The Conversion Bureau: Immunity

As 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.