//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Unwilling Recruit // by Starscribe //------------------------------// Some part of Jackie’s brain still imagined that she was buried in one of Unity’s many rooms. There were no circuits in her formerly-human brain to let her understand an entire world tucked away inside a bunker. But her brain would have to adjust. Whatever doubts she had harbored about Equestria being a real place—any secret thoughts in her mind that maybe the portal would just be a way to teleport her to somewhere else filled with ponies—those doubts were shattered. She winced for a second as she emerged from the double-doors, and her eyes struggled to adjust to the sunlight. As her pupils narrowed to slits, she found outlines coming into focus around her. A city, unlike anything she had ever seen before. There were some architectural similarities. Metal-topped cupolas, spiraling towers, spectacular stained-glass windows. But for every surface similarity, there was more to make it seem alien. She would’ve fallen over as she took in the mountain high above, its snowy peak so distant she wondered how the stone could even stay standing at that height. The sky was filled with fluttering banners of white and blue, along with other distant shapes. Some of them looked like the slow-moving outlines of airships, but most looked like ponies. Wearing saddlebags, or little vests, or nothing at all. Harley kept pushing her wheelchair, so she didn’t just stop dead in the streets to stare at nothing. But she seemed to know what Jackie was feeling, because she made a satisfied sound. “It’s pretty impressive,” she agreed. “Nowhere in the world is quite like Canterlot.” But from the look of it, they were tucked away in the alley behind a large, blocky building. Much of the city around her was obscured. “Are there any balconies or anything? I want to see the city!” “The palace has excellent views,” said Sigil behind them. The other guards had not joined them—perhaps they had more ponies to accost in the portal room. Sigil didn’t keep her weapon out as she kept pace behind them, more like a friend who happened to be a guard instead of a constant reminder that Harley wasn’t welcome here. “Better be careful, human. Don’t fall in love with the city too much, or you won’t want to leave.” “There aren’t humans,” Jackie muttered, her mood deflating a little as they stopped in front of a carriage. It looked much how she imagined—like something out of ancient history, with an elegant wooden design and a space for horses. Except that the “horses” were the same size as her and were having a quiet conversation with one another in bored disinterest. “That’s what they kept telling me.” She couldn’t really imagine a city spectacular enough to tempt her to leave the world behind. Even the wonder suggested by the skyline over her head didn’t stand a chance. It’s just cuz I’m closer to the ground. It makes the pony buildings seem bigger than they are. They shouldn’t get this much credit. “I’ll help you,” Harley muttered from behind her, and suddenly she was lifting into the air. Up into the carriage, with its dark wood interior and rose gold embroidery. There were sun and moon patterns on everything, designs she recognized as the cutie marks of Equestria’s rulers. And Earth’s too, maybe. Or they want to be. She still wasn’t sure she bought everything Sunset Shimmer had said about Equestria and their involvement. It would’ve been so much easier for the ponies to just leave them alone. All these portals and guards and stuff had to cost money. Harley climbed in to sit across from her a moment later, with Sigil following behind with the wheelchair. She snapped the door shut, then called through the window. “Back to the castle, gentlecolts. Take the scenic route for our guest, if you can. Her first time in Canterlot.” Then she sat back, adjusting her sword in its holster and looking mildly bored. They began rumbling forward, with eight hooves clattering a cheerful echo in the alley. Jackie found herself smiling in spite of herself. The carriage was dark enough that she could almost relax. Except that day was wearing on. Her desire to sleep was growing stronger. She would have to be careful, or else she might collapse like an idiot in front of Princess Luna. “I never thought I’d be rich enough to ride in a horse drawn carriage,” she muttered, mostly to herself. “I heard they had one at my prom, but I didn’t…” She cleared her throat. “Didn’t go.” Harley chuckled. “I don’t think that has the same context here. Not to mention… almost every taxi in every city works this way. Though it’s usually just one pony pulling an open bench—” She went on, but Jackie didn’t hear it. They emerged from the alley, and all sound faded into the back of her mind. They were on the edge of a stone railing, beyond which was empty sky that seemed to go on forever. But it wasn’t just clouds ending in nothing as in Unity—there was countryside down there, with the shapes of crops and fields clearly outlined. She could make out what looked like a few little towns in the distance, so far away that she could’ve been on Earth. She looked to the other side, and finally got a look at Canterlot proper. It looked like the city had two levels—an upper and lower city. The upper city looked almost like it were a single sprawling castle, built with white stone and gorgeous metal roofs. Though plenty of the buildings were separate, they seemed built to a universal style, growing gradually more ornate the higher she looked. She lurched forward a little out of her seat, and didn’t care that she almost smacked into Sigil. Harley held her gently by the shoulder, while she took a look at the lower city. That looked more like something out of the middle ages—thousands of little white-walled buildings clustered below, at the end of waterfalls that seemed to cut straight through the city. There were plenty of other carriages, and thousands of ponies. But not a single human or artifice of the modern world anywhere. No air conditioner boxes on buildings, no television aerials. Equestria was real, as