John Sampson's Story

We’re back in Celestia’s big conference room, or should I rename it ‘war room’.
I have the floor, “They will contact us, or me, soon. If they wanted to harm Swift, she would have died one second after Dark Sword. She is a tool to get me somewhere they think they can kill me.

“Can we track her? They have confused my directional ability on the heartbond. Can we enhance it? Even a general direction would help. We could move and mark until we had a small enough area to search the old fashion way.”

Twilight takes that one, “We can’t know until we try but I am sure that a more magic friendly body would help.”

I have a question, “How identifiable would I be in this room full of Alicorns? I don’t want to scare them too badly because their only choice then would be to kill everypony that could identify them and play the ‘not me’ game.”

Celestia picked it up, “I don’t think it matters any more, John. You just had the Elements publicly confirm your status as a deity.”

“Did I do that? I must have been pissed about something.”

Celestia wasn’t done, “Coming shortly after our public show of social equality and your declaration that I can’t control you, I’d say that you’re stretching your wings.”

I looked at Twilight, “Is it really that bad?”

Twilight is smirking at me, “Go ahead and change. I bet your back itches.”

Uh oh. Calmly now, I walk to the corner and unbuckle my sword. Then I undress and lean forward as I shift into my A-Pony. He seems a little taller than last time I wore him. And my back does itch. Looking around, I see two bumps.

Focusing on Twilight, “That’s what you two were giggling about, isn’t it?”

She nods, “And you have seven bands now. You should have a much stronger focus. See if you can use it on Swift.”

She’s right, I can focus better and ‘see’ in finer detail. I can tell Swift is conscious and calm but her direction still seems random. I know it is a magical illusion of some kind but I can’t find a clue as to what kind.

Answering Twilight, “I can tell she is conscious and calm but the randomness of her direction is unchanged. That gives us three possible paths. Research might disclose a magic phenomena that causes this effect. Investigation of their various holdings might show some possible hiding places. And they might screw up and invite me in. My best hope is on the last one.”

Steel had a suggestion, “Don’t forget that Swift and Dark Sword are both Guard. We can lean on Blueblood pretty damned hard without being a magic threat. Dark Sword’s killing was a mirror copy of that last assassin from the Spring Fling and that is not a common weapon or technique. We couldn’t convict him on that alone but we could justify a lot of questions.”

I agreed, “That sounds just a whole lot like my previously mentioned investigation strategy. The upside is that the more rocks you turn over, the cleaner the world gets. We’ve got spies, thieves, murderers, and kidnappers to catch. That increases the odds of finding the next step toward our goal. The downside is that Swift is a witness. Getting too close could endanger her.

She knows we’re coming and she knows the risks. She is waiting calmly. So I’d rather be damned for what I did than what I didn’t.”

Twilight says, “Spike and I are going to be researching no matter what. If you need us, send for us.”

I replied, “Twilight, go where you have to go and don’t even think about me. I’ll be with Celestia and Luna. AJ, your talent would be most useful to Steel. I don’t care about convictions if we get Swift back safely. I’ll deal with loose ends on a personal level.

“Luna, you will have the hardest job. Celestia will help you but you have the best chance of pulling it off. You will have to sit on me all day every day. Their most likely strategy is to remove the obfuscation on Swift and torture her. In that case I will go directly to her in a straight line and anything that gets in the way will get hurt. AJ will know also and can alert the rest of you.

“I guess everypony else will have to keep Equestria together until this is over. I don’t expect it to last long and thank all of you for your help.”

I walked back to my clothes and sword, capturing them in my magic and linking them to me.

“Luna, I want to spend the day with you as planned but I need to find some food soon and you need to lower the moon?”

“Worry not, Friend John. Thy desire will be waiting in our kitchen before thou can get there.”

“I’ll take all the omelet and fruit you can find. I have a feeling that I’ll be eating a lot for a while.”

We cut through the Throne Room crossing to Luna’s side so I decided to try something. There is enough room for a pretty large wobble. I stopped then very delicately pushed the floor away from me. It receded. Then pushed the air behind me and glided forward past Luna.

“Very good, Friend John. We can proceed whensoever thou wishes.”

