//------------------------------// // Diagnosis // Story: Friendship and Mysteries // by The Cake Devil //------------------------------// Chapter 16 (Now edited by Neko Majn C) Silver paced back and forth, concern painted on his face as he trotted the waiting room. It’d been an hour since Diamond was taken to the doctor’s office, leaving the king alone with no way of knowing if his friend was okay. “It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine,” Silver muttered to himself. “He probably had a little too much fun, is all. Yeah, that’s probably it. He’ll be up any minute now.” “Your Majesty,” a voice called out, snapping the king back into reality. Turning his attention to the source of the voice, he was greeted by a slightly older unicorn mare. Her fur was a light yellow, with a green mane and tail; she sported a stethoscope around her neck which mirrored her cutie mark. “I’m Doctor Double Check, if you don’t mind; I have a few questions regarding Diamond Chisel’s—” “D-Doctor,” Silver replied. “How is he, is he alright, is he awake, can I see him?” He asked, taking a step closer to the doctor with each question. “Your majesty, please,” she said taking a step back, a slightly nervous look in her eye. “Diamond is just fine, he took the treatment well and right now he’s resting his eyes.” Silver let go of a deep breath he’d been holding since Diamond left his sight. “Thank Faust,” he said rubbing a hoof on the back of his neck. “But if it’s alright with you, I’d like to ask how—” “Silver!” A voice interrupted. Turning, the two ponies were met by Princess Luna bursting through the door, a deep concern evident on her face as she all but tackled Silver in a warm embrace. “P-Princess Luna?!” Double said, before falling to her forelegs and lowering her head. “L-Luna,” Silver managed to say within the tightening grip of the Lunar Princess. “Wh-what are you d-doing here?” “How could you ask us such a question?” she said, slightly loosening her death grip on the stallion. “We are here to see how you fair and the condition of your friend. We came as soon as we received thine letter.” “That parcel was simply stating we would be staying in Canterlot a while longer while Diamond recovers. How on Equis did you even find us?” “We simply asked the mail carrier where he came from, but that’s irrelevant,” Luna said, finally placing the stallion back onto his hooves. “How is your friend, Diamond, was it?” “Yes,” Silver panted, taking in a breath of sweet sweet air. “The doctor said that he’d be alright, and that he was just resting right now.” Luna smiled. “Good,” she said. “Now, on to the matter of where you’ll be taking residence for the rest of your stay.” “You needn’t bother Luna,” Silver said, giving her a smile. “I’ll just stay here for the evening and if need be, I’ll gladly pay for my stay in a local inn.” “Nonsense,” Luna nearly shouted. “This is hardly the place a noble such as you should stay,” she paused and turned to Double Check. “No offence to you or your place of business, doctor.” “None taken your majesty, but if I could just inter—” “You shall reside under our castles roof until Diamond has made a full recovery, for however long that may take.” “I thank you very much for the offer, Luna.” Silver said, a small blush arising on his muzzle. “But—” “Oh, twas not an offer,” she said, a mischievous grin on her face. “We’ve already taken the liberty of sending your things back to the castle.” “Um, a thousand pardons,” Double said attempting to intervene. “But if I could just—” “What of your sister,” Silver interjected. “I’m sure she has something to say about this.” Luna crinkled her muzzle at that. Taking a few steps back as she gave an irritated glare at the stallion. “Our sister is not your keeper, King Silver, and for the record it was she who suggested it.” “W-well then,” Silver said. “All that’s needed to be done is—” “MY LORD!” The two nobles turned to see a rather red faced Double Check, currently shrinking in her spot. “Again,” she almost whispered. “My apologies, but I need to speak with King Silver about Diamond’s condition.” “Ah, yes,” Silver said directing his gaze to the mare. “What is it?” “Well,” Double started, looking to Silver then back to Luna. “It’s actually something to be discussed in private, so if you wouldn’t mind coming with me for a moment.” “Oh, not at all,” he said, turning back to Luna. “Would you mind waiting for a minute or two?” “You needn’t