//------------------------------//
// A Dinner Conversation 
// Story: Conversion Bureau: A Girl's Wish 
// by Lux 
//------------------------------//


The Conversion Bureau




A

Girl's     

  Wish

By Lux

Chapter Two – A Dinner Conversation


   That evening, Penny and her parents took part in the family routine of sitting down together for dinner. Ever since she was a child this was always what happened during the evenings. In fact the only time she ever knew that this didn’t happen was once she got the flu and had to stay in bed. That was a few years ago, yet the memory of not being able to have dinner was still clear in her mind.

The time was very clockwork. Penny would be either doing her homework at the kitchen table or watching a cartoon on the television while her mom would be preparing the meal for the evening. Then promptly at six her father would arrive and immediately the three would have dinner. It was not only a time for eating but also a time for sharing in each other’s lives. To Penny it was like story time, except that they were the characters.

“So how was your day at the park?” her father asked while helping himself to some peas.

“Oh it was really fun!” Penny said, “and I met a new friend, Swift.”

“Who’s Swift, honey?” her mom asked.

“Oh she’s really nice! And she’s a Pegasus which is cool because I like them.”

Penny’s mom and dad looked at each other.  They didn’t know what to think of what their daughter said. Both knew that Penny had an active imagination, and that combined with her love of pegasai, it all could just be Penny playing with an imaginary friend. On the other hand, the two knew there were pegasai, real ones, out there as well as unicorns and earth ponies as well. They had watched the news about how the island nation of Equestria merged with Earth. They had heard about how there were places called Conversion Bureaus where humans could go and become ponies.

Yet even though they knew all of this, they kept it away from Penny.  It wasn’t that they were ashamed or afraid of ponies, but they felt that they should let Penny stay in her blissful state for a while, free of the complex life that existed beyond her home, school, and park.

“So, you met a Pegasus friend in the park?” his father said, “Maybe you should invite her over. Then we could meet her too.”

“That sounds great daddy!” Penny said, “I’ll ask her when I go back to the park.”

“Ok honey,” her mother said, “we’ll be going back there in a few days. Now enjoy your dinner.”

Penny ate her food with a smile, happy that her parents were OK with her new friend. Her parents were interested in seeing this new pony that Penny had met at the park.

That night, Penny dreamed. It was the same dream she had for almost a year, only this time it was slightly different. She dreamed that she was a Pegasus, the same color as Peggy. She was flying through a clear sky, feeling happy and free. Then something new entered her dream - or someone new to be exact.

Her new friend, Swift, appeared. “Hey there, Penny! Wanna race?” With that, she flew after her friend into the horizon.