John Sampson's Story

“Celestia, how long have we been at this?”

“It doesn’t matter, John. We’ll take however long it takes.”

“That’s not completely true. You have other obligations. But what really concerns me is that I seem to have a full bladder and an empty stomach.”

“Oh. We can take as much break as you want.”

“Let me check with my copilot.”

Bud? How you doing? Bud, I’m going to try to take a nap so you can have some body time. Calm down, Bud. I can’t leave you. It isn’t possible. Just call me if you need me. I want you to take of things like dinner and toilet. I’ve never walked on four legs or been a mare. You need to help us with those things.

“Celestia, I’m getting tired and we need to take care of our body in ways I don’t know. So can you please put us up somewhere? I’m going to try to turn it over to Bud.”

Bud, Celestia will find us a room and dinner for tonight. Just do what she says and don’t worry.

“Bud? Are you awake, Bud?” Celestia looked concerned.

“I’m here, Your Majesty.”

“How are you feeling, Bud?”

“I’m very confused, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to be formal with me, Bud. We are old friends. I’m going to put you up in the palace tonight. There will be somepony to get you anything you need or take you any place you want to go. We will resume the story whenever you are ready.”

Wow. The Goddess is treating me like an honored guest! There must be some pretty big things in those missing memories.

I never saw how she summoned them but suddenly there were two guards by the door where I came in.

“Please take this lady to one of the ambassadorial suites and see to it that she has everything she needs for tonight,” Celestia instructed.

Lady? “

“Ma’am . . .” And down two halls, up the stairs, and down another hall we went until they stopped on either side of a large door, opening it in front of me. There were two fillies and a mare waiting inside.

“Welcome Ma’am. We will be your servants for tonight,” the mare said. “I’m Haute Cuisine, your chef. This is Seafoam (seafoam colored, of course), your bath maid. And Tender Breezes, your chambermaid.”

Holy . . . What do I do with this?!

“Please draw a warm bath for me,” nodding at Seafoam. “And have dinner ready when I finish my bath,” nodding at Haute Cuisine. “Afterwards I will want privacy.”

“Yes Ma’am!”

Oh my. Is this what it feels like to be rich and powerful?

The only thing better than a deep soak in a warm bath is a deep soak in a warm bath with someone scrubbing your back and all the other hard to reach places. Dinner was magnificent but rather small by farm standards. But that wasn’t really a problem because the lockers contained every kind of fruit and veggie that I could imagine. I think Tender was disappointed that I didn’t want to cuddle.

It was early but the day had started early so I went straight to bed. Early was farm normal anyway. When I woke it was still full dark outside. I grabbed a snack from the kitchen and went to the window. The courtyard below was as busy as though it were midday. That gave me an idea. I had never made it into the throne room so I have never seen what a Royal Court looked like.

When I opened the door to the hall, the two guards were still there. The same two? They all look so alike in uniform. Both snapped to attention.

“Milady! How may we help you?”

“I have heard that Princess Luna holds court at night much as Princess Celestia does during the day. Is this so?”

“Yes it is Milady”

“And might this court be in session right now?”

“It is Milady.”

“Could I watch it as a spectator?”

“Certainly, Milady.”

“Take me there.”

We retraced most of yesterday’s journey but stopped short of the big doors choosing instead a small plain door on a short side hall. We were in an alcove behind a tapestry with a scattering of comfortable looking seats along the wall past the end of the tapestry. I could hear some kind of debate going on out in the room.

“Just take any seat, Milady. We’ll be right here when you’re ready to leave.”

“Thank you.”

It wasn’t until I was settled into my seat that realized just how big this room was. My big barn would fit in here with room to spare all around. About halfway down the wall to my left was a large throne on a raised dais. On the throne was dark blue Alicorn obviously related to Princess Celestia. There were two ponies, Earth ponies by the look of them, standing in front of her both gesturing wildly and trying to shout over the other.

Princess Luna glanced at me and smiled a little. “Quiet!Thou were’t told ‘afore thou walked in that door that thou must maintain order and decorum. Thou hast failed. Leave Me!”

As the two Earth ponies sprinted for the door Princess Luna turned to the guard beside her throne, “Be there any more petitioners?”

“No, Your Highness. We saved those two for last.”

“Good. We have better things to do.”

Princess Luna stepped down off the dais and started toward me, “Bud, come walk with me.”

We met at a door in the back wall. Through it was garden with benches and stone statues.

“It’s a beautiful night, is it not, young lady?”

I think I’m impossibly old. She thinks I’m young. Something is going on here?

“Yes, it is. And it’s part of a day filled with many wonders.”

“Thou hast a fine outlook, Bud. If thou could’st, would’st thou speak with John Sampson?”

“Yes! I have many questions for him.”

“Seat thyself in a comfortable way and close thine eyes.”

It seemed like seconds after I had closed my eyes when I found myself on a flat gray plain. The tall, dark blue Alicorn stood beside me.

“Hello, Bud”

“Hello, Princess Luna.”

A very tall (Taller than Princess Luna!) creature stepped out from beside Princess Luna. It walked on two legs like a Minotaur but the legs were long and slender.

“Thank you Princess. Hello Bud.”

I recognized that voice. It is John.

“Thou are most welcome John Sampson. We art eternally in thy debt.

“I will take mine leave now. Thou will awaken normally in the fullness of time. Enjoy each others’ company ‘til then. My Guards wilt watch over thou and keep thou safe.”

“Yes, Bud, this is what we looked like when we first arrived in Equestria.”

“WA! I was in that body?”

“Bud, we’re still in that body. It’s just changed a little.”

“So why don’t I remember it?.”

“We were one then. After we had been in Equestria for a while Celestia split us into a human mind and an Equestrian mind to go with our newly changed Equestrian body. I hid for a time after that.”

“Why on Equestria would She do anything like that? And why would you want to?”

“Bud, we did it because the alternatives were so incredibly terrible. Second best was a quick death for us and Fred.”

I’m going to have to think about this for a while. Just a few days ago I was a happy herdmare with a prosperous farm and healthy foals scattered about. Now I’ve had a personal audience with two (TWO!) Princesses and discovered that I’m some sort of alien involved in high level intrigue with them. I’m a personal friend of the Goddess Herself! What is this going to do to my family!!!