Author: Aqua Bolt
Description: After deeming him a danger to the royal treasury, Princess Celestia sends Prince Blueblood to Ponyville for a crash course in humility and fiscal responsibility.Google Documents
The Prince Among Paupers
The Prince Among Paupers Part 2
The Prince Among Paupers Part 3
The Prince Among Paupers Part 4 (New!)
Deviant Art
The Prince Among Paupers
The Prince Among Paupers Part 2
The Prince Among Paupers Part 3
The Prince Among Paupers Part 4 (New!)
Additional Tags: Fish out of water, Blueblood, cut down to size, peasants, working,
99 comments:
I have a feeling rarity isn't going to be too pleased to see him again...
ReplyDeleteThis will not be the first post.
ReplyDeleteFirst
ReplyDeleteBlueblood story? Hmm...
ReplyDeleteVery Intriguing,
ReplyDeleteBookmark'd for later
Well this is certainly promising. Hoping to see more soon.
ReplyDeleteWas that a Blackadder reference I spied? XD
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good set-up and very amusing. I'm going to be interested in seeing how this turns out. Keep up the good work!
Drunk Pinkie Pie?
ReplyDeleteMOAR PLEASE.
Also, Prince Blueblood needs to be taken down a few hundred pegs.
@Brother_Fenir
ReplyDeleteDrunk Pinkie Pie you say?
I think I am going to read this now.
I love it... Trixie is a bitch, fans love her... Gilda is a bitch, fans love her... Blueblood is a dick, fans scream for blood.
ReplyDeleteI love this, more please!
ReplyDeleteThe description is enough to love this story.
ReplyDeleteI really loved this =))=)) ... nearely drowned in tears at the begining when blueblood was leaving and the ponies had tears (of joy i bet) in their eyes:)) ...as it flashbacked me to "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" the moment he left the temple =)).
ReplyDeleteOverall it's VERY good writing :D
@Marrock
ReplyDeleteThat's because while Trixie and Gilda could very easily have solid explanations for their behavior (as numerous fics have proven over and over), Blueblood's bratty nature is a painfully obvious result of being spoiled senseless. One can hardly sympathize with that.
In regards to the story, I'm gleefully anticipating the continuation.
TIME FOR READ! let´s see this thingy!
ReplyDelete-the little pony(jelly)
I like this so far!
ReplyDeleteOh, this should be a good one.
ReplyDeleteHA! Bluebloods a dick, seeing him get knocked down a peg or two is gonna be amusing as hell. And a drunk Pinkie Pie? Um, yes please!
ReplyDeletePrince Blueblood! Just earlier today, I was thinking about how little attention he gets. Reading now!
ReplyDeletehaha!!! blueblood is too.... naturally selfish. the luna´s socks touch was awesome.
ReplyDeleteepic.
-the little pony (jelly)
Heh, I really enjoyed that. Can't wait for more.
ReplyDeleteHm… not the best Blueblood story around [I don't think redemption will ever be topped], but still has lots of promise. I loved the Luna in socks reference! :)
ReplyDeletePinkie pie spending the night with a gay earth pony? Nothing can go wrong.
ReplyDeleteD'awww, I felt bad for Fluttershy when the Prince almost made her cry a bit. It'll be quite fun to see him brought down to the level of an average pony.
ReplyDeleteAlso, drunk Pinkie Pie? Luna spending tons of money on socks? Moar, please! :D
Drunk Pinkie Pie?
ReplyDeletePrince BlueBlood getting put in his place?
Princess Luna blowing a million bits on socks?
Blueblood and Pinkie Pie as roomies?
...
BRILLIANT!!11! *clinks Guinness*
I have been waiting for this since I first saw Blueblood.
ReplyDeleteWINNING!
ReplyDeleteLoved it! I'll definitely be following this one as more chapters come out.
ReplyDeleteoh this will be glorious! Can't wait for more!
ReplyDeleteBest socks line ever!
ReplyDeleteAlso please let Rarity get vengeance that's both comprehensive and creative.
I remember aqua talking about this in #eqstudy! I can't wait to give it a read :3
ReplyDeleteYou had me laughing on the first page, and it only got better from there. If the comedy keeps up, I can see this easily becoming one of my favourite fics. Looking forward to the next installments!
