"Thanks," I began as I walked out of the cell. I gave a short but satisfying stretch before turning back to Doctor Whooves who was slightly straining to push the heavy metal cell door closed behind me, "so... I assume there'll be more tests?"
"A few, yes," the Doctor grunted as the cell door finally slammed shut with a loud clack. He stepped back with a small sigh, "we managed to finish most of the important examinations while you were comatose. All that should be left now is to assess the changes and make sure everything is as it's supposed to be now that you're awake." I opened my mouth to ask the first of the many questions on my mind but the words caught in my throat at the sight of his suddenly serious expression. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle," he continued, "there are changes and they aren't small ones as I'm sure you can probably tell."
I quietly closed my mouth and gave a slow, careful nod. "My magic—the thaumic energy in my wellspring... I felt it when I woke up," I shook my head and locked eyes with Doctor Whooves, "it's all there, but it's... different. Wrong somehow, and I think something's been going on with it since before what happened back in the training room." I paused, a concerned scowl crossing my face as another thought hit me, "speaking of which, are Cheerilee and Derpy okay? I was in too much pain to see everything that happened but I know it... well, I know it wasn't pretty."
"No," Doctor Whooves sighed, "no, I'd say it was a rather terrifying spectacle to be behold, all that lightning..." he shuddered lightly at the memory, then shook his head and gave me a tired smile, "but rest assured, Miss Sparkle, the projection room was build to withstand far more than what you put out. Miss Cheerilee, Miss Muffins, and myself all made it out completely unscathed."
"Oh thank Celestia," I breathed, then blinked in confusion, "but Spike told me the training room was closed for 'extensive repairs'."
"Ah, yes," Doctor Whooves' smile turned somewhat sour at my response, "well, the projection room largely remained intact, but the same couldn't be said for the mainframe. The internal systems that control the thaumic projector took a lot of electrical damage so that's where most of the repairs were made," his expression turned stern but there was something else in his gaze that I couldn't place as he continued, "we just about have everything working again, but this incident caused several setbacks, both obvious and unforeseen."
I winced and managed a nervous smile, "I suppose all that damage will have to come out of my paycheck?"
That same odd expression flickered across the Doctor's face again but it was gone before I could make heads or tails of it. He let out a low, disarming chuckle and moved to head towards what I assumed to be the lab entrance as he answered. "Let's... leave that discussion for later. For now we'll head to the main laboratory. I'll run some basic examinations. and we can talk a bit more about your condition," he stopped halfway to the large red door and glanced back at me, "I'm sure you have more questions and I believe I can answer at least some of them."
I frowned and followed after the Doctor, feeling very weird about this whole situation. There was definitely something strange going on. Something I was missing and felt like I had been missing for a while now. In my concern for Cheerilee and Derpy I'd momentarily set them aside but I still had a few suspicions I wanted to confirm. Thinking back on it, there were a few red flags I couldn't help but see in hindsight, and many of them revolved around Doctor Whooves and his occasionally strange words and behavior. But I chose once again to push the matter to the side until the tests were done.
The tests in question weren't all that different from the examinations I was subjected to just after my initial registration. The Doctor took some blood and tissue samples and did a complete thaumic scan to assess the current state of my internal mana. There wasn't much conversation during the process but the quiet wasn't exactly uncomfortable. It was more a sort of professional understanding between scientists that the procedure was made easier when we weren't trying to talk one another's ears off. If there were any questions on either end, they would come after the tests were done, barring any complications, of course.
In all honesty, I could've done the tests myself and would have, were I back in Canterlot, but this was Doctor Whooves' lab and he had a lot more experience than I did. With that in mind, and as much as I wanted to run the tests myself, I let the Doctor work. He ran his tests, checked the results, took some notes, and presumably updated a few records on his desktop. I couldn't help but notice all the strange and interesting expressions he shifted through as he reviewed the gathered information. Watching him, I picked out concern, intrigue, surprise, more concern, a weird look that might've been satisfaction or maybe vindication, and finally, relief. Some half an hour or so later, he finished typing out the last of his report.
