It's not real, it can't be real. Ponies are just cartoons and some fanfics on the internet. The wings, the hooves... I'm just having a bad dream!
I wish that were true. But pain, friends, and a strange drink are telling me this is all too real. I'm a pony now and I think the world is falling apart.
People, the end is nigh, the world has decided to go out with a bang, and it's taking us along for the ride.
*Loosely based on "The Conversion Bureau" universe.*
*Note about the art. Chatoyance was very kind to create some fan art. Just as a little note though "John" has brown hair not bond. Just a little tidbit to keep in mind while reading. Thanks so much again Chatoyance!*
Chapters (24)
lol abad dream, dude this would be like heaven to me
I would be pissed if celestia turned me into a pony without consent. But if the bitch turned all the other humans as well, let's just say I'd be looking into her death.
@Emerald Flight:
Earlier in the story our hapless protagonist mentioned having become a fan of FiM, so the comment "ponies are just cartoons" makes sense in the context in which it's delivered.
Fullmetal Pony, I like your treatment of John's reaction to his new look. It's much more realistic than ~95% of those I've seen for "human gets turned into a pony" scenarios. I think most of us would, like John, tenaciously cling to either "it's just a dream" or "I'm hallucinating/feverish" until reality cuffed us across the face hard enough to break us out of it.
Well done so far! I'm definitely tracking this one.
Was this fan fic inspired by First Pony View?
I've noticed they seem to be a bit more than similar in concept, such as the protagonist inexplicably waking up as a pony and believing it to be due to hallucination/dream, even played the "I'm bonkers and crawling on fours thinking I'm a pony"-angle.
However, John pretty much was oblivious to his predicament until venturing into the shower (though I guess his assumption of being feverish was contributory), while FPV's protagonist learned of his new body almost the instant he woke up. Also, John injured himself practically right off the bat in contrast with FPV's protagonist who is still trusting of being in a dream. Oh yeah, both have adapted the pony colloqualisms too, though John seemingly deals with it swiftly in an exasperated manner.
Anyway, I'd love to draw more similarities and contrasts with your fic and FPV because of their near-identical premise and how it and the various plot details are handled by both the main character and author.
Consider this an elaborate way to tell I checked the track box
260346
Oh yeah? Then may I recommend you to read First Pony View and imagine yourself experiencing a similar incident?
Not bad... tracked.
I'm finding myself greatly intrigued. I like the first person effect, and I am curious to see where this goes. You get my track.
So, a TCB story set up in real life in current times... I admit, you have great potential with this story. It could bring up many interesting concepts and ideas to the surface. I will freely admit, just the first chapter alone gave me so many ideas, but I don't want to influence you and detract from what you already have. The first chapter and what you have in the chat log is written very well and has made me curious about what will happen next. Consider yourself watched and the story tracked.
260824
Since I became a fan I've always played with the idea of various scenarios of what would happen if people started turning into ponies: a virus (man that would have been grim dark though, trust me I had horrifying ideas about that, think Contagion meets The Fly ) or Discord somehow breaking into our reality and turning us all into ponies.
You read other TCB fics? There's a reason behind everything
261511
To an extent. I at least want to say I'm a little creative
Then I saw a review of Digimon Tamers around the same time I was getting into Conversion Bureau fics. A few days later the idea came to me to write a story about TCB in similar manner. Write a story that for all intents and purposes is our world: ponies are a cartoon, fics are just fics and while some people may see the world as crappy some don't. Maybe to a few people the world already is the dystopian hell-hole of TCB. To some people the world was doing just fine... at least until reality fell apart on them
261879
At least that's my feeling on it. Besides I feel I write better if I ask myself "what would I do in this situation?"
They burn!!! But thanks and oh yes I'm sure some ideas have crossed your mind that are right: brace yourselves people, reality is fiction and fiction reality, the world is coming down and it's going out with a show!
Ah yes the first person aspect. Ok I'll get this out of the way here: yeah John is a self-insert to the nth degree. But you know what, if you're gonna self-insert you better self-insert to the max!
262418
Ah!! The spoilers!
Tracking! Looking forward to see where this goes.
I wish this interesting story progresses well (and more frequently than mine does
)
262578
Aw don't beat yourself up everyone has their own writing time/
But don't worry updates are coming (oddly enough wrote ch. 3 before even putting any part of ch. 2 down on paper :pinkie happy:)
Also I really wish we could have a [serious] tag rather than a [sad] tag
Oh and question for other TCB authors... should I include the little TCB tl;dr version at the beginning of the fic, for people who haven't read TCB before?
I know, I have my own writing time. Some days I write all day, on others I get only a few sentences done. I try to be optimistic though. 1-2 weeks perhaps. I can't promise that though.
Anyhow, you can introduce the TCB concept through the story itself. The protagonist is you, so just let him, I mean, you present the necessary exposition trough the story itself. It doesn't have to be a massive infodump though, just some central themes the protag- John, ugh
...you contemplate while experiencing life as a pony.
No, I wouldn't consider msyelf a TCB author.
262438 I read several chapters and gave up on it. The story made me loathe the alicorns and I hated the way portrayed humanity in it. In reality humans are social sentient being that are willing to fight but not warlike, the story was by all standards unrealistic if not well written. It smelled of cyber men too, as in it made harmony into assimalition and conformity of which I despise both it made me consider stop being a brony. Humanity is a thing not to be on a bunch of herbivorous herding animals. Also space travel would have been more advanced by then.
