Note: This story is loosely based off of the fanfic “Conversion Bureau” by Blaze. This is just my humble contribution.
 
-Day Zero: Saying Good bye-
 
It was muggy, rainy, and uncomfortable outside of the Conversion Buraeu in the town of Lantern, Ohio. Cars were parked outside by the boatload. A few were gutted due to scavengers, but the owners wouldn’t really care. A motorcycle pulled into one of the few remaining parking places. The rider hopped off his bike and engaged the security lock.


“20 percent chance of rain my ass, stupid robot weatherman…”
 
The motorcyclist pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself before darting into the building.
The automatic door chimed as it opened and the cyclist hopped in before he could get any more soaked than he already was. The receptionist, a peach colored pony, looked up from its desk and gently smiled at the human.


 “Oh, Joshua, hello there!”


 The human tugged off his helmet finally revealing his face. His hair was blonde, but the edges had a brown tint to them. His face was young and jovial, his shining grey eyes a severe contrast to the color of the angry clouds outside.


 “Oh hey Spring Breeze, nice to see ya,” Joshua said.


 “Alma said she wanted to talk to you," said Spring Breeze. "It looked like it was urgent.” Joshua nodded at the pony as he walked past the desk.


 “Thanks for the heads up. Show me your foal’s picture’s sometime, okay?”


Spring Breeze chuckled and waved as Joshua headed into the facility proper. “Shame there aren’t more humans like him,” she said wistfully as she returned to her work.


It wasn’t a long walk to his sister’s room from the entrance, so Joshua allowed his mind to wander a bit. When he was still in diapers, the horror that was known as the Schawarweltz threatened to engulf the world. It was the efforts of a brave team of the world’s elite that plunged into it and destroyed it from within. When they returned, they bore information that the Land of Ruin’s appearance was the fault of man, and that it would return if mankind did not change their ways. For a time, man did change; grudges were put aside; technology boomed, and for once the economy wasn’t in the gutter. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before man forgot their warnings and quickly fell back into old habits. Just when it seemed like it would be mankinds final curtain call, a previously unknown race calling themselves "Ponies" appeared. At first, man regarded the strange horse-like creatures with caution, believing that the Land of Ruin had began to reappear, but they eventually convinced themselves to extend the olive branch. The Ponies, having seen mankind’s plight, decided that they wished to help them, and offered humans the chance to come to their Equestria, their home realm. This offer did come at a heavy price, however, at least in Joshua’s eyes. A human couldn’t enter into Equestria because of the concentrated magical purity so they had to become a pony themselves. It wasn’t long before “Conversion Bureaus,” as they were called, began popping up in cities all over the world, and the human population began to disappear like dirty water down the drain.


Joshua managed to snap himself out of his stupor before he smacked into the door to his sister's room. His sister Alma had finally decided to go through the ponification process, and Joshua, being the dutiful brother that he was, had stayed with her during the week period that participants were required to stay. It was the last day of the waiting process and Alma had been called twice by this time, but she had refused both times. Joshua had a guess as to the reason of those refusals. He knocked on the door three times and a gentle “Come in” was heard from behind it. Joshua opened the door and entered the room. It wasn’t much bigger than closet space, but then again people didn’t really stay that long anyway. In most ways Alma looked just like a feminine version of Joshua; same skin tone, same eyes. Alma had inherited their father’s red hair, though, which extended down to her waist. She was dressed in a simple gown and sandals; the necessary attire before undergoing the process.


“They called me a few minutes before you got here, Joshua." Alma said. "I was afraid I was going to be stumbling around on hooves when you got here.” She winked teasingly at her brother. Joshua smiled as he took a seat on a chair.


“What can I say? Traffic was killer to get through. A tumble weed cut me off on the way here.” It was a feeble joke but they laughed at it anyway, both used to Joshua’s sense of humor. When the laughing was over, Alma took a seat on her bed and looked at her brother.


 “Joshua, you know I can’t wait anymore, right?” she said. Joshua nodded.


“Your week is up today isn’t it?” he asked, already knowing the answer. They both sat in silence wanting to say what was on their minds, but neither had the courage to speak first. It was Alma that finally broke the tense silence between them


“I know how you feel about all of this, Joshua," she said quietly. "But Mom and Dad really do miss you.” Her brother ran a hand through his hair, already knowing this was going to end badly.


“It’s been five years, Joshua," Alma continued. "Don’t you think that’s enough time to think things through?” Joshua sighed.


“I know what you mean, Alma;" he replied. "It’s just that I wouldn’t feel right about it if I went and ponied up now.” Alma expected this answer from her brother, but it still hurt hearing it. She could never honestly figure out the reason why Joshua was being so stubborn on this subject. She immensely regretted one recent visit, when the debate turned into an argument and she accused him of being a part of the HLF, or Human Liberation Front; a group that made the Neo Nazis of yesteryear look like a birthday party. Joshua had stormed out of the ponification center and didn’t return the next day. Alma snapped out of her small daydream when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that her brother had moved from the chair to the bedside next to her.


“Look, Alma," he said. "I’ve got nothing against it. I wouldn’t even be here if I did. You want to be with mom and dad, but I’m just not ready to go with you yet.” Joshua rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Geez, I’m going around in circles here.”


“It wouldn’t be you if you didn’t ramble on and on and on,” Alma said, nudging her brother playfully. Joshua rolled his eyes.


“Pfft, if you can joke about that stuff I can just leave, you know,” Joshua bluffed.


“There’s the door,” Alma said, calling his bluff. As the two continued the playful argument, the announcement they both dreaded sounded over the PA system.


