“Didn’t think I’d be back in here so soon,” Thomas remarked as he took his seat on the chair within the transparent glass walls of the chamber tube. He was back in the castle’s magical scanner, which seemed mostly the same as last time. There were fewer fleshy bits and some more computer tubes along the machine’s outer bulk, but the overall contraption remained unchanged.

“Well, your ideas were rather intriguing,” Dr. Feelgood said from the control station, not looking at Thomas as he and his assistants fiddled with the levers, buttons, and a thing that bore an uncanny resemblance to a flesh light. “I can’t believe we overlooked the food element. Common sense would dictate that, after spending so much time absorbing Equestrian nutrients, a sizeable percentage of your mass should be comprised of native elements through sheer osmosis, yet the magic void remains. Quite fascinating.”

Thomas realized he’d been anxiously tapping his foot and stopped. However, that just gave way to different fidgeting. He jumped a little from a noise up above as a large rod seemingly extended from nowhere, only to bend downward and project a long yellow light at him. Then the arm began rotating around the tube, which Thomas tried to track with his eyes.

“Try not to move, please,” Feelgood requested, still staring at the machine’s readings.

Thomas went as still as if he were in a barber’s chair. Ignoring the machine’s moving and glowing parts, he instead chose to focus on his mares. Moonlight was here, of course, but Silver and Honey also made it this time, all sitting along the wall opposite the machine. The trio gave their best supportive smiles, but Thomas’ inner skeptic told him they were just putting on a show, possibly as much for themselves as him. So, he returned the favor, grinning as though the freaky machine wasn’t freaking him out. Jet was assigned elsewhere tonight, but no one knew she didn’t need to be present to watch. Then the whole tube flashed with white light like someone had taken a picture.

“Nothing to worry about,” Feelgood assured with eyes on binocular-like viewers as he adjusted some dials. “We just added an amplified magical shield before the draining. One more adjustment, aaand… done! The tube is now a magical void, the only exception being deliberate spells, such as the wards,” he proudly explained, not noticing the many relieved exhales. “How do you feel?”

Thomas internally remarked how apparently easy it was to create a void. He looked around, rolled his shoulders, and tried concentrating on sensations in his skin, searching for any changes. “Uh, I don’t really notice a difference,” he finally admitted.

“Noted,” Feelgood remarked as he jotted something in his notes.

“What is the point of this exercise?” Silver asked.

“Why, for testing, of course,” Feelgood replied as though it were obvious. However, upon noticing the orange unicorn’s venomous glare, he elaborated. “Nothing extreme, of course. I’ve got a list of approved low to mid-tier spells to try out.” He indicated the papers on a clipboard propped up on one of the machine’s panels. “These would be things a moderately talented unicorn might normally cast in bed, such as penis enlargement.”

Thomas turned his head slowly and deliberately to face the doctor. “Altering size is low-tier?”

“Lower mid, actually. The quantity of mass being altered is a factor in determining the spell’s complexity, so giving yourself an inch or two is safely on the low end. By contrast, augmenting your anatomy with something new, like functioning teats on a male, would be closer to the high end of mid-tier, which we’re currently avoiding.”

Thomas nodded. “I’m good with not having boobs.”

“Darn. Ah was kinda curious,” commented Honey while lightly kicking at the floor.

“You have a very sick mind, Apple Honey,” Thomas deadpanned, making her chuckle.

“Thomas, if you could hold up your left arm level with your shoulder and hold your palm out flat. Yes, that’s good,” Feelgood began as he nodded at one of his assistants. The blue unicorn nodded back and stuck her horn into a slot, pointing diagonally down, so she didn’t have to bend too much. “I’d like to start with #3, which will grow your fingernails. Are you ready?”

“I guess so,” Thomas allowed.

“Then begin.”

