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// 16. Daniel helps Celestia with a medical issue. 
// Story: Short Shorts 
// by Coranth 
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Laying there with her beloved, Princess Celestia heaved a weary sigh as Daniel gently ran the brush through her mane. "I... I'd always had some trouble dealing with the Ambassador of the Dragons, but... I've never known him to be that rude..." she murmured, gently tap-tapping his thigh in appreciation as the human continued to run the brush through the natural pink hair. "Well... he's a dragon, love; they're always going to be more... caustic... than ponies. Still, I do agree that he could've been politer to you, though you must remember that the Dragon Migration is coming soon; the poor fellow is probably anxious to stretch his wings..." As Celestia murmured in agreement, with those words Daniel finished his gentle work upon her mane and the Solar Princess - her horn aglow with magic - prepared to levitate it back to her dresser. However, no sooner had she begun the process then the magic of her horn sputtered, flickered and died and she winced, whimpering in pain. 'That's not good...' the human thought. Setting the mane brush aside, Daniel gently moved Celestia's head to rest upon one of the bed's many pillows before moving to search through his special 'Alicorn Care Kit' that he kept in his night table; a set of tools for dealing with certain ailments that he'd purchased from various specialists throughout Equestria.

Extracting from the kit a long thin baton-like instrument, Daniel gently tapped it against the top of her horn. Celestia's eyes widened as a clear-sounding chime was produced; she knew what the instrument was, of course, she just didn't expect her love to have one. The device was used to check the magical conduits within a unicorn's horn for blockage. 'Where did he get the bits to purchase one of those?' she wondered. A moment later her wonderment ceased as Daniel used the baton-device - which was called a 'Resonator' - again, this time tapping her horn from the top to the base; each time the device struck her horn a clear note was produced, except for when he tapped her horn-base. There, the Resonator's tone became dull, and at this, Daniel frowned in concern. Collapsing the Resonator, Daniel placed it back into the kit... and then Celestia's eyes went wide as he extracted a small box with a crank-handle and five metal-wire probes attached to it. Slowly, carefully, gently - even as the Solar Diarch whined and struggled - he attached the metal probes to the base of her horn. "I'm sorry Celly, but this has to be done..." he murmured. Her eyes misty with tears, Celestia nodded and then - with the probes correctly attached - Daniel picked up the small box and cranked the handle. One, two, three, four times Daniel did this; each time there was a gentle click as the device released a jolt of magical energy through the probes and into her horn to both widen and stimulate the blocked conduit within.

The process wasn't pleasant; on the contrary it was quite painful and Celestia winced with each jolt of energy forced into her horn. By the time he was done with the process Celestia was keening softly, her muzzle wet with tears and Daniel had to harden his heart, lest he join her crying. However... the worst was yet to come. The stimulator... using it was akin to pouring water into a glass already full... to make said glass overflow! No sooner had Daniel finished his work with the stimulator then Celestia raised her head, her eyes rolled wildly and a scream ripped from her throat as a huge glut of trapped raw magical energy surged from her spiral horn unto reality in the form of sunlight; it was all Daniel could do to cover his eyes lest he be made blind! Another scream escaped Celestia and then, thankfully, it was over; Celestia's head fell limp unto the pillow as she began to weep from the pain of having a main magical conduit unblocked. After carefully packing away his tools, all Daniel could do was hold the Solar Princess close, softly begging her forgiveness and he did this even as her two Dawn Custodes - her personal guard - burst into the room, wondering what had happened. Still holding his beloved close, Daniel pulled out the stimulator again and then carefully explained what had needed to be done. Upon seeing the device, both guards winced in sympathy and then - with hooves covering their horns, they quickly vacated the room.

As Celestia's tears slowed and her weeping ceased, Daniel retrieved the Alicorn Care Kit and then proceeded to comb her mane again, brush her coat, preen her wings, and massage her with his hands 'till the Solar Diarch was utterly insensate, cooing softly with pleasure as she wriggled about on her back, looking up at her beloved with doe-eyes. "Mmmh... Thank you..." she rasped, thickly, her throat raw from her earlier screaming. Immediately Daniel moved to retrieve a chilled water from the private ice box and give it to her. She took it from his hand - successfully this time as her horn was working properly - uncapped it, and drank deeply. When she was done, she sent the bottle back from whence it came and then she and Daniel settled down once more, the human setting her head atop his chest that he could gently massage the base of her horn. "You've got to exercise your magic more, love" he murmured as she groaned and sighed softly in pleasure from his touch. "You've got to, or this might happen again..." As one, they moved into bed proper and Celestia nickered a soft reply in Ponytongue - "Prefer to do things by hoof..." - or, she thought she did; she was utterly worn out, warm, comfortable, and just too tired to make her mouth and tongue work right. Daniel smiled as she nickered again, nuzzling into the crook of his arm, foal-like, then sighed through her nose as he stimulated her horn with his hands, easing out a few last dredges of backed up raw magic which lit up the room like some of Princess Luna's stars.