siren, Dr. Wolf didn't listen to it as nonsense, nor did it appear that he was afraid of what he heard. It was clear to Adagio that he was genuinely interested in everything he was hearing.

Okay, so he's a good listener. I hope he also know to keep that mouth shut.

After he wrapped his head around everything he heard and composed his thoughts, Dr. Wolf was ready to hear more, but not before asking a question. Something about Adagio's story felt off.

"Correct me if I'm wrong. Did you say that your magic used to grow strong?"

Before Adagio continued on, as it was a question she didn't want to answer, a thought occurred to her. "You seem a little too relaxed about the things I've said." Adagio claimed.

"Yes, well...I've seen many weird things go on in this town. Three headed dog attacks, magic stealing monsters, and giant crystal castle emerging from the ground. I would've been surprised if you were an ordinary pony."

I'm still surprised that I became a pony at all.

"Getting back on topic, please tell me what you meant by how you used to grow strong. Is it something that's unique to these sirens you spoke of?" Dr. Wolf asked.

This time, Adagio was expected to answer the question. It was a topic that she used to take great pride in. Causing disharmony and misery using her siren magic, then feed off the negativity to grow stronger. She led a good life, but it was all taken away from her. Those were not happy thoughts for the now unicorn pony.

"You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to." Dr. Wolf said.

She was given permission not to say anything more. She felt uncomfortable thinking about how her life had suddenly gone to Tartarus, but she figured that she would feel even worse if she just bottled up her feelings. She had an opportunity to vent some steam and she wanted to take it.

"It happened a couple of months ago, back when I was still a siren. I had reached the peak of my magical capabilities! It was like an ecstasy of power!" Adagio said, remembering the feeling she had when she was at her prime. This was a mistake since it made her feel worse shortly after. "But then...ugh...I lost it all to Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer."

"Miss Sparkle, huh? I guess you really are evil...err, I mean...tell me more." Dr. Wolf said awkwardly. "Uhh...what exactly did Twilight do?"

Oh, what DIDN'T she do? Adagio thought, getting angry as a result. "She changed my life for the worst. These have been the worst times I have ever had to face! It's only been recently when I finally got my singing voice back that I've started to get my life back!"

Dr. Wolf didn't say a word. He kept his eyes on Adagio and listened to every word she said.

"She and her stupid friends defeated me with the magic of friendship or some dumb thing like that and took all of my magic away! I lost my following, I couldn't make money anymore, and I was only a month away from becoming homeless."

"I'm sure Miss Sparkle wouldn't have done that to you on purpose."

"WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON!?"

When Adagio raised her voice, she startled her new wolf friend. Adagio was on edge for a moment, but after she realized what she had done, she stood still, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down. When Dr. Wolf saw that she didn't mean to be hostile, he was able to calm down as well.

"Please. Continue." Dr. Wolf requested.

As requested, Adagio continued her rant. "Ever since my encounter with...her, my life hasn't been so easy. I only had one more month before I wouldn't be able to pay the rent. That's why I decided to come here to Eques...to Ponyville."

"Because your rent was due and couldn't pay it?"

"No. Actually, I still have a month before I actually have to pay it again."

Dr. Wolf was left confused once again by Adagio's actions. As he organized his thoughts, he silently took off his glasses to clean them. Adagio didn't even realized he was wearing them until he took them off. Between Dr. Wolf's glasses, purple suit, and soothing voice, It made her realize just how sophisticated he looked.

But even after handling his thoughts, he was still confused. "I don't understand. Why would you move here if you still had a home to go to? Surely your living arrangements has been even worse ever since coming to Ponyville."

"You don't know the half of it. I struggled to get the money I needed to get a motel room last night. I'm not entirely sure how I'll be getting it for tonight."

"That just makes the same question a more curious one. Why would you leave a secured shelter in favor of coming to Ponyville?"

Oh, ho ho ho...I don't even need to think about that.

Adagio had been motivated to reach the same goal she always had ever since she was an evil siren. There had yet to be a force that would stop her from being motivated to reach that goal.

"Where I came from, there was no magic for me to use, and with no magic, I can't possibly achieve my dream. I plan on having the entire world recognize my name and face and be adored by all! I want nothing less than fame and admiration! Even if Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer tried to, nothing will stop me from achieving my life long dream!"

Her speech on what drove her forward was a heart-filled one. Adagio said it all with great passion and displayed her determination to Dr. Wolf. She didn't realize until she said it all just how comfortable she was at the time. If Aria and Sonata didn't already know her dream, she probably wouldn't of told even them about it.

With how excited Adagio got, she didn't notice right away that Dr. Wolf didn't share the same happy smile. He avoided eye contact as he organized his thoughts. He had a worrisome look on his face that he didn't want Adagio to see. She heard him make a few depressing sounding sighs and a little bit of mumbling, but she didn't catch any actual words.

