//------------------------------// // Shining Moon // Story: The Original Character Immigration Offices // by TypewriterError //------------------------------// Shining Moon By Hipster Pony Raven Horn I blinked, my eyes not really wanting to focus. I could see the door, yes. Above it lettering, the... O.C.I.O. Yes, this was the place. I shook my head a bit, trying to clear the haze. Well, it should be about the time for my appointment. Or not, most likely though. I had only started drinking my reserves about an hour ago, or was it two hours? No, definitely an hour, meaning I should have plenty of time to get in and take my appointment. But I couldn’t be interviewed like this, I needed to sober up a bit. Looking around, I noticed a barrel, something reflecting out of it. Water! I thought to myself, trotting over and dunking my head in. The cooling sensation felt nice as I just stood there for a bit. I pulled my head up, smiling. The bleariness of my vision had mostly gone, and also the headache that I had not realised I had until it was gone. I turned around, ignoring the muttering around me. I had an interview to do! If I was going to become an equestrian citizen then I’d have to be at the top of my game. I walked into the building, dripping slightly as I walked. The receptionist eyed me strangely as I walked forward. “Hello there! Pleasant day is it not?”          “Of course...” the mare said, eyeing me as though I was some madpony, or else that I had walked from the shower to this place without even remembering to put my bags on. “May I help you?”          “I have an appointment with one Twilight Sparkle, I believe that it is relatively soon?” My demeanor was cheery enough. At least I hoped it was cheery enough, I didn’t want to seem like some ungrateful pony for getting this chance. “Name?” the receptionist asked, looking down at her clipboard. “Moon, Shining Moon,” I replied, smiling. “You’re late,” the receptionist said, looking up. “Wh-what?” I was aghast. I took a couple of steps back, not sure what to say. Thoughts raced through my head. I could have sworn I had gotten the time right. I tried to argue, “I could have sworn I was to come by the rising of the moon...” “Your appointment was at 4:30 this afternoon, it has since gone past that time,” the receptionist said. “But, there surely is something you can do, right?”  I wanted, no I needed a break. It’d be as though I had launched for the moon but never left the ground. “Well...” the receptionist said, looking at her clipboard again, “I can slot you in at seven...” “Oh would you? Please? I’d be over the moon if you could do such a thing!” I opened my eyes wide, in their blue depths I’d hope to show my desire to get this interview. “Very well,” the receptionist said, making a mark on her board, “please have a seat and wait your turn.” I sighed, wandering over before collapsing on one of the chairs. I knew it would have been too early to have started drinking. But boredom and an idle jug of liquid moon can cause one to suffer moon madness after all. I sighed, reclining and closing my eyes. Perhaps a quick resting of my eyes would be good before I saw Twilight Sparkle. I wasn’t there for very long before I heard a voice beside me. “Hey there baby. I can’t help but notice your cutie mark. A moon is good because baby, I’m over the moon about you.” I cracked one eye to take a good look at the pony who intruded on my shut-eye. The thing that caught my attention first had to be his silver and gold striped coat. A small smirk appeared on my face, somepony like that would never have a chance to get into Equestria.  What was worse he appeared to be an Alicorn, I didn’t think they were letting any in. Still, humouring him might be nice. “Over the moon? Wow that’s impressive.” I said, trying to sound more sincere than sarcastic. I don’t think I managed it that well, but I think he bought it. “Indeed. If you want, we could meet up in Equestria tonight, show each other the sights.”  Oh dear, I certainly didn’t want to meet up with a ham like this equestria. I had to think, and quick, where would be the best place we could go that I could ditch him afterwards. “The Lunar Lakes? Or how about the Crater Cafe?” It was the first two places that came to mind. At the Lakes I could make a dash towards the forest nearby and lose him in there. And the Crater Cafe was almost always packed, it’d be easy to sneak out of the back of that. Or at least, so I’ve heard. Books tends to be useful when you want to move to a place. “We can do whatever you want sweet cheeks.” Oh gosh, this was unbearable. Was he... making bedroom eyes at me? Last chance, I had to find some sort of activity that I could do with him that would make sure he’d forget everything about me. Like the clouds moving to reveal the moon it suddenly came to me. My smile spread across my face, I knew what to do. “Ooo... then let’s go Moonshining, I think there’s a full moon tonight. It’ll be... beautiful.” It’d be mean to get him so