The Fillycaust

Applebloom followed Doctor D out of the living quarters and into the dark and gloomy hallway. It was strange how fast the mood changed with the surrounding environment. The living quarters actually had a comfortable and friendly atmosphere whereas the rest of the Canter Camp seemed to be uninviting and morbid.

Applebloom felt her heart start beating faster. She tried her best to remain calm but her surroundings told her instincts that she shouldn’t proceed with Doctor D in this strange place.

The two ponies turned at the end of the hallway and walked down several flights of stairs. The lower they descended the colder and darker it became. With every step the clop of their hooves echoed throughout the stairwell. Each second seemed like an eternity.

“Right this way!” Doctor D exclaimed with excitement when they reached the very bottom of the stairs. In front of them was a large metallic door. It looked as though it had been built as some kind of vault to protect whatever was inside. On the side of the door was a keypad with the numbers one through nine and a large enter button upon it.

The Doctor began punching in numbers on the pad, with each button he pressed a little beep sounded. When he was finished, after hitting about nine or ten numbers, he hit the large enter button. The giant door groaned and then slowly split in two, each side retracting into the walls.

The hallway within resembled some kind of hospital. White and beige checkered tiles covered the floor carrying the reflection of the bright lights embedded the ceiling above. Three stretchers lay off to the side of the hall, one of them clearly splattered with blood and gore. Applebloom’s heart rate increased at the sight.

“It’s just in here.” the Doctor said motioning at the first door on the left hoof side. Doctor D moved toward the door and opened it with magic.

“We’re set and ready to begin Doctor.” came a voice from inside.

Doctor D proceeded into the room with Applebloom hesitantly following behind. The first thing she noticed inside was a vast amount of strange medical machines and equipment scattered throughout the room. Three other unicorns, dressed in medical capes, were also in the room huddled around what appeared to be an operating table. A giant lamp hung above the table.

“So this is the new test subject?” asked one of the unicorns.

“Not the one I was expecting, but yes she’s from the new batch.” Doctor D replied.

“What are your orders then Doctor?”

“First things first, a routine check up.” Doctor D began. “We need to make sure she’s ready for the procedure.” He turned to Applebloom. “Please step over here.”

Applebloom took a few steps forward and stood in front of Doctor D. He put his hoof under her left jawbone and held it there for about fifteen seconds before taking it off. “Your heart rate is extremely fast for a filly your age.” Doctor D observed. “Are you experiencing any stress at the moment?”

“Well... I um... I guess I’m kind of nervous.” Applebloom admitted.

“You don’t have any heart conditions do you?” Doctor D asked.

“Not that I know of.” Applebloom said. “Back in Ponyville Nurse RedHeart said that I was a healthy filly during my last physical.”

Doctor D’s horn glowed orange and a device that appeared to be a microphone flew off of one of the tables in the room and hovered in front of him. He wrapped it around his neck so the end was in front of his mouth. “Test subject one three four,” he spoke into it with a monotone voice. “female filly Earth Pony. Yellow coat red mane. Heart rate eighty one beats per minute. Test subject’s heart rate most likely increased due to adrenaline.” Doctor D turned to one of the unicorn assistants. “Sphygmomanometer please.”

The assistant used her magic to levitate some kind of medical instrument to Doctor D. The instrument had a sleeve with a clock on one end connected to a small balloon on the other end by a tube. Doctor D lifted Applebloom’s left hoof and slipped the sleeve onto her leg. He then rested one of his hooves on her leg and squeezed the balloon with his magic. The sleeve began to constrict tightly around Applebloom’s leg.

After a few seconds Doctor D slowly released the balloon and the constriction eased. Applebloom could feel her own pulse beating throughout her leg, as if it contained a heart of its own. The odd sensation subsided when the sleeve deflated back to its original state.

“Blood pressure one twenty over seventy.” Doctor D said into the microphone. “Again increased blood pressure due to adrenaline.”

For a half hour Doctor D performed a series of routine medical check ups that Applebloom had had done many times before in Ponyville. This isn’t so bad. She thought.

“Test subject appears to be healthy and ready.” Doctor D narrated. “Are we all ready to begin?” he asked turning toward his assistants

Ready to begin? Applebloom thought in disbelief. We’ve only just started?

“Yes Doctor!” the assistants replied with excitement.

Doctor D turned back to Applebloom. “Please lay face down on the table and we’ll begin.” he smiled.

