Rainbow Dash was a delight for the soldiers. They were amused at the idea of a fighter plane that could land on the sidewalk, and she in turn could not get over the idea of strapping oneself inside a jet to fly around. This seemed like a very hazardous idea, and she demanded to be allowed to try it one day.
The volunteer list wasn’t as broad as Twilight had hoped. The prospect of laser vision was cool, but Sam being in the room made everyone uncomfortable, despite assurances that no one would end up quite so fluffy. Still, they found a few brave soldiers willing to put their skin consistency on the line for progress. Their names would have been remembered by history, but they sounded stupid, and thus would end up changed by the time the movie rights were acquired.
The process was simple, and it was interesting to watch. It wasn’t the same as had been performed on Sam in the hospital, but there was still a sense of magic fluttering around. Probably the pale glow that emanated from the alicorn as she worked. Glowy things always seemed to reek of magic.
The affected humans did not seem very different afterwords, though they did show a certain level of success with Twilight’s attempts at basic magic lessons. While they had some trouble in manifesting the basic movements that the alicorn did with ease, they seemed to be able to more keenly manipulate things they treasured. Their wallet over a stray napkin, for instance. They took to it very keenly, and already were plotting how these new skills could be used. MAGIC looked great on a resume, they concluded. In any case, they didn’t seem to go insane with power, which was the point of the test. “See? You have nothing to worry about.”
“Twilight, these people are happy. Successful. They have jobs, careers, they’ve made something of themselves. These are not the people we’re worrying about.”
“But they seem reasonable enough. If there are some bad lots, you just need the good ones to help sort things out.”
“Optimistic.”
“I try to be. We just have to do our part, and everything will fall into place.”
“Ahuh. I’ll believe it when I see it.” Sam took a moment to watch, as Rainbow Dash did a few loops for the cheering crowd. The walking on the ceiling bit wasn’t quite as awe-inspiring now that Sam had a grasp of how it worked, but it still looked neat. One of the magicked soldiers expressed a desire to perform such a feat, but only managed to fall over when trying. Magic took practice, skill, and certainly more composure than that one bore. Ah well.
"Well, I think this is a good bit of data. Excellent! There shall be much magic." There was a mild pleading to stop the mad scientist routine. That would make Sam the dimwitted henchman, and she wasn't entirely sure she looked good with a hump.
"Question."
"Oh? What's on your mind?"
"Well, she does the flying thing, you do the telekinesis thing, and so do the soldiers. Or, at least they're trying their best."
"It takes practice, Sam."
"Well, yes, but... does that mean Rainbow could do it to, if she tried?"
The princess pondered. "Not really? Well, not very well at least. It's a matter of biology." Rainbow was affronted at this. How dare there be something she could not do with aplomb. Rude.
"Doesn't seem to require special magic organs in the rest of us."
"Well no, but if you're used to using said 'special magic organs', it's hard to not use them. The magical ability resonates with the biology in our case, so that the wings help channel the flight abilities, the horn the telekinesis, and the muscles for the strength in the earth ponies. One helps feed the other."
"But she technically could, if she worked at it."
"It's not unheard of, but that's quite rare that anypony puts that much effort into something like that when they have perfectly functional magic of a different sort available. The alicorn process," she gestured at her combination of wings and horn, "is a way of layering the biology of all three types into a single pony, so that that sort of biological block can be overcome. It tends to fade into single types when passed onto children over time, though, as certain magical trends resonate in the ancestors."
"And it's not just some thing that is done upon reaching adulthood, or whatever?"
"No, I only think Celestia and Luna know how to perform the ritual, so it's rather rare, and only reserved as a reward for exceptional service." Like a medal of honor, except with extra limbs. How... awkward. The idea of meritocratic royalty seemed like an oxymoron, but Sam didn't pester too much about the vocabulary.
Rainbow interjected from a few feet overhead. Her ability to pop in like that was worrying. "I still don't see why I can't have it too."
Sigh. "You're a Wonderbolt captain at 20, Dash. That's still like, unheard of? You never stop reminding us."
"Yeah, but if I can be a captain, why not... a princess captain! Princess of the Skies! Pshewww." She shot around the room at breakneck speed, disrupting the practice of a soldier who was trying to send a paper airplane in circles. He only managed to recover control of the plane in time for it to zoom right up his nose, to the delight and jeering of everyone around him. Such was often the fate of people named John trying to show off.
"Go save the day a few more times, and I'm sure you'll manage just fine."
Sam was amusing herself with the discarded paper airplanes at this point, but another thought struck. "Well, if we're working on uplifting everyone here apparently, what's so bad about doing it to someone with a proven track record?" John was suddenly beside himself with interest, but no one cared.
"It's a matter of time and effort. This process can be done simply by starting the spread and controlling it. The uplift ritual is a carefully applied spell, taking lots of time, effort, and energy. There's a world of difference."
"The concept is the same."
"Only if you're talking biology."
"Applying concepts to a person so that they can channel them later?"
"Well yeah, but that's any magic of that vein. Technically, it would apply to setting somepony on fire, but you don't want that to happen, do you?"
"I'll pass."
