Horns
This particular wing of the Canterlot Institution was housing at maximum capacity. "Maximum capacity" being a rather loose phrase that changed with ever new wave of patients needing a bed. All patients were sardined together with just enough space for a nurse to enter and check on each occupant. Occasionally help was needed to clear a few beds but such matters always went smoothly. Sacrifices were expected for the greater good of Equestria. Besides, ponies in this wing never belonged to anypony else.
Luna’s body seized, waking her up. How long had the spell knocked her out? She looked up at the U-shaped rod holding a hospital curtain around her. How badly was she injured? The soft shuffling of others came from all directions. Where was she? She took a deep breath and looked down at herself.
Why was she chained to her bed?
“Nurse?” she called. After what seemed like a minute to her, the sound of hooves approached her bed. A white face under a strictly styled pink mane and crisp paper nurse’s hat pulled the curtain back far enough to address the alicorn.
“Are you experiencing pain?”
“No, I’m not. How long have I been in here?”
“A few hours. You’re lucky we found you. Which hospital did you come from?”
“I... didn’t come from a hospital...” the nurse frowned rudely.
“I see! But what institution did you come from? You’re not from this area...”
“ I didn’t come from an institution...”
“Now my dear, it will not help anypony else or you to hide information from us. Now where...”
“Is someone there?” a weak voice behind the nurse asked. The nurse turned around and pulled the other curtain back. She blocked the other patient from view and Luna concentrated on trying to summon magic to unlock the chains. She felt a sharp pain in her head but couldn’t reach her hoof to rub the base of her horn where the pain was worst. No magic came. Surely they hadn’t...
“Mi Amore Cadenza, you shouldn’t be awake.”
“I dreamed I was flying...”
“A foolish dream. You know better than to dream that.”
“I dreamed of a special somepony too... the same one again...”
“You know that those dreams are impossible. Dream only of things which can be achieved.”
“I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to...”
“Go back to sleep now. I have other patients.” the earth pony quipped before stepping aside to redraw the curtain. Luna’s eyes snatched only a glimpse of her niece but even that glimpse was enough to stop her heart for a few moments.
Cadence lay on her back, her skin taunt over her skeleton, and took deliberate, slow breaths. Her eyes were half closed and her beautiful mane was cut close to her head. Chains were attached to her hooves like Luna only her hooves were shaking. Her whole body was shaking. What caught Luna most though was that Cadence’s horn... had been filed down to about an inch.
“Cadence!” Luna exclaimed before the curtain was drawn between them.
“Shh!” the nurse said with a stern look and pulled the curtain back to shut Luna in. Luna stared at it as if she could see through it to the other alicorn. Her niece was on that hospital bed next to her... but why was she so different from the niece who had married Shining Armor only weeks ago? The nurse’s hoofsteps faded briskly and soon the only sound she could hear was Cadence’s labored breathing. A door closed in the distance.
“Cadence!” Luna hissed. She heard a gasp.
“We’re not supposed to talk...” the voice said so softly Luna barely caught it.
“Why not?”
“We need to sleep to stay alive.”
“Yes, but, not all the time! Why are we chained to our beds?”
“For our protection.”
“Why is your horn filed off?”
“For my protection.”
“What!”
“Yours is gone too... alicorn magic is unstable...” The door opened again, silencing Luna and her niece. Rapid hoofbeats approached but then passed Cadence and Luna, finally stopping a little ways away.
“Now hold still, I’m measuring your horn.” the same nurse from before spoke. Luna couldn’t hear the response except for a faint murmuring.
“Right, well we’ll have to take care of this. It’s grown too long again. We wouldn’t want you to hurt somepony now would we?”
The response still wasn’t clear but it sounded a bit like panicked babbling.
“No... trust me this is for your own good. You wouldn’t want to disobey now would you?”
A single sob reached Luna’s ear.
“Don’t worry, it will be over soon...” she soothed.
The screaming penetrated her blood and halted its movement. She heard cries of pain as metal filed into enamel, snapping, breaking, grinding down. Tears flowed as she imagined herself in so much pain... he was screaming so earnestly... begging almost. Luna knew the scream would never leave her again no matter how much longer she lived. It echoed and built on itself but still seemed like a knife cutting into a thick slab of silence. It was so loud and easily conveyed the anguish of it’s creator.
“STOP IT!” Luna shrieked suddenly. The door was opened a second later and the sound of hooves advanced towards her.
“Stop it! What are you doing to him? Why are you doing this?” Luna cried out. Her curtain was magically yanked back by a rather sturdy looking male unicorn nurse and a female pegasus nurse who instantly jumped on top of Luna.
“Quick! Before she starts biting!” she commanded. Luna saw a needle magically rise and then dive out of sight before a sharp pain entered her right hock. She cried out again.
“Celestia! Sister! Sister! Where are you? Help me!” she managed to scream before intense exhaustion overtook her. She felt and saw the pegasus slide off of her and stand next to the bed. She and the unicorn looked at each other but Luna couldn’t read their faces... they were too fuzzy now. It was so hard not to blink... it was so easy to keep her eyes closed...
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You and your dark stories.
moar
Simply being an alicorn is a disability/treason? I smell a coup...ponies spreading this sort of propaganda, trying to bring down the royal family...
You should have thought this through better / thought about it more because right now this makes no sense and is 100% forced. This isn't "What if being an alicorn was considered being disabled?", this is "What if Luna randomly and unexplainedly dimension-jumped somewhere where alicorns have like 2 crippling disabilities?" I have to say it again, this makes no sense.
Oh good lordy this is so darkly good lookin.
Interesting story.
Oh my....
This is dark.. but this fiction has the potential for being an interesting one.
A darker one? or an advanture..?
I don't know.
GJ still
Faving so I can know what happens. It has an interesting potential to it.
The hell am I reading...
Well then, I certainly like the shadowing
So much unexplained!
Looking forward to more. This looks like this is going to be a creepy one indeed.
~Have a good one.
this looks realy good will have to ready later :D
This story is a win/win and well-written. Please continue!
1118806 I was expecting a sadfic. I should probably read tags more...