The Conversion Bureau: Palladion's Tales

The mare whimpered as she cowered under her desk, the crack and snap of gunfire in the air. Shouting, screaming. Sounds that shouldn’t be heard in a Conversion Bureau.

There was a grunt of pain, and a smash of glass -- with a crash, a unicorn landed on top of her desk, and fell off, landing in front of her. He was already dead, his armor stitched with holes that leaked red, his weapon fired barely once before he’d fallen.

These not-humans with gas-masks, armor, guns, and glowing green eyes were Summer Glade’s nightmares made manifest.

======

“Summer, did you see the advertisement in town?” an earth pony mare asked.

“I saw it, Autumn,” a unicorn stallion grunted. “Sounds mighty fine to me.”

“Was I talking to you, Winter?” Autumn pouted.

“Hey,” Winter held up two hooves in defense. “Just sayin’.”

“I saw it,” Summer affirmed.

“Isn’t it great?” Autumn gushed. “We get to teach all those new ponies how to be ponies!”

“I’m more excited about the way humans do paperwork,” an earth pony stallion said, polishing his glasses. “A use for my talent, for once.”

“You’re such a nerd, Spring,” Winter accused.

“And pray tell,” Spring retorted. “What does a brute like yourself see in a Bureau? It is an environment best suited to... nerds.”

“Easy,” Winter brought up a leg, flexing it. “Security. They need ponies to protect you nerds, and the Guard can’t be everywhere. Hello.”

“I... don’t want to go,” Summer mumbled, looking at her hooves.

“Whaaaa?” Autumn said, surprised. “Why for? The pay’s good, and we’ll probably make a lot of new friends everywhere, and most of those newfoals are making huge names for themselves! Imagine having a friend who could hook us up for tickets to the next G3?”

“Humans are...” Summer blushed. “Scary. The Human Liberation Front...” Summer protested.

“One bad doesn’t make them all bad,” Spring smiled. “Come on, just give it a try. Sign up for like, six months.”

Tell you what,” Winter said, nodding. “I’ll make a point of asking to be buddied up with you. That way, I can protect you. Okay?”

Summer sighed, and grimacing, nodded.

“Okay. I’ll give it a try.”

======

“Oh, Winter,” she sobbed. “This was a bad idea. I told you...”

“Who’s there?” a digitally-distorted voice barked from just outside the room. “Show yourself!”

Summer wept silently. What would Winter do?

Her eyes fell to the shotgun, Winter’s, in front of her.

Gotta be strong. For Winter.

======

A bang echoed through the air, and there was a crash as the HLF soldier flew backwards, his voice changer squealing in feedback.

The sound of a shotgun being racked echoed through the air, and the soft plack of a plastic tube hitting the ground was heard. The other soldiers turned to see a yellow mare standing in the broken window, a shotgun riding at her side, clasped in a blue, magical glow.

“My name is Summer Glade,” she spat. “You killed my friend. Prepare to die.”