The Conversion Bureau: Immunityby zombaslayaChaptersOne Step ForwardEpiphanyDesperationEmotionRoadtripAbyssAtonementOne Step ForwardI had it all. A loving mother and father. Plenty of friends. Until the ponies came. "Kayden, are ready for school?" "Yea I'm ready. See you later mom!" BOOM "What the fuck was that?" Three years later... "You think were gonna make it Kayden?" I looked up to see my superior officer, Sgt. Bradley, addressing me from the other side of the room. "I don't know sir, I mean, we're cut off from supplies and reinforcements, and the ponies have us outnumbered five to one." Before Sgt. Bradley could respond, we heard a voice echo through the walls of our steel compound. "Humans, we do not wish to harm you, lay down your arms and stop this madness immediately! At that moment, my blood ran cold. It was her. Princess Celestia. I had heard rumors about her. Rumors about how she was immortal, impossible to kill or even damage. Stories about her using magic to stop bullets in midair. In another moment, my training took control. I instinctively grabbed my rifle and climbed up to the observation tower. Thoughts were racing through my head. How could they have gotten here so fast? When I reached the top, my heart dropped like a weight. There must have been at least fifteen ponies, no more than ten feet in front of me. But they were all turned away from me. Without thinking, my hand shot to my side and retrieved a frag grenade from my pocket. I pulled the pin and threw it into the middle of the group. I slid down the ladder just in time to here the explosion, followed my the cries of all the ponies that were up there. I grabbed my radio. "This is Private Kayden, requesting immediate back up to the Eastern Observation Tower, Over." No response. "This is Private Kayden, requesting immediate back up, please respond! Suddenly, the voice of Princess Celestia crackled over my radio. "Kayden, I know you can hear me, all your comrades have been converted. Only you remain. Come out with your hands up, and we can do this the easy way." I had planned with all my fellow soldiers what to do if we were the last man standing. Head into the sewers. Running to the nearest manhole, I noticed some explosives lying on the ground. "Better take these", I whispered under my breath. Removing the manhole from beneath me, I slowly made my way down the ladder. "Damn, this place is even worse than I thought it would be." I grimaced at the scene in front of me. Along with the pungent odor of the sewer system, there were also multitudes of rats. Careful not to fall into the stagnant water, I slowly made my way along the abandoned concrete corridors. I looked at my watch. 5:00 pm. Continuing my walk through the sewer, I saw something dart from one shadow to another. "Identify yourself!" I shouted. Hearing a small yelp and then the sound of hooves trotting away, my worst fears were confirmed: One of the ponies was sent down here to look for me, if he reported my location to his leaders, then it was over for me. I quickly gave chase, and I soon had the pony cornered into a dead end. I was now able to see my pray fully. The pony had a dark blue coat with blue eyes. The pony's face radiated fear. In either hoof it was holding a conversion potion. "Drop the potions!" I shouted. Surprisingly, the pony immedeitly let go of the potions, which hit the floor with a shatter. "I surrender!", the young pony yelled. I cautiously stepped forward. Getting a closer look, I could see it was a very young pony. Then I had an idea. "Why are you down here?" "W-What?" "WHY ARE YOU DOWN HERE!?" "I was sent down here to do reconnaissance!" The pony was now openly sobbing. Holding the pony down with my knee, I took out the explosives I had picked up earlier and strapped them to his chest. Then I took out the detonator and held it in front of him. "I want you go back to the surface and tell your friends that there is nothing down here. If you betray me, you die. Understand?" "I....ok." I let the still crying pony back up, and held him at gunpoint. After showing me where he had entered the sewer, I signaled for him to climb back up and initiate the rouse. After he was gone, I pressed my ear against the manhole. I could hear what he was saying to his superiors "Any human activity in the sewers?" "I....um...." He paused for a moment, as if wondering what to say. "THERE'S A HUMAN IN THE SEWER AND-" before he could say anything else, I squeezed the detonator. So much for that idea. That explosion will attract every pony within a three mile radius of my position. Climbing the rest of the way out of the sewer, I took a moment to survey my surroundings. I was far away from the compound now. Looking at the street signs, I could see that this was the neighborhood I lived in as a kid. After walking for a few minutes I found my house. Fortunately, the place had been left mostly intact. Walking inside, I saw all of the old pictures of me growing up. My father had always made a point of taking pictures of everything I did as a kid. I struggled to hold back tears. "No, you have to stay strong Kayden, now more than ever." I looked at my watch. 9:41 pm. Glancing outside, I could see it was getting dark. "Time to hit the hay...", I said to no one in particular. Trudging upstairs to my old room, I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Maybe this is just some horrible nightmare, I thought. Maybe I'll just wake up in the morning and everything will return to normal. Purging these thoughts from my head, I drifted off into an uneasy sleep. EpiphanyI awoke with a start. "Why the hell can't I just get some sleep?" I wondered. Sitting at the foot of my bed, my mind drifted back to the memories of me and my parents going to the beach. I thought about the feeling of my feet sinking into the cool, wet sand. The warm ocean breeze. The blazing sun, shining its exquisite rays of light down upon me. I lied down on my bed. Pulling the sheets over me, I continued to think about this long lost paradise as I drifted once again into a deep sleep. I continued to dream about just sitting in the sand, feeling the cool water wash over me. Eventually my mother came to bring me some lemonade which I graciously accepted. "Thanks for the drink, mom" "Your welcome, Kayden" "and Kayden?" "Yes mom?" "Welcome to the herd" "What?" My eyes shot open, only to see a pony staring at me. "It feels good doesn't it?" whispered the pony in my ear. My hand shot to my waist, looking for my sidearm. It was gone. Jumping out of my bed and looking down I saw that I was covered, head to toe, with conversion serum. No. In another moment, I was tackled to the ground. "Get off me!" I shouted. Shoving the smaller pony out of my way, I ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over myself in the process. I ran out of the house. Ignoring the other ponies that had gathered out in front of my house, I continued running as fast as my legs could take me. After about five minutes of continues sprinting, I finally stopped. Then it hit me: I'm not a pony. My entire body had been completely covered in conversion serum. That could only mean one thing. I'm somehow immune to the effects of the conversion serum. I stood there for a few moments, unable to comprehend this sudden realization. I didn't know how to react. Should I be happy should I be sad? I just felt stupid. I had been afraid of ponies this whole time solely because I thought they could convert me. I sat on the curb of the sidewalk. My legs burned from running. I was hungry, thirsty, tired and dirty. I looked at the the ground, then looked at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight. I didn't consider myself to be a very religious person. But I prayed. Not to anyone in particular, just to anyone one who would listen. If there is a God out there, than please....just....do something. Looking up, I saw a bank. Walking inside, I jumped over the counters. Making my way to the vault, I entered the combination. It was a good thing my father worked as bank manager. Peering inside, I saw something that would have normally made me happy: Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. "Guess they didn't bother to take the money with them during the evacuation, huh?" Now that the world was gone, these things were little more than worthless slips of paper. I stuffed as much as I could into my pockets. After wandering around for most of the day, I found an old mansion to settle down in for the night. It was getting cold, so I used the money as fuel for a fire. Looking through one of the windows in the mansion. I could make out some specks on the horizon. They seemed to be flying in some sort of formation. Geese, maybe? As the figures came closer however, my heart sank. Pegasi. There must have been at least thirty of them. Heading straight for me. "I can't catch a fucking break, can I? DesperationMy heart sank as I took in the sheer hopelessness of the situation. I may have been immune to the effects of the conversion serum, but I wasn't immune to capture. It was too late to hide; they had already spotted me. For a few moments, I just stood there in horror. Was this how it was going to end? "No, it can't end here, it won't end here,” I said. Making my way to the ground floor of the mansion, I ran outside into the backyard. I noticed that the ground almost perfectly matched my camouflage army uniform. The pegasi were only a few seconds away. Without thinking, I dropped down onto the ground, face first. A few moments later, they landed on the ground right next to me to take a break. I had never been more scared in my life. “Are you sure this is the direction the human was headed in?” “I'm positive! We all saw him running this way earlier today.” “What about the rumors of him being immune to the conversion serum? “Impossible. There’s no way any human could ever be immune to the serum.” Suddenly, I felt a hoof on my back. “What is this? Some sort of weird plant?” I heard the pony say. “Time to go.” I quickly grabbed the pony”s foreleg and twisted, hearing the telltale snap that indicated I had dislocated it’s leg bone. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” There’s the human! Take him down! I tried to run, but I was quickly tackled to the ground. Before I had a chance to fight back I was being held down by five other ponies. Another one approached me. It was holding a vial of conversion serum in both hooves. I was trying to remain calm. It’s ok. You're immune to the conversion serum, remember? Even so, doubts raced through my mind. It may have worked once, but will it work again? I guess I’ll find out. Looking up, I saw the pony tipping the vial over my head. I closed my eyes. A second later, I felt the cool liquid washing over me. Followed by an unwavering silence. I was afraid to open my eyes, for fear of what I might see. Bracing myself, I opened my eyes. Thank Goodness. I was still a human. The ponies reaction was a mixture of surprise and fear. I felt the ponies grip on me loosen. Now was my chance. Shoving myself loose, I ran out of the backyard of the mansion and into the woods behind it. My pursuers were gaining on me again. Looking around desperately, I found an old hollowed out tree stump. Diving into it, I waited. There hoof steps got closer and closer, but eventually faded away. After waiting for several more minutes, I cautiously stuck my head out of the hollow stump. It was almost pitch black. "Fan-fucking-tastic," I muttered. Stumbling around in the darkness for a few minutes, I found a puddle of muddy water. I was more thirsty than I had ever been in my life. I grimaced at the disgusting liquid in front of me. "Just a few sips, just to wet my mouth." Kneeling down, I scooped some of the water in my hand, picked out some of the larger pieces of debris, and poured it in my mouth. After forcing myself to choke it down, I repeated the process a few more times. Returning to my tree trunk, I took off my shirt. I nearly screamed at what I saw. It had been a few days since I had eaten. I could see the outline of my ribcage. "Holy crap...." I was starving to death. If I didn't get some food and fresh water soon, the ponies would be the least of my worries. I was tired out of my mind. What little energy I had left was spent running from the pegasi. For a long time, I just sat there, absorbing the gravity of my situation. Looking out of my tree trunk, I could make out little rays of moonlight scattered throughout the forest floor. I remembered how when I was young I wanted to be an astronomer. I wanted to study the stars and the moon. Almost every night, after my parents had gone to bed, I would gaze up at the stars and the moon, wondering what amazing scenes of beauty were up there. Looking into the dark forest, I noticed a single tear roll down my cheek. Than another. Soon I was openly sobbing. I cried myself to sleep that night. I awoke in a pure white room. “Where am I?” Looking around, I saw my mother and father. But something was wrong. They were both ponies. “Kayden, it’s time to stop running from your fears. It’s time to accept conversion.” my father said. “But I’m immune” They both shared confused looks. “What do you mean?” said my mother. “The ponies have covered me in their conversion serum twice, and both times it has had no effect on me.” “Goodbye, Kayden.” “What?” “If you can’t be a pony, then you can’t be our son.” My parents were beginning to fade away. “No!” I exclaimed. “Don’t go!” But they were already gone. EmotionAfter several hours of darkness, the blazing sun began its ascent across the sky once more, signaling the start of a new day. Owls and other creatures of the night scurried back to their dens to make way for the day. The first early birds began to sing, their high pitched melodies reverberating through the forest. As if on cue, a lone creature began crawling out of a darkened tree stump on the forest floor. That creature's name was Kayden, sole survivor of the now destroyed 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “What a crazy nightmare” I thought. I was still suffering from intense dehydration and hunger. Only my will to survive kept me from collapsing. But a will to live only gets you so far. Waking up hadn't been a pleasant affair. The first thing I was confronted with was a chest filled with mosquito bites. I ended up scratching my chest so much that it started bleeding. I had gotten so thirsty over the past few days that I had considered drinking my own blood. Wiping the sleep out from my eyes, I took a moment to survey my immediate surroundings. Struggling to see farther, I saw an opening in the trees that lead to a small neighborhood. “Maybe there are some supplies in those houses.” I mumbled to myself. I had been talking to myself a lot lately. Who else is there to talk to when you spend what may be your final days on earth alone? I faltered. The last two times I had gone into a house, I was promptly chased out by ponies. Capture was not an option. I cursed my luck. I needed weapons. The first pony who tried to convert me stripped me of all my armaments. I was immune to their conversion serum. But without even a handgun to help me, how could I hope to attack them successfully? While these thoughts occupied me, I didn’t realize that I had walked all the way out of the forest and to an old crosswalk with long dormant streetlights. Acting on pure instinct, I began crossing the street, looking both ways to make sure no cars were coming my way. Then I froze in my tracks in the middle of the road. “Idiot. There are no fucking cars anymore.” Mentally chastising myself for such idiocy, I continued crossing the road. Upon reaching the other side, I could see a car dealer. My eyes lit up. If I could get a car, it would make my life a hell of alot easier. Blinds had been drawn over the huge glass windows. I stopped. I didn’t know what was inside. “You can’t afford miss this opportunity.” I told myself. Surprisingly enough, the door wasn’t locked. Slowly opening it, I peered inside. It was dark except for the few rays of sunlight that trickled through the blinds. Looking around, I nearly giggled with excitement at what I saw. Staring back at me me was a bright red Ferrari, in sterling condition. Making my way to the nearest office, I went into the room labeled “Manager”. I stopped dead in my tracks. Lying in the office chair behind the desk, was a dead man. He was still gripping the handgun he had used to off himself in his lifeless hand. Making sure to avoid touching the dead man, I slowly pulled the handgun out from his hand and placed it in my empty holster. Searching his pockets, I found a pair of keys with a bright red Ferrari symbol on it. “I guess it’s my lucky day” I mumbled flatly. Retracing my steps, I made my way back to the Ferrari. I looked at the large glass panes and grinned evilly. “That’s how” . Leaving the shattered glass of what used to be the front of the car dealer behind, I began driving down the road in a random direction. I glanced at the front dashboard of the car. There was a GPS, a radio and a cupholder. Switching on the GPS, it wasn’t long before a generic female voice was informing me that it couldn’t find a signal. Frustrated, I turned the GPS off before turning my attention to the radio. After trying about fifty different frequencies on both AM and FM, I gave up. “How long have I been alone?” I thought silently. I glanced below me to the gun in my holster. “No” I said. “Don’t even fucking think about it!” Wrenching my attention back to the road in front of me, I could see a grocery store. Parking the car in abandoned parking lot, I walked inside. My eyes lit up. Food. Aisle upon aisle of wonderful, beautiful food. Going for the first thing I could get my hands on, a large box of chocolate chip cookies, I ripped it open and stuffed my mouth before washing it down with a half a liter of water. “I guess they were all in such a hurry to leave they didn't bother with taking the food.” I must have gorged myself in their for half an hour. It had been so long since I had eaten. After satisfying my hunger for now, I got up and made several trips to the car and back, loading the trunk and the backseat with all the non-perishable food I could fit in. As I closed the trunk of my car, I saw a mint-green blur run behind a large tree trunk. I instinctively pulled my handgun out of my holster and pointed it at the tree. “Fantastic. Another pony to ruin my day.” Before I could take another step, mint green pony jumped out from behind the tree trunk, sobbing. It took all my willpower not to just shoot her right then and there. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I got separated from my group while looking for you! Don’t kill me!” I remained silent for a moment. Was this a trap, or was this pony telling the truth? Stepping closer, I managed to get a closer look. Judging by her softer face, the pony appeared to be female. Her body was all mint green with the exception of a single white streak running through her mane and tail. On either side of her body, there were saddlebags filled to the brim with books. Her eyes were a light shade of brown. Against my instinct, I lowered my gun. If this pony could give me the whereabouts of her comrades, I may be able to cause some damage. She was still sobbing. I had to shut her up before she attracted some unwanted attention. Cautiously walking forward, I spoke to the young pony. “I’m not going to do anything to you. Just be quiet and get in the car." She obviously had not expected to live this long, much less be spared by the enemy. She faltered for a moment, “I...ok” she whimpered. Making my way back to the car, careful to keep an eye on the lone pony, I felt something that I had not felt for a long time. It was a warm feeling, mixed with melancholy. I took me a moment to recognize what this foreign emotion was. It was sympathy. RoadtripThe car ride to....nowhere in particular had been quiet. I had the green pony sit next to me in the front passenger seat. Over the course of an hour, I had learned that her name was Lyra, and she came from a place in Equestria called “Ponyville”. We had been driving all night. I looked t the digital clock on dashboard. 2:46 AM. Damn. I didn't consider myself a very aggressive driver, but seeing how the chances of finding any sort of fellow human were next to none, I figured the farther I went in the time I had, the better. I was tired out of my mind, and Lyra was also looking exhausted. “The poor pony must to afraid to sleep” I thought, feeling a twinge of sympathy enter my mind. Pulling over at what must have been the twentieth abandoned motel, I told Lyra what I was going to do. Pulling an extra sleeping bag out of the backseat, I spoke to her. “Lyra, take this cot and sleep outside.” “Why?” she asked, seeming a little bit on the annoyed side. I sighed. I knew this was wrong, but I didn’t want to take any chances with a seemingly innocent pony I had just met. “I can’t trust you. At least not yet” I lied through my teeth. How could I trust the very thing I had been fighting for so long? “So why do I have to sleep outside?” she asked. “Because if I fall asleep with you next to me…..” I trailed off. “I see.” she said simply. She grabbed the cot and went outside. After wandering around the car for a bit, she settled in on a patch of grass in the motel parking lot. I watched her for a good ten minutes, making sure she was actually asleep. After deciding that she really was sleeping, I pushed all my worries from my head, and fell into a deep slumber. ……………… I awoke with a start to the sound of Lyra’s hoof tapping gently on the glass. She wasn’t looking good. It seemed like she had gone to sleep, but there were huge, dark circles under her eyes to indicate otherwise. Rolling down the window, we just stared at eachother for a few moments. Finally, I broke the ice. “Ready to go?” “Yes.” was her only reply. Driving on the endless highway once again, I occasionally glanced over at Lyra. It wasn’t long before she took a sketchbook out of her saddlebag and began meticulously drawing me. Managing to steal a few glances at what she was drawing, I saw she was drawing me. At least she got the eyes right. I mumbled nonchalantly. “Hmm?” she responded. “Um….nothing.” I responded. Nothing out of the ordinary happened beyond that. After she had finished drawing me, she moved on to other parts of my body, such as my hands and my head. I glanced at my wristwatch. 5:08 PM. It felt like it had been much longer. Glancing over again at Lyra, I saw that she was sleeping soundly, sketchbook still grasped in her hooves. With nothing else to do, I flipped on the radio on the car dashboard and began flipping through the stations. Nothing but static until I came up on a particular station. “This is the President of the United States. To whoever is left, I would like to say that we are establishing a new army in Iowa. Whether you are a civilian or member of the armed forces, it is highly recommended that you report to Iowa immediately. We have adequate shelter and basic supplies, as well as a working irrigation system. I couldn't believe my ears. I glanced over again at Lyra. She hadn't heard any of that. Turning off the radio, which was repeating the same message in a loop, I stopped the car in the road and turned on the GPS. Right now, I knew I was somewhere close to Athens, Georgia where my base was. I was surprised to find the distance I had traveled. The GPS showed that I had made my way about 1,200 miles out of Athens. “You go far when you’re running from freakin’ ponies.” I thought with an air of anger. “Where are we headed, anyway?” Lyra's words made me jump as my mind raced to come up with an answer. “We’re going to….California.” I lied again. “Really? I heard that is one of the best parts of your world.” “Uh-Huh” I said vacantly, trying to think of a way around this. She would eventually get suspicious. Iowa is not the warmest place, and it wouldn't take long for Lyra to figure out that something wasn't right. About two hours after leaving the motel, I was starting to realize how hungry I was. “There I go again, forgetting to eat.” Pulling over by a gas station, I got some oranges and apples from the trunk, and began eating hungrily. I was about halfway done with my sandwich when my eyes wandered over to Lyra, who looked like she was going to faint from hunger just seeing me eat. Realizing my mistake, I gave Lyra the rest of my orange and threw my neglected apple core out the window. Turning my attention back to the road, I glanced out my rear view mirror, only to see about ten royal guards trying to blindside my car. In a desperate fit of survival, I turned on the car and backed up. I didn't hit anything, which only made things worse. After failing that approach, I put my weight on the gas pedal and drove until they were out of view. Lyra was had been screaming and crying the entire time, and was still sobbing after we had escaped, at least temporarily. It would be safe to say that I wasn't in the mood for this right now. “SHUT THE HELL UP!” I ordered in my loudest voice. She immediately stopped, which surprised me. After driving for another hour in silence, it started to get dark, and my eyes were starting to drop. Stopping by a mall, I fell asleep. AbyssAs my eyes slowly opened, I felt Lyra's eyes on me. Pretending not to notice, I shuffled around in my seat for a few minutes before getting up. Glancing her direction for good measure, I could see that she was writing or drawing something furiously in her sketchbook. "You know what?" I thought to myself. I don't even want to know anymore. As if to spite me, the Ferrari, which was now considerably beat up on the outside, would not start. It wasn't long before I realized the car was completely out of fuel. Lyra seemed to take notice of this as well. "What now?" she asked simply. "Um...." my voice trailed off. "We walk." I said, unable to come up with any other plan of action. After all, it was either start walking or sit in the car and wait for something to happen. I stuffed all the supplies I could carry into a backpack, including a map and compass, and began walking on the seemingly endless stretch of highway. Lyra's hoofsteps sounded odd. They weren't like a human's footsteps, calm and quite. The sound her hoofsteps made were loud and chaotic. I did my best not to show my annoyance. After walking for an hour or so, I decided to take a small break on a park bench. Pulling out a large map and a red marker, I began using the marker to trace out a route to Iowa. Then I realized, the president said the new base was in Iowa. The problem was, I didn't know where in Iowa the new base was located. As I folded the map back up, Lyra must have sensed my frustration. "Is something wrong Kayden?" she asked, her voice heavy with concern. "Time to tell another lie." I mused. "Nothing. Just plotting our route to California." "Ok. Aren't their beaches in California?" "Yes....." "Can we....maybe..." she fumbled to find the correct words. "Stop by the beaches for a bit?" I finished. "Yes." she responded. "Of course." I said, putting on the best fake smile I could muster. How the hell am I supposed to explain this to her once we reach Iowa? I thought. Before I could think any further, I was knocked out by a blow to the head. ................... Waking up in a darkened jail cell, I gingerly felt the large bump on my head. Still half-asleep, I craned my neck to look outside the cell to see four royal guards, two pegasi, and two unicorn, guarding me. I felt my heart implode. No. I had been captured by the enemy. Could it possibly get any worse? Then, my fear turned to anger. What was her name? Lyra? She must have betrayed me somehow. "How could you let a pony outsmart you so easily? You should have just killed her when you had the chance." My mental chatter was interrupted by hoofsteps nearing my cell. Lyra? My question was answered when a dark haired Alicorn