The Conversion Bureau: The Call of Equestria

Chapters

Prologue
The Shunned House
The Lurking Fear

Prologue

September 23, 2012
Boston, Massachusetts
3:26 PM

Through the uncaring cosmos, strange forces whittle away at their work. Black holes devour entire AUs of space at a time to satiate their endless hunger, while wormholes join two distinct points into one. Supernova's lash out against the inevitability of heat death, while white dwarfs end their eons long existence with a whimper before it is pinched out. Under this backdrop, countless civilizations on an infinite number of planets have clawed their way out of the primordial ooze, only to discover they are trapped in an insignificant speck of sand. Whatever method they use, they are all fruitless in their efforts to find meaning. Some races have been driven to madness and despair, committing mass suicide to hide from the truth, others waiting out their doom with no hope of rescue from their gruesome fate. Others still are put under the bonds of conquerors who reshape them in their image, like an artist does with clay. For any being to last long in this universe, it has needed strength, whether from mind, body, or spirit.

One species, Human kind, can call themselves resilient in this environment, if nothing at all. It has endured multiple revolutions in thought and society, their World Wars, 50 years of nuclear paranoia, and a laundry list of circumstances that endangered the structure of civilization. People have always stood at the end of a conflict to build their world anew while attempting to learn something from it. While the species history has more or less been one of mistakes, they have tried their best not to repeat them. Humans have done this for eons under relative isolation from the rest of the universe, though from time to time they have looked up upon the cosmos and wondered if there was something else out there other than their miniscule pebble. They got their wish in the first years of the 2010's, when the land of Equestria finally revealed itself to the rest of Earth's inhabitants.

The country, a medium sized island somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, had turned inward to it's own affairs and did not have any interest about the outside world. The place was populated mostly by talking ponies, something biologists considered an utter impossibility. There were reports that other beings called the place home, like the mythical Griffons, actual alleged dragons and other similar 4 legged folk such as zebras and buffalo, but the world at large dismissed these, not wanting to face the implications. Equestria had "opened" its borders sometime during July of 2012, when it's unknown ruler decided to let it's inhabitants spread their way of life to the four corners of the globe. Despite their almost otherworldly appearance of pastel colored bodies and manes, The ponies friendly demeanor and calming aura had earned them widespread acceptance, though it was still very rare to see them in everyday life. During the last days of September, anxiety had risen amongst Boston's citizens as they wondered if the ponies had anything planned after their recent arrival.

What I am about to relate to you is the life of Cory Elisen, one of the metro area's 4 million residents during these tense times. A 23 year-old adult born and raised in the unofficial capital of New England, Cory had lived the short time of social independence he had as a journalist for the Boston Herald, often covering stories that delved into the unusual. He had always drifted through life in a word, and regarded the appearance of the ponies as just another news story, never having caught a sight of one.

At this time of day he had just started the walk home to his apartment. Normally he would be driving, but his car had crashed when he heard a lightning bolt in clear day. Even other people had been spooked by it, things like that being unheard of. As his mind was drifting on the event, he felt a soft drip on his head. Cory looked up, and saw only a dark gray sky. Boston was no stranger to a heavy rainfall here and there, but lately, it had almost seemed as if the weather ran on a schedule. It always rained at night, on a pattern, and with quite a bit of warning, like someone found a way to tame nature itself. He had gotten so used to it he thought that this rainfall was "make-up" for last week being rainless. Cory did not dwell on such things however, as the increasingly heavy rain forced him to make a sprint and take cover in the nearest building.

Cory had found himself in an expensive looking lobby, most likely for a bank or other such business. The guards did not shoo his rain-drenched soul out, being accustomed to taking in bystanders during the region's nor'easter storms. Cory took a seat near the door, looking at the torrent of rain that almost covered the window. A hand tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to find a drenched man somewhere in his 30's, wearing a suit and tie.

"Excuse me, but did you see my wallet when you were running here?"

Cory responded. "Sorry, I didn't see anything on the ground. The rain must have washed your wallet away."

"I knew I shouldn't have let that unicorn use it to show me magic."

"Wait, magic?" Cory had never believed in magic, having always thought the the power of reason was enough to solve any problem he had. For a random stranger to say he witnessed magic was almost inconceivable. Then he heard the unicorn part.

