Cotton rubbed the back of the cyan filly.
"Is it still hurting, Aqua?"
The filly was holding her hooves on top of her head, around her small horn. "Yeah."
"Is a... hornache.. better or worse than a headache?"
Aqua sat up and faced the pegasus but with a grimace on her face. "Probably a little more painful... Or at least, what I have is. From what Sunny said, they can get a lot worse than I got. Anyway, while the horn is sore, it's more like a leg is sore from working out kind of thing instead of a headache. I don't know why, but I'm glad what I got isn't as bad as a bad headache. I think the word is migraine. I'm also glad that the horn itself doesn't sting... Like it doesn't hurt because I touch it, it just hurts constantly. Dull, but constant."
Cotton nodded and hummed aloud to let Aqua know to continue.
"I've read how bad migraines were but I've never experienced one myself. Actually, I might have and just don't know it. I've had bad headaches but the feeling kinda pales compared to what I've heard others say one is like."
Cotton giggled. "Then It's good you don't have a headache then, missy."
Aqua went back to laying her head down and resting her hooves near the horn as she groaned quietly."Yeah... That's true. That'd definitely make this worse..."
The mare frowned. "Do you want me to get something to help with the pain?
"No, I'm goo-... Actually, yes... I've got a bad idea I want to try but It's probably a good idea to have something for the pain on hand."
"Aqua," With a stern voice, Cotton warned the filly. "What are you going to try?"
Aqua looked sheepish. "I- uh... I wanted to try casting like this. 'Cause I don't think this is directly because I've done a bit of telekinesis since the doctor's, but it probably doesn't help. I just want to try it for a few seconds to test if the pain gets worse."
"Aqua."
Aqua held her hooves up as she sat up. "That's it! Honest."
The pegasus leaned in, narrowed her eyes, and stared at Aqua's grey ones. After five seconds, Cotton pulled back, eyes still narrowed. "Alright, then. But you're not allowed to use the special balls and you're going to wait until I get back with an aspirin."
The filly deadpanned at her. "Cotton, That's what I actively recommended. Like I literally just said that..." Aqua sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm a little irritable for obvious reasons."
"It's fine." Cotton got up and began to traverse the large room.
As she started heading towards the front desk and the yellow mare sitting down there, she looked back at the filly she had been overseeing for around two months. Cotton's eyes drooped. It has been two months, hasn't it? I still wonder if she's actually doing better with us instead of the ponies she was with before... With how she talks, she must have had to act maturely for those around her... I wish she would open up more, but she really doesn't like doing that... And then she gets saddled with this whole horn-sickness so soon after losing her sight... Cotton shook her head. I just hope we're helping.
Cotton heard a throat clear behind her. "Huh? Yeah?" Cotton turned around to the voice.
A yellow earth pony mare was staring at her. "Are you okay, Cotton Ball? You looked mighty out of it."
Cotton rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof sheepishly. "Yeah, Golden, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought. Thinking about little Aqua."
Golden looked around the pegasus as she pointed with her wing at the filly in question. Aqua was fiddling with what looked to be a wooden block with a letter on it. Golden nodded. "Ah, the mysterious blue filly that nopony knows much about... 'Nd what little I've heard is sad..."
She probably wants to use the block... "Yeah..." Cotton shook her head. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you for something to deal with her pain. She's got a hornache Do you have any in that front desk of yours?"
The older earth pony smirked. "Of course I do, sweetie. I always carry some with me. You have no idea how many times they've saved me."
Cotton smiled. "I believe it."
"I've heard those hornaches are right nasty themselves. Let me go get one for the little filly." The mare then walked over to the desk and reached down behind it. She fiddled with something before walking back over. "Here you go. I usually take three when the pain gets bad, but with her size, I'd only recommend one." The elderly mare chuckled and hoofed Cotton the tablet. "It'll probably be more effective for her than three are for me."
Cotton giggled but refrained from responding.
"Don't forget something to wash it down with."
"Oh. I actually did."
The elderly mare chuckled. "Cups are over there, sweetie." She pointed next to the doorway connecting to the cafeteria. There was a table with cups on it.
How did I never see those? She shook her head. "Thanks, Golden."
The yellow mare nodded and sat back down at her desk. "No problem."
Cotton arrived at the table and found the cups already had water in them. She looked side to side. Is somepony refilling these? She shook her head as she grabbed one of the cups with her wing. Carefully trotting back to Aqua, she announced herself to the filly, "I'm back. Is your horn any better?"
The filly put the wooden block off to the side and shook her head as her ears flopped side to side. "No. It feels almost as if it's getting worse... Did you get painkillers?"
The mare quirked an eyebrow. "Uh... yeah." She put the cup down in the crook of Aqua's right forehoof and the tablet into her left hoof. "Here's the water and the medicine."
"Thanks..." Lighting her horn up, she popped the tablet in her mouth and filled her mouth with some water. Her cheeks bulged outwards as she seemingly refused to swallow.
Cotton giggled. "You're supposed to chew then swallow, Aqua."
The filly grunted out her nose. Eventually, she swallowed before sticking her tongue out. "Blegh... Always hated vitamins... Used to take them a lot... Wow, I've said that phrase a lot... Like always hating things, I mean."
Cotton adopted a concerned look on her face. She used to take a lot of medicine before?
The filly giggled and shook her head. "Ow. Right. Okay, so I lifted the painkiller and the cup with my magic, though I didn't notice it hurting more..." Aqua's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, no. It doesn't seem worse yet... Maybe... Okay, so I'm going to lift the block up and then around and see if that gets worse."
Cotton slowly nodded. "Okay, but stop if it does get more painful."
Aqua didn't answer and instead reached for the wooden block. Holding it in front of her, she lit her horn as the cyan aura surrounded both her horn and the block. After a second of no movement, she slowly lifted the block. It floated up until it was twice the filly's height off the floor. After another second of no movement, it began to orbit in a circle above her head. Five full, slow rotations later, the block descended to the floor. As it was dropped, it made a small clunk sound. "Ow." She reached up to her horn with a hoof.
Cotton lightly glared at the filly. "Aqua... What did I say about if it was hurting?"
Aqua waved a hoof dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. I get you. But this is for science! And sadly, science is painful..." The filly rubbed the top of her head.
"Aqua..."
The filly giggled. "I'm fine. It did get a little worse, but surprisingly, not as much as I thought it would. It feels almost as if the pressure has increased a bit." Suddenly, the filly grimaced. "Okay, I take it back, it's just taking a little bit to feel worse... I kinda wish painkillers took less time than like ten minutes."
Cotton shook her head. "Well, it's good you only did a little bit to test it, then."
Her grimace got a little worse. "Yeah... That's-" A quiet crack sounded from Aqua's head.
Cotton hugged Aqua instantly. "Aqua? Are you okay?"
The filly looked confused with a hoof gingerly tapping her horn rather than hurt. "I... Yeah... While that sound was extremely concerning, I... actually feel a lot better," Aqua spoke slowly. "Now, I might be presumptuous, but I don't think that was the painkiller kickin' in..."
Cotton applied a hoof to her face.
"Yeah, I actually feel a lot better. It's sore, but it's... I don't really know how to describe it, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable, just painful... Which sounds kinda contradictory, but that's how it feels..." Without warning, The filly covered the block with magic as it began to float.
Cotton shook the filly, causing her to drop the block. "Aqua! What are you doing?"
The filly grinned as the block hit the floor with a louder thud. "Testing... It hurt less than it did earlier... Well, my horn is still slightly sore, so I'll wait until later to do anything else... Wonder when the painkiller will start affecting me.
Cotton gave off a long-suffering sigh.