//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Conversion Bureau: 52 // by jamesofearth2 //------------------------------// The Conversion Bureau: 52 By James of Earth 2 Canterlot, Equestria July 1st, 11 am GMT one hour after arrival A grey lone unicorn stood looking over the paramount of the eastern most tower of Canterlots central palace, which was filled with various labs dedicated to bleeding edge research in various magical and scientific fields, founded the by the princesses themselves. "This just can't be right, the lay lines are all wrong."Star Sight furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, trying to extend his sense of the natural ebb and flow of magic in and around Canterlot. Feeling out the natural state of magic on it's own terms. Many unicorns simply didn't even think about where the magic they used in their day to day lives. But not Star Sight, ever since he could first use magic he was intensely fascinated by where it came from how it behaved in nature. When the princesses had announced their plan to the ponies of the world, an exodus from Equus to another unknown world in order to avoid the all consuming hordes plaguing Equus, they had made certain to share what information they could gleam of this new world with academia . Star examined the estimated map of the lay lines of this new world, along with the theorized placing of Equestria's lines in a world that should be devoid of magic. The new formations however were completely off kilter, and dear Herd the STRENGTH of these lines, it was almost as if this world was absolutely brimming with magical energy, as well as other forces appearing at the very edge of his perception altering the harmonics of the natural magic's as well as that those of the massive barrier encompassing Equestria. "Where in Tartarus are we?" ____________ Watchtower 1, Earth Orbit 11:30am GMT For a shape shifter, the Manhunter's face was amazingly stoic in nature as he digested the carnage and chaos of the last two hours by the sudden appearance of the small continent some 300 miles off the coast of southwestern Africa. the central and largest of the watchtowers view screens concentrated on the land mass it self as well as the large dome like shield obscuring the island form all initial attempts to scan the phenomena. The screen also noted the locations of various science and magic teams, led by Ray Palmer and Zatanna respectively, that had been dispatched to examine the sphere. The screens around the center showed the valiant efforts of various heroes to hold back the massive amounts of water displaced by the landmass. The four earth based lanterns had generated a 16,000 mi wide wall of green light along Africa's west coast. Terra had risen a defensive wall along New York and was now moving to protect metropolis and other east coast cities along with the JSA, Supergirl, and Superboy An open dome of energy shielded the island of Themysicara while allowing the odd mix of transparent high-tech craft and armored pegasi riding Amazonian warriors to exit the island and speed off to the southwest. Still other monitors portrayed the reactions of nation states the world over. checkmate was mobilizing troops in South Africa, S.H.A.D.E. was gathering teleportation specialists for an apparent attempt to break though the barrier. The armies and superhuman agencies of the world where gearing up for the unknown. What most alarmed him wee the monitors supplying the Atlantian response. The landmass covered what was a thieving Atlantian outpost with 2,000 citizens. their voices had gone silent. The Atlantian cities of grief and rage spoke volumes. Aquaman refused to respond to any attempt of J'onnz to contact him in Atlantis. Aquaman was leading his armies to war. -------------------------- 100 miles west of Canterlot 11:00am GMT The edge of the barrier gave off a faint Pink glow that reflected off the surface of the Atlantic. A lone blue and black figure speed towards the edge. However moments before the object was to crash against it, the figure faded to nothing. the barrier remained serenely undisturbed. ------------------------- Canterlot Palace noon GMT Twilight Sparkle ran as fast as her legs could carry her though the halls of the palace towards the throne room. The horror of her calculations had caused her to check them over and over again attempting to see if some variation in the chemical make up of the formula or the magic imbued into it would alter her results, but all attempts to modify the potion resulted in the same theoretical failure. Whatever you wanted to call it consciousness, chi, the soul, it was simply beyond Twilight's ability to compensate for. No matter what she tried she couldn't alter a beings nature without altering it's mind beyond repair. The princess had to be told. maybe just maybe she could tell her in time and she in her infinite wisdom would no doubt see something her own limited perception couldn't. She