“O-Okay.” Applebloom said unsure. She walked over to the table, hopped up on it, and laid down on her stomach. She felt awkward and embarrassed as the four unicorns moved around preparing for whatever procedure they were talking about that lied ahead.

“Make sure you strap her in.” Doctor D told his assistants.

“So it’s going to be one of those procedures?” One of the assistants asked. Applebloom heard a hint of fear or distaste in his voice.

“Yes,” Doctor D answered. “I want to see exactly how the test subject reacts to the procedure without the use of general anesthesia. We will however use local anesthesia for the incisions although in small doses.”

What is anes... Anes-peesh-yer? Applebloom wondered.

“Yes Doctor.” the assistant said. She walked over to Applebloom and with magic summoned five leather straps which immediately tied Applebloom tightly down to the table. Four straps binding each leg and one large strap across her back.

Applebloom panicked. “Why aren’t you letting me move?” she cried. She struggled to get free but with no success.

“It’s only part of the procedure.” Doctor D said happily.

The assistant who had tied Applebloom down moved closer to her. “I’m so sorry...” she whispered in Applebloom’s ear.

Applebloom’s heart rate had increased again, her breathing became heavy and rapid, and although she had tried to force it out of her, the all too familiar fear rose again deep inside her chest.

“Ten forty-two PM.” Doctor D spoke into the microphone. “Procedure is ready to commence.”

“Which procedure is it Doctor?” asked an assistant.

“We are closer to becoming successful in creating a Pegasus more so than a Unicorn. I still haven’t found a successful way of converting the magical pulses from the horn into a normal and useable brain wave pattern that an Earth Pony’s sensory strip can harness. To try another attempt at that procedure would be to throw away a perfectly good test subject. No, I’d rather have another go at the Pegasus procedure. This time, however, I would like to add use more muscle tissue. I feel that our last test subject wasn’t nearly strong enough to be able to fly.”

An image of the pegasus filly in the bathroom screaming in pain flashed through Applebloom’s mind. Th-They’re gonna do the same thing to me! Applebloom thought in horror. She knew that when she volunteered in Sea Breeze’s place that something like this would happen, but now that she was here in the moment it was different than she had imagined.

“Applying anesthesia.” one of Doctor D’s assistants said. Applebloom felt a pinch on her left flank and yelped. The uncomfortable sensation was followed quickly by another pinch on her right flank. Soon after a tingling sensation began to form around the areas that the pinches came from.

“Can you feel this?” Doctor D asked after a few seconds.

“F-feel what?” Applebloom said.

“Me tapping your side right now, do you feel it?”

“No.”

“Test subject has successfully been given anesthesia along each flank.” Doctor D said into the microphone. “We are ready to make incisions.”

“Should I retrieve the parts?” asked an assistant.

“Yes.” Doctor D said. “Pale yellow and O blood type if you can.”

“Donor or traitor sir?” asked the assistant.

“Whichever best suits the test subjects criteria. Make sure that it’s a fully grown mare. The test subject will need to grow into them, I believe it will work better.”

What in tarnation are they talking about? Applebloom wondered as she saw the assistant leave the room out of the corner of her eye. What did all that mean?

“In the meantime,” the Doctor continued. “let’s begin. Scalpel please.”

Applebloom heard the sound of clinking metal but couldn’t see what the doctors were doing behind her. Then she felt a tugging around the same area that she had felt the pinch, as if someone were pulling on her skin. Suddenly, her flank felt as though it had been set on fire and Applebloom screamed in pain. The horrible burning continued as a razor sharp item cut back and forth deep into her muscle. Applebloom writhed in agony but the straps held her down firmly.

“More anesthesia Doctor?” asked an assistant. “It appeared to only numb the skin tissue.”

“Not yet.” Doctor D replied.

The agonizing pain lasted for a grueling five minutes as Doctor D proceeded slicing through Applebloom’s flank.

“First incision made.” Doctor D finally said into the microphone. “Proceeding to the second.”

Applebloom heard the Doctor and his two remaining assistants walk over to her other side. Soon the tugging sensation began once again on her flank and she felt like she knew what was coming next.

“Please stop!” Applebloom cried desperately. “It’s going to hurt again!”

Doctor D paid no attention to Applebloom’s pleas, and just as she predicted the searing pain roared again alongside her flank. Never before had she felt such pain. She became dizzy, her entire body tensed up, and her own screams almost made her turn deaf. Finally the pain subsided and Applebloom laid there panting and crying softly. Cold sweat ran down her face.