Throughout the entire conversation, Dr. Wolf sounded as though he knew precisely how to respond with everything Adagio said. That changed when she brought up her dreams. He proceeded to talk with Adagio with much more caution from that moment on.

"Tell me, Adagio. This dream of fame and fortune...just how badly do you wish to make it reality? Is it really worth abandoning your home?"

Angered again, Adagio didn't realized that there was even any question about it. "Are you kidding me? I made greater sacrifices a long time ago. I've put up with too much garbage as is. I wouldn't hesitate to give up every earthly possession I have to make that dream a reality."

Dr. Wolf shook his head, disagreeing with Adagio's actions. "But here, you actually did give up all of your earthly possessions, all for the sake of a chance to make your dream come true."

Adagio narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at?"

Dr. Wolf then took off his glasses once more, but this time, he did it to rub his eyes. He was getting ready to talk about a topic that he didn't actually want to talk about. But, for the sake of helping Adagio, he was willing to take a small step out of his comfort zone.

"From what I can get from you, I assume you are a selfish pony."

"Why thank you." Adagio replied.

"So I assume that you may not realize that you aren't the only one who has dreams? Talk to anyone in Ponyville, and I'm sure they'll all tell you about dreams they had a certain dream ever since their childhood."

I guess that's something I've never really thought or cared about. I wonder if Aria or Sonata have any dreams. Adagio asked herself. Meh. Who cares?

"Allow me to speak on behalf of those ponies when I say: I too had...have...had dreams." Dr. Wolf explained, though he couldn't decide on his choice of words. "I am a fully grown adult now, but I have not yet achieved that dream of mine."

"Why not? You seem like someone who can get things done. You seem more competent than at least two other individuals I know."

"He he...I'm flattered." Dr. Wolf said, thanking Adagio. "In many ways, I envy you, Miss Dazzle. Not just because a pony like you have your cutie marks on your flanks to tell you what you're good at, but because you yourself are very confident in what you are capable of."

At first, Adagio had no idea what he was talking about. For the first time since coming to Equestria, she looked back on her flank and noticed that her singing talent was actually tattooed on her legs. The G-clef covered by the yellow gem perfectly described her ambition to sing and to shine for the world. Looking at it, Adagio felt more confident in her goals than ever before.

After Adagio finished looking at her flank with pride, Dr. Wolf continued. "You already know where you want your place in the world to be. I tried to make my dreams a reality, but after some trial and error, I found myself unable to reach that goal. But what really brought me down...something that still bothers me today...is that I had to accept the facts. Sometimes, hard work and determination won't make dreams come true. Sure, I still think about what could've been, but I've also learned how to move on without my dreams."

I've seen ponies go to war with each other because of my influence and watched them for my entertainment. Adagio remembered. How dare this dog successfully make me feel sorry for someone! Yet again...I guess he's the first guy in pain that I've ever actually talked too.

As Adagio felt sad for Dr. Wolf, she had a question for him. "Why would you give up on your dreams like that? Why couldn't you stay tenacious?"

"I could've been if I wanted too I suppose. I could've tried to keep going to make my dream come true, but if I did, I probably would've ended up in the same boat you are. No offence."

"None tak---HEY, WAIT A SECOND!" Adagio said angrily. "What boat am I in?"

Even though Adagio got angry, Dr. Wolf didn't let it startle him a second time. "Let's see if I can summarize your situation. You have faced a scenario where you can no longer reach your end goal due to Princess Twilight. You gave up a home to come here in hopes of reaching that goal, even though there's a good chance that you won't reach it. Do you understand where I'm getting at?"

Adagio knew exactly where Dr. Wolf was getting at, but she didn't like it. "How dare you." She said firmly. "How...DARE YOU...to tell me that I should give up on my dreams!"

"I'm not trying to say that you should give up on your dreams. I'm saying you should reconsider your approach. You have given up more than you should in an attempt to keep this dream alive. You've reached a point that I myself feared to have reached. I've learned to strive forward without my old dreams. Today, I'm a part of a loving family, made lots of friends, and am helping others. I still think about my dreams from time to time, and as depress as I may get..."

After talking about dreams as much as he did, Dr. Wolf started to look depressed in Adagio's eyes. Never before did Adagio feel a strange combination of anger and pity. Although he had such a depressing look on his face, he went on.

"I will tell you something many have told me, Adagio. You have great talent, and you should never waste any of it." He said as he tried to build Adagio's confidence. "Now here's something I will personally tell you. While a dream may never have been meant to come true, you can still live an amazing life. You may not be able to acquire the power you desire, but I know that you will be able to achieve something that will make you happy."

As he continued on, he reached for Adagio's hoof and held onto it with both paws. He spoke from the heart, but he also wanted to look straight into Adagio's eyes. Not with his own eyes, but again, with his heart.

"I know you can. You can still achieve something that can make you special. Even if they can't all make their dreams come true, everyone, and I mean everyone, can always make a difference."