didn't even notice the dark blue and black furred pony walking the hallway. She stormed though the two guards in front of the main gateway to her throne room tripping as she entered. it was oddly dark with the large stained glass windows heralding many tales of equestrian lore and history. She stumbled to her hooves "Princ--". Twilight was shocked into silence. Even in the darkness she could the details of Celestia's tear streaked weary reddened face, even her unearthly mane ceased to flow as it once did. Twilight thought that she could even make out a few strands of hair. Even now there was a slight glow to her however diminished by horrid necessity. For the first time in twilight's life she saw the figure she long loved as a second mother, adored as her mentor, and worshiped as her goddess display fear, guilt and despair. "Twilight my ever faithful student I have failed you as I have all of my little ponies. I failed to stop chrysalis and those infernal Parasprite hoards. I failed to find a safe suitable uninhabited world. I know of the dreadful news you bring to me twilight. I've been expecting as much. The potion, I'm afraid was never going to work" she sighed as she walked trough the balcony doors, opening them with slight push of her useless magic as Twilight followed . the pink shimmering barrier covered the sky out to the far horizon. "and now my failure has doomed the races of this world as well. " _______________________________ Elsewhere in Canterlot palace noon GMT Jaime Reyes breathed out in relief as the lavender unicorn ran by him somehow failing to notice that the odd earth pony was covered in blue and black metallic armor. "Scarab I swear to god, the specter and whoever else will listen to me that if you ever "temporally" change my species again I will pry you off my spine with a screw driver." He mentally gripped to his ever present head space room mate. Ever since the oddly fated day when he had picked up the scarab shaped rock of the side of the road and it had decided bind to body, he had gone missing for a year (in space), fought off an insidious alien invasion by a race called the Reach (in space) and traveled back and forth in time (and space). Now he found himself sneaking around on a continent full of magical colorful equines. Why couldn't he have a normal school day like every other teenager? The scarab replied with a series of abstract mental glyphs commonly used by Reach technology. "I don't care if it allows us to "observe and assess threat levels " it's just rude and gross. Milagro and Paco will never let me live this down" he sighed in resignation to his fate. ______________________________ The western shore of Equestria 1:30 GMT A white furred pegasi with a mane of metallic silver in light plate armor which covered the silver lightning bolt of his cutie mark coasted on top of the thermals that typically dominated this part of equestrian coastline and most of his patrol route as a royal guard. Like almost all pegasi worth the name he had an innate understand of the rivers of hot and cold and high and low pressure that coursed through the air. He loved this part of the job. but the could feel change. The sky felt different. His mind turned to the barrier and the unknown world beyond it. He didn't really understand magic, and the barrier was big magic. It was powerful and ominous and it's low hum was penetrating and ever present. The most frightening thing about the barrier was what it hid from sight. Like most ponies he had no knowledge of what lay outside other then that it was a different world. This in and of itself caused endless discussions over the last two days since the princesses announced their plan to save Equestria. The other three pegasi in the patrol, Trade Wind, Light Weight and Swift Storm seemed to be trying their best to ignore the bright pink wall, while scanning the sky for any signs of stray changelings or, Celestia forbid, parasprites that might have been transported to this new world with Equestria. Sliver Lightning hoped that they were free of those devils, after all he didn't want to bring doom to another world's doorstep. Out of the corner of his eye he saw it, a shadow of a figure on the barrier. Sliver could swear that it was as if something was on the other side. "What .." was all he managed to say before it happened. The sky filled with pure white lightning. The force of which smashed the barrier to pieces creating visible spider web cracks across the skyline of Equestria before piece by piece it came undone. Silver noticed two things outside of the light and noise that engulfed him entirely. One oddly enough, he felt no pain what so ever. Most pegasi where familiar with the pain of a lightning strike and as a matter of adaptation were somewhat resistant to it's effects, but to feel no pain was unheard of. The second curious thing was that he could clearly hear a stallions voice shouting "---ZZAM" and the lightning took him.