#even my desk is a reddish wood. so is my bookshelf

[heartbeetz]

I've talked before about how I think it's funny that so many of my f/os are associated with reds (or pinks) and/or greens. But it only just occurred to me that that's probably connected to earth tones (especially reds and greens, but also brown/black) being my favorite colors for things to be. Like my bedsheets and plant pots and furniture and random decorative items are mostly reds and greens (+brown). Fucking of course I'd also be drawn to characters who are those colors. Whatever.

[svaelfyr]

Veracity

Tucking his arms into a fold across his chest, Svaelfyr took in a long, steadying breath. Before him was the western wall of an otherwise beautifully furnished study. The sunlight—what little was afforded a home within Ishgard—crept in through a nearby window, illuminating the reddish-brown wood, and demonstrating the meticulous finish it’d been given. It was a gorgeous room, at least by the hrothgar’s standards. He hadn’t had much to do with the general layout; instead, he’d been tasked to replicate the existing bookshelves to replace one that’d been lost to water damage. Their origins had been from some hundred years or so, and so the task to obtain a matching shelf to align with the rest had been a bit of the journey for the local.

The elezen, a short-for-his-kin male with nearly trimmed shoulder-length black hair stood at his shoulder. Though he wore a smile, it was obvious by the tone in his voice that he was somewhat disappointed. To the man’s credit, though, he seemed to be doing his best to be gentle about it.

“It is, unfortunately, difficult not to notice,” he spoke, his cadence gentle, but with a certain sadness. 

“I have to agree,” Svaelfyr muttered out of the side of his mouth. His mind was running through all of the possible causes; had he measured the sides incorrectly? Had he lost some height during the finishing? Or, perhaps the man had provided him with incorrect measurements?

This third bookshelf, laid to the right of the two original units, was almost identical to the others. Svaelfyr had been so very meticulous in his selection of wood specimen and finish, and the customer had paid appropriately for the work to be perfect. It, sadly, was not. There was a notable difference in height, even with as tall as they were. He’d made it too short.

Turning upon his heels, the hrothgar made his way out of the room. “I’ll be right back,” he explained, and in an instant, was gone. He returned, as promised, shortly afterward with a measuring tape and a notepad in hand. After a brief trip up a small ladder, Svaelfyr ran his measuring tape along the side of the furniture he’d made. “One hundred seven and one eighth ilms,” he muttered before he came down to reference his notepad, which he’d laid open upon a desk in front of the both of them. In his handwriting was the height, written with a particular neatness, and a blockiness that was apparent in all of the man’s writing.

107 ⅞” 

He hissed a breath through his teeth. This was a hill he could die on—the measurement had been transcribed over a linkpearl, and the hrothgar felt as though some part of him wanted to insist that he knew his own handwriting, and that little ‘7’ was actually a ‘1’. But, this customer had been so thoroughly pleasant…

Once more he found his mind swimming. It’d be expensive and time-consuming to cart the thing back south, but even more expensive to rent out a work-place within the citystate and work on it here. Neither option was particularly ideal, but he’d have to pick one.

“I’ll fix it. I am truly sorry for the further delay. I must’ve read my dimensions incorrectly. If you’ll allow me to leave it here for the time being, I’ll…” He grumbled a little further. “I’ll figure something out.”

[ask-de-writer]

Dr. Mordenheim’s Travels, Book 1: De Writer’s Equestria, Ch. 4

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Dr. Mordenheim’s Travels, Book 1: De Writer’s Equestria, Ch. 4

by

Mordenheim

(In Hosted Tales)

1458 words

© 2019 by Mordenheim

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

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All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

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NEW TO THIS STORY? READ FROM PART 1 which is HERE

===================================================

Victor smiled as he finished up with his latest patient.  Using a rag wrapped around one of his fore hooves, the other end gripped in his teeth the zebra polished the shining steel of the green earth pony’s prosthetic rear leg.

