A tense peace between Earth and Equestria is established as human and pony society is slowly integrated. But can two vastly different species really coexist or is it only a matter of time before one dominates the other?
For a time, it looked as though Earth would be completely subsumed by Equestria. The magical barrier advanced to overtake the entire planet, consuming all it touched. Then suddenly, it stopped.
Earth and Equestria have combined into a strange hybrid-world, two different planets in one. In the heartland of the United States, things are beginning to return to normal for the humans there as it seems the threat of imminent ponification has passed. But for the ponies of the Conversion Bureaus, it means something else entirely...
"All right son, now take it easy," the unicorn doctor instructed the human. "This is for your own good. Just relax."
Seventeen-year old Nathan Sheffield wasn't relaxing; he was panicking. Strapped to a hospital bed in a small room of a conversion center, he struggled against the restraints that bound his hands and legs. He pulled at the wrappings that held him down to no avail.
"It's no use, you might as well calm down." The white unicorn in a lab coat turned to him. Glowing yellow and levitating near his head was a silver spoon filled to the brim with some purple liquid. Nathan eyed the spoon as he felt his heart race. He buttoned his lip as tight as he could.
"Open wide. It tastes like cotton candy... I'm told," the doctor encouraged him, advancing slowly. Nathan didn't stop struggling; he rotated his wrist to try to loosen the wrappings holding him down. Still, no success. He breathed heavily through his nose as the unicorn hovered over him with a friendly smile.
Suddenly, Nathan felt his lips tingling. His entire mouth glowed yellow and opened as if being pried apart by some sort of invisible fingers. The spoon quickly floated over to him entered his mouth; the purple concoction bathed his tongue and went down his throat. The doctor was right: it tasted like cotton candy. Nathan ended his struggling abruptly and lay in the bed, waiting for the inevitable. The fight for his humanity was over and he had lost.
"There we go! Now, once the process has taken full effect, we can get you out of those clothes and get you down to orientation. Believe me, you'll love being a pony," the unicorn doctor told him.
"You son of a bitch," he cursed the doctor. If he could spit, he would've spit in the unicorn's face.
"Language!" the doctor said, slightly appalled. "This is good for you, good for all humans. You'll thank me one day."
"Go to hell!" Nathan yelled. He started crying a little but lacked the energy to bawl. He didn't want to be a pony, he just wanted to go home and see his mother and father. Would he ever see them again? What would they say when they saw him as a pony? What would they think? They probably wouldn't even recognize him.
"Now, we'll just wait for the potion to take effect and then the transformation process will begin. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes," the doctor said, turning his back to him. Nathan didn't respond, what was the use? In a matter of minutes, he was going to be walking on four legs. What kind of pony would he be? How many types were there? He pushed these uncomfortable thoughts out of his mind and focused on his family. He pictured his home clearly in his mind and tried to think back to a time when he was truly happy.
Ten minutes passed. Nathan lay there and breathed as he was strapped to the bed. Nothing was happening. What was wrong? The doctor watched him. More than once, he caught him looking at the clock that hung above the door. Ten more minutes passed and still nothing. The unicorn doctor walked over to his side and put a hoof to his chin.
Nathan's mouth glowed and popped open quickly. "You took it all, right? You swallowed every drop?" How did he expect the teenager to answer with his mouth stuck open? The doctor didn't wait for an answer, he turned back to the counter behind him and retrieved the spoon. Carefully, he poured more of the purple substance into it from a vial and turned back to Nathan.
"I'm pretty sure I got the dosage right. It's not like it takes that much of this stuff anyway." Nathan's jaw was forced open for a third time and the spoon was shoved in again, this time with a little more force. Again, Nathan swallowed every drop of the liquid, he had no choice.
"You didn't spit the last dose out when I wasn't looking, did you?" the doctor asked. Nathan didn't answer, didn't say anything this time. His chest felt heavy and his limbs ached. Sweat trickled down his face and once again, the two very different creatures in the small room waited for something to happen. Nothing did.
Nathan's eyes were glued to the clock above the doorway. The doctor himself glanced over a couple times, an ever-growing look of concern on his face each time he turned back. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Twenty-five minutes after Nathan had ingested the strange ponifying potion, the doctor finally turned away from him again.
"This is peculiar. It's... definitely not supposed to take this long. I'll be back in a few minutes," the unicorn said. Why was he telling Nathan this? They were turning him into a pony by force, why be nice? The door opened, the doctor stepped through and it closed behind him. Nathan was alone. His heart racing, he returned his attention to the straps holding him down. He didn't know what was going on and he didn't care. There was a chance he could walk out of here on two legs and he was taking it.
Doctor White Veil was a unicorn of science. Since getting employed by PER, or Ponification for Earth's Rebirth, White Veil had enjoyed ponifying dozens of humans. While each case had been entirely different, they had all ended with the good doctor making a new friend. Some had even been chosen to work with him at here at the conversion center with him.
He went to see one of them now, Nurse Sliver Lining. He down the hallway to her station, only a few doors down from the room he left the current subject in.
"Silver, you have the results on number twenty-two's blood work?"
The silver Pegasus colt turned to him. "Sure, we ready for the orientation?" The nurse was assuming that the transformation process was completed and that they were ready for the next phase.
White Veil put a hoof behind his neck. "Not exactly," he admitted.
Silver Lining raised an eyebrow. "We having difficulties? You want me to call security?"
"Not that kind of difficulty, Silver. I just need to see his blood work and records."
"Okay..." the nurse said skeptically. He hooved him manila folder containing the patient's data. For some reason, White Veil thought back to Silver Lining, formerly Sylvester Linus's own transformation. The human known as Sylvester had worked in the same hospital the conversion center had been made out of. His memory of the hospital's layout had chosen to be preserved but the other parts of his identity had been suppressed along with various other random human behavioral traits.
White Veil had seen many bipeds transformed into efficient, hard-working ponies. He enjoyed his job. It was a simple process: catalogue the information on each subject, administer the potion, make sure they take it and then get them started on their new lives. But what happened when the subject didn't transform? He had a feeling nopony knew the answer. This was the first time it had ever happened.
Ponification was necessary to save humanity. While it had to be done in secret and at times against the will of the subject, it was nevertheless a necessity. It was either that or see humanity wiped off the face of the Earth. Surely ponification was a saving grace?
"What's going on in there, exactly?" Silver asked, worried.
"I'd tell you if I knew, Silver. The potion isn't working." The doctor flipped through the folder.
Silver flew a pace backwards at the statement. "Not working? What do you mean?"
"I really wish I knew. Maybe there's something different about his records, something we missed."
"That... that shouldn't make a difference, should it? I mean, it's worked on every other primate so far. We only gather data for research purposes." Silver flew back over and looked over the doctor's shoulder.
"I don't know, Silver, I just don't know. There just might be something in his medical history, resistance to conversion or something." But there wasn't. Nathan Sheffield, age seventeen. Race, Caucasian. Born right here in the city. Nothing exceptional popped up in his vitals.
"What about his known allergies?" White Veil asked.
"There on the back," Silver said. The doctor flipped the folder over to examine secondary information. Wasn't much there anyway but a side note had been written in: difficulty taking medicine. According to this additional information, he had a history of trouble digesting various forms of prescribed liquid forms of medication. A possible link?
"Has the potion always been administered as a liquid?" White Veil put a hoof to his chin, thinking.
Silver nodded. "We don't have the equipment to process it any other way. If you want, I can put in a request for-"
"No, that's not necessary," the doctor shot down the idea. Alerting the higher-ups to this problem was the last thing they wanted to do given recent setbacks. Conversion had been made illegal recently following the halting of the magic barrier that separated both worlds. If humans caught them still doing it, it would only cause more violence.
"We don't have the capabilities to transfer the potion into a solid form. We need another way for it to be absorbed into his system..." the doctor thought.
"Will inhalation work?" Silver suggested.
"We might try that. All right, take some of the potion and see if we can transfer it to vapor form. I'm going to check on him now, get a few gas doses and we'll see if that doesn't work."
"Right away, doctor." The Pegasus turned back to his station and began working as White Veil walked back to the room. Sylvester had been one of the few who willingly had been ponified back when it was still considered something of a voluntary saving grace rather than a curse. Things had changed since then; the barrier had stopped. All the fear of Earth being transformed had disappeared, the need for conversion centers was gone overnight.
Earth and Equestria had entered a stable state, half of the world was ponified and half was Earth. A portal to the first Equestria existed on the ponified side, a place that felt very far away to White Veil. Ponies had entered Earth society, even some of the ponified humans themselves but the conversion process was permanent. Ponified humans had very little memory of who they once were, Silver Lining included. White Veil knew he had a family though, one he would go home and see tonight. He was sworn to secrecy about what he did during the day though.
Despite the fact that it looked like Earth wasn't going to be subsumed by Equestria, conversion still went on, though in secret now. Princess Celestia secretly decreed that conversion was to take place in specialized centers, that "Earth's Rebirth" would still happen. Until then, ponies and humans had to live together in the few cities that were left untouched by the magic of Equestria. But every day, there were fewer and fewer humans thanks to ponies like White Veil.
Dr. White Veil held the folder with his magic as he reentered the office.
"All right," he said, eyes focused on the medical chart. "we're going to try something a little different seeing as you..." he trailed off. The white unicorn looked to the hospital bed and just noticed that he was alone in the room. The bindings on the table had been ripped loose, cut in a crud fashion. A silver spoon lay on the bed, bent at an odd angle to the side.
