John Sampson's Story

We towelled off then I got dressed in my faded cammies while Swift put on a fresh uniform. Yep, they were waiting for us as promised. This trip was much shorter, down a hall, around one corner and to the really big doors with dark blue Guards beside them. They opened the doors and we walked in. Luna was seated on a large midnight blue throne holding about a ream of paper in front of a worried looking Unicorn.

She looked up and smiled at us then shoved the paper to the Unicorn who immediately beat a hasty retreat out the door. Stepping down from the throne she said, “Come with me. We will find a comfortable place for talk.”

We went through a small door behind the throne and out into a garden under the full moon. Luna gestured to a ring of benches and we all chose one.

Luna started off with, “We art here to assure that thou art prepared for the morning’s official Court. John, Celestia wishes that thy write thine own oath. She wilt judge thou on the quality of it. Swift Trail will wear her uniform. Does thou have formal attire, John Sampson?”

“What you see right here is as close as I can get. I had packed for a trip through the woods, going on three years ago.”

“Can I borrow these clothes? I can have them duplicated by morning.”

“Sure. What else?”

“That should be enough. Thou will have enough to get thy oath ready by morning.”

Then I felt a faint tingling like electricity on my body and realized that my clothes were leaving me.

“Wait a minute!”

“Yes, John Sampson?”

“I thought somepony would come for the clothes after I had changed.”

“Why waste the time? It has't been reported to me that thou walks naked like ponies sometimes. Is this inaccurate?”

“But in the Royal Palace?”

“How much am I wearing, John Sampson?”

“Point made. Go ahead.”

So I walked back through the Throne Room, around the waiting dignitaries, down the halls and created the myth that humans are naturally bright red in color.

Back in the suite I made my second mistake of the night. I got out a notebook and ballpoint pen and started working on my oath. Swift came over to look at my work and gasped, “John Sampson, you have been holding out on me! I’m forced to write endless reports with quill and inkwell while you have this wonderful instrument just laying in your bag.”

“Swift, it’s not that simple. A ballpoint pen won’t work on the rough brown paper you use. It needs glazed paper like this notebook and I don’t have much of it left.”

She went away mad. After about thirty minutes I had what I wanted and was ready for bed.

“Swift, what do you think about this?”

Nothing.

“Swift?”

Nothing. So I went looking.

She was in the bed, curled up, sound asleep. I just stood there in the door for a minute thinking just how much this was worth the effort. I turned the lights in living room down to about half then turned the bedroom lights off. Enough light made it through the open door to navigate by. I settled down behind Swift in the big spoon. When she felt me there she snuggled back against me and rubbed her cheek on my chest without waking. Yes, this was worth all the effort and much more.

I woke as Swift began to stir. We both stretched and rose to go see what the day would bring. We had a fully stocked kitchen but I settled for oatmeal and fruit, twice. Swift sneaked out with the first one.

There were some neatly folded clothes in various colors on the table in the living room. I chose the Navy blue pants with pearl shirt. I reviewed my oath and I was ready.

“Swift, are you ready?”

“I’ve been ready, John. But we have to wait to be summoned.”

“Okay. Have I told you how wonderful it is to have you around keeping me out of trouble?”

“Not today. Have I told you how wonderful it is feel love and friendship again after so long without?”

At that moment there was a knock on the door. Swift opened it to find four Guardsponies waiting. “Sergeant, we’re here to escort you to the Throne Room.”

Down the hall and up to the big doors we went, two in front and two behind. The scene, when the doors were opened, couldn’t have been more different. The Throne room was packed. It was standing room only from wall to wall. Ponies of every size and color were standing, quietly waiting. We walked up a clear lane in the center of the room and stood before three empty thrones.

Three Alicorns approached from my right. When they reached the thrones Luna seated herself on the leftmost, Twilight on the right and the big off white Alicorn (Celestia!) in the middle. Swift kicked me so I closed my mouth and bowed deeply.

The voice from heaven spoke, “We are told that you wish to become a citizen of Equestria, John Sampson. We will hear your oath.”

Deep breath. “I, John Sampson, do swear by all that is good and holy that I give my full and unconditional allegiance to the ponies of Equestria, that I will serve them as best as I am able, and that I absolutely and entirely renounce all allegiance and fidelity to any other state or people.”

“That is a mighty Oath, John Sampson. Do you take this Oath freely and without reservation?”

“I do, Your Majesty.”

“Very well. We accept your Oath.”

A ripple seemed to pass through the room. Behind it everything was just a little clearer and brighter.

“Thank you, Your Majesties.”

“Now, John Sampson, what are we going to do with you? Do you have any suggestions?”

“Your Majesty, I think that there must be some long and very private discussions before that decision can be made.”

“I believe that is wise, John Sampson. But you need a place to live and food to eat while these matters are weighed. Princess Twilight has been supporting you as a ward but that has ended when your full citizenship began. I am told that you have some military experience. Would you consider a commission in the Royal Guard?”

“Your Majesty, I was a Chief Officer in the Fire Service. The Fire Service stands between the Armed Services and civilian authority in nature. I had a limited authority over members of the Armed Forces but wasn’t fully part of them.”

“What rank did this ‘limited authority’ translate to?”

“When I was working with military personnel, I was considered a Major.”

“John Sampson, would you accept a commission to the rank of Major with My Royal Guard including all of the privileges and duties thereto?”

“Only with the proviso that I am a Specialist and not normally in the primary Chain of Command.”

“Again you impress me with your wisdom. It is done, Major John Sampson.”

“Sergeant Swift Trail, Major John needs an aide and guide. You have served exemplarily as his guide up until now but he no longer needs a squad to watch him. You are hereby detached from your current assignment reassigned as Major John’s aide. Concurrent with your new assignment you are promoted to the rank of Captain. Stand forward Captain Swift Trail.”