"Does it have something to do with those ponies I've been hearing about all over lately?"

"Yep. She was trying to recruit me for one of those, what do they call it... Conversion Centers."

"Conversion Centers? This is all related to those lots they bought right?" Only a couple weeks after their arrival, several lots in Boston and other cities around the world had been purchased by the ponies. Cory had noted the the ones in Boston were all placed with walking distance of the city's homes, including his own.

"You could be right. I think that's one of them being built right in front of us." The man pointed at the almost finished construction site just across from the street.

It was a large building for the neighborhood, about 5 stories tall. The front resembled a large health clinic, designed to take in a large amount of people, while the rear housed a similarly large greenhouse with the back roof open. The "clinic" part had a warm feel about it, as though it was not made for the typical things like broken bones or heart attacks. What glimpses Cory snatched into the greenhouse revealed several unusual looking trees and plants, almost looking like they belonged to some serene place, not of this earth. The site looked as if it was not affected in the least by the rain, and a large banner proudly declared:

'Conversion Center Grand Opening: September 24' That date was tomorrow, Cory realized.

"There has been one thing I heard, if that Unicorn was right. You think those centers are built for people?"

Cory nodded. It was only natural that people would help others like them acclimate themselves to an unfamiliar place like Boston was to these ponies. What else could it have been?

"No they aren't. The unicorn, Star Charmer if I remember right, told me those are really built for humans."

"No way. Whatever use for humans would they need hundreds of buildings like that all over the world?"

"I don't know. I'm considering caving in to the unicorn though. She was very friendly, and said I had nothing to lose."

"Are there any other people doing it?"

"A few here and there."

"You do know about those scientists right?"

Cory was referring to the sudden disappearances of several doctors in biology, psychiatry, and the like. They had all expressed somewhat negative views on humanity before tantamount vanishing off the face of the earth. All of them had spent significant time in contact with the new arrivals to the world, the ponies. Cory's mind tensed a little at the possibility of such an event happening to an ordinary man like the one standing next to him.

"The ponies look like they wouldn't harm a fly. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Better safe than sorry. Who knows what's out there?"

By now the precipitation had relented, and one could walk in Boston's streets again without being soaked. Cory took a long view of the almost completed building before heading back to his apartment. As he finished the commute and closed the front door, he went to the writing desk in his bedroom. He picked up a journal and began writing.

September 23

I am writing this journal because I am concerned about the recent rash of "Conversion Centers" that are being built around Boston and the world. Even though a person I met earlier today has said that he doesn't think much of them, I still anxious that something horrible and tragic might happen to the city. To whom it may concern, if you are reading this, I hope you get a viewpoint of what exactly happened during the late days of September 2012 when the ponies that only recently had shown themselves to the world became known. As a reporter of a local newspaper, it is only natural that I investigate a deep suspicion of mine.

In case you don't know, at the time of this writing, several buildings called Conversion Centers have been built by the ponies, intended so serve humans in some way or another. They have been placed all around the city, and this is the main reason I am wondering if they serve some ulterior purpose. Why are they so numerous, or even being built for that matter? What purpose do they serve? The only thing I have a possible connection to is the disappearance of a multitude of scientists in somewhat related fields who have known the ponies.

Boston's local "Conversion Centers" have scheduled their grand opening for tomorrow. Then, I shall look into this, and hopefully put my mind at ease, or, if my greatest fears are correct, uncover some horrific plot.

Cory looked at his finished writing stating his intent to investigate the so-called Conversion Centers. Investigator. He liked that title. It fit his situation somehow and had a nice ring to it.

The Shunned House

"Only a cynic can create horror—for behind every masterpiece of the sort must reside a driving daemonic force that despises the human race and its illusions, and longs to pull them to pieces and mock them."

From a letter to Weird Tales editor Edwin Baird, March 1924

September 24, 2012

As the clock in the sagging apartment's living room struck 9:44 AM, Cory had just completed his shower for the morning. Donning his clothes, a brown and white plaid button shirt and blue jeans, He recalled yesterday's conversation with the soaked man and himself starting a journal entry about what happened and what he speculated would come. Thinking over his predicament, he realized that he was just a simple reporter who knew almost nothing about what was troubling him.

