History NightmareFuel / TheConversionBureauTheOtherSideOfTheSpectrum

** Some very awful FridgeHorror: TCB!Twilight Sparkle was married to Stalwart Heart, Marcus's ponified brother. TCB!Rainbow Dash is also said to be in a relationship with Lightning Dust. [[SexualHarassmentAndRapeTropes Not one of the Elements of Harmony have had any control over their actions in a long, long time]]. [[ForWantOfANail Things played out very differently in TCB Equestria]] starting from the reappearance of the Crystal Empire, so while TCB!Rainbow Dash doesn't have the same experience with Lightning as her canon counterpart, she is nonetheless still watching herself having sex with a pony she probably doesn't even know. TCB!Twilight was forced to live out encounters with her Newfoal "husband", while knowing what it took to create the potion that turned Jacob Renee into a perpetually smiling doormat that sings her praises everyday. The mental constructs in their minds have ruled their words, their minds, and their bodies for years, so every sexual encounter ''any'' of them have had is completely without consent. A minimum of two of the TCB!Mane Six have been regularly subject to rape.

* Let's face it - The PER is pure ParanoiaFuel. They could brainwash you to think however they want you to - and cheerfully ''did'', brainwashing numerous doctors all over the world, along with the head of numerous organization like the FDA, to push the potion onto the unsuspecting public. They have the capacity to take over entire towns, letting loose Newfoals to destroy them in an orgy of destruction, plunging countries into civil war - and again, they have. One interviewee from ''Case Files'' describes how she saw her neighbor Mr. Norton drag his children out on leashes to ponify them, and Kraber is not the only one who lost his children in mass ponification. It's become common practice to carry firearms in daily life and/or wear wetsuits and gas-masks under clothes. On top of that, the PER prey on oceangoing vessels to halt the transport of goods, and any ship could be next. And if you're a Pacific Islander, ''your island could be the next to get ponified.''
* The HLF to an extent as well. They're a group of {{Right Wing Militia Fanatic}}s who don't listen to reason. They'll indiscriminately kill anyone that isn't on their extreme, narrow side. Many of them are former criminals that just [[PsychoForHire use the war as an excuse to do whatever they want]], and the ColdBloodedTorture they inflict on innocent ponies is just NauseaFuel in itself.

** Newfoals [[TurbineBlender throwing themselves into the engines of planes]], crashing planes full of escapees into buildings...

* '''Everything about [[StepfordSmiler the Newfoals]]'''. Each story contributes to their nightmare fuel in their own way. While the portrayal of them and the effects the potion has on a converted human's mind [[DependingOnTheWriter depends heavily on individual authors]] in the TCB genre, ''these'' Newfoals take the creepy TranshumanTreachery way up to eleven and then some. They have these smiles that are too big and wide to [[TheUnsmile reflect any genuine joy]], and are glassy-eyed to the point of looking like they're brain-dead. [[PerpetualSmiler And it's the only expression they ever have]]. GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul doesn't even ''begin'' to describe it. The fact that they can't even get cutie marks is [[UncannyValley unsettling in itself]], especially from TCB!Trixie's perspective. In most other stories, her description of the Newfoals as "aliens molded into an equine likeness" would be treated negatively; here however, she is ''completely right'' in her assessment of them.

* '''Everything about [[StepfordSmiler the Newfoals]]'''. Each story contributes to their nightmare fuel in their own way. While the portrayal of them and the effects the potion has on a converted human's mind [[DependingOnTheWriter depends heavily on individual authors]] in the TCB genre, ''these'' Newfoals take the creepy TranshumanTreachery way UpToEleven and then some. They have these smiles that are too big and wide to [[TheUnsmile reflect any genuine joy]], and are glassy-eyed to the point of looking like they're brain-dead. [[PerpetualSmiler And it's the only expression they ever have]]. GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul doesn't even ''begin'' to describe it. The fact that they can't even get cutie marks is [[UncannyValley unsettling in itself]], especially from TCB!Trixie's perspective. In most other stories, her description of the Newfoals as "aliens molded into an equine likeness" would be treated negatively; here however, she is ''completely right'' in her assessment of them.

