Chapters Cairn McGregor, an old man who was a lobster fisherman, turned on the TV and saw what was on the International News.
"Earth's gas turning toxic, is this the end of us all, asked one of the scientists toda–" Click. Boring.
"In today's sports–" Click. Not in the mood for sports.
"I am here today to celebrate the opening of the first Conversion Bureau by both the UN, and Equestria. And here comes the first batch of people wanting to be converted. Hold on, is that Dr. Marcos Enriquez?" Cairn looked up and went closer to the television and listened more closely.
"Doctor Enriquez, are you sure about your choice?" the reporter asked. The man in a lab coat, an old friend of Cairn, looked at the camera and smiled.
"If I don’t survive this, then don't go. Anyways," he went closer to the pony who was waiting in the entrance, "I'm going to wait for a few days for this."
The reporter then looked back at the camera and smiled back. "This is Angela Fisherman, reporting from..." There was snickering from the humans close. "Reporting from Surabaya, Indonesia. God, I need a new name..."
Cairn smirked as he stood from his chair and began to pack his items so that he can get to the new Surabaya Conversion Bureau, not waiting for any more bureaus that might open near him.
In one of the houses near the new Conversion Bureau lies a Kopassus sniper, which was sent ahead to protect the new bureau. Nothing much has happened, until a smoke grenade disrupted its operations which attracted the Army forces including him. He raised his scope and began to search for the person responsible, only to miss said target.
"Damn it, a terrorist's already brewing up a storm here," he muttered in Indonesian language, "Where is that guy..."
Jonathan was looking bored again. 10 hours had been passed and the flights to Indonesia are already full. He should've seen this coming.
So he waited for an opening until a guy gave Jonathan a ticket, much to his surprise. He was about to ask why he gave that ticket, and the man replied with an complex answer. Jonathan just ignored the man afterwards.
"Okay, Johnny," Jonathan said to himself, "once I get there, I'm going to enjoy it until I've decided. I hope it's free... and no bad weather across the Pacific."
He then looked at his watch and heard his stomach grumble. "I'm getting hungry. Do I have anything to eat... Oh, right, chips. I have chips. I have chips in my bag."
As he was about to open his bag to eat a pack of chips, an announcement called out all passengers going to China. He looked at his ticket and followed. Once he was at his line, he waited until he got into the plane. However, this pattern was cut off when a guard pulled him into a private room.
Jonathan then recognized the officer, Half-Life 2 style.
"Andrew?" he called.
The guard smiled back, "nice to see you again, Johnny. See you got to use my spare ticket."
"What?" Jonathan was completely confused. "This ticket," he raised the ticket up, "is yours?"
"Yup, trip to China. VIP Plane. With me," Andrew began to pull Jonathan again, "you're coming along."
Jonathan couldn't help not to ignore this opportunity. And once they were at the plane, they were off. Andrew was still surprised all the way to China, which meant his clothes wasn't enough to last the cold.
"In today's news, the first conversion bureau was smoked by a terrorist, and reports are scattering that there's an human opposition group that was trying to stop the ponification camp. In other news—" Patricia wasn't amused at this news piece as she turned off the TV.
Humans turned into ponies? Completely impossible. Especially when these "pony" freaks ruined her dreams. Why should she even believe there was a place called Equestria?
Patricia shook her head. She should've went to bed. So she did, until her phone rang and she answered.
"Patricia O'Malley," Patricia greeted, then she recognized the voice. "Oh, hello mom. Yes, I'm fine. Wait, what? You lost your job? How? Oh. See you sometime mom. Bye."
She then headed straight into bed, unaware of a pony stalking her in her sleep.
Dr. Marcos Enriquez was lucky he smuggled his recording device in, and he began to talk and record about the events as the day passed.
"Salutations for my fellow people, this is Marcos, documenting from Day One." He sighed and took a glance around. "I should've not smuggled this in. They didn't have any metal detector spells yet. Princess Celestia doesn't know I'm here. Princess Luna has my blessing. All I know is they're setting up a new one on the other side of the Pacific rim."
"While here are what we did. We trained ourselves to act slightly like them. Not like walking on four legs though. Not like that. Who knows in the black market that we do it, haha."
"Anyways, I saw HLF terrorists. They're here. They want to stop Equestria from saving all that's left. I have a few seconds left, they're knocking." Marcos looked at the door before clicking the pause button. "So help me God."