Cory had decided yesterday that he was going to check out the Conversion Centers, but he was debating the wisdom of that decision. Why go straight into your fear? It is usually better to work along the periphery, especially when you know nothing about what you're doing. Taking out the Centers only left one option left: The scientists. Cory wondered how he was going to balance this with his career in reporting for the Herald.

Fortunately this was Cory's day off, so he could get right to what was at hand; The disappearances. They were really his only clue as to what was happening in the area. The first one that went to his mind was Dr. Malcolm Betruger. A biologist of renown, Dr. Betruger had recently been involved in gene-changing research in an effort to cure diseases of the like. He was amongst the first members of the scientific community to interact with the ponies, and spent a great deal of time with them. As one of the most famous scientists in his field, his vanishing act had caused great alarm, especially in local news, with the fact he had a home in Boston. Cory figured that Dr. Beturger's residence, if he could somehow find a way in, would shed some light on the Conversion Centers, or the ponies in general. He gathered his keys and wallet and left the apartment.

Walking along the damp cold autumn air, Cory noticed that the city's ancient streets were packed with news vans and other vehicles, all headed to one particular spot. As it was on the way to his destination, Cory figured that it would do no harm to look into it, and might even be related to the Conversion Bureaus in a way. As the investigator turned the corner he saw a glimpse of what the very large crowd was gathering at. It was one of the Conversion Centers, which was a stark contrast with Boston's typical gambrel roofs and Georgian balustrades. What appeared to be the real point of interest though, was a figure standing on top of a small makeshift stage, flanked by two white ponies in what looked to be armor.

It was also one of the ponies, or looked so, because it was much larger and more slender than one would normally expect from a pony. It was snow white, like the ones standing next to it, and wore what looked to be royal jewelery, such as a shining gold crown and some sort of large chest plate. The rainbow colored mane and tail was glowing with some sort of phantasmal substance, and it had both a horn and wings, marking it as some sort of hybrid between the three types of pony that were believed to be in existence. All of this was topped of with some sort of sun-like symbol on it's flank, and a feminine aura of something god-like. Cory's mind shuddered in disturbance by this. Whatever it was, it probably flew in the face of multiple science textbooks. How could something like that go unnoticed for so long? He tapped a crowd member on the shoulder.

"Excuse me." The investigator said as the man turned around to face him. Cory pointed at the figure. "What is that?"

"That's the ruler of Equestria. She's here to give a speech on the opening of the Conversion Centers."

"Why here in Boston, of all places?"

"Something about 'a connection to the history of each land the Centers are in', or something or the sort."

The man turned away, but before he did, Cory swore he had seen him someplace else. But the sound of the figure speaking quieted everyone in the audience. The speech began.

"Hello. I am Princess Celestia, and I am here to promote my kind's new Conversion Centers." The voice was graceful, and sounded like it belonged more to an angel talking to children. "I know that some of you may be thinking that we may be doing something immoral or harmful to your lands, but please give me a moment to calm those fears down.

Through the eons we Equestrians have been cut off from your world as we focused on our own matters. We had our reasons for doing so at first, but after certain events within Equestria, We realized that it was wrong to go on in a small land such as Equestria. So we visited the four corners of the world and decided to show others our values. But I'll admit there are other reasons too, as in the last few years Equestria has become overcrowded and we needed a way to solve that problem. Which leads me to why these Centers were built: so that the people of the world can better understand Equestria.

Harmony is a thing we hold very dear in our land. For us, the many things in life combining together into one pleasant melody has always been close to an ideal to be reached. Alone, we may be insignificant and miserable, but with harmony we can do so much more. By opening these Conversion Centers, we hope we can convince you to follow in our path and help us make paradise." As applause from the audience sounded, Princess Celestia finished the speech by cutting a ribbon in front of the center, oddly having the scissors in her mouth.

Cory would normally check out the building, but then he saw that a multitude of people were heading inside the center, and they didn't appear to be in there for a tour. In fact, on several of them he saw what looked to be clothes and various supplies for staying somewhere overnight, perhaps even a week or two. The burning question on his mind was why would people go to a place like this? Are Conversion Centers an overnight stay? "It would explain their size", he thought.

A green pegasus, one of the winged ponies, or so Cory heard, approached him.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"No thank you, I have something to attend to."

