“The news isn’t good.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Veritas stared hard at the man behind the desk, “Are you sure?”
“He sighed and leaned back, “I have to know sometime. There’s little sense in postponing it.”
The violet unicorn levitated a DaTab and perused the information one last time before beginning, “First off, they found the AI. After that it was only a short deductive leap to the courier, they took her alive. She shouldn’t be of any value to them though.”
The man snorted, “At least there’s a silver lining.”
“Well... you haven’t heard the worst of it yet. They intend to go ahead with the first Gryphonization.”
The man sat up sharply, “What?”
Veritas nodded, “Yes. They intend to go on with it. They had an emergency Council session, legitimized it by a fair margin. They’ve changed candidates too.”
The man sat back, appearing to regain some of his composure, “Well, given everything else, that doesn’t surprise me. Let me know when it hits the media, otherwise I’m not to be disturbed.”
“What will you be doing until then?”
“Examining our options.”
All he could see was gray, interspersed with the occasional flash of light from a holo-imager.
It made Wrenn nervous to be outdoors, yet unable to see the world around him. He could see the microphones in front of his face, and he could see the first row of cameras in front of him. Beyond that, existence consisted of gray shapeless fog punctuated only by subtle changes in lighting.
It made Wrenn even more nervous to be staring down so many cameras. He decided he was actually thankful he couldn’t see the full extent of the media circus that was focused on him, relaying his likeness and words to most of the planet.
From somewhere beyond his visual range, a woman’s voice rang out, “Andrea Sorens, Amerizone News; Lieutenant, can you tell us anything about your conversion? Why is this so different from any other retired soldier ‘joining the herd’ ?”
Wrenn had to resist smiling, not just at the amusing slang for Conversion, or the fact that everyone here firmly believed he had spent the last few years in retirement, but because they were all clueless as to why they’d been brought here. They had simply received an invitation from Princess Celestia, and that was interesting enough to draw almost every major media outlet on the continent.
“No, not really. Classified means classified, right up until the moment something goes public. Stick around, you’ll find out.”
To Wrenn it seemed like quite an irony; he was only there because the rule ‘classified means classified’ had gone out the window, then been hauled back up and thrown out again.
A male voice reached his ears, but the speaker was still out of his visual range. This time it came from closer and to the left, “Tell us about why you finally decided to opt in. Why hang around in retirement all this time, then suddenly decide to go for it today?”
It was a tricky question, but Wrenn had been expecting tricky questions, “That’s something I think I’d better discuss after the fact. If you burn through all the interesting questions now, what's left to report at the end of the week? Enjoy your all access look at the Bureaus, and I’ll see you on the other side.”
Celestia was nothing if not shrewd, in order to maintain media attention she had invited select reporters to spend the next week getting an unprecedented in depth look at the Bureaus, at least the parts that wouldn’t pose a security risk if they were filmed. Wrenn was willing to bet the meager contents of his bank account that nobody would be allowed to see the inside of the ConSec wing, or the Potion Vault.
Meanwhile, he would be spending the week as the first ‘student’ in the new revised induction courses for converts. They needed someone to test the system and give honest feedback, and Wrenn was officially it.
The reporters erupted in a clamor of continued questions in a desperate attempt to get his attention, but the interview was over. Wrenn knew they would dissect his service records, try to dig up details on his private life, and plaster him all over the news feeds for a while. Then, for the rest of the week at least, he would be old news and the focus would be on the Bureaus at large.
What Wrenn really dreaded was going public after the Conversion. The media had been trying to dig up information on Gryphons, and every other non-pony species in Equestria, for a long time. But without electronics across the barrier, backwards flow of media information was essentially choked.
When the press found out that humans could become Gryphons, and that the Gryphons wanted to present themselves to the media, there was going to be an instantaneous crush of reporters, all trying to make it big on the biggest scoop since Ponification and Equestria became household words.