** In perhaps [[FunnyAneurysmMoment the darkest irony]], the author of the original ''Conversion Bureau'' story once said this:

-->'''Weaver:''' We are not mankind's enemy, Firebrand. [[NotSoDifferent We are its reflection in a stained-glass window]]. I want you to sleep on that.

* '''Everything about [[StepfordSmiler the New foals]]'''. Each story contributes to their nightmare fuel in their own way. While the portrayal of them and the effects the potion has on a converted human's mind [[DependingOnTheWriter depends heavily on individual authors]] in the TCB genre, ''these'' Newfoals take the creepy TranshumanTreachery way UpToEleven and then some. They have these smiles that are too big and wide to [[TheUnsmile reflect any genuine joy]], and are glassy-eyed to the point of looking like they're brain-dead. [[PerpetualSmiler And it's the only expression they ever have]]. GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul doesn't even ''begin'' to describe it. The fact that they can't even get cutie marks is [[UncannyValley unsettling in itself]], especially from TCB!Trixie's perspective. In most other stories, her description of the Newfoals as "aliens molded into an equine likeness" would be treated negatively; here however, she is ''completely right'' in her assessment of them.

* Queen Celestia herself. In canon, Celestia is the BigGood, a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, TheMentor for the heroes, and TheHighQueen who cares about all her subjects. Meanwhile, TCB!Celestia's an [[MadGod utterly insane tyrant]] and a xenocidal monster. She has every intent of destroying humanity as we know it, has almost certainly [[spoiler: brainwashed most of her citizens (it's confirmed for the Royal Guards at least) into becoming her unquestioningly loyal followers]] and has also committed multiple counts of xenocide on the other species in Equus. On top of that, it would take almost enough firepower to take down a [[VideoGame/MassEffect Reaper]] to kill [[spoiler: a clone of]] her. To quote [[spoiler: Discord]]:
-->"On top of that, she's stronger than she has any right to be, thanks to our little 'friend' here! (conjures an image of[[spoiler: the Bag of Tirek]]) I'm not convinced she's gonna die easily either. It took [[MacrossMissileMassacre more missiles than I can count]], [[AbnormalAmmo two bullets meant to punch through armor that were modified with magic crystals]], three beatings from me, a rune-enhanced earth pony and Lulu [[spoiler: turning into Nightmare Moon]], [[MoreDakka thousands of rounds of ammunition]], [[{{BFS}} and a gigantic enchanted sword]] just to get rid of a clone of her!" His eyebrows shot up, [[OhCrap the look on his face of dread and exasperation]]. "Oh Mother, it would take a lot to kill her!"
** [[TheDreaded She's so terrifying]], in fact, that [[spoiler:her existence causes Princess Celestia to experience some SanitySlippage]] and when she appears at a fortified conversion bureau, the members of the PHL team raiding it all have a MassOhCrap.

* Given what it's done (and possibly can do), [[spoiler:[[ArtifactOfDoom The Bag of Tirek]]]] more than qualifies. It contains enormous darkness and evil within it, [[spoiler: has clearly corrupted TCB!Celestia into the genocidal tyrant Marcus knows her as]], and even [[spoiler:''Discord'' expresses [[EvenEvilHasStandards utter fear and disgust]] for its maker's work, so much so that he [[EnemyMine immediately puts his grudge with the Princesses aside]] to aid Earth against TCB!Equestria]].

* What [[ColdBloodedTorture happened]] to [[spoiler: TCB!Spike]]. It even made Trixie have a HeroicBSOD!

