John Sampson's Story

We walked in the kitchen door to find Granny baking and AJ in the front room updating records. I drew my sword and propped next to the door. It was just too much for the rack.

“Where’s Big Mac?”

AJ replied, “He’s in the barn doing wagon maintenance.”

I turned to Swift, “Could you go get him?”

And she ran out the door.

AJ was curious now, “I’m not mad but I am wondering, why are you back so soon?”

“I have an announcement to make but I want Big Mac in on it too.”

Swift came in the door with Big Mac about half a minute later.

“Granny, since you are an expert on swords, could you please come read this one?”

She walked up to it and stretched to get a good look at the top of the blade.

“This definitely from the Royal Armory. It has their signature all over it. The whole Royal Herd is on it including AJ and Swift. And it has John listed as Herd Stallion opposite Celestia.”

Big Mac recovered first, “John, who all did you have in the pocket pasture?”

“I can’t give you details except to say they were all Alicorns.”

“No wonder it was so loud.”

Granny has fallen over and is laughing so hard she can barely breathe.

“I . . . I . . . told you . . . he was a good stallion.”

“Granny, you know we can’t let that get outside the Herd?”

“Of course, colt”

AJ is looking worried, “Where does this leave me and Swift?”

“AJ, my exact words this very morning, ‘no matter what the world sees or believes, my mares are protected. That is absolute and includes Twilight’. Celestia agreed. Get Swift to tell you what her morning was like.”

Swift took a deep breath, “AJ, we stood between Luna and Celestia as they lowered the moon and raised the sun. There is a lot more to the Royal Herd than just being Royal. You need to go and experience it for yourself. You especially need to talk with Luna for a while.”

We had more stops to make so we said goodbye after a short detour to see Fred. My first priority was Rarity.

As we were walking in the door Rarity gushed, “Your Majesty, come right in. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Then you know what I need if I’m going to be holding Court. You might also want to allow for this sword on a few outfits.”

“You can have anything that you can dream of. I’ve spoken with Twilight and you deserve it for what you’ve done for her.”

“Rarity, everything I did, I did for Twilight. Period. You owe me nothing and I will pay you if I have to toss gold bricks through the window. And I’m ‘John’ when we’re private. Save the pomp and circumstance for official functions.”

“Okay, John. What else can I do for you?”

“Upgrade Swift and AJ too. No great hurry, just deliver it to the Palace when you’re done or set a date for fitting. I may be traveling but not for long.”

We passed through the cafe and got a big box lunch. The train was ready to go when we got to the station. We boarded and that was it. Nothing to do but enjoy lunch and grooming until we get to Canterlot.

Twilight was unhappy. We were assigned to hold Court tomorrow morning. It was bad enough that she had to interrupt her studies but she had been instructed by Celestia to let me lead and only become involved if I asked. I’m trying to explain to her that this is Celestia testing me. Can I represent the Herd or will I go to pieces under public pressure? It’s the same kind of thing that her brother had to survive. Besides, if I can get good enough to solo, she gets more time for research. That penetrated.

Then I had an idea. What about Spike? Yes, it was perfectly acceptable for Spike to be there to answer protocol questions. So if a foreign ambassador showed up by surprise I could ask Spike how to greet them etc.

Swift and Spike role played with me to give me more of a feel for common Court matters. Twilight got to go back to whatever was consuming her in the library. When we broke for dinner Spike had only to threaten to summon me to get Twilight to the table. Afterwards we groomed and talked until pile time.

Feathers. Soft, warm feathers. And that small voice, “Zero four hundred, John.” Slip carefully out from under the feathers and off the pad. It’s morning. Bounce off wall and into bathroom. Dodge Swift coming back out and head for kitchen. Give me caffeine! Begin life.

Swift joined us and dove into her tea but Twilight didn’t show. I stretched and got into my cammies. Still no Twilight.

“Spike, we’re going to breakfast and PT. I will be at the Throne Room before zero eight hundred. If Twilight isn’t there, I will come get her. Be sure you tell her that.

We walked into the cafeteria to sighs of relief. John is back and the world is going to be okay. I’m feeling extravagant so I go for a chicken and cheese omelet. The cook said it would take some time and I said I didn’t care if I had some fruit to keep me alive.

There are some new faces in the room. They’re easy to spot, they’re the ones that can’t stop staring. The ‘old hooves’ are explaining it to them. When my food is ready the cook just calls my name and the newbies buzz again. This is fun to watch.

PT went as usual other than one of the newbies that had joined us. She looked up and saw me coming with a deadpony in each hand and freaked. Swift got her calmed down and she apologized. We showered and changed to be ready for Court and yep, they were lined up at the door with our frightened newbie in the lead. They bowed and I saluted.

When I got to the Throne Room a Nightguard showed me to Luna’s private office. Luna greeted me with a hug.

“Art thou ready, John Sampson?”

“No, but that won’t stop me anyway. I’m worried about Twilight. She is having some sort of block.”

“Dost thou know where she be?”

“In her tower last I looked. I left word that I would come get her at eight if she wasn’t here.”

“Oh, friend John, that be not wise when anypony can teleport. I feel her presence not in the Castle.”

“Could you detect Spike if he were in the tower?”

“I be blind to all save Alicorn, Unicorn, and you.”

Interesting. Turning to Swift, “Check the tower and bring Spike if you find him.”

Back to Luna, “Is there a way to find or communicate with her?”

“Not if she chooses to block.”

“Okay, then we do without. Who has the list of cases?”

It was nothing but contract renewals and proclamations. All simple and easy. After lunch we have a boundary dispute that may require some thought.

Swift came in without Spike. Damned.

