Horse People Go Naked
Chapter 150: Chapter 149: An (Ordinary) Checkup
Previous Chapter Next ChapterSometime later, after they’d exhausted all other distractions, the trio headed for the medical lab to accomplish their errand for the evening. However, as soon as Jet opened the doctor’s office door, they were met by an ear-piercing shriek, which was followed by something big hitting Thomas. It was massive, enveloping most of the diminutive human’s upper body in soft warmth. Thomas inhaled a familiar sweet scent as two enormous arms scooped him up and pulled him tightly into the softness.
“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” Surprise fretted as her hands trailed down the human’s back while his front submerged in hers. “Did they probe you?”
“Surprise, he ain’t even seen the doctor yet,” reminded Honey. “Also, Ah think he’s about ta suffocate.”
Jet finally relaxed as she processed the scene. She’d tensed and readied for combat the moment the white blur whizzed past. However, she’d reacted too slowly, and the unknown force seized her charge. Now that she recognized the assailant, she forced herself to relax. She also made a mental note to avoid underestimating the pegasus just because she looked more pudge than muscle. Clearly, Surprise was more than what she seemed.
After what felt like forever, Thomas came up for air as the dim lights of the waiting room shown down upon his face. However, his vision to either side was still taken up by seemingly endless stretches of smooth, white breast flesh. At the center of everything was Surprise’s perpetually smiling face. However, that smile was notably more worried than usual. “Uh, hey?” he greeted as her chest pillows squished around his face.
“Hey, to you too,” Surprise chirped. “Having fun so far?”
“Uh, you could say that,” Thomas allowed. He squirmed a little, but found that he could barely move. “When’d you guys show up?”
“A li’l bit ago,” Honey answered, poking her head into Thomas’ field of vision and smiling at his squished face. “We had some free time ‘n’ figured we’d pay ya’ll a visit.”
“I figured you would,” Moonlight chuckled at the amusing sight of the large mares handling her stallion like a ragdoll. She hoped the familiar treatment would help ease his anxiety. “Remember what I said about mares liking to be proactive?” she asked, directing her question at Thomas. “Being there for a friend, even when he doesn’t want you there, counts.”
“In hindsight, I should have figured,” Thomas acquiesced. “So, can you let me down now? I kinda gotta do a thing.”
“Well, alright,” Surprise reluctantly allowed as she set him down, leaving the chasm between her breasts empty. “Luna wanted to come, but she couldn’t get away from work. And you know Silver, always the first to volunteer for alicorn duty.”
“Still, we figured we’d show up ‘n’ lend what help we could.” Honey held up her bicep and flexed in a blatant display of strength. “Whatever’s ailin’ ya, we’ll tackle it together.”
“You guys…” Thomas trailed off as he hugged both mares. His head only came up to their waists, and his arms couldn’t wrap around even one of their thighs. However, they were courteous enough to press their hips together to make things easier for him. “What’d I do to deserve friends like you?”
“Well, I could give you a list of all the fun things we do, but I’m pretty sure most of it’s classified.” Surprise turned to the receptionist and shot her a playful wink.
The mare behind the counter just blinked. Of all the weird things she’d seen since working here, this was easily the most bizarrely sweet thing she’d witnessed in years. “Uh, name?”
With his mares at his back, Thomas approached the window within the wall. The counter was just barely low enough for him to sign his name. “Thomas Collins. I’m here for Dr. Feelgood.”
The receptionist checked her notes. “Ah, here we go. If you’ll just have a seat over there, I’ll let him know that you’re in.”
The gang went to the indicated seating area and sat with Moonlight across from Thomas, the big mares flanking him, and Jet covering a suitable position near the doors. The room was a standard waiting area one would find at most small clinics with beige walls, a dozen chairs, only two doors, and a disorganized assortment of reading materials on the table in the middle.
“So, how was yer first day back at school?” Honey asked. “Cuz honestly, we got lost twice jus’ tryin’ ta find this place.”
“A me’s-eye-view didn’t help much either,” Surprise admitted. “All the buildings look different, but it’s so easy to get turned around once you’re back on the ground. Anyway, you guys have any trouble?”
