Luna’s Story: Rise of the Lunar Stallions
Part 3: Don Thy Armor

Aegis Shield stood in front of a dusty looking glass in the small vault armory room. Princess Luna had used magic to help him don and adjust the armor. “It’s very— light.” He said, surprised. “It’s like its bending and… a part of me.” He moved his haunches one way, then the other. The armor whined, but didn’t clank like solar stallion armor did.

“It is designed to streamline for a winged pony, to be light and impenetrable.” Luna told him, turning her nose up indignantly as she described the masterpiece he was wearing. “It is impervious to heat, magnetism, and most bladed weaponry.”

“You mean—”

“We mean that this armor will stop a knife at pointblank.” She chuckled. “Now then,” She magicked the dorsal-finned helm to rest on his head, then stepped back to have a look at him. “Not a bad fit, but thou hast some filling in to do in the chest and belly area.” Luna tap-tapped his chest with her hoof. “Now then, about the magical form that comes with it.”

“Will it change my fur and eyes like the solar stallion armors do?” Aegis asked, cocking his head and pushing the helmet back a little so he can see.

“That, and a bit more.” She smiled bemusedly, walking away a few steps until she was beyond the threshold of the vault. He watched her, and a bad feeling began to prickle on the back of his neck. “You see, the lunar stallions were a bit more than their usual selves when their regalia’s were activated.” She explained. “Thou shalt be as well, though we must confess the first transformation is a bit painful.”

“Painful?” Aegis Shield echoed, lifting a hoof worriedly. “I thought this was supposed to be a reward?” his ears turned back and he frowned at her a bit.

“Just the first, while the armor measures thou. Then after that thou wilt always be thyself.” She promised, smiling rather darkly. “Which is another reason we have the vault installed here. Even a transformed lunar stallion cannot get through three feet of solid steel. Do not worry, it will not last long.”

“What? You’re locking me in here?!” He made to rush for the door but he was slapped in the chest by an invisible force. Luna’s magic. She frowned at him sternly, then the vault closed by her will. The clang of heavy metal was damning, and he shouted her name for mercy. He called out to her, kept in the dark in an airtight space. Whimpering and hyperventilating a bit, the stallion staggered about blindly for a long time. With no light at all, his eyes could not adjust. It was total blackness. He found the surface of what he hoped was the vault’s door. Banging on it for what felt like ages, he finally gave up and slid to the floor. How much air was there in the vault? How much time would he have before he suffocated?

Meanwhile outside, Princess Luna found an abandoned couch and regally lay on her belly upon it. She watched the vault door carefully, giving an idle smile while she waited for the magic to happen. She’d done it countless times before, it had merely been a thousand or so years since the last lunar stallion had been created. She only hoped that the modern-day stallion could measure up to his ancestors. It would be a shame if he suffocated before making his epiphany. Running a hoof through her ethereal mane, she waited with baited breath. If the poor stallion was willing to give up his penis to serve her sister, wait till he saw what the vault had in store for him. She grinned wryly.

Within the vault, the supreme quiet began to play tricks on Aegis Shield’s mind. He crawled carefully around the room, but couldn’t seem to find either of the display statues to get his bearings. It was all just cold metal and stone. He panicked a little, had he just been thrown in his tomb? Was this actually his punishment for laying his lips on her highness? To be sealed in darkness forever? He hacked and coughed at suffocation that wasn’t there. “Help! Somepony help me!” he shouted, and the vault shuddered his words briefly back at him. He banged hard on the walls, bucking and grunting against them. The air heated with all of his work and extra body heat. Soon the vault was sweltering and he fell on his side, panting and panicked. “Help me, somepony…” he mumbled, shuddering in the strange armor. “Somepony…”
A prickle of amber-gold appeared in the darkness. Then another. Then another. They started appearing in pairs, and with an icy realization the stallion saw they were eyes. Glowing eyes staring at him from the blackness. They lit the room mildly, and he seized up in fear at what he saw. Spirits. Armored spirits with burning eyes and shorn fetlocks! Who were they? What did they want? Aegis shuffled to a corner, terrified. He was no pushover stallion, having been a royal guard, but he didn’t know how to deal with spirits. Whimpering, he pressed himself into the corner and they all turned to watch him. Their wings were odd, membrane’d like bats. Their teeth were terrifying, sharpened like shark teeth in jagged triangles. And their eyes, ohhh… they all had the same amber-gold serpent-like eyes. The spirits stared at him, ghosts of the past.

