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// Prologue: The Mission and Other Complications 
// Story: Brony Recon: To Live and Love in Equestria 
// by Freescript the Bard 
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Markus’ POV

To be entirely honest, it wasn't my idea, getting thrown into Equestria. Albeit, it will make a great story for when I'm human. My name is Markus, or Skyblaze, and I am a writer for the Herd. Not much of a writer, if I may add, but a good one if I am any judge of my peers.

But alas, I was chosen at random, along with five others from different pony-themed sites, to take part in the 'Exodus: Equestria' scouting party. Evidently, Sethisto and Cereal Velocity have more time on their hands than I thought. The six of us entered the warehouse, expecting something out of Stargate. Really, the portal was just a platform with four quartz pillars surrounding it. The ponyfier, though, was more like what we pictured; a glass chamber with a bunch of consoles sticking out of a raised platform similar to the portal. Besides the portal and the ponyfier, the warehouse was bare except for a few porta-potties and the six chosen bronies.

Well, five plus one pegasister. Chloe was a bit of a tomboy, sporty and always had some sorta baseball hat or bandana. Today, it was a crimson bandana with Rainbow Dash's cutie mark off to the left side. Her auburn hair was in a ponytail, which was comically fitting. In Equestria, she picked the name Rainchaser

Next to her was Ben, or Kind Greetings. I kinda like Ben, he's not the type to do anything stupid or something he'll regret. He's calm, polite, and most suited for the role of ambassador to Equestria, Majoring in some public relations course and doing a few other classes. He wasn't too bad on the eyes and often had a girl or two try to ask him out when doing a brony meet-up.

Sam (Storm) took Pinkie Pie's happiness to heart and was often the one to cheer anyone up if they feel down. He did this often with magic tricks or just talking to them. It was near uncanny the way he could be cheery, even after a half-mile walk through the St. Louis pier in the rain.

Jon (Shift) looked kinda goth at first glance, with an ever-present black leather jacket and medium length black-dyed hair. But he was a really nice guy, when you got to know him. If Fluttershy was male and human, she would be Jon. He was antisocial in person, but a well known artist in the Herd. His drawings were posted on Equestria Daily nearly every Drawfriend post, and most were cute depictions of animals in the show, often around a filly, colt, or other cute pony like Applebloom.

Nick (Aegis) is what you would get when you crossed a high school and college football star with a bookworm and a brony. He was tough, and very occasionally got in fights at school. But on the flip side of the coin, he contradicted himself with a love of books and stories, and was a fan of my own stories. I thought he would nearly give a fanboy squee when he found out that I was the writer of one of his favorite stories.

At the end of the horizontal line was me. Really, the only way to describe me is that I'm an author. I'm creative but rational, with a bit of a comical-impulsive personality. I should mention that I have a moderate case of ADHD, but I'm SURE that it won't have repercussions, right?

As we were marvelling at the machinery, we heard a rather odd sound. Hoofsteps. Out of the handicapped stall came a thing we thought we weren't going to see for at least half an hour yet. The grey unicorn had a blue mane and a sideways horseshoe cutie mark, and stood about three feet high. Jon, being the fan art expert, recognized him instantly. "Cereal Velocity?"

Cereal smiled, looking down the line of bronies. "Somepony had to test the ponyfier, and Seth was too chicken."

"I was not!" A yellow unicorn poked his head out from behind the machine in question. "I was worried that it would be irreversible!"

"… and I told you that we had everything perfect and nothing would go wrong. Now, please stop being wrong and prep that thing for these six pioneers." He turned to the bronies. "I suppose we can do ladies first and go down the line."

"Alright! Let's do this!" Chloe cheered and walked up the ramp to the platform. "So, what do I do, just stand here and--?" she was cut off by Seth throwing a switch and the entire platform glowing like the sun. There were a few worrying bolts of lightning that struck strategically placed lightning rods around the room. The whole thing lasted five seconds before the light faded and Seth put the switch back into its place.

Where Chloe once stood, proud and mighty, a grey pegasus pony with a pink mane in a ponytail and a crimson bandana wobbled around, unused to moving on four hooves. Cereal caught her as she stumbled down the ramp.

"Don't try to think about how you walk, just do it by instinct, Rainchaser." he said, using her Equestrian name. She beamed at this and strode over to the portal to wait, her new wings fluttering. "Next!"

Ben walked up the ramp and stood, his posture looking a bit like Celestia; dignified, but not overly proud or condescending. There was another light show, and the regal figure had become a forest green earth pony with a white mane and a scroll cutie mark. Rainchaser looked at Ben's flank, then at her own, which was blank. "Um, why does he have a cutie mark and I don't?"

Seth smiled at her. "I didn't have one either, when I went through." He turned, showing a blank flank. "My guess is that Kind Greetings already found his place in life, ergo the scroll, representing an agreement, I think." The grey pegasus frowned, not saying much else.

Sam's ponyfication went without event, Storm being a purple unicorn with a neon yellow mane. His flank, like Rainchaser's, was blank. But the excitable brony was hopping around like Pinkie Pie yelling his exuberance to the world. Then I noticed something different about his voice. "Um… I hate to be the harbinger of worry, but why is Storm a mare?" At my observation, Storm looked down and a strange look came across his -or her - face.