“We used a map,” Moonlight informed.
“So did we,” Honey said in exacerbation. “We still ended up goin’ the wrong way.”
“This is why I like to arrive early. It gives you a buffer for that sort of thing,” Thomas added.
“Buffer? Don’t you mean”—Surprise wrapped her arms under her ample chest to push her chestacles up—“wiggle room? Hehe.”
“Okay, yeah, that would have been better,” Thomas conceded.
“We were hopin’ ta surprise ya, but we jus’ barely showed up a few minutes ‘efore ya’ll,” admitted Honey.
“You should have come with us from the start,” Moonlight stated. “Then, you’d have seen that Thomas’ stories are being used to teach lessons.” However, before the unicorn could elaborate to the shocked big mares, the receptionist spoke up.
“The doctor will see you now.”
A nurse opened the door beside the window. Everyone knew he was a nurse because of the white nurse’s coat with the signature cap and a skirt so short that it covered nothing. “Please, follow me,” he said and led them through the door and down a maze-like hall. The place was chilly and reeked of chemicals.
“Ya know, I wasn’t expecting an actual doctor’s office,” Thomas remarked as he wrapped his hands around himself to stave off the cold. “If I did, I’d have worn better clothes.”
“Oh, I can fix that,” Moonlight offered as she lit her horn.
The nurse turned around to face the group. “Excuse me, but I’ll ask that you refrain from casting spells within the facility,” he sternly yet politely chided. “It’s office policy to avoid potential tampering.”
“Oh, sorry,” Moonlight apologized, dimming her horn. “In that case, could we get a jacket or something?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” the nurse agreed and showed them to the next waiting room. “There’s a gown on the bed. If that isn’t enough, I can come back with more.”
Thomas went to the so-called bed, which might be better described as a lying area. The thing was built for function, rather than comfort, with only minimal cushioning for resting and a thin yet sturdy sheet of translucent paper separating the prospective patient from the sterilized material. To Thomas’ relief, the gown was sized for foals, so it wasn’t an awkward fit. Although, he still frowned in confusion at how the thing opened up in the back. Moonlight said the differences and similarities between humans and ponies were fascinating. However, too often, they were just plain weird to him. At least the room was big enough to hold everyone. “That’s better,” he said to the nurse after donning the gown. “I can just deal.”
“Very good,” acknowledged the nurse. “The doctors will see you shortly.”
“Doctors?” Moonlight questioned.
The nurse nodded. “Apparently, only specialists are allowed to handle Equestria’s only human. I’m not even authorized to run our standard preliminary checks.” He chuckled. “You’re causing quite the buzz around here, sir. It’s been a while since anypony has dealt with a whole new species.”
“Yeah, makes sense,” Thomas allowed as he looked around the room. It all seemed like the standard setup from back home, only scaled up and missing all electronics. “Was there anything we should know about?”
“Sorry, but I wasn’t told anything more. Just about everything related to your case is classified way above my clearance,” the nurse admitted. “If that’s all, then I’ll leave you to it,” he said and closed the door.
“From one waitin’ room ta another,” observed Honey in minor annoyance. “These guys ‘r’ s’posed ta be professionals, right?”
“Indeed,” Jet added. “For such a high-profile case, you’d think they’d be more efficient with their—”
The door opened, cutting Jet off. “Oh, hello everypony,” Dr. Feelgood greeted. The red unicorn smiled as his eyes scanned those assembled. “Quite the crowd we have.”
“He couldn’t keep us away if he tried,” boasted Surprise.
“She’s not wrong,” Thomas confirmed and stared pointedly at the stallion. “The nurse said something about multiple doctors?”
Feelgood smiled flatly and nodded. “Indeed. As a reminder, the castle’s medical ward has been sending most of our samples to CRSA this entire time. Their facilities are simply more capable than ours,” he remarked in mild awe as his gaze flitted around the seemingly ordinary-looking room before returning his attention to Thomas. “As such, I ask that you come with me to their scanner, the G4-Mage Sight, Mark V. It truly is a wonder to behold.”
“Question,” Honey stated while raising her hand. “Ah thought we were gettin’ the results, not takin’ more tests.”
