Dr. Plasters ran the Canterlot Veterinary Clinic located in the outskirts of the city. It was quite the walk from the castle, but it was enjoyable. Just to be outside again was a wonderful experience, and I took in all the sights and sounds; the streets were packed with unicorns all wearing fancy clothing, and they popped in and out of the tremendous buildings lining the streets. They talked and they laughed—and they stared.
Shining Armor kept a close eye on me, but I had no intention of doing anything in broad daylight. Besides, I had Twilight on my right to keep me on my best behavior. For all any pony knew, we could have been out on a date, and on our way to some fancy restaurant.
I'll take her somewhere nice, I thought. I'll do that with my first pay check. We'll go out like normal ponies. I'm normal. I'm normal.
My internship would be a paid one, and I would need to use the money to get myself somewhere to live, my own food, and anything else I wanted. Twilight had explained everything to me that morning before we left the library. She said it would be the hardest part of my rehabilitation; reintegrating into society.
When we got to the clinic, Dr. Plasters was already waiting behind the counter. He was an older unicorn with streaks of gray running through his brown mane. His eyes were hidden behind thick frame glasses that always caught the light at an angle that caused the lenses to appear solid white. I immediately wondered what his special talent was, but his lab coat covered his cutie mark.
"Ah, so zis is mein new apprentice?" he asked in a funny accent, looking at me with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, his name is Macabre," Twilight said, introducing me. "I appreciate you doing this for me."
"Nein, it is mein pleasure," the doctor said, stepping out from behind the counter to look at me. "Now, come in, come in, let us see vhat you can do." He escorted me behind the counter and into a room full of cages. Twilight and the guards followed close behind.
The cages lining the room contained all sorts of different animals—dogs, cats, birds, bunnies—and their eyes followed me as I walked past them. It's my job to help these animals?
"Zis is vhere zee animals are kept, and zis is vhere zee operations are performed." The doctor indicated to a door at the end of the room with a variety of warning signs posted on it. "I have a patient ready for us now, just ein moment."
He instructed for us to all put on facemasks and disposable elastic caps that went over our manes before following him into the room. At the center was a metal operating table with what appeared to be a dead cat lying on it. Upon closer inspection, I saw the cat's chest rise and fall.
"Now, you vill vatch vhat I do," Doctor Plasters explained, approaching the cat. "First, vee have sedated zee kitty so it vill not feel anysing." The doctor's horn began to glow and he levitated a scalpel in his green aura. "Zis kitty has a large tumor on its liver, as shown in zis x-ray."
I looked to where the doctor indicated and saw a black and white x-ray of the cat. Nothing looked out of the ordinary to me, but it's not like I'd gotten to take any cats apart at that point. I walked behind the doctor for a better view, and watched as he made the first incision. He worked painfully slow, and I thought about just using my magic to help him along.
But, I remained patient. I couldn't seem too eager until I knew exactly what I was doing. So I watched as he shifted through the organs, using several of his different tools to hold things in place as he worked. I could see the tumor in question, and I wondered how he planned to remove it.
"Now, I vant you to take zee scalpel and do as I say," he said, levitating the scalpel to me. I looked at it and laughed. No one in the room knew what I found so funny.
"You just want me to remove the tumor, right?" I asked, looking at the lump of cancerous tissue.
"Yes, and if you vant to be my apprentice, you vill do as I say," he replied with a bit of agitation. His anger quickly turned to surprise as my horn began to glow and the tumor began to wiggle. The little veins began to move like the roots of a falling tree until the tumor separated from the liver completely. There was no damage, no bleeding, and not a single cancerous cell was left behind.
I levitated the clump of tissue into a metal pan that had been set aside next to the tools, and then I looked Doctor Plasters. "How was that?" I asked. All I could see was my own reflection in his glasses as he looked at me. He couldn't see it, but beneath my facemask was a smug smile.
"V-very good," he said after a moment. "A bit unorzodox, but good nonezeeless."
I watched as he stitched the cat back up and placed it carefully into a cage. He led us out of the room and we disposed of our caps and facemasks. Twilight beamed at me, absolutely radiating pride, and I felt my face growing hot.
We spent the rest of the day at the clinic, and I was educated about everything I would be responsible for. It wasn't a lot, actually. The most I would have to worry about were vaccinations and regular checkups for the Canterlot resident's pets. Surgeries would be a rare treat.