even ask,” she said, giving him a smile. “Very well then, right this way,” Double said, gesturing for the king to follow. Silver complied and was led into an adjacent office complete with a desk, and two pillows facing it. “Please, take a seat,” Doctor Double requested, making her way around the desk. “I’d rather stand, but thank you,” Silver said. “Now, what’s this about Diamond?” “Well,” she said placing her stethoscope on her desk. “Does Diamond have any…enemies ?” Silver lifted his brow and shook his head. “None come to mind, wh—” “Has he become clumsy? Stallions of his age tend to become more—” “No,” Silver spat back. “Diamond is perfectly coordinated. Doctor, what are you try—” “Did at one point he leave your s—” “Doctor!” Silver blurted, stomping a hoof on the ground, silencing the doctor and causing her to jump in her seat. “What does this have to do with Diamond?” Double gave a long sigh before looking back up to the king. “At some point in the evening, somepony or something, attacked Diamond Chisel and beat him nearly to death.” Silver was rendered speechless. Taking the news as one would take a sudden blow to the back of the head. His lips quivered and his pupils shrank to the size of pins. “W-what?” he managed to ask. “Indeed,” Double said. “Just at the first glance I can see evidence of several fractures on his right foreleg, heavy bruising nearly everywhere on his body, and at least five broken ribs on his left side. One of which seemed to have punctured his lung.” “B…But he was fine,” Silver stammered. “He looked as he always did, not a thing was wrong with him! He was laughing, he was smiling, he was acting just like himself. So explain to me Doctor, how on Equis could the things that you claim ail Diamond Chisel be true?!” “Well, because they’re not ailing him.” “Excuse me?” “As I said, there’s merely evidence of these injuries. You see, your majesty, medical magic is a tricky skill to wield.” Using her magic, Double projected an image of a fractured rib “Even with our advancements in the field, healing anything via magic is a slow and tedious process.” As she spoke the crack in the bone slowly began to disappear. “Which is why we most always put our patients under, otherwise they’d be forced to experience their bones, cuts, and tears, re-forming. “Such procedures would leave marks on the ailing area, thus why I was able to tell what exactly happened to your friend and where the damage was done. Quite frankly, I’ve seen nothing like it, and you should be very worried for your friends safety, because the way I see it, you’re either dealing with several well versed unicorns in the field of medicine, or one very, very powerful magic wielder.” Silver allowed those last few words dwell in his mind. His eyes glued to the floor, lost in his thoughts, multiple emotions rushing through him as he fought to maintain his composure. Who, he thought to himself. Who would do something like this? Assassins, why bother healing him if that were the case?A political rival, not likely, I’ve done everything in my power to keep my nation peaceful. Then who, Silver’s breath began to quake as he bit into his bottom lip. The only ponies he was with were I and— “Your majesty?” Silver quickly snapped his head back to the doctor. “Yes,” he said, clearing his throat and attempting to regain his composure. “Is there anything else I should know?” “N-no,” Double said, looking to the side for a moment. “But I do advise giving him at least two days of rest. Plus, I’d like to keep him under close watch for a little while longer.” Silver nodded and rose to his hooves, turning for the door, he paused for a moment. “Doctor,” he said, earning a slight jump from Double Check. “Would it be possible to speak with him?” “Uh, well,” Double stuttered. “As I said, he is conscious, but it’d be best to let him have his sleep, at least for the night.” “Thank you, doctor, you’ve been most kind to us in this hour. I and the Crystal Empire shall not soon forget this.” This warranted a light blush to consume the mare’s muzzle, which was accompanied by a smile and a dismissive wave. “Think nothing of it, your majesty,” Double said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to help one as kind and as noble as yourself.” “Well regardless,” Silver said, reaching into his cape and pulling out a small sack. “I believe this,” he said, plopping the sack onto the mare’s desk, revealing the content to be a large amount