Author's Notes:

Greetings,

For those of you that are new, welcome. And for the ones returning, we love ya. Buckshot is the original writer of this story and due to life circumstance has left the story in my care. It will be updated when I am sent the chapters. All questions will be forwarded if I am unable to answer them. We love feedback and encouragements. Thank you.

Side Effects
Written By Buckshot
Hosted By Arctikfox

When Equestria first appeared there were multiple reactions. Most were inquisitive, wondering what the arrival of the new land might entail. Some thought that aliens had finally landed and started their complex procedures to ‘protect’ themselves. Of course then there was the minority that saw it as a threat instead of a peaceful land.

The ponies moved quickly, setting up conversion bureaus to ‘help’ humanity make the step from its evil life, furthering my suspicions as to their true nature and goal.. It was a classic takeover move, first, offer peace, then, while their guard is down, stab them in the back.

Before that, however, I was foolish. I actually thought that ponification would be the solution, the way out of this life of pain and hurt. Along with many other people, I flocked to the conversion centers. I wasn’t the first but, to my future disappointment, I wasn’t the last either.

Thankfully, I had second reservations about ponification and opted to come back at a later date. Not too soon either as a group who called themselves The Human Liberation Front started attacking the bureaus. The one I had recently attended had actually been hit pretty hard, killing humans and ponies alike.

After hearing the reports of violence, even those about pony instigated violence, I started to question the purity of the pony’s actions. Days after the first attacks started these princesses sent out messages across radio and T.V. encouraging all humans willing to be ponified to hurry and make the commitment. They also pleaded with those that had attacked to cease hostilities, which they didn’t of course.

Soon others from my neighborhood came knocking at my door. They presented themselves as a polar opposite to the Human Liberation Front, Ponies for Earth Rebirth, or PER, which they joked was easier to say. Some had seen or heard secondhand that I had been to a bureau previously. Most ponies handed me brochures, while the humans had extensive talks about my salvation and other crap like that. They were worse than the mormons, that lot. Of course I gave them all the same answer, ‘I’ll do it soon as I get ready, you know what I mean.’

I never did get ready, I always second guessed my motives for going. Days turned into months and months into years. I did not, however, spend those years twiddling my thumbs. When I wasn’t plagued by door to door salesponies I scavenged local stores for food. I was one of few humans in town that had not converted, so it was a trivial task. Most stores had been abandoned by their owners and ponies apparently couldn’t eat most human food.

Soon it turned to an everyday occurrence of getting one or sometimes two ponies knocking on my door urging me to make the change, describing how amazing it would feel, how free I would be. As time went on the requests began to sound more like demands. It was then I knew for sure that Celestia would not stop until all humans were converted.

So, I panicked. I’m not proud of what I did, but neither do I regret my decision. If I had not done what I had done I would not have survived this long.

Using siphoned gasoline from abandoned cars I made a simple explosive device meant to cause spontaneous flames. It was crude, probably wouldn’t even stand up to fire hoses. After packing up what I could in my car I placed it in my living room. Hopefully the ponies would discount it as a cooking accident and write me off as dead, never to be seen again.

It had worked well, after taking one last look at the place I set the timer and made my way out of the city, away from population.

The explosive had gone off prematurely, but still delivered the same effect I had hoped for. The house immediately caught fire and ponies screamed as they ran from their homes, paying no attention to the lone car leaving the town. No doubt the fire was contained before it spread, at least I hoped it had. My neighbors hadn’t been bad people; they just made a fatal choice that ruined their lives.

I was distraught after that. All I had now was my car and whatever was inside it, and now had no idea what was going to become of myself. So I just drove, drove away from familiarity, away from my previous life, away from those accursed ponies.

I ended up burning up all my fuel. Whether it was a good thing that I stopped right outside a pony populated city or not I still don’t know. But one thing was for sure, my rampage throughout pony history was still to be written. Even while I drove the hatred grew and festered until the mere thought of conversion made me want to puke, and thoughts of ponies incited a twitchy finger as if I was about to pull a trigger.

Using brute strength built up from mostly doing most of my house and yard work I had managed to push my vehicle into a parking garage under an abandoned skyscraper. It had apparently been hit by a bomb or missiles or some other explosive because the top half was cut off leaving a jagged edge. Most of the glass near the top of the large structure was gone and electricity was out, but otherwise it was paradise.

I spent six days scouring that building, finding almost nothing of use. A few coffee machines here and there, with some snacks mixed in. The only semi-useful things to be pilfered were ink pens and paperweights to use as writing and impromptu weapons.