Wrenn slowly made his way up the front steps and back into the Bureau. Without his implants he was forced to use a sonic guide-stick, which was similar to a walking stick, but with an integrated radar. The device relayed a picture of the path ahead as beeps and chirps to a wireless earpiece. It took a lot of getting used to, and it was very imprecise in his inexperienced hands, but it got the job done.
It certainly helped that he could still see what was immediately in front of him, for more reasons than one. Wrenn had a good visual memory, and he had spent a fair bit of time in the Bureau. He already knew areas of it well enough to walk them blindfolded, so it was simplicity itself to compare what he was seeing to what he knew of the building layout, and extrapolate the part shrouded in haze.
He made his way carefully to the lift and rode up to the second floor.
His journey to Conversion was supposed to mimic that of someone new to the process, so he was going to ‘meet’ his guides.
The auditorium would have been awkwardly large for a three person meeting, so Wrenn was scheduled to have his orientation in a smaller meeting room. When he arrived he found Sildinar, and a female Earth Pony he didn’t recognize, seated at a round table.
Sildinar was not going to be the guide or teacher for the Manhattan Bureau, but none of the Gryphon staff were being shipped out to Bureaus until the process had been trialed and made public. If all went well, each Bureau would receive two guides and four guards.
When Wrenn asked, Kephic had told him that there were no shortage of volunteers for the jobs. Gryphons were possessed of an adventurous spirit, and may were just as curious as Ponies to learn about human culture and technology. Perhaps even more so, since their interest also extended to weapons, tactics, and the history of human wars.
Sildinar nodded his greetings, and deferred to the Earth Pony. She was maroon, with a short cropped white mane streaked with occasional bands of russet, her cutie mark looked to Wrenn like some variation of swirling fall leaves.
“Hello, I’m Autumn Wind. You’ve already met Sildinar, right?”
Wrenn nodded, “I'm Lieutenant Wrenn. Nice to meet you.”
She smiled, “Nice to meet you too. I know you’re here to be given the new Gryphon potion, but we needed someone to do a run through of the new orientation and primer class, and I guess that's you. I promise I’ll try to keep it brief, since your mind is already completely made up.”
Wrenn held up his hands, “Please don’t abbreviate anything, I’m glad to get an opportunity to learn more about both cultures. Its not everyday you get to take a peek at history from another world.”
Autumn smiled, “Then shall we begin? You’ll forgive me if some of this sounds strange, but it’s intended for people coming after you.”
Wrenn gestured for her to continue.
She launched into what was obviously a rehearsed speech. It was *well* rehearsed, but Wrenn could tell it was pre-prepared.
“Welcome! You’re here to be converted, a step that will mark a major turning point in your life. You might be aware that the Conversion Bureaus have recently added a new option; We now have Gryphon potion available for those who can pass an independent screening created and administered by the Gryphons. In light of this, we have a new primer course which all applicants, regardless of their choice in potion, are required to pass through. Hopefully this primer will give you a good look at both races, and help you understand your potential choices.”
Wrenn nodded, “That’s very good!”
Autumn shifted uncomfortably, “I thought it sounded a bit rehearsed.”
Wrenn chuckled, “A little. It was still well worded.”
She smiled, “Well, there’s no particular order to this, so I’ll let Sildinar go first.”
Sildinar picked up a DaTab lying on the table. He thumbed it, and a holoscreen sprang to life on the wall. It was close enough that Wrenn could mostly make it out, but he scooted forward in his chair to clarify the details.
Sildinar tapped the DaTab, and a map filled the screen.
“Your media has told you much about the Equestrian nation, and so I expect you recognize that part of the map, at least in passing. This map, as a whole, is a combined cartograph of the parts of the wider world that have been explored at length by both our species. If you look to the north, you can see the Gryphon Nations.”