approached my cell. I struggled to remember her name from the briefing before this all started. Flowing mane.....moon cutie mark.....Luna! I shifted into as best an upright position as I could as one of the guards let her in. She would no doubt be asking questions. I would make sure she wasn't getting answers. "Well...." she started. You made quite the ruckus, to say the least." she finished in a matter-of-fact tone. I couldn't help but put on a ghost of a smile. Whether this is the end for me or not, at least I put up some sort of fight. "Nonetheless, there are questions that we would like to ask you. "We?" I responded simply. A brief look of sadness crossed her face before being instantly masked. Without acknowledging my statement, she continued. "Where is this new "base" you seem so intent on getting to?" "How did she know? Lyra is going to pay...." Looking her in the eye, I shook my head. "I don't know. I didn't even know there was a-" "Do not test me, Kayden." she interrupted. "It just gets harder and harder doesn't it?" The princess of the moon continued. "Since you clearly aren't going to tell me on your own, I might as well give you some incentive." Gritting her teeth, her horn began to glow, and it wasn't long before a portal opened up into...Equestria? She must have seen my confusion. "It's clear to me at this point that you will never be converted. Instead, I'm giving you the opportunity to start again, as a human. As much as I hated it, the offer seemed enticing. This Equestria looked much different than the one I was told about. It didn't look like the inhabitants were under the yolk of tyranny. It looked like they were actually very happy. However, my senses soon came back to me. "You can take your Equestria...." I started, my voice getting louder with each word. "....and go burn in hell!" I finished. The portal closed. Luna had all but lost patience. "THEN YOU MAY ROT IN HERE UNTIL YOU STARVE." she yelled, clearly angry with my reaction to her offer. I bowed my head and smiled. If this was how I was going to die, then so be it. ................... "Lyra?" Luna's voice floated through into Lyra's room accompanied by a soft knock. "Come in." the mint green mare stated plainly not bothering to look up from her sketchbook. Luna entered her room and took a seat on a wooden chair before speaking. "Listen" she started. "I know you don't like the way were treating Kayden, but-" "But what!?" Lyra yelled, looking up from her sketchbook "Don't tell me that he's "dangerous"! If he were dangerous, he wouldn't have spared me!" she finished, surprised at herself for raising her voice to a princess. Despite this rudeness, Luna kept her cool. "I see your concern. I will see to it personally that he is treated well." she said, hoping that this would appease the enraged unicorn. Lyra was finished talking. "No. Way." she retorted, putting special emphasis on those two words. "He probably thinks that I betrayed him! Can I at least visit him so that I can explain myself?" "I'm afraid it's to early for that." Luna responded. Lyra simply buried herself in her covers and groaned. Recognizing that his mare was not in a talking mood, Luna quietly left the room. The last thing I need is a human AND a pony in a cell. she thought to herself, before retiring to her quarters. AtonementAs the sun rose once more over a quiet earth, the princess of the sun, Princess Celestia, oversaw this event in silence. Normally, she would be busy raising it herself, but this was not her domain. It was one of her pet peeves, not having control over the sun on this world. No matter how hard she tried, the sun would always move on it's own, refusing to submit to Celestia's power. Turning away from the balcony, she trotted further into her bedroom, before flopping onto her bed in annoyance. The interrogation with Kayden hadn't gone well. Luna had lost her composure while questioning Kayden, and Lyra....well, she wasn't in the best mood either. Her thoughts were soon interrupted, however, by a heavy knock on the door. "Princess Luna is requesting an audience with you in the meeting room." the deep voice of a royal guard echoed. "Tell her I'm on my way." she replied softly. Rousing herself up, she ran her comb through her mane a few times before being on her way. .............. Luna was tired. She had stayed up all night, wondering if she had handled the situation correctly. She eventually came to the conclusion that she hadn't, and owed her sister an apology. Her ears perked up at the sound of her sisters hoofsteps. The princess of the moon quickly straightened herself out as Celestia descended the staircase. Luna was the first to speak. "Good morning, sister." she said in the most cheerful voice she could muster. Celestia was quick to return the greeting. "Likewise, sister" she responded. They both sat down at their respective seats. The silence that followed was unbearable. Celestia took this time to reflect. Ever since she had begun the conversion of earth's inhabitants into ponies, they both seemed to be growing farther and farther apart. Celestia decided to break the silence with some small talk. "Tulips....how did you know these are my favorite?" she lied. She hated tulips. Luna didn't bother answering the question and got right to the point. "Sister, I didn't handle the interrogation with Kayden in the correct manner. I apologize. I- "Thank you for your apology." Celestia interrupted. "However, at this point, I don't think that an apology is really necessary." she continued. Luna nodded in agreement, although she didn't feel comfortable with the situation. The two of them finished there breakfast in silence. Luna went of to rest, as she always did during the day, and Celestia went to her quarters to carry out the days activities. ........... "Are they seriously planning on keeping me chained to a freakin' wall forever?" he thought. He heard some murmuring outside of the cell, followed by the door creaking open to reveal....Lyra? "You bitch!" he exclaimed. "You got me captured!" he said angrily, uselessly struggling against his chains. Lyra was distraught. She knew that this wasn't her fault, but how could she convince Kayden of that? "Listen." she started. "I know you hate me, and that will probably never change, but give me a chance to explain myself." Kayden sat in an angry silence. Closing the door behind her, the mare continued. "I was sent to earth to study the anatomy of humans." she said, pulling the sketchbook out of her saddlebag. She flipped through the sketchbook and showed Kayden the drawings. They were mostly sketches of his head, hands, and even feet. "I never wanted to you see you captured and caged like an animal. I've always been interested in humans, even before I came here. When I was given the opportunity to come here, I jumped on the chance to see humans firsthand." she finished. "It's good to here that." he said simply. "But that doesn't help the fact that I'm stuck here, probably forever." Lyra couldn't take it anymore. Shuffling around in here saddlebag for a few seconds, she tossed a small, shiny object at him, which landed squarely between his feet. A key. Looking up, the embittered soldier saw that Lyra was gone. Kayden glanced at the key, then at the keyholes in the cuffs binding him to the wall, and smiled. Picking up the key, he was about to unlock his manacles when the door began to screech open again. "Wow, I am just the center of attention today. he grumbled. Instead of a figure, he was met with a blinding light. After the light subsided, he saw Princess Celestia standing in the doorway. "Nice light show, Princess." he mocked. "Indeed." she responded curtly. Kayden remained silent. Celestia decided to continue. "In light of recent.....events, I've decided to go easy on you, despite your crimes. If you divulge the location of this "base", then both you and the inhabitants of that base will be spared. "Your a terrible liar. I would've thought a thousand years of experience would have given you time to hone that skill." "That's because I'm not lying, Kayden." as she said this, she reached for the contents of her saddlebag. She tossed him a golden necklace, with a dark crystal encased in the center. "Infused within that necklace is my sister's life force. Destroying it would mean destroying her." "And why don't I just kill her right now?" "If you value your existence, you won't." she responded through gritted teeth. She knew she was being reckless, but it was the only way. "Consider it a token of my trust. If you lead me to the your friends base and they are converted for whatever reason, feel free to destroy the necklace and inflict an even greater pain upon me. Kayden wasn't convinced. "How do I know it isn't just some random necklace? Tears were beginning to well up in Celestia's eyes. "I'm so, so sorry sister....." Using her magic, she lifted the necklace from the ground,before enveloping it in her magic. A few moments later, one of Luna's royal guards came running to the cell. "My princess, Princess Luna is in pain!" "I'll be their in a moment." she responded, trying to hide the sadness from her voice. The guard went away. I get a free ticket out of here AND power over Luna's life? Sounds downright fantastic to me!" Kayden grinned at the floor before responding. "Sounds good to me, Princess."