“It’s both, actually,” Feelgood corrected, looking a bit anxious. “It’ll be a while before we can fully examine all the data. Luckily, we should be able to offer a preliminary diagnosis tonight. The fact of the matter is that CRSA has had to call in multiple specialists from multiple fields to make sense of these readings. That includes medical and thaumological.”
“The study of magic,” Moonlight translated for Thomas. “But I thought Thomas didn’t have any magic.”
“He doesn’t. Well, not exactly. That’s what the Mark V is for, to give us a clearer picture of what’s going on,” Feelgood elaborated.
“So what is going on,” Moonlight sternly pressed while holding Thomas’ hand.
The human just stared at the doctor, quietly processing everything he heard and trying not to let his imagination run too wild.
“I’m sorry, but I’d prefer not to say until after the scan,” Feelgood admitted.
“Because you don’t want to cause worry,” Surprise concluded. She then addressed the others and gently said, “It’s probably best to wait and see.”
“How long will that take?” Moonlight asked, her displeasure evident in her tone.
“Oh, not long at all,” Feelgood said a bit too excitedly. “The Mark V is”—at Moonlight’s warning gaze, he cleared his throat and calmed down—“top of the line. We can give you the preliminary results almost immediately, and we’ll have the full results in just a few hours after the scan. From there, we can compare it to our previous findings and form a more solid diagnosis in a week or two.”
Moonlight stood with an intense fire in her eyes. “A week or two? You don’t sound terribly certain about that,” she said through a clenched jaw, relaxing only when she felt Thomas tug on her hand. Her ears splayed in apology. Although she was frustrated with the doctor’s perceived inadequacy, he really was doing his best. Besides, if Thomas was keeping cool, then she had no right to throw a tantrum on his behalf.
Feelgood cleared his throat. “I’m deeply sorry for the misunderstanding, as well as any unprofessional behavior on my part,” he said with his ears splayed. “Thomas, you are a fascinating specimen, unlike any that Equestria has ever encountered. I’m afraid that can sometimes get so caught up in the research that I sometimes forget that you’re also my patient.”
Thomas sighed and twisted his mouth as though tasting something bitter. “Well, if that’s how it has to be done, then we might as well get it over with.” He huffed and stepped forward.
“Thomas?” Moonlight asked, gently clasping his fingers.
Thomas looked up at Moonlight and smiled reassuringly. “Like I said, there’s no need to worry until we know what to worry about. Let’s just do the tests and get this over with,” Thomas said, trying not to sound too sour.
“Yeah, that’s the ticket!” Surprise cheered as she wrapped one arm around the human’s shoulders while squishing her breasts against his arm. “Don’t fret until you absolutely have to. And even then, don’t let life get you down. Just take things as they come. It’s always worked out great for me.”
“Speakin’ ‘f which, is there anythin’ we can do?” Honey asked. “Ah think Ah got the stuff ‘bout not knowin’ everythin’, but d’ya know enough ta know somethin’? Like, is there a diet we can put ‘im on ‘r somethin’?”
They sure are saying ‘we’ a lot, Thomas observed. He understood that these mares were speaking from genuine concern, and it warmed his heart to know that so many had his back. However, even more so, he disliked everyone making a fuss over his condition, whatever that was. Unfortunately, telling them not to worry would likely make them even more upset, as Honey and Surprise recently demonstrated. The human was powerless to do anything other than let his loved ones fret over him. In hindsight, there were probably better things to feel down about.
“Oh, and for the record,” Thomas eventually spoke up, looking at Dr. Feelgood. “Yeah, your bedside manner could probably use some work. Telling people not to worry is pretty much the surest way to make them worry.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Feelgood nodded his acceptance and motioned everyone out the door. “Now, if you’ll follow me. I should be able to make a recommendation with the preliminary diagnosis.”
The doctor led the group down yet another hall, entering a room that contained the source of all this fuss. The machine was utterly massive. While the one at the castle also took up half the room, this room was twice as large. Probably the best descriptor was magitech, a device that was equal parts magic and technology. The machine’s main body was lined with ornately shaped, silvery metals and colored gemstones, but it was hard to tell how much was aesthetic, functional, or both. Lights glowed between the metallic star caps, alternating green and red at random intervals. Although, this one lacked any wood, flesh-looking bits, or the chair.