Sildinar zoomed in to that part of the map, “Our territory encompasses a great deal of mountainous terrain. Within that space are tundra, forests, hidden valley glades, highlands... in short a wide variety of climates. Our Kingdoms are each independently ruled by, what you might call, a constitutional monarchy, and these monarchs form a council who swear fealty to, and counterbalance, our high king.”
Sildinar stretched out a wing, “We are a flighted species. We are strong, but not as strong nor as durable as an Earth Pony. Our greatest advantage in combat is our speed. Our reflexes are unmatched by most living beings. We are immune to magical meddling, but at the same time we can not cast magic or wield it ourselves. Our hearing is better than human, but not as good as an Equestrian. Our sense of smell is nothing to brag about either. The sense that sets us apart is our sight, which is unparalleled by any living creature.”
Sildinar turned from the screen and reached under the table. He withdrew his sword from where it had been lying on a spare chair, and placed it on the table. It was larger than any human sword Wrenn had ever seen, and he could hear and feel its weight as it came to rest on the faux granite surface.
“We are a warrior culture. Make no mistake; We have artists, poets, singers, writers... we have rich and full lives beyond the hunt and the battlefield. But fighting is also an integral part of us. Fighting for the safety and freedom of lord and land. Fighting for the betterment of our world. The media may have told you that Equestria is a peaceful place free from danger. That may be true of the nation, but not of the world. As a world, Equestria has many dark and unsavory dangers that would throw all into chaos if given the chance. We’re the ones who make sure they never get the chance.”
Sildinar paused to stare into Wrenn’s eyes. Wrenn marveled at the way the light played off the Gryphon’s golden irises.
“If you love peace, and quiet, then perhaps you will find a place in our culture. We too believe there is a time to rest, a time to lay back and be still. But if you desire peace for the rest of your life, unmarred by adventure, or danger, then join the Equestrian nation. Our culture thrives on danger and war as much as we thrive on peace and calm.”
Sildinar glanced at Autumn, “Equestrians espouse friendship as one of the most important things one can possess in life. We think similarly, but our culture approaches the subject differently.
It is difficult to explain to an outsider, but suffice to say, you will not be lonely among our kind.
To a Gryphon, family, whether related by blood or not, is everything.”
Sildinar sat down. Wrenn wondered how Autumn was going to fare, that was a tough act to follow. She stood and cleared her throat, a small demure sound, and then she began, “Life as a Pony is different from what you might expect. It’s true that our lives are generally peaceful, but there is a certain adventure in exploring, and building, and creating a life for yourself among friends. If you choose to take ponification serum, there is no guarantee which species you will become. Unicorns are keepers of knowledge, and great spellcasters. Earth Ponies, like me, are often farmers and builders, but not always. We are very strong and durable. Pegasi, like Gryphons, can fly, and are some of the fastest beings in Equestria. They can also manipulate the weather, and are responsible for controlling it within the bounds of the Equestrian nation.”
She cast a look back at the map, “We are ruled by the royal sisters, Celestia and Luna, who raise the sun and the moon every day and night. With the influx of Converts, our nation is expanding, and there is room for all on the borders, and for those who wish it, there are places in existing settlements as well.”
She glanced down at the sword on the table, “We have no love for conflict, but we are capable of fighting to defend what we love, if necessary. If all goes well, you will never have to experience that, if you choose to become a Pony.”
Autumn looked over at Sildinar, “Both serums amplify and suppress things in your nature. You’re still you, and nothing about what makes you a person changes, but you may find your outlook on life shifted. Ponification suppresses the impulse for conflict, and greed, and amplifies one’s gregarious tendencies. Gryphonization suppresses the desire to do immoral things, and amplifies emotions and conscience. Whatever you choose, choose carefully, because that will be your future.”
Wrenn was impressed, “I have to admit, you’ve definitely piqued my interest. Perhaps I’ll visit a Pony settlement one day. See how you live life.”
Autumns expression told Wrenn that a Gryphon visiting a Pony settlement would be somewhat unusual, but that only strengthened his resolve to try. Wrenn was thrilled at the idea of absorbing another new culture.
