//------------------------------// // Welcome! // Story: Welcome to Equestria Laboratories // by Scootaluna //------------------------------// “Move over! Get into one straight line! Stop shoving!” The excited ponies barely paid the noisy supervisor any mind. They were too engrossed in their own enthusiastic chatter. “What do you think we’ll do first?” “I don’t know, maybe we’ll start trials right away.” “Oh, I hope so!” “Let’s go! Let’s go! Everybody through this door!” barked the supervisor, glaring with distaste through his bushy brown mustache. He lead the way down the rest of the plain hallway, then through a pair of thick, glass doors that slid shut behind them and sealed with a click. The four feverishly chatting ponies followed him, finding themselves in a small office room. It contained a few rows of metal folding chairs, and a desk with a projector resting on top of it. The pony who had been leading them hissed out a sharp “Ssshhh!”  then proceeded to click the power switch on the projector, flip the light switch, and take a seat on a chair in the corner of the room. A deep, rich voice began “Hello, volunteers, and welcome to Equestria Laboratories!” as a grainy image of the laboratory’s logo appeared on the wall. The four ponies finally quieted down as they each found seats and stared at the whiteboard with anticipation. The stallion with the pleasant voice continued. “Because of your unique and special talents, you have been selected from hundreds of volunteers for this portion of our unicorn testing initiative.” The projector issued a quiet click and the image changed to the silhouettes of several unicorns with linked arms and stylized grins that spread across their faces. “It is almost time for your trials to begin! You will be pioneering the way for some of ponykind’s most advanced technology! Please step into the next room now and put on your specially designed Equestria Laboratories Power Amplifying Coupler, or ELPAC for short.” The mechanism inside the projector slid forward again, and cast a new image onto the board, this one a simple picture of a ring with lines showing light gleaming off of it. “May you be guided by luck’s hoof in all of your endeavors!” The projector returned to the first image of the Equestria Laboratories logo, then shut off. The supervisor stallion returned to the front of the room and flipped the light switch back on. “You heard him, move on through that door!” The four ponies returned immediately to their noisy chattering, now more enthusiastic than ever. “We’re starting the trials already!” “Did you hear what he said? Power amplifiers!” “Of course I heard him. What do you think they’re for?” They entered another room, this one more spacious than the last. On a table in the center of the room were four plain looking rings. They were solid white metal, except for a cloudy, off-white, oval shaped stone set in each of their centers.          “Now, each of you take one.” The supervisor commanded. “Put it onto your horn, and await further instructions.” Each of the unicorns levitated a ring off of the table and lowered it onto their horns. They slid down easily to the base of the appendage, then made a high-pitched whirring sound as the gears inside them rotated and clamped down onto each of the ponies’ horns. The unicorns each stared in surprise and wonder as the ELPACs affixed themselves to their horns. “It tingles!” “Is it supposed to feel so tight?” “Mine Itches!” The pony who had led them this far cleared his throat to bring the awe-struck ponies’ attention back to him. “Follow me now, it’s almost time for testing.” He lead them through another set of doors that opened as they approached, then slid shut behind them with the same click. This new environment was a long corridor, with four doors spaced evenly along the wall, each numbered with a red LED display. “Each of you step up to a door. You come over here. And you there, this chamber is for you. Good, now that you’re all ready for testing, remain here and await further instructions.” He turned and swiftly went through the doorway, back into the room they had come from.  He traveled no more than 2 steps before returning to the door and stuck his head through the entrance. When he returned, his demeanor had changed entirely; he now looked completely shaken. He coughed and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he said in a shaky voice “I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, I really am. You’ve got to be careful out there though. When you don’t know what to do, just remember your talents. Play things to your strengths, and above all else-” “Your testing trials are about to begin!” That deep, melodious voice had returned, none of the unicorns could have mistaken its sound over the intercom. “I’m sorry, I have to go. I hope to see you again.” The brown stallion ran back through the door. The doors slid until they met, and the usual click was heard, but this time, the supervisor pulled down a metal grate over the glass, completely obstructing the view. “Did anypony else think that was a bit strange?” Nobody was able to answer, because the buildings intercom system returned to life again. “When your door opens, walk through, and complete the task that is assigned to you. May you be guided by luck’s hoof in all of your endeavors!” Then the hiss of the intercom ended. “Well, that doesn’t seem too bad, right? Completing a task... What could it be?” “I have no clue. And anyway, what was that supervisor guy saying?” The four doors slid straight up with a hiss like pressurized air being released. “No time to discuss now, we’ve got a job to do!” The first pony ran through to his challenge. “He’s right, you know. You two had better get to it.” The second unicorn ran into her testing chamber. “I suppose there’s no sense delaying it.” The third one walked carefully through the entrance. “What have I gotten myself into?” And the final pony winced preemptively as he dragged himself with uncertainty past the threshold of the room, and into his new surroundings.