ReplyDeleteBlueblood living together with Pinkie Pie smells hi jinx enough.
ReplyDelete'Bout time.
ReplyDelete...how does one go about making a rude hoof-gesture?
ReplyDelete@Marrock
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think it's because Gilda pretty much just broke up with her childhood friend, while Trixie just lost everything she had. And then the show just drops it...
Blueblood... nothing REALLY bad happened to him. Oh wait, did he smash his head into a giant statue? Ya I guess. Hey I noticed he just kinda disappeared after that. What was he, under all the rubble or something?
This fic is so sweet. When this is all over, Prince BlueBlood's new name will be Prince Black and BlueBlood.
ReplyDeleteVery good. Though being a very PC world I found the mention of suicide rates and alcohol a little unessesary. Being at sugarcube corner I'd expect ANYTHING edible in that party would've set Pinkie off. Especially given how both sugar and salt have been used as a stand in for beer.
ReplyDeleteBut these are minor details. Things I can easily ignore in the face of a good story.
@Marrock
ReplyDeletePeople don't like Blueblood for exactly the same reason they don't like Silver Spoon. I think I remember one fanfic that made Blueblood the victim of bizarre circumstances that forced him to be a jerk, but I can't recall reading a single fic that made Silver Spoon to be anything but an evil bitch character.
I'm not going to say Blueblood needs to die or anything, as most of the time, I like jerky characters, but it will be interesting to see if by the end of this, he changes or not.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow. Thanks for all the positive feedback guys. It's honestly a little overwhelming. I hope I can make the rest of the story match up to all your expectations.
ReplyDeleteI'm definetely hanging around to see the conclusion of this! So much that needs to be done to put ol' BB back in his place. What all will it take? Mystery abounds!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to more! ^^
A very good story. Its always entertaining to see the different paths characters take to redemption. The Elements of Harmony had so much to offer him and yet he looks down their noses at them. Time will tell if he learns their lessons. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThis is quite enjoyable, five starred, and I can't wait to see more.
ReplyDelete...If anything, you made BB a BIGGER jerk than he was in the show...
ReplyDeleteStill, brilliant
I really liked this and am looking forward to future parts. Overall I think it flowed well, but I feel like a few things ("unusually thick door", the alcoholism) were shoehorned in and didn't fit as well with the rest of the story's version of Equestria. Hopefully as this story goes forward it keeps on being like most of this first chapter's humorous take on BB's spoiled royal rump & doesn't fall back on throwaway whiplash; I'm already imagining him somehow having to babysit Silver Spoon & Diamond Tiara.
ReplyDelete@C. Theron Vulpin
ReplyDeleteWell, it is only the first chapter. I have a feeling that a few chapters in, he'll be less jerkish, I hope.
@ToonNinja
ReplyDeleteYep, that's the only possible explanation.
Or perhaps Trixie is a bitch because her parent are rich as well. She never took a single bit for her shows, remember; She merely used them as a way to satisfy her own immense ego. And she didn't act like her carriage was everything she owned; If anything, she acted like she has her parents buy her a new one every other week.
Really, Marrock is right. Gilda is a lying, thieving, violent bully, yet everyone adores her. Trixie uses her magic to sabotage, hurt and humiliate other ponies, and on top of that insults them. Perhaps if Blueblood had done things as bad as those two, people would be rushing all over themselves to think of tragic backgrounds for him.
Of neglected foalhood and uncaring parents, of so-called friends who only stuck around to mooch off of you and never really liked you, of being forever being stuck in the role of "Celestia's Nephew" and ponies not even bothering to learn your name before they come and want something out of you, of having to bow to the strictures of the court without having any power (because your monarch is semi-immortal at least and local governors are elected), of numerous suitors who are solely interested in your title and couldn't care less about who you are...
See? It's not that hard to construct a sad backstory for Blueblood. Fics have proven only one thing: Up until now, writers just weren't willing to explore the possibilities. Were I able to string together my thoughts into a coherent story, I'd do it myself.
Now, onto to story!
It's true that you made the prince an even bigger jerk than he was in the show; I'm curious how he will fare with Applejack, who can be at least as intolerant as he (she's VERY quick to belittle any and all she considers high-class) yet never gets called out on that. I just hope it won't be simply putting him through the meat grinder ("because that'll build character!") so it satisfies some disproportionate sense of revenge.