The doctor levitated it up to examine it. "Son of a bitch," he muttered.
Pressed flat on the roof of a convenience store, Sandra looked through her binoculars at the building across the street. She'd seen enough of the ponies enter and exit to suggest this was the place she was looking for. It seemed like there were two by the entrance, one just behind the double doors and one just outside them at all times. So the building had security but didn't look like it.
She was wearing plain clothes, not necessarily stealthy considering the job ahead of her. According to the rumors Sandra had heard, the place in front of her, a former hospital, was now a conversion center. While most of them had closed down almost a year ago after the barrier stopped, rumors had persisted that some still operated in secret. Sandra was staking out the location to determine whether those rumors were true.
Finally, she got an answer. A team of three pegasi descended from sky and landed on the roof top. An unconscious human was carried by them, a clear sign if ever there was one. They quickly carried the human through the door on the rooftop of the building and the door closed behind them, all without making a sound. Sandra watched the rooftop door carefully for a few minutes. Soon after, the three pegasi reemerged from the door and took off to the sky again in a hurry. The door swung shut behind them.
Bingo, that was her way in. Carefully, she got up from her position and climbed off the roof of the convenience store. Central City was currently being repopulated by humans and ponies, large sections of the city still saw little traffic. The city had been evacuated when it looked like it was going to be consumed by the barrier but for a reason Sandra didn't know, the barrier had stopped just outside the city limits. She still remained cautious of being seen by anyone or anypony as she crossed the street to the side of the hospital.
A ladder in the alleyway conveniently led to the roof. She couldn't help looking over her shoulder as she climbed it, scanning the skies for any sign of the pegasi in case they returned early. It was the middle of the day and the sky was covered in overcast. The pegasi could easily hide in the clouds while it would be only too easy to spot a human female on the side of the building. In hindsight, she should've waited until twilight hours; maybe she could've used the darkness to her advantage. But she'd made her decision; it was now or never.
She got to the top of the roof and approached the door. As she suspected, the pegasi had left too hastily and the door hadn't closed shut all the way, allowing her access inside. Sandra opened the door and entered. The stairway beyond was dimly lit; she descended it carefully.
The hospital only had two floors and wasn't very large. Sandra was unarmed except for some light classes in boxing and tae-bow. She wouldn't be able to defend herself from pony magic anyway. If she got caught, that was it, there would be no second chance. She had to get her hands on the conversion serum somehow.
She reached the entrance to the second floor. She didn't know the layout of the hospital or have any idea of where the serum would be. She was guessing and had no exit strategy; the only thing prompting her to go through with this was the fact she had no other options. Sandra pressed herself up against the set of wooden double doors that led into a wing of the hospital. Looking through a window on the door, she saw the hallway beyond was well-lit, clean. Sterile. No sign of any ponies though. Carefully, she pushed the door open and entered.
Doors lined the hallway to the sides. Sandra noticed there were circular holes in the sides of them as she passed. Not all ponies could open doors with magic easily so handles and knobs were generally removed in equine-controlled areas. She didn't know which room she'd find the serum in so after passing a couple doors, she randomly picked one to her right. It creaked as she opened it.
"Hel... help... me," a voice called to her. Strapped to a bed in front of her was a human, apparently the one who she saw get carried in. He was a younger man, Sandra had to guess he was in his early twenties. From the looks of him, he was already undergoing the ponification process.
"Please... help," he begged. His skin was a pale shade of blue, slowly turning to sky-blue. His hair was a mismatched color of darker blue and brown and darker spots of blue adorned his face. His limbs had been tied down with straps. He reached a hand out to Sandra who stood, stunned momentarily in the doorway. His right hand was missing two fingers and the others were nubs, his arm was thicker around the wrist than it should've been. Despite being confined, he still reached out with his deformed hand begging the woman in the doorway to save him.
Sandra ignored him. If she'd had a pistol, that would've been different. There was nothing anyone could do for the young man now. She moved to the counter and began looking for the serum. She knew it would be in some sort of vial or flask, easy to administer. Opening drawers didn't reveal anything, only the standard hospital tools and supplies were what she found..
"Where is the serum?" she asked the young man. "The conversion serum, where do they keep it?"
"Please... help me," he pleaded, his voice straining. Sandra didn't turn around. "Please..."
"I'm sorry... I can't help you now. But please, tell me where the serum is." Silence answered her. "They must have some in this room. Now please, do you know where it is? Any of it, a single dose?" she sighed and asked again. Once more, she received no response.
Sandra turned around. A blue unicorn was on the table, he quietly examined the straps tying him down. His horn glowed blue and a cabinet door behind Sandra creaked open. She turned to it, inside was a glass quart-sized bottle full of a purple liquid. The ponification serum. She grabbed the bottle and turned back to the unicorn.
"Thank you... thank you very much."
"You're welcome... um,... where are we?" the colt asked, looking around. Sandra felt a lump in her throat; she turned and exited the small room without saying another word.
She cautiously opened the door, looking both up and down the hallway before stepping out.
"Do you know why I'm tied up?" the blue unicorn asked as she stepped out, the door closing behind her. The hallway was still completely vacant. Sandra put the purple bottle in her jacket pocket as she made her way back to the stairs. Things couldn't have gone better; she was going to get in and out with a sample of the serum and the ponies had no idea. All she had to do was get back to the roof without being-
"Let me go! Get off of me, let me go!" Sandra heard the voice echoing off the stairwell walls just as she reached the double doors. The three pegasi were returning with yet another victim. She turned around quickly and dashed to a room nearby, pushed the door open and entered.
This room was dark too but thankfully didn't appear occupied. Her heart was racing as she did her best to quiet her breathing. What if the pegasi brought the new arrival right to the room she was in? It seemed fortune was with her. She heard the three fliers carry the unfortunate captive down the hall, eventually the sound of the struggling and flapping faded into the distance. She released the breath she'd been holding.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" a voice behind her asked. Panic set in, she quickly turned to face the other occupant she hadn't noticed. A hand reached out and flipped the light switch beside her.
"Did you escape too?" Standing in front of Sandra was a young man, he looked to be around the same age as the last young man she walked in on.
"I... yes," she lied. Her hand consciously brushed the serum bottle in her coat pocket. "I think the stairwell's just at the other end of the hall. We might be able to make it before those pegasi come back."
"The pegasi are the flying ones?" the teen asked.
Sandra turned back to the door. "Yes, they're the ones with wings," she explained. "We need to go now while they're not out."
"All right," the young man replied.
She turned back to him. "Face front, keep running, follow me," she instructed.
He nodded, understanding. She turned back around when suddenly glowed and started opening on its own.
"Who's in there?" a voice asked. The young man reached out and grabbed the hole where the doorknob was supposed to be, pulling the door back. Sandra backed away as the teen fought against the force to keep the door closed.
"Open the do- Security! Silver, get me-" The young man was losing the battle in the doorway, Sandra could see. He did the unpredictable in that moment, he pushed the door instead of pulled. The force of the door yanked him out and he fell on a white unicorn standing in front of it. They both fell to the floor, some sort of vial in midair dropped to the ground and exploded. A purple cloud enveloped the two and they started coughing.
"Bipedal *cough* bastard, that was my only *cough*" the unicorn tried to speak. Sandra took that moment to run outside. She grabbed the young man by the arm and pulled him off the floor before the gas cloud dissipated. She started running, pulling the young man as he desperately broke into a stride of his own. They ran for the double doors.
"Get *cough* back" the unicorn couldn't see either of them as they entered the stairwell. They didn't stop running until they were on the roof.
"This way! Over here!" Sandra called to the kid as the door to the roof closed. He was still coughing and breathing hard. "My car's just across the street. Come on!"
They descended the ladder and ran across the street. There was no activity from the hospital, no guards exited, no pegasi. Sandra knew they wouldn't raise an alarm; if the general public found out conversion was still going on, it would start a panic, maybe a war. She couldn't believe she got in and out so easily. The kid was a complication if he slowed her down but she wasn't going to leave another human behind. Not if she could help it.
They entered and started her black SUV. Before the kid even closed the passenger's side door, she was pulling out onto the road. She quickly drove down the street and turned the corner at an intersection. Within moments, the 'hospital' was behind them.
"Where do you live?" she asked. She couldn't take him to her apartment; with any luck, the ponies had even seen her. She had the sample of the serum she needed, now it was best to put as much distance between her and the young man as possible.
The kid coughed again. "Amber Glow Meadows... it's on near Gully Street and the high school."
"I can take you as far as Gully, from there you'll have to walk." She couldn't risk them tracing her car to him.
"What if they find me again?"
She kept her eyes on the road as she drove. "They're not going to come get you in the middle of a repopulation zone. I'm guessing they got you in the first place because you were alone, right?" Sandra asked.
The teen was silent for a moment. "There's a lot of the city still left... abandoned. There's plenty of stuff to find if you know where to look."
Sandra raised an eyebrow. "You were looting?"
"Yeah..." he admitted. She'd heard rumors some kids went into the barrier zones to scavenge, steal things. "Three of the flying ones-"
"Pegasi," she corrected.
"Whatever. We just call them flyers or wingers. They picked me up while I was on the way home. Dropped all my stuff." While most of the city had been repopulated, the areas closes to the barrier and some of the larger buildings still didn't see the traffic they used to. There was plenty of trouble a high school student could get into if they were foolhardy enough.
"How'd they get you?"
