The Conversion Bureau: Change of Life

by Hurricane Puncher

A Trot Down Memory Lane

The Conversion Bureau

Change of Life

Part 4: A trot down memory lane

Rainbow Dash trotted back towards Amsterdam Avenue after her lunch with Rarity. Her friend had helped put her at ease, and she had resolved to talk to Robert about his condition. Nevertheless she still felt anxious; what if he immediately shot her down? What if he became so outraged he didn’t want to be her friend anymore?

The Pegasus shook her head. “Nah, there’s no way that would happen.” She said to herself chuckling nervously.

Even if that didn’t happen though…what if Robert still refused to be ponified? What if he chose to stay here in the city? What if..

She shook her head even more violently. She would not let that happen. Even if she had to grab him by her teeth and fly him out of New York, she would never let Robert die. Despite her conviction, Rainbow felt a weight in her chest that she couldn’t quite place, and an unease that refused to leave her mind.

She looked up into the clear blue sky; at times like these flying helped clear her head. She would do a few laps around Manhattan and be at central park in ten seconds flat. She crouched low, and with a mighty push of her legs and flap of her wings, was airborne.

Immediately, Rainbow noticed that something was different. Pegasi were beings of the sky, it was in their nature to be able to feel things about the air, the winds, the clouds; and one of the things Rainbow had hated about her new home was how dirty the air in New York was. Now however, the air felt…it felt just like home. It was clean, it ran through her coat and feathers just like it did in Ponyville, it even smelled like back home. For a few blissful moments Rainbow allowed herself to glide into the heavens, not a care in her-

At some point either yesterday or early this morning, the amount of magical energy along the eastern seaboard reached a critical level, enough to begin affecting the environment. That is why the weather has changed.

Rainbow’s eyes snapped open. Of course, the air didn’t feel like home; New York City was technically becoming home, as was the rest of the east coast and soon the entire world. At this revelation, the pegasus’ thoughts immediately returned to her human friend. Flying around the city obviously wasn’t going to make her feel better; she needed to talk to him, to make sure he would be safe.

With a heavy sigh she turned sharply toward the expanse of green below her.

------------------------------

As Robert left the library he dug into his pocket for his smokes. After everything he had just heard he damn well deserved one right about now. Outside, he lit the cancer stick and took a long drag, relishing the numbing sensation of the nicotine across his brain.

He may have left Twilight looking like he had a plan in mind, but in reality he had no idea what to do. In a week and a half Rainbow would be gone; in two he would be dead. The gravity of the situation began to dawn on him as he sat down on a nearby bench.

He had sworn to himself, sworn that he would never get ponified; sworn that he would keep his human form and some semblance of his former life at any cost. Yet now, in the face of ‘any cost’, his oath was beginning to seem very hollow. He could remain human, never see Rainbow again, and either die or flee his home to live in a shield city. Or…the alternative; swallow his pride and relinquish his current form…then he could stay in New York…he could see Rainbow…he could even see his family again…

Could it really be so simple? Could the answer have been before him all this time and he had just been too stubborn to see it? Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it sounded, after all his neighbor claimed to have never felt better after undergoing the process.

And yet…some unexplainable feeling gripped him, a dark wall erected itself between his train of thought and the idea of conversion. It was impossible, he couldn’t do it. The mere idea of becoming a pony was so…so…what? What? What was it? Why couldn’t he fathom the idea? Something was holding him back, preventing him from making such a logical and simple choice. Disgust…no…anger…no, he had made peace with their kind and their goal…what…what was it?

He knew the emotion, he knew the reason, from his dreams, but in the waking world it refused to come to him. He could remember everything from his dream except the one feeling that had completely and utterly filled him as he stared across the chasm, beyond the veil, at the shadows of those who had gone before.

Why?

What was stopping him?

What was the feeling?

Why couldn’t he remember?

Why-

“OW, FUCK!” Robert whipped the cigarette to the ground in anger. He had been sitting on the bench for so long lost in thought that it had burned down to his fingers.

