John Sampson's Story

We have made it back to our suite, which we have learned is numbered A3. I have a draw of enough bits to cover some meals and personals. We didn’t figure out what I am going to use as a uniform or armor. I did get a Major’s brassards so I’m not technically out of uniform.

I repack my go bag to be a gym bag and put my brassards in it anticipating an adventure in the morning. Then Swift and I settle down for a lesson in Equestrian military etiquette. The good part is that it isn’t as formal as I feared. I guess I should expect that from any service that has a half dozen different species in it.

Swift has found us an alarm clock so we set it for four AM and turn in early but we don’t go to sleep right away.

“Swift, just how serious were you in the shower?”

“Very. John, mares value strength, both physical and mental, in stallions. You have more of both than I have ever seen. Didn’t you notice how many mares were rubbing flanks with you this morning. You could have covered half of that crowd right then and there if you’d wanted. I don’t want to lose you!”

“Swift, my darling, you can’t. Some stallions value strength in their mares and you are a whole different breed from those social climbers.”

“Then why don’t we do it right now? In Equestria all we have to do is decide to be a band.”

“Because it’s too soon. I just pulled you out of a nightmare world. That has an effect. Your mind is still in recovery. I want a fully happy and self reliant Swift Trail that has checked out all the alternatives and chosen me. I don’t want hero worship.”

“Oh my sweet wonderful human John, there are so many things that you don’t know about ponies. The normal sexual interaction between a mare and a stallion is the headlong rush to orgasm. The heat and pheromones compel us to be that way. The good stallions stick around afterwards for tenderness and friendship. Sometimes they even band. The legend is that for every mare there is a stallion that loves her before the orgasm, that is a friend before a lover. It does happen and when it does, it is a rare and wonderful thing.”

“Swift, you have my absolute word that once we have emerged from this turmoil you will have whatever you ask for.”

And that is enough. . . for now.

“What the fuck is that noise?”

“Remember the alarm clock, John?”

“Well it’s damned sure effective. I’m going to get out of bed just so I can smash it.”

Swift beats me to the alarm clock because I go for the lights first.

“Tea. I need caffeine. I want coffee!”

“John, what’s ‘coffee’?”

“Swift, my darling, coffee is what tea wants to be when it grows up.”

“The water is heating, John. We will have tea soon. Perhaps coffee some day.”

I stagger around the room stretching and waking up. Follow that with toilet, tighty whities, and old favorite cammies. Swift heads for the toilet and about then the kettle pops. So I pour. A couple of cups later I am able to counterfeit life.

We are out the door and down the hall with the goal of reaching the Guard cafeteria by five AM. I am planning to be a regular there because they have something that has been missing from my life lately, meat. This morning I settle for two eggs and toast.

There is a shiny young Corporal sitting at the next table so I decide to start there. “Corporal, can you tell me where to go for PT around here?”

“I’ll be going there myself as soon as I turn this plate in. Why don’t you just follow me, . . ma’am.” He’s spotted Swift’s bars.

About sixty yards down the hall is another of those plain doors with writing next to it. When this door opens into a nice gym I memorize the writing. I set my bag on a bench and look around. A few pushups and jacks later I am ready for some weights. Weights for ponies without hands are just weird but I found some with a handle on top so I start doing squats with one in each hand. I am doing curls with them when I notice I’m getting some strange looks. Then I find a barbell set with a pad that would fit pony withers. I put a few weights on it, set it on my shoulders, and go jogging. It makes a good substitute for a pack. After re-racking the weights I sit on a bench to watch Swift work out with a group of Earth ponies.

The Corporal from breakfast walks up, “Hi. I’m Red Dawn.”

“Hello there. You can call me John.”

“John, do you mind if I ask, just what are you? I mean you’re big but you just juggled those deadpony weights like they were nothing.”

“Deadpony weights?”

“The big balls with a loop on top. Unicorns and Pegasi lift those to train for lifting ponies. They weigh as much as an armored Earth pony.”