Sildinar stood, “If you’re ready, we can begin at once. At this point I would tell a candidate whether they passed my initial evaluation or not. You obviously have.”
Wrenn nodded, “Ok. Lets get started.”
Wrenn rolled over and switched off his alarm clock. Setting it was little more than a precaution. Years of military service had taught him how to wake up exactly when he wanted to.
It was hard for him to believe how quickly the week had passed. The daily routine had reminded him of university, except that the classes consisted of only one student, and the same teacher every day. Sildinar had been a tough task master. Wrenn had learned more about Gryphon history and culture in a week than he could remember from years of Earth History studies.
He also noticed that the Gryphon had been evaluating him at every turn, sometimes throwing him curveball questions about his beliefs, or his outlook on life, or his answer to a moral dilemma.
Judging by Sildinar’s reactions, Wrenn had passed with flying colors.
He had still been able to join the other Gryphons, and Hutch, at the lunch table, despite the hectic nature of his schedule. Sildinar had even made sure to clear the time on Wrenn’s schedule, telling him that when the program went live, candidates would be encouraged to spend time with the other Gryphons in the bureau, both staff and new converts, to get a feel for their social interactions.
Wrenn also suspected that the staff would be evaluating the candidates too.
But he had passed, as far as he knew, and it was at last the fateful day.
Even if he hadn’t been, literally, counting down the minutes, Wrenn would have known by the feeling of anticipation boiling in his gut. He hadn’t been so jittery since his first live fire combat mission.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He certainly wasn’t going to miss the old ones.
He glanced out the window of his quarters. The pre-dawn was a shade of foreboding gray, as always, lit from underneath by the trillions of lights in the city, all a colorless shapeless void to Wrenn.
He wondered what he should do with his meager possessions and his bank account. His military salary hadn’t been that good for most of his career, but a few years Korvan’s stipend had done some favors for his ledger. He just hadn’t done anything with the cash.
He didn’t have an apartment, he had always rented on a weekly basis during leave. He had a storage locker in Phoenix with a few items, none of which could pass through the barrier, and he had his military issue gear, all of which would be turned in at the end of the day. That was it.
In the end, he decided to freeze the account. He might find some use for it later, he expected he’d manage to pay a visit to Earth now and again. The storage container could just sit. There wasn’t much in it, and Wrenn figured it wasn’t worth the trouble to unpack.
As he showered and brushed his teeth, he wondered if Gryphons had to do something to clean their beaks on a daily basis. He figured he’d soon learn. Abruptly, he realized how little the week's courses had conveyed about what to expect from a biological standpoint, and made a mental note to highlight the disparity in his final feedback submission.
Breakfast started out quiet, and lonely. The Gryphons were busy preparing for the press conference, and Hutch had morning duties to attend to, leaving Wrenn alone with his thoughts. He didn’t get too much peace and quiet, however.
Wrenn couldn’t see the man coming, but he could hear the squeak of his shoes on the polished floor. “Reporter? Or Staff?”
The question must have caught the man by surprise, because he paused, “How did you... I thought you couldn’t see?”
Wrenn nodded and tapped his right ear, “Sure can hear though. I've dropped more than one target in the dark by pinpointing their footfalls. By the way your shoes squeak they’re a nice formal pair. So. Reporter, or staff?”
“Reporter. I’m Stanley Carradan, with the Global News Network. I know we were told ‘hands off’ until after the Conversion, but I saw you over here, alone for once, and I couldn’t resist.”
Wrenn snorted, “Well make it quick. Once I’m done here, I have a final physical check.”
The man pulled out a chair and sat down. “You know, you always sit with those Gryphons. Besides the Commander, I’ve never seen any other humans sitting with them. All week long. How did you get to know them?”
“We met under interesting circumstances. They fascinated me, I managed to impress them.”