She quickly thought of something. "I... I used to work at the convenience store across the street, I stopped to pick up something." That explained why her car was parked across the street and why she was so far from the human-populated areas.
"So you just stopped to pick up something?" he asked, skepticism in his voice.
"Eeyup," she replied.
"Right... well, thank you for... saving me. And for the ride."
"You're welcome. What's your name?" she asked.
"Nathan, Nathan Sheffield. What's your name?"
"That wasn't part of the deal," she replied.
"What?" he turned to her in surprise.
"You don't need to know my name," she informed him. "Just stay out of the barrier zones and stick close to home. Don't go out alone. And don't mention what happened to anyone. Not your parents, not your friends, nobody and definitely nopony."
"But... we have to tell people about this," he argued.
She glanced at him briefly. "If you do that, you'll make yourself a target, they'll find you and you'll be on four legs, dining on oats before you can say giddy up."
He was silent as he thought of the implications. "What do we do then? We can't let them get away with this."
Sandra felt the weight of the potion in her coat pocket. "Kid... they already have."
It was late when Nathan finally got back to his house. As the strange woman had said, she dropped him off at the corner of the street so he'd had to walk all the way home. He tried to keep his eyes on the sidewalk but he couldn't help but look up and over his shoulder every now and then. The pegasi could be anywhere, could catch him from any direction. The thought of them coming for him at home in his sleep occupied his thoughts and made his stomach feel uncomfortable.
The sun went down as he arrived home, he was happy to feel the handle on the door as he opened it.
"I'm home... mom? Dad?" he called to his parents.
His father turned around the corner of the kitchen in front of him. "Nathan, where have you been?" His mother descended the stairway near the kitchen.
"I was at Dave's," he lied. He'd told his parents he was going to his friend's house when he went out to scavenge.
"We weren't expecting you to be gone for so long," his father said, walking over to him. "I want you to call when you're going to be out past six."
He met his fathers eyes. "I'm sorry, dad. I got distracted, lost track of time. I'm sorry." The two hugged. He couldn't tell his father how happy he was to see him, how overcome with relief he was just to be home. "I love you, dad."
"Love you too, Nathan," his father replied. "I want you to be more careful, though. People are still moving back into the city. It can get pretty dangerous out there."
"I know dad, it won't happen again." That was the truth. He was giving up scavenging. It wasn't like he'd found anything interesting or useful anyway. The next time he told his parents he was going to his friend's house... he would actually go to his friend's house.
"Did you have fun with your friends?" his mother asked. Without answering, he hugged her next. "Oh, happy to have you home, sweetie. We saved you some dinner, it's in the fridge." It was pretty much the warmest embrace he'd ever felt with his parents. It wasn't uncommon for him to show his parents' affection but at the moment, the fact he still had arms made each moment all the more special.
"Thanks mom," he said, releasing her. Dinner sounded wonderful but he really didn't feel hungry. Whatever the stuff it was that they'd forced down his throat at the conversion center combined with the stuff he'd inhaled had made his appetite disappear. Still, he managed to microwave a slice of leftover pizza and wolf it down. He savored the pepperoni slices; the thought of being a four-legged vegetarian was horrifying.
After dinner, he went to his room, closed the door and just lay in his bed fully-clothed. He stared at the ceiling for a good few minutes in thought. Tomorrow was a school day for him; with so many people readjusting to their old lives, the school schedule was still taking time to get back in place. Nathan didn't have any homework or assignments do. He tried to think of something to preoccupy his time. Television, video games, reading... nothing felt like it was normal, like the way it was.
Equestria intruding into Earth had changed everything. It was a fact that still wrapped some people's minds. Two different worlds occupying the same space at the same time in two different dimensions. Years ago, a hole had been made between dimensions and magic from Equestria had poured in. This strange energy spread like a virus, turning anything in touched into some form of itself. But when it encountered something it couldn't convert, it erased it. This was true for higher life forms, including humans. For a time, it seemed like Earth would become a second Equestria and humanity would simply be wiped off of it.
Ponies, the inhabitants of Equestria, passed beyond the barrier when they realized what was happening. An alliance between humans and these aliens had been made and quickly both groups searched for a solution to their problem. The only one that had been found was to modify magic using human technology in an effort to change humans into ponies. It was either that or see an entire world's worth of people simply erased from existence.
It was discovered humans could be changed into ponies by combining magic to human and pony DNA. A serum had been created and administered to the population. Conversion Bureaus had been established to make the transition easier. Entire families had been converted and relocation to the converted Earth had been established. It wasn't easy but it looked as though the only way humanity would be saved is if they were changed. But not all humans wanted to be saved.
Some countries flat-out refused to allow the ponies to build Conversion Bureaus. Others didn't even allow ponies to cross their borders. And still, too many people fled the advancing magic barrier making organizing a system of conversion harder. Some countries attacked the barrier, hoping to stop it. None succeeded; all that did not flee from the barrier were consumed. These things complicated the situation but didn't slow it down until the Conversion Bureaus themselves came under attack.
Armed extremists began attacking Conversion Bureaus, believing paranoid stories. Humanity rebelled against the inevitable itself in acts of random violence that might otherwise have been called inspiring. But there was nothing inspirational about innocent lives being lost and soon the ponies were forced to react. Under the guidance of their ruler, Princess Celestia, conversion became mandatory. Humans would be forced to undergo conversion in order to save their very lives. But this still wasn't enough.
Relocated ponified individuals kept their human natures. Violence spread on both sides until Equestria was forced to take even more drastic measures. The serum was modified to effect human memory, to erase all memories of Earth and humans. While it preserved their personality, their nature, their memories of their lives before ponification were completely erased in most cases. Humans would've probably reacted even more violently at this new process of forced ponification if any the majority of them had heard about it. However, soon after the process was implemented, the barrier stopped.
All of a sudden, a switch flipped. The world watched for weeks to see if the barrier would start moving again. It never did. Conversion Bureaus and centers closed overnight and ponies began helping humans return to their homes and lives. Thousands of people had chosen conversion, some of them began immigrating back to Earth. Soon, pony and human life became integrated as the leaders of the world allied with Equestria to rebuild society. Some in Equestria were not so sure humanity should be rebuilt, though.
While the barrier had stopped, the princess ordered that the process of conversion continue only in secret. If it became public again, humans would only lash out again with the same violence as before. But if it ceased all together, the process would only repeat itself when the barrier began its advance again. Why it had halted was unknown but Celestia believed that it was only a matter of time before it started once more. So what the ponies were doing was to take advantage of the opportunity.
Nathan tossed and turned in his bed. The rumors that conversion was still going on were true. Was he really to believe what that woman told him, that telling anyone about it would make him a target? Could he live with this secret? What was normal life anymore? What was the point of doing anything if they were just going to haul him back to that center and convert him one day?
He tried not to think about it. His clothes still smelled a bit of that strange gas he'd been exposed to. His parents probably hadn't noticed because it smelled like cotton candy. That was the last thing he wanted to smell or taste now. He undressed, pulled the blinds closed on his windows and climbed into bed. In the comfort and warmth of his own home, his own bed, Nathan Sheffield let the uncomfortable thoughts that plagued him simply slip away. He coughed one last time, noticing his breath smelled like cotton candy. But he was too tired to let this bother him; he fell asleep.
White Veil paced back and fourth in his office. There was no way he could get out of this, no way he could avoid the fact that not only did a human in fact escape but also seems to be immune to ponification. He knew his superiors were in the building right now waiting to practically interrogate him on every last detail. Part of him felt like crawling under his desk and pretending he wasn't there.
The door to his office opened. "Doctor? They're ready for you," Silver Lining said through the doorway.
"I'll be right there," he replied, swallowing hard. Using his magic, he picked up the folder containing the immune subject's information and stored it in his cabinet. The file contained his name and his complete medical history and profile up until relocation. But that was the problem: with relocation happening, both human and pony records were mixed up. While they had plenty of information about Nathan Sheffield, nothing had been recorded after his relocation. These huge gaps meant they had no clue as to his current location or that of his family. Finding him would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack after the haystack had been picked up and dropped in the same place.
Dr. White Veil walked down the hallway with Silver Lining flying next to him. He thought of what he could say, the ways he could say it to try and make it seem like this wasn't his fault. The rooftop door should've been locked, security should've responded faster, the doors to the stairwell should've been guarded. Ultimately though, the Conversion Center was his responsibility and that included all its operations. He decided he would use the fact he was in charge to take however much they blamed him with an amount of confidence.
The two entered a large conference room at the other end of the hallway. A purple-maned yellow earth pony mare sat at the end of a long table. In the center of the table and a bit out of place was a vase of flowers. Silver Lining remained outside and closed the door behind White Veil.
"Dr. White Veil," the director announced. "It seems there's been an incident recently." The doctor had to look around the vase to get a good look at her. Administrator Clarabelle hadn't set hoof into this center since White Veil had been in charge, to his knowledge. But he'd spoken with her before; she was the Director of Conversion on this part of Earth.
He didn't know how much she knew. "Yes, unfortunately one of the subjects escaped yesterday." He had to phrase his words carefully. The director had been known for making harsh decisions. These were difficult times and upsetting the wrong ponies ended with severe consequences. Nothing quite as stern as being banished to the moon or being turned to stone but being the manager of a conversion center wasn't a position you walked away from. Not with your memories intact anyway.
"With knowledge of our operations," the mare added. She looked up at him with a cold stare, eyes almost unblinking through a pair of clear half-circle spectacles. It made the doctor prickle as if more than one pair of eyes were upon him at the same time.