266286
Hmm what fic did you read? I'm not gonna lie TCB fics kinda are like playing Russian roulette, sometimes you get a really amazing fic and sometimes you get utter garbage
Weeez needs more but weez are patient
(keep up the good work)
The four ponies of the Aponilypse! I wish I was one.
Very curious to see where you go with this, tracking
I like it! I'm famous now!
Definitely looking forward to what comes next
Well, wow. I can' help but draw a comparisons with the John's foodgasm and FPV's protagonist enjoying the pineapples.
Anyway, now I can't wait to know why a SUV was speeding well above its safe operating velocity, and at a gas station too. I speculate the driver drank a potion, turned into a unicorn and then accidentally cast a give life spell, thus turning the SUV into a out of control projectile on wheels.
269744
271410
Oh look at that, people are coming up with their own assumptions of what's going to happen. That's just cute
Also might as well say it, yeah I did want to keep this in-canon with both your works. Normal food to us is edible gold to ponies (at least newly converted ones)... at least stuff like vegetables and fruit... other stuff, well don't want to say too much but
i.imgur.com/STHGp.png
This is... certainly intriguing.
In other TCB universe, Conversion are often regarded as a way of salvation' because of the humanity being wacky and grey and stuff
But here, it's clearly stated that the 1st conversion happened at the peak of MLP:FiM popularity, so Earth still hadn't corrupted enough
This gonna be good
Oh god are you putting in TCB writers in... *Joins the cue for it* any minute now ill be getting my cameo until then keep up the good work.
I want some potion. Dammit.
273693 there is a line for all the TBC writers behind me.
A little quick for the girl to be able to use her magic for levitation, let alone teleportation, but those points aside, another good chapter.
Why does it always have to be cliffhangers... I need more.
It's all about instinct and the desire to escape a bad situation. She wanted it badly enough and her magic responded.
276634
276528
Also consider the fact that in-canon, we've seen that newborn foals can do quite impressive magical feats.
Ooh, is that TCB within a TCB fic I see?
WE NEED TO GO DEEPER.
This just keeps getting more AWESOME! Write, write more. Write like the wind, like a room of infinite monkeys, WRITE! Write, damn you write! I need your words pouring like sake through my mind.
I still wish to know the story behind that SUV.
277819
The guy and his gas station literally ran out of time. The SUV was traveling at normal speed, but from his point of view inside the relatively 'slower' gas station it moved much faster than normal.
Still, the SUV crashed. Why? Oh well, I'm sure the next chapters will give an explanation.
277417
I think I just made Chatoyance reader-gasm...
278071
Where did I say it crashed? All I said was it *looked* like it was breaking the 300 mile mark as it passed in front of the store
278195
Oohh, my reader comprehension breaky smeaky.
Sweet, sweet metafiction, how I love thee. I look forward to seeing where this goes.
Oh, just one nitpick: You switch between past and present tense now and again. Aside from that, this looks like it's going to be awesome!
This story would make an awesome anime. Just saying.
You my friend got the spirit part spot on
for you see i live in Hawaii I have a many a friends i took Japanese class
(that also includes lessons in their culture)
I aplaud you
282687
funny world ain't it?
Oh good I was somewhat concerned about that seeing as the rice god (Inari) has fox familiars not, well, unicorns. But given the animistic nature of Shinto I took some liberties and said "Ok, if I was a superstitious farmer and saw a horned horse, I'd probably think something supernatural was going on."
While this doesn't relate to shinto, the only thing I could think of while writing that bit was that some ancient Chinese scholars once thought African giraffes were unicorns
Strange I remember reading this yesterday... Oh well I demand more and perhaps more Australians fighting dragons with their fists out in space with sharks.
So she managed to ponify four humans in such a short notice, and leave them all alone
I like her style
OK I have an awesome idea it is griffonfication for you see I would only help Celestia if she offered griffionfication to me as payment for my perceived betrayal to man money to me dos not matter neither does fame but as a griffon i can still enjoy my favorite things video games, meat, and metal music.
and still live safely in Equestria from the break down of reality
Now I see. The potion containers are culturally and situationally specific. I sense a kind of "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" thing with the end of reality... Ontological Entropy, perhaps? Ooh. I like that. Or maybe the E-Space trilogy from the Davison era of Dr. Who, with entropy being already past the point of no return - Equestria as Logopolis, perhaps?
So our transformed humans can exist for about eight years until their magical batteries fail, and they obilviate. Nasty. But it is clear from the above that the universe has less than eight years, so that's why it is a 'blessing'. Fascinating.
You are making such an intriguing take on reinventing the Conversion Bureau mythos here that I am impressed. I assume that some critical mass has to be achieved to restart magic, or to sustain it... or perhaps to permit Equestria itself to open up into our cosmos. Or, maybe the world-spanning 'seeds' will pull a 'Childhood's End' only with magic? Or one big spell to fix the world? They do seem to be in groups of five.
All I know is keep it up!
285987
My god do I feel illiterate.
And yay it didn't come off as too expositiony
But damn, I think I might need a "break"
soon
Heh-heh-heh
This one's definitely going on my track list.
Needs more Australians.
Luuuna! You got some 'splainin' to dooo!
Luna:
Waaaah!
Tick tock... End of the Mayan Long Count Calendar?
I'm enjoying this thoroughly, keep it coming
By the emperors light we need more this story is by far my favorite TCB fic just from the conversations about what we would do in the same situation.
so keep up the good work and I hope you write more TCB fics like this.
Oh god.
This
Equals
Epic.
Have a nice day! Remember to bring me few chapters as a present!