He walked into the vendor's room. Everfree was in a new hotel that year, which threw him off a little, but he planned to get some good stuff now that he had found the mecca of pony stuff. Maybe something with Rainbow Dash on it, seeing as she was his favorite.

"Are you ready for adventure?! Come and see what exotic treasures we have brought for you!" A dark-skinned man with a black shirt and equally black pants was looking at him pointedly while waving at his table full of... books? Books were not the usual fare at these cons.

"Eh... I don't usually..." He saw what was on the books and reconsidered. They weren't the MLP Chapter books at all and he accepted the book the salesman offered him. He didn't have time to get to reading, but the pictures were nice enough.

He put the book down, ready to continue his journey when the salesperson gestured to the right. "We also have pony figures, which you don't need to play the game to enjoy."

That caught his attention. He knelt down and inspected the collection of plastic and metal figurines. "How much?"

"Just $10."

He picked out a few he liked the look of, paid the man with a few tens.

"Tell you what, since you went and got the figures, I'll knock five off the core book."

He was tempted. He hadn't played D&D or the like in a while, but... Eh, why not? He picked up the book, only for the man to wave it back down. "You get a special one just for you." He ducked under the table and came up with a brand new Ponyfinder book.

Purchase secured, he moved on.

"Hey, Aqua."

That was his fan name, or at least part of it. Aqua looked up to see a friend waving at him excitedly and went over the join.

It was a good convention. Aqua saw plenty of interesting panels, hung out with friends, many of which he normally only 'saw' online most days, and had a good time. He had no complaints, save that it had to come to an end.

He went home with a sigh, but not empty-handed. He took his stuff out of his car and got to hanging up or placing most of it, then he got to his figures. They weren't painted. Did he dare? He hadn't painted minis in forever! Today seemed like a fine day to give it a try.

He dug out his old paints and brushes and set them out, whistling a tune as he went. He didn't have work until the next day anyway, and he didn't have anything in mind to do with the rest of the day, so why not?

He began considering what sort of pony this little figure could be. It, no, she. She wore a robe and she looked kind of serious. "Maybe a Princess Luna with the numbers filed off?" He popped open the green paint. "Well now you'll be a green pony of mystery." He considered a moment, then resealed it. "Let's get those robes first."

He got out the black paint. It would be simple, just slathering it with black. Even as he worked though, he felt like his fingers were doing a poor job of moving the brush around the way he wanted to. He wiped sweat from his increasingly furry face, unaware of the bright and heterochromic eyes that looked from his face.

His seat became a little uncomfortable, so he stood up while trying to focus on painting. A new tail peeked free from the top of his pants and began to slowly spill downwards, growing with every pulse of his heart as colorful hair sprouted all along it. By the time he had the robe complete, he sported a tail that started green and transitioned in bands to an equally bright blue color at the tip. He was stuck, fascinated with his project and unaware of the humanity being wrenched from him with every brush swipe.

He suddenly fell forward, catching himself on his... hooves? He started with surprise, only noticing something had changed then. He brought up the blunt limb and turned it this way and that. "What the?" His voice was different too. With the curiously pleasant sensation of his snout growing in, his eyes crossed to see it. He could feel bones altering, growing. He was sure it should have hurt, but it didn't. It felt good, really good, and it stopped.

He knew then. It came with a strange clarity. If he wanted to feel good, he had to paint. Or... he could stop. He could stop and not become... whatever he was becoming. He forced himself to look away from the figure and towards a mirror. A confused demi-pony looked back at him. He let out a little laugh. He was becoming his OC. Wait, no, that was awful! He had friends, and a job, and... he just had to finish painting. He turned back to the little figure and blinked at it before shaking his head.

No! He was being forced! What if he didn't want to be a technicolor pony? He glared at the brush he had been using as if it was all its fault. "I'm a human!" His voice was that of a cute colorful pony, not a human. He felt something odd and twisted around. Flared angrily, his wings had deployed to either side.

So long as he didn't finish, he still had time. He could... figure some way... He turned away from the figure even as a strange pain settled over him. Part of him really wanted to finish what he had begun, but he forced himself to leave the room and kicked the door shut with a sudden buck of a hoof. He was a pony... most of a pony. A pegasus. He looked under himself to check, still male at least, if, uh, a pony male.

"Where'd my clothes go?" He realized his clothes were simply gone, absorbed by whatever strange power had gripped him. He could find them by finis-- No! He shook his head violently. "Stop that!"

The patchy, though blue, furred demi-pony moved for the kitchen, trembling a little as he went. "I don't want to be put in a lab forever."

Author's Notes:

Does it count as self-insert if I'm not the protagonist? I used many of the same lines this year at Everfree NW.

Let the new story begin! Will our hero finish his painting and consign himself to ponydom? Will it be willing or fighting every step? How will he react once all is said and done?

Surely the power of friendship will guide the way, right?

See any typos? Point them out! We'll win the war against them, but only with our combined diligence!

Liked it? Hated it? Tell me! I feed on comments, nom nom nom.