Chapter 2
"Visiting the Eye Doctor"
Celestia was still unsure of wearing glasses when she visited the royal optometrist the following morning. But, as Celestia sat in the chair waiting for the doctor to arrive, she knew that this was something that needed to be done in order to rule her kingdom properly. Furthermore, the last thing that the elder princess wanted was to be pushed around for her bad eyesight by her critics or be the subject of rumors that her eyesight was indeed going away.
"Good morning, your highness," said a middle aged unicorn pony who walked into the office with a gray mane and who wore a white doctor's coat. "I see we are trouble with our eyesight, aren't we?"
Celestia wanted to tell the optometrist that she wasn't having problems, but Luna raised her eyebrow and this was a sign to Celestia that there was no turning back now. She had to come clean.
"Yes, I am having trouble with my eyesight, Dr. Eyesore," sighed Celestia. "I think it is because of my age, although I am afraid to admit it."
"Afraid of what?" asked Dr. Eyesore as he washed his hooves. "In my profession, we tell all our patients that it is not afraid to admit when we are losing our eyesight. Although you are both alicorns, you are not immune to life's troubles."
Dr. Eyesore then activated a screen with his magic and a group of letters appeared on a screen. Bringing a machine towards Celestia's face, he placed them in front of her eyes and then pointed at the screen with a stick.
"Now, I am going to point to a line of letters," he explained. "I'd like you to read them out loud to me, your highness. This is the first of a series of tests that we will be doing."
So, still squinting, Celestia attempted to read the words on the screen. Almost immediately, she struggled to read what was in front of her.
"A…F…O…T," she stuttered, her face dripping with sweat. "I'm sorry, I can't seem to see them."
"Well, let's try this," he replied, turning the lenses to try and make them better for Celestia. "Try it again and remember that you don't have to be perfect."
Celestia then took an enormous gulp and once again, attempted to read the words off of the screen. Despite what Dr. Eyesore had said, she was still trying to be perfect and the more she tried, the more she struggled.
"A…F…O…T…G…." Celestia said, again and Dr. Eyesore then proceeded to fiddle around with the machine again, fixing one lens at a time, beginning with Celestia's right eye.
"Hmm, is that better or worse?" he asked.
"It's worse," replied Celestia as he fixed the left lens for her left eye.
"Is this better or worse?" he asked again and again Celestia, gave him the same answer.
"It's worse," replied Celestia and Dr. Eyesore pulled the machine away from Celestia's face.
By now, Celestia's anxieties were starting to creep in and she knew that her fears were going to have to be face. Dr. Eyesore then continued his procedures when he levitated a small bottle.
"Now, I am going to put these drops in your eyes," he explained, holding the small bottle in front of Celestia. "These will dilate your pupils and give me a chance to fully examine your eyes. This might sting a bit, so be warned."
Nodding nervously, Celestia pulled her head back as Dr. Eyesore grasped Celestia's eyes with his magic, pulling them up like window shades and dropping each drop into Celestia's eyes. Celestia whimpered slightly as the dilates worked their magic on her eyes.
"It's all right, sister," reassured Luna, placing a hoof on her sister's hoof. "It will be for the better. Just trust Dr. Eyesore."
Celestia continued to struggle and felt the sharp pain of the dilates for a few more moments. Once the medicine had done its job, Dr. Eyesore looked at Celestia's eyes, her pupils now widened for him to see.
"All right," he said, picking up a stick with a light at the tip. "Now I'm just going to flash this light into your eyes, so I can see whatever damage is inside. Please, hold still."
Doing as she was told, Celestia nervously sat still as Dr. Eyesore flashed his light in her eyes. The light continued to be flashed for a few more moments and Dr. Eyesore pulled the stick away.
"Well, what did you see?" asked Celestia, nervously, her voice slightly panicked. "Tell me, please."
"Calm down, sister," said Luna, calmly. "Nothing is going to happen to you. Let's just listen to what thou has to say."
Dr. Eyesore cleared his throat and rubbed his glasses as the two royal sisters listened into what he had to say. They both could tell that Dr. Eyesore had found something in Celestia's eyes that Celestia wasn't going to like.
"What I have discovered," said Dr. Eyesore, sitting down at his desk. "Is that your eyes are not damaged by age, but by of a sharp flash of light that has damaged the cataracts."
Both Celestia and Luna looked at each other with worried glances as they both could remember that there was indeed a flash of light that had damaged Celestia's eyes and it came during the Changeling Invasion that had happened not too long ago.
"Now, it isn't seriously damaged, but it is a cause of concern to me," continued Dr. Eyesore. "The flashes of light have permanently damaged several of the nerves that hold your eyes together, but haven't damaged the critical nerves."
Celestia took in a sigh of relief, thinking she was out of the woods. But, Dr. Eyesore still had several more words of importance he needed to say.
"It is my opinion," he said. "That you have become nearsighted as a result of the damages. I can perform surgery in the next few days, but you will be unable to rule over Equestria for an extended period of time. If you want to continue ruling Equestria, then I would recommend being fitted for glasses. The decision is yours."
Now, Celestia was left with a difficult decision that she couldn't get out of: either face her fear of wearing glasses or undergo cataract surgery and be unable to rule over Equestria for an extended period of time.