How to punch a prince and be hailed as a hero.

Chapters

The punch of a lifetime.
Investigations and rewards.
Debates and allies.
Quite the Show.
Every Action has Consequences.

The punch of a lifetime.

“Hey Switch Blade, any sign of the train?” A guard asked as he was patrolling the train platform with his partner.

The pegasus shrugged as he leaned against the wall. “None. Just chill out Hot Steel. Trains come in late every now and then.”

“By half an hour. Usually, it’s a matter of five to fifteen minutes.” Steel said as he was feeling a little anxious. “There are a lot of angry ponies waiting for a train right now.”

“That’s life. Odds are some large rocks or an uprooted tree landed on the tracks and they had to clear it.” Switch said as he saw the train finally coming. “See? You take this job too seriously.”

“You would too if you let the kingdom get taken over a few times.” Steel sneered at the younger guard. He never liked it when he had to break in a new guard, and this one was just a bit too relaxed about this job. “Listen, kid, I lost three promotions, and I’m up for another. I’m not letting train duty take that away from me.”

“Just chill. Magor stuff only happens once a year, if that. Being a royal guard is the easiest…” Switch’s voice trailed off as he saw the train pulling in.

They quickly saw that several windows were smashed inwards along with marks on the bottoms of them that looked like some group used grappling hooks to get in. They got a glimpse inside of a few carts and saw that they looked trashed. The seats were torn and luggage was tossed all over the room. The ponies they could see in there looked scared as they all sat quietly, hugging their hind legs in front of them.

“You were saying?” Steel asked as he drew out his spear. “Rally on the train! We’ve got trouble!” He called out to the other guards as they all quickly turned their attention away from the crowd outside of the platform and made their way to the train, ready for some sort of attack.

The train stopped in front of them just as the main door of the train opened up, revealing two ponies. The rainbow blur was quickly recognizable as Rainbow Dash, but only a few guards and officers recognized the unicorn next to her. Lieutenant Book Knight. A lot of guards knew that Book was the only guard in Ponyville, functioning more like a one pony police force. Even though he never took on any major things in Ponyville, he was infamous for being one of the recruits who took combat training too seriously, making it a point to be the best fighter there. A lot of guards questioned if all Book did was just his policing of a small town. Both Book and Dash looked bruised and tired as they walked towards the guards

“Book! What happened here?” Steel asked before saluting the officer.

“Had to make an unwanted stop. Get these ponies checked and have somepony write down their testimonies. You may also want to get the backup train running. This one is a little worn out.” Book explained as he walked past them. “I have to do my monthly report. I can also mention this incident while I’m there, so take your time.”

“W… was there some kind of trouble?” Switch asked as Dash was walking past him.

“Just some extra luggage in the back. If nopony claims it, just hold it till Celestia figures out what to do with it.” Dash said with a small grin before limping behind Book. “I have to see whats got Twilight here for so long. She never tells us how long these business meetings will take.”

The guards all looked curious as they stared helping the traumatized ponies out of the train. Steel and Switch quickly opened the luggage compartment and gasped as they saw a pile of tied up diamond dogs in masks and hoods.

“Well, looks like Book had the fun part. I would have loved to have a good fight.” Switch tried to scoff before getting a glair from his partner.

“You’d be the first one to run away.” Steel said bluntly as they started to take their new prisoners into custody.

Book and Dash were both practically dragging their hooves to the castle after the large fight they were in to keep the passengers from being kidnapped.

“A flipping train attack after a show and two straight days of practice? My wings are going to be sore for a month. They already feel like they are on fire. I need to beg Spitfire for some RNR before I burn myself out.” Dash whined as she was following Book towards the castle, noticing his face wasn’t showing any pain whatsoever. “You seem to have taken this beating better than I have.”

“I’m used to the fighting for… reasons. I just wished I had my armor this time. I could have had that mess done so much sooner.” Book admitted as he was feeling the sting of his unprotected body.

Dash gulped as she nodded at him. “Yeah, I know about you and your hero work…”

Book stopped in his tracks as he turned to Dash. “Okay, who told you?” He asked sternly, not liking it when other ponies know about his secret identity.

“Twi ranted to me and the rest of us six about how much she hates you. It’s kinda sad. I thought you two were friends once. Now with your night…” She was cut off by Book raising a hoof to her lips.

“That’s classified, and I protect ponies from things you and your friends wouldn’t even want to see. I do what I do so that nopony else has to.” Book said harshly before noticing how intimidated Dash was by his reaction. Book sighed as he reigned in his emotions. “I’m sorry, but Twilight’s pacifism can’t change what’s out there. Sometimes fighting is the only answer.” Book whispered to Dash calmly.

Dash simply raised her hooves. “Don’t worry about me. I frankly think it’s cool. So… how do you deal with day and night shifts?”

Book sighed as he rubbed his sore shoulder. “The rough way. Two hours of sleep three times a day, and a lot of caffeine.”

Dash cringed at the thought of having such little sleep. “Ouch. That must come into a lot of overtime and vacation time.”

“I do get well paid, even though I invest a part of it into improving my gear. A lot of that money I just invest through the crown. As for vacation time, I have over six months saved up, but I don’t get to use it.” Book explained as they kept walking.

“What?!? All of that work on your own and no breaks?” Dash asked in shock.

“Somepony has to do the job, and even though my night shift isn’t something that needs constant watching, I am Ponyville’s only officer. So the only times I get RNR is when I get hurt enough to go to the doctor.” Book said somberly.

Dash didn’t know how to respond to a pony who pushes himself far more than she does. “Wow… I guess that’s why you got that bad attitude. It makes my bruises a lot feel a lot better. Maybe I can talk to Celestia about letting you sleep for a while and rest?”

“No. Luna has already stayed up long enough for my report. Just give me a hot shower and I’ll be ready to talk to her.” Book assured Dash.

“Yeah, I can use a shower as well.” Dash agreed before a couple of guards stopped them.

“Excuse us, but we regret to tell you that the showers in the palace are out of commission.” One of the guards explained to the visitors. “There is some plumbing work going on and it won’t be finished for a couple of hours. Celestia requested that we tell you to use the guard’s locker rooms to clean up.”

Dash groaned in frustration. “Seriously? Why does this have to happen now of all days?”

“What? Did you think fairies brought in the water?” Book asked Dash as he kept a cool head about it. “Listen, do they have locker rooms in the Wonderbolts?”

“Yeah. Why?” Dash asked Book as he started leading her to the barracks.

“It’s just like that, but a little bigger.” Book explained.

Dash raised an eyebrow at that remark. “I’d understand you knowing what the royal guard’s locker rooms look like, but how would you know what ours look like?”

“A random tip that Luna had me look into. I found nothing interesting, but Spitfire sleeps with her eyes open, and Fire Streak shouldn’t be put on night duty.” Book said bluntly.

Dash didn’t feel comforted by his admission to sneaking into the Wonderbolt base, even if he was authorized by Luna to do so.

The two beaten ponies made their way to the barracks and were soon discouraged by the ladies’ locker room. They knew that it was getting towards mid-day, meaning the cleaning crew had already started their rounds and were now working on the ladies’ locker room. Book and Dash groaned as they both walked into the only one available.

“We don’t get private shower stalls in our base. How about here?” Dash asked Book as they walked inside.

“Not a chance,” Book muttered as he wiped the sweat off of his head. “I think I’ll just skip the shower and just wash my face and hooves.”

Dash nodded as they walked to the sinks. “Same. I want to know what kind of nut makes these decisions.”

As the two fighters were cleaning themselves off a couple of more royal ponies walked in. One of them was one of Dash’s best friends, Twilight Sparkle. The other one was less than pleasurable, Prince Blueblood. He was notorious for being an entitled pain to most of the ponies in the castle. Rarity was the first pony in the main six who had met him in person, but she soon realized that he was nothing but a pretty face and a nuisance. Dash ended running into him a few times through her Wonderbolt shows, so she got to confirm it. Even Pinkie and Applejack ended up taking a few hits from his suggested tax increases. Twilight was the least familiar with the prince’s annoying habits, but it was mainly due to her only seeing him in meetings alongside the princesses. Thus she got to see his professional side while he looked at her as an equal. Dash assumed that since it has been a long time since the first gala, Twilight thought that Blueblood had changed.

Book, however, knew how annoying Blueblood was. He was a recruit in the royal guard once, and all guards were circled around when it came to security positions. So Book had to guard the little prince a few times, putting up with his snide remarks and arrogant attitude, let alone the dumb tasks he’d give them. Pressing his clothes, cleaning his hooves, etc. Book was glad that Blueblood wasn’t an officer. Guys like that tend to make dumb choices that can waste ponies time. Then again, it’s not like he’s doing any better now.

The spoiled prince looked rather irritated by the thought of using the common locker rooms instead of his personal bathroom, but it looked like he wanted to be here that late.

Dash gave a soft groan as she saw him. “Great. Now he may ask us to find some way to get him a bath.”

“Not on his life,” Book said bluntly, not even looking at the prince.

“Why do you say that?” Dash whispered to him.

“Because you are an element of harmony in front of Twilight, and I don’t give five bits what he says.” Book explained as he started trying to scrub his hooves off.

“Dude, you are a guard.” Dash tried to point out to him.

“That reports directly to Luna. I don’t have to take orders from the snowflake.” Book said as he saw how concerned Dash looked for him. “What’s he going to do? Tax me?” Book asked with a small grin, earning a chuckle from the speedster.

Blueblood huffed as he stepped up to one of the sinks and started working on his own mane. “And I thought all the common ponies had left already. It is so hard to ”

Twilight shook her head as she walked over to Dash. “It’s Dash and a guard from Ponyville. They were probably in that late train. It’s nice to see you are okay Dash.” The princess said before patting Dash on the back, earning a whimper from the flyer. “More or less.”

“It’s good to be here Twi,” Dash said before biting her lip as she looked at Blueblood. She hated him, but she knew better than to take back to him. “Prince Blueblood.”

Book turned to acknowledge the two ponies who didn’t really like him. “Princess.”

Blueblood looked slightly irritated as he faced the pony. “Aren’t you forgetting somebody?”

Book slowly let out a deep breath before he decided to have some fun with him. “Oh… hi Twilight.” Book said as he turned to the mare, earning a gasp from both of them and a stifled giggle from Dash.

“Shouldn’t you be joining the other guards or something?” Twilight asked through gritted teeth.

“Yep. Dash is helping me. We’re going to join them into one big guard.” Book quipped again, enjoying being able to get under the prince’s skin.

“I should have you report to me for this insubordination,” Blueblood said angrily as he faced Book.

“Just to let you know, my current position only allows me to report to Luna, and under certain circumstances Celestia. I was given direct orders not to take orders from anybody else without permission or under extreme circumstances. Right now the most extreme thing you are capable of doing is brushing your teeth.” Book said firmly, glad that he didn’t have to bow to this stuck up brat.

“H… how dare you!!!” Blueblood sputtered out.

“That’s telling him,” Dash said through a small giggle as she nudged Book, wanting to hear him make fun of the jerk.

Twilight huffed at Book as she tried to talk to him. “I’ll have you know that we have spent this morning going over some very important business!”

“You two were trying to figure out what color the stripe on his jacket should be? It’s easy. Yellow.” Book quipped again. “Actions speak louder than words, your highnesses. That’s why I am able to handle more thugs than you can… wait, I have to translate for Blueblood…”

Twilight gave a soft growl as she tried speaking again. “I’ll have you know that I did not become royalty by sitting around!”

Book scoffed at her. “Well, somepony did.”

“WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!?” Twilight yelled at the fighter, feeling ridiculed by the vigilante who is able to get away with his antics.

Book just smiled as he looked at the stallion. “Tired lately Blueblood?”

Twilight tried speaking again, but she wasn’t nearly as witty as Dash when she was dealing with a stallion who doesn’t care about her position on violence.

Blueblood raised his head up as Book and Dash were both chuckling. “Well! I will not be insulted by some commoners!”

“Oh, we’re royalty. We were just switched in our cribs at birth. We’re identical princesses.” Dash said as she started laughing at how ticked Blueblood was.

“Go run to your auntie, just not Luna. We are going to be having a grown-up talk, and you need to have your applesauce before your bedtime.” Book quipped once more.

Blueblood was fuming as this simple guard was insulting him and getting away with it. He could have tried raising more of a fuss about this, but he figured a brute like this needed a more hooves-on approach. Blueblood grabbed a hoof-towel and started spinning it, wanting to put this pony in his place. “Dash, back away.” He ordered firmly as the speedster backed away. He then turned to Twilight and gave her a courtesy bow. “Forgive me for doing this in front of you.” As Book turned the water off on the sink, he felt a sharp snap as the towel slapped his flank, right on a rather sore bruise. “There! Maybe now you can learn some respect for a superior stallion.” Blueblood said snidely as he tossed the towel aside.