“What do you want from me?!” he shouted at them, terrified by what he saw. “Go ‘way! Go ‘way!” he waved a hoof about, and suddenly they parted to make a path for him. There, on the back of the vault door, was a short poem. It hadn’t been there when he’d entered with the princess, he was sure of it. He expected it to be in ancient Equestrian, but no, the letters wiggled across the smooth metal surface until they were quite readable:

In the dark, we tear and rend
To end all evils, with spines to bend.
Lust and power, hunger and might
By Luna’s will, and dark of night!

Aegis Shield stared at the words, and saw all the spirits moving their mouths as though speaking the words. They didn’t take their golden, burning eyes off of him. He was the dead-center of attention. Rising slowly, he righted himself. Walking on shaking hooves, he walked among them. They gave him hardened expressions and he was barely able to read their whole faces under their helms. The otherworldly glow of the room was just too much. He stopped before the vault door, staring up at the words. “Some kind of oath?” he whispered to himself. There was a surge in the spiritual glow of the place and he yelped a little, looking back at the crowd of ghosts like they might pounce on him. Suddenly he understood. To walk out with the armor on, he would need to recite the oath taken by his predecessors. It sounded so violent, though. Lust and power? Wow! Gulping a little and wanting very much to just be out of the vault at that point, he came close to the cold metal surface. The spirits looked on eagerly, shifting on their ethereal hooves. Licking his lips a little, he took a few deep breaths. “In the dark, we tear and rend,” he whispered, and could suddenly hear a hundred other pony voices in his head. “To end all evils, with spines to bend,” he felt a little heavy, suddenly, leaning against the vault. Something magical was happening. “Lust and power, hunger and might,” he let his voice grow a little louder. The spirits in the room were audible, their mouths moving as one. “By Luna’s will, and dark of night!”

Aegis Shield’s eyes became pinpricks of fear, and his heart stutter-stopped for a moment. His wings blimped out as pain suddenly wracked his body. He cried out, his back arching as though he were being electrocuted. Rearing up, he screamed again at the pain. His mouth exploded with the coppery taste of blood. His armor felt heavy, so heavy. He fell to his knees with a guttural sound of exhaustion, and his wings melted into something alien to him. Membrane’d wings banished his feathers, spreading darkly to beyond their normal span. He curled with another roar of pain, his body igniting into fiery pain. He could feel himself swelling up, filling the cracks of the armor until it was nice and tight on his body like it was meant to be. He writhed about in torturous agony, his hooves bicycling about wildly. Flailing one way, then the other, he bashed his head over and over against the vault door to relieve himself of the agony. Lesser pain felt like pleasure compared to the transformation! Bashing his head over and over, red splashed across his vision until he staggered backward, clutching himself and roaring again. “It hurts! It hurts!” he roared in a deep voice that was not his own. It sounded like several voices. He staggered about, smearing blood on the walls until he bumped into a corner and fell backward. Clutching at his poor heart, he could only lay there and breath, his mouth agape. Tingling feelings filled his mouth and he moaned, turning to one side and finally flopping over. Then the feelings came.

Oh sweet Luna, it was everything all at once. The stallion felt violently pregnant with raw emotions. He felt angry. He was lusty. He wanted food right then, lots of it. And ohhh, what he wouldn’t give for another stallion to kick the ever-loving shit out of right then! All at once! Lots of food and a fertile mare and a stallion to beat the stuffing out of. That sounded great! That sounded perfect! Slathering and roaring like a beast, he thrashed about like a caged dog. Inhaling deeply, he arched his back like a savage timberwolf and howwwwled like an animal. Rushing to the vault door he bucked. The door gave a resounding clang. He bucked again. Once more, loud but no give. It was too thick, to sturdy for even the frenzied stallion.

Sensing the change was done, Luna ignited her horn. The vault hummed a little, and she barked at it in ancient Equestrian. The Royal Canterlot Voice spoke the forgotten password, and at last the massive door groaned open. The alicorn stood, peering into the blackness. The torches had given out at some point, and some of the smoke emerged from the upper edges of the archway. She leaned forward, lifting a hoof and waiting for him to emerge. And emerge he did. “Magnificant…” Luna marveled, her mouth a little agape.

Aegis Shield emerged with grey fur and golden eyes, the pupils having turned to slits. His tail had turned purple and his armor fit him perfectly now. His lips were drawn back into a piranha’s scowl, jagged teeth that looked like they could saw through a two by four. His massive, powerful barrel-chest heaved up and down, speckled with blood from his mouth where the teeth and re-formed. The eye on the chest of his armor was open and veering around as though looking at the world. With no words in his mind for the moment, Aegis Shield reared up and whinny-screamed, bashing his hooves down and shaking the floor with his strength. Luna found herself smiling grandly. “Uwhr-arw-w-w-wgh!” he roared gutturally, heaving for breath and dribbling with saliva and blood from the mouth. He was like an animal. The power! It felt good!