drunk off his plot that he might suffer memory loss, but if I was honest with myself then I’d say that he deserved it. He blindly agreed, before silence fell between us. I shuffled a bit, he just kept staring at me. The uncomfortableness just seemed unbearable, so I just started talking. I needed to fill the silence and perhaps get him to stop staring where I thought he was staring. Were all stallions like this? He didn’t appear to be listening to what I was saying even though he was responding. I sighed in relief when he was called to be interviewed. I glanced over at the clock, my appointment would be next. Good, I can watch him get rejected before I go in and triumphantly return. I went over what I was going to say in my head, wondering what questions were going to be asked. The doors opened, and I saw the cocky stallion walk out dejectedly. I smirked slightly after he had passed me. Looks like I wouldn’t have to go moonshining with him after all. I heard my name called. Standing up, I walked confidently through the doors. I quickly found the appropriate door, knocking lightly on it as to not be rude. “Come in.” I heard a sweet voice call. I opened the door, a unicorn sitting at the desk inside greeted me. All right Shiney, this is it. Just answer honestly and assume nothing. The unicorn smiled, motioning with her perfectly haircut head. “You may have a seat.” I smiled, taking my seat. There was silence between the two of us for a moment before she started the interview. “Alright miss Moon, that is your name correct? Shining Moon?” “Yes, that is my name,” I replied. I really didn’t want to chit chat much. If I got in I’m sure that the two of us could become friends later. This right now, however, was business. “Ooook, tell me what are you looking to do in Equestria?” Twilight asked, looking up from my application. I blinked. Really? It was that simple? “I’d like to live in Equestria,” I said with complete honesty. It seemed like kind of a dumb question to me, isn’t that why I was taking this interview? “I see... and how will you live? What will your occupation be?” Twilight followed up.  This seemed like a much more reasonable question. I had my answer ready, doing my best to keep my excitement from spilling out as I answered. “I want to open up a distillery up near Lunar Lakes. Moon Mad Distillery, where I’d brew Moon Mad Moonshine.” I smiled, hoping that my plan to be able to give back to the government would be a bonus to my chances of getting in. “Moon Mad Moonshine huh?” Twilight said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m curious, how happy would you be if I just accepted your application right now?” I blinked, was she suggesting what I thought she was? Was she really suggesting that I might already be approved? “Well I’d be over the moon about it!” I said, grinning. “It’d be like the moon itself was smiling on me.” “Mhmmm... and how would you feel if I denied you entry?” My face froze, this had to be some sort of test, it had to be. I let the smile slowly slide off my face as I regained posture. “To be perfectly honest Miss Sparkle, I’d feel as though the moon had gone dark never to shine again.” She looked at my application again, nodding. “What do you distill your moonshine out of?” Twilight asked, glancing up at me as she slid my papers aside. “Why I distill moonlight. It’s my special talent, I created the spell myself after watching my ma distil her whiskey.” I smiled, I was pretty proud of my talent. There aren’t many ponies who have learned distilling spells on their own and to have created one seemed like a great accomplishment to me. A thud on my papers. I resisted looking over too eagerly. I waited for those fateful words telling me I was approved to immigrate into Equestria... “Miss Sinning Moon your application and request to enter Equestria and become one of its citizens has been denied.” The words entered my brain, but they didn’t quite register. “W-what?” I said, finally losing my composure completely. I wasn’t expecting to hear that. I wasn’t an Alicorn. I wasn’t something that could threaten the Princesses. Why had I been rejected? “Your application has been denied,” Twilight said, smiling softly. “I’m afraid that Equestria already has enough moon-themed ponies.” That was it?  That was why I had been denied?  Because I was “moon-themed”?  Really?  “Don’t worry though, you will be able to re-submit an application. Either in one fortnight or when one of the moon-themed ponies is sent to the moon due to upsetting the Princess.” I smiled weakly, getting to my feet. “T-thank you for your consideration, I shall revise my application in that time.” Twilight smiled. “Well have a good rest of the day.” I nodded, making my way out of the interviewer’s office, back through the doors into the receptionist hall, and finally back onto the streets.  I looked for the moon, not being able to find it through the clouds in the sky. Its absence weighed heavily on my heart as I made my way towards the bar.