Life was a boring monotony from then on, I rose up out of bed, checked the outside for any sign of curiosity the ponies had in the building and then watched the news to find out about any new developments. One such day, I was watching the T.V. as a couple HLF leaders were preaching, there really is no other word for it, about the evils of ponykind, that is he had until the sun princess, Celestia, had taken over the screen. She seemed to be able to see me and I’m not proud that I almost wet myself and flipped over the couch in surprise. Celestia, the ‘loving’ ruler of ponies, had decided that the human race was too violent to exist in her utopia. All humans were to be paralyzed on sight and brought to a conversion bureau for immediate ponification. After that the regular program turned back on to a chaotic scene. The camera was on the ground as multiple people were running, screaming around as pegasi shot paralyzing darts left and right. It was really happening, humankind was going to be hunted to extinction.

It was horrid at first, I heard screams from outside as some humans who had opted to stay in the city were dragged away from their homes, paralyzed, unable to do anything by scream for help that would never come. They had visited my hideout as well. It was near the edge of the city so they had been expectedly lazy with their search. They came in, saw the decoy I put in the lobby, a blocked staircase and destroyed desk and left without a word.

After that my only goal in life was to avoid capture, but as time passed and anger was left to brew, hatred replaced fear. I wanted to kill, to get revenge, even if it meant my own life. Unfortunately my only tools of destruction consisted of throwable objects. I was not so hell bent that I was stupid. I needed guns, guns and explosives.

The nightly raids began small as I snuck around at night, making absolutely sure that I would not be seen. Other than a few guards loafing about, probably set to make sure no humans entered, there wasn’t anyone to hinder me.

After several runs I had happened upon a weapons shop. At this I had been excited, finally I would be able to strike back for the loss I suffered. But fate deemed that it wasn’t my time. That particular shop had turned up a few boxes of rounds and 9mm pistol with a few spare clips. It was hardly the firepower I was hoping for and was certainly not enough to hold my own.

Perhaps it was chance that I had decided to go out that one black moonless night, or maybe it was some unknown entity that I had happened to please through some random act silently urging me forward. I left my home and set off once more to a secluded part of town. I hadn’t gotten far before I heard muffled voices and the clopping of hooves.

You see, my actions hadn’t gone entirely unnoticed by the local populace. Hearing the noises I started my retreat back to base, only to see 5 unicorns holding dart guns, backed up by 7 pegasi and 3 earth ponies. They had surrounded the building and called out for me to exit and surrender peacefully.

I had cursed my luck at that moment. Making my way through town, I almost shot a few ponies, only to realize half a second before I pulled the trigger that it would be my end. It wasn’t all bad that those ponies had found me out. Forcing me to move caused me to stumble across a converted human or what the ponies called ‘newfoals’. I had wandered through the suburban jungle for hours, finding absolutely nothing of use. Numerous ponies still wandered the streets, apparently the raid had aroused them somewhat.

I skirted most of them, but ended up right in front of a door when it opened. I still smirk at the memory of pulling out my sidearm, pointing it at him and demanding that he return inside. The pony had taken it in stride and tried reasoning with me. I almost blew his head open right there and then, but again that little in my voice convinced me not to.

The stallion’s name was Frederick Donovan, When questioned about his name he had told me that he hated his pony name. After convincing me he wasn’t lying he told me his story. He had been caught trying to leave the town. After killing two of the attackers he was hit with a paralyzing dart and dragged off. He had cursed his fate, telling me, ‘If you can avoid it, do so at all costs. It’s a living hell.’ What I really wanted to know was why he wasn’t a mindless drone like the others. Turns out I had managed to find the one in a million pony that had not fully converted. His body was changed but his mind only buzzed every now and then with pony thoughts that were easily dismissible.

Also he happened to be one of that small percentage of people that had counted Equestria as a threat rather than a blessing. Turns out the store I had tried to raid had actually belonged to him, and it was empty because he had taken the contents and placed them underground in a warehouse outside of town.

He led me to it, thankfully around all guards and patrols. A few ponies almost caught a glimpse of me but his quick thinking always shoved me down or into an alley. When we arrived he bucked the lock off and I opened the rusty doors. Other than the loud rolling noise they hardly made a squeak. If they had I wouldn’t be here talking to a wall now would I? He opened up the false floor and showed me the Inside. I was like a schoolkid who had found his long lost marbles. My first thought was to go for the big guns and then go wreck something. The more rational part of me urged me back to reality and I choose only that which I could carry by myself. My car was not an option and I saw no others on the road I might borrow, so only what I could carry could go with me.