For two weeks, I was escorted back and forth from the clinic for twelve hour shifts. Twilight attended all of them, as did Orange and Shining Armor. It had become clear to them that I was in no danger of harming anyone or anything. So after two weeks, I was finally declared rehabilitated.
There was a small ceremony which Celestia herself attended, commemorating Twilight's dedication to helping others. I was presented to the attendees as some sort of prize vegetable that she'd grown, like there should have been a big blue ribbon on my chest. I didn't enjoy any of the ceremony. Too many ponies asking me questions, and smiling big, fake smiles as they shook my hoof. It took all the control I had not to use my magic.
At the end of the ceremony, I stood at the gate to Canterlot Castle, looking at Twilight and her guards. They all had smiles, (except Orange, of course) and they wished me luck. I wanted to stay, but Twilight told me that she had to help the other Marked Ones.
"I'll come see you every day," she promised me.
And she did, always around the same time. She always knew where to find me, because I never left the clinic. Doctor Plasters rented out the top of the building to me, though I seldom went up there. I would spend all my time behind the reception desk, or assisting the doctor, or watching the stray animals kept in the kennels out back.
After the doctor left, Twilight would show up to keep me company for a few hours. I'd listen to her tell me the progress of the Marked Ones, and I'd tell her about the few things I'd done since her previous visit. As the days passed, she showed up more and more depressed, like something was taking a heavy toll on her spirit.
She assured me it was nothing, and would go on to ask me about my day. I loved her, and just wanted to help her, but I was worried she was disappointed with me. She knew that I never left the clinic, and she knew that I wasn't truly happy.
"It's the other Marked Ones," she finally confessed to me one night. "They don't want to learn! I had one attack me today! Oh, thank Celestia that Flash was there."
I remained silent as I continued organizing the medicine cabinet. Twilight paced behind me, finally coming to a stop.
"Why were you different?" she asked.
"Because I love you."
Her reaction was not what I was expecting. She didn't smile, she didn't run to me with a warm embrace—she just stood there with a confused expression on her face as her brain tried to make sense of what she'd just heard. "Y-you love me?" she asked after a moment.
"Yes, and you love me," I answered. It felt so good to say it aloud, but something wasn't right.
Twilight began shaking her head and backing away from me. "Macabre, that's sweet, but…" she trailed off.
"I did this for you, Twilight," I explained, taking a step towards her. "You make me want to be good—you make it so I don’t want to hurt others."
There was nowhere for Twilight to back up, and I finally closed the gap between us. I could feel her warmth, and I could hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She was excited—aroused, and I leaned in for a kiss. There was a magical pop and my lips met with nothing but air.
Twilight stood behind me, looking at me with that sickening look of pity. "Macabre, I'm so sorry if you thought—"
"I know you love me, Twilight," I interrupted. Tears welled up in my eyes and leaked out the corners. I didn't understand why she was lying to me, or why she was looking at me like I was pitiful. "I-I saved up enough money to take you to dinner!" I cried.
She smiled, but it quickly vanished. "That's very nice of you, but…I already have a special somepony."
My heart stopped. Already have a special somepony? Just as she uttered the phrase, the clinic door opened and in walked Orange. He looked at her, and then glared at me.
"Twi, is everything alright?" he asked, shortening her beautiful name to an ugly, three-letter abomination. It was him. It's been him all along.
Twilight looked away from me and composed herself. "Everything is okay, I'll be out in a minute," she said. She waited for him to walk back out before turning to address me. "Can...Can we talk about this another time?"
What good will it do to talk about it? She's been leading me on.
I said nothing and stared at the floor, and I didn't look up until I heard the door to the clinic open and close. Twilight had left me standing there—abandoned me for that stupid pegasus. My legs shook as I walked back to the room of kennels, and I threw my lab coat onto the floor.
Some of the animals started making noises at me, but I drowned it out with my own thoughts. You're nothing but a project to her. Everything she did, she did it for herself! She wanted to be praised by Celestia for succeeding where she didn't dare to tread!
Well, what if I wasn't a success? If I screw up, I'll get to go back and she'll have to teach me again. I can see her every day, all day, forever.
The idea was maddening, so I turned to the caged animals and grinned. I started with an old dog that was barking at me and baring its teeth. My horn began glowing and the dog barked louder until my magic pinched its spine at the exact location to cause paralysis.
