Ponyville The Doctor is In -- Sweetie's Help Desk [Open]

[SteelEagle]

 

Valen laughed as Sweetie played along, and she did so well. It was always so charming when ponies played along but didn't go overboard with it, like one of his friends who took all the jokes and turned them up to eleven. Sweetie Belle was such a charming filly that she played and she didn't make it seem silly or a waste of time. Plus she was a good little actress- and that always helped, especially as he paid close attention to her face. It was a wonderful thing to be fixated on, was it not? It was. In any case, Valen caressed the horn he had pulled off as he considered what to tell her. She didn't know why anypony would want to follow him around, and certainly not the papparazi. Luckily, she had prepared a ready-made excuse from him. Sometimes, even the losers get lucky.

“Hmm, Apple Bloom told me something about that- but I'm sure you have more details. I heard it was...what was her phrase...a real hootinany. As for this number, yes! I am going to go as-” thinking, “Jeweled Star, one of the best unicorn models out there. Of course I have a few pieces to go, but it is a nice start I think. Think I pull it off well?” He said, striking a pose. After a moment he relaxed. “It was either that or a pirate, but I went as a pirate last year. What are you going as this year?” He allowed her response before he nodded, “as for why I am here today, I just saw this booth. I just wanted to know what color I should wear with this. You know, since you're Rarity's sister and all I bet you know almost as well as she knows!”

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie giggled softly at Valen's posturing.  "As well as any Hearth's Warming costume, I guess!" she said.  "Oooo, well, it was going to be a secret, but if you're telling me yours ... "  She leaned forward over the counter and whispered, "I'm going as a fancy old-fashioned noblemare, actually.  Rarity's almost done with the dress, with all the frills and a big wig, and lots and lots of skirts."

She grinned excitedly, then blinked at Valen's question.  She was a bit torn.  On one hoof, she was puffed up that somepony was coming to HER for fashion advice!  But on the other hoof...  "Oh.  Well, not much of a psychologish question, but... hmmm... you're just going as the model?  I suppose green goes well with red... they're on the opposite sides of the color wheel, and that's supposed to work, right?  But more than that, you should wear one of her signature looks, I guess.  Otherwise you're just a red pony, and nopony will know who you're going as.  But ... and I know this isn't the question you asked ... but you're just going as a model?  That's all right, if it's what you want ... but I think ... well ... you should go bigger, for Nightmare Night.  With that coloration, you could be... um... the actress Cat Griffin, for instance.  I always thought her name was a funny name for a pony... but, in her role as Magical Filly Mars Power!  you could even make like, red and orange streamers, and use those for her fire magic!"

​

[SteelEagle]

 

Old fashioned noblemare worked for Sweetie Belle. She had a bit of that old-fashioned earnestness and naivety that gave noblemares in their youth that good old touch of charm that made them so irresistible a caricature. The stuffy types might have been the hallmark of the older mares who played their emotional games, but an honest, earnest belief in what was being done here and now? That was all Sweetie Belle, and it was outrageously transfixing. Plus she would look good in the outfit. “Ooh, good choice. I can see that going very well, m'lady,” Valen said with an exaggerated bow, almost hitting his head on the table in the process. He recovered well, fronting a smile.

Onto his costume. She was correct about the color wheel, but then she mentioned a more intriguing possibility for a costume. Cat Griffin? He had never heard of her. He'd probably seen her in something, but he didn't have a great handle on names. Magical Filly Mars Power? Not the one he'd pick, but she was a good enough. It was one of his many hidden likes, but the Magical Filly series was good, clean fun. Magical Filly Neptune Power was more his style, and he thought he'd look better in that guise. But this wasn't his idea, anyway. It was Sweetie's., and Mars Power was in the top three anyway. It would be god to wear something during Nightmare Night he actually wanted.

“Oooh, Mars Power? I was thinking Neptune Power myself, but Mars is good. I could help getting it all together, though. How about...tomorrow, at the Boutique?”

