//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: One hoof goes in front of the other~ // Story: The Conversion Bureau: A Pint of Cherry // by Da Bunnana King //------------------------------// The Conversion Bureau: A Pint of Cherry By Da Bunnana King Chapter Two: One hoof goes in front of the other~ = + = + = + = ‘Okay,’ I mentally said to myself as I uneasily stood upon all fours, ‘You can do this. Just one foo- I mean hoof in front of the other and I won’t have to hear that song ever again.' I slowly raised my right foreleg and lowered it towards the ground. I did the same with my left hind leg. I repeated it with the other two legs and kept on doing the same movements with each leg. “I think I got it,” I said uneasily as I wasn’t about ready to say I’ve mastered the fine art of walking on four leg. “Seems like it,” commented the earth pony. “Alright so what now?” I asked as I stopped in front of them both. It felt awkward standing, let alone walking on all fours but now it felt kinda natural. “Well we can either take you to a local bureau or send you on your way to figure out how to be a pony,” said the earth pony as he looked me over quickly, “But I think the bureau is a better option in your current state.” “Alright but what about my friends?” I asked as I began to wonder where they were. “Ahhh, well I believe they are in the mess testing to see what hay tastes like,” he replied as we moved over to the door. It was strange, I don’t remember wanting to walk to the door but I guess thats what its like for herd animals, just go with what the group is doing to stay safe and I felt pretty safe around them. = + = + = + = As we walked down the hall it occurred to me that I was now a four foot, pink flying talking horse. Not to mention I was the opposite gender of what I previously was as a human man. Now from my point of view I can kinda deal with this but what worried me is what my soon to be fiance would think about me being a four foot pink flying talking mare. I could only see this going two ways, A: she would accept me and we would still find a way for this to work as love always finds a way, OR B: She hits me with a rolled up newspaper and I go live in Equestria alone and sad while I spend most of my days lying on a couch eating ice cream and watching terrible day time television. In reality it would probably play out as option B but I hoped that it would be A because I did love her. “So,” said the orange pegasus trying to break the awkward silence, “What’s your name?” “Huh, oh yeah it’s Daniel,” I said in that strange new voice I had. It was hard to describe how it sounded, it was just feminine but I could hear what was left of my former voice. “So Daniel what did you do as a human?” he asked again. “Oh I used to work as a freelance architect building custom designed houses for rich clients,” I said as I got the foot... I mean hoof work of trotting down. It wasn’t that hard it I didn’t think about it, I just had to pretend I was walking normally. “Oh so did you ever have a client by the name of Golden Shimmer?” he coyly asked me as he winked to his yellow friend. “Errrr... I think so,” I said as I tried to recall that name. I did remember it from somewhere but I couldn’t place my finger where, “Was she the one with scar down her left eye?” “Yep so it looks like you have met the bureau director and our boss,” he said as he chucked amongst each other. “So does that mean I’ll be turned into a human quicker?” I asked naively as I craved the ability to stand on two hooves- I mean legs! “We’ll see,” he said as he pushed open a tall metal door, “But first we have to talk to her before we can start talking about getting you back to the proper gender.” “And a human!” I interjected but they seemed to ignore what I had said. ‘Great, I’m going to be stuck as a mare for the rest of my life,’ I said to myself as I trotted into a... a lab?! “What I don’t...” I stuttered as I looked at the stone white room with a large metal operating table in the center. “Where is she?” asked the now cagy yellow pegasus. “Right here,” said a dark golden pegasus mare with a single slit scar over her right eye. Strangely it was almost disguised by here straight red mane that hung over her left side of her face. It would almost be indistinguishable from her mane covering the scare but I had an eye for detail. “Sorry Knight Commander,” said the orange stallion as he saluted with one of his forehooves. “At ease Knight Shield,” she said saluting him back, “So is this the one you were telling me about earlier?” she said as she looked over me. “Yes ma’am, what do we do with her?” he asked like I was