“Oh. I’m a human from a world called Terra.”

“Where is that?”

“I honestly don’t know. I was stranded here but I’ve decided I like it.”

“Is that why you decided to join the Guard?”

“Part of it. I was in the Service on Terra so it fit.”

“Have you decided what you are going to do in the Guard?”

“Oh there’s no doubt. I’m a Specialist.”

“What kind of Specialist?”

“Information. My job is to know things. Well, I think my Captain is about done. I’m heading for the showers.”

“Will I see you here tomorrow, John?”

“I don’t know. I plan to, but being new here in all senses, I have a lot of things to figure out.”

I set my bag in the locker room and strip, rolling up my cammies and putting them in the bag. After a good shower I take out a pearl over navy combination like yesterday’s and don it, pulling on my Major’s brassards last.

Corporal Red Dawn is standing right outside the shower room door when Swift and I emerge. I’ll never know if he was waiting or just lucky because he took one look at my insignia and went nearly catatonic.

We stop by the clerk’s office and are given a couple of neat little badges on lanyards and instructed to wear them any time we go out of the castle. I am told that I have an appointment with the Guard Surgeon at my earliest convenience and that we have a lunch date with Princess Twilight Sparkle.

I said that we need to speak with the Colonel. The clerk reaches over and knocks on the small door in the wall. It opens and the Colonel’s voice comes through, “Yes.”

“Major John Sampson and Captain Swift Trail requesting an appointment, sir.”

“Send them in.”

She steps back and we walk through to face the Colonel.

“Major, it has been reported to me that you have been abusing my gym. What should I make of that?”

“Sir, being the only human on the planet, I have to improvise. . . a lot.”

“Do I need to order some larger weights? I can get a Minotaur set.”

“Thank you, sir. But let’s wait a little while and see if I’m going to be around long enough. The Princesses still have some deciding to do.”

“Very well. Now what do you need?”

“Most of my possessions are currently being stored in an isolated barn guarded by a squad. The squad will be recalled soon. I need a secure place to store them. There are things I wouldn’t want casually accessible.”

“Like weapons?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I need to know what I’m going to be storing and just how dangerous it is.”

“Of course. The short form is that most of it is sharp or mildly poisonous. A few things are flammable or explosive on a small scale. None of it would be dangerous to more than one pony at a time.”

“I will examine everything.”

“I expect that. But only under my supervision. And I am relying on you to enforce that provision on everypony else. My weapons are based on technology, not magic. The difference is that anypony can wield them, even by accident.”

“John Sampson, after you left yesterday I got a copy of your oath. I don’t know that I could take on a burden that large. My name is Steel Will. Please use it when we are in private.”

“Thank you. Just ‘John’ works for me. Re that burden, I didn’t choose it. It chose me.”

“I think I know what you mean. And call me ’Steel’. Captain, may I call you ‘Swift’?”

“Of course, sir”

“You may call me ‘Steel’ too and drop the ‘sir’ in private.”

We go back through the clerk’s office and I get a guide to the Surgeon’s office while Swift takes my bag and goes to our suite to relieve the ponies waiting for us there. We are to meet at the door to Twilight’s tower by eleven thirty.

I have found the exception that proves the rule. Doctor’s offices in Equestria are worse than human doctor’s offices. They have the expected paperwork, and then some. All I do is check the boxes and fill in the blanks. But it gets multiplied by organs and limbs that I don’t have. No, I’ve never had hoof rot, or hooves. No, I’ve never had feather mites, or feathers.

As the clock passes eleven I still have some pages to go. So I carry the clipboard back to the administrative nurse and say, “I’ll have to come back and finish this later.”

“NO! You have appointments scheduled. You can’t leave!”

“I have an eleven thirty appointment with a Princess. Do you imagine that you have any ability to stop me?”

“No. sir. We’ll be glad to see you whenever you have time.”

Oh sweet revenge.

My guide and I arrive at the door to Twilight’s tower with several minutes to spare but there is nopony around except for the single Guardpony.