He pushed his swivel chair back from his desk and let out a pleased sigh before spinning around to face me. I sat somewhat nervously atop the examination table opposite the Doctor. The many faces he'd made during the procedure had me worried, but my uncertainty eased a bit at his consoling smile. "Well, physically, it seems you've made a full recovery," he assured, "though, I would check with Red Heart just to be sure. The medical side of science lies outside my realm of expertise, I'm afraid." His smile turned awkward as he reached for a sheaf of papers pinned on a clipboard on his desk. "As for the magical side of things, well... that requires a bit more of an explanation."
"I'll say," I replied with a frown, "I meant to mention this earlier, but the situation with my magic has been pretty weird for a while now," I narrowed my eyes slightly at the stallion as I spoke, "and I think you know something about all of this." Doctor Whooves grimaced and looked like he was about to say something, but I pushed on ahead, "I realized I still had access to my wellspring just after my Daeification. I could barely draw any thaumic energy out from it and it was like my own wellspring was fighting against me every step of the way, but I could do it." I shook my head and eyed the Doctor with some suspicion.
"I've always had a pretty deep wellspring of mana to draw on, so I initially wrote it off as being one of the lucky few unicorn Hunters to retain at least some use of my magic." My frown deepened, "but weird stuff has been happening to me since I came here—no, even before that. Being reassigned to Daeus Arms R&D back at HQ, getting conscripted, being escorted by the Commander-in-Chief herself, the key she gave me—"
"Key?" Doctor Whooves interjected. His brows furrowed in bemusement, but there was a hint of interest in his deep blue eyes. "What key is this? And you said the Commander-in-Chief gave it to you?" My lips thinned at the interruption but I couldn't exactly fault the Doctor for his curiosity.
Neither the President nor Chief Commander told me to keep the thing a secret, but I felt like I shouldn't just blurt out everything I knew either. Still, there wasn't really much for me to tell, so I just nodded and told him the truth. "She did, but I don't know what kind of key it is or what it's for. All I know is that it's old. Really old. And before you ask, no, I don't know why I was entrusted with the key."
"Fascinating," the stallion muttered before perking up and eyeing me with a hopeful look, "if you don't mind, could I possibly... see this key?" His expression reminded me of a colt begging his parents for snacks at the grocery store. I would've found it endearing if I wasn't so wary of the stallion.
As things stood, I didn't particularly feel like sating his curiosity at the moment. I had my own answers to seek and I was certain he had at least few to give me so I just shook my head and moved on. "I don't have it with me, but maybe later. Right now, I want to know what's going on and how you're involved," I looked him straight in the eye, "I remember that conversation you had with Miss Harshwhinny during our initial examination. That was about me, wasn't it?"
Doctor Whooves held his silence for a few moments, but then seemed to deflate under my accusatory glare. He looked down at the clipboard in his hands as if debating whether or not it would still be useful. Eventually, he just sighed and set it back on the desk as he spoke. "First and foremost, Miss Sparkle, please understand that—up until the incident in the training room—none of this information was mine to give."
He leaned forward in his seat, his his eyes focused on me and his hands loosely clasped together over his knees. His solemn expression looked strangely out of place on his normally affable features. "In light of that incident, however, things have changed and I can tell you a bit more about what I know," his smile returned, albeit briefly, "I'd be happy to in fact. But know that, while I was made aware of some sensitive information, I don't have all the answers."
He leaned back and held his arms out as if in surrender. He gave me a smile that was equal parts rueful and apologetic, "In many ways, I'm still trying to figure this all out, same as you." He paused and looked at me expectantly, clearly waiting for my response. I looked away, my eyes going distant as I thought on his words and the implications they held. It was becoming obvious that there was something strange going on behind the scenes. Something involving me and reaching much higher than I was comfortable with.
I thought that sudden relocation and conscription was fishy from the beginning, but this... just what is the President expecting from me? What's she planning and why me? My eyes widened slightly as something I should've realized much sooner clicked. Wait... this is because of my magic. That's it, isn't it? Is it because of what I did in the training room? Did they know things would turn out like this? No... there's no way, right? Who could have predicted...
"Are you kidding me? Am I really at the center of some... some secret conspiracy reaching up into highest corporate level?" I let out a mirthless laugh at the idea as I returned my attention to the Doctor. "Is that seriously what's going on here?" I gave Doctor Whooves a strained smile, hoping this was all just a joke, but when he didn't immediately respond, my smile faltered and broke. "Sweet Celestia... that is what's going here, isn't it?"