The door then opened up to find a pony noticing the recorder. Marcos quickly raised his permit to bring it, and the pony ignored him as he went off. He then clicked the record button once more.
"I haven't told a thing about them ever since the First Contact. They're just like us, only more harmonious." Marcos smiled as he prepared to stop the recording. "This is Marcos Enriquez, signing off."
Patricia walked around the dark street, alone. She tried to call for anyone, only for her voice to echo back. She tried this until she was tired, so she sat on the dark street, unaware of anything else. She then stood and looked around, until she saw her former boyfriend. She was about to ignore the construct until he turned into a pony, and tackled him with a knife.
She then woke up, looked around and saw her bed wet from sweat.
"Dang it, I just got these sheets cleaned!" She groaned in frustration, as she fixed her bed and headed to the dining area for breakfast.
Marcos woke up on the wrong side of the bed. He looked around, and decided to call Princess Celestia, but to his surprise, he saw the princess on the bureau. The Princess was shocked to find her human friend on her ponification camp. They then excused themselves from the crowd while Marcos pulled out his tape recorder.
"Oh, so that was the permission all about," Celestia said to Marcos, "so that you could bring your tape recorder. But why?"
"So that I could tell the others what my reactions are to ponification," Marcos replied, "all for the campaign. Although the HLF..."
"Do not worry about the HLF," Celestia advised, "instead, worry about a new enemy."
"What?" Marcos asked in disbelief.
"Ponification for Earth's Rebirth, or PER," Celestia warned. "A group of ponies up to no-good, and they force conversion. They're... chaotic."
"Oh... then we must keep track of our ponies, then?" Marcos suggested.
"Yes, yes we should," Celestia replied, "but you might not know who will be part of the group." She looked at the ponies and humans present. "You might not know, maybe one of the new ones will join them."
Michael Jones woke up to a good start as he was on the winning side, until the ponies placed their conversion bureau. It made their efforts to start in vain. He was one of the people who was affected by this. Yet somehow, luck was still on their side as their leader sent message about a new bureau opening in Paris and they should stop it. So he packed up, took his AK-47, and took a car and drove to said location.
However, since he was in India, he had to ride a plane.
As he went and bought a ticket, a mysterious hoof suddenly snatched him and tied him up to a chair. He tried to scream but as soon as he opened his mouth, the pony forced a bottle of potion into his mouth. Michael tried to resist, but the pony tilted his head back, forcing him to swallow. His eyes widened in fear as he realised what was about to happen to him.
He was the first victim of the new PER.
On a plane to Washington, DC, was a unicorn mare named Emerald, formerly a man named Brodie. Emerald was a kind pony, in fact, she had been kind ever since she was a man, until Equestria came. Being the eager one of the researchers worldwide, he volunteered to try out the ponification potion Princess Celestia made. It gave the others predicted and unpredicted results. It did turn him into a pony, but it turned him into a mare.
She hid herself when she learned that almost all of the native ponies were mostly female.
Now, she's heading towards her former home to help other humans survive the world through ponification. However, she began to wonder how her parents will react when he turned to her. Well, at least the government was kind enough to tell them, because as she got down the private plane, her parents was waiting for her, and they were just as shocked as her.
"Brodie...?" her mom asked.
"It's me, yes... although I turned into a mare... still Brodie!" Emerald quickly hugged her parents as they hugged back. "What's up?"
"The sky, of course," her father joked, "just kidding. Same old, same old. Although when Princess Celestia told about ponification–" A beam of harmless light passed through him. "–what was that for?!"
"It's to check when you're part of the HLF," a unicorn stallion replied, "and you're clear."
"Don't mind him," whispered Emerald, "he's just... attracted to me so much that he wants to protect me."
"And is that... bad?" her mother asked, grinning.
"Forget about it," Emerald replied, blushing.
After a few seconds, they shared a small laugh before they headed into a hotel which was also a secret laboratory, and Emerald explained to her human parents what really happened, and what will happen. They were slightly surprised to hear that she changed her name to Emerald to fit the lifestyle of the ponies, and the less slightly stupid attempts of the other ponies to match her tastes, which are unbelievably exotic. And it was funny according to them.
"International reports are coming in as forced ponification seemed to be in effect in a few countries while Princess Celestia denies to do so and blames a separate group called Ponification for Earth's Rebirth. Meanwhile, Princess Luna has released a cryptic message."