“Sir, are you looking for Captain Swift Trail?”

“Yes. I am.”

“She’s inside with the Princess, sir.” As he opens the door for me.

“Private, thank you for the time. You’re dismissed.” And in I go.

“Hey John. Up here.” It was Spike at the head of a staircase winding up the wall of the tower.

The stair emerges into a large room with tables and bean bag chairs scattered about and shelves of books on the walls. Twilight and Swift were sitting side by side across the room laughing and apparently engaging in perfectly ordinary mare talk.

As I approach Twilight says, “Hello, John. We were just talking about you.”

“Of course you were. There’s no better subject.”

Twilight grins and sticks her tongue out at me. I feel a tear running down my face. And another. It is becoming hard to see so I sit down.

Somepony rushes over to me and touches my shoulder. The voice is Swift, “John! What’s wrong?”

I manage a shaky smile, “Absolutely nothing!”

“John, you’re not making sense,” That one is Twilight.

“I was literally blown out of my world and landed in a dark place with nothing familiar that I wasn’t carrying. I made a place that I could defend and lived for two years in a mud hut on constant watch for monsters that I had thought were mythical. From there I moved to an isolated barn and spent a few months surrounded by soldiers half whom were scared shitless of me. Finally I come here and with literal world shaking force completely sever all possible ties with my old life, old friends, old family, and everything that I have previously known. Then I walk up those stairs and see you two just sitting there laughing and it is so completely ordinary. It’s the first thing that has been ordinary for years and it’s the first time I’ve been completely happy for years."

The next thing I know I’m buried in ponies. Some indefinite time later a voice said, “I’m not going to let lunch ruin while you guys have a hugfest. If you won’t eat it I’ll find somepony that will,” It was Spike.

We slowly untangled. Towels just appear and we all wipe and blow. As we sit back down at the same table I apologize, “Spike, I’m sorry. This stallion has been a bit high strung lately.”

“John!” Twilight positively gushed, “Don’t you realize!”

“Don’t I realize what?”

“This is wonderful. I’ve read about in some very old books but I never expected to see it for myself. John, it’s your citizenship. You are now fully a pony!”

I look, so help me, I look. Hands are still there. “Twilight, what do you mean? I still look and feel human.”

“Not your body, John, your soul. Your identity is pony now. Did you notice that you just referred to yourself as ‘stallion’?”

“So I did. I’ve been drifting more and more into pony idiom for weeks now.”

“But John, you just looked at two ponies and identified as belonging with them. You are one of us fully now. You feel the Power of Friendship. You see being with your friends as a source of pure happiness. That’s the pony way.”

I spend the whole lunch eating mechanically and trying to figure out what this was going to mean. It would certainly change things with Swift. But maybe for the better. It also explained some things about Fred. Time for answers. “Twilight, we need to have some serious conversation. You will want Spike to record this.”

“John, you don’t have to worry. This is a good thing.”

“I know that. There are other things that you don’t know about and I need to tap your knowledge of magical theory. And, Swift, you need to pay attention to this. It bears directly on whether or not you get what you want.

“You ready, Spike?”

Spike nods, Swift gets comfortable, and Twilight looks really worried.

“First, all living beings in Equestria have some magic but not all can manipulate magic outside of their body. Correct?”

“Simple but accurate,” Agreed Twilight.

“Those that can manipulate the magic need an organ to do it with. The more specific the organ the more specific the magic. For example, Pegusi aren’t even close to being able to fly by physical means. They use magic manipulated through their wings.”

“That’s a classic example though I wonder where you heard it.”

“Hold on to that thought. Individuals have specific talents and their personal magic is strongest within these talents.”

“The part about talents is also accurate. That’s what cutie marks are for.”

“Fred has always had speed, strength, and non-verbal communication as his talents. After we arrived here he became several times stronger and faster. And he developed an ability to communicate directly into my mind. I believe that being an equine, he tapped into Equestria and magic almost immediately when we got here.”

“That’s a big jump in logic there. What organ could he be using to focus this magic?”