"This is a major breach of security," she continued. "That human knows the location of this city's primary conversion center. If he goes public with the information that humans are still being converted, we could face more than just our operations being jeopardized." The mare got up as she spoke, her voice almost aggressive. "Humans are violent animals, the most violent Equestria has ever seen. They will lash out at us as some of them have before. This incident could literally start a war." She let the last of her words hang in the air a moment.
The doctor thought quickly. "The... the subject, he was only an adolescent. There's a chance that he might not tell anyone. Something could've happened to him in his escape, authorities might not take his-"
"I didn't ask for your assessment on the situation, doctor," the director interrupted. "We do not have time for excuses. Measures are being taken at this moment to take care of your escaped subject. What you have been summoned for is another matter. Tell me," she removed her glasses. "Why did you synthesize an airborne variant of the serum?"
So they did know about that. There was no use trying to hide it now. "The... the subject, the one who escaped," he swallowed midsentence, "didn't respond to the serum. I'm not entirely sure why and our records were-"
"Didn't respond?" Clarabelle interrupted. "What do you mean by that?"
"It, the serum, it didn't work. I gave him two doses of it and nothing happened. His medical records, everything we could find, indicated he's had a history of difficulty digesting liquid forms of medicine. But we don't have any of the pills here so I had Silver Lining transfer it to a gas so he could inhale it."
"So you had him inhale a dose? Then what happened?" Clarabelle asked.
"I tried to administer the dose," the doctor clarified. "He bumped into me and I dropped it. The only dose I had and it smashed all over the floor. I wasn't able to administer it."
The director turned to him. "He didn't inhale any of it? Are you sure he wasn't exposed at all?"
The doctor thought. They were pretty close and the stuff did get everywhere. "He... might've been exposed to some of it, I suppose."
Clarabelle looked down again, deep in thought. "There's a reason we administer the serum in liquid form, doctor. It's to avoid possible side effects."
"Side effects?" the doctor asked, confused.
"We've considered more drastic measures before. Gassing the entire population, applying it to the water supply or mixing it in with food. Single-dose administration in liquid form is the only way that we're capable of transforming the subject. All others have produced... unexpected results," the director explained. "You've introduced an unnecessary complication."
Doctor Veil didn't know what to say. He'd been given little information when he'd been assigned the position. Why had none of this been explained to him? Unexpected results? Nopony had told him what to do if the subject didn't respond to the serum. He knew he'd be forced to take the blame for something he wasn't entirely responsible for... but not something that was somepony else's fault.
"Why wasn't I told the serum couldn't be changed? I'm a medical doctor; when treatment doesn't produce the desired results, I seek an alternative," he justified his case. "I should've been informed that the potion could only be administered in liquid doses. As far as the subject escaping, this facility needs more security," he decided to add. What did he have to lose?
The director was quiet again. The two stood in front of each other almost like two predatory animals sizing each other up. Doctor White Veil didn't break eye contact as the director stared at him, unblinking. He was nervous and he knew the director knew it. But he also stood by what he said.
"You're correct, doctor," she finally said. "That was an oversight. It shall not happen again."
Was that an apology? Doctor Veil was even more confused but now, sort of relieved.
The director began walking around him. "A lot has happened since the barrier stopped moving. But our mission remains the same: Earth and its inhabitants will be reborn as a second Equestria. Humanity is a form of chaos that must be controlled. Our methods have had to change and they are about to change again. This conversion center is shutting down."
"Shutting down?" he echoed. He almost felt his heart stop and the relief vanished. What was going to happen to him?
"Yes doctor," she confirmed. "This facility's going to be used to transfer the serum into a gas. You'll continue to oversee operations with increased personnel, security and equipment."
The doctor found himself shocked again, at a loss for words. If the gas version of the serum produced 'side effects', why were they planning on making more of it? That's the question he wanted to ask but the most he was able to get was, "I don't understand."
"As you said doctor, when one form of treatment doesn't work, we seek an alternative. You're now going to be responsible for the production of that alternative. In the next few days, more staff will be added to your roster and more equipment will arrive. You are dismissed," the director said, gesturing towards out of the room.
Doctor White Veil opened the door and exited without another word. His aide, Nurse Silver Lining was waiting on the other side for him. The Pegasus smiled at him as he stepped through.
"So, how did it go, doc?"
"I'm not sure, really."
"Heh," the Pegasus chuckled as he hovered. "Been hearing that a lot lately."
The doctor had to admit his friend was right. "It looks like we're still in business. And we're going to be getting some extra hooves around here, it seems."
"Finally!" the nurse said. "We've been understaffed since they started relocation. Hopefully now, we'll be able to relax a bit."
The doctor looked over to his friend. His eyes, a steel blue, were the same color as they'd been when he'd been converted, one of the only similarities the Pegasus he'd once been. Sylvester Linus had been an exceptional, hard-working nurse for a biped. It was something that thankfully had carried over after he'd been converted. His memories about his past life were gone; he had no recollection of ever being human but his personality had been preserved. Doctor Veil wondered if they'd be having the same conversation if he hadn't transformed Sylvester Linus into the pony known as Silver Lining. Would they still be friends?
The two were quiet as they returned to their hospital duties and prepared to get very busy in the coming days.
Back in the conference room, Director Clarabelle closed the door. She looked around the room and focused on the flower vase in the center of the table.
"You're being awfully quiet," she said to the vase.
The vase rotated in response. "What's left to say?" the figure on the side asked.
"You're head of security. What do you think about Dr. White Veil? You think he's going to accept his new role?"
The vase spun rapidly and the figure flew off of it. Materializing in the room and standing a good bit taller than the director was a draconequus Clarabelle knew of from legend and most recently for requesting his specific assignment to this position.
Discord folded his arms. "Seems we've all been forced to accept new roles recently, whether we like it or not. Having a taste for the theatrical like myself, I'm usually able to excel in such things. Perhaps we should recommend the doctor take acting lessons?" he suggested with a flourish.
Clarabelle raised an unamused eyebrow.
"Fine, fine!" Discord through his arms up in exasperation. "You have no sense of humor. I'm certain the doctor will be perfectly happy with his new role as will the other current staff." He added excluding myself in his mind.
"Good. I want you to send out security to search for our missing subject and bring him back here. If he's immune, we'll need to study his resistance and determine the best course of action. He's not likely the only one who will be immune," the director said.
Discord put a claw to his chin. "Actually, I think I'd like to search for the young man on my own. As the doctor said, the hospital does need more security. Besides, it's likely I'll have an easier time looking for him then the others."
"Looking for an excuse to escape yourself?" the director asked. "I know about your nightly little sojourns."
How did she know about that? "I... just enjoy an opportunity now and then to stretch my legs."
Clarabelle looked deep in thought for a moment. "So be it. Return with the subject. You are dismissed."
Discord saluted, spun around and vanished. She treated him like any other subordinate. He was a being of pure chaos! In ages past, Discord ruled Equestria in a state of disharmony. Not long ago, he'd turned over a new leaf and vowed to respect the ponies and their harmony. But the way things were going now, it seemed like everypony was obsessed with controlling everything. At one time, Discord might've enjoyed Equestria's forcing of change upon the human populace but now...
It seemed like humanity wasn't the only thing being changed and Discord knew it. He'd neglected to report on everything he'd seen when the subject escaped, including the other human who'd managed to not only managed to break into the building but also escape with a sample of the serum. He decided he'd do his own investigation while he was out stretching his legs.
Nathan woke up. Sleep had come easy to him that night and he was thankful for it. With everything that had happened the day before, he was worried if he'd have nightmares. But his dreams had been peaceful and he slowly got out of bed happily rested.
Today was a school day for Nathan and it was a piece of his normal routine he was looking forward to. Anything familiar from his life before relocation was something he looked forward to. The back of his neck itched as he got out of bed, still half-dressed from last night. He walked across the hall from his room into the bathroom and took a quick shower. The water felt good against his skin; he stood with his head bent down and eyes closed, just letting it soak him. It was relaxing and for a moment it felt as if all his thoughts and bad memories could just be washed away. Until the back of his neck started itching again.
It was more than just a skin irritation; it felt as though there was something weird with the skin on the back of his neck. He toweled off in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection for a moment. He rubbed his neck and turned to look at his back. Quickly, he saw the source of the irritation: hair. A small, dark patch of hair, the same color as the hair on his head broke the pale, white plane of his back and ran parallel with his shoulders.
The hairs were long and soft to the touch and the skin around them felt rough. Nathan immediately started to worry, almost panic. He pulled the hairs; they were real. His mind went back to yesterday, the stuff they'd tried to spoon-feed him to turn him into one of them. It hadn't worked on him at first but what if it was working now? He felt his heart sink as the fear of becoming a pony found him again in the early morning.
He turned back around, feeling faint. His mind grasped for other possible explanations for this. Puberty? He was a guy; he didn't think about things like that. Had he gone through it already or not? He hadn't had to start shaving yet... so maybe?
"Nathan! You up yet?" his mother called to him from downstairs.
He opened the bathroom door. "Ye-yeah! Just getting out of the shower," he called back. He focused on his own breathing as his mind raced with possibilities. Should he tell his parents or just ignore it? What if it's just hair? That thought calmed him down. He could be overreacting for nothing. He went back into his room and put on some new clothes, doing his best not to think about the hair.