The television was then turned off as Princess Luna was about to tell something. The man who was watching, USS Explorer Captain Rowan Ex, smiled as he already knew what she was about to broadcast.
Beside him was an makeshift radio connected to a sound and video decryption computer, and it has just finished decoding something. It then played on his television which turned on by its own.
It showed a video of Princess Celestia, and Marcos. It said, "Project Tango is a failure, code Zulu, Alpha, November, Mike, 2, 6, Beta."
ZANM-26B? Wasn't that his Secret Service code in case of apocalypse? Why are they using it now? Rowan was confounded, something went wrong. Project Tango was a group of government agents ponified to serve as to spy and do harm if needed. His questions where answered after the follow-up message.
"Project Tango is Ponification for Earth's Rebirth." The video then shifted into static for a few minutes before it shifted back to the news report.
Rowan then stood and took his sailor hat from the radio and wore it. He then went outside and immediately spotted a unicorn running wild, and he ran to it, knocking it to the floor.
For a member of a secret group called Unity for Foreign Equality, it would be only a few minutes before members worldwide try to track down the PER; while escaping HLF.
If the members of the Unity did decipher the code like he did, because most of the members are idiots.
Two Groups, Two Locations
Michael woke up with a headache and a pair of eyes staring at him. He tried to move away, only to find himself strapped on a table... with hooves. How did he have hooves in the first place?! What happened to him!? Did those ponies gave him some serum? What was going on?
Rowan looked at the panicking pony before pointing a gun at him, which caused him to flinch and stop panicking. He then heard the pony speak..
"Who are you?" he asked in a strong British accent.
"USS Explorer Captain Rowan Ex," Rowan replied. "You seem to be forcefully converted, are you? A pony gone feral. Hmm. Must've been that damn PER."
"Why should I tell you?" he asked.
"I know, you're former HLF. Saw the fight." Rowan replied, "all of your HLF comrades are dead, my deepest apology-" The pony was then shocked. "-comrade."
Michael blinked. They were defeated? What would happen now? He slumped to the tables, sighing in defeat. And to think he was about to head to another place to fight off any ponies that could try to create a bureau... he then thought for a second.
"You called me comrade. What was that for?" he asked.
Rowan chuckled, "well, you are no longer human, nor part of the HLF, and in a restricted US Embassy area, and in my private property."
"No charges?" he joked as Rowan shook his head while unlocking Michael out of the chains. He then stood and noticed he could stand well like he was actually a pony before.
"Nope, anyway, I think Indonesia's the best place you could go, Bluey," Rowan replied.
Michael felt the urge to stab him. "Don't call me that. My name's Michael."
"Not for long, actually. Once recognized by Princess Celestia dearly, you might need a pony-like name. Maybe Comet Dust?" Rowan suggested.
"Comet Dust it is then, lad," Michael replied.
Patricia wasn't so sure of she should investigate the Bureau while in Indonesia. She knew her way around, so why not look around the place?
It was a bad idea. Totally a bad idea. She got nearly jailed after trying to went closer to the bureau, and the army thought she was an HLF which she quickly denied and proved. She then quickly headed back home, scared.
"Something bothering you?" Rowan asked, looking at Comet Dust who was looking at himself walk.
"It's odd, but I feel like I already did this," Comet confessed, "is that what the serum does?"
"Serum?" Rowan stopped to laugh. "It's a potion! Engineered by ponies! A few humans tried it out, major success. We tried a serum version with experimental nanoparticles, only ended up with a half-human half-pony hybrid. It was weird, she then went for the potion to finish it."
Comet Dust stopped on his tracks. Not a serum? "How come intel–"
"Told them lies, like what the government would do anyways. Now carry on," Rowan invited, "beauty's waiting for a pony to get her hooves on."
"And by mean beauty, you mean your ship," said Comet, "Right?"
"Good God, you have your jokes," he muttered.
"I wasn't amused by the pun when I woke up though," the pony growled.
Patricia felt something watching her as she headed back to her house back in the US. She dismissed it and looked back to find a silhouette.
The screams began as her house was filled with what seemed to be ponification gas.