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie gave a shy little grin at Valen's polite compliments, squirming on her little stool.  Then, as he went on, she let out an excited noise.  "Yeah, you've got the mane for Neptune Power!  I was just thinkin' cause you had the red coat dye there you'd do Mars.  But if you don't mind not using the red dye, Neptune's perfect!"  She gave a shy little grin at his suggestion they meet up to work on his costume together.  "Sounds good.  It's a date!" she chirped up shyly.  "I'll bring Prince Blueblood's book on dresses!"

She cleared her throat, then, and straightened up.  "Now, um, Mister Valen, is that all the Psychiatrical assistance you needed?"
 

​

[SteelEagle]

 

Ahh, there we go. Now everything was prepared. To make betters even better, the paparazzi had broken up into smaller groups, which as a pack animal meant they'd soon disperse entirely. So not only had he been able to have a pleasant conversation with Sweetie Belle, getting an even better Nightmare Night costume idea out of it, but the main goal of watching the press leave his trail was accomplished. This was one successful day! And she even squirmed. How adorable. He was lucky that the other colt who had invited her to some party or the other hadn't shown back up, because he was seeing the reason why just about anypony who knew Sweetie Belle loved Sweetie Belle.

“That will be all for now, I believe. Unless I suffer some form of massive conflict on the way home, at least.. I'll see you tomorrow Sweetie. Have fun with your help desk! Bye!” Valen waved and trotted away, eager to go to sleep so tomorrow would come all the faster. It would turn out to be a busy day! And with those thoughts heady, he went about preparing for it!

(Exit)
 

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie Belle was *so happy* that her sweetheart Valen had come by to visit her!  She knew he'd been worried about something lately, but she knew they could work it out.  If all those friendship lessons her big sis and her friends had been doing had taught her anything, it was that you could solve ANYTHING by being friends!

But now it was time to help out other ponies!  She smiled up to the next pony in line.  "Mister Waddles, it's time for your appointment!" she chirped up merrily!

The line:
Mojo (Mr. Waddles)
Spike (Robikku Pegasus)
Dark Core (Dubstep)

Special Line:

Ruby Pinch (Imagination)

(When Magi gets back, Ruby goes to the front of the line)

​

[Mojo]

The elderly stallion slowly moved up to Sweetie Belle's stand.

 

"Well, Miss Sweetie Belle, it's like this," Mr. Waddles said, "I have a granddaughter who is now at that, well, awkward age.  She's growing up so fast.  I could remember like it was yesterday when she was crawling on the floor and neighing her first words.  Today, she's nearly a mare.  Her birthday is coming up, she's much too old for dolls.  I am in a dilemma, I don't know what to buy her!  Could you please give me some advice, young filly?  Do you have any suggestions for the perfect birthday present for her?"

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie Belle rubbed at her chin thoughtfully... "Hrmmm... not so much a psycho-thera-putty-cal question ... as just some advice, but that's all right!  I'm all right with giving advice, too!"  She looked up at Mr Waddles with consideration... "Well, it's hard to say ... girls can be so different from each other.  Each one likes something different... but if I had to say, the best gift to get isn't something in a box, but the chance to spend time with the ponies you love.  So if you really want to get her the perfect birthday present, then take her shopping!  She can pick out her own gift, and you can spend time together at the same time!"

​

[Mojo]

Mr Waddle's eyes brightened.

 

"Take her shopping!  Let her pick out her own gift!  What a brilliant suggestion!" the elderly Earth stallion neighed.

 

"Oh thank you, thank you young filly!  You are indeed wise beyond your years!"

 

The idea made Mr Waddles so happy, he jumped for joy!  Well, as high as a stallion his age could jump.  Leaving her a bit tip on her desk, the elderly stallion turned to gallop away, but could only move at a faster, walking pace. 

 

(Exit)

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie Belle beamed happily.  She was getting to help so many ponies!  And Mr. Waddle's joyful capering - in his own slow, old-pony way - made her little heart swell.  She was so glad she could help him and his granddaughter out.  She was lucky to have such a loving grandpa!  She wiped a little tear from her eye, and smiled happily as she tucked away the bit.  As nice as it was to have that little bit, helping him out and seeing him so happy made the bit almost seem ... unimportant!