Unfortunately the old pony didn’t have it in him to deal with his current situation. I still feel like crying as I remember his last wish, a sort of, payment for the arms. He unlocked a old dusty box in the corner and had grabbed a silver handled revolver with his mouth. With a hardened resolve I took the revolver from him and he sat down putting his forehead to the barrel. It took only one shot, but to say that I did him a favor is an understatement.

No doubt, in the heat of the moment, I had forgotten just how loud those things could be. However, denying a last request to a poor broken soul was a horrible thing to do, if I had, I would have been no better than the Equestrians, forcing him to live out a life he did not desire. So I hastily buried him with the guns he had made a living with before leaving town.

Life became a blur of running, settling down, ambushing and then more running. It was a vicious cycle that never ended. I would find one place that was decent, then I would feel a horrid fire build up inside when I saw a pony. The fire would blaze until I took up my rifle and blew the sorry bastard’s head off. The body would fall, ponies would scream and I would leave.

I was not cruel, hate-driven, but not cruel. I didn’t always kill, and when I did it was a quick and clean shot that caused no pain, of course unless you're one of those people that likes to think that people hear the shot that kills you. I did not torture any ponies I saw. Most were just poor brainwashed humans anyways. Maybe I lasted that long because of my humane treatment.

Over time though, my marksmanship developed and I soon became wanted among the pony population. As the ponies’ defenses became more advanced my attacks started to become elaborate. One time I found out where the camp was supposed to be located and place the explosive beforehand. Of course I couldn’t escape detection. After one such attack I found myself looking at the monarch of the ponies herself, Princess Celestia. She was regal that much was for sure, with her pristine white coat and flowing rainbow like mane. But her eyes, her eyes portrayed her true emotion, anger, fused with disappointment.

Thankfully, I hadn’t gotten the ‘honor’ of meeting the dictator herself. She had teleported in the middle of the camp I had just attacked and scanned the surroundings looking for me. I thought for sure I was caught when her vision fell upon me. I turned and ran; I should have taken a shot or two at her, suffering the conversion knowing that I had hurt the one who had destroyed humankind. I was a coward though and ran away.

My expertise with weapons was ultimately my downfall. I attracted the attention of freedom fighters after I had attacked another small pony camp outside of town. It was simple bomb, mostly just made for fun, seeing the ponies scurry like the animals they were was satisfying. Lets them know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of panic.

I was approached on my way back to my temporary safe house. I remember vividly the man’s face, for he had been the leader, and ultimately, the one who had ruined my life for good. He put a hand on my shoulder only to receive a knife blade pressed against his neck. My action had elicited response from hidden gunmen as I heard the unmistakable click of safeties being switched off. I had laughed at the display and sheathed my knife. The man had not shared my jolliness and immediately introduced himself as ‘Reginald’ the leader of small insurgent force.

Apparently the resistance had tried to track me down in the past, but had never actually caught up due to my habit of changing towns and cities once I felt the urge.

I was fed the usual bullshit about being a ‘essential’ recruit, having a wide array of skills made me somewhat valuable. ‘Son, you have talent. It shouldn’t be wasted by attacking small targets.’ He said to me.

So, in my ignorance, I accepted the invitation. Most of my possessions, which numbered few, were distributed amongst the group. I saw to it, however, that the revolver and my first gun, the 9mm, never left my side. Before, it had seemed like a wise decision, I couldn’t go on raiding and blowing up stuff without getting caught for long, but looking back now, I probably would have been better off by myself.

After that my sleep schedules were frequently interrupted by intrusion of a pegasi patrol or a midnight raiding party. I would never have had that problem traveling alone, but with the group it became a regular issue.

After a month I mentally divided my fellow fighters into two groups. Those who had too much zeal and those either scarred from emotional memories or actual encounters. One fellow even told me, after much convincing, how he had been captured and forced to stand in line while scream after scream issued from the dreaded conversion room. It was only by sheer coincidence that he had escaped when a group of former HLF went on a suicide run, intent on killing everyone.

Despite this, however, he choose not to go back into hiding. He had told me on no uncertain terms, ‘I am not going to get taken in after being found. If I am taken in I’m going to take a few of them with me.’ He became my unofficial friend.

Our first loss came when our benevolent leader stumbled upon a supposed recruitment opportunity. After finding signs of human life we had explored a small town. When we found a lit house all hell had broken loose as pegasi dropped from the roofs and a mix of unicorn and earth pony barged out of the houses, dart guns spraying wildly.

I had managed to snag my newest friend and escape, moving to the designated fallback place, but four more human beings became ponies because of that screw up, and for that I resented Reginald. He didn't seem phased by it and there was no mourning those lost While I admire those who could rise to the challenge of being a leader, those who abused the position were little more than dirt.