"All Right then. We hope to see you again!" With that implication of a goodbye, the investigator left the Center.

Dr. Betruger's Boston home was centuries old, as indicated by the crumbling colonial architecture common to those in the city's northern outskirts. Going by car, legend-haunted Salem was just an hour away, and as such most people were spooked to not go near the home. The police had searched the darkly brooding house when it's occupant vanished, but had found little evidence. Cory would be more thorough, so he thought.

There were rumors of ponies sighted in the area, but they were infrequent, and thus dismissed. That was proven wrong when Cory saw two of them conversing on the rather large front porch. Cory stepped on a branch, and the ponies snapped their heads towards the source as the investigator dived behind a tree for cover. They eventually wrote it off as the wind, and continued their conversation as Cory snuck in the back window, opting for the stealthy approach.

The mansion had a frightful and tense aura to it, as Cory realized that he was walking somewhere where he was not supposed to be. "Why did those ponies guard the front door in the first place?", he wondered. "Is there something of Dr. Betruger's that belongs to them?" Some of the floorboards creaked as Cory's steps became loudly audible. Along the corridors there was a family portrait or stand with some priceless vase. The maze-like halls were totally devoid of life.

As the reporter walked through the abandoned halls of the mansion, he struggled to make heads or tails of where he was going, not having a map of the mansion. Contemplating on what do do next, his nose stumbled upon the smell of old chemicals. Cory, figuring that it was his only lead, decided to follow his instincts through the corridors, and found a room used as a laboratory. True enough, the scent emanated from some beakers as research papers littered a desk, almost looking half-ransacked. Cory examined them, and found something quite discomforting:

Test #22, August 5

The serum appears to have most of the bugs ironed out. Very few original genes still remain in the subject after transformation, and exhibits the friendly and happy demeanor of most ponies. The single gender issue appears to have been resolved, and we are nearing a final version for the general public.

The human double helix provided quite the challenge in changing it's base structure while keeping the organism alive, but I was able to accomplish it. It is all just a matter of working along the periphery; a change in hair color here, adjustments to limb dimensions there, until the big concerns are addressed with no resistance. The knowledge the ponies possess of things that normal members of the scientific community would laugh at are truly mind-shattering.

I must say, even though I have done a significant amount of work devoted to this serum, I could not have done it without my new found colleagues. Princess Celestia was right; we have strained in our scientific fields in our own little direction and selfish interest, acquiring nothing but increased knowledge of our ignorance of the cosmos. Even as a respected biologist, I can safely declare that our inquires into the universe will only yield more questions, never any answers. With the things Equestria has shown me, I have begun to question whether civilization's basic, corrupted principles of progress and logic will really lead to a better world. Why should we continue our struggle against nature when the ponies and their world can provide a far superior alternative to our short and limited future? Our reach for the stars beyond our earth is fruitless, and I am beginning to wonder if science even has a place in Equestria and its peaceful and serene existence, or is even right for that matter.

Look at me, filling my test reports with abstract philosophy instead of hypothesis and empty guesses. I shall pay no mind to it, as this shall go down in Equestrian history as a footnote to an uplifting of a species that embraced an illusion. Princess Celestia is ready to care for and guide the wretched mass of humanity, and my new colleagues and I shall pave the way.

Cory looked around the room, wondering what exactly the doctor was talking about, when he noticed the strangely colored green hair on the desk. He picked it up, and observed that it was about 1 foot long, and looked to be from a male. More strangely, the hide of skin on the end was a dark blue, mostly certainly not a color any human being should have. Wide-eyed, he checked the lab again, and saw similar stands, one a pink two foot female hair with orange skin, and others in even more impossible combinations that should not exist in the human race.

Cory trembled with fear as he reread the report, his hand shaking wildly. As he grasped the full implication of what Dr. Betruger's notes were after the date of the disappearance and his contact with the ponies, he realized what exactly was happening to his mind. The tense at the man from yesterday caving in to the unicorn, his deep suspicion of the Bureaus, the sighting of Princess Celestia, he dawned at the fact he had lost a fraction of his sanity. He was experiencing horror at things thought unimaginable by geneticists, as Dr. Betruger toyed with the limits of known science like a cat would with a mouse.