Nathan flexed his hand. Nothing else seemed to be different about him. No hooves, no tail, still walking on two legs. Maybe it was just a random patch of hair? That seemed unlikely... but what else did he have to go on? Transformation into a pony was supposed to be almost instant from what he knew. He consoled himself that this, whatever it was, could be something new entirely. He dressed himself, descended the stairs and entered the kitchen.
"Sleep well, hun?" his mother asked, fixing her own breakfast at the counter.
"Yeah, fine," he answered quickly. He picked out some food from the refrigerator, piece of fruit and some water. He wasn't really hungry but sat down to eat anyway to keep his parents from asking questions about him eating properly.
"I'm not going to be able to take you to school today," his father said. "Your mother and I need the car to head into town for most of the day, so you'll have to take the bus home, too. I'm sorry."
"It's all right dad. I understand," Nathan told his father, trying not to sound preoccupied. He hugged his dad and his mother joined i. It felt good to be able to do that and made him feel less scared. He was happy to have his parents and the few friends he'd managed to stay in contact despite all the traveling involved in the relocation. Facing an uncertain future, it was nice being reminded of what mattered.
"Everything's been so crazy since the relocation," his mother remarked. "But things will get back to normal soon."
Nathan wanted to believe that. He wanted his life to go back to the way it was before the barrier, before ponies, before relocation. But somehow he knew that wasn't possible. He wasn't going to be able to pretend it all just hadn't happened, go back to sleep and return to blissful ignorance. The fresh hairs on the back of his neck reminded him of that, even if he didn't know what they meant yet. He decided he would try to tell his parents.
"Dad," he said as his father sat back down. "I wanted to ask you about-"
"Hey, you better get going if you're going to take the bus," his mother reminded him. Nathan looked at the kitchen clock. He had almost five minutes before the school bus arrived, five minutes to get to the end of the street they were on.
"That's right, you'd better hurry," his father added. "I'm sorry we can't take you again but-"
"It's... it's okay," he said, letting what he was about to tell them go. "I'll get going now and be home tonight." He got up and walked towards the door.
"And let us know if you're going to stay out late tonight!" his mother called at him.
"I will!" he shouted back as he stepped outside. The sky was overcast and it was a little cold that morning.
Nathan dressed a tad warmer, long sleeve shirt, jeans and carried his backpack with him. He ran/jogged to the bus stop just as the large, yellow vehicle arrived. He could hear the other students from inside as the bus approached; it was packed. With relocation, the bus schedule hadn't been firmly implemented yet but was slowly getting back together. It seemed like the world was eager to return to the way it was before the intrusion of ponies.
He stepped on the bus and found his friend David in the middle row. Nathan wasted no time in taking a seat next to him, happy to see a friendly face.
"You don't normally take the bus," Dave commented as he sat down.
"Parents needed to go somewhere, they took the car."
"Ah," Dave nodded. "So... you get anything good yesterday?"
Scavenging, he meant. It was a pastime he and his friend were just beginning to indulge in but one he also planned on stopping immediately.
"Not a thing. I, uh, don't think I'll be going out again."
"Why? Something happen?"
"It's just not worth it," Nathan said. "All that work and there's nothing to find."
"Well, you're right about that," Dave agreed, looking out the bus window. "There's gotta be something else to do in this one-horse town."
One-horse town. Was that a pun? It wasn't that funny but Nathan cringed anyway. Then, he cringed again. This wasn't from the gag; a sharp pain jabbed him in the stomach. It felt like he'd pulled a muscle or something but he'd just been sitting there. He bent forward slightly, clutching his midsection. A cold feeling grew in the middle of his right hand, like ice water dripping onto his palm. It felt like he was going to double over and collapse.
Suddenly, it was over. The painful knot in his gut just disappeared but his hand still felt oddly cold. He flexed it; the muscles were tight and strained. A little bit of feeling was gone and there was a tingling sensation around his knuckles but otherwise, he was fine. What was happening to him?
Dave turned back to him. "Hey, you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," Nathan replied. Maybe his body was fighting the potion he'd ingested like a poison. That might explain the reaction, he thought. Maybe once he'd digested it, it would be out of his system and he'd be fine. He'd always had trouble taking liquid medication anyway.
The bus stopped to pick up a couple more passengers. A few more students got on and the bus quickly became even more crowded than it was. If all the students that had boarded had been on two legs, the noise probably would've been louder. But two students at the stop entered on four legs.
Two earth pony colts, one white and one brown, stepped onto the bus. Some of the willingly converted families had been relocated as well, crossing back to the Earth side of the barrier. While it was hard enough to return to a normal life, it was even harder when you were another species. Converted and non-converted humans were both trying to return to the lives they once had and found it more than difficult in some places. Some families opted to just stay on the Equestria side after conversion.
The two colts took a seat towards the front by themselves. The bus started again and gradually, conversation picked up amongst the passengers but the topics of conversation had noticeably shifted.
"Aliens," Nathan heard someone whisper near him. There were many mixed views about ponies. Many didn't like them simply because they were different, alien. There was no difference drawn between humans that were transformed into ponies and the ones that had always been. In the eyes of many, they were the same. Some even went so far as to claim that the ponies brainwashed humans into conversion and were secretly plotting to replace humans as the dominant race.
Such views weren't normally taking seriously. Among adults, that is. But as is the case with adolescents, too often emotions turned small opinions and views into attacks that can quickly get out of hand. Fortunately, the ride was over shortly after the two colts were picked up. The bus arrived at Nathan's high school and he and Dave disembarked.
"What's today... Tuesday?" Dave asked.
"Yeah, I'm with you in history for first period with Mr. Adams," Nathan replied, remembering his schedule.
"Sweet, just what I need in the morning: something to put me back to sleep," his friend commented. Nathan just hoped it would be a subject to keep his mind off of unpleasant things.
Nathan and David followed the usual school routine of locating their lockers at the entrance of the hallway. Nathan noticed a unicorn open a locker a few spaces away from him. He resisted the urge to glance over at the pony, forcing himself to focus on retrieving his things. He and David then headed into the hallway and to their classroom, entering the room just as the first bell rang.
The classroom filled quickly. Almost all the seats were occupied and all by humans. Nathan didn't know if that was intentional or not; there wasn't any class-based segregation that he knew of. The second bell rang soon after and the instructor still hadn't arrived. The classroom was quiet as students settled in, some getting their books out and others getting their cell phones. Nathan thought about pulling out his own iphone when the instructor walked in. On four legs.
"Good morning," the instructor, a yellow Pegasus mare with a dark blue mane said as she entered. "Your normal teacher, Mr. Adams, isn't here today. I'm Miss Star Reach and I'll be teaching his class." The entire class was silent. The pony flew over to Mr. Adams' desk and took a moment to place her saddlebag down and go through a few things. No student said a word.
Out of nowhere, Nathan felt the sharp pain in his stomach return. It stabbed him center-mass, he bent over his desk in pain. His right hand felt like it was quickly turning to ice, he grasped it as he bent forward. What was this pain? It was overwhelming. No one paid attention to him or noticed his distress.
And once again, just as quickly as he'd noticed, it was gone. So was the pain in his hand. This 'episode' was even shorter than the one on the bus. Did that mean he was getting through it? He looked down at his stomach. It felt fine. He examined his right hand, stuck in his sleeve. It felt completely normal; the odd icy sensation he'd felt only moments before had just vanished. Whatever event had caused his pain seemed to be gone again.
Nathan pulled his hand out of his shirt sleeve and examined it. His fingers, knuckles and palm all felt find. Except for the fact that they were gone. Wait, gone? He grabbed his right hand with his left. His entire right hand was gone, replaced with some kind of flat appendage! He rotated it as he gripped it in his other hand, feeling the flat surface. His mind knew it what it was already, could name the strange, new thing that had formed at his wrist. A hoof. His right hand had been replaced with a hoof.
He quickly rolled his sleeve up over the appendage to cover it. How was he going to get out of he class without everyone noticing? He raised his other hand to get the teacher's attention.
Just then, the door to the classroom opened again and another pony stepped in. This time, a lime green earth pony mare with a brown mane.
"I'm sorry, is this World History?" she asked. "C-1, Adams?"
The teacher pony looked to her. "Yes, Mr. Adams is unavailable today and I'm filling in."
"I just transferred over from Cettings' history," the green mare explained.
"That's fine, take a seat where you can find one," the teacher instructed.
The lime green pony must've had the eyes of every student on her at once. The only sound in the room was her own hooves on the floor and Ms. Star Reach still rifling through the desk at the front of the class room. The green pony took a seat diagonally in front of Nathan and David.
"Oh, goodness," Star Reach said, frustrated. "It doesn't look like the lesson plan is here. I'm going to check Mr. Adams' mailbox. I'll be back soon," she said, flying quickly out of the classroom. The door closed and all was quiet. Nathan didn't know what to do. He sat still at his desk, holding his right hoof with his left hand.
"Aliens," a voice said, somewhere to the front of the room, loud enough for everyone to hear. A few students turned to the green mare sitting in the center of the room.
"Don't even know why they let your kind in this school," a male student looking at the pony said. The green mare ignored him.
"Rodger, don't mess around," Dave told the young man. "It's friggin Tuesday, man. Class just started."
The young man, Rodger, looked back at Dave and smiled defensively. "What? I'm just saying hi to the new kid. Or should I say, the new class pet?" The man got up from his seat, all eyes were on him including Nathan's. He walked towards the green pony's desk.