The blue unicorn’s horn glowed within the slot as a distinct bolt of magic shot through the machine, zigzagging in right angles along the panels as it headed for the part connecting the scanner’s bulk to the tube’s upper portion. The light above flickered. Thomas looked up, curious, only for his attention to be drawn to an odd tingling on the designated fingers. Sure enough, his fingernails were growing. It was like a Hollywood depiction of aging, or maybe a documentary showing an accelerated time-lapse would be more accurate, since nothing else was affected. Thomas had always had a nasty habit of biting his nails, so they had very little white to start with. However, it only took a few seconds for his nails to appear fully restored to what most would consider a healthy length, and then they kept going.

“How are you feeling?” Feelgood asked. “Any pain or tingling outside your fingertips?”

“Uh, no,” Thomas informed, looking himself over for any other oddities before returning his attention to his nails. “Huh, I’m almost like Lady Deathstrike. Another minute and I’ll be Edward Scissorhands,” he muttered while tapping his nails together.

“Pardon?” Feelgood inquired.

“Nothing. Human reference.”

“I see,” Feelgood allowed, sounding dissatisfied as he examined a screen with several colored lines seemingly randomly waving. “Well, let’s try #4, then. Glow, if you would.”

The blue unicorn named Glow carefully nodded to avoid breaking the horn still in the slot before reigniting it. The same zigzagging light went from the slot to the scanner, and the human watched his nails retract to their previous bitten state.

“It’s kind of freaky how mundane that was,” Thomas commented.

“So, is this it? You’re just going to apply some simple, low-tier spells and see what happens?”

“More or less,” Feelgood confirmed. “We’re keeping an eye out for unusual readings, of course, but I don’t anticipate any groundbreaking discoveries from these exercises.”

Fucking jinx! Thomas screamed in his head. Wait, are jinxes actually a thing in a world of magic? Does drawing attention to the jinx make it more likely to happen? No one else seemed to react, so Thomas told himself that it was silly to apply human superstitions to something the locals clearly understood with scientific reasoning. No need to get worked up over nothing, he told himself, deciding it was best to just keep quiet, like usual.

And so, the experiments continued. Feelgood would call out a random number, a thing happened, and then the thing would be undone by the following number in the sequence. Eventually, Thomas asked for a mirror so he could see what was making the mares snicker. The first time was from pink dots covering his skin that almost looked like zits. However, it took a mirror for Thomas to realize that several dot clusters formed constellations. When accused, Glow insisted she’d intended the dots to be random, and what the others thought they saw was just coincidence. However, there was very clearly an archer on his left breast hunting a bull on the right one, and equally elaborate designs on his back and butt.

“It’s kind of scarier that this is all just an accident,” Thomas remarked as he stared at the winking smiley face on his right sole. “Though, I’m kind of more upset that everything’s asymmetrical. It offends my OCD,” he added to the mares’ amusement. “Can we do the next thing now?”

Feelgood seemed to alternate between experiments of different complexity. One involved making Thomas’ pinkie toes as large as his big toes, and then having him walk around within the tube. It felt a little weird, and running might be difficult, but he managed. The following experiment went back to messing with his skin, giving him stripes that actively moved along his flesh like someone was shining lights on him. Another altered his body hair to more closely resemble a pony’s thin and fine fur, but it was all patchy and made him look somewhat sickly, so Feelgood asked Glow to expand the coat for a more even covering.

“And now I’m gray,” Thomas commented as he ran his hands over his differently fuzzy arms. It was almost like feeling his head hair after getting a buzz from a barber.

“I think it looks lovely on you,” Silver commented. “It may not be as cute as your hairless state, but I would say it appears quite regal.”

“Ah agree,” Honey added. “The color really brings out yer resting bitch face.”

Thomas stared intently at the mirror. “Shit, it does,” he grumbled in admittance, making the others chuckle.

“And none of this is affecting his wards?” Moonlight protectively asked.

“Barely a flicker,” Feelgood confirmed, sounding disappointed. “Everything appears within projected limits, and the shield… heh. The shield’s readings are all flat, like it’s bored of having nothing to do.”

“A bored guard is a distracted guard,” chided Moonlight.