Book tensed up as his eyes started to glow. It was a medical condition he had that was a sign that his heart rate was increasing. He had just finished a case of his own that had him working all week. Then he had the lousy train attack. Now he had to deal with a brat that wanted to try and impress a princess. Twi seemed to smirk at the blow Book took, which only fueled his frustration. As Book turned to Dash, he saw that she was offering a hoof-towel to him too. Book gave her a small smile as he took the towel and started patting his right hoof dry with it. He started softly at first before he increased his strength in his pats, feeling his temper reaching its limit.

Before anybody could react or stop Book, the fighter dropped the towel and spun at the prince. Book leaped to his hind hooves, only giving Blueblood a second to realize what was going to happen. The prince could only stare in horror as Book’s hoof landed square on his chin, knocking him onto the floor. Twilight gasped in shock as she saw the prince laying on the ground while Book turned back to the sink and started humming to himself contently.

Dash quickly tried to help the prince up, but as he got up he tried pushing Dash away. “Get off of me!”

“I’m a Wonderbolt, not a hoofball player.” Dash tried to lighten the mood and protect Book from the prince’s anger, but she was too late.

Blueblood wasn’t dumb enough to try punching back, remembering Book’s reputation of being an amazing hoof to hoof fighter. However, he knew the crime Book brought on himself and was unafraid to press him on it. “NOW YOU HAVE DONE IT!!! You struck royalty! That’s a court-martial offense! You’ll be in jail for up to ten years, and I have two witnesses!!!”

Dash knew that she wasn’t dumb enough to try to fight with Blueblood, but she was willing enough to lie for Book Knight, especially after doing something she wanted to do after a long time. She knew Twi wouldn’t protect Book, but she decided that Book needed some help this time. She just hoped that Twilight would forgive her for this. She turned to Book with a small smile as she acted obliviously. “I didn’t see anything. Did you, Book?”

Book grinned as he had Dash backing her up. “Nope. Sorry, Bluey. The case is dismissed.” Book said as he and Dash were walking off, the pegasus whispering to Book excitedly about how epic that punch was.

Twilight was fuming as she yelled at the two wounded ponies. “DASH!!! DON’T DEFEND HIM!!! I’M A WITNESS!!!”

As she turned her attention to the prince, she saw that there was already a sizable bruise forming on his chin. Twilight quickly tried to comfort him and started taking him to the nurse’s office in the barracks. Blueblood started sniffling due to the pain his chin was in. “Don't any of the guards like me?”

Luna was tired, as usual. She had another long night and had to contend with staying up late for Book to show up. First, the train was late, then she learned that Book and Dash had to fight off bandits on the train. Now Book is standing in the private meeting room with her nephew who was wanting to lock away the knight for a right hook.

She just gave a soft sigh as she tried to appease the prince, knowing that Book had recently finished a dangerous threat that she assigned to Book in order to keep this out of the eyes of the public. “Blueblood, please try to calm down. A lot of the guards have been on edge this week with the threats of those timberwolf raiders. I even blew up at Tia the other day, and we were able to settle it like adults.” She tried to assure him before turning to Book. “Book, may you kindly apologize?”

Book actually seemed rather calm and relaxed as he spoke rather gently. “Prince Blueblood. I’m sorry.” He said as he was hiding his grin on the side of his face that Blueblood couldn’t see.

Luna knew he wasn’t sincere, but this was good enough for her. “Great! See? Now you two can just put this behind you and get back to your duties.”

Blueblood huffed as he turned his head towards Luna. “I will not accept his apology! I want him court-martialed!”

Luna winced at the idea of losing Equestria’s superhero. “Blueblood!!! Look, how about I take your duties for the day and let you two go to the opera house?”

Book shook his head. “I can’t stand to hear a pony cry.” He said cryptically.

Blueblood gritted his teeth before whining to his aunt. “Auntie!!!”

“Blueblood!!! Don’t you even know how hard it is to court-martial a pony?!? I’ve haven’t had to do it since my banishment. I can’t help you with any of the… whatever rules there are concerning it nowadays!” Luna whined before a thestral captain walked forward. This captain was a part of Luna’s personal security and was listening with the guards who had to be inside to make sure that Book and Blueblood don’t go at it with each other.

“Ma’am! The offender is required to be put under house arrest until an investigation is completed and a preliminary trial is accomplished. If the offender doesn’t live in the city then quarters will have to be provided. He will be put under heavy guard and will be allowed all necessary accommodations.” The thestrial said as she stood at attention.

Book raised an eyebrow at what she said. “So all I have to do is relax all day in a private room? Not a prison cell?”

“As an officer, yes.” The thestrial explained.

Normally Book wouldn’t be up for a break, but he only had to deal with a major threat or assignment once or twice a month, and he already dealt with three, not including the train. He was starting to get worn out, and his body was actually starting to seize-up on him. He knew that Blueblood wasn’t going to let him go, so why not take the win? Book calmly turned to the prince and grinned. “I want a lawyer and some ointment for my wounds. Besides that, set an alarm for me tomorrow at eight AM.”

Blueblood scoffed at the relaxed pony. “Oh, you are calm now, but what will happen when you are locked in Tartarus for ten years?!?”

Book shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe get married?”

Luna sighed as she realized that she had no choice about this. The Shadow Knight would be out of commission for who knows how long, and if Book was convicted, he’d be gone permanently, even after Book’s sentence. She knew that Book could be dishonorably discharged and he either didn’t recognize the danger he was in yet or was simply expecting this case to go his way.

Either way, she had to do her duty. “Fine. Guards, escort Book into a VIP room in the palace, and stand guard until some assigned guards can relieve you. I will assign a few others to bring his food to him. After that I will message his relatives and start the process of finding an attorney for him. Once Dash is done with the medical check she will be interviewed. I will kindly ask you, Blueblood, not to have contact with her without two guards present, and you are not allowed to pressure her in any form. Until further notice, you are under house arrest.” Luna explained while gesturing the guards to escort the others out.

Book didn’t put up a fight as the guards were escorting him closely, but not roughly in any way. Blueblood just kept his head up high as he was trying to hold onto his dignity. As the two of them walked off, Celestia walked into the room, curious about the bruised ponies. “Luna, what happened here?”

Luna scowled as she walked past her sister. “It’s your shift. You handle the court-martial investigation!” She barked as she stormed to her bedroom.

Celestia just stared blankly as she tried to figure out what in her name happened.

Investigations and rewards.

Book was rather surprised when he was led into a large bedroom. It had accommodations that any diplomat would be content with. From the king-sized bed that looked like it would make a pegasus give up clouds to the large bathroom with the equivalent of a hot tub for a pool. He knew Luna ordered him to be held in a VIP room, but he didn’t know they were giving him one that was this nice.

“Boys, I know that I was assigned a VIP room, but not all of them are this good. What gives?” Book asked the guards.

“Well… we decided this room would be best because… there are no windows.” One of the guards managed to sputter out.

Book raised an eyebrow at this. They were right about how securable this room was, but that didn’t help the fact that it was a high-class VIP room.

Almost as soon as Book had been taken into the room, three doctors walked in, all looking rather interested in Book. “Um, excuse me, are you Mr. Knight?”

Book nodded as he walked over to them. “Of course. Do you need to ask me some questions? I’m not going anywhere if you are worried that I’ll walk out.” Book said as the stallion and two mares got clearance from the guards at the door.

“I’m Dr 3-O Silk. I'm Celestia and Luna’s personal physician.” The stallion said before gesturing to the two mares. “The unicorn is the head nurse for the officers, Penny Cillen. The earth pony is the princess’s personal chiropractor, C.R. Tunnel. We heard that a medic was needed to check on you and Ms. Dash, and when we heard about what happened to Blue… I mean, the train, we all decided to volunteer to check on you.”

Book looked confused at the doctors. He knew that protocol allowed doctors to volunteer to care for prisoners, but these were the best of the best in Canterlot. They NEVER do prisoner detail.

Before Book could ask questions, Penny started checking Book’s body. “Wow… I’m starting to doubt that this pony punched out Blueblood. A pony with battering rams like these could level that weak gate easily.” She mused while examining Book’s well-toned hooves.

Book gave a small chuckle at her analysis. “Doesn’t mean I couldn’t hold back. I don’t need to go full force to…”

“Mr. Knight, I would recommend you listen to our professional medical opinions. Your body has clearly been well developed and is a specimen many stallions would envy. Surely a stallion with your strength that is able to beat off a gang of bandits alongside a bearer of harmony can cause a lot more damage than a... admittedly largely bruised chin.” Silk said as he walked over to Book to do his own examination. “Write that down for me Tunnel.”

“Of course doctor.” The other doctor said eagerly as she was taking down notes.

Book found this ridiculous as the nurse and doctor were both checking Book thoroughly. They literally told him that he would have broken the prince’s jaw with a real punch. Book may have been angry, but he was skilled enough to control how much damage he deals. There was no reason to tell him how strong he was.

Unless… No... They wouldn’t…

“Lots of bruising in the hoof area, most likely due to the fight on the train. No way of distinguishing if Book could have punched the prince or not. Several bruises on the body, yet no broken bones. Only a couple of minor lacerations. I’m going to do a magical check for any fracturing in the bones that I may have missed.” Penny elaborated to Tunnel before scanning Book with her magic. “Hm, no fracturing. Looks like you have some endurance.”

They were! Book started to realize as soon as they mentioned his hooves he realized what the doctors were doing. They were trying to paint him as innocent. They were sticking their necks and high positions out for him of all ponies.

“A… are you three seriously trying to get me a…” Before Book could finish asking his question, the doctors had him lay on the bed.

“Just keep quiet for now. We are professionals, and we only want what's best for you.” Tunnel said with a wink before turning to her colleagues. “So, what’s your verdict?”

“I’d recommend an Epsom salt bath with a few extra herbs. After the bath I'd also recommend some lotion for his bruises for a quick recovery of his body.” Silk said as he was writing out some paperwork.

Penny nodded as she finished checking Book’s body. “Okay Tunnel, he’s yours.”

“Um… I know that you all are trying to be nice but…” Book paused as he felt the earth pony starting to massage him. “Ohhhh… I’ve never had one of these before.”

Tunnel giggled as she was working the knots out of Book’s body. “Just relax. A person of your reputation deserves the best.”

Book grunted a bit as he felt the mare rubbing his tough back. He knew that couldn't be talking about his hero work since it was extremely secretive. Of course, Book had a few high-level doctors handle him, but none of them were allowed to even see his face at the time. “Um, my work as the main security officer of Ponyville could be considered noble, but I wouldn’t call it a most honorable position, considering that there’s little to no crime there.”

Penny giggled as she leaned over to his ear and whispered gently. “Allow us to extend the right of doctor-patient confidentiality when we say that we are talking about the pony who punched out Blueblood.”

Book’s eyes widened as he realized what they were saying. “You mean… you’re treating me like this… because I…”

“Again, doctor-patient confidentiality.” Silk said before he looked around, even peeking his head out to see if anybody was listening in.

All he saw was the guards that were standing rather closely by the door, but one of them winked at the doctor. “Go ahead. Do it. We’re not going to say anything. We want to know all about it.” The guard said eagerly.

Silk nodded as he walked back inside and faced Book. “I don’t think you understand the hero you’ve become. That little jerk has been a pain to the staff of this castle for too long! Do you know how many ponies have dreamed about doing what you have done? The doctor assigned to Blueblood took photos for “medical” reasons. The second word got out all the guards were asking for copies for their photo albums.” Silk explained to the fighter with excitement.

Book was shocked to hear him praise him so highly. He felt like such praise should go to a pony who punched Tirek in the face. “A… are you saying that everypony here hates Blueblood as much as I do?”

“Except royalty and ponies who haven’t met him.” Tunnel whispered with a slight giggle. “Right now you are our personal hero.”

“And we’re going to make sure that even if you are taken out of the game, you’re going out in style,” Penny said with a bright smile. “Now, Silk and I will prepare the bath while Tunnel works out the stress in your back.”

Book was speechless as he was being groomed and cared for just for punching a prince. As he was receiving what felt more like a grooming treatment, he started thinking to himself. “I know I was joking, but maybe I will end up getting married in prison at this rate.”

“Okay, explain what happened carefully,” Celestia said as she was talking to Dash who had a few bandages on her to handle a few of her more serious bruises. Apparently Dash had a couple of bones in her wing dislocated and a fractured rib. She would medically have to have a month or two to recover before rejoining the Wonderbolts.

