Checkup or checkout?

Firefly Flash was pulled from a dreamless sleep by her alarm. She yawned while rolling over and immediately turned away from the harsh sunlight pouring through the window. She looked back at the blinds; she must have forgotten to cl… they were on the floor. She didn’t want to get out of bed yet, but today was an important day.

She got out of bed and went into the kitchen, where her mom was waiting for her: as she always was. She loves her mom as much as her mom loved her. She got to the table and noticed a fly land on her mother, so she grabbed it with her magic. Her mother once told her that she shouldn't feel bad for insects. She may look a little like one, but she is not one. In fact, changelings can eat most insects. She crushed it in her magic and ate it. The stupid bug should have left Mom alone.

She flew into the living room, wings gently buzzing; her father was there in a certain kind of wheelchair, as he always was. He didn't eat much regular food… or rather none; he was a pure changeling after all, so he didn't NEED to. He mostly survived on the love she gave him. She hugged him; his breathing was slow, and his expression was vacant. She never really got to know him; something terrible happened before she was born. Grandma drained him because she was sick in the head. He doesn't say or do anything, but she loves him anyway. Her mother told her long ago that she would tell her all the details when she was older.

Firefly turned towards the door, grabbing the few insects that found their way inside despite her barriers. She ate them; it would be a while before she went to the store later because she had to go to the hospital and didn't want to have a full stomach while she was there. If the treatment last night hadn’t gone well, she would have to do another today. "Love you, Mom. Be safe out there and do your best at the hospital. Ok, Mom!" She cast her barriers to help keep more insects out, walked out the door, and immediately saw the crumbled crystal-ish tree-castle her mom used to live in and hang out with her friends. It was so beautiful once.

She started towards the hospital. Being part unicorn and part changeling had its benefits. For instance, if she combined the pony magic that her mother taught her long ago and her changeling magic that came naturally, she could do things that neither could. Like, shapeshift into a very small form: or shapeshift at all, unlike most unicorns. Useful for bypassing the rubble in her way. Some good ponies, like her mother and her mother’s friends, fought a group of villains that banded together quite some time ago. Speaking of which, she has arrived.

She went inside; the receptionist was there, as she always was. Firefly greeted her, "Hello, Miss Pen and Cross. Hello Firefly.'' She went down to a room with a troubled patient she had been helping, hoping to see some improvement in him. He was one of the villains, specifically the one that made Mom sick. But she didn't entirely blame him; he did it because he was sick in a different way: like Grandma was. She looked at the stallion and said hello, "Good morning Mister Broken Horn." The black unicorn with no horn looked up. His eyes were tired, but he did his best to smile. He had a red and brown rag in his mouth tied behind his head… it used to be white.

She stopped in front of him and picked up her book on medicine that she had been re-reading. She just got done reading the 4th volume. Her mother had combined friendship and magic to help others. She was going to take it a step further and add medicine to the equation; it only made sense for those that were sick, right? She was young, but her mother hadn't stopped her. After all, it was working. That weird magical purple and green stuff stopped coming out of his eyes. The tears stopped as well.

She began asking the pony questions. "Let's see here... any itching?" He shook his head no. "Any discomfort?" He again shook his head no. She walked up and began pressing on him in various places on his chest and sides. "Any tenderness?" He shook his head no, but was ever so slightly shivering when she looked back at her book. "Hmmm, the object sterilization spell was a success!" She put her book down while closing it; the cover said, ‘Medicine Vol. 3: Surgery’. She picked up her clipboard and handwritten paper labeled harmony check. She asked him various questions about friendship and harmony. He nodded his head for all the ones he was supposed to and shook for the ones he needed to.

"OK! Mister Broken Horn, I, wait, what was it? Ah! I discharge you; I just need you to sign this! She untied one of his arms and gave him a pen attached to a writing strap. He did his best to write his name. "Sombra? Oh, how silly of me! I guess I should remember your name, hehe. Nurse, this man needs untying. You should do the honors, Firefly. Oh, oh kay!" Hearing the hybrid filly talk to herself always made him want to cringe. He did this to her... he helped with the destruction and suffering. She untied his other limbs; this was his chance. He had to be very careful. If she suspected that there was ANYTHING wrong, he wouldn’t be able to get away from this bug-demon.

As they walked, his skin itched even more, but he had to keep it together. He tried to control his panic and heart rate, or else his heart hurt. The pain in his legs was causing him to have a slight limp, but she, thankfully, thought it was because the painkillers were looted from this place long ago: and not because of the toy she sowed into his broken leg. He didn’t want her to do any more operations.

They approached the reception desk. The corpse behind the desk was rotting, and the head was on the floor. "Oh no! Miss Pen and Cross, your head fell off! Hmmm... I can fix it! Stay here for a sec Mister Bro… I mean, Sombra. Heh, sorry. That sickness that is going around is terrible; it makes people cold and icky: I need to find a better spell to slow it." He nodded, and she walked off. The door was right there; every ounce of him was screaming to run for it! But although Sombra did not want to be here anymore, he did not want to risk it. He has been suffering for more than a month now: this little wait was nothing.

Sombra saw Firefly return with... a stick. “Oh no…” Sombra thought. And sure enough, she walked over while she used her sterilization spell on it; and then shoved it into the neck with a disgusting slew of sounds that would be traumatizing enough; then, she put the rotting head back on, and it got even worse. Watching her ‘fix’ someone else made the stuffing she put under his skin to make it not look like he was starving itch so much. And with every beat of his quickening heart, he could feel the sticker with love written on it that she glued to it even more. So many other things... so much pain and suffering. He had to last. It was almost over.

"Done! Let's go, Mister." He quickly followed. So close now... His heart was pounding in his head: threatening to make him pass out. “Just a little further, please…” he was so distracted that he did not notice he let his limp become audible and excessive. "You ok, Mister?" His heart stopped. No, this can't be happening. He is so close! He nodded vigorously. "Are you sure? Maybe I should take one more look at the leg." If she did that, it would start again. One thing after another… he couldn't take it anymore; he was sure he would break. He… wait, this was still a child. Sombra smiled and did his best to do a little dance. He bit through every bit of agony. "That's great, Mister!" He stopped, bowed, and then gestured to leave. She began clapping and smiling, "Alright, alright. I believe you, hehe."

They got outside; he almost coughed when the dust from the debris and destruction he helped cause hit his lungs. That was way too close. "Goodbye, Mister. Make lots of friends, ok?" He turned and nodded, then smiled and waved the foal goodbye as he walked away. He looked back now and then, waiting for her to leave. The moment she went back into the hospital, he turned down an alley, lied down, and cried for a bit. He was free... well, not quite free yet. He needed to get something, anything. He originally wanted to find some help: someone that would know how to un-'fix' him. But after thinking about what happened because of him… no, he knows what he wants now.

He broke inside a nearby house and raided the kitchen. It was easy since all the houses were abandoned. He found what he was looking for. It was something so simple, yet it held the key to his true freedom… He mockingly thought to himself that he was about to have the same 'sickness' that his tormentor’s mother had. He regretted everything; If he hadn't done what he did to Twilight, they would have failed, and her daughter wouldn't have become a psycho-surgeon that literally sows harmony… he laughed as best he could with no tongue and the toys pressing against his lungs. With no further hesitation, he took the knife and jammed it into his neck, tearing his throat open. NOW he was free.

Author's Note:

The ambiguous writing and style is intentional. I feel this could have been better though. Any feedback is appreciated.

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