And I think I'll giggle if it's Pinkie/Blueblood. That would be a first.
Just read it and I'm surprised Blueblood didn't try to take advantage of a drunken and innocent Pinkie Pie. Guess he's less of a jerk than I thought.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for Rarity, I'm assuming she's in the basement of Carousel Boutique sharpening butcher knives on a grindstone and re-reading "Cupcakes" over and over as she plans her revenge. Okay, nothing that extreme, but still, she's going to make him pay.
And it will be so sweet.
@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteHopefully it's not to bad, cause I have a feeling that Applejack probably isn't going to give him an easy time either.
Loved the writing and the premise, this story seems very promising. Looking forward to new chapters.
ReplyDelete@Ardashir
ReplyDelete"What? And soil my royal loins with commoner mare meat? Be off with you, fool! No less than a countess would do for my pleasure!"
...yeah, less of a jerk, right.
As for Rarity... do you have any idea how many pins and needles does it take to make a suit? And wanna bet that Rarity will be clumsier than usual when using our royal spoilage as a ponequin? ^-^
Why do people love Trixie? Because she's a large ham, has flair, and is simply hilarious in just how over the top she is.
ReplyDeleteBlueblood is a huge jerk that epitomizes spoiled brat. Hmmm, I wonder how Silver Spood and Diamond Tiara would get along with him...
Loving this fic so far.
To the first @Anonymous: Yeah, AJ should get some sweat out of him.
ReplyDeleteTo the second @Anonymous: I have no idea how many pins and needles there are in a shirt, but I'm sure that Rarity will never, ever stoop to petty revenge by sticking him a few times.
She'll get a ladylike revenge by stacking him LOTS of times.
And as for Blueblood himself -- You, soil yourself with 'common mare meat'? It's the other way around, hayburner; those ladies would be the ones degraded by you!
Well, all I can say is I hope the fic does give him some kinda redemption, mainly cause the comments are getting 7 shades of nasty when referring to this character.
ReplyDelete^ I wouldn't mind seeing him get redeemed either, but after what he's done most of the fans expect (and hope) to see him get taken down a peg.
ReplyDeleteOh man.../I'd/ kill Pinkie after four hours of Equestria Girls.
ReplyDelete@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm not saying that, after all, his character can't change without that.
Aw... I was planning on doing a story very similar to this one.
ReplyDelete@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteWhoa, let's just get one thing about this story straight. Blueblood's a lot of things, most of them unpleasant, but he's not a rapist. Seriously, this is a pony fic, not ASoIaF
@Aqua Bolt
ReplyDeleteWell, someone in this fandom did turn Pinkie into a serial killer, so I wouldn't be to surprised if someone did something awful with Blueblood.
Though hopefully, as bad as a character as he might be, I hope that doesn't happen.
For the person who said that Trixie never took a bit for her shows and could be explained as having been spoiled too, congratulations. You made me rewatch Episode 6.
ReplyDeleteFirst thing I notice is that either Trixie's act is *seriously* well choreographed, or I underestimated the finesse of her magical abilities, or there's somepony behind the scenes pulling switches and levers to get the timing right. I'm leaning on option two - which has the added benefit of reducing her fireworks expenditures. They ain't fireworks, they just look like fireworks, and that means everypony can be talked into paying like they're fireworks.
On that note, her show got kinda spoiled. I'm thinking she might've given up on getting paid partway through it, and continued through on pure pride and showmareship. I mean, note that before the mane six, nopony really cared to challenge her. They really were impressed. Even the mane six looked like they would've kept their tongues if Spike hadn't been heckling them.
Even with all that, I personally just figured they glossed over the financial aspects of it. They do that. Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique, Apple Family Farms, these are all businesses, yet not too many bits change hands during the actual run of the show. It'd be distracting and usually irrelevant.
By the by, Trixie carries an iconic hat, but she has to take it off when her performances get intense. Where'd that hat go?