“Now then,” he said, tossing the rag aside and picking up a small vial in his teeth, “In a few hours the anesthetic will start to wear off.  It will feel like a dull ache at first but will gradually get worse.  As SOON as you feel that ache I want you to take a teaspoon of this potion, then once every eight hours after that.  I’m sorry if it throws off your sleeping schedule, but this is necessary to make sure that everything heals and melds together properly.”

Rosewater nodded and smiled, taking the vial and placing it in her saddlebags, “Thank you, Doctor!  When that cart ran over my leg, I thought I would be in a mobility cart for the rest of my days.”

“Well, you’re not out of the woods just yet.  There’s still a chance that your body might reject the implants or the nerve connections may not heal properly.  However if you take your medicine at the prescribed times and come back for your scheduled checkups, the risk is minimal.  In fact, you should be right as rain in just a few weeks time.”  He walked around the mare, making sure that everything seemed to be properly finished as well as admiring his own work.  “In the meantime, you can walk on it normally, but no running, jumping, or kicking until I give you the okay, alright?  We don’t want to cause any more damage.”

The mare shook her head, her pink curls swaying from side to side.  “No sir!  I’ll take it nice and easy for now.”

Victor smiled again, draping a hoof over the back of the mare that he towered over.  The red-maned zebra being the size of a Rom horse himself cast a bit of an imposing image, but his gentle words and actions had won over the smaller female.  “Now, since you are the first to get this experimental treatment, there shall be no charge for the surgery, however, I will require a few bits payment for the medicine itself.  I will send you my bill shortly, but I promise it will not be much.”  He carefully helped the mare walk towards the door.

Rosewater opened the door slowly, the well oiled hinges not making even the slightest squeak as she stepped outside and took a deep breath of fresh air.  The sun was sinking low in the sky.  “Oh my, it’s later than I thought!  Thank you, doctor but I need to hurry home before dark!”

Suddenly the heavy hoof of the zebra stamped down on the end of her tail, drawing her up short.  “No running!  Just move at a gentle canter and you should be back in Ponyville proper before you know it.”  He lifted his hoof and smiled before waving.  “Fair travels, miss Rosewater, and I will see you next week.”

As he trotted back inside, he put out an ornately carved wooden sign that said “RING BELL FOR SERVICE” in bright green lettering.  The paint of the sign was designed to glow brightly when struck by moon or starlight as was the bell hanging by the front door.  Heading into the workshop at the back of the clinic, he tossed a few hunks of wood and coal into the large incinerator and fired it up, using a chemical compound and a bit of flint.  After the fire was burning brightly, he opened the door to his operating room.  Carefully gathering up the bloodied sheets and disposable equipment, he tossed them into the incinerator.  Closing the heavy iron door with a loud clank, he turned his attention to his surgical equipment.  He pulled out a few bottles of powerful antibacterial potions and carefully mixed them into a vat of water.  He then set his sharp, shining instruments inside to soak for a while.  He heard the bell ring at the front door.

Tilting his head, he headed for the heavy wooden door.  He'd never actually had a patient this late since the areas near the Everfree could be dangerous after dark, so it must be truly important.  Opening the door, he was used to looking down to greet his patients, due to his towering, Rom-like height.  He was quite surprised to actually find himself eye to eye with a beautiful midnight-blue mare.

“Oh! Your highness!”  He remembered himself at last and bowed to the Princess of Dreams and Nightmares, “To what do I owe this wonderful surprise?”

The zebra found himself being ushered to one side by one of the Royal Guard.  Commander Lightning Rays, a white pegasus with distinctive black wing tips used the tip of his spear to gesture for the doctor to step back to what he deemed a safe distance.  As he glanced through the doorway he could see two more guards posted outside the doors before they swung closed behind his guests.

“Unfortunately, my reason for visiting is not pleasant.  I have received a complaint from the Ponyville Medical Society that there was a doctor in the area practicing without proper authorization.”  She frowned a bit, looking over the zebra’s shoulder, “May I come in?”

Victor nodded, smiling as he backed out of the way, “Of course, of course! Please, make yourself at home!”