 “Will Alma Graves please report to the ponification room? Alma Graves.” The subject of the announcement sighed and stood up.


“Guess it’s time for me to go,” Alma said as she started to head to the door. Joshua quickly sprinted in front of her.


“You’re not going up there by yourself,” he said, smiling. Alma smiled as well and held out her hand.


“I’ll need a proper escort then,” she told him. Joshua gave her a flat look.


“Alma...”


“Hey, can’t blame a girl for trying, right?” Alma shrugged.


Joshua would never admit it to his sister or to anyone that knew him, but the walk down that hallway was one of the longest of his life. Alma squeezed his hand a little as though sensing his worry. When they reached the double doors they found that a unicorn pony was already sitting there waiting. Joshua took a brief moment to study the pony; its coat was white as alabaster, mane and tail a royal purple. Her light blue eyes matched the color of the diamond cutie marks on her flank. The second he heard her voice Joshua guessed she would have been well suited for theater.


“Oh Alma ,darling, I’ve been waiting all day for you.” the pony said. Alma had a confused look on her face.


“Rarity?" Alma said incredulously. "What are you doing here? I thought the first day was the only day you were going to be here.” Rarity waved a hoof as if to brush the simple matter aside.


 “Oh you know how these things are. It has been a little busy at the boutique as of late and I just needed a little peace and quiet. I decided to stop by and see if you were still around.” The fashion pony finally took notice of Joshua and gave him a once over. “Oh, you must be Alma’s older brother!” Rarity offered her hoof, which the boy shook vigorously. “Alma has told me so much about you! For a human you really are quite handsome...”


“Uh thanks…” Josh said, starting to blush at the unexpected complement. Rarity took notice and offered her most disarming smile.


“Oh ho ho, there isn’t anything to be embarrassed about," Rarity said sweetly. "Your sister just talks about you so much, I just had to meet you!”


 “Rarity, you didn't come all the way from Equestria just to hit on my brother, did you?” Alma asked with a sigh.


 “Oh its nothing like that Alma," Rarity laughed. "I was just a little curious and I never seem to catch him when he comes to visit.” Rarity motioned to a bench close by to the doors with a flick of her head. “You can wait out here if you want. Alma’s the very last one, so the staff shouldn’t mind.” Joshua nodded his thanks and turned to his sister. She hugged him and he gladly returned it


 “I’ll be seeing you,” Alma said.


 “I’ll be holding you to that,” Joshua replied. Alma extracted herself and walked through the double doors. Rarity looked up at Joshua, a look of concern crossing her face.


“Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to?” Rarity asked. Joshua simply shook his head and took a seat on the bench. Rarity shrugged and walked through the doors, which left a lingering echo as they closed.


“So you couldn’t convince him, could you darling,” said Rarity as she was testing the syringe and pouring out the medicine using her unicorn telepathy. Alma lay on the bed specifically made for when she woke up as a pony. She stared up at the ceiling as though she was watching something up there.


“Nope," she replied. "I honestly didn’t think it would work anyway.” Rarity trotted over to the human and passed the cup with the medicine in it over to her.


“I don’t think I follow, Alma," Rarity said. "It’s obvious that he cares a great deal about you, and by what you’ve told me, his parents as well. Doesn’t he miss them at all?” Alma took the cup before answering.


 “I’m sure he does," she said. "I just think that Joshua feels he’d be giving up if he did.”


 “Giving up, sweetie?” Rarity asked, a bit confused.


 “Our great aunt raised Joshua on a lot of old stories when she was younger," Alma explained. "She did a lot of good work and Joshua really wants to help people. If he went and got ponified, I think he feels he would be giving up on his dream”


“You really know your brother well, don’t you?” Rarity asked, impressed.


“Oh, I try to," responded Alma. "I mean, it’s just been me, him and our aunt since our parents left for the camps five years ago.”


 “Oh, I can’t help but feel a touch envious, Alma," Rarity said wistfully. "Ever since my sister started running around with these little friends of hers, I don’t even know what she plans to do next. I know she could be irritating when she would bug me to help in the boutique, but I can’t help but feel that I miss it a little bit.” Alma patted Rarity’s hoof.


“I don’t think we’re too different on that point,” Alma said reassuringly. Rarity nodded.


“Perhaps not Alma," she said. "Now, I need you to drink this.” Alma drank the medicine. Her face screwed up a bit.


 “Something wrong?” asked Rarity.


 “Tastes like grape jelly," Alma answered. "I hate grape jelly."


Rarity gave a small laugh at this “I’m sorry darling.”


Alma leaned back into the bed and she felt herself starting to drift off, the medicine starting to take effect. Distantly Alma felt a needle sink into her arm and she knew that this was the point of no return for her humanity.


“Now just relax, this will be all over before you know it” Rarity said


It wasn’t hard for Alma to do as she was told because now she found it hard to keep her eyes open. Oddly enough she noticed a blue butterfly flitting through the room. When it flew close Alma lifted up her arm with the strength she had left and the butterfly settled on her finger.


“Rarity there’s this pretty butterfly here…”


The pony in question looked away from the monitors that were keeping track of Alma’s health and looked over to the girl. She had her arm outstretched like she was reaching for something but Rarity didn’t see a 
thing”


“Alma I don’t see one..” Rarity said


“You don’t but it’s...it’s…”


Alma’s fell back to her side as she finally drifted off into a peaceful slumber. The butterfly in question completely invisible to Rarity circled around Alma a few times before finally flying out the open window.




-To Be Continued-