"Greetings and welcome. I'm Dr. Wolf and this is the Hurting Helpline. If you have a problem and you want to talk about it then call me at Why do you keep looking? Right now I've got Marc Sparker on the line. Marc, you're on the air."

The male voice sounded a little panicky. "Uh, maybe I can work with this. I'm going to be straight to the point. I've got a bunch of people who won't leave me alone. Can you help me out."

"I see. I guess as much as we need good friends to help support us I think we all need some time to ourselves every now and then. I think that we need to figure out why they want to be around you and how we can best work the situation so everybody can be happy."

"Uh, you misunderstand. I was messing with some necromancy... yeah. Zombies."

Doc sighed a bit. "I'm not Doctor Hooves. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, this was just a case of the wrong number. I'll try to find a real reason to call you sooner or later. I bet that this is the first time you've dealt with a guy complaining about zombies."

"I need to introduce you to Aeon of Dreams. Alright, now that the little mix up is done we have Script Singer on the second line. Script, you're on the air."

The voice was soft and weak. "H-hi. I was hoping that you could... Nevermind. You don't want to hear."

"Please Ms. Singer. I want to help you. Just tell me what's on your mind."

"... I was hurt by somebody. I'm still struggling with it to this day. I'm just having so many problems right now. I'm struggling with school, my weight, everything. I even hurt somebody else through my pain. I don't know what to do anymore."

Dr. Wolf could feel her pain and frustration through the phone. He took a deep breath as he tried to calm her down. "I'm so sorry for you. I can't imagine what kind of pain you're going through, but I have dealt with several people who have been hurt by others. I am actually one of them."

"W-what?"

"I had a friend who I tried helping. I trusted him so much, but I learned that he was doing something that was wrong. When I tried to help calm the bystanders down they got mad at me and my friends. It's hard when everybody always expects you to be the one who fixes everything. I was mad at myself for what I said and some people still haven't forgiven me. I can still feel the effects on me and my friends to this day."

She sounded ashamed when she spoke again. "I'm sorry."

"Pain takes time to deal with, and I know that you are in a hard place, but don't give up yet. I know that there are several ponies who are wanting to encourage you to keep going. You have so much to live for. Don't let one pony ruin your life for you."

"It's just so hard."

"Ms. Singer, I'm here for you. If you ever want to talk to somebody about it then come and talk to me. I wish I could spend more time talking with you today, but please don't give up. I have enough time for one more caller, Light Heart. Tell me what's on your mind."

His voice was a little nervous, telling Doc that he was dealing with a fan. "Uh, hey. I didn't plan on calling you, but I had something to get off of my chest. A few months ago somebody... lied to me. Forgive me if I don't give details about it."

"It's alright, but if this happened a long time ago, then why bring it up now?"

"Because for the first couple of months I allowed myself to stay angry at her. It affected how I looked at ponies in general around me. It took me too long to realize that I became the pony in the wrong. She lied to me, but she was hurting. I waited way too long and she didn't get better. I allowed her to sink deeper into depression, and that's something that I struggled with in my life. I should have been the bigger pony and moved on."

"Mr. Heart, I can understand how it feels to have somebody lie to you. I know it always feels easy to get angry, and I've been mad at my own friends at times. One rule that I have in order to keep myself from becoming bitter is that I'm not allowed to stay mad at a pony after the sun sets. I don't hold a grudge and I forgive whoever wronged me, even if they don't deserve it. That doesn't mean that you allow them to walk over you or get away scot-free, but you stop being mad at them. You put away the anger and move forward in your life. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. I realize how bitter I was and how it affected me. I just wish I could have let it go sooner."

"Well, Mr. Heart. I think you know what to do now. Is there anything else that I can do?"

"I think I should apologize now. I haven't made it right yet. Do you mind if I do this on the air?"

"If you are okay with it. Just don't list any names."

"Okay. I know she's listening, but I just want to first say that I'm sorry. I've held a grudge against you for too long. I should have gotten over it and tried helping you again sooner. The second thing is that I forgive you. I don't know if you are truthful about why you did it, but I'm past that. I want to help you get over your depression. Don't make the same choice that I almost made. Thank you for your time Doctor."

"Thank you for calling Light. Before I end tonight I'd like to talk about the value of life. Everybody affects another person for better or worse and in their lives and deaths. Never give up on your life, and always strive to help others. The phrase 'all ponies are created equal' doesn't stand for physical stature or social standing, but the value of life itself. Everybody is valuable, from the princess to the youngest fillies. Always strive to help other ponies to be the best they can be. After all, it's good to be helping."

Author's Note

I made this chapter with a couple of friends in mind. Marc was the first one and he was begging for a chapter with his OC in it. The other one was an older friend who had to deal with depression. Never give up on life and never give up on yourself. This is the most serious chapter I've ever written, but I think a story like this can easily shift into a more serious tone. What do you all think? I still plan on bouncing between a comedy and reminding everybody that Doc is a physiatrist.