“I will pass on today. I would not be trying this save for the excess of room for mistakes. Between the fatigue and the emotional stress I’m living on the edge right now. Besides, I like this look. Nothing screams ultra powerful wizard coming to get you better than a pony just gliding smoothly along without moving a muscle. I want it to be the last thing Blueblood sees.”

Luna is true to her word. There are two large bowls on the kitchen table. Eating with magic takes some mental adjustment. A whole lifetime of fingers=dirty has to go out the window. Hunger takes care of it.

I fold my legs under me and get comfortable on a pad in the main room. I can reach my back to bite it but not well. Magic is simply unsatisfying as a scratcher. Then Luna comes down the stairs.

“Allow me, Stallion John.”

It feels so good. I close my eyes and relax.

Ah, feathers, lots of feathers and they’re humming. This feels good. There is softness against my cheek and warmth next to me. I reach out with my wing to pull her closer. . . . Wing?

That wakes me up and I have to look. Nope. Just a little nub twitching. Luna is looking at me.

“Hello, Stallion John. Phantom wings?”

“Yes. How did you guess?”

“I felt it. By directing thy own ascension some parts be following the way of the first, natural ascensions and some be in the fashion of thy desire. Had thou but waited, thine way could have been guided and quick like that of Twilight.

“Are you telling me that if I had waited Celestia would have just waved the horn at me and had it done?”

“Did she not mention the next spring?”

“I didn’t get the ascension part of next spring, just the excessive sex part.”

“Typical stallion.”

“There are two things saving you from a thorough thrashing just now. I need to say goodbye to breakfast and hello to dinner.”

“What be thou desire for dinner?”

“Fish and many veggies.”

We are sitting at the kitchen table, Luna giggling as I put away the third full portion of everything, when a batpony comes in. Bowing, she announces, “Princess Celestia requests both Princess Luna and Prince John in the conference room immediately after moon raising.”

I thank her and turn to Luna, “My very thought. I have a partly formed idea that needs development. I am fairly sure about parts of it but I need to look among the clothes Swift left here for me.”

We did and there was nothing here save what I had brought in myself.

“That means that my clothes and small sword are with Swift wherever she is. I didn’t notice that she had her saddle bags when she delivered lunch but it would have been out of character for her to not have them. How long until moon raising?”

“Forty minutes. Thou might wish to witness it with thy new sight.”

“I think I will. I just need to keep back far enough not to be identifiable. I can’t move forward with my idea until Celestia is there anyway.”

“A question, Stallion John, if Friend Swift has thine other sword, won’t it be necessary to wield this one?”

“I’m sure I could because my magic hands work just like my meat hands but I don’t have any way to carry it. It’s just too long for a pony body.”

“Pick it up, Stallion John, and show me how thou dost wield it and I will show thou how Wizard John might carry it.”

So I picked it up and waved it about the little that I could in a small room ending by slicing an apple twice in mid air.

“Point made Prince John. The spell is called ‘wizard’s pocket’ or ‘wizard’s satchel’. It will be any size thou will and take no room. Thou can fill it as thy wish and it still weighs nothing. Only thou can open it and thou can call specific things out of it. Follow me but thou must do the casting.”

I do and it works great. Where has this been all of my life? Then I have a thought.

“What happens to it when I change bodies?”

“I know not. Never before have I befriended a shape changer.”

So I put an apple and an orange in it and change to human. It’s nowhere to be found. Back to A-Pony and it’s right where I left and the fruit is unchanged. Good. I put my sword, scabbard, and clothes in and close it. I hold my magic hand out in front of me and call the sword. It leaps into my hand just as I will. I like this.

“Luna, I owe you a very big one for this.”

“It be ordinary magic, Friend John.”

“But you thought of it when it might save my life.”

“It is time.”

For the first time I can see all of what Luna is doing and it makes sense to me.

Back down and across to the conference room. All present.

Twilight has hints but nothing concrete yet.

Steel has his suspect in custody but no talking yet. An amazing number of off duty Guard are hanging around Blueblood’s bank and compound but nothing concrete yet.

No contacts made anywhere.

“I have a question for Celestia. Do you remember that small sword you gave me? The one I said was to mark me?”