 

Finally, though, she turned to the next in line.  "Miz Rubidon Q. Pinch?  Doctor Sweetie Belle will be happy to see you, now!"

​

 

The line:

Spike (Robi)

Dark Core (Dubstep)

[Imagination]

Rubidon Q. Pinch? Was that her name in this timeline? She had to play it cool... Maybe if she didn't play along the universe would get torn apart or something!

 

"Hi! Thanks! I came at... some point... to ask you about stuff because you're super duper smart, but now whatever it was doesn't matter because I have an even BIGGER problem!" she squeaked to the good doctor, leaning in close on the stand with desperation in her eyes.

 

"I think my brain is teleporting!"

 

Of course once she said it out loud, she knew how crazy it sounded. "B-But let me explain! See, it's like this, I thought about how this could be the start of you getting your psychology cutie mark and you could be a super duper famous therapist! But then I realized that when I told ponies that I saw you in the past, that would mean right now! But I would be saying that in the present at THAT time, but that time is the future from right now, but right now is the future's past, and... and... that means that right now we're in the past? But it's not the past, it's right now! But I said right now before so we're in the future!!"

 

She just sat down, defeated.

 

"You have to help me, doctor! I don't want to teleport! I like right now!"

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie Belle shook her head rapidly left and right, feeling a bit confused by that rapid-fire set of explanations... "OK ... so ... if I understand you correctly, then ... Now you're thinking of saying it soon, which will make now, then.  And that now would be soon from now, but soon the now will be soon.  Then keeps staying then, but now becomes then, and soon becomes now.  And the now that we were just talking about is already then.  And even before this sentence finishes, now isn't now, because soon is now, and now is then?"

She pondered a little bit.

"I don't think you're teleporting.  If you walk across the street, here becomes there, and there becomes here, but you can only do it one step at a time.  Right?  Even if you know you're going to get there, it's still just there.  Sure, with each step, here changes and becomes back there, but you can't get to there unless you take all the steps between here and there.  So even though there eventually becomes here, and here becomes back there, you don't teleport from back there to there.  It's just a succession of heres."

"Same thing with time.  Sure, now becomes soon, but only one second at a time.  So now keeps changing, second by second, but it's still not going to reach soon until you take each 'now' second between now and soon.  It's like walking through time, except by seconds instead of steps!  From then to soon is a succession of nows."

She frowned uncertainly.  "Did I say that right?  Hold on, I think I have some paper and crayons in here somewhere."  She ducked under the stand, rummaging through her things.

​

[Imagination]

Poor Pinchy was tearing up when Sweetie tried to rationalize her dilemma at first. She hoped she wasn't going to put her friend and classmate through the same crisis! What if everypony was going through this, but were just too polite to say something? What if the fabric of space and time was dissolving and this was the result?!

 

But then, relief, as the good doctor made sense of what the silly filly could not:

 

"I don't think you're teleporting."

​

 

She sniffled, rubbing at her shimmering eye and finally showing some calm at Sweetie's stand. "R-Really...?"

 

She listened to Dr. Belle's explanation. It made sense to her... in a way. Walking takes time, and she guessed locations kindof did the same thing. There becomes here when you go there, just like how then becomes now... This was probably the first time she ever actually thought about time as a sequence of ordered events. She always just kindof took it for granted. When you were as busy as Pinchy, time wasn't something you thought about... unless you were out of it and your mother had to call you inside for bedtime. Did she make a mountain out of an anthill?

It did help her feel better, and a little embarrassed. Seemed like it was just her wild imagination getting the better of her. It wasn't the first time it happened, that's for sure. 

 

But, the prospect of getting to observe Sweetie make a diagram of how time worked was certainly something she wanted to stick around for. Even if it was common sense, Ruby was glad she had a friend who took what she thought to be a problem seriously. Any other pony probably would've been a little mean about it.

 

But why worry about that, crayons are fun! If only she knew how to pick them up with magic. Wait! THAT'S what she originally came here for! Magic advice!

 

Oh, but she didn't want to make Sweetie think Pinchy had wasted her time. She sat quietly and politely. If the opportunity presented itself, maybe she could ask about that. But she did have a line of patients waiting to see her.