Luna cast her gaze around the waiting and consultation area, seeing that everything was clean and brightly lit.  It was cheerfully colored rather than being the normal stark white of the horsepital.  Several comfortable chairs and couches lined the walls.  There was a shelf full of various books.  A small area off to the side seemed to be dedicated for foals to play while they waited.  A large, heavy-looking wooden desk was central to the wall opposite the entrance.  She rested a hoof on it’s shining, smooth surface, the reddish-brown wood so polished that she could see her reflection in the surface.

“Mahogany?” she asked, a bit surprised as the wood was quite hard to come bay so far to the north.

The zebra nodded, his chest puffing up a bit with pride, “I wanted to be sure that everything was the very best, for both myself and my patients.”

The mare looked thoughtful, walking over to the bookshelf, running a hoof over the many different tomes.  There was everything from medical journals, to nonfiction historical books, children’s books, and even a complete set of Daring-Do novels lined the shelf.  Victor watched as she inspected everything carefully before she headed towards the operating room door.  

She pushed through into the operating chamber, finding the room to be a sparkling white.  Her nose stung a bit from the strong chemical smell coming from the bucket of surgical tools, but that was to be expected.  Her ears twitched a little at the low rumble of the incinerator against the far back wall.  “I can see you keep everything meticulously clean.  Not at all what I was told by Dr. Crossly.”

The good doctor looked a bit confused, “Dr. Crossly?  I’m sorry, I’ve never met anypony by that name.  In fact, I haven’t met any of the other local doctors.  They seem to be avoiding me for some reason.”

The midnight mare rolled her eyes a bit, “I expected as much.  It would seem that the Medical Society feels threatened by your business and are trying to use me for a method of bringing you grief.  Tell me, the prosthetic on the young mare who just left, was that your work?”

“Yes, your highness.  In fact, surgical amputation and prosthetics are something of a specialty of mine.”

“Do you have one of your prosthetics that I may look over?  I am very curious about your work.”

Victor crouched down and pulled open a heavy drawer set in the base of the wall.  Dark padding lined the inside of it and a small, foal-sized prosthetic leg was lying within.  He lifted it out of the drawer and placed it upon the operating table, an odd amalgamation of wires dangling from the inside of the hip.

Luna picked it up with her magic, turning it over in the air, inspecting it with a jeweler’s gaze.  Every tiny detail was visible to her, from the wires designed to interface with the nerve endings in a pony’s legs to the special pads and enchanted rods used to allow the natural magic of an earth pony to flow naturally.  She tilted her head a bit before uttering, “Doctor, there is one thing I am curious about.  Many prosthetics are designed to rely on a pony’s natural magic to power them, but I see no such thing in your design. While it is very impressive, I fail to see how it can even function.”

The zebra smiled a bit, reaching up to tap his hoof on a small square panel that the princess had assumed was part of the assembly.  With one gentle press it sprung open, revealing an empty cavity lined with hundreds of tiny metal wires, looking much like  brush of some kind. “This is where the power supply is inserted.”

He pulled the drawer out a bit further than it was before and produced what looked like a small suitcase of some sort.  Opening it revealed a crushed velvet lining and several small quartz crystals nestled within.  Each of the crystals glowed faintly with a differently colored aura.  “A short while ago, I discovered an alchemical process to alter quartz crystals to allow them to hold either magical or electrical energy.  The prosthetics are designed to use either.” Picking up a crystal with a faint green hue, he placed it in the open compartment where it slowly started to rotate, generating tiny sparks as it rubbed against the metal brushes.  He snaped the door closed before picking up another crystal, this one glowing bright white.

“The crystal I put in the leg is charged with earth magic, while this one is charged with pure electricity from the last storm to pass through the area.”  He smiled at the princess as he readied the white crystal.  “Would you mind setting the prosthetic down on the table, please?

At the mention of pure electricity being harnessed from lightning, the guard perked up a little.  He rubbed at his black goatee a bit as he too leaned in closer to see what was going on.

Very curious now, Princess Luna did as he asked and stepped around to the opposite side of the table to watch.  Victor lowered the white crystal to each of the “nerve” wires in turn, causing the leg to twitch and spasm, the artificial “muscles” contracting just as a real leg would.