I did it to all the animals before ripping them apart. There was nothing medical about what I did that night—no technique or procedure I followed—just straight gore. Whatever organ I felt like grabbing, I ripped out with my magic. Blood spattered the walls and absolutely covered me as the chests and stomachs of each animal burst open.
On that night, I released everything I'd been bottling up during all those years I'd spent in the cell, and it felt good until I ran out of animals. I thought about ripping my own organs out, just to see if I was any different on the inside. Better yet, I'll remove my heart so I can't feel this pain for Twilight.
But I knew that wasn't where the pain stemmed from (Chemicals in the brain and all that nonsense). Removing my heart would have also killed me, which didn't seem like a terrible idea at the time. I would be dead, and it would be Twilight's fault. She'd cry, and mourn, and confess her true feelings for me…
She does love me. I know it. There's just one small, orange problem holding her back.
I don't know how I didn't see it sooner. She was just like my mother—and Orange was just like my father; he had control over her. I bet that he hit her and threatened her not to leave him. Yes, it all makes sense! She's found happiness with me, but can't say or do anything while he's around!
And that's why Twilight wanted to talk later. She needed to get away from him. I had to clean up the mess I'd made before she came back. It had only been an hour since she'd left, and I knew she'd be back that night.
I looked to the piles of shredded and disemboweled animal carcasses littering the small room, and I quickly got overwhelmed. The incinerator could only cremate so much at one time, and it was the only way I could think to get rid of the animals—at first, anyway.
As I looked to the piles of torn flesh and fur, I watched the blood flow out from under them like a river, and down the drain set into the floor. It was only a few inches in diameter, but I figured I could force everything down the drain. I pried open the cover and looked into the darkness.
I couldn't see the bottom, and I had no idea where it led, but it was my only viable option. With the use of my magic, I worked bits and pieces of the mess down the drain. The bones and skulls had to be broken into pieces, and the meat, muscle, and fur had to be compressed to all fit down smoothly, but everything did fit.
Next, I had to clean the blood off the walls, ceiling, floors, and myself. While I was good enough to focus my magic on blood vessels and veins to keep them from bursting, I hadn't quite mastered working with just blood. I could gather individual blood droplets five or six at a time, but gallons had been spilled and it would take me days to clean it with magic.
So I got down on my hooves and scrubbed the room clean with bleach and a rag. It managed to cut days down to several hours, but I was worried that Twilight would show up at any minute. I had to be thorough though, so I just focused on my work.
Once I was sure there wasn't a trace of blood left anywhere, I quickly ran to the hazmat shower and rinsed myself off. The blood flowed through my fur and down my legs, mixing and swirling with the water before going down the shower drain. I stood there, just thinking about Twilight, and what I would do to Orange so he couldn't hurt her anymore.
I had only barely gotten clean when I heard the door to the clinic open and the sound of hooves entering the building. They weren't dainty enough to be Twilight's, and I worried (while simultaneously hoping) they belonged to Orange.
Doctor Plasters poked his head into the room and looked around until he saw me. "Ah, Macabre, you're here early?" the doctor asked. It was already morning. Before I could answer him, he looked from me to the empty kennels. "Vhere are all zee animals?"
"Euthanized," I replied.
---
The day dragged by, and I did little more than stare at the clock and rest. I'd expended so much energy during the night that I could barely keep my eyes open. Doctor Plasters insisted I take the day off, but I had to stay vigilant in case Twilight showed up. Even after the doctor left for the day, I remained behind the reception counter, dozing in and out of consciousness. I was ten minutes away from being able to change the "open" sign to "closed" when a filly and her mother burst in.
"Please, Mister, you have to help!" the filly shouted, running up to the counter. Her mother walked up next to her, holding a gold bird cage up with her magic. Inside the cage was a baby blue bird, barely moving and making weak chirping noises. I'd seen birds just like it at least a dozen times when I was a colt.
"I don't have much time," I said, looking closely at the bird. "Just have a seat, and I'll do what I can." The mare nodded at me and I took the cage's handle in my teeth. As I walked back to the operating room, I could hear the filly start crying to her mother. The clinic door opened and closed, and I thought they might have gone outside to wait.
I put on my face mask and mane cap and removed the bird from the cage. It was just like old times. The little blue bird flapped its wings weakly, trying to get airborne, so I pressed down gently with my hooves. When I was younger, I would just break their wings, but those were different circumstances.