As Comet Dust and Rowan Ex sailed towards Indonesia, Rowan noticed a small sailboat with a few passengers on it, and pulled all the passengers in as he noticed they were struggling to keep the boat afloat. One passenger, a retired fisherman, went up to Rowan and was about to say something until he noticed Comet Dust trying to take his old gun back, muttering curses about the PER and what they destroyed in his life.
"Huh," he said instead, "I guess I must delay going to Indonesia for that conversion."
"You were going to Indonesia?" Rowan asked. The man nodded. "Luckily we were to set sail as well! Welcome to the USS Explorer, I am Captain Rowan Ex."
"Rowan!?" he hugged Rowan so sudden it caused Comet to jump. "Good to see you!"
Rowan stumbled back. "Cairn McGregor? Oh, I didn't recognise you from that outfit! How are you, old friend?"
"Good as ever, had my retirement a refreshing one," Cairn replied. "So, where in Indonesia?"
"The bureau," Dust replied before looking at himself and went back to grabbing his AK-47.
"PER, those scruffy little brats," Cairn commented, "wanted to convert all of us, made my sailboat sink. Eh. Anyways, nice to see you again."
"Nice to see you again," Rowan greeted back as he headed towards the wheel and ordered full speed until they spotted something on the radar.
As the Kopassus team was sent back to retreat as the first three days went off with a hitch, one of them stayed and try the conversion bureau out. Who was this guy? His name was Lucas Panjaitan, that sniper who was defending the bureau from a high end.
"I shall have to leave duty after I take this step," he whispered to himself, "may gods help me."
As Emerald was about to choose a location for the second conversion bureau, her choices was cut short as Princess Celestia made a press statement and addressed about the PER, and how they were spies converted by those of the government who hated the ponies, and wishes all were near a pony to be alert. She received glares until a scream was heard and she ran towards it.
As she saw where the scream was, she saw a mare in her house sweating, and a note was in front of the mare. Emerald went closer and instantly went into a defensive stance as the mare looked back.
Her first instinct was to run and call the guards because that mare was absolutely chasing her.
In under 2 hours, Rowan and those aboard his ship had successfully left the area before any casualties were found.
"Well... we hit the wrong dock," noticed Cairn.
"And alert the Indonesian Government? Yes we just did," added Comet Dust.
"They don't know the sign as well, I think." Rowan climbed up one of the view baskets and shot a flare pattern of red-green-black.
A few seconds later, a ship that had its cannons pointed to them fired back the same pattern and withdrew their attack stance. Rowan climbed down towards the pony and the retired fisherman and gave a thumbs up.
"Oh, red-green-black flare patterns mean heading towards the bureau," Cairn asked, "right?"
"No," Rowan replied, "it's a UFE code for 'we come in peace' thing."
"UFE?" Comet asked, who was now trying to do magic. "Unity for Foreign Equality? That stupid UN programs that has failed in public?"
"Think of it as Area 51," said Rowan. "Well, technically Area 51 is one of our main bases..."
Cairn thought for a question for him. "Aliens?"
"Let's say... Area 51 plus that MIB to answer that," Rowan suggested, smiling.
There was a few seconds of silence before they headed towards the bureau, laughing on all fours.
Emerald looked at the mare as she woke up after being under a sleeping spell. The mare stared at her eyes for a few seconds before she was chased again, screaming something along "change me back" and something. Emerald quickly casted a sleeping spell back to her, but the mare missed. Emerald calmed her instead into a talk.
"Did you do this?" she gritted.
"No," Emerald replied before walking around her. "In fact, I didn't even knew you were a pony, but based on your actions you were forced... PER. They did this."
The mare looked at Emerald. "You know them?"
Emerald stopped. "No. I'm Emerald, what's your name?"
"Pa-Pa-Patricia," she stuttered, "Patricia O'Malley."
"All right then Patricia." Emerald looked away to call a guard. "We're listing you as one of the PER victims. Anything else you remember?"
"My ex-boyfriend did this..." she whispered before the two walked off.
Marcos wasn't feeling so well after taking the ponification potion. There was something in his blood that slowed the process down and giving him a headache. Princess Celestia knew of this and of the rising cases of ponies converted, but to see her friend in this state? She couldn't stand it.
So at the day the ponification process was done, she immediately brought Marcos into her room to rest.