He licked his burned finger absentmindedly as he stood and began to make his way toward central park. He needed to talk to her, to make sure that he was still sane…

------------------------------

Rainbow fluttered down to a bench in front of the entrance of the park. She glanced around, and seeing no sign of Robert, decided to just sit for a while and collect her thoughts.

How was she going to do this? It was no secret that Robert didn’t want to become a pony. So the only other option would be for him to leave New York.

…but that wasn’t enough. She didn’t know why, but the idea of never seeing Robert again made her heart sink to the bottom of her chest. They were friends…but she had grown close to the shaggy human…she didn’t want to lose him in any sense.

The pegasus looked up into the bright afternoon sky. She recognized these buildings, from the night they had met…and like the breeze that flowed through her Rainbow mane, she allowed the memories to come to the surface.

------------------------------

The chilly air nipped at her skin as she rocketed through the twilit sky. It had been another hard day at work and she needed this evening flight to get her head together. She snorted derisively as she took a wide arc around a skyscraper.

The hay did they know? She was the greatest flyer in all of Equestria; she didn’t need to follow their stupid protocols and regulations. Plus, how was she supposed to know that doing loops around the George Washington Bridge was prohibited?

“So lame.” She said to herself through clenched teeth. “Those newfoals are never gonna be good flyers being held back like that.”

It had been two weeks since she came to New York City, and she had hated almost every minute of it. The people were rude, the air was filthy, and these newfoals were just so…green. Everything had to be explained to them; from how to flap their wings to where they were supposed to do their business. It was exhausting dealing with them day in and day out, and today she decided to mix it up a bit by taking the converts to the borough bridges for some more… “advanced” maneuvers. Management hadn’t liked that one bit. This was her second strike; one more and she would be fired.

She dipped low, her hooves skimming the trees planted along the streets. This elicited many gasps and cries from the humans that walked the sidewalks below, much to her satisfaction. She grinned and pumped her wings harder as she streaked towards an office building only to pull up at the last moment before impact, flying vertically parallel to the building’s window-covered face.

“So what if I’m hard on them?”

She flew faster.

“They need a good teacher.”

She climbed higher.

“And I am the best.”

She was nearing the roof of the skyscraper.

“I don’t need anyone or anypony in this stupid city!”

She crested the edge of the roof…and was met by the large lightning rod that rested upon it. In a snap decision she rolled right and narrowly missed colliding with the object.

“Whew.” The pegasus exhaled in relief. It was true what they said in the Junior Speedsters; ‘Never fly angry.’ But Rainbow Dash hadn’t really taken that lesson to heart. Flying always helped clear her head; she may take to the skies angry, but she always landed in good spirits, and tonight was no exception. The near miss with the lightning rod had given her a thrill that helped to push the day’s hardships from her mind.

Weaving into another corridor of buildings, she accelerated and began to climb. Humans in the surrounding skyscrapers could be seen gaping in awe as the Rainbow streak screamed past their windows.

Eventually the pegasus ascended far beyond the tops of the skyscrapers, and was greeted by the site Manhattan’s multitude of buildings, their windows stained by the reflected pinks and golds of the setting sun. If only she could stay up here until she had to return to Equestria, if only she could just fly forever and never return to the ground.

If only she could just meet someone who wasn’t a total lame-o in this Celestia-forsaken-

“WOAH!” Rainbow Dash was taken by surprise as a large gust of wind came off the Hudson and caught her wings. Immediately her flight path was thrown awry and she began to spiral toward the ground. Her vision whirled, her sharp descent painfully obvious as she tried furiously to right herself. Pumping her wings in desperation she managed to pull out of her death-roll and level herself off-

-Just in time to see her own shocked reflection in the sliding glass door before her.

“Oh horseapples.”

-

The first thing she became aware of was the pain. Pain was good; pain meant she was still alive. The second was that she was laying in hundreds of pieces of broken glass, and under them what felt to be carpet. Slowly opening her eyes, she hazarded a look around. She had crashed into what appeared to be a human living room; a light box in the corner, pictures on the end tables and hanging from the walls, and a coffee table mere inches from her head. Thanking Celestia her momentum had stopped before she could split her skull open on the piece of offending furniture, she shakily rose to her hooves, wincing at the pain that shot through her extremities.

