I sat in the cold, stone gray briefing room as our squad leader droned on about our mission. Like I hadn't heard the whole spiel a million times before.
According to her, there was this other world out there (Equestria, I think it was?) that was abundant in natural resources and the like. So, of course, being the kind and benevolent humans that we are, we're going to drain the world of its resources like we did to ours, and destroy whatever intelligent beings get in our way. Sounds like fun, right? Trust me, if there was any other way to provide for my family, I wouldn't be here right now. But being without a collage degree leaves you with only so many options, especially with overpopulation plaguing the Earth.
But then, just as I was considering killing myself to escape this boring speech, the lady up at front said something that got my attention. “Now,” She yelled in her best drill seargant voice, “You're probably wondering what kind of threats we will encounter in this world. There is one major one, and you're not going to believe this. They're ponies.”
At this, everyone in the room burst out into an uncontrollable snicker. I just groaned. I swear, I got lumped with the most immature men. Being the only woman on the squad, I was probably the only one here mature enough to handle this. Well, aside from the squad leader, but I doubted I would see much of her. She'd just be sitting in her comfortable control room while we labored away.
“Don't laugh!” She yelled, trying to keep the group under control, “These ponies are intelligent, sentient, and quite presumably armed and dangerous. You need to be ready for anything. Do not underestimate them, despite their looks.” At this, a slideshow of images started to go behind her. Well, there was no more snickering. Now everyone was openly laughing.
Great. This was going to be just great.
Just as the briefing was ending, I was called up to the front of the room by our leader. Being, well, me, I started worrying. Had I done something wrong? Did I insult the rest of my comrades by groaning? Was I supposed to laugh? Was this all a joke? Despite my insecurity inside, I tried to appear as composed as I could as I stepped onto the platform.
“What's your name, girl?” Our squad leader asked.
Trying to keep calm, I answered in my best military tone, “Alyssa, ma'am!”
“Alysssa, huh?” She looked me over once, twice, then continued, “You don't have to be so uptight, you know. Briefing's over, so relax!”
Shocked by this sudden change of attitude, I responded the best I could, “Uh, what ever you say, ma'am.”
“AND STOP CALLING ME THAT!” She burst out. Wow. Someone had a temper, “MY NAME'S MOLLY, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!” Molly took a second to compose herself, then continued talking. “Sorry about that. Anyway, I have a special job offer for you.”
A special job? Special jobs meant more money. But I couldn't help but wonder. “Me?” I questioned, “But why me?”
“Because you aren't a barbarian like all the others. Besides, I think that you're well suited for the job.”
Well suited for a job? That's a first for me. Whenever I was given some sort of task, it always ended in miserable failure, whether it be menial or not. “So what is this job, exactly?”
“So put it simply, we need someone to fill a certain... position. It might be better if I just showed you myself. Come.”
And so I followed Molly down a series of hallways that looked exactly the same to me. But apparently, Molly knew where she was going, because I could barely keep up with her. After a few minutes, we arrived at a door that looked just like all the others, charcoal black and with a chrome doorknob. At first glance, it could be mistaken for, well, any other room in this maze of a complex. But when I stepped inside, I realized that it wouldn't be mistaken for long.
The whole room was filled with flashing lights and scientific instruments that beeped and buzzed, busy with their work. Switches lined control panels near the entrance. I wanted to touch them, to see what they did, but I restrained myself from doing it because Molly was watching me. Besides, knowing me, I could easily blow the place up or destroy the billion dollar research that was most likely going on here.
But the most breathtaking part of the whole room was in a tube in the center, floating in some sort of cryogenic liquid. At first, it was hard to make out exactly what it was; it looked shapeless to me. I stepped forwards immediately, like it was beckoning me to come closer. When I took a good look at it, I gasped.
It was much like the ponies that Molly showed us during the briefing, with a coat much the same colors as those pastels that my parents loved to buy me when we had the money to. The color was a brilliant yellow, almost too bright to look at, undulled by the blue color of the liquid.
Some of the ponies on the slide show had wings. So did this magnificent form. Except these were gracefully curled like those of a swan, and neatly folded in beside the body. There was also a horn in the center if it's head, like a unicorn that those animation studios loved to use in kids shows. But this one looked like it really belonged, unlike the ones clumsily animated, showed on TV these days.
Finally, after a long period of silence, I spoke. “What... is this?”
“This is an Alicorn,” Molly replied, “Alicorns are immensely powerful magical creatures, and there are only two known in Equestria. They are the Royal Sisters, the ever-living rulers of the land. This,” She pointed to the body, “is what you'll be controlling during your time in Equestria. Of course, being a new Alicorn, you're sure to draw some eyes, but we need you to do it.”
It was like being handed the keys to a new hovercar. This body in front of me could be mine, all mine. And it looked so right. Everything from the graceful curve of the wings to the sleek form of the body looked like it could belong to me. All I had to do was accept my responsibility. But something about this offer seemed a little fishy. I decided to question further.
“So what will I be doing in Equestria with this body?”
“The details are highly classified.. for now. But what I will tell you is that you'll need to meet with the royal sisters to discuss some things, and mainly try to convince them to let us at least share some resources with their world.”
Well, I was hardly a diplomat, but the job seemed harmless enough. I decided to accept, “Alright,” I said, “I'll be your Alicorn.”
Molly smiled, “Great! You're leaving tomorrow!”
Tomorrow? Oh god no. Of all days, why does it have to be tomorrow? I was supposed to leave on Wednesday, four days from now. Tomorrow, I had planned to meet with my family for one last time, to play with my little boy once more before leaving for twenty years (Time runs slow in Equestria. One day there is five days here). By then, my husband would be old, my dog dead, and my only son a man. I just had to see them once more before going away.
I tried to act cool, to not cry, but I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. “Are you okay?” Molly asked.
No, I needed to do this, for my family. “Just something in my eye,” I lied, “I'll be fine.”
“If you say so...”
That night, I lay in my uncomfortable, assigned bunk looking at the pictures of my family that I had brought with me. Twenty whole years until I would see them again. I started to cry.
Because I was the only females on my squad, I had an entire room to myself. When I was ready to go to sleep, I turned the lights off, went to my bed, and buried my head in my pillow and started to cry, not holding back.
It was going to be a long night.