She smiled, and returned to the magic lessons. "Thought so. Let me know if you change your mind, it is a bit chilly."
"We can turn up the heat; you know that, right?"
The princess goggled a bit at this. "You CAN do that? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. How? Where? Show me!" Science. And with that, she was gone, immersed in a fantasy world that only the best of indoor heating could provide. Sam and Rainbow exchanged glances at each other, mouthing the word 'egghead' in jest.
-------------
It had been a week since Sam's abduction, and she was starting to get bored with the whole thing. As much as she hated the idea of spiraling the world into chaos, it had a certain charm to it that would relieve sitting in a cell and occasionally being stuck in the butt with needles. The research doctors insisted that it was for Science, but that was everyone's answer for everything nowadays, and she knew that it didn't have to be quite so painful. There wasn't quite the same excitement about reading reports on 'Alien Blood Tests' when the blood was your own, painfully stolen by clinical vampires in white coats.
Twilight had come and gone over the past few days, but didn’t seem to be revealing too much of her research. “Not yet!” She would say, before entering into a ramble about how Science could not be rushed. Yes, it could, and yes, she was rushing it, but as long as she told herself this, she wouldn’t have to admit it.
A stuffy looking woman in a business suit with a professional looking shoulder-bag came into the cell, expecting some research work to oversee, and she was beside herself in terror upon seeing Sam. Someone hadn't given her the memo, as she clawed at the door to be released. They WERE feeding her to the lions! Shit! Years of paranoia welled up in an instant as everything her parents had assured her wasn't true, indeed, was.
"Can I help you?"
A look of abject horror filled the bureaucrat, and she knew despite herself that there was clearly some sort of horrible prank going on. "I... I'm here to examine the experiment."
"Guilty. At least as far as you won't let me wander anywhere there could remotely be a fear of reporters, or reporter-like monsters."
The woman was clearly still not quite on the page of 'the experiment is allowed to walk around in the cage', but stopped trying to escape for the moment. "I... see. Well!"
"Colonel O'Hare send you? Without explaining, I guess." The 'because it was funny' was implied. He definitely seemed like the sort who would get a hoot out of such a joke.
"He has been relieved of duty." The 'he' was very stressed, as if trying to force out a particularly large fart.
"Oh really. What brought this on?"
The woman composed herself, and unleashed a rehearsed speech. "He has been found complicit in aiding the enemy, dereliction of duty, active treason against the government, and at least 20 other heinous crimes. I believe this is a more... public summary, by people paid far more to write this sort of drivel." She reached into the bag, and tossed out a newspaper with a look suggesting that it was covered in slime.
Sam read thus aloud: "MAGIC! World governments were reeling yesterday at the revelation that across the world, unexplained phenomena had caused several population centers to be afflicted with a condition that allowed those affected to display supernatural, and as of yet unexplained, powers." A sigh and a facepalm were all that was needed to communicate that yes, the talking lion was as exasperated with the situation as the bureaucrat. "For the record, I told him repeatedly this was a bad idea."
"And you didn't stop him?! This... this is!"
"Lady. Entirely against my will, I am a giant cat thing in a cell, whom your doctors keep stabbing with needles. Talking horses keep trying to convince me to go along with their plans for relations with a magical world, and the person in charge of this place seems to think I'm more adorable and cuddly than an actual person to negotiate with. I am lucky if I get to use the public toilet once in a while. Eating the guy holding the ability to order me pizza is not high on my priority list." Sam offered the woman a piece of cold pizza, but she declined in a horrified manner. That was Plebian Food, and she would not partake, especially in the presence of the test subjects. Standards were necessary.
"Well. I would say that I see, but I don't."
"Good for you. Since you actually seem affiliated with the outside world, are we all to die in our sleep?"
"That depends on information that I do not have access to." Or that you're not at liberty to tell the talking cats, but Sam wasn't going to challenge the public fiction here. "At the moment, we are ascertaining the situation. It was easy to trace O'Hare's involvement, but we did not realize the level of threat until after having a reason to investigate further."
"Which is what he wanted, I'm sure. You'd have told him no faster than you could cover him in paperwork. How fast is that, by the way?"
She scoffed at the insult, but did note that "He was arrested within the hour."
"Goodness. That is fast. And they say bureaucracy is sluggish."
"And he was clearly running a loose ship, if Patient Zero's holding cell is... a bedroom, rather than a clinical study area."
"You're just upset they didn't warn you. I doubt the army spends money on viewing areas, surely you would know?"
"Spare me. As long as we are here, you are to cooperate with the investigation."
"As if I have a choice. Since you're clearly in a hurry, lay it on me." Sam leaned back against some of the pillows in the cage, and waved a paw. "What details elude you?"
The woman whipped out a clipboard with speed that would astonish even Dash. "Who is this... Twilight figure? She is referenced numerous times in O'Hare's logs, but has no designation, other than being important to his research." Miss Happiness started to read more, but was drowned out by the sound of the portal opening again, and a princess stepping out.
Sam waved at them. "Ah, good morning Twilight. We have guests." The scream was deafening, and Sam's grin exquisite. If nothing else, her new leash-holder was proving to be great fun. She now knew how Discord felt on a daily basis, and she liked it.