Celestia already made it a point to personally write Spitfire to brief her on the situation and also to explain that Dash would be staying in Canterlot to be a witness in a classified case concerning Blueblood and Book. Of course, the princess had to send some details since Spitfire had a high enough rank to know about such information.

Now it was just a matter of Dash coming up with a lie good enough to pass in court.

“Well, when I walked into the locker room with Book I said, “Watch out for any soap on the floor everybody!” I specifically told Blueblood that some loose soap on the floor could cause all kinds of accidents. Sadly Blueblood slipped and fell…”

“Onto Book’s hoof?” Celestia asked with a groan as her secretary was writing everything down.

“No. He hit his head on the sink. Book tried to help him up, but Blueblood wouldn’t have it and blamed Book.”

“So, he slipped, hit the sink, and Wammo?” Celestia asked to confirm.

Dash nodded. “Exactly!”

The secretary looked concerned as she looked at Celestia. “Do you really want to use the word Wammo?”

Celestia cringed at her poor grammar. “No, it sounds pretty sloppy… Let’s use Bam! That’s a good classic.”

Dash nodded in agreement. “And that’s my testimony.” She said with a big smile on her face.

“Thank you,” Celestia said before turning to the secretary. “That should be good. You may go now. I wish to talk to Dash in private.”

“Of course, your highness.” The secretary said before bowing and leaving.

Dash looked a little curious as she was face to face with the princess. “So… is there a problem? If it’s about the bandages, I’m fine. I guess I’m not as good of a fighter as Book was.”

“Dash. I’m not too worried about Book right now. Well, I am admittedly concerned about losing a strong defense against high-level criminals, but I am more concerned about what you are doing.” Celestia tried to say calmly as she walked over to the pegasus.

Dash looked a little scared at the alicorn closing in on her. “Well, It’s nothing personal against your kid, your highness…”

Celestia stopped her before she could keep talking. “Please, I’ve been aware of Blueblood’s actions for some time now. His pride has become a large weakness for him, and I don’t think I ever thought of a way to handle his increasing ego due to his position. Book did something I think a lot of ponies wanted to do for a while now. I just wish that there was another way for my nephew to learn some humility. My real concern is you going against one of your best friends, Twilight.”

Dash bit her lip as she looked at the princess. “Oh, yeah. She’s ticked at me, isn’t she?”

Celestia nodded. “I believe that’s the word from it. I refuse to say it in front of anypony else, but I know you are lying, and Twilight is fuming at you abandoning her.”

“I’m not abandoning her. I’m just… disagreeing with her right now.” Dash tried to explain as she brushed her mane back. “I know that she and Book used to be friends before Book became the edgy superhero. I just don’t think their status should end as enemies. I’m not letting the pony who saved me and the rest of the ponies on that train get arrested just because some snob prince wanted to insult a real stallion. No offense…” Dash said defensively.

Celestia sighed as she rubbed her forehead. “Don’t tell anypony I said this, but he is a rather snob prince.”

Dash giggled a little at her admission. “So, do you think Book can get out of this?”

Celestia shrugged. “Twilight has yet to give her testimony, probably to do some legal research and give you time to think about this. She does want to press charges against Book, but she wants to keep you safe, in spite of your stance in this matter. She’s refused to talk to anybody about it until the initial investigation is done and all they’ll need is her testimony. Right now it’s yours and Book’s word against theirs.”

“So… are our odds good?” Dash asked nervously.

Celestia shook her head. “You’re up against a prince and a princess. Don’t bet on it.”

Book felt rather relaxed after he took his hour-long bath according to his doctor’s recommendation. He was rather impressed by the design of the tub. He heard about tubs like this in a spa, but for it to be in a bathroom showed how VIP this room was. His body felt great after Tunnel worked out the knots in his muscles, and the long soak only helped him relax and heal. He started to wonder if this is what other officers did then they had vacation time. He hadn’t felt this good in a long time.

He did like the fact that the doctors did leave before he got into the tub. He never was one for sharing a bath, and it would have taken hero worship to an uncomfortable level. He followed the doctor’s directions after the bath and put some lotion they gave him on any bruises that still remained, rather intrigued by its cooling effect. He made a mental note to get some more if he gets released.

During his time of relaxation, he had plenty of time to think about what the consequences would be for his punch. It was a high crime and could see him behind bars for twenty years. Well, maybe ten with good behavior, but he’d never get along in prison. Vigilantes don’t work well behind bars. There could be a chance of a more secure prison or a private cell considering his background.

Then again, there was also the chance of a plea deal. Luna would surely try to make a deal to let him go. She was the one who helped him become Equestria’s superhero in the first place. Her influence could help settle Blueblood… but even if she pulls that off, she’d need to handle Twilight, and the only deal she’d offer would be if he’d quit being a hero. She never did like his sheer lack of friendship skills when he was dressed up like a hero who tends to punch out criminals.

Well, there doesn’t seem to be any obvious way out of this, so he might as well enjoy the VIP treatment for now. As he left the bathroom, he was met by what looked like the investigative officer along with a couple of other ponies with suits and briefcases.

The officer wasn’t one that Book was familiar with, but he could tell that he wasn’t going to risk his career to clear Book’s name.

“Alright, Mr. Knight. We have been asked to keep this confidential so the press doesn’t have a field day, so let’s make this simple. I am captain Script. These ponies here are your assigned lawyer and attorney. I am here to take your statement and ask some questions about the events that happened the other day.” The officer explained as he got out a quill and notepad.

Book knew that this wasn’t an ideal situation. He knew that Dash would have already given her report by now, so this was where their stories could contrast. This also raised the stakes a lot more than he would like. If he confessed or if Dash’s lie fell apart, she’d be charged with perjury and could even be considered an accessory to the crime.

It was time to go all-in on lying his way out. After all, she was the element of loyalty. Her neck is worth more than his. The only problem was that he had no clue what kind of lie Dash would try to weave to cover this up with.

Before any questions could be asked, Book heard a gruff voice from the other side of the door. “At ease. Is Lieutenant Book Knight in here? Dash told us about the “Soap” incident and we wanted to learn about it.”

“Sorry, Ma’am. The investigator is in there, and he asked not to be disturbed.”

Bok heard a group of ponies groaning softly outside as the investigator rolled his eyes. Book had to study up on ready body language for interrogations. This led him to believe that what he heard was no frame-up job. He now had something to go off of.

He knew Dash was usually a simplistic liar, sticking with what would be the most simple and believable. With the hint of soap, he could guess that she likely claimed she slipped. However, now this investigator knew that he could guess that.

“So, I guess you heard that?” Script asked sternly, looking like he was expecting some made-up story from him.

The mare who appeared to be his assigned lawyer tried to talk Book out of talking. “Legally you don’t have to answer that.”

Book knew that staying silent would only make this officer press on the issue, so he had to think of what details Dash might have given.

Well, Dash always had an ego, so maybe she made herself some way how it could have been avoided. “Well, she did warn Blueblood about it.”

A look of shock came over Script when he heard Book say that. “W… what do you mean by that?” Script asked as he was trying to go over his notes.

“The soap on the floor. You know how it is in locker rooms nowadays. You get that liquid soap when you shower and you’re on the clock. So you have to rush and it tends to make a little mess. Then you have these little puddles of soapy water or even just straight liquid soap spilled on the floor. You as an officer should know what I’m talking about.” Book explained calmly, not wanting to give any tip-offs away.

The officer looked confused as he kept referencing his notes. “Um… Why would Dash tell something so simple to a prince?”

“Well, I guess it was a common courtesy. Maybe she thought that a prince like him wouldn't be too common with the condition of military locker rooms. Even as a stunt pony she knows what those look like.” Book explained as the lawyers looked at him, looking impressed.

“So… you’re saying he slipped?”

Book nodded as he tried to think about where Blueblood could have gotten such a bruise. Well, they were by the sinks at the time… “Yes, and he hit his head on the sink. It was a simple accident.”

“I see, so why would the prince say you struck him?” Script asked as he tried to regain his composure.

Book could see that he was being baited, so he went with the most probable answer he could. “I just tried to break his fall. I guess he thought I was attacking him instead of catching him.”

“And what about the princess?” Script pressed Book, wanting to try and understand the facts. "Why would she disagree with you?"

Book admittedly had no good idea of how to get around somepony as precise and technical as Twilight. He didn’t even know how Dash could lie her way past her. “I don’t know. She may not have been looking when he hit the sink and have seen me holding Blueblood. I wasn’t looking at her at the time, so I can’t say.”

“I see. So, would you have a reason to assault Blueblood?” Script asked again before the mare spoke up again.

“Do not answer that.” She said sternly, earning Book’s agreement and silence.

Script looked at Book before moving on. “Do you and Blueblood have any arguments or fights?”

“Don’t answer that either.” The attorney, a large stallion, ordered Book again.

Script sighed as he knew he wasn’t getting any further with his questioning. “Okay, you are free to have visitors, but under guard supervision. Expect further questioning at the trial. You will be notified when a trial date is set. Thank you for your time.” He said before walking out of the room.

As soon as the officer left, the lawyer let out a deep breath as she sat down. “You are the best liar I’ve ever met.”

Book raised an eyebrow as he sat down on his bed. “What makes you think I’m lying?”

“Because a nurse asked us in private that you got these photos.” The attorney said as he handed Book an envelope. Book opened it to find several shots of Blueblood’s face with a large bruise on his jaw. "If it was an accident, there would be no need for you to have one."

Book rubbed his own jaw as he looked at the photo. “Well, at least they got his good side.”

“If he even has one.” The attorney said as he got his papers together. “Listen, it’s a game of word vs word right now. Odds are we can stretch this out for a while with this story. Given enough time, and considering the fact that this would pit two strong friends against each other, I think we can get you out on a good plea deal in a month or two. We may be able to even get the charges dropped with any luck.”

Book smiled as he handed them the envelope back. “Thank you, but I can’t allow myself to be discharged. My duty of protecting my people is something I can’t give up. I hope you understand.”

Both law-ponies looked concerned, but they nodded. “We understand, and we’ll do our best. Is there anything we can do for you?”

“Yeah, send a letter to my family letting them know that I’m okay and my current situation. Tell them that I don’t want my dad anywhere near this, and send the photos back with the letter. I’m sure Light Heart would love those pics.” Book said with a small grin as he laid back on the bed. “Right now I wouldn’t mind turning in early.”

“Understood. We’ll check in with you once we get a report of what evidence they have gathered so we can talk about how to proceed in this case.” The mare said before they both walked out, revealing that Spitfire was waiting outside the door.

“Lieutenant Book?” Spitfire asked as she saluted her fellow officer.

Book nodded as he stood up and saluted her back, knowing that she outranked him as a captain. “Of course. I would ask what you need me for, but I can’t exactly leave my room.”

“I understand. We just wanted to ask about what happened.” Spitfire said as she motioned the rest of the Wonderbolts into the room.

Book looked rather curious as he saw Dash’s entire team walking towards him. “Um… okay? If it’s about the train, I don’t work well with others, but she has some experience. With some proper combat training, she can reduce her chances of getting hurt in the future…”

“Um, excuse me Book, if we can be informal here. We have plans on asking Dash for more details on that incident when she recovers. Right now we want to talk to you about something more important.” Spitfire said sternly as the Wonderbolts surrounded him, all looking rather eager.

Book straightened up as Spitfire neared his face, mentally preparing for a fight with some of the fastest ponies in Equestria. “If you all plan to attack me, you shouldn’t have done it indoors. I’m not afraid of a few punches.” Book warned her silently, not wanting to show any sign of fear while giving her a chance to back off.

Spitfire didn’t react violently to his threat. In fact, she looked more bewildered than anything. “W… what? No! We aren’t here to beat you up! Not with the guards right outside the door.” She tried to explain, looking rather defensive.

Book glanced at Blaze, who was glancing out the door and looking down the hall. “Then why are you all here?” Book asked sternly as he faced the Captain.

“Let me be frank then,” Spitfire said as she took off her shades. “We want to know about the punch.”

Book raised an eyebrow as he started to wonder how far this resentment for Blueblood has extended. “Oh, that whole thing? Don’t tell me you all are forming a fan club because of it.”

“Are you kidding? You’re going to be a legend in the military and the castle staff now! Do you know how many parties all of us had to tolerate with him?” Thunder exclaimed, earning a collective hush from the others.

Spitfire chuckled as she faced Book. “You don’t know how many times I’ve complained to Celestia about him trying to order my team around for private shows or very monotonous tasks.”

