My Little Pony: Deviations

My Little Pony: Deviations is a special-edition comic released by IDW Publishing as part of its month-long "Deviations" event. It is a "what if?" story that takes place in an alternate version of Equestria where Princess Celestia chose Prince Blueblood to be her star pupil instead of Twilight Sparkle.

Summary
On the day of Twilight Sparkle's entrance exam into the School for Gifted Unicorns, Princess Celestia is recommended by her advisor Kibitz to take the young and talented unicorn on as a protégé, but Celestia considers taking on a pony who is struggling more with the schoolwork. She decides to take on her immature and lazy nephew Prince Blueblood instead, much to the disapproval of both Kibitz and Professor Inkwell.

Over the years, Celestia attempts to guide Blueblood in the ways of magic and friendship, but his self-centeredness wears heavily on her patience. One morning, several days before the Summer Sun Celebration, Blueblood gripes to Celestia about his agenda for the day as per usual. When he mentions the Summer Sun Celebration being held in Ponyville, Celestia sees this as an opportunity. She tasks him with going to Ponyville, overseeing the Celebration's planning, and making some friends. Before Blueblood can protest, Celestia and Kibitz have already seen him out the castle door.

On the way to Ponyville, Blueblood whines more about his situation. His pet dog Bunny holds up The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide, but Blueblood disregards it. By the time he and his royal guard escort arrive in Ponyville, nighttime has fallen. As the guards carry Blueblood's belongings into the Golden Oak Library, Applejack runs up to Blueblood crying out for help: Nightmare Moon has escaped from her banishment on the moon several days early and is now terrorizing the town. Blueblood approaches Nightmare Moon with "diplomacy" and tries to get her to call off her attack, but Nightmare Moon forcefully kicks him into a cottage.

Blueblood comes up with a new plan, and Applejack offers to help, but his "plan" mostly involves ignoring Nightmare Moon completely and having Applejack do stuff for him. Realizing the prince has no interest in being a hero, Applejack leaves, and Fluttershy runs by while escorting her animal friends to safety. Nightmare Moon attacks again, and Blueblood steps up to protect Fluttershy—by using her animals as shields. Fluttershy explodes in anger at Blueblood over this act of callousness, and she leaves him as well.

Blueblood spots Rarity hiding from Nightmare Moon under the nearby gazebo and immediately becomes infatuated with her. He swoops to her rescue and drapes her in a warm scarf, and Rarity swoons at his gallantry. Rarity says she has a plan to defeat Nightmare Moon using a special magic-repelling cloth she made, but Blueblod takes the cloth—as well as the scarf back—for himself. Rarity leaves Blueblood for his unbelievable selfishness.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and a group of Pegasi try to contain Nightmare Moon inside a wind sphere, and she asks Blueblood to direct their flying formation from the ground. This plan appears to work at first, and Rainbow Dash thanks Blueblood for the assistance, calling him a friend. Blueblood is thrilled at having fulfilled one of Celestia's assigned tasks of making a friend, and he pulls Rainbow Dash aside to make their friendship official in writing. Without Rainbow, the other Pegasi are unable to maintain the wind sphere, and Nightmare Moon breaks free.

As Nightmare Moon covers the town in thorny vines, Pinkie Pie tries to lighten her up with a joke, but it falls flat with Blueblood, and he gets on Pinkie's bad side by calling her a party pooper. By this time, Blueblood has angered every pony he's met in Ponyville so far, and they agree that he's just as bad as Nightmare Moon herself if not worse. Nightmare Moon becomes so upset at being compared to someone as detestable as Blueblood that the darkness around her begins to fade away. As she slowly reverts back into Princess Luna, she unexpectedly finds comfort from the ponies that Blueblood met. Eventually, the ponies have had enough of Blueblood's aloofness and arrogance, and Princess Luna banishes him to the moon. With no one except his pet Bunny for companionship, he considers donning Nightmare Moon's helmet and becoming evil, but he reconsiders upon realizing what such headwear would do to his hair.

In a short follow-up story, Prince Blueblood makes the most of his banishment and creates his own utopia. As Bunny assembles Blueblood's utopia out of rocks, he also sends an S.O.S. to Princess Celestia. When Celestia goes to the moon to investigate, she is puzzled to find "Emperor Blueblood" addressing his rock-made subjects.

Quotes

 * Princess Celestia: ...But I wonder, maybe I should choose a student who needs a bit more help this year? Like him.
 * Kibitz: Oh, sweet sunspots, not that one.
 * Princess Celestia: Nonsense. He's struggling and I know he's perfectly capable of doing the work. He just needs some guidance.
 * Kibitz: ...And a personality overhaul.


 * Princess Celestia: ...I have decided to make you my personal protégé here at the school!
 * Inkwell: What?
 * Prince Blueblood: Well, that is just a terrible idea.


 * Princess Celestia: Actually, a trip to Ponyville would be good for you! Lots of very nice ponies. It's a lovely little town. Ooh. Make some friends! New, positive influences are just what you need! Stay a while. I expect a full report on celebration... stuff and... friendship!


 * Prince Blueblood: And what's this about reading a book while I'm there? She wants me to study? Ugh, that is so like her. Oh! It has pictures! Oh, educational pictures. Pass.


 * Applejack: Princess Celestia didn't send you here to save us, did she?
 * Prince Blueblood: Well, not technically.
 * Applejack: Have you said anything truthful to me in the few hours that we have known each other? Be honest with me.
 * Prince Blueblood: Well, I did really want that bubble tea.


 * Fluttershy: What is wrong with you? Have you never heard of the Golden Rule?! Treat others as you want to be treated... You can't just throw innocent animals into harm's way. Do unto others and all that.
 * Prince Blueblood: "Do unto otters"? That's ridiculous. You did not have enough otters with you to just use otters.


 * Prince Blueblood: Wait!
 * Rarity: You're coming? Wonderful! Let's go!
 * Prince Blueblood: No, no. Whoa. No. It's just, I want my scarf back.


 * Prince Blueblood: [to Rainbow Dash] I'm just going to need you to sign this paper stating that you are, indeed, my friend. If you could also find a notary?


 * Rainbow Dash: You... idiot! You made me abandon my friends for this?
 * Prince Blueblood: Yeah, you still haven't signed it.


 * Prince Blueblood: That was a terrible joke. All the astronomy-based humor she could go with and that's what she picks? Can you believe this pony?
 * Pinkie Pie: Hey... did you just... break the fourth wall? You can't do that, that is my bit, buster.
 * Prince Blueblood: Oh, don't be a party pooper.


 * Pinkie Pie: Listen, you. I was trying to break the tension with laughter. Laughing in the face of dangerous, scary things is an important part of how I cope with dangerous, scary things.
 * Prince Blueblood: Well, that just seems silly.
 * Pinkie Pie: Of course it's silly, I'm Pinkie Pie.


 * Nightmare Moon: You are a very unpleasant pony.
 * Rarity: Oh, don't you even start, you're just as bad as he is.
 * Nightmare Moon: Me? No... I am just trying to show you the beauty of my wonderful night. It needs to be appreciated... and I'm a princess. I deserve respect!


 * Prince Blueblood: Are we done? I'm very bored.
 * Applejack: I will be your loyal friend forever if you will just do something about him.
 * Nightmare Moon: Gladly.


 * Prince Blueblood: Loyal adorers! We're here today for me to tell you that I do know about friendship! Really... everypony else is a friendship disaster. Everypony is impressed by me... like, all the time.