“I can connect these to the major nerves.  I have even perfected it to the point that if too much is lost I can run artificial nerves straight to the spinal column, though the procedure can be dangerous.”  He sighed a little as he set the crystal aside. “Sadly, my ultimate goal is to give the patient sensation in an artificial limb, but I fear that may be out of my reach.”

Luna actually seemed a bit stunned.  This was an incredible accomplishment for anypony, and his ambition was amazing.  This zebra sought to create a prosthetic leg that would be functionally identical to that of a real one, and he had gotten very, very close!  She leaned down a bit closer, tilting her head as she noticed there were a few silvery wires that he had not touched with the crystal.  “And, dear doctor, what are these connections for?”

The big zebra actually clopped his hooves together and smiled brightly, “Actually, that is the part I am most proud of.”  He gestured to the delicate-seeming bundles of wire, the tiny connections little thicker than a single strand of his bright red mane.  “These allow magic to flow freely through the artificial limb as if it were real, meaning that Earth Ponies still have their full connection to the Earth, and pegasi won’t stumble from having an artificial leg that falls through clouds!”

Luna’s guard took in everything, then gripped his spear a little more tightly.  When their host had smiled, he had caught a glimpse of the zebra’s oddly sharp, interlocking teeth.  Long and white, they reminded him of the mandibles of a shark or some other sleek predator that lurks in deep, dark places.  He shook his head a little because his charge seemed oblivious to the possible danger of the situation, but he knew better than to chime in when she was so wrapped up in what she referred to as “talking shop” with another pony.

Lightning Ray’s ears perked up as he heard a commotion coming from the guards he left posted outside.  As he pushed open the door he saw that they had their spears crossed, pushing back a rather pudgy-looking off-white unicorn.  The intruder stamped his hoof and hissed at them through gritted teeth as he demanded entrance.  His mane, almost the color of a smoker’s stained teeth flipped this way and that.  He turned around and at first Lightning thought he was going to make the massive mistake of bucking at the royal guards, but instead he was trying to use his prodigious rump to shove his way through!

“AHEM!!” Lightning poked at the unicorn’s rump with a wing tip.  He got a good close look at the intruder’s cutie mark.  To most ponies, it would look like a red cross adorning a medical bag, fairly common for pony doctors and nurses.  However, to his trained eye the cross was slightly askew, and it was a bank bag, not a medical bag that adorned his flank.  “May I help you with something?”

The unicorn puffed himself up with pride, almost giving him the appearance of a bloated toad.  “Yes, actually.  I am Dr. Crossly, the representative of the Ponyville Medical Society who reported this fraud for operating without the proper permits.  I came by here to make sure that he was shut down.”

Lightning tilted his head a little, then thought of Luna’s reaction to the work that Dr. Mordenheim was doing.  Smiling a little, he gave the signal for the two guard ponies to let the unicorn pass.  “Of course, Dr. Crossly, right this way.”

The unicron looked like he’d swallowed a lemon when he heard laughter coming from the next room.  A deep, bass rumble of a laugh and a higher, beautiful tone, almost like tinkling chimes.  He burst into the next room, Commander Lightning rays in tow and stamped his hoof on the white tiles.

“What is the meaning of this?  This.. this les... er.. zebra.  Has been operating a clinic without authorization!”

Luna nodded to the unicorn, and sadly to Dr. Mordenheim.  “This is true, and a fine of five hundred golden bits must be paid.”  Dr. Crossly was practically rubbing his hooves with glee at this remark.

“However, I have now thoroughly inspected your facilities and seen examples of your work first hoof.  You have my approval to keep operating your emergency clinic right here on the edge of the Everfree for as long as you are able.  Please stop by town hall tomorrow evening.  Your paperwork should be properly registered by then.”

Crossly’s jaw nearly hit the floor at this announcement, but he quickly recovered.  His shocked face soon became a smirk.  “Actually, to operate a clinic here in Ponyville, he will need to be voted into and become a dues-paying member of the Ponyville Medical Society.  We all have to do our part to protect not just the good ponies of this town, but one another as professionals, after all.”