“So handsome.” Luna chuckled, approaching him casually with a towel hovering with her. His eyes snapped towards her, took her in from hooves to mane. The towel reddened while she wiped his mouth and face, and she had to fold it this way and that to make sure not to simply slather him with his own blood. “This is called the ‘frienzied’ state.” She told the now feral stallion. She made sure her movements were slow and easy to see so he didn’t strike her down or something of the sort. “While the armor adjusts, though shalt be like this for a few minutes. Sadly, there wasn’t enough air in the vault to leave thou in there until the frenzy was ove-eep!” she gave a feminine chirp of panic when he rudely shoved his muzzle into her mane and sniffed deeply. Growwwwl. She froze a moment, feeling the snuffle-snort of hot air from the stallion’s nostrils. The purr of approval brought color to her face. She could not blame him, she silently reminded herself. Everything he was feeling was turned over at least three fold. If he found her attractive, he wouldn’t be able to help himself. Her mind flashed back to the news about the kiss, as well as the gelding comment. Growwwwwl. He stood closer to her, then rested his head on her shoulder with his muzzle in her mane. “W-well, that’s one way to tame the beast, we suppose.” She mumbled, a little more warmth in her face. Different stallions reacted in vastly different ways while frenzied by the lunar armaments. Why, she ever recalled one poor pony that ran himself to exhaustion and was uncatchable until he’d pitched down a flight of stairs and broken three legs. If Aegis Shield was standing still, all the better. Growwwwl. The princess stood still for him, waiting for his mind to rewire itself into the new shape he’d acquired. His jagged teeth found her ear suddenly, and she gave a giggling sort of shriek when he pulled at it a little. He was being playful...? “Thou shalt not nibble upon me, scoundrel!” she laughed a little, pawing at his massive chest with a hoof. “We hath not even shared a meal!” she was mostly talking to herself, since the stallion would remember nothing of his feral state until much later.

Aegis Shield suddenly blinked back to consciousness, the princess’ ear in his mouth and her shrieking giggling piercing his hearing. He let go of her, staggering back like he’d molested her. “Princess! Uph!” his hoof rushed to his mouth. His voice was so deep! His brows rose and she snickered a little at him. “My voice! My voice is so… so deep!” If it were possible for a colt to hit puberty and get his stallion voice, then hit puberty again and go down another few steps, that was what it was like. It was a deep bass, like a bronze bell of syrupy blackness. Nopony’s voice was naturally that deep. “I feel funny!” he said, looking himself over.

“Thine armor has accepted thou, Aegis Shield.” The princess made a show of surveying him up and down, which made him stop to look at himself as well. He was bigger! And… and… grey! “Thou wear it as handsomely as thy ancestors did before you.” She gestured to the looking glass on the far wall. He rushed to it and beheld himself. His wings were bat-like, his eyes yellow and his frame a size bigger. He looked incredible! He felt incredible, too. Leaning back and forth he puffed up his chest a little, drawing chuckles from her majesty. He deflated, blushing and looking at her with embarrassment. “Thou art the first lunar stallion in a thousand years. Congratulations.” Luna told him, patting his armor animatedly.

Aegis Shield looked at her, smiling handsomely. He liked the look. He liked the feeling. It was different. He felt different. Different was good. Cocking his head until his neck popped audibly, he turned and bowed before his princess. Celestia may have—

“Our sister may have caged thou for thy wrecklessness, but we cannot argue with results, so thank you.” Luna practically read his mind and for an icy second he thought perhaps she had. “Thy reward is to be the first stallion in my direct service in millennia.” Leaning, she cupped one of his cheeks with her hoof and tenderly kissed the other with affection. He blushed, and that pleased her. “Now then… we want to show thou off.” She suddenly grinned like a filly, snickering and turning on her hooves.

“Show me off?” he asked, still startled by the thundering deep of his own voice. He held his throat for a moment. That was going to take some getting used to, over everything else. At least he could only see the rest when looking in a mirror.

“Yes. Thy new vocation will draw an eye or two, we guarantee it.” She was still chuckling, her ears facing forward and a bounce in her step. Aegis Shield, for some reason, suddenly compared her to Celestia. Luna was more animated, more giggly, and at least partially seemed to have a sense of humor. He found himself happy he’d devoted himself to the princess of the night. She was more… there. More exciting. He felt the smile crossing his face as he walked behind her out of the narrow passage as well. It didn’t hurt that she was damn beautiful, either.