One Step ForwardI had it all. A loving mother and father. Plenty of friends. Until the ponies came. "Kayden, are ready for school?" "Yea I'm ready. See you later mom!" BOOM "What the fuck was that?" Three years later... "You think were gonna make it Kayden?" I looked up to see my superior officer, Sgt. Bradley, addressing me from the other side of the room. "I don't know sir, I mean, we're cut off from supplies and reinforcements, and the ponies have us outnumbered five to one." Before Sgt. Bradley could respond, we heard a voice echo through the walls of our steel compound. "Humans, we do not wish to harm you, lay down your arms and stop this madness immediately! At that moment, my blood ran cold. It was her. Princess Celestia. I had heard rumors about her. Rumors about how she was immortal, impossible to kill or even damage. Stories about her using magic to stop bullets in midair. In another moment, my training took control. I instinctively grabbed my rifle and climbed up to the observation tower. Thoughts were racing through my head. How could they have gotten here so fast? When I reached the top, my heart dropped like a weight. There must have been at least fifteen ponies, no more than ten feet in front of me. But they were all turned away from me. Without thinking, my hand shot to my side and retrieved a frag grenade from my pocket. I pulled the pin and threw it into the middle of the group. I slid down the ladder just in time to here the explosion, followed my the cries of all the ponies that were up there. I grabbed my radio. "This is Private Kayden, requesting immediate back up to the Eastern Observation Tower, Over." No response. "This is Private Kayden, requesting immediate back up, please respond! Suddenly, the voice of Princess Celestia crackled over my radio. "Kayden, I know you can hear me, all your comrades have been converted. Only you remain. Come out with your hands up, and we can do this the easy way." I had planned with all my fellow soldiers what to do if we were the last man standing. Head into the sewers. Running to the nearest manhole, I noticed some explosives lying on the ground. "Better take these", I whispered under my breath. Removing the manhole from beneath me, I slowly made my way down the ladder. "Damn, this place is even worse than I thought it would be." I grimaced at the scene in front of me. Along with the pungent odor of the sewer system, there were also multitudes of rats. Careful not to fall into the stagnant water, I slowly made my way along the abandoned concrete corridors. I looked at my watch. 5:00 pm. Continuing my walk through the sewer, I saw something dart from one shadow to another. "Identify yourself!" I shouted. Hearing a small yelp and then the sound of hooves trotting away, my worst fears were confirmed: One of the ponies was sent down here to look for me, if he reported my location to his leaders, then it was over for me. I quickly gave chase, and I soon had the pony cornered into a dead end. I was now able to see my pray fully. The pony had a dark blue coat with blue eyes. The pony's face radiated fear. In either hoof it was holding a conversion potion. "Drop the potions!" I shouted. Surprisingly, the pony immedeitly let go of the potions, which hit the floor with a shatter. "I surrender!", the young pony yelled. I cautiously stepped forward. Getting a closer look, I could see it was a very young pony. Then I had an idea. "Why are you down here?" "W-What?" "WHY ARE YOU DOWN HERE!?" "I was sent down here to do reconnaissance!" The pony was now openly sobbing. Holding the pony down with my knee, I took out the explosives I had picked up earlier and strapped them to his chest. Then I took out the detonator and held it in front of him. "I want you go back to the surface and tell your friends that there is nothing down here. If you betray me, you die. Understand?" "I....ok." I let the still crying pony back up, and held him at gunpoint. After showing me where he had entered the sewer, I signaled for him to climb back up and initiate the rouse. After he was gone, I pressed my ear against the manhole. I could hear what he was saying to his superiors "Any human activity in the sewers?" "I....um...." He paused for a moment, as if wondering what to say. "THERE'S A HUMAN IN THE SEWER AND-" before he could say anything else, I squeezed the detonator. So much for that idea. That explosion will attract every pony within a three mile radius of my position. Climbing the rest of the way out of the sewer, I took a moment to survey my surroundings. I was far away from the compound now. Looking at the street signs, I could see that this was the neighborhood I lived in as a kid. After walking for a few minutes I found my house. Fortunately, the place had been left mostly intact. Walking inside, I saw all of the old pictures of me growing up. My father had always made a point of taking pictures of everything I did as a kid. I struggled to hold back tears. "No, you have to stay strong Kayden, now more than ever." I looked at my watch. 9:41 pm. Glancing outside, I could see it was getting dark. "Time to hit the hay...", I said to no one in particular. Trudging upstairs to my old room, I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Maybe this is just some horrible nightmare, I thought. Maybe I'll just wake up in the morning and everything will return to normal. Purging these thoughts from my head, I drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
EpiphanyI awoke with a start. "Why the hell can't I just get some sleep?" I wondered. Sitting at the foot of my bed, my mind drifted back to the memories of me and my parents going to the beach. I thought about the feeling of my feet sinking into the cool, wet sand. The warm ocean breeze. The blazing sun, shining its exquisite rays of light down upon me. I lied down on my bed. Pulling the sheets over me, I continued to think about this long lost paradise as I drifted once again into a deep sleep. I continued to dream about just sitting in the sand, feeling the cool water wash over me. Eventually my mother came to bring me some lemonade which I graciously accepted. "Thanks for the drink, mom" "Your welcome, Kayden" "and Kayden?" "Yes mom?" "Welcome to the herd" "What?" My eyes shot open, only to see a pony staring at me. "It feels good doesn't it?" whispered the pony in my ear. My hand shot to my waist, looking for my sidearm. It was gone. Jumping out of my bed and looking down I saw that I was covered, head to toe, with conversion serum. No. In another moment, I was tackled to the ground. "Get off me!" I shouted. Shoving the smaller pony out of my way, I ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over myself in the process. I ran out of the house. Ignoring the other ponies that had gathered out in front of my house, I continued running as fast as my legs could take me. After about five minutes of continues sprinting, I finally stopped. Then it hit me: I'm not a pony. My entire body had been completely covered in conversion serum. That could only mean one thing. I'm somehow immune to the effects of the conversion serum. I stood there for a few moments, unable to comprehend this sudden realization. I didn't know how to react. Should I be happy should I be sad? I just felt stupid. I had been afraid of ponies this whole time solely because I thought they could convert me. I sat on the curb of the sidewalk. My legs burned from running. I was hungry, thirsty, tired and dirty. I looked at the the ground, then looked at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight. I didn't consider myself to be a very religious person. But I prayed. Not to anyone in particular, just to anyone one who would listen. If there is a God out there, than please....just....do something. Looking up, I saw a bank. Walking inside, I jumped over the counters. Making my way to the vault, I entered the combination. It was a good thing my father worked as bank manager. Peering inside, I saw something that would have normally made me happy: Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. "Guess they didn't bother to take the money with them during the evacuation, huh?" Now that the world was gone, these things were little more than worthless slips of paper. I stuffed as much as I could into my pockets. After wandering around for most of the day, I found an old mansion to settle down in for the night. It was getting cold, so I used the money as fuel for a fire. Looking through one of the windows in the mansion. I could make out some specks on the horizon. They seemed to be flying in some sort of formation. Geese, maybe? As the figures came closer however, my heart sank. Pegasi. There must have been at least thirty of them. Heading straight for me. "I can't catch a fucking break, can I?