A team of scientists in lab coats briefly looked up from their respective control panels, saw what had disturbed their calculations, and went right back to work. Interestingly, most of them were earth ponies who muttered amongst themselves. They were fairly quiet, and the few words Thomas heard sounded like technobabble. Large cables on the floor and light beams shining from diamond-shaped crystals connected a circular raised platform to the machine’s main body. The platform somewhat resembled the machine at Feelgood’s office in the castle, only without the seat. While this machine was bulkier than the castle version, at least this model looked like everything was built with intent from the start, rather than heavily modified from the original model. With that said, it still seemed rather imposing.
Moonlight held onto Thomas’ shoulder as much for her sake as his. “This is the best there is?” she skeptically questioned.
“I know. Isn’t it a beaut?” Feelgood marveled, oblivious to the mare’s tone. “Now, if you’ll strip and step there”—he indicated the platform's glowing yellow pads shaped like hooves—“we can begin the procedure.”
Thomas covered his fingers over Moonlight’s and gave a small smile meant to reassure her. “It’s just a test. Besides, if anything bad happens, you can just beat them up.” His remark caused all chatter to cease as the ponies at the monitors turned wary looks at the human and his entourage.
“He’s not wrong, sugar,” assured Honey as she gently pried Moonlight’s hand away.
Trying to ignore the strangers looking at him, Thomas disrobed and stepped onto the platform as the staff resumed their work. He angled his body so that unauthorized personnel couldn’t see his privates, as some habits simply refused to die. Once his feet settled on the hoof pads, the glowing portions immediately changed to shape his feet. “It’s supposed to be warm, right?”
“Yes, that’s normal.” Feelgood went to the control panel for the platform and began typing. The apparatus whirred to life as seven rings of different sizes rose from the platform and levitated to varying heights around his body. Each rotated at a different speed, and they alternated from clockwise to counterclockwise. Three lights glowed from each of the rings’ inner surfaces, shining every color of the rainbow over Thomas’s body, starting at red around his ankles and going up to violet around his forehead. “Feel anything?”
“Uh, I think so. The lights are kinda tingling,” Thomas described as he felt each light beam orbit his body. “It’s like there’s a bunch of concentrated heat lamps shining on me.”
Feelgood nodded while never tearing his eyes from the monitor. “That’s good. Let me know if you feel any changes. As for you”—he motioned to Thomas’ entourage—“feel free to chatter. My team’s selective hearing spells will activate once the work starts, so you won’t interrupt us. Plus, maintaining normal-tension levels should yield more accurate readings.” He then looked at Thomas. “However, if you feel anything out of the ordinary, I need you to tell me immediately. Just keep me updated on any odd sensations, no matter how seemingly minor.”
Thomas nodded. “Got it.”
“Good. Just follow my directions, and we’ll have you out of here in no time.” Feelgood licked his lips as he faced his monitor. “Alright, team, let’s get this show on the road.” Feelgood called out instructions to each of the scientists manning the other panels. Likewise, they responded with terms that Thomas could barely pronounce and numbers that the human couldn’t follow. “Alright, I’m going to put up the magic shield. It’ll momentarily disable all other spells on your person to give us a better reading. Those spells will return before the shield goes down.”
“Cool. It’s cold enough in here as it is,” Thomas replied.
“Tell me about it,” Surprise added while rolling her fingers on her nipples. “I think I could cut glass with these babies.”
“Lucky. All Ah can do is smash rocks,” Honey boastfully added as she pinched her left nipple.
“It’s not a competition,” dissuaded Moonlight.
“Well, at least you ain’t in last place.” Honey gestured to Thomas, whose hands still covered his groin. “Ah’ll bet he couldn’t even cut through a wet tissue like that.”
“Hey, that’s not fair,” Thomas countered. “It’s cold.”
“Shield’s going up… now,” Feelgood announced as a blue-white aura enveloped the space between the rings.