“Yeah, I was getting sick of being asked to fetch groceries from another town for him,” Fleetfoot explained with a groan.

“Hm. I thought you all weren’t much for fighting?” Book asked curiously as he slowly eased up.

“Not really, but quite a few of us have been tempted. We just had careers to worry about.” Soarin explained.

“Understandable,” Book admitted with a nod.

“So come on then! Spill the details! What was it like to punch him in the face?” Fire Streak asked eagerly as all the Wonderbolts were watching him earnestly.

“Hey, I’m going on record when I say that it was an accident. He slipped on a bar of soap.” Book asserted, earning some disgruntled grumbling from the others.

Spitfire simply raised her hoof to silence the others. “And off the books?” She asked the fighter with a small grin.

Book grinned back as he spoke softly. “Like a date made in heaven between my hoof and his face.”

The Wonderbolts all chuckled as they were listening closely. “Go on. Tell us how you did it!”

Book gave a light-hearted chuckle as he turned around. “So, I was facing the other way when he made the final push that led to the punch. So, all it took was one swift turn…” Book then slowly turned back to Spitfire, raising his hoof to the exact path where he swung before stopping an inch from her face. “And boom. Swift, easy, and restrained. If I let loose I could have done a lot more damage.”

The group all chuckled as they saw a simple illustration of this legendary punch. “Don't you wish you could have put a bit more into that punch?” Spitfire asked with a cheeky grin.

“I’ve put up with my fair share of Blueblood, but I figured that punch would have gotten through to him. Sadly he’s still a jerk, but I bet he’ll bite his lip the next time he tries to mess with a real fighter.” Book explained with a chuckle of his own.

“Hu, I wouldn’t guess that the only guard in Ponyville would be a skilled fighter.” Spitfire mused, looking intrigued by Book’s skills.

“I take pride in my skills, considering the major magical threats that have been affecting our country. From what I’ve heard your combat training is lacking at best.” Book pointed out bluntly.

Spitfire’s eyes widened at Book’s audacity. A part of her wanted to chew him out, but then she thought about Dash’s injuries, and she had seen more fights than any of the Wonderbolts. She could only turn away as she muttered softly. “Well, we are mainly stunt flyers.”

Book sighed as he decided that if he was stuck here, he might as well try to educate them. “Tell you what, I want to get to sleep early, but I can take a couple of hours and show you all some simple tricks that will keep you alive in a fight.” Book offered as he leaned back.

Soarin looked confused at this. “Really? You want to give us fighting lessons?”

Book shrugged. “Why not? You all are finding me fun and I’m stuck here. Trust me, these tricks are an old family recipe, with my own spices.” Book said as he stretched out his hooves. “And I can teach you without punching you.”

Spitfire started to think about what skills Book could have, and the threats that they have lost against in combat. She sighed as she turned to Book. “Alright, show us what you’ve got.”

Book grinned as he readied himself to try and teach some stunt flyers how fighting really works. “Alright. Lesson number one. How to throw a punch.”

Debates and allies.

“Dash, wake up!”

Rainbow Dash groaned as she heard somepony trying to nudge her awake, clearly whispering an inch away from her ear. “Ugh… five more minutes, and watch the body. It’s healing.” The speedster grumbled as she tried to keep sleeping.

“Dash! This is important!” The voice hissed again, shaking Dash harder.

Dash yelped in pain as she started yelling at the intruder. “Seriously! I had bones in my wing dislocated! Do you know how much that…” Dash’s angry rant was interrupted by a magical aura closing her mouth. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness to see Twilight standing next to her bed, motioning her to be quiet.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you were hurt. I just had to talk to you in private.” Twilight whispered urgently.

Dash sighed as she sat up in her bed. “Well, the painkillers wore off. Might as well. I’m guessing this is about the soap on the floor.”

“Dash!!!” Twilight whispered harshly as she was trying to make sure that they weren't heard. “You know that’s a dirty lie!”

“No, it isn’t. I say adding the soap makes it a clean one!” Dash quipped as she tried to lay back down, not wanting to put up with arguing with Twilight at the moment.

“Dash!!!” Twilight whined again, trying to stay calm as she knew that Dash was still her friend. “Dash, I have been looking through the lawbooks and you are in big danger.”

“Na. Those train jumpers shouldn’t be out on bail. Celestia assured me of it.” Dash said, not really taking Twilight seriously.

Twilight groaned as she was trying to save her friend’s career and good name. “Dash, if you try and pass this story and it falls apart, you’ll be charged for purgery. That’s your Wonderbolt dream ending in flames. Look, if you just withdraw your testimony, you will be safe.”

Dash’s face turned to a scowl as she looked at her friend. “Yeah. The whole nation will be happy to know that the one pony who saved the innocent lives on that train can go free. The whole Ponyville guard will love it.”

Twilight gritted her teeth as she was trying not to use her magic on her wounded friend. She wanted to help Dash, but she was afraid that her loyalty would fall into the wrong place. “Do you hate me so much that you would cast our friendship aside for Book?”

Dash sat up again as she gave Twilight a serious look. Twi recognized it from when she’d get stubborn about sticking with her friends. “Twi, I’d never hate you. Right now you hate Book for not being a pacifist like you. You know that Blueblood hit him while he was hurting, and who knows how much of the prince he’s put up with? Blueblood is no saint. Did Rarity forget to tell you that after the Galla?”

“That is beside the point! Blueblood has been respectful…”

“In front of you. Because you are an alicorn and Celestia’s best student, let alone a princess. You’re not a Wonderbolt or a guard. Take him out to eat and see how he treats the waiting staff to get an idea of what kind of jerk he is! Tell me, after you saw how he treated Book, who helped fight off those dogs, didn’t you think he was begging for a sucker punch?” Dash asked Twilight, looking stubborn as she rubbed her wounds.

“He was disrespecting us!”

“You two started it! Common ponies? Dash and a guard? You were just as bad as him!” Dash tried to point out. “So he didn't help settle the matter, but Book was once your friend! Why can’t you see past his hero gig?”

“Because the Shadow Knight is everything I stand against! He is a symbol of violence! Ponyville is a symbol of friendship!” Twilight nearly yelled, breathing heavily as her hatred was showing.

Dash looked scared as she saw how blinded Twilight was by her anger against Book. “Twi, what’s making you better than him right now?”

Twilight’s heart stopped when Dash asked that question. Her friend actually looked more concerned for her than Book at the moment. Before Twilight could process what happened, she heard the guards outside of the room heading towards the door, most likely to check on the noise. “W… we’ll talk later,” Twilight whispered before teleporting out of the room.

Dash winced as the guards burst into the room. “Ms. Dash, is something wrong? We thought we heard something.” One of them said as they were looking around the room.

Dash yawned as she laid back into the bed, not wanting to come up with another complicated lie. “It was nothing. I just want to go back to sleep.”

The guards looked embarrassed as they quickly started to file out of the room. “Oh, sorry. We’ll make sure you aren’t disturbed again.”

Dash simply waved them off as she tried to go back to sleep. “Sorry Twilight, but I have to stand with Book this time.” She whispered silently before falling back asleep.

“I can’t believe that we are stuck watching the same guy who cleared out that train.” Switch Blade said as he was standing guard alongside Hot Steel. “Book should have gotten a medal or something.”

Steel could only roll his eyes as he tried to explain the scenario to the rookie. “He supposedly punched out Blueblood.”

“Exactly! That should be worthy of a medal!” Switch insisted as he failed to hold a formal stance.

Steel sighed as he tried to keep a formal stance. “I don’t care who he punched. We are under orders to keep him secured until further notice.” Steel explained.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t be impressed by the guy.” Switch said before he heard Book walking out of the bathroom.

“I’d be focusing on yourself if I was you,” Book said bluntly as he was getting ready for breakfast. “With that lack of focus and stance, you’d be the first guard to fall if anything happens.”

Switch Blade was startled by Book’s insult to his lack of formality. “I… sorry?”

“Thanks for the apology. Now the royal guard’s standards have dropped since the last war. Thus, in order to be a decent guard, you need to be willing to go beyond basic training.” Book tried to explain to the rookie.

“Yeah, I heard stories about your training period. You got to beat up every guard in combat practice, along with some of the officers. They claimed that Shining Armor became an officer because he was one of the ponies who could beat you.” Steel said as he glanced at the ranking officer.

“Well, he was a stubborn fighter. His shields gave me a run for my money. Add that he often tried to beat me at getting fit, he became a great sparring partner. His magic and strength vs my skill and reflexes. We both had a few wins against each other, but he became captain because he had better leading skills.” Book explained, thinking about how skilled Shining was when they were in fights. He was always more brutish and less refined in his fighting skills, but he had a sharp head.

Switch Blade scoffed as he leaned against the door frame. “I thought it was because he was dating that princess.”

“Good point. Hitting her standards for a mate was a feat in itself. Still doesn’t mean much for your career.” Book quipped as he sat down at the table, waiting patiently for his food.

Steel looked curious as he thought about the stories he had heard. “I thought that you turned down your promotion to captain because you wanted to protect Ponyville?”

Book nodded as he cringed at his early career. “I did, and I managed to handle most of the little problems that happened. Unfortunately, most events that happen in that town aren’t too serious, and some of the high-level stuff that’s happened ended up being over my head. Nightmare Moon ticked me off because I was a graduating military school at the time. Discord and Tirek were out of my power range, and most of the other events required me to put my focus on protecting the people.”

“So, you aren’t too hot after all?” Switch asked the fighter.

“You didn’t see the train ride?” Book asked, looking rather stern as his eyes gave a slight glint. “Every pony who claims to be a guard needs to be willing to lay it all on the line. The best ones are willing to go the extra steps. Tell me, do you have any family? A marefriend perhaps?” Book asked with a cold tone, getting tired of his carefree attitude.

A cold chill went down Switch’s spine as the lieutenant hit a touchy topic. “Y… yeah… my parents.”

Book kept his unyielding stare as he found Switch’s motivation and started to put some pressure on it. “And you care about them?”

“O… of course.” Switch said as he went from relaxed to tense as he felt Book’s fiery eyes, feeling like they were staring into his soul.

“Then listen carefully. Every time you put on that armor you are making a promise to protect your people, your family. If some thug wants to attack, he’s attacking your family. Your job is to protect them at all costs. Don’t let the day your family is screaming for help be the day you start taking this job seriously. Do you understand?” Book asked the private sternly.

Steel was actually shocked to see the rookie going from cocky to scared as he slowly nodded. “Y… yes sir.” Switch said shakily.

“Now, stand up straight, keep both eyes open, and try to work on improving past the guard’s standards. After that, there may be a good guard in you yet.” Book ordered as he started to ease up on the scared rookie.

Steel watched as his partner silently went back to his post, looking like he was trying to think about what Book said to him. “Wow. No wonder you’re an officer.” Steel mused as he turned back to Book. “What is your rank again?”

“Lieutenant according to the military, general officer according to Ponyville’s official records, but I have also been called everything else by the ponies in town. Why do you ask?” Book asked as he was starting to wonder where his meal is at.

“Well, I have been up for a promotion for a while, and I kinda want to be an officer one day.” Steel admitted.

“Well, there are a few qualities that can land you that promotion if you have them. Tactics, authority, respect, and the ability to lead. I only had three of those, but most officers are lucky to have that many. It’s the ones without any of those that are a real pain.” Book explained as he noticed Blueblood walking into the room. “So don’t tell Blueblood.”

The guards both snapped to attention as Blueblood gave a puzzled look. “Don’t tell me what?”

Book gave a small grin as he knew he could poke at Blueblood’s pride without getting into too much trouble. “My little brother, Light Heart, is going to be taking your job.”

Blueblood scoffed at the thought of it, having briefly met Light before. “Oh please. That autistic alicorn knows as much politics as a monkey.”

“Exactly. He’s more qualified than you.” Book quipped with a grin, noticing the guards trying to hide their grins.

Blueblood grumbled as he glared at the fighter. “Is your entire family this obnoxious?”

Book nodded eagerly. “Mainly to ponies with egos too big for their lack of skills. Speaking of which, what warrants the visit?”

“I was just making sure that your cell is secure. I wouldn’t want you to ditch before the trial.” Blueblood said coldly as he was inspecting this rather spacious room, not liking how nice Book was having it.

“Why would I want to leave all of this? I’m rather thankful that you slipped on that bar of soap.” Book said with a chuckle as he was keeping his distance from the prince.

Blueblood wanted to yell at Book for his blatant lie, but he decided to be the bigger pony and simply flaunt his freedom. “I’m afraid that you are not grasping your situation. You are a prisoner, and I am a free pony! Look at this.” Blueblood boasted as he stepped into the doorway that led outside of the room and skipped into the room. “I can go in.” He then hopped out of the room. “I can go out.” He then repeated the process a few times to try and rub it in before raising his head in triumph. “That is a free pony.”