"That's right," he said, walking towards her. "That's all you are, isn't it? You're not human any more. You're one of them now." A few other students got up. Some backed away from the advancing student, others watched cautiously still at their desks.
"What the hell is your problem?" the green pony asked as he approached her desk. She started to get up.
The young man threw grabbed the pony's textbooks off the desk and pushed them to the floor.
Nathan just watched the confrontation. He had his own predicament to deal with. With the teacher gone, how would it look if he just walked out?
"Rodger, for fuck's sake, it's Tuesday!" Dave shouted.
"I'm leaving," the mare announced, get up from her desk and walking out. She remained on two legs as she passed the young man accosting her and ignored her books on the ground.
"And where do you think you're going?" the young man asked. He quickly walked through the desk and grabbed the green pony by the shoulders. Using his larger build, he pushed the mare down on all fours and mounted her.
"Get off of me!" the green pony shouted. He grabbed hold of her mane to steady himself as she struggled with his weight upon her.
"Careful Rodg, she's not broken in," another student commented, laughing.
"Yeah, I think I might need riding lessons," Rodger chuckled.
Nathan had had enough of the display. He got up. "Get off of her."
"What's wrong? Animals aren't even allowed in school anyway," Rodger replied to Nathan and the class at the same time, making a spectacle of himself. The mare grunted and struggled to walk.
Dave facepalmed. "For shit's sake Rodger, it's a Tuesday."
"Feed her a carrot!" another student shouted.
A grin formed on Rodger's face. "I got a carrot for her..."
"You get the fuck off of her!" Nathan ran in between the desks and over to them.
"You want a ride too, Nathan? I don't thinks she-" Nathan grabbed the student mid-sentence by the arm and shoulder. With whatever enraged strength he possessed, he threw the man off the mare and into the adjacent desk.
"Hey, what the fuck?!" the young man yelled as he crashed into the chair.
The pain found Nathan again in that moment. He bent over and clutched his stomach, trying not to collapse onto the floor. His entire right arm felt cold and numb with a tingling sensation in the core. The green mare took that opportunity to get back on both legs just as Nathan almost got down on all four. The entire class was now standing and backing away from the confrontation in the center.
"Fucking pony lover," the other student said as he clambered to stand.
Nathan grabbed a nearby desk to steady himself. He didn't notice that his right sleeve had now slid further up his arm.
"Gotdamn alien-loving," the man stopped speaking as he stood up.
The pain in Nathan's center was now almost unbearable. The tingling sensation from his arm had now spread to his entire body. He could do little other than breath. His ears and face all felt strange. He looked at those around him. Every eye on the classroom was now on him.
"What the hell..." the student in front of him asked, staring. "You... you're one of them!"
Nathan turned around. Even his friend David behind him stared in disbelief at his right limb.
"Are you all-" the green mare to his side started to ask but Nathan didn't let her finish. He grabbed his hoof with his other hand and shoved past her, walking quickly to the door.
"He's turning into one of them!" Rodger shouted as he left. Nathan ignored it, ignored the growing outcries behind him as he opened the door and exited the classroom.
The hallway beyond was empty. He took a right and continued walking, not knowing or caring for the moment where he ended up. His stomach ached and his entire body felt strange. Where could he go? He quickly thought of the nurse's office. Maybe if he could get there before...
He turned a corner quickly and the sensation hit him in the legs next. It became hard to walk and his shoes felt strange over his feet. He fought the urge to look down and focused on the hallway ahead of him. Trying to hasten his pace, one of his shoes fell off, quickly followed by the other one.
Somehow, it became easier to walk at that instance but now Nathan's ears were playing tricks on him. A noise like the clip-clop of hooves echoed off the corridor walls with each step he took. It made him walk even faster; he was practically running down the hallway, passing classroom doors. At the very least, he didn't see any students.
The hallway opened up to the entrance of the building. To his right was the cafeteria, to his left, the doors leading outside.
Nathan was trying to decide where to go when the sensation hit him again. He bent over, buckling in pain. His left arm turned to ice; he set both hand and hoof on the floor. He winced and closed his eyes as the pain almost became unbearable. Despite the feeling, he forced himself to move his legs forward one limb at a time. He couldn't feel his hands or feet any more. Slowly, the pain faded and he opened his eyes. He was now running on all fours with the sound of hooves against pavement in his ears.
He passed the cafeteria as the bell rang. Panic set in on him; in seconds, the hallways would be filled with students changing classes. He had to find a place to hide; he couldn't let anyone see him like this. The idea hit him: the bathroom. He didn't think any more; he knew one was just up ahead so he made a mad dash for it. Classroom doors in the hallway ahead of him opened just as he pulled open the girl's restroom door and entered.
The tiles felt cold against his hooves. Nathan caught his breath and allowed his heart rate to calm down a bit. The pain, the strange, tingling feelings he'd felt earlier were gone. So were his shoes and socks. He could hear students crowding the halls through the door behind him, the uproar of talking and travel as the students switched rooms. Thankfully, the bathroom seemed unoccupied for the moment.
Nathan looked down at his hooves on the floor. He moved one at a time over to the sink. Carefully, he placed both hooves on the porcelain and pulled himself up to see his reflection.
A tan earth pony with a brown mane stared back at him, mouth agape. He was wearing his clothes and had the same exact color eyes as he did. Nathan placed a hoof on his face to feel his newly-formed muzzle. It had happened to him: he had become a pony. He felt tears form in his eyes. Despite his best efforts to hold them in, they fell anyway. He tried to dry his eyes with his hooves but wound up only brushing the tears around his face.
What was going to happen to him now? He wasn't a human any more. The only thing left to remind him he was still himself was literally the clothes on his back. None of his friends, not even his parents would recognize him. Everything he loved; video games, sports, reading, writing, drawing, all the things he did with his friends, would he even be able to do any of those things now? Would his friends even try to play with a pony?
Sobbing almost uncontrollably, he tried to turn the water faucet on with his hooves. Placing one hoof behind the handle, he pulled it towards him and it quickly spun to full-blast, splattering water up onto him. Carefully, he grasped it with the edge of both hooves and turned it down to a gentler setting. He let the water pour over his hooves, watching as it ran down either side of his rounded limbs.
All he'd wanted was to get back the life he knew so long ago. But like the water running over his hooves, that possibility was washed away. He tried to splash water on his face but mostly it just sprayed around him, getting the floor and stalls wet.
The door to the bathroom opened suddenly.
"Um, what are you doing here?" It was another pony at the door, a yellow unicorn mare. "This is the girl's room."
"Uh, oh, I'm sorry," Nathan said, putting his hooves down on the floor. "It's... it's my first time."
The mare raised an eyebrow. "It's your first time going to the bathroom?"
Nathan felt his cheeks redden. "N-no, I mean... I'm new to this school."
"Right, well this is still the girl's room-"
"I'll just be going now," Nathan said, quickly striding past the pony and exiting.
He quickly joined the crowd of students. While they were still mostly humans, there were a few other ponies like himself among the midst. It wasn't as much of an adjustment to walk on hooves as he thought it would be; he was quickly able to match the pace of those around him and move through the crowd.
He saw his shoes and socks at the end of the hall leading to the cafeteria. His friend Dave walked up to them from the opposite direction, knelt down and picked them up.
For that moment, Nathan was stunned. His friend stood for a moment just holding his shoes, looking around. Was he looking for him? Dave's eyes scanned the crowd, the two locked eyes for a moment. Nathan was too afraid to say anything, to let his friend know where he was. He turned to the right towards the entrance of the building and followed a group of students outside.
He walked out onto the courtyard in front of the school. What was the point in going back to class? He didn't even care he'd left his stuff in the classroom; he wouldn't be able to carry it any more anyway. His entire life had just changed. There was no going back. He felt like crying again.
"Nathan? Nathan?!" a voice from behind him yelled. Dave was standing at the entrance, calling his name. Nathan panicked. He didn't want his friend to see him like this. He started running, galloping away from the entrance to the school as fast as his knew legs could take him. He knew it was a long way away but he didn't have anywhere else to go and in that moment, he didn't care. With tears in his eyes again, Nathan Sheffield ran home.
Sandra hadn't slept well that night. She sat at the small work desk in the corner of her dark apartment, forcing herself to work. The small, one-bedroom apartment had always felt small to her but after the relocation, it began to feel bigger. She still remembered purchasing the property with her husband. Painful memories like that forced her to stay awake and keep working, experimenting with the serum sample she stole from the conversion center to find a cure.
The serum was only designed to do one thing: transform human beings into ponies. That meant there was only one way to study its effects.
Rubbing her right arm, she pushed herself away from the desk and walked over to her kitchen sink once again. She hadn't counted how many times she'd done this in the past few hours but the stiffness in her arm was beginning to get uncomfortable. She sterilized the needle once again with the chemicals in her kitchen, cleaned a new spot on her arm and jabbed it into herself.
She withdrew a vial of blood from her arm. She then mixed her own blood in a petri dish with the ponification serum to see its effects. If she could understand how it worked, she could try to develop a vaccine or even a cure. But after going through slides for the better part of the night and the day before, she was no closer to understanding how it worked than she was to getting her husband back.
She sighed as she waited for the two chemicals to interact. She kept most of the lights out in her apartment; partly because she didn't need them and partly because she didn't want to be reminded of her marriage.
Sandra remembered the day she and her husband fled the apartment; it actually wasn't that long ago. She remembered how they'd waited almost until the last minute, watched as their friends and families fled without them or embraced ponification. Even a few of their more close-minded friends had chosen none of the above; deciding instead to allow the barrier to simply advance over them. Sandra had regretted that some of them had made the decision... but a part of her understood why. Those few peoples' homes were now on the other side of the barrier.