“Well, this one’s still doing its job,” Feelgood assured. “There’s an increase in magical buildup along the chamber’s outer surface, but it’s within our projections. Nothing to worry about.” He adjusted another nob. “Alright, let’s try #69.”

“Is this gonna be a sex thing?” Thomas warily asked.

“Not necessarily. We’re just gonna make your penis bigger.”

Thomas blinked, flabbergasted that Feelgood could say such a thing with a straight face. “How is that not sexual?”

“Well, you’re not currently having sex,” Feelgood replied, shrugging as though it were obvious.

Thomas was eventually pulled from his silent outrage by a tingle between his thighs. Spreading his legs apart for a better look, he watched his flaccid dangler swell like someone was pumping a balloon. Realizing he was facing his mares, the human’s lingering shyness compelled him to clamp his knees shut, confusing Feelgood while the concubines gave varying degrees of wry grins. However, the swelling continued, and Thomas’ knees were pried apart. At least it wasn’t the type of tingle to trigger an erection. That was the last thing he needed, especially as the dangling, ever-growing tip inched its way to the floor.

Please don’t ask me to stand, Thomas prayed as his package grew to exceed what he considered a stallion’s average size. It would make sense if the doctor did ask, though, but the human still felt uneasy at feeling what it would be like to have such girth squeezed between his thighs as he walked. He already had enough issues dealing with size envy, and a clearer picture of how the other half lived would likely not help.

Then the machine’s steady purring made an unfamiliar hiccup, and Feelgood hurriedly switched stations.

“What was that?” Moonlight asked.

“Nothing to worry about,” Feelgood assured without looking up as he fiddled with the buttons, turned the nobs, and pulled some exposed wires loose. “Just a small spike in ambient magical buildup on the shield. It’s still within projections, though.”

“Is the ambient magic taking issue with my dick?” Thomas questioned.

“We haven’t ruled that out yet,” Feelgood replied, pulling wires with increasing urgency.

Thomas didn’t know why pulling wires was a feature, but he was sure it wasn’t a good sign. Also, did the doctor seriously just imply the ambient magic—the magic of the world as abundant as air that may have some kind of consciousness—had a unique interest in his dick compared to everything else they’d done? What is even the fuck!?

“Doctor, could you look at this?” requested light-green pegasus, indicating a different screen that looked like someone was scribbling in a rage.

Feelgood stared intently at the readings. “Glow, #70, but slowly. Let’s not rock the boat.”

Glow obliged, sending the zigzagging light to reverse the spell.

As expected, Thomas felt his still-swelling package suddenly pause, only to reverse course. While he hoped it wouldn’t shrink beyond its original size, another concern seemed more pressing. “Uh, just how big were you planning to make me?”

“What?”

“Yeah, I mean, the toe thing stopped after a few seconds, but my dick and nuts just kept growing. Was that intentional?”

All eyes fell on Glow, who shook her head.

“… Uh, what does that mean?” Thomas questioned, his worry spiking as the machine gave another hiccup sound. “What does that mean!?”

“Glow, faster!” Feelgood urgently instructed.

“What’s going on?” Moonlight demanded as she stood, the others not far behind.

“Sir Thomas, I’m gonna need you to talk to me,” Feelgood requested. “How are you feeling? Any pain or tingling?”

“Uh, kinda,” Thomas confirmed as he looked down beyond his shrinking penis, which was more upsetting than it probably should have been. “It feels like my foot just fell asleep,” he said while flexing the right appendage’s toes. “It’s not painful, but it’s not comfortable either.” He hadn’t crossed his legs or sat funny since getting in the chair, so this development was also upsetting, but to an arguably more justified degree.

*Erhem!*

“D-did the scanner jus’ cough?” Honey questioned.

“Uh, I wouldn’t exactly say it was a cough,” Feelgood distractedly countered as he and the other physicians all climbed to their feet to urgently adjust as many controls as possible. “I-it, uh, w-was more like, um, somepony clearing their throat to garner attention,” he explained with a nervous laugh. Nothing about that analogy was even remotely reassuring.