some sort of child to be dealt with... well sorta but it still didn’t make it any better. “Easy, she goes through the system as a mare and gets to Equestria where hopefully that potion will be there but before that happens I think we can take advantage of this opportunity,” she said devilishly as she looked at me with greed filled eyes. “So miss...” she began as all eyes were focused on me. I backed up a bit only to have the cold metal door hit my rump and my ears flop down. “Ummm... Meer,” I shyly said as I felt their stares were like laser beams shooting into me. “So Mr Meer, it my memory serves me correctly, then you were the one that build the private grotto for myself and the people I entertain,” she said as she turned abruptly and began to pace slowly back and forth. “Yes,” I almost squeaked out which pretty much shocked me back into my macho state I was so used to, “I mean yes.” I said this time more assertively. “Well then, I remember you did a good job and you were paid a hefty amount. Now all I’m suggesting is if you want your meat and two veg back then I suggest you design a few more grottoes like that and I’ll see about that potion,” she said as she turned abruptly back to me, “do we have a deal?” “Sure, if I had my hands back,” I slyly said hoping to retain my digest and make like a tree and split. “I guess you’ll have to work with what you’ve got,” she said as she turned around, “But I think it’s time to get you into the conversion program.” “But... but I’m already a horse,” I stuttered out as I heard a quiet groan from the pegasus beside me. “As of now you are a newfoal in my bureau but you just skipped the human classes and are very much on a fast pass to Equestria you give us the plans,” she said in an almost maniacal voice, “Now come along we have to introduce you to the rest of everyone else in the bureau.” “So where are my friends?” I asked as we both began to walk towards two large stainless steel metal doors but it was strange, I don’t remember wanting to walk along side her, it just happened. “Oh they’re enjoying lunch in the cafeteria and talking amongst themselves last time I checked,” she said as she pushed open the doors. “Also, welcome to the herd,” she said as I walked through the doors into a pretty empty cafeteria that only had a few groups of ponies and humans dining in it. Some of them looked at me walking through the door then almost all of them at once looked at me and began applauding me. I felt embarrassed and blushed a bit as I shied away from the attention but luckily they settled down a bit but I still had a few eyes looking at me. “So ummm where are my friends?” I asked as the small group of stallions continued to stare at me. There were three of them sitting at a table eating a pile of hay on plates. Two of them were earth ponies, one with a light brown coat and brown mane while the other had a pale blue coat and icey white mane, and the last one a orange coat and goldenrod colored mane. “They’re all staring at your flank right now,” she chuckled as I noticed that the group of stallions weren’t staring at me but at my pink butt. “What?!” I as I turned back to look at my own pink butt before looking back to the group, “Oi, quit staring at my butt!” I hollered at them. “Well maybe you should stop having such a nice butt,” piped up the blue earth pony with Max’s voice. “God dammit Max,” said the unicorn in Jacob’s voice as he slapped the back handed... or hoofed Max’s fluffy head. “Ow,” he said as he rubbed the back of his head. “I’ll let you four get acquainted with each other Daniel,” Shimmer said as she left our small group looking at me as my face turned a shade of cherry red. “Oh god this is too sweet,” said Max as John nearly choked on his mouthful of hay. “Shadup,” I said as I slumped into the seat next to John only to give him a firm pat on the back to make sure he didn’t choke to death. “So I guess that explains why we saw a pink pegasus sleeping and mumbling in her sleep at the PER base,” said Jacob before he went down to take another mouthful of hay. “So what are you going to tell Sarah?” pipped up John. “Well I’m not going to lie to her that's for sure but I’m more worried about the outcome,” I said as I remembered the two ways it would play out in my head. “Well I hope you're ready to get it out of the way,” Max said as he scratched the back of his neck with his foreleg, “Because the bureau staff informed next of kin and since I was the first awake I told them Sarah was your next of kin and well... she was on her way... and that was like four minutes ago.” “FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-” = + = + = + =