For whatever reason, Moonlight felt a pit grow in her stomach. The sensation was brief, like she’d lost her balance, only to quickly avert falling.
“Whoa.” Thomas shivered. “Feels like I’m a couple pounds lighter.”
“Ah’m aware ‘f the cold,” resumed Honey as she gently elbowed Surprise. “We’re jus’ pointin’ out how mares do much better in the cold than stallions. It ain’t yer fault that we’s superior.”
“Hard nipples and soft dicks are how you measure superiority?” questioned Thomas.
“Hey, if it works, it works,” Surprise said with a shrug.
Dismissing the sensation as overprotective paranoia, Moonlight smiled at her stallion. “Sorry, Thomas, but she’s right. Don’t worry, though. We mares might be better, but we’re also good sports about it.”
“Raise your arms, please,” Feelgood instructed.
Complying, Thomas pursed his lips at his mares. “This is hardly a fair challenge. Give me a few quesadillas, and I’ll show you who the true superior is.”
“Quesa-what?” Surprise asked.
“Quesadillas,” Thomas repeated. “You know, a tortilla with melted cheese, meat, and vegetables.”
“Ooh, sounds yummy,” Surprise chirped.
“If we’re havin’ a contest ‘f cheese, Ah’d like ta abstain,” requested Honey. “On the grounds that Ah don’t wanna kill no pony.”
“Are quesadillas a human food?” Jet asked, speaking up for the first time in forever. “I don’t think I’ve heard of a tortilla either.”
“Wait, seriously? None of you know what a quesadilla is?” Thomas pressed in disbelief.
Moonlight shrugged. “Should we?”
Thomas didn’t answer right away. Instead, the gears of his mind began to turn. So far, it seemed as though virtually every human food was present in Equestria, or at least had a vegetarian equivalent. He remembered that quesadillas were explicitly mentioned in the show. Something about their cheesiness made Twilight afraid of them. This raised several concerns for the ordinarily cautious human. If no one knew about quesadillas, then there was a good chance that they simply didn’t exist, meaning that Twilight’s fear also didn’t exist… yet. This presented quite the moral dilemma. If he shared the recipe, it’d likely start wrong, but chefs would eventually perfect it. Once they were out there, there’d probably be some traumatizing experience for Twilight. Did he have a right to do that? After all, he liked Twilight. Was it worth the potential trauma if it meant introducing Equestria to cheesy goodness? Feeling a grumble in his stomach, and realizing that he hadn’t had a quesadilla since coming to this place, Thomas gave his answer. “As soon as we’re done with this, we’ll go to the kitchens in the castle, and I’ll show ya.” Twilight will be fine, he reasoned.
“Now, turn your head to the left,” Feelgood instructed. “Good, and now the right. Mh, hmm. Yes. And forward again.”
“So, what’s this about Thomas’ ideas being taught in school?” Surprise asked.
“The wizard’s duel from The Sword in the Stone,” Moonlight replied. “A mare named Subtle Tear was using it as the basis to promote creative thinking in combat.”
“Ooh, sounds like fun,” Surprise chirped.
“It was quite the eye-opener,” agreed Moonlight. “I never realized the orthodox around casting was so rigid. Almost no pony in class had any idea what would happen next. They just wanted to brute force their way through problems rather than thinking creatively and maneuvering around the problems. Subtle made it sound like this one clip will be the basis of a whole new way of thinking.”
“Not bad, li’l guy,” Honey praised. “Got any more ideas ta show unicorns how ta use magic the right way?”
“Actually, yes,” Thomas confirmed as Honey snickered. “I think our next few stories should be about this show called Avatar: The Last Airbender. It’s about people who can bend the elements in—”
“Sorry, but could you squat for me?” Feelgood requested.
“Like this?” Thomas asked as he bent his knees, nearly touching his butt to the floor.
“Yes, that’s good. You may stand again.”
“Alright. Anyway, they bend the elements for all kinds of awesome fight scenes.”
“Neat, but what can ya do jus’ by bendin’ air?” Honey asked. “Ain’t that jus’ blowin’ wind in folks’ faces?”
