John Sampson's Story

“Haven’t you heard that you’ve been promoted to Prince?”

“Swift, I’ve had enough strange pony behavior already today.”

“I’m just reporting what I hear, John.”

“Details, Swift, details.”

“John, when a stallion is summoned to a Princess and spends the night it means that the Princess is horny. Nothing more. When a Princess goes to a stallion and spends the night, it means it’s serious. Combine that with fighting to a draw with the Princess’s brother, the only current Prince of the realm, and everypony is making bets on exactly when the official announcement will be made. The odds on favorite is during the Spring Fling.”

“What does sparring with Shining have to do with it?”

“You have proven yourself worthy of the Princess and the title. It really helped when you had Her witness it.”

“Is there any chance that anypony will ask me?”

“Not really. You’ve already made your intentions regarding Twilight very clear. Most Royal marriages are marriages of convenience. You’re already two up on that. AJ and I don’t mind. We get promoted along with you and we do love Twilight.

“John, just do one thing for me. Never change. It’s this sweet naivety of yours that makes me love you so.”

Surrendering to the inevitable, “Would you please send a letter to AJ advising her of what is going on and moving heat week to Twilight’s place?”

“Another one? Why do you think I went for the mail?”

We were already planning to spend the night with Twilight so we could get up and go with party prep in the morning and Twilight had already told us to bring our party clothes. It don’t matter. We’re moving in with Twilight bringing our things. It’s another brick in the wall.

The night with Twilight went fairly well. She groomed me while Swift worked on her wings. It turns out Swift has had extensive experience with a Pegasus. Spike is feeling kind of invaded but as long as it makes Twilight happy, he can handle it.

We ate in the kitchen the next morning because I couldn’t stomach all of my friends bowing to me when I don’t even know if it is really going to happen. It let us sleep later which was a good idea if we were going to stay up late with the party.

The day was filled with chasing down details and telling uncertain vendor ponies to just stop farting around and get it done. Finally, we went back to Twilight’s tower to change. There were three packages waiting for me.

The longest and heaviest had a note that said simply ‘Thanks’ and was signed ‘Celestia’. It contained my sword very nicely engraved and with a sun emblem set in the pommel.

The second longest contained a scabbard to match the sword with the marks of all four Princesses embossed down it.

The final package contained a belt just right to fit me and and the scabbard. It has a large gold buckle with a purple inset containing Twilight’s cutie mark. I’m taking this to be the official announcement.

I put it all on with my dress uniform and I looked good. I settled on wearing the sword left for a cross draw and practiced with it a few times. Then I heard applause. There were two mares standing in the doorway admiring me.

Twilight looked like a Princess and a damned fine one too. She was also positively glowing with happiness. Swift was razor sharp and pure Guard, the iron to Twilight’s velvet. Together we looked like Frazetta’s wet dream.

Spike opted to skip a festival devoted specifically to ‘mush’.

We met with the rest of the Princesses backstage to line up for the Grand Entrance. Steel saw me and came over smiling from ear to ear. We hoofbumped and he said, “Didn’t I tell you. You got the dream, colt.”

I had to ask, “Haven’t you ever dreamed?”

“Of course. Every stallion does. But I couldn’t last thirty minutes on the mat with Shining much less all day and walk off with a light sweat. You’ve proven brains and muscle. Don’t be surprised if Celestia wants you next.”

The trumpets sound and we walk out. Celestia is first, of course, and Twilight is last. Escorts walk shoulder to shoulder with their Princess. And I hadn’t imagined that there are that many ponies in the whole world. The Royal Ballroom is packed and every single one of them is looking at me.

Now Steel’s advice makes perfect sense. Twilight does whatever she needs to do and I’m attached to her shoulder. I can nod and smile with the best of them. We say hello to about a thousand young nobles and I get to hoofbump a crowd of eager colts. But there are snacks and beer. Then I see a familiar face.

“Twilight, what’s he doing here?” pointing to Prince Blueblood.

“John, he’s always looking for more mares. He goes through them that fast.”

“Want to do something fun and evil?”

“Does it target him?”

“Yes.”

“Lead on.”

“We’ll just kinda wander over near him. Then I’ll step away enough to not be obviously with you and smile at a few of the mares around him. That should be enough. If too many come after me you can ‘show up’ and rescue me. Swift will be with you anyway.”

