//------------------------------//
// Day One 
// Story: The Joke 
// by JarlPypBoi 
//------------------------------//

     I had been reorganizing my files when a nurse had trotted in and notified me that my patient had arrived earlier than expected for the appointment. To make the room more welcoming, I’d quickly stashed my loose papers into a drawer. Just as the nurse had notified, two unicorns stepped into my office. The younger of the two was Hardly, and the older was obviously his mother, Mrs. Smiles. Mrs. Smiles had a green coat and a short yellow mane. She was nervously smiling and apologizing for being so early, which was odd, considering she was just as nervous as my late patients. I noticed her cutie mark--a small book in the shape of a bunny. It seems to be a running theme in the family--Hardly’s cutie mark turned out to be a book as well. He didn't seem impressed with my office, however, and looked lost in his own world.
After the formalities, we decided to do a quick physical check-up, to which Hardly appeared average. I decided to do a quick one-on-one session, but it was strange, to say the least.
"So, Hardly, why do you think you're here?"
"Because father," he’d replied unsteadily, twisting his hooves.
"Why would your father want you here?"
The words "it’s... can't... why... " was all I could make from his mumbling. With every question he became increasingly nervous, so I decided that we could continue the session tomorrow morning. When I showed him out of the office, I noticed Hardly was showing symptoms of the beginning of a migraine. I called over a nurse, but unfortunately she was new and didn't know what to do. However, I’d gotten distracted and suddenly noticed that Hardly’s horn was glowing intensely to it. Backing away in self-defense, Hardly’s magic aura had exploded in an immense green ball. At that point, I’d blacked out.
We all know what happened next: the new nurse brought back some more experienced doctors and nurses to mend the situation--and what a situation it’d been. Hardly’s burst of magic had knocked several ponies unconscious, including myself. The blast had also broken every window in the eastern wing--well, if you listened to the rumors. Other than that, I have little else to report, I have not yet been officially updated. But that’s no longer of my concern: the doctors here have suggested that I stay a few weeks while they run a few more tests on me for possible magic residue. I hope whoever the unlucky pony is that takes my place as counselor for now is prepared for that pony’s instability.
Dr. Chrome.
The letter left Celestia with more questions than answers, so she turned to the next page and hoped it’d would be more promising. She’d barely started reading the first line when she felt her eyes droop. She suddenly noticed how soft her couch was and how tired she was. She sleepily looked over the pages and pages and pages of notes… she’d just dozed off when her eyes opened to find a murky world, disorienting to look at. Fortunately, it became clearer. White walls slid up, white with an odd… padded texture? Voices all around her mumbled.
"Do it," said one, "just go, he's not real.” they comforted.
"No, no, no, not now, not now! He's looking, he knows!” another whispered urgently. Celestia wildly looked around, but there was nopony there.
“Hurry, run--just run, he knows!” a masculine voice urged.
“No, stop, you’re being so STUPID!” another screeched. Celestia shrank back at the intensity of the scream. The voices layered themselves on one another and shouted down at the quivering pony.
The voices varied in strength and volume, but they all seemed to come from one place.
Her head.
“NO--no, look, look, he’s watching, he knows--” Celestia, panicked, twisted around on her couch. But this was no longer a couch, this was a bed… a mirror image to the one that Smiles had been restrained in. The straps forced her down.
"WhO aRE yOU?" a booming voice sounded. The voice was distorted and different from the others--instead of her head, it was coming from above her.
No… no, please, I don't understand…” Celestia pleaded. “Wake up!” she shouted. The voices echoed her with insults and taunts. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Do you kNOw WHo I aM?" the voice rasped. She flailed as she felt hot breath on her face.
"Do NOt WoRRy, I caN NOT hurT yoU ChILD." Saliva dripped from its mouth and onto her cheek, burning like acid. She bit her tongue to withhold a scream and, still, refused to open her eyes. The thing finally relented and pulled away from her. After a few quiet seconds and assumed safety, suddenly it was back and was screaming at her.
"WhY dO yOU aCT so ScAReD OF ME, WhO ArE yOU To JuDge?" The creature’s voice was so loud Celestia felt the reverberations. Echoes began repeating it, louder and louder, until her ears began bleeding. Her heart quickened as her fear heightened. The creature crept closer and closer with each screaming echo and ripped off her eyelids, forcing her to look into the darkness as her screams pierced the air.
Nothing.
Not even a shadow.
Celestia’s screams finally died down. She felt somepony breathing next to her, but she only wanted it to stop. The voices were unhappy.
"No, you idiot, why? Now we have to kill him..."
"Are you this dumb? I didn't know that was even possible..."
"You're a pathetic, worthless meat sack… pathetic worthless meat sack, pathetic worthless meat sack, PATHETIC WORTHLESS--"
Celestia couldn't take it anymore, the voices were too overwhelming. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. Thankfully, silence immediately enveloped everything. The darkness evaporated to reveal her padded room.
Beside her bed, she saw a nurse pony standing over her… a nurse pony with a light blue coat and a rosy mane. Nurse Soothe from the hospital. The nurse was talking to somepony across from her. When Celestia turned to see who it was… she saw herself standing there. Her pupils shrank as she tried to tear through her restraints. Regaining her breath, she rationalized that it’d be smarter to figure out a plan rather than fight. She began forming a plan, not noticing that the dream Celestia was standing right in front of her. The nurse pony asked if she was all right, but Celestia ignored her, staring into space. As dream Celestia and Nurse Soothe left the room, voices whispered in her head.
