The Conversion Bureau: Waking From a Nightmare

Chapter 7: Recovery

The bandages applied to my side were uncomfortable, but they didn't hinder any of my daily activities. It had been a couple of weeks since the raid on the conversion bureau I used to work at. As Twilight had predicted, the place was blown to smithereens the moment we made it out of the city, and the attack was blamed on the HLF. We packed up base and moved, and I got to see the unicorns work their magic... literally. With a simple glow of their horn they could dig huge tunnels and plant entire electrical lines in one go; it only took them half a day to build the new base.

We were outside Spokane now, hidden inside the hills and pine trees of northern Washington. It was still summer, so there were no snow caps.

We were tucked inside a large hill, and the layout was much the same as the last base. They probably kept the same blueprints, so that every time they moved half the soldiers didn't end up lost.

Wilcox had been grazed like me, and started calling us 'wound buddies'.

I wasn't worried about all that though.

I was worried about something much more important, or at least someone more important.

Dash and I had been hanging out for the better part of that two weeks while Twilight worked on her little science project. I had yet to take any duties so I was just helping around where I could, doing people's laundry, serving food in the chow hall, playing with the kids, human and pony.

After I had just settled into a routine Dash stopped showing up at the chow hall for lunch and dinner. We still hung out, but I started to get a bit worried, and Dash would just brush it off whenever I brought it up.

The two of us were in the briefing room, and the awkward silence was... uncomfortable to say the least. I sat on one end of the table and Dash stood on the other, pouring over maps as the buzz of our computer system rang in our ears. She was out of her equipment that day, still on break from the last mission, and had been for a few days now.

"So," I said, trying to break the ice, "I'm feeling better, can we start training now?" Dash let out a grunt. I wasn't sure whether said grunt was approval or not, so I decided to run into the mine field, "Listen, Dash, Bro. I can tell somethings bugging you. You've been like this for a couple of days now."

Dash sighed and leaned up on the table with her forehooves, she looked distracted to say the least, "I'm sorry Big Guy, it's been a helluva few days."

"Yeah it has, but that doesn't mean we need to stop hanging out."

She smiled softly, "Yeah, yeah I know. I've been having trouble with this stallion."

If I was a pony, my ears would have perked up in immediate interest, "Oh?"

Dash laughed and jumped onto the table, smacking me on the forehead with a hoof, "Jeez, you don't have to get so excited about it!"

I shrugged, trying to play it off, "Well, I can't say I would be able to see you with just any old stallion."

"Really now?"

"Yeah really!" I shouted with a laugh, "They'd have to be totally awesome!"

Dash grinned, "And good looking!"

"They'd have to be brave enough to do what was right!"

"And cool enough to do it with style!"

I stood up, really getting into it as I slammed my hands on the table, "They'd have to be in shape, not some little weakling that couldn't take a hit."

Dash flapped her wings, floating from the table a spreading her forehooves out with a grin, "Made of the toughest stuff this side of Earth and Equestria!"

At the same time, almost as if we had rehearsed it, the two of us started laughing. Dash landed back on the other side of the table, not being able to stay in the air. When we finally calmed down I wiped the tears from my eyes and smirked at Dash, "So I take it this stallion is none of those."

Dash frowned, "Remember a couple of days ago, when I stopped going to the chow hall?"

"... Yeah."

-Two Days Before-

The chow hall was in an uproar once more.

As Kyle scarfed down the last of his steak Dash tried not to crack up laughing. She had just made a bet with him that he wouldn't be able to eat the steak with a time limit of two minutes, and she had just gloriously lost said bet.

It was worth every second, seeing his cheeks puff out as he had trouble breathing and chewing.

When he finally managed to swallow it all a cheer sounded around the table from the small crowd that had gathered, and Dash added to it by hitting her forehooves on the ground in applause.

Kyle raised his fists into the air and let loose a mighty roar, "I... AM... MAAAAAAAAN!"