“Yes I do, John”

“The one that has a large sun sigil in the pommel? Can you tell where it is?”

“I should be able to but I thought you have it.”

“Nope, Swift does.”

A moment of concentration later, “It’s near Appleloosa. Between Appleloosa and the Macintosh Hills.”

“Can you tell anything about the environment? Building? Cave?”

“No, but I might when we get closer.”

“We need to sneak up on them and put a cap on the place before they can teleport out. Then I can enter on foot in my human body. They will expect that and will know my magic is limited. When they spring their trap, I will shift to this body and go after Swift. Once I get to Swift, I can shield us while I rip the place apart from the inside. As long as they can’t escape, we will end this here and now.”

It was decided that our party would consist of Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and me. Celestia and Luna would maintain the shield and capture any escapees. I would be the entry team and Twilight would be rapid response.

A second group would be Shining and Steel with two squads to seal the Blueblood compound. Anypony trying to enter or leave would be detained and a shield would prevent any teleports. A decision on entry would be based what we discovered in Appleloosa.

Cadance would hold the Castle and wait for anypony that might show up wanting asylum.

I ran back to the tower to get some clothes for the raid but I took a detour upstairs and put my Beretta and three clips in my wizard’s pocket along with the clothes. I have no intention of letting this deteriorate into a fair fight.

We teleport to the Appleloosa train station. I’m ‘riding’ with Luna and she seem to be taking her time with the spell. I don’t mind because I’m learning a lot.

Behind the station we prepare to take off.

I ask, “Can you tell any more from here?”

Celestia replies, “It’s definitely underground and on the edge of the Macintosh Hills. That’s mine country.”

“Can you still cap it?”

“Not completely but there’s a lot better than even chance of catching anypony coming out.”

“Can you get us out after they collapse the mine?”

Luna floated a necklace with a crescent moon pendant to me.

“This can summon me anywhere. If thou can see Swift, use it.”

“I think I’m going in pony. He’ll want to let me get in sight of Swift then collapse the mine on both of us so our dying sight is each other dying. I’m going to have to get a shield up fast. He’ll know that simply sealing us in will just give you a chance to rescue us. I’ll be running on high speed too but he’s seen that so he’ll be expecting it.”

Celestia has one more question, “Can you keep up flying or do you want one of us to carry you?”

“I think I can keep up. Let’s try it.”

I go gliding pony straight up to give them room and they all spread out and unfurl. We all launch off behind Celestia and head south. I feel the wind and my winglets trying to sweep like the majestic Alicorns in front of me. Celestia picks up speed and so do I. I have plenty of reserve so I kick it hard and blow by Celestia to let her know. She kicks it too and I drop back into formation.

In a few seconds she swoops low to the ground and pulls up against a hill. We all land and gather.

Celestia said, “It’s over the hill and down no more than four hundred yards away.”

I creep up and peer over the top of the hill.

“There’s a mine of some kind with a vertical shaft and draw works. I don’t see tailings or transport so I doubt it’s active. I’m going in.”

Kicking up to full speed, I slip over the hill and across the open ground to the draw works. There’s a shiny new rope hanging down into the shaft. Why didn’t they just paint ‘trap’ on it in florescent letters? Going gliding pony, I sink down the shaft switching to exclusively magic ‘seeing’. About forty yards down there’s a floor and two tunnels leading north or south. The south tunnel is obviously used but the north tunnel is not so I go south. About eighty yards in I begin to see light. Coming around a mild bend in the tunnel, I see the source. It’s Swift in some kind of luminous bubble. I start forward and stop.

She has a shadow. We are in a mine and the bubble she’s in is the only source of light yet she has a shadow. Her saddle bags are on the floor right in front of the bubble. I can’t feel any difference in our heart either. So I grab the saddle bags and stuff into my wizard’s pocket as I run back up the tunnel as fast as I can. Rocks are separating from the ceiling as I watch. So I go gliding pony and kick in the afterburner. I put a shield in front of me to deflect loose rocks and turn straight up when I get to the shaft. I shoot up to several hundred yards altitude scattering rocks and draw works behind me.

Our heart is unchanged confirming that Swift was never in that mine. Three high speed Alicorns home in on me and hover.

