Short Shorts

by Coranth

17. Daniel and Celestia meet with her personal Physician

Once the analysis was complete, leaning into Daniel's side, Celestia nervously pawed the ground with a hoof, before asking, "Well?"

"You're lucky, girl," the elderly Unicorn doctor, Aesculapius grunted as he packed away his tools. Then, returning his attention to the princess, he continued, "Had Daniel not done what he did, then that raw magic could have crystallized inside your horn!

"Magic," lectured he, "is somewhat like a muscle; you've got to use it regularly lest it atrophy, or - in this case - form into magical crystals inside your horn. These crystals jam up the horn conduits, preventing regular magic flow. Takes long, and very painful surgery to magically shatter and remove them. Sometimes, however..." and here he glared stonily at the Solar Princess, "they harden - become too tough to break - and at that point... the horn becomes useless deadweight; the only thing we can do is... remove it..."

At this, Celestia gasped, her eyes widening as bile welled up in her throat. "Yes," Aesculapius growled, "and horn removal is not something done lightly. Most Unicorns... don't live long without their horns. Magic in their bodies has to go somewhere, you see; and without the horn, it goes back into the brain unless your hooves are fitted with grounders. Magical buildup in the brain causes tumors to form; certain types can be removed through surgery, but most... are inoperable. All we can do... is make the afflicted comfortable until the end. Now you, boy..." Aesculapius eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to Daniel, "keep looking after her as you have; you're good for her and have done right by me. Make sure she exercises her magic regularly; I don't care how she does it - she can levitate things or change the colour of the damn palace regularly for all I care - but make sure she exercises her magic! And you..." here he returned his attention to Celestia, "I don't want you in here for something like this again; you've been working too hard girl, and this was stress-related. I'm ordering that Daniel ride you more; you can channel your magic through your legs and hooves when you run; and after that, more pet play. Rubdowns, grooming, petting, preening, hand-feeding... anything to reduce your stress levels so this doesn't happen again! Now..." and here he affixed Celestia and Daniel with a stony gaze, "... get out of my Clinic!"

Author's Note:

Aesculapius is Celestia's personal Doctor/Physician. He's a nasty, grumpy bastard of a Unicorn - even more caustic then House on a good day - but he's an absolute master of his craft and has a right to rag on Celestia when she overworks herself because he cares for her deeply... though he'd deny it, of course. Give him lip about it and he'll buck your damn teeth out!

Comments

[ReaperManX15]

I guess you need an abrasive doctor to keep the princesses in line.

[TheFimFicCritic]

so, you are telling me that in all of Celestia's years of living, she did not know that magical back-ups can happen?

Seems legit

[krayne447]

house as a pony confirmed