She inhaled sharply through her teeth and looked down, dozens of bleeding cuts adorned her chest and forelegs, and she could feel a dozen more on both her back and stomach. She was about to flex her wings for any damage when she suddenly became aware that she wasn’t alone in the room.

“What the FUCK?”

Rainbow whipped her head in the direction of the curse to see a human standing near a hallway. He was roughly six feet tall, brown eyes and hair with a well groomed beard and short haircut. He wore a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants that ended at flip-flops. But the most alarming feature of this human was his face, which was currently twisted in shock and rage. She groaned inwardly. She didn’t need this, not tonight.

“Are you KIDDING ME?”

“Ugh…look I’m sorry dude-”

“Sorry? Sorry?! I just lost my fucking job now I have to replace my goddamned sliding glass door. Do you even know how much those cost? Or do they not have them in ‘horsey-land’?” The human spat while finger quoting ‘horsey-land’.

The pegasus gritted her teeth, partly in pain, partly in shame, but mostly in anger. These humans were all the same, only thinking about themselves, never about anyone or anything else. She took a few shaky steps forward.

“I said I was sorry dude. It was an accident. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go.”

“What?! You break my shit and then leave? I thought you ponies were all about kindness and friendship and all of that horseshit.”

That was it. Rainbow, who had been turning to leave through the broken door whipped around, ready to give this human a piece of her mind.

“LOOK YOU-” She began but gasped as pain, like a lance of fire shot down her side. She fell over as the muscles in her side and flank seized up, assaulting her brain in mind-numbing agony.

The human, who had until a moment ago looked like he was going to throttle the little pony, now wore an expression of mild concern. Through her hazed vision she saw the human’s eyes wander over her body, obviously now seeing the full extent of her injuries.

“Hey…hey are you alright?”

“Fine.” She seethed through gritted teeth. She tried to stand, but her legs gave out from under her as she fell once more.

“You aren’t fine.” The human said while taking a few steps forward. Rainbow immediately tried to stand once more and move away from the human, only to stumble painfully into the wall and slide back down to the floor.

The human advanced further and Rainbow began to quiver. This was it; she had heard the stories about humans, what they were capable of. For a brief moment she thought she was going to die at the hands of this monkey, and over a piece of glass no less. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

The sound of another sliding glass door opening could be heard outside, and Rainbow felt the human walk past her onto the balcony.

“Hey Rob, everything al- HOLY SHIT what happened to your door?!”

Oh great. This was the last thing she needed. Now everyone would know, know that Rainbow ‘Crash’ blew her Conversion bureau assignment two weeks in. She would be a failure, to her friends, to her princess, to her kind. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes from the combination of pain and humiliation.

“Uh…some punk-ass threw a rock or something.”

The pegasus’ eyes snapped open. What? He was covering for her?

“Seriously? Kid must have had some arm to hit your door all the way up here.”

“Yeah…anyway I have to get back inside and clean up. I’ll see you tomorrow Mr. Miller.”

“John!”

“Right, hehe, John.”

Footsteps, then the sound of the door closing could be heard as the human, Rob apparently, walked back through the shattered door and looked down at the Rainbow-maned pegasus. Their eyes met, Rob’s deep brown peering deeply into Rainbow’s pained magenta. For a while he seemed to be lost in thought before briskly walking to the hallway and then out of sight.

He was letting her go? It was now or never. Rainbow Dash tried to stand once more, to get outside and escape, but her legs wouldn’t respond, only shooting pain met her feeble attempts to move.

The human came back into the room, a white case with a red cross on the cover in one hand and a bundle of towels in the other. He carefully laid the towels onto the couch and placed the white case onto the table before turning to the pony.

“Looks like you won’t be going anywhere for a while.” Rob said while walking over to Rainbow Dash’s prone form. He knelt down in front of her.

“Can you stand?” She shook her head meekly.

The human gently wrapped his arms around the pony’s body and lifted her into his chest. She struggled weakly as he carried her over to the couch and laid her down on the towels.

“W…what are you doing?” Rainbow asked in a worried tone.