“So... in other words... classified stuff?”
“Very classified stuff.”
Wrenn could tell Carradan was disappointed. But reporters were a tenacious breed, and Wrenn fully expected him to try and milk the little illicit exclusive for all it was worth.
“If I had to guess, I’d say there’s more to this Conversion. What are they gonna pull on us?”
Wrenn glared. The man was sitting close enough for him to see his face now, “I can’t tell you. Sheesh, is it that hard to wait a couple hours and find out?”
“In my business kid? News is all about getting the scoop first. Sometimes that’s a matter of minutes...”
Wrenn interrupted, “Don’t call me kid. I’ve killed more people than you’ve met in your life, and for every camera you ever faced down, I faced down ten gun barrels.”
“A bit touchy. Nervous?”
“Would you be calm with the idea of having your entire biology taken apart and rearranged at the quantum level?”
“Touché.”
Wrenn shoved his plate away and stood. He was already tired of answering questions, and he expected the evening would be slam full of them.
“I guess I’ll see you after the fact.”
“Yep.”
“Joy.”
All potential Converts had to undergo one last medical exam. While some who sought ponification were suffering deformities, and even debilitating or lethal diseases, the attending physicians still wanted to fully understand any pre-existing conditions before administering potion.
Wrenn was tended to by a human doctor, and the same nurse Pony who had patched him up after the maglev bombing.
He smiled at her, as she worked a blood pressure sensor, “I never got your name.”
“It’s Hart. Racing Hart. Like the deer, not the organ. Though trust me, the puns just never seem to end once I tell people I’m a nurse.”
Wrenn chuckled, “You have to admit, it’s ironic.”
“And a bit frustrating.”
“I can imagine.”
She glanced up from the machine, “Wrenn? Good luck.”
He smiled, “Thanks.”
Hutch, Kephic, Varan, Sildinar, and to Wrenn’s surprise, Celestia, were all waiting for him outside the medical bay.
Hutch jerked his thumb at the Gryphons, “They have some sort of final ceremonial moment they need to have with you. I’m just here to wish you luck.”
He reached out, and Wrenn shook his hand firmly.
“Thank you sir.”
“Hutch.”
“Yes sir.”
The man laughed and stepped back down the hall, “Stop by and say hi once you finish with the reporters.”
“Will do.”
When he had gone, Celestia stepped forward, “Before you begin, may I have a word?”
Wrenn nodded. The Alicorn amended her statement, much to everyone’s surprise, “Privately.”
The Gryphons seemed willing to defer, however, so Celestia set off down the hall at a slow walk.
Wrenn followed. For a few moments they didn't speak, then the Princess broke the silence, “Isaac Wrenn, you’re no fool. By now I’m sure you have, like many converts of sharp mind, several pressing questions that few others think to ask.”
He nodded, “Yeah... A few thoughts occurred to me. For one thing, I’ve often wondered how you are going to deal with the better part of eight billion people immigrating to your world. For another, I don’t think you’ve put all your cards on the table. I think you have bigger ambitions than just giving us another option, though I don’t doubt altruism is a major factor.”
Celestia laughed, “As to the first question, Equestria’s surface area is already one and a half times the size of Earth, and will soon grow to be much larger. Space is no concern. If you’re referring to cultural issues, and the populations of the various races in my world... well... one of the less altruistic reasons for this new option is keeping the numbers balanced.”
Wrenn nodded. He had theorized along those lines, but it was nice to hear confirmation directly from the horse's mouth. Literally.
Celestia glanced past Wrenn out the large bank of windows that took up one wall of the corridor, “As to your second question, no. I haven’t put all my cards on the table. If I did, I don’t think it would go over very well. Most species, mine and yours included, need time to adjust to drastic change. If I wasn’t patient, the instability caused by my actions would be unimaginable.
The idea is to save whoever we can, and benefit both sides in the process. Not cause chaos and disharmony through ineptitude.”