The reporter composed himself, grabbed a few more test reports, and proceeded to find a way out of the building. He heard creaky footsteps, and saw the shadows of the two ponies from earlier, apparently patrolling the house.

Cory, in a fit of panic, started to bolt towards an a adjacent hallway as the two figures heard them, and began chase. The investigator raced though the halls, as the ponies guards continued speeding ever closer to him. Cory closed and bolted door frantically as the investigator went through them, the ponies knocking loudly and shouting, was was good for him, as Cory ran into a multitude of dead end rooms. He saw the lock on the door glow slightly, and it proceeded to open itself. Cory screamed in terror at the realization his fail-safe was useless, but luckily he saw the window he opened, and vaulted out white-faced towards Boston proper.

As Cory entered his apartment, he began to calm down. The day was over, and he could finally get some sleep, but he needed some details before he could retire. Determining that if he really wanted to be an investigator, he would have to collect as much evidence as he could, Cory set to work renovating his writing desk. Stapling a map of Boston up on the wall, he started his work as he pulled out a marker and started circling the locations of all the known Conversion Centers in the city. It being only a day since he started, the only thing he could do was sticking printed out news articles about the disappearance of the scientists around the map, also posting the test result papers. The report was a start, but he would have to get more evidence if he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

September 24

Today I finally got to witness the ruler of Equestria, one Princess Celestia. She was some sort of angelic figure straight out of the bible, and spoke about harmony and creating paradise. Princess Celestia tried to calm fears about the Centers, but my senses only tell me that it is not a good thing, as if society was being upheavaled by something else entirely. I saw several people enter the Conversion Center, but I wonder if it really is the way to utopia, as Celestia's dialogue indicated.

When I broke into Dr. Betruger's home I saw two ponies guarding the mansion, but I snuck past them, and managed to find some notes left by the doctor. They have made a great mental disturbance. Who would write such things about humanity? Who would make a serum that changes... Something? How can one's beliefs be shattered after seeing some place? How does one of biology's most famous scientists go from humanist to supporter of Celestia in just the span of a few weeks? What in the world was I reading? What is going on? Maybe Celestia is right. Maybe we should embrace harmony as our ideal. No... I have free will to do as I please. I am Cory Elisen. Nothing can take those away from me. Dr. Betruger's mind changed sometime around August 5, and something inside him died, I can take the guess.

I have started a wall of some sort, displaying the evidence I have gathered. Is is almost barren now, but I feel I must continue on. Will attempt to muster the strength to look into the Conversion Centers this time around, for real. My fear for tragedy in Boston has been replaced with fear for a dark future for humanity.

The Lurking Fear

"All I say is that I think it is... unlikely that anything like a central cosmic will, a spirit world, or an eternal survival of personality exist. They are the most preposterous and unjustified of all the guesses which can be made about the universe..."

Letter to Robert E. Howard, August 1923

September 25, 2012

Cory sat in the office of his boss at the Boston Herald, The reporter wanting to talk to his employer about the Conversion Bureaus. The things he found in Dr. Betruger's lab did not ease his slumber in any way, and the doctor's rapid turn from renowned advocate for bettering the human condition to eager supporter of Princess Celestia with whatever the Bureaus were doing did not help matters. Currently Cory's boss was pacing around behind the desk, thinking over what his subordinate had revealed to him.

"So you're telling me that those Bureaus may, keyword may, be up to no good? And you want me to publish an editorial on it on my paper?" Cory's supervisor finally said after a pause of thought.

"I'm telling you sir, nothing good will come out out of them! Why hasn't anything ever heard about from the people who've been there?" He responded.

"Because there's no phone service. I took the tour when they opened, and I was told that they use some machines that block the signal."

"Was the tour through?"

"No, but it's still a tour. Why would they hide anything from people taking a tour, especially a building that people are supposed to say in for a week?"

Cory went wide-eyed in shock. "Wait, you're going?"

"Maybe. My kids are doing it, my wife is almost deciding to say yes, so why not me? It's better to go with whatever the Bureaus are doing as a family. They promised no harm, and nothing's going to happen to us."

"Don't do it! Just don't do it. Tell your kids to stop!"

"Why are you so riled up about all of this anyway? You're acting kinda paranoid."