“Cleaning you up. Humans have enough trouble as it is nowadays, can’t have you dying here in my apartment; it wouldn’t look good.”

“I don’t need any help!” she spat defiantly. The human merely shook his head and knelt down in front of the couch, looking over the injured pegasus’ body once more.

“You’ve got at least two, maybe three dozen cuts, and judging by your pain severe bruising. Trust me, you need help.”

Rainbow was about to retort when she noticed that the human’s once white t-shirt now bore large blotches of crimson; her blood. Was she really bleeding that badly?

Rob took one of the towels, which he had apparently dampened and covered in soap, and gently began to clean the cuts on her side as well as her now stained coat. The pony winced as he went about his work, slowly and deliberately washing the wounds and the areas around them.

“…why are you helping me?”

“I told you already.”

“I mean really.”

The human shrugged. “You’re hurt. That’s reason enough.”
Rob gently rolled the pony onto her stomach, careful not to cause her any pain.

“But…what about your door?”

The human glanced at the shattered portal. Shards could be seen strewn all over the carpet as well as the balcony. Cold wind was beginning to blow in from the night, chilling the room. He gave a weary sigh.
“It’s a door. It can be replaced.”

He continued his work, carefully cleaning the wounds on her back. Rainbow felt the damp cloth near the base of her wings, where they connected to her shoulders and felt another surge of anxiety.

“My wings-”

“What?”

“My wings…are they alright?”

She felt the human gently lift each wing and extend it to its full span. “Any pain when I do that?”

She weakly shook her head.

“Then I’m going to guess they are alright. They don’t look injured and seem to still have all their feathers.”

The pony let out a long shuddering sigh of relief. If she had lost her wings…she may as well have died in that crash. Her wings made her who she was, to lose them would be the same as losing her purpose.

Rob slowly rolled the pony onto her other side, cleaning the wounds on the opposite end and, rolling her back onto her stomach, began to clean her forelegs. ‘He’s being very gentle’ Rainbow thought absentmindedly. She had been in flight accidents before, and never had the nurse ponies that treated her been so careful.

Eventually the human finished cleaning the wounds on her forelegs and turned back to the coffee table. He opened up the white case and pulled out some anti-bacterial spray and a bit of gauze. The pony eyed the human medicine warily. “What are you gonna do to me?”

“Relax. I have to disinfect the wounds before I bandage them.” Rob replied while spraying the gauze with the antiseptic. “Now, this is going to sting a bit, so try to bear with it.”

He began to wipe down the cuts and abrasions on the pony’s back, who hissed and kicked her legs weakly. Ponyfeathers that did sting. The pony elicited small gasps of pain and groans as the human methodically went about his work. After carefully cleaning and bandaging her sides and back, he moved onto her forelegs.

“So-” Rob began, trying to spark some conversation. “-I’m going to guess you’re actually a convert?”

“What? What makes you say that?”

“Well the convert pegasi aren’t very good fliers at the start, so-”

Despite her pain, Rainbow was able to shoot the human a glare that could cow a manticore.

“Oh. Alright my bad, so you’re an immigrant…this happen often?”

“No.” The pegasus replied harshly. “I got caught off guard by an updraft. That’s all.”

“Uh-huh.” Rob replied half-listening as he began to bandage the wounds on her legs. “Where you from?”

“What?”

“Where are you from, if you aren’t a convert?”

“Uh…Equestria duh. Or as you said: ‘horsey-land’.”

“Heh…sorry. It’s just been one of those days you know?”

“Tell me about it.”

The two looked at each other and for the first time shared a smile before Rob turned back to the task at hand.

“So…where from in Equestria?”

“Ponyville.”

Immediately Rainbow felt the human stop his ministrations, she glanced up to see that his expression had become hardened.

“Uh…you alright dude?”

“What? Oh…yeah. I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” Rainbow scoffed. “You got a problem with Ponyville?”

“…no.”

“....If you say so.” The pony replied, apparently unconvinced.

Rob finished working on her forelegs and began to turn her onto her back. Startled; Rainbow Dash shot Robert with a look of annoyance. “The hay you think you’re doin’?”

