Of Ponies and Papers

by The card holder

Day Three: Admission

You walk to your usual station, newspaper in hand. The big story today was, unsurprisingly, about what seemed to be an assassination attempt on one of the Equestrian diplomats. You're honestly thankful that she was able to shield herself with her magic in time; not just because you'd hate to see her get hurt, but also because no doubt that if she was hurt that close to the checkpoint, you'd be blamed for it.

This didn't seem to change the MOA's thoughts on Equestrians, though you did have some new orders from them waiting for you.

Equestrian citizens are now allowed entry. They will require a special kind of entry permit, detailed in your rule book.
Glory to Arstotzka.

You check the new page, and compare it to the entry permit everyone else has to use. From the looks of it, the only real differences are an image of the pony's "cutie mark" instead of a fingerprint, and an additional field for their subspecies. Easy enough to remember.

"Next!"

Up first is an Arstotzkan citizen, who checks out just fine on everything. "Glory to Arstotzka," you tell them as they leave.

"Next!"

The next immigrant was a pony, specifically a green unicorn. "Papers, please."

She nods and gives you her papers with her magic. Sure enough, the Equestrian entry permits look very similar to the normal ones. "What is the purpose of your trip?" you ask, reading over what was put on the document.

"Just visiting."

"Duration of stay?"

"Only a couple of weeks."

Well, that checks out, at least. You look at the document's given cutie mark, a lyre, and lean to the side to catch a look at the unicorn's flanks to confirm it. Cutie marks match up, as do subspecies and everything else, so you stamp her passport with the green stamp.

"Cause no trouble."

She nods and walks out, a noticeable spring in her step. These ponies sure seem to be naturally happy, while everyone else you see come through here is neutral at best.

"Next!"

Another pony was next in line, this one a yellow pegasus. She was looking down at the ground for some unknown reason.

"Papers, please." Your voice makes her jump, and you can just barely see her back away ever so slightly. Regardless, she gives you her documents with a shaky wing. Seems like the poor thing is terrified of you, for some reason.

"What is the purpose of your trip?" you ask. Her reply is too quiet for you to hear. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" The second time, she's even quieter.

You realize that this isn't getting you anywhere. "Ma'am, I must ask you to speak clearly, you're holding up the line."

The pony takes a deep breath, before looking you straight in the eye. "Visiting friends," she answers, now using an audible volume.

"Duration of stay?"

"A few days."

You make sure everything checks out, having to almost lean over the counter to confirm her cutie mark, before noticing something. "Your length of stay is different."

Suddenly, the pony loses all of her confidence and collapses. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry-"

You cut off her groveling with a raised hand. "Ma'am, please get a hold of yourself."

She picks herself up, and after a few deep breaths, says, "I... made a mistake, I meant two weeks."

Alright, now everything's in order. You stamp her visa, and hand everything back to her. "Cause no trouble."

Wordlessly, she walks out. You glance at the clock. Jeez, that took about three times longer than it usually did for you. You'd have to hurry if you want to get the same pay as you did yesterday.

"Next!"

The next five or so immigrants pass with little issue. You were essentially rushing them through (or away), but you still made sure to not make any mistakes. Another pony came in, but they had an expired passport, so you sent them off.

"Next!"

An old woman enters the booth. "Papers, please."

She gives you her papers, and you once again quickly check over every- hold the phone.

"Ma'am, this is the incorrect entry permit."

"Oh, is it?"

Somehow, it seems the woman had gotten an Equestrian entry permit, rather than a normal one. The MOA seal being labeled "MOE" tells you all you need to know. "This is a forgery."

"I know nothing about that."

Well, you certainly do. You call in the guards, and they escort the woman away.

"Next!"

A young man comes into the booth, a look of general disinterest on his face. "Papers, please."

Wordlessly, he gives you his documents. Instantly, you spot something wrong.

"Where is your entry permit?"

"I did not know it was required."

As you prepare to stamp his passport, you glance at his name: Andrew Woods. For some reason, that name seems vaguely familiar...

You give the passport back to the man, and he mutters, "The Order knows," before slinking back out of the booth. Well, now you remember where you've seen that name, at least.

"Next!"

You greet Jorji with a nod and a small smile. "Hello, Jorji. Anything new today?"

"Good news, my friend!" he says while giving you his papers. "I book vacation to Equestria in a few days. I hear it's nice this time of year!"

While you chuckle, the sirens go off, and you spot someone climbing over the wall. "Hold that thought, Jorji." You open up the gun case and take aim with the tranq rifle. You squeeze the trigger, and the man falls over, knocked out. Thankfully, this time doesn't end with an explosion, though he did drop a gun.

"Oh, bad luck," Jorji remarks calmly while everyone else runs away. "I come back tomorrow."

You bid him farewell as you lock the rifle back up and leave the booth, watching as the guards carry the unconscious man away.