"Because I just have this feeling that... The feeling that..." Cory hesitated as he gasped for air. "You promise to not tell anyone else about this?" He recoiled as he realized the folly of asking that question to someone in the press, hypocritical as it was.

"...Depends."

"You know about how Dr. Beturger vanished, right?"

"We covered that story a few days before the lots for the Centers were brought by the ponies. I remember the tabloids going in a rage about it for subscriptions."

"...I went to his mansion yesterday, and I saw... I don't know how to say it. There was this test result for something about this serum. Dr. Beturger said it changed genes." Cory started getting shivers down the spine recalling the day before. "I-I only read a few of the reports, but as he was writing them, he started being different. He raved about how humans have meaningless lives, and..."

"And what? What was so terrible that you needed to break into the abandoned house of a famous scientist, and on the possible imagined chance that something needed to be done?"

"Dr. Beturger worked with the ponies to... do something to humans. He said that the serum he was making was going to be for the public."

The voice of Cory's overseer turned extremely stern. "Listen, I know where you're coming from. A race of pastel colored horses moving into the world is jarring for every one of us, but if we post anything horrifically negative, even on the vanishingly small chance it's true, people are going to be all over this paper. If I let the reporter who is known for having most of his news land on FARK do a report on this, somebody out there will blow that out of proportion, and the Herald will be wrecked beyond repair."

"But I'm not lying! Something ghastly is going to happen with these Bureaus."

"Unless you have evidence or a police warrant, which I doubt you'll get because of diplomatic immunity, I don't want to hear about this again." With that the conversation ended.

Cory left the office in somewhat of a huff. His employer was not listening and he needed something to put his mind at ease, especally with the things he read about in the reports. If Dr. Betruger, an acclaimed biologist and believer of human progress can have his mind seemingly warped by the ponies, humanity cannot be far off. Why would the ponies need hundreds of thousands of Conversion Centers anyway?

The reporter went back to his work covering stories. Right now he was entrusted with a major one, Election 2012. Currently the race was in a deadlock, and though Celestia and the Centers did take some attention from it, it was still the center of national focus, with all the mudslinging that entailed. As Cory was reporting on how Massachusetts and the rest of New England were likely to reelect the current President, he couldn't help but put his mind off the job. Dr. Betruger had wrote his reports with this assumption that humanity would get "uplifted". The ponies' Conversion Bureaus are meant for humans. "There has to be something going down there.", Cory thought. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he caught himself writing notes about his investigation and not what he was supposed to report on.

The workday ended, and Cory, glad to have picked up his car back from the repair shop this morning, settled on taking the tour of the Bureaus his boss talked about. It was probably unwise to explore a building that produces much fear, but it was a guided tour. At most, people would grow suspicious of the ponies when the group disappeared, launch an investigation, the same one he was doing. Not that nobody had heard from whoever came into the Centers to stay, but still...

Cory got out his phone and dialed the Center's number. After a few moments of ringing he got an answer from a unicorn secretary.

"Hello, welcome to the Dartmouth St. and Warren Ave. Conversion Center. I'm Dream Dancer, how may I help you today?"

Cory responded. "Yes, I would like a tour of your Conversion Center. I have a few concerns about when I sign up for this, is anything going to happen, just standard things. I don't want to get hurt or worse if anything happens to me here is all. You know how it is, right?"

"I understand perfectly. When do you want to take the tour?"

"As soon as possible, please. If I'm going to do this, I better get it out of the way. Anything for the next hour or so?"

"We do have a tour starting in 30 minutes. I can squeeze you in there."

"That would be perfect."

"The guide will be on the parking lot when the tour starts. Thank you for calling!" The dial tone sounded as Cory stared at the phone in surprise at how easy it was to get in. Fortunately it was only 11 minutes from the Herald to the Center the investigator had called, so Making the tour wasn't a problem in the slightest. As Cory reached the Center, it emanated a sparkling, magical fairy tale varnish, as if something humankind had forgotten long ago decided to come back and set up residence. Cory parked his car in the surprisingly filled parking lot, and a light blue earth pony, the ones without horns or wings, called everyone over.

"Hello everyone. Welcome to one of the the many Conversion Bureaus through the world! My name is Sugar Song, and I'll be your tour guide throughout the tour. before we begin, is there any questions any of you would like to ask?"

