The Last Holdouts - A Conversion Bureau Story

by Aedina

Air Male Delivery

The press of warm pony bodies was a comfort to the Earth Mare, Amber Flame. Much of the herd had relaxed, once the ship had slowed and ceased its careening. A dozy haze was generated in the closeness and scent which pervaded the mess hall. Nuzzled against her flank, the young unicorn mare, slept. "Poor thing", murmured Amber, softly. Hiromi had cried herself out, overwhelmed with post-conversion emotions, and they now lay cradled on the floor together. Amber's deep-crimson eyes made out shapes of moving shadows around the room. The keenness of her new senses were still a wonderment to her, how much she could make out, even in the dimmed hall.

Thundering hooves broke the calm as a pinto Earth Mare galloped into the room. Everypony roused and stared as Marina came to a halt. "Pegasi, we need pegasi!" She gasped out between breaths. "Copter pilots, rescue mission. Oliver says Come, Fast!"

Her message delivered, she tried to turn and leave. But there were too many ponies, all of them curious, many confused and frightened, who now blocked her way. With a shudder of surrender, Marina allowed herself to sink to the floor. Her sides heaved and her eyes were huge with their urgency.

"Get her some water, somepony!" shouted Amber, rising to her hooves and approaching the weary First Mate. "Give her room to breath!"

A space cleared around them, as the ponies realized that their presence was more hindrance than help. The war between the desire to be of assistance, and their curiosity was evident in the twitching of muscles and cautious steps as they formed a sort of semi-circle around Marina. From somewhere, a bucket of water arrived. Amber Flame lowered her neck and nudged it nearer to the Earth Pony. "Take your time, dear.", she intoned gently. Then lifting her flaming eyes to the herd, she addressed them authoritatively. "Didn't you hear her?", she demanded. "Oliver needs pegasi!" She searched through the crowd for the appearance of feathers. "You, you, and You!, " she pointed a forehoof at winged ponies throughout the throng. "Get going, Up, to the top deck. Take anything you feel might be helpful on the way, but don't dawdle! Go on, get a move on!"

Clear directions and a goal seemed to activate the mess hall. The pegasi started for the stairs. Brisk hoofbeats ascended as they caught the pace, too organized to be a stampede. Voices of encouragement called out amidst the clamor. "Yes Ma'am!" "Righto!" "On it!", music to Amber's ears as she returned her attention to Marina.

Awakened by all the hullabaloo, a bleary eyed Hiromi had nudged her way beside them. "Anything I can do to help, Miss Amber, Sensei* ?" The title elicited a raised eyebrow ridge from the older mare. Marina gazed up at the two of them, gratefully. Her breathing was starting to slow to a more normal rhythm, now.

"Thank you, thank you both.....thank everypony. I really should get back on duty, though."

Amber shook her head as she lowered it across Marina's withers, "I think not, dear, not just yet.". A flick of her ruby-hued tail indicated the small line of winged ponies that were heading up the stairwell. "Besides, haven't you done enough? You need to rest!" Amber's last statement was more imperative than elective.

"Yes, Miss Marina-san", echoed Hiromi, bashfully, "You need to rest". The little unicorn filly settled herself on the floor beside the First Mate. A circle of curious ponies still milled about them, as close as they dared. Keen ears perked to hear the latest update on their situation. After a few more breaths, and a deep drink from the bucket, Marina felt able to oblige them.

"All right, everypony", she began "You all know we had some copters above us. An HLF ship was chasing us, too. That's why we're down here, instead of up on deck. That's why we were racing around all over the place, just a little bit ago." Murmurs of confirmation accompanied this brief recapping of recent events.

"Well, it turns out the choppers were on our side, and one of them turned back to keep the HLF busy somewhere away from us, thank Celestia. The other copter kept with us, making sure we were okay, and helping us track a couple of our crew who'd gone accidentally overboard during the storm."

Consternation was etched in every watchful pony muzzle, now, but the hush was on them as they listened to Marina tell them the rest of the tale. The rescue of Oliver and the Doctor, and the plight of the copter pilots - who even now, were parachuting down to meet them enthralled the herd.

As soon as she'd finished, pony voices began to volunteer assistance. "No, no, nothing we can do `til they get down here, really, that's why Mr. Heskin needs the Pegasi. When we're allowed back up, we might be able to pull some of the mattresses in the upper cabins onto the deck, just in case. If anypony has any medical skills at all, be ready to jump in. Nurse Nightingale is helping the new converts, down in the cargo hold, and the doctor is still recovering." The First Mate struggled up, regaining her hooves. "I should get back to the bridge now. If anyone wants to take up towels, or blankets, that might prove useful, too."

Marina headed towards the now cleared stairwell, despite protestations that she should stay. Amber and Hiromi watched as her pinto painted hind-quarters disappeared with a whisk of her tail.