It was Victor himself who got a bit of a smug grin now.  “Actually, that was what we were discussing when you so rudely barged in.  It seems that my own clinic is actually outside of Ponyville and therefore falls directly under royal jurisdiction.”   He slowly stepped towards the unicorn and lowered his head to Crossly’s level.  He smiled a little wider on one side of his mouth, out of sight of the princess and her guard.  His long, sharp teeth were revealed to the unicorn causing the pudgy pony to pale prodigiously beneath his fur.

“I suggest you leave immediately before I ask our dear princess to have you removed for trespassing, or better yet I take care of it myself.”

Dr. Crossly, who had already been slowly backing up as the towering zebra advanced, nodded and turned tail, his hooves scrabbling on the slick tiles as he scooted back through the door and out into the night.

Victor cleared his throat a bit as he stood upright once more, using a hoof to straighten out his slightly rumpled lab coat.  “Alright then. Thank you, your highness, for the proper documentation to operate my business.  I truly was unaware of the rules at the time, but I shall gladly pay the fine that is due tomorrow when I visit town hall.” He smiled a bit more pleasantly at both Princess Luna and Commander Lightning Rays.  “Perhaps we could meet somewhere this weekend and discuss matters further over tea?”

Eyes twinkling with humor, Princess Luna smiled back at Victor, her own lips spread just enough to show a set of fangs even larger than his. “Your dismissal of Doctor Crossly was delightful, Victor!  I would be delighted to meet you for tea, after my Night Court adjourns.”

A bemused Victor watched his royal guest and her guard take wing. Muttering to himself, “She really does not miss much, does she?” he shut the door.

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[mordenheim]

Dr. Mordenheim’s Travels, Book 1:  De Writer’s Equestria, Ch. 4

Dr. Victor Mordenheim has traveled to many different realities in his many centuries of existence.  This series, which I shall add to from time to time, will explore some of them, beginning with the world of @ask-de-writer.   Also, thank you to @ask-de-writer for the editing and ending bit.

=============================================================

Victor smiled as he finished up with his latest patient.  Using a rag wrapped around one of his fore hooves, the other end gripped in his teeth the zebra polished the shining steel of the green earth pony’s prosthetic rear leg.

“Now then,” he said, tossing the rag aside and picking up a small vial in his teeth, “In a few hours the anesthetic will start to wear off.  It will feel like a dull ache at first but will gradually get worse.  As SOON as you feel that ache I want you to take a teaspoon of this potion, then once every eight hours after that.  I’m sorry if it throws off your sleeping schedule, but this is necessary to make sure that everything heals and melds together properly.”

Rosewater nodded and smiled, taking the vial and placing it in her saddlebags, “Thank you, Doctor!  When that cart ran over my leg, I thought I would be in a mobility cart for the rest of my days.”

“Well, you’re not out of the woods just yet.  There’s still a chance that your body might reject the implants or the nerve connections may not heal properly.  However if you take your medicine at the prescribed times and come back for your scheduled checkups, the risk is minimal.  In fact, you should be right as rain in just a few weeks time.”  He walked around the mare, making sure that everything seemed to be properly finished as well as admiring his own work.  “In the meantime, you can walk on it normally, but no running, jumping, or kicking until I give you the okay, alright?  We don’t want to cause any more damage.”

The mare shook her head, her pink curls swaying from side to side.  “No sir!  I’ll take it nice and easy for now.”

Victor smiled again, draping a hoof over the back of the mare that he towered over.  The red-maned zebra being the size of a Rom horse himself cast a bit of an imposing image, but his gentle words and actions had won over the smaller female.  “Now, since you are the first to get this experimental treatment, there shall be no charge for the surgery, however, I will require a few bits payment for the medicine itself.  I will send you my bill shortly, but I promise it will not be much.”  He carefully helped the mare walk towards the door.

Rosewater opened the door slowly, the well oiled hinges not making even the slightest squeak as she stepped outside and took a deep breath of fresh air.  The sun was sinking low in the sky.  “Oh my, it’s later than I thought!  Thank you, doctor but I need to hurry home before dark!”