Had he no suspects of the Bureaus, Cory would have probably spent 20 minutes asking questions. But at this point he felt Dr. Betruger's notes were all he needed to know that the ponies were up to no good. He went silent while initial questions were asked. The Earth Pony mare finished the last one, then ushered everyone inside the Center to start the tour. The initial wonder of the Conversion Center gave way to a somewhat... Wrong feel, as if something deep inside Cory told him to turn back.

If the outside had the appearance of a clinic, the inside had it's aura precisely correct. Each of the tour members, including Cory, suddenly had bad doctor memories brought back to them as they stepped into the complex. Despite colorful decorations, it was somewhat sterile, like the place was built to cauterize something from the humans that "checked in". There was a desk where a unicorn was writing down something, oddly with no computer in sight. In fact, Cory could not perceive anything beyond the turn of the 20th century in the room.

Sugar Song, the tour guide started explaining: "This is the lobby, where we put in the names of all the pon- people who enter the Conversion Center. This here," the mare pointed a hoof toward the unicorn, "is Crystal Treasure, the pony that checks up on all the humans that come into the Center." The unicorn waved at the tour group with her hoof Before joining the earth pony in the tour. "Hello. I'm Crystal Treasure. Sugar Song and I only meet up when we agreed to work at the Bureaus, and friendship came soon afterwards. It's so great to be here, seeing so many humans sign up for the Bureaus. Equestria is a wonderful place, and I'm sure you'll all find that out for yourselves once you enter to stay." Crystal Treasure's horn glowed as the mare eyed the tour group as if she was taking a guess at something.

As the two droned on about what the centers were about mostly a repeat of Princess Celestia's speech about how higly the ponies hold harmony and how the Centers were meant for humans to understand Equestria. The two were utterly into the speech, and Cory took the opportunity to examine the unicorn's desk. He was on the verge of taking one of the papers, but he saw that the language was entirely different from English, some type of pictogram focused type of writing. After some thought, Cory decided to take it anyway, as it might provide a useful clue as to what was going on.

"OK, let's continue the tour!" Sugar Song declared as the mare and Crystal Treasure lead the group deeper into the Center. As the two guided the humans deeper into the building, Cory noticed something. Despite being built for humans, there was little to accommodate them as almost everything was built for ponies. The doors, the ground, which was made of this soft linoleum-like mineral, even the sign placements and light switches were lowered for them. Even the empty dorms the group was shown weren't built for humans. When Sugar Song and Crystal Treasure were enveloped in leading the group, Cory saw a chance to abandon the tour and explore the facility on his terms. When the group turned left at an intersection, the investigator turned right.

The Conversion Center was more maze-like than Cory had first thought. The corridors twisted and turned, and the reporter frequently had to hide behind a corner or two to evade ponies that were walking around the halls. Cory did this for hours, feeling helpless and lost. There was something more to these Centers than the group was being shown, and the investigator felt that he needed to get to the bottom of it all. Suddenly, he heard hoofsteps of ponies, and ducked into an office to hide.

Cory found himself in what looked to be a somewhat fancy room, probably meant for the Bureau's local manager. A table and chair was the centerpiece, and there were numerous books, all of which were in the Equestrian language. Once again, Cory could find no trace of computers or anything from beyond the 1930's at most. There was however, a book unattended on the desk. Inspecting it, Cory found that it was an Equestrian to English translator. Cory had never taken a foreign language class while he was in school, but skimming through the book, he found that consulting was an easy way to understand the ponies' language. He stowed it away for later, figuring the ponies could always get another book, and went to venture off into the Bureau some more.

Once again, the investigator was forced to play trilby-hatted cat burglar in order to progress through to the areas the tour group did not go. He did see them occasionally, but always on a different path. Apparently they did not notice Cory's disappearance, as Sugar Song and Crystal Treasure continued as if he wasn't there. Even though the investigator had to hide, actual guards were almost non-existent. On that subject, Cory had hardly seen any human that wasn't part of the tour group, despite the massive amount of cars saying otherwise. As this thought was going though his head, the reporter finally saw a human. He was wearing a clinical garb, and was wandering towards a double door. Cory followed him, and peeped through the door crack when the doors closed.

