The Conversion Bureau - Lab Rat

The conversion bureau : Lab Rat

Final chapter before epilogue (D:)

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I woke up, finally, from this long night. I had quite the dream. But, even with all those conflicted emotions, I’ll still choose North Wind over anypony. I checked beside me and saw that he was still deeply asleep. I managed to move my way out of his protective wing and saw that the weird sensation, lost in time, appeared in me, the ‘mare in heat’ sensation.

“I... I will not do this with him.” I said while thinking about it, but, my heart wasn’t in the same way. “Okay, I’ll wake him up and ask him.” I thought out loud.

“Ask for what?” I heard behind me. I jumped to the roof from surprise and turned around. Behind me, North Wind was stretching his wings. He kissed my cheek and he asked again the question.

“Well... you see... I don’t feel good. I heard I was in heat. Do you know what is the... quickest way to ‘recover’.” At first, I could see that he was surprised, then, he nodded and he motioned me to sit on the bed, beside him.

“Tonight, if you still want to, we could do it. Anyway, we should go take a shower and eat. You can go when you are ready. See you later.” He then quit the room. I shook my head to wake me up. I think that hot water will help me wake up.

I walked into the girl’s bathroom and open the shower. I walked under and I immediately ran away. It was searing hot because I hadn’t reduced the temperature. I took the rubberized handle in my mouth (it tasted disgusting) and turned it down. I went back under the water and it was the perfect temperature.

I took the shampoo and cleaned my mane. After cleaning my whole body, I stayed under the water. The heat from the water used to make me relax, and it’s still the case. I closed my eyes and my let mind drift.

So, what am I going to do today? Eat, general classes, eat, specific classes, pass the night with North Wind and sleep. I hate routines. I stayed another five minutes before closing the water.

I did my best to dry off with a towel I found beside the showers, but, without magic or wings, it’s quite complicated. At least, my hooves are now invisible hands. I really like that feeling of having five digits. Even invisible, they will never quit me. I walked outside the bathroom to see that North was waiting for me.

“What happened?” He asked. I was wondering what he meant by that. “It took you long; did you have problems with the towels?” Oh, he means that.

“No, I like hot water, it makes me think.” He nodded while saying “Make sense”,when he motioned me to come.

“We should eat something. I’m hungry.” He said.

“You have no idea.” I answered while following him.

***Nova***

What do we got here? Bill, bill, spams mail about longer horns and bigger wingspan. Look like nothing interesting. I thought while checking my Email inbox. Since the ponies arrived, new kinds of stupidity arrived too. Those spam lured thousand of unlucky ponies that got what they wanted, in exchange of monstrous amount of money. Even with their ‘upgrades’, they were unhappy, maybe even more than before.

Suddenly, while I was reading one of the bills, I heard knocking at the door. I opened it and, at my surprise, it was the HLF messenger. He was a very small man with bleach blond hair and small eyes.

“What do you want, pipsqueak?” I asked the annoyed messenger.

“My master want to give you a message. Here it is,” he cleared his throat. “If you don’t give your ‘peace and protection’ payment, we will have no other choice to attack your building. Also, we are searching for ‘somepony’, as you call her, who is a traitor to our organization. If you refuse, you will help us catch her. She is a pony, recently transformed. If you don’t help us, you will help anyway, just without knowing. Leave your answer to the messenger, that means moi, and may our little alliance still exist.”

“You want an answer? I’LL GIVE YOU AN ANSWER! Tell your chief, the one who is controlling you that this alliance is over and that he can buck himself. Also, I WILL NEVER HELP YOU! Did you understand?” I said angrily. He’s been attacking this building for months, leave me alone with your fake peace alliance.

“Yes, I did understand. Now, because you choose the third choice, you must still help us, in another way.” He, then, claped two times with his hands and two brutes came out of nowhere and then all I saw was black.