DesperationMy heart sank as I took in the sheer hopelessness of the situation. I may have been immune to the effects of the conversion serum, but I wasn't immune to capture. It was too late to hide; they had already spotted me. For a few moments, I just stood there in horror. Was this how it was going to end? "No, it can't end here, it won't end here,” I said. Making my way to the ground floor of the mansion, I ran outside into the backyard. I noticed that the ground almost perfectly matched my camouflage army uniform. The pegasi were only a few seconds away. Without thinking, I dropped down onto the ground, face first. A few moments later, they landed on the ground right next to me to take a break. I had never been more scared in my life. “Are you sure this is the direction the human was headed in?” “I'm positive! We all saw him running this way earlier today.” “What about the rumors of him being immune to the conversion serum? “Impossible. There’s no way any human could ever be immune to the serum.” Suddenly, I felt a hoof on my back. “What is this? Some sort of weird plant?” I heard the pony say. “Time to go.” I quickly grabbed the pony”s foreleg and twisted, hearing the telltale snap that indicated I had dislocated it’s leg bone. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” There’s the human! Take him down! I tried to run, but I was quickly tackled to the ground. Before I had a chance to fight back I was being held down by five other ponies. Another one approached me. It was holding a vial of conversion serum in both hooves. I was trying to remain calm. It’s ok. You're immune to the conversion serum, remember? Even so, doubts raced through my mind. It may have worked once, but will it work again? I guess I’ll find out. Looking up, I saw the pony tipping the vial over my head. I closed my eyes. A second later, I felt the cool liquid washing over me. Followed by an unwavering silence. I was afraid to open my eyes, for fear of what I might see. Bracing myself, I opened my eyes. Thank Goodness. I was still a human. The ponies reaction was a mixture of surprise and fear. I felt the ponies grip on me loosen. Now was my chance. Shoving myself loose, I ran out of the backyard of the mansion and into the woods behind it. My pursuers were gaining on me again. Looking around desperately, I found an old hollowed out tree stump. Diving into it, I waited. There hoof steps got closer and closer, but eventually faded away. After waiting for several more minutes, I cautiously stuck my head out of the hollow stump. It was almost pitch black. "Fan-fucking-tastic," I muttered. Stumbling around in the darkness for a few minutes, I found a puddle of muddy water. I was more thirsty than I had ever been in my life. I grimaced at the disgusting liquid in front of me. "Just a few sips, just to wet my mouth." Kneeling down, I scooped some of the water in my hand, picked out some of the larger pieces of debris, and poured it in my mouth. After forcing myself to choke it down, I repeated the process a few more times. Returning to my tree trunk, I took off my shirt. I nearly screamed at what I saw. It had been a few days since I had eaten. I could see the outline of my ribcage. "Holy crap...." I was starving to death. If I didn't get some food and fresh water soon, the ponies would be the least of my worries. I was tired out of my mind. What little energy I had left was spent running from the pegasi. For a long time, I just sat there, absorbing the gravity of my situation. Looking out of my tree trunk, I could make out little rays of moonlight scattered throughout the forest floor. I remembered how when I was young I wanted to be an astronomer. I wanted to study the stars and the moon. Almost every night, after my parents had gone to bed, I would gaze up at the stars and the moon, wondering what amazing scenes of beauty were up there. Looking into the dark forest, I noticed a single tear roll down my cheek. Than another. Soon I was openly sobbing. I cried myself to sleep that night. I awoke in a pure white room. “Where am I?” Looking around, I saw my mother and father. But something was wrong. They were both ponies. “Kayden, it’s time to stop running from your fears. It’s time to accept conversion.” my father said. “But I’m immune” They both shared confused looks. “What do you mean?” said my mother. “The ponies have covered me in their conversion serum twice, and both times it has had no effect on me.” “Goodbye, Kayden.” “What?” “If you can’t be a pony, then you can’t be our son.” My parents were beginning to fade away. “No!” I exclaimed. “Don’t go!” But they were already gone.
EmotionAfter several hours of darkness, the blazing sun began its ascent across the sky once more, signaling the start of a new day. Owls and other creatures of the night scurried back to their dens to make way for the day. The first early birds began to sing, their high pitched melodies reverberating through the forest. As if on cue, a lone creature began crawling out of a darkened tree stump on the forest floor. That creature's name was Kayden, sole survivor of the now destroyed 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “What a crazy nightmare” I thought. I was still suffering from intense dehydration and hunger. Only my will to survive kept me from collapsing. But a will to live only gets you so far. Waking up hadn't been a pleasant affair. The first thing I was confronted with was a chest filled with mosquito bites. I ended up scratching my chest so much that it started bleeding. I had gotten so thirsty over the past few days that I had considered drinking my own blood. Wiping the sleep out from my eyes, I took a moment to survey my immediate surroundings. Struggling to see farther, I saw an opening in the trees that lead to a small neighborhood. “Maybe there are some supplies in those houses.” I mumbled to myself. I had been talking to myself a lot lately. Who else is there to talk to when you spend what may be your final days on earth alone? I faltered. The last two times I had gone into a house, I was promptly chased out by ponies. Capture was not an option. I cursed my luck. I needed weapons. The first pony who tried to convert me stripped me of all my armaments. I was immune to their conversion serum. But without even a handgun to help me, how could I hope to attack them successfully? While these thoughts occupied me, I didn’t realize that I had walked all the way out of the forest and to an old crosswalk with long dormant streetlights. Acting on pure instinct, I began crossing the street, looking both ways to make sure no cars were coming my way. Then I froze in my tracks in the middle of the road. “Idiot. There are no fucking cars anymore.” Mentally chastising myself for such idiocy, I continued crossing the road. Upon reaching the other side, I could see a car dealer. My eyes lit up. If I could get a car, it would make my life a hell of alot easier. Blinds had been drawn over the huge glass windows. I stopped. I didn’t know what was inside. “You can’t afford miss this opportunity.” I told myself. Surprisingly enough, the door wasn’t locked. Slowly opening it, I peered inside. It was dark except for the few rays of sunlight that trickled through the blinds. Looking around, I nearly giggled with excitement at what I saw. Staring back at me me was a bright red Ferrari, in sterling condition. Making my way to the nearest office, I went into the room labeled “Manager”. I stopped dead in my tracks. Lying in the office chair behind the desk, was a dead man. He was still gripping the handgun he had used to off himself in his lifeless hand. Making sure to avoid touching the dead man, I slowly pulled the handgun out from his hand and placed it in my empty holster. Searching his pockets, I found a pair of keys with a bright red Ferrari symbol on it. “I guess it’s my lucky day” I mumbled flatly. Retracing my steps, I made my way back to the Ferrari. I looked at the large glass panes and grinned evilly. “That’s how” . Leaving the shattered glass of what used to be the front of the car dealer behind, I began driving down the road in a random direction. I glanced at the front dashboard of the car. There was a GPS, a radio and a cupholder. Switching on the GPS, it wasn’t long before a generic female voice was informing me that it couldn’t find a signal. Frustrated, I turned the GPS off before turning my attention to the radio. After trying about fifty different frequencies on both AM and FM, I gave up. “How long have I been alone?” I thought silently. I glanced below me to the gun in my holster. “No” I said. “Don’t even fucking think about it!” Wrenching my attention back to the road in front of me, I could see a grocery store. Parking the car in abandoned parking lot, I walked inside. My eyes lit up. Food. Aisle upon aisle of wonderful, beautiful food. Going for the first thing I could get my hands on, a large box of chocolate chip cookies, I ripped it open and stuffed my mouth before washing it down with a half a liter of water. “I guess they were all in such a hurry to leave they didn't bother with taking the food.” I must have gorged myself in their for half an hour. It had been so long since I had eaten. After satisfying my hunger for now, I got up and made several trips to the car and back, loading the trunk and the backseat with all the non-perishable food I could fit in. As I closed the trunk of my car, I saw a mint-green blur run behind a large tree trunk. I instinctively pulled my handgun out of my holster and pointed it at the tree. “Fantastic. Another pony to ruin my day.” Before I could take another step, mint green pony jumped out from behind the tree trunk, sobbing. It took all my willpower not to just shoot her right then and there. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I got separated from my group while looking for you! Don’t kill me!” I remained silent for a moment. Was this a trap, or was this pony telling the truth? Stepping closer, I managed to get a closer look. Judging by her softer face, the pony appeared to be female. Her body was all mint green with the exception of a single white streak running through her mane and tail. On either side of her body, there were saddlebags filled to the brim with books. Her eyes were a light shade of brown. Against my instinct, I lowered my gun. If this pony could give me the whereabouts of her comrades, I may be able to cause some damage. She was still sobbing. I had to shut her up before she attracted some unwanted attention. Cautiously walking forward, I spoke to the young pony. “I’m not going to do anything to you. Just be quiet and get in the car." She obviously had not expected to live this long, much less be spared by the enemy. She faltered for a moment, “I...ok” she whimpered. Making my way back to the car, careful to keep an eye on the lone pony, I felt something that I had not felt for a long time. It was a warm feeling, mixed with melancholy. I took me a moment to recognize what this foreign emotion was. It was sympathy.