While I held the bird, I grabbed a syringe of low dose anesthetic and injected it. The bird's movements stopped after a few moments and I lifted my hooves off of its wings. It looked dead, but I knew it wasn't. Using my magic, I opened the bird up and looked around.
Sure enough, the bird's stomach was bloated. I made sure to keep everything from bleeding as I carefully cut into the lining. The bird's heart was still pumping, and its lungs continued drawing shallow breaths as I worked. Once I had the bird's stomach open, I removed two partially digested white berries from inside.
I placed the berries into a small metal tray and went to sealing the bird up. The veins, nerve endings, and muscles all had to line up perfectly to ensure the bird didn't die. It was the most difficult part, but I'd had a lot of practice. Some nights, after the doctor and Twilight had both left, I would take a stray animal out of its cage and just experiment with it. Keeping it alive was the game.
There were no games with customer's pets, though. As I got the filly's bird closed back up, I even went through the extra effort of making sure the feathers on its chest all lined up. It was like I was never there.
Slowly, the anesthetic wore off and the bird stirred slightly. It looked to still be weak, but it would recover. I placed it back in its cage and went to give it back to the filly. Both the filly and her mother were still in the lobby, but a third pony had wandered in. Orange. I paid him no mind as I presented the bird to the filly.
"Is he going to be alright?" she asked, looking at the bird.
I nodded and set the cage down to speak with the filly. "Do you have berries growing around your house?" I asked. The filly's eyes went wide, but she nodded. "What color are they?"
"White," she said quietly. "And red, and blue, and pink."
"Only feed him the reds and blues, never white or pink," I instructed. The filly nodded and looked down at her hooves in shame.
"Thank you so much," the filly's mother said, reaching into her purse. I held up my hoof to stop her and she looked at me in confusion.
"No charge," I said, looking down to the bird. It looked up at me and chirped before flying up to sit on its perch.
"Oh, well, thank you, Doctor," she said with a smile. And with that, she and her daughter left the clinic, leaving just Orange and I. As the door closed, I flipped the sign in the window and looked outside.
"The clinic is closed," I said, looking at Orange's reflection in the glass.
"Still like playing with birds, I see," he replied.
I turned to look at him and saw he had a smug smile on his face. Tucked beneath his wing was a manila folder, and I wondered just why he'd decided to pay me a visit. "This is my job," I said, trying to step to the reception counter, but he blocked me.
"And my job is to protect her royal highness," he spat. I pushed around him and he followed me to the back room. "She says you have a crush on her," he said, standing in the doorway.
My muscles tensed and I stopped in my tracks. It was the reaction he wanted from me. He'd come to make fun of me. He wanted me to screw up and get thrown back into that cell.
"I'm not letting you near her," he continued. "Remember what happened to the last filly you tried getting close to? What was her name—Oh yeah! Windy Loo."
"How do you know about that?" I asked through clenched teeth. He had no right knowing that information, and much less right talking about it.
He didn't answer me, but instead continued talking. "Bashed her brains in with a rock then hung her entrails up like party streamers? What? All because she didn't want to be your special somepony?"
"That's not what happened!" I objected.
"I suppose it's better than what you did to your parents."
"M-my parents?"
What does he mean? After I got my cutie mark I never saw my parents again. I returned to the house and found it empty! They never came back!
"I could barely look at the pictures," Orange said, indicating to the folder beneath his wing. "I'm surprised Princess Celestia didn't have you executed. I'm even more surprised she let Twi try to rehabilitate you."
At hearing him refer to Twilight as that three letter slur, I lost it. I closed the gap between us and brought my hoof against the side of his face. As surprised as he was, he recovered quickly and bucked me with his powerful rear legs.
I felt and heard at least two of my ribs crack as his hooves made contact with my chest. My hooves left the ground and crashed against the floor several feet away. I'd never tried to use my magic on myself before, but I couldn’t fight in that much pain. As soon as my horn began glowing, Orange spread his wings and flew at me.
He landed on my stomach with his front hooves and I felt all the air leave my lungs. I gasped for breath as he stood on me, digging his hooves into my flesh. My pained cries made him smile and he stood off of me. "All I have to do is tell Twi that you attacked me, and it's off with you horn, and back to your cell," he whispered. "That is, if I don't kill you right here."