But Swift had news, “Spike will be here before Court starts and may bring Twilight. He was very upset because Twilight told him that you were abandoning them then teleported out herself. I told him what you said at AJ’s and he calmed down. He has a way to send letters to Twilight no matter where she is, so he is trying that.”

“That explains a lot. If the list doesn’t change it’s nothing but simple anyway so we’ll survive.”

Spike showed but Twilight didn’t. So I sat in the big chair with Spike on one side and Swift on the other. I mange to read all the Proclamations without stumbling over the flowery language. Then the contracts begin.

Step right up. Time to renew the contract. Did any terms change since last renewal? No. Is X Department satisfied with the service/item? Yes. Renewed. Next. And right on down the lines until something went wobbly.

It happened at ‘Did any terms change?’. The price more than doubled for trail rations.

“What’s changed here that you need more than twice the bits?”

“We had a blight in our orchards and have to ship fruit from another orchard at a much higher cost.”

“Have you tried to find a better source?”

“We haven’t found one.” Not exactly what I asked.

“Have you considered subbing the manufacturing until you can get your farm in order? It will be much cheaper to ship the product without all the rinds, peals, seeds, and cores. I can give you a little room until you recover but more than double means a new RFP.”

“I don’t know about that. I’ll have to ask my boss.” Why is he so nervous?

“The contract ends in ninety days. You have thirty days to explore your options and bring me something better. If you can’t, it’s out for bids. I feel your pain but the Crown can’t be your insurance company. Next.”

Something caught my eye in the visitors gallery. It’s Blueblood leaving.

There were a couple of more routine contracts and it over until thirteen hundred hours.

We headed for Luna’s office and she was waiting.

“John Sampson, doest thou understand that strange contract?”

“I believe I do. I’ll bet good money that AJ recently got an incredibly good offer for apples delivered to the company with that contract renewal. Had I okayed it, I would have been later revealed as having taken graft money from the supplier. The cost of raw fruit simply isn't that big a factor in the total price. Did you notice Blueblood leave the gallery when that was over?”

Spike woke up then, “I thought it was boring then you tell me we got attacked and I missed it?”

“Yes, Spike. Blueblood changed from simple assassination to character assassination. Don’t worry. It isn’t over.”

“Hast anypony objection to lunch in mine kitchen?”

That got a chorus of ‘no’s.

Thirteen hundred hours and I’m back in the big chair when the doors swing open and the next case walks in. It’s a real estate boundary dispute. A river is the boundary and it has done what rivers inevitably do, move. Now both sides claim what it moved across.

To the first party, “What does your deed show?” Swift brings it. Yep, all land to the edge of the river.

To the second party, “What does your deed show?” Swift brings it. Yep, same thing to the other edge of the river.

Got a map? Yep. And we spread it out. It shows a nice, normal river meandering across the countryside and two oxbow lakes. One lake is old and the other is what brought us here today. There is a nice house with dock and other facilities on the land now within the oxbow. It’s no longer accessible to the builder and the new owner of the land is positively ecstatic at what he considers a gift from the gods.

So, “First, let us state some absolutes. The land belongs to the owner of the rest of the land on that side of the river. Both deeds clearly state so. Everything on the land belongs to pony that paid for it or built it, the former owner of the land.

“Does the owner of the house care to sell it and if so, for how much?”

I could buy a nice multi-story in the noble sector of Canterlot for that price. It doesn’t matter anyway. The new landowner says he doesn’t have to pay for it. It’s on his land and if it isn’t moved, it’s his.

“You are both greedy and stubborn. The house owner has ninety days to remove any and every thing he wants from the land except dirt. The land owner will allow free and unrestricted access. At the end of the ninety days the house owner may sell what is left or burn it at his discretion. There will be no restrictions on methods of removal save that the land must not be damaged.

“I would have thought something sensible might have been worked out like listing it with an agent in Canterlot for rental and splitting the money but I’m not going to be back here next year to listen to you two sniveling about who made the most money. Any final statements?”

They both look dumbfounded.

“Let it be recorded and done. Anybody else?”

There wasn’t. I stretched and paced for a few minutes then, “Court is ended. Let’s go home.”

We went back to Luna’s office. Still no news on Twilight.

Luna was amused, “That be a most entertaining show, John Sampson. How will thou answer if they appeal to Celestia?”

“I expect them to, or to just come back to me. They have ninety days to contemplate destroying a major asset or getting along well enough to profit nicely from it. What do you think they will do?”

Luna and Swift are laughing now.

“Spike, could you send another of those letters?”

“Sure, but I don’t know what I could say different.”

“I’m going to write it.”

I did and signed it. Spike burned it and we waited.

‘pop’ And Twilight is there. I grab her and wrap her up.

“Dammit, Twilight, don’t ever do that to me again.”

“Why do you want me? You have Celestia.”

“Did you read that letter Spike sent you? And, by the way, dumping on Spike is not cool.”

“You’re Herd Stallion and she’s Herd Mare. That makes you her stallion.”

“Do you remember that ‘sold my soul’ moment? This is what was meant. I restated it yesterday morning ‘no matter what the world sees or believes, my mares are protected. That is absolute and includes Twilight’. Celestia wants me as the foundation of her great new herd. I told her she could have me for that purpose as long those I love were kept safe and with me. You were specifically named so she would understand that she didn’t control you.”

“What about Celestia. Is she one of your mares?”

“She’s part of the herd, so, yes. When she asks, I will cover her. But that only lasts as long as she keeps my band safe. That’s the herd mare’s duty.”

“Am I part of your band?”

“I just said so, didn’t I? I named you to be sure there was no confusion.”

The wings came out again. We rubbed cheeks and shared breath for a minute.

“Twilight, this is the part of me that Celestia doesn’t have. You do. The price is sharing the other part of me. Can you live with that?”