//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Conversion Bureau: The Kid The Colt, And The Filly // by Erac //------------------------------// The women sighed as she stared at he door in front of her. “ALEX! come out now. ”She shouted, with a tinge of frustration in her voice. “NO” shouted Alex “I don’t want to go yet.” “Alex I promise you I’m not going to force you.” she said suppressing any sign of frustration in her voice. “Your just going to be spending the week at your cousin Gammon’s house. There was the sound of a shuffle behind the door, and what suspiciously sounded like a chair being unjammed against it. “You promise?” asked Alex with hopefulness in his voice. “Yes I promise sweetheart.”she said with sweetness in her voice. “Will you Pinkie promise?” Alex asked with hopefulness. “I Promise.” she said smiling “No do it.” said Alex now peeking out of the door way. “Sweetheart is this one of those pony promise thingies?” She asked with confusion clearly plastered on her face. “What!? you and dad are going to become ponies, and you don’t know what that is?” Gasped Alex. “Here” said Alex “repeat after me cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” He said going through each silly motion. “Heheh, Yes sweet heart I promise.” She said with a chuckle at his antics. “Nooo, you have to do it mom.” Said Alex now standing in the open doorway, arms crossed. “Oh all right, I give.” She sighed submitting to his silly antics. “Now” she said with authority “Get your stuff ready to go, And this time don’t forget your toothbrush.” She walked about the house one last time checking to make sure the windows and back door was locked. Walking back to the front she paused for a moment, frowning slightly at the light in the bathroom, ‘Uh oh’ She thought, picking up, and staring at the orange pill bottle. ‘I hope Hal took his medicine this morning.’ She thought pocketing the bright orange plastic bottle. ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- She sat outside in her mini van as the engine warmed when her son finally came outside, getting in the passenger seat after tossing his bag into the row of seats in the back. ”Did you get everything?” she asked one eyebrow raised. “Yeah I got everything.” he said “Don’t worry Alex We’ll come back.” Said Sonja reassuringly. “You know you don’t have to be ponified right away, you can come with us to the center.” she said before pulling the van onto the road. Alex said nothing as he read his graphic novel “Humanity's Greatest, Tales of dare devilry”, lost in the real life adventures of Hawk & Zorro, and of general Harth. “Honey, remember not to show Lilly that comic of yours.” she said eyes focused on the road ahead. “She doesn’t like some of the things printed by I.H.S.A.” “Hey mom” asked Alex “how come aunt Lilly doesn’t like these books?” Sonja thought for a moment “Shes part of a club.” She said truthfully. ‘P.E.R is a club she thought to herself, one that encourages people to become ponified mind you, but a club nonetheless.’ ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- "Are you sure it's all right if he stays here?" asked the women, her brow furrowed from worry. "It's no problem at all, besides you'll only be gone for seven days." said the smiling brown unicorn mare. "I'm sorry I just hate to burden you like this." said the women, lines of worry somewhat dissipating. "Oh it's no trouble at all, besides how much trouble can a human child be?" Asked the mare. "Lots" sighed the women, grimacing at the scene as a brown haired boy dived off into a gulley, barely escaping the outstretched hoofs of the Pegasus filly in a game of tag. "Why don't you take him with you?" asked the mare. "He doesn't want to be a pony yet, and I'd feel like a monster forcing him to do it." Was all she said before starting her minivan, allowing it to warm up for a moment."Besides Lilly root I think he'll come around once were back, then he can be just like his friends, even Hal thinks it's a good idea, and you know how stubborn he can be." She said with a faint smile."I'm sorry but I have to go. Hal is already waiting at the bureau, and he forgot to get his medicine again." "Goodbye Sonja" Yelled Lilly as the women pulled out into the street speeding off into the distance. Turning around, smiling at the sight of young children