“You’ve got a lot of cuts on your stomach, I need to treat them.”

The pony stared at Rob for a few long moments before relenting. “Fine. But no funny business or ill buck your head off.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” The human deadpanned.

Rob took the damp soapy cloth, which Rainbow noticed was stained a dark crimson by this point, and repeated the process that he had used on her sides, back and legs. He then turned back to the medical case and retrieved some fresh gauze and bandages. Spraying the new gauze with the antiseptic he turned back to the pony.

“What brings you to New York?” The human asked as he pressed the gauze to the first wound.

Through the fresh haze of stinging pain she felt, Rainbow managed to grunt out an appropriate response.

“None of your beezewax.”

“Har har. No seriously, why? From what I’ve heard your country is supposed to be paradise, why come to this overcrowded and polluted city?”

The pony was silent for a moment before replying. “Because I had to.”

“Had to? Why?”

“It’s my duty, or something.”

“…come again?”

The pegasus sighed in annoyance. “Me and my five friends were sent by our princesses to the human world to oversee the first bureaus and learn about human culture.”

“Wow. Sounds like quite an honor.”

“Pfft. Yeah, real honor. I hate this city.”

The human, who was now half way down her stomach stopped for a moment to frown at the pony.

“Really? How long you been here?”

“Two weeks.”

“Psh. That’s not entirely fair now is it? You can’t see everything New York has to offer in two weeks. It takes a while to feel the soul of this city, its pulse, and once you do I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”

“The people are rude.”

“Only because they have to be. Once you get to know them they are fine people.”

“The air smells.”

“Comes with the fact that it’s a city. We don’t have magic here in the human world, only industry. You’ll get used to it, it gives the city character.”

“There’s nothing fun to do.”

“Oh now that’s just not true. Have you been to Broadway? Central Park? Any one of the hundreds of clubs and restaurants? Again once you’ve been here long enough you’ll see how much fun New York can be.”

“…you love it here don’t you?”

“Kind of obligated to.” Rob said with a chuckle. “I’ve lived here all my life.”

“Seriously?” the pony asked in disbelief.

The human shrugged. “Yeah…is that weird?”

“Not really…but I don’t think I could have grown up here.”

He smiled. “Well when it’s all you know, you don’t really think about anything else. I don’t think I could have grown up in the country, or even the suburbs. I’m a city boy and always will be.”

That made sense. Rainbow had grown up in Cloudsdale, and it took some time to adjust to the terrestrial Ponyville. Maybe…maybe she’d learn to see New York through this human’s eyes…maybe.

The pony decided to change the subject. “You said you lost your job…we’re you a doctor or something?”

The human shook his head. “No…worked with computers. I volunteered at a few animal clinics in college though and managed to pick up a few things.”

“…how’d ya lose your job?”

“The Conversion movement.” Rob replied curtly as he finished patching up her stomach.

“Horseapples.” Rainbow scoffed as she rolled back onto her side. “What do we have to do with that?”

Rob sat back against the coffee table, rubbing his eyes. “A week after the bureaus opened half of our office got ponified. Eventually the higher ups at corporate decided that our branch, as well as the entire company could no longer be feasibly maintained and well…I got sacked…”

“Oh…I’m…sorry I guess?”

Rob snorted. “Not your fault really.” He glanced at the pony, and grabbed the soapy cloth once more.

“What, there’s more?”

…“Yeah, you have a few cuts on your face.” He said as he extended a hand toward her.

Rainbow shrunk back reflexively, but, looking away, relented and allowed the human to cradle her cheek as he began to wipe down the wounds she couldn’t see. For a while the pony said nothing, save the occasional groan of pain. Eventually her magenta eyes fell upon the human, who wore a look of focus, and yet also serenity. Gone completely was the hateful curse spitting being from earlier and in its place was…this man, this plain unassuming man that, despite having every reason not to, was helping her.

Rob placed the bloody cloth back on the towels and reached for the anti-septic covered gauze.
Rainbow winced as he began to carefully disinfect the cuts on her cheeks.

“Don’t worry I’m almost done.”

“I sure hope so.” The pony said through gritted teeth.