***Strawberry Frosting***

We were eating some fruit salad made by my friend Fruit Bowl. It was delicious. There was apples, oranges, cherries, kiwis and a weird fruit called dragonfruit. It taste a bit sweet, but the little seeds makes it all crunchy. This mix was perfect in every way.

We finished our meal in silence. When we gave back the bowls, Fruit asked me a interesting question:

"Hey A..." she started before I stopped her.

"My name is Strawberry Frosting now." I told her.

"Okay, Strawberry, are you taking the chariot, tonight, to Equestria?" Wait, I never thought about this.

“Well, I would like too, but my friend is not even converted yet. If he gets converted today, maybe I will.”

Suddenly, some red light appeared, flashing in all the rooms in the bureau. A voice was ringing from the speakers: “Get to the cafeteria immediately for immediate lockdown. I repeat, get to the cafeteria immediately for immediate lockdown.” We were already to the cafeteria. I knew this room was protected, but it was starting to scare me. North Wind realized that I was scared when I made a little sound and started walking over to a wall to lean.

“I don’t like this. This isn’t going to end well.” I said. North Wind walked beside me and gave me a hug. After, he sat down and put his wing around me. “Don’t worry sweetie, it’s not like they’re after you.” When he said this, his eyes opened.

“Oh buck, ” he said. I checked his and waited for an explanation why he used this word. “I totally forgot to tell you something, Berry.” I said a faint ‘continue’ and he did. “I saw your friend, Shooting Star, talking outside the bureau yesterday. She was talking about a plan to capture you!” WHAT! Star, I thought you and I were friends. You are officially in my black list until any change.

“B...but why?” I said. He motioned his ignorance and told me another question, the one I didn’t wanted to answer: “Also, he said that you’re... a male. D... don’t get me wrong, I know you look like a mare, but... are you a male?”

I closed my eyes. Normally, I would say the complete truth, but now that I experienced the life of a mare, I got only one thing to say: “USED to be a male,” I said.

“Since few days ago, I was trying to stay as male as possible, but, yesterday night... when I slept with you, I promised, I promised myself to forget my past and to aim toward the future. So yes, I used to be a male. If you got a problem with that, just leave me be like a human would do, but tell me something, if I was still a guy, would I act this way with you? I love you and will forever. After hearing this, do you still want to be my coltfriend?”

He looked at me with small eyes. He closed them for few second, then, he opened them with a small smile.

“You really think that I would act like this? We are no longer human, even if you’ve been killing ponies in the past, I wouldn’t break up with you. I stayed and found the mare I want to stay for the rest of my life.” We checked around and we saw that everypony who managed to get to the cefeteria was looking at us, listening to the romantic conversation. I was happy that he accepted me like that, but, I wasn’t at the end of my surprises.

“Strawberry Frosting,” he walked right in front of me, ”would you like to marry me?” Everypony, I mean like all human and ponies alike were “D’awww”-ing or only waiting for an answer. What I did, I smiled as big as the building.

“Yes, yes I would love to.” Then we kissed under the thunderous sound of hand-clapping and hoof-hitting. I was so happy right now, even the HLF riot couldn’t destroy this happy and peaceful moment. After the kiss, we needed to get back to reality. We heard somepony, more like a human, talking with a megaphone.

“Give us Anthony and Nova will be safe.”

I checked around the room and saw Star, mouth agape, trying to fight the tears. I sighed loudly, enough for the group in front of me to move. When I walked to my destiny, I heard a voice in the big group of residents: “What are you doing Frosting? It’s your happy day, you just got engaged, why are you going there?”

“My human name was Anthony. I used to be a cruel person, working for them. Now, I regret everything. I also used to hate this name, now, I hate it more.” I continued walking. Behind me, popping from nowhere, Zach and Nat, followed by CloudHammer and North Wind, decided to walk with me.

“What are you all doing?” I asked them while walking.