playing. --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- "NO FAIR!" yelled the yellow unicorn colt "Dizzy can fly and Alex can do that!" pointing at the smiling child sitting high up in the apple tree. "Oh come on Gam" Alex said with a grin ear to ear on his face "Your a pony, if I'm on the ground you'd outrun me easy." "Yeah 'sides you got magic" said the greenish grey Pegasus perched on the branch above. "OOOHH, I'll show you." said Gam before galloping off, Returning shortly after with a leather bound tome worn with age and hard use, nearly as big as him, shortly after. "Lemme try this one." Smirked the unicorn, horn aglow with a yellow light. 'FZZT' Sparked his horn as his spell fizzled out."Okay then how 'bout this one." he said flipping to another page. With a look of determination, and a grimace of effort his horn was aglow again along with the boy in the tree, as his smirk faded. "GAAAHHH!" Yelped Alex as his body went aglow with the warm yellow glow of magic. He braced himself to be lifted out of the tree, letting out a sigh of relief when it didn't come. "Ha, Guess it didn't work, huh?" "Just wait" said the unicorn, face now adorned with a mischievous grin. "Still waitin, And surprise nuthins happe- -" "WHAAA?" Gasped the child as a breeze pushed him from his perch on the branch, and sent him floating down, gently like a leaf. "Heheehee" Snickered Dizzy, I didn't know you could use a spell like that Gam. "TAG!, Your it" cheered Gam as he Tagged him with a touch of his muzzle, skidding in the grass a little as he spun around putting distance between himself and the human child. "How am I supposed to catch you now?" Said Alex digging his heels into the dirt to keep from being blown away. "I wonder" He said before giving a small test jump "WHOAH!" Yelled Alex gleefully as he shot up into the air grabbing hold of a surprised Dizzy. "Tag your it!" "Way'd to go Gam!" "Now he can catch both of us." She yelled with a mixture of annoyance and glee at the turn of events. "My little ponies *Cough* and little person Be careful." Cried out Lilly from across the field. 'Heh it is true what they say. Humans will use any advantage their given'. She thought cheerily to herself as she smiled as the boy leaped away from the filly, rocketing almost 30 feet off the ground. Before Turing around and trotting off to the house to prepare supper. "Hey Dizzy" Shouted Alex "watch this!" The boy coiled his legs launching himself into the air, catching an up draft Sending him well above the tree tops, The view was beautiful He could see all of the clearing he could even see over the waving tree tops "Huh?!?" Was all he could say before Another mighty gust of wind pushed him higher 'This isn't fun anymore' he thought to himself as the warm buzz of magic left him. The feeling of his weight returning to him, grasping him like a great weighted hand, as he Fell, fast. ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Dizzy had been swooping and diving after Gam and Alex, but they would wait till the last moment before diving out of the way, or leaping like to side. "HEY DIZZY" "WATCH THIS" Said Alex before catching an updraft and rocketing upwards With a look of exhilaration Before turning to a look of horror as another Powerful gust sent him much higher. He screamed as the yellow glow of magic Faded away, along with the color from his face . 'Oh NO, what do I do!' thought Dizzy thinking back to her flying lessons. 'Hope this works on humans as well as ponies!’ ,She thought to herself, as she flew faster than she ever had before, Forelegs outstretched sliding under his flailing arms. "I GOTCHA!"yelled Dizzy in triumph. She Gasped and grunted with effort from the sudden weight, fighting to stay in the air. "Your really heavy!" she grunted and strained with effort. 'Come on Dizzy you can do this, just a little more and we'll be back on the ground.' Her sore and tired wings would have none of it though, As they fell to the earth in a heap. " Alex you OK?" panted Dizzy. "Heh, Guess I'm it." Was all he said. "OhmyGosh are you ok?" asked Gam As he Galloped over, a lingering cloud of dust settling behind him as he came to a stop."I Shouldn't have used magic on you Alex.""I'm Sorry." Alex only grinned as he reached up, placing a hand on his friends head, Before Replying with a playful grin "Tag your it."