The Doctor gave an awkward cough and turned away at my horrified whisper. "Well, I won't deny a bit of cloak-and-dagger, but it's not really as bad as you might be imagining." At my disbelieving look, he groaned and pinched the wide bridge of his muzzle in frustration, though it seemed the aggravation was directed inward rather than at me. "Okay, look. To start with, yes, Miss Harshwhinny and I did have a discussion regarding you directly. I already knew about the general circumstances surrounding your transfer to this branch, but this was the first time I was made aware of your... other unique situation."
My stomach dropped at the significant gaze he shot me. I wasn't sure I wanted to, but I ended up asking anyway. "And... what other unique situation would that be?"
"What I'm referring to, Miss Sparkle, is your bias factor," Doctor Whooves replied, a hint of a smile crossing his face, "or rather, the awakening thereof."
He took a second to let his words sink in, and that in turn took several more seconds. The idea that I could be carrying a dormant bias factor hadn't even crossed my mind. It just seemed too ridiculous. After all, neither my brother nor my father had a bias factor, so I'd just assumed I didn't either. If it was true, though, then some of what was happening made a lot more sense. I just wasn't sure how it was possible or why nopony thought it prudent to inform me prior to now.
"Was this the real reason I was sent here?" I asked numbly. I had dozens of questions, but for some reason, this was the one that came out of my mouth. A look of pity crossed the Doctor's face as he answered.
"Only a part of it, I assure you. Though this information was kept from you, everything else you've been told is far from a lie. Even had you not awakened your bias factor, the President most likely would have sent you to Ponyville either way given your status as a New-Type and a top notch Hive Cell researcher."
"But why wasn't I told?" I replied, not sure whether to be flattered or disappointed at his assessment, "Why keep it a secret from the pony it affects the most? Why keep it a secret at all? And how does my bias factor even work? What did it do to me?" I knew I was asking too much too fast, but I was overwhelmed and needed to get all the important questions out there.
Judging by his calm expression, the Doctor didn't mind my constant outpouring of panicked queries. He just raised his hand for me to stop and spoke. "I didn't tell you because I was told not to or else I certainly would have. Apparently, you weren't meant to know unless your bias factor fully awakened.
"Frankly, I have no idea why they kept this from you specifically and I was too shocked by the news to ask at the time. As for why the higher-ups want to keep this a secret, well..." He sat back against his chair and crossed his arms, his pensive gaze raised to the ceiling. For a few moments he just sat there tapping a finger against his arm as he thought. "I imagine it might be because they didn't know exactly what your bias factor was or how it worked."
He lowered his thoughtful gaze back to me, "All they knew was that you had one and that it was dormant. They didn't know what it would become if you awakened it so I believe the top brass wanted to keep the details hidden in case things went wrong—probably wanted to resolve any potential mess internally and sweep everything under the rug."
I wasn't sure what to say to that. I could kind of understand not wanting to cause a panic, but at the same time, it wasn't like bias factors were an unknown phenomenon. Bias factors were rare, but not so much that they weren't considered common knowledge to the general public. Even dormant bias factors were well documented and known by those who had an interest in that kind of thing, so why was mine different? What was so special about my own bias factor that it required all this nonsense? "Just what is my bias factor?" I asked, trying to maintain at least a semblance of calm, "I'm assuming it has something to do with my mana and how it... changed?"
"It has everything to do with your mana and general capability to use magic after your Daeification," Doctor Whooves confirmed with a nod. He looked slightly guilty as he spoke, "I... was encouraged to try and find a way to push your bias factor into an active state, you see. The problem was that I hadn't the faintest idea how to go about such a thing," he shook his head and grinned wryly, "it wasn't until I saw you testing out different Arms that I realized the arcane staff might do the trick. At this point I'd already discerned that your bias factor was related to your mana and wellspring so I figured using the staff might give your bias factor that last push it needed to awaken."
"Well, we can't really say you were wrong," I replied with a grimace, "but then if that was your plan, then why try to scare me away from using it like you did back then? I don't know if that was your intention but you weren't exactly making it sound like a fun weapon to use."