Sethisto opened a hatch under the control console and began digging through the mass of wires. Honestly, I wasn't the most enthusiastic person in the world when he reappeared with a snapped wire in his teeth. "Ok, um… I'm pretty sure that was it. Next?" Jon stepped up the ramp, looking nervously at Seth. When he reached the platform, the light started and faded like every other ponyfication. But when the light faded, everyone jumped back. "Ok, definitely the wrong wire."

Shift looked up. He had a jet black carapace and insect-like wings. His blue eyes swivelled in confusion at everyone's fear. Shift was a Changeling, one of the most hated creatures in Equestria and, let's admit it, half of the Herd. Particularly the Solar Empire, being ticked at a certain Changeling queen who floored Celestia. There wasn't a pony in the room, aside from Storm, that wasn't shell-shocked. We were all surprised when he smiled. "I kinda… like it," he said as he walked over to the portal, "I always liked Changelings

"Well," said Cereal, "That leaves you two. Seth, stop trying to fix it. You're gonna break it again." Sethisto poked his head up again, a tangle of wires in his teeth. Still, despite the unfortunate results of the last two ponyfications, Nick walked bravely up the ramp and Seth threw the switch.

Storm's POV

It wasn't all that bad being a mare. To be honest, the one thing that I regret is the hormones. With the sudden lack of testosterone, it felt like someone took the world and put it in a new perspective. Especially when it came to colts. Kind Greetings looked… different to me, like I was summing him up. I would have never done that as a dude. His white mane kinda got my attention, but apart from that, he looked rather moderate. I couldn't really judge Shift; I don't know how Changelings rank their males. See? I keep having thoughts like that.

Anyway, my new mind was interrupted by a flash from the ponyfier. Aegis stepped down from the platform. We all breathed a sigh of relief as we saw that the ponyfier had turned him into a normal earth pony stallion. I mean, sure he was as big and red as Big Mac, though a more darker red, but he looked as normal as a pony could be as he flipped his orange mane out of his eyes. His cutie mark was a shield; an aegis. I know, how appropriate, right?

I looked him up and down, then I had a strange thought. He was brawny and tall, but he didn't seem… my type. At this point, my happy-go-lucky attitude was failing as my thoughts turned on me. I can only assume it's the hormones. Dear Celestia, I thought, what is happening to me? "Gah! Make it stop!" Everypony looked at me as a covered my head with my hooves.

Rainchaser giggled. "Let me guess; your new mare mind is making things a bit… weird for you." I nodded. "Well, I used to have that problem, but I just think about something less… girly." I gave a smile, my energy revitalized by her support. I tried to think about dodgeball, and the oddities faded slightly. I was never good at throwing in that game, but I could always dodge every ball coming for me with a variety of break dancing moves.

I beamed at the pegasus. "Thanks, Rain."

"Us mares gotta stick together," she said, smirking. I turned away just in time to see Markus step onto the ponyfier. He gave a thumbs-up at Seth and Cereal, and the unicorns threw the lever.

Something went wrong. I don't know what, but something went wrong. Instead of a bright light, we saw bolts of electricity enter the writer's body. Markus writhed in pain, screaming at a volume that shouldn't have been possible. Seth and Cereal were flying along the console, but whatever they were doing wasn't doing much.

The figure on the platform was forced to his knees, the pain too much, it seemed. I watched in horror as two bulges formed on his back and erupted into navy-blue wings. Still screaming, Markus' body began to shift even more, the lightning turning his hands and feet into hooves, his head becoming more equine, and his hair changed colors while shifting to a new style. A tail had sprouted at one point. When the agonizing light show ended, a blue pegasus with grey and teal hair knelt cringing.

"Ow… am I dead yet?" he said, some of his humor making it through the pain.

"Hey, Skyblaze? You're okay, right?" I asked.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine. It only hurt in the process. Thanks, Storm," he said, then turned to the two frightened unicorns at the controls, "you two geniuses wanna tell me what the buck happened?"

Seth looked around nervously. "I… I didn't touch anything after Aegis' ponyfication, so the circuitry should be fine…"

"That's what you told me!" I shouted.

"Right, sorry Storm."

Skyblaze, who I now noticed had a book and quill as a cutie mark, fluttered his wings and trotted over to the portal. I smiled at him as he took his place at Aegis' side.

Cereal left Seth to checking the ponyfier's wiring and cantered to the portal controls. "Now, we have no idea what will happen when you go through, but it does work, rest assured. Oh, Shift, before I throw this switch, try disguising yourself; I don't want anypony flipping out when they see you."

Shift thought for a moment, then became wrapped in a green light. I gotta admit, it looked so much more bad-flank than the show. As the glow faded, I saw a sort of colt-form of me. He was a lighter purple, and had a blond mane, but it did resemble me. Oh, and he was just a little dreamy. "Oh, I… erm… tried to copy Storm, but put it in a male form. I can change again… if you don't like it."

Cereal nodded. "It will have to do. Oh, and when you go to Equestria, one of you will be wearing a necklace that will be able to send items back through, and yourselves of you do wish. Also, try not to breath when you're hurtling through space." It was the most anticlimactic farewell speech ever. I didn't even get to ask him what he meant, because the next moment, I was launched into a red tube-thing that was reminiscent of the Doctor Who opening. The last thing I remember was landing on the ground, hard.