Peeking inside the room, Cory saw the human, a blond-haired male somewhere in his 30's, meet up with two ponies, an earth pony and a unicorn. As the human was somewhat shivering the two ponies proceeded to give him a breaker filled with a bubbling, sparking purplish liquid that was somewhat glowing. The human opened his mouth while the unicorn's horn glowed. The beaker suddenly shined with white light, the the container moved seemingly of it own accord, in gross violation of physics. It lowered itself into the man's mouth as the liquid started pouring in. After the process was done the man started convulsing, and dropped to the ground.

When a few moments of trembling passed, a white light enveloped him. The shape of the man started changing. First his hair color turned into a bright red as his hands and feet turned cylindrical, swallowing his fingers, thumbs, and toes. The patient grew wide-eyed in fear as his arms and legs evened out in length, turning the person into a quadruped with no fine manipulators. His head twisted the skull and shape as his canine teeth were replaced, his eyes grew in size, and the iris' turned yellow. His skin came next, contorting into a cyan color, and gaining a different texture than a member of the human race normally would have. The patient breathed heavily all along the procedure as his last few human features struggled valiantly to resist the serum, the man even screaming his last few breaths in agony as a member of mankind before being replaced by a totally different voice. Finally, a long tail, same color as his new mane, grew out of his backside. The transformation had been complete.

Cory's vision warped, danced, and blurred as the human had gone from the transformation from man to pony. He had seen evidence of it in Dr. Betruger's lab, but witnessing the process firsthand was something entirely different. Just seconds ago, that pony was a man! Cory breathed heavily as he madly scrambled back towards the lobby, not wanting to see any more of that horrible image. Who knows what would happen if he was caught, but Cory just wanted away from that room.

Fortunately, the tour was almost over, and Cory rejoined the group as it entered the lobby.

"And that's our Conversion Center. Any Questions?" Crystal Treasure asked to finish it off. Cory was shocked silent, and did not raise a peep. Nobody asked a question though, and Sugar Song ushered the group out, the two ponies waving goodbye. A person touched Cory's shoulder.

"You look like you saw a ghost. Anything wrong?"

The investigator responded, "Nothing. Just wandered into the wrong room." The woman gave a suspicious look before setting off to her car. Cory did the same, climbing into the driver's seat as he brought the translator dictionary and began translating the front desk paper he snatched:

Date: September 24

Secretary: Crystal Treasure

Humans Checked In: 3,685

Ponies to Equestria: 56 (Note: Opening Day)

Mechanical Problems: None

Spell Mishaps: None

General Status Update:

No problems so far. The unicorn spell allowing for a rough estimate of what human become once the serum has been administered is working fine. No wrong predictions have occured so far. Being opening day, everything is in tip top shape, and the humans seem fine when being educated about Equestria, though almost all of them show mental distress when being taught about Princess Celestia's view of the universe and humans. Most of the staff is needed calming their fears, and the humans themselves, down.

This did nothing to assure Cory's fears. In fact, it heightened them. As the investigator drove home, he climbed his home building's multitude of steps to his apartment. He entered, posted Crystal Treasure's report to the wall, and started the 3rd entry to his journal:

September 25

I can't believe it. I took a tour of one of the Conversion Bureaus today, and I saw something horrible: They're changing people. Not just mentally, they are actually changing people to ponies. What in the world? How could I have been so foolish? It was right there in the name; Conversion Bureau! Why would they do that to normal men and women? That is not natural in any way, shape, or form! The sight was absolutely horrifying! Princess Celestia is planning to tear mankind's soul out and remake it in her own image! Why isn't anybody doing something about it?

When I was in an office in the Bureau, I found an Equestrian to English dictionary. Hopefully I can use this to gather more evidence to prove something. The few slips of paper I have aren't enough; I need something more to prove what I saw. Or better yet a way to stop it all? Maybe they are making the serum somewhere? I need to focus. Perhaps there is someone else out there? No, I haven't seen much in the way of opposition to Princess Celestia, only a few fringe nutbags, though I fear I may join their ranks. I need willpower if I want to keep my sanity.

At this point I am running out of options. Dr. Beturger's house is probably doubly guarded, and the Bureaus may have noticed what I took. There has got to be something out there I can do... A very real chance exists of all of humankind being put under chains. My dreams will not be pleasant tonight.