Here's a guess. Assuming she didn't take the hecklers so personally that she put on a free show for them, it was probably floating around the audience, a mute appeal to fund the travelling entertainer. Gimmicky ways of getting funds from the audience are par for the course. Passing around the hat is almost traditional; what about having the hat pass itself around? It just never came near the mane six. It was pretty obvious *they* were never going to contribute a single bit. The rest of the audience *did* seem to be enjoying the performance. There was cheers and clapping and laughter for both the mane six and Trixie herself.
In the end, the final word is that nopony travels in a gypsy wagon because they're wealthy. I would expect she really is just travelling entertainer. It's what she looks like. Sometimes the obvious answer is true, and not every down on her luck street performer turns out to be a princess in disguise.
@Anonymous
ReplyDelete"nopony travels in a gypsy wagon because they're wealthy"
A gypsy wagon with a folding stage. That's pretty pimped out. And it's bigger than the one Twilight created for the Gala.
Remember, wagons are sort of the equivalent of cars; Even the Princess herself travels by chariot. I'd say Trixie is pretty wealthy to own one of that caliber.
It's a matter of interpretation.
Great idea, good written, I'm waiting for more :)
ReplyDeleteYesssssss, break the haughty bastard!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteIndeed, yes. A matter of interpretation. I was imagining the wagon as being more like Doctor Parnassus' travelling stage than something more pimped out. The show hasn't really given us enough information to be sure of one interpretation over the other.
And that means plenty of room for fanfic and fanon, yay! Speaking of which, I actually did read the Blueblood fanfic that I'm commenting on and I quite liked it. I'm looking forward to the next one!
I do have one teensy little request for the author. Please, please don't beat up the Prince. I've had enough of violent ponies. Don't make him black-and-blueblood.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteWe are in perfect agreement then, on all three accounts!
That's actually sort of a happy thought. Yay indeed!
@Sebiale By holding the hoof up to one's snout at an angle maybe?
ReplyDeletePlease tell me he's going to wake up with Gummy looking him in the eye from only a few inches away before giving him his more normal greeting(chomp, chomp, chomp).
ReplyDeleteMaybe if he sees how hard the citizens of ponyville really work, by working hard to earn a living he might actually wise up. Apparently he's never worked a single day in his life, so such virtues like humility & gratitude are foreign to him. This new experience is just what he needs. Maybe he'll also learn to treat other ponies with dignity & respect as well.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the reason Pinkie Pie was drinking was because her inner Pinkamena was going nuts with having to deal with Blueblood and decided to end it somehow.
ReplyDeleteHopefully this won't just be a bashing fic, it'd be interesting to see a story that makes (Forces) Blueblood to change for the better.
Wonderfully written so far. Thoughts:
ReplyDeleteHow the hay did Luna spend five million bits on socks? she's only been back for a year at most, so that's an average of more than 13 thousand a day...when 2 bits gives you a high quality desert even after the price is ratcheted up to high-class party rates. On socks.
I love that pegasus leader. I hope he returns.
He made Fluttershy cry. There shall be no forgiveness. I hope that his work rotation with Rainbow Dash will be ... fun.
Made it one and a half pages in...then promptly burst out laughing on reading the "five million bits" line. Well played, Aqua Bolt, well played.
ReplyDeleteI like where this is going. XD
ReplyDeleteNot chapter 2, I did like not Chapter 2. Blueblood got hit with a prank by Pinkie Pie. Blue Blood learning something about Lyra, and Ditzy at the same time. I guess I'll wait for chapter 2 to come out.
ReplyDeleteYay! Magical Trevor LOVED not chapter 2! 8D One hopes that you recover from writer's block post-haste!
ReplyDeleteI can't get Dear Idiot out of my mind...
ReplyDeleteI mean, six...
Not sure I can read it. Is it worth it?
What?! A Prince Blueblood that is not completely and irredeemably selfish and spoiled? BLASPHEMY I SAY!
ReplyDeleteNah, it was good. I look forward to Not-not-Chapter 2.
Not a Spongebob fan, but I rather enjoyed the subtlety of the reference.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to point out that Sweetie Belle does not appear to live with Rarity -- she's only around when bugging her sister. She presumably lives with their parents.
ReplyDeleteThat's okay, I didn't plan on sleeping tonight, I actually WANTED to have creepy visions of Lyra and her rusty nail wounds keeping me up
ReplyDeleteA good fic INDEED!