Suddenly the heavy hoof of the zebra stamped down on the end of her tail, drawing her up short.  “No running!  Just move at a gentle canter and you should be back in Ponyville proper before you know it.”  He lifted his hoof and smiled before waving.  “Fair travels, miss Rosewater, and I will see you next week.”

As he trotted back inside, he put out an ornately carved wooden sign that said “RING BELL FOR SERVICE” in bright green lettering.  The paint of the sign was designed to glow brightly when struck by moon or starlight as was the bell hanging by the front door.  Heading into the workshop at the back of the clinic, he tossed a few hunks of wood and coal into the large incinerator and fired it up, using a chemical compound and a bit of flint.  After the fire was burning brightly, he opened the door to his operating room.  Carefully gathering up the bloodied sheets and disposable equipment, he tossed them into the incinerator.  Closing the heavy iron door with a loud clank, he turned his attention to his surgical equipment.  He pulled out a few bottles of powerful antibacterial potions and carefully mixed them into a vat of water.  He then set his sharp, shining instruments inside to soak for a while. He heard the bell ring at the front door.

Tilting his head, he headed for the heavy wooden door.  He’d never actually had a patient this late since the areas near the Everfree could be dangerous after dark, so it must be truly important. Opening the door, he was used to looking down to greet his patients, due to his towering, Rom-like height.  He was quite surprised to actually find himself eye to eye with a beautiful midnight-blue mare.

“Oh!  Your highness!”  He remembered himself at last and bowed to the Princess of Dreams and Nightmares, “To what do I owe this wonderful surprise?”

The zebra found himself being ushered to one side by one of the Royal Guard.  Commander Lightning Rays, a white pegasus with distinctive black wing tips used the tip of his spear to gesture for the doctor to step back to what he deemed a safe distance.  As he glanced through the doorway he could see two more guards posted outside the doors before they swung closed behind his guests.

“Unfortunately, my reason for visiting is not pleasant.  I have received a complaint from the Ponyville Medical Society that there was a doctor in the area practicing without proper authorization.”  She frowned a bit, looking over the zebra’s shoulder, “May I come in?”

Victor nodded, smiling as he backed out of the way, “Of course, of course!  Please, make yourself at home!”

Luna cast her gaze around the waiting and consultation area, seeing that everything was clean and brightly lit.  It was cheerfully colored rather than being the normal stark white of the horsepital.  Several comfortable chairs and couches lined the walls. There was a shelf full of various books.  A small area off to the side seemed to be dedicated for foals to play while they waited.  A large, heavy-looking wooden desk was central to the wall opposite the entrance.  She rested a hoof on it’s shining, smooth surface, the reddish-brown wood so polished that she could see her reflection in the surface.

“Mahogany?” she asked, a bit surprised as the wood was quite hard to come by so far to the north.

The zebra nodded, his chest puffing up a bit with pride, “I wanted to be sure that everything was the very best, for both myself and my patients.”

The mare looked thoughtful, walking over to the bookshelf, running a hoof over the many different tomes.  There was everything from medical journals, to nonfiction historical books, children’s books, and even a complete set of Daring-Do novels lined the shelf.  Victor watched as she inspected everything carefully before she headed towards the operating room door.  She pushed through into the operating chamber, finding the room to be a sparkling white.  Her nose stung a bit from the strong chemical smell coming from the bucket of surgical tools, but that was to be expected.  Her ears twitched a little at the low rumble of the incinerator against the far back wall.  “I can see you keep everything meticulously clean.  Not at all what I was told by Dr. Crossly.”

The good doctor looked a bit confused, “Dr. Crossly?  I’m sorry, I’ve never met anypony by that name.  In fact, I haven’t met any of the other local doctors.  They seem to be avoiding me for some reason.”

The midnight mare rolled her eyes a bit, “I expected as much.  It would seem that the Medical Society feels threatened by your business and are trying to use me for a method of bringing you grief.  Tell me, the prosthetic on the young mare who just left, was that your work?”