“Second incision made.” Doctor D said. “Now we have to wait fo-” he was cut off as the doors swung open and the assistant who had left returned rolling a stretcher with a Pegasus on top. Tubes and wires were strung all across the Pegasus and she appeared to be sleeping. Her coat was the same color as Applebloom’s and her mane was a lime green color.

“Right on time!” Doctor D exclaimed.

“Yes Doctor, and a lucky catch!” The assistant bringing in the Pegasus said happily. She stopped the stretcher directly in front of Applebloom. “Same color and blood type as the test subject. This pathetic traitor didn’t even put up a fight, no guards were needed.”

“Just out of curiosity what’s on her record?” Doctor D asked.

“Conspiracy against the Princess.” the assistant replied. “Apparently this one was trying to make her way to Appaloosa to join the Earth Pony lovers!”

Doctor D laughed. “Well if she loves them so much she’ll thank us because soon she’ll be an Earth Pony herself!”

The three assistants laughed.

“Well shall we continue?” Doctor D said. “Does anypony need a quick refreshing of what we’re going to do?”

“I could use a review.” said the assistant who had told Applebloom she was sorry.

“Better safe then sorry eh?” Doctor D laughed. “Firstly we need those wings along with some extra muscle, nerve endings, and skin tissue. Then we can begin attaching the bones to their proper places with the use plates and screws. Blood flow can then be established by anastomosis of the arteries and veins. Then we can repair and attach muscles and tendons followed by nerves. The next stage is to attach the nerve implants into the spinal column and connect the wing nerves to them. If the test subject can’t control her wings after recovery then we’ll have to resort to brain implants.”

“Yes Doctor.” the assistant said. “Are we going to apply more anesthesia though?”

Although Applebloom couldn’t see Doctor D’s face, she could tell he was smiling. “No.” he said cheerily. “I still want to observe how the patient reacts without it’s use.”

“Y-yes Doctor...”

“We wasted enough time, let’s begin!” Doctor D exclaimed. He walked over to the Pegasus, the three assistants following closely behind watching his every move. Applebloom watched as they worked cutting and sawing with delicate precision. They used a combination of medical tools and magic to get the job done. Bones popped out of place, muscles were severed, and blood trickled out of the open wounds. The gruesome sight made Applebloom feel sick to her stomach. Every so often Doctor D would stop and narrate his work into the microphone and one of the assistants would check on Applebloom, cleaning the incisions made on her flanks. After about twenty minutes the team managed to remove one of the wings. It hovered magically above the stretcher covered with blood.

“I’ll trust you two to get the second wing.” Doctor D said pointing at two of his assistants. He turned to his remaining assistant. “We’ll begin the process of attaching this one.”

Doctor D moved towards Applebloom. She squirmed hopelessly underneath the straps realizing that there was only more pain in store for her. “Please let me go!” she cried. Tears flowed like a river from her eyes and memories raced through her mind. She remembered Ponyville and all of her friends there. She remembered Sweet Apple Acres and the scent of Granny Smith’s apple pies. She remembered Applejack tucking her into bed and telling her that there were no monsters in the closet. “I want to go home! I want my big sis Applejack!” she sobbed.

Doctor D was not phased at all by Applebloom’s heartrending cries. However, the assistant who was to help Doctor D with Applebloom, the same one who had told Applebloom she was sorry, became sympathetic.

“Doctor,” she said. “I think it would be best if we used general anesthesia at this point.”

“Why would you think that?” Doctor D asked.

“Because... Because the patient... er... The test subject will most likely fidget which could ruin the procedure.”

Doctor D laughed. “You doubt my expertise! No the procedure will go along as planned.” He walked behind Applebloom. “Beginning to attach the humerus to the dorsal vertebrae.” he narrated.

The pain returned as Doctor D pulled back Applebloom’s skin. It felt as though someone had thrown boiling oil on her entire flank. She thrashed back and forth but the pain continued. A hard metallic object was then thrusted into her side and eventually rested upon her spine.

“First plate inserted.” Doctor D said. “Now to insert the humerus.

Applebloom barely knew what was going on anymore. Her entire mind was focused on the pain, focused on how to stop it. She began convulsing uncontrollably. The room grew dimmer and dimmer. And then blackness.