She and her husband had chosen to move at the last minute. They were fleeing the city they'd been captured. Pegasi had practically lifted their car, her husband's black SUV off the ground in order to get them both out. They'd been hauled to a conversion bureau but this one had been different. Instead of offering them ponification, they were informed that it would be forced upon them.
Sandra and her husband had been separated, placed in different rooms across from each other. They both had resisted conversion up until then but at the last moment, they almost gave in. As Sandra herself was about to be ponified, she saw an opportunity to escape and took it.
Her husband was not so lucky. Sandra still remembered watching her own husband transform into a pony while she was powerless to do anything about it. Separated by a door and a window, the image of him reaching out to her in his last moments of humanity before hand turned to hoof were burned clearly into her mind. She'd escaped conversion that day... but she had lost the one person she'd loved more than anything else. That is why she swore she would get him back. No matter what it took.
She walked back over to her desk with a new slide. As she examined the sample, the light from her desk lamp casted a reflective glare back into her eyes. She pushed it out of the way. Once again, she was unable to discern how the ponification molecules interacted with human blood. There were no chemical signals or indicators on the cells themselves that determined what they did and it didn't behave like a virus.
It was almost as if the ponification molecules had minds of their own. They acted as if they were motivated by some unseen force, an energy that was invisibly guiding them throughout the liquid suspension they were in. No matter how she tampered with the serum or her own blood, the results were the same. Every single time.
The lamp's light bothered her again and she had to slide it away from her. It was getting annoying.
"What? I just wanted to see what you're up to," a voice said. She looked around, searching for the voice. She got up immediately. Who was in her apartment with her? What had she done wrong? One of them must've followed her home. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to find whoever it was that was spying on her.
"I... I'm not the only one who knows!" she exaggerated. "If you don't leave me now, I'm going to the press with this and-"
"What's all this about? I'm just curious as to what you're doing here," the voice said. It sounded like the voice was near her. Some strange part of her felt like she was hearing it from inside her own head. She turned back to her desk to see her desk lamp had moved and was now over the microscope. Like it was looking through it at the slide. Slowly, the lamp turned to her.
"What in the-" The lamp spun around rapidly. It twirled through the air off of the desk and took on a different form, one Sandra didn't recognize.
"I'm interested in what exactly it is you're doing here." A bipedal creature materialized before her from the lamp. It folded its arms and looked at her with a confident smile.
"Who... what are you?" Sandra asked, backing away from the thing. "Are you one of them? A pony?"
The creature chuckled. "I'm quite a lot of things, really and lately, I even find myself being things I don't want to be. Like a security guard or a lapdog. You can call me Discord and right now, I'll be the one asking the questions," he said, stepping forward.
"I have friends. I told them about your operations," Sandra lied. "If I'm missing, they'll go to the police with what I've told them."
"Relax. I'm the only one who knows you broke into the center. They're more interested in the other one, the boy you escaped with," Discord explained. He looked at the microscope, placing a claw over the eye piece, almost caressing the device. "I really have to admire you humans. So radical... reminds me a little bit of an old part of myself."
Sandra remained silent. The creature called Discord examined the slide under the microscope, adjusting the eyepiece so it was in focus.
"You're examining the ponification serum... why?"
Could she really trust him? What did she have to lose?
"I... I'm looking for a cure. I'm studying its effects to see if I can create a cure of some kind."
Discord looked up. He smiled. "Studying? That's what she's probably doing right now with her friends on the other side," he chuckled.
He turned to her. "You're willing to do anything to change your circumstances. Fighting against a form of control, a form of oppressive change even when the alternative is... so severe. Truly, you aliens are inspiring," Discord said. "You're using blood though. That's not going to be enough to find a cure; the serum changes more than that. You need to be studying the results on live subjects."
Studying the results? Did he mean ponifying other humans? She was disgusted at the thought of forcing others to undergo that transformation just to research them. But she was a scientist. Discord did have a point.
"The boy that escaped with you, you know where he is?" Discord asked.
She hesitated. "Why?"
Discord pointed to the microscope. "He's immune to the ponification serum. The director of conversion came to the center. They don't know about you taking a 'free sample' but they know the young man you were with escaped. For some reason, he didn't transform when he took the serum."
Immune? She had to know more. She wished now she had taken the kid all the way to his house. At least she remembered his name.
"I know where I dropped him off after we escaped."
Discord put a claw to his chin. "I'm supposed to bring him back for conversion. The director ordered the center to manufacture a gas version of the serum. They're planning on using it on the city."
Gassing the whole city? If she didn't find a cure quickly... and that kid was immune? If only she had known then, she could've saved all this time!
"We can go to his neighborhood and look for him. His name's Nathan... Nathan Sheffield. If we can find a way to duplicate to study his immunity, I could create a cure for ponification," Sandra said.
Discord cupped his clawed fist. "All we have to do is find this kid and get him back to the conversion center. Do you think he's told anyone about what's happened there?"
Sandra thought for a moment. "He was pretty shaken up but I told him not to tell anyone or anypony. He's just a kid; chances are, he's forgotten about it already."
Dr. White Veil wiped the sweat from his brow with a cloth from his coat pocket. The work of converting the serum from liquid to vapor form involved more physical labor than he anticipated. Despite the fact the director had said he was supposed to receive additional staff, he and Silver seemed to be doing most of the work. The only thing the new associates cared to do was to deliver more ponification serum to the hospital. It was offloaded to the room Silver and White Veil were in and then the new ponies disappeared without so much as a word, only to return later with more.
"All right... new canister ready," Silver said, hovering above the machine. The Pegasus loaded the canisters into place, one liquid and one empty, on the machine. They then screwed the containers on; Silver using his hooves and Veil using his magic. The doctor then flipped the switch on the machine and the liquid drained into it. The empty canister then filled with pink gas, converted serum. When it was full, they unscrewed both canisters and placed them on appropriate carts to be removed by the 'additional staff'.
White Veil threw the switch again and watched as the machine worked. The doors behind them both opened. Expecting to see a group of ponies arrive to retrieve another load of serum containers, the doctor was surprised to see Director Clarabelle enter.
"I've come to check on your progress. Where are we with production?"
Silver wiped his forehead with his hoof as he descended. "We've loaded up about half a dozen carts so far," he said, somewhat tired.
"We'd be making a lot more progress if you assigned us some of that 'extra staff' to help with more than just bringing us more canisters to fill." Dr. White Veil didn't know what came over him when he said that. It drew a glance of concern from Silver Lining.
The director just looked back at him with her same stoic expression. "You're saying your production would increase if you had some assistance?"
The doctor swallowed. "Yes, ma'am. That's exactly what I'm saying."
She thought for a long moment. "Very well. I'll assign some of the new arrivals to help with you directly." She turned and started to walk out the door.
"Thank you, ma'am," the doctor said back.
The director turned. "Nothing can jeopardize this operation, gentlecolts. The future of this world, of an entire race depends on it."
"Begging your pardon ma'am," Silver spoke. "But this seems a little... drastic." Dr. White Veil was a little surprised to see his friend ask the question. He wasn't acquainted with the director like he was though. The Pegasus didn't know the consequences a display of perceived insubordination could have.
"Of course it's drastic," Clarabelle replied. "It must be drastic. Humanity forced it upon us, forced it upon themselves. Their refusal to embrace the best virtues fully was leading to their downfall as a race. And their natures led them to attack us in fear and confusion. If humans are not converted, they will destroy themselves. What a waste that would be."
"Yes, I... thank you for telling me, ma'am," Silver replied.
White Veil knew they were doing this for the sake of the humans. Their civilization was so backwards; they were like newborn foals. He hadn't objected to forcing conversion on humans for their own good, especially when offering it voluntarily had caused them to attack the conversion bureaus. But now, things were getting out of hoof. The memory alteration, the way they were dealing with a human that was immune and the barrier stopping... those things made him reconsider what they were trying to accomplish. Was this really the best course of action?
"Soon, Earth will be but a memory. Humanity and the disharmony it caused will be a thing of the past that will eventually be forgotten. There will be two Equestrias and new ponies in between both of them. This will present both our worlds with new opportunities for growth and healing. And harmony for us all," Clarabelle said before walking out the door. The two were silent as she exited.
"Wow," Silver said. "I had no idea. Are humans really that bad?"
The unicorn doctor thought for a very long time, considering his answer. "Not all of them are that bad. In many ways, they're... a lot like us."
Silver looked confused. "How?"
"Some of them may not accept the same virtues or embrace them the same way we do... but they do have their own ideals. Like ponies, each one is different though it can be more difficult to see. They have unity and order even in the grips of chaos. A few may act irrationally at times but on the whole, they're very similar to us. They're just trying to do what they think is right... and live their lives in peace."
They were both quiet again for a long time. The doctor placed another canister on the cart with his magic.
"Doctor," Silver asked. "Is what we're doing right? Is all... this... really the right thing?"
White Veil opened his mouth, an automatic response was at his lips but he stopped it. He reconsidered his words and then said, "I don't know. But I don't think we have any other choice."
The two went back to work without another word, filling container after container.