“Nope. Aang—he’s the airbender—can spin air in a ball so rapidly that he can sit on it and use it to dart around the battlefield. Also, he’s got a glider he can airbend to let him fly. If there’s a way to translate bending to magic, that might mean unicorns can fly without wings.”
Jet couldn’t hear it, but she could almost feel Firestorm’s grin. She couldn’t deny that she was also intrigued by this prospect. However, it still irked her that all these ideas came from the alien.
“The same goes for bending earth, water, and fire,” Thomas continued.
“Sorry again,” Feelgood cut in. “You said the pain was concentrated in your wrists, yes?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Please indicate where the pain is concentrated.”
Thomas nodded and rubbed his fingers from his wrist’s base to the space between his middle and ring finger knuckles. “Just along here on both hands. It’s never been more than a minor tingle before, so I didn’t really notice.”
“Is there any tingling now?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Alright.” Feelgood turned a dial. “How about now?”
“Uh, the lights got a little warmer, but I don’t feel anything else,” Thomas admitted.
“I see. Hold your hands up, so the green lights pass over your wrists.”
“Like this?” Thomas asked as he complied.
“Good.” Feelgood turned the same dial further. “And now?”
“Um, I don’t know. It’s just the same warm tingle as—Tsss!” Thomas hissed as he flinched.
“Thomas?” Moonlight stepped forward.
Feelgood thoughtfully hummed as he stared at his screen. “That’s odd. Are you seeing this, Cross?”
“Got it,” confirmed one of the other scientists as he vigorously adjusted the knobs and dials on his monitor.
“What’s going on?” Moonlight urgently demanded.
“Is there still pain, Thomas?”
The human pinched his right wrist as he attempted to pierce his flesh with scrutinizing eyes. “Uh, no. It lingered for a second, but now it’s gone.”
“Well, whatever it is, we got a lock on it,” Feelgood proudly informed.
“Ah reckon ya’d better tell us what’s goin’ on if ya know what’s good fer ya,” Honey threatened.
“Hmm?” Feelgood finally looked up from his monitor and looked at the mares as though he only just now remembered they were there. “Oh, sorry.” He stepped away from his monitor for the mares to see for themselves. It resembled an x-ray of Thomas’ hand. The doctor then pushed a few buttons, revealing a thin red glow where Thomas indicated the pain was focused. “This reading is peculiar. Honestly, I’m not even sure what I’m looking at.”
“That’s not something a doctor is allowed to say,” Surprise sternly stated. “Can’t you tell us anything?”
Feelgood scratched at his chin. “Well, it definitely reacted to the scanner’s magic. A broad scan had an insubstantial reaction. However…” Feelgood paused as he fiddled with a few controls that only seemed to change the image’s background color. “If I had to liken it to something, I’d say these readings most closely resemble a negative withdrawal.”
“Alright,” Thomas allowed. “Pretend I have no idea what that means.”
“I suppose you could think of it like magical magnetism,” Feelgood explained. “Different poles attract, but the same poles repel. If you had two magnets stuck together, and you suddenly flipped one around while holding the other stationary, the non-stationary magnet would appear to withdraw. The same phenomenon happens with certain spell matrices. Only with magic, the rule is more pragmatic. You can’t, for instance, simultaneously lower and raise the temperature within the same space. Often, the spells fizzle before the matrix can properly form. If your magic is strong enough, you can force it, but you’ll still feel a noticeable resistance, like the spells don’t want to be cast.”
Thomas nodded. “Alright, I think I followed that. So, what’s the deal?”
Feelgood sighed. “The deal, Mr. Thomas, is that you’re a non-magical creature inside a magic vacuum. Except for the scanner’s crystals, which are spells so highly focused they can’t be picked up unless you’re looking right at them; there is zero magic in your environment. All of these readings are almost identical to a negative withdrawal scenario within an organic space, such as heat, muscle contractions, and so on. Everything indicates that one type of magic is repelling another, except there’s still no magic.” Feelgood pointed to several bars and wavy lines on the monitor’s left side. “Zero magic is exhibiting a magical reaction.”