The applause skyrocketed, and Dash finally lost her cool, leaning on the table to support herself as she burst out laughing.

A moment after the festivities had finally died down, Kyle looked at the watch on his wrist and frowned, "Sorry everybody, I gotta go see the doc." The crowd dispersed with a few hushed murmurs and the remaining laughter dying out. Ponies and humans alike headed back to their table to finish their meals.

Kyle grinned at Dash as he made his way past her. She gave him a slug on the shoulder, "Seeya Big Guy."

"Seeya Dash."

Dash let out a happy sigh as she hit the ground and stretched out all the kinks in her muscles.

It felt good to be out of all that stuffy equipment.

"Hey, you're Rainbow Dash right?"

Dash went upright at the mention of her name, and looking towards the voice, she saw a black Earth pony stallion a little taller than she was. She smirked, "Yep, that's me, fastest flier in all of Equestria."

She never quite got over her bragging.

The stallion chuckled, "I kind of figured, what with the rainbow mane and all. My name is Sharp Gaze. Who's that guy you've been hanging around with?"

"Oh, you mean Big G... Kyle?"

"Yeah, him."

Dash grinned, "Well, he's pretty cool. Cool enough to hang around me and my friends."

"That so? There's been some... rumors going around."

Dash's eyes narrowed, "What kind of rumors?"

"That you're a xenophile."

Dash felt the blood drain from her face. Whoever this guy was he sure as hell didn't pull any punches. She let out a breath, "Wh... what the fuck, we've only known each other a couple of weeks."

"So you wouldn't mind it then?"

Dash scoffed, "I don't need to listen to this shit."

She tried to turn away and walk off, but was pulled back by a hoof wrapping around her shoulder. The stallion let her go when she was facing him and smirked, "So tell me Ms. Dash, would you be willing to prove that you're not? After all, you get some evidence out there and the rumors stop as quick as they started. The HLF is in a... fragile position, if news of something like this spreads far enough there's some people and ponies that aren't going to be happy about it. You wouldn't want your friend to get into any trouble, and I also assume you wouldn't want to upset the balance of the rebellion."

Dash only had one response.

She spat in his face and head butted him, leaving him on the ground groaning in pain as she exited the chow hall.

I stood from the table, hands clenched into fists.

Dash grimaced, "Kyle, don't. Look, I can handle him on my own, he's a piece of crap and he won't be able to..."

"I'm not worried about the rumors," I growled. "He insulted you."

I was out of the briefing room and headed towards the recreational area before Dash had a chance to stop me.

As I stormed through the hallways I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned, ready to snap at whoever stopped me, and saw Wilcox with a shit eating grin on his face, "I know that look," he said, "You're about to go wipe the floor with somebody aren't you?"

I nodded, and he let go.

Wilcox, a few more humans, and a stallion broke off of a small group in the corridor to follow me. They were probably all Wilcox's friends, but I didn't have the patience to stop for introductions.

We made it to the recreational area not long after. The room was rather large, with a bar set up in the corner, a few pool tables in the center floor, and a TV in the opposite corner. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

I made a mental note to get drunk with Dash there after I finished putting the asshole in his place.

"So whos' the guy?" asked Wilcox.

I saw him in the corner, chatting it up with a couple of mares, who were giggling like they were in high school. "Right there," I said, pointing at him.

"What'd he do?" asked one of the humans with Wilcox.

I gritted my teeth, "He fucked with my bro."

Before Wilcox or his friends could ask any further I was already striding towards him. As I passed the pool table closest to the corner I scooped up the pool stick and let out a whistle, "Hey Sharpey boy!"

Sharp turned to me.

He only had time to look in shock before I brought the pool stick hard across his face.

The mares screamed and scattered.

Sharp turned back towards me, seething with rage, "Hey! Who the fuc..."

He was interrupted when the pool stick cracked across his face once more, this time breaking in half.