My resentment grew and soon I found more people who thought similarly. For every one man he recruited our leader killed two more.

It had taken 3 months to finally figure out that we were headed for destruction. Three months wasted behind leadership that was failing. I had had enough. I remember 5 others sympathized greatly with me and had opted to up and leave. Though none gave me anything but code-names, I doubt I would have remembered their real ones should they have given them as well.

So we up and left, taking with us a couple weapons each, a large man named Brick had taken a bit more being bigger, but he compensated by carrying more ammunition for the rest of us. To this day I still don’t consider it stealing, it was more like payment for services rendered.

I smile as I recollect the argument over who should be leader. Fortunately it wasn’t a petty fight about how much a single person wanted to be leader, but how much the others wanted someone to.

Me and a guy named William were selected, though I wasn’t told about it until later. When I found out I objected animatedly. Not only did I consider myself unfit for a leader position, and still don’t, I did not want the position either. I’m more of a follower you see, better at making small decisions. rather than life changing big ones that could mean life or death

Fortunately, William was willing to take the job so he was unanimously ‘elected’. Under his leadership we hit hard against ponies. Instead of camping outside, we housed ourselves in buildings making sure to post sentry snipers that rotated during the day.

We had been attacked several times. The first few times the attacks were not very organized. Just a few militia pegasi that thought they could take us alone, until their heads exploded. After that the attacks became more elaborate. We lost a cool guy named ‘Shade’ after the 7th raid. He had used his trademark sword to skewer a few ponies before a more resilient one shot him before it died. We were unable to save him because we were quickly run out by ponies that were hopeful that another would join them. Thankfully the poor bastard didn’t get ponified. Somehow he had gotten his hands on a cyanide pill and popped it before they got to him. I can sometimes close my eyes and see his wicked smile as the foam started to roll out of his mouth and ponies screamed for a medic.

It didn’t take long to go under. A few weeks passed and more and more confrontations turned into defensive lines rather than offensive ones. I knew it couldn’t last long, and I’m glad it did last as long of course, but eventually we were cornered in a building with no way out.

The stupid thing was, we hadn’t been cornered by ponies. Reginald had finally caught up to us and wanted revenge for the weapons and manpower we had ‘stolen’ from him. His smug face is burned into my memory as his men barricaded the doors and he pulled out a flare gun.

I knew then that it was the end, my suffering and rebellion was to be cut short by a coward of a man, unfit for anything more than grunt work. Too bad I’ll be ponied today or else I’d steal the most powerful sniper I could find and slowly dismember the man for stabbing his own kind in the back.

The flare gun did its job well. Though I still wonder why it took the ponies a full 10 minutes to show up, by which time we had almost pried off one barricade. They didn't find much when they managed to finish what we had started. Inside the lobby stood our loving leader, detonator in mouth, ready to bite.

It had been William’s idea to go out with a bang. With no comforting words he ordered us to return to the basement and try to hide until the ponies left, hopefully thinking that he had been the only one.

I assume everything went as planned because as soon as I had placed myself under a table a large explosion sounded off, shaking the entire structure. I expected the roof to come down on us any moment, but I was sorely mistaken. We learned later that the quick thinking of some unicorns had contained the explosion within a number of shields.

It didn’t take long for us to get caught. Earth ponies and unicorns alike stomped down the stairs to find four humans guns loaded, fingers on the trigger. I have to admit the superior trigger fingers those guys had. I took 4 darts in the arm and 2 in the chest while the rest also gained multiple protrusions. We took a good deal of them with us, but in the end the narcotic even got to brick and the big man went down.

That is the end of my story. I am now in my cell, waiting. After finding out who I was the animals had accelerated the process, with my fellow teammates gaining positions not far behind.

“Human, Jacob?” A guard called.

“I’m sorry he isn't here right now, call back later!” I called sarcastically.

The guard isn't smiling as he opens the cage and drags me out with his magic, forcing me to walk with him to the conversion chamber where the daily conversions will commence in 30 seconds. I could make this difficult for him of course but it would cause nothing but trouble for me.

I wait my turn and am forced into the room with another pony that has a lab coat on. He smiled at me before forcing my mouth open with magic and grabbing a vial of the accursed liquid. His smile vanished when I tripped him though. I laughed out loud best I could with my mouth propped open as I watched him fall.

He’s just a decoy! My mind screamed. My laughter ceased as a second bottle was levitated up to my view. “Don’t worry it will all be over soon.” I heard a female voice call before I tasted the vile grape flavored substance running down my throat and my agony began.