“But, then what are we looking at?” Surprise pointed at the screen. “What’s that red thingy?”
“That’s where the reaction is concentrated,” Feelgood informed while trying to repress his excited chuckles. “It’s like heating an unmelting ice block. Every conceivable measurement indicates that the temperature is rising within the block. The ice is even warm to the touch. However, the molecules aren’t reacting how our understanding of science says they should. Instead, a non-magical area is exhibiting all the signs of a particular magical reaction, except for the magic part.”
“Ah don’t get it,” Honey admitted.
“Neither do I. That’s what’s so exciting!” Feelgood elatedly chuckled. “These readings are utterly unprecedented. Now, I just need to—”
“Ahem!” Jet loudly cleared her throat. “Pardon my interruption, but you are behaving terribly unprofessional, doctor.” The guard curtly said the last word as though she’d meant to swear.
“Oh, oops.” Feelgood’s ears splayed in genuine embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head. “I guess I got carried away there.”
However, before any of the mares could chew out the stallion, Thomas had a thought. “Can we go back a second? What was that you said about the scanner being so focused you can’t see it?”
“Ah, yes,” Feelgood acknowledged, grateful for the escape. “Generally, magic is a broad and scattered phenomenon. It’s everywhere at once. With that analogy, you can think of spells like wind, concentrating the magic in a particular direction. A standard scan operates on this broad assumption and picks up the ambient magic put out by all creatures, spells, and even rocks. Only the most skilled unicorns, or the most expensive equipment, can perform magic that a broad scan can’t pick up. This level of magic is almost impossible to detect unless you happen to look directly at it.” That’s when Feelgood grew quiet and thoughtful. “Wait a minute.” He went back to the monitor and resumed fiddling with the controls. “Hmm, that might be something.”
“Maybe havin’ us in the room wasn’t the best idea,” Honey observed. “All this ignorin’ us is really pissin’ me off, ‘n’ Ah don’t wanna break nothin’.”
“Hmm, I see,” Feelgood muttered, paying no mind to Honey, or the various dirty looks the other mares sent his way. “The anomaly also reacts the same as focused magic, invisible unless you’re looking straight at it. Now that we know what we’re looking for, I… I think the scanner up at the castle should be able to pick this up, provided we upgrade it a little.” The stallion beamed and turned to Thomas. “Think the Princess will approve that in the budget?” he tentatively asked with a barely restrained grin.
Thomas glowered in silent bemusement in response.
“Hmm, right,” Feelgood accepted. From there, the doctor instructed Thomas’ mares to step back so that he could resume his work uncrowded. He gave Thomas a few more directions, such as asking him to move his wrists to each ring level. However, none of those cases elicited reactions as intense as the first time. They were varying degrees of irritation rather than outright pain. Neither Feelgood nor any of the other present doctors could explain this. However, they’d collected plenty of data, but that would still take time to properly examine and give an accurate diagnosis. After what felt like hours, but was really only half an hour, the group was finally allowed to leave. Additionally, at Honey’s insistence that they needed something to deal with this issue in the short term, Dr. Feelgood recommended that Thomas continue using low-tier wards. He also asked that Thomas keep track of all spells used on him, avoid any new spells, and record any unusual reactions, no matter how minor.
“Well, that fills my socialization quota for the week,” Thomas remarked in exasperation after they’d left the building. “How about you guys?”
“I need a milkshake,” Surprise huffed.
“Ah could use a glass ‘f orange juice, mahself,” Honey added.
“Isn’t that blasphemous from an Apple?” Moonlight mused as she walked with Thomas’ hand in hers.
“Only if Ah say it’s better ‘an apple juice, which it ain’t. Ah jus’ like ta get some variety now ‘an then.”
“I think I’ll go for the milkshake,” Thomas said while picking at his eyebrow. He just wanted to relax with something sweet, and not think about how Luna will react. He’d only understood some of what Feelgood said, but the conclusion was that there was definitely something wrong with him. How wrong was yet to be determined, but it was undeniably something. And Luna, like most of the mares in his life, would likely overreact while attempting to protect him from something none of them even understood yet. Suffice to say that he was not looking forward to that conversation.