Prologue - The Harvest Begins

Harmony is Damnation: A Conversion Bureau Story

Somewhere... in a plane of existence far away the mortal world, a being was sitting in front of a tall mirror. The white, shapeless void around him was blindingly quiet and deafeningly bright, but the being paid no heed. His opaque eyes were fixed to the mirror, watching a massacre in progress, his ragged cloak flapping against his slender body, his face hidden beneath a cape, indifferent to the display in the mirror, yet feeling untold anger. He sighed and then tensed up, feeling another presence behind him. "Gabriel." he spoke.

"Greetings, Valtiel." the other being, Gabriel, walked slowly to Valtiel's side and gazed into the mirror. "You are still frustrated with our inaction about humankind, are you not?" he spoke with a soothingly soft voice, glowing blue eyes trailing between the mirror and his brother. His body was covered with a clean, blue robe; a stark opposite to Valtiel's ragged one. "Do not pretend to tell me you feel any different, brother. I do not know why Father would not let us intervene. These... creatures are destroying all of His hard labor and that of his children." Valtiel retorted.

"I know, brother but you must have patience. Our Father knows all and..." Gabriel was about to continue, but something in the mirror caught both of the Angels' attention. A human soldier was escaping from six ponies, carrying a child in his arms.

"I sense... something." Gabriel spoke uncertainly. In the mirror, the soldier, a U.S. Marine as his insignia showed, was knocked down, still holding the child, the six ponies encircled them. "I feel it too, brother." Valtiel replied... And hissed as the child was pried from the marine's arms and turned into a new foal with a purple potion from a small vial. And then, the marine shared the child's fate.

"It should not be like this." Valtiel said matter-of-factly, his voice bearing a tiny hint of surprise. "Lady Fortuna is failing at her charge. Again." Gabriel commented, two large, white feathered wings sprouting out of his back and folding down. Similarly, Valtiel has produced four, black feathered wings, thinner but longer than Gabriel's.

"The flow of fate has changed, it cannot be denied anymore." Valtiel declared, getting up and outstretching his wings. "It seems your patience will not be stretched any longer, brother. I shall go gather everyone. You do what must be done." Gabriel declared and just like that, he was gone.

"That I will..." Valtiel muttered to himself and stood at his full height then slowly entered the mirror.

***

Marcus Renee cried out in a final act of defiance as the ponification serum was forced into his mouth. His body warped and contorted in quiet agony and finally, he was replaced by an earth pony with brown coat and dark green mane. Around him the Elements of Harmony could barely contain their glee.

One of their greatest foes has just finally been turned. This was truly a good day. "Haha, welcome to the club, dude!" said Rainbow Dash merrily. "This calls for party, folks!" Pinkie Pie chimed in. Only Twilight Sparkle remained level-headed. "Girls, I don't think this is the time and place to celebrate. First let's get our new friend back and then..."

SSSSWWWOOOOSSSSHHH!!!

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" one of them cried out as something strange and impossibly fast passed between them, snatching the unconscious newfoal off the pavement and taking up to the skies. "Oh no, you don't!" snarled Rainbow and shot up after the mysterious creature. She soon began to gain on it and see it better, but she then began to think she was better off not seeing it at all.

Up in front of her was what appeared to be a strange, black nothing with four blade-like wings, flying so fast the Rainbow pegasus could barely keep up. And then suddenly, another loud SSSWWOOSHH!! and the creature made a sharp U-turn that Rainbow was certain could break her spine if she tried it.

The dark creature passed by the Element of Loyalty and for the briefest moment, Rainbow Dash noticed a blaring pair of pale red eyes glancing at her with untold malice.

As if the situation could not get any worse, this distracted Rainbow Dash long enough that she did not pay attention to her flight path and rammed right into an antenna. "Owww... Not cool..." she groaned before passing out.

***

Valtiel slowly descended to the ground, assuming his normal form once again. His wings folded back as he touched down and placed the now-deponified Marcus down on the cold pavement.

"Marcus Renee, you have brought many sacrifices for the sake of your mission. Your soul bears the stain of sin, yet your path is dictated by righteousness. Do not deviate from it..." he spoke calmly as he placed something in the marine's hand.

"Bless you..." he finally said and disappeared.

***

Reykjavik, Iceland

A statue stood in the middle of deserted district. It was a statue of a pony, an alicorn, and under normal circumstances, its creator could be praised for their ability to make it so lifelike.

Except this was no ordinary sculpture. It was the petrified form of Princess Luna, exactly as her sister left her 2 years ago. Her face bore a mixture of surprise and sorrow.

"Oh how the mighty has fallen."

A man wearing a black suit and tie seated himself at a piano and began playing a grim tune, slowly yet briskly, never taking his eyes from the Lunar Regent. As he kept playing, the statue slowly began to glow.

The once lifeless shape slowly started moving and after years of imprisonment, the alicorn was free again. She groaned and fell down on the ground, her entire body feeling numb.

"Rise and shine, my friend. Rise and shine..."

The lunar princess gasped as she heard the voice, with unnatural familiarity. "What...?" she stuttered. The man behind the piano made a mock frown and kept playing. "You don't seem particularly happy to see me, old friend." he spoke again in a cheerful, yet incredibly malevolent voice, identical to Discord.

"You... YYYOOOUUU!!!"
The princess immediately broke out of her stupor and pounced at the strange man with a battlecry of her Royal Canterlot voice... only to slam into an invisible barrier. "Tsk, such way to greet an old friend." the man shook his head.

"FRIEND? FRIEND??! YOU ARE THE REASON I WAS LOCKED AWAY FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, REASON I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE VISION OF NIGHTMARE MOON EVERY! SINGLE!! DAY!!!" the alicorn kept pounding on the barrier with her forehooves, her eyes blaring with fury.

"And your memory has gotten rusty in those thousand years, my little pony. You and your jealousy are the sole reason of your fall, I merely arranged a little power boost... It is interesting you sided with mankind in these days. Maybe an attempt at gaining absolution... Not that it's important. Your place in my domain is assured as is your sister's." the man replied, still looking gleeful, but his voice has become deathly cold.

This caused Princess Luna to forget her anger and stare at him inquisitively. "What do you mean by that? I can still feel Tia's corruption here on Earth." she inquired.

"For now maybe, but man's retribution is at hand and nothing your sister does can possibly avert it. It will be glorious. I look forward to seeing you again, 'Lulu'." he declared and in an instant, he vanished along with the piano.

"Just what do you mean by that?! LUCIFER!!!"

To be continued...