Book rolled his eyes at the petty display of power. “Very good. Now go do the hokey pokey with the other kids.”

Blueblood scowled at the fighter. “Lousy fighter.”

“There’s that sharp wit again.” Book quipped as the prince started to storm out of the room.

The guards looked at Book curiously as Steel spoke up. “How can you stand up to him?”

Book sighed as he leaned back. “One, he doesn’t intimidate me. Two, he can’t beat me up. Three, I hate him. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.”

Steel looked skeptical about such an explanation. “You’re lying. Your hatred has to have been more deep-rooted than that.”

Book chuckled a bit at his analysis. “Maybe you will get that promotion.”

As Book was starting to wonder if his food was ever going to come, he heard a group of ponies walking towards his room. Both of the guards straightened up as they were the first ones to see the ponies.

“M… ma’ams? What are you doing here?” Steel asked, looking confused.

“We just volunteered to take his food in, and give him some essentials.” Book heard a southern voice say before a more formal mare spoke after her.

“You wouldn’t have any problems with us going in and talking to Book and giving him a few little things, would you?” She asked sweetly, and almost manipulatively.

“W… well... he is allowed to have visitors, so I see no problem.” Switch said as he backed away to allow them inside.

Book was rather surprised as he saw Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie walking into his room, holding a few trays and bags.

Pinkie was bouncing to the table with three dining trays before setting them in front of Book. “Hi, edgy! I am your waiter today and we are going to have some fun!” She said with a giggle as she took the lids off of the trays. “For our first course, we have a family recipe from Applejack. Sweet Apple coleslaw. Then from the royal chef in this wonderful castle, eggplant parmesan. And finally, from me, the last course is a few souffles that took me forever to make. It’s like a nightmare to make these little cake-like things.”

Book’s eyes widened as he looked at the feast laid out for him. “Blueblood doesn’t eat this good!” Book exclaimed in shock.

“Not after a hearty meal like this.” Applejack said proudly.

“Why the hay are you all serving me a five-star lunch? I thought you’d take Twilight’s side in this matter.” Book said as he eagerly started to eat his coleslaw.

“Well, I do wish to support Twilight in her endeavors to keep ponies from being punched, but I have to make an exception on Blueblood.” Rarity admitted. “He has told me several times that he would be willing to forgive me for my childish actions if I’m willing to apologize. The gall of that excuse of a gentle-colt! Treating me like I’m some kind of…”

Book couldn’t hear the rest of what she was saying as she was huffing angrily. “Wow, I thought no civilian would hate Blueblood as bad as a guard or staff member.”

“You didn’t have to date him.” Rarity mumbled before adjusting her posture so she can appear calmer. “Also, Applejack and Pinkie are helping out.”

“Why? I thought they’d take Twilight’s side.” Book said curiously.

Applejack sighed as she took off her hat and brushed it off. “Normally I would, considering that Dash has a record of dumb stunts she’s pulled is nothing compared to this. However, in spite of Twilight’s persistence, I’d have to pick the lesser of two evils.” She admitted with a sigh. “Just don’t ask me to testify.”

Pinkie nodded eagerly as well. “YEAH! There is also the fact that if you win then Twilight can likely just get a little slap on the wrist due to princess benefits while if you lose Dash would be dishonorably discharged from the Wonderbolts which would crush her and make her mad at Twilight AND FOREVER TEAR OUR FRIENDSHIP APART!!! So yeah! I’m on your side too.” Pinkie finished sweetly, ignoring the fact that she screamed the worst-case scenario.

Book took a moment to process what she said before moving on to the second course of his meal with a more serious look. “I know. It’s not just my job on the line anymore. Dash is brash, but she had my back. As much as I prefer to work alone, I’m not leaving her out to dry.”

Rarity smiled as she got out her measuring tape. “Thank you, darling, and I wish that you and Twilight didn’t have that falling out between each other. You were a lovely couple.”

Book glared at her as he spoke sternly. “No offense, but we weren’t dating.”

Rarity blushed as she nodded, having the tape wrapped around his chest. “Oh, sorry for the misconception." She said before looking up into his emerald eyes. "You know... if you are available…”

“Only if I’m court-martialed.” Book insisted as Rarity was measuring his body. “I’m married to my job right now.”

“Oh… Well… the offer is always open if you ever get lonely.” Rarity offered with a wink as she was starting to write his measurements down.

“Ya already tried dating his younger brother, and now him. Do you ever not think about hot boys?” Applejack asked her fashionista.

“YES!!! I have a dozen dress designs to go over, let alone a suit, which I rarely ever make.” Rarity said as she finished going over Book’s measurements. “Just because I am the most social in our group, doesn’t mean that I have a ton of free time. Dating is a hobby, not my job.”

“Wait, you’re making me a suit?” Book asked in confusion.

“Well, no offense darling, but I’m guessing that the most formal thing you wear is your old guard uniform. You need something more official to show your professional nature to the courts. Like I always say, the first impression is always the most important.” Rarity explained as she started making some sketches. “Of course, I am restricted in some rights due to you being a military pony, but I promise that I will make a uniform that begs for respect!”

“Thanks.” Book said, still shocked by the way he was being treated. “Lately I feel like I have been promoted to royalty. Is this how Light felt when he got his wings?”

“I think it was more awkward and bowing than feasting and pampering.” Applejack pointed out.

“Yeah, but he’s still a nice guy, and not as violent as you. In fact, Fluttershy and Light are planning to talk to Blueblood once they can get a chance to talk to him.” Pinkie Pie added as she was bouncing on Book’s bed.

“Really? Well, Light never was the smartest one, but his heart is usually in the right place.” Book said, not liking the idea of what his brother would be putting up with. “When do you think Light and Shy will be able to talk to the prince?”

“When the plot calls for it.” Pinkie said cryptically, not bothering to give any kind of explanation before bouncing next to Book. “By the way, is it movie night tonight? I was listening to the guards and they seemed really excited about it.”

“Um…” Book was confused by her ranting, but he was able to process her question. “Well, it should be tonight… but I don’t know what the film is.”

“The Scarlet Saber.” Switch said before turning to the group. "The entire staff has been hyped for it all week."

“Oh! Sweet Celestia.” Book sighed as he put a hoof over his chest. “I haven’t seen a good movie like that for a long time.”

“Really? What’s the big deal with this one?” Applejack asked curiously, not used to seeing movies.

“It has more stars than Luna’s mane. It’s an action story about a heart-stealing rouge fighting against a corrupt duke. You get some sweet fighting scenes, some amazing story, and some decent romance on the side… At least, according to my family.” Book said as his excitement died off.

“Wait… you haven’t seen it?” Pinkie Pie asked with a gasp.

“N… No. I often stay busy, so I tend to miss stuff like going to the movies. I can’t exactly do that while I’m working.” Book said as he finally got to the souffle. “Too bad.”

Rarity let out a giggle as she petted Book’s back. “Oh Book. You always stress about the little details. If you wanted to see a film, then you just had to ask.” She said sweetly as she started walking towards the door.

“Are you serious?” Book asked in shock as he straightened up. “Are you getting me a movie?”

Rarity winked at him while walking towards the door. “Of course. Even a guard like you needs to be able to unwind every now and then. I think I can even get Dash in here so you can enjoy it with most of us.” Rarity offered before smiling. “As long as I can have a seat next to you.”

Book gave a small chuckle as he nodded. “Might as well, but do you know how rare it is for guards to get good movie nights like this? I doubt that you can just talk the film into your hooves.”

Rarity giggled again as she turned to Book. “You as a tactician should know that there is always a way. If I can’t get the film in here, then I’ll just get the whole movie night moved in here.” She said confidently like she expected this to be some easy feat.

Book stared at her in disbelief as he slowly lifted his spoon. “If you can do that, then you are smarter than any royal guard here.”

“Easy feat.” Applejack whispered into Book’s ear as Rarity strolled out of the room happily.

“Soooooo… do you think we could be heroes like you? Fighting crime and stuff like that?” Pinkie asked with a little giggle as she laid on the table in front of Book.

“Um… do you mean individually or…”

“The six of us, and maybe even Spike too! Like those comics! We got trapped in one once and it worked out well!” Pinkie said as she held up a Power Ponies comic. “I mean, we got captured and Spike had to save us, but a win is a win, right?”

Book sighed as he thought about it. “None of you have any proper combat or tactics training. You could forget about having Shy in combat. If she puts some work into it, she may be good at gathering intel. If you all tried doing my job now, a couple of you would be in a hospital before the month is out.”

Applejack crossed her hooves as she was thinking about the experienced hero. “And what if we got the training you did and took the job as seriously as we take our friendship missions?”

Book wiped his chin as he tried to think about that. They usually worked well together, which is better than he’s usually had it when he was in the guard. They have faced high-grade villains with mixed results, but if they were fully trained to fight?

“I’d be out of work in a week.”

Quite the Show.

Rarity was good on her word, but a lot of guards and castle staff really wanted to see this show. So, dozens of chairs were taken into Book’s room, leaving just enough space to walk through them. They all brought snacks and managed to fit into the room, using the space above the bed to display the movie, leaving the projector by the door.

So this was Book’s movie night in a sense. His room was full of ponies he didn’t know, and two elements of harmony were next to him as the show was happening. He was being treated like a king. However, something felt off to him. He had been groomed, fed, and pampered, but he did nothing productive.

Most of the time he’d be on patrol, training, or upgrading his equipment. His life was invested in his work, but now he wasn’t working, and he didn’t even get injured seriously to end up here. It felt like his skills were starting to go to waste as he was stuck in this room. He had the equivalent of a holiday, but he felt like he should be working.

Rarity and Dash started to realize that Book wasn’t enjoying himself as much anymore, so they tried to quietly talk to him about it. “Darling? Are you feeling okay?” Rarity asked quietly, trying not to disrupt the movie.

“Yeah. What’s going on?” Dash checked as well.

Book sighed as he leaned back in his seat. “I’m fine… and the movie is alright.”

“But?” Rarity asked, wanting to know how to help.

“I feel like I’m wasting my time. Ponyville isn’t protected, and I can’t do anything about it. It’s… frustrating.” Book explained as he crossed his hoofs.

“Hey, what happened to you having little to no vacations?” Dash asked, looking confused about it.

Book nodded. “Yeah, but I’m dedicated to my job of protecting Equestria. Now I’m stuck in a room wasting time on simple pleasures. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but my sense of duty says that I should be working, not relaxing.”

Rarity could tell by the look on his face that he was fully serious about being unable to work, so she tried to gently rub his back. “Darling, I can see that it’s rough for you, but you don’t have any other options right now. All you can do is just wait to see what happens.”

Book nodded, not looking comforted. “Yeah, but it’s going to bug me the entire time.”

Dash looked confused as she turned back to the screen. “You are now the only pony I know who sees a five-star vacation as a problem.”

As the film kept going, Book didn’t notice that the two princesses were sitting in the back of the theater, sitting quietly as they made it a point that ponies should not make a scene when a film was in progress. Luna seemed to be enjoying herself as she was snacking on some popcorn, but Celestia seemed to be deep in thought as she was distracted from enjoying the movie.

Luna looked curious as she whispered to her sister. “Sister? Is something bothering you?”

Celestia couldn’t face her sister, especially since she was thinking about Luna’s champion. “Who was in the wrong? Blueblood or Book?”

Luna looked confused by Celestia’s inquiry. “According to the truth we’ve heard, Blueblood insulted Book’s honor with a towel to the flank. In the old days that would be a challenge to combat.”

“But this isn’t the old days. I admit that Blueblood’s actions and pride have gotten out of hoof, but what about Book?” Celestia asked.

Luna’s eyes widened when she heard her say that. “What? Book has been handling our major crimes alone!” She whispered harshly.

“And how is that changing him? How distant has he become? How arrogant was he when he was talking to two members of royalty? How brash has he become in his actions?” Celestia questioned Luna sternly. "What happens if he starts thinking that rules don't apply to him, or if the only solution to his problems is violence?"

Luna looked hurt that her sister was now questioning her champion. “So… you think that Book should be locked away after all he's done?”

Celestia shook her head. “I… I don’t want to… Blueblood is no saint, but I just… I don’t want Book to become like…” Celestia started to tear up as she thought about when she was teaching Blueblood as a child. He was so young and innocent back then, but now it feels like he’s fallen from grace.