Wrenn nodded again, Celestia continued, “Isaac... I’m going to show you one of my cards. You’re about to become the first of many humans who will choose Gryphonization, and as such you have a great deal of influence, whether you realize it or not, and whether you want it or not, on both sides of the barrier. I feel as though you need to know something few others do, because you can do good with the knowledge.”
That made Wrenn nervous. Being taken into the confidence of what amounted to an Equine demi-god was not something they covered in basic. He swallowed, “Alright. Shoot.”
Celestia stopped and turned to face him, “Once, further back than our recorded history goes, Ponies and Gryphons shared a much closer friendship. We lost hold of that in the intervening dark ages of chaos. Our collision with your world has changed many things. Our nation is expanding again, at an unprecedented rate. And beyond our borders, the world grows to encompass new and uncharted things. Things even I know nothing of.”
She stared at Wrenn, her eyes boring into his, impressing upon him the gravity of her words, “There is much change, and uncertainty, in our future. To thrive, we need to stand together. Not just as individual races, but as fellow beings. We need the old alliances. We need a world where Ponies and Gryphons can live, and work together.”
Wrenn shivered, “So *that’s* what the primer course is all about. You’re trying to slowly bring your kind, and theirs, back into contact. Let friendships form---”
She nodded, “---form naturally. Yes.”
“And you want me to... what? help this along whenever I can?”
She nodded again and smiled, “If you’re willing.”
Wrenn shrugged, “Well... I’ve met Ponies and Gryphons now. I’ve known a few of both enough to get a feel for their way of thinking, if nothing else. And I certainly agree with you... if you’re facing a frontier type situation, you need the friendship of beings with a little more fight in them. Do you think all the...” Wrenn searched for a good metaphor but couldn’t find one, “... the ‘bad vibes’ that your kind has for Gryphons can be overcome?”
Celestia inclined her head, “In the grand scheme of things, it’s only a minor cultural stigma, born more of fear of the unknown than anything. Gryphon culture is unique, and very different from ours, but I believe we can learn to get along, and get along very well at that.”
“Well.. If I can help, then I will.”
She smiled, “Thank you, Isaac Wrenn.”
The Conversion room was essentially a stark white rectangular prism. The walls, ceiling, floor, and even the inner surface of the door, were coated in a slick, reflective, pure white bio-phobic material that wouldn’t even hold on to the oil from a fingerprint.
To one side was a vacuformed biobed of the same material, with a medical sensor cluster suspended above it. The biobed was clearly designed to fit something bigger than a human.
Against the opposite wall was a dark gray cabinet with a thick, locked sliding door.
Lighting came from two almost invisible slits at floor level, and two slits at ceiling level, all at the junctions of the walls, which projected enough luminescence to eliminate all shadows.
The back wall was covered in holo-screen projected medical data, except for a small alcove near the corner that served as a changing room, which was set apart by a sliding opaque panel.
Kephic, Sildinar, and Varan had managed to find standing space in the room despite the presence of Wrenn, and a human doctor. Wrenn sat on the edge of the biobed, facing the three Gryphons.
Sildinar stepped forward, coming eye to eye with him, “Isaac Wrenn. You have passed our evaluation of your character and spirit. We are ready to accept you into our kind. Are you prepared for the responsibilities and the dangers that come with this decision?”
“I am.”
“Then, we look forward to welcoming you to our species.”
Sildinar gripped Wrenn’s shoulders once, Kephic and Varan did likewise, then left the room.
Then Wrenn was alone with the doctor and Sildinar.
The Gryphon went over to the cabinet, entered a long combination and provided his biometrics.
The door slid open to reveal a stack of plastic cups, and one Gryphonization potion cylinder.
Sildinar unscrewed the lid, and poured a third of the liquid into one of the cups.
The glow was strong enough to shine through the plastic.
While the Gryphon was busy doing that, the doctor handed Wrenn a medical slip made of disposable paper, “You should get changed into this.”