* It's confirmed that [[spoiler: the entirety of Equestria has been brainwashed, largely through magical means. Imagine being corrupted.... the sensation creeps up on you slowly, as thoughts that aren't yours flicker into your head. You wake up one day filled with hatred, and you don't notice anything wrong. Months later, your species is committing truly horrifying crimes on another intelligent race, and you can't help but cheer as they steamroll the filthy apes out of existence]].

** Moreover, Applebloom [[spoiler:initially didn't listen to her dying grandmother, staying on the farm out of obligation to the family. As time went on, she slowly feels her thoughts drifting towards feeling an irrational hatred for humans and a desire to see all of humanity ponified]]. Also, in a [[{{Tearjerker}} heartbreaking sense]], Applebloom and Big Mac could only helplessly watch as their beloved sister became consumed with hatred as well, to the point of neglecting her own duties to the family and the farm.

* In 'War March and Past Sins', dragon king Spykoran and elder zebra shaman Quagga explain that in order to become the perpetually smiling zombies they are now, the Newfoals' [[spoiler: human souls are literally ''broken to pieces'' and bound to Tirek's will. Even worse, according to Quagga, it is completely impossible to repair said souls; only death will make the Newfoals' souls whole again. Meaning that even if the Queen and the Bag are defeated, only [[MercyKill mass euthanasia]] will set their souls free (and that's only if the Newfoals don't just drop dead once Tirek is neutralized)]].

** Prime!Luna [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind delves into TCB!Twilight's mind to dig out some secrets]] and is shown exactly what happened to the Elements of Harmony: [[spoiler: [[AndIMustScream their souls are imprisoned in their bodies]] while magical homonculi essentially drive them around like puppets, forcing the girls to watch as they commit horrific atrocities against the humans]].
*** [[spoiler: Twilight's mindscape. At first it looks like a replica of Canterlot Castle. But once Luna starts heading deeper into it, the place becomes [[AlienGeometries more distorted]], decayed and falling apart; a screaming, lost, hurting filly version of Twilight begs for help as shadows cry and whisper in her voice. The mental construct that "imitates" her is so disgustingly deformed that Luna didn't recognize her as Twilight at first, and it viciously berates the filly-ghost for even being near Luna. And as for the real Twilight herself, she's buried in her own mind, a filthy and ill-looking shell of herself, and roots have impaled themselves all over her body, one even going through her heart]].
*** [[spoiler: TCB!Twilight's]] MindRape scene itself. [[ParanoiaFuel Just imagine]] [[spoiler: your most trusted mentor and confidante taking you prisoner, and magically poisoning you with darkness]]. The way she's kicking and screaming in fear and pain (as well as [[spoiler: the dark magic [[OrificeInvasion forcing its way into her mouth]]]]) [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything is almost like she's actually being assaulted]].
** Another flashback shows [[spoiler:that after being turned into a puppet, TCB!Twilight creates the ponification potion in a manner that rivals Josef Mengele in ethical bankruptcy. The problem is, you see, that the potion needed to be perfected for it to actually convert a person without killing them. And this is told in [[{{Gorn}} extremely graphic detail]], including people's [[EyeScream eyeballs exploding]], [[FacialHorror their skulls splitting open as horns force their way out]], [[{{Fingore}} their fingers falling off as their wrists fuse into hooves]], [[BodyHorror bloody wings exploding out of backs, shattering spines as they go]]... Families were split apart and forced to watch as their fellow humans were fed into the meat grinder of ponification testing. Not even children were spared - in fact, when Twilight finally succeeds (on test subject ''two thousand nine hundred and eighty seven''), the subject is a little girl. And the first thing we hear after that is the girl's poor mother screaming in Spanish that the creature prancing on the table is not her daughter. Throughout all of this, the real Twilight is impaled in her own mind, screaming helplessly as the thing controlling her body mutilates children]].
*** This knowledge is so bad that it causes Luna to fly into an UnstoppableRage and challenge the Tyrant herself — by "Unstoppable Rage", we mean [[spoiler:she transforms into [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nightmare Moon]] out of sheer rage and despair]].
** In perhaps [[FunnyAneurysmMoment the darkest irony]], the author of the original Conversion Bureau once said this:

** Some very awful FridgeHorror: TCB!Twilight Sparkle was married to Stalwart Heart, Marcus's ponified brother. TCB!Rainbow Dash is also said to be in a relationship with Lightning Dust. [[spoiler: [[SexualHarassmentAndRapeTropes Not one of the Elements of Harmony have had any control over their actions in a long, long time]]. [[ForWantOfANail Things played out very differently in TCB Equestria]] starting from the reappearance of the Crystal Empire, so while TCB!Rainbow Dash doesn't have the same experience with Lightning as her canon counterpart, she is nonetheless still watching herself having sex with a pony she probably doesn't even know. TCB!Twilight was forced to live out encounters with her Newfoal "husband", while knowing what it took to create the potion that turned Jacob Renee into a perpetually smiling doormat that sings her praises everyday. The mental constructs in their minds have ruled their words, their minds, and their bodies for years, so every sexual encounter ''any'' of them have had is completely without consent. A minimum of two of the TCB!Mane Six have been regularly subject to rape]].
** As someone pointed out on the [[Fridge/TheConversionBureauTheOtherSideOfTheSpectrum Fridge]] page, since Jacob was {{Mind Rape}}d as well, and the default state of a Newfoal is an ExtremeDoormat so drained of free will that Acevedo (the narrator of the ''Starvation'' side story) questions whether Newfoals have any higher brain function, there [[QuestionableConsent was no possible way that he could have said no]]. And it's confirmed that [[spoiler: any pony who didn't escape TCB!Equestria has been brainwashed, and Lightning would be no exception]]. So when you get down to it, they were [[spoiler: essentially raping each other. While the real TCB!Twilight and TCB!Dash, who have roughly the same amount of agency as a [[Literature/{{Animorphs}} human controlled by a yeerk]], were stuck in their own heads, watching]].
*** Acknowledged in "Sons of Legacies, Part 3", which claims that TCB!Twilight used him as little more than a toy, all the while [[spoiler:the real Twilight was screaming and desperately trying to [[FightingFromTheInside stop this, but failing to]]]]. Doctor Fluffy also states that TCB!Twilight made Stalwart Heart give her a [[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers Rusty]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykEGtwJuZIs Venture]].

* Remember how Queen Celestia gave the PHL a lot of trouble in Boston? [[spoiler:[[ActuallyADoombot She's only a clone created by the Mirror Pool]]. An imperfect copy. A shadow of the original. And unlike the Pinkie Pie Clones, she's smart, as demonstrated when she nearly prevents the Prime!Equestrians from forming an alliance with the humans]].
** [[spoiler: It gets better. The actual Queen is implied to absorb the clone's memories and experiences like a Kage Bushin from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. Even if the resistance fighters can kill a clone, the Queen will learn from its mistakes and make the next one more effective]].