“What organ does an Earth pony use?”

“An Earth pony’s magic is focused in her hooves and muscles.”

“You mean kinda like a horse that can gallop as fast as a Pegasus flies?”

“I read that report but it seemed obvious that the Pegasus was having an off day or some other random factor has skewed the results.”

Swift speaks up, “Twilight, I was there. That pasture is close to two thousand yards long. He was covering that length in well under a minute. But that’s not the amazing part. He was making square turns at that speed. That’s what messed Windy up. There’s no doubt. That horse has some strong magic.”

“Then we’ll just have to go out there and examine him.”

“Twilight, we have to go out there. We need to bring the rest of my possessions here for safe storage. But there’s no need to wait to perform your examination. It’s happening to me too.”

“John, are you sure?”

“Ask Swift about this morning’s PT.”

“You know what a deadpony ball is, Twilight?”

“I've got a horn, don’t I?”

“He was tossing them around like apples.”

“Are you sure?”

“Colonel Steel Will offered to get him a set Minotaur weights.”

“. . . . “

“Spike, I think I broke her again.”

A slightly red Twilight said, “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Nope.”

“John, I want to do a magical examination of you. I will be very careful because you are such an unknown but it should be completely safe. Do I have your permission?”

“Didn’t I come in here to ask you to do it? Yes.”

“Take all of your clothes off and lay down on the floor flat on your back. Try to relax as much as you can. It’s even better if you sleep.”

“Flat on my back, buck naked, at the mercy of two beautiful mares, and she wants me to sleep?”

What I did was practice a little ‘po boy’ Yoga. Looking up when that horn was lightly tracing my face was hard on my nerves but looking up when the horn was on the other end of me was hell on my heart rate. The worst part was that it tickled like static electricity.

“You can sit up now, John. And I wish you would put your clothes back on.”

“You want me to wear clothes?”

“You are distracting me, John, and I don’t want Swift mad at me.”

“Why would Swift be mad at you?”

“Because she has claimed you and any mare that desires you does so at her own risk.”

“She has ‘claimed’ me?”

“Her scent is all over you so deep soap can’t take it off. I’ll bet your scent is on her too, warning other stallions to stay clear.”

“Spike, you can skip recording this part.

“Twilight, In view of what is happening to me, how safe is it for her to share my bed? Especially if I get excited?”

“I think sleeping should perfectly safe. It takes a conscious act to activate the magic. For the rest I would like to run some tests and see if your levels are changing or staying the same. It may be a good idea to hold off on a lot of things until we are sure you are in full control. Foals learning magic are famous for the damage they do and you are much stronger.”

“Okay. Plan. Let’s go get my gear and get it safe. Then I have an appointment with the Guard Surgeon for much medical testing. Why don’t you come along for that and see what turns up?”

“How much does your gear weigh, John?”

“A little more than I do.”

“Then a chariot will do nicely. We can be there and back before dinner. Spike, get them ready.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” And he was gone in green streak.

About an hour later we are lining up for a landing on the road that runs to the barn on the Apple Farm. Fred is running around the pasture kicking up his heels. Several of the squad have come out to see what the noise is.

We are in a rather ornate, extra large chariot pulled by a pair Pegusi Stallions. The Royal Chariot, that is. By the time we roll to a stop near the barn door the entire squad is there, all bowed and silent. Suddenly a loud squeal breaks the silence.

“Major John!” It is Colt.

“Hi Colt. See what happens if you keep your focus and keep working.”

Twilight just grinned at me, “Speaking of things to live down . . . .”

“It won’t work, Twilight. I’m not even a little ashamed of helping a colt in distress.”

Swift is receiving salutes and hoof bumps from the entire squad one at a time.

“Come on, Twilight. You need to meet Fred.”

As we round the barn Fred clears the pasture fence by at least a yard and bounces up in front of us looking for all the world like a half ton Pinkie in Bay and White makeup.

“Hello Fred. Calmly now. You’re scaring a Princess.” Twilight is hiding behind me.