Luna lowered her head as she saw how emotional Celestia was getting. “I… I am sorry. Book has been the most dedicated officer I have ever worked with, but I guess it takes a toll on a pony. I… I’ll try to talk to him about his actions and attitude once I get a chance.”

Celestia nodded as she wiped her eyes. “Luna, may I ask for one more thing?”

“Anything,” Luna said eagerly, wanting to help comfort her sister.

“May I have some popcorn?”

Blueblood was feeling extremely irritable today. First, there was the fact that he had to use makeup to cover his bruise. Then there was his meeting with that lousy guard who wouldn’t follow his orders who still wouldn’t respect him. It felt like his pride was being tested by some lowly peasant.

“Lousy guard! I am a prince! My blood is purer than anybody in that wretched family of yours. Even that foolish alicorn who made fun of my suit!” Blueblood thought to himself as he gave a soft shudder at the memory of Book’s brother, Light, being brought in by Luna so he could assist Light in the ways of a prince.

Not five minutes in, and Light pointed out that he was wearing a suit that was designed for a MARE!!!

Apparently shoulder pads, buttons on the opposite side of the suit compared to normal stallion's suit, and the sewed inscription, Missterious, inside of the suit should be signs that it's a mare's suit.

“How was I supposed to know about what a female’s suit looks like? It serves him right that he gave up any thoughts about being a prince. That autistic fool wouldn’t last a day in my horseshoes.”

To put it lightly, he already had a problem with Book’s family, and now this disrespectful guard had insulted his honor. He could care less about Book’s record of constant watching over his town, or whatever happened on that train. Right now his only thought was making sure that this fighter was made into an example of what happens to ponies who stand up against him.

As he turned the corner, he saw two night guards relieving the two ponies who were watching the door. He was shocked as the guards went inside the room, earning some whispering from inside of the room. He got curious as he looked into the room, finding the majority of the castle staff watching a film.

ALONG WITH BOOK KNIGHT!!!

“What in Celestia’s name is going on here?!?” Blueblood asked the night guards sternly.

“Um, lieutenant Book isn’t allowed out of his room.” The guard said, trying to ignore the film behind him.

Blueblood looked furious as he scowled at the guard. “The entire staff is here with a prisoner? You all should be charged for this!”

“Sir! The prisoner is allowed to have visitors, and there is so specified room for the staff’s movie night.” The second guard tried to explain before Blueblood interrupted him.

“Then I demand you stop the film at once!” Blueblood shouted, earning a hush from the staff.

“Nephew, keep it down! Lady Mandarra is dancing with the count!” Luna whispered calmly to Blueblood, making him stare in shock at her.

“He strikes me and gets treated like a celebrity,” Blueblood muttered to himself as he started storming to his room.

This was the final straw for him. Everypony was mocking him right behind his back, and he wouldn’t stand for it. There was no way he’d allow this case to be settled until Book was behind bars for as long as possible. Nobody mocks a prince and gets away with it.

He stormed to his office, ready to file a plea to some judges he knew to get this case sped up. Taking the guards out of the question would give him the best advantage of winning the case by a landslide.

Unfortunately, he found two ponies that he didn’t want to see waiting right outside his office. Well, one more than the other. Light Heart and Fluttershy were right in front of the office, clearly waiting for him. He groaned softly to himself as he saw the mentally handicapped alicorn and the vet pony walking up to him.

Blueblood sighed as he tried to get past the two ponies. “Excuse me, but if you two want to talk to me, you need an appointment.”

Light grinned as he held up a paper. “Fluttershy got us an appointment.”

“Really?” Blueblood asked with an annoyed look.

Fluttershy nodded as she didn’t look as nervous and reserved as usual. “We just wanted to have a small talk with you about finding ways to settle this before it blows out of proportion.” She said, not sounding angry or demanding.

Blueblood sighed as he looked at the two ponies. “You two won’t leave until you talk to me, will you?”

“It’s that or we will tell your aunts that you refused to see us.” Light said bluntly before getting a glare from Fluttershy.

“Fine. Come in and be brief. I have more important things to do.” Blueblood grumbled as he led them into his room. “What do you commoners want?”

“Commoners?” Light asked, wanting to point out how uncommon they were. An element of harmony and an autistic teddy bear alicorn.

“Light, we want to talk him down. Just try not to make it look like you are on Book's side, and be realistic and logical about why this won’t be worth it.” Fluttershy whispered softly to Light. She admittedly didn’t like the fact that Book punched a pony over some petty teasing, but when Pinkie explained that Dash would possibly be facing consequences as well, she wanted to try and be a peacekeeper.

Light took a deep breath before nodding. “Fine. I’m just wanting to make sure my numbskulled brother comes home.” Light explained as he cleared his throat and addressed the prince. “We want to talk about Book’s case.”

Blueblood softly groaned as he grabbed some papers from his desk. “Of course you are. I assume you are going to appeal to my sense of humanity?” He asked sarcastically.

As much as he would have loved to threaten him, Fluttershy talked to Light about another plan. “Actually, I intend to appeal to your sense of logic.” The alicorn said as Fluttershy gave him a nod. Even though Light did have a slight stutter, she thought it would be easier if he did the talking, even though she told him what to say. “Let’s talk about this in a… political viewpoint.” Light offered as he was getting ready to have the most intelligent conversation he’s ever had,

With Blueblood…

Oh boy...

Twilight was in the Canterlot library, pacing around the room quietly as she was thinking about Dash’s words. After several hours of studying, she didn’t think that the biggest problem right now would be one of her best friends. Sure, Dash was brash and stubborn, but she was always loyal to the core.

So why would her loyalties change from her to Book? Book was hardly the social butterfly, and he had become quite a stick in the mud since he put on that blasted mask. There was Book’s fight on the train, but she had been in many more adventures with Dash than that… vigilante. Why would she give such mercy to the stallion who cast aside his friendship with a princess to become a dark hero?

“Twi, what’s making you better than him right now?”

Those words kept ringing through her ears as she thought about their argument in the locker room. Book became so brash and reckless… and he snapped when Blueblood insulted him back…

But Blueblood verbally insulted him several times, only to be brushed off so simply. Book’s eyes didn’t even start glowing until he was physically struck…

What if…

Twilight started looking through her books, looking for some psychological books describing the soldiers from past wars. A few stuck out due to the pure violence that had been described in those wars. As she looked through the books, she started reading about some of the front line survivors, the ones who dealt with the darkest sides of the wars and saw the most battle.

“Anger… emotional suppression… physically defensive…” Twilight gasped as she realized what some of these symptoms were leading to.

PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder.

What if Book’s acts of protecting his people from criminals with little to no rest are taking a toll on his mind? At first, Twilight was thinking that this would be a valid reason to see him have to give up the mask, but then she thought about Dash’s words.

“Twi, what’s making you better than him right now?”

Twilight knew that fully discharging him would most likely just make Book’s condition worse. Even though she would want to see the mask gone, she wanted to make sure that she didn’t break him on the way. She had to be the bigger pony.

She sighed as she started gathering some of her papers so she could negotiate with Blueblood. Maybe she could talk him down to just have Book face some disciplinary action. After that, she could talk to Celestia about having him mentally evaluated.

Right now, she had to keep her head. After all, she knew better than to use violence.

“...and not only will the fallout of the case tear apart the symbol of harmony, which will create political and national unrest, it will also cause a large gap in the already lacking legal system in Ponyville.” Light went on as he tried to keep Blueblood interested, even though he felt like he was failing. “So, dropping the charges, or making this a minor offense would have drastically fewer consequences then pressing this case. You’d lose no face whatsoever, and Luna can certainly find another way of meeting with Book that would allow you to avoid contact with him.”

Fluttershy smiled hopefully as she turned to Blueblood, hoping that Blueblood would be willing to listen to her logic.

However, the prince looked more annoyed than anything. “Well, clearly you learned nothing from my aunt about talking clearly, or about that accent of yours.”

Light’s and Fluttershy’s eyes widened when he said that. “Um… excuse me for speaking up, but I think you missed the point…”

“No, I think you two did,” Blueblood said as he picked up a decorative sword from the wall, clearly to flaunt his royal position. “Respect is a deeply rooted word to ponies of noble blood. In ancient times, the simple act of a sour word to one of the nobles could land a pony in stocks. Striking a prince back then would cost a life. Respect is more than a simple word to royalty.”

“Well, humility is a word Luna used. Forgiveness is one Celestia used when she came back. Fear and Respect are two different words, and I don’t know if you are using either one correctly.” Light said sternly as he glared at Blueblood. “We did the math for you. Pride isn’t going to get you anything but trouble.”

Blueblood sneered at Light as he neared the distance to the toymaker. “You need to know your place. Your family has been nothing but trouble for me, and now you try to defend the pony who dared to raise a hoof to me? You don’t make the rules you mentally handicapped fool! I decide what is important, and your arrogant brother is only a minor speck in the grand picture!”

Light gritted his teeth as Blueblood used his mental handicap as an insult, something that always bugged him.

Fluttershy could see the growing tension between the two boys, so she decided that now was the time to step in. “Blueblood, you have nothing to gain by pushing this issue, and nothing to lose by dropping it. Please…”

Fluttershy was cut off as the prince turned to her. “You don’t get to dictate what I do either! You are a mere acquaintance of the princess. My word stands. Book Knight and Rainbow Dash will be charged for their crimes, and I will not rest until they paid for their insult to me!”

Light was now steaming as he saw this stubborn prince throwing away all sense of logic to hold onto his proud image, let alone the fact that he was treating them like trash. Light had no desire to be like his brother, but it was tempting to punch the little brat.

As Light was trying to think of some snappy comeback line, he was shocked to hear the normally quiet and reserved pony scream at Blueblood. “HOW DARE YOU!!!” Fluttershy barked as she neared the prince, actually forcing him to step back. “You think that just because you’re some prince that you can just insult anypony you want?"

“But I…”

“I don’t see Celestia and Luna throwing insults to their guards, let alone her pupil’s friends and mentally handicapped ponies! How prideful do you have to be to toss aside all manners and fail to care about the ponies whose lives you are messing with?!?”

“Well, wait a minute…”

“NO! You listen to me! You may think that you are some big shot, but you are no prince! You are just a great... big… MEANIE!!!”

SLAP

Fluttershy fell back on the couch as her anger turned into shock and fear. She felt a sharp stinging on her cheek where she had been slapped by the young prince.

As she was trying to recover from being hit, Blueblood barked at the shy pegasus. “HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!!! I AM A PRINCE!!!”

“BACK OFF!!!” Light barked as he charged at Blueblood. Prince or not, nopony punches a mare with no reason and simply gets away with it.

Blueblood was startled at the sight of an angry alicorn charging at him. He already felt what it was like for a guard to punch him, but an enraged alicorn's punch sounded like it would put Book's punch to shame. That was something that Blueblood was afraid to experience, and had no intention of doing so.

In fear, Blueblood drew out the sword from its sheath and slashed at the alicorn. Even though it was merely for decoration, it was sharpened as most of the decorative swords that weren’t in the halls of the castle were. Light’s only saving grace was the fact that Blueblood had a lousy aim, managing to only cut his chest. The blade didn’t cut deep, but it did draw blood and halt Light’s advance, causing him to recoil and look at where he was cut.

The entire room was frozen in place as Blueblood and Light were staring at each other in anger. As Fluttershy started to fear what those two would do, she heard the door starting to open.

“Blueblood, I have thought about the case, and I don’t think we should...” Twilight was walking into the room before she saw what was going on. Blueblood had a sword in his hoof, Fluttershy’s cheek was red from an apparent slap, and Light was starting to bleed a little from his chest.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she saw this horrifying sight. “WHAT IS GOING ON?!?”

Twilight’s scream snapped Fluttershy back to reality, causing the timid pony to scream out in fear.

“HEEEELP!!!”

Everypony in Book’s room instantly stood up when they heard the scream. “That’s Shy!!!” Dash yelled as everypony started running to the source of the noise.

“Nopony told me this film was a double feature!” Book said as he started walking to the door to join the others, only to be stopped by the two off duty guards.

“Wait! You’re under house arrest!” Steel tried to point out.

“My current guards went towards the action. I can’t be left here unguarded!” Book said, actually wanting to see what the threat was and possibly subdue it.

“Let him come! Just try not to jump into the fray right away, Book!” Luna ordered as she and Celestia were trying to make their way through the crowd of ponies.

As the crowd neared Blueblood’s room, Book was able to catch a glance of Twilight pulling Blueblood and Light out of his room. Book’s eyes widened as he saw that his little brother’s chest was bleeding. A part of him wanted to repeat what he did the other day, but Luna quickly pulled him back.