“Okay, uh, my dick’s back to normal, but now my thighs are falling asleep!” Thomas warned as the prickly feeling spread. “Agh!” He winced and grabbed his right wrist from the brief but searing pain. For a second, he could have sworn he saw a vein pulse from his middle knuckle to his wrist. Then came another surge of pain in his other wrist, followed by patches of prickliness sprouting all over his body. “Gah, shit!”

“Stop it!” Moonlight demanded. “Stop it right now!”

“That’s what we’ve been trying to do!” Feelgood admitted. “Stars above, what’s the shield look like?”

“Holding,” said the green pegasus. “But the ambient magic has exceeded projections by…”

“What? By what?”

“Uh, f-four hundred percent,” the pegasus finally admitted.

“Where’s the plug on this damn thing!?” Honey demanded as she looked around, but saw no such thing. “Better yet”—she grabbed a chair and held it like a bludgeon—“Ah’ll take care of it, mahself!”

As Silver held the taller mare back, the doctors began yelling jargon at one another. Thomas only caught every third word, but it didn’t sound good. The pain had lessened into general discomfort, but the prickliness was everywhere now. Suddenly, his pinkie toes grew back to their big toe size, only to double and shrink back in the blink of an eye. Then, like the prickliness, the effects seemed to spread, climbing up his legs. Random patches of skin spontaneously swelled like tumors, only to rapidly constrict to the point they broke the skin.

That’s when Thomas’ mind went fuzzy, like he was having an out-of-body experience. Everything seemed distant and muffled as though through a filter. He was aware of the pain, but it didn’t hurt. He was aware of everyone screaming as the machine cried out in stress and tubes started bursting, but he no longer felt worried. The person in the chair was breathing, but otherwise unresponsive. Everything was just happening, and his only concern was that he wasn’t more concerned about what was clearly an undesirable situation. Although, the faceless person standing beside his mares didn’t appear too concerned as it waved what may have been a hand at him. Finally, every bulb on the machine lit to full brightness, only to all burst at once, rendering the room in darkness.

When Thomas came to, he was lying on the floor, and everything was still muffled and fuzzy. Eventually, he saw moving lights in the dark as voices came into focus. Thomas’ whole body ached, like he’d just finished ten foursomes with his largest lovers, but far less satisfying. He’d never been much of a drinker, but he’d heard hangovers described like knives stabbing through the brain, and that wasn’t too far off from his current sensations. Then everything lit up with hexagonal ripples of blue light that illuminated fists and Moonlight’s distressed face.

“… shield is on… power,” said a muffled voice that the human could only barely make out. “… restart… so it…”

Thomas’ eyes eventually parsed out that the glowing lights floating around were unicorn horns, and Moonlight was standing just outside his tube. Honey and Silver were nearby, looking just as worried as their eyes rapidly searched the area. Could they not see him? Thomas tried waving to get their attention, but his arm felt 30 lbs. heavier, and his bones felt like jelly.

Then the overhead lights finally returned, hurting everyone’s eyes with their brightness, but Thomas was spared the worst of it by some shade. Squinting, Moonlight once again touched the shield, but the hexagonal ripples continued barring her access, much to her frustration.

“I told you, the shield has its own separate power source for precisely this scenario,” Feelgood argued as he and the other physicians worked on the machine that was smoking from its broken parts.

As Thomas’ senses returned and his mind grew less cloudy, he reasoned that whatever had happened must have thrown him for one hell of a loop. His body felt flat as paper against the floor, and the physicians looked like they were miles away and taller. His eyes tiredly veered to the side where Moonlight was. He saw her hooves, which was expected, but they didn’t look right. Was he staring at orange, hoof-shaped boulders? Why did that make so much sense in his head?

“Okay, we’re back!” Feelgood tentatively cheered as the machine resumed a softer version of its steady purr. “Now, let’s check on—”

“Where is he!?” Moonlight demanded, blinking as her eyes finally adjusted to the light and frantically swiveled. “Where’d he go?”