“Swift was never there, just an image. Nopony at all was in there. It is pure deadfall trap. I do have the saddle bags, though. All that’s left is seeing if we can determine who set it.”

All that’s left of the mine shaft and house is a shallow crater filled with ruble. The office yields exactly nothing.

I suggest, “Let’s go see if there is an office in town.”

We take off in our three and a half Alicorn formation and head to town. When we get there we just zip right in and land in the middle of the main street. Lights go on and doors open all through town.

Celestia announces in full voice, “We need the owners and workers from the mine southeast of town halfway to the Macintosh Hills.”

A pony wearing a badge steps up, “That mine played out years ago, Your Majesty. Some outsiders have been here talking about reopening it but nopony here was hired and they didn’t stay. The County Assayer and Mine Inspector will have whatever information is available.”

Celestia made it simple, “Get him.”

I had an idea, “Did they bring in any equipment?”

The Sheriff replied, “Yes, they did, though not much.”

“Bring the railroad Stationmaster too.”

The Assayer is an elderly Unicorn stallion and the Stationmaster is a young Earth pony mare. Both admit to having business with the outsiders working the old mine.

I turn to Sheriff Silverstar, “We need a private place to talk.”

He replies, “No problem, use my office,” and leads us all to it.

Celestia starts questioning the Assayer but I intervene, “Let me, Celestia, this is another of those ‘my department’ things.”

She steps back and I face the Assayer, “My name is John and I’m the new Royal Stallion. We are here because a small group of ponies from the old Noble Herds resent me. They were robbing Celestia and I stopped it. They have kidnapped one of my mares and I need to find her. The mine those outsiders were claiming to reopen is now completely caved in. It was set up as a trap to kill me. I want to meet them very badly.

“You know what some of them look like. I would like your permission to walk in your mind and see them for myself. We will seem to be standing on a white floor with your memories arrayed as windows in front of us. I would like to find and copy the memories with these individuals in them. I will carry these memories back to Canterlot and use them to find and prosecute ponies guilty of kidnapping and murder. You can say no to all or to any particular memory but I would consider it a great favor to be allowed to do this.

“Do you consent?”

He was staring at me, “Did you say ‘copy’ memories?”

I smiled, “Search, copy, magnify, play forwards and backwards. It’s a new system. If you pay attention you will be able to do it all yourself before I leave.”

He’s smiling from ear to ear now, “Please start.”

I place the tip of my horn carefully on the top of his head and will myself in. We are standing on the familiar floor looking a lot of memories.

He looks up at me, “This is different, Your Majesty.”

“In your head, ‘John’ will do.”

“Call me ‘Gold’, short for Gold Digger.”

“Tell me, Gold, when did they first show up?”

“A little less than a month ago, John.”

“Okay, watch this,” and I willed the memories to line up by date starting a month ago. They swirled and it was so.

“Now where did you see them”

“They came into the office.”

“Did you ever go to the mine or meet them any place else?”

“No, sir. They came into the office, registered, got their safety orientation, and left.”

I sorted out everything but office memories.

“You can focus on a single memory and pull it to us, like this. Then you can play it through any time you like by sliding the little dot left and right, like this. If it isn’t what we want, just push it back and choose another one. Now try it for yourself.”

He did and shortly we had a list of Blueblood henchponies with first class cutie and coat ID. Then he got to the one I was waiting for.

“STOP. That one right there. I want every second that you have on him.”

I got his ass now. I made sure that I had good clear copies of everything then I thanked him and backed out. Sanding up, I stretched and smiled, “We got him.”

Gold looked up at me, “Is this what they teach in Unicorn school nowadays?”

I grinned, “Not yet. This is brand new.”

His eyes got wide, “You made this?”

I nodded.

He bowed deeply, “Thank you, Your Majesty. Equestria has been needing a wizard like you for a long time.”

Walking to the Stationmaster, “You heard what I told Gold. Are you willing to do the same?”

She nodded and bowed her head. I made the touch and we looked through her memories. It didn’t take as long because she had less interaction and better time sense. I got one new helper and lots of confirmations.

Standing back and looking at Celestia, “We need to thank these good ponies and get back to Canterlot. I have all we need.