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie Belle pulled out some sheets of scratch paper and a box of crayons, and pondered over the infinite possibility of the blank paper before her.  How to present this?  She took the black crayon in her mouth, tapping it against her nose as she pondered...

She drew a line across the page.  "OK, see here?  This is how most ponies think of time.  You just... start here... and end here!  Nice and straight."

She took out a blue crayon.  "But ... like your eyes can see across the street, your imagination can see across time!  So when you're thinking about what's going to happen, your imagination can see here..."  She drew a blue arc over the black line, touching a point in the future.  "So it feels like your brain is in the future, even though it's still in the now, because your imagination is seeing one possible future!"  She took a purple crayon and drew a little stick-pony at one end of the arc.  "You're here," she taps the other.  "And you're seeing here.  But also ... " with another blue crayon, she drew an arc below the black line to connect to the past.  "Your memory can see to the past, even though your brain's still here right now.  But this is where it gets tricky..."

She pulled out a red crayon.  "OK.  So cause and effect, right?  Ponies think that cause comes first, effect comes afterwards, right?  Like, you do something here..."  she tapped in the past... "And it makes something happen here," she tapped the little stick-pinchy.  "But because your imagination can see the future... let's say there's a pie teetering on the edge of a table.  You look at the future with your imagination, and you see that in one possible future, that pie plate might fall!"  She drew a little red pie going 'splat' in the future.  "So right now, you go and you move the pie plate to the middle of the table instead of the edge!  So now there's no change for the pie to fall off the table..."  She took the black crayon again, and drew a second line off of the first, from where Pinchy is.  "So you have a different future now!  In this case, the cause was in the future, and the effect was in the future's past, which is right now!"

And with that, she went to town.  She drew more black lines, more little stick-pinchies, more blue arcs and little doodles and stuff... "OK.  So here, you see.... let's say this is now.  You see a pie falling here in the future, which makes you save it before it falls in the past, making this different future where the spoon falls instead, so you don't put out the spoons until everypony's ready to eat, making this different future, so the future cause makes an effect in the past which means you're in a different time here, where a past cause makes a different future event, so when you look in the future again, it causes another cause, which changes an effect now.  So you see, causes and effects can happen all over the place!"  She looked down at the mess of lines on the paper, and turned it around towards Pinchy.

"But no matter where all those causes and effects and imaginations and memories were happening, you, Pinchy, and your brain, stayed right here in the now, which just keeps slowly moving along the black line one second at a time.  You're not unstuck in time, from what you've told me.  You're just using the incredible power of the imagination!"

​

[Imagination]

She followed the diagram as best she could, though had to put most of her energy into not reaching for the crayons and drawing something herself.

 

Thankfully, the presentation itself had plenty to draw her attention. For instance, a pie being in danger! She physically gasped when Sweetie Belle brought up the possibility of it falling, another example of that imagination at work. The poor red pie on the paper! But it was okay, because Pinchy's imagination saved the day and moved the pie! Right?

 

"... So... So the pie's okay...?" she asked, her voice teetering off as she was thought it would be a stupid question at this point.

 

But, moving on! 

 

So now the pie wasn't a problem, it was spoons! Spoons everywhere! And her mother was going to make her clean them!

'You never know where the floor has been' she always says, and she doesn't want little Pinchy to get sick. About to ask another question, the diagram was turned for her to look at it right-side up as Sweetie finished her little explanation. 

So she's just imagining things? That makes things a lot simpler. Much much simpler than ripping a hole in the space-time-continuum. 

 

"Oooooooh... My mommy tells me I have a wild imagination sometimes, so I guess this is what she was talking about... I just like to have fun!"

Reaching over the counter, she gave her classmate a big, grateful, fluffy hug. "Thank you thank you THANK YOU!"

 

This is a free consultation, right...?

[Bramble Rose]

Ohmigosh!  Hugs!  That was even better than bits!  Sweetie let out a little *squee* and hugged her wonderful friend Pinchy back as tightly as she could!  "Oh, I'm just so glad I could help!"  And wow, this therapeauty thing was easy!  "And don't worry, the pie's fine!  I don't think there's such a thing as a bad pie.  Oh!  I should totally make a pie for you sometime!  My dad loves my pies!  And everytime I make a pie, the fireponies all come over!  I should make some extra pies for them, sometime, too.  Anyway.  Forget the pies!  I'm glad you feel so much better.  Was there anything else I can help you with, Pinchy?"

