I walked past the guard, his face wrapped up just like mine. The sand storm had eased up but things were still horribly dusty. You could barely see, barely breathe, it was horrible.

I ran into the booth, a small fan already running, trying in futility to steam the burning heat. "This...this place is tiny." I hung my goggles up and looked at the desktop. A few buttons sat to the right while a small pamphlet sat on my left.

I grabbed the pamphlet and opened it up.

The red button turns on the intercom, the black button calls the guard, the lever opens the grate. Until further notice, Equstrian citizens only.

Glory to Equestria

I was getting really sick of Glory to Equestria. This place isn't glorious, this place was a sandy craphole!

I shook my head as I pulled my scarf down across my neck. I pulled the lever and pressed the red button, "Next!"

Within seconds a beige pony with a head wrap walked up. I said my usual chant, "Papers please."

The mare smiled, "I heard the border is open now yes?" she slid her papers through the slot. "Please be quick, I have family to visit.

I stared at the Saddle passport. I quickly found the government issued stamps and slammed the red X down hard, a satisfying peel resounding as I pulled it away. "Equestrians only."

She stared at me befuddled, quickly growing indignant. "This is fascist, you are wrong!" she threw her papers through the slot again. "Give yes stamp now!"

"Equestrians only...leave now or be detained." I slid the papers back through.

She yanked them out and tucked them away. "Fuck you, fascist pig!" she spit at the bottom of the booth before storming off. Such wonderful people...so cultured.

"Next!"

Like clockwork a younger looking purple mare walked over, tossing her things through the slot. "Finally open eh?"

I looked over the Equestrian passport and quickly gave it the green stamp. "Yep, welcome home." I slid the papers back over, the mare took them with a warm smile and hurried off.

I pressed the red button. "Nex-" I was cut off by a loud ticking. "The heck is that?" a single pink ticket popped into view. I hurriedly grabbed the ticket.

WARNING ISSUED: EXPIRED DOCUMENTS

"Expired documents...wait...if they know that then why am I even here!?" I let out a loud groan as I called the next pony.

"Next!"

"Gooood morning!" a red coated stallion trotted over. "So can I go through?"

I stared blankly at the stallion. "Do you have your passport?"

"Oooooh, I thought it was open...I guess that would make sense, I'll be back...eventually." he quickly spun around and darted off. At least he was quick about it. I got the distinct feeling others were going to turn this into a whole big deal.

---

"You have papers, give stamp!"

"Red stamp." I forced the papers back through the slot and closed the grate. The stallion kept jamming them against the slot. "Leave before I call the guard!"

"Sow, fatheaded bison, camel cock!" he continued his verbal tirade as he faded back into the sand.

I let out a long groan as I wiped off my desk. Sand was starting to get everywhere and the little fan was just throwing it around. It was getting hard to focus, both mentally and visibly, but like a trooper I hurried on.

"Next!"

A lime green mare walked over. "Howdy." she slid her papers through the slot.

I quickly checked them over. "Hmm...what's today...." I stared up at the calendar on the wall. "Oh wow, you just made it."

The mare smiled, her head slightly cocked. "Whaddya mean?"

I gave her a green stamp and gave her papers back. "Your papers expire tomorrow!" I added a laugh to try and ease any tension.

"Well dang, thanks partner." she lingered at the checkpoint. "So uh...I'm probably gonna be stayin at the base 'till the storm lets up...you uh...wanna grab a drink?"

I started laughing hard. "Thank but I have a mare back home, I mean if you really want that drink sure but I'm not-" an ear piercing EH-EH-EH cut my words short. The mare looked worried. "Go, go through go go go!" I rushed her along.

Behind her I could see a mare jumping the wall. "Fascist pigs!" It was the first mare, the first damn mare I denied! "Burn for your sins!" she opened her jacket, revealing lines of flasks strapped to her body.

I pulled the lever as fast as I could, the grate slamming into place. I'm not sure what I thought it would do but what else could I do?

She grabbed one off her belts and hurled it at my booth. I felt my heart stop as the sound of breaking glass was quickly overtaken by a muffled explosion. Flashes of pink and blue burst through the thin slits in the grate, but somehow the booth remained standing.

I slowly peered through the grate, the guard was yelling at the mare. The mare in turn just lobbed another flask at the guard. The guard quickly pulled back an arrow, striking one of the flasks and detonating the offending mare. I ducked behind my desk as a large thud rang through the booth, followed by a few more lighter ones on the roof.

Things got quiet after that, so quiet I dared to open my booth. "My legs, my fucking legs!" the guard had lost a good portion of his lower body, the mare I had let through was crawling around in the dust, and the beige mare was in pieces most flung against the grate and wall.

I felt like vomiting, but pushed it aside as I ran out and dragged the dazed mare back towards my booth. "No, get off me- get off!" she kicked and screamed as I pulled her into the booth. Her head was cut, ear sliced apart. All things that can be fixed, but at the time this was pure trauma.

I shook her hard. "Hey, it's me. Look at me!" I kept shaking her until finally she opened her eyes. "I'm alive? I'm alive!" she started smiling, nearly crying as she laughed.

"Listen the guard's coming, you just need to stay calm!"

Her expression quickly turned dark. "I-I can't...hello?!"

"Yes hello, what's wrong?"

"What?!" Oh for the love of Luna's great spotted ass, she's deaf.

I pressed her back against a wall and found a notepad. hastily writing: Guard coming stay here.

"But I-" I shook my head hard and held her in place. "I...okay...." she let the tension in her body go and laid back against the wall of the booth. I went up and jammed the black button a few times, somehow thinking that would make this go faster.

The gate in and out of the country was jammed shut and chunks of the pony were caught up in it, how the booth survived I don't know but I'm not about to go questioning miracles though.

---

Scores of guards rushed over after a few minutes. The rear guard had died, bleeding his last in the sand. I wished I could have helped but trying to stop and entire leg from bleeding with a rulebook and a pamphlet would have just made me look like an idiot. The green mare was taken back to base, and eventually, after everything was cleaned up so was I.

I hurried up the stairs and into my apartment. I threw myself on the bed, it felt amazing, sending me to sleep in a few seconds at best.