“Yes, your highness.  In fact, surgical amputation and prosthetics are something of a specialty of mine.”

“Do you have one of your prosthetics that I may look over?  I am very curious about your work.”

Victor crouched down and pulled open a heavy drawer set in the base of the wall.  Dark padding lined the inside of it and a small, foal-sized prosthetic leg was lying within.  He lifted it out of the drawer and placed it upon the operating table, an odd amalgamation of wires dangling from the inside of the hip.

Luna picked it up with her magic, turning it over in the air, inspecting it with a jeweler’s gaze.  Every tiny detail was visible to her, from the wires designed to interface with the nerve endings in a pony’s legs to the special pads and enchanted rods used to allow the natural magic of an earth pony to flow naturally.  She tilted her head a bit before uttering, “Doctor, there is one thing I am curious about.  Many prosthetics are designed to rely on a pony’s natural magic to power them, but I see no such thing in your design.  While it is very impressive, I fail to see how it can even function.”

The zebra smiled a bit, reaching up to tap his hoof on a small square panel that the princess had assumed was part of the assembly.  With one gentle press it sprung open, revealing an empty cavity lined with hundreds of tiny metal wires, looking much like  brush of some kind.  “This is where the power supply is inserted.”

He pulled the drawer out a bit further than it was before and produced what looked like a small suitcase of some sort. Opening it revealed a crushed velvet lining and several small quartz crystals nestled within. Each of the crystals glowed faintly with a differently colored aura.  “A short while ago, I discovered an alchemical process to alter quartz crystals to allow them to hold either magical or electrical energy.  The prosthetics are designed to use either.”  Picking up a crystal with a faint green hue, he placed it in the open compartment where it slowly started to rotate, generating tiny sparks as it rubbed against the metal brushes. He snapped the door closed before picking up another crystal, this one glowing bright white.

“The crystal I put in the leg is charged with earth magic, while this one is charged with pure electricity from the last storm to pass through the area.”  He smiled at the princess as he readied the white crystal.  “Would you mind setting the prosthetic down on the table, please?

At the mention of pure electricity being harnessed from lightning, the guard perked up a little.  He rubbed at his black goatee a bit as he too leaned in closer to see what was going on.

Very curious now, Princess Luna did as he asked and stepped around to the opposite side of the table to watch.  Victor lowered the white crystal to each of the “nerve” wires in turn, causing the leg to twitch and spasm, the artificial “muscles” contracting just as a real leg would.

“I can connect these to the major nerves.  I have even perfected it to the point that if too much is lost I can run artificial nerves straight to the spinal column, though the procedure can be dangerous.”  He sighed a little as he set the crystal aside.  “Sadly, my ultimate goal is to give the patient sensation in an artificial limb, but I fear that may be out of my reach.”

Luna actually seemed a bit stunned.  This was an incredible accomplishment for anypony, and his ambition was amazing.  This zebra sought to create a prosthetic leg that would be functionally identical to that of a real one, and he had gotten very, very close!  She leaned down a bit closer, tilting her head as she noticed there were a few silvery wires that he had not touched with the crystal.  “And, dear doctor, what are these connections for?”

The big zebra actually clopped his hooves together and smiled brightly, “Actually, that is the part I am most proud of.”  He gestured to the delicate-seeming bundles of wire, the tiny connections little thicker than a single strand of his bright red mane.  “These allow magic to flow freely through the artificial limb as if it were real, meaning that Earth Ponies still have their full connection to the Earth, and pegasi won’t stumble from having an artificial leg that falls through clouds!”

Luna’s guard took in everything, then gripped his spear a little more tightly.  When their host had smiled, he had caught a glimpse of the zebra’s oddly sharp, interlocking teeth.  Long and white, they reminded him of the mandibles of a shark or some other sleek predator that lurks in deep, dark places.  He shook his head a little because his charge seemed oblivious to the possible danger of the situation, but he knew better than to chime in when she was so wrapped up in what she referred to as “talking shop” with another pony.