=-=-=-=

Luna walked in her usual regal manner down the great halls of the royal palace. Her wings were up and open, and her massive hooves made the usual clack-clack-clack-clack sounds. “The midnight court shall start soon, we should make haste.” She said absently. Aegis Shield followed at her five o’clock, peered around. Something was a little off. It seemed rather bright for the middle of the night. He squinted at the lighter-than-normal torches. He rubbed his eyes a little, then peered again. Very bright. “Do not fidget, thy eyes are more powerful than before. Thy transformation grants a good degree of night-vision, better than the average pony.” She smirked over her shoulder at them, and they turned a corner to run into a blood-curdling scream!

A mare with a feather duster for a cutie mark crashed herself into a vase, flinching away from Aegis Shield. “M-m-m-monster!” she pointed with a hoof, her tray and other things strewn about her. In white-faced terror she could only shake like a leaf under his golden-eyed gaze.

A thundering of many hooves brought at least a dozen night-shift solar regalia guards to the scene. They took in the scene with gaping mouths. Princess Luna, a maid, a big mess, and a new… stallion in armor? What was he? They’d never seen anything like him before. “Remain calm!” one of the armored stallions demanded. “We’re here to help.”

“Thy help is not required.” Luna snapped. “Disperse.” She made a sweeping gesture. The three seconds of hesitation only made her angrier, and she stamped a hoof. “Dis-PERSE!” the Royal Canterlot Voice peeked through and the guards backed off. The maid, splayed out on the floor, whimpered and shook. The princess turned her gaze on the blubbering mare, and made a gesture with her eyes for Aegis Shield to see. First impression time, it seemed. Moving quickly and folding his wings so he didn’t look as intimidating, he knelt on all four knees and helped her up. She yipped a little at his touch, but finally looked upon him in earnest when she was set squarely on her hooves again. He brushed her off a bit, then nodded once, offering a small smile. She stared at him breathily for a few moments, looking from him to Luna. Soon the connection was made via colors and demeanor, and she busily began to gather her things and apologize for the mess she’d made wrecking the vase. “Go in peace, little mare.” Luna commanded, turning and nodding once to make the lunar stallion follow. He obeyed.

Scenes much like that one occurred three more times as they went through the halls of the palace. They thought Aegis Shield to be an armored monster, found out he was with Luna, then gave him a cautious and wide berth. He was the object of fearful curiosity (much like Luna, come to think of it), but none dared approach him. He’d had no idea his new appearance would cause such a stir, but Luna was enjoying every moment of it. Turning, he cocked his head when he saw a solar stallion trying to measure him in hands by holding up his hoof and squinting at his shoulder. Sizing him up with a frown, it seemed. Finally, they arrived at the throne room.

Celestia’s bright and shining throne had been draped with the colors of night, the banners turned over to display crescent moons and stars. Dark and fitting for the princess of the night. Princess Luna bade her stallion to stand at the foot of the dais to one side so she could conduct business properly. He nodded, obeying. Standing stalwart, he wiped his face of all expression and resumed his normal ‘guard’ demeanor. A decoration for the room unless called upon.

Princess Luna sat on her royal haunches, calling for the first pony who had any appointment. There were none. Her face fell a little, then she turned her nose up like it meant nothing to her. There was a long silence of her sitting regally on the throne. No appointments. There rarely were during the midnight court. Luna was often lucky to get ten ponies in an entire evening. An hour and a half passed in relative silence. Her face brightened when a dumpy-looking mare suddenly poked her head into the throne room. “Enter, visitor! Speak thy peace!” Luna gestured grandly, snapping out of her quiet doze.

The mare was mint-green and looked a little skittish. Gulping and cocking her head at the massive room, she cantered forward. The scent of fresh breads and spices followed her. She bowed low, upon her belly. “Your majesty!” she called out in a squeaky voice. “Word spread to the kitchens that you might be starting up your own team of royal guards? Night time guards?” it came out like a question.

“They are called lunar stallions!” Luna trumpeted, her voice far louder than necessary. Aegis Shield tried not to react, but could see many ponies paying apt attention. Officials and such got their information by listening, after all.

“Y-yes! Lunar stallions!” the little mare agreed, smiling nervously. “W-well, Celestia’s solar guards have strict eating regiments and such, and… and well… we down in the kitchens were wondering what to do about the lunar stallions?”

The question seemed to catch Luna off guard, for she was silent for a few moments. She mulled it over in her head a few times. “Let him eat when he approaches you for food, I have no reason to enforce when and what he eats. At least none so far.” She finally said, nodding to make it official. The mare bowed and was away. Princess Luna favored Aegis Shield with an encouraging smile. He liked that. He liked it when she smiled at him.

End of Part 3