Adagio had heard the single saddest thing she had ever heard in her life. After hearing how such a kind person had struggled, she was told, in the nicest way possible, that for her well being, she should give up on world conquest and just sing for the sake of singing. It was a lot to hear come from something as small as Dr. Wolf.

She had spent her entire life acquiring power and was the first to admit that she lost it all. Her dream had made her hungry, homeless, and have nowhere to go. She also remembered that she had brought Aria and Sonata to the same boat she was in. They all had nothing to their name.

But even when reality stared Adagio in the face, she was undeterred. She knew what she wanted and she refused to let go.

"Well Fido, it's been nice talking to you, but I think I've heard enough for now."

"Very good then. Would you like to schedule a meeting with me so we could talk more about this, Miss Dazzle?" Dr. Wolf asked.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. I'm done talking to you. Period!" Adagio said with a hint of rage. "I'm not going to let someone tell me what I can or can't do."

"You are absolutely right. I, nor anyone for that matter, can tell you what you are capable of doing. For that exact reason, you have to be able to know what you're capable of doing. Once you do, it will become easier to see the path to happiness."

Adagio was done hearing what Dr. Wolf had to say. She was tired of his soothing voice and the things the voice was saying. Without another, she hopped off of the bench and started to make her way back into town without saying even a goodbye.

"Oh! And remember! If you do need someone to talk to, you can always talk to a friend. Myself included."

Adagio gave the wolf a final look before walking away. The first thing that came to mind when she was offered the final piece of advice was Aria and Sonata, but those were the last two she'd want to talk about such a matter. But like every thing else Dr. Wolf said, it was something that quickly stuck into Adagio's head.

With Adagio gone and having no one else to talk to, Dr. Wolf went back to doing what he had done before he met his new friend: feeding the ducks in the pond. As he prepared to do just that, he noticed that something was missing.

"Strange. The bag of breadcrumbs Miss Fluttershy leaves are gone." it didn't even take him a second after to realize where the bag went. He deduced that they left when Adagio left. "Hmm...I hope she either makes that dream of hers a reality, or realize that she shouldn't."

He felt sad for Adagio, but knew he did all he could to help her for the time being. Feeling hopeful for the mare, he took a long, deep breath as he held his chest. Then, he brought his arm out as he exhaled. After which, he felt much more relaxed.

"It's good to be helping."

Author's Note:

This chapter, and the whole story in a way, was inspired by this video made by Dr. Wolf: This sad video. :(

I won't lie. After I finished this, I kind of hesitated to upload this chapter simply because of what video it was inspired from. Because of how vague Dr. Wolf was, I wasn't 100% sure how sensitive a topic like this could've been. I wrote this with only the most amount of respect to him.

PS: Yes, I know how bad my editing skills are when it comes to grammar and whatnot. You are free to point out any mistakes I missed and I will fixed them on the spot (and will thank you for it), but don't tell me to find a proof reader unless you're a volunteer. A recent, particularly bad comment really ticked me off regarding it, so sorry for sounding mean..

Comments

[Dirty Bit]

That Team Fortress 2 reference

This was a slightly heartwarming chapter.

[Aria H Discordia]

nice breath of fresh share

Think you mean fresh air.

While had effectively said every single thing she

I think there should be a 'she' after 'while'.

She had a opportunity to vent

That 'a' should be an 'an'.

he silent took off his glasses to clean them.

'Silent' should be 'silently'.

started to look depress

I think you mean 'depressed'.

Looking forward to more.

[Animegx43]

5542026 Aria is best grammar checker.

I just wish I didn't make such mistakes. The fresh air one in particular makes me want to kick my own ass.

[Animegx43]

5542001 Then you will LOVE this Watch this.

And thank you. I was going for a more emotional chapter. In fact, the last two will be too.

[Aria H Discordia]

5542123 Don't beat yourself up about it . Just remember that when you make mistakes your friends will be there to point them out and make you feel bad make sure you do better in the future.

[Dirty Bit]

5542136 Oh it was also emotional, especially when Dr. Wolf brought up on how hard work and dedication don't always help folks accomplish their dreams.

[jidbrony]

I want Dr.Wolf to do a Moment with Dr.Wolf with all the MLP Antagonist, especially Discord, Luna and Sunset Shimmer...especially Sunset Shimmer.

[Animegx43]

5544493 Who knows. He's ben doing it for the mane 6, so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

[DRWolf]

Rather interesting take on a meeting between Adagio and DRWolf. And reading through this now, I can understand why you wanted to make this kind of story.

[Animegx43]

5622510 I was just worried that the subject matter would've been too sensitive due to it being based on one of your more emotional videos, but I'm glad that it didn't bother you. Thank you very much for reading it.

[Catyusha]

Well, all in all it is a decent story, but the wolf killed it for me. He just doesn't fit in.