Something floated up from beside the throne and toward us. Swift’s chevrons floated off of her and over in front of me. I reached out and took them as Captain’s bars floated into place on her.

“You are dismissed, my ponies. You will be contacted in your current quarters as details are worked out. Thank you for your service.”

The three Alicorns stood with Celestia and Luna walking back the way they had come and Twilight moving to meet us.

“Congratulations, Major. What do you think of Equestria now?” Twilight smiled.

“I spend my days drifting from amazement to confusion and back again. I had not realized that you were actually supporting me. I want to thank you for that.”

Swift spoke up, “Princess, he met Pinkie on the way here and emerged unscathed.”

Twilight’s eyes widened, “Really? John, did she tell you how rare that is?”

“I still owe her a party. We have to notify her when we are returning to Ponyville so she can organize it.”

Twilight laughed at that, “John, Pinkie is exempt from normal laws and rules. She will meet you at the station no matter when you arrive or if you notify her. But if you made a promise, even implied, keep it or suffer the consequences.

“Are you ready to answer my questions now?”

“I was thinking of you earlier when I said ‘long private discussions’. But I believe a lot of ponies are curious about Equestria’s newest citizen and I have an entire life and career to organize. At the least I should find the Guard headquarters and say hello. So can the questions wait a day or so?”

“Of course, Major. I can summon you any time I want.” But Twilight was ginning from ear to ear as she spoke it. “Now go mingle.”

As soon as Twilight stepped back about half of Equestria surged forward. Most of them just wanted to be seen with the hottest new thing in Canterlot but a few were interesting. Swift did a yoepony’s job as a buffer. Eventually my stomach reminded me that lunch time had come and gone. So I asked Swift, “where can we get some food besides the kitchen in our room?”

“Do you feel up to visiting the Guard Barracks? Since we are assigned to Princess Celestia’s Guard directly, the castle is our station. We need to report in and get ID and such worked out. And there is a cafeteria.”

“Lead on.”

It wasn’t simple or direct but we made our way out the main door and found our escort waiting for us. They snapped to attention and Swift ordered them to take us to the CO’s office. We turned the other way when we got to the hall our room was on. And we marched farther and farther back into the castle. The architecture changed, becoming more utilitarian and I began to see Guardsponies moving around. Finally we stopped in front of an office door. There was lettering next to it but that didn’t help me. Swift dismissed our escort and knocked on the door.

From within, “Come.”

Swift walked in first, “Captain Swift Trail and Major John Sampson reporting, Colonel.” snapping off a salute. I took the hint and did the same.

A tough looking Unicorn returned salute and looked us over. “So you’re Celestia’s new toys.”

Swift opened her mouth to say something but I beat her to it, “I want to be completely honest with you Colonel.”

“Go ahead.”

“’Major’ was a Brevet rank. I tried not to claim it but it’s hard to say ‘no’ to Celestia. My real rank, that I did claim, was Chief Officer. I made it from raw recruit to the highest rank attainable through achievement and accomplishment. But that’s the Fire Service, not an Armed Service. I fought forces of nature, not armed enemies. The Brevet rank was so I could deploy and command Army units for manpower or special skills in major disasters. I’m nearly clueless on Equestrian Armed Forces but I am NOT a summer soldier.”

“That’s an interesting story, Major. I’m curious why anypony would want to fight with natural forces?”

“On Terra there is no magic, nothing but brains and brawn. Somepony has protect the civilians from fire, storms, earthquakes, etc.”

The Colonel nodded. “Do you have any way to verify any of this?”

“Other than demonstrating some esoteric knowledge, no sir. I just took my Oath of Citizenship this morning. All of my history is in my pocket or on another world.”

“Wait a minute. Major, that was you this morning?” Something had just changed.

Swift spoke up, “I was there, sir. It was him.”

“That was one potent Oath. I think all of Equestria felt it. How do you see yourself fitting into this Service?”

“Colonel, I doubt I’ll ever anything but a Specialist. I have knowledge that Celestia needs so it is good to keep me well fed and protected. I am quite proficient with some weapons but none of them are available in Equestria. On the other hoof, I have never held a sword in my life. It might be a plan to send me through basic so I can learn some Equestrian ways.”

“Major, now I’m curious what kind of weapons you can be proficient with that would replace a sword.”

This Unicorn is no dummy. “Colonel, Captain Swift Trail is one of the very few Equestrians to have seen one of my weapons in use. Ask her about our first meeting.”

“Go ahead, Captain.”

“My squad was sent to the Everfree on a monster patrol. We tracked him to a clearing deep in the forest. He saw us as soon as we set a perimeter. From a position of concealment nearly a hundred yards across the clearing he ordered me to approach unarmed. I stepped out of the woods with sword still buckled. There was a very loud noise and a rock two yards from me exploded into fragments. I slowly placed my weapons on the ground while signalling one of the Pegasi to report our situation to Command. I believed that I was facing an extremely powerful Unicorn.”

“Have you seen this weapon since, Captain?”

“I don’t know sir. I didn’t see it then but I have since seen many strange metal shapes and materials that I don’t recognize in his possession. It is likely that one of them did that but I don’t know which one.”

“Major, would you demonstrate this weapon for me?”

“When Celestia gives me permission, yes sir.”

“Good answer, Major. We may get along yet.”

The Colonel took a form out of his desk, checked some boxes, signed it and handed it to Swift.

“The Company Clerk will set you up. Take good care of the Major. Dismissed.”

A quick salute and we were out of there. And none too soon. My stomach was beginning to make some noise. The clerk’s office was next door. We left the paper there and received a promise to have everything ready by time we had finished eating.