The Conversion Bureau: Last of My Kind

by Jake The Army Guy

The End

The Conversion Bureau: Last of My Kind
by
Jake The Army Guy

---

The muted browns of dying pines blurred beneath her. Celestia took a deep breath as she propelled herself through the air with a powerful flap. The scent of dying leaves and moist earth filled her nostrils. Looking around, the mid-Texan plains stretched out beneath her, a patchwork of wild woods and cultivated farmland. Of all the places she’d seen in this new world, this humble piece of land was among the most serene. She sighed, craning her head to see the small farmhouse she was approaching. I just wish I could be visiting under better circumstances...

She pumped her wings one final time before angling them downward, bringing her into a gentle spiral towards the ground. With grace befitting the Princess of Equestria, she landed and moved immediately into a quick trot towards the small fence that surrounded the house where they had sequestered him, far from prying eyes and well-intentioned meddling. She nodded at the two pegasus guards on either side of the gate and strode inside the front door.

The thrum of activity screeched to a halt as soon as she walked in. She didn’t return any of the bows or salutes, instead walking straight to the tall, white unicorn standing outside a wooden door. “Doctor Stanford, what is the status?”

The Newfoal looked up from the clipboard hovering next to him. “Not good, your highness. Princess Luna is in with him now. We’ve got the strongest anti-magic wards we have in place, and that’s blocking most of the thaumatic radiation, but it—” A pained howl sounded from beyond the door. Stanford's head jerked towards the sound, slowly turning back to Celestia as it ended. “But, it’s happening. We’re almost at full Integration.” He cast his head down. “He has minutes. Maybe.”

Celestia began to speak, but a booming voice from the other side of the door cut her off. “Enough of this! If you will not make the right choice, then I shall make it for you!”

Celestia’s eyes went wide. “Sister, no!” Her horn flashed a brilliant white and she appeared inside the room.

Luna stood beside a large bed, a syringe floating above her in a dark blue cloud. Celestia’s horn flared again, and the needle was yanked from Luna's grasp. Luna gasped and spun, glaring at her. “Celestia? Why are you—”

“We can not force conversion on him, sister.”

Luna stomped her hoof. “So, what, we are to merely stand her as he... kills himself?”

“If that is his wish,” she whispered back.

“It... ng... it is.”

Both sister turned to face the bed. Laying atop the purple sheets was a human male, clad only in a pair of hospital scrub pants. His muscular chest was exposed, and even as Celestia slowly made her way to the bedside, large splotches of red were beginning to appear.

Celestia knelt down to him. His eyes were scrunched, sweat dripping from his brow, but he held her gaze. She gently placed her hoof on his hand, which was gripping the bed sheets with white knuckles. “Child, what is your name?”

“D... Da-David Savoy, ma’am.”

“David, you know what is happening, yes?” She spoke in a hushed tone that one would use to soothe a frightened child. She had no wish to insult him, but the pain and fear were so evident in his profusely sweating face, she couldn’t help but flash back to times when she would comfort her young students. “Full Integration is upon us. You have maybe a few minutes left, and then you will die. It will... not be pleasant.”

“You do— you don’t say?” He flashed what she assumed was supposed to be a smirk, but his tightly clenched teeth hid the effect.

“You are th—” He screamed again, this time a high-pitched whine, as the skin on his chest began to darken, small blisters forming all across him. She spoke louder. “You are the last human being left, David.”

“I... I know!”

“Then please,” she said, gripping his hand tighter, “do not let your species go into the night with such pain. Take the serum and live!”

He tried to speak, but all that came out was a blubbering cry. He jerked his hand from her grip, rolling onto his side in the fetal position. As Celestia watch in grim fascination, the flesh on his feet and hands began to char and blacken, an acrid smoke rising from them. “I c-c-can’t!”

Luna rushed forward. “Why not? Are you doing this for fame?! To be remembered as the last human?! Well, you won’t be!” She stomped her hoof down. “I shall see to it! No one will remember this! Your name will be forgotten by history!” Her voice began to crack, hot tears falling down her regal face. “You w-will fade...”

“Please, David!” Celestia leaned in closer, floating the hypodermic next to her. “It is not too late! Take the shot, please!”

“N-No!” He swatted the syringe away, sending it smashing into the wall, spilling its life-saving contents on the ground.

Celestia gasped quietly. “W—” She looked back at him, a tear now in her eyes. “Why?”

For a moment, despite the growing colonies of angry blisters on his face and chest and the charring flesh smoking horribly, he stopped screaming and smiled at her. “T-Too... too h-hum-man.”

As he spoke, the moment came without fanfare or so much as a flash of light: full Integration. Equestria and Earth now existed in the same dimension, and the thaumatic radiation, that miraculous energy that gave ponies their magic and proved extremely fatal to humans, was flowing across the human world.

David howled again, his limbs slamming into the bed, as his entire body began to convulse. Large swaths of his skin were now smoking and burnt; obscenely large blisters were forming and bursting constantly as his flesh seared from the thick layer of radiation. Celestia and Luna could only watch through teary eyes as the strong young human shriveled and wither before them, his gurgling cries slowly growing quiet as his body burned in flameless agony.

Then finally, mercifully, the charred husk before them grew still, the blubbering noises dying out. Celetia had to step back from the bed; the acrid smoke from the corpse was unbearably thick in the tiny room, the stench of burnt meat overpowering even the immortal goddess.

A muted thump came from beside her. Luna’s knees had failed her, and she sank to the ground, weeping softly. Soon, Celestia knelt down next to her, draping a sisterly wing across her, a tear falling from her face.
“Rest well, David.”

Comments

[Alex Warlorn]

The fact the doctor is called by a human name hammers home that humans here aren't being expected to give up their cultural identity.

[Silver Flare]

Luna stomped her hoof. “So, what, we are to merely stand her as he... kills himself?”

*here

the strong young human shriveled and wither before them,

*withered

Powerful stuff, here. Real curious to see where it's headed.