Catalyst, ch 1.: Bio-Constructs are magic

>it's been two weeks since the day you woke up.
>The first day you liken to waking up from a coma.
>You were utterly weakened, as if from atrophy. Twilight, though, claimed it was just your mind settling into the new body.
>She never left the bed, save to get more weird little devices. Monitors of different sorts, everything.
>You “plugged in” quite well, though, whatever that meant. According to her.  She claimed you shouldn't have even been able to move for several days.
>after that, Rarity pushed for the physical therapy. After all, you weren't used to having a pony body.
>The last two weeks were a steadily escalating regimen of both physical tests, and medical examinations.  You got used to it.
>In your head, you couldn't help but think that it had been rather easy, actually.
>Finally, though. Today was important for you.
>Today was the first day you were going to be allowed to eat solid food.
>You'd been living off some sort of green, intravenous paste.  It seemed to serve as both hydration and nutrition. Needless to say, it wasn't really “filling.” At least you knew you could be hungry.
>You're escorted to Rarity and Twilight's table by a set of stallion twins dressed in a near-full body suit of white.
> They trusted you enough to be alone after the last test, but deemed you requiring a security escort?
>Something was off, but you didn't question it. Judging by the expansive, expensive metal surroundings, Twilight and Rarity were some kind of big-wigs.  Just regular procedure.
>You had to admit, being the best friends of these ponies was kind of ritzy.

>The table was in the center of a huge, minimally decorated room.
>The wall to your side was a massive plate glass window. Outside there were birds, gently drifting clouds, and rolling, warm green hills.
>The entire wall across from you was comprised of small metal boxes, organized into shelves.  It extended from about chest height, straight to the ceiling.The glowing dots on the side projected small names into the air when you focused upon them. “Pony History.”  “Starswirl the Bearded; the myth and the pony.”
>Augmented reality titles. You'd seen a few of these things pop up on colored boxes for fire extinguishers and emergency medical devices in the bathrooms.  It was taking some getting used to...
>You sit at the table, and the chair begins to hum.  The other two chairs buzz, and that same AV distortion projects both Twilight and Rarity in their respective seats.
>”There you are, Darling.” Rarity says. “Fashionbly late I must say.” Her look is that of some discontent, but nothing to worry about. Typical Rarity.
>”I'm glad you're up and about!” Twilight says. “I wasn't so sure we could leave you alone, but we didn't really have any options.”
“Well, you're... Um, here. So, I guess that's something. You wanted to talk?”
>”Yes. It's about your adaptation.”
>One of the guards arrives with a plate.  The closer he gets, the more you feel yourself perk up and tingle.  The excitement dies down a bit as you see what it is- neatly arranged flowerblooms and grass, and small chunks of singed hay.
>”You got locomotion down so fast, we haven't really had time to catch up or quell all the rumors that got out.”  HoloTwilight looks over at Rarity with a pair of squinty eyes.
>”Please. Don't blame me for him being such a magnificent accomplishment.”
>”You're too proud, Rarity. This could really get us in trouble, even if it's going better than we expected. As a matter of fact, we haven't hit a single roadbump, and that's making the big sisters curious.”
>By now, they notice you're just staring with disappointment at your plate. You tip it at the side to see if there is something more palettable beneath it.
>You look between them, plate lifted, before dropping it with a light clatter.
“I'm. Um. Not sure I can do this kind of food.”
>Rarity smiles and replies to Twilight. “There, you see? He's not perfect.”
>Twilight sighs and points at it, her other hoof on the table. “Just eat it. You're in a pony body, now, you can eat what we do.”
>You flatten your brows, and pick up a piece of hay with your hoof.  You still don't know how the hell these hooves can grip, but you did manage to get used to it after the “Oh god, now I can't let go!” incident.
>Hm.  Potatoes. More specifically, hash browns.
>You try some of the flowers.  Eggs.
>Holy shit, is this how ponies taste this stuff?
>The grass reminds you of shredded bacon.  Soon, you're stuffing your face with food while offhandedly listening.
>”See?” Twilight says. “That's just what I mean. He's fitting into it perfectly. That shouldn't happen.”
>Rarity sighs. “Twilight, sweetie, you're better at the interaction calibrations than you think. You don't give yourself enough credit.”
>Twilight beeps something on her end. Her line mutes, and she speaks.
>Rarity goes wide eyed momentarily, looking back to you as you keep a mouthful of food.
>”I see.” she says.
>Twilight un-beeps. “That's why we have to take him to the prototype show tonight.  Truthfully, I wish we'd have been able to skip out on it this year, but your interfacing with the new pony body-”
“I'm going to have to put on show? I don't do well in crowds. Not if everyone is looking at me and knows who I am.”
>She sighs. “Yes, we know. But... Well, see for yourself.”
>The scenery on the window fades. Outside, you can see the tips of buildings and darkening blue sky. You get up from the table and look outside.
>You see multi-colored ants below you, on shining silver paths between massive, rounded buildings. Glowing neon signs, which you glean are advertisements, project various products you don't know about. Looking directly at some of them gives your AV a pop up or two.
>The half chewed wad of delicious grass falls out of your mouth.  The landscape is nothing but city, not a shred of green to be found.
>Kansas =/= where you are, Dorothy.
>”See this place? Right here?”
>There is a ping on your AV display, a red pinprick flashing at the base of one of the most organic buildings. It's a half orb, encircled by what you can only consider windows at the base. You can't tell from this distance.
>”This is the Twilight Firmware convention center. It's where Rarity is right now- she's going to be doing the show to display you.”
“Y-You still haven't really explained anything Twilight. WHY?”
>You notice a massive build-up of ant traffic around the entire center. A see of distant little pony bodies teeming around it.
>”Well, that body you're in, the methods we used to store you and transfer you into the body... They're prototypes. And honestly, you're working way too well to ignore.”
>”We expected at least three months of therapy and examinations, but you've positively destroyed everything we anticipated for. It's marvelous, really.”  Rarity is positively giddy.
“So I'm just a piece of technology now?” You yelp back at Twilight. “Don't I get a say in this?”
>She sighs and pushes back into her chair. “No, and no.  You're still you- who else would you be?” she shrugs. “But, that body. It's universal, meaning if we stored anyone like you could be put into another body of the same type.”  She looks at you with a rather sad smile. “You're mass producable, if that makes sense, and due to copyright and Tech laws requiring equal exposure for medical reasons...”
“Twilight, I was just in a hospital bed. How can you expect me to do anything flashy?”
>Rarity interjects. “You can leave that to me, Darling.”
>You sigh. You look out on the cityscape, back, and forth.
>”Look, because of you, a lot more ponies are going to be there.”
>Rarity squeals to herself at the thought.
>”You're literally going to be the biggest thing to hit that convention since it existed, and the Big Sisters are going to be scrutinizing everything.  But look- all you have to do, is be you. You don't have to do anything else. Be shy, be annoying. But all you have to do to make this work for us- and you- is be there.”
>She disappears without letting you reply.
>The feeling of dread is positively palpable. There are warning blips on your AV about elevated heart rate.
>”Don't worry, darling.” Rarity says. “Everyone gets nervous before a big show- even me. But you'll see. You'll have a great deal of fun.”
“Rarity?”
>”Yes, dear?”
“She never said who the big sisters were.  Twilight has all this, and then enough resources to bring me to life.  But she was talking about them as if they could ruin her. Like SHE didn't even want to talk about it. Who are they? Should I be worried?”
>”You should remember that, dear. It's Celestia and Luna.”
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