The Conversion Bureau: Green Tea
By Da Bunnana King
Chapter Two: It's the ending that the antis were asking for! And it now comes with less cheese and Braeburn... maybe, but thats only if I feel like it.
===
I awoke with the sound of bustle and hustle all around me but it became muted when I felt something pushing me into a quiet and cold room.
“I think he’s waking up,” came the distinct voice of Ice Drops as I was set carefully down on a cold table as scaly claws slipped from underneath my belly.
“Jacob, honey can you hear me?” asked Ice as she patted me on the back between what would now be my withers.
“Mrhphm,” I responded as my mouth was still numb from what ever they put in it.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Iron in his deep baritone voice, “but we’re going to need you to open your eyes, think you can do that for us?”
I opened them to a blinding light of a surgical lamp that was hanging above me, but the blinding effect wore off and I was greeted by a bland white room that looked like a doctors office. The world seemed to me more bright and less saturated in a brown out look that I had grown used to, everything was more defined and colors seemed to pop out and have a friendlier appeal to them than before.
“What... what happened?” I slurred as I slowly began to have the sense of my long elongated mouth returning to me.
“Well we helped ponify you by slipping some of the regular ponification serum into the tea, silly,” giggled Ice.
“What?!” I yelled as I lifted my long neck up in shock.
“Well yeah, we did because you kept on beating yourself up over the question and we saw you descend ever so slowly into sadness. So we came up with a plan to ponify you with the help of the PER... we’re sorry but we couldn’t see you beat yourself up like that,” said Silver as he nuzzled me, which made the rage subside, a bit.
“It still doesn’t give you the permission to take away my humanity like that you featherbrain!” I yelled as I could begin build within my chest, it felt like my heart was going to explode and I could burst into fire at any given moment.
“Jacob, we all know you wanted to fly with the pegasi in the sky and you like the idea of not having to hide from the sun,” Ice said as she wrapped a hoof around me which I threw off.
“Still I was happy being a human! I was going to ponify at the end of the year!” I yelled at them.
“Were you? Or was it going to be like what you did with your drivers licence and having to push you into the room to do the test?” Silver retorted.
“No, I was going to convert and on my own terms and then...” I said as I paused to think about what I was going to do if I converted.
“You wouldn’t even set foot in a bureau Jacob. Look I know what we did was wrong, but you were getting to a point where you almost considered bi-polar,” retorted Silver as he went into his ‘debating’ stance as most ponies called it.
“I would have, you didn’t have to drug me!” I protested, as I stomped my hoof on the cold examination table.
“Jacob, face the point that you would have converted when the Equestrian barrier was on your doorstep offering you a cheap house in Equestria!” yelled Silver, losing his patience for the first time in the world.
I pondered what he said and looked deep down inside of me, something I hadn’t done in in a long time. Inside I felt cheated out of a choice that was mine to make but at the same time I did want this. I was still mad inside and had mixed feelings about my friends but I still felt... alright about my situation.
I was a pony now and I didn’t feel any resentment or distrust towards my friends. What they did was unforgivable and wrong but they were right in a way. I knew that I would have never set foot in a Bureau, let alone make it to holding the cup with the potion in it.
To put it simply, I was afraid of change. I didn’t want Equestria to happen or all this crazy stuff that happened in my lifetime. I was used to the norm and I like it, but I was always hesitant to go anywhere.
“Jacob?” asked Ice as she nudged me slightly.
“What? Sorry, I was... thinking,” I said as I pondered my words carefully.
“Oh?” asked Silver.
“Yeah, what you did was unforgivable and probably illegal. But you were right, I probably would have never gone to a bureau or even set hoof near one, and deep down I did want to fly but... but I was afraid of what I would happen to me,” I said as I flattened my ears against my skull and lowered my head to the table.
“Afraid of what? There’s nothing wrong with getting converted and there has never been anypony who died during the conversion,” said Silver as he put a hoof on my withers again.
“Yeah, but I was afraid of what came out. Would I be the same?” I asked him as I felt a pressure building up in my chest.
“Of course you would, nothing ever changes when you get converted... Well except that you come out as a pony.”
“Yeah, but... I don’t know. I need some time to think,” I said as I slid off the table in the manner of a slug falling off a leaf.
“Where are you going?” asked Silver as he brought me to my hooves.
“Well, I’m in a bureau. I may as well learn how to walk on these things,” I said as I uneasily raised my cinnamon hoof. “Also, what do I look like?”
“Well you're a cinnamon pony with a chocolate mane and have light blue eyes... oh and you're a pegasus,” Ice said as she lifted one of my wings.