Operation is Green (Marcos)
Patricia and Emerald sent snail-mail to Princess Celestia around the same time Rowan, Cairn, and Comet Dust sent permission to dock. A few minutes later, the government allowed Rowan's group while Princess Celestia was back at Equestria, reading Emerald's mail which came through dragon fire. Lucas managed to scare a few people inside the bureau in which, out of luck, just made him ready to be converted as a Royal Guard of New Equestria Foundation.
Marcos, as it seemed however...
Dr. Marcos Enriquez's POV
I woke up in Princess Celestia's hotel room in the bureau, the ponification finally residing in my body. I stood and took a body check. All well. I then flopped back to the bed and shifted my gaze to find a note from the Princess.
Dear Marcos,
As I left you in my room, I noticed a few things about you. First, you were partly immune to the potion, which made me wonder if the serum was ready to use. Second, you were immune to magic, which was odd because there never was magic in humans, adding to the first. Lastly, you have a mark in your hand which never disappeared. I hope you can come soon.
From,
P. Celestia
I quickly took my recorder and walked off, only to be blocked by a unicorn who had a badge of New Equestria Foundation and the Kopassus.
"Who are you?" I quickly ask. "How long have I been out?"
"Sharp Sight," he replied, "and you were out for two days. I was in walk until you came out."
"They're letting newfoals walk around?" I asked.
"While they set up teleport," he replied. He's a local here it seemed. "I shall miss this place."
I looked into my hoof and noticed my scar still present. It seemed like the potion did need some few modifications after all. I look around and poked my forehead if I had a horn. Check.
I tried to lit my horn and levitate something, probably Sharp Sight's tail. No, that'll be awkward. But I did anyway, causing him to charge at me. I quickly sidestepped, causing him to stop as soon as the guards came in.
"I started it," I quickly confessed, "my bad, my bad."
"Your bad it is," one of the guards who interfered commented. "All caught on film. Well, the Equestrian kind of film, because we're shippin' them to Princess Twilight Sparkle herself."
"She started this thing," added another guard. "First week is something like a test. If it's a success, she'll come by, give all ponies a chance to live on this section of the world for thirty days."
"Thirty?" Sharp Sight asked. "Why thirty?"
"Probably because of magic and since humans are mediums of magic without any outflow," a voice answered, "causing them to either die or try to use magic in their own way." We all looked in a direction to find Princess Celestia. "No time for formalities, please, I'd rather be a pegasus for this secret visit."
"So," I say with my British accent, "anything that her majesty needs?"
"Nothing of the sort my little pony," Celestia replied in her own British accent, snickering between words. "Guards, leave us alone, except for you, Lucas."
Sharp Sight froze as the two guards left. I wondered why. I looked at Princess Celestia, who had just cast a spell for the both of us. We looked at her confused before I noticed something beside her. I went closer, took the saddlebag, and opened it using my magic.
"Oh please," I cursed. "Don't tell me that spell remade the negative sides of humanity the potion was supposed to remove."
"No," Celestia replied. "The spell was something which might reconnect the souls of humans to their original bodies, which are..."
"Ponies." Sharp Sight looked around and noticed the paint was fading off. "Humans were ponies once. Over time our old ways crumbled into fantasy."
"The true reason is what again?" I asked.
Princess Celestia smiled at him, while looked at me in disappointment. Expected. I took an umbrella from the saddlebag, spinning it with my magic and holding it. Sharp Sight took the bag and pulled out a long stick. He looked around and looked at Princess Celestia.
"Must I say—" Sharp Sight began. I quickly noticed the sentence form. Not again.
I quickly interrupted. "Don't finish that! Some dumb mentalist gave me a stupid thing when someone tells that phrase after I made that famous."
"So that's why you did some kind of violin thing," the Princess muttered.
I facehooved at the mention. "I'm out of here." I walked backwards and nearly fell outside due to an open window. "Wooaaaah-"
I woke up to find myself in my bed in Equestria. I looked around, took a look in the window, and flopped back to bed as I take my time to remember what I did. After thinking, I quickly headed outside while Sharp Sight followed. A headache passes over me which intensified, clouding my judgement. All of a sudden, a bright light from the horizon appeared, stopping the headache.
"Uh, Sharp Sight?" I called. "It's just me or that's not a regular light?"
I see Sharp Sight use binoculars and dropped it in shock. "The bureau!"
"What? What happened?" I asked.
Sharp Sight looked at his walkie talkie and clicked the call button, and to my surprise, I hear fire.
No...