"I could make some tea, don't you think, M'am? They might need something to help warm them up," offered the little unicorn filly.

Hiromi's suggestion broke Amber from her contemplation, "That's a very nice idea, dear, thank you. But what did I ask you to call me, now, my Romi-chan?"

The filly blushed deeply as she turned to go and make the tea. In a hushed whisper, "You said I am to call you Mama...... yes Mama.", was her reply. Amber's smile broadened as she watched her new daughter depart.

Cerulean skies surrounded Paul and Artie. The storm of but a moment before had come to a sudden, eerily heavy, quiet. The barrier's bubbled walls closed in from all sides, now. Above them, their helicopter started to stall. A deep, diagonal dip aimed it towards the sea. Below him, Paul could see the rainbow hues of Artie's parasail. He focused onto the ship below, steering himself expertly towards her gleaming deck.

A dart of black shot forth from the ship's stern. It rose, in a steady pump of outstretched wings. Growing in size as the distance between them narrowed, a huge pegasus was lifting into the wind-dead sky. Oliver climbed steeply up, gauging his course to intercept the lowest of the two pilots. Artie, who'd been adjusting his straps and double-checking his gear, startled as the massive stallion came into his peripheral vision. Frozen moments in the now hushed sky seemed to stretch around them.

"I'm taking you down!", shouted the massive stallion, " cut loose, cut loose!.

Artie made a shrugging gesture of helplessness. Pointing to his helmet and tapping at his ear to indicate that he'd not heard.

The stallion pushed closer, careful not to tangle his wings in the lines. "Get out of your rig, and peel," he shouted. "Make it quick! I'll be right back, more help's on the way!", he exclaimed.

"Righto, I'll get the clips." Nervously, Artie's gloved hands began to fumble at his lines, while the stallion soared higher, towards Paul's gleaming sail.

A peacefulness had settled into Paul. A sense of slow-motion wonder pervaded him as he registered what was happening around him. On the ship's deck below, tiny dots of color were taking to the sky. "The cavalry to the rescue!", he thought, with a heady grin.

He craned his neck and watched as the abandoned copter's flight path plummeted in its sharp drop. Whether it would hit the barrier, or the sea, first, was anypony's guess.

The next thing he knew, a massive pegasus stallion was hovering effortlessly beside him. Paul smiled and waved in greeting only to be surprised by the urgency of the stallion's commanding voice.

"There's not enough time for you to land, we have to get you to the ship, and ponified FAST!" his would-be rescuer proclaimed.
"Get out of your straps, quick as you can - and strip!"

"STRIP??!?" This last word registered to Paul's puzzlement, but the pegasus only nodded in affirmation.

"No time for false modesty, no-pony is going to give a swirl," assured the stallion, "You're going pony, pronto!"

So saying, the heroic stallion gave him a perfunctory nod, and dove back down towards Artie. Paul shoved his gloves and helmet off, ripping at his straps and suit - sending colorful streamers of fabric flying in his wake. Then he reached upwards, one sharp motion of his expert hands unhooked him. The peaceful time-suspense sensation fled from his body as he began to plunge.

Sluggish chugs tremored up through Bonne Chance's hull and deck as the ship came to a sudden and shuddering halt. Without Marina's comforting presence on the bridge, the Captain had found little beyond her exit to occupy his mind.

It amazed Damian how used to Marina's little whisperings and chants he'd become. When the earth-mare had stomped out on him, he'd had PLENTY to think about. Now that her familiar hoof beats approached the bridge once more his ears perked up in hope.

Her silence, as she returned to her post, was palpable with disapproval - indicating clearly that his current residence in the proverbial dog-house was far from over. Should he try for a reprieve? Maybe he'd be better off pleading for parole, instead. How to begin, what to say? Smollette wasn't much of a talker in the first place, and rarely managed more than the few absolutely necessary words required to do his job. Now, well, now he had to find the right words. Best to get it over with, straight out....

"Marina?" She snorted acknowledgement at him as he cleared his throat to continue. "I'm sorry, I'm really very sorry. You were absolutely correct...", he struggled for each syllable. "It was completely unpony of me not to take the helicopter pilots into account."

There, he'd said it, and the position of his drooping ears and tail could only confirm his sincerity. Smollette felt himself sinking into the morass of Marina's extended speechlessness with a sense of despair. Awkwardly, he resumed his apology,
"It just didn't dawn on me, not until you said something. I was so focused...." He let the excuse dangle, slumping into the wheel with resignation for his fate.

Then warm breath ruffled his mane and pole. Marina's voice whispered into his ear, "Just don't let it happen again, we're all in this together now, all ponies together - even the ones that aren't converted yet. Ponies help each other."