As the human finished disinfecting and bandaging her cheeks, he carefully swept her multicolored bangs up to clean her forehead. Rainbow noticed that he was smiling.

“What you smilin’ about?”

He blinked in surprise and chuckled. “Oh, it’s nothing really.”

“Yeah right, what is it?” The pony pushed in an annoyed tone.

Rob shrugged. “I just noticed that you have very pretty eyes.” His smile broke into a grin when he saw the blush that rose to her muzzle.

“W-what you tryin to pull?”

“What? Nothing, it was just an observation that’s all.”

“You hittin’ on me or something?”

“Again, it was just an observation, no need to get bent out of shape.”

“Cuz if you are-“

“Im being serious!” The human said with a smile. “We humans don’t have a very large selection when it comes to eye color.” He explained as he began to bandage her forehead. “We’ve got Brown, blue, green, and variations of those three. You ponies seem to run the entire spectrum, and I just thought that magenta eyes are in fact very beautiful now that I’ve seen them up close.”

The pony looked away, still blushing. “Yeah well…whatever.”

The human chuckled again. “So…you got somebody?”

“What?! Listen here-“

“And done!” the human exclaimed with a triumphant smile.

“R-really?”

“Yep. Isn’t it funny how conversation helps time fly?”

The pegasus blinked as it hit her; the questions, the jokes…he was helping her cope with the pain while he fixed her up and as much as she hated to admit it…it really did make the process go smoother.
Rob sat back against the coffee table. He reached across its surface and picked up a small box and an even smaller plastic device. Opening the box, he pulled out what looked to be a white paper cylinder with a brown end, which he placed in his mouth. He ran his thumb across the top of the plastic object, and to Rainbow’s surprise, a tiny flame erupted from it. The human lit the end of the paper cylinder and seemed to inhale through it; he pulled the lit cylinder from his mouth and exhaled a large plume of smoke toward the ceiling.

“I thought you humans didn’t have magic?”

“Hm? Oh. This?” Rob asked holding up the plastic object. “This is just a lighter. It’s filled with flammable liquid which comes out when you hit this small red button. When you run your finger along this wheel it creates a spark that lights the fluid, making the flame. No magic, just technology.”
“Oh…what…what are you doing exactly?” Rainbow asked as she wrinkled her nose at the smell of the smoke.

“Smoking.” He replied wearily as he threw the small box and lighter back onto the table. “Terrible habit…very unhealthy.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“I’m addicted.”

“Addicted? It smells bad and it’s unhealthy, why would you be addicted?”

He shook his head. “Just been…one of those days.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” The human said as he stood. He glanced toward the door with a frown. “I’ll be right back.” With that the human walked into the hallway and out of sight once more.

Rainbow laid her head down onto the couch cushion, her head was spinning with questions and the dull throbbing from her body. These were humans? This was nothing like she had heard before she came to this city. Humans were mean, savage, and they killed without mercy. Part of the conversion movement’s purpose was to save the humans from themselves, from their own nature. Yet…everything she had just experienced seemed to point to the contrary. She had destroyed a human’s property, inconvenienced him, offenses that humans were known to harm and even kill each-other over. Sure he had been mad, and for good reason, yet rather than hurt her, or even kick her out of his home…he forgave her…treated her wounds…and even let her sleep on this really comfortable-

“How do your muscles feel?”

The question snapped Rainbow out of her dozing thoughts. The human was standing in the room again, and he had placed what appeared to be a large black cushion against the broken door to block the cold air from coming in. The floor had been swept clean of the broken glass…even the bloody towels that she had been resting on had been exchanged for clean sheets, and a pillow under her head. She must have fallen asleep.

“What?”

“Your muscles: they hurt right?”

Rainbow tentatively extended one of her back legs and winced.

Without a word the human reached back into the white case and pulled out a small pouch. Tearing it open he pulled out two small pills and walked over to the pony. He knelt down and gently lifted her head.

“These will help with the pain; they’re sugar coated so you’ll be able to swallow them without water.”
Rainbow nodded wearily and opened her mouth, into which the human popped the two capsules. She swallowed then with a bit of effort as the human lowered her head back down to the pillow.