Lightning Ray’s ears perked up as he heard a commotion coming from the guards he left posted outside.  As he pushed open the door he saw that they had their spears crossed, pushing back a rather pudgy-looking off-white unicorn.  The intruder stamped his hoof and hissed at them through gritted teeth as he demanded entrance.  His mane, almost the color of a smoker’s stained teeth flipped this way and that.  He turned around and at first Lightning thought he was going to make the massive mistake of bucking at the royal guards, but instead he was trying to use his prodigious rump to shove his way through!

“AHEM!!”  Lightning poked at the unicorn’s rump with a wing tip.  He got a good close look at the intruder’s cutie mark.  To most ponies, it would look like a red cross adorning a medical bag, fairly common for pony doctors and nurses.  However, to his trained eye the cross was slightly askew, and it was a bank bag, not a medical bag that adorned his flank.  “May I help you with something?”

The unicorn puffed himself up with pride, almost giving him the appearance of a bloated toad.  “Yes, actually.  I am Dr. Crossly, the representative of the Ponyville Medical Society who reported this fraud for operating without the proper permits.  I came by here to make sure that he was shut down.”

Lightning tilted his head a little, then thought of Luna’s reaction to the work that Dr. Mordenheim was doing.  Smiling a little, he gave the signal for the two guard ponies to let the unicorn pass.  “Of course, Dr. Crossly, right this way.”

The unicron looked like he’d swallowed a lemon when he heard laughter coming from the next room.  A deep, bass rumble of a laugh and a higher, beautiful tone, almost like tinkling chimes.  He burst into the next room, Commander Lightning rays in tow and stamped his hoof on the white tiles.

“What is the meaning of this?  This.. this les... er.. zebra.  Has been operating a clinic without authorization!”

Luna nodded to the unicorn, and sadly to Dr. Mordenheim.  “This is true, and a fine of five hundred golden bits must be paid.”  Dr. Crossly was practically rubbing his hooves with glee at this remark.

“However, I have now thoroughly inspected your facilities and seen examples of your work first hoof.  You have my approval to keep operating your emergency clinic right here on the edge of the Everfree for as long as you are able.  Please stop by town hall tomorrow evening.  Your paperwork should be properly registered by then.”

Crossly’s jaw nearly hit the floor at this announcement, but he quickly recovered.  His shocked face soon became a smirk.  “Actually, to operate a clinic here in Ponyville, he will need to be voted into and become a dues-paying member of the Ponyville Medical Society. We all have to do our part to protect not just the good ponies of this town, but one another as professionals, after all.”

It was Victor himself who got a bit of a smug grin now.  “Actually, that was what we were discussing when you so rudely barged in.  It seems that my own clinic is actually outside of Ponyville and therefore falls directly under royal jurisdiction.”   He slowly stepped towards the unicorn and lowered his head to Crossly’s level.  He smiled a little wider on one side of his mouth, out of sight of the princess and her guard.  His long, sharp teeth were revealed to the unicorn causing the pudgy pony to pale prodigiously beneath his fur.

“I suggest you leave immediately before I ask our dear princess to have you removed for trespassing, or better yet I take care of it myself.”

Dr. Crossly, who had already been slowly backing up as the towering zebra advanced, nodded and turned tail, his hooves scrabbling on the slick tiles as he scooted back through the door and out into the night.

Victor cleared his throat a bit as he stood upright once more, using a hoof to straighten out his slightly rumpled lab coat.  “Alright then.  Thank you, your highness, for the proper documentation to operate my business.  I truly was unaware of the rules at the time, but I shall gladly pay the fine that is due tomorrow when I visit town hall.”  He smiled a bit more pleasantly at both Princess Luna and Commander Lightning Rays.  “Perhaps we could meet somewhere this weekend and discuss matters further over tea?”

Eyes twinkling with humor, Princess Luna smiled back at Victor, her own lips spread just enough to show a set of fangs even larger than his. “Your dismissal of Doctor Crossly was delightful, Victor! I would be delighted to meet you for tea on Saturday evening after my Night Court adjourns.”

A bemused Victor watched his royal guest and her guard take wing. Muttering to himself, “She really does not miss much, does she?” he shut the door.