Thomas looked up, craning his head further than should have been necessary to see Moonlight in growing panic as she looked around. Then he saw Feelgood snap to face the tube, go bug-eyed, and then quickly snap his attention between the screens and Thomas’ general direction.

“Uh… he’s there?” Feelgood informed uncertainly.

“What? Where?”

“I’m picking up a pulse, neural energy, and… yup, his wards are all intact. He’s still in the chamber,” Feelgood confirmed.

“What? Ah don’t see ‘im. Is he invisible?” questioned Honey.

“H-here,” Thomas weakly called, his throat dry and needing water. He tried waving again, and while his arm felt lighter than a few seconds ago, it was still absurdly heavy. “I-I’m right h-here!” He could barely hear his own voice over the clamor of the machine and everyone talking. The physicians were calling out jargon, but they sounded calmer than before. It seemed like they were confirming the readings that something was in the chamber. Yeah, no shit, Thomas thought as everyone continued searching for him. Whatever happened to low-tier and simple?

“Spectral analysis detects no light anomalies,” called the green pegasus. “Subject is not invisible.”

“Wait, I just picked up movement,” informed Glow. “It was small, somewhere just below the chair.”

Moonlight crouched low, using a hand on the floor for balance, as she searched the chamber’s floor. Finally, her search ended as she locked eyes with Thomas. However, while he smiled in what he hoped was reassurance, the orange mare paled. Apparently, ponies could do that through their fur.

“T-Thomas?”

“H-hey,” he weakly replied as his other lovers crouched to join Moonlight. Silver was more ladylike as she got on her knees while the others spread their legs with utter indifference, but all were just as shocked and in disbelief.

“Faust on a stick!” Honey swore. “Y-ya alright, li’l guy?”

“I-I could”—Thomas coughed—“u-use some water.”

“Can we get him something?” Silver asked the physicians. “Maybe… what do you call a syringe without the needle? They use them to feed small animals.”

“Wh-what?” wondered Thomas, it still not clicking as he stared up at the towering mares. He must have been getting better, because he was lucid enough to ponder how not awkward it was for him to stare between these ladies’ spread legs. The prickliness had faded, replaced by only a mild tingle, but it was still uncomfortable enough to render the situation utterly void of any arousal. That’s what his mildly lucid mind focused on as the most pressing issue, anyway.

“Hold on. We’re adjusting the magic within the chamber,” Feelgood informed as the machine’s purr slowly quieted. “Aaand… there!”

The wall of hexagonal ripples went up in a flash before breaking down before everyone’s eyes, crumbling into flecks of light.

Moonlight reflexively lunged with arms outstretched, but stopped just shy of actually grabbing Thomas. Her hesitation was understandable to most.

However, Thomas was curious about something. “Wh-why are your fingers so big?” he asked, clearing his throat as moisture slowly returned to his mouth and seeped down his throat. The human reached out, his arm nearly at its proper weight, and pushed one of the mare’s fingers. It gave a little under Thomas’ strength, but the fingertip was wider than his whole palm. The human felt his mind teetering on the edge of an idea. Slowly but surely, connections were finally forming, and shapes were just shy of being recognizable. Moonlight’s finger… was roughly as long as he was tall, her hand and arm all looked proportional, the walls and ceiling were all much farther away, and he realized there was a thing under his elbow. Extracting and holding it to his face for inspection, Thomas instantly recognized it as a hair. It was long and bent like his leg hairs, had a little white bulb for a root, yet was slightly shorter than his arm and roughly had the diameter of a drinking straw…

…

…

…

“… Fuck.”

Well, Thomas goes back to the doctor for what was supposed to be some light testing, and contrived anime-like stuff happens. I’m pretty sure you all saw that ending coming, especially if you follow my journals. Hopefully, I did a decent job of depicting rising tension without going overboard, which is often a matter I struggle with. For whatever reason, my natural writing flow always pushes to more intense stuff, which would get in the way of the fluff I have planned later for this mini-arc.

Also, for anyone who can name that faceless fellow, I’ll reward you with answering a spoiler question of your choosing.

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