- Main story by Katie Cook, Art by Agnes Garbowska, Backup Story Art by Katie Cook
A single issue comic published by IDW in March 2017 as part of their "Deviations" series, which asks a What If? question around a given universe; in this case, if Prince Blueblood was sent by Princess Celestia to Ponyville rather than Twilight Sparkle.
At the suggestion of Kibitz, Celestia considers sending Blueblood away from Canterlot, and becomes more convinced after seeing how pompous he has become. She quickly sends him off along with his pet dog Bunny to Ponyville on the night of the Summer Sun Festival, tasked with trying to make a friend. However, Blueblood orders the royal guards to take him to Manehattan first, so by the time he arrives, night has already fallen and Nightmare Moon has emerged.
Blueblood runs into Applejack who begs for his help; he only seems interested in making her do a number of pampering chores for him, and still barely offers to help. Next, he encounters Fluttershy, but as Nightmare Moon starts razing the town, he uses her animal companions as his own shield. He spots Rarity nearby and they are immediately attracted to each other, but she leaves in a huff when he demands his gift of a scarf back after refusing to help against the threat. Spotting Rainbow Dash and other pegasi trying to contain Nightmare Moon, he distracts her long enough for Nightmare Moon to break the containment, sending forth vines across Ponyville.
As the rest of the ponies struggle, Pinkie Pie tries to crack a joke about the situation, which Blueblood feels is unfunny. This sets off Pinkie to the point she yells at Nightmare Moon to shut up so she can put Blueblood in his place. The other Mane 5 share their frustrations on Blueblood's attitude. Realizing that she does not want to be as terrible a pony as he is, she abandons her plan for eternal night and reverts to Princess Luna. The Mane 5 quickly apologize and befriend Luna, who promises to help fix up Ponyville. However, when Blueblood expresses boredom with the events, the others convince Luna to launch Blueblood to the moon.
In the extra story, Blueblood becomes very bored on the moon, and makes Bunny build him a fake society; Bunny secretly arranges the buildings to spell the message "HELP." Sometime later, Celestia notices the word on the moon and visits but is greatly confused to find that Blueblood has crowned himself Emperor of the moon and its (imaginary) inhabitants.
This issue provides examples of:
- Dirty Coward: Blueblood. For example, when Nightmare Moon starts razing the town, he uses Fluttershy's animal companions as his own shield.
- Enfant Terrible: Even during his foalhood, Blueblood was a lazy spoiled brat who wouldn't even show respect to his aunt Celestia.
- Handsome Lech: Blueblood. The danger of Nightmare Moon doesn't stop him from flirting with Fluttershy and Rarity.
- Hate Sink: The main plot of the comic is that Prince Blueblood is such a jerk that the Mane 5 hate him more than Nightmare Moon, who has a Heel Realization because she does not want to be as terrible a pony as he is. Celestia, after years of enduring his self-centered behavior, can barely restrain herself from snapping under her nephew's ignorance.
- In Spite of a Nail: Despite being Celestia's personal student, Blueblood is more or less exactly the same as his canon self, if not worse.
- It's All About Me: Blueblood's self-centeredness is even worse than in canon, and causes him to utterly fail at making friends. He didn't even give his illustrious aunt Celestia's advice the time of day back when he was a colt and continues to blow her off well into young adulthood.
- Jerkass: Blueblood is this up to eleven, even compared to his original version.
- Shout-Out: A panel of Blueblood sitting on a rock on the Moon cast in blue light references Dr. Manhattan's self-exile to Mars.
- Talking the Monster to Death: in-comparison to how Nightmare Moon was dealt with in canon by Twilight Sparkle, here it took Nightmare Moon having a Heel Realization after seeing Blueblood being a complete Jerkass to others around her; with the Mane 5 simply talking with her and wanting to genuinely become her friend.
- What If?: Prince Blueblood became Princess Celestia's personal student instead of Twilight Sparkle, and consequently was sent to Ponyville for Nightmare Moon's return?