I snapped my head back and saw it, it was almost surreal. The plumage was the same color as my coat and it looked like silken bird feathers. I tried to move them and I could see the larger feathers at the end swivel like the ailerons on a plane.
“Wow, thats... new,” I said as I continued to move my feathers.
“Yeah, now lets get you into the newfoal system and we’ll see you in half a week,” said Silver as he helped me walk down the hall.
“We’ll see,” I said with poison in my words.
===
-Two years later-
I soared in the air without a care in the world, I twisted and weaved through the clouds as they moved to my very will. The clouds themselves bended to my will which was an extraordinary feat for most newfoal.
I made a small ledge on the cloud that could fit my small equine body. I landed on the cloud which felt like solid land but had the texture of a cotton balls. It felt comfortable and a nice place to rest.
I layed down on it and I felt the cool moisture of the cloud hit my coat. I sunk into the cloud as my center of gravity shifted downwards. It was still strange to me how I could be on a cloud and not fall through it, let alone fly because Earth physics said that it was impossible. It must of been some sort of pegasus magic.
It felt wonderful being able to fly, and I could see what the hype was associated with ponification, but I still felt like I was cheated out of a life.
I knew at one point there would be no more Earth and Equestria would eventually consume Earth but if I were still human what would adventures would I get up too? That question still lingered in my head always asking, ‘What if?’
I knew at the bottom of my heart that I wanted to ponify but I still felt like I would miss out on growing up as a human, but from what I’ve seen humanity do to each other in the past and present I’m not sure why I would even want to be related to them.
Sure there was still good in humanity but most of it was clouded by the bad, and everything seemed so bland and depressing as a human, but now as a pony I’ve never felt so alive and everything seems to have color.
Hay, my friends were right in a way those many years ago but I wish that they left it to be my choice and not taking it into their own hooves. I just wish that they asked me about it instead of drugging me and ponifying me. I swear I could still taste that horrible grape sedative in the tea they gave me.
I still don’t think I could ever forgive them for what they did but I may as well enjoy life now instead of being hung on the past.
With that I stood back up and spread my large feathery wings and dove downwards towards the earth below letting the wind rush past my mane and ears. I felt weightless but I noticed the light red soil of Australia and flared my wings which brought me to a near on stand still but then flung me back up towards the sky.
“Yeah, I think I could get used to this,” I said as I felt a smile spread across my muzzle as the adrenaline rushed through my veins.I loved it, and I also think being a pony is pretty fun.
“Oh this is going to only get better and better, isn’t?” I asked myself as I felt like this was going to be one hell of a ride.
===
Author’s Notes: Fuck your downvotes, I got 99 problems and downvotes ain’t one... but commas are one along with people assuming things and perhaps finding where I left my car keys... do you know where they are?
I promised nothing.
958560
Like fuck you are, you are always going to be Wasteland Gunner from now on or until I become board of that name and begin calling you Benson or something.
Yay its exactly what I wanted.
Awww
958225
Oh no, please, do tell me.
*sigh* Not everybody who down voted this story is an anti and it’s not fair to basically tell them GTFY because their opinions don’t count. I’m not Anti-TCB but I still don’t like the ending and I think I’m not the only one. However, I agree that it’s a bad move to give the story a thumb down (or up) just because it’s a TCB without even reading it or explaining your decision in a comment.
This ending is an improvement. It’s fleshed out and the reaction of Jacob is a bit more believable. Most important: You show us that he had indeed a serious inner conflict about hands vs hooves. In the original ending you failed to transmit that message.
Still I’m not going to change my initial vote. Sure it’s an improvement but it still feels like a last minute fix and the main problem remains: We haven’t seen much of Jacobs’s inner conflict during the whole story. Only in the end his friends drop some lines and he basically says: “Oh yeah, guess you’re right.” Sorry but that’s how I feel about it.
1066630
I really couldn't care about the downvotes but I guess I have to telegraph inner conflict more. Then again I really felt that this could of been a chapter story in stead of the quick one shot it is.
Let me be clear that I am not down-voting... or voting period. This "Alternate Ending"... was meh for me. It IS a marked improvement, but to me, and this is just me, just my opinion, 'cause it's still decent, it's not really much of an "alternate" ending, more like a fleshed out version of the original ending, but still lacking the inner conflict or his so-called friends suffering the consequences of their actions. I don't mean having them get butchered or anything, but even with the 'can't feel hate' aspect, how in the world could he bring himself to stay their friends, even if he does move forward?