“Book, now is not the time for you to step in!” She whispered as one of the guards turned to Fluttershy, who was looking like she started crying.

“Ma’am, what happened to you?”

Fluttershy was breathing heavily as she was trying to keep her composure. “H… he… he hit me…” She barely managed to stutter.

“Who did?” Applejack asked as the prince and alicorn angrily pointed at each other.

“HE DID IT!!!”

The guards looked confused as they were trying to figure out what was going on.

“B… Blueblood struck me, and when Light ran to stop him, Blueblood attacked him…” Fluttershy said as she was still crying. Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack ran over to hug her.

Meanwhile, Light was angrily trying to escape Twilight’s grasp. “Called me a… a mentally… handicapped… a fool… and… called… no… treated her like some…” Light was struggling to form sentences as he was too stressed out by what Blueblood did, still trying to reach the prince to punch him a few dozen times.

“Blueblood?!? How in Celestia’s name could you do this?” Twilight asked angrily as she was still restraining the two ponies.

“Don’t judge me! Those two were trying to defend that arrogant excuse for a guard! They had no right to try to make such requests to me! I am a prince! They are mere...”

“ENOUGH!!!”

The whole hallway silenced as they heard Celestia using her royal canterlot voice. They were shocked to see that Celestia was genuinely angry as she made her way to Blueblood, earning scared looks from the other ponies. Even Book was shocked at Celestia’s outburst.

Blueblood’s anger quickly switched to fear as his aunt neared him, getting a couple of inches away from his face as she spoke in the sternest voice he ever heard him use. “You never treat any pony like that! I don’t care how they disagree with you. Your position doesn’t give you the right to trod on them like dirt. We are their servants. They are not yours.” She scolded him as nopony dared to speak up.

Blueblood could only give a soft whimper, feeling unprotected as he was looking at the pony who drastically outranked him in every way berate him.

Celestia took a deep breath as she regained her composure, remembering that she was being watched. She then turned to Fluttershy and Light and bowed to them, looking rather upset that she allowed this to happen to them. “I am so sorry. I strive to protect all of my ponies and give them the respect they deserve. I failed you both. I failed to teach that humility and care to this prince, and I failed to make sure that royal ponies don't abuse their powers like that. I take the entire responsibility for not having precautions put in place for something like this. For the words, and the blows.” Celestia said humbly as everybody was staring in shock, even Light and Book.

“I… um… it’s okay… you did your best and helped up many times.” Fluttershy tried to comfort her to no avail.

“But I didn’t do enough. I swear that I will install a new code of ethics that will force guards to be present in such meetings to protect both parties, make rules about addressing citizens with respect…” Celestia glanced at Book and Dash before adding the last part. “And adding restrictions to keep nobility from abusing their power.”

Book was rather shocked by this reaction, seeing her taking this matter much more seriously, and clearly ready to overrule any nobles who would try to stop her.

It was about time.

Celestia then turned to Blueblood and gave him another stern glare. “As for you. Their medical bills will be paid by you, along with extra for damages for emotional distress. You will be put under house arrest for three weeks and will be on parole for six months. Your duties will be reduced, and you will be forced to take a program that I will design for you to learn for some humility and understanding about the staff and guards that you will take for granted. I hope you are ready to learn how to serve others. Only when you learn that sense of humility and servitude will I consider you a prince again.” She said coldly before turning away to hide her shame and frustration.

Blueblood looked defeated as his aunt, who had always been kind and understanding now turned against him. As he tried to think of a way to soothe her over and try to reduce his sentence, but then he started to see a few drops dripping onto the floor. She was crying, and he didn’t know if it was out of shame, anger, or regret. He slowly realized that she wasn’t going to back off on her word. His protection was now gone.

Book however had an entirely different concern. Blueblood had his room that had plenty of windows, and since he was still a prince, that meant that his room would be the most likely place that the prince would be staying in.

Noooooooo thank you!!!

“Hey! No offense, but he has a case against me! I don’t want to share my house arrest with him!” Book hollered from the back of the group.

Twilight was still angry from seeing a pony she was willing to work with attacking Light and Fluttershy, but this triggered her. A bit of steam came off oh her head as she stormed up to Book, who was still not too fazed by her wrath. “Book… you… are innocent!!!” She said angrily before turning to Blueblood, the one pony that now replaced Book as the pony she hated the most. “HE SLIPPED ON SOME SOAP!!!” She screamed as she stormed past Celestia to head to her room.

“Twilight…” Celestia was about to try to console her, but Twilight raised her hoof.

“Princess… I’m sorry, but I need some time alone to cool my head. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Just… don’t let Book leave until after I talk to you.” Twilight said as she was breathing heavily, clearly not looking to talk to anypony at the moment.

Celestia nodded as she took a deep breath as well. “I understand. Rest well, my faithful student. I’ll make sure this is handled.” She said as she watched Twilight walk off. Her focus then turned to Book. “Book Knight, I will ask you to wait here until I can talk to you tomorrow.” She ordered sternly as she turned to the guards. “Take Fluttershy and Light to the medical ward, and lock Blueblood up in the briefing room until Luna can finish her investigation.”

Luna’s eyes widened when her name was called out. “But… I’ll miss the rest of the movie!” She whined, earning an unimpressed glance from Celestia.

“It’s your shift,” Celestia said bluntly. “And we can watch it later. I shall be turning in for the night.” Celestia explained with a sigh as she walked off.

Luna groaned before turning to Blueblood. “Fine. Guards! Take him away till I have a chance to talk to the others. I'll see to it that you'll be able to see the rest of the film once Celestia and I have the chance. As for the rest of you, go back to the movie and finish it without us. Dismissed!” Luna said as she motioned for the others to leave the scene.

Nopony dared to defy her as the castle staff made their way back to the VIP room. Dash grumbled a bit, feeling rather frustrated about what happened to her friend. “I wish I could have taken a turn at punching Blueblood.”

Book sighed as he started to relax a little more. “Maybe for your birthday. At least now I can get back to work. Although I am sorry if I wasted your efforts on protecting me and pampering me.”

“Oh, you’re still getting the suit.” Rarity insisted. “I spent hours working on the design of that masterpiece, and I rarely design for stallions. I refuse to let my inspiration go to waste.”

“Well, as soon as Shy is out of the medic ward, I’m going to go talk to the poor mare. That little filly is probably shaken to her core after that stubborn prince thought it was funny to play with knives.” Applejack said somberly.

“Indeed. And then there was that nasty cut on Light.” Rarity added. "I hope he'll be okay."

“Awe, he’ll be fine! The author won’t even write in a scar.” Pinkie reassured the group before turning to the rest of the group. “Now come on! Let’s get back to watching that film before the author jumps to the last chapter!” She said as she skipped off into the VIP room.

Book stared at the bubbly mare in disbelief as he started to mutter to himself. “Batman wouldn’t even be able to understand that mare that mare.”

Every Action has Consequences.

Book gave a soft yawn as he was making his way towards Celestia’s office. Since he had to wait until today before he could start working again, (And since his armor was in Ponyville) he had his last night of rest. He admittedly enjoyed his time to rest after such a taxing time for him, but he wanted to be back on the field.

It was his addiction. It was his thrilling endeavor to keep his people safe. Sure, it was tiring and not very rewarding financially, but he was dedicated to his work. He got to handle the worst of the worst on his own, with no distractions to get in his way. Well, then there was his day job of being Ponyville’s general officer, but every pony has a hobby. All he had to do now was chat with Celestia for a bit, and then it was back to work.

As Book neared the throne room, he saw Twilight walking out, looking like she had finally calmed down from the other night. Book was rather curious that she didn’t shoot daggers at him as usual. She seemed more worried about him this time, looking at him with pity and concern. It was rather unsettling to him. He didn’t believe that Blueblood attacking his brother would be enough to get Twilight to reconsider her position on the Shadow Knight.

Regardless, he had a meeting to go to, and then it was straight back to work. As he walked into the throne room, he saw Celestia and Luna waiting for him. Celestia looked more solemn than normal, and Luna looked nervous for some odd reason. Book decided to keep his nose out of it, but he did want to know the status of his brother.

“Your highnesses. If I may inquire before we get down to business, how is Light doing?”

Luna cleared her throat as she tried to correct Book’s line of questioning, something she hadn’t done before. “Um, shouldn’t you look into Fluttershy’s condition too?”

“No real reason to. She was slapped in the face and is constantly checked on by her friends. She has also grown a bigger spine lately. Light had a minor chest wound but has a harder time reacting to such situations. It’s his mental state I want to know about.” Book explained calmly.

Celestia sighed as she spoke softly. “Your brother is recovering well. He’ll have stitches for a while, but he’ll be fine after a while. As for his mental state, I managed to calm him down with a written “apology” from Blueblood and allow him to see my rough draft of the noble’s rules of conduct. He’ll be pacified enough to not require another restraining order.” Celestia said as she shuddered at the memory of Light’s father charging at Neighsay, but that’s a different story. “Anyways, I think we need to talk about you for a while.”

“Well, I already sent my report to Luna with the free time I had,” Book said with a small shrug. “What else is there to talk about?”

Celestia took a deep breath as she knew that Book wasn’t going to like hearing this. “I was talking more about your mental state.”

Book raised an eyebrow at her skepticism. “Say what now?!?”

Luna winced at Book’s rude response. “Um… please relax Book. I’m sure this can all be settled without much trouble…”

“Luna, please. This is more important than the Shadow Knight right now.” Celestia said sternly.

Book cleared his throat, simply to get the mare's attention. “Excuse me, I doubt that this is more important than the security of Ponyville or the safety of the ponies in our nation,” Book said, looking rather ticked at Celestia downplaying his night job.

“Book, stand down. Right now I have full reason to be concerned for you, and a large part of it could be pointed at our poor management of Equestria’s security. I’ve always trusted Twilight and her friends to keep Ponyville safe, and you were always able to handle the more legal parts of protecting your city.” Celestia said before getting out Book’s folder. “But now I am afraid that your extra duties have taken an extra toll on your mental state.”

“What are you talking about? My mind hasn’t been sharper!” Book exclaimed. “I have taken down more crooks and wannabe crime lords in my time as the Shadow Knight than the entire royal guard did in a decade!!”

“As impressive as five crime lords are in a year, let the other feats you have done in that time, I still have reason to be concerned,” Celestia said as she got out Book’s last medical report. “You’ve been working all of the time, and rarely get any full rest. You have been taking no days off, no vacations, and the longest time you have not been working in the last year is when you broke a bone six months ago, and you still patrolled in a wheelchair.”

“Hey, I’m the only guard in Equestria! I don’t get the luxury of having days off. Even if I did have teammates, I wouldn’t be able to trust them with the security of Equestria!” Book said sternly.

Celestia looked concerned at Book’s cold attitude as she tried to keep her calm demeanor. “I see… and how long have you had these trust issues?”

Luna gave a nervous chuckle as she pointed at a page in Book’s file. “He already had it on his record from his training.”

“So? I don’t work well with others! Not all of us can be Twilight!” Book said as he still looked infuriated at the princesses judging his work. “I still get the hard job done!”

“At what cost to you?” Celestia asked. “You’ve become cold and unfeeling. You’re angry and unsympathetic, and I’m not just going off of Twilight’s account. This incident with Blueblood has made me see that you are possibly under too much pressure.”

“HE HAD NO RIGHT TO STRIKE ME!!!” Book yelled at Celestia, now being only a few inches away from Celestia.

“And what’s making you better than him right now?” Celestia asked, now giving him the same concerned look that Twilight gave him.

Book was almost ready to object to her, but then he remembered what Blueblood said when he attacked Light and Fluttershy. “They had no right to try to make such requests to me!” Blueblood was so prideful and arrogant that he forgot how to respect other ponies. It even got to the point where he lashed out in violence.

It was then that Book realized what he was doing. He was yelling in the face of Princess Celestia, the pony who he swore to serve. It was against all teachings about honoring her that he was taught. As for the violence, he already lashed out and was seen as a hero for it. All it took was two thick heads to ram into each other for the stronger one to be seen, but neither one of them was the smarter one.

Book backed away from Celestia, seeing Luna’s scared expression as her champion was seemingly unhinged. This was a stark contrast to when he first asked to put on this mask. He took a deep breath as he bowed to Celestia, trying to put that humility back on. “I… I’m sorry for my outburst, your highness.”

Celestia let out a deep breath as she set her paperwork aside. “It’s okay Book. I know how dedicated and passionate you are about your duty, but you need to be willing to take care of yourself on a mental level. I don’t want you going further than my misguided nephew has. For this reason, I am currently ordering that you take at least a month of your vacation time. Said vacation can only be interrupted by a serious issue that requires your expertise.”