ReplyDeleteI do hope that that scene with Applejack and the bucket of apples was not an attempt to get me to feel sorry for Blueblood...
ReplyDelete'Cause it ain't gonna work
[spoiler]Blueblood went to a bank and got tossed out as soon as possible. Also he met Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon[/end spoiler] and I know that it's going to cause a lot of headaches to say that "They seemed nice" but I know the truth they are up to something.
ReplyDeleteDammit. How did I get a cupcakes vision when she was baking muffins?!
ReplyDeleteAnyway. Your writing style is fantastic.
"Three hours after..."
ReplyDelete"Four hours to make..."
Wait... WHAT?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't think Blueblood has learned any real lessons yet, but I do think he was correct calling out Applejack on her little payment joke. Even complete jerkasses can be right sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fun story all around. Personally, I want to see Blueblood suffer some indignities... Look at all of the abuse poor Twilight takes on the show when she needs to be deflated somewhat. I certainly don't see the need to pull punches with the prince.
ReplyDeleteLuna's sock expenditure seems legit to me. Making them the next fashion craze would surely require some significant start-up investment. Celestial needs to think of the long-term good that will come from ruling a principality of cozy-hooved ponies.
@Bryan: I disagree about Applejack's joke. I thought it was a pretty good illustration of the unfairness of the royalty-commoner system that Blueblood professes to prefer. However, it seems like a single day of hard labor isn't enough for him to put himself into the shoes of the peasants, and so he missed the lesson and focused entirely on his own sense of victimization.
ReplyDeleteThey shouldn't pity him or take it easy on him... It doesn't do him any favors. He's there to learn a hard lesson, and it seems he still has a ways to go.
Pinkie Pie, you are so very insane. I demand more of this fic before the show is done.
ReplyDelete@pmcollectorboy
ReplyDeleteIt's Pinkie Pie. We've seen her in multiple places at once before. I assume that she was simultaneously beginning to bake muffins downstairs while still drinking with Beebee upstairs, and that she is continuing to sleep it off while greeting him the next morning.
“Do you truly grow nothing here but apples?”
ReplyDeleteBut Applejack grows corn too!
@Bryan/@Harwick - Well, you're both right. Blueblood is fundamentally wrong and brought it on himself, but that doesn't mean AJ is necessarily in the right either.
ReplyDelete@Dubs - Does she? >_> whoops. Um...Parallel universe/a wizard did it.
@Aqua Bolt: Maybe it was the Corn family that planted all that corn.
ReplyDelete@Aqua Flash
ReplyDeleteMaybe Applejack was on the corn farm and not the apple farm in S2E1?
Looking foward to the next update! :D
How dare you! You're slowly making Blueblood a likeable character!
ReplyDelete...
Good job!
WHY U NO UPDATE?
ReplyDelete@Ion Storm
ReplyDeleteYou're probably not going to see this comment, but I've been feeling the need to write this down anyway. There's several reasons I suck at updating.
- I'm busy. While I do like writing, it's almost always shoved off my schedule by other priorities.
- At any given point in time I either think my work is awesome or absolutely terrible. Whenever my attitude shifts to the latter any and all writing stops dead, and sometimes I'll even delete what I've already done to start from scratch.
- The latest chapter has not gotten nearly as many views as previous ones, which is discouraging and honestly my fault for being so slow in the first place.
- I've been slowly growing...disillusioned with the brony community. Things like the shit-storms surrounding the Derpy controversy, the shutting down of pony archives, etc. have made my enthusiasm for the fandom wane. Obviously this is hardly the fault of everyone and there are still many, many classy bronies out there. Still, I can't help but think our whole "love and tolerate" thing feels hypocritical, and it makes it hard to write because what I do has always been a labor of love and now I've got less of it to spread around.
- Finally, worst of all, and proof that I'm an idiot: I lost my outline for the rest of the story. I still know all the major plot points I want to hit, but I lost a lot of the connecting threads I meant to use and the ideas behind many gags and jokes I was planning to include. This was discouraging to say the least. I'm currently working on rebuilding that best I can.
Sorry for the wall of text no one was probably interested in, but I needed to get that off my chest. I have absolutely every intention of finishing what I've started, but knowing me, that won't be for a long, long time.
Sorry again, and thanks for reading this and, especially, the story.