I recall a certain episode that cast Pinkie Pie in a bad light because she was trying too hard to be a friend to a new donkey in town, just to cite an example of what I mean... If she didn't just HAPPEN to know Matilda, then there would have been no hope of Pinkie having a new friend after all the pushiness and screw-ups she went through.
1072611
Oh you so downvoted because it's !TCB and you want me to write an alt-alt ending that takes a turn down 5th and chainsaw lane because I shall.
1072620
You're putting words in my mouth, Banana King. I despise Cupcakes and gore-fics in their entirety. I'm saying NOT to do that, or at least letting you know that while I don't have a high opinion of this alternate ending, I don't have a low opinion either. It's decent. Don't assume I'm down-voting just because I said I wasn't voting at all.
What I'm saying is that, again, like before, the conflict got resolved a bit too well. I mean, a few words? That's all it takes? If that was all it took, than many of the conflicts we see in the series wouldn't have happened, would it? His so-called friends, while I do NOT want to see them butchered, got off too easily, still, if all that happens is him still being friends with them but never forgiving them. I'm NOT saying for them to be butchered. I'm saying that I feel that they still get off too easy. It's still a case of "we converted you against your will, 'friend'. It's okay though because now we're ALL ponies". That's what it comes off to me. They shouldn't die, but they SHOULD, in my opinion, meaning you don't have to change it, realize that they screwed up, that they converted their so-called friend against his will not because of what he wanted, but because of what THEY wanted. That is what bugs me. Plus, as Jacob points out, it was likely very illegal.
Jacob narrates that his friends were right all those years ago... Maybe, to keep him alive through total conversion, yeah, they may have been, but what they did, how they did it, was still a dick move.
Also, that stinking "humans suck" message that plagues Conversion Bureau fics... that always bugs me. If all humans were bad... would you be writing such a fic promoting Conversion? No, you wouldn't.
EDIT: Had to reread. Said there were still some good humans in there.
1072644
So you want me to write a gore fic also I know about the whole "Where the bloody hell is conflict?" which I reply too as, "I rushed it and made it one shot because school was starting up because I have other things to write that I and I lost interest in it, but one day I'll go back and re-write it ONCE I have figured out a plot that stands up on it's own without having people say 'It's good because it's !tcb' or 'Well DBK wrote it so it must be good... somewhat."
To be honest I should go back and write it but if I could I would have the time to write it but thanks to the real world I have other stuff to do, but I can say I will go back and re-write it one day.
1072659
Good to know you have real-world priorities. And no, I do NOT want to see gore. I'm just saying I think they got off too lightly, that's all.
Let me be clear on this, it's decent, but not, in my sole opinion I'm sure, 'great'. It's a fic of potential. Even removing the TCB elements, the story boils down to a guy conflicted on making a choice, so his friends decide his opinion doesn't matter and make the choice for him... I've read plenty of sickening Anti-CB fics as well. I don't like fics in which either humanity OR ponies are portrayed as genocidal flank-holes, and use survival as an excuse for one side or the other.
1072670
Yeah, I have priories and I usually stick to them but I do think this needs a re-write and I never said it was 'great' but yes they did get off lightly because I went, "... It's four 'o clock and this thing is done and school starts tomorrow... may as well put it in moderation and let it be." So it does boil down into me being lazy and rushing it. So everything in here feels like cardboard and even if I did do a proper re-write they would still feel like cardboard but with nice paint on it and the only way I see fixing this thing is re-writing it so it looks like an actually story.
Dude. It was just like reading the last one. Only in better and fleshed out form
We changed you! yay!
But...
Your opinion doesn't matter. Yay!
Okay...
That's just....I don't know what to call that.
1078427
Thank you for commenting, if you wish to make a logical comment please place it here when necessary. If not please go somewhere else where non-logical comments are taken like, your story or 4chan's /b/ board.
1101527
I don't remeber putting the HLF in the story.
Its a better ending but I thought you promised no Braeburn.
1101617
He's probably referring to the PER. I'm pretty sure they are classified as terrorist group in most parts of the world.
Great slice-of-life fragments as usual for you DBK, the naturalistic way of picturing the pony-human relations in a TCB world is really amazing in your performance ^^. The first ending left me kind of disappointed, not because he didn't murder his friends or something, but mostly because he's reaction was kind of suppressed, no anger, no real suprise about his change. The second one on the other hand was a lot better - more realistic ;). Thanks for the story, liked it very much! ^^
1472821
This could have something to do with Zebra's in the near future, along with everything else.
He doesn't have friends. Those aren't his friends. They are monsters.
And Jacob... hoo boy. Dude has no backbone at all, no decisiveness. He may have been better off as a Pony, maybe finally giving this story a happier note.