At that, the Doctor frowned seriously. "I'm not proud to say that part of it was plausible deniability if something went wrong," he coughed and quickly moved on at my unamused glare, "the other part was simply that some part of me knew this was too dangerous. I suppose deep down I wanted to keep us both from making a mistake we'd both regret, but you..." he eyed me with both wonder and bewilderment, "You definitely surpassed my expectations to say the least."
"I don't know why I did it," I said, answering his unspoken question. I rubbed my arms nervously, looking past Doctor Whooves and seeing myself in the projection room with that arcane staff, "I just... I don't know. I felt compelled to try something. I didn't want to lose my magic, I think. Before I knew what I was doing—before I could really give it too much thought—I'd already committed." I shook my head, "More importantly, how does this affect my mana? I can feel it in my wellspring and can likely use it, but the thaumic energy in my body feels... wrong. Changed somehow. I wasn't sure if it was safe so I haven't used my magic since waking up."
"An understandable and wise decision given how little you knew," the stallion said with a nod of approval. "With both Sunset and the twins' help, I ran several tests while you were indisposed to make sure you were stable. It took time, patience, and a lot of coffee, but we were eventually able to make a breakthrough." He cleared his throat and reached for a plain white mug sitting on his desk, likely coffee from the scent. He took a sip and grimaced at the taste. Muttering a curse at his now room temperature brew, he sighed and set the mug back down. "As far as we can tell," he continued, "your bias factor has allowed your internal mana to adapt to the Hive Cells in your body."
My carefully collected calm broke and my mouth dropped open as I put the pieces together from what I already knew. "So you're telling me that the Hive Cells and my mana have reached some sort of... equilibrium within my wellspring? Or, no wait..." I bit my thumb and looked away, my mind racing as I thought on the sheer strangeness of how my mana felt. "It's not an equilibrium but... a complete fusion of Hive Cell and mana? Is that even possible?"
I looked to the Doctor for confirmation and he grinned back at me, his deep blue eyes twinkling with excitement as he replied. "Not quite, but just close enough to be accurate. It would be better to say that the mana in your wellspring devoured the invading Hive Cells and evolved."
"Come again?"
The Doctor laughed at whatever expression I was making. I wasn't even sure what kind of look I had on my face, but I couldn't be bothered to care. Doctor Whooves was saying things that made no sense. The implications of what he just said were so outside the realm of possibility and common sense that just entertaining the idea almost made me irrationally angry. Unable to fully contain my spiraling emotions, I hopped off the examination table and began pacing the small space between us. "I don't think I heard that right. There's no way you just implied that my mana—the normal, average, everyday thaumic energy that's been circulating inside my wellspring since birth—suddenly somehow took on the properties of an Avidaeos." I whipped around to stare at the Doctor feeling and probably looking insane, "I mean, that's not possible, right? Hive Cells are supposed to reject or destroy mana, right? It's an established scientific law backed by years and years of painstaking research, right?!"
"Correct," Doctor Hooves replied in a measured tone, "but you and I both know there are exceptions to the rule. Granted, this is still an unprecedented case that will likely turn the entire Hive Cell research community on its head once it's out in the open." He looked me up and down with a frown. "I wanted to tell you about your bias factor, but after learning exactly what your bias factor did, I find I'm not entirely against the idea of keeping it secret—at least not until we've established you as a proper Daeus Hunter. From your current state, I assume you'd appreciate a bit of silence regarding the matter?"
My face twisted as I tried to get a grasp on my turbulent emotions. It was all too much to take in and I wanted to scream, but in my frazzled state I managed to latch onto one simple fact. I was alive and stable, at least according to Doctor Whooves. If he was right, then I didn't have to worry about Hive Cell corruption, but that didn't mean there weren't other unforeseen effects. With that in mind, I raised a hand to my chest, inhale and exhaled deeply a few times, and turned to face the Doctor head on. "I don't know if it would be better to release this information to the public or not. I'll probably be mobbed by curious ponies either way, and besides, it's not in my hands whether ponies are told or not, is it? And speaking of which, does Derpy know about all of this? I remember you talking to her as well just before I started my training."