RoadtripThe car ride to....nowhere in particular had been quiet. I had the green pony sit next to me in the front passenger seat. Over the course of an hour, I had learned that her name was Lyra, and she came from a place in Equestria called “Ponyville”. We had been driving all night. I looked t the digital clock on dashboard. 2:46 AM. Damn. I didn't consider myself a very aggressive driver, but seeing how the chances of finding any sort of fellow human were next to none, I figured the farther I went in the time I had, the better. I was tired out of my mind, and Lyra was also looking exhausted. “The poor pony must to afraid to sleep” I thought, feeling a twinge of sympathy enter my mind. Pulling over at what must have been the twentieth abandoned motel, I told Lyra what I was going to do. Pulling an extra sleeping bag out of the backseat, I spoke to her. “Lyra, take this cot and sleep outside.” “Why?” she asked, seeming a little bit on the annoyed side. I sighed. I knew this was wrong, but I didn’t want to take any chances with a seemingly innocent pony I had just met. “I can’t trust you. At least not yet” I lied through my teeth. How could I trust the very thing I had been fighting for so long? “So why do I have to sleep outside?” she asked. “Because if I fall asleep with you next to me…..” I trailed off. “I see.” she said simply. She grabbed the cot and went outside. After wandering around the car for a bit, she settled in on a patch of grass in the motel parking lot. I watched her for a good ten minutes, making sure she was actually asleep. After deciding that she really was sleeping, I pushed all my worries from my head, and fell into a deep slumber. ……………… I awoke with a start to the sound of Lyra’s hoof tapping gently on the glass. She wasn’t looking good. It seemed like she had gone to sleep, but there were huge, dark circles under her eyes to indicate otherwise. Rolling down the window, we just stared at eachother for a few moments. Finally, I broke the ice. “Ready to go?” “Yes.” was her only reply. Driving on the endless highway once again, I occasionally glanced over at Lyra. It wasn’t long before she took a sketchbook out of her saddlebag and began meticulously drawing me. Managing to steal a few glances at what she was drawing, I saw she was drawing me. At least she got the eyes right. I mumbled nonchalantly. “Hmm?” she responded. “Um….nothing.” I responded. Nothing out of the ordinary happened beyond that. After she had finished drawing me, she moved on to other parts of my body, such as my hands and my head. I glanced at my wristwatch. 5:08 PM. It felt like it had been much longer. Glancing over again at Lyra, I saw that she was sleeping soundly, sketchbook still grasped in her hooves. With nothing else to do, I flipped on the radio on the car dashboard and began flipping through the stations. Nothing but static until I came up on a particular station. “This is the President of the United States. To whoever is left, I would like to say that we are establishing a new army in Iowa. Whether you are a civilian or member of the armed forces, it is highly recommended that you report to Iowa immediately. We have adequate shelter and basic supplies, as well as a working irrigation system. I couldn't believe my ears. I glanced over again at Lyra. She hadn't heard any of that. Turning off the radio, which was repeating the same message in a loop, I stopped the car in the road and turned on the GPS. Right now, I knew I was somewhere close to Athens, Georgia where my base was. I was surprised to find the distance I had traveled. The GPS showed that I had made my way about 1,200 miles out of Athens. “You go far when you’re running from freakin’ ponies.” I thought with an air of anger. “Where are we headed, anyway?” Lyra's words made me jump as my mind raced to come up with an answer. “We’re going to….California.” I lied again. “Really? I heard that is one of the best parts of your world.” “Uh-Huh” I said vacantly, trying to think of a way around this. She would eventually get suspicious. Iowa is not the warmest place, and it wouldn't take long for Lyra to figure out that something wasn't right. About two hours after leaving the motel, I was starting to realize how hungry I was. “There I go again, forgetting to eat.” Pulling over by a gas station, I got some oranges and apples from the trunk, and began eating hungrily. I was about halfway done with my sandwich when my eyes wandered over to Lyra, who looked like she was going to faint from hunger just seeing me eat. Realizing my mistake, I gave Lyra the rest of my orange and threw my neglected apple core out the window. Turning my attention back to the road, I glanced out my rear view mirror, only to see about ten royal guards trying to blindside my car. In a desperate fit of survival, I turned on the car and backed up. I didn't hit anything, which only made things worse. After failing that approach, I put my weight on the gas pedal and drove until they were out of view. Lyra was had been screaming and crying the entire time, and was still sobbing after we had escaped, at least temporarily. It would be safe to say that I wasn't in the mood for this right now. “SHUT THE HELL UP!” I ordered in my loudest voice. She immediately stopped, which surprised me. After driving for another hour in silence, it started to get dark, and my eyes were starting to drop. Stopping by a mall, I fell asleep.