Wrenn took the garment and stepped into the alcove.
He pulled the small sliding panel shut, and shed his uniform.
It struck him that it was the last time he would ever remove it.
He slid into the paper medical gown, and returned to the main room.
The doctor moved over to the holo-screens, and nodded his assent.
Everything was ready.
No more tests, no more obstacles, no more waiting.
Sildinar handed Wrenn the cup, “I’m glad its going to be you. It wouldn’t have felt right if the first outsider to join our kind had been someone we hardly knew.”
Wrenn looked down at the golden potion. He had been fantasizing about the moment from the second he first laid eyes on the stuff. It had finally arrived.
“Thank you again. For everything you did to bring me here. For being my friend.”
Sildinar smiled, “It was my pleasure.”
“Will I dream?”
“No one knows for sure.”
“Guess I’ll find out...”
With that, Wrenn put the cup to his lips, turned his head back, and swallowed all the potion in a single go. He lay back on the table as the sedatives set in, and he just had time to note that the potion tasted a bit like liquid chestnut.
Wrenn got the answer to his question instantly.
He had heard all about the dream newfoals experienced when they drank standard potion, but he knew it wasn’t necessarily applicable to Gryphons.
What he was seeing was, from what he had heard of the ponification dream, a completely different experience.
The sensation of flight came first. The feel of the wind, the vague idea that the ground was passing by beneath him...
Then the darkness lifted and a blurry view of the world came into being.
There were mountains, some so high no vegetation could grow, others covered in verdant forests that stretched down into hidden valleys, broken only by the occasional lake or river. Above, the sky was a perfect shade of blue. Something Wrenn had never seen before, not in person.
He couldn’t quite feel his body, but he got the idea there were wings behind him. As he flew on, apparently by instinct alone, a settlement came into view. The architecture, blurry though his vision was, astounded him. It looked like something Celtic, but it was built of granite and marble, carved right out of the face of a mountain, with staggering scale and sophistication, and all shaped from swooping organic curves that seemed impossible for stonework.
Wrenn could see Gryphons, coming and going. He was only dimly aware of what they were doing, but the impression they conveyed was vibrant; a living breathing civilization going about its daily routine.
Suddenly he was among them, images and half formed sensations coming and going so quickly that each blurred into the next, leaving only emotions behind. Fighting, hunting, eating and drinking together, creating, exploring... and all throughout the overwhelming sensation of camaraderie. The feeling of family; brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and fathers, each dedicated to him with the same loyalty with which he was dedicated to them.
Just when Wrenn thought that the emotional whirlwind might overwhelm him, the darkness came again.
The first sensation to hit him was the sound of the medical equipment. A soft whirr, punctuated at intervals by beeps from the readouts.
Sound was quickly followed by smell; the antiseptic tang of cleaning solution, exactly the same as it had been when he entered the room.
Then suddenly Wrenn was aware of his body. For a split second his brain panicked. There were so many new sensations. As his mind began to calm down and sort out the new inputs, he became aware of a dull ache between his shoulder blades.
He rolled over onto his stomach, almost reflexively, and the pressure let off instantly.
The realization that he must have been lying on his wings.... his *wings,* brought him fully back to consciousness.
His eyes snapped open, and the world assaulted him with color, and shapes, and textures, and light. The room was white, with very little color to punctuate it, but to Wrenn it was awash in varying hues. The lights were just a shade off of pure white, creating an interplay of subtle yellows in their reflections along the walls. The holo-screens cast blues and greens and even a few reds all over the room, leaving little traces of color that made even the hard technological edges of the environment seem to come alive.
Wrenn could see details at a level he never imagined possible. Imperfections in the vacuformed plastic of the biobed, pits in the heads of the screws at the corners of the potion cabinet, individual sub-pixels in the holo screens, he could see it all as a whole, and yet review each tiny detail in every object in the room in less time than it took to form the thought.