“If you really want to do this, we’ll always be with you.” Nat said while adding more power to his eternal smile. Enough to give it to me. They will always be with me. Suddenly, I realised that we were at the front door.

“Good luck Frosty.” Zach said. I gave him a little peck on his cheek and he turned red as a tomato.

“See ya A. Hope to see you in the future.” Nat said. We bro-sishoof.

“Goodbye, my friends.” They waved at me when I was walking toward my destiny. I was surprised they weren’t sad or anything. Maybe they are trying to hide their emotions.

***North Wind***

I was smiling while keeping a small fake smile.

“Are we following her?” Zach asked. I shook my head.

“Follow me, I know a secret exit on the east side of the building. We’ll take them by surprise.” We all ran toward the exit, hoping to stop the group at the right moment.

***Strawberry Frosting***

CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP

The sound coming from outside stopped. We could only hear the sound of my hooves on the pavement.

CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP

I walked in front of my old captain. It had to be Martin leading the HLF troup.

“Hey, look what we got here. Here's  what happen to traitors, they turn into girls.” Martin said. The whole gang laughed at the sight of me.

“Stop it, I got something to say. Keven is right, you are controlled.” I said. I started to hear whispers going from side to side. I think that being out of the HLF grounds reduce the power of their chips.

“Don’t listen to her, she is a traitor. I’m going to fire her lies with my boomstick.” He was about to pull the trigger while aiming at me when, suddenly, one of the front soldier took the arms of the killer at the right moment.

“Hey old fart, why can’t we hear what she got to say. We don’t have anything to do, or maybe she’s right and you don’t want us to learn the truth.” He said. He let Martin go.

“YOU’RE OUT OF HERE YOU TRAITOR. SHOOT THEM ALL!” He took aim and fired at me.

***Nathaniel***

Aww man, I never ran like this before. It’s been a long time since I did some training. We ran around the building, toward the HLF. When we arrived, we heard: “YOU’RE OUT OF HERE YOU TRAITOR. SHOOT THEM ALL!”. I know what that meant.

While the others were running toward the gunman, I ran toward another target, between the two. I jumped at the last second took all the bullets.

***Strawberry Frosting***

I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second. When I opened them, what I saw almost made me lose what little I had in my stomach. Nathaniel was lying on the ground, his body filled with shotgun pellets, Martin getting air bucked in the head by Zachary and Cloud running toward the injured human. I was about to follow him when I saw a doctor with a vial containing purple liquid. Then, I realised I had a bigger mission.

I walked toward the surprised soldiers. I placed myself on a rock in front of them.

“Listen carefully, HLF members. In few minutes, Nathaniel will be converted. You will see, in front of your eyes, that there is going to be a chip coming out of his head. Then, you will understand what we meant, Keven and I. You will choose your path and I hope you will change side. No need to become a pony, just stop killing. That’s all I have to say.”

Then, I saw Martin waking up from the terrible hit he took. “DON’T LISTEN TO HER, LIES, LIES I TELL YOU!” One of the annoyed soldier took the captain’s lips and hold them. The soldier who was holding Martin’s arms raise his hand like in a classroom. I chuckled at the sight and said “Yes?”

“I will join the bureau’s security force. I will no longer kill, unless necessary. And, to seal this, I will kill one last person as a HLF member.” He walked toward Martin and pointed his pistol on his head.

“Sayonara papy.” BANG! No more Martin. I was saddened that my old captain died this way, but it was a relief that the guy who tried to kill me was dead now. While I was calming myself, I heard a faint “Check guys.” I walked toward Nat ‘under-transformation’ body and saw a small chip. I took it and hold it with my hoof.

“Here is the chip.” I heard some cheering sound. “AND HERE IS MY HOOF!” I put it on the ground and crushed it under my giant thumbnail. This movement was the last thing I needed. They threw their guns on the ground. A big part of them entered the building. By seeing this, I said the last thing I had to say:

“It’s the time, ex-HLF members. Choose. Your. SIDE.”