AbyssAs my eyes slowly opened, I felt Lyra's eyes on me. Pretending not to notice, I shuffled around in my seat for a few minutes before getting up. Glancing her direction for good measure, I could see that she was writing or drawing something furiously in her sketchbook. "You know what?" I thought to myself. I don't even want to know anymore. As if to spite me, the Ferrari, which was now considerably beat up on the outside, would not start. It wasn't long before I realized the car was completely out of fuel. Lyra seemed to take notice of this as well. "What now?" she asked simply. "Um...." my voice trailed off. "We walk." I said, unable to come up with any other plan of action. After all, it was either start walking or sit in the car and wait for something to happen. I stuffed all the supplies I could carry into a backpack, including a map and compass, and began walking on the seemingly endless stretch of highway. Lyra's hoofsteps sounded odd. They weren't like a human's footsteps, calm and quite. The sound her hoofsteps made were loud and chaotic. I did my best not to show my annoyance. After walking for an hour or so, I decided to take a small break on a park bench. Pulling out a large map and a red marker, I began using the marker to trace out a route to Iowa. Then I realized, the president said the new base was in Iowa. The problem was, I didn't know where in Iowa the new base was located. As I folded the map back up, Lyra must have sensed my frustration. "Is something wrong Kayden?" she asked, her voice heavy with concern. "Time to tell another lie." I mused. "Nothing. Just plotting our route to California." "Ok. Aren't their beaches in California?" "Yes....." "Can we....maybe..." she fumbled to find the correct words. "Stop by the beaches for a bit?" I finished. "Yes." she responded. "Of course." I said, putting on the best fake smile I could muster. How the hell am I supposed to explain this to her once we reach Iowa? I thought. Before I could think any further, I was knocked out by a blow to the head. ................... Waking up in a darkened jail cell, I gingerly felt the large bump on my head. Still half-asleep, I craned my neck to look outside the cell to see four royal guards, two pegasi, and two unicorn, guarding me. I felt my heart implode. No. I had been captured by the enemy. Could it possibly get any worse? Then, my fear turned to anger. What was her name? Lyra? She must have betrayed me somehow. "How could you let a pony outsmart you so easily? You should have just killed her when you had the chance." My mental chatter was interrupted by hoofsteps nearing my cell. Lyra? My question was answered when a dark haired Alicorn approached my cell. I struggled to remember her name from the briefing before this all started. Flowing mane.....moon cutie mark.....Luna! I shifted into as best an upright position as I could as one of the guards let her in. She would no doubt be asking questions. I would make sure she wasn't getting answers. "Well...." she started. You made quite the ruckus, to say the least." she finished in a matter-of-fact tone. I couldn't help but put on a ghost of a smile. Whether this is the end for me or not, at least I put up some sort of fight. "Nonetheless, there are questions that we would like to ask you. "We?" I responded simply. A brief look of sadness crossed her face before being instantly masked. Without acknowledging my statement, she continued. "Where is this new "base" you seem so intent on getting to?" "How did she know? Lyra is going to pay...." Looking her in the eye, I shook my head. "I don't know. I didn't even know there was a-" "Do not test me, Kayden." she interrupted. "It just gets harder and harder doesn't it?" The princess of the moon continued. "Since you clearly aren't going to tell me on your own, I might as well give you some incentive." Gritting her teeth, her horn began to glow, and it wasn't long before a portal opened up into...Equestria? She must have seen my confusion. "It's clear to me at this point that you will never be converted. Instead, I'm giving you the opportunity to start again, as a human. As much as I hated it, the offer seemed enticing. This Equestria looked much different than the one I was told about. It didn't look like the inhabitants were under the yolk of tyranny. It looked like they were actually very happy. However, my senses soon came back to me. "You can take your Equestria...." I started, my voice getting louder with each word. "....and go burn in hell!" I finished. The portal closed. Luna had all but lost patience. "THEN YOU MAY ROT IN HERE UNTIL YOU STARVE." she yelled, clearly angry with my reaction to her offer. I bowed my head and smiled. If this was how I was going to die, then so be it. ................... "Lyra?" Luna's voice floated through into Lyra's room accompanied by a soft knock. "Come in." the mint green mare stated plainly not bothering to look up from her sketchbook. Luna entered her room and took a seat on a wooden chair before speaking. "Listen" she started. "I know you don't like the way were treating Kayden, but-" "But what!?" Lyra yelled, looking up from her sketchbook "Don't tell me that he's "dangerous"! If he were dangerous, he wouldn't have spared me!" she finished, surprised at herself for raising her voice to a princess. Despite this rudeness, Luna kept her cool. "I see your concern. I will see to it personally that he is treated well." she said, hoping that this would appease the enraged unicorn. Lyra was finished talking. "No. Way." she retorted, putting special emphasis on those two words. "He probably thinks that I betrayed him! Can I at least visit him so that I can explain myself?" "I'm afraid it's to early for that." Luna responded. Lyra simply buried herself in her covers and groaned. Recognizing that his mare was not in a talking mood, Luna quietly left the room. The last thing I need is a human AND a pony in a cell. she thought to herself, before retiring to her quarters.
AtonementAs the sun rose once more over a quiet earth, the princess of the sun, Princess Celestia, oversaw this event in silence. Normally, she would be busy raising it herself, but this was not her domain. It was one of her pet peeves, not having control over the sun on this world. No matter how hard she tried, the sun would always move on it's own, refusing to submit to Celestia's power. Turning away from the balcony, she trotted further into her bedroom, before flopping onto her bed in annoyance. The interrogation with Kayden hadn't gone well. Luna had lost her composure while questioning Kayden, and Lyra....well, she wasn't in the best mood either. Her thoughts were soon interrupted, however, by a heavy knock on the door. "Princess Luna is requesting an audience with you in the meeting room." the deep voice of a royal guard echoed. "Tell her I'm on my way." she replied softly. Rousing herself up, she ran her comb through her mane a few times before being on her way. .............. Luna was tired. She had stayed up all night, wondering if she had handled the situation correctly. She eventually came to the conclusion that she hadn't, and owed her sister an apology. Her ears perked up at the sound of her sisters hoofsteps. The princess of the moon quickly straightened herself out as Celestia descended the staircase. Luna was the first to speak. "Good morning, sister." she said in the most cheerful voice she could muster. Celestia was quick to return the greeting. "Likewise, sister" she responded. They both sat down at their respective seats. The silence that followed was unbearable. Celestia took this time to reflect. Ever since she had begun the conversion of earth's inhabitants into ponies, they both seemed to be growing farther and farther apart. Celestia decided to break the silence with some small talk. "Tulips....how did you know these are my favorite?" she lied. She hated tulips. Luna didn't bother answering the question and got right to the point. "Sister, I didn't handle the interrogation with Kayden in the correct manner. I apologize. I- "Thank you for your apology." Celestia interrupted. "However, at this point, I don't think that an apology is really necessary." she continued. Luna nodded in agreement, although she didn't feel comfortable with the situation. The two of them finished there breakfast in silence. Luna went of to rest, as she always did during the day, and Celestia went to her quarters to carry out the days activities. ........... "Are they seriously planning on keeping me chained to a freakin' wall forever?" he thought. He heard some murmuring outside of the cell, followed by the door creaking open to reveal....Lyra? "You bitch!" he exclaimed. "You got me captured!" he said angrily, uselessly struggling against his chains. Lyra was distraught. She knew that this wasn't her fault, but how could she convince Kayden of that? "Listen." she started. "I know you hate me, and that will probably never change, but give me a chance to explain myself." Kayden sat in an angry silence. Closing the door behind her, the mare continued. "I was sent to earth to study the anatomy of humans." she said, pulling the sketchbook out of her saddlebag. She flipped through the sketchbook and showed Kayden the drawings. They were mostly sketches of his head, hands, and even feet. "I never wanted to you see you captured and caged like an animal. I've always been interested in humans, even before I came here. When I was given the opportunity to come here, I jumped on the chance to see humans firsthand." she finished. "It's good to here that." he said simply. "But that doesn't help the fact that I'm stuck here, probably forever." Lyra couldn't take it anymore. Shuffling around in here saddlebag for a few seconds, she tossed a small, shiny object at him, which landed squarely between his feet. A key. Looking up, the embittered soldier saw that Lyra was gone. Kayden glanced at the key, then at the keyholes in the cuffs binding him to the wall, and smiled. Picking up the key, he was about to unlock his manacles when the door began to screech open again. "Wow, I am just the center of attention today. he grumbled. Instead of a figure, he was met with a blinding light. After the light subsided, he saw Princess Celestia standing in the doorway. "Nice light show, Princess." he mocked. "Indeed." she responded curtly. Kayden remained silent. Celestia decided to continue. "In light of recent.....events, I've decided to go easy on you, despite your crimes. If you divulge the location of this "base", then both you and the inhabitants of that base will be spared. "Your a terrible liar. I would've thought a thousand years of experience would have given you time to hone that skill." "That's because I'm not lying, Kayden." as she said this, she reached for the contents of her saddlebag. She tossed him a golden necklace, with a dark crystal encased in the center. "Infused within that necklace is my sister's life force. Destroying it would mean destroying her." "And why don't I just kill her right now?" "If you value your existence, you won't." she responded through gritted teeth. She knew she was being reckless, but it was the only way. "Consider it a token of my trust. If you lead me to the your friends base and they are converted for whatever reason, feel free to destroy the necklace and inflict an even greater pain upon me. Kayden wasn't convinced. "How do I know it isn't just some random necklace? Tears were beginning to well up in Celestia's eyes. "I'm so, so sorry sister....." Using her magic, she lifted the necklace from the ground,before enveloping it in her magic. A few moments later, one of Luna's royal guards came running to the cell. "My princess, Princess Luna is in pain!" "I'll be their in a moment." she responded, trying to hide the sadness from her voice. The guard went away. I get a free ticket out of here AND power over Luna's life? Sounds downright fantastic to me!" Kayden grinned at the floor before responding. "Sounds good to me, Princess."