“... Hopeless.." and then another, "Lost cause..."
"WhO ARe You tO JuDGe?"
Celestia woke up with a cold sweat, the moon still hung high in the sky. Memories raced through her: Smiles and Nurse Soothe, the injured doctor and the grim look the warden had given her when he’d warned her not to try and help Smiles. Celestia began shaking uncontrollably and tears forced themselves down her face. She’d had the worst nightmare anypony could have… and Luna hadn’t been there. Anger at her sister prickled in the back of her mind.
She knew that it was only minutes before dawn and Luna would come to greet her, but she couldn’t stop trembling and sobbing. But after a few minutes, her sobs quieted and Celestia wiped away her tears. After some time, Luna opened Celestia’s window and floated gracefully through. A surprised look crossed her face as she saw her sister was already up.
"Sister, is something wrong?" Luna asked, clearly worried for her scared-looking sister. Without a word, Celestia summoned the folder on Smiles and let Luna’s magic surround it. While she flipped through it, Celestia shakily explained that she’d received a letter from a friend that inspired her to help Smiles, how she managed to get hold of the folders, and of how she was urged by the Warden to not drive herself mad by helping the patient. She did not, however, tell her of the nightmare nor of the incident that injured Dr. Chrome.
"Is that all?" Luna asked.
"Yes, why do you ask?”
"It just seems a little short, is all. Do you need me to help in any way?"
"No, Luna, I can handle it. It might be a bit of an extra weight on your royal duties, anyway." Celestia reassured while taking back the folder from Luna. Luna narrowed her eyes, annoyed that Celestia wasn’t letting her help.
"Sister, I can handle myself, you do not have to treat me as a foal." Luna explained, tugging the folder back. Celestia shook her head and pulled harder with a new surge of magic. “Come on, Tia!” Luna stomped her hoof.  
Luna, just leave this to me, for pony’s sake. I don’t want you to get hurt, Celestia thought. Her temper rose at Luna’s filly-like behavior.
“Luna, you’re acting very foalish. For the last time, I’m going to work on this case!” Celestia was not in the mood for tug-of-war and easily regained control of the files. Luna put all her power into taking back the scroll.
“Just let me help you!” she cried stubbornly. Celestia sighed angrily.
"This is not the time or place to be doing this Luna, now let go." she pulled hard on the folder, so hard its contents fell out and the folder itself ripped in half. Both sisters stared in shock as a breeze from the open window blew some of the papers into the crackling fire place.
“Luna!” Celestia leaped towards the fireplace and tried to salvage what she could, but it crumbled to ash in her hooves. Luna joined her, her face showing shame.
“Tia, I…” Celestia’s temper reaching a peak, and combining her stress and fear, she did something she hadn’t done since Luna’s return, less than a year ago. She yelled at her.
"Don’t apologize! This research is completely ruined!" Celestia was too mad to stop herself.
“I’m so sorry, Celes--”
“No! It was your fau--nevermind! Just please, leave me alone.” Celestia growled, trying to stop herself from making the situation worse. Luna narrowed her eyes further.
“Fine.” Luna spread her wings and took off in a whoosh, her silhouette soon disappearing into the night. Celestia stood in shock, trying to recover her wits. However, somepony soon interrupted her thoughts with a knock on the door.
"Princess, I heard shouting and noticed the sky was still dark, are you all right?" a guard’s muffled voice called. Celestia barely heard him, still staring at the night sky and regretting her words.
"Princess?" The guard called again, but to no response. "Are you there?" She heard the panicking guards outside,but she found it hard to move at all.
"Hurry, go alert all guards that the princess is missing, quick!" she heard the guard order his fellow soldiers.
What have I done?
"Don't just stare at me, you idiots! You! Go get Luna; tell her we need to find Celestia!"
Luna, please don’t be mad at me...
Celestia jolted to her senses and opened the door to the startled guard.
"I'm fine, Captain, you don’t need to search the castle." The disgruntled captain turned around, mumbling something unpleasant under his breath. Before leaving, he swung around suddenly.
"Princess, when will you raise the sun? The town ponies must be worried."
“Oh--yes, of course.” And just like that, the sun rose, bringing a beautiful rosy sky with it. The wonderfully crafted stained-glass windows glowed and cast colored light across the room. It even brought a small smile to Celestia’s face. The guard left quietly, mollified by the windows’ beauty.
Celestia slowly walked down the colorful hallway, letting her eyes drift over the detailed tapestries and her ears take in the distant but cheerful chatter of castle servants. It was hard not to see the beauty in this world, but it wasn't hard to see the pain and suffering either. Those stained glass windows were made out of pigments that only rare--and now, mostly extinct--animals could produce. Tapestries hanging on the walls depicted fights and civil wars, and the ponies that took up the armor were not just for intimidation.
Her smile had vanished, and all that was left of the hallway was another spreading out in another direction. A hallway where evil lurked. Sighing, she began her way to the throne room to begin her daily royal duties. I hope Luna will be there.