​

[Imagination]

((Very sorry for the wait!!!!! D:))

 

Since Sweetie Belle had helped Pinchy overcome her own imagination, there probably wasn't much more she needed help with in any aspect!

 

At least until it ran wild again. But the road to recovery is all about babysteps. 

 

That at wasn't important right now, though. Sweetie offered to make her a pie! She loved pie! "That would be so great! You should come by the vineyard sometime! It would be so much fun!"

 

She gasped, her mind flooding with ideas of glorious friendship and gal time! "We could exchange pies! Or bake one ourselves!!" At this point she realized she was probably clinging to her friend a bit longer than appropriate, so she released the helpful unicorn and grinned, practically bouncing with job.

 

"I'll see you later, Sweetie Belle! Good luck!" She called as she slipped away to continue on with her merry day.

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie Belle gasped, her eyes alight.  "ohmigosh!  PIE EXCHANGE!  We should get everyone to bake pies, and have a pie party where we all trade pies and eat pies and OHMIGOSH that would be so wonderful!"  She hugged her friend Pinchy again, letting out another little *squee*, grinning broadly as she watched her friend leave.

This was so satisfying!  Ponies coming in scared, and leaving happy.  This really was the best job ever!  She carefully put her serious face back on, checking her mane and straightening up in her seat, and putting away the crayons and paper.  Important therapy tools, those!

"Mister Spike, Doctor Belle will see you, now!"

[SunsetSombra]

Spike had almost gotten a little too distracted with the goings on around that he almost forgot to keep track of where he was...so when sweetie got around to calling for him, he found himself a little briefly surprised and flustered at getting caught unawares. " OH, Right...I was here for a reason! " he mutters to himself before making his way to the help desk to settle himself down in order to handle this most delicate of matters that had been of consideration as of late.

" This is a great idea, sweetie belle! " Spike started, deciding to do a little casual smalltalk before gettin' to the nitty gritty of it all. " I mean, there's always a pony around here who needs some help or other, so...the fact that you've decided to do something like this is really nice - and hopefully you can help me with my own, uh...little dillemma! " The dragon starts, scratching the back of his head a little as he attempted to consider the best way of stating what it was that he had come out here to actually ask the l'il filly in regards to his own personal quandry.

" See, I wanna get a present for Rarity - No real reason, really, it just feels like something I SHOULD do...  " Spike starts, giving a small anxious chuckle. " Except I've kinda been having some troubles about what I should get... "  Spike gives a light shrug as he looks back at the youngster and clears his throat a little, trying his best to get the 'question' out there. " Got any ideas? I'm...uh...not sure what I should do! "

[Bramble Rose]

"Oh, thank you so much, Spike!  That's so nice of you to say!"  She gave a great big, shy little grin at being so complimented.  Few ponies were ever so enthusiastic in telling her that her ideas were good ones!  

Oooooooo, gifts.  "Well, that sounds like advice more than psycho-lyctical issues, but that's all right, I love helping!"  She frowned and tapped at her chin.  "Gifts... gifts... gifts... that's always so hard.  Especially for Rarity, cause she's got so much already!  And she likes everything to be exactly as she put it.  Hrmmm... "

She let out a soft *whew*.  "I actually rarely get gifts for her, myself.  She's so hard to shop for!  What I usually do is make her a surprise breakfast!  It's supposed to be a breakfast in bed, but she always seems to sense when I'm in the kitchen and shows up, no matter how early I get started.  That's what I do for my parents, too!  Though they're more likely to stay in bed til I bring it."

She rubbed a little bit more at her chin, jutting it out a bit to show the depth of her consideration... "Ahhh, buuut... you know, I seem to remember Rarity once saying, 'The only way roses can offend is in their absence.'  So I guess you could get her roses?  Oh!  And cupcakes!  Cupcakes are always good.  And candy!"