<HAPPY!>

“Yes, Fred, I have a marefriend now.”

<HAPPY!!>

Twilight is peeking out from behind me, “John, I can almost hear him. I can tell it’s coming from him.”

“Good. Now stop trying to listen. It isn’t verbal so trying to hear words won’t work. Just look around and find ideas that are coming from somewhere else. Right now his predominant message is HAPPY!! Oh, and he’s glad I found a marefriend.”

Big Mac comes around the barn, “Howdy, Fred.”

“Uh, John,” Big Mac drawled, “Fred wants ta stay here for awhile. He told me about you turning into a pony.”

“Uh, John, I’ll pay ‘im double pony wages.”

“Big Mac, I’d pay you to let him stay here if it makes him happy.”

<HAPPY!! HAPPY!! HAPPY!!>

“Big Guy, you know you can call me any time. I’ll visit as often as I can anyway.”

“We have a few details to work out first.

“I’m going to load up my gear. I’ll leave your saddle and bags here.”

Twilight couldn’t stand it anymore. “Big Mac, just when did he tell you that John has turned into a pony?”

“Yesterday.”

“Big Mac, don’t ever let him play with Pinkie. The feedback could be earth shattering.” I warn.

I do find out that Big Mac has a plan. He has an old three bottom plow in a storage barn. He never uses it because it takes a team of four. We agree that Fred would have little trouble with it.

“Twilight, lets go get loaded.”

We have to borrow a couple of duffel bags from the squad to replace Fred’s bags. I throw Fred’s saddle and bags on so he can take them up to the main house. As Fred and Big Mac walk up the road Twilight breaks into a giggle fit. Big Mac suddenly isn’t the biggest stallion any more.

I spend most of the trip back speculating whether Twilight or Celestia would think to ask about my other talents first.

We had warned Colonel Steel Will before we left and he is waiting when we return. I had a duffel on each shoulder and am carrying the rest. He leads us to a stone walled room off the hall near his office. There was nothing in it but a couple of tables. I empty both bags and spread the contents on the tables. Clothes, boots, knives and utensils, hatchet, trenching tool all are quickly passed though stainless steel earned some remarks. Ropes, tent, and tarps get more notice for the strangeness of the materials. Twilight stutters when I spread out my cell phone and charging system. The LED lights are accepted as normal magic.

Then we get to the guns. I strip the AR, laying out and explaining each piece then do the same with the Beretta. I show them the ammo and explain how it made the sound and effect that Swift had observed. Then I say, “And right here in this state the guns will remain until at least two Princesses and one human say different.”

Twilight starts puffing up but I stop her, “Twilight, I say this because I love and respect you. This is the very technology that ended knights and kings on Terra. A foal with that AR is the equal of a dozen Royal Guard. Armor ceases to have meaning. And it can be scaled up to the point of destroying a castle in seconds. I do not want to unleash this turmoil on Equestria!”

The Colonel said, “Why don’t we just destroy it all right now?”

“Because you’ll have to destroy me and memories of me along with everything else. The physical existence isn’t what’s dangerous, it’s the concept. With the concept and a simple recipe, a foal can build a crude version capable of killing anypony in the room. Human children call then ‘zip guns’. I have far more dangerous concepts stored away in my brain right alongside concepts that could save the lives of thousands of ponies. You are the friends that I have chosen to help me and watch me. Celestia will make the final decision but we need to see that She has a chance to make a good one.”

Steel looks right at me, “What if She decides to destroy all of the technology?”

“Then I’ll expect speed and honor.”

Twilight is looking seriously worried now. “John, what are you and the Colonel talking about?”

“Military things, Twilight, the kind of things we exist to protect you from.”

We step out and closed the door as the Colonel produces two large padlocks for the two hasps on the door. “Major, these are enchanted locks. Put a drop of your blood on the key before you lock it and nopony else will be able to use that key to unlock it. There are two keys for each lock. The room has wards and I will know if anypony attempts to teleport in.”