This time he recovered quick and turned away from me, kicking out his legs and bucking me right in the chest.

I felt the air rush out of my lungs, and was sent flying back onto the pool table, gasping painfully for air and flailing about as I dropped my only weapon.

Sharp jumped up on the pool table and pinned me with his front hooves.

His eye was already swelling, and he had blood dripping from his mouth and nose, that didn't stop him from grinning though, "Here to defend your girlfriend? Can't blame you, she's a pretty hot piece of..."

This time it was a pool ball colliding with his head that interrupted him, "You don't fuck with us!" shouted Wilcox.

Before I even had time to process what was happening the stallion that had come with our group tackled Sharp off me.

Both of them went careening into the wall.

The bartender started to shout obscenities, but I was too busy seeing red to care.

I was off the table and on my feet the next instant, giving Sharp a hard kick to the face before he could struggle free from the stallion's grip.

Sharp cried out in pain, and I leaned down with a growl, grabbing his mane and forcing him to look me in the eye. "Listen to me carefully you little fuck. If I EVER... EVER catch you anywhere NEAR Dash again, I won't stop at a broken face, and I'll make sure you feel every God damn second of it, are we clear?" He glared up at me, and I responded by smashing his face into the ground, "ARE WE CLEAR!"

"Y... yes..."

"Good, clean yourself up, prick."

I stood from him and took a deep breath, wincing when I felt pain in my side. I lifted my shirt and saw blood soaking through my bandages, "Shit," I grunted.

Back in the white room, with a new set of stitches and an order for one night of bed rest. My life was going pretty awesome.

Dash laughed and jumped up to the small hospital bed, smacking me on the head with her hoof, "You're such an idiot."

I chuckled, "An idiot that opens his wounds kicking another idiot's ass."

"You know Twi is probably gonna ream your ass for picking a fight."

I grinned, "Totally worth it, he had it coming a mile back. Besides, The Commander's right hand mare is pretty adorable when she's mad."

Dash raised an eyebrow, "Did you seriously just use that word?"

I shrugged, "What? I call it like I see it."

"You seriously should take it easy though, that's a magical wound, and it'll take longer to heal than normal."

"I know that."

After a moment of silence Dash plopped down on the bed against me and rested her muzzle on my shoulder. "So you feeling alright, Big Guy?"

"Yeah, I'm fi..."

"Not physically. I know I haven't brought it up, but... you know... you shot somepony a couple of weeks ago, right in the head."

I let out a sigh, absently brushing my hand through her mane without really thinking on it, "I haven't exactly had nightmares about it, but... it bugs me."

"Why's that?"

"It was too easy... taking someone's life, just like that. I just pulled the trigger and he was gone. I don't want it to be easy."

Dash frowned, then pushed her face a bit further into my shoulder, "No one does Big Guy. By the way, thanks... for the whole Sharp thing." I bent my head to look at her, and she was looking at the wall, a small blush on her cheeks. "I could have handled him, but I wouldn't have been able to use pool sticks, that was pretty rad."

I grinned.

-Location Unknown-

A knock on the metal door of her stone isolation cell roused her from her slumber.

CLANG

The slot at the bottom of the door opened, and the mare, freshly wakened, saw the plate of slop slide through it.

"FEEDING TIME!" shouted the guard, "EAT UP!"

The mare took a deep breath, standing on shakey legs and walking to the plate.

She leaned down and began to lap at it.

It was disgusting, the kind of slop fed to this world's pigs.

Not befitting her at all.

When she was finished there was another knock at the metal door.

This time a small slot opened up at eye level, and a pair of red eyes poked through, "Have you reconsidered?"

The mare gritted her teeth, "We would rather die."

"Suit yourself... Nightmare Moon."

Luna spat through the slot, causing the guard to let out a string of curses before slamming it shut.

Luna smirked and went back to her corner, curling up and letting out a small sigh.

She was a patient princess.

She would wait however long it took.

Wait for the one she saw in her dreams.