I worked my way to a few yards behind him with Twilight a few yards behind me and keeping a low profile. I waved at a mare in front of him and she stared straight at me. I smiled and her tail started waving. That got several other mares following her gaze with the same result. They started moving my way, passing around Blueblood. That got more mares looking and more headed my way. He turned around and for about half a second I saw something really ugly on his face. He smiled and walked off the other way.

I talked with swarm of fillies for a few minutes about how good health and education would get them a shot at my band then Twilight moved in and ‘rescued’ me, giggling intermittently.

“John, you are forgiven whatever you are thinking about all those fillies. That was fun.”

But Swift was more serious, “John, did you see what I saw when he turned?”

“If you are referring to an intense desire to torture and kill, yes.”

We kept mixing and greeting. After a while we drifted close to the snack tables. I had noticed several Earth pony stallions a little older than the average and not looking at any mares. They seemed to drift in the same directions that we did. Then I heard a drunken slur behind me.

“I didn’t know they let pets in here.”

I started moving Twilight away from the disturbance.

“Of course ponies that screw their pets aren’t any better”

I turned to Swift, “Get Twilight out of here, fast.”

I turned and looked. It was a Unicorn stallion swaying and leering at Twilight. The Earth ponies seemed to be lining up behind him.

I turned back to Twilight, “Twilight, if you aren’t out of here in two seconds I am going to throw you across the room.” I reached for her and ‘pop’ she was gone.

I turned back to the Unicorn, “You, sir are drunk. In the morning you will realize just how big a mistake you are trying to make.” His horn was glowing and something was moving under his jacket. I reached down and dialed up my speed just in time to see three knives float out in front of him and come shooting toward me.

As the knives slowed down I drew and sidestepped. When the knives got close I knocked them down with my sword. I closed on the Unicorn and saw more knives emerging so I lopped his horn off. The knives fell and he screamed but it wasn’t over. All four Earth ponies were bringing up weapons. I circled left to put them in a line to me and started down that line. I hit the first one with the pommel of my sword and he just collapsed. I hit the second one on the side of the head with the flat of my sword. He went down but I heard a crunch I didn’t like. The third one managed to get his knife fully extended and aimed at me so I cut it off his leg with my sword and got some leg with it. The fourth one was turning to run so I let him go. Behind him, directly in his path, is Prince Blueblood. He is shouting something at Blueblood but I never got hear what. Blueblood had already drawn his sword and when the Earth pony got to him he ran the pony through.

I grabbed a cover off of one of the tables and applied it to the leg wound on the third Earth pony and told him he could hold it there and wait for help or he could die. Luckily help was pulling up as I spoke. Shining is in the lead.

I shouted at Shining, “I have unfinished business. Take care of these and make sure they can answer questions.” But Blueblood is nowhere to be seen. I ran in the general direction but the odds are he teleported out. I dropped my magic and headed back.

About time I got back to Shining, Celestia popped in with Twilight in tow. She was pissed. I walked up to her and said, “Princess, we need a very private talk before anything else.”

By the time I finished the sentence we were standing in Celestia’s private office. “Speak, John.”

So I told her the whole incident as it happened then, “It was obviously aimed at me. The Unicorn was drunk and insulting until Twilight was gone. When she teleported the weapons came out immediately. I tried to leave them in shape for questioning.”

Celestia was focused, “I agree, John. But that doesn’t make that big a difference. They attacked a member of the Royal Herd in the Royal Castle. Someone will pay dearly.”

“Your Majesty, that someone is Blueblood. He was behind them when they attacked and the last one ran to him shouting as he ran. Blueblood ran him through and vanished.”

“John, are you very sure of this?”

“Yes but it will be nothing but my gut feeling unless one of the prisoners talk. We need to protect them carefully. Can we go back now?”

And we were back. Shining reported that the Unicorn is in shock and headed for the hospital. Number one has a concussion and might talk later and might not. Number two has a crushed skull and is gone. Number three is headed for surgery and would be questioned later. Number four had been run through the heart and was dead before he hit the floor.

Shining had one question, “If the first four are classic adrenalin mistakes, how and why did you kill the last one so neatly?”

“I didn’t kill the last one. Further discussion will be in a secure location.”

The party is, of course, over. I am proud of ponies in general because the exit is quick and orderly.