I pulled out my folder and pricked a finger. A drop of blood later I had locked the top lock.

“May I borrow that?” from the Colonel.

“Sure” And it floats off my open hand. Seconds later it is back and the bottom lock is locked.

I hold the second key to my lock out to Swift. She bites her tongue, spits on the key, and takes it with her lips locking the top lock again.

Colonel Steel holds the last key out to Twilight. It floats over to Twilight and she looks at me expectantly so I open the knife again and hold it out. She floats it over and makes a small nick on her shoulder. The knife floats back, the key gets its drop of blood and the bottom lock is locked again.

The Colonel and I exchange salutes and he marches up the hall. Swift, Twilight, and I go the other way. When we get back to the residential section Twilight heads for her tower after agreeing that we should be at her place by eight o’clock in the morning.

Swift and I walk quietly to our suite and in the door. I just get the door closed and she is on me. “John Sampson! Which pit of Tartarus were you spawned from?”

“Swift, I warned you what life with a human would be like.”

“You said you would terrify me, not torture me!”

“I’m sorry, my darling, at least I found somepony else to take the worst burden from you.”

She just puts her head down and charges me. Again. And again. I just stand there and take it until she runs out of anger and collapses. After carefully picking her up I walk to the bed where I sit and rock her. She clings to me and sobs for a while. Finally, “Oh John. I’m so pathetic. You’re the pony facing death and I’m falling apart.”

“I think you handled yourself rather well for having such a shock just dumped on you. You didn’t even twitch when Twilight was completely clueless.”

“But look at you. You aren’t bothered at all.”

“Swift, my love, I’ve had years to adjust to my fate. When I first got a look at pony society I knew something like this was coming. You have been the surprise good luck in my journey.”

And she is off and wailing again. When she has calmed down again, I say, “I’m not planning to die. The possibility gives my words more weight but I am sure Celestia will find a better way. Now why don’t we find something to eat?”

Dinner is quiet and tender. She leans on me and we feed each other tidbits. Afterwards we just sit together grooming. She works on my back and I on her mane. We take a slow shower then settle onto the bed. I lay on my back and drape her across my chest.

“What are you doing, John?”

“My heart wants to feel your heart.”

She lifts her head until she is almost nose to nose with me staring directly into my eyes. “John are you absolutely sure?”

“I don’t know why but I am completely certain that this is the right thing to do.”

She begins to rub her cheek against my cheek. She rubs up the side of my head and down across my shoulder. Then she very softly kisses me full on the lips. The same gentle rubbing continues on the other side of my head. As she crosses over, she kisses me again, a little deeper. The place where our bodies meet is beginning to feel a little warm. She keeps rubbing and kissing as my heart begins to pound. I can feel her heart pounding in her chest and it is the most wonderful thing that I have ever felt. The rubbing accelerates and the kisses go deeper. My heart rate increases as it seemed to home in on hers. Suddenly our hearts synchronize and began to beat together. It feels like one heart is pumping across our chests, from hers to mine and back again. A warm glow spreads from our hearts until it completely surrounds and contains us. I don’t know how long we lay there but I had no intention of ever leaving that feeling of perfect bliss.

“ Thank you , John. I have never in my wildest dreams imagined that it would be this way. I don’t care if we never consummate it. I don’t care if either or both of us is dead in the morning. This one perfect moment is worth everything.”

“Swift, I’m sorry that we can’t have everything we want right away but there is something that you should know. While you were celebrating with your squad, Fred told me that we are going to have a foal.”

Our heart actually skipped a beat. “John, are you sure of this?”

“No, but Fred told Big Mac that I was turning into a pony the day before I did. I have a hard time understanding him when he makes these pronouncements but he’s never been wrong. Remind me to ask Twilight and the doctor just how complete this pony transformation is.”

“We’ve got a few months to go before spring and we know all of the best Alicorns in the world. We’ll figure it out. Meanwhile, you are completely and eternally mine. Banding the old way is the strongest way,” Swift declares.