** In Part 1, [[spoiler:King Sombra {{Mind Rape}}s and [[DemonicPossession takes control of Marcus's body]], fully intent on draining his runes' power to become a second Solar Tyrant. Thanks to Discord, this doesn't take, but it seriously impedes the group's efforts to reach the Crystal Heart]].
** Stephan is forced to confront his worst fears and memories when facing the Dark Door, in which [[spoiler: a bunch of Newfoal children chase him down an endless maze of hallways and classrooms, telling him to drink the potion and join the herd, then Queen Celestia's Mirror Pool clone's resurrected corpse appears before him, her mouth opening wide as if she were about to swallow him whole. And all the while, his friends, family, comrades and even his girlfriend Trixie look on, calling him a murderer for killing those ponified children]].
** Marcus' memories are most certainly not pleasant, as [[spoiler:Discord]] can attest. Field hospitals and tents full of amputees that have bloody buckets of limbs, dead children, a tortured pony in the middle of what's presumably an HLF encampment, a woman having {{Mercy Kill}}ed a room full of soldiers, some of which were children, then desperately trying to kill herself after her pistol ran out of ammo...
*** The worst part isn't the vision of [[spoiler:TCB!Twilight begging for death as Not!Twilight eggs a group of Newfoals on]], but when [[spoiler: Discord]] witnesses a group of Newfoals brutally beating a dream version of TCB!Cheerilee and hanging her, leading him to realize that moments like that are the only times their mangled souls have anything close to real emotion. They could have killed her quickly, but they're extending her suffering purely ForTheEvulz. Or possibly because somewhere deep inside, they're desperate just to feel ''something'', even if it's sadistic glee. It's confirmed in the ''Calm Before the Storm'' side story and it's every bit as horrifying as one can imagine.

* 0Training Days: First Days (Part 2)' shows the various races of Equestria just how terrifying warfare against Newfoals is... by [[spoiler:giving them a view of New York City being attacked by Newfoals]]. Kill one and five more come to take its place, they attack in skyliners (or "Zeps" as the FutureSlang goes) while creating aerial defenses from pegasus cloudwork, enough that one minotaur can barely see the sky.

* 'Training Days: The First Month' has the reveal that [[spoiler:Tirek]] is doing all this not just for revenge, but because all the suffering the war is causing ''[[ItAmusedMe amuses]]'' him. ''Especially'' turning Equestria into a fascist hellhole. As [[spoiler:Discord]] puts it:
-->'''[[spoiler:Discord]]:''' All of this, the corruption of Equestria, the Newfoals and war, all the suffering and hate, is [[ForTheEvulz the most colossal act of self-gratification ever seen]].

* 'Training Days: The Second Month': In a reversal of situations, Weaver is treated to a truly horrifying vision of [[spoiler:her Queen's corpse being desecrated by Tirek before he reaches out for her, ready to utterly destroy her]].

-->'''Em:''' [[spoiler:There shall be nothing but Tirek, and he will die alone in a lifeless multiverse of rusting automata, and rejoice in that death...]]

** For added creepiness, some of Weaver's lines directly echo the [[spoiler:condemnation of Martin Walker by John Conrad at the end]] of ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine''.

* It's revealed that [[WebAnimation/ButtonsAdventures Button's mother]] works with [[CreepyChild Newfoal children]] to try rehabilitating them, and she ''hates'' every minute of it. It says volumes about how the Newfoals are given that [[DotingParent this mare]] has more patience for her [[BrattyHalfPint obnoxious]] and [[ButtMonkey accident-prone]] son than she does for the zombie-like shells of formerly human children. Not helping matters is that according to Button, [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior the unicorn Newfoals kept stabbing her with their horns]], forcing her to get protective gear for herself. To add insult to injury, [[spoiler:this is a wasted effort, since the Newfoals' souls are so damaged they can never be functional people again]].

* TCB!Big Mac describes [[spoiler:the Empire's brainwashing]] as such:

** [[spoiler: Jean's]] ponification. He undergoes near-instant mind-rape.

** [[spoiler: The totem-proles are [[WasOnceAMan actually crystal ponies]] kidnapped from the Crystal Empire, either amnesiacs wandering the streets or prisoners of war]].
** The report on the Pretty Private program that spawned Nepenthe. It takes the ponification process to an even worse place as it's revealed that [[spoiler:Rio's soul was so thoroughly destroyed and fading away that none of her original self can be salvaged, rendering her DeaderThanDead [[note]]Granted, it's semi-mitigated by the HopeSpot of WordOfGod confirming that only the other side of death can repair ponified souls, but Rio still has yet to be {{Mercy Kill}}ed for that to even happen.[[/note]]]].
* 'The Double Hook': [[spoiler: Diamond-Mint Jewelup, a natural born pony, gets turned into a Pretty Private thanks to Nepenthe channeling the ponification spell through a tiara]]. God help us indeed...