of gems. “Should cover your services, plus a little extra.” Double Check’s mouth fell to the floor as her eyes fixed themselves on the bag. “K-king Silver,” she said. “That’s very kind of you, but that’s more than enough for everything, I couldn’t possibly—” “You can and you will,” Silver said giving the mare a playful smile. “I must be on my way, but I’ll be leaving my guards to watch over Diamond whilst I’m gone. The moment he wakes, send for me. Am I understood?” “Y-yes your majesty.” Double said. “A-and where will you be staying?” “Canterlot Castle. Now, if you’ll excuse me doctor, it’s been a long night, and I have quite a lot to think about.” With that, Silver promptly made his way out of the office, closing the door behind him, and leaving Double Check to her newfound wealth. ------------------ Silver exited the Doctor’s office, his mind filling ever more with unanswered questions. “The event was heavily guarded per usual,” Silver muttered to himself. “So where ever he got hurt must have been secluded. But there were ponies everywhere, so somepony must have at least saw something. Maybe I can ask Princess Celes—” “You’re either dealing with several well versed unicorns in the field of medicine, or one very, very powerful magic wielder.” The doctor’s words ran through his head. “No no, it couldn’t be...but then again—” “Silver!” The king was once again abruptly taken out of his train of thought by the Lunar Princess all but shouting in his ear. “By Faust, Luna,” Silver nearly yelled. “I’m right in front of you, was that really called for?” “We would think so,” she said, scrunching her muzzle ever so slightly. “We had tried to to grab your attention in a calm manner, only for you to continue muttering to yourself.” “My apologies,” Silver said, looking off to the side with a soft blush forming on his muzzle. “The doctor gave me quite a bit to think about after our talk.” “Oh?” Luna said, concern growing in her heavenly blue eyes. “Is there more that ails your friend than you were lead to believe?” “Uh, no, no, nothing like that,” he said, not wanting to worry her any more than she already was. “Its just, I might actually need to stay a day more than anticipated.” Silver averted his gaze for a moment as he nervously rubbed one of his forehooves against the front of the other. “If it wouldn’t be too much of a bother—” Silver paused, being abruptly cut off by Luna’s hoof being placed over his mouth. “You needn’t even ask,” she said, bearing a small smile. As the two exited the building, Silver gave the two crystal guards waiting outside their orders and boarded the carriage to Canterlot castle. Although managing to maintain a conversation with the Princess of the Night, Silver’s attention always went back to the doctor’s words. “A very, very powerful magic wielder.” I think the Princess of the Sun and I are due for a chat, he thought to himself. --------------------- “Staaaaaan.” A voice called out to the groggy senior citizen. “Oh Staaaaannn,” the voice called again. “I’m tellin ya,” a second voice said. “We should use the mackerell, nothing wakes someone up faster than a firm fish to the face.” “Huh, what?!” Stan said, shooting up from the floor nearly hitting Bill and Discord who were positioned directly over him. “There will be no fish slapping today, cowboy!” “Awww,” Bill said, opening up his eye and throwing a fish into the empty void which lied behind it. “Well, glad you’re up,” Discord said. “I know one needs their beauty sleep, especially one as finely aged as yourself, but we have a schedule to keep and nap time isn’t on the ‘to do’ list.” “Wh-where are we even?” Stan said, looking around at his inky surroundings, save for one crystalline door. “Inside the mind of a thousand year old tyrant king unicorn,” Bill stated, giving a twirl of his cane. “Huh,” Stan said looking around. “Pretty empty for something that’s lived that long.” “Oh this?” Discord said. “ This is just the outside.” He said placing his paw on the crystalline door knob. “This is where all the good stuff is stored.” Discord said before flinging the door open. Through the door flew a mighty gust of wind, causing a chill in all parties involved. The inside was an icy labyrinth, riddled with moving images and doors, floating about here and there with no direction. Some colliding into each other while others frozen in blocks of ice. “Welp,” Discord said, clapping his forepaws together. “Let’s get started.”