real as the world she’d left behind. At least one piece of the propaganda they’d been hearing back in Unity was true. Not just real. It’s beautiful. Jackie found herself wondering what it would be like to visit those shops far below. Maybe they wouldn’t have movie theaters, but she could see playhouses down there, and little open-air amphitheaters. It’s a good thing Katie isn’t here with me. For a few brief moments, Jackie found that the whole “being human” thing seemed to fade to the background. Maybe if she could live in a place like this, it wouldn’t matter. “How often do people come here?” she asked Harley, voice low. “I mean, humans. When I got my Cutie Mark, Sunset said… said that lots of us ended up coming here.” To her surprise, Sigil answered before Harley could. “Not that many here in Canterlot. It’s a big city, but not as big as you colonists build things. I hear there are cities with twenty million people on the other side. Canterlot can only really take care of one million. If you stayed here, the crown would pay for your needs. I have some friends in Resettlement Affairs. If you stay, I take you to them, they figure out what you might be good at, then get you sent somewhere you can do it.” Her eyes lingered briefly on Jackie’s flank, in a way that she’d learned by now to recognize wasn’t sexual. Even if it still made her uncomfortable. “What’s that cutie mark in, anyway?” Jackie only shrugged in response. “Didn’t come with a user’s manual. And I don’t think I actually wanna stay. My sister… she’s a pony too. Or getting there. But she’s back on Earth. There’s no way I’d stay here without her. And I’d want to tell my parents too. They weren’t the best or anything, but they’re already worried sick about us. They think we’re in Tanzania working for the peace corps…” She trailed off, staring through the window at the place they’d just reached. They were nearing a drawbridge, positioned over another spectacular waterfall. There were more ponies outside, guards in golden uniforms with ancient weapons. They stood to attention and saluted the carriage as it went by. The palace grounds were everything Jackie had seen in Canterlot all in one place—a courtyard of smaller buildings, spectacular gardens, and elegant stone parapets rising above it all. She wished she’d brought her phone so she could snap a few selfies, but then she remembered that she didn’t have hands anymore, and so her expression changed to a frown. “I’ll be leaving you two with Luna’s steward, Gentle Night. He will ensure you meet with the princess as promptly as possible. And if you change your mind about wanting to stay, he can get you a carriage to Resettlement. It’s quite painless—we know how difficult fighting the war can be. Everypony comes back to live here eventually.” “Not everyone.” Jackie sat back in her chair, folding her forelegs stubbornly. “Earth is my home.” They stopped at the foot of a massive tower, that rose from the palace near its west side. Sigil got out, taking the wheelchair with her, and soon enough Jackie was rolling up a ramp towards the tower. “Is it weird that I feel like everything should be smaller?” she asked no one in particular. “I know we’re tiny, so… I thought maybe I’d be visiting a miniature city. A cat city made of cardboard boxes with yarn and maybe some catnip or something.” “That sounds adorable!” Harley squeaked from behind her. “But no. Obviously you wouldn’t notice if Equestria was smaller, would you? Star Swirl’s mirror wouldn’t let you come through human even if your spell was undamaged.” “What would happen?” Jackie asked, as they approached a set of massive zebrawood double-doors. There were guards outside it—wearing blue and purple armor instead of the gold she saw everywhere else. They stepped back to admit them, not even giving Harley a second glance. “Like… have you guys kidnapped any regular humans? Who didn’t even know about this magic shit?” Harley didn’t answer. Jackie glanced over her shoulder to see if she’d heard, but the pretend pegasus looked away, ears flat against her head. “Well?” “Some of the first visitors,” Harley whispered, as they rolled into a huge hall. Instead of white marble like the castle outside, the interior seemed to be constructed of black basalt. Except that instead of spartan tunnels, this tower had been built with the luxury of Versailles. Every bit of molding looked hand-carved, every candle-holder was unique, and all the art depicted the night sky and moon in its various phases. The receiving hall was dominated by a grandfather clock that had to be two stories tall, with a clear window through its face to the outside. It cast a yellow shadow onto the ground at the base of the tower, showing a little sun ticking the hours of daylight away. “You’re late,” said a voice from out a nearby door sounding only a little angry. “You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago.” “Sorry Night.” Sigil didn’t sound even a little bit sorry. “The trip took longer than I expected. Is the princess ready?” Harley turned Jackie’s wheelchair, and soon enough she was facing the speaker. A tall, willowy thestral, wearing a dark coat and a monocle. Exactly like she had imagined the steward of a moon-goddess to look. She found herself smiling despite his sternness—even the meanest pony would probably seem cute. Gentle Night tapped an annoyed hoof on the stone. “She’s waiting in the hospital wing. I’m sure she found somepony else to help in the meantime… but hurry. You, pegasus. Keep pushing.” He walked away, tail swirling as he shoved the door behind him open. “Good luck, you two.” Sigil saluted them with one hoof, though the gesture was more casual than military. “Be good, Harley. Don’t do anything that will cost you your citizenship. Wouldn’t want to put your future with this fine mare at risk.” Harley glowered. “You know I won’t.” Gentle Night called from down the hall. “Did you hear me? I said the princess was waiting!” “Well, might as well get it over with.” Sigil nodded down the hall, then vanished with a flash from her horn. Luna’s gotta be nicer than the ones working for her, right?