Straightening his withers, Smollette replied with conviction, "Yes, yes we DO!" Pressing past Marina, he headed for the deck, "You're in command. Take the Bridge." With a new-found resolution he sprung through the steer-house's door, taking immediately to wing.

"Aye, Aye, Sir!", came her hearty response. As Marina watched, her Captain's form soar up and away from the ship. A smile spread upon her muzzle. "Now that's more like it!" she murmered.

Greenwind had launched from the loading dock. It had only made sense to go down from the cargo bay. His injury would have kept him from being in the first response team, anyway . He winced and wobbled, trying to even out his balance as he ascended. As he reached a level trajectory a gust of wind and a blur of gray feathers zoomed in his peripheral vision.

Greenwind blinked in confusion. That it was the Captain over-taking him in flight was a wonderment. He tried to assess everything that was happening. He craned his neck to take in the current scenario. Above him the constellation of the ship's Pegasi was maneuvering to assist Oliver. One of the pilots had dropped from his parafoil's rig in an act of complete trust.

The other human form seemed to still be struggling with a tangle of ropes that refused to discharge him. Helpful Pegasi teeth were nibbling carefully, to release him. Oliver flew just below, to catch him when he was finally freed.

A sudden impulse gripped Greenwind as his vision fell on the first pilot's free-drifting parasail. Immediately he shifted his course and aimed for the rainbow fabric. He gave a loud whinny to catch the attention of his fellow rescuers, and two or three of them reacted with a look down that showed puzzled incomprehension. Shouting, at this distance would do him no good - he simply jerked his muzzle towards his new goal and prayed they'd get the gist. Greenwind could feel an idea forming in the back of his brain. He wasn't quite sure what it was, yet, but he knew it was important. And he knew it was going to be catch as catch can.

Captain Smollette had spent most of the Bon Chance's voyage ensconced behind the steering wheel. Even in his earliest days of conversion, he'd been confused about his having become a pegasi. Flight came less easily to him, than so many of his fellow crew-mates and passengers. Now his wings pumped determinedly, as though with a will of their own.

The cluster centered around Artie, as he finally struggled free of his sail cords. They seemed quite sufficient to the task. Damian focused instead upon the free-falling form of Paul. Curving a wing, he banked and dove under the copter pilot's trajectory and did his best to brace himself for impact.

"Umph!" was their mutually agreed upon exclamation at the their sudden collision.
"Appreciate the lift" Paul joked into his ear as the pilot established a better seat and a firmer grip.

Smollette, always one to be a bit on the brusque, replied with a snort. "Potion?" he asked, "Do you have some with you?" he queried as he sped back to the main constellation surrounding Artie.

Unseen, Paul shook his head, "Seems we weren't as prepared as we thought we were.", he answered, "I'm really hoping your bunch has a spare 6 ounces."

"Should", was Smollette's curt rejoinder.

Everypony seemed to be getting things sorted out under Oliver's direction, when the Captain and his new passenger arrived. It seemed that there was indeed potion forthcoming - from the knapsack slung across Heskin's wide withers. Flasks were being withdrawn and distributed with all due haste.

"Now, the minute we hit the deck, you two, you down this, got it?" Oliver instructed, "We're not going to have a moment to spare."

Smollette allowed himself to glance down at the Bonne Chance as the situation around him became calmer with a stout plan of action.

There was something wrong....with the ship....with HIS ship! It listed even as it lay dead in the water. Bonne Chance looked, for all the world as if she were cresting a climbing wave. Then the water broke, and a curve of gleaming bubble revealed itself as it began to absorb the bottom of the hull.

The barrier was meeting itself to completion from beneath the very waves, why hadn't they thought about that, he wondered? Or had he simply failed to take in the implications? Regardless, it made the timing factor all that more imminent. And he knew that the need for all of them to be on-board when inclusion occurred was crucial. Nopony wanted to wind up separated and scattered to somewhere in the vast Expansion by some quirk of the Barrier - and the only way to avoid that was to keep in proximity with the rest of the herd.

"Sir!", Damian exclaimed, pointing a forehoof towards the ship below, "We're going to need to land NOW! That, or change Now, one of the two." But as these words registered to Mr. Heskin's sharp pony ears, Smollette noticed one other problem arising.

The water, around the bubble, did not seem to be absorbing into Equestria with any rapidity. This was causing a sort of displacement back-up, as it were....and now there really were waves forming around the rising bubble. Bonne Chance wobbled, partly embedded. The arc of the curve began to shift into a new configuration of unknown substance as if it was being gobbled from below.

"Well, Seabiscuits!" the Captain cursed. Other exclamations of various baked goods expounded from the constellation as the rest of the gathered pegasi registered the new catastrophe on the day's agenda.

*Sensei = Teacher