** Kraber's [[spoiler:CurbStompBattle of Sylvia/Reaper]]. It's not stylized, or portrayed as badass; he's just beating someone to a bloody pulp on a moment's notice.

* The "New Researcher" that Chalcedony and the unseen interviewer are discussing. Chalcedony [[InsistentTerminology refuses to refer to it as anything other than]] "[[ItIsDehumanizing it]]", claims that it "took" a body and is [[BodyHorror spreading living crystal through the body]], is a SenseFreak, and refers to it as a sentient, ambulatory totem-prole. ''How is this in the PHL? And what is it?'' Only Fluffy truly seems to know what it is, and he revealed it in [[TrollingCreator typical Doctor Fluffy fashion]] towards the end of the chapter, by [[spoiler:[[TheUnreveal not revealing it at all]] and [[LampshadeHanging wondering why you expected him to spoil it at the end]].]]

* Inkwell's nightmare of [[spoiler:getting turned into [[PoweredByAForsakenChild a totem-prole]]]].
* The flashback showing Rockwell's [[spoiler:{{journey to the center of the mind}}s of TCB!Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Queen Celestia]]. To break it down...
** [[spoiler:TCB!Applejack's mindscape looks like a burnt down and destroyed Ponyville, with Sweet Apple Acres nothing but a dead and hollow shell of its former self, overrun with mutilated Newfoals just walking around without a care. The house is covered in photos of either Applejack gleefully ponifying and slaughtering humans or of Apple Family members with their backs turned in disgust. He finally finds AJ, trapped in the hardened sap from a rotting apple tree and he tries to rescue her, only for the Homunculus to show up and try to kill him, but Applejack pushes him out of the way, taking him out of the dive]].
** [[spoiler:TCB!Rarity's mindscape is of a desolate and closed down version of the Carousel Boutique, riddled with broken mannequins whose eyes follow Rockwell everywhere he goes. He finds Rarity being sewn into a dress made of human skin by her Homunculus and he manages to rescue her and tries to help get her out, only to fail again]].
** [[spoiler:TCB!Pinkie Pie's mindscape is a jumbled mish-mash of parties and of the Rock Farm, with doors that lead to random locations that she remembers. Rockwell finds an embodiment of Pinkie Pie's fillyhood, named Little Pinky, who informs him that the Homunculi could wind up causing the TCB!Mane Six to undergo a malady called the Cutie Mark Fracture, and on top of that, the embodiments of Pinkie's imaginary friends from the "Party of One" episode were all brutally murdered for trying to save her. Pinkie Pie's homunculus is especially horrifying, having [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily a mouth full of razor sharp teeth]] and CreepyBlueEyes, and Little Pinky describes her as being all of Pinkie Pie's joy being channeled into a sadistic glee for murder and ponification. And then there's the fact that the actual TCB!Pinkie Pie is found hanging from a tree and was being used as a pinata by the Homunculus and the Newfoals]].
** Finally, there's [[spoiler:Queen Celestia's mindscape. There are Newfoals everywhere, as well as the propped up corpses of the other sapient races of Equus in the Canterlot city square. Rockwell then stumbles upon the body of a human [[ChestBurster being burst open from the inside]] and a Newfoal coming right out in an explosion of blood. He finally finds Queen Celestia in the throne room of Canterlot Castle and after a brief verbal confrontation, Tirek reveals himself, calling Rockwell's efforts insignificant before reaching out to destroy him... only for Rockwell's special abilities to manifest and manage to NoSell the attack, expelling him out of the mind dive but not before getting horribly burned by Queen Celestia's magic]].
*** Also, there's the fact that [[spoiler:Tirek states that the real TCB!Celestia is "withering away as [he] thrives"]].