“Now just rest. We’ll see how you feel in the morning.”

“Alright…”

The human turned to leave.

“Wait!” Rainbow called weakly.

He looked back to the pony.

“…thank you.”

Rob smiled. “Good night.”

As the medication dulled her pain, Rainbow Dash slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-

Rainbow Dash’s eyes opened slowly as the first rays of sunlight fell upon her face. The first thing she became aware of was the lack of pain. The second was the blanket she didn’t remember falling asleep with. The third was the human sleeping in the recliner next to the couch.

She stood up and stretched; there was still some soreness but she would at least be able to move. She gave her wings a test-flap; they were fine as well. The human let out a loud snore, eliciting a giggle from the pony. Taking the blanket in her teeth, she fluttered into the air and gently laid it on top of the man who showed her so much kindness the night before.

“Thanks.” She whispered into his ear, to which Rob gave only a sleeping mumble in reply.

Trotting over to the large black mattress, she nosed her way through it and the door frame, walking onto the balcony. The crisp morning air felt refreshing and she flared her wings out to feel the breeze against her feathers.

“Hm? Who are you?”

With a start, the pony turned to the neighboring balcony and saw a middle-aged man wearing a brown robe holding a mug of coffee.

The older human’s eyes wandered over the multitude of bandages on the pony, then to the broken door.

“Ah…I’m going to guess you’re the ‘rock’ that flew through Robert’s door?”

Rainbow looked away sheepishly, but felt a prick of anger flare up when she heard the human let out a deep guffaw.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up.” She said as her face tinged red with embarrassment.

“Oh I’m not laughing at you.”

“What?”

The human took a gulp of coffee before answering. “It’s just that he never changes, that Rob.”

The pony tilted her head. “How do you mean?”

“He’s always trying to help people…and apparently ponies.” He walked over to the railing and extended a hand. “Name’s John. John Miller.”

Rainbow tentatively extended a hoof, which the human gripped and gave a quick shake before turning back to the rapidly brightening skyline.

“He’s always been like that. He puts up a cold front, but he’s a real saint when you can get through to him.” He glanced back to the pegasus. “And it looks like you did just that.”

“I didn’t ask him to help me.” Rainbow said.

“Yeah but I’m sure he wouldn’t take no for an answer right?” John took her silence as a confirmation.

“Figured as much.” He said with a sigh. “He really needs to look out for himself more.”

“What do you mean?”

John took another gulp of coffee before continuing. “He’s in a really bad way right now. Just lost his job…”

“Yeah he told me...”

“…and his family.”

“Wait, what?” Rainbow asked in shock. “How did he lose his family?”

“Apparently they all got ponified; Parents, brother, cousin…and his best friend came by yesterday to drop something off before heading to the bureau himself.” He smiled sadly at the pegasus. “He’s all alone now.”

Rainbow was at a loss for words as she glanced back at the mattress. Not only his job but the movement had taken his family too…

For a while the two stood in silence, John gazing out across the city, Rainbow staring at the ground lost in thought.

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why did he help me?” Rainbow asked, peering at the aged human. “If the Conversion movement took so much from him why did he help me?”

John shrugged. “It’s just the way he is.”

Rainbow said nothing as she turned toward the skyline, her expression a mix of confusion but also resolve. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What?”

“Tell Robert that…I’m really grateful for everything…and that I’ll be seeing him soon.”

Without waiting for a response Rainbow Dash took to the skies. As she turned toward Brooklyn, she thought about the Manhattan mailpony position that had just opened.

------------------------------

“Rainbow Dash?”

Hearing her name, Rainbow snapped out of her dream-like reverie to see Robert standing before her.

“Oh! Heya.” She said with a smile.

“Hey…you alright?”

“What? Oh! Yeah hehe, was just thinking about things.”

“Huh…alright, shall we?” Robert answered as he gestured toward the park that lay just ahead.

The pegasus glanced to where Robert was gesturing, then back at him, then back toward the park.

“Right! The park. Yeah.” Rainbow replied with a smile.

Rainbow fluttered off the bench and the two friends made their way into Central Park.