"Ah, no, that was related to... something else entirely," He replied, looking slightly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and continued on. "The only other ponies that know right now are myself, my research team, the Director, and those at the top of Wendigo." He grabbed his clipboard once again and stood up from his seat. "As I understand it, the top brass are currently in talks as to whether or not to release the information regarding your bias factor to public military records, but as of now, we've all been given a gag order, and that includes you." His expression turned serious and I was struck again by how odd the look was on him. "This is a big deal, Miss Sparkle. Bigger than perhaps either of us know. Testing has shown that your bias factor allows your raw mana to affect and, in some cases, destroy Hive Cells."
"So... does this mean that I can use my magic freely?" I asked, trying my hardest to take that insane revelation in stride. "Would there be any adverse effects to my body or other creatures?" Doctor Whooves blinked once, then smiled sheepishly at the question. "Right, I meant to get around to that. Several thaumic scans were taken and we've discovered that your thaumic signature has changed drastically. We've already updated the personal data within your armlet and are working on readjusting a few other devices for your use so that shouldn't be too much of a problem in the short term—though it might be a pain to deal with if you make it back to Canterlot." He gave a helpless shrug and I just groaned as I realized what he was getting at.
I'm going to have to reset all my thaumically linked devices if I make it back home. I wonder if I can get Wendigo to deal with that for me... No, I'd still need to be there to actually make the link. Horseapples...
While I was trying to get over the unforeseen annoyance, the Doctor had paused a moment to check his notes. "Let's see... the hue of your mana has changed slightly. It's become a lighter shade of magenta—closer to lilac than anything else." He looked up at me to gauge my reaction and I just rubbed my neck. "That's... certainly going to take some getting used to, I suppose," I replied, not having much else to say on the matter. Doctor Whooves smiled reassuringly and moved on, looking back down at his notes. "Your internal mana density also seems to have increased significantly," he continued, "that should add some more punch to your spells, but you'll need to adjust your mana output when casting. That could take some getting used to, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time."
He finally lowered his clipboard and flashed me an encouraging grin. "Beyond that, the scans show no adverse reactions when interacting with anything outside of Hive Cells. You're free to use your magic as you see fit." I sighed in relief and was surprised to feel myself growing a little excited now that I was in the clear. I could use my magic to its fullest. I couldn't speak on how it would affect my combat as I still had no real experience in that regard, but experiments and testing would be a lot easier than I was anticipating. I could actually keep up with my peers and if I somehow were able to escape being Daeus Hunter, I still had a future.
Unfortunately, my excitement didn't last long before my brain helpfully reminded me of some not-so-savory topics that hadn't been discussed in any real detail yet. First there was the matter of that aforementioned mob of curious ponies I'd have to deal with once I got out of the lab. And then there was the issue of the wrecked systems in the training room. I winced at the thought, but asked anyway. "On the topic of the training room and... damages owed..." I began.
The Doctor raised a hand to cut me off, his reassuring grin never leaving his face as he said, "Say no more, Miss Sparkle. I have personally chosen to take financial responsibility for that little fiasco."
I blinked.
"I... really?" I asked, taken completely aback, "Are you sure? I mean, I can't imagine that the costs are small—" I snapped my mouth shut, realizing what I'd just implied, but the Doctor raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh? And I suppose that means you'd be willing to pay off those damages then?"
I shook my head rapidly and quickly replied with a grateful smile that was only slightly strained. "No, no I appreciate the generosity, Doctor. Things might be weird for a while but you've done a lot for me and I won't forget that."
Now it was his turn to look flustered, though he tried not to show it as he replied. "Oh, it's nothing in the face of what you must've gone through." He adjusted his lab coat and swept the hand holding the clipboard toward the closed entrance to the lab, "Now come, let's get you get out of this stuffy lab and get you something to eat, shall we? I'm sure you're famished."
Now that he mentioned it, I was pretty hungry. I'd probably been tube fed simple nutrients this whole time and I was eager to get something with some substance. I wondered if I could get Pinkie to make something and that thought brought me to the rest of the Retaliation Team and Spike. A pit formed in my stomach at the idea of meeting them all again, mostly because I wasn't sure what I'd say.
I was under strict orders not to mention what happened and I wouldn't until I got the go-ahead, but at the same time, I didn't want to make something up, nor did I really have an excuse in mind. What I did know, was that I wanted to see them all again despite my reservations—Vinyl Scratch too if I could find her.
I guess I'll just have to think of something to say before I run into them. Here's hoping not too much has changed.