---
Nathan trotted on the sidewalk, following the route the school bus took to take him home. He kept his gaze mostly focused on the ground, still distraught about his situation. The wind felt cold against his new fur. He'd removed his clothes and thrown them away before he'd exited the school campus to eliminate the chance of anyone else recognizing him he might know. He'd found galloping easier than he thought it would be; it almost came naturally to him. But nothing else about his situation felt natural.
The hooves were easy to walk with; put one in front of the other. But his mane kept flipping to either side, not sure of which way it wanted to go. He thought of going to see a stylist or something about it. Or maybe he'd needed a haircut before being transformed; he didn't know. The tail was an adjustment, though. He felt the wind blow around it, brushing it up against his... flank? Was that what he called his... rear now? There wasn't much he could do about it so he did his best to just trot on. Literally.
A lump formed in his throat as he thought about how his parents were going to react to him being a pony. Would they believe it was him? Would they call the police, send him away to Equestria or somewhere? These unpleasant thoughts wouldn't abate. A bad feeling hit him in the pit of his stomach, like the one he'd felt when he was transformed. Unlike the last time, he knew exactly what was bothering him now.
He looked at the houses as he walked into his neighborhood. Some people were outside, doing things. A few neighbors worked in the front yards of their homes, managing the upkeep of various plants, bushes and trees. He saw some kids playing basketball in the driveway of one home. Thankfully, they were too busy with their game to notice him.
Nathan even saw a pony family. What looked to be a mother, father and two brothers played in the front yard of their house. Their home was just like all the others on the block, only it was a home to ponies. Nathan noticed the father was a Pegasus, the mother and older sibling were earth ponies and the younger brother was a unicorn. How did three separate species get along so well? It made him kind of happy to see and sad at the same time. Would humanity ever get this way? Would it ever get the chance?
Finally, Nathan reached his own home. His heart heavy, he took a deep breath and walked up to the door. He didn't know how he was going to open it with his hooves and he couldn't ring the doorbell either. He decided it would be best to knock.
Nathan rapped the door three times with his hooves. And then he waited. He knocked again; still there was no answer. It was just then he remembered the conversation he'd had with his father this morning. Both of his parents had needed the car this morning and weren't able to take him to work. They were both out on some errand, probably having something to do with relocation. They wouldn't be home until later meaning he was stuck outside.
He felt exhaustion hit him. He turned around and sat down on the doorstep, thinking he might as well wait. He had to get up abruptly and shift position; he almost sat on his tail. Carefully, he pulled the thing up and sat down. Even that was more uncomfortable than it should've been. He sat and held his head in his hooves, not knowing much else to do.
A car drove by slowly. He looked up to see if it was his parents but no, it was a black SUV. It was just then Nathan remembered back to the day before. The black SUV he'd rode with that woman in! That couldn't be her car... could it? There weren't that many people driving yet with relocation still happening. It had to be her!
Nathan got up off the doorstep and galloped out to the edge of the street. He began chasing the vehicle; he had to stop it. He didn't know why but maybe she could help him, do something. Like a dog chasing a car, he ran alongside of it in the street, hoping it would stop.
"So, what's the plan?" Discord asked in the passenger's seat. "Pull into each driveway one at a time, going door-to-door and asking if the kid is home?"
Sandra scanned both sides of the street as she drove. "Asking people what, exactly?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe something along the lines of, "excuse us but has your son or daughter claimed to have been abducted by flying ponies lately?'"
Sandra was quite for a moment. "I think I should do the asking. You should probably stay in the car."
Discord turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "Why is that? You still don't trust me, is that it?"
She glanced at him. "It's not that; it's just, I really don't think anyone has even seen a..." she trailed off.
"Draconequus."
"Right... I don't think there are any humans who have ever seen a creature like you before. For that matter, there are some humans that still have trouble believing the whole 'colorful ponies from another dimension' thing. Seeing you might only confuse them more."
Discord folded his arms. "I don't see what's so hard about believing there other forms of intelligent life out there."
"It's hard for a lot of people to believe. Waking up one morning to have your entire world changed... it can be horrifying," Sandra said in a sad tone.
They were quiet again for a few moments, then, Discord looked over to her again. "It happened to you, didn't it?"
Sandra didn't answer. What good would come from telling him? But Discord continued.
"Someone you knew was converted? A friend, family member?" he asked. "Someone you-"
"Stop," she ordered in a stern voice.
"I'm sorry," Discord said, sincere. "It must've been someone very important to you."
She gripped the wheel a bit tighter. "He..." She hesitated. She could feel the pangs of regret, despair filling her stomach up, rising into her throat to choke her. "You wouldn't understand," she finally said.
"Why wouldn't I? Do you even know who I am?"
"This happened to my world, not yours. You didn't watch everything you had, the one person you loved most in the world..." tears formed in her eyes. The feelings wouldn't stop but her voice did.
Discord closed his eyes. "I know what it's like to have your world changed. To be told that everything you know is wrong... and everything you were so very sure of was all a lie."
Sandra didn't respond to him but he had a point. She didn't know anything about the strange creature sitting next to her as she drove. It scared her but at the same time, she had no choice but to go along with him and hope their plan was successful. If it was, she would have her husband back.
"A long time ago, I ruled the other world, the one that's infringing upon your own. Equestria was my playground; I could go wherever I wanted, do whatever I wished whenever I desired. I could change the world on a whim. But one day, somepony told me what I was doing was wrong. I resisted, fought back. And for that I was imprisoned in a statue."
Curiosity got the better of her. "Then why are you here now?"
"One day, they released me. They needed my magic for something; they figured it could help them," he sighed. "It's strange; ruling the world one day and being ruled the next. I ruled Equestria in a state of total chaos. The things I'd done put a lot of ponies in peril. So they rose up, challenged me, struck me down and turned me to stone. They were called heroes for it... making me the villain," he said in a somber tone.
"So, what are you doing now? Why are you helping me?"
He rubbed his chin with his paw. "I'm not entirely sure why. But if there is a cure, some other option to conversion, it should be pursued. Forcing people to undergo conversion... seems like something I'd have done a long time ago."
"If you felt this way, why didn't you try to stop it sooner?"
"When the conversion bureaus themselves came under fire, everypony retreated beyond the barrier. We didn't think conversion would ever come up again. Then, one day the Director of Conversion received orders from Celestia to start the process again but this time in secret. Instructions were to continue conversion by any means necessary, even against the wills of the humans. We were told we would be saving humanity."
"Saving humanity?!" Sandra slammed on the brakes. Discord braced himself as the car skidded to a halt. Sandra turned to him. "You're erasing my entire species! You're going to replace humans with, with, just more ponies! How is that saving humanity?!"
Discord dropped his gaze to the dashboard. "I was told it was better than the alternative. What they're doing at the conversion center, it just reminds me too much of my old self. But who was I to judge if I thought it was wrong? If I tried to do anything about it, they'd only see me as a villain again. Back to my old ways and I'd be set back in stone. So I went along with it, along with everything... until I found an alternative. Maybe, if it works, they'll listen to me. I can do something heroic for once."
"That's why you're helping me do this? So you can be the hero?" she put her foot on the gas and started driving again.
He chuckled. "I'm no hero. The ponies will only ever see me as the spirit of chaos, a crazy former tyrant who realized the 'error of his ways' and was given a second chance," he gestured with his hands as he orated. "Sadly, I can't change a thousand years of history with a snap of my talons. But I might be able to stop the past from being repeated."
"Being a hero's not about changing the past. It's about doing what's right, right now regardless of what everyone around you is doing." She glanced over at him. When did she start trying to be inspirational? "You can't snap your... talons and change the past. All you can do is try to change the future." She tried not to make the play on words but couldn't help it while concentrating on driving.
Discord laughed at the statement. "You humans really are hilarious sometimes, you know that?" he shook his head. "Well, I suppose you're right. I fear what'll happen to us both if you're-
Something stopped Discord midsentence. He turned around, twisting his upper torso 180-degrees while his lower half remained seated, looking behind them.
"What is it?"
Discord turned back around. "Nothing. Just some earth pony following us." He paused momentarily, thinking. Slowly, he turned to Sandra who looked back at him. The two were caught for a second, staring back at each other with the same perplexed gaze. "You don't think..."
Sandra slammed on the brakes again and rolled down the passenger side window. The pony following them ran up to the side and braced his hooves on the door, panting.
"Oh thank goodness, I-" the pony stopped when he noticed Discord.
"You need a lift?" Discord asked.
"What... who..." the pony began backing away nervously.
Discord quirked an eyebrow. "I think this might be our guy."
Sandra leaned forward, looking around Discord. "Hey! Are you that... kid from yesterday?"
The colt's expression changed the moment he saw Sandra. "Yes! I'm Nathan! We were at the conversion center yesterday!"
"What happened to you? Did they get you again?"
"No, I... I don't know how this happened."
Sandra thought back to when she bumped into the kid. He'd been hit by some kind of gas, covered by it when they were trying to escape. A vapor form of the serum? Did it have some kind of delayed reaction?
"Weren't you immune?" Sandra asked.
Nathan shyly looked down, uncertain. "Yes, I think but... I don't know... maybe when that creepy doctor dropped that pink crap, I inhaled it and that did something to me."
"Maybe..." Sandra thought to herself. If there was no immunity to the vapor form of the serum... "All right, get in. We're going back to that conversion center."
"Thank you," Nathan said. Discord snapped his talons and the passenger door to the SUV swung open. The young pony climbed in and the car started moving again. "Do you think they have some kind of cure there?"
Sandra gripped the steering wheel tighter, new determination surging through her hot and cold. "We're going to find out."