Book’s eyes widened when she sentenced him to a vacation. He was starting to get stare-crazy in a VIP room, and now he had to go a whole month without working. “A… whole month?!?” Book asked in shock, trying to keep his cool about this. “B… but… what about the city?”

“I know a few ponies there who can cover your duties for a while until I can find a few ponies who can help you out in the day shift so you aren’t working seven days a week. I also want you to eventually meet a phycologist. I promise that he will keep anything you say to his secret.” Celestia assured him as she petted his back gently. “Book, I know that you put so much pressure on yourself so you can keep your people safe, but if you fall, who will stand in your place?”

Book looked baffled as he was now being forced to hold back and leave his nation unguarded. “B… but what do I do without…”

Celestia gave a small smile as she tried to comfort Book. “Talk to some of the ponies you keep protecting. Make friends. Have some fun. Light told me that you have a family reunion that you keep missing in a few days. Go there and meet up with your relatives. Of course, you can keep your body in shape, but I implore you not to spend this time cooped up in your basement. Live a little, and try to relax.”

Book wanted to try to appeal to her, but he knew that she was only looking out for him. He felt like this was the worst way of doing so, but he had to remember that he isn’t somepony like Blueblood, corruptible by pride. He had to show her that he was capable of stepping back and being humble. “I… I understand your highness. Thank you.”

“I know you aren’t thanking me right now, but I hope you will one day,” Celestia said before saluting Book. “If we have a serious need for the Shadow Knight, Luna will contact you. Until then, you will be taking time off as ordered. Dismissed.”

The princesses watched silently as Book saluted them back, and then slowly walked out of the room. He looked conflicted at being reprimanded like this. He didn’t want to leave his duties for this long, but there were still consequences for his actions, and he had to pay the price.

Luna looked crushed as she watched the hero she helped form was being disciplined like this. This was her champion, her way of showing her sister that she can be trusted with Equestria’s security. Now it felt like she was failing not only her nation but Book and Celestia as well.

Luna’s voice was shaky as she tried to speak. “C… Celestia… I… I didn’t know that he’d…”

Celestia turned to her sister before she could finish, showing Luna that she didn’t like having to punish Book any more than Luna. “I understand. If it wasn’t for Blueblood’s actions and Twilight’s concern, I probably would have let Book slide, but we can’t have lawless vigilantes. He needs to be held to standards just like Blueblood should have been. Maybe this can be a pivotal moment for Book to become a better hero, but right now he needs to be judged and looked over from a mental standpoint.”

“But his record was clean, and I even had him write me a record about his development that led to him being a hero.” Luna tried to explain.

“And you think he told you everything?” Celestia asked. “Don’t you think he would have hidden details about his past from you?”

Luna wanted to argue with Celestia about Book’s trustworthiness, but then she remembered something about Book that she never understood. Why didn’t he trust ponies to have his back? It was something that puzzled her to this day. “So… did… Did I make a mistake in Book?” She asked, looking concerned that her sister’s trust in her judgment may be lost.

“I don’t think so. He’s dedicated, but he may have some mental problems that will need addressing.” Celestia explained as she got out some paperwork. “I want us to go over his whole file, not just his summary. I also want to ask Spike if he knows more about this fallout between Book and Twilight. I want to know more about Equestria’s hero.”

Luna looked surprised that Celestia wasn’t flat out suspending or discharging Book with the way she was talking. “So… why would we set him aside for now, yet keep the Shadow Knight on the table?”

“Because there may be a day when friendship isn’t enough.” A pony said from the other side of the room, gaining the attention of Celestia and Luna. “And the Shadow Knight may be the first stepping stone to the path of protecting Equestria.”

“... and no strenuous exercise for the rest of the week. I also want you to check up with the doctor in Ponyville once a week to make sure that your rib heals properly. You should be better in about six weeks.”

Dash rolled her eyes as she was getting a final lecture from the doctor about her recovery process. She never liked it, but she had been hurt enough times to know the basic drill. All of the resting she had to do, and the other things that she can do to help with any pain and discomfort. It was like second nature to her now.

“Okay, I know the drill. May I now go to see my friends and go?” Dash asked as she started to get rather impatient.

The doctor gave a soft sigh as she nodded. “Yes. Your medical paperwork will be forwarded to the Wonderbolts, and you will be allowed to go back to work. Until then, follow my instructions and listen to your doctor. Be sure to go to a hospital if anything feels wrong or if you develop any worsening symptoms.”

“I know. And I’ll send you a signed poster from the Wonderbolts. Have a lovely day.” Dash said as she quickly made her way out of the room. She knew that the poor mare wanted to help her, but nopony babies Rainbow Dash.

As she started making her way down the hall to meet up with her friends, she saw Twilight walking towards her with a somber look on her face. “Hi, Dash. Care to talk?”

Dash looked hesitant at first, but Twilight’s didn’t seem aggressive in any way, so she shrugged. “I always have time for my friends.”

Twilight looked confused as Dash looked rather relaxed about talking to her after their last encounter. “Seriously? Last time we talked you were looking at me like I was out of control, and now you just act like it never happened?”

“Last time you were angry and demanding. Now you are calm and willing to talk calmly. So, what changed?” Dash asked as she looked at her friend.

Twilight could only sigh as she confessed to her friend. “I realized that even when some ponies treat me rudely, I need to be the bigger pony. I also realized that Book may need more care than I realized. I couldn’t bring the hammer down on him. I may not like him, but using my anger would only make it worse.”

Dash raised an eyebrow at the thought of Book needing help. “Well, I am still sorry for taking a different side this time. Next time somepony tries to pick a fight, I’ll try playing peacemaker.”

“Oh, after Blueblood’s display of professionalism, I think I can understand,” Twilight said as they started walking over to where their friends were waiting.

“Admit it, you wished you could have turned that jerk into a statue,” Dash whispered to her with a grin.

“I would never stoop that low!” Twilight said firmly before letting out a small whisper. “But I might tell Discord.”

Dash giggled at the thought. “That’s worse!” She said before they joined their friends to try and relax after this whole incident.

Book was finishing packing his bags as he was trying to accept that he was stuck having to waste time for a whole month. The worst part was that he may have to put up with another guard after this. He hated the idea of a teammate holding him back and messing him up. Well, at least the Shadow Knight was still a solo show… even though he now has to wait on that too.

As he was packing his bags, he heard the guards knock on the door. “Are you almost done, Lieutenant Knight?”

“Yeah, I’m packing. Why do you ask?” Book asked, sounding irritated. “What is it?”

“We were ordered to take Blueblood here since it’s a more securable room than his own house. We have to wait for you to finish before we can take him in.”

Book sighed as he finished packing his bag. “Fair enough. I’m outta here anyway. You can bring him in now.”

The guards nodded as they led Blueblood into the room. The prince looked humiliated as he brought his bags into the room. He looked offended to see Book in there, but he seemed afraid to try and flaunt his lost position. “Mr. Knight…”

“Blueblood,” Book said as he grabbed his bag and allowed the prince to set his bags on the bed. Book admittedly wanted nothing more to do with the prince, but he had to know why a diplomat would go violent. “Hey, mind answering a serious question?”

Blueblood looked confused by Book’s request. At first, he thought that the guard was trying to mock him, but Book looked rather serious right now. “What? Is it about Twilight? She was interested once according to her, but she has lost interest.”

“No, I…” Book paused as he looked at Blueblood. “She… was interested in me?”

“She said you couldn’t take a hint if she hit you over the head with it, and that you are married to your job,” Blueblood explained as he kept unpacking. “I learned it with Rarity. A mare can only take so much punishment before they start raging.” Blueblood explained somberly. “Biggest mess up in my political career.”

Book had to agree that treating the element of Generosity the way he did at that party, considering what influence she has today, was a major political blunder on his part. However, he had no clue that Twilight was interested in him.

He guessed that helped contribute to Twilight hating him so much. If she did have an interest in dating Book for so long, and then watch him become such a brutal pony without even listening to her protests would make any mare upset. However, he didn’t care about relations. They were a distraction to him, and would only get in the way of his duties, let alone put the poor pony at risk.

It just wasn’t something worth bothering with his opinion. “Forget that. I wanted to ask about why you attacked Fluttershy and my brother.” Book asked calmly. “I am not going to fight you over it. I just want to know.”

Blueblood looked irritated at the question, but he simply huffed as he puffed his chest up. “Because you people pushed me too far. I have to remain professional all day and I serve Equestria. My job isn’t easy, and then some stallion mocks me and strikes me. The funny thing is that he didn’t get punished, and was treated like a hero.” He explained before letting out a deep sigh. “I… suppose that by the time Fluttershy and Light came up to me… my anger boiled over to an… unacceptable point… and I took it out physically on Fluttershy, and out of fear I defended myself from your angry little brother when he charged me.”

Book felt a mental sting in his head as he heard what Blueblood said about stressful jobs and building anger. Book’s job was physically demanding of him while Light’s description of being a prince was mind-bending, having to be able to look years ahead when making decisions. He hated to admit it, but being a prince was an actual job.

Then there was the building anger and stress. Book had been putting up with the prince for a long time with his petty needs, and he finally had the chance to just be snarky and get away with it, but then there was the stress of his job. Book had to fight the worst of the worse and had to become more aggressive to be able to handle his enemies. Did he allow this aggression to control him when he punched the prince?

“So… what do you feel now?” Book asked, trying to still look professional while hiding his concern.

“Like a fool,” Blueblood grumbled as he sat down on the bed. “It was a boneheaded decision that cost me my position and a lot of respect. Now I get the pleasure of having to rebuild my relationship with my ticked off aunt. I’d like to blame you, but it won’t help me get my reputation back.” He said as he tossed his jacket to the side. “My head is already on a chopping block.”

Book bit his lip as he started to realize how similar they were at the moment, and the worst part was that Book was the one who snapped first. They both had their unique bad attitudes, and it made Book worry about if next time he’d be on the chopping block and wouldn’t be able to rely on Luna to save him.

“So… what are you planning to do?”

Blueblood took a deep breath as he looked at Book. “I’ll play it smart, and will work on regaining my aunt’s trust. It may just be a matter of me keeping some more controversial opinions silent and just talk less. Hopefully, in three to six months, I’ll have my position back, and I won’t be as careless with my position in the future, even if it means having to put up with your insolent attitude.” He said, clearly trying to be more professional than before.

Book looked conflicted as he heard this from the prince whom he went to blows with. Blueblood looked beaten and humbled, even though there was clearly a grudge between him and Book.

Book sighed as he did something that Twilight would keep trying to lecture her on. “Okay, let’s call a truce. You don’t bother me, and I won’t bother you. Deal?”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow at this. “You mean, I don’t mock or order you around, and you don’t mock or strike me back?”

“It’d let us each focus on our own necks instead of going for each other.” Book explained calmly. “You are an ambassador. Tell me what’s worth more to you. Your pride, or your name?” He asked, knowing that this deal needed Book to ask himself the same thing.

Blueblood looked at the fighter for a moment before holding his head up a little higher. “Well, I wouldn't mind not having to think about you, and I think we both have better things to do with our lives. So I agree that we don’t need to interact with each other unless needed.”

Book nodded, not liking the thought of a truce with somepony who insulted his pride and slapped him with a towel, but Blueblood was right. They both had better things to do than push each other’s egos.

As Book started walking towards the door, he felt like he had to get the last word in, just to pay him back for his little brother. Even then, he had to play fair if he wanted to keep this from boiling over again. “Hey Blueblood, how about one more insult for each other, just to have one last vent?” Book asked, trying to make it sound like a light thing. “It’s only a few last words.”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow before facing Book, who was already a few feet away from the door. “Well… fine… but only one.” He said before clearing his throat. “Your most foolish decision from what I’ve heard is refusing to try and get promotions. It goes to show your complete lack of reason and goes to show why I’ll always make in a week what you make in a year.”

Book winced at that. The real reason why he didn’t want to get promoted too much was because he was always fearing the idea of a pencil pusher. It was his worst nightmare to be taken off of doing real work to protect people and simply be stuck behind a desk. It was irking to hear that from the prince, but Book willingly opened himself up to this, and it was a decent roast.

“Fair point… and a good hit.” Book said as he was right next to the door, having a small grin on his face. “But I am a free pony.” He said before skipping in and out of the door. “I can go in, I can go out, I can go in, I can go out…”

Author's Note

There is a difference between repentance and professionalism, and Blueblood did the latter. As for Book, he may have backed up here, but he's still a stubborn fighter in several ways. This isn't the end of Book's story, and the next one will show pieces of his past that he left out, along with the weight of the mask.