He tried to sit up, and promptly careened off the bed and onto the floor, ramming his head into the wall in the process.
“Ouch! Dammit!”
The doctor bent down to see if he was all right, “You shouldn’t try to stand. Your brain is still adjusting to the input from your new inner ear.”
“Fantastic. Tell the next guy that *before* he tries to get up.”
His voice had deepened. Not enough to be surprising, but enough to be just ever so slightly noticeable.
Wrenn was suddenly aware that he had a beak. No teeth, no lips, just a sharp yellow beak.
His throat was doing all the work of making the sounds his teeth and lips would have once been responsible for, his beak was just moving in time to the words.
He dimly recalled once being told that birds had something called a ‘syrinx’ that made them capable of replicating polyphonic sounds entirely in their throat.
He glanced down and back at his own body and jolted sharply.
He was red, two tones of it, but he was definitely red. Mostly a shade of dark maroon, but with brighter red chest fur and feathers, and trimming on his ears and wings.
His wings.
That was going to take some time to process.
He experimentally flexed them, but discovered that he couldn’t put them out to even half their length in the confined space of the Conversion room.
“Holy cow...” he mumbled softly to himself.
He took stock of his legs, did some thinking, then made another attempt to stand.
The second time he managed to make it to a quadrupedal position. That gave him a chance to glance down at his paws and claws. They had sprung into being fully formed, and wickedly sharp. His back paws were covered in the same red fur as his body, but his forelegs changed over to scales like an eagle’s leg, ending in dexterous four digit claws with opposable ‘thumbs.’
He decided to get the hang of walking on four legs before trying to switch to two and test out the talons. There would be plenty of time for learning the ropes.
He took a cautionary step, and found that as long as he didn’t concentrate too hard on it, his body seemed to know what it was doing all on its own.
He did his best to disengage and just let his legs do the work, and suddenly he was at the door.
“So. Clean bill of health?”
The doctor nodded, “As near as I can tell. You’ll have to stop back by the medical wards later. We have a doctor coming in from Equestria who specializes in Gryphon biology. He will need to give you a complete workup, to make sure you’re as healthy as you look.”
Wrenn nodded, “Thanks.”
He reached up and tapped the door control with his right claw, only losing his balance part way in the process.
Outside, Kephic, Varan, Sildinar, and Skye were waiting for him.
“Skye?”
She nodded, “Yep! I wanted to see how ya turned out. You turned out great, by the way.”
Kephic gave him what he assumed was a bear hug. It mostly involved the wings.
“Welcome.”
Wrenn smiled, “Glad to be here... I... I’m not even sure how to begin processing it all it's...”
He looked beyond his friends, out the windows, across the gap between the Bureau and the next building over, and into the corresponding room in that building.
He could, if he focused, still see details as small as a millimeter.
He became so entranced experimenting with his new eyes that Skye had to shake him out of it.
“Uh.. hey.... Earth to Gryphon... helooooo?”
Wrenn shook himself, “Sorry... its just... trying to get used to being able to see again. And the telescopic vision... Wow...”
Sildinar nodded, “Understandable. I imagine it would be quite a change for someone with average human vision, how much more someone who has been deprived of most of his vision for so long?”
Varan clapped him on the shoulder. Wrenn suddenly realized he was able to look any of the Gryphons in the eye without tilting his head up. “You’d best adjust fast. The press is getting anxious.”
Wrenn groaned, “I’m going to need a few minutes. I can barely open a door without falling flat on my beak.”
Kephic laughed, “Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.”
Wrenn breathed deeply, noticing for the first time, the feel of the ventilation system against his feathers. It reminded him of the dream, in a small subtle way.
“All the same, I’d like ten or fifteen minutes to get the feel for... well... everything.”
Sildinar nodded, “You might want to start thinking about what you’ll say too.”
“Oh. Yeah. That.
*Shoot*...”